SNEAK PEEK VIDEOS: Will Arnett on Parks and Recreation and James Franco on 30 Rock

NBC Comedies are back! I have missed them! And the shows are full of great guest stars this week. On Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler’s hilarious husband, Will Arnett guest stars as a MRI technician. I love that this show brings in spouses–first Megan Mullally and now Will Arnett. Who’s next?

Also, Jack Black is guest-starring on Community, as a student who wants to be part of the “in-crowd.” (In other words, Joel McHale and his crew).

And if that’s not enough, James Franco appears on 30 Rock! Check out these video sneak peeks and be sure to tune in tomorrow night on NBC starting at 8 pm for this amazing Thursday night line-up.

Parks and Recreation:

Leslie goes to get an MRI, and Will Arnett plays the MRI technician: Vodpod videos no longer available.

Amy Poehler talks about working with her husband, Will Arnett on Parks and Recreation: Vodpod videos no longer available.

Best TV Of The Year: 2009

As opposed to my Best of the Decade list which contained moments and episodes from the decade, this list will be less extensive because I didn’t want to limit myself to 5 best shows of 09. Keep in mind, this is in no particular order!

1.  Parks and Recreation: I did not enjoy this show in its first season. It was always all about “the pit” and getting rid of the pit. I adore Amy Poehler, but her role seemed a bit too Michael Scott-esque to me. However, whatever happened during the off-season was fantastic. Season two has been hilarious. The pit has taken a secondary role, and each character has had a chance to develop and grow. I didn’t care for Andy in the first season, but he has become one of my favorites. I think this show deserves a ton of recognition for really stepping up its game. It is a show I look forward to every week.

2. Lost: This past season has been phenomenal. Time changing, Dharma goodness, Hurley’s hilarious questions…it’s all been great. The creators are brilliant, and I have faith that they know exactly what they are doing and that the series finale is going to blow our minds.

3. How I Met Your Mother: This year has had such great episodes as The Playbook and The Front Porch (I will never forget how hard I laughed at suitjamas). While this show can have its up and downs, every episode makes me happy. And any excuse to watch Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) wax poetic about his “bro code” and “lemon laws” is great in my opinion.

4. The Office: Season 5 started off (in ’08) with the Jim and Pam proposal, and ended on a pregnancy. And season 6 had one of the best episodes of The Office ever with the Jim/Pam wedding. It was perfect in so many ways–hilarious but also showed us what we have been wanting for 6 years. I may have watched the boat scene upwards of 10 times. The show is at its best truly brilliant, and it has been a great season thus far. I can’t wait to see more.

5. Party Down: This show on Starz Network has garnered quite a following for itself. Created by Rob Thomas (of Veronica Mars fame) it stars many of his VM colleagues, and is truly fantastic. It is a hilarious and wonderful portrayal of a catering company in Los Angeles, and its employees who clearly want to be more than just cater waiters. It returns for a 2nd season in 2010, where Kristen Bell will be back, and Megan Mullally joins the cast. This is a show you must see! Catch up with it on DVD before season 2 begins.

Video Sneak Peek: NBC Comedy Guest Stars!

While there’s a bit of a lull in TV news today, here are some great videos from tonight’s NBC comedies to hold you over.

Megan Mullally (adore her) guest stars on an all new Parks & Recreation with her real-life husband Nick Offerman. They talk about the episode here:
Vodpod videos no longer available.

Meet Tammy Swanson (Ron’s Ex):

Vodpod videos no longer available.

And, Brian Williams guest stars on an all new 30 Rock. He is absolutely hilarious (no, seriously), so I’m excited to see his guest appearance. Check out a behind the scenes video here:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

ADVANCE REVIEW: Parks And Recreation Premiere (+1)

Let me start off this post off by saying, I adore Amy Poehler. She was a genius on SNL, and I was incredibly sad to see her go. The first season of Parks and Recreation (if the small run is technically called a season) was decent, but it seemed to all be about “the pit.” I was hoping that they could branch out from the pit and just focus on the characters, and I am absolutely delighted to say that they did just that.

The premiere episode (titled Pawnee Zoo) has a hilarious cold open, which I posted on the site last week. The rest of the episode is just as amazing. It centers around the Pawnee Zoo, a marriage ceremony for 2 penguins, and the trouble Leslie gets herself into just by opening her mouth. There’s even a rendition of Poker Face, and a scene in a gay bar. I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say that this is Poehler at her prime. I’ve seen her in many improv shows, and she is best just being herself (even though her character work is brilliant). I felt that she shined through in this premiere episode, and I was laughing the entire time. The supporting cast was also fantastic, and I have very high hopes for this season.

The second episode (titled The Stakeout) centers around Leslie and Tom (Aziz Ansari) tending to the new community garden inside the pit. They soon discover someone has planted marijuana amidst the vegetables and go on a stakeout to find who is the culprit. Meanwhile, Ann (the lovely Rashida Jones) goes out on a date with Mark (Paul Schneider) with Leslie’s permission. This episode was also brilliantly written and kept up the pace from the premiere. I thought each storyline came together very well, and I really found myself enjoying the episode. Louis CK also guest stars!

I thought this show might have been one of those that built up on my DVR until I got a chance to watch it. But, I am pleased to say that this will be on my “must watch” list. Thursday night on NBC is really proving its return to glory with 30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Recreation and Community. I don’t care if they aren’t the number 1 network, this is certainly a number 1 lineup.

Sneak Peek: Premiere of Parks & Recreation

Parks and Recreation returns for its 2nd season on NBC this fall. But here’s a first look at the season premiere:

Also, check out this awesome video of the Season Premiere cold open (Amy Poehler is channeling some Fresh Prince of Bel Air):

Parks and Recreation premieres September 17 at 9:30 pm on NBC. I will post my review of the first two episodes before the premiere!