Fall TV: Ghosted and The Mayor

They're both 30 minutes, they're both comedies, and they're both pretty great! Ghosted and The Mayor also both suffer from the same problem, but I expect they will improve with time so let's not harp on it.

So what the heck are these shows about? Let's get right to it.

Ghosted

From (fill in the blank whatever production companies), comes Ghosted, a paranormal comedy about "a cynical skeptic (Craig Robinson), and a genius “true believer” in the paranormal (Adam Scott), [who] are recruited by a secret government agency to look into the rampant “unexplained” activity in Los Angeles -- all while uncovering a larger mystery that could threaten the existence of the human race."

Well, that promo isn't too bad surprisingly, and gives a pretty good intro to the show. The big strength of Ghosted is the cast, of course. Craig Robinson (The Office) and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) are great comedic actors on their own and have pretty good chemistry together doing the old "mismatched guys who become reluctant partners and end up becoming friends" shtick.

I enjoy the basic conceit and everything to do with the secret government agency is fun, clever, and surprisingly not a drag. It's also nice to see Ally Walker again (you might remember her from Profiler) playing the agency head. She's brilliant, capable, and basically like a grown-up Hermione Granger if she ran the X-Files division of the FBI. I also appreciate the diversity of the cast, both in color and gender.


The Mayor

"Young rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) needs his big break. For years, he's toiled away in a small inner-city apartment, making music in his junk-filled bedroom closet. Tired of waiting for opportunity, Courtney cooks up the publicity stunt of the century: Running for mayor of his hometown in California to generate buzz for his music career. Unfortunately for Courtney, his master plan goes wildly awry, ending in the most terrifying of outcomes: An election victory. With the help of his mother (Yvette Nicole Brown, "Community") and friends, including Valentina ("Glee's" Lea Michele), Courtney will have to overcome his hubris if he wants to transform the struggling city he loves."

This one is super fun with a side of heart. The scripts have snap, crackle, and pop and Brandon Michael Hall is really good as the newly elected mayor. The idea of running for mayor starts out as a joke and a good PR stunt to drum up downloads of his rap album, but by the end of the pilot he's all in on the whole mayor thing and trying to improve the city for his neighbors and friends.

I know, I know, it sounds cheesy, but the pilot had several laugh out loud moments and Yvette Nicole Brown, who was hilarious in Community, strikes just the right balance of supportive, motivational, tough, and loving as Courtney's Mom. Seriously, she's just great. I'm also really enjoying Lea Michele as Courtney's chief of staff. The dialogue moves so fast you might think this was a show by Amy Sherman-Palladino, and Lea never misses a beat. No word yet on whether there will be a musical episode.

So what are the two faults that these shows have in common? Believe it or not, it's just the pacing. They both have somewhat involved concepts and the pilots had to get a lot of set-up out of the way. With only 30 minutes, they both hit the ground running and had to cover way too much ground for just a half hour show. The first few episodes just felt so rushed there was almost no room for the characters or audience to breathe. In the long run, with the plot and characters established, I have a feeling they'll both settle into something great, but for now just prepare yourself for the shows to speed through a lot of plot in the first couple episodes. Having said that, I'd recommend them both, especially if you need something light and funny.

Ghosted airs Sundays at 8:30 EST on FOX and The Mayor airs Tuesdays at 9:30 EST on ABC. Episodes of both series are available online at the network websites.

@midnight

I don't think I told you guys that At Midnight is my new favorite show, but At Midnight is my new favorite show. It is hosted by the totes adorbz Chris Hardwick, of Nerdist fame.

Hi, ladies. It's Pi Day.

I have been watching it for a few months now and I haven't told you to go watch it right now, but you should go watch it right now. 

Seriously, I liked this show before it was cool. Fo shizzle. My fangirldom reached new heights the other evening when Wil Wheaton, of TNG and internet fame, appeared on an episode the other evening and made fun of Florida.

I really do hope they have Patrick Stewart on as a guest at some point.

I don't even feel compelled to do any ab workouts anymore because I laugh so hard for the 23 or so minutes of this show. 

Basically, it's an improv game show, sort of on the order of Whose Line with less physical activity. And no props. I actually think they should add in props. I love props. Three comedians appear and are awarded points to their responses in categories based of whatever happened on the internet that day, and they can also be awarded points by saying something off-the-cuff that makes the audience laugh. Game categories are some assortment of: Rapid Refresh, FTW (final round), New Netflix Categories, Hashtag Wars, Confession Bear, Rich Cat or Poor Cat, Unfriend Me and suchlike. 

At Midnight airs, shockingly enough, at midnight, on Comedy Central, after Colbert. 

Awwww. She In Yo Class, Yo!

It is I, gentle readers! Arsenic Pie! Back from the netherworld of holidays, presents, and, yes, pie. So much pie, in fact, that I have not been able to roll myself from the couch to my computer due to my near-diabetic coma. So I apologize for my recent silence. But fear not!

It is now January and that means the return of many of our beloved programs since they went on hiatus during the bleak midwinter.

The first of the premieres that I have been looking forward to -- and there are many -- (OMG SEASON 4 OF DOWNTON ABBEY OMG YOU GUYS!!!) is Community. Yes, yes, it's true. Miss Arsenic Pie takes time away from her erudite Auntie Beeb costume dramas to watch comedy. I'm not a huge or dedicated Community fan like this devoted comrade, but this girl does love herself some Joel McHale. It's one of those shows where if I find it in reruns on TV on Comedy Central I will watch it. I long ago gave up on network comedies, but I found myself pleasantly surprised by how clever and -- okay, I'll say it -- how downright stinkin' meta it is. This show, along with Archer and Brooklyn 99, is starting to restore my faith in 'Murican comedy programming. 'Murica. McHale. Mostly McHale.

How is Joel McHale today? I don't know, but I'm sure he's fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

As you know, the show follows the exploits of Jeff (Cutie McHottie Joel McHale) as Jeff, the disbarred lawyer who is forced to attend community college as part of his court sentence. Along for the ride are Jeff's love interest, Britta (Gillian Jacobs); our favorite Trudy Campbell, Alison Brie, as Annie; the always hilarious Ken Jeong as psychotic Spanish instructor, Señor Chang;  the lovely and talented Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley; Jim Rash as Dean Pelton and, last but not least, Donald Glover and Danny Pudi as Troy and Abed, respectively. Also? True story. Jim Rash's Twitter handle is @RashisTVUgly. Look it up.

So, the plot of the season premiere features Jeff down on his luck after a failed attempt at being a morally upstanding lawyer. 

Jeff's super sleazy ex legal partner, Alan (Rob Effin Corddry) drops by to help Jeff out of his financial jam. Alan wants Jeff to help out with a lawsuit Alan is planning against Greendale. An engineer educated at Greendale designed a bridge that collapsed and Alan wants to sue Greendale, claiming it was Greendale's fault. Jeff doesn't have much of a choice, so he returns to Greendale in search of the engineer's records. He has a creepily hilarious encounter with Dean Pelton, and Jeff convinces Pelton that he's there to "help" Greendale. Jeff forms a "Save Greendale" committee, and coincidentally runs into his old study group, who are all hanging out in the old study room. Which also happens to be the new records office. It's also where Señor Chang is now living under house arrest.

Jeff tries to convince his former study group members to join a lawsuit against the school, with the claim that their lives are not better four years after they started at Greendale. Britta is a bartender; Abed is a computer programmer/ failed film director; Annie is pushing pills for a big pharma company; Yvette's husband left her again and took the kids (and the DVR with her 166 unwatched episodes of Bones); and Troy is waiting around for Abed to get rich off his new smartphone app so Troy can sue him. Solid plan. The gang starts arguing, and Jeff thinks he's convinced them all to join a class action lawsuit. He leaves to tell Alan that he's taking over the case, tells Alan he's not worth his prepared evil monologue, and whips Alan with his own tie. He returns to the study group to find that they've all made up, and they've made a collective decision. Jeff thinks they're all going to sue, but they reveal that they're all going to re-enroll at Greendale. REPILOT. Dean Pelton offers Jeff a job as a law professor, and the gang decides to burn their table. Any episode of any show that ends in a fire/pyrotechnics is a win for me. 

Stick around for episode 2, which features Abed having a mental breakdown over his attempt to determine whether Nicolas Cage is a good or bad actor. My Nic Cage is just me saying, "There's a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence." Abed puts this girl to shame. 

Community airs on The Peacock Thursday nights at 8 EST. The double-feature season premiere is available on demand.

Be sure to also catch McHale hosting The Soup Wednesdays at 10 on E!

You staged a robot fight?!?! In real life, the robot wins!!