Fall TV Premieres: FOX

Tonight, the Emmy Awards will air on FOX, hosted this year by Andy Samberg. Samberg also happens to star in the FOX show I've selected as my pick for favorite returning show on the network. Here's my take on the comedy coming to FOX this fall:

Returning: Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the show that arrived in time to fill the void left in my heart after The Office and Parks and Rec went off the air. It's another hilarious single-camera workplace comedy from writer-producer Michael Schur. (Office fans, you also know Schur as "Mose.")

It's a brighter, more cartoonish workplace comedy than The Office, which, for its first few seasons thrived on jokes about boredom and was set in a room so beige you could practically hear the hum of the overhead lights. By comparison, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is flashy, filled with a cast of stand-up comics and improv masters who light up the screen and lighten the mood individually and collectively. Of course, this isn't to say the show doesn't also have heart. The romantic tension between Andy Samberg's Jake Peralta and Melissa Fumero's Amy Santiago culminated with two "cover" kisses and one actual one in the final moments of last season's finale. Just how that relationship will shake out (or fallout) is yet to be seen. (You may recall that The Office Season 2 also ended with a long-awaited kiss - and a third season which left the tension unresolved.)

The cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Source: moviepilot.com

Season 3 also promises to bring some personnel changes to the precinct. The departure of Andre Braugher's dry but lovable Captain Holt was the final cliffhanger of the Season 2 finale. Promos have revealed the new boss will be played by none other than Bill Hader - SNL alum and all around hilarious guy. Hader is on a roll lately, having hit the big screen this summer with Amy Schumer in Trainwreck. Braugher isn't going anywhere, though; he has his own storylines in premiere promos. So what's currently listed as a "guest star" role for Hader may last only an episode or two. Of course, this hearkens me back to the revolving door of Dunder Mifflin managers following the departure of Steve Carrell on The Office. Some of those who walked in were hits (Hello, Idris Elba!) and some were misses (cough...Will Farrell). I can't imagine Hader's stint at the Nine-Nine - however long it may last - will be anything but a hit. 

By the way, don't mistake these plot connections for unoriginality. Brooklyn is a great show in its own right, and that distinctive feel just proves that Schur, co-creator Daniel Goor, and the writing team know how to set up and tell good stories. What you can be sure of, though, is that if you liked The Office, you'll enjoy Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns Sunday, September 27 at 8:30 PM.

New: The Grinder

I'll admit it. This show interested me for one reason: Rob Lowe. I loved him as Sam Seaborne, literally adored him as Chris Treager, and the former Brat Pack heartthrob is back to TV again, this time playing an actor who played a lawyer, who's decided an actual career in law is for him. In addition to Lowe, the show stars Fred Savage. (I'm hoping these big names don't lead to an early flop.) If the trailer is any indication, they won't. Unlike the ABC trailers I blogged about last week, this one doesn't try so hard. Take a look:

The comedy here is clearly not in one-liner jokes, but in the characters, in the acting, and in the overarching setup of the plot. And that setup is an interesting one. It's a spin on a family comedy and a legal comedy and a comedy about the tv business.  (So meta.) The show's success may hinge on the chemistry between the brothers played by Lowe and Savage. If they can manage that, and the writing and directing continues on the path laid out in the trailer, it'll be a hit.

The Grinder premieres Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 8:30.

And with that, I'll say it. NBC has passed the comedy baton to FOX. FOX grabbed Schur, and (until recently) another Office alum in The Mindy Project. With The Grinder, FOX got Parks and Rec's Lowe, for a comedy created by the brains behind that network's successful New Girl. Bottom line: everything NBC was doing right when it came to single camera sitcoms has been nabbed by FOX, including all the right people.

Check out what I'm watching this fall on ABC here and on CBS here.

Finale Reviews: Parks and Recreation: "One Last Ride"

Source: nbc.com

I don't know where to begin. This final season of Parks and Rec had its misses, sure. But they were eclipsed by the precious, heartfelt moments we were given this season, especially last night. And that is worth something. Even in a final episode that was not perfect, and a final season that felt rushed, the audience was given a satisfying, happy ending. Lots of happy endings, actually.

Some of the highest points of the episode were those that rewarded longtime viewers. Tom's glamour shot, the Halloween costumes, Cones of Dunshire II, Leslie's scrapbooks, a library (of all things) in Leslie's name, and even a flash forward easter egg that revealed Jean-Ralphio's ultimate fate. There were a few delightful cameos from recurring characters - Ethel Beavers, Kyle, Brandi Maxxxx, and Dr. Saperstein were some of my favorites. And of course the actual cameo from Vice President Joe Biden was a treat.

Though I wish we'd seen a little more of it, I enjoyed the overarching theme of one final parks project for the gang to tackle, and I think its triviality made sense in the little Parks and Rec world we've come to love. Leslie in particular has never shied away from the smallest of tasks if it could make a difference to someone she served. That's what made her Leslie Knope. I have two favorite quotes from last's night's episode, and both of them are about what was at the heart of this show: hard work for the greater good.

"Show up on time. Speak honestly and treat everyone with fairness." -Ron Swanson

"Work hard at work worth doing." -Leslie Knope

Those, dear viewers, are words to live by.

My biggest complaint is that there was too much plot to fit in the single hour finale, but it's still ok. While the episode might have been a little too full, what is was full of was happiness. Parks and Rec is quite possibly the happiest, brightest, most optimistic show on television. And Pawnee is definitely the happiest little TV town since Mayberry. So yes, the episode was abundant with plotlines that weren't as completely developed or masterfully executed, as say, those in The Office finale, but each one gave us a happy ending. They showed us the happy future:

Chris and Ann will find health and happiness literally anywhere they go. 

Jerry/Larry/Terry/Garry eventually found his place, and never stopped smiling. 

April and Andy will always be a great team. 

Donna will never stop treating herself - and coming through for others. 

Tom will always land on his feet with a new idea. 

Ron will always (reluctantly) find himself working happily for the government. 

Leslie and Ben will obviously support each other as flawed individuals and perfect partners - no matter what. 

Leslie and Ben: perfect partners, obviously.
Source: nbc.com

One last thing about last night's finale. It represents more than just the end of a funny, sweet, special show. It represents the end of a special era of NBC comedy - one that included The Office, 30 Rock, and Community. These shows were a big part of the sitcom revolution; they helped re-introduce the single-camera sitcom to US audiences. Parks and Rec is more than a special little show. It's an important show. For TV, for comedy, for public service, and for small-town diners serving waffles everywhere.

Finale Reviews: Parks and Rec Season 6 - "Moving Up"

"Love and Waffles and Possibility"

Ready to say goodbye to these guys?
Source: nbc.com

Parks and Rec returns tonight. Seems like there's no better time to look back, and look forward. I'll say it now, I'm apprehensive. NBC has squeezed this show's teensy thirteen-episode farewell season into the tiniest stretch of the television real estate imaginable. Promo ads reveal that Season 7 will be coming to us "From the Future!" Season 6 sometimes hit, but largely missed. For all these reasons, I'm nervous that one of my favorite shows on TV won't get the goodbye its earlier seasons deserve.

The Season 6 finale, "Moving Up" helped quell my fears... a little.

I was rewatching that episode last week, I kept thinking, "why is everything so over the top?" The Unity Concert, the panoramic shots of San Francisco, the Michelle Obama cameo... Wasn't this too big for a show about Pawnee, Indiana? The place where a Freddy Spaghetti concert was a major event?

At the start of Season 7, where are we?
Source: nbc.com

Then something Jennifer Barkley said hit me. Leslie outgrew her position in the Parks Department. And just as Leslie grew out of her small town dreams in Pawnee, Parks and Rec might have grown up without my realizing it. Freddy Spaghetti was way back in Season 2. Since then, Pawnee has hosted the Harvest Festival, a model UN, a huge Founders' Week celebration and parade, and countless more    events - all of which wouldn't have been possible without Leslie Knope and her big dreams.

"Moving Up" was a happy episode. It was true to its characters. It gave us more Cones of Dunshire! It set up a beautiful future for Pawnee. Even though it didn't feel like the show's beginnings, it felt a little like it could have been the show's end. As many have noted, the episode's flash forward final scene would have even made for a satisfying series finale. And it would have been a happy ending! ...But it's not the end.

So where does that leave us? Leslie said it best: "The sun is rising over a sea of love, and waffles, and possibility."

Love
Like it's inspiration (The Office), Parks and Rec has garnered a bevy of supportive, loving fans. Fans who will probably love the final season even if it does all take place in a ridiculously corny future far from the gentle/brash comedy beginnings it greeted us with in its first few seasons.

Waffles
No matter what happens, Parks and Rec has left us with a legacy of television characters, moments, and quotes that won't be changed even if the network does dismiss its one-time hit with a rushed final season. If waffles make a comeback with my generation, it'll be thanks to Leslie Knope.

Possibility
We've got thirteen more episodes with our friends in Pawnee. Part of me is worried. Worried that these "futuristic" episodes will ruin all the great ones that came before. But then, that's not a very Knope-like attitude, is it? No, I'm going to choose optimism. That these episodes will be great. At least, they have a chance to be. And I'm hopeful.

Parks and Recreation rocks #ThrowbackThursday: Review of "Prom" and "Flu Season 2"

The last two episodes of Parks and Recreation deserve a "#ThrowbackThursday" hashtag.

"Prom" let the audience reminisce in a lot of wonderful ways. Not the least of which was the tone of the episode - enthusiastic with a hint of awkward - which harkened back to the show's glory days in the second through fourth seasons. Season 6 has felt somewhat uneven, so I was glad to watch as my favorite show delivered a solid episode and hoped this was a harbinger of good ones to come.

April and Andy prove opposites attract.
Source: nbc.com 

As the students at Pawnee Central High enjoyed a prom thrown by the staff of the Parks and Rec Department, the characters gave us throwback stories of their own proms through confessionals and conversations. Not only did this offer some the audience some great lines that will no doubt soon be turned to gifs to be pinned and tumblr'd everywhere, but it also offered an interesting subplot for April and Andy. I loved this chance to see the Parks Department's first married couple in conflict, and more importantly, the chance to see them resolve conflict. April and Andy work well together because they are opposites, but to ignore the friction her gloom and his glee would inevitably cause would have been a betrayal of their characters. April's concern that she and Andy never would have gotten together had they met in high school was both adorable and easily remedied by some kind words from her ever-happy hubby.

Allison Gliffert and Greg Pikitis return in "Prom."
Source: nbc.com 

In another sort of throwback, two high school students from episodes gone by reappeared in this episode. Prom coordinator - and the subject of a Leslie/Ron squabble - Allison Gliffert, appeared in the Season 4 mock UN episode "The Treaty," in which she was known only as "France" for the majority of the half hour. (Yes, she eventually introduced herself as "Cassidy," but I'm going to call that a continuity error, because the same unmistakable young actress portrayed them both.) Then, in the surprise ending, Leslie's greatest nemesis - other than the City of Eagleton - returned, reprising the role of Greg Pikitis from the Season 2 episode of the same name. Despite his limited screen time, Pikitis delivered his trademark blend of cute and conniving, no small feat for the young actor.

By its title, "Flu Season 2" was billed as a sequel, but it was a sequel in name only, as the flu had very little to do with the plot of the episode. As it turned out, the apparent misnomer was actually some effective misdirection, and the payoff was worth the deceit. The episode didn't have any lines as amazing as Chris Pratt's improvised joke from the original "Flu Season," but new(er) character Craig, played by Billy Eichner, continues to crack me up with his loud, uninhibited one-liners.

Ben may be running, but it's Ron who wants to
escape the conversation.
Source: nbc.com

A throwback in this episode was Ron's reluctance to participate in the personal lives of those around him. It's usually been Leslie asking Ron for guidance, but this time, the person coming to him for advice was a very drunken Ben. The interference of the Eagleton Ron may have been the low point in a still very good episode, but Swanson's parting words to Ben were sweet, and, in true Ron Swanson style, they were much more poignant than they seemed at first.

Another aspect of the episode that hearkened to earlier seasons was the character combination swapping. One of the best things a sitcom with a large - or even moderate sized - cast can do is pair characters in new or interesting ways. "Flu Season 2" accomplished this not only with the Ron/Ben storyline, but with Craig's vying to impress Tom, Leslie and Andy's efforts to get a Unity Concert headliner, and a nice continuation of the Donna/April relationship as the former bankrolled the latter's wine country connoisseur contrivance.

Congratulations, Ben and Leslie!
Source: nbc.com 

In the end, the best part of these two episodes, particularly "Flu Season 2," was not the #throwbacks but the indications of things to come. Tom's new business is sending the character on his way without sending him far away. April and Andy are growing closer through little moments of friction in their marriage.

After the departures of Chris and Ann, the characters I worried most about were Leslie and Ben. Leslie's job offer, if it meant she left Pawnee, could mean the end Parks and Rec, and I'm not ready for that. On the other hand, I want to see these characters grow. And while Leslie's exciting news alone wasn't enough to convince me that her destiny remains in the Greatest Town in America, her almost involuntary blurt that her hometown is a good place to raise a family gives me hope. Growing the characters of Ben and Leslie by growing their family is a way to keep them in Pawnee without holding them back.

Tonight's episode is the last one before Season 6's two part finale. While I never thought that a season that began (by very nearly jumping the shark) in London would end on a strong note, these past two episodes have me feeling confident that it will.