So it wasn't horrible...

Alright, I was wrong. Despite my best intentions, I found myself being entertained by 10 Things I Hate About You. I even laughed a few times. Shocking, right? I guess this is why you shouldn't make judgments on a new series based solely on a promo. Now this show isn't doing anything new or revolutionary, and there certainly are weak spots (little sister Bianca in particular is beyond annoying), but the writing isn't bad (especially considering it's on ABC Family) and the cast is generally strong (although I guess we'll have to see about Ethan Peck as Patrick- he didn't have much to do in the pilot beyond smirking and staring). Darn it, I may actually like this show.
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10 Reasons Why 10 Things I Hate About You is Going to Suck (based entirely on the promo)

The new ABC Family show 10 Things I Hate About Your can't win. Here are 10 reasons why, but before we begin, a brief history of my relationship with the movie:

I was 12 when I first saw it. I became convinced that paddle boats and paintball would be the perfect first date. I couldn't wait to have my own complicated romantic saga that culminated in the perfect make-out session while a band played on the roof of my (strangely, but awesomely) castle-like school. So if I seem a little harsh and assume-the-worst-y at times, remember that we're talking about a show based on one of my favorite movies ever. Without further ado, the list:


1. The movie, despite (and also because of) all of its cliches, was undeniably high school, but it had the added pedigree of being based on a Shakespeare play. But the structure of a play (and a movie) is very different than the structure of a TV show. Without this driving plot the show will likely dissolve into yet another teen soap that never goes anywhere. Will they-won't they works in movies because you know that in 90 minutes or so, they will, and that will be it. Here, we're going to have to suffer through however many years ABC Family can squeeze out of this thing of will they-won't they-oh they almost did, but something got in the way-look, here's a disposable love interest as a fake barrier- oh here's another disposable love interest as a fake barrier- hey, it's a declaration of love foiled by bad timing- oh they're together but will it last? crap. And we have not one, but two "perfect for each other" couples that will go through all of this.

2. IMDb shows no Bogie Lowenstien.

3. The TV Cameron is awful. This is especially painful for me because I loved Movie Cameron. Movie Cameron was dorky, but sweet and well meaning. Movie Cameron even occasionally stood up for himself. Movie Cameron was also hot. In fact, my misguided 12-year-old self thought Cameron was more attractive than Heath Ledger's Patrick the first time I saw the movie. (It was something about Heath Ledger's hair. I didn't approve of the hair.) But although my 12-year-old self was wrong in the hotness ranking, the fact remains that Movie Cameron was a very appealing character. TV Cameron, on the other hand, looks to be a pathetic, annoying nuisance. In the movie it's obvious that Bianca should be with Cameron. But with TV Cameron, I can see why she'd stay away. Now, to be fair, I am basing this assumption on the two seconds of him saying, "I love you" in a whiny voice just after Bianca has left his earshot. That seems like something a lot of "nice guys" do in TV and movies now a days, and they need to cut it out. It's obnoxious. Movie Cameron was nice without being a pushover (remember, it was his plan that set the whole plot in motion). TV Cameron is just a loser that probably doesn't deserve to get his dream girl.

4. It's based on a beloved movie (and if you're laughing at that statement, you don't know many teenage girls), and therefore can only suffer in comparison.

5. The one -dimensional characters that provided most of the comic relief in the movie won't translate to TV, because the writers will want to flesh them out and give them backgrounds. Normally this would be a good thing, but I'm worried that in this case it will make the characters less funny.

6. Kat: Why are people afraid of you? Patrick: Why are people afraid of you? Oh wow, these kids are witty. Repeating the question- what a comeback! Sigh... Just awful, awful dialogue.

7. It's on ABC Family. Larry Miller, returning to his old role as the dad- the one potential bright spot, will probably be censored like crazy. And I will be shocked if the new guidance counselor writes porn when she's supposed to be helping students.

8. The actor playing Patrick doesn't look nearly tough enough. Ok, so this was almost a positive because I appreciate that these actors only look 3-5 years older than their characters as opposed to, say, 10. But if Patrick and Kat aren't believable as outsiders, as people who would conceivably be on the fringe, the whole thing falls apart. Granted, in no high school on Earth would Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger ever be marginalized. They just happened to sell this conceit much better than the two new leads (again, based on the promo) will. Also, a motorcycle? This guy cannot pull off a motorcycle. No high school student I know, even the most bad ass or rebellious or whatever, rides a motorcycle. We teenagers want cars that carry our friends and our stuff. If it looks cool that's certainly a bonus, but never the first priority.

9. During the promo voice over, "the other [sister] is determined to stand out," we see Kat wearing a black slouchy hat and holding a camera. If that's what ABC Family thinks constitutes "standing out," they obviously have not been in a high school lately. Artsy hipsters are all the rage.

10. There is no way Cameron's new sidekick will measure up to David Krumholtz.


It's just going to be terrible, ok? Trust me, no good can come of this. I mean, it will probably be a hit because "Secret Life of the Stupid Whiny Teenager" is also a hit (I keep seeing promos where the girl is like, "I'm a new mother in high school! I'm missing out on everything." Um, yeah. Get over yourself, you have a kid to take care of), but it will be a horrific show that I will ceaselessly mock. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to retreat to my basement and relive the glory of Bianca's hideous prom dress, Joey Donner's modeling, and Heath Ledger's rendition of "I Love You Baby." Continue reading...

Pushing Daisies (sob) Finale

For an episode that was clearly conceived, written, and shot to end on a cliff hanger, the post-production team did an incredible job giving us a happy ending. Were this not the (originally mid-season but reconceived at the last second to be) series finale, I would complain about how easily all of the various threads were wrapped up, but my goodness that conclusion was perfect given the circumstances.

Pushing Daisies was such a marvelous little show that I hate to see it go (and normally I would fix the unintentional rhyme there, but considering the subject matter I think it's alright). Sure it was quirky, out there, and more than a tad bit twee, but Pushing Daisies was pure happiness bottled into 42 minutes a week and I wish more people could have warmed to it. But that's all over now, so I'll let Jim Dale and the wonderful ending voice over do the talking:

"At that moment in the town of Coeur d'Coeurs, events occurred that are not, were not, and should never be considered an ending. For endings, as it is known, are where we begin."

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So I Wish I Could Dance

But I can't, which is why it's so fun watching other people show off their skills.

Here we go:


Jeanine and Phillip. At first I thought Phillip was paired with Janette, who annoys me to no end, and was extremely distraught. Thankfully, I was incorrect. I like Jeanine, even though I have no memory of her existing until last night. Tabitha and Napoleon were obviously trying to follow up last year's week one sensation, Katee and Joshua's "No Air" with another emotional hip hop routine, and while this one didn't pack quite the punch, it did the trick.

Asuka and Vitolio. Oh, they are so screwed.

Karla and Jonathan. I watched the show last night with my friends Lily, Alex, and Emmett. This is the approximate conversation that went on during Karla and Jonathan's dance:

Me: Who are these people?
Lily: Who knows? Wow, that guy looks really young.
Me: Aw, he's cute.
Lily: Wait, how old is he? Is this wrong that I think he's cute?
Emmett: They all have to be 18. You're fine.
Lily: Phew. *pause* Oh my gosh, what is he wearing? Is that mesh?
Me: Nipples! You can see his nipples!
Emmett: That's... kind of strange.
Lily: Boys, take note, NEVER WEAR MESH.
Me: Wow, I can't focus on the dancing, now all I can see are the nipples.
*pause*
Alex: Um, can we go now?


Randi and Evan. As a vertically challenged person myself (I'm small but mighty, bitch), it was great to see the shorties hitting their number out of the park.


Paris and Tony. We had another discussion about costumes during this one, the moral of the story being that leather zip off pants are never ok. Beyond that, the Tabitha-Napoleon choreography was bad (this show needs to get other choreographers when they don't want love story hip hop) and I don't really like either dancer. Pass.


Caitlin and Jason. Ok, part of this may have to do with the fact that I think Jason is extremely attractive, but I really enjoyed it. Also, Bollywood's a crowd pleaser (especially when the song is from "Slumdog Millionaire") even though, as guest judge Adam Shankman pointed out, they were most definitely out of sync for part of the time. [Waaayy off topic: I was watching the Buffy musical episode for about the zillionth time last week and I saw that Adam Shankman choreographed it and and AND he was in the background dancing during the scene where Anya and Xander were arguing after they had their big number. So that was exciting.]

Jannette and Brandon. Ewww, I really don't like her. I can't really explain why, I just don't. I can already tell that Jannette is going to be the subject of my irrational hatred this season (remember when I hated Brooke on Idol? Sigh, good times.) Also, while I can appreciate a good foxtrot, they're not exactly exciting to watch, which I'm sure will hurt them where voting is concerned. But that's ok- Jannette can be sent home and Brandon can get a new-non annoying partner. Or they could do something crazy with the rules and invent a loophole that will bring Natalie back. Because that was so not fair.

Ashley and Kupono. This Wade Robson routine was weird, but in the best possible way. I loved the crash test dummy concept (which immediately made me think of the crash test dummy episode of Pushing Daisies, which made me happy because that's what that show does to me and then sad a second later because I remembered it was canceled.) The end of the dance especially, when they ran off stage together holding hands followed by the sound of a crash and a tire rolling onstage, made me smile. And hey, Kupono got a haircut! Good call on that one, buddy.

Melissa and Ade. See I think I would have liked this more if the judges hadn't overpraised it. Because it was a very nice contemporary number, but I think you need to see something like the table dance, or Bleeding Love, or the doorway routine before you start busting out the word special.

Kayla and Max. Samba! In the Latin dance battle, I declare these two the winner over Karla and Jonathan. Oh and Kayla is so going to be the girl that Nigel pervs over this year. I mean, they all will get the Nigel Ogling Eye, but she will be his special favorite.


Overall, fun, fun, fun. Except that the mute button on my remote is broken. Mary Murphy, please, spare my ears!
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When You're A Spy...

...Starting a new season is like going back to summer camp. You're excited to see your old friends, can't wait to make some new ones, and it's always hot, hot, hot. Yesterday's episode was a fairly normal episode of Burn Notice, but even normal episodes of Burn Notice are pretty freaking awesome. Next week we get introduced to this season's Carla, the character who will intermittently make trouble for Micheal, Fi, and Sam. Except instead of being a mysterious agent with no morals, it's a cop, "played by 'Terminator Salvation's' Moon Bloodgood." Since I haven't seen "Terminator Salvation," I have no idea if I'm going to like this person, but I'm excited non-the-less (because let's face it, I'm always excited). Side note: Isn't Moon Bloodgood a really cool name?

And because this isn't really worthy of it's own post, let me just mention that SOAPnet (ugh, what an annoying name. If I ever have to talk about it again I'm gong to spell it Soap Net, like any normal person would. It's like SyFy...) constantly shows reruns of The O.C. and right now they're at the beginning of season one (aka when the show was actually good). So I've been DVRing that. It's so nice to go back to a time when Marissa didn't ruin everything and Caitlin hadn't magically aged.
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Summer TV

Ah, summer. Instead of spending my time doing homework, I'll be going to the pool, learning to drive (hopefully...), and flying across the country to see friends and family. Oh, and I'll also be watching TV. Since most of the shows that I watch are done for the season, I'm trying to figure out what is going to fill the empty void inside me that only TV can satiate.

Here's what I've got so far:


So You Think You Can Dance. This show is pretty much fantastic. Even though one of the judges conveys her approval by screaming, SYTYCD is one of the best reality shows out there. The dances are amazing, the contestants talented and generally likable, and host Cat Deeley can do no wrong. Last week a contestant went in to hug her but stopped because he was sweaty and didn't want to ruin her clothes. She proceeded to grab him and give him a big hug, exclaiming, "Dry cleaning! Dry cleaning! Dry cleaning!" How can you not love someone like that? (Wednesdays and Thursdays, started last week)

Burn Notice. Last season ended when burned spy Micheal Weston jumped out of a helicopter. Into the ocean. Let me repeat that, he freaking JUMPED OUT OF A HELICOPTER. INTO THE OCEAN. Micheal Weston is the epitome of awesome (well, him and Barney Stinson), and his friends Sam and Fi aren't bad either. I should also add that this show is very educational. Last season Micheal taught the audience how to bullet-proof a car with phone books, among other things. (Side note: If you're bored, trying talking like Micheal Weston. My brother and I do this occasionally. "When you're a spy [crazy cool spy action] is like [simple, everyday action]." It's quite fun.) (June 4)

Lost. Aforementioned brother is obsessed with this show and insists that I watch it. Which I will (because apperently it's good or something?), but I must admit that I am a bit frightened. As in, I think this show is going to scare the crap out of me. (And if you tell me it's not scary, keep in mind that I was scared the first time I saw Mulan (I was six, but still). I was scared the first time I saw the Drew Barrymore Cinderella movie (Ever After, I think it was called), because there were some gypsies who were mean to Drew for like five seconds. When I saw Psycho, I made my friends tell me ahead of time when people were going to die and I was still scared. So yeah, I scare easily.) Still, I'm going to give Lost a try because it does look pretty cool and also because Johnny won't leave me alone until I do. (DVDs)

Battlestar Galactica. This was a show that I always thought I would get around to eventually, but it's looking like it might happen sooner rather than later because my friend Adam offered to lend me the DVDs. So, yes. Exciting. (DVDs)

10 Things I Hate About You. Yeah, they're making a TV show out of the movie. Personally I think this is a travesty, but I sort of have to see it. I am fully prepared to hate it, though. I mean, the movie is one of my all time favorites and the preview for the show looks kind of terrible. Check it out:

(July 7)

Psych. Sadly, this is not coming back until August. Until then, I plan on eating plenty of pinapples in its honor (Actually, I plan on eating lots of pineapples this summer because I love pineapples. But shhh...) (August 7)

Pushing Daisies. The final (*sob*) three episodes are airing Saturday nights, starting this weekend (when I will not be home, but that's not the point. I have a DVR.) Oh Piemaker, why didn't more people watch your adventures? (May 30)

That's what I've got so far. Anyone have other suggestions? After the jump.
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"Adam deserves this"

-Kris Allen, newest American Idol.

Indeed.
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Glee: At least the music was good...

I'm right in the demo for this one: young, female, and a huge musical fan. And I wanted to love it so badly. In fact, when I saw the promos, I thought I was going to, but alas, that was not the case. Don't get me wrong, I loved the music (was that the Austin Powers theme being sung a capella?) But the rest of the show was a disappointment.


Maybe my school is too big to support such rigid hierarchies (it could also be that most of our sports teams suck and that the math/science/comp. sci. magnet is what brings attention to the school), but Glee's portrayal of high school did not ring true at all. In my school, if one group of kids hates another, they just ignore them. No nailing lawn furniture to roofs or throwing eggs. And playing sports doesn't automatically mean you're a jerk (take it from a former (and future, if I ever get better) athlete) just like being into music doesn't make you a loser. Most people have friends outside of their main "group" and they don't feel the need to make excuses for talking to them. Sure there's resentment and sure there's drama, but Glee was like the embodiment of every high school stereotype. Sorry, end of mini-rant. It just bothers me when middle-aged men put "clever" observations into their teenage characters' mouths ("Being anonymous is worse than being poor") and don't bother to have them behave anything like real teenagers.

But I did love the music. The last few minutes had me grinning like the Cheshire cat.
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Finale Fun

In which I (briefly, and in no particular order) discuss the finales I've watched.


Chuck: There are no words. Well, maybe one: AWESOME.

Scrubs: It was perfect. Cried like a baby. Brother made fun of me.

The Office: Love. Made me laugh and gave me warm-fuzzies. What more could I ask for?

Fringe: Still hate Anna Torv. Still love Walter and Peter. Last shot was intense.

House: WTF?

Bones: See above.

The Big Bang Theory: I may not love the show, but I sure do love Sheldon.

30 Rock: "We sure had quite a year." "What are you talking about? It's May." Hee.

How I Met Your Mother: Not as funny or as epic as I was hoping it would be (remember the season 2 finale?), but the Barney/Robin stuff was great.

Castle: Kinda like this show. Nothing revolutionary, but quite entertaining.

Dollhouse: The second to last episode was better, but I still have hope for next year (and am still reeling from the revelation that there will be a next year). Alan Tudyk is a god.

Better Off Ted: This show has made me laugh more than anything else on TV lately.

Parks and Recreation: Still not loving it, as much as I want to.

SNL: Having Amy back at the Update desk made my life. Also making my life: Celebrity Jeopardy (minus Kristin Wiig's Kathy Lee Gifford. Love Kristen, hate the character).
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HALLELUJAH

This most aptly sums up my feelings about the news that Better Off Ted, Dollhouse, and (probably hopefully oh pretty please) Chuck are getting renewed.

That goodness combined with this HIMYM promo (ridiculously spoilery, btdubs) have made me a happy camper, boob tube wise. And since I'm about to go to my best friend's dance recital, the all around mood is quite excellent. In case you were wondering.

As soon as school is over and the craziness goes away, I will update you all on what I've been up to (and by what I've been up to, I mean what TV I've been watching) and other fascinating topics, including, but not limited to, why my new-found love for Buffy will never compare to my love for Veronica Mars. But for now I just wanted to say YAY.
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