Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, episode 64: 'Parks and Recreation,' Pee-Wee on HBO and listener mail
How did TV's best comedy handle the transition into the "real" season 3 episodes?
It's Monday, which means it's time for a new Firewall & Iceberg Podcast, in which Dan and I preview this week's "Parks and Recreation" (the first one produced after the show returned from a long, pregnancy-related hiatus), talk about Pee-wee Herman's HBO special, and answer a bunch of your questions. The run-down:
"Parks & Recreation" -- 01:10 - 09:50
"The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway" -- 09:50 - 18:05
Listener Mail - The Sweeps System -- 18:20 - 24:43
Listener Mail - "Shameless" -- 24:55 - 35:05
Listener Mail - Media kits and promotional items -- 35:10 - 45:15
Listener Mail - Out-of-synch pop culture references -- 45:15 - 49:45
Listener Mail - Basic cable language/nudity -- 49:50 - 58:30 (NOTE: This segment features extensive use of profanity and discussion of various sexual acts, but with a warning first)
Listener Mail - Fictional characters on "The Amazing Race" -- 58:40 - 01:02:40
As always, you can subscribe to The Firewall & Iceberg Podcast over at the iTunes Store, where you can also rate us and comment on us. Or you can always follow our RSS Feed, download the MP3 file or stream it on Dan's blog.
Get Instant Alerts - Latest Posts from What's Alan Watching
By subscribing to this e-alert, you agree to HitFix Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and to occasionally receive promotional emails from HitFix.
Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
News From Our Partners
-
Daft Punk, 'Random Access Memories' – Album Review
Adam Levine Inviting Shakira Over for Sweaty Bikram Yoga Sessions, Sparks Rumors
Chris Brown, Demi Lovato + More React to Oklahoma Tornado Tragedy
-
'Star Trek Into Darkness': How J.J. Abrams Kept the Identity of Benedict Cumberbatch's Villain a Secret
Zach Galifianakis's 'Hangover III' Date: A Formerly Homeless Pal
'The Wolverine' New Trailer: More Ninjas, More Action and Jean Grey?
-
Microsoft Announces Foza Motorsport 5 as an Xbox One Launch Title
'24: Live Another Day': Will Mary Lynn Rajskub's Chloe Return?
Xbox One's Xbox Live Services Will Get a Boost
-
Meet The New 'X Factor' Judges
5 Women We're Excited to See On TV This Fall
How 'Vikings' Leading Man Travis Fimmel Nearly Got Away...
-
Ranking the Blockbusters with Summer Movie Scorecard 2013
RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Last Stand and Side Effects
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Star Trek Softer Than Expected at #1
-
Seth MacFarlane's Next Film: 'Every Line Is Hilarious,' Amanda Seyfried Swears
'The Wolverine' Trailer: Five Questions It Answered
'Star Trek Into Darkness' Takes Box-Office Crown With $84 Million
-
The Telefile - TV on DVD: Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Telefile - Veep: The Episode's Best Insults
The Telefile - Saturday Night Live: Straight Outta 8H
-
What to Watch Tonight: SYTYCD, Awkward., and the Finales of Grimm, The Game, and DWTS
The Big C Series Finale Review: And They Lived Happily Ever After
Warehouse 13 "The Sky's the Limit" Review: Up Up and Away
Get Instant Alerts on What's Alan Watching
Latest Posts
-
Will's gift takes an increasing toll; can the bad Dr. Lecter help him?Tuesday, May 21, 2013
-
Cathy and her family prepare for the end as the Showtime dramedy concludes on a strong noteTuesday, May 21, 2013
-
Daniel ponders a trip out of town as the terrific first season comes to a closeMonday, May 20, 2013
-
Some interesting pieces in a new sitcom from the 'HIMYM' guys, but it's a dead show walkingMonday, May 20, 2013
Recent Activity on Facebook
Most Popular on Facebook
Top Stories From Around the Web
Comments
Option 1
Comment instantly as a guest GuestOption 2
Option 3
Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupBix
March 14, 2011 at 5:40PM EST Reply to CommentSince "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" = the adult-oriented Groundlings show that was made into an HBO special in the '80s and the kids' show = "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and the new special is "The Pee-Wee Herman Show On Broadway," doesn't that make this a sequel to the original Groundlings show, only with the "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" characters like Chairy added because they're from the more well-known version that people are nostalgiac about and people would be pissed if they weren't there? (Boy, is that a run-on sentence!) In that case, I don't get fretting about the lack of camera tricks or being surprised by the adult content.
KarenX I remember that special. There was a point where the woman was dancing around doing arabesques and Pee-Wee was following her around with mirrors on his shoes, until she revealed that she wasn't wearing any underwear. It ran on HBO during the daytime, which is how my brother and I first became fans.
March 14, 2011 at 8:56PM ESTBix
March 14, 2011 at 6:14PM EST Reply to CommentNow that I'm further into the show, Re: The language/violence/nudity discussion, here's a story that Alan will love that I heard from an ABC VP:
Remember how in the last season or two of NYPD Blue (not basic cable, but also adhering to a lot of the standards discussed), they were cleared to say "sh--" but always said "bullsh--"? Well, the writers originally wanted it to be "horsesh--," but it was rejected because it was it was considered a more literal reference to excrement while "bullsh--" is more colloquial. Really.
Re: Nip/Tuck, when a couple obsessed with Barbie and Ken decided to all of their stuff removed, they showed a frontal view "Barbie's" breasts post-surgery since she no longer had areolas and nipples. Yup.
Jimmy Crack Corn
March 14, 2011 at 6:56PM EST Reply to CommentAbout time this podcenter started using profanity and start talking about nudity. Instant download.
Randomer
March 14, 2011 at 7:50PM EST Reply to CommentMichael Weston was the first one I thought of to be on the Amazing Race. He's traveled the world and speaks multiple languages (I remember him busting out Russian in an episode, you telling me he couldn't bust out a couple Romance Languages). Just sit back while he does all the driving and the hard tasks.
dan Randomer - I prefer to think that rather than speaking the languages in each country, Michael Weston would just do a different really bad accent each leg...
March 14, 2011 at 7:58PM EST-Daniel
alamble Given that Michael's Spanish is hilariously, admittedly bad, I think the other Romance languages might actually be a problem for him. Not that it would be a big deal on TAR, since you can generally find English-speaking folks in Western Europe fairly easily.
March 15, 2011 at 11:02PM EST-alyson
AdamWest
March 14, 2011 at 11:02PM EST Reply to CommentOn language/nudity on basic cable, it depends on how often they use it. Sons of Anarchy for example uses sh-- in every other paragraph and that always draws attention to the fact that they don't say fu-- or any other 4 letter word. They just seem like a very selective grump in their cursing.
Justified on the other hand occasionally uses the word sh-- but I don't think anymore on it because it's not used 10 times in 15 minutes.
ed w
March 15, 2011 at 12:16PM EST Reply to CommentI had to laugh at Alan's superficial Amazing Race choices. Personally I'd choose Ann Perkins, because she's a nurse and could keep us healthy and not at all because Rashida Jones is one of the most beautiful actresses in the world.
If you are short on things to discuss next week you could give your appraisal's of this season of Archer, which I don't recall being touched on yet in the podcasts.
sepinwall They were only half-superficial! Yes, I mainly chose hot women, but they were all hot women with specific skills (or, in the case of Joan, the demonstrated ability to quickly master new skills) that would be valuable on the Race.
March 15, 2011 at 12:18PM ESTGive me half-credit, people!!!
March 16, 2011 at 11:51PM ESTIs Boston Rob considered a fictional character yet? Cause he might be my choice.
belinda I think it was pretty shocking that Alan was the one picking partners based on half superficial reasons and not Dan! What a revelation. :D
March 18, 2011 at 7:18PM EST
March 15, 2011 at 1:43PM EST Reply to CommentMy personal favorite use of the lone f-bomb in a PG-13 film is in Big Trouble in Little China.
"Hollow?"
"Hollow"
"F*** it."
Given your discussion of profanity on cable, though, I was wondering if there was a reason I'd seen less of it on this site recently. Not a complaint, since it doesn't affect the quality of writing, but I've noticed, particularly in Drew's posts, that f-bombs are getting starred out.
macontosh2000
March 15, 2011 at 3:15PM EST Reply to CommentFirst I would run The Amazing Race with Sydney Bristow (Alias). Her being pretty much perfect would balance out my asthma/back and knee problems/general clumsiness.
I believe that basic cable shows should be able to show anything they want, but I also know thats never going to happen due to advertisers and the PTC. I believe that if you are mature enough to watch a show about a corrupt cop, plastic surgeons, meth dealers, ect. you probably already know about nipples and the word f***.
And a good example of when the F word was needed (and bleeped) was in the season 3 episode of Breaking Bad I.F.T. "I'm Screwing Ted" wouldnt of had the same effect.
And I am loving Shameless, I never knew that Emmy Rossum had this in her. Frank is also my least favorite character, I probably would have liked the show more without him. But I have to say I like Frank more now that we met their mother.
This is my first time commenting on this podcast, I have been looking for a good tv podcast for a while now, and I think I may have found it!
macontosh2000 I forgot to comment on pop culture references.
March 15, 2011 at 4:32PM ESTAs long as the show has a good story and doesnt go overboard with the references I dont have a problem with them, but it automatically dates a show.
Sorry to go into movies but its the Pixar Vs. Dreamworks Animation argument. Pixar films are about the characters/ story, Dreamworks is usually about the characters making pop culture references. Pixar films will be remembered 50 years from now, Dreamworks will become irrelevent in 5-10 years (with the exception of Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon).
And as for Seth Cohen making a reference to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, I am okay with it. I was born 6 years after the movie came out and I would have gotten the reference.
Muz
March 15, 2011 at 5:11PM EST Reply to CommentA whole episode dedicated to the last season of Rosanne would probably be torturously hilarious (the torture and hilarity aspects probably switching between broadcaster and audience at various points).
'The whole last season of Rosanne' also sounds somewhat like the worst challenge from some Amazing Race-esque show.
MJM
March 15, 2011 at 8:19PM EST Reply to CommentIn regards to Parks & Rec's use of bleeping I find it funny. Limited to a few times it can be really funny.
However, I could not watch Southland because of their bleeping. In the episodes I tried to watch I found it too big a distraction.
I will also never understand why violence doesn't seem to be a problem, but language and sex on TV is so frowned upon. I've cursed and had sex a lot compared to being violent. I just don't get it.
I don't watch shows just because they curse, but the shows with cursing do feel a lot more realistic than shows without.
March 16, 2011 at 7:52AM EST Reply to CommentMy choice: Rollin Hand. Resources of IMF. master of disguise. Cool as hell. Knows magic.