“It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” “The Shield.”

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“It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Hulu. Comedy. Now hold up, listen! With its 15th season, the series became the longest-running live-action American sitcom, replacing “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” which ran for 14 seasons between 1952 and 1966. In December 2020, the series was renewed for a total of four additional seasons, bringing it to 18 seasons. The 16th season premiered on June 7, 2023. What makes this wackadoodle series click? Frathouse-level shenanigans and poolhall nonsense. And four dudes and a dudette + Danny DeVito. 



       The silliness of "The Gang," a group of narcissistic friends who run the Irish bar Paddy's Pub in South Philadelphia. That’s the show. Some of the less than 30-minute episodes are inane, like the poop episode which pushed my viewing partner Cindyrella to exclaim, “That’s it for me!” Yet I quietly followed the show in the dark isolation of my bedroom, as Arrow, Ching and Fizz eye me with disgust, “Are you still watching that juvenile ridiculousness?!?” I do. LOL! 📹📺📹


“The Shield.” Hulu. Police drama. 7 Seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as “Rampart” in reference to the true-life Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division police scandal, in late 1990s on which the show's Strike Team was loosely based. The show may as well be a hardline chronicle of law enforcement per se, crosscutting its badness and goodness right through the gut. 



       The thing is, Michael Chiklis does look like a cop. And his character Vic Mackey does seem like the real deal. That makes “The Shield” a compelling watch. Too good to be true? It’s real. Brings me back to my police reporter days. 📹📺📹


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