Random Entertainment Notes
In advance, sorry EDMC for the lack of pictures. Anyway, Fall is here, and with the change in the season (at least the change going on everywhere but in Texas), we get new television shows! Yesterday, Jennifer and I got to sit and watch a good number of these new shows, so I thought I would give a couple of quick reviews. For the record, a couple of new shows that I'm interested in have not yet aired, so I will have to save those reviews for a future blog.
Chuck- Chuck is an example of a couple of current trends that I'm enjoying. The first is the whole concept of the average person put into extraordinary circumstances (Here, a computer nerd accidentally views a top secret email and must become a super spy). The second is a real blurring of genres (Chuck blends action and comedy far more seamlessly than I've ever seen it done in previous years). The final trend is the recognition that we nerds watch a lot of television and should be television producers target audience. This is a show I really enjoyed.
K-Ville- This is one of those standard procedural dramas, but it is set in a post-Katrina New Orleans, which adds a degree of tension that makes the show more watchable. It loses some points because Anthony Anderson, the main character who is supposedly a life long New Orleans resident, can't seem to summon a Cajun accent, but all in all the show is enjoyable.
Big Bang Theory- This is the other show about nerds, and one of the only new standard style sitcoms this season. Since it deals with science and math geeks, alot of it is going over my head, but Jennifer is still laughing, so it must be good.
Journeyman- This is the show that keeperofbooks34 compared to Quantum Leap a while back, and I have to admit that in concept it is a fair comparison. Still, this show is slick and clever, with those open ended questions that make shows like Lost and Heroes worth watching. Perhaps more than any other new show (with the exception of Pushing Daisies), this is the one that I'm rooting for. Of course that means it is the most likely to be cancelled first.
Reaper- Again, this was one of those quirky shows I enjoyed and will therefore probably lose. Sam learns that his parents sold his soul to the devil and he must now become Satan's bounty hunter (think Ghost Rider). This was another show that blurred the lines between comedy and drama, and did so well. It was alot like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which makes sense since Joss Whedon directed the pilot. I hope it works as well with other directors.
Bionic Woman- Perhaps the most overrated show this year, the first episode didn't live up to the hype in my opinion. Still, Jennifer liked it and I'm willing to give it a few more viewings.
Life- As an established fact, procedural crime shows with quirky detectives don't tend to do well (with the exception of the originator of the genre Monk), but I really enjoyed Life. Part of the series is shot in a documentary style, which gives the show a different feel as well as allowing an easy plot device for exposition. This one is definitely worth a view.
Moonlight- Jennifer is correct when she says that Angel did this concept better, but if you are hungry for a vampire as private detective story, this fills the need pretty well. Plus, it features Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars as a 900 year old Vampire.
_________________________
I wanted to give you a sense of exactly how much television we watch, so as a special bonus, here is what my DVR is set to record this week:
Monday
7:00-8:00
Prison Break (FOX)
Chuck (NBC)
How I Met Your Mother / The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
8:00-9:00
K-Ville (FOX)
Heroes (NBC)
Two and a Half Men / Rules of Engagement (CBS)
9:00-10:00
Journeyman (NBC)
Tuesday
7:00-8:00
Bones (FOX)
Carpoolers (ABC)
8:00-9:00
House (FOX)
Reaper (CW)
Eureka (Sci-Fi)
9:00-10:00
ECW (Sci-Fi)
Wednesday
7:00-8:00
Back to You / 'Til Death (FOX)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Kid Nation (CBS)
8:00-9:00
Bionic Woman (NBC)
Private Practice (ABC)
9:00-10:00
Life (NBC)
Thursday
7:00-8:00
Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader (FOX)
My Name is Earl / 30 Rock (NBC)
Survivor: China (CBS)
8:00-9:00
Don't Forget the Lyrics! (FOX)
The Office (NBC)
CSI (CBS)
9:00-10:00
Big Shots (ABC)
10:00-11:00
Smallville (The West Coast Feed of the CW)
11:00-12:00
Supernatural (The West Coast Feed of the CW)
Friday
7:00-8:00
Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader (FOX)
WWE Smackdown (CW)
8:00-9:00
Moonlight (CBS)
9:00-10:00
Numb3rs (CBS)
Saturday
8:00-9:00
Solitary 2.0 (FOX Reality)
10:00-12:00
TNA Impact (Spike TV)
Sunday
7:00-9:00
FOX Animation Block (FOX)
9:00-10:00
Shark (CBS)
In addition, I have to watch WWE Raw in a back bedroom and Jennifer watches Grey's Anatomy on-line because we are already taping too many other things when those shows air. So you understand why we might be a little busy.
Chuck- Chuck is an example of a couple of current trends that I'm enjoying. The first is the whole concept of the average person put into extraordinary circumstances (Here, a computer nerd accidentally views a top secret email and must become a super spy). The second is a real blurring of genres (Chuck blends action and comedy far more seamlessly than I've ever seen it done in previous years). The final trend is the recognition that we nerds watch a lot of television and should be television producers target audience. This is a show I really enjoyed.
K-Ville- This is one of those standard procedural dramas, but it is set in a post-Katrina New Orleans, which adds a degree of tension that makes the show more watchable. It loses some points because Anthony Anderson, the main character who is supposedly a life long New Orleans resident, can't seem to summon a Cajun accent, but all in all the show is enjoyable.
Big Bang Theory- This is the other show about nerds, and one of the only new standard style sitcoms this season. Since it deals with science and math geeks, alot of it is going over my head, but Jennifer is still laughing, so it must be good.
Journeyman- This is the show that keeperofbooks34 compared to Quantum Leap a while back, and I have to admit that in concept it is a fair comparison. Still, this show is slick and clever, with those open ended questions that make shows like Lost and Heroes worth watching. Perhaps more than any other new show (with the exception of Pushing Daisies), this is the one that I'm rooting for. Of course that means it is the most likely to be cancelled first.
Reaper- Again, this was one of those quirky shows I enjoyed and will therefore probably lose. Sam learns that his parents sold his soul to the devil and he must now become Satan's bounty hunter (think Ghost Rider). This was another show that blurred the lines between comedy and drama, and did so well. It was alot like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which makes sense since Joss Whedon directed the pilot. I hope it works as well with other directors.
Bionic Woman- Perhaps the most overrated show this year, the first episode didn't live up to the hype in my opinion. Still, Jennifer liked it and I'm willing to give it a few more viewings.
Life- As an established fact, procedural crime shows with quirky detectives don't tend to do well (with the exception of the originator of the genre Monk), but I really enjoyed Life. Part of the series is shot in a documentary style, which gives the show a different feel as well as allowing an easy plot device for exposition. This one is definitely worth a view.
Moonlight- Jennifer is correct when she says that Angel did this concept better, but if you are hungry for a vampire as private detective story, this fills the need pretty well. Plus, it features Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars as a 900 year old Vampire.
_________________________
I wanted to give you a sense of exactly how much television we watch, so as a special bonus, here is what my DVR is set to record this week:
Monday
7:00-8:00
Prison Break (FOX)
Chuck (NBC)
How I Met Your Mother / The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
8:00-9:00
K-Ville (FOX)
Heroes (NBC)
Two and a Half Men / Rules of Engagement (CBS)
9:00-10:00
Journeyman (NBC)
Tuesday
7:00-8:00
Bones (FOX)
Carpoolers (ABC)
8:00-9:00
House (FOX)
Reaper (CW)
Eureka (Sci-Fi)
9:00-10:00
ECW (Sci-Fi)
Wednesday
7:00-8:00
Back to You / 'Til Death (FOX)
Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Kid Nation (CBS)
8:00-9:00
Bionic Woman (NBC)
Private Practice (ABC)
9:00-10:00
Life (NBC)
Thursday
7:00-8:00
Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader (FOX)
My Name is Earl / 30 Rock (NBC)
Survivor: China (CBS)
8:00-9:00
Don't Forget the Lyrics! (FOX)
The Office (NBC)
CSI (CBS)
9:00-10:00
Big Shots (ABC)
10:00-11:00
Smallville (The West Coast Feed of the CW)
11:00-12:00
Supernatural (The West Coast Feed of the CW)
Friday
7:00-8:00
Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader (FOX)
WWE Smackdown (CW)
8:00-9:00
Moonlight (CBS)
9:00-10:00
Numb3rs (CBS)
Saturday
8:00-9:00
Solitary 2.0 (FOX Reality)
10:00-12:00
TNA Impact (Spike TV)
Sunday
7:00-9:00
FOX Animation Block (FOX)
9:00-10:00
Shark (CBS)
In addition, I have to watch WWE Raw in a back bedroom and Jennifer watches Grey's Anatomy on-line because we are already taping too many other things when those shows air. So you understand why we might be a little busy.
posted by Phylemon at 1:35 PM
7 Comments:
Well, I'm really loving the watch-the-shows-online-for-free phenomenon. That is how I'm not going crazy with my schedule and shows like Heroes and such, which I can't manage to fit into a watchable timeslot. And with no TIVO or other type of recording technology (gave up VCRs for lent), I'm thankful for streaming video. Having said that, I've watched the pilot for Chuck and will follow it until it becomes too inane (considering that I enjoy shows like SCRUBS that is unlikely). I also just finished watching LIFE and was very intrigued. Not only is it Zen, but it also happens to validate General Systems Theory. Woo hoo! I wish I could count the time spent watching it as credit for homework I'm putting off....
Ok, a couple questions: (1) How many TiVos do you have? (2) How many tuners do you have on your satellite? This post is one of the most impressive things I have seen this week. I'm surprised you and Jen have time for work and church.
I'm sure I've mentioned my magic DVR at some point. I have no clue how it works, but I am able to tape three things at once and watch another thing that is already taped. It's bizarre. Jennifer and I spend alot of Saturdays watching as much as we can, which seems to work out until Jennifer has to be out of town or something like that. Currently, we have 26 programs on the DVR, with more coming in every day. Our weekend is going to be very busy.
kk, Paul. After reading the post and commenting, I ran across this (see below) later and thought of you for some reason. :)
Looking forward to seeing y'all soon!
http://www.marriedtothesea.com/100107/pro-wrestling.gif
Paul,
I like Chuck and Big Bang Theory. Maybe I am just an old Geek or Nurd or whatever but they keep me laughing.
GOOD GRIEF!!! Glad we don't have cable!
Are you guys still wanting to stay with us for homecoming? If so let us know when.
DISCLAIMER: Our house is NOT as nice as yours!;)
By the way, we've got a myspace page if you're interested: www.myspace.com/bellorama
Okay, bye.
--Don & Melissa
Finally, someone other than us who watches 'Til Death. Have you given up on any of the new shows yet? I'm still trying to find the time to watch either ep of Bionic Woman, but with the kids awake, it ain't happening. Plus, I'm hearing it isn't terribly good.
Hi Don and Mel! The last e-mail I sent you bounced, but I did actually find some pics of the wedding (the camera did eat some, but I was able to salvage a few).
Oh, by the way, Paul, we nerds will be a desirable demographic the day Paris Hilton gets through Modern Physics with Dr. Isenhower. (Jennifer will understand that fully, if you don't)
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