Let's take a break from my lamentable Strat team and list the shows that I'm currently following on a weekly basis. Because.
1. Warren The Ape. Warren DeMontague was a bit player in the fabricated-American (as in puppet) comedy from the early 2000's "Greg The Bunny". In that incarnation, Warren was a failed actor and general misanthrope who regularly tormented the simple, naive Greg. In this new show, Warren is still a failed actor, but he's moved to a seedy Hollywood apartment and is filming his "comeback", and his rehab, as a reality show. The show is a satire of reality TV, rehab shows, rehab itself, and celebrity culture, and is one of the most subversive things on MTV in decades. Warren, as voiced by the brilliant Dan Milano, is a be-helmeted simian alcoholic, sex addict, drug addict, and as he poignantly discovers in one recent episode, dick. The show usually begins with Warren lying his ass off to Dr. Drew, played as straight as an arrow by Dr. Drew Pinsky himself. Warren then often attends a group session, where he mocks and disrupts the other addicts. Somehow or another, with the help of his downtrodden assistant Cecil (John Sussman, acting like Michael Cera with a Napoleon Dynamite Jew-fro), Warren gets into some horrible shenanigans where he falls off the wagon further than he ever was on it in the first place, dragging everyone around him down with him. The combination of Milano's sharp-witted and sarcastic voice and the amazing puppetry that brings Warren to life are what draw me to the show, as well the way everything is played as though talking animal puppets were a normal facet of everyday life. There are great cameos as well, by Seth Green, Corey Feldman, and others from the burgeoning "Robot Chicken" empire.
2. Louie. Louis CK has tried on numerous occasions to break into sitcoms, most recently with his short-lived HBO show "Lucky Louie", which had low production values and was filmed before a live audience to give it a "Honeymooners"-for-the-exceptionally-vulgar vibe. He's finally hit on the right tone and format with this new show, though. "Louie" is basically a series of short films based on Louis' comedy bits filmed with a single camera in various locations throughout Manhattan. Often, the vignettes within a show are not even related to each other, except maybe in tone or feeling. There is an undercurrent of despair and gloom that runs through every episode as Louie, a divorced dad, negotiates his 40-something comedian's life. Seemingly uncomplicated setups lead to surreal and at times outlandish and usually hilarious punchlines. It's been called a combination of "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm", but I'm not crazy about either comparison. Louie is not about nothing - it's about loneliness and misery, and it's not meant to make you cringe, but to make you empathize.
3. Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List. Despite not being one her "gays", I love this show. There is a reason that it has won two Emmys - it's really well executed. Kathy is an engaging if crude personality with a good heart who loves her mother, is loyal to her friends, and takes good care of her employees. Her attitude toward celebrity is refreshingly healthy and honest, and she gives us priceless inside looks at the madness of Hollywood. Her little adventures are exactly what I would do if I had boatloads of syndication money, a little bit of fame, and plenty of time on my hands. I like that the producers of the show (Kathy is one) don't try to placate Kathy's ego or introduce invented drama. This is pretty much her life, and they always go for the funniest way to present it.
4. Futurama. I missed almost the entire first run of this show, and I don't really know why. Laziness mostly. Now that it is back, I'm making a point to watch it, because it is every bit as great as the best Simpsons seasons. The animation is outstanding, the writing is top-notch, and Billy West is a genius voice artist. This version of the series is relying more heavily on the relationship between Fry and Leela, voiced by Katey Sagal, but all the old favorites are back, including everyone's most beloved George Jessel-sounding crustacean, Dr. Zoidberg, and Bender (John DiMaggio), the robot that never met a vice he didn't abuse. As Richard Nixon's head in a jar would say, Ah-oooooooo!
5. Mad Men. There's not much more to say about "Mad Men" than what pretty much every TV writer working or blogging today has already written. I'm a Roger Sterling (John Slattery) guy. He's what I really tune in for every week. He's like a galloping id that gets away with saying everything I would like to say to my co-workers, plus he gets all the gin and women he wants. And then there is Joan, played by Christina Hendricks. No more towering a figure of femininity has ever been written for stage or screen, except maybe Uma Thurman's Beatrice Kiddo, but that was a whole other kind of femininity. Joan is sweeter, softer, rounder, and yet somehow just as steely and capable. It's a great show, and I'm glad to be able to bask in it every Sunday night.