REVIEW: ‘Orange Is The New Black’ (37 Shows You Might Want To Check Out This Summer – Pt. 4)

Here’s part four of our series on shows you might want to check out this summer.  Just one show today and since it’s a returning show that I am quite familiar with, I’ll throw in a review, as well.  Scroll to the bottom for the previous entries.

Orange is the New Black (Netflix – June 6th)

Orange Is the New Black is an American comedy-drama series created by Jenji Kohan and first released on Netflix on July 11, 2013. The series, produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television, is based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, about her experiences in prison. The series revolves on Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a bisexual woman living in New York City who is sentenced to 15 months in a women’s federal prisonfor transporting a suitcase full of drug money to her former girlfriend, Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), who is an international drug smuggler. The offense occurred ten years prior to the start of the series, and in that time Piper had moved on to a quiet, law-abiding life among New York’s upper middle class. While in prison, Piper is reunited with Alex, and they re-examine their relationship and deal with their fellow inmates.

Score: 68/100

The highly-anticipated second season of Netflix’s drama (comedy-drama? No.) Orange is the New Black goes live at midnight and I’m thrilled because it ties in perfectly with our series of 37 Shows You Want to Check Out This Summer and because it allows me to finally get a whole bunch of things off my chest that the gushers (both audiences and critics alike) don’t seem to want to address about this series. Don’t get me wrong, I actually do enjoy Orange is the New Black (or else I wouldn’t be recommending it to check out this summer), but the show is far from perfect and the problems that it suffers from are glaring and unavoidable.

One of the first things that caught my attention in the pilot was the cheap premium cable device of gratuitous nudity and sex in order to hook an audience.  HBO has been doing it for years (and I’ve been subsequently complaining about it for years) and whereas at one time it was used as an obvious gimmick when the writers had gone to the well one too many times and couldn’t come up with new ideas, it has now become obligatory with every show that the network airs.  It’s not that I have an issue with sex and nudity on television, the issue is that when it’s vulgar and obvious and now since HBO does it all the time, so do all the other premium networks, including Netflix. NOTE TO NETFLIX: When you throw that much gratuitous sex and nudity into a pilot, it’s clear to astute audiences that you are compensating for what you lack in other areas.

So, what does Orange lack?  Well, first and foremost, although the plot is compelling enough for me to want to keep watching it, it’s a slog. On more than one occassion, I have thought two hours had gone by because the show was dragging so much.  I don’t mind a slow burn, but each episode is a slow-burn without much of an emotional payoff at the end.  The only reason this show has found the success that it has is because it’s available for binge viewing because if it was a weekly series audiences wouldn’t have tolerated how slow it is past the third episode.

One of the other problems that I have with this show is that the producers have gone out of their way to say that the show isn’t Oz (well, no sh*t) but it’s obvious to anyone watching it that it certainly is an attempt at Oz (ultra-) light.  It’s so blatantly ripping off aspects of Oz that you’d have to be an idiot not to see it.  The crisis-of-the-week that revolves around a different main character with flashbacks of the character’s pre-prison life and backstory to develop that character?  Nooooo, we’ve never seen that before. For crap’s sake, that’s not even unique to Oz.  Lost did that for six seasons better than any show in history.  That’s just the most glaring example of Oz ripoffs, I’m not going to get into all of them (recycled plotlines, stereotypical characters and situations, etc.) and honestly, it doesn’t really bother me that much because it does help develop the characters but it’s worth noting.

Speaking of character development, that is certainly one area where Orange excels with each primary cast member of the ensemble being given a good amount of screen time and attention by the writers.  This may sound very fanboyish of me but I don’t think that anyone is going to dispute that the best performance of all on this show is that of Star Trek: Voyager‘s Captain Kathryn Janeway herself, Kate Mulgrew as the Russian mother-figure to the women, Galina “Red” Reznikov who runs the kitchen.

Same girl… no sh*t.

Equally notable is the underrated performance by the gorgeous Taryn Manning as the incredibly emotionally unbalanced, hillbilly meth addict, Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett. Manning really is quite outstanding and it should be noted what an incredible job the makeup department has done in “ugly-fying” her for this role and how she herself has been able to accomplish that job through her performance.

What hurts this show immensely, however, are the main protagonists and I guess the only reason I’m calling them the main protagonists is that the character of Piper (Taylor Schilling) is who the show is about and the other two, Larry (Jason Biggs) and Alex (Laura Prepon) are the two other sides of the “love triangle” as it were. Do you know what the problem is?

Once a pie f*cker, always a pie f*cker.

I hate them.  I hate them all with a passion.  They are the most spoiled, selfish, self-centered, self-righteous and arrogant characters on this show and they are completely unsympathetic. This is what I mean by how stupidly audiences and critics gush over this show.  How is it possible that anyone who watches this show doesn’t want to just punch these people? Hell, how does one not want to punch the most annoying no-talent actor in Hollywood, Jason Biggs, to begin with, his performance on this show not withstanding? How the hell did he get this role to begin with?  Seriously, his only claim to fame is that he f*cked a pie in an incredibly overrated teen comedy over a decade ago.

As for the other two, it’s not that Schilling or Prepon’s performances are bad, it’s that their characters (like Larry) suck and they are completely unlikable.  They’re rotten, they treat people rotten, everything they do is about making themselves happy and they NEVER learn from their mistakes. It’s one thing to have your main characters be so flawed at the begining of a season, especially on a show set in a prison, it’s another thing not have the characters “grow” one iota between episode one and episode 13.  These characters have actually regressed since episode one.

Pornstache: Still more likable than Jason Biggs.

To put it simply, we’re supposed to hate the vile “Pornstache” (Pablo Schreiber).  I get that.  But we’re not supposed to hate our protagonists and that’s what the reality is of this series. They simply don’t have very much redeeming about them whatsoever.

Again, the real saving grace on this show is the performance from the supporting cast and the fact that I’m a sucker for decently done serialized drama and at the end of the day, Orange is the New Black is decently done, if not great. The key is to not expect more out of this series than it can give or you’ll be disappointed.

As for our multi-part series, 37 Shows That You Might Want To Check Out This Summer, here are the previous entries:

Part 1 (24: Live Another Day, Motive, Gang Related, The Wil Wheaton Project, Rogue, Crossbones)

Part 2 (Halt and Catch Fire)

Part 3 (Longmire)

REVIEW: ‘Longmire’ (37 Shows You Might Want To Check Out This Summer – Pt. 3)

Here’s part three of our series on shows you might want to check out this summer.  Just one show today and since it’s a returning show that I am quite familiar with, I’ll throw in a review, as well.  Scroll to the bottom for the previous entries.

Longmire (A&E – Mondays, 10:00 p.m. beginning June 2nd)

Based on Walt Longmire Mystery series of novels by Craig Johnson, Longmire also is named after its central character, Walt Longmire, the local sheriff in rural Wyoming. As the series starts, Longmire has been widowed for a year and, still in pain, hides behind a brave face and dry wit. After his wife’s death, he dragged himself into the office but his heart wasn’t really in the job. He knows it’s time to turn his life around and with the help of his daughter, Cady, and his deputy, Vic, he revives his interest in his job and decides to give his all to his re-election campaign. Victoria “Vic” Moretti is the newest addition to the sheriff’s office. She was a Philadelphia homicide detective for five years before relocating to Wyoming. While adjusting to how to deal with the locals, Vic is out to prove she’s not a rookie. She has a deep connection with Longmire along with her playful attitude and he allows her to be his most trusted deputy. Longmire’s lifelong best friend and close confidant is Henry Standing Bear, the owner of the local bar. Henry is often Walt’s go-between with the reservation. Unlike Longmire, Henry embraces progress and the trappings of the modern world while holding a close connection with his past. Another one of Longmire’s deputies is ambitious go-getter Branch Connally. He’s motivated more by political aspirations than his work as a deputy. He thinks Longmire’s stuck in the past and wants the department to have the technology that most other law enforcement agencies use. It’s his umbrage towards Walt’s outdated methods that pushes him to run for sheriff. Longmire’s only child is daughter, Cady Longmire, an attorney who dreams of practicing law in a big city. With the death of her mother, Cady has stayed to help Walt get his life back together. She isn’t afraid to tell her father like it is, and it’s this straight talk and sense of humor that makes their connection strong. Longmire’s third deputy is The Ferg who has a heart of gold. He’s loyal and well meaning and always eager to please. The Ferg can hunt and fix most anything but he’s not much of an investigator. 

Score: 85/100

Last night, Longmire began its third season and the timing couldn’t be better as I just finished watching season two last week and I’m hungry for more and that’s saying a lot because quite honestly, two years ago I got three episodes into the series and put it on hiatus for over a year because it seemed like just another police procedural.

The drama, based on the Walt Longmire mystery of novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson definitely is a police procedural in the most traditional sense of the genre but I discovered after giving up on it early that the series really has far more appeal than I had originally given it credit.  Whoops… muh baaad!

As far as murder mysteries go, the basic formula on Longmire is, admittedly, pretty vanilla.  If, for the most part, just by the formula of the series established in the first half-dozen episodes or so (and every other police procedural done in the last 50 years) you can’t figure out “who done it” within the first 20 minutes then congratulations, you are not a couch potato and television drama junkie like I am and you are actually doing something with your life.

Of course, as I’ve noted several times in the past, the vanilla and formulaic nature of police procedurals is why I don’t watch them to begin with because none of them have anything new or particular novel to offer.  Sure, there has been this flurry of police procedurals featuring lead characters with incredibly unique abilities that aren’t quite supernatural but give them a special insight into solving crimes that the regular cops don’t possess, but those are simply gimmicks used to gloss over the fact that we are still dealing with a standard “murder of the week” police procedural. Numb3rs, The Mentalist, Unforgettable (yes, CBS really likes this theme a lot) and The Finder readily come to mind as fitting this mold.

Although certainly formulaic, Longmire  is one of the rare exceptions because it fills in all of the other gaps regarding good television drama that the other police procedurals don’t. The casting is excellent with every single actor being ideally suited for their role on the series and marvelously well-developed.  According to what I’ve read, Robert Taylor (Walt Longmire) is apparently an incredibly well-known and accomplished Australian actor but I don’t believe any of it because I have no doubt in my mind that he is the same weathered old, incredibly well-read and educated renaissance cowboy philosopher from Wyoming that he plays on the show. Despite everything I know about Lou Diamond Phillips (who’s heritage is Spanish, Scottish/Irish, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian and Cherokee) I have no doubt that he is full-blooded Cheyenne and and has been best friends with Taylor since the sixth grade.  That’s how truly honest these character portrayals are.

As far as Katee Sackhoff is concerned, I’m curious if she even had to audition for the role of Deputy Moretti because it’s as if Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica moved to Wyoming and became a slightly less insubordinate cop.  You get the feeling that the producers read the series bible and the character descriptions, watched 10 minutes of BSG and sent her a plane ticket.

I could go on and on about the supporting cast of this show and I almost feel guilty for not but I don’t want to spend an entire piece gushing over casting and character development when the real main co-star of this show and really what sets it apart is the rural Wyoming backdrop which, ironically, much like the show’s titular protagonist, is completely faking its true local origins.  Y’see, the fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming is actually in and around the Santa Fe, New Mexico area.  But, once again, I don’t believe it.  As far as I’m concerned, even though I’ve never been to Wyoming, I am absolutely convinced that the show takes place there because the writers and producers have done such a brilliant job in crafting this fantastic living and breathing environment and community that it leaves simply no doubt that what you are seeing is the genuine article.

Part of it is the character development, part of it has to do with selective exterior shots of the landscape (that have even fooled actual Wyoming residents) but more importantly is the presentation of the storylines that address issues inherent to the locals of that part of the country that due to isolation and small populations aren’t very well-known to the rest of us.  Quite often, the storylines are centered on the issues related to the Indian Reservations or ranching or any one of a dozen issues that is part and parcel with that region of the country but it’s done in such a way as to make it accessible to audiences to the point that they easily relate with this community and subconsciously can easily accept Absoroka County as their own community.

“Yeah… where’s my attorney and who the f*** gave you law enforcement powers? I don’t see no badge, playa. All I see is an ascot.”

One of the few things that does annoy me about Longmire that was stolen right out of the “Mad Libs For Police Procedurals” manual is the obligatory “Scooby Doo Ending” of every episode which I complain about ad nauseum.  If you’re not familiar with the “Scooby Doo Ending,” this is how it goes: the prime suspect in the last five minutes of the episode (sans attorney, of course) while being interrogated basically has the interrogator tell them all of the details of the crime the interrogator knows they committed (without any actual evidence or with only the most insignificant circumstantial evidence) and then the suspect admits to doing it while lamenting how they could have gotten away with it.  The only thing missing is the rubber mask reveal and the phrase “…if it weren’t for those meddling kids [and their dog].” For 10 plus years of examples of this nonsense, simply turn on any episode of CSI as that’s all they do on that show.  The only difference with the Longmire S.D.E. is that that more often than not, our killer is a local who either made a big mistake and regrets what they’ve done or it was an accident that they foolishly tried to cover up or they were motivated by grief/justice/sadness, i.e., our killer is sympathetic and a shade of gray.

Yuck.

That said, however, I’m willing to let Longmire off the hook for even this Cardinal sin because the three or four intertwined main recurring story arcs have been so damned compelling that you find yourself not really caring that much about whatever particular “murder of the week” is on the schedule, anyway.

Longmire does such a great job in every other aspect of crafting good television that I can forgive its shortcomings in the procedural drama arena.  Honestly, the show is so well put-together that it seems that if the “murder of the week” aspect to it is merely incidental and almost filler in order to advance the character development and overall arcs.  Needless to say, that’s rare indeed, and in fact, I’ve never seen a procedural that took such an approach that deliberately and was successful doing it.

So, if you haven’t watched Longmire, yet, set your DVR for the current episodes and head on over to Netflix and get caught up as both seasons one and two are currently available.

As for our multi-part series, 37 Shows That You Might Want To Check Out This Summer, you can find part one, here and…

Check out part two, here.

37 Shows That You Might Want To Check Out This Summer (Part 2)

Here’s part two of our series on shows you might want to check out this summer.  Just one show today.  Scroll to the bottom for the previous entry.

Halt and Catch Fire (AMC – Sundays, 10:00 p.m. beginning June 1st)

You have to give AMC credit for having the vision and foresight to bring television ideas to life that on their face seem like they would be as boring as watching paint dry. Think about these premises if you will:

1.) High School chemistry teacher resorts to dealing meth when he finds out he has terminal cancer.

2.) A New York City ad agency during the 1960s.

3.) A Western that focuses on the construction of the railroad post Civil War.

4.) Zombie apocalypse occurs, people are trying to survive.

On paper, these simple premises that have all resulted in some of the biggest hits and critically acclaimed darlings in television history, all have one thing in common: incredible character development.  Halt and Catch Fire would seem to be following this same tradition because let’s be honest, does the premise of “three people in 1983 try to reverse engineer IBM personal computer technology” really seem exciting to anyone but the biggest nerd?  I expect Halt and Catch Fire to do what AMC series usually do and that is to suck audiences in with the characters at first and the compelling drama later.

In fact, if you think about it, the biggest failure in recent history for AMC series-wise has been  Low Winter Sun which attempted to find success with the exact opposite formula, focusing on a (mediocre) story and not on character development out of the gate. AMC knows which side their bread is buttered on and I don’t expect a mistake like Low Winter Sun again for quite some time.

After seeing the first episode, it seems to be in the fast-paced spirit of Jobs and The Social Network and I am enjoying it so far.  It’s tough to make a series assessment after only the pilot but it’s definitely worth following.

What it has going for it: Not only does AMC have a fantastic track record when it comes to picking winners but they also have a reputation of sticking by their shows when conventional wisdom would have had other networks running at the first sign of trouble (See: The Killing which was canceled and subsequently uncanceled by AMC because THEY had faith in the story-telling of the show which is unheard of).  The relatively unknown cast and the fact that although it’s a period piece, it’s set during a time that is within arm’s reach for producers (offices really haven’t changed much in 30 years and it’s not difficult to go to your local thrift store to find 1980s period clothing and computer technology for a dime), makes the show undoubtedly inexpensive to produce making it that much easier for execs to support it.

What it has going against it: I really can’t see much.  The biggest challenge this show is going to face is, as I noted, getting audiences past the on-paper dry premise but AMC audiences are used to this by now and they know that with AMC, it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

Check out part one, here.

TV Blasphemy: Sorry, But ‘The Walking Dead’ Sucks…

AMC’s The Walking Dead  returned Sunday after a two-month hiatus. As a fan of the series I have sat on the edge of my seat for three and a half seasons now, week-to-week, looking forward to the weekly big twist that was inevitably on the horizon that would make me want to tune in the following week. After the most recent episode, After, which featured hardly any dialogue whatsoever and just a series of awful things happening and horrible, depressing imagery, I’ve come to the only conclusion that I think any rational human being can come to:  The Walking Dead sucks and it has for quite some time.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably continue to watch if for no other reason than it’s one of the few shows that Mrs. Tastic and I can agree on so it’s at least mildly compelling and tolerable for me, but I came to the conclusion during the midseason finale that the series is not going anywhere as far as the plot is concerned and I begrudgingly accepted that fact after watching After. It’s simply not progressing the way a serial like this should.

Part of the reason why The Walking Dead became as successful as it did as quickly as it did is because it entered the television landscape at the perfect time when post-apocalyptic sci-fi/horror-themed television was on the rise and it has copied the basic premise (that is, what the show really is about at its core) of all of its predecessors and contemporary counterparts.  Despite what many fans of this show think, the show is not about surviving and it’s not even about zombies.  What the show is really about is exactly what every post-apocalyptic series is about:  How do we maintain our humanity (or if it is even possible to) when the apocalypse hits and the end of the world is at hand?  This is a very common theme on television today even on shows that aren’t technically post-apocalyptic shows.  If you want to examine this further, this theme shows up in popular literature as well, going back decades (think: Lord of the Flies).

So, that’s what the appeal of this genre is at its core.  The problem with The Walking Dead is that though it meets the core requirements of the genre on a weekly basis, there is simply no endgame in sight, in other words, there is no point to this series.  It’s just a weekly festival of stress and gore and the knowledge that any main character could be killed off at any point. This is inherently the problem of basing your serial television series off of a popular comic book serial that has been running consistently for over a decade. Comic books aren’t meant to have an endgame (unless of course they are limited-run), television serials are.  At the end of the day, what is the ultimate goal, the big payoff, the cheese at the end of the maze, the light at the end of the tunnel, etc., for The Walking Dead? Can anyone tell me?

The first season actually gave us a goal: our survivors made it to the CDC and it was hinted at that they were trying to find a cure and if I recall correctly, something about working on a cure in France. Then the CDC blew up, we were all left with this cliffhanger that just made us want more, the series got picked up for a second season and since then it’s just been nothing but a long series arguments, killing the occasional zombie and main characters dying.

As noted, there is plenty of post-apocalyptic television fare currently on television with the same theme as The Walking Dead but they all do it better than The Walking Dead if for no other reason than that we know that eventually there will be a payoff, one way or the other.

Falling Skies: Post-Apocalypse Done Right…

Examples:

TNT’s Falling Skies which is basically The Walking Dead with aliens instead of zombies but the difference is that the protagonists are taking the fight to the aliens instead of constantly running away from them and just trying to survive.  The endgame is pretty obvious: either the humans will be victorious and defeat the aliens or they won’t.

NBC’s Revolution is a typical contemporary commentary on humanity with the post-apocalyptic theme and for all of its flaws, it is obvious that there is an endgame to this even if they haven’t ultimately spelled it out completely and they throw in mysteries along the way.  Will the power go back on or not?  Will humanity be able to start over?

CBS’s Under the Dome and ABC’s former series Lost aren’t post-apocalyptic, but they share the same commentary on humanity theme that the post-apocalyptic fare does through characters in situations where a small group of people are isolated from the rest of the world and their respective series examine how their humanity remains intact.  Both series have obvious endgames.

The progenitor of the contemporary post-apocalyptic genre television series, Battlestar Galactica (2003) was nothing more than 75 episodes of morality plays and commentary on the human condition… but the endgame was made clear in the first episode.

Yes, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain…

So, without an endgame or anything else remotely resembling a goal for our protagonists, what exactly is keeping audiences so enthralled with this series? The answer is simple: smoke and mirrors.

The truth is that this series is surviving based on a purely visceral emotional reaction.  We love to be scared or more specifically we love suspense and when there are characters that we have become emotionally attached to involved in the suspense it makes the experience that much more satisfying.

One thing that the series has done very well is character development.  Character development is a key factor for the success of any series because the better that development is, the more the audience can relate to the characters, the more the audience becomes attached to the characters and thus, the more the audience becomes attached to a series. Character development seems to be the sole focus of The Walking Dead and the writers and producers appear to be hanging the continued success of the series on the audience’s emotional attachment to the characters (and average to slightly better than average subplots) hoping that they won’t notice that there really is no main plot to this series.

I’m sorry, but no series can survive on character development alone.  There has to be some substance and not only isn’t there any substance to this series, it’s just becoming more depressing every week.

THIS: Good.

One of the traps of developing characters as thoroughly as this series has done to the exclusion of everything else (because it doesn’t have much else to go on) is that when you kill them off (see: Herschel, Dale, Andrea, T-Dog, Shane, Laurie, etc.) you invariably piss off your core audience.  This is exactly why the meme “IF DARYL DIES, WE WILL RIOT” exists to begin with. The only thing that people care about on this show is the characters. You’ll never see a meme that says “IF THEY DON’T FIND A CURE, WE WILL RIOT” or any reference to anything else regarding the plot because there is no plot that the audience can discern or relate to.

THIS: Not happening… ever.

That said, the death of a main character can be overcome if the death of the character turns out to be for some greater good and the audience can justify and rationalize the loss of the character.  The problem with The Walking Dead in this regard is that all of these character deaths are simply pointless and they’ve made astute viewers like myself examine the series for what it is and what it’s missing.

Q: Why did Herschel have to die?

A: Because the writers are running out of ideas and needed to emotionally jar the audience by having the ruthless villain murder him in the most gory way imaginable in order to ensure that audience would return on February 9th for the midseason premiere.

Well, that was just fun for everyone… and right before Christmas, no less.

That was a mistake, folks, because Sunday’s episode accomplished two things: being depressing and boring the shit out of me.  It also made me be honest about the series in general, addressing what I rationally knew but didn’t want to accept during the midseason finale. After succeed in polarizing me very badly and I’m not the only one.

The truth is that even on the most dark and morbid series the audience needs some comic relief and ultimately some hope.  The Walking Dead provides neither.  As dark as Breaking Bad was, Vince Gilligan smartly inserted humor into it regularly and there was always an implied endgame to the series and there was always the hope that even if Walt were to go down that there would be some good fortune for his family.

There is simply no hope on The Walking Dead and there doesn’t appear to be any intention of providing any whatsoever.

ABC: Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Is So Freakin’ Awesome We’re Airing The Pilot Twice

…And why the hell not?

On Tuesday, the highly anticipated Joss Whedon series, Marvel’s Agents of  S.H.I.E.L.D. (a spinoff series of the insanely successful film, The Avengers) starring fan-favorite Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, premiered and though it was clearly the front-runner going into the evening, I’m not sure if anyone saw it doing as well as it did. With 11.9 million viewers and a 4.6 rating among the coveted 18 – 49 demographic, Agents of  S.H.I.E.L.D. was the highest rated premiere in all of television in four years. 

So, ABC had a choice: air an episode of Shark Tank on Thursday  at 8:00 p.m. or, y’know… the highest rated premiere on television in four years.  Kind of  a no-brainer with that decision.  The only downside is for folks who can only get ABC on their TV because after the awesomeness that is Agents of  S.H.I.E.L.D. ends (yeah… we f*cking love this show), those unfortunate viewers will be forced to watch the two-hour season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Changes at The ‘Tastic

As you’ve noticed, it’s been a while since I posted anything and between my busy regular day job and various family obligations, I simply have not had time to contribute any meaningful content. I intend on changing this by trying to provide content for our readers everyday as much as possible but in order to do accomplish that I’ve decided to change the theme of the blog.

Of course, The ‘Tastic will continue to provide you with the latest news and reviews for television programming and all things even remotely related to the subject of television, but now we’re going to cover even more topics that frankly, I just think are interesting, cool, geek-tastic, etc.  This includes product reviews of all sorts of consumer tech, video games, kids toys, model kits and commentary on current events stories that I just think are worth commenting on.  As usual, I have no desire to engage in political commentary but there is plenty of stuff in the news that requires the ‘Tastic treatment.

We’ll be also sharing with you other blogs, websites, Facebook pages that we just think you can’t live without.

Expect to see regular original video content posted on our YouTube Channel The New TV-Tastic which is replacing our two other channels.  The New TV-Tastic is really just my old personal account that I’ll be using for the blog from now on due to the douche nozzles at YouTube arbitrarily shutting down my old account for alleged copyright infringement.  for the record. there was no infringement, I had the right to post the videos under the “fair use” standard for commentary and criticism.  I even had the Stanford University Law Department confirm this.  The problem I had is that I couldn’t risk a lawsuit from NBC Universal or BBC America. Channel 2 is still up (as far as I know) but I’ve removed all of the content from it and I haven’t decided what  content to put on there yet. I’m thinking about dedicating it to independent fan productions.  Tell me what you think.

My goal has always been to inform and entertain my audience with a greater emphasis on entertainment and with your continued support I will continue to do my part and hopefully it will be even better than ever.

This all being said, in the words of Heisenberg…

The History Channel: ‘Vikings’ Renewed For Season Two

Via Press Release:

HISTORY® ORDERS SECOND SEASON OF 

HIT SCRIPTED SERIES 

VIKINGS 

#1 NEW CABLE SERIES OF THE YEAR 

EARNS TEN EPISODE ORDER

New York, New York, April 5, 2013 – HISTORY has picked up VIKINGS, its first scripted drama series for a 10-episode second season, it was announced today by Dirk Hoogstra, EVP, Development and Programming for HISTORY. Created and written by Michael Hirst, the renewal comes just five episodes into the VIKINGS freshman season. Four new episodes remain in the current season airing Sundays at 10 p.m. with the season finale slated for Sunday, April 28 at 10 p.m. 

VIKINGS continues to be the #1 new cable series in 2013 and has propelled HISTORY to #1 in cable in its Sunday 10-11 p.m. time period. Over the five weeks, the hit drama series averaged 5.0 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.9 Adults 18-49. This past Sunday, episode five delivered 4.7 million total viewers, 2.2 million Adults 25-54 and 1.7 million Adults 18-49. This was up 4% among total viewers and up 5% among Adults 25-54 from last week.

“Vikings is a win win for us. As our first scripted series, VIKINGS has paid off in a big way with critical acclaim, strong ratings and a passionate, loyal fan base. It came out of the gate strong and has stayed on top, solidifying HISTORY as a major player in the scripted genre, just as we are in reality,” said Hoogstra. “We could not be more proud of the entire cast and crew and everyone involved in the making of VIKINGS. Michael Hirst has captured audiences with his complex, compelling characters and brought the unknown, epic world of these warriors to life. Season Two will begin production this summer to air in 2014.”

MGM Television brought the series to the network and brings VIKINGS to the global audience, serving as the international distributor outside of Ireland, Canada and the U.S.

“We are very excited that VIKINGS is generating so much attention worldwide,” said Roma Khanna, President, Television Group and Digital, MGM. “MGM is thrilled to have the continued support and enthusiasm of our partners at HISTORY and to work with an amazing international team as they bring Michael Hirst’s vision to audiences around the globe.”

VIKINGS, airing Sundays at 10 p.m. ET, tells the extraordinary tales of the lives and epic adventures of these warriors. The drama portrays the world of these Dark Age raiders, traders, explorers – not from an outsider’s view, but, through the eyes of Viking society.

While VIKINGS is filled with conflict, warfare and bloodshed – for these were extreme times – it is a family saga at heart. It follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel, The Beast, Baytown Outlaws), a curious, compelling man who is always looking to break through barriers and discover new worlds to conquer. Ragnar is deeply frustrated by the unadventurous policies of his local chieftain, Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment, Usual Suspects, Millers Crossing), who continues to send his Vikings raiders east every summer, to the Baltic states and Russia, whose populations are as materially poor as themselves.

Joining Fimmel and Byrne are Katheryn Winnick (Bones, Love and Other Drugs, The Black Marks) as Lagertha, a fierce shield maiden and Ragnar’s wife; Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee, Heroes, Nip/Tuck, Friday Night Lights) as Siggy, Earl Haraldson’s beautiful wife; George Blagden (Les Miserables, Wrath of the Titans) as Athelstan, a young, innocent Christian monk captured by Ragnar on his first raid on England, Clive Standen (Camelot, Robin Hood) as Rollo, Ragnar’s impulsive, wild, care-free brother and Gustaf Skarsgard (The Way Back) a ship builder who designs the new generation of Vikings ships.

Created and written by Michael Hirst – one of the premier historical story-tellers in the industry (Academy-Award winning film Elizabeth; and the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated series The Tudors), Michael serves as Executive Producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo; The Tudors), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (The Tudors; The Borgias), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, James Flynn (The Tudors; The Borgias) and Sheila Hockin (The Tudors; The Borgias). Dirk Hoogstra and Julian P. Hobbs are the Executives in Charge of Production for HISTORY.

VIKINGS is an international Irish/Canadian co-production being co-produced by World 2000 and Take 5 Productions. HISTORY will broadcast domestically in the U.S. MGM Television will bring VIKINGS to the global audience, serving as the international distributor outside of Ireland, Canada and the U.S. VIKINGS is produced in association with Shaw Media, and the series will air on HISTORY in Canada.

About HISTORY®

HISTORY® is the leading destination for factual entertainment, including award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate, including scripted event programming, features a roster of hits including American Pickers®, American Restoration™, Ax Men™, Ice Road Truckers®, Pawn Stars®, Swamp People® and Top Shot® as well as epic mini-series and specials such as the Emmy® Award-winning Hatfields & McCoys, Gettysburg, Vietnam in HD, America The Story of Us, and 102 Minutes That Changed America. The HISTORY website is the leading online resource for all things history, and in 2011, the United States Library of Congress selected HISTORY’s Civil War 150 site for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the American Civil War sesquicentennial. http://www.history.com

FX: ‘Justified’ Renewed For Season Five

Yeah, big shocker, we know…

Via Press Release:

NEW YORK, March 28, 2013 – FX Networks announced a slew of pickups this morning, with Justified getting a fifth season pickup on FX, while It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League and Legit will all return and move to FXX, announced John Landgraf, President & General Manager, FX Networks.The critically-acclaimed drama series Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant, will continue to run on FX. Season five begins production this fall and will air on FX in January 2014. Season four is currently airing, with the season finale slated to air next Tuesday, April 2, at 10:00 PM ET/PT. To date, season four is pacing to be Justified’s most-watched season ever.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League and Legit will all move to FXX.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s ninth season will air on FXX this fall, and the network has also placed an order for a tenth season that will air in the fall of 2014. One of the most successful comedies in all of basic cable, Sunny’s eighth season ranked #2 in its basic cable time period in Men 18-49 and Men 18-34 (behind only the NFL on the NFL Network) and #2 in Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34 (behind Jersey Shore).

The League’s already announced fifth season will air on FXX this fall, and the network is announcing a sixth season pickup that will air on FXX in the fall of 2014. Last season, The League ranked #2 in its basic cable time period in M18-49, behind only the NFL on NFL Network.

The new critically-acclaimed comedy Legit’s first season will end on FX Thursday, April 11 at 10:30PM ET/PT. The show has officially been picked up for a second season, and will be moving to FXX, returning in early 2014. Legit continues to build an audience, growing by +25% from its first three episodes to its second three episodes.

Developed by Graham Yost and starring Timothy Olyphant, Justified is based on the works of crime novelist Elmore Leonard, including Leonard’s short story “Fire in the Hole.” The series co-stars Walton Goggins, Nick Searcy, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel and Joelle Carter. Yost wrote the pilot and serves as executive producer/showrunner on the series. Leonard is also an executive producer on the series along with Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman, Michael Dinner and Fred Golan. Justified is produced by Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions.

FX Launches Young Adult Focused FXX Network, ‘It’s Always Sunny…,’ ‘The League’ & ‘Legit’ to Flagship

UPDATE:  In our eagerness to publish this ridiculously long press-release that we were, frankly, just too lazy read all the way through, we forgot to mention the most important news of the piece: FX has renewed It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League and Legit and they will all be moving to the new network, FXX.

Via Press Release:

FX NETWORKS TO LAUNCH FXX A NEW NETWORK FOR YOUNG ADULTS DEBUTING ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 AND AVAILABLE TO 74 MILLION HOMES

FX NETWORKS BECOMES THREE-NETWORK SUITE WITH FX, FXX AND FXM AND WILL GROW TO OFFER 25 SCRIPTED ORIGINAL SERIES

FX WILL TARGET ADULTS 18-49, FXX WILL FOCUS ON ADULTS 18-34, AND FXM WILL AIM FOR ADULTS 25-54

FX NETWORKS TO LAUNCH ITS VERSION OF TV EVERYWHERE WITH “FXNOW”

NEW YORK, March 28, 2013 – On Monday, September 2, FX Networks will launch FXX, a new network aimed at young adult viewers, it was announced today by John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks. With the addition of FXX, FX Networks will become a suite of three networks consisting of FX, FXX and FXM.

FXX will be available in 74 million homes in year one, making it one of the most widely distributed entertainment networks ever for an ad-supported cable network in its inaugural year. FXX initially will be built on a foundation of original comedy series, movies and acquired series, and expand to include original drama series, all primarily designed to attract young adults 18-34.

FX, the flagship of FX Networks, will continue to offer award-winning original comedy and drama series, movies and acquired series targeted to Adults 18-49. FX will increase the number of drama series and begin offering limited series and miniseries.

FXM will continue to be home to prestige movies, and related short-form original programming – as its universe grows, it will begin to televise its own limited series and miniseries.

Landgraf said, “This is a landmark day in the almost 20-year history of FX Networks. As we add FXX to become a suite of three channels, FX will remain the foundation of the brand, which is why we chose to include it in the names of each of our three networks. We will maintain the exceptional quality associated with the FX brand, a reputation we have established with consumers through our numerous, award-winning hit comedy and drama series for more than a decade.

“With this expansion, FX, FXX and FXM will specifically target one of the three major adult demos, enabling us to focus on creating passionate engagement across the entire range of adult viewers ages 18 to 54. This will enable the FX Networks to deliver more impressions and gain greater reach across all key adult demos without falling into the ?all things to all people’ pitfall that plagues broadcast television.

“We are embarking on an incredibly ambitious ramp-up of program development and production required to sustain these networks. I’m very confident that the pilots, projects and talent we have deals with will allow us to double our already best-in-class roster of scripted original series over the next several years. Our three-network platform will enable us to achieve even greater goals and solidify our position as a leader in quality scripted original programming.”

FX Networks will invest heavily in original programming and massively ramp up its development and pilot production slate, more than doubling its current offerings to feature 25 scripted original series across the three networks over the next three years (see Attachment 5 for Comedy Series Pilot Slate; see Attachment 6 for Limited Series Development Slate).

Also, additional season orders have been placed for returning hit series, including Justified, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The League, and Legit (see Attachment 2). The late night series Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell will become a five-nights-per-week strip (see attachment 3).

FX Will Continue to Offer Award-Winning Scripted Dramas and Comedies Network to Launch New Drama The Bridge in July and Will Debut Its First Limited Series, Fargo

FX has enjoyed a decade-long track record of success in original programming, and its slate of award-winning original hit series is unmatched by any of its basic cable competitors. The network will build on that success and bolster its slate of originals, introducing The Bridge, a new drama series in July, and its first limited series, Fargo (see attachment 4), next spring.

FX is off to a great start in 2013, recording the most-watched first quarter ever and posting gains of +23% gains in Adults 18-49 and +28% gains in Adults 18-34 versus first quarter of 2012.

Earlier this year, FX launched the most critically-acclaimed new drama series of the year, The Americans. The period piece set in 1981?about KGB spies posing as Americans in the US will conclude its first season on May 1. It’s already been renewed for a second season which will debut in January of 2014.

The Emmy Award(R)-winning hit drama Justified is recording the highest ratings in its history, and it remains one of the most consistently excellent shows on TV. Season four ends on April 2 and the network has ordered the fifth season of the series, which will debut in January of 2014.

Also, when it comes to returning drama, very few shows on television compare to the acclaimed hit series Sons Of Anarchy, either creatively or from a ratings standpoint. It is the highest-rated series in FX history. Last season, Sons was TV’s #1 show among Adults 18-49 in the Tuesday 10 PM time period. Season six of SOA kicks off in September.

Also, returning in the fall will be the newest incarnation of the American Horror Story miniseries franchise. Last year, AHS tied with Mad Men for the most Emmy Award nominations for any television program. It is one of the Top 5 ranked scripted shows on basic cable in delivery of Adults 18-49. The next chapter will be called American Horror Story: Coven and it is set in New Orleans and Academy Award(R) winner Kathy Bates is joining the cast opposite Jessica Lange. American Horror Story will once again roll out in October, just in time for Halloween, and it will run through January of 2014.

Original comedy series will remain a staple of the FX schedule.

The Emmy and Peabody Award winning series Louie is the most critically-acclaimed comedy on television, broadcast or cable. Put simply, Louis C.K. is a genius. He created a show that is smart, poignant, painful, hysterical, and truly original. The fourth season of Louie will debut on FX May of 2014.

The award-winning animated comedy, Archer, currently in its fourth season, is irreverent, hilarious and brilliant. It has become a force in television on Thursday nights. FX picked up the fifth season of Archer and we believe this show, which has grown EVERY season it has aired, will continue that trajectory well into the future, just as Sunny did.

The acclaimed hit comedy Wilfred, starring Jason Gann and Elijah Wood, ranked among basic cable’s Top 10 scripted comedies last season in young adults. It will return this summer.

FX has two new drama series this year.

New to FX is The Bridge, a drama series premiering in July starring Academy Award nominee Demi?n Bichir and veteran film actress Diane Kruger. Set on the border between El Paso and Juarez, The Bridge centers on two detectives, one from the United States and one from Mexico, who must work together to hunt down a killer operating on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border. The Bridge was adapted for American television by the Emmy and Golden Globe(R) Award winning Executive Producer of Homeland, Meredith Stiehm, and Novelist and television Writer/Producer Elwood Reid.

New to FX are miniseries and limited series.

While FX has had tremendous success with drama series?with most of our shows running seven seasons, we think there is a huge opportunity to begin producing dramatic programs that have shorter runs. Miniseries were once a staple of primetime, generating some of television’s biggest and most memorable hits, and we can’t wait to bring the FX sensibility to new forms of dramatic storytelling.

Looking beyond The Bridge and Fargo, FX drama development has never been stronger.

FX won bidding wars against multiple premium cable competitors for two of the most sought-after projects this year. Tyrant is from Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning Homeland Producers Howard Gordon, Gideon Raff and Craig Wright. The pilot will be directed by two-time Academy Award-winner Ang Lee, the filmmaker behind Sense & Sensibility, Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Life of Pi. It is Lee’s first project after winning this year’s best director Oscar for Life of Pi. Pilot production begins this summer, and a full writing staff is currently working on scripts for the first season.

The other marquee drama series FX captured was The Strain, written and directed by Executive Producer Guillermo Del Toro, the award-winning filmmaker behind Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, and Pacific Rim; and Executive Produced by Carlton Cuse (Lost). The Strain creates a world of vampires unlike any ever depicted in television or film. These bloodsuckers are not the romanticized version of vampires that have become such a clich?but a terrifyingly original new vision. Pilot production begins in August and a full writing staff is at work developing scripts for the first season.

In addition to the original series, FX will televise blockbuster movies in all dayparts, with a library unmatched by any basic cable network. The FX schedule will also include the acquired series Anger Management, Two and a Half Men and, coming in 2014, Mike & Molly.

Launched in June of 1994, FX is now carried in more than 98 million homes.

FXX Anchored by Hit Comedy Series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and The League

Late Night Show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell Expands to Five Nights a Week

FXX’s schedule will consist of original series, movies and acquired series geared toward a slightly younger audience than FX, with a target demo of Adults 18-34. It will be somewhat more focused on comedy than FX, given the passion of younger viewers for outrageous characters and big laughs, but it will not be strictly a comedy channel.

FXX will start out with a base of four original comedies and one late night show, but by the second year the original schedule will expand to six scripted comedies, plus the late night show. The channel will grow over time to encompass its own original dramas.

The FXX brand will take its inspiration from what it means today to be young. It will be home to a rebellious passion for the unexpected and unique. FXX programming will share this generation’s commitment to shattering stereotypical genres and tired, clich?d formulas.

The new channel will be anchored by the hit original series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and The League, two of the finest comedies on television and two of the highest-rated among Adults 18-24. These series will move from FX to FXX with the launch of the network this fall.

Sunny is one of the greatest success stories in cable television and it embodies the maverick spirit that has defined FX’s young-skewing comedy brand. It is the first basic cable comedy series to syndicate to another basic cable channel; it spawned the live stage show, “The Nightman Cometh,” and it became one of the highest-selling TV DVDs in the FOX library. The ninth season debuts this fall and we will celebrate the series’ 100th episode this year. In addition, FX exercised its option and has ordered a 10th season, which extends the series run through the fall of 2014.

The League was recently renewed for a fifth season and today we are picking up the sixth season, which will take it through the fall of 2014. The League ranks as a Top 10 Comedy in basic cable, and is one of the most popular shows among young men, ranking #2 in its basic cable time period behind only Thursday Night Football.

Legit, the Network’s newest comedy series, was renewed for a second season. The show was co-created by and stars Australian Comedian Jim Jefferies. The series follows Jeffries and his roommates, the adventurous and well-endowed quadriplegic “Billy” and his romantically clueless older brother “Dan” as they struggle to find a “legitimate” way in life. It is the most critically-acclaimed new comedy of 2013 and its ratings grew over the course of the season. Another series moving to FXX is the late night show we introduced last year, Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, from Comedian and Host W. Kamau Bell and Executive Producer Chris Rock. The series is expanding into a five- night per week, half-hour strip?with 130 new original episodes slated to premiere on FXX this fall beginning with the Channel’s launch.

FXX will feature blockbuster movies in all dayparts and also televise the acquired series Parks & Recreation, How I Met Your Mother, Rescue Me, Arrested Development, Sports Night and Freaks & Geeks.

FXM Will Feature Prestige Movies and Grow to Feature Miniseries and Movies

For people who love movies, FXM is becoming a destination channel. A year ago January, we converted the classic film-driven Fox Movie Channel into FXM, an ad-supported channel that airs contemporary films from 3 PM to 3 AM each day with limited commercial interruption. The results have been incredible. After growing more than 100% in Adults 25-54 in the Channel’s first year, we’ve grown another 50% in the 25-54 demo year-to-date. FXM has added more than 10 million new homes in the past 12 months and is now carried in almost 60 million homes.

FXM is a brand that literally lives for movies. Movies are the essence of its DNA and excellence in dramatic narrative the essence of its mission. This network will bring the best filmmakers of our generation together to share their unique creative vision in multiple forms and formats. We will deliver the best lineup of blockbuster Hollywood films?and we will program some of the best original miniseries and limited series on television.

Beginning this fall, FX Networks will launch the FXNOW app, creating its own version of “TV Everywhere” for subscribers of FX, FXX and FXM. The FXNOW platform will be available to authenticated subscribers of participating FX cable, satellite and telco providers. With the FXNOW app, viewers will be able to access the programming of any of the FX suite of Channels that are part of their current TV channel lineup.

Authenticated subscribers can view programs, the day after air, with the five most recent episodes available.

FXNOW will also offer on-demand access to the FXM VOD Movie Library, an unprecedented collection of blockbuster movies, most of which cannot be found on Netflix or other subscription VOD services.

SyFy: ‘Continuum’ Season Two Premiere Date Announced (TRAILER!)

Via Press Release:

SYFY’S POPULAR SERIES CONTINUUM WILL RETURN FOR SECOND SEASON

THIRTEEN ALL-NEW EPISODES BEGIN AIRING FRIDAY, JUNE 7

NEW YORK – March 26, 2013 – Syfy has announced its popular time traveling police drama Continuum will return for a second season. The 13 all-new episode season will premiere in its new time period beginning Friday, June 7 at 10PM (ET/PT).

During its first season, Continuum delivered 1.35 million total viewers, 644K Adults 25-54 and 537K Adults 18-49. In its time period, the series ranked #6 in Adults 25-54 and #10 in Adults 18-49 among all cable entertainment programs with at least three telecasts (based on most current data).

New episodes of Continuum pick up after the gripping Season 1 finale when Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols/Criminal Minds, Alias) fought a ticking clock to prevent a cataclysmic act of terrorism.

Cameron is a cop from the future who finds herself trapped in the present day, swept along when a group of fanatical terrorists escaped their planned execution in 2077 by vaulting back in time.

Continuum co-stars Victor Webster (Castle, Melrose Place) as detective Carlos Fonnegra and Erik Knudsen (Jericho, Scream 4), who plays teen tech genius Alec Sadler.

Executive producers of Continuum are series creator Simon Barry (The Art of War), Pat Williams (Smallville), and Tom Rowe (Tin Man). Continuum is a Showcase original series and is produced by Reunion Pictures in association with Shaw Media.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

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