4 Reasons Not To Watch 100 Questions

This summer has brought the restless masses yet another bland romantic comedy, NBC’s 100 Questions. It’s boring, predictable, and hopeless only one of the many reasons not to watch. But in case you haven’t been convinced yet, here are four more reasons not to waste your leisure time on this series:

1) Cookie Cutter Characters

American Television has seen many stereotypical characters come and go. Whether it’s the action flick or the horror film, we buffs know our stuff. So it’s no surprise when I say the characters in 100 questions are run-of-the-mill. There’s the dumb girl, the crazy smarty-pants, the kind one that just can’t find love, the good-at-heart richie, and the sweet geek. You name the most average characters, 100 Questions has them. All I can say is “get me someone more relatable.” I don’t know about you but I haven’t met anyone remotely like this “average” TV crew. Please, get us some fun characters, like Tom from Parks and Recreation or House from, well, House.

2) Mirror Mirror

Talk about déjà vu! Only five episodes have been released and I already feel like I’m watching What I Like About You all over again. This entire series is a horrible mashup of Bridget Jones’ Diary and Friends, complete with a British protagonist aching for love. For goodness sake, stop being a reflection of the other famous pieces in this genre and get some personality.

3) Stuck in the Past

Cliché lines complete with the same fake repeated scenery leave the viewer in a blast from the past. The 90s era playbook that this series follows just doesn’t cut it with an audience accustomed to The Office and True Blood. 100 Questions needs to get with the program because it can’t stand a chance against everyone else when it’s so reliant on the things (mainly clichés and plotlines) we’re already sick of.

4) Definitely not written by Shakespeare

You’d think that if they’ve made the show so generic they would at least polish it. Not the case. This series is a complete mess. We know who’ll end up with who, not because of the character hints or on screen chemistry but because of the huge ugly bricks that the screenwriters throw at us. We don’t want to leave the poor protagonist with the womanizing Mr. rich because it just doesn’t fit but the writers keep pushing it on us. News Flash! The scenes that are meant to be soooo romantic are actually really awkward because rich boy and Ms. Protagonist have no foundation for a real relationship. The creation of romance is like the building of a house, brick by brick. The writers don’t understand this and seem intent on dropping the roof on us viewers without a single brick cemented in place.

If you’re ravenous for more…

With the spring finales of our favorite shows long gone all of us are desperately looking for new programs to satiate our hunger for more. Having trouble finding you’re media fix? Look no further. Here are just a few of my favorite shows in a cornucopia of genres:

Comedy: Spaced

Another wonderful present for the Brits, this show revolves around two down and out friends that try to get back on their feet by pretending to be a couple in order to rent a much needed apartment. With crazy neighbors and odd acquaintances they travel through their everyday lives, which aren’t so average after all. Starring, among others, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Kate Ashfield (all Shaun of the Dead alums) this program is sure to leave you roaring with laughter.

(Entire series now available on Hulu.com)

Action: Archer

Though I must admit, it’s as much a comedy as it is an action series, Archer is still the perfect alternative to Burn Notice. Surrounding the life of Archer, a special agent, this television program, though animated, is filled with gore and as much vulgarity as It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Different yet still mainstream, if you crave something wildly more hilarious and hard hitting than Family Guy watch Archer.

(Season One available on Hulu.com)

Thriller: Persons Unknown

Dark and haunting, Persons Unknown hits the ground running: seven people find themselves trapped in a mysterious and deserted town against their will. Fighting to free themselves they’re subjected to horrifying situations and are forced to befriend one another. If you’ve ever wished for an extended episode of The Twilight Zone, here’s your answer.

(First few episodes on Hulu.com)

Drama: The Gates

Follow the life of The Gates, a community where vampires, werewolves, and witches attempt to live in peace. Until one day, a nosy detective arrives in town, digging up some of the residents darkest secrets. Though only two episodes have been released so far, you’re sure to be hooked. Warning: If you’re sick of Twilight-mania this show may not be for you.

(First episodes available on Hulu.com)

Foreign: My Lovely Sam-Soon

By far one of the most popular television shows in Asia, My Lovely Sam-Soon will at once make you laugh, cry, and smile. A gem of a program, its premise appears to be delightfully simple but quickly transforms into something far more intricate, leaving the audience wondering what could possibly happen next. A romantic comedy of great proportions, this Korean series will leave you speechless.

(Entire series available on Hulu.com)

Reality: Scare Tactics

Who can resist a series in which the entire point is simply to freak an unsuspecting someone out of their wits? Scare Tactics makes everyone’s childhood fears of monsters and evil clowns a reality, managing to garner a variety of responses from terrified victims in doing so. Though it may not be the first in the category of “fake situation” TV such as Punked, it certainly takes the genre to new heights. Watch if you dare!

(Multiple episodes on Hulu.com)

Greenwing: A hilariously quirky don’t-miss series

Perhaps one of the most overworked words when it comes to today’s media industry is “quirky”. Everything is quirky: the mega hit Glee, the waning Office, the fantastic Burn Notice. The truth is, though these programs do have there own places, their anything but. Since when are high schoolers singing show tunes a different take? Answer: they aren’t. Glee, though wonderful in its own right, is a frappe of a John Hughes flick and High School Musical. The Office was quirky when it was the lone U.K. version, but then came the U.S. version. And though the American Office is, or was, a great show, the evolution of Parks and Recreation as well as Kath and Kim has made it just another one of the guys. Burn Notice? Its generic episodes are filled with soooooo many clichés that it was never quirky to begin with.

But finally, here’s a series that makes you laugh at things you never could have before. Greenwing is one of those rare comedies you come across once in a long while. An absolute hit, this comedy is simply another trophy on the wall of BBC’s successes. Focusing on main characters as delightfully quirky as the series itself, this program is unparalleled by any United States series I’ve seen so far. With touches of romance, vulgarity, and even sadness this comedy is the perfect recipe for a fun night in.

Though I must admit, it wasn’t an instant win with me, by the third episode I was hooked. The first episode, though funny, devotes most of its efforts to guiding the viewer through the hallways of the central hospital and introducing the eccentric cast of characters. Though it may be a bit tedious and even (on very rare occasions) downright confusing, take heart it’s all more than worth it.

The characters, some of which might seem abrasive or strange at first, quickly pull the audience into the story, which inevitably allows you to shed the detached, almost voyeuristic, feeling that you carried through the first episodes. Soon you find yourself on a twisted rollercoaster ride, feeling deeply for the protagonist and loving the characters you were sure you would hate, the definition of a great show. And when it’s all said and done you keep wishing hulu forgot to upload a season, or at least an episode, because you want so much more.

Check out Greenwing. The entire series is available on Hulu.com where you can view it for free! You won’t be disappointed!

------------------------------------------------------------------------What a Critic

What’s your definition of a great show? Leave an answer in the comment section below.

THE LAST AIRBENDER: One too many airbenders for me

Note to Mr. Shyamalan: please make The Last Airbender your last movie

Stars: 0.5


I’ve never been one to pull a stale pun out of my pocket, let alone two, but this movie really deserves an awkwardly sad response. In the immortal words of Seth Myers and Amy Poehler: “REALLY?!”. I walked into this movie as if I’d had 5 cappuccinos. I was ready to have my mind blown to bits… but this?! I felt so dirty after seeing this horrible horrible mess. So M. Night, here’s what was wrong with your film:

Once the trailers for this much anticipated movie arrived the first problem hit me. How is it possible for such a long and intricate first season to be captured in a two hour (three hour tops) film? As a follower and big fan of Avatar The Last Airbender (the cartoon series) this was automatically a big question. Each episode in the animated series built upon the individual character, pasting new traits, feelings, and back-stories into their biographies. Through these episodes the viewer was able to wedge themselves in the story, as is true in every series whether animated or not. This of course is one of the reasons that television shows have the upper hand over movies: the characters are allowed more room to blossom into a heroine with a dramatic past or a villain with never ending determination. Consequently, for any movie this is an issue, a problem the director and screenwriter must artfully solve. If a director is skilled enough this unraveling act will be wonderful.

I kept telling myself that this movie was going to be The Sixth Sense Shyamalan not The Happening Shyamalan. That the relationship I had developed with the TV series Ang, Katara, and Sokka after hours in front of the television screen would be the same as the one I would make with these three after watching the movie. But in this case both director and screenwriter Shyamalan failed. I had deluded myself and the problem I had originally foreseen took its throne, to my great sadness. It was painfully obvious that the director had been overwhelmed with the possible content and that the screenwriting was atrocious. The movie rushed so fast from point A to point B to Point C, something the original series had more than ten hours to do but the movie had less than two hours for. In this mad frenzy to define the plot and action, every single character was lost in a blizzard of special effects.

None of the actors were able to hold their own, especially the protagonist. This in part was due to the stiff cold dialogue brought to you by screenwriter Shymalan but mostly the cardboard acting. None of the actors were up to par and I mean none. They delivered their dialogue as if they were eating paste and had either no emotion when it was needed, the wrong emotion at the wrong time, or were just too emotional all the time. The biggest disappointment was Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire fame, though he was by far the best actor in the film, the lesser of two evils, he was still an evil none-the-less. As a villain with what some people would call “daddy issues”, Patel only manages to deliver a two dimensional performance for what should have been the most complicated character in the entire series. Though this film had wonderful special effects (finally something positive!) it did not by any means soar, call me old fashioned but I like my movies with at least a C grade script and plot. Sorry to all the animated series fans, but this film is by no means what it could have been.

The Actors: were certainly a bad pick
The Screenplay, Plot, and Dialogue: left the audience feeling empty and dazed
The Director: had way too much on his plate and, as illustrated by the product, couldn’t quite manage.