The only nights I really watch TV are Sunday and Tuesday, and it's Fox all the way. Weekly, I am astonished by the level of inventive, subversive, satirical humor on the Fox Sunday lineup of The Simpsons, Bernie Mac, Malcolm In the Middle and the scabrous-yet-ingratiating Arrested Development - I have actually known people like the floundering, formerly-rich Bluths, forced to deal with the real world after the protective bubble of their wealth has been burst. Basically all they are good at is shopping and drinking, yet somehow every member of the Bluth family has some redeeming quality and the cast is brilliant.
With the return of American Idol, Tuesday is now a TV night rather than just the hour of 24. I skipped last week's Idol return because there were other things going on, but I figured I would check in last night to see how far along they are in the process of getting the at least somewhat promising hopefuls to Hollywood, where they will be whittled down - eventually - to the final ten.
I could have easily skipped last night as well because they are still doing the regional auditions and, of course, emphasizing cruelty and conflict. We didn't see much of the "good enough" contestants who were waved on to Hollywood by Simon and Randy (Paula was having her hair done or something for most of the show), but we sure saw plenty of really bad contestants, who were ritualistically abused: "dreadful" "never sing again" "disastrous" "horrible" "deplorable" "wretched" "talentless" "weak" - these were some of the critiques, and while no one should be encouraged if they are without talent, the editorial emphasis on the bad and benighted is both depressing and mean-spirited. And the time spent on the abused returning fire is pointless and just conflict for conflict's sake. I really hate this phase of the show.
24, which won the Golden Globe for best TV drama, was back in fine style last night after a week off for the American Idol opening blitz, and I am beginning to perceive that their strategy this season was to start relatively slow then build - the opposite of the previous two seasons, which started with big bangs then inevitably petered off.
Last night we had the return of Sherry Palmer, President David Palmer's devious ex-wife because it takes a snake to deal with a snake: former Palmer-ally Milliken has turned against him due to Palmer's brother's (and his Chief of Staff) indiscretions with Milliken's wife. "We need big dirt on Milliken - stat."
Article comments
1 - Joe
I've got a more streamlined viewing sched consisting of Malcolm in the Middle and AD (if the kids are in bed by 8), and the original CSI on Thursdays. I certainly agree with you on the cast of Arrested development, I can't pin down a favorite charachter because their all funny in their own ways, although I'd love to find a wallpaper patterned shirt as a symbol of my fandom. I watched the first season of 24 and was unable to continue to suspend disbelief after Jack's wife got amnesia. As an interesting aside, did you know that Nina and George are married in real life? He's now got a recurring role on CSI as the sheriff.
2 - Eric Olsen
Funny the patterns we fall into.
I did know they were married but didn't know about CSI. I eschew all shows with abbreviations or the words "law" or "order" in their titles.
3 - Joe
I was skeptical until my wife brought me into the fold. I'll never watch the Miami version because of a severe reaction to David Caruso, but the original is quite good. You bring up an interesting point, however, is there any hour of the day in which some variant of Law and Order is not playing somewhere on cable?
4 - Eric Olsen
Its popularity totally baffles me, but I'm sure you can tell by the few shows I do watch that "normal" network shows don't much interest me. The conventions are so trite, the conformity to time constraints so limiting, the artificiality so pervasive. I much prefer shows that play with the format or otherwise subvert what is normal.
last season because I am interested in music and musical talent of whatever kind, and I came to see the show as a competiton, like an ongoing double-elimination sports tournament.
I ended up getting into
5 - Joe
I'm pretty much the same way. I've never been able to get into Idol, though. Iron Chef, on the other hand, was a weekly event for my son and me for a couple of years. Because of Master Kaga, my boy can pronounce foie gras and visually ID an anglerfish.
6 - Jim Carruthers
I have to say Mondays are "Rick Mercer's Monday Report", "The Newsroom" and "This Is Wonderland" (an incredibly depressing comedy about the justice system, but funny in a "you have to laugh" way). Tuesdays are DVD night, Wednesday is "Angel", Thursday is "Scrubs" (though that's moved to Wednesday?) and DVD, Friday is DVD, Saturday is Saturday Night At The Movies, Sunday is "Simpsons" and "Da Vinci's Inquest".
And screw the networks, I {heart} Bittorrent for "Curb Your Enthusiasm".