"Office" Love

Well, I'm almost a week late, but I had to mention last Thursday's season premiere of The Office. It was a long, dry summer without my favorite paper company, but the premiere did not disappoint! I just love Angela, even more so after watching some of her short videos on the NBC website. I thought she was fabulous in this episode, dialing up Dwight for covert meetings every time Andy mentioned their wedding. I wouldn't think anyone but Dwight would be nuts enough to work with Angela, but Andy is a pretty close second. Still, I like Angela and Dwight together...
And, of course, I have to mention the couple everyone waited three months to see again...Jim and Pam, naturally. How sweet was that proposal in the rain??? And I have to admit, I really didn't see it coming. I'm wondering if the writers are going to stir up some trouble for the happy couple. I'm sure they probably will, but I hope it's nothing too dramatic.
I'm not too sure I like Ryan being back, but it's kind of funny watching him try to apologize to everyone. I loved how Kelly totally blew him off. Oh, and Michael and Holly= Cute!
All in all, I'm looking forward to a great season!!

My Favorite '80s Star

is back! At lucnch today, I saw an advertisement for a new series on ABC Family starring none other than...Molly Ringwald!! In case the excessive use of exclamation points doesn't give it away, I love me some Molly Ringwald. In middle school, my friend Sarah and I literally wore out our copy of The Breakfast Club. Our other favorite was For Keeps, one of Molly Ringwald's lesser-known films...which I am about to go add to my Netflix because I haven't seen it in about twelve years or so. I wonder if I will still think it's a good movie?

Anyway, our Pretty in Pink princess will be playing a mom in a show called The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I went to the show's website, and it looks like it could have some potential. It was created by Brenda Hampton, who also created 7th Heaven (a show which, according to the ABC Family site, "pretty much defined teen drama in the '90s"...I'm not sure I'd take it that far, but hey, the show lasted for ten years, so I will let that one slide!). Like most made-for-cable shows, The Secret Life of the American Teenager will probably be either fairly entertaining or really bad. I guess we'll have to wait until July 1 to find out, but I'm excited to see Molly back in action!

Speaking of cable shows, I'm kind of sad to admit it, but one I can't help watching is Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Jeremy started watching it last year, and I grudgingly found myself enjoying the new episodes on Wednesday nights. The show tackles some pretty tough topics with a lot of taste...and with a lot of humor, of course, in true Tyler Perry style. I can no longer say I only watch it with Jeremy though, since I found myself flipping it on last Wednesday when I was home alone. Oh well, if I had to add another show to my list at least it's a family show!

Thoughts...

I generally do not get into reality shows on tv. I have never watched Survivor, not even in the beginning, I do not watch The Bachelor or any of its spinoffs, and I have never watched more than 2-3 episodes of American Idol. I know AI is one of the biggest pop-culture trends of recent years, but reality tv is just not something I have any desire to follow. (Side note: Last May, I had the opportunity to spend the day with Taylor Hicks when he came to Scottsboro to promote the Goosepond Island development. Two days after he was here, he performed on the AI season finale, which was the very first time I ever heard him sing! Thankfully, he didn't ask any questions related to AI or his performances while I was shuttling him around, so I didn't have to admit I had no idea what he sounded like.) I say all of this to give a general idea of how much I typically dislike reality shows. I realize that some of the better ones (The Biggest Loser, Extreme Home Makeover, etc.) actually serve a higher purpose than the sex and scandal that seem to compose many others, and those are not the ones I rant against. Still, I get frustrated that the genre consumes so much of the networks' time and budgets now.
However...(you knew that was coming somewhere, right?)...last summer I began making an exception for a little jewel I discovered called Design Star on HGTV. I got sucked in to an episode after House Hunters, and I couldn't help coming back for more. Does it even count as a reality show? I am not sure, but I love it even more for leaving out most of the personal dramas and focusing on the competition and the designers' talents. Basically, the show throws together a group of designers, who move into a house together and compete in a series of challenges to find the next star. The winner gets their own show on HGTV. I like that some of the contestants are professional designers, while others just do it as a hobby. In fact, last year's winner was a hair stylist who just happened to have a talent for design. Also, the judges are a talented group (including my favorite, Cynthia Rowley), who really know their field. They are never demeaning or brutalizing with their critiques; they just judge what they see and offer some tips to help the contestant in the future. I know it sounds a little boring from my description, but trust me, it's not! The new season begins June 8, so check it out if you've never seen it.

Wonderful Thursdays

Tonight is the season finale of The Office, which I have been looking forward to all week! I guess it's a little bittersweet, the season beginning and ending again so soon, but at least we get an hour-long episode to enjoy. The season finale of Ugly Betty is tonight also, and I am interested to see where it goes. I have been finished with school for over a week now, so I get to go straight home and prepare for my favorite night of television. Unfortunately, my husband will not be joining me since his off days have changed, but at least we have Sunday to look forward to.

Lest you think I do nothing more than numb my brain with (fantastic) television, I have been doing quite a bit more reading lately also. I finished Lucky, which is author Alice Sebold's account of her own real-life rape and the aftermath. It was a difficult read at times, but a good start to easing me back into my old reading habits. I have moved on to a couple of paperback mystery-types to fill the time until I decide what to go after next.

This weekend will be a busy one: graduates' reception, preparations for said reception on Saturday, and I also hope to get Jeremy's birthday present Saturday while I am in town. My sister should be coming home either late Sunday or Monday, and I am hoping to take off a day next week to spend some time with her. For now, I am off for home to prepare for a wonderful relaxing evening.

Triumphant Return

I have been trying to write this thoughtful, creative post about my slightly conflicted emotions over the return of scripted television. However, it has been quite a busy week and I have not made much progress with my creative post, despite multiple attempts. So I give up. I will do a nice post on the conflicting emotions and my new (slightly unhealthy?) enthusiasm for tv on DVD another day.

For now, just let me say that I am beyond excited that The Office is back! What a glorious night it was three weeks ago when I sat down to watch the first new episode in more than four months. I am a recent Office junkie; I got caught up the craze during the aforementioned tv on DVD phase during the writers' strike. Now I am wondering what took me so long? Nevermind, it's beside the point now. I am here to stay.

Because I teach on Thursday nights I have not watched last night's episode yet. Thanks to online viewing, that is not a problem. I plan to enjoy both The Office and Grey's Anatomy before long. Last week's episode of The Office just happens to have grabbed a spot on my list of favorites. It was a perfect mix of office craziness and Jim and Pam loveliness. And everyone's favorite couple was particularly lovely last week. When Jim started hinting about an engagement, I was literally bouncing up and down on the couch, telling Jeremy, "he's totally serious!!" It was not one of my finer moments. And still...he was totally serious! The reviewer on EW.com thought it was a little creepy that Jim bought a ring the week they started dating. I disagree. I think it is a perfect indication of Jim's devotion to Pam and their relationship. We know he's in it for real. I can't wait to watch last night's episode.

I am also excited about Brothers & Sisters returing, even though I fell asleep and didn't get to watch Sunday's episode. I will also have to catch it online before this Sunday. That show has great writing, controversial yet relevant topics, and best of all, Sally Field. She's absolutely fantastic as Norah, the family matriarch. The other actors are strong and talented as well, making for an engaging hour of television.

All in all, I think it is going to be an enjoyable month or so, until the summer hiatus. I am ignoring the talk of a possible actors' strike in the fall, hoping it will fade away before I have to get too concerned. If it does happen, I guess it's back to DVD for me. There are a couple of other shows I have missed out on that I have considered catching on DVD. I hear Lost is good....

I was trying to be neutral, but....

Okay, so the writers' strike has been going on for about 5 weeks or so now, I think, and until now, I haven't really paid extremely close attention. A few weeks ago, Entertainment Weekly printed a timeline showing how many new episodes of popular shows were remaining (meaning the shows that were scripted before the strike went into effect). I noticed a only meager few episodes of favorites such as Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters were remaining. That got me thinking about what an impact the strike could (would) actually have on tv watchers, but it was not until this past week that the reality of the predicament hit me. I am left to ponder what might happen on all three of the aforementioned shows, without a clue as to when episodes might resume. Don't get me wrong...I know the wait for new television is not really all that big of a deal, and there are much more important things happening in the world at this very moment. But for me, a person who enjoys nothing more than unwinding with a well-written and well-performed episode of a favorite tv show, it's definitely high on my list of current complaints. Worse still, reps for the studios and executives apparently walked out of negotiation talks this weekend, leaving us with absolutely no end in sight.

No longer will I reserve my judgment as to who's in the right or who should cave to the other's demands...for the sake of great television (and movies, too!), give the writers what they want! I think they have proved their point; without writers, television studios are left to create even more senseless, brain-numbing reality shows, and we most certainly don't need anymore of those. (Can you tell I think most reality tv is contributing to the downfall of American popular culture?? Just my opinion...) From what I have read, the Writer's Guild of America is holding out for a bigger stake in the profits of DVDs, downloads, etc. (all of which are getting larger thanks to changing media capabilities). The writers have proven they are the backbone of the industry, and without them everything comes to a standstill. Just give them the profit they deserve. Please?? Until then, I guess I will be forced to catch up on my tv on DVD.