Eric blogs about television

In the wake of Jessica getting engaged, it seemed like Eric has decided to come alive himself and post some blogs (lol). This one rants & raves about television. He talks about the good, bad and the ugly shows on television, in his opinion of course. Some of his choices might surprise you too. Below is just the “good” shows that he enjoys, and it’s a rather long, interesting read, so I’ll cut a blurb and let you read the rest after the split. BEWARE LOL To read ‘The Bad, The Ugly, Hall of Fame, and Looking Forward’ part of the blog, click here 

 

I like TV. Check that, I love it. And I watch a ton of it. By my rough count, I watch over 25 primetime shows per week. Some people use their free time to read books, knit, go fly fishing, learn how to speak Mandarin…I watch TV. And I don’t discriminate against any type of programming – I watch just about everything. The one exception is law or medical based procedural shows, so oddly enough, the very few shows that I don’t watch are actually many of the most popular shows on the air. Anyway, I often get messages asking my opinions on various TV-related items, so thought I’d share my thoughts on the current TV season. I hit on just about everything, including scripted and plenty of unscripted shows (for you reality lovers). This is a long read (broken up into two blog entries), so enter at your own risk…

- QUICKIE TABLE OF CONTENTS -

“The Good” – Breakout stars on 2 new shows, a welcomed surprise guest star, the good guys of reality tv, and quick hits

“The Bad” – Reality TV editing, super-sizing shows for stupid reasons, bad reality casting, and quick hits

“The Ugly” – The Most Vile Thing on TV this fall

“The Hall of Fame” – Recognizing TV’s most overlooked program

“Looking Forward” – What’s to come in the new year

THE GOOD

- Two New Shows, Two New Stars -

Generally speaking, I will try out most of the freshmen shows for a few episodes before deciding whether or not to move forward with them. In two cases this fall, the jury is still out on the shows themselves, but the stars of these shows are just so majorly kickass that watching them can not be denied.

 

The first is JOANNA GARCIA, the star of the CW’s “Privileged.” Garcia is no stranger to the small screen, having starred on last season’s short-lived “Welcome to the Captain” (which I may have been one of 3 people in the world to watch) and starring on “Reba” and “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” for years. However, this is her coming out party. As the show’s main character, the intelligent, uncertain, bumbling, well meaning Megan Smith, Garcia is outrageously likable, relatable, and every other -able word you can imagine. Her entire demeanor is spot on perfect, nuanced, and sweet – I dare anyone to watch this show and not come away loving her. The rest of the show, eh…not so much…but she is so good that she can carry this entire show on her back. Plus, she’s gorgeous. And most importantly, she commonly uses her eyebrows as a form of expression…which as we all know, is my preferred method of showing excitement.

The second new star of the fall season is the hapless everyman, “Worst Week”‘s KYLE BORNHEIMER. The show itself tends to be a tad hit or miss from week to week, but Bornheimer is such a constant winner that keeps the engine running. He is so extremely casual and affable that you can not help but root for him. The comedic timing he exhibits week in and week out (with honorable mention to ERINN HAYES, who plays his very tolerant wife) is second to none so far this TV season. I normally despise commercials, but his T Mobile campaign from earlier in the year was so hilariously awkward and spot-on…and he brings that rare combination of charm and wince-inducing embarrassment perfectly to “Worst Week.”

- A Familiar Face Shows Up in the Most Unexpected of Place -

I am an unabashed lover of teen dramas…there I said it…and I’m more than okay to put that out there. From “Saved by the Bell” to “Beverly Hills, 90210″ to “Dawson’s Creek” to “The O.C.” to “One Tree Hill” and back to “90210,” I have been a loyal follower of these angsty teen romps for years now. In fact, for a long time, I actually thought my best friend was patterning his life after “Dawson’s Creek”…he even had a ladder going up to his bedroom window for his own Joey Potter to climb into. But, I digress. Following in the footsteps of its illustrious forefathers, I have been watching “Gossip Girl” since the beginning. The unexpected highlight of the season by far though, was the surprise guest appearance by veteran character actor, WALLACE SHAWN (as Blair’s new stepfather-to-be). Probably best known for his turn as Vizzini in “The Princess Bride” (“INCONCEIVABLE!”), Shawn also provided a handful of the best episodes in the history of “The Cosby Show,” as neighbor Jeffrey Engels. A consummate pro and a small screen gem, it was a great visual seeing Shawn take up residence in the world of “Gossip Girl,” a world that is the polar opposite of where you’d expect to see him.

- The Good Guys Shine on Reality TV - 


You can’t deny the power of casting “villains” on reality TV. It’s a tried and true formula that always yields controversy and entertainment. This TV season is no different, with LACEY (Rock of Love: Charm School”), JOHNNY BANANAS (“Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island – by the way, isn’t it strange how he and the cast of “Fresh Meat” are now considered the veterans…how did that happen?), and JUNIE BROWNING (“The Ultimate Fighter”) amongst the many “evil” characters at the forefront and focal point of their respective shows. However, a welcomed trend has been developing on this season’s slate of reality offerings…villains are not the only ones shining! Some standouts have included:

JOHN “THE HARDCORE HUGGER” POLAKOWSKI and NOGUEIRA (“The Ultimate Fighter”) – The man’s nickname really says it all. John Polakowski is a professional fighter, who…well, loves to hug…everyone! It’s impossible to not laugh when this guy runs up to these muscled up guys and gives them a nice, long embrace. When interim HW champion and coach, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, chimed in and offered, “who doesn’t love a good hug every now and then,” I knew we had found the true stars of this season.

 

WISIT (“Top Design”) – After the saturation of reality TV over the past decade, it’s always a pleasant surprise when you find a completely unique and new character. And trust me, Wisit surely fit the bill. Barely speaking over the tone of a gentle whisper at most times, this interior designer would then pepper his diary room sessions with random bursts of opera singing. It was hard to not be amused by his meek and eccentric ways. 

SAMANTHA(“America’s Next Top Model”) – Let’s be real here…as a guy, any show is automatically a million times better when it’s populated almost entirely by hot girls. An ex ex ex girlfriend got me into this show many moons ago, and as a reality TV lover, it just kinda stuck. On a show often populated by bitchy narcissists, Samantha was a major breathe of fresh air. It’s hard to describe what a ray of sunshine she was. All people have some form of edge or a nastier, complaining side to their personality…but she really didn’t. She came across as just a fun-loving, down to earth, total sweetheart. Yes, it’s true, she was one of my TV crushes of the season. The beauty of being on BB is that now I can actually meet her! And date her! Sure, she’s like 18 or 19, and sure she’s probably a solid 3-4 inches taller than me, and sure she’s a professional model…but I see no reason why that should get in the way of our love. Sam…call me!

RODNEY KING (“Celebrity Rehab”) – Talk about your unlikely reality TV heroes. On a cast filled with former celebs making returns to the spotlight in the form of rehab patients, this anti-celebrity is the standout. Whether offering Jeff Conaway a massage, being assigned to look after Gary Busey’s behavior, or reuniting with his daughters – Rodney King has a lot of heart and a pretty impressive perspective for what he has been through.

PAUL DiMEO (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) – Consider this a lifetime achievement award. Week in and week out, Paul is just the most decent guy you’ll ever see. 

Just a couple of shoutouts to a few shows that have been finished for a little while….

 

As a whole, the cast of this summer’s So You Think You Can Dance had the most universally likable final 10 of any reality show in recent memory. Courtney/Kherrington/Chelsie/ Joshuah/Twitch/Gev etc. were immensely talented, appreciative, attractive, fun, friendly…just a great, great group! I so often find myself wondering “who am I supposed to root for” when watching these shows – this was the rare show that I genuinely liked almost the entire top 10 and felt pleased no matter what the results were.

How about WHITE BOY on “I Love Money”? This guy was the man – a total stud. He has to be the single thuggest jewish kid I’ve ever seen. Gotta give MEGAN her props too. That girl belonged on “Survivor” or “Big Brother.” She took her rare bread of mind control and manipulation all the way to the final 4, even though she was a hated target from moment one. Very impressive.

- Some “Good” Quick Hits -

THE NAKED MAN on “How I Met Your Mother” – Admit it, you at least considered trying it on an unsuspected member of the opposite sex last weekend….

“FAMILY GUY” – B B B Bird bird bird, bird is the word….

“IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA” – A tad spotty at times, but highlights have included the parody of “EM: Home Edition,” Charlie’s final number in his ill-conceived musical, and the kidnapping of a newspaper reviewer

General love for “ONE TREE HILL” (amazingly about to pass “Dawson’s Creek” in total episodes), “GARY UNMARRIED” (surprisingly funnier than you would expect), and “PRISON BREAK” (I have a love/hate relationship with this show). 

Last but not least, I’d be remiss to not mention the very best theme song on television…”WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY TO MAKE ME FEEL PROUD?!? YEAH! WE NEED A CHANGE! YEAH! DO IT TODAY! YEAH!” How can you not be inspired by that? And it’s catchy too! If you don’t know what show this is from, shame on you!

I know people’s attention spans are short, so head over to my next blog to see THE BAD, THE UGLY, THE HALL OF FAME, and LOOKING FORWARD….