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.
Mike & Molly is an American Sitcom that is set in Chicago and follows the lives of two overweight people Mike who wants to lose his weight and Molly that wants to embrace hers. An interesting show that featuring the ups and downs they have to go through together after they meet at an Overeatinonymous group.
Follow along with the lives of several aspiring soon to be medical professionals who must endure the fast paced, physically demanding world of medical training. Medical interns have always been expected to complete this "trial by fire" method of learning and though the "burn out" rate is low many find it the most difficult time of their lives. Scrubs deals with the trying times of interns through much humor and a fast paced script each week. The actors are encouraged to improvise with their character's dialog in each episode, making the show interesting and always including something unexpected. Among the cast are Sarah Chalke (Rosanne, How I Met Your Mother) as Dr. Elliot Reed, Zach Braff (Manhattan Murder Mystery, Twelfth Night) as Dr. John Dorian, Donald Faison (Clueless, Remember the Titans) as Dr. Chris Turk, and Neil Flynn (The Middle, Re-animated) portrays the janitor who torments Dr. Dorian in what was supposed to be a one episode appearance but grew into a permanent character role. Scrubs shows the humor inside the manic determination that is part of becoming a doctor and this fast paced show always offers something different and fun to watch.
Their friends acknowledge it always has been this way: Tina Fay gets lots of headlines and personal appearances while Amy Poehler does the majority of the comic heavy lifting. The trend continues in NBC's high-powered Thursday night comedy line-up as Fay continues driving "30Rock" to the top of Nielsen's charts and Poehler brilliantly busts-out gut-busters with her new sit-com "Parks and Recreation." In much the style of "The Office," Poehler's "Parks and Recreation" TV show works the popular mockumentary format; and her character, Leslie Knope, willingly gives voice to her relentless optimism as she speaks directly into the camera. Leslie serves as the Deputy Director of the parks and recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana, where she considers herself a rising star in the local political firmament. Think of her as the female equivalent of Steve Carrell's "Office" character, prone to pretzelating the truth with observations like, "These people are members of a community that care about where they live. So what I hear when I'm being yelled at is people caring loudly at me." Professionals devoted to the sad enterprise of explaining the jokes stress that Poehler's genius lies in her ability to make an obvious ditz both funny and sympathetic rather than just plain weak. Women may not feel inspired to vote for Leslie, but they cannot help loving her.
If your family drama cannot be "Modern Family" or "Brothers and Sisters," then what can it be? It almost inevitably will be NBC's "Parenthood," a mid-season, post-Olympic experiment boldly launched in February, 2010. The "Parenthood" experiment tests the hypothesis that good writers and actors can find the middle ground between "Modern Family's" understated but outrageous satire and "Brothers and Sisters'" intensity. Producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are re-working the basic premise of Parenthood, the 1989 movie starring Steve Martin as a frazzled father trying with all his might to do the right thing for everyone he loves. The New York Times accurately observes, "'Parenthood,' with its polished scripts and beautifully shot exteriors, seems like a last gasp of television past," big-big production values and a cast of small-screen all-stars including Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, and Lauren Graham. "Parenthood's" plots and dialogue exploit the irony in everyday family life, winning empathetic laughs and wry smiles where other teams might push too hard for punchlines. Some of the dialogue has the same brilliant serrated edge that distinguished "Gilmore Girls," but, as Lauren Graham points out, "I do not have to talk so fast." Like all good comedy, the teasing and quirkiness are fundamentally good-natured, and every episode features at least one weep-worthy segment. Because "Parenthood" is not "Modern Family" or "Brothers and Sisters," it has become the rarest of rare productions at NBC"”a hit.
"White Collar" delivers the requisite Feds and felons, but you do it a serious dis-service if you describe it as a "crime drama." No one on "White Collar" would insist "just the facts, ma'am; just the facts," because complex characters and complicated motives drive the plots and magnetize viewers. As The New York Times wisely remarks, "White Collar" complies with USA Network's higher standards for cops and robbers; it "creates a fantasy version of law enforcement in which bureaucracies don't scuttle justice, reason prevails, and brilliance ensures the best possible outcome. At one point Burke asks his office how many went to Harvard, more than half raise their hands." Matt Bomer plays Neil Caffrey, "White Collar's" resident lovable bad-guy-turned-good-guy. Caffrey, whose style and savoir faire give him legitimate claim to membership in the Rat Pack, has struck a deal with his long-time nemesis, FBI agent Peter Burke, played to perfection by Tim DeKay. Burke will release Caffrey from Federal prison long before the end of his sentence if Caffrey agrees to lend his criminal genius to the Bureau's efforts to seek-out and imprison sophisticated evil-doers. Who could resist a deal like that?
First, it was a curiosity. Then, it was popular; and, then, it was a hit. And, then, within the course of just a few weeks and a handful of episodes "Glee TV show" became a television sensation and a cultural phenomenon. Ryan Murphy's genius creation revolves around the glee club at William McKinley in Lima, Ohio"”in other words, the archetypal anytown USA. The eternal struggle between McKinley's dorks and its perennially popular football players and cheerleaders drives the show's plots; the stories, however, get permanent turbo-charge from the built-in irony that the dorks, nerds, and geeks sing and dance better than your average six-pack of rock stars. Jane Lynch plays Sue Sylvester, rough-tough and quick-tongued cheerleading coach whose life's mission is to destroy Mr. Schuester, glee club alum and now coach. Matthew Morrison stars as "Mr. Shue," brilliantly supported and often up-staged by a perfectly chosen ensemble cast: Lea Michelle stars as Rachael, powerhouse soprano with pretentions to prima dona; and Diana Agron portrays Quinn, the head cheerleader who doubles as the perfect foil to Rachel. Singles and albums from "Glee's" most popular episodes have dominated the Billboard charts, shattering popularity and longevity records with each new release. The music, unfortunately, sometimes drowns out the brilliant dialogue. Critics feel hard pressed to name even one current show that rivals the quality of the writing on "Glee."
"Psych TV Show" features slick psychic crime-fighter with no psychic gifts. Unlike most basic cable networks, USA has generated many of its own hit shows on the strength of excellent characters and situations enhanced by exceptional writing. As bigger networks go into hibernation between seasons, USA wisely introduces its powerhouse programming. Among the network's original scripted dramas, "Psych TV show" has become one of the favorites. Walking the margin between crime drama and satire with tongue very deeply in cheek, "Psych TV series" stars James Roday as a fast-talking, exceptionally observant private investigator who manages to persuade the Santa Barbara police that he actually is a psychic. The backstory shows the tension between father and son, and it emphasizes how dad trained Shawn to pay attention to the most minute details, coincidences, and anomalies in everything he observes. Acute powers of observation easily pass for mystic revelations, and a healthy dose of wise-cracking charisma seals the deal. Over the objections of his disapproving police officer father, law enforcement officials reluctantly hire Shawn Spencer, psychic, to assist with solving their most challenging cases. Of course, Spenser and his reluctant sidekick Gus, brilliantly brought to life by Dule Hill, succeed where others fail.
