Prime Time Television

[luckiest1]

Sucks that we never got to see those Eli Stone episodes that were shot, unless they are gonna give them to us in the summer? Even though it's been "officially cancelled".

YAY for Southland!

I'm almost caught up on Grey's Anatomy. Just watched the cross over episode last night. I'm trying to get caught up enough to watch the last few shows of the season as they air. Then I can go back and watch Private Practice this summer.

[luckiest1]

Ok maybe I'm the last to know but wikipedia lists the final 4 episodes of Eli Stone will be shown in the US starting June 20, 2009. So they aren't lost after all!

I have finally caught up with Grey's Anatomy and will be able to watch the last two episodes in real time.

[Couch Tomato]

This question is better here. Wondering who your favorite characters and what stories you liked.

I think my problem with GA for me is that it came with my general soap overload. Also, I hated the main character right down to her voice. And then I hated Izzy even more LOL. I think that things may have been different if I saw the show from the beginning cuz Meredith had way more spunk. But I didn't see it until after season 3 and it was too late. heee. But I absolutely adored some of the characters on the show so that's why I watched. I know Isaiah was an asshole and don't feel sorry for what happened to him but to me his character was important because it was a good balance to the silliness..he didn't fit the high school with scapels label. Of course you know I love Addie. I also loved Callie, Bailey and shit... I totally am fading on Asian character and she was one of my favorites.

[luckiest1]

Yeah, I think Bailey is my fave of them all. I really like Christina (Sandra Oh) a lot, too. I hear you about Meredith's voice! LOL One of the first things I complained about to my daughter. I know the circumstances around Isaiah's departure, and I am glad, but I liked his character. It thought he is/was better looking than McDreamy, too. Heh. I liked Addison ok but don't get why people think she's so great.....guess I need to watch more than just the cross over episodes to get a feel for Private Practice. I like Callie, and I like her story line for obvious reasons.

I like George and if it's true he's leaving that sucks. I don't understand all the Izzy hate because I like her, too (and I don't mean just here, my daughter can't stand her either). The story line with dead Denny was stupid, though. Supposedly he might be coming back tonight. Oh joy. Anyways, I look forward to whatever surprises they have for us in the 2 hour finale, and we'll see where the show goes from here!

[Couch Tomato]

I can't explain my love for Addie -- she brought the ju ju heee. She's my serious girl crush - even love her Cadillac commercial. I think it might be more about the actress too. As for Izzy I tend to hate characters that don't pay for the things they do. Oh I stole a heart and won millions of dollars but I gave it all away so I'm a saint. Whatever. LOL. Then the whole George thing. Entitled. I loved George until that affair with Izzy. LOVE Callie.So what's her story..it's been 2 seasons for me since I watched. I assume she divorced George..I hope with minimal begging on her part.

[luckiest1]

Two seasons? Heh, lots has changed. Let's just say Callie is now playing for the other team. If you are interested, I can burn you a dvd of seasons 4 and 5. I obviously have the files!

[Couch Tomato]

heee you're talking to someone who watched the crossover with one hand on ff button. And the PP/GA crossovers to me are some of the worse PP. I don't think it works much. Also I do think it took PP at least 5 or 6 episodes to figure out what sort of show it was going to be.

There had been rumors that a character was going to be gay but the rumors always swirled around Sandra Oh. I hope it's well written.

[luckiest1]

Argh, why does everything have to happen at once? Thursday night we have the GA 2 hour finale, we have 30 Rock with Clay at the same time, and to top it all off we have my son's season opening home game (baseball).

[luckiest1]

Did anyone watch the Criminal Minds season finale last night? First of all, the parallels to the whole Silence of the Lambs/Red Dragon/Hannibal movie thing were pretty obvious.....man eating pigs, and the mastermind behind it all was even named Mason, and disabled to boot! And then the final 30 seconds....kind of saw that coming as they always end on the jet, and this time they didn't. But I can't really remember the whole story arc behind the masked guy....now I feel the need to go back and find that episode again. So is Hoch really dead? I doubt it, otherwise they would have shown it happen.

[Couch Tomato]

My life is over. Tonight I watched the very last episode of The Wire. This is officially my favorite television show ever, surpassing Homefront. The only thing those shows have in common is fantastic writing.

I know it's not a show for everyone. But I just felt it was so real and authentic. I laughed a lot and cried. The characters whether the good guys or the bad were never one note. They took care with every character whether it was one of the main characters, a recurring character or someone with a one shot deal.

What I also loved was the diversity - and I'm not talking white, black, hispanic. I'm talking black characters on every level of the spectrum from the lowliest crack head, corner boys, drug dealer, cops, upper brass, teachers, politicians, editors, gay, straight, good, bad, sleazy, shady, smart, dumb and dumber. I can't think of anything that even comes close.

Every season had a theme all played out on the streets of Baltimore. Season one was basically all about how the war on drugs is a sham. Season two focused on the ports and unions. Season 3 was all about solutions - how do we fix it so they focused on the mayor's race and other political matters. Season 4, my favorite, was all about he schools and how kids lose their way... Season 5 focused on the press and of course wrapping it all up.

It's definitely R rated for sex (not a lot - maybe 8 or 9 scenes in 5 seasons but it was HBO graphic. Language is very salty. In fact, one classic scene had two cops only using variations on the F word. Yet it was like poetry. In a way I'm glad I didn't see it when it was on - waiting for each episode would have killed me. And I think it was like the Sopranos that sometimes you had to wait a year between seasons.

Do I dare hope that the new television season brings me a show even half this good.

[treenuts]

My life is over. Tonight I watched the very last episode of The Wire.

Here's to Couchie's passing! May she RIP.

I just have an observation/question - Why is this thread still called 2007 2008 tv season? I can't even recall what I watched back then

[luckiest1]

BWAH! Shows you how out of it I am, I never even noticed.

OK, for this season, I am caught up on Grey's Anatomy, will soon be caught up on Private Practice, so look forward to being able to (hopefully) watch those if I can figure out a way for them not to conflict with other shows like CSI and Criminal Minds. I am also really, really, really looking forward to a new food/cooking show apparently slated for ABC with Jamie Oliver pairing up with Ryan Seacrest (ugh, I know, but he will make the show wildly popular no doubt) in prime time. Anyone heard anything about this?

[Couch Tomato]

I watch enough food shows..so will probably skip. I don't know this Jamie Oliver.

I'm watching reruns tonight and I NEVER EVER watch reruns. But it's so light and airy and funny -- and I was thrilled to see the ad for it's return. I love Castle!!

The line that made me LOL tonight...

When Kate's ex called Castle Nancy Drew in a derogatory way - Castle responded something like ..and thats supposed to be a bad thing? Nancy Drew solved every case. heee. That man is so funny -- and has been since he was Joey Buchanan on OLTL And Stana Katic is great too.

[jmh123]

I watched the Castle reruns too. Learned something pretty crucial that I missed the first time--in a brief conversation with the ex-boyfriend in a car (stakeout?), he asks her if Castle knows what a huge fan of his she is, did he know about her standing in line (in the rain?) for a booksigning. That changes the dynamic of the relationship completely. I always thought that she resented being stuck with him.

I almost always watch TV with one eye and one ear--realized last night I miss a lot of stuff that way.

Couchie, Jamie Oliver is the Jamie luckiest is cooking with for her blog. (And I don't even watch cooking shows.)

[Couch Tomato]

Oh heee..I just got the link to check out her blog. Will do that today.

Did you hear the rest of it? He said reading his books got her through her mother's death. I love the father-daughter/ father-mother relationship too..and I like the other detectives. Hope they get their parts expanded a little bit.

[jmh123]

No, I missed that part. That one eye, one ear thing. Thanks for filling me in!

I love the father-daughter relationship especially, and also the whole family dynamic. The other detectives were pretty funny last night. (like that guy's sotto voce comment about being called in on a Saturday morning)

[Couch Tomato]

Well like all crack addicts whose supply was cut off..I've found an alternative that doesn't get me the same high but it helps through the recovery period. The creator of The Wire was also behind the an HBO miniseries called The Corner. Now IMO it is no way in the class of The Wire. The focus is really narrow, focusing mostly one family's struggles with addiction - their neighborhood. In a way it's like they took one kid from The Wire and focused on his family. What I loved best is seeing so many actors from The Wire in other roles in The Corner. It's like the creator has his stash of actors and keeps using them in all of his shows; Homicide LOTS, The Wire, The Corner. It's a 6 episode show and so far I've seen 7 actors from the Wire turn up. It's so funny to see the Mayor's campaign manager in the wire turn up as a stone cold addict in The Corner.

David Simon is supposedly creating a new show about musicians in post Katrina New Orleans. I can't wait.

[djs111]

I totally totally disagree with the choice for winner of Next Design Star.

Totally and completely.

There. Now I feel better.

[FearofH2O]

Antonio is a little heavyhanded in his designs. But I guess some like that. I think he was picked because they wanted a different kind of design show. Maybe get a different demographic. IMO I don't like his personality at all. It reminds me of someone I was never fond of. And it is all about me.

[Couch Tomato]

heeee and on the other hand... I LOVE ANTONIO. I will admit the other guy's house was better but looking over the entire season I really liked Antonio and just didn't like the other one. Now I probably won't watch his show other than the Antonio project (Design Star is the only thing I watch on HGTV) but to me it's all about personality and look. The other guy is a dime a dozen on these cable shows.

While I'm confessing, that guy on extreme home makeover -- is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Anybody watch Shark Tank? I love it. LOL

[djs111]

Yep. I think you nailed it.

Heh, I wonder how many demographics design shows have, in reality.

Anyway, here is a sample of the reaction at TwoP:

Ultimately, my problem with Antonio isn't that he's a caveman, a bohunk, has fangs or porn tats, or can barely speak. My problem with him is that he cannot design a space -- his "set design" experience lets him down here. Every single time, his rooms have had serious flaws in livability and space planning, which I assume come because he is untrained and has no idea how to rectify them.

Yep. Even though I feel like I need to shower after seeing him on TV, even though he shouts "YO! Where's the bathroom!? Where's the bathroom?!" like he has a case of diarrhea, and even though he choose what will "POP" on TV rather than what the client really wants, the reason I will not watch his show is that he has ZERO sense of color, proportion or function.

Not counting past designs (no conference table? placemat sized rugs?), how will the Starrs squat down on the floor with a toddler in arms to sit in those red chairs or that platform bed? Where will the kid put his toys? How long will that sofa fabric stay clean with a toddler? How will the clients go to sleep in a neon green room? That teeny ottoman for the mom to sit on it the kids room? Where will everyone sit in the living room since you removed all the furniture but a long sofa? Taking the master bath from two sinks to ONE?! And if I'd opened my eyes and saw that monstrosity over my fireplace, I'd have cried. I'm sorry, but that house was better before. He took ZERO consideration into what the clients needed for their lifestyle while Dan took everything the Goldbergs said about theirs and incorporated it into a well thought out space.

Obviously, Scripps handpicked Antonio from the beginning to reach a certain demographic (I'm guessing frat boy meets Tony Soprano). Candice, Vern and Bubbly had to struggle to find good things to say about that fugly decor. Interestingly, at HGTV's Rate the Design, Antonio's design is 2.0 while Dan's is 4.8. Robbed, robbed, robbed.

I guess I should have known what was going to happen when Genevieve Gorder (she is so heavy-handed I cannot bear her show) praised all the irritating things about Antonio as her favorites.

Blech. Blech.

Again, I think HGTV may be overestimating the number of discrete demographics that watch design shows in the first place.

Just the difference in the two approaches to hiding the TV - Dan's - elegant; Antonio's - heavy handed and yeah should there be that much wood around a fireplace.

If that was my house I would have repainted all the walls the next day. And take out a sink? Wait until the other HGTV show folks hear about that!

[djs111]

I love Shark Tank!!!!! - it is a version of Dragon's Den, which is on BBCA (Tuesday night at 9 EST, I never miss it :-O).

I think the original was Japanese or Australian.

Heeee....I find the guys on Dragon's Den sexier than pretty much all the other guys on TV, because they are smart. And rich. Rich is good, too. They do have really good information about business.

The Dragon's Den folks guested on a Friday night British talk show - the host said oh you guys are so picky, if I invented the wheel you all would say oh, that is just a square with the corners knocked off.....cracked me up.

I did not like Dan for pretty much the entire design star season, but he won me over with that sea-themed kid's room. I had thought of him as just a pretty boy or something.

And that craptastic back yard redo made me sort of dislike him.

But I hated all the colors and all the accessories that Antonio used.

Couchie, you mean Ty Pennington? yeah, he has gotten more annoying each year. I started getting tired of him on Changing Spaces. I don't watch his show, although I am sure he is a good person and I am happy for the people who get the house.

I have learned not to read follow-up stories on the houses, though.

[ldyjocelyn]

Aren't some of these shows considered "reality" shows? Just sayin'...

Is there anyone out there addicted to "Glee?" I am! There is a truly annoying character (the wife...blech), but the rest of the show, I really like. Totally sarcastic sense of high school, which I love. The musical numbers, which I love. And Jane Lynch, who plays evil perfectly! I can't wait to see where this goes.

As a person who works at a community college, I'm also looking forward to "Community." Joel McHale is pretty cool in my book, and the pilot has John Oliver (British dude from "The Daily Show") as well. I'll have to see how this plays out.

[djs111]

I will be watching Community, based mostly on John Oliver being there. I love him.

Jane Lynch is hilarious - she is in a lot of great (to me) movies, like Best in Show, and she does great stand-up comedy on LOGO.

That whole Second City crowd is wonderful.

[Couch Tomato]

I watched Glee - loved the commercials but for some reason didn't really like the show all that much. I may give it another week or two but so far not must see.