Alas, Undercovers; Hooray, Muppet Covers

[selenak]

Damn, Undercovers got cancelled. I know I didn't review the last two episodes, but that wasn't because I didn't enjoy them; because I didn't have much more to say than "that was fun". Which might be the problem with some viewers - it's that paradox, an almost entirely angst free spy show, the anti Nikita, so to speak - and so far case of the week rather than arc, but as much as I love arcs (when done well) and am an angst fiend at times, it was nice to have a weekly bubbly feel good tv I could enjoy. Incidentally, this week had David Anders guest starring. Which reminded me that I was in the minority of Alias fans who didn't take to Sark upon first appearance and very belatedly - only in s4 and s5, when he showed up very rarely - came to actually like the character. ("The beautiful man is dying" will never not be funny. It, err, depends on the context.) In Heroes I liked him better as a drunken mercenary than as a villainous immortal (not least because every time Adam's age was mentioned as a big thing, the Highlander fan in me thought of Amanda with her millennium and Methos with his five millennia and thought "you've got to be kidding, child"); but he's a reliable pro, and while the role in Undercovers wasn't especially taxing, he did a good job, and, I'm happy to report, stands by his age. (I.e. they didn't try to make him look youthful anymore.)

But curse you, network, for the show cancellation. At worst, the show could be accused of being a little formulaic, but which spy show isn't? And it did have very likeable leads (both of which heightened the presence of pocs on American tv in central roles instead of being sidekicks) with good chemistry. Also I liked the supporting cast. And now there will be no more Sam and Steven and Hoyt and Leo on my tv screen. In conclusion, damn!

On the bright side of things, you find stuff on the internet like this:

Coo-coo-achoo

Also diotimah pointed me towards other examples of the Muppets covering the Beatles. And then I found out they covered the Rolling Stones as well.



Extra points for incorporating the head shake:

Hey Food - it kills me they included the left-handedness.

A belated Halloween contribution - I'm Looking Through You:

That haunting ballad, Letter B (btw, they're really stretching it with the musical resemblance here, but it cracks me up anyway)

And now for one from The Other Group, (I can't get no) cooperation. Behold Mick Swagger:

Comments

[vi]

(Here via network.) Thank you for posting The Beetles videos! This has made my day. I had no idea The Muppets covered these songs and it combines two of my loves. ^^ Do you mind if I link to this post?

[selenak]

Link away!

[jesuswasbatman]

Oh, that's a pity that Undercovers got cancelled. I never saw any episodes, but it sounded interesting in itself, as well as for the central black cast members and the potential as an anecdote for overpowering angst in genre TV. (I have a nasty feeling that it might get quoted by executives and bigoted fanboys for the next decade as an example of how shows without white male leads have no audience.)

[selenak]

I hope you're wrong, but I strongly suspect your suspicions could turn true at least for the executives.

BTW you might have a problem with its naive politics (so far at least), i.e. for example the last episode had Our Heroes (CIA agents, remember) stop a Peruvian president from getting assassinated, and nobody said anything about certain past CIA interventions in Latin America which weren't nearly as benevolent, but as a commenter said in the lj, it is lovely brain candy and doesn't pretend to be more, taking its cue from (60s) James Bond rather than from Le Carré.

[blueswan]

Drat! I'd be all sadface over Undercovers, except I can't stop smiling over the talented group of young unknowns.

[selenak]

They truly take a sad song and make it better.:)