How is it possible to fritter one's life away on TV programs without owning a television set? It is kind of easy. My poor computer is completely overloaded every day by hours of streaming video. I worship on the altar of Hulu for providing me my shows. And yay for Hulu because you can watch it without actively fiddling with the computer. CBS, CWTV and TNT really suck in comparison, although strangely Lifetime.com is pretty good.
Another quirk about my television addiction is that I love horrible horrible horrible programming. This love translates into watching a lot more "alternative programming" provided in the summer and winter and less content during the normal season. Case in point: I am currently watching a lot of shows on the USA network, which are not good enough to compete either on a major network, nor during the normal season.
So here is a list of shows to be watching off season in order of my "enjoyability" factor:
Justified (FX/Hulu.com) - The 13 show season has already ended, but it was great. Think of Walker, Texas Ranger but with a much cuter lead actor. Everyone speaks in slow soft drawls, both calming and scary all at once. A must see!
Leverage (TNT/tnt.tv) - Heist movies are the best. Heist television shows comes to a close second. Every week this team of misfit Robin Hoods pull off the impossible. Think the A-team minus the guns.
Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime/Lifetime.com) - Okay. I can't believe I am watching this show, and even worse, liking it. Aspiring model dies and is reincarnated into an overworked lawyer with Margaret Cho as her assistant. Think Heaven Can Wait and the Mary Tyler Moore Show with a chubby lead actress.
Burn Notice(USA/Hulu.com) - I sort of find all USA shows sort of interchangeable. Wisecracking, a little bit of action and Gabrielle Anwar rocking a bikini like no forty something should. Think Mission Impossible minus the government and a more violent version of Peter Graves.
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox/Hulu.com) - This would be ranked much higher if Alex Wong did not get eliminated so early on and if Mary was still judging. Think American Idol but less bitchy and more talented.
White Collar (USA/Hulu.com) - Matt Bomer. Am not sure what the show is about, except to look lovingly into the eyes of Matt Bomer and imagine our beautiful mix raced babies. Think Matt Bomer in incredibly well tailored suits.
Honorable mention goes to Minute to win it (NBC/Hulu.com) as long as you can scroll over all the human interest parts and just watch the challenges. Honorable mention also goes to Memphis Beat (TNT/tnt.tv) with Jason Lee being a little overly quirky, am not sure if it will get stale quickly.
Disappointments have been a plenty this off season. Eureka (Syfy/Hulu.com) is no longer funny because there seems to be a loss of the science puns, and Psych (USA/Hulu.com), which has dialed down the wisecracking. Top Chef (Bravo/illegal torrents) has been lackluster as well.
So beat the heat, and be a pasty nerd clinging to your macbook pro like me!
3 comments:
Dear ET#1-- what is the minimum # of episodes of each tv show I should watch to be current on pop cultural references? I'm crunched on time.
None. None of these shows will ever make the main stream pop culture dialogue. (unless you plan on hanging out with overweight nerds.)
You should check out the original UK show on which leverage is based, Hustle. Much better. I think it was a bbc show and should be available online.
Allan loves bad scifi so I know most of these shows. I am with you on Eureka - used to be dorky/funny, but now is just dorky.
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