TV Review: What I Watched Last Night: 04/02/12

Really short reviews here, as I have very little time and absolutely tons to do!

Happy Endings - "Full Court Dress" (S02 E08) ABC (US) 23rd November 2011 
Continuing to be great. All three plots worked well, especially Max and Penny's babysitting exploits. Another great example of an ensemble working in sync.
****

Spartacus: Vengeance - "Fugitivus" (S02 E01) Starz (US) 27th January 2012 
The tragic loss of Andy Whitfield could have been the death knell for this show, but Liam McIntyre has stepped in and done fairly well, playing the character in his own way. With the slaves free and running amok, this debut felt a little unfocused, but the feel of the first season is still there.
*** 1/2

The Big Bang Theory - "The Friendship Contraction" (S05 E15) CBS (US) 2nd February 2012 
The show goes back to the core with Leonard and Sheldon at the forefront. The dynamic works really well, and the jokes - especially from Sheldon - are really good. The B-Plot is a bit sloppy, but does have a good payoff. Pretty good.
*** 1/2

30 Rock - "Today You Are a Man" (S06 E05) NBC (US) 2nd February 2012
Liz learns to negotiate with Jack by watching tapes of Jack giving a negotiation seminar. That's all you really need to know about this episode. Elsewhere, Kristen Schaal pops up as a new Page while Kenneth looks for a new vocation, and Tracy and Jenna attempt to grow as people. 30 Rock really does continue to deliver.
****

Archer - "The Limited" (S03 E06) FX (US) 2nd February 2012
Archer finally gets to fulfil his life's ambition by chasing a guy on top of a train. Yup, this episode sees the ISIS gang transport a Canadian terrorist back over the border. The expected chaos ensues, with grenades, guns and an ocelot. Archer is consistently proving to be one of the best things on television.
**** 1/2

Up All Night - "Preschool Auction" (S01 E14) NBC (US) 2nd February 2012
Chris' brother comes to town, and their competitiveness prevents them from telling each other the whole truth.  Meanwhile, Reagan tries her best to get Amy into a prestigious pre-school and enlists Ava to help out. It's another lovely little episode, with some very funny moments. Nice to see Up All Night snap out of the stagnation it had been in.
****

The Office - "Jury Duty" (S08 E13) NBC (US) 2nd February 2012 
I can't help thinking that The Office got the dynamic of this episode all wrong. For some reason, the main focus was put on Jim skipping work to spend time with his kids. While this would have been a perfectly acceptable B-Plot, the actual B-Plot should have been the focus. It becoming apparent that Dwight is the father of Angela's baby and not her (possibly gay) husband is a thread that should shape the rest of the season. Could do better once again.
***

Whitney - "Mind Games" (S01 E14) NBC (US) 1st February 2012
I was stunned and delighted when John Cleese showed up as a couple's therapist in this episode, because I had no idea he was going to be in it. His cameo was much funnier than Chelsea Handler's similar role earlier in the season, but Whitney's plot fell flat again, which unusually meant that Alex also fell flat. However, the weird relationship between Mark and Roxanne went into another gear. Once again, funny in places, frustrating in others.
***

TV Review: What I Watched Last Night: 02/02/12

New Girl - "Jess and Julia" (S01 E11) Fox (US) 31st January 2012 
As I said about the last episode, Zooey Deschanel and Lizzy Caplan really are my dream team. So it's lovely to see them spend a lot of time together in this episode, which is yet another fine slice of warm comedy. Jess enlists Caplan's Julia to help her get out of a traffic ticket, but it soon becomes apparent that Julia has a problem with Jess. Quite how this is possible, I don't know, but it does lead to a nice little storyline, and at the end up, the two seem to be slowly becoming friends. Elsewhere, it's nice to see the return of June Diane Raphael as Jess' lesbian gynaecologist friend Sadie, and Cece is back as well after an unexplained absence. The guys, especially Nick have some nice threads, and this New Girl is another strong episode of a show that has been consistently fun.
****

Raising Hope - "Gambling Again" (S02 E12) Fox (US) 31st January 2012 
Greg Garcia always likes to use actors he's previously used. Gregg Binkley, who recurred in My Name Is Earl is now a credited star in Raising Hope, while Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Eddie Steeples and Jaime Pressly have also appeared. This week, he re-uses a character, as Patty the Daytime Hooker plays an integral part of the episode. "Gambling Again" sees the Chances develop a common gambling problem. Attending a support group along with Barney, Frank and Patty, they realise betting against them sees them on a hot streak. It takes a sly intervention from Sabrina and Shelly to snap them out of it and see what's really important. It's a pretty funny episode, with some very funny moments, but not the best of what this show is capable of.
*** 1/2

That '70s Show - "Battle of the Sexists" (S01 E04) Fox (US) 20th September 1998 
One of the advantages of making a television show set more than twenty years in the past, is that you can tackle the issues of the day, knowing exactly how they turned out. The episode sees Donna continually beating Eric at sports and games, which irritates him to the point of him no longer wanting to hang out with her. As they both get advice, Donna from Jackie, and Eric from Kitty, they realise that having fun is more important than who wins. The relationship is bubbling along slowly, and it's nice to watch it grow. Elsewhere, Kelso is urged to stand up to Jackie by Hyde and Fez, while a bored Red decides to "fix" everything around the house, much to Kitty's dismay. That '70s Show's first season continues to be a really excellent repeat watch.
****

Better Off Ted - "Heroes" (S01 E02) ABC (US) 25th March 2009 
"Heroes" follows on from where the pilot left off, with Ted still having to do the right thing while Veronica pushes him to be ruthless. The episode sees Phil and Lem fall out when Phil is given a phony award to stop him suing the company following the botched cryogenic experiment of the pilot. This happens at a crucial time where they are attempting to crow cowless beef. Yup, it's a pretty ridiculous plot, but in the context of this show, Veridian Dynamics are a ridiculous company. There's also continuing sexual tension between Ted and Linda, which it looks like may go on for some time. Better Off Ted is off to a solid start.
*** 1/2

TV Review: What I Watched Last Night: 01/02/12

With February Sweeps starting tomorrow in America (a concept I still can't really get my head around) there's been pretty much fuck all on TV this week. So I've watched some older stuff instead.

That '70s Show - "Streaking" (S01 E03) Fox (US) 6th September 1998
President Gerald Ford is visiting Point Place and the guys fancy some civil disobedience. After deciding that streaking (while wearing Richard Nixon masks) is the way to go, it ends up that only Foreman goes through with the deed when he sees his dad floundering over the saccharine pre-determined question he had been chosen to ask. Red then asks his own question after the commotion, and Foreman gets further into Donna's good books. It's amazing looking back at this show and seeing the sheer quality of the early episodes. And it's nice to know there's loads more to come as well.
****

Better Off Ted - "Pilot" (S01 E01) ABC (US) 18th March 2009
Better Off Ted only lasted 26 episodes over the course of 2 seasons, but on the strength of the pilot, it looks like I'll be enjoying watching all of them. Head of the research and development department at a large multinational company, Ted is a sharp suited, fast talking, doting single father. His character is the main focus of this first episode, although it also focuses on his seemingly soulless boss Veronica, the new girl - and probable love interest - Linda, bumbling scientists Phil and Lem, and his young daughter Rose. The pilot sees Ted struggle with doing the right thing while keeping the company happy, with Rose acting as his moral compass. It strikes me how many similarities there are in this pilot to the currently airing House of Lies (a similar lead character and an ensemble not a million miles apart, the breaking the fourth wall, the big business setting, the single dadness), but there will surely be enough differences in the upcoming episodes. A strong start, I look forward to seeing more.
*** 1/2

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia - "The Gang Gets Racist" (S01 E01) FX (US) 4th August 2005
I've been recommended to watch It's Always Sunny... for some time now. I tried it once before, but didn't really get it, but have decided to give it another go. And while I still don't think the pilot is great, I've now seen enough to sense that there is real potential in this show. "The Gang Gets Racist" introduces us to the titular gang, bar owners Mac, Dennis and Charlie, plus Dennis' twin sister Sweet Dee. After being accused of being racist, the guys hire Dee's black friend (who works in PR) to help fill their bar. After inadvertently turning the bar into the hottest gay hangout in town, they have mixed emotions. It takes a series of run ins - Dennis having a threesome with two gay guys (supposed to be a fake set up by Dee, but later revealed to probably be real), and Charlie looking like a twat, things go back to normal. I think what got me about the pilot, is it doesn't feel like a pilot at all. I do think I'll enjoy this show more once I've gotten to know the characters, so look forward to watching the next few episodes.
***