Stuff...

I will spare you my f-bomb and capslock laden rant about last week's Bones and just advise you that you won't be hearing more from me about that bullshit show.

I still haven't caught up on Fringe or FlashForward since they've been back. I am more likely to watch Fringe, but neither one seems to have been missed. I'm also at least 3 hours behind on 24. I'll be happy when this semester is over.

And in funnier things, this.

Blech

Not dead, just sick. Intestinal nastiness lasting for weeks. Couldn't see doctor until health insurance kicked in. Finally got drugs. Hoping for improvement. Still feel nauseous.

Anyway, so, apparently I moved out of Pennsylvania and... they went insane. They still don't have a budget, which was due July 1st, and Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia is taking drastic action to force Harrisburg to act. Fun!

Also, tonight is the season premiere of several shows I care about, including The Office, Fringe, and Bones (roughly in that order, if Bones continues to suck as much as it did last season). I think Thursday is going to be the new Monday in terms of scheduling conflicts.

Nail-biting

It's that time of year when we find out whether all our favorite shows have been canceled or not. Still no word on Chuck, but we know that Life is out and Fringe is in. I'd kind of have preferred that the other way around. Life was awesome. If you need a list to keep track of everything, here's a handy one. So, to sum up the shows I watch:

Already renewed: 24, Fringe, Friday Night Lights, The Office
Likely coming back: HIMYM, Bones, Chuck (although I'm not sure I trust this), Parks & Recreation
Likely canceled: Cupid, Dollhouse, Kings (and I just started watching it, too)
Already canceled: Dirty Sexy Money, Life

Applied for another job today, which brings the total to 11 (12 if you count my ambiguous "I'll take any one of those 3,300 jobs" application to the Obama administration).

I kind of want to make these cupcakes for our office Christmas party, but then again, the snowmen seem like they'd be kind of a lot of work. I'm all for no effort.

If anyone's looking for a Christmas present for me, here's one. (You should buy it for yourself, too.)

Um, I'm behind on TV, which means I still haven't seen the first two episodes of "Leverage" or this week's "Chuck." I've gotten into this habit of going to bed really early, which kind of cuts into my TV watching time. Also, I started rewatching Angel season 1 and now I totally love Doyle (it may be the Irish thing).

Here's an update on the "5 suggestions to improve Fringe" I posted a while ago, which I am actually still watching (it helps that it's the only thing on Tuesday nights).

I saw flurries!

Yep, it was snowing on my lunch break. Not enough to actually stick, but still, disturbing.

Anyway, just a couple linkety links today - an interview with John Noble (from Fringe) and in anticipation of the return of Battlestar Galactica in January, the eleventy billionth "Who's the Final Cylon?" post.

Also, the Democrats are gonna let Joe Lieberman stay at the cool kids' table.

Rainy afternoon

I'm sitting here listening to a 3.5 hour conference call, so I'll probably be posting a crapload of links, trying to catch up after posting kind of sparingly since the election.

I can't remember if I linked to this article or not, but much rending of garments and angry fist-shaking was happening on the internet last week due to Dollhouse being bumped to the death slot on Friday nights. On the plus side, Bones will NOT be on Fridays, and Fringe, which I'm still watching, has a good lead-in with American Idol.

Life has gotten a full season pick-up, which I'm very happy about. Like Bones, it's a procedural with a fun twist, and it centers around a really interesting main character.

The prodigal Darling returns on Dirty Sexy Money, as Juliet is set to make a guest appearance. (She was mostly written off the show after the actress had drug problems, I think.)

Damages is returning in January! Gosh, it seems like such a long time since this show was on (due to the writers' strike), and I've missed it so. Speaking of shows I haven't seen in forever (but have missed somewhat less), Kiefer Sutherland talks about filming the 24 movie in Africa.

My Own Worst Enemy has been canceled. I feel a little bad for Christian Slater, because I like him and wanted his show to do well, but it was pretty sucky, and I didn't watch past the first episode, so it's not terribly surprising.

And finally, the writers of The Daily Show talk about their jobs, and Kristen Bell talks about... a lot of stuff.

Shoulda stayed in bed

Today is seriously the longest day ever. We're really slow in work, which is good, because I'm cold-medicated (as John said yesterday, "It's like being drunk, but without the fun") and sleepy. (My nighttime meds totally didn't knock me out sufficiently, and I woke up at 4am. I did have a nice James Marsters dream, though. Shut up, Kelly, it wasn't dirty.)

Anyway, I don't usually post stuff like this, but Alyson Hannigan's pregnant. (Sidebar: What is up with Alexis Denisof's ridiculous grin in that photo?) I'm curious if they plan to work that into HIMYM, or if they'll try to film around it. A lot of people have pointed out that Lily didn't drink her scotch in the flash-forward last week and speculated she might be pregnant, but the filming of those episodes would be a long way off, so the timing really wouldn't work out. Maybe she'd just had the baby?

In other news, apparently politics affects your TV show choices, and clearly I'm in the wrong party, as I like Damages and Doctor Who from the GOP column. But I also watch The Colbert Report and My Boys from the Dems' side. I'm definitely not an independent, because those people watch way too much shitty reality TV. I wish they'd included network TV instead of just cable shows - I'd be curious to see what the preferences are.

And finally, the cast of Fringe talk about their characters. I seriously have to quibble with the characterization of Anna Torv as a "hottie." Sorry, she's not. She's bland (both in looks and personality). Now, Joshua Jackson? There's a hottie.

Okay...

That was a little bit mean, since I know Kelly doesn't care about politics. So here's some TV talk, too.

Let's see, the last time I checked in, I was almost caught up with all the shows I'd missed. Since then, I managed to watch all the recent episodes of Chuck, which I'm still a big fan of. I'm still bummed that it's on at the same time as HIMYM, because those two shows have become the only bright spot on a previously packed Monday night.

This is partly because I've given up on Heroes. Not even the digging up of Adam Monroe can save it for me. I watched it last Monday, and about halfway through, I realized I didn't have a clue what was going on (mostly because I'd zoned out a few times, but also because the show makes no logical sense). And more importantly, I didn't care. So, yeah. I'm done. I'm slightly bitter that I even bothered to get invested at all, going against my instincts that it wasn't as awesome as the hype, only to have the show spiral into such nonsensical drivel that even people who were completely obsessed with the first season are now calling it crap.

My other Monday night hopeful was the Jekyll and Hyde spy show, My Own Worst Enemy, starring my beloved Christian Slater (I met him!! In London!! There are pictures!!). Maybe watching Heroes right before it meant that I was already in a troubling state of ennui, but my reaction was pretty meh. It was decent, but not outstanding, with several logic holes that could've been glossed over had the show been more interesting.

Elsewhere on TV, I watched the first episode of Life on Mars. I was really afraid of this one, because those imported Brit remakes rarely go well, but this one was pretty good. I guess it helps that I've never seen the original (which I do plan to rectify eventually). I missed the second ep last night, because Danielle called me so I was on the phone for the first half of it, but I liked it enough to catch up online.

Also, somewhat confusingly, I'm enjoying Life (confusing because of the titles, not because... never mind). I'm noticing the trend seems to be heading towards "procedurals with a twist." It's not enough anymore to be a dry, impersonal CSI or Law and Order, but people seem to be leery of serial shows after the post-Lost spate of serials crashed and burned a couple years ago. So now it's all "cop show... except one cop is from 2008, transported to the 1970s" or "spy show... except the spy has a split personality." Even older shows like Bones and House seem to fit into this pattern. And with Life, it's "cop show... except one cop just got out of jail after being wrongfully imprisoned for 12 years." I watched the whole first season on DVD, and then what's aired so far of the second season online, and it's great. I thought it would be an "I can wait till it comes out on DVD" show, but I'm totally into it. It's on Friday nights, which is a bummer, but that's what the internet is for, right?

And finally, I'm still watching Fringe, but I pretty much agree with this article on how it could be much better.

Remember when I watched TV?

Before I went on vacation, that is. I've spent the last few days catching up on the hours and hours of fall TV that I've missed, so here's a quick rundown:

HIMYM: Love it, even though Ted totally dissed New Jersey last night. But Marshall's hilarious rant about being too big for New York completely made up for it. Plus, I didn't think it was possible to love Barney even more, but OMG how cute is he being in love with Robin while still being very, very Barney. (Also, I think my Dr. Horrible love is bleeding through.)

Heroes: Holy God. I didn't think these characters could get any stupider, but wow, did I underestimate them. With Peter, we now have double the stupid (and sadly, Future Peter shows that he only gets MORE stupid as time goes on), Hiro almost won the stupid-off hands down when he opened the safe, but Mohinder once again reclaimed the lead by injecting himself with superhero juice. HRG still rocks my socks, and I like the speedster chick (though I question her judgment being married to Parkman in the future). Also, Sylar as a '50s housewife totally makes up for the rest of the Four Years Later plot totally sucking. I can't wait for Elle to show up again (she IS coming back, right?) and OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG Adam!!!!! I can't tell you how much I love him, mostly because he's always trying to kill Hiro.

Fringe: I'm still into it. My love of Joshua Jackson is strong, even though the show itself isn't as compelling as it thinks it is. Anna Torv bothers me, though (she reminds me a lot of what's her name, who played Kate on 24).

Bones: Started off shaky (much as I love London, that season premiere was weak), but I am LOVING Sweets this year. I was so happy to see Zack back as well, even though he creeps me the fuck out. The revolving door of assistants has been hit or miss. Hodgins and Angela just need to get back together - the reason they broke up was stupid in the first place. And is it just me, or have they been focusing on Seeley's "Cocky" belt buckle an awful lot lately?

Dirty Sexy Money: So far, I've only seen one episode, and this show is kind of on the bottom of my list of shows I care about. I do love Peter Krause and Donald Sutherland, but it seems to have gotten more soap opera-y and less funny.

The Office: Again, only one episode, but at least they seemed to be better with the pacing on the hour-long ep than last season. Still funny.

Mad Men: OMG I love this show. Watch it. That's all.

I still haven't caught up on Chuck, but I'll probably do that tonight. I'm also working on season 1 of Life, which so far seems good, but probably not must-see. I may just wait for the second season to come out on DVD. Ditto for House and Brothers & Sisters. I also started watching Arrested Development. I only got in a couple episodes before I left for vacation, and so far I'm finding it funny, but not nearly as brilliant as everyone's made it seem.

Counting down...

...till I get out of here. Spent most of the weekend packing, although it feels like I spent it on a Stairmaster. Sheesh, you'd think I'd be in better shape for hauling 3 loads of laundry up and down 10 flights of steps. (Note to self: Never do laundry when elevators are out of service.) I also managed to get stuck in the elevator, which was my main reason for taking the stairs, so that was a lot of fun.

Anyway, the increasingly negative and false statements from the McCain campaign are generating more buzz. They're also generating more humor, as is Sarah Palin.

But I know what we really care about is what Kristen Bell's up to on Heroes. In other TV news, I watched Fringe last night, and I'd say it won me over enough that I'll be disappointed to miss the next three episodes. My teenage crush on Josh Jackson has apparently not gone anywhere, particularly as he was spouting some of the best lines in the episode. But God, a 2 hour premiere seems long, even with limited commercial interruptions. I noticed that with the Bones premiere, too.

So, I counted it up, and I'm going to be missing approximately 15 hours of television while I'm away. Dude, that's a lot of television. Okay, it's like 5 hours a week, which is one hour per weekday, which doesn't seem like a lot. But wow, I wish I had Tivo.

I'm just trying to acclimate you...

...to not having frequent updates, as I'll be away for much of the next three weeks.

But because I've been lazy the past week, I've got a shitload of pop culturey links for today. (See? I'm giving you a break from the politics.) Okay, I think lists are the way to go here.

Casting news: The Battlestar Galactica movie posts an updated cast list, including Admiral Adama and most of the Cylons, How I Met Your Mother's got a sister for Stella, and Chuck's Sarah is getting a dad played by Gary Cole (not to be confused with Gary Coleman, who just hit someone with his truck).

Shows that have been temporarily shut down and/or retooled: 24, Dirty Sexy Money, and Dollhouse, which might be causing some concern.

Interviews: John Slattery and Jon Hamm (both of Mad Men), as well as Amy Ryan and Paul Lieberstein on The Office.

And finally, a preview for 24: Exile and a review of Fringe, which I totally meant to watch on Tuesday except I was out drinking, but there's an encore on Sunday night, so I'll try to catch that.

Weekend!!!!!11!!

I'm really tired today, and I've already mentally checked out for the holiday, so I'll just say yay Obama, and also, WTF McCain? (For those who don't bother with the news, he chose Alaska governor Sarah Palin to be his VP.)

Actually, although the choice seems to come out of nowhere, it actually could be a pretty good one. She's young and inexperienced, sure, but I'd bet McCain would say, "Wouldn't you rather have an experienced President and an inexperienced VP than the other way around?" Plus, she's definitely a Washington outsider, which combats Obama's message of post-partisan change. I'm sure they're counting on her bringing in some women voters, but aside from their gender, she really doesn't have a thing in common with Hillary, so I wouldn't count on her drawing anyone that wasn't already in the "sore losers for McCain" camp. What good is a woman candidate if she doesn't support women's rights?

Listening to her speech, I thought she had great presence and felt very conversational - just the right person to portray the "I'm just like you" message and make people forget about McCain's 7 houses. Her political positions seem to be pretty in-step with the Republican party (anti-abortion, pro-gun, pro-oil drilling in her own state), so other than being a woman, die-hard conservatives ought to like her.

The ethics thing is a little curious. Sure, she supposedly has a great record on ethics standards and stuff... but she's being investigated! She's been accused of improperly using her office to have her ex-brother-in-law fired from his state trooper's job. As part of the fall-out, the state commissioner who was asked to fire him was then fired himself.

Also, I don't know that holding this event on McCain's 72nd birthday was a good idea. Way to remind us that he's friggin' old.

Anyway, in other news, Aaron Sorkin now has a Facebook group (it's research for the movie I mentioned yesterday), and you can ask him questions, and he'll answer. Also, more Heroes spoilers, an interview with Chuck creator Josh Schwartz, and an interview with Josh Jackson about Fringe.

Okay, back

Well, again, TV Squad has a crapload of panel reports, including Battlestar Galactica (you can also watch the video of the full panel), Chuck, and Fringe, which is probably the one new show other than Dollhouse that I'm interested in.

Also, Dr. Horrible is again streamable for free from Hulu. So now you have NO excuse.

Everybody back to work!

The writers' strike is OVER! *cheers*

So, what does that mean for your favorite shows? Michael Ausiello comes through as usual with a comprehensive list. Highlights:

1. 24: Expected to return this fall or January '09.
2. Bones: Four pre-strike episodes left. Unclear whether additional episodes will be produced for this season
3. Chuck: No new episodes until fall.
4. Friday Night Lights: No new episodes expected for this season. Future TBD. (see below for more info)
5. How I Met Your Mother: Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May
6. The Office: Expected to shoot 5 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.

The news on the FNL front is troubling. There's talk of moving the show to USA or Bravo (NBC-affiliated cable networks), but nothing is definite yet. I really, really hope that Friday's episode doesn't end up being the series finale. It was a good episode, but an incredibly unsatisfying ending (think of the greatness of season 1's "State"), particularly since the show was just starting to get back to its season 1 level of awesomeness after the shaky start to season 2. If you love the show as much as I do, and you're interested in a "save the show" campaign, Pop Candy has a few suggestions.

In other news, my favorite girl, Kristen Bell, is starring in what looks to be a Disney romantic comedy. I think we can pretty much guarantee that she will neither taser someone nor shoot electricity out of her fingers, but hey, maybe she'll be good even without electrocuting someone. :)

Also, my high school celebrity crush, Joshua Jackson, is starring in a new J.J. Abrams TV show called "Fringe." Yay! Oh, Josh, how I've missed you.

I also have a big political post coming (I've been saving up links, but never seem to find the time to talk about them), so don't think I've forgotten about the primaries!