TV That's Worth Your Time

I usually like my TV shows like I like my men: dumb, pretty, and entertaining. Just kidding. About the men, anyway. But my shows? Well, I like to catch "My Fair Brady," and I watched the entire first season of "Flavor of Love." That's time I'll never get back. (Get it? Time? Flavor Flav? I'm SO killing right now.)

But this weekend, the Boyf and I watched Dave Chappelle on "Inside the Actors Studio." I know, I know -- the show first aired back in February. But it was still some of the most honest, thoughtful, and enlightening programming I've seen in quite some time. (But considering my usual show lineup, that's not surprising.)

Whether you think Dave is a comic genius or utterly distasteful (I, personally, think he's a little bit of both), it was a treat to see him open up and say intelligent things like this:

"The worst thing to call somebody is crazy," he said. "It's dismissive. I don't understand this person so they're crazy. That's bull----."

I expected Dave to dodge questions and ham it up, but it was just thoroughly interesting to hear him speak about his father's death and the business of acting and comedy writing. Plus, James Lipton was on fire: He actually uttered the phrase "Where are my f*cking royalties?" and he ballet-danced onstage. Wow. That alone was worth the price of admission. Plus, every time I see the show, I admire Lipton's style of interviewing. He shuts up and lets the actors talk, allowing them to reveal more than they might have planned to. Plus, you can tell Lipton does his research and genuinely enjoys film. Love it. Four stars for this episode.