Old Girl, New Girl

     I am at the height of summer TV desperation. As a rule, I normally don't watch repeats of shows during the summer. I stick to limited runs and summer-only shows, just to freshen my mind and leave more time for fun.


It's time for more New Girl. I  fully understand the writers and show creates do not want to write Zooey Deschanel's pregnancy into the show. But I am seriously missing Jess, Nick, Cece, Schmidt, Winston, and Coach, who will  not be back until Winter 2016. I think the hardest thing about the new season will be the departure of Coach, played by Damon Wayans, Jr. The weirdest thing it that he was in the first episode, and due to Happy Endings (another really quirky and fun show) getting renewed, he didn't come back until season 3. Although a lot of formative episodes were pre-coach, I can't imagine life without him now. He has grown for a totally emotional cripple to Jess's close friend and co-worker. While Jess bonds closely with Winston over important things (getting a bathtub, lying about Cece's feelings for Schmidt), she and coach have a delightful discourse where she keeps wearing away at his tough outer shell, much the same way she did with Nick. The difference between Coach and Nick is that Nick fell for Jess, and Coach just learned to appreciate life more.

     I have been going back and binging the last few episodes left on Hulu, and watching the first and second seasons on DVD again. My Tuesday nights will not be the same now that The Mindy Project is moving to Hulu.

My Mommy Likes Underwear Dance Parties and Red Wine- Odd Mom Out

   I just discovered my new favorite half hour show, Bravo's Odd Mom Out. In a network long dedicated to desperate housewives of whatever city (this week someone launched a new wine), and opinionated gay fashion moguls, they're trying to make a go at real scripted television.

Author of the novel  Momzillas, Jill Kargman plays a fictionalized version of herself. At that, she is a carbo-loading, dark-joking mom of three that doesn't buy into her in-laws crazy NY rich airs. Yes, these people make the Gossip Girl trust funders look tame). I think they might be on to something here. I could not stop laughing during the first episode when Jill attend her sister-in-law's soul cycle fundraiser to end childhood obesity (giving gastric bypass to low income kids). She manages to make it to the top of the leader board, then gets stuck squatting in pain and can't get back up in the bathroom. Of course, the mommy mafia is non too kind to Jill and she has one normal friend, who is a doctor and also not well off enough to be considered  truly NY rich.

In the second episode, Jill's mother in law, brother-in-law and stick thin  pregnant sister-in-law (the fiercely peppy Abby Elliot) insist they have to change their last name to Von Weber after discovering family history on a trip to Austria. Jill and her lawyer husband protest, until Jill starts seeing the papering and perks of being a Von Weber, and the true escalated level of soul one must sell with that level of presiege (facials, burial plots with a view, better interviews for kindergartens.

The main thing that sets this show apart from other sitcommy shows is that everyone has been Jill at some point, over stressed, judged, wearing a unicorn t-shirt to the gym, and her character is very accessible.

A Note About Netflix Instant

I've been watching Netflix Instant on my brother's Wii the last few weeks with great joy. Yes, the "new to Netflix" movies are not usually first-run (Junior was just added, as well as the full run of Family Ties). I now have the joy of watching the early seasons of shows like WEEDS (yes, I never had SHOWTIME as a child). I also have caught up on childhood classics like Hey Arnond! and Rugrats. I just found out all seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, among other shows, are on netflix for instant watching (take that Hulu!)

A Note About My Boys, My Friends

Reading today's EW 5 top stories left me shocked. Sunday's My Boys finale is the last we're ever going to see of PJ and "my men," as the episode was loving called. I'm not thrilled. I was going to write a Haiku as Ausiello suggested, but I prefer lists to Haikus.

Some of the Best My Boys Moments
10. Crowleys
9. Kenny dates a pregnant woman
8. Making fun of Andy
7. A Winter heat wave
6. Stephanie and Kenny getting together
5. PJ inviting Bobby to Italy
4. The guys growing mustaches.
3. Getting to see Andy's home, Brendan's room, and Mike's apartments.
2. Brendan becomes one of Chicago's most eligible bachelors and everyone has to stop him from being a total d-bag.
1. Kenny, Stephanie, PJ and Bobby behave like teens and Mike and Brendan behave like gentlemen. With suits.

A Note About Amazing Affairs

Just finished watching USA's new series"Covert Affairs." I can't say enough good things about this show. It is phenomenal. Covert Affairs is the 20-teens re-versioning of the beloved ABC classic "Alias." Piper Perabo could easily be a distant relative of Alias sweetheart Sydney Bristow, played by Jennifer Garner.

First of all, Perabo's Annie is human, easily making a slip-up on her first mission out of spy school, but coming back to save the day in the end (realizing her now dead contact faked his own death so he could assassinate a well-known Russian author). It's nice to see a character that isn't ashamed of talking about her bad past relationships, balks at the idea of impersonating a "call girl," then flawlessly pulls it off in front of the questioning but cute FBI agent, and has guys falling over her within minutes of entering the CIA office (the CIA office that has a Starbucks!) Annie's relationship with her sister Danielle is sweet and developing well.

Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty, Popular, Jake 2.0) is back in the "Marshall" role of Alias, playing Auggie, the CIA info guy and tech guru. It's nice to see an incredibly attractive man play a geeky guy without looking too geeky. Plus he's adorable, a total ladies' man, and he's blind. By my friend C's definition: he is HOT!

And to make it better, Annie's past lover, who vanished from her life one night in Sri Lanka, has come back, saving Annie from a Russian Assassin, only to jump on the subway and disappear into the night. What's going to happen with him? I can't wait to find out.

Plus, Peter Gallagher, affectionately known as Mr. Cohen to me, is one of the CIA directors! I love this man. Only two more days until the new episode... to see more about Covert Affairs, read the NY Times article.

Upcoming: Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in "The Client List"
Summer TV: Part 2!
John Mayer Concert review!
Mad Men debuts in a week!

News: Maroon 5 Live at the Beacon Theatre July 27th!- no public tickets, but it's on TV!

A Note About Summer TV, Update 1

I've been catching up the last few days on summer TV shows. Here's the lowdown:

Burn Notice
It's an been a great story with Michael having to deal with burning another spy. I like the character of Jesse, the renegade spy with nobody to turn to, but frankly, he's messing with the plans of the "dream team," (Mike, Sam, and Fi), more than I can really tolerate. He provides a nice foil to Michael's mother as he's become the most recent house guest.
Things I could pass on: Jesse doing a a Jamaican accent, hostage situations, Jesse going on missions with just Sam or just Fi(ona) and splitting the story...
Things I want to see more of: Sam as "Mike Finley", his great alter ego, Mike's southern low class accents, Fi outwitting dumb businessmen and bikers, Mike spending time with his mom

Royal Pains
AKA Hank Med, this show became a favorite of my family last summer. Paulo Costanzo is great as failing younger brother Evan, CEO of HankMed, and his classic "moonlighting"-esque repartee with Divya match the great scenes between Hank and hospital administrator Jill.
Things I could pass on: Jill's wanna-be McDreamy Husband Charlie-who has thankfully already left town, Hank's father dating, Dr. Emily Peck, Boris's ladylove, HankMed being broke...
Things I'd like to see more: Marcia Gay Harden as the cranky surgeon at Hampton Heritage Hospital, Dieter- butler of Boris, Boris- the mysterious benefactor of Hank- (who recently appeared on Damages), Andrew McCarthy's Marshall David Bryant IV and his son Tucker (hopefully they'll be back this season), the Fonz as Hank's deadbeat father...

Pretty Little Liars
The first episode of this show was like a WB-flashback: part One Tree Hill, part Veronica Mars, part Gossip Girl. It's good, it's bad, it's addictive. That dead Alison girl is like the second coming of Amanda from Melrose Place. I can't wait to find out what's going to happen with A's mysterious messages and what really happened to Ali the night she disappeared.
Things I could pass on: shameless promotion of the KIN, creepy Jenna, crappy father figures, the Maya and Emily "friend"ship, people in their late 20's playing high school students, girls constantly making out with everyone they meet- Aria and her adorable teacher, Spencer and her future brother-in-law, Emily and her neighbor Maya, Hanna and her pretty boy- Erik Von Detten wannabe boyfriend, Hanna's mom and the cop,
Things I'd like to see more: Ezra the cute teacher- in a relationship with someone who is over age 20- maybe Aria's mom, Hanna's mother getting some self-respect, Tobe and Emily's friendship, Aria's brother, lipstick on the mirrors, Spencer going completely "Jessie Spano", a.k.a. I'm so excited, I'm so scared...

Persons Unknown
I accidentally stumbled along this show, and I'm so glad I did. People trapped in a 50's style town, being watched by creepy cameras? It's like a ABC Saturday night movie that gets progressively better and creepier every week. Plus, a reporter somewhat hot on the trail of a creepy grandmother, it keeps you interested. Is it a military training camp/government experiment/purgatory? Is it a murderers colony?
Things I could pass on: beating up the guy from brother's keeper- he is such dead weight in this town, Tori turning up dead, the new prisoner, Chinese food every day,
Things I'd Like to see more: Joe and Janet's sexual tension, Joe taking down the people who he used to help out with this whole confusing experiment, the dad from charmed as the mysterious, ambassador in Italy, what happened to the soldier guy in Iraq