Will Arnett stars in the Netflix original animated series BoJack Horseman. The show follows the washed-up star of a '90s sitcom, BoJack Horseman, and in Season 1 he works with a ghostwriter to writer his memoir; but he's reluctant to open up and is concerned about tarnishing his image. It's an interesting premise and allows for a number of fun stories. However, the world that's setup is bizarre, with a combination of human and animal-people characters (horses, cats, dogs, etc., with animal heads and human bodies). And this lends to a lot of jokes based on wordplay; which are hit and miss. But overall the comedy is pretty sharp, with some clever Hollywood satire. Arnett is especially good, and brings his own unique personality and charisma to the role. Plus, a host of guest stars make appearances throughout the season; including Olivia Wilde, Patton Oswalt, J.K. Simmons, Wallace Shawn, Judy Greer, and Naomi Watts. Season 1 of BoJack Horseman is a little rough around the edges, but it delivers a ton of laughs.
Produced by Wes Craven and loosely based on the films, Scream is a mystery/horror television series. In Season 1 a small town community is rocked by a string of murders that are seemingly related to a local legend about a serial killer known as Brandon James. For the most part the show maintains the tone and spirit of the films; offering insightful commentary about the horror genre and playing on the conventions of film/television. However, the writing isn't very strong, and neither is the acting. Additionally, the characters aren't very realistic, and the show tries to make everyone a suspect at some point (resulting in a number of inconsistencies). Still, the series does a fairly good job at building intrigue and delivers some intense thrills. Season 1 of Scream has its problems, but overall it's entertaining and shows potential.
Extraordinarily fun and full of laughs, Season 4 of The Simpsons marks the beginning of a golden age for the series where it seemingly could do no wrong. Featuring such classic episodes as “Kamp Krusty,” “Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie,” “Mr. Plow,” “Marge vs. the Monorail,” “I Love Lisa,” and “Krusty Gets Cancelled,” the writing is incredibly good and develops a lot of the supporting characters (such as Krusty the Clown). And, Phil Hartman takes on a greater role (becoming almost an unofficial cast member); voicing several new characters in addition to Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure. Plus, more celebrities than ever before sign on for cameos, including Tom Jones, Barry White, Brooke Shields, Johnny Carson, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hugh Hefner, Leonard Nimoy, Adam West, and Bob Hope. Hilariously entertaining, The Simpsons’ fourth season solidifies the series as television’s premier animated family sitcom.
After getting cancelled by ABC The Critic moved to Fox for a second season of hilarious shenanigans. When film critic Jay Sherman hires a new assistant he starts to develop romantic feeling for her and the two begin to date; meanwhile Jay’s eccentric boss embarks on a series of wild ventures, from starting a celebrity preschool to running for president. With the move to Fox comes a revamping of the show to make it more family friendly; Jay gets a steady girlfriend and becomes more involved in his son’s life, and the character designs are softened. However, the comedy is just as clever and satirical, and now includes the occasional Fox joke. The movie parodies are also fun, and Siskel and Ebert guest star in their own episode. Yet despite a solid second season that delivers plenty of laughs, The Critic was cancelled once again.
Season 3 of Night Court begins on a bit of a sad note as it deals with the passing of Selma Diamond. But, the shenanigans quickly pick back up again with Dan becoming a male escort to fix his money problems, Mac and Quon Le buying a restaurant, and Harry becoming a foster parent to a troubled youth. Two new cast members join the show, with Florence Halop replacing Selma as the new bailiff and Markie Post reprising her character from last season as the new DA. Additionally, an impressive list of guest stars are on the docket, including Brent Spiner, Robert Englund, Anne Ramsey, Pam Grier, and the Velvet Fog himself, mister Mel Torme. Unfortunately the show gets a little peachy at times in its addressing of social/cultural issues, but for the most part the tone stays lighthearted and fun. While it has its ups and downs, Night Court delivers a solid third season.
My Name is Earl loses its way in Season 2 and gets a little too preachy and cartoonish. Pretty criminal turned do-gooder Earl Hickey continues to make up for his past wrongs, but he soon gets pulled into his ex-wife’s scheme to sell a stolen truck and works to help her beat the wrap. Earl’s moral compass goes kind of wonky as he convinces a friend to become a stripper, helps Catalina and Randy pull off a fraudulent Green Card marriage, and services as a wingman for a French lothario who comes to Camden to sleep with a bunch of women. Yet the shows gets all sanctimonious about treating people with abnormalities as “freaks” or cleaning up the environment or gambling (feeling more like a “the more to know” PSA). Still, a lot of the humor works and delivers plenty of laughs; though the characters are becoming more buffoonish. Also, the show tries a few format changes to keep things fresh, like a Cops crossover episode and a Claymation episode. Plus, a ton of guest stars are featured, including Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Jenny McCarthy, Christian Slater, John Leguizamo, John Waters, Norm MacDonald, and even Dog the Bounty Hunter. Season 2 of My Name is Earl is real hit-and-miss, but there’s more good than bad.
NBC brings comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up comedy stylings to television with a 5-episode first season of his self-titled sitcom Seinfeld. Co-created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, the show follows the antics of a fictional version of Jerry as he and his friends deal with life in New York City. The series uses a unique episode structure that integrates excerpts from Seinfeld’s real stand-up shows; but they don’t always connect with the episode’s story. However, the chemistry between the cast is incredibly good and gives the show a vibrant energy. Despite the limited number of episodes, Season 1 of Seinfeld delivers a lot of laughs and shows the potential to turn into something great.
From Simpsons producer Al Jean comes the hilarious satirical animated sitcom The Critic. Season 1 follows New York film critic Jay Sherman, who hosts a struggling movie review show on cable television, as he deals with an overbearing boss and a dysfunctional family. Starring Jon Lovitz, Nancy Cartwright, and Charles Napier, the cast is pretty solid and features several Simpsons alumni. And the animation style is pretty good too, and uses a gritty (and grimy) aesthetic that suits the New York setting. Mixing slapstick and satire, the comedy is a unique style and features a number of film parodies that make fun of Hollywood culture. Plus, several interesting guest stars, such as Phil Hartman, Geraldo Rivera, Adam West, and Billy Crystal, make appearances. The Critic is a clever and fun show that delivers a great first season that’s full lot of laughs.
The voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise continue on into a second season as Star Trek: The Next Generation begins to find its footing. Correcting some of the first season’s mistakes, Riker grows a beard, Geordi gets sent down to engineering, and Whoopi Goldberg is brought aboard to tend bar. But the show also makes the epic blunder of replacing Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) with Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur), which really messes with the character dynamics. Still, there are some classic episodes in this season, including “Q Who?,” “Elementary, Dear Data,” and “The Measure of a Man.” On the other hand, there's the infamous clip show, “Shades of Grey,” which is widely considered to be the worst episode of the entire series. While Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation isn't firing on all thrusters, it makes some important progress; such as moving towards being character centric and improving its episode structure.
Featuring a new creative team led by Wes Craven, Harlan Ellison, and Rockne S. O’Bannon, CBS revives its classic sci-fi/fantasy anthology series, The Twilight Zone, for the 1980s. With stories by Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen King, Richard Matheson, and George R.R Martin, Season 1 puts forth an impressive effort, proving worthy of carrying on the mantel. A few of the highlights include “A Little Peace and Quiet,” “Examination Day,” “A Matter of Minutes,” and “The Last Defender of Camelot.” Also, a couple of episodes from the original series, such as “Night of the Meek” and “Shadow Play,” are remade and updated for the 1980s. And the list of guest stars is full of up and coming actors that would go on to become big Hollywood stars: Bruce Willis, Annie Potts, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, William Atherton, Frances McDormand, and Lori Petty. The show has its problems of course (a weak narrator, cheesy special effects, etc.), but overall Season 1 of The Twilight Zone revival is pretty good.
Star Trek returns to television with a new look and a new cast in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Set nearly 80-years after the original series, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D continue the mission "to seek out new life and new civilizations." But unlike the original, the cast is more of an ensemble and more diverse. Yet, the show tries pretty hard to be the old Star Trek and ends up being a little too campy. Still, there are some standout episodes such as "The Big Goodbye" and "Datalore." Additionally, the series' visual style includes some interesting set designs and alien makeup effects. Though it's off to a bit of a weak start, Season 1 of Star Trek: The Next Generation shows promise.
Things get even wilder and crazier down at Paddy’s Pub as Danny DeVito joins the cast in Season 2 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And DeVito proves to be the missing ingredient that the show needed, as he adds a great new character dynamic. This season Dennis and Dee’s absentee father, Frank, moves in with Charlie after getting divorced, becomes a part owner of the bar, and shakes thing up in his attempt to become a low-life hustler again. The comedy is just hysterical, and does a great job at using all of the characters. Without a doubt the best comedy on FX, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gets even better in Season 2.
Season 3 of Dark Matter is a little bizarre (going off the rails a bit), but still delivers thrilling and action-packed adventures. After the destruction of the space station EOS-7 the Raza takes on new crew members and attempts to recover the blink drive from Ryo; meanwhile Ryo becomes more desperate as the tides of the war turns against him and his own people begin to rebel. While the overall season story arc is pretty strong, there are a lot of crazy subplots with the Raza traveling back in time to 21st century Earth, Two discovering a secret history with the Android, Sarah turning into an A.I. program within the ship’s computer, and an extra-dimensional alien invasion. Still, all the chases and fight scenes are especially well-done, and add a lot of excitement and intensity to the episodes. And the finale delivers a game-changing cliffhanger that leaves the audience in suspense. Yet Season 3 is so scattershot that SyFy putted the plug on Dark Matter, bringing the Raza’s journey to an end.
Kevin Smith adapts his cult hit comedy Clerks into an irreverently funny animated television series. The show follows convenience store clerks Dante and Randal as they get into wacky hijinks, and of course the lovable rapscallions Jay and Silent Bob pop-up from time to time. Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith reprise their roles and are joined by recurring guest stars Alec Baldwin, Charles Barkley, and Gilbert Gottfried. The writing is especially clever, with a lot of witty satire about sitcoms and hilarious TV and movie parodies. Additionally, the animation style is quite unique, with a rugged design scheme that has a simplistic sort of charm. However, Clerks wasn’t really given a chance and was cancelled by ABC after 6 episodes (of which only 2 aired…out of order).
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 1 is a dark, but hilarious, comedy from FX. The show follows the antics of a group of friends that run a bar in Philly. The writing is rather sharp and can get pretty outrageous with its brand of humor. But sometimes it pushes the envelope too far, and gets overly vulgar and crass. However, the rawness of the show is part of its charm; to that end it’s shot very simply, using limited locations and camera angles. Season 1 of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a bit uneven and has some trouble establishing the tone of the series, but it also delivers plenty of laughs and is a lot of fun.
A seminal ‘80s sitcom, Night Court dispenses hilarity in its 13 episode first season. When a young, eccentric judge is appointed to the bench he brings an unconventional way of delivering justice that’s lighthearted and fun. The writing’s pretty cheesy and formulaic, with a laugh track that goes off right on queue. But Harry Anderson and John Larroquette are able to breakout of what could have otherwise been stereotypical roles and bring a lot of charisma to the show. Additionally, some interesting guest stars make appearances, including Michael J. Fox, Charles Napier, and Yakov Smirnoff. However, there are several changes in the main cast that causes problems developing chemistry between the actors. While Season 1 of Night Court is a little rough and stereotypical, it’s still tremendously entertaining.
iZombie goes from mediocre to just plain bad in Season 4. After Zombie Seattle is turned into a walled off city Chase Graves becomes a de facto military governor and attempts to keep the peace between humans and zombies, and prevent the US military from attacking; meanwhile Liv smuggles in humans and turns them into zombies, leading to overcrowding and starvation (and she’s the “hero”). The show’s attempt to cast Liv as a hero fighting for human/zombie co-existence is total crap and makes no sense, and her turning people into zombies is a complete 180 for the character; who has been searching for a zombie cure since the beginning of the series. On the other hand, the subplot about Angus McDonough becoming the leader of a zombie religious cult is incredibly interesting and has a lot of potential, and Robert Knepper does an excellent job with the character; making him a captivating villain that’s dangerous and charismatic. But that never gets explored in much depth. Everything in Season 4 of iZombie is upside down, which is probably why the CW is making its next season its last.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s third season is more action-packed and full of adventure than ever before. In order to confront the Dominion threat Commander Sisko requisitions Starfleet’s fist and only warship, the Defiant, and takes it into the Gamma Quadrant to find the Founders and negotiate a peace; and when that fails the Cardassians and Romulans take matters into their own hands. Meanwhile Kai Winn negotiates a peace treaty with Cardassia but soon nearly starts another civil war on Bajor. Additionally, the origins of Odo and Garak are finally revealed. Also, several new recurring characters are introduced, including the Female Changeling, Leeta, Moogie (Quark’s mom), Liquidator Brunt, Kasidy Yates, and Lieutenant Commander Michael Eddington. In Season 3 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine really finds its footing and starts telling its own stories (as opposed to being a version of TNG).
From the History Channel comes the biblical epic The Bible, a ten part miniseries covering both the Old and New Testament. Starting with Noah and the Flood, the episodes proceed to tell most of the major, well-known bible stories; Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses freeing the Hebrews, King David, Samson defeating the Philistines, and of course Jesus’ ministry and crucifixion. However, some of the Old Testament episodes seem kind of rushed, squeezing in two or three stories per episode. And there’s a kind of reverse whitewashing, making the characters as racially diverse as possible (despite most of them being Jewish) and Mary Magdalene is portrayed as a de facto 13th apostle. Yet for the most part, it stays remarkably faithful to Judeo-Christian tradition. The production values are really quite good (better than a lot of other biblical television dramas) and the writers do an impressive job at condensing the major events of the Bible and constructing a connecting narrative that flows rather well. A powerful and inspirational miniseries, The Bible delivers a spiritual message that still resonates with audiences.
With David Duchovny leaving the show, Chris Carter tries to wrap up The X-Files in Season 7. After recovering from contact with an alien object Mulder rejoins Scully and investigates the Millennium cult (with the help of Frank Black), the death of a magician following an impossible magic trick, a new interactive first person shooter video game that’s killing it’s players, and run into a genie who puts an ironic twist on wishes. Additionally, Mulder finally finds the answers to what happened to his sister, Scully goes on a secret mission with the Cigarette-Smoking Man, and the Cigarette-Smoking Man tries to reconstitute the Syndicate. The show even does a cross-over episode with the Fox hit reality series Cops (“X-Cops”). Gillian Anderson writes and directors her first episode (“All Things”) and Duchovny also writes and directs an episode (“Hollywood A.D.”). Unfortunately Season 7 doesn’t provide any good answers to the series mysteries; the alien craft stuff in “The Sixth Extinction” is all nonsensical gobbledygook, and “Closure” completely rewrites the Samantha Fox mythology. On the other hand, the show manages to feature a number of interesting guest stars, including Mark Pellegrino, Lance Henriksen, Constance Zimmer, Tobin Bell, Garry Shandling, and Tea Leoni. Season 7 brings an end to another chapter of The X-File, yet opens show up to new possibilities.
Dark Matter delivers a somewhat disappointing second season that, while is full of adventure, lacks a clear vision. This season the crew of the Raza breaks out of a maximum security prison and find themselves on the run once again. Several cast changes are made, but unfortunately the new characters just aren't as interesting and end up changing the whole dynamic of the crew. Also, the crew no longer has the same sense of purpose; as they're not trying to get their memories back nor do they need each other any longer. They're just another ragtag group of mercenaries living from job to job. Also, the show makes several jump-the-shark kind of leaps by introducing travel to alternate universes, psychics, and androids evolving sentience. Still, there are some interesting story arcs and the action/fight scenes are intense and exciting. Though it's a bit rough, Season 2 of Dark Matter is solidly entertaining.
Based on a limited run comic book, Dark Matter is a thrilling science fiction adventure series. Season 1 follows the crew of the mercenary ship Raza, who wake up from stasis with no memory of who or where they are, leading them to band together in an uneasy alliance as they search for answers and decide whether to resume their old lives or begin anew. The casting is especially good; particularly Canadian Idol's Melissa O'Neil, who has a magnetic screen presence and impressive physicality (making her a compelling action heroine). And, the special effects and set designs give a real lived-in, tangible feel to the show's universe. The serial storytelling is also well-done, building multi-episode arcs that are exciting and full of intrigue. Still, the series relies on a number of common sci-fi tropes; such as clones, evil robots, and warring corporate powers. Yet overall, Dark Matter shows a lot promise and delivers a strong first season.
Criminal Court Part 2 is in session for more laughs as Night Court enters into a second season. The characters start to get explored more, with Harry developing a budding romance with Billie (the new defense attorney) and Mac getting married to Quon Le (a long-time friend from Vietnam). Ellen Foley proves to be a good addition to the cast and has strong chemistry with her co-stars. And some exciting guest stars are featured, including John Astin, Michael Richards, James Cromwell, and Lou Ferrigno. Additionally, future cast member Markie Post makes her first appearance as a guest star. The comedy is still a little cheesy and slapstick-ish, but it has a kind of quaint charm to it. It’s not without its problems, but Season 2 of Night Court is a lot of fun.
Based on a British television series, NBC’s The Office is a quirky workplace comedy that follows the wacky antics of the Dunder-Mifflin paper company. Presented as a documentary, Season 1 introduces the audience to the employees of the Sranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin and follows their day-to-day activities. Starring Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Rainn Wilson, the show features a strong cast that’s really good with dry, sardonic humor. And the documentary style shooting, coupled with personal interview segments, gives the show a unique look and feel. Additionally, the writers do an impressive job at taking on real-world issues, such as racial sensitivity training, choosing a healthcare plan, and corporate downsizing. Though only 6-episodes, the first season of The Office shows a spark of brilliance that will lead to one of the most popular sitcoms of the 2000s.
A hilarious redneck comedy, My Name is Earl delivers a strong first season. When a petty criminal named Earl Hickey wins a million dollars from a lotto ticket and is then immediately hit by a car he decides to turn his life around by making a list of everything he’s done wrong and tries to make up for them. Starring Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, and Jamie Pressly, the show has an impressive cast that has good chemistry together and delivers the broad, slapstick comedy especially well. And a number of interesting guest stars are featured, including Giovanni Ribisi, Jon Favreau, Christine Taylor, Juliette Lewis, and Timothy Olyphant. Despite having been a scammer and a criminal, the writers keep Earl likable by making his past crimes rather goofball-ish and rarely mean spirited. They also do a good job at balancing the comedy with the moral lessons so that the show never gets too preachy or too jokey. Season 1 of My Name is Earl is a lot of fun and has a positive message.
A raging dumpster fire, Arrested Development goes from bad to awful in Season 5. When Lucille Austero goes missing and is presumed dead Buster is arrested for her murder; meanwhile Lucille and George Bluth assume control of the Bluth Company and push Lindsay into running for congress and to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. And George Michael continues to fumble about with his Fakeblock app and his relationship with Rebel Alley, and Maeby scams her way into a retirement community. The writing is really bad. The repeating jokes and callbacks that were so clever in the first three seasons now just comes off as sad and pathetic. Also, they just won’t let go of terrible, unfunny plots like Fakeblock and whatever Tobias does. Additionally, the absence of Portia de Rossi in the second half of the season is glaring and drags it down. After what the series did satirizing the Iraq War in its original run, one would think that they would do something clever with the border wall, but instead it all falls flat. Arrested Development is nearly unrecognizable in its fifth season, having lost all of the wit and charm the made the series such a beloved cult hit.
The Office delivers reams of laughter as it rolls into its second season (with a full 22-episodes). The crazy shenanigans at Dunder-Mifflin kick-off with a special award ceremony (the Dundies), and continue on with an improv office Olympics, a booze cruise, and even a casino night charity fundraiser. There are also a couple of holiday episodes, including “Halloween,” “Christmas Party,” and “Valentine’s Day.” Additionally, the characters get fleshed out a little more; exploring the Jim/Pam relationship, the Jim/Dwight rivalry, and Michael’s complicated relationship with his boss (Jane). The comedy is incredibly funny, mixing dry, sardonic humor with classic slapstick. And the show continues to address real office issues, such as sexual harassment, employee performances reviews, and drug testing. Hilariously entertaining, The Office comes into its own in Season 2, distinguishing itself from its British sister show.
Outrageously funny, Season 3 of The Office delivers nonstop laughs. After being rejected by Pam, Jim transfers to the Stanford branch and makes some new friends; meanwhile the Scranton branch adjusts to his absence, until….the two branches are merged and hilarity ensues as the two crews get to know each other and work together. Additionally, Phillis gets married (to Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration), Michael and Jane begin dating, Ryan becomes a sales associate, and Michael interviews for a job at corporate. Rashida Jones and Ed Helms join the cast and prove to be good additions that mix things up and change some of the character dynamics. Plus, a couple of guest directors lend a hand, including Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day), Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and J.J. Abrams (Alias). One of the funniest seasons of television ever made, Season 3 of The Office sets a new high bar for the series (and indeed all sitcoms).
The Good Place gets even better in Season 2. After having his fake heaven rouse uncovered by Eleanor and her friends Michael tries again, and again, and again until, faced with a revolt from his fellow demons, he decides to team-up with Eleanor and her friends to escape to the real Good Place. It’s a rather daring move to jump the story forward like this and to change the character dynamics, but it really pays off. It also helps in the character development and adds a sense of mystery as to what happened in the hundreds of past simulations. Additionally, the comedy is especially well-written, with a lot of clever, witty dialog. And, once again the series delivers a game-changing season finale. Instead of doing the same old and playing it safe, Season 2 of The Good Place does the unexpected.
Produced alongside the series' film debut (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut), South Park's third season is really creative and daring. This season Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny take their adventures beyond South Park; visiting the Rain Forrest, joining Starvin’ Marvin in a space adventure, re-fighting the Civil War across the South, going to Jesus' millennium party in Las Vegas, and traveling to Arkansas for a national recorder concert. Additionally, Mr. Hankey hosts his own Christmas special and Korn comes to South Park to play their Halloween festival and solve a groovy mystery. Plus, several new recurring characters are introduced, including Chef’s parents, Skeeter, Skyler (Shelly’s boyfriend), Dougie, and God. The look of the animation has gotten a little better (with crisper images and cleaner movements) and the comedy is more outlandish and funnier (though it’s also more crude and vulgar). Mired by triumph and tragedy (the launch of their first film and the loss of a cast member), Season 3 of South Park is incredibly strong and takes the series to new and interesting places.
