MADdy's TV

And in the end...

2009-11-04T18:10:00.011-05:00

So this is the end. Actually, it was the end back in July, I just never got around to making it official until now. (Why do I feel like I'm breaking up with someone? It's not you, blog, it's me.) I started this blog about six months after I contracted a long-term illness that basically turned my previously wonderful life of school, sports, and friends into a never ending loop of sleeping, taking meds, and going to doctor's appointments. I had started watching a lot of TV and as I began to (ever-so-slightly, with plenty of setbacks along the way) improve, I decided that having a project wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. So I, like so many angsty teenagers before me, took to the internets. (And to be fair to myself here, I tried to keep the complaining to a minimum and the focus mainly on TV.)

Fast-forward to about a year later, and my improvement progressed to the point where I had the energy to hang out with friends more, to leave my dark basement and go be a part of the world. I don't know what your friends are like, but mine are awesome, and being around them is as good for me as any medicine. So with my time and energy being taken up mostly by friends (and school), I posted less and less.

At the end of this summer, with college application season fast approaching, I decided to call it quits once and for all. I said goodbye to the blog (in my head, not actually on the blog-- that's what this is) and cut back on my TV watching (although I did see all of The West Wing during a particularly rough stretch of illness this fall and oh my goodness that is an amazing show. Like right after Veronica Mars on a list of my favorites amazing. Crackling dialogue plus a terrific cast plus politics? Yes, please.)

So now we're in November, and I'm in the midst of the crazy. Maybe at some point I'll take up blogging again, but for now this is it. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and to comment. Bye!

In which I request some TV guidance

2009-07-18T00:10:00.006-04:00

I have decided it is time for me to start watching Battlestar Galactica. My brother will be very displeased with this, as he wants me to watch Lost (we even watched the pilot together). But he is at camp and can't do anything about it and I feel the need for some outer space (there's a reason why Firefly is my favorite Joss Whedon show). My question is, how do I go about doing this? I know there's a mini-series and some half-seasons and well, what's up, guys? What is the order?

So it wasn't horrible...

2009-07-08T13:24:00.007-04:00

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.

10 Reasons Why 10 Things I Hate About You is Going to Suck (based entirely on the promo)

2009-06-22T15:33:00.010-04:00

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."

Pushing Daisies (sob) Finale

2009-06-13T23:08:00.007-04:00

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."

So I Wish I Could Dance

2009-06-11T11:36:00.007-04:00

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!

When You're A Spy...

2009-06-05T15:55:00.010-04:00

...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 nonetheless (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.

Summer TV

2009-05-29T17:09:00.004-04:00

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.

"Adam deserves this"

2009-05-21T09:53:00.001-04:00

-Kris Allen, newest American Idol.

Indeed.

Glee: At least the music was good...

2009-05-20T11:56:00.009-04:00

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.

Finale Fun

2009-05-19T14:19:00.013-04:00

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).

HALLELUJAH

2009-05-16T11:18:00.008-04:00

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.

If you're not watching Chuck, I don't think we can be friends

2009-04-07T19:55:00.016-04:00

Well, it's been a while. First I didn't blog because I was doing really well (health-wise, I mean) and I didn't have time (you know, there's so much to do out in the real world when you're not being hindered by constant exhaustion) and then I didn't blog because I was feeling so terribly that all I could do was lie on the couch and watch hour upon hours of Buffy (can you believe I'd never seen it before? I can't. But I'm really glad I hadn't, because I sure needed it during those few weeks).

But now I'm doing okish, which is better than horrible but still not quite as good as really well. I'm at my grandparents' house in California, and instead of finding and printing out something resembling a Haggadah to use for Passover tomorrow tonight (it's a long story...), I'm going to extole the virtues of Chuck. Why? Well, for one it's amazing, I love it, and why aren't you watching it? But for two, it's because TV blog Give Me My Remote has declared this "Chuck Week" and is encouraging people to spread the word about this delightful little show (Does anyone else get this song stuck in their head when they use the word delightful? Just me? Ok.)

Anyway (I swear if I was being graded on this my english teacher would cross out the first two paragraphs and write GET TO THE POINT in red ink), Chuck is awesome. And it really should have more viewers. So watch it. Let's go through the list:

Do you like action? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like comedy? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like romance? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like hilarious fake bands? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like indie-rock scored montages from the master of all indie-rock montages? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like crazy fight scenes? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like really sweet opening credits? WATCH CHUCK
Do you you have a Neilson Box and therefore have some power in whether or not Chuck gets a third season? FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, PLEASE WATCH CHUCK

Bones: Insert Insult Here

2009-02-10T18:38:00.011-05:00

So last week the forces of the universe (or whatever) were like, "Hey, Maddy's been doing pretty well lately. She's starting to feel a little better. Wait, that's not right. Hm, ok, HAVE A VIRUS. You know, sore throat, runny nose, violent cough, the whole nine yards. Ah, there we go. Back to normal..."

Which is why I haven't posted lately. I realize I've got (if I'm figuring this correctly) two episodes of The Office, two American Idols (Hollywood week!), two Scrubs, Chuck in 3D, House, How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, and a couple of others to cover, but I'm going to start playing catch-up by ranting about last week's Bones.

Basically, this second attempt at a Gravedigger episode (so-called because of the serial killer the hour centered around) highlighted everything that is currently wrong with this show. The season two episode "Aliens in a Spaceship" where the Gravedigger made her first appearance is probably the highlight of the show to date. It featured a compelling mystery (even though it was left open-ended), all of the regulars in essential and interesting roles, and the forward movement of a character arc (in this case the Angela-Hodgins romance which has since fallen apart Don't Even get me started on that).

This episode featured, in no particular order, these following heresies:

-A GHOST. I'm sorry, if they really wanted Booth to have someone to talk to while he was "buried," they should have put someone on that ship with him (and I hate to bring up Zach again (no I don't), but if he were still a member of the team he would have been the perfect person to get buried with Booth). Having it be a "ghost" from Booth's past (and someone whose death he felt responsible for at that) seems like such a last-ditch attempt to get us more invested in Booth's personal life. (And then they tried to draw us in more by revealing Booth's son Parker was named after our dear ghostie...) First last episode's hockey ghost telling him, "You are not your father, you are not your father, you are not you father..." and now this. Note to showrunners everywhere: ghosts are never a good idea. Not only are they ineffective, they reek of desperation and a lack of imagination.

-An anti-climatic resolution. We've been waiting for the team to catch the Gravedigger for two seasons now. And the way they figure out the identity of this terrible villain mastermind is by noticing that she has broken ribs? While she is right there in front of them in the lab? Are you kidding me?? That's so boring. Where were all of the chase scenes and pyrotechnics that made the previous "big" episodes so engaging and suspenseful? What, did they run through the budget renting out an ice rink and recruiting a pro hockey player last episode so Boreanez could get his kicks?

-The story-line was all over the place. I bitch at procedurals, but honestly, in any crime show, some of the stuff has to be procedural. The story has to arc. There have to be acts definitive enough to be recognizable even if there weren't commercials there to signify ACT BREAK. I honestly don't remember any of the clues or steps that lead to the conclusion that the Gravedigger must have broken ribs. The episode was jumping back and forth without any particular rhyme or reason. Not only that, but the emotional stakes were practically non-existant. I just didn't care.

-I hate Brennan hitting that lady over, even if she was the Gravedigger. Despite what Jack Bauer might tell you, torture is never effective (just ask Micheal Weston) and vengeful violence after the fact is not any better. To be completely honest, the only character I still give a crap about is Hodgins (and ok, I like Sweets too, but only because I am forever loyal to Sam Weir). And that's not thanks to the writing. That's all T.J. Thyne. So my question is, can we get him his own show and leave Bones to complete its creative death march?

Happy Super Bowl Day!

2009-02-01T16:42:00.005-05:00

Don't really have much to say, but seeing as this is the biggest TV day of the year...

I'll be rooting for the Cardinals, because I gotta root for the underdogs. Although as a Cubs fan it's going to be a little bit strange, even if the baseball Cardinals and the football Cardinals have nothing to do with each other.

But I'll be fine! Go CardiahhohnoIcan'tdoit...

Just FYI

2009-01-31T15:55:00.015-05:00

I've been messing around with the HTML, so if everything looks a bit funky, please be patient, I'm working on it.

4:45 Ok new template is up! Now where did my feedburner widget go?

5:39 AGGGG recent posts and comments not showing up... Help?

6:14 So. It looks pretty, but it doesn't completely work.

6:30 I have made a decision. Going to keep the template in the hopes that someone will help me iron out the kinks, despite the fact that anyone who clicks on "recent articles" or "recent comments" won't see anything show up.

Now back to your regularly scheduled TV blogging...

6:57 Ok I lied. I'm still trying to fix it. But blogger is being impossible and I know at least some of this isn't my fault.

8:25 IT'S WORKING. Hells to the yes!

Anna Torv is a block of wood

2009-01-28T18:11:00.003-05:00

That is the only lasting impression I got from last night's episode of Fringe. She's just so cold, so boring, so stiff. I really want to like Fringe, honestly I do. I've gotten over it being an X-Files rip-off and am trying to take it for what it is-- a somewhat entertaining sci-fi show featuring two very enjoyable performances (Joshua Jackson, whose chemistry with Torv's character's sister last night in their brief scenes far surpassed the producers-of-the-show-want-it-to-be-there-but-it's-not chemistry going on between him and Torv, and John Noble, whose character's whims and tangents continue to amuse). It's just so hard to like a show with such an uncharismatic lead. Sigh. I miss Scully.

Scrubs: Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

2009-01-28T13:01:00.015-05:00

The "life lesson" at the end of the first episode ("My ABC's") of last night's Scrubs twofer was that you can learn practically anything from Sesame Street. My family laughed at that because, despite my mother's immense love for the Muppets (Grover in particular), I was never allowed to watch Sesame Street. TV was banned when I was little, except for the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the occasional sports game (and my brother and I were allowed to watch movies, but only on Friday and Saturday nights, and only after 5 p.m.) Things have really changed in our house...

I'm still loving Scrubs this season. I read an interview with Bill Lawrence where he said he and the writers compromised on JD and Elliot-- he agreed that they could get back together only if there wasn't much drama surrounding them as a couple. Maybe it's just me, but as a loyal JD/Elliot fan, I'm glad that the drama there will be minimal. So to me it doesn't sound like much a of compromise so much as him giving in. But I'm not going to complain-- JD and Elliot are back together and all is right with the(ir) world.

My only real complaint (and it's more of an inevitable evil of a smaller budget rather than something preventable) with last night's episodes is concerning the lack of Ted. His sad-sack antics have provided many, many laughs so far this season. But hey, an upcoming episode is entitled "My Lawyer's in Love" so I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of Ted then.

I'm not even going to rag on ABC for moving Scrubs to a different time-slot. Season eight has been completed, so even if there's more schedule shifting (hee, reminds me of shift switching), we'll see all of the episodes some way or another.

P.S. The song at the end of the second episode ("My Cookie Pants") is "I'd Rather Be With You" by Joshua Radin (another factoid for you-- his song "Winter" was used at the end of the legendary season three episode "My Screw-Up").
I always feel cool when I recognize the songs playing during episode-ending montages...
Update: Apparently Joshua Radin also did the cover of the Sesame Street theme song at the end of the first episode. Swizzles.
Update, take 2: Here's the clip with the song in it. You can convert it to mp3 format if you want to play it on your iPod.

2 Things (part dos)

2009-01-25T11:22:00.006-05:00

1. Nearly every review about the new show Lie to Me compares it to The Mentalist. Everyone seems to have forgotten that The Mentalist is a complete rip-off of Psych...

2. Where can I get the Chuck 3-D glasses? My mom has gone to a bunch of grocery stores to no avail and no one has been answering the phone at the number they gave (I've called a couple of times, too). I want to be able to watch Chuck in 3-D!!

P.S. I didn't post this past week because I had a fair amount of school work keeping me busy. And starting next week, I will be taking another class in school. Good for me, potentially not so good for the blog. We shall have to see how the extra work affects my posting frequency...

Skins DVD!

2009-01-22T15:38:00.014-05:00

So I finally saw Slumdog Millionaire yesterday and it was AMAZING. I had wanted to see it ever since I heard Dev Patel (Anwar from Skins) played a major role, and the movie did not disappoint. Seriously, go see it. I promise you will be raving about it for weeks. Anyhoo, Slumdog Millionaire and all of its fabulousness is a good segue into my next topic, the Skins DVD.

Get ready for some unabashed Skins loving.

Did you know that Skins is out on DVD? True story. So normally I don't write about DVDs, but Liz from American Pop contacted me after she read my Skins post from a couple months ago and asked me to help get the word out. Which, considering how much I love Skins, I am more than happy to do.

I wrote about the show way back in September (same link as above, which is a hint that you really should read that post because I go into far more detail than I'm going to do here), but here are a few key points:

-It's basically like Gossip Girl on crack, minus the wealth and the high society element. These are just regular teenagers, engaging in the same type of behavior that has made parents cringe since the beginning of time. The difference between this show and other shows like Dawson's Creek or 9021-- (sorry, just writing the name of that show makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit) is that on Skins, there aren't always lessons learned. Like I said before, no Very Special Episodes here.

-British accents! Isn't that enough of a reason in it of itself?

-The music is fantastic. MGMT, Bloc Party, TV on the Radio, it's all good. (I actually don't know how much of the music is going to be on the DVD-- often music rights are not extended to the DVDs, but at least some of it should be intact.)

-Each episode is named after, and focuses on, one (and occasionally two) characters. This format allows for different perspectives and lots of character development all around.

Bottom line, it's a little bit of a guilty pleasure and at times somewhat absurd (particularly during the second season, although this DVD only includes the first-- and better-- season), but overall it's a fun, interesting, and sometimes disturbingly real (well, it doesn't disturb me, but it sure as hell would disturb my parents) show about teenagers.

You can buy the DVD here.

P.S. If you need an episode to get you hooked, watch Cassie (episode 2). Here's a clip from her episode (watch 0:57 to 2:22).

Midweek roundup: Idol and Scrubs

2009-01-15T11:44:00.006-05:00

A couple of Idol thoughts:

JASON CASTRO'S BROTHER IS ON THE SHOW! It's fairly obvious that he has no training (he did admit that he just started singing a month ago), but he has a good voice, so hopefully Castro the Younger will be around for a while. Remember how much I loved Jason and his inability to string words together last year? That is how much I love Micheal Castro already.

Oh, and I like the new judge.

And because I'm lazy and don't feel like writing another Scrubs post, I'm going to take this opportunity to squee about Elliot and J.D. Ready? THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER!!!!!! And although, not gonna lie, I would have been happy to see them dating again even if it happened in a really stupid way, the fact that they've both clearly grown up and will hopefully get things right this go-around just adds to my happiness.

HIMYM- Poor Barney

2009-01-13T18:13:00.002-05:00

Can we please just give Neil Patrick Harris his Emmy already? He was both hilarious and heartbreaking last night. After Robin misunderstood his "I love you" I just wanted to give him a big hug. Also, I wanted to give Ted a hug and a huge THANK YOU for being totally cool about and even encouraging of Barney's feelings for Robin. Teddy Boy has often been such a douche in the past, but I completely loved him last night. You know what, I'm in a good mood, why don't we just give hugs to everybody? Lily gets one for "My cuteness interferes with my message." And Marshall gets one for being part of a story line that involves the root of all evil (Spencer and Heidi), and yet somehow doesn't make me want to smash my head into a wall. Yay, hugs all around!

In other news, two new Scrubs tonight. And this little thing you may have heard of call American Idol.

On the one hand...

2009-01-12T18:32:00.003-05:00

On the one hand, How I Met Your Mother is on tonight.

On the other hand, Spencer Pratt and Hedi Montag are guest starring, along with a bunch of other fame whores that I've never heard of, and I make a point to ignore people like that.

On the other other hand, apperently they're appearing on a magazine cover that comes to life (to Marshall, at least), so it seems their damage will be minimal.

On the one hand, Ted and Robin are going to sleep together again, and I reallllly thought we were done with that.

On the other hand, hopefully Barney's jealousy will come through and we'll be one step closer to Barney and Robin as a couple.

On the other other hand, Ted and Robin??? AGAIN?????

On all of my hands (how many are we up to by now?), it's a new HIMYM. I'm there.

2 Things

2009-01-10T11:50:00.003-05:00

1. Psych was AHMAZING. "Thesealion. What is that, French?"

2. Neil Patrick Harris is hosting SNL tonight!!!!!

Psych tonight!

2009-01-09T17:22:00.006-05:00

So a couple of months ago I was watching House on USA when a promo for Psych came on. There was a guy doing a snoopy dance. I recorded it. I watched it. It was funny. And then I watched some more episodes and got completely hooked and ended up watching every single other episode.

Psych isn't a deep or important show, but it's freaking hilarious. Trust me. Just watch it (tonight at 10 on USA which for me is channel 550 but who know what it is for you)!

Also, if you have tips on getting "The Bare Necessities" out of your head, please post them in the comments section. We were discussing Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" in history class today, which naturally led to discussion of "The Jungle Book" and that of course led us to all sing songs from the Disney version. We are just so mature.

Anyhoo. Here are some things to get you psyched for the show tonight:

An interview from TWoP with James Roday (Shawn) and Dulé Hill (Gus)

A Psych countdown calendar from USA

An EW "10 Reasons Why We Love It" list

A quick rundown by Maureen Ryan plus a couple of clips from tonight's episode

Scrubing Back In

2009-01-07T15:11:00.002-05:00

Scrubs is officially back! And you guys, it's fantastic! I thought the first episode was funnier, but the second half-hour did a great job balancing the emotion with humor so as to not let the dramatic moments get too heavy-handed. I preferred the first episode, but thought both were excellent.

Things I loved:

-All of the Ted bits.

-The interns (this was a surprise to me as I was really worried about the interns and the effect they would have on the show. But they turned out to be quite funny (Jo/Denise was my favorite) and it will be interesting to see JD, Turk, and Elliot dealing with being on the teaching instead of the learning side of things)

-The Janitor/Maddox interactions ("But what about my son?" "That's my daughter!")

-Stuffed JD

-The meta moments at the end of the first episode

-The outtake at the end of the second episode

-the Death Cab song

-The terminally ill patient (I know everyone else in the world already knew who Glynn Turman was and expected him to be great, but this was the first thing I've seen him in and I was really impressed.)

-Flare guns on the roof

-STEAK NIGHT

-Almost everything, actually. I'm sure my excitement in having Scrubs back didn't hurt my enthusiasm for the episodes, but there was so much old-school Scrubs goodness going on in both episodes that I have very little to complain about. In fact, my only real problem with last night's double feature would have to be with:

-Courtney Cox, surprisingly. She was a bit too out there (and bit too Monica Geller) for her character to be effective. Bill Lawrence was really pleased with her performance (they're even doing a pilot together), though, so maybe (hopefully) next week we'll see a funnier side of Dr. Maddox come out.

SCRUBS IS ON TONIGHT

2009-01-06T17:32:00.007-05:00

I know I shouldn't get my hopes up. The past few seasons were less than stellar. But with reviews like these, I can't help but think that Scrubs will return to its former glory.

I started rewatching season 2 on DVD after I bought it from Borders last week- 30% off DVDs and CDs!- and have been practically counting down the hours since then. Basically I've been building this up way too much, and I need to stop. But I can't. I'm just so excited!! Only 3 1/2 more hours...

Scrubs is on ABC tonight at 9/8c. If your DVR is working (lucky duck), then you might want to check to make sure it's going to record on ABC and not tape the second hour of whatever's on NBC (I checked. It's the second hour of Biggest Loser. Lovely. The sad thing is, it will probably do better than Scrubs.) (But that's not important. The important thing is that Scrubs is back tonight!) (Ahhhh I'm so excited.) (Ok Maddy, calm down. Take some deep breaths. Really, just chill. And for the love of Dr. Cox, stop talking to yourself.)

If you're just completely insane and for some reason you're not as excited as I am, here is something to get you psyched. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you THE TURK DANCE.

Lauren, are you proud of me? I'm going to watch Gossip Girl

2009-01-05T18:44:00.009-05:00

No new HIMYM until next week (sigh), but Lifetime is showing episodes in syndication starting tonight at 7. Since I've seen all of the episodes about a bajillion times, I think I will be watching Gossip Girl tonight.

So I watched the promo, and apparently Chuck is about to jump off a building after letting everyone within a five mile radius know who he is (He's Chuck Bass, that's who). Also, lots of people punch each other and then some other people make out (although doesn't that happen every week? I guess the making out is to be expected, but I mean really, how do all of these kids not have assault charges filed against them by now?) Finally, Jenny gets a clue and does something about that awful haircut (Ok, I lied, that one was just wishful thinking).

It all sounds very exciting. I stopped watching Gossip Girl when HIMYM and Chuck came back, around the time that Nate was sleeping with Blair's then-boyfriend's step-mother. Apparently things have moved right along since then. Well, we'll see. It is a fun guilty pleasure show, though, not gonna lie.

Ramblings

2008-12-30T22:39:00.012-05:00

Well, I started off talking about NCIS, and then I got off topic. That always seems to happen, doesn't it? (The getting off topic, I mean. Not the talking about NCIS).
Here I go a'rambling...

So lately, everywhere I go (on the interwebs, I mean), people are talking about NCIS. I guess it's been doing really well, ratings wise, and after years of ignoring it because it's a CBS procedural, critics and critic-types are finally showing it some attention because it is one of the few shows on TV today that can be classified as a solid hit. The general consensus seems to be, fairly entertaining show, not life-altering, but not a bad way to spend an hour. But I disagree. The characters are just so unbearable that I can't even get through it. Most of them are either over-the-top quirky (Abby, although I will admit she grows on you), or just plain obnoxious (Ziva and Tony, I'm talking about you here).

The episodes with Kate, which I gather are from the first two seasons, aren't nearly as bad, however. Having her there solves the problems of two of the worst characters-- she keeps Tony in his place and Ziva isn't yet on the team (she replaced Kate after she was killed). And I know that Sasha Alexander (Kate) wanted off the show, so they was really nothing to be done, but if I'm flipping through channels and see an NCIS episode pre-season 3, I'll maybe watch. Otherwise, not so much.

Killing off a character where the actor wants to leave is always better than kicking a perfectly good character off for no reason, though. Speaking of Bones, why is it moving again? But whatever. I am officially filling that show under I Don't Give A Crap. (Oh, who am I kidding? It has me under a spell. I am in its evil crutches and am powerless to resist. Gahhhhh.)

The worst time-slot move is going to be House to Mondays at 8, though. My DVR will be so confused because it will try to record House, HIMYM, and Chuck and that just won't work out. If my DVR were a person, it would be like, "Whaaaaaaaat??" (Of course, right now my DVR won't record anything because the guide isn't showing up. Aarg. I really don't want to have to call Fios again and have them come and try to fix the set-top box again only to have it malfunction for the zillionth time three days after they've "fixed" it.)

Fios, oh Fios, why won't you work? Sigh. I mean, you give me super fast internet, which is nice. And I guess your phone service is alright even though our caller ID is really crazy. (Which is fun, because sometimes you can tell who's calling if the phone feels like telling you backwards and sometimes it's just a bunch of numbers and symbols and gobbledygook (ok, how is gobbledygook in spell check but Obama is not?)

I really do need my DVR too, because next week Scrubs is back (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), but it's on at 10, which is after I go to bed (don't make fun of me! I'm sick, remember? Plus it's good to get at least 8 hours of sleep.)

Oh man. In the immortal words of Elliot Reid, frick on a stick with a brick.

Update: So apperently I'm a dumbdumb. Scrubs is on Tuesdays at 9. But I still need my DVR!

Questions

2008-12-26T21:39:00.006-05:00

Some of these things just perplex me and others make me want to throw heavy furniture at the nearest network executive (although I would have to throw quite far seeing as they're 3,000 miles away).

Do the writers of House think that putting the two most annoying characters together will somehow make them less annoying?

If I develop an extremely obnoxious personality, can I be one of the grad students of the week on Bones?

Do we really have to keep Agent Dunham around on Fringe? I know she's getting a little bit less annoying and the cases are getting better (A guy who gets stuck walking through a wall while robbing a bank? So cool.), but can we please have a Very Special Episode where she dies and the rest of the team gets to move on and solve more interesting cases without Agent Monotone holding them back?

We're going to have to wait until May sweeps for Barney to declare his love for Robin, aren't we? Sigh.

Are all of these guest stars on 30 Rock really necessary?

Psych, will you stop with all of the Shawn-Juliet stuff when you come back in January? I know they're cute, but just because the actors are together in real life...

Will the SNL writers give Neil Patrick Harris good material to work with when he hosts SNL in January 9? Please?

Scrubs, you had better go out with a bang. That is not a question; that is an order.

Does House really have to move to Monday nights? Really? What was wrong with Tuesdays? WHY IS EVERYTHING ON MONDAY NIGHTS?

ABC, will you please promote the crap out of Rob Thomas's new Cupid? KThanks.

Is Dollhouse going to be good? Will that even matter since all of the Whedon fans will watch or DVR and the rest of the universe won't care since it's on Fridays?

Why is Pushing Daisies dead? Why didn't people watch? Why would someone ever cancel a show where Kristen Chenoweth sings and plastic wrap kisses are utterly romantic?

HIMYM, I don't even know. It has been an up and down season. So I guess my question would be, get better?

And finally,
Can Chuck please keep doing what it's been doing all season? Cool.

Twas the night after Christmas, and all through the house, not a TV was stirring, because there was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON (blah blah blah mouse)

2008-12-26T21:04:00.006-05:00

Why is there nothing on TV?

Seriously, you have a whole bunch of people sitting at home, many of whom are trying to escape their relatives (not actually speaking from personal experience here on the relative-hating front-- I love my family. We do totally corny but really fun stuff like play board games. I'm a Scatagories beast.) Why wouldn't you program a bunch of new episodes or at least play some good movies(yes, TBS had "A Christmas Story" on a 24-hour loop, but there's only so many times you can hear "You'll shoot your eye out!")? But no, all of the Christmas episodes get shown around Thanksgiving, leaving December a virtual dead zone for TV.

My questions is, why? I know November means sweeps, but there has got to be a better way to spread out new episodes to ensure that there are some left by the end of December. I bet fresh episodes this time of year would do really well in the ratings (and by really well I mean relatively well-- nothing on TV is doing really well these days). Come on-- it's cold outside, people are tired out after all of the parties/stressful family dinners/carolers who just won't go away-- it's the perfect time for television. The people who make these decisions about programming are smart (theoretically, at least), which is why I honestly don't understand why there's nothing on TV.

And ok, in the spirit of the season, I'll come clean. I may have made arguments pertaining to ratings (or tried to, at least), but the only reason I really care about this is that I'm freaking bored out of my mind. Maybe I should *gasp* read a book.

A Random Idea

2008-12-22T13:27:00.007-05:00

So I was in the shower this morning (where I do all of my best thinking. Well, there and in bed at night waiting to fall asleep) and a thought popped into my head: Why haven't they made a TV show out of Garrison Keller's Lake Wobegon stories? I mean, networks are constantly remaking old shows or creating shows based on comic books or movies or whatever, right? Well, here you have perfectly good source material (books and radio segments detailing the adventures of the quirky residents of a small town), that provides a familiar enough premise (TV audiences love shows set in small towns- "Northern Exposure," "Gilmore Girls," etc... ), and also supplies many stories that could potentially lead to a long-running series. If Garrison Keller narrated the show, it would be even better.

I should pull a Maeby Fünke and get a secret job green-lighting and producing scripts.

This looks kind of cool

2008-12-22T13:19:00.003-05:00

I came across this preview for the new NBC show "Kings" and I thought I would share. I'm not quite sure what it's about or what the weekly format will be, but it looks like it might end up being sort of awesome (Or it could fail miserably. Who knows?)

Also, I know I haven't been posting as regularly lately. I apologize. Blame the stupid meds that are making me feel worse (instead of, you know, making me better like they're supposed to do).

Here's the promo:

Ok, this has nothing to do with TV, but...

2008-12-21T10:06:00.002-05:00

The 10th graders in the Communications Arts Program (CAP) at Blair won the 2008 WaPo Crystal Ball competition! I was in 10th grade CAP last year, so we couldn't participate in crystal ball because it wasn't an election year (the 10th graders do it in NSL- National, State, and Local government), but this is pretty awesome. They beat a whole bunch of political experts and their predictions were ridiculously close to the actual outcomes. Here's the story.

Merry Christmas, Chuck. Your present? Seeing the girl you love murder someone in cold blood.

2008-12-15T22:13:00.004-05:00

Holy crap. HOLY CRAP. Did not see that coming at all. This opens up so many new possibilities. When this show first came on, I didn't really like Sarah, and I couldn't have cared less about the Chuck/Sarah romance. But I slowly got sucked in and wow, this is. Wow. I can't even talk. Maybe I should go to bed. But OH MY GOODNESS. They were so cute at the beginning of the episode! And when he gave her the bracelet... But then that guy turned out to be Fulcrum and everything got crazy and then she MURDERED that dude and lied to Chuck about it. But Chuck knows. Oh man. How long will it be until he tells her he knows what really happened? And what about that Ned guy? Does he know Chuck's the intersect? Maybe not, but he must suspect something. Fulcrum must suspect something. Gahhh. So good. So good. And everyone was there! Ellie, Awesome, Morgan, Jeff, Lester (who only has 8 toes), Anna, Big Mike, Casey (Johnny Boy! Aw, that was adorable), Sarah, and of course, our hero, Chuck.

Dear Show,
You pretty much rock my world. I just have one question (ok, I have a million, but this is the most important). Why aren't you coming back until February 2?
Lots of Love,
Mads

P.S. Sorry for sounding like a crazy person. I am seriously sleep deprived.

How this show can let me down

2008-12-15T21:57:00.004-05:00

Ok, that was probably one of the best endings to any episode of any TV show ever (although my all time favorite would probably have to be when Wallace came back on "Veronica Mars"). Marshall singing "Let's Go To The Mall"? Perfect. And NPH singing is always a treat. Too bad the rest of the episode was forced and largely unfunny. I'm so glad that we finally got a Robin-Marshall plot, but the Ted-Lily-Barney-Ted's-little-sister storyline fell flat.
So all in all, the musical parts of this episode were excellent; the rest, not so much.

"The Bone That Blew"- The Show That Blows

2008-11-28T15:37:00.004-05:00

I've given up on Bones ever being consistently good again. Maybe we'll get a quality hour here and there, but on the whole I think it's never going to regain the quality of seasons one and two.

There were lots of knits to pick in this episode, but the thing that bothered me most was the whole private vs. public school debate.

Some public schools are as good, if not better than, private schools. Case in point, a lot of the schools in the D.C. area where the show is set. Parker lives with Rebecca most (or at least a lot) of the time, right? If she lives in Montgomery County or Arlington County or many of the other good public school systems in the area, it would not be a disadvantage to send Parker to public school.

If Parker lives in D.C., however, the debate certainly would have been more important. While there are a few good public schools in D.C., the system as a whole is a mess. But Booth and Rebecca would surely have talked about this issue beforehand. I know the subplot was supposed to show Booth as a caring and involved parent, but the discussion didn't ring true. They were being so general about private vs. public, instead of talking specifics.

Fringe: Hello, I'm Olivia and I'm an IDIOT

2008-11-26T12:50:00.001-05:00

Gahhhhhhhhhh. Can we kill off Olivia? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

House Hostage Hoopla

2008-11-26T12:27:00.004-05:00

Come on. There is no way anyone, not even House, would give a hostage his gun back.

Also, considering there was a guy pointing a gun at House's head for most of the hour and eight minutes, this episode was surprisingly unsuspenseful. It tried so hard to be a Very Special Episode, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as it should have been. House did get a couple of funny one-liners, though.

And unlike many viewers, I actually like Thirteen, but I don't care about her enough to really have been emotionally invested in her storyline.

Based on the promo, next week's episode looks good, but then again, so did this week's, and we all know how that turned out.

P.S. Seven blood panels? That's nothing. I've gotten at least twice that in the past year.

HIMYM: The Naked Man

2008-11-25T17:33:00.003-05:00

Good job, show. You managed a standalone that was both funny and very HIMYM-ish. Although I have to call BS on the Naked Man 2/3 success rate. Unless there are way more sluts out there than I am aware of, in which case, never mind.

Best part of the episode: Barney and Ted experimenting with Naked Man poses.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, here's all 50 of Lily's reasons to have sex.

Holy Midseason Trailers, Batman!

2008-11-25T17:20:00.004-05:00

As the premiere dates for midseason shows get closer, promos are starting to appear online. Here are three for series that I am very much looking forward to watching:

First we have the promo for Joss Whedon's new series Dollhouse. I am very excited for this show, even as I brace myself for its inevitable cancellation three weeks in (it has been given a Friday time slot of doom).

Then we have the Rob Thomas (creator of my favorite show ever, Veronica Mars) show Cupid. The original version of this show (also helmed by Thomas) aired ten years ago and got canceled after less than one season. Let's hope ABC treats this version right (although, as with Dollhouse, I am less than optomistic, considering that they don't have the best track record lately.)

Finally, there's Castle. This trailer doesn't look as promising as the other two, but I'm willing to give it a shot because it stars Nathan Fillion (of Firefly).

Playing Catch-Up

2008-11-25T16:38:00.010-05:00

Uhh, so I kind of ignored this blog for about a week, which I'm sure was very upsetting to all six of you loyal readers (P.S. I always appreciate comments. They make me feel special. Hint, hint). So without further ado, some thoughts on the week of TV that I flat out ignored:

-Last week's HIMYM ("Woooo!") was pretty good (although this week was even better, and hopefully I'll get to that in a separate post). I'm a sucker for Dr. Suess-eque rhyming dialogue and the subtitles were clever, especially Ted's.

-The Office was also good. I laughed harder at Micheal's reaction to Toby's return than I have at anything on that show in a long time.
Man, how clueless is Micheal really if he mistakes salad for weed? It was pretty funny, though. And I'm glad that Pam liked the house.
I ranted last week about the writers dropping Pam's art storyline, and while it wasn't addressed in the episode, it was brought up in this deleted scene.

-30 Rock wasn't especially funny for the second week in a row. Though both the Jennifer Aniston and Steve Martin episodes had their highlights ("Esmeralda Fitzmonster" and the Tracey Jordan sex doll being used as a decoy), overall they fell flat.

-Privileged continues to be fun, fluffy viewing. That's really all there is to say about this show.

-I don't usually write about Ugly Betty, but I watched last week and I have to admit that I got warm-fuzzies during the last scene with Betty and Marc. The YETI storyline was a fantastic idea, and I'm excited to see how it plays out. Although why so little Amanda?
But also, Deputy Leo, Deputy Leo!

-Oh, Chuck. I heart you. You are awesome. You make me laugh. If you don't get renewed at the end of the season, I will mutiny (sorry, I've got pirates on the brain.)

-Fringe is getting better. I was so surprised-- I actually quite enjoyed this episode. Of course, tonight's episode is all about Dead Boyfriend, which means it will be heavy on Anna Torv, and we all know that isn't good. Sigh. One step forward, two steps back.

-After a good episode two weeks ago, Bones was back to its obnoxious, goofy seasons-three-and-four self. As Liz Lemon would say, blerg!

-I thought the actress on House who played the 16-year-old patient last week was very good. Although I don't know if accidentally letting your brother drown is worse than getting raped by your father and having your mother deny it. But I guess the dead brother was her fault, and a rape wouldn't have been her fault. Still, that last scene where we found out the truth felt a little anti-climatic. Tonight's super-sized episode looks good, though. As with funny rhyming, I am every hostage situation's bitch.

-McKey won Top Model. I didn't watch, but I would like to point out that I was completely wrong in my predictions.

-I am so mad about Pushing Daisies being canceled that I can't even be excited that Scrubs finally has a premiere date (Ok, that's a lie. I am so excited for Scrubs. But I am still upset about Pushing Daisies.) Last week's episode was excellent, as always. Ned's twin half-brothers are adorable. Almost as adorable as the pie maker himself. Why ABC, WHYYYYY???? (No one was watching, you say? What? LALALALALA CAN'T HEAR YOU)

The Office- "Business Trip"

2008-11-14T10:02:00.008-05:00

Well. I'm not sure how I feel about this.

On the one hand, Pam is back in Scranton and whatever Jim/Pam angst came from her being in New York looks to be over. On the other hand, having Pam say she hates graphic design, when just last week we saw her seriously contemplating staying in New York, seems like a cop-out. It's like ignoring the art-school arc even happened. We're right back to where we were at the end of last season. If Pam slips right back into her old life as a receptionist without another mention of her dreams to become an artist, I will be seriously pissed. I'm glad to have her back (wasn't their reunion sweet? And beautifully shot, I must add. The lighting in this scene was similar to the one last season when Jim fake proposed. So pretty.), but it does seem like the writers decided to push the "reset" button here.

Other than that, a decent episode, though not as funny as last week. The Oscar-Andy bonding was fun, as was the Ryan-Kelly storyline. But by far the best part was when Michael told off David Wallace for transferring Holly. Amy Ryan, COME BACK. WE MISS YOUUUU.

Now That's How It's Done

2008-11-13T18:35:00.006-05:00

Finally, a good episode of Bones. Well, except for the part where I didn't understand the mystery. But other than that...

The personal stuff was actually really interesting (how we've missed you, character development). And we saw the return of non-goofball Booth! David Boreanez, I'd forgotten that you can actually act. (For serious, you've got chops. So why you insist on playing Booth as an over-grown frat boy most weeks is beyond me.)

I was also really liking Clark last night. The squints' annoying unprofessionalism isn't nearly so bad when you have someone right there pointing out how immature they're being. It's even, dare I say, funny. How about we stop the inane Grad Student Of The Week and hire Clark full time? He seems to mesh well with everyone- I was getting Zach and Hodgins flashbacks with the garbage sorter. This episode also reminded me that the show is a lot better when the humor one, is dialed back and two, falls on the supporting characters instead of on Booth and Bones (who are so much more compelling when they are serious. I found myself caring about them last night. Actually caring. It was a strange feeling.)

The mystery was convoluted and hard to follow, but I really can't complain too much when we get an episode that doesn't interpret character development as "Bones walks in on Booth in the bathtub wearing a beer helmet."

"Dinner is a baby." "Lily, that's horrible!"

2008-11-10T21:22:00.005-05:00

I laughed so hard during that line that I cried. And then I rewound and laughed some more. Overall, a very funny HIMYM episode (Barney talking with God? Priceless.) I'm not liking these Ted and Robin vibes, though. And now they're moving in together? DO SOMETHING BARNEY.

Oh, and before I forget, Happy Not a Father's Day.

P.S. Fios is evil. The program guide on our TV is not working, so it didn't record Chuck. You can't see me right now, but I'm making a very angry face. Grrrr...

You know, TV and stuff

2008-11-10T12:53:00.008-05:00

I've kind of fallen down on the job lately, huh? (Not that this is a job. A job pays. This is just for fun. Although wouldn't it be nice if I got paid for this? Well, nice for me. It's just an expression. What was I saying?)

So, some things that have happened.

The good:

The election. Very exciting. This topic has been all talked out though, so I'll move on to what this blog is supposed to be about: TV.

The Office. Still not back to season two levels of greatness (not even close, in fact), but the scene with Jim as Bill Buttlicker was hilarious. I also loved how Dwight was actually right about the sabotage. But why must the writers throw more wrenches into the Jim-Pam relationship? Or rather, why are they trying to create a problem where there is none? The simple solution to the "Pam wants to stay in New York" problem would be to have Jim move to New York to be with her, but the writers decided to add the issue of Jim saving to buy his parents' house in Scranton. You know what needs to happen? Micheal, acting impulsively and irrationally, should buy Jim's parents' house for himself. Then Jim's parents can retire, and Jim can join Pam in New York and get a job at Corporate.
Also, this deleted scene, where Dwight explains what he does with his bonus, makes me laugh:

30 Rock. Omigoodness, I love this show. This episode, especially, was hilarious. I just have one question: Do you pronounce "30 Rock" with the emphasis on the "ty" or on the "rock"? I've always said, "Thirty Rock" but I've heard a lot of other people say, "Thirty Rock." This is a very pressing issue for me. Pronunciation is important.

The Bad:

Ok, so I said no more politics, but I lied. I just have to say, California is a state so liberal that the second the polls there closed, all of the major news networks called the election for Obama, but it passed Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage? WTF? It's not a religious issue, it's a civil rights issue. If you do not approve of gay marriage, don't have one. That is all. Back to your regularly scheduled Bones bitching session.

Bones. Eee gads, this show annoys me to no end. So why do you keep watching, Maddy? Well, clearly, it's because I like to complain. And complain I will. I just have so many questions:
Dear Bones,
Why are all of your killers so obvious? Why are your cases so boring? Why is the Booth-Bones relationship moving backwards? Why are all of your supporting characters losing their maturaty? Why is Booth an idiot? Why is Bones's level of social competance always changing? Are you ever going to resolve the whole Zach thing? Why didn't Cam die last season when she was supposed to? Can Goodman please come back? Is the gravedigger ever going to be caught? Wasn't Ryan O'Neal arrested on drug charges? Will that change how often we see Bones's father? Why don't you use the adorable John Francis Daily for good and not evil (and by evil I mean annoying)? When will you understand that a lot of your "humor" is not funny, but rather pointless and time-consuming? Will we ever get another creepy, Howard Epps-like murderer? Why did all of the emotion leave your show? WHAT HAPPENED, BONES?
Much Love (remember, this is only for your own good),
Maddy

Things that are good

2008-11-04T18:28:00.003-05:00

1. The polls. I'm pretty freaking excited for tonight. (GOBAMA)

2. How I Met Your Mother. While not as brilliant as the previous two episodes, last night's HIMYM was solid. It started off a little slow but gained momentum. But I have to say, I found Jason Segel's long hair in the flashback annoyingly distracting. Lots of love for Marshall in this episode (even though he didn't get a "ghost" flashback), but that hair has to go. Remember way back in season one when JS was cute? Sigh.

3. Pushing Daisies. Really, I'm going to take every opportunity I get to bring it up. It cannot get canceled! It must not get canceled! If you are a fan of the show, or have a heart at all, sign this petition begging ABC to save it.

4. We're having gingerbread tonight for desert. Well, you're probably not, but my family is and I'm looking forward to it. I love gingerbread.

5. List can have three items or five items, but never four. Isn't that silly?

Dear World,

2008-10-28T13:31:00.004-04:00

If you are not watching Chuck, you are an idiot. That is all.

Much Love,
Mads

Last Week's HIMYM: So Long, Stella

2008-10-28T12:53:00.004-04:00

There wasn't a new HIMYM this week (they reran "Sandcastles in the Sand"), but seeing as I never got around to writing about last week's episode, I figured I'd do that today.

I loved "Shelter Island." We knew that Stella wasn't going to be the mother, but I'm glad they had her break it off instead of Ted. This wasn't the funniest of episodes, but it clicked because the writing was good and the cast played the dramatic elements just right. This isn't the last we're going to see of Sarah Chalke (she's signed on to do one more episode), but I felt like this was a good way to break up a couple that clearly wasn't meant to be without dragging it out for a whole season. The next six episodes or so are supposedly stand-alones (which are usually not my favorites, but I have confidence in Bays and Thomas) and then I hope we can get back to Barney and Robin.

Speaking of our favorite bromance, I loved how the Barney-Robin stuff in the episode played out. If they had gotten together (or even just slept together), it would have felt cheap because neither Barney nor Robin are at a place right now where a relationship would work. It also showed the frame of mind each character is in right now with regards to a potential relationship. Robin is clearly not completely opposed to hooking up with Barney again, but she didn't seem like she was looking for anything more than a hook-up. Barney tried to resist another girl (or girls, as the case ended up being), and couldn't. So he got to see first hand how his womanizing is blowing his chance with Robin.

I also have to mention the last scene on the ferry. Now Cobie Smulders has never been my favorite member of the ensemble (usually the order is Barney, Marshall, Lily, Robin, Ted), but I thought she did a fantastic job in that scene. The look on her face as she realized what was happening brought out the emotion in what was really not the most heart-wrenching of break-ups (the fault for that lies in the fact that Ted and Stella were obviously a doomed couple). (And I must add, there was a great song playing during that scene).

Cobie also did an excellent job with the Ted and Robin "Don't get married" fight (as did Josh Radnor). (Although how douche-y of Robin was it to expect that Ted would always be there in case she ever changed her mind about kids?) I liked the acknowledgment that there will always be a tiny something there, but I don't think their fight means that Ted and Robin are getting back together. We know that they will be living together at least by Ted's 31st birthday, but I think it will be platonic (hmm, someone just got back after moving to Japan and losing her apartment, Ted's roommates are moving out, I wonder how this will work...)

So, to sum up: great episode last week, and new episode next week.

:)

2008-10-23T11:20:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty much ignoring the blog this week (my brother's Bar Mitzvah is this weekend, and all is craziness in our household). I just have to say one thing: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.

Just in case you missed it...

2008-10-20T10:33:00.003-04:00

If you haven't seen Amy Poehler's Palin rap from this week's SNL, you must:

This Week In TV

2008-10-18T21:07:00.015-04:00

So I had one of those blah weeks where I was feeling sicker than usual (thanks to my crappy immune system, every little symptom I get is greatly exacerbated. It's lovely.) I watched a ton of TV this week, but I didn't get around to writing about it until now. Verrrrry quick (whenever I say that it ends up being not very quick, but I'm going to try, promise) (edit: Ok I totally lied) thoughts about a bunch of shows that I watched this week and a show that I got on DVD that I am now addicted to (which I promised myself would not happen again, but this show is so gooooood.) Anyhoo.

House: Best since last season's finale, and best normal episode (the two-part finale was fan-freaking-tastic, but it wasn't a normal patient-of-the-week case) in a very long time. We had the House-Wilson reunion, less scenes with the new team (always a plus in my book, especially when we have almost no Taub. Hate that guy. And the new-teamer we focused on this week was Kuttner, my favorite of the newbies), and a scene with the old team. Of course, next week it's all about Thirteen. If they have to do medical cases mirroring or personally involving team members, why can't we do a bromance episode? Or a House and Cuddy mirroring episode?

Fringe: Ok, I kind of don't remember this week's episode. I don't think it was good.

Pushing Daisies: I liked it. Something wasn't quite right (no pie hole?), but I love this show too much to say mean things about it. Besides, it's not like it was terrible, it just wasn't as good as the previous two episodes

Project Runway: I watched this because a friend asked me to tape it, and I was like, what the heck, I really don't want to watch the debate (I'm interested, I just get so worried that someone's going to mess up and it's going to be really awkward and I hate real-life awkward situations). So, it was kind of boring, but I was rooting for the girl who won, Leanne. I liked Korto, too. If I have to hear Kenley talk again I may stab myself.

Top Design: I watched this after P-ject Runway and I loved it. Maybe it's because I am obsessed with making my room as awesome as possible (I'm always moving stuff around, which really bothers my brother, despite the fact that he does not spend a whole lot of time in my room. Maybe it's because I always ask his opinion and then do the annoying, "Really? You like it? You sure you're not just saying that to be done with me?" thing. So anyway, this show is fun. And it's a good show to watch while you're doing something else (Like knitting. I need to finish that freaking scarf already, darn it.)

The Office: Maybe it's because I was in a really foul mood while I was watching this (stemming from the fact that my throat and stomach were feeling less than optimal), but I didn't think it was that funny this week. I liked the Jim and Pam bit (it was sweet but not overly sappy. Not that I'd ever protest sappy Jim and Pam. But you know.), but I hate Jan too much to ever find her funny. I hate her with the passion of a thousand suns, and I really have no idea why. Ok, I have some idea. She makes everything more awkward but rarely increases the funny. I hate Micheal when he's around her- I actually feel bad for him and I like Micheal a lot more when he's being insane than when he's sympathetic (although Steve Carell does an excellent job with everything they give him). I didn't like the much beloved "Dinner Party" episode because Jan ruins EVERYTHING for me.

SNL Thursday (I refuse to call it Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday): Not as funny as last week. Joe the Plumber being imaginary was funny (as was Simon the unicorn), but it wasn't as funny as it would have been if the actual Joe the Plumber had come on (or if they had someone play him). Weekend (THURSDAY, it's on THURSDAY, people) Update needs to ditch the "We liked it!" and stick with "Really?!?"

Crusoe: This show was surprisingly good. Not omigosh-go-out-and-tell-all-of-your-friends good, but good. I want that tree house. P.S. If he's so good with his hands, why doesn't he just build a boat? I mean, he doesn't have directions, but if all these ships are stopping by for treasure and whatnot, he must not be that far away from civilization.

The Ex List: Ehh. The charm is wearing off, due to increasingly annoying and/or boring characters. And Bella dresses like a girl my age would (I'll be 16 next week. Gifts are optional, but very much appreciated.)

Numbthreers: Is Morena Baccarin trying to make a career out of playing hookers? First Inara, now this. Kidding. It was good to see her. Also, did anybody see the trailer for Nathan Fillion's new series? It looks like crap. I mean, I want to like it, but the sexual-tension-in-the-workplace-between-people-who-can't-stop-squabbling-yet-are-somehow-perfect-for-each-other? It's been done.

And now for the series that I am newly addicted to: Sports Night. I love it. Love it. LOVE IT. I'll write more when I'm finished watching the DVDs (I just saw "Sally", which pretty much knocked my socks off. Did not see that coming.)

Ok, my dad is rearranging our basement and listening to Neil Diamond, and I think I will join him, despite having far superior music choices up here (currently listening to Citizen Cope, who just had a concert in our area that I wanted to go to so badly, but alas I am perpetually sick and can't do fun things like have a life.) (Did not want to end on a negative note like that. Here's something positive: New SNL tonight! Sarah Palin's going to be on. Not sure how that's going to go down, but I can't wait.)

This is getting a bit repetitive...

2008-10-14T15:39:00.003-04:00

I feel like maybe I should just post if Chuck doesn't hit it out of the park, because otherwise I'm going to be writing the same thing every week.

How I Love This Show

2008-10-14T15:03:00.004-04:00

Best episode of the season (so far). It had everything-- a funny, very HIMYMish theme (the interventions), a hilarious Barney subplot (Barney in old man makeup trying to pick up younger women), and a flash-forward that gives us lots of new clues to play with (Ted's not wearing a ring, Lily didn't drink the scotch, Barney and Robin seem pretty close...).

Also, Ted was not as much of an annoying douche (that's doche, not dochae) as he has been in the past few weeks (although kicking those people out of their booth may have crossed the line a little). The pace was good (it all flowed naturally, which could have been a problem with all of the flashbacks) and Barney was able to both have his own sub-plot and fit in naturally with the major parts of the episode. There were funny, in-character bits for all five of our principle players and some really hilarious lines.

Highlights:

-"I do not like that stupid hat. I want to beat it with a bat. Or maybe stab it with a fork. It makes you look like such a dork."
-Ted's flail
-R2SweetTooth
- All of the intervention flashbacks
-Robin getting drunk and going all Canadian
-Barney as an old man ("Arthritis five!" and "I have no time to explain. I have to get back to the reality accelerator before the vortex closes!")
-Stuart and Claudia were back! The continuity fairy was working overtime in this episode.
-Lily: "It took you half an hour to pack?"
Robin: "It would have taken me 20 minutes, but a friend called me in tears."
Marshall: "Moving is very emotional, ok?"

About the flashforward. We pretty much knew after last week's episode that Stella isn't going to be the mother (somehow Ted has to be living with Robin on his 31st birthday- it seems logical that she comes back from Japan and has to live with Ted, who is still in the apartment after he and Stella split), but seeing him without a wedding ring in the flashforward almost definitely confims it. Also, I think the writers are keeping their options open with regard to Lily possibly being pregnant (she wasn't visibly bigger and her not drinking the scotch could be nothing, but if she does end up being pregnant, the continuity will work) and with Barney and Robin possibly being together (they seemed closer than they usually do, but it wasn't definitevly couple-ish behavior). They also established that at least one of the characters is living in the apartment, which is both a fun little clue and makes logistical sense for the show.

Really quickly...

2008-10-10T15:57:00.003-04:00

I am pretty much about to fall asleep right here right now (it's Friday, what do you want from me?), but I just have to say that if you didn't watch last night's Office and SNL, you should because they were great. Quick highlights after the jump...

Highlights:
Finally a Meredith spotlight on The Office! Also, another classic Jim prank. I think I've watched the Jim-purposefully-mangling-sci-fi references scene about five times now. Season five of The Office has really come back strong.

On SNL, a good half-hour of political satire. The Obama-McCain spoof was funny (although not on the level of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin) and I loved that Bill Murray came back to ask a question about the Cubs. Sigh. There's always next year (We just got the new issue of Sports Illustrated, the one with Manny Ramirez (of the evil Dodgers who swept the Cubs last week, thus ending their season) on the cover, and my brother and I drew devil horns and a tail and changed his number from 99 to 666. He is the anti-christ. Sorry, I'm a little bitter.)
On the Weekend Update front, Really?!? is one of my favorite segments (Judy Grimes is the other justkidding it's not justkidding it is justkiddingjustkiddingjustkidding) and I loved the Oh My God, Are You Serious?!? segment within the segment.

Ok, I'm going to go sleep now. TV Tonight: The Ex List (CBS, 9), Num3ers (CBS, 10). Also, did you hear that Obama bought 30 minutes of ad time on NBC and CBS next Wednesday?

What To Watch Tonight

2008-10-09T17:14:00.003-04:00

It's Thursday! (And Yom Kippur, although that ends at sundown and also is completely irrelevant here.) Lots of good stuff on TV tonight.

Ugly Betty (ABC at 8)is not a show I watch regularly, but I always enjoy it when I do. If they made a spinoff where Marc and Amanda were roommates and basically sat around making fun of ugly people all day, I would be their biggest fan.

Kath and Kim (8:30, NBC). It it just me, or does this show look ridiculously dumb? Tom Shales from The Post loved it, and he normally doesn't (the hell? spell check is not recognizing "doesn't") love dumb shows, but I can't shake the feeling that this is going to be a painful half hour.

The Office (NBC at 9)!!! Jim and Pam are engaged! I actually cannot wait for tonight.

Saturday Night Live Thursday Weekend Update. And they couldn't have called it "Thursday Update" because? Despite the long and contradictory title, I am super cised to have SNL in primetime.

Bones and Pushing Daisies

2008-10-09T17:07:00.003-04:00

Bones: MEH.

Daisies: HEART.
"There once was a man named Von Deenis.
People said he had a big [cut to commercial]"

What To Watch Tonight

2008-10-07T16:05:00.004-04:00

At the suggestion of an anonymous commenter (who I'm pretty sure is my mother, but whatever), here's what's on tonight:

The Debate. 9, on a bunch of channels (NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS, PBS...) I usually like watching the post-debate coverage on PBS (go Mark Shields), but I was watching BBC America yesterday (for Skins) and I saw that they were also going have have coverage, which sounds interesting (more of a world perspective).

A repeat of House is on Fox at 8. It's the episode with that kid from "Holes" (no, not Shia LaBeouf, the guy who played Zero).

There's also this dumbass show, if you're interested in that type of thing.

I feel kind of bad, but I sort of want to watch Privileged (CW at 9) instead of the debate. I'm kind of all politic-ed out. Plus the debates are pretty much scripted and the answers are predictable so it's not like I'm learning anything new. I watched the Veep debate in the hopes that Sarah Palin would sprout a tail or shout out random non-sequiturs or implode, but I was sadly disappointed.

How this show annoys me sometimes

2008-10-07T15:22:00.007-04:00

Oh, show. You still haven't hid your stride. You were better than last week, but Ted is becoming soooo unlikable. Some people have been pointing this out forever, but it never really bothered me until last night. Stop being so selfish, Ted! You really expect your fiance and her daughter to uproot their life just so you can keep your apartment?

And Lily, you idiot, why not take all the money Barney was offering? You only have to pay to fix the slanted floors in your new apartment and your husband is just starting a new job and you are a kindergarten teacher and don't make much money and you have tons of credit card debt and WHAT THE HELL, LILY? Barney paid for your honeymoon and you know he wouldn't back out of this. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IS A LOT OF MONEY. This really bothers me because I hate it when sitcom characters don't act like real people just to facilitate a joke (and it was a lame joke, I might add.) (Also, I feel like I've written this rant before. Hm. Update: Found it) So aside from me being generally annoyed at 2/5 of our main characters (make that 3/5- Marshall was also acting like a douche. Although I loved that he gave his anti-New York rant- which was very in character- while holding a jar of olives.)

I did like Barney trying to pick up a lesbian and, because my sense of humor's age is twelve, "No snakes on that plane." Also, Robin flipping over the cars was hilarious, as was her face immediately afterward. It's not like this episode was that bad, it's just that when this show is on, it's on and so far this season we haven't seen that level of awesomeness.

On a completely unrelated note, I got my season three DVDs from Amazon today, so if your name starts with an L and rhymes with "Billy" and you were complaining last night that you missed some of season three, you can borrow them and get caught up.

Chuck!

2008-10-07T15:16:00.003-04:00

So Chuck is amazing. Not only can they use famous guest stars for good and not evil, but last night's episode featured "Love It All" by The Kooks. Well played, show. Although I just have to say, if I were Sarah and Chuck showed up at my door wearing that jacket and holding a rose, I would be all, "Bryce who?"

Weekend Update

2008-10-06T18:40:00.007-04:00

Quick reviews of The Ex List, Numb3rs (Whenever I spell it like that, my brain always goes "Numb-three-rs" instead of "Numbers"), SNL, and Skins after the jump.

The Ex List: It was cute and pretty well written. It's perfect for Friday night viewing because it's fun but uncomplicated- I'll be fine if I miss an episode. Veronica Mars (!!) producer/writer Diane Ruggerio is behind the first six episodes, but she recently quit, so we'll see if there's a change in quality after her episodes are done.

Numb3rs: I watch this show with my parents. I like how the mysteries are generally engaging and intelligent (unlike, say, the mysteries on Bones), without sacrificing interesting characters (also a problem with Bones. So if the mysteries are bad and the characters are annoying, why do I still watch that show? Sigh.) Also, I'm not a big math fan (I don't hate it, it's just never been my favorite subject), but I really enjoy the whole "math is applicable to life situations" angle. Using math to solve mysteries could be boring, but the show makes it work with cool visuals and examples. Again, not must-see viewing for me, but if I'm home, I'll watch.

SNL: Hallelujah, a good week! Anne Hathaway was a great host (props especially for making fun of her jailed ex-boyfriend) and The Killers put on a good show. There was another great political cold open, with Tina Fey back as Sarah Palin, Queen Latifah reprising her role of Gwen Ifill, and Jason Sudeikis doing Joe Biden. Other highlights included a Mary Poppins sketch, a random-but-funny digital short, a spoof of the Lawrence Welk show (with Kristen Wiig once again earning her spot as my favorite), and Casey Wilson making fun of Katy Perry ("I held a cat, and I liked it...") Anne Hathaway got to show off her singing talent and a good time was had by all. Woot.

Skins: Well, that was... strange. I liked this episode overall, but the last ten minutes, with the cast mouthing the lyrics to "Wild World" and Tony getting hit by a bus were, well, not what I expected. And why are the writers trying to make us like Tony? He's a jerk! We know that! Stop trying to build up sympathy! Oh and Effy and Chris are officially my favorites. Just in case anyone was wondering. BBC America is going to start showing the second season (or series, as they call it across the pond) next week at the same time.

Bones: I Don't Even Know

2008-10-02T17:54:00.002-04:00

This show makes me so agitated. Not only did I call the murderer last night the second we panned up on her turquoise fingernails, but there were also plot holes the size of David Boreanez's (or Booth's, although it doesn't seem like there's much of a difference) over-inflated ego. Angela is annoying, Cam is obnoxious, Sweets's put-upon baby act is getting old, and the only reason I keep watching is that I have this hope that one day one of the writers will come in and say, "You know seasons one and two? They were pretty good, weren't they? Maybe we should try to make these new episodes more like those old ones." The rest of the writer's room will nod in agreement and Hart Hanson will finally come to his senses and fix everything that has gone wrong since the end of season two. Until then, I reserve the right to roll my eyes and yell mean things at my TV.

Pushing Daisies!

2008-10-02T17:35:00.003-04:00

This show makes me so happy. I think that if I were depressed, Pushing Daisies would be just the thing to cheer me up. Pushing Daisies: Better Than Prozac.

Anyhoo, the show is great. Lee Pace is fantastic. His character is shy and doesn't have nearly as many lines as you would expect the lead in an hour long show would have, yet you watch him for one scene and you know everything you need to know about Ned's personality. His body language and line-delivery says it all. The rest of the cast is strong as well. Anna Friel's Chuck and Pace's Ned can never touch (she would die, it's a long story, watch the show), but they have more of a connection than a lot of TV couples that can't keep their hands off each other. I'm a bit confused at this point about who is biologically related to whom, but other than that, last night was outstanding. And seeing as "The Sound of Music" was the first movie I ever saw and pretty much the only one I would watch from age three to age eight or nine, I appreciated the homages to the classic musical. It was also great to see Diana Scarwid (Jaye's mom from "Wonderfalls") as the Mother Superior.

I'm a little worried, though. For serious, I saw the ratings for last night's episode, and they weren't good (it finished behind "Knight Rider." That show is about a talking car.) So please, if you like beautifully shot fairy tale-mysteries with a hint of dark humor, WATCH PUSHING DAISIES.

Terrific (well, kinda) Tuesday

2008-10-01T14:58:00.007-04:00

I'm so excited about Pushing Daisies tonight! I really hope the CUBS PLAYOFF GAME (!!!) doesn't go too late. Anyways. In last night's TV news...

House: I think last night was the best episode of the season so far. I still miss the original team, but I don't hate the new team quite so much now. And while I was unsure about House's PI "friend" (are they really friends if House is paying him?) last week, I can officially say that I like him now. (Besides, he was in "Garden State". How can I hate anyone who was in "Garden State"?) And it seems like House and Cuddy may finally happen this season. Finally!
P.S. Wasn't the patient of the week that guy from "Clueless"? He was the skateboarder dude who ended up with Brittany Murphy's character. Oh man, he totally was! (And what ever happened to Brittany Murphy? She was in "Uptown Girls", but that was like four years ago.) (Ok, IMDb is listing a bunch of stuff I've never heard of. Thanks a lot, IMDb.)

Fringe: Also doing better. Not great, but the eye-rolling quotient was significantly lower. Although if they try to make "The Observer" into a recurring character, I will scream. He was not scary. And I'm normally scared of people with no eyebrows. Oh and show, please don't bring back Olivia's boyfriend. I mean, I know you're going to because it was in the promos, but could you kill him for real this time?

Privileged: Heart. And I'm now 120 million percent rooting for Charlie. He and Megan are adorable (although he could stand to be fleshed out a little more). Plus Jacob is boring and Will is kind of a douche. He thinks that when he's ready to grow up and date Megan, she'll be there waiting for him. "I like a good epic." What a jerk. By the time he matures into a good guy, she'll be having Charlie's babies. (Right? Right, show? No I know, this is TV, she's going to be with Will at some point. Just as long as she ends up with Charlie.)

Tonight's schedule:

6:30: CUBS GAME! (They play the Dodgers at Wrigley) (on TBS)

8:00: Pushing Daisies (depending on how the Cubs game is progressing) (on ABC)

DVR: Bones (Fox at 8)

I'm officially done with Top Model. Hannah and Isis are gone, and with them goes the controversy, so where's the fun?

Manic Monday

2008-09-30T13:37:00.002-04:00

First of all, Shana Tova to all you Jews out there. I hope you enjoyed services a lot more than I did.

Ok, TV.

Big Bang Theory: This show is sometimes funny, and sometimes annoying. This week was annoying.

HIMYM: Eh. I'm not a big fan of stand-alone episodes (unless they're done really well, a la "Arrivederci, Fierro".) Bays and Thomas said they wanted to do more of these this season, but when we have such important serialized plots (Barney and Robin, Ted and Stella), there's really no reason to. Also, one of the best things about this show, the thing the separates it from run-of-the-mill sitcoms, is its continuity, its running jokes. Which were missing from this episode. But probably the worst thing about this episode was that it wasn't that funny (although I did love Million Dollar Heads or Tails with Regis). Better luck next week, show.

Chuck: So much love. For this show. It's funny, it's entertaining, and it does fight scenes and nice charcter moments equally well. It doesn't take itself too seriously. The cast is good, the characters are fun, and it pretty much makes me exteremely happy. Yay Chuck!

Heroes: Yeah I stopped watching this 10 minutes in and rewatched my DVRed episode of Chuck (I had seen it last week when it was available free on itunes). After I realized that Francis Capra was stuck playing stupid Peter Petrelli (why aren't they really using F.C.? He could be such a scary villian!) and that Kristen Bell wasn't even in it this week, I gave up. Show, you suck. You try to be profound, but half of your characters are boring and the other half aren't been used the way they should be.

They're Engaged!

2008-09-26T15:29:00.004-04:00

The Office makes me so happy, I can't even stand it. The funny was back, Jim and Pam are getting married, and Ryan is once again at Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Also, this was the first one hour episode that didn't feel entirely too long. Half hours are always better, though. But after the disappointment of last season, I think the show is coming back strong.

Highlights:
-THE PROPOSAL! My brother thinks I am dumb to be this excited over a TV proposal. He is wrong, however, because that proposal was amazing.
-Ryan's back, and so is Micheal's man-crush (and Dwight's never ending quest to be Micheal's favorite).
-Angela's "That's how I sleep at night" speech.
-The awkward funniness of everyone trying to figure out how much Pam weighs.
-Holly: "No! You do not speak to him like that! He is mentally challenged!"
Kevin: "Wait, back up. You think I'm retarded?"

Only nitpick: No cold open? Those are often the funniest parts. Oh and a Jim/Dwight prank would have been nice.

Heroes: Is Anyone Going To Die? Ever?

2008-09-25T18:07:00.005-04:00

So I finally saw the season three premier and you know what? I kind of don't care anymore. I miss Kristen Bell being awesome as Veronica- as Elle she's a tad bit whiny. And as great as it was to see fellow VM alum Francis Capra, I was under the impression that he would be playing an actual villain, not Peter Petrelli stuck in a villain's body. While Future Peter is surprisingly kick-ass, I'm not as big a fan of now Peter. Give Weevil his own character please!

Also, are Micah and Molly and Monica gone? I'm fine without the kids, but Monica's power was really cool and she was ten thousand times less annoying than Maya. Oh and speaking of Maya and Mohinder, who really gives a crap? Those two are the least interesting people on this show. And now Mohinder's the incredible hulk? Whatevs. We've got to kill some people on this show, can it please be them?

As for the big reveal that Mrs. Petrelli is Sylar's mother, well, who on this show isn't related to someone else? I'm thinking that at the end of season seven it will be revealed that they are all one, big, dysfunctional family. They will fight all through family dinner about whose powers are cooler and there will be weekly wrestling matches, but no one will ever die (they will all be immortal thanks to Mohinder's spiffy scientist skills). The sibling rivalries will be extreme, but in the end, they will all stick together because in their heart of hearts, they really love each other. It will be like Brothers and Sisters, but with powers. I'm now imagining Cristine Rose (Mama Petrelli) kicking Sally Field's ass. OMG BEST SHOW EVA!!

Despite the Title, Privileged is Worth Your Time

2008-09-25T13:00:00.005-04:00

If they only had a better name, they might be able to find a bigger audience. People hear Privileged and they think "teen soap about rich kids" when in fact this show is more along the lines of Gilmore Girls (it's not quite that good, but if you were a GG fan you'll probably like this).

This week's episode wasn't as good as the previous two, but the show continues to be smart, charming, and fun. The sister dynamics continue to be strong. I like how Sage can be such a bitch (and by the by the actress who plays her is 20, not 30, as had been previously speculated), but is still a better sister to Rose than Megan is to Lily. But not everything is as black and white as most shows in this genre can be. Everyone is a little to blame (some more than others), which is often the case in real life.

They've also set up the perfect love pentagangle (I'm counting Megan, Will, Lily, Charlie, and Jacob (although we know he's probably not long for this world). Throw one (or both) of the twins in there and everything is even more complicated) and it's not obvious who will end up with whom. Will hooked up with Lily, which put a stop to the blooming Will-Megan romance. Charlie, Megan's best friend, is in love with her too, and while we normally would root for him (and I still partially am), Will may actually be a better fit for Megan. Charlie knows her really well and is supportive, but Will and Megan have more of a spark. Their banter is fun and flirty, and they could end up being a really good couple. He calls her out when she's being a hypocrite, and he also seems like a genuinely nice guy (although going out with Megan's sister was probably not the best idea, even if Lily and Will probably won't happen long-term). Lily could also end up meddling with a potential Charlie-Megan romance because it's clear that Lily and Charlie know each other and connect even when they don't get along.

All of this sounds crazy, but it actually makes watching much more fun, because it isn't predictable. I might be a little insane, devoting so much time speculating about what's going to happen to a show on the CW (which lost all credibilty after canceling Veronica Mars), but this might be my favorite new show of the season (sorry, Fringe). Also, I am more like Megan than I care to admit, which might be contributing to this insanity.

Bones: Zach is Back!

2008-09-25T12:42:00.003-04:00

Well, at least for one episode. It was great to see him, even though he looks about 10 years older than when we saw him last. In first season, he had long hair, but it looked cute, not weird like it did here. And I think he gained some weight. Oh Eric Millegan, please don't let yourself go just because stupid Hart Hanson fired you. On the topic of the actual episode, having Zach tell Sweets that he never actually killed someone sounds suspiciously like a retcon to me. On the other hand, if it gets us Zach back instead of the never ending rotation of interchangeable grad students, I'm all for it. Overall, this episode was entertaining enough, but not great. Which pretty much sums up this show, doesn't it?

Fringe: Ripping Off Other Sci-Fi Shows Since 2008

2008-09-25T11:53:00.006-04:00

Drawing the future? Never seen that before. Except oh wait we have on Heroes. Oh Fringe, I'm trying so hard to like you but you keep ripping off other shows. I wasn't even go to watch this week's episode until I saw TiVo Queen's post, and since she and I have nearly identical tastes in TV, I thought I'd give it one more try. And after viewing this episode in its entirety, I generally agree with her assessment.

Anna Torv is improving, not to the point where I like her, but to the point where I can see liking her in the future if she continues to step it up. Pacey, sorry, Peter (I actually wrote Pacey there when I meant to write Peter. Maybe the character's name should have been Alex or Tom or something) has been established as a genius, which means that the writers continue their love affair with him to the point where he can basically do whatever is required of the plot. That needs to end. But overall, this show is not bad to watch, even though most of us were expecting a lot more.

If I were running the show, I would realize that it's never go to have the shock or creepiness factor of The X-Files and instead focus on our quirky trio solving strange mysteries. I would stop getting bogged down trying to be scary or conspiratorial, and instead just be out there and interesting. Come on, writers, use your imaginations. All you have to do is come up with crazy ideas and write them into the scripts. You can have them investigate anything. There is no limit. Just think, wouldn't it be cool if some guy was invisible or some girl could breathe underwater or there was this secret underground community of gnomes or if there were some ape-human hybrids who could talk? I want to see invisibility and talking animals, ASAP.

My parents fianlly caved!

2008-09-24T14:36:00.005-04:00

...And got us Fios. And now I must express my undying love for it. The zillions of channels (we didn't even have cable before), the pretty, pretty picture (thank you HD), and of course, the DVR. Also, I'm loving the super fast internet (faster than our old DSL!) The installation, however, took a realllllly long time (I'm talking 4 1/2 hours), so my TV viewing last night was interupted. I watched House on the tiny TV in our guest room that did not get the Fios treatment, but I only saw part of Fringe (the Fios guy was explaining how to use the remote. Which I then programed to be our DVD remote too. Yeah. It's awesome.) I also have yet to see Heroes, Privileged, and Chuck (the season two premier is available online- free on itunes and on hulu). So I'll be playing catch-up for the next few days, and some shows might not get reviewed this week. One more thing- I DVR'd The Daily Show last night and watched it this morning. That show is hilarious. And not having to sit through comercials is incredible. Long live Fios!

How I've Missed You, How I Met Your Mother

2008-09-23T13:44:00.005-04:00

How I Met Your Mother was by far the show I was most looking forward to this fall, and the new season doesn't disappoint. I have a few nitpicks, but overall it was a very strong start to what should be an excellent season.

The Good:
Most of the show falls under this category. Some specifics:
-Barney. Once again, I have to say that Neil Patrick Harris should have gotten that Emmy. He manages to be both hilarious and sympathetic at the same time. He played his scenes perfectly- adjusting to his new feelings for Robin, but still true to the real Barney well all know and love. And the high-pitched noise he made when he was calling Robin was the funniest bit of the episode.
-Lily and Marshall. Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel didn't have much to do last night, but they proved once again that they can do a lot with a little. Favorite lines from each of them: Lily's "I'm a kindergarten teacher. When I see a confused little kid in the corner trying to eat the lefty scissors, I have to help the poor bastard." And Marshall's "She hasn't seen Star Wars? Ted, the only people who haven't seen Star Wars are the characters in Star Wars because they lived it, Ted." Also, loved Jason Segel's delivery of "We have to go."
-I think both Cobie Smulders and the writing for Robin have gotten a lot better. I'm really excited to see her side of the Barney/Robin romance.

The Bad:
-Even though I love Sarah Chalke (and it really is a testament to her acting skills that I didn't once think of her as Elliott last night, especially considering how Ted can sometimes be a tad JD-ish), I'm still not buying her as the mother. Last night's episode did a little, but not enough to push me in that direction (it's not like they don't have chemistry, it's just that we really haven't seen that much of her. Until we see Ted and a mother prospect connect the way Ted and Robin did, I'm not buying it (and no, I don't want Ted and Robin together, obviously they weren't going to work out, it's just that they were great together. You get what I'm saying (or you should, I'm in my third parenthetical here))).
-Aside from the very short bits at McLaren's, there were no scenes of the whole gang together (and even those scenes were to serve a very specific plot point or joke; there were none of them just messing around.)
-Also, when are we going to see Stella with the whole gang at the bar? Lesser girlfriends (Victoria, Natalie, even Blah Blah) have hung out at the bar, but we haven't seen Ted's finace there. I was hoping that they would all go down to the bar to celebrate the engagement, but we haven't even seen Barney's or Lily's or Robin's reaction to the news.

Ooh, idea! If Bays and Thomas and Co. want to sell us on Stella (and I'm still not sure that they do), they should have her involved in getting Robin and Barney together.

Anyways, this was a solid episode and a great season opener. I laughed (a lot), I cried (not at all), and I can't wait for next week.

I'M SO EXCITED!!

2008-09-22T17:04:00.005-04:00

How I Met Your Mother is back tonight!! 8:30 on CBS. PARTAY.

In other news, the Cubs clinched their division (yay!) and the Emmys were boring. Neil Patrick Harris was robbed. Well, there's always next year (which by the way, is not applying to the Cubs. Because they are going to win it all this year. Knock on wood.)

Ba ba pa pa...

Bones: Better Than Last Week

2008-09-18T11:42:00.008-04:00

Bones last night was the best episode in a while. Which isn't saying much, but I was pleasantly surprised at how unannoyed I was throughout the episode.

The Good:
-Sweets finally getting to be a psychologist. I really liked his session with Hodgins. Much better than "couple's counseling."
-Parker. That kid is way cute, but also not a bad actor. He seemed pretty natural. Also, I'm glad that it's the same kid playing him.
-FINALLY dealing with some of the fallout from the Zach/Gormagon thing and the Hodgins/Angela breakup.
-Max from Veronica Mars! (He played the tutor/med student)

The Bad:
-I don't know who the Dog Whisperer is, but why would they bring him all the way out to D.C. for this one case?

I hope this episode is an omen for the rest of the season. I mean, it wasn't the best, but it was a hell of a lot better than "look at us we're so cute we're in London and omigosh the butler did it did we mention we're in London?"

Makeovers!

2008-09-18T11:42:00.003-04:00

I love makeovers on Top Model. The tears, the tantrums, it's all good. I'd say that the haircuts were generally good this year, with the glaring exception of Elina. Every once in a while, an ANTM contestant will come into the competition with a haircuts that really works on them, something that could be high fashion. But Tyra and her cronies cannot not make a change (the least I can ever remember them doing is cutting off a few inches of Heather's long, dark, straight hair), so instead of Elina having a cute, flattering haircut, she has a bright red weave that makes her look like Raggedy Anne. Now I love Raggedy Anne (she was my first doll and is probably under my bed somewhere right now), but big, red, curly hair only works on a select few, and Elina isn't one of them. The judges kept saying how "high fashion" it is and how now she's "racially ambiguous" so every girl can look up to her. Yeah, every girl who is a Raggedy Anne doll.

Fringe: Well This Sounds Familiar...

2008-09-17T14:41:00.015-04:00

I thought this show was going to be so good. I thought it would be scary and interesting and fun. If there had to be an X-Files rip-off, J.J. Abrams seemed liked the guys to make it. But no. Instead we get a show that is not at all scary (and trust me, I get scared very easily. I was scared of "Mulan" the first time I saw it. I was scared of "Muppet Treasure Island." And ok, those were a long time ago, but I may have also recently screamed during a movie that was billed as a comedy. But let's not go into that, ok?) It's not at all interesting (there were times last night when I considered switching over to "Privileged," which, by the by, continues to be a sweet, happy show- sort of Gilmore Girls-lite.)

In addition to clunky-beyond-belief exposition, the storyline of last night's episode was almost exactly like the X-Files episode "Squeeze". Let's compare, shall we?

Fringe: Introduces Freak Of Nature
X-Files: Introduces Freak Of Nature
F: FON kills
X-F: FON kills
F: Our heroes get called in on the case
X-F: Our heroes get called in on the case
F: One hero has an idea about how FON kills, knows his style- once every so many years, he comes out and kills a series of people and then disappears
X-F: One hero has an idea about how FON kills, knows his style- once every so many years, he comes out and kills a series of people and then disappears
F: FON goes to kill again, but gets stopped by heroes
X-F: FON goes to kill again, but gets stopped by heroes
F: Turns out he's a genetic freak who has to kill (but only extracts the part that he needs- the pituitary gland) to stay alive
X-F: Turns out he's a genetic freak who has to kill (but only extracts the part that he needs- the liver) to stay alive

Except in The X-Files, the killer was so creepy and disgusting that I'm getting chills writing about it now at 3 in the afternoon. It was scary! So scary! Creepy yellow eyes. Totally gave me nightmares. And of course in The X-Files, one of the heroes was in actual danger (Scully almost got her liver removed). In the end, Eugene Tooms, the mutant, got away (and then he came back a few seasons later and killed some more. Seriously, those episodes were really popular ("Squeeze" was the first "Monster of the Week" episode)- if these Fringe writers know anything about science fiction, they know these X-Files episodes).

And yes, this episode also had the rapidly aging baby (which could have been really cool, but... wasn't.) Massive Dynamic got some more screen time. And we were introduced to the possibly that Peter Bishop has a sketchy medical history that only his dad knows about (and now Olivia knows something's up, but doesn't know what). The father-son interactions are really the only highlight to these otherwise surprisingly dull episodes (I loved "Do you have any cocaine?"), but that's going to get old fast if the rest of the show doesn't shape up.

The biggest problem remains that the main character is so stiff and dull that she brings down every scene that she's in (and there are a lot of them.) She's not annoying, or obnoxious, or mean, she's just there. She should be a sympathetic character, someone that we care about (she is the main character, after all). Instead, she's just taking up space. She sucks all of the energy out of the room. Oh hey, that could be a case- someone who has the ability to destroy energy. Not scientifically possible, but I'm sure they could find some way to explain it (well um we did these top secret experiments that proved that you can create and destroy energy that nobody knows about except the people at Massive Dynamic who might be behind all of the crazy stuff that's been happening. Could everything be interconnected? *gasp* No way! Is the corporation actually evil? No way! Will Olivia and Peter fall in love but not sleep together until February sweeps of season three? No way!)

Well This Is Interesting

2008-09-17T14:41:00.014-04:00

When my best friend and I were watching the premiere of 90210 together, we both observed multiple times how skinny the actresses were. Skinny as in, they need to eat a few cheeseburgers before they collapse from the lack of subsistence skinny. Now my best friend and I are both "normal"- nowhere near that skinny, but far from fat. And we both have fairly high self esteem (most days :) ) But it's still disheartening to see girls that impossibly skinny on TV and in the movies. And as teenage girls, we're statistically the most at risk for eating disorders. I like to think that I am above the influence of these stick-thin starlets, but I know I am not completely impervious. So it was good to see this article on EW.com addressing the issue.

Paging Dr. House

2008-09-17T14:41:00.010-04:00

After last season's spectacular finale, I expected better. Thirteen needs to get over herself and stop acting so unprofessional. Taub and Foreman need to go. Chase and Cameron need more screen time. And I didn't even laugh once. Where is the House I know and love?

I Heart Tina Fey

2008-09-14T11:06:00.003-04:00

SNL was so-so last night (as it has been for the past few years), but the cold open with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton was hilarious. Tina Fey had Sarah Palin down, with a spot-on accent and all of her little mannerisms. And Poehler's Clinton has never not been funny. Let's hope that Lorne Micheals can get Fey back for some of the Thursday night prime-time election specials.

Here's the clip (I hope)(If this doesn't work, you can see it at hulu or nbc.com):

This made my day:

2008-09-11T15:40:00.003-04:00

Also,

Love. Just love. How I Met Your Mother, returning Monday, September 22 at 8:30 on CBS.

Where's Lucille?

2008-09-11T14:15:00.002-04:00

So the CW had a rerun of Tuesday's 90210 last night at 9. I had just watched Top Model, and I was bored, so I figured why not, at least I'll see Lucille Bluth. AND THEN I DIDN'T SEE LUCILLE BLUTH BECAUSE LUCILLE BLUTH WASN'T IN LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE. Note to producers: Lucille Bluth (erm, I mean Jessica Walter) equals God. You've got to have her.

America's Next Top Bitch

2008-09-11T13:51:00.004-04:00

Lots of drama in the house this week. Elina is dared to kiss Clark and interviews later that she "saw fireworks." Hannah is accused of being a racist by Joslyn, Sheena, and Brittney after pushing Isis in the hot tub. We start feeling a little bit bad for Hannah (maybe she's not racist, just ignorant), and then she compares the girls asking her if she's racist to gang rape. Annnnd the sympathy is gone. Elina wins the posing challenge. Lauren Brie takes a great picture and gets the first call out. Sheena denies having fake boobs ("They're just really big"), and then admits to it. Nikeysha goes home, after being in the bottom two with Isis. Analeigh, Marjorie, McKey, and Samantha are there too.

Oh Bones, remember when you used to be good?

2008-09-11T13:46:00.003-04:00

I don't have much to say about Bones this week other than that it was a little bit better than last week and I totally called the murderer. I knew as soon as we saw the first suspect in the studio that it would be one of the assistants (they got names, which always means that we'll see them again). After they accused Veronica, I knew it was Pete. I know Bones isn't exactly known for its great mysteries, but come on, that couldn't have been more obvious. The crazy Booth humor was a bit toned down this week, which was good, and it was great to see Carla Gallo from Undeclared, but that scene in therapy at the end almost made me barf. I'll still keep watching, but probably just online the next day.

Privileged: I can't help it, I kind of love it

2008-09-10T16:39:00.005-04:00

Objectively, Privileged is not a great show. But that's not going to stop me from watching it every week. Here's why: it's just plain fun. While bad things do happen to these characters, everything is all pretty light and fluffy, making it ideal escapist television.

Also, the writing is not horrendously bad like it is on many teen shows (*cough* 90210 *cough*). In fact, at times it was rather funny. Not laugh out loud, roll on the floor funny, but amusing non-the-less. I loved Megan's "Shout out to Uncle Ben!" after her "With great power comes great responsibility" line. It made me laugh instead of roll my eyes at what could have been a completely corny moment. Also, after her big speech, she feels the need to come back and explain that, "Uncle Ben is Spiderman's uncle, by the way. I don't have an Uncle Ben." (Am I a complete dork that I totallly knew who Uncle Ben was before she even explained it? Yes, yes I am.)

Joanna Garcia is an appealing lead as Megan Smith- a little bit neurotic, a little bit awkward, but still an adult. She's funny and relatable and I think it's really that which makes Privileged a great guilty pleasure show. The rest of the cast is decent as well (with the exception of Ashley Newbrough as bitchy twin Sage. Ah well, they can't all be winners, right?), and while I am (slightly) ashamed to say this, I will be watching next week.

Fringe: Insane (But in a Good Way)

2008-09-10T15:58:00.008-04:00

Thoughts on last night's premiere of "Fringe," which was alternately gross, strange, funny, surprising, and a tad bit crazy:

The Good:
-Joshua Jackson and John Nobel. Their compelling father-son relationship could be a show all by itself.
-The supporting cast shows a lot of promise, and the characters are generally intriguing.
-The evil corporation. It opens up so many doors, and the possibilities make me confident in the series, even though the pilot could have been better.
- "How long has he been dead?" "Five hours." "Question him." Killing people won't be enough on this show- bodies will have to be disposed of so no one else can question the deceased. Being able to communicate with someone if they've been dead for less than six hours is a great plot device and I think they'll get a lot of use out of it (Until someone OD's on LSD, that is.)
-The Cow. Come on, you know you loved that cow.

The Bad:
-I'm not completely sold on Anna Torv yet. I though her American accent wasn't that great (she's Australian) and I don't know if she has the chops to keep up with Joshua Jackson and John Noble. While I got a sense of everyone else's character within 30 seconds of meeting them (more of less, her boyfriend being the obvious exception), I still wasn't sure who Olivia Dunham was after 95 minutes and she was in nearly every scene. That being said, I liked that she wasn't a glammed-up barbie doll. I saw hints of potential every now and then, and I'm willing to give Anna Torv the chance to grow on me.
-Those "cool" 3-D titles were just plain annoying. If we have to have location titles, I'd like mine nice and regular, please.

The X-Files rip-offs:
-I was worried that this would be an X-Files copycat, but I'm not really getting that vibe (the crazy inexplicable mysteries aside, of course. Although Fringe seems to center its conspiracies around extreme science, as opposed to aliens.) That thing with the kids disappearing and then reappearing years later not having aged a day was an X-Files episode, though. And that kid was creeeeepy.
-The opening title sequence was giving me X-Files flashbacks. Awesome. I am, of course, talking about the old X-Files title sequence and not the blah Mulder-less seasons' X-Files titles.
-This wasn't a rip-off of The X-Files, per say, but having the airplane passengers' flesh melt off was a very X-Fileian thing to do.

Overall:
I had heard great things about this show and horrible things about this show, but the most common thing I heard was that it was good, but people were expecting more. This was, however, my first exposure to J.J. Abrams, so I think I had lower expectations than some.
I think I'll watch a few more episodes and decide if I'll be tuning in regularly. All things considered, I though the pilot was pretty good.

New Shows Tonight!!!

2008-09-09T11:25:00.004-04:00

Don't you just the fall? Leaves changing color, crisp apple cider, Halloween (and my birthday!) and NEW TV!

Tonight's new shows:

Privileged: I am way more excited than I should be about this show. From the very first promo I was excited, and I have no idea why because this show looks really bad. In a nutshell: a 20-something wannabe reporter (JoAnna Garcia) gets a job tutoring spoiled 16-year-old twins who live with their grandmother in Palm Beach. It also looks like there's going to be a best friend who's in love with her (she, of course, has no idea) and possibly an ex around whom she is going to say and do awkward things. Would somebody please explain to me why I want to see this show? This is so frustrating. Ok, well the best friend who is secretly in love with the main character has been done a million times before, but I kind of am a sucker for those storylines (even though I would never, ever date any of my guy friends). And while one of the "evil Baker twins" looks like she's going to be really obnoxious and downright annoying, the rest of the cast seems alright (maybe? I am reaching here...) Ok, I am stumped. I guess I'll find out when I watch, but that won't be tonight (at 8 on the CW), because tonight I will be watching...

Fringe: The new J.J. Abrams ("Lost") show about the supernatural and the conspiracies that surround it. Hm, sounds a lot like this show that used to be on TV, oh what was it called? Oh that's right, it sounds exactly like "The X-Files." But Fox has been promoting the heck out of it, and I must say its worked on me because I'm intrigued. "Fringe" stars Anna Torv as an FBI agent pulled into this whole conspiracy mess, John Noble as a mad scientist who can help her, and Joshua Jackson (Pacey!) as the mad scientist's son. They're all brilliant, they're all beautiful, and Fox reportedly spent $10 million on this two hour pilot, so it looks like something to at least check out. (Fox, at 8)

Gossip Girl. OMFG.

2008-09-09T10:53:00.005-04:00

The things that were good last week (Blair and Chuck) were still good this week, and the things that were meh last week (Dan and Serena, Nate) were still pretty meh this week. BUT. We got a whole new delicious twist that I did not see coming and therefore actually gasped when it was revealed that Nate's cougar is Blair's new boyfriend's stepmother. And then later Blair walked in on them going at it hot and heavy in a library and proclaimed, "Oh My eFfing God." Which is, in case you just got here from Mars and therefore missed all of the OMFG promos for Gossip Girl, awesome and a half.

Also, have I mentioned yet how much I love Blair? Yes, I think I did, but I will again: I LOVE BLAIR. Either the writting for her has gotten much better or Leighton Meester has become a much better comedic actress (or both), because I don't remember loving Blair this much last fall. This show is often described as The O.C. on the Upper East Side minus the funny, but Blair Waldorf keeps making me laugh. ("He's a lord and I love him.") In fact, I bet if she was paired off with Dan, she would make his character a lot less whiny and a lot more fun. But that can never happen, becuase Blair has to be with the equally fabulous Chuck. Speaking of Chuck, selling his shares of the club to be able to lend Nate's family money? So sweet. Bad boys acting sweet is always nice, so long as they aren't defanged. Nate was a really baby about it though. In fact, the only scene in this episode where I actually liked Nate was when he caught Dan and Serena (who, ok, were slightly less boring than last week. Slightly.) making out and asked, in a nice and genuinely interested way, if they were back together. So often on this show people getting caught by their exes (that's Serena and Nate I'm talking about here, God that was a long time ago) results in people being weird for no reason, but this 10 second scene was really cute for some reason, and all three actors did a good job. Maybe that's the secret of dealing with Nate and Dan and Serena: 10 second scenes. Actually, the same rule could apply to Jenny and Rufus and Vanessa (p.s. Girlfriend? You and Nate? Never going to happen. I was actually detecting some squicky vibes between you and Rufus. Ick. Please don't go there. xoxo, blogger girl)

Watch the DVDs!, "Veronica Mars" edition

2008-09-05T13:09:00.007-04:00

I don't believe in signs, but if I did, I would believe that my dream last night about "Veronica Mars" (which slowly morphed into a dream about camp where the cabins were two feet tall, but that's irrelevant) was a sign that I should write about this show. I've wanted to for a while, but since there have been no new episodes to write about since May 2007, (I hate you Dawn Ostroff)(haha I just goggled "Dawn Ostroff evil" and there were 7,010 results) I never really got around to it. But now I will start my first in an (probably) occasional series about shows you should check out on DVD (I hope to at least also get around to "Firefly" and "Freeks and Geeks"). Also, there are rumors that a "Veronica Mars" movie is in the works, so catch up now so you can go see this sure-to-be-awesome movie when it comes out.

Why You Should Watch "Veronica Mars" on DVD:

1. This show was the best thing ever on television. I am not exagerating when I say it is my favorite show of all time (and I like a lot of good shows). It has everything- drama, mystery, suspense, romance, and teen angst at its finest.

2. The characters and the relationships are incredibly interesting and complex. This show has one of the best father-daughter relationships on television. It also has two bests friends of the opposite sex who never even consider getting together, which is very rare on TV.

3. The mysteries and their conclusions will leave your head spinning. Each season has one (or two, in season three's case) overarching mystery. It is introduced in the first episode of the season, concluded in the finale, and revisted along the way in a manner that serves the arc without getting in the way of the mystery of the week.

4. The voice-overs are amazing. Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) is now the voice of "Gossip Girl," but her voice-overs here are completely different. They're emotional, often poetic, and they serve the plot without becoming a crutch.

A lot of people didn't want to watch this show because it was being promoted as "Look at that cute little blond girl solving mysteries, just like Nancy Drew!" when in fact Veroncia Mars is a badass. She doesn't take crap from anybody. She sometimes lies and cheats to get what she wants, but it always serves a better purpose. And she's incredibly funny. I quote lines from this show ("This? My over the moon face." "It's all fun and games till one of you gets my foot up your ass." "Iced tea? How very musical theatre of you.") on a daily basis. It's one of those rare shows that can leave you in hysterics one minute and in tears the next.

There's so much more to say about this fantasic show, but I'll stop now so you can go out right away and get the DVDs. Actually, you should really only get them if you have a lot of time to kill. Trust me, you're going to need it. Watch the first episode and you'll be addicted.

P.S. My dream last night? Yeah, it had Kristen Bell singing and featured a major couple on the show being together (I wrote this all out and then it occured to me that (blank) and (blank) getting together is one of the best surprises of the series and I didn't want to ruin it for anybody who hasn't seen the show yet.) It was awesome.

You Wanna Be On Top?

2008-09-04T16:56:00.002-04:00

Wow, I missed this show. I didn't even realize how much I missed it until I watched it. The "models of the future" theme was a bit much, but hey, it was campy and fun (which perfectly describes ANTM). Try as they may to be a serious modeling show promoting serious issues (like this week's voting photo shoot), it's never going to happen. So why not take the campy-ness and run with it? After the jump, a list of this season's models and my predictions on how far they'll go.

The Models of Cycyle 11 (in alphabetical order)

Analeigh- Former ice skater, barely got any screen time. Seems nice, but undramatic, which, while good in life, is not so good on Top Model. But Kat from last cycle didn't get much screen time until way later in the competition, so I wouldn't count Analeigh out just yet. I think she'll either go home in the next few weeks, or make it pretty far.

Brittany- Exotic look, had a good shoot this week. It will be interesting to see her personality come out. I don't think she'll make it abroad, but I really have no idea.

Clark- This season's bitch. She's pretty, but there's lots of room for improvement on her photo shoots. Still, she's good for some drama (plus Elina already has a crush on her). She'll be around for a while.

Elina- She has an interesting personality, and her photo this week was pretty good. It will be interesting to see what happens when she has to do "pretty" instead of "sexy." I think she'll go home around the halfway point.

Hannah- She is this year's "potential" girls- she could either be great and stay for a while, or she'll crash and burn and go home soon. She probably won't go this week or the week after, because girls with "unrealized potential" always stick around a week or two longer than they should, but it all really depends on her next two or three photoshoots. I bet she makes it to makeovers.

Isis- The transgender model that has some girls being homophobic and the rest trying their hardest to be politically correct. She really does know her modeling stuff though (she impressed Nigel by correctly answering his questions about light and camera angles), and got called out second this week. I say, baring a major meltdown, she makes it abroad. And I think there's a very good chance she'll take it all (I may be a little biased, though, because I really like her. I like how she's ok with being a role model, but she's really just there for herself- because she wants to be a model. You go Isis!)

Joslyn- I don't know. I don't really remember her. She seems to get along really well with the judges, and she took a decent photo (I think... like I said, I don't really remember her), so she'll probably make it past the next few weeks. But I don't see her going really far.

Lauren Brie- Eh. Kind of boring- she has the Anya pretty-ugly-looks-like-an-alien thing going for her (except Anya was prettier). Maybe she'll do alright if she makes it to makeovers and gets a really good cut. But I don't know. Half of her name is a cheese. I'm just saying.

Marjorie- I LOVE HER. She's this season's Heather- awkward and insecure, but takes beautiful photos. She's adorable- she reminds me of a blond Audrey Tautou in "Amélie." I say she gets really far unless her nerves get the better of her. But she really does have to get some confidence if she wants to win- otherwise the judges will kick her out on the basis that she has no "personality."

McKey- Formerly Brittany S. She has a really pretty face and took a fairly good picture (but she didn't have a good shoot overall). I think her future in the competition rests on her getting to makeovers, because the judges really don't like her red hair. If she gets a good makeover, and pulls together her posing, she'll probably make it to around the halfway point. But if next week's shoot is a disaster, I say she's going home.

Nikeysha- She kind of looks like a less-pretty Tyra. And that girl has no meat on her bones! She was in the bottom two this week because she couldn't take the critisism and kept interupting the judges. I think she's going home soon.

Samantha- Is noticably less mature than the other girls (she was a senior in high school when this was filming). She's pretty and blond, but she doesn't look like a top model. Maybe she'll do ok if she gets a good haircut.

ShaRaun- Karma's a bitch, aint it sweetie? After bad-mouthing Isis from the second she saw her and telling all the judges on their first meeting that she was America's next top model, this annoying 18-year-old went home the first week.

Sheena- I LOVE HER TOO. She has confidence, but she also is nice to and complements the other girls. She's classy and has a unique look (well, she looks like Kimora. But not many people do), and I really hope she can pull it together in photoshoots because this half-Korean, half-Japanese girl could actually make a splash in the modeling world.

Bones is a Bust

2008-09-04T16:43:00.006-04:00

It was just... bad. Stupid London jokes (seriously, who doesn't know what tea is?), a contrived Hodgins-Angela breakup (I used to love them as a couple, but when they broke up I just didn't care), and, worst of all, boring mysteries with uneventful conclusions. It would have been really cool if they had started off the season with a bang to reengage devoted viewers like myself who were put-off by the "Zach is a serial killer" twist at the end of last season. They could have caught the grave-digger or introduced a new Howard Epps-like character. But no. Stupid Booth driving on the wrong side of the road and not following traffic laws and Brennan just... being there (poor Emily Deshanael, she does the best with what is given to her, which is not much).

There were a few laughs, though. Booth's "I hate England! I'm glad there was a revolution!" got a giggle out of me (although I would have laughed harder if that line hadn't been constantly used in the promos) and Brennan's stiff voicemail message ("Technically you have not reached Temperance Brennan, but if you leave a message, it will reach her... me... Temperance Brennan.") But overall, it was a mess. I may actually DVR Top Model instead of Bones and watch Bones online the next day (I will, of course, be watching Pushing Daisies live). Gah. I MISS ZACH!

Coming Back Tonight: Bones and Top Model (!!)

2008-09-03T15:19:00.002-04:00

On TV tonight AT THE EXACT SAME TIME (and that is a problem because we don't have our DVR yet) are new episodes of Bones and Top Model. I will be watching Bones, but I'm a little bit less than excited (I'm still mad that they made my favorite character a serial killer). I might actually start watching Pushing Daisies live, DVR-ing Bones, and watching Top Model online once PD comes back (Why are three of my favorite shows all on Wednesdays at 8?), but tonight I choose Bones. They're going to London! But Top Model has an honest to goodness tranny model from PG county, MD (which is right near me). And my friends are having a Top Model party. This is too hard! (That's what she said. God, when is The Office coming back?) I'll let you know what I chose tomorrow. It will probably be Bones. But who knows?

It's A New Season!, Teen Soaps Edition, part 4- Skins

2008-09-03T14:47:00.004-04:00

Technically not a new show, but they've just started airing the first season (or series) of this Britsh show on BBC America. I have to say, I really like this show. It probably shouldn't be under the heading "teen soaps" because it is so much more than that (but I have a theme with my titles here today, and dammit, I'm sticking with it).

Skins is a show about British teenagers going to school, partying, hanging out, and generally living their lives. It has a structure that is unique in that the focus shifts every episode to a different character. Depending on whose episode it is, other characters appear, some more prominently than others. This structure really works because a) it is interesting to see all the different points of view (and the tone really does shift from episode to episode), b) it allows all of these talented young actors to be showcased, and c) it is more realistic. I always get annoyed when teenagers on TV seem to only have a few, really close friends. That's just not how life works (especially in high school, when you have some friends from sports, some friends from class, some that you've know forever and hang out with outside of school, etc., etc....)

Also, the actors are all the same age (or close to the same age) as their characters. This just makes things that much more realistic. It really seems like these characters could be people I know, people who go to my school (minus their amazing British accents, of course).

And this isn't just a wild, sex-crazy show. Last week's episode was actually very sad, focusing on Chris (an excellent Joseph Dempsie), who wakes up to find his mom gone and an envelope full of money on the counter. He initially blows all the money on a party but then has to face the fact that his mom is not come home. It's not wrapped up in a nice, happy ending, either. It's like life- hard stuff happens, you find solutions, but maybe not the ideal ones. Some are only temporary. Some will fall apart next week.

Drugs and sex are treated as everyday life on this show, not something that is out of the ordinary. No "Very Special Episodes" here. Parents may cringe a bit at that and at the language and nudity (bleeped and blurred, respectively, on BBC America), but Skins is actually a very good, very realistic show. I highly recommend it.

It's A New Season!, Teen Soaps Edition, part 3- 90210

2008-09-03T13:34:00.006-04:00

This show. Was awful. The stiff dialog (Rob Thomas of Veronica Mars wrote the original script, but then he left the show and they threw it out and re-wrote it, the fools), the over-acting, the ripping-off of every other teen soap in history. Two of the producers of one of the best teen shows ever, "Freaks and Geeks," were behind this, but I didn't see even a hint of that classic show in this one. And since I was negative two when the original show began airing, I couldn't care less about the Brenda-Kelly stuff.

So here it is: Once upon a time Bobblehead (Annie) and Adopted (Dixon) moved to Beverly Hills (90210) with Wannabe Sandy and Kirsten Cohen (their parents) to care for their elderly grandmother (Lucille Bluth 2.0). They start school with Wannabe Sandy as principal, and drama ensues with Cheater (Ethan), his 40-year-old girlfriend (Naomi), I'm Alternative Because I Changed My Name To A Color (Silver), Token Pretty Boy (Ty), Token Funny Guy (Navid), Pill Popper (Adriana), and "Hip" Teacher (Mr. I actually forget his name and IMDb is failing me). Lots of stuff happens, most of it cliche.

One of the show's biggest problems is that it expects us to feel sympathy to characters that aren't sympathetic. I remember the pilot of Veronica Mars, and how I was immediately drawn into the show. By the end of that first hour, I cared about Veronica, about her story, about her family. I wanted to know who killed Lilly, a dead character who only appeared in flash-backs. The pilot also mentioned Veronica's rape, which, by the way, was way more racy than this self-professed "racy" show was in its first two episodes. There was emotional weight, and I cared. But for these characters, even the ones I liked, I couldn't bother to even feel sorry for them when things went wrong. I just didn't care.

And the writing was horrendous. The dialog sounded like 50-year-old white dudes in a writer's room attempting to be "hip" and "current." The cultural references were just too in-your-face. On one of the better shows about teens on TV today, "Skins," the writers are a mix of young, 20-somethings, and older, more experienced writers. So they get the structure right but also the story-lines and dialog. 90210 could take a cue from them.

Here's the thing, though: It wasn't all bad. I liked Navid- I thought he had some good lines, and the notion that he his dad has two rules: no porn until he's 21 (his dad produces porn) and that they always eat dinner together was something that has potential to be explored later. Dixon didn't always have good dialog, but the actor was good. He was about ten times more subtle than the rest of the cast, and had a natural charm that the rest of these beautiful people lacked. Silver's story about how she and Naomi used to be best friends but then Silver found out that her dad was sleeping with Naomi's mom and she told Naomi and Naomi told everyone (I know this is a run-on sentence, but it is just too preposterous to bother breaking down into proper sentence structure) made me have "Mean Girls" flashbacks (although the Mean Girls story (Regina told everyone Janice was a lesbian, Janice wasn't, but the teasing had lasting effects) actually made sense. Why would Naomi tell people if her mom was having an affair? Wouldn't she be embarrassed too?), but I think I'm going to like Silver. My favorite character, of course, was Lucille 2.0. She had the best lines, and I was able to pretend (if only for a second), that I was watching "Arrested Development" instead of this crap.

But I think my real problem with this show, the deal-breaker, the reason why I will not be watching, is that I can't stand the main character. Annie "Bobblehead" Wilson is so annoyingly perky, so unfailing happy (except for when she's overreacting to something that has nothing to do with her) that I just want to strangle her. Shenae Grimes has only two faces: on Prozac or something is stuck up my butt. I don't think she understands that when a character is "happy," it does not mean that they have to be perky and smile ALL THE TIME. Also, she has ugly-girl pretty hair and is a stick. Ugly-girl pretty hair is what happens when a girl is cute, but not a beauty (see: Ashley Tisdale). So she gets a really pretty hair-do that looks like it take forever to style, in hopes that it will bump her up to "babe" status. Nice try, honey. Also, when I say she is a stick, I mean she has no meat on her bones. And not in the "I'm naturally skinny" way. She is so skinny that her head (and her hair) is way too big for her body (thus, "Bobblehead").

A few more complaints/observations:
-When a couple that is "meant" to be together just misses getting together in the pilot, we know they will get together in the end and be together 4 EVA. Too bad Bobblehead and Cheater have zero chemistry. And that octopus? It's like Summer's poem in "The O.C." Copycats.
-The "Will you tell Dad?" question is just ridiculous. OF COURSE SHE'S GOING TO TELL DAD. If I ever jumped on a plane to go to a restaurant an hour away with a guy I had just met ON A SCHOOL NIGHT, you had better believe that both parents would find out.
-Also, the punishments that Bobblehead and Adopted got were not harsh at all. They sounded like my normal life. Ok, that's exaggerating. But only a little bit.
-Brothers and sisters on TV always have more physical contact that brothers and sisters do in real life. I have a younger brother. We're pretty close. But under no circumstance would I ever hold his hand as he had his arm around me. Just the arms around each other, yeah that's ok. But also holding hands? Ick. They actually seem to have chemistry, which is good, but I hope it doesn't lead to any inadvertently squicky moments.
-One last thing: If I lived in Kansas, I would be pissed. They made it seem like Amish country- full of morals, severely lacking in fun and parties.

It's A New Season!, Teen Soaps Edition, part 2- One Tree Hill

2008-09-03T13:19:00.002-04:00

I watched this show occasionally last year. They had jumped forward 4 years in time (which was a smart move- it enabled the show to bypass college and it put the characters at the same age as the actors), and the show felt fresh. There were new, grown-up problems and interesting antagonists. It still was an unrealistic melodrama, but it wasn't a bad unrealistic melodrama. But I don't think I will ever watch the show again after Monday night.

They brought back problems they should have been done with and they set up crazy situations that will no doubt play out in a highly contrived and over-the-top manner.

Other complaints:
-Weren't the lyrics in the song that Nathan and Haley's son was dancing to a bit inappropriate for a five year old?
-Speaking of which, shouldn't that kid be in school?
-I honestly did not give a crap who Lucas picked to go to Vegas. We knew it wouldn't be Brooke, and it probably wasn't going to be Lindsay. Which leaves Peyton. That's ok. Those two are so annoying that they deserve each other.
-I knew they weren't going to go through with the wedding in Vegas. No one on TV ever does (except for Ross and Rachel, but they were drunk and that wasn't their original plan. And then they get divorced, Ross's third. I love that show. Not for that story line, just in general.) They're about to, and then they realize that they want to get married in front of their friends and family; they want it to be special. Which sets up a whole season of planning a wedding. Wow, haven't ever seen this storyline on TV before.
-Why do these people always call each other by their full names when they're having heart-to-hearts? "I love you Brooke Davis." "I'm going to miss you Marvin McFaden." NO ONE IN REAL LIFE DOES THAT.
-On the other hand, no one in real life gets hit by a car just as their transplant pager beeps, then gets dragged to a house disguised as a hospital room by an evil ex-nannie who wants help kidnapping the person's grandson. So maybe I shouldn't be complaining about the use of full names.

It's A New Season!, Teen Soaps Edition, part 1- Gossip Girl

2008-09-03T13:03:00.005-04:00

I watched the first few episodes of Gossip Girl last fall when I was suffering from Veronica Mars withdrawal and wasn't impressed. So when I tuned in Monday to the season 2 premier, I wasn't expecting much. But I was pleassently surprised that this show has gotten a lot better. Not that it's quality television or anything, just that it doesn't, you know, suck.

I think this is because when I was watching last year, all the focus was on whiny Serena and whiny Dan and their non-chemistry filled relationship. But now the writers have wised up and made the focus bitchy Blair and smarmy Chuck. It's like how on "The O.C.," everyone liked Ryan and Marissa at first, but once Seth and Summer came into the picture, they became everyone's favorite couple. Blair and Chuck's "relationship" (I put that in quotes because they are not actually in a romantic relationship. For the time being.) has sparks, it had chemistry, it has delicious tension and real conflict. In real life I would hate those two, but they're so much fun to watch on TV. It makes me wonder why Blake Lively is still the face of the show, when Leighton Meester is better looking (long, blond hair doesn't always make you the prettiest girl in the room) and a much better actor. There was also some stuff with Jenny, who is also boring but has a pretty new haircut, Eric, who forgave Jenny for something and did her a favor even though she didn't apologize (??? Remember I missed the end of last season, so I don't know what's going on there), and Serena's grandma, who is nice all of a sudden.

I probably won't watch Gossip Girl much during the season (I'll be watching How I Met Your Mother and DVR-ing Chuck), but it's nice to know that this show actually deserves some of its buzz.

OLYMPICS

2008-08-16T12:55:00.006-04:00

So I know I promised that I would write about So You Think You Can Dance, but that was over a week and a half ago, and it wasn't that interesting. Joshua won. Whatever. More interesting are the Olympics. I've been staying up late every night watching sports that I only watch (or care about) every four years. Swimming, gymnastics, beach volleyball. I even watched some field hockey online (and let me tell you, it looks a lot prettier than when we play field hockey (and by we I mean my team). Also they have nice turf surfaces while we play on bumpy fields with holes that fill up with water every time it rains.) Anyways. I've completely lost my train of thought becuase I suspect my blood pressure is all wacky and I am very dehydrated, but I hadn't posted in a while and I felt like explaining what I've been up to.

So, recap:

Olympics = awesome.

Chinese gymnasts- so not 16. More like 12.

The fact that they replaced a girl who was not deemed pretty enough for the opening ceremonies with a girl who was, despite still using the first girl's voice is going to permanently damage the "ugly" girl's self esteem. Come on, she's seven. All seven year olds are cute, even the ones who will grow up to be ugly. And even if she wasn't, so what? She has an amazing voice.

Oh, also, new scandal- the kids China's ethnic groups were actors, and mostly part of the Han ethnic group, the majority in China. That's no good...

And the whole fireworks thing (They weren't real! No, they were! Well, not all of them...) But all the stuff with the kids is worse. They're kids!

Micheal Phleps is amazing. He won that race last night by 0.01 of a second. That's insane. INSANE. He swims his last race (a relay) tonight.

Team USA, women's gymnastics- sad that they didn't win gold. Alicia Sacramone must feel so bad. At least the US was 1-2 in the all-around. Speaking of which, I hadn't even heard of Nastia Luikin (who was in "Stick It," I just found out. How cool is that?) before a week ago. But Shawn Johnson has been staring at me every morning from the back of my milk carton. She was set up to be America's next sweetheart, a tiny ball of pure energy. But Nastia Luikin won, and I can't say I'm disappointed. I mean, did you see her bars routine? It's fantastic.

It's so cool watching these incredible athletes do amazing things with their bodies. Too bad Bejing is 12 hours behind, though- this is seriously messing with my sleep.

Results!

2008-08-01T13:07:00.004-04:00

So I'm going on vacation for a week in like five minutes, but in case you were wondering, Mark and Chelsie are gone. No surprise there. My prediction (as of right now, since I won't be writing until it's over) is that Twitch will win, but Katee or Joshua might also pull it off. Sorry Courtney, there's just no way.

When I get back, I'll discuss the finale of So You Think You Can Dance (Dance...Dance...Dance)

P.S. Wasn't Lady Gaga scary? And yet I couldn't look away. I was transfixed. But it was so weird! Although one of her back-up dancers was wearing a Cubs jersey, so props for that.

Dance!

2008-07-31T17:13:00.004-04:00

Last night's SYTYCD was actually pretty boring. Just, you know, putting that out there. So if I sound less than excited in recapping this, you'll know why.

Mark and Courtney. Dance a waltz. To David Cook's corny American Idol victory song, "Time of My Life." Snore. Wow, what is Mary wearing? My eyes, my eyes! And OMG is that Paula? It is! What is she doing here? She looks kind of drunk. Then again, she always does. Sorry, what was I saying? Right, dance. Chelsie solos to the Pussycat Dolls. It's not really dancing so much as shaking here butt and flipping her hair while wearing a slutty dress.

When we get back from the break, Twitch does his solo. He wears his signature glasses and some gross fake teeth. Not really sure the appeal of those, but Cat asks to try them on, "spit and all." Cat, I kind of love you. You are the only reason to watch this show, now that Will's gone. Katee and Joshua are back together! For a Tyce contemporary routine to Céline Dion's "All By Myself." The song: gag. The routine: kind of cool. At one point, Katee leaps up and Joshua catches her with her legs in a split. During the judges' comments, Paula kisses Tyce (a story is told about guest judge Adam and Tyce and dancing and Paula and I'm sorry I just fell asleep again). Tyce looks less than enthusiastic at being kissed by a shrively old lady. Adam says, "THAT WAS AWESOME" in a way that you can just tell it's going to be used as a clip in the commercials for next week.

Commercials. Ooh Pineapple Express! It's Daniel Desario and Ken Miller! Sorry, James Franco and Seth Rogen. And I know I'm not the only one who's had M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" stuck in my head all day. Now that would be a cool song for a routine.

Chelsie and Twitch do a mambo. I'm back to disliking Chelsie. Oh and you know what bothers me? The judges were praising Twitch for doing a mambo, saying, "You shouldn't be able to do that! It's not your style!" But the whole point of this show is being able to perform all different styles of dance. And just a few weeks ago, the judges got mad at someone (Comfort, I think) because they tried to use the "This isn't my style of dance" as an excuse. Bah. But Twitch is the golden boy, I guess. He can do no wrong. Then Katee does an unimpressive solo, and we go to commercials.

Back from the break, Joshua dances the best solo of the night. Then Mark and Courtney keep the ball rolling with a hott (with two t's) jazz routine. Cool music, cool lights.

After more commercials (animated Star Wars? The eff?), Katee and Joshua dance a much better paso doble than Kherrington and Twitch did a few weeks ago-- it's intense-- although I think the judges over-hype it just a bit. Mary starts her signature fake-out and I turn my volume all the way down as she screams. Courtney solos-- why do all the girls' solos look the same?

Mark's solo is strange, but I'm more distracted by his shirt. It's armpit holes are ridiculously large. And then he takes it off, exposing his skinny little body. Sorry Mark, but you're no Will. Twitch and Chelsie close the night with a Tabbitha and Napoleon routine that is suspiciously similar to Twitch's awesome solo a few weeks back. It's an interesting routine, but I wonder if Twitch is secretly mad that they totally copied his concept.

Tonight: Eliminations!

I have no idea who it will be, but I'm rooting for Chelsie to go home.

In case you were wondering...

2008-07-27T21:52:00.002-04:00

I've been spending a lot of my free time recently watching "The X-Files" on DVD (I haven't seen the new movie yet. I saw "The Dark Knight" with my cousin on Friday instead. P.S. That movie is overrated. I mean, it was good, and Heath Ledger's performance is worth the 10 bucks all by itself, but really, "Spiderman" was better.) Where was I? Right, "The X-Files." I felt like such a geek when I first started watching, but it's just so addicting. Not to mention well-acted and well-written (in the first four or five seasons, at least). Anyway, seasons one through three are now available on iTunes. Most fans consider seasons three and four to be the highlight of the show's nine-year run, and I highly recommend season three's "Jose Chung's "From Outer Space"" if you're tuning in for the first time.

In other news, Cubbies, you're killing me. Please don't blow your first place spot.

I know, I know...

2008-07-27T21:27:00.004-04:00

I fully intended to write about SYTYCD this past week week (I even took notes, for the first time ever), but then I got really tired and then yesterday I went to pick up my brother at camp and basically this long run-on sentence is to say sorry, I should have posted this sooner.

Since this is so late, I won't do a full recap, just a (very, very) brief summary.

On Wednesday, people danced. Some were good, others were bad. On Thursday, a toga-clad Cat told Comfort (again) and Will (NOOOOOOOO) that they were going home. I guess this means for sure that Twitch will win. Bah. I'm going to pull for Mark, just to be difficult. Also, I like Mark. Also, I am really mad about Will.

Ok, I swear I will start making an effort to post more frequently. Especially since my parents keep telling their friends, co-workers, and random hobos on the street about this blog. Parents: Please don't. Until we get cable (which is now a distinct possibility-- *does victory dance*), there's really not a whole lot to write about in the summer. Plus, SYTYCD is so much less fun to mock than American Idol. For one thing, there are no contestants that I really dislike. I could hate on the judges every week, but that gets old (there are only so many ways to say "Nigel is a perv" and "MARY MURPHY PLEASE LOWER YOUR VOICE FIFTY DECIBELS THANK YOU").