Tag: Netflix

Entertainment, TV

Bring Back the 30 Minute TV Sitcom!

littleshoeprincess

Earlier this year, in an effort to find a show we could watch as a family that was not animated, we started Modern Family from the the pilot episode. Mr. KK and I had watched MF religiously when it was on Prime Time, and I remember the sadness I felt watching the very last episode. The show was so good. Every character was perfectly cast. The dialog was smart and funny. It was the perfect antidote to a long day.

Needless to say, Modern Family was a BIG hit with Little Mister. Between Luke and Dylan – and even Phil – it was episode after episode of 11 year old humor. What I loved about the show for us was the exposure to the different family dynamics, the episodes showcasing that families aren’t perfect and people make mistakes, but at the end of the day, family is the most important thing. What I could have done without – and certainly didn’t remember – was the overt sexual references, Phil and Claire’s bedroom role playing, and one-lines of adult humor that was just in reach of an eleven-year-old brain.

Rewatching all of those episodes made me weepy for all my favorite sitcoms. The ones you can watch over and over, catch halfway through and stop on the channel, and quote incessantly. There was something special in those thirty minutes: establishing a conflict, insert humor and witty banter, and the conflict resolution – all wrapped up in the tidy span of 23 minutes with commercials.

And then, live TV died. And streaming services moved in. And things got all weird. I all of sudden had access to millions of shows – dramas, comedies, documentaries – and for some reason, I still could not find anything to watch. (I exaggerate, but I know you have all been there, scrolling through the little tiles on Netflix or Prime or HBO and nothing is tickling your fancy.)

We have, or course, found shows to watch. But after Little Mister goes to bed at night, and I finally collapse on the couch, I don’t have 60 minutes in me. I need 30 very interesting and engaging minutes or you’ve lost me. An hour-long episode – or, God forbid, a full-length movie – takes about 5-7 business days to watch in our house.

I need more Sitcoms – funny and relevant shows done is 20-something minutes.

I’m always all ears for show recommendations. Bonus points if they are 30 minutes. Triple points if they are on a streaming service I have (there’s probably only 1 or 2 we don’t have so this shouldn’t be a problem). And I’ll be your best friend if there are multiple seasons that we can really settle into.

Here are some of the recent shows I’ve watched and loved:

  • Nobody Wants This. Perfection. I’ve watched both season multiple times. I’m not even a big Kristen Bell fan, but in this, she’s loveable.
  • Platonic. We had a stalled start on this one, but the hopped back in this year and devoured both seasons.
  • Hacks. A comedy about writing comedy. Plus, Jean Smart.
  • Loot. Maya Rudolph is rich and detached from reality.
  • The Morning Show. It’s not 30 minutes but it’s Reese and Jen!
  • Shrinking. Equally sad and funny. Christa Miller as the neighbor is pure gold. And her hubs! So good.
  • The Man on the Inside. I love a little Ted Danson.
  • Sex Lives of College Girls. Oh, is this what college is like now? (Or was it always like this and I never noticed?)
  • Somebody Somewhere. Why do all the good shows get cancelled? The friendship in this show is heart warming.

With the state of the world what it is today, I need laughs. There was something so comforting about knowing your favorite shows were going to be on at night, the thought getting you through the day. The predictability of it, and the guarantee to laugh.

What did I miss in my list? What should be on my TBW list?

TV

My Favorite Streaming Shows This Year

littleshoeprincess

Today’s blog post is brought to by: “Why does every show I love have to end?”

I feel like there are two types of couples in the world: the ones who watch every show together and the ones who watch TV in separate rooms.

For the most part, we fall into the first bucket, and that is mainly because we only have 1 TV that’s conducive to Netflix and chill (OMG, I don’t know what possessed me to write that phrase!). So we watch most of our TV together, unless it’s some part 4 of an Action Movie series and then you’ll find me on my phone.

I am also the person who will fall asleep 7 minutes into a show. And because of this, we are the couple who will rewatch the same episode of a show 4 straight nights until we can make it to the end, eyes still open. (this is not as easy as it sounds)

This year, I seemed to have racked up more TV shows alone than alongside Mr. KK. This could be due to me having traveled a bit this year and needing shows for the plane, or due to the fact that I watch shows made for 14 year olds.

Here is what I was streaming this year:

Never Have I Ever. I love this show so much. (Goes without saying, I watched this one alone).

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I can’t say enough great things about this show. It’s smart and funny, and if you didn’t like Tony Shalhoub before this show, you will love him after. (I also watched this one solo)

Firefly Lane. I started this series because I read the books and I felt I owed it to – I don’t know who – to watch the adaptation. I love Sarah Chalke (and am not a Katherine Heigl fan) but I thought they did a good job with the show. It is emotionally draining, but the younger versions of the BFFs will make your heart warm over.

Ted Lasso. Everyone on Planet Earth watched this show, right?

The Last Thing He Told Me. Similar to Firefly Lane, I read the book and wanted to see how the series compared. Am the only person who thinks Jennifer Garner is the nicest human on earth, yet she is hard to watch in a show? Overall, I thought it was pretty good.

The Other Two. OMG this show. It’s weird and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time. Molly Shannon plays a ridiculous mother in the show, and the cast is just so, so good. I think the sister’s boyfriend is my favorite character.

Jack Ryan. Ugh, this show. While I didn’t read the Tom Clancy books, I was intrigued by the premise of the show. Basically Jim Halpert is an analyst for the government who is also really skilled at guns and capturing people on the most wanted list (not bad for a guy with a desk job). Season 1: good. Season 2: The storyline and characters are confusing me, which one is the bad guy? Season 3: I started sleeping after episode 3.

Lincoln Lawyer. Again, I did not read the book*. It was a nice surprise to see Neve Campbell show up on screen, though I have a hard time believing she’s a hard-ass lawyer. Overall, the show is pretty good.

The Longest Third Date. I found this one on my own, and started watching early one morning when I was awake before the sun came up. This documentary basically follows two people who go on a blind date or two, then decide to take a spur of the moment long weekend trip to Costa Rica when COVID hits, and they are trapped there together for months. Remember being cooped up with your family that you love during COVID, now imagine doing it in a faraway place with a practical stranger.

And Just Like That. (aka: Sex and The City Reboot). I don’t know why I watched it, I just did. It could have been my loyalty to the original series, that I enjoyed so much. This time around the characters basically talk about how old they are, and viewers wonder how they afford to still live on their apartments and dress in couture. It was a train wreck; it was not good, but I couldn’t stop watching.

XO, Kitty. Next!

The Summer I Turned Pretty. We’re back again with a show that I watched alone. If you’ve ever spent summers in your teenage years at a beach, this show will strike a cord. It’s sweet and sad and full of first love hopefulness. (And yes, I read the books).

Somebody Somewhere. I found this show by accident, and I’m so happy I did. I loved this show. The writing is so good, the characters are flawed and fantastic. Try this show!

No Hard Feelings. This is a new release on Netflix with Jennifer Lawrence and it was not at all what we imagined it would be, but I will admit we were laughing out loud at some parts. It’s out there – in a good way – and a different look at Katniss for sure.

The Mick. Watched this one alone too. Misfit sister visits rich sister, FBI agents storm the mansion, misfit sister is left in charge of the rich kids. Shenanigans ensue. Mostly funny, a little over the top at times.

Old Dads. If you like Bill Burr, you’ll like this movie. And being an old mom, I can relate.

Love At First Sight. This movie was unexpected and sweet, and I highly recommend if you like rom-coms.

That’s my list. There were others, but these are the ones I remember most. Not all of them are ending, but I imagine that’s where they are headed since I enjoy them so much.

*Is it just me, or is every show now based on a book? Are there no original show or movie ideas any more?

Entertainment, TV

Our Netflix* Favorites for 2021

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*And other streaming platforms.

One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes is the one when Elaine is obsessed with the poppyseed muffins, and eats one every day. She’s working for J. Peterman and has the chance to go to Kenya to shoot the next catalog. But she fails her drug test because of the poppyseed muffins. When she goes to retake the urine test, she switches her urine for that of an older lady. When the results come back, Peterman tells her, “Elaine, you have the metabolism of an elderly woman.”

As I was making my list of series and movies that I’ve watched in the last year, I kept hearing Peterman’s voice in my head say, “KK, you have the movie taste of a 13 year old girl.”

What I watched in 2021

I can’t title this “my favorite shows” because I found myself watching cheesy movies to pass the time when Mr. KK was working late and I was bored. Some things I just watched because they were there.

We didn’t watch many shows in full this year. In fact, I should probably call this “Series We Started and Fell Asleep Watching” because that list is long: Queen’s Gambit, Mare of Easttown, Virgin River…

Also, this list would be longer if it included kids movies and series, which seem to overtake every TV in our house these days.

Netflix* Movies and Series I Watched Alone

*Mostly Netflix, but other streaming services too.

  • Maid. LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this one.
  • Firefly Lane. Really liked this despite the fact that 1. it stars Katherine Heigl who is not one of my favorites, and 2. it’s based on a book that I hadn’t read, and you know how the book is always better than the movie…
  • Emily in Paris. Cheesy, but beautiful scenery and food. Plus, I love watching Millennials live life with a constant stream of cash that comes from jobs we know pay peanuts.
  • To All the Boys Always and Forever and Kissing Booth 3. When we’ve watched the first two, and you know the third will be bad, but c’mon, you have to finish the trilogy…
  • He’s All That. Teen angst is so addicting! And for those who want that “Kiss Me” song stuck in their heads for two weeks.
  • Yes Day. I watched this because I needed to see if it was something we could show Little Mister to break the animation cycle. It’s not the right movie for him right now, and I didn’t want to give him any ideas. Overall, it was a fine movie.
  • Afterlife of the Party. Cheesy, not particularly good, but it worked to have on while surfing on my phone and Mr. KK worked away in the office.
  • LoveHard. Again, slightly entertaining but you can take it or leave it.
  • Younger. (Season 7) Though if I’m being honest, I rewatched the first 6 seasons of the show in anticipation of Season 7. I don’t know what it is about this show, but I truly loved it. The characters (#TeamJosh!) and the premise that when you’re 40, no one wants to hire you (it’s funny because it’s true), Sutton Fosters awkward but lovable self, AND it’s the show that made me LIKE Debi Mazar. (Paramount Plus)

Hulu House Favorites

Perhaps our favorite series of the year, was one that used to be on TV a long time ago: Life in Pieces.

I can’t say enough about how awesome this show is. The characters are spot on, the writing is funny and quick, and the fact that a 30 minute show is broken up into 4 short segments (one for each family) is game changing (sometimes we only have 15 minutes left in us at the end of the night, just enough time for a few laughs before bed). I was so sad when this show ended for us.

The Mindy Project. We only recently started watching this, mainly because I’m such a Mindy Kaling fan. We’re still in Season 1, but I can see us watching this one all the way through. Bonus: seeing all of our favorite alum from The Office making appearances.

HBO Max for the Win in 2021

Most of our jointly-watched shows this year were on HBO Max, who really brought it when it came to irreverent, funny and thrilling shows.

  • Love Life. I watched this one without Mr. KK because I have a girl crush on Anna Kendrick (Hello, Pitch Perfect!). I didn’t know what to expect, but was happily surprised. Looking forward to Season 2.
  • The Sinner. It’s weird and shocking and addicting all rolled into one. Season 1 was definitely the standout for us, but the others were good too. Bravo, Bill Pullman, for playing the strangest character in 2021.
  • The Undoing. I pushed through my dislike of Hugh Grant for this one, because the story was gripping. For me to watch the whole series with not one but TWO main characters that I don’t love speaks volumes for how good the show is.
  • Flight Attendant. I wanted to watch this one because I had read the book (which was great!). The show was pretty good, too. It definitely strayed a bit from the book, but in order to make it a series (and have enough content for an apparent Season 2), it had to.
  • White Lotus. At least once an episode one of us said, “This show is so weird.” And it was weird, but in a good way. Not a lot happens in this show as far as a plot goes, but the characters have a lot of personal growth throughout the episodes. Also, I have never witnessed a human pooping into luggage before, so there’s that.
  • The Other Two. OMG, this show. We LOL’ed during every episode when we were cringing with awkwardness! Molly Shannon must be HBO’s actress du jour, as she was also the crazy mother in White Lotus. She has a more prominent role in The Other Two, which follows a family of two washed up child actors who have a younger brother who reaches Justin Bieberesque fame overnight from a YouTube video.

As we approach mid November, I’m excited for platforms to release their Christmas movies (can we please bring The Grinch back?), plus new shows (Sex And The City’s “And Just Like That”) and new seasons and episodes (Emily in Paris, Season 2). I still haven’t watched The Morning Show (HBO) or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Not to mention all the movies coming out now: Red Notice and the new James Bond.

What else should I be watching?