This Just In

I find this show to be very well done, and anyone with a good grasp on current politics could enjoy this show. Brian Newport represents the Republican side of politics, while Sammy, the waitress at the bar he frequents, represents liberals in America. The show will very likely p*** off a lot of people, as it tends to lean a lot more to the right than the liberal agenda. Still, if you try to look at the show objectively, it takes a good look at both sides of the political spectrum. Honestly it pokes fun at both sides, but since the show really revolves around Newport, it seems to show more of a conservative viewpoint. Behind the stereotypes and outlandish plot lines, there is a lot of comedy. I like to think of it's political satire along the lines of the last few South Park seasons, although it is much more overt in its political "moral" in each episode, if you want to call it that. I encourage people to watch the show, unless you don't like having your political party getting made fun of.

Two episodes of this series have aired and I find it to be very witty and funny. It's always very up to date with current events. There are a variety of characters on the show lead by conservative republican Brian Newport. He's normally accompanied by his best friends, Jimmy Townhouse and Craig Tingle. That is when Craig's wife lets him go out. You'll also see liberal waitress Sami, who always disagrees with Brian and makes for some great dialogue between the two. Other than the regulars you never know who's going to show up in the bar from Ted Kennedy to a raid by Tom Ridge for watching Wheel of Terror on the al-jazeera network. I really like this show and I hope it does well. Congrats to Steve Marmel and everyone involved!

Network: Spike TV; Genre: Animated Comedy/ Satire; Content Rating: TV-PG; Classification: Contemporary (Star range: 1 - 4);

Season Reviewed: Complete Series (6 episodes)

If you blinked you missed it.

'This Just In...' was the one original program on SpikeTV that had some staying power, any potential to put the network on the map as a serious contender and a respectable alternative to The Cartoon Network's wildly popular Adult Swim. It was on for all of 6 episodes before the network cowardly ran away from it. Back to wrestling, 'CSI' reruns and the deplorable 'The Joe Schmo Show'. Created by Steve Marmel, it is an animated comedy satirizing topical current and political events, written the week the show airs (owing a little credit to 'South Park 'here) except the hook here is that it comes from an unapologetically conservative point of view. And a conservative that isn't a radical right-winger either. Great day in the morning.

Brian Newport is a conservative Republican in college, surrounded by and preaching his big picture, linear logic politics (almost to the point of obnoxiousness) to a world of liberals around him that don't want to hear it. The resulting effect is completely refreshing, especially when you look around and realize that before this you could count the number of openly conservative-minded comedies on the air today on one hand and still have 3 or 4 fingers left over. The show does justice to the view and doesn't labor it's points but gives equal skewered timing to everyone - a stark contrast to the raving shoehorned soapbox speeches of other shows.

And, agree with it or not, watching this show you are going to see stories, jokes and slants on the news that you won't see anywhere else. Instead of David E. Kelley or Dick Wolf cramming their own brand of slander down our throats about the president this show delivers us a 180 degree spin on that. As in 'Bushwacked' when the show proposes the novel idea that George Bush is a brilliant, snotty, Yale graduate who consciously mis-pronounces words and talks in a Southern twang in order to appeal to common voters. Newport's explanation for why paying taxes is actually a good thing (in moderation, of course) is more detailed an nuanced than anything in the broad generalizations we are expected to swallow from liberal series as to why we are to, for example, believe in global warming or weep for victims of the death penalty.

Taking the 'Bushwacked' example, it's an original idea, but not particularly funny – which, unfortunately, sums up almost everything about this show. It suffers from the same lazy comic ailment that plagued this year's increasingly feverishly left-wing 'Whoopi': the misconception that just dropping the name of a celebrity or well-known politician is enough to get a laugh. Name-dropping falls just in line behind puns and fart jokes as the most mind-numbing and tedious form of comedy there can be. Not since the sparkling writing of 'Murphy Brown' has a show been able to pull it off with any resounding success. So aside from a well-deserved jab at Tina Fey (proof the show is closer to the cusp of reading what's hip than most) I was never provoked to actual laughter by it. Even when some of Marmel's ideas and character quirks are – if you think about them – quite funny ones; such as the idea that Newport is such a political junkie we see a 'Hannity and Colmes' poster displayed prominently on his wall with the Colmes scratched out. We need more shows on TV as open to political dissection as this one.

Like I said, this was a somewhat refreshing show that had potential. It was, at best, marginally funny hampered by a slow pace and Marmel lacking the sharp comic delivery to really sell most of the gags. But it's ridiculous to expect the series to be completely ironed out after only six episodes. It was a show of ideas in a landscape of mindless TV and I wish I had the chance to get to know it better. Spike dropped the ball big time.

* *

Seriously, what is the point of this show? Unlike many political humor shows it goes straight for the heart of the issue rather than skirt around it...then misses the point entirely. There is a reason spike TV is the only one who will touch this. At its best it's a apologists diary of Bush's policies even when fellow conservatives are questioning them. At its worst it's utter bigotry towards people even most conservatives aren't hostile towards anymore. I mean come on, France jokes? 2003 called, they want their ethnic slurs back. What passes for humor on this show is essentially "witty" badmouthing and characterization of people who opposed the war. Which means we get the ever so original, highly overweight Michael Moore shooting his mouth off. What comedic genius! Then they'll trot out a horribly skewed Moby (who is acting more like Marilyn Manson) and make fun of him. I guess the reason why they didn't pick on Eminem (who also denounced the war) is because he's too popular. Wow, only picking on those who won't fight back...what creative courage. I know conservatives want some form of entertainment skewed towards their interests...(you know, aside from every single news channel and half the networks on the air) but this show just makes them out as a pack of rabid dogs. Oh, I forgot taking cheap shots at the kennedy's...any titanic jokes they want to crank out while hitting these fads in the height of their popularity? It's not that the show presents a right wing perspective, it's how badly it does it. Shows like King of the Hill are quite conservative but still manage to explain their take on a given issue and use logical evidence to support it. Even if you don't agree with what they are doing, they make you think and are almost always enjoyable. "This just in" does none of this. It feels like it really wants to be family guy but didn't really put in the effort (as evidenced by its complete lack of star power, Hell Family guy was able to get Luke Perry in its second season.). To sum it all up, the show lacks originality, characters with depths, interesting plot and (the final nail in its coffin for a show of this genre) humor. its just not funny, is more often than not offensive, and is actually painful to watch. The worst thing of all is that it is taking away valuable time that could be spent airing MXE, which is funnier, and has a hell of a lot more star power.

This has to be one of the worst series about a bumbling fool ever . If not, it is THE fifth worst series about a bumbling fool.

1.) Chalkzone 2.) Squirrel Boy 3.) Will & DeWitt 4.) Tak & The Power of Juju 5.) This Just In

The entire series revolves around Jourinist and Current Events while being as illogical as can be. If it reminds you of Mr. Bean: The Animated Series, you are not alone. Also, there is no redeeming qualities about the entire series, since the plot is so unoriginal. Furthermore, the characters are anything but likable and memorable.

There are enough movie failure puns and references to choke a horse. Also, they have every cliché in this series. I am glad it is all over.

as for the last show that was like this one

The Goode Family (to me) is S*&^. Pure and simple. It has poor Dialog, it has poor plots, the characters feel stale as a piece of toast that has existed for as long as a dang tree, and for some reason I want to vomit at the sight of an idiot Father trying to get his family out of a jam. Yeah...NO MYSTERY THERE! Honestly, it in my opinion tries to be good but...but...MAN!

I'm sorry if a fan of cartoons like this is offended by this review, but pure and simple, this is just an opinion! With a few observations. Man, when Mike Judge made TGF, he feels like he wasn't just scraping the bottom of the barrel, ABC took some justice & they've finally been throwing the darn thing away.