10 Reasons Parenthood Should Be Renewed

So the latest statement from NBC on Parenthood's renewal is something like, "We'll just wait and see how it goes." This is incredibly frustrating for those of us who are fans of the show. NBC is notorious for making horrible decisions with TV (which is kind of what 30 Rock was really all about), but to me, they have a good thing going with Parenthood. Sure, the ratings aren't as big as they hope, but unless they have a Walking Dead up their sleeve or plan on bringing Matthew from Downton Abbey back from the dead in a spin-off (Romelle, I'm looking at you for a title), they should be content with the consistent viewership of the show. Word of advice to those of you who are wanting to bring it back, don't watch ANY OF THE NEW NBC SHOWS. If any of them rank higher than Parenthood, it could get the axe. So just don't do it. Move over to Fox or Bravo or even ABC, but don't give NBC a reason.

Here are 10 reasons NBC should bring Parenthood back:

Real men...massage...each...other?

1. Male Role Models-For years we have watched as helpless fathers on sit-coms plant themselves in front of the TV and declare ignorance at anything to do with housework, kids, or romance. They spout off their one-liners and everyone laughs, but we all know that the women are running the show. I happen to believe art imitates real life, but after so many decades of viewing this kind of interaction, it's hard to know what came first...the chicken or the egg. Adam, Joel, Zeke, and even Crosby are not the fathers of the 80's and 90's. They love their wives, work hard, are invested in the lives of their children, and are not afraid to show passion even if it brings tears. They are far from perfect, but they try, listen, and are active participants in their families rather than background comedic relief. More of this please.

Save the drama for your...oh wait...you are the mama.

2. Sarah's Redemption-Sarah is no Lorelai, that's for sure. Still you can't help but love her. At first it just seemed like she'd been dealt a raw deal. Divorced mom of 2 teens moving in with her parents to get her life together. But now we know that Sarah is one of "those people." You know the kind. There are 2 types of drama. The drama that just happens in life, and the kind we create for ourselves. Sarah creates her own drama. Dave Ramsey, financial guru, has a theory that if you have $1000 in savings, that things that would otherwise be emergencies (doctors visits, broken down cars, stopped up toilets, etc.) are not emergencies. Without that money in savings, you create more debt or cause a crisis in other areas of life (no grocery money, gas money, late bills, etc.) This is how I feel about Sarah emotionally. She has no healthy emotional reserve to dip from, and so she just spins from crisis to crisis making bad choices that lead to more bad choices. With the ridiculousness of her choosing Hank over Mark, she is wide open to really get her life in order this next season. It's a clean slate, and we want to see her make the most of it. There are no gay characters on Parenthood yet, and in staying true to her wandering spirit, I wouldn't be surprised if Sarah's next relationship is with a woman.

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands.

3. Amber's Happiness -So, even though Sarah is a screw up, her daughter Amber has really come into her own lately. She's independent, smart, and savvy. Even though she was so in love with Ryan, she chose not to be caught up in his drama and was willing to part with him until he figured his shit out. Now that he's pushed past some of that, it's time for us to see her happy with him. I'd love for the next season to end with Ryan and Amber's wedding. I would ALSO like to see Amber pursue a degree in Child Development/Psychology. Her talent working with Max should not be a dropped storyline, but come back into play on a larger scale. Just because she didn't get into Berkeley doesn't mean SFSU wouldn't take her!

Wisdom lies here.

4. Camille Braverman, The Matriarch-Bonnie Bedelia brings grace and strength to every character she's ever played. Camille Braverman is no exception. She is a free spirit, but responsible, nurturing, but not controlling, and encouraging, but has high standards of behavior. This season with Kristina's breast cancer, we got to see the relationship between these two up close. At times it was awkward and hard not to feel bad for both of them as they sorted out the push and pull of helping, not wanting help, needing help, and finally receiving help. Camille, who is often the character with the least dialogue, communicated efficiently and emotionally and finally pierced through Kristina's outer shell to let her know that she is loved. I'd love to see more of these moments, and learn more about Camille. Just don't kill her off. I do worry that a death is coming if Parenthood stays on the air. You can only dance with cancer, car wrecks, and construction sites for so long.

5. Promoting Family-I am a single woman in my 30's with no kids. While I am pretty content in this life, watching the Braverman clan celebrate, mourn, and do life together is enough to make me want to start popping out kids right now. Lots of them! There are many shows that center around family, but few of them do it as well as this one. It never looks easy, but it always looks worth it. Isn't that how most of the best things in life flesh out? I also love that this is a liberal family who lives in Berkeley (a.k.a. Satan's lair), and still manages uphold a strong sense of family (Wait, I thought liberals were trying to destroy the family...). Even if they make decisions that you and your family wouldn't, at least they talk about their issues and deal with them. There is no perpetuation of pretend perfection happening here, which is what I find to be the thing that tears most families apart...no matter what side of the political spectrum they land on or where they live. All of this is really not what's important. What is important is that Parenthood has made family cool again. So many dramas focus on the work place or groups of friends, (or if you're Dallas, you focus on the horror of being related to horrible people) but Parenthood promotes family, even if it looks different than yours.

Victor's adoption process was one of my very favorite story lines.

6. Models of Parenting-I love that the show gives us not 1, not 2, but 5 different examples of how people parent. Add in the in-laws (like Jasmine's mother) and that number increases. When I worked in a job where people came to me to discuss things like parenting, I would often walk to my bookshelf and point to the books on raising kids. I usually pointed out a few of my favorites, but in the end, I pointed out that there are hundreds. If there were only one way to parent, there would be only one book on how to do it. But with changing economy, social pressures, and technology, to name a few, parents must take new aspects of life into consideration as they make decisions for their kids. I like that Parenthood showcases these different styles. Sarah wants to be friends with her kids. Jasmine and Crosby like to take time to explain things to Jabbar. Joel and Julia often end up in good cop/bad cop situations. Adam and Kristina choose their battles (and very few of them) with Max who has Asperger's. And then there's Zeke and Camille, who are kind of perfect when it comes to parenting their adult children. What I love is that the writers of the show aren't afraid to let these families bloom through the situations they've put them in, which allows for what seem like very real life consequences of spoiled brats, emotionally withdrawn teenagers, back talking, and at times, all hell breaking loose.

7. Realistic Siblings-If you are an only child, you may wanna skip this section. It might make you slightly depressed. I have a younger brother, Austin. Someone once told me that when I talk about him, I have a special tone of admiration in my voice reserved for just him. I adore him. But as I have watched him become a man, and he has watched me become a woman, the nature of our relationship has changed. Where we once centered all of our conversations around movies and television, playing pop-culture games, our relationship has matured with us. We have begun to formulate opinions about each others lives and actions. Some things that he does puzzle me, I am sure he feels the same way about my decisions. Yet, there is NO ONE on the PLANET that is more like me than he is. From the blood running through our veins to our mannerisms, no one can deny we are siblings, and our basic responses to most things are similar if not at times, identical. There is such a great comfort in this for me. Maybe the most fascinating thing that Parenthood has done is actually being able to create this kind of interaction between four unrelated actors. Zeke and Camille "birthed" these children who share different parts of their hippie spirit and ambition. Julia and Adam got the drive to succeed, Crosby and Sarah are the creative free spirits. Yet, when the four of them talk, they NAIL the dialogue and mannerisms of siblings. Their interaction is seamless. And aside from the way they interact (the best scenes are always the ones just between the 4 of them), their relationships are believable. Even though Adam and Sarah are different in most ways, he still goes to her for things because they are closer in age, not wanting to show Julia that he's less than perfect. Crosby adores and respects Adam, but needs and resents him at times. Julia and Sarah have very little in common personality wise, yet Sarah is so proud of Julia and all she's accomplished. These relationships are brilliantly written and acted, and hopefully they make people think about the treasure of having siblings. (Just for fun, did you know that Sarah and Adam date in real life?)

Amber's face is pretty much what I look like while listening to the music on Parenthood.

8.Music-As if Bob Dylan's Forever Young played through the opening of this show each week isn't enough to make you happy, the show is FULL of great music. Andrew Bird, The Avett Brothers, Neko Case, Leonard Cohen, Jack White, Fleetwood Mac, Iron and Wine, Missy Higgins...need I go on? All of these great artists and a ton more have had their songs showcased throughout episodes. In fact, you  might not realize it but each episode of Parenthood averages 5 songs. It used to be that Grey's Anatomy was the go-to show for up and coming artists and for us to find good music. They may have set the trend, but Parenthood has taken it and run with it. Hardly an episode goes by when I don't Shazam a song to see what it is. (Which brings me to this gem of a website: www.tunefinder.com They have EVERY song in EVERY episode of EVERY show you could possibly want to know about. Brilliant.) The thing I enjoy about the music of Parenthood is that it's not just new stuff, it's old stuff too, representative of the generations in the show. Aside from the music in the show, the show has a storyline revolving around music with the Luncheonette. I'd love to see them get to a place where they are bringing in more artists to perform. Bon Iver was on last season!

9. Perfect Dialogue-As a wannabe writer, I pay a lot of attention to language and how we communicate. I picked up pretty early on that Shonda Rhimes has a monologue in almost every episode of her shows where a character begins a speech with "You don't get to...." It didn't take me long to recognize the repetition and parallelism in the way she writes. Sit-coms have it easy because the goal is to deliver a joke, but trying to create natural conversation between characters while conveying the years of emotions built up from being related and have it hold up for 48 minutes each week and move the plot forward is difficult. But the writers of Parenthood are brilliant, and accompanied by actors who have really taken to their style. These "family" members talk over each other and like each other in a way that I've never seen on TV before. No character is exempt from these traits. There is so much truth to the fact that we begin to talk and develop similar mannerisms as the people we spend time around, and Parenthood impresses me each and every week with the interactions between characters.

"..and dear God, let me keep my job so I can buy a cute baby sloth for my beautiful wife."

10. What's Your Other Option?-Listen up NBC...if you cancel Parenthood, what are you going to replace it with? Another crime drama? Another medical show? Another sit-com that you keep threatening to cancel? Or maybe, God forbid, another "reality" show. The worst thing about NBC, is that they don't recognize a good thing when they have it. From Ann Curry to Dan Harmon, to any sit-com that never got past the first three episodes because it didn't bring in millions of viewers, NBC execs have their fingers on the trigger making watching TV there almost like eating at a buffet. From week to week they may not have the prime rib or pot roast that you love, but at least they have fried chicken, and by that I mean, SNL, so you keep coming back. Tina Fey isn't set to write TV again for a few years, and so I doubt there's anything that NBC could offer in the place of Parenthood that would cause me to watch. Come on NBC...make us proud....

Here's hoping Parenthood gets renewed!

What reasons do you have for wanting to see it come back?

The Best of 2012

These are in no way REALLY the "best" of the year, but here are a few of my best things from 2012.

This. Kid.

Best Reality Show-Here Comes Honey Boo Boo
Don't talk to me about Duck Dynasty. This is the real deal.

Best New Show-Nashville
I love it. It makes me want to revisit the city, it makes me want to listen to country music. The drama is great, the acting is great, the music is great, and I get swept up in it each week.

Best Drama-Parenthood
This should win for consistency if nothing else. Each and every episode delivers, which is rare. Usually there are hits and misses, but this one is on the money from week to week.

Best Comedy-30 Rock
Two Broke Girls, Modern Family, Raising Hope...I love them, but Tina Fey and this darling show will have my loyalty for the little time it has left on the air.

Best Song-We Are Young by Fun
It's a feel good song, it's upbeat, the lyrics are good, and it's smart. I could listen to this all day, and there have been days that I have.

Best Album-Babel by Mumford and Sons
Mumford and Sons is my go to music for the Fall and Winter. This new album by them is as good as their last, if not better. I can't wait to see what they do next!

Best Movie-Life of Pi
I watched A LOT of movies this year, but if I had to choose the best one FROM this year, I'd say it was this one. It was a creative and solid story as well as, suspenseful, action packed, funny, sentimental, and even carried a little twist ending.

Best "Breakout" Star-Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is in no way new to stardom, but she is new to movies, and this year she did a lot of them. The Words, Butter, People Like Us, and more. She played drastically different roles in each of them and did a great job. I am not sure she will ever hold down a leading lady spot, but I would love to see her try.

Everyone will know her name.

Best Underage Star-Chloe Grace Moretz
She's not new, but the more I watch her, the more I am super impressed. I can't wait to see her in Carrie coming in 2013!

Best "I Changed My Mind About Her" Star-Carey Mulligan
I wrote a blog earlier in the year about Mulligan and my doubt about her being cast as Daisy on Gatsby. While we are still waiting to see how she does in this movie, I have seen so much of her this year that I have changed my mind about her. She's beautiful, brilliant, vulnerable but strong, and when she's on screen I can't help but be enthralled by her. I admit, I judged her too quickly.

Best Celebrity Moment-Any Rebel Wilson interview
Best Celebrity Moment 2-Any Emma Stone interview
Best Celebrity Moment 3-Any Kristen Bell interview
These three are always perfectly adorable and hilarious during their interviews, unlike weirdos Kristen Stewart, Nicole Kidman, and Melanie Griffin. Watching those three on live TV is horrifying.

Well played.

Best Politician Moment-Obama playing Spiderman with a kid.
Adorable. Take note politicians, we live in an internet age. If you want to win an election, you MUST be likable on the internet.

This friendship is one of my favorite.

Best Politician Moment 2-Texts with Hillary Memes
She's just the coolest.

Best Bad Story Turned Good-The Bullied Bus Driver
I could mention Christian Bale's visit to the families of the dead and injured who were show in the theater during The Dark Knight Rises, but the bus driver story really stuck with me. When I read about the horrible things that this woman had to endure driving a bus of brats to and from school daily, I felt sick. To make things worse, she went home to a somewhat sad life each night. When America got wind of the video on the bus, people reached out to this woman with money, gifts, kind words, and more. She has since retired from driving on her over $600 grand worth of donations, some of which she gave to charity. I love when the good in humanity sees the bad and works to make up for it.

How does he look so scary!

Best Bad Guy Hair-Javier Bardem. Always.

He looks weird with clothes on.

Best Sports Moment-I didn't pay attention since Auburn was so bad. But probably something to do with Michael Phelp's abs.

Best Book-We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
This is one of the most haunting and well written books I have ever read. It's not from this year, but I did read it this year, so that's something.

Best App for iPhone-Pocket
I love this app cause I can just move everything I want to read and put it into one place. So when I'm sitting in a waiting room or wherever (I'll just say it, the bathroom), I can catch up on blogs, articles, and more! I'm a dork, I know, but this has been a really great thing to have this year in China!

What is on your BEST of 2012 list?

Amber and Max: TV Names

Maybe it’s just the shows I watch, but I’ve noticed an abnormal amount of characters named Max and Amber on TV lately. I thought it’d be fun to talk about them...maybe rank them. I realize this is not at all inclusive list of every Max or Amber that’s ever been on TV, but it’s current. It just so happens that some of them exist on the same shows.

Amber

Remember her from Hope Floats? One Fine Day? When a Man Loves a Woman?

Parenthood-Amber has had her ups and downs, but in the last season or so has really emerged as one of the more stable and consistently likable characters. One of my most recent favorite scenes with her in it was when Adam confided in her first about Christina’s Breast Cancer. It was this sweet and vulnerable moment that he chose to share with his niece of all people.
Likability: 9

Introducing...Clara Mamet

The Neighbors-Such an interesting casting choice, and yet I’m pleased overall with her presence on the show. She plays a perfectly cynical teenager, smarter than her parents on most things, and less than thrilled to be living among Aliens. She is very plain looking, not frilly or perfectly skinny, but from time to time she gives this smile that is warm and melting.
Likability:7

Max

I tried to pick a cute picture to make you like him more.

Parenthood-Now that Asperger’s has been taken out of the medical dictionary, I am interested to see how Parenthood handles Max and his behavior. It has definitely taken a back seat in recent episodes. As much as everyone I know is in love with this show, they want to kill Max. But I would suggest that maybe it’s not Max that they should be mad at. Maybe it’s Christina and Adam! The show is called PARENTHOOD...let’s get some going over there man. I get that it might be difficult, especially with a child who is not like other children, but COME ON.
Likability: 2 (on a good day)

Adorable.

The Neighbors-Max is seriously one of the cutest kids on TV. His facial expressions are adorable. He is cool, but still enough of a kid to pull off cute. He is an annoying brother, but also (as this week showed) a scared little kid at times. I’m not sure they’ve said what age he is, but I would put him at about 9. If you’re not watching this show, I’m telling you, you’re missing out, and Max is part of what you are missing.
Likability: 7

She wins.

Two Broke Girls-Aside from Kat Dennings being just gorgeous, her character is hilarious. She gets to say all the dirty jokes. She’s in control, cusses like a sailor, is independent, and hard in all the right ways. But she’s also all woman. She’s curvy, gets excited about candy, bakes cupcakes, and squeals with her best friend. Basically, I want to be her.
Likability: 10

My Grown Up Christmas List

Goregous.

I want to look like Kat Dennings or Kate Winslet. Either one will suffice.

Funniest person ever.

I want the confidence of Rebel Williams. She is a total honey badger, and I love her for it.

I can hold that for you?

I want Tina Fey to read my blog and think I’m clever and decide to hire and mentor me.

Oh Gwyneth...you're adorably ridiculous.

I want to be rich enough to nourish my inner aspect...ie...buy the stuff I see on goop.

Walk in the park...

I want to be married to John Krasinzki by day...

Candlelight dinner....

And Jesse Williams by night.

Is that seat for me?!

I want to be a Braverman....I don’t care how. I will be a distant cousin, or even just a twice removed something...just get me into that family!

I love her style!

I want the wardrobe of Mary from Downton Abbey...

I love this too though.

Maybe Kate Hudson on my Hippie days.

From now on when I sing, I'm making this face...just in case it all comes together at once.

I want to sing like Adele.

Talk about Magical Thinking...Joan Didion.

I want to write something that has the subtlety of Susan Orlean, the popularity of Harry Potter, the suspense of Stephen King, the inspiration of Brene Brown, the heart of Joan Didion, and the humor of David Sedaris.

What's on your Christmas List this year?

Agenda vs. Awareness

It’s no secret that Hollywood has a “hidden” agenda. Lots of them. And they leak out through the TV we watch. You might think you are just sitting down to watch Law and Order, SVU, enjoy a good crime drama, but then Olivia Benson starts throwing out some facts about rape or abandoned children and before you know it, it feels less like a crime drama and more like a lecture.

Lots of shows do this, but some do it better than others. And there’s a difference in Agenda and Awareness. This blog is going to try to explore and explain that difference.

Agenda:

When I think of Agenda the first show that comes to mind is Glee. Agenda tries to make you feel guilty about not embracing whatever issue it presents. It’s heavy handed and wants to drive you to action. It’s full of rhetoric, extremes, and fails to SHOW the issue at hand, but rather TELLS you the issue at hand. Agenda does not know its audience.

Glee has done this with a few things. Sexuality and Bullying (and more specifically, bullying BECAUSE of sexuality) are at the top of the list. Having a gay character on a show is not a big deal anymore. But Glee kind of acted like it was. And it acted this way in EVERY EPISODE for the better part of 2 seasons. While there were moments of heartfelt interactions between Kurt and his father, for the most part Glee kept on keeping on with reminding us just how hard being gay was for Kurt. He was picked apart and picked on, lots of tears, lots of statements about not fitting in. And then there was the horrible and awkward thing with the football player who assaulted him but then became someone he wanted to help....and then Kurt seemed to be fine, once he met Blaine and the perils of his sexuality were lessened because he wasn’t alone in it anymore. Then Santana came out, Britney expressed her bi-sexuality, and so forth and so on. 

Thanks for spelling it out for us Glee.

Glee beat us over the head with the sexuality issue. Instead of approaching it with some subtlety, and letting us watch the progression of how these teenagers handled themselves, each episode came with a monologue delivered by some character who was practically spotlighted and looking at the camera teaching the audience something. And who is the audience of Glee? Mostly, people under 25: the one demographic in America that really doesn’t care much about sexuality anymore. They have a live and let live mentality. Also the demographic that is going to do what they’re going to do no matter what a TV show says. 

Awareness:

When I think of Awareness, Parenthood comes to mind. Awareness dangles something out there for you to see, but doesn’t push it on you. It kind of says, hey...we’re all thinking about this topic here, but we get that it might not be on your mind as much as it is ours. Even so, Awareness wants to bring you up to date and let you know that this thing, whatever it might be, is happening and well...you might want to at least be...aware.

Now, having said all that, I do appreciate what Glee was/is trying to do. I just think they do it poorly. But take another show by Ryan Murphy, American Horror Story, and let’s discuss the very same issue. One of the main characters on the show is a lesbian in the 1960’s, which was obviously frowned upon at the time. As they try to “fix” her on the show, she doesn’t spend much time talking about how hard it is for her in life, nor does anyone else really bully her. Instead, the show simply puts her in a mental institution (with lots of other characters “suffering” from other afflictions) and gives her “conversion/aversion therapy” to solve her lesbianism. She is forced to look at pictures of women and injected with something to make her vomit when she sees the pictures. (The aversion part.) Then she is asked to look at a man and touch herself, and him. (The conversion part.) 

Worst. Therapist. Ever.

Watching that one scene was more effective than 2 seasons of Glee’s trying to teach us that sexuality is not something that is chosen, not something to be picked on. Because it didn’t lecture or throw out statistics or dumb things down for us. It just worked a perfectly viable scene from the 1960’s into the show and it was believable and horrible all at the same time, making anyone with any sort of compassion or basic appreciation for humanity want to scream, “Just leave her alone!”

I am aware now. I get it. And awareness can spur someone to action just as easily, if not more effectively than agenda. Awareness says...here’s what’s going on and here’s what you could do about it, but it’s up to you if you want to. Agenda says, you’re wrong/bad/evil if you don’t do what we think you should do.

I mentioned Parenthood as an example of a show that does awareness well. The center storyline of the show this season is Christina’s breast cancer. The writers do a great job at showing how it affects the entire family. Rather than spouting off statistics or over explaining the finer points of breast cancer, we watch someone go through it. And honestly, it’s not trying to convince us to do anything, it’s just making us aware of what people might go through who face this disease. The same way it makes us aware weekly what it might be like to live with a kid who has Aspergers. Or what it might be like to adopt an older child of a different ethnicity. All of the issues that Parenthood explores, happens in the context of the characters’ lives. I never feel like I’m being guilted or even manipulated, even though they make me cry every week. I don’t cry because of the issues the characters are facing, I cry because I can imagine what they are feeling. It’s good writing, good acting, sweet or sad, and pretty true to life in a lot of ways. It tugs on the heartstrings, shows flawed characters, and lets us imagine ourselves in their shoes.

Such a good crier. Take notes Claire Danes.

The truth is, almost every show has a hot button topic from time to time. Every producer/writer/creator wants to bring attention to something that has most likely affected them personally in some way. And even though you know my philosophy, TV IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT, ultimately, writers write what they know. Here are just a few other shows that work through agenda/awareness.

Two Broke Girls-The state of the economy/Reclaiming sex for women/Feminism. 

Scandal-The pervasive corrupt personal and business practices in politics.

Homeland-Perpetuating conspiracy theorists/Justifying the need for Homeland Security.

Modern Family-Challenging current beliefs of what “family” should look like.

SVU-Sexual crimes.

Nashville-Playing games associated with fame/Corrupt politics.

I could go on, but I will leave some for discussion. 

What shows come to your mind (past or present) that have an agenda or try to drive awareness home about any given issue? Was it agenda or awareness? Was it successful?

What I am ACTUALLY Watching

I've decided to tell you what I am actually watching, since we all go back and forth about TV so much on this blog. These are not in order of importance or favorite at all. They are kind of in order by genre if anything. If you are watching a show you want covered on the blog, then feel free to write up a post and send it to me at catidwell222@gmail.com I'd love more writers and more input. As you can see, I have my hands full. Some spoilers below on various shows...

The Walking Dead-So much misguided anger this season! And I want them to take baths. I've been around West Georgia and there are TONS of creeks and lakes. No reason to be filthy. Also, I might be late to the game, but as I watched the first episode of Season 3, I couldn't help but think...."OH...so THE Main Characters are the walking dead..."
666 Park Avenue-If LOST, American Horror and Gossip Girl had a baby it would be this show.
American Horror Story-Since so many shows have come back this season causing "meh" reactions, I gotta say I'm glad AHS is attempting a different storyline altogether. And wow, they are off to a great start!
Dexter-I always thought the show should END with Deb finding out about Dexter, so now that we've crossed that bridge I'm a little indifferent about things at the moment. Where is this gonna go?

New York.

SVU-Mariska Hargitay. Enough said.
Scandal-I am so conflicted over this show in so many ways. But I will stick around cause I love old Shonda.
Homeland-This is what Scandal wishes it were.
Revenge-I have never LOVED a Season 1 so much only to hate Season 2 so much. Get it together!
Grey's Anatomy-Have I mentioned that this needs to be the last season? Cause it needs to be. I hear Neve Campbell is coming on...NO NO NO, no more new people...wind it down please.
Parenthood-Best. Show. On. TV.
Nashville-Connie Britton was fabulous, and even though the 10 months I spent in Nashville weren't great, this makes me want to go back a give it another try. Plus...I mean, it's about music!
SmashI was hate-watching this show last season, and I will do the same this time around.
Glee-When Glee gets emotional, so do I. The Break-Up episode was Glee at its finest. More character building, less cheesy plot please.
Once Upon A Time-Again, strong Season 1, but this time around it's just losing steam.

Long Island

SNL-Sure it's all political at the moment, but soon it might find a nice retreat back into the relevant references of pop-culture. Best skit so far was either Bond Girls or Tech Talk.
30 Rock-I'm a fan in every since of the word. I will miss them after this season!
The Office-Dying a slow and painful death...
Community-I am cynical that without Dan Harmon it will be any good, but when done well, this show is pretty close to perfect. Oh...IF IT EVER COMES ON AGAIN!
Parks and Recreation-Thank God for Ron Swanson, Donna and April!
Up All Night-I am really rooting for this one, but I need more Maya and Christina interaction.
Raising Hope-This is so underrated, but it really delivers every week consistently.

Brooklyn

Two Broke Girls-Ok...so this is my "sleeper hit" of the year. My friend Joni was watching and told me to check it out. I fully expected to hate it. It has a laugh track, manufactured banter, and lots of sexual innuendo. And yet, I LOVE IT. The girls are adorable and the set up of the show is clever.
Modern Family-Another consistently strong show.
The Neighbors-Don't judge me...but this show is really cute. Yes, there are aliens, but I have been showing it to my Chinese students and they LOVE it.
The New Normal-Ryan Murphy, creator of Glee, American Horror Story, and Nip/Tuck, kind of took a few characters and plots from a few different shows and mixed them into this one. It's working, but I don't think it will last too long. Still, I like it enough.

That's at least 20 hours of TV a week. I will probably add Criminal Minds, Body of Proof, Gossip Girl, and sprinkle in some Real Housewives (New Jersey and New York) here and there. And I would LIKE to start on How I Met Your Mother, Gilmore Girls, and Downton Abbey.

I guess you could say, I watch TV like it's my job.

How many hours a week do you watch? BE HONEST!

Blurgh: A Review of TV's Fall Return

I am so overwhelmed by all of the TV I have to watch. Anyone else wanna get in on blogging some TV shows? I really need to narrow down my options...there is no way I can sustain this when I'm back in America!

But until then....here are my thoughts.

I tried to give most of these shows at least 2 weeks before writing this blog. But you guys...what is UP with TV? I mean...

Glee-Is anyone else bored? Sure, the music is good...because the music is always good because it's MUSIC. But come on...nothing is grabbing me this season. I miss Santana. Kurt hanging out with Carrie (or whoever SJP is playing this time) is too much to believe. And bring back the Britney we used to love. The one who has the one-liners that were the best moments in the show! I have no idea what's going on with the "adults" in the show, was Sue even on it? See...I've tuned out. So bored...

Take note, Arizona...

Grey's Anatomy-I'm sorry, were you trying to make me want to kill myself? Because even though I did have an idea of what was coming in the season opener, I was sorely disappointed when it arrived. First of all, WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CRASH! Back it up Grey's. Show us how Meredith became her mom, how Cristina ended up in Narnia, and how Bailey turned into a joke. And Arizona...it's just a leg. Shonda...you don't GET to jerk us around like this and expect us to stick it out. Please dear God let this be the last season...

Scandal-Did I even see Season 1 of this show? Cause I am pretty sure I watched it and liked it, but when it opened, I was so lost. LOST I say! LIke more lost than I was in LOST! Who are these people? Is the FLOTUS really pregnant? And who is that girl on trial? Oh I think I remember something about her boyfriend dying and her being at the scene...is that was this is about?

Revenge-Meh. So the most riveting scene was supposed to be Charlotte's dramatic whisper to "Emily" at the art show? I was so happy to see Nolan, but the rest of the characters felt like strangers. And the big Victoria reveal was a knock on the door? Really? Didn't want to milk that mystery just a little bit more? Gah.

Up All Night-I'm trying not to be mad at Will Arnett for his divorce with Amy Poehler, but I am mad. Something about his skinny newly buff self is making me angry. And I think the anchor of the show was the fact that Ava and Reagan worked together on the talk show. Why is Reagan's brother there, and now Just Jack! Last season was so great...but they better pick it up fast and get some plot going if they want to see season 3.

Parks and Recreation-I'm trying not to be mad at Amy Poehler for her divorce with Will Arnett, but I am mad. Did she have work done? Her hair was different. Ron Swanson is the only redeeming part of this show at the moment. And Donna...more Donna please.

The Office-Andy is a joke. Jim and Pam need to get happy fast. I want to see one of the new guys (why are there new guys, we all know this show has to end soon) killed by the Scranton Strangler creating a desperate search for the killer during the season. At the end, it's discovered that it's Creed. The end. Also, let's see more Angela.

This is even weirder than those sister wives I used to have.

Once Upon A Time-Look, I loved season 1 even with the fantasy meets reality crossover. But let's be honest. Even though we knew that Emma was gonna be Mary's (Snow's) daughter, but then when it got here in the first episode this season it was like...awkward....I don't remember the rest, except I do like Mulan.

Maybe I wasn't in the mood, or ready for the seasons to begin, but based on what I've seen so far, my TV repertoire might get some major adjustments.

I did think that a few shows came back strong...

Raising Hope-Martha Plimpton is just fabulous. And the premise of this show never gets old. Poor is funny.

The New Girl-Who doesn't love Schmidt! Good return!

Modern Family-With the Emmy sweep it's no surprise that the show came back strong.

All of these kept me laughing.

I will discuss Dexter and Homeland as soon as I can find a way to watch them in China.
And I cannot wait to discuss 30 Rock and American Horror Story!

Awwww...I still want to be a Braverman!

But until then, what on EARTH would we do without.....
Parenthood-BEST SHOW ON TV. If you aren't watching, what ARE you doing?

TV REVIEW TIME....

What did you think about the above? 

What shows should I add to my lineup?

Welcome Home: The Return of the Bravermans

Everytime I see a picture of The Bravermans I feel a little love in my heart for my favorite TV family. I feel like I'm coming home! Watch Parenthood TONIGHT!

Group Hug!

The Dad Awards

In a world where TV dads are often dead (6 Feet Under, Dexter, Brothers and Sisters, Game of Thrones) or portrayed as out of touch for comedic relief (almost every other show), it's important to take some time to recognize the good ones. In honor of Father's Day, here are the First Annual Weekend Fat Dad Awards!

I would follow that hair down the highway to heaven.

Beauty King: Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls in The Little House on the Prairie
Sure, it's an older show, but seriously...what other dad in history has possessed this kind of rugged handsome goodness while still looking like a father? I dare you to find one. As a hard worker on the prairie, Charles always has the perfect tan, and he might be the only dad in TV history to have better hair than his wife. Seriously, he is a good looking man.

If you crack a Brokeback Mountain joke Phil, I'll bury you over there.

Most Improved: Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett on Modern Family
Ed O'Neill is most famous for his character Al Bundy on Married With Children, maybe one of the worst dads of all time. But in Modern Family, he's been given a second chance as the patriarch of this wacky pack. He's gruff at times, and we have enough context to know that maybe he wasn't the greatest dad when Mitchell and Claire were growing up. But throughout the seasons we have seen him learn to go with the flow, becoming a source of stability and tough love. Plus, he's kind of the normal one in the family, except when it comes to his French Bulldog, Stella...then all bets are off.

Laugh Out Loud: Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family
Is there anything that comes out of Phil's mouth that doesn't make you laugh out loud? His complete adoration for his wife along with the energy he puts into trying to relate and appear cool to his kids make us love him in spite of his moments of cluelessness. He serves up suburban slapstick at its finest.

Plaid makes you smarter.

TIE for Wisest Words: Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show 
                                                                             AND 
                                      Matthew Settle as Rufus Humphrey on Gossip Girl
Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and without the words of wisdom bestowed on us by our fathers, how would we make it through adolescence at all! Ok, let's get real, kids don't listen to their parents. But if they did, it would look like it does in these two shows. It's no wonder Opie grew up to be the successful Ron Howard with a dad like Andy around. His patience to let Opie learn hard lessons and face consequences never tire. His guidance is perfectly timed and always welcomed. And former rock star Rufus is practically a modern day sage from Brooklyn gone UES, offering up the best advice to his own kids and pretty much every other character on Gossip Girl. When he's around, confessions just tumble from the lips of otherwise reckless troublemakers. Rufus and Andy know that a little sadness in the eyes and the words, "I'm disappointed in you" go farther than any over the top lecture ever could.

This. Man.

Grand Supreme (That's a thing, right?): Sam Jaeger as Joel Graham on Parenthood
There are a lot of things we could say about the dads on Parenthood. But in the midst of Zeke's extreme behavior, Adam's borderline judgment, and Crosby's attempt at growing up, Joel emerges as the hero. He is supportive of his working wife, stays at home with their daughter, and he works with his hands. That entire sentence is almost too good to be true. He knows when to stay silent, but is no pushover, and can stand up to Zeke or Julia in their moments of irrationality. He pays attention to his daughter enough to know when she's in need of a hug or a spanking. He doesn't get a lot of screen time, but when he does we always remember that he's maybe one of the greatest characters on the show. And aside from being a great dad, he's the kind of man every girl wants to marry!

What Dads Do You Want To Add To The List? 

What Awards Do They Deserve?

It's The Final Countdown: How To Leave 'Em Wanting More

One summer a friend of mine and I were working at a camp together. We were given the task to entertain a group of children for an hour. We only had a parachute. She pulled the parachute out began to play with the children. They loved it! But about 30 minutes in, she packed up the parachute and had them play tag, followed by hide and go seek. I was confused. That parachute would have easily entertained them for the entire hour. When I asked her about it later she said something I'd heard a million times, but never really seen in action: "Always leave 'em wanting more!" By quitting at the height of their enjoyment, she could always return with the parachute, it would always entertain them, it would always be successful.

Most fun ever.

It should be that way with television. Each season, we cross our fingers and wait to see if our love for characters, humor, and drama have translated into enough ratings and money to secure a place in next year's line up. This year, the news I was the most anxious to hear revolved around 30 Rock, Parenthood, SMASH (don't judge me) American Horror Story, and Community. All were renewed, even if some of those renewals had conditions such as: Community without Dan Harmon, rumors of entirely new story lines/characters in American Horror Story, and a final season for 30 Rock. I can live with that...just bring them back, I'm not ready to lose them yet!


Listen, no one wants to see their favorite shows cancelled. My cousin and I were the only ones in the world watching Best Friends Forever, and we both understand why it's gone, but are we happy about it? No. Because it speaks to some part of us. We all have our attachment issues, and breaking up is hard to do. But there's one thing that's worse that missing your favorite show....and that's watching it be totally ruined.

I miss them!

There are 2 kinds of show endings. The first is that the creators of the show decide it's time to cut it off. The second is that the network isn't making enough money and decides to cut it off. The most common is the second kind, because the truth is that people don't know when to put the "parachute" away. One notable exception to this is my personal favorite TV show in the history of TV, Six Feet Under. I will fight you to the death about the perfection of Six Feet Under. And here's the amazing thing, it only went 5 seasons. Because creator, Alan Ball, came to the network and said that he felt that the show had run it's course. Yeah, you heard me. He fired himself. But he did it because what he was creating with Six Feet Under was about making good TV. Not about staying on the air as long as possible!


The problem with TV today (wow, I sound old, uptight, and like I know everything. I'm not old.) is that somehow the networks and creators haven't caught onto the fact that for the most part, the generation they are dealing with these days wants authenticity, cleverness, and a sense of purpose. We want it in our own lives, and we want it in the TV characters' lives. And so when a show like ER ends with an entirely different cast than where it started, it doesn't feel real! That's not how we live our lives! It feels desperate and grasping and like this is really all about a paycheck.

Who are these people?

Don't get me wrong, I KNOW it's all about a paycheck, but I don't want to be reminded that it's all about a paycheck. I want to see a story arc come to completion, run it's course. I want to see characters evolve as they face hardship (even if that hardship is a bit too dramatic at times) and come out on the other side. I want to relate to them. And if it's a comedy, I want the inside jokes and one liners that started the show to end with it. Friends was great at this. The characters were strong, they evolved, we literally watched them grow up on TV, and before it was too silly or over the top or they took too many trips out of the country or used too many green screens, it ended. And we still love it today.

Perfect Timing.

But some of our favorites are in danger of going too long. It's time for a few of those shows that we love to consider saying goodbye. Now, don't get upset with me as I name your favorite show for cancellation material, but remember the parachute story. Don't you want to be able to miss it and watch it again without thinking of how boring it got in the end? We are talking quality here, not quantity. I suggest the following shows should go 1 more season and end, securing their places on pedestals instead of falling into the category of "Yeah, I used to watch it before..."

Community-I know. It hasn't been on long enough. But it's been on the chopping block since its inception.  And now, without Dan Harmon, I have my doubts. My friend Amy suggested that the 3 part finale of this season could have served as a great series closer. I agree. But it didn't go quite like that. And so if for some reason, Community actually manages to survive next year, I don't think that it should survive another year after that. Plus, it's community college. They have to leave at some point. And don't even THINK about bringing in new characters.

The Office-Please go away. Not only is it depressing seeing Jim and Pam all married with kids and not nearly as adorable as they once were (a writing issue, not a life situation issue), but Michael Scott was the heart of the show. To try to continue it without him has left me trying to remember why that red headed lady from Florida is in Michael's office and why Andy is acting like a fool. I would be okay to never see James Spader again (the same way I felt about him after seeing The Secretary), and even Dwight's antics can't revive this show. Please, just let it die. Write an ending. Shut Dunder Mifflin Down. Let Dwight and Jim be co-managers. ANYTHING. Just...enough. It hurts to watch.

When it's all over, I vote for a cooking show with Dexter as the host. Specialty: Breakfast.

Dexter-It's finally happened. Deb has finally seen the real Dexter. So, next season it's Deb vs. Dexter. We've always known it had to be this way. But it really has to end this way, and it has to end this season. Deb could go down in history in the Miami Metro Police Department if she turns him in. Is Dexter cold-hearted enough to go after Deb? Can they talk through it? Can Dexter explain and justify his reasons for killing? Will Deb let Dexter go, or will she pull a Sound of Music whistle blow on him and send him running for the hills? If none of the above happen, then we are looking at either the death of Deb, or incest, neither of which we want to see. Kill it off before it's squirming, please.


30 Rock-You know my love for this show, and I've already read that next season is the last. I'm glad. The show has always been a little exaggerated, but within regards to the revolving door of characters, it's been tamed to the love interests of Jack or Liz. This season, bringing on a new page, Hazel, just about killed me. The actress herself drives me crazy, but she doesn't work in the cast. We love Kenneth. But we love him for the role he plays, which is not the protagonist. Liz is the protagonist (though Jack would argue that). The page storyline just gets us off focus from where we really want to be. Tracy, Jenna, Liz, and Jack. So, please. Let Jack call Nancy Donovan (Julianne Moore) and rekindle with her happily in Boston, let Kenneth rise to Jack's position as the new executive, and for the love of God give Liz her baby with her current adorable boyfriend, while she is still happily working on TGS. Let her finally, have it all. 

Grey's Anatomy-You know I love it, but it's time to go. I want to see the characters land. They are grown up doctors now, with grown up relationships. It's time to tie up the loose ends. If Arizona is gonna die, let Mark and Callie live happily ever after. Meredith and Derek have a child now, we want to see them be responsible enough to stay together and raise her after they fought so hard for her. Yang and Hunt are going to get back together and pour themselves into that hospital. Let Bailey have her man. And Alex. Sigh...Alex. Just don't bring in a new batch of residents and get some ER thing going. I don't want this show to be unrecognizable in 5 years. 

Speaking of always leave 'em wanting more...I cannot WAIT!

What shows do you want to see cancelled before they go bad?