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.
Maddie and Ben have been dating (and living together as a couple) for the past nine years and appear to be content with their living arrangements. Neither is quite ready to take the next obvious step which would be marriage. Several relationships are involved and this family, while close knit find their world turned upside down by the announcement that Maddie's younger sister Mia is pregnant and even though she has only known her boyfriend seven weeks, is making plans to marry him. Maddie is stunned when she sees that her parents approve of the news. Now it's time for Ben and Maddie to wonder if they should advance their own relationship or simply allow it to remain stagnant. Maddie Putney is played by Jennifer Finnigan (The Bold and the Beautiful), Mia Putney is portrayed by Joanna Garcia (Reba), Ben Coles is played by Josh Cooke (Without A Trace). Rounding out the cast are Kurt Fuller as Joel Putney the father and Debra Jo Rupp as mom Vicky Putney. This thoroughly entertaining situation comedy is always filled with light hearted fun and romantic involvements.
The TV show Greek (originally GRΣΣK) is all about belonging to a fraternity and yet it's even more a family program that caters to family relationships and closeness. College settings are fun and often depict the wildness that does occur while attending a college or university. Most everyone is full of youthful energy and are ready to test the boundaries of their young lives. The cast includes frat members, alumni, and a house mother Casey Cartwright (played by Spencer Grammer) who attempts to keep the house in order and not on the Dean's list. Other cast members include Clark Duke as Dale Kettlewell, Scott Michael Foster as the Captain John Paul "Cappie" Jones, and Paul James as Calvin Owens. Frat houses as we learn are somewhat specialized by their curriculum and several were depicted on the program including Zeta Beta Zeta which is a sorority that caters to those interested in athletics, philanthropy, and academics. Omega Chi Delta offers students that are specializing in networking, academics, and athletics a place to call home while they attend that facility of "higher learning".
The newest "boy band" to hit the pop music scene is called Big Time Rush and the boys are ready for their chance at fame and fortune. Starring Kendall Schmidt as Kendall Knight, Carlos Pena, Jr. as Carlos Garcia, James Maslow as James Diamond, and Logan Henderson plays Logan Mitchell allows the actors to keep their own first names and a grip on reality. They must move away from the laid back lifestyle they've grown up with in Minnesota and go to the big city, LA. The four boys head to the Palmdale Hotel in Los Angeles, California and enroll in a special actors and performer's only school, the Palmwoods. Boys will be boys and their antics certainly get the attention of their elders including their producer, a hard driving and outrageous man by the name of Gustavo Rocque (played by Stephen Kramer Glickman). A TV series about brotherhood and friendship, Big Time Rush or BTR has a strong following and some great music. Once the season's filming is complete the band goes on a tour to "strut their stuff" before live audiences.
When Sasha Paley wrote her "young adult novel" about weight problems that are all too common in today's youth, she could have more than likely foreseen the popularity of a television series based on the concept. It is an enormous problem for many young people today and by addressing it within the context of a popular TV program it will be seen by many and perhaps help some who are struggling with their weight. A summer camp dedicated to weight loss, Camp Victory is the destination for the cast of "chubbies" determined to lose weight and become healthier along the way to becoming popular in school. Written capably by Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life) and her daughter Savannah Dooley, the cast includes Nikki Blonsky playing Willamena, filled with resentment for being sent to "fat camp" by her parents, Hayley Hasselhoff is Amber, thinner and prettier than the rest but lacking self-confidence, and Raven Goodwin who plays Becca, bookworm who is painfully shy and becomes fast friend with Willamena. Good writing and a talented cast make this semi reality show well worth watching.
The new half hour sit-com called Happy Endings is an American TV series that has not only a great cast but extremely talented writers, producers, and directors and that almost always guarantees a successful run. Making it work with a single camera approach, stars Zachary Knighton (Dave) and Elisha Cuthbert (Alex) were ready to be married when she left him literally "at the altar" . We begin visiting their lives and the friends, whose lives revolve around them, enjoying the pratfalls and miss-communications as they occur. Zachary Knighton, formerly from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and Elisha Cuthbert of "The Forgotten" and "24" head up a cast that includes Eliza Coupe portraying Jane, Adam Pally is Max, Casey Wilson is Penny, and Damon Wayans, Jr. trying to be serious as Brad. The group have been long time friends but when the very couple that brought them all together suddenly split up their loyalty becomes conflicted. As each struggles to deal with their own individual personal issues they try to remain friends in spite of the personal earthquake the break up has created. Humor is what holds them all together in the long run.
Previewing "Breaking In" for the press, star Brett Harrison suggested, "If you like "The A-Team", you'll like "Breaking In". If you like "The Office",'you'll like "Breaking In". And if you like breaking-in, you will like "Breaking In!". Harrison's observation proved strangely prophetic in at least two ways: First, the new Fox comedy does combine comic elements from "The Office" with "The A-Team's" dark, sarcastic point of view. Office humor"”there's just no such thing as too much. Second, the weak attempt at humor in Harrison's last line is sadly characteristic of the writing for "Breaking-In." Apparently, the B&E crowd lobbied for its own version of appointment viewing. Who knew? Although it's becoming this season's standard"”bad guys gone good, the premise nevertheless has promise. Five exceptionally skilled and highly specialized burglars team-up to operate Contra Security, a consulting firm that tests companies' security systems by breaking into them. Borrowing liberally from "Leverage" and "Breakout Kings," this wickedly bland team includes a hacker, a bad girl who can pick any lock, a semi-skilled con man, and a mysterious boss. First episode ratings may prophecy the sitcom's fate. Scheduled right after a big-big episode of "American Idol", "Breaking In" carried approximately 19 million viewers into its time-slot; by the end of its half-hour, 12 million of them had tuned-in elsewhere.
Always busy actor, writer, producer, stand up comedian, musician, screen writer, and television personality Paul Reiser has a new project and with the title of The Paul Reiser Show it is obvious that he will have an invested part in this one, a sit-com that is about"¦ well"¦ Paul Reiser. He wrote the scripts, produces, and stars as himself (sort of) as the show is somewhat autobiographical. Paul (Mad About You, Curb Your Enthusiasm) portrays a former TV star who chooses to return to the small screen after years of staying home and taking it easy while spending "quality" time with his wife and children. With a bit of help from his friends Paul searches for just the right "big thing" that can get his creative juices flowing again. Amy Landecker (Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Louie) is Claire, Paul's wife. Friends Jonathan played by Ben Shenkman (Law & Order), Habib played by Omid Djalili (Gladiator, The Mummy), and Fernando portrayed by Duane Martin (Ghost Whisperer, All of Us) help Paul get back into the groove and return to what he loves which is acting and being funny. Paul Reiser is a very funny (not to mention multi-talented) guy!
