Thursday, January 30, 2014
Antenna TV Kicks Off with Flying Nun on Super Bowl Sunday; Episodic Review: Parks and Recreation - "Ann and Chris" Airing Tonight on NBC
On the next...Parks and Recreation (NBC, Thur 8:30pm):
By: Skees
NBC's Thursday night comedy starring Amy Poehler airs at 8:30pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (January 30). In the episode airing tonight, "Ann and Chris," on Ann (Rashida Jones) and Chris's (Rob Lowe) last night in Pawnee, Leslie (Amy Poehler) throws a grand farewell party and attempts to fulfill one last promise. Meanwhile, Tom (Aziz Ansari), Ben (Adam Scott), Ron (Nick Offerman) and Andy (Chris Pratt) struggle to find the perfect going away gift for Chris.
In "Ann and Chris," a bittersweet day has arrived in Pawnee. Ann and Chris are about to leave Pawnee for good and head north to Michigan. But before this can happen, Leslie is determined to make sure that they get the proper send-off. After all, Ann is Leslie's best friend and she can't let her best friend leave without doing something special for her. It is at this point that we're reminded of how Ann and Leslie met, through flashbacks to the pilot episode, when Ann wanted a giant hole next to her home filled, and Leslie promised to build a park on that land. Now, all these years later, that hole is still there, and Leslie is determined to make good on that promise in the few hours remaining before Ann leaves. Meanwhile, at the farewell party, Chris is leaving and has great gifts for everybody... unfortunately, the gifts that are given to him are woefully disappointing in comparison, leaving everybody scrambling to do something better for him before it is too late.
It is a bit sad to see these two characters leaving the series. Ann has been an important part of the series since the very beginning, and although Chris didn't come in until the end of the second season, he has also become a very important part of the series. It is one thing to see one major character leave a series, but much more for two to leave at the same time. Sadly, I feel like the exit of these two characters from the series came with an episode that wasn't quite up to the Parks and Recreation standards. The episode seemed to somewhat drag on without much of a story aside from "Ann and Chris are leaving." I did, however, enjoy how they brought the series back to the promise that Leslie made to Ann in the very first episode. It seems that story somewhat faded into our memories over the years, but Leslie finally did make good on that promise. As for the series itself, if it can withstand the ratings slump it has been in (and it appears that NBC has given it a vote of confidence that it will, something that I'm very happy to hear), I think that the series can carry on just fine with the remaining cast and perhaps some new players, but I hope that they don't try to artificially fill the roles of Ann and Chris with Ann and Chris clones (as so many series do when a cast member leaves). B-
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Thursday, March 12
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - "A Big Birthday and Tequila Shots" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mandy struggles to celebrate Georgie’s 21st birthday after hitting a rough patch in her career.
Ghosts - "St. Hetty’s Day 2: The Help" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
A St. Patrick’s Day staffing emergency gives Hetty the chance to step into an unlikely role at the restaurant as she regains her once-a-year ability to be seen and heard by the living. Meanwhile, Kyle returns to watch over the ghosts and finds himself caught in an amusing supernatural dynamic.
Animal Control - "Squirrels and Fat Cats" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Frank uncovers Emily and Shred's secret romance during a break-in at city supply; Victoria and Patel confront his daughter's school bully.
Going Dutch - "Tinker, Tailor, Colonel, Spy" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Rick takes a sabbatical from the CIA and returns to the base, hoping to rekindle his strained relationship with Capt. Maggie; paranoia runs high when a mole is suspected to be operating inside the base.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 9)
Thursday, March 12
- Will Forte (The Four Seasons/HouseBroken/MacGruber/The Last Man on Earth/The Cleveland Show) - Catch Will on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Minnie Driver (Emily in Paris/Speechless/About a Boy) - Minnie is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Wanda at Large) - Wanda appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Robert stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Kristin Chenoweth (Stumble/Trial & Error/Kristin) - Kristin is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jennifer Tilly (Out of Practice) - Andy Cohen interviews Jennifer on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
- Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan talks about Broadway's Death of a Salesman with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Ariana DeBose (Schmigadoon!) - Ariana joins Tamron to talk about her fashion evolution and her role in the all-star cast of the new series Scarpetta on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Lauren Graham (The Z-Suite/M.Y.O.B./Conrad Bloom/Townies/Good Company) - Lauren talks about Reminders of Him on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Cafe Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - NBC's Today catches up with Valerie in the 10am hour.
- Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) - Phil and Lily Rosenthal join Drew for a taste test of weird foods and talk about their children's book Just Try It! Someplace New! (A Phil & Lil Book) on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
09/30 - Touché Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season (DVD)
10/14 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
10/28 - St. Denis Medical - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/04 - Happy's Place - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/11 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fifteenth Season (DVD)
11/11 - Two and a Half Men - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/02 - Tom and Jerry - The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
12/16 - Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/16 - Wally Gator - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
01/20 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
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