Television Update 7: Holiday Specials

There seemed to be an unusual amount of special episodes of shows I watch around the Holiday season this year, so I thought I'd go over them. To get here, the episode didn't have to be Christmas themed, but it did have to be separate from the standard season airing schedule for the show.

Doctor Who - "A Christmas Carol"

Hey, an episode of Doctor Who actually aired in America on the same day as in England! It's a Christmas miracle! While Russell T. Davies' Who Christmas specials tended to at least acknowledge the existence of the Holiday, they also tended to be about everything except it. Now that Steven Moffat's in charge of the show, he's put the Christmas back in Christmas Special with one of his better episodes, and definitely the most holiday-themed Who I've seen. The episode is obviously a take on a story that's been retold countless times, but Moffat and the cast make it work surprisingly well. Michael Gambon plays a man in control of a planet's dangerous cloud layer who takes family members for collateral on loans, and is very much a future version of Scrooge. Needing his help to save a ship full of people including Amy and Roy, the Doctor takes the role of the various Christmas ghosts and creatively uses the TARDIS to try to change his mind. The time travel twists on the classic story freshen it up quite a bit, and there's a lot here to justify Moffat's conception of the show as fairy tale more than science fiction. A very fun, very British hour of television.

Futurama - "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular"


This special is a lot like the Anthology of Interest episodes from the past, showing three silly short films within the Futurama framework, although this time there's nothing to frame the different stories and everyone dies at the end of all three, making them decidedly out of continuity. They're all based on a different holiday and also have sneaky environmental themes attached, providing a Christmas story about seed contamination, a Robanukah story about the depleting Petroleum reserves, and a Kwanzaa story about honey bees disappearing. It's far from one of the best episodes the show has done, with many of the jokes falling flat and yet another Al Gore appearance feeling a bit redundant at this point, but I'll give it a pass because each segment made me laugh out loud at least once. A bit scattershot, but they were probably constrained by the short running time for each bit, needing to hit multiple themes in each one, and finding a way to kill off the cast at the end each time, so the end result is respectable if not outstanding. A decent hold over until the next season starts.

Robot Chicken - "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III"


There was actually a proper Christmas episode that aired before this, but it appears to be part of the regular fifth season which is starting up soon, while this is definitely a special. While the Family Guy Star Wars tributes have a clear purpose to go on for three episodes, retelling the story of the original trilogy, the Robot Chicken Star Wars episodes have been all over the place with all six movies, making a third seem less necessary. And at an hour long it could have easily dragged. Luckily the writers saved it with a real concept this time, going forward chronologically through the whole series, following Emperor Palpatine's ascent to the throne. It's still just an excuse for a lot of random gags and jokes, but the general progression makes it more interesting than it could have been. Their take on Palpatine is still pretty funny, and a lot of the sketches are among the best and most elaborate they've ever done. It's still definitely just more Robot Chicken in places, but I liked the episode more than I expected.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - "Chrimbus Special"


The Awesome Show's apparent ending earlier this year was a surprise heartbreak, though they've changed that sentiment in the last couple months with a new tour (that I missed getting to go to), a new hour long episode, and an announcement of a coming movie as well as the possibility of more seasons if they feel like it. That's all great news, and the holiday "Chrimbus" episode was hilarious as expected. Chrimbus is a warped version of Christmas much more focused on the receiving aspect of the holiday than the giving side, and it's an opportunity for more awkward audience reactions, mildly disturbing song and dance numbers, and one off sketches. The episode works as an excuse to bring back all of the old favorite guests, from known celebrities like Zach Galifianakis to fan favorite oddities like Ben Hur. There's a couple more ridiculous Cinco products to throw on the gigantic pile, and a multi-part arc with Carol and Mr. Henderson that wasn't exactly necessary but still pretty outstanding. More fun for Tim and Eric fans, and if it had ended up as the last thing they did, it would have been a nice send off.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Season 5

This season took a long time coming, and it took a little while to get into full gear. But once it did, it was totally worth it. I annoyed one friend by repeatedly referring to the first few episodes as "by the numbers", and I stand by that assessment, as they feel as typical as this truly strange show can. Things started looking up when Casey's brother tried to resurrect him, and were fully corrected by the time the duo got their eyes pecked out by crows. They don't look back and it's pretty fantastic through the final scene of the extra long finale, an homage to The Godfather involving all of the show's beloved regulars and some rotten man milk.

I guess I'll run down some of the great guests this season - John C. Reilly's great as always, and Dr. Steve Brule is finally getting his own show in a couple weeks. Weird Al and Bob Odenkirk are back, Wendell Pierce from The Wire gives his all in a thankless role, and Will Ferrell portrays the patriarch of the Mahanahan family. Zach Galifianakis' Tairy Greene gets an episode devoted to his work, featuring some great guests like David Cross and the ghost of LeVar Burton, and the finale features Paul Rudd and Ben Stiller playing themselves. Even the slightly weaker episodes are bound to have at least one killer bit, and by the end of the run it's vintage greatness every time. I know these guys aren't going to do the show forever, but I'm definitely going to cherish each one of these episodes and any others they do for a long time.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Season 4

Tim and Eric are just shoving out these quick ten episode seasons, at a rate of almost two a year, and I couldn't be happier. They continue to bring their amazing blend of wacky humor, insane tangents, disturbing digressions and unheralded celebrity guest appearances that a lot of people seem to hate but smart people can't help but love. The thing about the show is you have to appreciate guys like Richard Dunn and David Liebe Hart. Most people can find enjoyment in some of the normal sketches but are turned off by the off-putting strangeness that frequently occurs, usually involving those bit actors that keep popping up. But if you can appreciate them because of their oddness, the show's full potential unlocks.

There's maybe a bit less of the shift towards longer stories and continuity this time, but still plenty of great bits that go on for a bit longer than they could. The episode finally revealing the brothers behind the infamous Cinco company wasn't the show's best, but it was an admirable attempt at actually having a single plot through a whole episode, and it had its moments. There are some really good guest appearances too, such as Jonah Hill in one of the only sketches that made me like James Quall, Tommy Wiseau in a tribute to one of the most unintentionally funny movies ever, and a great season finale where Fred Armisen and The Lonely Island look on as Tim and Eric have a brutal tennis match for a million dollars, with the two replaced by Bret and Jemaine of Flight of the Conchords in a few quick shots. When you use people more famous than you this flippantly, it's hard not to appreciate. Tim and Eric could practically film a brick wall for eleven minutes at this point and I'd still think it was brilliant.

Tim and Eric - Awesome Record, Great Songs! Volume One

Awesome Record, Great Songs! is a fine collection of music from Tim and Eric's hilariously bizarre sketch show on Adult Swim. There's a ton of stuff here, almost any song you can think of from the first couple seasons, and there sure are a lot of them. Everything from the Kid Break songs the David Liebe Hart's duets with his dummies to jingles from the different commercials and shows is featured, with many of them extended beyond what you hear on the episodes. The full version of "Doo Dah Doo Doo" for example is even more disturbing, and truly worth a listen. Towards the end of the album they also get into some really cool things like remixes featuring bits that didn't make the cut and alternate versions of songs by bands like The Shins. Music is a much bigger part of the show than one might even realize at first, and any fan of Tim and Eric's antics should get this compilation. Every track is either funny, legitimately catchy, or both.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Season 3

Tim and Eric keep pumping out their own brand of bizarre sketch comedy, with the third season in less than two years. It's a bit odd to put it this way, but it's easily their most experimental work yet. They've had hints of faux-seriousness before, and have taken it to the next level. Sketches frequently turn from hilarious to hilariously disturbing on a dime, and it's often the most entertaining part of the show. There's more continuity too, showing what happens after Tim got killed last season and bringing new depth to familiar characters.

It's still mostly absurdist comedy though, and some of these episodes are among their best ever. The tribute to "100 years" of Jackie Chan was one of the most amazing 11 minute segments in my life. There are some concept episodes too, like the Jim and Derrick show which completely nails the kind of television I hate, and a live benefit episode that had some nice moments but seemed a bit phoned in. That's okay though, because they have so many great ideas that a few can miss and you still love wondering what they'll do next. Lots of great guests this season, including both returning favorites and great new ones. If you've given it a few chances and just don't like it, then to each his own, but we need more shows this unique.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Season 2

The second season of the Awesome Show wasn't quite as classic as the first, with more gags that fell flat, but it was still enjoyable the vast majority of the time. Besides plenty of original, strange ideas, lots of favorites from the first season return, from the Married News Team with Dr. Steve Brule to Carol and Mr. Henderson's forbidden love to Casey and The Uncle Muscles Hour. There are plenty of guest stars, both recognizable comedians like David Cross and Zach Galifianakis and those odd looking people Tim and Eric just seem to find and star in some random musical number.

If anything, this season is more esoteric than it was before. Bizarre stuff will happen a lot, like Rainn Wilson with a squashed face describing his stump of a penis in a dating video. But there's also stuff anyone can enjoy like the Innernette, a spot-on parody of infomercials ("Guilty as charged.") and competing families that seem more like businesses. The first season ended on a cliffhanger, and this one ends in a very interesting way as well with a hilariously violent confrontation between the two stars. As far as Adult Swim goes, Tim and Eric is one of the easiest and most enjoyable to watch over and over, and it always leaves you wishing it was a little longer. Season three should be coming late this summer, and like Eric with Tim's birthday, I can't wait.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Season 1

I haven't discussed much Adult Swim on this blog besides my first TV post about The Venture Bros. and there's really no good reason for that. I watch it more than any other channel, it's just a little difficult to know when to say anything because season start and ends dates are often hard to identify. It becomes easier when they release a DVD, which they're doing soon with the first run of Tim and Eric's bizarre, hilarious sketch program known as the Awesome Show. Their first show was Tom Goes to the Mayor, which was (unfairly in my opinion) hated by most viewers, and had minimal animation with a lot of live action inserts. After it was canceled, they got an opportunity to drop the cartoon millstone that was around their necks and do a fully live action show. There are lots of celebrity guests and musical numbers, and lots of ideas that don't care how weird they are, as they don't change their sense of humor for anybody.

A lot of people still can't stand the show, because it's too off the wall and not traditionally funny. But they're definitely missing out. If you have any taste at all for oddball humor, you'll probably find something to like in any episode you watch. Maybe some of it won't be to your taste, but if it isn't, you're not wasting that much time. Some of the stuff they do is a little childish, with lots of scatological and vomit jokes, and a fair amount of sketches feature decidedly unpleasant people to look at, but that's the show, and I like it warts and all.