The Mrs. and I have watched and enjoyed the following as of late:
Home Improvement- some long outdated gender stereotypes (honestly speaking even in the 1990's some of them were tired), but overall works as a lighthearted comedy/ family sitcom with good character growth. There's a wholesome sincerity that I suspect will age like the shows of the 1950's, whether for good or ill.
Seinfeld- need anything else be said other than GENIUS!!!! It's incredible how well this show holds up.
Derry Girls- this one took me by surprise, but it wound up being hilarious and heartfelt. Great character development and it struck a chord with me personally as they were the same age as me due to them being in high school in the late 1990's. Some of the references and music and the overall experiences they had (despite being in Ireland and myself in the U.S.) were honest and relatable.
The Watcher- While this did suffer some plot holes and pacing issues, it was an enjoyable watch- Bobby Cannavale has continued to impress me ever since his absolutely stellar performance in 9 Perfect Strangers (another mini series I highly recommend)
White Lotus- This one is hard to define and because it lacks focus as to what genre it wants to be, it can get frustrating at times, but it's so well written that I can't help but continue to see what they do next. Lavish location filming and great casting make for an enjoyable watch. The plots of all the characters are intricately woven which also peaks your interest.
The Great British Baking Show -Seriously I never thought I'd enjoy a reality TV show, but this is honestly a really enjoyable watch! It's television comfort food. Seriously, sit down with a snack, some coffee or tea on a weekend and relax.
Community- Just brilliantly written and the cast is great. The later seasons suffer a bit as the ensemble is broken up - due to many of the stars moving on to film or other projects- but even then it's still really fun to watch.
Workaholics- This was a slow burn initially, but once I got the tone and began to like the trio of protagonists, it's been on repeat a lot. Very funny show full of stupid humor. Very akin to Dumb and Dumber which is my all time favorite comedy.
Arrested Development- This, like the Office, is always in rotation and despite having seen it a million times we're always finding new jokes in it. This is another ensemble crowning achievement in comedy, but the later seasons also suffer from the same problem as Community where the ensemble has been broken up- which is what made the show work so well in the first place.
The Venture Brothers (LOVE THIS SHOW!!) - I don't know if I can fully articulate how amazing and dense this show is on so many levels. The complexity of the plot and the way it's all woven together it amazes me that it wasn't all mapped out from the beginning. The callbacks, the character development, the levels of humor, the animation, the music- this show is one of my all time favorites and I'm so glad my friend turned me onto it. My wife loves it just as much as I do too, so that makes it even more enjoyable because we can geek out together on it!
Wendell and Wild- This was a fun watch. The animation was great and it has a sort of Tim Burton esque feel with the designs. Then again being directed by Henry Selick who cowrote it with Jordan Peele it's no wonder. The one thing that stood out is how diverse the cast of characters ended up being without ever calling attention to itself. It was seamless and thinking on the movie later I realize just how many different types of people were represented in such a natural way. This and the show Sex Education could teach a master class on how to normalize diversity by not proclaiming it from the rooftops and instead focus on telling interesting stories, with relatable characters and realistic stakes. Kudos to both this movie and that show for being smart and not brow beating!
Home Improvement- some long outdated gender stereotypes (honestly speaking even in the 1990's some of them were tired), but overall works as a lighthearted comedy/ family sitcom with good character growth. There's a wholesome sincerity that I suspect will age like the shows of the 1950's, whether for good or ill.
Seinfeld- need anything else be said other than GENIUS!!!! It's incredible how well this show holds up.
Derry Girls- this one took me by surprise, but it wound up being hilarious and heartfelt. Great character development and it struck a chord with me personally as they were the same age as me due to them being in high school in the late 1990's. Some of the references and music and the overall experiences they had (despite being in Ireland and myself in the U.S.) were honest and relatable.
The Watcher- While this did suffer some plot holes and pacing issues, it was an enjoyable watch- Bobby Cannavale has continued to impress me ever since his absolutely stellar performance in 9 Perfect Strangers (another mini series I highly recommend)
White Lotus- This one is hard to define and because it lacks focus as to what genre it wants to be, it can get frustrating at times, but it's so well written that I can't help but continue to see what they do next. Lavish location filming and great casting make for an enjoyable watch. The plots of all the characters are intricately woven which also peaks your interest.
The Great British Baking Show -Seriously I never thought I'd enjoy a reality TV show, but this is honestly a really enjoyable watch! It's television comfort food. Seriously, sit down with a snack, some coffee or tea on a weekend and relax.
Community- Just brilliantly written and the cast is great. The later seasons suffer a bit as the ensemble is broken up - due to many of the stars moving on to film or other projects- but even then it's still really fun to watch.
Workaholics- This was a slow burn initially, but once I got the tone and began to like the trio of protagonists, it's been on repeat a lot. Very funny show full of stupid humor. Very akin to Dumb and Dumber which is my all time favorite comedy.
Arrested Development- This, like the Office, is always in rotation and despite having seen it a million times we're always finding new jokes in it. This is another ensemble crowning achievement in comedy, but the later seasons also suffer from the same problem as Community where the ensemble has been broken up- which is what made the show work so well in the first place.
The Venture Brothers (LOVE THIS SHOW!!) - I don't know if I can fully articulate how amazing and dense this show is on so many levels. The complexity of the plot and the way it's all woven together it amazes me that it wasn't all mapped out from the beginning. The callbacks, the character development, the levels of humor, the animation, the music- this show is one of my all time favorites and I'm so glad my friend turned me onto it. My wife loves it just as much as I do too, so that makes it even more enjoyable because we can geek out together on it!
Wendell and Wild- This was a fun watch. The animation was great and it has a sort of Tim Burton esque feel with the designs. Then again being directed by Henry Selick who cowrote it with Jordan Peele it's no wonder. The one thing that stood out is how diverse the cast of characters ended up being without ever calling attention to itself. It was seamless and thinking on the movie later I realize just how many different types of people were represented in such a natural way. This and the show Sex Education could teach a master class on how to normalize diversity by not proclaiming it from the rooftops and instead focus on telling interesting stories, with relatable characters and realistic stakes. Kudos to both this movie and that show for being smart and not brow beating!
