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I skipped May's Television week of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks because I had nada to pick from (I don't even remember what the theme was) but I just couldn't miss spin-offs week. Without further ado, here are my picks
Better Call Saul (2015- )
Before becoming Breaking Bad's Saul Goodman, he was Jimmy McGill, a struggling lawyer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This show shows us how he became Walter White's morally challenged lawyer. This show is so good, and the mix of comedy and drama is just right. Not to mention how good Bob Odenkirk is.
The Cleveland Show (2009-2013)
A spin-off of Family Guy, it follows Peter Griffin's neighbour Cleveland Brown as he moves with his son to Stoolbend, VA, to start a new life with his old high school sweetheart, Donna, and her two children. It's not nearly as good as Family Guy but I enjoyed the episodes I've seen.
Young Sheldon (2017- )
Sheldon Cooper has always been my favourite character from The Big Bang Theory, mostly because he's the one I can relate the most, and this series follows the early life of Sheldon, a child genius growing up in Texas. If you don't like Sheldon, just watch this and you'll fall in love with him. Iain Armitage is so lovable, Zoe Perry just nails the role of Sheldon's mother and Annie Potts is brilliant as Meemaw.
Yipes this is the second time I've seen none of the picks! I heard of all three but didn't watch any of the origin shows (I seem to be alone in my dislike of Big Bang Theory) so I never tried any of these.
ReplyDeleteMy first originated from an All in the Family guest shot but my other two were long-time characters on their respective shows before branching off at the original’s conclusion.
Maude (1972-1978)-Topical comedy of liberal feminist Maude Findlay (Beatrice Arthur) living in Tuckahoe, NY with 4th husband Walter (Bill Macy), divorced daughter Carol (Adrienne Barbeau) and Carol’s son Phillip and the social issues that she outspokenly debates with best friend Vivien (Rue McClanahan-playing a character very close to Golden Girls Rose Nyland), housekeepers Florida Evans (Esther Rolle-who eventually was spun off onto her own show Good Times), tippling Englishwoman Mrs. Naugatuck and her prig of a neighbor Dr. Arthur Harmon (Conrad Bain). While geared to comedy this tackled serious hot button issues such as abortion, alcoholism, facelifts, nervous disorders and prescription drug addiction. Maude was introduced as Edith Bunker’s cousin and Archie Bunker’s nemesis on Norman Lear’s groundbreaking “All in the Family” and proved so popular she was spun off to her own wildly popular show.
Lou Grant (1977-1982)-Continuing his character from the iconic Mary Tyler Moore show Edward Asner takes Lou Grant from the cozy hilarity of the Minneapolis WJM-TV to the far more serious drama of the daily newsroom of the Los Angeles Tribune. Working closely with his two strongest reporters Joe Rossi and Billie Newman (Robert Walden & Linda Kelsey), managing editor Charles Hume (Mason Adams) and the paper’s publisher Margaret Pynchon (the great Nancy Marchand) they cover various stories each week. One of the very few shows to move a sitcom character to a dramatic setting successfully this became another awards magnet winning multiple Emmys including Outstanding Drama as well as for Asner who became the first performer to win the statue for the same character in both comedy and drama.
Frasier (1993-2004)-When the sitcom Cheers closed up shop in 1993 hard luck psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) packed up his bags and moved from Boston back home to his native Seattle and became a radio shrink for 11 eventful seasons. He deals with life with his father-retired cop Martin (John Mahoney), dad’s live-in physical therapist-the somewhat psychic Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves), his fun-loving show producer Roz (Peri Gilpin) and persnickety brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) a psychiatrist as well. There’s also his perpetually unsuccessful love life including occasional drop-ins from his severe ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth-another Cheers alum). Full of expert writing, superior comic performers and a satellite cast of daffy, endearing and hysterical characters (brash sportscaster Bulldog Briscoe, fussy food critic Gil Chesterton, Niles never seen but wildly eccentric wife Maris, and best of all Frasier’s agent Bebe Glazer-a woman totally without shame or scruple) this was as strong when it ended as when it began because the characters evolved over the season while remaining true to their original intent.
I'm sorry The Big Bang Theory doesn't work for you. I love that show!
DeleteI haven't seen any of the shows you picked.
Glad we matched on Better Call Saul. Amy Farrah Fowler ruined Big Bang Theory for me, I miss watching that show sometimes lol. I'm glad the prequel works. I didn't think it would.
ReplyDeleteI like Amy :(
DeleteI never seen these shows at all as I too am not a fan of The Big Bang Theory. I honestly don't understand why people think it's funny. My only recollection about The Cleveland Show is that it features a fictionalized version of Ric Flair.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea so many people disliked The Big Bang Theory!
DeleteI know The Big Bang Theory as that really popular show that a lot of people also really dislike. I've only seen bits and pieces of it and haven't found it that funny.
Delete:(
DeleteNope. I haven't seen one episode of Breaking or Better Call Saul. I know, I know, greatest show ever. I'll get on it one of these days.
ReplyDeleteThe Cleveland Show is not bad, but it's no Family Guy.
I love The Big Bang Theory, but I've only seen about 10 minutes of Young Sheldon. I can't really say whether I liked it or not because it was just kinda on in the background before someone changed the channel.
WHAAAAT?! You must watch Breaking Bad. As you said, it's the greatest show ever!
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