FX Thursday Night Lineup - TV Review

ANGER MANAGEMENT - Charlie Sheen's comeback after Two and a Half Men is another laughtrack show, and it's one where the writing isn't near what it should be.  It's actually a safer, blander show than Men, and it's just not funny.  Sheen runs an anger management support group, and the characters around the circle are stock (although it's amusing to watch Barry Corbin do his best Wilford Brimley).  The one-liners are groaners.  Grade: D

WILFRED - I gave up on this show last season, but I've seen the first two episodes, and I'm back in. It's found its voice.  It's much improved now that Elijah Wood's has a job and is no longer suicidal.  Grade: B

LOUIE - Sometimes it's barely a comedy; it's more of a melancholy reflection on mid-life life.  But it stays funny as it reveals truth.  I like how it blends the events of the episode into the stand-up act.  Seinfeld did it too, but that felt detached.  This is part of his life.  Grade: A-

BRAND X with RUSSELL BRAND - Russell Brand, that British comedian whose career's on its way down, now has a show where he takes the headlines of the day and improvs comedy from them, talking to the audience.  It's like he's working out material, but since Brand's worn out his welcome with me, I'd say it's quite skippable.  Grade: D-

Random Movie Stuff - 6/21/12

- Reese Witherspoon is going to star in a big-screen adaptation of Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus. I'm assuming they're hoping for Think Like A Man business and not What to Expect When You're Expecting business. No word yet if Morgan Freeman's going to star in Chicken Soup for the Soul.

- Charlie Sheen will be playing the President of the United States in Machete Kills, Robert Rodriguez's grindhouse follow-up to Machete. The sequel will star Danny Trejo, Mel Gibson, Jessica Alba, Zoe Saldana, Sofia Vergara, Michelle Rodriguez, Demian Bechir and Amber Heard.

- Red Tails co-stars Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard will reunite in The Butler, starring Forest Whitaker in the true story of Eugene Allen, who served as butler at the White House from 1952 to 1986. Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Minka Kelly, Alex Pettyfer and Lenny Kravitz co-star. Lee Daniels (Precious) will direct.

- Development has stalled on the planned remake of The Thin Man. It was to star Johnny Depp and be directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago), but Marshall's moving for a big-screen adaptation of the play Into the Woods.

- Shawn Levy (Real Steel) is going to produce a big-screen Sesame Street movie. This would be the third time the Childrens Television Workshop gang graced the silver screen. There was also 1985's Follow That Bird and 1999's The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.