British Manors, Singing Knights, and Frat Pranks

Tonight you can see the sixth and final season of Masterpiece's Downton Abbey.  Here is a quick trailer to tease you.  Don't get teary-eyed.  I expect there will be movies or versions of it at some point in the future.  PBS cannot simply let go of its most popular drama.  Like Disney and its Star Wars property, you do not throw away something that works and makes you boatloads of money.  That said, Downton Abbey has been a reliably good shows for many years and I look forward to this season as it wraps up the loose ends. 

If that is not enough, you can always watch the second season of Galavant on ABC tonight.  Yes, the singing kingdom is back.  I would have bet against it, and I think I did, but it is good to see that a variety of shows can make it on television these days.  

And finally, another new show appears on Fox this evening is Cooper Barrettt's Guide to Surviving Life.  How should I describe it?  Maybe I should let Fox give it a try (and check out this trailer):

Wouldn’t it be great to have a friend who has made all the mistakes in life there are to make, and then tells you exactly where he went wrong, so you don't have to? COOPER BARRETT’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE is a new comedy that explores what we all go through on our way to figuring out what life is all about.  COOPER BARRETT still doesn't have the job he wants; he's accidently fallen in love with his across-the-hall neighbor, KELLY BISHOP, one of his roommates, NEAL, just can’t seem to dump his bodybuilder girlfriend; his other roommate, BARRY, is a “loveable jackass” who can’t stop getting into trouble; and his 40-year-old-brother, JOSH is constantly popping in to hang with the fellas and get some peace from his wife, LESLIE, and their two kids. The one thing they do have is each other.  As Cooper struggles to survive each of life’s many challenges – a night in jail, an inappropriate text he never should have sent, an ill-advised household pet – he will guide us through the often-messy, always-hilarious ordeal, so that our lives don’t have to be nearly the entertaining disaster that Cooper’s is turning out to be. 

So there you have it.  Brits or beer pong.  Given that you may still have a hangover from New Year's Eve, maybe the subdued Brits (not the singing ones) will be mellow enough for you.

Update: I forgot how enjoyable Downton Abbey can be. The first episode with Mrs. Patmore and Mr. Carson trying to discuss the birds and the bees was great television. And Maggie Smith was in top form as always. CBS's Sunday Morning did an interview with Dame Smith that is worth a look as she discusses the series and other topics.