A Surprisingly Good TV Night After All

I sat down with some work to do in front of the tv expecting reruns... most shows have already put out their finale and now we are in reruns, gag. I have a DVR so I don't have to watch reruns. Since my favorite Thursday shows are over I was not looking forward to turning on the tv. I am so glad I did.

I mistakenly thought that I had another week until So You Think You Can Dance came back. I was thrilled to see my favorite contest back on the small screen. Why do I like So You Think You Can Dance while I despise American Idol? Talent and training. While there are a few American Idol contestants that truly have some God given talent that isn't enough. There needs to be training for the person to have any chance at success. Otherwise the singer is going to get caught up in lip-synching because they don't have the ability to keep their vocals going for an entire show. Kelly Clarkson may put out a good album, but have you heard her sing live. She doesn't have the breath support or control. I am not going to pay to listen to that, and I am not going to waste my tv time watching it. I would pay to see someone with serious dancing chops move their hips though. I have been awed by some of the dancing in the past two seasons. The dance choreographed on the bench last year was one I rewound to watch over and over again. Thanks Mia! It couldn't have been done as well or with as much emotion with untrained dancers. This is truly a competition of talent not just marketability.

I also watched the second episode of On the Lot. While it is just another competition based on formula, we are again seeing some truly talented people come out of this show. It is great to see people in a competition be amazed at what others they are up against are able to do. It shows that the uneducated audience is actually seeing some talent in the group of individuals that have been selected. The gasps during the special effects movie "Time Out" (I believe) showed just how special the crafts he has are.

I was also thrilled to have Studio 60 return. I know this is all just a tease since it will be gone for good soon, but it is always enjoyable to watch that cast work together with Sorkin's words. The tie-ins to Allison Janney and West Wing were particularly enjoyable for a West Wing fan. There was a very purposeful CJ/Danny moment at the end that gave me that warm tingly feeling of seeing two old friends again. I guess if they are on the way out, why not give us those tie-ins. There is no longer a reason to try to define Studio 60 differently from West Wing (not like Sorkin tried that hard).

One last spoiler added to my television fulfillment this evening. It isn't really a spoiler, so I will share here. From SpoilerFix "Amy [Sherman-Palladino] explained why she couldn't divulge her long-ago-planned Gilmore ending. In the next year or two, she hopes to make -- wait for it -- a two-hour Gilmore Girls TV-movie that ties up all those loose threads! (BTW, lest you think Amy was pulling my leg, her partner in life and in showbiz, Dan Palladino, confirmed that a GG reunion pic is something they're interested in pursuing.) Source: Ask Ausiello @ TV Guide". Definitely good news for GG fans. Hopefully it will pan out. While the new writers did a decent job keeping up with the patter created by Amy and Dan... it wasn't the same as having the ending always planned.

Now if only Friday turned out to be a good tv night too... ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Uninspired

These days there is so little that is new and unpredictable. Writers aren't expected to be completely originally, they are expected to be formulaic. If I find a show that is surprising, teaches me something new, that I can't predict- that is what gets me watching. That is why How I Met Your Mother, House, and West Wing all entered my viewing habits. I want some inspiration. I don't want to watch 3 different versions of CSI. I tried really hard with Miami and NY, but they couldn't compare to the original cast and didn't bring much new to the table. That is also why I don't watch a single version of Law and Order.

Ok, I admit there is complete formula to the list presented above, especially House, but at least I can't predict what rare illness the person is going to end up having... and the show isn't really about the case anyway (unless the case doesn't get solved)- and yes, it does teach me things. I will not wear a brand new pair of jeans without washing them after that episode this season.

So, what is the most inspired writing on a show that you have seen? I'm looking for the unpredictable, the truly funny (stupid funny or witty funny which ever way you lean), the writers that memorize through amazingly intricate ramblings called monologues (thanks Sorkin). I want to hear the shows that move you and why.

Top 8

I have been trying to figure out my all time favorite shows. This is a hard task for me since it is completely subjective and I have watched a lot of television in my almost 30 years of life. How do I choose the basis? Well let's first narrow down by only choosing from the primetime television schedule over the last 30 years. I am only including shows that had their first run during my lifetime, so that excludes shows like I Love Lucy and My Three Sons. There is also the problem of shows that the first few seasons were great, but they couldn't hold my interest 'til the bitter end, hence Alias being excluded (however Abrams gets his due). I am also excluding any show still on the air in first run status since I don't know how it will hold out in the end, hence Grey's Anatomy and How I Met Your Mother being excluded.

Ok, after all that explanation here it goes.
In no particular order here are my top 8:

My So Called Life 1994-1995 ABC Teen Drama starring Claire Danes
Shortest run of all the series on the list, but it came out at the right time for me and it also spoke to my father who watched it with me. Despite Angela Chase being a girl on the outkirts who didn't know her place I wanted to be her.

NewsRadio 1995-1999 NBC Sitcom starring Dave Foley, Phil Hartman, Maura Tierney and Andy Dick
This was a quirky (yes you keep seeing that word because obviously I like quirky) comedy within a radio news office that was laced with pop culture references, intelligent and physical comedy, and a talented group of comedic actors.

West Wing 1999-2006 NBC Drama Created by Aaron Sorkin
If you were living in a hole for the last decade then you might not know of this fictional yet incredibly insightful look at the inner workings of the West Wing.

Sex & the City 1998-2004 HBO Sitcom? Dramedy? Starring Sarah Jessica Parker
This groundbreaking show gave women an outlet to feel comfortable about the real issues surrounding sex, relationships, and growing older. It was fun, set trends, and brought issues to light by tackling them head on.

Amazing Stories 1985-1987 NBC Sci-Fi Anthology Show Directed by Steven Spielberg
There are times 20 years after this show aired that I still think about the story lines that came from this show, "Ghost Train" and "The Sitter" are among my favorites. Each episode contained a story, or book, often with a sci-fi twist.

Felicity WB Drama 1998-2002 Starring Keri Russell created by J.J. Abrams
The entrance of J.J. Abrams into television writing was marked by an incredible grasp of the female psyche as she goes through the changes brought about through living on her own for the first time. The other day I woke up with this need to remember exactly how the series ended since there was a second ending added on after the final season was written. The Wizard of Oz turn of events was a brilliant move and maybe a little insightful as to his future successes with Alias and Lost.

The Tracey Ullman Show Fox Sketch Comedy/ Variety 1987-1990
The second Fox primetime series was an incredibly funny sketch show by and starring Tracey Ullman. One of my favorite reoccuring characters was the teenage daughter of a gay couple. Any show that can be a great success in itself, help create a network, and spawn another show The Simpsons which spawns its own show, has to make the list.

Six Feet Under HBO Drama 2001-2005 Created by Alan Ball
Cable television has truly pushed the bar for programming so high that few networks can meet it. This series pushed the limits of drama and showed how powerful it can be to connect the living with the dead.

There may be a theme that many of these happened to air the same time I was going through the same stage in my life My So Called Life- High School, Felicity- College, but I also believe that the fact that I (and many many many other people) connected with them is part of the reason they continue to live on.

Check back in for my honorable mentions. What made your list that didn't make mine?

The End to DeathWatch - My own thoughts on the season

Fans of Brilliant But Cancelled-DeathWatch can catch up on past posts until the new season. My fingers are still crossed that in the cancelled line will be The Class (sorry Adrienne) and In Case of Emergency. I guess it really is harder to write comedy these days because this year's tries were mediocre at best. I even sat through 6 episodes of 30 Rock without cracking more than a smile before giving up. The exception to this is Ugly Betty. Probably the best new show of the season. America Ferrara is extraordinary as Betty Suarez, she brings in all the necessary elements to hold this show together- physical and intelligent comedy, believability, and emotional connection. However, it is really a dramedy which seems to be the new norm for the big and small screen, so does it count?

Last year we were graced with How I Met Your Mother a brilliant comedy that is original, quirky and amazingly brings innovative story lines into the mix. Between the absolutely fabulous cast and fantastic writing this is truly the best comedy on tv.

I am a sap at the core so Grey's Anatomy leads the drama pack for me. It pulls at the heartstrings unabashedly. New for this year Studio 60 was fantastic, but then again what by Aaron Sorkin isn't. The problem is that there wasn't enough time between West Wing and Studio 60 for people to forget how brilliant Sorkin is and appreciate his bringing his talent back to the ring. I know, I know, the end of West Wing wasn't Sorkin, but the concept was and Studio 60 reminds us just how good the beginning of West Wing was. The actor I truly hope is catapulted by this show even if it ends up with a short run is Sarah Paulson. Studio 60 offered her a great opportunity to show how versatile she is, but then again I have been a fan since Jack and Jill.

Other new shows that I completely enjoyed and hope return Standoff didn't get a full enough run to build its base. Psych was enjoyable for its sheer quirkiness and as I have already stated I was a big West Wing fan so seeing Dule Hill back on the small screen is nice. Shark keeps me watching because James Woods is so perfectly cast in that role. I don't think I would return if it were anyone else. He is such a great asshole.

How long until next year's schedule is announced? A month? I don't know if I can wait.

A few shows I realized I left off the last list:
Veronica Mars, Standoff, Men in Trees