What I’ve Been Watching: TV

Since I last posted about my television shows I love, I’ve found several more.  Yay, TV!

River Monsters. I’m not sure when or how I started to watch this show.  It must have been a night when there was nothing on, and MB and I were just flipping through the channels.  We both love most animal shows, though I’m not usually a fan of the “hyper guy who communes with wild animals” variety because, well, the guy is all hyper and annoying.

But Jeremy Wade isn’t hyper.  He’s very calm – as a fisherman, he has to be – and knowledgeable.  A biologist, he’s an expert angler who actually speaks some of the languages of the places he visits.  Plus most of the river “monsters” are the craziest ass fish I’ve ever seen.  They seem to either have deadly teeth, deadly scales, deadly random body parts that stick up every which way, and sometimes are GINORMOUS.

Parks and Recreation. Last year, I tried watching a couple of episodes but couldn’t get into it.  It was okay, but I didn’t think it was that funny, and simply didn’t understand the appeal.

Then I saw the episode about Li’l Sebastian.  I saw the episode about Li’l Sebastian’s funeral.  I saw Ron Swanson sitting in the donut hole of a ridiculous round desk, slowly turning away from people talking to him.  I was hooked.

Raising Hope. This was another show I thought was dumb at first, despite that fact that it has Martha Plimptom, who I’ve loved since The Goonies, Garrett Dillahunt, who I also love despite the fact that he totally confused me by playing two different characters on Deadwood, Cloris Leachman (who doesn’t love Cloris Leachman?), and not to mention that adorable baby.

I think at first I watched it just because it was after Glee, but then I saw the promo for the germ episode, and found myself waiting in anticipation to watch it again and again.  Just the promo, you understand.  I don’t think I even saw the actual episode.

What I love about this show is that the actors totally own it.  Not just the Martha, Garrett, and Cloris, but the main guy (whatever his name is), the girl who used to be on The Riches, the brown-tooth girl, and the other weirdos from the supermarket.  And Martha Plimpton’s and Garrett Dillahunt’s characters have been together since they were teenagers and still love each other.  Aww!  I’m a sucker.

Bob’s Burgers. I literally cheer whenever there’s a new Bob’s Burgers on. From the same guy who does Archer, it is so frigging hilarious, I don’t even care what the plots are.  All I want to hear is what’s gonna come out of the kids’ mouths next.  And the mom too.  Just imagining her (or his) voice makes me giggle.

And the show’s kinda wholesome!  If saving your daughter’s birthday party with tranny hookers is wholesome that is.

Game of Thrones. Oh. My. God.  I had to check this out after seeing some of my Twitter buddies tweeting about it so enthusiastically.  It has more than delivered.  It’s like a very fucked up Camelot (or Merlin, or Legend of the Seeker, or Lord of the Rings, or what have you).  How fucked up?  Like heads being only almost beheaded (think blood spurting, lots of it), and incest sex.  Correction: twin incest sex.

And it’s really fucking cool too.  Strong female characters.  Subtle touches of magic.  Great acting.

And if I’m not mistaken, there seems to be a new Bob’s Burgers AND Game of Thrones this weekend.  Sounds like a perfect Memorial Day to me.

5 comments

  1. While this was on TV and is now on netflix, I highly recommend watching Battlestar Galatica. I know that some people don’t like the space thing, but it truly takes a backseat to human element and overall story of survival, love, betrayal, and redemption.

    • tom, i caught the last season of Battlestar a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, though was confused sometimes since i hadn’t seen earlier seasons. i keep meaning to watch the whole thing from beginning to end.

      on another space note, i’m so bummed they canceled Stargate Universe.

  2. oh, river monsters. i think the first one or two seasons were under the radar but now jeremy wade is approaching mainstream. i seem to get disappointed that half the time, the myths about the local river monster were just exaggerated. at the same time, it can seed some fear in me to ever dip my toe in water if i go somewhere tropical!

    • yes, suddenly it seems River Monsters is popular, and Animal Planet is pimping the hell out of it.

      whenever MB and i watch it, we think, well, there’s another place we never want to go!

  3. […] Burgers. Bob’s Burgers made an appearance in my mid-year update, and I can’t wait for it to come back, which it looks like won’t be till March. […]