I wasn’t completely ignorant about the show.  I knew what the basic premise was, and other little details that seem to creep in from cultural consciousness.  And after awhile, like many other people, the show began to annoy me.   Every year at the Golden Globes, there they were.   How many mysteries could there still be?  Were they still on the freaking island?   Since network TV isn’t particularly well-known for their stellar dramas anymore, I assumed this was another show that was overexposed, overhyped, bloated with its own importance.

Then, a few weeks ago, most of the series was available to watch instantly on Netflix.   I made the decision to watch the show in its entirety, for the first time ever.  And I am not an easy audience, especially when it comes to writing.  I may be forgiving of silly sitcoms, but dramas that get acclaim for writing have to deserve it.

I tend to be even harsher when it comes to shows aimed at “smarter” audiences.  One trend, that I’ve come to loathe, is unnatural, overly-clever dialogue.  Whedon walks a fine line with this, and the Gilmore Girls took the line and used it as a lasso in a bad strip club routine.  Since LOST is acclaimed for its writing, you can imagine I sat down to watch with trepidation.

I watched the whole show in a few weeks.  Five-plus seasons, with an average of about 20 episodes each.  I stayed up ’til around 3am every night for at least a week.   I am so not kidding.

I can’t really speak for the show as a whole, because obviously the show hasn’t ended yet, and we all know that the ending is very important in a show like this.  Still, here’s what I’ve found so far:

Holy cow, the show has been deserving of all the acclaim it’s received.  Not only does the show avoid the too-clever dialogue trap – indeed, it’s some of the most natural dialogue I’ve seen in quite awhile – but in terms of the plot twists and turns, it manages to tie most things together without a single eye-roll on my part.  The writing as a whole – even in the dreaded Writer’s Strike truncated season – is remarkably consistent at a high level.  It’s much more consistent than, say, Battlestar: Galactica.

One of the neatest things I noticed is that I can’t tell when filming began and ended for each season.  Since the scenes intertwine so well, I originally assumed some of the initial scenes from Season 2 must have been filmed at the end of Season 1, for example.  But you can’t really tell, and once I got a few episodes into Season 2 I learned that that intertwining would happen through the entire show, season after season.  Since I watched everything in a row, differences in hair, for example, should stand out… but it mostly didn’t.  Beautiful.

All in all, I’ve been pleasantly surprised.  Extremely pleasantly.   I won’t go so far as to call myself a fangirl, because somehow I feel that title should go to those loyal viewers who waited, year after year, with their theories and speculation.  But I’m an appreciator, that’s for sure.  And I’ve got my fingers crossed that this quality will continue to the very end.

If you’ve gotten this post sent to you, it means your friend is nicely letting you know that you’re guilty of the heinous crime of having a boring profile with overused phrases.  Take a deep breath, realize that they still love you and are only looking out for your future well-being.

OVERUSED PHRASE:  ”I love to laugh” or “I want someone who loves to laugh”

You’re Saying Nothing Special

When you write a phrase like “I love to laugh,” you’re trying to say something like:

• I like watching comedy movies
• I like stand-up comedy
• I am a bit of a comedian / I hang out with people who are really funny
• I’m very lighthearted
• I can find the humor in everything in life

Notice how all of those bullets above are more descriptive and interesting than “I love to laugh.”

From Overused to Unique

How much more interesting would your profile be if you used one or more of those specifics instead?

BEFORE: “I love to laugh.”

AFTER: “I have to admit, my Friday nights while single have largely consisted of hanging out at my best friend’s house watching stand-up on Comedy Central and laughing our asses off. But I’d love to get out to an actual comedy club sometime – want to drive into the city with me?”

If you love to laugh, what do you most like to laugh about? Post a comment, even if you aren’t single!

It’s been a few years since my ex-fiancee and I broke off our relationship, and I’m finally ready to start dating again. The problem is, being pretty geekish, I’ve been trying to come up with areas I could meet a girl who also has geeky interests.

One idea that has crossed my mind is asking out women I meet at cons. On one hand, it seems like a good idea–the women there more than likely share my interests and since this is anonymous, I have to admit that a lot of cosplayers are pretty good-looking, costume or no.

Here’s the problem, though–I really don’t want to be “that guy.” You know, the boor who goes around making women feel as though they’re just sex objects, or just making women feel uncomfortable.

So my question is, can I ask out someone who I meet at a con? If the answer is yes, can you give any advice on the subject?

Thanks very much,

Looking but Unsure

e answers:

You can definitely ask out someone you meet at a con!  There are always “We Met at ___ Con” love stories – in fact, there was a story on CNN a while back about geeks who found love at Dragon*Con.

But first, let’s go over the “that guy” list (for those who may not know they’re “that guy”).

That guy:

• Stalks the costumed girls around the con floor… and then into the hotel.
• Asks for lots and lots of photos.
• Makes lewd comments.
• Talks to breasts instead of faces.
• Jokes about having sex with whatever character she’s dressed as.

While girls who dress up for cons know what they’re in for (especially if the outfit is particularly tight or revealing), it’s still no reason to be that guy.

Unfortunately, it is a little “that guy” to walk up to a complete stranger and ask them out. But since you’re at a convention, you automatically have conversation material!  If the girl in question isn’t busy, there’s nothing wrong with striking up a conversation about her costume, the character it’s based on, and then from there… wherever the conversation ends up going!

First Conversations: Get The Hint

You do need to know how to read body language to prevent from slipping from “nice guy” to “that guy who won’t go away.”

Look for the following signs to let you know you’re on the right track:

• She’s adjusting/playing with her hair.
• She turns to face you directly.
• She leans closer to you.
• She mirrors your body language (you drink from your water bottle, she drinks from hers).

But warning! These signs mean she’s looking for an out:

• She turns so her side faces you.
• One foot is slid forward (like in the direction she’d like to go – away from you!)
• She crosses her arms across her chest.
• She looks at her watch (or her phone), or looks toward the door.

If you notice her showing signs of wanting an out, thank her for her time and let her loose.  If she seems to be digging you, then you can ask her what she’s doing for the next meal.  If she accepts, awesome. If she seems nervous, you could suggest going out with a group of people or perhaps meeting up for an evening activity (movie night, dance, whatever else is going on at that particular con).

But OMG, you couldn’t possibly do that!

A little too shy for that?  Now, I’ve never been to a convention in costume, but I have friends who do cosplay and they will tell you that some of those costumes get REALLY HOT when you’re walking around on the convention floor.  If you’ve found a girl you like and you’ve already chatted her up about her costume, you could always come back a few hours later with a water bottle for her.

“Hey,” you say, “With all those layers, you must be dying. I figured you could use a cold drink.”

Sure, she may check the safety seal (I’d be shocked if she didn’t!), but once she realizes you’re not trying to roofie her, you’ll probably win some brownie points for being thoughtful.

If she turns down your offer, at least you have a water bottle.  Win-slightlylesswin.

The Importance of Cards

I think everybody attending a convention should have business cards, even if they’re not for business purposes.  They are a great way of remembering who you met and how to get in touch with them later.  I know that when I’m cruising around a convention for a weekend, I meet so many people that I can’t keep them all straight. Business cards help a lot!

Make a geeky contact card with your information – name, email, Twitter, Facebook, blog, phone number – whatever you’re comfortable with handing out.  VistaPrint has free cards (if you don’t mind their watermark on the back), and moo has adorable mini cards that seem to be pretty popular lately.

Give out your card if you take a picture of a costumed girl and let her know that she’s welcome to email you if she wants the full-size file of the picture.  You may be lucky and pick her up as a Twitter follower or a Facebook friend after the con.

After The Con? What Good Is THAT?

Plenty good!  If she’s local, you may still be able to meet up.  If she’s not local, you can build up a relationship via email and chat, flirt through cyberspace (where rejection hurts a bit less, so we can be more forward!) and then by the time the next convention rolls around, you could be sharing a hotel room.  Or at least, you could try dating in person.

The weekend of the convention isn’t the last chance you’ll have at being in touch with the cosplay girl of your dreams. The important things to do that weekend are to get the conversation started and give her a way to continue it once you’ve gone back to mundane life.

Readers… Any Thoughts?

Guys – Have you had any luck picking up women at cons? What’s your M.O.?

Ladies – Spill some stories. Worst pick-up lines? Best? Did you meet your love at a con?

And despite the title, this post has nothing to do with people who speak English as their second language. My hats are off to the folks who are working on being more fluent in a second tongue; it’s not easy.

No, this post was inspired by a conversation I had with a single guy via IMs.

His first language was English and he claimed to be a writer with decades of experience. The problem? He was butchering words left and right and all I could think about was this scene from Family Guy:

Stewie: Brian this is painful. Like listening to those 2 foreign guys down at the coffee shop who’ve been living in the US almost long enough to sound American.

{Cut to coffee shop}

Guy #1: Oh man, what a good bunch of partying at that discotech. They played one of my audience requests.

Guy #2: Way awesome! I myself drank like 5 liters of beer, any more and I would have ended up in hospital, man.

Guy #1: Oh, you said it, friend – but I wanted to stay ’cause I almost had sex on this girl.

Guy #2: Oh yeah, but it was so expensive, each drink was like 6 dollars 40.

It was clear that he was trying to impress me with his huge throbbing vocabulary, but the words he chose were so wrong, so forced.  If this was his casual chat, can you imagine what his online dating profile must be like?  Think of what he’d write if he had time to obsess over each individual word.

Sadly, this problem is more common than you might realize.

It’s great if you have a big vocabulary. Like many geek girls, I find that kind of thing sexy.  I once replied to an otherwise iffy dating profile (with no photo and very little details) because the guy used the line: “Don’t be vapid. Know what vapid means.”  And yeah, we ended up dating for one very hot summer.

One clever word is all you need to get the geek girls swooning.  One.

If your profile is so full of ten dollar words that we have to read each sentence five times to make any sense of it, we’re not going to think you’re a literary genius. We’re going to turn tail and find another guy.

I recently caught a few episodes, and quickly devoured as many episodes as I could get my hands on.  Luckily, all three series (seasons) of the show have recently come out on DVD, so soon I will have seen them all.  There’s even a Special Edition DVD with all of them in one, which I’m seriously considering.  This show, which I was unsure about at first, has literally grown on me in the span of a few days.

The premise of The Mighty Boosh changes a bit as it goes on, but it initially features two men, Howard Moon and Vince Noir, who work together as zookeepers.  However, this is no straightforward sitcom.  It’s not uncommon for the pair to travel through time and space, or break into song.  The plot of each show is fairly linear, but there are plenty of breaks for the random, bizarre, and just plain silly.

That’s really the heart of the show – unabashed silliness.  Apparently the show is part of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup, which makes sense.  However, unlike many of the Adult Swim shows, The Mighty Boosh isn’t hard or cynical.  It doesn’t try too hard to be dry or self-aware.  Sure, breaking into song is supposed to be funny, but it’s also… fun.

I think, in many ways, the tone reminds me of Monty Python’s Flying Circus – it’s the kind of show that definitely is not intended for children, but you wouldn’t really object much if a mature kid was in the room.  There’s a sort of pure joy that is refreshing.

I’m the sort of person who thinks shows like Wonder Showzen and Tim and Eric Awesome Show can be funny, but also over-the-top.  If those sorts of shows are a bit much for you – or even if they’re not – The Mighty Boosh might be just the right fit.

The past few weeks have been busy at Globe Information Agency, but not the kind of busy that epic ballads are written about, to say the least. Beatdown has been upset at the lack of killing things lately and still eyes all chairs as if he expects them to leap into action at any moment. Recently, most of Kava’s work has been simple hide and seek work – find this lost child, find that law breaker, find that cheating spouse, find that wayward teenager.

But at least it’s significantly increased your knowledge of Sharn’s neighborhoods. While there’s definitely been a couple “Can’t Get There From Here” moments (usually solved when Evan shimmies down a tower), you feel much more confident in your knowledge of the city and the flavors of its various neighborhood residents.

When you report to the office this morning, you’re fully expecting another missing kid or philandering husband. The smile on Kava’s face tells a different story, tho, and she gestures for you to sit around the meeting table in her office.

“The people we’re seeking today are a bit more interesting than the usual business. The first is a female. Dessina Hazal. We’ve received intelligence that she may be planning to assassinate Tyasha d’Phiarlan.

[Tyasha is a world-renowed opera singer who has been famous for years and years and years. Nobody's sure exactly how old she is... there's rumors that she's a lich, or that she's a changeling that's replaced the real Tyasha. Can't argue with her talent, but her agelessness brings up lots of unanswered questions.]

Kava continues.  ”I need you to track Ms. Hazal and report back to me on everything she does for the next week. Lady Tyasha is safe within her mansion, but there’s a performance at the Sharn Opera House next weekend, and there is concern for her safety. Her house has paid for the assurance that Lady Tyasha will not be harmed during dress rehearsals or the performance.

“The second will surely provide some more action. The infamous Dharvek, the filthy smuggler and war profiteer arrived in Sharn last night. The last time he was here, he caused quite a riot amongst the crime guilds in the city, and we cannot have that happen again. The Storm Lords of Stormreach put a bounty on his head, and so have we. We need to show him that his people are not welcome in Sharn.

“Killing him outright would be preferred, but he hasn’t survived this long because of his pretty face. He’s been known to slip away at the last minute, avoiding death by a cat’s whisker. At least take down his men so he is forced to leave the city.

“Bring me his prized longsword and you’ll receive a bonus payment.”

The PCs decide to head to Gailan’s Tavern, where Dessina has often been seen during the lunchtime hours. It also turns out to be the same club where Eru had a standing invitation to play.  As the party enters Gailan’s and finds a table.  The band Psionic Kumquat is just finishing up a set.  They’re halfway decent in the way an unsigned, yet popular local band is decent.

Eru takes the stage to sing, but decides he needs a stage name so Dessina doesn’t know his real identity. At this point, my players pull out the Ultimate Toolbox and craziness ensues at the table.  Eru rolls for a name and ends up as Pilan Slowtongue, which he claims is obviously the Eberron version of John Mayer.

Ultimate Toolbox comes into effect again as Eru rolls on a song. His first selection is a chorus tune from the opera Brother Jun’s Pilgrimage.  For his second, he sings Yislean’s Requiem from The LadyKnight’s Epic. During the song, Dessina gets up, walks on to the stage, and begins to sing the harmony line along with Eru. When the song is done, she slips from the stage and back to her table.

Beatdown: “I move towards her in a non-obvious way.”

Brick’s player: “Aren’t you a 7 foot robot?”

When Eru leaves the stage, he approaches Gailan to ask about Dessina.  Gailan confirms her identity and says that she’s a chorus girl with the opera, new to town, hangs out to sing and listen at lunch time.  No new news.

…and Dessina is leaving!

Eru catches up with her and tries to strike up a conversation (against Kava’s direct order not to approach her), but she says she’s very late for an appointment and has to run.

The PCs trail her at a distance, but she’s taking the most roundabout way through town possible, as if she suspects she’s being followed.  She finally ends up in a very shady neighborhood of Sharn and she looks very, very jumpy.  Spotting someone following her, she reaches into her purse, pulls out a black stone and throws it behind her.  It explodes into a black tiger that attacks the PCs.

[The PCs decide "Unavoidable Tiger" should be Pilan Slowtongue's band name.]

Once the tiger is destroyed, the PCs are afraid they’ve lost Dessina. But since the tiger fight drew out some townspeople, Eru is able to sweet-talk them and figure out where she’s gone – an herbalist shop.

She exists the shop with a packet of herbs and Eru tracks her back to her apartment. The rest of the party goes into the shop to question the shopkeep. Unfortunately, Brick and Beatdown are the worst investigators ever. The shopkeep admits he can procure any sort of herb for the right price, but says that all Dessina bought were medicinal herbs for her sick grandmother.  He seems scared, but not of Brick and Beatdown’s posturing. They leave, fairly sure they’ve learned all they can.

They meet up with Eru and head down to the Grayflood district by the docks to look for Dharvek the war profiteer. They figure the easiest way to draw him out is to pretend that they are weapons buyers looking to contract with him.

This, of course, requires a cover story and new names. Ultimate Toolbox came out again. The PCs spent a good long time trying to figure out what evil people would do and why they’d want the weapons.  The final story was that they are sky pirates who will be looting merchant airships around Stormreach. They need more weapons for their pirating.

Beatdown is Captain Samuel Axelord of the Airship Retaliation. Obitar Spice, Smitty, and Davey Biter are the new names of Eru, Cyd, and Brick. Beatdown rolled for a captain reputation and found out he suffers from lycanthropy. Apparently he’s a mechanical werewolf.

Their loud pirate talk of weapons and plundering attracts a young half-elf who says he knows a guy who sells some good weaponry.

[Then the gargantuan dire tiger showed up and refused to leave.]

The party gets to the warehouse.  They approach Dharvek and try to convince him that they are big time pirates.

Beatdown: “My crew and I took out the Devil’s Deal!”

Dharvek: “I thought that was a dwarf.”

Eru: “That was a rumor by LookoutLou.”

Beatdown: “And that’s how I came down with lycanthropy!”

Eru (through telepathy): “COOL IT WITH THE LYCANTHROPY.”

Beatdown: “But that be my pirate legend!”

Eru says they’re buying weapons for a heist to get astral diamonds. It’s tempting, but Dharvek and his assistant aren’t convinced. They ask “Captain Samuel Axelord” to show his pirate’s mark to prove that he’s a pirate. Cyd the wizard prestidigitates some fancy tattoos, but they aren’t the right ones and this, coupled with Beatdown’s minor attitude problem, caused Dharvek and his men to draw their weapons and attack.

Dharvek and his six closest buddies fight the five PCs. When things are looking rough, Dharvek phases into some storage crates, which Brick promptly breaks apart to find him. They take down Dharvek and all his men and bring his longsword back to Kava to collect their reward.

Want live updates? Follow me on Twitter and tune in on Tuesdays from 7 pm to 11 pm EST. The printed recaps are a few weeks behind the real thing.

Portland is The City of Roses, but its true beauty comes from the wonderful people you can meet here. Portland is full of charming, artistic people, and is a great place to find romance. I have lived here most of my life and I never get tired of taking my sweetheart out to explore our great city. Simply stroll along our waterfront at sunset for an unforgettable experience with someone special.

1st Thursday 1st Thursday is the monthly free art walk through the galleries of the Pearl District. This event happens on the 1st Thursday of every month, and is the perfect activity for a first date. You can stroll through the Pearl popping into galleries for a look at their current show, and indulge in some cheese or wine that’s being offered. This is an especially great date for the summer since the warmer weather brings more independent artists to the sidewalks. A great way to get to know someone; I met my future husband at 1st Thursday and the art was a great conversation starter. Check out their website for a complete listing of galleries.

Marrakesh For a truly sensual evening step into another world at Marrakesh on NW 21st and Northrup. Inside you will be transported to Morocco and be prepared to have all of your senses delighted. The food is unique bringing exotic flavors to your palette and tantalizing aromas to your nose. As you sit on cushions dining at their low tables you will hear the music of the region and if you’re lucky enough to visit from Wednesday to Sunday you will be delighted by the belly dancers. An absolutely memorable experience. Check out their website here.

Montage & Guardian Games If you want at great geeky date try starting at Montage, under the Morrison Bridge on 3rd in SE Portland’s Industrial area. This is a great fun place to share a meal whether you’re looking for some great macaroni and cheese or jambalaya. You can dine early or late at Montage and when you’re done you may want to get in on some of the fun at Guardian Games. Just 5 blocks North at 3rd and Pine you will find a true geeks paradise. They have a huge gaming space where you can play RPGs, Magic the Gathering, or WoW. Check out their calendar of events here. Of course you might just be in the market for the perfect set of dice for your sweetheart; you’ll find anything you need to satisfy your inner geek.

Rimsky Korsakoffeehouse Rimsky’s is the epitome of Portland’s unique eateries and coffee houses. This is an excellent place to go for coffee and desert. Located on 12th just past Morrison in SE Portland, 707 SE 12th Ave, you will find a large red craftsman house with a promise of fun just through the door. On the weekends you will find the coffee house full of the sounds of live piano or violin and a funky atmosphere that you have to experience for yourself. You will want to return again and again to try finding the best seat in the house, but be forewarned not every table in the house is just a table (some of them move). When I go to Rimsky’s I am always delighted by Charlotte Perkins Gillman peeking her head out of the yellow wallpaper and I always order the Raspberry Fool. They really do have some of the best treats in town. Check out their blog to see what’s new.

Andina Portland has a variety of international flavors and Andina brings the flavors of Peru to the Northwest. Located in The Pearl at 1314 NW Glisan it has an extensive menu of tapas that you can share, and a dinner menu with Peruvian inspired dishes. The restaurant usually has live jazzy music and wonderful service. They even offer private dining for larger groups. The atmosphere is warm and glowing with soft light. There are so many choices on their menu that, like me, you will want to return again and again to this classy restaurant to try all they have to offer. Check out their website here.

Historic Columbia River HWY If you’re seeking a little adventure and scenic beauty take a leisurely drive on the Historic Columbia HWY. To plan the trip that’s just right for you go to their website. I recommend accessing the highway in Corbett, OR by taking exit 22 off of I-84. You can stop at the Crown Point Vista House to take in the view and then make your way East stopping at the waterfalls along the way. Of course one of the highlights is Multnomah Falls which is the 2nd tallest waterfall in the US. If you want more than scenery I recommend any of the trails that can be found at the individual falls there are several wonderful hikes that will give you new views of the falls. For a great adventure and a little romance I recommend Horsetail and Ponytail Falls. Ponytail falls is unique because the trail cuts behind the waterfall. It’s a refreshing way to stay cool on a hot day.

Kelly Burbidge is a local Portland artist and teacher. You can see her mosaics at Triskel Studios and can follow her on twitter. When she has the opportunity she teaches art classes or works on improving her skills as a photographer.

It started with a Google Search…

For my 2nd blogiversary post, I looked through Google Analytics to find the wackiest things people had googled to get to my site. The one that had me nearly crying with laughter was the person who had googled: “My girlfriend gave me harpies.”

Of course, he ended up at this post: No wonder harpies are so angry. In it, I explain that any female with lack of proper breast support is going to be pretty irritable.

Then it was an idea…

So I pinged my friend Jared from Head Injury Theater because I thought it would be hilarious to have a picture of that search.  And if you’ve seen Jared’s work, you know exactly why he’s the artist for the job!

This painting cracks me up even more than the Google search did!

Then I saw this article…

Evan Marc Katz, a great dating coach for women, posted this link on his Twitter. It’s a story about a guy who met a cool girl, had sex with her unprotected, and then learned THE NEXT DAY that she had herpes.

We can certainly laugh about harpies on your junk, but herpes is real and it isn’t a joke. Put on a raincoat before you go someplace wet, okay guys?

It did get me thinking, however.  On one of the news sites I read, there were the usual comments from people who were just now learning of the movie’s premise – that it have some new, younger Ghostbusters at the helm.  One commenter summed a popular opinion up in eight words: “A new class is never a good idea.” Contrary as I am, I decided to come up with a few examples to prove it wrong.

But first, what makes a successful new class?  As you’ll see, I’m pulling examples from all genres, but I think there’s one common link that ups the chances: a respectable amount of time between the old and new classes.  That’s why most shows that literally have a “new class” – Saved By the Bell TNC, I’m looking at you – fail: because it’s often a delicate balance of charisma that leads to a successful TV show or movie, and most “new classes” or spinoffs are simply trying to capitalize on an already popular show.  A new, fledgling project will almost always look bad when a wildly popular property is still fresh in everyone’s minds.  There are exceptions to every rule, though, as you’ll see…

• Degrassi TNG -I know; most of you have never seen either the old or new incarnations of this Canadian teen drama, notable for using actual teens as (sometimes shaky) actors.  This series did it right, though.  They waited a respectable amount of time – in this case, until the baby of a teen mother from the original series would be entering junior high herself – and they managed to integrate a few of the original characters in such a way that it was a respectable tip of the hat to the old series whilst still cutting its own path.  The old Degrassi shows with the core cast ran from 1987-1991; TNG began in 2001 and is still going strong, long enough for people to be whining about the ‘new’ new class at least twice.

• Maverick – Okay, I might be fudging a little on the definition of “new class,” but the movie Maverick featured the original Mav, James Garner, in addition to the new and shiny Mel Gibson.  And it did so in a relatively clever way.

• Saved By the Bell – No, I’m not talking about Saved By the Bell, The New Class. I’m talking about the original Saved By the Bell, which was kind of a “new class” (okay, fine, modified) version of Good Morning, Miss Bliss.  Those ancient eps of SBTB when the kids are in junior high and Hayley Mills was the teacher?  That was later syndicated as Saved By the Bell, but it was originally an entirely different show, set in a different state, no less.  But I’m going to count it, because there was still Screech and Zack and Mr. Belding.  But give them a few years to blossom into full-fledged teens, add some eye candy like Slater and Kelly, and a true teen phenomenon was born.

• Angel – Remember when Angel was “just a Buffy spinoff”?  Sure, it had its share of crossover cameos, but soon it managed to stand on its own two feet, even as Buffy continued to pummel the airwaves.  Truly impressive, as well as breaking the “wait a respectable amount of time” rule.

• Star Trek TNG -Star Trek was much beloved for many years before Patrick Stewart decided to “Make it so.”  For some, no new incarnation could ever earn its place in their hearts… and yet TNG did, for many.  The cult following of the old Star Trek lent TNG some immediate media attention and knowledge, but it had to earn its place regardless.  I don’t think I would be wrong in saying that TNG ultimately earned its place as an equal drama, and not just a “spinoff.”  I mean, people actually have debates about whether Kirk or Picard was the better captain – true debates, with each side populated equally.  No small feat.