The first set pic has been released for the Sherlock Christmas special, which is apparently being filmed in January and set to air next Christmas. Kind of a long wait, huh? After that comes Season 4, which will air in 2016, so to hold us over we have to get excited for pictures like this, I guess. Still kinda works, though.
RECAP: SNL 11/22 "Cameron Diaz"
So, the Thanksgiving show of SNL tonight was pretty mild, although that makes it easier to sit through than a bunch of sketches that are aggressively painful. Still, there was nothing that got above C-level material for me with this one.
COLD OPEN: A Schoolhouse Rock spoof that shows Obama kicking the bill down the steps in favor of the immigration executive order. They seem to want to take the right wing point of view that executive orders are bad, but of course you have to leave out crucial facts in order to make that point- you know, like the fact that the order would be immediately superceded by a congressional bill if Congress EVER wanted to pass one, which they can do at literally any time. That seems like a pretty important detail they left out. Don't you think?
MONOLOGUE: Cameron comes out and takes lame questions from the audience about what it's like to work in movies. Some very lazy stuff here- obviously they couldn't think of anything to have her do in a monologue this week.
BALLER GIRLS: I never really liked this one when they did it last year, but I guess a lot of people did. All the female cast members rap about being home for Thanksgiving, but for me it's just as meh as it was before.
ANNIE: A spoof of Annie, which happens to be Cameron's movie coming out in December. Leslie plays a grown woman version of Annie, but the whole thing isn't funny at all.
NEST-SPRESSO: A weird ad for incubating farm eggs to get real little chicks. I don't honestly know what the joke is here. Forgettable.
THEATER SHOWCASE: A high school theater troupe puts on a performance art play called 'Whispers of America'- more lameness. Every sketch tonight is just making me shrug my shoulders before forgetting it entirely.
UPDATE: More lame immigration jokes that conveniently forget to tell you the KEY details of the order. Do your research, SNL. Michael jokes about Cosby but very reluctantly, because he obviously loved him. Personally, I think comedians that don't go after him for this awful scandal are being cowards. Just because you liked him doesn't mean you knew the guy. Kate comes on as Angela Merkel and is funny, because her Merkel always is, and then Taran and Cecily show up as Charles Manson and his new fiance, but that bit could have been much funnier.
BABY BOSS: You know I've always hated this sketch, but this time I tried to pay really close attention to see what is I might be missing. It's just Beck acting out baby movements, that's all it is. I don't get it.
ANIMAL HOUR: Kenan is the host of an animal show, but the monkey he has on yanked his balls off last time- yeah that's it. Kenan's actually kinda funny here, but it's not that special.
ANDY RYDELL: Kyle's pre-taped high schooler attacks Beck's popular kid- never liked any of Kyle's taped bits, as you know. This one's no different, although at least it's short.
POETRY TEACHER: Vanessa's hippie poetry teacher makes an appearance again, but honestly, this sketch has never figured out what to do with this character. Other people come up and read poems, but it's not funny. Vanessa is, but her teacher doesn't seem to be the actual joke of this skit and she should be. Ugh, the writers SUCK.
PHONE SEX: Cecily, Kate and Cameron want you to call them for phone sex and other favors. They're all going for it, but once again, their jokes aren't funny. Whatever. Thank god we're at the end.
So, Cameron was alright (you might have noticed I barely mentioned her contribution in this one), but not given anything to work with, etc, same old, same old. It's getting hard to come up with new complaints about this show, because it always suffers from the same thing. This episode gets a C-, not because there was anything decent, but mostly because every sketch was at that level, so it averages out. Here's one new thing I can say- if you're going to write political sketches, do your fucking research and at least get the premise of your bad jokes right. I think that's literally the least they can do. I'll be back on Dec 6th with James Franco- until then Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy your one week break from SNL's awful season!
TRAILER: "Peter Pan Live"
Here's an actual trailer for the upcoming NBC production of Peter Pan, and we get to see real footage (presumably from rehearsals) of the actors playing their parts. Christopher Walken looks to be totally sleepwalking through this, although I don't know exactly what I was expecting. I also have to say that Alison Williams doesn't look all that impressive, but it is just rehearsal footage, so we'll see. Let's just say she's certainly no Mary Martin, although few people who watch this will even know who that was. Shame. Look her up, people.
RECAP: SNL 11/15 "Woody Harrelson"
Well, it wouldn't be Saturday night without another dreadfully dull, painfully subpar SNL episode, this one seeming to get worse and worse until the very last sketch of the night, where Kate (of course) comes in to rescue the last two minutes, but until then...ugh.
COLD OPEN: Jay's Obama gets drunk with Taran's Mitch McConnell after the midterms, getting sillier as the night goes on and prank calling Hillary Clinton. It's slightly better than the other political skits they've done this year, but it's still a pretty mediocre bit.
MONOLOGUE: Woody Harrelson comes out in his usual goofy, spaced out self, joking about having smoked weed backstage, which I seriously do not doubt based on his performance tonight. He sings about the last year he hosted, which was 1989, and then the Hunger Games guys (including JLaw) come out and make him feel old, because they're all under 24. Actually they manage to screw up a lot of the dialogue and everybody collapses into giggles, which is kinda funny, but not planned or anything. It's a bit of a mess.
DUDLEYS: An ad for a family sitcom that takes aim at the political correctness whining on Twitter, forcing the show to make changes to have a gay couple, an interracial one, etc. It's on point with the complaints, but it's not exactly hilarious. Better than a lot of the night though.
MATCH'D: A dating show with three sleazy guys (Beck, Kyle and Taran) hitting on the girl choosing between them, but they change their tune when Woody, the host of the show, turns out to be her father. Lame.
A NEW DAY: This seems to be a Pete centered bit, but he doesn't get any lines or anything. He and a bunch of other New York stoners finally see the light of day after the new law that makes carrying a small amount of weed legal in the city. It's one joke pounded into the ground, really. They needed something to happen in this sketch.
HALFTIME: Woody's football coach teaches his college players the new tackling rules to prevent concussions. Kenan appears as a brain damaged retired player. This one is kind of like the family sitcom bit- making an obvious point but not hitting any punchlines.
YOUNG TARTS AND OLD FARTS: An ad for duets with old singers and newer ones that lets everybody's celebrity impressions show up. Typical SNL fare, but few laughs.
UPDATE: Colin and Michael mostly make a bunch of Kim Kardashian ass jokes, then Leslie comes on as the relationship expert, but I really just don't find her all that funny. Finally, Woody comes out with Taran as Matthew McConaughey for a True Detective reunion, but I don't think Taran's rambling McConaughey is nearly as great as say, Andy Samberg's Nic Cage was. Another bad Update, which has quickly gone from being a highlight to a consistent lowlight of each episode now. Replace Colin and Michael with Beck Bennett. I'm telling you, at least try him out here. I have a feeling he'd work it solo, even.
GUYS AT A BAR: Bobby, Taran and Kenan reminisce about New York City in the old days, while Woody is an undercover cop trying to get them to admit to smoking crack. It's okay, pretty mild.
CAMPFIRE SONG: Wow, this was AWFUL. Seriously, who the hell wrote this sketch and what on earth was the joke? Woody has the misfortune of being the center of it, as a guy who wants to sing a made up song by the campfire that nobody else knows, but then they do and someone gets splashed, and....WTF? I have no explanation for this total misfire, but I would like to know who came up with it. Was it Kyle?
DONNELLY'S: Ah, so as usual, Kate comes in with her reliably funny, gross drunk lady hooking up with an equally gross random at the local bar. Woody does okay, but the best of these was the first one with Louis C.K. Still, Kate gives me the one good laugh of the night. Why don't they use her more? Again, I ask because she's clearly the biggest talent of this group.
So there you go. Woody was alright as host, and the first half of the show was mostly meh compared the second half, which turned aggressively painful until the last minute or so. But all in all, I have to give this one a D-. Cameron Diaz is up next week, becoming the latest repeat host to try and bring some life to this abysmal 40th season. If I were on the writing staff, I think they ought to be celebrating this anniversary year by showing at least one classic sketch per week during the show- at least that would guarantee one funny bit every time out, which is a goal only occasionally reached with the original material. See you guys next time!
TEASER #2: "Justified" Season 6
Ava joins the fun in this second teaser for the last season of Justified, implying that she's going to abandon both Boyd and Raylan to their final showdown with each other. No premiere date yet, but I still can't wait!
SNEAK PEEK: "Agent Carter"
Marvel has released this first look at a scene from their Agent Carter show, premiering January 6th and following the exploits of Peggy Carter after the first Captain America movie. I have to admit I'm kinda looking forward to this series, which is going to be an 8-episode limited run, giving it the chance to create one overarching story over the first season. I'm actually much happier to watch superhero and comic book shows on TV rather than in movies, because the serialized format tends to leave a lot of room for varied storylines, character growth, twists, etc. Some episodes might not have anything to do with action scenes or good guys fighting bad guys, believe it or not. Here's hoping this one can succeed, since another good thing about it is that it's totally female driven, unlike their woeful film slate so far.
2015 People's Choice Award TV Nominations
The nominations on the TV side of things for People's Choice is really no better than the movie side, which actually surprises me a little, given how many good, buzzed about shows there are out there right now. But these nominations, as always, still lean toward the network side of things, including just a tiny bit of the shows you hear about with actual buzz. Sigh. I guess the people will never learn (or the smart ones just don't vote for these things, much like democrats in the mid-term elections). I mean, seriously, NCIS and Once Upon a Time? Ashton Kutcher for favorite TV actor? Just kill me now, guys.
Favorite TV Show
- The Big Bang Theory
- Game Of Thrones
- NCIS
- Once Upon a Time
- The Walking Dead
Favorite Network TV Comedy
- 2 Broke Girls
- The Big Bang Theory
- Modern Family
- Mom
- New Girl
Favorite Comedic TV Actor
- Ashton Kutcher
- Chris Colfer
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson
- Jim Parsons
- Ty Burrell
Favorite Comedic TV Actress
- Amy Poehler
- Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting
- Melissa McCarthy
- Sofia Vergara
- Zooey Deschanel
Favorite Network TV Drama
- Chicago Fire
- Downton Abbey
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Revenge
- Scandal
Favorite Dramatic TV Actor
- Dax Shepard
- Jesse Williams
- Justin Chambers
- Patrick Dempsey
- Taylor Kinney
Favorite Dramatic TV Actress
- Alyssa Milano
- Ellen Pompeo
- Emily VanCamp
- Hayden Panettiere
- Kerry Washington
Favorite Cable TV Comedy
- Baby Daddy
- Cougar Town
- Faking It
- Melissa & Joey
- Young & Hungry
Favorite Cable TV Drama
- Bates Motel
- Pretty Little Liars
- Rizzoli & Isles
- Sons of Anarchy
- True Detective
Favorite Cable TV Actor
- Charlie Hunnam
- Eric Dane
- Matt Bomer
- Sean Bean
- William H. Macy
Favorite Cable TV Actress
- Angie Harmon
- Ashley Benson
- Courteney Cox
- Kristen Bell
- Lucy Hale
Favorite TV Crime Drama
- Bones
- Castle
- Criminal Minds
- The Mentalist
- NCIS
Favorite Crime Drama TV Actor
- David Boreanaz
- Kevin Bacon
- Nathan Fillion
- Shemar Moore
- Simon Baker
Favorite Crime Drama TV Actress
- Emily Deschanel
- Lucy Liu
- Mariska Hargitay
- Robin Tunney
- Stana Katic
Favorite Network Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show
- Beauty and the Beast
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Once Upon a Time
- Supernatural
- The Vampire Diaries
Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show
- American Horror Story
- Doctor Who
- Game of Thrones
- Outlander
- The Walking Dead
Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor
- Ian Somerhalder
- Jared Padalecki
- Jensen Ackles
- Misha Collins
- Paul Wesley
Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress
- Ginnifer Goodwin
- Jennifer Morrison
- Jessica Lange
- Kristin Kreuk
- Nina Dobrev
Favorite Competition TV Show
- America’s Got Talent
- Dancing with the Stars
- Hell’s Kitchen
- MasterChef
- The Voice
Favorite Daytime TV Host(s)
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Kelly Ripa & Michael Strahan
- Queen Latifah
- Rachael Ray
- Steve Harvey
Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host
- Conan O’Brien
- Craig Ferguson
- David Letterman
- Jimmy Fallon
- Jimmy Kimmel
Favorite Dramedy
- Awkward.
- Orange Is the New Black
- Shameless
- Suits
- White Collar
Favorite TV Icon
- Betty White
- Katey Sagal
- Mark Harmon
- Tim Allen
- Tom Selleck
Favorite TV Duo
- David Boreanaz & Emily Deschanel (Bones)
- Ginnifer Goodwin & Josh Dallas (Once Upon a Time)
- Jared Padalecki & Jensen Ackles (Supernatural)
- Nathan Fillion & Stana Katic (Castle)
- Nina Dobrev & Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries)
Favorite TV Character We Miss Most
- Dr. Cristina Yang played by Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy)
- Dr. Lance Sweets played by John Francis Daley (Bones)
- Hershel Greene played by Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead)
- Leslie Shay played by Lauren German (Chicago Fire)
- Neal Cassidy played by Michael Raymond-James (Once Upon a Time)
Favorite Actor In A New TV Series
- Ben McKenzie
- David Tennant
- Dylan McDermott
- Laurence Fishburne
- Scott Bakula
Favorite Actress In A New TV Series
- Debra Messing
- Jada Pinkett Smith
- Octavia Spencer
- Téa Leoni
- Viola Davis
Favorite Sketch Comedy TV Show
- Drunk History
- Inside Amy Schumer
- Key & Peele
- Kroll Show
- Saturday Night Live
Favorite Animated TV Show
- American Dad
- Bob’s Burgers
- Family Guy
- The Simpsons
- South Park
Favorite New TV Comedy
- A to Z
- Bad Judge
- black-ish
- Cristela
- Jane the Virgin
- Marry Me
- The McCarthys
- Mulaney
- Selfie
Favorite New TV Drama
- Constantine
- The Flash
- Forever
- Gotham
- Gracepoint
- How to Get Away with Murder
- Madam Secretary
- The Mysteries of Laura
- NCIS: New Orleans
- Red Band Society
- Scorpion
- Stalker
RECAP: SNL 11/01 "Chris Rock"
Well, that was disappointing. This was a very weak, very bad episode tonight, compounded by nearly everyone flubbing their lines or having trouble with the cue cards at some point during the show. Sigh. It held promise, but the highlight of the night was Chris Rock's monologue and Prince's 8-minute showcase.
COLD OPEN: They do a Megyn Kelly report on Chris Christie's handling of the ebola quarantine he placed on Kaci Hickocks, but Bobby's Christie really should be a lot funnier- I mean, there's no easier target than that guy, but instead he makes a bunch of old jokes about New Jersey. Then Kate shows up as Kaci the ebola woman, and of course makes it a little brighter, because she's so obviously the most talented cast member at the moment, but it's still weak.
MONOLOGUE: As I told you before, this was the highlight. Chris Rock, one of the great stand-ups of all time, comes out and does his bit, and of course it's funny and sharp and everything you'd want SNL to be on a regular basis but isn't. The only part of the show worth watching, really.
HOW 2 DANCE W/ JANELLE: A lame skit where Sasheer is a teen wanting to dance sexy on the internet, while Chris is her disapproving and tech ignorant dad. Goes on way too long and isn't funny.
GOPROBE: An ad for GoProbe, a colonoscopy that makes Taran, Chris and Beck cringe. Eh. Looking over my notes, I almost forgot this one existed.
HOW'S HE DOING: The Kenan skit where black intellectuals discuss how Obama's doing with black voters- the joke being, as always, that his approval in the community can never fall below 90%. They've done this three times now, and it's been the same exact thing every single time. No variation whatsoever. Hire some new writers, for the love of god.
UPDATE: Colin and Michael deliver some bad jokes, then Pete comes on and does another stand-up bit. His third already? I don't get it, can he not do anything else? He's not totally unfunny, but this is getting old very fast. Michael completely flubs several jokes tonight and I'm sorry but the chemistry between these two is just not getting any better. Get rid of them both. Final Update guests are Kenan & Jay as Katt Williams and Suge Knight, but it's a pretty mild riff on their latest arrest.
SHARK TANK: Okay, this sketch tries to be edgy, but while doing so it completely forgets to be funny. Chris and Kyle pitch their group ISIS to the billionaires, who almost go for it, but don't in the end. I think they thought the idea itself was daring enough to stand on its own without writing any jokes for it. Bad idea. The audience doesn't seem to be too down with this one either.
SWIFTAMINE: An ad for people who have vertigo upon realizing they actually like a Taylor Swift song- I have not experienced nor have met a single person who actually does like Taylor Swift, so if this is a real thing, it's lost on me. Lame again.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Chris and Leslie (featured in the first sketch of her own, I think) are a bickering married couple, but the only notable thing here is that Leslie completely misses the cue cards, walks out of the skit and comes back in, ruining whatever timing they might have had and baffling the audience into awkward silence. Not that the sketch was any good anyway- nothing could have saved it, really.
One of the better things on the show last night
BANK ROBBERY: Pre-taped thing where Kyle, Beck and Bobby are super polite bank robbers who throw the people in the bank a party while they rob it- doesn't work at all.
WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: Cecily and Kate in a 90's instructional video about behavior in the workplace- really, really bad, which I hate to say, because Kate goes for it in everything she does, and she's not that bad, but again, nothing funny about this.
Ugh. That was pretty brutal actually. You'll notice I didn't mention Chris a whole lot, because aside from the monologue, he didn't bring much to the skits themselves- but they were all so terrible I don't know who could have. Like I said, even though Kate stands out like a shining star among this cast, she can't singlehandedly save these things, and she doesn't seem to come up with enough of her own ideas (probably more a performer than a writer, which unfortunately means she's got to lean on this god awful crew to give her something to work with). I have to give it a D-. Dreadful season so far. Woody Harrelson's up next, coming back to host on the 15th for the first time since 1992- we'll see what kind of material he gets stuck with. See you then.
TEASER: "Justified" Season 6
Woo-hoo! The last season of Justified promises the final showdown between Raylan and Boyd after all these years of kinda being frenemies. I can't wait, even though it's sad to see it end. Justified has long been one of my favorite shows and one of FX's best. The sixth season starts sometime in January.
TRAILER: "The Fall" Season 2
Yea! Gillian Anderson's Irish series The Fall is set to come back for Season 2 on November 9th on the BBC. The first season is on Netflix and it's only five episodes if you want to catch up- but be warned, this show is very creepy, much scarier in my opinion than horror shows like Hannibal. But Anderson's great in the lead role of the detective in charge of tracking serial killer Jamie Dornan.
