Top 20 TV Music Choices

So last week’s episode of Ted Lasso featured The Rolling Stones’ “She’s a Rainbow”. The song was used perfectly in the show; the pace variations fit the actions and it made a great callback to an earlier conversation which in turn gave the ending such an emotional impact that I still feel my heart beating faster just picturing that sequence. That’s what a great song choice can do for a television show (especially when it comes to a montage). So with that in mind, I decided to list my Top 20 TV Music Choices. I restricted myself to shows that are not currently on the air, which also means there may be some really old spoilers for some of you out there. Let’s go from 20 to 1:

20.
TITLE: Green Light
ARTIST:Lorde
SHOW: New Girl
EPISODE: S06E22: Five Stars for Beezus
SCENE: Nick and Jess are trying to confess their love to each other but keep missing each other due to a slow elevator.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: The song is catchy and fun as they run up and down the stairs. When the music stops and then kicks in when the doors open to reveal Nick & Jess lip-locked and together again is awesome. This was a possible series finale, so they ended it on a such a great note.

19.
TITLE: Devil Town
ARTIST: Tony Lucca
SHOW: Friday Night Lights
EPISODE: S01E22: State
SCENE: The victorious Dillon Panthers return home to a parade as the local DJs discuss the future of Coach Taylor.

LISTEN TO THE SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: While there’s a celebratory nature to the song, the lyrics seems to contradict the mood. It captures the fickle attitude of the town towards Coach Taylor. It’s a nicely drawn out song to fit the first season ending montage. 

18.
TITLE: Forever
ARTIST: Chris Brown
SHOW: The Office
EPISODE: S06E05: Niagara, Part II
SCENE: The office staff copy a famous YouTube clip as they ‘walk’ down the aisle for Jim & Pam’s wedding. We also see Jim & Pam actually get married at the actual falls.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: The utter glee of Michael Scott and the rest of the staff make me smile as Jim & Pam make faces to each other knowing that their actual ceremony wasn’t ruined. A great use of a pop culture moment to add some flair to a sitcom wedding.  

17.
TITLE: Games Without Frontiers
ARTIST: Peter Gabriel
SHOW: The Americans
EPISODE: S01E13: The Colonel
SCENE: In the season ending montage, each side gets new information about their enemy while Paige is getting more suspicious about her parents and checks the laundry room. 

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here (from a different country)
WHY THIS SONG: While most people would pick the pilot opener ‘Tusk’ by Fleetwood Mac which does set the mood, the show ends up using a lot more Peter Gabriel throughout their seasons. This song has a more ominous tone to it as it pulls us along to see if Paige will find out or not.    

16.
TITLE: Full of Grace
ARTIST: Sarah McLachlan
SHOW: Buffy, The Vampire Slayer
EPISODE: S02E22: Becoming, Part II
SCENE: Buffy runs away from home after sending Angel to Hell, while the rest of Scoobies wonder if the spell worked in time. 

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: A great emotional song that describes Buffy’s state of mind. The camera panning to the Leaving Sunnydale sign while the line “It’s better this way” is sung is just a perfect end to a great season.  

15.
TITLE: She Will Have Her Way
ARTIST: Neil Finn
SHOW: Sports Night
EPISODE: S02E01: Special Powers
SCENE: A three-month spanning montage of Casey trying to work up the nerve to finally ask out Dana.

LISTEN TO THE SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: A well-played introduction to the second season. The song is light and lovelorn to match Casey’s approach. I feel for the guy.

14.
TITLE: Let Your Heart Hold Fast
ARTIST: Fort Atlantic
SHOW: How I Met Your Mother
EPISODE: S08E12: The Final Page, Part II
SCENE: Barney proposes to Robin as Ted is honored for his newly constructed building. 

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: After Barney explains an incredibly elaborate play to get Robin, finally gets her along with Ted’s blessing. The song has a nice mix of love and regret as we see Ted thinking about Robin and realizing he lost her.    

13.
TITLE: No Man’s Woman
ARTIST: Sinead O’Connor
SHOW: Alias
EPISODE: S01E01: Truth Be Told
SCENE: Sydney completes her solo mission and walks triumphantly into SD-6 returning to work and saving her life. 

LISTEN TO THE SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: The confidence of this song radiates as Sydney takes matters into her own hands. It set the bar high for this great series. 
  

12.
TITLE: Question
ARTIST: Old 97’s
SHOW: Ed
EPISODE: S04E09: The Proposal
SCENE: After years of will they-won’t they, Ed proposes to Carol Vessey.  

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: This song has been used for a number of television proposals but Ed’s takes the cake. After numerous big romantic gestures, he goes all out to give Carol her favourite things. His recreation of sun set always makes me smile. Such a perfect song for a such a great scene.      

11.
TITLE: Passing Afternoon
ARTIST: Iron & Wine
SHOW: House
EPISODE: S04E16: Wilson’s Heart
SCENE: A closing montage with the cast reacting to the death of one of their former colleagues.  

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here (1:50 in)
WHY THIS SONG: As House is partly responsible for the death, this causes a rift with his best friend. The sorrowful song has a great pace that fits with the variety of responses. Nicely done.    

10.
TITLE: Let My Love Open the Door
ARTIST: Luminate
SHOW: The Newsroom
EPISODE: S02E09: Election Night, Part II
SCENE: A wonderful closing montage for the season after Will announces his engagement to MacKenzie.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: Relationships are mended as the newsroom celebrates the announcement. The music and scene culminates nicely with Maggie taking earlier advice and clicking on a story.    

9.
TITLE: Daydream Believer
ARTIST: Mary Beth Maziarz
SHOW: Dawson’s Creek
EPISODE: S03E19: Stolen Kisses
SCENE: Joey finally admits her feelings for Pacey and kisses him.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here (1:28 in)
WHY THIS SONG: This song is played throughout the episode but is also played as Joey makes a move to keep from losing Pacey. It’s a pretty cover and works well in this scene. I always liked Pacey over Dawson.     

8.
TITLE: Rivers & Roads
ARTIST: The Head and the Heart
SHOW: Chuck
EPISODE: S05E13: Chuck vs the Goodbye
SCENE: Sarah has amnesia so Chuck recounts their life together.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here (1:33 in)
WHY THIS SONG: Love how this song ends the series. It plays so well under a fun montage of Chuck and Sarah moments from the previous five seasons. Not knowing if Sarah is ever going to remember makes it also bittersweet. I well up a little when I watch this scene.

7.
TITLE: Hide & Seek
ARTIST: Imogen Heap
SHOW: The O.C.
EPISODE: S02E24: The Dearly Departed
SCENE: Marissa shoots Trey in order to save Ryan from getting killed.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WATCH THE SNL DIGITAL SHORT: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: This song is almost synonymous with The O.C. because of this scene. The synth and slow motion gives the scene extra drama. Of course, that drama was mocked well by SNL a few years later with a Digital Short called ‘Dear Sister’.  

6.
TITLE: Baby Blue
ARTIST: Badfinger
SHOW: Breaking Bad
EPISODE: S05E16: Felina
SCENE: Walt takes one last look at a meth lab before the police arrive.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: A great last long for the series. Of course, the blue refers to the Walt’s signature crystal meth. But that first line, “Guess I got what I deserve” is so incredibly perfect. It’s a fitting song for one of the best series finales ever.

5.
TITLE: At This Moment
ARTIST: Billy Vera & the Beaters
SHOW: Family Ties
EPISODE: S04E02: The Real Thing, Part II
SCENE: Alex daydreams of Ellen during an important exam.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: This is probably one of the first times I heard a musical montage in a television show. It’s not my favourite song but every time I hear it, I can picture Alex and Ellen in a train station confessing their love to each other. I also like that they are still together in real life.

4.
TITLE: Make Your Own Kind of Music
ARTIST: Mama Cass Elliot
SHOW: Lost
EPISODE: S02E01: Man of Science, Man of Faith
SCENE: An introduction to Desmond, the guy in the hatch.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: I still remember listening to this song and wondering what the hell was going on. Was this a flashback? Who is this person? Based on the surroundings and music, it must be a flashback. Nope. Such a brilliant start to the second season. (It’s also being used for humour in Free Guy so the connection might be skewed from now on.)

3.
TITLE: Brothers in Arms
ARTIST: Dire Straits
SHOW: The West Wing
EPISODE: S02E22: Two Cathedrals
SCENE: President Bartlet goes to a press conference. Will he talk about his MS or announce that he will seek a second term?

LISTEN TO THE SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: I’m sad that this scene is not on YouTube (it’s a nice fan edited montage though). The thunder of the song mixes perfectly with the tropical storm that ends the fantastic second season. You can’t help but root for Bartlet as he makes his way to the podium. It is brilliantly written, shot and accompanied.

2.
TITLE: Winter
ARTIST: Joshua Radin
SHOW: Scrubs
EPISODE: S03E14: My Screw-Up
SCENE: JD accompanies Dr. Cox to his brother-in-law’s funeral.

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here
MORE ON THE ARTIST & SONG: Click here
WHY THIS SONG: The show did a great Sixth Sense twist with guest star Brendan Fraser and the capper is this song when we realize that Dr. Cox has been talking to a ghost and is now attending the funeral instead of a birthday party. The lyrics are hauntingly beautiful and the scene gets me every time. (My runner up would be The Fray’s “How To Save a Life” where Dr, Cox tragically loses three patients at the same time.)

1.
TITLE: Breathe Me
ARTIST: Sia
SHOW: Six Feet Under
EPISODE: S05E12: Everyone’s Waiting
SCENE: As Claire drives away from the funeral home, we see the future and death of each main character

WATCH THE SCENE: Click here then here
(it’s in two parts with French dialogue)
WHY THIS SONG: I wish there was a cleaner version on YouTube; someone has an edited down copy but it misses some powerful moments. While there may be better series finale episodes, nothing compares to the ending scene of this series. In a brilliant masterstroke, this drama about death shows us how each character dies. While I will admit it also looks like a car ad, the scenes of the family are breathtakingly beautiful. The song evokes emotion, drive and still manages to make me well up with tears when I hear it. Perfection.

What TV music choices have moved you? 

Film: Free Guy

GENRE: Action, Comedy
RATING: PG-13 for fantasy violence and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 55 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, The Proposal, Van Wilder)
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve); Joe Keery (Stranger Things)
DIRECTOR: Shawn Levy (Date Night, Night at the Museum)
WRITERS: Matt Lieberman (Christmas Chronicles; Scoob!);
Zak Penn (Ready Player One, The Avengers, X-Men 2)
PLOT: A non-playing character in a video game wants more including meeting a particular female hero.    

FULL DISCLOSURE: Reynold’s work in the trailer alone pulled me in.

STORY STUFF: That was so much fun. What a fantastic concept that is played out perfectly. Instead of going edgier like The Truman Show, Free Guy amps up the energy and fun instead. I find it funny that Zak Penn also wrote Ready Player One; maybe he learned from all the mistakes in that film. This film is far superior to Spielberg’s ode to video games and their avatars.  I was on board the entire movie. I also love what the film had to say about trying new things and copyright infringement. My only slight complaints involved an oblivious female character and a second kiss that contradicted itself. I will also warn you that there is some video game lingo that might confuse the ‘average’ viewer. Other than that, wall to wall awesomeness.

ACTING STUFF: Reynolds kills it as Guy; his gleeful innocence and wonder makes this film so enjoyable. Comer get to play a great character with lots of layers instead of just a love interest. It was great to see Keery out of his eighties duds and rocking this role of a coder. Taika Waititi is also quite fun as the villain; he is so over-the-top he can get with anything on the screen. It was nice to see Alex Trebek play himself in a quick Jeopardy segment. There is also a surprising super fun one-line cameo that got the theatre roaring with laughter. Also, kudos on getting a bunch of famous real-life streamers to do Twitch-like commentary. Brilliant casting all around.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The music choices are top notch. There are some great tunes that contrast the violence on the screen. The special effects are colourful and vibrant. There are so many Easter eggs in the background that you should probably watch it again to catch them all. I’m sure if I played more video games I would enjoy those eggs all the more. It’s also just fun watching Reynold’s Guy ignoring all the destruction happening all around him. So much creativity and fun.     

VERDICT: Five stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want to have fun watching a film.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Film: The Green Knight

 

GENRE: Drama, Fantasy
RATING: R for violence, some sexuality and nudity
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 10 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, Lion, The Newsroom)
Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider); Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible 5 & 6)
DIRECTOR: Dave Lowery (The Old Man & the Gun, Pete’s Dragon)
WRITER: Lowrey (The Old Man & the Gun, A Ghost Story)
PLOT: The medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: I teach this tale in my Literature 12 class.

STORY STUFF: This is definitely the best adaptation I’ve seen of this medieval tale. All the elements are there as well as some interesting embellishments and extras thrown in. I liked Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk) as a scavenger Gawain meets on his journey. I was not a fan of the ending as it makes some significant changes to common interpretations of the story. The pace is also very slow, which makes it difficult to stay connected at all times. It’s definitely not for everyone.

ACTING STUFF: I’m a big fan of Dev Patel. I love the way he expresses his emotions in all his films and shows. He makes it easy for us to root for him even when he is not making the best decisions. Even though the cast list just names him as ‘The King’, I assumed that Harris was playing King Arthur. I didn’t find him very dynamic; he sounds old and withered. Vikander does good work in her small role as does Joel Edgerton as the Lord. Not much to say about the rest of acting aside from Patel (and Keoghan).

ARTISTIC STUFF: The cinematography was outstanding. Andrew Droz Palermo does some amazing camera work. I love the simplicity of a steady cam dolly shot as Gawain embarks on his journey and kids chase after him down the road. He also does some smooth spins as we go from earth to sky. There are plenty of beautiful extreme wide shots as Gawain makes the long trek to the green chapel. I also give points to the music as it seems authentic enough with medieval songs and instruments.    

VERDICT: Two and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’re into slow moving medieval tales and like Dev Patel.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Free Guy

August Viewing

Now that Olympics are over, it’s time to find other things to watch. I will be continuing some of my shows that were on hiatus for a couple weeks and trying some new ones. Most of these will be done before the Fall TV Season begins mid-September. Here’s the list:

Network Television

The Chase (ABC) continuing on Sundays
Jeopardy masters take on mere mortals in a quick paced, high stakes trivia that’s full of fun trash talk and buzzer beating answers (4 eps remaining?)

Lego Masters (FOX) continuing on Tuesdays
There are a good number of episodes to go as teams of two make amazing Lego creations that sometimes nearly defy physics. (4 eps remaining?)

Masterchef (FOX) continuing on Wednesdays
It’s their legends editions (although I don’t know any of the special guests). They have around seven more cooks to whittle down. (8 eps remaining?)

Making It (NBC) continuing on Thursdays
Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman have fun giving crafting challenges to some ultra creative people. Still a number of contestants left.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC) starts August 12
The final season is only ten episodes (two a night) so cherish this hilarious police comedy while you can.

Jeopardy (ABC) continuing Monday to Friday
Guest hosts galore as currently a guy named Matt has been killing it for a couple weeks now.

Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC) continuing Monday to Thursday
I like to end the day with some Closer Looks and mockery of politics

Streaming & Cable Television

Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
Cecily Strong and Keegan Michael Key are a couple trapped in a world of old school musical tropes. Some fun songs and humour. (6 eps)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
The second season has started off nicely. The team dynamics and the storytelling are still strong. Loving Roy Kent even more this year. (12 eps)

Mr. Corman (Apple TV+)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a fifth grade teacher who is suffering from panic attacks and dream-like elements. Hits close to home at times (10 eps)

Movies That Made Us (Netflix)
Fun little documentary series going behind the scenes of some classic films from my youth. This season includes Back to the Future. (4 eps)

The Chair (Netflix) starts August 20
Sandra Oh is promoted to the English department chair after a scandal hits a prestigious university. (7 eps)

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) continuing on Sundays
John Oliver takes a deep dive into something scandalous in the world.

Dr. Death (Peacock)
It will be on Showcase in Canada in September. For those with access, this one is about a neurosurgeon who is botching surgeries. Creepy. (8 eps)

Bless this Mess (Disney+)
Dax Shepard and Lake Bell are New York City dwellers adjusting to their new life on a Nebraska farm. From the creator of New Girl & Lake Bell.

What If . . . ? (Disney+) starts August 11
An animated Marvel series that imagines different scenarios like Peggy Carter becoming Captain Britain. The kicker is the original movie stars reprise their roles (in voice only) including Chadwick Boseman. (10 eps)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) starts August 31
Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are pod-casters trying to solve a murder in their high-rise apartment.

What will you be watching?

Film: The Suicide Squad

 

GENRE: Action, Adventure
RATING: R for strong language, brief nudity, strong violence and gore
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 12 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Idris Elba (Hobbs & Shaw, Thor, Pacific Rim. Molly’s Game)
Margot Robbie (Birds of Prey, I, Tonya); John Cena (Blockers)
DIRECTOR: James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2)
WRITER: James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, Scooby-Doo)
PLOT: A group of supervillains are chosen to do an off-the-books assignment for a shady government division for reduced jail time.   

FULL DISCLOSURE: Loved the trailer. Gunn’s involvement cinched it.

STORY STUFF: “No one likes a showoff.” “Unless what they are showing off is dope AF.” This line from the movie pretty much sums up what Gunn does with the tatters of the first studio-tampered Suicide Squad. He takes the premise and kicks it up a notch. More than notch though. The characters are a lot more interesting, the humour is fantastic and the plot is far more understandable. Gunn also pulls the rug from under you a couple times with hilarious results. There was a bit of a slow part in the middle but the majority of the film moves at a cracking pace. Well done.

ACTING STUFF: Great stuff all around. Robbie, of course, is enticing as Harley Quinn. She is full of energy, quirk and mayhem. Elba plays the grump well and gets to clash with Cena’s single-minded douchebag. My favourite would have to be David Dastmalchian (Dark Knight) as Polka-Dot Man; his powers and lines are awesome. I also enjoyed the Stallone-voiced King Shark. Great chemistry from the squad. The government and residents of the fictional Carto Maltese were pretty one note though. Also, I’m not a fan of Viola Davis; but that’s usually the case.     

ARTISTIC STUFF: Gunn’s soundtrack is all kinds of awesome with some great tunes to add to the mayhem. The violence is extreme. There’s a reason for the R rating. Lots of blood and guts. It’s not for the squeamish. Also, if you’re not a fan of rats, you may not like certain sequences.  

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You’re fine with comic book films with guts, rats and humour.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Free Guy