Category: TV (Page 1 of 2)

I‘ve read a bunch of articles about LOST, but The Verge posted a great one about how with all its flaws and craziness, the thing that keeps you watching is the characters and their relationships.  I’ll buy that.

Maybe a binge of LOST is in order….

Also, what are your thoughts on the show?

You may have read my Fall TV Picks and I’ll confess, I haven’t stuck with everything.  Also, not everything is still on.

Mondays:  Terra Nova’s first season is done.  House got old again (also, I heard that it is ending).  I guess I’m not really into procedurals as much.  I really don’t watch any Monday shows at this time.

Tuesdays:  I’m still watching Parenthood with my wife.  It is a good family show and since we will be parents in less than a month, we very much enjoy it.

Wednesdays: Psych has been on its break but will return soon.  Looking forward to it!

Thursdays: The Office is quite good.  It is definitely more of an ensemble show now that Steve Carell is gone, but I still think it is hilarious, but in a different way.  Community is on an indefinite break.  I’m not sure why because it was finally getting good.  This season started off a little stale, but it was picking up steam, especially with the alternate timeline episode.  I also watch Grey’s Anatomy with my wife.

Fridays: Chuck has ended (sad) but I actually watched all of the episodes of it, starting at season 1.  I used the wonderful Couchtuner.com and now my lovely wife got me season 1 on DVD.  This is an excellent show that is definitely underrated.  Fringe is amazing. Probably my favorite show on TV right now.  I look forward to watching this one every week.

Saturdays:  I started watching The Firm and then it got moved to Saturday nights to die.  I’ll watch it until the end.  This is very well-acted and well-written show, but the late 10 Eastern/9 Central on Thursday on NBC was kind of hidden.  I want it to survive, but I don’t think it will.  I just hope they give some closure when it does officially die.

Other:  I watched the Pilot for the new show Awake (starring Jason Isaacs a.k.a. Lucius Malfoy) on Hulu.  The concept is really fascinating and the acting and presentation is very good.  I really think this one can do well.  I hope so…NBC doesn’t have much going for it ratings-wise.

What TV are you watching?

Yes, I know I’m late.  But when your sitting around this week with nothing to do (or staring into space at work because everyone else is on vacation), you really could be watching some of these entertaining, Christmas-themed TV episodes (in no particular order):

“A Very Topanga Christmas” – Boy Meets World

Topanga spends Christmas with the Matthews family and forces her family’s traditions on them.  It drives everybody (especially Cory) crazy.  He dozes off after fleeing the scene to Shawn’s and is awakened by Mr. Feeny as the Ghost of Christmas Future.

“Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” – Community

Abed sees everything in stop motion animation and they travel around a Christmas planet in search of the true meaning of Christmas.

“Gus’s Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy” – Psych

Shawn stays by Gus’s parents’ house at Christmas, trying to get with Gus’s sister in secret.  Meanwhile, Gus’s dad is the lead suspect in the murder of a neighbor and Shawn has to prove him innocent.

“The Polarizing Express” – Psych

Shawn travels around seeing what life would be like if he wasn’t there.  At first he’s being delusional and sees everyone as being really messed up without him (Sitcom Gus, his dad a fat mess, etc.) but then he sees the light.

“Christmas Party” – The Office

This first of many Christmas-themed episodes of The Office has Michael upset that he was getting a knitted oven mitt from Phyllis (he bought an iPod for Ryan) and he turns it into “Yankee Swap”.  Meanwhile Jim had a special gift for Pam that Dwight eventually gets.  It is a classic mess.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It is fall. Here in Wisconsin the leaves are changing colors and the weather isn’t as hot. The new season of TV has also begun or will begin soon. Here are the shows I’m watching this fall:

Monday: Terra Nova, House (Both FOX)

Terra Nova is a new FOX show produced by Steven Spielberg about a family from the 2100s traveling back to prehistoric dinosaur time. Their future world is polluted and dying and they want to be part of a new civilization in the past. Don’t worry, they do a good job with the time travel explanation (it is a different branch of time). My only problem with the show is that it is set “85 million years back” and I don’t believe the world is that old. I can get past that one thing and it is a highly interesting show. There are mystery elements similar to LOST, there are dinosaurs, and there is Stephen Lang, who does an awesome job in this show.

I also caught the first episode of House this season and I’m impressed. I used to watch but it was getting monotonous. Same plot, different disease, but now with House in jail and the new characters, I see a lot of potential for a great season.

Tuesday: Parenthood (NBC)

My parents actually got me into this show, which is really family oriented and down to earth. The problems are realistic and the endings aren’t always perfect. Great cast, great story, great show.

Wednesday: Psych (premieres 10-12-11 on USA, also available on Hulu.com)

Psych is a smart comedy detective show about a fake psychic and his buddy. Because of the thousands of pop-culture references, humor, and impressive cases, I’m hooked. The older seasons are also available on Netflix and Hulu Plus.

Thursday: Community, The Office (Both NBC)

This is Community’s third season and I’ll admit, it is starting with some weak episodes. I loved the first two seasons, so I still have hope. Definitely worth the watch.
[UPDATE] Episode #4 (Remedial Chaos Theory) Is AMAZING. Multiple timelines. Really funny. Well done. I think they are back on the right track.

The Office started its 8th season, the first without Michael Scott (Steve Carell). James Spader’s “Robert California” is awesome and I think Andy (Ed Helms) is starting to fit as the new boss. It’s not the same show, but the ensemble cast is taking it up a notch and it is still quite funny.

Friday: Fringe (FOX)

Arguably the best show on TV right now, Fringe is a sci-fi drama with the appropriate balance of weirdness, mystery, and relationships. Extremely well-written and acted, definitely worth a watch. John Noble’s “Walter Bishop” is amazing (and so is Walternate).

What are you watching?

Tonight officially marked the end of a wonderful saga. Tonight was Michael Scott’s last day at Dunder Mifflin and also Steve Carell’s last day on The Office. I will certainly miss him. I will miss his genuine nature and his ignorance. I will miss Ping, Prison Mike, and his other characters. I will miss his sense of humor. The Office will still be good, but it will never be the same.

If you haven’t watched the “Goodbye, Michael” episode of The Office, check it out on Hulu (or right here:)

Also, you should check out TV|Line‘s top Michael Scott Moments:
http://www.tvline.com/2011/04/office-memorable-michael-scott-moments-day-1/
http://www.tvline.com/2011/04/office-memorable-michael-scott-moments-day-2/
http://www.tvline.com/2011/04/office-memorable-michael-moments-day-3/
http://www.tvline.com/2011/04/the-office-memorable-michael-moments-day-4/