The New Shows

I'm envisioning this space to be primarily tv recaps and reviews. The sidebar "Must List" is where I've listed the shows that I'm going to be discussing. Choosing them wasn't easy; I feel like I watch TONS of tv, and yet I had trouble picking. There are a couple of reasons for this problem:
1.) Many of my favs just aren't on any more: Sex and the City, The West Wing, Six Feet Under.
2.) A few current muses are on premium channels I can't afford: Weeds, Dexter, Entourage.
3.) Schedule conflicts also cannot be solved until my budget can afford a TiVO, or I convince the writing program that TiVo is an expense they should cover. This makes catching House and a few others difficult.

So, in the end, I will be looking at five shows, at least until other shows come back from hiatus (Project Runway, America's Next Top Model) or I get bored. The rationale:

Heroes - I just picked this one up over the winter break. Everyone seemed to be raving about it, so I took the liberty of downloading several episodes on iTunes to find out for myself. (Only after downloading six episodes did I realize I could watch them streaming on nbc.com. Oops.) The series starts a bit slow, with so many characters to introduce and follow. And I do think that over the entire half season that's aired so far, that's really the weakness of the show: trying to cater to too many stories, stars, and characters. Ensemble casts are fantastic, but Heroes really should take a page from Lost and focus on only one or two characters per episode to take the pressure off the storytelling. I'm also not loving the Nikki/Jessica storyline featuring Ali Larter. I don't know if it's the acting or the character, but it seems much more melodramatic and twirling-mustachioed than the other threads.

Overall, though, a series worth keeping up with and picking up on if you haven't yet. The casting is good; I especially like Milo Ventimiglia as Peter Petrelli and Hayden Panettiere as "save the cheerleader save the world" Claire Bennett. Panttiere's overly-built, orange-stained, trying-a-bit-too-hard teen presence is perfect for the all-American girl with a secret that Claire embodies. And Sendhil Ramamurthy may be the most attractive man. Ever. Mondays, 9/8c on NBC.

Lost - The show that launched a thousand sci-fi series. The first season was groundbreaking, engaging, and enthralling. The second season was less so. Now six episodes into Season 3, we're waiting through a long hiatus for the final 16 episodes. In my opinion, the introduction of the "Others" has benefited the series in a way the "Tailies" did not. The Tailies seemed like a mere shark-jump to infuse new characters, while the Others really do provide new stories, perspectives, and possibilities. That said, watching Jack, Sawyer, and Kate remain in captivity for six episodes has been bor-ing. Time to set them free and move the plot along. Pronto. Wednesdays, 10/9c on ABC.

Studio 60 (on the Sunset Strip) - I'm willing to admit that the Cheese Might Stand Alone on this one. I know that some things on this show are not working. I know that many have been pretty disappointed. I know that some of the sketches are not funny. But regardless, I am a fan of Aaron Sorkin come hell or cancellation. I don't need to rehash my eternal love of all things West Wing and Sports Night. But the fast-talking, behind-the-scenes, incessantly-optimistic worldview Sorkin draws in every script is irresistible to me. I can't hate on it.

Along with my love for Bradley Whitford and Timothy Busfield, I've also been pleasantly surprised by some the newcomers to the Sorkin clan, in particular Sarah Paulson as Christian comedienne Harriet Hayes and Steven Webber as nasty network exec Jack Rudolph. In general, Sorkin's sanguine approach to the promise and possiblity of popular culture gives the validation coach potatoes need to sit through yet another hour of television. Mondays, 10/9c on NBC.

Top Chef - Along with Project Runway, Top Chef is really putting Bravo's original programming on the map. I don't even cook or watch cooking shows, but the talent and artistry associated with producing fine cuisine is fascinating. And the bitching. I really like the bitching. I liked the first season, but this second season is even better. Gone is boring-vanilla Billy Joel's wife as host, and in her place is interesting-Indian Salman Rushdie's wife. As for the contestants, Elan is adorable, Betty is hilarious, Marcel is cartoonish, and Michael is, as guest judge Anthony Bourdain put it, Flinstonian. The food is hot, Padma Lakshmi is smokin, and the competition is sizzling. Wow, that was chee-sy. Wednesdays, 10/9c on Bravo.

Veronica Mars - My favorite show. Season 1 broke noir ground, Season 2 paced back over it, and Season 3 is dragging it to college. The move to Hearst College hasn't been easy for Veronica or Veronica Mars, but after the first mini-arc of nine episodes, this season may be finding its stride. The combined forces of the move to the CW, its pairing with the waning Gilmore Girls, and the ever-present ratings crisis have forced writer/creator Rob Thomas to pander a bit to new, younger audiences. This means that references to previous seasons have been minimized, Kristen Bell's wardrobe has been sexed up, and the noir elements have been toned down. Oh, and V's kinda bitchy now.

I think that the Hearst Rapist mini-arc ended well but the treatment of women and sexuality on a college campus was botched. It seems painfully obvious to make the feminists angry, the frat boys sloppy, and the heroine repeatedly roofied. The high-tension, surprising conclusion to the storyline helped out some of the problems, but I'm hoping Rob Thomas and Co. can step up their game a bit and lose the ugly shoes/Women's Studies jokes. Here's hoping! Tuesdays, 9/8c on The CW.

So that's the rundown! I'm looking forward to the shows resuming after the winter break. I hope that the shows that have struggled have used their time wisely, and that Spring will beat Fall in quality and ratings. Let me know your thoughts on these shows and your expectations for the coming episodes!