3 Comedy Series That Are Worth Your Time, and 5 Reasons Why You Should Watch Them

Besides watching the second season of True Blood, Breaking Bad plus Dollhouse and Fringe (refer to this entry), I'm now hooked to these 3 new (and not so new) comedy series. I think you guys should check it out.

Party Down

 

What it's about :

Party Down is about a group of struggling actors who are stuck working for tips while waiting for their big break. As employees of the L.A. catering company "Party Down," these misfits mingle with guests at everything from sweet sixteen parties to the most lavish Hollywood soirees.

5 reasons why you should watch it :

1. Created by Paul Rudd and friends. Rudd was initially slated to star in the series but declined because he was so impressed by Adam Scott portrayal of the character Henry.
2. Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr) from Freaks and Geeks is in it. Yaay!
3. The rest of the cast are amazing – Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Adam Scott and Lizzy Caplan are familiar funny faces doing what they do best.
4. It’s freakin’ hilarious! ..and dirty. But unlike shows that resort to dirty stuff for cheap laughs, Party Down's dirty jokes are earned. It’s a bit of Arrested Development meets Undeclared meets The Office (in my opinion).
5. Not only riotously funny but the show also touches on some great, dark and ultimately hilarious subjects. In a culture driven by success, the show looks at which point a life becomes a failure, and what constitutes a loser. You’ll laugh at the jokes, but you can’t help sympathizing at them too.

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Eastbound and Down

 

What it's about :

Relief Pitcher Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) was poised to rule the Big Leagues, but two things got in the way: his fading fastball and his insufferable personality. After a spectacular career flame-out, Kenny came home to Shelby County, NC and picked up a job as a substitute gym teacher (mostly so his brother Dustin would stop threatening to kick him out). He's spent every moment since then cashing in the last of his dying fame while plotting his inevitable comeback... one beer at a time.

5 reasons why you should watch it :

1. I don’t know about you guys, but I think Danny McBride is a mullet-haired comedic genius. His jokes are crude and offensive, but never failed to make me laugh.
2. When you have McBride, you have Ferrell (Will that is). He pops up in a couple episodes and stole the scenes.
3. The main character Kenny Powers is so unbelievably repugnant, misanthropic, major a-hole that you have to see it to believe it. He’s an egomaniacal prick who doesn’t give a shit who he offends. And you can’t help but laugh at his mean jokes.
4. Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) from The Office is in it. Yaay!
5. Kenny Powers is so quote-worthy like freakin’ Chuck Norris. Check this out.

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Head Case

 

What it's about :

Dr. Elizabeth Goode (Alexandra Wentworth) is brash, unconventional and judgmental in her own unique method of therapy, and thus, has become the "it" therapist to those in Hollywood in need of a "Goode" mind adjustment. Her office is filled with a who's who from the world of entertainment, sports and music. Although her method at times is a little, shall we say, off kilter, they always wind up returning for a session.

5 reasons why you should watch it :

1. Every episodes featured different stars all playing themselves in guest starring roles. Some of the guests featured are Rosanna Arquette, Andy Dick, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Cindy Margolis and Jeff Goldblum.
2. I just love the improvisational comedy. There are story outlines, and premises but with a lot of improvisation between the characters. So the quality of a given episode hangs a lot on the celebrity guest stars ability to play along with the show’s low-key sensibility. That’s brilliant IMHO.
3. It has the same vibe as The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm with the single camera and no laugh track approach. It makes me feel like a voyeur.. :P
4. The main character Dr. Goode is narcissistic, judgmental, self-involved, and non-relatable to her patients but Wentworth makes the character so likeable and twisted that even her facial expressions are sometimes more humorous than the wild dialogue.
5. One of the reasons the series worked is because of it’s length. At only 15 minutes per episode (sometimes less), I think it was intended to be sharp and snappy.
   
   

TV : First Look At The New V Miniseries

I did post about it in this entry a few months ago. Here's the first trailer for the new V miniseries, coming soon.

The leader of the Visitors, Anna is played by Morena Baccarin. Fans of Firefly and Stargate SG-1 might've recognized her. The series also stars Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) & Scott Wolf (remember him? Double Dragon? No?). 

The trailer looks promising; reminded me of The 4400. But still, us the old-skool fans, was kinda' hoping for the whole rodent-swallowing thing. And no offense, but we prefer Diana. 

But still, after seeing this trailer, I'm actually very interested to see it. I would love to see how the new concept and premise works. What do you guys think?

TV : 5 New TV Series That Are Worth Your Time, and 5 Reasons Why You Should Watch Them

If you've been here more than twice, you'll probably noticed that I kinda' have this infatuation with Heroes and a certain Ms. Penettiere. Though I still love Heroes (..although at the moment I'm not feeling the whole 'some powers are given' and present-future-present storyline), I cannot ignore other exciting new series premiering on American TV. They're many to choose from - some are good and some are bad, depending on your preferences. Listed below are the 5 new series that I think are worth your viewing time (..or DL-ing time, especially for someone who is in Malaysia, like me).

True Blood

What it's about :
True Blood, from Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, is a small-screen adaptation of Charlaine Harris' smart Southern Vampire Mysteries books, and poses the question, "What if vampires were not only real, but part of society?"
After a Japanese scientist makes synthetic blood, vampires come out of the coffin and are free to roam the world, presumably because they don't pose a threat to humans anymore. Anna Paquin stars as mind-reading waitress Sookie Stackhouse (best character name EVER) who becomes enamored with her town's first fanged visitor, Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).

5 reasons you should watch it :

• > It's a social satire. The vamps movement could very well be about civil rights or homophobia and it's very fun to watch. How would you react if vampires were actually part of your everyday life?
  
• > Horny characters. There's a whole bunch of them..
• > That kid from The Piano, Anna Paquin. Gap-toothed southern gals has never been sexier.
• > The blood and gore. Well, if you're into that kind of thing..
• > The opening credit. One of the best I have ever seen. It set's the tone really well, with creepy grainy images flashing to the tune of Jace Everett's Bad Things.

Fringe

What it's about :
Fringe stars Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv, and John Noble as an unlikely trio that investigates unusual phenomena for the FBI. Before you ask "Wait a minute, isn't that The X-Files?" Well, unlike Scully and Mulder who are running after aliens and ghosts, these guys are chasing phenomenons that are almost real. That's how Fringe gets it name - from 'fringe science', or the fields of technology and science that are on the verge of breakthroughs.

5 reasons you should watch it :

• > Very high production values. The pilot was almost movie-like with high explosives, amazing special effects and great sets.
  
• > The conspiracy theories. Who doesn't love them?
• > Amidst all the seriousness, there's also some surprisingly humorous moments that catch you off guard. Great writing.
  
• > Watching an episode almost like watching a Discovery channel special because it might actually teach you a thing or two.
• > It's from J.J. Abrams, the man behind Alias and Lost. So you know what to expect.

Breaking Bad

What it's about :
Well, it's not really new; Breaking Bad actually premiered on US TV in January this year but I recently discovered it, and I'm glad I did. The series stars Bryan Cranston (the dad from Malcolm In The Middle) as Walter White, a struggling high school chemistry teacher with a handicapped child and pregnant wife. When the already tense White is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he breaks down and turns to a life of crime, setting up meth drug lab in a desire to secure his family's future financial security.

5 reasons you should watch it :

• > Bryan Cranston. Fucking amazing actor. No wonder he won an Emmy recently.
• > The acting is as good as you can get on TV. The supporting casts are so much fun to watch.
• > The writing and the storytelling is compelling. I guarantee by episode 3, you'll be attached to the characters and their lives.
• > I love the premise. Walt White is the perfect anti-hero. You cheer for him but at the same time you can't believe what shitty mess he's gotten himself into. Would you succumb to the same situation if you're in his shoes?
• > Walt in his underwear, with a gas mask on, driving an RV in the desert. You have to see it (click here)

Life On Mars

What it's about :
No, it's not about life on planet Mars. It's actually about a New York City homicide detective who suddenly finds himself inexplicably transported from 2008 to 1973. The series was adapted from the British series of the same name shown by the BBC. The series just premiered on Oct 9 and currently in it's 2nd episode.

5 reasons you should watch it :

• > Harvey freakin' Keitel.
  
• > ..and longtime crush Lisa Bonet.
• > ..and Gretchen Mol in a policewoman uniform with 70's wavy hair.
• > Great 70's music throughout the show especially the title track, David Bowie's Life On Mars.
• > Time-traveling stories are always fun to watch.

My Own Worst Enemy

What it's about :
Edward Albright is a super spy. Henry Spivey is living the normal American dream in the suburbs with his wife, two kids and dog. The two men have one thing in common - they share the same body because Edward took part in an experiment several years earlier to create a split personality. Henry has never met his alter-ego Edward, except for an email he receives from Edward saying that people are coming to kill him. Now, the super spy and the suburban daddy have to learn to live with each other in the same body and not get each other killed.

My Own Worst Enemy premiered last week after much hype and I'm actually 50/50 about this one. Looks promising though, but we'll see how it goes.

5 reasons you should watch it :

• > I actually kinda' like Christian Slater. The last time I saw him in anything was in this indie flick, He Was A Quiet Man in which he did an excellent job. So it's good seeing him return to prime time.
• > It sort of have that Alias feel to it with all the super-spy and espionage tales.
  
• > The pilot was directed by David Semel, who also directed the pilot for Heroes so you got the same style of storytelling, pacing and a revealing ending.
• > It's a twist to the classic Jekyll & Hyde story.
• > err.. Madchen Amick?

Those are the 5 'new' series that I think are worth watching or *cough* downloading *cough* right now. Take those 5 series plus new seasons of Life, Pushing Daisies, Reaper, Entourage, Nip/Tuck, The L Word and others, I certainly have my hands full. And don't forget the always amazing new season of Mad Men, Californication and Chuck. And speaking about Chuck, say hello to Yvonne Strahovski who played Agent Sarah Walker :

Nothing.. I just need a reason to post her picture here. :)

There's also a bunch of new series premiering in the past few months such as The Cleaner, Raising The Bar, Sons of Anarchy, Privileged, Worst Week, The Mentalist, Sanctuary & The Eleventh Hour that has created a great buzz either critically or commercially, that I have yet to discover.

Phew!
So many great TV series, so little time..
I need Hiro's powers...
And super fast broadband Internet access.

TV : V - Those lizard aliens are back..

One of the most scarring image from 1980s television that was stuck in my brain,was the image of the (very hot) alien, Diana from V: The Miniseries swallowing a whole rat. A whole fucking rodent right down her throat.



As shown on the YouTube clip above, the animation looks really shitty and cheap now, but trust me, in those days I was literally watching this scene between my fingers. V was a television event --a must-see science-fiction extravaganza that had viewers glued to their TV sets and hiding under their covers.

I mean who doesn't want to watch aliens getting their human mask ripped-off, revealing a very scary, slimy lizard-like face? (clips below)



Well, guess what? V is coming back to TV.

ABC is giving a makeover to the 1983 miniseries with the help of The 4400 co-creator Scott Peters, who will be executive producer and help pen the new V. So far there is no word on whether the new V will be a miniseries or a series.

ABC's V will be set in the same universe, but its centerpiece will be a female Homeland Security agent who is dealing with her son's affinity for the alien visitors. V will also be developed into a video game, as well as other multimedia platforms.

Personally, I am a bit skeptical about this one (look what happened to Bionic Woman). Original creator Kenneth Johnson is not involved with this. It seems like he's pushing for a sequel not a remake, based on his recently produced novel V : The Second Generation.

We'll see how it goes.. what do u guys think?

TV : Heroes 03x01 & 03x02

PIC SPAM : Could contain spoilers

I always knew it was someone from the future, but I never guessed it was him.


Who's the new 'speedster'? Kinda' cute.


OMG WTF moment no. 1 . Damn u Sylar!


Luckily she's 'not like the others'. Pheww!


Whoaa! Gratuitious 'ibu jari kaki unta' shot.


Future Ando is kinda' badass. Reminded me of Ken from Street Fighter.


'Super' Mohinder and Maia. NSFW.. and kinda' weird.


'Believe it or not I'm walking on air..' Remember him?
He's The Greatest American Hero.


Is it me or doesn't it feel awkward watching 'family' scenes like this after we all know about the whole Hay-Lo affair?


Caligula's back. Or is he?


I don't know.. every time I see her, Gina Russo from Nip/Tuck always comes up.
And it destroyed everything that is good about her character. Sigh.


One of the dozens of 'villains' that escaped from Level 5.
Sylar was in Level 2, so that make these guys even more sadistic than him.
More about them in future post.


OMG WTF moment no. 2.
Another Petrelli??

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My verdict? Based on the action-packed (and quite violence) first 2 episode, it looks like Kring and crew have succeeded in pulling out of their sophomore slump.

The pacing was faster, questions were answered very quickly, the major story arc were introduced within the first 30 minutes of the show compared to 1/2 a dozen episodes during last season and interesting characters were introduced. Simply put - the show looks very good.

Based on the first 2 episode, I couldn't help but noticed that in this season, it's all about Good VS Evil. Heroes VS Villains. Which is very simple but very interesting because if you accept that good people can unwittingly do some evil things in their race to be maverick heroes, you have to also be willing to accept that evil people can sometimes inadvertently do good things as well. In other words, you got to expect the first few episodes to explore just which side each of the characters is really on. Hmmm..

It's the second coming of Heroes. And it looks promising.

It's here..

5 more hours to go..
Before that, go watch the exclusive webisodes here, here and here ...

WEB : One More Month For Heroes S3.

Approximately 32 more days to go..
until the premiere of the 3rd season of Heroes.

In the meantime,
check out Claire Bear new short 'do..



She looks really good..




*sigh*

TV : Long Time No See.. Still Cheerleading?

Heroes Volume 3 :Villains will be back with a 3-hour event on September 22, 2008. Although not as excited as I was before (..Vol. 2 is a bit disappointing), judging by the teaser trailer in YouTube here, the story seems to unfold very interestingly. In the trailer we could see some new characters, some dead heroes and a particular villain gaining his powers back.

I still have some hope for the series.. Mostly because I wanted to see what Tim Kring will do to overcome last season disappointment. But most importantly, because of the 'cheerleader', pictured below..

The new cheerleader outfit? Or is it Lara Croft? Love the new brunette look.

Looks like our lil' Claire is getting all fired up. Kicking A.S.S!

Off the set Uncle Lovin'. Yup, HayLo in love. (..damn u Milo!)


Vol. 3 looks good to me.
:)

Jurnal & TV : About me and some stuff about TV shows

*uhuk, uhuk uhuk*...
*sapu habuk, debu, sampah kat blog ni..*

"..Hey, look, Edd! It's November already! It's your last November as a single guy! Hey, December is coming! It's your last December as... " - Nazim Masnawi.

Yes, Nazim. I don't need to be reminded about it since I am being reminded constantly every single day by almost anyone and everyone I know. Right about now, there's only 25 days left in my bachelor calendar. And I'm getting more and more terrified, petrified, scared, happy, excited.. all of those emotions rolled into one. It's a giant step in a human's life.. so I guess, I should be 'gelabah'. Please help me God..

Aku dah sapu habuk2 kat sini sikit.. Kurang la debu-debunya. So sorry for the lack of update, but I guess you guys could understand. But being me, I didn't hold everything back. I downloaded a lot of movies and TV series. I just didn't have time to write all about it here. There's a lot of wonderful new TV series right now. Here's some of them, that I really like :

• I don't know about u guys, but I think Season 2 of Heroes is a little bit slow and draggy. At this moment I can't see where it is heading. I don't like the Mexican twins subplot, and that annoying boyfriend of Claire. But the Sylar story and Kristen Bell character looks interesting. But I'm still watching it, of course. (yup.. mostly because of Claire).

• I love Pushing Daisies. The story seems interesting enough and it was pretty well acted. But what I like most about it, is the camera work and the editing. It was beautifully shot; it seems so vivid and colourful. Another thing that I really like is the voiceover element, telling us the story. I love it..

• Bionic Woman is kinda' good too. It started kinda' slow but it is starting to build up by series no 3. Plus, the lead Brit actress who plays the title character, Michelle Ryan is hot. I've noticed her in 'Cashback' and 'I Want Candy', so seeing her taking the lead role in the series is kinda' exciting.

• Gossip Girl is my new guilty pleasure. It's a teen drama so I guess I shouldn't be enjoying it. But it's so freakin' enjoyable ! It's campy and fun. Plus all the characters are very good-looking and talented. It's awesome! Shit.. I'm starting to sound like a preteen girl...

• I recently downloaded the 2002 complete series of Undeclared; a Judd Apatow follow-up to the amazing tv series 'Freaks & Geeks'. Much like F&G, Undeclared was also cancelled after only one season. But let me tell you this, It's Freakin' Awesome!! I can't see why they cancelled the show. Maybe at that time they weren't ready for his brand of comedy yet.

So, there u go. A little update..
Back to counting down..
25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20.........
*gulp*

TV : Heroes - Volume 2 : Chapter 1 Recap

SPOILER ALERT :

So, what do u guys think? To tell u the truth, I was a little bit underwhelmed. It's good but maybe I was expecting a lot more. We were getting reacquainted with old characters, meeting new characters and trying to get our bearings on where things stand 4 months after the events of last season ended. Let's see what's interesting : -

The Bennett's are settling in very well... or should I say The Butler's.




Hey, Ando's here to stay! Check out his new taller hairdo.

Sorry Hiro, your lifelong hero is actually a smart-ass Brit dude. And who's the hot Japanese chick there, huh? Obviously, she's going to be Hiro love interest.




Look, it's Wolverine! No, It's Neanderthal Man! Oh, It's Nathan..




First, the Fergie video, now this. Peter Petrelli really likes to show his nipples.




The picture above is probably going to be the most important scene in the first episode.




Maya and Alejandro. I liked that we didn't actually see exactly what their powers are, but we know it's lethal and dangerous.




Hey it's Ned from Groundhog Day! Fuck all the superpowers; I want his..!!




OK, who is this jerk? What's up with the 'are u robot or alien?' pickup line? Shut the fuck up! You're the one who's floating and stalking at the same time. Freak.




Luckily, she's there to calm me down with her smile. Aaahhh.... :)

I like the fact that last season was all about ordinary people discovering they can do extraordinary things. But this season it looks like these extraordinary people are trying to be ordinary again. But I'm still very excited to see where the season takes us. Judging from this first episode, it's going to be really interesting.

TV : The Time Is Now...

It's coming.. in a matter of hours. Season 2 premiere of HEROES.

The old gang will be back..



And so are the new ones..



And of course; my Claire, in a new baby blue cheerleader outfit..




It's going to be awesome.
ARE U READY FREAKS AND GEEKS ?

TV : KAMI - Kami Anak Malaysia Independent

Kalau anda memilih untuk menonton satu sahaja siri TV tempatan setiap minggu, pastikan anda menonton KAMI. Kisah remaja yang sarat dengan isu dan konflik remaja di zaman ini. Produksi yang berkualiti dan menampilkan bakat-bakat baru yang segar dan sangat berbakat, KAMI memang tidak menghampakan. Projek KAMI ini memang besar dan ambitious, siap dengan soundtrack, gigs, siri TV dan filem yang akan menyusul tahun hadapan. Tahniah kepada mereka yang mencetuskan idea bernas ini.

Setelah 2 episod ternyata aku ter'hook' dengan KAMI. Kisah dan konflik yang dihadapi oleh karakter-karakter utama siri ini, diselang-selikan dengan muzik dari nama-nama besar dalam underground scene (..episod lepas ada Bittersweet!) ternyata membuatkan aku tertarik untuk menonton. Mungkin aku teringat zaman- zaman gig dan jamming aku semasa remaja dulu. Nostalgia aku mungkin sedikit sebanyak membantu aku menyukai siri ini..

Lakonan daripada bakat-bakat baru ini memang membanggakan. Semuanya fresh, talented dan good-looking, terutama sekali pelakon utamanya Liyana Jasmay. She's a very good actress and I think she will go very far. Harap-harap dia bijak memilih projek TV dan filem yang berkualiti seperti ini. Plus did I mention that she's cute? :)

KAMI ke udara malam ini ! - setiap Rabu, 10 pm, di 8TV. Jangan lupa tonton. Siapa kata orang Malaysia tidak boleh menerbitkan karya berkualiti, huh?


Links :

ProjekKAMI
Blog Liyana Jasmay
Video klip lagu tema siri KAMI dari Meet Uncle Hussain - Lagu Untukmu