Watch This — I Wanted Her To Fill In For Letterman, But This'll Do

Either I've been living under a rock, or NBC's done a piss-poor job of advertising the fact that Maya Rudolph is debuting her own variety show on May 19. This clip is a pretty slapdash promo, but I'll take it!



I have loved Rudolph since the Destiny's Child-parodying "Gemini's Twin" sketches on SNL (why, oh why aren't there live links to those on YouTube?). I cried while watching "Away We Go," cried laughing at "Idiocracy" and "Bridesmaids" and cried on the inside when her talents were squandered on "Up All Night."

The way I see it, NBC owes her one for that last debacle. "The Maya Rudolph Show" is set to feature reliably funny folks like Chris Parnell, Craig Robinson and Andy Samberg, plus musical guests like style goddess, Janelle Monae. Also, Raphael Saadiq is set to be the show's bandleader. If you only remember him from Tony! Toni! Toné!, do yourself a favor and get updated. Even if there weren't a host of awesome names attached to this venture, I'd tune in just for Maya. She's long-since deserved to get the Carol Burnett treatment. With any luck, this hour-long special will fair well enough, ratings wise, to spark a weekly show.

Fun fact(s): Back when my daughter was a toddler, I used to kick it at the playground with a friend of Maya's who told me my kid was the spitting image of the actress as a child. Also, when I wore white flowers in my natural locks on my wedding day, folks told me I looked like Rudolph's mom, Minnie Riperton. (After consulting Google Images, I guess I can kinda, sorta agree on both fronts.) But, wait. Are these "fun facts," or delusional ramblings? I can't decide. Either way, don't worry....I'm just a fan, not a stalker, I swear.

Whew! I got off track there. Pretend it never happened and watch this instead. Skip to 2:44 to see her do a Gwen Stefani impression that makes me giggle with delight.

I wrote two of these posts. Guess which ones (it's not that difficult).

For the past couple of months, I've been writing for TV-centric site, Previously.TV (my archived posts are right here). It's a fun gig that allows me to revel in my No. 1 pastime. I figured, instead of lamenting the fact that I no longer have a vibrant nighttime social life, I should embrace it. Then, I took that logic a step further and decided to monetize my newfound homebody lifestyle!

I went on to find out that people (besides my husband) actually agreed with my critiques of the outfits featured on "Girls," they appreciated my input on "A Different World" cast members, and they shared my love of H. Jon Benjamin's voice talent canon. It's been a great ride, so far.

But trouble lies ahead...

For the Love Of Lists — Rewind

Shows I wish I'd never seen so I could enjoy the pleasure of discovering them all over again (in no particular order).

1. Freaks & Geeks — Okay, this one's just starting to re-air on IFC. There is so much goodness in this show (the lame guidance counselor, "Come Sail Away," bitchy Busy Phillips, solar plexus-punching), but my favorite element was the delicious awkwardness of Jason Segel's mating ritual.

2. Buffy The Vampire Slayer — I actually don't need to have my memory wiped of this one. I can watch it whenever and wherever (provided my kid is nowhere near the TV). In college, this was the only show I actually even watched (too busy having a life for all the others). Enter pregnancy: My life slowed down A LOT and I rented and watched the series in its entirety. Now, if I could permanently delete Dawn, Drusilla and Tara...

3. The Wire (give or take Season 3) — Omar, Omar, Omar. Violent TV is not really my thing, but I made an exception for Snoop, The Barksdales, et al. Not for nothing, this reel waters the series down, but it's good for a little re-cap.

4. Arrested Development — It was too good to last (okay, if you skip the whole Charlize Theron storyline). I went around quoting that show so frequently — "Her?", "I blue myself!", "Marry me," "No touching!" — that I was nearly unintelligible to non-viewers. Linuses. HA!

5. Extras — I needed, like, prescription-strength deodorant and a box of tissue to watch this show. It made me so intoxicatingly uncomfortable.

6. Mr. Show with Bob and David — It's probably best if this one stays in my past, if I'm honest. It requires a lifestyle that's not exactly befitting a housewife and mother...

7. Chappelle's Show — Prince pancakes, Darkness! and The 5 o' clock Free Crack Giveaway. Laughing until you fart was always acceptable when this show was on.

8. Flight of the Conchords — Once upon a time, I came across Bret shuffling around a tiny L.A. neighborhood library. I made some weak-ass quip to him about wishing I had a camera-phone in my bag. Sigh. Good times.

I guess it's good that I've watched the show's two seasons multiple times; it makes my sing-alongs so much, um, "cooler"...yeah, that's the word I'll use.

9. Eastbound & Down — New episodes air in September. When I first came across this show, I couldn't believe it ever got made. Glad it did. Kenny Powers is so wrong, people.

Kenny Powers Is Back In September

Honorable Mention:

Degrassi Junior High — The original is what I'm talking about here, the one I used to fight my sister for the privilege of watching (we only had one TV to share and the Canadian series came on PBS at the same time as 21 Jumpstreet). These were accurately imperfect pre-teens with acne, split ends, jacked-up teeth and wardrobe repeats. None of the glossy wannabes you'll see on the show's modern-day incarnation. Thanks to Degrassi, I got my first televised inkling of the angst that I would later come to know and customize.