Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each and every one of you, my dear readers.
And also a Merry Mid-Season to you. I know how you all wait with eager anticipation for the January premieres. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
To start things off, there’s a couple of new shows coming to the boob tube I’d like to let you know about.
First, the Duplass Brothers, Mark and Jay (Cyrus, Jeff, Who Lives at Home), are bringing their endearing quirky dramedy stylings to television with the new HBO show Togetherness, premiering Jan. 11. The show will tackle (surprise, surprise) the complexities and heartaches of adulthood and the difficult search for love. Only, you know, funny.
Second, Canadian treasure Jay Baruchel is heading to FX with his new show Man Seeking Woman, premiering on Jan. 14. There’s only a couple of short teaser trailers to go by for this one so far, but it looks like a charming blend of awkward comedy and inventive visual gags, all revolving around one shy man’s attempts to meet women. All I know is Baruchel is always worth watching.
We also have some old favourites coming back, such as Girls, starting up on HBO on Jan 11, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, coming back to FX on Jan 14.
On a more somber note, as you’re reading this magazine on the day it comes out (of course) do remember it is also the day of the last episode of The Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert is, as you know, taking over David Letterman’s spot on Late Show on CBS, so the Report is no more. It seems like it started yesterday, despite premiering in 2005, and I would say, I like it even more than The Daily Show. So I’m sorry to see it go.
It’s also going to be the last spin around the block for Parks and Recreation, with its final season starting on Jan. 13. But this shouldn’t be a defeat so much as a celebration. Not because the show is bad; it’s not, in fact it’s rather excellent. But we should celebrate the fact that despite having a hard time finding a large audience, this superbly acted and well written, zany show managed to hang on for seven seasons.
So, like any good holiday, there are some things to get excited about and some things to dread. Merry Mid-season to all and to all a good night.
