New Girl.

Fox has given us many goodies over the years.  From The Simpsons to American Idol to Bones Fox proves itself over and over that they sure know how to make a fantastic television program.  Have there been plenty of loser shows?  Absolutely!  But let's forget about those and focus on one particular sitcom that makes me laugh out loud: New Girl.

I LOVE THIS SHOW.  I started watching it with my sister because we both adore Zooey Deschanel. You may recognize her name, as Zooey has been in show business for many years.  First, she is one half of She & Him, an indie duo with M.Ward. If you have not listened to their music than I suggest you go do that.  It's a soft, bubbly mixture of originals and covers.  They have five full albums and each one is perfectly amazing in it's own way.

The first time I recognized Zooey as an actress was in the 2003 movie Elf, starring Will Ferrell.  She plays Jovie, the blonde haired love interested of Buddy.  Zooey is highly recognized for her signature long dark hair and heavy bangs so it is a bit shocking to see her with short blond hair.  Zooey also has a famous sister, Emily Deschanel who stars in the hit Fox series Bones.

Zooey brings the right amount of quirk to play the main character Jess Day in New Girl.  The story begins with Jess going through a break-up and finding a loft apartment with three single men.  They do not always understand all the crazy things Jess gets into but they all form a lasting bond.

Honorable mention goes out to Damon Wayans, Jr who plays Coach.  Coach is seen in the first episode of the series and then was replaced by Winston, played by Lamorne Morris.  Luckily, Coach moves back in later in the series to make the loft rather crowded for a season.  Damon brings this unique character to life with loud, physical comedy.  I was sad to see him go but it made sense for the character to leave. 

Winston is my favorite ever.  With the cat he stole from his ex-girlfriend to the "pranks" he plays on people, Winston makes me laugh the loudest.  You never know what to expect from him.  He's a good friend with a solid heart.  He might get you into a sticky situation at first but he will do everything in his power to fix it.  Everyone should have a friend like Winston in their lives.

Then we have Schmidt and Nick.  They just go together.  They've been friends since college and sometimes other charters question their sexuality.  However, they're just close friends and that is really awesome!  Schmidt is played by Max Greenfield and the part is so perfectly acted.  Max knows just how to play this character.  Schmidt is selfish, self-obsessed, and any other term that includes the word "self."  But he truly loves and cares deeply for those around him. (If you haven't seen Max in American Horror Story: Hotel than be prepared to see a VERY different side of this incredible actor!)

Which brings me to Nick Miller, played by Jake Johnson.  Jake is basically a comedian.  His roles are so often hilarious and he always shines.  In New Girl, he plays Nick who is a goofy and loyal friend.  He likes to DIY everything around the apartment, which is one of my favorite story lines of the show.  You can't flush the toilet and run the shower at the same time.  And you should really see his "rain water" shower head!

The last of the main characters is CeCe, played by Hannah Simone.  CeCe is Jess' best friend.  They have known each other since childhood and there are some hilarious flashbacks.  I have to give the casting department props for the casting of young Jess and CeCe because the girls (Lauren Dair Owens and Jaidan Jiron) really look like young versions of Zooey and Hannah.  CeCe has plenty of funny antics with Jess and eventually finds love with Schmidt of all people. I only say that because they are complete opposites but they bring out the best in each other and I'm glad the show took their relationship in that direction.

I highly suggest you check out New Girl!  The current season, which airs every Tuesday at 8/7c on Fox, does not feature Zooey because she was pregnant during the filming of that season and her character is on jury duty.  She was in the first few episodes but you can see that the wardrobe department tried concealing her pregnant belly.  If you need to catch up on everything New Girl than head over to Netflix where all the seasons are streaming right now!

Check out the video before for some of the funniest moments of the first season!

Hannibal.

Hannibal is an NBC television series which prequels Silence of the Lambs to explore Hannibal Lecter's early relationship with a young FBI profiler named Will Graham.  During its three seasons on the air, Hannibal takes viewers on a disturbing journey through the early career of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a psychologist who moonlights as a cannibal.

Every Sunday Caleb and I go to our friends Jeff and Tabby's house to watch The Walking Dead and an episode of something else.  Currently The Walking Dead is on a break so we have been watching one episode of American Horror Story: Hotel and one episode of Hannibal.  Last week we finished AHS and last night we watched the final two episodes of Hannibal.  I've had my ups and downs with this show.  Some episodes were too much for me to take and others were so enthralling I couldn't wait to watch next week.  Last night left me wanting more!

Hannibal is a psychological thriller/horror.  The show brings gruesome gore that makes me cringe and close my eyes but also provides twists and turns in the relationship between Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham that make my mind explode.  I didn't realize it until the final episode but the show is really about their relationship and the crimes are just to fill in plot.

Before this show I had never heard of Mads Mikkelsen, who plays Hannibal Lecter.  He is an actor from Copenhagen and has been in a quite a few movies and shows.  He is so incredible at portraying Hannibal that I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again.

Hugh Dancy plays Will Graham, the young FBI profiler who feels empathy for killers and uses that to help solve crimes.  Hugh is a British actor and has appeared in a few movies himself.  I recognize him as the lead male in Confessions of a Shopaholic with Isla Fisher.
 
One more person worth mentioning is Laurence Fishburne.  I mean, how could I not mention him?  He's amazing!  He's been in way too many movie and shows to list so just take my word for it that he's incredible.

There are potential spoilers ahead, so if you haven't seen Hannibal yet you may want to turn back.

Hannibal and Will share a twisted relationship that started as friends and, by the final scene of the final episode, bordered on romance.  I don't think they would actually be romantic but there is an obsession and pull between them that mirrors romance.  The final scene was incredibly beautiful and weird.  Together they brought down the Great Red Dragon and fell to their deaths in a bloody, loving embrace.

Are they truly dead, though?  I have a feeling they are not.  It's Hannibal Lecter and he always has tricks up his sleeve to create the illusion of death.  If this show is at all connected to Silence of the Lambs then we know Hannibal does not die.  There are rumors of a potential movie to continue this story that was left on a literal cliffhanger.  I would definitely watch a movie or miniseries to see where Hannibal and Will go next, if they are indeed alive (which, let's face it, they totally are).

You can catch Hannibal streaming right now on Amazon Prime!  Stick with it during those rough times because it's worth it to see the finale.  I have never seen a finale quite like that before and it left me excited and wanting more.

Check out the video below for a little insight into the horrifically elaborate murder scenes from Hugh Dancy on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

"Could you digitally add more blood?"  Always.

Better Call Saul.

It's showtime, folks!

In the spirit of spin-offs I bring you Better Call Saul.

I'm sure you have heard of a little award winning show called Breaking Bad.  If you haven't then I suggest getting Netflix for under your rock because you're going to want to binge watch this show from beginning to end.  Breaking Bad will need it's own post but for now let's focus on one character who was so liked by fans that he got his own television series: Saul Goodman.  Appearing in 43 of 62 episodes of Breaking Bad, Bob Odenkirk played a loveable lawyer who always manged to get himself into trouble.  Saul Goodman is a smart man with a fast mouth but he gets himself into sticky situations that make views both cringe and laugh.

Fans were devastated when Breaking Bad came to an end.  Five heart pumping seasons of Walter White doing the unimaginable just to pay his medical bills.  However, the phoenix rose from the ashes and AMC brought us Better Call Saul.

Vince Gillian  is a master of creation and brought fans a new show that allows us to truly connect with the characters.  I'm going out on a limb to state that this may be one of the best spin-offs ever created.  Better Call Saul is already Emmy nominated and it's easy to see why.  The camera work and editing is beautiful.  The casting is great with some characters crossing over from Breaking Bad, such as Tuco.  Bob Odenkirk is a talented actor and brings everything fans loved about Saul into an entirely new place.  This is a show that can stand on its own without even needing to be labeled as a spin-off.

Better Call Saul takes us deeper into who Jimmy McGill really is.  How did he get started?  How did he end up such an illegal mess? How did he become Saul Goodman?  I'm still finding the answers to these questions while I watch season one.  Check back soon for Better Call Saul: Part Two.

Season two will be starting up February 15, 2016 on AMC at 10/9c.  If you need to catch up than season one is streaming right now on Netflix, along with Breaking Bad.  I know what I'll be doing for the next couple of weeks!

Joey.

Spin-offs.  We dread them yet we cannot seem to tear our eyes away from the series premier.  With this post I bring you Joey, a spin-off of the beloved sitcom Friends.

Joey follows Joey Tribbiani on his move from New York City to Los Angeles to follow his acting career.  I am a big time fan of Friends.  I have watched the series through from beginning to end at least six times.  You can catch all of Friends streaming on Netflix right now, which makes it easier to binge watch.  Joey premiered in 2004, shortly after Friends ended.  I was still young but I vaguely remember watching the first episode and thinking it was terrible.  So I never watched it again.

The thing with spin-offs is that we all just want to keep watching our favorite show that we know and love.  We start watching these spin-off shows with a closed mind and eventually these shows get canceled after just half a season.  However, after some time has passed maybe we should be revisiting these shows.  I'm always putting Friends on when I'm home cleaning, cooking, or working on a project but enough time has passed that now I'm hungry for new material and Joey is one satisfying meal.

I am here to tell you that you should try re-watching all of those failed spin-offs!  Well, maybe not all of them.  Caleb and decided to watch Joey and I have to say we both really like it so far.  We sat down and watched four episodes in a row.  It's still our favorite Joey but he's in a new setting with new people.

The premise of the show has Joey moving to L.A. with his Sister, Gina Tribianni played by Drea de Matteo.  You might recognize Drea as Adriana in The Sopranos or more recently as Wendy in Sons of Anarchy.  Originally Joey's sister Gina was played by K.J. Steinberg in "The One Where Chandler Can't Remember."

Gina had a baby at age 16 and her son is now 20 years old in this series.  Michael Tribianni, played by Paulo Costanza, is a rocket scientist which is pretty funny considering what a dope Joey is.  You might recognize Paulo from his role as Evan in Royal Pains.

Replacing his quirky agent Estelle is Jennifer Coolidge as Bobbie.  I adore Jennifer Coolidge!  I love her in everything I've seen her in.  She even had a guest role on Friends as Monica and Phoebe's frenemy Amanda Buffamonteezi (Monica darling!  It's Amanda calling!).

An unfamiliar face to me is Andrea Anders, who plays Alex, the super at Joey's apartment complex.  She's no Mr. Treeger but she's still a great character.  She has a slew of recurring television roles you might want to check out!

One more character worth mentioning is Joey's potential best friend, Howard!  Howard is played by the hilarious Ben Falcone.  Ben is married to Melissa McCarthy and has appeared in many of her movies as well as his own.  New Girl, Bridesmaids, Tammy, and even Gilmore Girls are just a few of the great projects he's been a part of.

I am only about six episodes in but I could not wait to write about this one.  I will make another entry about Joey when I finish the series.  Luckily this particular spin-off managed to last for two whole seasons!

Check back in a few weeks for more on Joey!