Veronica Mars Season 3

Over at MSN, you can catch the first episode of the new season of Veronica Mars and you should, because it is the best. Now, for those of you who are already VM fans, no further urging is needed. But for those of you who haven't given the show a try, this is the best way to move from ignorance to bliss. Veronica Mars is at her best, snarky, perceptive, making enemies with the snap of her fingers. It's too bad that Michael Cera (of Arrested Development fame) couldn't reprise his role, but I'm hoping that when he's done shooting his movie, he'll make his television return. I had the idea of writing my own update of Nancy Drew a few years ago, right before I heard about the Veronica Mars premise. Six months later, it was on the air, but I had the grave misfortune of working nights, so I never had the chance to catch it. Now, my already crowded Tuesday night will be more so because Veronica Mars is my definite must see. Rob Thomas, the creator of the show, has a great gift as a writer and the actors help carry out his vision. I'm please with the introduction of new characters, with the changing storylines, with how the characters continue to grow. I even felt some empathy/sympathy for Dick Casablancas and it takes great writing to bring that out after he's been such a... dick... for two seasons. Anyhow, you don't have to love television to want to watch this show. Smart writing, deft acting and an excellent cast makes this show a must watch for even the casual viewer. If you only have one hour a week to watch television, make it Tuesdays at 9pm. Unless you don't have the CW, and then I feel sorry for you.

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip

I watch alot of television. It should be my job, but alas, it isn't. Right now, I am loving Studio 60. It has good, hard laughs, a great soundtrack, and awesome actors, both dramatic and humourous. Just as Aaron Sorkin took on the job of translating the White House and politics into an arena that made us feel as if the little man could have an opinion in the political arena. With this show, will we feel as if we know how shows like Saturday Night Live could be funnier? Or will we have more sympathy since SNL doesn't have a Matt and Danny. This show is one of the best new shows of the fall. I hope you're watching.

Ratings

Dear Nielsen Ratings System,

For so long, you have had a part in deciding what shows stay and which shows go. You help regulate the amount of money that gets made from commercials per each hour, per channel, and right now, I only know one person who has ever gotten to keep a television diary and he doesn't like House. Now, there's competition for your television affection.

Your reign of tyranny is ending. You are no longer the sole officiator of how well a show does. Your power is quickly dwindling. People can now go online the next day and watch a show. People are no longer chained to a certain night for television watching and as networks gain money through internet advertising, they will see that there has always been more viewers out there than you predicted.

I think the reason I am glad for your waning power is because I was never included. Oh, it's not that I necessarily wanted to be a Nielsen family. It's that something always kept me from prime time viewing. I wanted to get into shows, but I was always working at night. It would have been nice if network television did what cable television has been doing with their shows, replaying them at different times for those who work and can't catch shows. Now, with the internet, I am able to arrange my television viewing schedule to suit my timetable. In the world of television viewing, I am FREE!

So I hope that every network gets on the bandwagon. CBS, your Innertube looks good. You just need to make sure it runs smoothly for the millions of unanticipated people who visit your site. ABC, nice try. Fox, you are normally known for being cutting edge, but now you're letting your conservative side show... don't be scared spitless when it comes to new technology. NBC, call me when you get your videos to work correctly.

Yes, it is a flawed system, but if we, the huddled masses, were to rise up and watch videos on our computer, we would have more say in the shows we get to see at a later date. Who's with me!?!

Yours Truly,
This Girl

Sitcoms

I don't know why I haven't seen it. Maybe because I've been so captivated by some of the really good drama being produced these days. Maybe because so many dramas have such a high level of humour. Whatever it was, as I looked through google calendar to chronicle my television shows, I realize I have very few 30 minute spots, the length of time that sitcoms take up, in the calendar. I could watch Nick at Night and revel in my own personal glory days of sitcoms, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Roseanne, The Cosby Show, A Different World or turn to TV Land for shows like Sanford & Son, The Jeffersons, All In The Family or, I can take you back to Nick at Night when I was 12, the first time I could watched tv with a free hand and picked shows like Dick van Dyke, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, My Three Sons... in fact, if it was black and white or had Lucy in the title, I watched it voraciously. I consumed sitcoms like peanut butter m&ms - by the pound bagfuls and without thought or effort. Maybe I should be ashamed, but I'm not.

Now, sitcoms are so sparse, I forgot they were even part of the television viewing landscape. I forgot, that is, until today, when I was forced to watch 'Til Death, Brad Garrett's new sitcom dealing with marriage, and Happy Hour, a new sitcom that looks at the lives of singles in NY through the eyes of a guy from Minnesota or Wisconsin or someplace with an accent the character didn't sport. I lamented that we lost Arrested Development to these shows, and will weep the bitter tears of rejection if either of these shows easily last to next season. I can't say we don't have excellent sitcoms airing. Who can watch The Office, Everybody Hates Chris, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs, or even How I Met Your Mother without at least one good laugh. To some of us, a laugh is just a name away. Barnie. Michael Scott. Dwight Shrute. Julius (although just saying "Chris's Dad" make us laugh as well). Anyway, if you watch these shows, you know what I mean.

Of course, people are experimenting with shows and the boundaries that comedy gets to push. The internet darling (at least for a little while) Nobody's Watching is one attempt at sitcomedy, following a normal sitcom format in an abnormal way. It is interesting, but it doesn't "bring it" like FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This has been one of the funniest new shows, mainly because of the ridiculous situations the writers(who are the characters) put the characters into and the issues they deal with. Well, not just the issues, but how they deal with those issues. Never in a healthy way, but it is right for them. They are not healthy. They continually make poor choices and they remind us of friends we know who still haven't figured it out. But on the Sunny crew, it's funny.

I look forward to the healthy resurgence of sitcoms. Tina Fey's 30 Rock seems promising. Even if it's not, I am glad that the chaff shows are sifted out from the rest, culled and branded "no good" and sent to languish in some version of Bad Sitcom Hell. And for me, that is good.

The One Thing I Love is a Happy Ending or How Superheroes Took Over My Life

do not watch reality shows. When I heard about this ridiculous concept called Who Wants To Be A Superhero, I laughed and turned my television to Tivo to re-watch Veronica Mars, re-watched Firefly and various other things to make up for the lack of television on Thursday nights before It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Then, while going through iTunes to see what new shows were added, I noticed they were giving away a free episode of WWTBASuperhero. I'll download it, I thought, and check it out. It was early in the day, I wasn't preempting anything and so I watched. From the moment when I knew the challenge was about saving the girl and not about getting to a finish line, I was hooked. Not just hooked, emotionally attached to the cheesy, campy, corny characters of this show.

For the finale, I started crying right from the beginning and I'm not ashamed of it! While both Feedback and Fat Momma seemed much more coached with how to react to each other and on the screen, Stan's lead in was amazing. I loved that he showed some of the best scenes from the show. I remember watching that first episode and seeing how jazzed Feedback was to be a true superhero, in every sense of the word, for Stan Lee, then how hurt I was when I knew he failed the very first challenge. Of all the superheroes, Feedback has grown the most throughout the series. He took this seriously and it affected him on more than a surface level. Fat Momma did pass the challenges. She was really good at being a superhero. She was never self conscious about it. She didn't reveal her identity at the restaurant (neither did Feedback), she did what she was supposed to do at every turn. Although she failed the initial test of self sacrifice on the show where Tyveculus turned in his costume, she proved she was willing for the best one to win by trying to pull herself from the show when it was down to her, Major Victory, and Feedback. She didn't want it bad enough to break fanboy Feedback's heart.

Tears flowed freely through the one on one time with Stan. There was nothing about this time that would have helped me choose between the two contestants if I were Stan Lee. Both were sincere in speaking about Stan - nothing seemed as if it were done to get Stan to choose them. I think this was my favourite part.

Stan Lee is a master storyteller in that he made a "reality" show palatable to me. The subject, becoming a superhero, was so farfetched that it might as well be fiction.

The fake shows were too funny! Campy goodness with crappy images. Chicken Man? C'mon, they could have put one of the stunt guys in a costume and had him be something else! In the end, Feedback looked much better on the screen, although I did laugh a little bit more at Fat Momma's awful lines. I also laughed when they called Feedback intense. Yes. Yes he is. Whether the shows are made that horribly or with better quality, I think I will get a kick out of it.

Finally, at Universal City Walk, Stan Lee chooses the Superhero by eliminating Fat Momma. I think everybody but Feedback knew Feedback was going to win. It was very nice and tear inducing to see the other Superheroes. I really wanted Major Victory to win myself - or Monkey Woman because MAN! I can't get over her changing in the tree! I would love to see THAT in the movie. I think, for the last few episodes, Fat Momma has been Feedback's biggest cheerleader and it was nice to see how easily she flowed into his win. When it seemed like everything was done, Stan's monitor blinks out and suddenly, he appears to finally meet his Superhero face to face. Fanboy meets Biggest Hero for a hug. It rounded out the show nicely with tears.

Excelsior!