Underrated / Overrated

UNDERRATED

Ken Marino: An alumni of MTV’s sketch comedy series “The State,” Marino may not have the name recognition of castmates who went on to launch “Reno 911!” and “Stella,” but his surreal comic chops are razor sharp. Seen as the endearingly deluded Ron Donald in cult favorite “Party Down” and now as the yarmulke-topped surgeon on Cartoon Network’s insane spoof “Childrens Hospital,” Marino has stolen enough scenes to be on a federal watch list.

‘Ninety Miles’: Released last month, this free-wheeling album led by trumpeter Christian Scott, vibraphonist Christian Scott and saxophonist David Sánchez is a three-headed monster of cross-pollinated Cuban jazz. It was recorded in Havana with locals Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa, and anyone taken in by the “Buena Vista Social Club” phenomenon will find a lot to like here. Start with the twisting, clockwork groove of “Brown Belle Blues” and watch your summer heat up.

OVERRATED

‘My Cat From Hell’: Given the pop culture phenomenon that was “The Dog Whisperer,” you can’t blame Animal Planet for turning over the feline side of the coin with this series. And while the remarkably named Jackson Galaxy makes a warm-hearted “whisperer” behind a maze of tattoos, cat therapy doesn’t add up to the same level of TV drama. Play with your cats, let them walk in high places, don’t rub them the wrong way. There, you just watched an episode.

Early Video on Demand movies: Seeing the writing on the wall with crystal-clear home theaters and a future in “the cloud,” studios have started allowing viewers to rent a film over their TV some 60 days after its release. But at almost $30 a pop, it’s hard to imagine many other than families and wealthy shut-ins eager to pay for the privilege. Though it’s a little more than the cost of two tickets, it’s tough to think of any movie worth that much to see at home a few months early.

— Chris Barton