TV Recaps Reviews

Liz has had it with New York, she has a horrible cold and is slow to act when she needs to get out of the subway. People pile in, keeping her from getting out at her stop. Liz decides everyone in New York is rude and ill-mannered and don’t follow the rules anymore. Liz decides she’s going over to the dark side and give out what she gets from her fellow New Yorkers. Liz is tasked with playing Jenna’s old self in a TGS spot and decides to use the old lady outfit to her advantage. Liz sets out to freak out other subway passengers and discovers she gets a seat with no one near her by acting crazy.

Jack and Liz talk on the phone walking to work, Liz because she got off on the wrong stop and Jack because the Joint Pain Walkathon participants are slowing him down. As Jack walks down a dark alley towards 30 Rock he is mugged by a middle-aged white guy with a knife purchased from Eddie Bauer. Jack’s fear leads him to live in his office instead of getting back out on the streets and to run for Mayor of New York so he can fix the city’s problems. Jack hires private detective Len Wazniak (Guest star Steve Buscemi) to find out who his mugger is. Tracy can’t take it and tells Jack he’s been mugged many times since he was a kid, the only way to face your fear is to get back out there.

[READ MORE]

Continue Reading

In LIFEʼS TOO SHORT, actor Warwick Davis is struggling to jumpstart his fading career and maintain his status as Britainʼs “go-to” little person. He runs a talent agency for fellow showbiz little people called “Dwarves for Hire,” though he often takes the best roles for himself, and serves as vice chairman of a society for small people, though heʼd rather be chairman. Davis also seeks advice from his old pals Gervais and Merchant (playing versions of themselves) in hopes that their A-list celebrity connections will aid his career.  Each episode features cameos by top stars, including Johnny Depp, Liam Neeson, Sting, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Carell and Kat Deeley.

LIFE’S TOO SHORT is a faux documentary starring Warwick Davis (“Willow,” the “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars” films) as a fictionalized version of himself: a little person whoʼs down on his luck, desperately trying to hustle and connive his way back into the spotlight. LIFE’S TOO SHORT, from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, will be premiering Sunday, February 19th at 10:30 p.m. on HBO following the third-season debut of EASTBOUND & DOWN.

Catch a preview of LIFE’S TOO SHORT below.

Continue Reading

In this hour long episode celebrating what you love to hate about Valentine’s Day, Liz is blowing off her least favorite holiday while Criss wants to provide her with the most romantic Valentine’s Day ever. Criss strums his guitar, waking Liz up with a song he wrote for her while Liz reacts badly with her typical pessimistic nature. Criss plans a dinner for two in their apartment but Liz squashes Criss’s dreams by mentioning she has no dining room table. Liz makes the difficult decision all couples make that they will venture into IKEA to find the perfect table.

Jack is feeling the effects of no sex and is desperate to have Avery returned from North Korea. Jack meets with Avery’s mother Diana (guest star Mary Steenburgen) to make a plan of attack to get Avery back by visiting the United Nations. Jack has visited the United Nations time after time to get Avery freed while her mother chides Jack about his abilities to convince people to get the job done. Jack thinks Avery’s mother is too wrapped up in society and fluff.

Jenna and Pete are in preparations for Jenna’s first live performance on America’s Kidz Got Singing. Everyone hates Jenna’s bad judge persona and wants her to go down in flames on the show. Jenna never has a problem performing but she’s finding her voice sounds terrible when she sings. Pete thinks Jenna is secretly afraid and Jenna promises if she does badly to take Pete down with her.

[READ MORE]

Continue Reading

Liz arrives at TGS to a big package that has been sent to her. Excited she opens it to find her previous agent Simon, who was banned from TGS, had himself delivered to the TGS offices to show Liz he’s received her new contract. Liz wants to throw Simon out but is outraged by the same deal Jack gave her six years ago. Liz confronts Jack, who refuses to give Liz a raise or meet her other contract demands.

Kenneth comes back from his one day away from work when the Pages were fired and finds that no one at TGS realized he was gone. Kenneth feels hurt and unappreciated and decides to switch places with another Page, Hazel Wassername (Guest star Kristen Schaal), so the writers and staff of TGS will miss him.

Tracy talks Jenna into a lucrative appearance for their shared accountant, Marty Goldstein, who wants them to entertain at his son Adam’s bar mitzvah. Tracy and Jenna arrive to find that Marty’s son was being sarcastic when he said he wanted TGS stars to entertain at his party, and demands they play transformers instead. Tracy and Jenna piece together cardboard robots and perform so badly Adam and the crowd throw food at them.

[READ MORE]

Continue Reading

In the second episode of 30 Rock the same night Jenna pulls rank on Liz, going behind her back to Jack so her new movie Martin Luther King Day (a parody of the fluffy romantic holiday movies stuffed with movie stars) gets some promo time on TGS. Liz confronts Jack only to find he has to bend to Jenna’s will because she’s become a famous B actress since becoming a judge on America’s Kidz Got Singing! Jack suggests Liz use her friendship with her best friend to talk her out of the promo.

Jack decides he needs to cut costs and informs Kenneth and the Pages that he is ending the Page program and replacing them with robots. Jack shows the Pages the new robot that will replace them and they are horrified. Kenneth is devastated by the news the Pages are being eliminated and tries to encourage Jack to change his mind by singing a few of his old folk tunes. In the meantime Jack and the rest of the Pages ignore him and argue amongst themselves.

Liz meets up with Jenna and they agree to go to Outback Steakhouse for a girls night out together. Liz and Jenna polish off another blooming onion and decide its time to leave the restaurant but Jenna is being hounded by the papparazzi and PETA. Jenna convinces Liz it would be fun if Liz was able to act famous by dressing in Jenna’s trenchcoat and sunglasses as they leave the restaurant. Liz strolls out of the restaurant to an onslaught of papparazzi taking photos. PETA protestors think she is Jenna and throw a bucket of red paint on Liz, who realizes Jenna set her up to get Liz clobbered with paint while Jenna gets to leave unscathed but well photographed. Liz has had it with Jenna’s selfishness and Jenna blames Liz for being upset with her over her success. Liz and Jenna proclaim they will each find a new best friend instead of being friends with each other.

[READ MORE]

Continue Reading

In part two of the idiots movement episodes on 30 Rock, Jack still disapproves of Liz’s new boyfriend Criss, making Liz miserable. Jack meets up with his old rival Devon who threatens Jack with massive problems from the Gay community because of Tracy’s dumb homophobic remarks. Jack is surprised when Devon tells him he can’t beat Jack in business but he knows Jack can do him a favor by getting his triplets into an exclusive daycare. Jack agrees to get Devon’s children into the daycare to protect the network.

Tracy continues to protest with the idiot movement outside of 30 Rock. Tracy tells Liz she must apologize publically for her negative opinion on the idiot movement and must read a statement the movement wrote for her. Liz ignores Tracy and instead focuses on her relationship with Criss. Liz discovers Criss was invited by Jack to show up at TGS just to torment her. Liz begins to believe Jack’s negative remarks about Criss and against her better judgement breaks up with him.

[READ MORE]

Continue Reading

Liz walks to 30 Rock and finds that TGS is being picketed by the Gay community. Tracy finds himself in deep trouble after a homophobic rant (a scripted comment on the real life Tracy Morgan incident) and Liz has to fix things like usual. Tracy decides to hold a protest of idiots like himself in front of 30 Rock to get back at the original protesters and draws a large crowd, including celebrity Denise Richards, to support his protest. Jack tells Liz he’s “in her head” when it comes to what he thinks is a bad choice in boyfriends. Jack considers Criss yet another loser that Liz always seems to attract to her. Liz tells Jack he won’t be meeting her new live-in boyfriend Criss, knowing Jack will do everything he can to ruin her relationship. Jack derides Liz over the fact that Criss is jobless and trying to get funding for his new business, an Organic Hot Dog stand.

Jenna is desperate for the fluorescent lights to be changed in her dressing room, she has to have perfect pink lighting so anyone who takes photos of her gets her at her best. The Gay TGS janitor is protesting against Tracy so Jenna convinces Kenneth to help her sneak into the janitor’s closet and get the pink fluorescent lights to replace the burnt out lights in her dressing room. Kenneth picks up a box of light bulbs and the bottom falls open, breaking the bulbs on the floor. Kenneth starts to freak since he knows fluorescent bulbs have mercury in them. Jenna is mostly concerned about cleaning up the mess and not getting caught.

[READ MORE]

Continue Reading

In 30 Rock’s Season 6 episode Liz is walking, no practically dancing her way to 30 Rock and meets up with Jack. He can’t get over how cheery Liz is acting, not herself at all. Jack goes on about how predictable Lemon’s Christmas holiday must have been. Liz keeps smiling and Jack admits he is confused by her uncharacteristic perkiness.

At TGS Liz runs into Kenneth who tells Liz and Pete he is prepared for the Rapture that is happening the next day. Kenneth is ready to give away his earthly goods and shows Pete his bucket list to complete. Pete looks at the bucket list and derides Kenneth on his need to finish odd-jobs at TGS instead of doing something he’s never done, like going to the ocean.

Liz meets up with Tracy in the hallway. Tracy is ready to ruin TGS because he is very jealous of Jenna, who has a prime judge job on the new hit America’s Kidz Got Singing! Tracy threatens Liz who tells him to go ahead with his plans, she’s staying out of the drama. Tracy doesn’t know how to take this happy-go-lucky version of Liz.

[READ MORE]

Continue Reading

Danny McBride stars as Kenny Powers, whose career in the major leagues goes south, forcing him to return to North Carolina to work as a gym teacher. Eastbound & Down is produced by Funny or Die creators Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. The third season of Eastbound & Down premieres on HBO Sunday, February 19th at 10:00 p.m.

Catch a preview of Eastbound & Down Season 3 below.

Continue Reading

Chicago is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the American Midwest (sorry, Indianapolis). Its light shines far and wide and permeates the fabric of our culture, inspiring creative thought, political action, and sweet TV shows.

Yes, the city has produced some of the world’s most significant television shows, which have in turn created some of our culture’s most beloved characters. Here’s a quick rundown of some of my favorites, both new and old.

Good Times

This classic ’70s sitcom brought the lives of the working class Black family into homes around the nation. Very few television shows connected with such a diffuse audience the way that “Good Times” did with its blend of gritty urban drama, heartwarming family dynamic and slapstick comedy. Though the slapstick would ultimately supplant the more serious themes and become the downfall of the series, the show ran for five and a half years and addressed issues facing contemporary urban America such as poverty, underage sex, activism and racism; the show’s title is brilliantly tongue in cheek, and offered the view that despite being surrounded by crime and poverty, the working class family would stick together to find the pleasure in their toil, which was a message many needed at the time.

The show also launched the career of Janet Jackson, which automatically qualifies it for a win in my book.

Cultural Cache: “Dy-no-mite!”

Kenan & Kel

Older audiences may not agree with (or care about) this choice, but that’s why I’m writing and they’re reading. For many late-80s babies, Kenan (Thompson) & Kel (Mitchell) were the first comedic duo that meant anything to them. Their show, appropriately titled “Kenan & Kel”, was a spin-off of the popular (and first) kids sketch show “All That” on Nickelodeon. Their misadventures through the sordid world of adolescence took place in their Chicago neighborhood (where Kel grew up) and resonated with kids in the city and nationwide. The duo would continue in comedy, Kel performing standup and touring, and Kenan landing a spot on the cast of Saturday Night Live.

Cultural Cache: “Who loves orange soda? Kel loves orange soda!”

[READ MORE]

Continue Reading