TV meme.
I'm stealing this from amanda_mary. I think most of you should do it, as well. At least those of you who like television. bee_york, I'm lookin' you square in the eyes.
I wasn't always so, but today I am absolutely unrepentant in my love of television. I don't care what anyone else says, I think it's a pretty fantastic medium. I often don't have the attention span for movies, and I love having characters develop over a much longer period of time than they allow for. Moving to FSJ and then to Whitehorse has only intensified my love affair with TV. This winter when I'm living in Riverdale with my PVR, you better believe I'll spend an unholy number of nights bundled up with Hiedi on the couch, living vicariously through Tony Soprano, Liz Lemon and Sheldon Cooper, to name just a few. (And also Jon Stewart and Daniel Alfredsson, but those are another story.)
Anyway, I'm taking another hint from amanda_mary here and I'm not going to try to hold myself to doing one of these per day, every day. Instead I'll do a few of them here and there.
Day 1: A show that never should have been cancelled
Day 2: A show you wish more people were watching
Day 3: Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 4: Your favorite show ever
Day 5: A show you hate
Day 6: Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 7: Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 8: A show everyone should watch
Day 9: Best scene ever
Day 10: A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11: A show that disappointed you
Day 12: An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13: Favorite childhood show
Day 14: Favorite male character
Day 15: Favorite female character
Day 16: Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17: Favorite mini series
Day 18: Favorite title sequence
Day 19: Best TV show cast
Day 20: Favorite kiss
Day 21: Favorite 'ship
Day 22: Favorite series finale
Day 23: Most annoying character
Day 24: Best quote
Day 25: A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26: OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27: Best pilot episode
Day 28: First TV show obsession
Day 29: Current TV show obsession
Day 30: Saddest character death
***
A show that never should have been cancelled
Well, the typical answer here would be Arrested Development, wouldn't it? Brilliant performances, brilliant writing, inspired casting on the bit parts and guest stars... I mostly watched in reruns on CBC around midnight one winter, but the two ladies I live with now together have all three seasons on DVD, so I've rewatched most of it again since then, and it holds up. But... and I know haters are gonna hate...
If you've been reading me for any length of time at all, you knew that was coming. I hate hate hate that the original series is done while that garbage with Jeff Goldblum continues. And I hate hate hate the acclaim that Mariska Hargitay gets for her work on SVU (of which new episodes are seriously so bad that they're laugh out loud funny - see any of the ones with the Sharon Stone arc at the end of last season), while S. Epatha Merkerson's work on the original pretty much went unnoticed for the entire run. That lady can act.
I've already done my "all-star" L&O cast in another post back in the spring, so this time, I'll say that I think the show was at its very peak in season 6: Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, S. Epatha, Jill Hennessey, Sam Waterston and Steven Hill. (And if J.K. Simmons was the psych that season, so much the better.) It cratered during the Fred Thompson years, but it was doing good things again this past season. Cyrus and Lupo were fun to watch as the detectives, and the Brit, Linus Roache's Michael Cutter character was a worthy successor to Stone and McCoy.
It hurts my heart still that it's over.
***
A show you wish more people were watching
This show is probably going to get its ass kicked by the (also very funny) Big Bang Theory this fall, but if you're not watching Community and you fancy yourself pop culture savvy, y'oughta start. It's a little like Arrested Development or 30 Rock in that the jokes come fast and furious - you've barely processed one when the next will hit you. One of the best descriptions of it that I've heard is that it's like a cartoon, but it's actually live action, and last season it pretty much got better with each episode.
Danny Pudi would be the breakout star I think, if the show was at all popular, and he is fabulous.
It's not for everyone, but I hope it finds a comfortable spot somewhere on the schedule.
***
Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
I'm tempted to say Community again but just for the sake of diversity here, I'm going to say...
There were a lot of good - and a few great - rookie TV comedies this past year. Really, the comedies that surround Modern Family - The Middle and yes, even Cougartown are funny. (Digression: The Middle, especially, is under-appreciated by people in my demographic I think. It's funny without being mean, in the same way that Modern Family is, and that is too rare on television today. If you like Modern Family, you would do well to give The Middle a shot.) Community and the already-departed Better Off Ted had wonderful seasons. Demetri Martin's show had its moments, too. (Don't try and get me to say a good word about Glee though, ok?)
But none of them got the acclaim and ratings, I think, that Modern Family did, and this show deserves it as much as any of those others - and more than most. Some of us knew it already, but this show has revealed to many people that Ed O'Neill is so much more than Al Bundy. And Eric Stonestreet has arrived! The kids are good in their roles, there are interesting and differing dynamics between so many of the characters and there have been some great guest starring performances.
Plus, I'm not going to complain about any show that gives me Sofia Vergara to look at.
If it beats 30 Rock at the Emmys this year, it'll be well-deserved.
I wasn't always so, but today I am absolutely unrepentant in my love of television. I don't care what anyone else says, I think it's a pretty fantastic medium. I often don't have the attention span for movies, and I love having characters develop over a much longer period of time than they allow for. Moving to FSJ and then to Whitehorse has only intensified my love affair with TV. This winter when I'm living in Riverdale with my PVR, you better believe I'll spend an unholy number of nights bundled up with Hiedi on the couch, living vicariously through Tony Soprano, Liz Lemon and Sheldon Cooper, to name just a few. (And also Jon Stewart and Daniel Alfredsson, but those are another story.)
Anyway, I'm taking another hint from amanda_mary here and I'm not going to try to hold myself to doing one of these per day, every day. Instead I'll do a few of them here and there.
Day 1: A show that never should have been cancelled
Day 2: A show you wish more people were watching
Day 3: Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 4: Your favorite show ever
Day 5: A show you hate
Day 6: Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 7: Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 8: A show everyone should watch
Day 9: Best scene ever
Day 10: A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11: A show that disappointed you
Day 12: An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13: Favorite childhood show
Day 14: Favorite male character
Day 15: Favorite female character
Day 16: Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17: Favorite mini series
Day 18: Favorite title sequence
Day 19: Best TV show cast
Day 20: Favorite kiss
Day 21: Favorite 'ship
Day 22: Favorite series finale
Day 23: Most annoying character
Day 24: Best quote
Day 25: A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26: OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27: Best pilot episode
Day 28: First TV show obsession
Day 29: Current TV show obsession
Day 30: Saddest character death
***
A show that never should have been cancelled
Well, the typical answer here would be Arrested Development, wouldn't it? Brilliant performances, brilliant writing, inspired casting on the bit parts and guest stars... I mostly watched in reruns on CBC around midnight one winter, but the two ladies I live with now together have all three seasons on DVD, so I've rewatched most of it again since then, and it holds up. But... and I know haters are gonna hate...
If you've been reading me for any length of time at all, you knew that was coming. I hate hate hate that the original series is done while that garbage with Jeff Goldblum continues. And I hate hate hate the acclaim that Mariska Hargitay gets for her work on SVU (of which new episodes are seriously so bad that they're laugh out loud funny - see any of the ones with the Sharon Stone arc at the end of last season), while S. Epatha Merkerson's work on the original pretty much went unnoticed for the entire run. That lady can act.
I've already done my "all-star" L&O cast in another post back in the spring, so this time, I'll say that I think the show was at its very peak in season 6: Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, S. Epatha, Jill Hennessey, Sam Waterston and Steven Hill. (And if J.K. Simmons was the psych that season, so much the better.) It cratered during the Fred Thompson years, but it was doing good things again this past season. Cyrus and Lupo were fun to watch as the detectives, and the Brit, Linus Roache's Michael Cutter character was a worthy successor to Stone and McCoy.
It hurts my heart still that it's over.
***
A show you wish more people were watching
This show is probably going to get its ass kicked by the (also very funny) Big Bang Theory this fall, but if you're not watching Community and you fancy yourself pop culture savvy, y'oughta start. It's a little like Arrested Development or 30 Rock in that the jokes come fast and furious - you've barely processed one when the next will hit you. One of the best descriptions of it that I've heard is that it's like a cartoon, but it's actually live action, and last season it pretty much got better with each episode.
Danny Pudi would be the breakout star I think, if the show was at all popular, and he is fabulous.
It's not for everyone, but I hope it finds a comfortable spot somewhere on the schedule.
***
Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
I'm tempted to say Community again but just for the sake of diversity here, I'm going to say...
There were a lot of good - and a few great - rookie TV comedies this past year. Really, the comedies that surround Modern Family - The Middle and yes, even Cougartown are funny. (Digression: The Middle, especially, is under-appreciated by people in my demographic I think. It's funny without being mean, in the same way that Modern Family is, and that is too rare on television today. If you like Modern Family, you would do well to give The Middle a shot.) Community and the already-departed Better Off Ted had wonderful seasons. Demetri Martin's show had its moments, too. (Don't try and get me to say a good word about Glee though, ok?)
But none of them got the acclaim and ratings, I think, that Modern Family did, and this show deserves it as much as any of those others - and more than most. Some of us knew it already, but this show has revealed to many people that Ed O'Neill is so much more than Al Bundy. And Eric Stonestreet has arrived! The kids are good in their roles, there are interesting and differing dynamics between so many of the characters and there have been some great guest starring performances.
Plus, I'm not going to complain about any show that gives me Sofia Vergara to look at.
If it beats 30 Rock at the Emmys this year, it'll be well-deserved.