abc Archives - Page 12 of 20

Tag Archives: abc

TV Review: The Muppets S1E4 Pig Out

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Brett

muppets-tv-show-poster The gang has an epic night out when they run into Ed Helms at Rowlf’s Tavern and they all perform their favorite karaoke jams, but Kermit is not pleased when no one shows up to work the next day. Meanwhile, Fozzie has an unfortunate accident during the show.

The Muppets drinking and doing karaoke? Yes please! The team heads out with Piggy which just rolls into funnier and funnier moments.

The reason I love this series is also why so many dislike it. The Muppets puts these beloved characters into situations are beyond inappropriate and just destroys their wholesome character (which isn’t super wholesome when you really dive into it).

The 10 minutes or so of the karaoke/bar scene to the next day hangover is brilliant on so many levels, and just gets funnier as it all piles up.

Out of the episodes so far, this one had me laughing the most. The holy shit moments were many, and the comedy part of the series really stood out. Easily the best episode so far.

Overall Rating: 9.25

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S3E3 A Wanted (Inhu)Man

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Brett

Mack, Daisy, and Coulson race against time to keep Lincoln safe; Hunter will do whatever it takes to get revenge.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. third episode is an interesting one. You might as well call it The Fugitive done Marvel style with the new anti-Inhuman agency on a mission to bring Lincoln in who’s on the run as his picture is posted across the news in relation to the attack of the hospital.

The debate is what should be done with Lincoln, who should capture him, and why. This creates a clash of agencies, with one whose job it is to show results and that means taking in an Inhuman, any Inhuman. This creates deals and new deals and double crosses, that all seems to be a bit dramatic.

Really, the best part of the episode is their dealing with Simmons and what she went through on the alien planet. Her reaction is the most down to earth thing out there.

The end of the episode is an interesting one that creates a status-quo and new direction in many ways. And maybe we’ll finally get to those Secret Warriors because of it….

Not the best episode, but one that moves along the plot nicely.

Overall Score: 7

TV Review: The Muppets S1E3 Bear Left Then Bear Write

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Brett

muppets-tv-show-poster Bear Left then Bear Write” – Fozzie takes things a little too far when Kermit offers him advice and Nick Offerman steps in to help the gang. Meanwhile, Christina Applegate guests on “Up Late,” and brings Miss Piggy a sweet surprise that doesn’t go over well and Pepe, Rizzo and Liam Hemsworth try to help Gonzo out with his online dating situation.

So many different storylines mixed together in this episode that blends the world of regular human beings. Nick Offerman is on the staff. Liam Hemsworth helps Gonzo with some dating. It’s all over the top and hilarious as the two actors spoof themselves.

The thing that really had me rolling though was Chip the I.T. guy, who’s so creepy, like many (though not all) of the folks in that position are. That’s mixed together with the fact that no one has a clue who the character is.

The Muppets isn’t the Muppets of the past. It’s paving a new direction mixing in the craziness of the past with some solid observations. It also consistently has “holy shit I can’t believe they said that” moments that get me to actually laugh out loud. It’s one of the few shows on television that’s been consistently doing this.

Another funny episode that melds the absurdity of the Muppets with our every day life.

Overall Rating: 8.25

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S3E2 Purpose in the Machine

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Brett

Fitz and the team enlist the aid of an Asgardian to unlock the secrets of the ancient monolith that swallowed Simmons, and Agent May is at a crossroads in her personal and professional life.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. splits its second episode of the third season following three different storylines, and a lot of improvement from the season debut.

The one I’ll give the least amount of time is Grant’s attempt to rebuild Hydra. He recruits a very interesting character who could be a long term player, hopefully he is. Where that goes might work out, but what’s solid is actor Brett Dalton‘s willingness to chew the scenery as Grant and just be a solid bad guy.

The second part of the story is what happened to Melinda May, there’s a plan to go after Grant, and it involves her. It’s nice to see Melinda given a bit more to do other than help Coulson and kick ass. She’s given some more character depth, which is good to see.

The third story is the search for Simmons… and I don’t want to spoil that at all.

What’s really great is the episode bounces back from the cheese of the first episode. The special fx are improved, the acting is better, the action is solid, even when using powers, things don’t look bad visually. I think part of that is due to the fact in that they’re trying to do less here, focusing on the characters, which probably helps the budget some.

This episode is a perfect example that less can be more.

Overall Score: 7.75

Marvel’s Damage Control Being Adapted As ABC Comedy

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Brett

Deadline is reporting that Marvel is getting a new half-hour live-action… comedy? Yes, Marvel’s Damage Control is coming to ABC as a single-camera comedy project and has received a put pilot commitment from ABC. The series is being developed for TV by former Daily Show and Colbert Report executive producer Ben Karlin.

Damage Control is the folks who deal with the aftermath of all those crazy superhero battles. Someone needs to clean things up and return the discarded equipment, as well as dealing with the impact on every day people. The concept was introduced in 1988 in a Marvel Comics Presents and has four limited series. Dwayne McDuffie and Ernie Colón created the concept.

Karlin will write the script for the project, which he executive produces alongside 3 Arts’ David Miner and Marvel’s head of television Jeph Loeb. This is on top of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, and there’s a pilot for a S.H.I.E.L.D. offshoot with Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood’s characters from Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S3E1 Laws of Nature

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Brett

Director Phil Coulson and Agent Daisy Johnson leading the charge as S.H.I.E.L.D. searches the world for more powered people in the aftermath of their epic battle with Jiaying and her army of Inhumans. However, Coulson and the team soon find out that they are not the only group looking for these new Inhumans.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. kicks off the third season diving right into the Inhuman world with a new direction for the org, now containing (in a positive and negative way) the Inhuman growth. Terrigen Mist is loose, so new Inhumans are spouting up, and SHIELD is there to deal with it all.

The first 10 minutes of the show set up the rest of the episode in both tone… and look. The episode continues an issue with the series where it’s clear the budget doesn’t match the ambition. Horrible special FX and mashed with good FX, and great set design also goes along with sets that look straight out of the lot on the studio grounds. And Lash? Holy crap did he look bad. There’s a reason it was filmed in the dark, and even that didn’t help.

What really stands out is the need for new editors for the show, with horrible cuts breaking in to and coming out of commercials. Not sure where I’d put that budget, better FX, or this.

The episode does move along the story, a hell of a lot. The President address not just Inhumans but the events of Age of Ultron, the first Avengers, and more. His speech seems to lay the ground for next year’s Captain America: Civil War. Hell they even reference Ant-Man! In this way, plus movement on Bobbi’s story, are actually really good. The series should focus away from the spectacle and on these smaller stories instead. To say the strongest part of the episode wasn’t Fitz and Coulson’s talk about Gemma is just factually wrong.

When the series goes big, it trips, and trips a lot. But, it also shows a solid direction for where it should be going. So, it’s exactly like we’ve seen before, a series that doesn’t quite know what it wants to be.

Overall Score: 7.25

TV Review: The Muppets S1E2 Hostile Makeover

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Brett

muppets-tv-show-poster In an attempt to make Miss Piggy happy, Kermit sets her up with Josh Groban who fills her head with ideas on how to make Up Late with Miss Piggy better. Meanwhile, Fozzie is invited to a party at Jay Leno’s house and everyone is annoyed that Bobo is selling cookies for his daughter’s troop.

If you were offended by the first episode of this new show starring the Muppets, then you’ll probably want to stop reading this review right now, and move on. You won’t like this episode any better, which is a shame, as The Muppets has quickly become a favorite show of mine, not afraid to push the envelope and tarnish their image.

The episode is full of the Muppets making themselves look like fools, but at the same time lampooning genres, tropes, and whole shows in this The Office/The Larry Sanders Show mash-up series.

Most of the show keeps digging into Miss Piggy, something that started in the first episode. Some felt the show had a mean spirit due to that, but the Muppets has always had digs at Piggy, it’s just as adults we actually get it and notice it. She’s generally not been likeable and portrayed as a diva, and this series continues that. The solution to get her to be happy, the team decides dating is the answer, and after some really funny scenes, the settle on Josh Groban, who has no issue poking fun at himself. I’m sure many will be irritated with the plotline, and many will call it sexist, to those I ask them to seriously go back and examine Kermit and Piggy’s relationship in past series/movies and not tell me there’s massive issues/red flags there. This show plays off of what has come before, and is doing so in an adult way. In my first review I stated the show is geared more for adults and teens, and the second episode continues that path. Its tone is similar to many of the ABC comedies currently on the air.

Throughout the episode is an ongoing gag concerning Bobo and his attempt to sell cookies for his daughter. The concept of attempting to be sold cookies by coworkers is something we can all relate to, and The Muppets takes it to an extreme, bringing it up over and over. It ends with a joke that’ll probably be over littler kids’ heads, but I thought to be funny and a solid punchline.

The Muppets are back, and they’re not afraid to pull punches in a series that’s one of my favorite debuts this fall. The series has a subversive quality about it, much like classic Muppets have always had. It’s become must watch TV for me, and TV that I can watch over and over, and still find entertaining and something new to laugh at.

Overall Rating: 8.5

TV Review: The Muppets S1E1 Pig Girls Don’t Cry

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Brett

muppets-tv-show-poster Jim Henson’s lovable puppets return to the small screen in this mockumentary-style series that follows their personal and professional lives. In the premiere, Miss Piggy is livid when Kermit books Elizabeth Banks on her late-night talk show.

One of the series I’ve looked forward to the most this fall television season is the return of the Muppets to the small screen with a new show on ABC. The Muppets is a different take on the characters, getting rid of the hi-jinx of the movies, or the variety show of the television past.

I expect when the majority of folks see this new series, they’ll be rather divided for a bunch of reasons, but mostly because this isn’t the Muppets of the past. Previously, the Muppets had a bit of a subversive vibe about them, but at the same time their movies and shows were fine for children of all ages and adults alike. It’s a formula that was tweaked a bit by Pixar and Dreamworks animated films. I’ve seen the first two episodes, and to me, this isn’t a show for kids, with a similar tone for the rest of the audience ABC is aiming for on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (while this show is on Tuesdays it would fit much better with Wednesday shows like Black-ish and the Goldbergs). While in the past there was humor for everyone, this show has a bit of an edge which has it more geared towards teens and up.

The show is hilarious to me, and I found myself laughing a ton, both at the jokes and a “holy shit I can’t believe the Muppets are doing this.” There’s humor and shock value. Enough I’m sure some parents will be pissed. The drug references are plenty, and there’s even a joke about gender fluidity. All of it subtle though where you the watcher needs to put the dots together, so little kids can watch it, they just might not get it.

The show’s set up isn’t original. It’s The Larry Sanders Show meets The Office, nothing new at all, except it’s with Muppets. But, it’s a formula that works so well, especially here, and for those that know their Muppets, the folks behind the characters can do “blue” really well.

You can tell there’s been some work done since the announcement of the show this past summer. Some human actors have been recast, and some of the jokes from the initial sizzle reel are said by different characters. The concept too seems to have changed a bit as well. Before it felt like the Muppet crew creating a show and getting Miss Piggy back, where it’s now a talk show starring Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppets work on the show. Slight changes which doesn’t change the humor or entertainment at all.

This is a review of the first episode, but the first two are fantastic, and The Muppets is one of my favorite new shows of the fall television season. It breaks the formula we’ve seen for these characters by using other formulas. Welcome back Muppets, you’ve been missed, and have given me must watch tv.

Overall Rating: 9.0

Details on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Debut

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Brett

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to ABC on September 29 at 9pm ET and a synopsis as well as some photos from the episode have been released by ABC. The season three debut is titled “Laws of Nature” and here’s the description:

When Coulson and the team discover a new Inhuman, S.H.I.E.L.D. comes face to face with another organization searching for powered people. And still reeling from Simmons’ dramatic disappearance, Fitz goes to extreme lengths to try to learn how to get her back.

The episode also debuts Matthew Willig as the Inhuman Lash. Lash is a relatively new character to the Marvel comic universe, debuting in 2014 in Inhuman #1. His powers included Energy Conversion/Absorption/Manipulation, and he can create an energy shield. The character is in conflict with the traditional Inhumans led by Queen Medusa and Black Bolt. He traveled the world recruiting recently turned Inhumans dubbed NuHumans. It is unknown what his role will be on the television show.

And here’s the photos released by ABC.