Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Dmitry Sitkovetsky & Pavel Gililov 'Sonatas For Violin And Piano'

How about a nice long update?

It is not currently raining here now that it’s 1:30 p.m. and that’s nice for a change. I love the rain and overcast conditions, but after five days of it, I’m ready for some sunshine in my fall days.

I wrote about the new television season some weeks ago and I’m still excited about what’s going on with the broadcast networks. Here’s how my lineup has been going and my thoughts on them:

Sunday

‘The Simpsons’ – Still a decent show. Sure, it’s lost some of its zeal over the thirty-some years that it’s been on the air, but it still holds my attention. I give it a B-.

‘Desperate Housewives’ – I recently started watching this on a regular basis. I watched a few episodes last season when ‘Family Guy’ and ‘American Dad’ started to clutter up the Fox Sunday night lineup. It’s a nighttime soap like ‘Knots Landing’ with a strong sense of humor with a dash of sickness thrown in. I give it a B+.

Monday

I use two VCR’s to keep up with my lineup.

‘Surface’ – I’m digging the show, but for some reason, I have doubts about my faithfulness to it. It’s about a new underwater / core of the earth dwelling animals that have surfaced, creating havoc for landlubbers. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I get bored with it. I’m giving it a C+ so far.

‘Medium’ – A show that I caught a few times last season when it became one of those mid-season replacements. I liked it, but I couldn’t remember that it was on because I was watching ‘Raw’ (professional wrestling). It’s about a clairvoyant / psychic woman that helps out law enforcement by communicating with the dead. She likes her job and she’s often put in tough spots juggling her husband and three daughters. The friction of the cast is good, but sometimes, they seem to tie up the story a little too conveniently. I give it a B-.

‘Two And A Half Men’ – A bawdy comedy that I didn’t think would catch on. The good news, it did and it’s a very funny show that sounds like it’s filmed before a live audience. It’s filled with quick and witty one-liners. People that like ‘Friends’ may have some trouble following it because the show is so good. (Yeah, I hated ‘Friends’). I give the show a solid A.

‘Raw’ – I realize that it’s not on a broadcast network and I decided to include all the shows that I watch to give you an excellent idea of what kind of viewer I am. I feel that the WWE has become weaker over the last few years because of the lack of competition on television. They’ve become so big and that has watered down the content, storylines, and matches. With no competition, there’s no real reason to find a better way to compete. Still I watch ‘Raw’ because it’s the best that professional wrestling has to offer. I give it a C-.


Tuesday

‘Supernatural’ – The only show on the WB Network that I watch. This show is exactly how the new version of the ‘Night Stalker’ should be. Much like the ‘X-Files’, the show visits myths and legends that can easily be found at your library or on the Internet. Last week, a character mentioned a phone number and I called it. Try it yourself if it’s still working… 1-866-907-3235. I noticed that it was an 800 number (typically toll-free) without a series of 5’s to let you know that it’s a fake, but I didn’t take any chances, I used my cell phone. The only complaint that I have is about the dialogue. It seems high school like but I overlook that because of the content. I give it a solid B.

‘My Name Is Earl’ – A damn fine comedy! Karma can be a bitch and Earl is out to correct all the things that he’s done wrong in the past. The show is laugh out loud funny.
I give it an A+.

‘Nip/Tuck’ – Another show that isn’t on broadcast networks… The show is sexy and smart. It really pushes the audience outside of what they may consider “normal” in life and in secret. I cannot recommend it enough. I give it an A.


Wednesday

‘Lost’ – I embraced this show when it went into reruns over the summer. I still haven’t seen the two-hour premiere. There are all kinds of side jokes and the same numbers being used for everything. In the character flashbacks, you can see things in the background that tie in with everything else. The show is well scripted and manages to make you ask questions about it with every episode. I give it an A+.

‘Invasion’ – An all right show. I was really looking forward to it when it started, but now it seems to be losing steam. Again, my faithfulness is coming into question with this one. I thought that it was going to be a little like the old 60’s series ‘Invaders’. So far, the show is taking its sweet time to get to the point and I’m getting bored with it. It gets a solid C from me.


Thursday

‘Night Stalker’ – First of all, I give out big props for superimposing Darren McGavin (the original Kolchak) in the first episode. If you blinked, you missed it. I hope they continue to drop him in from time to time. The back-story of this “Kolchak” is a little weak and requires as much suspension of disbelief as professional wrestling. They tinkered with the character and premise too much. They should have just left it alone. So far, the show isn’t working for me. But I’m still willing to see where it takes me because I’m such a fan of the original series from the 70’s. I give it a C-.


Friday

‘Ghost Whisperer’ – I really like this show. I’ve seen the first two episodes of it and nothing about has left a bitter taste. It’s an excellent show despite the obvious attempt to cash in on the ratings that ‘Medium’ is getting. On this show, the spirits show up looking for a way to communicate some unfinished business before they move on to the afterlife. I give it an A.

‘Threshold’ – A science-fiction show that isn’t hiding the fact that it’s about aliens. “Threshold” is a plan on how to handle our out-of-world visitors and it seems like that is the way a real plan would work. Everything is secretive and the public is manipulated and kept in the dark because to be quite honest, the general population would lose their pudding if we had proof that EBE’s existed. The show has a great cast, which make for great characters. In my opinion, it’s the best of the new crop of shows out there. I give this one an A+.

‘The Bernie Mac Show’ – The show is still going strong even though it’s in a weak slot. When a network like Fox doesn’t expect a show to last much longer, they put it out to pasture in Friday nights. I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again, networks will usually put any crap on with a black cast because they expect it to work. They think blacks will watch any junk just because the cast is black. Hell, the WB Network puts out all kinds of junk with a black cast and those shows never seem to go away. ‘Bernie Mac’ is intelligent, damn funny, and deserves a little more dedication from Fox. Unfortunately, networks don’t want to take the time for shows to find that audience. Right now, enjoy the reruns and make time when you can. Bernie scores a B from me.

‘Malcolm In The Middle’ – This show is still one of my favorites because of it’s daring and it still makes me tear up with laughter. This show has remained strong even though the boys have grown up. The writers have kept up with the growth of the cast and it shows in their scripts. Just a couple of weeks, Malcolm had his first on screen lover (Rosanna Arquette) and that blew my mind because the character isn’t out of high school yet! This show is one that I should be purchasing on DVD because all the episodes remain as strong the hundredth time after you’ve seen it. ‘Malcolm’ is still hanging and I give it an A.

‘Smackdown’ – I don’t much care if I miss it or not. It’s like an inferior version of ‘Raw’. With two VCR’s in action, I’ll make sure to get the last hour. I don’t shed any tears if I miss it.

There’s nothing on Saturday nights that I pay close attention to. I’ll watch ‘Cops’ if I’m home. I guess that you could say that ‘Cops’ is one of the first reality shows and it’s still one of the best.

‘Saturday Night Live’ is back and I will make an attempt to tape it and watch it the next morning. There are just too many commercials for me to convince myself into watching it live. It’s a 90-minute show and if you tape and then watch it, your viewing time is cut into almost half. Last week’s show didn’t do much for me. I feel that it’s sliding down hill again. But, I remain optimistic as I continue to tape it.

How was that for an update?

Please feel free to leave your own comments about what you’re watching or if I’ve pissed you off with my opinion of the crappy ‘Friends’ show. Don’t get me started on ‘Will & Grace’.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:44 PM

    Here's a shocker for you - not only do our TV schedules have a lot in common, but I agree with you on most of your grades.
    Sunday - Cold Case Files, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy
    Monday - Prison Break (a show you should give more of a chance, E). Never watched an entire episode of Medium, but I'm willing to give it a try.
    Tuesday - Supernatural, Nip/Tuck. I'd like to find a way to watch Earl, House, and Boston Legal as well, but I have no working VCR in the house and am too cheap for TiVo.
    Wednesday - Lost. Like you, I'm getting bored with Invasion.
    Thursday - Night Stalker, then Without A Trace or ER, depending on my mood.
    Friday - Nada. Haven't seen Ghost Whisperer at all, and the Threshold pilot failed to capture my attention. This is usually a 100% Netflix night.
    Saturday - Netflix again.

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  2. Anonymous8:21 AM

    Since you are into Sci-Fi now, how about giving Battlestar Galactica a view on Fridays 10pm?

    J

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  3. Christine - I've seen 'Prison Break' and I liked it. There's just too much to watch on Monday night. It'll be out on DVD within the next year. I'll catch it then.

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  4. J-

    I've got 'Battlestar Galactica' on my Netflix queue. I missed the boat when it first appeared on the horizon and I'll eventually catch up. And for the record, I've always been a fan of sci-fi. Well, passively that is.

    ReplyDelete