Tag: Party Down

TV Junkie: A History

Thought Storm, TV Season Diary

I watched a lot of TV shows over the years. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. And I watched accross the board.

Keep in mind that I’m only 35 years old.

I watched The Guiding Light for two years straight (it’s a soap opera whose German title was the Springfield Story). I watched medical shows like Trapper John M.D. and lawyer shows like L.A. Law. I watched the 80s action shows from MacGuyver to Riptide. I even watched Love Boat every weekday on one of the first private channels in Germany: Sat.1. I got up at 6am on every Saturday morning to watch Rawhide (Tausend Meilen Staub, lit. “A Thousand Miles of Dust”) with a very young and pre-Fistful Clint Eastwood. I knew who Daniel Boone was around the same time I met the Cartwrights as well as the men from the Shiloh Ranch.

And last weekend I binge-watched the first Netflix show House of Cards (Big recommendation! Kevin Spacey is a brilliant Magnificent Bastard!) and I got curious as to how many shows I watched intently over the past two and a half decades.

With the help of the list on the German site Wunschliste.de I created a list of “my” shows.

I only counted live-action fiction shows, no animated shows may they be Saturday morning cartoons like Yogi Bear or Scooby-Doo or evening shows like The Simpsons or South Park. No scripted reality (which I’m avoiding to 99% anyway with the exception of Comic Book Men). In this list are only shows which I followed for more than a year unless the show itself didn’t last that long.

And the answer was: 244 246 247. Two hundred and fourty four six seven different shows I watched with active interest since I’ve started watching television. And the worst thing is: Of most of these shows I watched 90% or more episodes at least once.

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TV Season 2009/2010 Diary, CW 13-22

TV Season 2009/10 Diary

Deutsche Version | CW 20-21

The Good Wife 1×23 Running
Whoah. This episode just added so many new shades of grey that we have a full 256 colour palette – without any colour in it.
This ending proved what a great year this has been. I knew exactly when the cliff-hanger was coming without even looking at the clock and I enjoyed it. It gives me something to wait for. I usually don’t like cliff-hangers because normally they just interrupt an action sequence on its climax and you know how it’s going to end anyway (maybe not the specifics but in general). But this was different.

This is certainly a show that will find its way onto my shelves.

Let me add something to that last statement: I don’t know if I’m ever going watch this first season again. Not because I didn’t like it (obviously) but I am watching a lot of things and my time is limited. And I buy faster than I can actually watch.
But I have a principle: Since I am not American, I cannot watch all that stuff I am watching totally legal (or I would have to wait a few years and then watch it dubbed on German TV). So when I really like a show, I still want to make a “contribution”, to make sure the producers get something back for giving me more than 16 hours of entertainment. Thus I buy it on DVD even though I know I might not have the time to watch it ever again.

Justified 1×11 / 1×12 Veterans / Fathers and Sons
Some families. Boyd & Bo, Raylan and Arlo. I find it fascinating how the show appears to be black’n’white and absolutely grey at the same time. For now I’m just wondering what Boyd’s true endgame is (excuse me for being a not-yet-believer that he’s truly changed his ways).

Burn Notice 4×01 Friends and Enemies
So, he’s back in the spy game and he’s not. It could be interesting, depending on how they manage to portray his on-duty activities (if they ship him out, he can’t have a civilian case in the same episode and that everything happens in Miami would be not very convincing).
But I’m glad he’s back.

The Vampire Diaries 1×16 / 1×17 / 1×18 / 1×19 / 1×20 / 1×21 / 1×22 There Goes the Neighborhood / Let the Right One In / Under Control / Miss Mystic Falls / Blood Brothers / Isobel / Founder’s Day
It’s not that this isn’t a good show. It has an interesting concept, interesting characters and a good dynamic between them.
It’s just never that high on my priority list. There are those shows that I need to see immediately (like Chuck and The Big Bang Theory) and those that I dropped altogether (like FlashForward and Stargate Universe). This show is somewhere in the middle sector. I watched it ’til the end because I wanted to know how the season ended but if I don’t turn in next season I wouldn’t feel like I missed out on something.

Party Down 2×06 “Not on Your Wife” Opening Night
Another one of these WTF episodes this show is so fond of. Loved it.

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TV Season 2009/2010 Diary, CW 19-20

TV Season 2009/10 Diary

Deutsche Version | CW 13-19 | CW 20 (LOST Finale)

The Big Bang Theory 3×22 The Staircase Implementation
It was a nice “origin story” that I enjoyed (The hair! The suits! The North-Korean spy-girl!).
But I like Babylon 5!

Chuck 3×17 Chuck vs the Living Dead
Even though Shaw might be back I enjoy this season 3.5 much more than season 3.0. I love how Ellie is getting drawn into the spy game and how his father figured out he still was the Intersect. My favourite scene was when Sarah “intercepted” the knife and Orion was wondering whether she also had an Intersect. 😉

Gossip Girl 3×22 Last Tango, Then Paris
It wasn’t bad but a few things bothered me. For example Dan following Serena headlessly without thinking about Vanessa. And even though Jenny was “deported” I didn’t get the feeling that she was actually punished for what she did this year. And Chuck getting shot in a dark alley was a bit too clichéd for me.
But I loved the idea of Georgina returning (and her condition!). And since Mercy was axed she could play a larger role next season.

LOST 6×16 What They Died For
I loved Desmond as sideways-Mastermind, I really enjoyed these parts of the episode. But I also liked the parts on the island. I just don’t think that Ben has turned again (I think he’s conning Smokey) and I don’t think that Jack will actually become the lighthouse keeper; I think there will be yet another twist to this all.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×18 Changes
I was a bit disappointed of Kat’s behaviour. Patrick’s friendly banter didn’t feel out of place. But her reaction to it did.
I enjoyed the rest of the episode though.

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TV Season 2009/2010 Diary, CW 13-19

TV Season 2009/10 Diary

Deutsche Version | CW 18 | CW 19-20

Chuck 3×16 Chuck vs the Tooth
I already like this new mini-arc (there are only three episodes left). My guess for the end is something like this: Ellie and Orion get caught by the Ring and Chuck and Sarah have to burst in to save them and thus revealing themselves.
I loved to see Christopher Lloyd in this episode and while I only know him as “elderly person” I was a bit surprised how old he actually looked now (he’s 71 after all…). On TV Tropes there’s a trope called “Running the Asylum”. It has a different meaning but I loved the idea that an inmate of the Cuckoo’s Nest is now the chief psychiatrist for an asylum full of spies. 😉
Spoiler (mark to read):
Since I’ve read that they introduce yet another game-changer into the finale my guess would be that Orion removes the Intersect from Chuck’s head for good. Except for the Karate they didn’t make much use of it this season anyway (or at least I have that feeling). I think Chuck is ready to be a spy in his own right and they don’t actually need the Intersect as plot device anymore.

The Big Bang Theory 3×21 The Plimpton Stimulation
“You are my landlord and you are my movers. And I can’t pay any of you.” Great episode. It was a great fun in itself.
I’m still somewhat troubled over that whole break-up thing. I don’t have the feeling that they’ve actually explained why they’ve broken up. Penny just ran out on him and that was it. No real aftermath or real explanation. For me that makes it a bit unreal.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×16 Too Much Information
The first episode was a bit anvilicious (modelling & eating disorders…) but I liked that Kat tried to help Patrick open up.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×17 Just One Kiss
I liked the second episode better, especially with bringing Blank/William back.

Bones 5×21 The Boy with the Answer
I liked it that they brought the Gravedigger case again. I also liked that the writers and actors made me really hate her for attacking “my people” by questioning their integrity.
I also smell change coming. When characters start to question their own purpose and goals right before the season ends, most of the time they are going to change the concept of the show (at least for a while).

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TV Season 2009/2010 Diary, CW 13-16

Misc

Deutsche Version | CW 13-15 | CW 13-17

Romantically Challenged 1×01 Don’t Be Yourself
What I’ve seen so far is a run-of-the-mill sitcom and I’ve seen nothing (except for Alyssa of course ;)) that makes this one special. Maybe I watch a few more episodes, maybe I don’t. But I honestly don’t think I’ll miss something if I don’t.

10 Things I Hate About You 1×14 Meat Is Murder
It was really cool how Blank played Kat while being completely honest with her.
But I also liked how Bianca tried to smooth things up with Cameron and how she “trained” Stacy (especially on the topic of LOST) so that she would be perfect for Cameron.

Bones 5×18 The Predator in the Pool
Rena Sofer, huh? I can see why Booth would be attracted to her. I find it fascinating who both Bs know that it’s “wrong” what they are doing and yet go through with it (for now). But I liked the uncomfortable look on Brennan’s face because the ball is on her side now and she has to act.
As for the case: A lot of convenient coincidences in this one (like the fish burping out the skull at the right moment). I have no problem with written coincidences on TV shows but please not too many and not blatantly obvious.

Castle 2×21 Den of Thieves
Michael Trucco, huh? Starbuck fell for him, Penny fell for him – so why not Kate?
I really liked it that Ryan and especially Esposito played a bigger role than usual. They have been criminally underused so far. And it was great how the two of them and Castle totally “inconspicuously” investigated Trucco’s character.
I also liked how the episode ended and they all covered for Esposito.

Cougar Town 1×20 Wake Up Time
Again the men were the highlight of the episode. Grayson on the emotional level, Andy on the funny level and Bobby on his usual weird level. Too bad Kylie is gone already; I really thought she and Grayson made a nice couple.

And now for “emotional chicken”:

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Party Down

Short Review

Party Down – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia “Party Down” (2009) This show is about six actors or writers who are catering to make a living….