Fall 2006 TV
Earlier this fall, I consumed the Entertainment Weekly Fall TV Guide with my usual fervor. But very little sounded good. I watched two eps of Studio 60, then realized I wasn’t looking forward to the third ep at all, so I didn’t bother. I watched the premiere of Heroes, and was aggravated by its predictability. I didn’t feel like bothering with the Lost-like ensemble of The Nine. I gave up on Lost midway through last season when I got bored. I figure if it gets good again, I’ll hear about it, and I can watch on DVD. I have heard good things about Friday Night Lights and Standoff, but I don’t feel moved. Instead, I’m only watching returning shows:
Veronica Mars: hate the new opening, hate the revised music, and like the show less since they’re giving Kristen Bell a break and not having her in every scene. I’m not sure there’s any way they can top season 1, but I’m watching anyway and it’s still pretty good. Favorite character? Dick. He makes me laugh. My guess for the campus criminal? The TA: his (his? not certain he’s a he, but then he won’t be the culprit) hair looks funny and wig-like.
House: Hugh Laurie is darkly funny. The medical mysteries are secondary to the character interactions and witty repartee.
Bones: the mysteries can get kind of lame, but the banter and characters are excellent.
My Name is Earl: funny, naughty, yet rather sweet, and not mean-spirited.
The Office: Steve Carell has the tough job of being the cringe-inducing guy while everyone else gets the laughs.
Battlestar Galactica: probably my favorite show. Things are pretty much back where they were before the abrupt change at season 2’s end, but darker, bleaker and more complex. James Callis continues to be a wonderful villain who does evil because he’s selfish and cowardly, not out of malice. Jamie Bamber’s fake extra weight is painful to look at, and I keep hoping we’ll get a workout montage set to Madonna so he will stop looking puffy and orange.