TV Musings

Hello Blog-o-shpere,

I would like to talk about my favorite television shows of the season. This is a wierd topic given the fact that there is a writers strike on right now and that new episodes are slowly grinding to a stop. Here are my top five programs.

1. I cannot think of a television show that is so likeable that I can put it here on the top of this list. I guess that this is therefore a top four list, but I would like to retain the top spot for some future day when I find that special TV show that I can really connect with on a deep level.

2. 30 Rock -- The thing I like most about this show is that there lots of inside jokes that reward viewers. "Ed Garkle in accounting doesn't even need that wheelchair." Is a throw-away line to the un-schooled, but to the astute viewer it means that Floyd could have gotten the job. And, any program that can coin a phrase like, "I've got something on my mind grapes" really gets it.

3. Pushing Daisies -- This show is amazing. I think I need to move it to number one, but I am going to wait until I know that it will be around longer than one season. I've been burned before, I'm looking at you Studio 60.

The facts are these. The writing is tragic, comic, satirical, fairytale-esque, real and surreal all at once. The premise alone causes a double take. Ned can wake up the dead by touching them, if he touches them again they die (again), this time for good. If he doesn't "re-kill" them within 60 seconds someone else within close proximity dies. A Private Investigator learns of his ability and employs him to help him solve murders for reward money. One of the murders they solve involves Ned's childhood sweetheart. He wakes her and let's her live, much to the chagrin of the Funeral Home director, and they fall in love. Only there is one problem, they can never touch. Throw in the resurected dog Digby, the pining-for-Ned former horse jockey Olive Snook (played by Kristen Chenowith), and a Lemony Snicket-like narrator, you end up with an extremely odd but amazingly fun program.

4. The Office -- I love this show for Dwight Shrute. The episode in which he becomes concussed is, to me, among the funniest things to ever play on TV even eclipsing the Bibibabka episode of Perfect Strangers. I am not a huge fan of Ricky Gervias' "comedy of embarassment," thus the #4 ranking. But, I enjoy all of the ensemble characters. And, call me lame, but I absolutely love the Jim and Pam relationship. I especially like that the writers are alowing them to date this season. I would hope that the two of them will be a couple for the rest of the run of the show. It makes sence to let people who like each other fall in love and then stay together, I'm looking at you Dawson's Creek and Friends.


5. Heroes -- I like Hiro. I like Matt. I like Peter Petrelli's powers.



Least Favorite Show That I Watch All the Time Anyway. Grey's Anatomy -- I do not like Meredith or Izzy or George or Yang or Kirev (you know the group that the show is supposed to revolve around) I do like pretty much all of the secondary characters particularly Miranda and Lexi and Sloan. One of my favorite things about the show is that there is a doctor named Mark Sloan, which just so happens to be the name of Dick Van Dyke's character on Diagnosis Murder. Plagarism or coincidence, you decide.


Favorite Show That I Never Watch. Smallville -- Some day I will rent and watch each season in order, but that day is not now.


Old stand-bys that I often will tune into.

Letterman -- Love him and I firmly believe that Jay Leno is an unfunny hack comic, the fact that he gets better ratings tells me that this country's comedic tastes suck.


SNL -- Andy Sandburg's digital shorts make this show hillarious. Kristen Wiig is a standout as well. One question though, Keenan Thompson from All That and Keenan and Kell? Is this some kind of joke? I guess that was actually two questions, one that established who I was asking about and a second one to disparage him. I could have just as easily, actually more easily (judging by how long this is taking to explain) have said, I don't like Keenan.


Honorable Mention. Ghost Whisperer -- I am not sure why I like this show. But whenever Friday rolls around I get all perked up to see what kind of scarey fare will be laid out on the screen. The wierd thing is that I don't usually like this genre. I think that it might just be that the premise is so unrealistic in an, "I see dead people sort of way," that it has taken on some kitch value to me.
It's wierd to me that Jay Mohr (the baddie on Jerry McGwire, SNL alum, among other things) who used to be a really sarcastic comic, is now on the show and is sort of a love interest for the Jen Hewitt charachter who is happily married. AND, Cameron Manheim is kind of slumming on this show. Her considerable acting talents don't fit, in fact I am kind of convinced that she is a little embarassed. Yet, JLH commits totally to her character and the writers seem to really believe as well. I love it.


Other Honorable Mentions that I will not elaborate so much upon.

Lost -- I love Kate, Jack, Locke, the new Girl from season 3, Hugo, and the fact that they don't mind killing off main characters. Especially, ones who drink and drive.

24 -- Jack Bauer. I also like the duplisidous president from a two seasons ago. You know the one, he looks like Mike Huckabee. Yeah, that guy. What a jerk he was.

Favorite Recently Cancelled Shows.

Everwood -- Really great characters, great writing, great acting. This show knew how to recreate teenage angst unlike anything else on T.V. A quality production all the way around.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip -- I really liked this show for all the reasons that everyone else hated it.