American Horror Story on fX

It's creepy and it's spooky...and altogether kooky. But unlike the Addams Family, this new macabre drama on fX is short on humor and crazier than a bag full of bats.

The main character is a haunted house with a very troubled past. This Victorian fixer upper has been the venue for some nasty stuff, including the murders of two little red haired juvenile delinquents and a stylish gay couple who left behind some cool leather outfits in the attic.

The show takes place in Southern California, the least likely place for a scary old home unless you count the ride at Disneyland or the equally fake Magic Castle in the Hollywood Hills. A new family moves in and of course they are escaping their own dark past which includes (yawn) infidelity and a more interesting and sad stillbirth.

The cast is astonishingly good for TV. Connie Britton plays Vivian the mom, with Dylan McDermott as the family patriarch who is also a therapist. The amazing Francis Conroy (Six Feet Under) plays a maid with a mesmerizing lazy eye. Violet is the teenage daughter (by law every new TV show must have a teenage daughter) who is already being bullied to death at her L.A. gulag of a high school. Her new friend is a troubled boy named Evan who gets my vote as the most likely kid to go full out Columbine for the new television season.

After only one episode, American Horror already has a breakout character (Constance) played by Jessica Lange. How is it possible that they snagged a two time Oscar winner for this cable television drama? Lange is absolutely terrific as the fading actress and menacing mom from next door. She's a drama queen with a Downs syndrome daughter and a Tennessee Williams southern drawl. Rounding out the cast is Denis O'Hare, who has been so compelling as the evil vampire king on True Blood. Here he plays Larry the ex-con and arsonist with his own secrets to hide about the haunted house.

I would watch this program every week for Jessica Lange alone, but there is so much more to like about it. There hasn't been a really interesting murder/horror series on TV since Twin Peaks, and I am so ready for this one to be a winner. Having grown up in a 200 year old haunted house myself, I can say they never really lose their drafty appeal. And anyway, Halloween is coming, so it's a great time to give it a try. American Horror Story is on fX, Wednesday nights at 10pm.

"Louie" -- Exceeding Expections on the FX Network

We called Louis C.K. a genius in our last post reminding you of his series' second season, and after watching last night's episode "Pregnant" we reaffirm our assessment.  Louie is a series utterly without peer -- no, actually, I would put the most profoundly affecting episodes of Ricky Gervais' series The Office (the original British version) and Extras in the same league, and a few other things.  Louie makes other half-hour comedy series, even the less-traditional ones from HBO (Hung, Entourage) or Showtime (Nurse Jackie, The Big C), seem like they're missing something.  They are -- they're missing Louis C.K., whose skill, openness, truth, and guilelessness as a performer takes his work in Louie to a level that's simply astounding.

It's hard to imagine anyone -- except Gervais, who happens to be a friend of LCK, no surprise there -- able to take the exquisite pain of being a human being and turn it into an entertainment that manages to be simultaneously -- or in sequence sometimes -- hilarious, shocking and brutal, unblinkingly honest, and tremendously affecting.  Watching last night's episode of Louie pushes you through a journey that will genuinely bring tears to your eyes -- and not in some bullshit way -- as well as offering up scatalogical glee, comedic zingers, and some of the best acting that you're going to see, anywhere.  From his scenes doing stand-up, then to the great kitchen action as LCK handily and fascinatingly prepares a fabulous-looking dinner for his two young daughters (the youngest of whom delivered an earlier stark assessment of their family life to him), and on to those with Rusty Schwimmer playing his very pregnant sister, to the genuinely tense medical emergency moments where he meets his neighbors, and beyond -- last night's episode was incredible.  No other word for it. 

There's nothing like Louie.  It's the most astounding half-hour comedy out there, but we really need to invent another term for this hybrid program type.  It's even beyond the brilliant ensemble work of a show like Nurse Jackie, which is hardly ordinary yet actually pales in comparison with Louis C.K.'s vision in Louie.  This series is testament to LCK's brilliance as a writer and as a performer, along with his undeniable skills as director and editor, two more positions he fills on Louie.  Like Gervais, he's got a perfect ear for life's absurdities as well as its sublime satisfactions, including last night's ruminations on family, friendship, and the need for connections. 

Not for everybody, not even close -- don't watch if you don't like profanity perfectly delivered -- but truly unforgettable.  How can something this good be on television?  Kudos to FX for getting behind this wonderful series and for helping bring Louie into the world.  And the most profound thanks and gratitude to Louis C.K. for going that extra step where few performers ever dare tread, primarily because most others wouldn't know what to say once they were truly out there.  Louis C.K. does.  He knows exactly what to say, and you'll be missing so much if you don't watch and listen.

Visit FX's terrific Louie site (with lots of interesting extras) for more info and the schedule, though I can only find airtimes on Thursday nights, starting at 10:30p with several encores later.

"Louie" Season 2 Begins Tonight on FX!

You know we love him here -- the amazing Louis C.K. -- and we also love that the second season of his hilariously morose, absurd, moving and superb half-hour series Louie starts tonight at 10:30pm on FX Network.  Like a lot of LCK's comedy, Louie is strange and complex, with an off-center sensibility that is utterly winning and completely mesmerizing. 

We highly recommend that you tune into this very unique half hour of TV.  We can't completely guarantee that you'll like it, of course -- sense of humor is such a personal value that maybe Louis C.K. won't tickle your particular funnybone -- but we do assure you that you will be seeing a genius in action.

Visit the official Louie website for more information!

FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Returns Tonight!

FX's outrageous and hilarious comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadephia returns tonight for its 6th season. Crazier and more subversive than anything else on TV -- except maybe FX's own recent Louie starring Louis C.K., and much funnier than anything calling itself a comedy on the pay nets -- IASiP might be something that you're not watching yet, despite 58 episodes since its August 2005 premiere. When you watch something like this you realize how tame network sitcoms are (and probably should be), but if you crave something with a very high laugh-per-minute score and a very low good taste level, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia will hit you just about right.



If you're not familiar with the show, all you really need to know is that it takes place at Paddy's Irish Pub, a ratty bar in South Philadelphia. Created by co-stars Rob McElhenney (Mac), Glenn Howerton (Dennis) and Charlie Day (Charlie), the series also features McElhenney's real-life wife Kaitlin Olson as Sweet Dee and Danny DeVito as Frank, Dennis and Dee's rich and enthusiastically eccentric father. All are superb, with veteran DeVito absolutely at home and completely delightful in these utterly raucous surroundings, and especially so in his scenes with Charlie Day. Frank and Charlie are roommates in Charlie's small and scabrous apartment, sharing a bed and getting into some great physical comedy with their wonderfully lowbrow antics.

Actually, most of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is aggressively lowbrow and that's what keeps the anarchic comedy energy bubbling throughout every episode. Never afraid to tackle
crude, lewd, or usually verboten subject matter -- abortion, sexual molestation, welfare recipients, religious fervor, cancer, the mentally challenged, cannibalism, pooping, public masturbation and so on -- IASiP so consistently delivers the laughs that all is forgiven. Even though they're kind of hard on felines in several episodes -- but I did love the way Dennis became super-enamored of the junkyard cat who was pressed into service as "Agent Bauer" when he and Frank became fake policemen -- they're equally as hard on babies, gays, homeless people, priests, gangsters, mothers, and everybody else.



All five seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are available on DVD, used to be available on Hulu, and can undoubtedly be found around the web if all other sources prove fruitless, and you should also visit the FX official show site here. There's a fun make-your-own-trailer mash-up feature to play with, and many other clips and background info for your enjoyment. For a crash-course in all things Sunny, check out their Season 6 viewer guide, too.

We're not going to claim that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is for everybody. If you like your comedy polite and contrite, this show isn't for you. If you want gentle titters and soft rippling chuckles, also not so much for you. However, if you're looking for belly laughs and spit takes, this show has "YOU" written all over it.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has its 6th Season premiere tonight at 10pm on FX. Encores seem to be scattered around the schedule, including Fridays at 1am, Saturdays at 12:30am, and maybe somewhere else but unfortunately FX runs so much Paid Programming that's hard to suss it out. We hate when real networks run Paid Programming. It's degrading and incredibly off-putting. No wonder people go to the web to watch TV -- so often the networks are wasting hours when they could be presenting their shows and instead running really crappy Direct Response ads. Not. Good. Ever.

But don't despair! It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is back! All Hail the DayMan!

Louis CK. We. Just. Love. Him.

Flaming Nose founders (Lisa and Jane) have long considered hot comics as rulers of the media roost when it comes to sex appeal. Leading men like Brad Pitt and George Clooney? Yeah, they're pretty but whatever. Clever hunks like the Old Spice Dude (Isaiah Mustafa)? Nice, but what would we actually DO with him. Don't answer that.

The truth is, what really floats our boat and leads us to all manner of interesting obsessive-compulsive behaviors, are the funny ones. We've gone nuts for Ricky Gervais hosting award shows and Jermaine from Flight of the Conchords makes us giddy. Eddie Izzard is a cross dresser, do you think that quells our passion for him one tiny bit? And we don't care how chunky Alec Baldwin gets on 30 Rock; let him cough up a one liner about the Peacock network and we swoon. Smart and funny...funny and smart. Bring on the dark wit to light up our day. Humor + brains = Flaming Nose aphrodisiac.

So without further ado, I would now like to declare our eternal devotion for Louis CK, the hottest comedian in the U.S.A. starring on the best (and weirdest) comedy on TV (Louis: Tuesdays at 11pm on fX). Is he funny? I've fallen off the couch laughing so many times, I should pad the floor. Is he smart? He's the Einstein of comedy. Is he gorgeous? Who the hell cares? Anyway he's got that Irish looking thing going on, which works for me. His TV show is also wonderfully nuanced and the writing is sublime. We get real pathos and brilliant characters along with the laughs. And I'm here to say that I don't just love Louis. I also like him a lot and wish he was my neighbor so I could invite him to a BBQ.

This week's amazing episode saw Louis flying from NYC to the deep south to do a stand up gig. It was like "Airport" mixed with "Deliverance" with a sprinkle of "Seinfeld". Actually, it was nothing like any of those things, but it did involve a deeply disturbed Bubba cop in Alabama who needed a kiss. Don't ask...just watch.

If anyone would like to join The Flaming Nose for a big Louis CK love fest, please let us know. Go ahead and watch it on fX or Hulu or YouTube, then come back here and tell us what you think. But we saw him first, so hands off!

Louis CK: Sick, Surreal and Funnier than Anything I've Ever Seen on TV Before

A few weeks ago, Lisa gave us a terrific heads up for a new show on fX called Louis CK. It airs every Tuesday at 11pm, right after Rescue Me. For once the hyperbole in the promo is true....there is absolutely NOTHING like this show anywhere on TV. It is the darkest, funniest, raunchiest and in many ways most brilliant comedy I've ever seen on the small screen. This guy is a genius. But before you rush right over to fX this coming Tuesday, I have to offer a disclaimer. Louis CK is not for everyone. It's graphic, it's explicit. It's definitely not for kids. If you are sensitive about R+ rated programming (plenty of sex and language...no violence), you better give Louis a wide berth.



I've seen two episodes so far and both made me choke they were so funny. Louis plays himself (stand up comic) but also a divorced Dad of two kids who is trying to re-enter the dating scene with horrific, disastrous results. On one encounter, his blind date keeps him waiting outside in the hall, where he is flashed by a naked octogenarian. There's a tiny glimpse of that psychotic moment in the promo below. In another episode, he plays poker with his other stand up buddies, and one of them starts a soliloquy about sex that is uncomfortable, screaming out loud funny and ultimately poignant. You have to see it to believe it. Or not, because...gotta mention that disclaimer again folks.... this is for mature audiences only.

Louis C.K. Has a New Show on FX Tonight!

If the brilliance of Denis Leary isn't enough for you tonight -- and even if it is -- stay tuned on FX following Rescue Me tonight for the premiere of actor/comedian/writer Louis C.K.'s new half-hour series, called simply and perfectly Louie. This could be the ideal chaser to Rescue Me and its dark comic delights; Louis C.K. plays (or really is, probably) a smart guy, not bitter exactly but certainly cynical and skeptical of the feel-good excesses of modern life. He's also no kid, so the aging process is up for grabs as material, something that will especially appeal to viewers in the same saggy state of affairs.

He plays Louie, a stand-up comedian and a divorced father of two little girls. Sounds typical, but Louis C.K. is anything but, and though we've heard that the first episode isn't as strong as subsequent segments, we think this show should be on your must-watch list. If you love New York you'll be extra-pleased, as the show is filmed on location in Louie C.K.'s favorite city.

Louie being helmed and starring Louis C.K., the language promises to be explicit and for adults-only, so don't be alarmed. The series is on FX, so expect the unexpected for basic cable. If Louie goes beyond where Rescue Me ventures, content-wise, that's a very profane place and I can't wait. Showtime's TrueBlood may have twisty-headed vicious vampire revenge sex (in this past Sunday's episode), but what I'm looking forward to is some salty and sardonic dialogue from one of the most entertaining and enlightening comic minds on the scene today. There's a bit of savagery in Louis C.K., but we like that. He's also a terrific actor and an appealing personality, and we're rooting for this series to cut through the more mundane stuff out there.

FX has a good website for Louie. A long visit there is highly recommended for behind-the scenes info and other content, including an informative, interactive and highly-detailed look at Louie's New York.

We're not the only folks who like Louis C.K.; for more positive words about the premiere of FX's Louie check out these sites: Salon.com had a good review by Heather Havrilesky, TV.com has a good selection of clips and info, The Wall Street Journal online also featured an interesting Q & A with him.

Congrats to Louis C.K. for the premiere of Louie tonight, and kudos to FX for bringing it to us!

Still Waiting to be Rescued by Tommy Gavin

Season six of Rescue Me, the dark FDNY saga, begins tomorrow night (June 29th) on fX at 10PM. The new season picks up after last year's cliff hanger close, with Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) about to join the ghosts that have plagued his life since this series began. He's been shot in his local saloon and now the white light approaches.

Here on the Flaming Nose, we've had many discussions about who rules the roost among TV's bad boys. Contenders have included Dr. House on Fox, Dexter the serial killer on Showtime and Walter White, the meth dealing Science teacher from Albuquerque (AMC). I have always hypothesized that Tommy Gavin is the most compelling sociopath in the group, mostly because his type is so common. It's unlikely that we'll ever run across a Dexter or Walter
White in real life. That kind of true duplicity (friendly family man by day, killer by night) is mercifully rare outside of television. Tommy G., on the other hand, is an archetype that walks among us. He cheats (on everyone...his family, his friends, his co-workers), he drinks to excess,
he has extreme difficulty forming any kind of emotional attachment to fellow human beings. From time to time his job calls him to run into flaming buildings to save complete strangers. He's heroic, yet anhedonic. He cares enough to risk his life for strangers, yet is incapable of showing the slightest warmth to family and lovers. He would probably be completely unpalatable, were it not for his pitch black and pitch perfect, charming NY Irish wit. While we ponder Tommy's emotional pathology, we are also laughing our asses off over his latest banter with the boys in the firehouse.

Looking forward to how Mr. Gavin will resolve his continued substance abuse this season, and we are especially eager to welcome back the excellent ensemble cast. John Scurti (Lou Shea) has long been our favorite, and he'll face his own life defining battles in the sixth season of Rescue Me.

Sons of Anarchy Returns to fX; Are You Along for the Ride?

Season two of Sons of Anarchy, the ultra violent motorcycle melodrama, races to fX next Tuesday (Sept 8th) at 10pm. Unless I've secretly had a brain transplant lately, there is no logical reason for why I would feel compelled to watch this program. I never watched the first season and I don't get motorcycle clubs. Much as I love Brando I've never once been able to make it all the way through The Wild Ones. Also, the thought of 50 motorcycles thundering through town makes me want to cover my ears. Which is weird, because the thought of 50 F-16 fighter jets doing a fly by over my head makes me want to scream with joy. As Uncle Teddy said on the season finale of Rescue Me last night, "She's all about the contradictions".

And maybe that's the point right there. With Rescue Me gone, there will be a Tuesday night television void to fill. Here's hoping that Charlie Hunnam who plays Jackson (Jax) Teller on SOA will be the one to fill it. He's another hottie from the UK who does a pitch perfect downscale American accent. And his filmography includes some highbrow titles such as "Cold Mountain" and "Children of Men". Katey Sagal also has a juicy role as Jackson's ruthless mother.

Here's a taste of season two with interviews from the cast. Should we turn down the volume next week and check it out?

Rescue Me Resurgence in Season Five

It's very rare for a TV series to lose its way several years into its life, and then come back with (in this case) a ferocious vengeance. Last year, Rescue Me (Tuesday night, 10pm on fX was foundering and lost. The series, which started as an inside look and homage to the humor and horror that NYC firemen (post 9-11) live every day, had gone off into a surreal, almost daytime soap opera zone that became, (even for this die hard fan) nearly unwatchable.

Thanks to Denis Leary's writing, producing and unfailing eye for the dark side of humor, Rescue Me is back. In fact, as a fan who has never missed a single episode, this is without question the best season ever.

The most recent episode, "Iceman", opened with the theatrical existentialism of Eugene O'Neil's The Iceman Cometh, where Tommy Gavin faced his demons and ghosts in a NYC bar. And it ended with more blood, fire, explosions, and drama than you would pay good money to see for one of those Jerry Bruckheimer action flicks at your local movie palace. In between, there was profane, swallow your tongue humor and...quite frankly...the best banter on TV.

Last week's episode found our beloved Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) tossing his AA chip for the siren call of ghosts and alcohol once again. This is not a new theme, and could have been tedious, except for a phenomenal moment between Tommy, and fellow firehouse buddy (and now room-mate) Lou. Confronting T. Gavin, Lou launches into a flaming put down of all his faults, and lays it on the line.

"Sober...you're a great fireman. And a selfish, spiteful, hit the nail on the head, no bullshit kind of guy. Drunk...you're a great fireman. And a selfish, spiteful, hit the nail on the head, no bullshit kind of guy. But funny. And I like funny."

This may be my favorite TV line of the season. Played by John Scurti (Lou), Shea is a revelation. He's a solid, hilarious, down-to-earth dude who seems more real than any other character on the series. I think he is sexy as hell, and I don't wonder why the mean French journalist was attracted to him. If she didn't give Lou a roll in the sheets, that's one more reason why folks here in the USA might resent the French. I hope Emmy award nominations are around the corner for both Denis Leary and Scurti this Fall.

This is superb television, and as we wait for some of our other favorites to come back, there isn't anything better on TV. Please visit the website too, as Denis Leary wants to funnel the recognition for this fantastic program into support for real life firefighters and their missions.

Don't Forget -- "Rescue Me" Season Five Premieres Tonight on FX!

As Jane reminded us here earlier, FX Network's prickly dramedy Rescue Me returns for its fifth season tonight, with a full order of 22 episodes on tap for us. Rescue Me tends to make every other drama seem a little anemic, don't you think, and it's Denis Leary's sexy and searing portrayal of troubled firefighter Tommy Gavin that sets this one on fire.

Here's an early review from today's New York Times -- can't wait to see Michael J. Fox in this exciting and often daring series!

Rescue Me airs at Tuesdays at 10pm on FX. Visit the Rescue Me website for great extras and more info.

Denis Leary Comes to the Rescue

Only one week left until Rescue Me returns to fX, Tuesday nights at 10pm. We all could use a savior these days, and this Denis Leary gem offers the best formula for escape from lives beset by lay-offs, buy-outs, and stimulus plans that have yet to stimulate.
The Rescue Me recipe for success should continue into Season Five, with noir humor, exasperating family drama and harrowing action scenes where someone usually falls head first into the smoking maw of a building engulfed in flames. Most of the popular ensemble group will return this season and plot lines will include a new hangout bar for the firefighters and Tommy Gavin's continuing battle for sobriety. Music will also continue to have a special role, with songs from hot NYC based band Apache Stone featured throughout the new season.

The Rescue Me website is worth a visit with plenty of wallpaper and screen saver downloads as well as some very iconic pictures of the cast taking over Manhattan, Godzilla style (see above). Leary is very committed to supporting real life firefighters; for more on that, the website has a special gallery.

I noticed this towering billboard for Rescue Me in Times Square last week and thought it looked right at home on the streets of New York as the dawn broke. It's hard to believe that Rescue Me, one of the first television programs to reference 9-11 as a serious part of its character's development, is now entering a fifth season. Although this series has had some frustrating plot lines (Tatum O'Neal as the endlessly inebriated sister saying "No No No" to rehab comes to mind) it's still
generally compelling and should be great escape programming in the coming weeks.

The First "Rescue Me" Minisode!

In case you missed its premiere this past Tuesday, here's Fast, the first of the brand-new minisodes of FX's Rescue Me, designed to keep us satisfied until the show returns for its 5th season with full episodes early next year. Need we mention that there is some salty language? It's one of the charms of this raunchy, hard-edged and addictive series starring the ferociously talented Dennis Leary. Rescue Me is a Flaming Nose Favorite, and of course you can catch up with the previous episodes via DVD.



There will be ten minisodes in all, unveiling each Tuesday night at 10pm. We also applaud the decision to allow these videos to be shared on websites and blogs. Good move, FX!

Enjoy!

Rescue Me 2007, Episode 1

I've been waiting for someone to blog about Rescue Me to I could send in comments about it, but alas, no one has contributed. I will offer my comments in bullet point format as I don't have the energy for sparkling prose tonight.

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT IT:

• Anything in the firehouse venue including the hockey vs basketball argument, the endless comic banter, the return of the chief with pizzas in hand, but excluding the new boring silver haired guy who wants to talk about propane.
• The outstanding special effects, element of surprise and edge of your seat drama of the exploding house and multiple cat rescue.
• The music...consistently weird and memorable throughout.

WHAT I HATED ABOUT IT:

• Any scene with the horrible, selfish, annoying and endlessly boring ex-wife.
• Any scene with the new plastic doll baby.
• Any scene with the horrible teenage daughter who takes after her mother.
• The stupid girl who saved Tommy Gavin. And I hate her dumb purple dress from Barneys.

I didn't really mind Tatum O'Neil and her porn obsession, but I wish they'd give her some better lines. It needs more focus on Kenny, he's the funniest guy on the series and always the most realistic.

Kind of a mixed beginning, but hope springs eternal that they'll iron out the wrinkles as the season goes along.

Rescue Me Returns

Those of you who live in NY or LA, may have noticed some interesting billboards trumpeting the return of Rescue Me on fX (Wednesday, 6-13-07 at 10pm). Am I the only one who thinks that Denis Leary is channeling the giant mother bug from the movie "Alien" in this picture? The long, muscular neck...the mouth opened wide enough to swallow almost an entire human. And those teeth! All it needs is a gooey strand of poisonous alien drool, dripping from his chin and ready to burn a hole through the deck of his fire engine. I'm not sure if it means that Rescue Me is going to have a sci-fi flavor this season, but boy-oh-boy, does Denis have an extra long neck. Stay tuned for the first episode Nose Fans!