Day 13

So it's just about That Time in the NaBloPoMo drivel when I start talking about tv again. Our viewing patterns for the new season have pretty much shaken out by now. While it was aggravating that our DVR up and died a few weeks ago, it was instructive to get a new one and have to re-program it. There were several programs that simply haven't made it on the new machine, because we haven't missed them.

Shows I like quite a lot:

New:

The Office/30 Rock: well, they're new to me. I starting watching both of these hysterically funny series this summer and was almost immediately hooked. I'm not sure why I wasn't watching them before, except that maybe the tv schedules never lined up well.

Old:
Chuck, House, Daily Show, Colbert Report, Iron Chef America, Ace of Cakes, Ugly Betty

Shows I like well enough:

New:
True Blood: I'm a big fan of the books, so I was really looking forward to this. I think they got Sookie just right, along with her relationship with Bill. I like how they changed Tara, which made her much more interesting and filled a necessary role - someone for Sookie to talk too since they can't convey all of her thoughts by voiceover. I'm not nearly as fond of the Jason storyline. He just wasn't that dumb in the books and it's squirmingly uncomfortable to watch him be so idiotically self-destructive. I also feel like the tone is a bit off from the books. The Alan Ball/HBO gratuitous sex gives it all a bit more of an Anita Blake vibe than is really necessary. But I keep watching.

Merlin: Eh. I watch it every week and like it well enough, but it's not blowing my hair back. It's nice to see Anthony Stewart Head again on a regular basis.

Old:
Heroes: At the beginning of the season, I was almost ready to give up on this show completely, but they manage to introduce just enough interesting new plot twists to hold on to me and get me somewhat interested again. But they had better pull it into the present and keep it there soon - all of this time-hopping is getting annoying and gratuitous.

Shows I tried and gave up on:

Fringe: I really wanted to like this. I've watched pretty much everything J.J. Abrams has put on tv, from Felicity to Alias. And I really like the scientist and how he relates to his son. But the stories haven't been compelling me, and after every single week featured 1) at least one scene of gratuitous, horrific grossness and 2) unnecessary torture, I just couldn't watch any more. The stories and character interaction just aren't good enough to make up for that.

Crusoe: I should probably try it again once the series is finished, but while we recorded the first couple episodes, I just wasn't paying attention and it never made it on the new DVR.