Great morning

After a week of miserable, wet weather, this morning was absolutely beautiful.

I’ve already blogged about having to walk Tobey and Elliot early in the morning…like at 5-ish.  Well just because it’s raining outside, that doesn’t mean the pups still don’t get walked.  I’ll tell you, rainjackets and wet tennis shoes in the cold rain is not a fun way to come to your senses in the morning.

But this morning, there was not a cloud in the sky…nothing but a beautiful, bright full moon.  Aside from it being a tad cold, it was a wonderful walk. The boys didn’t even bark too much. Even for being a night owl, there’s something great about waking up in time to see a clear full moon before people start getting out, and walking around in the quiet.

Good times.  Good times.

Fall TV update

Good news! I’ve spent more time watching some of the season premieres and new shows.

Caveman:  OK, I still haven’t watched it.  But never overestimate the viewing tastes of the American pubic.  It’s viewership has been increasing with each week. All I can say is “ugh.”

Men In Trees: Wow, the creators of “Northern Exposure” ought to sue the people who do this show.  Everything about “Men in Trees” is a thinly disguised rip off of the much better “Nothern Exposure.” Main character is fish out of water in Alaska.  There’s a kooky mismatched couple (in this case played by the wasted John Amos), eclectic radio host, strong but sensitive Alaska native as the love interest, the fun but wholesome bar where everyone meets, the quirky man in the woods who happens to dispense solid advice, and the romantic interest of local police. Sure, it’s easy to see why women love this show…Anne Heche plays a woman rejected in love who goes to Alaska to find herself, but instead becomes attracted to the beauty of the land and the attention of the strong yet sensitive men who can build log cabins while understading a woman’s needs.  I’d rather watch the original Alaska show.

Viva Laughlin: I tried to watch it all the way through. I just couldn’t make it.  This show is bad. The main character is simply unlikeable, the characters breaking into song does nothing to advance the plot, and the premise of securing money to open a casino just isn’t an appealing premise. Melanie Griffith really looks ridiculous trying to look sexy.  When you don’t like the plot, you don’t like the main character, you don’t like the hook of characters breaking into song, and even the actors seem embarrassed to be in the show, you’re going to have a hard time finding an audience. What happens in Laughlin should never have left Laughlin.

Moonlight: The CBS vampire show. It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. The vamp is an honorable undead. However, I still can’t get past this being another ripoff of an earlier CBS show called “Forever Knight”…which actually had Rick Springfield in the pilot as a vampire who was a policeman fighting crime.  The show ended up joining CBS late night with a different actor as the vampire, and it lasted a few more seasons in syndication.  Just like “Men In Trees”…no creativity. I think it will do well since it follows “Ghost Whisperer”.  But, since the vampire already bites his unrequited love interest in just the second episode, they aren’t leaving a lot of room for the “will he-won’t he” question.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition: More of the same.  I’m really tired of Ty knowing it all. I’m sure the rest of the crew are too. Maybe they could leave Ty behind during their next trip to Sears? You’ve seen one episode of this show, you’ve seen them all. Family waits to run outside when crew drives up. Family goes on vacation.  Old house torn down, new house put up in a week.  Family comes home, expects nothing less than brand new home with flat TVs and computers in each room, and there’s always going to be one bedroom decorated in such a way that the child will get tired of after a few weeks.  I can’t even paint my bathroom in one week.

 There’s still more TV to watch.

New Star Wars coming to TV

If you can hear me over the thunderous applause of Star Wars fans everywhere, George Lucas is pitching a live action TV series based on Star Wars.  However, the show won’t feature the main characters from the movies.  Instead, it’s supposed to feature what he called “minor characters” from the world of Star Wars.

Much to my surprise, no network has committed to the show.  Here’s a link to Lucas’ interview.

Ho ho ho! Here comes TSO.

It’s one of the best things about the Christmas season in Jackson. Trans Siberian Orchestra is again coming to the state.  The band is even giving US a present…two shows scheduled in Jackson.  The complete schedule is here.

I’ve been lucky enough to have gone to shows in the past, and it is always a fantastic concert!  Plus, portions of the ticket sales go to local charities. How many rock bands do that? 

Even though the musical set has pretty much stayed the same over the years, I’d recommend the show to anyone. To me, the songs never get old. Just be warned, those won’t be Christmas bells you’ll be hearing the day after the concert, it will be the lefover decibels from the concert ringing in your head.

What’s On Now?

We’re almost two weeks into the new “Fall Season” of new shows from the big networks.  I’m not a couch potato, so I can’t say I’ve watched all of them.  However, between me and Wife, we’ve caught a few.  Here’s MHO list:

How I Met Your Mother:  I really want to like this show.  It does have funny bits.  Neil Patrick Harris has a good character. I keep watching it hoping there will be some breakthrough episode.  It hasn’t happened, but I’m still watching anyway.

Big Bang Theory: A new show this year.  I’ve watched two episodes.  It’s very much a watered down “2 1/2 Men” Girl isn’t very likeable, guys work too hard at being geeks. Some of the writing is clever. Maybe I’ll still around.

2 1/2 Men: I find it consistently funny. It pretty much is the same running gag, but the double-takes make it worth watching.

Rules of Engagement: I don’t understand how this even got back on the network after last year. An unfunny attempt at couples, with an obnoxious David Spade in the middle. Run away.

The Bachelor: Wife show.  Another hunky guy, women pretending to fall in love with him while they’re all getting drunk. It’s so embarassing, it’s comical.

Caveman:  OK,  I did not watch this.  But somehow, it’s debut tied the ratings for CBS’s NCIS for #1. If I want to watch cavemen on TV, I’ll watch The Flintstones.

Law & Order SVU: Finally, new cast pictures in the open.  They’ve even added a new regular to the cast. Why?  They already feature 8 people each week.  Plot-wise, it was the usual twists and turns.  Mariska is back to short hair this season.

America’s Next Top Model: OK, this is Wife’s show… I’m stuck with it. Same kind of ho’s as last year.  Break out the bowl of Meow Mix. 

Criminal Minds: Mandy Patinkin made the show. All the other cast members are useless.  It’s just another violence-filled hour.  This is the second CBS show Patinkin has left.  Unless Joe Montenga can bring an interesting character, the show’s done for. How many different serial killers can one person watch?

CSI:NY: New version of Baba O’Reily opens the show.  They’ve added more glitz to it…but not as bad as CSI:Miami.  Nothing could be as slick-looking as that show.  Hill Harper, who in real life has a law degree from Harvard, gets way too little screen time.

Survivor China: So they’re in China.  Big deal.  Same Survivor. Somone please shut Jeff Propst the hell up.

CSI: Yes, Sara lived. Damn. Now they’ll drag the relationship out for a few more weeks. But Jorja Fox does leave the show for good in the coming weeks.  Let’s see more of Gary Dordan. Tonight promises headless go-kart drivers.  I’m there.

Grey’s Anatomy: I watched the first four episodes before everyone else started watching. Once Patrick Dempsey became Dr. McDreamy, I ditched the show.

Family Guy: Been a fan since the first episode. It can do no wrong. The Star Wars take-off was the highest rated episode since it returned to Fox.

Frisky Dingo: Actually, this is on episode 7 of it’s second “season.”  There’s no way I can explain the show premise to you.  You just have to watch. Go to adultswim.com, click on shows, and watch the pilot episode. Way too strange and way too funny to be shown on anything but Adult Swim. It’s on Sundays at 11pm, and each episode only runs about 12 minutes.

That’s it for this week’s shows.  Perhaps I’ll broaden my horizons on other shows next week.  Assuming the new shows are still around in a week.