Category Archives: TV

Marry Boff Kill: Rudd vs. Scott vs. Hamm

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To us here at Fangirly, Marry Boff Kill is so much more than a game. In fact, we firmly believe that you never really know someone until they’ve told you which celebs they would wed, bed, and make dead. Our MBK question this week happens to be something of a sore spot in our relationship. It first came up while on a camping trip more than a year ago, and remains a source of cousinly contention to this day.

Marry Boff Kill: Jon Hamm, Adam Scott, or Paul Rudd.

Whitney’s Answers

Marry Adam Scott- Ha! No brainer. While he’s still smokin’ hot, he’s the least classically attractive of the three so I wouldn’t feel totally inadequate. Also, if I married him I would get to hang out with his Parks and Rec co-stars, which would help me fulfill my destiny of becoming Amy Pohler’s best friend.

Boff Paul Rudd- That boyish face, that sexy grin, and the fact that he’s the funniest guy in Hollywood all lead me to conclude that Paul Rudd would be an awesome boff. Honestly, just look at this picture! (I really hope my parents don’t read this).

Kill…Jon Hamm- Ouch. This one hurts. He’s just too handsome. And every time I look at him all I can think about is his 30 Rock character Dr. Drew Baird, with his hook hands and less than average IQ. Sorry Jon Hamm. It was never meant to be.

Ellen’s Answers

Marry Paul Rudd- I have to.  What Paul and I have is lasting and real because I have loved him ever since I was a little girl watching Clueless on VHS, trying to act like I totally got all the jokes.  Totally.  I like to imagine that he is out there wearing a promise ring, just waiting for me.  He may call it his wedding ring that another woman gave him, but whatever.

Boff Jon Hamm – To fully explain my rationale behind this choice, it is important to know my strategy for playing the game.  I first decide who will give me a more meaningful relationship.  Not just a lover in the nighttime, but a true companion.  From there I decide who I believe will be the best boff.  Look at that picture.  He is literally smoking!  To give evidence as to why Jon Hamm is the best choice, I give you the following clip:

Kill… Adam Scott – You have no idea how painful this for me, Adam.  It’s not you, it’s me.  You’re a great guy, you know I think the world of you.  It’s just that someone has to die and it kills me that it’s you.  I had to follow my heart in choosing Paul and I had to follow something else in choosing Jon, but know that in choosing to kill you, I’m following a path straight to a night of crying in my pillow.  Don’t look at me like that, Adam.  You’re only making this harder.

Get with the Program: The Mindy Project!

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Confession time: The Office is not one of my favorite shows. Not that it’s a bad show, I just felt that it got boring and repetitive as the series progressed. So when I heard that Mindy Kaling, a writer, exec-producer, and one of the stars of The Office, was developing her own show, I didn’t pay much attention. Also, I don’t really love self-referential show titles, so the fact that the show was named The Mindy Project was not a huge turn on either.

Then I actually watched the pilot. And let me tell you, it was awesome. It accomplished everything a pilot should accomplish; it introduced the characters, delivered a hilarious and compelling narrative, and gave us an idea of what the rest of the series would be like. I know what your thinking. “Whitney, an awesome pilot doesn’t necessarily indicate an awesome show”. To which I would respond, “Oh yeah? OH YEAH?!… That’s actually very true. Good point.” But I’ve got a good feeling about this one. So do yourself a favor, haul on over to Hulu, and watch the pilot of The Mindy Project.  It might just be the funniest 23 minutes of your day.

-Whitney

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Arthur Darvill

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In keeping with our quasi-Doctor Who themed week here at Fangirly and because I am on a DW high, I decided to choose from our favorite time-traveling British import for the crush of the week.  It, of course, came down to Rory and the Doctor (who else was I supposed to choose? An ood?), but after the season 7 premiere, I had to choose Rory.  Did you see the boots and skinny jeans?!  I had no choice.

In all seriousness, I love Rory and I was utterly charmed by Arthur at the DW panel at Comic Con.  While he is not what some might call “conventionally handsome”, you’ll soon realize that we could care less about that around here.

– Ellen

Agree to Disagree: Amy Pond

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Believe it or not, we here at Fangirly don’t always agree about everything in pop culture . It’s rare, but it does happen. And instead of settling our differences with a bare-knuckle fist fight or a You Don’t know Jack death match, we decided to take this less-than-healthy debate to the internet. For our first “Agree to Disagree” feature, we’ll be debating a topic that’s a little… sensitive. Here it is folks: Doctor Who’s resident red head Amy Pond: love her or hate her?

Whitney: Hate Her!

 1) She’s a Who-pie. Or “Who Groupie”, for those of you not familiar with this term I just coined. She meets the Doctor once as a kid, shares a midnight snack of fish-custard, and all of the sudden he’s the center of her Who-verse! Now, to be honest, who can blame her? If a lanky, bow-tied time traveler showed up in my backyard I would probably show him the crack in my wall too (not a euphemism). But really, Amy, ever thought about a hobby?

2) Sorry Amy, the position of sassy ginger has already been filled. Donna Noble, the tenth Doctor’s third companion, was my favorite of all the show’s leading ladies. Not only was she smart, snarky, and sweet, Donna was one of the only companions who wasn’t in love with the Doctor. Instead they had a really cute brother/sister dynamic that I loved and found totally refreshing.

3) She’s so mean to Rory! One thing Ellen and I can agree on is that Rory Williams is the perfect TV man. He’s funny, sweet, and looks awesome in a flannel shirt. But even with all that waiting for her at home, Amy still decides to run off with the Doctor. Again, we’ve reached a tricky grey area for me, because if given the same circumstances I’m not sure I would make a different decision. And even though they did eventually tie the knot and pop out a beautiful (if psychotic) half Time Lord baby, I still get the vibe that Amy kind of takes her husband for granted. I mean, why does it take half a dozen life or death experiences to remind her what a dream boat Rory is? Sorry Amy Pond, we’re done-zo.

Ellen: Love Her!

1) Um, She’s a Who-pie!  Who’s not? How can we fault homegirl?  We have already dedicated more than a few posts to the good Doctor and I have no doubt that this will not be the end of it.  If anything, I love her more for loving the Doctor because it is something that we can bond over.  And just so you can’t use it against her, I’m going to defend her throwing herself at the Doctor.  Again, can you blame her?  Also, I found it refreshing to have a companion that didn’t care about trying to steal the Doctor’s two hearts.  She knew what she wanted and went for it.  Bowties are cool… on the ground at the foot of the bed.

2) She’s Sassy! I know that this can be said about most of the companions, but Amy’s got it in spades.  She don’t take no crap, not even from the Doctor.  If you need proof of this, just look at “The Beast Below” or “Victory of the Daleks” where she basically has to say to the Doctor, “Shut up, you’re wrong.  I’ve got this.”  Also, where do you think River gets her sass?  Rory?  Proof is in the gene pudding, Whitney.

3) She Still Chose Rory.  Say whatever you want about her running off with the Doctor, etc., but in the end she still married Rory.  When both of her boys are in danger, she will still always choose Rory.  She still made that half Time Lord baby with Rory (somehow).   What’s that?  You say you’re still not convinced.  YouTube, let’s roll the tape!  

Hate to say it, Whitney (actually, no, I love to say it), but I think I win this one.  Long live Amelia Pond!

-Whitney and Ellen

Anglophiles Anonymous: The Return of Doctor Who!

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, TV by

My love of TV is pretty well documented. It’s honestly one of my favorite things. But there are some shows that are so important, and so awesome, that they’re nothing less than sacred. Well, I say some. There’s really just one: Doctor Who. And after almost a year of “Silence” from Moffat and the Who crew, my favorite show is back with a new season and, judging from the season 7 premiere, a new attitude.
Before I get ahead of myself, let me explain why I love this show. For starters, it’s one of the best written shows on TV. It’s exciting and funny and sweet and very often deeply emotional, which is kind of rare when you’re dealing with sci-fi shows. Here’s one of my favorite examples, when the tenth Doctor says goodbye to Rose, his companion of two seasons.

Ok, I’ll give you a second to pull yourself together.

The other reason why I adore Doctor Who is because it totally appeals to the kid in everybody. Just watch this scene from the first episode of season 5. The Doctor’s just regenerated and has a case of the Time Lord munchies.

(From here on out I am initiating a full-fledged Spoiler Alert, so if you haven’t see the latest episode, DON’T READ ON).

This season, however, seems to be going in a different direction. While I absolutely LOVED the newest episode, it did seem a little… dark. For example, the season 7 premiere “Asylum of the Daleks” opens with us learning that Amy and Rory are splitting up. In the pre-season “Pond Life” promos we did see that the Ponds might be having marital problems, a fact that was verified when we actually see Amy sign divorce papers. Ouch. Luckily, the episode ended with a fairly long make-out sesh, so I think everything is going to be ok.
Then there’s the Doctor himself. I’m getting the feeling that this is a newer, broodier Doctor than we’ve seen before. Is the show headed to a darker place? And if so, will it lose the fun and charm that made us fall in love with it in the first place? It’s hard to say. What I am sure of is that Steven Moffat has given us two unbelievably awesome seasons, so I’m more than willing to give him a little leeway.

-Whitney

Get with the Program: Watch Happy Endings!

Posted in Get with the Program, TV by

Airs: Tuesdays at 9/8c starting October 23rd on ABC

TV show equation:  Happy Endings = New Girl flavor+   premise of Friends x rapid fire references of Psych + Arrested Development‘s self-referential humor – Emmy Awards (don’t ask me why, though)

I can’t judge anyone who isn’t watching Happy Endings too harshly because I, myself, just started watching it this past summer.  Did I watch both seasons at an alarming rate? Yes.  Why? Because this show is hilarious.

If you are anything like me, I know what you’re thinking. “Oh, great.  Another show about six friends living together in the city.  Real original.”  The reality that we have to face as TV consumers is that this formula gets used all the time because it works. Case in point: Happy Endings.

This is another example of a show where the initial plot begins to matter less and less, but here it is anyway:  When Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) left Dave (Zachary Knighton) at the altar to run off with a man in roller blades (of all things), their group of friends were worried that nothing would be the same.  Luckily for these crazies, they are all just loco enough to make it work.  This original premise becomes less important mainly due to stand-out performances from the other four friends in the group.  Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Jane (Eliza Coupe) are nuts enough to be entertaining, while still remaining believable as a couple.  Adam Pally is fantastic as Max, their gay friend who is different than any other gay character portrayed on TV.  The approach to his character is both refreshing and makes for better comedy, in my opinion.  Then there is Penny (Casey Wilson).  The show itself makes reference to how she is the stereotypical rom-com heroine, always trying make things happen for herself, but perpetually winding up in kooky hijinks.

When I recently tried to recommend Happy Endings to a friend, she said she had already written it off because it seemed too “sitcom-y”.  While they do find themselves in sitcom situations, the difference is that this brood often makes reference to the fact that they are sitcom characters.  Take for example the following situation, when Penny is explaining that her boyfriend broke up with her for saying her catchphrase, “a-mah-zing” too many times.

“He said he hates when I say a-mah-zing, but I’ve barely said that at all this season… it’s more of a summer word” — Penny

It was great because I, as a viewer, had noticed that she hadn’t said her signature “a-mah-zing” in quite a while.  It’s instances like this that open up this sort of communication with the fans and makes the show that much more enjoyable to watch.  It reminds me of a more accessible-to-the-masses version of Arrested Development‘s self-referential humor (perhaps because AD directors Anthony and Joe Russo serve as executive producers).

Whatever there formula is, it’s working for me and I think it would work for you, too, if you gave it a shot.

I leave you with one of my favorite bits where Max is teaching Penny how to be a hipster:

– Ellen

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Patrick J. Adams!

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He’s hilarious, he’s adorable, and his role as Mike Ross on USA’s legal drama Suits made this girl’s summer hiatus a little more bearable. And speaking as someone still reeling from the Suits season finale, all I can say is that January cannot come soon enough. Patrick J. Adams, we salute you.

Oh, you’re still not convinced? Try this clip on for size.

-Whitney

Thank You, So You Think You Can Dance

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Every summer begins the same way.  May rolls around, all of my shows have just finished rolling out their season finales, and I am left with a hole in my heart.  How will I get through this?  Then, like a beacon of light shining through the grey clouds within the depths of my soul, So You Think You Can Dance premieres and I know that everything is going to be okay.

SYTYCD (as the cool kids abbrev it) is the best show of the summer, every summer and I am going to list the reasons why:

1) Dancing! – I will start this one off with a disclaimer.  I. Love. Dancing movies.  That being a said,  a  show that takes the only redeemable quality from dancing movies (no, not the acting) and gives it to me on a weekly basis is always going to be a-OK in my book.  Whether the dancers are launching themselves at each other in a contemporary piece, throwing it down in a hip-hop piece, or getting down in a jazz piece, I am loving every minute. Is every dance number on SYTYCD amazing?  No, but when it delivers, it delivers a beautifully wrapped package containing a bomb that I am to then insert into my ear.  So that it can blow my MIND!

2) Low investment– You can get as involved in SYTYCD as you want.  I have had seasons where I only care about the dancing, so I only watch the dancing.  I have had seasons where I want to know every bit of back story on the contestant, every caterwauling critique from Mary Murphy, every quip from Cat Deeley, so I watch the whole episode. Now, with the new format and no results show, it has become even less high maintenance.

3) Judges – Stay with me on this one.  I like the judges on this show.  Is Mary a bit crazy?  Yes.  Is Nigel a bit pervy?  Yes.  Despite all that, though, they know what they are talking about and it shows.  On occasion, there will be a dance that leaves me feeling less than enthusiastic, but I am not always able to pinpoint why.  That’s where the judges come in.  Plus, the addition of a new guest judge every week mixes it up nicely and gives a different voice to the panel, whether I like that voice (ADAM!) or not (Tyce).

4) The lovely Cat Deeley– If this woman doesn’t win the Emmy for Best Reality Host, I will lose all faith in the Academy (like that hasn’t already happened).  She really is the best out there, though.  She is charming, funny, and shows a genuine interest in the dancers and the choreography.  Girlfriend throws an annual 4th of July BBQ at her house for all of the dancers!

5) Summer tunage – Perhaps the most important reason of all (after dancing, because, c’mon), SYTYCD always supplies me with a solid summer playlist.  Whether they be songs that I have never heard or songs that I have loved my whole life, there is something about setting choreography to song that makes it really stick with you. For example, I can never hear “Ramalama Bang Bang” without “unzip[ping] my body, take my heart out” like in that Wade Robson piece.

There you have it.  Did I miss something?  What has been your favorite dance of the season so far?  (“Bang Bang” or “The Lovecats”, see below) Who is your favorite choreographer? (NappyTabs, Wall, Tookey, or Sonya)  Let us know in the comments below!

– Ellen

Web Bytes: New Castle Promo

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Mmhmm.  Yeah.  I’m pretty excited for the new season.

In case you are not aware, Castle and Beckett finally knocked boots at the end of  last season.  No way to fake amnesia with that, Beckett!  Judging from this new promo, it looks she has no desire to forget this, though.

How do you feel about this development for them?  Is the will they, won’t they tension gone?

-Ellen

Anglophiles Anonymous: Spaced

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, Sweet Streams, TV by

For our inaugural post, we decided we needed to write about something very dear to us.  Something that is an essential for fangirls and fanboys, for that matter.  It is for this reason that I am going to try and convince you to watch Spaced (available on Netflix Instant).

Spaced is written by and starring Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible: Ghost Prots, Shaun of the Dead) and Jessica Hynes née Stevenson (Son of Rambow) and directed by Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead).  Now, in my opinion, all of that should be enough to convince you, but I’ll keep going.

The show centers on Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Stevenson), two aspiring artists, comic book and writer, respectively, who lie about being a couple to get an apartment.  The initial premise becomes less important as we follow them and their friends on their crazy exploits.  The “crazy” comes less from what they are doing and more from what happens when this group does them, as is evident in the following clip where Tim and his friend Mike (the awesome Nick Frost) explain “male telepathy” and what happens when Tim and Daisy are set upon by a group of ruffians:

The best thing I can equate Spaced to for us American audiences is Community (six seasons and a movie!).  Both shows aren’t afraid of genre-bending here and there, they both find time to focus on the relationships amidst the chaos, and both are aware that we as a society use our shared experiences of movies, TV shows, etc. to communicate.  Take, for example, this clip from the premiere of series 2 that aired the summer after Star Wars: The Phantom Menace came out:

When I sat down to write this post, I was struggling to find a way to sway you readers into watching.  The reality that I had to face is that not everyone is going to love Spaced as much as I do.  Should they?  Yes. But can I make them?  No.  It’s a quirky little show that makes obscure references.  But it is for these reasons that I love it.  There is a moment near the end of the series that references the obscurest of my favorite movies.  I’m talking about Bugsy Malone.  This movie is so far off people’s radars that when I meet someone who has seen it, we become instant friends.  That’s how I know Spaced and I have formed an unbreakable bond and I think that if you watch, you too can find your Bugsy Malone reference.  .

– by Ellen

Welcome to Fangirly!

Posted in Agree to Disagree, Anglophiles Anonymous, Choice Picks, Crush of the Week, Fangirly Exposed!, Fanmanly, In with the Old, MBK, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Sweet Streams, TV by

The day has finally come, the moment that only we have been waiting for, the launch of our new website, fangirly.com! We really have been excited to start and judging from some of the stuff that we have planned the fun is just beginning.

Like our tagline suggests, we consider ourselves to be fairly intelligent, discerning human beings, but you stick us in front of TV screen, movie screen, iPod/Pad screen, really any screen, and something strange happens. We lose all sense of how rational people behave. We squeal, laugh hysterically, sob, and do this weird thing that only select members of our family do, rub our hands together out of excitement.

We wanted to give you a little taste of the fun that is to come, so here are some of the features we will be doing here at Fangirly:

Sweet Streams: Do you ever sit down in front of your Netflix account and wonder what you should watch next? “Sweet Streams” will be our recommendations for what you should be streaming to your myriad of devices.

Grade A, Choice Picks: We’re going to give you our top picks for a variety of categories. Curious as to our top food fight scenes?  Top movies based on SNL skits? Top TV bromances? We are going to rank whatever our little hearts desire, because it gives us a false sense of superiority.  Join us, won’t you?

Fangirly Exposed!: Look we all have things that we are embarrassed to like, guilty pleasures, if you will. We are going to do the smart thing and announce ours on the internet!

Fanmanly: While we here at Fangirly enjoy our fair share of romance and polka dots and… other girly stuff, we still like to get down and dirty with the boys. (Insert innuendo of choice here). “Fanmanly” is our look at shows, movies, etc. that leave us feeling just a little more hardcore.

Anglohphiles Anonymous: Whether it be the accents, the dry wit, or the general regal air, we love the Brits and their entertainment (at least everything that makes it across the pond).  Check out picks for the finest that the UK has to offer.

Agree to Disagree: Let it be said that we agree on a lot, but there are also some things on which we will never see eye to eye.  Enjoy as Ellen wins every argument (No, Ellen didn’t write this).

In with the Old: Remember the day when movies and TV shows weren’t all spinoffs, sequels, remakes, and re-imaginings? Us, too! With this feature we hope to remind the future generations that we  were once able to come up with novel concepts.  Because we believe the children are our future.

Marry, Boff, Kill:  We once spent an entire camping trip playing this game, arguing over our choices, and disowning each other for killing certain people.  Now we are bringing the game to you guys so you can relish in watching us argue over (never going to happen) hypothetical situations.

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Pretty self-explanatory, but our spotlight on who is rocking our world.  At least for that week.

We have a lot planned and we are really excited to start.  Hopefully you will find the time to stop by and see what we are up to!  – by Ellen and Whitney