The Colour of Books

So I did some real soul searching this week.  It started after I finished community season three.  Then finished season 2 and 3 of Workaholics.  I was like "what am I supposed to watch now!?"  And then it came to me.  Could I do the usual where I would watch a new series and then go back and watch old television shows that I usually just fall asleep too.  Futurama, Home Movies, Arrested Development.  But I've already seen those!  So let me go to the random generated entertainment and go to my trusty Netflix.

Then I saw this.  I obviously new it was a European show by the design and also the setting.  American television would never have a show about books if it's not for kids.  Books, as sad as it is, is pretty much dead.  There are more writers then readers.  But why would anyone want to watch a show about people that talk about books?  Oh it's a group.  If you like shows that float around characters like The Office and Community then you are in luck.

The main character is from America.  Ohio to be exact.  She just moved to Scotland to become a writer.  Real close to home.  I went to school for writing and just recently moved!  Wow this is already hitting too close to home.  Also before I even started watching the show I made sure to check how many episodes and seasons there were.  Being European, they have a limited amount of episodes and only a few seasons.  In this series, each season has six episodes.  Each core book group member hosts a book group where people read the hosts selection.  There is only two seasons and each episode is about half an hour.

What made this new and an enjoyment to watch was because not only did it have characters, story, and setting going for it but it did something a television show doesn't do frequently.  It really delivers.  When they read each book, each episode basically revolves around the given book and showing them the aftermath of the absorption of literature.  Then they talk about it.  Then they get into each others lives.  Then they grow.  Each character makes breakthroughs every few episodes.  You actually see their emotions before and after an encounter.

The directing too was amazing.  I thought it dealt with very powerful subject matter.  From handicapped people, to homosexuals, to infidelity, to liars, and to people that are full of themselves.  The intricitsy of the plot starts to really make you watch and "care" for these characters as you would care for your computer.  Television has never been so simpler (put actors in room, talk about book) and has it never been so grounded and so refreshingly real.  None of the plot points when exposed never even endanger the next episode in run off.  They don't tell you what happened last episode because no one does that in real life.  They meet every month so a lot of things change between episode to episode.

Pros
-European (sexy and sophisticated)
-I like books
-Very varied characters
Cons
-2 seasons.

Children aren't getting the right help.

I just watched all of season one of Children's Hospital in one sitting.  Is that a feat?  Not really.  It probably only took an hour and a half.  CH is only in eight minute episodes and are bundled together in two episodes.  It's really easy to space off too. And it's full of a great cast of comedians.  These guys are pretty much in everything that is known to being alternatively funny.  It is not only created, directed and acted by Rob Corddry but is also produced by my idol David Wain.  I think I've talked about it before but The State, Stella, and anything associated with any of these guys are instant satirical comedy.  Do I necessarily get all the humor?  Probably because I'm that smart.
 
This show pretty much makes fun of everything that has every talked about a hospital.  One of the woman in the show walks around like J.D in Scrubs and is constantly thinking about life and death and it's so clique and pointless that it's drawn out into pretty much every episode.  She doesn't really do any actual work in the hospital unless it has to do with drama in the workplace.  Scrubs is definitely a focus of satire since it started the wave of comedy in the workplace.  Yeah it's been done way before Scrubs but Scrubs is new for our generation. 

Childrens Hospital also doesn't have anything to do with medicine unless it's funny.  Is giving a six year old a vasectomy funny?  Very because he has advancing aging disease that is really rare.  Is killing kids always funny?  Usually and this show doesn't miss a beat.  Rob Corddry plays a character that tries to heal all of his patients with laughter.  He wears clown face paint and a smock with blood all over it because you can't cure anyone with laughter.  A comedian making fun of their own profession and it's objective uselessness.  Gotta love that Satire.  And people who are willing to make fun of their profession in their late 30's.  I thought that was only meant for us post-grads without jobs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs5QbUjmtt8

Doesn't alternative comedy rule?  It's funny because you have to decipher the difference between low bro comedy and high brow comedy.  Are they really this smart or are these just poking fun at everything or are they poking fun at me?  Jeez sometimes it can be a mind twist trying to figure out what is going on.  But they make fun of this too esepcially with shows like Dallas and soap operas that make no sense, and come from anywhere even dreams. Rob Corddry makes a joke of this by having an episode where Childrens Hospital stems from a midget Puerto  Rican doctors fart.  IS this too much?  Could be if they didn't have a sit down with the director and producer talking about why this is so artsy and creative.

Pros
-Funny on many spectrums of hilarious 
-Good cast
-Satire
-Makes you realize that television is usually nothing but entertainment.
-Episodes will have intricate plot points that are never brought up again thus providing entertainment without running with an idea for too long
Cons
-includes children in the episodes
-Web series are confusing still.