11.00 It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
01.00 The Larry Sanders Show
01.30 Curb Your Enthusiasm
02.00 Son Of The Beach
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Season 3, Episode 8. "Frank Sets Sweet Dee On Fire" I loved Melrose Place. I devoured it. It was the über-soap. It spat out storylines with reckless abandon, changing direction every few weeks, and it was a delight. Always Sunny reminds me of that. Aside from the fact that it is very, very funny I love this show because no two episodes are remotely alike. It completely recreates itself every single week and I am in awe. This week, the characters decide that they want fame more than anything else. Dee and Mac spend the episode trying to get into a nightclub, while the others run about town posing as a TV news crew in search of the big story (which somehow involves putting kittens in deadly peril).
There are many wonderful comedy moments. Every time the camera cut to Dennis dancing like a demon I cracked up. Particularly after the stand-out scene where Dee verbally abused the bouncer. I also loved the local access TV show of the dancing men, which the gang loudly derided but couldn't manage to turn away from.
The Larry Sanders Show. Episode 1. "The Hey Now Episode" Before The Office, there was The Larry Sanders Show, where comedy and drama held hands on a weekly basis. The first episode filmed is a pretty good introduction to the world of late-night TV host Larry Sanders and his 'friendship' with sidekick Hank Kingsley. The other characters get put to the background somewhat in this story, as Larry takes umbridge at Hank's catchphrase and asks him to stop using it. The mid-portion of the episode is deadly serious as the two men have a bitter conversation and leave the dressing room in silence. Larry walks around for a while. Upset. The camera follows him. But there is no dialogue.
Right from the get-go you know that, while this is a funny show, it is not just a funny show.
Curb Your Enthusiasm. Episode 2. "Ted and Mary" Solid episode. Larry and Cheryl befriend Ted and Mary. However, Larry likes Mary more than Ted and wants to hang out with her. His 'like' takes on 'crush'-like proportions and - pretty soon - Larry has transformed himself into a man who loves to go shopping with women, just so he can hang with Mary. It's great fun watching Larry and knowing (because he's right about social conventions) that he is doing something wrong. And that it will blow up in his face.
Son Of The Beach. Episode 2. "Two Thongs Don't Make a Right" Less over-the-top than the opener, this episode is still very funny. A kid goes missing on the same day that the Mayor has banned thongs on the beach. Notch stands up for the thong and - in the process - loses his job. But, guess what? He still goes after the missing kid! What a guy!
Timothy Stack can make any line funny. And he does. But there are other laughs to be had. Best bit? The little boy (trapped in an underground cavern) is praying for rescue. He offers up the promise that he will never again look at top-shelf magazines, or want to see naked girls, if God sets him free. At which point Jaime Bergman (clad in her yellow bikini) falls from the sky in front of him! Hilarious.
Highlight? The Larry Sanders Show (it's just as much about the friendship as anything else)
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Thu, Nov 27, 08 - Always Sunny, Larry Sanders, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Son Of The Beach
