The Pop Culture Pusher

Thursday, September 20, 2012

TV: Emmy Predictions

The Emmys are a couple of days away. For the Primetime Emmys predictions it’s same as past years: I play to win but am happy if the one I want to win takes the statue. Here now are the fearless predictions:

Drama Series

WILL WIN: Breaking Bad (it’s time to dethrone Mad Men)

WANT TO WIN: Breaking Bad (an awesome season)

Comedy Series

WILL WIN: Modern Family (still top of its game)

WANT TO WIN: Modern Family (another solid season)

Variety, Music or Comedy Series

WILL WIN: The Daily Show (it’s a non-stop streak)

WANT TO WIN: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (fun stuff)

Reality – Competition Program

WILL WIN: Amazing Race (still awesome)

WANT TO WIN: Amazing Race (love it)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

WILL WIN: Bryan Cranston (he got scary this season)

WANT TO WIN: Jon Hamm (needs to finally get one)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

WILL WIN: Claire Danes (She was intense)

WANT TO WIN: Claire Danes (she rocked her first season)

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

WILL WIN: Jim Parsons (emmys love him now)

WANT TO WIN: Louis CK (really funny guy)

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

WILL WIN: Zooey Deschanel (she was wonderfully quirky)

WANT TO WIN: Amy Poehler (finally deserves one)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

WILL WIN: Peter Dinklage (another great season)

WANT TO WIN: Giancarlo Esposito (he was awesome)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

WILL WIN: Maggie Smith (a respectable choice)

WANT TO WIN: Maggie Smith (so fun to watch)

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

WILL WIN: Ed O;Neill (spreading the winning around)

WANT TO WIN: Max Greenfield (made douche-y so funny)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

WILL WIN: Kristen Wiig (sentimental choice)

WANT TO WIN: Mayim Bialik (very funny this season)

Writing for a Drama Series

Downton Abbey • Episode 7 | Homeland • Pilot | Mad Men • The Other Woman | Mad Men • Commissions and Fees | Mad Men • Far Away Places

WILL WIN: Homeland-Pilot (contained episode)

WANT TO WIN: Mad Men-Commissions and Fees (gripping)

Writing for a Comedy Series

Community • Remedial Chaos Theory | Girls • Pilot | Louie • Pregnant | Parks & Recreation • The Debate | Parks & Recreation • Win, Lose, or Draw

WILL WIN: Parks & Recreation-The Debate (deservedly so)

WANT TO WIN: Community-Remedial Chaos Theory (brilliant)

Directing for a Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire • To the Lost | Boardwalk Empire • Face Off | Downton Abbey • Episode 7 | Homeland • Pilot | Mad Men • The Other Woman

WILL WIN: Mad Men-The Other Woman (craftily done)

WANT TO WIN: Breaking Bad-Face Off (fantastic finale)

Directing for a Comedy Series

WILL WIN: Louie-Duckling (shot in Afghanistan)

WANT TO WIN: Curb Your Enthusiasm-Palestinian Chicken (great climax)

Good thing I don’t bet on miniseries; I have no idea if American Horror Story, Game Change or Hatfields & McCoys will win. All I know is Julianne Moore will win for her Sarah Palin role in Game Change. Anyway, let’s see how I do. I’ll post after the Emmys with the results and commentary.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

TV: Summer TV Recap

So instead of summer reading, I do summer viewing. I try to find a new series or two and also continue those show that happen to run during the hotter months. Here’s a recap of some of my summer shows.

SERIES: Breaking Bad (Season 5, Part I)

GENERAL PLOT: A chemistry teacher with cancer decides to go into the drug trade.

CURRENT SEASON: Walt is full-scale evil now. He’s trying to regain all the money he has lost and will stop at nothing to get it.

MY THOUGHTS: Really felt for Mike this season. Walt’s ideas this year are both twisted and genius. I’m also not liking Skyler again, she’s depressing. Looking forward to last eight episodes next summer. I’m intrigued.

SERIES: True Blood (Season 5)

GENERAL PLOT: Vampires and werewolves and shape-shifters, oh my.

CURRENT SEASON: Vampire religious zealots control Bill and company.

MY THOUGHTS: Awful. I don’t know what happened but I was bored this season. They kept killing the new characters I liked and had their older characters make stupid decisions. I don’t care about the werewolves, shape-shifters or fairies. I’m giving up.

SERIES: Downton Abbey (Seasons 1 & 2)

GENERAL PLOT: The Crawly household and their staff are mixed in drama

CURRENT SEASON: WWI affects all the inhabitants of Downton.

MY THOUGHTS: Very well written and acted. It reminds me of Remains of the Day, but on a smaller weekly soap opera-ish scale.

SERIES: The Newsroom (Season 1)

GENERAL PLOT: Will McAvoy and his producer change the way news is done.

CURRENT SEASON: News Night gets some resistance from the higher-ups

MY THOUGHTS: Great introduction. Aaron Sorkin has such fun scripts. I can easily suspend my disbelief and forgive the holier than thou nature of news reporting. Looking forward to season two!

SERIES: Episodes (Season 2)

GENERAL PLOT: Matt LeBlanc is cast in a poorly thought out British knock-off

CURRENT SEASON: Sean & Beverly deal with the fallout of her infidelity with Matt

MY THOUGHTS: This series looks like a movie. The quality of cinematography is outstanding. Matt LeBlanc is really funny as is the rest of the cast. Looking forward to season 3.

SERIES: Weeds (Season 8)

GENERAL PLOT: It’s like Breaking Bad but a half-hour comedy instead.

CURRENT SEASON: Nancy is trying to get legit but struggles along the way

MY THOUGHTS: A pretty good job wrapping up the series. It’s amazing how much some characters have changed and how others have not. It was a good show but I’m also glad it’s over.

SERIES: Damages (Season 5)

GENERAL PLOT: Ruthless lawyer Patty will do anything to win the big cases

CURRENT SEASON: Patty & Ellen go against each other in wiki-leaks scandal

MY THOUGHTS: I wish they ended the series a bit better. I wasn’t too interested in the actual scandal and just wanted to see these women fight in the courtroom. I felt a little let down. But I guess nothing can compete with their stellar first season.

SERIES: Louie (Season 3)

WHERE: Thursday, 10:30pm (FX) – need to download

EPISODES: 11 in (2 to go)

GENERAL PLOT: Louie CK is a comedian who goes through his average pathetic life.

CURRENT SEASON: Louie is getting girlfriends and some respect.

MY THOUGHTS: This season seemed a little uneven. I wished there was more stand-up sprinkled in. The cameos are quite fun at times.

SERIES: Wilfred (Season 2)

WHERE: Thursday, 10pm (FX) – need to download

EPISODES: 12 in (1 to go)

GENERAL PLOT: Only Ryan can see his neighbour’s dog as a man in a dog suit.

CURRENT SEASON: Ryan tries to be normal in his new job, but Wilfred won’t let that happen.

MY THOUGHTS: Wilfred is getting meaner and grosser as the series progresses. I don’t know what the endgame is.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Fall Movie Preview, Emmy Picks

Monday, September 17, 2012

TV: 2012 Fall TV Preview

Well, the fall season is practically upon us. I’m not as excited as previous years. I think I’m becoming more cynical as I grow over. This year, I’m giving more chances to comedies than dramas, but I have a sinking feeling that not all of these will last the full season. We’ll have to see. Anyways, here’s the rundown the fall shows I’ll be trying this year in order of ‘excitement’.

Tuesdays at 9:30pm (FOX) premieres Sept 25

Premise: Comedy about Mindy, who is a OB/GYN who wants to live the perfect romantic comedy life.

People involved: Mindy Kaling (The Office) stars and produces; BJ Novak (The Office) also produces.

Why I’m excited: Kelly has always been one of my favourites on The Office. Now I get to hear her funny comments for a whole show.

Prediction: A great companion piece to New Girl. This one is definitely lasting all season and coming back for more.

Mondays at 10pm (NBC) premieres Sept 17

Premise: An apocalyptic event which wipes out all forms of technology forces a group of survivors to adapt.

People involved: JJ Abrams (Lost), Bryan Burke (Lost), Eric Kripke (Supernatural) & Jon Favreau (Iron Man) produce; Breaking Bad’s Gus Fring stars.

Why excited: Look at the folks behind the scenes. These people know what they are doing to make a long lasting mythology show.

Prediction: I’m praying that this shows sticks around longer than Terra Nova, Flash Forward and The Event. Hopefully these producers have learned from their mistakes.

Tuesdays at 9pm (NBC) ‘premiered’ Sept 11

Premise: Comedy about a sportscaster who finds solace in a bizarre therapy group.

People involved: Matthew Perry (Friends) stars; Scott Silveri (Friends) & Todd Holland (Malcolm in the Middle) produce.

Why I’m interested: I have also enjoyed watching Matthew Perry. I don’t care how Chandler Bing-like he is, I’ll still watch him do anything (except crappy feature films)

Prediction: It’ll at least get the full season, because it’s on NBC and they like Matthew Perry.

Thursdays at 10pm (CBS) premieres Sept 27

Premise: Drama procedural about Sherlock Holmes in modern day New York helping solve the most impossible cases with the help of his rehab sponsor, Dr. Joan Watson (yes, a woman).

People involved: Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone) & Lucy Liu (Ally McBeal) star

Why I’m interested: I like myself a good mystery. I haven’t watched a procedural in awhile.

Prediction: Procedurals on CBS usually last. It’ll get a season two.

Tuesdays at 8:30pm (FOX) premieres Sept 25

Premise: Comedy about odd-couple siblings trying to raise an adorable kid. Hilarity ensues.

People involved: Nat Faxon (wrote The Descendants) stars

Why I’ll give it a chance: Apparently the kid is adorable and the guy is funny.

Prediction: Pretty hit or miss. The main producer wrote What Happens in Vegas and Couples Retreat so the quality is not that good. Maybe could last half a season.

Wednesdays at 8pm (NBC) ‘premieres’ Sept 26

Premise: Comedy version of House, but it takes place in a veterinarian hospital and there’s a monkey in it.

People involved: Justin Kirk (Weeds), Tyler Labine (Reaper) & Bobby Lee (MadTV) star; Community directors and The Sitter makers produce.

Why I’ll give it a chance: I like Justin Kirk. Loved him on Weeds.

Prediction: Could be like Scrubs or it could be awful. It depends how much they mine the monkey antics. Doubt it will last six months unless the monkey disappears.

Here’s what I’m watching this fall in list form.

SUNDAYS

8pm Simpsons (FOX) premieres Sept 30

8pm Amazing Race (CBS) premieres Sept 30

8pm Boardwalk Empire (HBO) premiered Sept 16

9pm Dexter (SHOW) premieres Sept 30

10pm Homeland (SHOW) premieres Sept 30

10pm The Walking Dead (AMC) premieres Oct 14

MONDAYS

8pm How I Met Your Mother (CBS) premieres Sept 24

10pm Revolution (NBC) premieres Sept 17

TUESDAYS

8:30pm Ben & Kate (FOX) premieres Sept 25

9pm Go On (NBC) premiered Sept 11

9pm New Girl (FOX) premieres Sept 25

9pm Happy Endings (ABC) premieres Oct 23

9:30pm The Mindy Project (FOX) premieres Sept 25

9:30pm Don’t Trust the B--- In Apt 23 (ABC) premieres oct 23

10pm Parenthood (NBC) premiered Sept 11

WEDNESDAYS

8pm Animal Practice (NBC) premieres Sept 26

9pm Modern Family (ABC) premieres Sept 26

9:30pm Suburgatory (ABC) premieres Oct 27

10pm American Horror Story (FX) premieres Oct 17

THURSDAYS

8pm The Big Bang Theory (CBS) premieres Sept 27

8pm 30 Rock (NBC) premieres Oct 4

8:30pm Up All Night (NBC) premieres Sept 20

9pm The Office (NBC) premieres Sept 20

9:30pm Parks & Recreation (NBC) premieres Sept 20

10pm Elementary (CBS) premieres Sept 27

FRIDAYS

8:30pm Community (NBC) premieres Oct 19

9pm Fringe (FOX) premieres Sept 28

10pm Boss (STARZ) premiered in August

SATURDAYS

11:30pm SNL (NBC) premiered Sept 15

Lots to watch. We’ll see what lasts.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Summer TV Recap, Emmy Awards, Fall Film Preview