#spotlight saga

[spotlightsaga]

Emotions can get gay.

[spotlightsaga]

A C.O. trusting an inmate to diffuse a volatile situation... That’s actually a pretty incredible gesture. People can still see strength, even through the foggiest of lenses. #60DaysIn

[spotlightsaga]

Superstore puts on a fn’ clinic...

[spotlightsaga]

60 Days In S4 throwback!

[spotlightsaga]

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... The Mick (S01E17) The Intruder Airdate: May 2, 2017 @FOXtv Ratings: 1.891 Million :: 0.73 18-49 Demo Share Score: 8.75/10 @SpotlightSaga @CulturePit Not quite the end I was expecting. Then again after enduring 17 hilarious episodes, I suppose expecting the unexpected goes hand in hand while watching ‘The Mick’. Despite the chaotic nature of the ‘Snowball Effect’ style Black Comedy, there were always some things within this series’ core narrative that just had to be eventualities. Sooner or later, The Pemberton Parents had to show back up... And all of these Season Finale swerves with the house burning down; the elusive Pemberton duo being yanked from obscurity and heading to Federal Prison; the potential for major money issues for Mickey & The Kids going forward; they all promise a very different S2. Nothing is going to be the same for anyone, including the viewer. With a falling average in the ratings as a Network as a whole, FOX hasn’t exactly done many things right lately. However, green-lighting The Chernin Brothers’ ‘The Mick’ for a 2-Season deal was one of the smartest things FOX has done in a hot minute. The Execs could have easily broken contract & given up on this one. It started hot in the numbers and eventually padded out to around 2-2.5 Live Million Viewers, with about an 0.7 18-49 Demo. That’s right where fellow FOX Series ‘Gotham’ has found itself, and that show has gotta be way more expensive to produce. Both survived the chopping block, because not only are both solid shows... They are killing it with Streaming Deals & DVR Clicks. Keep watching. We need more outlandish new comedies like this one. For Network Television, The Chernin Bros & 20th Century Fox Television really created something special with the ‘The Mick’.

[spotlightsaga]

The Mick (S01E16) The Implant Airdate: April 25, 2017 @foxtv Ratings: 2.266 Million :: 0.87 18-49 Demo Share Score: 8.75/10 - There’s a baby passed out on me, so I had to suppress my laughter for the entire episode… I should win a fn’ award… The Baby is still asleep! #TotalScore Not an easy feat.

[spotlightsaga]

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... Young Sheldon /S01\/E01\ Pilot Airdate: September 25, 2017 @CBS Ratings: 16.57 Million :: 3.7 18-49 Demo Share Score: 6.75/10 @SpotlightSaga @CulturePit *************SPOILER FREE REVIEW************* Oh, what a shame... Did we miss the party? You know, I’m not really sure who the demographic is that is giving ‘The Big Bang Theory’ all of its monstrous numbers... Ok, well, I have an idea... But I’d hate to get ahead of myself like my other half, Cody Cole. Besides, everyone is allowed a handful of ‘Guilty Pleasures’, right? I sure as hell know that I’ve got mine. Even tho I don’t use the account anymore, I used to have a Spotify Playlist for songs that appeared on the UPN turned CW Series ‘One Tree Hill’. And yes, that’s embarrassing, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s very much true. I love ‘One Tree Hill’ and I cried like a little baby in S9 when (of course, you know I’m not going to reveal any spoilers, right?) the culmination of the main story arc that started the show off, came to one of the most tearful & satisfying conclusions ever on television. Yes, I love that show that fn’ much, ridiculous, I know... I pretend that S8 didn’t happen... But hey, when you run 9 Seasons of 20-25 Episodes, you’re bound to get some bad ideas some of the time. Now’s when you breathe your big sigh of relief... Judging by its pilot, ‘Young Sheldon’ doesn’t appear to fall in the category of ‘Guilty Pleasure’. Quite the opposite, actually. Remember how we all felt after the 1st Season of CBS ’Life In Pieces’. That hopeful, feel-good spirit was attached to something uniquely constructed with a powerhouse cast, something that didn’t normally happen on CBS, at least in such high quality... A Single Camera Sitcom. While ‘Young Sheldon’ may not look completely unique at first glance, its admittedly giving off a ‘Goldbergs-Mature’ vibe, and that’s hard to deny... But what originality it lacks within the walls of its narrative construct, it more than makes up in a fresh, restrained approach. The normal, tv-family chaos is still there, but at the epicenter of the organized madness, we have an observer... He’s not exactly a reliable narrator in theory, but he is in character. You see, Sheldon tells it like it is... And since this is something that pretty much all human children are known for... Famed Co-Creators & Co-Writers Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro make sure that Little-Man, Iain Armitage (YS), turns up the awkward observations, just like his very own grown version and narrator, Big Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) from TBBT. I’m not so sure Young Sheldon is meant to be abnormally cute, or likable for that matter. The show approaches normal, southwestern families in the 80s with a pragmatic point of view. It’s existential in nature, and feels like a show that could also feel right at home on a Streaming Network like Amazon Prime. Lorre & Armitage also know that since this is from a child’s POV, the world is scary is nature... Even to the smartest, brightest minds around. Rarely do we cover CBS Sitcoms, although we’ve been known to indulge in Bear Claw Heaven with Kevin James on ‘Kevin Can Wait’, and we’re basically almost there with the aforementioned ‘Life In Pieces’... It just had a rough S2. You see, CBS has been gearing up; polishing up the CBS All Access Network, of course TBBT is always a Network Focus, reshooting entire episodes of Star Trek, and making sure Big Brother #768 (or whatever season its on) keeps steady numbers... It’s strange when you think of all the factors that can have some sort of snowball effect on the finished product of a Big 4 Network TV Series. It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that clearly the Network Giant’s focus has also very much been on this show as well. It’s clear, crystal clear, that CBS is very much behind ‘Young Sheldon’. To say this series was handled with care is an understatement. It’s polished, introspective, and brushes off chances to pull cheap laughs... Everything a normal CBS Sitcom doesn’t do. Even the placement of its pilot’s timeslot, garnering such big numbers off of the Season Premiere of its parent show, TBBT, has never really turned results in such spectacular fashion as it did here... Holding all 16.5 Live Million Viewers from the first half hour and keeping the mass majority of its coveted 18-49 demographic too. I guarantee they nurse this bad boy all the way through an ungodly amount of episodes. Why not? Honestly, it works. ‘The Goldbergs’ are growing up, right out of the 80s, and AMC’s ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ is heading into its 4th & final season. There’s a niche and it needs to be filled, and it looks like we have our first guest. Many of us have a deep connection to this era the show is set in, but none of us have seen it through this kind of lens. The big question isn’t the quality... You know CBS, it’s about money and longevity, because longevity not only brings in a steady supply of money, it also gives them something to brand... But that’s kind of why it’s so surprising that ‘Young Sheldon’ isn’t coming right out of the gate trying to push anything other than its own value. I have a strict policy when it comes to Sitcoms, whether they’re multi-cam or single-cam, doesn’t matter... Each series gets a fair shake... And a 21 Minute Episode built off a general idea will not tell you how far a show can go or how good a show will be.... Theres just no way! All kinds of shows out there start slow and then end up turning out relentless bangers on a regular basis, a few episodes, or even a season or 2 down the road... And then there is the exact opposite, where we see a show start out red hot and straight up fizzle out like a fading star right before our very eyes. I think it’s important for everyone to not judge this one too quickly... Maybe ‘Young Sheldon’ isn’t for that same ‘TBBT’ audience, maybe it’s meant to strike a different chord. It sure feels like it. ***************Written By Kevin Cage**************** TVTime/Letterboxd/FB/IG/Path/Pin/Tumblr/Twitter: @SpotlightSaga 📺 TVTime📺 http://www.tvtime.com ✅Spotlight Saga FB Page! Give us a like!✅ http://www.facebook.com/spotlightsaga 🚧Spotlight Saga's Main Page is Under Works🚧 http://www.spotlightsaga.com 🔥The Culture Pit FB Group🔥 http://www.facebook.com/groups/ArtsEntertainment @CulturePit Kevin Cage // Justin O'Malley // Cody Cole // Jerry Wilson // Kat Holiday // Carolyn Holt // Yackarette Borge // Carina Enered //

[spotlightsaga]

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... Ballers (S03E01) Seeds of Expansion Airdate: July 23, 2017 @hbo Ratings: 2.476 Million :: 1..22 18-49 Demo Share Score: 8/10 TVTime/FB/Twitter/Tumblr/Path: @SpotlightSaga **********SPOILERS BELOW********** 'Ballers' is back on HBO, planting its hyper-masculine seed wherever it can slide in. No really. It sounds crass, but the metaphor is woven beautifully throughout the S3 premiere of the sports-centric, premium cable dramedy. Ricky (John David Washington) is having a baby, it's not exactly what he had in mind until he was told it definitely WAS happening, after he was told it wasn't when he thought it could be a possibility. Ah, don't you just love the way irony tastes? Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's not exactly irony that's sticking to the sides of your tongue... No, no... Thats more or less manipulation, take it or leave it. Amber (Brittany S Hall) is playing the game that she must play, she knows exactly how Ricky feels about her and his 'Bad Boy' image precedes him. It's not that we think Amber is wrong for how she handled the situation, it's actually totally brilliant... It's just not exactly on the up and up, but when you're dealing with a Man-Child who's just now coming to a place in his life where he's starting to come to terms with his existential reality, then the best strategy is to give the quintessential player a game to play. All this fertility talk has got our favorite underdog Spencer Strasmore (Dwayne Johnson) spooked. He brags about his 'pull-out game being 100', and Ricky suggests that maybe it's 100 because his his loins aren't exactly producing the fruits of his loom. This cascades into a mini-obsession for 'The Rock's Spencer character and even compels him to mention it to his doc, Dr Robbins (Stacy Ann Rose), who at this point, knows way too much about his life. In true Spencer Strasmore fashion, when Dr Robbins immediately sets him up with an appointment to face the truth of his fertility matter head on, Spencer dips and throws all the 'swimmer' talk somewhere deep behind the walls of what we could probably consider a wall built with bricks laced with toxic masculinity. Besides, Spencer has other 'Seeds' to think about. He borrowed money from Ricky in S2, 5 Mill to be exact, and he needs to capitalize on his next big venture to make paying Ricky back a reality. We get a bit of a big name guest star as Steph Curry and his girl give Spencer a call and he attempts to seize the opportunity to break out of the world of the NFL & into the world of the NBA. Only, nothing in 'Ballers' ever goes the way it's planned... NOTHING. Remember that. Steph cancels on Spence, Mr Anderson (Richard Schliff) is pissed because he's depending on a high profile guest of honor at a big dinner party that night. In a desperation move and without a replacement, Spencer takes his ever-encouraging, chihuahua-esque, best friend's 'feel good' advice and treats himself as the 'Main Event' at Mr Anderson's private soirée where Spencer is to woo a potential massive client, Wayne Hastings (Steve Guttenberg - Can I get a fuck yeah?!). Wayne buys into Spencer's big speech and I gotta tell ya, so did I! Ever since I was a teen, watching 'The Rock' dropping 'The People's Elbow' & raising 'The People's Brow' while laying the smack down on opponents on WWF/WWE television, I knew Dwayne Johnson was a star. Seeing him truly embody the spirit, the ups and downs, the origins, just the tooth & nail of this character, Spencer Strasmore, throughout 3-seasons of 'Ballers' truly cements him as not just a real life, big time, Hollywood actor, as we've already seen him establish... But here in 'Ballers', he's a legitimate, respectable character actor who is a real contender to eventually plant serious awards on his mantle sometime in the near future. If Dwayne Johnson has yet to earn your respect, then you haven't been paying attention. He's the real deal. He's selling Guttenberg the dream of a potential NFL team in Vegas, and you can just feel the electricity in their back & forth. These are the times when the show truly comes alive and here again we see the theme of 'planting a seed' come full circle. Let's not forget about Charles (Omar Benson Miller). He has quickly become one of my favorite characters on the show. We've seen his struggle from out of work ex-football star to cheesy car salesman to rising star and major player on the Miami Dolphins coaching staff. The pressure is real for Charles. He's getting hives, he's being thrown to the wolves (and by wolves I mean media), and he's being tossed into a position he probably isn't exactly qualified for. I can't help but think that whatever experiment the coaching staff and owners are concocting behind the scenes, that Charles is the fall guy... Or could be easily thrown into that position if whatever they're going for turns sour. Another seed planted for S3... Plenty to grow on, and it looks like we're going to get much more than just the breathtaking camera work and cinematography in my beautiful city of Miami this season! Let her rip, y'all! Ballers gon' Ball!