Readers, you know I watch a ton of TV. In many cases, I watch out of habit. I may like something enough to not give it up, have an allegiance to a writer or actor or maybe a friend works on a show... and so I watch. But how many shows so I love? What am I looking forward to watching the next installment of the minute an episode ends?
To be honest, before this season started... I couldn't come up with any returning fall broadcast series that I felt that way about anymore. Sure, Grey's Anatomy had a helluva cliffhanger and had found it's creative footing (don't get me started on last night's Mercy West resident invasion... eh...) Gossip Girl was a show I was massively addicted to... but around February 2009 it just slipped away. It's not that I don't watch. I just don't care as much. I'll find out what happens next, but I don't really, viscerally, need to know.
Enter the freshman class, specifically Glee and The Vampire Diaries (if you missed last night's Vampire Diaries... find it and watch it). All of a sudden... I'm looking forward to scripted broadcast TV shows again.
I want to feel this way about FlashForward. And perhaps after next week I will. The series has felt very "treading water" thus far, but now that Dominic Monaghan's character has kinda-sorta showed up... perhaps we can move the heck along. Perhaps. Thus far, FlashForward has been far more Heroes than Lost, building around disparate characters and cliffhangers. But unlike Heroes' brilliant first season, thus far, FlashForward has not delivered on those cliffhangers. We'll see.
It's funny how the reality shows (SYTYCD which finally is kicking into high gear with competition in two weeks, Top Chef, The Amazing Race) and summer cable series (True Blood, Burn Notice) I watch have managed to remain addictive.
Except Mad Men. I've fallen deeply out of love with this season of Mad Men. It's been well executed, shot, acted, written... but I don't feel the need to know what's going on anymore. This season had such promise, but the British Invasion hasn't proved as compelling as it could have. I don't even root for Don much anymore (I couldn't care less than Connie Hilton gave him that verbal thrashing last week). Joan seems to be gone (BRING HER BACK), Peggy is marginalized. I know I have reactions to the "period" elements (i.e. Don's attitude toward Sal last week) but... well, this season hasn't sat right with me. So many characters are being their worst. And why would I want to watch that especially when, unlike the first two seasons, there has been very little season-long narrative / mystery to piece the episodes together, bringing them from character and theme pieces into a cohesive whole story?
You'll note the lack of sitcoms listed above. I only watch a few comedies and, for the most part, I watch to laugh, not out of any need for the compulsion that so addicts me to a good drama.
What shows are you absolutely addicted to?
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4 comments:
Well, I was pleasantly surprised by NCIS-LA, better than I thought.
Flashforward - I am already bored with.
Cougar Town - who wants to see classy CC as a horny divorcee?
Most addicted to - Bones. better than ever this year, more drama less comedy and the relationship with B & B is heating up. Might ever see a kiss by the end of the season.
Bones - It's a need.
Glee - I mean every day, I wish was Glee day. Even with the music and stuff that they show thru the week about the next episode, it's just not enough!
TBBT - Although the episodes feel shorter than they were last season, which annoys me.
Castle - Captain Tightpants, nuff said. This show MORE than leaves me wanting so much more each week.
30Rock - Because I adore Tina Fey and that show is just hilarious!
Psych - Does this count? Because I can't get enough of these guys!
Of course I watch many many more shows, but those are my can't miss.
Travis,
thanks for the numbers but FF has been at a 3.0-3.1 the last 3 weeks so I dont think showrunner news has anything to do with this. Maybe it has settled at this number which is pretty good up against big baseball and big Survivor. Change in showrunner has only been on trades and blogs, hasnt made it into newspapers
I am not enjoying Mad Men and while I do plan on watching the last two episodes of the season , they better be amazing or I will give up on the show.
I was shocked by how much I enjoyed last weeks' episode of Vampire Diaries. It was fast moving and entertaining.
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