Friday, February 16, 2007

More Slate and THE OFFICE, 30 ROCK, SCRUBS

I just had to post about 2 more Slate articles.

It seems FOX NEWS has succumbed to the adage: "If you can't beat them, join them." This Sunday the network will debut THE 1/2 HOUR NEWS HOUR. A conservative version of a fake, satiric news cast. Clearly the success of THE DAILY SHOW and THE COLBERT REPORT has irked them, or given them another idea to make money. In any case, I (as someone who considers himself a progressive but can be all over the place on a given issue) would actually watch it if it was funny. And that's the problem. Slate's TV critic, Troy Patterson, has a solid piece on the debut as well as a link to a 2min YouTube segment from the show. I've seen the 2min vid, and while Stewart, Colbert, and Weekend Update are funny, this was not. Maybe it's because I don't share the views of FOX NEWS, but I really think that's not the reason. And it is important to note that TDS and TCR poke fun at both sides and often venture outside of politics to skewer the media and other targets. I'm not sure T1/2HNH will do the same.

Slate has a wonderful, but infrequent, column titled "The Good Word" which deals with language. The most recent installment (posted today) has some very interesting thoughts and insight into how new interjections like awwa, meh, feh, and heh have come about thanks to the internet and how they're now being used in conversation. The piece is an excellent read.

Who saw THE OFFICE last night? I must say it was pretty hilarious, and particularly sharply put together. If you missed it, try and find it online or keep an eye out for the rerun. But I was a little disappointed in how the Pam/Roy saga continued. All it took was getting back together and an art show for the writers to turn Roy back into caveman boyfriend. We all know Pam and Jim will get together. What we don't know is how long the writers will try and drag it out.

30 ROCK is easily turning into one of my favorite shows. Each week it is witty and keenly written. I can't remember a recent episode which even slightly disappointed. If you are missing out on this stellar sitcom, you are missing out on something special.

I adored SCRUBS when it debuted. Then due to timeslot problems and other things I stopped watching the program a couple seasons back. But I've seen most of the episodes this season and the show has been really good. Plus I have Comedy Central to thank for viewing a couple reruns as well.

7 comments:

Diane said...

Dennis Miller was funny until he went neo-con . . . the problem is that it is fun to poke fun of wind bags, (ie., 99.9% of the GOP) it's not so funny to poke fun of gay people hoping for equal rights, or people who have the audacity to oppose the war and get called Nazi Sympathizers for the their troubles

And the Office and 30 Rock were outstanding last night - on the Office both the speaker story line and the bat story line were laugh out loud funny - the art show, not so much

And 30 Rock has quickly become one of my top 3 shows on the tube - Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin and the supporting cast - particularly the page - are brilliant!

both can be downloaded on itunes for 1.99

M-M-M-Mishy said...

Roy: Hey, isn't it awesome that I brought my brother to your art show and no one from your office showed? Ha.

The part where Jim convinced Dwight he was turning into a vampire had me laughing so hard. Especially when he turned his coat coller up and looked back over his shoulder at Dwight.

v said...

Exactly Diane. Absolutely great point on the FOX NEWS endeavor into a fake, satiric news program.

And aren't THE OFFICE and 30 ROCK so good? I agree, they are.

Mish, I hope you Canadese get 30 ROCK, it is definitely worth a viewing or 20.

LA said...

Don't worry. Pam is going to eventually see that the "new" Roy is still the same old Roy. And just when I didn't think he could get more inappropriate, Michael Scott gives a "speech" at business school. I loved it when he ripped the pages out of the text book.

I watch the Scrubs reruns on Comedy Central every night I'm home, and I love them. I was disappointed in this past week's new episode, though.

I think I'll wait until 30 Rock comes out on DVD and watch it from the beginning. Everyone loves it!

GetFlix said...

I missed The Office! It sounds better than the Grey's episode.

sage said...

You mean Fox is serious news, that they really believe what they're saying, that they're not already being sarcastic so that they'll have to create a new place where to be sarcastic?

sorry for my sarcasm, I can't stand Fox either. Have they stopped running that lie about how fair they are?

LA said...

BTW, the actress who plays Jim's girlfriend, Karen, is in a new show this fall. I don't know if that means she'll be on The Office all season or not, but I think it's safe to say that Jim and Karen will be breaking up before next season.