Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween


Halloween is today. Here is the treat for today. 5 Best Returning Shows of the season...

1. Friday Night Lights - Love, love, love it. Yes, was worried about the Tyra Landry storyline - I think its going to be okay - its playing out much more real than I could have expected. Plus, the cast is amazing. If Connie Britton doesn't get some recognition for her overwhelmed new mother this season - there is no justice in TVdom. Did I mention this show got an Emmy for best casting? There is a reason for that.
2. Bones - I love Bones. I love every character on this show...and everything they say. I even love the new ones - the new therapist is a riot. David Boreanez and Emily Deschanel shine and have perfected their on-screen chemistry. Plus, for a procedural - I like this topic best...the Jeffersonian...bones, bugs, particulates, 3-D sketch artists...this show is consistently on.
3. Brothers and Sisters - Okay. I love Rob Lowe. And I will always love Ally Mc..er Calista Flockhart and then there's Sally Field...and Amy...I mean Emily VanCamp..and Rachel Griffiths...and I love this cast and I love the stories they tell. I love their right and left wing arguments...and Justin...my boy Justin, its all so very good and family-y. The kind of family moments that I can definitely relate to.
4. Men in Trees - I want to live in Elmo. I want Marin Frist to be my friend, I want to meet Plow Guy and Jack and deal with the weather...and the warm people. I'd even hang out in that bar, but I still wouldn't drink.
5. Grey's Anatomy - I shouldn't put this one the list...but, I decided that I had to (Sorry, How I Met Your Mother - honorable mention to you). I was going to quit Grey's. After last season..ick. But, I watched the premiere...and it was good...and then they had that scene with McSteamy and McDreamy...and McSteamy said "I came to get you back" and it made me laugh out loud. Then Ava came back...and Lexie is nice. Its better, its healing. I like it. Its not Denny-days good - but its good.

****Special mention to the show that should top this list, but since only 1 episode has aired for the season so far, I felt I couldn't include it. SCRUBS is back and better than ever. I love this show - its wacky, zany heart will be missed - but I'm going to savor this last season all I can.


Other returning favorite notables.

-Criminal Minds can move forward without Mandy. Still works, I still like it and I still can't watch it at night.
-House could have made the list - but its being to mean to Mormons- can't support that- I almost had to on principle stop watching it altogether - but, I haven't yet. I really do like the new format with the new interns...but, man the Mormon comments, the Joseph Smith comment. I need to write a letter.
-Heroes makes my brain explode. It takes too much concentration for me to get through those episodes. I still have the last 4 on my Tivo.
-Desperate Housewives seemed like it was getting good there for a minute - and now its flopping out on me again. I'm already tired of the new neighbor and the gay neighbors.
-In reality news - Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars are proving to have more drama than some of the scripted shows on-air. Neil on Biggest Loser is evil. Marie Osmond makes me laugh on Dancing - but then she fainted...and I'm sort of having a fight with the show right now - having just voted off my favorite - Sabrina this week.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Fall TV: Best New Shows


Best new shows of the fall season:

Gossip Girl CW Wednesdays - as one of my favorite TV friends says..."Okay, I'm a 14 year old girl. I love this show." (And we are both about 20 years older than 14!) Writer, Josh Schwartz - he of The O.C. fame...has done it again with an over the top teen-angsty soapy drama - the kind I love. At this point- no one is all good. No one is all bad - and who knows what will happen next. It is all the drama of The O.C. without the Seth Cohen fun snarkiness...but, Dan...Dan, may just turn out to be a Seth Cohen, yet. LOVE it.
The Big Bang Theory CBS Mondays - This show makes me laugh out loud a lot. These geeks are hilarious. I wasn't even planning to watch this show and just happened to catch it. Leonard is my favorite. Try not to laugh at their video game playing, Superman marathon, Jenga playing lives.
Dirty Sexy Money ABC Tuesdays- The Darlings are a fascinating family. I've read lots of comparisons to the Bluths of yesteryear...but, I love me some Peter Krause...much more Casey McCall than Nate Fisher - which is good. I love the zaniness.
Chuck - NBC Mondays - Love that Zachary Levi. Love the premise. Great Anchor for the NBC Monday night lineup.
Pushing Daisies - ABC Wednesday -Thought it would be weird - and it was...but good weird. Any show that can have Tony Winner Kristin Chenoweth belting out "Hopelessly Devoted to You" is a winner in my book.
Life NBC Wednesday- For a procedural - this is a good one - I like his back story. I like that he has a mystery to figure out himself. Please watch this show. It needs more viewers.

**UPDATE: I hadn't seen Women's Murder Club when I wrote this. I really like it - Honorable Mention to it. Also - everyone loves Samantha Who?...but me. A REALLY likable cast...Yay Sookie! and Brian! and Jesse...but, I don't really like the writing and its grating on me. I just don't get it.

Photo: 2007 The CW Network, LLC