Friday, November 03, 2017
Fri-Yay: The Best Show You Aren't Watching; Baskets Returns Jan. 23 on FX
by Vincent
Of all of the shows on TV right now, the one I look forward to the most may be Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is one of (if not the?) funniest show on television, stringing together lines of dialogue capable of standing with classic Simpsons episodes or 30 Rock when it comes to all-time great comedy writing. Even if it were just a funny sitcom, it'd be one of the very best shows on TV. However, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has elevated itself not just as a funny sitcom but also as a genuinely deep and dark look into the reality of life with an untreated mental illness - and in its third season (the show's darkest yet), it's better and bolder than ever.
On the surface, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend could easily look like a careless series that makes fun of a mentally ill woman and makes her the butt of the joke. Its title, while meant to be ironic, can certainly give off that vibe. And when it premiered, many critics feared that was exactly what it was. But over the course of its flawless first season, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend proved that it takes its heroine Rebecca Bunch's problems very seriously. The show would often portray her at her lowest (most notably during the heart wrenching musical number "You Stupid Bitch", in which Rebecca tells herself "you ruined everything, you stupid bitch" over and over.) Over the course of the rest of the series, the show would portray Rebecca as trying to use various new goals and new personas to escape the reality of her mental illness and depression.
I won't spoil anything, but events transpired at the end of the second season of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend that have made Season 3 the darkest season yet, dealing with Rebecca's issues head on. Yes, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a hilarious show - but honestly, I haven't been on the edge of my seat with dread and anticipation this much with a TV show since Breaking Bad. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is like a funnier, more musical version of Breaking Bad, and it's the best show you aren't watching.
Yippie Kie Yay! The third season of Baskets, the acclaimed comedy series starring Zach Galifianakis, will return to FX on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at 10 PM ET/PT. Nothing brings a family together like a family business - or at least that was the plan. Welcome to the Baskets Family Rodeo, where Christine is the President and CEO despite never having seen a rodeo before. Chip has his first full-time gig since Arby's, but can barely transfer a phone call, let alone recruit much-needed clowns. And even though Dale is the only one in the family who has run a business, he can't get anyone to listen to him - his family, the employees, or the horses.
Baskets was co-created by Executive Producers Jonathan Krisel (Emmy(R) Award-nominated writer and director, Portlandia, Saturday Night Live, Man Seeking Woman), Louis C.K. (Emmy Award-winner, Louie), and Zach Galifianakis (Emmy Award-winner, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis; Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); The Hangover and its sequels). M. Blair Breard, Dave Becky, Marc Gurvitz, Andrea Pett-Joseph, and Anna Dokoza are also Executive Producers. The series is produced by FX Productions.
The cast of Baskets features Zach Galifianakis as twins "Chip & Dale Baskets," Louie Anderson as "Christine Baskets" (Primetime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, Baskets, and two-time Daytime Emmy winner for Outstanding Performer in an animated Program, Life with Louie and The Louie Show), and Martha Kelly as "Martha."
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Tuesday, August 5
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 4)
Tuesday, August 5
- Anthony Anderson (black-ish/Guys with Kids/All About the Andersons) - Anthony guest hosts a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Bill Hader (Barry) - Bill stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Brittany Snow (Ben and Kate) - Brittany appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Kat Sadler (Such Brave Girls) and Lizzie Davidson (Such Brave Girls) - Kat and Lizzie are guests on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing), Gillian Jacobs (Love/Community) and Kurt Braunohler (Bob's Burgers) - Pete, Gillian and Kurt are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Alison Brie (Community/GLOW) and Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb) - Alison and Dave are guests on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 11pm on Bravo.
- Tony Hale (Veep/Arrested Development) - Tony talks about Sketch on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Anna Chlumsky (Veep) - Anna stops by Live with Kelly and Mark to chat about Smoke, so check your local listings.
- Bowen Yang (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens) - Bowen talks about the Las Culturistas Culture Awards sometime between 7-9am and will also be on in the 9am hour on NBC's Today.
- Matt Rogers (No Good Deed/I Love That for You) - Matt co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) - Chris talks about The Terminal List: Dark Wolf on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland/Café Americain/Sydney/One Day at a Time) - Valerie appears on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (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)
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