The Muppets 1.5: “Walk the Swine”

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Bobo has an associate’s degree. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/10/28/the-muppets-season-1-episode-5-recap-t

What Won TV? – October 18-October 24, 2015

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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.

Elena

Sunday – The Simpsons has had some good episodes the past few years, but it’s been a while since there’s been a good Homer-Lisa episode like this one.
Monday – Fargo
Tuesday – The Grinder
Wednesday – You’re the Worst at its best
Thursday – Billy on the Street, with Billy’s “sort of pet”
Friday – Jeopardy!
Saturday – SNL Vintage

VH1’s The 20 – 10/24/15

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

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

The Middle 7.5 – “Land of the Lost”

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“Brick, your sister’s on the thing.” http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/10/22/the-middle-season-7-episode-5-recap-th

Star Wars vs. Football

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bb-8

On last night’s @midnight, Chris Hardwick claimed that he was tricked into watching football to see the Star Wars trailer and then compared it to a Hungry Man commercial airing during Project Runway. I must take exception to this, because while there are plenty of general differences between the football and Star Wars fandoms, they are both so popular that they have plenty of crossover. It is more like a commercial for a Christmas special airing during a Halloween special. Those are probably the 2 most popular American holidays (maybe Thanksgiving is second or first, but Christmas and Halloween are definitely both top 3), but they are definitely significantly different. One’s more of a friends holiday, the other a family holiday. Some Halloween lovers probably hate Christmas, and vice versa. But there are folks who love ’em both.

Colts4thDown

For me, football and Star Wars were two of my earliest fandoms. I’ve grown a little disillusioned with both, though, thanks to concussions and rah-rah tribalism in the case of the former and Jar-Jar Binks in the case of the latter. But when I see something like the stupidest ever trick play from the Colts, I gotta keep watching. And when I behold BB-8 rolling along, I’m like, “I guess you better get me a ticket.”

SNL October 17, 2015 Recap: Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

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SNL: Demi Lovato, Tracy Morgan, Kenan Thompson (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in October 2015.

A little over a year after emerging from a terrible car accident that nearly killed him, Tracy Morgan called up his “co-Obi-Wan Kenobi” Lorne Michaels (whom he loves like his daddy) to let him know that he wanted to come home as soon as he got on his feet. There was legitimate concern that he would have trouble making it through the grind of the whole 90 minutes, or if he could even walk on his own. He acknowledges in his monologue that his mental capacity may not be at 100%, but the truth is, it never has been. This is perhaps the biggest and most successful comeback story in “SNL” history, as the returns of Tracy’s most beloved characters, the show really hitting its stride with its election cycle material, and gratifying trips into the bizarre make for the best episode of the season thus far.

Democratic Presidential Debate – Seven years ago, an emergent political figure bore a striking resemblance to an “SNL” cast member. Tina Fey was no longer on the show, but it still felt inevitable that she would play Sarah Palin. This cycle’s doppelganger did not promise quite the same certainty, as Bernie Sanders’ “SNL” alum twin has a much more contentious history with the show. But sometimes, you just gotta focus on the comedy, with Larry David’s excellent cameo as the Vermont senator perhaps unwittingly committing him to at least a year’s worth of guest appearances. The shoe certainly fits, as Bernie’s propensity to spout percentages and esoteric facts sounds a lot like dialogue from “Seinfeld” or “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Elsewhere, Kate McKinnon continues her superstar turn as Hillary, with her debate version relating to millenials with accuracy but also insanity. And those other guys are a mix of barely present, just happy to be there, and (Alec Baldwin-portrayed) delusional. A-

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What Won TV? – October 11-October 17, 2015

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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.

MuppetKaraoke
Sunday – The Last Man on Earth
Monday – Fargo
Tuesday – The Muppets was a delight.
Wednesday – You’re the Worst
Thursday – Nathan for You (I’m not in a relationship right now, so I have plenty of time to commit to my writing.)
Friday – Jeopardy!
Saturday – Saturday Night Live, featuring Larry “Bernie Sanders” David and the search for Jackie Chan

VH1’s The 20 – 10/17/15

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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. R. City ft. Adam Levine – “Locked Away”
2. The Weeknd – “The Hills”
3. Justin Bieber – “What Do You Mean?”
4. Taylor Swift – “Wildest Dreams”
5. Demi Lovato – “Cool for the Summer”
6. One Direction – “Drag Me Down”
7. Ed Sheeran – “Photograph”
8. Shawn Mendes – “Stitches”
9. Elle King – “Ex’s & Oh’s”
10. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, and Grandmaster Caz – “Downtown”
11. Selena Gomez – “Good for You”
12. X Ambassadors – “Renegades”
13. Hailee Steinfeld – “Love Myself”
14. Nick Jonas – “Levels”
15. Ellie Goulding – “On My Mind”
16. Alessia Cara – “Here”
17. Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ – “Lean On”
18. Calvin Harris and Disciples – “How Deep is Your Love”
19. Hozier – “Someone New”
20. Selena Gomez – “Same Old Love”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Lean On
2. The Hills
3. Downtown
4. Ex’s & Oh’s
5. Same Old Love
6. Renegades
7. Good for You
8. Here
9. Cool for the Summer
10. Levels
11. On My Mind
12. What Do You Mean?
13. Someone New
14. Love Myself
15. How Deep Is You Love
16. Wildest Dreams
17. Drag Me Down
18. Stitches
19. Locked Away
20. Photograph

The Middle 7.4: “Risky Business”

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“So, Rusty, what brings you by?” “Well, I suppose you’re wondering what brings me by.” http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/10/15/the-middle-season-7-episode-4-recap-r

The Muppets 1.4: “Pig Out”

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“Who has a vat of pudding at home?” “You know America struggles with portion size.” http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2015/10/14/the-muppets-season-1-episode-4-recpa-t1

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