Toodles, Extras

Like Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's other too-good-for-television sitcom (the original BBC version of The Office), they'll be leaving at the top. After just two seasons and 12 total episodes, Extras (which airs in the US on HBO) is a wrap.

There is something to be said for not wearing out your welcome, but it seems all too soon, especially since Extras didn't have the strong story arc The Office did. There will be a wrap-up special, but it has yet to be written.

I suppose it's time to anticipate the NEXT all-too-short project this genius duo will come up with.

Posted by tivogirl at 1:37 PM 0 comments  

Watch Andy Barker, P.I. tonight!

I have always liked Andy Richter, but not the shows he's been in. They have never quite been the right vehicle for his humor. But they finally got it right with Andy Barker, P.I.

Richter plays a sad sack accountant who opens his first solo office in a strip mall, then gets mistaken for the private investigator who was in the space before him. The timing is spot-on, the writing crackles, the story is hilarious and the supporting cast is fantastic. Some of the actors include Clea Lewis(the goofy Audrey from the Ellen Degeneres sitcom), Tony Hale (Buster from Arrested Development) and Harve Presnell (Wade Gustafson from Fargo).

If you miss it -- or just can't wait for tonight -- you can download the pilot episode free from iTunes. NBC is also streaming several episodes on their site already, including one online exclusive.

Posted by tivogirl at 12:47 PM 0 comments  

Variety: Geico cavemen to become a sitcom

According to Variety, ABC is turning the Geico cavemen commercials into a sitcom (story at http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117960384.html). The ad copywriter who created the campaign has been hired on to write the show. It will be a half hour comedy following three 30-something cavemen living in modern day Atlanta. Like in the ads, the characters deal with day to day discrimination and ignorance of people who don't realize they still exist. No word yet on whether the same actors who do the ads will also do the show.

I have to admit, I hated those ads at first but they've really grown on me. This could be good (or it could be like an SNL skit gone on too long).

Posted by tivogirl at 10:45 AM 0 comments  

Wedding Bells doesn't suck!

I've had a love-hate relationship with David Kelley over the years. Picket Fences was okay, but I hated - HATED - Ally McBeal. Boston Public was great, and Boston Legal was fun until it turned into a complete joke. There is an arc that all David Kelly shows take. Here's my problem with his stuff: For the first two years they are pretty good - funny, quirky (sometimes too quirky) and just a little over dramatic. Then in year three everything tanks and the show turns into a complete soap opera, nothing like its former self. Happens every time.

From the commercials I really thought I was going to hate his new show, The Wedding Bells. I wasn't even going to bother watching it and didn't put it in my Tivo. Then Fox sent me a screener DVD, so I figured what the heck? I watched it. Not only did it not suck, it was actually pretty darn good. The core Kelley characters are all here, and the casting is dead-on. The actress who plays straightlaced Jane is particularly endearing.

The show is about three sisters who take over their parents' wedding planning business after their divorce. It starts well after the takeover and is loosely based on a real-life wedding palace in Long Island that is reknowned for fancy schmancy I-dos. The first episode does a good job of introducing us to the main characters and one recurring one that could get pretty annoying (a spoiled bride-to-be played by Missi Pyle of Galaxy Quest & Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). The second episode (which will actually be the third to air) delves further into some of the more serious sides of some of the relationships, but balances it with a funny and genuinely touching wedding story.

There is a lot of potential here for weddng storylines and guest stars (in just the first two shows: Kelley standby Fyvush Finkel, Delta Burke and Erin Gray). I just hope it doesn't turn soapy (but even if it does, I have two years to enjoy it). Check it out - the pilot airs tonight with an encore on Friday if you missed it.

Posted by tivogirl at 5:04 PM 0 comments