Review

Dramaworld (2016-?)

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Dramaworld (2016-?)

Network:

Netflix

Creators:

Josh Billing

Chris Martin

Starring:

Liv Hewson

Sean Dulake

Noo-Ri Bae

Justin Chon

Plot:

What would YOU do if you fell into your favorite K-drama?

Review:

I’ve never watched a K-Drama but I didn’t have to, to love this short little show. By the end of the first season I was standing in front of the TV laughing and then screaming, “Nooooooooo!” when I realized there wasn’t a second season yet.

This was incredibly entertaining and so much fun to watch. It had me pouring through Netflix’s Korean Romantic Dramas searching for stuff to add to my queue. Hopefully, they hold up to what was created in Dramaworld.

Claire, Liv Hewson, is a college student that spends all her free time watching K-Dramas because real life is the worst. Next thing you know she’s fallen into one. The show is wish fulfillment at its best. With just ten episodes, some of them just over ten minutes, there’s no reason not to try it out if you’re a fan of romantic comedies.

I eagerly await season 2 and I’m a bit bummed there isn’t a release date as of yet.

5/5

Single Parents (2018-?)

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Single Parents (2018-?)

Network:

ABC

Creator:

Elizabeth Meriwether

J.J. Philbin

Starring:

Taran Killam

Leighton Meester

Kimrie Lewis

Brad Garrett

Jake Choi

Plot:

A group of single parents form their own support system as they raise their kids and struggle to start new relationships.

Review:

I laughed a few times during this pilot. Recently, during a pretty vile case of hand, foot, and mouth, I was basically a single parent for four days and it was horrible. I told my husband that I could not handle it and would leave our kids at a firehouse if I had to do it forever. (kidding clearly…or was I?). Single parents have it rough and seeing a group of them help each other out was smart and often times funny.

The problem I foresee with this show is, much like the movie Bad Moms, the issues they’re going to face are unrealistic and focus only on part of what it’s like to be a single parent. I get that it’s a comedy, but a show called Single Parents should be about the whole thing. There can be comedy in trials, you just have to work harder at the jokes.

The parents we’ve seen so far are all fairly stable financially is the issue I’m talking about. One of the biggest things about being a single parent, in the US, is the lack of another person helping financially. We live in a society that almost requires a dual income to survive, unless you are part of the top 5% earners.

Maybe future episodes will have more of this realism, but we’ll see. For now it was an amusing show to have on in the background and I’ll continue watching until it bugs me too much.

3/5

Superstore Seasons 1-3 (2015-?)

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Superstore Seasons 1-3 (2015-?)

Network:

NBC

Creator:

Justin Spitzer

Starring:

America Ferrera

Ben Feldman

Lauren Ash

Colton Dunn

Nico Santos

Mark McKinney

Nichole Bloom

Plot:

A look at the lives of employees at a big box store.

Review:

When this show first came out a few years back I had no desire to watch something based in a Big Box store. Just was not my cup of tea and did not sound appealing. However, recently, I found myself looking for something to fill the time before Fall TV and there it was waiting.

The first two seasons were highly amusing. I loved how capable but prone to the wrong reaction Amy, America Ferrera, was. I enjoyed how easy to mock Ben Feldman was. I love Dina, Lauren Ash. Garrett, Colton Dunn, messing with people was hilarious. The store manager was even played well by Mark McKinney and I usually dislike the religious character.

Then season three happened. When binge watching you notice things that you don’t necessarily notice watching a show like “normal.” The very heavy Office parallels started to really be evident to me and then they changed Amy to be significantly less competent and much heavier on the more negative side of her personality. It wasn’t as pleasant to watch, though I understand why they went that way. She’s recently divorced in not in a good place emotionally.

I’m hoping that season 4 is a return to normal, but considering she’s pregnant with her ex-husband’s child, who knows. It’s frustrating when a character I loves devolves.

3/5

Manifest (2018-)

Manifest

Manifest (2018-)

Network:

ABC

Creator:

Jeff Rake

Matthew Fernandez

Starring:

Melissa Roxburgh

Josh Dallas

Athena Karkanis

Plot:

After a turbulent, but routine flight, the passengers and crew discover the world has aged five years, yet no time has passed for them, and soon a deeper mystery unfolds.

Review:

The premise for this show is really interesting. I also enjoy Josh Dallas, so I decided to give this a try.

The first episode is basically the plot synopsis. It asked a lot of questions and didn’t answer anything. Everyone who was on that plane has had their lives turned upside down and they don’t know the full extent of it yet. Some of them seem to be hearing voices telling them to do things. Lives have moved on and relationships will never be the same.

It’s all interesting and dramatic, but can they deliver on all these questions? No idea. Right now it’s interesting enough to keep me watching, but I am concerned about the religious allusions. Lots of references to a Bible verse and the fact that they’re hearing voices has some wondering if it’s God. Not something I care to watch so I’m really hoping they don’t go that route. If it looks like they are I will be dropping it.

3/5

Murphy Brown (1988-?)

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Murphy Brown (1988-?)

Network:

CBS

Creator:

Diane English

Starring:

Candice Bergen

Faith Ford

Joe Regalbuto

Grant Shaud

Jake McDorman

Tyne Daly

Adan Rocha

Nik Dodani

Plot:

The personal and professional misadventures of a woman working as a TV journalist.

Review:

You have no idea how fucking excited I was for this show reboot. I freaking hate most reboots and renewals of old shows, but this is mother fucking Murphy Brown. I watched this when I was a very little girl. I loved Murphy Brown. LOVED HER.

I hooked an antenna up to my TV, set an alarm, and watched fucking commercials so that I could watch this “pilot” live and do you want to know what? It was fucking fantastic.

Murphy was everything that my little girl brain remembered her being. She was passionate, and smart, and liberal, but she was not a fucking hate monger. She let facts back her opinion and sure that sometimes pushes her too far, but it’s a TV show.

Candice Bergen, Murphy, has been missed from my TV, and I hope I get to watch many more seasons to come.

Jake McDorman was cast as her son Avery. I loved him in Limitless so I was very happy to see him on a show I love so much. The chemistry between the two of them was spot on. He was a great son and seeing Murphy be proud of him but still competitive with him was amusing. I really liked that they have him working at a conservative network as the lone liberal. He’s passionate, just like his mother, but he’s also young so a bit more idealistic than she is. It was perfect.

Politics is so charged right now. If you are liberal you hate conservatives. If you’re conservative you hate liberals. It’s ruining the future of our country. However, I thought that this episode did a great job not lobbing insults at the other side. Part of that was Avery’s doing and his willingness to work for the “other side.” Yes, it’s a more liberal show, but I don’t think it’s adding to the hate and fear that’s currently out there. I think, I hope, that it’s trying to be better than that.

*sigh* It’s a difficult world we live in right now and I don’t envy the writers of the show, but I can’t wait to see what they have to show us and dear god please let this show not get canceled.

5/5