Wednesday, November 21, 2018

I Feel Bad

I Feel Bad

keywords: comedy television indian mother sitcom

IFeelBadTitleScreen.png

Genre: Comedy

Created by: Aseem Batra

Based on: I Feel Bad: All Day. Every Day. About Everything by Orli Auslander


Starring

Sarayu Blue
Paul Adelstein
Aisling Bea
Zach Cherry
Johnny Pemberton
James Buckley

Composer(s): Mateo Messina

Country of origin: United States

Original language(s): English

No. of seasons: 1

No. of episodes: 8


Production

Executive producer(s)

Joshua D. Maurer
Dave Becky
Aseem Batra
Amy Poehler
Julie Anne Robinson


Producer(s)

Kelly Pancho
Kim Lessing
Rupinder Gill
Scott Printz


Cinematography

Tim Suhrstedt
Tom Magill


Editor(s)

Shawn Paper
Mat Greenleaf
Myron Kerstein

Camera setup: Single-camera

Running time: 22 minutes


Production company(s)

Paper Kite Productions
3 Arts Entertainment
CannyLads Productions
Seemu! Inc.
Universal Television

Distributor: NBCUniversal Television Distribution


Release

Original network: NBC

Original release: September 19, 2018 – present


I Feel Bad is an American comedy television series, based on the book I Feel Bad: All Day. Every Day. About Everything by Orli Auslander, that premiered on September 19, 2018, on NBC. It stars Sarayu Blue, Paul Adelstein, Aisling Bea, Zach Cherry, Johnny Pemberton, and James Buckley and is executive produced by Aseem Batra, Julie Anne Robinson, Amy Poehler, Dave Becky, and Joshua D. Maurer. On November 8, 2018, it was announced that the series would "conclude" in December 2018 and that NBC would make a decision regarding a potential renewal at a later date.


Premise

I Feel Bad follows Emet, a wife, mother, and career woman who "feels bad" when she deviates from her own standards of perfection while trying to "have it all."[1]



Cast and characters

Main

Sarayu Blue as Emet Kamala-Sweetzer

Paul Adelstein as David Sweetzer

Madhur Jaffrey as Maya Kamala, Emet's mother

Brian George as Sonny Kamala, Emet's father

James Buckley as Chewey, Emet's co-worker

Zach Cherry as Norman, Emet's co-worker

Johnny Pemberton as Griff, Emet's co-worker



Recurring

Lily Rose Silver as Lily

Rahm Braslaw as Louie, Emet and David's eldest child. In the pilot episode, the character was portrayed by Callan Farris and written as the family's middle child.


Guest

Aisling Bea as Simone ("I Don't Want to Turn into My Mother"), Emet's best friend since college. The character was written out of the series following the pilot episode.

Christopher Avila as Hux ("I Don't Want to Turn into My Mother"), Emet's co-worker. The character was written out of the series following the pilot episode.

Easton Magliarditi as Tucker ("I Don't Want to Turn into My Mother")

Taylor Misiak as Mackenzie ("I Get Sick of Being Needed")


Episodes
No. Title  Directed by Written by Original air date [2] Prod.
code U.S. viewers
(millions)

1 "I Don't Want to Turn into My Mother" Julie Anne Robinson Aseem Batra September 19, 2018 101 5.72

2 "I Get Sick of Being Needed" Tristram Shapeero Andy Bobrow September 19, 2018 103 3.98

3 "I Lie to My Kids" Julie Anne Robinson Annie Weisman October 4, 2018 102 2.64

4 "My Kid Has to Grow Up" Maggie Carey Claudia Lonow October 11, 2018 106 2.21

5 "I’m Vain A.F." Linda Mendoza Mathew Harawitz October 18, 2018 104 2.20

6 "I'm a Massive Hypocrite" Julie Anne Robinson Teri Schaffer & Raynelle Swilling October 25, 2018 105 2.09

7 "I'm Not Sentimental" Alex Reid Rupinder Gill November 1, 2018 107 2.23

8 "I Miss Important Moments" Julie Anne Robinson Nicole Sun November 15, 2018 108 1.84

9 "I Need My Mom" TBA TBA November 29, 2018 109 TBD

10 "My Kids Barely Know Their Culture" TBA TBA December 6, 2018 110 TBD

11 "We're Not Fun Anymore" TBA TBA December 13, 2018 111 TBD


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Production

Development

On February 2, 2018, it was announced that NBC had given the production a pilot order. The pilot episode was written by Aseem Batra based on the book I Feel Bad: All Day. Every Day. About Everything by Orli Auslander. Batra also acts an executive producer alongside Amy Poehler, Julie Anne Robinson, Dave Becky, and Joshua D. Maurer. Kelly Pancho and Kim Lessing are set as producers and Orli Auslander as a consulting producer. Production companies involved with the pilot include Universal Television, Paper Kite Productions, CannyLads Productions, and 3 Arts Entertainment.

On May 8, 2018, it was announced that NBC had given the production a series order. A few days later, it was announced that the series would premiere in the fall of 2018 and air on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. On June 19, 2018, it was announced that the series would officially premiere on October 4, 2018 in its regular time-slot. On November 8, 2018, it was announced that the series would "conclude" in December 2018 and that NBC would make a decision regarding a potential renewal at a later date.


Casting

On February 26, 2018, it was announced that Sarayu Blue and Paul Adelstein had been cast as the pilot's female and male leads, respectively. In March 2018, it was announced that Zach Cherry and James Buckley had also joined the main cast.


Release

Marketing

On May 13, 2018, NBC released the first official trailer for the series.


Premiere

On September 10, 2018, the series took part in the 12th annual PaleyFest Fall Television Previews, which featured a preview screening of the series and a conversation with cast members Sarayu Blue, Paul Adelstein, Madhur Jaffrey, and Brian George and executive producers Aseem Batra and Julie Anne Robinson.


Reception

Critical response

The series has been met with a mixed to negative response from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 23% with an average rating of 4.94 out of 10, based on 13 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Despite its promising pedigree, I Feel Bad simply isn't very funny." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 55 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

The Newsroom (U.S. TV series)

The Newsroom (U.S. TV series)

Image result for The Newsroom (U.S. TV series)




 Genre: Political drama

Created by: Aaron Sorkin


Starring

Jeff Daniels
Emily Mortimer
John Gallagher Jr.
Alison Pill
Thomas Sadoski
Dev Patel
Olivia Munn
Sam Waterston

Theme music composer: Thomas Newman


Composer(s)

Alex Wurman
Johnny Klimek
Jeff Beal

Country of origin: United States

Original language(s): English

No. of seasons: 3

No. of episodes: 25


Production

Executive producer(s)

Aaron Sorkin
Scott Rudin
Alan Poul
Paul Lieberstein
Denis Biggs


Production location(s)

Los Angeles
New York City

Cinematography: Todd McMullen


Running time

52–64 minutes
73 minutes (pilot)


Production company(s)

HBO Entertainment
Distributor Warner Bros. Television


Release

Original network: HBO

Original release: June 24, 2012 – December 14, 2014

The Newsroom is an American television political drama series created and principally written by Aaron Sorkin that premiered on HBO on June 24, 2012, and concluded on December 14, 2014, consisting of 25 episodes over three seasons, with 52 to 73 minute long episodes.

The series chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel. It features an ensemble cast including Jeff Daniels as anchor Will McAvoy who, together with his staff, sets out to put on a news show "in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements".  Other cast members include Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, and Sam Waterston.

Sorkin, who created the Emmy Award–winning political drama The West Wing, had reportedly been developing a cable-news-centered TV drama since 2009. After months of negotiations, premium cable network HBO ordered a pilot in January 2011 and then a full series in September that year. Sorkin did his research for the series by observing several real-world cable news programs first-hand. He served as executive producer, along with Scott Rudin and Alan Poul.


Series overview

The 25-episode series is set behind the scenes at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) and revolves around anchor Will McAvoy, his new executive producer MacKenzie McHale, newsroom staff Jim Harper, Maggie Jordan, Sloan Sabbith, Neal Sampat, Don Keefer, and the head of ACN, Charlie Skinner.


Cast and characters

Jeff Daniels

Emily Mortimer

John Gallagher Jr.

Alison Pill

Thomas Sadoski

Dev Patel

Olivia Munn

Sam Waterston


Main cast

Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy: the anchor and managing editor of News Night. A moderate Republican news anchor whose broadcast persona is characterized as unwilling to offend anyone. Known for being difficult to work with, his world is turned upside down when his ex-girlfriend MacKenzie re-enters his life with a plan to revamp his news broadcast.

Emily Mortimer as MacKenzie "Mac" Morgan McHale: News Night’s new executive producer and Will’s ex-girlfriend, returning from 26 months as an embedded journalist overseas, MacKenzie strives to return ACN to the days of real news broadcasts. MacKenzie had an affair with her ex-boyfriend Brian Brenner during her relationship with Will.

John Gallagher Jr. as James "Jim" Harper: Senior Producer who follows MacKenzie to News Night. At his new job, he develops feelings for Maggie.

Alison Pill as Margaret "Maggie" Jordan: an eager, young associate producer of News Night. Formerly Will’s somewhat inept personal assistant, she is appointed an assistant producer by MacKenzie. She has complicated personal relationships with Don and Jim.
Thomas Sadoski as Don Keefer: News Night’s former executive producer who leaves for the new program on the network, Right Now with Elliot Hirsch, but continues to work with the News Night team in a variety of capacities. Plain-speaking and straightforward, but also quite insecure, Don begins to doubt his feelings for Maggie Jordan. Ultimately, he breaks up with her, encouraging her to go after Jim. He subsequently goes on to date Sloan.

Dev Patel as Neal Sampat: writer of Will’s blog and electronic media expert who covered the London Underground bombings with a camera phone. Neal works with the team to develop the use of electronic media as part of the new format.

Olivia Munn as Sloan Sabbith: an economist with two Ph.D.s, she presents an economic news segment on Will’s show. Sloan is good at her job, but also very socially inept and prone to creating uncomfortable situations for herself and others.

Sam Waterston as Charlie Skinner: Atlantis Cable News (ACN) president and retired US Marine. Charlie’s role is to joust with Atlantis World Media owner Leona Lansing and her son, AWM president Reese Lansing while defending the new News Night format.


Guest stars

Jane Fonda as Leona Lansing: CEO of Atlantis World Media (AWM), the parent company of ACN.

Adina Porter as Kendra James: a booker for News Night.

Chris Chalk as Gary Cooper: an associate producer for News Night, and former TMI employee.

Chris Messina as Reese Lansing: president of AWM, and Leona’s son.

Terry Crews as Lonny Church: Will’s bodyguard assigned to him after Will receives death threats.

Kelen Coleman as Lisa Lambert: Maggie’s roommate who dates Jim.

David Harbour as Elliot Hirsch: the anchor of Right Now, a new program on the network.

Jon Tenney as Wade Campbell: a Congressional candidate who briefly dates MacKenzie to boost his campaign through ACN.

David Krumholtz as Dr. Jacob Habib: Will’s current therapist, who is the son of Will’s original therapist.

Hope Davis as Nina Howard: a gossip columnist for TMI, AWM’s tabloid magazine.

Stephen McKinley Henderson as Solomon Hancock: a man who tells Charlie how to blackmail Reese.

Natalie Morales as Kaylee: Neal’s girlfriend whose father died on 9/11.

Paul Schneider as Brian Brenner: a writer for New York magazine whom Will hires for an all-access profile. MacKenzie cheated on Will with Brian during the first four months of her relationship with Will.

Marcia Gay Harden as Rebecca Halliday: a litigator defending Atlantis Cable News against First Amendment-related cases.

Hamish Linklater as Jerry Dantana: a senior producer from ACN’s Washington bureau who fills in while Jim is on the campaign trail and brings the Genoa tip to MacKenzie’s attention.

Grace Gummer as Hallie Shea: a reporter who is embedded with the Mitt Romney campaign.

Constance Zimmer as Taylor Warren: a spokeswoman for the Mitt Romney campaign.

B. J. Novak as Lucas Pruit: a young, wealthy libertarian interested in buying ACN, whose views on citizen journalism clash with Charlie, Will and Mac’s.

Mary McCormack as Molly Levy: an FBI agent who’s a friend of Mac.

Clea DuVall as Lilly Hart: a whistleblower who leaks thousands of classified government documents.

Jimmi Simpson as Jack Spaniel: an ethics professor who briefly dates Maggie.

Aya Cash as Shelly Wexler: Occupy Wall Street advocate.

Paul Lieberstein as Richard Westbrook: EPA vice-director.

Derek Webster as Rodger Hutchinson: an FBI agent.

Brian Howe as Barry Lasenthal: a Department of Justice officer who is able to arrest Will.

Keith Powell as Wyatt Geary: the new VP of human resources who wants to prove that Don is in a relationship with Sloan.

Jon Bass as Bree Dorry: the temporary substitute for Neal.


Co-stars

Margaret Judson as Tess Westin: an associate producer for News Night.

Thomas Matthews as Martin Stallworth: an associate producer for News Night.

John F. Carpenter as Herb Wilson: the control room head for News Night.

Trieu Tran as Joey Phan: the graphics producer for News Night.

Wynn Everett as Tamara Hart: an associate producer and booker for News Night.

Charlie Weirauch as Jake Watson: a switcher/board op for News Night.

Chasty Ballesteros as Tea: the bartender at Hang Chews, the karaoke bar frequented by the News Night staff.

Sarah Scott Davis as Terry Smith: the anchorwoman of Capitol Report, the news bulletin from Washington following News Night.

Alison Becker as Sandy Whiddles: a professional media source, seeking out involvement in "kiss and tell" stories for financial gain.

Riley Voelkel as Jennifer "Jenna" Johnson: a sophomore student Will encounters at Northwestern University, later hired as Will’s assistant.

John Hawkinson as Rudy: a control-room tech whiz on News Night.

Frank Cermak as Luke.


Production

Development

Entertainment Weekly reported in April 2009 that Sorkin, while still working on the screenplay for The Social Network, was contemplating a new TV drama about the behind-the-scenes events at a cable news program. Sorkin was the series creator of Sports Night and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, both shows depicting the off-camera happenings of fictional television programs. Talks were reportedly ongoing between Sorkin and HBO since 2010. In January 2011, Sorkin revealed the project on BBC News.

To research the cable news world, Sorkin had been an off-camera guest at MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann in 2010 to observe the show’s production and quizzed Parker Spitzer’s staff when he was a guest on that show. He also spent time shadowing Hardball with Chris Matthews as well as other programs on Fox News and CNN. Sorkin told TV Guide that he intended to take a less cynical view of the media: "They’re going to be trying to do well in a context where it’s very difficult to do well when there are commercial concerns and political concerns and corporate concerns." Sorkin decided that rather than have his characters react to fictional news events as on his earlier series, The Newsroom would be set in the recent past and track real-world stories largely as they unfolded, to give a greater sense of realism.

HBO ordered a pilot in January 2011 with the working title More as This Story Develops. The Social Network’s Scott Rudin signed on as executive producer. Rudin’s only previous television work was the 1996 spin-off series Clueless. By June, Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Sam Waterston, Olivia Munn, and Dev Patel were cast, while Greg Mottola had signed on to direct the pilot. The pilot script was later reportedly obtained by several news outlets.

On September 8, 2011, HBO ordered a full series starting with an initial 10-episode run with a premiere date set for summer 2012. A day after the second episode aired, HBO renewed the series for a second season.

Sorkin said in June 2012 that The Newsroom "is meant to be an idealistic, romantic, swashbuckling, sometimes comedic but very optimistic, upward-looking look at a group of people who are often looked at cynically. The same as with The West Wing, where ordinarily in popular culture our leaders are portrayed either as Machiavellian or dumb; I wanted to do something different and show a highly competent group of people."


Series title

While the pilot was in development, the project was tentatively titled More as This Story Develops. On November 29, 2011, HBO filed for a trademark on "The Newsroom" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The new name immediately drew comparisons with the Ken Finkleman-created Canadian comedy series of the same name that aired on CBC and public television stations in the U.S. The series’ name was confirmed as The Newsroom in an HBO promo released on December 21, 2011, previewing its programs for 2012.

Writing in Maclean’s, Jaime Weinman said the choice of name was "a bit of a grimly amusing reminder that the U.S. TV industry doesn’t take Canada very seriously ... The Newsroom is often considered the greatest show Canada has ever produced, but a U.S. network feels no need to fear unflattering comparisons: assuming they’ve heard of the show, they probably think most people in the States have not heard of it." In an interview with The Daily Beast following the Sorkin show’s premiere, Finkleman revealed that HBO did contact him for permission to reuse the title, which he granted.


Casting

Jeff Daniels was cast in the lead role in March 2011. Alison Pill and Olivia Munn reportedly entered negotiations to star in April 2011. The fictional executive producer role was initially offered to Marisa Tomei, but negotiations fell through. Tomei was replaced by Emily Mortimer in May 2011. Sam Waterston also joined the project in May. John Gallagher Jr., Thomas Sadoski, and Dev Patel were added to the cast in June 2011.

New York magazine reported that Sorkin had planned for MSNBC host Chris Matthews and Andrew Breitbart to appear in a roundtable debate scene in the pilot. However, the idea was shot down by MSNBC purportedly because the network was displeased with the corporate culture portrayal of cable news and skewering of left-leaning media in the show’s script. Chris Matthews’ son, Thomas, joined the cast in the role of Martin Stallworth, an associate producer for the fictional show.

Three months after the series was picked up, Jane Fonda signed on to play Leona Lansing, the CEO of the fictional network’s parent company. Fonda was married to Turner Broadcasting System and CNN founder Ted Turner for 10 years. Lansing was touted by some observers as a female version of Fonda’s ex-husband. The name "Leona Lansing" is taken from the names of two highly successful businesswomen, real estate developer Leona Helmsley and former Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing.

Jon Tenney guest-starred as Wade, MacKenzie’s boyfriend. Natalie Morales has a guest role as Kaylee, Neal’s girlfriend. Terry Crews plays Lonny, Will’s bodyguard.

Rosemarie DeWitt was originally cast as Rebecca Halliday, a litigator who is tasked with defending the ACN in a wrongful termination suit in the second season, but DeWitt had to vacate the role due to scheduling conflicts.[39] The role was recast with Marcia Gay Harden. Patton Oswalt was announced to play Jonas Pfeiffer, the new V.P. of human resources at ACN, in November 2012, but he ultimately did not appear in the season.


Filming

The Newsroom’s set is located in Sunset Gower Studios, Hollywood, on Stage 7. The fictional Atlantis World Media building, however, is actually the Bank of America Tower on Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan (directly across the street from HBO’s New York City offices), with CGI being used to change the name of the building above the entrance. Production began in the fall of 2011. The schedule called for each episode--comprising a dialogue-dense script of 80 to 90 pages – to be filmed in nine days, as opposed to six to seven pages per day for broadcast network TV series. The pilot episode was shot using 16 mm film while the rest of the series was shot digitally on Arri Alexa cameras.


Writing team

With fewer than 10 credited writers, The Newsroom has fewer writers than most other television series. It was reported that Sorkin planned to replace most of the first season’s writers in the second season.He later said this was untrue. Sorkin explained his approach to writing:

" I create these shows so that I can write them. I’m not an empire builder. I’m not interested in just producing. All I want to do is write. I came up as a playwright--writing is something you do by yourself in a room. That said, I couldn’t possibly write the show without that room full of people. I go in there, and we kick around ideas. I’m writing about all kinds of things I don’t know anything about. So they do research for me. "

Sorkin hired conservative media consultants for the second season to help him represent "every part of the ideological spectrum," thus giving the show "a political perspective that I don’t have." Sorkin also revealed that the second season would include the 2012 United States presidential election.


Episodes

Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired

1 10 June 24, 2012 August 26, 2012

2 9 July 14, 2013 September 15, 2013

3 6 November 9, 2014 December 14, 2014

In season 1 each episode is built around a major news event from the recent past, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill or the killing of Osama Bin Laden. This acts as a background for the interpersonal drama, as well as providing a sense of familiarity, as the audience is likely to know the context and so not require too much explanation of events. Sorkin has said the news events on the show "will always be real", which, for him, "became a kind of creative gift. For one thing, the audience knows more than the characters do, which is kind of fun. And it gives me the chance to have the characters be smarter than we were." However, he has also said "[i]t is a romanticised, idealised newsroom, a sort of a heightened newsroom – it is not meant to be a documentary."

The second season features a story arc in which the News Night team has reported, and been forced to retract, a false news story about the United States Marine Corps using Sarin gas during the war in Afghanistan in 2009. This story is based on a real-life news scandal from 1998, in which CNN and TIME were both criticized for reporting a dubious and unreliably sourced story that the United States had used Sarin during the Operation Tailwind excursion in the Vietnam War.

The third season tackles two controversial topics in news reporting. The first is the subject of citizen journalism, and the season begins with the Boston Marathon bombings and its subsequent investigation, which was quite significantly affected by the reports of social media users. The show takes on a particularly critical tone regarding the role that citizen journalists play in the coverage of major news stories, portraying the spread of misinformation and hindrance to law enforcement that ensues. This is expanded in subsequent episodes, where the idealistic, libertarian views of ACN’s new buyer clash with the journalistic integrity of the team. The other major topic is whistleblowing, explored when major character Neal Sampat is contacted by an anonymous source, who leaks details of the US government’s complicity in an atrocity in an African state. This leads to a clash between Will and the FBI, resulting in Will’s spending time in jail for refusing to name Neal’s source and being held in contempt. The whistleblowing storyline takes place in parallel to the Edward Snowden disclosures in 2013.


Broadcast

The Newsroom premiered in the United States on HBO on June 24, 2012. It was watched by 2.1 million viewers, making it one of HBO’s most-watched series premieres since 2008. The first episode was made available free to all viewers on multiple platforms, including HBO.com, iTunes, YouTube, and other free on-demand services.


International

The show aired simultaneously on HBO Canada. It premiered on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom and Ireland on July 10, 2012, two weeks after its U.S. debut. In Germany and Austria The Newsroom premiered on Sky’s video-on-demand service Sky Go one day after the U.S. premiere on June 25, 2012, and Sky Anytime one day later. HBO Europe also began airing the show in all twelve countries with appropriate subtitles one day after the U.S. premiere. The show premiered in New Zealand on August 13, 2012, on SKY NZ’s SoHo channel. The show debuted in Australia on the SoHo channel on August 20, 2012. In India, the show premiered on HBO Defined on May 21, 2013, season 2 premiered on July 30, 2013, with episodes airing two weeks after the U.S. premiere, and season 3 premiered on November 10, 2014, one day after the U.S. premiere.


Reception

Critical response

Critical reaction to the series in its first season was mixed. The show’s second and third seasons saw more positive responses from reviewers.


Season 1

On Metacritic, the first season scored 57 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a rating of 46%, based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, "Though it sports good intentions and benefits from moments of stellar dialogue and a talented cast, The Newsroom may feel too preachy, self satisfied, and cynical to appeal to a wide range of viewers."

Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter writes that how viewers respond to the show "has everything to do with whether you like his style. Because ... Sorkin is always true to himself and doesn’t try to cover his tendencies or be embarrassed by them". Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times commented that "at its best ... The Newsroom has a wit, sophistication and manic energy.... But at its worst, the show chokes on its own sanctimony". Time’s James Poniewozik criticized the show for being "smug" and "intellectually self-serving", with "Aaron Sorkin writing one argument after another for himself to win." Los Angeles Times critic Mary McNamara said the show’s drama is "weighted too heavily toward sermonizing diatribes".

Reviews by newscasters have been mixed as well. Jake Tapper, then of ABC News, criticized Sorkin’s partisanship: "they extol the Fourth Estate’s democratic duty, but they believe that responsibility consists mostly of criticizing Republicans." Dave Marash was not convinced that the show portrays the news industry accurately. On August 1, 2012, Sorkin responded to critics by including news consultants with newsroom experience. Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather gave the pilot a favorable review, saying the show "has the potential to become a classic".


Season 2

The second season received generally favorable reviews. It has a score of 66 out of 100, based on 26 critics, from review aggregation website Metacritic. Rotten Tomatoes gives the season a rating of 69%, based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, "Thanks to focused storytelling and a more restrained tone, The Newsroom finds surer footing in its second season, even if it still occasionally succumbs to Aaron Sorkin’s most indulgent whims."

In an early review of season 2, Verne Gay of Newsday called it: "Edgier, more sharply drawn, while that Sorkian chatter remains at a very high boil." Oscar Moralde of Slant Magazine noted what he referred to as the show’s "grandiloquent speechifying", but praised Olivia Munn calling her "a joy to watch" and concluded that "season two of The Newsroom salvages the promise of becoming something urgent and vital". Brian Lowry of Variety, in a negative review, said: "Ultimately, one needn’t be a purveyor of snark to view The Newsroom as a disappointment--too smart to be dismissed, but so abrasive as to feel like Media Lectures for Dummies." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave Season 2 an overall "B-" grade.


Season 3

The third and final season received positive reviews. On Metacritic, it has a score of 63 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a rating of 76%, based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site’s consensus reads, "With an energetic new arc and deeper character development, The Newsroom finds itself rejuvenated in its third season--even if it still occasionally serves as a soapbox for creator Aaron Sorkin."


Awards and nominations

In 2012, The Newsroom was honored, along with four others, with the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series. The series also received two nominations at the 70th Golden Globe Awards, for Best Television Series – Drama and Best Actor – Television Series Drama for Jeff Daniels. Daniels was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and won as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, in which the series received two other nominations, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Jane Fonda and Outstanding Main Title Design. For the 20th Screen Actors Guild Awards, Jeff Daniels was nominated for Best Drama Actor. For the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, Jeff Daniels was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Jane Fonda was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. For the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, Jeff Daniels was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

The Newsroom (Canadian TV series)

The Newsroom (Canadian TV series)


Image result for the newsroom (canadian tv series)




The Newsroom

Created by: Ken Finkleman


Starring:

Ken Finkleman
Peter Keleghan
Mark Farrell
Jeremy Hotz
Karen Hines
Tanya Allen
Matt Watts
Holly Lewis


Country of origin: Canada

No. of seasons: 3

No. of episodes: 32


Production

Executive producer(s): Ken Finkleman, Jan Peter Meyboom

Editor(s): Allan Novak

Camera setup: Single-camera

Running time: approx. 22 minutes


Production company(s)

Bubble Bass Pictures
FallFooFum Entreprises
WoopsPark
PorchLight Entertainment
Nelvana


Distributor:

Nelvana
Buena Vista Television


Release

Original network: CBC Television

Original release: 1996 – 2005

The Newsroom is a Canadian television comedy-drama series which ran on CBC Television in the 1996–97, 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons. A two-hour television movie, Escape from the Newsroom, was broadcast in 2002.

The show is set in the newsroom of a television station which is never officially named, but is generally understood to be based on CBC's own Toronto affiliate CBLT. Inspired by American series The Larry Sanders Show[1] and similar to such earlier series as the British Drop the Dead Donkey and the Australian Frontline, the series mined a dark vein of comedy from the political machinations and the sheer incompetence of the people involved in producing the fictional City Hour, the station's nightly newscast.


History

Season 1

The Newsroom was not originally intended to be an ongoing series. Its first season of thirteen episodes, broadcast in 1996–97, led to critical acclaim but no immediate follow-up commissioning. Following the end of The Newsroom, creator Ken Finkleman produced three different short-run series for the CBC, More Tears, Foolish Heart and Foreign Objects, all of which included George Findlay, the central character of The Newsroom, as a linking character. A Findlay-like character with a different surname had also appeared in Finkleman's pre-Newsroom series Married Life. Findlay was also revived in the later HBO Canada series Good Dog and Good God.


Season 2

As none of the subsequent series after the initial season of The Newsroom were as well received by the public or by critics as the original show, the CBC began to seek a new set of Newsroom episodes. Escape from the Newsroom, which included a fourth wall-breaking plot digression in which the characters directly addressed the idea of reviving the series, was meant partly as a sarcastic response to that request. However, Finkleman ultimately agreed to produce 13 new episodes, which were broadcast after a six-year hiatus since the initial series, in the winter of 2004. The last four episodes of the second season were shot as a mockumentary.


Season 3

A third season of The Newsroom, consisting of six episodes, was broadcast on CBC beginning on February 14, 2005.

In the United States, The Newsroom aired on PBS stations. All three seasons and Escape from the Newsroom are available on DVD.

The series drew some renewed media attention in 2011, when Aaron Sorkin announced that his new 2012 series, set in the newsroom of a cable news channel and originally to be titled More As This Story Develops, would be renamed The Newsroom. Writing in Maclean's, Jaime Weinman said the choice of name was "a bit of a grimly amusing reminder that the U.S. TV industry doesn't take Canada very seriously ... 'The Newsroom' is often considered the greatest show Canada has ever produced, but a U.S. network feels no need to fear unflattering comparisons: assuming they’ve heard of the show, they probably think most people in the States have not heard of it." In an interview with The Daily Beast following the Sorkin show's premiere, Finkleman revealed that HBO did contact him for permission to reuse the title, which he granted as he had no further plans to revive his series.


Characters

Main characters

Although the series had a large and variable ensemble cast, only three major characters were present throughout the show's entire run.

George Findlay (series creator Ken Finkleman), the executive producer of City Hour, is a venal, petty man who cares only about his sex life, his lunch orders and his personal image within the network's bureaucracy. Although exceptionally intelligent, he is highly self-absorbed and utterly unconcerned about anything besides himself.

In the third-season episode "One Dumb Idea", Karen offers her idea on a character based on Findlay for a sitcom idea he was trying to come up with, saying, "I think if you're gonna go for reality, or, sorry, for verisimilitude, I think your character should be deceitful and self-serving. Basically, pathologically ambitious and actually lacking in any real humanity." In other words, a sociopath.

Findlay apparently suffers from constipation, hinted at by his obsession with bran muffins, fibre products and doctor appointments for procedures including a colonoscopy.

He constantly avoids talking to his mother (Clare Coulter) who keeps calling him at work. Telling people to tell her he is in a meeting or on vacation, he even went so far as to have an intern get the telephone number to the show changed. When asked why he refused to talk to her he replies, "Talk to her? You're missing the point. The point is, this place is too cheap to get me an assistant. If I had an assistant, she could talk to my mother. But because this place is so goddamn cheap, my mother has no one to talk to." Findlay does, however, have a close relationship with his BMW dealer, often calling him about small problems with his "$40,000 German car."

Findlay has also appeared in nearly all of Finkleman's other television series as a linking character, always working as a film or television producer.

Jim Walcott (Peter Keleghan) is City Hour's similarly shallow but far less intelligent anchorman. Walcott is often told by the others that he is smart, but Findlay always refers to him as an idiot when he is not around. He lives alone with his cat and has been charged with sexual harassment several times, including an incident when he offered sexual favours to an underaged girl in return for a ride in a helicopter.

In the final episode of the first season, "The Campaign", Walcott, along with other staff of the newsroom, go into politics. Walcott is running as a Liberal for the provincial government of Ontario. He is asked by a reporter from The Star whether he is in favour of eliminating child poverty in Canada, to which he responds confusedly, "this is a provincial election."

During a fundraising party he mishears a woman he is talking to about abortion, thinking she said, "the decision should be between the woman, her doctor and her dog." After "listening to [their] polls", the campaign team decides it best for Walcott to be pro-life, and at a pro-life rally he falls victim to a slip of the tongue, saying, "I believe life begins at masturbation". Walcott's attempts to garner additional support include making appearances with his ex-wife and a disabled person, both of whom are represented by agents demanding more money per appearance.

During a campaign speech, Walcott is shot and ends up in a coma with a bullet lodged in his brain. While watching the results of the election on the news, the campaign team celebrates its win just as Walcott dies in the hospital bed beside them.

In Escape from the Newsroom, Walcott returns to his job as news anchor. His "death" was clarified as a two-year coma. Walcott offers Atom Egoyan a story idea about "a news anchor, who's shot in the head, is in a coma for two years, but survives with a bullet lodged in his brain, and then struggles to return to his news desk." After Egoyan says to Walcott that he read about the same thing happening to Walcott, Walcott seems surprised and says, "yeah, there is a parallel there somewhere."

Karen Mitchell (Karen Hines) is a segment producer, and the news department's only real example of intelligence and professionalism. Karen seems to be the only one who takes journalistic integrity seriously, while the others try to find ways to boost ratings by glamourizing news stories with sensationalism.

Karen is apt to point out the ignorant prejudices of most of the staff, as they, in turn, tease her for not being able to find a date. Findlay suspects her of being a lesbian after she is featured in a feminist magazine as one of ten women in the news who make a difference. He "connects the dots" of her different personality traits to arrive at this conclusion, including observations of her not being able to sustain a male-female relationship, the fact that she knows the editor of a women's magazine, and that she is aggressive, argumentative, sure of herself and moralistic. Karen, however, is not a lesbian, as this only illustrates Findlay's way of thinking.

When offering her suggestion on characters profiles for Findlay's sitcom idea, after ridiculing Findlay she went on to describe a character based on herself that should be "highly intelligent and attractive in an unconventional way, with very strong legs from the years and years of yoga and running that she has had to do to keep her sanity in a toxic psychic environment that is 'the newsroom', and basically far too busy doing her job to get involved in your stupidity or, I'm sorry, your character's stupidity."


Supporting characters

Each season had a different supporting cast of newswriters, reporters, producers and network bureaucrats. The 1996 season one cast included Jeremy Hotz and Mark Farrell as Findlay's two "yes men" segment producers, Tanya Allen as Audrey the intern, David Huband as Bruce the weatherguy, Julie Khaner as Findlay's boss Sidney, Nancy Beatty as Nancy, Findlay's other boss and David Gale as the entertainment reporter.

Leah Pinsent appeared in Escape from the Newsroom as anchor Diane Gordon, a character she had previously played in Finkleman's More Tears.

The 2004 season two cast included Matt Watts as Matt and Jody Racicot as Alex who replaced Jeremy and Mark as Findlay's "yes men" segment producers. Douglas Bell played Allen, a writer, hypochondriac and Harvard graduate who often stutters. Holly Lewis played Claire and Alberta Watson played Susan. Tom McCamus also appeared in one of the 2004 episodes as a newswriter who informed Findlay of his own terminal illness, to Findlay's lack of concern; his character died at the end of the episode.

In 2005, the season three additions to the cast included Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall as Jason, who replaced Alex as segment producer, Kristin Booth as Nora and Sarah Strange as Susan Murdoch, Findlay's boss. Jeremy Hotz returned to the cast for the first episode when Findlay rehired his character and then fired him later that episode.


Guest stars

The show also included guest appearances by a number of public figures, including David Cronenberg, Rick Salutin, Bob Rae, Hugh Segal, Naomi Klein, Daniel Richler, Angelo Mosca, Linda McQuaig, Cynthia Dale and Noam Chomsky, playing themselves in interviews on the newscast. Escape from the Newsroom featured Atom Egoyan.


Production notes

The series was produced by Finkleman's long-time collaborator, Peter Meyboom. For several years they ran an independent production company together called 100 Per Cent Films. Other key creative contributors to The Newsroom were cinematographer Joan Hutton whose documentary style added an authentic feel and music composer Sid Robinovitch, an old friend of Finkleman's who wrote the mournful, jazzy closing theme. Another key collaborator was editor Allan Novak, who edited all of Finkleman's early Canadian work including Married Life, More Tears, Foolish Heart, and Foreign Objects. Novak also produced and directed a half hour behind the scenes documentary called Inside the Newsroom. CBC executives green-lighting and overseeing the project included Deborah Bernstein, Susan Morgan, Slawko Klymkiw and Phyllis Platt.


Episode guide

Season 1 (1996–1997)

The Walking Shoe Incident
Dinner at Eight
Deeper, Deeper
The Kevorkian Joke
A Bad Day
Petty Tyranny
Dis and Dat
Parking
Unity
The Meltdown Part I
The Meltdown Part II
The Meltdown Part III
The Campaign
Escape from the Newsroom (2002) (movie)


Season 2 (2004)

America, America
Death 1, George 0
Pushy, Moneygrubbing, Cosmopolitan Racist
An Enormous Waste of TIme
Anchors Away
One of Us
Never Read Symptoms
The Fifty
Slow Leak
Reality Strikes
The British Accent
Say Cheese
The Second Coming
Season 3 (2005)
One Dumb Idea
Dial 'G' for Gristle
Lolita
Latent Homosexual Tendencies
Baghdad Bound
Learning to Fly


Awards and nominations

DGC Craft Award

2005 - Outstanding Achievement in Direction - Television Series - Ken Finkleman - (For episode "Baghdad Bound")

2005 - Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Television Series - Tom Bjelic, Allan Fung (For episode "Learning To Fly")
DGC Team Award

2005 - Outstanding Team Achievement in a Television Series - Comedy (For episode "Baghdad Bound")
Gemini Awards

1997–98 - Best Director - Variety, Comedy or Performing Arts Program or Series - Ken Finkleman (For episode "Meltdown, Part 3")

1997–98 - Best Performance - Comedy Program or Series - Jeremy Hotz, Ken Finkleman, Mark Farrell, Peter Keleghan, Tanya Allen (For episode "The Campaign")

1997–98 - Best Photography - Comedy, Variety, Performing Arts Program or Series - Joan Hutton

1997–98 - Best Picture Editing - Comedy, Variety, Performing Arts Program or Series - Allan Novak

1997–98 - Best Writing - Comedy or Variety Program or Series - Ken Finkleman (For episode "The Campaign")

2005 - Best Writing - Comedy or Variety Program or Series - Ken Finkleman - (For episode "Baghdad Bound")
International Emmy Awards

2005 - Best Comedy (Canada)
Rose d'Or

1997 - Bronze Rose, Sitcom.
San Francisco International Film Festival

1997 - Silver Spire, Television - Comedy - Ken Finkleman (For episode "Walking Shoe Incident")
WGC Awards

1997 - Ken Finkleman

1998 - Ken Finkleman (For episode "Meltdown Part III")

Monday, October 29, 2018

Painted Post Fish and Chips

Painted Post Fish and Chips

Image result for painted post fish and chips october 2018

(sample picture....but it's pretty close to what you get....When I went the cook/owner packaged my food like a gift.  I was impressed at the amount of care he put into making my food.  Now go get some.....and bring me some.)

I think the name is different now.

I remembered eating there in 2010 and a couple other times after.  The price was reasonable and the fish and chips was great then.

On October 16, 2018 Tuesday (Hey that was yesterday) I went there for fish and chips.  I met the newest owner, "Martin".  His real name is similar to that.

I told him about my great past experiences.  He said he would try to live up to those experiences.

I watched him prepare the fish and the chips.  He packaged the food like a present for me and my dad.

The fish tasted great and so did the the fresh cut french fries.  I would like to be able to eat like that often.  The price is reasonable.  The cook is friendly....  not in a bad way.

Give this place a try.  I feel this guy's heart is in this place.

If you see me there buy me an order of fish and chips.

The place is located at Painted Post and Markham in Toronto.  803 Markham Rd, Scarborough, ON M1H 2Y1, (416) 431-3305

Tell me your thoughts at zany1968@sympatico.ca

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Pot -- Cannabis is now legal across Canada..........Hey Bendeco!!!!....sorry ...flashback

Pot -- Cannabis is now legal across Canada..........Hey Bendeco!!!!....sorry ...flashback


If you're a Canadian over 18 years of age you can buy and use pot legally as of today, October 17, 2018 Wednesday.

My websites and blogs are even more entertaining to people who are high.  If you do drugs then enjoy my websites and blogs.  If you don't do drugs then you'll get the jokes and still enjoy the websites and blogs.

I don't do drugs and don't need any for any condition.  If you do drugs responsibly you might be a productive member of society.

Follow the rules and be smart.  Be considerate to others.

So if you have them light em up or shove them between your toes or whatever you do.  Party on.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Last Man Standing (It's back.....Yay!!!!!)

Last Man Standing

Last Man Standing returns -- Yay!!!!----(doing....trying cartwheel......fail!!!!....ow.   easier to sip this "cream soda"

Last Man Standing

******
Mandy (Molly Ephraim) and Boyd Baxter Flynn Morrison) will not be returning. Oh crap....the spunky, little, spoiled, brat won't be back--- Mandy.  She's always fun and well my IQ went up a bit every time she was on screen.  I hope this won't be a big problem.  The little kid not coming back is different.  I don't think I'll miss him so much.  I wonder what the reason for them not returning is.  They say they are finding replacements for them.  The two decided not to return to the show for Season 7.

******
Last Man Standing was created by Jack Burditt.

In case you didn't know: the show is a about a man named Mike Baxter (Tim Allen) who is married and has three girls.  He has to try to keep his "Man Card" while being surrounded by chicks/women (I get slapped by my boss/partner/future wife?......She squealed.....Now I'm in trouble.)

The returning actors include Tim Allen, Nancy Travis, Jonathan Adams, Amanda Fuller, Christoph Sanders and Jordan Masterson.  Hector Elizondo will return too as Ed....the Curmugian?......curmudgeon.  (I love the internet.  I may just marry it......hmmmm.) Hector was supposed to do a show called Guess Who Died but that fell through and well he's back.  That feels kind of like ......"I've got nothing better to do so I'll make a lot of money doing this instead."


Kevin Abbott is back as executive producer/showrunner for Season 7.
Matt Berry, Kevin Hench and Ed Yeager will also return as writers/executive producers.


*****

Last Man Standing Is Recasting Two Characters Who Are Not Played by Tim Allen







Kaitlyn Dever (who played another daughter) is still in negotiations to return as a recurring player 

*****

Just The Facts.......There will be a test and it's worth 100% of your mark. 





Last Man Standing (U.S. TV series)


Genre: Sitcom


Created by: Jack Burditt





Starring

Tim Allen -- Mike Baxter (The main character)
Nancy Travis -- Vanessa Baxter (Mike's wife)
Alexandra Krosney -- (Kristin Beth Baxter) The original oldest daughter and then it was Amanda Fuller


Molly Ephraim
Kaitlyn Dever
Christoph Sanders
Héctor Elizondo
Amanda Fuller
Flynn Morrison
Jordan Masterson[a]
Jonathan Adams[a]


Composer(s):

Monte Montgomery
Carl Thiel

Country of origin: United States

Original language(s): English

No. of seasons: 6  (soon to be 7 and hopefully more)

No. of episodes: 130

Production

Executive producer(s)

Tim Allen
Becky Clements
Marty Adelstein
Shawn Levy
Richard Baker
Rick Messina
John Pasquin
Kevin Abbott
Michael Shipley
Matt Berry
Tim Doyle
Jack Burditt (season 1)
Producer(s)
John Amodeo

Cinematography: Donald A. Morgan

Editor(s): Pamela J. Marshall

Camera setup: Multi-camera

Running time: 21 minutes


Production company(s)

21 Laps-Adelstein Productions
Double Wide Productions/NestEgg Productions (season 1)
Mr. Big Shot Fancy-Pants Productions (seasons 2–4)
Lyonsberry Productions (seasons 5–6)
20th Century Fox Television


Distributor: 20th Television


Release: Original network ABC (2011–2017)

Picture format: 720p (HDTV)

Original release: October 11, 2011 – March 31, 2017

Last Man Standing is an American television sitcom starring Tim Allen as a senior employee of a sporting goods store in Denver, Colorado, who is a married father of three daughters. The series includes his interactions with family, neighbors, and coworkers.

Distributed by 20th Century Fox Television, the series originally ran on ABC from 2011 to 2017 for six seasons, and entered syndication in 2015. Despite being ABC's second-highest rated sitcom for the 2016–17 season, it was revealed in May 2017 that the network had declined to renew Last Man Standing for a seventh season. Media publications reported that ABC was unwilling to cover the production costs for a seventh season on behalf of 20th Century Fox Television. One year later, the studio's sibling network Fox announced it had picked up the show for a seventh season, which is set to premiere on September 28, 2018.


Premise

The series follows Mike Baxter, a senior executive and director of marketing for an outdoor sporting goods store chain based in Denver, Colorado, whose world is filled with his wife, three daughters, grandson, and the young men married to or dating his daughters.


Cast and characters

Main


Tim Allen as Mike Baxter:

Mike is a father of three daughters and the director of marketing for the Outdoor Man chain of sporting goods stores. He fervently supports "traditional" American values, is a Protestant and is politically conservative. Mike loves his daughters but says his favorite is Eve, the youngest and most athletic daughter, and whose political opinions and interests mirror his own. He is proud of her ability to excel at anything she tries, including school work, hunting and playing sports. Mike often finds himself annoyed with Outdoor Man's young slow-witted employee Kyle (who later becomes his son-in-law), and with Ryan, his politically liberal son-in-law married to his oldest daughter, and the father of Mike's grandson, Boyd. The video blog or "vlog" that Mike does for Outdoor Man is frequently used as a vehicle to rant about his political views. Mike is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and an amateur radio operator using the call sign KA0XTT.


Nancy Travis as Vanessa Baxter, Mike's wife:

Vanessa is a geologist working in the energy industry for a company that does hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking". In season four, Vanessa becomes frustrated with her job and decides to go back to college to become a high school science teacher. After being fired as a teacher due to budget cuts, Vanessa begins her own tutoring business. Vanessa was ambiguous in her political views until season five, when she announces she is supporting Hillary Clinton for president, mainly because she thinks it will advance women's causes. She is shown drinking wine frequently, and is also frequently mocked by Mike and her daughters about it. She is a graduate of Ohio State University with a Master of Science degree in Physics and a PhD in Geology. Vanessa often makes attempts to be politically correct, but only highlights how uncomfortable she is trying to relate to people of other races. Despite this, she and her African-American neighbor Carol Larabee seem to get along. Vanessa's humor includes bad puns, which irritate Mike and the girls no end.


Amanda Fuller (seasons 2–present) and Alexandra Krosney (season 1) as Kristin Beth Baxter, the oldest daughter:

Kristin, unlike her father, espouses liberal political views and her views with regard to Christianity seem ambiguous. During her senior year of high school, Kristin became pregnant with her son, Boyd. She was a single mother living in the Baxter home until moving out in the season two finale. She began to reconcile with Boyd's father, Ryan Vogelson, in season three, and the two get married between seasons four and five. Kristin worked at a diner until landing a job at an upscale restaurant run by a former co-worker at the end of season two. In season four, she becomes the manager of the new restaurant opened by Outdoor Man. Kristin tends to work extra hard in this new job to prove she did not get the position through nepotism, despite Mike and Ed frequently telling her she was qualified. Alexandra Krosney portrayed Kristin in the show's first season (despite being nearly two years younger than Molly Ephraim, playing Kristin's younger sister); Krosney was replaced by Amanda Fuller prior to season two for unspecified creative reasons.


Molly Ephraim (seasons 1–6) and Molly McCook (recurring, season 7) as Amanda Elaine "Mandy" Baxter-Anderson, the middle daughter:

Mandy is not as academic as her sisters (and she has a penchant for cutting class and ignoring homework), but she excels in social situations. Interested in fashion (and little else), she was one of the most popular girls at her high school. Mandy is very confident and creative, demonstrating traits found in her father. She can be lazy, conceited, selfish, insulting, and delinquent – she drinks underage, ignores all driving laws, shoplifts from Outdoor Man, there are many implications that she smokes weed, and she has been caught staying out all night – but occasionally she displays moments of generosity and caring. She started dating Kyle in season 2. As of season three, she attends a local college and works at the diner where Kristin used to work. Later that same season, she begins an online clothing business, selling her self-designed fashions which she assembles in the basement of her parents' house. Kyle asks her to marry him in season 5, the 100th episode. She marries Kyle in season six, but they have yet to move out of the Baxter home. Up until she turned 21, a running gag on the show was Mike, Vanessa, and occasionally Kristin snatching glasses of alcohol out of Mandy's hand, usually followed by Mandy making a lame excuse.


Kaitlyn Dever as Eve Baxter, (series regular, seasons 1–6; recurring, season 7)[6] the youngest daughter:

Eve is intelligent and athletic, and generally has the same interests as Mike, including camping, sports, guns, and the military. She also has conservative views like Mike. She is Mike's favorite daughter, and excels at her hobbies. She frequently outplays the boys in soccer and makes the boys' football team as their placekicker. She is well aware of being the favorite over her two sisters. Eve also shares her father's sense of humor, and her sarcastic wit is frequently directed at clueless sister Mandy. Eve is an excellent student, whose only weak subject is art, though she did have to change math classes to escape a prejudiced teacher. Eve is a member of Army Junior ROTC and works toward gaining admittance to West Point. Her attempt to do so is unsuccessful, which seriously depresses her, so in season six, Eve decides to take a "personal year" rather than immediately attend college. She spends some of this time singing and playing guitar for money, but this proves to be unfruitful. During her gap year, Eve applies to the Air Force Academy in nearby Colorado Springs (without telling either parent), and is accepted.


Christoph Sanders as Kyle Anderson, a young employee at Outdoor Man:

Kyle is universally recognized as a good guy. Kyle idolizes Mike, having grown up without a father figure. Kyle takes care of his grandmother who has dementia, and it is implied he grew up in her home. Kyle is often oblivious to social cues and is slow to catch on to the events happening around him. Kyle dated Kristin in season one and started dating Mandy in season two before proposing in season five, and marrying Mandy in season six.


Héctor Elizondo as Edward "Ed" Alzate, Mike's longtime business partner:

Ed started a bait and tackle shop many years ago and hired Mike, who helped turn the shop into the 20-store Outdoor Man chain. Ed is perhaps fifteen years older than Mike, but the two men bond over similar outdoor hobbies and shared conservative values. Mike regularly talks to Ed about the happenings in his home and occasionally seeks advice. Having been divorced four times, Ed's suggestions are rarely helpful. He also has 5 daughters. Ed is a Vietnam veteran, although he saw no combat in Vietnam, stating that he was a clerk in Saigon. He continues to help fellow veterans at the local Veterans of Foreign Wars hall with their Veteran Affairs paperwork. Ed is also a recurring target for jokes about his age and lack of hair, most often from Mike. It is revealed in season 6 that Ed has early onset dementia.


Flynn Morrison (regular, seasons 2–6), Jet Jurgensmeyer (recurring, season 7) and Evan and Luke Kruntchev (recurring, season 1) as Boyd Baxter, son of Kristin and Ryan:

Mike enjoys spending quality time with his grandson Boyd, and affectionately views him as the son he never had. Mike and Ryan often clash on how he should be raised. Boyd enjoys activities encouraged by both his father and grandfather.


Jordan Masterson (regular, seasons 2–present) and Nick Jonas (guest star, season 1) as Ryan Vogelson, Boyd's Canadian father:

Though Ryan initially fled when Kristin got pregnant, he returned to be involved in Boyd's upbringing, and eventually the two reconciled and got engaged (at the end of season 3). Ryan holds liberal views, both politically and philosophically, and he and Mike routinely clash over their fundamentally opposing values, especially when it comes to child-rearing. Ryan wishes to raise his son without religion, hunting culture and nationalism, however, neither Mike nor Kristin agree with this approach. His vegan diet, views on discipline, and what Mike sees as his oversensitivity are an affront to Mike's beliefs, but Ryan generally enjoys being a thorn in Mike's side. On rare occasions, Ryan and Mike agree on what is best for Boyd, but this usually puts them at odds with Kristin or Vanessa. Mike comes to reluctantly respect and like his son-in-law for standing up for what he believes and for being a loving husband and father.


Jonathan Adams as Chuck Larabee (regular, seasons 4–present; recurring, seasons 2–3), Mike and Vanessa's neighbor:

Chuck is a retired U.S. Marine and a veteran of the first Gulf War who runs a private security business and later takes charge of security for the Denver Outdoor Man. Chuck is an African-American, and often jokes with Mike about racial stereotypes, and they regularly exchange barbs as if they don't like each other. In reality, they are good friends, despite being unwilling to admit it. Vanessa sees through their heated exchanges, often telling them to "get a room". Chuck's typical response to something or someone that exasperates him is, "not cool". Chuck is married to Carol and they have a son, Brandon, who is the same age as Eve.


Recurring

Robert Forster as Bud Baxter (seasons 1, 3–4), Mike's widower father who is initially in the construction business, but later opens a marijuana store ("Bud's Buds") after it becomes legal in Colorado.

Christina Moore as April (seasons 1 & 3), Vanessa's air-headed and immature younger sister. She is always asking for money.

Danielle Bisutti as Michelle (season 1), Vanessa's friend and next-door neighbor; she is a meteorologist who gets most of her data from a free phone app.

Erika Alexander as Carol Larabee (seasons 2–6), Chuck's wife and Mike and Vanessa's neighbor, who becomes Vanessa's best friend. Vanessa often goes overboard trying to act racially open-minded around her, but usually ends up looking foolish and annoying Carol. In season 6, Carol accepts a year-long job in California, leaving Chuck behind in Denver.

Carla Jimenez as Blanca Alvarez (seasons 2–4), the Baxters' Guatemalan-born housekeeper who also helps Mandy with her fashion business. The Baxters were happy to celebrate with Blanca after she was sworn in as an American citizen.

Sarah Gilman as Cammy Harris (seasons 2–6), Eve's soccer teammate and extremely chatty best friend.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas as John Baker (seasons 2–3), Kristin's boss at a fancy restaurant where she works. Thomas also had a cameo as "Randy" (a nod to his Home Improvement character) in the season 4 episode "Helen Potts", with fellow Home Improvement co-star Patricia Richardson.

Tye Sheridan as Justin (seasons 3–4), Eve's fellow Jr. ROTC member and football teammate who becomes her boyfriend. The two break up in season 4.

Zachary Gordon as Andrew (season 3), Eve's nerdy classmate who worships her and desperately wants to be her boyfriend.

Joely Fisher as Wendi Gracin (seasons 3–5), Ed's meddling younger girlfriend, whom he meets near the end of season three. Ed routinely has to put her in her place, particularly when she shows up at the store and tries to get involved in running his business. Wendi deserts Ed offscreen between Seasons 4 and 5, but the two patch things up and reunite.

Jay Leno as Joe Leonard (seasons 5–6), a semi-retired auto technician from whom Vanessa buys a classic car for Mike. Joe later works in the repair shop at Outdoor Man, servicing products like ATVs, snowmobiles and boat engines.

Travis Tope as Rob (season 6), Eve's boyfriend who is studying criminal justice at UC Boulder. He's a recovering alcoholic, which worries Mike and Vanessa when they first meet him.


Notable guest stars

Several notable guest stars have appeared throughout the series, including appearances made from cast members of Tim Allen's previous series, Home Improvement. (Episode numbers in parentheses)

Paul F. Tompkins as Chester McAllister

Cassandra Peterson as Elvira

Nick Jonas as Ryan in his first appearance

Tony Hawk as himself

Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Gabriella Alzate, one of Ed's five daughters (not including the war baby)

Andrew Daly as Mr. Peckem

Kim Kardashian as herself

Tony Stewart as himself

Mike Rowe as Jimmy Baxter, Mike's younger brother

Frankie Muniz as Richard, who works at the bank where Mike and his brother Jimmy go to ask for a loan

Melanie Paxson as Liz

Richard Karn as Bill McKendree. Karn portrayed Al Borland, co-worker and friend to Tim Allen's character on Home Improvement

Si Robertson as Uncle Ray

Willie Robertson as Brody

Michael Gross as Mr. Hardin

Patricia Richardson as Helen Potts, the Baxters' widowed neighbor. Richardson portrayed
Jill Taylor, the wife of Tim Allen's character in Home Improvement

Jere Burns as Victor Vogelson, Ryan's estranged father

Blake Clark as Clark, the owner of a club in which Eve performed. Clark played Harry Turner, Tim's friend and owner of the hardware store on Home Improvement

Robin Roberts as Teresa, a tank mechanic and Persian Gulf War veteran

Reba McEntire as Billie Cassidy, Mike's mountain-climbing former girlfriend

Bill Engvall as Reverend Paul, the new pastor of the Baxter family's church. Nancy Travis played Bill's wife Susan on three seasons of The Bill Engvall Show.

Brad Leland as Wayne Sizemore


Production

Development and casting

Last Man Standing first appeared on ABC's development slate in late 2010 when writer Jack Burditt received a put pilot commitment from the network under the original title Man Up. In January 2011, ABC green-lighted production of a pilot episode under the title Last Days of Man. On February 18, Tim Allen, who had been attached to the potential series from the beginning, officially joined the project in the lead role. At the end of March, Nancy Travis joined the cast in the leading female role as Allen's "smart and loving wife who doesn't miss much". Soon thereafter, Héctor Elizondo came on board in a supporting role as the boss to Allen's character.


Filming

On May 13, 2011, ABC picked up the pilot for the 2011–2012 television season under the new title Last Man Standing.[18] On May 17, 2011, ABC announced that the series would air on Tuesday nights at 8 Eastern/7 Central. It debuted on October 11, 2011, with the first two episodes airing in a one-hour premiere.

On November 3, 2011, the series was picked up for a full season of twenty-two episodes. On January 12, 2012, the order was increased to twenty-four episodes.

On May 11, 2012, ABC renewed the series for a second season set to air in the 2012–2013 season in November.

On June 11, 2012, Tim Doyle was hired as the new showrunner of the series. Doyle was the third showrunner that the series had had since it entered production. Doyle replaced Kevin Abbott, who joined the staff as the showrunner mid-way in the first season. Abbott replaced series creator Jack Burditt, who was the showrunner for the first thirteen episodes. Unlike Burditt, who is no longer credited as an executive producer, Abbott continued to serve as an executive producer while showrunning the fellow ABC sitcom Malibu Country starring Reba McEntire. Both Last Man Standing and Malibu Country aired as a part of ABC's Friday night lineup for the 2012–2013 primetime television season. On November 8, 2012, Abbott re-joined the Last Man Standing crew full-time, after a stint in rehab, and gave Nastaran Dibai full showrunning duties of Malibu Country.

On June 11, 2012, it was announced that Alexandra Krosney (Kristin) was let go from the show for creative reasons.[27] Krosney was replaced by Amanda Fuller in season 2. On June 19, 2012, it was also announced that twins Luke and Evan Kruntchev, who played the role of Boyd in season 1, would not be returning; they were replaced by Flynn Morrison in season 2. The character of Boyd was also age-advanced from two years old to five years old.  Jordan Masterson plays Ryan, Boyd's father, in a recurring role beginning in season 2. The role was previously played by Nick Jonas, who guest-starred in one episode in season 1.

The second season initially received a 13-episode order. ABC announced on November 12, 2012, that an additional three scripts had been ordered. On November 27, five more episodes were ordered to bring the second-season episode total to 18.

On May 10, 2013, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on September 20, 2013, and ended on April 25, 2014, after 22 episodes.

On May 10, 2014, ABC renewed Last Man Standing for a fourth season, which premiered on October 3, 2014. Allen and Elizondo guest-starred as their Last Man Standing characters in a crossover episode with the fellow ABC Friday sitcom Cristela.

On May 10, 2015, ABC announced the show had been renewed for a fifth season. Last Man Standing had become a solid performer for the Friday night lineup at ABC, which with the help of Shark Tank and 20/20 has become the top network among adults 18–49 for the night. Leading off Friday night for ABC, the sitcom averaged a 1.8 rating in adults 18–49 and 8.2 million viewers overall, according to Nielsen's Live+7 estimates.

On May 13, 2016, ABC renewed the series for a sixth season, which premiered on September 23, 2016.


Cancellation

On May 10, 2017, ABC canceled Last Man Standing after six seasons, despite the series being the second-most-watched ABC sitcom during the 2016–17 season (based on Live+7 figures), with ratings remaining mostly steady during its sixth season. A representative for 20th Century Fox Television said cancellation decisions are made by ABC. "This was a scheduling decision," wrote Jori Arancio, senior vice president of ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios. ABC and its production partner for the show, 20th Century Fox Television, typically negotiate licensing fees prior to each season; however, the network decided to cancel the show without doing so. Also, the contract between 20th Century Fox Television and ABC for the show, in which 20th Century Fox Television covered the cost of production, had expired after six seasons. Had the series been renewed for a seventh season, ABC would have been required to pick up Last Man Standing's production costs, which the network was unwilling to do.

The cancellation was met with outrage from the show's fans, many of whom took to social media to voice their displeasure and petition for another network to pick up the show. It also happened some months after lead actor Tim Allen (who is also a real-life Republican) said in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, that being a Republican in Hollywood is "like 1930s Germany. You gotta be real careful around here, you know. You'll get beat up if you don't believe what everybody believes". His comment was widely criticized, especially his comparing the treatment of Republicans in Hollywood with Nazi Germany.

A viewer petition on the website Change.org calling for ABC to reinstate Last Man Standing surpassed 380,000 signatures as of May 23, 2017. In a conference call with reporters earlier in May, ABC president Channing Dungey stated, "Last Man Standing was a challenging one for me, because it was a steady performer. Once we made the decision not to continue with comedy on Friday, it was just kind of that's where we landed." Dungey cited studio ownership, future creative direction, ratings and viewer engagement as all factors in her decision. A year later, the petition's signatures had grown to 438,000.

Tim Allen voiced his displeasure with the cancellation, tweeting on May 16, 2017: "Stunned and blindsided by the network I called home for the last six years."

On May 20, 2017, Howard Kurtzman, president of 20th Century Fox Television, reportedly showed some interest in his studio continuing to produce the show. "We're starting to explore that," Kurtzman said. "...[Fox Co-President] Jonnie [Davis] and I are hopeful that we can find another home for it." Variety also confirmed in an exclusive report that 20th Century Fox Television would shop the series to other networks and streaming services in hopes it would be picked up for a seventh season; another home was not quickly found, however.

In August 2017, Allen expressed his appreciation for support by the show's fans to bring it back, and said the talent behind the show had much more to add.


Revival on Fox

On May 3, 2018, Allen tweeted that a return "just might be a reality" and prompted the show's supporters to "keep it up". The same day, TVLine reported that Fox was "poised to" resurrect Last Man Standing for the 2018–19 TV season, adding that Tim Allen is "officially on board". Deadline Hollywood reported that Fox was in talks for another season, but it was "by no means a sure thing", suggesting it would depend on whether the actors could be re-signed "at reasonable salaries". On May 11, 2018, Fox TV's CEOs and chairmen announced that Fox had officially picked up Last Man Standing for a seventh season. Dana Walden, chairman of Fox Television Group, later hinted that the return of Last Man Standing was in part a response to the huge success of the Roseanne reboot on ABC earlier in 2018: "Obviously, I think everyone took a good, hard look at the performance of Roseanne. It did so well, and it certainly did remind us that we have a huge, iconic comedy star in our Fox family in Tim Allen."

On July 2, Fox announced that, in addition to Allen, series regulars Nancy Travis, Amanda Fuller, Hector Elizondo, Christoph Sanders, Jordan Masterson and Jonathan Adams have all signed on to appear in the season 7 reboot. Molly Ephraim and Flynn Morrison both opted not to return for the new season,[60] with Fox announcing their roles ("Mandy" and "Boyd", respectively) would be recast ahead of season 7. On August 6, 2018, it was announced that Molly McCook and Jet Jurgensmeyer would be taking over the roles of Mandy and Boyd, respectively. The article also stated that Kaitlyn Dever, who recently signed on to play a lead role in the 2019 Netflix miniseries Unbelieveable, will return as "Eve" in a recurring role only.

The show will air in the same Friday night time slot as it did on ABC for the sixth season; if it is renewed for an eighth season, it will be forced to move to a new time slot, as Fox has signed an agreement to air WWE SmackDown on Friday nights beginning in fall 2019.


Reception

Critical reception

Last Man Standing received generally negative reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, season one holds an approval rating of 15% based on 33 reviews, and an average rating of 4.14/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Last Man Standing is a thoroughly middling sitcom relying on jokes that feel alternately dated or hostile. The first season received an 80% from the audience on the site and the second season received a 79%." On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 33 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".

The Hollywood Reporter called the series "a predictable sitcom with a stupid premise and bad acting". Los Angeles Times: "The jokes and plots have been efficiently constructed, but most have no traction; they slide right off you, and the characters themselves seem disconnected from one another." Entertainment Weekly offered a slightly more favorable review of the show: "When I look at the now-rounded softness of Tim Allen, and note once again how his sandpaper voice contrasts winningly with his hopeful eyes, it's impossible to plunge a shiv into this series."

Season two of the series holds an approval rating of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. Entertainment Weekly commented: "I think it's time the folks involved with Last take a closer look at All in the Family, in which the prejudice was built around real jokes." The A.V. Club: "The problem with Last Man Standing's attempts to go political is exemplified by the first scene of the season première, which remains one of the most uncomfortable scenes of television I've ever watched ... doing its best to push buttons in the audience that don't need to be pushed, as if it thinks what made [Norman] Lear's sitcoms a success was the yelling or the mentions of social issues that people sometimes argued about." Philly.com wrote about season three: "The unlikely comeback vehicle for Tim Allen, Last Man Standing on ABC, is a thoroughly traditional, absolutely charming sitcom. [...] Last Man is both economical and efficient, getting excellent comic mileage out of the most marginal bit players."

The series is particularly popular among conservatives, many of whom viewed the show as a counterpoint to Modern Family, another 20th Century Fox sitcom that aired on ABC at the same time and featured more liberal ideologies. A study conducted during the 2016 U.S. presidential election found that it was the tenth most popular show on television with Republicans.


Ratings

ABC's series premiere of Last Man Standing drew a 3.5 adults 18–49 rating. That was 9% better than the 3.2 adults 18–49 rating for the series premiere of No Ordinary Family in the same time-slot the previous year (which was two weeks earlier in the season). Season 2 of Last Man Standing premiered with a 2.0, down about 38% from its first-season premiere, but up about 18% from the previous season's finale.


Awards and nominations

Last Man Standing was nominated for a 2012 People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Comedy", but lost to CBS's 2 Broke Girls.


Year Association Category Nominee / episode Outcome

2011 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top Television Series[citation needed] Carl Thiel (composer) Won

2012 People's Choice Awards Favorite New TV Comedy Last Man Standing Nominated

Kids' Choice Awards Favorite TV Actor Tim Allen Nominated

TV Guide Magazine's Fan Favorites Awards Favorite Comeback[98] Won

Young Artist Awards Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Supporting
Young Actress Kaitlyn Dever Nominated

2013 Environmental Media Awards Television Episodic Comedy[99] "Mother Fracker" Won
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top Television Series[100] Carl Thiel (composer) Won

2014 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-Camera Series Donald A. Morgan – "Eve's Boyfriend" Nominated

ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top Television Series[101] Carl Thiel (composer) Won

2015 ASCAP Screen Music Awards Top Television Series[102] Carl Thiel (composer) Won