Did I just pick that quote because it has Xander wanting to be gay? Yep! I'm all jittery right now because I have a performance review at my work in half an hour. So because I can't concentrate on work, I thought I'd reflect on the TV I've watched this week so far.

**FYI: I am cutting for spoilers (which I always do *g*) but I rarely include significant spoilers when I talk about my TV shows.**

( The Simpsons - Jazzy and the Pussycats 18:2 )

( The Amazing Race - Real Fast! Quack, Quack! 10:1 )

( Corner Gas (Canadian sitcom) - Hair Comes the Judge 4:1 )

( Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - Pilot 1:1 )

( How I Met Your Mother - Where We Were 2:1 )

( House - Informed Consent 3:3 )

( Dancing with the Stars - 3:2 )

( The Daily Show & the Colbert Report )

Well, I have killed time before my review. It is just a few minutes away now. Oh, and should you be wondering, my icon is for How I Met Your Mother.

Despite the insane weather, which a meteorologist described as the result of "a war between cold and warm fronts", I'm rushing off to go out with some friends. I really want to recap my week of television watching, so I've limited myself to writing one non-spoilery sentence about each show that I watched.

Battlestar Galactica - Sacrifice (2.16)

It made me cry and there was angst - especially Kara angst - so all good in my books.


Gilmore Girls - A Vineyard Valentine (6.15)

I will not be won over and like Logan no matter how much the show tries to make the viewers like him!!


Supernatural - The Benders (1.15)

Oh Dean, you're the best brother ever, and did I mention sooo damn sexy?!!


24 - 2pm-3pm (5.8)

Jack Bauer once again proves that only he is capable of going undercover, thwarting terrorists, disobeying direct orders and - as an added bonus - being adorable with small children!


The Daily Show

Best joke the Daily Show staff didn't have to write: The vice president accidentally shot a 78 year old man in the face.


I'm still a couple of weeks behind on Lost, Bones, Smallville, and the Office. I must get caught up while the Olympics are on and Veronica Mars is in reruns. My friend E called me last night after she watched Smallville and told me that Clark is a bastard. When I worried that he was being mean to Lex, she reassured me that they'd had a nice romantic dinner with candles and Clark was very sweet to Lex. Now, I suspect that she MIGHT be joking, but I'm enjoying her version for now.

Now off to dinner and Capote!!!

Instead of watching George W. Bush's State of the Nation address on Tuesday night, like most Americans I watched Gilmore Girls and Supernatural. (The WB was 2nd in adults 18-49 behind Fox in ratings). To be honest, I was actually at work during the State of the Nation address and only had time to watch Gilmore Girls when I got home BUT I PVRed Supernatural and will watch it when I have time during the day (because I'm wimpy and SPN scares me).

I did watch Jon Stewart - who's been sick, poor Jon Stewart - and got my favourite quote from Bush's speech:

"America is addicted to oil."


I then watched The Colbert Report and was delighted to see David Cross (aka Tobias on Arrested Development) as "Russ Lieber"!! According to Maureen Ryan on the Chicago Tribute blog, Colbert has a feud with Lieber. This makes me wish I had more time to watch The Colbert Report more frequently.

I also have some TV news of note in my world:

- The final 4 episodes of Arrested Development will air on Friday, February 10th 8pm-10pm on Fox. Yes, that is the same time as the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Yes, Fox should announced that it will be cancelling Arrested Development any day now. I'm hoping what I've read is true, and that Showtime will pick up this fabulous show!!

- This news makes me very happy: James Marsters will return to Smallville sometime in the spring in an episode called 'Hypnotic.' He will guest star in more than this one episode.

- The WB shifts its shows around: In March Everwood moves to Monday nights at 9pm (its old time slot) and Supernatural moves to Thursdays at 9pm. Now this actually makes some sense: Smallville and Supernatural are the perfect pairing. However, Everwood shouldn't be paired with 7th Heaven because ... well it seems silly to explain that 7th Heaven is a completely crappy show (everyone knows that) whereas Everwood is one of the best shows on tv.


Speaking of Everwood, I've been irrationally worrying that it will be sacrificed when the WB and UPN become The CW. TV Gal also expresses concern for Everwood's future making me feel less silly.


Hmm. Even though it's a few hours after Veronica Mars "Rashard and Wallace Go to White Castle" (2.12), I don't have much to say about it. (Don't worry no spoilers.) I enjoyed it at the time, but I've noticed that I can't think of anything to post about VM episodes recently. Maybe because my writing partner and I are working on a VM spec script, I don't have any more energy to think about the show.

I'm unwinding from my first day of vacation (I'm off until Tuesday January 3rd!) ... so I bring you some random stuff about movies and tv:

Brokeback Mountain

Damn you Toronto's Cumberland theatre and the faulty equipment(?)/film(?) that caused the film to start PLAYING UPSIDE DOWN AND BACKWARDS an hour into the movie!! WTF!!!

What could be worse than a section of the movie being unwatchable (people were laughing it was so ridiculous)? The Cumberland (the only threatre currently playing Brokeback Mountain in Toronto) couldn't get it fixed, so we had to leave and I haven't seen the remaining hour and a half. Sure they gave us 2 free passes but it still means that I've only seen the 1st hour of the movie, and I didn't have time to catch the next show because I had plans with another friend later (for more movies). Fyi: because it was a matinee they gave us free matinee passes. Personally I thought that was stingy - they should have given us full priced passes - since it ruined our viewing experience, and means we have to find time another day. Of course, I'm pretty grouchy about the whole thing because I was LOVING the movie, and I had just gotten fully into the characters and the story.

To feel better I went shopping at Winners and bought a pair of warm and waterproof winter boots, and 2 warm yet cute sweaters. I'm all about trying to be as warm as possible this winter.

Part One of my evening double bill: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

My annoyance at the Brokeback Mountain situation was soothed by an enjoyable repeat viewing of Harry Potter. I went with a friend who laughs at all the same stuff I do so it was really fun.

Part Two of my evening double bill: King Kong

This is what blockbusters the movie experience should be: good story, edge of your seat action, interesting characters, good acting, homage to old movies, good use of special effects and touching scenes. I love Peter Jackson, and Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

I LOVED King Kong!!! I cried multiple times during the movie. Kong is definitely my favourite character!!

Post-modernism and meta-storytelling is prevalent in this movie ... but in a good way, not in a self-indulgent, I'm just lazy so am relying on other sources kind of way. Peter Jackson succeeds in making this remake an original film.

House

I just saw the Emmy winning episode "Three Stories" and was blown away by the brilliance of the episode. I must congratulate the Emmy voters for actually making a good call. "Three Stories" made me immediately include House Season One on my Christmas Gift List.

I love the way the episode deconstructs linear episode structure by melding at least 4 different time periods together. It's awesome the way this is made clear to the viewer:

House: Oh, right, you guys [House's team] don’t know about him. He doesn’t get bitten until three months after we treat the volleyball player. Luckily, it’s been well established that time is not a fixed construct.

Also, the use of Carmen Electra to stand in for a patient actually made the revelation that one of the patients is/was (I'm going with the whole "time is not a fixed construct" thing) House a surprise for me!

The Daily Show and its coverage of "The War on Christmas"

I'm actually in the Christmas spirit this year: I've decorated my apartment with lights and a small Christmas tree. However, my happiness about the holiday is being ruined by this Christian right dramatics about the so-called "War on Christmas". The whole thing is so annoying and offensive to the many people who aren't Christian that it's hard for me to be articulate about the situation. Thank god Comedy Central for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and its good response to the whole situation. This is why I have a crush on Jon Stewart.

I love that there are Buffy reruns on during the day (1pm on Razer and 3pm on Space) so I often catch parts of the episodes (normally while I'm working out and getting ready for work). Bad Eggs (2:12) was on today, and even though it's kind of cheesy I'm always entertained by that episode. One of my favourite moments on the show happens in that episode when Giles, Buffy and Willow discover that Xander has boiled the egg he's responsible for:

Giles: Technically that would be cheating, yes?

Xander: No! It's like a short cut. You know, when you run a race?

Buffy: That would also be cheating.

Willow: You should be ashamed.

Giles: I suppose there is a sort of... Machiavellian ingenuity to your
transgression.

Xander: I resent that! Or possibly thank you.

Xander's response is perfect - it's exactly the right response to being told that you're employing a Machiavellian approach. I'm also entertained by his attempt to explain away his cheating.

Today when I was declaring my love for Entourage and saying that it's one of my favourite shows, my co-worker accused me of having 4,000 favourite shows, and that for something to be a favourite it should be the only one. To that I say, Ha! Yes, ha! She's missing out on all my fun. I love having lots of favourite things - it's fun to enjoy a diversity of things! For a while one of my friends was re-watching all the Buffy episodes and whenever she'd tell me the episode she'd just watched, I'd declare "that's one of my favourite episodes!" It became a running joke with us.

Although I watch a lot of shows - and have a lot of favourites, they fall into different categories/my own version of genres:

Show or Shows I Will Always Love:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly

Newly Canceled Show - and Thought-Provoking Show on Spirituality - that I Miss:
Joan of Arcadia

Newest Obsession:
Veronica Mars

Every time I Watch this Show I Declare it to be the "Best Show on Television:"
Everwood

Favourite Dramedy and Show that I Forget the Characters Aren't Real:
Gilmore Girls

Favourite Character Drama:
Lost

Favourite Sci Fi Series - and Political Commentary:
Doctor Who (the new one)

Favourite Reality Series (and only one I watch):
Amazing Race

Favourite Comedy that Makes Me Cry (and Laugh):
Scrubs

Favourite Comedy that Shocks Me by Its Daring (and Makes Me Laugh):
Arrested Development

Favourite Comedy About Friends That Makes Me Laugh:
Entourage

Favourite News (ahem, Fake News) Show:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Even as I write this list, I'm concerned that I'm leaving out shows that I love. Should I have also included My So-Called Life in "Show or Shows I Will Always Love"? What about Freaks & Geeks, Roseanne, Northern Exposure, and Kids in the Hall? Okay, maybe I do have a problem with loving too many tv shows, oh well. I think I'll watch some re-runs of the Amazing Race, one of my favourite shows!