Westworld

HBO's newest venture mixes sci-fi and fantasy with what other than the Old West. It's the Hall of Presidents on steroids. Based on the 1973 Yul Brenner cult classic about a futuristic amusement park that  goes off script when the robots don't want to play anymore. It premiered on October 2, 2016.

The Setup- For 30 years Westworld has been an amusement park like no other. Created by Dr. Robert Ford( Anthony Hopkins) and his partner Westworld let's high paying guests experience the perils and promise of the Old West first hand. Androids, who became more and more life like over the years, provide guests with every pleasure they desire. The park's newest update has some "Hosts" malfunctioning in a way that puzzles head of robotics Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright). "Hosts" are supposed to be incapable of harming guests but the  new erractic behavior they are displaying worries the park boss (Sidse Babbette Knudson). The  show intertwines stories of the parks oldest  working android Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) and it's longest returning guest The Man in the Black Hat (Ed Harris). When Dolores and the other androids slowly begin to gain self realization the entire park experience comes into peril.

What I Love About It-  This show is just flat out fun. This is Fantasy Island for the 21st century.  You can enjoy it for the sex and violence or go all Nietzsche on it. It has something for every modern TV viewer. You spend the first episode wondering what the hell is going on and just when you settle in you start wondering all over again. First things first this cast is simply amazing. It's not often you develop attachments to characters after 2 episodes but Westworld pulls it off with ease. The exciting thing here is how open the storylines can be. This concept offers infinite possibilities and it is almost impossible to tell what direction the story arcs are going to go. This series is an Easter Egg hunt that would make Marvel Studios blush. Any show that makes you want to re-watch it right away is on to something.

What I Hate About It- I had to scratch my head for a little bit on this one because I really love this show. I might think they revealed maybe a little too much too soon about some of the major characters that would have been a little bit more tantalizing if spread out over time. There is also a lot going on here. If your texting while feeding your baby and kicking a tennis ball with your left foot to the family pooch you're probably going to miss some subtle comment that changes everything you previously believed about the show.

8 out of 10 couch potatoes- Great fun with deep thinking nuances that will make your head spin. Even if the writing takes it to places it shouldn't go this amazing cast can keep us intrigued for seasons to come.

Banshee-Cinemax

Banshee is an hour long Cinemax original action/drama program currently showing new episodes on Friday nights at 10pm EST. The show premiered on January 11, 2013. Banshee was created by Jonathan Trooper and David Schickler. The series is set in the fictional small town of Banshee, PA. Currently in it's second season. Cinemax picked the show up for a third season in January, 2014.

The Setup- After serving fifteen years in prison for a diamond heist a master thief assumes the identity of the towns new and recently murdered sheriff, Lucas Hood (Antony Starr). Hood quickly bonds with a former boxing champ and ex con named Sugar (Frankie Faison) who owns a local watering hole. Hood is in search of his former lover and partner Ana/Carrie Hopewell (Ivana Milicevic). Ana living under the name Carrie Hopewell is now married to the local DA (Rus Blackwell) and a mother of two. Carrie has left her criminal past behind while hiding from the ruthless Ukrainian crime lord named Rabbit (Ben Cross) that she and Hood double crossed fifteen years earlier. Rounding out the criminal reunion is Job (Hoon Lee), an Asian cross dressing computer hacker who helped plan the heist. Job gives Hood the necessary credentials to assume the identity of the dead sheriff before anyone in town had a chance to meet him.

Hood assumes control of the small sheriff department bringing him into conflict with Brock (Matt Servitto) the departments longest tenured officer who was passed up for advancement in favor of the outsider Hood.

Siobhan Kelly (Trieste Dunn Kelly) and Emmet Yawners (Demetrius Grosse) round out the other officers on small force.

Hood also finds himself at odds with Kai Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen), the ruthless businessman and shunned Amish power monger who controls the towns underworld. With an Indian reservation, large Amish community, crime lords, and various miscreants in Banshee County Hood has his hands full trying to do a job he is ill equipped for while trying to rekindle his old romance and cash in on the stolen diamonds.

What I Love About It- The best way to sum this show up is Grand Theft Auto meets Shakespeare. Graphic violence, nudity, sexual situations,and profanity are laced into a gripping story that involves themes of love, honor, duty,and destiny not to mention the violent nature of man. Banshee covers it all. The combination of great writing, visually stunning direction, top notch acting, and special effects more likely to be found in a summer blockbuster make Banshee one of the most complete shows on TV. 

Banshee lets it's characters shine with deep emotional back stories and moral decisions that challenge the core of who they are.

 Rebecca (Lili Simmons), Proctor's niece, is one of the shows more compelling characters as she grapples with her Amish upbringing and a desire for the carnal pleasures of the outside world. Banshee's female characters are one of the show's major strengths. Women are not portrayed as victims or sex objects they are a viable ass kicking force to be reckoned with.

 It's the shows treatment of it's characters that gives it such depth. Banshee also does something else remarkable. It gets better and better every week. By season 2 Banshee has gone from a quick jog to a full sprint and it's a joy to watch the writers stretch their legs.

I held back more than usual on the details of the show because part of the joy of Banshee is the way the story unfolds for the viewer. Banshee is much more than it seems and that's what elevates it from guilty pleasure status to Emmy buzzworthy.

What I Hate About- This show is certainly not for everyone but neither are Masters of Sex or Boardwalk Empire. There is a lot of sex and violence but never just for the sake of showing it. I had to be pretty picky to find something to dislike but Brock and Sugar are maybe the only two characters that seemed a little forced. Of course you need a cop who distrusts Hood's unorthodox style and you also need someone to be the wise old sage who helps him soothe his inner demons. I have faith though that given time these characters will catch up with the others.

10 out of 10 Couch Potatoes- My first perfect 10 is simply because Banshee earned it .A lot of time we praise shows because we think we should. Banshee does the opposite. It takes a show that critics usually hate and blows you away. When was the last time you were counting down the days until the next new episode of anything? Where shows like Homeland faded fast Banshee rewarded fans with more of the things they loved but even better. Banshee gives us the sex and violence without sacrificing the integrity of the characters or the story.I'm happy to see Cinemax is finally challenging the other premium networks with first rate original programming. You may not want a house in Banshee but certainly grab a seat in a local park and enjoy the view.

#Banshee on Twitter

http://www.cinemax.com/banshee/

Antony Starr as Lucas Hood

Trieste Kelly Dunn as Deputy Siobhan Kelly

Ulrich Thomsen as Kai Proctor

The Exes- TV Land

The Exes is a thirty minute situation comedy produced by TV Land. It currently runs on Wednesday nights at 10:30 pm after Hot in Cleveland. Created by Mark Reisman it debuted on November 30, 2011. The show stars Kristen Johnston( 3rd Rock from the Sun), Donald Faison( Scrubs, Clueless), Wayne Knight (Jurassic Park, Seinfeld), David Alan Basche (United 93), and Kelly Stables(Two and a Half Men).

The Setup- Holly Franklin (Johnston) is a divorce lawyer who although not divorced herself is single and struggling to find a relationship that works. She helps three clients who  lose their homes in their divorces ( Faison, Knight, Basch) find an apartment together across the hall  from her in a trendy part of Manhattan. Faison plays Phil Chase a self absorbed sports agent with a soft side. Stuart Gardner played by Basche is the naive lovable dentist who is shocked to find himself divorced. Haskel Lutz(Knight) is your typical Knight character.  He's a little rude, a little crude, a little lazy, and very funny. Haskell sleeps all day and makes his money selling stuff on the internet.
Kelly Stables plays Eden, Holly's assistant. The show has four main sets. The guys apartment, Holly's apartment across the hall, the bar downstairs, and Holly's law office. The show centers around typical sitcom storylines for single people.

What I love about it- Right off the bat I wanted to love this show. Funny though I don't know why. None of the actors are personal favorites and I never was a sitcom guy. I skipped The Cosby Show when the whole world watched and I whined that my friends were funnier than anyone on Friends or Seinfeld. Yet here I was five minutes into what I will call ' The Vibrator Episode" wanting this show to succeed.This show just has that intangible thing that whispers "Watch Me".
 Johnston is the Sun here and everyone revolves around her. Any scene with the six foot tall Johnston and the five foot tall Stables bickering made me laugh out loud. The shows stars all have chemistry with Johnston.
The characters are all fun if not totally fleshed out and every actor here has learned how to hone their craft.I was surprised to find the show was a little edgy for TV Land. I never found myself bored or moaning about how dumb anything was which is unusual for me. When the writing matches the talent of the actors, magic happens. Zach Braff guest starred a closeted tennis pro who stays with the guys and falls for Stuart leading to one of the funniest sitcom scenes I have ever seen and yes I mean ever.

What I hate about it- There is absolutely nothing new here. Go back 50 years and replace the vibrator with Mr. Wilsons electric stamp licker and you get an episode of Dennis the Menace; There was the obligatory we can't get to the hospital so we have to deliver the baby episode and similar typical plot lines. Lots of potential and flashes of brilliance in what is a stew of old sitcoms all cooked together.

7.5 Couch potatoes out of 10- I hate that I copped out with the .5 but I did. This show is good not great, funny but not hysterical. The show is a lot like its characters, just back in the world and searching for some traction. Give The Exes a shot and take a risk on the heartbreak.

Break'n Reality - The Halogen Network

Break'n Reality is a thirty minute reality show currently seen on the Halogen Network. The show follows three elite performers in the world of competitive break dancing. Dates and times vary. The show was created in 2011 and has completed three seasons. Please check local listings.

The Setup- The show follows the lives of three world champion break dancers, Roxrite, Lilou,and Neguin. The show details their lives in and out of the sport and gives us access to the amazing world of competition street dancing.

What I love about- This show is a hidden gem. If you are looking for real in a reality show this may be your answer. The ups and downs, the heartbreak and the joy, the inner struggles and personal triumphs are all on display. This is the human drama played out in front of an unusual backdrop.
 Fiction could not create a character as intriguing as Lilou. A two time world champion he is a superstar who carries the heart of his home country Algeria to each event. When the camera follows him home he is given a Koran and draped in Algerian flag by a local mayor and you can feel their weight dragging him down. He lives a simple life outside of the frenzy of the B boy world but you can sense the currents of both worlds pulling him in different directions. He wants to do the right thing for himself, his family, and his country.

Roxrite is a man in search of a legacy. He sees the future of the sport as an infinite world of possibilities. He is an entrepreneur, a dreamer, and totally committed to his destiny as a pioneer in the sport. He understands how to market himself to reach the next level.  The world would be a better place if we all had his drive and determination.
And that's just the characters. The dancing is spellbinding. I couldn't get in these positions if you tossed me down a cliff. These men are acrobats, dancers, contortionists, and athletes all wrapped into one mad package.
All three men are humble masters of their craft. You cheer for all of them and emerge a better person for watching. This is television that gives you hope.

What I hate about it- Neguin for me was the least compelling character and that is through no fault of his own. If you have steak, lobster and mashed potatoes for dinner the taters take a backseat no matter how much you love spuds. This is a bit unfair to Neguin because his rise from poverty and a dark past is a great story in it's own right. For others he may connect better than the other two its just the nature of weaving so many stories into a thirty minute show.


9 out of 10 couch potatoes- This is what TV should do for us. This shows opens us up to a new world. It inspires, it awes, and it gives us hope that we can be better than something bigger than ourselves.Go break a leg my friends.

Stanley On The Go - RLTV

Stanley on the go is a thirty minute travel show currently seen on RLTV. RLTV stands for Retired Living television and is a network designed for people over the age of fifty. Dates and times vary. Check your local listings.

The Setup- Stanley Siegel is the septuagenarian host of this travel show designed to entice the older viewer to get out and see the world. Stanley is a retired journalist most noteworthy for his work with WABC in New York. I'm almost 45 and I grew up watching Roger Grimsby on WABC and I have no recollection of Stanley so take that noteworthy with a grain of salt. Stanley takes a cameraman and his oversized 80's microphone all over the world and asks questions your grandfather might ask while you bury your head in disgrace.  Stanley is game for things most people his age have never heard of like zip lining and rapid surfing. The entire show looks like a man on the street interview with Stanley sticking his mike in the face of every local that doesn't run from him.

What I love about it- Good old Stanley. This show has to be seen to be believed. It is so terrible on so many levels that that is one of the things I love about. This would be my favorite SNL skit if it wasn't actually a real show. There are two main characters here- Stanley and Stanley's microphone. This thing looks like a black wiffle ball bat. Stanley shoves this broadcasting relic right up your grill and you never see him without it. He has it in a plastic zip lock bag when he goes rafting.He wraps his white knuckles around it in a way that suggest separation may mean death. He doesn't even put in down while perilously carrying fresh baked pies onto a train. Visually it's so distracting you are wondering what inept producer put this show on tv long before Stanley opens his mouth. Then there is Stanley's mouth.
Stanley asks questions bordering from comical to insulting to ridiculous and everywhere in between. He invites himself into a nice woman's villa in Venice while stumbling around trying to find his way back to his hotel. He gawks over the beautiful residence then asks the woman if she has always been rich. He tours the slums of Mumbai and asks his guide to introduce him to some locals. Stanley asks this very pretty young woman who is guarding the doorway to her home if she has a job, why she lives here, and if she is happy living in the slums. Prepare to cringe. It's sad, hilarious, and mind boggling on so many levels you just can't turn away.

What I hate about it- Okay this show stinks. The camera work is sloppy and somehow the beauty of each country is missed by the lens. Like a train wreck you can only watch for so long before the horror starts to seep in You are only going to be able to handle this show for so long before you can't take it anymore. My guess is you won't last a whole episode.

1 out of 10 Couch Potatoes. This is pretty awful tv but Stanley seems like a very nice man and the intentions here are good. Stanley is fearless and genuinely interested in people but this is a mess of a tv show. I want you to watch an episode the same way people say "Try this it sucks" just to get another dissenting opinion. Poor ol Stanley needs to go.

Nathan for you - Comedy Central

Nathan for you is a thirty minute comedy show currently seen on Comedy Central. It debuted on February 28, 2013. The show was created by Canadian comedienne Nathan Fielder who also directs, writes, and stars in this offbeat fake reality show.

The Setup- Nathan Fielder plays a skewered version of himself as a business school graduate who helps struggling companies with strategies that no sane person would attempt.
Fielder made a splash with a viral video hoax that showed a pig rescuing a goat from a river in an attempt to gain publicity for a petting zoo. The trick being they used a stunt pig.  The video got over 7 million hits on You Tube and was even featured across the country by news outlets before it was revealed as a hoax. This kind of wacky deadpan comedy is Fielders trademark. Think Punk'd hosted by Stephen Wright.
 Fielder suggests that a funeral home hire actors to stage dramatic breakdowns and grieve effusively at viewings. The theory being that people would pay to look cool after they die.
He helps a haunted house by suggesting they tell people they accidentally contracted a deadly disease in the house, he then rushes them by ambulance to a fake hospital that is actually the exit of the horror house. After the terrified victims exit Fielder presents them with a lawyer who suggests they sue the haunted house owner for subjecting them to mental stress. The idea is that people would flock to a haunted house that had been sued for being too scary.
In every episode the business owners watch patiently as Fielder's ideas prove to be ill thought out at best.


What I love about it- Fielder is as deadpan as Andy Kauffman or the under appreciated Super Dave Osborne. If this guy has a standing heart rate over thirty I would be shocked.  The ridiculousness of the gags is what makes this show fun. When Fielder spoofs David Blaine type magic acts his idea is to try and escape from handcuffs before a robot de-pants him and exposes him to a group of children. If he fails to escape he has officers standing by to arrest him as a sex offender. Offensive? Yes. Comic Genius? Most certainly. This concept isn't new but the gags are bold and fresh.
Lenny Bruce dressed in a convict outfit and asked unsuspecting pedestrians for directions back in the 60's kicking off shock humor.  Like Kauffman, Sascha Baron Cohen, and Punk'd before him Fielder is just a progression of that style of comedy. This is the kind of a show that brings a classic type of humor to a new generation.

What I hate about it- I did find myself drifting a bit during every episode I watched. While I loved the idea of each gag Fielder's style is so monotone I often found myself looking at my phone hoping it would ring. Fielder deserves praise for finding the next level but this style seems to grow old fast.

8 out of 10 Couch Potatoes- Fielder holds this show all by himself which is no small task. The creativity is amazing and every episode provides its share of laughs and shake your head moments of disbelief. This is going to be popular in college dorms all across the country but make some room for it in your house. Watch it for no other reason other than to learn not to hire Nathan to help your company.

Rectify- Sundance Channel

Rectify is a one hour mystery/drama currently seen on the Sundance Channel. The series premiered on April 22, 2013 and is the first original series from the Sundance Channel. New episodes appear Monday evenings. Check your local listings.

The Setup- Daniel Holden is released from prison after nineteen years on death row for raping and murdering his girlfriend. Daniel's new lawyer uses DNA evidence to exonerate him and win his release. Daniel must now face the challenge of returning to a world that has long passed him by and may or may not want him back. His family arrives at the prison to rejoice in Daniel's release and bring him home.Not everyone however is happy about it though.
 State Senator Roland Foulkes appears outside the prison the day Daniel is released to remind the press that the DNA evidence was a loophole and that Daniel had previously confessed to the murder. Foulkes was the original prosecutor of the case and wants Daniel retried. The rest of the small town that served as the backdrop for this heinous crime is not very happy to have old wounds reopened.
 Daniel's sister Amantha played by Abigail Spencer is his fiercest supporter and worries about how he will reintegrate back into outside life. His mother is remarried and her new husband Ted and stepson Teddy Jr. run the family tire business that Daniel would have inherited.
The show weaves a checkered quilt of suspicion and intrigue over whether Daniel is the real killer or not.

What I love about it- Alden Young plays Daniel with a rare blend of restraint and depth that really lets you love and fear Daniel simultaneously. He opens up slowly like the first flower of spring and every bit of it is entertaining. Several of the characters have great depth and even if their progress seems slow the growth potential is enormous.
 The show has a creepy vibe to it sort of like a Twin Peaks kind of thing only grittier. There were only two episodes available on demand so it may be to early put too much faith in it but show's foundation is solid and I certainly was left wanting much more.

What I hate about- Teddy Jr. played by Clayne Crawford is to this show what teenage Dana is to Homeland.......a pimple on the Mona Lisa. Teddy like Dana is whiney and annoying and ultimately a distraction from an otherwise great show. I'm not enough of an expert to know whether  Crawford is a rotten actor or Teddy is just a poorly written character. Something clearly stinks here and it doesn't help that most of the characters put Teddy to shame. The pace is a little slow yet it somehow it seemed like each episode was over in a blink. There is a lot to process here but that's what makes it fun.

8 out of 10 Couch Potatoes- This one gets a bit of an incomplete grade. Usually I watch a half dozen episodes minimum before I start spouting off but I think people need to try this show early on and give it a chance. The potential is here is huge and rarely do shows start off as strong. So invite Daniel over for dinner but just don't turn your back on him yet.