That 70s Show

This is a shorter blog entry. I loved this show in college when I understood a bit more of what was going on in the show (and gave it more of a chance than I did when it originally aired on Fox). I generally have grown to dislike shows that use laugh tracks and all and this show is really cliche, so I shouldn't like it...but I do. I made a recent post on House and I could see where some could think Dr. House has become a cliche of himself over the seasons, but I still love it. Just like I still love That 70s Show.

That said, and I remember making this point to my girlfriend, Jenni, a few weeks back when I saw it, but why is this show on ABC Family? I don't watch ABC Family all that often so I guess I don't know the content of all the shows on the network, I am only watching it as I channel surfed and saw that this show was on. I just wonder who thought it was a great idea to put a show about pot smoking, rebelling teenagers on a show with 'family' in its title.

In the meantime, I'll enjoy it, I just wonder if there has been an outrage brigade from overly protective parents out there.

Animation Domination

That's the name of the Sunday night lineup on Fox, has been for a few years, not sure when it really started. The Simpsons of course has now been running for something like 30 years and while it's heyday is behind it, still is good enough to watch. Family Guy, people either love it or hate it and while its peak was shorter than The Simpsons, it's still a show that I find interesting and will continue to watch.

Futurama used to be on Fox and they really need to look into bringing that back for a 3rd AD show. I believe that American Dad is now done for as Bob's Burgers debuted tonight.

The death of American Dad is a welcomed decision. It definitely made sense to give Seth Macfarlane a shot at another show with the cult success of Family Guy on Adult Swim, leading to a delayed outbreak for what is now network tv's second most popular cartoon. That said, American Dad was just not funny. It was too similar to Family Guy in setup. Dad in power role of the show, him being out of touch with reality the driving force of the comedy. There's a wife who doesn't add much to the show, two kids, again with the daughter being older and then Stewie is replaced by a less funny goldfish and Brian with a very annoying alien, Roger. After the first episode, I wasn't sure, but figured I'd watch a few. But my opinion never changed. It just wasn't funny and Roger annoyed the piss out of me. I'm sad to see AD now on Adult Swim.

Also now on Adult Swim is former Fox show King of the Hill. I loved the idea of the show, thought it had potential, but never felt it really lived up to what it could have been. Mike Judge did the best he could with the way MTV screwed his career. Judge's Beavis and Butthead was a popular MTV cartoon in the 90s, but MTV took ownership of the show and shut it down, not allowing Judge to take it anywhere else to profit. While this was another hit or miss show, it was Judge's creation and shame on MTV for not allowing him to take it elsewhere considering all MTV did was shove it into a storage room to collect dust. I think I've seen some episodes on a cable channel over the past year or two, and it wasn't MTV, so maybe now they're letting it out a bit, but there will never be new episodes. That tangent about B&B came of course because Hank and Peggy Hill from King of the Hill were younger versions of B&B's overly annoyed at the stupid teenage Beavis and Butthead. That had potential for more, it just didn't connect.

The Cleveland Show is just awful. Take it off tv now. At the time it was announced, people said really...the most boring Family Guy character gets a spinoff? I get that it was a bold move and a creative idea to go against the show's more popular characters, but man, is that show just painful to watch. It's less fun than American Dad and on equal ground with King of the Hill. I would much rather see a spinoff of Joe's police career before moving to Quahog as a spinoff. Quagmire would be interesting, but I think it'd be the same thing over and over again. I'd watch it for a while, but I think it would have less potential than a Joe spinoff.

That brings me to tonight's new show, Bob's Burgers. Yawn. I'll tune in another time or two to see if they attempt to change the humor around at all, but color me not impressed with the pilot. The kids are very annoying, the wife is dull, and Bob is...eh, that's why I'll watch a few more before deciding. If my prediction is correct, Fox has another dud animation comedy on their Sunday night lineup. What are they going to do when it's finally time to put down The Simpsons and Family Guy?

As I said above, bring back Futurama. It had a short run on Fox and is a great show. I love it more than Family Guy.

There really aren't any other animation shows out there that would find success if Fox picked them up. A few people I know love Aqua Teen Hunger Force, but I'm not one of them. Just can't get into it. The Oblongs was interesting for an episode or two, but I got tired of it. I really liked Home Movies, but I could see how that show could get stale fairly quickly and it wouldn't transition well to a nationwide audience. God, the Devil, and Bob was a fun show, but was only around for a season, I believe. I think it could transition to mainstream if given a chance, however.

Bring back Clerks? I'd be behind that idea, especially with the movies seeing commercial success.

My only other suggestions would be to make a cartoon spinoff of Trailer Park Boys, one of the best shows few people have ever heard of. I'm not sure if you could bring back the real cast for a mainstream show, it's more suited for a cable network with its content, but I just felt like plugging it anyway.

Anyway, that's my thought of the day after watching some Sunday night cartoons.

House

It's funny how happy I get when I am browsing through the guide and see a House marathon is on tv. Oh, thank you Bravo!

It's strange how much I have become obsessed with this show. Each episode is nearly identical in structure. Opening shot of patient having problem. House and team bounce ideas around, come up with diagnosis. Strange problem pops up making case befuddling. Team runs around, test after test, lots of medical jargon that I'll never understand but man they sound smart! House makes quips about Cuddy's female features, generally acts like an ass to most people while his sarcastic personality leads to FTW jokes throughout the episode.

The only difference is of course there is an evolving storyline with the characters. Over the years, it was House begins working with team. House's addiction to vicodin. House and Cuddy's love/hate relationship. After Season 3, they bring in a new cast, including Olivia Wilde as 13 in one of the greatest ideas the show has ever had. ;) Sadly, she begins to become famous and leaves the show to pursue a movie career. Taub's personal life, Cameron/Chase, Foreman/13, Cuddy and motherhood...all side stories.

SPOILER ALERT FOR SEASON 7 (or is it 8...whatever the end of the last season into the current season is)!!!!!

Every show gets to the point where it has 'jumped the shark,' of course the phrase made famous when the Fonz literally jumped a shark, showing the end of Happy Days was upon us. I feel that House is at that point, as much as I love the show now. I think when House and Cuddy finally start doing it, it ends the biggest 'will it ever happen' questions on the show. From here, it's riding out that story to a desirable end so the show can also end. I definitely do not want the show to end, I'd probably watch it until Hugh Laurie dies of natural causes if he wanted to keep up with the show.

I wonder how much longer this show will continue. I think that it could move on to another season without much problem, but from there...it will be hard to justify the plot lines they will surely have to come up with. House is still one of the highest rated shows of its kind on TV, Laurie is still nominated every year for lead role in a drama series, so there is an appeal to keep it around as long as Laurie wants to do it. I don't really remember Laurie in anything before House and it will be hard to picture him in any other role from here on, but I know that time will come.

I am of course typing all this up as I sit here on a Saturday night watching the last few episodes of the House marathon on Bravo. In visiting my parents, a House marathon really helps pass the time late at night.

Off the top of my head, 5 of my favorite shows:

1) Three Stories: Cuddy makes House fill in and give a lecture to a group of med students. His lecture is three diagnostic stories that develop over the course of the show. In the end, we find out that one of those cases was House himself and what led to his dead leg. I love this episode, the next to last of Season 1.

2) Unplanned Parenthood: This is my favorite episode of the newest season where House is forced to babysit Cuddy's child and Wilson gets dragged along.

3) The season 4 Finale, which is really the last two episodes combined, House's Head and Wilson's Heart. This is the end of the season where House picks his new team, which was a lot of fun in itself. In these episodes, House awakens in a blur and knows that he is supposed to save someone's life that was on the same bus that he was on when it crashed. He pushes his body to the limits in trying to remember. The ending turns tragic for a few of the cast members.

4) Both Sides Now: Season 5 finale where House finally breaks down due to his vicodin addiction.

5) Frozen: I believe this is the highest rated episode of House, fwiw, but this is the episode where a woman in Antartica falls ill and House and team must treat her through a web cam.

There are probably a few episodes that rank really highly up there, even higher than some of these, but these are the ones I can remember off the top of my head by the episode name. In any case, if you're reading this, you got to read what entertained me for the past half hour during the commercial breaks of House. Thanks!