Abbott Elementary – season 2

On November 19, 2023November 19, 2023 By Rick McIn economics, education, GOP USA, government, humour, TVLeave a comment

Season 2 is still charming.

Abbott Elementary stars 4 ft 11 inch (149.9 cm) Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues, a perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a predominantly Black school in Philadelphia.

William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson, the school’s eccentric, overqualified and talented, custodian is my favourite character.

It’s an insight into the American public school system. ReTrumplicans insist on reducing funding for public education, while subsidizing rich kids in private schools.

The GOP later complains about crime when these same underfunded kids can’t make it in a nation with poor health care and a $7.25 / hour minimum wage.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

For kids, this is a silly show making fun of teachers.

For adults, there are many funny little details. This typical school group photo, for example. 😀

Murders in the Building – season 3

On November 11, 2023November 6, 2023 By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

The charm of this unlikely threesome has worn off.

This is the weakest season, so far. They are trying too hard. And it’s a bit painful to watch.

One tell is the increase in profanity. When the script isn’t all that compelling — writers add some swearing to shock the audience. Jon Stewart and John Oliver are guilty of this, as well.

BUT at least the cast is still having fun.

Martin Short and Steve Martin are best of friends in real life. I’m sure they consider this venture a bit of a party. Inviting their friends as celebrity cameos.

It IS worth watching season 3 for Meryl Streep.

AND there are some good 1-liners each episode.

Selena Gomez as snarky Mabel increasingly steals the show. You actually worry about her getting her life together. Yes, the same young woman who’s the most followed on Instagram looks lost at times as she approaches age-30 in this show.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

It’s been renewed for season 4.

Something tells me that will be weaker yet. They probably should have retired after season 2.

Bad Sisters – season 1

On October 26, 2023October 20, 2023 By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

FUNNY. 😀

Irish humour is the BEST humour.

Good music.

Rotten Tomatoes 100% approval.

Bad Sisters … is an Irish black comedy television series …

The five Garvey sisters—Eva, Grace, Ursula, Bibi, and Becka—live in present-day Dublin.

After Grace’s abusive, controlling husband John Paul dies unexpectedly, the sisters find themselves at the centre of a life insurance investigation.

The series flips between timelines—one before John Paul’s death, in which Grace’s sisters plot to murder their brother-in-law, and another after his death, in which a determined insurance agent tries to prove the sisters’ malicious involvement …

A second season is in the works.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I had a DAY in Antwerp

On October 2, 2023 By Rick McIn humourLeave a comment

Still buzzing at the historic 4th place Olympic qualification performance of Team Canada at the World Gymnastics Championships, I climbed the fire escape stairs to the top of the arena in Antwerp.

Busted.

Security called me down. As well as a Ukrainian photographer.

Many are taking smoke breaks on those fire escape stairs.

Though unsigned, turns out you are not supposed to climb the stairs. Oops.

Don’t tell the Gymnastics Media Manager, whatever you do. 😀

I have 13 hour days at Worlds. Got back downtown late and grabbed a burger. Also WINE to celebrate Canada going to Paris with 2 full teams.

As my burger arrived, some Gymnastics people from Canada and Australia stopped by. I got chatting with them. Burger got cold.

On return to the hostel, I threw the bag into the microwave. It caught fire.

Turns out that paper bag had a metal liner. Oops.

The night manager put out the flames. Doused my burger.

I had pizza, instead.

I won’t forget that day any time soon.

pic.twitter.com/0IrLfRjqoX
— Rick McCharles (@McCharles) October 2, 2023

Real Tigers by Mick Herron

On September 16, 2023September 9, 2023 By Rick McIn books, government, humour, TVLeave a comment

Not at all my favourite of the Slough House books.

Still, the humour and banter of Jackson Lamb alone makes it worth reading.

Roderick Ho is entertaining, as well.

One of the regulars is kidnapped. And it all goes wrong after that. 😀

This is the Mick Herron’s third novel in the Slough House series. …

In addition to the inhabitants of Slough House, the main characters are Dame Ingrid Tearney, the head of the service, and Diana – ‘Lady Di’ – Taverner, who wants to be head of the service. The two women clearly loathe each other – a fact that Herron conveys superbly by having them behave towards each other with a studied politeness.

There is somebody else who wants to run the intelligence service – Peter Judd, the Home Secretary, within whose department the intelligence service is included. He wants to control it as part of his career plan to become Prime Minister. There is a deliberate similarity to the popular side of Boris Johnson in his portrayal. …
Kirkus

Deadloch – season 1

On August 12, 2023August 8, 2023 By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

Excellent TV comedy set in Tasmania.

A lot of profanity and crude references. Nudity in the first few minutes.

Smart, hilarious dialogue. Lots of Aussie slang.

All 4 key police officers are played by queer actors … BUT lesbians will probably be shocked anyway. As well as entertained.

Actually, this show could offend pretty much anyone. 😀

On the upside, all the murder victims are heterosexual, white men. It’s about time.

The surviving men march to reclaim the night. That’s good comedy.

It’s a small town. The remaining straight men finally charter a bus to flee to safety.

Deadlock is a comedy/parody that skewers police procedurals, forensic scientists, small town life, arts festivals, food culture, straight life, alternative life…the list goes on.

And with all that there is a pretty reasonable murder mystery. …
IMDb

I didn’t guess the killer.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The town choir was a highlight for me.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. In real life, they are the Melbourne Glee Club.

Click PLAY or watch an interview with showrunners Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan on YouTube.

If somehow a season 2 gets the green light, it will likely be set in Darwin.

The Other Two – season 1

On May 10, 2023May 4, 2023 By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

FUNNY

R-rated.

The Other Two … follows two floundering millennial siblings who must grapple with their 13-year-old brother’s overnight fame.

A gay aspiring actor, Cary (Drew Tarver), and his sister Brooke (Heléne Yorke), a former professional dancer …

Chase Dubek (a.k.a. ChaseDreams), a teen pop sensation who’s declared as the “Next Big White Kid” (Bieber) in music after his homemade music video, “I Wanna Marry U at Recess,” went viral on YouTube.

I was won over when the family rented Justin Theroux’s Fake Apartment in NYC.

Hilarious.

Here’s Justin’s boot closet. 😀

I understand he was OK with the joke.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Party Down – season 1

On March 19, 2023March 14, 2023 By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

Party Down season 1 is an American sitcom with Paul Rudd, Adam Scott, and Jane Lynch.

FUNNY adult humour.

… follows a group of caterers in Los Angeles as they hope to make it in Hollywood. …

Starz canceled Party Down on June 30, 2010. While the show was warmly received by critics, its Nielsen ratings were very low. …

Surprisingly, November 2021, a six-episode revival of the series was ordered by the network. The third season premiered on February 24, 2023.

My favourite character is Lizzy Caplan as Casey Klein.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Shrinking – season 1

On March 11, 2023March 9, 2023 By Rick McIn humour, TVLeave a comment

Funny dialogue.

These writers must have been having a great time.

I’d give him housing in my … V or A. 😀

A therapist, Jimmy Laird, dealing with severe grief, begins to breach ethical barriers by telling his patients what he completely thinks, resulting in massive changes to his and their lives. …

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B+ and described the series as “a funny, brainy grief-com about the power—and dangers—of radical honesty.” …

Writing for The Wall Street Journal, John Anderson stated, “The overall sense is a little like laughing at a funeral; the human impulses are familiar, a little perverse and somehow comforting.”
wikipedia

Harrison Ford? A comic? Who knew? 😀

I do find the show to be unnecessarily profane. In fact, I finally QUIT on episode 4. That much swearing in a TV show is simply lazy.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.