Mockumentary

I love a good mockumentary, whether via film or tv. Christopher Guest, I bow to you, for such laugh-tastic classics as This is Spinal Tap and Best in Show. And I applaud myself for seeing you on that plane from JFK once and not disturbing you like the crazed fan that I could be.

I recently attended a fun event at The Paley Center for Media in celebration of Parks and Recreation, now in its sophomore season on NBC Thursday nights. I must agree with critics that it is much improved from its abbreviated first season, and applaud NBC for sticking with it. Starring SNL veteran Amy Poehler, the series is a mockumentary sitcom in the vein of (and with some of the creators of) The Office, another favorite (albeit aging) show of mine. It centers around the parks and recreation department of the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana, and is a sweet and funny love letter to city governments across the land. My friends in the local parks and recreation department enjoyed attending the event with me, so I'm taking that as another ringing endorsement. Check it out for an ensemble cast and writing that is coming together nicely.

I am also enjoying the freshman season of Modern Family on ABC Wednesday nights. This mockumentary about a wacky and diverse family has become quite popular this season, striking a fine balance between comedic and relatable family situations.

Check out both shows for a light-hearted television salute to the documentary form.

30(something)

I love when my favorite old tv shows make their way to DVD, mostly because the behind-the-scenes documentaries offer a glimpse into the magic of what made them so special.

I wasn't yet even twentysomething when thirtysomething hit the airwaves in 1987. I watched it faithfully during the four years I was in college, even though the themes of adult angst weren't yet even relevant to me. At one time, I had all of the episodes recorded off of Lifetime on VHS, until I accidentally taped over the transcendent "Nancy -----, Gary ----" episode (no spoilers here). My collection was thus woefully weakened and ultimately abandoned during one of my many twentysomething moves. As the first season of this groundbreaking show finally comes to DVD, I am less than one month away from no longer being thirtysomething myself, with adult angst in focus, and hoping an episode marathon will spark an 11th hour gem of insight long dismissed (Help me Obi-Wan Ed Zwick, you're my only hope).

I attended a fun Paley Center LA screening and Q&A for the DVD release this week - it was so great to see and hear some of the renowned cast and creative team behind the show recollect their experiences. Apparently music rights issues have long held up the release, so I am thankful that they all got sorted out. The documentary features and commentaries on the making of the show and its cultural impact should be interesting; such a terrific ensemble effort all the way around ensures the legacy of a very cinematic show that likely would not have found a home on the broadcast networks in this era. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series being released on DVD in 2010.

thirtysomething at nearly twentysomething or barely fortysomething is much better than no thirtysomething at all!