TV Stuff

There are some shows that are airing right now -- even with the writer's strike going on.  So, here are the ones that I have tried over the last few weeks and some that I am looking forward to:

• Terminator:  The Sarah Connor Chronicles:  Long name, great show.  After Terminator 3, I had my doubts about this franchise.  So, it was a huge surprise that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (T:TSCC) is so good!  The series, thankfully, puts Terminator 3 on an alternate time line -- SPOILERS AHEAD, skip the rest of this bullet point if you haven't watched the premiere.  By moving the time line from the 90s to now, they have made everything in T3 invalid.  That is a good thing.  Also, I could not imagine the show being set in the 90s.  And the casting of Lena Headey ("300") was perfect -- she is tough, smart and yet has a bit of vulnerability.  Summer Glau ("Firefly") as the new Terminator sent to protect John is awesome.  I loved when she said, "Come with me if you want to live."  The writing for the show is sharp.  It is not all action either -- though there is a heavy dose -- there is some serious drama.  As a sci-fi show, I rank T:TSSC just shy of BSG greatness -- and BSG is now my all time greatest sci-fi show.  All in all, a great new start for Terminator -- a nice reboot, if I may say.
• Smash Lab:  When I watch Mythbusters, I see the perfect mix of education, science, personalities and explosions.  Yes, the explosions in Mythbusters are great and fun to see -- but the journey to them is what makes the show interesting.  Smash Lab tries to take just the explosions and crashes of Mythbusters and wrap a show around them -- and that just does not work.  The four personalities on the show are forgettable and boring -- there's even one that looks like Chip Foose!  They scream, they act excited when things explode, they laugh.  But, they are ultimately boring -- not one of them stands out, there is no Adam, there is no Jaime, or Kari, or Grant, or Tori.  There's just four boring people.  Sure, explosions and crashes are good -- but a whole show filled with them?  Boring.  This show just does not get the mix right.
• American Idol:  Yes, I watch this show.  I admit it.  This year is off to a decent start, though I think the producers have said something to Simon -- my favorite of the three judges.  Simon is..well...nicer this year.  I don't like that.  I like Simon because he is brutally honest.  Now, he seems a bit...neutered.  Other than that, the show is still in the auditions stage and it is fun to watch.  I wish that American Idol would switch its voting over to something like "So You Think You Can Dance?", where the judges make the decision on who to put up for voting out -- instead of just the public doing all the judging.  That would avoid sad things like Sanjaya.  I'm hoping for a good season, lets see how it goes.
• Fight Quest:  Eileen and I caught this by accident.  We don't have it programmed on the DVR, though I am tempted to.  It's really just a show where two guys go out and get the snot beat out of them.  I don't know how much of this I can take,  but it sure is fun to watch in small doses.
• Chuck:  The show returns next week with two back-to-back episodes, then its gone again.  I hope they are good episodes.
• Lost:  Lost returns on January 31st.  I can't wait to see where they take the show.  I just wish that it would take a bit shorter than three more seasons to wrap things up.
• Battlestar Galactica:  Yes!  Battlestar Galactica starts its final season in March and I am hyped to start watching again.  The hiatus was far too long.  I watched BSG Razor last week on DVD and it was pretty good -- but, I still hunger to see the real show!