Happy Halloween, everybody! I’m not as much into Halloween as I used to be, but I know that it’s akin to Christmas for some of you. My pal, Dex, over at AEIOU…and Sometimes Why has been running a series all month long where he interviewed several bloggers about their past Halloween experiences. I was honored to be asked to participate, and you can check out my entry here. I implore you to read all of the entries, though, as I learned a lot about my fellow bloggers that I didn’t know before.
Monday saw the premiere of Mike Tyson Mysteries on Adult Swim. It was funnier than I was expecting, as it mixes Scooby Doo hijinx with the insanity of Mike Tyson. I mean, he punches out a Chupacabra and sings a song about not having sex with birds. He also teams up with his adopted Asian daughter, a talking pigeon, and a ghost. You have GOT to check out this show! My only gripe with it is that it’s one of those 15-minute Adult Swim shows. I want a full half hour! Anyway, it’s kinda weird watching a cartoon starring a convicted rapist, but I guess he did his time…
Tuesday saw the premiere of Friends of the People on truTV. I tend to avoid truTV shows, as they reek of “fake”. That’s the case with their reality shows, at least. They seem to be turning a new page in their programming, though, as they seem to want to be a low budget Comedy Central now. Friends of the People is a 7-person sketch show and I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t funny. I mean, it was unfunny on a House of Buggin‘ level (10 points to anyone who remembers that shortlived Fox show). It’s no SNL, but it’s not even a MADtv. I think the show has potential, but the cast seems wildly uneven. I also don’t really understand the appeal of The Lucas Bros. They were funny enough in 22 Jump Street, but I don’t get why they got a FoxADHD show (Lucas Bros Moving Company) and I certainly don’t get how they were cast in a sketch comedy show. I don’t think folks will be talking about this show because it’s not funny enough, nor is it edgy enough to be relevant.
Tuesday also saw the premiere of Benched on USA, starring Eliza Coupe from Scrubs/Happy Endings. I loved Happy Endings more than most shows in the past few years, so I have trouble watching them in new shows. It’s just a reminder that HE isn’t coming back, and I’m not ready to admit that yet. I haven’t even followed the cast to their new shows. I dropped New Girl when Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. moved back an hour, so no Damon Wayans Jr. I dropped The Mindy Project for the same reason, so no Adam Pally. And I have yet to watch Casey Wilson’s Marry Me on NBC. I like Coupe, though, and I tend to like cable comedies (RIP Wedding Band), so I thought I’d give this one a shot. I’ll only be watching it on DVR, though, as it comes on the same time as Forever on ABC, and I have to support that show so it can get a second season. Anyway, Benched was good. Coupe plays a corporate lawyer who has a MAJOR meltdown when she’s passed over for a promotion, and ends up working for the office of the public defender. I like the supporting cast, including Maria Bamford and Oscar from The Office. It’s hard for cable comedies to find an audience, especially at 10 PM, but I hope this show sticks around.
Speaking of cable comedies, I’m still trying to get used to American Dad on TBS. I don’t feel like it’s as funny as it was on Fox, but at least they can say “shit” and “dick” now. I’d say the show is trying to find its footing, but it’s been on for years. The change in network really shouldn’t have affected the quality, but I feel it has.
In music news, T-Pain just recorded an episode of NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series, WITHOUT AUTO-TUNE, and he sounded amazing! I’d usually just point a link, but y’all never click those, so here it is in its entirety:
Things You May Have Missed This Week
– Some dude disappeared at a Broncos game, and was found a few days later – 118 miles away
– A viral video on street harassment edited out all the white guys, making minorities look like a bunch of horndogs
– ABC’s Manhattan Love Story is the first rookie show to be canceled for the 2014-2015 TV season. I didn’t even have it in my ABC Upfronts post, so I can’t say that I called it.
– Entertainment Weekly debuted pics from Terminator Genisys that make it look like a fan film
– Charlie Sheen’s still trying to get a meeting with the Two and a Half Men producers so he can come crawling back.
– Apple admitted that they ceased production on the iPod Classic because they could no longer get the parts to make it.
– Death Row Records founder Suge Knight and comedian Katt Williams were arrested for stealing a photographer’s camera. No, this was not the plot of Friday 4: Friday Three Weeks From Now
– CBS is currently casting the pilot for Supergirl from the Arrow producers.
Links I Loved
The 30th Anniversary of the Sitcom Episode that Scared the Sh*t Out of Every 80s Kid – UnderScoopFire!
Avengers Age of Ultron Trailer and Breakdown of Each Shot – The Robot’s Pajamas
Ten Toys More Offensive Than Breaking Bad Action Figures – Toyriffic
OK, let’s get this out of the way. On Tuesday, Marvel announced every movie they’re releasing until I’m 38 and the Internet almost exploded. In 2016, we’ve got Captain America 3: Civil War and Doctor Strange. In 2017, we’ve got Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Thor: Ragnarok, and Black Panther. In 2018, we’ve got Avengers: Infinity War Part 1, Captain Marvel, and The Inhumans. And, wrapping things up in 2019 is Avengers: Infinity War Part 2. That’s a lot to swallow! Usually I have strong opinions on such things, but these all seem so far away at the moment. It;s somewhat surprising that there’s no Hulk movie in the lineup, though some folks have wondered if the title of Guardian of the Galaxy 2 might be Planet Hulk. I doubt it, but it’s an interesting theory. I also feel like Marvel is treating Black Widow like a sidechick – they use all she has to give, but never give her her own spotlight. I think she could carry a spy thriller, and it kinda sucks she’s not being given the chance. Anyway, I’m going to give my opinion on the movies with one to two sentences each:
Captain America 3: Civil War – We all saw it coming, but he’s also gotta find some time to track down Bucky. Sounds like a packed movie.
Doctor Strange – He’s meant to be the lynchpin of Phase 3, which saddens me because I don’t really like the character’s mythos.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2: BRING IT ON!
Thor: Ragnarok – Let me guess: it’ll have Loki. You pretty much know what you’re getting with a Thor movie, but Hiddleston and Hemsworth are great in their roles
Black Panther – he’s been described as King Batman, but I’ve never really seen it. Even as king of a world power, he just always felt tokeny to me.
Avengers: Infinity War – I HATE the cosmic side of Marvel, but maybe the movies will make me gain an appreciation for it
Captain Marvel – Meh. I hear she’s gotten more interesting as Captain Marvel, but I remember her as Ms. Marvel – a recovering alcoholic who couldn’t get her shit together. Casting will be important for this one.
The Inhumans – More meh. I’ve never really cared for them, and now they’re about to become Marvel Studios’ mutants. Marvel seems to be invincible at the box office, so I guess I should just trust what they have in store.
Needless to say, Marvel Studios had the West Week Ever.
Tyson Mysteries was hilarious, but I’m a Norm mark so I was convinced I was gonna like it no matter what. It was definitely funny though, and I dig the 15 min runtime since it allowed me to watch the .com stream on my lunch break the next day.
I’ve always dug Black Panther in the crossover event team up books but always thought his marriage to Storm was a huge part of his character, and they won’t be able to include that in the film. Also loved Dr. Doom as a villain for him, and he’s out. I’m sure the movie will be great though, because at this point to bet against Marvel Studios is to court death.
Thanks for the link!
Yeah, Norm was great in that role. I’ll definitely be tuning in next week!
See, I always hated his marriage to Storm. It just felt like “Let’s put the two Africans together”, but I know that a lot of folks liked that storyline. I will admit that I loved the story leading up to it, with his bachelor party and everything. Doom is a great villain for him since they’re both royalty. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of villain they come up with for him.
I was really underwhelmed by Mike Tyson. I didn’t think any of the jokes were that funny and that 15 min format doesn’t work with that kind of show. There’s enough potential for a full 30 min story but it ends up feeling like a Newgrounds Cartoon. I’m definitely going to keep watching though because I REALLY want to like it.
Thanks for the link to our Age of Ultron shot breakdown.
So you didn’t see any Halloween-themed tv episodes this past week?
Mike- Yeah, I hear what you’re saying about Tyson. I watched the pilot again, and it wasn’t as funny as I’d remembered. I still love “Ain’t Got No Time For Bird Sex”, though.
Chris – Honestly, I watched nothing Halloween themed. I guess I missed it all as I was playing Call of Duty. The closest thing I saw were the ABC Wednesday comedies which were Halloween themed. Didn’t watch any specials, like The Great Pumpkin, though.