Each fall I eagerly await my Fall TV Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly. I peruse the pages of the magazine reading up on the new shows of the season, then meticulously map out a schedule and set my DVR accordingly. After a few months of watching the new offerings available this fall, there are five that stand out to me. These shows have made an impression on me in some way, and they’ve officially become a part of my TV watching routine.
Good Girls Revolt Amazon Video (all episodes available for streaming via Amazon Prime) Good Girls Revolt is loosely based on the experience of female employees at Newsweek magazine in the 1960s and 1970s, including Nora Ephron (played by Grace Gummer). Upon meeting ACLU attorney Eleanor Holmes Norton (played by Joy Bryant of Parenthood fame)—who now serves as a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington, D.C., they begin to organize because the fictional News of the Week magazine refuses to allow women to write for their publication. The show features a bevy of great actors including Genevieve Angelson (House of Lies), Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Erin Drake (Love & Mercy), and Hunter Parrish (Weeds). It is a must watch for fans of Mad Men. The Good Place NBC, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. The premise of The Good Place is one of the most unique plots on television recently. The adorably hilarious and talented Kristen Bell (House of Lies, Veronica Mars) plays Eleanor Shellstrop. Eleanor dies and the afterlife takes her to The Good Place. The catch? She’s not supposed to be there. We quickly learn there has been a major mix-up and Eleanor is not an attorney who did international humanitarian work. The series also stars Ted Danson (Cheers) as Michael—a sort of angelic figure who runs the sector of The Good Place Eleanor to which Eleanor is assigned, and D’Arcy Carden (Broad City) as a Siri brought to life type assistant. The show provides many laughs following Eleanor’s journey through studying ethics and trying to keep her not so good identity hidden. Insecure HBO, Sundays at 9:30 p.m. Created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore (The Daily Show, The Nightly Show with Larry Witmore), Insecure is loosely based on Rae’s web series Awkward Black Girl. The show stars Rae and newcomer Yvonne Orji as best friends Issa and Molly grappling with their careers, friendship, and relationships in their twenties. The show feels like an updated, funnier and fresher version of Girls—perfect timing as that show prepares to end its six season run early next year. Music is also a major part of the series and features Solange Knowles as a music consultant. Pitch Fox, Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. Kylie Bunbury (Twisted, Under the Dome) plays Ginny Baker, who becomes the first woman to play in Major League Baseball when she is drafted by the San Diego Padres. Ginny faces major hurdles from the press and her teammates as she is thrust into the limelight overnight. She must deal with the pressure of being a role model and spokesperson, while also tackling the complexity of her relationships with her family and friends. The show co-stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved by the Bell, Franklin & Bash), Mark Consuelos (All My Children, Alpha House), and Ali Larter (Heroes). This is Us NBC, Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. This is Us is one of the most watched and talked about new shows of the season. If you are a fan of family dramas that will most certainly make you cry—think Brothers & Sisters or Parenthood—then you will love This is Us. Without giving away spoilers, the show stars Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls, Heroes) Mandy Moore (Tangled), Sterling K. Brown (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story) , Chrissy Metz (American Horror Story: Freak Show), and Justin Hartley (Young and the Restless, Mistresses) as characters all connected in a unique way. Many of the episodes feature exciting and surprising twists, and each episode packs an emotional punch. This article first appeared in The Leaf.
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Book Review: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo - Amy Schumer Amy Schumer is everywhere these days. She has an Emmy winning television show, Inside Amy Schumer, on Comedy Central. In 2015, she released the film Trainwreck, which she starred in and co-wrote with Judd Apatow. The film was a monetary and critical success, earning over $100 million at the box office in the United States and garnering two Golden Globe award nominations. Schumer also landed her first HBO special, Amy Schumer: Live at the Appollo, which aired last year and was directed by Chris Rock. These feats lead to her being named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2015.
Now she’s ventured into the literary world with her first book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, which debuted at number one on The New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller list in September. The book contains hilarious and poignant personal essays on a range of topics that include dating, family, feminism, food, friendship, gun violence, introversion, money, sexual assault, and shoplifting. Particularly amusing passages of the book include entries from a diary she kept throughout her teenage years. These entries are updated with present day footnotes in which she often lampoons her younger self in a delightfully self-deprecating manner. Widely known for her raunchy styled comedy, Schumer doesn’t stray from her brand, though she admits that she’s surprisingly only had one true one night stand. She writes frankly about her body and sexual experiences, but it never comes across as gratuitous. We know she’s funny and raunchy. That makes the serious chapters of the book even more meaningful. She implores young women to have confidence, self-esteem, and to stand up for themselves and urges them to get out of abusive relationships. Her advice is eloquent and sincere. One especially emotional section of the book details the aftermath of a shooting that took place in a movie theatre in Lafayette, Louisiana. A gunman killed two women and injured nine others before killing himself at a screening of Schumer’s film, Trainwreck. The incident led her to become more outspoken about the need for gun safety legislation. She has since worked with her distant cousin, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, to advocate for stronger gun safety regulations. While the book does reveal several biographical details, she is quick to point out that it is not a memoir. At 35, she considers herself too young to write a memoir and asserts there is plenty of time left for that. I certainly look forwarding to hearing more of what she has to say and eagerly await reading her memoir or next collection of personal essays. This review first appeared in The Leaf. |
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