i meant to do this earlier, but circumstances beyond my control prevented my posting this any sooner. without more ado, the 2008 year in review...
the good
true blood and all that is sookie stackhouse
i fell in love with the television series and then with the books. i can't believe that i have to wait until summer for the second season and until may for the next book to be released. i fell in love with vampires again, who knew that after "buffy the vampire slayer" and "angel" ended that i would one day be anticipating a show about vampires every week. "true blood" is a lavish production with amazing visuals and a lush sense of ambience. it's a pleasure watching not only for the story, but also for the amazing sense of place that the show gives you. it's like bon temps is real and all the crazy vampire stuff a possibility.
gossip girl
i can't say enough about "gossip girl" other than it is the best show on television. again a show rich with visual and sensory pleasures, it is just an absolute joy to watch week to week. the high melodrama and insanely good-looking good actors make this even more enjoyable to watch.
joshua jackson returns to network tv
i'm not so sold on "fringe" in fact, i have about 4 to 5 episodes stored on my dvr that i have yet to watch. but instead of deleting them as i have with other shows where i've fallen behind, i've held on to them because, well, joshua jackson is on network television and i should watch. because pacey witter is on my tv, even if he has a different name and different role in life.
definitely, maybe
ok, so maybe this was actually released in 2007, but i watched it for the first time in 2008, so it counts. i loved abigail breslin in no reservations and little miss sunshine, and i've always had a soft spot for ryan reynolds, and i love isla fisher in whatever she does. no it's no surprise that i loved loved loved this movie. it's from the people who made love actually, something else i happen to love. there's a lot of love flowing in this paragraph isn't there? another one of the reasons i enjoyed this movie so much was the rampant 90s nostalgia i was able to indulge in. i freaking loved the clinton years.
how i met your mother & big bang theory
both "how i met your mother" and "big bang theory" stepped up their game this year. i enjoy both these ensemble casts, they have great chemistry and are absolutely hilarious. neil patrick harris is one of the funniest people ever.
chuck
another reason why mondays at 8 are both a delight and absolute torture. this show is so cute and funny and utterly enjoyable. it's "alias" meets "scrubs" set in a best buy knock off called the buy more. zach levi as chuck is engaging, charming, cute and easy to root for. his chemistry with the rest of the ensemble cast is nothing short of spectacular. i love the spy stuff, but love that this show doesn't let itself get overwhelmed by dark and scary mythology. it's simply fun to watch.
lost
"lost" may have lost its way a little in year 3, but year 4 proved that with an end game in sight, it was so easy to get back on track. the flash fowards have done wonders for the story the show is telling. watching every week, figuring out where in time you are and what the stakes are for the survivors has been absolutely thrilling. i'm so glad the long wait is over and season 5 begins again in 2 weeks.
the bad
the room
there is no other possible way to describe this movie other than bad. because it's bad. it's terrible. and also amazing, because that level of terribleness takes a lot of work. you can read more about it here.
general hospital
the truth is the show should be called general mobsters, since port charles is filled with the most insipid, stereotypical mobsters. and really, the mobsters and the violence are what make this show bad. this year the show continued to cut veteran and legacy characters in favor of introducing more mobsters and mindless bimbos. the writing team flailed about mindlessly changing characters personalities without rhyme or reason. anything good on the show relates solely to the scorpio-drakes. i often wonder why i keep watching. but somehow i can't help thinking that it will get better.
hereos, desperate housewives, ugly betty, my name is earl
this is the year i lost interest in all these shows. i wanted to care but couldn't and i think that that is just depressing.
the ugly
grey's anatomy
the fact is that this show has lost its way. the izzy and denny debacle, the ill-fated erica and callie as lovers storyline, the george as object of desire, the lack of focus...well, the show isn't only poorly plotted, it's also pretty boring. nothing compelling happens. there are no moments that you want to relive or discuss or feel all that strongly about anymore. and that is sadder than anything. actually, the fact that "general hospital" has been at times more entertaining than "grey's anatomy" is saddest of all.
the good
true blood and all that is sookie stackhouse
i fell in love with the television series and then with the books. i can't believe that i have to wait until summer for the second season and until may for the next book to be released. i fell in love with vampires again, who knew that after "buffy the vampire slayer" and "angel" ended that i would one day be anticipating a show about vampires every week. "true blood" is a lavish production with amazing visuals and a lush sense of ambience. it's a pleasure watching not only for the story, but also for the amazing sense of place that the show gives you. it's like bon temps is real and all the crazy vampire stuff a possibility.
gossip girl
i can't say enough about "gossip girl" other than it is the best show on television. again a show rich with visual and sensory pleasures, it is just an absolute joy to watch week to week. the high melodrama and insanely good-looking good actors make this even more enjoyable to watch.
joshua jackson returns to network tv
i'm not so sold on "fringe" in fact, i have about 4 to 5 episodes stored on my dvr that i have yet to watch. but instead of deleting them as i have with other shows where i've fallen behind, i've held on to them because, well, joshua jackson is on network television and i should watch. because pacey witter is on my tv, even if he has a different name and different role in life.
definitely, maybe
ok, so maybe this was actually released in 2007, but i watched it for the first time in 2008, so it counts. i loved abigail breslin in no reservations and little miss sunshine, and i've always had a soft spot for ryan reynolds, and i love isla fisher in whatever she does. no it's no surprise that i loved loved loved this movie. it's from the people who made love actually, something else i happen to love. there's a lot of love flowing in this paragraph isn't there? another one of the reasons i enjoyed this movie so much was the rampant 90s nostalgia i was able to indulge in. i freaking loved the clinton years.
how i met your mother & big bang theory
both "how i met your mother" and "big bang theory" stepped up their game this year. i enjoy both these ensemble casts, they have great chemistry and are absolutely hilarious. neil patrick harris is one of the funniest people ever.
chuck
another reason why mondays at 8 are both a delight and absolute torture. this show is so cute and funny and utterly enjoyable. it's "alias" meets "scrubs" set in a best buy knock off called the buy more. zach levi as chuck is engaging, charming, cute and easy to root for. his chemistry with the rest of the ensemble cast is nothing short of spectacular. i love the spy stuff, but love that this show doesn't let itself get overwhelmed by dark and scary mythology. it's simply fun to watch.
lost
"lost" may have lost its way a little in year 3, but year 4 proved that with an end game in sight, it was so easy to get back on track. the flash fowards have done wonders for the story the show is telling. watching every week, figuring out where in time you are and what the stakes are for the survivors has been absolutely thrilling. i'm so glad the long wait is over and season 5 begins again in 2 weeks.
the bad
the room
there is no other possible way to describe this movie other than bad. because it's bad. it's terrible. and also amazing, because that level of terribleness takes a lot of work. you can read more about it here.
general hospital
the truth is the show should be called general mobsters, since port charles is filled with the most insipid, stereotypical mobsters. and really, the mobsters and the violence are what make this show bad. this year the show continued to cut veteran and legacy characters in favor of introducing more mobsters and mindless bimbos. the writing team flailed about mindlessly changing characters personalities without rhyme or reason. anything good on the show relates solely to the scorpio-drakes. i often wonder why i keep watching. but somehow i can't help thinking that it will get better.
hereos, desperate housewives, ugly betty, my name is earl
this is the year i lost interest in all these shows. i wanted to care but couldn't and i think that that is just depressing.
the ugly
grey's anatomy
the fact is that this show has lost its way. the izzy and denny debacle, the ill-fated erica and callie as lovers storyline, the george as object of desire, the lack of focus...well, the show isn't only poorly plotted, it's also pretty boring. nothing compelling happens. there are no moments that you want to relive or discuss or feel all that strongly about anymore. and that is sadder than anything. actually, the fact that "general hospital" has been at times more entertaining than "grey's anatomy" is saddest of all.
The more people that know about The Room the better! Well done. And I heartily agree that True Blood and the Monday comedies are all that's worth watching these days. And Chuck.
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