Every now and again throughout our lives, we find ourselves in a brand new environment. For most of us, it usually takes a while before we fit in, if we ever do. At those times, we embody the trope known as the fish out of water. We're just flopping around trying to figure things out. This week, that's the topic for Thursday Movie Picks, chosen by our gracious host, Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves. The catch is that since this is the last Thursday of the month, we're actually talking about TV shows that fit the theme. No problem. Let's get to it.
The set-up has been used over and over again in sitcom history - take a poor person and drop him/her into a rich neighborhood. Seldom has it been done so well. In this case, the poor person is a kid from Philly named Will Smith. Yes silly, that's the name of the actor AND the character. After a couple of guys started making trouble in the neighborhood, he got in one little fight and his mom got scared and said, "You're moving with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air." Seriously, if you don't know the lyrics to the theme song, our chance for a meaningful relationship is slim, at best.
Tropes don't always follow the strictest guidelines. Sometimes, there's a twist. In the case of this show we're sticking with the poor kid, rich environment thing, to an extent. Our protagonist, a fictionalized version of show creator Chris Rock, is a kid growing up in a loving, but struggling Brooklyn family. He's also bussed across town to attend a nearly all-white school. He's something of a social outcast in both places. The show has lots of fun with purposeful and casual racism, poverty, and all sorts of familial situations to produce an abundance of wittiness, but rarely heaviness.
This time, we have a trio of fish. The Freemans, brothers Huey and Riley along with their grandfather have just moved from the 'hood into the predominantly white suburbs. Granddad is as old school as it gets, and Riley is pure street kid. Huey is more or less the lead and is an uncompromising militant. This leads to lots of clashing of cultures, and ideology, with loads of pop culture references serving as plots, and plenty of insight into all of it. Everything is done with anime, kung-fu movie, and hip-hop inspired flare. Fair warning to any who haven't seen it, even though this is animated it is definitely not for kids. Fun fact: the incomparable Regina King provides the voice for both Huey and Riley.
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THE CARLTON SHOW!!!!!!!! I love that show. As a Hispanic, I grew up on this show and yeah, Will was meant to be the cool one but I thought Carlton was much cooler and I love Uncle Phil. Pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes.
ReplyDeleteThe Boondocks is underrated and more timely now in its commentary on black culture as well as calling out on many of its flaws.
The Carlton Show, indeed. Uncle Phil, and the first Aunt Viv were great. The second Aunt Viv...uh...meh.
DeleteThe Boondocks is so timely, always has been. It's one of my all-time faves.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is just perfect for this week! It holds up so well even now and still has one of the best theme songs ever. Someone requested it at my wedding and we all got on the dance floor to sing it :D
ReplyDeleteThe best theme song. I wish I could have seen that at your wedding.
DeleteWe match on Fresh Prince! I've seen a few episodes of the Boondocks, but never watched the entire show. Same with Everyone Hates Chris.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to see more of the other shows. I really love them both.
DeleteFresh Prince is quite funny. I haven’t seen your other 2 but I heard nothing but great things about Hates Chris. One day I will have a sit and watch it.
ReplyDeleteI really hope you give it a go. It's a very fun show.
DeleteI watched Fresh Prince on occasion but prefer Will Smith when he moved to the big screen.
ReplyDeleteChris Rock's show was aptly named, I'm one of those who hates him.
I've heard of Boondocks but never watched an episode, it's animated....is this a surprise!
My first thought is my first pick, very much the definition of this week's theme. The other two were ones I watched as a kid, though I loved the first of the two much more than the second.
Northern Exposure (1990-1995)-Fresh from his residency at a big city hospital native New Yorker Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) discovers he is contractually obligated due to a student loan agreement to practice in Alaska for the next four years. Expecting to be on staff in Anchorage he is livid when he discovers that instead he is assigned to the remote village of Cicely. Once he arrives, he finds the residents a unique idiosyncratic lot totally foreign to Joel’s New York sensibilities.
My Favorite Martian (1963-1966)-During a ride around the universe a Martian’s (Ray Walston) spaceship nearly collides with a NASA rocket causing it to crash land in the hills near L.A. where he is discovered by young reporter Tim O’Hara (Bill Bixby). At first eager for a story Tim gives the Martian shelter while he works to repair his ship and passes him off as his Uncle Martin. They become buddies as Martin tries to both adapt to earthly norms and avoid the sweet but ditzy landlady Mrs. Lorelei Brown (Pamela Britton) from finding out the truth.
Green Acres (1965-1971)-Successful New York attorney Oliver Douglas (Eddie Albert) decides to chuck big city life and move to a broken-down farm in Hooterville along with his extremely glamorous but very reluctant Hungarian wife Lisa (Eva Gabor). Silly bit of ridiculousness (they lived in a penthouse apartment in New York but can’t afford to fix up the shack of a house in the country? He farms in a three-piece suit while she wanders around the dilapidated hovel in satin and feathers) is put over by the talent of its stars and a willful suspension of belief.
I prefer him on the big screen, as well, but watching him cut his teeth was very fun.
DeleteRock can be grating. I love his stand-up. He's hit-or-miss with me in movies, but I love this show.
I may have seen a couple episodes of Northern Exposure back during it's original run, but don't remember anything about it other than it existed.
Both of your other shows were running in syndication when I was younger. I didn't watch much of My Favorite Martian. Every now and then I would watch Green Acres, but can't say I was a big fan.
I haven't seen any of these but I'm familiar with The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air (I think it's on Netflix and I'm planning on watching it soon) and Everybody Hates Chris.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear what you think of The Fresh Prince.
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