Entertaining Me

Burn Notice meets Dexter

2007-07-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

I am really enjoying Burn Notice. It is a nice blend of action, drama, and humour. Yet I noticed something odd. Last week's "victim" was Dexter alum, Angel Batista (David Zayas) and this week's "villian" was from Dexter as well, Mark Pellegrino, who plays Rita's druggie abusive ex husband Paul.

Woohoo!

I have to say, I was really missing the Dexter crew. If, for some reason, the one other person reading this blog is the writer/showrunner for Dexter, then I would like to see either Erik King (Sgt. Doakes) or C.S. Lee (Matsuka) next.

I'm really excited for this next season of Dexter. I guess, in a way, I wonder about my own sanity as I enjoy and root for a guy that's a serial killer, but at the same time, the show is so well written, it is hard not to.

The interesting thing about Burn Notice is that Michael Weston (our intrepid anti-hero) has no real interest in being a good guy. He is more interesting in finding out what he needs to know and takes the "good" stance because it furthers his agenda along. Dexter pretends to be good to fit in socially, to keep himself from getting caught. Each have a code, although Michael's is definitely bendable and Dexter's is set by Harry (Dexter's deceased foster father) to keep him from detection.

My wonder is how closely the show will follow the books. If this current season is very good, I may find myself looking at the books.

And LaGuerta. She'd be a good addition to Burn Notice.

Those Bruno Boys (spoilers)

2007-07-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

I was shocked by the death of Sheriff Walt Bannerman. I sat their the entire time wondering if the death would be some prolonged vision where Johnny is sort of trapped in his vision and for once follows the vision all the way through while touching Walt.

But three episodes into the season and if that is truly the case, they are making it look too good.

Walt is dead. But Walt, played by Chris Bruno, is not the first Bruno brother to lose his spot on a show.

Dylan Bruno, Chris's brother who would occasionally have me calling him Walt, from Numbers, was exposed as a double agent. NO! Not Colby!

Why, oh television gods, do you want the Bruno boys off the air. Colby, I thought you were good. I trusted you. So did your partners. Now, I'm not sure Don will ever trust anyone again.

But the Bruno boys did add an element of determination, skepticism, and good old fashioned common sense that many characters are lacking. I liked how Walt learned to trust Johnny, but at the same time always questioned him. He just didn't even give up on the things that made sense to him. I was sad to see him go. I liked how Colby was always just on the cusp of giving himself away. The writers were good because I still feel the sting of betrayal.

Yes, we will miss you Bruno boys.

MacGyver... ummm, I mean, Burn Notice

2007-07-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

I used to love MacGyver. I'm sure I'll tell you it was the story or watching him make anything with duct tape. But in reality, it was Richard Dean Anderson. It was the 80s. He had cool hair and a very nice profile.

So I watched Burn Notices with some trepidation. I mean, a spy that puts things together... c'mon!

But Jeffery Donovan does a good job of walking in Richard Dean Anderson's shoes. Not only does he have the know-how, with credible stories that explains how he came to such knowledge, but he also has the looks. However, I may develop a girl crush on bad-ass Fiona, played by Gabrielle Anwar.

The show is very sly, with deadpan voice-overs and equally deadpan looks from the lead actor. I loved how he found out that his services were no longer required. The Mercedes SUV joke at the beginning pretty much set the tone of the show. Menacing men with guns, scruffy looking wise guy, wry humour. Then add Bruce Campbell being his pervy best and a hypochondriac Cagney and you've got a pretty good mix of comedy and action.

I'm not going to tell you that you should watch this show, but I am going to suggest that missing this show might be extremely poor planning.

Clark and Michael

2007-06-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this, you should watch it. There are three episodes so far, and it looks like they update on Wednesdays.

Michael Cera continues to prove he is a comic genius. I didn't realize how much I missed him and Arrested Development until now.

And for some reason, I think Michael Cera's new movie, Superbad, will be funny too.

What IS Henry doing? (Blood Ties)

2007-05-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

There is a moment in an episode of Blood Ties, the Medusa one, where Henry is doing... something... to attack Medusa and he gets frozen... it looks like he turned into a ballerina, sticks his tongue out and moves his body in what is supposed to be a sexy/smooth/vampire way... You have to see it... Anyway, every now and then, I think about that moment in the show and no matter how bad something is, it makes me laugh.

Watch. First she "stones" Mike, then there's Vicki awkwardly handling the sword, holding it over her eyes, and then Henry... what is he doing? But it always makes me laugh.

Despite that and other obvious moments like this, I actually like the show. Good thing it got picked up for its remaining 13 shows.

TV Notes

2007-05-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

If you have not seen the endings of any of these shows, stop, now, in the name of love.

The Gilmore Girls ending was sad. I used up a few ply of tissue on this one. However, it did seem a waste to catch up on all 6 seasons in one month to get to this sad excuse for a 7th season. Ending this show now was a mercy killing and we appreciate the memory of a satisfied, but not totally recalcitrant Emily Gilmore.

I'm glad Jaslene was America's Next Top Model. I wasn't anti Natasha, but I was completely for Jaslene. (who am I and what did I do to myself - reality shows? cwtv.com, you totally sucked me in. Your video player rocks and your commercials don't suck... well, the click it or ticket one does, but it does whether you use it or not.)

Leave it to Bones to totally get Hodgins and Angela married without ruining the show. And calling off the marriage without messing up the romance. And making us want more of Bones and Booth and for making us like Cam without forcing us to see her with Booth anymore.

Lost... I'm glad you are having a two hour season finale (like always), but what in the HELL happened to Locke!!!! I must know now!!!!

Foreman can't leave House. And all of the Cameron/House talk has been talk. I've watched every episode this season waiting for them to get together. Not Cuddy and House, not Cuddy and Wilson, and definitely not Wilson and House. Cameron and House. Do it. Do it now.

Those are my notes for today. Tune in next time.

Drive, Mal, Drive!

2007-04-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

One night, I was dragged to a movie called Serenity by a bunch of browncoats and fell in love with a universe. Some called it the Whedonverse. It was a movie based on a short lived series called Firefly. It was a show I scoffed at. How in the world could a cowboy show set in space be 1) any good and 2) any good?

I ate my words.

I loved the universe Whedon set up, the hard edge of the browncoats, proud even in their loss. I fell in love with them all and as I watched the 13 episodes of show that got made, I wished there would be more. I wanted more of Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Wash and the rest.

So I watched other shows I wanted to see those characters. The CSI episode where Wash was a released pedophile, Standoff where Zoe is the head of an elite group of negotiators, Lost (well, I watched Lost already) when Mal was a patsy in Kate's hands, The Unit where River showed her shallow side, Daybreak for Jayne, and now, Mal's latest - Drive.

My husband saw the press kit from Drive. He said it was the worst press kit he's ever seen Fox put out. When I asked him to play Drive off of the DVR, he shook his head, warning me that it would probably be disappointing.

I didn't care. Drive had Mal. Mad faced Mal. Calm, stony faced, full of anger Mal. And while I hesitate to say that this character, Tully, is very different from Malcolm Reynolds, I will say that I will take it!

Drive is the story of an illegal street race. Tully/Mal's wife was kidnapped so that he would be forced to participate in the race. Others participate as well, some by choice, some by circumstances, some by force. The first two episodes premiered Sunday night and I found myself liking the show for more reasons than Nathan Fillion.

I found that I liked other characters as well. Ugly Betty's Kevin Alejandro plays Winston Salazar, a more bad-ass version of his UB other half. He's funnier on Ugly Betty, although more poignant as the forgotten son of a wealthy Floridian. After breaking into his father's house, he meets his half brother, Sean, and convinces Sean to race with him when Sean realizes his father lied about having another family.

Melanie Lynskey's Wendy Patrakas is the frazzled housewife who is afraid of a possibly abusive husband. She is growing to be one of my favourite non-Nathan Fillion characters. She came in last after being stopped for driving a stolen vehicle (she has, for some unknown reason, been forced to participate in the illegal race and she does so without her husband's consent). It is, in actuality, her own vehicle, but her husband reported it stolen. What a jerk. Because she came in last, she was given a gun and told to eliminate another racer.

The other racer is in a group with two other ladies (ladies I assume are the refugees from Katrina based on the commercials - but I guess we will see tonight).

There is a husband/wife team, Rob and Ellie. Ellie has been keeping calls from the army from her solder husband and according to commercials for tonights episode, will cause her husband to go AWOL. What a witch with a B.

There is also John and Violet Trimble, a father/daughter team who seem to be doing the race of their own free will, although the father only has one year to live. Violet Trimble, played by Emma Stone, bares a painful resemblance to Lindsay Lohan, causing us to refer to her as Lindsay Lohain't. Yes, we're lame, but we like it.

I'm sure we will find out about the other characters. As an opening series, I wasn't turned away from it. It doesn't have the utter implausibility of Prison Break, the time slot it is taking up. It certainly doesn't film the sense of urgency the way Fox's 24 does. And while dialogue can come off as clunky and Tully's lack of sleep hallucinations of his wife is somewhat laughable, I do find that I want to keep up with the show. It had its moments (some of the race scenes were tense), but basically because I've stuck it out for worse shows, Drive stays on the DVR. So Drive, don't let me down. I would like to get to the finish line with you.

The Tudors' Blood Ties

2007-04-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

In a way that doesn't happen often, sci fi and re-imagined history inhabit the same time as The Tudors' Henry VIII's just born son, Henry Fitzroy is Blood Ties' resident vampire. Only Tanya Huff knows how baby Henry made it from 1519, to helping in paranormal investigations as a dead sexy vampire in 2007.

The Tudors started out well enough. Two episodes in and other than the fact that I watched the first two episodes online and the somewhat grotesque blurring of naughty parts that was slightly more scary than a horror film. With all the history and conjecture that period has, this could prove to be a very entertaining imagining of that life. If the writing bears up over the next few years, the show should have no problem coming up with stories. I wasn't blown away by the writing. The acting is okay and I find myself liking Thomas More and feeling sad about his ultimate fate. The most striking thing, though, is how similar Henry the VII's Jonathan Rhys Meyer, and Henry Fitzroy's Kyle Schmid, look. I think it's the chin and something about the way the mouth looks when they smile... Something...

Blood Ties, in its own way, is interesting. I am sometimes somewhat confused by the sudden appearance of rap music in the midst of the episode, but in general I am interested in where the show could go. There are too many awkward pauses, but I like the paranormal stuff and the dialogue has ventured into the interesting on several occasions. I think the sexual tension is well done and I definitely like this vampire show better than television's re-imagined Blade, but I may be alone in that one. It will be interesting to see where each show leads.

Holy Frak Explained

2007-04-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

Unlike other sci-fi shows that use space to find the new and freakish in the outer limits, Battlestar Galactica has spent the last two seasons searching for the familiar, us. Even their "aliens" are mechanized copies of ourselves. The pigs are walking and they are Cylons.

In the This Girl family, there is a divide over the Cylons. I am a fan of Sharon, the one that loved humanity enough to stay, to carry the child of a human and put her stock with this group. My husband was against Cylon Sharon from the start, hoping Adama would have her thrown out of the airlock. We engaged in many conversations about prisoners of war, loyalty, and war itself, all because of this little sci-fi show. I am sympathetic towards the cylons we see try to be "good". No cylon is good in my husband's book.

Which is why the season finale was so... interesting, to say the least. Arresting. As they were all standing in the room after following the music, Chief says, "That's all it takes..." Up until that point, I knew that I should know what was going on - kind of like an "on the tip of my tongue" type of feeling - but then it was clear and the first word in my head was FRAK! For my husband, what would this mean for our "love" of these characters? Are we going to spend the next season wondering when these characters will be activated? Why are these characters not known?

Battlestar Galactica has proven that, even in a season with so many missteps, that the ability to write gripping shows has not been lost. From Apollo's speech to the President's vision, from new cylons to seeing Starbuck, the writers of Battlestar Galactica, who sometimes made us feel we would rather watch Blood Ties instead, made us long not only for the 4th season, but for any bit of Galactica goodness we could have. I know we're all still hoping that interest in Caprica would resurface and we will take the Battlestar movie we get until the new season, but oh, how I long for the new season. I wonder what will be happen next? Who is the 5th Cylon - Laura Roslin or Starbuck? Or will the writers get us after all and make it Adama? Will the other Cylons now sense that the 4 have been discovered? How will they continue to hide their new status? What about this new half human half cylon baby? Will Tyrol apologize to Sharon? And oh my word, is this going to make Col. Tigh more of a pirate than he already has been? What will earth be like? If any of you have questions or speculations, I would love to have something more to think about as I wait for the 4th season.

Holy Frakkin' Frak!!!!!

2007-03-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

I know I'm late (don't get me started), but I finally watched the finale of Battlestar Galactica (mainly because I couldn't read a few of my favourite tv sites until I did) and I have to say that, despite the missteps of this season, that finale was about the best frakkin' thing I've seen. However, my husband has not watched the finale yet and I have, have, have to watch this episode again. So until then, I leave you with this one thought from the ending. Holy Frakkin' Frak!

Veronica Mars

2007-03-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

I wonder what makes a show watchable to some people? I will give a new show three looks before I can decide (usually, although in the case of Dresden Files, one look was enough). 30 Rock got multiple looks. It felt like a train wreck for a few shows and then somewhere around show 5, it turned into a handsome princess. How fortunate.

Veronica Mars is one of those shows you desperately wished others would watch. Granted, I love snarkiness more than the next person, but the dialogue alone is worth the cost of admission. I love watching characters and relationships develop and VM does this better than most. It is hip and cool without having to point it out to the viewer and though there are definitely some "made for tv" teen drama involved, there is enough grit to satisfy some of the Marlowe lovers as well.

Given that its lead in is Gilmore Girls and considering the ill fated Aerie commercials that aired to get girls more into the show (thereby scaring away any heterosexual male and some homosexuals and a few girls at that), CW's marketing of the show has been horrible. Now, I'm sure that pictures of V all casual-glammed up is worth looking at, but they gave no hint of the show. The show is part mystery, part character study. It is not Nancy Drew. Just like Joss Whedon's Buffy was a take on the lives and loves and growing pains of high school students, but with a twist, this is Rob Thomas' take on the same. The high school situations persist, but the mystery, aye, that's the true essence of the show. When I heard that Joss Whedon (known for Buffy, Firefly (my favourite), and Angel) said that Veronica Mars was the best show on television, I had to watch it and I came away from that one episode unimpressed. I stayed that way until I watched the first season on video in one sitting. When I watched that random episode on Whedon's word, I was underwhelmed and slightly confused. What was an 09er? Who was she dating? Why were rich kids getting pizza? Why did the officials of the school make such horrible mistakes? It could not be communicated in that one episode. It took the season. You had to watch for the story, but you loved to watch because it was good.

Veronica Mars is on hiatus and though the murder of Dean O'Dell is solved and the loss of Sheriff Lamb is much lamented (he was a great grey character), I find that I am anxious for a 4th season. Veronica Mars is not a viewer darling. For those of us who like mysteries and having them solved, this is a fantastic show. My husband doesn't watch it because he hates shows set in high school or high school like atmospheres. Hearst College still maintains that high school-esque feel. Yet it is hard for me to describe how that one element matters so little in the makeup of the show.

Now I hear that there is confusion about a 4th season. Will it come back as a college drama? Will it be canceled? Will it skip 4 years into the future when Veronica works for the FBI? Who knows. While it will be interesting to see how Rob Thomas writes this show so that it doesn't become a procedural, I would much like to see Veronica 4 years out, interacting with others outside of her circle of friends and enemies. Watching Veronica start something new has been interesting. My favourite episode from season 3 is still the first one, where even the theme song change was interesting. I used to skip through the theme song, but now I enjoy listening to it. I know I may be in the minority opinion, but I liked season 3 more than season 2. For my view, it would be a shame if the show didn't come back. I love Kristen Bell as Veronica and Enrico Colantoni as Keith Mars. If the show doesn't come back, it will be interesting to see what those two do.

If you are a Veronica Mars fan (even if you weren't blown away by this season) you can check out E!'s Watch With Kristen blog for information about how to make your voice heard and maybe keep the CW from canceling V.

Do it for the children. And the slightly obsessed. And me.
Thank you.

Heroes

2007-03-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

Heroes is the big show phenom these days, taking the internet by storm and replacing former heavy hitter like LOST in the minds and hearts of the viewers. Last year, Digg.com was inundated with LOST information, spoilers, screen captures, etc. This year, the darling of the blog is Heroes.

What is it about Heroes that is so appealing? Is it the writing, or the characters, or some other thought that makes this show great? Not necessarily. The writing, in any given episode, goes from abysmal to inspired in the blink of an eye. Some characters seem to always have good situations. Hiro and Ando, Claire and her dad, Peter and Nathan Petrelli. While I am always interested in Hiro and Claire's screen appearances, the rest can get tedious. Peter's lines are wooden and confusingly delivered at times. Nathan tries too hard to be a bad guy and that can become dull. I'm convinced the reason Simone was killed was because she was superfluous to the story. We liked her better with Isaac, but we wanted to like her with Peter. Isaac became boring once he stopped using drugs and while I'm no advocate for drug use, I still think that the depiction gave Isaac hardened edges, which is what was needed for his gift. Now that it is at will, the drama of finding out what his drawings mean are lessened, which makes their effect less impactful, less dramatic. Nikki/Jessica is another storyline that grows tiresome with repetition. It seems there should be a better way of showing the duality. Mirrors everywhere? The stairwell, when Parkman was trying to guard the guy, was the most interesting depiction of the two since the first time we discovered Jessica. We've seen the dual personality done well before, though it was CG animation, in Lord of the Rings. Smiegel/Gollum was a fantastic rendition of good/evil in one individual. Yes, they used the water as a mirror at times, but it wasn't forever utilized, just randomly to remind us that yes, there is something else there. I think Ali Larter does a good job of changing her voice between the two, but less mirrors and more situations that show that dichotomy would make her storyline more interesting.

"If it's so badly written," you say, "why do you watch it?" I don't think it's so badly written. I just think there are other shows that are better written. I watch the show because gaining, having, and using super powers is interesting to me. I watch because Hiro is totally engaging and his scenes are not only well written, but well acted. I watch because I want to see how they stop Peter from blowing up NYC. I watch because I want to see them work together like a team and I want to see Hiro turn into that badass that stopped time and talked to Peter on the train. I watch because something about the ending of each episode makes me want to go back. I watch because, though it is only a mediocre written and sometimes mediocre acted show, it is such an awesome, modern day super hero story. They have not done anything new, but they've made something we've become use to exciting again. I want those early show chills of the characters meeting each other and aiding in getting the next mission done. I want the present show's inclination of giving us answers which only begs more questions. I really like Heroes and am forced to watch it every Monday for my own entertainment and enjoyment. It goes to show that even shows that are not the best written can be a huge hit. Enjoy the spotlight, Heroes. You deserve it.

If you've never seen the show, you'll have to wait for it's return April 23. For the previous episodes, click on the Heroes link above to catch up with the show online.

A Few Words on DVRed Shows (Spoiler Alert)

2007-02-22T00:13:00.000-08:00

DVRed... Something new for Oprah and Bono to promote, or just a way of watching tv when you, unfortunately, have too much of a life to stay home and watch (or else you watch 3 shows in one hour). Yes, I digress...

This week has offered a few show surprises as far as writing direction, most of which I have liked.
I'm pretty sure, the way things are going, that I will have something to say about Battlestar. I just haven't watched it yet. So without further ado:

Desperate Housewives was good this week. Despite running Mike over and appearing to be a cold blooded killer, my husband and I both found ourselves really liking Orson. And after the last few years for Bree, she needed someone that was as perfect for her as he appeared to be. I have to say that Orson's mom, better known as Designing Woman Dixie Carter, was stand out as a villain. As the revelations came, you found yourself realizing you had suspicioned that she was this evil, but the writers set up Orson as a fall guy so well that you kept thinking back to him. We just kept hoping he was innocent. It was a sigh of relief moment for him to walk into his home, all beat up and battle scarred for his happily ever after [although I was slightly afraid that one more nightmare was waiting just around the corner - This is Desperate Housewives after all].

Ziva fell in love with a dying man. I became somewhat emotionally involved in this one. I kept hoping he would get better, you know, be a trooper. If I watch next week and he's alive, I will have yet another reason to enjoy watching this show. Gibbs and Abby, Gerald from Season One, the team member that was killed by the guy who created all of the best dramatic moments for the show... Yes, I am still rooting for that dying man, although I don't have much hope.

Sheriff Lamb died! I know he was not my favourite character, but I didn't realize how much I liked him on Veronica Mars until he died. I mean, his last moment was an adequately doofus moment when he shoots the mirror because his reflection startled him. I mean, Keith should have always been the sheriff (although I like Keith better in street clothes versus the sheriff's uniform - dowdy), but Lamb was such a great instigator. I wonder how being sheriff again will hamper Keith now. RIP Lamb. I didn't think you would go out like that. See you in that big tv box in the sky.

I am beginning to see more clearly why people don't like LOST. It's because it isn't logical. Well, that's what I said to my husband and while technically, I'm right, his "correction" gave a better explanation. He said that people are beginning to grow weary of LOST because they have no frame of reference whatsoever when it comes to the LOST world. They don't know where they are, when they are (she says, pushing glasses further up her nose), or even if they are - so trying to figure out the logicality based on this world only adds confusing to an already bloated storyline. I like it, but I would love it if they explained something. LOST is not an instant gratification story - unlike Heroes, which gives you some answers while asking more, different, questions. LOST is all questions, and you watch as more and more questions get piled on. What happened to Desmond? Why does the universe want Charlie dead? Why is Daniel Mead's dad turning his nose up at Desmond? Did Penny figure out where the pulse came from? Is Alex Rousseau's child or Ben's? What in the hell happened to Rousseau? What kind of work do the Others do? That guy Danny deserved to be killed. It'd be nice to have whiskey that cost more, in an ounce, than I make in a year. When does Men in Trees come back on? Who thinks Knights of Prosperity is funny? What lazy bastard wrote Michael's dialogue? (Walt! Where is my son! Give me back my son! Walt!) That Hurley guy is funny. He should have more scenes. More things should blow up. And on and on it goes. For us instant gratification people, LOST is not the show, but for people who like seeing the mysteries piled on, keep watching. I know it's going to get good.

Well, I've enjoyed taking you through my mind as I watched a few of my must watch shows. Fare thee well 'til I write again.

Smallville

2007-02-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

By hook and crook, I am finally caught up with all seasons of Smallville. It was not as cumbersome as I thought it would be. Yes, there was certainly much drama in the LBC, but on the whole, the myth of Superman was a great story to delve into. Of course, Superman mythology has to have certain things (things I don't really know about because I'm not a comic book reader) happen. I loved the way Clark developed and discovered his powers, but my favourite episode was the Justice League episode. It was so much fun seeing AquaMan, Cyborg, The Flash, and the Green Arrow and Clark working together. I love the way Lex Luther has become evil. I mean, when I started season one a month ago, I was almost sympathetic to Lex - but it all explains his singlemindedness about Superman and how he can find out so much about him. To me, Superman Returns was enhanced by what was done in Smallville. Which makes me wonder why other writers don't do young superhero shows. Royalty and Rights aside, I would love to see the mythology of Wonder Woman or Catwoman or Batman - it would be great to see someone delve into the things that are only hinted at by the movies and the comics and the cartoons. Speaking of cartoon, every time I saw young AquaMan, I was reminded of the Justice League episode where he lost his hand trying to save his baby son. Enjoy your youth while you can Arthur Curry! While I don't think Smallville is the best written show on right now, I do think there is something to be said for a show that consistently made growing up in a small Kansas town interesting. That some of the best scenes happened in a barn is outstanding. Meteor Freaks aside, some very good dramatic moments were had by some very beautiful people. I read once that people were upset that the show included Lois Lane, but I truly liked her inclusion. Erica Durance did an excellent job of playing her, so excellent, in fact, that - despite all of the crazy things that have happened to her - she is the type of person that, with distance, could easily forget Clark. It may be a surprise, but there are people I have had good relationships with in the past whose names or faces I cannot remember (depending on which is brought up to me). My favourite is Allison Mack. Chloe is great, a great sense of humour, a great deal of weight on her shoulders, the unrequited love thing... except for the brilliance, I can totally relate. She was an easy character to root for and to pity. As I am watching season 6, I am hoping they get to do another season. Yet, if the series ends with this season, I cannot imagine how they will bring all the threads together with the ending being open to all of the Supermans that "comes after" it. Smallville has been a fun ride and I'm glad I got to see it in a month rather than 6 years.

Back in Form

2007-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

Wash

2006-12-10T21:46:00.000-08:00

This post contains spoilers for the movie Serenity if you are one of those Nimen dou shi shagua who hasn't seen it.

I can't watch any episode of Firefly without feeling a sadness that Wash didn't make it through the movie. Whenever he is typical Wash, funny, frustrated with the latest maneuver he has to do that the ship wasn't made to do... I almost cannot bear the episode knowing that he will die. I don't know what it was. I watched Serenity before I ever saw Firefly. Yet in the theatre, at my first viewing of this cast ever, after watching him talking about floating like a leaf on the wind, the horror and reality of the Reaver's spear through him had me curl into a ball in my movie theatre chair and bawl like a baby. When Kaylee asks after Wash, and realizes "he ain't comin'", I started to cry all over again. I liked Wash's character. The jokes, the happy go lucky, loving his wife - these were all things that made me feel close to the character. In fact, I "fell in love" with everyone from Serenity (one viewing) and immediately went to Firefly for my fix. Yet the "ghost" of Wash's death hangs over the show, bringing a bit of sadness at odd moments, like in the episode Trash, when Mal gets back on the ship at the beginning, tissue in his bloody nose, and Wash recoils at the sight of him. I laughed and then felt sick to the pit of my stomach because he doesn't make it. No, he didn't make it, but boy would I have liked to see his and Zoe's kids.

George of the Jungle

2006-12-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

My guilty pleasure movie, the movie I always love to watch, a movie I own in VHS, but must get on DVD is George of the Jungle. When I worked at Sears, that movie would always play on the big screens. Of course, after maybe the 5th viewing, I became the reason the movie played constantly.

George of the Jungle has some of the best humourous lines I've heard in a movie. It isn't that great of a movie, but I love it. I always laugh when they're in the jungle. Everyone does an excellent job being their character. I love Ursula's high pitched peppiness. I love John Cleese's Ape. I love the narrator's inclusion in the story. That may be what lead to my fascination with Arrested Development, the comedic inclusion of the narrator.

The best thing about George of the Jungle was the Bujumburan guides. I love the looks on their faces whenever they talked to or about Lyle. Especially when they "rescue" the guy Lyle knocked off the bridge.

After watching the movie twice in as many days, my liking of this movie is greatly enhanced. Brendan Fraser is great in the movie. Leslie Mann makes the name, Ursula, much prettier than it is alone. The lines from the Bujumburan guides make me laugh every time and Christian Haydn Church as Lyle Van deGroot is aptly and humourously irritating. The best, though, is Ursula's mother, played by Holland Taylor. She does an excellent job in a similar role on Two and a Half Men. I love that character on her.

There's something about having a guilty pleasure movie. It's the movie you feel little or no shame in watching. You know everyone has theirs. However, if you have too many guilty pleasure movies, then you may just like bad movies, which is what brought us to MST3K... a show I wish would come back. So what's your guilty pleasure movie? Do you have a television show that reminds you of it?

What Have YOU Been Watching?

2006-12-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

The course of true television never did run smooth, as I've had several incidences with my cable. As such, my television viewing was severely limited. But now, I live in television nirvana since we've purchased a big screen television with HD output. It is amazing what a big screen has done for my overall television enjoyment because I could not have imagined that love could grow. It has, exponentially. And I can pass the enjoyment on to you. Well, possibly not, but I'll write more, so that's a start.

Mondays have become must see TV night at our house. Despite many people's thoughts of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, I find that I am LOVING that show. Mainly because I am Matt Albie in real life. I am slightly neurotic about my writing and I can get into a tizzy when it comes to getting it done in time. I am personally and forever thankful I don't have my own countdown clock. The way the characters interact is beautiful, like a dance. It doesn't matter that real people don't talk "like that". It is a television show with interesting and funny dialogue (although my husband points out they laugh very little for being comedy writers and actors). I love the way this fictional set gets along, the flow of conversation, the peeks into their lives and their heads. I enjoy ever installment and I think I will continue to do so. I never fell for the reality show mindset. I like my shows with a lot of unnecessary drama, fantastic character development, moments that make me think or laugh, and people who could never really exist. Which is pretty important because I LOVE Heroes. My husband is growing bored with the show, which is this weird mix of absolutely fantastic moments surrounded by dull pacing and uninteresting character development. Sometimes, it feels as if, each week, the writers find one big moment (recently, the scenes where Peter saves Claire and the interaction of all the characters in that group of scenes) and then try valiantly, most times in vain, to come up with something to put around that moment. That moment makes you hold your breath, the rest of the show makes you roll your eyes. But it is those breath taking moments, those little twists, that make me keep coming back. And Hiro. I love Hiro and can't wait to see him grow from the happy go lucky office worker intent on saving the world to the hardcore badass that visited Peter on the train, truly saving the world. The exposition of last week's show was certainly interesting, putting many things into perspective, but they are certainly nothing we couldn't have figured out on our own. It was nice, however, to put a face to Sylar.

Tuesdays is still an overcrowded night, but I have to talk about three shows. House, Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. I don't know why I've seen House as Superman, but I've wanted him to put Tritter in his place and have been increasingly frustrated that he hasn't done so. At the same times, I am absolutely adoring Tritter's ruthlessness. Tritter is also a bully with the exact same mentality as Dr. House. The frustration that Tritter may not get his comeuppance (sans rectal thermometer moment) is what makes House great Tuesday night viewing. Gilmore Girls, on the other hand, I continue to watch strictly out of loyalty to the hours I've put into the series. I had a month long marathon of ingesting Gilmore Girls in time to catch up midway through last season, watching the beginning in re-runs. While I enjoy the other characters in dialogue, especially Lane and her husband, the main characters relationships and dialogue feel flat, like they are just going through the motions, or like they were given lines, but no direction and just can't figure it out for themselves. The addition of two new characters, new friends of Rory, help bring back the spitfire dialogue the show is known for, but not enough to cover how much the main character actors have to think during their sometimes asinine lines. Repetition does not a spitfire dialogue make. Veronica Mars' double mystery adventure continues as the Case of the Hearst Rapist is solved only to be supplanted by the Case of Who Shot Dean O'Dell. Dean O'Dell was a fantastic character. He made a lot of enemies in his nine episodes, but was a perfect foil/complement to Veronica. The money shot was when Logan beats the cop car's windshield in with a bat, gets thrown into the clink so that he can beat the stuffing out of the guy that tried to rape/kill his woman. Logan manned up! I'm interested in seeing this new mystery and I would love to see more Weevil being Weevil. I wish he could get back that veneer of danger though. Overweight janitor does not a street tough make.

Wednesdays is Bones night. Yes, I watch other things like Criminal Minds and Lost (or Daybreak until after the break), but it is Bones all the way. Nevermind my girl crush on Emily Deschanel's character Dr. Temperance Brennan, and the general eye candy (David Boreanaz as Seely Booth, Michaela Conlin as Angela Montenegro and TJ Thyne as Jack Hodgens) and interesting characters that abound in the series, but I love the way that show tells a story. I love the humour, the romance, the derring-do of the characters. I love seeing smart people use their brains. I love the mysteries they get. I love watching the characters grow and learn in this show. I am entertained every week watching Bones and I have not yet come away from the show feeling let down, even when an event disappointed me.

Thursdays is a veritable cornucopia of dual recordings in one room while I watch other shows in another. I'm going to focus on 30 Rock. The show started out pretty rocky, with very little that was funny, but I had a perverse need to see it through and I'm glad I did. This show has become one of the funniest comedies this season. All of the characters work well together to create a funny, funny show. Tina Fey as Liz Lemon is extremely funny while Alec Baldwin's Jack is humour incarnate. While I questioned the choice of Jane Krakowski, I have permanently changed my mind after last week's show. The botox'd face sight gag was extremely hilarious. I have been very pleased with the show and how much I laugh. The Office, of course, has begun to grow past the British show in my mind because it is giving us that squirm worthy office experience and every character is coming into their comedic own. I was somewhat disappointed with Scrubs initial offering, but I still love the show.

Fridays are all about Battlestar Galactica, although soon, Sundays will be all about the BSG. I agree that the move to Sundays is a good move, which now frees up my Friday nights a little more. Don't get me wrong, I am quick to Tivo that bad boy, but there's nothing like experiencing it live with irritating commercials breaks. While the artistic shooting, a la Kubrick, style of the show has been vastly intriguing, the storyline is only stumbling along. There are brilliant moments of course, Adama fighting the Captain to prove a point most especially, but we are just biding time until someone definitively discovers the roadmap to the 13th colony. Numbers is still a smart bit of a show. I really enjoyed watching Megan and Fleinhardt grow close, so it will be a shame that he will be out of the picture for 6 months (although I don't know what that is in show time). It will be interesting seeing Charlie becoming a man as opposed to the self absorbed math professor as he grows in his relationship with Amita. I once scoffed at Numb3rs, but now I find my Fridays are not complete unless I keep up.

Saturdays, of course, are Tivo catch up days, leaving Sundays for Desperate Housewives, which has begun to add back the drama, which I am all for. The psychology of the last few episodes have been excellent, putting our characters back into rare form.

Well, that's it for me and a much welcomed release for myself since I've not been writing about shows. Any other must watches that I should know about?

America's New Trade: Television

2006-10-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

While America may be on the outs with the rest of the world, American TV is experiencing a popularity surge across the world. If you can believe it, the last big television heyday was the 80s, when "Dallas", "Dynasty" and "The Dukes of Hazzard" were the big shows. Now, according to The New York Times story here, American TV is experiencing a new life with British television networks.

As much as our shows are racing over there, the number of those watching British television shows in America is growing as well. Starting with The Office, the hit sitcom done as a fake documentary that helped us see that squirm worthy/uncomfortable real life situational material could also be funny, gave us our start, spurring an Americanized replica that has just recently come into its own. Stations like BBC America and imported DVDs are introducing more and more people to shows like Little Britain and Life on Mars as well as the duplication of shows that were hits there, like Coupling and the yet unseen and slightly feared remake of Life on Mars.

This export is growing, with more British stations offering American television than ever before, some even adding additional nights of programming. For the last few years, some of the best comedies on American television has been from Britain. Most notably, I remember watching several hours of Brit-com on my local PBS station and Absolutely Fabulous marathons whenever I could catch them on Comedy Central. It is gratifying to see Americans aren't the only ones noticing how good the last couple of seasons of television have been.

Now, I'm all for importing British shows, but sometimes I think American television writers/producers see British shows that are funny and think that the concept is what makes it funny. Their shortsightedness has been what has traditionally led to failed remakes, like the aforementioned Coupling. This year is the first year where The Office, which has always been funny to me, has had writing that makes me compare it to the British version. The British version was brilliant, more than funny, a great commentary of the cubicle work environment which brought fascination out of the frustration. Originally, the writers of the Office duplicated episodes, hoping to find the funny in the repetition. Then, they came up with their own office antics, which, while funny, did not have the UK Office's brilliance. This year, they are uncomfortably funny and compelling as it picks at the scab of a work experience that we all hope to find humour in. For those who export the drama, Life on Mars, I hope you can look past the interesting premise and see what it really is that makes this show work.

My Veronica Mars Season 3 Premiere Review

2006-10-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

How about you try not to piss anyone off this time around.

Oh, but what would Veronica Mars be without people pissed off at Veronica? And this season started wonderfully with Veronica solving a fake crime for a class. The pissed off person in question is the Teaching Assistant, Tim, who thinks a little much of himself (although I'm pretty sure he needs to rethink shaving). I wanted to kick his butt when he started talking about Elementary Education, so it was very gratifying when she said, "I know who did it" with a dismissive glance. The professor was a cutie though and I like how he looked when Veronica asked about using the internet and when she said he helped her pick the blind guy. Pissed off 1, Friends 0

You a bounty hunter boy?

I think this is my favourite Veronica line. I loved the way she said it. I enjoyed the interaction between her and Logan in this scene. Pissed off 1, Friends 1

Wonder Twins power activate.

Vinnie Van Lowe's line to Keith. My favourite line not spoken by Veronica.
I have a continued appreciation for the Vinnie character.

Did you make any friends? Lord No!

My favourite Keith and Veronica scene (or was it the only one? C'mon! More Keith and Veronica scenes!). Keith is after a bounty and Backup is in charge, set to maul Logan if he stays after midnight. I think Backup would do it to. But what about the bitch he's been seeing?

Qu'est ce que c'est? Frak?
Battlestar strikes again. And for you people who don't watch Gilmore Girls, Luke's brother in law brought up BSG at the dinner table. BSG is so in there!

Wallace meets his roommate, Piz, who loses all his worldly possessions in a heinous scheme that only Veronica can solve. Piz wants to go to the police, until he meets Veronica. Veronica gets information from the sheriff's office about other suspects, questions them and is lead by a clue on Piz's car to a concert. With Mac and her "boy-nip" roommate, Parker, they head to a concert. (favourite Mac line? If college was a boy buffet, she has two plates full and boys wrapped in napkins in her purse) Three young boys go up after the show when Veronica asks for witnesses. Their story is that a blonde who seemed fat, but had a slammin' bod and two black guys stole their stuff. A guy who has Piz's Holy Grail Guitar also says he bought it from a blonde with a smokin' bod. Well, it turns out the guy with the guitar, who was part of the criminology department and was a mentor to young delinquents, had used his young delinquents to help rob freshmen of their possessions. Bad mentor! Yes, Veronica found you. Friends 3, Enemies 5

I'll be sure to call unexpectedly again.

I love Keith. Keith, on the other hand, is getting a convict, Cormac, to Kendall. And who saw that ending coming? After Keith gets him there, and he and Kendall seem cozy, Keith goes out to get some papers and discovers Vinnie bugged his briefcase. He runs back to the house to warn that Liam might be near, and finds that Cormac has killed Kendall and is about to come after him. Here's hoping that Vinnie comes in at crunch time.

Well, frak! Give me your keys.

It's official. Veronica Mars loves Battlestar Galactica. She also walks in on Parker with a guy - is it the guy who ends up shaving her head?

Piz was so cute having his crush on Veronica.
And that poor excuse for hackey sack...
And of course, kudos to Kristen Bell for the look she has when Piz asks her if Logan was her boyfriend. I could (and have) replayed that look. It says so much in less than 5 seconds. And the ending is still chilling, even after so many views. Of course, we knew Veronica wouldn't really turn into the Nancy Drew of Hearst, working on small time crimes. She's back in the big girl leagues with the case of the head shaving rapist. And she will get 'em, don't you worry. She will get 'em. Great episode! I love this show.

repost from my tvguide.com blog

Veronica Mars Season 3

2006-09-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

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!

Nobody Likes A Blonde in a Hamster Ball

2006-08-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

You're wrong about that!

The first time I saw this show, I didn't think I would like it. But as I watched more shows, I realized that the writing was awesome, I loved the snark, I loved the acting and here was teenage television drama I could get behind. If you've never watched Veronica Mars, give it a shot. If you have, happy watching!

Veronica Mars season 3 premieres October 3rd at 9pm on CW, but MSN will be playing the the show from Sept. 26 until it premieres Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 9 p.m."

Emmys: Humourous or Tasteless?

2006-08-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Conan O'Brien is on a flight heading towards the Emmys, for which he's hosting. When asked if he was nervous, he says, "What could go wrong." The plane proceeds to crash a la LOST (with Conan climbing into the overhead compartment). A totally hilarious scene, except for one thing. A plane crashed hours before in Kentucky.

Tim Gilbert, the general manager of the NBC affiliate in Lexington, Ky., told the Lexington Herald-Leader he was “stunned” by the opening.

“It was a live telecast - we were completely helpless,” said Gilbert, whose station covered the local air tragedy that killed 49 people only hours before. “By the time we began to react, it was over. At the station, we were as horrified as they were at home.”

Additional criticism of the sequence appeared on numerous Web sites including the Los Angeles Times’ where a critic called the spot “cringe-inducing” and “of questionable taste.”

Gilbert, who will file a complaint with the network, said he believes the spoof should have never aired.

“They could have killed the opening and it wouldn’t have hurt the show at all,” said the Kentucky GM. “We wish somebody had thought this through. It’s somewhere between ignorance and incompetence.”

What's unfortunate is that the plane crash spoof was not the funniest part of the opening sequence, but it was an absolutely fantastic beginning. The hatch leading to the Office was what was funny. The fact that it came from LOST's hatch made it all the more so. I cannot imagine being in Kentucky following the story and then watching the Emmys, but I also cannot imagine being so incensed about something that was not mocking plane crashes, but spoofing a television show. Where was the uproar when the show LOST came out? There are hundreds of plane victim mourners who could have been upset with it. If the spoof was entirely about plane crashing or was spoofing only plane crashes, I could understand the disappointment. But it was making fun of a show.

I read an article at Blogcritic.org about E! asking if they could do a re-enactment of Dimebag Darrell's murder. The article stated that his murder was not entertainment. Pantera's publicist had this to say to E!:
"The answer is no, and on behalf of everyone that was there that night and everyone that misses him every day, you can take that no and shove it up your collective asses."

If there were a show about a heavy metal band and one episode was about the drummer who was murdered, that wouldn't be tacky. What E! wants to do is tacky. If the Emmy preshow was specifically about plane crashes or mocking a specific crash, that would be tacky. When planes crash, that's sad. When shows spoof other shows to honor them, that's funny. To make it anything else is to as "cringe worthy" as some may have thought the Emmy preshow was.

Twilight Zone

2006-08-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

Why does that music still strike fear into my heart? How can it still be the scariest show on television? In all its black and white glory, its talk of communists or body doubles, it is a show that still makes me pause before watching it. More than any scary movie, more than any book, this show has the ability to do something nothing else can do. Give me nightmares.

I don't really have nightmares caused by an outside source. I remember once dreaming about a gigantic spider on Gilligan's Island (and I hate spiders), but that's all I can remember in all my 30 years of dreams. I've had my share of nightmares, just not television or movie inspired.

Don't get me wrong. There are alot of cheesy, campy, funny elements to the show to, but when it's scary, it gets me.

Who Wants To Be A Superhero?

2006-08-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

You don't understand the pure joy in my heart as I think about tonight's episode. The Iron Enforcer was eliminated and turned into The Dark Enforcer. Now he's back to make everything super hard for our heroes. And apparently he stole someone's cape. "What is this treachery!?" yells Tyveculus (I think, from the previews). I clap my hands in glee and can't wait until tonight.

On a different note, to show the tv/real life crossover - today when I went to a meeting, one of the guys had a gianormous dog slowly coming towards me and it reminded me of th challenge from Who Wants To Be A Superhero. I told the dog I hoped he was a nice, big dog and not one of those dogs that would tear your leg from your body. He was nice, but pushy.

Fall Season Premiere Dates

2006-08-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

New Shows and Returning Shows
August

M 8/21 @ 8:00 PM - Prison Break (FOX)
M 8/21 @ 9:00 PM - Vanished (FOX)
W 8/30 @ 8:00 PM - Bones (FOX)
W 8/30 @ 9:00 PM - Justice (FOX)

September

T 9/05 @ 9:00 PM - Standoff (FOX)
T 9/05 @ 10:00 PM - Nip/Tuck (FX)
R 9/7 8:00 PM - 'til Death (FOX)
R 9/7 8:30 PM - Happy Hour (FOX)
M 9/18 @ 8:00 PM - The Class (CBS)
M 9/18 @ 8:30 PM - How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
M 9/18 @ 9:00 PM - Two and a Half Men (CBS)
M 9/18 @ 10:00 PM - Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC)
T 9/19 @ 8:00 PM - NCIS (CBS)
T 9/19 @ 9:00 PM - The Unit (CBS)
T 9/19 @ 10:00 PM - Smith (CBS)
W 9/20 8:00 PM - Jericho (CBS)
W 9/20 10:00 PM - Kidnapped (NBC)
R 9/21 @ 8:00 PM - My Name Is Earl (NBC)
R 9/21 @ 9:00 PM - Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
R 9/21 @ 10:00 PM - ER (NBC)
R 9/21 10:00 PM - Shark (CBS)
R 9/21 10:00 PM - Six Degrees (ABC)
F 9/22 8:00 PM - Ugly Betty (ABC)
F 9/22 8:30 PM - Men in Trees (ABC)
F 9/22 @ 10:00 PM - Numb3rs (CBS)
S 9/24 @ 9:00 PM - Desperate Housewives (ABC)
S 9/24 @ 10:00 PM - Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
M 9/25 @ 8:00 PM - 7th Heaven (CW)
M 9/25 @ 9:00 PM - Heroes (NBC)
T 9/26 @ 8:00 PM - Gilmore Girls (CW)
T 9/26 @ 9:30 PM - Help Me Help You (ABC)
T 9/26 @ 10:00 PM - Boston Legal (ABC)
R 9/28 @ 8:00 PM - Smallville (CW)
R 9/28 @ 9:00 PM - Supernatural (CW)

October

T 10/03 @ 8:00 PM - Friday Night Lights (NBC)
T 10/03 @ 9:00 PM - Veronica Mars (CW)
W 10/04 @ 8:00 PM - 20 Good Years (NBC)
W 10/04 @ 9:00 PM - Lost (ABC)
W 10/04 @ 10:00 PM - The Nine (ABC)
R 10/05 @ 8:00 PM - Big Day (ABC)
R 10/05 @ 8:30 PM - Notes from the Underbelly (ABC)
W 10/11 @ 8:30 PM - 30 Rock (NBC)
T 10/17 @ 9:00 PM - The Knights of Prosperity (ABC)
F 10/20 @ 9:00 PM - Las Vegas (NBC)

November

R 11/02 @ 9:00 PM - The O.C. (FOX)
W 11/15 @ 9:00 PM - Daybreak (ABC)

Spring 2007 Premier

Scrubs (NBC)
1/09/07 @ 10:00 PM - The Shield (FX)*

Current Season In Progress

Stargate Atlantis (SciFi)
Stargate SG-1 (SciFi)
The 4400

From Spoilerfreaks.com

Eureka Me

2006-08-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday I've watched Eureka followed by Rescue Me. Yes, I have it programmed into Google Calendar. I get my 10 minute reminders. Hush, I love TV! Anyway, since Eureka's been broadcasting, I've watched the two in combination and I have to say, never has my schedule held such a different combo. My Monday combo is Kyle XY and The Closer. The Closer is the better show and I wished to GOD I liked Saved (some of the story situations are getting interesting) but I dislike the storyline of every main character. I hate how they're written, I hate how they're being played. This past Saved, I wanted to watch, I wanted to know why that guy blew up the building, but my innards wouldn't let me. I watched the news instead.

On topic. Eureka is kind of a sleepy show. There are plausibly exciting things going on, but the feel of the show never moves faster than a lanky stroll through town. The only time I believe the agent is when she's with her son. The only mystery that attracts me is what, exactly, the red-headed ~~psycho~~psychiatrist is up to. I really like the guy who plays the sheriff. He is exactly how he should be in this town. Clueless, ready to laugh everything off, but not dumb. Just clueless. The guy who plays Henry is great too. I really like the absentminded savant way he plays the character. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Lupo. If I could ever fall in love with a woman, it would be Dr. Temperance Brennan, but Lupo would be a very close second. Max Headroom, I hate. I will keep watching the show because what is interesting is very interesting, but riddle me this. Why does Zoe, Carter's daughter, get to go in and out of town at whim and where does her mother think she goes?

Rescue Me... what can I say about the show that hasn't already been said? It's a really great show. Dennis Leary does awkward really well, why does the captain keep letting himself get into these situations, I want to see Tommy beat the crap out of his brother again, etc. etc. I revel in the selfish grittiness of the series. I like how they are all for themselves yet for an instance in time (every fire), they are all for each other. And from what I can tell from the show, 9/11 is never going to be over for New Yorkers. It will always be there. You will look up some days and not see the Towers, or when the new towers are up, you'll remember the old ones, you'll catch a whiff of air that reminds you of that day, hear the voice of someone in the crowd who shouldn't be there... All of that is in Rescue Me. Every dramatic, overwhelming, WTF moment of it is embedded in the way these actors play their characters. Most of all, I love the humour. When Tommy tried to get them to stop saying kittie, when Sean was sleepwalking, when Tommy thought the teacher had chlamydia and was scared to pee... too funny. I can only add to the accolades, not the stink. If you can get over the message that the cursing, racism, sex and such sends, how can you not get over the display of yet another transgression? But as my husband says, it's just a tv show, nothing happened to her, I saw her in something else and she was fine.

Justice, But At What Cost?

2006-08-08T01:09:00.000-07:00

First, I have to say I love the opening teaser for The Closer. It is always informative, sometimes funny, always brilliantly acted. This episode was no different. It was a "stereotypes of the sexes" type episode. It was immediately evident that the Administrative Director was biased against women by the women's reaction to him. Daniels' and Johnson's faces were very expressive at Mr. Pierce's balking. Hysterical women vs. Logical decision making men. The doctors vs. the over emotional mother, Brenda's case vs Taylor's case. Good cop (woman) vs. bad cop (man). Even the false lead was given because statistically, it's committed by women significantly more than men.

Taylor is back to his old tricks, doing whatever he can to get his way. I could feel myself getting physically angry and I could hear my husband (in my head) telling me it was alright, that they are probably friends in real life, but since it is fake, I shouldn't be getting so upset. My husband's realistic like that. But since I'm a television junkie, I don't know how much I agree with him.

The ending made me want to cry. I felt sorry because society is the loser in this. As Brenda said, "Before I let these doctors go, I want to apologize to the mother for the world we live in." Brenda's face when the police lawyer walks out is so... it's almost graphic. Daniels look so close to crying. What I love the most, though, is how their feminine vunerability is all but gone when they hear the shots at the very end. They are, after all, the L.A.P.D. This is such a great show!

Nobody's Watching

2006-07-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

Self fulfilled prophecy or "I dare you" title? We will be the judge.

NCIS (contains spoilers)

2006-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

I just watched an episode from the first season that made me admire the writers. There is a secondary character, Gerald, who is in a few episodes very briefly. He was given a dry sense of humour, played very wryly by Pancho Demmings , the character was a natural, though overlooked, part of the cast... until episode 16, when a terrorist breaks into NCIS in a body bag and begins threatening his life if Duckey, the lead medical examiner, lied. Right before the first break, it looks as if the guy was going to shoot Gerald and suddenly, it was as if I were fearing for the life of someone I knew very well. When he did get shot, I started crying. My husband wondered what was wrong and despite how silly it was to cry about a fictional character, I still shed tears.

Bravo Donald Bellasario and writing staff.

What I've been waiting for: Monk and Psych

2006-07-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

I had to create a Google Calendar for the shows I'm trying to catch. I may catch a few reality shows, but for the most part, the shows I focus on are written by a staff. I've been waiting for the Monk season premier and the Psych series premier. Bated breath waiting. Creating my own calendar waiting.

I did not wait in vain. The Monk premier was awesome. Stanley Tucci guest stars as an actor playing Monk in a television show about last season's Astronaut Murder. A nationally known astronaut murders his lover because she is writing a tell all book. Her murder happened while the astronaut was in space, but Monk figures out how he killed her. The television movie is about that case. The case for the premier is a woman is murdered, but the case is secondary to the plot. We know early on who the murderer is. He doesn't truly come into play until later. It starts off with Monk on the road to recovery, planning a trip, looking to the future with some real hope, reducing the number of times he sees Dr. Kroger, his psychiatrist (or psychologist - I never know the difference, but he prescribes drugs, so psychologist?) etc. Then he finds out that a television movie is being made about a previous case and an actor whom Trudy, his wife, liked would be playing him. He's is awed and doesn't want to look weird in front of the man. But something weird happens. The actor starts to truly take on Monk's characteristics. He finds out what drives Monk to function despite his phobias and idiosyncracies. Then he takes them on, studying Monk's case of Trudy, becoming Monk. Stanley Tucci reminds Monk of his previous guilt. Monk always thought it was his fault that Trudy died. In the end, Monk has regressed back to his needy, phobic worse. And we love it.
I've always hated that Randy Disher, the lieutenant detective, has been portrayed as stupid. I hope they do something about that in this season. Natalie is getting better. She isn't as hateful towards men for the past season. I like the growth. I hope they don't take her back. She mentioneed something about her husband being portrayed as a coward by the other guys. I hope that the storyline brings him back into the picture. I guess if Traylor Howard leaves, they can bring him back. But I like her character, Natalie, so I hope not.

Now, for Psych - What a phenomenal show. This first show was a little slow, but that's what we've come to expect from a new show. The first episode has to tell you/show you the whole setup for the show. Shawn Spencer has been trained by his father to be a detective, but when Shawn grows up, he is everything but. However, he can't help solving cases when he sees the answer through keen observation. The police see the many cases he solves without help and believe Shawn may be in on the crimes. To keep himself out of jail, Shawn pretends that he's a psychic, which is how he came by all the information. Then he has to convince the cops that he's really a psychic and convince his friend, Gus, that this will work. Shawn had some really funny lines, especially working with Detective Lassiter. Lassiter's faces are funny when it comes to Shawn. Gus, however, is the funny person to me. Gus getting his coat, Gus jumping around when they find the kidnap victim, Gus needs to use the bathroom, Gus is just funny. I hated that it took fifteen minutes to get to him. I hope that Gus plays into more scenes in the upcoming episodes. Overall, this is a fantastic show and the mysteries are none too shabby. I hope that the smarminess (is that even a word?) of Shawn being a "psychic" levels out so that it's not so cartoony, but I loved Gus's reactions to Shawn.

Two great shows. I am oh so glad!

Commercials

2006-07-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

Monk and John Smith are at a party. Monk is waiting for the punch to come out so that he can be the first to get it. He can only drink punch if he is the first to get it. He carefully measures out the punch for several minutes while John watches. Finally, John picks up a cup to grab some punch (since Monk still has the ladle) and he flashes back to see the guy who brought the punch out drinking straight from the bowl. John looks at Monk, who is about to drink and says, "I wouldn't drink that." He leans over and whispers in Monk's ear. Monk, with great disgust and disappointment, pours the punch back into the bowl. There is a break and then it comes back to Monk covering the entire punch bowl in crime scene tape.

I laughed so hard when I saw that commercial. It perfectly explains both characters, their attitudes, their oddities; it gives you an excellent picture of what you can expect from the show. That is why I have so much hope for Psych. The commercials for the show are funny. The commercials involving the lead character, like the one where Monk knows he's a fake but because he's been eating Cheetos Monk won't let him touch him, makes me think that Psych will be another good dramedy to USA's lineup.

Rescue Me

2006-06-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

For this show, the last 5 minutes are always so arresting, whether Tommy is beating the living, holy crap out of someone or breaking down in tears. I find that, no matter what I'm doing, my attention is drawn back to the show and completely caught for the last few minutes. I'm still laughing at the episode where Tommy is trying to get the rest of the guys to call the money can for their no smoking money "the can" as opposed to "the kitty" (or however that would be spelled).

I didn't watch the controversial "rape" scene from last week's show. I saw it in the previews, but I didn't know where it was going and their conversation didn't seem any more messed up for what happened. Based on the comments going on about this show, I can't wait to watch it.

Spotted

2006-06-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (Richard Tyler from The 4400) was spotted as an extra on Seinfeld. He was the ticket person for the movie Sack Lunch, the movie Elaine liked better than The English Patient.

I like playing "Spotted" as I watch television because it's so much fun to be able to see some of my favourite actors before they became my favourite actors.

30 Rock

2006-06-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

After watching a preview of the show, I completely change my mind about 30 Rock. I watched the preview several times and found myself laughing at the same thing each time, just as hard, as well as catching new things that were funny. In fact, re-watching made certain things funnier. This is going to be a good show to record, I'm thinking. I am beginning to be pretty excited about this comedy. I'm not sure if Tracy Morgan will be funny in the role though. His character really seems over the top, but that might be the point. What I am most interested in, though, is that the sketch the show is preparing will be viewed online, not on the show, as a cool way for this show to tie in with internet viewers. It's a smart way to keep viewers interested in the show, possibly gain new viewers, and use the internet in a productive, cohesive manner.

Spotted

2006-06-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

Ted Levine (Captain Stottlemeyer from Monk) was Spotted in The Fast and the Furious and Memoirs of a Geisha.

Spotted is a regular feature where I exclaim to no one in particular when I "spot" a regular from favourite television show in movies or other shows.

Spotted

2006-06-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

I love finding out where I've seen someone before. Justin Chambers (Karev from Grey's Anatomy) played Mossimo, another almost husband for J.Lo in The Wedding Planner. Wow! What a great accent! That just lets me know he's one to watch, because I really like his character as Mossimo and I think his jerky good guy on Grey's is a good conflicted character (my fave is still Sandra Oh's Christina). Just another favourite show character Spotted!

Inspiration

2006-06-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

TV shows inspire me as a writer. Firefly is the show that told the best stories I've ever seen. Well written characters with reactions that come naturally out of the situations and I loved the Futuristic Western language, a lingo all its own. When I started doing my own reading about Japanese culture, I realized how indepth the American-Asian mixture was and it made me appreciate the show even more.

Bones is another show that inspires me. It's relatively new, but the Temperance Brennan character is such a uniquely naive character. It's interesting seeing her develop, it's interesting seeing Sealy Booth's overprotective streak, it's great watching the secondary characters who are in no way secondary, with just as much development as the main characters. I love the Angela character, so worldly, yet optimistic.

The Dead Zone - Book, movie, and television show - I've loved every incarnation of this story. I saw the movie first, then read the book, and was really excited to see Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny, though I am not excited about his end. I think that while Christopher Walken made the story a creepy coming of age tale, Anthony Michael Hall make it engaging, having you understand all of the conflict that would come from having this eerie talent. Too bad it's a brain tumor.

Summer's Here!

2006-06-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

New episodes of The 4400, Rescue Me... So far so good. Today The Closer and Saved. These are both playing commercial free. Normally, I sort of TiVo shows and watch them one after the other without commercials, so it will be interesting to see what it's like watching it this week without commercials. Sometimes, when I watch The Closer, I miss California. What makes this show so good is watching the characters. They are well written, growing characters. Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Johnson is a hard ass. It's her job to be so. So watching her trying to soften herself in different situations is hilarious and heart rending. The personal conflict is probably the most realistic of any procedural show I've watched, not counting Law & Order: SVU. I'm pretty excited about this season, the caliber of writing and acting that the 2nd season opener portrayed was exactly where you'd expect the show to go from last season. Chalk one up to another good drama from TNT.

You'd think a show about EMTs would be adrenaline filled, exciting, but Saved was not. The opening was stale, reusing CSI musical and visual conventions. The first scene was the best part of the show, but not exciting. The introduction of the main character was, to say the least, lame. A very realistic fight though. It made me laugh. The main idea of the season opener was "just another quiet day" where nothing is quiet, but each vignette was brief and emotionless, nothing drawing us into the characters, nothing to make us emotionally connect with the secondary characters or the stories. The pacing was slow, anti-adrenaline if you will, and the storyline was generic. The most irritating thing was the music, drawing so much attention to itself, you felt musically manipulated. However, even that didn't work because it was all so colourless, redoing what was done before. I would like to say I didn't like any part of it, but John the Baptist was actually funny (not as funny as it could have been, but the actor that played him had a very good voice) and the little boy was extremely cute. It will be interesting to see where the writers and directors take the show, but my guess is that this show doesn't stand a chance.

2006 Fall Season Line-up

2006-05-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

This season is ending, some shows with a bang and some with a farewell. Some new shows are returning for their second season - Bones, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother (Barney!) and of course new shows that take the place of the shows leaving after their first season - Courting Alex, Commander In Chief, and Stacked.

Of all the networks, ABC has the most upcoming fall shows, with 9. Fox is next with 7 shows, NBC has 6, and CBS has 4. This is not including new midseason shows (and I'm only including scripted shows)

Now let's play Which Show Gets Cancelled! (C) - Comedy; (D) - Drama

CBS:
(C) The Class - People from the same third grade class are brought together for a surprise reunion. David Crane of Friends and Jeffrey Klarik of Mad About You are involved with this sitcom. Jason Ritter, Sean Maguire, and Lizzy Caplan star. CANCELLED

(D) Jericho - A baffling explosion causes social, psychological, and physical chaos in a small, isolated town. Stars Skeet Ulrich, Erik Knudsen. This could be good, so NOT CANCELLED

(DC) Smith - Diverse crew of career criminals as they plot and carry out high stakes heists at prominent locations. The thing is, the main character wants the one big heist that will set him for life, allowing him to finally retire. Starring Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen, Simon Baker and Amy Smart. Since I'm really stoked to see this one, NOT CANCELLED. If it turns out anything like Thief, CANCELLED.

(D) Shark - A show about lawyers (duh). Starring James Woods with Spike Lee directing the pilot episode. They're pulling out the big guns and I think James Woods is hit or miss - plus my lack of interest in this show makes me think CANCELLED, but the interest of most people in law shows, especially with a name like Shark could equal NOT CANCELLED.

ABC

(DC) Big Day - Danny and Alice are getting married today and we see it in 22 episodes. I remember my wedding and I say YES! because watching my wedding fall apart was utterly hilarious. It's 24 does a wedding day. NOT CANCELLED.

(C) Let's Rob... - Donal Logue (The Tao of Steve) is a janitor who puts together a motley crew to rob Mick Jagger's swank New York apartment. The only problem is that not one of them has stolen so much as a candy bar. What kind of show name is "Let's Rob..." anyway. It should be cancelled just on name alone. Donal Logue is funny, but I still think CANCELLED

(C) Help Me Help You - Self help group therapy where the Dr. may be just as crazy as the patients. Stars Ted Danson. CANCELLED, although Danson shows usually last a couple of seasons.

(C) Notes From The Underbelly - "The politics of parenthood can be just as demanding as raising he child. A group of friends watch their lives change to accomodate the little stranger. CANCELLED

(D) Betty The Ugly - An ugly duckling and a mogul's son are the "Working Girl couple who tackle the colourful, cutthroat world of fashion head on. This stars America Ferrerra and she made me cry in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. NOT CANCELLED

(D) Brothers and Sisters - Calista Flockhart narrates this tale of a family whos recent loss brings their own pressing personal issues to light. Family McBeal. The strength of the actors may bring this drama through. NOT CANCELLED

(D) Day Break - Brett Hopper keeps reliving the day he was framed for murder (that's weird) - and no cute groundhog can help him get out of it. Stars Taye Digg and Adam Baldwin (Jayne!). Even though this is a midseason show, I had to give a shout out to someone from the Firefly crew! NOT CANCELLED

(D) Men In Trees - A horrible title for a "fun and sexy drama about finding love in the most unexpected places". Stars Anne Heche. CANCELLED

(D) Six Degrees - " A story that will prove just how small the world really is and how someone just five people away could be shaping your future. From the creators of Lost and Alias, this give us all hope for another great drama, so, NOT CANCELLED

(D) The Nine - Nine people trapped in a bank robbery gone wrong and a 52 hour hostage stand off are irrevocably and forever linked. Stars Tim Daly, Chi McBride, and Scott Wolf. This promises a Lost-esque flashback/ 24ish filmed show. Done well, this will definitely be a NOT CANCELLED. Plus, being told from the linked after a tragedy story, there are so many directions the story line could go and the actors are top notch. I'm hoping this does well.

NBC
(D) Heroes - "Heroes chronicle the lives of those [with supernatural ability] whose destiny just might be saving human kind. Stars Milo Ventimiglia (of Gilmore Girl fame). NOT CANCELLED because people always want more X:MEN.

(D) Friday Night Lights - Football story, like the movie, but every Tuesday (unless they change the schedule). I loved the movie, but will miss Billy Bob Thornton. NOT CANCELLED

(D) Kidnapped - A couple's 15 year old son is kidnapped. Shocking crime or business vendetta? Watch as the event unfold. Delroy Lindo, therefore NOT CANCELLED.

(C) Twenty Good Years - Old men live the rest of their lives to the fullest. John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor (George Bluth) so NOT CANCELLED, although networks didn't take too kindly to Arrested Development, so CANCELLED

(C) 30 Rock - Tina Fey is Dick Van Dyke. It's full of SNL alums and Alex Baldwin. CANCELLED, even though I think Tina Fey is funny.

(D) Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Josh Lyman and Chandler Bing are Dick Van Dyke breaking new life into a sketch comedy series. I still think this is a drama though. Starring Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet. This sounds like it has potential, but CANCELLED

FOX
(C) Happy Hour - "Happy Hour... free buffalo wings... half priced drinks... and the time between the end of one relationship andthe start of another". CANCELLED, but I'll take the free wings and half priced drinks.

(D) Justice - "An unflinching, behind the scene look at the way high profile cases are tried in the media age. Starring Victor Garber, Kerr Smith, Eamonn Walker. CANCELLED

(D) Standoff - Two of the top ranked negotiators in the FBI's Crisis Negotiation Unit are sleeping together and when it's revealed, it cause friction with the group. Gina Torres stars. NOT CANCELLED 'cause of my girl Gina aka Zoe aka good to see you on TV again Torres.

(C) 'Til Death - A comedy about new marriages vs. old marriages. Starring Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher. Two funny people and a good comedy for Fox. NOT CANCELLED

(D) Vanished - A woman disappears and the investigation into that disappearance brings up more than anyone ever thought. Rebecca Gayheart, Ming Na star. NOT CANCELLED our of sheer voyeurism and guilty pleasurism.

The Wedding Album - "Things are definitely more interesting when every day at the 'office' is the most important day of someone else's life." CANCELLED - doesn't seem to have much substance. I couldn't even tell if it were a comedy or a drama.

(C) The Winner - A 43 year old looks back to the tender age of 32 when he became a man. Now rich, he leads us through the steps he took to get there, with the help of his true love's 13 year old son. Stars Rob Corddry (of Daily Show fame - And some Arrested Development), Julie Hagerty (Airplane!) and Lenny Clarke (funny!) NOT CANCELLED

So let's recap:
So that's 10 shows cancelled, 14 shows not cancelled, and 3 shows I'm not sure of, all in my own humble opinions. Of the 27 shows mentioned, 10 shows are strangers come together shows with two of them being about strangers who used to be in the same class; 3 are law and order shows, 2 are heist knockoffs, even though the show Heist won't be coming back for a second season and Thief was horrible; 4 deal with marriage (all aspects of it) and 3 have a hostage aspect to it.

I can't wait to see:
Smith (CBS)
Big Day (ABC)
Betty The Ugly (ABC)
Day Break (ABC)
The Nine (ABC)
Standoff (FOX)
The Winner (FOX)

And Surface, I will miss you and your water monstery goodness. I downloaded you religiously. Farewell my friend. Especially you Nim.

I hope you've enjoyed your read. Good Night.