Long Story Short is a Netflix adult animated comedy-drama created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, his first new animated series since the acclaimed BoJack Horseman. Trading Hollywood satire for something more intimate, the show is a warm, melancholy, and very funny portrait of a single family told across the sweep of its members' entire lives.
The series follows the Schwooper family, jumping freely and non-chronologically through the decades, from childhood and adolescence to marriage, parenthood, and old age, so that a character might be a squabbling kid in one scene and a weary adult in the next. This restless time-hopping structure lets the show explore how families carry their history with them, how old wounds and inside jokes echo across generations, and how small moments accumulate into a life. Its voice cast includes Abbi Jacobson, Ben Feldman, Lisa Edelstein, Paul Reiser, and Nicole Byer.
Rooted in Bob-Waksberg's own Jewish American upbringing, Long Story Short earned strong reviews for balancing sharp comedy with genuine emotional depth, the same alchemy that made his previous work resonate. It is streaming on Netflix.
From the 8th of March, 1993 until the 28th of November, 1997 a "socially awkward" yet somehow lovable duo with the unlikely names of Beavis and Butthead ruled the MTV airwaves. The pair loved heavy metal rock and roll and hailed from the fictionalized town of Highland, Texas where they grew up with no apparent adult supervision (think Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Linus). Highland High School teachers didn't quite know how to deal with the rather dim-witted pair"¦ that is when the two even bothered to attend school. This may be simply a lesson in how not to survive the teen years or perhaps a cautionary tale of how to be obnoxious and perverted while giving commentary on popular music videos. In any case those around Beavis and Butthead tend to get in harms way while the "boys" skate free. As in the time Butthead fired a rifle that resulted in hitting an airliner (a Boeing 747). With part time jobs at the local Burger World, among others, and still wearing their AC/DC t-shirts they manage to survive as they provide bawdy comments for today's reality TV shows like Teen Cribs, UFC fights, and Jersey Shore.
The teenage years are especially painful and just downright awkward for most of us. This new teen comedy drama about surviving those high school years stars Ashley Rickards from One Tree Hill fame as Jenna Hamilton. Jenna unfortunately becomes somewhat of a celebrity when word gets out that she attempted suicide. It was merely an accident that went wrong but soon her contemporaries at school think she's somewhat of a celebrity. Jenna also tries to conceal her romance with a popular boy, faces off with a "mean girl", and has parents that just don't remember how tough it was being a teen. The program is contemporary and unique as it displays just how difficult it is to cope with life's changing aspects while going through puberty and finding romance that does more harm than good (for the first time). It's rough enough just growing up but being female besides makes life even more awkward and unpredictable.
Georgia Chamberlain knows she can act. In fact she is the most confident person around and considered to be one of those "larger than life" kinda people. Georgia Chamberlain is ably played by Raven-Symone (That's so Raven, Sunny With a Chance) who was actually born in Georgia. She has moved to New York to pursue her dreams which include becoming an actress. Her best friend Jo Pye is played by Majandra Delfino (Men of a Certain Age, Life As We Know It), who is more the science "geek" type. The two women are trying to make it in the "big city" and we've seen that story idea before but this time around the women seem tougher and even more determined to make it! Georgia's Aunt Honey (Loretta Devine from Grey's Anatomy, For Colored Girls) is somewhat of a nymphomaniac and loves to brag about her exploits to the young women and also doles out advice while listening to their problems. This is actually light hearted fun television in a family format.
There are plenty of "cop" shows on television currently but one truly stands out as being totally entertaining and that one is Memphis Beat. Comedy, action, and some really good acting as well as scripts that stand out from the rest make for an hour's worth of enjoyment every week. Memphis Beat stars Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, Clerks II) as Memphis PD detective Dwight Hendricks, the self proclaimed "keeper of Memphis". He has several women in his life including his mother Paula Hendricks who is played by Celia Weston (Knight and Day, Modern Family), Memphis PD lieutenant Tanya Rice (Alfre Woodard from Desperate Housewives, Star Trek: First Contact), and an ex-wife Alex (played by Sunny Mabrey from Mad Men, Rules of Engagement) who shows up now and then. He has his hands full with each of these three women but his job seems to be a relief from personal life. Memphis Beat shows the southern charm and easy way of life of the south and even brings in some Elvis Presley music along the way. George Clooney is executive producer.
When you have not gotten enough of your favorite movie star, comedian, or rock star and their shows, you can always find out more than you might care to learn on the television program The Soup. Originally called Talk Soup, this daily half hour hosted by Joel McHale brings us clips from TV shows and movies along with tidbits and gossip regarding all those "beautiful" people we love to watch on the big or small screen or perhaps listen to their music. There is something very intriguing about what goes on behind the scenes of our favorite programs and how the celebrities spend their days that most of us love to follow and learn more about them. Even the infamous likes of O J Simpson and the latest to win her case, Casey Anthony, make for interesting following if only to see what they'll do next. Who marries whom and who gets divorced are among the attractions on The Soup and we get to learn it all while watching this sometimes interesting and often entertaining program.
Take a pair of long time friends who've become attorneys then put them to work in a stuffy law firm, and you have a new hit television series called Franklin & Bash. Breckin Meyer (Garfield: The Movie & Ghosts of Girlfriends Past) is Jared Franklin, overly self confident son of a well known trial lawyer who still loves to party, even while on the job. Mark-Paul Gosselaar (John from Cincinnati, Raising the Bar) plays Peter Bash who has been a close friend of Jared's for years and is much more mature than his zany pal "crash" a law firm by use of some rather unconventional techniques that amaze senior partner Stanton Infeld (Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) enough that he hires them to work in the firm. Once they move to the new prestigious firm even get their own enormous partners office. Franklin & Bash realize they've hit the jackpot with their new jobs and won't let their stuffed shirt new bosses tell them how to practice law. All is not well, of course, and they learn that compromise is important to succeed in their line of work and still have fun doing their jobs.
Councilwoman Melissa Burke known as "Mel" used to be quite the party girl and rebelled against society before growing up and getting serious about her community. Now a dedicated councilwoman, Melissa (played by Melissa Joan Hart from Sabrina the Teenage Witch & My Fake Fiancee) finds she must provide a home for her nephew and niece (her sister's children). Seems that their mom is in jail for money laundering while their dad is on the run after being accused of running a Ponzi scheme. Melissa soon discovers she needs help with her new instant family and hires a babysitter to help out. Joey Lawrence (My Fake Fiancee & Gimme a Break!) plays Joe Longo, a commodities trader, is currently out of work due to the same Ponzi scheme and hires on as the new nanny or "manny". Taking on two youngsters, Ryder and Lennox, is no easy task as both Joe and Mel soon find out. This heart warming family sit-com is full of hope and day to day situations that mirror real life.
