The Fancy Bastard Forum

tvguide.com usually has a decent summary of new and returning shows. so far none of the network shows seem to be any good. Fringe might be OK. True Blood on HBO looks interesting, but sadly i don't get HBO. Guess I'll be stickign to Heroes, Psych, and Top Gear. And re-runs of Dr. Who. And Dirty Jobs, because Mike Rowe is my hero.

Well for me, the shit storm of TOO MUCH TV has officially started. Right now it's:

Terminator SCC
House (a reliable standard)
Prison Break (its retarded this season but I cant stop)
Always Sunny (the funniest show on TV)
Fringe (EXTREMELY ADEQUATE!)
Heroes (so far its a terrible X-Men ripoff, and the writing is laughingly bad)

and later
LOST
The Office

What else?

Pushing. Daisies.

I'm amused that "later" for The Office means tomorrow, and "later" for LOST means February '09. If we're going that far, though, you can't forget BSG!

This week I'll be watching:
Heroes
Fringe
Eureka
The Office
Stargate Atlantis (final season)
Saturday Night Live
Corner Gas (Canadian, but still good)

and don't forget 30 Rock when it eventually comes back on Oct. 30th. Other than that, I don't think there's anything I'm anticipating before 2009.

In no particular order:

House (Fox)
Bones (Fox)
Project Runway (Bravo)
Top Design (Bravo)
Fringe (Fox)
Sordid Lives (LOGO)
Star Stories (BBC America)
Skins (BBC America)
Big Bang Theory (CBS)

I feel like I'm forgetting to list some.

I'm in the "shitstorm boat" with Joel...

My DVR currently lists...
True Blood
24(Mid-season)
Battlestar Galactica (Mid-Season)
Lost (Mid-Season)
Scrubs (Mid-Season)
Rescue Me (Mid Season)
The Riches (Summer)
Nip/Tuck (Mid-Season)
Family Guy
The Office
My Name is Earl
Reaper
Fringe
Pushing Daisies
Dirty Sexy Money
Chuck
Desperate Housewives
Heroes
Terminator:The Sarah Conner Chronicles
Bones
Big Bang Theory
Survivor:Gabon
90210 (only for the nostalgia)
The Whitest Kids U Know
Robot Chicken
America's Next Top Model (only because of Isis!)

And I plan to add...
The Cleavland Show(Mid Season)
Dollhouse(Mid Season)
My Own Worst Enemy
Knight Rider (For the hubby, but I'll probably watch in passing)
...when they start.

Yeah, I am a serious TV addict.

I think there's currently a multimedia conspiracy to wipe geeks from the face of the planet through overdoses of unmissable television shows and video games.

By the end of October the streets will be geek free and we'll all be shut away in front of out TVs just trying to get through the backlog of programs and games.

Posted By: lardboyI think there's currently a multimedia conspiracy to wipe geeks from the face of the planet through overdoses of unmissable television shows and video games.

By the end of October the streets will be geek free and we'll all be shut away in front of out TVs just trying to get through the backlog of programs and games.

You are not wrong. It has already been brought to my attention that I have to watch the second showing of True Blood and catch Chuck online if I stick to my list.

Terminator SCC
Heroes
Fringe
House
Bones
Always Sunny
LOST
The Office
Scrubs
Family Guy
30 Rock
Dollhouse - when it starts next year

Oh yeah, 30 Rock is a must see.

I also forgot BSG was even ever coming back.

Noone has mentioned Dexter yet. Dexter is in the upper echelon of TV for me it's pretty much perfect. It is dark, black, dry humour about a likable serial killer who works for the police. It's one of the best shows on TV and Michael C. Hall does some of the best acting i've seen on TV in a while. Then all the standards ofcourse, The Office, 30 rock, Sunny in Philadelphia, Reaper and my guilty pleasure TV show How i met your mother, worth watching just for NPH as Barney who's up there with Charlie from Always Sunny for laughs to time on screen ratio.

Always sunny in philadelphia
big bang theory
fringe

Yeah that's about it. I don't watch much TV until the podcast tells me to, and even then I take my time.

@Ferros-I tried to watch Dexter, but the first episode didn't do much for me, so I didn't go back. Unfortunately I hear its an amazing show from all of the people I trust about these things, so it is now in my Netflix queue....along with about 20 other shows I need to watch.

I'll watch

30 rock
Chuck
Heroes
Always Sunny
scrubs
and BSG whenever it comes back (I miss you)

it should be noted that I have basic cable and never got into premium televison

Has anyone seen 'Breaking Bad'? I'm loving it, great Dark Comedy...

Posted By: RerunHas anyone seen 'Breaking Bad'? I'm loving it, great Dark Comedy...

Breaking Bad is awesome! I hope it comes back.

My new sudden favorite show is How I Met Your Mother. I avoided it based on the title, but turns out it is comedy gold.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
The Office
How I Met Your Mother
30 Rock

That's about all I can afford to squeeze into my schedule right now. I will make time for Battlestar Galatcia in January and Dollhouse when it starts.

It saddens me how few of you watch Dexter, get on that shit.

Also, I can't input, I don't watch TV anymore. I only buy the DVD's :/

Posted By: TarmanydynIt saddens me how few of you watch Dexter, get on that shit.

I tried to jump on the bandwagon recently, and got through the first five episodes before Showtime pulled it from both Hulu and Netflix Instant! If you don't have Showtime, your legal options are to either get the DVDs or watch it from the Showtime site. And your less-than-legal option is torrenting, which still limits you to a single viewer at a computer. Showtime seems to be actively trying to prevent me from watching their advertisers.

OK, HIMYMers. Tell me why I should watch this show. Reliable sources say I should, but no one has every tried to explain to me WHY. And dont say
NPH. We all know he's the shit. Thats not a good enough reason. Im not skeptical, just confused.

Posted By: joelOK, HIMYMers. Tell me why I should watch this show. Reliable sources say I should, but no one has every tried to explain to me WHY. And dont say
NPH. We all know he's the shit. Thats not a good enough reason. Im not skeptical, just confused.Artist and Creator of HijiNKS Ensue

Seconded and motion carried. Now we play the waiting game...

Thirded. I need something new to watch and I refuse to be annihilated by BSG until it's over.

I know part of the reason I watch How I Met Your Mother is because aside from NPH the show has a really good cast. The Ted character can be annoying at times but there are enough moments that make him bearable. The show doesn't bring me to tears laughing on a regular basis like It's Always Sunny, Arrested Development, or the Office but it still has very solid humor.

Scrubs
30 Rock
The Office
HIMYM
Flight of the Conchords
True Blood
LOST
It's always Sunny
Wolverine and the X-men

I've been watching some crappy reality TV at the moment, mostly Project Runway and Million Dollar Listing. For some reason they're mind numbingly interesting. I've also been watching Long Way Down and Banged Up Abroad on National Geographic...

I'm going back and listening to podcasts, and they had a big thing about BBT...That show still hurts my soul. It was made by the guy who does Two and a Half Men! Which is also bad. I'm in pain waiting for HIMYM to start each monday night.

Free spirit and corporate stooge was Dharma and Greg
Sex fiend and his unsexed brother is 2 1/2 Men
Super geeks and sexy neighbor is BBT.

It's like Chuck Lorre went to a writing seminar and found out about The Odd Couple and how sitcoms have characters who are opposites. I want to know what the Big fuss is all about, so please, give me like, a greatest hits for BBT. I've only seen a few episodes. It was the one where Penny had to sleep on their couch for some reason, and not-David from Roseanne was being a jerk about his Doctor Who/cereal routine. Sounds vague, but all the other stuff is painful (Different episode had David and Darlene arguing about how one physics theory is better than another one. If the show gets good ratings, there's a great chance the audience isn't going to understand the rocket scientists when they talk shop, so it just rings false and disingenuous to me.) It seems like geek has become the new fad for Hollywood to co-opt and take advantage of. It's the same reason why I couldn't stand Chuck's pilot.

Maybe I'm just an asshole, because I do enjoy Everybody Loves Raymond and King of Queens which, as it has been said on the podcast, means I'm a terrible human being.

Also, watch HIMYM. Besides NPH, the show has a great narrative, great "realistic" interaction amongsts these characters who are supposed to be friends (seriously, they laugh at jokes, which is almost never done on TV), and the show is directed fantastically (flashbacks and foreshadowing galore, yo). I know it sounds cheesey, but a lot of the stuff feels like it could happen to you. The late-20 year old who is tired of the dating "scene" and is just trying to find love in the Big city? Maybe I'm biased cause I live here.

edit: I do want to add...when will Joel actually get to his backlog of shows for the winter? He seems to have too much regular tv to watch, to go back and see shows we recommend.

Posted By: John Darcso please, give me like, a greatest hits for BBT.

I just really like the writing. I think we were all a bit suspicious of a show starring geeks as the driving characters, but I don't feel like the jokes are too out there for people to get, I like the way they're written, and I actually care about the plot. I think the jokes work really well with the characters and the central plot, which is a very difficult thing for a sitcom to do. The characters seemed funny but somewhat one dimensional at first (Leonard is geeky but sarcastic and an alright dude, Sheldon is narcissistic and completely socially retarded, Raj is shy and somewhat left out, and Howard is a Jewish horndog) but throughout the series they've done a lot to bring them out of that simple paradigm without tossing out a shred of that initial presentation.
Leonard: He seems like a perfect geeky protaganist at first, but he starts to make minor moral failings (his suggestion that Penny get a degree) and even tries to escape being a geek (comes close to selling almost all his geek paraphernalia because he feels hurt by Penny calling his geekishness childish)
Sheldon: His mother is introduced, showing someone has power over him and that he is capable of love at some level. She also forces him to swallow his pride and admit he cares less about stupid bravado than the work he loves.
Raj: His getting drunk busts him out of his muted ability to develop, and his subsequent mistakes display more important aspects of his character.
Howard: He'll always be a horndog, but the situations he gets into because of it show his real desperation. He really picks up in season 2 in my opinion, but I won't spoil why.
Penny: She just seems like the classic girl next door at first, but she breaks out of the blond girl thing by trying earnestly to befriend the guys, being there for them, and occasionally giving them a reality check that manages not to make her look like a bitch. When she herself occasionally starts to geek over something, the geek/normal relationships with society are given a realistic and well done comparison.

If you just watch random episodes, I guess it would be pretty hard to see any development taking place, but it really does, and I invite you to watch the series in order.

@John Darc I feel the same way about BBT and Chuck. They struck me as some sort of geek voyeurism which is kind of repugnant to me. It has been made abundantly clear around here that I'm wrong about this, but none of the rare episodes I've seen of either of those shows has done anything to convince me otherwise and I can't make myself sit down and devote a significant amount of time to them.

Also, I too am a terrible person because I enjoy King of Queens. Everybody Loves Raymond just makes me uncomfortable. Oddly enough though, I really enjoy Curb Your Enthusiasm even though in theory it should be making me even more uncomfortable; my wife doesn't understand this about me. She, on the other hand, can't stand CYE but is interested in "Jon and Kate plus Eight" which I cannot tolerate on my TV under any circumstances. I guess I have a low tolerance for "why are these people married?" situations, but CYE is just so simultaneously absurd and correct that it defies discomfort. We no longer have HBO though (and may be getting rid of cable altogether) so it's a moot point.

Posted By: DramIf you just watch random episodes, I guess it would be pretty hard to see any development taking place, but it really does, and I invite you to watch the series in order.

I agree 100% with Dram. The same thing happened to me with the now-treasured Arrested Development. I watched an episode or two in the middle of a season, and thought "This is the dumbest show I've ever seen. Twenty flashbacks in ten minutes, a blue guy in tiny shorts, and a screechy guy with a claw for a hand." When I finally forced myself (prompted by the 'AD party planning' podcast) to actually sit down and watch them in order, my eyes were opened.

Same goes for BBT. If you catch a single episode here or there, then it seems like nothing more than a bunch of geeks showing how awkward they are for cheap laughs. But if you give it a good four-five episodes (less time than an average movie), I think it'll hook you. And if not, you can at least say you gave it a fair shot.

As for Chuck, I've never seen it as a geek show. It's a spy show, with an "Average Joe" main character, who happens to be a geek. He isn't nearly as stereotypical as I expected him to be. A socially functional geek, if you will. To me, the whole show is just a much lighter, equally enjoyable version of Alias.

Posted By: SeanAs for Chuck, I've never seen it as a geek show. It's a spy show, with an "Average Joe" main character, who happens to be a geek. He isn't nearly as stereotypical as I expected him to be. A socially functional geek, if you will. To me, the whole show is just a much lighter, equally enjoyable version of Alias.I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

Yeah it seemed like the pilot was all about "Hey look at what a nice guy he is! Awww he's so oblivious because he's so nice! LIKE HIM!" and that really turned me off. I'm sure I'll go back and watch both those shows at some point but I'm fighting against a sour first impression now.

House is another show that half the people I know tell me I need to watch, but in which I currently have no interest. I deal with enough obnoxious attendings in med school so as to have no interest in following the whimsical adventures of yet another one on TV.

Posted By: Mike Brady

Posted By: SeanAs for Chuck, I've never seen it as a geek show. It's a spy show, with an "Average Joe" main character, who happens to be a geek. He isn't nearly as stereotypical as I expected him to be. A socially functional geek, if you will. To me, the whole show is just a much lighter, equally enjoyable version of Alias.I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy

Yeah it seemed like the pilot was all about "Hey look at what a nice guy he is! Awww he's so oblivious because he's so nice! LIKE HIM!" and that really turned me off. I'm sure I'll go back and watch both those shows at some point but I'm fighting against a sour first impression now.

House is another show that half the people I know tell me I need to watch, but in which I currently have no interest. I deal with enough obnoxious attendings in med school so as to have no interest in following the whimsical adventures of yet another one on TV.I am the sacrifice the island demanded.

I find the supporting characters on Chuck to be more dimensional, and enjoyable than Chuck and Sarah. Especially the always awesome Adam Baldwin as Casey.

Chuck reminds me of a show called Jake 2.0 that was on (FOX i think) and cancelled relatively quickly. Did anyone else watch it? It airs on Sci-Fi every once in a while. I had a hard time watching Chuck at first, but of course Adam Baldwin won me over.

The funny thing about House (for me and my vet school classmates anyway) was the sheer number of animal diseases in that show, especially when it first started. We would guess the problem in the first 10 minutes.

"This is the dumbest show I've ever seen. Twenty flashbacks in ten minutes, a blue guy in tiny shorts, and a screechy guy with a claw for a hand."

That sounds like a fantastic show, and your point is ill-proven!

I feel the same way about BBT and Chuck. They struck me as some sort of geek voyeurism which is kind of repugnant to me. It has been made abundantly clear around here that I'm wrong about this, but none of the rare episodes I've seen of either of those shows has done anything to convince me otherwise and I can't make myself sit down and devote a significant amount of time to them.

Yeah it seemed like the pilot was all about "Hey look at what a nice guy he is! Awww he's so oblivious because he's so nice! LIKE HIM!" and that really turned me off.

As much as I love naked girls, the pilot for Chuck just threw needless half nudity in my face. I also saw a clip recently where a gas bomb goes off, so Chuck and Sarah get naked and shower together. It actually took me back to the really awkward parts of the OC. The problem I had was the porn virus that blows up your computer, and the fact that they tried to steal his entire computer to get his email. And they sent a ninja to do it. And then she knocks Chuck and Morgan into an "olol gay!" 69 position. They tried to do viral marketing for the show which I feel failed miserably (it was just Youtube videos of Zachary Levi in character discussing the merits of Star Wars or something)

Everyone compares Chuck to Jake 2.0. It was on UPN, and from what I saw, I remember liking it. It's got Christopher Gorham from Ugly Betty, apparently. But when you're presenting your pilot, and you have to say "No no, our show is different! Jake 2.0 was about an average computer nerd infected nanobots, and our show has an average nerd who has technology downloaded into his brain!" it isn't a good sign.

Finally, there's a reason why House is mocked so heavily. It is insanely formulaic. I do like the dialogue sometimes, especially Hugh Laurie's performance as lascivious Dr. House, but there's a reason why this exists.