#joy with craig ferguson

[stalebagels]

Strike Force Text Posts: Craig Edition

[jaspxr]

the other day on twitter someone asked for a picture of an unexplainable crush of ours, more precisely - on an old man - that none of your friends understand. and while I could have had very many *obvious* answers, only this wonderful eejit came to mind... and looking at this picture, I hope you understand why... this man is not only funny but approaches each of his guests as humans, with such empathy and sensibility I've rarely seen in a host. his former work, that still very much holds up (unlike the work of some other, more famous late night hosts) is an archive and a living proof of that

[Craig Ferguson - photocred: his podcast JOY, a podcast]

[procrastiel]

To celebrate his upcoming marriage to Ty, I thought I’d share this video compilation of his visits on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. 1 1/2 hours of pure joy

[madamealtruist]

ANOTHER AU!? I know what you're saying... Gwen, you're nuts. But not only are you absolutely right, I think this one might be my most ambitious one yet. As a young nerd, there were two groups. The Marvel fans and the DC fans. And while the rivalry certainly has calmed down a bit, I was almost always torn. So, earlier in the week, I decided to do the one thing that every fanfic writer has tried at least once.

A Marvel/DC crossover.

But unlike the typical realm merger, to put it in Mortal Kombat terms, this is a universe where both properties coexist. For example, picture a group of people walking to a Big Belly Burger while listening to Just the Facts with J. Jonah Jameson. That's just a fraction. I have an ENTIRE starting cast as well.

Welcome... to Earth-812

JUSTICE LEAGUE

Bruce Wayne/Batman (Alex Organ/Edward Bosco)

Clark Kent/Superman (Talon Warburton)

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Grey DeLisle)

Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Sean Chiplock/Lou Ferrigno)

Thor Odinson (Kyle Hebert)

Antoinette Stark/Iron Man (Erica Lindbeck/Andrew Bowen)

Steve Rogers/Captain America (Roger Craig Smith)

TEEN TITANS

Dick Grayson/Robin 1/Nightwing (Scott Menville)

Victor Stone/Cyborg (Khary Payton)

Kory Ander/Starfire (Kelly Rae Boyer)

Rachel Roth/Raven (Amanda Lee)

Garfield Logan/Beast Boy (Ben Schwartz)

Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle (Miles Luna)

Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Nathan Sharp)

Gwen "Joyce Delaney" Stacy/Ghost Spider (Avril Lavigne)

SINISTER SIX

Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (Bryan Cranston)

???/Joker (Jason Marnocha)

Dr. Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina)

Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Steve Blum)

Howard Stark/Iron Monger (Jamieson Price)

Eduardo Dorrance/Bane (Danny Trejo)

MIDNIGHT SUNS

Dr. Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (Brina Palencia)

Dr. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy (Venus Terzo)

Nanaue Shei'ark/King Shark (Fred Tatasciore)

Louise Lincoln/Killer Frost (Jennifer Hale)

Edalyn Brock/Venom (Stephanie Beatriz/Lzzy Hale)

Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Addie Amick)

Johnny "Blaze" Ketch and Dani Ketch/Ghost Rider 1 and 2 (Clifford Chapin and Erica Mendez)

Wade Wilson/Deadpool (James A. Janisse)

Eric Brooks/Blade (Christopher Judge)

SWORDS OF RAO

Zod (Liam O'Brien)

Faora (Lauren Babic)

Non (Keith Ferguson)

GAMMA FREAKS

Dr. Brian Banner/The Father (Jim Cummings)

Rick Jones/Red Hulk (Nolan North/Darin De Paul)

Emil Blonsky/Abomination (Ike Amadi)

CULT OF FLAME

Cletus Kassady/Carnage (Robert Englund/Jacob Craner)

Frances Barrison/Shriek (Cree Summer)

Mephisto (Alan Lee)

X-MEN

Professor Charles Xavier (Peter Capaldi)

James "Logan" Howlett/Wolverine (Steve Blum)

Hannah Marie/Rogue (Meghan Black)

Remy LeBeau/Gambit (Christina Vee, but with a Cajun accent)

Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin/Colossus (Stefan Kapičić)

Illyana Rasputin/Magik (Anya-Taylor Joy)

UNAFFILIATED

Dr. Curt Connors/Lizard (Rob Zombie)

Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx)

Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin (Danny DeVito)

Dr. Joana Crane/Scarecrow (Kathleen Barr)

Waylon Jones/Killer Croc (Ron Perlman)

Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom (Lex Lang)

Erik Lensherr/Magneto (David Sobolov)

Frank Castle/Punisher (Thomas Jane)

Jason Todd/Robin 2/Red Hood (Jensen Ackles)

Flint Marko/Sandman (John DiMaggio)

Nick Fury (Karl Urban)

L. Thompsin Lincoln/Tombstone (Keith David)

Anastasia Kravenoff/Kraven the Hunter (Mariya Aranova)

Quinten Beck/Mysterio (Bruce Campbell)

Alexsei Systevich/Rhino (Paul Giamatti)

[darkbetty]

Since Craig Ferguson has a new show does this mean he can interview Misha Collins?

I think they might have fun and interesting conversations.

They're just so cool and wonderful people.

Craig Ferguson new show:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-joy-a-podcast-hosted-by-c-119508923/

[pendentivelover]

re20a24ds

january

. pinata . leopoldo gout . 5/5

. hidden pictures . jason rekulak . 3.5/5

. all-american murder . james patterson . 3/5

. bad things . lisa andrews . 1/5

. swallowing a donkey's eye . paul tremblay . 4/5

. 18 tiny deaths . bruce goldfarb . 4/5

. riding the elephant . craig ferguson . 4/5

. the darkness that comes before . r scott bakker . 4.5/5

. lord of the butterflies . andrea gibson . 4/5

. bath haus . p j vernon . 5/5

february

. bad cree . jessica johns . 4.5/5

. the salt grows heavy . cassandra khaw . 4/5

. nineteen claws and a black bird . agustina bazterrica . 3.5/5

. death's acre . william m bass . 3/5

. the road to jonestown . jeff quinn . 4/5

. waco . jeff quinn . 3.5/5

. this wretched valley . jenny kiefer . 4/5

march

. american demon . daniel stashower . 3.5/5

. the teacher . frieda mcfadden . 4.5/5

. whalefall . daniel kraus . 5/5

. all the living and the dead . 4/5

. brother . ania ahlborn . 5/5

. shattered silence . melissa g moore . 4/5

. tombs . junji ito . 4/5

. nightmare fuel . nina nesseth . 4/5

. what feasts at night . t kingfisher . 3.5/5

. remarkably bright creatures . shelby van pelt . 5/5

. 1000 years of joys and sorrows . ai wei wei . 4/5

. the kaiju preservation society . john scalzi . 5/5

[ailendolin]

You got to meet John Rhys Davies?

I did! He attended MagicCon 2021 in Germany and even though I originally didn't plan on going because of the pandemic and my mum's illness (we were all extremely careful about not getting Covid because it would have put her at risk), I eventually decided to go for one day instead of the usual three and I didn't regret it one bit.

It was such a delight to see Craig Parker and Lori Dungey again (they, along with Mark Ferguson, are very much an integral part of these cons and such a joy on stage) and it was my first time meeting both Bernard Hill and John Rhys-Davies. They were both very sweet and John, especially, was a delight during the photosessions. He very politely asked people if he might tickle them to make them laugh and to this day it's one of my most favourite photosession memories ever.

Look at that charming smile! And the way he's holding my hand! He's honestly such a wonderful person and I really hope I'll get to meet him again one day.

[abcnewspr]

HIGHLIGHTS FOR ABC NEWS’ ‘GMA3: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW,’ NOV. 13-17

The following report highlights the programming of ABC’s “GMA3: What You Need to Know” during the week of Nov. 13-17. “GMA3: What You Need to Know” is a one-hour program co-anchored by Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan, with Dr. Jennifer Ashton as chief health and medical correspondent. The news program airs weekdays at 1:00 p.m. EST | 12:00 p.m. CST on ABC, and 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. EDT on ABC News Live.

Highlights of the week include the following:

Monday, Nov. 13 — “GMA3” kicks off Education Week with U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona; ABC News senior national correspondent Steve Osunsami reports on the high cost of gear for kids sports; Madison Square Garden executive chef Russell Guarneri; record producer and rapper Swizz Beatz with son Nasir Dean

Tuesday, Nov. 14 — Relationship expert and host Tamica Lee (“Ready to Love”); rapper and cookbook author E-40 (“Goon with the Spoon”)

Wednesday, Nov. 15 — Paralympian and author Scout Bassett (“Lucky Girl”); comedian and podcast host Craig Ferguson (“Joy”); Oprah’s Favorite Things: Deals and Steals with ABC e-commerce editor Tory Johnson and Oprah Daily creative director Adam Glassman

Thursday, Nov. 16 — Retail expert Trae Bodge; actors Danny and Lucy DeVito (“I Need That”); Education Week continues with a report from “GMA3” co-anchor Eva Pilgrim on the high success rate of English language learning (ELL) students

Friday, Nov. 17 — ABC News chief Washington correspondent and author Jonathan Karl (“Tired of Winning”); Faith Friday with priest, author and playwright Father Edward Beck; ABC News correspondent Steve Osunami interviews Great Jobs KC CEO Earl Martin Phalen and musician Tech N9ne

ABC Media Relations

Brooks Lancaster Brooks.Lancaster@abc.com

Jordan Littlejohn Jordan.Littlejohn@abc.com

-- ABC --

[joedlc1971]

This week Craig sits down with one of his long time friends Shirley Manson, the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. They talk about touring experiences, culture, music and much more. This is a Glasgow vs Edinburgh episode. enJOY!

[newmusicradionetwork]

Naturally 7 “Christmas In Hollis”

Legendary Vocal Mavens Naturally 7 are set to release their latest holiday EP Friends and Family, a collection of 6 tracks touching every aspect of what Holiday music can be. From traditional holiday classic Drummer Boy and New Year’s anthem Auld Lang Syne to Run-DMC’s iconic hip-hop/holiday crossover Christmas in Hollis and the gospel standard Emmanuel, Naturally 7’s Friends and Family has something for every fan of holiday music to enjoy. The EP also includes two original holiday tunes, celebrating togetherness and familial love with True Friends and Family and paying homage to tradition of passing down the Christmas Story from one generation to the next with Love Story (Read It Again). Naturally 7 – Certain experiences burn themselves in your memory from the very first encounter. The jaw-dropping audio pyrotechnics that Naturally 7 put on display every night absolutely belong in that category. “A capella group” so vastly underplays what they create onstage that they had to coin a phrase – “Vocal Play” – to more accurately depict what they do. Naturally 7 is more than a tightly orchestrated collection of great singers. They transform their voices into actual human instruments, effortlessly producing music of any genre. Their vocal choreography is so perfectly interwoven that they compelled the musical maestro himself, Quincy Jones, to declare that “Naturally 7 is the future of vocal music!!” Their sonic mastery was on full display in a series of unforgettable performances on “The World’s Best” TV show, which premiered on CBS immediately following Super Bowl LIII. Hosted by comedian and “Car Karaoke” collaborator, James Corden, Naturally 7 reigned supreme as the world’s “Best Group”, and cemented their singular status among the planet’s musical elite. This was only icing on the cake of a still-vibrant 20-year career, which includes 3 world tours – nearly 500 shows – with the incomparable Michael Bubl, shared billing with global phenomenon Coldplay – including a sold out show at the Barclays Center – and owned the spotlight in a pair of national Cheerios commercials. In addition to Bubl, Naturally 7 has shared the stage with numerous icons, including Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Sarah Connor, Lionel Richie, Ludacris, The Roots, and more. Counted among their world-famous fans are President Barack Obama, Will.I.Am., Ellen DeGeneres, Craig Ferguson, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jay Leno, Allan Titchmarsh, Mo’Nique, Jools Holland, and Arsenio Hall, along with countless others. With the release of their latest project, 20/20, Naturally 7 comes full circle, adding a fresh spin on 20 fan favorites, hand selected by fans the world over. This, their eleventh studio album, celebrates their 20th anniversary in the music industry, giving music lovers all they could hope for, and then some. For the members of Naturally 7 – “Ricky” Lee Ricardo Cort, Rod Eldridge, N’namdi Bryant, Sean Simmonds, Dwight Stewart, Roger Thomas, and Warren Thomas – it’s a privilege to do what they love and bring so much joy to the hearts of their fans each and every night. It’s exactly what you would expect. When something is pure magic it’s destined to withstand the test of time. Naturally Naturally 7. Additional Artist/Song Information: Artist Name: Naturally 7 Song Title: Christmas In Hollis Publishing: Protoons Inc Publishing Affiliation: ASCAP Album Title: Friends And Family Record Label: Naturally 7 Manager: Core Entertainment Hank Teverbaugh 8184450586 hank@coreentertainment.biz Booking Agent: MPI Talent Agency Jordan Tubiolo 310.859.7300 jordan@mpitalentagency.com Read the full article

[esmericks]

REQUESTS AND WRITINGS

Hey! Welcome to my blog, I just wanted to post a list of all the celebrity characters I write for. I just wanted to inform you all that I will most definitely be taking in requests for any character played by a celeb on this list, as well as any type of prompt (fluff, angst, smut...). I also wanted to add that sadly I will only be writing for female readers as I am one myself and wouldn't want to misinterpret any feelings or situations that a male or non- binary person would feel. 

(Just to be clear this a list of actors but I will only be writing for any character played by said celebs, not the actual person as I find that kind of wierd. xx)

PS: Some names will be in all caps and that means that I am currently in a period where I am really motivated or interested to write for this particular person, these will change over time. 

A

Adam Driver 

ALAN RICKMAN

Alicia Vikander 

Amandla Stemberg 

Ana De Armas

ANDREW GARFIELD

Andy Samberg 

Angelina Jolie 

ANGUS CLOUD

Annabelle Wallis 

Anne Hathaway 

Anya Taylor-Joy 

B

Benedict Cumberbatch

Bradley Cooper 

Brie Larson

C

Camille Cottin 

Cara Delevigne 

CATE BLANCHETT

Cher

Chris Evans 

Chris Hemsworth 

Chris O’Dowd 

Ciaran Hinds 

Cillian Murphy 

Cobie Smulders

Colin Farell 

D

Dakota Johnson 

Daniel Craig 

David Harbour

David Tennant 

David Thewlis 

Dylan O’Brian 

E

Eddie Redmayne 

Elle Fanning

Elizabeth Debiki 

Elizabeth Olsen

Emilia Clarke 

Emily Blunt 

Emma Mackey 

Emma Roberts

Emma Stone 

Emma Watson 

Emmy Rossum

Esther Acebo 

Eva Green 

Evan Peters 

Ewan McGregor 

Ezra Millers

F

Finn Wolfhard 

Florence Pugh 

G

Gal Gadot 

Gillian Anderson 

Gwendoline Christie 

H

Harry Styles 

Henry Golding 

I 

Ian Glen 

Idris Elba 

Itziar Ituno 

J

James McAvoy 

Jason Momoa

Javier Bardem  

Jemima Kirke 

Jennifer Connelly 

Jennifer Lawrence 

Jessica Chastain 

Jessica Lange

Jimmy Smits 

John Krasinski 

Johnny Depp

Jude Law 

K

Kate Winslet 

Kaya Scodelario

Keanu Reeves 

Kiera Knightley 

Kit Harrington 

Kristen Stewart 

L

Lady Gaga 

Lea Seydoux 

Lena Headey 

Liam Neeson 

Lily Rabe 

Lily - Rose Depp 

Liza Weil 

Louis Garrel

Luke Evans 

M

Mads Mikkelson 

Maisie Williams 

Marion Cotillard 

Margot Robbie 

Mark Ruffalo 

Mathew McConaughey 

Maude Apatow 

Megan Fox 

Meryl Streep 

Micheal Fassbender 

Mikael Persbrandt 

Mila Kunis 

Millie Bobby Brown 

N

Natalia Tena 

Natalie Portman 

P

Paul Bettany

PEDRO PASCAL 

Penelope Cruz 

Pheobe Dyevnor

Pheobe Waller Bridge 

R

Rachel McAdams 

Rachel Weiz 

Ralph Fiennes 

Rebecca Ferguson 

Richard Madden 

Rihanna 

Robert Downey Jr

Rooney Mara 

Rory McCann 

Rose Byrne 

S 

Sacha Baron Cohen

Sadie Sink 

Sam Claflin 

Sandra Bullock 

Saoirse Ronan 

SARAH PAULSON

Scarlett Johansson 

Sebastian Stan 

Sophie Turner 

Stephanie Beatriz 

Sterling K Brown 

Sydney Sweeney 

T

Taissa Farmiga 

Timothee Chalamet 

Thomas Brodie - Sangster 

Thomasin McKenzie 

Tom Felton 

Tom Hanks 

Tom Hardy 

Tom Hiddleston 

Ty Burrell 

U

Ursula Corbero 

V 

Vanessa Kirby 

VERA FARMIGA

Victoria Pedretti 

W

Willow Smith 

Winona Ryder

Z

Zendaya

Zoe Kravitz 

Zoe Saldana

If there is an actor/ character that is not on this list that you would like to request please do, and I will see if I will write for them xx

- Lots of love 

[chenria]

My thoughts regarding the problem of unsolicited critique...

There are some things I want to say... this doesn’t only concern me, but many around here. The problem of “unsolicited critique”. Yes... we’ve all been there. But people need to remember that when people share art and fic they don’t always want to hear critique for it. 

So... the rules Craig Ferguson once made apply here as well. 

Before you comment on something and want to correct or critique the creator in any way, ask yourself: Does it need to be said? Does it need to be said by me? Does it need to be said by me now?

And ... especially regarding creations people post:

Has the creator asked for critique and/or opinions? Are you paying them to create something (like in a commission)? 

You might be into vintage cars, or a horse nut, an expert about the latest fan-favorite book series. Sometimes people just want to create something for the joy of creation and not to be 100% historically/technically/anatomically correct. 

Imagine you have fun and enjoy something and you are having a blast. Whatever it may be. And then someone comes along and bluntly tells you that you are doing it wrong.  What? Why would you do that? 

You might mean well with your comment. But you might do more harm than good if you give  unsolicited critique. And especially artists don’t like them. 

Have you ever seen a movie where a critique was portrayed like a nice and likeable person? I can’t remember one right now... why do you think that is? I feel like critiques give unsolicited critique most of the time. Nobody likes that. 

So... unless that creator askes for critique and opinions about what to improve or change... just don’t critique. Because worst case, the creator loses all the joy and drops the subject never to return to it again. 

[amy-inw0nderland]

Tag Game!

I was tagged by the always spooky light of my life @artsymaddie

About Me Tag Game

last song: The Wii Shop Music (plays in my head constantly)  

last movie: Aladdin (1992)

currently watching: The Crown (love me some historical royal drama)

currently reading: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride (because I am The Princess Bride brand of trash)

currently craving: water (its taste is based on temperature)

10 Songs Tag Game

rules: you can usually tell a lot about a person by the type of music they listen to! put your favorite playlist on shuffle and list the first 10 songs. then tag 10 people! no skipping!

I was very tempted to just shuffle one of the dozens of musical soundtracks I listen to on the daily, but decided on my “Liked Songs” playlist because you can’t shuffle a musical soundtrack.

“Livin’ la Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin

"Feel It Still” by Portugal, The Man

"All To Myself” by Marianas Trench

“Happiness” by We Banjo 3

"Saturday Sun” by Vance Joy

"Sucker” by Jonas Brothers

"Hollywood” by Michael Bublé

“Celebrity Status” by Marianas Trench

"Be Glad I Love You (Go to Bed)” by Bug Hunter (my partner’s and my favourite song)

"For The Dancing and the Dreaming” by Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Mary Jane Wells from How to Train Your Dragon 2 (the song my partner and I duet the most while cooking)

Tagging (without obligation): @thebomb-diggity @golyadkin @badwolfandtimelords @unequivocallyenthusiastic and anyone else who wants to do this!!! There is literally 0% pressure to do it of course!

[bakudomaster]

Hot In Cleveland

Greetings to literally no one! Hopefully that will change....

I’ve had this account for a while now and I’ve finally thought about what I want to use it for.

Starting today, this will be a literary analysis of some of the entertainment media I have consumed over the years. Why you ask? Hmmmm, that’ll be for a later post. I hope that you enjoy reading this!

WARNING: THESE POSTS WILL UNASHAMEDLY CONTAIN SPOILERS!

Today, we’ll begin with a sitcom that’s very close to my heart - Hot In Cleveland

[cue title music - ba ba ba baaaa... ba ba baaa... dwing dwing HEY!]

PREMISE

Hot in Cleveland first premiered in 2010 on TV Land as their first ever original production. Up until that point, the network was well known for airing reruns of previously ended shows, such as The Cosby Show and The Golden Girls. One of the producers of the show was Sean Hayes of Will & Grace fame.

The show revolves around three middle-aged women bound for Paris to forget their troubles of broken hearts and struggling careers when their plane makes a emergency landing in Cleveland, Ohio. Deciding to explore the city, they find it a more compassionate and welcoming than the glamorous, youth obsessed Los Angeles and decide to relocate there. When they rent a house, they find it comes with a decidedly snarky housekeeper.

CAST & CHARACTERS

Valerie Bertinelli as Melanie Moretti - a recently divorced one-time author, she has known very little beyond her roles as mother and wife. She tends to be very optimistic and romantic, often to the annoyance of her friends. Out of the younger trio, she takes the most to Cleveland and tries new things to broaden her horizons. She is the most compassionate out of the three, often being the glue that binds them together. Though she’s a very nice character to watch, she lacks true grit and comes off as a pushover at times. I don’t know much about Valerie’s work before the show, but she does do quite well, with her natural warmth and friendliness coming through.

Wendie Malick as Victoria Chase - an ambitious but ditzy soap opera actress, she has just had her show cancelled and falls into despair at not being in the public eye anymore. Self-centered and willing to do almost anything, Victoria is the least enthusiastic about moving to Cleveland due to the lack of botox and paparazzi among other things. Over time, she takes on various projects to try and revive her career, resulting in an Emmy & Oscar win. Wendie Malick is best known for her role on Just Shoot Me as well as her voice acting in various shows and movies, such as The Emperor’s New Groove and BoJack Horseman. She’s an absolute delight to watch here, completely immersing herself in the role and surrendering to Victoria’s insanity.

Jane Leeves as Rejoyla ‘Joy’ Scroggs - a beautician with a business that’s starting to fail, Joy’s real problem is being unlucky in love. From being abandoned by her teenage sweetheart when she fell pregnant by him, to being left at the altar on her wedding day, Joy’s endless parade of bad luck has left her cynical and just a tad yandere for any man who dares cross her (watch out boys...). She’s neutral to Cleveland, but secretly longs for romance and eventually settling down to start a family. Jane is best known for her work on Fraiser. She’s initially a bit frigid over the first two seasons but warms up to the role as she gains more prominence in the show over the later seasons.

Betty White as Elka Ostrovsky - an escapee from WWII Poland, she is a widow who lives in the house as a caretaker. Though she finds the LA trio’s obsession with glitz and glamour very strange, she quickly makes friends with them to varying degrees, often dispensing advice and acting as a voice of reason when the others get a bit too crazy or feel despondent. She is very proud of Cleveland, eventually becoming its mayor and is not averse to doing things outside of the law. Betty White has a career in television spanning over 80 years. She was initially only supposed to appear in the pilot episode but the audience response was quite positive so the producers upgraded her to series regular.

STRUCTURE, WRITING & DEVELOPMENT

The series plays out as a typical slice-of-life sitcom. The idea of older women living together and going through life isn’t new - think Golden Girls in the modern era and you pretty much have the gist of the show. However, is that such a bad thing? I think every TV era needs a show that focuses on the challenges one faces as the march of time proceeds; something that feels comfortable without pushing the boundaries too much and HiC was that for a generation who missed out on Betty White’s previous hit show. It wasn’t cerebral watching and it didn’t need to be.

In line with this, many of the plots are taken out from well known tropes that have developed over the years. Love triangles, a vapid rivalry in Hollywood, false pregnancies and lost loves returning all play part in the show’s six season run, edited and polished for character context. This is a big part of why the show felt so familiar to many viewers. Script structures followed one of three methods:

Characters A & B take part in subplot 1 whilst C & D take part in subplot 2 - this proves most effective for humor, balancing out the plot and giving each character something to work with

Characters A & B take part in subplot 1, C in subplot 2 and D in subplot 3 - this proves most effective for character development but can feel too scattered at times

Characters A, B, C & D take part in the main plot - this is most effective for plot lines, usually occurring at season premieres or finales

In terms of character development, the main trio of ladies find fulfillment in each other’s status. I’ll explain:

Melanie was an author but didn’t really have much experience in the working world, choosing instead to derive her satisfaction from being a mother and a wife. Now that her marriage is over and her kids are in college, she feels lost and doesn’t know what to do with herself. Over the course of the show, she has a series of meaningful relationships but develops the most in her career;becoming a column writer, a public relations assistant, a radio show host and a restaurant manager. This is what Victoria was trying to achieve at the beginning of the show.

Victoria is an out of work actress who has to resort to all sorts of tricks to get back into the public eye. Her approach is hit and miss, but she eventually goes on to win an Emmy and an Oscar, along with some work in critically acclaimed stage plays and a brief period as a news reporter. Despite this, she finds more satisfaction in her love life (despite being married EIGHT times!), eventually marrying her one true love at the end of the series. This is what Joy was trying to achieve at the start.

Joy is struggling as a beautician who looks for love in handsome men and one night stands, but never seems to catch a break. Her love life goes from bad to worse and her relationships fail due to a combination of her own issues with trust and the fact that the men she loves aren’t that great to begin with. She eventually puts her cynicism and stalking tendencies (I told you to watch out for her!) to good use, studying criminology and becoming a private detective. She also reconnects with her son that she gave up for adoption and gleefully accepts when she finds out that she’s a grandmother. Long story short, she’s looking for stability and finds it in the most unlikely man, becoming a wife and a mother at the end of the show. This is what Melanie was looking for at the start of the show.

Over the first three seasons, a heavy emphasis is placed on Elka due to the show trying to capitalize on Betty White’s resurgence in popularity at the time. This is in spite of the fact that Elka kind of feels like a lost puzzle piece. She doesn’t really fit in to the whole cohesiveness of the other three characters. This is changed in season 4, when the character of Mamie Sue (played by Georgia Engel, Betty’s costar from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) is promoted to a recurring character. It not only gives a nice chemistry to a previously ill fitting character, it creates a parallel with the LA trio: Mamie Sue is a combination of Victoria’s airheadedness and Melanie’s kindness to Joy’s cynicism found in Elka.

The show starts off quite shakily, despite its hype, but takes a turn for the better around the fourth season. The frivolous story lines from earlier episodes are eschewed for more long term plots with more emotional impact. Themes of loneliness, love at middle age and returning to correct past regrets are explored quite deeply. The show also loses some of the LA stereotypes as it goes on.

Some really big names are booked as guest stars, some notable ones being:

Susan Lucci as a parody of herself, being Victoria’s arch-nemesis

Joe Jonas as Will, Melanie’s son

Craig Ferguson as Simon, Joy’s first love and babydaddy

Jon Lovitz as Artie Firestone, an eccentric billionaire who takes an interest in Joy

Heather Locklear as Chloe, one of Melanie’s bosses at her PR job

The entire cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show as G.L.O.B. (Gorgeous Ladies of Bowling)

Alan Dale as Sir Emmet Lawson, a renowned actor and Victoria’s sixth husband

Rick Springfield as a parody of himself

BULLSEYES & IMPROVEMENTS

What the show gets right:

Exploring the crossroads many women face at middle age, in terms of the main aspects of life: family, love & career

Great acting, especially in the later seasons

Wendie Malick - she deserved an Emmy nomination for her acting here

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Emmy, Victoria’s eldest daughter. Seriously, watch her episodes and tell me they aren’t funny

The general lack of pressure - you don’t need much attention to cycle in and out of the show, it’s easy watching

The consistency and plot development post season 3

What I think should be improved upon:

Melanie can be TOO nice, something that’s actually picked upon by other characters. Her cancer subplot was a nice opportunity to get some grit, but most of it was just by the way and not fully delved into

Victoria’s job as a news reporter was forgotten as soon as she landed a part in a Woody Allen movie. It would have been nice for her to be in that occupation a bit more or go back to it after her Oscar win and give her a chance to be on the other side of fame

Elka’s love life - every boyfriend seems to be a copy of the other and there are way too many of them

CULTURAL & PERSONAL IMPACT

This article from the A.V. Club goes into detail about the show and I have to say, I agree with it wholeheartedly agree. HiC was a reminder of what was before the more intellectual comedies came along. It shamelessly pandered to an older generation who wanted something familiar in an ever changing landscape. The fact that it didn’t take many risks in its approach was a risk in itself. It was clearly one that paid off, given the six season run. It wasn’t a darling of the critics, but it didn’t need to be. This was a show that could be watched to generate a few laughs without the need for in depth discussion with a coworker in the break room the next day.

A few years after the show’s cancellation, Valerie Bertinelli expressed her anger at TV Land for the decision, calling it sexist. I can’t really comment on that, given that I’m not too familiar with TV Land’s other work, but I will say that HiC did what it had to do. Six seasons in an age where you’re lucky to get more than three is amazing. The plot lines tied up quite nicely at the end and in the end, that’s all that everyone wanted.

Personally, I watched this show at two very difficult times in my life. The first was at college during my final year, when deadlines loomed and twisted my stomach in anxiety. The second was a few months ago when I had quit my job and needed something to distract me from the depression. On both occasions, this show has really made me laugh and fall in love with its simplicity. It’s undemanding and solid, just what I need to get through a trying period.

WHERE TO WATCH IT

Seasons 1 to 5 are available on Amazon Prime Video

Seasons 1 to 4 are available on Hunnyhaha’s channel on Youtube

If you’re in Southern Africa, the entire series are available on Showmax