Comedy Archives - Page 87 of 131

“Wilfred” Lets Elijah Wood Show Off His Comedy Bite

June 2, 2011 StayTuned Staff

Not too many comedies open with the main character gleefully crafting a suicide note. But that’s only the beginning of the weirdness in Wilfred, an edgy comedy premiering June 23 that will fit right in with FX‘s collection of bold, outrageous series that wouldn’t get past the censors on broadcast television. Elijah Wood plays Ryan, a distraught man who decides that rather than pursue the cubicle-hell job his overbearing sister (Dorian Brown) has procured for him, he’ll just swallow a whole bunch of pills and end it all. Much to his chagrin, he’s still alive the following morning and is […]

Cast shines in “Men of a Certain Age”

June 1, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi You really have to hand it to Ray Romano. While many comedians with a hit sitcom under their belt would greedily attempt to recapture that magic, the former Everybody Loves Raymond star knew better. Instead of jumping at any chance to do another sitcom when Raymond went off the air in 2005, Romano waited patiently for the right project. And even he had to be shocked when he realized that right project was a one-hour scripted drama about three men experiencing the wrong side of middle-age. Aptly named Men of a Certain Age (a new season premieres […]

“The Office” is one bad hire away from cancellation

May 20, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi With most offices around the country downsizing due to the economy, why on earth did NBC think it was a wise idea to stretch the season finale of The Office to an hour last night? The network has been scrambling to try to make the world forget about Steve Carell since he left the show last month, but everything it has done to this point reeks of desperation. Not only did that involve expanding last night’s episode by 30 minutes, but it also included what has to be a new record for cameo appearances in one sitcom.

“Simpsons” fans can vote for the future of “Nedna”

May 19, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

This Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons, “The Ned-liest Catch” (FOX, 8pm ET/PT), is the season finale and kicks off a cliffhanger that will be resolved in the Season 23 premiere this fall — and which fans will have a direct influence in resolving. It may not be as big a cliffhanger as “Who shot Mr. Burns?” but it still has the opportunity to shake up Springfield. In the episode, Ned Flanders and Edna Krabappel find love, but Ned has reservations when he learns that Edna has been with many other men, including Homer and Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer (guest-voicing himself).

“Desperate Housewives” tries desperately to stay relevant

May 18, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi ABC’s Desperate Housewives wrapped up its seventh season Sunday night with a 2-hour finale, and fans of the show were greeted with the good news yesterday that it will be returning for an eighth season in the fall. The big questions moving forward, however, revolve around the fact that the show has lost its buzz and whether creator Marc Cherry can once again make the show relevant. Cherry has been brilliant over the years in making the unrealistic lives of several women believable enough for us to watch. The more absurd the show was, the more people […]

Many more network shows walk the plank

May 16, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi This is that time of year when TV fans wait with bated breath to find out if their favorite network shows will be coming back next season, and followers of the NBC program Chuck have to be thankful that it has once again escaped death more times than its title character. With the way shows have been canceled by all four broadcast networks over the past week, Chuck fans have to be thrilled. Despite poor ratings, the spy drama with the small but loyal following somehow managed to once again land on its feet in a television […]

From big screen to small: 10 surprising moves to TV

May 13, 2011 StayTuned Staff

When word came this week that Hugh Grant had been offered the chance to replace Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men (the role reportedly has gone to Ashton Kutcher), the reaction was a collective “huh?” Grant hasn’t exactly been setting the box office on fire lately (no, I did not hear about the Morgans, and I don’t know anyone who did), but he’s still an actor closely associated with the movies. If it had worked out, Grant would have been only the latest movie star to make the surprising switch from big screen to small. Whether it’s a […]

Getting Unlucky: TV’s Least Fortunate Characters

May 13, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Happy Friday the 13th! Whether this day is lucky for you, unlucky or neutral, it provides a good backdrop for a look back at some TV characters over the years who have had a tough go of it through various rough luck of all sorts. Here are some of TV’s unluckiest characters: George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Seinfeld — Let’s face it. Although George often made (or unmade) his own luck through an astounding combination of laziness, poor attitude, lack of self-confidence, selfishness, arrogance, scheming, dishonesty and ineptitude, you did often have to marvel at his amazing run of bad fortune. […]

Celebrities are as superstitious as the rest of us

May 13, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi With today being Friday the 13th, people across the country will do all they can to avoid ladders, black cats and every other thing considered to be bad luck. But don’t be ashamed if you are one of those people, because there are scores of celebrities who are also very superstitious. With the help of the Internet, we found many TV and movie and stars who would supposedly be lost without their lucky charms or routines. –Actor/comedian Robin Williams carries an ivory statue that belonged to his father. –Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin always brushes his teeth […]

FOX needs to expand primetime hours

May 12, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi Nothing is a given these days with the broadcast networks in terms of launching new television shows, but FOX’s knee-jerk reaction to yanking programs off the air has made it darn-near impossible for viewers to give its new dramas and sitcoms a fighting chance. This week FOX will announce that it is canceling Human Target, Lie to Me, The Chicago Code, Breaking In and Traffic Light. And while I am not defending any of these programs or the fact their ratings were far from stellar, it does beg the question as to why fans should bother to […]