Quick Take: Hart of Dixie and Terra Nova

Heart of Dixie

The main reason I wanted to watch this show was because the previews reminded me of the old WB. Shows like Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls, Everwood, Smallville, Roswell and One Tree Hill. Shows that were more then just nice clothes and rich kids. Shows that had real emotion. 

And even though I knew this show wasn't going to last on The CW I had to give it a try. And I'm glad I did because I liked what I saw in the pilot. Rachel Bilson's character started off slightly unlikable but as the pilot went on you started to see the layers and defenses slowly peel away until there was a real character there. The character still wasn't perfect but she becoming likable enough that you wanted to keep watching the show. 

But like any great WB show you need a strong supporting cast and this show delivered. Scott Porter worked as one of the "love" interests and although the other potential love interest wasn't really shown much in the pilot he was shown enough to know that he'll grow to cause some problems.

And like any great WB show you need that nemesis and Jamie King fits the bill well. You just know she'll cause some conflict to start and eventually she'll grew to be a beloved character just like Nathan on One Tree Hill and Bright on Everwood. The other supporting players were also enjoyable especially Cress Williams as the Mayor and Tim Matheson as the rival doctor. 

It was also nice to see some country music on the CW especially `This`by Darius Rucker. The only thing I worry about is the writers. Because while they have written some great moments on their others shows (The OC, Chuck, Gossip Girl) they have also driven me crazy with story lines they have done. But if this show can get the following those other shows have gotten it would be good because I`d like to see this show last a few seasons and grow into a great show. It has the potential. Hopefully it gets the chance.

Terra Nova

I was disappointed in the show. The effects were cool but unnecessary for a television show. The spent so much money that the show had to it crazy ratings to be able to survive to keep it's budget and I'm not sure how this show survives with a lower budget.

The story wasn't the greatest for a pilot and there was nothing that really grabbed me and made me want to watch me. The acting also seemed weak in the pilot. It almost had a sense of feeling rushed even through it was delayed. Maybe it was just my knowledge of all the behind the scenes drama.

Either way I'm putting this show on the back burner. If it gets a second season I might revisit it in the summer but it's on Fox so I'm not convinced it'll last the long term.

Tuesday Top Twenty: Favorite TV Shows Part One.

With the new TV season upon us I thought I'd toss my my current Top Twenty favorite TV shows. But first a few rules. Which is only one rule. The show has to be at least in it's fourth season or a show that was canceled prematurely. 

A few honorable mentions:

CSI - I love the early seasons but the show was knocked out because I just totally stopped watching and other shows passed it.

Eli Stone - It had two great seasons but two seasons is not as good as a show with four or more great seasons.

Roswell: See explanation for Eli Stone.

And now numbers 20 to 11. Top Ten next week:


20. Bones

I started watching this show because Nessa talked me into watching it with her when she got it on TV. I had no intention of liking the show but what I liked about it was the amazing chemistry between Booth and Bones and how awesome the supporting players were. Any great show needs a great cast from top to bottom and this show had perfect casting.

19. Grey’s Anatomy

A few seasons ago this would have been higher but the show slowly gets worse with each season and in a few more years I'd probably just throw in the towel for good. Especially if some of my favorite characters leave after this season.

The show has so many ups and downs. They have times were they can give you so many great episodes in a row and then follow it with crap. It almost feels like it's time to just close the doors on the hospital. I'm sure they will drag it out for a few more seasons.

18. The Office

Another show that would have been higher but just keeps falling the longer it stays on TV. There's no urgency in the show any more. Jim and Pam are happily married so the show lost it's romantic tension and the other characters haven't shown any growth in the entire series run.

17.Gossip Girl

A major guilty pleasure. As much as the writers piss me off for some reason I just can't stop watching rich people do stupid things.

16. Family Guy

Even though the show doesn't make me laugh as much as it use to it is still one of the better cartoons ever to air on TV.

15. The Simpsons

I threw in the towel on this show a few seasons ago but I cannot deny that this show took up most of my teenage years. I watched the show religiously and loved ever second of it.

14. How I Met Your Mother

I love the friendships on this show. They showcase friendship in such a realistic way that you can relate to. I love that they started the show with a simple question of finding out who the mother is but they are able to drag it out because you want to not only see Ted's journey but also experience the journeys of his friends. At this point I want to see Marshall and Lily's baby and I want to know who Barney marries as much as I want to know who the damn mother is.

13. Heartland

This show shot up the list quick and it could go even higher. It's such a simple show but what I really attached to was the idea of family. They showcase the idea of family so well. Also Ty and Amy are such a perfect couple to root for and will also shoot up my favorite couple list. Also it's a Canadian show so I can take pride in the fact that American's can love the show and have a hard time to find a way to watch it. Makes me feel better for all the trouble I have experienced watching American shows that we don't get in Canada.

12. Gilmore Girls

I watched this entire series on DVD and fell in love with Star's Hallow. Any show that could make you want to live in a small town is worth watching. The show was good at cultivating relationships and delivering sharp and witty dialogue. Please Luke is one of my favorite characters in any TV show.

11. The Big Bang Theory

Any show that makes geeks cool works for me.

Bazinga!

Music Monday: Coldplay - Fix You

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Sometimes things happen that just make you feel helpless. You just want to help someone but you don't know the right words to say to make them feel better. You just want them to believe that everything will be OK but you can do nothing to prove that the sun will shine tomorrow. 

It makes you feel lost. You just want to hold the person. You want to hold them until they realize how special they are and how they can do anything even if they don't believe it. I've realized that as hard as it is to do, sometimes you just have to sit back and let them work through it. Maybe not sit back entirely. You still got to be there to hold them if they need it. You need to be there to listen and to do whatever it takes to help them fight through it. It may drive you crazy but sometimes that is how it has to be done.

You just keep an eye open for the moment when you are needed and you hope that your faith in them will make everything better. 

Quick Takes: The New Girl, 2 Broke Girls, Revenge, Whitney, and Person of Interest

The New Girl

The show reminded me of "My Boys." It was entertaining but I didn't think it was great. I did like the characters and most of the jokes hit but there was just something about the show I didn't love. It did rate well in it's debut so if ratings hold up it should get a full season and more then likely a second season so even through I'm not going to keep watching now I can also have the chance to watch it later online.

In a less crowded TV world I'd probably give more of a chance now but my schedule is packed.

2 Broke Girls

The show had just as many jokes that missed as they had jokes that hit well. But I will keep watching because the two main actresses worked so well together and I loved the premise of the show of the girls working towards a goal. 

Even with the weak jokes the acting was good. The producers made good decisions on the actresses they choose for the roles. They were the best part of the pilot. It'll have to have a few more good episodes before I fully commit to the show but it had a good start.

Revenge

I was not sure I wanted to give this show a chance but I decided since Wednesday nights is a lite night for TV shows I watch I've give a test and see what happens.

I am glad I gave it a try. The pilot showed so much potential for the series. It answered enough questions to establish a premise for the show but left enough questions unanswered that you want to keep coming back for more answers.

It was nice to see Emily Van Camp play a different type of character then she usually plays. She usually plays the girl next door type so this change was refreshing and enjoyable. I also liked seeing Nick Wechsler back on TV in a major role and a little weird seeing Connor Paolo not playing a moody gay kid like on Gossip Girl. Sometimes you get so use to a actor playing one character that it's seems weird to see them play an entirely different type of character but it's still a nice change.

My only worry about the show he is that I wonder how long the revenge plot can really last before the show gets stale. Revenge as a storyline works but I'm not sure if revenge as an entire premise for a show will work long term. For now I enjoyed what I watched and will be watching more.

Whitney

I expected so much from this show but it fell flat from the start. The jokes were not funny and made even worse by the laugh track. I gave up on the show half way through the pilot. The characters were for the most part unlikable. I got a feeling it won't last long term anyways so better to jump ship now.

Person of Interest

 Definitely the most intriguing pilot this season. There is so many avenues the show can go. It has the feel like it is a procedural but also has the potential to have a ongoing story with various story lines and plot twists.

The pilot opened a lot of questions and made it intriguing enough to make you want to come back for more. The characters are very interesting to say the least. I loved Michael Emerson in Lost and his character here is very similar to Benjamin Linus. It is almost like they took the character, changed his name, and gave him his own show. The show is produced by the same company so it makes perfect sense to cast Emerson in the role. That character alone make it enough to keep trying the show but the other main actors and supporting players are just as good and intriguing especially Jim Caviezel.

It is one of the better new shows I have watched this season and look forward to where the show is going.

Tuesday Top Ten: Couples That Should Have Happened.

  This week I worked with a friend of mine, Amy, to come up with a list of ten TV character pairings that we felt had chemistry but for whatever reason the writers never let them be a couple. These are couples that I don't necessarily think should have ended up together but they should have been given the chance to be more then just friends.

Amy and I really on had one rule. Any couple listed had to have no potential to still get together. Either the show had to no longer be running or one of the two characters had to be off the show with no chance to return.This rule eliminated couples such as Dan and Blair from Gossip Girl and Puck and Quinn from Glee.

My intention was to come up with one list together and each post that on our blogs. I then remembered that we are both very opinionated on what TV we like and although we have similar tests we do have some differences that would make it difficult to actually agree on a complete top ten. I was surprised we were able to narrow it down to ten couples and a honorable mention. 

You can found her list here: Absolutely Amy

Now on to my Top Ten:

Honorable Mention: Hurley and Libby

Amy really wanted this couple included. Personally I felt they were a couple in the show but I agreed that it could be argued that they weren't before Libby was killed off.

10. Max & Alec

This choice was more Amy's pick then mine. I've never watched the show but from the many fan made videos I've seen they seemed like they should have been a couple. I guess they would have been if the show had lasted longer.

9. Jeremy & Anna

These two had great chemistry with each other. I properly wouldn't have included them if I had done the list alone because I liked Jeremy with Bonnie but that came afterwards and while Anne lasted on the show she worked well with Jeremy and I think they could have been a great couple given the chance.

8. Xander and Willow

I've never been a Buffy fan but I agreed to this couple because from what I have seen of the show I always pictured these two becoming a couple at some point. Even if it wouldn't have lasted I always they were such great friends that they would have made a sweet couple.

7. Mal & Inara

I watched the first two episodes of Firefly and didn't care for it but Amy convinced me to include them by showing me a youtube clip that showcased there chemistry. Not sure what the writers were thinking not giving these two a shot.

6. Jack & Juliet

This couple is purely based on the chemistry between the characters. They worked so well together and even I liked Jack with Kate I wanted these two to at least have a shot to be a couple.

5. Sawyer & Kate

I feelings on these two are very similar to Jack and Juliet. They rated higher because they were a potential couple from the start of the series rather then being introduced later in the series.

4. Eli & Maggie

This show should have lasted longer but I've excepted the fact that it's over. I rated this "couple" higher because they connected so well together and I know that the writers would have never let them be a couple. They would have always just been really good friends who have really great chemistry.


3. Kyle & Tess

This is one of the things from Roswell that I think the writers messed up. I know that they had there plan for Tess and her being evil and all but Kyle should have gotten a little action before it was revealed.

2. Pacey & Jen

I never fully understood why Pacey and Jen never got the chance to be a couple. They had obvious chemistry with each other and they would have worked well together. Also Jen is far less annoying then Joey. I mean sure, every good teen soap needs that love triangle conflict but they could have made these two a couple even temporarily.

1. Clark & Chloe

I always felt Clark had more chemistry with Chloe then Lana. They had a small window to let these two be more then friends and the writers were just two in love with the Lana character to really roll the dice on Clark and Chloe. It's a pity because I think they could have worked for a season or two as a couple.

Music Monday: Songs that cheer me up

It's not that I am depressed. I'm a pretty happy guy overall. I have a good life. A roof over my head and a wife that loves me. I'm a lucky guy.

But even with such a wonderful life we all need songs that just cheer us up. Here are three songs that just make me smile and dance around in my head. Songs that make me sing even though I am a  horrible singer.  Here they are. I hope they make you nod your head and sing out loud.

Monkees - Daydream Believer

Cheer up, sleepy Jean, oh what can it mean
To a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?

Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot 

Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen

 

Come on, Eileen,
Oh I swear (well he means) at this moment
You mean ev'rything.
You in that dress,
my thoughts, I confess,
verge on dirty.
Ah, Come on Eileen.

Quick Take: Ringer

I watched Ringer this morning against my better judgment. Not that I didn't think that it might be a good show. It's more that I wasn't sure if the show would get the ratings to last the long term. I really decided to try it because it's on the CW which is easier to a "hit" show and with One Tree Hill and potentially Supernatural (this is based on the fact that it's an aging show) having there last seasons there will be more room for a show with weak ratings to sneak a second season pickup.

So since I decided to give it a shot I must first say that I didn't love the pilot until the last ten minutes. Like any other pilot you have to spend the first 30 to 40 minutes introducing the players and initial story lines. Pilots always move a little slower. 

For me the pilot is often do or die. Some people like to give a show 2-3 episodes to gain there full interest but if the pilot doesn't really grab me then I usually bow out of a show. I'll sometimes go back and try the show again and realize I was mistaken. A perfect example was Everwood. First time I watched the pilot I didn't care for the show but I went back much later and it ended up being one of my all time favorite series. 

I wouldn't say the pilot hooked me. I also wouldn't say I won't end up loving the show. It's in that middle ground somewhere. I liked the characters but didn't love them. Outside of Sarah Michelle Gellar they didn't really give you a chance to meet the other characters in the pilot. The acting was acceptable for the most part and the three male leads are all likable actors that have been in other TV shows and movies that I have enjoyed. The just weren't showcased enough in the pilot but the characters and story lines where intriguing enough to give the next few episodes a try.

What really hooked me was the last ten minutes. I won't give away any spoilers but the last few scenes opened up so many possibilities for the show and if it is done right could make for a very interesting series.

Music Monday: Hayley Taylor - No More Wishing

I want a love that's side by side
I want a love that holds me tight
I want a love that feels like a dream
but when I wake up, he's still there with me

Since the first time I heard this song it has just affected me in a way I can't explain. Maybe it's because I first heard in a key scene from a new show I started watching and quickly fell in love with. Maybe it's because the song explains not only what I have always wanted from love but also what I have been lucky enough to have in my life. I am able to fall asleep and wake up beside the woman I love. 

Well maybe not wake up since she gets up really early. 

I just wanted to share this beautiful song this week.

Book Review: If I Stay

I just finished this book that in so many ways I hated but in other ways I loved. It's one of those rare books that bore you to death because you are just reading and waiting for something to happen but while your waiting for something exciting to happen it makes you think about life. 

It makes you wonder if we sometimes have a choice in life and death, I mean I know there are some situations where death just happens. I don't think we can survive cancer or aids just by wanting to be alive. But what about other situations. 

Can a gun shot victim survive just because they refuse to let go and walk into the light?

It makes you wonder why some people survive accidents while others die. I don't think it's because the survivors want to live more then the ones that lose the fight. It's properly a hard thing to go through and never an easy decision. Sometimes it's easier to just let go. To go peacefully in the night.

With that said the book was still boring. But I think you could put any person in the story and it wouldn't change. I wasn't interested in the characters life story. Nothing overly exciting happened and that's OK. I doubt my life story would interest anyone. I've had a great life and I love everything that has ever happened to me. I have no regrets. That if a stranger was watching my life story while it flashed before my eyes they would be bored. I wouldn't hold it against them, they have no connection to the memories so why would it interest them. 

If you are looking for a book that has twist and turns then this is not the book for you. But if you simply want a book that is easy to read but makes you think and wonder about life then you might want to try it out.

Music Monday: Matthew Barber - Our Voices

Sing this song with me
And you will never be sad or alone
On the road or at home

It's not a complicated song. It doesn't have a lot of lyrics and it comes across as simple but there's something about the song that I just connect with.

Its the idea that music can connect people. It's like when you go to a concert and everyone can just connect to song. Sometimes they connect in different ways and sometimes they have no idea why they love the song. It just makes them feel good. That's what music does for me. It keeps me calm and let's me collect my thoughts. Sometimes it keeps me from exploding. I just play some music and the world seems like a better place and life is a little easier.