Hilarious TV Show: Baskets

Leave it to Janelle to once again make me hip to all sorts of new things in the world of TV — remember Portlandia? SNL’s Stefon?

This time around, it comes in the form of Baskets, the hilarious comedy on FX. Have you guys seen it? It stars Zach Galifianakis as Chip Baskets, a man who is just trying to find himself and make it after failing out of France’s famed clown college. He moves home to Bakersfield and takes a job as a clown at the rodeo — who even knew there was such a thing? Paste magazine ranked the show one of the best sitcoms on TV today and called it a “true to life” comedy…

While Chip’s passion in life is to achieve the high artistic value of being a classically-trained clown, he must face the realities of a loveless marriage, reliance upon the support of his family, and uncertainty over how long he can financially support himself while chasing his dream. Despite its less likely moments, Baskets is a true to life comedy. Nothing is ever completely serious, and nothing is ever taken as a complete joke. Something as mundane as a trip to the grocery store and waiting in a slow line could be a comedy scene if you look hard enough. That’s exactly the type of show Krisel and his colleagues set out to make—the kind where the absurdity of life is highlighted and the humor can be found in just about anything, including tragedy.

The supporting characters are scene stealers too: There’s Penelope, the French mademoiselle who married Chip just to get a green card, and insurance adjuster/Costco employee Martha, who has somehow become Chip’s personal chauffeur. My favorite character, though, is definitely Christine Baskets (aka, Mama Baskets) played by Louie Anderson.

The show is quirky and in-that-good-way weird, and I think we can all see a part of ourselves in Chip, even if he can be a bit angry with the world. If you need a summer show, I highly recommend checking it out. Season one just ended and it’s already been renewed for a second season.

What other shows have you been watching lately? Any good binge-worthy recommendations? You know I’m always on the hunt for my next favorite! xoxo

3 Binge-Worthy Medical TV Shows on Netflix

What have you been binge-watching on Netflix these days, friends? We’ve developed quite the dinnertime routine around here: By 6:30 p.m. every night, we’re gathered around the TV and fired up our queue — what did we ever do in the dark ages before Netflix?

Anyway, we’ve been on a medical kick lately and love watching TV shows about doctors and hospitals with the sort of nail-biting, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your seat drama of shows like Grey’s Anatomy, which will always be my all-time favorite medical drama. But, on a quest to find some new shows to watch, we discovered three amazing ones that should satisfy any TV fanatic. So, take it from me, these three shows are the next best thing to actually being in the hospital…

Royal Pains follows the life and adventures of Dr. Hank Lawson, a disgraced big-city ER doc who moves to the Hamptons to become a concierge physician to the uber rich. The show is incredibly endearing, the scenery breathtaking and the ensemble cast is awesome! Each episode mixes a medical mystery with just the right about of “life drama,” and the hilarious moments are pure gold!

Patrick Wilson plays Dr. Michael Holt in A Gifted Man. As a competitive surgeon, Dr. Holt’s world is rocked when his ex-wife dies and comes back from the dead. He’s the only one who can see her, and, like all good beyond-the-grave tales, she teaches him a thing or two about the power of life and the true meaning of medicine. Definitely check this one out if you’re in the mood for a quirky, off-the-beaten path show.

And, finally, Jada Pinkett Smith brings the passion on Hawthorne. As the take-no-prisoners Chief Nursing Officer of Richmond Trinity Hospital, Christina Hawthorne knows just how to take charge — of everything from her personal life to her daughter to her hectic life at the hospital. There’s a grittiness to this show and it’s a little dark, which I found surprisingly enthralling. Plus, Marc Anthony playing a guy who’s just a bit dangerous and unhinged? Priceless!

A special thanks must go to Ms. Bear, who convinced me to give each of these shows a chance! What shows have you watched lately that you’d recommend? Any genres that you particularly love? I’d love more suggestions! I firmly believe that you can NEVER have too many shows in your queue… xoxo

[Top photo via We Heart It]

If I Were Scripting Downton Abbey: 8 Ways It Would End…

It’s a sad time to be a TV fan, friends! A certain high-profile family will be saying goodbye this weekend. No, I’m not talking about that family…

Downton Abbey is airing its series finale this Sunday. I’ll give you a minute to discretely dab your teary eyes with your handkerchiefs — no shame, too, since we’ve all been there! It’s the end of an era. Literally. I mean, we’ve followed these characters lives for more than a decade (in TV time, of course!) and have become so invested in them. The drama! The romance! The intrigue! Lady Mary’s many varied eye rolls and put downs to Lady Edith!

But I suppose like all good things (the Twinkie comes to mind), we must be strong and prepare ourselves for the end. Just as I did when Mad Men wrapped, I thought it would be fun to throw some of my ideas out there for how I’d like to see the series end. In that spirit, I give you my four must-ends…

1. Lady Mary and Lady Edith: The classic battle of the sisters will end when Edith proves triumphant and usurps Mary as heir to Downton. But Edith is nothing if not compassionate and gives Mary a job at her newspaper.


2. Daisy and Mrs. Patmore: They join forces and become the first female CEOs of a bed and breakfast franchise in England. Daisy becomes a working mom and masters the work-life balance once and for all.


3. Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes: With times changing, they find themselves no longer living a life of service. In retirement, they grow closer, learn more about each other and get to do some much-needed travel. Mr. Carson also starts sharing the cooking duties.


4. John and Anna Bates: After the birth of their child, Anna discovers her true calling and becomes a full-time nanny. Years later, their child reunited with one of the Grantham children while in college. They fall in love and get married, uniting the upstairs and downstairs forever.

5. Tom Branson: In the years following his life at Downton, Tom goes into politics and is instrumental in bringing about lasting change and positive laws. He retires to America, where daughter Sybbie lives with her husband and children.

6. Cora and Robert Crawley: Cora becomes an influential figure in the Women’s Liberation Movement while Robert becomes a family historian, writing a wildly successful book about the lasting legacy of the Crawley family.

7. Violet Crawley: Everyone’s favorite Dowager Countess discovers the secret to immortality and outlives everyone. She becomes a prolific speaker and expert on society and culture. Her TV show “Conversing With The Countess” is met with much fanfare. Front and center on said talk show? Violet’s trademark stare and deadpan sarcasm.

8. Downton Abbey: The castle was just as much a character on the show as any living person, so it’s only appropriate to imagine its future. My prediction? The changing times will see the house take on changing roles. In the ’50s and ’60s, it will be a haven for sock hops and hippies. In the ’70s, it will be England’s answer to Studio 54 — all disco and rock ‘n roll.

Will you be watching the finale on Sunday, friends? How do you hope it ends? With a bang? With a whimper? With a giant group hug? Share your predictions in the comments! xoxo

On Watching Thelma & Louise For The First Time

It wasn’t the sort of movie I thought I’d like. I’d heard rumblings about it, so going in, I thought I knew what to expect from Thelma & Louise: Two women take off for the desert, crimes ensue, said women drive off cliff.

While that’s technically the Wiki-friendly version of the plot, there’s so much more going on under all that sand, scenery and early ’90s fashion.

And another surprise I wasn’t expecting? That I’d love the movie as much as I did or that it rings just as true today as it did 25 years ago when it came out.

The film, starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, follows best friends Thelma and Louise as their girls’ weekend goes from innocent to downright criminal. The duo eventually finds themselves on the run from the law as their journey takes them across the Southwest.

Aside from the violent crimes and the suicide at the end, their journey raises a lot of questions: Who are we? Does our inner self match who people see on the outside? What would we do if we could break free and completely let loose? Do we even want to know?

I mean, here are two women who take off on the open road wanting to escape or leave something behind. They want to forget, if only for a little while, but at the same time, you can tell that they’re just trying to find their place in this world. Maybe it really is the what they say — sometimes we need to get a little lost in order to find ourselves again.

The fact that they do it all in a car only adds to the symbolism, you know? For once — maybe for the very first time in their lives — they’re taking the wheel when it comes to the direction they want their lives to take. They’re now in the driver’s seat, both literally and metaphorically. That’s a pretty beautiful thing, if you ask me.

Well, can you tell I minored in English in college? But, really, it’s one of those films — you know, the kind that sticks with you for days. Because something tells me that there’s a bit of Thelma and Louise in all of us. Part of us just wants to let go sometimes and let off a little steam. My one suggestion, though: It would probably be best if your letting-off-steam activity of choice was on the right side of Lady Law. Just saying…

Hilarious SNL Skit

Did you watch SNL last weekend? Well, the “Bad Girls” music video, in which the ladies cop to such scandalous acts as ordering a water and then filling it with lemonade and pretending to take out the garbage, totally describes my life. OK, maybe not the part where they lie about the drink, but everything else fits. Don’t believe me? Just feast your eyes on the video… xoxo