Some readers out there may remember my list of all-time favorite tv shows.
I believe it is now time to add a few more to the list, so take note!!
Mad Men
Cashmere Mafia
Jon & Kate Plus Eight
Chelsea Lately
Summer Heights High
Brothers & Sisters
The Biggest Loser
The Riches
The Girls Next Door
Melrose Place
Friday, September 26, 2008
Telly on Telly: The Beauty In Ugly
Last night was the third season premiere of one of my favorite campy shows, Ugly Betty. Betty's back, and frankly better than ever. As many know they relocated the show to New York (where it is set, although the first two seasons were filmed in LA) and it really adds to the show. There's a lot to be said about shooting a show on location, and when that location happens to be New York City it can really add to a show's overall charm. And Ugly Betty has nothing but charm as it is, so a change like this really boosts the show's overall look and feel.
Mode has changed while Betty took off for her somewhat lesbianic journey across our great nation. An icy, barren, monochromatic world has replaced the the once bright and colorful Mode as the one and only Wilhelmina Slater has taken the reigns of the magazine, bumping Daniel (and his newly acquired French son, Daniel Jr., adorably deemed D.J.) downstairs to Meade Publications' very own answer to Maxim, Player Magazine, where they play air hockey in shorts and boo anyone who addresses them. It's nearly perfect, really, that Daniel is running the lad mag, given his penchant for booze 'n' bitches. But I do miss ogling Eric Mabius in all those impeccably fitting suits.
The thing I missed most about Ugly Betty during it's hiatus was not the sets or the costumes or delicious plot twists, but the characters. Every last one of them is hilariously written and so wonderfully embodied. From little gay-boy Justin (whose shining moment for me this week was when he shrieked in excitement when Betty informed the family of her decision to move into the city) to Betty's Scottish Jiminy Cricket Christina (who, lest we forget, is carrying Willie's baby, the next heir to the Meade empire) everyone brings something to the table. My favorites are naturally Amanda and Mark, but you all know Hilda's got a special place in my heart. I think it's because she's so trashy YET classy. You know the ultimate t.j. kous loves a little juxtaposition. And COACH! Mmm mmm, what a hottie!
Ugly Betty shined last night. The writing was sharp and quick as always, and the situations, which got a little far-fetched and, well, boring in the second season, are shaping up to be quite intriguing this time around. Will the Meade family band together and stop Wilhelmina in her tracks? Will Betty ignore her third life rule and start dating that über-cute (maybe too cute?) musicianboy from across the hall? And what about Lohan? How will she work in to all of this? What is the future of Mode, or Player for that matter? And what the hell is going to happen when the spawn of Satan herself finally comes to light?
Ugly Betty's all new, every Thursday at 8pm on ABC!
Mode has changed while Betty took off for her somewhat lesbianic journey across our great nation. An icy, barren, monochromatic world has replaced the the once bright and colorful Mode as the one and only Wilhelmina Slater has taken the reigns of the magazine, bumping Daniel (and his newly acquired French son, Daniel Jr., adorably deemed D.J.) downstairs to Meade Publications' very own answer to Maxim, Player Magazine, where they play air hockey in shorts and boo anyone who addresses them. It's nearly perfect, really, that Daniel is running the lad mag, given his penchant for booze 'n' bitches. But I do miss ogling Eric Mabius in all those impeccably fitting suits.
The thing I missed most about Ugly Betty during it's hiatus was not the sets or the costumes or delicious plot twists, but the characters. Every last one of them is hilariously written and so wonderfully embodied. From little gay-boy Justin (whose shining moment for me this week was when he shrieked in excitement when Betty informed the family of her decision to move into the city) to Betty's Scottish Jiminy Cricket Christina (who, lest we forget, is carrying Willie's baby, the next heir to the Meade empire) everyone brings something to the table. My favorites are naturally Amanda and Mark, but you all know Hilda's got a special place in my heart. I think it's because she's so trashy YET classy. You know the ultimate t.j. kous loves a little juxtaposition. And COACH! Mmm mmm, what a hottie!
Ugly Betty shined last night. The writing was sharp and quick as always, and the situations, which got a little far-fetched and, well, boring in the second season, are shaping up to be quite intriguing this time around. Will the Meade family band together and stop Wilhelmina in her tracks? Will Betty ignore her third life rule and start dating that über-cute (maybe too cute?) musicianboy from across the hall? And what about Lohan? How will she work in to all of this? What is the future of Mode, or Player for that matter? And what the hell is going to happen when the spawn of Satan herself finally comes to light?
Ugly Betty's all new, every Thursday at 8pm on ABC!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Telly on Telly: Fall Season Update
Hello friends and fellow tele-philes! Just wanted to drop a quick update as last time we talked about the Fall lineup I had some catching up to do.
We'll start with 90210. Ok. So I have heard a lot of bad news about 90210. Everyone's telling me it sucks. I'm getting texts from K Skell telling me she's "so 9021Over it!". My brother hated it. My grrl Soph hated it. And basically everyone's talking shit. I don't know WHAT these kids have been watching but it couldn't possibly be the same three hours of 90210 I saw. This show was chock full of intensity and ridiculousness. There is no bone in my entire body that will ever take 90210 seriously and I think this is why I liked it so much. And HELLO, people! A cameo from none other than Kelly's BOOZED UP MOTHER!! Amazing. She was always my favorite character. She was so 90s chic, totally nouveau riche! I'll always picture her with her smart little power lesbian haircut, in a white Chanel suit, snorting lines at the Mother-Daughter Fashion show. Ugh, she was such a bitch to her daughter. And it's really nice to see that things have just gotten worse for that cow of a woman. Don't get me wrong, I really like her and I think she's great. Just what a messed up character! Kudos for bringing back Jackie Taylor-Silver! Oh! And that drug addict Adrianna is also going to be gold, I can tell!
On to Fringe. I had no idea that this show was going to deal so closely with some of my favorite things (telepathy, shared dreamscapes, cloudbusting, telekinesis) . I was also unaware that these things had already been grouped together and are called fringe science which is how the show gets its name. I really liked this show. I found it kept my attention for what seemed like hours (although it was only roughly 1.5 hours) and I wanted to know more. Just like with all JJ Abrams jobs, I was intrigued! That's the key word when it comes to programming like this: intrigue. What is the Pattern? Who is this crazy scientist man and why are his studies only now becoming relevant? How much power does Massive Dynamic actually have? What do they do? What is in the past? What's in the future? You know you've got a good show on your hands if the ultimate t.j. kous is yakking on about the future! I haven't watched this week's episodes of either of these shows yet, but I will be soaking them up this weekend.
Another little gem I came across while channel surfing: (in actuality I was commissioned to watch this show by Brendan Shea who called me at midnight on Thursday, laughing like a toddler and totally stoked about the ridiculousness that is) Glam God with Vivica A. Fox! Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the most extreme hour of reality television I have ever seen. I had heard about this show as a friend of a friend happens to be a contestant (Preston, for those of you keeping track) but I had no idea it would be so absurd. It's your basic reality competition format and the skill needed to succeed is styling. What's with the new wave of styling shows in TV? There's this one, then there's The Rachel Zoe Project (which I thought was magnificent in it's train-wreck like qualities and I love her gay's vanity specs!), and also the CW's coming out with something called Stylista (whatever). Anyway, it's nice to know that America is just getting queerer and queerer.
The reason Glam God was so good for me is not the terribly unflattering outfits Vivica wore, or even the intense fervor with which she delivered each of her lines. It wasn't the alcoholic contestant who "drink Jack Daniel's for breakfast" (I'm not kidding this guy was actually drunk the whole episode, and when they went out for a night on the town, which ended up actually being a challenge because they were styling Hollywood "it girls", he decided to let Jackie Blue come along [this is his drag queen persona who wore leopard print and a giant blond wig] and he fell and he stole the spotlight and he was a big old hot mess). The reason I loved this show was because it was so, so easy to see the seams. I could tell it was cheap and thrown together haphazardly. I could see why it was difficult and also why it wasn't even really a challenge at all. I saw the desperate nature of all the characters and the ebbing career of my girl Viv. It's on Thursdays on VH1. Watch it. You won't be sorry.
We'll start with 90210. Ok. So I have heard a lot of bad news about 90210. Everyone's telling me it sucks. I'm getting texts from K Skell telling me she's "so 9021Over it!". My brother hated it. My grrl Soph hated it. And basically everyone's talking shit. I don't know WHAT these kids have been watching but it couldn't possibly be the same three hours of 90210 I saw. This show was chock full of intensity and ridiculousness. There is no bone in my entire body that will ever take 90210 seriously and I think this is why I liked it so much. And HELLO, people! A cameo from none other than Kelly's BOOZED UP MOTHER!! Amazing. She was always my favorite character. She was so 90s chic, totally nouveau riche! I'll always picture her with her smart little power lesbian haircut, in a white Chanel suit, snorting lines at the Mother-Daughter Fashion show. Ugh, she was such a bitch to her daughter. And it's really nice to see that things have just gotten worse for that cow of a woman. Don't get me wrong, I really like her and I think she's great. Just what a messed up character! Kudos for bringing back Jackie Taylor-Silver! Oh! And that drug addict Adrianna is also going to be gold, I can tell!
On to Fringe. I had no idea that this show was going to deal so closely with some of my favorite things (telepathy, shared dreamscapes, cloudbusting, telekinesis) . I was also unaware that these things had already been grouped together and are called fringe science which is how the show gets its name. I really liked this show. I found it kept my attention for what seemed like hours (although it was only roughly 1.5 hours) and I wanted to know more. Just like with all JJ Abrams jobs, I was intrigued! That's the key word when it comes to programming like this: intrigue. What is the Pattern? Who is this crazy scientist man and why are his studies only now becoming relevant? How much power does Massive Dynamic actually have? What do they do? What is in the past? What's in the future? You know you've got a good show on your hands if the ultimate t.j. kous is yakking on about the future! I haven't watched this week's episodes of either of these shows yet, but I will be soaking them up this weekend.
Another little gem I came across while channel surfing: (in actuality I was commissioned to watch this show by Brendan Shea who called me at midnight on Thursday, laughing like a toddler and totally stoked about the ridiculousness that is) Glam God with Vivica A. Fox! Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the most extreme hour of reality television I have ever seen. I had heard about this show as a friend of a friend happens to be a contestant (Preston, for those of you keeping track) but I had no idea it would be so absurd. It's your basic reality competition format and the skill needed to succeed is styling. What's with the new wave of styling shows in TV? There's this one, then there's The Rachel Zoe Project (which I thought was magnificent in it's train-wreck like qualities and I love her gay's vanity specs!), and also the CW's coming out with something called Stylista (whatever). Anyway, it's nice to know that America is just getting queerer and queerer.
The reason Glam God was so good for me is not the terribly unflattering outfits Vivica wore, or even the intense fervor with which she delivered each of her lines. It wasn't the alcoholic contestant who "drink Jack Daniel's for breakfast" (I'm not kidding this guy was actually drunk the whole episode, and when they went out for a night on the town, which ended up actually being a challenge because they were styling Hollywood "it girls", he decided to let Jackie Blue come along [this is his drag queen persona who wore leopard print and a giant blond wig] and he fell and he stole the spotlight and he was a big old hot mess). The reason I loved this show was because it was so, so easy to see the seams. I could tell it was cheap and thrown together haphazardly. I could see why it was difficult and also why it wasn't even really a challenge at all. I saw the desperate nature of all the characters and the ebbing career of my girl Viv. It's on Thursdays on VH1. Watch it. You won't be sorry.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Candy Most Dandy
I was just at Michael's buying some new paper (I make greeting cards, for those of you who don't know) and what was staring me down, literally making my mouth water, in the checkout aisle but my favorite little seasonal treat ever! It's finally that time of year. Ladies and gentlemen, it's CANDY CORN TIME!!!
Every time the Fall rolls around I have so much to look forward to: new TV, my birthday(!) and of course, candy corn.
Once it was Summer and I was mad craving it so badly that I even bought something Star Market called "Patriot Corn." It was red, white and blue and completely embarrassing. I hid it in the back of the pantry so no one would know.
So I'm standing in the checkout aisle thinking:
Don't do it Telly, think of your fitness.
But if I just buy a bag then I can have a stash for a while
You know you'll blow through that shit in two days, remember the Patriot Corn incident? You'll just make yourself sick.
But it's so waxy and delicious.
What would Natalia do? Wait until at least your birthday.
Ok I won't buy the corn.
I walked out with an 11 oz. bag and I won't stop chomping on these sweet little morsels until I get that lovely headache I so associate with the changing of the seasons.
Happy Autumn, friends!
Every time the Fall rolls around I have so much to look forward to: new TV, my birthday(!) and of course, candy corn.
Once it was Summer and I was mad craving it so badly that I even bought something Star Market called "Patriot Corn." It was red, white and blue and completely embarrassing. I hid it in the back of the pantry so no one would know.
So I'm standing in the checkout aisle thinking:
Don't do it Telly, think of your fitness.
But if I just buy a bag then I can have a stash for a while
You know you'll blow through that shit in two days, remember the Patriot Corn incident? You'll just make yourself sick.
But it's so waxy and delicious.
What would Natalia do? Wait until at least your birthday.
Ok I won't buy the corn.
I walked out with an 11 oz. bag and I won't stop chomping on these sweet little morsels until I get that lovely headache I so associate with the changing of the seasons.
Happy Autumn, friends!
"Looking Forward To Saturday"
olive juice swimming
in a chilly cone-shaped pool
with vodka, or gin
Found this little doozy of a haiku as I was late night (early morning?) creeping. If it was me, I would change it to Sunday as I can't think of a more appropriate drink to tote around while attending, with a small group of young well-to-dos, my first burlesque show!
Jealous??
PS. Vodka?! NOT an option...
in a chilly cone-shaped pool
with vodka, or gin
Found this little doozy of a haiku as I was late night (early morning?) creeping. If it was me, I would change it to Sunday as I can't think of a more appropriate drink to tote around while attending, with a small group of young well-to-dos, my first burlesque show!
Jealous??PS. Vodka?! NOT an option...
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Telly on Telly: Fall Season
Ahhhh, welcome back, readers. It's the ultimate t.j. kous's favorite time of year! New Fall Seasons are just the best! Old returning favorites, new returning favorites and brand spanking new programming. Ok, let's break this down.
What I have watched:
I have caught up on all my Gossip Girl. Like, ALL. In the last week I have watched all of it. Every episode. And these seaon two eps! Well, where does one start? It was a seamless break and I am so looking forward to what GG has to give. As the narrator herself proclaimed "[we] ain't seen nothing yet!" Amazing.
Other than that I've been watching Jon & Kate Plus Eight, which is just the best little reality show ever. I tell ya, those kids crack me up, every time, I just want to squeeze their cute little face! And Kate and Jon, well there's a great study of human interaction. Sheesh, she's a bitch. But i do love her. A lot!
Caught the VMAs (whatever)
Entourage was delightful and as narratively vacuous as ever. They all looked great, the ladies were there (and topless as always), the scenery was top notch. You know, it's Entourage.
I love love LOVED! True Blood. What a great show, just what I needed really. I love vampires (like, i want to legit BE one) and after having given myself literary blueballs with Twilight, it was nice to see some vampires fucking! Mmm mmm! I was also very impressed with how they handled the telepathy, which to me seemed to have the most bombing potential when it came to the show's plot devices. I will definitely be back for more!
Now, what I haven't watched, but anticipate:
90210 is sitting, waiting on my DVR, THREE HOURS OF IT! I just don't know what to do. I hear bad things, everyone's telling me it sucks, and I don't like that. I actually did hear tonight (from an unexpected source) that it was great and I will love it. You know what? It will be great and I WILL love it! You know why? Because I'm going to choose to! Anything that has Jennie Garth, the return of Brenda, Lucille Bluth AND Aunt Becky PLUS an entire cast of new young hotties can't be all bad. It's just not possible. I have a lot of patience for 90210.
Fringe is also on my DVR. Not so in a rush to watch this one as I imagine it will have to mature a little before I can really sink my teeth into it. But I am very excited!!
I am very very looking forward to the returns of Ugly Betty, The Office, Old Christine, Little BRITAIN (in USA form this time, which is going to just be so effing special!) and I'm even more looking forward to the new version of Kath & Kim! Granted I've never seen the Aussie version, but I can just see really good things for this show. Selma Blair is a really gifted comedian and I so enjoy her in comedic roles. And there's nothing I need to say or even think to prove the comic worth and value of Molly Shannon! (What's the difference between worth and value anyway??) She's a singular sensation. It should be great.
So, until the winter, when my one and only returns, I have plenty of shit to watch on the tube.
What are YOU going to be watching??
What I have watched:
I have caught up on all my Gossip Girl. Like, ALL. In the last week I have watched all of it. Every episode. And these seaon two eps! Well, where does one start? It was a seamless break and I am so looking forward to what GG has to give. As the narrator herself proclaimed "[we] ain't seen nothing yet!" Amazing.
Other than that I've been watching Jon & Kate Plus Eight, which is just the best little reality show ever. I tell ya, those kids crack me up, every time, I just want to squeeze their cute little face! And Kate and Jon, well there's a great study of human interaction. Sheesh, she's a bitch. But i do love her. A lot!
Caught the VMAs (whatever)
Entourage was delightful and as narratively vacuous as ever. They all looked great, the ladies were there (and topless as always), the scenery was top notch. You know, it's Entourage.
I love love LOVED! True Blood. What a great show, just what I needed really. I love vampires (like, i want to legit BE one) and after having given myself literary blueballs with Twilight, it was nice to see some vampires fucking! Mmm mmm! I was also very impressed with how they handled the telepathy, which to me seemed to have the most bombing potential when it came to the show's plot devices. I will definitely be back for more!
Now, what I haven't watched, but anticipate:
90210 is sitting, waiting on my DVR, THREE HOURS OF IT! I just don't know what to do. I hear bad things, everyone's telling me it sucks, and I don't like that. I actually did hear tonight (from an unexpected source) that it was great and I will love it. You know what? It will be great and I WILL love it! You know why? Because I'm going to choose to! Anything that has Jennie Garth, the return of Brenda, Lucille Bluth AND Aunt Becky PLUS an entire cast of new young hotties can't be all bad. It's just not possible. I have a lot of patience for 90210.
Fringe is also on my DVR. Not so in a rush to watch this one as I imagine it will have to mature a little before I can really sink my teeth into it. But I am very excited!!
I am very very looking forward to the returns of Ugly Betty, The Office, Old Christine, Little BRITAIN (in USA form this time, which is going to just be so effing special!) and I'm even more looking forward to the new version of Kath & Kim! Granted I've never seen the Aussie version, but I can just see really good things for this show. Selma Blair is a really gifted comedian and I so enjoy her in comedic roles. And there's nothing I need to say or even think to prove the comic worth and value of Molly Shannon! (What's the difference between worth and value anyway??) She's a singular sensation. It should be great.
So, until the winter, when my one and only returns, I have plenty of shit to watch on the tube.
What are YOU going to be watching??
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