Blog Archives
120 Fictional Coaches and Guac
Adam brings the riddles. Ryan dials up Coach Taylor. Matt is just one year off.
Yellowstone Is The Best Show You May Or May Not Be Watching
I am admittedly very late to the party, but I started binging Yellowstone this week and I no longer care about anything else. If you’ve never heard of the TV show Yellowstone, you’re probably not alone. It’s on the Paramount network, which isn’t the most accessible or popular channel. It’s also very easy to lose track of new TV shows when there are so many new shows being thrown at you on a daily basis. None of that should matter anymore, because I can guarantee Yellowstone will be your new favorite show.
Cast
Yellowstone follows the life and story of ranching family patriarch John Dutton, played by Oscar and Emmy winner Kevin Costner. He’s incredible as the centerpiece of the show, but what makes the show great is the depth of the ensemble cast. My personal favorite so far (I’ve watched the first 2 seasons) is Rip, played by a grizzled Cole Hauser. When he first popped on the screen in episode 1, I recognized the actor but couldn’t quite remember why. After a little IMDB digging I realized it was from the 2019 Nic Cage classic Running with the Devil. I would never hold it against another actor for being cringeworthy in a Nic Cag movie (it’s almost impossible not to be) but it no longer matters because Cole Hauser is a MAN among men in this role.
The rest of the cast is equally as good: Luke Grimes (Fifty Shades of Grey), Kelly Reilly (True Detective S2), and Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games, American Horror Story) play Kayce, Beth, and Jamie Dutton. Along with Rip, they’re John’s main backup for helping to fend off the two legged and four legged creatures encroaching on the massive amount of land owned by the Dutton’s.
Plot
The casting is top notch, and although the plots couldn’t be any more different, the character makeups remind me a lot of Modern Family. If you listen to our podcast, every episode we talk about which movies and TV shows we’re currently watching. One of my favorite parts of Modern Family is how fully formed the characters are from episode 1. You feel like you know each character individually and they also fit into the ensemble seamlessly which allows you to focus on immersing yourself in the storylines. There are no false notes, and Yellowstone does that with it’s characters equally as well.
The plot itself and particularly the ‘solve everything with punching’ character traits reminds me a lot of Sons of Anarchy. Kayce Dutton has the look and personality of Jax Teller, while his sister Beth is a younger, possibly more ferocious Jemma. The positive difference between the two for me is Costner vs Ron Perlman’s Clay. Costner’s John Dutton is ruthless and conniving when needs to be, but he’s such a great actor and has enough sympathetic traits (his illness, his love for his grandson) that you root for him without hesitation. Costner’s main foes through the first two seasons (Dan Jenkins played by X-Men supervillain Danny Huston and Thomas Rainwater played by Taylor Sheridan favorite Gil Birmingham) are really only “villains” because of how much you root for Costner. Their motives are completely understandable and it makes for a compelling drama when you have two equally relatable sides doing battle.
The Taylor Sheridan Effect
A huge reason for the success of the show is the creator/executive producer/writer/director Taylor Sheridan. Dating back to 2015, Sheridan has written Sicario, Hell or High Water and Wind River, three of the top notch action/thrillers of the last 5+ years. On Yellowstone, he is the co-creator, executive producer, has written 30 of the episodes and directed 9 of them. The guy just knows how to make a great, compelling drama. As soon as I saw his name pop up in the credits during episode 1 I knew I was going to love this show and 20 episodes later I have yet to be disappointed.
Tell Me Right Now How I Can Watch It
Hopefully I’ve done a solid job of describing why you should watch it, but now you need to know how. Paramount isn’t the most accessible network, and I’ve been watching via Peacock TV. Obviously there’s a monthly cost for the streaming service, but you’re going to pay regardless of how you watch. At this point, your only job this Easter weekend is to watch Yellowstone. Be warned: you won’t want to do anything else until you’ve watched all the episodes.
-Ryan
Funky Beats Friday – Sweet Child O’ Mine (Violin Cover)
Did I watch the series finale of ‘The Office’ last night? Yes. Does Angela walk down the aisle at her and Dwight’s wedding to this violin cover of ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’? Yes. Is it awesome? YES. Violin covers are my jam, and this one is pretty amazing. Enjoy the funky beat, and have a great weekend.
– Ryan
Trailer Alert: ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ – The Virus Is Spreading
The third sneak peak for AMC’s Walking Dead spinoff ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ doesn’t give us much, just like the two sneak peaks before it, but I think that works to our advantage. We already know the gist of the show, and we already know what’s going to happen. Humans will fight against themselves and the walkers to try and salvage what little part of humanity is left. We don’t need a 2-3 minute trailer showing how it will go down, because we already know how it will go down. Less is more when it comes to spinoff sneak peaks, and I like that AMC is keeping most the details under wraps. Get your swords and cross bows ready, because ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ is less than two months away.
– Ryan
‘Better Late Than Never’ Is Going To Be Your New Favorite TV Show
YES – William Shatner, Henry Winkler and George Foreman have signed on to star in NBC’s travelogue reality series “Better Late Than Never,” from producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.
Comedian Jeff Dye and sportscaster Terry Bradshaw are also on board for the bro-mance vehicle that will send the five men on a trek through major cities in Asia. “Better Late Than Never” is adapted from the hit South Korean format “Grandpa Over Flowers,” which NBC optioned last year.
Production begins in August. Episodes will cover stops in Tokyo, Kyoto, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Chang Mai. The show aims to offer a comedic look at how the five navigate unfamiliar cultures and settings and rely on one another for support while forgoing the usual trappings of celebrity status such as limousines and assistants. Each will also be tasked with checking off “bucket list” items.
Henry Winkler, George Foreman, William Shatner and Terry Bradshaw travel the world. You had me at H. I already have this DVR’d and it hasn’t even been filmed yet. That’s how excited I am for this show. I want to see William Shatner being mildly racist while Henry Winkler sits by sheepishly grinning. I want to George Foreman explain proper grilling methods to world class hibachi chefs. I want it all, and I want it all right now. If there’s two things I learned from this article it’s that I’m a sucker for old people plopped in modern scenarios that they don’t understand and South Korea has the best names for their shows (seriously, Grandpa Over Flowers might be the best named show in history).
ABC Is Green Lighting An ‘Uncle Buck’ TV Show With Mike Epps As Uncle Buck. Wait, What?
BUCK – After the avalanche of ABC new series orders last night, here is another one this morning. The network has picked up single-camera comedy Uncle Buck, a new take on the hit 1989 movie. I’m told the series starring Mike Epps is eyed for midseason. I hear its order came later than the other because of last-minute negotiations between ABC and Universal TV, the studio that developed the project and co-produces it with ABC Studios. (ABC Studios boarded the comedy at the pilot stage.) I hear the talks involved ABC looking to get a bigger piece of the series, a common practice between a network and an outside studio in the series pickup stage these days. This may be the last order for ABC heading into the upfronts as neither of the remaining pilots appear in real contention.
Written by Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley, the series centers on Uncle Buck (Mike Epps), a fun loving but irresponsible guy who needs a job and a place to stay. By happy coincidence, his nieces and nephew’s Nanny has just quit and his brother and sister-in-law need his help. His unconventional personality just may make him the right fit for the family and they may be the answer to his problems, too. Nia Long, James Lesure, Iman Benson, Sayeed Shahidi and Aalyrah Caldwell co-star.
That was my reaction when I read this story. John Candy must be rolling over in his beautiful grave. Uncle Buck is a cinematic classic, and one of John Candy’s best roles, which is saying something because he was a comedy icon. The incessant need to create sequels is bad enough, but creating a TV show sequel to a beloved movie without any of the original creators approval is just blasphemy. This is nothing against Mike Epps, but comparing him to John Candy is like putting me on the baseball field and comparing me to Willie Mays. They’re not even in the same stratosphere, and it’s a shame that he’s going to be carrying on the Uncle Buck name. The show shouldn’t be made in general, but adding Mike Epps into the conversation just makes this whole situation make less sense. I don’t know if the people who green lit this just want to ruin everyone’s childhood, but if that’s the goal, they’re doing a great job.
