Posted on by Michael Halpern

Top 5 TV Comedies

There has never been a better time to be a fan of TV comedies. Maybe I really should not be calling them “TV” comedies anymore, right, considering you can watch on your phone these days. On second thought, I really should not be calling it a “phone” anymore, either, considering you can watch TV on it. Wait, what? Let’s just move on. Here are the top 5 comedies on “TV” today:

1) “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” – If TV comedies had a Hall of Fame, this show would get in on the first ballot. From social satire, to over-the-top insanity, Sunny amazingly continues to blaze new trails going on their 11th season. This show is not for the faint of heart, but good comedy rarely is. Watch at your own risk.

2) “Nathan For You” – The label, “comedy genius,” gets thrown around far too often, but when it comes to Nathan Fielder, it is truly accurate. Watching Fielder pull off his absurd stunts, in order to “help” small businesses, leaves the audience in what I can only describe as an “hilarious awe.” A master of deception, Fielder always has one more trick up his sleeve just when you think you have seen it all.

3) “Impractical Jokers” – The best marathon show on TV. Nothing to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon? How about laughing your ass off for three straight hours, while watching four guys cleverly try to embarrass each other on the streets of New York. The key to the show is the genuine, lifelong friendship between the guys, and before long, it is easy to feel like you are just one of the gang.

4) “Real Husbands of Hollywood” – Do not be turned off by the horrible title, this show is a true gem. It mixes the best elements of shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and various mockumentaries, with Kevin Hart’s style and humor. The result is a resounding, outrageous success. Do yourself a favor, and watch this show.

5) “The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret” – The most underrated show on TV. Criminally underrated. Seriously, if you are a fan of comedy, and have not devoured the two, six episode seasons on Netflix yet, you should be arrested. The first season aired in 2009 and the second season aired in 2012. Season 3 is scheduled to come out in January. I can only assume the three-year gap between seasons is because absolutely nobody has heard of this show. Which is odd, because it stars David Cross and Will Arnett, of Arrested Development fame. Come to think of it, maybe these guys are just destined to star in great shows that get noticed after they are already cancelled … maybe that can be what their next show is about. Either way, in order for Todd Margaret to not go the way of Arrested Development, do them a favor, and watch this show.

Honorable Mentions: Inside Amy Schumer; Episodes; Grace and Frankie; Master of None; F is for Family.

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Hidden Gem: Carl Schurz Park (and a little Nas)

With Nas’ song, “NY State of Mind,” blasting through my headphones, I stride through the open gates and down the boardwalk leading to the grounds of the Mayor’s backyard.

Bright orange sunlight is ripping through the clouds, bouncing off the gentle waves of the East River, and landing on the sleepy park that is just waking up. Birds dance and dive against this awe-inspiring backdrop, performing aerial stunts the Cirque du Soleil could only dream of.

With an imaginary music video playing out in my mind, I breath in the scene in front of me. Sitting on a bench to my right is a white-bearded man, dressed in a white linen shirt and pants, his long white hair overflowing out of his straw hat. He stares out at the East River with a ponderous look on his face, occasionally jotting down mysterious notes on the pad he holds in his hand.

A homeless man lies asleep on a bench to my left. A shopping cart sits next to him, full with the entirety of his life’s possessions. Fluorescent signs warning of fluoride in the water adorn the outside of the cart.

Suddenly a beautiful woman in full athletic gear whizzes right past me. The determined look on her face reveals she is ready to kick the day’s ass.

Up ahead, a few people are walking their dogs, others are riding their bikes, and even more are enjoying their morning coffee while reading the newspaper.

This is not the image most people conjure when they think about New York. But Carl Schurz Park is exactly the kind of hidden gem New Yorkers flock to when they want a break from the concrete jungle.

I take one last deep breath before I turn to walk back through the open gates, back into the city I call home. Nas’ voice comes exploding into my brain as the song nears its end, “Nothing’s equivalent, to the New York state of mind … New York state of mind.”

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Addicted to NFL RedZone

It felt so wrong. Like I was about to commit an act of treason.

I tried to rationalize it. It was the first week of the fantasy football playoffs. The football pick’em league I’m in with a few friends and family was coming down to the stretch run. My New York Jets were blowing out the Tennessee Titans 20-0.

So I did it. I turned off the Jets game in the 2nd quarter and turned on the NFL RedZone channel without looking back. I’m just a man.

RedZone is like the first weekend of March Madness, except with football, and it is on every Sunday for seventeen straight weeks. If crack cocaine was a TV show, this is what it would look like. Your previous relationships start to fall by the wayside, just to get some more of that RedZone.

It is no mystery how I got to this point. It started so innocently. I would flip to RedZone during commercial breaks, but would always be hyper-vigilant about getting back to the Jets game. It was never enough though. I started not minding if I missed a few plays here and there. Then all of a sudden I was missing entire drives! I no longer recognized the fan I had become.

I can’t deny it any longer. I am addicted to NFL RedZone. So please forgive me if I’m not chanting, “J E T S JETS! JETS! JETS!” next week after a big Jets touchdown, but am instead searching for the remote, muttering, “Redzone, Redzone, Redzone,” under my breath.

By Michael Halpern