Welcome to TV or Not TV where I’m finally ready to weigh in on Parks and Recreation.
If you haven’t been made aware of it yet, Parks and Recreation is a new show set in a nondescript part of the country that takes a look at the day to day drudgery of the city political arena. If this sounds more like The Office it should be no surprise as the show is made by the same people.
The importance of Parks and Recreation stems from it is being front run by former SNL cast member Amy Poehler. This is a very major step for her and the entire ensemble cast depends on her performance. They should all be thankful that she is pulling off a pretty decent job as a not-quite-as-clueless Michael Scott and she has even more of an endearing quality than her male Office counterpart. Just like Steve Carell she makes the character believable, even in her ignorance.
The rest of the show is very similar in the feeling of the first season of NBC’s The Office as well. The pacing and comedy is uneven right now. This isn’t to say that the performances by the supporting cast are bad, nor that the writing is bad either. The show right now is young, it’s finding itself, it’s purpose and it’s chemistry. We have a new ensemble cast to deal with, their idiosyncrisies need to be worked out, and how they all work together still needs come together. The show isn’t yet stellar, but it is still entertaining and I’d be willing to wager that if it is given time it can also become a Thursday night staple.
With that little bit said let’s take a look at what this week holds for us.
MONDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: Chuck and Sarah are on the run to save Chuck’s dad. With no one watching they really want us to think these two get their naughty on. Tune in to find out.
FOX – 9:00 PM: Oh no they didn’t! Last week’s reveal that Tony may not have been the double operative we thought he was and Jack‘s worsening condition let’s us know (along with the show’s early renewal) that Jack‘s got to bounce back and go after Tony. This week or next week?
NBC – 10:00 PM: OK, so on Medium it turns out that Allison has a stalker. What’s good with being a psychic if you can’t stop this kind of thing before it starts?
G4 – 10:00 PM: Comic Doug Benson abstains from smoking marijuana for 30 days, than smokes it for 30 days straight in Super High Me. I can’t imagine a better day to watch it on.
TUESDAY
FOX – 8:00 PM: Last week on American Idol the judges finally used their “save” on Matt Giraud so will he perform well enough to change the public’s mind? I hope so because tomorrow night two people get cut, not just one.
ABC – 8:00 PM: Wow, a full hour of According to Jim? I don’t think I hate myself that much, thanks though.
NBC – 8:00 PM: Contestants on The Biggest Loser have a competition to shop healthy on a budget. In other words, they have to shop like the rest of us.
CW – 8:00 PM: Now that Sam has found successfully escaped soul Alan he strikes a deal for the secret to getting out of a contract with the Devil. Wouldn’t it just be easier to hire an entertainment lawyer?
FOX – 9:00 PM: On Fringe, bad dreams come true. Someone must have dreamed about a full hour of According to Jim.
WEDNESDAY
ABC – 9:00 PM: Hoping to get newer viewers caught up, and stretch things out for sweeps, we are given Lost: The Story of the Oceanic 6 in place of our regular show.
FOX – 9:00 PM: With the fact that two people are getting eliminated tonight I wonder if you won’t have to sit through an entire hour for the three minute true elmination on American Idol. Maybe they’ll cut someone half way through too? Naw, who am I kidding?
HIST – 10:00 PM: I always enjoy UFO Hunters but if you’ve never watched I’ve got two words that may tweak your interest: Nazi UFOs.
THURSDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: What’s harder than trying to make up for that bad thing you did to a minister? Getting him to keep forgiving you time and again and again and again as you keep remembering other things on My Name is Earl.
CW – 8:00 PM: Lois starts faking being a super-hero named Stiletto on Smallville. Sounds more like a dominatrix to me but I’ll watch.
A&E – 10:00 PM: It’s the season finale of The Beast tonight.
FRIDAY
ABC – 8:00 PM: Another great pairing on Wife Swap as a rodeo loving cattle rancher trades places with a new age vegan.
FOX – 9:00 PM: It’s the creepiest imprinting yet on Dollhouse when Echo becomes a murdered woman in order to solve her own untimely death.
COMEDY – 9:30 PM: How can you go wrong with 3-and-a-half hours of Southpark? This show culminates with the classic Cartoon Wars episodes, so I’ll probably be watching.
SATURDAY
ABC – 8:00 PM: If you want to get ready for this summer’s release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince you can get caught up by watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets tonight. It’s better than reading, right?
FX – 8:00 PM: Witness the movie that proved Internet hype isn’t all it’s cracked up to be with Snakes on a Plane.
HBO – 8:00 PM: Was it any good at all? I’ll find out tonight when I watch Journey to the Center of the Earth.
SUNDAY
FOX – 8:00 PM:Homer decides to closely monitor Bart and Lisa to make sure they succeed in life. What’s next, have them study economics with Bernie Madoff?
ABC – 9:00 PM: Someone should tell Susan on Desperate Housewives that if you are going to reveal your dark secret, you might not want to do it to the local nut job Dave. Too bad for her that he’s probably going to find it ties is with his own past.
VH1 – 9:00 PM: Another second stringer gets a shot at fame as Daisy De La Hoya from Rock of Love 2 tries to find her one true fame seeking man in Daisy of Love, and my faith in mankind dies a little more.
– Will Wilkins had his named changed to protect the innocent.
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