Chuck Versus the Goodbye (#1.16)

Wow.  I finished watching the series finale of Chuck about two hours ago and I can't get it out of my mind.  I haven't cried that much since the series finale of Friday Night Lights.  And before that?  Probably the series finale of Lost.  Perhaps you notice a pattern.  Seems like I really only cry for TV shows and especially during finales.  I haven't quite mastered saying goodbye to these friends I've spent years with.  Of course, all shows have to end sometime (except, maybe, The Simpsons), but that doesn't mean goodbye doesn't hurt.  Still, Chuck and Sarah and Casey and Morgan gave me plenty of good times to remember, plenty of laughs to think about and the pain subsides a little.  Here's a raised glass, a toast, and a salute to the show that brought out the inner geek in all of us - Chuck.

Chuck started in 2007, created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak.  Mixing genres left and right, Chuck was funny, romantic, and packed to the gills with action.  Centered around a Buy More (think Best Buy) computer nerd who was suddenly infused with the world's most dangerous and advanced intellectual weapon - the Intersect - Chuck quickly became the origin story every present-day geek would have written for himself.  I used the male pronoun there, but who am I kidding?  I would LOVE to have the Intersect.  Anyway, Chuck (Zachary Levi) is soon courted, falsely, by his CIA handler Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski).  Their fake, cover relationship eventually becomes real and by season five Chuck and Sarah are happily married and looking to quit the spy game and start a family.

And then there's Casey, Morgan, Ellie, Awesome, Jeff, Lester, Big Mike, and Alex to round out this strange, but loving family the Chuck universe has created.  The characters, as with any great series in my opinion, are the foundation that made it worth watching.  They become your friends and your extended family that you choose to spend time with every week.  And it was such a wonderful journey to watch them grow.  Seeing Casey go from trained assassin to caring father.  Being with Ellie and Devon as they became parents.  Learning how smart Jeff could be when he stopped sleeping in his van with the engine running.  All of these discoveries were great because we were with people we loved.

Another of my favorite things about Chuck was its ability to combine so many different types of shows.  It was a romantic comedy and a procedural.  It was an action series and a workplace sitcom.  It had mystery and it had emotion.  I laughed.  I cried (obviously).  I sat on the edge of my seat in suspense.  Through five seasons, Chuck gave the viewers a little bit of everything to enjoy.  And the viewers did what they could to give that joy back.

Now, maybe it didn't always have the biggest fan base.  In five seasons it was on the verge of cancellation after each and every one of them.  But that small fan base, let me tell you, was so loyal and dedicated that every year these people showed NBC that they wanted more Chuck and they wanted it now.  They ate their way through more Subway sandwiches than could be counted and saved the show time and again.  So for this show to have gotten the five years that it did, I can be nothing but grateful.

But I'm still sad it's over.  Because the creators knew this season would be Chuck's last, they were able to provide closure to these fans that loved the show so much.  And although not everyone loved the way the finale left things, I can certainly find some comfort in how it ended.  I don't want to give anything away for those of you who will give this series second-life on DVD, but while the finale was not all rainbows and smiles, it left me with a feeling of hope and, in my mind, I know everything will be okay for Chuck, Sarah, and everyone else.

I love Chuck and I will miss it like crazy for a while.  But someday, I'll pull out the discs and start over from the beginning.  I'll start this adventure again and find new things to love and admire along the way.  Because although it may be gone, Chuck will never be forgotten.


And I still have quite a few things to watch between now and then.

I Won't Back Down (#1.15)

Last night, I went to an event sponsored by the creators of a little program called Cougar Town.  It was a very fun night with the writers and cast and a bunch of journalists looking to learn more about the show and get some interviews.  The reason for the event - briefly - is that every year the Television Critics Association (TCA) hosts panels and screenings for each of the networks to showcase the series they are most excited about, new and old.  This year, Cougar Town was not a part of that conversation, so they decided to help themselves and hosted this party (open bar!).


It was a lot of fun hanging out and meeting new people, but what I came to quickly discover is that I am not a journalist.  I could talk to you and anyone else about television all day.  That's essentially what I did at the event.  I walked around the room, met some new people - cast members, writers, and journalists alike - and spoke with them about TV shows.  It was great!  But getting an "official" interview?  Not so much my strong suit.  Still, it was a good night that I am not likely to forget anytime soon.  This article isn't about me, however.  I am already a regular and committed viewer of Cougar Town, but I know that a lot of other people are not.  This is my plea for you to give this show a chance.

There are many, many, many people who are turned off simply because of the title.  I don't quite understand this logic.  I mean, I can see how at first the title could make a lot of people feel like this would not be a show they'd be interested in.  On that part, I agree.  But lately, there has been a lot of effort on the part of the creators and fans to explain that the title is a very poor reflection of what the show is actually about.  There have even been multiple attempts to possibly change the title altogether, although there were concerns that doing so might confuse the viewers Cougar Town already has.





In an effort to convince you that you really should look past the title, I'm going to stick with the abbreviation CT from here on.  And as Jeff Winger would say, "Look, if you want me to take it seriously, stop saying its name."  The point I am eventually getting to here is that CT actually has nothing to do with cougars - an older woman seeking a much younger man (boy?) for dating purposes, if you were unaware.  It also has nothing to do with the animal cougar, just in case that was also a concern.  CT is, at its essence, a show about a group of middle-aged friends who hang out and drink wine.  They live in a cul-de-sac and they spend time together and they partake of red wine.  It really is that simple.  Maybe in the beginning Jules (Courteney Cox) dated a younger man or two, but then something great happened and the show became more about her support group than her love life.

This support group includes her son Travis (Dan Byrd), her ex-husband/current-friend Bobby (Brian Van Holt), her best friend and neighbor Ellie (Christa Miller), Ellie's husband (and Bobby's best friend) Andy (Ian Gomez), her co-worker and other best friend Laurie (Busy Phillips), and her neighbor-turned-boyfriend Grayson (Josh Hopkins).  Let the shenanigans begin!


Jules can't quite find the boundary of where a proper mother-son relationship ends and a weird one begins.  Bobby lives on a boat that rests in a parking lot.  Ellie and Laurie, despite being Jules' best friends, can't seem to find anything they like about each other.  Grayson makes up fun little songs on his guitar.  Andy and Bobby test the limits of what a bromance really means.  It's relatable, but in a way that is probably a little funnier (and zanier, as I read somewhere) than your real life.

And that may be the most important reason you should give this show a chance - it is really funny!  I sincerely mean that, too.  It hasn't been on in quite some time, but the second season was consistently funny and a show that I looked forward to from week to week.  That is a clear indicator, to me, of how good a show really is.  If every week you can't wait to see it, it must be doing something right!  It is certainly better than a lot of the stuff on TV right now that seems to have viewers entranced.  But the good news is you don't have to take my word for it.  You can and should find out for yourself!


Of the upcoming third season, I have only seen a sizzle reel, but that alone had some very funny stuff in it.  I have heard that this year it will only continue to get better.  And that information comes from a very, very reliable source who knows funny and has had close proximity to the creation of season three so far.  You may have seen her article.

I saw somewhere that when CT finally returns, it could possibly be paired up on a new night with Happy Endings.  This seems like a much better fit than either of these shows with Modern Family (a show with which I am still disappointed) and a night I would certainly make a priority.  Don't watch Happy Endings either?  Who are you?  But really, a CT/HE pairing feels right to me.  They have similar styles that would compliment each other well on a night of comedy relating to friends and the secondary families we create for ourselves.  (Side note: this pairing could potentially also include the new Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, of which I have seen nothing and heard very little, so the jury is still out on what this show will bring to the table.)

Speaking of the return, it would be a lot easier for me to convince you to tune into CT if I knew when you should tune in.  ABC has yet to set an official start date for season three, but I will be sure to keep you updated.  The latest news is that it would return sometime in March.  All this vagueness, though, is certainly troubling to the creative forces behind the show who have taken it upon themselves to build awareness and keep fans informed and excited for the upcoming premiere.  How so?  Well, that event I attended last night was organized (and paid for) by the show's creators, Bill Lawrence (yes, he also created Scrubs) and Kevin Biegel, without the outside help of the network.  What better way to raise awareness of the show than by hosting a party for TV reporters and bloggers?


Additionally, the creators, cast, and writers have begun hosting viewing parties all across the US in order to give fans a taste of what's to come this season.  So far, these viewing parties have been held in places like Louisville, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Sarasota, Chicago, San Diego, and others, with still more on the horizon.  At each screening, at least one writer and one cast member are in attendance to greet the fans (who have gotten their tickets via social media contests) and hang out while a couple of new, unaired episodes are screened.  I had a last-minute opportunity to attend one of these in LA, but couldn't make it work.  I heard it was a blast, though!  Follow Bill Lawrence on Twitter (@VDOOZER) or check out his fan page on Facebook for your chance to attend one of these parties.

To me, the fact that these people are fighting and working so hard for their show means that they must really believe in it.  These viewing parties and events are not something mandated in their contracts.  This doesn't seem to be just another job to them.  These writers and cast members really love the work they are doing.  They want it to succeed not for their own sake, but because it truly is a great and funny show that people would love, if they just gave it a real chance.  I know this to be true especially because I spent my evening yesterday talking to these writers and cast members.  They love CT, hell, Cougar Town, despite its unfortunate name and the fact that it was dismissed by many before it had even begun.


So, like those who go to work every day for the cul-de-sac crew, I urge you to take thirty minutes on a yet-undetermined evening in March to see what all this fuss is about.  Turn on your televisions and set your DVRs to visit Cougar Town.  If you're still not interested, I will try to understand, but I think those of you who have yet to check it out will be in for one hell of a pleasant surprise.  And those of you who have been anxiously awaiting another round of drinks with Big Carl or another game of Penny Can, the time has almost come.  Just be patient.  It will certainly be worth the wait.


Now, everybody tell me your favorite thing about Cougar Town!

Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning (#1.14)

30 ROCK IS BACK!!!

I can't contain my excitement anymore!  Although there are still no return dates for my beloved Community or Cougar Town, I can't help but be jazzed for new 30 Rock next week.

30 Rock is one of my favorite, and one of the best comedies on TV.  I am so happy with NBC for allowing this show to get to its 6th season, despite sometimes pretty low viewership ratings (although, of course, I'm still unhappy with NBC for other reasons - #SixSeasonsAndAMovie).

If you have never seen 30 Rock and don't watch the Emmy's and haven't read Tina Fey's book, Bossypants, and don't watch or pay attention to comedy television (why are you reading this?), then I can tell you that 30 Rock takes place in the backstage world of a TV sketch comedy show, similar to Saturday Night Live.  It revolves around the lives of these coworkers - Jack, the executive (Alec Baldwin); Liz, the writer (Tina Fey); Jenna, the diva performer (Jane Krakowski); Tracy, the diva performer, male category (Tracy Morgan); Kenneth, the page (Jack McBrayer); and various other members of the cast and crew of TGS with Tracy Jordan.

One of the things I love most about 30 Rock, is its fearlessness.  They did a live episode.  They've done an episode filmed entirely as if it were a reality show about Tracy's wife, Angie, in "Queen of Jordan."  They aren't afraid to play with the format of the story-telling and it totally works for me.  30 Rock has characters named Dr. Spaceman, Jeffrey Weinerslav, Wesley Snipes, D'Fwan, and the new Hazel Whatshername.  They don't hesitate to include strange story-lines about Liz shouting at the Moon with Buzz Aldrin and Jenna dating a man who moonlights as a cross-dressing version of her.  It's this courageousness that makes 30 Rock unique in today's comedy landscape.

Additionally, 30 Rock is supremely well-acted.  Just ask the 5 wins and 34 nominations in  acting categories for the Emmy Awards.  Everyone on this show is great and despite the off-screen drama surrounding the likes of Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan, they always deliver when they are on-screen.  Particularly the guest stars - which account for a nice chunk of the nominations listed above - are phenomenal.  They may only be in an episode or two, but that doesn't make their performances any less wonderful.

The writing is great, too, but I would expect nothing less from a team headed by Tina Fey.  If you don't know me, then you don't know that I absolutely worship her.  And that I was reduced to a speechless puddle when she signed my copy of her book on my birthday last year.  The point I'm trying to make is that there are a slew of other Emmy nominations and wins for the writing, as well.

Now, you might be thinking, "But what do the Emmys know?!"  And in general, I will agree that they sometimes get it wrong and make me angry (I'm sure I will devote an entire post to this anger come nomination time).  But in this case, their nominations and  awards for 30 Rock's excellence hit the nail on the head.

Anyway, I hadn't really thought too much about the return of 30 Rock this winter - my DVR takes care of me so I don't have to remember the millions of dates - and then Entertainment Weekly posted a preview video today and a short article with an unbelievable fact: 244 days have passed since the last new episode of 30 Rock.


Watch that preview video here:

Now, are you as excited as I am?  30 Rock has always had great guest stars - Will Arnett, Steve Buschemi, Elaine Stritch, Jon Hamm, Steve Martin, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Matt Damon, Carrie Fisher, etc. (I could seriously continue for a while) - but the addition of Kristen Schaal to the regular cast has made me one happy camper.  If you're not familiar with Schaal, shame on you!  But really, you should check her out in The Flight of the Conchords (also, because that show is great).

Plus, there is the addition of James Marsden this season, unfortunately for a limited time, that also has me pretty pumped.




I began this post thinking I'd simply highlight the shows making their winter premiere, and instead I wrote a little love letter to 30 Rock.  That's alright.  There is plenty more I could say on the subject, of course, but I'll leave it here for now.


Are you as excited as I am for the sixth season of 30 Rock?  And what other shows are you looking forward to seeing again this winter?






30 Rock returns Thursday, January 12 at 8:00pm.