TV Shows »Two Fat Ladies

on Cooking Channel, Sat at 10

You’d be hard pressed to find to women on television as utterly charming as the Two Fat Ladies whose cooking show graced the airwaves in the mid to late nineties.

Their motorcycle and sidecar are as iconic as they are. Their locations and food are thoroughly British. Think castle boarding schools, cricket matches, pheasant terrines and an intriguing anchovy paste called “gentlemen’s relish”.

It was very sad when Jennifer passed away, ending the show in 1999.

Cooking channel had a marathon on Christmas day which I dvr-ed and have been enjoying intermittently since.

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Posted on January 14, 2012

TV Shows »Best of 2011 – TV Shows

It was a very good year for television. Not only did Breaking Bad break my mind (not listed here as I recommended in a previous year) but it was the year Game of Thrones graced the small screen! YES!

But the quality television didn’t stop with epic, sex filled, big budget serious fantasy. One of the best period dramas ever debuted, we got to see Karl Pilkington visit the seven wonders of the world, Jeremy Irons gets pulpy and popey, an HBO classic comes to Netflix, and an HGTV show makes us want to pack up and live abroad.
1. Game of Thrones

2. Downton Abbey

3. An Idiot Abroad

4. The Borgias

5. The Larry Sanders Show

6. House Hunters International

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Posted on December 26, 2011

TV Shows »Battle of the Nutcrackers

on Ovation

I am officially in love with the Nutcracker, not only is it a beautiful ballet set to great music, but it has continually inspired Van to walk!

While I have to say Ovation has done a terrible job of programming the Battle of the Nutcrackers (hard to find to DVR, only air the same one in a row, and little to no info on their site including when and how to vote – voting was over before I knew it), it’s a yearly program I’ve begun to look forward to.

I’ve only seen three of the five I vote in my mind for the Russian Mariinsky production which boasted the most spectacular and innovative costumes and sets. Just look at the Arabian dance!

If you’ve missed them, I finally found a press release with information and here goes:

“The Viewers’ Choice will be revealed on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Christmas Day, December 25th, will bring a special surprise Nutcracker premiere, accompanied by an all-day marathon of the other productions. “

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Posted on December 24, 2011

TV Shows »Shaun the Sheep

on Netflix Instant

I could blame Van for my new love of the show Shaun the Sheep, but the truth is, when I play an episode during lunch he doesn’t even watch it.

It’s me that finds it adorable and I wish more kids programming was as thoughtfully made and blissfully quiet.

That’s right, no obnoxious screeching voices here, just cute sheepy shenanigans and music.

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Posted on November 18, 2011

TV Shows »Greenwich Village Halloween Parade

on NY1 8:00

While I know I can’t be alone in the universe but I am often among my friends when I declare my absolute love of local news.

With Pat Kiernan on our side we have some of the best on NY1 so of course I’ll be spending tonight, watching their coverage of the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. PS Roger Clark just tweeted that his pants are tight !

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Posted on October 31, 2011

TV Shows »American Horror Story

Thumbs See Potential

Too much too soon American Horror Story! No need to blow your whole jump cut editing wad in the first episode. There’s everything to be said about a slow burn when it comes to horror.

Maybe you’ll calm down and realize your potential with time. I hope so.

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Posted on October 17, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: How to Be a Gentleman

Canceled

Wow, How to Be a Gentleman was canceled before I even got around to writing my review. It’s a shame not because it was good (it wasn’t) but I was glad it gave Murray a job. Love that guy.

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Posted on October 9, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: Suburgatory

Thumbs Say This Was One Of Jim’s Least Favorite

One thing I’ve learned from watching all the new Fall shows is that people that write television hate people who are different from them. Or at least they think we all hate eachother.

The latest cross culture bashing comes from Suburgatory which relies on stereotypes that frankly confused me. So big city teens hate shopping while suburban girls all have nose jobs? I did not know this.

Stereotypes aside, what was more insulting was the flimsy attempt at heart warming understanding. If this girl was really as wry as her Emma Stone face and snarky narration suggests, no way she’s getting soppy over a bra. Especially not that bra.

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Posted on October 6, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: Hart of Dixie

Thumbs Hated Having to Spend Time Writing This

I’ve been trying to come to terms with the idea of spending the time to write about Hart of Dixie, CW’s desperate attempt to reach “real” Americans via good old boy stereotypes (they love the simple life and teaching uppity women lessons), big city career women stereotypes (they’re bitches that wear Chanel and need to learn a lessons from aforementioned men), references to Carrie Underwood, outlandish Southern accents, and a token black guy (really, just one guy?)

I decided I’d been punished enough just having to watch it.

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Posted on October 6, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: Terra Nova

Thumbs Feel Sense of Deja Vu

Terra Nova could be one of those shows I get caught up on a couple seasons from now once enough people I trust say it’s great. But there just wasn’t enough in the pilot for me to stay tuned until then.

Compared to almost everything we’ve seen, it’s good even though it’s terribly derivative of Avatar, Jurassic Park and others. But you know, I’m fine with that lots of sci-fi is.

My problem is that nothing new was added and the dialogue was flat out lazy:

“grab the wheel!”, “what??!”

or “can’t blame a girl for trying”…

almost every line could have been plucked from another boring action movie.

Cast should have been scruffier too.

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Posted on October 4, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: Prime Suspect

Thumbs Ask Where Helen Mirren Is

Why didn’t they just call this “Tough Lady Cop”?

While I like that Lynda La Plante is getting paid, naming Prime Suspect after her groundbreaking series is an insult to all of us that loved it.

To be fair though, I had expected Bello’s performance with that god awful hat to have all the subtlety of a one woman play (picture woman thumbing her nose, sittin’ on a chair backwards and saying “ya know whaddimean?” in a New Yawk accent) and she was better than that.

But come on, they didn’t even learn the lesson from original – that actual, frustrating and realistic police work is far more interesting than tidy crimes that get wrapped up in 40 minutes.

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Posted on October 4, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: Charlie’s Angels

Thumbs Forgot All About It

What’s the opposite of unforgettable?

The new Charlie’s Angels!

I had actually completely forgotten we had even this until Jim reminded me.

All I remember was wondering if drug dealers really host catered parties where everyone wears white mini dresses and white suits?

This is no She Spies.

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Posted on September 28, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: Whitney

Thumbs Sad

I don’t have much to say. Whitney is just too half assed to even qualify as a show.

Really? Girlfriend tries to add spice to sex life with a nurses outfit and the dude falls on his head and passes out? The robot that wrote that should have been updated about ten years ago.

Plus, it’s just very awkward to watch someone who finds themselves adorable.

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Posted on September 25, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: Unforgettable

Thumbs Bored

It’s probably not fair to dismiss a show because I don’t like the way the lady purses her lips.

But here we are.

Have you seen a cop drama with a “strong” female lead haunted by her past? What about one where she and another cop used to bang? What about one where she goes to a warehouse alone to catch the real killer only to be saved by said cop? You have? Then you’ve pretty much seen Unforgettable.

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Posted on September 25, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: A Gifted Man

Demme Makes It As Good As It Can Be

I’m not going to like anything that could be described as ghost whisperer meets ER no matter how good it is.

But I have to say, if you stories about like ghosts (which are really just golden hearted secular angels) and mean, rich men learning how to love impoverished Hispanic children, then The Gifted Man is probably the highest quality version you can find.

It’s directed by Jonathan Demme, so it actually looks like a professional show (something I’ve found shockingly lacking this season) and the cast is largely stellar. She channels Meryl Streep, he balances a tough roll, but I was most happy to see the wonky eyed entomologist from Silence of the Lambs back on screen.

Almost skipped this one entirely (like I did H8R).

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Posted on September 24, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: The Playboy Club

on NBC, but not for Long

The success of Mad Men, which let’s face it, is the only reason this thing exists, yielded many lessons.

To name a few: people appreciate a fine attention to period detail, audiences can deal with deliberate paced and unconventional plot lines, that characters don’t have to be stereotypes to be interesting.

The only thing The Playboy Club seemed to gleam from it though was to get someone who sounds exactly like Don Draper. Close your eyes and listen – that guy must have listened to nothing but those Mercedes Benz ads for weeks to prepare for the role.

Otherwise, this is drivel. Young girl with big dreams, mobsters, a narration by Hugh Hefner from beyond the grave. No doubt the creators saw Scorsese in their ideas. More accurately, they brought Burlesque to the small screen without the camp and wagon wheel watusi. Which is a truly boring thing to see.

Van turned it off several times. Even babies aren’t impressed and they light up when a Pillow Pets commercial comes on.

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Posted on September 23, 2011

TV Shows »5 Second Review: 2 Broke Girls

on CBS

So this is what Brooklyn looks like to people that have never been here.

Question: Since 2 Broke Girls will air to everyone’s mom and dads waiting for Two and a Half Men, does that mean that hipster bashing and red velvet cupcakes will finally become lame?

And this is really just common sense: cheesy laugh tracks and jokes about dried up vaginas simply do not mix.

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Posted on September 22, 2011