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.
With broad international approval the late night talk show titled Chelsea Lately, starring Chelsea Handler, found its niche on televisions around the globe in recent years. Taped in Los Angeles, California, Chelsea Lately was developed around the concept of a comedy talk show dealing with current events including pop culture and show business in general. A round table with guests such as George Wallace, Loni Love, Brody Stevens, and John Caparulo deal with a wide assortment of subject matter, all related to show biz in some way, shape, or form. Chelsea has a "sidekick" in Heather McDonald who is also a comedian and best selling author. The two often travel on a private plane and Chelsea's tours always seem to be sell outs. Video clips, sketches, and live discussions make Chelsea Lately an ever entertaining and delightful bit of late night programming. When you can get celebrities to open up and talk about their industry while comparing notes on their craft it makes for good TV, especially in the late at night format which is looser and a bit more risque.
NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly features musical performers, interviews with well known celebrities, plus some topical documentary style programming, all within a half hour format. It has been delegated to super late night (actually early early morning viewing) and follows after a strong lineup which includes The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. This is Daly's 11th season of late night entertainment and some recent guests include Make Believe The Black Angels, Adam Blackstone, Adam Pally, and Ben Schwartz. While Leno and O'Brien have switched their time slots Carson Daly has been solidly in place and earning even more ratings points thanks to discourse between other late night hosts. The documentary segments take Daly out of the studio and on the road to places like Tom Green's home in the Hollywood Hills or on a motorcycle road trip along historic Route 66. Musically and documentary style is a visit to the famous Whiskey Bar and visit with Kings of Leon (Grammy award winning band).
Hollywood Arts is the location for Tori Vega (played by Victoria Justice) as she aspires to be a singer even as she gets herself into a continuous string of screwball or downright silly situations. Tori takes her sister Trina's place in a big showcase put on by the high school called Hollywood Arts because it's a performing arts school. Her talents will be showcased as she learns acting, singing, and even dancing on the stage. Star of the show Victoria Justice is known for her rolls in several recent Nickelodeon features including The Boy Who Cried Werewolf and Zoey 101. Leon Thomas III (Rising Stars, Freak the Freak Out) plays Andre Harris who is a musician singer and songwriter and also is Tori's best friend. Robbie Shapiro is played by Matt Bennett (Michael & Michael Have Issues, iCarly) who is plagued by his own shyness and awkward nerdy ways but is determined to become a master ventriloquist. He often uses that talent to express himself. The youthful cast demonstrates how difficult it can be to fulfill their dreams of becoming successful in whatever type of "the fine arts" they have chosen to follow.
Comedy seems to be the winning factor on late night television and among the best to be found since Carson is the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon program. The program even originates from the same NBC studio that The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was broadcast since 1982 until that show moved to California. Fallon offers a broad sense of humor that connects with his large audience including shows and skits like Pros and Cons, Wheel of Carpet Samples, Let Us Play with Your Look, Cell Phone Shootout, Hot Dog in a Hole, or Remix and Clips. In between the hilarious sketches guests come and go, often becoming part of the action or the brunt of some rather low brow activities. All is played for fun and audiences eat it up and often even get to join in on the fun. Among the celebrity guests have been Van Morrison, Robert De Niro, and Justin Timberlake. The previous host of Late Night, Conan O'Brien has appeared on Fallon's reincarnation of the show that keeps on giving to late night fans.
Former Daily Show with Jon Stewart correspondent Stephen Colbert is a political humorist and that means he has a license to poke fun at politicians and just about anybody else that gets in his creative path. It's a stretch but Stephen Colbert plays fictional anchorman Stephen Colbert, or in other words, he portrays himself in a spoof and political pundit filled show that has earned a slew of award nominations. If it's a serious news event you can bet it will show up on the Colbert Report, often with a unique twist. Some stories don't need to be embellished upon because they play out humorous no matter what and that's life. Some times the show has cultural influence as in the case of a bridge being named after Colbert by the Hungarian Ambassador, who presented Colbert with a declaration certificate when a vote declared him the winner. As it turned out Hungary does not name their bridges after living people so it never happened but he did win the vote. It just goes to prove how powerful having a television show with your own name on it can be in the U.S.
When the powers that be at NBC yanked the Tonight Show out from under long time host Jay Leno on May 29, 2009 it was considered to be a huge mistake and that fact soon became evident to everyone involved, particularly his loyal viewing audience. Conan O'Brien is talented and deserves his own show but there is no one quite like Leno except for perhaps Johnny Carson. Carson made the Tonight Show a national institution of late night television. Carson also wanted David Letterman to succeed him as host, even though he had called on Leno to guest host multiple times over the years. But when it came time to pass the gauntlet it went to stand up comedian Jay Leno. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was reincarnated on March 1, 2010 and as they say, the rest is history. With a home base in Burbank, California the Tonight Show has access to virtually all of the showbiz elite as well as entertainment's movers and shakers so viewers can be assured of seeing their favorite stars and keeping up with most all the latest gossip and newsworthy events as they happen. Leno himself, through his opening dialogue will refresh our memory and keep us informed regarding what was said by or about the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, or even Donald Trump. And who could ask for more?
The fact that some time travel is involved in the show, Being Erica, makes it necessary to employ at least one other actress to play the part of Erica Strange. She is sometimes seen as a twelve year old girl and that would be difficult for actress Erin Karpluk to accomplish. Erica is thirty two, Jewish, and still single. Although well educated she appears to be an underachiever who is in therapy and has been for years. Erica's therapist, Dr. Tom Wexlar (portrayed by Michael Riley) works with her though often irritating her with mixed quotations that don't really help her. Erica's friends include Julianne (played by Reagan Pasternak) editor at the publishing company where Erica is most currently employed. The two eventually form a publishing company as co-owners and partners. Forth grade teacher and best friend, Ethan Wakefield, (played by Tyron Leitso) have been close since college. When he moves next door to Erica they become more than just best friends, resulting in his divorce, and complicating the friendship. Gary Strange (John Boylan) is Erica's father, now a rabbi, but formerly a marijuana using hippie. Mom Barbara (Kathleen Laskey) who adds depth and a serious note to the program when she develops breast cancer.
