Top Ten of 2009 - Best in Show

#1 - Lost – The mythology that this series has created, and it’s fascinating (and very complex) universe have kept me enthralled since the first episode, and as things are getting ready to wrap up this final season, I am literally on pins and needles wondering how all this is going to work out. With all of the different storylines going on and the insidious knots between all of them, this show makes your head spin but it is a great ride. This is the best written thing on TV, the most complex and enthralling story that I have seen since Twin Peaks, and it will be a sad day once it is finished. Thankfully, I have my Dharma Orientation Kit to help clear up some of the basic points but I am dying to know more about the mysterious statue on the Island and how it all ties into Richard and Jacob and Locke. Has time been changed by the group in the past or has it already happened for the present day events to be taking place? All these paradoxes will not be answered until February. One of the Best Shows ever!

#2 - Glee – It is probably no surprise that this show is way up at near the top of the list, it has an amazingly talented cast, great songs and writing and every episode has made me smile. I have been literally blown away by the quality of the performances and a special nod to Rachel (Lia Michele) and the over the top Sue (Jane Lynch) who surprise me each episode. I love that the leading guy is Canadian, and it is so cool to have a character like Kurt (played by the fabulous Chris Colfer) that is a positive gay role model for teens. This is way beyond the sanitary High School Musical, and is a more realistic representation of a modern High School and the real problems that real teens have to face. It has been a long time since there has been a musical series on the air, and the ratings seem to be holding well so I am crossing my fingers and hoping for a full season or three.

#3 - Supernatural - The Apocalypse storyline has been fantastic, and our brothers are learning that they need to rely on each other as it all goes to Hell. The duality of the Winchesters and their fight against the big bad Evil is all gripping stuff and has even been heart wrenching as those around them pay a heavy price for this ultimate good vs. evil battle, but there is still hope on the horizon. The great thing is that even with the end of the world, the guys have still managed to skate a fine line with some very funny stuff tempering all of the bad, and they are both so damn funny and sexy it is a worthwhile diversion each week. I have jumped out of my skin several times this past season as there has been some great horror writing, but I think the parody stuff that they do (The TV episode was hilarious with Dr.Sexy) and all of the geek stuff like the Fan Conventions and all the tongue in cheek self references like the book series is what makes the series so much fun. I hope this is not the final season and we can see more adventures with the Winchesters.

#4 - Doctor Who - This past season was extremely short due to the limited availability of David Tennant, but they did manage to wrap up a few storylines and end the series on an emotional note. This current series was my first experience with the Doctor, and I have loved all the different trips that we have been on over the past 5 years. I will miss that sassy humour ( I am still chuckling over the “ Worst rescue ever” line from the finale) and the quick wit that comes with a well written story, and this series has forever changed my view of sci fi. I must admit that I have been spoilt with this well crafted series, and I have some trepidation to check out the new adventures when they start, but have to say that I have been smitten by a masterful series and hope to see more of these Who Universe Characters. I don’t know if Russell T. Davies will be involved with any of the other characters, but I am hoping for better resolution with our friends from Torchwood. It feels strange to mourn for a character that is gone but not really dead, just completely changed in to some one new.

#5 - Bones- The story lines this year were back on track as Brennan and Booth continue their awkward mating dance. I know they like to keep the sexual tension going (it seems to be the thing in this genre of show), but it would be nice to see them actually hook up, and not just in dream land. The rotating interns have been a hilarious addition to the cast this year, and this show seems to get better with each season as the ensemble gels more and more. Not only does this show have some of the most creative episode names ( The Dwarf in the Dirt), but the interaction between all of the cast is so hilarious that the comedic side really helps temper all of the death that permeates this series. I still want to see Hodgins and Angela get back together, but all the various distractions with Angela along the road have been hilarious. Cam has rounded things out nicely as the mostly no nonsense kind of boss (with mixed results) and I will say it again, I am still convinced that Sweets is not all that he appears and may turn out to be the new Gormogon who has been curiously absent this past season… so far.. anyways… the series is highly underrated and David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel are not given enough credit, they are damn funny and sexy together.

#6 – The Big Bang Theory – This has to be the King of the Geek shows, and I love the intellectual/scientific and geek humour and the great way they are developing each of the characters as the show grows. I am really happy to see the balance between Penny and Leonard, and even happier that they have not ignored the comedic genius of Johnny Galeki (Leonard) who is a tad more subtle than Sheldon but can really deliver some killer lines. The balance of his relationship with Penny (who has really learned how to hold her ground and kick some geek butt) and Sheldon is priceless and over the top most of the time. The comedic timing is killer on this series, and I love how they have been rounding out the Raj and Howard characters and making a better synergy amongst our herd of geeks and the hot chick. The recent appearance of Christine Baranski as Leonard’s mother was hilarious and I am hoping to see more of her. I would kill to have half of the geek stuff that litters their apartment (not to mention have their cash for all that loot) and Sheldon has go to have one of the best tee shirt collections, ever.

#7 - Smallville – I am not the only one that noticed that this show is so much better sans Lana and all the emotional tripe that came with that character. Erica Durance’s portrayal of Lois is dead on and she has created the right balance with our hero in the making. I wish that they would go more towards his costume instead of the black crap, and they really need to let the guy fly (it’s ridiculous that he is not yet at this point) but they are writing some good stories, and I have been loving the guest appearances by other heroes (well, the Smallville versions) from the DC Universe. This year’s storyline is interesting, they do seem to be trying to find a balance with all the characters but I still find that they are a tad harsh on Chloe. I am digging the whole Watch Tower idea and having a central point to coordinate everything, but they seem to be having a problem fleshing her character out more into the Oracle inspired one that they are working with. I do like seeing Chloe getting a bit more cutthroat about things (her rehab of Ollie was priceless), but get tired of the keeping secrets crap with her and Clark. There is a ton of emotional baggage on this show that makes things a tad too teenage-drama, but things are maturing slowly but surely.None the less, this season is really surprising me and I can hardly wait to see the upcoming event with the Justice Society! Is it too much to ask for more Clark in tights?

#8 – Better off Ted – The pacing of this show and the hysterical cast of characters at Veridian Dynamics have made this show a real chuckle fest each time is has played. I loved the first episodes and the introduction of Ted, Linda, Lem, Phil and Veronica and the strange corporate entity that they work for. Ted is the “straight man” of the group, playing the glue that tries to hold it all together, but it is Veronica (Portia De Rossi) who steals the show as the tough as nails/cold hearted bitch that runs everything. Everyone fears her, and she is priceless as she quips things like “God, you people are paranoid. No wonder the company has to secretly manipulate you.” The series has no qualms about being politically correct, and has confronted different issues about the workplace from office romances to genetically manipulating the employees. I really hope this series is around for a few more seasons, it’s has been a hilarious ride so far, and I love the fake commercials from Veridian that pepper the series. Making your world better. Whether you want us to or not.

#9 – Modern Family – It is a big change for the Top Ten list this year as there are several comedies that made the list, and this show has been hilarious since it’s premieire episode. I initially checked it out as I wanted to see how the gay couple was going to be portrayed, and was so pleasantly surprised with Cameron & Mitchell and the baby adoption storyline (which must be making some Fundamentalist heads spin) which has been very well protrayed. The characters are hilarious and Cam saying “ Yes, I've gained a few extra pounds while we were expecting the baby... but that's science. You can't fight it.” had me rolling on the floor and I was instantly addicted to this show. The combination of all of the extended family (including Shelly Long as the ex wife) has had me laughing my ass off, and hats off to the daughter Alex, who steals many an episode with her dead pan delivery of intellectual zingers that mystify her less brainy brother and sister.Good writing always makes for a funny show and the writers are fantastic, and the cast very, very funny.

#10 -DollHouse– I have to say that I worship at the altar of Joss Whedon, and even though the series is being cancelled, and the premise a little sensitive (and a tad unsettling at times), I have loved the development of characters and the weird and wonderful universe that Joss has created and will miss yet another show once it is finished burning off the last episodes. Eliza Dushku is stunning as Echo, and I have really enjoyed seeing Tahmoh Penikett since his appearances in Battlestar Galactica, but the real revelation has been Olivia Williams as Adelle DeWitt. She is an extreme force to watch out for and has really turned into a fascinating character. As expected, the series was not well received by the general public, and it’s a shame as it is well written and fascinating to watch. I love getting spoiled and seeing other actors from some of the other series that Joss has done who have appeared on the show, and hope to see Joss writing another TV series soon. There is a void on the air that can only be filled by him.

Almost made the List: Sarah Jane Adventures, Burn Notice, Chuck, Eureka

Brilliant yet cancelled: Pushing Daisies, Samantha Who?, MadTV, Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles, Battlestar Galactica (all things must end unfortunately)

Fallen from Grace: Torchwood, Heroes

Biggest Disappointment: DollHouse (yup it made the list but stumbled terribly and was too hit and miss... a shame..., Stargate Universe, V, Flash Forward

Best Promo Photo:

Weekend Rant – Fall & other Thoughts

This Fall has been much busier than I imagined, and between an intensive new job and the quantity of shows that I am following I haven’t had much time to Rant. Not that this is a bad thing either, as a large majority of it would be pretty negative about the writing in some of the shows that launched this Fall. The winners are clearly outnumbered by the failures, but shining brilliantly above the rest of the drabble is Glee. I don’t think that there is anything else on the Watch List that makes everything else stop and is such a highlight of the week. Glee makes me so happy that I can almost forget about some of the crap that I have been watching. The new Stargate Universe series is really not impressing me and I miss having something cosmic on the schedule.Most of my time has been consumed with dance related shows like So you think you can Dance (both the American and Canuck versions) and I am really hoping to see Jayme Rae win the competition here. She has that something special that you can’t really name, and it would be fun to see one of the girls win the second year. Our American friends are getting to the point of picking their Top 20, so as things tie up here they will start picking up steam down south. I just heard that Mia Michaels is leaving the show and find that a shame, she always brought astounding and profound creations to the stage and was a great, positive influence for the dancers that she touched. I hope that she will be back (the show can use her talent) and I hope it had nothing to do with the fact that Adam Shankman was made a permanent judge. If anything, I hope to see her work elsewhere.

Things have been heating up on Dancing with the Stars and I have a couple of favourites already. I am loving Donny Osmond and Mya and hope to see both of them go far. Mya has the hottest chemistry with her partner Dmitry and you can only imagine how much fun their training must be together. They look great together and this may be the year that Dmitry steps up and takes up the alpha male spot. The guys are really stepping it up this year and you can’t say that they are not good looking. I am pretty impressed with the level and quality of dance, and thankfully, so far, they have been cutting the deadwood and letting those with potential go further. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next few weeks as the Stars seem to be injury prone at this stage of the competition.

The new comedies have been catching my attention and Cougar Town and Modern Family are always good for a chuckle and have been pretty witty so far. Smallville is not that bad and although it has been given a death slot I am hoping to get some decent story. Lois and Clark is way more interesting than Clark and Lana, they just need to stop dumping on Chloe every 2 minutes.

Most of my regulars are true and dependable, like Bones and Supernatural, but I am getting pretty bored with Heroes and starting to lose interest with Flash Forward. At least South Park has come back for another series of episodes and has been as scathing as ever. I still have a few series to catch up with over the next few weeks.

Weekend Rant – Limping out of the starting gate

The new season has launched but it was an awkward stumble out of the gate with the return of Melrose Place and the complete dashing of my hopes to find a juicy soap to fill an emptiness that has been there since the heyday of soaps like Dynasty and the original Melrose Place. There really hasn’t been anything on that scale, nor anything with some decent star power, on the schedule for quite awhile now, and I was really, really hoping to FINALLY have something fun and over the top to watch. But alas, the first episode bit the big one and was more cheesy and angst ridden than anything else. Besides, what the hell are they doing bringing back a character that was deader than dead, only to kill her off again. Blah blah I know all the Lost flashback stuff already and didn’t really find any of the characters that appealing… so it looks like 90210 territory and banished to teen-angst land. Blah. The only way they could get me to watch this would be for Heather Locklear to join (won’t happen, I am pretty sure about that), or for Marcia Cross to come back as crazy,crazy Kimberly. I don’t see either of those things coming true, so it’s Off the Watch List.

The CW did get Supernatural right though and it was a brilliant season opener, following the cliff hanger from this Spring and jumping into the fire with both feet. I loved how the boys had their lighter times before the terrible break up at the end of the episode, and how complex the story is with Sam seemingly back to normal after being used by other forces to free Lucifer, and Dean learning that he was brought back to be the Sword of the Arch Angel Michael. It’s all very biblical and over the top Armageddon and Resurrection and very well written. Those Winchester boys seem to get hotter each season and the subtle humour and friendly jabs between the boys and that hilarious tension that their Number One Fan brought was too much. I like the guys when they are on missions and saving the innocent a bit more than when we are in end of the world mode. There is not much time for joking at this time but I am looking forward to some more tongue in cheek humour. It's all about balance.

So you think you can Dance Canada? is still pulling out all the stops and the dancers are so great that it is really hard to decide on who should leave. Cody and Melanie are definitely the cutest couple (and youngest it appears), but it is Jayme Rae & Daniel and that are the hottest. I am really impressed with their quality of dance (and smoking hot bods) and the way that they live each dance. After this week my opinion has changed concerning Natalie & Danny as well as Kim & Emanuel. They all danced incredibly well (Natalie was very surprising) and Blake McGrath put together a killer Jazz number that was hot sexy magic. It was a shame that Jenna Lynn and Nicolas were eliminated this week, but I am a tad disappointed with the viewers from Québec that didn’t vote adequately to make sure Nicolas was safe. I’ll miss the cute little B-Boy with the big smile. The Judges really have a tough job with eliminating 2 dancers each week as each of them brings so much to the show. France & Jean Marc choreographed and interesting Afro-Brazilian number that was almost as hot and fiery as France’s hair. Still, it is nice to see our Judges strut their stuff and show their dancing chops.

The American version kicked off this week, so while we are culling the herd down to 10, our friends down south at So you think you can Dance? are in the audition process and started off this week.Fox seems a tad more low key this time around and it was only one night for one hour, as they roll out their Fall schedule. It was a great start and it’s always a trip to have Mary Murphy on the panel, she really does bring a special energy.

Glee burst out of the starting gate with a fantastic first episode, more fun music and insight into the lives of our characters. So far so good, and I can hardly wait for more music numbers and special guest stars. I hope the ratings hang in there so we can see a full season, I have already started to worship Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester. That is one funny character, and I love her no nonsense lesbian sensibilities. The characters are all fascinating, and it is such a motley crew that you can’t but help falling in love with the quirkiness of it all and the great music. I love how things are ultra competitive between Glee Club and the Cheerios, and all the back stabbing and espionage with the hope that Cheer will triumph. The storyline is great, and it is such a pleasure to have a musical comedy as a regular series.If you haven’t seen any of it, surf over to FOX and check it out, it’s my Number 1 at this time.

This week I will be getting all pumped up about the return of Bones (one of my favourite shows), the return of Jean-René Dufort as Infoman ( a scathing look at politics and popular culture in Québec and Canada) and the premiere of this edition of Survivor, this time in Samoa. Survivor is still the original (and best) reality show that started the trend and I love this peek into society and how we interact with each other. The best editions are always on Islands, and I can hardly wait to see how this one develops.

Weekend Rant – The Week in Review

Things have already started finishing up for this season and this past week brought the end of the season (and possibly the end of the road) for Chuck and Heroes. Heroes has completely bored me this season and it really felt like the writers were grasping at straws before ending this season with a whimper and nothing that particularly interesting. I can not understand how and why they have decided to make the characters all caricatures of themselves, and the only bright spot in the last episode was the reappearance of Tracy (at least her story had an interesting twist) but I hate what they are doing with Hiro and the rest of the gang. Why have the big fight scene with Peter and Sylar if nothing was shown? The whole death of Nathan and resurrection via Sylar was stupid. What a waste of characters.

Chuck fared much better and I love the multiple storylines with the gang at the Buy More, Ellie and Awesome’s wedding and the whole Chuck/Sarah dynamic. I was in hysterics at the end when Chuck got all Intersect 2.0 and suddenly had ninja skills. It was a great way to continue the series and I really really hope that the show will be back for another season. There is way too much of a wealth of characters to ignore or to waste. Good writing – it’s just too bad that some of the viewing public has jumped ship.

Bones had another astounding episode with The Beaver in the Otter (and no it is not some new fancy food preparation) that delved in frat life and it has to be the scenes with Booth and Brennan that kill me each time. Temperance is so clueless (yet curious) and her dismissal and apparent fascination with Sweet’s methods of deduction had me on a roll. I still say that our psychologist is up to no good and I bet you that our dweeb that was helping out the Beaver with hacking into the database is a potential new acolyte for the Gorgoman, the guy seemed too impressionable and there is something about Sweets that gets the hair standing up on the back of my neck when he is on screen sometimes, I may sound repetitive but I am still convinced that he is up to no good. In our rotating intern position, the Muslim guy was hilarious and I loved his reasoning to why he was willing to work with Hodgins on his banned experiment. The episode was more brilliance and the whole Beaver was banging a Cougar was hilarious…. the writers do an amazing job. It was great seeing Booth’s brother again and Booth hit the nail on the head when he got Brennan to “Dine & Dash” in an effort to get her to lose some of her good behaviour and harden her frontal lobe. Booth has some pretty funny theories sometimes and I love watching Brennan’s head explode at the threat of non science. This show is so under rated it’s ridiculous.

Lost is blowing my mind with all the twists and turns that we are learning concerning our scientists that Widmore hired to come to the Island, and more information about Daniel (and his very cool mother) and the big revelation that Mr.Widmore is also dear old dad to our nerdy scientist. I am still not sure what the whole scoop is with the Hostiles and why Eloise left as well (it seems that many of the residents on the Island decided to leave at one point) and it looks like we might be getting more of a reveal to some of the big secrets as this season starts wrapping up. There is still a lot of unanswered questions and I am wondering how Mom shooting Daniel is going to work out.. the death tally on these scientists is stunning and I wonder if Miles will survive also.

Survivor Tocantins is as amazing as any of the good seasons of Survivor, and I am really digging how the game is coming together for some of the players. It’s a shame that the know Coach won immunity this round, but I have the impression that lots of the gang are getting tired of his yapping and I can’t believe how utterly disposable his morality is. All bark and no bite it seems, the way that things are going I am starting to get the impression that one of the more subtle players (like Taj) will win it all. The alpha players seem to be all about getting rid of each other right now and not looking at the more subtle threats. I was sad to see Sierra go, but it depends on how you play the game but I loved how she was fighting to the very end.

Smallville is prepping for the end of the season (and breathing a sigh of relief knowing that they are coming back for another season) and I can’t believe that after all this time that Clark is such a knob that he doesn’t realize that Chloe is trying to protect him. I don’t completely understand the dynamics with Jimmy and Oliver (seemed like filler to me) and Clark needs a super kick in the butt to realize what Doomsday is. It’s all going to hit the fan with only 2 episodes left this season and I am looking forward to seeing how it all ends. I still say that Clark and Doomsday bite the big one at the end of the season and we will have to wait for next season for the big resurrection. Time for more heroes!

Supernatural was quite the episode and explained more about Angels than previously know ( I had no idea that they used vessels while on our plane of existence) and the back story to Castiel was interesting. I am not sure if they are building up to the same kind of finale that we have had for the past couple of years, but Sam is in some big kind of trouble with that demon blood monkey on his back and his detox could be interesting. I am looking forward to the last 2 episodes of the season but finding that suddenly the season seems short and the ending snuck up on us. The storyline has not developed as clearly as I first thought and I almost feel like we have missed a chapter. I am glad that we already know the Winchester boys will be back next season, but I think that might have cheated us out of a more dynamic last few episodes.

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

The past week was not bad with some surprising episodes of Lost and Bones, while a few shows fumbled the ball (Smallville - again) and Project Runway Canada is really beginning to get on my nerves, but there were shows like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Dollhouse that have really surprised and shocked me.

The Amazing Race is still as amazing as ever, and it was a shame to see Mike & Mel hit the road but you know that once one team gets way behind the others there is never that much of a chance to catch up. It's all about how you play the game and our 2 stunt men got perilously close to hitting the road after sabotaging the other teams. This game is really about fair play and you have to out perform to win -- not try to trip up the other teams. The teams are really pushing themselves and Tammy & Victor seem to be the leaders at this time.

Dancing with the Stars dumped Holly and the Woz (finally) and I hope that Steve-O gets his act together soon or he will be leaving soon.Lil' Kim was amazing and looks great, and you can really tell that Cheryl wants to win this year so she pulled out all the stops (and probably a roll of duct tape) to get her cleavage into that outfit and tangoed Gilles into a frenzy. Ty is still impressing me and Shawn is adorable.

Both Chuck and Heroes missed the boat this week with episodes that felt too repetitive (again) but I am looking forward to seeing the story arc with Chuck's dad. Heroes has completely lost it's way and feels like the same story done over and over.... I am just waiting for the next version of Ally/Niki/Traci to show up and get killed. My interest and hopes of a 3rd season are fading quickly, and I can't believe how the writers have dropped the ball on this series. What was once very promising has turned into an test of endurance.

Project Runway Canada has me waiting for Sunny to win and nothing more. This season was too dull for my taste and this crop of designers is too straight and bitchy. I can hardly wait until the US version returns (the legal issues are getting settled finally) and I will have to check out the new Bravo replacement The Fashion Show when it hits the airwaves. I need a Heidi and Tim fix.

The only thing that has been fabulous enough on TV recently was RuPaul's Drag Race (one of my favorite Guilty Pleasures this year) and I was like a little boy Christmas morning when I heard they have already booked a second season. The only thing as fun as that is this season of Make me a Supermodel, which has all the gorgeous people and the craziness of the Janice Dickinson Modelling Agency with out the psychopathic Janice and some astounding photo shoots. I think Jonathon has a great chance of winning and is really impressing me. The cast is less gay this time around, but as enthralling as ever.

Lost has my head spinning with possible temporal paradoxes and I absolutely love that Hurley asked the questions that we all had to know... and I was literally peeing myself laughing as he and Miles had their "nerd off" to see who had the right theories. I love how they are tying up some of the mysteries (what Sawyer whispered to Kate) while starting more and Ben being taken by Richard to be healed. Seeing our modern day Ben wake up to John Locke was a hell of an ending and I am literally on pins and needles waiting to see what happens next. One hour per week is not enough of this show.

Bones pulled off a surprisingly serious episode that was very Cam-centric, and was almost too different as it was not as humorous as the usual episodes. I was pretty sure that Cam's new adopted daughter is none other than Monica from Heroes, so I am glad to see her getting more work but wondering how this all fits into the series. I think I am just in shock because the episode was so different than the usual episodes of Bones and it was interesting to see one of the other characters in the spotlight. It was nice to see Tamara have the chance to show her acting chops.

Survivor: Tocantins is great and I love how we are getting up to the merge and the Hidden Immunity Idols are starting to come into play. I think that if anyone finds an Idol now they better be sceptical, because it seems that everyone who has found one of the Idols tries the Fake Idol fake out now (and it's a good idea) and it might keep people on their toes. Rule of thumb, they have to be played occasionally as well as it's great to have one but useless if never used. I would really like to see that tool Coach hit the road though, and hope that happens soon.

Smallville has me wondering why Clark is such a tool most of the time and why Chloe is still the poster girl for bad choices this season. I thought that after the previous episode she was being more proactive about things, but this Davis/Doomsday thing is getting out of hand. Tessmacher surprised me with blowing up Davis, and I saw an interesting twist on her personality that makes her psycho and dangerous, but nothing like Lex. Her idea of testing Clark is a good one and am waiting for the big fight at the end of the season. More adventure and less angst please.

Supernatural churned out another great episode and I loved the slant on the print version of Supernatural with our boys being all romance novel inspired. Angels, demons and prophets -- it seems the end of days is coming up and I expect an Apocalypse of a finale this year. I am glad that the show is coming back and feel better going into finale season knowing that there will be a follow up, but still wondering how they are going to try to tie up this major storyline in the next few episodes.The series has been even more thrilling this year and the writing has improved over last year.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles shocked me this week with the very unexpected death of Derek in a move that I really did not see coming. No one is safe on this show (except John) and it is really starting to tear him apart watching everyone die for him. There is some very interesting developments with the storyline and I am loving the tension. I just hope that next week is only the season finale and not the series finale. I expect a pretty big body count after the next episode and when the dust clears I hope to see Cameron still around. This show is not getting the credit or attention that it deserves.

Dollhouse is continuing to be another brilliant brainchild of Joss Whedon, and although I am having a bit of a problem getting past the whole "pet" angle of the Dolls (and am still not sure of the whole human traffic element of the show), the writing has been great and Eliza is as phenomenal as ever. I love seeing the Dolls bond, and the underlying story of our very hunky FBI agent Paul Ballard (loved our Canadian guy in Galactica) and the apparent chemistry between Echo and Ballard. Hot stuff... and the insights into what makes Echo, Victor, Sierra and November tick makes the show even more fascinating. Josh is all about writing great characters, and his work is shining here. I just hope that the ratings are enough to get another season, things are starting to get very interesting and this better not be another Firefly.

Weekend Rant - Making up for Lost Time

Things have been running fast and furious for several weeks now, and as I continue playing catch up with a few shows (24 is one of those), I have been making sure that I keep up with my Best in Show favourites such as Lost and Battlestar Galactica. This has to be one of my favourite times of the year as both of those series are rolling out phenomenal seasons and the writing has been incredible. It is nice to see some complicated and enthralling story lines and both series have been keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Dollhouse has really sucked me in with after only 3 episodes and I salut Josh Whedon for creating another fascinating universe. Eliza Dushku is really having a chance to show her acting chops with her portrayal of each of the different persona's and as her fugue Echo in her Tabla Rasla state. The premise is intriguing, I am loving the stories so far and the back story with Alpha and the massacre at the Dollhouse. Casting Amy Acker as the resident doctor for the Dolls is more Whedon brilliance and is totally geek pleasing stuff seeing one of my favourites from Angel (Fred/Illyria) as the scarred Dr. Claire Saunders, and I have been thrilled to see Tahmoh Penikett (Helo from BSG) cast as the FBI agent trying to uncover the Dollhouse. This strange melding of both the Buffy and Galactica universes has me hooked and I can hardly wait to see more.

Lost and The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham has my head spinning watching John Locke getting manipulated by all the different players surrounding his quest to return to the Island, and it's hard to tell who is actually telling the truth.Is it Richard (and Christian?) that are working together on behalf of the Island, or is Widmore and his quest to get the Island back or does it have something to do with Ben? The big reveal that John was going to commit suicide after visiting and being rejected by the majority of the Oceanic 6 in an effort to get them back to the Island, only to be stopped at the last minute by Ben. Of course John made the error of revealing a bit too much information and then was killed by Ben who staged John's suicide. Now that we have John waking up on the Island with a new group of people and an injured Ben makes me wonder what John did in a past life that he needs to make up for it now, or what is so damn special about him that has been alluded to by all the players. One thing is certain, they all seem to need him. The only thing that I can say is that the return to the Island was astounding with all those convenient coincidences.... but I can hardly wait to see Sun and Jin meet again once we figure out When everyone is. Damn this show is astounding.

Battlestar Galactica has me completely sucked in to the last few episodes and I am on pins and needles waiting to see how they will end things with our survivors. Will they finally find home? Is Hera truly the salvation they are looking for? Is Starbuck a clone or hybrid? Something else? Will Galactica hold together long enough to find a new home? Will the President live long enough to see her people safe? So many questions and so little time left...

Heroes is still boring me senseless with the current story line and if the ratings keep dropping like this we may not see any more after this season. Unfortunately this series has fallen victim to the biggest problem that hits sci fi shows ... it seems that it is a problem to try maintaining good writing or well developed story lines that keep the viewers coming back, and I have been bored silly since this story arc started. Wake me up when this snooze is over as they keep just rehashing the same things over and over. At least Chuck is still hanging in there quality wise, but it really has to be Medium which is the most gripping show of the evening. This show is an example of good writing that has made for some great stories so far this season. I love Alison being a bit more out of control and this past body snatcher/possession storyline is making me think that hubbie Joe is going to have a major meltdown soon if Alison keeps putting the kids in danger.

I wish the scheduling would get back to normal and shows like Bones and Big Bang Theory get back to airing new episodes,the occasional new episode is not enough and don't get me started about wanting to see the final episodes of Pushing Daisies. Some shows get no respect and I am furious with ABC for holding on to the last episodes and not even giving the crew a chance to tie things up with the storyline. MADtv finally had a new episode this week, and it was great to see the gang doing their very funny schtick after several months of repeats and compilation episodes. I hope they will air all the final season and let the cast say their farewells. It would be great to see some of the old gang to tie things up but I am not really holding out too much hope for any hooplah. For all we know, all the stuff has already been taped and we are just waiting for it to air.

Project Runway Canada is starting to become too predictable with pretty much the same formula being used over and over. Iman looks fierce, Challenge, at least one designer freaks out and is on the verge of a complete meltdown. There is tons of bitching and usually the biggest whiner goes home, and Sunny wins. Repeat. I bet ya Sunny wins the competition...

My biggest guilty pleasure at the moment has to be RuPaul's Drag Race, which is turning into one of the best shows ever. Not only are our contestants fierce from A to Z, but they are all such lovely and different creatures that you can't help but want all of them to win, except for the one that they are shamelessly promoting as the biggest bitch because the show has to have one. This show hits so many of the right notes with its over the top spoofing of other reality shows and having the balls to show the guys as much as the boys they are as their Drag counterparts. It's a shame that a couple of the more marginal girls have had to go, but I am routing for Angina. Drag is about being a parody or being a character and not necessarily about being a female impersonator. You go girl!

Weekend Rant - Another Blitz !

Life has it's busy moments, and I am still sprinting non stop for the next few weeks... so this week is another Week in Review and my biggest hits and misses of the week.

I absolutely loved the special edition of Desperate Housewives and their tales of the handyman. Not only was it great to see the ladies in flashback mode (loved the first meeting of Gaby and the girls), and it was nice to see characters like Rex back for an appearance, and I think it is always a great treat to see Mary Alice. The episode was very well written and I laughed and cried with our housewives and the common thread that brought them all together.

Momma's Boys came to a merciful end with our boys and mothers unhappy. Like I said before, I am not predicting any happy endings and I am glad that this experiment is over ... none of the guys really followed their heart and that should be the essential element. In reality, should we even expect anything deep from these self professed momma's boys.. they are used to being told what to do and to have everything done for them.

24 is keeping a decent pace, but is already starting to stretch into more of that
"Did they really do that ? " territory with the apparent shooting and burial of our more than slightly miffed and confused FBI agent Renee. The storyline is still intriguing enough that I am coming back for more and I can hardly wait to see more with Bill and Chloe. Another geek off between Janis and Chloe would be more than appreciated (their mutual admiration for each other was cute as well) and I have the feeling that Janis is the mole and will be kind of like the anti-Chloe to to screw things up for Jack. At least the essential and important elements of this series are in sync , and Jack and Tony are being rough and tough double agents working for some rogue agency because of some government conspiracy. I wonder if the story lines will change now that there is a different vibe at the White House and the new administration seems more public and honest.

Smallville delved into angst territory again this week with Lana still on board and Lois curiously absent once again. I am looking forward to getting back in to hero mode and Lana leaving again, Clark just turns into a babbling idiot and some one needs to give him a super kick in the ass. They have been going back and forth on the hero thing and we better get into some tights soon, or attempts at disguising our reluctant hero so he really can be a force for good and start realizing his potential. I will say that I did like the Lana stuff when she showed Tessmacher how she was the eyes and ears of Lex with out knowing it, and it will be interesting to see what side she will play on now, but I am more interested in seeing things develop with Lois and Clark and for the series to be more action and adventure oriented.

Bones came back this week with 2 episodes and both of them were brilliant for different reasons. I loved seeing Booth and Bones undercover and off to join the circus as Canadians, Buck and Wanda Moosejaw who have this nifty act called Boris & Natasha & their Russian knives of death. Both of them were hilarious and Bones had me on the floor with her deadpan questions and comments. Her blind faith in Booth and his knife throwing abilities was surprisingly logical, and the affection between the two of them is obvious to everyone except them it seems. They had too much fun together at the Circus and it was great to have the show back on the air. I loved the 2nd episode as well, and you could see that David was having too much fun with the hockey theme. I still have alarm bells that go off with Sweets, and am still convinced that he will be a bad guy some time in the future.

The return of Lost was the biggest highlight of the week, and I loved the 2 hour opener that started to answer some questions and reveal some of the secrets of the Island. I love the whole unstuck in time thing that is happening and how it appears that things can be influenced over the time stream if you know the right door to go knocking on... they had already shown in a past episode that there was a distinct link between Desmond and Daniel (The Constant), and now it looks like Daniel can communicate with the Desmond on the Island (in the past), who will remember the meeting as a dream or memory and maybe able to change the sequence of events. The time travel/paradox issue looks like it will be a major part of the storyline and I am interested to see how all it will play out and how it ties into the apparent death of Locke and the need to get everyone back to the Island. I bet that once they are all back, Locke will come back to life (he is very special after all) and things will be changed in the Time/Space Continuum. This show is amazing and I have the distinct feeling that long term viewers will be treated to lots of great stuff this season. It was great to find out more about what happened with the gang on the Island after the big white out and it was a definite treat to have an episode of Sawyer shirtless. I wonder if Jack's hairy chest will come back during one of the flashbacks and I bet we will have at least one time travel episode where our survivors meet up with themselves. That will be a trip.

Weekend Rant - Starting off the New Year

The arrival of the New Year heralded the beginning of new and exciting things, but unfortunately it also signaled the end of a few of my favorite series.

Just leaving the airwaves on New Year's Eve and after an incredible 16 years on the air and a total of 35 years of history,  The Royal Canadian Air Farce (a fun play on words of our air force) finished things up and it was a bittersweet finale. I will miss their parodies and political mischief and hope that some of the comedians will be seen in other shows or maybe another weekly variety show. It's always hard when you lose an institution like Air Farce and I will miss seeing Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, Luba Goy, Jessica Holmes, Craig Lauzon, Alan Park and Penelope Corrin each week. There has rarely been a week that has gone by that they have not had a scathing commentary on the current political scene or some brilliant insight to Canadian Issues. They are as important to culture as Second City Television (SCTV). May the Farce always be with us!

It was also announced that MADtv is ending it's run after an impressive 14 seasons, surviving in a time slot that has seen many a pretender come and go and it has been the only viable competition to the long running SNL. I have been a huge fan of the show since day one, and have marveled at the brilliant parodies that they have pulled off over the years. No other show has been as biting and sarcastic as this crew, and they have had some very funny people that have stayed on for multiple seasons. The list of favorites is practically endless, but Mary Scheer, Orlando Jones, Bryan Callen, Michael McDonald, Aries Spears, Debra Wilson, Mo Collins ,Bobby Lee, Nicole Sullivan, Alex Borstein,Will Sasso, Stephnie Weir, Frank Caliendo, Phil LaMarr, Ike Barinholtz, Nicole Parker, Paul Vogt, Crista Flanagan,  Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Arden Myrin and Josh Meyers all made me laugh my ass off at some time and I will really miss having this show around. I always found it to be consistently funny and edgier than the last decade of SNL. They have also done some of the best music video spoofs out there, and I hope the rumors are true that they are trying to shop the show around to some other networks. If anything, I would just like to thank all the cast and crew for many years of funny stuff and hope to see them around in some form or another.

Wrapping things up, Stargate Atlantis ended with a whimper (not even close to a bang) and I am just happy that it is finally over. It's unfortunate that the series lost direction (and I have never liked it as much since the Doctor Elizabeth Weir character was written out of the series), and they really lost their direction with casting and interaction between the characters. I just hope the next series that the spin off of SG1 will fare better. I will miss  Joe Flanigan but imagine that he will pop up elsewhere (or so I hope).

Sanctuary finished up it's first season and I still keep waiting to get really interested. I haven't found the characters that interesting or enthralling and I am completely on the fence about future episodes. The concept is great, it is once more a question of writing, and getting some interesting and gripping story lines down.

I heard over the holidays that NBC has decided to pull the plug on American Gladiators and I am heartbroken. I was really enjoying the series and the herd of new Gladiators (there go favorites like Hellga, Crush and Toa) and still hold out hope that it might be picked up as a summer series .... one can dream. I can't believe that they keep Knight Rider and not this.

Starting back up this month are Battlestar Galactica and Lost, two of my favorite series and I am waiting with much ... (say it!) ...  anticipation to the series premiere this Friday of Galactica. I absolutely love the series and can hardly wait to see where it takes us in the final 10 episodes. The big reveal of the final Cylon model should be something, I bet the writers have been making us think that it is Starbuck but it will turn out to be Roslin. Lost has left a ton of questions in the air since last spring (it's a long time in between seasons of Lost), and I can hardly wait to see how things develop and I am thrilled that Bones is back this week, but hate the fact that it seems that almost everything is on Thursday night. Thank god for technology that enables you to record 2 things at the same time, but it means that I have to play catch up on the weekend to see some of my favorite shows.

Thursday is going to busy with Smallville and Supernatural coming back this week (I can hardly wait, both series have been great so far this year) and then the big return of America's Best Dance Crew, which is better than the almost tolerable ( I question the judging and what they qualify as dance) Superstars of Dance, which is filling a hole in the schedule and has enough good content to counteract the bland hosting and bizarre format. I have no idea who that South African Judge is, but I just want to reach out to my HD TV and smack him. Damn that man is irritating.

I will check out the season opener of 24, but if it is as dismal as the TV movie last month (24 - Redemption) that didn't really bridge the time span and missed season due to the strike last year. The end of the previous season (from a couple of years ago) had Jack taken hostage by the Chinese and the storyline was not really resolved. It was a crappy season anyways and is the reason I am looking at the big debut this week with a bit of trepidation. If the storyline is not gripping or interesting enough (or just plain stupid), I will not be continuing. The only thing that I have seen that was good and  24 related over the past while was a part of the Les Parent this past week on Radio-Canada. The whole real time feeling and incredible multi tasking done by mom, all while ranting about the impossible amount of things done by Jack Bauer in one hour was hilarious and great use of a camera. The writers have really been impressing me on this series and they deserves a shout out for that sketch.

Top Ten of 2008 - Best in Show

#1 - Pushing Daisies -
Being chosen as my number one show is bittersweet and ironic as the show has not been renewed and it will soon join the realm of other Brilliant but Cancelled shows. This modern day fairy tale is simply so different and quirky than anything else out there, it had to be at the top of the list for it's sheer genius. Each episode looks and feels so magical and has such a quick and brilliant wit about it. The playful banter between the actors that is punctuated by different surprises such as music or magic that I am in complete awe each episode. It is a shame that there is not a network that is willing to broadcast the rest of the series, and I still feel cheated by having a stunted season last year due to the strike and then cancellation this year. In all, we get the equivalent of one season and I feel ripped off. Bryan Fuller has promised to continue and end the story, even if it means going into another medium such as comic books, so I feel content that I can say how things develop but feel cheated at the same time. Such is the fate of shows that are out of the box and willing to be more creative... I long for a time when something well written and well produced can be shown just for the pleasure of sharing it's creativity -- unfortunately this is TV and it's the almighty dollar that makes the choices.

#2 - Lost - Even with a short season last year, the writers' have created such an enthralling tale that I can't wait to see what might/has/will happens next. No other show has such a story filled with such complexities and managed to keep us all guessing with a combination of flashback and flash forward sequences. I am still completely hooked and want to see more of what happened with the Oceanic Six, the disappearance of the Island, the mysterious Ben and even stranger Jacob.This show doesn't get the credit it deserves and I can hardly wait to see how things will be this season. It's great that they like to run the season so that there are no interruptions, but I hate having to wait so long to know how the story is going to develop ... with only 34 episodes left there is a lot going on and I know that there will be more twists and turns along the trail, and I can hardly wait.

#3 - Supernatural - The chemistry between the Winchester boys is what makes the series and the combination of dark humor and gripping story lines has made every episode a must see event at home. The guys are just too funny and sexy even with everything going to Hell around them, and the current storyline with Dean being pulled back to Earth out of Hell by Angels and Sammy playing on the dark side with Ruby reads like a Shakespearean epic. The big story of battling Lilith who is trying to destroy the Seals that keep Satan in Hell is astounding and the big battle with Archangels and demons has been off the charts. They have even being throwing out special treats to the viewers this season with Dean's hilarious air guitar sequence to Eye of the Tiger. Solid writing, sexy guys and good acting make for a good series and this one has not been disappointing.

#4 - Doctor Who - This past season was fantastic with Catherine Tate joining the fold as the new companion and impressed me with her dramatic acting skills. I loved the Donna Noble character and her development and ultimate loss over the season. Russell T Davies wrote a hell of a season finale that crossed over into the whole Who universe ( The Children of Time) and it was astounding to see the Doctor with Rose, Martha, along with Captain Jack, Gwen and Ianto from Torchwood and Sarah Jane, K-9 and Luke. They managed to throw in tons of other characters from the past couple of years and have a huge universe shattering ending. Since BBC TV doesn't have to be written with a conventional happy ending, things ended with Donna losing her memories of her time as a companion (as well as her personal evolution) and she can never have the memories back with risking certain death. It was a hard lesson and harsh ending to a character, and I curious to see if the issue will ever be addressed again. The writing and stories were astounding and refreshing, and although this upcoming season will be short I will relish every moment.

#5 - Torchwood - The story lines this year were very adult and things started off with a huge Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and the introduction of James Marsters as Captain John Hart, Captain Jack's former colleague and lover. The stories delved more into Jack's life and his brother Gray, and we had the treat of seeing Martha Jones of Doctor Who fame make a guest appearance for a few episodes.The status quo changed around at Torchwood, and poor Owen was killed, but stayed on as a living corpse before being finally killed off (again?) in the season finale. Toshiko met her end in the final episode of the season, leaving only Jack, Ianto and Gwen at Torchwood. The new season will only be a 5 episode arc, but is better than no Torchwood at all. At least I got some more John Barrowman during this past springs How do you solve a problem like Maria? reality show that aired here in Canada but would love to see more. It will be a rough year with a reduced amount of Who Universe characters.

#6 - Battlestar Galactica -Things were put on hold since June and they will be airing the final episodes (finally) starting this January, and I am itching with excitement and very eager to see how things will be played out. The final Cylon model will be revealed (I just hope that it isn't the President -- that would be the biggest irony of all) and it will be interesting to see how things will change now that they have discovered Earth -- or is that really Earth or some other distraction? The acting and the writing has been phenomenal, the biggest complaint about the series has been the long wait time in between episodes and how Sci Fi seems to be milking it for all it's worth. It's still one of the best things on the tube and hopefully the spin off prequel series Caprica will be as interesting and engrossing as this one. It is still a definite not to be missed series and I can hardly wait to see how things finish off.

#7 - Bones - The show fumbled a bit this season with the separation of Hodgkins and Angela and the team was still reeling from the loss of Zack, but the show managed to hold on to it's core and even if things felt off a tad, they have churned out some great stuff so far this year. I don't think that breaking up our couple worked (I did like the tension when Angela's ex showed up) but I prefer it when the sexual tension is between Booth and Bones. Our reluctant lovers are still butting heads, but there are more and more moments that they seem to fit so well together that are unfortunately punctuated by Bone's lack of tact or just by her having no comprehension of the facts. I still find it humorous that a writer (Bones) who seems to not know much about popular culture is a popular author. It is just another endearing quality of Brennan. David has been killing this season with his very cocky Boothe strutting his stuff (I love the belt buckle) and his sly and subtle sense of humor has been creeping back in.I liked the idea of rotating interns (it reminds me of the good old days and the never ending stream of secretaries on Murphy Brown), but now that we are to the point of seeing some of the interns come back again, I am liking the idea less. The team is starting to feel like they are getting back in sync, but I am still convinced that Sweets is too good to be true and linked with the Gormogon. There are lots of unanswered questions and I am pretty sure that Sweets has the answers, it's just too convenient that he came into the picture at just the right time and has had some peripheral implication in pretty much all of the situations that involved the killer. I bet you he is the new Master and Daisy is going to be his new apprentice.

#8 - Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles - Even with Fox bumping this show on and off of the schedule, the stories have been solid and the acting is tremendous. I absolutely love Lena Heady as Sarah Connor, and she is totally believable as the character. It is rare to find an actress that can embody a well established character, and she has really taken the torch from Linda Hamilton and made Sarah her own. She certainly knows her mission, and I really like how they have been adding new depth to the character, now that they have changed time and managed to skip over that pesky death by cancer. The addition of Uncle Derek was another brilliant move that has added more of a human element and created a bigger sense of family, and Cameron is a great choice as the enhanced Terminator sent back to protect John. Shirley Manson has been disturbing as the T-1001 that is working against our heroes, and it has been a great storyline this season. Hopefully all the time shifts and schedule changes won't get this one cancelled, it's a great addition to the mythos.

#9 - Smallville - I have loved and hated this series since it started, but this year I can honestly say that I have been enjoying the stories and have been really liking the development of things between Lois and Clark. Erica Durance is becoming my favorite representation of Lois to date, having the right balance of toughness and sensitivity, and she has such a commanding presence that you can't help but notice her. If she wasn't calling Clark Smallville all the time I don't even think that they could keep the title of the show as all the action has been taking place at Metropolis and at the Daily Planet. I have been not entirely happy with the storyline with Chloe (the part of her no longer being a reporter), but I like her in Control Tower mode (reminding me more of the Oracle character from Birds of Prey) and find it a good balance for the character. The season started off great with an appearance of the Justice League and the regular appearances of Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter have added a new dynamic to the show. The Brainiac/Doomsday storyline that is currently running has been playing out well and I am looking forward to seeing how things play out over the next few episodes. I think it is time to dish the no tights/no flights rule of the show and for Clark to start playing dress up like the rest of his hero friends.

#10 -The Big Bang Theory - This is the only comedy that made it all the way up the list, and every episode this season has had me laughing on my ass. Not only is this one of the best written comedies on the air, but it has some of the funniest characters created for a sitcom ever. The character of Sheldon is sheer brilliance on every level and his Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock variation was another example of the mindset of the character. It should be noted that the concept was not the writer's idea but an homage to Sam Kass who developed the concept in 2005. I really like how they have been developing the relationships between the characters as well as fleshing out our gang of geeks and getting to know more about what makes them tick. Brilliant minds make for great writing and this show is always worth the watch.

Almost made the List: Chuck, Samantha Who?, The Sarah Jane Adventures

Fallen from Grace: Burn Notice, Heroes

Biggest Flop: Knight Rider, Fringe, 90210

Weekend Rant - Week in Review

The holiday season is upon us, so the ranting may be a bit sporadic but come the end of year, I will be putting up my Top Ten in Reality and Best in Show for this season. Some series have already taken a break until the New Year, and the rest of them are on their way as things get wrapped up but I am a tad disappointed with the lack of Holiday themed episodes in some of my favorite series.

The Amazing Race was hilarious this past episode with our loser Frat Boys being total knobs in a Pit stop that required marching with the Russian Army. Dan & Andrew had another really bad episode riddled with errors and were saved by a non elimination round. I have never seen any one as uncoordinated as Dan in my entire life and I was praying for elimination. My favorites, Nick & Starr, had a rough round but managed to stay in the race and will hopefully get some ground back next round. It was nice to see Dallas & Toni win a round for a change.


This past week, I checked out the Stephen Colbert Christmas Special and it has quickly made it's way on to the Watch List as a regular holiday staple. I loved his irreverent look at things and the hilarious musical numbers. From the opening credits to the cheesy content, it covered all the essential elements of a Christmas Special, with the right amount of sarcasm and irreverent sense of humor to make it a truly enjoyable experience. Some of my favorites of the evening included his hilarious duet with John Stewart called "Can I Interest You In Hannukah?" and the very funny song by one of my favorite artists Feist, simply titled: Please Be Patient. I know I will be watching it at least one more time before Christmas and here's hoping it is actually an annual event and not a one shot like some of my other favorites.

Dancing with the Stars finished up this round with Brooke taking home the giant Mirror Ball Trophy and Lance finishing in 3rd place. I am pretty much sure it was the freestyle round that did him and Lacey in, as their performance just didn't have the oomph that Warren and Brooke did. I still applaud Lance for a great season and I had really hoped to see him come in second (in a worse case scenario) but was feeling kind of uneasy after their last performances. Warren did much better than expected and I really think it came down to style and music choice. No big complaints though, it was cute to see how excited Derek was about winning, and I am looking forward to seeing the next round.

Chuck finished up the storyline with his ex in a timely fashion and I loved the whole Thanksgiving vibe that they had going for the episode. I was a tad disappointed not to get the chance to meet the Awesome family (if they are all as hot as Captain Awesome then that would be completely awesome), but the storyline was hilarious and I loved the whole Black Friday thing at the Buy More. Big Al is under used but greatly appreciated, and it was nice seeing all the gang together at the end. The season is great this year.

Heroes is putting together a fascinating story, but I don't understand why an eclipse takes away powers (hopefully it will be explained) and no idea if the effect is temporary or permanent. Considering that an eclipse takes about 10 minutes to occur I am wondering how much time actually takes place during the episode. The development of things between Elle and Sylar is electric (sorry, I couldn't resist) and I liked the bonding time between HRG and Claire. We haven't seen enough of him this year and I am fascinated by his character. Mama and Papa Petrelli are really stealing the show for me and I am loving all their character development. The Petrelli boys are in trouble in Haiti and poof all of them are powerless (again I don't understand how eclipses work in this world) but the saving grace is Hiro and Ando in the comic book shop with none other than uber geek Seth Green and the return of the 9th Wonder comic books. I wonder what magic potion is going to set things right? The bad news, once we hit the holiday break there will be no new episodes until after January. Bad move NBC, the show was just getting it's mojo back and putting it on hold is not the smartest thing to do.

Bones absolutely killed me with the past episode The Bone that Blew that featured the return of Brennan's dad and a guest appearance by Gina Torres. I loved seeing dear old Dad once again, but was a bit taken back by his new role as a science teacher. I don't remember Max being into science but even with that he had the best line of the night when he asked Boothe if he was gay because he wasn't sleeping with Bones. It was a hilarious moment. The weirdest moment was seeing Booth interviewing Ezralow (Gina) and I had flashes of the Angel TV series and saw him with Jasmine. Disturbing yet welcomed feelings. The chemistry between the characters is still great, I loved the attempt at getting Hodgkins to play King of the Lab with one our rotating interns (Wendell) and I still have a gnawing feeling that Sweets is more than he lets on.

Finally, my heart is breaking as the episodes of Pushing Daisies start wrapping up. This week's edition, with a twist on a modern day Robin Hood and a hilarious appearance by Jennifer Elise Cox (Jan Brady from the Brady Bunch Films) as an Anna Nicole type character. The story was great and I loved the whole thing about Ned and trying not to touch anything in the Trophy Room full of taxidermy animals. Very funny stuff. The creepy stuff about digging up Chuck's dad at the end of the episode was disturbing and I hope that things have not deteriorated too much before the big reveal. I think it has been many years so not quite sure how Ned's ability works with rotted corpses, mind you they have made it seem like he has revived dead things in various states so we'll have to see how things work out.

As it stands, there are maybe 6 episodes left (sniff sniff) and I plan on revelling in each and every one of them before things end. How I wish ABC would change their mind about cancelling this brilliant series.

Weekend Rant -- Playing Catch Up

Top Design finished up season 2 ... and while I am glad that Nathan won (and he really did, he was the most creative and interesting designer), I was still surprised by how many people thought that Preston should have won. The online voting showed him with a clear majority and I think the voting public was more taken with his pretty boy looks and muscles than his content. Preston was big and pretty and not that much more than that.

I even liked Ondine more than his stuff -- her style is more inviting and warm. Of course it all comes down to personal likes and dislikes and she hit all the right notes. I thought it was interesting that our remaining three got paired up with some of the previous designers and Mr Martha Stewart was very funny with his attitude towards working with Preston. Yes Eddie, very professional to leave the phone off to the side and ignore Preston. Too funny. Still.. when it came time to chose our winner our Judges looked at the big picture and chose Nathan for his creativity and ability to put his personal touch in to things. Great work.

I think I will miss the very mannish India Hicks and her over the top accent from each episode and we'll see if there is a season 3. If they do.. make sure your wacky judges are there every week please... things are always so much more interesting when Kelly Werstler is there.

I finally caught up with the insanity of this season's Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency (slash House) and I was pretty upset with how things rolled around this season. Janice's spying wasn't done to our advantage, there wasn't enough real work happening and the drama drama drama with the models could only be topped by Janice.

It must be part of the in grained personality of a supermodel (take Tyra Banks as another example) that everything has to be the end of the universe and I could not believe the disdain and disgust that Janice has for (the horror of .... dum dum dum) Plus Size Models.

Give me a fracking break. Yes Janice, we know that you are all high fashion (and have the mouth of a trucker to back that one back up) and are probably responsible for more girls having an eating disorder than you can count, but her reaction to Nathan's idea and her treatment of the Models was disgusting. There are ways of getting your opinion across with out looking like a complete asshole and Janice had no idea on how to do that. The only thing that I can really say is that if I thought Janice had any redeeming qualities at all that is no longer the case.

Anyways.... to make a long story short (and the reason I skipped the show for a few weeks and watched the final four episodes in one shot the other day), everything changes again. Yup, end of season with Janice is always a big change, like end of season with Tori and Dean is always about another house and/or probably a new house. Janice has decided to go High Fashion (her dream for the Agency, impossible to do in LA as they are not high fashion enough for our supermodelista) and is off to New York with Crystal in tow and maybe a few other models. JP is now a manager and will be helping out with things. Most of the interesting models were ignored this season and I am waiting for the spin off with JP and the LA division. Of course watching Janice have a meltdown and take NYC with her will be another thing all together and I will more than likely not able to resist sneaking a peek.

Stylista is boring me to pieces and I think that Nice Blonde Girl, who got eliminated this week, should really look a some fulfilling career that will not suck the life out of you. She was too nice for the competition and if that is a downfall, then I don't see her having many problems in life.

Other than that... the one with the huge rack is still not playing well with others and some how I feel may be the dark horse to win the competition. She is winning a few points with Anne Slowey and may get some kind of an advantage by being noticed. Our Rich Spoiled Girl has it out for the Diva and that may take both of them out of the equation. The challenge of having to do the Birthday party for Anne's devil child niece was an fun twist, but the behaviour of the contestants stilll makes me question where this show is trying to go.

Smallville hit one out of the park this week with Bloodlines, and we got to see the rescue and return of Kara, Lois in the Phantom Zone and then being possessed by Faora (wife of Zod) let Erica stretch her acting chops more and she did a great job. I honestly hope the people upstairs (hello DC and Warner Bros) take notice and think about her for the next film... she makes a dynamite Lois and has pretty good range of character.

I loved the story development, more information about our mysterious and hunky Paramedic and his miraculous recoveries and invulnerabilities, more about Chloe-Brainiac and her tapping more and more into that big computer in her head, more fun and games with Green Arrow and his interest in Tessmacher and just more overall adventure and fun and games. I am getting an itching to see Clark going more heroic and hoping to see more guest stars soon. The various story lines are getting very interesting and sooner or later it has to hit the fan with Brainiac. I am beginning to think that they are running out of excuses to keep up the old mantra of " no flights, no tights" for this series when all the signs are pointing that way. It was fitting that Clark and Kara were dressed similar at the end (with their natural penchant for primary colours) and that Kara is off to search for Kandor. If things follow the comic books at all, Kandor was shrunken and put in a bottle by Brainiac, so it may be a way to get Kara back as a guest star again.

My highlight of the week was the return of Bones after some time off during baseball season. It's harder to keep up with series that keep bumping on and off the schedule and it's a tad frustrating at times. I don' t usually have any problems getting back on board with the gang on Bones, and this week's episode The Skull in the Sculpture, was like old times with a fascinating mystery, more intern issues, Angelica's interesting past, and the return of my favorite, Prosecutor Caroline Julian. As usual, it was a fascinating story and I am really enjoying the beat of the season. Less interruptions in the viewing schedule would be appreciated Fox.

The characters are fascinating and we are getting some interesting development with the gang at the Jeffersonian and I still say that there is some kind of connection between Gormogon and Sweets... and with Daisy (irritating intern who had to go) in the picture as some kind of love interest to Sweets I think we may have a new apprentice and some danger later this season. There is something about the storyline that is not finished yet and there is more to come.

My biggest shock of the week was the departure of Marcus on Survivor Gabon. Poor Marcus, he threw away the chance to have immunity at the beginning of the episode and then thought he was invincible with his majority of tribe mates. It seems like most of the best players get blindsided in this game and I am going to hate to see poor Charlie's face when he sees that Marcus is gone. The game is getting vicious and if and when the merge happens it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Mixing the teams up once again was a nice move and unexpected, and it's not playing out as any of them predicated. Crystal is turning into the biggest pain in the ass at the moment and I am amazed at how much of a wimp she is at the competitions. At the rate we are going I think that Sugar may take it all, she seems to be playing the smartest out of the gang. I have to give a big shout out to Bob, who impressed the hell out of me at the Immunity Challenge with his balancing act. The guy was an amazing example of mind over matter.