Video: Top 10 TV Shows You Like The Best, a Tumblr Meme

Tumblr Meme: 10 Days of Television - 10 TV Shows You Like The Best

On Tumblr, the meme that this video was birthed from is actually supposed to be 10 different graphics made, one for each TV show, but I am a lazy person... so I decided to spend weeks hunting down clips, piecing them together, finding quotes, and adding sound design instead.

Since this is a blog, here's a little behind the scenes of 10 TV Shows You Like The Best (in order of appearance):

• Better Off Ted: Quirky, off-the-wall, but generally heartfelt -- even if that heart was being turned into an experimental weapon -- "Better Off Ted" exemplified a kind of sitcom that elevated past its genre. It gets the honor of being a favorite thanks to killer dialogue, that the actors were able to deliver flawlessly every time. The characters were all just enough aware of their own oddities to keep the reactions greatly wry. Plus, Portia de Rossi. It was cancelled after two seasons, and I think it could've picked up steam with more.


• Buffy The Vampire Slayer: This Joss Whedon classic was a staple of my teenage years, filling many a VHS tapes when I'd rush home to capture it. Witty dialogue has no better place than at the end of Whedon's pen. But Buffy had equal parts action, sentiment, and conflict. The titular character was both a hero and a woman, who grew up too fast for her life but at a pace where viewers could feel connected to her through the years. Plus, Spike. It ended on a seven year run, coming to a slightly sped up but at least planned conclusion.


• Dollhouse: Another of Whedon's, "Dollhouse" was an examination in a humanity much more sinister than Buffy's. The truths of behavior and questions of morality it dug into were spectacular watching -- and there was some eye-candy to go along with it. Perhaps the best thing "Dollhouse" had to offer was its two unaired "Epitaph" episodes, showing what happened to the world after the events of the show, very apocalyptic-style. It was cancelled after two seasons.


• Community: "Community" is a special snowflake full of wit, wry, and pop-culture weirdness. Epically self-aware and endlessly bemused by its own mythology, it's a whip-fast show that manages to be out-there but then pull you back with the all too realistic neuroses of its characters. Extreme things might happen, but there's a sense of actual personality in the denizens of Greendale that puts it past other shows just looking for a punchline. (Anyone sensing the theme of 'witty dialogue' in these yet?) Community is on-going. For now. Maybe.


• Life: Representing the beloved genre of cop shows, "Life" takes the story of a former cop who's been wrongfully imprisoned for twelve years. On getting out, he returns right to the job, causing many people to question his motives -- and sanity. Damian Lewis carries this show with an amazing stride, assisted by a smooth story arc and quirky episode-to-episode crimes to solve. His odd behavior is a good sell, letting him be both sunny and then suddenly remind you that he's been in prison for over a decade. Also starring Sarah Shahi with a badge, so. It was cancelled after two seasons. (Pattern?)


• Lost: "Lost" was its own little world for most. But I didn't come upon it from the beginning, instead being enticed in by a glimpse of what could be. Of course, then the epic mythology, symbolism, and intense adventure captured me whole-heartedly. It has its flaws, and its question, but "Lost" is a show you can really talk about. And talk about, and theorize about, and argue for and against; it outlives even its six seasons. Highlights include: Michael Emerson, Michael Emerson, Michael Emerson, and Henry Ian Cusick. And some other people.


• Fringe: "Fringe" perfects a style of procedural mystery blended with overarcing story. It grips you into its science-fiction world and never lets go. Anna Torv, John Noble, Joshua Jackson, and the gang deliver masterful performances even when talking odd science gibberish. In this show is crafted a wonderful escape, while also humanizing it with the characters that have to discover these mysteries. Olivia Dunham is an FBI agent tasked with a phenomenon known as the "Pattern", odd unexplainable occurrences. She hires on Noble's Walter Bishop and son Peter, but it all proves a lot bigger than them -- or does it. "Fringe" is in its fourth season.


• Carnivale: Speaking of sprawling worlds, "Carnivale" takes place in the Dust Bowl Era, which it artistically recreates with great scenery and effects. But all is not the same in this world as ours, for powerful supernatural forces are at work. This show has an amazingly deep background and expansive character development, but is not for those who need a thrill each episode. It has a definite slow-burn, day-to-day pace that will bore some. But the ride is worth it. Also, hey, it's pre-"White Collar" Tim DeKay (and so many other cool people). It was cancelled after two seasons (wtf), and it's obvious that it wasn't supposed to.


• Pushing Daisies: Another quirky little piece that stands in its own genre, really. From creator Bryan Fuller (Wonderfalls), "Pushing Daisies" is about a guy who can raise the dead, but that's about as morbid as it gets. Rather, PD relies on bright colors, fanciful outfits, and alliteration. It exists in a world trapped between modern times and the past, with occasional new technology paired alongside 50s outfits or language. The dialogue is again something to pay attention to, as each turn of the phrase is cleverly worked together. It was cancelled-- can you guess? After two seasons.


• The 4400: 4400 people are abducted, and then returned on the same day, none having aged a moment since they left. That's the premise that "The 4400" purports. Each of these people return to very different problems, trying to return to life -- but they also have to deal with their newfound superhuman abilities. "The 4400" never tries to become too much, always grounded in the humanity of its characters, and the difficult decisions that must face a changing world where some are new and ostracized. The abilities -- while awesome -- are used more as a vehicle than a spectacle. Its finale remains my favorite episode of any to date. It was cancelled after four seasons; a strange blessing.

Picking ten television shows out of everything I watch was a difficult enough feat -- not to mention that new shows are starting every season, mid-season, and summer. But the 10 here will likely stand the test of time, and should all be tried at least for 1-4 episodes in.

If anyone's wondering how I picked "Where The Streets Have No Name" by U2 as the song... it goes like this: I was driving, thinking about this meme, and the song came on the radio. I didn't know what it was, but I could imagine sweeping visuals to it. When I got back to work, I couldn't remember the lyrics for the life of me and spent a good fifteen minutes or more on the radio station's website, desperately clicking through pages of songs to try and see if any stuck out. Just as I was about to give up, the last page I clicked on yielded the U2 hit and I immediately knew. That felt enough like fate to use. (My remembering of the lyric was something like: 'go different way' or something about a river)

TV Recap: Dexter, "Sin Of Omission" S6E8

Dexter's characteristic narrative picks up the episode expunging on the innocent nature of children -- trusting everything and everyone -- but maybe what he really should have been expounding on is the relationship between a brother and sister. That's certainly what Dexter's Season 6, Episode 8, "Sin Of Omission" seemed to be circling around, while Dexter circled the DDK killer.

Having newly returned from his unscheduled hiatus in Nebraska, Dexter attempts to apologize to his sister. He uses his newly minted -- and perished -- best friend's death, along with that of his wife, for his weepy doe-eyed defense, while Debra points out that his unauthorized but unpunished vacation will make it appear like he's being given preferential treatment. Plus, you know. The maniac out there offing people. But Dexter's careless use of Debra's blinders when it comes to her brother is more the touchy subject. And it's truly a tough situation for both of them. Their pointedness, and her sighing acceptance of his apology (how many of you could tell she knew she was going to forgive him?) continues their relationship as one of the better parts of the show.

But things aren't going to be getting easier. Because let's jump to Travis being affectionately adorable with his own sister -- a clear indicator that everything's going to end poorly. It's a tried and true process, especially since Professor Gellar has nothing better to do than stand around in people's backyards. He's clearly suffering some kind of separation anxiety, but Travis wants none to do with it. His age-old attempt to get his sister to take an impromptu vacation tanks on the usual note. Because that worked out so well for Dexter, too.

Meanwhile, our sad sister-lying anti-hero has found himself at a funeral where he gains a particular twitchy nose as Brother Sam's ashes are spread. It looks vaguely like he may be feeling emotions. And is drastically allergic to them. Also, his curiously proud thought that Sam's message may have helped him because he didn't kill Jonah seems to fall vaguely flat when considering that he did, in fact, kill Kyle, the actual person Sam asked him to forgive. But good try, Dex. But... no.

So Dexter decides to use his newfound powers of not killing certain people when it's emotionally convenient to approach Travis, laying out such blatant lies as "I'll take care of it" and that the police don't need to know. Gives you strange visions of a future where Dexter works for hire. Got a problem? Not anymore you won't!

At this juncture, "Sin Of Omission" offers us a side case to take a breather on. A call-girl has gotten herself dead, thanks in all part to the solid combination of drugs and slippery surfaces. Dexter proves that he's still actually really good at his job when he decides to show up, and new black detective proves that he's starting to fit in by showing displeasure at LaGuerta's surprise appearance. For lecturing Debra so hard on how a lieutenant doesn't go to the crime scenes, she's not really setting a great example. No one's surprised.

Back at homebase, some things happen with Dexter's new fanboy -- that guy from the righteously cancelled "Better With You" -- which are mostly throwaway, and even more likely to have bearing later when things explode in a dark and morbid fashion. This is "Dexter", after all, and lest we not forget that Fanboy is working on an alarmingly accurate 3D version of the station. More importantly for our episode theme, however, Batista's sister arrives with an agenda her overprotective brother can't quite accept. Their banter is somewhat predictable, but continues the thread of siblings and their -- occasionally convoluted -- attempts to shelter one another. But whereas Dexter or Travis' is born of the need to shield from darkness, Batista is shouldered with the common dating problem.

As Dexter indulged in a bit of illicit research, concerned over the police's ability to actually do their jobs, it has to be pondered how poorly Dexter's habits reflect on the station. His somewhat selfish aim to off the city's most infamous serial killers continuously leaves the police out in the cold, appearing crippingly unable to catch even the slightest one. He should possibly be concerned with how the public is going to run him and everyone else out of there with pitchforks if they don't catch somebody once in a while.

In some filler, LaGuerta confronts Debra with some more of her passive-aggressive bullshit, and Travis is forcefully reunited with his mentor, but the most poignant, again, is Debra's questioning of Travis' sister. In just a few words, the woman gets across exactly what situation Debra can look forward to -- is in now. It should've been slapping her across the face. When faced with early trauma, brother shuts himself off and won't speak up about his feelings? Debra thinks that the woman probably knows something -- not necessarily that Travis is a killer -- but is hiding it? Does this blind-spot for a brother's darkness resonate at all with her? Cause it should. Her later joke with the therapist about believing Dexter will one day kill her can be laughed off, but not by the viewing audience, who might feel a bit of a jar for that potential foreshadowing. "Sin Of Omission" makes it feel as though we are temptingly growing closer to that inevitable moment when Debra accepts -- because, in a way, don't you think she knows something's up? -- that her brother is not who she thinks he is. Oh, and he kills people.

And, of course, her therapist has a point -- but not one that will serve Dexter. Driving Debra home to give her brother some potential venting time only causes her to see him as he leaves for parts unknown, unable to explain to her where he's going. His continued "something's come up" and "gotta go somewhere" are no longer going to cut it, as Debra feels increasingly let down by a relationship she's coming to depend too heartily on. Her need to stand over Dexter and vent to him every single tiny frustration in her life gives her a crutch that she'll soon pick up and beat him over the head with for not reciprocating. It feels definitely like she's no longer going to let him get away with as much shit as before.

But this episode manages to mix the sweet with the bitter. Her emotional "It's not a burden for me to be there for you" rings heartfelt and thoughtful to the family condition. Too bad she forgot that she has an emotionless lump for a brother. Dexter hasn't though; he has no compunctions leaving her in the lurch to go hunt down Gellar. On the bright side, he manages to phrase it as going to "rescue Travis", so we manage not to hold it too much against him. This time. Or else we are merely reminded that we are rooting for a guy whose urges to kill are stronger than his human feelings.

Oh, and, Quinn is drunk (he should realize he's at his lowest point when even Masuka displays more restraint and better judgment), LaGuerta has some dirty laundry (no one's surprised), and Batista scares Better With You off of his sister.

But perhaps the most gut-wrenching part was also the most inevitable: the reveal of Travis' sister as the whore of Babylon, Gellar's latest victim. The episode strung it out as long as possible, pulling away at the curtain, only to have her trussed up in a mask. Debra's reaction was meant to be our own: a gasp of recognition and guilt. And here ends the line of Travis' attempts to protect his sister, the last powerful emotion he was able to cling to, and begins an even more dangerous one: vengeance. In trying to get back his disciple, Gellar has created a powerful enemy -- whose allegiance with Dexter marks the end of the episode.

One sister down. What does this say about Debra's chances?

Life & Shelf LIfe: Beating A Dead Horse Then Milking It

Previously when I mentioned walking all about and everywhere being my new leisure, I neglected to mention that my first outing of such a nature was to procure myself a Subway sandwich - this being back when I had no food for myself, and only a vague idea of what was around me. This also happened to fall very close to a certain celebration day. That being, The Rose Parade. So, it made out that the parade-affected streets afterwards looked like they were out of a post-apocalyptic future instead of lovely Pasadena.





You can't even really imagine the extent of the mess by these two pictures, but you can give it a good effort. Whole streets. Covered just like that.

Now, however, the place is looking much more precious. The five or so blocks that I walk to Starbucks to get streaming fast internet include several nicer stores and restaurants as well as a courtyard into an Antiques Mall I think I will be visiting in the near future.

So far my new lifestyle is only taking a toll on me. Loving California as much as I do can only go so far when new sleeping hours, an exercise regime, excessively more walking than I used to do in a day ( everything's excessive compared to 'none' ), and the patience of sitting through hours of traffic both ways to and from office jobs where I am not paid. I'm hoping for that next moment of spirited inspiration but, barring that appearing on my lap, I shall be making it for myself.

Until then, there are just script readings and errands in my future. One of which included buying Christmas cards for the office janitors - a trip that had me discovering the thus far most hit-you-over-the-head What Does This Remind Me Of: Drinks For Everybody!






Since there's very little to relate at the moment except settling into a schedule, I'll be including this remark:



A lot of Television news has been coming up and I'm as excited as I can be for that, but there as one thing that disappointed me in all those ways a show not being canceled shouldn't -- an Ausiello Files article mentioned that there was now a hovering chance that Supernatural creator Eric Kripke would lead the show into another season, its sixth. While I am a fan of Supernatural, and I trust Kripke with his own vision, I am not and will never be a fan of shows that continue on past their welcome or freshness.

Too many TV shows go strong, flare out, and then limp on past the finish line towards a pit of boiling failure with a tenacity that can only be blamed on persistent thoughts of creative suicide. This being, of course, the natural enemy of that thing called milking something for all the money it can produce, even if that something happens to be a dead horse spitting its own fluids back at you.

Pleasant imagery, I know. But this is how I feel about it. Many good shows have dragged on too long and, in doing so, their legacy becomes that sort of sad, wibbling ending instead of their - possibly many - good years. One of my bizarrely happiest moments was when "The 4400", a show I greatly treasured, was canceled. Why? Because its season finale is one of the most emotional, most beautiful, definitely the best finale I've ever experienced. I couldn't imagine it leaving on a better epic and yet still open-ended enough to be interesting note, and wouldn't have wanted to see it try.



So it worries me that Supernatural might leap past its projected date. Especially when it was clever and well-rounded enough to even have a projected date. This seems to suggest to me that the story had a natural end. Doesn't that mean everything after will only feel unnatural? And even Supernatural shouldn't feel that unnatural.

I'll, of course, reserve full judgment until I see what comes of this, but I definitely felt some concern, and a little bit of sadness, when I read this notice.

TV Review, Stargate Universe: Clearly Cylon In Its Design

Stargate Universe, highly anticipated and eagerly awaited, did not disappoint in its first episode full of gate-dialing, alien attacks, artistic jumps in time to keep suspense, cameos by its predecessor's more famous members, and the obligatory newcomer who got to experience the awe of the Stargate for the first time. The characters were each given brief outlines - a flittering suggestion of their problems - and that's okay, because a first episode should tease and not over-saturate. The hectic mayhem, liberal use of shaky-cam, and moral dilemmas of a people trapped on the run relate easily to the need to seduce those mourning Battlestar Galatica fans.

On a whole, these aren't bad things. However, ten episodes in and this sequel series seems to be missing some sci to its fi. There's been, arguably, two to three alien encounters and very little visible dialing of the gate - because of the ship suffering from power failures. Destiny, itself, is gorgeous but also underused. There's one man (well, not anymore) who knows how to function it in the slightest, and he spends most of the time in front of the same console battling a language we don't get to read. The premise is not terrible, but the lack of exploration and discovery is beginning to wear against its panic-of-the-week. Or, as some say, "What Are We Out of This Time". The argument isn't that people in this situation wouldn't butt heads as much as they are on SGU, merely that sucking the camp out of the show makes it lose the flavor of its namesake.

Of course, this isn't the same show, and it's battling bringing in people who have never wanted to watch the previous Stargates. The turmoil is real, the relationships thick and interesting; there's just an itch to know more and more about the alien part of the universe. On the flip side, the fact that every episode isn't treated as stand-alone is appreciated. Older Stargate episodes started to feel like nobody ever learned from what had happened previously-- Oh my, why is Daniel Jackson acting so crazy? Could it be.. because he's been infected by an alien parasite like has happened to us numerous times before? Naah, he must just be crazy! -- yeah, it happened.

Concerns aside, SGU is visually wonderful to watch, emotionally stressing (mostly in the good way!), and full of brimming possibilities that will hopefully get cracked out further in January after a very game-making move in this mid-season finale. Its return is definitely greatly anticipated.

Stand-Out Character: Dr. Nicholas Rush



There are many who would disagree with this purely on the standpoint that Rush is a nasty, underhanded man only out for his own intellectual gain, damn anyone in the way. This is only complimentary. Dr. Nicholas Rush is a fully-actualized, living, breathing, decision-making force on SGU - which is not just a little credit, of course, to his portrayer, Robert Carlyle. As the antithesis to Col. Young's straight-up, leave no man behind bravado, Rush must represent a perhaps less likable but occasionally more practical viewpoint. He is very much the "for the greater good" believer, calculating his every move not to cause harm to others but merely to nudge them in the right direction - his direction.

An argument once went that Rush's distasteful behavior in the opening episode made him a presence to dislike. And it's true, it'd be easy to hate him. But that doesn't make him a bad character. Even the first episode pointed to several moments of emotional vulnerability, making him instantly the most fleshed out, and potentially the most interesting simply for his suggested depth. Current episodes seem to be aiming towards his animosity with Young growing into something potentially more dangerous for both of them... however, there is some glimmer of chance that this much antagonism in the beginning could point towards an epic redeeming act further down the line. The deeper one digs himself, the more sacrificial the twist later on.

Only continued watching will unlock this dastardly doctor's true potential, as long as SGU keeps aiming true.

Struggling Character: It's a toss-up.



They conveniently took a photo-shoot of just the people I was looking for. It's almost like someone knew. The fact that several characters are listed as "struggling" is not a testament to the show being bad, itself, but just that it's suffering slowly under more characters than it seems to want to deal with. Then again, this is only mid-season. The show hasn't even reached its whole creative peak yet - so these concerns are vented with caution, and understanding that they could be blown out of the water by even the next episode.

Greer (far right) suffers in that he hasn't had an episode focusing on himself yet, but each episode should be able to reveal at least one new thing about its cast, and so far he hasn't done anything to really bring him out of his stereotype. Scott (pictured far left) is the least in danger, but his dizzying-ly fast hook-up with Chloe (just right of him) has relegated her to mere make-out status when her emotional issues over her father and career should have given her so much more to do than lip-lock. As for Tamara (second from the right)... well, who is she? Besides patching up people and feeling bad, she has very little to contribute so far. It hasn't been yet that anyone of them are badly written, only that they haven't been exposed enough; the characters are all primed. Excited to see when they get to put their best foot forward again.

Eli Wallace (pictured middle) is, naturally, supposed to be the viewer's "in", as the youngest, most clueless member who gets to ask the obvious questions so people who don't know the world can get some idea. He's also a math whiz. Mostly, we see him as Kino-Operating Expert - which gets him in trouble with people more often than not. (Kinos are like floating video-cameras, allowing him to constantly vlog about his depressing circumstances for posterity) As a character, he isn't terrible. He isn't even bad; it's just a sort of "waiting in the wings" thing. He cracks jokes and makes lol references to sci-fi movies that none of the hardcore military elite understand; he's the everyman.

Except.. he's got more to do. He's supposed to be an intellectual and moral baseline for 1) the aforementioned military elite who do everything their way, and 2) the uppity and questionably sane Dr. Rush. But he's been frequently left out of the scientific debates now, and his relationship with Rush seems to have stalemated for the purposes of pitting Rush against Young instead. It's this viewer's opinion that he could be better utilized than just as a punchline, and there's hope to see him come into his own in the future. Him turning to the older intellectual and spouting "... Well, you are [crazy]"? More moments like that, please. (Although recent episodes may make that slightly more difficult...)

So far, no one seems to be a lost cause - it helps that all of the actors are splendid, making the most of the melodrama, and that SGU is really just gearing up and could easily jump every one of these hurdles with the rest of its season. More power to it!

Life: Just To Know That You're Around

Know What's Cool 2: Facial Recognition Software



So you're in LA, land of the rich and famous and televised. You don't want to get your hopes up or anything, but you allow this tiny glimmer of hope - of "what if". What for? For a sighting. Know what's cool? Spotting people from movies and television on the street. And I don't mean so you can mob them and ask them dumb questions and make a nuisance of yourself. I mean because, to me, seeing faces that I've seen so often on the screen right out there in the real world is really very amazing. I love television. And everyone's allowed a little fangirling once in a while.


Naturally, however, the story that goes with that picture is less about me. We went to this restaurant, see, that my sister ( told you she was all-knowing LA-style ) said was simply the best for breakfast - or brunch, I don't honestly remember what time it was. So we went inside, ordered, and decided to sit outside to eat. We're there for... oh, a healthy amount of time because by then our food had come, when three others stroll up to the entrance gateway.

No more than seconds later, my dad says, "I know her." I make my best effort to look around without being grossly obvious but I'm getting nothing. All those hilarious stories about me spotting obscure faces starring in other roles, and I got nothing. Eventually, the people come around our side and they're talking. Then my mom says, "Oh, that voice! That's definitely her."

But whoooooo!

As it turns out, it was some actress from the show "Samantha Who?" Ironically - my parents couldn't remember that part, so I had to supply - but I still didn't know who the actress was. We just happen to go to a restaurant at the just right time.. and it's someone from a show I haven't even happened to watch because my parents turned it on while I was in the room. Not even that.


Well, I've got four more months, right?

Current TV Shows 2010: Put Down The Remote

Since everything is going on fall break and leaving me in agonizing pain and denial.. I felt it would be a good time to address this topic -- Television.

Back when the leaves were turning and the world seemed new, I began charting the progress of television shows that would be premiering or returning soon and that I was eager to see. At the time, I titled this picture "TV Rules My Life" for the obvious reasons of how it was clearly dominating my schedule and, should I be obeying its every notation, I would barely have a night not sitting in front of the TV for several hours. Except Tuesday. What's up with Tuesdays?

As it were, I was subject to the limitations of living in a home with my parents at the time, and they, themselves, had a number of programs - most of which were wildly separate from my own. This caused a bit of a clash when it came to watching, but more precisely when it came down to that the TiVO they owned could only record two shows at a time and then you weren't allowed to watch a third station if that was happening. Really, the most problematic time came on Mondays. Monday, Monday, Monday... I wanted to watch Heroes ( God knows why ) and Trauma and Lie To Me... the parents wanted to have recorded Big Bang Theory and Two And A Half Men and How I Met Your Mother and House... and Lie To Me. During these times, I'd take myself into my bedroom and watch Heroes and Trauma on my own with my iffy antenna - iffy because perhaps, maybe one of them had been snapped in half and hastily replaced....

Lie To Me got recorded, though, so Mondays were never a total loss as far as TiVO went.

Time went by, though, and shows premiered, and leaves fell and the sky darkened... and I began weeding out those shows that I knew would start becoming a chore instead of a pleasure to watch each week. The last cuts were made, in fact, only a few days ago, so I share that new image with you now.




Shows that got the axe: House, Law & Order: SVU, Flash Forward, Dexter, White Collar, Better Off Ted

House: I really lost interest in keeping up with the show a while ago, but since it was supposedly taking a new direction this season, I'd at least been curious to catch the premiere, despite that I'd missed a good deal from earlier. As it turns out, I wasn't actually that interested since I missed the premiere, put off watching the premiere when my parents kept it on the TiVO for me, and still have only seen one episode since. However, that episode was great because it was about Wilson ( which wasn't the great part ) and in the background it lampshaded its own predictable formula of how the sick patient cases go by having House's team occasionally run past shouting weird diagnoses or lamenting that they'd gotten it wrong and now the person was crashing.

House quickly went off my schedule because I just wasn't thinking about it enough.

Law & Order: SVU: While it still remains my favorite L&O, it is no longer my favorite cop procedural and I've found that, in watching it, I'm more amused than invested. The characters have always been sort of one-hit-wonders in their own boxed up cliches, but I liked Stabler and I liked the way the cases were handled. Now, I just have seen too many episodes of it and the appeal is waning. To break out, they'd need something new - but to change too much would no longer be the right show. It's a great thing to sit back and catch up on when you need some entertaining noise in the background, and I'm glad it's still going for that, but I can't make myself keep up with it in a weekly fashion.

SVU left the schedule because I couldn't be bothered.

Flash Forward: Here's a more interesting one, because Flash Forward I was initially very excited for and sat down to watch as it premiered. I was intrigued, as I usually am by large puzzles, clues that need to be added up, and actors with the last name Fiennes. But two things had already started to bother me once it was over. 1) Everyone seemed to be hamming it up, acting melodramatically and giving me a bad feeling. 2) Puzzles were solved too quickly. Now, I understand that the audience needs to feel like something happened in the episode, like they are receiving new information, or they'll quickly become frustrated by having more questions than answers ( Hey, Lost ). However, I like a little time to suss things out myself. It seemed like they'd introduce these huge epic plot twists just to have them solved by the end of the episode - or sooner! Sometimes even by the next scene. After missing a few episodes, I found that I was dreading having to catch up with it rather than hurrying to do so...

Flash Forward was dropped because of its over-the-top acting, plot twists, and uninteresting pacing. And, man, I didn't even make it to Dominic Monaghan.

Dexter: Oh, this one's easy. I love the show, but we didn't get the station it was on. Showtime wasn't offering episodes, so I just got busy watching other things.

White Collar: Another one I was super excited for. I really like cheeky criminals one the one side, and Tim DeKay on the other, so, seemed like a surefire hit. Now, this is unfair because I only watched the Pilot, but I watched wowed off my feet by it. I liked Neal, but I didn't like how he instantly got the better of his FBI handler by smoozing his way into that nicer apartment. It would've been nice to see him struggle a bit. There was also a good deal of focusing on how he was running, oh they knew he'd run why did they ever trust him, and then him... not being running. I'd say stretch that one out a bit, so the tension can build a bit more about why he's doing or not doing certain actions. Anyway, like I said: unfair because I only watched the first episode.

White Collar was dropped mainly because I wanted a shorter schedule and I wasn't knocked off my feet by it.

Better Off Ted: Now this is a show that I just went crazy for every episode. I cannot possibly describe right now how much I did enjoy this show. And since this post is already too long, I won't. Better Off Ted premieres again soon, so maybe it'll be back on my schedule. Or maybe I'm afraid that it won't be able to keep up what it had.

Shows that actually got the axe: Dollhouse, a lot of deserving sitcoms

Yeah, well. Whatever to you, too, FOX.

Shows that survived: Trauma, V, Stargate Universe

Trauma: I didn't even expect to watch Trauma, except that it came right after Heroes so being the kind of lazy person I am that leaves the TV on until something that really sucks comes on, it's a natural progression. Also, I'd seen the ads ( I really like the new NBC brand right now ) and thought I'd recognized one of the actors. I really wanted to know who he was because I felt like I liked him for some reason. As usual, my character-instincts were strong, and Rabbit became one of my fast favorites from the very first instant he was on. Trauma isn't radically different than other medical/procedural shows out there, but I like what I'm seeing so far, and I like seeing the different cases and how some of them aren't huge epic disasters but just, say, small accidents or even people scamming for a drug fix. It's nice. ... and kind of gross.

V: I'll start off by saying this one is edging closer. Again, unfair, because I only watched the first episode. Actually, I watched the whole old miniseries and then the first episode, and I like some of the changes that were made, but I wasn't so hooked as to eagerly skip right to the next episode either. This means that either I'll catch up one of these days and plug along, or I'll forget about it for a while, realize I've missed too many episodes to bother, and drop it.

Stargate Universe: Let's ignore for a second that the most recent episode did something by which I am baffled and put off -- and focus on how I'm enjoying it as a whole. Different, yes, than earlier Stargates. Perhaps, yes, attempting to channel BSG and LOST a bit too much... but not so much that it turns me off. I'm starting to feel like I'm missing the sci-fi element to it all, though. In focusing on some much-needed character development, it is still losing its touch that its a sci-fi show and should, hopefully, feature some more aliens, spaceships, and, well, sci-fi elements. I understand that they're in space, and in an old spaceship they're trying to figure out... but only one of the characters is really invested in doing just that, and he's shown to be an immoral, smarmy man who could be trying to get everyone killed. So. Not sure what SGU is trying to say about space discovery...

Shows I can't give up: Heroes, Lie To Me, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, Fringe, Dollhouse, LOST

Heroes: ... I don't know. I don't even know. I hate where this show has gone, the writing is the most sheepish retconn-y contradictory stuff I've seen in a while, and it's courting a love affair with a villain who should've properly met his end back when the show was good in Season One. But I morbidly tune in out of curiosity... and a love for superpowered carnivals. And Ray Park.

Lie To Me: Ever since Monk took off with the trend, and House spat out his first insult, quirky investigators has been a niche digging itself a large hole in the television environment. A grave? Perhaps. But since then, snarky misfit leads have been hit or miss as it whether their brutal intensity ( or stifling complex ) is endearing or annoying. Or both. To me, Cal Lightman is both. And I love him for it. It helps that Tim Roth is amazing and delivers lines that most other people wouldn't be able to get away with - much like his British-but-pretending-not-to-be companion Hugh Laurie. Except, unlike House, for me, I watch Lie To Me for its cases and its supporting characters, not just for its sadistic leader.

Criminal Minds: My new favorite cop show, having topped SVU, because of its focus on behavioral analysis. I'm a sucker for a good psychology, and I enjoy the way Criminal Minds delivers. It isn't stunning television by any means, and hits the same one-points as other procedurals, as well as occasionally seeming out of hand, but I like what it does when it does it.

Supernatural: I'll be with this one to the end. And it had better end. I don't want to see Supernatural's name dragged through the mud because it made the mistake many do of lasting longer than it had enough story for. Supernatural is some entertaining, good, flawed, television with some supremely entertaining actors at its helm who clearly enjoy what they are doing. I can appreciate that as much as I appreciate a good religious mythology.

Fringe: This is honestly one of my favorite shows now. I find myself excited to watch it every time there's a new episode. It has the mystery-of-the-day that lets you have some mode of satisfaction by the end combined with a smooth, over-arcing plot that is revealed over time without being rushed or ignored. I might not understand the "science", and half of it is likely bogus, but they make me believe, and I like hearing about things such as telepathy and teleporting as if it were a bit more grounded. But only a bit. Because.. ya know, fringe science.

Dollhouse: I wasn't sure how I felt about Dollhouse for a while. Although it had deep, human themes to it, I found most of the episodes to be just lightly entertaining and fun to watch. But as it went on, and, actually, through a second viewing of the first season after I bought it on DVD, I found I was even more caught. Unfortunately, it was then announced to be canceled. Thems the brakes when you're Joss Whedon, I suppose. I love the questions Dollhouse asks, and I love the world. I will miss it a good bit.

LOST: My introduction to loving LOST is a long and twisty story I will share another time. Now all we need to know is that I'm trapped in that world whole-hearted. I haven't quite found another one I like discussing and theorizing about more than this one, and I'm terrified and sad that it will be over. However, I am glad that it has a set end-point because we all know the worst fate of a TV show is to last too long. Then you're just left with a bitter note of what used to be good. No, I hope LOST goes out with a bang... which is... ya know, sort of backwards since.. that's what.. this season is starting with...


ANYWAY. These are the things currently fueling my love for television. Everything stated here is my opinion, and can be challenged. And, who knows, maybe one of my favorites will crash and burn. It's not like it's never happened before, Heroes.