What’s on TV?

October 29, 2004 · Comments

I love my Tivo. I am watching TV for less time in my day, but watching more of the shows I like. I tend to watch at really strange hours…like I’ll watch a show just after the girls get off to school before hoping in the shower.

So, as Justin did here’s a rundown of what’s “Now Playing…” on my set this season:

*Sunday:*

* *Dead Like Me:* Season finale this weekend. I’m not sure I like the multi-episode arc with the guy from Wil & Grace. Seems a little too soapy for this show. But each episode holds my attention and I hope to see it back again for a 3rd season. Strange that Showtime has had some sort of technical problem where the first 5 minutes of each episode has choppy video and the sound is out of sync. At first I thought it was a problem with the recording until I watched a show “live” and it happened then, too. Then Eric and I realized it was the beginning of every episode, and it’s only this show. Strange.
* *Desperate Housewives:* It’s okay. I enjoy it when it’s on, but I don’t find myself consistently making time for it. Not sure why not.
* *Boston Public:* Only mentioning it here to say that I didn’t like this at all. Caught the first episode or two and that was enough for me. Didn’t like Ally McBeal either, probably for the same reason since it appears to be a similar show.

*Monday:*

* *Las Vegas:* I still enjoy it, but it’s pure eye and brain candy. They keep trying to make the characters appear to be deeper than they really are.

*Wednesday:*

* *Lost:* The critics seem to think that this is one of the best new shows on television, and I agree. It’s not just about the island, or plot. It’s about these characters, each of which are complex and fully realized even if we don’t know it yet. It’s like peeling the way the layers of an onion, and I want to know more about these people and what got them on the plane. You get your first impression of whether a character is “heroic” or “evil” and then see the backstory and what they were doing and thinking before and it throws the initial impression out the window without changing who the character is. I love that. What I don’t love is the way ABC added one minute to Lost just so it makes it harder for me to Tivo…
* *West Wing:* It will be interesting to see how and if what happens on Tuesday changes what happens in the fictional White House. The characters aren’t as fully realized as those on Lost, even after all this time. Doesn’t Toby have new babies? Does CJ have a life? Why is the Vice President’s aide always hanging around with the President’s staff? And Mary McDonnell’s character is quickly turning into West Wing’s version of Wesley Crusher, always the one with *the* answer that saves the day.

*Thursday:*

* *Survivor:* Old habit. Still can’t name all the survivors, which I was definitely able to do at this point in previous years. It’s on because I have no interest in Joey, and like I said…old habit. But I really don’t care yet who wins or who goes.
* *The Apprentice:* The Donald’s ridiculous running ads for himself aside, it’s good this year. I like the tasks (except for the dog one) because they are more “real” than last year. Last night’s episode was really good, coming from a marketing/advertising background myself. I *loved* the winning NYPD recruitment ad, and now Andy is the guy I’m cheering for because the “When was the last time you saved a life?” campaign was his idea. I’m rooting for him because he had an idea, he knew he didn’t have the complete respect of his team, and somehow he managed to keep his cool and convince the team to go along. I’ve learned the hard way in my own life that leadership isn’t about being in charge or being right, it’s being able to guide those around you towards a common goal that will hopefully benefit everyone. The chick who lost last night was absolutely right about the task, but she couldn’t convince anyone around her and that’s why she was a really bad leader. That commercial they made was *scary* to the point of being hilariously funny in a SNL-parody sort of way. Oh, and I guess I’m not the only one to pick up on the “bad dubbing in the board room.”:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6357379/ I mentioned it multiple times to Eric last night. Survivor does it too and I get that since the challenges are fast-pasted and being on the island they can’t always control the elements to make sure things are flowing properly. But at least have Donald do his voice-over on the board room set so they can do a better job of matching the sound.
* *ER:* Why do I have a season pass to this one? I have no idea. Talk about a show that has jumped the shark. Starting going down hill when George Clooney left and very little sign of improvement since.

*Friday:*

* *Joan of Arcadia:* Even better this year. When I was a pre-teen, I could count on “Little House on the Prairie” to give me a weekly cry and touch my heart (hey, I was 12 or so!) and Joan does the same thing for me. I’m going through a bit of a religious crisis right now, where I’m not sure what I believe and this show manages to touch me spiritually without being religious. The characters are well-written and fully realized and I’m looking forward to each new episode. But what’s up with the funky blue filter on the cop-shop scenes…it’s starting to annoy me.

And just in case I want a boob tube fix and there’s nothing to watch, I’ve been Tivo’ing the ABC soaps, The View and Oprah. I look at the descriptions and if it’s a guest or theme I like. Like many Tivo owners I find that I rarely watch a TV show when it’s actually on, and when I do I get frustrated if I can’t click past the commercials.

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