Fall Television Part 1: Nerdtastic Sci-Fi

        Now that summer is finally at a close, we can look forward to moderately cooler months with much cooler television programs.  Instead of listing every single new show I'm excited about, I thought I'd highlight a few of the most intriguing.  For today, I will focus on shows with a fantasy/sci-fi element.

Dracula

       Jonathan Rhys Meyers is back as a Victorian era Dracula in NBC's new show conveniently named Dracula.  Premiering October 25, the spin on a classic character, especially in the hands of the charisma-overloaded Meyers has promise.  Check out the trailer here.

Almost Human

      I am absolutely ready to geek out over J.J. Abrams's next big show Almost Human.  Following a "broken/special" cop played by Karl Urban (Bones in Star Trek) and the almost human robot played by Michael Ealy, Almost Human comes from a long line of great shows from Bad Robot.  This looks like the perfect choice for fans of Fringe. Watch the show November 4th, but first check out the trailer here. 

Sleepy Hollow

      Ichabod Crane finds himself plucked from his time and placed in a modern Sleepy Hollow, burdened with the same supernatural problems.  Fox's Sleepy Hollow looks rather great and has received a fair amount of buzz.  Check it out on September 16th.  Watch the trailer here.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

      Once Upon a Time lost a lot of its magic in the second season, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in its Wonderland spinoff Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. I hope it captures the whimsy and romance it alludes to. Watch the trailer here.

Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D.

      Okay, I have to say I will be at least checking out Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  It's a given I shouldn't really have to explain.  Watch the trailer here.

     

Television Marathons: Burn Less Calories, More Brain Cells

Deep in Phase 4 of Television Marathoning

         Watching television shows is no longer a sprint followed by weeks of waiting.  Now days, thanks in huge part to Netflix and Hulu instant streaming along with the occasional box set, we can blissfully marathon through seasons of television in days.  Is it healthy?  Maybe not.  Is it worth it?  Absolutely!  Yes, I will warn you there are side effects.  People tend to speak in slightly affected accents and expect footmen after barrelling through three seasons of Downton Abbey.  If you start watching Community you'll find yourself inserting "Troy and Abed in the morning" into inappropriate situations.  Catch vampire fever and cram three seasons of Vampire Diaries then try not to sound you're thirteen when you tell everyone, "No seriously, it's not cheesy.  It's one of the best shows of television."  Speed through Scandal and your sudden overconfidence will cause you to start giving Olivia Pope style speeches about how equipped you are to handle any and everything.  Sure, you'll sound insane when you start ranting to all your friends about the smoke monster, but you'll be blissfully unaware because you'll be deep in Phase 4 obsession of your show.

         That brings me to The Phases of Television Gorging:

Phase 1: Watch episode one of a series with many, many episodes.  The pilot intrigues/amazes/or at least peaks your interest.

Phase 2:  You "accidentally" watch six episodes in a row, only stopping when absolutely necessary.

Phase 3:  You confuse real life with the show.  This means when characters inevitably die/betray each other...you are unreasonably devastated.  Ugly crying and anger soon follow.

Phase 4:  You're beyond saving, so deeply invested in the series your priorities have shifted.  Sleep is overrated, you have to find out what happens to Amy and The Doctor as they battle the Weeping Angels.  You cannot sleep when Sydney Bristow may have finally destroyed SD6.  They need you.

Phase 5:  The show ends.  You cannot move on.  Your life is confusing to you.  The show either completed, was canceled, or there are no new episodes except for on actual television.  Nothing is as it was.  (If said show is Sherlock, you curse the calender and wait, wait, wait.)

Phase 6:  You find a new show to consume in giant bites.  Rinse and repeat, let the phases start again.  Sunlight and real life are overrated anyhow.

           Don't be ashamed.  While we all must live in the real world and venture into the outside world, for those random stay-cations or lazy weekends, give in to the call.  Press play on episode 1.  If you don't like it, just pick another show!

         Looking for a show to marathon through? I'm considering The West Wing for myself, so that I'll start speaking unnaturally fast.  A quick list of shows I'd recommend include:

Lost

1.  Lost -It remains one of the most profoundly moving shows on television.  It valued characters even more than its elaborate plot and inspired a new wave of television.

2.  Doctor Who-I am all about spreading this wonderful gem from the U.K. about a clever, silly, and sometimes tragic time traveling alien who saves the earth and shows us what it means to be human.  Don't start at episode 1.  Watch Blink first, then jump in at Season 5 (Trust Me, Doctor Who regenerates and reinvents, it is a good place to start).  When you get hooked, you'll go back and watch Seasons 1-4 of the reboot, and maybe even the old school episodes (Doctor Who turns 50 this year).

Alias

3.  Alias-Created by the mastermind of Lost, Alias follows the very lovable, but fierce Syndey Bristow (Jennifer Gardner) as she takes down the organization she thought was the CIA by playing a double agent.  Part spy thriller, part story of friendship and love, Alias is well worth a marathon.  The pilot is genius.  One of the best pilots, period.

Scandal

4.  Scandal-Just watch it.  The hype is not a joke.

Sherlock

5.  Sherlock- This British show stars Benedict Cumberbatch (the new villain in Star Trek Into Darkness) as Sherlock and Martin Freeman (Bilbo) as John in a modern spin on Sherlock Holmes.  Beyond smart, this show is easy to watch, considering as there are only 6 episodes.  Each one is like a film.  Watch it and then wait in earnest for season 3.

Friday Night Lights

6.  Friday Night Lights- I need to marathon through this one.  I've seen many of the episodes, but never managed to see them all in order.  You don't have to love football to obsess over this very heartfelt show.

The Vampire Diaries

7.  Vampire Diaries- Surprise yourself by how good this show is.  I dare you.

Community

8.  Community- Last summer, I watched all the episodes available and LOVED IT ALL.  A comedy with the chops to have video game , D&D, paintball, and even cartoon themed episode is worth a view.  Without being cloying, it makes you laugh and cry.

Downton Abbey

9.  Downton Abbey- In marathon form, you will become beyond obsessed with the sometimes trivial, but weirdly entertaining world of the wealthy Brits.  If you've already seen the episodes and are going through withdraw, watch Call the Midwife.  I recently watched the 6 episode first season in a few days.

Once Upon a Time

10.  Once Upon a Time- While the second season has been mixed, the first season of the show is very addictive when watched in a few days.

Game of Thrones

11. Game of Thrones- Way better to watch in marathon.

The Pillars of the Earth

12.  The Pillars of the Earth and World at End- Both ten part miniseries which will suck you into royal and church intrigue before you can help yourself.

Firefly

13. Firefly- Just watch it.  One season of awesomeness.  No excuse.  Do it.  I ended up watching the show in a day and the movie the next.

The IT Crowd

14. The IT Crowd- British comedy at its best.  I can still re-watch this show many times over and love it.

          There's so many more out there.  Everything from Veronica Mars to Cougar Town.  Happy watching!

One of My Favorite Shows is Parenthood??

Parenthood

             I have eclectic taste in shows and movies.  I enjoy slightly odd, quirky indie movies and shows as well as more mainstream entertainment.  My incredibly strong attachment to NBC's family drama Parenthood probably exists because the show is sort of a hybrid of indie and mainstream, though it is not marketed toward my generation.  Somehow Parenthood, which will return with its fourth season Sept. 12 on NBC, has hooked me.
            Starring Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia as the older parents of the Braverman clan of Adam (Peter Kraus), Sarah (Lauren Graham), Crosby (Dax Shepard), and Julia (Erika Cristensen), the series follows the life of the Braverman kids and their respective kids, including the son of Adam, who has aspergers.  The show highlights the highs and lows of their close knit family both as a unit and as individuals.  With a simplicity and vulnerability all on its own, the show is quite simply authentic.  I have become invested in the characters, so much so that I wept when season three saw Julia lose one adopted baby only to gain a young son.  For any Gilmore Girls fans out there, know that Lauren Graham has created another unique and very different character in the fragile yet passionate Sarah.  It is a remarkable tribute to the show and to Graham's skills that I don't see a smidge of Lorelai Gilmore when I watch the show.
       Perhaps it is partly because I come from a large and close family that I have connected so much to the show.  If you aren't watching Parenthood and want a show that really develops its very human characters and relationships in a real and authentic way, check it out on dvd or Netflix Instant and then watch the new season this fall.  I know I will be watching the sometimes sweet, sometimes heartbreaking, but always endearing series.

Revolution: Intriguing, Not Revolutionary

Revolution.  I do love the second O.

             A world where i-phones, computers, and cars suddenly stop working, never to flash on again is a scary notion for technology-dependents of 2012.  Revolution, a show from J.J. Abrams, capitalizes on this fear.  The pilot episode, directed by Iron Man's Jon Favreau and currently available on hulu, sets up a dystopian tale where all technology is wiped out in a single moment.  It then flashes fifteen or so years later, to a future that more closely resemble's the distant past.  Cars and planes lie dormant as militia and tribes fight and settle in the aftermath of the technological apocalypse.
       
               In one small farming settlement, Charlie loses her father when he is killed by the militia for secrets he has about the cause of the blackout.  Charlie's brother is taken by them, forcing her to find her long lost soldier Uncle, who has a mysterious connect to Bass, the leader of the militia.  Pilot episodes of "big story" conceptual dramas are usually intriguing.  Revolution certainly is, especially in the moments it echoes Lost (If you watch it, tell me the last moment of the show doesn't remind you of the computer down in the hatch). I liked some of the characters, especially those with questionable motives like the young soldier Nate.  However, though the premise of the show has series promise, it still didn't draw me in immediately, especially with its long traveling/camping scenes.  (Harry Potter 7 much?)
           
            Immediate audience connection is very important for high-concept shows.  Otherwise, they die out very very quickly.  (See Flashfoward, The Event, The River...The list of tragic ends to interesting concepts is rather bleak.) I think Revolution has a chance of being a very interesting show that lives up to its name, especially with warring militaries and civilians.  However, at least in the first episode, I was merely intrigued.  For now, that's enough to keep me watching, just to be there if the show becomes truly revolutionary.  Watch the show on hulu now, or catch it when it premieres September 17 on nbc.

Moss: The Brit's Sheldon

        
         The It Crowd, a British import about the misadventures of Moss (Richard Ayoade of The Watch), Roy (Chris O'Dowd of Bridesmaids), and their relations manager Jen (Katherine Parkinson) who all work in the lowly It department of a large company.  Moss and Roy are fantastic at telling people to turn their computers off and on again, but not so good with anything else.  Jen, on the other hand, thinks the internet is a giant brick but knows her way around a party.  The show creates hilarious caricatures of people and situations in the British office. Mocking everything from musicals to Windows Vista, The It Crowd was almost Americanized.   The U.S. tried and failed to remake it for a U.S. audience with Joel McHale as Roy.  As much as I love McHale, it is an insult to the American audience to think we can't appreciate the original version.  It is remarkably and absurdly hilarious, particularly because of Moss, a character with as much awkwardness as The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon and a lot of heart.  His delivery of every single line is a lesson in comedic timing.  Watch a few episodes on Instant Netflix, and I dare you to not end up marathoning the series and wishing for a cross over with Moss and Sheldon.