Tag: middleman

The Middleman

So, to counter the extremely negative review I just did, as well as the one I’m about to do, from the department of things that I would like to recommend: _The Middleman_

I wrote about _The Middleman_ “a few years ago”:http://tendentious.org/2008/08/28/im-sad-to-hear-middleman-isnt-doing-well/, shortly–very shortly–before it got cancelled. The ABC Family network it was broadcast on never even re-broadcast the original episodes–I saw two and three quarters episodes, and that was it.

At some point, I noticed that Netflix had the DVDs of that lone season, so I put them in the queue. They finally came up.

I was actually kind of worried that Anne wouldn’t enjoy watching them–they’re low-budget and comic-book-y and full of references from a subculture in which she doesn’t generally have a lot of interest–but that turned out to not be the case.

The remind me, more than anything else, of the similarly short-lived live-action version of _The Tick_, with Patrick Warburton–which is one of the few things I’ve ever bothered to purchase on DVD–which includes the best line ever written: “You’re not *needy*, you’re *wanty*.” But that’s another show.

Anyway, if you think that the idea of a show that would throw in off-hand references to Dune, hentai (on ABC Family? How did they slip that one it?), music-industry lawsuits against consumers and Batman & Robin, you should consider this as a fun way to spend a few hours.

I’m sad to hear Middleman isn’t doing well

So, on the recommendation of a “total stranger”:http://comicsworthreading.com/2008/07/12/the-middleman/, and, honestly, because it is so easy and free of downsides to try stuff this way, I started TiVOing “The Middleman”:http://abcfamily.go.com/middleman.

I have a vague memory of actually seeing ads for it, but seriously, “ABC Family” isn’t generally targetting me as their demographic.

Except, apparently, when they are.

The show is funny and smart–some of the jokes *really* make me reach to catch them. That puts it in a league with Thomas Pynchon. How the hell did something like that end up on television?

Unfortunately–and I guess in a way I’m not surprised–I hear that “it isn’t doing so hot”:http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2008/08/sepinwall_on_tv_trying_to_save.html. That makes me sad. But at least you will all have the opportunity to tune in for the remaining episodes. And maybe if enough of you do, there will be more. It’s a virtuous circle.