Last One on the Blog Train

So here's what's graced my TiVo over the past week.

Sundays, 9pm - Desperate Housewives (ABC) - Thumb in the air. Not to sound like all of the entertainment rags out there, but the show has returned to form after a not-quite-satisfying second season. The "mystery" involves people we care about. Gabby is back to vicious form (You've been in this country for a year, modify your nouns damn it.) Susan is less clumsy and really sweet. Bree is neurotic as ever. And Lynette (I smell another Emmy) is trying to control her out of control life.

Sundays, 10pm - Brothers and Sisters (ABC) - Thumb in the ass. And it was stopped half way through recording the pilot episode and promptly taken off the TiVo schedule. Word to the wise. Before you introduce the extended family - introduce the family first. Characters started going off and sleeping with each other or kissing on the lips. All of the sudden I thought the soapy part about this drama was that there was some serious incest going on. No character development, no reason to care, no ticks or quirks for any character to give them some form of identity. Think thirtysomething for the PAX crowd.

Mondays, 9pm - Heroes (NBC) - Thumb in the air. Half X-Men, half Six Degrees, but in a good and not treading-on-copywright-infringement way. This is the type of out on a limb programming that we need again. And nice twist with the flying politician in the end. Give this one a chance guys. Looks like we're in for a great story line (that trumps Jericho and keeps the fear firmly in the fantasy, where it needs to stay for now - BRING OUR TROOPS HOME!)

Thursdays, 8pm - Survivor: Cook Islands (CBS) - I know I already reviewed it, but three weeks in and the segregation is over (I guess Rosa Parks was playing the game too.) Placed into two, large, integrated tribes consisting of men and women....now let the games begin! I will say that Mark Burnett doesn't trust his own ideas. They float for a couple of weeks and then he changes them up for change's sake. I would have loved to see one of the segregated tribes go down to two or one before integrating them. Twists on rules are only ratings stunts if they don't last.

So - a TON of new stuff on TV this Fall. A lot of it actually good, some not so good, some that shouldn't have been ever scripted, and some returning shows that have either improved or are on borrowed time.

My TiVo is working overtime after a summer slump of NO good summer programming except for Big Brother 7. So I'll break down each day for you, for what has premiered or started their new seasons so far. I'll give you a thumbs up in the air for good, thumbs in the mouth for "biting my nails to see if it should survive" and thumbs up the ass for "I'd rather have my thumb up my ass than see or hear of this show ever again.

Sundays - 8pm The Amazing Race (CBS) - Thumb in the Mouth
It's the 10th season for the reality show that shouldn't have (made it this long due to lackluster ratings.) After a dismal family edition that I skipped and the following season that I didn't see due to some interesting counter programing somewhere else, I've decided to give this one another chance. The bad? Do NOT ever have a 90 minute premiere again. Too long and boring. Also, don't eliminate a team at a stopping point and not call it a Pit Stop. Clearly the race didn't start again until the next morning, why cut someone this early - and then cut another team at the actual first Pit Stop. Hopefully this decision will come clear later on in the race. The Good? VERY DIVERSE CASTING - Muslims that will stop to pray along the race route? That's real. Young Indian couple strengthening their bond before having kids? GREAT reason to go on the race. A dating couple where the woman is missing her leg, and the man is also her doctor AND they do triathalons? Talk about giving me reason to get my ass out of bed. I litterally cried when she scaled the Great Wall of China by her self. Thank-you for putting in average looking "rednecks" from a red state, but couldn't you have left out the UBER-stereotypical gay couple? Poor Poor Casting.

Monday - 8pm The Class/How I Met Your Mother (CBS) - Two thumbs in the ass. THERE IS NO ROOM IN THE LAND OF LOST, NIP/TUCK, ETC ETC FOR COOKIE CUTTER SIT-COMS. They should all be banished to a pay cable channel so that only those who care to tune in and tune out can. Sit-coms died last year with Will and Grace.

10pm - Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - Thumbs WAY UP IN THE AIR. Probably the best pilot I've EVER seen. Sharp and on point writing that rivals Buffy and Angel. A cast of some really large number that doesn't seem that large due to a general interest in their piece of the production. An inspired opening scene. The return of Matthew Perry (one bad note - his first scene of the show channeled Chandler Bing a little too much) and the best line ever delivered on TV - by Amanda Peet's character - "I made the NASDAQ dip just by showing up to work the next morning." but said in such a disarming way - BRILLIANT. WATCH THIS SHOW.

Tuesday - 10pm - Smith (CBS) - Thumb in the ass. If CBS wanted an 'Alias' type show, why didn't they just buy the rights to it from ABC when they cancelled it last year. Two birds, one stone. We would have gotten at least one more season to hash out the hurried plot lines of 'Alias' last six episodes (plus possibly more Amy Acker!) AND we now wouldn't be forced to flip past Smith, which is on now. Like a bad Doppleganger to Alias. Why in the world are we rooting for the bad guy? One of the main characters shot a guy in the head and another in a back on a deserted beach, from the woods, from behind, like a coward. Amy Smart's character just needs to be slapped, and I feel NO remorse for the lead. If you want out. STOP. It's already starting to read like early 'Alias' when Sydney wanted to get out of the CIA/SD6. Please, be original.

11pm (immediate replay) - Nip/Tuck (FX) - Two tumbs up in the air after being in the mouth. Yes, it has returned to form after The Carver story line of last year. While that plot had its moments, it seemed to drive the characters away from each other than keeping them interacting within themselves. The Soap factor is up, the topics are juicy again (Why does Dr. MacNamara oppose giving Dr. Troy lipo, saying he's being superficial, when he's being superficial over his new baby's birth defect BEFORE he's born?) Plus they are finally giving Liz a real story line with both Michelle, the new owner of the practice, and a future guest stint as a possible girlfriend for her by Alanis Morisette. Possible stunt casting aside, thank-you to this show for writing all types of relationships into a script without white washing them. So what am I waiting for? Kimber's fall from Scientology grace. This show will now be watched at 10 instead of waiting for the 11pm replay. Smith is GONE.

Wednesday - 8pm - Jericho (CBS) - Thumb in the mouth. Creepy pilot, good suspense, pretty cool (but also disturbing premise). But I'm thinking the fall-out of the last standing town in America after Nuclear Attack would play better as a TV movie or mini series instead of over 22 episodes (possibly more if they get picked up for season 2 - but then what?) Think Lost with bombs and no hatch....but why do I think Lost can't be copied?

Thursday - 8pm - Survivor: Cook Islands - Thumb in the mouth. Already better in the player and action department than Guatemala and Exile Island. The racial divide of tribes is actually INTERESTING and puts a good spin on the game. Don't listen to the people boycotting - they haven't even seen the show. However, I will say I hope this year is a straight game of Survivor (with rules that are VERY similar to if not exactly the same as Season 1.) This is the only time the game is interesting, when its at bare bones. Who cares how many times the tribes are mixed up, or change camps, or send someone to Exile Island (another dumb idea). It's Outwit, Outplay, Outlast, not Get Caught In the Confusion of Which Buff to Wear."

10pm - Six Degrees - Thumb way up in the air. Maybe its because I just moved to New York, so the premise of strangers finding purpose and connection in other strangers in NYC hits very close to home. But the writing is good, the characters are realistically flawed, the mystery behind each person is layered well into the story, but not so much (like Lost) where they run the risk of seeming redundant or running in circles. Plus, bringing Erika Christinansen to the small screen is genius. GIVE THIS SHOW THE CHANCE IT DESERVES TO PLAY OUT A FULL SEASON IF NOT LONGER.

Fridays - 10pm - Law and Order (NBC) - Thumb in the air. Now in its thirty fifth season (or what seams like it) they have shaken things up a little and replaced the old male detective with a FEMALE! She's a rookie and she's still the smartass of the duo. But not because of experience, but because of her naivite (sp?). Maybe this will bring about more cases that are (realistically) lost or thrown out due to being so passionate about convicting, that mistakes are made (always the better episodes.) I will say that the season opener.....BAD Britney/K-Fed parody. This show is too smart to stoop that low in order to come up with a case for the episode. Original cases are always better (like Linda Carter's stint as a hussling mom over all three L&O shows. PERFECTION.)

Part two will come after the first week in October when Heroes, Lost, Veronica Mars, Desperate Housewives and Brothers/Sisters all begin their runs. I'm pulling for Veronica this year, it deserves a real chance on the CW, and for Heroes, even though its an X-Men concept, the characters seem a little deeper than comic book drawings.

As for those continue-runs that need to go?

The Simpsons, Family Guy (so disjointed, even for FOX), American Dad, The War at Home (all FOX shows, who WATCHES this stuff?)

Extreme Makeover Home Edition - the cry fest that makes you mad that you don't have a disability.

Deal or no Deal - ONE night a week or the curse of Millionaire will be bestowed on thee.

7th Heaven - cancelled then brought back. WHAT THE FUCK. And we couldn't keep Angel on the air for a sixth season?

Prison Break - they're out, end of story.

The Bachelor - just bad and further support for why straight people shouldn't get married.

Any CSI except for the original.

Wife Swap - and they say that GAY people will destroy the meaning and sanctity of marriage?

The OC - five numbers for you 90210, but worse.

Gilmore Girls, please go down after this season.

One Tree Hill - worse than The OC, so does that make it the third level of Hell?

The Biggest Loser - Celebrity Fit Club does it better with people you actually care or cared about at one time.

Smallville - was supposed to be done after season 4, now on season 6, they are having to break all of the rules they originally set out for the show (no flying, no Lois, no superhero crossovers) and are treading on the thin line of rewriting the mythos of Superman, not good.

ER - no original cast members left. Doesn't this make it a new show?

And final prediction? The CW does NOT combine the ratings from the old WB and UPN. Each show still scrapes the bottom 20 and all of the shows are canceled, save Americas Next Top Model (moved to VH1), Everyone Hates Chris (off to CBS or FOX), Supernatural (given to NBC) and Friday Night Smackdown! (sold to Spike TV, USA or one if its more appropriate homes, Bravo or Logo. Muscle men in tights pinning each other and caught in a web of soapy plot lines that would make Melrose Place explode again in embarassment? COME ON! I think pro-wrestling is how us gay people are going to finally infiltrate the minds of rednecks.)

Throughout life we create goals for ourselves to set direction and to help us feel a sense of accomplishment, order, organization, etc. etc. etc. Concurrently, we carry out actions that either support the accomplishment of those goals, act completely independent from acheiving any of our goal, or are completely detrimental or contrary to sometimes even making movement in a forward direction. Not to say the latter actions are bad, evil, illegal, immoral etc. (although they can be), but when one finds that they are consistantly carrying out actions in the last group, you have to make a choice.

Which is a priority for me (at this time)? Happiness through finishing a plan that may take any unknown measure of time to complete, or happiness through instant gratification (and indirectly, procrastination or erosion of goals.)

Choice 1? Throw the actions out of your life that are causing the conflict. Yes, make a CHANGE (the longest "four letter word" ever.) Break the confort zone, run against the pack, be a salmon, set a trend, etc etc etc. Those around you may nay say you and make you feel like you can leave somethings in place "just in case." But why leave the window open on a rainy day because the sun will be out tomorrow?

Choice 2? Redefine your goals. Plain and simple. Throw out any feelings of "settling" or "underacheiving" or "failure" and realize that you may need to stay in a comfort zone a little longer before pushing forward. This has to happen if you go this direction for a very important reason that I experienced within the last 24 hours.

Throughout the day I found myself complaining, almost WHINING, about the fact that I'm not making progress on certain goals and crudely damning people around me that had obviously achieved what I wanted to also achieve. At the same time I was doing this, I was also doing things that did not support any chance of achieving those goals; in fact alot of what I did made me feel like I was going backwards, or even worse, in circles.

This is what happens to us (as I generalize) when goals and actions don't sync. Many refer to it as a "downward spiral" or "standing still."

For those of you out there who read this on a quasi-semi-regular basis, you will get all of the gory details very soon. But I'm walking away from today's entry on here feeling like I need a really big metaphysical trash can to start making the changes I want to make.

Stay tuned.

PS - No, this was not my "OH SHIT" moment.

Two weeks and three days have past since my transplant from DC to NYC, and I'm starting to let go of that nagging "waiting for the other shoe to drop" feeling. Or what a lot of people refer to as the "OH SHIT" moment. You know the moment; just after a major change in your life and you think to yourself "What have I done? How do I recover from this? I just made a HUGE mistake."

Nope, none of that. The last time I moved from the DC area I had that moment within three days, and from that point forward I fought and fought my way back to my hometown. And that fight took exactly a year to win.

Everything here in NYC, however, feels so natural and like I really made the right decision to see what I'm made of living out on my own. Yeah, there are the moments of "where the hell am I?" coming out of a subway station. But other than that I'm settled. All of the boxes are unpacked, things put away, and this apartment is now home.

My one piece of advice to anyone out there looking to uproot themselves: don't do it in a "violent" fashion. Quitting your job, breaking a lease, haphazardly packing boxes and throwing them into a Uhaul, signing a lease on the first place you see because you have a Uhaul full of stuff that just got a ticket for double parking. That is, in my opinion, how you set yourself up to fail - or to have at least one big, if not many "OH SHIT" moments. I've learned that if a change is truly meant to happen in life, all of the pieces will fall into place, which leaves saying good bye to friends and family the most difficult part of the whole experience.