A look back at the best and worst of TV in the past week (June 21-26), and a peek ahead at what’s coming up.
Highlights
"The Daily Show's" Jason Jones in Iran.
1. “The Daily Show” reports from Iran, “Iran and the West” on National Geographic Channel. Both were eye-opening looks at a country that’s all over the news these days that Americans — even the worldly ones — know very little about. “The Daily Show’s” Jason Jones showed a side of Iran that shattered pretty much every stereotype — moderate Iranian politicians and scholars, liberal Islamic clerics, and man-on-the-street interviews that showed average Iranians as Westernized and hip to pop culture as us (one couple were even fans of “The Daily Show”). Smarter too, as one street vendor rattled off what could have passed for a U.S. citizenship test. These are the guys making up the Axis of Evil? Sure didn’t seem like it. The warm and fuzzies quickly dissipated when it was revealed that two-thirds of the people interviewed in the reports had been arrested in the post-election crackdown. Simply an amazing job of humanizing our supposed enemy, and personalizing a crisis that had been faceless to most Americans.
NatGeo also ran their timely news documentary, a how-we-got-here examination of U.S.-Iranian relations since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. It was a fascinating look back, especially its examination of recent history and how opportunities for dialogue and better relations were squandered by both sides (though mainly the Bush administration, it seemed) in the post-9/11 years.
In a time where celebrity gossip passes as news, these were two shining examples that quality, intelligent, informative journalism still has a place.
2. “Better Off Ted.” A welcome return of network TV’s funniest new show. It wasn’t the series’ best effort (it was a little too sitcom-ey in its setups and punchlines), but it made me laugh and that’s a rarity during summer TV. As much as I loved Medieval Fight Club, my favorite bit was Veronica admitting she fattened her sister by feeding her ice cream as she slept so Veronica could be “the skinny one.” And later in the show we cut to Veronica talking on the phone, softly shoving a spoonful of ice cream down her sister’s gullet, and massaging her throat to get it down. Sick, sick, hilarious stuff.
3. “Rescue Me.” A surreal, dreamlike opening montage, more musical weirdness from Garrity (“How lovely it is to be a vegetable!”), a slapstick “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” scene, Tommy knowing exactly how damaging his drinking is to those he loves yet not stopping, and Lou risking repeating the worst mistake of his life. What more could you ask for? A great episode of the best show on TV right now.
Lowlights
Remember these faces when the Workers' Uprising comes.
1. “NYC Prep.” Coming in, I knew it’d be excessive, shallow and annoying. But who would have thought it’d be so boring? Having a horribly off-putting sense of entitlement and all the wrong priorities in life can make for good TV (see “Laguna Beach”), but these kids are so self-absorbed that they’re incapable of making themselves at all interesting to anyone else. My first (and probably last) impressions: Sebastian doth protest too much — he’s totally a virgin (though in real life, nothing wrong with that); you cannot tell me PC is straight (which again, nothing wrong with that, but he’s fooling himself); and Kelli is going to make a therapist very rich one day over her abandonment issues (seriously, who leaves their teenage kids to live alone in Manhattan?).
2. Ludo Lefebvre on “Top Chef Masters.” The French chef had a un petit chip on his shoulder. The guy did nothing but whine, pout and act assey to the classy and immensely talented Rick Bayless. It got annoying really fast. Ludo would be a fantastic villain on the real “Top Chef,” along the lines of Hung or Marcel, but “Masters” is a more genteel, sophisticated version for grown-ups. Ludo belongs at the kids’ table. It was satisfying to see him get smacked down at the end.
3. The horns of South Africa. I watched a few Confederations Cup soccer matches this week. Great games, terrific performances by the U.S. team. But the incessant buzzing from fans’ plastic horns made them almost unbearable to watch. The Vuvuzula is South Africa’s version of Thunder Sticks — cheap noisemakers available everywhere whose sole intent is to create as much of a racket as possible. Forget the idea of actually paying attention and cheering for a team. They make matches sound like they’re played inside a beehive, and left me with a headache. If this is what next year’s World Cup is going to sound like, I may be using the “mute” button an awful lot.
Looking forward to . . .
1. “Hung” (10 p.m. Sunday, HBO). It’s exactly what it sounds like — the story of a guy with a really big. . . . um, yeah, you get it. But it’s getting great buzz (see, the Vuvuzula’s are still in my head) and supposedly is more like “Weeds” (well, how “Weeds” used to be) than “Boogie Nights.”
2. USA vs. Brazil, Confederations Cup Championship (11:30 a.m. Sunday, ESPN). Sure, Brazil will probably wipe the floor with them, but that’s what I said before the Americans’ game against Spain too. In either event, it’s a rare chance to see the U.S. team play for a championship and it’s always fun to watch the Brazilians. And bear in mind I have the sense of humor of an 8-year-old, so yes, I still chuckle whenever I see Kaka on the field.
3. “Man vs Cartoon,” (10 p.m. Saturday, TruTV). Contestants recreate some of Wile E. Coyotes greatest hits, like roller skates propelled by a giant fan, a spear-wielding human pendulum and dropping anvils from balloons. This just might be the greatest show ever made. I just need to figure out what channel TruTV is on.
