TV Roundup

Come to think of it, I might not do the 1978 thing. I probably will though.

Oh well. This is a new feature I'm débuting called TV Roundup. Every once in awhile I feel it necessary to acknowledge the meager accomplishments of the TV generation. This is basically like an "Honourable Mention" section for shows that didn't make Top 5 status. I don't watch much TV, but I sample so I can review.

FOX's Fringe is interesting. Occasionally it's over the top, but I love its macabre tone similar to that of late greats such as The X-Files and The Twilight Zone. It just finished its first season, so it's still got time to work out the kinks. The mad scientist guy is probably the best new character on TV in a very long time. It's about a series of strange occurences investigated by a team on the East Coast, all linked to a giant multinational corporation. I sense political messages coming, especially with the way the first season ended. Episodes range from 2/5 to 4.5/5- sometimes inconsistent.

Its direct competitor, The Mentalist, is just as good, and only after both of their seasons were over did I discover I can tape one thing with my pathetic VHS recorder and watch a different one at the same time. All this time I thought the people in City Slickers were lying. Anyway, this one is solely in the world of the realistic and follows a "mentalist" who observes people, their reactions, and their body language and stuff to find out who's guilty. It kind of treads unconventional territory, you might say, but not really. There's lots of shows like that this season. Unconventional is a plus anyway. Episodes range from 3.5/5 to 4.5/5.

Another very similar show, this time an indirect competitor, but allthewhile different, sort of, is Lie To Me. Um, this one is more like a team of human polygraphs I guess. This one's good too, but there's only so much similar-but-good you can take before you go insane. Call me next year...

And I'm in love with The Goode Family. God, this is the best parody of yuppie green culture I have seen in my life. I think it is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. It's from the creator of King of the Hill, Office Space, Idiocracy, and Beavis and Butthead, but it's more in the vein of the movies (Office Space and Idiocracy). But you can definitely see the King of the Hill influence. But just watch it. Watch it. Watch it. It's funny. If you've missed the ones they've done already, you can probably watch them at ABC.com. So watch it.

Parks and Recreation is funny, because of Amy Poehler and crew, and whoever plays Tom, but it's too similar to The Office right now. Compare and contrast Leslie Knopes with Michael Scott. Similarities abound. Amy Poehler does great at the part as she normally does, and the depressing similarity is going down, but ith's still there. But it's a 1st-seasoner. It has time.

England's Skins is OK. It's incorrigible at times, but Osama! The Musical is the most offensively hilarious moment on TV that wan't on South Park. Occasional moments of absolute greatness. These great moments were much more common in the first series than in the more hesitant second one.