Who has time for TV?

I know I haven't posted to this blog in a while...and I know that zero people care. In fact, I should probably delete it, but then what would that zero person do? Am I making any sense? Forget it. Know the answer.

I don't watch as much TV as I should. As my daughter is getting older and more aware, even my TV junkie husband (raised on television, peanut butter and sugar) says we can't expose her to as much TV. And gosh...she just loves it. Totally captivated. I am ok with this because she knows all of these flash cards: teddy bear, car, tractor, fire truck, ball, baby, fish, dog, cat and corn. So...not stunting her mental growth yet, thank you very much!

Despite the fact that I am getting less of the TV love, I am managing to stay in tune with re-runs of Friends (I hate the first season), All My Children (Susan Lucci looks better every year...so creepy) and The Dog Whisperer (I am madly in love with Caesar Millan. LOVE HIM). So don't you cry for me, Argentina.

A couple of comments re: TV:

- Check out football in hi-def - it'll change your life.
- Can TiVo BE any more awesome? (homage to Chandler)
- Sex and the City on TBS just isn't the same...I'm not a perv, but really; Samantha with her shirt on is very boring.

AMC, baby

All My Children
Original airdate: 2.28.06

I first began watching All My Children when I was 10 years old. My friend Zhanna (pronounced Shj-anna) and I used to watch it at her house when we ate Haagen Daas ice cream. Good times! My mother also watched it at that time, and we'd occassionally watch it together. I've grown up with Tad, Dixie, Erica and Joe.

For some reason I continue to watch for unknown reasons. While on maternity leave, I grew addicted, and the invention of TiVo has not helped. Well, it's helped in terms of aiding this addiction. So even though I'm back at work, I still watch. And so does my husband, by default.

The history of my interest in AMC is a moot point, because who cares? Let's talk Janet from Another Planet. She sure has caused some trouble in Pine Valley lately! And now she's even hurting her daughter, who has been the official reason for her rampage. It's sort of sad...she is so devoted and loving to her little girl (I can relate) that her perception of what is appropriate behavoir is skewed. Now, obviously anyone who was not insane would know better, but with Janet's history, it was inevitable that she would take things too far once she saw how Pine Valley treated little (not so little, really) Amanda. As a side note, I recall when Amanda was conceived, born and trapped in a well as a child on the show. So now that she's a hottie little number is disturbing.

Oh, and by the way, Trevor is totally dead. Like, why hasn't Amanda been able to get a hold of him? I'll tell you why...cause Janet freaked and killed him. That's too bad, because Trevor is a nice dude.

Anyway, Babe. She is an interesting character because the writers continually want to make her sympathetic. Though she has done hateful things - kidnapping is just *one* example - the writers still want you to believe she is a good girl that occassionally does stupid things, all for the right reasons. I am easily manipulated, so I buy it most of the time, but if you really examine what she's done, it would be easy to hate her. I'm actually quite pleased that she has fallen back in love with JR and he hates her again because he assumed she's kidnapped their son. Why wouldn't he think that? She's done nothing buy betray him literally from Day 1 of their relationship. True, his hasty hate is sooo annoying because he's usually wrong, but he has every right to be thinking the worst of Babe.

As for Dixie...I just love Cady McClain. Again - another person from the Old Skool. She is beautiful and a wonderful actress. I've always wanted her back and when she was "dead" 7 years ago, I was bummed. Now she is back with undisclosed reasons for her absence, and I'm definitely interested in finding out why she was away. As for finding Zach in the cemetary...well, that's cool. He makes all storylines more interesting (great actor, can't remember his name...Ian something) and I can see an interesting relationship/friendship between he and Dixie if he & Kendall don't work out. What I also find interesting is that he has great chemistry with Kendall, and pretty much with anyone who walks on the screen - with the exception of Maria, who he was brought on to be with at the very beginning of his introduction to Pine Valley! They has no chemistry, and their relationship was stupid from the very beginning. I have to say...I was always a Maria Santos fan, but was glad to see her go when she did. And even gladder (pretty sure that's not a word) when Zach stayed. Oh, and the fact that they killed Edmund so unceremoniuously...dirty.

But I digress...clearly. One more comment: Ethan's death. Since Ethan broke up with Kendall, his storyline has been relegated to the backburner. He is a handsome dude, good actor, and a nice presence on screen. However, there wasn't anywhere for him to go - not that the writer's made an effort. Strangely, they started to put him with Simone, and it was this weird, out of place storyline that just popped up randomly for the last 4 - 6 months. No one cares about Simone, and then she's with Ethan, even though Kendall is one of her best friends...and Kendall doesn't care - which is not like her because she's always pissed at someone. Anyway, it was clear that they were going nowhere until they got engaged and suddenly, Ethan had stuff to do. And I was like "oh cool! Ethan's back!" And I actually started to like Simone because she was so in love with her fiancee and they had such fun together. And then I started reading the spoilers and realizing that he was going to die. And for what? So they gave him a relationship and a REASON to live so they could KILL him and make us care? Cold! And THEN he doesn't even forgive Zach on his death bed? Colder! I dunno...I was sad to see him go, sadder that he left under such sad circumstances and saddest when Simone started to grieve. My husband thinks that all actors that attempt to cry/be dramatic/grieving, etc. are bad. Doesn't matter who they are or what they try....he just says "oh that's bad acting." But in the case of Simone, I have to diagree. She is devastated, and she's so believable and sympathetic....it's heartbreaking...and I actually think I like her character...after about 20 years of watching this show.

Though she's only been on for about 6 years...but I digress, once again.

Eh, it was ok

Desperate Housewives
Original airdate: 2.12.06

So, I've essentially given up on this show, but I still TiVo it and feel compelled to give anything I TiVo a fair shake. So, in that vein, I watched this episode TiVo-styles...which means that I sped through the scenes that looked annoying (most of them having Tom and Lynette and their ridiculous boss eating donuts out of toilets) and watched, more or less, scenes that appeared to have some comedy and/or drama (most of those scenes being with Gabrielle kicking the hell out of a nun).

Last year, when I began to watch this series with 26.2 million of my closest friends, I really liked the Susan character. She was quirky, fun, cute, sweet, etc. She was a hoot to watch and it was easy to root for her. Now she's as grating as the rest of them. Plagued by insecurities (why she has them is anyone's guess since she has the body, looks and kindness to feel just fine about herself), she tends to do stupid things. Annoying things. Grating things. This week's little number was agreeing to (or did she actually, since, well, I watched this TiVo-styles) marry her ex-husband for his insurance benefits. I'm also not getting why this is necessary at all. THERE HAS to be a better way to get benefits, starting with a trip to her local Kaiser. Or whatever. If she lives on Wysteria Lane, she can afford a little operation. Who's with me??

So, Susan used to be my favorite. Then came little Gabrielle and her hot Latina ways. Actually, her hot funny ways. Frankly. Eva Longoria is very good at what she does. She's crazy overexposed (to the point where seeing her face sends me into seizures) but she has talent. Besides Marcia Cross, she has her character nailed to a tee, and she is just great to watch. She's incredibly tiny, and when she spars with whoever is in her way - from ex-cons to husbands to gardeners and to th aforementioned nuns - she is on her game. This episode was no different. She really made me believe that she had true and honest doubts about starting a family, and it was easy to relate to her. In addition, her ability to get rid of Nunny-Dearest was THE BEST. That fool had it coming!

So, if Eva Longoria is that good, how come Felicity Huffman gets all the props? I'll tell you why - because she is also a movie actress, and since TV critics, stars, directors et. al can't get over the fact that they're working for TV and not for film, they always assume that anyone who has a successful film career is a better actress than anyone who's stuck to TV. And that's nonsense and we all know it. In Felicity's case, even though her character's personality and storyline is part of the reason why she can't really show off her acting chops, I also think she chooses to be lazy. She knows she has everyone wrapped around her little finger, so why try harder? Why try and make Lynette relatable or even believable? Why show the viewers how and why Tom actually stays with her? Why demonstrate one good reason why those kids don't hate her? 'Cause she's lazy.

This episode was ok. And looks like Danielle Van De Kamp is about to get jumped!

Boom!

Grey's Anatomy
Original airdate: 2.12.06

Wow. At first, as this show started to heat up, I thought "eh, not as good as last week." And with stupid Meredith in "peril" (in quotes because we all know she ain't goin' nowhere), I was a little disappointed how the episode was concluding.

But it got better, folks! Highlights:

- George convincing Bailey to give birth. Wow...I was so sad for him when Addison Montgomery-Shepard Jones Smith Johnson, etc. yelled at his butt for well, just being concerned, but he sure showed her! The combination of firm love for his superior inspired her to push and give birth to her baby son. I usually am a minor fan of the George character, but he sure made me a believer.

- Meredith almost blowing up. OK, not really a highlight since the cute Bomb Squad guy bit the dust...and well, did all the fools waiting for the bomb also blow the heck up? After Meredith's perfectly glossed lips, shiny hair and adorable swagger were literally blown off the floor, they kind of ...disappeared. Horrible! Do the fools who put together this bomb go to jail for this ridiculousness? Count me on the jury, cause they're going down! So yeah, Meredith got blown up just a bit, thought not really, which sucked.

- Cristina telling Burke she loved him. She shows no emotions ordinarily, and was less than moved by his plea to leave the OR so he could "concentrate" (so sweet...he couldn't focus on the task on hand with her in the room), but she finally breaks down and declares her love to a sleeping Burke. So cute. By the by, Sandra Oh is estranged from her husband right now - how sad! She's at the apex of her career and where is he? She was with him for all the Sideways nonsense. Poor Sandra!

- McDreamy and Burke and their first names. Respect finally earned, Dr. Preston Burke called McDreamy "Derek" which was lovely. I just love these guys, and though too incredibly handsome to be real doctors, I still buy it.

So seriously, who is going to buy me Season 1?

Delicious

Scrubs
Original Airdate: 2.7.06

Yummy. That's how I feel during and after watching an episode of "Scrubs." I love the whimsical sense of humor, the chemistry of the cast and usually the stories. Sometimes the stories feel forced or are annoying. Sadly, episode one of the two episodes aired on Tuesday was one of those.

The storyline and JD's new love interest was ok. Mandy Moore is sooo adorable and just happens to be the artist behind my wedding song. However, she's just a so-so actress, and with this ensemble, you can't be so-so and not stick out like a sore ankle. That being said, that storyline was still ok. I loves me some Zach Braff and so does Mandy.

The other story about Carla and Dr. Cox was slightly better. Carla worships Dr. Cox (without admitting it) and respects him so much, that discovering he doesn't have a solution for a mdeical problem was a shocker for her. In addition, his side story about no longer wanting to kiss his son due to his age was done very well. It's been well-established that Dr. Cox has father issues - both with his and with being one - but his pure love for his son has never been in question. When he gives in at the end and kisses him all over, I felt all warm and yummy inside. Yummy! (By the way, does Christa Miller Lawrence's son play their son??? He looks just like a combo of Bill Lawrence and Christa...but I can't find anything on the Web. Oh Internet, WHY HAVE YOU FAILED ME?? If my non-existent readership can weigh in on this, that'd be great.)

So, the annoying storyline award goes to the "air band." Sure, it was a kick to see Donald Faison demonstrate his ample dancing skills, but come on...so lame. Why is that funny? I ask you Bill Lawrence, WHY?

The second episode of the evening continued the Mandy Moore love affair. JD has a history of dumping girlfriends for stupid reasons, so he was on the verge of doing so again....however, his friends staged a pretty funn intervention and he managed to hang in there. Later in the episode as he was getting passed his immaturity, he proclaims that he thinks she could be "the one" and she promply says "Dude, I'm 23. I don't even think about stuff like that!" OK, a couple of things...1) Zach Braff and Mandy Moore are dating in real life. I have to guess (without checking imdb because I am lazy) that age difference is accurate - she's around 23, while he's around 30. I wonder if that is a "real issue." But I've pretty much quickly dismissed that since Zach Braff is all crazy famous/sexy/cool now and likely has no plans of settling down. So really, it's all a moot point.

But I digress, as usual. He dumps her after finding out she's not thinking long-term. The end of Mandy Moore. Now, did they cut her guest stint short because she sucks as an actress? Or is she just soooo very busy with her guest stint on Entourage that she had to toodle out of there? I suppose we'll never know. But Oh Mandy, I will always love you...

Scrubs is so cool! If you don't watch it, start immediately. Because I swear, if they cancel this show, I'm coming after every one of you.

Uncle Joey

Skating with Celebrities
Original airdate: 2.6.06

I didn't watch all of this show, but yeah, I have comments.

1. Is Dave Coulier really as slimy as he appears? And does Nancy Kerrigan hate him? The answer is yes, so I probably shouldn't waste anyone's time by asking.
2. Bruce Jenner looks crazy old.
3. Kristy Swanson gained weight, but she holds it together very well. She's a cutie. Oh, and she was also in my movie debut.
4. I can't tell you how happy I am that Debbie Gibson got the boot last week. She is not only obnoxious, arrogant and self-absorbed, but NOT TALENTED! Her voice isn't that great, she clearly can't skate, and her Playboy pictures were lame. (yeah, I saw them...what of it?!)
5. Is it wrong that I still love Nancy Kerrigan? Go U.S.A.!

Mick Jagger sucks

Super Bowl XL
Original airdate: 2.5.06

I barely watched the halftime, but I'll take old man Paul McCartney over Mick Jagger any day after tonight's display. Even Kid Rock was better than this fool. The Stones were terrible. Guys, collect your money, keep selling your songs to Microsoft or whatever, live in England with lots of gardens or double-decker buses, and stop performing. Do us all a favor.

The game was good up until about the third quarter. Oh, Matt Hasselback, you need more practice. Too bad this was the last game of the season. Oh, Shaun, you didn't even score one TD. Who ARE you? Oh, Steelers fans...ONE FOR THE THUMB!

Next year....NY Giants 28, Indianapolis Colts, 3. Manning v. Manning, baby. You heard it here first!

Not cool

Grey's Anatomy
Original airdate: 2.5.06

Did I not say that this was my new favorite show? This show absolutely ruled (gack, I hate this word in this context, but it's late and don't feel like consulting my colloquial thesaurus) from almost every aspect. The only issue I had was the ending...the fact that it didn't end. DOES THE GUY BLOW UP OR WHAT? OK, the answer is probably no, but wouldn't it be interesting to see what a show does after blowing up all the major characters? Like, maybe save one or two, and then have the rest of the show be about those characters living with the aftermath of their dead colleagues. I'd save Cristina and Burke. And maybe Bailey. And maybe McDreamy. But that's it. Meredith is sooooooooooo annoying.

Alex & Izzie? Eh.

The best scene was the heart-pounding discovery that the shell of the bazooka existed. Alex racing up the stairs...though you knew it would end with them finding it out and not starting the surgery, it was still pretty darn exciting. The guy who plays Burke...he made that scene really work. And then stupid Meredith gets the info - "Hey, FYI, Cold Black, go tell people." Meredith: "Whaaat? Code Blaaack? I don't get it...I'm stupid. Tell me more. You don't seem serious or scared enough to get me to do what you asked..." I don't have the complete transcripts, but I think that's pretty close.

Can't wait for next week!