First impressions of the new sitcom The Odd Couple

After being kicked out of their houses by their wives, two friends try to share an apartment, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day.

Based on the play of the same title, The Odd Couple popularized on the big screen by Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon is now rebooted with Matthew Perry as Oscar the divorced man living a bachelor life and Thomas Lennon as Felix the soon to be divorced high maintenance man.

This is a classic setup of comedy and it might even be a very tired one. Especially in the Pilot’s first scenes it feels out of timing and boldly acted. But it gets better as the episode advances. Being a huge fan of sitcoms and especially Friends and How I Met Your Mother, I was waiting with high hopes and a positive apprehension.

After the first two episodes, I’m still torn between continuing to see if it gets better or if like many sitcoms that were one season deals like Partners, which had some potential but was cancelled due to low scores, it will stall in common comedy places. Sure, I’m sold on Matthew Perry who brought many Friends elements and his particular delivery to his new show. But, his recent projects have had more miss than hits. With the behind the scenes of the famous 1990’s sitcom we kind of understand that he was responsible for some of Chandler’s lines. He is now older but still capable of comedy and in my opinion steals most of the scenes he is in.
His counterpart, Thomas Lennon who had a role in Friends as Joey’s hand twin in the episode in Las Vegas, a German character in How I Met Your Mother, and one of the detectives in Brooklyn Nine Nine, he is doing the job right and seems to have the right thing to be the right Felix.

As it is for now, I see The Odd Couple as a great Two and A Half Men. The show is still written very bold and the little sentimental endings are a bit forced and break the mood of episodes. This is something that can be easily corrected and I think the chemistry between Perry and Lennon can be good. I guess I’ll keep on watching and get back to you with the evolution of my appreciation of this new sitcom as it evolves.

What do you think of The Odd Couple? Hit or miss? Will you continue watching?

Entourage Season 8

On Le Mot du Cinephiliaque, there aren’t that many posts or discussions around television shows but this one is one of my favourites lately and I would like to know your thoughts so far since this is the last season and until now, episode 3, I feel like if we, the viewer, haven’t really had something to get our teeth in. Even Season 7 was okay and some moments were better while others were lesser I think the show is getting tired. I always said that when a show must introduce new characters on a regular basis is because the central ones have been exploited enough.

During Season 7, Eric was absent, Sloan is a talking prop, Johnny had to struggle with himself and got small and lesser parts while Turtle is the one who got the best of this Season. By the way, Jerry Ferrara lost like 30 pounds since 2 or 3 years, just like me 5 years ago... And Vince has more dramatic turns of events with his porn star girlfriend, drug addiction, etc. On the other side Ari has a biggest part in the process but seems to be fooling in the same place with the recurring themes of the unsatisfied wife and the never letting your guard down attitude. And there’s the return of one of my favourite characters; Billy Walsh.

What gets on my nerves in the current season so far, is the tendency to erase everything from the previous seasons and even things: Vinny gets back on his feet and is like a Role model, Turtle lost is girlfriend and his Tequila job, E is no longer with Sloan, Drama still struggles with his quest to have/keep a job. Moreover, Ari and the separation with his wife is just so not Ari! There is also the additional characters of Scott, Dice, Carlos, etc. They just get in the way... It might be too early to call anything but since Season 7 wasn’t as good as the first 6 I just hope that they are setting things up for a great farewell and a great film. Because, what it lacks is the chemistry between the four boys when they are together and call themselves names. Since, a while they are all isolated and yes there is more than the four guys together, there is producing, managing, acting, in their lives but since the show was built on the relationship of this modern family of “dudes” I hope the show will get back on his feet and give us those moments we all liked very much.

So what do you all think of it so far?

Keep your friends closer - Entourage Season 1

Entourage Season 1 (2004)

The story: The emerging Hollywood young star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) from New York lives with his brother Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon) an unemployed actor, his best friend/career advisor Eric Murphy (Kevin Connlly) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) the guy that takes care of details like driving the car and buying things for the guys.

This quatuor couldn't be complete without Vincent's agent, Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) and the many girls the guys meet.

In the first place, the main idea of the show is to bring four guys next door into the Hollywood parties and business. They discover how fame is easy/sleazy and how it's also difficult to do want you really want to do. This is not a series with big dramatic issues but we quickly fell into the family and it's a fun ride.

HBO doesn't censors its shows and it's something that keeps the integrity of its productions. It's fun to know that Executive producer Mark Walhberg gave meat to the bone of the show by basing the story on his personal career.

The Season 1 of the show has only 8 episodes and sets the many characters into places. The best scenes are when Ari is present. Piven gives performances that may seems overacted but when you became acquainted with him you become to understand what kind of unpredictable character he is.

I'm finishing the Season 2 and I can say that with time the characters tend to become deeper as the story goes. However, they keep their smart mouth and the locker room talk never stops!

Rome Season I (2005)

I don't usually review television shows but when it comes to history and quality I let go the fact that it was aired on television. I did my major in History at the University and I visited Italy from North to Pompei, so I had grand interest in that show.

Starting with the end of the War of Gaulle and ending at the Kalends of February in Roman history, the first season of the show reveals how historically accurate the show is. Well, the two main characters Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus have dramatized or if you prefer "Romanized" lives. The plot of the show stands on the grounds of the historical facts. That's what makes Rome the best television show ever to reconstitute the past. Being on HBO, it helped the creators to reflect the violence and orgies of that period. But beware, it's not Caligula; this extravaganza of violence and pornography has its qualities but it's never as good as Rome.

Continuing with HBO, the network that brought TV series so well written and produced that it practically killed the Theaters. Rome is the kind of series that surpasses its media: Television, and with its qualities is able to ascends to Cinematic ambitions.

Rome is much more than just about a historic reconstitution. Its two main characters are used like Forrest Gump; they lived their lives through History and they could have been anybody, you or your neighbor. It helps the viewer to identify himself in this labyrinth of historic characters in that different (not that much) world order than ours.

A Television Series Review by Michaël Parent

The Simpsons by John Ortved (Unauthorized History)

This uncensored and unauthorized history of the famous cartoon The Simpsons is a must read to all the fans of this sitcom. When I was 6 the show began on television and the definition of cartoon completly changed for me. Everyday after school I was watching The Simpsons in French at 4:30 and in English at 5:00. It has been a part of my life for twenty years even with the lack of quality the show has showned us I consider myself a fan! It changed the face of television, of comedy, and of the American culture by being incorprated in it.

From the first works of its creator, Matt Groening to the more recent episodes, you have here an analysis of how they managed to create the show, and how they manage to present a new episode each week for more than 20 years now! Made with interviews and opinions of the people who worked on the show, John Ortved delivers a clear and funny view of behind the scenes of the most popular family in television.