There are no jeggings. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/11/11/the-muppets-season-1-episode-7-recap-e
The Muppets 1.7: “Pig’s in a Blackout”
November 11, 2015
Muppets (2015 TV Series), Muppets Episode Reviews, Television Jason Bateman, Pig's in a Blackout, Rainbow Connection, The Muppets, The Muppets 107, The Muppets Season 1 Leave a comment
What Won TV? – November 1-November 7, 2015
November 9, 2015
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.

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and hopefully you voted (if you had someone good to vote for)
Monday – Fargo
Tuesday – The Grinder
Wednesday – You’re the Worst
Thursday – Nathan for You
Friday – Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories, featuring indelible characters like Bobby Bologna and Mama Pantone
Saturday – Doctor Who
SNL with Donald Trump Postscript
November 9, 2015
Saturday Night Live, Television Donald Trump, Drake, Drunk Uncle, Hotline Bling, Michael Che, Mr. Crocker, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4104, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL Ex Porn Stars, Toots Leave a comment
There were several successful sketches on the latest episode of SNL (read my review here), but it is hard to embrace them, as they came at the expense of giving Donald Trump a platform. Considering that much of the episode played off of his personality and controversy, I am torn, as the good bits may have never even been pitched in the first place if he had not been there. Could the best moments have happened in any other episode? Here is a rundown of the top sketches, listed in order from most reliant to least reliant on Trump’s presence.
1. Weekend Update – Update was probably written independently of Trump’s direct influence, though he did figure in the material. That would have likely been the case anyway, as a matter of the political news cycle, but Trump actually being there probably did light a fire under Michael Che.
2. Toots – The fact that such a non-Top 40 band as Toots and the Maytals was the musical guest the last time Trump hosted was mostly a matter of bizarre randomness. Kenan appearing as Toots was not about Trump so much as it was about something that Trump happened to be present at. This bit could have been utilized in 2 weeks when Matthew McConaughey host if the Maytals had been on when he last hosted in 2003.
3. Drunk Uncle – Bobby Moynihan’s signature character still could have been introduced as “Trump’s #1 Fan” on any other episode.
4. Ex-Porn Stars – The low-rent co-opting of luxury in these sketches works insofar as the brand being advertised isn’t actually present, so Trump’s appearance actually didn’t really make sense.
5. Mr. Crocker – The head of Startraxxx Productions felt like a role designed for Kyle Mooney. It had a blowhard quality that fit Trump, but it needed someone weirder to really work.
6. Hotline Bling – The joke of awkward middle-aged men dancing alongside Drake worked without Trump showing up – he was just slotted in that so that he’d have something to do.
VH1’s The 20 – 11/7/15
November 9, 2015
Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown, VH1's The 20 VH1's The 20 Leave a comment
(Sorry for the late posting. I was on vacation over the weekend.)
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.
This week, “You Oughta Know” artists are featured.
Original Version
1. Sam Smith – “Writing’s on the Wall” (Class of 2014)
2. X Ambassadors – “Renegades” (Class of 2015)
3. Miguel – “Waves” (Class of 2015)
4. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s” (Class of 2015)
5. Rachel Platten – “Fight Song” (Class of 2015)
6. Nate Ruess – “Great Big Storm” (Class of 2015)
7. James Bay – “Let It Go” (Class of 2015)
8. Tori Kelly – “Should’ve Been Us” (Class of 2015)
9. George Ezra – “Blame It on Me” (Class of 2015)
10. Ella Henderson – “Ghost” (Class of 2015)
11. Hozier – “Someone New” (Class of 2014)
12. Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance” (Class of 2012)
13. Tove Lo – “Timebomb” (Class of 2014)
14. Disclosure ft. Lorde – “Magnets” (Class of 2013)
15. Echosmith – “Bright” (Class of 2014)
16. Adele – “Hello” (Class of 2008)
17. Ed Sheeran – “Photograph” (Class of 2012)
18. Sia – “Big Girls Cry” (Class of 2011)
19. Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (Class of 2010)
20. Sara Bareilles – “She Used to Be Mine” (Class of 2007)
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Hello
2. Ex’s & oh’s
3. Renegades
4. Waves
5. Ghost
6. Magnets
7. Should’ve Been Us
8. Big Girls Cry
9. Blame It on Me
10. Someone New
11. Timebomb
12. Shut Up and Dance
13. Great Big Storm
14. Uptown Funk
15. Writing’s on the Wall
16. Fight Song
17. She Used to Be Mine
18. Let It Go
19. Photograph
20. Bright
SNL November 7, 2015 Recap: Donald Trump/Sia
November 8, 2015
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Donald Trump, Larry David, Mr. Crocker, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4104, Saturday Night Live Season 41, Sia, SNL, SNL Season 41 Leave a comment

SNL: Sia, Kate McKinnon (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
It is hard to recommend this episode. Some of it was well-written, but Trump’s presence soured just about everything.
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in November 2015.
Donald Trump might be a bigot, or he might just be shamelessly aping the rhetoric of bigots to win over their support. Which is worse? Either way, one would assume he is a terrible fit to host a comedy show that many believe has the responsibility of holding the powerful accountable. Thus, the petitions to reverse the Trump booking or calls to disrupt the episode have made for one of the most controversial episodes in decades before it has even aired. In a way, Trump’s appearance actually turning out to be a funny episode would be troublesome, because of the fear that it could legitimize a rather objectionable person. Politics (or cynically misshapen facsimile of politics) aside, Trump is also a terrible actor. That issue can be overcome with strong writing, which this episode features plenty of, but it is hard to fully embrace it when Trump’s mere presence is so hard to digest.
Democratic Candidates Forum – The latest not-really-a-debate in the 2016 election cycle is used as fodder for a not-really-a-fully-formed-sketch. While it lacks in the inspired premise department, it does allow Kate McKinnon and Larry David plenty of room to mess around with their already beloved Hillary and Bernie impressions. They both find new notes in their expected beats. This is not an all-time high, but there is plenty left worth exploring in these roles. Structurally, good on this sketch for keeping up with the gag of uncomfortable close-ups of black people. B
Jeopardy! 2015 Tournament of Champions – Handicapping the Contestants
November 8, 2015
Jeopardy!, Television Alex Jacob, Jeopardy!, Matt Jackson, Tournament of Champions 2 Comments

The top Jeopardy! contestants from the past year are returning for the Tournament of Champions. Here are my estimations of everyone’s chances.
(1 and 2 are set. 3 and 4 are close to each other. 5-11 are more or less interchangeable. 12-15 are close to 5-11; one could possibly argue them up a few spots.)
1. Matt Jackson – Prone to occasional slow starts and recent pop culture is a weak spot; otherwise one of the best contestants of all time
2. Alex Jacob – Employs the most counterintuitively successful strategy ever
3. Dan Feitel – Strong all-around player given to unnecessarily large wagers in Final – may not matter in a Tournament, where there’s less incentive to do so
4. Greg Seroka – His 7 wins are the second most among this ToC group
5. Brennan Bushee – Mr. Creepy Smile was fairly dominant for a handful of games
6. John Schultz – Great contestant, but his facial hair skills currently outrank his Jeopardy! skills
7. Michael Bilow – Only a 3-game winner, but a bit of a wild card – excellent in his victories, but flamed out spectacularly in his loss
8. Vaughn Winchell – The OG of the Winchell-Yates-Schultz Streak
9. Kristin Sausville – Wife of a former ToC contestant pleasantly won five games
10. Scott Lord – His streak ended when Alex started losing his voice
11. Andrew Haringer – Won his 5th game on the 7000th Jeopardy! program
12. Kerry Greene – Led going into Final in only half of her wins – unlikely that she can maintain that luck in a tournament
13. Catherine Hardee – 4-game winner’s run actually preceded the last ToC
14. Jennifer Giles – Teachers Tournament champ needs to show some improvement if she wants to be on the level of Colby Burnett
15. Elliot Yates – The sweetheart of Season 31 won four games without too much spectacle
The Muppets 1.6 – “The Ex-Factor”
November 4, 2015
Cinema, Muppets (2015 TV Series), Muppets Episode Reviews The Ex-Factor, The Muppets, The Muppets 106, The Muppets Season 1, Uncle Deadly Leave a comment
You don’t know Uncle Deadly. … No one does. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/11/04/the-muppets-season-1-episode-6-recap-t
What Won TV? – October 25-October 31, 2015
November 1, 2015
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.
Sunday – The Good Wife
Monday – Jane the Virgin
Tuesday – A Fresh Off the Boat Halloween
Wednesday – A The Middle Halloween
Thursday – A Comedy Bang! Bang! Picture Show
Friday – A Jeopardy! Halloween
Saturday – Doctor Who
VH1’s The 20 – 10/31/15
October 31, 2015
Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown, VH1's The 20 VH1's The 20 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.
This week, the songs are holiday-themed.
Original Version
1. Ray Parker, Jr. – “Ghostbusters”
2. Rocky Horror Picture Show – “Time Warp”
3. Rihanna – “Disturbia”
4. Robbie Williams – “Rock DJ”
5. The Darkness – “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
6. Delta Rae – “Bottom of the River”
7. Jason Derulo – “Cheyenne”
8. MC Hammer – “Addams Groove”
9. Beyoncé – “Haunted”
10. Marilyn Manson – “The Beautiful People”
11. Missy Elliott – “Get Ur Freak On”
12. Backstreet Boys – “Everybody”
13. Chris Brown – “Wall to Wall”
14. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll”
15. Nirvana – “Heart-Shaped Box”
16. 30 Seconds to Mars – “The Kill”
17. Christina Aguilera – “Fighter”
18. Panic! at the Disco – “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”
19. Rob Zombie – “Living Dead Girl”
20. Madonna – “Ghosttown”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Ghostbusters
2. Heart-Shaped Box
3. Get Ur Freak On
4. Time Warp
5. Living Dead Girl
6. I Write Sins Not Tragedies
7. The Kill
8. Cheyenne
9. Disturbia
10. Heads Will Roll
11. Fighter
12. Bottom of the River
13. I Believe in a Thing Called Love
14. The Beautiful People
15. Haunted
16. Addams Groove
17. Rock DJ
18. Everybody
19. Ghosttown
20. Wall to Wall
The Middle 7.6: “Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death”
October 29, 2015
Television, The Middle, The Middle Episode Reviews Halloween VI: Tick Tock Death, Rita Glossner, The Middle, The Middle 706, The Middle Season 7 Leave a comment
Frankie finally does something she had always forgotten to do: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/10/29/the-middle-season-7-episode-6-recap-th
