The Rundown
For as long as I can remember, I've been addicted to television. I've gone through times where there were only a couple of shows that I had to watch to what now feels like watching every damn thing that they put on! And I like the noise of television as I lack the ability to concentrate in silence, but somehow the radio or a CD just doesn't fit the bill. It helps being married to someone who shares the same addiction (which explains why there are two people and five televisions in the house). I hate when the power is out and I have to fall asleep in the silence instead of setting the timer and the t.v. going off after I've fallen asleep. And it sucks if I wake up in the middle of the night and have to try and fall back asleep (yes, I have been known to turn the t.v. back on and set the timer again). I guess that makes me a child of modern times. So here's watch I watch:
Heroes--The first couple of episodes of this show held great promise although it was apparent that show wasn't as good as it could be. Fortunately, it began to live up to it's promise. After the season finale of another favorite, Lost, I was amused at some of the message boards pitting the two shows against each other as if liking one precluded liking the other and listing how each show "failed" compared to the other. One of the biggest complaints against Heroes was it's rather tidy ending. Yes, there were questions left unanswered (Are Peter and Nathan dead? Is Matt going to make it? Is Sylar really, really dead? And who out there is a more evil villian than Sylar?), but the "main" story line resolved itself in preparation for the next challenge or impending doom. Well, that's the way the engineered this story and explains that a few minutes before the show wrapped for the season they boldly proclaimed "End Volume One" following by "Begin Volume Two". It seemed a simple enough concept for everyone to follow.....oh, that and the fact that they are entirely two different shows! Of course, the show begs the question: "Which power would you want to have?":o
Flying...No thanks, I'll pass
Ability to regenerate: Yes, this would be nice...a little creepy (Claire waking up during her autoposy), but very handy.
Reading Minds....Well, maybe. This could be a blessing and a curse. Really....do you want to know what everyone is thinking about you.
Communicating with Machines....Maybe I could finally get my computer to do what I wanted and the ability to get an ATM machine to just give you money....bonus.
Radioactivity...Yeah, think I'll be passing on this one as well.
Invisibility...Has possibilities.
Excelerated Learning & Memory....In the blessing & curse department. Some memories are really meant to fade.
Super, Super Strength...Not a bad choice, but I'd like mine without the split personality.
Phasing...It's cool to watch the guy on the show let a bullet pass through his body and to walk through walls, but it's not exciting.
Controlling Time & Space....Other than the fact that you could royally screw up life as we know it by altering the past, very cool.
Absorbing/Stealing abilities....Two characters could take on the powers of others...one by simple contact, the other by cutting open peoples heads and taking them (I'll go for absorbing, but it seems that you can't be picky about which powers...which means you end up being radioactive and possibly exploding).
Power to Heal....Very cool! But how do you save everyone?
24--The season started off well, but it was like they ended the main plot line too early and just began to meander. This is why I ended up with the last three hours being recorded while I watched the end of Heroes instead of watching 24 and catching up with Heroes later. If they do another season, the show still has enough cred that I'd give it another choice.
House--The medical mysteries are cool even if they write in "carryover" story lines that tend to go on too long. And you really shouldn't like the main character, but you do.....probably because he says things that the rest of wish we could! Not sure what I think about the way they ended the season and if it really means that they're about to recycle about 1/2 the show's cast.
Bones--Ok, if I miss episodes of this show, it doesn't really bother me...I'm not hunting someone to see what happened or trying to watch it online, but it's easy to watch, the story lines are typically interesting and I like the characters (well, all but one).
American Idol--I can't say it was the worst season of the show, because I haven't watched all of them....but it was the worst that I've seen. I was really disappointed that Melinda didn't win, but no one really captured me the way that they had in the past.
Lost--The beginning of this season was...well...dismal. There was a point that I wished that I could make myself stop watching it....and now I'm glad that I didn't give up on it. The first season may always be the most brilliant, but the end of this season got close to the feel and energy of that first season. I think the show will get better now that they've decided exactly how many more episodes that there are going to be. There won't be any unnecessary stalling and so forth trying to stretch it out longer that it needs to be. And they finally answered some questions without strings attached (strings being where they finally answer a question, but it doesn't actually answer anything). We know who the real Sawyer is (and I actually feel a little foolish for not figuring that one out) and what happened to all the Dharma Initiative people. I applaud them for telling the backstory of the leader of the "Others", Ben, and despite all that he suffered, leaving him a completely unsympathetic character. It's still easy to hate & mistrust him. I guess a killer twist would be for him to turn out to be the good guy, but it'd be a real stretch. If you've never watched the show, each episode is split into two stories...what's happening on the island right now and flashbacks that give you insight into the character...their past, their story and how they ended up on the fateful flight. In a stroke of genius, the flashback from the season finale ended up being a flashforward, but it was so well written that until they slap you in the face with it in the last two minutes of the show, you never see it coming. The first reaction is "OH MY GOD...it's the future" followed by "Why does Jack think his dad is alive?" Can't wait for the next season to start.
Jericho--Like Heroes, this show wasn't as good as it could be when it started. But with strong writing and performances, it fixed that in short order. It was dark (post-nuclear) tinged with humor and a stark portrayal of the best and the worst that human's can dish out when the chips are down. If I missed an episode of this show, I definately watched it online so I'd be ready for the next episode. And the finale was incredible with a real cliff hanger. And yes, when the commericals said you'd never guess who was going to die...they were right. It would have only been more surprising if they had killed off Jake (Skeet Ulrich) or the guy with the nuclear weapon hidden in his garage. And then CBS goes and cancels the show so like two other previous favorites of mine (Invasion & Surface) you get these HUGE season finales and that is all. Of the three, this is the worst cancellation and even CBS says it was probably their fault by interrupting the season to try something else (an annoying habit a lot of the networks, etc have picked up).
Shark--Frankly, I'm not a James Woods fan and when the show started, he's why I didn't watch it, but somehow I ended up watching 1/2 a show one Thursday and found that it was actually a really good show with some solid acting (including Mr. Woods).
Stargate SG-1--Well, it's not the show it once was, but I'll be there until the end (which is a handful of episodes away). When the show lost Michael Shanks for a season, it was a huge blow to the show (no offense to Parker Lewis Can't Lose's Corin Nemac...I liked him as Parker, but never warmed to him on this show) that was fortunately corrected. But when Richard Dean Anderson all but left the show (a cameo here and there), it was pretty much cutting the show's heart out. To make it worse, they brought in Ben Browder who portrayed pretty much the exact same character as he did on Farscape (worked better there) and his Farscape co-star Claudia Black. I like her, but they saddled her with the most annoying role in recent history. So, it probably is time to say goodbye.
Stargate Atlantis--With all the changes to it's parent show, this has become the better show, but I don't think it will ever be as good as Stargate once was.
Returning soon:
The Closer--Glad that this show is getting another summer season...very clever, very well-written and a flawed main character make for good t.v.
Eureka--Quirky, fun Science Fiction...can't wait.
The 4400--I worried that this show might not make it back, but thankfully it does seem to be returning.
New:
The Starter Wife--I didn't LOVE the show, but it's good enough to give more of a chance. Some of the shows characters just grate on your nerves....people so shallow and empty it ought to be legal to put them down. But I love Debra Messing so it'll be worth rolling the dice on.
The Dresden File---On the surface, I should love this show, but I manages to just like it. Not sure when (if) Sci-Fi is putting it back on, but chances are good I'll watch it (unless it's against Heroes or Lost).
Ousted?
Medium--I really liked this show, but it lost out when Lost moved opposite it. Hope they move it to a new slot...maybe Wednesdays at 8:00PM since Jericho got cancelled....
So for what's it worth, there it is. I wonder what a person's t.v. viewing habits says about them......................
Heroes--The first couple of episodes of this show held great promise although it was apparent that show wasn't as good as it could be. Fortunately, it began to live up to it's promise. After the season finale of another favorite, Lost, I was amused at some of the message boards pitting the two shows against each other as if liking one precluded liking the other and listing how each show "failed" compared to the other. One of the biggest complaints against Heroes was it's rather tidy ending. Yes, there were questions left unanswered (Are Peter and Nathan dead? Is Matt going to make it? Is Sylar really, really dead? And who out there is a more evil villian than Sylar?), but the "main" story line resolved itself in preparation for the next challenge or impending doom. Well, that's the way the engineered this story and explains that a few minutes before the show wrapped for the season they boldly proclaimed "End Volume One" following by "Begin Volume Two". It seemed a simple enough concept for everyone to follow.....oh, that and the fact that they are entirely two different shows! Of course, the show begs the question: "Which power would you want to have?":o
Flying...No thanks, I'll pass
Ability to regenerate: Yes, this would be nice...a little creepy (Claire waking up during her autoposy), but very handy.
Reading Minds....Well, maybe. This could be a blessing and a curse. Really....do you want to know what everyone is thinking about you.
Communicating with Machines....Maybe I could finally get my computer to do what I wanted and the ability to get an ATM machine to just give you money....bonus.
Radioactivity...Yeah, think I'll be passing on this one as well.
Invisibility...Has possibilities.
Excelerated Learning & Memory....In the blessing & curse department. Some memories are really meant to fade.
Super, Super Strength...Not a bad choice, but I'd like mine without the split personality.
Phasing...It's cool to watch the guy on the show let a bullet pass through his body and to walk through walls, but it's not exciting.
Controlling Time & Space....Other than the fact that you could royally screw up life as we know it by altering the past, very cool.
Absorbing/Stealing abilities....Two characters could take on the powers of others...one by simple contact, the other by cutting open peoples heads and taking them (I'll go for absorbing, but it seems that you can't be picky about which powers...which means you end up being radioactive and possibly exploding).
Power to Heal....Very cool! But how do you save everyone?
24--The season started off well, but it was like they ended the main plot line too early and just began to meander. This is why I ended up with the last three hours being recorded while I watched the end of Heroes instead of watching 24 and catching up with Heroes later. If they do another season, the show still has enough cred that I'd give it another choice.
House--The medical mysteries are cool even if they write in "carryover" story lines that tend to go on too long. And you really shouldn't like the main character, but you do.....probably because he says things that the rest of wish we could! Not sure what I think about the way they ended the season and if it really means that they're about to recycle about 1/2 the show's cast.
Bones--Ok, if I miss episodes of this show, it doesn't really bother me...I'm not hunting someone to see what happened or trying to watch it online, but it's easy to watch, the story lines are typically interesting and I like the characters (well, all but one).
American Idol--I can't say it was the worst season of the show, because I haven't watched all of them....but it was the worst that I've seen. I was really disappointed that Melinda didn't win, but no one really captured me the way that they had in the past.
Lost--The beginning of this season was...well...dismal. There was a point that I wished that I could make myself stop watching it....and now I'm glad that I didn't give up on it. The first season may always be the most brilliant, but the end of this season got close to the feel and energy of that first season. I think the show will get better now that they've decided exactly how many more episodes that there are going to be. There won't be any unnecessary stalling and so forth trying to stretch it out longer that it needs to be. And they finally answered some questions without strings attached (strings being where they finally answer a question, but it doesn't actually answer anything). We know who the real Sawyer is (and I actually feel a little foolish for not figuring that one out) and what happened to all the Dharma Initiative people. I applaud them for telling the backstory of the leader of the "Others", Ben, and despite all that he suffered, leaving him a completely unsympathetic character. It's still easy to hate & mistrust him. I guess a killer twist would be for him to turn out to be the good guy, but it'd be a real stretch. If you've never watched the show, each episode is split into two stories...what's happening on the island right now and flashbacks that give you insight into the character...their past, their story and how they ended up on the fateful flight. In a stroke of genius, the flashback from the season finale ended up being a flashforward, but it was so well written that until they slap you in the face with it in the last two minutes of the show, you never see it coming. The first reaction is "OH MY GOD...it's the future" followed by "Why does Jack think his dad is alive?" Can't wait for the next season to start.
Jericho--Like Heroes, this show wasn't as good as it could be when it started. But with strong writing and performances, it fixed that in short order. It was dark (post-nuclear) tinged with humor and a stark portrayal of the best and the worst that human's can dish out when the chips are down. If I missed an episode of this show, I definately watched it online so I'd be ready for the next episode. And the finale was incredible with a real cliff hanger. And yes, when the commericals said you'd never guess who was going to die...they were right. It would have only been more surprising if they had killed off Jake (Skeet Ulrich) or the guy with the nuclear weapon hidden in his garage. And then CBS goes and cancels the show so like two other previous favorites of mine (Invasion & Surface) you get these HUGE season finales and that is all. Of the three, this is the worst cancellation and even CBS says it was probably their fault by interrupting the season to try something else (an annoying habit a lot of the networks, etc have picked up).
Shark--Frankly, I'm not a James Woods fan and when the show started, he's why I didn't watch it, but somehow I ended up watching 1/2 a show one Thursday and found that it was actually a really good show with some solid acting (including Mr. Woods).
Stargate SG-1--Well, it's not the show it once was, but I'll be there until the end (which is a handful of episodes away). When the show lost Michael Shanks for a season, it was a huge blow to the show (no offense to Parker Lewis Can't Lose's Corin Nemac...I liked him as Parker, but never warmed to him on this show) that was fortunately corrected. But when Richard Dean Anderson all but left the show (a cameo here and there), it was pretty much cutting the show's heart out. To make it worse, they brought in Ben Browder who portrayed pretty much the exact same character as he did on Farscape (worked better there) and his Farscape co-star Claudia Black. I like her, but they saddled her with the most annoying role in recent history. So, it probably is time to say goodbye.
Stargate Atlantis--With all the changes to it's parent show, this has become the better show, but I don't think it will ever be as good as Stargate once was.
Returning soon:
The Closer--Glad that this show is getting another summer season...very clever, very well-written and a flawed main character make for good t.v.
Eureka--Quirky, fun Science Fiction...can't wait.
The 4400--I worried that this show might not make it back, but thankfully it does seem to be returning.
New:
The Starter Wife--I didn't LOVE the show, but it's good enough to give more of a chance. Some of the shows characters just grate on your nerves....people so shallow and empty it ought to be legal to put them down. But I love Debra Messing so it'll be worth rolling the dice on.
The Dresden File---On the surface, I should love this show, but I manages to just like it. Not sure when (if) Sci-Fi is putting it back on, but chances are good I'll watch it (unless it's against Heroes or Lost).
Ousted?
Medium--I really liked this show, but it lost out when Lost moved opposite it. Hope they move it to a new slot...maybe Wednesdays at 8:00PM since Jericho got cancelled....
So for what's it worth, there it is. I wonder what a person's t.v. viewing habits says about them......................
posted by Hope at 2:20 PM
10 Comments:
I expected Jericho to be cancelled since they started it last year, and ran the rest of the episodes this year.
And when the commercials start calling any show "the most watched on TV" you know it's on the verge of folding.
Too bad, because I was really enjoying it.
I was extremely disappointed in the Heroes ending. Why couldn't Peter just fly himself into orbit? It ws trite and preachy. The ending felt rushed, and I felt they ran out of ideas at that point.
Sylar is not dead, the clue was in the finale, and I'm predicting only one of the brothers comes back. At least, only one comes back next season. the other one will come back as a bad guy, in a third seson if it happens.
I'm surprised you're not watching Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. This is by far the best show on TV. They interrupted the series to air some other show, that I stopped hearing about ages ago and only continued with the series two weeks ago.
You can download the whole season, but like Lost and Jericho, watch in sequence. It is an amazing show.
blackcrag: I actually did watch Studio 60 a bit...and was wondering what happened to it...I really hate the way they stop shows to give something else a try...sometimes you get derailed by it and have a hard time finding your way back. But it seems to be a common trend...ABC did it with Lost (anyone remember Daylight...Daybreak...what was it that they showed?)
The only reason that I can think of about Peter not flying himself away was that he was just totally losing control and couldn't manage...and they needed some way for Nathan to redeem himself. I wondered about Sylar since they made so much of the really bad guy out...but as a villian I really liked him so it would be good if he returned.
Heroes: Sylar will be a black hero in the next season. Still a bad guy, but doing good for all the wrong reasons.
Right now, Studio 60 is on Thursday nights at 10 on NBC.
I am getting to the tag.
blackcrag: I'm looking forward to the next season of Heroes...it will be interesting to see what they do....also looking forward to seeing the results of your being tagged!!
Hi there! I completely agree with you regarding Lost, they managed to recapture the magic of the first series by the end of the third. I've really been drawn into this, sometimes it's been worth it, sometimes not so much so, but it has to be my favourite series yet.
It appeals on so many levels, not least of which being the mysterious Island setting which in some ways reminds me of being in Japan, where there is so much for me to see for the first time and my life before seems somewhat dull and distant by comparison.
I was happy to see that EUReKa is coming back for a new season, it is quirky but I really do like it.
We are addicted to Ghost Hunters, comes on SciFi Wednesday nights. Pretty cool ghost hunting stuff and they aren't like Most Haunted where every little bump is a scream and they don't have a psychic claiming to talk to every apperition. They get on my nerves.
My mindless show that I watch is The Girls Next Door on E!. This inside look at Hef's 3 girlfriends is a hoot. I just can't believe that people can live like that, but I guess some people's lives are motivated by other things.
I don't watch Idol, I like to hear who wins... but that is about it. That show just puts me in a bad mood listening to Simon Cowel.
I too enjoy the background noise of TV. I also have to have it on to lull me to sleep. The sleep timer is right up there with sliced bread in my book. :-)
Angela: Quirky can sometimes be a good thing!! I sometimes watch Ghost Hunters, but I always want there to be more of a scare!! I agree...it's good that the people on the show aren't over dramatic and over the top. I hadn't heard of The Girls Next Door...wow, a show that I don't know about! I actually like Simon. Sometimes he goes too far, but he's honest...the business is cruel and harsh so they might as well get used to it! I watched none of the finale...Heidi had to message me...nothing could tear me away from the LOST finale!! Sliced bread, chocolate and the microwave!
Hi Hope
I like Heroes and watch it pretty religiously but on sci-fi on Friday not on the network. If I had to choose a power it would be bending time and space...
A friend of mine got me watching 24 but every season it seems to go downhill and I say I'm not going to watch in anymore, then I end up watching it again. I thought this season was the worst...
I watch the stargates and agree totally with everything you said about them...
starfire: Glad to hear that you are also a Lost fan...and great parrallel to your own life...I just hope that they keep the magic going.
Dagoth: I can't tell you how many shows I watch on their "off" time or after they've been cancelled from their original show! What would you do/where would you go with that power? I can't give up on 24 just yet...but they'd better show me something early next year...I think that it is hard to keep up that kind of tension and momentum. Glad to know another stargate fan!
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