TV Blog Buzz: Is the new ‘Orange is the New Black’ binge-worthy?

Plenty of TV lovers had this weekend set aside for bingeing on the second season of the Netflix original series “Orange is the New Black.” Is it worth spending your Sunday on the couch with the women’s-prison drama?

The reviews, generally, say yes.

Salon says the show has evolved from being “a fairly bubbly experiment” into a “a smart drama.”

“The second season of ‘Orange Is the New Black’ is much less like a manic, comedic prison-themed episode of ‘The L-Word’ and much more of a smart drama that respects itself enough to lean into its heavier moments without always retreating to the safety of one-liners,” writes Heather Havrilesky.

“In its second season, the comedy of ‘OITNB’ feels more like the comedy of ‘The Sopranos’; it’s not meant to undercut the darkness so much as sharpen the contrast and turn up the dial on the show’s overall emotional impact.”

http://bit.ly/1hDU3F2

While there seems to be more positive than negative reviews circulating, not everyone loves season 2 of the show.

Variety says “what felt fresh about ‘Orange Is the New Black’ has quickly gone a bit stale,” based on seeing the first six episodes.

“The new season’s highlights feel more scattershot, and the plot offers less urgency. All of which would be OK, provided ‘Orange’ doesn’t fall victim to the quirks and excesses that characterized the later seasons of (show creator Jenji Kohan’s) “Weeds.”

http://bit.ly/1nnLgWY

___

Talk about a dream opportunity for “Game of Thrones” fans.

George R.R. Martin, who created the “A Song of Ice and Fire” books that inspired the hit TV show, is raising money for two charities, the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and the Food Depot.

He’s giving away a variety of gifts in exchange for generous donations, but just $10 gets you a chance to win a personal tour of the sanctuary with Martin. And Martin promises to answer every “Game of Thrones” question you’ve ever had.

Martin was offering the opportunity to be featured as a character in an upcoming book — in exchange for a $20,000 donation — but that deal has already been snatched up.

http://bit.ly/1mYAODw

___

Dave Coulier is dispelling the post-“Full House” urban legend that has dogged him for years.

No, he’s not the reviled subject of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know,” although he admits he didn’t help debunk the story when it first made the rounds.

“You know, it’s just funny to be the supposed subject of that song. First of all, the guy in that song is a real a-hole, so I don’t want to be that guy. Secondly, I asked Alanis, ‘I’m getting calls by the media and they want to know who this guy is,’” he tells BuzzFeed.

“And she said, ‘Well, you know it could be a bunch of people. But you can say whatever you want.’ So one time, I was doing a red carpet somewhere and (the press) just wore me down and everybody wanted to know so I said, ‘Yeah, all right, I’m the guy. There I said it.’ So then it became a snowball effect of, ‘OH! So you are the guy!’”

http://bzfd.it/1mYAS6o