Thursday, August 09, 2012

TV You Should Be Watching

Isn't television a frequently wonderful thing? I've always been a TV lover, and since HUBS and I are currently people of modest means, most of our nights are spent in front of a weekly television series discussing the vagaries of human motivation. Or, sometimes just laughing our asses off. But, you know, either way it's fun!

We've come upon some shows recently that I would be remiss not to discuss with you. They are all funny and thought provoking, and I think you'll like them.

1) Veep
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I like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, so I had decent hopes for Veep. Who knew it would turn out to be one of the more surprising new shows in years? As you can likely guess by the title, she plays a US Vice President. And she just happens to be dealing with a distant daughter, scheming lawmakers, a president who doesn't much respect her, a pregnancy scare and her own struggles to push her political agenda while under intense media scrutiny. I know, it sounds hilarious! Actually, that's one of the things we loved about the show; it manages to be truly funny while still dealing with insider political stuff very realistically. The first season has finished showing, but you can watch it on HBO GO. Favorite Line: "I am going to throw up a leg."



2) Girls
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I freely admit that Girls is one of those shows where I initially thought Great, just what we need. Another young-pretty-white-people-in-New York show. How could we ever get enough of those! But, I kept hearing about it and when we decided to give it a try we sort of hated most of the main characters...and found them fascinating. Creator/writer/producer/star Lena Dunham has given us the most confused, self-absorbed group of fuck-ups who still manage to be watchable that I've ever seen. They are brutally aware of their friends' foibles while being blind to their own. They also constantly get themselves into funny bits of odd trouble that you simply can't look away from. In short? They're young, stupid and human. I enjoy Girls a LOT more than my young-pretty-white-people-in-New York barometer should allow me to, which is a huge testament to the joys that lie herein. This is also over for the year; watch on HBO GO. Or, wait until the first season DVD comes out. Favorite Line: "I know all the dick moves, OK? Don't be a dick."



3) Episodes
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Episodes is, by far, one of the funniest shows that's come along in recent years. If you haven't heard already, Matt LeBlanc (yeah, Joey from Friends) stars as an uber-douchey version of himself in this show about the making of a sitcom. We get a view of the unbelievably hard work that goes into making even the most mediocre of TV shows, all while providing steady laughs when the characters inevitably blow up their own lives. This one's still playing on Showtime for a few weeks, but there's a whole first season available on DVD for you to catch up on. Favorite Line: "Well, I guess things did get kinda blowy and sucky."



What shows do you look forward to every week?






8 comments:

Patricia Weber said...

Thanks for those three reviews. I'm not big on shows like this and so far only become addicted to House and Greys Anatomy. One of the reasons I don't get hooked is because of the language used. But both Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Matt Blanc are two of my favorites so I'll look for those!

Thanks - Patricia Weber, LinkedIn Group BHB

Citygirl said...

I hope you like the shows when you check them out, Patricia. But, just so you're warned and if you can't tell from the clips I listed, there is some cursing and occasional nudity. I don't think either is gratuitous, but I'm kinda an oddball, so who knows!

Have a great weekend:)

Geek Girl said...

I have only heard of Veep. I will have to take a look. I am much more of a sci-fi fan, but good humor works too. :)

Citygirl said...

I love sci-fi, too. I think Alphas had a really good first season. The second season started off kinda shaky, but they seem to be back on track with this week's episode.

Susan P. Cooper said...

I honestly have not heard or seen any of these shows. I think I would enjoy Veep. I will give a view and let you know what I think. Thanks for the reviews. :). Susan Cooper, LinkedIn/BHB

Citygirl said...

I think you might like Episodes, too, since it does involve the creative process to some extent.

Glad to pass along some new info. Hope you like Veep!

Charlotte Hill said...

Thanks for the tips on these shows. Make me wish I had HBO and Showtime! Our show of the moment is Breaking Bad. Last Sunday's episode had me on the edge of my seat.

Citygirl said...

I watched the first episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix Instant a few months back. I get why people like it, but it was just too desperate and tense for me to watch on a regular basis.

You should check out the first seasons on DVD. Episodes is already out, and the other two should be available by January when the new seasons start.

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