Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am looking at the third season of Shrinking and Disney+'s Wonder Man. Plus the latest episodes of Memory of a Killer, Abbott Elementary and Hijack. I am also counting down my Top 10 TV Shows that start with the letter A and taking a look back at Mr. Sunshine!
WHAT'S NEW
It is great to have Shrinking back for a third season. I liked, but didn't love, the first season but then became completely hooked on the show during its second season. My eyes bugged out a bit when I saw the premiere of the third season was over an hour long and it took a bit for the new season to wind up. There are so many characters and I don't know if the show needed to catch up on each one of them in the first few minutes (nor do I think they need to hit their huge rolodex all the time - did we really need Brett Goldstein in this first episode? Or in this season at all?)
But once it got past the awkward exposition that dominated the first 10-15 minutes, it settled in and was back to being the show I absolutely adore. What I love best in this show is when the ensemble is just playing off each other and there was a whole lot of that in the back half of the episode with great performances from all the usuals including Jessica Williams (particularly funny in this episode), Christa Miller, Ted McGinley, Michael Urie and more. I appreciate that the show lets some characters mess around while one character takes the lead for the dramatic arc for the episode. That character this time was certainly Harrison Ford's Paul and his character's Parkinson's disease will certainly be a through-line this year. Ford handled it masterfully (with a brief but poignant guest appearance from Michael J. Fox). I also want to say this might be the best I've ever seen Wendie Malick, an actress who I don't typically enjoy.
Watching the rest of the episode made me realize how much we didn't need the exposition at the beginning because these characters are well formed and we could have filled in the missing pieces pretty easily without the first few minutes but it's fine. I don't have any concerns about this season especially with how the rest of the episode went. I'm excited to have Shrinking back in my life and excited that it was already picked up for a fourth season.
I had no intention of watching Wonder Man. I haven't watched a Marvel show since the first season of Loki. I've never been a Marvel guy but I did enjoy WandaVision. Then I started reading some reviews of Wonder Man and hearing some positive things. I also heard that the superhero part of the show was incredibly minimal and it was more of an inside look at Hollywood so I decided to give it a try. I've watched two episodes and I have to say I am very pleasantly surprised. It reminds me of the early episodes of WandaVision where there's something going on under the main story but the main story is enjoyable enough on its own right even if I could care less about the superhero element.
Somehow, this show feels more "inside showbiz" than The Studio or Hacks. Regardless of what is happening with super powers, it's a very interesting look at a day player trying to make it in Hollywood with the help of a veteran actor. Yaha Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley are both excellent here with a natural rapport with each other. Abdul-Mateen is particularly captivating and believable as a struggling actor who also quite the cinephile. Joe Pantoliano was excellent in the second episode as an exaggerated version of himself and I hear there are other appearances from actors playing themselves coming. It's been a long time since I've liked a Marvel show and probably will be a long time before I like another one but I'll enjoy this for as long as it isn't about the superhero side of things.
LAST WEEK ON...
The second episode of Memory of a Killer was as ludicrous as the first and yet I was still pretty entertained. But I'm curious how this is going to look as the show goes on. Will there be a procedural element at all? Obviously I like that the show feels different from a typical broadcast drama but some procedural elements are the engine of broadcast TV. It's hard to imagine this show staying interesting enough with just the main story while still being confined by the broadcast trappings. I want to be clear that I don't think this is a good show - I could poke holes in the plotting left and right and don't get me started on the writing. But I just remain so fascinated by this one and yes, also entertained so far. So I'm nowhere close to quitting it.
Abbott Elementary
While I wish the mall arc had lasted a little bit longer, I was happy to see that the energy and spark the series needed and got from that trio of episodes seemed to extend to their return to Abbott (the building). This week's episode, "Picture Day," had a lot of clever moments and good performances from the main cast members. And once again, it was rooted in a story set at the school and about teachers and students (and cafeteria staff). Abbott always does better when it stays true to the heart of what it was about to begin with. I hope that continues for the rest of the season.
Hijack
I'm out on Hijack. I really enjoyed the first season but this second season just isn't doing it for me in any way. I feel like nothing has happened in the first three episodes. This is a great example of when a limited series should just stay a limited series, even when there is success.
THE BEST TV ALPHABETICALLY: LETTER A
In honor of 2026, I am looking at the 26 letters of the alphabet and listing my Top 10 TV Shows of All Time that start with that letter (no "The" or "A" don't count as the first letter of a show). I'm kicking things off this week with the letter A:
A show that may have turned people off by its initial brashness, it was an underrated member of the many ABC family comedies of the 2010s.
9. According to Jim (ABC, 2001-2009)
I know this is a TV critic's worst nightmare but I often found this show funnier than most even to this day as my palette has gotten more sophisticated. Call it a guilty pleasure.
8. Arthur (PBS, 1996-2022)
An iconic children's show. I haven't watched it in years but look forward to watching it with my son when he gets a little bit older.
7. American Crime Story (FX, 2016-2021)
A mixed bag. The OJ Simpson season is an all-time great. The Versace season was a disappointment to me and the Impeachment season was interesting but flawed. So #7 feels like the right spot.
6. American Idol (FOX/ABC, 2002-Present)
A phenomenon once upon a time, I haven't watched American Idol in years but still remember the excitement of those early years when it seemed like literally everyone was watching the show. One of the last true monoculture moments on TV.
5. Arrested Development (FOX/Netflix, 2003-2006/2018-2019)
It fell off in its Netflix years but the three season FOX run is one of the most inventive and funny TV shows in history with iconic characters and performances.
4. The Americans (FX, 2013-2018)
While uneven at times, this gripping Cold War thriller had incredible performances from Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys at the center. And when it was at its best, it produced heart pounding suspense.
3. The Andy Griffith Show (CBS, 1960-1968)
The best of the rural comedies of the 60s, The Andy Griffith Show was a slice of life comedy in one of the most idyllic settings - the fictional town of Mayberry with its wacky group of characters and Griffith's straight-laced sheriff who kept it all together.
2. Abbott Elementary (ABC, 2021-Present)
The best sitcom on network TV for several years running, Abbott Elementary has proven the value of a broadcast format for sitcoms. As a teacher by trade, I am often judgmental of shows that depict schools but Abbott has done so much good for the profession.
1. American Dreams (NBC, 2002-2005)
If you've read my blog a long time, this will come as no surprise. A very underrated TV drama, this is one of those forgotten treasures but I will never forget as it is an all-time favorite for me combining the upheaval of the 60s with a warm family drama.
PILOT RE-REVIEW
This season, I am traveling back in time to the 2010-11 season, the first season I did this blog. I will be re-reviewing the pilots from that season, at least as many as I can find!
Original Review: Click Here!
What I Think Now: Mr. Sunshine is a show with so many great pieces (particularly, the cast) that just didn't come together in the pilot. Despite the thread of Matthew Perry being involved in every scene, there's a feeling of each character being in a different show. Is it the wacky and almost surreal sitcom he's doing with Allison Janney? Or the slick workplace comedy with James Lesure or the romantic comedy with Andrea Anders or the juvenile bro comedy with Nate Torrance? I think part of the problem was the characters pretty much interacted only with Perry and not really with each other in the pilot so there was no gelling of tone or feel to the show. Matthew Perry is really an unlikable character here but he's doing the same type of comedy he became famous for so the character has the feel of being a "mean Chandler" and that just doesn't work. There's very little redeeming qualities for his character in the pilot. Allison Janney seemed to be having a blast here playing a pretty ridiculous character after years of being buttoned up on The West Wing. But again, she's in an entirely different show even though she's giving it her all. The setting is fun, the actors are good, Matthew Perry can be likable. The baseline of all those things make this an OK show compared to some clunkers but compared to expectations or what it could have been, it was a gigantic miss.
What Happened to the Show: Mr. Sunshine was a highly anticipated show as it was Matthew Perry's first return to a sitcom since Friends (he was also part of the high profile flop drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip but that's for another day). The show encountered a lot of problems before it even premiered so it had the reputation of a "problem show" by the time the first episode aired. The series, which premiered after the huge hit Modern Family, got a strong sampling for the premiere but the ratings dropped quickly from there. Critics seemed to hedge their bets at first but soon realized it wasn't going to get better. It was cancelled officially in May with four episodes (that were never originally scheduled) left to air. Before his untimely death in October 2023, Perry would have two more comedy attempts in the 2010s with his one season run on the better received Go On on NBC and a three season run of the reboot of The Odd Couple on CBS, which was slightly more popular but not well received from critics.
COMING UP
With the Olympics kicking off on Friday and the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, it is a quiet week for premieres. Thursday has the fourth season premiere of The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix. The series has already been renewed for a fifth season. On Super Bowl Sunday, Peacock has the premiere of The 'Burbs, based on the 1989 film. The series will undoubtedly get a lot of promotion during NBC's Super Bowl coverage. The series stars Keke Palmer, Jack Whitehall, Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch and Kapil Talwalker so there are some comedy vets among the cast.
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