Can’t believe a year went by so fast…
Wow. The past 12 months have flown by. Who remembers last year at this time when my first two columns with thetvaddict.com were all about the upfronts and summer TV and trying to avoid the waiting between a really good 2005-2006 season and what I hoped would be a really good 2006-2007 season? Seems like just yesterday I was anxiously awaiting the new fall shows (Jericho and Friday Night Lights were mere glimmers in the distant future at that point), and I couldn’t wait to find out what was in that damn briefcase on Veronica Mars!
Cut to May, 2007. I’m here, trying to recover from a rocky week of Upfronts filled with amazing pickups (Friday Night Lights is seriously one of the very best shows ever made and the fact that I’ll get to see Kenneth the page on a week to week basis next year on 30 Rock makes me very, very happy) and gut wrenching cancellations (I’ll miss you Veronica Mars and seriously, how can we go on without closure to that Jericho story [more on Jericho if you read all the way through]).
What better time than now to talk about my favorite shows from this season and what shows need to do better next year if they intend to keep me as a viewer!
FAVORITES
Bones – I really thought that this show hit its stride this season and worked as a really seamless ensemble comedy/drama about the inner workings of a forensic anthropologist, her team, and her FBI agent. The cast chemistry is phenomenal, and I honestly cannot wait to see what happens next year!
Friday Night Lights – I watched the pilot and was in love. Is there anything about this show that doesn’t seriously rock? Tyra could have been another one-note-small-town-tramp but she turned out to be a seriously amazing character all about woman power and being a strong person when everyone tries to push you down. The Taylors are an amazing family. Zach Gilford, Scott Porter, Taylor Kitsch, Gaius Charles, Kyle Chandler….it’s like the hottest cast on TV!
Heroes – really? A show that answers questions? I love it. Sure, there are the occasional filler episodes, but for the most part, I think it’s a really stellar hour of TV each week. And that finale? Has me dying for more!
Veronica Mars – during its worst episode, this show is still eons above the other shows I watch. Now that it’s going to be over, and the season finale is set to bring the show back to the true form we love, I’m going to sit in denial at my lack of weekly Jason Dohring and Ryan Hansen fixes. It’s going to be a long wait for the Season 3 DVD set.
Jericho – NUTS! I cannot deal with the idea that this show, about a town struggling to rebuild and fight for survival after a US-initiated bomb was dropped on a neighboring town. Sure, the first few episodes were shaky and there were times in my marathon viewing that I fast forwarded, but this show kept getting better with each passing week. The fact that CBS is more interested in 40 kids living in a ghost town than watching Skeet and his crew fight the good fight against New Bern just absolutely blows my mind. Allow me to take a minute and get involved in the “please do your part to save our show” that’s going on – go here and see how you can help: http://thetvaddict.com/2007/05/21/help-save-jericho/
The Office – it’s just so good. The finale was great. It wrapped up loose ends, brought out a much needed shift in power (Ryan is technically Michael’s boss now, isn’t he???), got us a possible switch to JAM loving, and really just entertained me. I’m so excited about next year’s hundred thousand episodes we’re getting (ok, so it’s like 30, but still….huge).
Shows that need to win me over next season for me to consider watching again –
Grey’s Anatomy – what is going on over there? Really, Meredith and Derek need to fight again? That’s the way that they wrote Isaiah out of the show? There’s no resolution to the George / Izzie / Callie triangle? Bailey isn’t chief resident? Alex is in love with a patient? And Sloan still has nothing to do? They need to get their act together if they intend to draw me back in next year, or I can’t promise that Thursday nights at our house will be called Grey’s Thursdays anymore!
Lost – Well, I did my best to watch this show with an open mind, and I really really hope the “game changer” that the season finale promises is mind blowing, and is the kind of “It’s been 2 years / Alias” cliffhanger that gets me sick-to-my-stomach nervous. If not, I can’t guarantee that I’ll have any interest when it comes back in February.
My Take on the Upfronts –
ABC – Can’t wait for Pushing Daisies. I’m actually on the edge of my seat waiting for the pilot of this show. Lee Pace was my favorite part of Wonderfalls. I cannot cannot wait for this one. Also, Big Shots? I hear it’s not that great, however Michael Vartan on TV weekly? Yes please! What am I not looking forward to? Cavemen….period.
CBS – I still kind of hate CBS for canceling Jericho. But I am still looking forward to Swingtown, midseason. And I am interested to see what happens with Viva Laughlin! What am I not looking forward to? Wednesday nights without Jericho but with Kid Nation.
NBC – I have to be honest – I’m not the biggest fan of NBC shows, except for their comedies, but I am really excited about every show I saw a preview of for NBC. Life and Journeyman look great. The Bionic Woman is just incredibly kickass and I’m really excited about it. The only thing I might not be looking forward to? Lipstick Jungle left me feeling cold. I didn’t get the chemistry I was supposed to get….let’s hope it didn’t clip well.
The CW – I’m looking most forward to Reaper. Bret Harrison rocks, loved him on Grounded for Life, loved the Loop. I’m not sure that Gossip Girl will hold my interest, but if Kristen Bell is the narrator, and Josh Schwartz is as involved as he was in Season 1 of The OC, then count me in. What do I want to avoid? 7th Heaven in South Africa..Life is Wild….count me out!
FOX – should I care about any show on FOX? They’ll start the good ones, and cancel them right away. I just really don’t have any faith in them. That said, hopefully ASP’s …Jezzebel James is good (I love Parker Posey so very much). We’ll just have to see!
That’s my take this week. What were your favorite shows? What shows disappointed you? What new shows look good to you?
Check back in the comings weeks as we take a look at summer TV!!
Feedback is always welcome: mytakeontv@thetvaddict.com