Best Episode of the Season: The League Season 5

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Season Analysis: The League is no longer just about fantasy football (not that it ever really was), and Season 5 was at its best when it most purposefully broke away from its normal routine.

RafiDirtyRandy

“Rafi and Dirty Randy”
“Rafi and Dirty Randy” has the structure of a backdoor pilot, insofar as it focuses on a couple of ancillary characters removed from the show’s regular action. It begins with a connection to the main characters, with Rafi stealing Kevin’s car for his and Dirty Randy’s trip of vengeance to L.A. But this is a nightmare version of a backdoor pilot. While this episode certainly piqued my interest enough to get me to check out a theoretical Rafi & Dirty Randy series, I do not think that was ever the intention. Maybe this was an actual backdoor pilot in an alternate universe in which psychopathic logic such as “take care of it” meaning “set it on fire” is the normal logic of FXX characters. Although, come to think of it, the characters on The League, and of course It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as well, have various degrees of psychopathy. So, come on FXX, let’s get on a spinoff of The League’s two best side characters! Jason Mantzoukas is ready to be a star!

Fuse Top 20 Countdown – 7/1/14

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Each week, I check out FUSE’s Top 20 countdown, and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Ed Sheeran ft. Pharrell – “Sing”
2. Sam Smith – “Stay With Me”
3. Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – “Problem”
4. Nico & Vinz – “Am I Wrong”
5. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX – “Fancy”
6. Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg – “Wiggle”
7. Charli XCX – “Boom Clap”
8. Calvin Harris – “Summer”
9. Disclosure ft. Sam Smith – “Latch”
10. Pharrell – “Happy”
11. DJ Snake & Lil’ Jon – “Turn Down For What”
12. John Legend – “All of Me”
13. Paramore – “Ain’t It Fun”
14. OneRepublic – “Love Runs Out”
15. 5 Seconds of Summer – “She Looks So Perfect”
16. MKTO – “Classic”
17. Sia – “Chandelier”
18. Kongos – “Come With Me Now”
19. Rixton – “Me and My Broken Heart”
20. Nicki Minaj – “Pills N Potions”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Chandelier
2. Summer
3. Fancy
4. Happy
5. Come With Me Now
6. Latch
7. Turn Down For What
8. Stay With Me
9. Am I Wrong
10. Ain’t It Fun
11. Boom Clap
12. Problem
13. Love Runs Out
14. Sing
15. All of Me
16. Pills N Potions
17. Wiggle
18. She Looks So Perfect
19. Classic
20. Me and My Broken Heart

2014 Emmy Nominations Preview: What If There Were a Sketch/Alternative Category?

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Recently, Comedy Bang! Bang! creator Scott Aukerman penned an op-ed directed to the TV Academy asking for the potential creation of a new Emmy category.  As it stands now, the Outstanding Variety Series is a catch-all that includes late night talk shows, sketch series, and most other breeds of comedy programs that do not fit in the Comedy Series field.  This category’s nominees are almost invariably filled by late night talk shows (and Saturday Night Live).  Aukerman proposes that, in light of the recent boom of critically acclaimed sketch and alternative comedy series, Variety Series be split into two categories: variety/talk program and sketch/alternative program.  If that split existed, what nominees would I be calling for this year in the Outstanding Sketch/Alternative Series category?  And would there be enough candidates to fill up four new acting categories: Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress in a Sketch or Alternative Program?  Or would there just be one or two acting categories?  Or would the performers, somewhat ill-fittingly, remain in the Comedy performing fields?

Here are the sketch/alternative nominees that would make my wishlist:

CBB-VAN

Sketch/Alternative Series
Comedy Bang! Bang!
Key and Peele
The Eric André Show
Kroll Show
Inside Amy Schumer
Portlandia

EricAndre_BirdUp

Lead Actor
Eric André, The Eric André Show
Keegan Michael-Key/Jordan Peele, Key and Peele
Nick Kroll, Kroll Show
Scott Aukerman, Comedy Bang! Bang!
Nathan Fielder, Nathan for You

Inside Amy Schumer -- Screengrab from exclusive EW.com clip.

Lead Actress
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
Carrie Brownstein, Portlandia

comedy-bang-bang-episode-9-reggie-watts

Supporting Actor
Reggie Watts, Comedy Bang! Bang!
Kyle Mooney, Saturday Night Live
Hannibal Burress, The Eric André Show
Taran Killam, Saturday Night Live
Beck Bennett, Saturday Night Live
Tim Kalpakis, The Birthday Boys

Aidy-Bryant

Supporting Actress
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live

Looking over the makeup of the acting categories, I think I would advocate for a single Sketch/Alternative Performer category, or a split of Sketch/Alternative Actor and Sketch/Alternative Actress.

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