TV, I want my life back

[tviwantmylifeback]

The weekly binge

One week equals one series in my world. I could blame Netflix. Amazon Prime. The streams. But who am I kidding? The only person really to blame is myself – oh and an excellent show, if there’s one floating around.

This week, Netflix added the entire first series of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the Golden Globe-winning, Rachel Bloom-starring comedy musical drama (or dramatic musical comedy or dramatic comic musical... all options apply). With a theme tune reminiscent of The Nanny and a musical element that can only be compared to Book Of Mormon – CEG follows the out-there decisions of the very successful, but supremely unhappy (and fairly unhinged) Rebecca Bunch (Bloom). After running into high school boyfriend Josh on the streets of New York, she listens to the butter commercial that tells her to be happy and quits her high-powered job. So far, not so crazy. Did I mention she then moves across country to the town of West Covina, California – the home of said teen beau – to start a new life? Oh and make him love her. Now can you spot the crazy? It’s smart, funny and dark when it wants to be. After all our singing heroine is literally dancing around Single White Female territory pretty much 24-7. She soon acquires a stalking sidekick (Donna Lynne Champln), who feeds her belief she can steal Josh from his super-hot, super-mean, yoga-teaching girlfriend (she smells food rather than eating it). 

Of course this is all by the by, because everyone watching wants her to realise that Josh – dumb, sweet, indecisive Josh – is the childish fantasy, but his friend, Greg (Santino Fontana) could offer her something that might just make her happy. Throw in dream sequences featuring Dr Phil and Ricki Lake, heaps of bubble tea and some weird party bus pole-dancing and you have a series I want to see so much more of. I also want Santino Fontana to be in everything I watch from now on. 

I haven’t liked a show so much since Togetherness. And HBO, I’m still angry at you about that one. 

Roll on October when series 2 of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend returns. 

Don’t watch this week: Feed The Beast. Just go out outside. Honestly. Real life isn’t that bad.

[tviwantmylifeback]

Winter is finally here

Nice work HBO. You kept us dangling and then you lured us in. Now we’re back on the fishmonger’s slab gasping for air until you roll out season 8 Game of Thrones. 

So, a friend had to explain the tower reveal to me - but this isn’t about that. 

This is about Lady Mormont  – aka Bella Ramsey – the most kick-ass little girl currently on telly. I mean come on. She may be tiny, but her acting is immense. I already want her to grow up and marry Jon Snow. Or Arya. Whichever. 

I see she’s in the Worst Witch next. More please.

[tviwantmylifeback]

So let me start by saying I am a telly addict.

If there was a support group I’d attend it, but as there isn’t (there probably is, but that would ruin my flow, ok) I’ve taken to self-medicating. By which I mean, not having a telly in my house. Or at least not one with any connection to the outside world. 

That doesn’t mean I’m in recovery. Hell no. I watch telly. Lots of telly. I just do it on my laptop. While the rest of the world is sleeping. And pray that that particularly bloody battle scene (it’s always Game of Thrones don’t you find) isn’t keeping the neighbours awake as well as me. 

The other thing I should mention is that I actually write about telly for a living. Well more oversee other people’s creative flow than cultivate mine own. I guess it was always going to be this way. I was sneaking down the stairs to watch Thirtysomething when my dad thought I was sleeping, long before I realised I should just get him hooked on it with me.

So basically what I’m saying in the most long-winded way possible, is that this blog is going to chronicle my habit. 

I’ll write about the things I love, I hate and those that I can’t quite believe ever got off the drawing board.

So to start things off. I’m posting two trailers. One for Making History, which is already my favourite comedy of the autumn shows (don’t break my heart Adam Pally and be in a bad show) and Time After Time, which I can say, hand on heart, is possibly the worst trailer I’ve ever seen for a high-quality, commissioned American TV show. What the network were doing is anyone’s guess. I can only assume they had a box of fake beards lying around and decided to anchor a show around it. (In case anyone is unsure - this is categorically a bad idea. Unless you are Ike Barinholtz of course).

If you make it to the end of the Time After Time trailer your addiction is even worse than mine...

[tviwantmylifeback]

Veronica is my muse