I saw a dog in the park today that looked just like Archie Bunker if Archie Bunker were a small white dog. (JUST LIKE HIM! I expected him to open his mouth and call me meathead.) Archie Bunker (the dog) reminds me of Paul Anka (the dog) from Gilmore Girls, which reminds me that I have seen The Return of Jezebel James by GG creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. I want to like it, but I can't quite get there.First, the good: I like Parker Posey; I like Lauren Ambrose, even though it looks like she doesn't have any eyebrows; I like Diane Weist, even though her character seems (thus far) to be a sloppy outline of "neurotic mother who makes her daughters crazy in opposite ways." I thought that one of the best moments of the first two 1/2 hour episodes was the interaction between Sarah (Posey) and a random little girl in her office -- Sherman-Palladino writes believable (to me, anyway) smart little girls.
On the other hand: the laugh track has got to go. (OH MY GOD! Why are they still using these? If it's funny, I'll laugh all by myself, I promise!) I know a series has to hit the ground running these days, but other half-hour comedies have shown that there are ways to introduce characters and their quirks without bludgeoning the audience. (30 Rock, The Office, My Name is Earl for example.) I felt like they were wasting a lot of their very limited time belaboring some pretty obvious information. I think this show would work better if it were a one hour drama that is also funny, like say... Gilmore Girls.
In other news, I just checked my library hold list, and the new Lubtisch Musicals box set is in transit to me! I am so looking forward to Maurice Chevalier being dapper and dirty in what the link above refers to as "these elegant, bawdy films, made before strict enforcement of the Hays morality code." Elegant and bawdy -- you don't see that in combination too much these days, at least that I'm aware of. Feel free to enlighten me. Relatedly, this post at Bright Lights After Dark tackles the issue of the short guy's burden (particularly Charlie Ruggles) in "matters of pre-code l'amour."
And speaking of MUSICALS... Joss Whedon is apparently doing a limited internet series musical with Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion!!! Hooray! Here's a quote from Joss' post at Whedonesque: "This much I will say: It's the story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he's too shy to talk to. And I'm having the time of my life.
"DOCTOR HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG"
Neil Patrick Harris.....as Dr. Horrible
Nathan Fillion..........as Captain Hammer
Felicia Day.............as Penny
And a cast of Dozens!
Coming soon."
I can't wait!
The second 1/2 hour of TRoJJ was much better than the first, the laugh track must DIE, and, can I just say HELLO KITTY!!! The first half hour was a bit on the painful side but as they got into their groove, as it were, during the second half, especially with the main characters doing most of the interacting, it showed the potential I hoped it would have. The Friday night slot makes it seem like Fox does not care and I hope they put it on after AI as I think it would be a good fit and, under the NO DUH!!! category, benefit from the time slot.
ReplyDeleteHello, Kitty!! I forgot about that. How could I?!? Although maybe it was because she was in a completely different house in the second episode -- an apartment so huge you could host the international racquetball tournament there, yet she was making a joke about the reason she folds her underwear into 1" squares (since they live in NYC "space is at a premium.")!! And yeah, I think the friday thing means it's entirely likely that Fox doesn't care too much what happens to it. Especially since they showed two episodes back to back like they want to burn them off. (especially damning when you know they're short of material post-writer's strike.)
ReplyDeleteBut yay hello kitty phone!
I so want this show to do well. The three main "ladies" are three of my favorite "ladies". It would be a shame to take that much talent and basically throw it out with the bath water.
ReplyDeletewho are your three favorite "ladies?"
ReplyDeleteparker posey? lauren ambrose? I'm guessing that those are two of them, but who is the third? Is it diane weist or amy sherman-palladino?? or a mystery woman?
I have to go with Diane. Whenever I see her I always brighten up. Parenthood? Bullets Over Broadway? Law & Order? Was she the mother in that vampire movie?
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