Friday, July 06, 2018
Fri-Yay: GLOW Remains Delightful in Its 2nd Season; Ricky Gervais Gets After Life on Netflix
by Vincent
GLOW was one of the biggest delights of last summer, arriving in the doldrums of June to become one of the best and funniest shows of the year. With a stacked cast, an intriguing premise, excellent writing and lovable characters, it was the type of show I binged through immediately, wanting more. Now, a year later, I've finally gotten more - and it doesn't disappoint. Season 2 of GLOW is just as entertaining, fun to watch and genuinely great as the first season, and deepens its characters and world in excellent ways.
GLOW comes from the creator of Orange is the New Black, Jenji Kohan. That was obvious from the very first episode, as the show has a diverse group of female characters from very different backgrounds. But I felt the Orange connection even more strongly in Season 2, as the show delves into the backstory and personal lives of its characters even more than it did in Season 1. We really see these women for who they are beyond their stereotypical G.L.O.W characters, and it makes the show's world all the more rich and inviting. Add that to the fact that the show has largely figured out its comic rhythm, and you have an excellent, consistently strong season of television.
There are a couple of faults I found with the second season of the show - the first season was tightly structured around the filming of the G.L.O.W pilot and length everyone goes to in order to make sure it works. The second season loses a little bit of that structure by shifting to covering the show week-to-week, although in a way, that loose structure is what allows it to delve more deeply into its characters. The other major criticism I had of the season was that it focused a bit too much on Marc Maron's Sam and not enough on the ladies of GLOW, who are all incredibly interesting and deserve to be more of the center of attention. Maron is great as Sam, but his character is kind of prickly and not super likable, and not someone I've found myself sympathizing with very often. On the other hand, the women of GLOW, even when they're being unlikable, still find a way to work their way into your hearts. If GLOW gets a third season (and it seems to be do well for Netflix at least judging by the buzz around it that I've seen), I'd like to see the focus dialed even more on the cast and less on the male producers. But that's a minor gripe with an overall excellent season of television, and a great choice for summer TV marathoning.
Casting is confirmed on After Life, the new Netflix original comedy series from Ricky Gervais. Production is also underway on After Life, a Netflix original series from Creator, Executive Producer and Director, Ricky Gervais. The series stars Ricky Gervais alongside Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey, Doctor Who), David Bradley (The Harry Potter series, Game of Thrones), Ashley Jensen (Extras), Tom Basden (Plebs, David Brent: Life On The Road), Tony Way (Edge of Tomorrow), David Earl (Cemetery Junction, Derek), Joe Wilkinson (Him and Her), Kerry Godliman (Derek), Mandeep Dhillon, Jo Hartley, Roisin Conaty and Diane Morgan (David Brent: Life On The Road). In the series, Tony (Ricky Gervais) had a perfect life. But after his wife Lisa suddenly dies, Tony changes. After contemplating taking his own life, he decides instead to live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes from now on. He thinks it's like a Super Power - not caring about himself or anyone else - but it turns out to be tricky when everyone is trying to save the nice guy they used to know. 6 episodes have been ordered, but no premiere date just yet. Stay tuned.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Monday, September 25
Son of a Critch - "Particip-action" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Mark is forced to participate in the school's Sports Day; Fox fights for her mother's attention and attempts to break the school record for gold medals.
Run the Burbs - "Li Xi" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT)
As they celebrate Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Andrew worries about his parents' relationship; Camille pitches her business to Andrew's mother; the kids get into trouble with their business startup.
Children Ruin Everything - "Dignity" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Following embarrassing run-ins with her boss and co-workers, Astrid feels on the back foot and disconnected from her younger co-workers; Astrid realizes her best move might be to attend a drink night with the rest of her team.
American Dad! - "Productive Panic" (TBS, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Francine becomes an overnight sensation when a famous art dealer discovers her homemade pottery.
Breeders - "No Matter What: Part Two" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Jackie's health is continuing to worsen; Paul helps out a distressed Luke but finds himself in more conflict with Ally; at Baby Jay's naming party, Ava declares her love, and Paul makes an offer that will take him and Ally back in time.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 25)
Monday, September 25
- Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Watch Eddie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place/Barry) - D'Arcy is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Idris Elba (Turn Up Charlie) - Idris appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) - Aubrey is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Wilmer Valderrama (That '70s Show) - Wilmer appears on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Woody Harrelson (Cheers) - Woody is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Jon Lovitz (Mr. Box Office/NewsRadio/Foley Square) - Jon is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
- Kelly Ripa (Hope & Faith) and Mark Consuelos (Alpha House/Hope & Faith) - E! News has interviews with Kelly and Mark at 11pm on E!.
- Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Guys with Kids/Entourage) - Jamie-Lynn appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 3:30am on Bravo.
- Kerry Washington (Unprisoned) - Kerry talks about her new book Thicker than Water: A Memoir on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Punkie Johnson (After Life) - Punkie talks about her podcast Love Thang with Punkie Johnson on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about her Big Boss album and tour on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (June-October)
06/13 - Mayberry R.F.D. - The Complete Series
06/13 - Night Court (1984-1992) - The Complete Series
07/18 - South Park - Seasons 21-25 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
07/25 - The Neighborhood - Season Five
07/25 - Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin - Season One
07/25 - Superstore - The Complete Series
08/22 - Back to Life - Season 1 / Season 2
08/29 - Smiling Friends - Season 1 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
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