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It's 2am when I started writing this, I have no idea when it will end. But here we go. Televised Insanity Presents Top 10 TV Shows of 2020 Sponsored by Quibi 2020 is a year that gave us panic. Lots of panic. So much panic and lockdown and uncertainty, that we just have no clue what was around. And your choices were streaming services or whatever weird poo poo networks would churn out. It just happened to be unscripted and game shows, which are my fortay. Horray. Remember Celebrity Watch Party? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxiOkyWr5Yk Of course not, it sucked. It was FOX's attempt to do Gogglebox with Celebrities. It also was a clever device used to get celebrities to watch shows like Ultimate Tag and Labor of Love - two other shows that will not be deserving of any points in my Top 10 poll. Here are three game shows that deserve SOME sort of celebration of 2020, that you might have forgotten, but were relatively decent LAST ONE LAUGHING https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVgONOcFL2w Documental is one of the craziest Japanese Game Shows to ever exist, and Australia was the first to do an English-version. They got rid of the buy-in aspect of the show, but continued the ramped-up insanity of the comedians. a great way to spend a weekend FLOOR IS LAVA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3zkedeWbYw Netflix really picked up a sleeper hit with Floor is Lava, which is essentially "wipeout with orange drink". Teams of 3 compete against each other to see how can you best exit a room without touching a floor, and it was really silly THE CRYSTAL MAZE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuLy_6BEZ6A Adam from Adam Ruins Everything brings families from America to the UK Set to play the same challenges as the UK game show, but for a $25,000 cash prize. The show is faster-paced than it's original, but in terms of an adaptation, knocked it out of the park. DON'T https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOJfeBHEFpU Adam Scott isn't really the best host, but what sells me on Don't is the snark and that comes in the form of Ryan Reynolds who turns another run-of-the-mill family game show into something that is more Mystery Science Theater 3000 riffing than game show. The challenges are very mixed on this show, but the concept is pretty decent. THE WEAKEST LINK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYMcYhhB3mU The Weakest Link got rebooted on NBC, but gone are the days of a $125,000 Target and Anne Robinson. Instead we got Jane Lynch and an ever-increasing tower that starts at $25,000 and works its way to $500,000 in the final round. The questions are still pretty straight-forward and obvious and the put-downs are still bare-bones awful. But that was expected. If you work as a bartender, prepare for the classic "you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here" chucklejoke. Of course the toughest thing about 2020 was remembering what shows were 2020 and what were December 2019 or earlier... time was very slow. I really wanted to give The Witcher some awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndl1W4ltcmg I am pretty sure I put Witcher on my list last year, but my memory has been cursed throughout 2020, so to tide myself over, I checked out all your fanfiction and fanart, and do agree that Jaskier should smooch Geralt, but that's just me. ANYWAY LET'S GIVE OUT THE AWARDS! 10) The Eric Andre Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5xQ1BhA2HQ You should know about The Eric Andre Show by now, the wildest talk show around. Eric does street pranks. Celebrities are uncomfortable in studio. We'll Be Right Back meme. The season of vanity really changed the perspective of the set, including a story involving Hannibal leaving the show. 9) The Circle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-m4gFdrQ8M While this sneak preview was out December 30th, The Circle was actually foreshadowing what our future would be in life under COVID-19. People talking on social media, people catfishing for likability. And above all else - the Joeys of the world showing it's okay to be a himbo mama's boy. A really fun reality concept that showed up to america this year. 8) Taskmaster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39n5LJel7qk Technically, Taskmaster didn't get turned into an American project. The CW Attempted to air the UK Taskmaster, slightly edited for time, to try and get something, anything up, and unfortunately, it bombed and got cancelled after ONE episode, just one! However, Taskmaster still remains a cerebral comedy panel show where comedians think laterally and creatively really outrageous tasks to perform and complete, and will still continue to be the closest we will get to any sort of Japanese Variety Game Show that doesn't involve punishments for the loser. They also created a version in New Zealand which was also really fun to watch. Essentially, what if "The Genius" but Stupid? 7) A Toy Store Near You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZoHLEj2EQo Probably a series you did not watch, but one that I need to recommend. What started out as a barebones documentary about mom and pop toy shop owners around the world, becomes a really fantastic story-within-a-story about how the nostalgia and toys that we all love (you're goons) has become a security blanket as life under coronavirus, and couples and families struggling to make ends meet, with lockdowns and secondary jobs. Sometimes it does get a little too close to home, but it's really one of the most fascinating human interest documentaries I have ever seen. 6) Marvel's 616 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ODhWjCxydU While I am positive many people will give Mando it's day in the sun, because it's "the only thing that's good on Disney Plus". I think I have to shine a light on another great documentary series. This one detailing elseworlds of Marvel Comics. From Japanese Spider-man to Marvel Cosplayers. Each episode tells a different story, and each episode is something different. Paul Sheer can't make a documentary and screws up, but it's fun nonetheless. 5) Moonbase 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp8texKSj9s Another sitcom you might have forgotten about, but one that I really encourage people watching. Moonbase 8 is a sitcom with John C. Reilly, Tim Heidecker and Fred Armisen as they play scientists trying to simulate life on the moon, in the hopes of one day being actual astronauts. As you might have guessed, the three are excellent improvisers so the scenes in which they are interacting are hysterical. But also, follows classic sitcom arc over episodes and series, which is rarely brought upon, except maybe from It's Always Sunny. 4) The Boys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN8fFM1ZdWo I am actually quite surprised they got a Season 2, and it was filmed this quickly, and it surpassed my expectations that were blown away by the inaugural season. Billy Butcher is back, Homelander is back, and Fascists who love Capitalism is also back as well. It has a redemption arc, it has an irrempemption arc, and it has Fresca. gently caress Fresca. 3) What We Do In The Shadows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWEowLhqgkY The Staten Island Vampires are back with a second season of What We Do In The Shadows. While we all suspected "mockumentary" to be a device used in comedy to be over and done with. The series adapts it even further with wonderful side-characters and interviews. They even got Jackie Daytona this year, and that guy is really swell. It also has more Colin, which I felt was necessary. 2) Supermarket Sweep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkf2WLAQnek You have to expect one of the big game show nerds would put a game show near the top of his list. While the year did have all sorts of debuts - Hot Ones, a Who Wants to be a Millionaire Revival, and even a second season of "Card Sharks". My favorite game show to come out this year was the return of Supermarket Sweep on ABC. Leslie Jones brings her personality to the show, and the Supermarket itself doesn't look at all like it did in the 1990s. The Deli Counter looks retro, the dairy section has a plastic cow, you have beaten-down neil the security guard, head checker dc giving innuendo, and bethel the barista and richard the florist making sure the customers are satisfied. I never expected this reboot to be anything more than just the same show but with Almond Milk and Kind Bars. but they exceeded it immensely, with it's impressive set, dramatic bonus round, and fantastic sweep sweaters. Everything about this show is what gravitates me into this niche genre so much. And I am so glad the reboot delivered. Will it be on your list? Most likely not. But I am glad they were able to pace the show perfectly, mixing game, with frantic action in a way that just works in every angle. 1) How to With John Wilson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7aSybHRa6s Hey New York. Sometimes you want a show that... speaks truth to power... but sometimes that power... is not really what you expected... and sometimes that power is as simple as.... a light switch. But How To With John Wilson is this bizarre documentary snuf-film comedy show that essentially is just the bizarre antics of New York City, that John has recorded over a year, and his attempt to connect it to something relatively mundane, that gradually unravels into something so bizarre and weird, just about saying anything about the second act of the show would be major spoilers and ruin the surprises of the show. But if you want to know how to split a check or how to cover your furniture this is the show for you! So What Does 2021 Hold? Most likely, we are still going to see more game shows, Name That Tune, Masked Dancer and even The Hustler and The Chase are making it's debuts this week. And as they are fast turnarounds, I can only expect more game shows to make it's strange debut. Maybe a revival of "I've Got a Secret" will come as a surprise. Maybe FOX will try and bring back Solitary, I simply do not know. But if it's one thing I do know - the most important things that happened were the digital conferences of just about everything, from San Diego Comic-Con, E3 and DC Fandome. It felt like social media made everybody that much more connected. So it would not surprise me if you saw more "nerdy content" this year going into next year, and not just Disney+ shows like Wandavision and The Mandalorian, but maybe MST3K getting a surprise third season with Jonah, or an attempt to do another slapdash DCTV show based on Blue Beetle, and if all else fails - G4TV is returning, so expect possibly Attack of the Show and X-Play returning. And let's not forget the other favorite television show of 2020 - "Celebrity Zoom Meeting" which was just about all of daytime talk and late night talk as well. Expect more of that, and hopefully, eventually, we will all be safe, secure and happy and be able to throw viewing parties yet again, featuring all our favorite shows. Stay Safe, I Love You! -Televised Insanity
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Jan 6, 2021 12:00
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 16:30 |
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