What Won TV? – November 22-November 28, 2015

November 30, 2015

jmunney Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment

In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

Grinder108

Sunday – I’m thankful for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
Monday – I’m thankful for Fargo.
Tuesday – I’m thankful for The Grinder (and also the Carl Sagan-Ann Druyan segment of Drunk History).
Wednesday – I’m thankful for Jeopardy!
Thursday – I’m thankful for Jeopardy!
Friday – I’m thankful for Jeopardy!
Saturday – I’m thankful for Doctor Who.

VH1’s The 20 – 11/28/15

November 28, 2015

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown, VH1's The 20 7 Comments

Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Drake – “Hotline Bling”
2. Shawn Mendes – “Stitches”
3. Ellie Goulding – “On My Mind”
4. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s”
5. Alessia Cara – “Here”
6. X Ambassadors – “Renegades”
7. Taylor Swift – “Wildest Dreams”
8. Selena Gomez – “Same Old Love”
9. Adele – “Hello”
10. Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend – “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
11. Demi Lovato – “Confident”
12. The Weeknd – “The Hills”
13. Pentatonix – “Can’t Sleep Love”
14. DNCE – “Cake by the Ocean”
15. Rudimental ft. Ed Sheeran – “Lay It All on Me”
16. Conrad Sewell – “Hold Me Up”
17. Justin Bieber – “What Do You Mean”
18. One Direction – “Perfect”
19. Gwen Stefani – “Used to Love You”
20. Rachel Platten – “Stand by You”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. The Hills
2. Hello
3. Same Old Love
4. Ex’s & Oh’s
5. Renegades
6. Hold Me Up
7. Confident
8. Here
9. On My Mind
10. What Do You Mean?
11. Lay It All on Me
12. Hotline Bling
13. Used to Love You
14. Stand by You
15. Cake by the Ocean
16. Wildest Dreams
17. Perfect
18. Can’t Sleep Love
19. Stitches
20. Like I’m Gonna Lose You

SNL Recap November 21, 2015: Matthew McConaughey/Adele

November 22, 2015

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SNL: Adele, Matthew McConaughey, Cecily Strong (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in November 2015.

Matthew McConaughey has two different, but ultimately complementary reputations. The first is of the ultimately chill dude. Up until about four years, that translated into meaning he would rather play the bongos naked than get down to work. But now, in a post-McConaissance world, he is known more for his commitment to challenging and unusual roles. That mix of mellow and focused is perfect for an “SNL” host, and it may very well be enough to overcome any bad memories from his unforgettable first stint in 2003. (Musical guest Adele, meanwhile, had an excellent “SNL” debut, and the only bad memory is the near-decade it has taken her to return.) Oddly (or predictably) enough, this episode is marked by the Syrian Refugee Crisis, which figures in seemingly every sketch of the night.

Fox & Friends – The latest cold opening with the Fox News morning crew remains relatively focused, perhaps because the conservative fearmongering related to refugees has no limit. The hosts check in once again with Kate McKinnon as no-BS DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who throws in some hack comedy (Florida is where Cubans escape communism, Guatemalans escape the drug trade, and old people escape winter) to mark her territory. Ben Carson also drops in, with Jay Pharoah continuing to pull the faux-enraged shtick, which is still relevant. Overall, this routine of fools is “SNL’s” safest bet, though not its ceiling, for political yuks. B-

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What Won TV? – November 15-November 21, 2015

November 22, 2015

jmunney Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment

In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

WhatIsAleve

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – Fargo: The Nick Offerman Showcase Episode
Tuesday – The Grinder
Wednesday – You’re the Worst (Honorable Mention: Rad’s parking garage misadventures on Moonbeam City)
Thursday – Nathan for You (though Comedy Bang! Bang! was plenty topsy-turvy)
Friday – Alex Jacob cementing his place in the Jeopardy! pantheon
Saturday – SN-Adele

VH1’s The 20 – 11/21/15

November 21, 2015

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown, VH1's The 20 2 Comments

Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Shawn Mendes – “Stitches”
2. Drake – “Hotline Bling”
3. Taylor Swift – “Wildest Dreams”
4. Ellie Goulding – “On My Mind”
5. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s”
6. The Weeknd – “The Hills”
7. X Ambassadors – “Renegades”
8. Alessia Cara – “Here”
9. Selena Gomez – “Same Old Love”
10. One Direction – “Drag Me Down”
11. Justin Bieber – “What Do You Mean?”
12. Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend – “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
13. Demi Lovato – “Confident”
14. Adele – “Hello”
15. Pentatonix – “Can’t Sleep Love”
16. Calvin Harris & Disciples – “How Deep Is Your Love”
17. Conrad Sewell – “Hold Me Up”
18. DNCE – “Cake by the Ocean”
19. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, and Grandmaster Caz – “Downtown”
20. Gwen Stefani – “Used to Love You”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. The Hills
2. Hello
3. Same Old Love
4. Downtown
5. Ex’s & Oh’s
6. Renegades
7. Hold Me Up
8. Confident
9. Here
10. On My Mind
11. What Do You Mean?
12. Hotline Bling
13. Used to Love You
14. Drag Me Down
15. Cake by the Ocean
16. Wildest Dreams
17. How Deep is Your Love
18. Can’t Sleep Love
19. Stitches
20. Like I’m Gonna Lose You

The Middle 7.8 – “Thanksgiving VII”

November 19, 2015

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Mike can do something over there while Brick reads. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/11/19/the-middle-season-7-episode-8-recap-th

The Muppets 1.8 – “Too Hot to Handler”

November 18, 2015

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“Mm. Boy toy.” http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/11/18/the-muppets-season-1-episode-8-recap-c

SNL November 14, 2015 Recap: Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure

November 15, 2015

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SNL: Disclosure, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Jones, Sam Smith, Lorde (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in November 2015.

“SNL” often responds to its most controversial outings in subsequent episodes, but the Donald Trump spectacle is nary mentioned at all a week later, save for a quick hit on Weekend Update. And this is for the best, because Elizabeth Banks shall not be overshadowed. She has been a deserving host for at least a decade, and in her debut, she puts on a showcase monologue, and then she fades into the ensemble for an episode that is all over the place. Meanwhile, musical guest Disclosure makes it a party by inviting their friends Lorde and Sam Smith.

In lieu of an opening sketch, “SNL” acknowledged the terrorist attack at Paris’ Bataclan Concert Hall with Cecily Strong stating a message of solidarity in both English and French.

Elizabeth Banks’ Monologue (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – “Catching the directing bug” is a simplistic premise, and musical monologues are overdone, but Elizabeth Banks uses the setup to show off her personality – the wisest direction to go when making your “SNL” hosting debut. The flourishes that she adds by taking the reins away from Don Roy King are just weird and edgy enough to start this episode off with some individuality. She is a lady in control, unafraid to demand diversity and make hacky tricks like green screen and star wipes work like gangbusters. B+

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What Won TV? – November 8-November 14, 2015

November 15, 2015

jmunney Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment

In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

NathanForYouAgain

Sunday – Bob’s Burgers
Monday – Fargo
Tuesday – Fresh Off the Boat
Wednesday – Arrow
Thursday – Nathan for You, with the new theatrical sensation
Friday – Jeopardy!
Saturday – Saturday Night Live, on which (Somebody’s got to say it!) Bruce Chandling spilled his guts yet again

VH1’s The 20 – 11/14/15

November 14, 2015

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown Leave a comment

Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Shawn Mendes – “Stitches”
2. Taylor Swift – “Wildest Dreams”
3. The Weeknd – “The Hills”
4. Drake – “Hotline Bling”
5. One Direction – “Drag Me Down”
6. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s”
7. Justin Bieber – “What Do You Mean?”
8. X Ambassadors – “Renegades”
9. Ellie Goulding – “On My Mind”
10. Alessia Cara – “Here”
11. Selena Gomez – “Same Old Love”
12. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, and Grandmaster Caz – “Downtown”
13. R. City ft. Adam Levine – “Locked Away”
14. Calvin Harris & Disciples – “How Deep Is Your Love”
15. Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend – “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
16. Demi Lovato – “Confident”
17. Adele – “Hello”
18. Hailee Steinfeld – “Love Myself”
19. Pentatonix – “Can’t Sleep Love”
20. Conrad Sewell – “Hold Me Up”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. The Hills
2. Hello
3. Same Old Love
4. Downtown
5. Ex’s & Oh’s
6. Renegades
7. Confident
8. Hold Me Up
9. Here
10. On My Mind
11. What Do You Mean?
12. Hotline Bling
13. Drag Me Down
14. Wildest Dreams
15. Love Myself
16. How Deep is Your Love
17. Can’t Sleep Love
18. Stitches
19. Like I’m Gonna Lose You
20. Locked Away

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