The Maya Rudolph Show, on NBC
A.V. Club; IMDb

When I first heard of this, I was under the impression it was going to be a series. Later (but still before it aired, in May 2014), I discovered it was actually going to be a special. But that it could serve as a potential pilot for a series. Maybe. (It wasn't until two years later that a retooled series called Maya & Marty debuted.) Anyway, as the title suggests, this special starred Maya Rudolph. She was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007, and while I don't think I actually watched the show very much during that era, I must have seen at least a bit of her work there. And over the years I've surely read a few magazine articles about her. She's appeared in a number of movies, most of which I've never seen. And yet, I've always had a sense of liking her, I guess. So I was interested in checking this show out. It had a number of guest stars, with whom I was also vaguely familiar. (Country star Blake Shelton had a very brief cameo at the beginning, which rather reminded me of last year's Kelly Clarkson Christmas special.) Guests who played larger roles in the show included a few of Maya's fellow SNL alums, Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen, and Chris Parnell. (I'm not greatly familiar with their work on SNL, but I've seen at least Samberg and Parnell in other things.) And there was Sean Hayes, whom I sort of know from "Will & Grace" (though I never watched much of that, either). And there was Kristen Bell, whom I know from lots of things. And there were some other people whom I don't think I know at all.

Anyway, it's a variety show, and it had a very '70s feel to it. There were several sketches, most of which were also comedic musical numbers. I found some of them reasonably amusing and entertaining, but none of them wildly amusing or entertaining. And some of them I just found kind of "meh." There was also a song by Janelle Monáe, "Electric Lady." I'm not greatly familiar with her work, though what I've heard before I've quite liked. This song, however... I also found kind of "meh." So, on the whole, I would say I found the special disappointing, but I'm still glad I watched it. I liked it, I just didn't like it as much as I'd hoped I would. And I'm not sure if I'd bother watching more of it, if it does become a series, but I suppose it would depend on whether it was on opposite anything I'm more interested in watching. (Of course, all this is just my opinion; others might quite rightly enjoy it a lot more than I did, as everyone has different tastes.) And I dunno what else to say.