Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Whatcha Watchin'?
The Oscars is all about movies, and I think most of us agreed we're not much into that scene, but as you all know, I love TV, so I think today is a good time for an impromptu TV post... We are into the second half of the season on many shows, and some new ones have been coming out, and I'm wondering what you are watching, and what you all think about it.
I read the Televisionary blog a few times a week, if anyone is interested in a good TV blog, I recommend it. Last week, I posted there on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse because, well, as much as I admire Joss, this show is really bad. Last week offered a plot driven by enough suspense that it got me through the hour better than the week before, but overall the show has no internal logic holding it together -- why does this group even exist? I mean, really, what purpose is there for these "dolls"? They don't do anything that a regular person with the right training couldn't do, and the people who hire them are rich enough to hire experts, so why not just do that? Not to mention that last week really it came down to they were willing to hire "Echo" out as a high-priced hooker, and that really undermined the integrity of the show.
Joss shines when he takes on something so incredibly "out there" that no one else is doing it or thinking about it... like making a small blonde woman a vampire slayer, or space cowboys, or an aspiring evil mastermind's singing blog. He's brilliant in that he can make things work that other people can't -- and other people have already made the premise of Dollhouse work, and better (The Pretender, Alias, and even the shortlived My Own Worst Enemy.)
LOST is back, and has grabbed my attention again -- they almost lost it season three, but I like them back on the island, and I like that they have believably cleared up some of the mysteries on the island. Still, there are gaps, but I can be forgiving of gaps in a show that has a lot going on and is more or less working.
Heroes. I think my husband best summed it up on his Twitter comment: Heroes Season recap: I'm evil! I'm good!, No, I'm evil! No, I'm good! He's evil! You don't understand. It's complicated.
Honestly, they change Nathan from week to week just to advance the plot -- this is not how you build conflict, folks. It's how you build absurdity.
I am looking forward to Reaper starting again in March, it's a cute and oddly addicting show, and I am also going to check out Castle, with Nathan Fillion, though Televisionary didn't think it worked, but we'll see. Chuck, of course, remains a steady favorite -- fantastic characters, great writing. A good story every week that builds over time just as it should, but almost without us noticing.
I am as ever devoted to Burn Notice and a list of other regularly watched shows, Numb3rs, Christine, Survivor, Ghost Whisperer (will they just DO IT already???), but there are too many for me to comment on all of them... so, what are you watching? what do you think about it? Share, and I'll send a copy of Dr. Horrible to a random winner, chosen on Wednesday, because if you've seen it, you probably love it, and if you haven't, you probably would love it. I also think it's Joss at his whacky best, which is definitely not happening at the Dollhouse...
Sam
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NCIS
I am so addicted to NCIS, I now have to watch it in the middle of the night. My husband is sick of it, and he got me started watching it, so after he goes to bed, I stay up a while and watch one or two episodes before going to bed.
As a girl, I had a crush on David McCallum on Man from Uncle. Then I fell in in love with Mark Harmon on St. Elsewhere. Now my Cougar is showing as I think the guy that plays Tony DiNozzo is hot, hot, hot. So yeah, I love each and every one of the men on that show, including McGee and Jimmy Palmer! But I also love the strengths of the women. Abby has a childlike quality to her, but is scientifically brilliant. Everyone is devoted to her. Ziva can kick ass and hold her on. I love when her English gets messed up (McGee, you look like you've seen a goat!). I love it that she can take care of herself, you, everyone around her, but her feminine side comes out and she's very sexy, and her insecurities ocassionally show.
I do watch other programs and really enjoy them - Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, any and all Law and Order programs, any and all CSI programs, and for comedy relief, My Name is Earl. And many other shows, which tells me I'm watching too much tv, not writing and reading enough. But NCIS has my heart and I'll always make time to watch them!
Debra
I have to check out NCIS
Someday... I have a good friend who loves it, too. I liked In Plain Sight, but I couldn't take her mother and sister -- if they had gotten them off the show, I might have gone back, but I just couldn't do any more time with those two...
Sam
Random TV thoughts
Hey Sam, great topic. I missed the first episode of Doll House and came in late to the one last week. I tried to watch it, but just couldn't quite get interested enough to research what I'd missed.
The only shows I'm currently watching are Bones and Gray's Anatomy. I love Bones, the humor interspersed with the drama, the quirky scientists who come and go, the chemistry among the players, and the story lines. Excellent but underrated show. I've purchased all the previous seasons of Bones -- the only other series I've done this with is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I like GA, but won't miss it too much when it's gone. The writers dragged on too long with the Denny visits to Izzy this season; glad they're finally getting to the heart of the matter, though I'll be sad about the departure of the actors who have already announced they are leaving. We'll see how they regroup.
Shows I've tried to watch: Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, House, American Idol. I had wanted to watch this last season of ER but just couldn't bring myself to come back to the show. It should have ended its run several seasons past. Maybe when Idol gets down to a reasonable number of singers I'll watch again. I did enjoy it last year, but that was mostly to hear what David Cook was going to do with his song of the night. I'm really glad he won.
Love Bones
I don't watch anything medical, just never got into them, so House, GA or ER, etc are lost on me.
I do love The Closer, and Monk. Never could get into Psyche. I have Buffy on DVD and still love watching it. I've watched and rewatched Veronica Mars and Burn Notice, as well. Some Angel, but not as much as Buffy.
I watched American Idol once, and it was fun, but then I lost interest, probably b/c I am not much of a music person in the first place...
Sam
The Closer
Only got to see one season of the Closer. It's on a station I need in a special package so I don't get it (think same with Burn Notice) But theydid have Closer on a station I got for one season.
Mentalist and Life
I've really gotten into those two and The Eleventh Hour. Really like CIS(just getting used to Grissom not being on) CSI:NY, never got into CSI:Miami maybe cause I never liked David Caruso. I like NCIS but am not allowed to watch the episodes on tv. My friends buy the seasons on disc so they don't have the season on tv right now and if I watch I'll be ahead. They had all the seasons for Alias, so every time they were home we would watch a few episodes. Took us close to a year(they are truck drivers so gone for like 2-3 weeks and home for like 2-3 days) last night during Oscars saw commercials for some new shows coming. Can't remember name of the one that looked interesting something with South in title and the guy that played Ryan in OC is in it and plays cop
You reminded me
Of Lie to Me, which is probably my favorite new show. I watched one or two of The Mentalist, but I couldn't get into it, for whatever reason. I do like Lie to Me, though -- they had a woman on the Today Show who was a specialist and law enforcement expert, she would go around the country and train law enforcement about what to notice in micro-expressions and body language, etc, and she confirmed a lot of what they've talked about on Lie to Me, which is interesting.
I have never seen a CSI or NCIS. I hear really good things about NCIS, but I don't know if I would ever catch up. I like DVD sets, too, it's how I have caught up or watched a lot of shows, so maybe I would watch these down the line. I watched one season of 24 on DVD and it nearly killed me -- the start was really good, but by the end I was so glad it was over I never watched another one.
Sam
I love Life!
I haven't found too many other people who watch it, but I LOVE that show. I watch House, Lost and Desperate Housewives. Oh, and Big Love. Drama and twisted plotlines all the way here ;-)
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
In Stores Now: THE BRIDESMAID AND THE BILLIONAIRE
www.shirleyjump.com
I love 24 with Jack Bauer,
I love 24 with Jack Bauer, although I have to say that this particular season is starting out a bit slow for me, and I really am not crazy about the female character who plays the President of the United States, or her husband either, for that matter.
I do however, love LOST. Yes, it's finally beginning to pull together, and I'm thrilled that all the characters are returning to the island in a way that makes sense. I loved the scene last week when they were on the airplane that will return them to the island, and Jack thinks they will have to crash again, like they did the first time. So he turns to evil Ben (one of my favorite characters) and asks, in a very concerned voice, "What's going to happen to all these other passengers?" And Ben looks at him with his cold, fish eyes and responds, "Who cares?" and then smiles his evil little smile. It totally cracked me up. Sorry...I do have a sadistic streak.
Yes!
That was my absolute favorite line of the show, along with "Everyone is convinced sooner or later, Jack" (also Ben, and it was better in context, LOL). Ben is a great character, I agree, he may be my favorite except for Sayid.
:)
Sam
Oh! These answers reminded me of so many more!
I love Brothers and Sisters! I watch Desperate Housewives, but it's starting to wind down for me. And I'm an avid Nip/Tuck viewer. Yeah, Lost is finally starting to make some sense. I loved it when Sawyer was praying in the boat for God to get them out of the situation, and they wound up in a worse one - too funny! I can take or leave a lot of shows, but watch them with my husband - like 24, Connor Chronicles, Damages. The things we do for love lol. I don't know if this counts, but my husband and I both love The View, and even got tickets to go see it last autumn. Yeah, way too much t.v. in this house!
My Shows
Hail to the Redskins!
Survivor, Law&Order, NCIS, and Bones (thanks Betty!) are my favorites. Got behind on Lost, so I'll wait for the DVD's to watch it. I've got the last season in my Netflix Que. Also The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Not interested at first, but was told to keep watching, it would get better, and it has. DH is a FoxNews addict, so we watch a lot of those shows. I've got him addicted to Law & Order now, lol
Love Lost!
I agree, Ben has become a much more complex character, though I was really glad to see some of the old evil Ben come out in Wednesday's show :-)
I totally love Sayid. If you're going to be stuck anywhere and need anything, he's the guy to have on your side :-)
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
In Stores Now: THE BRIDESMAID AND THE BILLIONAIRE
www.shirleyjump.com
Life
I love NCIS and Burn Notice, too, but my favorite show at the moment is Life. It stars Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi. The show is clever and funny. I'm so glad Nathan Fillion is coming back to television. I watched the first two episodes of Dollhouse and I will continue to catch it, but I hope it gets better.
TV
As you know, I don't watch much TV but I really am enjoying The Mentalist and Trust Me.
I think The Mentalist could be done better but Simon Baker brings such charm to the character that he's fun to watch. And he's pretty so that helps, too.
Trust Me just started a few weeks ago on TNT. It stars a guy I've been following for a long time, Tom Cavanaugh. It also stars Eric McCormack (Will & Grace). I just hope it gets seen so it stays on.
ani
Shows I watch
Hmmm...let's see, starting with Monday, I really get a kick out of Big Bang Theory. Those guys are just hilarious. On Tuesday, NCIS, which just keeps getting better, though I do miss Kate. Wednesday, the biggie is Ghost Hunters or Ghost Hunters International, which is the one currently playing. Thursdays are all about Supernatural. How I love my Winchesters! On Friday, I used to watch Ghost Whisperer, but I've kind of gotten out of it. There's not a whole lot on on Saturdays, but I've started watching The Legend of the Seeker, which I'm enjoying. Nothing really on Sunday and I work all day at a video store, so don't have the time.
Deidre
WINNER
The winner of the copy of Dr. Horrible is:
DEBRA!!!!
Congrats! I hope you enjoy it, if you haven't seen it -- send me your mailing info at samhunter@samanthahunter.com and I'll send you out a copy from Amazon in the mail. :)
Sam
Congratulations!
Yay Debra! Congratulations!