In my book, "30 Rock" deserves all the accolades it gets — it's a total trip. I'd hate to have it and HIMYM in a deathmatch, because I think they're mining two different veins of comedy, and I'd be crushed if either disappeared.

Tonight's episode was indeed very good. Isn't it comforting to see these shows returning to their distinctive voices, almost as if they never left?

That makes so much more sense. It's totally wonderful either way, though.

Alt-text.

I think the different writers approach recapping differently — some do more than others — so this complaint is probably best addressed on the specific show threads rather than to the TV Club at large. There's no TV Club handbook that mandates a certain level of recapping.

We love THE MIDDLEMAN, and I have to thank the commenters here for pointing us in its direction. A few of the TV writers we read weren't as high on it as y'all were, so we hadn't given it a chance before your recommendation. And it has made our lives so much brighter.

It's not complete, but here's a start at that primer …

Sounds like we need an Archers primer. I'd start with I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING!, which is sheer delight and one of their most accessible works.

Not being covered because I relied on the list of Season 2 episodes on Wikipedia to make my schedule, not on the TOC for the DVD.

Not any more theater background than the average high school musical geek. I just like taking things apart to see how they work. I'm an analysis nerd.

Yes! One blocking point to Ukridge.

I believe in you, Bucky Calloway.

Canaller?
Are you on vacation or something? We're all waiting!

Oh, God, that's a brilliant bit.

Somebody mentioned "Wichita Lineman" above, and when I get to that episode I will wear a sad face. Because "Wichita Lineman" not only does not suck, but is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and I love it with every fiber of my being.

Yeah! You know … around 1995!

It was indeed a great scene. Very well played and conceived. So June in the Hamptons rather than Hawaii is the dealbreaker, huh? I would have thought something like that could be worked out.

I get prouder every day. Though you know, having one's life partner called names all the time kinda gets one's dander up. Murphy is an ugly, ugly word.

Nah, they started doing that in the early 90's when SoundScan came in, several years before the internets hit the big time. Meaning that they had always been doing that, but we never knew it because the data was hidden behind a big smokescreen of payola and crap.

No. He was funny and effective (and menacing in that authoritarian pseudo-dad way), but not charismatic. I just don't think that was supposed to be part of his character — he's clearly not trying to win the kids over.