I Hate the Emmys.

I wasn't going to blog about this, but I had an email exchange with Reva and Adam (who know almost as much about pop culture as I do, heh), so I'm just going to copy and paste what I wrote to them about my thoughts on the Emmy nominations for this year:

I generally hate the Emmys. I've never understood how in ensemble shows, there's always one actor who gets snubbed. Courteney Cox was never nominated for Friends. Kristin Davis didn't get nominated for Sex and the City for 4 years. And now Ed O'Neill? If there's anything unifying about Modern Family, it's him. In other words, even when the Emmys get it right, they get it WRONG.

Matthew Morrison for Glee? Really? Is it because they love his white-boy rapping? (I also happen to hate Chris Colfer's portrayal on Glee. There's nothing nuanced about it, it's completely unlikeable, and I think it unnecessarily feeds into the fears of so many straight dudes.) But then, I really don't like Glee as show, so I'm biased. I totally am fine with the general love for it since I get that it's the politically cool choice this year.

I think the nominations for The Office represent everything that's wrong with the Emmys. The Emmys seem to vote purely on memory and it reeks of laziness. The Office was fine this year, but it was nowhere near as good as it has been and, more importantly, it's simply not as good as many other shows currently on the air. But it's like the Emmys don't want to admit that any show that they once liked might have gone downhill, so they keep nominating it until it goes off the air. See Tony Shalhoub as yet another example.

Boo. I also don't really watch the Emmys when they air (unless NPH is host) because what's the point? Give the awards to Kelsey Grammar, Tina Fey and/or Sarah Jessica Parker, Alison Janney, and Jeremy Piven, regardless of whether they were even on a show this year, and let us wait until the Golden Globes (shudder I can't believe I just typed that) where they are at least willing to consider that there are other shows on television worth watching.

Also, the fact that the episode "Modern Warfare" from Community didn't get nominated for anything is so beyond me, I wonder if the people who nominate things even own a television, let alone the internet.

Yes, I hate the Emmys. Hate. Them.

I know this is wishful thinking, but other than wishing that Cougar Town getting a nomination (or at the very least -- Busy Phillips), I wish that Justified had been nominated for something. Unbelievably well-written and awesomely acted.

Vindication.

Someone (read: me) deigned to criticize Glee way back when.

I'd just like to point out that, um, the establishment is recognizing my brilliance.

The Best New TV Show of the Spring.

For as much TV as I watch, I watch a surprisingly little amount of cable shows. I saw the first season of Breaking Bad, but haven't continued with it. I haven't gotten into Mad Men -- mostly because I learnt 'bout it too late and I hate picking things up mid-series. I've caught a few eps of The Riches on hulu, but I was never into The Shield, Rescue Me, or Nip/Tuck (I hate seeing plastic surgery -- even though I watch Cougartown). I did obsess over Battlestar Galactica because I'm a huge nerd, and I like Psych (even if it's gone downhill recently) and White Collar has its charms (Matt Bomer *teehee* is pretty). I don't watch The Closer, Damages, or Saving Grace. So yeah, take this recommendation with a hunk crystal of salt.

Justified stars Timothy Olyphant in all his grandest reticence and lanky physique as a U.S. Marshal with daddy issues and the type of sublimated anger that is far scarier than some in-your-face gangsta punching a hole through the wall every morning. He gets transferred from Miami to Kentucky, his home state, pending an investigation into his "justified" shooting of a criminal suspect. Hilarity ensues. Just kidding. What has ensued thus far is an easygoing mix of cowboy-movie austerity with modern day clashes of federal jurisdiction over local Kentucky flavor. The script is witty without being ironic. The action is slick without being predictable. And anything with Natalie Zea in it gets an automatic bump in the awesomeness meter.

One more thing: Olyphant's character is no off-the-reservation maverick like waaaaayyyy too many protagonists these days. The show chooses instead to allow the situations play out themselves. In a lot of ways, I think this is the dramatic counterpart to Cougartown -- the characters are written so well and their backstories, albeit still new, are sketched with such assurance that the show can just insert them into really interesting situations instead of contriving some random drama. In other words, just watch it. So I can have someone else to nerd out over the show with.

Make It Happen.

Last week was the end of Conan O'Brien's run as the host of The Tonight Show on NBC. In the inevitable tv movie to be made of the squabbling, Coco requested Ms. Tilda to play him. And she said YES.

Check out the pic. It werks.

Glee Day.

I was hard on Glee in a recent post because, you know, it generally sucks. But one thing that is consistently good about it is the new arrangements of pop songs into a capella and show choir renditions. As you might know, Green Day is bringing a jukebox musical to Broadway based on their songs. Intrigued? Listen to the new Glee-ified version HERE and be effin' blown. a. way. I might have to go see this now.

Speaking of Glee, mjsbigblog, my go-to source for all things American Idol (sorry, Rickey, you kinda blow), found this neat video showing Heather Morris getting cut from AI in an earlier season. She's the dumb cheerleader who gave Sue the set list for sectionals. Jebus, you really don't need to win Idol to be successful anymore.

Why Glee Is Filled With Awesome and Suck.

I've noogied Adam a fair number of times (figuratively) IRL because I think he's occasionally contrarian when it comes to the "it" movie or TV show of the year (yeah, yeah, I get the hatred for Diablo Cody -- seriously, have people stopped using "shenanigans" in everyday parlance?). So I tread on hypocritical water when it comes to my critique of Glee. But I have good reasons. And I'm willing to admit that there are some redeeming things about it. Some. But overall, OMG. People. This show is terrible.

THE WIN:

1. Lea Michele's voice. Glee's magical sword (think Legend of Zelda for the reference). The show basically lives because it found an actor who can alternate effortlessly between youth and maturity with a simple switch of her head voice. I mean, for realz, she made me want to listen to a Celine Dion song, and I haven't wanted to do that since Celine sang with that chubby Asian girl playing violin. Best to date: Her take on Defying Gravity.
   
2. Puck. Even though Mark Salling continues in the rich history of waaaay overaged dudes playing high school people, the show somehow has gotten the Puck character just right. He's not hyperarticulate (although I loves me my D. Creek dialogue -- RTR K.Will!), but he's not an idiot, either. He's hormonal. And ultimately, surprisingly, that makes him one of the more believable -- and fun characters.
   
3. Quinn. Someday, I'll do a write-up of why I think the Star Wars movies had a fundamental flaw in them -- in short, it has to do with characters who don't change (see Jedis). But Quinn's the opposite. Although Glee's central romance is supposed to be Rachel and Finn (I think), Quinn has gone through the most compelling, and most dramatic, character arc so far. She was the queen bee until her pregnancy -- and along the way the fleece was lifted from her eyes on Sue, on Gleeks, on Puck, and on herself. To me, it's no wonder that she's lately been the center of the show.
   
4. Brittany. The best airhead since Amanda Seyfried in Mean Girls.
   
5. Kurt, his dad, and yes, the actors who play them. Mike O'Malley was kinda bril on My Own Worst Enemy. I forgot how he wasted airtime on Yes, Dear because of it. Mikey continues that streak with his portrayal of Kurt's dad, and with Chris Colfer, the two have created the most affectionate and real family dynamic so far on the show.
   
6. Jane Lynch. The Sue character teeters on the brink of caricature, but Jane Lynch's delivery keeps it well within the merely absurd. I can't wait for her inevitable villain song (cue Alan Menken -- update me some Poor Unfortunate Souls, stat) to cement her status as one of the all time greatest b's on TV.
   

THE SUCK:

1. Cory Monteith's voice. You're telling me that the producers found Lea Michele, but they paired her with Cory Monteith's singing? Nuh uh. No way. Some people were out cold on Sudafed or something when they auditioned him. Really.
   
2. Mr. Shoe's wife. I've complained about this before. Mr. Shoe's wife is a horribly written and horribly acted character. It demeans the show, and it demeans Will to keep such an unlikable and UNNECESSARY character around. Will couldn't have been single? Really? And FYI, the fact that I put this at number 2 should just show you how much I hate Cory's singing.
   
3. Plotlines that go nowhere. Where should I start? The AcaFella's? The fact that Mr. Shoe originally blackmailed Finn into joining the Glee Club? Puck and Rachel's hookup (this one should have gone on much longer -- RIPE for comedic gold)? Emma's dirt aversion? Kurt being on the football team? Tina's secret reveal to Artie? There were so many promising subplots, but for some reason, the show has decided to stick with the stupidest -- the pregnancy switcheroo for Will's heinous wife. It's like Lost at its suckiest when new stuff was introduced only to be forgotten an episode later. This is some of the worst TV writing I have seen in a long time -- especially in a show that frustratingly has great ideas to boot.
4. Emma's office. I admit. This is a minor pet peeve. But no way in hell would the schools guidance counselor have a glass office.
   
5. Mercedes. I had some nice hopes that Mercedes would be a great high school girl with some messy hormonal outbursts ever since the whole L'Affaire Kurt. Instead, she's devolved into a bland black diva 3-snap stereotype.
   
6. Sandy Ryerson. Offensive in every way. Including wasting Stephen Tobolowsky on a character that should never have made it past Standards & Practices, even at a moral dumping ground like Fox. And I like Family Guy. So there you go.
   
7. Another token minority character in a position of authority. Consider it another pet peeve, but with a twist. Glee has had some awesome moments. I loved that Sue tried to split the club in two based on race and other minority characteristics -- just to bait Will and his softie consciousness to figure out how to call her out. It's times like this when Glee glides on cringeworthy absurdism. But most of the time -- as embodied by the principal -- it falls back on stupid token stereotypes to fill its Benetton quota. Seriously: watch almost any show. The character who's in a position of authority is typically a minority character. That character is the least interesting, but hey, at least it shows a broken glass ceiling. Right? Pfft.
   
8. The nagging feeling that Kurt won't ever get a boyfriend. Speaks for itself.
   
9. Using the school musical to lure Rachel away. Another minor point. But one that leads to a bigger point: In a world of Show Choir -- the school musical would naturally overlap in terms of members. That Rachel somehow had to choose -- and that she would be the only one -- was a dumb way to try and wedge her from the group. And as the show has shown -- there has been no interesting subplot involving Rachel since that weak attempt. I love Lea Michele, and I love Rachel, but the show has no idea what to do with her as a lead protagonist. And it's obvious.
10. Mr. Shuester rapping. It was fun once. It has sucked ever since.
    

This Fall's TV Is Amah-zing.

I've done a bunch of first impressions of the TV shows that I've checked out this season. I think that I've pretty much got my schedule down now, so here's a summary of what my DVR makes love to each week.

• 30 Rock. Old reliable.
  
• America's Next Top Model. Just an awful cycle; I look forward to tall people coming back. Give the title to bloody-eye girl. Apologize for the blackface. And never cheap out again (seriously, Tyra photographed twice and the "destination" was Hawaii? how much does this mess cost on a regular basis that you had to cut corners for the shorties?)
  
• Community. An auspicious beginning has sort of lost its buzz. But Abed, Chevy Chase, and Ken Jeong more than make up for the already tired romance between Joel McHale and the water filterer.
  
• Cougar Town. Best new guilty pleasure! Courteney Cox is balls to the wall in this, and it totally pays off. The sweet rapport she has with her son (of Aliens in America non-fame), her ex-husband (nailed it!), and her paper buddy are the highlights.
  
• Dollhouse. Confession: I haven't watched an episode yet. Part of me is just waiting to see if FOX will actually air the entire season, or if I should just wait until it's fully released on DVD.
  
• Family Guy. Junk food for the soul.
  
• Flash Forward. Imagine Lost, but with an actual plot and with writers who actually know what they are doing.
  
• Fringe. I'm upset at the Evil Francie Redux plotline. And Liv has gone back to being insufferable. Come on, J.J. stopping sucking whenever your shows make it to a second season.
  
• Glee. If this show keeps going the way its going, expect a blog post devoted to just how awful everything other than the songs and Jane Lynch are.
  
• How I Met Your Mother. Too much Barney and Robin. Get back to Ted and the Mother!
  
• Modern Family. The best written new show. Al Bundy anchors this updated version of Arrested Development. Sofia Vergara is remarkably believable. Cameron is a star.
  
• NCIS: Los Angeles. They should just rename this NCIS: Bromance.
  
• Project Runway. Just awful. I don't care who wins. It might as well be Irina even though she's a raving b____________.
  
• The Cleveland Show. Junk food for the soul, part 2.
  
• The Office. Still funny.
  
• The Real World / Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins. Crack for the soul.
  
• The Simpsons. Even if it's not as good as it once was, it's still funny.
  
• Top Chef: Las Vegas. One of the best seasons. GO JENNIFER!
  
• Vampire Diaries. The best new show of the season. I'm totally serious.
  
• White Collar. The other cool bromance of the season. Nice salve after the sort of suckitude of the fall season of Psych.
  

Bad Mood.

Nygel et al. bring Brandon back to cover for Billy Bell. He gets in a day before the performance show. And then they proceed to rip him a new one for sucking at the smooth waltz, which is the dumbest dance to put on a show like this. And then they don't even guarantee that he'll be allowed to audition next year. Plus, SYTYCD has slowly gone from a show completely in the hands of the public to one that is progressively in the hands of the judges. Miserable piece of airtime.

These reality shows are just dying. ANTM thought shorter was better (in the case of K-Sizzle it is, but that's about it). Project Runway is one of the few shows where the judges ARE the stars, and that was never more apparently than this terrible season.

GAH! I should run a TV network. These people are morons. Sigh, the only thing that brightened my day (which is still going, btws... oh yeah, check that time stamp) was this:



and this:



Seriously people. I haven't been this obsessed with the epic awesomeness of a celebrity since Colin Farrell. And that's saying a LOT.

Guts and Reactions.

30 Rock comes back on tonight! Can we just take a moment and reflect on how awesome this show is? And how amazing it is that between this and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, it's Liz Lemon and company that turned out to be the good show? And how amazing it is that NBC has managed to not eff up its Thursday night comedies as badly as it has every other night and at 10pm?

An ode:



In other news, The Cleveland Show is okay, in that mind-numbing Family Guy inoculating against real life kind of way. So, yeah, I like it.

I wasn't expecting FlashForward to be as good as it was. It's like Lost Season 1. Which means that in two seasons I'm going to hate it with a passion only rivaled by my loathing of Dane Cook and Sienna Miller.

And lastly, I finally saw the first episode of the new season of Fringe, and all I could think was: J.J. is already retreading the Evil Francie storyline? REALLY? You are on notice J.J. I'm watching you. Close. Ly.

To Someone Crappy and To Someone Awesome.

So this season of ANTM absolutely sucks. This whole short girl thing has squeezed out interesting and likable people (except for Laura and Nicole -- they rawque). Tonight's ep just highlighted that. So to that end, a letter:

Dear Kara,

The reason that Nicole does better than you even though she sounds like a corpse when she talks is that she's nice and you're a b____. Also, you look like Amelie Mauresmo. Glad you got booted and lost out on everything you whined about in your exit interview like a sore loser who's never seen a reality show before.

Dear Jessica White,

You are to die. Please replace Ms. Banks as the host of the next cycle of ANTM.

Sincerely,

-28st.

PS: DID YOU ALL SEE THAT MY PICK BRANDON DUMLAO HAS MADE IT TO THE FINAL CUT NEXT WEEK ON SYTYCD? The last person to have this little screen time that I liked was one Mr. K-Sizzle. To. Die.

Et Tu Crayon Gods???

Planet Money has collected indicators of the down economy. This one hit close to home. Red Robin was like this safe haven of corporate-y restarantness in Durham when I went to law school. I mean, bottomless steak fries? It couldn't BE any better. Now that I'm in DC, I'll actually travel, yes travel as if it's a destination, to go to Red Robin to eat processed burgers. Because it's awesome.

But now there's just a little less color in the world. It reminds me of the DuckTales episode where Uncle Scrooge was captured in the penguin colony where color was scarce and therefore valued. Remember that one? Yeah, that's where Mrs. Beakley proved that she's aaaaaaaaalll right.

And another thing, if you name your kid "Scrooge," aren't you just ensuring that he's going to be a mean ol' cheapskate when he grows up? Imagine that conversation:
Mom - "What should we name him? John? Robert?"
Dad - "Those are nice I guess. But how about Scrooge?
Mom - "Hm. Scrrooooge. I like it!"

Checking In On the Best Season of Top Chef To Date.

Que-wha?

Jennifer both smiles AND cries?

The evil brother is on the chopping block?

The good brother gets persnickety when people start trashing his brother's dish? He does love him!

Ash throws himself on the grenade? Well. I guess that's not that big of a surprise. But it's ASHLEY who gets booted? Oh Tom and Padma, you got this one so very wrong.

(And you could just see the evil brother thinking at Ash, like, buddy, what are you doing? Save yourself!)

Could Yukon Cornelius be more jolly?

This season is to die. To. Die.

Even More Gut Reactions.

The Good Wife.
OMG, Carol Hathaway can do law! That sneaky and magical nurse. Okay, so the inner-politics of big law firm life is way more on the Eli Stone side of reality (as in, not at all) than is the channel formerly known as CourtTV, and, well, that's really all I've got. I get the sense that this is a Prisonbreak type show, where the central conceit probably works better as a movie than as a series. If you strip away the stripped-from-the-headlines dressings, the show is basically the second half of Law and Order.
Verdict: I'll watch the second episode, but I don't have a good feeling that this is going to become Can't Miss.

Eastwick.
Amazing. There is something worse than Lindsay Price. Hey, Rebecca Romijn, the '50's called. They want their broad acting back. Yeah, I know that could be benchier, but I'm tired, this would be like shooting fish that are tied to the end of a gun.
Verdict: Keep Sara Rue, Jaime Ray Newman, and Matt Dallas. Ditch the rest.

Modern Family. Once the connection between the three families was revealed, the pilot sort of fell into place. Now the truth of the title came through, and the chances for some real kick-awesome family dinner type scenes just went waay up. I liked the pilot well enough, but I'm moreso looking forward to what's to come.
Verdict: Solid start. The kid who plays Manny is a winner. And Ed O'Neill is yet another Married With Children alum who's done good.

Cougartown.
We have a winner! I get the criticism that Courteney Cox Arquette is too hot to pretend to be an over-the-hill fortysomething year-old. But she is so balls out with the humiliations, I can't help but laugh. Maybe it was low expectations, but I laughed more genuinely during this than I did during Modern Family.
Verdict: KEEPER!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Part IV+.

Ah, Week 4 of the new TV season. Week 3 had some bril starts (HIMYM, bien duh; and Cougartown, quel surprizze!). Let's see what's on tap next:

• The Simpsons. Look, I get it. The Simpsons isn't as good as it was in the '90s. That doesn't mean it's terrible. It's still better than most crap that's on TV (and trust me, I know, I watch a LOT of crap). So I watch it. Although, I wish that Comcast (*spit*) would fix its DVR programming so that when I tell it to record only new episodes, it ONLY RECORDS NEW EPISODES. And not like every syndicated run that isn't tagged with a "Repeat" tag. Come on you idiots. And while you're at it. Fix Bravo and Lifetime and USA, too.
  
• The Cleveland Show. I like Family Guy. Sue me. At least I know that Family Guy is a rip-off of The Simpsons. I know my history -- good and proper.
  
• Family Guy. Sue me.
  
• The Middle. The previews looked good, but the time slot (8:30 on Wednesday -- really?) is killer. I probably won't end up following it, but the vibe is very Malcolm in the Middle's first season -- you know, the only good season it had.
  

And after Week 4, the intensity of newness sort of dies down. So scattered about like the remnants of Britney's career (and Whitney's voice -- have you heard her new album? Miss I Need a Bodyguard needs a lozenge) are the following:

• 30 Rock. "I was just thinking about how weird it is that we eat birds." I can't wait to watch for more antics by Bobby Jindal's brother from anotha motha and Liz Lemon.
  
• White Collar. I started watching Psych after a year in, and it was painful trying to catch up on it. So this time, I have my eye on another show that I hope is more Psych and less Monk, and I'll try and keep with it from the beganning.
  
• V. Back in the '80s when I was a young spring chicken in my forties, I was freaked out by this show that my brother loved. And now they're doing a remake with Scott Wolf (long live Bailey!) and Juliet from Lost. I think that now that I'm a sturdy septagenarian, I should be able to handle the creeps. But word has it that ABC is futzing with the scheduling -- doing little mini-batches of episodes. I fear that V will fail.
  

Some More Gut Reactions.

Melrose Place
Ashlee Simpson did not die in the first episode... Minus points.
Everyone is put in a morally compromising situation... Even.
The girl from Battlestar Galactica: Razor is on it... Bonus points.
Verdict: Remains as a series-recording on the DVR, but I've already noticed that I put off watching it, so its continued presence in my life is on the brink.

The Beautiful Life: TBL
Shot in that weird way where the vocal track seems slightly out of synch with the video... Minus.
Not enough catfighting among the models... Minus.
Corbin Bleu is no Zacquisha... Minus (but what did you expect?)
And Marisa is great as the bitch... Bonus.
Verdict: Already bumped from my DVR list. Remains to be seen if I ever bother catching up on the interwebs.

Community
The jokes come so fast, it's almost hard to keep up... Even.
Love the Asperger's guy... Bonus.
Sassy black woman is appropriately sassy... Bonus.
Chevy Chase is actually funny... Bonus.
Verdict: Not just DVR'd -- it's prioritized near the top of the list.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Part III.

Week 3 of the new fall season is now! Week 2 had some goodies, and now here are the premieres I'm interested in:

• How I Met Your Mother. HIMYM is finally getting some recognition for being a ridiculously well-written and acted TV show (although it lost the Emmy tonight). I firmly believe that it's Friends for Gen Y and the Millenials. But of course, some of us have been superfans since day 1 -- before it was cool to be NPH acolytes.
  
• NCIS: LA. Reva likes the original NCIS, but I've never given it a shot. I don't know. I like procedurals, but I don't get addicted to them like I do to Padma Laksmi. I will say, though, that there's something about the combo of Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J and the focus on undercover work that makes this sound pretty good.
  
• The Good Wife. Juliana Margulies is awesome. But she SUCKED on Canterbury's Law. And now she's playing another lawyer. I don't know. Maybe she really is only good opposite George Clooney? Or playing a nurse? I'll watch the pilot, but I don't have high hopes.
  
• Modern Family. I had this on my list, and then I took it off after I saw the preview, and then I put it back on after the ridick buzz it's been getting. I'll check it out, I guess.
  
• Cougartown. I've loved Courteney Cox Arquette ever since she was Alex P. Keaton's girlfriend (just as I've loved Matthew Perry since he was Tracey Gold's boyfriend on Growing Pains -- fyi, recall that Tracey's sister Missy was on Benson! Which starred Robert Guillaume who was on Sports Night by Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the miserably bad Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on which, yup, Matthew Perry starred!).
  
• Eastwick. I don't get the appeal of Lindsey Price. I think she's a black hole of charisma and talent. And now I've learned she's dating Ted Mosby. Ted could do so. much. better. Sort of hoping this will be a, you know, good version of Charmed.
  
• Flashforward. Urgh. This just doesn't sound good at all -- but I don't know -- I really like John Cho and Joseph Fiennes. And I wonder if the show can really sustain itself based on the premise. The Nine had a cool idea -- but that sucked.
  
• Dollhouse. I'm a Joss Whedon geek.

And this week presents the first DVR war. Wednesday during the 9pm hour, I've got three networks duking it out for my non-Nielsen-but-super-awesome-blog-review-attention. First, there's Glee, which is pretty much set. Second, there's TBL, which is terrible. And third, there's Modern Family and Cougartown. As of now, all three networks are likely to put the full eps online. I'm thinking that TBL is gonna lose this one (that's what you get, Corbin Bleu, for putting on weight).

Glee: Gut Reaction.

After all the hubbub that was the pilot of Glee being shown after my Kris Allen destroyed expectations in American Idol earlier this year, the expectations for the regular series was, you know, kinda up there.

With that, it's not bad. I'm still waaaay more into the show-choir reworking of awesome pop songs (I've accidentally heard that they'll be covering Keep Holding On by Avril -- ombombombombomb -- I can't wait.) The in-between stuff needs to find a better rhythm though.

Here's what's awesome:

Dianna Agron as Quinn. The queen-B cheerleader undercover spy juicy wicked girl. The one we're supposed to hate. I sort of love her.

Matthew Morrison as the lead. You couldn't possibly have a more likeable leading character, unless you cast Kris Allen. But Kris would be too short to play the lead. The fact that he originated Link in Hairspray on Broadway, which of course was later played by Zacquisha in the movie, is only awesomer.

Rachel mellowing out. Rachel is the most believable teen. At first I was annoyed by her as the too perfect, uptight, drama hag. But with this second ep, she's showing herself to be more of a -- can't help but express what she's feeling teen. I'm really happy that they went this way with the character.

Here's what's not awesome:

Will's wife. I hate when tv shows or movies give the main character an S.O. who is so obviously wrong for them to the point that it's just stupid that they are even together. At no point do we ever see why in the world Will, who is such a decent guy, would be with a drag like her. Or should I say it.

That's about it. Hmm... so just write Will's wife off the show. Stick him with Jayma Mays, who is adorable and move on. It's a subplot that show's no promise. What. So. Ever.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year: Part II.

Ah, week 2 of the new fall season. As before, here are the premieres this week that I'm keeping my eye on:

• The Beautiful Life: TBL. Not since The O.C. has an acronym been this anticipated. I mean, really, what is the POINT of the acronym here? Corbin Bleu tries to go all Zacquisha-legit on us. Mischa Barton takes Method acting to a new level. As long as TBL doesn't try and have us sympathize with the spoiled brats (hello Grey's, I'm snarking at you), this show might be worth it.
  
• The Office. Since last year, Fake Jim and Real Jim are both engaged. Here's the big difference between why The Office works and why Parks & Recreation doesn't: Last season, we got a chance to see that Michael Scott is good at his job, and more importantly, is believably good at his job. He sucks as a person, but there's an element of realness there. Whereas Leslie Knope is just stupid.
• Community. This premise is pure gold. And The Soup continues to be the most unlikely springboard into stardom (who would have thought THAT???).
  
• Fringe. Olivia Dunham is no longer annoying in that want-to-shove-her-pompous-and-frigid-face-into-a-cherry-pie way. Charlie, the best thing about the show, has NOT been fired. The only thing I'm worried about is that J.J. doesn't have the best record when it comes the later years of his series (although he manages to right them in the end). Alias's second season was great, Lost's was decent, and Felicity's was okay. I think Fringe will be okay at least this year, but I'm already worried about what comes next. And not in a good way.
  

The Vampire Diaries: So Sucked In.

Dear Diary,

I'm twenty-eight something years old, so it'd be nice if I could stop being addicted to teen-based shows. My days obsessing over the heyday of the WB (remember when Katie Holmes was normal?) were fun and all, but I'm an adult now. And I was making real progress because I don't watch Gossip Girl, I wouldn't (and didn't) touch 90210 with a 10-foot pole, and I think that Twilight is just the worst possible thing in the world. I mean, just really, really terrible -- what with the sparkles and the... sparkles. (After they killed off Cam Gigandet, I was so done with it.)

So now comes The Vampire Diaries, which, smart peeps, we all know came before the dreck that is Twilight (seriously - sparkles?). And yeah, it seems that with True Blood, Twilight, and now this, whichever more-clever-than-I pop culture couch commentator said "it's got vampires in it? just stick it in my eyes!" was sort of on the ball. But the thing is: it's kick-awesome, just as I hoped.

First and foremost, Kevin Williamson, of Dawson's Creek gen-yoos and Scream brils, is behind the wheel. No one does teen angst like he does -- except maybe Greg Berlanti -- no wait, Kevin does it better... or maybe Greg. At least K.Will does precocious banter and irony better for sure -- the best friend who jokes about being psychic and then is? How Whoopi Goldberg!

Second, they dipped way back into the Everwood well and plucked out Steven R. McQueen, who is genetically composed of puppy dogs and napping bunny rabbits. He plays the brother who is trying to be a rebel, and is just cuddly-wuddly cute, complete with a wet nose, trying to do just that. He reminds me of my little brother. Heh.

Third, there is a non-vampire descendant of Stefan in the mix -- holding down the fort. I'm fascinated by that little thread.

Fourth, the actors are all messed up in the ages! The actor who plays Elena is younger than Steven R. Babylioncub, but Elena is the older sister. And other than a couple of the actors, everyone is in their mid-twenties. Sigh, I love teen soap casting.

And finally, there are some good ol' vampire rules that are back in place (no thanks to Twilight's dumbing down of the legends). Sun is bad? Check. Must be invited into the house? Check. Good at brooding? Duh. That one's always around.

ANTM Cycle 13: Episode 1 - Girls Get Cut.

Initial thoughts on the season of the Short Girl. When did 5'7" become short? Why such a strict cut-off? And...

• Broken-foot Girl seems halfway normal. She's my favorite so far.
• Bloody-eye Girl is like Luna Lovegood! Not responding to her name being called? Sweet. I luvs hrr.
• Kentucky-fried Girl got shafted. Her photo was not in the bottom half. I like her spunk.
  

Those are my three faves. I'm not a fan of those who create drama (although they make for good tv) and a few more thoughts: Man-Girl is a man, and Bambi-Girl freaks me out.