TV.com

show: Six Feet Under

The Bottom Line: "Superb"

Six Feet Under may be one of my favorite shows of all time. Here is why:

SFU has a great ensemble cast. They are all truly gifted actors that pull the audience into the lives of their characters. It is easy to forget when watching one of these amazing episodes that it is just that: a television show. Simply put, the characters are complex rather than the normal "simple" character than has only one real role and purpose. SFU's cast goes through many different stages, just as we all do in the real world. Sometimes the changes are good, but sometimes they are almost unbearable and life-altering. It is life. With this being said, I should tie in the that writing is also sensational, as the writers are the ones responsible for dreaming up these characters and their situations.

The creator(s)of this show went out on a limb to create a show around a family that owns a funeral home. You have to be brave to "go there" as many critics and viewers may find death and all of its components offensive or too much of a taboo.

Also, it is entertainig. I love to see what will happen next. Very few shows leave me feeling that way anymore. I have to appreciate it when I find it, and I have definitely found something with Six Feet Under.

show: Supernanny

The Bottom Line: "Good"

Supernanny is an interesting show because I both love it and hate it. I hate to see kids behaving in such terrible manners and parents so clueless as to how the problem should be dealt with, but I love seeing JoJo being blunt with everyone involved. Sometimes I get so aggrivated at the kids and their behavior that I want to turn the channel because they are actually getting under my skin! I also often feel the need to slap a parent and say "do something about your kids!" I guess the show is working because it is getting a reaction out of its viewers.

I don't know if parents can learn from watching the show, but I would admit that it could be possible to use some of the tactics displayed. It certainly couldn't hurt...or could it?

show: The Flintstones

The Bottom Line: "Superb"

The Flinstones is a great show that everyone can enjoy. I, personally, grew up watching this cartoon and still get a kick out of it whenever I manage to catch it on television. The stories are great and easy to enjoy. They are not fluff, but also not an attempt to be a "brainy" series. I can definitely appreciate this.

I understand that this show was a parody of the Honeymooners, which I must add I have never seen, and I respect the creators for taking a black and white sitcom and transforming it into an animated series. However they did it, it worked.

This is a show that I hope my own children will grow to love one day, so that we can sit together and share the experience.

show: Mama's Family

episode: Family Feud

The Bottom Line: "Superb"

This episode is hilarious as Mama and the gang try to win big bucks on the Family Feud. Often times when sitcoms branch off into another arena it flops miserably, but this was an exception to that rule. It felt both like a Mama's Family episode, AND a Family Feud episode. It really didn't seem out of character for either show, which made it all the more enjoyable.

The VanCourtland family is classic! You love to hate them and their "perfect" lives. They serve as the perfect opponents for the Harper family. Dysfunction vs. function. Who will win?

I also loved Richard Dawson and his reactions to both families. He is a natural for sure. He plays off of these characters just as he did when he hosted Family Feud. Definitely an episode that one can watch over and over and still enjoy the comic genius of the writers and actors.