Fall 2007 Must See TV

A couple of years ago I rarely ever watched TV. That was just one symptom of a number of symptoms which were attached to a much larger problem: Taking Life Too Seriously. Very often I find myself surrounded by people who are either apologetic about their TV viewing or whom talk about how there are so many better things to do rather than watch TV. I get it, you think it says something about you and you're playing the saying something about you game. Great for you. Boring to be around you...

I love TV. For one, real life has real problems. I want to forget about my problems and get sucked into imaginary problems for an hour. I want to care about something which has no consequence to my life. Another great reason is because TV is really really good now. It's not the 80s or the 90s anymore. The bar has been raised, our generation is the creative generation. TV doesn't dull the mind for us, it challenges us to kick ass!

MY Must See Download TV
These are shows that if I miss the airing I will make sure to download every week.

Desperate Housewives
Sunday ABC - Basically this is just really good junk food for the mind, and as someone who compulsively thinks too much, I find it very enjoyable. The show doesn't take it self too seriously and that's why there is no baggage watching it. The fact that there is actually quite a bit of thoughtful character development is underplayed. The show is smarter than it sells itself and that there is the underlying reason it's so good.



Heroes
Monday NBC - The first season of Heroes was hard for me to get into. It was sort of like Lost Light. It was the origin season and it took til the end to get the characters to interact (or do much of anything). Still, the characters were strong and the plot was strong, so it was a good show. This season it's really good. Finally we get to see the characters react to each other and exist in their world out side their "destiny" which overshadowed the first season. I'm thrilled to see Peter start to kick ass. It's dark but thankfully the show has Hiro who keeps alive that optimistic spirit of hope.


Gossip Girl
Wednesday CW - No, seriously, it's really really good.

Yes, it is a teen drama. But you know, I always kind of liked teen dramas they just got so stale and popcornish. They were cliche, poorly acted, and felt, well, scripted. What makes Gossip Girl so good is the characters. The two leads are extremely like-able.

Oh, and most of the characters actually look like high school kids, not thirty year old actors. Their flaws are pretty real and things aren't wrapped up with a nice morality play bow at the end of every episode. And yet the show does present values. I think it's the smartest, most real, and best teen show I've seen. It's brilliant that they put the first episode as a free download on iTunes because I would never have checked this out if I didn't seen it was a free download. But now that I'm in, I'm hooked.

Yeah, okay I'm a girl. So what?

The Office
Thursday NBC - Still without a doubt my favorite show on TV. It's funny, it's smart, it has soap opera qualities but it doesn't milk them or overplay them. It has a relevant quality that strikes home (as someone who has worked for a heartless corporation... in the past). This season has some new twists. Ryan, who has always been a pathetic apathetic dweeb is now the big boss man and his true colors are flying out. The reason it's so funny is because it's so true to life.


Grey's Anatomy
Thursday ABC - I didn't watch this show last season mainly because I fell behind, planned to get caught up and then gave up. The show committed the cardinal sin, it changed it's schedule and went up against The Office (Don't F with The Office Bitch!).

But I watched the first episode this season and I was amazed how easy it was to get back in. The show hasn't really gone anywhere (okay, it has but not in ways I care about) but the characters are just so well written. I find myself surprised by the plot developments, not just because they don't just go the way I thought they would but also because I don't feel the way I thought I would about it. It's a very empathetic show. The characters are messed up, they do selfish things, they act like jerks but in a real life sort of way and you end up feeling for them. The addition of Meredith Grey's half sister Lexie to the cast seems like a contrived plot device but the character ends up being the like-able breath of fresh air the show needed and the storyline has been really, well, human.

This show isn't as hard to jump into as it looks so you might want to download it since you'll be watching The Office on Thursday nights!


My Name Is Earl
Thursday NBC - This show is a really great spoof comedy movie in TV form show. It doesn't ask you to do too much except to sit back and enjoy it. The humor is smart but low ball but it's not the dirty whore begging you to laugh at it like we get from shows like Family Guy. And the show actually has morals in it. It has heart behind it and even though that's not vogue, it's hard for me to enjoy a show or movie without someone sympathetic for me to root for. This season Earl is in prison and you'd think that'd get old pretty fast but this show proves how dynamic it can be by changing the formula.



My Casual Viewing List
These are shows that I always enjoy and often watch when they are on, but don't go out of my way to view.


Brothers and Sisters
Sunday ABC - A good character driven show that addresses politics. The show plays it a little too politically safe to really be realistic but it does approach things from a human point of view and I think it shows social progress that we get to see issues like this on the networks now.

Private Practice
Wednesday ABC - This is a spin off of Grey's Anatomy. I haven't watched many episodes yet but it seems to be a little lighter in tone.

30 Rock
Thursday NBC - I feel no emotional investment in this show yet but every time I watch it I laugh. It's really smart and really funny. Plus, that Tina Fey is a MILF.


Oh, and of course I am eagerly awaiting the return of Lost this winter!


Okay, you got my recommendations, now waste a little life guilt free..


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