Thursday, September 21, 2006

Guilty Pleasure

Okay, I admit it. I've been indulging myself this week in a guilty pleasure. Premier week on TV.
I've watched the hype over these shows for months. Have been hooked on some of them for years and am dying to find out the ending to those nail biting cliffhangers I was left with last May. And no, I'm not avoiding anything ;-D.

I started Monday with the new show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. It stars Matthew Perry (yes, I'm from the Friends generation) and Bradley Whitford and comes from the masterminds behind West Wing. WW was one of my favorite shows for years - I never missed an episode. Anything those talented people are attached to is worth a look in my opinion. And I really enjoyed it. They definitely know how to set up some conflict that's for sure.

Deal or No Deal started back again this week too. I've been hooked on this one since it started as a mid-season replacement. I have to admit though, my love for the show waned when I didn't get picked at a casting call they held last spring :-).

Survivor, set up as very controversial this year, holds some interest as well. I'm a closet reality show junky but I justify my obsession with the thought that they're a study in human nature and an excellent avenue for character development. Sure I'm not planning on sticking my characters on an island and denying them food or fire....well maybe.

But the show I've been looking forward to the most starts tomorrow. Grey's Anatomy. I've been glued to this show from the moment it aired. There's just something about the characters, with all their flaws, weaknesses, and crazy hook-ups that pulls me in and leaves me wanting more. And the fact that everyone's in love with everyone else doesn't hurt that all important conflict quotient :-)

There are several others I'm interested in - Lost, Desperate Housewives (although this one is losing my interest fast), What about Brian.

So what shows are you looking forward to seeing this year? Which show do you think is going to flop and be canceled after the first month?

Instigator

12 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

To be honest, I haven't a clue what new shows are premiering this month. But I dove right into the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" last week (Go Mario!) and "Survivor" as well. I'll be looking forward to the CSI premiere tonight (though my thoughts about Grissom and Sara are still "Ewwwwww!"). Monk had its summer run and ended a few weeks ago so we wont' see any new episodes of that until January. And that's about the extent of my TV viewing -- until American Idol comes back on.

J.B. Thompson said...

I'm with Instigator on Studio 60. I was never a West Wing fan, but this one looks great - I'm beginning to wish they offered TiVo in our area because I'm a CSI junkie, and of course, ABC and NBC are trying to knock the CSI shows off their pedestals by putting some really good ones up against them - Grey's Anatomy & Studio 60, for example. I'm also a huge fan of Criminal Minds and have always been a Law & Order groupie. I don't think we have enough video tapes in our cabinet to keep up with all of them!

Remember back in the '80s (yes, I'm dating myself) when all those great shows were on (too many to count)? It's starting to feel like that again, where there are so many shows I want to watch. So, if we fall into this trap, when do we have time for the other things we're supposed to be doing - like writing?? =)

Linda, you cracked me up with your comment about how doctors can be stupid. I used to work for a group of them, and oh, the stories I could tell ... talk about character studies!! I always threatened them that I was going to write a book about the whole lot someday. I'm afraid all my royalties would have been sucked up in lawsuits, though ... ;)

J.B. Thompson said...

P.S. - And no, LJ, you weren't the only one not surprised by the Grissom/Sara thing. To me, it wasn't hard to see that coming at all - it's been building since she came on the show. The perfect setup of a push-pull relationship, a la our romance novels. ;)

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

I watch a lot of shows, but they don't run at the same time. During the summer, when networks are are hiatus, I watch the 4400, Monk, Psych, Rescue Me and Project Runway. Those just ended (or are getting close to ending - I'm so excited about the PR finale!) so now I switch to network tv - House, CSI (I've been waiting for Grissom and Sara to hook up for years...now that it happened, I'm not sure how I feel about it). I also love Nip/Tuck. I'm getting into America's Next Top Model and Top Chef, but that's the extent of my reality shows. I don't watch Survivor, AI, Big Brother, none of them. ALthough, I have to admit I watched Flavor of Love 2 the other day on VH1. Man, that's messed up!

SP

Anonymous said...

My only must-see will-NOT-miss show is Lost. (Love CSI--the original one, not the Miami version because David Caruso makes my flesh creep.) Desperate Housewives lost me by the end of season one. Discovered House last season and it's another one of my must-see's. And I'm an Everybody Loves Raymond rerun junkie. :-)

Playground Monitor said...

Well I knew Sara was all over Grissom like white on rice but I never picked up that he was all that into her. Didn't he rebuff her a couple seasons ago and she went out and got caught driving drunk (or something close)? Sara's not my favorite character. I don't find her particularly appealing or sympathetic. I'd much rather Grissom hook up with Lady Heather.

PM

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

Yes! Lady Heather! Unfortunately, she's been a little uninterested since he arrested her. So touchy. Then she wigged out and beat that guy nearly to death for killing her daughter, so that's probably a turn off for him.

Besides, she's got a cushy gig on the OC or something, so I doubt she'll be back.

A lady at work told me I remind her of Sara and started calling me Sara whenever she saw me.

Katherine Bone said...

I like to watch Blade, the Series, but it just ended. Man, how can they get away with some of the stuff they do on that show? We watch Medium, 4400, and the Dead Zone on a weekly basis. I'm real excited about the return of Supernatural, that's an excellent show! Can't wait to see Heroes and American Idol! Just watched Smith and caught a little bit of Kidnapped. Smith is good. I enjoyed seeing how they set up the characters in the first episode but because I didn't watch Kidnapped from the beginning I was a little lost. Dancing With The Stars has been on for two weeks. We love it! Mario, do you still have extra batteries in your pants? LOL.

Lost Worlds is a really good on the history channel. Just missed the one on William Wallace. Rats! And I like to watch Digging For The Truth, which also airs on the history channel.

Kathy

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

Jericho! I missed it? That's one I've been looking forward to as well. I'll have to set my DVR to next week so I won't miss it.

Instigator

PatriciaW said...

Don't watch much TV, especially network television, except for a few reality shows. Love Deal or no Deal. Dancing with the Stars is cute although it's losing it's allure. Also waiting (im)patiently for American Idol.

Stumbled upon Studio 60. LOVED it. Amanda Peet's character was intriguing. I'm a romance junkie (reader and writer) so will there be sparks between her and the other head guy who showed her where her new office was?

I'll try the first episodes of ER and Law & order (the original). That will determine my interest for the remainder of the season.

Wish there were some programs (non-comedic) with minority headliners focused on slices of life in the minority community. Just a dream...

Problem Child said...

I'm a Law and Order junkie, both new and reruns, which is dangerous because L&O is ALWAYS on somewhere.

I can't wait for LOST to start back. DG is also excited about Studio 60, but I'm really trying not to pick up any more TV. We'll see.

Playground Monitor said...

CSI tonight. OHMYGOD!

PM