Summer TV
With the exception of Weeds (Showtime, Mondays at 9) and True Blood (HBO, Sundays at 9), this summer has been relatively boring in terms of TV (but aren't most summers?). Aside from those two shows, I'm currently watching Big Brother 11 (CBS, Sundays at 8, Tuesdays at 9, Thursdays at 8) for my reality TV fix. (I saw bits and pieces of The Bachelorette and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! earlier in the summer, too.) I've been filling the obvious programming gap with my own Grey's Anatomy marathon (I'm about mid-way through season 2), and I also have season 1 of Castle and the rest of the first season of Dollhouse, both of which got sidelined last season due to various other shows and/or non-TV obligations, ready for watching. I also need to look into locating the end of Pushing Daises, because I haven't seen it and it's recently come out on DVD.
This is the first time I've watched Big Brother despite its impressive 11 seasons. I originally thought it was a lot like Survivor, but I was wrong. The games are of a similar premise--strand a bunch of strangers together, make them play weird games, and have them vote each other out with a final jury deciding who wins the cash prize--but they're very different animals. BB is far more immediate and personality-driven because the power lies with the players, and some have more power than others. That power shifts on a weekly basis and alliances shift with it. Survivor is played on a more even field, with the only safe individual being whoever has earned individual immunity (which is similar to the Power of Veto in BB). People aren't singled out for the "chopping block"; everyone is vulnerable. This creates a more suitable environment for strong alliances. In BB, they seem to fall apart and rebuild every friggin' episode. In any case, I never thought watching people scream at each other three times a week would be as enticing as it is, but it's a good time--trivial and amusing. I love these types of shows because watching people's psychological states shift as their situations do makes for great TV, and they're very interesting social experiments.
I wasn't so sure about Weeds this season, but each episode has sold me on it more and more. The beginning of the series (the first two or three seasons, I'd say) are still the best, but this one has been steadily improving.
And True Blood is True Blood: Sexy, scary, and spectacular. I think I may have preferred the first season, mainly because I really don't like Maryann (small spoiler: even though she's a great Big Bad). I am, however, very very interested to see how it all works out, especially after last night's episode.
Mainly, though, I can't wait for fall.
This is the first time I've watched Big Brother despite its impressive 11 seasons. I originally thought it was a lot like Survivor, but I was wrong. The games are of a similar premise--strand a bunch of strangers together, make them play weird games, and have them vote each other out with a final jury deciding who wins the cash prize--but they're very different animals. BB is far more immediate and personality-driven because the power lies with the players, and some have more power than others. That power shifts on a weekly basis and alliances shift with it. Survivor is played on a more even field, with the only safe individual being whoever has earned individual immunity (which is similar to the Power of Veto in BB). People aren't singled out for the "chopping block"; everyone is vulnerable. This creates a more suitable environment for strong alliances. In BB, they seem to fall apart and rebuild every friggin' episode. In any case, I never thought watching people scream at each other three times a week would be as enticing as it is, but it's a good time--trivial and amusing. I love these types of shows because watching people's psychological states shift as their situations do makes for great TV, and they're very interesting social experiments.
I wasn't so sure about Weeds this season, but each episode has sold me on it more and more. The beginning of the series (the first two or three seasons, I'd say) are still the best, but this one has been steadily improving.
And True Blood is True Blood: Sexy, scary, and spectacular. I think I may have preferred the first season, mainly because I really don't like Maryann (small spoiler: even though she's a great Big Bad). I am, however, very very interested to see how it all works out, especially after last night's episode.
Mainly, though, I can't wait for fall.