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TV Throwdowns
As my recent posts have brought to light, we can’t always get along.
I love Tyler Labine on Reaper. Some of you do. Some of you think he’s doing a bad Jack Black impersonation. And some of you won’t even watch the show because he’s on it.
I couldn’t like The Office last week. Many of you agree with me. While a large contingent thinks I totally missed the point of the episode. My sister swears its better when you watch it a second time (I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that yet).
I can’t believe Michael Johns is gone. A bunch of you think it was time for him to go.
As we talked about earlier this season with the great Pushing Daisies Debate of 2007 what I love about TV is that we can all watch the same thing and have very different reactions.
But what I wanted to hear about was the biggest TV disagreement you’ve ever had with a colleague, friend, or family member.
I still remember a heated argument I had with a friend of mine about Buffy the Vampire Slayer (bet you’re not surprised). My friend dismissed the show as being exploitive to women, silly, and a stupid teen show. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I argued with her for about 15 minutes and then said to her, "We have to stop talking about this. I love the show and I know it’s just a TV show but it’s so upsetting to me that this is what you think of it." And we never spoke of it again.
So that’s my biggest TV argument. What’s yours?
Where Have I Seen Them Before?
David and Ed recognized M.C. Gainey, Tom Friendly on Lost, as the lawyer Braxton Smalls on Bones.
Jen recognized Haviland Morris as the marriage counselor on One Tree Hill. As Jen correctly remembered, Morris was Caroline in Sixteen Candles and we just saw her as the mother of one of the girls accused of murder on Canterbury’s Law.
There were a slew of familiar faces on Eli Stone. Ginni recognized Jennifer Aspen as the veterinarian. Aspen was Daphne on Party of Five, Janet on Bob Patterson, and Trina on Rodney. And most recently we saw her as the woman dating one of the conjoined twins on Grey’s Anatomy. Ginni also caught Sterling K. Brown as the inmate who couldn’t get a parole hearing. He’s Roland on Army Wives and Gordon on Supernatural.
All this week’s bonus points go to DJ who recognized Dave Giuntoli as Maggie’s fiancé on Eli Stone. Giuntoli played himself on both Road Rules and Real World/Road Rules Challenge. He’s also popped up on episodes of Nip/Tuck, Ghost Whisperer and Veronica Mars.
Joanna recognized Michael Mitchell as the burn victim who wanted to attend his high school graduation on Scrubs. Mitchell was Bronson Pope on Veronica Mars and Derek on Invasion.
Joanna also recognized Beth Grant as Dwight’s date on The Office. She was Gracie on Jericho and this season we saw her on Bones and According to Jim.
Daveigh Chase was the heart transplant patient who disappeared on Without a Trace. Chase is Rhonda on Big Love. Suzanne Cryer was her mother. Cryer was Ashley on Two Guys and a Girl. And file under interesting - both ER and Without a Trace had a heart transplant story on the same night).
Jay Paulson, Physical Phil on October Road, was Dean James, the man accused of murder on CSI.
Harris Yulin was Elizabeth’s father on Canterbury’s Law. I’ll always remember him as Quentin Travers on Buffy. He was also Roger Stanton on 24 and we just saw him as Rafe on Cashmere Mafia.
Ask TV Gal
Please, would you tell me what is the status of Men In Trees? It happens to be one of my very favorite show and to take it off the air without any explanation is deplorable! Patty
Well the good news, Patty, is that Men In Trees returns with new episodes tonight (Wednesday at 10 p.m. on ABC). In this week’s episode, Marin meets Julia, the woman who was lost at sea with Jack. Next week Sofia Vergara guest stars as a writer of relationship books. And the really good news is that Sam and Jane are in both of these episodes. After that though, shenanigans start to happen. Boston Legal takes over the Wednesday 10 p.m. time slot beginning April 30. And then Men in Trees will return on May 28 to complete the season and have its season finale Wednesday, June 11 at 10 p.m.
So, I just read on TV news that Michael Trevino from Cane was cast in a CW show. Though I noticed it hasn't been on since the strike, I hadn't heard anything about Cane being cancelled? Do you know anything? Janin
Alas poor Cane exists in that weird TV place where it hasn’t officially been cancelled but no one thinks we’ll be seeing a second season of the show. With the writer’s strike this season, many shows suffered that same fate – the network aired all available episodes and then never said anything direct about the fate of the show (see NBC’s Journeyman and ABC’s Cashmere Mafia.) What will most likely happen is that when CBS announces its fall schedule in May, Cane simply won't be on it.
Smallville
The CW has sent out a preview of Thursday night’s episode. Check out these links but warning the clips (and here's one more) do contain spoilers.
Fun Contest
If you ever watched a movie or TV show and thought, I can do that. This competition may be for you. Lifetime Networks is launching the Every Woman’s Film Competition, open to all aspiring female filmmakers. Check it out at http://www.mylifetime.com/sweeps/ewfc/submit.php
That’s all for today. I’ll be back on Friday with this week’s familiar faces and to discuss the return of Brothers & Sisters (I’m having issues with the preview tape that should be resolved by then). Have a question? Seen a familiar face? Want to nominate a quote of the week or a topic for discussion. Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com. Talk to you on Friday.
I've definitely had that Buffy conversation - I could never understand how people could automatically dismiss it. I was actually made fun of for watching - those idiots didn't know what they were missing!
Dani | Apr 16, 2008 12:38:25 PM | #a very good friend of mine whom I was trying to convince to watch Veronica Mars once dismissed me with a, "well... she looks kind of ugly". I should have known - her idea of a perfect show with absolutely no flaws is Grey's Anatomy. I stopped trying after that.
Emaline | Apr 16, 2008 12:42:25 PM | #I just watched "The Office" episode today on-line, and I am with you. It made me uncomfortable watching it, and I was not even at the dinner! :)
Oh, and I loved, "Buffy" too. So what if it was a teeny-bopper show.
C. Young | Apr 16, 2008 12:44:54 PM | #I'm having an ongoing argument with my mother about whether or not Aaron (LOST) counts as one of the Oceanic Six. She thinks he is, I (despite all evidence to the contrary) swear that he isn't, and until incontrovertible proof is presented to me, that's the belief I'm stickin' with.
It's reminiscent of American Idol a few years ago, when I was *SURE* Bo Bice was going to win and it turned out to be Carrie Underwood. Not that she didn't deserve it, I just really liked Bo ;)
MK | Apr 16, 2008 12:46:19 PM | #I've had the same Buffy conversation many MANY times...
I've also had similar debates with people who dismiss The Simpsons or South Park as "cartoons" and therefore won't watch them.
CT | Apr 16, 2008 12:48:21 PM | #Also, did anyone notice that Sweets girlfriend on Bones was played by Delia from My So-Called Life. She's looking incredible these days!
Eliza | Apr 16, 2008 12:53:04 PM | #My biggest throw-down was with a friend of mine about American Idol the season that Taylor and McPheever battled in the finals. I was living abroad so I had no sense of America's leanings in the competition, but it was pretty clear that Katherine McPhee was the more talented of the two competitors. So I explained to my friend that she *should* win b/c she was a better singer, and that Taylor was only interesting to people b/c of his ridiculous performances and b/c he has an everyman quality (with the gray hair and all), and nobody would actually want to listen to him on the radio. My friend FERVENTLY disagreed with me and we battled on the phone for about 20 minutes before I awkwardly changed the subject. I couldn't speak to my friend for about 2 wks after Taylor won. I was so disappointed in America.
I guess the joke was on him, though, b/c Taylor Hicks hasn't done too well for himself post-Idol.
Cat | Apr 16, 2008 12:57:12 PM | #Um, I am constantly defending Desperate Housewives. A lot of my friends refuse to watch it saying that its really dirty and filthy. While i tend to kind of agree with them as far as early season 1, the show is sometimes more tame than other shws that are on tv.
BTW, Spent the entire weekend watching FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS season 1 and 2 and love it and am so sad that i have no more episodes to watch. Coach and tammy are my favorite as well as Matty Sarencen. Anyway, thought you'd enjoy another fan ready to watch it when it comes on next year! :(
I think Veronica Mars sucked. I tried several times to get into it, but I thought the storylines were stupid and full of plot holes, the production values were terrible, and most of the acting was subpar. And I know everyone else loved the show.
Joe | Apr 16, 2008 1:25:25 PM | #"Reasonable Doubts"--I was shocked when Tess (Marlee Matlin) slept with someone on the first date--my sister told me I was being a prude. I'm still a prude--but I enjoyed the show.
Valerie | Apr 16, 2008 1:55:23 PM | #Buffy was the show that I had to defend watching. I kept trying to convince my friends that it was a terrific show with great writing and style. Only one of my friends watched it, and she agreed that it was one of the best shows on TV.
Stephanie | Apr 16, 2008 2:16:11 PM | #I can't really remember any knock down arguments I've ever had with anyone concerning TV. But maybe this'll be worth mentioning...
One of the eye-opening moments in my life was once when I mentioned (on some BBoard) that I thought "The Cosby Show" was far more "realistic" than was "Roseanne." Boy did I get a severe tongue lashing from so many people on that board! (My life growing up *was* more like Cosby Show, even though I was an only child in a white family!)
David B. Mears | Apr 16, 2008 2:45:29 PM | #Oh boy, the Buffy argument!!! I've had it so many times. Even with someone who loved Angel *shakes head*. I mean, I understand that Angel had a darker vibe than Buffy, but they're not THAT different...
Myriam | Apr 16, 2008 2:57:15 PM | #Yeah, the Buffy conversation was so boring. I definitely didn't agree that it was a 'teeny bopper' show. It was a satire. I'm a teacher and I know satire is hard for kids to get but please....grow up. Same goes for The Simpsons, South Park and now Battlestar Gallactica.
tv | Apr 16, 2008 3:18:25 PM | #I have argued for Buffy, Angel, Jericho, and Numb3rs. Especially Angel - so hard to explain so people would even give it a chance. And I must agree that Tyler Labine is tops! I loved him in Dead Last, Traveler, Invasion, and Reaper.
Melissa | Apr 16, 2008 3:25:50 PM | #Amy thanks for the Smallville clips. That is the show I always get in arguements with my family about. I actually got in an arguement once with my cousin (who was eight at the time) about an episode once. That is the only show I've ever done that with.
Penny | Apr 16, 2008 3:47:23 PM | #I had that Buffy conversation MANY times when I worked in a music store and we played the buffy musical soundtrack constantly.
Cody | Apr 16, 2008 4:03:02 PM | #I wish I could have had a TV argument. I care about TV show much and nobody I know seems to care about it too much.
I have had people make fun of me about liking certain things, but then I tend not to fight back because I can't help what I like, so... yeah.
Kim | Apr 16, 2008 4:34:55 PM | #I've had arguments with a boyfriend because herefused to watch a show because his ex liked it!
Solly | Apr 16, 2008 5:02:54 PM | #I have been trying to convince a number of my friends that you don't have to be a sci-fi fan to love Battlestar Galactica. So many people think that you need to be a trekkie or something to enjoy it... not that there's anything wrong with being a trekkie!
I have found that a lot of shows I love, like BSG, Doctor Who, Buffy, Roswell, etc. get dismissed by other people for being fantasy-based and unrealistic. They can't see how much this opens up space for GREAT story-telling, which, when you remove the aliens or demons, frequently is very realistic and full of social commentary. Not to mention just fun to watch!
Allie | Apr 16, 2008 5:07:30 PM | #No bad TV fights... I introduced my non-TV watching college roommate to Everwood and Gilmore Girls and we incessantly argued about which was better even though we both loved them.
Other than that, my dad and I argue over which is the best comedy of all-time: Seinfeld or Arrested Development.
Brooke | Apr 16, 2008 5:47:02 PM | #I’ll admit that I was on the opposite end of the Buffy argument for many years. My sister loved the show and I, having only seen the movie, could not bring myself to believe for a second that it could possibly be worth my time. There was a lot of rolling of eyes and shaking of heads.
Then one day I tore the tendons in my ankle right before a road trip so I was stuck in a hotel room bed most of the time with my foot up, and lo and behold my sister had brought her DVD player and the first season of Buffy and made me watch it because I couldn’t get away. And sure enough by the end of the first episode I was hooked. I now own all the DVDs and a couple of the action figures. And my sister brings up the fact that she was right as often as possible.
My biggest TV argument was with a friend who's a fan of Japanese anime. I can't tolerate the dreadful animation and ridiculous stylistic conventions. The "animation" is really cheap, compared to Disney school: mostly nicely-drawn stills with lots of pans and radiating effect lines like in the TV Gal logo, and hardly any actual animation. And I couldn't understand why he didn't take offense at everybody having enormous eyes, hair that's constantly blowing in a breeze (even indoors), and leaps of about 10 feet that take 5 seconds to complete. This is really comic books with audio tracks, *not* animation.
We agreed not to talk about anime any more.
Henry | Apr 16, 2008 7:21:32 PM | #I'm sorry, you're friend said Buffy was exploitative to women?! Whaaaaa? Did she ever watch a single frame? As far as I'm concerned, the entire series was a dedication to strong, powerful, smart, funny, women, and the men who are strong enough to recognize what a turn on that is. I sure wish there was anything nearly as empowering on now.
K | Apr 16, 2008 7:29:57 PM | #I don't know if it's my biggest tv argument ever, but right now there's a guy at work who constantly insuiates that the only reason I watch Supernatural is for the two hot guys. I know he's only trying to push my buttons but it still annoys me each and every time. I just feel he's belittling the show when he does that. As attractive as I find Dean and Sam they're really not my top "type" of man. I usually go for a different type of guy. So really the reasons I got into the show were many but not once was it b/c the leads were hot guys. That was simply a bonus.
Whew! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest!!
Lindlee | Apr 16, 2008 8:01:51 PM | #
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