A Fond Farewell

Colbert Report - a sad sign-off, but went out with a star-studded bang! While I will miss it, I look forward to the new spin off starting, the Nightly Show, and Colbert's return next year.
Top Chef - The new season in Boston's pretty good so far. They even said something positive about a vegetarian dish!
Bob's Burgers - You can't go wrong with a dark take on girl sprouts and their crazy cookie sales.
Broad City - Hilarious! This is the funniest show I've seen since Silicon Valley.
Fargo - Extremely well done - despite what you might think about a show based on a great movie, this does it justice. Billy Bob Thornton is amazing!
Californication - Put this on in the background for a bit, but it just feels very dated - I guess the early 2000's were a while ago now. Not sure why it was on for so long other than people missing the X Files.
Fleming: The Man Who Would be Bond - A great BBC short series that's quite a feast for the eyes.
Getting On (Season 2) - I was hoping for more from the second season, but this felt a bit re-played. Still funny, though.
Olive Kitteridge - Based on a book by Elizabeth Strout (I read The Burgess Boys a little while back), this was a pretty severe portrait highlighting Frances McDormand as the main character. Still, a bit tough to get through.
Hawking - Having seen the Hollywood version, I wanted to watch the real version that got a bit more into the science and knew I could count on PBS to do that.
Fronline - North Korea - Similarly, after seeing the fiction fantasy on VOD after all the controversy, I watched the PBS real deal, which was quite good. I am not always good about watching the Frontline about international stories, so I'm glad my interest was peaked.
As for reading, I got through The Bone Clocks but enjoyed the earlier parts of the book much more than the latter parts. I took a second crack at Inherent Vice and made it through this time, making me excited about the movie. It's a wacky ride, and I'm pleased I finally made it through a Pynchon. Finally, I don't usually mention podcasts, but who can resist commenting on Serial? A fascinating and detailed program about the young man who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend years ago in the Baltimore area. I can never resist anything that shines a light on the problems of our criminal justice system.

Fall Premieres

*Good Wife - I found the story lines pretty interesting at the beginning of this season, but they're starting to feel a little played out now.
*Bob's Burgers - What, only two new episodes and it's November 4?! C'mon, I'm hungry for more!
*Simpsons - For the first time ever I am not really watching the Simpsons. I watched one episode and the opening credits redeemed it -- sort of.
*Blackish - I am usually not one for heartwarming ABC family comedies, but I heard someone compare this to the Cosby's so I checked it out -- definitely worth some chuckles, and worth applauding for taking on race issues head-on, it's not so great as far as sexism and homophobia goes.
*Last Week Tonight - I cannot stop laughing at the dog Supreme Court video. It is so hilarious!
*Project Runway - I finished out the season and was really happy with their choice. I thought the drama around saving the Detroit designer was a bit overwrought.
*Bully - Ok, this may seem awful to write, but for a movie called "Bully" why didn't they delve into much at all about the bullies themselves? I think we can do more about this issue than release some balloons into the air, but it takes wrestling with some more deep-seated societal issues than this documentary decided to review.
*Twin Sisters - Maybe I was too engrossed in my knitting to catch the subtleties, but just watch the preview for this one and you're good.
*The Trouble with Antibiotics - Frontline seems to be recycling a lot of stories this season, and this one just didn't really tell me anything new.
*Mad Men - Finally got around to seeing the new season when it came out on DVD. Not too interesting so far, but still good solid TV.
*The Source Family - Finally got around to watching this one weekend, and it's really as amazing as everyone says! What a fascinating story.
I loved Not that Kind of Girl and knew I would after enjoying the excerpt in the New Yorker. It was a really funny, quick read. I just started The Bone Clocks and it's good so far but I am trying not to read too much before I leave on my vacation tomorrow so I have something for the plane.

New Deal

Not much time to post lately, so here's the last couple months' viewing:
*Good Wife is back on for the new season, along with the comfort of Sunday night television rituals.
*The Roosevelts - the annual fall cold hit me around the premiere, so I managed to watch all 14 hours. The progressive themes impressed me, as did learning about how the Roosevelts formed the basis of the federal government we know today, but after a while, all the intimate details got to be a bit repetitive. A shorter version of the highlights should be created, because I think more people would have watched that.
*Last Week Tonight - John Oliver's tirades are starting to feel a gap that I think may be left by The Colbert Report but Colbert also had some good classic fun with papa bear's mercenary plan.
*Project Runway - For some reason, this season's pulled me in again, even with it starting to feel like hour long commercials for dolls and diamonds.
*Masters of Sex - I had this on the DVD list for a while, and with the awards started to really look forward to it. While it starts out strong, halfway through the season, it begins to feel overly dramatic.
*Happy Valley - British crime dramas tend to disappoint me, but this one and Top of the Lake are both superb. Both feature strong female leads along with gripping gritty details that felt very true to their location. They will give you dark nightmares, so be sure to block off 3 hours of daylight to finish the last three episodes, which beg for binge-watching.
*Spies of Mississippi and The Invisible War were both PBS docs I missed while on the television, so good to get the chance to catch them streaming. Spies of Mississippi lays bear frightening details of institutional preservation of segregation and worse in the deep South. The Invisible War should be required viewing for anyone considering joining the army.
In Zanesville deftly delves into a 1970s adolescent coming-of-age that felt very true to life. The last third of The Fault in Our Stars is worthy of the hype, but the rest was not so amazing to me. S Street Rising catalogs the author's struggle with addiction to crack alongside Washington, DC's similar struggle. It leaves one with a strong impression of the importance of journalists and amazed at the city's and author's parallel rebirth and restoration. Women in Clothes I picked up and read occasional snippets from before bed. It feels like a conversation with a very smart, dear old friend. Definitely a thoughtful contribution to the stereo-typically vapid world of fashion.

Road Rabbit

Too much travel and time outside to watch the tube much.
*Orphan Black - Loved the rest of Season 1!
*The Americans - I lost steam on this, and just have a couple episodes left but haven't been able to get to it.
*Last Week Tonight - John Oliver's done some great bits on this show. While Colbert seems to be starting to check out a bit, it's nice to have a new late night news show. Especially good to see a bit of an international bent.
*The Newburgh Sting - Fascinating and scary documentary about some folks swept up by an undercover agent.
*Louie - Really enjoyed a few of the episodes in this newest seasons - some especially great rants.
*Vicious - Watched a couple episodes of show; worth some chuckles.
I listened to Carsick on the road, and John Waters does not disappoint as a travelling companion. Burgess Boys filled a summer weekend in a cabin nicely.

O, Aereo, Aereo, wherefore art thou, aereo?

I lost my Aereo! Back to the regular rabbit ears with me.
*Orange is the New Black - Like a champ, I watched this within a week of its release. Great second season thanks to the strength of the supporting cast.
*Wilfred - New episodes did not disappoint. You would think this premise would wear thin after a couple seasons, but it's still pretty funny.
*Orphan Black - Got into this on a friend's recommendation. It's a really amazing combo of sci-fi/drama. Looking forward to finishing out season 1 and starting season 2 soon.
*The Americans - After noticing some good reviews on metafilter, I added this to the queue, and it really doesn't disappoint so far - a good drama!
*The New Black  - Maybe because I already knew so much about my home state of Maryland's quest toward marriage equality, but this one didn't interest me a lot.
*The Trials of Muhammad Ali  - Excellent documentary about pacifism and some interesting insights into Islamic traditions in America.
*Freedom Summer - Tough to slog through, but well worthwhile to see the inspiring bravery of those on the forefront of the struggle for civil rights.
*Last Week Tonight - John Oliver's always good for a chuckle - especially enjoyed his take on the world cup - he had the only spot on the sport that piqued my interest at all!
*Game of Thrones, Veep, Silicon Valley all ended enjoyable seasons recently.
I tried unsuccessfully to finish The Maid's Version, which is embarrassing because it's so short. But it was dense and I found myself not wanting to pick it up so I returned it when the third due date came around. I loved the beginning of To Rise Again at a Decent Hour but the middle part's hit a lag and it feels a bit too much like his last book.

Sum Her

Aereo's quickly replacing my Netflix in terms of use - it's so great! Good thing I was always too cheap to do that lifetime Tivo deal, too.
*Independent Lens - "God Loves Uganda" sent chills down my spine - an incredibly well-made documentary about how Uganda became the dumping ground of religious right hatred of GLBTQ populations led to violence there. A really complicating documentary about some of the dangers involved in Western aid to foreign countries.
*Frontline - This two-part series on secrets put me to sleep. It could have been edited quite a bit and it really lacked a compelling frontperson to talk about why state secrecy matters.
*The Good Wife - A few better episodes - I enjoyed watching the one where Alicia doesn't know what to do with her day off, and I love all the firm drama.
*Bob's Burgers - I am never so keen on the musical episodes, so this season ended a bit on a down note. Overall, though, still beats the Simpsons for animated Sunday nights.
*Silicon Valley - So hilarious! I have watched every one of these more than once.
* Veep (Season 3) - I admit, I am a late arrival to this one, but I find this season's really growing on me. I love the comedy of political leaders bumbling through everything.
*Game of Thrones - So many twists and turns! And I thought the season started out exciting!
*Girls - Decided to marathon most of this last weekend during the Memorial Day break.
I read nothing this month except for a fun read - a YA novel, Eleanor & Park, which I finished in two days at the beach. How sad!

Spring Feverrr!

 The rabbit ears got a big boost with Aereo this week - let's go wild with it while it's still legal!
*PBS NewsHour - I grew up with MacNeill/Lehrer, so the Ifill /Woodruff combo fills a special place of in-depth coverage in my news heart.
*Independent Lens - I caught two great documentaries on here, Brothers Hypnotic (about a brass band) and Medora (about a small town basketball team) - both really compelling portraits of their subjects.
*Frontline - The solitary confinement episode was terrifying. It's truly terrible that this is the reality for 80,000 people here. They did a great job closely following a few inmates. It's a stark reminder of how ill-equipped the criminal justice system is to address mental health issues. There was a little less context than I usually like, but the materials on the website supplement it well, and it makes sense to keep the focus on the individuals whose voices are so rarely heard. I look forward to the next segment on incarceration more broadly.
*Bob's Burgers - I missed an episode here or there, but still good for a laugh.
*Good Wife - Excitement's leveled out for a bit, and it's back to its formulaic interesting case per episode.
*Mad Men - The first episode was online for free, so we watched it, but it wasn't that great. Not sure it's worth buying a season pass or just waiting for it to come out on Netflix.

Bonus bunny picture in honor of the holiday!

*Silicon Valley - This show is what I wished The Circle had been, a hilarious look at tech start-ups.
*Game of Thrones - Early-season excitement!
*House of Cards - Finally finished out the season - the conniving goes all the way to the end, but now what are they going to do?
*Colbert Report - The spot on Cliven Bundy  is so good! I had watched the sober coverage of the controversy on the NewsHour, and was awaiting a good Colbert take on it. As sad as I am to know that Colbert's moving along, I also look forward to what he does next.
Not much reading to report - just finished Americanah; enjoyable but a little lacking in the plot made it slow going. I just started The Flamethrowers.

Stacked

Travels and work got in the way of me keeping up with everything on the tube this month, but here are the highlights:
*Nurse Jackie (Season 5) - This is probably my favorite show to binge watch. Even though this season involved more fall-out than new drama, Edie Falco continues to be worth watching.
*House of Cards (Season 2) - At the halfway mark, and the latest political crisis just doesn't hold attention like the other ones so far.
*Portlandia (Season 3) - Worth a few laughs.
*Good Wife (Season 5) - A day late watching last week's episode, I barely managed to avoid the spoilers about the big surprise. It felt like this season was in a lull until then, though I have to say, I found it pretty unbelievable, but it's also unbelievable that any attorney tries an exciting case every week.
*Simpsons (Season 25) - Back from the winter break, I begrudgingly continue the Sunday night tradition.
*Bob's Burgers (Season 5) - Also back from its break, I guess its popularity led FOX to move it to a new time slot. I am constantly forgetting leading me to catch back up on Hulu. Glad something still makes me laugh on Sundays.
*Colbert Report  - I laughed so hard at the object permanence bit about new social media zones of the morning news shows.
*Top Chef (Season 5) - Ugh. A nice reminder of why I don't watch much reality TV anymore. Is it actually getting worse, or is the contrast with good TV just getting greater?
*Bhutto - Part of Independent Lens' Women's History Month #shedocs, this is a magnificent portrait of an amazing woman and a fascinating country.
*All of Me - Another great #shedoc about a group of fat-positive women in Austin whose friendships and relationships are affected by the decision by some to undergo weight loss surgery.
*Girls (Season 3) - This season flew by way too fast. I was so sad when it was over to know I have to wait until next year for new episodes. I almost made it through one episode of Doll & Em, which I had mistakenly thought might fill the hole.
*True Detective (Season 1) - People kept talking about this and I was skeptical (nothing about the plot actually appealed to me), but then I finally took the dive and couldn't stop watching it. The philosophical ramblings of Rusty Cohle plus the portrayal of the deep South felt so real; true to the last episode.
Out in L.A. at the end of last month, I read two books set in CA. The Circle (Dave Eggers), a quicker read than the length suggests, is ok. With Inherent Vice (Thomas Pynchon), I continued my long tradition of sadly never having finished a Pynchon. I am still working on Americanah (Ngozi Adiche), which I really enjoy a lot, but have had trouble finding time to finish.

Bookbunny Black Hole

*House of Cards (Season 2) - I am still in the first 5 or 6 episodes, so I only know a couple of shockers. Lots of fun to watch mainly for the Baltimore backdrops, though this season I'm getting more drawn into the drama. I went back and re-watched the first and last episode of Season 1, too, just as a refresher.
*Portlandia (Season 3) - Is it possible to finally warm up to something after 3 seasons? I actually laughed at some of the jokes this time.
 *Compliance - Terrifying! And somehow the real story is even worse!
*Adventure Time - I am still watching this now and then when I need something short to finish knitting a row. It's nice, bite-sized background watching.
*Doc Martin - I really don't know why I tried to watch it. I think I lack the patience that British people enjoy.
*The Tudors - I still watch this from time to time when I'm desperate. I'm so close to the end, but it's just so terrible.
*Snow Patrol - A highlight of winter weather for sure is the absurdity of local newscasters trying to come up with more to say about snow. The best snippet I saw this year involved climbing onto a snow bank created by the snow shovels in order to drive home the point of how tall they are.
*Olympics - Can someone please explain to me why you can't watch the Olympics online somewhere? I would love to watch them with, say, Australian commentary. The American broadcasters are just intolerable. Why do they always assume we're rooting for America?
*Downton Abbey - I love that this was on during the Super Bowl, but I haven't been so tied to it this year. Sunday I completely forgot it was on and still haven't gone back to watch it online.
*Generation Like - I had high hopes for this Frontline, and while it was good and it led me to reading lots more of the interviews online, it somehow missed the mark because it was too focused on teenagers and the "kids these days" trope. I think it could have been a better documentary if they had broadened the focus to Internet marketing and social media more broadly. But then, maybe I'm just not a teen and not a parent and so it just didn't speak to me so much.
*Girls (Season 3)  - It's so exciting to have it back! And better than ever!
Mostly this month, my head's been stuck in all the best reads of 2013 list books that I can get the library to send me. Possibly the most deserving, which had me up all hours of the night wearing my headlamp and turning pages, was The Goldfinch. At first I thought I'd never finish all 700+ pages before it was due back, but I did finish with a week to spare because I couldn't stop reading it! This is the Story of a Happy Marriage is a collection of essays, which I don't normally enjoy, but liked quite a lot. Hyperbole and a Half is a webcomic-turned-book, quick and funny read (same goes for Alone Forever). Panopticon follows an adolescent in a group home/prison-type facility in Scotland. Clever, but not amazing.

Staycation

There's not a lot new out there, so I spent more time in movie theaters, tapping out, and catching up with friends than in front of the tube.
*Girls (Seasons 1 & 2) - I am re-watching the DVDs in preparation for the new season, which I am super excited about seeing.
*Black Books (Series 1-3) - This hilarious short British series about a misanthropic book shop owner and his wacky employee and neighbor is like finding a gem in the instant mines. It had been sitting on the queue for a while when I noticed an expiration date soon, so I'm glad I got to see it on instant while it was there.
*To Do List - Funny, but not great enough to see in the theaters.
*Dexter (Season 8)- Glad I finally made it through this series and here's hoping we see Michael C. Hall in something better soon.
*Portlandia - I only made it through hate-watching the first couple episodes.
*Adventure Time - It's like popcorn!
*Toxic Hot Seat - Really makes you not want to be sitting on your couch to watch this. A frustrating story of how lobbying leads legislation to contradict science.
*Boardwalk Empire -  It's turned from good liquor to vinegar.
*Getting On  - This show is so good; I keep looking for the British version it's based on, but I guess it's not available here.
*Treme - I am sad to see this go, though I think it's ending in a good place. The last season was great, and so far the mini-season is a fond farewell.
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena I picked up from one of the end-of-year best fiction lists and did not expect to enjoy it so much based on the setting of Chechnya, which I know next to nothing about. Its beautiful prose really enraptured me in the poignant story of a man who saves a young, precocious girl by placing in the care of a doctor who returns to Chechnya to work in a nearly-abandoned hospital.