What I'm watching

[Patrick Weekes]

What I'm Watching:

I was definitely bummed when the credits rolled on the last episode of Angel (although I just watched it again last night, having saved it for several months on Tivo for the wife, who's been running around crazy). That said, I'm still finding good stuff to watch. Currently on my list:

Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis: I'm giving the new show a shot. The original series is not to everyone's taste, but I've got a soft spot for it after being intrigued by the idea of an SF show that wasn't Star Trek or even space-oriented -- we had Babylon 5 and Stargate, and that was more or less it, as I recall. I like that they've kept the political field changing, and, as I said, the new series is looking pretty decent (for a first-season show).

CSI: I only watch the original, mainly because I only need so much procedural mystery in my life, but it has interesting plots and doesn't take itself too seriously. This is one I watch with the wife, since she's the mystery reader in the family.

Justice League (now "Unlimited"): Aside from being massively irked when Cartoon Network changed the title this season and thus caused it to briefly fall off my Tivo's radar, I'm enjoying this series a lot. In season two, they let the writers get more creative (I'm guessing they were under orders to keep things simple and establish the world for newcomers in the first season), and there have been some great little dialogue exchanges and subtle flashes of character that really impressed me. Plus, you know, explosions.

Monk: Another one I watch with the wife, who is disappointed with herself if she can't solve the mystery in the first fifteen minutes -- but Monk isn't really about the mystery as much as much as it's about the character, the humor, and the sometimes-funny, sometimes-sad, always-sweet stories.

Dead Zone: I guess I'm surprised that this show doesn't have more popularity in the SF crowd, because it's one I've been very impressed with. Few shows take the time to logically figure out how a given magic/SF system really works and than extrapolate how that would affect somebody's life. I've been consistently impressed with the writing on that show, and while it doesn't have many hyperspace jumpgates, I think it's still doing good stuff for the SF world -- asking questions about predestination and fate while consistently delivering an intriguing and well-written story.

Kim Possible: Okay, yes, it's a kid's cartoon. But come on. If anybody can sit down and watch a single episode featuring Drakken and Shego and THEN tell me they don't like it and it's just a stupid show for kids, they're welcome to their opinion. Until then, step down. It's funnier than two-thirds of the sitcoms offered during prime time by the networks, and it has explosions, Shego, hilarious bad-guy dialogue, Shego, healthy life lessons connected by a believable friendship between two unbelievable heroes, and Shego.

That's more or less what I'm watching. Two USA shows, two cartoons, and the reliable Stargate series and its new spinoff. Anybody have suggestions for other stuff, or heard anything fun about the fall season?

Thanks,
-Patrick

[John C. Bunnell]

[Sheesh. The messageboard software is really fighting me on this:

My longest-lasting TV favorite at present is Jackie Chan Adventures, airing on Kids' WB and the Cartoon Network.

Essentially, it's an Indiana Jones action premise executed with the comic sensibility of the original Muppet Show -- fast-paced, strongly plotted, chock-full of really funny shtick and jokes for both the kids and the grownups in the audience.

For instance: One of Jackie's signature lines is "Bad day! Bad day!", uttered whenever something looks like it's about to squash, slice, puree, or otherwise inflict permanent harm. But when Our Heroes are having an Old West experience, the line morphs and becomes "Bad day at Black Rock!" -- as the stagecoach, with Jackie aboard, is about to plunge over an inconvenient cliff.

The series can also be impressively subtle; in the same Old West adventure, it's established that Jackie and another Asian character are in the Old West because they are railroad workers -- which is, in fact, where a lot of Asian immigrants found themselves in that time and place. But we don't get this as "As you know, Jackie" dialogue or a lecture, it's just presented as the way it was. In the course of the series' run, we also get a look at Chinese opera, tunnels under San Francisco, Mexican lucha wrestling ("El Toro never removes his mask!"), and the legend of the Monkey King, among other things.

Of course, this is balanced by lots of very silly stuff, such as the occasional appearances of the plush superhero SuperMoose, the inscrutable Uncle's appetite for mung bean sandwiches, the legendary Monkey King's recipe for inducing volcanic eruptions, and the tendency of Jackie's niece Jade to turn up just about anywhere at any time.

Very, very highly recommended.

[Cymraegmorgan]

I love the new season of Stargate:SG-1, the writers managed to conclude last season's cliffhanger and introduce new earthbound stories without losing the earlier feel. Jack O'Neal as a chairbound general is fun.

Atlantis is showing promise.

Cartoon Network's Venture Brothers on Adult Swim is my new animated favorite.

[Ambro]

I agree with Cymraegmorgan, SG-1 managed to pull it off after I thought they wrote themselves into a corner with promoting Jack.

Atlantis IS showing promise, but I am concerned that the Wraith lack the depth to make for a long standing recurring villain.

But only time will tell.

Besides does every major villain have to have a symbiotic relationship with humans on the StarGate shows?

One of my favorite shows is Nip/Tuck on FX. While not SF, it is a dark satire. No one on that show every gets to experience happiness for very long. It is definitely worth at least one watch.

[Michael Mikaelian]

I seem to watch more TV with my kids than I do when they're not around. (I use my "me" time to play Raibow Six on Xbox Live). Top of our list: Teen Titans and Justice League Unlimited. It also seems like my TV is permantly on Cartoon Network, since I always look forward to the 11pm-Midnight block that usually contains Futurama and Family Guy.

The last shows I watched without fail were 24 and The X-files, and I haven't found a suitable replacement yet (24 was so bad this year that I skipped the final episode, have no idea what happened, and after watching the show's first 71 hours, somehow don't care.)

If Smallville comes a little closer to the comics without losing all of its current viewers, I'll be interested to watch that.

[Charles Dunwoody]

I really like the Dead Zone too. I'm a big Stephen King fan, so seeing some of his characters brought to life and going in new directions is great.

Since I'm too cheap to pay $50 for cable, I watch them when my friend gets some episodes on Net Flix. I've watched the first seven episodes of season one and have been very impressed.

Some are funny, some are sad, and some make you rethink everything you think you know. And the actor who plays Johnny (can't remember his name) can be both creepy looking but also very likable. His physical therapist cracks me up too.

[Patrick Weekes]

I think I'm not doing so well with SG:A... I'm a ways behind on my Tivo list, but last week, I watched "Poisoning the Well", where the team meets a bunch of humans who are making themselves inedible to the wraith. At about 40 minutes into it, they were agonizing over using a terminally ill human who'd volunteered to be a test subject for consumption by the wraith prisoner. After the third scene of them agonizing, I turned to my wife and said, "Y'know, Farscape would have had the guy in there with the wraith about twenty minutes ago."

[Vic Wertz]

As for me, the currently airing genre stuff on my TiVo Season Pass list includes Smallville, Enterprise, and Dead Like Me. (Six Feet Under just finished their season, Jeremiah is almost concluded, Alias doesn't air for a couple more months, and the first episode of The Lost is sitting there waiting for me to take a look at it before I commit.)

I have to say, if you're not watching Dead Like Me, you should really give it a try....

-Vic.
.

[kordeth]

I always catch episodes of the daily show,A total laugh riot for me. (Kind of sad that Jon Stewart is doing a better job than CNN and such).
Im also watching reruns of aqua teen hunger force,The brak show and home movies.

[Michael Gonzalez]

I have tried Battlestar Galactica. I don't have cable so I bought the Season I set. I saw the miniseries and the first episode so far. So far it is pretty good for the emotional impact.

[Chris Wissel - WerePlatypus]

I just bought 1 an 2 of Arrested Development. I didn't get into the show until midway through the second season, so it's beeen hilarious catching up the last coupel of days.

Best show on TV, right next to Monday Night Football. Oh yeah, I also heard that they moved Arrested from Sunday nights to, uh. . . aw crud.

Now I need Tivo.

[captramses]

Well now this is an interesting topic:

Battlestar Galactica.
Stargate SG1.
Stargate Atlantis.
E-Ring.
Threshold.
Law&Order (The whole package)
Criminal Minds.
Bones.

[Ultradan]

I really like Battlestar Galactica... Mostly because it tends to be serious enough. There's no stupid jokes or one-timers. No one tries to be funny: There's a crisis, and nobody's laughing.

Justice League Unlimited I just can't get enough of. Again because the episodes tend to stay serious. I just wish they would cut it out with the reruns and show us something new.

I watch Lost. Although I really like the way the story is told (via flashbacks) and the general mood of it, every week I'm saying to myself "They better have a very good explenation for all of this or I'm going to be really pissed!"

I've started to watch Threshold. I like the "X-Files-ish" feel to it, but something about it seems a bit cheesy. I'll have to keep watching for the time being.

On my frosty-coated side, Family Guy and American DaD make me laugh like there's no tomorrow. I LOVE this kind of humor and the many references to old (80's) TV shows.

I enjoy America's Funniest Home Videos just because I love seeing people get hit by golf balls in the groin.

I have to give thumbs up to Extreme Makeover Home Edition, for the show itself and for what their doing. Good work guys!

Although I'm a big Star Trek Fan, I don't watch the reruns anymore because I've seen every episode about forty-million times. I really would'n mind a new series... Something like "Star Trek: Chronicles", which would be short stories here and there with different people in the Star Trek universe. They could do episodes with old cast members, areas we've seen or heard of before, other timelines, etc... The possibilities would be endless.

I like to watch a good Hockey game (I'm canadian after all). Go Habs Go! I like the way the new rules have changed the game since the start of the season. It's much more exiting and less frustrating now.

Whatelse? A bit of reality TV... Survivor and Amazing Race (exept this year). I used to like The Mole (what ever happened to that show?) - not Celeberty Mole! Cold Case Files and The First 48 on A&E are very good.

And las, but not least, Mythbusters. I can't get enough of those two mad scientists! I actually have a friend who is a mix of both Adam and Jamie. Weird, huh?

Ultradan

[Lilith]

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

A motto from Mythbusters that should be adopted by roleplayers. :-D

As for what I'm watching:

Battlestar Galactica - Baltar is so going to crack. I just couldn't get into the original show when I was a kid, but now, I need this show. I really really like what they've done.

Stargate, Stargate Atlantis. Just good. 'Nuff said.

Drawn Together - I get my fill of crassness from this show.

Mythbusters - Woo-hoo! My recent favorite was the human catapult. And Archimedes' Death Ray. And and and...

Iron Chef & Iron Chef America - ALLEZ CUISINE!!! Hiroyuki Sakai is the Man.

Just about anything on the History Channel, Discovery, A&E, and the Food Network. There's always SOMETHING to watch on one of these channels.

[Locke1520]

Sci-Fi Fridays (SG-1, Atlantis, Battlestar) has me on the couch every Friday night--sometimes for both passes.

Law and Order. All three surviving shows--never got around to watching Trial by Jury. But I watch loads of the others although usually in reruns on USA and TNT.

My Name is Earl. Jason Lee is very funny and the writing is good enough that this would still be a good show with another actor. Together the writing and Lee however it is a devastating 1-2 comic punch. Sort of Touched by a Redneck: sweet and funny stories in which a moron tries to make the things he's done wrong right and somehow succeeds.

Also for many of the reasons listed by others above I'm watching Monk and The Dead Zone.

What I'm looking forward to:
According to a recent TV Guide article the rights to a series of books I like (alot) has been picked up by Nicholas Cage to produce for Sci-fi. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. If you haven't read them, they are a cross between the old noir detective novels (Sam Spade / Phillip Marlowe) and horror fantasy. Harry Dresden is a Wizard and he investigates all sorts of paranormal crimes. It has the right mix of dread and dark humor and could make brilliant TV.

If handled right.

Any more that can be a big "if", but I am looking forward to it none the less.

That's what I'm watching and what I hope I'll be watching.