TV Update
My little bits of knitting progress really aren't photo-worthy at this point, so I'm going to do my semi-regular tv show update. I usually post about the new shows that come out every now and again and since the fall sweeps are over, I thought now would be the perfect time. It's also a time of transition for me because As of yesterday, I can no longer get the east and west coast network feeds on the dish. If two shows I like were on at the same time, I could watch one on the east coast feed and then three hours later, watch the other on the west coast feed. But, the cable companies sued the dish companies claiming that offering this was an unfair advantage and won, so the dish companies can no longer offer anything except the local network feed. So, now I'm either going to have to cut way back on what I watch, which is what I should probably do, or watch one show and tape the other, if I'm home. It'll be interesting to see how my lifestyle changes with this. Maybe I'll go to bed a little easier since I won't be watching the west coast feed of CSI: Miami or New York or Without a Trace until 1:00 a.m. anymore. Anyway, on to the new fall shows.
This year it seems that the networks are giving their shows a little more time to build an audience than they did the last couple of years. I hear there are a lot of shows "on the bubble", but they probably would have been cancelled by now last year. Some shows have been cancelled, but most of them I didn't care for anyway. Here's what I do like:
Mondays:
This is sort of a guilty pleasure, but I sort of like "The Class". I'm not sure what it is about it that I like. I'm drawn to the characters and I like the couple different love stories going on. I don't watch that many sitcoms, in fact this is the only one I watch other than My Name is Earl and The Office which are both much superior shows. I think this one is on the brink of cancellation.
NBC's new block of Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is probably my favorite. I love Heroes. Adrian Pasdar has been one of my favorite actors ever since the too quickly cancelled "Profit", so I'm excited to see him on a good show - and with a very complex character. I love the special powers and the people who have them. I love the intrigue surrounding why these people have powers, how they're going to save the world, and why someone is killing them. I can't wait to see that show every week.
I know not everyone is on the Studio 60 bandwagon, but I really do like this show. Yes, I agree that the show within a show isn't very funny, which makes the concept of this being a big smash hit sort of unbelievable. But I love the dialog and I absolutely love Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford. I love D.L. Hughley too. I like Amanda Peet and Steven Weber more as the series has gone on - they've rounded out both of their characters more. Yes, I think Sarah Paulson is annoying, but I've thought she was annoying in other shows she's been on too, almost all of which were cancelled right away - maybe she's a show killer. I was riveted to the recent two-parter with John Goodman as a local judge. This one is in jeopardy also, but it has a good demo for the advertisers.
Tuesday:
The only new show on this night that I'm liking is Standoff. The stories are pretty routine, but I love watching Rosemarie Dewitt and Ron Livingston. They just light up the screen.
Wedneday:
I'm still watching Jericho. This one is kind of borderline for me and if it gets cancelled I won't be too sad. I started watching because Skeet Ulrich is a poor woman's Johnny Depp. I love his parents played by Pamela Reed and Gerald McRaney - two great veteran actors. I'm intrigued by the whole idea of what would happen if there was a massive attack against the U.S. And I'm interested in the mystery of why these attacks happened, who is behind them and what role the new guy in town has.
Thursday:
Men in Trees. I didn't like it at first, but I have to admit it grew on me. Anne Heche is one of the most annoying people in the world, but I like this show enough to put up with her. She's getting a little less screetchy as she gets more comfortable in Alaska. It's got the sort of quirky little town in Alaska feel of Northern Exposure that I like. And, let's face it, I like watching McTreemy, as they're calling him now that he's on after Grey's Anatomy. I think that was a great move. Once that move was made, I stopped watching Shark, which I sort of liked, but not all that much.
Friday:
This show has been moved all over the place, but it's on Fridays now - "Justice". This is another one of those shows that I like, but am not sure about. I watch it mainly for the actors: Victor Garber from Alias, Kerr Smith who used to be on As The World Turns when I watched it and Eamonn Walker from Oz, one of my all time favorite shows. There's also a woman lawyer but I don't particularly like that actress. The stories are pretty typical and predictable, but I love watching these actors. And I do sort of like the way they show "what really happened" in the cases at the very end. Legal dramas, I guess I like them.
There's nothing on that I watch at all - new or old - on Saturday nights.
Sunday:
Brothers and Sisters. Calista Flockhart is another actress that I don't particularly like watching. But I've really grown fond of this family drama. I like the way the family interacts and all of the other actors. Although Balthazar Getty (who has a FANTASTIC first name!) is a little heavy-handed in his role. I like the politics that is in the background. I LOVED that Rob Lowe guest starred and would love to see him become a regular.
So, that's it for the fall season. 7 of the series have stuck with me through November. They're prety much all in jeopardy of cancellation except Heroes and I think Brothers and Sisters is doing ok. If you're going to try just one, I'd say go for Heroes.
I think it's obvious from this what I look for in a tv show - I like familiar actors who I've watched on other shows. I like dramas. And I like serial dramas better than standalone episodic shows, although I do watch the Law & Orders and CSIs of the world too.
One other show that I really like but that has been pulled from the schedule and is thus probably cancelled is "The Nine". I'll be sad to never find out what all did happen during that bank robbery.
This year it seems that the networks are giving their shows a little more time to build an audience than they did the last couple of years. I hear there are a lot of shows "on the bubble", but they probably would have been cancelled by now last year. Some shows have been cancelled, but most of them I didn't care for anyway. Here's what I do like:
Mondays:
This is sort of a guilty pleasure, but I sort of like "The Class". I'm not sure what it is about it that I like. I'm drawn to the characters and I like the couple different love stories going on. I don't watch that many sitcoms, in fact this is the only one I watch other than My Name is Earl and The Office which are both much superior shows. I think this one is on the brink of cancellation.
NBC's new block of Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is probably my favorite. I love Heroes. Adrian Pasdar has been one of my favorite actors ever since the too quickly cancelled "Profit", so I'm excited to see him on a good show - and with a very complex character. I love the special powers and the people who have them. I love the intrigue surrounding why these people have powers, how they're going to save the world, and why someone is killing them. I can't wait to see that show every week.
I know not everyone is on the Studio 60 bandwagon, but I really do like this show. Yes, I agree that the show within a show isn't very funny, which makes the concept of this being a big smash hit sort of unbelievable. But I love the dialog and I absolutely love Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford. I love D.L. Hughley too. I like Amanda Peet and Steven Weber more as the series has gone on - they've rounded out both of their characters more. Yes, I think Sarah Paulson is annoying, but I've thought she was annoying in other shows she's been on too, almost all of which were cancelled right away - maybe she's a show killer. I was riveted to the recent two-parter with John Goodman as a local judge. This one is in jeopardy also, but it has a good demo for the advertisers.
Tuesday:
The only new show on this night that I'm liking is Standoff. The stories are pretty routine, but I love watching Rosemarie Dewitt and Ron Livingston. They just light up the screen.
Wedneday:
I'm still watching Jericho. This one is kind of borderline for me and if it gets cancelled I won't be too sad. I started watching because Skeet Ulrich is a poor woman's Johnny Depp. I love his parents played by Pamela Reed and Gerald McRaney - two great veteran actors. I'm intrigued by the whole idea of what would happen if there was a massive attack against the U.S. And I'm interested in the mystery of why these attacks happened, who is behind them and what role the new guy in town has.
Thursday:
Men in Trees. I didn't like it at first, but I have to admit it grew on me. Anne Heche is one of the most annoying people in the world, but I like this show enough to put up with her. She's getting a little less screetchy as she gets more comfortable in Alaska. It's got the sort of quirky little town in Alaska feel of Northern Exposure that I like. And, let's face it, I like watching McTreemy, as they're calling him now that he's on after Grey's Anatomy. I think that was a great move. Once that move was made, I stopped watching Shark, which I sort of liked, but not all that much.
Friday:
This show has been moved all over the place, but it's on Fridays now - "Justice". This is another one of those shows that I like, but am not sure about. I watch it mainly for the actors: Victor Garber from Alias, Kerr Smith who used to be on As The World Turns when I watched it and Eamonn Walker from Oz, one of my all time favorite shows. There's also a woman lawyer but I don't particularly like that actress. The stories are pretty typical and predictable, but I love watching these actors. And I do sort of like the way they show "what really happened" in the cases at the very end. Legal dramas, I guess I like them.
There's nothing on that I watch at all - new or old - on Saturday nights.
Sunday:
Brothers and Sisters. Calista Flockhart is another actress that I don't particularly like watching. But I've really grown fond of this family drama. I like the way the family interacts and all of the other actors. Although Balthazar Getty (who has a FANTASTIC first name!) is a little heavy-handed in his role. I like the politics that is in the background. I LOVED that Rob Lowe guest starred and would love to see him become a regular.
So, that's it for the fall season. 7 of the series have stuck with me through November. They're prety much all in jeopardy of cancellation except Heroes and I think Brothers and Sisters is doing ok. If you're going to try just one, I'd say go for Heroes.
I think it's obvious from this what I look for in a tv show - I like familiar actors who I've watched on other shows. I like dramas. And I like serial dramas better than standalone episodic shows, although I do watch the Law & Orders and CSIs of the world too.
One other show that I really like but that has been pulled from the schedule and is thus probably cancelled is "The Nine". I'll be sad to never find out what all did happen during that bank robbery.
rdladd@arnan.com
