The Tick

The Tick is the creation of Bill Edlund, who first created a comic strip, then went on to make it into an animated cartoon, and next a one-season, live-action, comedy TV show. This review is about that live-action show. The Tick is a ridiculously strong superhero who is also quite clueless about everything and played perfectly by Patrick Warburton. He relies heavily on his sidekick, Arthur, who is the brains of the operation. Along with other interesting characters like Captain Liberty and Batmanuel, they fight an eclectic assortment of supervillains. My favorite episode was never aired and stars Armin Shimerman as The Terror. If you like quirky characters, this show is just right for you.

Starring Patrick Warburton, David Burke, Nestor Carbonell, and Liz Vassey.



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Parks and Recreation

This TV comedy series follows the political career trajectory of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) who works in the Parks and Recreation department of a small town in Indiana. The show features a full cast of quirky characters from April (Aubrey Plaza), the sulking twenty-something receptionist; to Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), the ultra-masculine, libertarian, meat-eater; to Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe), the always upbeat, vegetarian, political middle manager. Parks and Recreation will put a smile on your face.

Starring Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Rashida Jones, Aubrey Plaza, and Rob Lowe.



The Heart Guy

In this Australian TV comedy series, a surgeon who likes his single life (and nightlife) a bit too much is about to lose his medical license unless he cleans up his act and is offered one chance. He has to go back to his home town and be a GP.

I enjoy The Heart Guy because deep down I think Rodger is a good guy and has to come to the rescue every episode (like most of the doctor shows) and save the day. He has a quirky kind of family, which provide some of the humor. He is gradually starting to like his boss, and vice versa (reminds me a little of Doc Martin).

Check out season one on Hoopla—I think it's worth a shot.



The Chosen

I recently watched the DVD of the first season of The Chosen and it's the best show I've seen in years. It's a TV series about Jesus. While a lot is fictional stuff written in, there is a large amount of scripture here and they do an excellent job of weaving it in so that it all ties together to make a terrific story. I hope everyone has an opportunity to take home this DVD and binge watch The Chosen. 



The Haunting of Hill House

Based off of the book of the same name by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House is a horror drama series that came out on Netflix. The series tells the story of the Crain siblings and their life after they have left Hill House and how the house continues to impact the family years after they thought they escaped. The show is told in present day with flashbacks to describe what the family had gone through all those years ago at Hill House.



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Mark Twain

Another fine Ken Burns documentary provides a fascinating look at Mark Twain, aka Samuel Clemens I thought it was amusing how he got his name from the men aboard those Mississippi river boats who would stick rods into the water marking the depth and yelling "mark twain" so the boat would not get stuck in the shallow. Unfortunately, his life had so many more turns for the worse. I never knew.

His Adventures of Huck Finn will stand forever as one of the true great stories in American literature. Like all of Ken Burns' documentaries, it's loaded with wonderful pictures and stories from historians and literary people, and I recommend Mark Twain (2001).

Watch Mark Twain on Hoopla today.



Miracle Workers

Looking for a darkly funny comedy that will also give you hope that a better future is possible? Look no further than Miracle Workers! This anthology series stars Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi among an ensemble cast that will capture your heart and make you laugh out loud. Season three follows as Reverend Ezekiel Brown (Radcliffe) teams up with the infamous criminal Benny the Teen (Buscemi) to lead their small settlement on a journey to a better life in Oregon. The twenty-two minute episodes make it easy to marathon whole series in only a few sittings, but the show will stick with you long after it's over.

Miracle Workers is available on HBO Max, checkout a Roku with HBO Max to start watching.




Battlestar Galactica

This dark, four-season remake of the 1978 TV series is full of surprises. Twelve colonies of humans in a distant star system are wiped out by the cylons, a race of metal, humanoid-like machines. The remnants of humanity, traveling aboard a ragtag fleet of ships, including Battlestar Galactica, set off to search for the 13th colony--Earth. But not all cylons are metal. Some look just like humans. In fact, some cylons are programmed to think they are human. Can you tell who is a cylon?

Starring Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, and Jamie Bamber.



Locke and Key

Locke and Key is a Netflix show based on a comic book series. Following a family tragedy, the Locke's move across the country to their father's family home, Key House. Strange things begin to happen, and the house starts to reveal its mysteries to the family. The Locke children start to learn more and more about their father's past and possibly why he ran far away from his Ancestral home. A little bit of adventure, a little bit of mystery, and a dash of fun.

What a great show! It was one of those shows we started and then couldn't stop watching- binge worthy for sure!  The library also has the graphic novels the show is based on. I haven't read them myself, but if they are half as good as the show, you won't be disappointed! 


Check out a Roku with Netflix to get caught up. The new season released October 22nd.

Doc Martin

This is a terrific TV show. While some of the characters can seem a bit corny (like the town police officer who reminds me of Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show), the humor is mixed with drama as Doc Martin has to save the day when medical emergencies occur every show.

Also compelling is the on and off relationship between Doctor Ellingham and his sweetheart Louisa (Caroline Catz).But what I like best is where they live: every show takes place in a beautiful seaside English port where each day is sunny and gorgeous. I think it's is worth watching for the scenery alone.

Watch all nine seasons of Doc Martin (2004-) on Hoopla today. Start with season 1



Detectorists

This is one of my favorite TV shows. They make the boring lives of ordinary people seem funny. I think I would fit in well with this group. While Andy and Lance are the primary characters, I think it's the supporting players that steal the show. From the other members of their detectorist club to the guys in their rival club, I find myself laughing and hoping Lance and Andy will find the treasure that keeps escaping them.

I highly recommend Detectorists (2014-2017). It should be watched from the beginning. Check out season 1 on Hoopla today! 



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Steven Universe

This animated show is about a boy named Steven and his family, the Crystal Gems. The Crystal Gems consist of Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, who are magical beings who can shapeshift, fight, and protect the planet of Earth. Steven is just a normal boy though, who can use some powers like the Crystal Gems but not consistently. Steven wants to go on the adventures and the Gems just want to keep him safe, leading to fun misadventures.

The story is a fun and exciting one with a nice art style that continues to evolve and grow as Steven does. Binge watch season 1 (2013-2015) of Steven Universe on Hoopla today.



Adventure Time Season 1

The TV show Adventure Time features Finn, the only human boy in the land of Ooo. Joined by his best friend Jake, a magical stretchy dog, they go on adventures in their magical world. They rescue princesses and stop the Ice King when he tries to stir up trouble. The adventures are fun with a lot of creativity packed into the world and characters. The world of Adventure Time is rather deep with a haunting backstory built into its happy-go-lucky world, making it a surprising and worthwhile watch.

Start watching season 1 (2010) of Adventure Time (TV-PG) on Hoopla today. Then, keep going—there are four seasons available to binge instantly.



Rick and Morty. Season 1

Rick is a drunk, sarcastic, old scientist who is the smartest man in the universe, and Morty is his average grandson. Together, they go on wacky adventures through the universe using Rick's portal gun and spaceship to go to faraway planets.

The adventures rarely go as planned as something usually goes wrong. When they are not traveling through space, they are together as a dysfunctional family.

If you are a fan of wacky zany humor and don't mind plenty of swearing, then this is a show for you. Watch season 1 of Rick and Morty(rated TV-14) on Hoopla today.




The Roosevelts

I thought the PBS documentary, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014, rated TV-14), was a fascinating look at this family and the personal struggles each had and how they triumphed despite great adversity.

I never knew how influential Theodore Roosevelt was regarding the national parks or how popular he was. It made me wonder how different world events and outcomes might have been had he had a third or fourth term like FDR? Would World War I have gone any differently and if so, how would the Treaty of Versailles have gone, or the subsequent rise of Hitler and the Nazi party? Look what happened after that.

Check out this miniseries from Ken Burns on Hoopla today.