This is your first NFL-free Sunday in five months, folks. I always look forward to this day because it means I get six to nine hours of my life back, but when it arrives, I always wonder what the hell I’m going to do with myself all day Sunday. Here’s your weekend television highlights.
Spartacus: Blood and Sand (Friday, Starz 9 p.m.) — Spartacus, the bloodiest show on television, returns tonight with their third season, and if you need a refresher of previous seasons, at 8:30 their is a catch-up clip show to get you up to speed.
Portlandia (Friday, IFC 10 p.m.) — In tonight’s episode, a Feminist Bookstore holds a comedy night, and a couple has an uneasy lunch at a Vegan restaurant, and based on only that description, you can see how the entire sketches will play out. If anything, Portlandia is predictable in its comedy.
Ripper Street (BBC America, 9 p.m.) — I saw the premiere last Saturday, and people: This is a great show (so far, at least) and definitely something you should give a shot. As serial killer dramas go, this one beats The Following hands down.
Bob’s Burgers (Fox, Sunday 8:30 p.m.) — If Bob’s is going to do an Archer crossover, it’s only fair that Archer does a crossover on Bob’s, right? And then both of them should show up on Word Girl and take that know-it-all down.
Shameless (Showtime, Sunday 9 p.m.) — Can we talk about this show some more on Warming Glow? Let’s talk about this show more. It’s great, isn’t it? And it only seems to be getting better.
House of Lies (Showtimes, Sunday 10 p.m.) — Unfortunately, the second season here is not getting better. As Vince suggested on Twitter, it just tries too hard, although Kristen Bell is dangerously close to breaking her no nudity clause.
The Vanilla Ice Project (DIY, Sunday 10 p.m.) — Third season premiere … wait, what? Vanilla Ice has a reality show that’s already been on for two seasons, and I am only NOW hearing about it? Apparently, he and his crew remodel a different room in his house during each episode. Jesus, does everyone get their own reality show?
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/4006/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/arrested-development-returns-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Ben-Affleck-Hosts-SNL-11-01-2008-ben-affleck-5208440-500-2811-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/o-BOBS-BURGER-OF-THE-DAY-570-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Cast-Happy-Endings-e1367606722909-150x150.jpg)
That’s the only reason I watch House of Lies. Please let it happen!
so how long until shameless goes the way of dexter and weeds and outstays its usefulness? seems to be Showtime’s MO…
same for Homeland.
I am the sucker that watches them to the end though.
Excited for Spartacus to be back.
Even with the new actor not quite at the same level of the first one, the show still rocks.
Yeah it’s hard to deal with the new guy the but show is just outrageous.
I had really hoped House of Lies would change more after all the negative reception they got last year. But it’s more or less the same, with the notable exception of Roscoe being with his mom now (who knows how long that’ll last), and his mom being significantly mellower now (and possibly a lesbian, judging by the promo for this week’s episode). Those are both pleasant changes, but the overall Entourage-y feeling endures, and it’s just sad to see these actors — all four of whom are better than that show — forced to follow its example. But the minor changes do offer some hope that it could improve. Another change is that there doesn’t seem to be nearly as much of the cutesy “talk to the camera” stuff, which was always goofy and pointless. Really if they could just tone down the douchey cavalier attitude a bit, I might be able to get really onboard with the show. Or go the other way, embrace that doucheyness, stop trying to make the characters sympathetic in any way, and just go full-on making them all completely loathsome.
But I love Shameless, and while my fondness for Californication seems to finally be dwindling, I still watch it, so House of Lies will probably keep getting my viewership as long as it sits there between those two shows.
If you look at Californication with the point of view “I think Duchovny is incorporating first-hand things he learned while in therapy for sex addiction” it’s waaay worse.
I always assumed that Duchovny’s character was more or less an amalgam of Charles Bukowski and Warren Zevon. That said, there’s always the possibility he’s playing himself.
I liked Ripper Street. Not sure it beats the following except in the level of Britishness. I liked both.
Oh, and the Bronson Pinchot Project > The Vanilla Ice Project. You think I’m joking.
Same here, although I can see both having a limited play-out.
Also, that Shameless scene last week where Debbie flipped out on Frank last week was awesome. Kinda weird, though: on the one hand, I’m cheering that she’s finally getting wise and ceasing the generosity she usually shows that asshole; but on the other hand, my heart’s breaking for her as she seems to be fully realizing what a piece of shit her father is. Making me feel feelings and stuff. Debbie’s probably my second-favorite kid TV character ever. Don’t think she’ll ever overtake Arya Stark, but she’s fantastic nevertheless.
Yeah, that scene had me staring at the screen in horror. Never was a soap-bar-beating more thoroughly deserved, and yet so disturbing to watch. Debbie really is the heart of that family, and Frank just broke it.
I give her a break since she’s so young, but damn Deb has already seen so much crap from Frank she should be getting wise to his crap. When Fiona was her age she was probably stealing his beer money and kicking him in the nuts.
Oh, and I only catch Shamless after it comes to video, since I’m one of those folks who choosese between Showtime and HBO rather than having everything. So when I’m ready to talk about Shameless will be months after it finishes the season.
DirecTV has a direct deposit program for your paycheck if you’d like both.
Don’t mean to be a Sticky Tuesday here, but I’m pretty sure that’s the synopsis from last weeks Portlandia. Or, maybe I was tripping really hard when I watched it. Who can tell?
That was either an excellent burn on Sunday’s NFL Pro Bowl, or an extreme oversight. I guess either way it comes off as a burn. Well played
“In tonight’s episode, a Feminist Bookstore holds a comedy night, and a couple has an uneasy lunch at a Vegan restaurant, and based on only that description, you can see how the entire sketches will play out. If anything, Portlandia is predictable in its comedy.”
Seriously? Not even remotely close.