TV Times

Bonjour kittens, have you missed me?

Let’s see, what’s been happening? Hmmm. So many exciting, life changing events to share… My eldest child has started nursery school AND peed in a toilet (but only at said nursery school). My baby started walking last week. I’ve discovered President’s Choice Memories of Kashmir tandoori sauce. But if you’re looking for any type of real-life domestic drama then I’m afraid, for today at least, you’ve come to the wrong place.

You see, my name is Mother of all Mavens. And I am an addict.

(let’s hear it: “Hi, MOAM”)

My addiction? It’s called t-e-l-e-v-i-s-i-o-n.

It’s actually quite overwhelming. Or is it?! With my trusty PVR, no show is too lame to at least test-drive. And since we’re home practically every weeknight anyway, why the hell not, right? Sure, PVR may be my crack, but with the plethora of new fall shows, it’s an absolute must.

‘Cuz I’ve been glued to the tv nightly. Pausing, skipping through, and of course playing all the shows to my heart’s delight. And, mes amis, there are many. Where to begin? True blues? New faves? Oh what the hell – here they are, cheese and all.

First off, my oldies (in 10 words, or less):
Grey’s Anatomy: still kinda soft, but still kinda love it.
Weeds: Genius.Way better than that other housewife show. GENIUS!
Prison Break: no longer just a pre-24 time-waster.
House: maybe getting a little tired.

Boston Legal: ditto.
But we’ll keep ’em both. For now.

Forgive me, but we aren’t a “Lost” house. We’ve tried, but it ain’t for us. Missed The Office boat and feel it’s too late to climb aboard. Don’t get Earl – is dumb the new funny? Not at our house. CSI, Law & Order. Blah blah blah. Why waste precious PVR time on shows airing 24/7? Tony Zuiker and Dick Wolf may as well have their own specialty channels. Oh wait, they kinda do: NBC and CBS.

Yeah, we’ve skipped the top models, the amazing races, the dances with the stars. Big Brother, Big Losers and any kind of spouse-swapping show has also passed us by. We’re giving Survivor a miss this year too. How many morons does it take to outsmart a moron? Erm, who cares?

We missed Smith, but tried Shark. Watched Brothers and Sisters, and ditched It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

It seems 2006 is the year of the “from-the-creators-of” series. Those are the true buzzy shows. From the lame trio: Celebrity Duets, The Class, and Men in Trees (no Idol, Friends or Sex in the City, respectively) to the knock-your-socks-offs: Studio 60, Six Degrees, Heroes (West Wing, Lost, Crossing Jordan). Studio’s a must-see: very sharp and clever. Six Degrees is potentially compelling, and definitely worth a second look.

And then there’s Heroes. I probably should’ve started with this one, but instead have saved the best for last. Yup, it’s the reward for those of you who are still reading. Heroes is incredible. Admittedly, it’s not something I would’ve come to on my own. The whole “ordinary people discovering extraordinary abilities” thing didn’t turn my crank. But I was given the heads up on this one. An inside scoop. A friend of mine read a draft of the pilot and told me it was one of the best scripts he’d ever read. Still, ESP, stopping time, flying…That kinda stuff can go either way. Well, we tuned in. And it blew us away. People, trust me – it is awesome. Twisty and riveting and chilling. And there’s an encore presentation tonight.

I know, I know. You’re scratching your head in wonder, thinking “How does she do it”? Raising two kids, being a domestic goddess, pursuing a high-flyin’ career, watching a helluva lot of tv… Well, I have help. And my career is stalled. And, need I mention it yet again? PVR.

Still to come: Ugly Betty, 24, Idol. And where the hell is Nip/Tuck? Anyone? Anyone? I know our American cousins get it. Where’s our slice of the pie?!

6 comments:

Anonymous said…

Oh MOAM– a girl after my own (currently broken) heart. Sigh. But I digress. Spot on MOAM, spot on. The PVR is the delivery method of choice of the opiate of the masses. Sorta like the intravenous tube that supplies the morphine. But at least with the PVR, you can press the buttons as much as you want and the dosage is never limited! I have not yet watched HEROES (it’s in the ‘recorded’ list queue) and while I wouldn’t say it’s a shame you missed “Smith”– it might turn out to be. Who knew Virginia Madsen was that hot? Not the only reason to watch. But Shark over Smith? I saw that show already, when it was a movie called True Believer. As for the other one-named show of the season… “JUSTICE”… is anyone watching this? THE CLASS gets a pass (after 2 episodes). Not so zany and Jason Ritter is no Jack Tripper (r.i.p). BOSTON LEGAL continues to be refreshing if only for it’s “I don’t give a f**k” style. It’s the weirdest show on network TV. “Studio 60” is a tv-head’s wet dream– good tv that’s ABOUT tv? Hello. This is the show Sports Night was and should’ve been. And quoting the pilot ep. of Mary Tyler Moore (a show the MOAM has never seen– and she calls herself a tv afficionado!)– brilliant! SIX DEGREES– definitely worth a 3-ep commitment– hope they can sustain. And anyone that can make both Hope Davis and Campbell Scott non-annoying deserves a prize. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES seems back on track– and this season promises a whole lot more o’ Edie– and there ain’t nothing wrong with that. I hope they get her playing some naked croquet– maybe Bill Devane can guest as her dad! Upcoming… UGLY BETTY (bien sure!) TWENTY GOOD YEARS (John Lithgow & Jeffrey Tambor– the old school sitcom just may be back!) THE NINE (is it all concept– or is it the real deal? And I guess it’s over between Audrey & Jack on “24”) I haven’t yet found my “HOMEFRONT”/”WIOU”/”THRESHHOLD” show yet– y’know the one you LOVE that’s actually GOOD but gets canned anyway? But when I do, I’ll let you know. By the way– right outta left field comes BATTLESTAR GALACTICA– believe the hype! This is no sci-fi geeks only show– there’s mythology and action and humour and damn, it’s good. Catch up on DVD and get your PVR a-whirring for Season 3. And yes, I’m serious. I will have more 2 cents soon– as I continue to watch and watch and watch.

1:53 PM

Anonymous said…

And furthermore… to continue, fair MOAM, and MOAM devotees… some more 2 cents for you. In consulting my local listings I realized I forgot a couple of the shows I watched…

JERICHO– let the walls come tumbling down… along with the ratings! Oh, America– you’ll probably make this show a hit. But like the posters… this one has BOMB all over it.

VANISHED– Banished. The lead guy’s better gay (from Queer as Folk), Ming Na (Deb/Xiao Me (sp?) from ER) was better as a doc. And you have better ways to spend your time.

KIDNAPPED– the OTHER kidnapping show– at least this one’s got some pedigree… Oscar winner Timothy Hutton, Emmy winner Dana Delaney (still wish Pasadena was on the air? I do), Delroy Lindo (don’t know if he’s won an award or not), Jeremy Sisto… the pilot was compelling and styly, but can it sustain?

5:10 PM

Anonymous said…

Thank g-d the reality TV black hole has come and gone. If we had not experienced it we would not have “lived on a island” not the “Gilligans Island”, been locked up with complete coniving strangers out to manipulate you to win with the world watching you turned into somthing less than human. Seen “has been celebrities” try to regain our hearts “not” and wondered if the geek would win over the stupid, vapid,blond, surgically inhanced play toy. Not to mention the show where people would eat things that are alive and sleep with rodents and six legged creaters etc.(not the human kind). Without this lesson on how low the average TV watchers IQ could go, we would not be watching these new, smart, whitty well written shows. Have we just woken up and demanded some quality stuff on regular cable? Why should HBO be the only store selling the drug at a premium? Cable TV needed a wake up call. Writers this is a message to you “We the People want to be treated like we have an IQ”.

5:43 PM

Anonymous said…