What I'm watching (or Not) 2011 - Thursday

Courtesy of my blog: http://cjferrara.blogspot.com

Fridays and Saturdays are basically re-run days, so Thursdays are the final day of the TV week, that is... until Sunday! I remember when Thursdays were "Must See TV." You would not make plans for Thursdays, because you HAD to be home to watch TV, so that you could discuss the shows at work the next day. That's when it was all about NBC's Comedy line up. Those days are OVER!

The only current NBC Thursday night comedy I can stomach is Community. The producers hit gold with the perfect casting, tone, and writing to this show. They also play with genre and concept which brings them a lot of flexibility with their storylines. If you haven't seen it; the plot revolves around a study group of various ages, races, and personal situations at a second rate community college. The genius is setting it at a COMMUNITY college means that older actors and younger actors can all act like immature school kids.

I think, psychologically, my issue with Parks and Recreation and The Office is my desire for escapism. Both shows center around characters who are in charge, and yet are completely incompetent. I deal with that in real life, and simply don't find it funny. I also get very irritated with the whole "Mockumetary" style of storytelling.

I think, psychologically, my issue with Whitney, is... well.. it sucks. Whitney Cummings is simply not funny, and the writing is amateurishly horrible.

While we're on the subject of sitcoms, How To Be a Gentleman is ALSO not good. It's trying, but not hitting the marks.

I'm very offended by comedy based on mockery of so-called "Nerds." I did NOT like Napoleon Dynamite, and for the same reason, I don't like Big Bang Theory. People love it. I know. Jim Parsons plays an effeminate nerd quite realistically, and people enjoy laughing at the smart guy intentionally written to be unsympathetic so that we don't feel guilty for laughing at him. I, personally, don't find it funny, and will pass, thank you.

I never got into The Mentalist. See my commentary about Castle. I'm also not a fan of Prime Suspect but for different reasons. I REALLY don't like the tone of it. It was created by Peter Berg, and I am not a fan of his work.

Grey's Anatomy  and Private Practice. No.

The New Charlie's Angels should be awesome, what with modern action techniques and all. The acting, however, is TERRIBLE. It's also a remake, and remakes hardly ever work. I think Battlestar Galactica is the only time.

Person of Interest on the other hand, is original, well acted, and superiorly written. And since J.J.Abrams has his hand in it, you can bet that there's more to the story than is on the surface. Jim Caviezel is amazing, and Michael Emerson is, well, Michael Emerson. (Which is to say Awesome!) The story involves a computer created after 9/11 intended to monitor all cellphone activity, and track patterns in order to hunt down terrorists. A side effect is that it also finds possible murders and other crimes, but considers them to be "Irrelevant." Emerson, the computer's programmer enlists ex-CIA hitman Caviezel to find the people on the "Irrelevant" list and help to stop the murders.

Next up... SUNDAY!

In the meantime... Check out my opinions about...
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday