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TV Notes

A few observations on the week in TV:

- Tonight I watched “Left of the Dial.” While it does get credit for being named after a great Replacements song, this HBO documentary about the first year of the Air America radio network didn’t make me much more sympathetic towards the network than I was previously, telling the tale of massive, “Project Greenlight”-like behind-the-scenes bungling which nearly knocked the network off the air in its first few months.

More than two minutes of the completely insane Janeane Garofalo was bad enough, but worst of all was the focus on host Randi Rhodes- who comes across as a screaming, raving lunatic on the air, and as a self-loathing basket case off it. Best of all was Michael Moore appearing on the station and then, post-show, trashing the entire operation. Nothing like being sneered down at by Fat Fat Fatty, of all people.

Watching “Left of the Dial” made me want to become a Republican- luckily, five subsequent minutes of Hannity switched me right back. It’s kind of disturbing to see that liberals have decided to respond to shrieking, dishonest hatefulness of right-wing talk radio by giving us the shrieking, dishonest hatefulness of left-wing talk radio.

- Speaking of behind-the-scenes bungling, “Project Greenlight” had another standout episode last week, including the return of Evil Chris Moore! Good to see him back in his hostile glory, even if he is completely in the right. Check out his blog if you don’t believe it. Can they risk sacrificing the unintentional comedic gold that is John Gulager, if he's fired next year?

- Yes, “The West Wing” has improved dramatically this year, following two seasons of utter mediocrity. But while the recent episodes have been great dramatic TV –and practically a political junkie’s dream- they’ve got a glaring weakness: “West Wing” is set in an alternate universe in which a liberal Republican senator from California (Alan Alda), seemingly the fictional equivalent of Arlen Specter, goes virtually unchallenged in his path to the GOP presidential nomination. What, is there no conservative movement in their world?

- All I kept hearing about “The Office” was that it was supposed to take off in its second episode. Um, not exactly- it was horrible. The genius of the British version was that it made the boss character, Ricky Gervais’ David Brent, equal parts appalling and oddly endearing. The American version has grossly miscalculated in making Steve Carell’s boss way too unlikable- in that “Diversity Day” bit, he sounded not so much adorably clueless, as irredeemably racist- simply because the American and British sensibilities are so different, in regards to racial humor. In having Carell mimic the speech patterns of blacks and Indians, the bit wasn’t uncomfortably hilarious, it was just plain uncomfortable. And in basing a segment around a classic bit from the Chris Rock “Bring the Pain” special, I just realized I’d rather be watching the Rock bit (until that point, I’d have rather been watching the British “Office”)

Guess I’m not the only one who thinks so- the show’s been bombing in the ratings. Then again, my favorite thing about the original 'Office' was its essential Britishness. Take that out, and what have you got?

- “South Park” had been a bit weak the first few episodes this season, but it redeemed itself with a great parody tonight of the Schiavo madness, complete with references to “Star Wars,” “The Matrix,” “Lord of the Rings,” and the “Left Behind” books, and a special appearance by Gay Satan. Funny that the best episode of the year is the one they probably put together in two or three days.

Posted by Stephen Silver at April 1, 2005 12:44 AM