TV THOUGHTS 2024, PART III: HUMOR, NONSENSE, AND ONE FICTIONAL DEATH

As this 2024 television season has progressed, I have so many thoughts on several shows, so I decided to stop sharing them with just Mr. X, and let everyone in on them! (If you missed the recent Parts I and II of this “TV Thoughts” series, about The Cleaning Lady and So You Think You Can Dance, here are the links to those articles: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/televisionr-i-p-tv-thoughts-2024-part-i-the-cleaning-lady-and-r-i-p-adan-canto and itsnotaboutme.tv/news/televisiondance-tv-thoughts-2024-part-ii-so-you-think-you-can-dance-season-18.)

So here are my thoughts on what has been happening on a few of my other favorite shows since January.

And, by the way, in case you don’t know, I’m old school with my TV, meaning I watch mainly network shows. I occasionally mix in a so-called streaming series, but those are few and far between. (And usually disappointing.) So that’s what these all are.

Before anything else, I have to say how miserable Mr. X and I are over the cancellation of our favorite TV show, So Help Me Todd. We’re crushed. That travesty happened just the other day, less than two weeks after I had written this article. (I had to keep postponing publishing it until now.)

So, I’ll begin with what I wrote about it before the egregious cancellation, which I stand by today. And I’ll live in hope that some other entity picks-up this wonderful show so we fans have something on TV to look forward to each week.

So Help Me Todd—Though not a sitcom, this is the funniest show on television, an assessment with which even the fussy Mr. X agrees. It’s basically a detective show, but the focus is the relationship, both personal and business, between detective Todd, played brilliantly by Skylar Astin, and his lawyer mother, played by Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden. Who knew she’s so funny??? It’s actually the most charming show, (which had us from the very first trailer two years ago,) and if you don’t watch it, you’re really missing out. ‘Nuff said.

Now let’s get the other sad one, (though sad in a different way, of course,) over with, and then move on to the fun, shall we?

The Good Doctor—The fifth episode out of these final ten for the entire series was, as signaled by the preview of it, quite the shocker, and not in a good way. Spoiler alert—they killed off one of the regulars, in an antisemitic and homophobic attack. It was horrific. [Note: This show, just like a real hospital, has had many characters leave over its seven seasons, but none of them had ever been killed before.]

I was so upset that they could do the guy like that, even though it reminded viewers that these kinds of unconscionable events happen all the time. But I was happy to find-out that the actor, Noah Galvin, had requested the early release, so that he would be free to do another project.

The sixth episode of the season showed his memorial, followed by the obligatory hospital horrors, and now there are only four more hours left. The narrative will most likely focus on the other characters, notably the lead “good doctor,” of course, and we viewers will be left to grieve that incredibly sad, (but remember—fictional,) death on our own. Such is TV life.

But this is how shallow I am—after the first wave of shock began washing over me a bit, I started feeling awful for Noah because this might mean that he’ll miss…the series wrap party!!! I wish I was kidding.

So now let me bring the room back up with some comedy shows!

Not Dead Yet—Even though ABC replaced perhaps our favorite sitcom ever, Home Economics, with this show, Mr. X and I really enjoy it, especially this sophomore season. It’s soooo much better than the first one. (Mr. X posited that there’s a new team of writers now, and I found-out from a cast member that he is correct.) Even as a viewer of the entire run of Jane the Virgin, I never knew that Gina Rodriguez is funny. But her little physical moves this year are really cracking Mr. X up! We even watch some of her bits over and over.

Animal Control—I have sort-of known who Joel McHale is for several years now, but had never seen him on anything, (except as a guest judge, and fake nemesis of Ken Jeong, on The Masked Singer,) but I love him, and the rest of the cast, on this very funny and different sitcom. I don’t know anyone else who watches it, but I suggest you all start right now.

Elsbeth—Of all the new series, this is my fave. Even Mr. X watches it with me! I’m so glad it finally came to fruition, over a dozen years after the powers-that-be hinted that they would be spinning-off the character, played perfectly by Carrie Preston, from her successful recurrence on The Good Wife! Weird timing, though, right? But better late than never. It’s an hour show, not a sitcom, but very entertaining and amusing. I describe it to people as a female Columbo. And who didn’t love that old show?

The Masked Singer—I have to admit that this show is pretty awful, on so many levels. But I keep watching because I love guessing games, and Ken Jeong cracks me up.

But his fellow panelist, Jenny McCarthy, is one of the most annoying people on television. Actually, on the planet!!! If I hear her say, “Who is that?,” one more time, I may have to smash something. The woman has zero talent, (but a ton of plastic surgery,) so why is she judging a singing contest???

And the panel of four are the ones who ultimately decide who will go home after a “Showdown” or “Battle Royale” or whatever they’re calling the contest between the final two standing each week this season, so why are they always pretending to be on edge waiting for the results?! And then they further pretend to be all upset about it. Their behavior is actually degrading to the contestants.

Speaking of the contestants, there’s rarely a real celebrity among them! Mr. X and I have barely heard of half of them! And, though I love him, Ken always guesses very famous people, such as Diana Ross and Janet Jackson, who would never ever deign to be in this stupid contest, just to make it seem to an even dumber audience that they are really possibilities to be on there! Very deceptive of the producers, (who I am sure tell Ken to do that because he can get away with the inanity under the guise of being a humorously bad guesser.)

Special one!–I have to add this one thing, even though it’s about a television show in another country. While researching images for this article, I came upon a story about comedian Viggo Venn, who, (very surprisingly, according to Simon Cowell,) won the latest Britain’s Got Talent, so I dug-up his first audition. And it’s absolutely hilarious!!! It helped get me through my day. So, if you have a few minutes and could use some laughs, I heavily suggest you watch this clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5mVIYPG4MA. You can thank me later.