Tag Archives: tv

premiere week – new shows

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The heat has been unbearable these past few days. BUT it gave Rob and me the perfect excuse to stay home, indulge in some air-conditioning, and watch all the TV that accumulated on our DVR while he was out of town.

Quick comments…

Hawaii 5-0
Total fluff. But I liked it. Mostly for the group camaraderie.

Lonestar
ARGH. I really liked this. Reminded me of old school night time soaps like the original Melrose Place. Sadly, it tanked in the ratings and this is FOX sooo… I’m not holding out hope that it’ll last longer than a few more episodes. Anyway, I actually found Bob really likable. Even if he is a conman with 2 different lives. His life in Houston intrigues me (yay Adrianne Palicki!) but I can’t say the same for his life in Midland. Is it terrible that I was actively rooting against his girlfriend Lindsay? I don’t know if it was the character or the actress but I didn’t care about her. I wonder if this show would have had better luck as a mini series instead?

Undercovers
Again with the fluff. I liked it well enough but the pilot was severely underwhelming. It wasn’t as clever or engaging as I’ve come to expect from JJ Abrams (see: Lost and Alias). The only thing I did like was that the leads are already married so we won’t have to deal with any “will they or won’t they” storylines (I hope).

I also checked out a couple of shows that weren’t on my original “To Watch” list…

The Event
Hated it. I think I’m over these types of shows (see: Nine, Lost and FlashForward) where something catastrophic happens and we’re trying to figure out what caused it and why. I didn’t even find Sean & Leila’s romance compelling. And normally I’m a sucker for that. But not even they or Blair Underwood could save this. Won’t watch again.

My Generation
This show sounded interesting enough but at the end of the pilot, I did not like a single character — Anders annoyed me because he is so obviously still in love with Brenda even though he married someone else, Brenda was too cold, Kenneth strikes me as creeeeeepy when I think he’s supposed to come across as naive and endearing, Caroline had no right to judge Steven for not meeting his son when she was the one who waited 10 years to tell him he was a father… etc etc etc. Another thing that rang false is how so many life events affected these characters (9/11, the 2000 election, Enron). Way too Forrest Gump for me.

Not really a great track record. :/ We’ll see how these shows hold up in the next few weeks.

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fall TV 10

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Rob’s been out of town these past few days so I have barely watched ANY new TV this week. I can’t wait for the weekend so we can catch up. YAY.

So I finally had the chance to read through my Fall TV Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly so of course I had to put together my TV schedule for the year (it’s jam-packed as per usual)…

MONDAYS:
Chuck @ 8pm (NBC) – One of my favorite current shows. It’s a great blend of spy action, romance, and geekiness!
Lonestar @ 9pm (FOX) – This show sounds like it has so much potential (I have yet to watch the premiere). For a season at least. Too bad it tanked in the ratings.
Gossip Girl @ 9pm (CW) – This is one of those shows where I enjoy the characters so much that I could care less what kind of antics they get into. Even the whole mess with Chuck and Blair. But their implosion did lead to a wonderfully romantic scene in the latest episode.
Hawaii 5-0 @ 10pm (CBS) – I wasn’t sure if I was going to watch this show (I mean, really CBS? Alex O’Laughlin AGAIN?) but over the past few weeks heading into the premiere, I’ve seen many articles praising the quality of the pilot so I’m going to check it out. Plus, Daniel Dae Kim and Scott Caan rarely disappoint.

TUESDAYS:
No Ordinary Family @ 8pm (ABC) – Sounds like Heroes without the unneccessary drama. And Autumn Reeser’s in the cast. Love her.
Glee @ 8pm (FOX) – I’m not as enamored with this show as I was when it premiered. Overall, the first season was a mixed bag for me and I have real problems with several storylines (fake pregnancy, almost everything Mr. Schuester related, and the general way female characters are treated). Buuut, I’m a sucker for the music and the actors sooo… here it is.
One Tree Hill @ 8pm (CW) – Guilty pleasure.
Life Unexpected @ 9pm (CW) – Actually, I’m on the fence. I spent the past few days watching the last half of the first season and was really disappointed with the way it ended (love triangle culminating in a finale where Baze rushed to the church only to see Cate & Ryan get married). UGH. Enough with the love triangles. There’s so much drama they could mine without it.
The Good Wife @ 10pm (CBS) – YES. SO looking forward to this season. Definitely one of my new favorite shows.

Looks like V is premiering sometime in November but I probably won’t watch anymore. Snoozefest.

WEDNESDAYS:
Undercovers @ 8pm (NBC) – I have a feeling the promos are sexier and flashier than the actual show. But it’s a JJ Abrams show and I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Modern Family @ 9pm (NBC) – The only sitcom I watch regularly.
Hellcats @ 9pm (CW)
The Whole Truth @ 10pm (ABC) – Will probably watch on and off. Only watching to begin with because of Rob Morrow.

No more Cougar Town for me. I watched the first half of the first season and kinda forgot about it. I think 1 sitcom is enough for me.

THURSDAYS:
Bones @ 8pm (FOX) – Last season was disappointing. Hoping this season will be better…
The Vampire Diaries @ 8pm (CW) – Another one of my current FAVES. The characters are awesome and all the storylines are important and relevant. Seriously, this show is amaze-balls.
Grey’s Anatomy @ 9pm (ABC) – I didn’t watch the last half of season 6 but I did catch the finale and it doesn’t seem like I missed much. The finale was completely over the top (and probably only done to thin out the cast) but that’s why I like this show.
CSI @ 9pm (CBS)
Nikita @ 9pm (CW)

FRIDAYS:
Smallville @ 8pm (CW) – I barely watched last year but since this is the final season, I’m going to watch regularly. I hope. AND OMG Teri Hatcher will be playing Lois Lane’s mom. SO AWESOME. I’m also crossing my fingers for Michael Rosenbaum to return as Lex Luthor. While I’m at it — maybe Kristin Kreuk too?
Supernatural @ 9pm (CW) – Another show that was disappointing last season but I love the Winchesters so much I can’t give them up… yet.

SUNDAYS:
CSI: Miami @ 10pm (CBS)

My cable shows are on hiatus so it’s all network TV for now. I think that’s it. BWAHAHAHAHA.

I’d also love to check out Castle, Parenthood, Dexter and Fringe but I feel like I need to watch the previous seasons first. Maybe someday.

So… what are you planning to watch this season? 🙂

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hellcats + nikita

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I still can’t believe the start of the Fall TV season is upon us. I haven’t even received the all-important Fall TV preview issue from Entertainment Weekly yet! So I checked out The CW’s new offerings and while I didn’t OMG!LOVE! either of them, I’m intrigued enough to watch a few more episodes to see if they’ve worked out the kinks. I have to remember some of my favorite shows like The Vampire Diaries or The OC took a few episodes to really hit their stride. Maybe that will happen here? Possible spoilers…



Hellcats
I wanted to like this show SO MUCH. Because it’s about cheerleading! And I love Ashley Tisdale. She didn’t disappoint here.

But it’s totally One Tree Hill all over again. Not that I don’t love OTH. Because I do. I just wish Hellcats wasn’t another teen drama hiding behind the “sports” theme. Remember when OTH was about brothers and basketball? Yeah, that didn’t last long. I can see that happening here too. (Not to mention that Hellcats reminded me of OTH right off the bat because the actors playing Lewis and Dan had minor roles on that show).

All that said, I did like the way the lead characters’ relationship was introduced. While Marti (played by Aly Michalka) and Savannah (Ashley Tisdale) started off with a misunderstanding, they actually ended up as friends by the end of the episode. Unheard of! The writers very easily could have let them fall into the typical cliche of girls who hate each other because they don’t understand where the other is coming from.

I have a soft spot for anything related to dance and cheerleading so I’m on board… for now.

Also, is it just me or is it TOTALLY weird to see Tom Welling’s name in the credits as Executive Producer?! WHAT.



Nikita
I never watched the original show or movie so I have no pre-conceived notions of the characters, storylines, etc. Sadly, I was actually a little bored (the show reminds me a lot of Alias with the revenge storyline) until the twist at the very end. Up until that point, I was wondering why I should care about Alex and the other trainees and how they would fit into Nikita’s overall storyline. The ending is probably about 99.9% why I think I’ll tune in for a few more episodes.

The older cast (Xander Berkeley and Melinda Clarke — who is totally channeling Lady Heather from CSI) was solid but I was disappointed in the younger leads. Maggie Q and Lyndsy Fonseca were a little wooden and Shane West was trying too hard (notice how his voice was deeper than normal as if he was trying to imitate Christian Bale’s famous Batman voice?). Buuuut despite the so-so acting, I really want this show to do well. I think it’s high time for a network show to feature an awesome female Asian lead. It has a lot of stiff competition on Thursday nights, though.

Good start for The CW so far.

the good wife

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Had a great Labor Day weekend. Hope you did as well. 🙂 It was way too short (as usual) but I got to…

Introduce Diesel to Rob’s aunt and uncle’s puppy Marley who he HATED. My dog is a snob!
Hang out with good friends from out of town.
Celebrate a friend’s birthday with seafood and ice cream.
Accompany my best friend as she chose “THE” wedding dress. SQUEE.
Make an unexpected (but totally awesome) trip to IKEA.

Phew.

In the midst of all that, Rob and I also managed to sneak in an entire season 1 marathon of The Good Wife.



Yes, that’s right. We watched ALL TWENTY-THREE episodes. We started Thursday night and finished up on Monday. Now I know what the hype is all about. It’s truly a great show. And I’m sad that season 2 doesn’t start for another few weeks.

My favorite character is Kalinda. I love her cynicism and mysteriousness. Plus, one of my absolute favorite movies is Bend it Like Beckham and I loved Archie Panjabi in that too. I’m also intrigued by both Peter Florrick and Cary Agos. I don’t think I’m supposed to like them as much as I do. I can’t help it! Sure, Peter’s a cheater and Cary can be cruel but they’re also incredibly charming and layered characters. Also love Eli Gold. Mostly because Alan Cumming is freaking amazing.

As far as the storylines, I was most drawn to Peter’s trial and his relationship with Alicia after the scandal. While I like Will (and adore his intimate voice), I’m not sold on him and Alicia… yet.

There’s not much I don’t love about this show. I know I’m notorious for watching mostly teen shows (Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill) or other such fluff but sometimes a 30 year old needs a real thought-provoking, adult show. This fits the bill for me. And you should watch it too!

in my head right now…

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The weeks have been absolutely flying by. Seriously, how is it almost September?! I can’t keep up.

Random stuff I’ve been thinking about…

I changed the theme of my blog! It’s pink now and much more ME than the blue craziness.

Work life has been insane. One of my managers left (*sob*) and we hired a new assistant… so with all these changes, I had the opportunity to travel to San Francisco for a few days (my first time in over a year!). I was looking forward to the hustle and bustle and cool weather of the city. Imagine my surprise when I arrived on Monday morning and was greeted by the VERY SAME HEAT that I left behind. WTF. Despite the heat, it was a good trip — I had fun dinners with great friends, caught up with co-workers, window shopped downtown, picked up late night frozen yogurt to cool down, and even managed to get some work done. I feel very lucky to have experienced the city again. But when I landed in Orange County last night, I was ridiculously happy. It definitely doesn’t have the energy of a big city but it’s home. “There’s no place like home” is a cliche for a reason.

I watched an episode of The Good Wife the other day and LOVED it. Now it’s my mission to watch the entire first season before the second premieres. The pilot is free to download on iTunes this week so I think it’s fate.

The Burn Notice summer finale was INSANE. In a good way.

I recently discovered the wonder that is the Google Reader. I follow 100+ blogs (it’s an addiction, what can I say) and I finally have a streamlined way of always being caught up. SO. AWESOME.

Maybe I’m judge-y or whatever but I think it’s kind of weird when I see that someone’s Twitter feed consists primarily of work updates and links to work-related articles. Or maybe I’m jealous that there are people out there that truly feel like their work is an extension of them. Believe me, I would NEVER be caught reading trade publications in my free time. Time away from work is too precious a commodity.

I have iphone rage. I updated my 3G to the new OS a few weeks back and now it sucks balls. It’s slow and is prone to freezing. Damn you Apple. I bet this was your evil plot all along — to make me hate my phone so much that I’ll eventually break down and buy the new iphone 4. Bastards. I’m annoyed but will totally fall for it. Hook, line, and sinker.

Totally late but YAY for Lauren winning So You Think You Can Dance. She was my favorite of the final 3 (awesome personality and versatility) — and I totally loved that she foiled the judges hope of a male contemporary dancer winning. Ok, they never said that but I firmly believe there are behind the scenes manipulations that happen on this show to get the results they want. I guess I’m a TV conspiracy theorist?

That’s all I’ve got. Sorry for all the text. Next time I’ll include pics. 😀

30 Days of TV Meme: Day 2

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Day 02 – A show that you wish more people were watching



CHUCK! It’s a hidden gem. I SWEAR.

I know that a computer whiz downloading government secrets into his brain (and later becoming a super spy) sounds a little (ok, a LOT) out there. I get it. That’s what I thought too! But it’s about the characters. Chuck’s a likable boy next door who works at the Buy More (aka Best Buy) and has a “secret” life complete with NSA & CIA handlers John Casey and Sarah Walker. And OMG, their interactions and spy missions are awesome. Throughout the past 3 seasons, we’ve watched them accept each other and develop into a real team capable of learning from and appreciating one another. Throw in Chuck’s nerdy best friend Morgan and his over-protective sister Ellie (neither of whom know his secret) and you’ve got yourself a fun action-comedy.

LOVE THIS SHOW. Catch up on DVD!

The rest of the prompts…

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30 Days of TV Meme: Day 1

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We’re supposed to close escrow on our house this week so my brain is too focused on packing and moving to write real blog entries. So instead, I will attempt another 30 Day Meme! Heh. This one’s about TV so hopefully I’ll actually finish it this time.

🙂

Day 01 – A show that should never have been canceled



I’ll agree with EVERYONE and say Firefly. I found the show on DVD well after it was canceled and with only 14 episodes, it left me wanting more. I loved Mal and his ragtag band of Serenity crew members. Freaking FOX always ruins everything.

I’d also like to give an Honorable Mention to Everwood. The show did have 4 wonderful seasons, though, so I’m just being greedy.

The rest of the prompts…

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sytycd s7 changes

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Summer means… So You Think You Can Dance! (Ok, I know season 6 was in the Fall but that season was so forgettable – poor dancers didn’t even get a tour).

I’m excited that the show is back on but I feel like the dancers are (again!) getting the short end of the stick because of the changes…

— No Top 20. Instead, it was supposed to be a Top 10, making the competition even tougher. Unfortunately, the producers and judges decided to wimp out and cast a Top 11 because they couldn’t decide on just 5 guys. COME ON. Top 11 is silly! They should have either had the balls to cut a guy (Billy Bell would be my pick — he failed to impress unlike last season) or at least invited another dancer (Anthony Burrell!) and made it a Top 12.

— Partners change each week. I like this but have to admit I’m going to miss getting invested in “power couples” like Katee & Joshua or Sabra & Dominic. On the other hand, this means there won’t be another disaster like Mollee & Nathan who only seemed to bring out the worst in each other.

— AND instead of pairing up the dancers with one another, they’ve brought back a group of All-Stars from previous seasons who will partner with the newbies when their style is chosen. Part of me is super excited about this because… Pasha! Anya! Dominic! Courtney! Mark! Neil! Love them. Could do without Lauren (ugh). Anyway. Seriously though? This season’s dancers are totally getting the shaft with the introduction of the All-Stars. Viewers are already familiar with them so it’ll be that much harder for the actual contestants to break through and be memorable. The All-Stars will likely have an impact on the voting as well.

I also do NOT like seeing the contestants receive the good or bad news with their families. Was it really necessary to fly the judges around the country to tell people they didn’t make it to the Top 11? What is the point of that?!

All that said, I’m still excited. I love dance so much! It doesn’t hurt that the dancers are easy on the eyes. 🙂


All-Stars!

Top Eleven!

Early favorites so far – Kent Boyd (he is adorable), Alexie Agdeppa (she’s filipino! and a former Laker girl!), and ALEX FREAKING WONG (AMAZING).

another jack bites the dust

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How is it June 7 already?! WTF. I don’t even know.

Been too busy at work. Leaving no time for TV or blogging (cannot believe it’s been over a week since my last entry). HORRORS.

Anyway.

So… the Lost series finale. After my initial viewing, I was a little underwhelmed. But now after multiple viewings and over 2 weeks to mull it over, I think I love it. I really, really do. (Or maybe I’m just easily manipulated). It was emotionally satisfying and that’s enough for me. I’ve never been as invested in the mysteries of the island anyway. The mysteries may have hooked me but I stayed for the characters, their personal journeys, and the relationships they formed with one another.

I know I won’t be able to write a proper review of the finale (I’ll direct you to one of my favorite TV critics instead) so I’ll just run through some of the great moments that really stayed with me…



Seeing Rose, Bernard… and Vincent too! So happy they were given a happy ending. I was a little worried Smokey was going to kill one or both of them off.



The first of the flashbacks between Sun and Jin. *sob* I never thought I would love them so much. I didn’t care for Jin at all at the beginning of the show.



OMG. I TOTALLY knew that Juliet was going to be Jack’s wife in the sideways-verse. I KNEW IT. Oh, show. Sometimes you are so predictable. I’ve always been a Jack/Kate ‘shipper but this scene made me realize how good Jack and Juliet could be too.



Smokey/Locke: “Jacob, being who he is… I expected to be a little more surprised. You’re sort of the obvious choice, don’t you think?”
… then later …
Jack: “I’m gonna kill you.”
Smokey/Locke: “How do you plan to do that?”
Jack: “That’s a surprise.”
BWAH. Dun dun DUN!



BOONE! I was so sad when he died in season 1 so it’s been great to revisit his character again in this last season. And as much as I like Shannon/Sayid, all I kept thinking during this scene was… what was Boone’s “moment?” You know, his own moment of clarity?



OMG. This scene was so beautiful. I loved that Kate’s moment came when delivering Aaron. Again.



“I saved you a bullet.” YES. Kate kicking ass! There have been times over the years when she’s disappointed me (*ahem* indecision over Jack and Sawyer) but definitely not in the finale.



SQUEE! Jack and Kate’s “I love yous.” Only one word to describe this scene… FINALLY. But so unbelievably sad knowing what happens to Jack. It upsets me to think that Kate left the island and had to live without him. *sob*



THIS reunion scene between Sawyer and Juliet was the one that really *got* to me. Just… so perfect and romantic. AND HAPPY! You can clearly see the joy in their faces. They’re so in love! Their relationship surprised me back in season 5 but I fell hard for them and was seriously heartbroken when Juliet died setting off the bomb in the season 6 premiere.



Jack’s confusion and hesitance to accept the truth and let go. Seriously, Matthew Fox KILLS me with his eyes. He is SO GOOD at being on the verge of crying… his eyes fill with tears and just a few of them roll down his face. It gets me more upset than if he was straight-out sobbing.



Hurley becoming the island protector with Ben as his second-in-command. I’ve never been able to fully embrace Ben as a character but I’m glad that he found what he’s been searching for — respect.



And finally… *sob* Acceptance and all the characters reuniting in the sanctuary. I have to admit — I wasn’t crazy about the explanation for the sideways-verse. I thought it felt too easy. I was expecting a huge reveal tying the sideways-verse with the “real” world. It took me awhile to realize that’s what I got. It was just less “Oh sh*t!!! WTF!” and more of an “Ohhhhh…” moment. LOL. Sometimes I’m slow. What can I say?

And of course, Jack’s death. WAHHHH. I had a feeling Jack was going to die so it wasn’t a surprise. He was at peace, he knew his friends made it off the island and he wasn’t alone (Vincent!)… so as sad and twisted as it sounds, his story got a happy ending too. Love the callbacks to the pilot with the entire scene. Details like that make me happy. Total TV geek, I know. But seriously, this episode (and the show in general) gets better and better each time I watch it.

Farewell, Lost. I will miss you!

Many thanks to Lost Media and ABC for the pics.

farewell jack bauer

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Confession. I have no desire to watch Sex and the City 2. I thought the first movie was pretty darn perfect as is. I don’t want my memories to be ruined by the new movie. 🙁 Maybe I’ll watch it on DVD.

So work has been rough lately. Which means I’m super behind with TV. And I totally forgot So You Think You Can Dance premieres this week. WTF is wrong with me?

I did manage to watch the 24 series finale, though…



I complain a lot about this show. It has been enormously frustrating the past few seasons. But I freaking LOVE it. It brought me Jack Bauer and his Jack-pack, one of my most favorite couples in Tony and Michelle, Bill, Chloe, Presidents David and Wayne Palmer, Aaron (the best Secret Service agent ever), and many others.

OMG. I will miss this show so much.

Season 8 was a weak season overall (what was the BIG DEAL with the peace treaty and why didn’t the Russians want to sign it?) and the series finale wasn’t much better but it had some great character moments (mostly between Jack and Chloe) that I loved…

— Chloe bringing Jack back from the dark side. It’s been really hard for me to watch Jack let his need for vengeance get the better of him in these last few episodes (the episode where he cuts open Tokarev to find the SIM card comes to mind… *shudders*). And it made sense for Chloe, someone who’s truly his friend, to be the one to make him stop and think about his actions before he went through with the assassination.
— Jack forcing Chloe to shoot him. OMG. This scene was unintentionally hilarious. I don’t know if I’ve ever loved Chloe as much as I did here.
— President Taylor and Dalia Hassan’s throwdown. FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. You could seriously feel Dalia’s shock at being simultaneously betrayed and blackmailed. I have to admit, though, that I’m a little disappointed that Taylor’s character was written this way to begin with. This was the same President who sent her daughter to JAIL last season because she had such a clear sense of right and wrong.
— President Taylor’s desperation and remorse at finding out she might not be able to stop Jack’s execution. The way she leaned on the wall in the elevator as if she couldn’t hold herself up… that was amazing acting.
— The final scene between Jack and Chloe. It was perfect. Their farewell was unbelievably emotional (no doubt Kiefer and Mary Lynn’s own). I loved the way Jack looked straight at the screen like he was addressing the viewers and thanked Chloe for having his back all these years. *sob*

I wish Jack didn’t have to be on the run, though (way to recycle the season 4 ending, writers). It’s not fair that he’s rebuilt his relationship with Kim and now he won’t even be able to watch his granddaughter grow up. That makes me sad. But I guess the ending had to be open-ended if the rumors for a theatrical movie are true. Maybe Tony can be a part of it somehow. 😀

Farewell, Jack. It’s been a fun 8 seasons.

DAMN IT!

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