Scrubs

As he championed "the new journalism" in the late sixties, Tom Wolfe suggested no one ever would write anything truly compelling"”fact or fiction"”about the suburbs; he asserted, "There is no life there." During the New Depression, however, the suburbs have gone ghetto, suddenly teeming with life and depravity; and television writers are producing all kinds of compelling stuff about what they have discovered beyond the white picket fences. Witness Showtime's smash-hit "Weeds," the life and times of a "proper" suburban widow keeping-up appearances while she deals more dope than a six-pack of Mexican cartels. As in "The Office," the basic premise for "Weeds" is an import from Great Britain, adapted from the British film Saving Grace which showed a widow and her gardener conspiring to maintain the widow's lifestyle by supplying the locals with their favorite herbal refreshment. Critics frequently compare "Weeds" with American Beauty for its exploitation of the idea "Normal is the face we wear to cover how f***ed-up we are." By contrast with "Desperate Housewives," Nancy Botwin, our entrepreneurial heroine, has far more good reason for desperation than her difficulty achieving orgasm; she has a house, a mortgage, two sons, and a reputation. Since Bonfire of the Vanities tanked and "Weeds" flourished, Tom Wolfe may have to consider the distinct possibility that there is no life in Manhattan.

The Bear is a comedy-drama television series that premiered on Hulu in June 2022. Created by Christopher Storer, the show stars Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Abby Elliott. The first season of the show received critical acclaim for its direction and performances of the cast, leading to nominations for several awards, including Best Comedy Series at the Critics' Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards.

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.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a popular American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1990 to 1996. The show revolves around a young man named Will Smith who, after getting into trouble in his hometown of Philadelphia, is sent to live with his wealthy relatives, the Banks family, in their Bel-Air mansion.

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.

"Everybody Hates Chris" is an American television sitcom that aired from 2005 to 2009. The show is based on the life of comedian Chris Rock, who serves as the show's narrator. The series follows a young Chris as he navigates his way through adolescence in Brooklyn during the 1980s.