Worth Watching: Norman Lear Classics ‘Live In Front of a Studio Audience,’ ‘Brockmire,’ ‘Whiskey’ and Other Finales, History’s ‘Butcher’
A selective critical checklist of notable Wednesday TV:
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons“ (8/7c, ABC): What better way to mark the last official night of the traditional TV season than by reaching back into the archives for an homage to Norman Lear‘s groundbreaking sitcoms of the 1970s, the sort of shows we often say they don’t — or won’t — make them like that anymore. Lear and executive producer Jimmy Kimmel host this 90-minute event, directed by sitcom master James Burrows, who leads all-star casts through recreations of classic episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons. Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei are Archie and Edith Bunker, with Ellie Kemper as Gloria and Ike Barinholtz as Meathead. For The Jeffersons, Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes do the honors as George and Louise, with Will Ferrell and Kerry Washington as Tom and Helen Willis and One Day at a Time‘s Justina Machado as Florence Johnston. How will the material play with today’s audience? Will these accomplished actors be able to fill their iconic precedessors’ shoes? Either way, this demands to be seen.
Brockmire (10/9c, IFC): Things are looking up for sportscaster Jim Brockmire (Hank Azaria) and his new partner Gabby (Tawny Newsome) heading into opening day, where they’re calling their first regular season MLB game for Oakland. But how much fun would an unsullied happy ending be for the third-season finale of this uproarious dark comedy? Before long, bigots are protesting them on all sides, their sponsor (King Venom Vape Cartridge) pulls out, and with new personal setbacks in Brockmire’s personal life, it’s little wonder he starts praying to the baseball gods, “Please grant me a respite from this tornado of s—.” Can Brockmire stay sober through it all? Tune in and find out, and begin the vigil for a (green-lit) fourth season next year.
Whiskey Cavalier (10/9c, ABC): The road is even rockier for this spy caper, which ABC canceled last week after one short caper. In the season finale, arch-nemesis and former boss Ollerman (Dylan Walsh) tries to get the team to commit a terrorist act, using smarmy Ray (Josh Hopkins) as leverage. Amid the mayhem, Will (Scott Foley) and Frankie (Lauren Cohan) come to a reckoning about their relationship. Does that mean sparks will fly before the final curtain? (Don’t hold your breath, but the studio is looking to find a new outlet for this escapist romp.)
Also closing shop for the summer: NBC’s Chicago trilogy, which includes the swan songs for Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell) and his obsessed wannabe lover, trauma surgeon Ava Bekker (Norma Kuhling) on Chicago Med (8/7c), and a farewell to detective Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda) on Chicago P.D. (10/9c)… CBS’s SEAL Team (10/9c) finds the Bravo Team in danger of being split up by Commander Shaw (Peter Jessop), but Jason (David Boreanaz) & Co. get one more mission to prove their worth.
The Butcher (10/9c, History): Vegans should probably look away, as the production company responsible for History’s Forged in Fire returns with a competition for those skilled in the ancient craft of butchery. Survivor’s Colby Donaldson hosts the bloody contest, in which four butchers ply their trade each week, vying for a $10,000 prize. Challenges include breaking down a whole animal, gauging a desired weight or length or thickness, and delivering cuts from an exotic animal like an alligator or ostrich. Judges Michael “The Reverend of Fat” Sullivan, Chef Roxanne Spruance and Dave “The Butcher” Budworth decide the winner. Most definitely not brought to you by PETA.
Inside Wednesday TV: Now that Survivor has finished for the season, CBS’s The Amazing Race (8/7c) airs back-to-back episodes, with teams making their way through Dubai and Uganda… The CW revives its inspirational docu-series My Last Days (8/7c) for a three-week run, with Jane the Virgin‘s Justin Baldoni once again introducing stories from the perspective of the terminally ill who haven’t given up on life… The season finale of PBS’s Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World (10/9c, check local listings at pbs.org) focuses on the smartphone, while providing a history of world-changing communications discoveries from the telegraph and Morse Code to the telephone and its portable successor… Don’t say you weren’t warned. With only one more episode to go in the first season of FX’s hilarious supernatural comedy What We Do in the Shadows (10/9c), our hapless heroes prepare to host the Biannual Vampire Orgy. What could possibly go wrong?
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C
Well, I guess I\'ll watch the Norman Lear Live shows just to see what the hoopla is all about! Then, I\'ll watch the 2 episodes of Amazing Race, Happy!, Whiskey, and In the Shadows!
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C
Didn\'t I tell you to watch Manifest a couple of weeks ago? You\'re always putting things off until the last minute!
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R
For Jena...(who\'s NOT watching Jeopardy! until James loses)...
\"Holzhauer\'s average daily winnings of $77,798 over 24 wins now eclipses the previous one-day high, $77,000, set by Roger Craig in 2010.\"...
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B
James is a great player. Plays exactly how I want a player to play. He will probably never eclipse Roger as my favorite player. I still can\'t believe when Roger went all in on 2 consecutive daily doubles. One of the ballsiest things I have ever seen on the show.
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G
I really dislike watching him. He’s so bland and irritating, and I hate how he sticks out his tongue. Ugh!
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O
Also I have to say this. I\'m a bit angry how Marla Gibbs was completely overlooked to reprise her role as Florence. There\'s no excuse. She\'s alive, can still deliver killer one liners like nobody can and she\'s done it a bunch of times before. may be that would\'ve endeared it more to me and other people with doubts. It\'s disrespectful as hell
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C
Surprise, surprise!!! They did have Marla in it!!!
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G
Yeah, and she was performing with her former \"227\" co-star, Jakee Harry!
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O
I know i heard lol I gotta admit they got me
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O
Interesting reactions I\'m seeing. Seems like some hate it while orhers dug it. Not surprising wurh this type of thing but I feel like no matter what they weren\'t gonna top those casts man.
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C
I still think Wanda was the most miscast.
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O
Very miscast lol but she wasn\'t really bad. It was just weird casting.
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R
Checked out Blood & Treasure last night...
I think it was what Whiskey Cavalier wanted to be...but wasn\'t...
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G
I watched Blood & Treasure also. Different than Whiskey more like CW\'s Hooten and the Lady from a couple of season\'s back.
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G
I loved Whiskey\'s humor and action sequences. The cinematography, production values and acting were all top notch.
Loving Blood & Treasure as well.
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G
So I\'m just trying to wrap my head around Woody and Marisa singing, \"Those Were the Days\" as Archie and Edith and not think of how iconic Carroll O\'Connor and Jean Stapleton were when they originally did it...
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C
Are they going to sing it? They wouldn\'t have to.
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G
But it\'s not \"All in the Family\" until it begins with that song...
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C
Well, they did do a decent job of the song...especially her!
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G
I agree! Though I still prefer the originals...
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O
I\'m reluctant to watch the actual live shows and might just wait for actual reactions before even giving it a glance on DVR or something. I just have a bad feeling it\'s gonna be a cringey, cheesy mess but I definitely want to check out the after special thing with interviews with everyone including John Amos and Marla Gibbs herself who I\'m frankly insulted wasn\'t even invited to reprise Florence herself instead of the messy casting choice they made that\'s actually quite unnecessary. I do feel like this is a genuine effort but... we\'ll see how it goes. I\'m ultimately happy that such hoopla is being given to honor these two ICONIC shows regardless of the outcome... as long as it stays ONE NIGHT ONLY lol no actual reboots please, God!
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\"The road is even rockier for this spy caper, which ABC canceled last week after one short caper.\"
Lack of proofreading strikes again!
I\'m curious enough to want to check out the live Norman Lear event too, which basically means staying on ABC the whole evening.
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ABC all night for me also , Surprised that CBS isn\'t airing All in the Family and The Jeffersons. I\'ll cap off the night with some Whiskey.
Next up ABC should attempt to recreate Mary Tyler Moore. They might as well go for all the classics.
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C
It\'s on ABC because Jimmy Kimmel is producing it and he\'s on ABC.
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G
Should be fun to watch. Those were exceptional sitcoms. Next up should be Mary Tyler Moore, Maude, Golden Girls, Cheers and Newhart. All very funny sitcoms.
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C
Let\'s just see how this goes first. I\'m not expecting much from it especially considering some of the casting choices.
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O
Now I gotta stop you with Golden Girls and Cheers LOL let\'s not mess with perfection there.
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All worthy, I mentioned those in another post. Just that the classic MTM show preceded those 80\'s gems.
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O
The cast choices are very odd indeed. Wanda as Weezy? Come on, in what world!? lol Marissa Tormwi as Edith is laughable and I have to say if they\'re gonna do George Jefferson Kevin Hart or DL Hughley would\'ve been ideal but Jamie Foxx? Love him to death but I don\'t see it. Then the mess with Florence... yeah, the casting is a bit off. Though Kerry Washington can work as Helen. Never been a fan of Will Ferrell\'s work so i know Tom\'s gonna be portrayed as a cartoonish idiot
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If ratings are strong, there will be other revivals, possibly on other networks.
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Oh, I\'m not saying they aren\'t worthy. Golden Girls and Cheers are among the greatest sitcoms of all time definitely agree there. I was saying that as a superfan of those shows I\'d be hesitant for them to try to recast them at all though I guess if it\'s a one time thing like this is supposed to be I wouldn\'t mind if done well. I worry about them doing these things because the multi cam sitcoms today (with few exceptions) are written and acted so cheesy and over the top that i fear that they\'ll end up making these iconic shows stupid
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R
SEAL Team\'s finale is my must-see show tonight. Other than that, probably The Librarians.
What did people think of Blood & Treasure last night? I found it pretty entertaining. Certainly moved quickly. I wondered what happened to the archaeologist they went to rescue. She sort of disappeared, but then we saw her again. I had originally thought this show was going to be a \"case of the week\" kind of thing, but the entire season may deal with the same single objective.
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B
I\'ll keep coming back to Blood and Treasure... I think if Whiskey was following NCIS, it would have stuck around.. I hope they find another outlet for Whiskey.. I\'ll follow... If not.. another action role for Lauren who I\'ve enjoyed a great deal outside of TWD..
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R
Did you (or anyone else) think that maybe, just maybe, John Laroquette might end up being a bad guy at some point along the line? :-D
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I wouldn\'t be shocked since he often is a bad guy these days... But who knows??? One of his roles was on The Librarians where they went after old stuff all the time on that fantasy show... He was good there... But you know to Hollywood.... rich guy is always bad..
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Yes, I enjoy The Librarians.... was watching a few episodes last night, as a matter of fact. But I\'ve seen a number of shows or movies in which the main character\'s mentor/father figure ends up being a bad guy, or behind whatever nefarious activity is going on. :-p
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G
I finally watched Blood and Treasure. It was lavishly produced with some excellent action set pieces, but it bored me. Like most pilots it was a bit much. A lot of fast paced scenes crammed in the telecast. I\'ll keep watching hoping for improvements.
The similar Hooten and the Lady that aired on CW a couple of season back was more entertaining for me.
Some are also comparing it to ABC\'s very entertaining Whiskey Cavalier.
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