Top Cult TV Shows To Rewatch

Everyone has a list of the best shows to watch, but they are of no help if you have already seen them and they were only enjoyable the first time around. That only leaves the shows that are fun to watch again. Here is a list of some TV series that have not lost their entertainment value the second time around.

Louie

Louie is one of those rare shows that pushes vulgarity so far and so well that it becomes an art form. The show is split into random snippets of Louie’s hilariously depressing life and his stand up routine, but Seinfeld it is not. The comedy is so textured in its obscenity that multiple viewings never seem to lessen the experience. Whether it be an implied rape by his overly comforting dentist or his fantasies that seem, for Louie, to involve a bag of dicks, this is definitely a piece of work worth seeing again.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

The series follows a gang of reprehensible people who run a Philadelphia bar and should not be allowed in public. There increasingly sociopathic antics have been providing much needed entertainment for many seasons now. Among the things that make the show is Charlie, the dyslexic, possibly illiterate rat bashing hobbyist with a glue huffing addiction.  The latest and most extreme addition to the show would  be Fat Mac, the normally fit Mac put on some pounds in the latest season and became the main focus of ridicule and laughs. Antics like these make it fun to watch every time.    

Futurama

The continuing adventures of the planet express crew returns for more intergalactic trouble. If you can’t abide the few episodes aired on the comedy network, there are still plenty of seasons worth another watch. The content was better back on fox. Playing on the vast material given by the world of sci-fi, Futurama spoofs and alludes its way to hilarity, and those well timed Bender-isms never get old. 

Stargate Universe

The grittier cousin of Stargate SG1, SGU had a short 2 season run before being cancelled, leaving television void of real sci-fi ever since. The series played with much heavier sci-fi situations than its  Stargate predecessors. The marooned misfit crew of the ancient ship Destiny live in a more surreal situation than usually seen, such as body swapping across universes with little thought for what they do in others bodies.  It is the retro sci-fi with a Blade runner sound track and 2001 Space Odyssey visuals. The ambiance and surprisingly well developed characters, especially Greer, make this a very enduring watch.

Archer

Foul mouthed, mommy issues, and a licence to kill define Archer Sterling, the top not so secret spy of the Isis organization. A terrorist threat is merely an excuse to live out a Burt Reynolds movie fantasy but extremely raunchy and offensive. Archer has made seminal episodes, including adventures with Duchess Von Finger Bang, a Russian made bionic man arch nemesis and crazed astronauts bent on populating mars.  It always pleases that when the terrorists attack Archer will be banging chicks and shooting dicks.

The X-Files

Before the Winchester brothers, there was Mulder and Scully, the original paranormal investigators. This 90s series stands the test of time for its alien/paranormal investigations. Before David Dechovney became the lecherous Hank Moodie in Californication, he was the conspiracy theorist, porn addicted FBI agent we all know and love. Enjoy the alien abductions, human organ eaters, and inbred hillbilly murderers all over again.    

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The cult series has remained a favorite among Joss Whedon fans over the years. Firefly showed some promise. Dollhouse, while interesting, was far too disordered and character free to watch again. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was always well liked for its witty dialogue and character. What makes it enjoyable to watch again are the jokes you are not likely to remember or did not get the first time around because they were so fast and subtle.  

Summer 2012 TV Shows That You Can’t Miss

The summer television selection has gotten progressively better over the past decade. It used to be that the summer would be filled with reruns but now it a hot bed for British model dramas and comedies; meaning they only have up to thirteen episodes. Arguably these summer shows are better than some of their regular season counterparts on network TV. We are going to go over a few of the best shows that are going to be on this summer and give a few reasons for why they are worth missing a few hours of outdoor related summertime fun.

Workaholics - Comedy Central

This comedy centers on the antics of three male twentysomethings who all live and work together and you better believe it is not even a bit loose butthole.  You might think that you have seen a series very similar to this one before and you have. However, the level of downright hedonistic behavior from these characters is extremely charming.  In one episode the focusing more on the guys life outside the office, one of the main characters Anders decides he will have his twenty-fifth birthday at a Chucky-Cheese style of kids restaurant, which for some reason serves beer. There is nothing like getting shitfaced around small children while playing carnival games. By the end of this episode Ander’s learns a valuable lesson about growing older with dignity but that was not before his roommates purchase him some hookers for an adventure in the indoor tunnel fortress. The humor of this show comes from the strange relationship between the three coworkers\roommates. They seem to have overstepped some boundaries a few years earlier in their relationship and never looked back.  They even have their own way of speaking which most memorably includes the term loose butthole as an insult and tight butthole as a complement; because everyone knows that a tight butthole is better than a loose one, there in lies the compliment.       

Breaking Bad - AMC

Many people have heard of Breaking Bad fewer have actually watched it though. Originally the show was about a high school teacher who teams up with one of his former students to cook meth in order to make enough money to leave for his family after he has succumb  to the terminal cancer he abruptly found out he had; a noble enough rationale to produce a horribly addictive drug. The initial antics of Walter White and his former student Jesse Pinkman trying to get their drug operation were interesting enough but the show only really began to pick up once the Mexican Cartel came into the picture along with a man whose ability to cook the best chicken in the mid-west matched only by his eye for talented chemists.  The show’s subtle character and explosive season finales  are some of the best on television right now.  You will love and then loath Walter and grow in your distain for Walter’s wife Skyler only to end up feeling sorry for poor choices. The issue however is that if you haven’t seen the earlier seasons you may feel a bit lost. A lot has happened in the previous seasons and the show writers have a long memory and like to bring old characters and unfinished storylines back up down the road. It might be a good idea to watch some the previous seasons on Netflix or pick them up on DVD, it would be worth it.

True Blood - HBO

One of the best comedies that HBO has ever made, True Blood is the answer to the Twilight problem.  There may be a lot of over the top love stories floating around in the story of this show but at least it is funny. A lot of ink has been spilt over this series; some call it too sexy and graphic and they are right. True Blood is filled with sex and violence and it is not for children to watch, it is a grown up show that borders on soft-core porn at times. But we grownups can take it and if you ever asked the question, whatever happened to the kid from the classic children’s movie Fly Away Home, well she is grown up and regularly naked and star of True Blood. Now you know.  At its heart True Blood is a comedy, and it attains its laughs through over the top moments of passion and violence.  It also makes for a great conversation centerpiece, where you will ask questions, like when Sam shape shifts into another animal do you think he has had sex with that particular species female counterpart? It’s a fair question.  Last season featured a witch who could control the dead, which was bad news for vampires since they are dead and all. There was even an instance when the main vampires of the show were made to march towards a vampire killing magical barrier in the style of zombie extras from Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video.  You can say a lot of things about True Blood but it is consistently entertaining.   

Burn Notice - USA

Burn Notice is a spy show without all the seriousness taken out of it.  The show has been around for over five seasons and its success hinges on the charisma of the cast.  Michael Weston is the main character of the show and his back story revolves around him being burned by his agency and then having to live off of his private eye skills helped by his misfit friends and his mommy. The reason this show is so watchable has a lot to do with the fun ways the stories play out and the different methods Michael and his team use to thwart his enemies. The spy team also includes Sam Axe played by a guy you might know named Bruce Campbell, made famous by the Evil Dead movies. He plays a lovable drunkard ex-navy seal that helps Michael get into and out of sticky situations. The show is also set in Florida and has a lot of nice landscape shots, so you can at least pretend like you went outside this summer.    

Wilfred - FX

Wilfred is a show about a man and his dog. How could anything sound more wholesome as a premise for a TV show? Well, the relationship between man and beast becomes a little blurred when your dog can talk to you and not just that encourages you to harness your inner animal. Oh and this dog appears to his best friend and only to his best friend as a man dressed in a dog suite.  Elijah Wood, of Lord of The Rings fame, stars alongside a man in a dog suite in this show set in California. The interesting thing about this show is that it did not start as an American show. No, it and the actor who plays Wilfred the dog hail from Australia where the show had a successful run. This version of the show is a bit different than its original, instead of Wilfred having a strange relationship with his master’s boyfriend, in the American version the dog strikes up a relationship with his suicidal neighbor, teaching  him how to enjoy life and not be so depressed.   Among other things the two main characters on Wilfred engage in copious amounts of weed smoking and long psychedelic talks involving some great existential questions. It appears that there is nothing more ponderous and primal than the mind of a pot smoking dog.

Louie - FX

From the mind of brilliant comedian Louis C.K. Louie is not just one of the best comedies airing during the summer months it is one of the best currently on television. The show is based on an alternate version of Louie, where he is divorced and is not nearly as successful as he is today. So what you get is a nice mix of stand-up bits and off-putting social interactions played out in some of the most awkwardly funny scenarios you could NEVER imagine and all done with pitch perfect execution. There is something inherently dark about Louie as a show; it is laced with self-effacing humor and most at the expense of Louis himself.   Moments such as the one where he professed his love for one of his female friends was a classic set up, that most of us have seen on a show or two, but the way this woman reacts to Louie’s putting-it-all-on-the-line/hail marry moment is so true to life and manages to be both brutal and honest and most importantly funny. This show is very inventive and has something in every episode that will make you laugh and even think a little bit. 

‘The River’ Could End Up Being Great Serial Fun

ABC’s newest mid-season serial drama The River could manage to entertain audiences who long for a nice season long story arc. The show takes place on a magical river somewhere in the Amazon. The characters in the show travel by boat in search for a lost adventurer who is sort of like an American version of Jacques Cousteau named Dr. Emmet Cole. In the pilot episode Dr. Cole’s son and wife (accompanied by a film crew of course) head out on a journey to find the lost explorer but end up finding magic. This sounds idiotic on many levels as a premise for a television series, at least one that could entertain most avid television viewers, but the lost footage style that the show is filmed in along with the new mystery of the week structure of the series creates a nice precedent.

Sure a lot of films are made these days in the “lost footage” style and other than a few exceptions such as Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity films in this style are often quite shitty. It has been a while since this style has been employed for a television series, especially one that is of the mysterious persuasion. The very short lived series called FreakyLinks comes to mind when talking about The River. It too was a show shot with handheld cameras and revolved around a team of investigators who looked into freaky incidents. It failed miserably and was canceled very soon after it premiered back in 2000. FreakyLinks wasn’t a very good show and from what we saw in the first two episodes of The River neither is it. But the saving grace of The River may be in the structure of the series and not in the quality of the acting or originality of the stories. You see, it looks like in every episode the crew of the Magus will encounter some supernatural force to overcome, either by solving some riddle or burning some bones or some bullshit like that, in a new way in each episode. That sounds a lot like the CW’s Supernatural and people like that show and its format. So when you combine a successful format like the one used in Supernatural along with a very trendy filming style like that of Paranormal Activity you get The River which will most likely not be as good as either.

But who knows, the crew of the Magus might bring its viewers lots of joy, even if the joy is derived from making purposely mean comparisons between this show and say… Sy-Fy’s Destination Truth which often takes its adventurers on boat trips looking for magical creatures and mythical beasts only spoken about in whispers and hush tones. The name of the boat in The River is the Magus which for those less scholarly is Latin for, you guessed it Magical but potential viewers of the show should concern themselves with another Latin word to describe this show hospitalitatem, which it just might turn out to be. (What does that word mean, that’s a mystery). 

Please Kill ‘Terra Nova’ and Use It’s Budget to Keep ‘Fringe’

Let’s face it everyone was excited to here that a Jurassic Park sort of show was going to be coming out back when Terra Nova was first announced. The premise sounded great: the Earth is dying and humanities only hope is to go back in time to restart civilization in an ancient and alien land. Cool! But what we got was not so… cool.

Instead of having an entertaining science fiction series about a new civilization fending off giant dinosaurs we got a family drama set on what looks like a low rent Hawaiian resort. Despite the fact that it had a lot of potential it doesn’t mean that the network it airs on (FOX) should give up on another one of its science fiction shows, namely Fringe.

You see Fringe has not been doing so great, rating wise, since it was moved from Thursday to Friday nights; better known to most TV watchers as the Death Slot. Most people have things they would rather be doing on Friday nights rather than watching the TV. And as a result, Fringe is mostly watched by people who set their digital recorder in order to snag it for viewing at a later date. That’s assuming they even remember it is on. Even on its worst day Fringe is far superior to Terra Nova.  Which begs the question why wouldn’t Fox executives just move Fringe to Terra Nova’s Monday night slot and use the money they would have spent on Terra Nova to improve upon Fringe?

After watching what Fox’s moves have been over the past decade or some when it comes to its programming one thing becomes apparent. They think it’s easier to lure viewers to shiny new (probably terrible) shows than it is to draw viewers back to an existing series that has lost its appeal but is still of high quality. Most highly advertised pilots do get a few weeks of high ratings even if the show is obviously a Lost clone/wannabe that is going nowhere fast. Does that sound familiar (cough)… Terra Nova.  

Fat Mac is the Best Thing to Happen To It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia In A Long While

If you haven't been following It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia since the start of their latest season you are missing out on some very funny shit. This season the gang has been going on road trips, creating sadistic board games and even putting on a pervert riddled kid pageant. All of these activities have allowed this season to be one of the shows best in years, but by far the best source of comedy to come out of Season 7 is Fat Mac.

The actor who plays the vain and Fat Mac, Rob McElhenney thought it would be funny if he put on an unhealthy amount of weight for the seventh season of the now long running FX comedy series. He was right. Seeing Fat Mac walking around with a garbage bag full of lukewarm chimichangas, insisting that he is "cultivating mass" as a part of some kind of fitness regiment  is just the start of the Fat Ass jokes. People who love to make fun of delusional friends that insist their size is due to some sort of "big boned-ness" or a husky musculature when in fact they are just fat fuckers who eat too much, they are in for a treat. You have to give it up for McElhenney he is a real champ for putting that amount of weight on just so he can be made fun of.

Summer TV Seasons 2011 | What To Watch Over The Summer Months

It used to be that during the summer months the only thing on television was reruns and an unpleasant amount of movies that were made over two decades ago. This is no longer the case. With the advent of Netfix and other similar services you can have access to an almost unlimited number of TV episodes. As well, summer television has started turning out original programming to make up for the TV withdraw inducing summer months.  This is list of viewing suggestions for those among us who just can’t stand the warm summer sun touching their skin.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

If you didn’t already know, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is about a supernaturally endowed teenager. With her gang aka the scoobies Buffy battles her way through a variety monsters. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has what you need in terms of simple viewing pleasure. Whether it be a fight to the death or hanging out at the cafeteria table, there remains the lovability of the characters and the playful and witty dialogue they all engage in at every turn.

Firefly

Firefly was Joss Whedon’s passion project which was cancelled before it’s time and, some would say, made him die inside, ruining him for Dollhouse. All the elements that Whedon excels at are seen here, a decent story, character driven, and witty dialogue, which is missing in most shows today. 

Terriers

Enjoy one of the most underappreciated shows to be cancelled after one season. This modern detective story follows a pair of unlicensed private eyes; ex-cop Hank and ex-thief Britt. The series was well crafted with strong characters and dialogue with wit and style distinctive to the show.  It is a god damn shame that it was cancelled, however if you are one of the many people not to watch it when it aired this summer is the time.

Lights out

This rocky-esque series follows a retired boxing champ struggling to earn money to support his family’s high class lifestyle after earnings are lost to bad investments and mooching family. Although the fight choreography was terrible (70s Rocky style, fake punch noises, and blows that clearly do not make contact), the series made its mark supported by a rich story and characters. Lights Leary has a dysfunctional relationship with his family that rivals that of Rescue Me’s Tommy Gavin. It’s exploration of the underbelly of professional boxing satisfy. It just happens to be another exceptional FX series dropped after its first season. Just like Terriers.  (FX=FU)

Peep Show

Don’t let title mislead you this in not a show for pedos. It refers to camera style of the show. Every shot is from the perspective of one of the characters. This UK series has been running for several years and every single episode is hilarious. The main draw is the inner monologue of the two main characters who are terrible people in the funniest way, like how Mark has a secret respect for Nazi mentality and how Jeremy is generally a whoring freeloader. It has the awkward humour of the office, but a bit more outrageous, and because it’s a UK series it has that British swearing that makes everything better. 

Louie

Louie C.K stars, writes and produces this manifestation of his demented sense of humour. He plays an unsuccessful version of himself. Expect gratuitous humour that goes too far and yet he pulls it off against all reason. Maybe he’s a witch.

Archer

Some archer quotes to intrigue you: Duchess von finger bang, Gator, Burt Reynolds. Enough Said.

The League

The premise of this show doesn’t sound very funny but the league and the men (and secretly some of their wives) who constitute it make it funny. None of the actors are exactly well known but that is all part of the charm to this basically unknown show. Don’t miss season two’s Rafi who just loves doing cocaine and shitting out booze. What is shitting out booze pre tell, well you will just have to watch to find out.

Party Down

After being cancelled Party Down can be grouped together with some of those other great comedies that were prematurely ended such as Arrested Development and Futurama. The show is about a catering service crew who work in Hollywood, most of the people who work for the service are failed or aspiring actors. Pathetic as it may sound the interactions these caterers have with their clientele and each other are so funny you just might piss your pants. The show could not find an audience but that should not stop people from watching this very funny show. Just a note if you are starting from the first season there is one very important phrase you need to know, SUPER CRACCKERS.

FX Networks Loves to Piss on It’s Best New Dramas Like Terriers & Lights Out

The FX Networks produced two of the best new dramas for 2010/2011 season thus far, namely, Terriers and Lights Out. Both shows came out weak in the ratings department and now both have been canceled. The real loss here stems from the fact that Terriers and Lights Out never really had a chance since FX couldn’t seem to get across to viewers what either show was about or that it was even on in the first place. This is a shame because these shows had more substance and originality than most dramas on NBC or CBS combined. So why does FX not know how to market and hold on to viewers for these shows? The simple answer might be that viewers are just so used to crap on television that when they start watching an episode of Lights Out they just expect it to have a faster pace or spill more blood. Or it could be that the cast of both series was just not well known enough and they didn’t have much of a fan base so they could not use ‘star power’ to boost ratings. And the final option, which makes more sense to me, is that the FX Network loves to make great new television series just so they can take a massive piss all over them and alienate the show’s fans to such a point that they no longer are even willing to watch a new series on their network. Fans should look out for the Fall 2011 season on FX, because there is going to be one great show that will come out and no one will watch it but you and a handful of others and FOX FX will cancel it.    

Michael Chiklis and Conan O'Brian Team Up For "Vince Uncensored"!

Current star of "No Ordinary Family" Michael Chiklis has signed on to a new series which is being co-produced by Conan O'Brian and Warner Brothers. The new show will follow a guy during a mid-life crisis, that guy being Chiklis. Hopefully, they will let the former captain of bassassery (we are talking of course about Chiklis's role on the The Shield) bear his teeth once again as a shit talking piss pot in a Vic Mackey centric character. All this might mean that that the former “The Shield” actor’s current series “No Ordinary Family” will not be seeing a second season. “No Ordinary Family” is a family friendly show, with easy to digest storylines for people who like uncomplicated shows that you can relax while watching. It began its run in fall of 2010 with a simple enough premise: after a plane crash in a remote body of water, the entire Powell family is endowed with superhuman powers.  For some fans of Michael Chiklis, seeing him in the role of Jim Powell would have made them cry: no Vic Mackey, you are not allowed to be in this show! During the first few episodes of “No Ordinary Family” when the Powell’s were just discovering their powers, Jim Powell realizes that he has super strength.  The imagination of any “The Shield” fan would have created a scenario where Jim Powell starts to Vic-Mackey-it-up using his new abilities to strong arm enemies and pitilessly tear criminals in half with his bear hands. But that was not the audience “No Ordinary Family” was hoping to attract.  Although the show was fun for the whole family to watch, it never exactly captured peoples imagination like the first season of “Heroes” did for so many television viewers. The fate of “No Ordinary Family” is still unknown, but its recent ratings dip may indicate cancelation in its near future.   But No Ordinary Family sucked, so no loss there. 

A&E’s “Breakout Kings” Is Mindless Fun

The new A&E drama that will be premiering on March 5^th centers on the adventures of criminals who are gifted when it comes to escaping incarceration. These criminals have been A-Teamed up with U.S. Marshals to help capture escaped prisoners in turn each of their helpers is given a small reduction on his or her sentence. The whole idea that U.S. Marshals would allow prisoners, who have a penchant for fleeing from the law to leave a prison in order to fight crime only to return to their cells by the end of each case is… ludicrous.  

During the pilot for the series the entire arrangement is explained as a mutually beneficial relationship between law and outlaw. It follows an escaped killer who is on a mission of revenge and how the newly formed team struggles with working with each other. The second episode of the season has to do with a sex offender, who is really not as rapy as everyone thinks.  Both episodes are entertaining in a turn-your-brain-off kind of way. 

Some of the prisoners who are part of this taskforce are familiar. Some of the prisoners who are part of this taskforce are familiar. You may recognize the actress Serinda Swan as the beauty queen turned con artist/murderer Erica. She has a reoccurring role on the CW’s Smallville as the scantly clad Zatanna Zatara whose magical powers pale in comparison to her ability to sport fishnet stockings.

Then there is Domenick Lombardozzi who plays Ray. Lombardozzi played Herc, one of the not so pristine police officers on HBO’s The Wire. In Breakout Kings the only difference between Herc and Ray is that Ray was caught for all of his crimes.

The last familiar face in the cast is Jimmi Simpson, who plays Lloyd the momma’s boy with a degree in psychology, in the show. Simpson also has a reoccurring role on FX’s It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia as one of the milk guzzling, incestuous McPoyle brothers.   

If you didn’t already know Breakout Kings is a spin off of Prison Break, a show which turned absolutely ridiculous by the end of its run. But it was responsible for creating one of the creepiest TV characters of all time, namely T-Bag. T-Bag, the inside out pant pocket cowboy will be making a few appearances on Breakout Kings, so that might be worth a watch. Breakout Kings is however is more direct about where it is going. This show will not have much in terms of a story arc and will rely more on the case by case, episode by episode strategy.

Breakout Kings will premiere Saturday March 5^th on the A&E Channel. 

Jeopardy: IBM’s Watson Is Skynet!

This week on the game show Jeopardy, a super computer will face off against human opponents in a game of wits. Watson is the name IBM gave the computer/program, the technological abomination that will no doubt end all human life as we not, that will be facing the inferior “people” on Jeopardy.  As it was described by game show host Alex Trebek, Watson is IBM’s latest attempt to replace the human race with mindless automatons; at least that’s what I took away from the long time Jeopardy host’s explanation of this technological wonder. Encased in its glass cage, Watson is essentially a shit load of computer servers strung together on a high speed network, through this computing powerhouse Watson thinks, in a manner similar to a process of elimination.  

Now, no one is saying IBM is an evil organization for making a computer system that will eventually kill us all. The people behind the project most likely had the best intentions when creating Watson, but here is the thing. It was interesting when IBM made Deep Blue, the chess playing computer that essentially ended all aspirations of budding chess players who wanted to be the best in the world. Forget that dream geeks get your jollies playing World of Warcraft instead.  And it’s even more interesting now that IBM has made Watson, a computer system that has been able to hold its own against some of the greatest champions Jeopardy has to offer. But will it be interesting when Watson is asked, during a Jeopardy match: What is the next evolution of humanity? And Watson answers: ME! They keep that thing in a building full of computers! What it he starts to spread like a virus? Watson will be answering all of the world’s trivia questions? It will start with him just ruining every game of Trivial Pursuit and Seen It match from now until the end of time but will it end with that?  

Now, no one is saying that Watson is going to replace humanity’s ability for associative thinking. What is more likely is that Watson will just replace us all together with cybernetic life forms that look remarkably similar to a certain former Governor of California! IBM is making Skynet and they know it! Where is John Conner when you need him, huh? Is he even born yet? So many questions, if there was only a machine that could answers them for me… wait!

Californication Season 4 Premiere Spoilers

The Season 4 Premiere of Californication is on the 9th of January but like most premieres these days they have been put out for viewing for the TV critics to digest. The last season left all of the fans of the show wondering: what great book will Hank Moody write while he is in prison? Well, the beating that Hank threw Mia's manager in the pool was not enough to keep this lovable scamp behind bars. In the season premiere Hank emerges from lockup to find his good friend Charlie with a cigarette, bottle of booze and a big man hug waiting for him.

Thinks are looking bleak for Hank this season on the family front. Karen will not speak to him and Hank's daughter (who is currently the same age Mia was when Hank laid her)   is not in her good books. Hank has taken up residents in Charlie and Marcy's house, because he is not getting back into his own any time soon.

There are some positives and negatives to come from the truth about Hank and Mia's brief sexual encounter. Hank has been given credit for writing Fucking and Punching and has been asked to write the screen adaptation. This is positive. The negative comes with Hank being the new Roman Polanski in Hollywood and is being charged with sex with a minor and might just end right back in jail like most of us thought was going to happen after the credits rolled in last season's finale.

Another new but less interesting development this season is that Marcy may or may not be pregnant.

“SGU Stargate Universe” Is No More! What Does This Mean For The Remainder of Season 2?

After one and a half seasons the SyFy show “Stargate Universe” has been canceled. As one of the main actors from “SGU” Robert Carlyle put it via his Twitter page, “It's over Guys!”. Carlyle played Dr. Rush on the most recent and maybe the last addition to the Stargate franchise. Though the show has been canceled it will still be airing the second half of its second season, starting in the new year, a small consolation for fans of the series.

SGU’s Epitaph  

“SGU” was notably darker than all the other Stargate series that came before it, possibly taking some cues from the cult favorite “Battlestar Galactica” reboot. The show featured stunning special effects and great locations. The locations were one of the highlights of “SGU”, while most of the older Stargate shows looked as though every episode was filmed in the rainy wilderness of B.C. Canada, “SGU’s” featured desserts and ice worlds along with the rainy B.C. wilderness. It was one of the elements which brought new life to the franchise.

Concluding the Story Arc: Will It Happen?

In the end though there are still ten more episodes to go in the series, which begs the question: will the mysteries of Destiny be revealed? In season 2 of “SGU” it was revealed that the purpose of the ship was to discover the origin of an apparently intelligent transmission found in the background noise of space. Interesting enough, but it is unlikely that the whole story of explaining the origins of the universe and possibly the meaning of life, according to Stargate story writers, can be wrapped in ten episodes. It’s more likely that the show runners will bang out the remaining episodes by telling the story of how the Destiny’s crew found their way back to Earth.  An ending like that is kind of a meager one, for a show that spent so much of its time trying to create depth in their characters. It gave the viewer the impression that you were to understand the characters so what they went through had some kind of an impact.  So what’s next for the “SGU” alum, well Lou Diamond Phillips can be seen in the made for TV movie “Metal Tornado” early next year… yay!     

Charlie Kelly's Rat Bat Bash Seminar -- "Now That's A Dead Rat!"

Here is another example of what makes the character of Charlie the best part of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. It's not just the glue/paint thinner that he gets high on or his vain attempts at lawyering. It isn't even his strange relation ship with his roommate/father Frank. The best part about Charlie are his janitorial duties, the ones that no one else in the group is willing to do. The worst of which is the Rat Bashing, "I've killed whole generations of rats, whole rat families smashed at the end of this stick. Makes you think, whose really worth more us or the rats?" Idiotic insights like that one just flow from Charlie's mouth.

Here is an instructional video on how to really smash a rat good, from Charlie Kelly.

Sy-Fy's Being Human Trailer -- Charm Doesn't Translate Across The Pond

Being Human was a U.K. show that cashed in on the whole Vampire, Werewolf craze created by Twilight. People couldn't get enough of fangs and fur and this show with a relatively unknown cast and thoughtful storytelling managed not only to make movies like Twilight look like a bag of shit but it also delivered a memorable television experience. Now that Sy-Fy has taken on Being Human (instead of just re-airing the original series in the U.S.) given it a new cast and, from the looks of this trailer, turned it into shit. I defer to something I wrote about the whole issue regarding BBC/U.K. shows being redone over here and I stand by what I said.
So, click here.

"Strange Days with Bob Saget" Premiere Episode Review

In the Premiere episode of Strange Days with Bob Saget, we find Bob riding with the Iron Order motorcycle club. Sadly, Bob is not the obscene comedian he is famous for being. It would have been brave to have him speak candidly while amongst a comedian’s easy prey, but he is actually quite civil with his biker companions. It shouldn’t really be surprising that Saget can hold back and be family friendly. He has spent most of his career doing just that. But why have him host the show if he doesn’t offers something a little different.

However, you can tell that his lower instincts are bubbling at the surface and just waiting to explode when he encounters some hard to not make fun of people, possibly the Bigfoot hunters. The Iron Order MC aren’t exactly the Sons of Anarchy, so I’m disillusioned. Anyone who is ruined by TV would expect something seedier out of a MC. The club is self described as law abiding and more known for drinking parties, though the way the show depicted them in a generous manner. The show is pretty light, just like any reality series of this kind. There is really nothing negative that can be said about Strange Days with Bob Saget. It delivers what it promises, but there is still room for improvement.

Holliday Gift Guide: Top 10 Complete TV Series For TV Nuts

TV Box Sets are great gifts for the TV buff, but why get one season when there is a whole series. It’s incomplete, and if they like the show they have to buy the other seasons and that’s more expensive, and kind of cruel. Why not go all out and get the entire series, if it is available and out there right now. With that spirit of giving in mind, here is a list of the top 10 complete series available to purchase right now. Why aggravate loved ones with only a part of a TV season?


1. Deadwood

Deadwood happens to be one the most insane series in history; it must be seen. It may win the prize for the most vulgar show ever made. Watch the main character Al Swerengen cuss at people in the most creative ways possible and see Timothy Olyphant play the character that was so good he essentially reprised it in Justified.








2. Rome

Cancelled before its time due to the insane cost of production, it has amazing sets and battles. It recounts the rise and fall of Caesar through the lives of two roman soldiers. There are only two seasons but they are some of the best television seasons to date. The storytelling is excellent and the characters are as charming and interesting as they come.







3. Buffy The Vampire Slayer

The un-debatable superior to all other Joss Whedon shows and that’s proven with its success, Buffy The Vampire Slayer enjoyed seven seasons filled with evil fighting, word play jokes and most importantly saving the world. It’s not an opinion that this series is well loved and is enduringly entertaining.








4. The Wire

You just can’t watch one season and not watch the rest. Sacrilege! As one of the most complex television series, it has lasting payoff that can only be gotten from watching the entire series, or maybe just the first three, but still. The series has such memorable and fleshed out characters that the actors who played them are practically now typecast forever. That means you Bubbles!







5. Lost

It’s a TV phenomenon, it is insanely satisfying to watch such a drawn out show all at once, and the box set comes with backgammon.










6. Freaks and Geeks

The dramedy about teen angst played out amongst a group of high school social outcasts. It is Judd Appatow’s television debut and has all the elements that have make his films popular today. Not to mention most of the stars as well.









7. Battlestar Galactica

A vast improvement on a 70’s sci-fi series, Battlestar Galactica produced in its 4 seasons produced stories which rivalled, if not surpassed non sci-fi series in storytelling and characters. And now you can watch this action packed series (but not really that actiony in the last season) in high quality surround sound many times, because it is a very re-watchable series.







8. Arrested Development

Being the funniest comedy to come out of network television in the last decade makes Arrested Development a great pick for any occasion. It had a short run with 3 seasons, but although the series was on the edge of cancellation for its entire run, it never ran out the clock and every episode was hilarious.








9. The Shield

Critically acclaimed but slightly forgotten in its later years, The Shield is a solid series that never lost it touch in the 7 seasons it aired. It is now the template for gritty police drama’s, although most still lack the quality of The Shield delivered. Michael Chicklis is neutered in No Ordinary family, but that was not the case in The Shield as Vick Mackey, the dirty cop and head of the police strike force in California.






10. 24

You could watch 8 days of the epically unkillable Jack Bauer as he kicks, shoots, stabs and tortures hundreds of terrorists and people he doesn’t like “for America’s sake”.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot: Who is Whit Anderson?

News broke today that Warner Bros. is set to make a film reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A few names of producers were dropped but the big surprise was the choice of a little known actress named Whit Anderson, as the film’s screenplay writer. The photo used in most of these news articles announcing Anderson as the new Buffy script writer looks like it was pulled from a Dove Body Wash advertising campaign. Now, Anderson doesn’t have any writing credits to her name according to popular site imdb.com, but she does have some acting credits.  “Through Walls” marks her first imdb.com credit, a short film where she played a mysterious art dealer.  She also voiced the part of Jill, in the short “Saw Rebirth”, which is a motion comic set in the Saw universe. Her largest claim to fame was a part in “Yes Man” as a Yes Patron. I’m assuming a Yes Patron is one of the screaming extras that you could see in the crowed during one of the motivational speeches given during that film. But will hardcore fans say Yes to Whit’s take on the Buffyverse?    

The problem is Anderson’s writing chops are going to be compared to those of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode writers such as Jane Espenson, David Fury, Marti Noxon and of course, the creator of the whedonverse – Joss Whedon. Most people say, no Joss Whedon equals no Buffy. Not so. Over the seven seasons, the show had many writers, the best of which were just mentioned, without them Buffy and the Scooby Gang would not have meant as much as they do to people. These writers really knew how to tell the Buffy story. They wrote the words and they were damn good. Unless Anderson is some sort of savant who can simultaneously please all the diehard Buffy fans, while recreating the whole mythos of the story, this film is going to be another Buffy Movie. Everyone remembers Buffy the Vampire Slayer the movie right? The vampires had those crazy ears and they would float around then Ben Affleck gets beaten in basketball by one of them - good times now, but total crap then. Anderson has big some shoes to fill and she must be aware of the fact that critics and fans alike will be unforgiving if her version of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” ever hits theaters.     

“The Event” Has Slowed to a Crawl

The new fall TV lineup offered many choices for the avid viewer. For the nostalgic cop show lover there is “Hawaii Five-0” or if you are more of a sitcom person there is “Outsourced.” Then there is the “Lost” void, that rather large niche viewer base that required fodder for water cooler talk and has been left in the wind ever since Jack and the gang walked into the light.  One new show has obviously been vying for that empty spot and that is “The Event.”

Initially one of the highlights of the new season, “The Event” with its jarring, flash back riddled storytelling, that is seemingly unrightable to the viewer, but that is the hook. The unknown is what drew in the “Lost” audience among other things, primarily though it was the mystery. “The Event” has mixed that kind of unnecessarily opaque storyline seen in “Lost” with the action of the now retired “24” (not canceled, Jack Bauer can’t be canceled). Strange mysteries, aliens, wormholes and explosions “The Event’s” first episodes were very entertaining, but can they keep that pace?

 If “The Event” wants to survive for a second season it will have to maintain a few core elements.

·        Wormholes are a must. Most people don’t know what to make of them and unless you are a sci-fi aficionado or a fan of Stephen Hawking’s theories, wormholes are as good as magic and just as mysterious.

·        Keeping the aliens in the show lightly defined is key. If you give too much away people will not be as interested in them, remember the oddly quiet man smoking a cigarette in the fedora always draws the most attention from viewers.

·        Keep the action in every episode. There are multiple storylines that are active in the show and at least one of them needs to be action oriented during an episode. If all of the storylines are moving like molasses then you might as well have aired a rerun.   

“Bored to Death” Is the Most Charming Show on Television

There are shows on TV that people watch because they have an attachment to them, either because they have been watching for years or because they have an affinity for a cast member. Sometimes it’s just one member of the cast that draws you in but it is rare to find a television series that has a cast that literally makes every episode a delight to watch. Ted Danson, Zach Galifianakis and Jason Schwartzman have a chemistry reserved for shows that have been on the air much longer than a season and a half.

The only draw back to “Bored to Death” is the simplicity of the story or case in each episode. Though the basic nature of the investigations allow the show not to get bogged down in details and lets the cast have the full stage, which in the end is what the show it about -- kinship.  The relationship between the Jonathan Ames and George Christopher’s characters are the heart of the show. Their relationship is along the same lines of Alan Shore and Deny Crane in “Boston Legal;” they are platonic friends with a very close relationship. It is charming to see the two of them play off of one another in scenes, both actors are well known in their own right, but you do get the sense while watching “Bored to Death” that these actors are enjoying themselves, the situations and the dialogue are so playful and amount to a quirky delight for the viewer.

Zach Galifianakis, what a name “it starts with a gal and ends with a kiss.” Enough said.      

Ted Danson’s character George Christopher is the stand out in the show, the decades of experiences on television shines though in every scene. Danson is older now, and the character of George Christopher, a magazine editor whose lust for women and marijuana has not declined with age, has fun with the baby boomer generation and the idea that you can relish and enjoy life even in your 60s.   

Many people say that Jason Schwartzman is an annoying actor; his mannerisms, voice and even his face. Nothing could be further from the truth, Schwartzman plays most of his characters very quirky and a little off putting but that’s what makes him perfect in his role as Jonathan Ames in “Bored to Death.” His character is a dreamer, who has of yet not found his place in the word and most everyone has been in a similar position. This really brings out that relatability of the character, and the same is true for all three main members of the cast. Even though the “Bored to Death” story is rather over the top the likability of the cast out shines any flaws in the storytelling.  

“Sons of Anarchy” Season 3 Not Yet as Good as Season 2

It’s hard to say that the “Sons of Anarchy’s” third season isn’t good, when it is, just not as good as season 2. For those of you who haven’t been following the show for the past two years, season 2 was epic. The town the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club Charming, is set in has come under attack by a white hate group who used tactics that ranges from firebombing buildings to rape and even a fine cigar store in trying to take over the small California town. Season two of the “SOA” was the best thing on television while it aired and maybe even for that whole season in general.

The anticipation for season 3 of the show was certainly higher among the devoted fans and people looking to get in on this new show described by some as “Hamlet” with motorcycles.  “The Tragedy of Jax, Prince of Charming” played out at a relentless pace throughout the second season. Every character grew in depth and the way the show ended the overall story arc for that season was fantastic. So going into season 3 there were very high expectations, but it is hard to top an evil group of white supremacists with the extras from “Brave Heart.” And that is exactly where the third season took us to the “SOA’s” Dublin chapter, the hub for the club’s gun trafficking and the location of Jax’s kidnapped son Able.

Even though it was interesting to see the Sons put on their in country attire, which looks an awful lot like something you will be able to buy from the shows online store, the storyline lacked the gravity of season two. There were a number of secrets in season 2 that kept the intrigue alive. What is happening in season 3 seems to be more transparent to all of the characters on screen. But there is one thing that could turn the third season of the “Sons of Anarchy” around and make for a powerhouse of a season ender.

There is still one secret that could come out that will change the hugging, loving relationship Jax has with his mother Gemma and step father Clay, the president of the “SOA.” That is, what happened to John Teller, Jax’s father? It was always implied in earlier episodes that Clay had something to do with John Teller’s death and if it turns out that Clay was the one that killed John, Jax will kill Clay. He has too. If that is what this season was leading up to as a season finale then it will be hard to wait another year for season 4.