It was all comedy for me last night and it felt good to laugh. Does anyone remember laughter?
COMMUNITY: Last night’s paintball episode ranked right up there with the season’s best (I still think the chicken finger mafia episode ranks first) and I loved every minute of it. There was action, romance, comedy and again, a dead-on homage to the action movie genre. Joel McHale made a fine John McClain-esque hero and apparently, Joel’s been working out because the paintball guns weren’t the only guns he was armed with. Gillian Jacobs was a strong action babe and I adored Abed as he rescued Jeff in the neutral zone. I didn’t mind the hot and heavy Jeff/Britta scene; I don’t think it was necessary (but then I’m not one of those viewers who thinks every couple has to get together) but I do think it will add to the comedy of the show in the future. I’m sad the first season of the show is almost over and I can’t wait to see what Dan Harmon and the incredible writing team come up with for next season.
PARKS AND REC: The telethon episode was written by Amy Poehler and she had some of those great, jump-cut moments as Leslie’s thoughts poured out fast and furious. I especially love when Anne woke Leslie up (after Leslie had a sugar crash) and she snapped awake saying, “Tigers!” But my favorite moment, even better than Tom rocking out to SouljaBoy Tellem and hanging out with Detlef Schrempf, was Ron F–ing Swanson and his sleep-fighting affliction. I’m still laughing at the thought of that. That and when Ron said, “I need at least five hours sleep to maintain my sunny disposition.”
30 ROCK: I’ll admit it may not have been the strongest episode ever but I can’t badmouth any show that has Elaine Stritch because she’s one of my favorite broads of all time. I also loved Anita Gillette as Liz’s mom and Liz’s abject horror when she found out her mom could’ve married astronaut Buzz Aldrin. I’m not sure when Matt Damon is guesting on the show but I’m fervently hoping he’ll play Liz’s dream husband Astronaut Mike Dexter.
THE OFFICE: I watched but I didn’t laugh. I’ll leave it at that because I like many of the talented people who work on the show but the episode didn’t click for me.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: “At My Most Beautiful” by R.E.M. which I adore for the Beach Boys sound of it with that lovely twist of Michael Stipe’s inimitable voice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtDWTmQMwr0
Bonus: R.E.M. doing a lovely cover of the Everly Brothers “All I Have to Do is Dream”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ_NzJs5xgQ&feature=related
Sunday is Mother’s Day so hug your mom if she’s near to you and call her if she’s not. I’ll be celebrating with my mom by phone since I won’t be in Chicago.
Here’s your weekend rundown:
Tonight – Friday 5/07
ABC: 8:00 p.m. Wife Swap 9:00 p.m. Primetime: What Would You Do? (season premiere) 10:00 p.m. 20/20
CBS: 8:00pm. Ghost Whisperer 9:00pm. Medium 10:00pm. Miami Medical
Anyone watching the MIAMI MEDICAL? I haven’t bothered to tune in since the pilot.
NBC: 8:00pm. Friday Night Nights (network season premiere) 9:00pm. Dateline (two hours)
The new season of FNL has Coach Taylor at a new school with a new team that has been described as The Bad News Bears of high school football. I didn’t get DirecTV until after the season had started so I will be watching the show now as it airs on NBC. There are new cast members but many of the core members are still around. I’ve avoided reading much about the season but there’s been an outpouring of critical raves which is not unusual.
FOX: 8:00 p.m. House (R) 9:00 p.m. Kitchen Nightmares
THE CW: 8:00 p.m. Smallville 9:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (R)
E!: 10pm: The Soup
HBO: 9pm: The Ricky Gervais Show, 930pm: Life & Times of Tim, 10pm: Real Time with Bill Maher
Bill Maher’s guests tonight include: David Frum, Sarah Silverman (hyping her new book about being a bedwetter), Alan Brinkley, Salman Rushdie (betting his new book is not about bedwetting), and Alexis Glick.
STARZ: 10pm: Party Down, Gravity
Saturday 5/8
ABC: 8:00 p.m. NBA Conference Semi-Finals
CBS: 8:00 p.m. NCIS (R) 9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds (R) 10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery
NBC: 8:00 p.m. Parenthood (R) 9:00 p.m. Law & Order (R) 10:00 p.m. Law & Order: SVU (R)
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: Television legend and internet sensation Betty White hosts with musical guest Jay-Z. Former SNL cast members Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer and Maya Rudolph return for the special Mother’s Day show.
FOX: 8:00 p.m. NASCAR 2010 (Dover International Raceway), 11pm: Wanda Sykes Show
Sunday 5/09
ABC: 7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos 8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 9:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives 10:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters
CBS: 7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes 8:00 p.m. The Amazing Race 16 (season finale) 9:00 p.m. Sunday Movie – Jesse Stone: No Remorse
NBC: 7:00 p.m. Dateline 8:00 p.m. Minute to Win It 9:00 p.m. Celebrity Apprentice (2 hrs)
FOX: 7:00 p.m. ‘Til Death 7:30 p.m. The Simpsons (R) 8:00 p.m. The Simpsons 8:30 p.m. The Cleveland Show 9:00 p.m. Family Guy 9:30 p.m. American Dad
PBS: 9pm: Masterpiece Mystery: Foyle’s War
A&E: 10pm: Kirstie Alley’s Big Life
Food: 10pm: Iron Chef America
HBO: 9pm: The Pacific, 10pm: Treme
History: 9pm: America: The Story of Us
SHOWTIME: 9pm: The Tudors
TLC: 10pm: Hoarding: Buried Alive
That’s a wrap for this week.
