TV Review: What I Watched This Week - 27/01/2012

This will usually be a daily feature on the blog, but I've managed to fall behind after being unusually busy this week. Thanfully, due to NFL Playoffs and Barack doing his thing, there's not been too much on over the past seven days, so it's going to work out just fine! I'll be taking a less in depth look at the TV shows I've been watching (in general, some episodes, particularly season finales and one offs, will receive a full article to themselves) as time constraints and the volume of things I've been watching have made it too difficult to get material done!

Archer - "The Man From Jupiter" (S03 E04) FX (US) 19th January 2012
Following on from a three part mini-season back in September, the world's most incompetent animated secret agent is back causing havoc on our screens. Here, he finds out that his hero, the actor Burt Reynolds (voicing himself), is dating his mother, and sets out to try and put an end to it. He changes his mind when Reynolds helps him elude a Cuban hit squad with a little help from Lana. It's great to have Archer back on television, it really is one of the best animated comedies in recent times
****

Unsupervised - "Pilot" (S01 E01) FX (US) 19th January 2012
The latest animated sitcom to hit FX is Unsupervised, from the team behind It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and starring creator David Hornsby, Justin Long and Kristen Bell. Focusing on two teenage boys who live with virtually no parental influence, I was worried that it may come across as a cheap Beavis and Butt-head knock off. Thankfully it didn't (although there were a couple of shaky moments along the way). This was a solid, but unspectacular pilot, but there was enough to suggest that Unsupervised has a lot of potential quality in there.
***

Up All Night - "Rivals" (S01 E13) NBC (US) 19th January 2012
After a really strong start, Up All NIght has quietly settle into a comfortable little niche. While that niche is still pretty good, it would be nice to see them try something a little different. "Rivals" saw a former protege of Ava and Reagan (Megan Mullaly showing up in yet another sitcom, she's becoming a female Fred Wilalrd!) stealing all their talk show ideas, while Chris found friendship with one of the mums from Amy's playgroup. Reagan, who always has the potential to overreact, gets jealous, and the whole thing gets a little awkward. It's the awkward situations that give this show a lot of it's comedy, but Up All Night needs to be careful it doesn't become too formulaic.
*** 1/2

House of Lies - "Microphallus" (S01 E03) Showtime (US) 22nd Januray 2012
This is the 2001-12 season's best new show. It is dark, funny, biting, and has enough twists in each 30 minute episode to keep you hooked right to the end. "Microphallus" has a lot going on, but it all boils down to Marty at the end of the day. Don Cheadle has been excelling as this bastard with a heart, and his is a complex story in this episode that is going to build into something more over the next few weeks if the last few scenes have anything to go by. And fair play to Kristen Bell for continually stealing the show as Jeannie. Three episodes in and I'm hooked on House of Lies.
**** 1/2

Above Suspicion: Silent Scream - "Part 3" (S04 E03) ITV1 (UK) 23rd January 2012
The final part of what has been an excellent mini-series gave us the conclusion that we may have expected, but it was an exciting ride to get there. Despite ending up in hospital due to the actions of a suspect, Anna finds an integral piece of evidence that manages to catch the killer and his accomplice. The procedural part is wrapped up, but the episode takes a shocking twist at the end as we find out that Anna was the one who cost Langton his prootion after all. A wonderfully written and acted three weeks of television and it's a shame we'll have to wait a year for the next mini-series.
****

Happy Endings - "Code War" (S02 E07) E4 (UK) 26th January 2012
Well well well. It's just getting better this show. Happy Endings had a stellar first season, but the beginning of this second has taken it to another level. "Code War" sees Max and Dave engage in an increasingly silly conflict when Dave dates Max's ex girlfriend (thinking that since he was gay, Max wouldn't mind). Brad and Jane go to war over their "work spouses" while Penny and Alex don't actually do much, but still manage to have some of the funniest moments of the episode. If Happy Endings can carry on this quality, it really is going to find itself at the top of the sitcom tree.
**** 1/2