Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry
New This Week
I stayed up ruinously late one night last January watching the entire second season of “Enlightened” in one sitting. At the end of every episode I was too excited to learn what happened next to aspiring corporate whistleblower Amy Jellicoe and her reluctant co-conspirator Tyler.
An agreeable addition is the new character played by SNL’s Molly Shannon, who also starred in “Enlightened” creator Mike White’s brilliant feature directorial debut “Year of the Dog.”
The series has hilarious moments, but it also serves as a quite gripping thriller.
For those just joining us, “Enlightened” mastermind White started out writing for “Girls” producer Judd Apatow on “Freaks and Geeks,” then moved on to scripting movies like “The Good Girl,” “Orange County,” “Chuck & Buck,” “Nacho Libre” and “The School of Rock.”
“The Captains Close Up”
A new sitcom written by and starring longtime “The Office” writer-performer Mindy Kaling, “The Mindy Project”
I like Kaling as airhead narcissist Kelly Kapoor on “The Office” and I love the “Office” episodes she’s written (“The Injury,” featuring a hilariously concussed Dwight Schrute, was one of hers), but “The Mindy Project” pilot did not get any laughs out of me.
I note that at least some critics are pointing out that “New Girl” had its own shaky start, but I still contend “New Girl” kicked off with one of the best sitcom pilots ever.
… doesn’t yet have a steady handle on its characters–particularly, oddly, Mindy’s. In the first half-hour she swings from empathetic to callous, smart to borderline-nuts, likeable-but-flawed to off-putting. … In all, it’s a polished pilot, but one that will have to work ground its characters better to work as a series.
... The job of "The Mindy Project" was to make me root for the fictional Mindy Lahiri or merely want to spend more time in her presence. It didn't get very far in either of those arenas, and I didn't find it very funny either. … the lead character is so tonally mixed up that it's hard not to get whiplash from watching the pilot. …
... There are a few rough patches — a blind date gone awry scene (with Kaling's old "Office" co-star Ed Helms) pushes Mindy's behavior to the point where she seems unstable rather than just neurotic — but overall, "The Mindy Project" is a comedy that arrives knowing what it wants to be and what kinds of stories and jokes it wants to tell. …
… The pilot of The Mindy Project isn't quite as funny as Ms. Kaling is at her best, but it has some amusing moments and a lot of promise. …
... I like this a lot. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
... Kaling is good enough to make the C-plus dialogue sound better than it is. …two things are clear from the "Mindy" pilot: First, that the writers need to do some work to make the secondary characters less of a cliche, and, second, that Kaling has the stuff to go the distance.
... Everything about “The Mindy Project” is so very Kaling and happily spot-on, starting with the strength of the jokes and dialogue. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... There’s something so likeable about Mindy Kaling that even though the pilot for her new series “The Mindy Project” underwhelms there’s also reason for optimism. …
… plays like a blind date gone bad. …
... Despite a few flaws, “The Mindy Project” could evolve into an interesting hybrid, an anti-romantic-comedy romantic comedy. … Like its heroine, “The Mindy Project” is a work in progress.
... If you've resisted Kaling's charms up to now, nothing that happens tonight is likely to change your mind. But even those who like her may be turned off by her affection for an odd form of self-deprecating humor, one that seems to poke fun at her character until you notice that every scene vindicates her and every man wants to sleep to her. Then the word you may most want to append to her Project isn't "Mindy." It's "Vanity."
... shows enough comedic snap in the pilot to hint at significant potential. … Here’s to one of the few half-hours of merit this season, a beacon of hope among the bleak fall offerings. …
... it's an imperfect product, and given its familiar trappings needs to put even more effort into bolstering its support system. Still, there are enough winning moments here to come back for an encore. …
TV-on-Disc Calendar
Last Week
Battlestar Galactica: The Motion Picture (Blu-ray)
The Borgias 3.x
The Borgias 3.x (Blu-ray)
Community 4.x
Duck Dynasty 3.x
Fridays: Best Of
Gunsmoke 9.x
Midsomer Murders Vol. 22
Political Animals: The Complete Series
Ripcord 1.x
Ripcord 2.x
Smash 2.x
Smiley's People: The Complete Miniseries (Blu-ray)
Strike Back: Cinemax 2.x
Strike Back: Cinemax 2.x (Blu-ray)
The Super 6: The Complete Series
Taz-Mania 1.x Vol. 2
The Thick Of It 1.x-4.x
Top Gear 3.x
This Week
Amazing World of Gumball Vol. 3
The Captains Close Up
Casper's Scare School 2.x
Combat 5.x
Doctor Who: The Green Death Special Edition
Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space (Blu-ray)
Enlightened 2.x
Family Ties 7.x
Girls 2.x (Blu-ray)
The L.A. Complex: The Complete Series
Once Upon A Time 2.x (Blu-ray)
Perry Mason: The Complete Series
Ultra Q: The Complete Series
Next Week
Being Human 5.x
Being Human 5.x (Blu-ray)
Boardwalk Empire 3.x
Boardwalk Empire 3.x (Blu-ray)
CatDog 4.x
Donkey Kong Country
Ghost Hunters International 3.x
The Good Wife 4.x
Mike & Molly 3.x
NCIS 10.x
NCIS Los Angeles 4.x
Star Trek: Enterprise 2.x (Blu-ray)
August 27
Call Me Fitz 3.x
Elementary 1.x
Ghost Hunters International : The Final Season
Grey's Anatomy 9.x
Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray)
Sapphire & Steele: The Complete Series
Sons of Anarchy 5.x
Tales of the City: 20th Anniversary Edition
The Walking Dead 3.x
The Walking Dead 3.x (Blu-ray)
The Walking Dead 3.x Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
September 3
Ancient Aliens 5.x Vol. 1
Criminal Minds 8.x
DaVinci's Demons 1.x
DaVinci's Demons 1.x (Blu-ray)
Ghost Hunters: Fan Favorites
The Haunting Hour Vol. 5
The Haunting Hour Vol. 6
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (Blu-ray)
The Office 9.x
Parks and Recreation 5.x
Person of Interest 2.x
Person of Interest 2.x (Blu-ray)
Power Rangers Megaforce: Ultimate Team Power
Regular Show Vol. 4
Revolution 1.x
Revolution 1.x (Blu-ray)
Route 66 1.x
Scandal 2.x
The Shield: The Complete Series
Sinbad 1.x
Sinbad 1.x (Blu-ray)
Spartacus 3.x
Spartacus 3.x (Blu-ray)
Tom and Jerry's Halloween Hi-jinks
Touch of Frost: The Complete Series
The Vampire Diaries 4.x
The Vampire Diaries 4.x (Blu-ray)
September 10
Army Wives 7.x
The Big Bang Theory 6.x
The Big Bang Theory 6.x (Blu-ray)
Blue Bloods 3.x
Castle 5.x
Chicago Fire 1.x
Homeland 2.x
Hullabaloo: Best Of Vol. 1
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia 8.x
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia 8.x (Blu-ray)
The League 4.x
The League 4.x (Blu-ray)
Luther 3.x
Mama's Family 2.x
The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis 1.x
Parade's End: The Complete Miniseries
Parade's End: The Complete Miniseries (Blu-ray)
Scooby-Doo: 13 Spooky Tales Run for Your Rife
Star Trek: Origins (Blu-ray)
Supernatural 8.x
Supernatural 8.x (Blu-ray)
Tales From The Cryptkeeper: Myth Conceptions
Tales From The Cryptkeeper: Transylvania Express
VR Troopers 2.x Vol. 2
September 17
Adventure Time Vol. 5
Annoying Orange Vol. 3
Arrow 1.x
Arrow 1.x (Blu-ray)
Bates Motel 1.x
Bates Motel 1.x (Blu-ray)
CSI 13.x
Dalziel & Pascoe 8.x
Doctor Who: Ice Warriors
Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka
Glee 4.x
Glee 4.x (Blu-ray)
Green Acres 3.x
Grimm 2.x
Harbor Command: The Complete Series
Heartland 3.x
The Hollow Crown: The Complete Miniseries
Leverage 5.x
The Mentalist 5.x
Nashville 1.x
Sofia the First: Ready to Be a Princess
Top Gear: Worst Car in the History of the World
Vegas: The Complete Series
Waking The Dead 8.x
Wild Things: Creepy Crawlers
Wild Things: Deadliest Critters
September 24
American Dad Volume 8
American Horror Story 2.x
American Horror Story 2.x (Blu-ray)
DC Super Villains: Superman: Worlds at War
Doctor Who 7.x
Family Guy Vol. 11
Foyle's War Vol. 7
Gene Simmons Family Jewels 7.x
Hannibal 1.x (Blu-ray)
Hawaii Five-0 3.x
In The Flesh 1.x
Law & Order SVU 14.x
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers
Modern Family 4.x
The Neighbors 1.x
New Tricks 1.x-5.x
Scooby-Doo: 13 Spooky Tales Ruh-Roh Robot
South Park 16.x
Two and a Half Men 10.x
October 1
Beauty and the Beast 1.x
Beetlejuice: A Halloween Spooktacular
The Big Bang Theory 1.x (Blu-ray)
The Big Bang Theory 2.x (Blu-ray)
Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Doctor Who: Doctors Revisited 5-8
How I Met Your Mother 8.x
Littlest Pet Shop: Pet-acular Escapades
Magnum PI: The Complete Series
Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series
Phineas & Ferb: Mission Marvel
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 3
Tom & Jerry's Winter Wackiness
October 8
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: The Complete Series
Adventure Time Vol. 3
Avengers Assemble: Assembly Required
The Avengers: The Complete Emma Peel Megaset
Bones 8.x
Bones 8.x (Blu-ray)
Centennial: The Complete Series
Doctor Who: Terror of the Zygons
Inspector Gadget 1.x
Inspector Gadget 2.x
MacKenzie's Raiders: The Complete Series
The Middle 3.x
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: A Very Minty Christmas
90210 5.x
Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special
The Six Million Dollar Man 4.x
Power Rangers Super Samurai: A Christmas Wish
Robot Chicken 6.x (Blu-ray)
Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. 1.x
The Secret of Crickley Hall: The Complete Miniseries
Super Friends 6.x
Totally Spies 2.x
Transformers Prime: Predacons Rising
Transformers Prime: Predacons Rising (Blu-ray)
White Collar 4.x
October 15
Anger Management: Episodes 11-32
Anger Management: Episodes 11-32 (Blu-ray)
Bewitched: The Complete Series
Defiance 1.x
Defiance 1.x (Blu-ray)
Gentle Ben 1.x
Gravity Falls: Six Strange Tales
Hart of Dixie 2.x
The Honeymooners: The Classic 39 Episodes (Blu-ray)
I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series
The IT Crowd: The Complete Series
It's A Spongebob Squarepants Christmas (Blu-ray)
Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 2000
The New Three Stooges: Complete Cartoon Collection
The Partridge Family: The Complete Series
Rocko's Modern Life 4.x
Smurftastic Journey
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 5.x
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 5.x (Blu-ray)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.x-5.x
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 1.x-5.x (Blu-ray)
Vikings 1.x
Vikings 1.x (Blu-ray)
October 22
Kindred The Embraced: The Complete Series
Nikita 3.x
Nikita 3.x (Blu-ray)
Primeval The New World: Complete Series
Primeval The New World: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Transformers Rescue Bots Vol. 3
October 29
Burning Love 1.x
Damages: The Complete Series
Family Tree 1.x
Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas
November 5
Absolutely Fabulous: The Complete Series Special Edition</>
Ben 10 Omniverse Vol. 3
Beverly Hills 90210: The Complete Series
Dexter 8.x
Dexter 8.x (Blu-ray)
Dexter: Complete Series
Dexter: Complete Series (Blu-ray)
Dexter: Complete Series Gift Set (Blu-ray)
Family Ties: The Complete Series
I Love Lucy: Colorized Christmas
Keeping Up Appearances: Collector's Edition
Magical Smurf Adventure 2
Under The Dome 1.x
Under The Dome 1.x (Blu-ray)
Under The Dome 1.x Limited Collector's Edition (Blu-ray)
November 12
Merlin: The Complete Series Gift Set
The Paradise 1.x
The Paradise 1.x (Blu-ray)
Power Rangers Zeo Vol. 1
Super Friends 4.x
November 19
Here's Edie
Lost Girl 3.x
Lost Girl 3.x (Blu-ray)
December 3
Hawaii Five-0: The Complete Series
December 10
The Following 1.x
The Following 1.x (Blu-ray)
January 7
Copper 2.x
Copper 2.x (Blu-ray)
February 18
Game Of Thrones 3.x Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
