Portlandia
If “SNL” was taken over by hipsters, it would turn into IFC’s clever and hysterical Portland, Ore.-based sketch show, “Portlandia.” The show stars current “SNL” castmember Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, guitarist for the now-defunct band Sleater-Kinney. The show debuted last January and though there have only been six episodes, each is saturated with hilarious but terribly realistic hipster/hippie characters. There’s a young hippie couple that go to extreme lengths to eat organic food, a dumpster-diving twosome who literally survive off the garbage of others and a pair of women who own a bookstore called Women and Women First, specializing only in women’s studies, naturally. Fred Armisen’s intuitive comedic timing coupled with Brownstein’s surprisingly apt comedic ability carry the show, with the low-budget series usually only featuring them in most of the scenes. However, the show has featured a slew of recognizable cameos from the likes of Aimee Mann, Jason Sudeikis, Gus Van Sant and Selma Blair, as well as Colin Meloy of The Decemberists and James Mercer of The Shins. If you love the show, you’ll have to wait to get your fix of new episodes until January 2012, but until then you can rewatch your favorite clips over and over and learn how to be an appropriate, cliché hipster.
— Yohana Desta
Fringe
Audiences have a love-hate relationship with science fiction shows. They’re either extremely cheesy B-movie material, or complex stories with rich mythologies and incredibly well-done characters — “Fringe” is the latter. A show based around an FBI agent who teams up with a mad scientist and his cynical son to solve mysterious cases that involve “fringe science” such as telepathy, spontaneous human combustion and time travel, “Fringe” has graduated from a potential “X-Files” rip-off to a great sci-fi series in its own right. Besides this season’s bold venture into parallel universes, the characters of “Fringe” have become an incredibly lovable dysfunctional family that draws viewers into a show that’s becoming increasingly doom-and-gloom. Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson are wonderfully gifted actors in the role of FBI agent Olivia Dunham and consultant Peter Bishop, respectively. But it is John Noble in the dual roles of the adorably quirky mad scientist Walter and his alter-ego, Walternate, who steals the show. Despite the progressively complicated, confusing storyline and the looming threat of the end of the world, “Fringe’s” talented writing and riveting characters have transcended B-movie material to become one of the best sci-fi shows on TV today.
— Hoai-Tran Bui
30 Rock
At this point, it’s common knowledge that “30 Rock” is funny as hell. “Community” and “Parks & Recreation” have been hogging the NBC Thursday night buzz this season, with “The Office” shaking things up by introducing Will Ferrell as the new Michael Scott. But Tina Fey’s comedic ode to ham-loving, single cat ladies is still the anchor of NBC’s comedy block. The show just aired its flashback-filled 100th episode, the latest in a strong fifth season that has also featured a live episode, a pitch-perfect takeoff on a Bravo reality show, boatloads of guest stars (Matt Damon, Aaron Sorkin, Tom Hanks, Queen Latifah, Will Forte and Susan Sarandon, to name a few), and its funniest holiday episode since Ludachristmas. Don’t miss 30 Rock’s remaining two episodes of the season, and make good use of your finals procrastination urges by catching up on Liz, Jack and Tracy’s misadventures on Hulu.
— Maeve McDermott
Community
With its hodgepodge cast of characters and pop culture-based humor, NBC’s “Community” may not glamorize student life at community college, but it certainly makes it hilarious. The second season takes a more confident approach to its humor, as the characters become more fully-formed and endearing. The jokes come off as more organic, as if the actors and actresses themselves are having a hell of a time while playing out their scenarios. The cast is becoming seamless, with Donald Glover and Danny Pudi coming into their own, helped by the comedic prowess of older cast members Chevy Chase and Joel McHale. This is especially true when you visit the “Community” page on Hulu and take a peak at some of what happens behind the scenes.
— Stephan Cho
Childrens Hospital
If you have yet to witness the 15-minute show that is “Childrens Hospital,” don’t beat yourself up. This hilarious parody of hospital dramas created by and starring Rob Corddry (“Daily Show,” “Hot Tub Time Machine”) is tucked into the late-night lineup on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The show takes place in a hospital named after Dr. Childrens (the same one used in “Scrubs”) and lampoons the ever-popular hospital drama genre. In its second season, the show is a fast-paced rollercoaster of hilarity where literally anything, no matter how absurd can happen. It’s as close to a long form improv set as TV comes and the show’s complete lack of reality allows for a unique brand of comedy that’s funnier than most sitcoms or the ever-popular single-camera shows on now. The show features an amazing cast of comedians like Megan Mullally, Ken Marino and Rob Huebel, and frequently features guests. This over-the-top mini show may not be for everyone, but fearless fans of comedy will undoubtedly appreciate this bold satire.
— Madeline Wolfson
thescene@theeagleonline.com
