Best of 2023 - Television

Today I come to you all with my top 5 tv shows of 2023. I have to admit that there is a good amount of high quality, well regarded tv I have not yet finished this year. I have yet to see shows like "Loki", "Andor", "Ghosts" and "Big Mouth" yet. I'm sure there are a bunch of other shows that I have missed too. But I have seen some good stuff this year and today I want to give you all a peek at how I view television.

At 5 I have the third and final season of "The Other Two". This show is criminally underrated and should not have been cancelled. It is one of the best written and funniest shows on tv. Helen York and Drew Tarver play their characters to perfection. Molly Shannon is an absolute delight, and she got to really stretch in this final season. Ken Marino was great. The young actor playing the famous brother grew up and had a nice story arc about the ills of fame and social media. I have not seen a show that is this meta and funny and perfectly of the time. The whole musical episode was amazing. When York's character quits her job and no one can see her, brilliant. The whole thing with Tarver's method acting boyfriend, chef's kiss. "The Other Two" is destined to become a cult classic. This show is going to do major work on streaming. It will find its audience and I feel like people will talk about it like I do about "Happy Endings" now. "The Other Two" is a show worth checking out.

At 4 I have season three of "The Righteous Gemstones". McBride and company keep finding ways to make dark humor the best humor to watch on tv. This season was incredible too. We got Walton Goggins back as Uncle Baby Billy. Be it his game show idea or him wearing a big clam shell and singing at the pool, he is amazing in this role. We got the struggle of Goodman trying to leave the church to McBride. We also got some backstory from those two, which was nice to see. We got Kelvin, Adam Devine, finally showing his love for Keef. It may have taken the whole season, but damn it paid off. But the best of the best was Edi Patterson as Judy. We learned a whole lot about her this season and Patterson was masterful at pulling all this off. From her tour to the stuff with her husband BJ, Tim Blatz, it all worked to perfection. I cannot wait for season four to come out.

At 3 I have "Jury Duty". I don't know how they were able to pull off such an elaborate prank revolved around jurors, but they did and it was a joy to watch unfold. This show took a real chance. Anything could have derailed the show at any second, but they were able to maneuver around any way of the "hero" finding out what was going on the whole time, until the end. James Marsden played an asshole version of himself, and it worked. A guy made chairpants, and it worked. Another guy and girl did a thing called "soaking", and it worked. A lawyer had one of the worst presentations I've ever seen, and it worked. They were able to pull off this wild prank, all the while not making our "hero" look like an idiot. If anything, he held it together better than any of us would have and I was stoked to see it all get revealed to him and for him to take home a cash prize. I hope they leave this show at one season because it is perfect.

At  2 I have season two of "The Bear". I didn't think they could top season one, and they didn't, but they made a great companion piece to one of the best shows on tv. This season gave us episodes that focused on the individuals that work together at the restaurant. Edibiri's character took us on a food tour of Chicago. Richie had to get knocked down before rising to the top. Fak had to do his magical repairs. Abbi Elliot's character got the job as the marketer for the restaurant and is having a baby. We even got the episode that showed Jeremy Allen White's character family at their worst. That episode has amazing cameos as well. "The Bear" continues to shine as the best show about food on tv. It is better than any cooking show or cooking based competition show. The food looks delicious, the acting is top notch and the direction is a thing of beauty. "The Bear" rules. But it is not my top show of the year.

At number 1 I have "The Last of Us". This show is a work of art. It is brutal. It is realistic. It is dreadful. It is violent. It is relentless. And I couldn't take my eyes off the screen when we watched. This show is truly one of a kind. Pedro Pascal is perfectly cast. Bella Ramsey is just as good and a perfect counterpoint. The Nick Offerman episode is, quite possibly, the best written, directed and acted episode in the history of television. Melanie Lynskey is a bad, bad lady in her episode. The episode with the deaf boy and his brother gives us hope, only to smack it out of our faces in the end. And as mad as I was at Joel for lying to Ellie in the season finale, it made me even more excited to see them deal with it in season two. "Last of Us" is an achievement unlike any other on television. They took this weird video game and made one of the best tv shows to ever exist. I am so pumped for season two.

That is it for tv. Come back tomorrow for my top podcasts of 2023. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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"The Other Two" Deserves Many More Seasons

I read the other day that Max was canceling "The Other Two".

This bums me out. "The Other Two" is one of the best comedies on TV right now. The show is one of the near perfect things on TV. The writing, acting, directing, it is all top notch. I haven't been this into a comedy TV series in quite some time. I have two episodes left in this final season, but I know I am going to go back and watch this several more times. It will be one of the shows I watch for comfort. It will be a bedtime show for me.

Every episode has gotten better and better. The actors are taking more chances. The show has been going off in weird avant garde directions that have been a homerun. They had an entire episode this season where Brooke wasn't noticed by anyone when she left the entertainment industry. It was phenomenal. When Chase wanted to break up with his girlfriend, seeing all the disgust online was incredibly real. Drew Tarver and his boyfriend this season, who is always in character, is a great send up of those types of actors. Also, seeing Tarver vacillate between happy and sad for himself and his friends, who are also actors, feels like what I imagine the life of an actor is really like on a daily basis. "The Other Two" is too good of a show to let go now. They can go in so many other directions. They can take on more of the nightmare that is fame and Hollywood. I love Wanda Sykes on this show. This is, for me, her best role since "Curb". And on "Curb" she played herself. On this show she gets to play an industry person who is damn good at her job. She also gets to make joke after joke after joke. The writers here are second to none. You can tell they know the ins and outs of the world of fame. They were writers for "SNL" prior to landing this job. They have been around these types of people, and that comes off very clear when watching this show. That gives the creators a level up, due to being around so many hugely famous people at "SNL".

I just wish this show got more time. It more than deserved it. Every publication always seems to have it on their best of lists. I am near certain this final season will be on my best of 2023 list. But Max and a bunch of other networks are just giving up on these shows without giving them a real chance. "The Other Two" is gone. I read today that they canceled "A Black Lady's Sketch Show", another criminally underrated series. NBC let go of "Grand Crew" way too quick. Nothing seems to stick. "The Other Two" had the quality to stay around longer. All of these shows do, but "The Other Two" is on a whole other level. But Max is pulling the plug. They are not giving it any more chances. They are letting it go far too soon. Comedy Central had it first, so maybe they will revive it. Or maybe another streamer or network will pick it up. That would be ideal. But I just do not see that happening, especially with the writer's strike and the upcoming actor's strike. That is a true bummer. It earned much more time.

I am not thrilled that these really good shows are being cast aside to make more reality competition nonsense. The public needs to watch these original series or we will further delve into the world of "Idiocracy". I'm not ready for that life. I will miss this show. It was one of the better things on TV. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "The Other Two"

A show I really enjoy just wrapped up their second season, "The Other Two".

When this show premiered two years ago I was immediately on board. I'm a big Drew Tarver fan. I have followed him on all the podcasts he appears on, and he is always one of the funniest people. He has a true comedic gift and I was glad he was getting a shot to do that in a co-starring role. I didn't know who Helene Yorke was prior to this show, but I have since become a fan. She is funny, she has great timing, she can do dramatic stuff and she is my absolute favorite on the show. Molly Shannon, Ken Marino, Case Walker, Wanda Sykes and Josh Segarra all add great stuff, but this show is all about Yorke and Tarver.

The premise hasn't changed much since season one. Tarver and Yorke are still living in their little brother's shadow and now their mom is the biggest daytime talk show host. But things have gotten a bit better for them. Tarver hosts a lot of short internet talk shows. This is one of the best parts about this season. Seeing Tarver's character doing a job he hates is pretty hilarious, but also relatable. Yorke ended as Chase's, her little brother, manager in season one, and now this season she takes over as her mom's manager and she becomes a much wanted manager in TV. Both of the kids are doing better, but they are still not as big as their brother and mom. I really liked how they skewer Hollywood and acting and managing and everything that goes into a job like that. The managing stuff was great. Yorke is always working, always tired, always sick, but never stops working. She can't for one, but she also seems to like the responsibility. She also is looking out for herself. But she does have quite a few moments of realization that are perfect. When she buys a humongous apartment but is lonely, I loved that. Her feelings for her ex were excellently played by both actors. When she realizes she has pushed her mom too much, that was heartbreaking. Yorke is masterful in this role. She is perfectly cast. She does her job so well. I love her acting in this show.

Tarver's character has quite a leap this season. He has his first real boyfriend, who he eventually splits with in a very sad scene. He has the hosting jobs, but as I stated earlier, he wants more and he strives for more. He gets himself back into the dating scene pretty hilariously. He gets and loses and gets an acting job in a movie all within three episodes. The way he gets the role finally is so funny and so poignant to modern times and the internet. Tarver, much like Yorke, is simply perfect in this show. He gets to do more wildly comedic stuff, but he also shows depth and drama chops.

I love that these two young actors are finally getting a chance to really show what they've got, and they are crushing it right now. I was also very happy with the switch to HBO Max. The show used to be on Comedy Central, but for whatever reason they moved over to HBO Max. This has allowed them to be more blue. The comedy can be broader. They can use profane language. You can get real reactions to tough situations. And HBO does make and produce quality TV shows. It was a solid and smart move.

Look, I love this show and I highly recommend it. Watch it anyway you can. It is definitely worth watching. HBO Max also has both seasons on, so you can binge it whenever you want. Watch "The Other Two". It is the hidden gem you've been waiting for.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "The Other Two" Series Premier

Last Thursday another show I was looking forward to in 2019, "The Other Two". had its series premiere. I was pretty excited about the show when I heard that Drew Tarver was cast as one of the leads. I'm a fan of his, especially whenever he is on "Comedy Bang! Bang!". He is a funny improviser, and I just enjoy him. When I found out that Chris Kelley and Sarah Schneider, former "SNL" head writers, were the creators, I was even more excited. I then saw some of the little previews and snippets that Comedy Central was releasing, and they all made me laugh. This just furthered my excitement. So, after I recorded the premiere, I watched it the next day.

It did not disappoint.

For those that may not know, "The Other Two" is about a family of three, who's father has passed away, and the youngest brother becomes ultra famous over night. He is a pop singer, and his song, "I Want to Marry You at Recess", becomes an enormous viral hit. He has 2 older siblings, one played by Tarver, the other played by Helene Yorke. They are not so successful. Tarver is a waiter and wannabe actor. The first scene with him, where he is at an audition for a commercial as "guy who smells fart", is wonderful. Yorke is, I think, a realtor, and when we first see her, she is squatting in an apartment building and eating day old pizza and splashing her armpits with soap and water. These 2 introductions are great. What makes them even better is the fact that their young brother is on "The Today Show", with their mom, the excellent Molly Shannon, and he is just being fawned over by everyone. They love him so much we even hear Hoda Kotb say that they had to bump Jennifer Lawrence because they went so long with Chase. That is the young kid's name, Chase Dreams he calls himself.

What made the premiere so good was how they kept showing the other 2 siblings lives, all the while they were watching their brother on TV. Tarver is a little jealous and is taken aback by how quickly his little brother is becoming famous. Yorke is a bit more angry, but she is constantly listening to her brother's song, and keeps saying that this year, she is "going to chase dreams". The episode was funny, but also very sweet.

Some of the best scenes in the premier include Tarver's boss at the restaurant telling him and the other gay waiter about all the gay movies he has been watching with his wife lately, namely "Brokeback Mountain", which he mentions twice. The stuff between Tarver an his "straight" roommate is going to make for some compelling stuff. I already mentioned the audition, but Tarver also has a job as an actor for a tour bus, where he dances. It was great. Yorke, in her mission to "chase dreams", says that her big plan is to "see 50 dicks" this year. She also is fervently working out while listening to her little brother's song and talking to her co worker about all her plans. She also talks about how she just broke up with her long time boyfriend because he still dabs and says, "damn Daniel". It was great. 

The sweetness comes from Shannon and the little brother. Chase isn't really ready for this life. He can't believe he is famous, and he just wants to hang out with his brother and sister. He also talks about how much he misses their dad. Shannon clearly loves all her kids the same. She doesn't care that Chase is famous, and the other 2 are struggling, she just wants them all to be happy. She is doing every thing she can to make sure her kids are happy, and okay. She seems to be a great mom, and not a "momager". The final scene in the premiere, where Chase sleeps in the hotel bed with his siblings because he doesn't feel well was so heartfelt. I loved it.

“The Other Two” has serious potential. I cannot wait to see where it goes from here. I also appreciate that they didn't make Tarver and Yorke out to be villain like. They love their little brother, they just can't believe how fast he has become famous, as I imagine happens in a lot of families where one of the children gain sudden fame. They just want what is best for their brother. I'm glad this show got the greenlight and I'm happy to watch it. I suggest you all check it out too. It is great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is the youngest of four siblings, and understands how hard it is for his older brothers to have to deal with their little brother’s fame. Suck it up guys. You can crash on Ty’s coach if need be.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.