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
Friday, July 26
The Conners - "Keep on Truckin'" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.
The Conners - "Tangled Up in Blue" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Darlene gets one surprise after another when David introduces his girlfriend at a parent-teacher conference and mentions that Mark & Harris will be spending the weekend with them.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 22)
Friday, July 26
- Nick Jonas (Jonas) - Watch Nick on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) - Michael appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie), Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Burning Love/Reno 911!) and Aparna Nancherla (Corporate) - Sasheer, Joe and Aparna are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jennie Garth (Mystery Girls/What I Like About You) - Jennie chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. NBC's Today catches up with Jennie in the 10am hour.
- Marcus Scribner (grown-ish/black-ish) - Marcus talks about his coming-of-age film How I Learned to Fly on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Delroy Lindo (UnPrisoned) - Delroy talks about UnPrisoned on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Dylan Sprouse (The Suite Life on Deck/The Suite Life of Zack & Cody/Grace Under Fire) - Dylan talks about Lionsgate's The Duel on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season / The Complete Series
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
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