Seriously, the best show on TV begins it's second glorious season tonight on FOX, preceded by the Simpsons and followed by a bunch of other shows.
According to FOX, their rip-roaring Sunday night is thus:
7e/6c: King of the Hill [9th season] 7:30e/6:30c: Malcolm in the Middle [6th season] 8e/7c: The Simpsons [16th season] 8:30e/7:30c: Arrested Development [2nd season] 9e/8c: My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss [Reality TV Crap]
You guys have not made a huge mistake. The more you watch, the more everything piles up on top of itself and calls back and you just can't contain your glee. My oh my.
I was hyped for this season debut, and I was definitely satisfied. Unfortunately, I bought the season one DVD on Friday and blew through it this weekend. I think I burned myself out on Arrested Development hilarity and wasn't able to enjoy this episode as much.
What struck me, though, is the tremendous internal consistency the writers have, especially when they go for jokes that reward the careful viewer. There were several instances in this episode where little lines that would be funny on their own were much funnier for me (having just watched the whole first season) because they were verbatim repeats of lines from previous episodes. What works even better is when the lines are repeated by a different character and without any trace of irony or recognition.
That said, I want to hear Shapiro's response to this episode, since he's the resident AD expert. Where's this sucker rank?
And, on another note: am I the only one who thinks that GOB might well be the greatest character on television? I know, I know: Homer Simpson is still atop the pantheon. But GOB is fast becoming just the most innately funny character on TV. His idiot intensity is unrivalled. I keep thinking of his monologue from the season one finale, where he talks about "old GOB" having to crawl on top of some woman and "f**k" to save the family. That, and the scene in an earlier episode where he's telling Michael that he also slept with the ethics teacher, Mrs. ____. Michael then says, "No, Mrs. ____ was the CIVICS teacher. We both had her." GOB, with his unparalleled madness says, "Oh, yes, we both had her." Just genius.
Final oddness: was watching the finale of season one last night, and the wife pointed out the doctors/nurses/patients dry-erase log board in the background in one of the hospital scenes. The nurse scheduled for that shift? "Ratchet." Nice.
And because I was at work, I set my trusty VCR to tape it. Only my no-good brother was in my room and interrupted the VCR taping timer, so no Simpsons or AD for me.
Heinous. suprnova.org has your hookup. Eeeeeventually.
Jeb: I'm abuzz with Arrested joy at the moment, but it's late and I need a day to process it all. Precious, precious continuity. I'm plenty excited at all the stuff they set up for the new season. I shall write up a more detailed post tomorrah but for now suffice to say ~~~~~~. It looks like he's dead.
I was going to make a thread on this but I'll can post it here since this thread is talking about Fox's Sunday lineup.
Why the hell does Fox act surprise when their 4PM game goes past 7. When WAS the last time the late afternoon game ended before 7PM... It throws their entire schedule off. Just start your first Sunday show at 7:30 as the football game usually finishes between 7-7:30.
smark/net attack wienerville advisory holds at ORANGE alert - High (JBL is STILL WWE champion and now smarks arch enemy HHH is the World Champion. Major red threat, but the undercard seems okay. The alert holds... for now)- 9/19
Originally posted by Net Hack SlasherI was going to make a thread on this but I'll can post it here since this thread is talking about Fox's Sunday lineup.
Why the hell does Fox act surprise when their 4PM game goes past 7. When WAS the last time the late afternoon game ended before 7PM... It throws their entire schedule off. Just start your first Sunday show at 7:30 as the football game usually finishes between 7-7:30.
I'll give the explanation on this one: This past Sunday was not a doubleheader day for FOX, as it was CBS that had doubleheader action. Thus, those who received Pittsburgh/Philadelphia at 1 PM did not receive a 4 PM game on FOX, and thus at 7 PM FOX went to their regularly scheduled line-up at the normal time. For those receiving the 4 PM game though, they have the programming will be joined in progress, since FOX's 7 PM show isn't like CBS's 'We Will Go To 60 Minutes 90 minutes late if necessary and push late local news to 4 A.M.' philosophy. Good episode of A.D. this week, decent episode of the Simpsons.
The Ottoman Empire is coming. The Ottoman Empire is coming. Hide the couches.
A Punisher-loving buddy of mine who I've been trying to get to watch AD finally tuned in tonight, and then got all excited since Tom Jane did that utterly random cameo. A new AD fan is born, though from an odd beginning.
* The Seaward/C-Word joke * All of Tobais' camouflaged spyjobs * "I just want my kids back"
Plot Threads Continuing: -The Many Loves of Lucille Bluth -Tobias & Lindsay Have An Interesting Marriage. -Michael Trying To Bail Out the Family. -The Continuing Legal Problems of George Bluth Sr. -G.O.B.'s Quest for Respect -Buster, In The Army Now
And they all dovetail quite nicely into each other. Ah, good writing makes me happy.
A staggering continuity explosion of references to previous episodes.
"Ah, good writing makes me happy."
Seaward/c-word and the rock-scissors conflict culminating in "Unfortunately, the whole incident was covered by the paper" were two of the deftest jokes I've ever had the privilege of being told.
I love the fact that George Sr. was unable to call off the Mexican cops because he didn't know the Spanish word for "brother". Brothero!
"Four more years of American soldiers being used as cannon fodder. Four more years of scientific decisions being made by people who believe in a ghost in the clouds. Four more years of debt that our children and grandchildren will have to pay off. Four more years of racists and lunatics for judicial appointments. Four more years of looting the treasury and squandering it on corporate cronies. Four more years of making enemies faster than we can kill them. Four more years of fear and darkness and racism and hatred and stupidity and guns and bad country music.
I look at the big map and all of the red in flyover country and I feel like I've been locked in a room with the slow learners. We have become the country that pulls a dry cleaning bag over its head to play astronaut." -----TBogg
They did a Mexican-word-for-"brother" gag? Oh man I love this show so so much. I picked up the first season on import for a ridiculously low price, and it's just the funniest and best-executed comedy show in like a decade. Plus as Justin said it's superbly structured and thought-out, and incredibly rewarding towards regular/careful watchers. I cannot wait for the second season to get over here.
Once upon a time in China, some believe, around the year one double-ought three, head priest of the White Lotus Clan, Pai Mei was walking down the road, contemplating whatever it is that a man of Pai Mei's infinite power contemplates - which is another way of saying "who knows" - when a Shaolin monk appeared, traveling in the opposite direction. As the monk and the priest crossed paths, Pai Mei, in a practically unfathomable display of generosity, gave the monk the slightest of nods. The nod was not returned. Now was it the intention of the Shaolin monk to insult Pai Mei or did he just fail to see the generous social gesture? The motives of the monk remain unknown. What is known, are the consequences. The next morning Pai Mei appeared at the Shaolin Temple and demanded of the Temple's head abbot that he offer Pai Mei his neck to repay the insult. The Abbot at first tried to console Pai Mei, only to find Pai Mei was inconsolable. So began the massacre of the Shaolin Temple and all 60 of the monks inside at the fists of the White Lotus. And so began the legend of Pai Mei's five point palm exploding heart technique.
And I thought I caught a Mickey Mantle reference at tthe top of the show. Of course Tom Jane played Mickey Mantle in "61*". This show is just fucking great.
I seriously haven't had appointment television on a network since "Sports Night". And this is better.
I have seen the future of stand up and he is bike cheese.
Originally posted by Freeway9e/8c: My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss [Reality TV Crap]
I don't want to knock this off topic but since everyone posting is watching Fox when it comes on anyhow, you really are doing yourself a disservice IMHO if you flip away from Obnoxious Boss. I don't think I've enjoyed a show this much since Oz left tv, and they're about equal in their sense of misanthropy. I know in the end it will have a twist to make things not quite so cruel, but watching the guy who plays the boss do his thing is just absolutely hilarious. Don't flip after AD, really honestly and truly don't! :)
Originally posted by DJ RanAnd I thought I caught a Mickey Mantle reference at tthe top of the show. Of course Tom Jane played Mickey Mantle in "61*".
If Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" had been playing in the background to trumpet his appearance, it would have been the greatest episode ever. :)
I thought the Mickey Mantle reference was on the terribly sub-par episode of the Simpsons, when Marge tells Lisa she can have Mickey Mantle as a rolemodel instead of her.
Originally posted by JustinShapiroA staggering continuity explosion of references to previous episodes.
"Ah, good writing makes me happy."
Seaward/c-word and the rock-scissors conflict culminating in "Unfortunately, the whole incident was covered by the paper" were two of the deftest jokes I've ever had the privilege of being told.
I'm all about the physical comedy, myself, and I loved the return of Dr. Tobias Funke, Master of Stealth -- and Buster doing the Buster Keaton homage.
Originally posted by Freeway420,I thought the Mickey Mantle reference was on the terribly sub-par episode of the Simpsons, when Marge tells Lisa she can have Mickey Mantle as a rolemodel instead of her.
That was it. That's what I get for being half asleep through a forgettable "Simpsons", Watching "AD" with rapt attention and then falling asleep.
Edit: Clean it up, jackass
(edited by DJ Ran on 15.11.04 1828) I have seen the future of stand up and he is bike cheese.
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