Previously on Dance Academy, small town farm girl Tara Webster joined the Ballet Academy That Doesn’t Teach Ballet and is the Wurst Dancer Ever. Except when she’s not, and then she’s the Tallest Clara Ever. She had a crush on Every Boy Ever, while other students did stuff. Finally, the gay boy died, Tara was the Second Best Ballet Student in the World, and everyone promised to be friends forever. Let’s see how long this lasts. [Read more…] about Dance Academy Recap: How We Got Over Sammy
TELEVISION
What to do about Sochi?: An Open Letter
Hello everyone,
As you may be aware, in addition to doing TV reviews for Manhattan Digest, I’m also typically called on for live coverage of many of TV’s landmark events, whether it was this winter’s Grammy Awards or Oscars, or the upcoming VMA’s and Emmy Awards.
Looking ahead on the calendar, one of the landmark TV events of this season is the opening and closing ceremonies of this year’s Olympic Games in Sochi. While normally this is the sort of event I would jump on in a heartbeat, recent events in Russia make it difficult for me to be in a celebratory mood.
Recently, the Russian legislature passed some very harsh anti-LGBT laws that essentially codify such relationships as deviant and criminal, and puts a ban on “non-traditional” propaganda in the state. Those who violate this ban are subject to arrest, something that the Russian government has no qualms about enforcing (case in point: the Pussy Riot arrests). This has led to further controversy, as while the IOC is assuring athletes that they will not be arrested, the Russian government has restated that this law will apply to even visiting athletes. Further complicating matters, Olympic broadcaster NBC is not entirely sure how to approach this issue as part of their coverage, leaving a pretty realistic chance that the issue is completely whitewashed out of their coverage, even if events dictate otherwise (it’s not like the network had the most sterling of reputations for their coverage after the much less controversial London games either).
It’s safe to say that we here at Manhattan Digest have a more enlightened approach towards such issues, and I feel like this situation lacks easy answers. Do I just ignore the whole situation, essentially using my silence like a de facto boycott like Harvey Fierstein advocated in the New York Times recently? Or will there still be extensive demand for normal coverage? Conversely, do I ignore the celebration aspect and take a more strictly journalistic tack, in which should something controversial or breaking happen that myself (or one of our writers) comment upon it? My gut feeling says to lean against scrubbing and sanitizing coverage, but I’d rather not blow off a large event if our readership demands/requests it.
Ultimately, I think it’s best that I get the input of not only Ryan, our editor-in-chief, but also that of our readers. Manhattan Digest is a site heavily driven by crowd sourcing, and I feel that in situations like this one it’s my responsibility to cater to the interests of our readers first and foremost. If you have a preference or a suggestion, please do not hesitate to comment below.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Michael Tyminski
TV Columnist/Reviewer
Manhattan Digest
Take Reality and Wrestling, Add Soap And You Get Total Divas
Total Divas: Sundays at 10 p.m. Eastern on E!
One of the more intriguing stories in entertainment over the past decade has been WWE chairman Vince McMahon’s attempt to move from undisputed king of pro wrestling into other media outlets. While many of these moves have not ended particularly well for the company (with the XFL being the most notable failure) McMahon has not stopped trying to put some diversity into the E (for Entertainment) of his flagship company. Sunday night, he partnered with a different E! (the network) in a much smaller jump that could help build some credibility for his non-wrestling ventures.
Total Divas is a reality-style (it’s tied to pro wrestling, so I’m willing to take a wild guess and say the majority of it is likely scripted) show following the lives of it’s women’s division, also referred to as the Divas division. Headlining the show are the Bella Twins (Brie and Nikki), whose on-screen characters often have them being catty and manipulative. However, in real life they each date one half of this Summerslam’s main event in WWE poster child John Cena and former indy sensation Daniel Bryan. Also heavily featured are Natalya Neidhart (daughter of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) and tag team the Funkadelics (Ariane and Trinity, who also double as valets to male tag team “Tons of Funk”).
Our opening episode touches on a lot of areas. Our first main plot involves the run-up to Wrestlemania, where the Bellas and Funkadactyls are slated to face off in eight person tag action. However, we also focus on the relationship sub-thread, after Cena buys Nikki a Range Rover well before he buys her a ring, making Nikki insecure about the future of their relationship. A storyline plot line sets up Natalya with two new Divas, Eva Marie and JoJo Offerman, leading them around the town and mentoring them while dealing with the disappointment of not having a match at the big show.
On a positive front, the show is incredibly well produced, full of slick production work and well designed video packages. These packages are a key part of an exposition heavy full segment, as the show has to introduce two new divas to the audience, but also focusing on giving sufficient backstory to the Funkadactyls, whom do not typically see a ton of TV time (the Divas usually only see about one to one and a half segments of a 3 hour episode of RAW), while ensuring that Natty and the Bellas are properly introduced to an E! target audience that probably runs scared from sports entertainment. That being said, I was quite irked by the fact that they couldn’t be bothered to refer to Jim Neidhart as anything other than “Natalya’s Dad” when they introduce Natalya by bringing up the fact that she comes from a strong wrestling pedigree.
That being said, the show tends to have a little bit of an identity conflict. On one hand, it seems like half of the time the various Diva’s are acting in character, but then the other half of the time you peel back to see the person inside in a more human and fourth wall shattering manner than your average reality show. The end result is some degree of muddying of our characters, which seems disorienting for someone who follows WWE’s other products, and has to be even more confusing for someone who doesn’t follow the product. This is made even worse by the fact that they tend to flip pretty regularly between stage names and real identities of almost every character on the show (most notably Ariane and Trinity, whom for the longest time have gone by Cam’ron and Naomi on WWE TV respectively) with minimal rhyme or reason.
The show seems to shine most in those moments where it lets the Divas be more honest. As wildly entertaining as it is to see Brie and Nikki get stuck performing their arrogant, alpha female shtick in other settings, it seems like we truly get to know Nikki best when she’s being both optimistic but also a little preoccupied about her relationship with Cena. Similarly, the Funkadactyls arc (which gets wrapped up a little bit too abruptly) ends up becoming the strongest line in the episode due to how much less scripted it feels as the two close friends get into a heated discussion over a mishap backstage, both being equally justified over the situation.
The Final Verdict: Total Divas does not totally commit to any of the roads it could have taken. On one hand, the show could have easily been scripted to excess and played out the way the first quarter of the show did: as a weekly hour-long pro WWE puff piece. On the other hand they could have just as easily taken the opportunity to pull back the curtain and learn more about the people that inhabit the characters. Instead, we got a little of both, creating an uneven, if fairly unoffensive hour of reality-ish television with a little bit of soap opera thrown in for good measure. It’s actually pretty funny that the show possesses as many shades of gray as it does, because the WWE has been avoiding such dynamics in it’s actual wrestling programming. It’s the sort of show that I would wait-and-see on, since the ratio of over-packaged and rehearsed to natural really will affect how entertaining the show becomes.
Fox’s New Block Will Rock Your Socks Off
Axe Cop/High School USA – 11:00pm and 11:15pm Eastern Saturday Nights on FOX
It’s been a couple of years since Saturday Night Live has had any credible competition in the Saturday late-night time slot. The network that feels the most comfortable filling that void, oddly enough has been Fox, a network that runs less prime time than other networks and with the exception of sports programming avoids all other hours at all costs. While Fox’s last attempt at this slot fought fire with fire in the long running and painfully unfunny sketch comedy MadTV, it’s newest late-night strategy instead seems lifted from the Adult Swim playbook, putting two 15-minute animated shows into one half hour.
The first show in this block, Axe Cop, is derived from a web-comic of the same name written by Ethan Nicolle. The series follows the adventures of the titular Axe Cop (voiced by Nick Offerman) and his partner in crime-fighting Flute Cop (voiced by The State alum Ken Marino), as they deal with otherworldly issues that fall outside of the line of standard issue police work.
The second, High School USA!, is the latest creation from Morel Orel creator and Community writer, Dino Stamatopoulos. It follows a group of cheery young Millenials through the standard high school experience, if your high school was full of the hypersensitive types that say “Totally!” a lot.
Seeing how these shows are half-length in nature, I’m going to do away with a plot synopsis and do something similar to what I did with The Following and aim for quick thoughts on both new shows.
Axe Cop: This show is hilarious, in large part because of it’s juxtapositions. This is both because it routinely mixes mundane with AWESOME! (A key plot point of our first episode involves the costs of renting a dinosaur horn and Axe Cop trying to avoid late fees). This conflation is possible because it mixes the storytelling of a five year old (Nicolle’s grade school aged brother writes the major arcs) with references no five year old should ever get and some comically hypocritical humor. Additionally, the voice cast does an excellent job selling the fact that a five year old is telling a story without going into intentional bad acting mode.
High School USA! This show exhibits a lot of traits with it’s predecessor, though while Morel Orel ripped apart fundamentalism, High School USA sends up the modern day high school experience. It does so using the same broken Aesops and hypocritical authority figures (the best line in the show comes when the teacher who kicked out a student for bullying mentions that he can “compromise his values for a little music”). While it’s weird to see the Archie meets Happy Days vibe hit a contemporary target, watching Marsh whip up a twisted version of what constitutes bullying through sheer good intentions brings you back into familiar territory for Stamatopoulos.
The Final Verdict: Fox has a winner on its’ hands with it’s new animation block. While not as creatively adventurous, it’s a breath of fresh air to see the manic nature of Adult Swim played out on broadcast TV. Axe Cop in particular espouses this energy, as every time you turn around the show throws another twist at you that is equal parts ridiculous and awesome, but conveys the wonderment of the eight year old who lays out the story arcs. High School USA also exhibits that same energy by fearlessly committing to it’s subversion and satire of surface level morality (which mirror a more real moral about acceptance). Check both out when you have time, whether its from being stuck in on a Saturday night or online at Fox’s new Animation Domination High Def site.
The Vineyard manages to strangle all drama out of it’s “reality”
The Vineyard: Tuesdays at 10 p.m. Eastern on ABC Family
It’s been two decades since The Real World, what many would consider to be the first reality show, debuted with it’s premiere season in New York. Since then, the notion of sticking large number of college-age kids in crammed spaces for reasonably long lengths of time has become one of the most enduring angles of the reality genre. The various evolutions of this basic formula have included: making the house a road trip (Road Rules), turning it into a competition (Big Brother), using faded D-listers (The Surreal Life), and of course finding eight crude people and placing them in their natural habitat (Jersey Shore). While MTV has typically been the traditional home of this sub-genre, ABC family is taking its’ first crack at reality with its’ newest show The Vineyard.
The Vineyard, much like Jersey Shore, follows a large group of early 20-somethings as they hit a place that people flock to for vacation, in this case, New England summer spot Martha’s Vineyard. The eleven cast members live and work together in local hot spot The Black Dog while dealing with the summer heat and each other.
This is the sort of show that typically makes me doubt the “reality” aspect of the show. Even in the most contrived reality TV, there’s a sense that at least the reactions are what make the show real, even if predictable. Unfortunately, all of the reactions here are painfully muted, making for incredibly boring television full of wooden dialogue with no real sense of proportion. This is a problem, as things are precisely as big a deal as you are willing to make an audience believe they are (more on that point Friday when I take a look at Fox’s new late-night block), so a the non-reactions create the vibe that nothing is important.
These aspects are made even worse by the shows insistence of telling in lieu of showing (they allude to a bonfire the night before during a mid-morning conversation– do these camera crews only work from 9 to 5?). This is made all the more frustrating by the fact that the camera work is cinematic in scope and feels a cut above your standard cinema fare, so one would hope that the ability to show the action would take precedence over the numerous stock shots with long musical interludes that clutter the show.
However, if the show was scripted, could they have come up with more inane and boring dialogue? Many of the conversations don’t really evolve beyond small talk, and the ones that do over-rely on exposition, only for major plot developments (Kate’s decision to go for Lou) ending up being underplayed to the point where the only way to tell when a statement advances the story is to wait for the music to cut in after someone finishes their sentence.
The Final Verdict: The Vineyard starts with an appealing concept (Preppy kids spending a summer on Martha’s Vineyard getting in trouble? Count me in!) and then immediately does everything in its’ power to undermine it’s appeal. The drama is lacking, the show seems to have an issue with showing the action (the closest we get to drama while it’s happening is a fight between Luis and Johnny that immediately heads into darkness where we can’t see it), and the excessively rehearsed dialogue is mundane (this may be me, but isn’t the point of making a reality show less real is to punch up the proceedings and ensure controversy?). Skip this one at all costs, if you’re looking for some teen drama watch reruns of Dawson’s Creek, or for summer reality fun, check out The Real World, as either instance is a better investment of an hour.
2013 MTV Video Music Award Noms- The List is out…
The Video Music Awards are the one award show I look forward to every year because beyond anything it tends to be pretty freaking awesome. It ranks as one of the most social events of the year and has birthed and revamped many careers over the past three decades. Now in it’s 30th year (crazy), the VMA’s are set to take place back where it all started- New York. It will be broadcasted live on August 25 at the brand new Barclay Center right in the heart of Brooklyn. Heck, even the classic Moonman got a great redesign for only this year. Truth be told, this will be another one for the record books. How can I tell? All the great people are nominated this year. Let’s break down each category.
Video of the Year-
The ultimate, the biggest award of the night has got to be “Video of the Year”. In recent years, R&B Divas like Beyonce (Single Ladies) and Rihanna (Umbrella, We Found Love) have taken the trophies yet over it’s 30 year history has seen this award go to a bevy of legends such as Madonna (Ray of Light) and Eminem (Without Me) just to name a few. This year three R&B crooners, a hip-hop legend in the making and one of the biggest female stars on the planet all under one category. Robin Thicke has his first set of nominations this year with his number one chart topping “Blurred Lines” featuring Pharrell Williams and T.I. That song has been voted by several publications as the song of the summer, and boy has it been good to him. Justin Timberlake returns to the VMA pool with the second single off his album The 20/20 Experience with “Mirrors”. He has been in this category twice before for “What Goes Around… Comes Around” and “Cry Me A River”. Country-turned-Pop diva Taylor Swift has her first Video of the Year nod with the second single off her album “Red” called “I Knew You Were Trouble”. Rounding out this category is R&B hit maker Bruno Mars “Locked Outta Heaven” and who I think will and should be the winner, Macklemore &Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop” which currently sits as the biggest selling song of 2013. It’s also a rad video. Yup.
Best Hip-Hop Video-
This category has been around since 1999 (it changed from Best Rap Video) and has been won by quite the bevy of artists such as Beastie Boys, Jennifer Lopez and Missy Elliott. The nominees this year scream out for the fresh new faces that are taking over the industry and keeping it hot and hopeful for the years to come. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who are up for 6 this year, come in again in this category with “Thrift Shop” but they have some truly stiff competition in place. Newbies in the game from Kendrick Lamar (Swimming Pools), A$AP Rocky (F***ing Problems) have their first shots at winning a moonman, and perennial favorites such as Drake (Started From The Bottom) and J. Cole (Power Trip) are looking to make their mark in this category. “Thrift Shop” will most likely win in this category as well, but there is a crowded room for anyone to come out on top.
Best Collaboration-
This award, only given out in 2007, 2010 and 2011 has been won by all the big divas in recent years such as Katy Perry (E.T. with Kanye West), Lady Gaga (Telephone with Beyonce) and Beyonce and Shakira (Beautiful Liar). The divaness in this one is not on the mainstage, as the five nominees couldn’t be different from each other. Robin Thicke shows up again in this category with the saucy “Blurred Lines”. Hot dance tracks such as Pitbull & Christina Aguilera’s “Feel This Moment” and Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding’s “I Need Your Love” populate the crowd as well. The two that I see truly going neck to neck on this is Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z’s “Suit & Tie” and chart-topping “Just Give Me A Reason” by Pink and Nate Truess.
Check out the full list on MTV.com. Who is your pick to win? Be sure to watch the MTV Video Music Awards live on August 25th and see if your favorite wins!
Why You Should Be Watching Dance Academy
You’ve probably never heard of Dance Academy, and if you have, you either completely agree with me, or think I’m crazy. Let’s assume you haven’t. [Read more…] about Why You Should Be Watching Dance Academy
Emmy Nominations Are In: What Do They Say About the Big Picture in TV?
This morning, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences released its’ list of nominees for the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards. With the list of nominees, we can take away some conclusions about the state of television over the past year.
Netflix’s original programming model is for real: Amid the nominations, we see a handful of nominations for Netflix Originals Arrested Development and House of Cards. House of Cards seems to hold a slightly higher position on the totem pole, scoring nominations for both Kevin Spacey for best actor as well as a best drama nod for the show itself. Arrested Development received a best actor nomination for Jason Bateman to add to Netflix’s prestige. The network which started releasing original shows in February is off to a good start critically (as well as commercially, as proven by the rumors of a pushed season 5 for Arrested Development).
The major networks did not have a strong year: Many of the major categories this year seem to be dominated by the cable networks and premium channels such as Showtime and HBO. While this doesn’t surprise me (the only strong drama for the big four this season was Hannibal and barely half the season was over by the May 31st cut-off date). This trend is particularly strong on the drama side of the ledger, where the only broadcast show being considered for best drama is PBS’s Downton Abbey. On the comedy side, the trend is slightly less harsh, but mostly due to the heaping of praise the Academy has placed on 30 Rock’s final season. There is however, one show on the major networks that is standing up against this wave of cable dominance, because…
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences really likes Modern Family: If there was one scripted show on network TV that the Academy has fallen in love with, it’s Modern Family, which has become a master-class for domestic comedies and props up a successful night for ABC. The show has a large number of nominations spread across a variety of categories including best comedy, best supporting actor (with three nominations there), best supporting actress, best writing for a comedy, and best directing for a comedy.
After a few down years, HBO is back and carried on a mix of younger shows and miniseries: After struggling around the end of the last decade, HBO has taken back it’s role as the main home to high quality television. The academy heaped praise upon sophomore comedies Veep and Girls, as well as third-season drama Game of Thrones. Similarly, it’s Liberace feature Behind the Candelabra has received a large amount of attention from the Academy, scoring 15 nominations.
Finally, the Academy did not forget Louie, in spite of skipping a season and airing at the very beginning of this year’s broadcast window: It may have been airing at this time last year (the Emmy window goes from June to May, unlike many other awards), but last year’s transcendent and critically adored second season of Louie has received a large number of nominations in almost every category that the show could qualify for (added bonus for Louis C.K. Also getting a best guest actor nomination for his hosting gig on Saturday Night Live). It’s nice to see, because while it seems that many movies begging for Oscar nods try to crowd into the end of the Oscar window, that the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences didn’t forget a show that could have easily escaped public consciousness over the year.
This years 65th Annual Emmy Awards are on Sunday September 22nd at 8 p.m. on CBS. I’ll be here covering the show that night in the same breezy rapid-fire style that I used to cover the Oscars and Grammys.
The full list of Emmy nominations can be found here: http://www.emmys.com/nominations
Many Happy Returns: Whose Line Is It Anyway
Whose Line is it Anyway?: Tuesdays at 8p.m. Eastern on the CW
2013 has been an interesting year in terms of canceled shows getting dragged out of the mothballs. Arrested Development made it’s return on Netflix, Cougar Town found second life on TBS, NBC found room to resuscitate The Sing-Off after a year away, and even 24 is getting a handful of new episodes in as the paradigms of terror and security change around us. The most surprising return of the bunch, however, was CW picking up Whose Line is it Anyway?
Whose Line is it Anyway? introduced short form improv to the broadcast airwaves 15 years ago when it debuted as a limited run summer on ABC. The show ended up becoming a surprise hit, launching the career of Wayne Brady, solidifying Carey’s role as both ABC’s headliner and future game show host (of CBS’s The Power of 10 and his current gig on The Price is Right), and introducing Colin Mochrie and Greg Proops to mainstream American audiences. This incarnation had a respectable seven year run followed by a lengthy second run on ABC Family.
The new version looks to hold pretty true to the format of the prior series: a series of short improvised games where the points don’t matter and winner gets the prestigious responsibility of reading the credits in the style of the host’s choosing. Additionally, we get the returns of regular panelists Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, and Wayne Brady to anchor every episode, a smart call as those three (plus Brad Sherwood) were the true anchors of the ABC series. The fourth seat is held by a rotating panelist that will change every show.
Speaking of changes, the major change is in the host’s chair. Drew Carey will not be back to host this incarnation (maybe he got a little too expensive? I doubt it’s contract related seeing how fellow CBS host Brady appears in every episode). He will be placed by Aisha Tyler, who is no stranger to comedy (playing Agent Lana Kane on Archer and having a stint as host on E!’s Talk Soup). This feels like a fairly minor change, as the host plays a more minor role on Whose Line than on many other shows and should create interesting new dynamics for our cast.
Tuesdays and especially the 8 p.m. slot on that night have been pretty quiet this summer. While it’s mildly surprising that the CW would put this relaunch up against the opening of the MLB All-Star Game (at Citi Field, home of my beloved New York Mets even!), it’s in a great spot to thrive and works as safe, fairly guaranteed entertainment on a network that struggles with comedy.
It’s Fandemonium Out There!
Adam Richman’s Fandemonium: Sundays at 10 p.m. Eastern on Travel Channel
Five years ago, we were introduced to Adam Richman, a mere mortal who went forth and attempted to take on our nation’s most treasured eating challenges in Man vs. Food. In that time, we have clearly seen that despite the fact that it ultimately ends in our gullets, food still wins an alarmingly high amount of the time. That show ended not because of slipping ratings but because of Richman’s retirement from competitive eating and the inevitable toll such a show has to take on one’s health. But fear not, as Richman is back to show the world more waistline-obliterating culinary delights on his newest series: Adam Richman’s Fandemonium.
Fandemonium follows Richman as he travels around the country spending time with some of America’s most prestigious tailgating fan bases. This entails not only football events, but also NASCAR races, the Kentucky Derby, and even arctic sled races. It is here that he gets to eat considerably healthier portions of the best tailgating has to offer while bringing his own takes on pre-game meals in return. Along the way, we learn more about these events and why they attract legions of dedicated fans every year.
Our premiere episode has Adam exploring the super fans of the Daytona 500. Richman begins by looking at the high end trailers on the man-made Lake Lloyd. Here, people pay $3,000 to park their high end RV’s (the two shown each have an estimated cost in the high-six to low-seven digits). From there, he moves to the considerably cheaper (and trashier) Tent City and you can tell the vibe is very different. In tent city, he encounters an all-food replica of the track with over $300 in groceries. He also checks out some of the finest barbecue in Tent City, including a roast pork shoulder that has been three days in the works. Finally, we sample some of the nightlife out in the tents, including drunk wheelbarrow racing and an infield discotheque.
So, does this show do justice to the notions of food, fun, and community? Well, it’s safe to say that the show is extremely similar to it’s predecessor. Adam’s wild eyed enthusiasm and gameness for anything are a perfect match for the show, as it really allows for Richman to show off a “man of the people” persona. That persona is essential for making Fandemonium work, as it truly feels like an insider’s guide to tailgating as opposed to the more academic travel shows you might see on public television. It’s also nice to see Richman’s personal culinary trappings, including a cool hybrid of pulled pork and waffles that he gives as a thank you (in the brief end of every show) to the people who let him in to their world for a little while.
The Final Verdict: Adam Richman’s Fandemonium is an interesting take on the foodie tour sort of show that Travel Channel has become known for in recent years. It’s also the best showcase for Richman yet, as his willingness to join in on the craziness (an episode in Florida has him flying around in a mud buggy without a seat belt at the insistence of the owner, and his dance at the end of the Daytona episode is hysterical) truly sells the tailgater street-cred of the show. While the show runs up against some stiff competition (notably The Newsroom), it’s completely worth checking out, regardless of your interest in the subject that week.