2024: Golden Globes Nominations

Golden Globes 

    

        The Golden Globes have survived , after all, after being not on TV in 2022, and losing NBC as broadcast partner, the show has moved to CBS.  

        A new category has been  added for Best Cinematic and box office achievement,  meanwhile for the TV side awards a new category for best performance in stand-up comedy television.  

        The Award show airs on CBS on Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET

Here's the nominees 

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Anatomy of a Fall (Neon)

Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple Original Films)

Maestro (Netflix)

Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)

Past Lives (A24)

The Zone of Interest (A24)

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Air (Amazon MGM Studios)

American Fiction (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

The Holdovers (Focus Features)

May December (Netflix)

Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures)

Best Motion Picture – Animated

The Boy and the Heron (GKids)

Elemental (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)

Suzume (Crunchyroll / Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Wish (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)


Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount Pictures)

Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures)

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (AMC Theatres Distribution)

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language

Anatomy of a Fall, France (Neon)

Fallen Leaves, Finland (Mubi)

Io Capitano, Italy (Pathe Distribution)

Past Lives, United States (A24)

Society of the Snow, Spain (Netflix)

The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom/USA (A24)

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Barry Keoghan, Saltburn

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Annette Bening, Nyad

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall

Greta Lee, Past Lives

Carey Mulligan, Maestro

Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple

Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings

Natalie Portman, May December

Alma Pöysti, Fallen Leaves

Margot Robbie, Barbie

Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario

Timothée Chalamet, Wonka

Matt Damon, Air

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Joaquin Phoenix, Beau Is Afraid

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Willem Dafoe, Poor Things

Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Charles Melton, May December

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Julianne Moore, May December

Rosamund Pike, Saltburn

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Best Director - Motion Picture

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Greta Gerwig, Barbie

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Celine Song, Past Lives

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Barbie

Tony McNamara, Poor Things

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Celine Song, Past Lives

Justine Triet, Arthur Harari, Anatomy of a Fall

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

"Addicted to Romance," She Came to Me, Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

"Dance the Night," Barbie, Music and lyrics by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa, Caroline Ailin

"I'm Just Ken," Barbie, Music and lyrics by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt

"Peaches," The Super Mario Bros. Move, Music and lyrics by Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, John Spiker

"Road to Freedom," Rustin, Music and lyrics by Lenny Kravitz

"What Was I Made For?" Barbie, Music and lyrics by Billie Eilish, Finneas

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things

Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer

Joe Hisaishi, The Boy and the Heron

Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest

Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Television Series – Drama

1923 (Paramount+)

The Crown (Netflix)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

The Last of Us (HBO/Max)

The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

Succession (HBO/Max)

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Barry (HBO/Max)

The Bear (FX)

Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix)

Beef (Netflix)

Daisy Jones & the Six (Prime Video)

Fargo (FX)

Fellow Travelers (Showtime)

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Helen Mirren, 1923

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Sarah Snook, Succession

Imelda Staunton, The Crown

Emma Stone, The Curse

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Brian Cox, Succession

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us

Jeremy Strong, Succession

Dominic West, The Crown

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Elle Fanning, The Great

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Bill Hader, Barry

Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Riley Keough, Daisy Jones & the Six

Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry

Elizabeth Olsen, Love & Death

Juno Temple, Fargo

Rachel Weisz, Dead Ringers

Ali Wong, Beef

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers

Sam Claflin, Daisy Jones & the Six

Jon Hamm, Fargo

Woody Harrelson, White House Plumbers

David Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves

Steven Yeun, Beef

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television

Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown

Abby Elliott, The Bear

Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets

J. Smith-Cameron, Succession

Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television

Billy Crudup, The Morning Show

Matthew Macfadyen, Succession

James Marsden, Jury Duty

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Alan Ruck, Succession

Alexander Skarsgard, Succession

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television

Ricky Gervais, Ricky Gervais: Armageddon

Trevor Noah, Trevor Noah: Where Was I

Chris Rock, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage

Amy Schumer, Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact

Sarah Silverman, Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love

Wanda Sykes, Wanda Sykes: I'm an Entertainer

Christmas: The Little Drummer Boy: Book II

Christmas 

             Another Rankin-Bass sequel.  "The Little Drummer Boy: Book II" (classy with the roman numerals came out 8 years after the first special also aired on NBC. 1976 seemed to be the year of  Rankin Bass going back to things they've made before like with  "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" , "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" and this.  

             The first special wrapped up pretty nicely, Aaron's character arc has him finding about love and ends on Christmas, the very first Christmas.  The story of this second one has to be amazing for it to work and well... this feels kind of flat, but not bad. 

             It starts right after the last special and one of the wise man, Melchior, takes Aaron with him to a man named Simeon to tell him about the birth of Christ. Simeon  has made special bells to announce the birth, but they were taken by Roman tax collectors whose leader is named Brutus.  Aaron decides to help and get the bells back. The special really has a simple plot of bells get taken, bells have to get un taken. That's it.  There's not much investment for like Aarron since there's not much a big goal from him, except that he's helping to announce the birth of Jesus, by getting the bells back.  King Melchior doesn't add much either, he really is there because the plot needed him to connect to Simeon who is there because bells.   

   

         Brutus becomes the most interesting thing in this special. His mannerisms are  quirky, he's snarky, he loves money and also likes to call his 2nd in command in a fool.  Plus he sings a great song, that they liked so much they give a reprise to Aaron to continue it.   

I'm here for your taxes, tax collectors/ Copyright Warner 

     The plot wants to be mean, because the collectors need a fire to melt the bells into silver bricks so they'll be easier to transport. Guess what? That's right they burn Aaron's drum. That part annoys me. Remember that was last thing he had from his parents, so screw you special.  I think the writers didn't it on purpose just to make up drama or something. It's just mean.  (Somehow meaner than killing his parents) 

         The sentient animals that belong to Aaron are able to sneak the bells off whilst the fire is happening.  (Fun fact it takes  961.8°C for silver to melt)  Anyway, they are able to hide the bells. Brutus is unhappy but, like the first special, it's 30 minutes so that's not going anywhere. The bells are safe and oh Aaron gets a new drum and Aaron is happy now, so that works.  The ending with the children's choir doing the song "Do you Hear what I hear?"  is nice and well done.  It ends with "The Little Drummer Boy" song because yes. 

Anyway, these angels me not to go back / Copyright Warner 

                I don't this one is bad, I think it's mostly weak because it's mostly a story going the motions. Rankin-Bass usually makes an interesting story/concepts , interesting characters or both. Here they have characters who are there for the plot and have the plot just be the plot. Their villain only works for a second and really has not much going on either.   It is a downgrade from the first one, which I think is well done,  this one really just goes through the  motions. It is sad since this one was written by Jules Bass himself, under a different name (oh), yet there's not much that it really gives as a special, except that money song. I am happy to hear Greer Garson back for the narration role.   I don't think it shouldn't be watched, but don't expect too much from it. 

        That's it for now , tune in next time when we melt silver bells, silver bells. 

Christmas: The Little Drummer Boy (The TV Special)

Christmas 

          I'm going for  quieter, less talked about Rankin-Bass Christmas special. Third special in the Rankin-Bass Christmas canon, this is the first 30 minute special(with breaks), that's right, this one is before "Frosty". This is also part of their "let's take a Christmas song and turn it into at special. 

   

   The song is simple and only offers a few hints  mostly about boy who has nothing else to offer at the in seeing the newborn King, Jesus, but can play his drum in a quiet way the song goes because otherwise playing it like a fast drummer might not be good for a baby. 

   

      The writers for this special had flesh out a story based off the song way more than they had to for Rudolph.  This special is credit written by Rankin Bass go to writer, Romeo Muller.  First airing on NBC on December 19, 1968, this is  special about Aaron, the little drummer boy. 

  

      The special wants you to know it takes place during like Luke 2, with Greer Garson narrating the line about the taxation found in Luke chapter 2.   Her voice  is great for this story and she brings the right class and tone to the special.  

  

   Aaron is a wandering boy who has 3 animals, Baba, a lamb, Joshua (hey!) a camel, and Samson, a donkey. He's kidnapped by these two scam artists ,led by a guy named Ben Haramed. He wants Aaron to play his drum and have the animals who like to dance with the drum play for the tax payers so he can get some extra money, because that's his thing.

    

     Aaron hates all people, and has a good reason. For a Rankin Bass special, it has some dark moments, compared to their other. Aaron's backstory is that he was having a happy birthday and his parents got him a drum. He was once happy, but that night some bandits were trying to steal some of the shepherd family's animals and they burned down the house when they get caught, and kill Aaron's parents. The  last thing his mother did was help him escape, and all he's left with is the three animals and his drum, the last tangible things connecting him to his parents. It's not gruesome in the sense of seeing blood, because you don't, but it's brutal in just context.  This is why Aaron hates all people, and he wants to be left alone. 

        Haramed makes Aaron go to a city full of people and makes him perform in front of them. He's even made to wear a fake smile, Aaron performs a song.  Aaron hates that the crowd likes his song and they have happiness while he doesn't. He has an understandable break down.  

   The songs in this special are pretty good, kind of sad they aren't as remembered as other special's songs. The use of the the main title song ,as background score is also well done and well placed. The Vienna Boys' Choir also provides music for this and this also adds to the great emotions this special has. 

  More after the jump

FOX sets midseason 2024 premiere dates

FOX  Midseason 2024

 The FOX Network is going to come in like a lion, in March for their midseason for scripted programming.  Those programs being  The Cleaning Lady, Alert: Missing Persons Unit, and Animal Control . 

        Family Guy is making a move to Wednesday nights.  The mid-season favorite of 9-1-1: Lone Star  has been bumped to the 2023/24 season, along with new series that were planned for this season.   

        Fox's reality shows: The Masked Singer, Celebrity Name That Tune, Next Level Chef, and Farmer Wants a Wife, and new series of  The Floor and We are Family.  Have been given new dates to launch. 

        Newest animated series, Grimsburg , gets a post football game boost on January 7th, along with the season premiere of The Great North.  

            America's Most Wanted returns along with TMZ Investigates. 

Here's the premiere dates all times ET/PT unless otherwise noted 

Tuesday, January 2 

8pm  Celebrity Name That Tune (Winter Premiere) 

9pm  The Floor (Series Premiere) 

Wednesday, January 3

8pm I  Can See Your Voice (Season Premiere) 

9pm  We Are Family (Series Premiere) 

Sunday January 7

8pm Grimsburg (Special Preview) & Live to All Time Zones 

8:30 Krapololis (New Episode)& Live to  All Time Zones 

9pm Bob's Burgers (New Episode) 

9:30pm The Great North (Season Premiere) 

Mondays, starting January 22 

8pm TMZ Investigates ( Season Premiere) 

9pm America's Most Wanted (Season Premiere)

Sunday, January 28 

10-11:10pm ET/ 7-8:30 PM PT  Next Level Chef (special preview)  Live to all Time zones 

Thursdays, Starting February 1

8pm Next Level Chef (Time Period Premiere) 

9pm Farmer Wants a Wife (Season Premiere) 

Sundays, starting February 18

8pm The Simpsons  (new episode) 

8:30pm Krapopolis (new episode) 

9pm The Great North (Time Period premiere) 

9:30pm  Grimsburg (Time Period premiere) 

Tuesdays, starting March 5 

8pm The Cleaning Lady (Season Premiere) 

9pm  Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Season Premiere) 

Wednesdays, starting March 6 

8pm  The Masked Singer (season premiere) 

9pm  Animal Control (season premiere) 

9:30pm Family Guy (Spring premiere) 

Press release after the jump

NBC Sets Midseason Premiere Dates 2024

NBC Midseason 2024 

        NBC has released its midseason plans.  Unlike the other networks, NBC had original scripted episodes during the strikes. NBC will also be able to release their midseason line up earlier than CBS and ABC have planned.   The Dick Wolf shows:  the three Chicago shows and Law & Order shows, will be able to premiere in January. 

       On December 23, new series Extended Family  gets a series premiere and returning  series Night Court gets a special holiday episode.  Getting an NFL game bump. 

        In January, La Brea will return for its 3rd and now final season, with six episodes. 

Also in midseason,   America's Got Talent's newest spinoff Fantasy League, and new series  Deal or No Deal Island.   The final episodes of the season for  The Irrational, and Found . 

           

Here's the full schedule details all times ET/PT unless otherwise noted 

 Saturday, December 23 

8pm Extended Family (Series Premiere) 

8:30pm Night Court ( Special Holiday episode) 

Monday, January 1 

8pm  America's Got Talent : Fantasy League ( Series Premiere) 

Tuesday, January 2

8pm Night Court (Time Period Premiere)

8:30pm Extended Family (Time Period Premiere) 

Tuesday, January 9 

9pm La Brea (Season Premiere) 

10pm  Found (Final Two episodes of the season) 

Wednesday, January 17

8pm Chicago Med  (Season Premiere) 

9pm Chicago Fire   (Season Premiere) 

10pm Chicago P.D  (Season Premiere) 

Thursday, January 18 

8pm Law & Order (Season Premiere) 

9pm Law & Order SVU (season premiere) 

10pm Law & Order: Organized Crime (Season Premiere) 

Friday, January 19 

8pm Transplant (Time Period Premiere) 

Monday, January 29 

10pm The Irrational (Final Four episodes of season) 

Monday, February 26

8pm The Voice (Season Premiere, part 1) 

9:30pm Deal or No Deal Island (Season Premiere) 

Tuesday, February 27

8pm The Voice (Season Premiere, part 2) 

Monday. March 4

10pm Deal or NO Deal Island (Time Period premiere) 

ABC sets Midseason premiere Dates

ABC  Midseason 2024  Network TV 

       ABC has released its midseason line up.  The network is blending in unscripted shows along with the return of scripted shows, post strike.   The midseason starts on Monday, January 22 with a two-hour premiere of  The Bachelor.  

        Comedy Wednesday nights are back on February 7, with The Conners, Not Dead Yet, and 1 hour of Abbott  Elementary.   Judge Steve Harvey returns to finish off the line up.  

        American Idol is back on February 18 with a two-hour premiere followed by  What Would You Do? which returns to ABC after a few years absence.  

      Tuesday, February 20 is the drama night with Will Trent, The Rookie, and The Good Doctor.  

  Moving from the FOX network to ABC it's 9-1-1 which will get Thursday Nights followed by the prerenal long holder shows of Grey's Anatomy and Station 19.  Returning March 14. 

    Here are the dates in detail; all times ET /PT  

Monday, January 22

8pm  The Bachelor (two hours) 

10:01pm 20/20"  (all-new limited true crime series, title TBA) 

Wednesday, February 7 

8pm The Conners

8:30pm  Not Dead Yet

9pm Abbott Elementary (one-hour premiere) 

Sunday, February 18

8pm American Idol (two hours) 

10pm What Would you Do? 

Tuesday, February 20 

8pm Will Trent 

9pm The Rookie 

10pm The Good Doctor 

Thursday, March 14

8pm 9-1-1

9pm Grey's Anatomy 

10pm Station 19 

Press Release after the Jump 

Thanksgiving: Short Lived Series Edition: Thanks (that's the name of the show)

 Thanksgiving 

          I've mentioned that finding Thanksgiving related specials is pretty hard, since most things are done either as episodes of series more than an outright stand alone special about the holiday.   But I do know, I've never combined our Short Lived Series uh series with a look at a holiday related stuff.  This time, a good reason exists, it's a short-lived TV sitcom about pilgrims/puritans living in early America. 

         It's kind of surprising how much early America isn't used as a setting for a TV series. The British comedies and dramas dip a lot into the 1600's, the 1800's, the early 1900's, or  that time between the World Wars. American shows did do some mid to late 1800's stuff with westerns, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of shows taking place in an earlier time, unless it's a documentary or a show taking place during the Revolutionary war.   There was a WGN America (now NewsNation) series called "Salem" that took place during the 1690's, but it's a barren amount of stuff. 

       The series I'm writing about is Thanks this is very short-lived series from CBS from 1999. The show ran 6 episodes between August 2nd and September 6th, which feels like burn-off was their intention.  Thanks , which is awkward name for a show when writing about it, was created by Phoef Sutton who worked as a writer on Newhart , later working with Nehwart on Bob. He also worked on Cheers, Almost Perfect, NewsRadio, and more. The otehr creator was Mark Legan who also has worked on shows like Grace Under Fire, A.N.T Farm, Mighty Med, and more. 

This isn't Full House

            So, Thanks takes place in 1621 when the early puritans settlers in Massachusetts. The show's main family characters are called the Winthrops  based off the famous John Winthrop.   There's the patriarch named James played by Tim Dutton who has played alot of roles in British TV.  James is the well meaning if slightly doofy father, fitting in with sitcoms on of the time.  There's his wife , Polly, played by  Kirsten Nelson, whom 'Psych' fans should know. They have three kids, two daughters and one son. The eldest, is daughter, Abigail, played by Erika Christensen, whom you might know from Parenthood, as an example.  The next daughter is Elizabeth, played by Amy Centner. Elizabeth 's character  really seems to be the smartest of the kids - and possibly the family, and  some of her jokes seem to be her mentioning things that are more our times knowledge and brings them up. And finally, the son , William, played by Andrew Ducote is the son. That's his character. There's also James' grandmother is played by  Cloris Leachman who gets to play best character on the show. Leachman brings her talent and makes a great character here. 

Who's the Boss? 

            The first episode takes place where spring is beginning after everyone in the town had a long deep winter.   James has reopened his store and  holds a spring party and there's news of a supply ship coming back and the people of the town are excited and wanted to get out. James wants his family to stay. Then their house gets burned down thanks to an accident by a family friend, named Cotton, who was trying to fix the roof.  James is sad and decides that they'll move back after all. Thanks to a speech from Elizabeth, Polly decides that the family should stay and try to make their dreams of America go well.  Of course, there wouldn't be a series anyway and the ship has plague on it so everyone is staying.

            The second episode has guests from Virginia coming, they are tobacco farmers, and one of them is Polly's cousin named Henrietta.  Polly wants her cousin to be impressed.  They've also brought in tobacco and James sells it at his store and it causes people in the town to get addicted to it.  Also a French free trader wants to take Abigail to a dance.  James decides to not sell it anymore, but Cotton chooses to instead.  He also ends up getting money and also makes cigarettes.   That goes badly because that's his character, the unlucky guy.  Everything else resolves itself well.  

     The third episode is about Grammy (Cloris Leachman) finally snapping about living with her son and his family and wants her own place.  Elizabeth suggests an idea that maybe Grammy should get her own room, which perplexes the others, but they decide to go with it.  Everyone in the town is spreading rumors.  Later, the people around town want to see the new room.  Grammy apparently doesn't like her new room, after all.  There's an attempt to make a sewing group and it seems to work.

      The fourth episode is about Cotton getting a mail-order bride and the twist seems to be that the mail order bride seems to be a woman who seems to be a woman who diets and Cotton is sad that she's thin. The wedding cake gets eaten by a porcupine. Which apparently according to James' mother is a sign the marriage is doomed. Polly and James are having a fight. The couple tries to figure how to get over their problems.  Cotton's wife has left him for another guy.  

We serve food here, sir. 

        The Fifth episode , Grammy is in love.  She's in love with a salesman and the salesman likes her. James isn't too happy about this.  James  overhears the guy talking about how much the guy likes his mother, but also apparently has attracted a bunch of other women. Which Grammy already knew. (Funny enough the episode even asks what's her real name)  But eventually she breaks it off with Bernie and it's over.  

    The Sixth episode.  Good for this post is this episode is called "Thanksgiving"  The episode is told in flashback where Elizabeth is talking to Grammy about her story of the past where the family and town meets Squanto.  Yes, this episode is tying into the Thanksgiving story.   Squanto wants to show James how to grow vegetables better.  Too much corn.  The Winthrop family wins the thing to do the entire town's Thanksgiving dinner.  James and Cotton's hunting trip goes badly but they end up getting turkey.   Squanto helps them figure out how to make the turkey.  Everything builds up to Thanksgiving. There's also a sweet moment of Elizabeth helping Grammy write her name. 

Thanksgiving, 1621, colorized 

            Those are more light rundowns of the episodes. Yes, this short-lived show had only 6 episodes before it was gone.  This sitcom  is one where some could expect it to be running one joke into the ground. And guess what? It doesn't.  The show takes the idea of a family sitcom, adds in a wacky assortment of townspeople as the wacky neighbors and happens to take place in 1620's New England. 

         The show is very wink and nudge but not so hard it feels out of place or forced. Elizabeth, the middle daughter,  and her role of playing the precocious middle child and using that for her to say lines about "Wouldn't that be interesting if one day... [insert something that our current times has] happens." Then the reactions from those she says that to, plays off it.  It's not as limited by the time period it takes place in as one would think and it gets to use that to effect.  The first episode is able to set up that they are in a harsh place uses that for dark comedy effectively, and while we know the reason why many did stay in real life  having a big reason why they stay and change their minds from leaving still fits, since ships took a long time back then and a plague ridden ship could be something that would restrict travel. 

         The setting works to a sitcom too, since sitcoms usually do limited sets and locations normally. Having the family in a one room house, because that's how 1600's worked, fits well for the series, then having James run the only store in town gives a secondary setting to use and a reason why everyone in town would be gathered somewhere. 

Wait , I thought this was Becker. 

        The satire works in a great way where it's not over the top and forcing it. The tobacco episode is a great example. The show does point at things that were noted to be done during that time period and manages to make it funny without going on making it surface level, people in the past were did things funny.  The episode were Cotton gets a mail-order bride plays with things in a few ways. One, the wife shows up and what she's wearing would seem out of fit for a conservative group of pilgrims and instead they are concerned that she's thin and talks about dieting  using trends that were around in 1990's.  

          The puritan characters are interesting in their own right. James Winthrop is an optimistic character  he wants the colony to do well and believes in the mission of staking a new claim and trying a better life.  While he does have some of the goofy dad stuff 90's sitcoms liked to do, he's still competent and not a made into a total loser character. It's a nice balance and a character you want to to root for.  Polly as the wife character is typical sitcom wife but she and James are a fun married couple. It's also interesting how another twist of the show is the two characters want to do romantic things but get stifled by the idea of someone seeing them.  Elizabeth ends up being the stand out child character. Someone decided that Jan Brady was right and made sure the middle child got the most focus. Abigail's character is teenage girl, but also annoyed by 1600's stuff, and William really just is the boy. The two of them do have jokes and are used for the plot, but they aren't the strongest child characters in the series. Elizabeth has the strongest role and use her for alot of different things.  Grammy is probably the best character, Cloris Leachman hits her role of the park. Her role is to be the bothersome mother to her son and annoying  mother-in-law but she plays it well and with her own flavor.  A slightly off kilter woman, without much of a filter, but still likable and a deep character. She's great bouncing off the other characters and situations. Cotton plays the town fool and the loser character, he's good to be interesting enough. The preacher is funny in how he's a doomsayer and kind of strange but somehow not unlikeable. There's a doctor who does 1600's medical stuff, he's quirky and fun.  It's not a really strong background cast, but not boring either. It probably would been different if the show didn't have only 6 episodes.  It's like Home Improvement and stopping at 6 episodes in, you still barely know Al and Wilson for them to really interest you. 

         For the short-lived series I've written about so far, this one seems to have been the most missed opportunity. It starts off strong and doesn't get a chance to grow, versus starting off kind of weak and not sure of itself. This show was doomed from the start since CBS decided to dump it to August /summertime when nobody would care about new TV at the time.  I don't think CBS had confidence enough which is funny since they picked it up in the first place. It's different than other sitcoms on the air. This was 1999, CBS was about to have a series where there's a guy living with all women, including Betty White, as the primary idea for a show.  It would have been strange in their line up at the time to have this 1600's timed sitcom in between "The King of Queens" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" (which weren't  bad shows)  I don't know why CBS picked it up.  

    

       Instead of trying to bring back stuff that ended and not letting things rest, maybe try to bring back things that didn't get a chance the first time, try it again, this should would fit with Ghosts on current CBS (if you are reading this in 2023, CBS, and no current event happening, hmm).  The series is well written and has a great wittiness too it. 

         Since, I'm also doubling this post as part of Thanksgiving, the finale episode is a good Thanksgiving episode. It takes the story of the first Thanksgiving we've heard and learned and absorbed and has fun with it. How did we have Turkey on Thanksgiving? Well, the two pilgrims were bad hunters and decided to bring back Turkeys instead of deer, after being stuck in the forest at night and running from a bear. That's funny.   

         The concept of doing a sitcom that takes place during Early America is something that seems to be out of the box. There are places it could have failed in how it was executed, but here it didn't, it's strongly written and funny.  It would have been interesting to see how it could have gone beyond these six episodes and where the show could have gotten tired, if it could.

     

  So here we do have a case of a short-lived series that seemed to have some great potential, but wasn't given more of a chance and doomed from its start.  It's still an interesting series to check out and you should.  

          That does it for now, tune in next time when we create a sitcom called "You're Welcome" .  

        

           

  

CBS Sets 2024 Premiere Dates

CBS NETWORK TV 

         With both the writers' strike and actors' strike over, CBS has become the first broadcast network to announce their post-strike programming plans.  [CBS' Prime Time Promo] 

           The Super Bowl is the kick off date for a roll out.  The new drama Tracker , will premiere right after the big game on February 11, 2024. 

            Returning scripted dramas and comedies make their season premieres starting on February 12.  This includes shows like the FBI  and NCIS shows, Young Sheldon, and Ghosts. The seasons will be shorter than previous due to the strikes.    

        The new series that were planned during the fall original fall line up , like the reimagined Matlock and Poppa's  House  have been moved to the 2024 fall season.  Elsbeth , a spin-off of The Good Wife , will be premiering this season. 

        Reality shows,  Survivor and The Amazing Race will have new seasons in March.  

Here's the 2024 schedule all times are ET/PT, unless otherwise noted  

Sunday, February 11 

(Following Super Bowl LVIII)

10-11pm  Tracker (Series premiere, estimated start time ) 

Monday, February 12 

8pm The Neighborhood  (sixth season premiere) 

8:30pm  Bob ❤️ Abishola (fifth season premiere) 

9pm  NCIS (season premiere) 

10pm NCIS : Hawaii (third season premiere) 

Tuesday, February 13 

8pm  FBI  (sixth season premiere) 

9pm  FBI :International  (third season premiere) 

10pm  FBI: Most Wanted (fifth season premiere) 

Thursday, February 15 

8pm Young Sheldon (seventh season premiere) 

8:30pm Ghosts  (third season premiere) 

9pm  So Help Me Todd (second season premiere) 

10pm  Tracker (premiere episode encore)

February 16

8pm  S.W.A.T (seventh season premiere) 

9pm Fire Country (second season premiere) 

10pm  Blue Bloods (fourteenth season premiere) 

Sunday, February 18 

7pm 60 Minutes 

8pm  The Equalizer (fourth season premiere) 

9pm  Tracker (Time Period) 

10pm  CSI: Vegas (third season premiere, new time) 

Thursday, February 22

8pm Young Sheldon

8:30pm Ghosts 

9pm  So Help Me Todd 

10pm  Tracker (second episode encore) 

Wednesday, February 28

8-10pm  Survivor (46th season premiere) 

Thursday, February 29 

8pm Young Sheldon 

8:30pm Ghosts 

9pm So Help Me Todd 

10pm Elsbeth (series premiere) 

Wednesday, March 6 

8-10pm Survivor (two hour episode) 

Wednesday, March 13 

8-9:30pm Survivor (return to 90 minute episodes) 

9:30-11pm  The Amazing Race (36th season premiere) 

Press release after the jump