Weekend Rant – Summer Hits & Misses

Things have finished up for this past season’s shows and all in all it was a pretty blasé end of television season. If not for well written shows like Lost, Battlestar Galactica and Pushing Daisies (all almost finished or cancelled), things would have been much worse and I have some trepidation for the upcoming fall schedule. I could rant left and right about the problems with this past lukewarm season, but there is so much on right now that is rant worthy that it would be much more interesting to get to that.

Make me a Supermodel has completely fracked my mind with the last couple of episodes and the departure of 2 of the better contestants and then the unbelievable win by the guy with the least experience. Branden is no supermodel and I can’t believe that Jonathon did not win. I am calling this blatant patriotism as it was the only American contestant that won as Jonathon is from England and Sandhurst from Trinidad & Tobago. Bad bad reality show – and bad ending.

I have been following (albeit with a slightly guilty conscience), the reality train wreck that is I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here ! and am in total shock over the delusions of Spencer and Heidi (irk) who seem to think that they are better than the other reality losers on the show (what a joke), and the editing is worse than the choice of “Celebrities”. I know that I am concerned when Janice Dickinson seems to be the voice of reason and was in hysterics with her whole bronchitis thing that was going on. Yes Janice, nice to see that all those years of finishing school have paid off – I don’t know what was more funny, Janice freaking out after someone bitched at her (how ironic) or her lack of etiquette. Supermodel? irk again! Anyways the 2 dimwits have quit and/or left several times and now want to come back again – just shoot the 2 idiots and put them out of all of our misery please. Spencer & Heidi must die – they must be taken out of the gene pool before it’s too late.

The other big problem with the show is the use of animals and insects in their Fear Factor influenced challenges. It seems pretty damn stupid to have live rats that can bite you in a challenge, the health risks are incredible and it seems very unethical to have frogs or tarantulas that can be crushed or killed by contestants in their efforts to complete their challenge. I hope these things are protested and changed, the so called challenges don’t need to push the envelope quite as far as that.

So you think you can Dance? has blown back on the schedule and finished up the audition process with the final culling in Vegas. I still prefer the kinder and gentler audition vibe that was on the Canadian version (back this fall), but per usual there are some astounding dancers in the Top 20. My upfront favourites are Kupono Aweau and Jason Glover for the guys and Asuka Kondoh and Karla Garcia for the girls. I am looking forward to seeing them work with the choreographers, and really hoping that some of my favourites (like Wade) will be back this year. As hard as Mia is on the dancers, I can hardly wait to see what she churns out this year, with her current hard edge her dancers may be in for more than they can handle. Intense can be interesting.

I have been laughing my ass off at Wipeout, and can’t believe how hard the challenges are becoming for these poor contestants. The much harder (and thankfully very padded) obstacle course now has so many bumps and surprises in it (Plank in the face is too hilarious) and any one who makes it to the end is a winner in my book, it looks fun and exhausting. I will be checking out the home-grown version this fall as the version Québécois will hit the airwaves.

I am still catching up on a few series and waiting for a few more to come back for this summer – postings will probably be weekly depending on the free time, it’s summer after all and it’s time to be outside!

Weekend Rant – Endings & Beginnings

Things have been very busy this time of year and while the end of the regular television season is upon us I been catching up on a few things. I have been pretty disappointed this season with the meh endings to the majority of the shows. It used to be that end of seasons were for huge cliff-hangers or other hooks to get you on board for the next season, but it seems that a ton of shows have taken the easy route and done nothing more than a regular episode. That’s just plain lazy.

Although not mentioned earlier, the season finale to Lost was as mind blowing as expected and I will be on pins and needles until 2011 and the final season of this astounding show. The parallel stories of our time lost heroes trying to save the future and the enigmatic Locke look a like who is out to kill the very mysterious Jacob (who suddenly seems to have an influence in the lives of almost all of the survivors). There seems to be other eternal beings who are responsible for creating Richard and it’s hard to read who is on the side of angels… some of this story smells like Cain and Abel to me but the whole Egypt angle has me really intrigued. There is so much to this story that it blows my mind.

Survivor Tocantins finished up almost as expected, I did see JT winning but did not see that it would be between him and Stephen at the end. It was a great season full of some very memorable characters, but I was happy to see that the majority think that Coach is a complete knob and fraud and I am soooo happy his 15 minutes is up. The next season in Samoa looks great and I will be checking out Burnett’s next venture, Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone. I would love to see Mark return to his roots and bring back some Eco-Challenge, one of the best competitions ever.

So you think you can dance? has started the selection of the Top 20 and the auditions were as interesting as usual. I still prefer the Canadian format that highlights more of the talent as opposed to the losers, and found the brother and sister team very disturbing in an incest kind of a way (just creepy) and I can’t believe that they had that retarded “Sex” idiot back again (seriously?) in a dance off with another delusional idiot. I would much rather see the talented dancers and see the best. At least next week it will be Vegas portion of the auditions and the first culling has been done. I hope to see them pushed hard and it will be great to see some of the choreographers come back. Nigel seems particularly snippy this season and Mary definitely has the cougar claws out.

The Fashion Show is boring me senseless and has none of the appeal of Project Runway. The change in format, the hosting of Not–Beyonce and Isaac is terrible and the editing sucks. There was so much crap on that catwalk last night that I was wondering why it wasn’t a multiple elimination. I don’t agree that our Underwear designer got bumped, there was stuff that was so fugly that got through that I don’t understand how the voters could not have chosen one of them instead. The show is just filler until the real Fashion comes back.

I finally caught up with Dollhouse and loved the first season. I was shocked to learn that our Doctor is actually an ex-active Whiskey (one of my favourites from Josh’s universe Amy) who was the hottest ticket until Alpha went postal on her. The storyline was well developed and the characters fascinating, so I hope Josh has a good plan for next year and some more interesting developments with the concept.

Make me a Supermodel surprised the hell out of me over the past 2 weeks with the elimination of Salome last week and then the dismissal of Mountaha this week has made it an all male finale that has Jonathon poised to win the big title. I wish he was back to his more natural looking blonde, but he is still bringing it big time each time and the best of the boys. I still can’t believe that the 2 strongest girls are gone, the Judges seem to want a male winner this year but I don’t think Branden has the goods and Sandhurst is too limited. Jonathon has been consistent pretty much every week and has the look.

WipeOut returned this week and was even more hilarious than last season. I think the level of cruelty has been oomphed up a notch this round, but the competition is so funny to watch and the commentary so scathing that I am literally rolling on the floor laughing my ass off (ROTFLMAO for all you acronym people) watching these poor contestants get bashed and bruised senseless. I would love to get my shot at this show, but the new final zone looks even harder than before.

This week I am getting all hyped up by seeing the final episodes of Pushing Daisies (I am still so disappointed with ABC for not giving this one the chance it deserved) and the return of Burn Notice. Some of my favourite summer fare is around the corner and I can hardly wait until we get into some fun dance competition and see the return of Kathy Griffin and friends.

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!

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 - Cold Comfort

Pushing Daisies had to be the biggest highlight of this past week, and Comfort Food , had even more tasty goodness than our last episode. The cold comfort is the impending demise of the show and the fact that the stories are getting better and better. The art direction is still astounding, and I loved the whole "Bake Off" atmosphere and odes to characters like Colonel Sanders (Colonel Likkin), the sheer insanity of the Waffle Nazi and the surprise appearance of Muffin Buffalo, another shout out to Wonderfalls and the whole zany universe that Bryan Fuller has created. My dream of a cross over featuring George from Dead like Me, Ned and Jaye from Wonderfalls may only be realized in a dream (or comic book).

We got treated to another song by Olive (as beautiful and brilliant as usual), and the more we learn about our main characters and their past, the more I get attached to this show. I know it's not every one's cup of tea, but it has so much depth and is so unusual that I can help but feel cheated that it will not get to realize it's potential. As usual there was tons of witty quips and a hilarious slow motion run to the finish. Chuck's story with her un-dead dad and the repercussions of lying to Ned to keep dad alive (and conveniently saving her and Ned's life at the cemetery) just got to the crux of the issue at the end of this episode, and I can hardly wait to see what happens next week. Cold comfort indeed.

The Amazing Race got closer to the finish line and will finish up this run tonight -- I was a bit in shock when Dallas forgot their bag with their money and passports and ended up eliminating him and mom during the penultimate leg, and even more shocked that the Frat boys actually kept it together enough to finish and be finalists this week. Andrew & Dan may have snuck into the Top 3 but they are so dysfunctional that I can't honestly see them winning and it would be the biggest upset in Race history if they do. I am still betting on Nick & Starr to win the big prize but Ken & Tina might beat them to the finish line. It will still be fun to watch tonight and I am happy to hear that the next round is already scheduled for February.

Heroes is pushing things a tad with their never ending eclipse that temporarily took away powers only to be things back to where there were before. The saving grace is our comic book nerds who are helping Hiro get back his memories that he no longer wants now that he has looked in on events in the 9th Wonders comic book. I just get tired of Hiro always reverting and going back to who he was before instead of becoming the kick ass warrior that we saw in season 1. Some of the story has been lost along the way but I was glad to see more of HRG in action like we know and love. The show needs to concentrate more on what works and to stop rebooting things non stop.

Survivor: Gabon is proving that out witting the other players is the way to win the game, and Bob has really been stepping his game up these past 2 weeks with some killer Individual Immunity performances and not one, but two fake Immunity Idols. I still think the biggest danger is Sugar, and she seems to some stay under every one's radar, even when she is being quite the bitch and not playing that nice. She still hasn't played her own Hidden Immunity Idol and doesn't seem to be in danger (and it appears the rest of them are so into their own game play that they have forgotten about it) and seems to be in the right direction to make it to the final four. It will be interesting to watch how things play out over the next couple of weeks.

On a side note: enough was enough and over the past few weeks I have dropped Stylista (what a snore fest) and can hardly wait until Stargate Atlantis finishes. I am just not liking the stories and everything feels terribly forced. It sucks when you have a great series that goes downhill ( I still blame all of it on the departure of Weir) and try as they might, they just can't get that chemistry back that was there a few seasons ago. It's a shame.... maybe the next series will resurrect the franchise.

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 - The Week in Review

This was another gut wrenching week in TV land and per usual for every high point there was something else to counterbalance. TV karma can be interesting at times.



Although I haven't mentioned the Big Bang Theory much this year (so far), the gang had me in hysterics with Sheldon's " Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock " and the explanation on how it all works together. The show is not missing a beat this season and is still one of the funniest things on the tube. I loved seeing Sara Rue again! I hope to see her around more but was really hoping for more of my favorite Sarah Gilbert and wondering if she is going to add more spice to the current love triangle.

Chuck broke my heart with Chuck vs the Fat Lady featuring the return of his Ex Jill and then the big reveal that she is an agent for FULCRUM. I could see that one coming a mile away but it just seems cruel to be tugging so deeply at Chuck's heartstrings. I loved all the inside nerd jokes and Sarah's jealousy and can see where they are going over the long term and I think that we will all be happy with the end result. Morgan got the Buy More back under control from new Assistant Manager Milbarge via a hilarious wine cooler induced drunken rant (Tony Hale is as brilliant as usual) and I have really been enjoying the flow of this season. Adam Baldwin kills me with his inane ability to communicate so much with a simple mmphh or some other grunt. Sheer brilliance.

Heroes current storyline Villains is much more adventure driven and making for a better story than the last ark, but there are parts that seem disjointed and I am having a problem understanding (and following) what they are doing with Hiro and his current regression to a younger mental age. Yes, I know that it is all due to mean Mr.Petrelli and all his awesome powers but I just feel that they are exploiting the Hiro character so that he can just repeat the fun things that made him interesting to begin with.

I love Hiro and want to see him go to his potential and be the kick ass hero and not continually being bounced back and forth and trying to find his mission. I am still a tad peeved that Monica has not been around this season and thought that her character had great potential.

Some the pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together... and seeing Elle and Sylar getting all chummy is really interesting (even more so know considering their newly revealed history) and they are quickly becoming the most interesting part of the ensemble. Peter is returning to his old emo self and our flashback into floppy haired Peter territory didn't really help. We'll have to see what things look like after the mysterious eclipse (again?) that will take away every one's powers. Let's hope it works on both sides of the spectrum, and it's both the heroes and the villains that start shooting blanks or things are going to get very messy very quick. Time for the cheerleader to save the world?

Pushing Daisies had one of it's best episodes ever with " Oh Oh Oh . . . It's Magic" that was well, magical. Ned reluctantly agrees to help The Great Herrmann ( a fantabulous guest appearance by Fred Willard) who is the headliner and owner of the Conjurer's Castle, and his animal assistants are being mysteriously killed off in a series of freak accidents. I thought it was kind of a strange coincidence when we learn this episode that The The Great Herrmann has been a surrogate dad to Ned's half-brothers Maurice & Ralston ever since their father abandoned them and disappeared during a magic show at the Castle. Hermann felt kind of responsible and told the boys that dear old dad was off doing important things.

The character development was phenomenal as we learned more about Ned and his dislike of magic (more issues with dear old dad) and his bond with his half brothers. We also got more insight into Dwight Dixon as he gets to know the Aunts , and is apparently linked by military service. I love Aunt Lily and how she is instantly suspicious of his motives, and can see that he is after something more important. He knows a lot about the family and seems to be looking for a watch (that is supposed to be buried with Chuck but he discovers her empty grave) that maybe a clue to treasure or something. He is also looking at getting closer to Vivian. I think the most touching moment had to be at the end of the episode when Olive chatted with Lily and in a role playing scenario talked to her daughter for the first time (lived via listening device by Chuck) that was so touching and real that you could feel the emotions between all of them.

Damn you ABC for cancelling this show... I can only hope that some network would be willing to pick it up and give it the credit it deserves. Another example of a brilliant yet cancelled show.

Arghh!

Smallville left a cliffhanger at the end of an episode that won't be resolved until the new year (a tad early to finish this part of the season for my taste but you can't do anything about that) and there was this Cloverfield vibe that they had and it actually worked. I am not always a fan of the camcorder type footage but the the blurry looks and quick takes that they put together worked although I would have preferred a better look at Doomsday or better yet, seen Davis "transform" into the killer. There hasn't been a clear look at our boy in his destructo mode and it's going to be a hell of an episode when we have the big fight between our reluctant hero and the biological matter that came from Krypton. It maybe that Lex is around some where as well and I am not sure if that looks like some other Brainiac type equipment as well. It was a great visual to finish the episode.

It was nice to see the wedding, loved the stuff between Lois and Clark (and once again, Erica is such a kick ass Lois, I loved her in military mode getting the wedding put together) and liked how the writers handled the return of Lana (all dark and brooding) and the potential for some big tension between her and Lois. Lana opened Clark's eyes that maybe it wasn't the best idea that he had Chloe's memories of his super past suppressed (as did dear Ollie mention something similar) so I have hopes that after the big Doomsday/Brainiac storyline that Chloe will be our super BFF again. I loved seeing the preview for January and the appearance of the 3 founding members of the Legion of Super Heroes. I can hardly wait to see how they slip Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad (or whatever incarnations they will be) and the whole time travel thing into the history.

Supernatural is really good this year and the current storyline with Angels and Demons is astounding. I loved the surprise revelations this week and the whole concept of Angels falling and losing their Grace (which can be found) was an interesting twist on the mythos. This week we got treated to seeing Dean make out with our fallen angel, Anna (just as steamy as the previous week when we got to see Sam) and it looks like the boys have been working out. The story plays out epic and I loved the big fight scene and seeing the demons get toasted when Anna gets her Grace back. Learning that Dean has a Hell induced Stockholm Syndrome was a surprise (I just assumed that you get tortured and don't have any option) and I can understand his grief over the bad things that happened in a bad place. Jensen did a great acting job and I am looking forward to the rest of the season starting in January.

Survivor - Gabon is being completely manipulated by our pin up girl, Sugar, and if she keeps playing this smart (and she was damn vicious this week) she is definitely going to win this edition. I was in complete hysterics the way that she manipulated Randy and poor Bob (your time is numbered my friend) with the fake Idol fiasco and almost lost it during Tribal Council. i don't know if any of the other players are catching on, but she is running the game (in the most subtle way) and I love how everyone goes to her with their ideas and secrets. I just feel sorry for our Bromance couple of Marcus and Charlie who have to deal with Randy being on the Jury and being with them at Ponderosa. If things don't change soon expect Sugar to be the ultimate Survivor of Gabon.

On a final note, I have been checking out the new The Brave & the Bold cartoon series starring Batman and a new set of rotating guest heroes and I like the format and starting to adapt to the new look and style of Batman that they are portraying. I am finding it reminiscent of the 1960s style Batman, but the stories are more contemporary and the guest stars more current in the DC universe. It feels like the art direction has been influenced by The New Frontier movie by Darwyn Cooke. It is interesting that they have him working more and more with other heroes and hoping this will translate eventually into the film work and maybe even more animation. It's fun seeing a lighter Batman (not all dark and broody but definitely more of the the dominant and all knowing Batman portrayed in comics. It's some interesting stuff but I really miss the Justice League series from a couple of years ago.

Weekend Rant - Emotional Roller coaster

Talk about an emotional roller coaster of a week on the tube. Things started off great with (finally) the elimination of our Divorced girls (with way too much baggage) from the Amazing Race and an interesting episode of Desperate Housewives that brought some stories around full circle and showed some new guest stars ( I love Lily Tomlin) and you know that it is all on the verge of hitting the fan.

Later in the week, the departure of Maurice from Dancing with the Stars was kind of predictable but I was screaming at home when my faves Lance & Lacey got through to the next round. I can't believe that Julianna was back to dance (wow) and loved seeing Lacey with Benji. I can't believe how much exposure some of the So you think you can Dance? participants are getting and it's so nice to see some fun dance numbers on the show. I am glad that Cody survived to get his partner back, and this week will show who if he is really a contender or the next to go. I preferred the dance solo part of the competition to the crappy team thing they did last week.

This week there was a great episode of Heroes (neatly renamed Villains for this round) that used the Lost flashback method to show why some of our characters are evil. While I applaud the occasionally use of the flashback method I hope that Heroes is not moving in that direction as I can't handle having too many shows that are either in the past or future instead of the now. Mama Petrelli is such a fascinating character (and not quite as Villainous as she seems to be portrayed) and I am really liking her character development. I loved seeing how some of the characters are related (and have similar powers) and the interaction with Linderman. The story is nice and complicated, is getting very interesting and I can hardly wait to see how Hiro saves himself with that big cliffhanger ending.

South Park made me laugh my ass off this week with their spoof of High School Musical that was ridiculously funny, and was probably the funniest episode so far in this season. The writing is still good but I haven't been gobsmacked by any episodes until now. The South Park gang needs to have at least one musical episode per season and I am still hoping for a great Holiday themed episode this year but it probably won't happen with the season finale around the corner.

Smallville continued one of it's better seasons and although I did like seeing the Brainiac storyline move forward , I hate the idea that Chloe is no longer in on Clark's super secret, and am really crossing my fingers and hopefully that will change and become just a bad idea. It was cute to see Clark and Chloe as kids and sharing their first kiss, even if Chloe knew from even that early time that they were intended to only be friends. We know the storyline is not over after seeing Brainiac take over the Fortress and got some new information about Doomsday (handy things those Kryptonian symbols) and the apparent link with our bad computer and Paramedic guy Davis. We will have to see how weepy it all gets next week with Chloe's wedding, Lana will be there and maybe we can see a cat fight between her and Lois for Clark.

There was another outstanding episode of Supernatural that has me on the edge of my seat with the conflict between the Angels and Demons. I love the storyline with our reluctant psychic who hears Angels, and appears to be a liability for the "good" side and needs to be silenced. Those archangels are pretty Rambo about things and don't think twice about the "greater good" and it makes for some pretty heavy stuff ... getting to see the flashbacks with Sam (and the development of his relationship with Ruby and her current body) explained some of his behaviour and filled in some gaps (and gave us a hot peak at his bod -- someone has been working out) and the big ending to this week's and sneak peek at next week certainly have my attention. There is some really good writing on the show this season.

Things were great on the last episode of Survivor: Gabon and I knew that Charlie was not going to be heartbroken if he got eliminated and sent off to the Ponderosa with bromance Marcus. If you check out the Ponderosa on the CBS Survivor site you can see our happy couple together and even planning their outfits together for their next appearance as the Jury.

As far as the game goes ... Sugar is really running things more than people realize (and it seems that there is some sort of collective amnesia that makes everyone forget that she has the Individual Immunity Idol) but I have to applaud Bob on his fake out Immunity Idol that he put together that may let him bluff his way out of a situation if used on the right people. It was great work and I can't get over how well he is playing.. he may be the guy to sneak through now that things have merged and there are less and less big physical threats. I am really enjoying seeing the show in HD and loved the reward visit to the village. The show is such a visual treat and this location in Gabon has been astounding.

Of course for all the good there had to be some sort of cosmic balance so I was then hit with the bad news that at least one but more thank likely a couple of my favorite shows are finishing up.

Pushing Daisies has not been picked up for more than it's initial order of 13 episodes, and my heart is breaking with the thought of yet another visual opus disappearing off the airwaves. I love Bryan Fuller's work and hope and pray to see more or at least the ending that he envisioned for his characters. Rumor has it that he may even consider doing a film or comic book to tie things up if necessary.

I can't believe that Fox is cancelling MAD tv after all these years, and think that their excuse of production costs to be complete bullshit. MAD tv has been one of my Saturday night staples for 14 years and has had some amazing comedic talent that have made their presence know on TV via the show. I really hope that one of the other networks will jump on it as viable competition for SNL and keep it on the air. This bad news was a downer on my week and I really hope it's only a bump on the road.

Pushing Daisies - Dim Sum Lose Some

Pushing Daisies can not possible get any better. This week`s episode was so quick and witty that I have the feeling I need to watch it again to catch all those little details that I missed the first time around. I am still kind of disappointed that the ratings are not higher for the show and am still crossing my fingers that it sticks around for a few seasons.

If you haven't checked it out yet (and I highly recommend that you do, the episode is available on line), some of the little treasures that you missed this week in Dim Sum Lose Some are:

Emerson and the "Help Me" note in his fortune cookie from the Chinese Restaurant under his office, I loved how things in this series are tied together and even though we had seen the Chinese letters in Emerson's office window forever, it was the first time that things were really referenced in the series. I love me some good dumplings too and the unfortunate demise of our master chef made up for a pretty comédie noire scene of our resurrected chef running around with a pipe through his head. Death by exploding steamer is a pretty funny thing if done right, and I loved the Matrix feel of the explosion.

The whole den of inequity feeling that they were going for with the camouflaged poker (cards replaced by Dim Sum instead) was brilliant and the little twists and turns in the story were great. It was not as predictable as first glance and the undercover stuff was all very funny. Ned and Emerson were hilarious as their 1970s inspired Undercover Brother and some incarnation that reminded me of Burt Reynolds. It must have been the pornstache.

Chuck is a continual surprise with her ability to translate (almost fluently) for the gang. The flashback sequence was hilarious as Chuck wasn't quite sure if it was milk or something else that the gamblers were drinking and it added another flavor to the scene. Chuck and Olive are turning into a great undercover team and as usual, the costumes and makeup were incredible. The design crew does amazing work in this show. The street scenes look astounding and the decor in the Dim Sum restaurant was as kitschy as you can get and it had to be a real restaurant, in fact it reminded me of a restaurant that I had Dim Sum in Vancouver.

The return of Simone (click click and her clicker) was another boost for Emerson. Simone killed me in her first appearance and I am happy she is back in the picture. Emerson seems to be getting some nice plot and character development this year, and the scenes with them were great. Simone knows how to click a guy insane.

Ned got some great development with the appearance of a mystery man looking for his father, Ned getting all tangled up in his emotions and Chuck discovering that Ned has twin half brothers (or one whole brother as Ned likes to say) who are Magicians. Ned has many issues with dear old Dad and the more flashbacks we see of his youth, the more it becomes clear that he is angry and feels that he was pretty much discarded years ago. Dad has yet to prove otherwise ... and it appears our mystery man is after more than we think. Watching Ned freak out over these emotions that he has locked away forever is almost painful to watch, but you know over the long term there will be some important growth. That is definitely one of the things I love about the series and how the overall plot is developing with each episode. More please!

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

Dancing with the Stars broke my heart this week with the sudden departure of Misty May-Treanor due to an injury... Rocco got to stay for another week due to the tragedy, but I can't believe that Maks is already gone, I really hoped it was his year to go to the finale. The dancing was good and at least there are a few other "Stars" that help make the show fun, and I am always hyped to see what kind of wacky antics Cloris will get into (the woman is sheer entertainment), but I am still a little shell shocked over the whole incident and to make matters worse, I had seen Misty & Maks make a guest appearance on The Soup hours before the mishap.

Damn.

If Toni Braxton can stop being such a drama queen about the competition I would put my support behind her, but at this time I am rooting for the big guy, Warren & Kym and of course, my other favorites Lance & Lacey. Me thinks the chef will be disposed of next week unless he gets some rhythm real fast.

Chuck VS the Seduction was the perfect return to the regular feel and flow of the show. Chuck is trained by Seduction expert Super Spy Roan (played brilliantly by John Larroquette) to seduce the ultra sexy bad Spy Sasha Banacek (played by the ultra hot Melinda Clarke who plays those bad girls so well) and in the process we get a very hot kiss between him and Sarah. There was so many things about the episode that I loved that it felt just like last season, but even better.

Some of my favorite parts included:
--The great new top secret HQ under Orange Orange. Yogurt is way sexier than wieners.
-- Roan lived up to his reputation with his martini swilling and his uncanny ability to get our tough as nails General Beckman to let her hair down. Chuck's comment that Roan's liver must look like camouflage had me snickering.
-- The training session, the obvious tension and affection between Sarah and Chuck is getting even more obvious and I loved how Roan goaded them on to kiss ... and wow ! what a kiss that was.
-- The Nerd Herd is going insane and revolting at the Buy More after Lester becomes the new Assistant Manager and is trying to be El Jefe the supreme dictator. Big Mike gives Lester advice from Animal Planet on how to deal with the staff : "Find the wounded gazelle and pounce!" Which of course was totally nerd worthy and it was another of those Priceless Moments on this show. When Lester pulled out the Wheel of Misfortune, which assigns the worst jobs to do around the store and wanted the staff to play it I almost lost it. The whole storyline at work was hilarious and I am happy to see the same chemistry and shenanigans with the gang at work.
-- Roan coaching Chuck during the assignment and pulling out all the stops. I loved his "be a bastard" phase that seemed to catch our sexy bad spy's attention, well at least enough for her to want to do the wild thing with Chuck.
-- The tension between Casey and Roan was great until he was told that Roan had failed him more than once because Casey's old partner was too hot, and that was the reason he had to repeat the seduction course more than once. That soothed our tough guy's ego.
-- Chuck's leap of faith off the building to save the day, and once he lands he says "and the Russian judge gives it a 9.4", which gets even funnier as it has changed Lester's "Under New Assistant Manager" banner in to " New Ass Man" banner which gets Big Mike to stop and pause and then make the comment that he isn't new.
-- Captain Awesome making the mistake of taking advice from Morgan on how to romance Ellie but making up for it in a way more awesome way.

These are just a few of the examples of why I love this show so much.Nice to see that things are back to normal and even better.... except now Bryce is back and that means nothing good for Chuck.

Heroes has me hooked with the current Villains storyline. Good writing, some great acting and action but why do so many shows have to use flash forward or flashback sequences constantly? It seems like we spend less time in the NOW but the stuff that is/will/has happening is interesting, I just get confused with the apparent time paradoxes that are all over the place, but I have a ton of other questions such as:

Where the hell is Monica? At this point I am not convinced that Tracy is the only other sister (triplets?) from the house of Niki or is there even more manufacturing going on? When is Suresh going to turn into the Fly?

Even though I don't like some of the plot development, I thought it was very clever that Matt is following his totem (the Turtle) to find the Speedster... slow and steady wins the race. The revelation that Sylar (Gabriel) is also a Petrelli has me spinning a bit, I am not sure if that is truth or more manipulation by Mother Dearest. Mrs.Petrelli has turned into the coldest and most fascinating character on the show and grabs my attention each time she is on screen.

Pushing Daisies gave me another moment of sheer pleasure this week with Circus Circus, and it was a visually stunning, hilarious and incredible as I expect in an episode of this series. The whole dead Mime thing could only have been topped by the hilarious Clown Car in the water... complete with 15 drowned clowns in it... yup, they had to do one of those sight gags of body after body being brought up from the tiny car( I loved that one clown that had those long,long legs) and you have to have a pretty dark sense of humour to really appreciate some of the nuances of this show. Of course it hits all of the right notes with me. The startling visual difference between the Circus world and then the Nunnery was another gleaming example of the incredible art direction in this series, both are very colourful but you get such a difference sense and feeling and even texture from each of the worlds. Olive and Aunt Lily in the Chapel has got to be some of the funniest stuff about Nuns that I have seen in quite a while, the liquor bottle in the bible and Lily's coordinating eye patch had me in hysterics. Olive has an epiphany about love and keeping memories alive that she shares with Lily, she also reveals that she is still in love with Ned and that Ned loves someone else. It looks like things might be colliding soon in trying to keep these universes apart.
So you think you can Dance ? Canada went through the first week of competition and elimination and I was really impressed with the quality of dance for the first week of competition. Breanne and Kevin got cut (I was surprised that it was Kevin, he did a great job but Dario is an incredible soloist and I think that saved his ass this week). I was surprised that Izaak wasn't shown the door as I felt he was the weakest.

Vincent and Lisa pulled out probably the best performance of the evening with their contemporary number (it was beautiful), but I am disappointed that we don't know much about the choreographers or their background and I hope that will be be explored more. We have such a vibrant dance community in Canada that I hope we get to see all the different genres and hopefully some of the big names like Margie Gillis or Edouard Locke showing up. Arassay and Nico are my choice of the hottest couple at the moment -- those 2 are smoking hot together. The competition is great and I am really enjoying the show.


Survivor Gabon bounced back this week with a tribal shuffle, and I was probably as happy as Charlie that he and Marcus got to stick together. I find their little bromance too cute for words and disappointed that we haven't been seeing enough of these two.

The new status quo has changed the standings of a few of the players, and it looks like Sugar is not that respected and she was not chosen for one of the teams, but instead got to lounge at the Exile Hut that is not really quite Exile Island(she already found the Idol) while the new tribes eliminated one of their players after competition. The competition was completely dominated by the new Kota tribe and in the end it was too late for Jacquie and she was ousted. You can tell that some of the players are starting to play harder but a few of them just seem like dolts and I have the impression that GC and Ken are on their way out.

This season still seems kind of dull and I am hoping the shake up will help things but it probably won't be until after the merge that things get really fun.

CSI came back and alas, it meant the end of Warrick. It was a shame as he was always one of my favorite characters but I also know that actors don't always stay on a series for an indefinite period of time. The story was handled well and the emotions were completely palpable for the entire episode, and although I have the distinct feeling that this may be the event that precipitates the departure of Grissom, it was great to see Sara come back and help out the gang. It's never easy to say good bye to a friend and it's a shame that Warrick is gone. I always felt that could have done more with the character and I always hoped for him and Catherine to hook up.Unfortunately I think it's the beginning of the end for the series, we'll have to see how it works once Grissom has left as well.

Weekend Rant - Out of Sync

Things have been off schedule most of the week due to the upcoming Federal election. Yup, we are in full election mode and 2 nights this week were taken up with the big debates in French and English here in the Great White North (GWN). For me it has become clear that we need to go in a new direction and I openly favour the Liberal Party and their Green Shift platform. We need to change direction and look at alternative sources of energy as well as reducing our consumption.I could not bear to live with the horror of a Conservative Majority government and their disdain for not only the Arts community but their antique attitudes towards women and the gay community. I, for one, have no interest in going backwards in time nor risking to lose gains already made. The Conservatives are completely out of sync with what the people actually want, yet they try to manipulate the media and the news and govern as though they have the will of the people when i reality they are a minority government (not to mention that their leader called this election because he said he couldn't govern with the current status quo and he had put a law in place calling for fixed election times) and they have been bullying their way around.

End of political speech --- but it is my rant and all this politics has affected my regular TV viewing this week quite a bit as real issues took over the airwaves instead of my usual chill out, relax and get entertained mode that the tube is usually for.

This was a great week for Canadian TV as the Rick Mercer Report , This Hour has 22 Minutes and Air Farce Live (all CBC shows), came back to the airwaves at a crucial time. The media has been inundated with propaganda from the current minority government and the usual voices of reason have been off (the TV season has just been getting started here in the GWN) and I have been in desperate need of sum laughs and good scathing political humour a la Daily Show. Things did not disappoint and I am ecstatic that the "liberal media" is all over the election and wasting no time with blasting the candidates. It's all good stuff, and helping to get things back in sync.

So you think you can Dance ? Canada returned this week with the second part of the competition and the selection of the Top 20 Dancers. 10 guys and 10 girls were chosen out of the pool of dancers and I was a bit surprised that 5 of the guys are from Québec but none of the girls.The competitions were interesting and I liked seeing the Judges do different styles with the dancers as they slowly cut them down to 20, but I hated the whole "fake out" style of telling the dancers who was in or out at the end. It seems kind of cruel to be playing practical jokes at such a pivotal point and it felt mean spirited, which is surprising because in general I find the competition to be kinder and gentler here than in the USA.

With the quantity of shows being followed, I am playing catch up over the weekend and will do another posting with some feedback on some of the regular shows, but in stuff that I absolutely had to follow, I was in sheer heaven with the long awaited return of Pushing Daisies. There is no other show like this one on TV, and it's is such candy for the senses it's hard to choose favorite parts of an episode as I usually so enthralled by all of it's elements. The art design and visual look and feel of the series blends so well with the characters and story lines that it is almost too much, but at the same time each episode makes me feel like there wasn't enough and I can hardly wait until the next one.

The season opener, Bzzzzzzzzz, was as sweet as honey and after a quick catch up on the first abbreviated season we get to Ned & Chuck getting ready to bring Chuck's bees back to life. Not only did we get an nice look at our couple that can never touch (Ned looks quite fine in his boxers), but we got some great special effects as the bees are poured over Ned and come back to life. The quality of this show is always such a pleasant surprise.

As things advance we get a visit from Chuck's Aunts (including dear old mom) at the Pie Hole and Olive having a breakdown as she is overwhelmed with being a "homeopathic drug mule" (the writing was phenomenal this episode) and keeping all the secrets that are going on around her. Later we see that she has been taken away by Aunt/Mom Lily to the Convent where Chuck was born and we get a great almost Sound of Music moment with Olive on the hill top. I was just waiting for the music before they cut to the next part and left me in wonder. Olive and the Poor (I thought you meant porter) was just too funny for words, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that our Mother Superior is none other than Diana Scarwid, who played Jaye's mom on the show Wonderfalls also written by the brilliant Bryan Fuller and also starred Lee Pace. It's great how some actors get to work with same writers over and over and the little communities that it creates.

Our mystery this week was all about Honey based Cosmetics, Bee Girls and Bees. The look was great, all honey comb influenced and there is always a 50's vibe floating around in the art direction. The story was fun but it was more all the other stuff going on that I loved. More mystery about Chuck and her mom, Olive learns that Chuck's father (oh no! another secret!) was sister Vivian's boyfriend. I like how Olive left her matchy match apartment and Chuck moved in, to be next to Ned and how Ned got all of Chuck's old stuff that Vivian had kept to furnish the apartment. Olive may have had the best lines of the evening, but Emerson got me wondering what is going on with his pop-up book titled " Lil' Gum Shoe - The tale of a little girl who's father couldn't find her " that had a working lamp in it ( very cool) but had me more fascinated with the title than the way it popped up. JUst some more mystery to be revealed over the season I imagine. I can hardly wait, but I am concerned that the ratings are lower than last year and hope it will be around for a couple of seasons.

Survivor: Gabon showed that when your team is out of sync that things don't go so well. After being the dominant team last week, Kota looses it's edge and starts bickering amongst themselves. Fang manages to win the reward Challenge and gets some nice bedding and comfort and some much needed confidence. Things aren't completely coming up roses as they are already running low on rice ( I was in shock when I heard that they had thrown out rice after cooking too much) and are starting to panic when thinking about rationing and cutting their meals to 2 per day.There is much trouble in paradise and I don't think that one Immunity Challenge win will necessarily be a huge turn around for them.

Sugar gets sent off to Exile Island (where she manages to follow the clues and find the hidden Immunity Idol -- great work and almost unexpected with all the yammering she was doing) and it all hits the fan at Kota where Paloma and Ace are butting heads like crazy. There is a ton of back and forth with different strategies but in the end Paloma is sent home and hopefully things will look better next week for the team as their biggest negative energy seems to be gone. It's still kind of early in the game but it looks like Ace better watch his ass, people are starting to see him as a threat but I think that Corinne is looking like a real smart player. Not enough Charlie this episode.. hopefully more with him and Marcus next week.