Television

Finished all of Taskmaster and could not recommend it highly enough. You gotta seek it out (but I can help with that), but it's so worth it. One of my favorite discoveries and now favorite shows period. Tried to find more British shows to dig into, so now I'm onto Hypothetical which is also great. It's got a similar spirit to Taskmaster, but not as great. Side note: James Acaster (a competitor on Taskmaster and host of Hypothetical) is fast becoming one of my favorite comedians. I'm reading one of his books now (all about the music of 2016), and I just went through his four sorta connected stand up specials on Netflix. Those are called Repertoire and I also recommend them, but it's not for everyone by any means. But having learned about his life in his book, and then what he's done comedically, I feel it's an incredible work...like genius-level stand up in what he does with the format.
 
Finished all of Taskmaster and could not recommend it highly enough. You gotta seek it out (but I can help with that), but it's so worth it. One of my favorite discoveries and now favorite shows period. Tried to find more British shows to dig into, so now I'm onto Hypothetical which is also great. It's got a similar spirit to Taskmaster, but not as great. Side note: James Acaster (a competitor on Taskmaster and host of Hypothetical) is fast becoming one of my favorite comedians. I'm reading one of his books now (all about the music of 2016), and I just went through his four sorta connected stand up specials on Netflix. Those are called Repertoire and I also recommend them, but it's not for everyone by any means. But having learned about his life in his book, and then what he's done comedically, I feel it's an incredible work...like genius-level stand up in what he does with the format.
Really loved those standup specials. Super impressive and unique. Had never heard of him before those started getting buzz.

Did not expect him to be featured on the last couple Quelle Chris albums, that was a funny surprise. I guess he is apparently quite a music head.
 
Finished all of Taskmaster and could not recommend it highly enough. You gotta seek it out (but I can help with that), but it's so worth it. One of my favorite discoveries and now favorite shows period. Tried to find more British shows to dig into, so now I'm onto Hypothetical which is also great. It's got a similar spirit to Taskmaster, but not as great. Side note: James Acaster (a competitor on Taskmaster and host of Hypothetical) is fast becoming one of my favorite comedians. I'm reading one of his books now (all about the music of 2016), and I just went through his four sorta connected stand up specials on Netflix. Those are called Repertoire and I also recommend them, but it's not for everyone by any means. But having learned about his life in his book, and then what he's done comedically, I feel it's an incredible work...like genius-level stand up in what he does with the format.
James Acaster is fantastic, I'm pretty sure I saw him live a few years back. There's a tiny venue in Central London where comedians practise material for their bigger live shows and I think I saw him there.
 
Really loved those standup specials. Super impressive and unique. Had never heard of him before those started getting buzz.

Did not expect him to be featured on the last couple Quelle Chris albums, that was a funny surprise. I guess he is apparently quite a music head.
Yeah the book I’m reading (Perfect Sound Whatever) is more about music than it is about being funny. Like you can feel his passion for just being a music fan. It’s like a bunch of small snippets about 2016 albums interspersed with him connecting it to a rough year in his personal life.
 
Are we having fun yet?!

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Speaking of James Acaster…he’s got a new special out and it’s incredibly good. Also it’s two hours long (and you can buy an additional separate show with it). Huge recommend.

 
Watched WandaVision this week and I loved it. It was fun and refreshing. The cast was great and that Hahn is a riot. I don’t read all the comics so I’m sure liberties were taken and that’s fine, but this has definitely propelled me into watching the MCU movies in order. Believe it or not, there are a handful of movies I haven’t seen. I just wanted to add how much I appreciate the depth of Marvel’s female characters. It’s something that should be addressed more in the cinematic world.

After all of that my wife and I started Cobra Kai.....hilarious. 😁
 
After WandaVision, we stumbled around our YouTube app on Apple TV and saw a full episode of the new MTV Real World Homecoming. 28 years later, they got all of the cast back together from the first show in 1992 in the same loft in New York. That show was such a trendsetter, both good and bad for everything that followed with reality TV. I was 15 at the time it came out and watched every episode.

They filmed this new one in January of this year over a week. It's a nice mix of present day reality with trips down nostalgia lane to the 1992 show. I will say the one cast member who really is owed a huge apology is Kevin. He was saving everything back then that we're all saying post-George Floyd. He got the terrible rap of being the "angry black guy" back then. It will be interesting to watch the discussions they have especially on race as I'm sure there's still some raw feelings that never got resolved, especially between Kevin, Julie, and Becky. The rest of the episodes will air on Paramount+.
 
Finally got into Schitts Creek. I believe I mentioned pages back - when they were gobbling up awards for the final season and people were going on about it here - that I had watched the first 2-3 episodes but it didn't really grab my interest.

I knew - given all the praise here and, specifically to me, from @MsLoganHenney - that I'd eventually revisit it. It just wasn't on the top of my list. I feel like, for me, it became like the most recent version of A Star is Born. I knew I'd eventually watch it but put if off for a while 'cause I figured it would be a fine watch, but I wasn't necessarily champing at the bit. It became a "when I didn't have anything else to watch" movie. And...boy was I wrong 'cause it was a great movie. So much like that, Schitt's Creek has held that place for me - when I didn't have anything else I really wanted to watch. When Schitt's Creek should have been something I really wanted to watch all along.

I rewatched through the few episodes I'd seen and about 2/3 through the first season I knew I was hooked. I'm now mid-way through S03.

What a great set of characters. I like the way they're developing them all - the tightening relationship (albeit at a somewhat glacial pace, but it fits the Roses' whole attitude) between the family members (especially the parents to the children and Alexis and David to one another - I just finished the episode where David takes his driver's test and he and Alexis have a moment on the way home and it was sweet).

I am just on edge wanting to see how the relationships between David and Stevie and Alexis and Mutt develop. Now, I have little doubt they will revisit a relationship between Alexis and Mutt (don't correct me if I'm wrong); but David and Stevie I'm not so sure. I could see that relationship having a pin put in it as a strict friendship. Speaking of Stevie, I like how she is kind of becoming a kind of surrogate Rose - Johnny just took over her books after she inherited the motel and I appreciated the crying embrace she gave him (even if it was prompted by a moment's relief of desperation he brought).

The ending of S02 was so beautiful - gave me a warm feeling. It's the Roses' anniversary and they go to the restaurant and run into their old friends. The tongue-lashing that Johnny gives to them and in defense - replete with some Rose-esque backhandedness - of Roland and Joceyln was a lovely moment. And the shot of them all dancing at Mutt's barn party at the end, both as a family and becoming - to varying individual degrees - more integrated into Schitt's Creek capped off the episode and season very well.

Finally, all of the characters and their respective characters are wonderful. But, hot damn Daniel Levy and Catherine O' Hara! Levy is wonderful in his facial expressions and conveyance of (mostly) disgust with them.

But O' Hara's Moira is in a league of its own on that show - and that's saying something because, again, it's a great ensemble cast (both main and supporting). I've, of course, seen O' Hara in many things throughout the years. But, I was saying to the wife that no matter what I saw her in I think there was always the "Oh, Home Alone mom" in the back of my mind; mainly because of the age I was when it came out (we had it on VHS so it's greatly tied into the childhood nostalgia factory). But I think her portrayal of Moira Rose may be the best role I've ever seen her in. I'm not going to say anything new about what makes her so great in it that hasn't already been said by the numerous accolades of critics, but....

The affectation of her voice (the way she pronounces words get me all the time), her almost signature way of dressing, etc....so wonderful. I've read a couple things online about the character and it seems most of these things that make the character so great were not written by the show writers but were choices made and brought by O'Hara herself. Total respect!

Any way, I'm glad I couldn't think of what else to watch 'cause it is a total gem of a show.
You're welcome! Glad you finally listened to me and gave it another chance! Netflix also has a BTS special about it that was really good to see how everything came to be from trying to develop the show, having it picked up, and further produced. Worth the watch too IMO. I like that the show has rewatchability (not sure if a real word). 👍 Either way, welcome to the fan club!
 
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