Some new comedy from old comedians
When choosing the cast for your new television comedy, never underestimate the veterans.
Tonight, in a welcome break from too much baseball shock and awe (sarcasm as humour) I caught a pair of new shows that might not make it through the hard stretch in winter. Nevertheless, they were both entertaining. The first, Community, brings Chevy Chase back to the small screen, as a former lawyer who has been forced to return to school. Forget the others in the cast; Chevy is the wise old man in a world of much younger up and comers.
Jump forward by thirty minutes, and we have blonde vs. brunette, with Amy Poehler in full confrontation mode with a wiser, older (although she won’t admit to it) Megan Mullally in Parks And Recreation. The quick guide over at IMDB tells me that Megan is just visiting, but the two work really well together; perhaps there’ll be a chance of prolonged contact. A typical quote: “We have something twisted and beautiful together”.
There’s a common thread here. Two constants in the world of late night TV, from the sainted Saturday Night Live. Both Chevy and Amy have paid their dues, week after week, before an audience that doesn’t drift off to sleep until the modern equivalent of test pattern (paid commercials) come on. Both have proven their ability to think on their feet, and I’m glad that they’re going to be around earlier in the evening.
In the ever-escalating panic of the pandemic, we have a new tidbit to get the attention of those who haven’t heard that the final times are upon us. Three cases of pets “catching” the virus from their human friends. Dogs of the world, be on your guard.
