Part 2 of 2...otherwise known as the top half. Before we continue: Number 6 is a tie. Ok, so some may think a tie in a top 10 list (or 12, whatever) is cheating, but when coming up with the shows I wanted to include, I could only trim it down to 13...and since it's my blog I say ties are allowed.
House features perhaps the most sarcastic character in the history of television, rivaled by only the likes of Archie Bunker. This season there's a slew of new characters in the form of candidates to fill the now-empty House assistant positions (Kumar!). The writers were smart to find ways to keep Omar Epps et. al. in the show while still introducing some much needed new blood into the mix. The most interesting part is that these new characters are systematically being "rejected" as the season moves on...sort of like a reality show.
Speaking of reality shows, no one does it better than the original: Survivor. This year they're in China, and so far it's a great season, full of controversy, drama, innovative challenges, new twists, and plenty of both characters we love and characters we love to hate. James looks unstoppable, albeit unintelligible, so much so that at times the producers give us subtitles. One weird name is gone (Chicken) and the other is becoming a favorite (Frosti). Peih-Gee and Courtney need to go home soon. Denise, the "school lunch lady" from Revere who happens to have a black belt in karate and loves throwing axes and knives, is my current favorite to win.
Any show that is crazy enough to include Tracy Morgan signing "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah", in HD no less, seems sketchy (sorry for the pun), but throw in some witty situations, a ton of one-liners, big name guest stars, Kenneth the Page, and Alec Baldwin (in perhaps his best role ever), and you have a quality show worth catching every week. Only downside for me: 30 Rock is just 30 min. long.
This one is 90% about the characters and 10% about the storylines, but that's fine when you have characters like Henry, Justin, Amanda, Marc, and of course the show's namesake, Betty. Oh, and as TLM may excitedly point out, Posh Spice is guest starring next episode. All of the people you see on the show epitomize some specific aspect of people's personalities in an extreme way, yet we find ourselves able to relate to them all at one point or another - something I think to be maybe the strongest part of the show. On a side note, I'm glad they finally ended Hilda's mourning over the loss of Justin's father (some pretty sad moments in there).
This show is funny, funny, funny, and gets my vote for "most underrated show on television". Every once in a while I'll throw out something I heard Barney or Ted say on a recent episode and three different people within earshot will turn around and smirk knowingly. Every episode makes me laugh and I don't even care anymore who Ted eventually has kids with (ala the show's title).
So suit up and watch this show, because the viewing experience is.....wait for it.....legendary.
The only reason this isn't tops on my list is because it got beaten out by a show everyone I know watches, and that's it. I've been hooked on Heroes since episode 1, and I can't think of any show ever that has a storyline as amorphous almost to the point of being too convoluted yet compelling enough to not lose its viewers. I watch this one as close to broadcast time as I can.
[DISCLAIMER: GEEK ALERT] I subscribe to a podcast about it.
This season Hiro is off fixing history in feudal Japan (he just got back), there is a mysterious villain killing off what is turning out to be a previous generation of heroes (Takezo Kensei / Adam, anyone?), and once again an ominous future is spelled out via a trip to the future by Peter - I think the stat was 93% of the world's population dies. Of course, we were introduced to several new characters, and as of yet no one has been killed off. If you've never seen an episode, it's worth starting at the beginning...of season 1.
This may not be a surprise for many, as it's one of the most popular shows around. As I mentioned in the Heroes blurb, everyone I know watches this, and if you work in an office environment I'm sure you're used to the water-cooler Michael Scott impersonations. This show has become so popular there was even a convention" this year in Scranton, PA (yup, the town agreed to it).
[DISCLAIMER: GEEK ALERT #2] I thought for a moment of tricking TLM into a "vacation" to Pennsylvania around the same time. Then I remembered about the real world.
This year we've seen, among other things, the irrigation room at Schrute Farm, Ryan's promotion and launch of a new website for the company, and Andy's problem with nipple chafing when running (byugh). Will Pam and Jim continue to be an item or will Roy come back? Will Dwight and Angela get back together? Can Darryl reign in Kelly? Can Kelly not annoy the hell out of anyone she's dating? Will Toby (the HR guy) ever find love at all?
In review:
The Office
Heroes
How I Met Your Mother
Ugly Betty
30 Rock
House / Survivor
Chuck
Gossip Girl
Journeyman
My Name Is Earl
The Sarah Silverman Program
Bionic Woman
So there you have it. NBC takes the cake broadcasting 7 out of the 13 shows mentioned, followed by CBS (2), ABC (1), FOX (1), the CW (1) and Comedy Central (1).
Which shows do you think got snubbed? America's Next Top Model? CSI? Bridezillas? Biggest Loser? The Hills, perhaps? Comment away...
I posted over on the TRintuition blog today about using its workBench to create scavenger hunts for a "basic computer use" class, an activity akin to what I used to use back in the late 90's.
(byugh...that feels like yesterday but was really about a decade ago).
TLM and I tried to watch "License to Wed" tonight, and in short, we could not get through this movie. It wasn't long before we started skipping ahead to the next chapter (and that was her idea...mine was to quit watching it altogether). This movie was predictable (except for maybe the robot babies - didn't see that one coming), not that funny, and overly focused on Robin Williams and his creepy kid sidekick. It was a waste of time and I give it half a star, my lowest so far, and that's only because of the cameos by cast members from "The Office".
Being down in the fourth quarter for the first time this year meant nothing, save for maybe setting the stage for 14 unanswered points and some huge defensive plays.
BC may have lost, but the Pats are unbeaten going into the bye week.
We're about 20 minutes away from the much anticipated (and hyped) matchup today between the Pats and the Colts. This is, needless to say, the game of the week. Both teams will start the game undefeated...but only one will still have a zero in the loss column when they end it.
Halloween's behind us, and to many people (and department stores) this means turning our sights towards Christmas. Since my sights are usually turned towards the TV watching shows on the DVR, I give you my:
Twelve Shows of Christmas This Fall
Please note that this list includes only shows that are on right now (else 24 and Lost would both have gotten the nod for sure).
I had higher hopes for this one. I was bored with the plot by the second episode, but for some reason I find myself not missing an episode...eventually. Must be the dialogue...
TLM has no time for this show, but I think it's brash and borderline vulgar humor is hilarious. Then again, I also watch a lot of cartoons, and not the Saturday morning variety. We're talkin' Family Guy, American Dad, Metalocalypse, and Frisky Dingo, to name a few. Silverman is right up my alley.
Ah, Earl. This year he's in the joint doing time for a crime he didn't commit. Ah, but what better forum in which to continue turning people's lives around in the name of karma? This show came close to not making the list as the novelty had all but worn off, but once Randy became a prison guard...well, I was hooked again.
This show was a surprise. I find it both engaging and interesting, and am glad the producers didn't ruin the story with bad or overwhelming special effects. Though each episode is essentially self-contained, the writers do a good job of keeping those other storylines moving along each week.
Ok, ok, so this show is meant for teenagers...TLM loves it and got me hooked. It's my guilty pleasure; I just can't wait to see what drama will unfold each week as the fantastically rich kids mingle with the rich-enough-to-attend-the-same-private-school kids. Too unrealistic? The suspension of disbelief occurs right away as each episode is narrated by "Gossip Girl", who seems to have spies and hidden cameras everywhere, not to mention lots of free time.
This is my winner for the "way better than I expected it to be" show. The basic plot is fun, the characters aren't shallow, and the cast includes Adam Baldwin, the Baldwin who isn't a Baldwin brother! Even the other nerds in the "Nerd Herd" (loosely based on the "Geek Squad", perhaps?) have depth, oh, and I think one of the geekier-looking actors went to my high school. I see this series continuing several more seasons before becoming stale....of course now that I wrote that it won't make it past episode 10.
Looking at the list, it seems that NBC is heavily represented in this half. Check in tomorrow to see who made the top six.
After the recent price drop a couple of weeks ago, I finally caved (to myself) and bought a PS3. Tonight, on our seemingly weekly trip to Target, I splurged some more and bought my first Blu-Ray movie. In fact, I ended up buying three of them...they had the "Spiderman" trilogy and I just couldn't resist.
Oh, and as if that wasn't enough, TLM noticed a Fantastic Four - Silver Surfer PS3 game on sale for $20, so I threw that in too (though the fact that it was 1/3 the usual price of games should have maybe persuaded me to leave it there).
To our immediate friends and family, it's no secret that TLM and I are engaged to be married. We want to do the right things at the right times, and we told people like my parents the next day or as soon as we could. There is of course the traditional and more formal announcement, complete with an engagement picture, usually published in a local newspaper.
Now I'm trying to be as educated a groom-to-be as I can (I'm even reading books like "The Everything Groom Book" to prove it) and I know that this initial engagement announcement is a big deal. How we look in the picture has to be just right, the details about who we are and what we do should be honest and modest, and the timing of when it gets printed is important...a rule of thumb is 3 to 4 months before the wedding.
(Before I continue...no, we haven't set a date yet. I can tell you it will be a lot more than 3 or 4 months away.)
In step the Red Sox. They win the World Series, and TLM and I go out the next day to buy commemorative shirts and hats, remembering what a challenge they were to find in 2004. As we're shuffling around our local Sports Authority, apparel in hand, a soft-spoken man with glasses stops us, mumbles something as he takes out a notepad, and starts asking me questions. I thought he worked for the store and was worried we were going to make off with the goods (why that was my first reaction is telling...), so I gladly supplied him some answers with a smile. He asked my name, where I lived, why I was there, and then he asked the same of TLM.
It was after the fourth or fifth question that I realized he may not be affiliated with the store at all, and asked him if he was an employee there. It turns out he was a reporter from the Patriot Ledger, and was there to cover...you guessed it...people buying Red Sox World Series stuff. We even had some photos taken of us holding up our new shirts.
In retrospect I don't even remember mentioning that TLM was my fiancée (though I am not surprised seeing as how proud I am of the fact), though surely enough that fact was made clear in the next day's paper as TLM and I were the first people quoted and featured in an article about the scene at the store.
So the question is: does this count as an engagement announcement, albeit an indirect one?
TLM says no, and so do I...I mean, they didn't even print our picture.
Happy Halloween! Ok, ok, I know the Red Sox pumpkin's been done on TMT already, but technically this is a different picture of it AND this is Halloween AND the Sox won the Series :)
I'm still not quite sure how Nanabelle let TLM get away with this:
Before we could even collect our thoughts from last night, TLM and I went out this morning to get stuff commemorating the event. I quickly guest-posted over at TMT first and will post something more thorough later today.
What a great couple of nights. Though we may have lost some sleep and had to endure a couple of groggy mornings at work, I think we'd all agree (at least in Red Son Nation) that it was worth it. Two games, two wins, and we're off to Denver for Game 3.
Game 1 - Blowout
The Red Sox opened the 2007 World Series at Fenway by setting a record for most runs scored in a Game 1 (oh, and another for scoring 10 or more runs in three straight postseason games, too), and to make the blowout complete, Josh Beckett continued his torrid pace by striking out the first 3 batters he saw and 5 of the first 6, improving his 2007 playoff record to 4-0 while giving up only 6 hits through 7 innings pitched, striking out 9 and walking 1. Wowza...
The bats came out as well, as the box score indicates. Dustin Pedroia started off the scoring with a solo homerun to lead off the first. Manny and Papi both got 3 hits a piece before being pulled late in the game, and even Julio Lugo went 3-4. I know we'd heard a lot about the big layoff the Rockies had, and though I'm sure that factored in a little there had to be more to this shellacking than that. This Red Sox lineup is a formidable one, and even if Jeff Francis (4IP, 10H, 6ER, 3K, 3BB) was on point, he'd have had to beat Beckett. Whether it was 13-1 or 3-1, the Sox were going to win that game.
Speaking of terrible Colorado pitching, how about Franklin Morales? He came on in the 5th and managed to allow 7 earned runs while getting just 2 outs. The man even managed to mix in a balk...an accomplishment unseen in a World Series in over 10 years. Good job Franklin.
Other notes include:
The crowd at Fenway was a very loud and active one, as well there should have been, seeing as how we are talking about the World Series and all. There was lots of chanting, including the popular chanting (heckling) of the pitcher's name (Fraaaaaaanciiiiiiiiis).
It looked as if everyone had press passes around their necks when in fact they were just lanyards handed out to fans as they came in to hold their tickets (ok, I wanted one too, but I didn't wear it!). I guess everyone gets to feel special every once in a while, even if they had to shell out hundreds to get there.
The Dropkick Murpheys sang the National Anthem, and then proceeded to bring down the house with a resounding rendition of "I'm Shipping Up To Boston", complete with a troop of young Irish dancers filing out of centerfield. "Tessie" is nice, but this song kicks ass, and whenever it is played in Fenway (mostly while Papelbon is warming up), the place goes nuts.
Anyway, on to Thursday night.
Game 2 - Bullpens 'R Us
Talk about night and day. In a game where both teams combined for just 3 runs, the story was pitching. Curt Schilling was his now-expected and usual postseason-self, allowing 4 hits and 1 earned run over 5 ans a third, striking out 4 and walking 2. For all we know, this may have been his last game at Fenway, or in a Red Sox uniform even, though as Nick Cafardo points out it would be hard to imagine otherwise given what he's done and can continue to do (at least for one more year) for this team.
With the victory in Game 2, Schilling became only the second 40-year old pitcher to win a World Series game, and the first player in history to win one in his 20's, his 30's, and his 40's.
After Schilling came Hideki Okajima then Jonathan Papelbon who combined for 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. Okajima was tremendous (2.1 IP, 0ER, 0H, 0BB, 4K). Back in late August / early September, everyone thought that the Red Sox brass had little faith that the rookie Japanaese relief man would have enough gas for the rest of the season. That's why they got Gagne, they said. Well, maybe they were right, maybe not, but all I know is that here we now have a very rested Okajima who can come out and perform like he did last night.
"This was the Pap-ajima show tonight...That was just phenominal to watch." -Curt Schilling
Papelbon was his usual intimidating self, and though his line doesn't include it up front (1.1 IP, 0ER, 1H, 0BB, 2K), he made what is definitely one of the plays of the game. He came in to relieve Okajima in the top of the 8th with 2 outs and a runner on first. Papelbon may be known for many things, like being an intimidating presence on the mound, trying to Irish step dance with goggles and a cigar, and looking like the crazy kid from "The Incredibles", but he is not one known for looking over to first, never mind throwing over there. Yet here in this situation before a pitch was thrown he whirled and caught the mighty Matt Holliday way off the bag, ending the inning and the potential Rockies rally in what will be considered one of the best plays of his careeer. TLM looked over to me and said "He never does that." She was right...and we're glad the Rockies thought that too...
Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado's starter, also pitched well (4.2IP, 3H, 2ER, 2K, 5BB), and in fact held the Sox hitless for over 3 innings. It just wasn't enough on a night where Boston's pitching was as on-point as it was.
Though Mike Lowell was the only player in the starting lineup of Game 1 to not get an RBI, he made up for it in Game 2 with not one but two key plays. In the 4th he made a heads-up, aggressive baserunning decision and took 3rd on a J.D. Drew single, putting himself in position to be driven in on a Jason Varitek sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1. Then, in the next inning, he drove in what would prove to be the winning run by knocking a double to left and sending Big Papi home. So wait...why is there so much debate as to whether or not we should keep this guy?
This couldn't have worked out better. Though the final score was 12-2, the game was won on a first inning grand slam hit by none other than the much hated-on J.D. Drew. After consecutive strikeouts of Manny and Lowell, many of the Fenway faithful looked on as Mr. Drew, the poker face personified, came to the plate and then drove a 3-1 fastball to the deepest part of the park and into the camera net. From then on the Indians were behind the 8-ball, and anyone who could see inside the Cleveland dugout could tell they were psychologically defeated early. The chants of "Faaaauuuuuuustoooooo" were echoing across Fenway throughout much of his entire 2+ innings of work (if that's what you want to call it). Carmona's look after giving up the bomb to Drew (see below) is priceless.
So then, it comes down to tonight's final and deciding Game 7, featuring Jake Westbrook for the tribe throwing against Daisuke Matsuzaka for the Sox. Many fans believe it is exactly this type of backs-to-the-wall situation for which Boston got Matsuzaka, and with good cause. His exploits in elimination games in Japan are legendary, starting as a teenager in Kokoyakyu, and I'm sure many a Japanese fan will be watching and rooting for him tonight...
Whaddaya know...good pitching in the playoffs wins you games. Josh Beckett was again superb, pitching 8 solid innings (a hint that he WON'T be starting a possible game 7), giving up one earned run on 5 hits while striking out 11 and walking 1 (his forst of the postseason). CC Sabathia, on the other hand, gave up 4 earned runs on 10 hits through 6, a better outing than game 1 but still not enough.
So now it comes down to tonight's game, with the Sox once again playing an elimination game. It'll be Carmona vs. Schilling, a rematch of game 2.
If I have to hear "Cleveland Rocks" one more time, I'm boycotting Cleveland, as well as anyone named "Drew" or "Carey". And what's up with the Indians fans? I don't know how many times FOX cut to people who have their faces painted like the ever so politically correct Chief Wahoo character (see above). Does anyone else see anything wrong with this? Is it that there aren't enough Native Americans to make a stink about it?
The Indians organization knows it's an ugly, hackneyed, stereotypical caricature. When they were scouting Jacoby Ellsbury, who eventually became the first Navajo to play in the bigs (and should be playing right field for the Red Sox in this series), they asked if he would be offended by the portrayal. Why continue to bask in the outdated and reprehensible emblem that is this face? Weak...
Enough about that. Where are the Red Sox bats? Paul Byrd? Are you kidding me? If we can't hit him, we almost don't deserve to win. Last night was tough to watch, tougher than the night before. At least in Game 3 we could partially assign blame to a couple of really bad called strikes in crucial situations. Last night was just a case of leaving the bats at home. Speaking of which, when are we going to see someone other than J.D. Drew in the lineup?
Ok, no more negativity. Two key points for all of Red Sox nation to remember moving into Game 5:
1) We have Josh Beckett starting, who's been lights out all postseason. 2) We've been in worse situations (2004 anyone?).
Content found on The Neoteric is of no particular genre, topic, or focus, other than it was all at some point, in some way, interesting enough to me to write about.
