Another Layer To The Onion

I've watched the first several episodes of the Onion News Network, the TV branch of The Onion. I like it, though not as much as the newspaper.  It's pretty much the same material--deadpan news items, where everyday things are treated as important and unusual or important things are treated as normal.  The formula works, the visuals are good and the writing is generally there.  The best addition is all the satire of TV news, especially vain anchor Brooke Alvarez (played superbly by Suzanne Sena) and her interaction with other reporters.

The pieces vary (occasionally they get a little too political, which is actually when the Onion is at its worst), but overall the quality is high.  I suppose I like the paper better because I can pick and choose what I read, and only go as far in any piece as I want.  Still, the TV version is recommended.

On the other hand, I can't really tell you much about Portlandia, the thematic sketch show starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Browstein that follows the Onion News on IFC, since I haven't been able to make it through an entire episode.