TV Shows...

I was never into TV all that much. Mostly because my family didn't watch anything regularly (other than during an election season or football or something like that).

But I've been getting into TV more and more, and really liking it. Good TV feeds the side of me that loves character more than plot. Plot is great. Movies are about the plot. In 2 hours, you have to keep the audiences attention, and so the plots are more intricate. But in TV you have to have compelling characters, and the specific plot points fade to a slightly less important role. This is a subtle distinction, and a generalization, but it is true.

So I've been getting into TV more with Nora.

We currently watch a couple shows with regularity, either on TV, or more often by streaming them over the internet on another night. They are exclusively on ABC, since we don't have cable and ABC comes in over the air in HD:)

Pushing Daisies - 8pm Wednesdays on ABC. This is a fun, funky and very "fantastic" show. It's a detective show mixed with whimsy and fantasy. Great dialogue, narration and a general quirkiness make it really fun and different. And great characters who have different problems and foibles and strengths. It's not for everyone I'm sure, but it is a show that deals with death, life, living, loving, relationships and does it with humor. The show's hook is that Ned, the main character, can raise the dead. There are qualifications, but it caused a local gumshoe who found out to figure he could make some money (and make Ned some money) by raising murdered victims at the morgue and collecting reward money:) Oh, and Ned makes pies. And there is a girl who was dead... yeah, anyway, you can find out more at ABC.com or on Wikipedia!

Samantha Who? - 9:30pm Monday on ABC. A truly funny sit-com about a girl who lost her memory. It truly is funny, and again deals with what is important, who you really are. There is a certain amount of crazy morality, but it seems to sort itself out somewhat. It's just a lot of fun.

Eli Stone - 9pm on ABC. A lawyer show with a twist. Eli gets messages from "God" or someone anyway. The show deals with faith, evidence and right and wrong. And more importantly with what is important in life, defending the poor and oppressed or just running after money? It isn't squeaky clean (Pushing Daisies is pretty clean morality wise) but it is constantly interesting and thought provoking. And again, the characters are well drawn and interesting. I'd say more but I'm not sure what to say. We both really enjoy it. Funny trivia, each of the first season episodes was titled using a George Michael song... you'll have to watch it;)

Life on Mars - 10pm Thursdays on ABC. Wow... the American version of a cop show that debuted in Britain 2 years ago about a cop in the present day who is hit by a car and wakes up in 1973. The show has an impressive cast (Harvey Kietel!), and great characters and writing. It plays around with the importance of relationships and with what makes life important. And it is a great cop/detective show plot wise. And the music is great (not to 70's). Highly recommended. 

Ugly Betty - 8pm Thusday on ABC. We've watched all the episodes this season, but I wouldn't say we are "regular watchers" or fans. It's just a really interesting and well done show. One thing I appreciate about it is that the problems that Betty gets into are often problems everyone has at work or with family. And the show takes the time to truthfully deal with the decisions the characters make and not resolve things with simple morals and proverbs. One example... the older sister gets into a relationship with a guy, and finds out he's married. She knows she shouldn't be involved, but wants and loves him. Over 2 or 3 episodes we see the situation work itself out, and she finally makes the right decision and tells him she has to break it off. Like life, tough decisions are hard to make, there are many enticing reasons to do the wrong thing. The show doesn't shy away from that, but ultimately shows that the right thing is more important. Often the reasons for an ultimately right action in the show are based on the golden rule, on getting inside the head of the other person and sympathizing with them. It's really the point of the show in general.

The plot, of course, is about a young woman who is extremely normal (maybe even below normal) who works for a fashion magazine. It does have the really bad morality you would expect in that environment, and yet it seems to point out that that morality is twisted (see above).

Grey's Anatomy is an interesting show. The characters seem to make the same type of decisions over and over, in relationships or medicine, and there is a more twisted morality taken as the norm (people sleeping with people all the time). Plus it gets gross sometimes. We occasionally watch if it is on and we have nothing better to do and are exhausted and don't want to break out a DVD.

Desperate Housewives is a fantastically well done show, but the themes are often less than wonderful. There have been many redeeming moments, but it seems to be similar to Grey's... same with Private Practice, although less so. We've watched maybe 1 episode or so, maybe a few parts.

That's about it. I have gotten into a couple shows on my own, but that's another post...