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Wentworth (2013)
I'm in love with this show
For starters, I gotta admit that I haven't fallen in love with a TV show this hard since Breaking Bad.
Unfortunately, I've never seen the "Prisoner Cell Block H", the allegedly brilliant TV show from the eighties, that Wentworth is loosely based on.
I used to love "Oz" and when "Orange is the New Black" started airing, I hoped that it will be like "Oz", only set in women's prison. It turned out to be a cartoon-ish dramedy, with the emphasis being more on comedy than the drama.
I can't even begin to describe how happy I felt when I finally discovered "Wentworth"! It depicts it's characters in such a profoundly humane manner that it's almost impossible not to feel empathy for them. I've just finished watching season 3 finale and I was on the edge of my seat during the entire episode. Gradual character development is better done than in any other show I've ever seen.
I like shows with strong female characters, so this show is a real treat for me. Conflicts and tensions build up slowly throughout the season and each season's finale brings resolution and a hint of the events that will take place in the next season. Character's motivations are revealed slowly as we get glimpses of their traumatic past experiences and/or transgressions which govern their behavior and goals.
Retribution and empowerment are the most prominent themes of this story. In the beginning, it was hard for me to watch some scenes of brutality between prisoners, but luckily, these scenes aren't shown too often and when they are, they serve a bigger purpose plot-wise.
This show is very realistic and it truly fleshes out it's characters to the tiniest detail. I can't wait for the next season to start!
Review with Myles Barlow (2008)
The Original Review - so much better than the American version
This show is really out there. It takes risks with seriously dark topics (murder and drug trafficking - to name a couple) and deals with them humorously.
I've found out about this show thanks to its American counterpart. Needless to say, the original is so much better, it's edgy and controversial. US version is a much safer, watered down version of this and it's already getting repetitive and banal.
In the Australian version, we see Myles Barlow as the host of a show-within-a-show, reviewing different life experiences at the request of people who write to him. He often comically misinterprets the letters - i.e. a woman wrote to him that she fancies her friend's boyfriend and Myles concludes that her main dilemma is whether or not to steal. Consequently, he decides to explore stealing and progresses from petty shoplifting to an armed robbery.
Myles uses a lot of metaphors while describing different situations and emotional states, his figures of speech are very witty and they give this show some extra charm.
I really hope that this show will gain cult status it deserves.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
It doesn't get better, regardless what some people say
Like one reviewer already noticed - this show uses every stereotype imaginable. Using an Asian guy's name as a verbal pun (a sophomoric one at that) is something I'd expect to see in a sitcom from the sixties and seventies.
The premise sounded interesting and that's the only reason I gave this show a chance. I've wanted to stop watching this very early, but I've let some reviewers from this site have influence on my decision. A lot of people have said that this "gets better" and I gave them the benefit of a doubt. The truth is - it doesn't get better. It only gets more dumb and tiresome as it progresses.
Skip this time waster.
I give it a 4/10 because the colors look nice at times.
Halt and Catch Fire (2014)
This show is getting better and better
Some critics compare this show to Silicon Valley and see it as a less successful execution of a similar idea. The premise of these two shows is similar - both are about pioneers in the computer business, but Halt is set in the 1980's and it has more dramatic overtones than its comedic counterpart.
I like both of these shows, each is great in its own genre. Usually I highly appreciate AMC's dramas and this one is not an exception. Some have disputed the possibility of a woman like Cameron existing in the 1980's male-oriented world of business, but this isn't a documentary so I don't give much thought about its rootedness in reality.
I like the fact that it has such strong and independent female characters like Cameron and Donna. All characters are fleshed out pretty well, they feel like real people. The only character I dislike is Lee Pace's one, but maybe that has something to do with the actor - I'm not exactly a member of his fan club, to put it mildly.
So far, I prefer the second season, although the first season was very good as well. This show seems to be improving as it goes along, I hope that this trend will continue. I don't know what the writers are planning for these characters, but I'm hoping for a 4 season-long story arc at least.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013)
A generic rip off of a rip off
I watched a few episodes before checking the trivia section on IMDb. I wasn't surprised to see that it was modeled after The Office US and Parks & Rec. The same characters from Parks are magically transferred to a police station. There are two guys who resemble Jerry, one scary lady with deadpan delivery (similar to Aubrey Plaza's character from Parks), a "by the book" sidekick (Santiago = Rashida Jones's character from Parks & Rec). And Peralta's over eagerness has a Leslie Knope kind of stench on it.
I don't mind the over-representation of minorities on this show - I find it commendable. The thing that bothers me is the current trend of planting cardboard cutout characters (based on The Office) into new surroundings. What is next? Sitcoms about restaurant workers, hairdressers, doctors, fire fighters? Gervais's "The Office" was a real gem. US version never quite warmed up to me and these bland copies (Parks, Brooklyn etc.) are just getting more tiresome by the minute. None of the characters from Brooklyn 99 seems real. Gina character makes me want to punch her repeatedly.
I can't believe this generic garbage is getting renewed for a third season.
Judging by all the positive reviews, people seem to buy into this horrific trend of perpetuated unoriginality.
Girls (2012)
Positive messages for young women
The reason I'm writing this is that I'm sickened by the amount of misogyny and sexism expressed by some reviewers. I've noticed two dominant threads in negative reviews - the first is focused on the amount of Dunham's semi-nudity during the show. Mind you, they wouldn't hold anything against this type of nudity if the actress was skinny with large breasts. They just don't want to see an average, tad overweight woman nude. Similar objections were stated against the sex scenes of older woman and young male in "Peaky Blinders". This type of criticism comes mostly from male viewers. In today's world, where a lot of young women struggle with body image issues, Dunham gives a great example of a woman who feels fine in her own skin. One reviewer wrote that a girl who looks like Dunham couldn't possibly attract good looking guys, like the doctor she's been with shortly. Beauty is in the eye of a beholder and I've seen numerous couples where one partner is less attractive (by mainstream beauty standards) than the other and they function just fine. I always fall for the personality and not the looks. Some pretty people become less attractive or even ugly if I come to dislike their personality. Smart and funny people look more appealing to me, regardless of their physical appearance.
The second line of objections comes mainly from women who resent Hannah's lack of sexual inhibitions. Supposedly they wouldn't engage in such behaviors. They are perplexed by the "promiscuity" of young American women. I'm not from USA and as a matter of fact, I live in a conservative country with a Catholic majority. But still, I can relate to Hannah, Jessa and Marnie. I've experimented a lot during college years and those experiences made me the person I am today. Hannah has had a few spontaneous sexual encounters with men she didn't know very well, but according to her back story, she only slept with two guys before Adam. That's not promiscuous. There's nothing wrong with being open and uninhibited sexually, it's better to act upon those instincts than to suppress them and twenties are a perfect age for these kind of escapades.
Regarding Adam, I like him very much and find him realistic and relateable. I know a guy with similar mannerisms and speech patterns. All characters feel real and fleshed out. I didn't like Shoshana at first, but she grew on me. This show is relevant for many reasons, the main reason being that it empowers women and sends them a positive message about their body image. I can't wait to see the 5th season of this amazing show.
HAPPYish (2015)
A funny critique of contemporary culture
I've started watching this show yesterday and I'm on 4th episode at the moment. The current rating of 6.9 is too low for this show, IMO. US voters gave lower ratings than those of us who live outside of USA. Maybe it's because Americans don't know Coogan or they don't like to see a Brit in the leading role. I am a big fan of Coogan and he is magnificent in "Happyish". Recently I've seen the actress who's playing his wife in "Transparent", another great new show.
"Happyish" reminds me of Woody Allen's movies, the protagonist is troubled with existential crisis and the show deals with different aspects of media culture, current corporate climate, parenthood and middle age. It gives us a strong social commentary and the critique of contemporary culture. It juxtaposes the new world of young and cocky executives with the world of middle aged people who are trying to find their place in this new and fast-changing world.
When Lee talks about her "bubble", she mentions that she is not on Facebook or Twitter, in that way she protects her family from outside intruders. I like that message a lot. When I think about it, I see a lot of families who share photos of their children on social network sites, some even open Facebook profiles for their newborn babies. People document every mundane experience and post about it - we've became extremely narcissistic and dependent on approval of others through fishing for Facebook "likes" and such. I'm 29 y.o., but I can relate to Mr. and Mrs. Payne a lot more than to any other character on this show.
Happy Families (1985)
Five Jennifers, each one is great
Happy Families follows Guy Fuddle (Ade Edmondson) in a search for his four sisters. The first episode is an introduction, then each episode is dedicated to one sister and in the last episode they reunite with the grandmother. Every episode has it's good moments. The episode with Joyce and the people fleeing from hospital to avoid her singing reminded me of Hyacinth from Keeping up Appearances. And Roxanne was great, especially the part when Guy is getting her out of jail. I also liked Cassie, a satirical view of the world of soap-opera stars.
This series shows how versatile Jennifer Saunders is. She plays five different characters and she is believable as each one of them. The conclusion is a little silly but that doesn't hurt the appeal of this show. Ade is wonderful as goodhearted, naive Guy. Dawn French (cook) and Helen Lederer (maid) are very good in their respective parts. I especially liked Flossie's (Helen's) accent. Also, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry add a little charm to the overall impression. Rik Mayall has a small part in the episode about Madeline. His portrayal of a neurotic French priest is magnificent.
Teenage Kicks (2008)
Definitely not a classic Adrian
It's really hard for me to rate this one. I really love Ade's previous work and I don't usually watch family sitcoms. If this was a family sitcom without Ade, I would probably think of it as average - not terrible but definitely not brilliantly original either. Something like "The New Adventures of Old Christine". When there's Ade involved, people are expecting a lot more than that. I remember Vyvyan screaming: "No! We're not watching the bloody Good Life!". Rejecting the classic sitcom format was one of Ade's defining characteristics. Ade is a brilliant writer and actor and he never starred in a comfortable, clichéd sitcom before. Maybe that's the reason he seems so out of place in this show, a show that is trying to appeal to the masses. Ade is usually confined to anarchic, alternative shows and characters, while the format of this show represents everything that he was being opposed to during his career. I guess I can understand that he wanted to do a character that is a bit more serious and age appropriate.
I'll try to judge this show on it's own merits. There are a few funny moments here. I liked the first two episodes, especially the sequence of jobs he performed in the second episode; but a good portion of this show has that "seen it before" feeling. The supporting cast is not doing it any favors. Actress playing the daughter is clearly overacting, she reminds me of Emma Bunton in Ab Fab. The son is unlikeable and the Chinese roommate is a borderline offensive representation of Asians. Still, it's much better than Lindsay's My Family and a majority of American sitcoms. All in all, this show is not as terrible as a lot of people seem to think, it's just not Ade's style.
I'll pass on giving it a numerical rating.
Filthy Rich & Catflap (1987)
A forgotten gem
I really enjoyed this series. This was obviously a transitional work for Ade and Rik. They are far enough from The Young Ones, although they are clearly playing with the deconstruction of the sitcom format, similarly to TYO. Rich and Eddie are slightly unpolished versions of Richard Richard and Edward Hitler (the same can be said for their characters from Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door from 1988. - a very Bottomesque episode of The Comic Strip Presents). This show surely paved the way for Bottom an at times is similar to Bottom Live shows.
The plots are interesting and there is a lot of fourth wall breaking, reminding the viewers that this is a sitcom (albeit deconstructed, but nevertheless funny). David Cross tried to play with the sitcom format in a similar manner with his Todd Margaret, but he failed miserably. This proves a point that it's really difficult to make this type of comedy work, but Rik and Ade are masters of this craft.
I agree with other reviewers who noticed that this show is still relevant today, with all the nobodies who appear on reality shows and "celebrities" with no talent who are flooding the media with their pay-per-view weddings and "leaked" porn videos. If only they were as hilarious as Rich! My favorite episode is definitely the fourth. I've seen it a few times and it makes me laugh just as hard on repeated viewings as it did the first time, especially the scene in the bar with Jumbo Whiffy. It's a shame that this show is nearly forgotten today.
The Supergrass (1985)
A pleasant experience
I wasn't expecting much from this movie. To be honest, I just wanted to see Saunders and Edmondson together on screen. I was surprised to see how good this movie turned out to be. The plot is engaging and it leaves the viewer wondering was Dennis telling the truth or not. Saunders, Edmondson and Richardson were very good at portraying the odd trio and it was nice to see Ade and Jennifer in a more serious role than those in their usual repertoire. All three of them were very sweet, especially Ade as a naive "supergrass". This comedy is very different (in plot as well as style) from other works of my favorite married couple of comedians, but that is what makes this movie so special and original; at least to me. People who aren't fans maybe won't like this flick. There's nothing groundbreaking about it and it's humor is much more subtle than "Ab Fab" or "Bottom" but nevertheless, it made me laugh a lot. I'm already looking forward to seeing it again with my sister (who is also a fan of Saunders).
Haven (2010)
This was a good show once
I've been watching this show for a fairly long time and it was really interesting and intense. In the beginning, I couldn't wait to see the next episode. In season 4 the quality started to drop and during the 5th season I fell out of love with Haven. What happened to Colorado Kid, why nobody remembers the day he was killed? Why did Jennifer hear what was going on in the barn - what was her connection with the barn? They just swept her and all the unanswered questions about her under a rug since the actress left the show. Who is inspector Howard? How is Croatoan connected to Haven, why does Dave have visions of Croatoan? Why was Dave sent to Haven in the first place? What happened to William, what motivated him to join Mara in the first place? Why did Mara's mother decided to kill her off just when she started to repent and intended to give up her evil ways? That doesn't make sense. I guess Audrey had to be saved because of the fans and Nathan/Audrey shippers. Why were Mara and William capable of creating troubles but Mara's mum (who is much older and more experienced) couldn't? And what was Mara's motivation for creating the troubles? Something about her dad? That wasn't explained at all. And now, with all the troubles being released on Haven, the gang will have a lot of work sorting it all out, I'm not sure that they'll bother to answer all the questions I've written. It seems that the writers are making things up as they go along. Mara's storyline was such a waste of time. During her on-screen time we learned nothing about her past, her motives etc. Only in the last few minutes of the last episode she hinted something about her father being the motive but that was never elaborated. During this season Haven became boring, complex (not in a good way) with massive plot holes. I'm not sure that they'll be able to mend that in the remainder of the series. I give it a 7 because I liked seasons 1-4.
Bottom (1991)
A work of two geniuses
This show is one of my favorite comedies. When I was a kid, I saw a few episodes from each season on TV, but I never had a chance to see the whole series.
In the light of Mr. Mayall's passing, I've decided to watch a few shows in which he starred, to honor his life and work. Up until today I've seen "Bottom", "The New Statesman", "The Young Ones" and "Filthy Rich & Catflap".
Last week, I watched "Bottom" from start to finish and I absolutely loved it, that was such a treat. Although some people on IMDb's message board complain that the third series was cartoonish, I don't mind that, to me it's equally good as the first two seasons. My favorite episodes are "Apocalypse", "Holy" and "Finger". But the other episodes are not far behind those three. A lot of times the sequence of events was so silly and surreal that it made me think: 'Oh no, they're not gonna go that far' and they always did. The violent slapstick is marvelously executed and so are the duologue's between Eddie and Richard. Supporting characters, especially Dave Hedgehog and Spud Gun are also charming. I was glad to see Helen Lederer as a guest star, whenever I see her on screen I remember Catriona from Ab Fab. All in all, this is a great show.
I give it a 10/10
I'm Alan Partridge (1997)
Comedy gold
I've had no previous experiences with Alan Partridge persona and I didn't know what to expect from this series. It was brilliant. I especially liked the episodes "To Kill A Mocking Alan" and "Watership Alan", the former had me in tears from laughing and that does not happen often. The writing is without a mistake, the characters are interesting and amusing and Alan is one ignorant, vain and rude little man - but that makes this series so fun to watch. Here in Croatia, Alan Partridge is fairly unknown - it's such a shame. I'll try to get my hands on other series that feature Alan's adventures.
10/10
Hello Ladies (2013)
Merchant's first solo work is surprisingly refreshing
I've read a lot of reviews for this show and none of them were good. Because of that I hesitated to watch it, I thought that it is really bad. Then a few days ago I decided to give it a go. I wasn't expecting much and the show exceeded my expectations big time. A lot of people say that Stuart is not likable, that he has no redeeming qualities, that he's a shallow jerk etc. I don't agree. He came off as a boy in a grown man's body, insecure computer geek with the feeling of entitlement, but it was obvious that his attitude stems from inner insecurities. A lot of sitcom characters are unlikeable (remember Seinfeld) and shallow. I never liked the show "How I met your mother", I've only seen a few episodes and that Barney character was really getting on my nerves but people liked him a lot and d-bags quoted him on Facebook. From my point of view, he was much more unlikeable than Stuart. In the end, Stuart's womanizing aspirations got him nowhere and he realized that his attitude was wrong. Not many characters go through such development in the span of eight episodes.
The show has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, I loved the episode about Stuart and the workers, their night out was really funny. Merchant is sweet, even when his character acts juvenile. I've also seen the movie and I absolutely loved the "dirty" talk in bed. Jessica is a great character and although some of her scenes reminded me of Extras, she had her depth and wasn't a cardboard cutout from Merchant's and Ricky's previous works (sadly, I can't say the same for characters from "Life's too short"). Kives was also excellent and I liked the fact that a person with disability was portrayed in such a positive way. Wade was a bit sugary for my taste, but he had his good moments.
In the past I never really knew what to think of Merchant, he was in Ricky's shadow for too long. Now I see what his influences were in their previous collaborations. I was indifferent to him before, and after seeing this show, I became a huge fan. Hopefully he'll continue the good work.
You Rang, M'Lord? (1988)
A warm and nice little show that I loved as a child
I'm not a fan of Perry and Croft, but this series is very dear to me. I used to watch it as a kid and recently I re-watched all episodes once again. When I was younger I didn't quite "get" all the jokes (especially the ones about Cissy) so the show seemed fresh on second viewing. Although it gets formulaic and repetitive very often, it still has it's charms. The Meldrums are snobbish, spoiled and cheap; with the exception of Cissy who supports the workers movement and sympathizes with servants. Every character has a unique personality. The sneaky butler Stokes, his goodhearted and simpleminded daughter Ivy and poor Mabel are my favorites. Actually, all characters grew on me. Although this is a comedy, the relations between aristocracy and their servants are represented accurately. Majority of aristocrats are selfish and insensitive to "lower classes", some of the servants have what Marx would call a class consciousness and some completely accept their lower position in society. The ending is satisfying and it came in the right time, one more season would've been too much. Some characters (Mr. Teddy, Lady Lavender) are a bit over-the-top for my taste and they didn't do too much for the advancement of plot, but at times they were excellent. This show brings out sweet childhood memories and because of that, it holds a place on my list of favorite shows.
The Moaning of Life (2013)
The funniest travelogue of all times
After watching "An Idiot Abroad", I wanted to see more of Karl's adventures, so I binge-watched "The Moaning of Life" in one afternoon and I gotta tell you - it's even better than what I've expected. In this series, Karl explores five important aspects of life (marriage, happiness, kids, vocation & money and death) as they are dealt with in different cultural contexts. Karl is a bit more relaxed and in a better mood than during the filming of AIA, since he decided where to go, who to meet and what to do. This is a sort of popular anthropology as it is amusing, educational and philosophical at the same time. I share some of Karl's views on marriage and children, so it was fun to watch his musings. It seemed to me that I would probably experience those situations in a similar way as Karl. Too bad that there are only five episodes, I would really like to see more of Karl.
Misfits (2009)
I can't stand the new cast
I have mixed feelings about this show. I liked the first two seasons, third season was not as good but it was still watchable and I could barely get through the fourth season. I don't believe that I'll continue watching the last season.
I liked the storyline about Simon/Super Hoodie, Alisha and the infinite time loop; it was beautifully executed. The powers were interesting because they stemmed out of character traits of the misfit crew. The dynamics between actors was great in the first three seasons, although Nathan was missed in the third season and Rudy wasn't convincing as two guys, he overacted a lot. I know that some of the Rudy's story lines (like the one with him falling in love with a nun) were meant to give him depth, but in my view, those were failed attempts.
In the fourth season things really went downhill. I didn't like the new cast, any of them and I just didn't care if they will live or die, be happy or not, with whom will they get involved romantically etc.
On a side note, there was way too much pointless sex throughout the series. I don't mind a few sex scenes if they serve as plot advancements, but that was hardly ever the case. In the fourth season plot was very weak, pointless sex scenes annoyed me and I simply didn't give a damn about the characters - all of them were unlikeable. I give it a 7/10 on the account of the first two seasons.
Teachers (2001)
Loved the first two series
This show is so refreshing and good. First two seasons were terrific, the rest not so much. This happens with a lot of shows when they change the main cast - it just feels like a different show. They've written out characters and gave us unsatisfactory explanations (in some cases no explanation at all) for their absence. I've seen only a few episodes from series 3 and 4 so this review is focused on the first two series.
Simon and Susan were great characters. I could easily identify with them 'cause I work in school and I share some of Simon's attitudes towards students and my colleagues often come to me with their problems - that makes me feel overwhelmed at times, just like Susan.
The relationship between colleagues is warm and close. I like the fact that they could talk about a lot of topics, including silly conversations. They hang out after work, get involved in pranks and some of them are flatmates. The only character I didn't like from the beginning was Jenny, but eventually she warmed up to me. It's a shame that the main cast wasn't there 'till the end, but at least we got two excellent series with them. It's a fun watch, I guess that the young teachers will like it a lot.
Orange Is the New Black (2013)
How a rich white girl sees black and Latino communities in a prison setting
I'm not surprised that this show got such high ratings. After all, Twilight and 50 Shades of Gray had a massive fan base. This show is comfortable, it doesn't challenge anyone's perception of race, crime, prisons and prison personnel etc. Characters are stereotypical and one-dimensional. I've read a few book reviews of Piper Kerman's book, the people say that she doesn't grow as a character and that she writes about other inmates in a dismissive, derogatory way. Apparently there's a lot of name-calling and stereotype reinforcing in her book. Basically, a privileged white girl spent 15 months in jail, learned nothing about the other inmates and after all that, got a book deal and a TV series. It's painfully obvious that prison experience hasn't changed her one bit, seeing that she is the main consultant for this series.
Regarding the TV show - it's fun at times. Kate Mulgrew is fabulous, so are some of the other actors. The main character is annoying and unconvincing. The same goes for her fiancée, on/off girlfriend and best friend. The black inmates are written by someone whose only "contact" with blacks was through comedies like "Don't drink juice in the hood" and blaxploitation flicks. Poussey is shown as a ghetto girl (she acts that way), although she has a dad who was a military figure stationed in Germany for a while, but she acts in a same way as Taystee (who grew up without parents). Prison guard "Pornstache" acts in an inconsistent way (being soft behind his asshole behavior). Pornstache and Fig (regarding the incident with her husband) just serve the purpose of showing how corrupt people in power are and they get their comeuppance in an unlikely way. Fig giving blow job to Caputo and Pornstache falling in love with a woman who he had sex with twice are clearly written for the satisfaction of viewers. Real people do not act this way!
There are a lot of sex scenes. I'm not a prude, but these scenes often serve no purpose. I've rewound many scenes of Piper and Alex as a couple (flashbacks and prison scenes), those were too boring to watch. All in all, if you want cheap entertainment, this is the show for you. It has a few interesting (but not realistic) back stories about some characters and a few fun moments in a prison setting. It had potential to be a lot more, but the uninteresting main character kind of spoils it.
United States of Tara (2009)
Brilliant comedy with the right amount of drama
This show is really fun and interesting in so many ways. Although it got dark towards the end I still enjoyed it, the drama just spiced things up. The comedy wasn't forced and I liked the subplots a lot (life experiences of Tara's kids and her sister).
It's a shame that a show this good got canceled when a lot of mediocre series continue for at least 6 or 7 seasons.
I believe that Tara's condition was portrayed realistically and although the impact it had on her family was devastating at times, at other times it was very funny. The ending was ambiguous, probably because the writers weren't expecting that it would get canceled. It would be better if we got at least one more half-season that would bring closure to the series but TV networks rarely do justice to the intelligent comedies. It's a shame.
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (2009)
Avoid at all costs
Wow, I'm really surprised that this garbage has such high ratings. I guess that it's due to the popularity of Arnett and Cross, if the actors weren't so popular and well-known this show would've probably gotten the ratings it deserves.
I was baited to this show because I'm a huge fan of Arrested Development so I thought that this is going to be a show of similar quality. Boy, was I wrong. Some people wrote that this is similar to South Park, but in South Park toilet humor serves as a plot vehicle and it's not there just for the sake of it. Here, it's just vulgar and pointless, I really cannot grasp that there are people older than 12 who find this funny.
First four episodes were truly dreadful but I decided that I'll watch the show until the end. As the story went on, plot holes were more evident (they're "ironically" summed up at the end by one of the characters - how 'wannabe meta' is that) and the absurdity of the story just got more annoying. Basically there's a lot of urinating and defecating, a lot of cursing. The main character is completely idiotic and unlikeable and this sewage of a show has nothing to do with "British humor". I've seen a lot of British shows and I am a big fan of them but this is nothing like it. It's vulgar, juvenile and most of all - not funny.
The role of Todd Margaret seems like something that Tobias from A. Development (as an aspiring actor) would choose to act. Actually, when you pretend that you live in an AD universe and fantasize that Tobias got his first big role, you can find this show bearable. Otherwise it's better to avoid it.
Pushing Daisies (2007)
Boring piece of garbage
I only watched first four episodes and frankly, I couldn't continue watching. The plot is weak, the concept reminds me of Dead Like Me, with one exception - DLM is actually watchable and entertaining.
Where to start... The characters are not likable and I could not relate to any of them. I've read in some reviews that people like the bright and deep colors and scenery, but I've found it pretty annoying. It seems to me that the writers wanted to do something in DLM style but failed miserably.
Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this show to anyone, it's pure garbage. The plot is weak, characters plain and boring and the premise (although it seems original) gives you the feeling of something chewed up and generic.
Bates Motel (2013)
Interesting character development
I just finished watching the second season and I liked it a lot better than the first. The biggest flaw of this show is that it leads potential viewers to believe that the show is a prequel to Hitchcock's Psycho when it is only loosely based on the movie, meaning that the show takes place in contemporary world. The characters have smart phones, laptops and other modern gadgets. I believe that the show would be a lot better if it kept the original premise (mother-son relationship, mental illness etc.) without references to Psycho. The way the show is made doesn't do justice to the movie nor to itself. I think that the better solution would have been if the show and the characters had different names and that it was clearly stated that the story is loosely based on Psycho ("loosely" being the key word).
In the first season, it seemed that Norman's mother was the one with issues, like sudden outbursts of anger, controlling and manipulative behavior, unhealthy attachment to Norman etc. Later on, it was revealed that Norman suffers from "blackouts" during which he falls in some kind of dissociative state and is capable of committing acts of violence. I mean, it was hinted from the beginning that Norman dissociates but only later on the show it is revealed that he takes the role of his mother during these states of mind. He killed his dad in order to defend his mother and repressed that memory. From that perspective, it seems that his mother's behavior is just a normal response to a problem her son has - she is overprotective but only because she is genuinely concerned about him and his blackouts/dissociation problems.
It seems to me that the writers started the show with the premise of a bad, needy mother who drives her son to lunacy, but as the characters were getting developed, the writers changed perspective and alluded that Norman had psychological problems that were probably triggered by abuse he witnessed as a kid (his dad beating up mom on a regular basis) and he therefore developed an alter ego of his mother, because he always felt that only his mom can protect him from the evils of the outside world so his alter ego avenges all the injustices that his mother suffered. Their relationship is kind of symbiotic, but I can understand that something like that can happen between a parent and a child who are stuck in a situation where they are both victims of psychological and/or physical abuse. Some people are mentally stronger than others and can get out of these situations relatively unharmed and basically sane. The others are not that lucky.
I would conclude that Norman probably had some kind of inherited potential for mental illness and that stressful environment only triggered his disease. I like this premise a lot better than the classic "blaming the mother". In the past, mothers of schizophrenic people were usually blamed by psychiatrists until it was discovered that schizophrenia is caused by genetics. So it seems that the writers started the show with this outdated idea of what causes Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder and later on they embraced a more modern view of the disease.
On the other hand, the show also deals with many subplots that are interesting and intense, I guess I could say that there is something for everyone - a bit of psychology, action, romance, drugs, local politics, different views on a small town society and social differences etc.
Parks and Recreation (2009)
Does not live up to the hype (spoilers)
For starters, I've had big expectations of this show but in the end I was disappointed. First season reminded me of Modern Family (because of the shooting style, camera zooming in and out)and Leslie kind of resembled Phil Dunphy from M. Family. The second season was hilarious, especially the first couple of episodes but basically I've had a lot of laughs during 2nd season.
From 3rd season things started to go downhill and seasons 4, 5 and 6 were just getting worse by each episode. Leslie's character evolved to a control-freaky, clingy, bossy and over the top caring persona in a very annoying way. All the scrap-booking and special gifts for special occasions and basically every day was a special occasion / anniversary of something trivial and mundane just made me think that I would never like to have a friend like that in my life. April became obnoxious although she was my favorite character in the first two seasons. Ann dating Tom was just pointless and unconvincing.
Regarding Ann, she annoyed the hell out of me during her pregnancy, I was kind of relieved when Rashida Jones left the show. Also, Ben and Leslie are not believable as a couple, there's no chemistry between them and often times I felt sorry for Ben as he was constantly bullied by Leslie's overzealous dedication to work. The characters basically became caricatures of themselves. After the Pawnee / Eagleton merger things got too absurd for my taste and I didn't like the new characters. I really don't get why this series got such high ratings and excellent reviews. I give it a 5 because I liked the 2nd season and 'cause it had a few funny moments later on, but even this rating is a bit of a stretch.