Archive for the 'SBG Talks TV' category

SBG Talks TV Vol. 1

Apr 06 2011 Published by under SBG Talks TV

Last December I started a little blog on WordPress called “Black Girl Watching.” During 2010, I began a serious love affair with cable television dramas and wanted to create a space to geek out over my favorite shows with fellow television enthusiasts. After a few Sons of Anarchy recaps, I realized that I wasn’t passionate enough about television shows to maintain a blog dedicated solely to their discussion, so the space grew cobwebs after awhile.

I recently decided to move my Black Girl Watching posts to this space and eliminate the extra blog altogether. So often I find myself wanting to write about things other than my life on this site, and since you know, it is my site, The Skinny Black Girl can be whatever I want it to be, whenever I want. I’m not really going for a specific brand or strategy here, just sharing my life, interests, and observations.

That said, welcome to the inaugural edition of SBG Talks TV. Continue Reading »

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The Drought is Over

Feb 08 2011 Published by under SBG Talks TV

Greetings TV fanatics!!

Let’s not discuss how long it’s been since my last post here, okay? I mean, we could but that would cut into our chat about the stuff you care about, like which shows I’m loving, which ones I’m anticipating, and which ones leave me scratching my head, wondering what the hype is all about. So let’s get into it, shall we:

Can’t Wait to See:

Guess what charismatic gunslinger comes back into my life tomorrow with his cocky grin and quick trigger? That’s right, Justified makes its long awaited return to the FX line up tomorrow night, and not a moment too soon. Make sure you check me out Thursday when I post my recap of the season two premiere. Lots of questions in the air: Do Raylan and Boyd maintain their new alliance? Will Winona finally chalk up the deuces to that whiny, wimpy husband of hers? And how long will it take for Raylan to draw his firearm? (I’m personally guessing no longer than 20 minutes into the premiere). Can’t wait to find out!

Pleasantly Surprised By:

BET’s The Game – When BET officially announced that they would air season four of the popular sitcom, I was a little skeptical. As a fan of the CW version, I was happy to see it return, but nervous. I mean, this is BET and they’re capable of screwing up anything. Not because they’re black, but because they’re screw ups. They’re about four episodes into the new season and surprisingly, I’m not very disappointed. By no circumstances is The Game great television. At its best, it’s a soap opera with a laugh track. But aside from a few ridiculous racial stereotypes, the BET version has maintained enough of the original’s drama and high jinks to keep me interested. (Word to the wise though, this show is best enjoyed if you don’t read Twitter while it’s on. In fact, try to catch a re-air on an off day. The hype and conversations about it will annoy the hell out of you.)

CBS’s The Good Wife - Since this show airs on Tuesdays at 10pm, it didn’t get any of my attention during the first half of its season. (That’s Sons of Anarchy time) It took a minute for me to adjust to its pace (I’m spoiled by the 13 episode seasons of cable dramas), but its finally begun to grow on me. All of the political scandals, back room deals, and double crosses make for a pretty intrigiung hour of television. Of the BILLION lawyer shows offered by the networks, this is the only one I recommend. Good stuff.

Showtime’s Shameless - This one is not for the faint of heart. An unemployed, alcoholic father who scams the government for financial assistance and doesn’t take care of his six children is tough TV for me to swallow, but the dysfunctional Gallaghers have found a place in my heart. You’ll spend half of the show screaming at Frank (played by William Macy) for being such an irresponsible jackass, but the kids will make you love the show.

I Don’t Get It:

Coming into the winter television season, I heard rave reviews of Lights Out and The Chicago Code. I watched two episodes of Lights Out, an FX drama that follows a retired boxer who takes some desperate measures to provide for his family when he realizes that he’s broke, and was unimpressed. While Holt McCallany is believable in the role, I just can’t bring myself to care about him or anyone else on the show. Last night, I watched a good five minutes of The Chicago Code before tuning it out completely. Where The Good Wife casts the city of Chicago as a character in a real, organic way, The Chicago Code forces the city down the audience’s throat. Perhaps I’m being a TV snob, but I’ll pass.

So that’s my synopsis on what I’ve been watching these days. What’s been on your tube?

One response so far

In the Meantime…

Dec 28 2010 Published by under SBG Talks TV

It’s been awhile since my last post, I know.  The fall season of cable television has ended and thus, so have many of my favorite shows. Gone until September are Sons of Anarchy and Boardwalk Empire. Terriers, FX’s film noire detective drama, is gone for good after falling victim to poor marketing and low ratings. BBC America’s six part mini-series starring the beautiful Idris Elba as the troubled London homicide detective, Luther, also ended earlier this month. The absence of these shows has left a gaping hole in my television life and also left me with little material for this new space.

With no new shows to consume my time, I’ve turned to catching up on shows that I missed during their first go-round. Here are quick reviews of what I’ve been watching:

Justified. No surprise that the first show on my list is an FX Original Series. The network should adopt DJ Khaled’s “All I Do is Win” as its theme song, because it continues to produce some of the best shows on television. Based on Elmore Leonard’s “Fire in the Hole,” Justified follows U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, a cool law man with a hot temper and a quick trigger. After a questionable shooting, Raylan is transferred back to his home state of Kentucky where he’s forced to confront his past.  I recently finished watching the first season, which aired in early 2010 and was thoroughly impressed. Season two kicks off February 2, so you’ve got time to get caught up. Here are a few reasons why you should:

  • There’s action. Raylan is gangsta. There’s really no other way to say it. He shoots criminals in broad daylight (of course, after he politely warns them that they’ll be shot if they don’t do what he says) and rarely breaks a sweat. Think a young Clint Eastwood, asking punks if they’re feeling lucky.
  • Boyd Crowder, played brilliantly by Walter Goggins, is one of the most intriguing, charismatic villains I’ve seen in quite sometime. As a white supremacist bank robber turned jailhouse evangelist, Boyd steals the show whenever he graces the screen.

Breaking Bad. I’m way behind on AMC’s Breaking Bad, as it’s gearing up for season four, but I just started season one a week ago. I’m about four episodes in and I’m already intrigued. Breaking Bad tells the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher in Albequerque, New Mexico. After learning that he’s got advanced lung cancer, Walter takes his chemistry expertise to the local crystal meth trade, hoping to secure his family’s financial future. AMC is currently re-airing the series, starting at season one. Unfortunately, it comes on at ungodly hours of the night when most folks are sleeping. However, if you get a chance to catch up on seasons one through three before season four premieres in July, I highly recommend it for the following reasons:

  • Who doesn’t love the transformation of your everyday Joe to a criminal mastermind? One minute, Walt’s teaching chemistry, the next he’s using his knowledge to creatively dispose of dead bodies (this is hands down the sickest Oh-my-God-I-can’t-turn-away moment in TV I’ve ever seen) and blowing up cars because he thinks the owner’s a douche.
  • If Walt’s the “straight man,” his stoner partner-in-crime, Jesse is the perfect wild card. Their tandem definitely keeps things interesting.

These are the shows keeping me occupied until the spring cable season kicks off. What are you good folks watching?

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Recap – Sons of Anarchy 3.13: NS

Dec 02 2010 Published by under SBG Talks TV

soa ns

Source: dramaticgrl.tumblr.com

I have been singing Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” in my head for the last twenty-four hours. Season Three of Sons of Anarchy has reached the end of its road and we SAMCRO fanatics will have to find new ways to occupy our time for the next nine months. I envision SOA-like montages of us all, in our respective states, cities and homes, getting back to the business of life (for me, it’s an MFA program application that’s due in about 60 days) and other TV shows (Justified is looking pretty good) until July or so when the first leaks and teasers for Season Four pop up and we make our way back to church.

Continue Reading »

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