If We Controlled Your Remote… 12/17/17

Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!

Kyle’s Choice

There probably aren’t many people who aren’t familiar with the 1983 film A Christmas Story – it has become a Christmas classic. Five years ago, the film was adapted to a Broadway musical, and tonight FOX will present the special 3-hour live event, A Christmas Story Live! The play is set in 1940s Indiana, where an eleven-year-old dreamer Ralphie (Andy Walken) desperately wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. However, his parents (Chris Diamantopoulos & Maya Rudolph) are worried that Ralphie will shoot his eye out and say no. So Ralphie decides to take his request directly to Santa (David Alan Grier). This humorous and nostalgic story is narrated by a grown-up Ralphie (Matthew Broderick), who recounts his misadventures with his friends as they deal with school bullies, Ralphie’s annoying younger brother Randy, and a grumpy but loving father who always finds something to complain about.

I have seen the original film countless numbers of times – TBS airs a 24-hour marathon of the movie each year on Christmas Day. I have a hard time imagining these beloved characters being played by different actors, but I am really looking forward to tonight’s live production. I’m interested to see how this story translates into a musical – I have been a huge fan of these live musicals that the TV networks have been putting on each year! The cast sounds amazing. In addition to those already mentioned above, the production will also star Jane Krakowski as teacher Miss Shields; Ana Gasteyer as Mrs. Schwartz, the mother of one of Ralphie’s friends; Ken Jeong as the restaurant owner; and pop boy band PRETTYMUCH playing carolers.

Don’t miss this fun Christmas experience LIVE tonight on FOX starting at 7/6c.

I’ll also be watching/recording MythBusters and SMILF.
 
Jump with us to see else we think you should watch.
 

Jenny’s Choice

Last week’s NCIS: LA featured one of the most badass women we’ve ever seen on the show – a woman who was trying to avenge her father’s murder by killing a Brazilian diplomat who’d ordered his death. The action sequence at the beginning in the bar was pretty awesome, with her stabbing one guy in the head and shooting another while looking at him in the mirror. In the end, Kensi formed a connection with her, having lost her father at an early age as well, and she was able to talk her down before Callen had to shoot her.

I’m also enjoying Mosley and Hidoko more than I thought I would. Mosley is a bit like a young Hetty, in that she seems to know just about everyone and has connections everywhere we look, and Hidoko is really sweet and is kickass in her own right. It’s been fun to see her going out and partnering with the team when needed. As much as I was sure I would, I’m not really missing Hetty in the office, and her scenes alone overseas are just…slow and uninteresting – for me, at least. Maybe that’ll change when the team goes to find her (because you know that’s coming at some point…).

On tonight’s episode, “All is Bright,” the team investigates a ransomware attack that takes out the entire power grid for west L.A. and paralyzes the city. Also, as the first holiday season since the death of Sam’s wife approaches, he struggles to find the best way for his family to celebrate.

To see if the team can solve the case in time for Christmas, tune in to CBS at 9:30/8:30c.

I’ll also be watching/DVRing A Christmas Story Live!, Guy’s Grocery Games, & Cash Cab.
 

Phoebe’s Choice

A long time ago, Cartoon Network broke the conventions of television and created an interactive and super-hip programming block based initially off sampling old cartoons and dubbing over new dialogue. This revolution of TV was and is called Adult Swim. I always likened the earliest batch of shows they put out to old-school Hip Hop. Both because they relied so heavily on sampling older material and because of how unique and new it was compared to what had defined the medium before.

One of the shows that hit in what I might consider the second generation of Adult Swim shows was Robot Chicken. Rather than old cartoons, Robot Chicken sampled every Generation Xer’s tub of childhood action figures: GI Joes, Care Bears, Barbie, Transformers, Smurfs. Whatever they could get their hands on. They used stop animation recording to bring the old toys to life to make funny jokes. I mean if you’re stoned and sort of immature, it’s hilarious. I was surprised recently to find out they actually are doing a ninth season of the show, so I tuned in for the first two episodes.

The first one was a satire of The Walking Dead. I don’t watch that show, so I didn’t get most of the jokes, I think. Because it wasn’t funny for me. Or I wasn’t stoned or childish enough. Idk. The second episode was a Christmas one based off the night Santa had when one house he visited left him a cookie with marijuana in it. He started tripping out in hallucination sequences, and the rest of the episode was mostly a musical. We got visions of Krampus horny for an anthropomorphic coal lady, a song by the elves about how the number of Christians on earth reallllly makes their job tough these days, a guest appearance by Flight of the Concords on a song dissing Santa in the depths of his self-loathing, and then ended it all with a rap duet with Jesus.

When I watched this show 12 years ago, it felt edgy and an original concept. Since then Adult Swim itself has wasted away to shock media, no longer relegated to animation alone. If it used to be Hip Hop, now it’s Trap music. And if you don’t know what that is, please just trust me that you don’t need to know how bad it is. Robot Chicken, like its bearer, has not aged well, but there ain’t much else new on tonight that I am into.

On tonight’s episode, “Hey, I Found Another Sock,” writers must take “Fury Road” to get into the office; Beavis moves on from his life with Butt-head; Robot Chicken’s Nerd is a guest in Westworld.

Check it out tonight on Cartoon Network/Adult Swim at 11:30/10:30c.

I’ll also be tuning in for whatever wacky shit the Gallaghers get themselves into tonight on Shameless.

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