Knockout ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Finale, ‘TKO: Total Knock Out’ on CBS, ‘Misfits & Monsters’ on truTV
A critical checklist of notable Wednesday TV:
The Handmaid’s Tale (streaming on Hulu): A grueling second season of the searing allegory ends with enough powerful and satisfying twists to keep fans buzzing until Season 3 arrives next year. It’s another powerful showcase for Elisabeth Moss as Offred/June, who can barely mask her rage and contempt after last week’s public execution, and also for Yvonne Strahovski, who has been tremendous all season as Offred’s conflicted mistress, Serena. Her rekindled feelings about women’s subservient place in even the highest strata of Gilead society come to a head in another showdown with her husband, Commander Fred (Joseph Fiennes). In another household, Emily (Alexis Bledel) is in for a surprise—and so are viewers—as she prepares for her first “ceremony” with her mysterious master (Bradley Whitford, typically terrific). A suspenseful climax sets up powerful new dynamics for whatever comes next.
TKO: Total Knock Out (9/8c, CBS): A reminder that in most regards, especially on the broadcast networks, summer is the silly season, which explains this knockoff of Wipeout featuring Kevin Hart as the good-natured host for a new slapstick competition. Each week, five contestants vie for the fastest time on an elaborate obstacle course during which opponents fire projectiles at the runner in hopes of knocking and slowing them down. A $50,000 prize awaits the winner. An hour of harmless fluff awaits the viewer.
Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters (10/9c, truTV): Horror and humor are compatible bedfellows in a cheerfully cheesy anthology from former stand-up provocateur (turned writer/director) Goldthwait. Like Tales From the Crypt with a more satirical bent, these cautionary tales are populated with actors better known for comedy—including, in the opener, Seth Green. “Bubba the Bear” features Who Framed Roger Rabbit-style live action and animation to fun (and gruesome) effect in the story of a voice actor driven looney-tunes by the sinister manifestation of his goofy redneck cartoon character. It might make you scream—with laughter.
Inside Wednesday TV: As The Handmaid’s Tale signs off, Hulu returns bawdy period piece Harlots for a second season, with back-to-back episodes. The rivalry between brothel madams Margaret (Samantha Morton) and Lydia (Lesley Manville) intensifies when a stern new Justice makes an arrest. … Classic rock fans will want to check out the premiere of AXS TV’s The Ronnie Wood Show (8/7c), in which the Rolling Stones guitarist jams and jaws with Beatles icon Paul McCartney in the U.S. debut of Wood’s radio show. … PBS’s three-part Kingdoms of the Sky, from BBC’s Natural History Unit, is a visual treat as it depicts the wildlife and people who cohabitate on the Earth’s most iconic mountain ranges. First up: “The Rockies” (9/8c, check local listings at pbs.org), where skiers and daredevil wingsuit flyers play while bighorn sheep, mountain lions and other species just try to survive. … TLC’s Dr. Pimple Popper (10/9c) belies its silly title with compelling accounts of dermatologist and YouTube star Dr. Sandra Lee, as she helps patients with extreme dermatological problems regain their confidence and even sometimes their mobility.
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Will CERTAINLY check out Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters...
DID make it through the entire episode of The Outpost...then DELETED its Season Pass...
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The ratings for The Outpost were devastatingly low. A 0.1 in the 18-49 demo . That is the lowest debut I have ever seen for a brand new scripted show. It actually has a chance of dropping to a broadcast record low of 0.0
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From what I saw, the number was 0.20. Which still isn't good, although somewhat higher than a few other CW shows over the past year or so.
Somehow Outpost just doesn't strike me as the kind of show that would appeal to the CW's typical demographic. Yes, it has very attractive young people, but still, there are no elements of glamour to it. They've had vampire shows (which are--apparently--inherently romantic. For some reason) and superhero shows, and sci-fi shows with heroes of all types, and even Reign, which had the benefit of nice period costumes. But Outpost doesn't have those advantages. All it has is a main character who is probably a bad-@ss fighter, and a handsome guy who somehow manages to trim his beard every day. But the world they live in is not pretty.
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If the superior Hooten and the Lady wasn't renewed no way this will.
And yeah CW had lots of low rated shows last season : Life Sentence , Dynasty, Valor and even veteran Crazy Ex-Girlfrend (a favorite of mine).
These consistently suffered with 0.1s and 0.2s
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Hmm, Kingdoms of the Sky... sounds like PBS couldn't decide if they wanted a 100% nature show (what they're good at, but might be a bit boring to some) or an adventure show (which is a little more commercial), so they combined the two.
I don't usually watch game shows or anything, but the relentlessness of advertising on CBS for TKO may have worn me down to the point to which I might actually turn it on. At least, if nothing else better is on at that time.
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The opposite for me. The more I see previews for TKO the more I'm not interested. It reminds of that silly ABC game/contest a few seasons back on Sunday. Can't remember the name for the life of me. Wipeout! Just came to me.
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Wipeout . That's what it reminds me of.
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Yea...but...but...John Henson's, John Anderson's and Jill Wagner's humor was subtle (and clever)...whereas Kevin Hart's humor is obvious (and in-your-face).
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Another 2 hours of America's Got Talent tonight. Isn't that a bit much? MasterChef and Reverie are back after a week off. Kingdoms of the Sky sounds interesting. I'm always a sucker for nature programs.
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I only sporadically look at AGT now and then. I usually can't make it through an entire episode.
I did manage to get through CW's The Outpost. Not quite as terrible as Matt made it out to be . The story was watchable enough for me to want seconds. The most annoying character on the show was this goofy guy at the bar making flirting with the lead girl, Tara I think. His facial movements were unwatchable. Hope they kill him off quickly like so many others on this show. Wouldn't give it another look had it aired during the regular season.
Same with Reverie tonight. Good enough for summer.
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I had enough to watch without another new show. I noticed it's on again tonight...same episode.
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Yes, your summer TV schedule is much more crowded than mine. I'm glad I watched The Outpost, it really wasn't bad. Wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it though. So now I have 6 scripted shows;
(in order of preference)
Quantico
Salvation
Nashville
Take Two
The Outpost
Reverie
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I thought the barkeep guy was supposed to be a "friendly dimwit" type of character. Actually I thought he might end up being the girl's brother, who she thought was dead. As I mentioned in the other thread, this show was watchable enough, although everyone seemed to be "too clean." Not to mention too well shaven. Also, there would never have been private rooms in a place like that, certainly not one with actual keys. So there is definitely a lot of suspension of disbelief required, although that's not impossible to overcome. Maybe now that we know who's who and what's at stake, it won't be quite as awkward going forward.
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He looked like a cartoon character because of his goofy and forced facial expressions. Total distraction. I'm ok with just about everything else. I feel the review was much too harsh. But like I always say, my expectations are much lower in the summer.
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Yes, the exaggerated facial expressions are what made me think he was supposed to be friendly-but-afflicted. Definitely distracting, I hope he won't appear too often. But as I said on the other thread, the thing that raised the reviewer's ire for bad special effects was the plague-lings, with those things coming out of their mouths (and being seen in profile only, which is the cheap and easy way to do that. Very 1980s, I thought. The other special effect (that we saw with the little girl in the tomb) was better, thank heavens.
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I really didn't mind the cheap SFX. I wasn't expecting a Marvel show or Once Upon a Time (although this show often mimicked OUAT)
CW effects usually are subpar anyway.
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Since each act is TOTALLY different...(and QUITE unique)...I wouldn't mind if a (new) AGT were on FIVE nights a week...
Having them on my DVR...they're handy to watch a few acts before I'm headed out the door or off to bed...
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Take Two's Premier episode was preempted by my local channel's LIVE coverage of an anti-police demonstration that completely closed down a major thoroughfare in Pittsburgh...
My DVR then recorded a 2AM rebroadcast labeled Take Two...but it turned out to be The Chew..
Found Episode #2 to be a little slow and borderline boring...
WILL watch Episode #3 before I decide whether to keep/delete its Season Pass...
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In England, they run their version on Saturdays and Sundays until they get to the live shows. Then, they run it every night until the end. It works for them with huge ratings every night.
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