Funny or Die: "Nurse Jackée"

Okay, so the best joke is in the title, but it made me laugh, so there you go.

Nurse Jackée from Jackée Harry

Will CBS's Swingtown Make It?

Image from source, New York Times

As a fan of Swingtown, I'm not just worried, I'm sure that CBS will unceremoniously kill the show at the end of its summer run. It's what usually happens to shows that I find to be "must see." Last season, I was extremely surprised to find that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was renewed for a second go around for that very reason.

While very different in theme and genre, both shows share a couple of common traits. Both have casts that are perfectly suited to their storylines, and both have writing several notches above the standard TV fare. I just got The Other Half to watch last Friday's episode of Swingtown, and he was instantly hooked. That's one more strike against it, unfortunately! If we both like it, it's doomed.

Here's hoping that CBS's corporate parent, Viacom, will find a more suitable home for the show (Showtime, anyone?). I won't hold out a lot of hope, but I will be crossing my fingers.

[Excerpt]

‘Swingtown’ and the Heyday of the Average

SOMEDAY I may better understand the mechanics of the millennial mind. Until then I will wonder how shows like “Ghost Whisperer” keep going and a series like “Swingtown” fails to catch on. A period piece on CBS, “Swingtown” nears the end of its summer run with a dwindling audience despite all the elements that seemed to point to its potential for popularity. . .

Read more at: New York Times

And more at: TV Squad What will CBS do with Swingtown?

Tracey Ullman Returns with State of the Union

Photo from source, After Elton

This is terrific news! I've been a fan of Tracey Ullman since her eighties hit song, "They Don't Know." And I'm probably one of the few people who watched The Tracey Ullman Show on FOX from its debut until its last episode. Without Tracey, we wouldn't have The Simpsons. And even if Matt Groening eventually got around to creating it anyway, we wouldn't have Dan Castellaneta as Homer and Julie Kavner as Marge--they were actors on Tracey's show.

Tracey is incredibly talented and underused. Her ability to sing, dance, mimic and most importantly, skewer convention is tragically under appreciated in this country. But I'm glad those of us who seek her out (if we have Showtime, alas) will have the opportunity to see some new stuff. Way to go, Tracey!

[Excerpt]

Tracey Ullman returns with the State of the Union

Here's something that could get me to renew that Showtime subscription: Tracey Ullman has a new sketch comedy show set to debut on the premium channel in March. Five episodes of Tracey Ullman's State of the Union will air after steamy historical drama The Tudors, starting on March 30. . .

Read more at: After Elton