Tag Archives: Survivor

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 2/25/24 — 3/2/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This was an odd week.  Other than the shows that I watch for my retro television reviews, I only watch six other shows this week.  And no, Shogun was not one of them, though I do plan to watch it tomorrow.

On Wednesday, I watched Abbott Elementary and I thought it was funny, even if it didn’t really reach the heights of last week’s episode.  Abbott Elementary is definitely the best sitcom on network television but it’s still starting to show some signs of age.

Also on Wednesday, I watched the season premiere of Survivor.  It seems like a good group, even if I still wish Survivor would go back to its old format.  It does kind of bother me that every new season of Survivor has to have some whiny, socially awkward person who acts scared of everything and who were supposed to feel sorry for.  If I want to watch Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison on a reality show, I’ll watch more true crime.

On Friday night, I watched an episode of an 80s music video show called Radio 1990 and an episode of Night Flight that featured a lot of Canadians.  I also watched another chapter of the 1930s serial, The Vanishing Shadow.  They were all fun.

On Friday and Saturday, I watched several episodes of — cringe! — The Jerry Springer Show.  They’re on YouTube and I watched them as research for a future post.  There’s no way that whole show wasn’t staged.

That’s it!  Not much to this week in television.  I almost skipped this week’s post altogether but …. well, I’m a completist.  Even if I don’t do anything, I still feel it’s important to officially acknowledge my inactivity.

 

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/3/23 — 12/9/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I swear, as if I didn’t already have enough reasons to resent Big Brother, the latest season took up so much of my time and energy that I still haven’t been able to get caught up with my favorite reality show, The Amazing Race.  The season ends next week and I’m still struggling to get up-to-speed with it all.  That said, I did enjoy this week’s trip to Ireland.

Bar Rescue (Paramount Plus)

On Monday morning, I watched an episode from the first season.  Jon Taffer went to an Irish bar in Redondo Beach.  Because this was the first season, Taffer didn’t yell as much as he would in later seasons and a lot more emphasis was put on “bar science.”  It was kind of nice.  I’m not a huge fan of nonstop yelling.  A little anger goes a long way.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!

Check It Out (Tubi)

My review of the week’s episode of Check It Out! will post on this site in about 30 minutes.

CHiPs (Freevee)

I wrote about CHiPs here!

Dancing With The Stars (Tuesday Night, ABC)

Between Big Brother and the holidays, I didn’t really keep up with the latest season of Dancing With The Stars.  (And, to be honest, So You Think You Can Dance was always the better dance competition show.)  I did catch the finale this week.  Congratulations to Xochitl and Van!  I kind of wish Jamie Lynn Spears had made it to the finale as a competitor, just because twitter or X or whatever the heck it’s called now would have exploded.

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi Junior High here!

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

On Monday, largely as a result of watching HBO’s Love Has Won docuseries, I went down the Dr. Phil cult rabbit hole and I watched two episodes.  The first featured an unstable woman who had been brainwashed by a fake psychic.  I followed this up with an episode in which a cult leader was confronted by anti-cult activist Rick Ross.  The cult leader started out trying to be smooth and clever but he lost it as soon as he was challenged.  I’ve been pretty critical of Dr. Phil in the past but I do always enjoy watching him take down a cult leader.

On Wednesday, I watched an episode about a husband and a wife who had been having issues ever since the wife lost a good deal of weight and became “too hot.”  Personally, I think everyone was too judgmental of the wife.  She was just having a good time and if her husband couldn’t handle not being the center of attention anymore, well then I guess it just sucks to be him.

Fantasy Island (YouTube)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Frasier (Paramount Plus)

Finally, after being so disappointed with the premiere, I watched episodes two and three of the Frasier revival.  The second episode featured Frasier trying to connect with Freddy and meeting his son’s co-workers (none of whom knew that Frasier was Freddy’s father).  The third and marginally better episode featured Frasier trying to overcome his “celebrity” status and be taken seriously as a Harvard lecturer.

Both episodes suffered from the same problem, which was also present in the premiere.  Kelsey Grammer does his usual good work.  At this point, he might as well be Frasier Crane.  But all of the other characters are either underwritten or just plan unlikable.  Freddy is a self-righteous jerk and, considering who his parents are and how he was portrayed as a child, it makes no sense that he would grow up to become a blue collar sports fanatic.  Next door neighbor Eve is boring.  Frasier’s Harvard colleagues are clichés.  Watching the show is depressing because you’re like, “Frasier gave up that great apartment in Seattle for this!?”  That’s the problem with reboots.  No one wants to think about classic TV characters getting older and moving into a less impressive apartment.

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

I wrote about Friday the 13th here!

Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, Fox and Hulu)

I got caught up on Hell’s Kitchen this week.  Both Jason and Carmen need to get over themselves.  I hope Ryan wins because I like listening to the sound of his voice.

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

And my review is here!

Kitchen Nightmares (Monday Night, FOX)

There were two new episodes this week.  Gordon Ramsay saved a historic hot dog place and then he saved an Indian restaurant.  The first episode was entertaining because of all the personal drama between the owners.  Seriously, don’t ever try to run a business with someone who you are no longer sleeping with.  The second episode was sweet because the owner was such a nice guy but he also drove everyone crazy because he was a micromanager.  By the end of the show, he was trying to enjoy being retired.  It’s always kind of nice to see Chef Ramsay being nice to people, as opposed to telling them to “GET OUT!”

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday night, I watched a Christmas special from some time in the late 80s.  There was some fun new wave-style Christmas music, though the show was stolen by Tony Bennett’s far more traditional style.

Shrek the Halls (ABC, Saturday Night)

I didn’t realize how much I miss Shrek and the gang until I watched this 2007 special earlier tonight.  Christmas is a season that even an ill-tempted ogre can enjoy!

The Simpsons (Disney+)

On Tuesday night, I watched an old episode of The Simpsons.  Feeling that The Itchy and Scratchy Show needed to be shaken up with a new character, the show’s producers demanded that an obnoxious dog named Poochie be added to the cast.  Homer was cast as Poochie but the viewing public did not react quite as positively to the new character as Homer was hoping.  This episode made me laugh more than a few times.  I especially liked that a new character named Roy suddenly showed up in the Simpson household at the same time Poochie was showing up on Itchy and Scratchy.  Everyone pretended like Roy had always been there but, after Poochie was killed off, Roy also announced that he was leaving the Simpson household to move on with “two sexy ladies.”

Survivor (CBS, Wednesday Night)

Emily was voted out after Julie played an immunity idol.  Boooo!  Seriously, that sucks.  Emily was the only person on the show that I liked.  All of the stupid twists and immunity idols are causing good players to get voted out and I’m getting kind of tired of it.  What I wouldn’t give for a season that was a return to Survivor basics, with no idols, no twists, and no weepy backstories.

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back, Kotter here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 11/19/23 — 11/25/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!  Here’s a few thoughts on what I watched this week, in between shopping, eating Thanksgiving dinner, and celebrating Erin’s birthday!

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

The Race continued!  My sister and I need to get on this show while we still can.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (Apple TV+)

Erin and I watched this on Wednesday night, as we do every November.  You can read her thoughts here!

Check It Out (Tubi)

I watched another episode of this show earlier today.  Unless I fall asleep, I’ll be posting a review of it in an hour or two.  (Warning: There’s a very good chance that I might fall asleep.)

CHiPs (Freevvee)

I wrote about CHiPs here!

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi here!

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

I watched an episode of Dr. Phil this afternoon, just because I needed some background noise.  Dr. Phil was yelling at a woman who was cheating on her husband.

Fantasy Island (Daily Motion)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Football: Commanders vs Cowboys (Thursday Afternoon)

Football: 49ers vs Seahawks (Thursday Night)

Football: Packers vs Lions (Thursday Morning)

Yep, the family was watching football all Thursday and I occasionally glanced at the television.  I was happy that the Cowboys beat the Commanders.  I can’t remember who won the other games.  I accidentally called the Commanders by their original name and I got yelled at by my cousin.  Bleh.

Happy Hour (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this 90s, celeb-themed game show on Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, one of the celebs was Danny Masterson so I cringed whenever the camera went past him.

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

I wrote about Highway to Heaven here!

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

I wrote about Jennifer Slept Here on Thursday.

Kitchen Nightmares (Tuesday Night, Fox)

On Tuesday, I watched the latest episode of Kitchen Nightmares, which featured Gordon Ramsay helping out a married couple who were on the verge of divorcing over their restaurant.  I always like it when Gordon shows off his nice side and he seemed to really care about this couple.  On Wednesday, I rewatched the classic Amy’s Baking Company episode on Hulu.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Thursday Morning, NBC)

It’s not Thanksgiving without the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade playing in the background.  I watched some of it with my family.  I liked the balloons but I got tired of all the reporters talking.

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Snub (YouTube)

This is a British music show from the late 80s.  I watched the first episode on Friday night.  Three bands performed.  I particularly liked Fugazi’s performance.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Crazy Eye Kendra is gone so that’s a good thing!

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!

WKRP In Cincinnati (DVD)

On Tuesday night, Jeff and I watched the classic “I thought turkey could fly” episode of this 70s sitcom.  This episode always makes me laugh.  Jeff has the entire series on DVD so who knows?  This could be a future entry in my retro television reviews!

Yes, Prime Minister (Monday Night, PBS)

This week’s episode was amazingly cynical, even by the standards of this rather cynical show.  Sir Humphrey effortlessly manipulated Jim Hacker into nominating a corrupt banker to an important post.  Somehow, it was also quite funny.  There’s just something about the way that poor, earnest (if occasionally pompous) Jim Hacker continually falls for every scheme that Sir Humphrey comes up with.  It helps that the schemes usually seem to turn out for the best.  If anything, Sir Humphrey might have a point about the importance of not giving the Prime Minister too much room to think for himself.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 11/12/23 — 11/18/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I’m still trying to get caught up.  Big Brother and October really set me behind.  That said, I love The Amazing Race, even if I’m still figuring out who everyone is.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!

Check It Out! (Tubi)

I watched a rather dumb episode of this Canadian sitcom earlier today.  My review will be dropping shortly.  Years from now, I’ll probably still be wondering what inspired me to review a silly Canadian sitcom that no one has ever heard of.

CHiPs (Freevee)

I wrote about CHiPs here!

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi here!

Fantasy Island (YouTube)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Frasier (Paramount+)

I watched the first episode of the Frasier revival on Thursday night.  Kelsey Grammer was funny.  Frasier Crane is the perfect role for him.  Unfortunately, the rest of the cast was far less interesting and the first episode felt rather …. generic.  The most interesting thing about the show is Frasier apparently spent the last few years hosting a television show called “Dr. Crane.”  Now, personally, I’d rather see a show about him doing that than a show about him moving to Massachusetts and teaching at Harvard.  Indeed, with everything that’s happening on various elite college campuses right now, the last thing I want to do is watch a show about how great Harvard is.

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

I wrote about Friday the 13th here!

Football Game: New York Jets Vs Las Vegas Raiders (Sunday Night, NBC)

I kind of watched this on Sunday, though I was also reading Britney Spears’s autobiography at the same time.  I have no idea who won but Jeff tells me that it was a great game.

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

“Who does the Grail serve?”  I wrote about this week’s episode here!

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

I wrote about Jennifer Slept Here …. here!

Kitchen Nightmares (Tuesday Night, Fox)

I binged Kitchen Nightmares this week.  Those were some disgusting kitchens!  Speaking of disgusting, the most recent episode featured one of the most obnoxious man babies that I have ever seen.  What a loser!  I’m amazed Gordon didn’t just toss him out in the alley and tell him to go home.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday night, Jeff and I watched an episode that was all about songs that were about food.  It was a tasty 30 minutes.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I have a feeling that we’re going to get a bitter jury this season.  Everyone has been shooting death glares at each other, this entire season.  Last night, I thought the latest person voted out was going to throw a punch before she left the island.

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back, Kotter here!

Yes, Prime Minister (Monday Morning, PBS)

Hacker’s predecessor died and, to Hacker’s barely suppressed delight, that meant that he would never actually finish his autobiographer, which was full of unflattering details about Hacker.  Unfortunately, Hacker also had to deal with the details of the state funeral and that meant dealing with the French.  I was pretty tired when I watched this episode so I don’t remember all of the details but I do remember being amused by the arrogance of the French ambassador.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 11/5/23 — 11/11/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I’m still struggling to get caught up with this season.  Hopefully, I’ll have a lot of thoughts to share on the show after this weekend!

Big Brother 25 (24/7, Paramount Plus and CBS)

This stupid season is finally over!  You can read my thoughts over at the Reality TV Chat Blog!

Check It Out (Tubi)

My review of this week’s episode of Check It Out should be dropping in about an hour.  Personally, I am proud of myself for the dedication that I have shown to reviewing a show that I don’t think anyone else has ever heard of.

C.H.i.Ps (Freevee)

Jeff and I watched two episodes of this extremely 70s cop show earlier tonight.  Jeff thinks I should review it for my next Retro series and I think he might be right!  The episodes we watched were all about disco roller skating.  It was fascinating in its own weird way.

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi Junior High here!

Dirty Pair Flash (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this anime on Friday night.  It was a fun episode, one featuring a lot of explosions and cute outfits.

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

Saturday night, I watched two episodes featuring Crystal and Anthony.  Anthony was accused of doing something unthinkable to his daughter by his former girlfriend, Crystal.  From the start, it was pretty obvious that Crystal was coaching her daughter and Anthony had not molested his daughter.  Crystal and her mother repeatedly yelled over Dr. Phil and at Anthony.  In general, people who are telling the truth don’t have to yell to make their point.

On Tuesday afternoon, I passed the time by rewatching the episode in which Dr. Phil talked to the creator of Jilly Juice, a disgusting-looking concoction that she claimed could regrow limbs, promote good health, and “cure homosexuality.”  I’ve been pretty critical of some of Dr. Phil’s shows but he was definitely at his best when he was exposing Jilly Juice, which had the unfortunate side effect of causing strokes.

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

I wrote about Friday the 13th: The Series here!

Gun (Tubi)

I wrote about the final episode of Gun here!

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

Here, I wrote about Jennifer Slept Here.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Nightmare Café (YouTube)

I finished up Nightmare Café this week.  My review can be found here!

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

On Tuesday night, I watched an old episode of this 90s talk show.  Sally talked to men who treated their wives like slaves.  It was a skin-crawling episode and hopefully, every guest on it got divorced after their appearance.

On Wednesday night, I watched an episode featuring teenagers who were upset that their moms were dressing slutty.  To be honest, the teens all came across as being kind of whiny.

The Steve Wilkos Show (YouTube)

On Tuesday night, I watched an episode in which a guy with a beard that made him look like a California cult leader was convinced that his stepdaughter’s boyfriend, who had a mustache that made him look like the owner of a 70s leather bar, was being abusive.  They both took lie detector tests and ended up shouting each other as the end credits rolled.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Just as with The Amazing Race, I’m dropping into this season late and still struggling to get caught up.  Hopefully, I’ll be caught up by the end of tomorrow.  For what I have seen, I am definitely Team Emily!

T and T (Tubi)

I reviewed T and T here!

Welcome Back Kotter (Tubi)

I reviewed Welcome Back Kotter here!

Yes, Prime Minister (Monday Morning, PBS)

When his predecessor as PM describes Jim in unflattering terms in his autobiography, Jim tries to suppress the book through the Official Secrets Act.  It all led to a bit of a scandal and a lot of laughs.  Bernard got to do quite a bit in this episode, which I appreciated.  Bernard is always a fun character, seeing as how he’s right in the middle between Jim’s cluelessness and Sir Humphrey’s manipulativeness.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 10/29/23 — 11/4/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Well, Horrorthon is over and I’m trying to get caught up on all the shows that I have waiting for me on the DVR and on all the streaming services.  It’ll probably take a while for me to watch all of it but that’s okay.  I always enjoy a good excuse to just sit on the couch for a few hours.

Here’s a few notes on what I watched this week!

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I can’t wait to get caught up on the latest season of The Amazing Race!  I watched the latest episode on Wednesday and I’m glad that the team that got U-turned still managed to survive and make it to the pit stop in time.  I’ve never been a fan of the U-turn and I always lose a little respect for  teams that choose to use it.  Of course, this season, it appears that the teams have not been given the option of opting out.

Big Brother 25 (24/7, CBS and Paramount Plus)

Yay!  This season is nearly over.  Seriously, this is one of the all-time worst seasons of a show that really has never been that good to begin with.  I’ve been writing about Big Brother over at the Reality TV Chat Blog!

Check It Out (Tubi)

I watched the 5th episode of this Canadian sitcom earlier today.  Unless I get too tired to write it up, my review should drop in a few more hours.

Dirty Pair Flash (YouTube)

I watched another episode of this anime on Friday night.  I couldn’t really follow the plot but everyone had really neat hair and a lot of stuff blew up.  It was stylish and fun in its own incoherent way.

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

I used several episodes of Dr. Phil as background noise this week.  I quickly got used to the sound of him yelling about being trained in forensics.

Friday the 13th (YouTube)

I wrote about Friday the 13th here!

Get Gotti (Netflix)

Get Gotti is a three-episode crime docudrama about the efforts to put mobster John Gotti in jail.  It’s a story that I’ve heard before but John Gotti was an intriguing figure and the docuseries did a good job of contrasting Gotti’s flamboyant charisma with the somewhat more low-key people who spent years trying to put him in prison.  New York in the 80s will always be a fascinating topic.

Gun (Tubi)

I wrote about Gun here!

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

I wrote about Highway to Heaven here!

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

Here, I wrote about Jennifer Slept Here!

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Nightmare Café (YouTube)

I wrote about the next-to-final episode of this series here!

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about Survivor here!

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back, Kotter here!

Yes, Prime Minister (PBS, Monday Morning)

The second season started with Sir Humphrey getting rid of a troublesome cabinet secretary by tricking Jim into thinking the secretary was planning to launch a leadership challenge.  What’s funny is that the secretary was viewed as being a threat because of his radical employment policies but, once he had been manipulated it resigning, Jim decided to continue the secretary’s plan and just take credit for it himself.  No one won but it was very funny.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 10/8/23 — 10/14/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’m running behind on everything.  I haven’t even started Bachelor in Paradise yet.  Oh well.  I’ll probably have time in November to watch everything that I’m currently missing.

The Amazing Race (CBS, Sunday Night)

The race went from Thailand to Vietnam this week and, for the first time since the new season began, I was able to watch the entire episode from beginning to end.  I still need to catch up on the episodes that came before the one I watched this week but it almost doesn’t matter who is on the show.  I just enjoy The Amazing Race as a matter of general principle.  I like watching everyone go from country to country.  It’s always interesting to see which otherwise strong team will have a total meltdown due to a bad cab driver.

Big Brother 25 (24/7, Paramount+ and CBS)

I’ve been writing about this extremely annoying season over at the Reality TV Chat Blog!

Bubblegum Crisis (Night Flight Plus)

I watched another episode of this anime on Saturday morning.  As usual, I couldn’t follow a single thing that was going on, though I did notice that there were a lot of explosions.  The anime clothes were to die for.

Check It Out (Tubi)

I watched the second episode of this Canadian sitcom earlier today.  My review should be dropping in another hour or two.  The episode dealt with a unions and labor relations, which is something that has certainly been in the news recently.  The episode made me glad that I’m not a member of a union because I don’t think I could handle all of that repetitive picketing.

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

I wrote about the second episode of Friday the 13th here!

Gun (Tubi)

I wrote about Gun here!

Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, Fox)

I’m running so far behind on my television watching that I only watched last week’s episode on Tuesday and I have yet to watch this week’s episode.  That said, I kind of knew that Tad was going to be the first person to be sent home, just be Chef Ramsey’s negative reaction to his signature dish.  It’s probably for the best.  Tad was amusingly weird but they’ve got a kitchen to run!

The Hitchhiker (YouTube)

I watched a few more episodes of The Hitchhiker while selecting which ones to feature here on the site for October.  Unfortunately, a lot of the best episodes of The Hitchhiker are also age-restricted so I can’t embed them.  Still, I think it’s a fun show.  I’ve been enjoying Page Fletcher’s wonderfully judgmental monologues at the start and end of each episode.

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Nightmare Cafe (YouTube)

I wrote about Nightmare Cafe here!

Radio 1990 (NightFlight Plus)

I watched an episode of this old 90s music show on Friday night.  Gene Simmons was interviewed and actually came across as being calm, reasonable, and polite.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

You know, the fact that the same tribe has been sent to tribal council for three episodes in a row really should tell the producers of this show that it’s time to stop doing the three-tribe thing and return to starting out with two big tribes.  I mean, every season since the show returned from its COVID hiatus, two tribes have dominated while one has had to go tribal over and over again.  It’s getting kind of boring.

The Vanishing Shadow (NightFlight Plus)

This is actually an old serial from the 1930s.  I watched the first chapter on Friday night.  A man developed an invisibility ray and hoped that he could use it to exonerate his criminally-convicted father.  This episode ended with a cliffhanger and it was actually a lot of fun.

Welcome Back Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!

Yes, Prime Minister (Monday Morning, PBS)

In a development that felt very current, Prime Minister Hacker found himself being bulled by the American ambassador.  This seemed like a funny episode but, unfortunately, I was also doing some emergency cleaning around the house while it aired so I didn’t get to pay as much attention as I would have liked.

 

 

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/21/23 — 5/27/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I didn’t watch much this week.  For whatever reason, I really wasn’t in a television mood.  Still, I did catch a few shows and here are my thoughts on them!

Barry (Sunday Night, HBO)

Monroe “The Raven” Fuches has his own compound.  NoHo Hank is discovering that being a legitimate businessman still means doing a lot of illegal stuff.  The FBI is now convinced that Cusineau was Barry’s accomplice.  And Sally and John have been kidnapped.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous about how all of this going to wrap up on Sunday night.  I’m hoping for a happy ending but I don’t know if there is such a thing in the world of Barry.

Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount Plus)

Oh no!  Beavis and Butt-Head are dead!  Well, actually, I’m sure they’ll find a way to survive being in that car that just got tossed into the car smasher thing.  I mean, Old Beavis survived having one of his kidneys explode so it might just be that the boys are immortal and incapable of dying.  That’s kind of a scary thought.

Black Bird (Apple TV+)

I finished up this excellent miniseries on Sunday.  Paul Walter Hauser chilled me to the bone.  Ray Liotta broke my heart.

Bubblegum Crisis (Night Flight Plus)

I watched the fourth episode of this anime on Saturday morning.  It features a black car shoving a bunch of motorcyclists out of the way.  That was actually kind of neat because everyone knows the frustration of getting stuck behind a motorcyclist (or, even worse, a freaking bicyclist) in heavy traffic.

City Guys (YouTube)

I have finally started in on the 5th and final season of City Guys.  You can read my thoughts on the 4th season finale right here.

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

Robin Givens talked to teenagers who felt that they had been let down by their mothers.  Wait …. where’s Mother Love!?

Great Performances (Monday Morning, PBS)

Danai Gurira played the title role in a Shakespeare in the Pak production of Richard III.  Gurira was certainly able to capture the character’s ruthless determination but there still wasn’t much depth to either her performance or the overall production.

Hang Time (YouTube)

I’m nearly done with this show.  Yay!  Read my thoughts on this week’s episode here!

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about this week’s episode of The Love Boat here!

The Master (Tubi)

Max Keller, union activist!  The third episode of The Master was pretty silly and I wrote about it here!

The Office (Peacock)

“Hey there, Mr. Scott, what you gonna do?  What you gonna do?  Make our dreams come true!”  Can you guess which episode of The Office I watched on Friday afternoon?

Red Dwarf (Monday Morning, PBS)

The long-running British science fiction comedy is now airing on my PBS station so I watched an episode on Monday.  Apparently, the last Earthling in existence gave some false memories to his companion, a hologram.  The hologram was disappointed to learn that his memories weren’t real.  It was funny but it was also kind of sad, to be honest.  It made me wonder what I would so if I woke up one day to discover that I was the last remaining person on Earth (or in space, as the case may be).

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Another season of Survivor has come to a close and I am off the reality show beat until Big Brother returns in August.  Yam Yam, to be honest, got on my last nerve because he was so whiny and petulant.  He played a good enough game that he deserved the victory but still, I would have preferred to have seen either Carolyn or Carson take home the money.  What was up with Carolyn getting zero votes?  That sucked!  You can read my thoughts on Survivor here!

Yes, Minister (Monday Morning, PBS)

This week, Jim Hacker caused a panic when he threatened to withhold honours from civil servants who did not reduce their budgets.  Of course, no civil servant would ever willingly reduce their budget but what’s the point of being a civil servant without the honours?  It was all very British but it was also universal.  Bureaucrats love to be rewarded for not doing anything.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/14/23 — 5/20/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Barry (Sunday Night, HBO)

The latest episode of Barry scared the Hell out of me.  I literally screamed when that person dressed in all black appeared behind Sally.  That said, I also laughed at Monroe “The Raven” Fuches and his first few days of freedom.  NoHo Hank has apparently made himself into quite a successful businessman but he’s still in denial about the role he played in Cristobal’s death.  And, of course, Gene Cousineau remains Gene Cousineau.  I just can’t shake the feeling that none of these characters are going to survive the series finale.

Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount Plus)

Beavis and Butt-Head discovered that the secret to being popular was acting depressed.  And then they probably rendered themselves sterile with shock treatment.  After that, Beavis got rabies.  That was kind of disturbing.  I’m going to guess that Butt-Head eventually got rabies as well.  Oh well.

Black Bird (Apple TV+)

I watched the first four episodes of this true crime miniseries this week.  It’s a fascinating show that I’ll write about more after I finish it.  Paul Walter Hauser is extremely unsettling as Larry.  Taron Egerton has the charisma of an old school movie star.  This show also showcases the late Ray Liotta in the role of Egerton’s loving father.  The role allows Liotta to show his kind side, along with the tough side that he was best known for.  Along with everything else that makes this show memorable, it serves as a tribute to Liotta’s skill as an actor.

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

Laurie Sue appeared on the show to confess to her husband that she had cheated on him with her first cousin and that she had subsequently danced and stripped at a laundry mat.  He forgave her.  Personally, I suspect that they were both lying about what happened and just wanted a chance to appear on television.  Laurie Sue’s story was followed by two men who cheated on their pregnant fiancées.  Mother Love helped everyone work out their problems.  “Never underestimate the power of forgiveness!” Mother Love declared while the audience applauded.  I suspect Mother Love may have been a cult leader.

On Monday, I watched an episode featuring a teenage moron named Andrew who trashed the house while his father was in the hospital, having his toe amputated.  His father forgave him, even though Andrew definitely did not deserve it.

I Remember Gorgeous George (YouTube)

This was a 1980s documentary about pro-wrestling.  I watched it on Sunday morning.  I’m not really a wrestling fan but, that said, I can appreciate it as a unique example of Americana.

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

This uneven season came to an end with a heavy-handed look at gun control.  Basically, the message of this week’s episode was that it’s okay to kill someone as long as you have the right political beliefs.  Once again, justice was pushed to the side because of Price’s PTSD.  Seriously, what a disappointing way to end the season.

The Master (Tubi)

I wrote about The Master here!

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

On Saturday morning, I watched a 30-minute profile of the band Bananarama.

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

“I can’t believe my kid’s a skinhead!” was the title of the episode that I watched on Sunday and indeed, the parents were shocked.  Sally lost control of the audience early on.  I followed this up with an episode called “Serial Killer Fan Vs. Victims Families.”  Yikes!

On Tuesday, I was in a bad mood so I watched an episode called “My Teen Is Going To End Up A Criminal.”  Wow, those teens had some issues!  And I bet they did all end up as criminals.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about Survivor here!

Take Off To Comedy IX (Night Flight Plus)

I watched this 90s special on Friday night.  It was a collection of comedy clips, including a stand-up comedian talking about why he gave up cocaine.  Just from his manic delivery, I don’t think he ever gave up cocaine.

Waco: The Aftermath (Showtime)

I watched the remaining episodes of Waco: The Aftermath this week.  I understand that the show has apparently not been well-received by critics.  I’m going to guess that’s because the show was ultimately as a critical of the government as it was of its enemies.  To me, the show provided a look at how the efforts to combat the monster often make the monster even stronger.

Yellowjackets (Sunday Night, Showtime)

I’m now caught up with Yellowjackets.  Of course, I knew that Shauna’s baby was not going to survive but that didn’t make the episode any less powerful or sad or unsettling.  This season has definitely been a bit more uneven than the first season but it’s still a very intriguing show.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/7/23 — 5/13/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Accused (Tuesday Night, FOX)

The season finale of Accused started out strong but, towards the end, it felt like propaganda for euthanasia.  Plus, the big twist — i.e., the accused taking the blame for a crime that was actually committed by a loved one — was one that the show had already done before.  It’s a bit early for this show to be repeating itself.  That’s one reason why I think Accused would be well-served by having a regular set of writers and a regular set of directors as opposed to bringing in new people for each episode.  That said, Keith Carradine gave a powerful performance as the man on trial.  The first season of Accused was extremely uneven but hopefully, they’ll work out the kinks by the time the second season begins.

Barry (Sunday Night, HBO)

The rumors were true!  There has indeed been a time jump and Barry and Sally are now living in the middle of nowhere and raising their son, John.  Sally, who now wears a dark wig and works as a waitress, is miserable and, on Sunday’s show, nearly strangled a guy.  Barry is oddly obsessed with Abraham Lincoln.  Barry spends a lot of time with John and obviously considers himself to be a good father but, ultimately, Barry is just as manipulative towards his son as Monroe Fuches was towards him.  When Sally came across a news story about Gene Cusineau coming out of hiding to consult on a Barry Berkman biopic, Barry replied, without hesitation, “I have to kill Gene Cusineau.”  That’s where this week’s unsettling episode of Barry ended.

As I watched this week’s episode, it occurred to me that if someone ever did decide to do a new version of The Shining, Bill Hader would be an ideal Jack Torrance.

Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount Plus)

Episodes that feature both the young and the old Beavis and Butt-Head are so depressing.  It’s so easy to laugh at them when they’re young and they’re trying to plant cigarettes and destroying the community garden.  But then you see what the future has waiting for them.  Butt-Head’s a fat alcoholic and Beavis looks like he’s about 70 years old when he should just be in his 40s.  It’s sad but it’s also funny.  I do take some comfort in the fact that Beavis and Butt-Head always seem to be blissfully unaware of how terrible their lives truly are.  Beavis never seems to give up hope.

Bubblegum Crisis (YouTube)

I watched an episode on Saturday morning but, to be honest, I was half asleep.  All I know for sure is that a lot of stuff blew up.

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

On Sunday, I sat through three episodes of this old 90s talk show on YouTube.  A son demanded that his mother apologize for robbing him.  (She didn’t.)  A man told his fiancée that he was an exotic dancer just for her to then reveal that she was a stripper.  (The audience went crazy.)  A woman demanded that her friend apologize for “sleeping with my first love.”  (“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the friend replied.)  Mother Love said to never forget the power of forgiveness.

On Friday, I watched one more episode.  A woman begged another woman to forgive her for backing out of an adoption arrangement.  No one was forgiven.  Mother Love started to cry.

Jury Duty (Freevee)

I absolutely loved this 8-hour, semi-improvised comedy about jury duty.  Essentially, the series followed one guy as he took part in a very strange court case and got to know his fellow jurors (including James Marsden, who played a comedic version of himself).  The catch was that everyone else in the court room was an actor and our hero was being filmed without even knowing it.  It was wonderfully weird, funny, and ultimately rather sweet.  It helped that the main guy, Ronald Gladden, came across as being incredibly likable and nice, even when James Marsden went out of his way to annoy him.  Give Marsden an Emmy!

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

This was a pretty dumb episode this week.  Cosgrove got shot by this week’s suspect after the suspect got out on bail.  Because he was captured at the scene, everyone knew who shot Cosgrove but, at the trial, no one brought up the fact that the suspect had shot a cop and, unless I missed it, I don’t think he was ever charged with shooting Cosgrove either.  Instead, Price was worried he wouldn’t be able to get a conviction on the crime that the guy was originally accused of and I was just like, “Uhmm, he shot a cop while trying to kill the state’s main witness against him.  Isn’t that pretty good evidence that the cops were onto something when they arrested him?”

Cosgrove considered retiring and going to Florida but, at the end of the episode, it appeared that he was planning on staying in New York.  I got the feeling that entire storyline was just included as some sort of “That that!” to Florida.  But, honestly, Cosgrove is 50 years old and politically and culturally conservative.  Why wouldn’t he want to move to Florida?

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about this week’s episode here!

The Master (Tubi)

Since Freddy’s Nightmares is no longer available on Tubi, I decided to watch and review all 13 episodes of this 80s ninja show instead.  You can read my review of episode 1 here!

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Tubi)

Apparently, after the show went off the air, NBC edited the first two episodes of The Master together and they released the result theatrically under the name Master Ninja One.  And then, years later, the guys at Mystery Science Theater 3000 watched Master Ninja One and spent a lot of time pointing out Lee Van Cleef’s stunt double.  Anyway, I watched the Mystery Science Theater version on Thursday, after I finished writing up my review of The Master.  It made me laugh!

Night Court (Tuesday Night, NBC)

The season came to an end much as I predicted it would.  Abbi and Rand broke up.  Dan went to Louisiana and became a judge but I imagine he’ll be back whenever season 2 starts because, if there was anything that was consistent about the first season, it’s that the action always grinds to a halt whenever John Larroquette isn’t onscreen.

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

I watched an episode on Monday night.  Sally talked to parents who had out-of-control children.  The kids were forced to take part in the Scared Straight program.  Did it do any good?  Probably not.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about this week’s episode over at Reality TV Chat Blog!

The Traitors (Peacock)

I binged this enjoyably silly reality show over the course of the week.  Basically, a combination of newbies and reality TV vets moved into a Scottish castle and tried to figure out which of the three of them had been designated as “traitors” by host Alan Cumming.  The traitors could “kill” a guest every night.  (Well, not literally.)  I was happy to see Survivor’s Cirie Fields do well and outlast Big Brother‘s Rachel Reilly.  “I’m an icon!” Rachel exclaimed at one point.  (Truth be told, I may complain about Rachel whenever she shows up on yet another reality show but she knows exactly what the audience wants from her and she plays her role well so good for her!)