MADdy's TV

And in the end...

2009-11-04T18:10:00.011-05:00

So this is the end. Actually, it was the end back in July, I just never got around to making it official until now. (Why do I feel like I'm breaking up with someone? It's not you, blog, it's me.) I started this blog about six months after I contracted a long-term illness that basically turned my previously wonderful life of school, sports, and friends into a never ending loop of sleeping, taking meds, and going to doctor's appointments. I had started watching a lot of TV and as I began to (ever-so-slightly, with plenty of setbacks along the way) improve, I decided that having a project wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. So I, like so many angsty teenagers before me, took to the internets. (And to be fair to myself here, I tried to keep the complaining to a minimum and the focus mainly on TV.)

Fast-forward to about a year later, and my improvement progressed to the point where I had the energy to hang out with friends more, to leave my dark basement and go be a part of the world. I don't know what your friends are like, but mine are awesome, and being around them is as good for me as any medicine. So with my time and energy being taken up mostly by friends (and school), I posted less and less.

At the end of this summer, with college application season fast approaching, I decided to call it quits once and for all. I said goodbye to the blog (in my head, not actually on the blog-- that's what this is) and cut back on my TV watching (although I did see all of The West Wing during a particularly rough stretch of illness this fall and oh my goodness that is an amazing show. Like right after Veronica Mars on a list of my favorites amazing. Crackling dialogue plus a terrific cast plus politics? Yes, please.)

So now we're in November, and I'm in the midst of the crazy. Maybe at some point I'll take up blogging again, but for now this is it. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and to comment. Bye!

In which I request some TV guidance

2009-07-18T00:10:00.006-04:00

I have decided it is time for me to start watching Battlestar Galactica. My brother will be very displeased with this, as he wants me to watch Lost (we even watched the pilot together). But he is at camp and can't do anything about it and I feel the need for some outer space (there's a reason why Firefly is my favorite Joss Whedon show). My question is, how do I go about doing this? I know there's a mini-series and some half-seasons and well, what's up, guys? What is the order?

So it wasn't horrible...

2009-07-08T13:24:00.007-04:00

Alright, I was wrong. Despite my best intentions, I found myself being entertained by 10 Things I Hate About You. I even laughed a few times. Shocking, right? I guess this is why you shouldn't make judgments on a new series based solely on a promo. Now this show isn't doing anything new or revolutionary, and there certainly are weak spots (little sister Bianca in particular is beyond annoying), but the writing isn't bad (especially considering it's on ABC Family) and the cast is generally strong (although I guess we'll have to see about Ethan Peck as Patrick- he didn't have much to do in the pilot beyond smirking and staring). Darn it, I may actually like this show.

10 Reasons Why 10 Things I Hate About You is Going to Suck (based entirely on the promo)

2009-06-22T15:33:00.010-04:00

The new ABC Family show 10 Things I Hate About Your can't win. Here are 10 reasons why, but before we begin, a brief history of my relationship with the movie:

I was 12 when I first saw it. I became convinced that paddle boats and paintball would be the perfect first date. I couldn't wait to have my own complicated romantic saga that culminated in the perfect make-out session while a band played on the roof of my (strangely, but awesomely) castle-like school. So if I seem a little harsh and assume-the-worst-y at times, remember that we're talking about a show based on one of my favorite movies ever. Without further ado, the list:

1. The movie, despite (and also because of) all of its cliches, was undeniably high school, but it had the added pedigree of being based on a Shakespeare play. But the structure of a play (and a movie) is very different than the structure of a TV show. Without this driving plot the show will likely dissolve into yet another teen soap that never goes anywhere. Will they-won't they works in movies because you know that in 90 minutes or so, they will, and that will be it. Here, we're going to have to suffer through however many years ABC Family can squeeze out of this thing of will they-won't they-oh they almost did, but something got in the way-look, here's a disposable love interest as a fake barrier- oh here's another disposable love interest as a fake barrier- hey, it's a declaration of love foiled by bad timing- oh they're together but will it last? crap. And we have not one, but two "perfect for each other" couples that will go through all of this.

2. IMDb shows no Bogie Lowenstien.

3. The TV Cameron is awful. This is especially painful for me because I loved Movie Cameron. Movie Cameron was dorky, but sweet and well meaning. Movie Cameron even occasionally stood up for himself. Movie Cameron was also hot. In fact, my misguided 12-year-old self thought Cameron was more attractive than Heath Ledger's Patrick the first time I saw the movie. (It was something about Heath Ledger's hair. I didn't approve of the hair.) But although my 12-year-old self was wrong in the hotness ranking, the fact remains that Movie Cameron was a very appealing character. TV Cameron, on the other hand, looks to be a pathetic, annoying nuisance. In the movie it's obvious that Bianca should be with Cameron. But with TV Cameron, I can see why she'd stay away. Now, to be fair, I am basing this assumption on the two seconds of him saying, "I love you" in a whiny voice just after Bianca has left his earshot. That seems like something a lot of "nice guys" do in TV and movies now a days, and they need to cut it out. It's obnoxious. Movie Cameron was nice without being a pushover (remember, it was his plan that set the whole plot in motion). TV Cameron is just a loser that probably doesn't deserve to get his dream girl.

4. It's based on a beloved movie (and if you're laughing at that statement, you don't know many teenage girls), and therefore can only suffer in comparison.

5. The one -dimensional characters that provided most of the comic relief in the movie won't translate to TV, because the writers will want to flesh them out and give them backgrounds. Normally this would be a good thing, but I'm worried that in this case it will make the characters less funny.

6. Kat: Why are people afraid of you? Patrick: Why are people afraid of you? Oh wow, these kids are witty. Repeating the question- what a comeback! Sigh... Just awful, awful dialogue.

7. It's on ABC Family. Larry Miller, returning to his old role as the dad- the one potential bright spot, will probably be censored like crazy. And I will be shocked if the new guidance counselor writes porn when she's supposed to be helping students.

8. The actor playing Patrick doesn't look nearly tough enough. Ok, so this was almost a positive because I appreciate that these actors only look 3-5 years older than their characters as opposed to, say, 10. But if Patrick and Kat aren't believable as outsiders, as people who would conceivably be on the fringe, the whole thing falls apart. Granted, in no high school on Earth would Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger ever be marginalized. They just happened to sell this conceit much better than the two new leads (again, based on the promo) will. Also, a motorcycle? This guy cannot pull off a motorcycle. No high school student I know, even the most bad ass or rebellious or whatever, rides a motorcycle. We teenagers want cars that carry our friends and our stuff. If it looks cool that's certainly a bonus, but never the first priority.

9. During the promo voice over, "the other [sister] is determined to stand out," we see Kat wearing a black slouchy hat and holding a camera. If that's what ABC Family thinks constitutes "standing out," they obviously have not been in a high school lately. Artsy hipsters are all the rage.

10. There is no way Cameron's new sidekick will measure up to David Krumholtz.

It's just going to be terrible, ok? Trust me, no good can come of this. I mean, it will probably be a hit because "Secret Life of the Stupid Whiny Teenager" is also a hit (I keep seeing promos where the girl is like, "I'm a new mother in high school! I'm missing out on everything." Um, yeah. Get over yourself, you have a kid to take care of), but it will be a horrific show that I will ceaselessly mock. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to retreat to my basement and relive the glory of Bianca's hideous prom dress, Joey Donner's modeling, and Heath Ledger's rendition of "I Love You Baby."

Pushing Daisies (sob) Finale

2009-06-13T23:08:00.007-04:00

For an episode that was clearly conceived, written, and shot to end on a cliff hanger, the post-production team did an incredible job giving us a happy ending. Were this not the (originally mid-season but reconceived at the last second to be) series finale, I would complain about how easily all of the various threads were wrapped up, but my goodness that conclusion was perfect given the circumstances.

Pushing Daisies was such a marvelous little show that I hate to see it go (and normally I would fix the unintentional rhyme there, but considering the subject matter I think it's alright). Sure it was quirky, out there, and more than a tad bit twee, but Pushing Daisies was pure happiness bottled into 42 minutes a week and I wish more people could have warmed to it. But that's all over now, so I'll let Jim Dale and the wonderful ending voice over do the talking:

"At that moment in the town of Coeur d'Coeurs, events occurred that are not, were not, and should never be considered an ending. For endings, as it is known, are where we begin."

So I Wish I Could Dance

2009-06-11T11:36:00.007-04:00

But I can't, which is why it's so fun watching other people show off their skills.

Here we go:

Jeanine and Phillip. At first I thought Phillip was paired with Janette, who annoys me to no end, and was extremely distraught. Thankfully, I was incorrect. I like Jeanine, even though I have no memory of her existing until last night. Tabitha and Napoleon were obviously trying to follow up last year's week one sensation, Katee and Joshua's "No Air" with another emotional hip hop routine, and while this one didn't pack quite the punch, it did the trick.

Asuka and Vitolio. Oh, they are so screwed.

Karla and Jonathan. I watched the show last night with my friends Lily, Alex, and Emmett. This is the approximate conversation that went on during Karla and Jonathan's dance:

Me: Who are these people?
Lily: Who knows? Wow, that guy looks really young.
Me: Aw, he's cute.
Lily: Wait, how old is he? Is this wrong that I think he's cute?
Emmett: They all have to be 18. You're fine.
Lily: Phew. *pause* Oh my gosh, what is he wearing? Is that mesh?
Me: Nipples! You can see his nipples!
Emmett: That's... kind of strange.
Lily: Boys, take note, NEVER WEAR MESH.
Me: Wow, I can't focus on the dancing, now all I can see are the nipples.
*pause*
Alex: Um, can we go now?

Randi and Evan. As a vertically challenged person myself (I'm small but mighty, bitch), it was great to see the shorties hitting their number out of the park.

Paris and Tony. We had another discussion about costumes during this one, the moral of the story being that leather zip off pants are never ok. Beyond that, the Tabitha-Napoleon choreography was bad (this show needs to get other choreographers when they don't want love story hip hop) and I don't really like either dancer. Pass.

Caitlin and Jason. Ok, part of this may have to do with the fact that I think Jason is extremely attractive, but I really enjoyed it. Also, Bollywood's a crowd pleaser (especially when the song is from "Slumdog Millionaire") even though, as guest judge Adam Shankman pointed out, they were most definitely out of sync for part of the time. [Waaayy off topic: I was watching the Buffy musical episode for about the zillionth time last week and I saw that Adam Shankman choreographed it and and AND he was in the background dancing during the scene where Anya and Xander were arguing after they had their big number. So that was exciting.]

Jannette and Brandon. Ewww, I really don't like her. I can't really explain why, I just don't. I can already tell that Jannette is going to be the subject of my irrational hatred this season (remember when I hated Brooke on Idol? Sigh, good times.) Also, while I can appreciate a good foxtrot, they're not exactly exciting to watch, which I'm sure will hurt them where voting is concerned. But that's ok- Jannette can be sent home and Brandon can get a new-non annoying partner. Or they could do something crazy with the rules and invent a loophole that will bring Natalie back. Because that was so not fair.

Ashley and Kupono. This Wade Robson routine was weird, but in the best possible way. I loved the crash test dummy concept (which immediately made me think of the crash test dummy episode of Pushing Daisies, which made me happy because that's what that show does to me and then sad a second later because I remembered it was canceled.) The end of the dance especially, when they ran off stage together holding hands followed by the sound of a crash and a tire rolling onstage, made me smile. And hey, Kupono got a haircut! Good call on that one, buddy.

Melissa and Ade. See I think I would have liked this more if the judges hadn't overpraised it. Because it was a very nice contemporary number, but I think you need to see something like the table dance, or Bleeding Love, or the doorway routine before you start busting out the word special.

Kayla and Max. Samba! In the Latin dance battle, I declare these two the winner over Karla and Jonathan. Oh and Kayla is so going to be the girl that Nigel pervs over this year. I mean, they all will get the Nigel Ogling Eye, but she will be his special favorite.

Overall, fun, fun, fun. Except that the mute button on my remote is broken. Mary Murphy, please, spare my ears!

When You're A Spy...

2009-06-05T15:55:00.010-04:00

...Starting a new season is like going back to summer camp. You're excited to see your old friends, can't wait to make some new ones, and it's always hot, hot, hot. Yesterday's episode was a fairly normal episode of Burn Notice, but even normal episodes of Burn Notice are pretty freaking awesome. Next week we get introduced to this season's Carla, the character who will intermittently make trouble for Micheal, Fi, and Sam. Except instead of being a mysterious agent with no morals, it's a cop, "played by 'Terminator Salvation's' Moon Bloodgood." Since I haven't seen "Terminator Salvation," I have no idea if I'm going to like this person, but I'm excited nonetheless (because let's face it, I'm always excited). Side note: Isn't Moon Bloodgood a really cool name?

And because this isn't really worthy of it's own post, let me just mention that SOAPnet (ugh, what an annoying name. If I ever have to talk about it again I'm gong to spell it Soap Net, like any normal person would. It's like SyFy...) constantly shows reruns of The O.C. and right now they're at the beginning of season one (aka when the show was actually good). So I've been DVRing that. It's so nice to go back to a time when Marissa didn't ruin everything and Caitlin hadn't magically aged.

Summer TV

2009-05-29T17:09:00.004-04:00

Ah, summer. Instead of spending my time doing homework, I'll be going to the pool, learning to drive (hopefully...), and flying across the country to see friends and family. Oh, and I'll also be watching TV. Since most of the shows that I watch are done for the season, I'm trying to figure out what is going to fill the empty void inside me that only TV can satiate.

Here's what I've got so far:

So You Think You Can Dance. This show is pretty much fantastic. Even though one of the judges conveys her approval by screaming, SYTYCD is one of the best reality shows out there. The dances are amazing, the contestants talented and generally likable, and host Cat Deeley can do no wrong. Last week a contestant went in to hug her but stopped because he was sweaty and didn't want to ruin her clothes. She proceeded to grab him and give him a big hug, exclaiming, "Dry cleaning! Dry cleaning! Dry cleaning!" How can you not love someone like that? (Wednesdays and Thursdays, started last week)

Burn Notice. Last season ended when burned spy Micheal Weston jumped out of a helicopter. Into the ocean. Let me repeat that, he freaking JUMPED OUT OF A HELICOPTER. INTO THE OCEAN. Micheal Weston is the epitome of awesome (well, him and Barney Stinson), and his friends Sam and Fi aren't bad either. I should also add that this show is very educational. Last season Micheal taught the audience how to bullet-proof a car with phone books, among other things. (Side note: If you're bored, trying talking like Micheal Weston. My brother and I do this occasionally. "When you're a spy [crazy cool spy action] is like [simple, everyday action]." It's quite fun.) (June 4)

Lost. Aforementioned brother is obsessed with this show and insists that I watch it. Which I will (because apperently it's good or something?), but I must admit that I am a bit frightened. As in, I think this show is going to scare the crap out of me. (And if you tell me it's not scary, keep in mind that I was scared the first time I saw Mulan (I was six, but still). I was scared the first time I saw the Drew Barrymore Cinderella movie (Ever After, I think it was called), because there were some gypsies who were mean to Drew for like five seconds. When I saw Psycho, I made my friends tell me ahead of time when people were going to die and I was still scared. So yeah, I scare easily.) Still, I'm going to give Lost a try because it does look pretty cool and also because Johnny won't leave me alone until I do. (DVDs)

Battlestar Galactica. This was a show that I always thought I would get around to eventually, but it's looking like it might happen sooner rather than later because my friend Adam offered to lend me the DVDs. So, yes. Exciting. (DVDs)

10 Things I Hate About You. Yeah, they're making a TV show out of the movie. Personally I think this is a travesty, but I sort of have to see it. I am fully prepared to hate it, though. I mean, the movie is one of my all time favorites and the preview for the show looks kind of terrible. Check it out:

(July 7)

Psych. Sadly, this is not coming back until August. Until then, I plan on eating plenty of pinapples in its honor (Actually, I plan on eating lots of pineapples this summer because I love pineapples. But shhh...) (August 7)

Pushing Daisies. The final (*sob*) three episodes are airing Saturday nights, starting this weekend (when I will not be home, but that's not the point. I have a DVR.) Oh Piemaker, why didn't more people watch your adventures? (May 30)

That's what I've got so far. Anyone have other suggestions? After the jump.

"Adam deserves this"

2009-05-21T09:53:00.001-04:00

-Kris Allen, newest American Idol.

Indeed.

Glee: At least the music was good...

2009-05-20T11:56:00.009-04:00

I'm right in the demo for this one: young, female, and a huge musical fan. And I wanted to love it so badly. In fact, when I saw the promos, I thought I was going to, but alas, that was not the case. Don't get me wrong, I loved the music (was that the Austin Powers theme being sung a capella?) But the rest of the show was a disappointment.

Maybe my school is too big to support such rigid hierarchies (it could also be that most of our sports teams suck and that the math/science/comp. sci. magnet is what brings attention to the school), but Glee's portrayal of high school did not ring true at all. In my school, if one group of kids hates another, they just ignore them. No nailing lawn furniture to roofs or throwing eggs. And playing sports doesn't automatically mean you're a jerk (take it from a former (and future, if I ever get better) athlete) just like being into music doesn't make you a loser. Most people have friends outside of their main "group" and they don't feel the need to make excuses for talking to them. Sure there's resentment and sure there's drama, but Glee was like the embodiment of every high school stereotype. Sorry, end of mini-rant. It just bothers me when middle-aged men put "clever" observations into their teenage characters' mouths ("Being anonymous is worse than being poor") and don't bother to have them behave anything like real teenagers.

But I did love the music. The last few minutes had me grinning like the Cheshire cat.

Finale Fun

2009-05-19T14:19:00.013-04:00

In which I (briefly, and in no particular order) discuss the finales I've watched.

Chuck: There are no words. Well, maybe one: AWESOME.

Scrubs: It was perfect. Cried like a baby. Brother made fun of me.

The Office: Love. Made me laugh and gave me warm-fuzzies. What more could I ask for?

Fringe: Still hate Anna Torv. Still love Walter and Peter. Last shot was intense.

House: WTF?

Bones: See above.

The Big Bang Theory: I may not love the show, but I sure do love Sheldon.

30 Rock: "We sure had quite a year." "What are you talking about? It's May." Hee.

How I Met Your Mother: Not as funny or as epic as I was hoping it would be (remember the season 2 finale?), but the Barney/Robin stuff was great.

Castle: Kinda like this show. Nothing revolutionary, but quite entertaining.

Dollhouse: The second to last episode was better, but I still have hope for next year (and am still reeling from the revelation that there will be a next year). Alan Tudyk is a god.

Better Off Ted: This show has made me laugh more than anything else on TV lately.

Parks and Recreation: Still not loving it, as much as I want to.

SNL: Having Amy back at the Update desk made my life. Also making my life: Celebrity Jeopardy (minus Kristin Wiig's Kathy Lee Gifford. Love Kristen, hate the character).

HALLELUJAH

2009-05-16T11:18:00.008-04:00

This most aptly sums up my feelings about the news that Better Off Ted, Dollhouse, and (probably hopefully oh pretty please) Chuck are getting renewed.

That goodness combined with this HIMYM promo (ridiculously spoilery, btdubs) have made me a happy camper, boob tube wise. And since I'm about to go to my best friend's dance recital, the all around mood is quite excellent. In case you were wondering.

As soon as school is over and the craziness goes away, I will update you all on what I've been up to (and by what I've been up to, I mean what TV I've been watching) and other fascinating topics, including, but not limited to, why my new-found love for Buffy will never compare to my love for Veronica Mars. But for now I just wanted to say YAY.

If you're not watching Chuck, I don't think we can be friends

2009-04-07T19:55:00.016-04:00

Well, it's been a while. First I didn't blog because I was doing really well (health-wise, I mean) and I didn't have time (you know, there's so much to do out in the real world when you're not being hindered by constant exhaustion) and then I didn't blog because I was feeling so terribly that all I could do was lie on the couch and watch hour upon hours of Buffy (can you believe I'd never seen it before? I can't. But I'm really glad I hadn't, because I sure needed it during those few weeks).

But now I'm doing okish, which is better than horrible but still not quite as good as really well. I'm at my grandparents' house in California, and instead of finding and printing out something resembling a Haggadah to use for Passover tomorrow tonight (it's a long story...), I'm going to extole the virtues of Chuck. Why? Well, for one it's amazing, I love it, and why aren't you watching it? But for two, it's because TV blog Give Me My Remote has declared this "Chuck Week" and is encouraging people to spread the word about this delightful little show (Does anyone else get this song stuck in their head when they use the word delightful? Just me? Ok.)

Anyway (I swear if I was being graded on this my english teacher would cross out the first two paragraphs and write GET TO THE POINT in red ink), Chuck is awesome. And it really should have more viewers. So watch it. Let's go through the list:

Do you like action? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like comedy? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like romance? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like hilarious fake bands? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like indie-rock scored montages from the master of all indie-rock montages? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like crazy fight scenes? WATCH CHUCK
Do you like really sweet opening credits? WATCH CHUCK
Do you you have a Neilson Box and therefore have some power in whether or not Chuck gets a third season? FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, PLEASE WATCH CHUCK

Bones: Insert Insult Here

2009-02-10T18:38:00.011-05:00

So last week the forces of the universe (or whatever) were like, "Hey, Maddy's been doing pretty well lately. She's starting to feel a little better. Wait, that's not right. Hm, ok, HAVE A VIRUS. You know, sore throat, runny nose, violent cough, the whole nine yards. Ah, there we go. Back to normal..."

Which is why I haven't posted lately. I realize I've got (if I'm figuring this correctly) two episodes of The Office, two American Idols (Hollywood week!), two Scrubs, Chuck in 3D, House, How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, and a couple of others to cover, but I'm going to start playing catch-up by ranting about last week's Bones.

Basically, this second attempt at a Gravedigger episode (so-called because of the serial killer the hour centered around) highlighted everything that is currently wrong with this show. The season two episode "Aliens in a Spaceship" where the Gravedigger made her first appearance is probably the highlight of the show to date. It featured a compelling mystery (even though it was left open-ended), all of the regulars in essential and interesting roles, and the forward movement of a character arc (in this case the Angela-Hodgins romance which has since fallen apart Don't Even get me started on that).

This episode featured, in no particular order, these following heresies:

-A GHOST. I'm sorry, if they really wanted Booth to have someone to talk to while he was "buried," they should have put someone on that ship with him (and I hate to bring up Zach again (no I don't), but if he were still a member of the team he would have been the perfect person to get buried with Booth). Having it be a "ghost" from Booth's past (and someone whose death he felt responsible for at that) seems like such a last-ditch attempt to get us more invested in Booth's personal life. (And then they tried to draw us in more by revealing Booth's son Parker was named after our dear ghostie...) First last episode's hockey ghost telling him, "You are not your father, you are not your father, you are not you father..." and now this. Note to showrunners everywhere: ghosts are never a good idea. Not only are they ineffective, they reek of desperation and a lack of imagination.

-An anti-climatic resolution. We've been waiting for the team to catch the Gravedigger for two seasons now. And the way they figure out the identity of this terrible villain mastermind is by noticing that she has broken ribs? While she is right there in front of them in the lab? Are you kidding me?? That's so boring. Where were all of the chase scenes and pyrotechnics that made the previous "big" episodes so engaging and suspenseful? What, did they run through the budget renting out an ice rink and recruiting a pro hockey player last episode so Boreanez could get his kicks?

-The story-line was all over the place. I bitch at procedurals, but honestly, in any crime show, some of the stuff has to be procedural. The story has to arc. There have to be acts definitive enough to be recognizable even if there weren't commercials there to signify ACT BREAK. I honestly don't remember any of the clues or steps that lead to the conclusion that the Gravedigger must have broken ribs. The episode was jumping back and forth without any particular rhyme or reason. Not only that, but the emotional stakes were practically non-existant. I just didn't care.

-I hate Brennan hitting that lady over, even if she was the Gravedigger. Despite what Jack Bauer might tell you, torture is never effective (just ask Micheal Weston) and vengeful violence after the fact is not any better. To be completely honest, the only character I still give a crap about is Hodgins (and ok, I like Sweets too, but only because I am forever loyal to Sam Weir). And that's not thanks to the writing. That's all T.J. Thyne. So my question is, can we get him his own show and leave Bones to complete its creative death march?

Happy Super Bowl Day!

2009-02-01T16:42:00.005-05:00

Don't really have much to say, but seeing as this is the biggest TV day of the year...

I'll be rooting for the Cardinals, because I gotta root for the underdogs. Although as a Cubs fan it's going to be a little bit strange, even if the baseball Cardinals and the football Cardinals have nothing to do with each other.

But I'll be fine! Go CardiahhohnoIcan'tdoit...

Just FYI

2009-01-31T15:55:00.015-05:00

I've been messing around with the HTML, so if everything looks a bit funky, please be patient, I'm working on it.

4:45 Ok new template is up! Now where did my feedburner widget go?

5:39 AGGGG recent posts and comments not showing up... Help?

6:14 So. It looks pretty, but it doesn't completely work.

6:30 I have made a decision. Going to keep the template in the hopes that someone will help me iron out the kinks, despite the fact that anyone who clicks on "recent articles" or "recent comments" won't see anything show up.

Now back to your regularly scheduled TV blogging...

6:57 Ok I lied. I'm still trying to fix it. But blogger is being impossible and I know at least some of this isn't my fault.

8:25 IT'S WORKING. Hells to the yes!

Anna Torv is a block of wood

2009-01-28T18:11:00.003-05:00

That is the only lasting impression I got from last night's episode of Fringe. She's just so cold, so boring, so stiff. I really want to like Fringe, honestly I do. I've gotten over it being an X-Files rip-off and am trying to take it for what it is-- a somewhat entertaining sci-fi show featuring two very enjoyable performances (Joshua Jackson, whose chemistry with Torv's character's sister last night in their brief scenes far surpassed the producers-of-the-show-want-it-to-be-there-but-it's-not chemistry going on between him and Torv, and John Noble, whose character's whims and tangents continue to amuse). It's just so hard to like a show with such an uncharismatic lead. Sigh. I miss Scully.

Scrubs: Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

2009-01-28T13:01:00.015-05:00

The "life lesson" at the end of the first episode ("My ABC's") of last night's Scrubs twofer was that you can learn practically anything from Sesame Street. My family laughed at that because, despite my mother's immense love for the Muppets (Grover in particular), I was never allowed to watch Sesame Street. TV was banned when I was little, except for the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the occasional sports game (and my brother and I were allowed to watch movies, but only on Friday and Saturday nights, and only after 5 p.m.) Things have really changed in our house...

I'm still loving Scrubs this season. I read an interview with Bill Lawrence where he said he and the writers compromised on JD and Elliot-- he agreed that they could get back together only if there wasn't much drama surrounding them as a couple. Maybe it's just me, but as a loyal JD/Elliot fan, I'm glad that the drama there will be minimal. So to me it doesn't sound like much a of compromise so much as him giving in. But I'm not going to complain-- JD and Elliot are back together and all is right with the(ir) world.

My only real complaint (and it's more of an inevitable evil of a smaller budget rather than something preventable) with last night's episodes is concerning the lack of Ted. His sad-sack antics have provided many, many laughs so far this season. But hey, an upcoming episode is entitled "My Lawyer's in Love" so I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of Ted then.

I'm not even going to rag on ABC for moving Scrubs to a different time-slot. Season eight has been completed, so even if there's more schedule shifting (hee, reminds me of shift switching), we'll see all of the episodes some way or another.

P.S. The song at the end of the second episode ("My Cookie Pants") is "I'd Rather Be With You" by Joshua Radin (another factoid for you-- his song "Winter" was used at the end of the legendary season three episode "My Screw-Up").
I always feel cool when I recognize the songs playing during episode-ending montages...
Update: Apparently Joshua Radin also did the cover of the Sesame Street theme song at the end of the first episode. Swizzles.
Update, take 2: Here's the clip with the song in it. You can convert it to mp3 format if you want to play it on your iPod.

2 Things (part dos)

2009-01-25T11:22:00.006-05:00

1. Nearly every review about the new show Lie to Me compares it to The Mentalist. Everyone seems to have forgotten that The Mentalist is a complete rip-off of Psych...

2. Where can I get the Chuck 3-D glasses? My mom has gone to a bunch of grocery stores to no avail and no one has been answering the phone at the number they gave (I've called a couple of times, too). I want to be able to watch Chuck in 3-D!!

P.S. I didn't post this past week because I had a fair amount of school work keeping me busy. And starting next week, I will be taking another class in school. Good for me, potentially not so good for the blog. We shall have to see how the extra work affects my posting frequency...

Skins DVD!

2009-01-22T15:38:00.014-05:00

So I finally saw Slumdog Millionaire yesterday and it was AMAZING. I had wanted to see it ever since I heard Dev Patel (Anwar from Skins) played a major role, and the movie did not disappoint. Seriously, go see it. I promise you will be raving about it for weeks. Anyhoo, Slumdog Millionaire and all of its fabulousness is a good segue into my next topic, the Skins DVD.

Get ready for some unabashed Skins loving.

Did you know that Skins is out on DVD? True story. So normally I don't write about DVDs, but Liz from American Pop contacted me after she read my Skins post from a couple months ago and asked me to help get the word out. Which, considering how much I love Skins, I am more than happy to do.

I wrote about the show way back in September (same link as above, which is a hint that you really should read that post because I go into far more detail than I'm going to do here), but here are a few key points:

-It's basically like Gossip Girl on crack, minus the wealth and the high society element. These are just regular teenagers, engaging in the same type of behavior that has made parents cringe since the beginning of time. The difference between this show and other shows like Dawson's Creek or 9021-- (sorry, just writing the name of that show makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit) is that on Skins, there aren't always lessons learned. Like I said before, no Very Special Episodes here.

-British accents! Isn't that enough of a reason in it of itself?

-The music is fantastic. MGMT, Bloc Party, TV on the Radio, it's all good. (I actually don't know how much of the music is going to be on the DVD-- often music rights are not extended to the DVDs, but at least some of it should be intact.)

-Each episode is named after, and focuses on, one (and occasionally two) characters. This format allows for different perspectives and lots of character development all around.

Bottom line, it's a little bit of a guilty pleasure and at times somewhat absurd (particularly during the second season, although this DVD only includes the first-- and better-- season), but overall it's a fun, interesting, and sometimes disturbingly real (well, it doesn't disturb me, but it sure as hell would disturb my parents) show about teenagers.

You can buy the DVD here.

P.S. If you need an episode to get you hooked, watch Cassie (episode 2). Here's a clip from her episode (watch 0:57 to 2:22).

Midweek roundup: Idol and Scrubs

2009-01-15T11:44:00.006-05:00

A couple of Idol thoughts:

JASON CASTRO'S BROTHER IS ON THE SHOW! It's fairly obvious that he has no training (he did admit that he just started singing a month ago), but he has a good voice, so hopefully Castro the Younger will be around for a while. Remember how much I loved Jason and his inability to string words together last year? That is how much I love Micheal Castro already.

Oh, and I like the new judge.

And because I'm lazy and don't feel like writing another Scrubs post, I'm going to take this opportunity to squee about Elliot and J.D. Ready? THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER!!!!!! And although, not gonna lie, I would have been happy to see them dating again even if it happened in a really stupid way, the fact that they've both clearly grown up and will hopefully get things right this go-around just adds to my happiness.

HIMYM- Poor Barney

2009-01-13T18:13:00.002-05:00

Can we please just give Neil Patrick Harris his Emmy already? He was both hilarious and heartbreaking last night. After Robin misunderstood his "I love you" I just wanted to give him a big hug. Also, I wanted to give Ted a hug and a huge THANK YOU for being totally cool about and even encouraging of Barney's feelings for Robin. Teddy Boy has often been such a douche in the past, but I completely loved him last night. You know what, I'm in a good mood, why don't we just give hugs to everybody? Lily gets one for "My cuteness interferes with my message." And Marshall gets one for being part of a story line that involves the root of all evil (Spencer and Heidi), and yet somehow doesn't make me want to smash my head into a wall. Yay, hugs all around!

In other news, two new Scrubs tonight. And this little thing you may have heard of call American Idol.

On the one hand...

2009-01-12T18:32:00.003-05:00

On the one hand, How I Met Your Mother is on tonight.

On the other hand, Spencer Pratt and Hedi Montag are guest starring, along with a bunch of other fame whores that I've never heard of, and I make a point to ignore people like that.

On the other other hand, apperently they're appearing on a magazine cover that comes to life (to Marshall, at least), so it seems their damage will be minimal.

On the one hand, Ted and Robin are going to sleep together again, and I reallllly thought we were done with that.

On the other hand, hopefully Barney's jealousy will come through and we'll be one step closer to Barney and Robin as a couple.

On the other other hand, Ted and Robin??? AGAIN?????

On all of my hands (how many are we up to by now?), it's a new HIMYM. I'm there.

2 Things

2009-01-10T11:50:00.003-05:00

1. Psych was AHMAZING. "Thesealion. What is that, French?"

2. Neil Patrick Harris is hosting SNL tonight!!!!!

Psych tonight!

2009-01-09T17:22:00.006-05:00

So a couple of months ago I was watching House on USA when a promo for Psych came on. There was a guy doing a snoopy dance. I recorded it. I watched it. It was funny. And then I watched some more episodes and got completely hooked and ended up watching every single other episode.

Psych isn't a deep or important show, but it's freaking hilarious. Trust me. Just watch it (tonight at 10 on USA which for me is channel 550 but who know what it is for you)!

Also, if you have tips on getting "The Bare Necessities" out of your head, please post them in the comments section. We were discussing Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" in history class today, which naturally led to discussion of "The Jungle Book" and that of course led us to all sing songs from the Disney version. We are just so mature.

Anyhoo. Here are some things to get you psyched for the show tonight:

An interview from TWoP with James Roday (Shawn) and Dulé Hill (Gus)

A Psych countdown calendar from USA

An EW "10 Reasons Why We Love It" list

A quick rundown by Maureen Ryan plus a couple of clips from tonight's episode