Weekend Rant – Weekly Highlights & Sci Fi Fridays

This season is off and running, and with the quantity of programs I am currently following I have realized that there is barely enough time in the week to keep up with all of it, let alone rant about it all. It’s a very crazy and hectic and busy time of the year.

A few things stood out this week besides my regular addictions Dancing with the Stars (no surprise Kathy Ireland got the boot, and Tom Delay needs to be next) and the auditions of So you think you can Dance that were a huge treat from New Orleans. The Canuck version of SYTYCD has cut Austin (finally, I think Cody should be the next to go) and Amy (one blonde too many). I would really like to see Jayme win, but will say that the number done by Everett & Kim was the best thing done so far this season and may push both of them farther in the competition.

Glee continues to be my biggest highlight of the week and the guest appearance of Kristin Chenoweth this week was hysterically brilliant and makes me wish that she could be a permanent cast member. I love the integration of her character, the incredible vocals and

Other things that made the grade this week: The Amazing Race is always a winner, Desperate Housewives came back with all the claws out and some great story developments. The series always seems better when Marc Cherry is writing, even if the stories are not that plausible they make for great viewing. Big Bang Theory is still one of the funniest things on the tube but I am really loving Modern Family and all the hilarity. Cougar Town still has my attention but they better make sure it is not a one trick pony as it will lose my interest.

Survivor continues to shine with our villain Russell and his nasty games. His control seems to be slipping and I am glued trying to figure out if any of the other contestants are going to wake up and see how much of a manipulator he is. Rick Mercer came back this week with a decent season premiere, but the gang at 22 Minutes was so scathing that they made the week a whole lot funnier. It was nice to finally see some well thought out political satire concerning our current minority government and their terrible use of propaganda to try to convince the general public that they are doing a good job. It’s all smoke and mirrors and all they have done is spent more public money trying to convince the public that they deserve a majority government. It’s all very distasteful and about time that some one called them on their nasty games.

Friday has turned into one big Sci Fi/ Scy Fy night and while I love the idea of having a whack of genre shows one night, it has turned into a danger zone for shows that are on the bubble and in danger of being cancelled. Dollhouse may not be around much longer as the ratings are plummeting, and the stories seem quite disjointed this year. Smallville has had some interesting moments (I loved the inside Terminator joke concerning Brian Austin Green playing Metallo) so far this year and is starting to get into hotter Lois and Clark territory… I just hope they give it a chance considering the crappy time slot they dumped the series in.

Stargate Universe premiered and I am a tad unimpressed with the pilot. To me if feels like some of the best ideas of Voyager and Battlestar Galactica  were mesh-mashed together without making it work. I almost wonder if we are to discover that there are any Cylons on board or some other nefarious plot, and sorry to say but none of the ideas really feel fresh. I will give it a few episodes to see how it develops and pray that it isn’t another fiasco like Stargate Atlantis that lost it’s focus after the first couple of seasons and crashed and burned. I wonder if the networks take DVR viewing and recording into the equation as they look at the ratings, I have the feeling a lot of people record the Friday shows and watch them over the weekend.

I am looking forward to checking out the CBC’s Battle of the Blades, that teams up figure skaters with hockey players. It might make for some interesting combinations and I hope none of the hockey players forget that they aren’t in a game and take a shot at another skater… but then again it could be hilarious viewing. It’s a very Canadian thing.

Weekend Rant – New Season Sensory Overload

The New TV season (and some killer work commitments) have kept the Couch Potato very, very busy over the past couple of weeks, but the new season is now in full swing and it’s been a huge juggling act trying to watch all of it. I am still catching up on a few new things and trying to re connect with some series of last year, it seems like they all started the same day this season!

If you sneak a peek at the Watch List, you might notice that some days have up to 9 different shows listed, which means that I have to record a ton of shows and catch up on them at different times. There are a few shows that I have been watching “live” for that thrill of seeing it happen the same time as everyone else, but the majority of shows are watched off the grid, and I save time by jumping the commercials. Technology has it’s advantages.

I can’t really complain, there is a ton of Dance related stuff airing at the moment, and I am like a kid in candy story watching the incredible Crews on America’s Best Dance Crew. I am really pulling for We are Heroes to win the big prize and be the first female Crew to do it. They have impressed the heck out of me over the past few weeks and I am looking forward to seeing the big Finale this week and see if they beat Afroborike. It’s cool that the finalists are from different genres this year and it won’t be a BBoy group winning. The numbers have been incredible and the show is such fun to watch.

Dancing with the Stars came back with a vengeance and a huge list of “Stars” that were challenged with 2 dances ( one latin and the other ballroom). It was no surprise that the very bland Ashly Hamilton was bumped (they should have taken Dean McDermott instead of this idiot, he would have gone farther), but I was surprised that it was Macy Gray that got the boot instead of Kathy Ireland. Macy had a cool presence and innocence that was way more interesting than our bland supermodel. The competition looks great and I am pulling for Lacey & Mark and absolutely love Mya & Dmitry. Some of the Stars have incredible potential, such as Donny Osmond and Joanna. Others like Debi (who I love) are finding it a bit harder and may fall to the side before catching their feet. Things have just started, and even if our Judges seem a tad cranky, I am pumped for another season.

So you think you can Dance Canada has finished up with sorting our dancers out and we are now in Top Ten territory. The final cuts of Daniel and Corryne were the hardest of them all, and I would have preferred to have seen Cody get cut instead of Daniel, but I voted and that is all that I could do.The Judges realized how popular Cody is with all the tweeners. The quality of dance is still incredible, and the show is really coming into it’s own with introducing a few styles that not appeared on other SYTYCD stages as well as being a tad more adult than the American version. Our censors seem more open to content such as crotch grabs and that can make all the difference in the world for some the numbers (mild sarcasm) but setting the choreographers creativity free turns out some astounding numbers and it’s is incredible to see how most of the dancers are thriving and expanding their vocabulary. It’s turning into a much better season than the first, and I am even finding it a tad more balanced with our hyperactive head Judge Jean-Marc. I do hate that he keeps wanting to put the dancers on his V.I.D List (very important dancer) but it just comes out wrong and you think that they all have some sort of sexually transmitted disease. I know that Jean-Marc means well but his translations don’t always come out as he would like them to, and they really need to have some one tell him that his whole V.I.D idea is stoopid. It was great that Mya was by again to help out with the Judging, and I am hoping to see her choreograph something for the show.

Our American friends are continuing with auditions for this season of So you think you can Dance? and there has been some phenomenal talent so far, but I am looking forward to getting into the Top 20.

Not that all the TV has been dance, but there has also been my new favourite show Glee, that pulled out a great Beyonce inspired – Kurt Centric episode that dared to do the unthinkable and pull our fabulous boy out of the closet and onto the football field. Not only did we get a ton of Put a Ring on it, but some great pregnancy storylines, more of über-Sue and dissension in the ranks and Rachel leaving. With a guest appearance by Kristin Chenoweth (last seen as Olive from Pushing Daisies) just around the corner this show is only getting better. At least it has already been picked up for a whole season so we will get a chance to see how the story will develop. If you haven’t checked this show out I highly recommend it.

Survivor has chosen an huge bunch of Type A personalities for this round in Samoa, and I have been laughing my ass watching the antics of our biggest villain (so far) Russell has been torturing his tribe and making life difficult for as many of them as possible. I am not quite sure that I follow his strategy as his team has been losing like crazy, but it makes for good TV and I have been rolling my eyes as he plays his game. I was in hysterics when Yasmin visited their camp and got everyone riled up, this show is great for showing a cross section of society and things are pretty scary so far. No idea who will win, but it will probably be one of the dirtiest rounds we have seen so far.

The Amazing Race kicked things off with a doozy of a 2 hour opener and the first elimination at the starting gate. I liked the new twist, and was not surprised that it was our 2 very cocky teams that were hung up before our radical Yoga teachers got Philiminated. They certainly didn’t have that Zen vibe that you look for in Yoga teams, and our Poker Players might have their bluff already exposed after only one episode. The gay brothers are just too adorable for words and I hope they do well. The locales and challenges are as fascinating as ever and I love the world view feel of this show, it’s no surprise that it keeps winning the Emmy for best Reality show year after year.

Supernatural is still kicking butt but getting a tad repetitive with our boys falling in and out of sync with each other. It now appears that Dean is the vessel for Michael the Archangel, and poor Sam looks to be the target of Lucifer, which means another big good vs. evil show off between our brothers. I am not sure if they are trying to pull some Cain and Abel references in to the show but the story is great and not missing a beat.

Smallville came back with Clark being all dark and brooding and the rest of the gang reeling from Jimmy’s death. It will be interesting to see who they develop this season, but I am already loving Lois (as usual) and hope to see more of our heroes back and in action. I still don’t get why they insist on calling it Smallville when most of the action is in Metropolis, and am praying the ratings pick up or it may be a short final season.

I love the first episodes of Cougartown and Modern Family, and hope to see them around for a while as well, I love a well constructed comedy and both have some great elements and characters. I love seeing a modern gay couple with their adopted baby and all the strife with their surrounding family.

The new season is off and running and I am trying to keep up!

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 – Jumping into the New Season

The New Fall season jumpstarted over the past week with the debut of Wipeout Québec, the airing of a lightly extended version of the Glee pilot episode that aired earlier this year, and The Best of So you think you can Dance featuring 15 of Nigel’s favourite performances.

The Québécois version of Wipeout is a tad different than the American version that I am accustomed to watch, but featuring local folks and tons of weird (and sometimes questionable) scene takes give it a flavour all it’s own. Like the original, it features everyday people trying to win the pitiful Jackpot of $5,000. Yup, it’s dirt cheap as far as prizes go, but they try to milk the show for all it’s worth and it’s spread out as 3 half hour shows airing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The format is interesting, but I prefer seeing the whole competition from beginning to end and some of the filler is terrible. The show is new and I am sure they will fine tune things as they sort things out over there on the new station V (formerly TQS now Canal V for Vidanges –inside joke). The thing I like about the Hosts is their very retro 1970’s influenced Polyester suits and HUGE headsets, but not as much into their shtick (one of them down right annoys me), but am willing to give it a chance. It’s local redneck television.

I am so pumped for Glee, I loved the pilot and am really looking forward to seeing hot things develop with the series.It’s been awhile since there was a musical TV series, and I am crossing my fingers on this one that it attracts that High School Musical crowd (not to mention all of us who love Musical Theatre), and gets good ratings to stick around and be a success. I read that one of my favourites from Pushing Daisies (one of those Brilliant yet cancelled shows), Kristen Chenoweth aka Olive, is booked for a multi-episode arc and I can hardly wait to hear her belt out a few tunes.

So you think you can Dance Canada? is continuing the ritual culling of the herd and this week we lost Anthony and Melanie B. Things will be rough each week as all of the dancers are pulling out some amazing performances and really pushing themselves.

Mary Murphy was back this week, and she brings such big energy to the show it’s hard not to love her. I am pretty sure that Luther will be deaf if this keeps up, but I love hearing Mary gush and ooh and ahhh over the quality of dance here in Canada and how damn good these kids are. I am not sure if the same rules apply here in Canada as in the USA, but my Cougar Alert Indicator was running off the scale with the way Mary was responding to our slightly more naughty dance numbers that make it past the censors here. We are quite a bit more liberal here in Canada and the choreographers seem to know that.

I still have a huge weakness for the Bollywood numbers, and the results show had a great group number choreographed by Longinus Fernandes, the choreographer know for that little Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. It was an incredible number and has peaked my interest in seeing more of the genre.

I did enjoy Nigel’s Top Fifteen So you think you can Dance? Performances, even if a couple of my favourites were not on his list, and it has wetted my appetite for even more dance even though I feel bad that Jeanine will not have the title as America’s Favourite Dancer for a very long time with the new competition starting next week.Still, I can’t complain having all this great dance on TV, it’s such a treat.

America’s Best Dance Crew is still a fierce competition, but unfortunately Vogue Revolution got eliminated this week (too much diva for the public me thinks) after a good but not great performance. We are Heroes is still rocking the house and the competition has been as hard hitting as last year. The challenges have been fun, and I love seeing all these whack group numbers that incorporate some of the sickest moves seen on TV. I am always humbled by seeing how some of these dancers move and the way that they float around the floor as if weightless.

Dance your ass off finished things up with Ruben taking home the big prize after losing the most weight and dancing his ass off. I was happy to see our big gay guy do so well, and I am honestly surprised how well the contestants danced considering their considerable size. My opinion of big people has drastically changed and albeit the shock of some of the competition (and the exploitation), I still find it was an over all inspiring experience and I have to really congratulate all of them that participated. Shayla looked damn hot in her last performances with that big curvy figure, and Pinky brought it hard as nails for someone who was in so much pain. Job well done!

Project Runway is all you can ask for in a reality show and I am so happy it is back and true to form. This week’s Team Challenge produced a first, both the winner and the loser came from the same team and the claws are out this time around. Our Surf Inspired Challenge had 2 elements, a more traditional ensemble and then it’s avant-garde counterpart. Some of the teams did some great work but others completely missed the ball and there were some scary outfits. Although not an Judge pleaser (although I am pretty sure it’s up to Heidi’s standards), I thought Qristal’s avant-garde look was fashion forward and pretty hot.Anyways it all hit the fan when Mitchell fessed up to doing nothing for the Challenge and getting dumped for lack of talent, even though he was on the winning team. It appears that the mantra of this season of Runway is that if your are crazy or lazy you will not be hanging around for long. I just think that it’s all such catty goodness and so happy that the show is back. Models of the Runway continues to be a disturbing peek into the lives of the models, some of who seem pretty whack to be on TV. I guess it takes crazy to wear some of that crazy fashion and the show is a nice companion piece to Runway, but not strong enough to hold it’s own.

Coming up this week, I am completely pumped for the premiere of Melrose Place and I am crossing my fingers it will be the juicy kind of soap that will fill that niche in my viewing schedule that has been empty for quite awhile now. The nice thing with some of the new shows starting early, is that you have a chance to check them out and see if you want to follow them. If not, it’s easy to drop and fill in that part of the viewing schedule with another choice. I know that it can be a programming nightmare at times with multiple shows playing at the same time. Even having the ability to record 2 shows at the same time is insufficient with the networks vying for all the same prime time.

Those bad boy Winchester brothers are back on Supernatural this week (bless you CW) and it will be time to catch up and see what the hell (literally) is going on and considering how things finished up at the end of last season with Lucifer being released from Hell and our brothers having a huge rift between them due to all that big old nasty web of deceit and betrayal. It’s the start of the new season and it’s great!

Summer Rant – Finishing up the season with Dance Fever

I can hardly believe that Summer is almost over, and the beginning of September heralds cooler weather and the launch of the Fall season. The majority of shows are starting in mid to late September, but even this upcoming week gives a taste of what is to come and wraps up some of the summer fare. This is the last official Summer Rant for this year… time flies!

So you think you can Dance Canada? is following the same formula as last year, one 2 hour night of competition followed the night after with a 30 minute result show. I still find the Result show too rushed, and really, really ,really (get the point?) hate the whole “Fake out” routine that the writers insist be used to inform the dancers whether or not they will be continuing on the show. The show still has that warm and fuzzy polite Canadian feel to it, and the competition is even fiercer than last year.

I did agree with their choice of guy to boot, Taylor, as he had a terrible solo (his other dancing was fine), but was shocked that Tatiana was let go. I really thought she had the right vibe to go far and she is a phenomenal dancer. I don’t always understand the Judges.

Speaking of Judges…. I think it is great that they are sticking with an all Canadian Panel (and even in the selection process this year there was more Canadian content than last year) but Jean-Marc is just completely pissing me off. The guy is too loud and I cringe each time he draws attention to the Choreographers. A tad over the top, pas si fort SVP. I still don’t know Trey well enough to give an educated opinion on her dance qualifications, but she seems to be more ego than substance so far.

The performances have been incredible, and the majority of numbers are very intense and well done. My favourite was the Afro-Jazz routine created by Choreographer Sean Cheesman and performed by Jayme Rae and Daniel. They are a phenomenal couple and both being from Montréal makes them the home town kids and front runners for the title.The Contemporary routine with Cody and Melanie M was amazing, and I am really enjoying anything choreographed by Stacey Tooky. She is getting a incredible reputation on both sides of the border and it’s well earned. Both of these couples got all of my votes and I was hitting redial for both of them for quite a few votes each.

I really didn’t care for the Disco routine because it had no real Disco music. Without the right sound it just did not seem to be a real disco number and it was a real flop. Bad choice there by choreographer Melissa Williams as it was not good for Jenna Lynn and Nicolas. I was surprised as I usually like Melissa’s numbers. I saw that the vampire was back again, and Paul Becker looks even more vampire than last season. His number with Tatiana & Austin was very physical and intense and it is beyond me why Tatiana got eliminated. All in all it was a great first week of the competition and the performances will only get better.

This upcoming week the American version will be showcasing the Best of So you think you can Dance as a warm up to their new season starting in a couple of weeks. It will be a tad confusing to have both versions running at the same time (albeit at different rhythms) but it makes for a lot of great dance. Add America’s Best Dance Crew on to the list and top it off with Dancing with the Stars makes for a ton of dance on TV. It makes me a busy, but happy couch potato. So on the subject of America’s Best Dance Crew, I just loved the Martial Arts Challenge and how each crew had to include a style with in their number. I am really happy how Vogue Revolution is hanging in and actually getting some good feedback from the Judges who are now more interested in this innovative gay group who herald from New York's "Vogue" house/ballroom scene. This is the first dance competition show on TV that has really embraced gay groups and it is about time! The competition has been great so far, and crews like We are Heroes are keeping me glued to the set and some incredible numbers. I was sad to see Southern Movement have to leave, but one crew gets cut each week and unfortunately they got the short end of the stick.

I am slightly ashamed to admit that I have a new Guilty Pleasure and have been catching up on Dance your ass off, which has been surprising and shocking me with every episode. I am still a few episodes behind, but more than half way through and sucked into watching the next episode as I have to see what they will do next. There seems to be enough positive messages that try to compensate for the exploitation components of the competition, and I am always really surprised with the performances. I do question the taste level and the actual competences of the Judges (who the hell are those people?), but if this show can get people off their ass and get them moving then it is a good thing. I just can’t get over how surprising agile some of the competitors are, it’s really unexpected and has actually broken down some of my personal stereotypes of obese people. I am pretty sure almost all of the male dance partners/choreographers are gay (yes I know another stereotype but who usually dances with fat girls?) and I am surprised that not all of the competitors are losing several pounds per week with all their dancing and training. We haven’t seen much of the Cheat Cupboard and our contestants having a meltdown and eating a box of donuts.

In other reality fare, the return of Project Runway has been a huge success at home and it’s so nice to have the gang back. The show may be on another network and in a new city, but it has all the essential elements and the right feel. This is the original and the best show of it’s genre and I am so happy that it is back. The challenge this week, to create chic Maternity wear for Rebecca Romijn (married to Jerry O'Connell), pushed a few of our designers way out of their comfort zone. Some of our designers went a bit more literal, and our androgynous Malvin went off the deep end with his chicken and egg inspiration. The Judges are not dealing well with crazy this time around so that sealed his fate and he was aufed in no time. Congrats to Shirin for her stunning design, but I was a tad concerned when I saw that it was *gasp* all gay boys up for elimination and all straight girls with the best designs. Those gay boys better start bringing their A game or thinking of a new career as a stylist. Snap.

Models of the Runway is the perfect companion piece to Runway and I am digging the behind the scenes look at those skinny models and the bitchy competition between them to get paired up with the winning designer. I am not surprised that there may be a few obsessive compulsive personality types mixed into the gang, and that some of the girls may be a tad slower as they have always relied on their beauty to get ahead in life…. but Fatma is just too whack and a tad bit obsessed with designer Logan. This is borderline stalker territory and a bit too obsessive for my taste.

Top Chef Vegas is a great competition so far, but I was a tad surprised of all the drama surrounding one of our lesbian contestants, Ashley, who was not in favour of doing a challenge that involved marriage as she is denied that right in her country , the so called “Land of the free”. I have to agree with her and think that it is just stupid, gay marriage has been legal in parts of Canada for years and hasn’t led to the end of society. I think I was more shocked that the top was brought up on Top Chef, which usually has a kind of macho/cowboy sensibility most of the time. It’s still early in the competition but I am seeing a few of the chefs stand out including Jennifer, who seems to be hitting a lot of the right notes with the Judges, and it is very interesting that the brothers Bryan and Michael seem to be frontrunners, and I can’t help but cheer more for the bad boy of the two, Michael, and his gung ho attitude and forward thinking cuisine. Course there is something to say for bad boy tattooed chefs, they have a certain sexy swagger to them.

Summer Rant – Return to Greatness

After a very busy couple of weeks and some much needed time in the sun (it’s been a rare thing in this neck of the woods) things have been burning up the TV (LCD) screen with the new season of America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) and the second season of So you think you can Dance Canada?(SYTYCDC). Acronyms aside, some of the best dance that has been seen on TV is happening right now and it makes for some great viewing.

ABDC has a great mix of Crews, and while I was a tad upset that Artistry in Motion was eliminated. The girls were hot and who cares if they don’t have the supermodel type shapes that only a small amount of the population actually has but try to make it some unrealistic ideal. Girls with curves that know how to work it and move are damn hot, and these divas did not deserve to go after their kick ass Beyonce Challenge routine. I am very impressed that our gay gay gay Vogue Revolution (complete with a transsexual that was hotter than almost all of the other girls) is being accepted by the public and let loose. It’s time for Hip Hop and other genres to be more open to gay culture and let it assimilate it’s self into some of these reality competitions. Why not have same sex couples dancing with all the traditional couples? It just adds more flavour and makes the shows more interesting.It’s not like dance and music are not associated with gay culture and there have been tons of artists that have benefited from a gay choreographer or writer or dancer. Lil’ Momma seems very open to the gay thing and it’s nice to see, should I be reading between the lines on this one?

So you think you can Dance Canada? has been great with the auditions all over Canada in the past couple of weeks. Tonight will be the selection of the Top 20, and the regular competition and voting starts this week until we into Top Ten territory. The auditions were incredible, and once again had that particular Canadian flavour that is not found in the American version. A lot less exploitation of the bad dancers and the idiots that come out to make fools out of themselves, and hugs from the Judges as they congratulate some of the dancers that are selected to go on to the Final Selection in Toronto. I was happy to see that once again we have Mary, Mia and Lil’ C mixing in with our Canadian Panel. As always, I am humbled to see such incredible talent and it will be very hard to get down to that magical 20 from the dancers that remain. I hope to see some local talent there as a few of them were incredible at the auditions, in fact Mia offered to marry one, that is how astounding he was. Things will be getting even hotter this season it looks, but it seems that a few of the mainstays from last year are no where to be seen and it will be interesting to see which choreographers will be working their magic with our gang this season.

Lifetime has made my life complete with the long awaited return of Project Runway after a lengthy court battle over distribution rights and it’s surprising defection from Bravo. There is no other show that has the right balance of creativity and competition, and welcoming back Heidi, Tim, Michael and Nina back home was fantastic after a long hiatus. Too long, and Runway was back with a vengeance this week in a whole night event. Things started off with the fabulous All Star Challenge, reuniting a few of my favourite past designers and a feeling of familiarity that has been missing for aeons. Not only was one of my favourites there, Daniel, but he actually won (great work) this time around and it was nice to see how he has matured and evolved as a designer. These kinds of events are always hit and miss and of course, Santino the blathering idiot was there to make more bad clothes and flaunt his ego, and poor Chris had me in hysterics with his narcolepsy and how he was so shocked to even be there. Chris is too modest for his own good and I loved his avant-garde collection. Poor Kato is relegated to perpetual runner up, but her stuff is amazing and very well done. I think that Uli was the biggest surprise and I really liked her stuff. I was really disappointed with Jeffrey and was wondering why he was there, there were other designers I would have loved to have seen but maybe some of them were not interested in participating. Congratulations to Daniel once again! As cute as ever :)

This new season started off just like old times and this year it’s another messy bunch of designers that are usually easily identifiable due to a much hyped tick, phobia or other thing that stands out for each and every one of them. After the inaugural episode I have identified so far: Space Cadet (who got Aufed at the end of this episode), X-Meth Man, Retro Girl, Yugoslavian woman, the Feather Queen, Qristal with a Q (WTF?) and older Rasta Guy. More will come to me as things progress, but I liked the mix of designers and the change to LA for this round. Everything felt familiar enough, and I like the small addition of the extra 30 minutes with the models and their quest to be paired with the winning designer and get the magazine cover and some cash. Models of the Runway means that our designers will be fighting back and forth over some of the models, and those who can’t walk the walk will be out of the game sooner than later as none of the designers will want them. I still find some of the girls terribly thin in a not good way but the show might give some insight into how hard the competition is for these girls and how much they have to do and put up with to be there. I still wonder how much they get paid to do this.

Joan Rivers is still killing me with her new series How’d you get so rich? and her point blank questions to the people with the money. Joan gives an honest reaction and I have to agree with her when I see some old rich guy with a young wife and know that it involves her getting jewellery to bump uglies with the old guy. It ain’t love that’s one thing. It’s still fun to see how some of these people did make it big time and it can be inspirational to see how far some people have gone with hard work and a good idea. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they have good taste, but the cash to do what they want.

Top Chef Masters finished off with a delicious looking biography of our Chefs and a tough decision by the Judges to decide that Rick Bayless was the winner due to his incredible Mole sauce. I thought our French Chef, Hubert was going to take home the big prize, but Rick beat him and Michael by only a point or 2. I still think that Michael got shafted by Judge James Oseland (again) after making some incredible food and I think it is more a personality clash than anything else. The show was great and it had made me want to check out this season of Top Chef in Vegas and although it is not Masters, I have enjoyed the Challenges and seeing how great and imaginative the Chefs are. Hopefully they will repeat this experience as it is always fascinating to see how incredible some of these culinary masters are.

On the SyFy side of things, Eureka is as charming as ever and it’s nice to see Carter getting some action finally. The guy is too sexy to be wasted as single. Warehouse 13 is starting to grow on me and if they can continue crafting some interesting stories it will keep my interest.

The new Fall schedule will be starting soon and I am looking forward to some returning shows and getting back in to regular full seasons. I love some of my Summer fare but find the seasons too short, you start getting in to a series and before you know it it’s time for it end and be gone for another year.

Summer Rant – Transition Time

Things are still running along at a furious pace this summer, and this week heralded the endings of a few favourites, yet harkens the beginning and return of other favourites. It’s a win win situation.

So you think you can Dance? finished off this round with Jeanine winning the big title in a surprise that was both pleasing and upsetting. I was all about Brandon winning, but was happy that it was another dancer that I respected and felt did a dynamite job this season. Jeanine’s title will be short-lived, with the next round starting this Fall, but she truly deserved to win and is now the second girl to do it. I was a tad surprised that we didn’t get a performance out of Sabrina (our other female champion) during the best performances recaps, but maybe our girl is busy doing other projects. It’s a shame their tour doesn’t swing by Montréal, but I am pretty sure that we will see the dancers performing elsewhere or be returning guests on this show. It was a fabulous season and the show manages to get better and better.

I love the small dancing appearance by our Judges, but felt a tad cheated after last year’s knock out numbers with the gang. I do have to say that Cat really did a great job of hosting and keeping things going smoothly, and wardrobe issues aside she is really good. Wade’s number this time around was probably the one that I have liked the least by him, it might have been the subject matter as I love him more when he is wild and out there. Mia is always a gem and deserved all the kudos that are laid on her. I think the biggest surprises this season on the choreograph side of things, was Tyce coming into more of his own thing and being hilarious as a Judge, and how many of the Louis Van Amstel numbers were loved by the Judges. Let’s just hope that Paula Abdul is not picked up as a Judge, Idol must be happy they are done with her and all her wacky crap. I can hardly wait until next month and more dance!

Of course, next week heralds the beginning of So you think you can Dance Canada? and I will be a happy camper being able to vote and see all the local talent. It looks like Mary Murphy will be around a fair amount and it’s nice to see her flexing her vocal muscles above the 49th parallel. I am even willing to travel to Toronto to see the show live and have applied for tickets this round to see if I can see more of the live action, and would love to see the Judges and dancers do their thing live, I am sure there is tons of stuff that never makes it on air or past the censors.

Rounding out the dance stuff on TV, Randy Jackson presents America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) dished out their Top Ten Performances special before the new season launches this Sunday. While I loved seeing all the great crews again, I hated the lay out of the show and the continual reminders that the show is now at a NEW TIME and a NEW NIGHT that were relentless and down right aggressive after the umpteenth time. Randy, you have to chill dog, and I don’t think it was just a coincidence that the Number One on your countdown was featuring one of your late brother’s hits. Let’s just hope that there is no tacky exploitation of Michael’s demise on the show as that would be in very, very poor taste, and downright disgusting it being family and all. Even with the complaints, my appetite is ready for more Dance Crew and some more of the best group numbers that can be seen on TV.

This past week had even more Finales, including the well deserved win of Kristi Leskinen & Maksim Chmerkovskiy and their kick ass performance in the last part of the Superstars. Our winning team was always near the front of the pack and won half of the competitions, and had never been to the Elimination round before the last game.The competition was fun and a nice summer diversion, and it was a pleasant surprise to see how athletic and competitive Maks is. I hope it comes back again, and that they can add more challenges and have a more interesting and complex obstacle course. It’s not American Gladiators or Battle of the Network Stars but a step in the right direction.

I survived a Japanese Game Show finished up this season and I was happy to see our soccer mom and oldest competitor Cathy kick ass, take names and win it all. The challenges in the 2 hour finale were just insane, and the Super-Majide obstacle course at the end was all the best of the worse. I think anyone who underestimated our ladies was in for a rude surprise as they ended up pitting the guys against each other, eliminating the biggest physical threat (Brent) and then disposing of wimpy and whiny Justin. Well played and another fascinating look into Japanese popular culture and their undying need to humiliate and subjugate the competitors. I thought it was hilarious how they got the guys all done up like big fat Americans and made them play their humiliating Wet T-shirt game to spell out the winning phrase, but was riddled with dangerous floods of water, foam, seaweed and other things that fell in torrents from the ceiling. The games were not always the cleanest, but if you were willing to try and win it was worth it for all the cool prizes and even for some of the punishments. That last one with the Zen masters looked fascinating and I loved how Zen Megan was after her so-called punishment. It didn’t get her to the very end, but she had a great time doing it and seeing things that some of us will never be able to do.

The Next Food Network Star was crowned this week, and I was a tad surprised that it was our slightly harried and hyperactive housewife, Melissa d'Arabian who managed to get it all together and impress some big critics and the Judges to win the big prize. Jeffrey was good, but I felt cheated by his choice of ingredient, and that simple sandwich that he put together.Melissa was way more creative and gave some good advice for the potential audience. I think the marketing people will have some fun with Melissa, and while I wish it was Debbie that was there instead, there is something satisfying about seeing an untrained home cook beat out of some more experienced and creative chefs. This round was better than last season, and if I get the chance, I will check out Ten Dollar Dinners if it plays on Food Network Canada, unfortunately things are not always the same as the American network and I have a hell of a time finding some of the shows. I have not been able to find HGTV’s Design Star (it may play one day here in the Great White North) and have given up for now.

Kathy Griffin and her Life on the D List did redeem herself with her Norma Gay episode, and while her attempt is applauded, I am not that into this season and find the disdain of her apparent friends (acquaintances) more pitiful than funny. Things wrap up next week and I am more interested in seeing vicious Kathy hosting the Joan River’s Roast on Comedy Central this Sunday than anything else. It will be scathing evening and worth the potty language. Joan was hilarious this week in the premiere of How’d you get so Rich? and her matter of fact WTF? questions with her quest for average guys and gals who have struck it rich is hilarious. I love how she interacts with the camera and her apparent love of the F word as an expletive for almost anything is very endearing. The stories are astounding at times and Joan is so hilarious in her reactions to how some of these people got so rich. This show is a must see and I can hardly wait until the next episode.

Summer Rant – Hot Stuff

In the heat of summer nights, things have been burning up the screen with the past couple of episodes of So you think you can Dance? and the Final Four. I am still surprised that Janette was let go the other week and then Melissa last week as I thought both of them were some of the strongest dancers, but it’s hard not to like all of the dancers as all of them have been incredible this season. I have to agree with the Judges that this is the BEST season ever, the most talented and some of the most incredible choreography.

It’s a shame that Kat’s stylist is so hit and miss this season as she seems to look fabulous one night and then like a mermaid threw up on her another night. Seriously, I  can not get over how fugly some of those frocks are – that green animosity from Thursday night has scarred me for life.

Things were very busy last week and I didn’t have time to rant, but I have to say a couple of things about last week’s 100 episode celebration. First, Ellen was hilarious as a guest Judge and brought some very funny moments to the show. The whole Katie Holmes fiasco is another story. Her so called “Performance of a life time” was all lip sync and no substance, I think her real performance of a life time is her “marriage” with Tom Cruise or whatever those Scientologists call mating ceremonies. Enough said.. yeesh!

I am not at all surprised that Brandon was chosen for the Final Four – he looks like a winner to me and seems to have won over even his most fervent critics. The guy is stunning to watch (and of course it really doesn’t hurt that he is modest and loves to dance almost completely naked) and has one of the most perfect physiques that you have ever seen. Pure talent through and through and he reminds me of Will (guest dancing on the Results show and sporting some new facial hair) from last season.Although a tad self indulgent, the performances of all of the Emmy nominated pieces were as stunning as ever. I bow in gratitude at Mia and Wade for blowing my mind with their outstanding work, but I am pretty sure that our local girl Stacey Tookey will be getting some nods for her great numbers this season. I can hardly wait until SYTYCD Canada starts on August 11th, just after this round of the American competition.

So we have Brandon, Jeanine, Evan, and Kayla as our Final Four, and while I am a tad surprised to see Evan there, I know it’s because of his cute puppy eyes and his glowing personality.Ade was a tough competitor but didn’t bring more than Brandon, who I am pretty sure will be the last guy standing and the ultimate winner this season, but the one surprise may be Kayla, who has been shining since Day 1 and is a very talented dancer. As much as I love Jeanine and admire her talent, I am still surprised that she was there to to the Final Four and it will be a huge surprise if she wins. I always thought that either Melissa or Janette would have been there at the end instead of her.

I was peeved that The Superstars skipped last week and I have to wait for the Finale, I have been getting used to my jock fix each week with Maks and when this ends will have to wait until the next season of Dancing with the Stars. Some things you can never get enough of.

There are things that I have been trying to see if I like ‘em and unfortunately as interesting as the concept of Hung was, the actually performance has been kind of limp and it will be Off the Watch List. New shows and concepts are always hit and miss and it’s a question of whether or not the actor can suck you in. I was not getting the big performance that I wanted, and that may be because the show was too hetero-centric and didn’t speak to me.

Kathy Griffin’s guest are being more interesting than her and not in an endearing kind of way. Her bomb at the Apollo was just ridiculous as she should really know the audience and limits before shooting off her mouth. Getting banned from everywhere is no way to build a career and the more the gays get neglected the more bitchy we get. There is the D List and then the STUPID List. I wish that Margaret Cho’s show had been picked up again but alas, that seems to be another victim of alternative programming. This has not been the best year for for gay characters or icons on TV.

Triple Sensation was incredible (and short unless you saw some of the extra episodes on Bold) and I am was happy to see Leah win the big prize. It was fascinating to see the performers work with all the big names and get such intensive training. The concept and execution of the show was great, the contestants all incredibly talented and I hope to see more. I was surprised that it was mostly girls at the end, but encouraged to see the talent in these young performers. It’s a shame that there are not enough opportunities for Performing Arts in Canada and that there is always the allure of Broadway to call our performers away.

Top Chef Masters has been astounding and has given me the appetite to pay more attention to the regular series, and makes me eager to see the Next Iron Chef series that will be rolling out on Food Network. It’s a shame that the Canadian version doesn’t air series the same time as the US one (some things I will never understand). I was thrilled to see our modest Chef Anita Lo pull out the win in round one and I am still surprised about how so over the top gay Opera’s personal Chef Art Smith is. Not that it’s a bad thing, it is actually nice to see one of those big old girlfriends from down South who is so out there that no one cares and is found charming instead of flaming.

Summer Rant – Bad Choices

Things are humming along with this summer’s TV specials and series and although Torchwood - Children of Earth will be broadcast this week in North America, I followed the series night by night as it was broadcast in the UK a couple of weeks ago and started off hopeful and intrigued and ended up disappointed and pissed off. I know that the Brits are not known for the Disney formula “Happily ever after”, but the death of Ianto and the departure of Jack for space left a bad taste in my mouth that was flavoured with homophobia and failure. If the BBC didn’t want Torchwood around they would have been better to not produce any more instead of this tripe that completely deconstructed everything and just seemed wrong. I don’t think we will be seeing much more of Torchwood and it’s a shame as it was well written and had some fascinating characters. Another brilliant show that died a terrible death before it’s time.

So you think you can Dance? has already gone to Top Ten and now to the Final 8. Wade Robson is a mad genius and I was in awe at his incredible number that he put together for our Ten. Although I was disappointed that Kupono was nuked this week (but have to agree that he failed miserably at the Paso Doble) and it seems that America is not ready for a kind of androgynous dancer. I don’t see why they can’t have an openly gay competitor (it’s dance, not that it’s new to have a gay man doing it) and maybe soon they will be ready for it. It’s was a shame that Randi was eliminated, but one of the girls had to go and she wasn’t bringing anything different than what the other girls can bring, and she did the same cardinal sin from last year that if you wear a wig and the voting public can’t recognize you, you will be eliminated. I will say that I was pretty shocked that Ade and Melissa were near the bottom of the pack, they both seem to be incredible dancers and look great on camera. I have the feeling that Evan will be packing his bags soon, and even though Jason picked it up this week and did a great number, I am not feeling the love and am getting tired of him mugging for the camera and playing cute. The combination of Mary Murphy and Debbie Allan on the Judging panel is something damn fierce, and Mary’s comment that she is not allowed to touch the contestants must stem from that famous Paula Abdul affair with American Idol. Still, the Cougar level was on High Alert with the boys doing their African number and combined with the Bollywood number with all the girls, brought even more World Dance to the stage. The show is really exposing the public to all genres of dance and that is a very good thing. If we could just do something about Cat’s hit and miss stylist this show would be pretty close to perfection.

The Next Food Network Star just made a major boo boo with the past couple of episodes. Our plucky nutritionist was bumped even thought Jamika failed completely at both of the challenges. I don’t agree that one was kept just because she has a certain resemblance to a certain wife of an President…. I really thought the Judges would have been above that but it appears not. Poor Michael might be great with a crowd but can’t connect to the camera and was destined to be bumped.I still think Debbie is going to win, and has the biggest potential out of the remaining competitors.

The Fashion Show is winding up and the finale was a decent show. I was happy to see Reco bumped after that debacle with the Wedding dress, and it was either him or James-Paul that was destined to be bumped at the end. James-Paul is just too way out there, and I didn’t even get his concept of Aboriginal people wearing western clothing as most tribal clothing is more intricate than his geometric shapes. I liked the multi-purpose idea of his collection, but any piece of clothing that comes with an instruction manual sounds like too much work for me. Daniella’s collection was interesting but too masculine for my taste.I really loved the entire collection put together by Anna and think that she should take home the big prize, she had the most wearable and interesting collection and I really did see her underlying theme flow through the collection.

I have loved the first new episodes of Eureka and it’s nice to see all the gang together and Carter continuing to be the glue that holds all the chaos together. This show and Burn Notice are 2 great examples of well developed concepts and well written shows that stick to the essential elements that make them a success. Of course it doesn’t hurt that both shows have sexy leading men that know how to take charge, have some kick ass women that back them up and some surprises every week. I was in hysterics when Michael’s mom decided to help out with the interrogation and has started to help out in a more tangible way.The chemisty between the characters is as great as ever.

The Superstars is turning into one of my biggest Guilty Pleasures and I keep tuning in to see more of Maksim Chmerkovskiy from Dancing with the Stars compete like a madman and look damn fine doing it. The rest of the teams seem to be on revolving doors with contestants coming and going, and I was applauding our bitchy supermodel Joanna as she had her meltdown when her partner Tyrell quit the competition to go to training camp. The games are fun and quite varied and it will be interesting to see how all of this plays out. It’s fun and light summer fare.

Wrapping things up, I survived a Japanese Game Show is as hilarious and even more fun than last year with all the wacky games and challenges. The whole concept is so foreign in many ways, and the look inside of the Japanese psyche is quite the show. The claws are coming out and the way the teams are dividing and fighting against each other is adding more steam to a high pressure situation and things are getting very hot. In this week’s Elimination round, love birds Jamie and Drew pitted against each other. When I saw the challenge involved deep-throating squid to dismember them, I was pretty sure that Jamie had it in the bag and true to form our girl performed like a champion and won.Unfortunately it meant the end of Drew who was the cutest competitor, but such is the competition. The walk of shame at the end of each episode is always so poignant and ironic as our contestant walk off into the sunset in their final Majide costume. Very funny stuff – in a mean kind of a way.

Summer Rant – High Performance

Since things are in “Summer mode” here at Couch Potato Central, the scheduling has gone to ranting about the tube once per week (hey it’s Canada here and you try to enjoy those few weeks of hot weather per year) and has led to the birth of the Summer Rant. It’s a catchy name that pays homage to the heat and crazy summer programming and more sporadic postings.

When we get around to the Top Ten on So you think you can Dance? I will probably be inspired to throw my rant amongst all the others on who should stay and who should go but I will say that I am very impressed with the quality of dance this time around, and although it will be a short lived title, this round’s favourite dancer will have paid their dues to make it to the end. I was really happy to see that Brandon was finally getting some love from Mia Michaels on the judging panel. I was not shocked with this week’s dismissal of Vitolio and Karla as they were the weakest of the herd, and I was thrilled that Kupuno is starting to get more of the love that he deserves. It’s a tight race for the guys as they are all pretty strong but there is something about Ade that makes me think he is a strong contender for the crown. Jason and Phillip need to step up their game, they are next on the block and might be dancing for their lives more often than they like. I think they all learned the lesson this week that you if you need to bring it then you better really bring it, dancing for your life is not a snappy title it’s the reality of the situation.

On the girl’s side, Cat was better dressed than the monstrosity she was wearing last week, and I am in absolute awe of the incredible lines that Melissa is pulling out, her Ballet piece was phenomenal and was another ground breaking performance for this show. I love how it is bring all sorts of styles of dance back to TV, and the quality of the new professionals that are getting involved in the show. The girls are all performing their hearts out and aside from a lacklustre solo, I really think that Caitlan and Janette are really going for it and have shown a ton of potential so far.The whole Dizzy Feet Foundation is a great idea (and I love how it highlights that incestuous relationship with Dancing with the Stars and includes that wacky Paula Abdul) and that upcoming guest appearance of Katie Holmes better deliver more than a brainwashed baby momma. Time will tell. Damn I love this show.

I have been having a blast watching The Superstars and seeing one of my favourite Dancers from Dancing with the Stars, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, running around shirtless and doing damn well in a pretty tough athletic competition. There seem to be a ton of big egos with all those biceps and it’s fun to watch all the celebrities strut their stuff à la Battle of the Network Stars ( that series really, really needs to be redone properly) with a tad of American Gladiators thrown in and musical teams as participants keeping getting eliminated due to injury. They are all suffering these injustices at the scenic Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.

WipeOut is even crueller than last year and we have been in hysterics watching (and rolling on the floor) with the scathing commentary by the 2 Johns. Hilarious. I love the new challenges and am kicking myself that I didn’t apply for the home grown version. Between this show and I survived a Japanese Game Show, there is a ton of ridiculous situations and hilarious costumes that always make me question the Japanese sense of humour and their need to humiliate the competitors in games that probably shouldn’t even be considered let alone attempted. Talk about extreme risks in some of these challenges, I am surprised that we haven’t seen someone take a nasty spill that they can’t get up from yet.

My Expedition Africa experience is not turning out how I really wanted, and the series is starting to get on my nerves. I don’t understand most of the drama on the show (and it seems like a waste of time),and for a gang of so called experienced explorers, they are starting to look more and more like knobs each episodes. I would love to know what their Porters are saying about them behind their backs and how ridiculous that they look most of the time. It’s a shame, I thought it would be more of a chance to see the country and it’s people and it is more about the drama – sigh…. I expected more…

On that note… The Fashion Show is wrapping up (there are some miracles…) and it has been a major snore fest. I can’t wrap my head around their real fashion for unreal people concept and the end results. It was time for our magical little Honduran elf to say adios, and I have the feeling that our geeky Asian guy is not far behind. I thing the psychic was the best part of the episode and if they decide to do a second season, skip to her right away and decide the winner before putting me through another season of Not-Beyonce and Isaac. I am looking forward to new Project Runway and some real drama and fashion!

On the comedy side of the coin .. the last few episodes of Better of Ted have been hilarious and I love the satire of working for a big company (Veridian Dynamics) and the way the characters deal with the questionable ethics and the überboss Veronica has had me in hysterics every episode. Her deadpan presentation is hysterical and I love the way she dismisses people, it is one of the funniest scripted things that I have seen recently. It’s a shame that Samantha Who? is burning off the remaining episodes as it is very funny and the characters well developed.I still hold out hope that it will be rescued but this year has been rough on losing well written shows.

This week will be a ton of fun with Torchwood – Children of Earth playing over 5 nights on BBC One (and will be shared online if the gods of the internet are feeling generous) and I am looking forward to getting back in touch with Captain Jack and gang. It’s a great week for Sci-Fi with  the beginning of Warehouse 13 and the return of EUReKA, one of my favourite shows. Vive l' été!