Navigating a continually more cookie cutter media environment
The year is 2020. There are five major broadcast networks, hundreds of premium channels, and countless streaming services proliferating the entertainment market. Every week a seemingly endless stream of of new content produced by Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Fox, CBS, the CW, NBC, Paramount, Comedy Central, the Food Network, TLC, PBS, ESPN… you get the point. They will without fail put out more re-boots, original series, online shorts, and original movies than any single person could ever hope to consume in a lifetime.
In a seemingly endless stream of content. How does someone filter out the good from the bad? The mundane from the extraordinary? The public needs the Entertainment Experts.
Our goal is not to objectively determine what the best media being produced is. As a collective of college students from differing backgrounds we each have our own tastes and opinions on television, music, and film, but that does not mean that we cannot provide a voice in the back of your head that will always answer the question: “What should I watch next.”
Whether you are looking for a new series to follow weekly, an old show to binge over a weekend, a new artist to show your friends, or a great upcoming release for date night, the Entertainment Experts are here for you.
Please enjoy the blog. For our first week, we will be examining the past present and future of the Sit-Com landscape and give our picks on the near past-present and future of the genera.
Three modern Sit-Coms that dominate the landscape: in past, present and future.
Past: The Good Place
Most of what needs to be said about this show has already been said by critics and fans alike. That’s not going to stop me from giving my two sense while this absolute gem is on it’s way out.
The Good Place finished its final season earlier this month and it in turn wrapped up the stories of five of the most likable characters I have seen on a sitcom in a long time. The show itself has a solid premise; where do we go after we die? However is what makes the show great is its fun and unique exploration of the greater philosophical they tackle. What does it mean to be a good person? How should we judge both ourselves and each other? Can people really change? Are some people truly meant to be together? and more all are wrestled with throughout the show’s run.
Additionally, each character on the show, in spite of and because of their flaws are genuinely hilarious in their own way. Whether it be the neurotic mindset of Chidi, William Jackson Harper, the hubris of Tahani, Jammela Jamil, or the impossibly daft Jacksonian Jason, Manny Jacinto, the cast is sure to entertain in these break-out roles with both gut-busting and heart warming moments. On top of that established stars Christen Bell and Ted Danson play their parts perfectly as the bullheaded lead protagonist Elanor and the always scheming Micheal.
I would highly recommend this show to anyone looking to binge and all-time great sit-com over their next long-weekend or vacation.
Expert Rating: 8.5/10
Something to note: One of the best sit-com finales we’ve seen in a long time.
Current: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
TV nerds and casual watchers alike may notice that there is a connection between this sit-com and the first on the list. That connection would be the involvement of TV mega-producer Micheal Schur. Since leaving his postion as a writer on SNL in 2004 Schur has produced and created of the american Office, Parks and Rec, The Good Place, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Just like those aforementioned shows, Broolyn Nine-Nine is absolute gold, and is already solidly one of the funniest shows on TV.
The show, much like Schur’s other productions is most notable for it’s colorful and endearing cast of characters. Andy Samburg stars as the immature detective Jake Peralta, but strong performances from Terry Crews, Andre Braugher, Melissa Fumero and countless guest-stars are what really bring the show to life. The daily chaos of keeping the peace in one of Brooklyn’s busiest precincts pairs well with the Office’s and Parks and Rec’s mokumentary style direction.
The show is currently in its 7th season and is as strong as it has ever been. Through multiple cancellations and a network change there is a reason the show has managed to survive for so long. That reason is that the show is simply hilarious; every episode from start to finish. I would suggest binge watching this to get caught up with the current episodes as quickly as possible. The entire series can be found on Hulu.
Expert Rating: 8/10
Something to note: Never skip a cold open. Out of the three sister shows listed above this one has my favorite opening jokes by far.
Future: ???
Right now it’s har to say where the genera as a whole is going. While the series above have succeeded in implementing fun ideas and meaningful messages in their runtime, there’s no guarantee this will be the case moving forward. It’s hard to sit here now and predict which sit com airing this upcoming television season will be great.
There are plenty of your standard sit com scenario shows coming out soon. Outmatched is going to be a show about Jason Biggs having really smart kids, Man With a Plan will try to make Matt Leblanc a household name again. These will be the shows to turn to if you want to see your standard laugh-track heavy three-camera sit coms. I want to stress that this is fine, but probably not the best TV that will be coming out.
If I were you I would pay close attention to 68 Whiskey and Avenue 5. 68 Whiskey is an American version of an Israeli sit-com that focuses on the lives of medics working at a military base in Afghanistan. The show has a very unique setting that might on its own be enough to mix up the sit-com format in a not entirely new , but still exciting way. (I am aware MASH exists, but can’t think of a show that has done a military-style sit-com well since then). The show has gotten mostly negative reviews since it’s release, but with a unique setting may be able to hit it’s stride going forward.
Avenue 5 is worth looking out for not only because of it’s HBO budget and star-studded cast (Hugh Laurie, Josh Gad), but because of its writing staff as well. The creator, Armando Iannucci, just finished Veep (another great sit-com for anyone looking to kill some time) and I’m excited to see what stories he has to tell aboard a space-tourism vessel from the future.
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Entertainment Experts 