My latest guilty pleasures

So as I was thinking up the name for this post I realized that nearly all of my shows are basically guilty pleasures for me.  There are my "must-see" shows, but really, let's be honest here, TV in general is my guilty pleasure, but I digress.

So I have a show that was on Fox (a sci-fi show, naturally) and was cancelled (on Fox, naturally) and then it made a few lame movies (from what I've heard, I haven't yet seen them) and was then recently picked up by Comedy Central.  This show is Futurama. I had seen maybe two or three episodes before this Summer, and I really don't know what enticed me to watch it, but I started and I loved it!  Fry and Leela are probably now among my all time favorite TV couples, the Professor seriously cracks me up, Cubert is annoying, but that's sort of what he's supposed to be, I love all the crazy shenanigans, and over all, I think the show is pretty darn awesome!

I know I haven't posted much since Summer rolled into town, but that's partially due to the fact that all my fave shows have been put on Summer vacation till the Fall.  There has been one Summer show that I'm afraid to say I've seen every episode and that's Pretty Little Liars.  I know, I know, it's one of those lame teeny-bopper TV shows about drama and who kissed who, all trying to make life in high school seem more glamorous, intense, and even dramatic than it really is, but I sort of like it!  I think Aria pretty much carries the show, but I like the rest of the cast too, more than I thought I would.  I've heard a lot of people say that Spencer looks too old, but I like her, and I think Hanna and Emily are way too pretty, but the show is called Pretty Little Liars so it works.  Aria's parents (especially her mom) really bother me, but I'm thinking it's more the actors, cuz the story really doesn't.  I also miss Wren, he was probably my favorite guy...at least until Lucas, he's just adorable!  But I think I'll quit talking about this show before I thoroughly embarrass myself.

Lastly, Reaper.  I just started watching it and loved it.  I was working on a big art project and so I had to have something to distract me from how much time I was taking on it, so what better thing that a story about a kid who's parents sold his sold his soul to the devil and now he has to work by returning all of the devil's escaped souls?! I'm just way sad that it's gone, I thought it was clever, and I honestly believe there aren't enough lighthearted hour-long shows out there.  Oh well, I've still got Chuck and Glee.  I'm content!

So that's all.  Can't wait for all my favorites to come back in the Fall!!!

~Manda

Goodbye '09, Bring on the '10s

So I've been in Maine for Christmas break and although I am very grateful to get to be with my family the fact that I'm here means two not so fun things for my blog: First, since we live on an island covered in trees (and currently being hit with the first Nor'easter of the season) there are very few places that can get internet (our neighbor's house is one of them, but shhhh...don't tell anyone that we borrow it from them). And second, pretty much all the shows I watch are off for the holidays. I did finally finish BSG and HIMYM, so that's pretty cool. I've been reacquainted with Firefly, Arrested Development, Lone Gunman, and a few other shows. I've gotten to watch a few of my favorite movies, like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Blades of Glory, and Speed Racer. And I've gotten to spend time with my three little brothers and my parents, which has been pretty awesome!!!

Well, after I found some internet and got on sidereel.com I looked for something to commemorate a great 2009 and I found an article on the top 10 shows that got cancelled too soon. Of course they mentioned the scare that came with getting Chuck renewed and the disappointment that came with the cancelling of Dollhouse (the first of which I obviously rejoiced greatly for and the second I was cursing FOX along with other Whedonites, so they are big deals, don't get me wrong), but there was one thing really caught my eye, and that was a show that had seriously been one of my favorites: Pushing Daisies!!! The story of Ned, the pie maker that can wake the dead and his dead girlfriend, Chuck, who he can't touch cuz it'd put her right back into the dead "young tourist Charlotte Charles" status from whence she came, and the absolutely adorable Olive Snook, an employee of Ned's who harbors a serious crush on her boss. The characters were absolutely incredible and they had a story line to match. In addition to that it was pretty much Tim Burton on television. Pushing Daisies rocked and it was totally cancelled in it's second season.

**side note** I've had this theory for a while and this show kind of falls in line with it. I believe that shows that started the same season as the strike pretty much don't have a chance in survival...but that's a different story...back to Pushing Daisies. **end side note**

Yeah, I pretty much love that show! I adored Ned and all the flashbacks to the Longborough School for Boys and his sad stories that came with his powers. I loved the Chuck/Vivian/Lily/Chuck's dad relationship. Can't forget Emerson Cod and his search for his daughter and his relationship with the dog trainer lady. And I cannot even begin to tell you how much I adore Kristin Chenoweth...yeah, I love Pushing Daisies...great show!

K, so that's all I have time for, so happy new year, we're done with the naughties and onto the tens! Weirdly awesome!!!

~Manda

As previously stated...

After watching an exciting (and odd) season finale of the Guild (spoiler alert: Codex wins!!! woohoo!!!) I found out some sad news. As I have previously stated: I really don't love FOX, and today I found another reason to harbor that dislike. I was reading an article about the midseason line-up and in addition to the depressing cancellation of Dollhouse (but at least they are smart to finish it off...they'd have chaos on their hands if they didn't) and the benching of J.J. Abrams's Fringe (so the two shows they decided to make the new 50 minute shows get axed? how fair is that?! And when will FOX learn not to do sci-fi anymore...it just doesn't work for them like it used to) I learned that due to the filming schedule for Glee it will be taking a 4 month hiatus. It will air it's winter finale December 9 and not return till April 13. When it does return it will be on Tuesday nights rather than Wednesdays. (Learning this really made it make a lot more sense that Joss was directing an episode in March...I was scratching my head about that one.) I don't understand FOX. I loved it in the '90s, but now I believe it to be rather frustrating! At least I'll have Chuck to get me through the times of being Glee-less. (Ahh, NBC, thank you for your wonderful shows!) So, that's my little bit of info. Sad, true, frustrating, and exciting all rolled into one nice, neat, little article!

~Manda

Happy Thanksgiving: TV style!

So, after (and before) the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pie, we need to remember why we really have this holiday: to remember to be grateful for what we've got! This (thank goodness) means we can show our gratitude for television too! So I decided I'd put together a little thanksgiving list of the top ten things I'm grateful for that couldn't be possible without the great invention of Philo T. Farnsworth's (now granted, all of mine are probably going to be from my lifetime, and probably from the last ten-ish years of it...I haven't been alive all that long...I need to learn!!!)

10. Heroes - I was keeping up at the beginning of the season, but then I got really busy with school and other stuff. Now granted, it has gone a little down hill, but my obsessions with loving comics, Milo Ventimiglia, Zachary Quinto, the really cool characters with really cool powers, among other things keep me watching!

9. J.J. Abrams - even tho I haven't been keeping up on Lost, this man is incredible. His stories are so intense, and his characters so complex. He tends to snowball out of control a lot, but that's fun too! And in addition to his TV-ness, he did a wicked awesome job on Star Trek (wow, that was an AWESOME movie!!!)

I didn't have room for everyone, so I just put these two cuz I found pic with both of them

8. Great actors that make great TV - I didn't really know where to put this, but it is a necessity. Although actors aren't my favorite part of TV, they do make it awfully enjoyable! So I'm grateful for Eliza Dushku, Hugh Laurie, Tahmoh Penikett, Summer Glau, Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Kristen Bell, David Boreanaz, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, Zachary Levi, Adam Brody, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, as well as others mentioned in this post (and I could seriously go on and on...there are some awesome actors!!!)

7. sidereel.com - I actually think this could have a number one spot being that it is the way I watch most of my TV, but it just seems wrong for it to be ahead of all my shows and my favorite TV geniuses!!! But I am very grateful for the wonderful invention of sidereel!

6. House - I became a fan of this great show over the summer and if I'm not watching Glee or the Office (or Battlestar Galactica) I am so watching House! It has managed to stay pretty awesome even tho House has kicked the vicodin habit. Love that show!

5. The Office - I still say that season 2 is my favorite, but there is something about this show that calls me back week after week. I kind of have a feeling this something's name sounds like Kohn Jrasinski or Him Jalpert, but I'm not sure (hahaha, I'm a dork, yes!). Regardless of the reason, I have had many a laugh (and surprisingly a cry) over this show! It is a great show!

4. Battlestar Galactica - this was going to be number six (it just seemed so fitting...hahaha) but I couldn't have it be after the Office and House. I started watching it this semester and have on more than one occasion found myself watching it instead of doing something I actually should be doing (don't tell my mom...hahahaha). It had to have a higher number this Thanksgiving!

3. Glee!!! This show has made this season of television so amazing! I love the music, the actors, the stories, and the fact that they are starting to show a little consistency in all those things. It also makes me not hate FOX quite so much! hahahaha

2. Josh Schwartz - He created the O.C., Gossip Girl and Chuck. I had never even considered watching the O.C. till I had already fallen in love with all things Chuck. I have since then actually seen just about every episode and have come to love his humor and wittiness, and I've now been able to see a lot of it in Chuck (in addition to the O.C./Chuck crossover actors -- I love it when that happens!!!)

1. Joss Whedon - Ok, I don't think this number one spot surprises anyone! He created the best shows and has helped with the whole turning television into an art form. I believe he is on the frontier of the television world with this Dr. Horrible business. He's my hero and I hope to meet him someday. (And this number one spot includes him and all the great things he has created...especially Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!)

Ok, in addition to this little list I want to share two of my favorite Thanksgiving episodes I've seen on television (and actually remember).

Pangs: BtVS season 4. I don't think I could ever forget how many funny moments are in this episode, but one sticks out in my mind always: Spike tied to a chair getting hit over and over by arrows that are flying through Giles's house. Also the touching-ness of the help Angel feels he needs to give and how he tries to hide his presence from Buffy. Awww...so sweet (and the follow-up episode in Angel where she goes to LA, he becomes human, realizes it's a bad idea, and erases the day from everyone's memory but his is very awww-worthy too).

The Homecoming: the O.C. season 1. Now granted, I don't know this as well as Buffy (and that's kind of a "thank goodness" sort of thing) but I've been thinking about the beginning of this episode a lot this Thanksgiving. The nearly incoherent ramblings of the darling Seth Cohen make the show, and they make this episode as well. In the beginning of this episode he begs his mother to not cook the dinner at all and she wants so badly to make the holiday unforgettable for Ryan. He also works on dating Anna and Summer at the same time (which in so many ways make season one so incredibly enjoyable). Oh, Seth Cohen on Thanksgiving, great times!!!

So, Happy Thanksgiving to all! Lets be grateful for all we get to have, and in addition to all those great blessings, let us not forget to be grateful for our television!!!

~Manda

A little intro, a little Glee, a little Dollhouse, and a whole lot of Joss

Dollhouse stars, Tahmoh Penikett (left) and Eliza Dushku (right) with Joss Whedon.

In light of the recent tragedy for all Joss Whedon Fans (FOX officially canceled Dollhouse and are burning off the rest of the episodes back to back on Fridays starting in December) I decided that I would like to post my televisional opinions online for no reason other than to maybe relieve those nearest and dear to me from having to endure hours of mindless television obsessed babble!

First off, if you are reading this and don't know me (pssh, like THAT's ever gonna happen) I need to get a few things straight. I love television! I really, really do. I am a rather huge Joss Whedon fan and love everything he has ever done (with the exception of Roseanne: not my kind of thing, and he had no controlling creativity on it; and the original movie of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: great ideas, obsessed with the show, but the movie was a swing and a miss, in my opinion). My pool of television genres is kind of large. I like dramas, action, dramedies, comedies, sci-fi, fantasy, etc., etc. There are a few things that annoy me to no end: reality shows, and poorly written shows with bad acting, no plot, bad directing, etc. (but who doesn't hate those kind...I know people like reality TV, and that's ok...but only idiots like bad television.)

Ok, after that, the real reason I'm dying to write! As I stated previously I am an incredibly HUGE Joss Whedon fan, and as such, currently numbered among those mourning the loss of yet another great series. I do find it interesting that when his shows were on the air for the long haul (Buffy: seven seasons; Angel: five seasons) they built him up a name and a fan base and they never really graduated from cult to hit. Now, granted Buffy just about died after season five but was then picked up by UPS for an additional two seasons, but it had a five season run before that. Well, to get to my point, when Joss's shows were doing well they never gathered huge fan bases, and when they aren't doing well (Firefly: partial season, Dollhouse: almost two seasons) they retain their Whedonesque fan bases and gain a few more, but the shows still die. Many people (including myself) would point their fingers at FOX for the difference between the long running series and the dead-and-buried-before-it-starts type. And with Dollhouse many point their fingers at FOX, but also at Joss for not having "learned his lesson" and deciding to work with FOX again. But let's remember, fellow Whedonites, what company produced Buffy, the show that got Joss off the ground? Yes, it was the evil people at FOX. No, they didn't air it, that was the WB (oh, remember the good old days, pre-CW? Wasn't that a great time to be alive?) but FOX was our friend for a while.

Dollhouse promo pic

Well, I know, I'm rather long winded, but just imagine the time this is saving my friends and family (and the potential strain on the vocal chords it could cause me), but I wanted to share something I read today. I was bored and trying to find something to do that wasn't boring like homework, house work, piano/voice practice, so of course I turn to the internet (sidereel.com to be specific) I wanted to read a little more on the cancellation of Dollhouse, so I looked it up on sidereel. I found the schedule for the back to back burn out of the final episodes of the season (which can be found here.) While reading on I found what Joss told the Hollywood Reporter about his reaction to the news of the (nearly inevitable) cancellation:

"I don't have a lot to say," Whedon wrote in a post on Whedonesque.com. "I'm extremely proud of the people I've worked with: my star (Eliza Dushku), my staff, my cast, my crew. I feel the show is getting better pretty much every week, and I think you'll agree in the coming months. I'm grateful that we got to put it on, and then come back and put it on again."

Whedon also addressed his plans. "I'm off to pursue internet ventures/binge drinking," he wrote. "Possibly that relaxation thing I've read so much about. By the time the last episode airs, you'll know what my next project is. But for now there's a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear."

So, yes, sad that Dollhouse is dead and nearly buried (sad for the genius and the smokin' hot cast! and they are smokin' hot, not gonna lie), but according to Joss, he already has thoughts on what to do next. I personally can't wait till the final finale of Dollhouse to find out what in store for us Whedonites!

Yet another Dollhouse promo pic (with most of the smokin' hot cast)

Oh, and on a side note, I just found out (like two seconds ago) that Joss is a fan of one of my favorite TV shows on the air and he's going to direct an episode!!! Check THIS out!!! (woohoo!!)

On the really happening front, aren’t you directing an episode of Glee?
I am.

Is Glee your new favorite show?
That would be an exactly correct assessment. With Sarah Connor and Battlestar gone, my wife and I need a new obsession and it landed in my lap. And sang to us!

Are any Dr. Horrible or Buffy songs on the performance roster?
I would have to say a resonant ‘no way.’ The episode isn’t about me. It’s the next episode of Glee. Hopefully my hands will be invisible on the show. You’ll just go, “Why, that is remarkably good. It gives me glee.” That is my hope. I’ll be shooting in March.

The rest of the interview can be found here. They also talk about him and the Terminator franchise, and the sequel to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It's a great little interview, check it out!

~Manda