Tag Archives: HBO

Gotta See, Listen, Read, Rent, Buy, Skip!

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Hit & Miss

“Hit & Miss” is the best new TV show most people won’t be able to see, because it is exclusive to DirecTV‘s Audience network. Chloe Segvigny best known as the manipulative “Nicky” from HBO’s “Big Love“, stars as “Mia” a transgender Hitman (hitwoman).  Produced by Sky Atlantic TV, the show illustrates why the Brits do TV and film better than we Americans.  The first episode has “Mia” taking a break from her hit duties, to look in on a son she never knew she had. It turns out Mia’s ex-girlfriend (from her life as a man) was impregnated by Mia.

Mia’s “ex” dies and turns guardianship over to her. But there is more to the story. Mia’s son also has three other siblings from  other relationships. Two of the kids are mix-raced Black children. Even though Mia walked into a new “just add water” family, she still has a day job of whacking people for her Mob boss, who doesn’t want Mia’s personal business interfering with his business.

Even though it is a weekly one hour drama, “Hit & Miss” feels like a movie. It delves into the issues of sexual identity, murder and child rearing. Too bad alot of people won’t be able to see the show, but I suggest folks bootleg it through a Bit torrent site. Yeah I went there, now I can expect the TV and Movie studios to hire a Hitman/Woman to knock me off for the suggestion!

Gotta, Buy, See, Read, Rent, Skip!

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“GIRLS”

You might have already read commentaries from some Black cultural critics about HBO‘s new show “GIRLS”. People are asking where are the Black characters, being that the show is set in Brooklyn. Yeah I kind of agree but I really don’t care. Was “Seinfeld“ not a great show because Jerry and George never hung out with black folks on the Upper West side? Was Friends any less funny because they never had black people come over to the apartment (no the show would have still sucked even if the cast were all black?).

The Cosby Show rarely  ever had White characters if I remember. I think these shows reflect what is really going on in America. Just think do you really have friends of the other race you hang out with outside of work? As a child I did because my neighborhood in New Jersey was predominantly Caucasian. I did not have any Black friends until I was in junior high school.  As adults we tend to spend our free time with those that are like us. So I am not surprised to see many sitcoms with all White or Black casts.

Now on to the show. If you like “40 year-old Virgin“, “Knocked Up“ or “Bridesmaids” you will love this . The Executive Producer is Judd Apatow the mastermind behind those boy humor movies. “GIRLS” features four 20 something White women dealing with first job and relationship issues. Classic millennial angst about work and living off parents.

The show is crass when it comes to sexuality, but aren’t all women when they talk about sex amongst their girlfriends? If people could watch the show without wondering where the diversity in casting is, they will enjoy the program.

I say if Black people want to see themselves on TV there are a growing number of shows with ensemble casts that include at least one Black character. You can even watch TNT and Tyler Perry‘s two coon-coms.

New Rules: Mormonism gets hit hard by Bill Maher

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In case you missed it,  as a public service  I am posting Friday’s New Rules segment from Real Time with Bill Maher. Mormon‘s take cover!

Gotta Buy, Listen, Read, Watch, Skip!

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Louie

FX is quickly becoming one of my favorite cable networks from “Louie” to “Justified” to “Wilfred” and the now moved to Directv “Damages“, it is the HBO to regular cable. If you like adult and I mean really adult humor and drama check this network out. “Louie” is kind of hard to describe its not a sitcom but more of a faux reality show. It’s hard to explain but I’ll try, the show stars Louis C.K. a real standup comedian who will make fun of anything. He puts the “P” in Politically Incorrect. The show follows Louie during his everyday life as a single dad to two girls by day, and a relatively successful standup comedian by night. In between are snippets of his racy standup routine. This week Louie took his young girls on a trip to Pennsylvania to visit his 97 year-old aunt. He wanted them to get to know someone who lived in during a different time period . He expected the aunt to tell them about riding on a horse and buggy, living without computers etc. That didn’t work out very well because old auntie had a racist streak mentioning the word nigger a few times upsetting his daughters. It was hilarious seeing the young girls trying to figure out what planet this old woman was from as she mention “niggertoes” a name for a nut. The show pushes the envelope as far as possible, so if you’re the sensitive type stay away.

Wilfred

A dog that smokes weed? That’s what “Wilfred” does, well he does in the mind of Ryan (Elijah Wood of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy). Ryan is a non-practicing lawyer who suffers from depression. He’s taking meds that are making him see things. Well he communicates with his next door neighbor’s dog. Actually he does more than communicate with Wilfred, he smokes weed with Wilfred, hangs out with the Aussie accented dog played by Jason Gann. Other people see Wilfred as just a dog, but for Ryan Wilfred may be the only thing keeping him from taking his life. Funny in a real dirty sarcastic way.  Gann plays an angry dog who hates being told what to do, and being treated less than a human. You have to suspend your imagination and just go with it. I love this one.