As I’ve said before, my wife and I are big fans of TV.  We try to give each new show a shot to see if we like it. Here’s a quick take on what we’ve seen so far this season:

Gossip Girls
Nutshell – Restart the OC in Manhattan.
SureHits Says: A-
I know I’m way out of my demographic here, but this is just pure fun.  If you liked the O.C., I think you will like GG.  It will remain on our ToDo list until the end of its run.  May it be long and glorious. 

K-Ville
Nutshell – NYPD Blue in New Orleans, minus the good writing, acting, & directing
SureHits Says: D+
Ugh. Nice to see the Crescent City featured in a new show. If I wasn’t dreaming of a beignet throughout the entire 24 minutes of my life I gave up watching this sorry excuse for show, it would have been a straight D.

Back to You
Nutshell – Frasier is reincarnated as a Pittsburgh anchorman
SureHits Says: B+
I honestly thought I would never like another network sitcom again. Why? Sitcom cadence. You know how it goes. Character 1 says something to Character 2. Character 2 shoots back to character 1. Then 1 back to 2 and then *pow*, 2 gets in a punch line. Or, if they’re really mixing it up, character 3 will enter the scene just long-enough to deliver the punch line.  Cue laugh track, and with it, my finger on the remote.

Sadly, Back to You has the cadence and the laugh track. If you can’t get past that, I don’t blame you. But, Karla and I watched the whole show and I have to tell you, I haven’t laughed out loud as many times at a network sitcom since Seinfeld ended. This is as good as a show with sitcom cadence and a laugh-track can possibly be. But, with those two stikes, no A, no way.

Californication
Nutshell – David Duchovny (formerly Fox Mulder) as an author with writer’s block
SureHits Says: B+
This one has been running on Showtime. I think we are about 4 episodes in. First let me say, this show would not have passed the network censors (even at Fox), so if you’re looking for a family-friendly show, this isn’t it. The pilot episode was just OK, but since then, the show has really grown on us. The characters are well drawn and believable and David Duchovny is always fun to watch.  Plus, seeing him on the air again gets that fantastic song by Bree Sharp back in my head.  Click here to play it in Rhapsody.

Older Shows We Just Got Around To…

Weeds
Nutshell – Suburban mom as marijuana dealer, this year the wheels come off
SureHits Says: B+
We just started watching this one since we didn’t have Showtime last year. I was reluctant to watch because I generally find Mary-Louise Parker very annoying. But not this time. She’s great and show is very entertaining. Look here, TV networks, you can have a comedy work without the sitcom cadence and the laugh-track.

Special note:  Weeds Theme Song
SureHits Says: A+
For those who haven’t heard it, Weeds has the greatest adapted theme song in the history of television. Why “adapted?”  Well, by that I mean not written for the show itself.  The best original theme song is a close fight between The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island.  I’ll save my opinion on that important topic for another post. 

The theme song for Weeds is “Little Boxes.”  According to the font of all true knowledge, the song dates to 1962 and was most famously sung by Pete Seeger.  In any case, the lyrics are a brilliant little commentary on suburbia (where I happily reside) and they even have a different performer each week.  Elvis Costello, Death Cab for Cutie (the greatest band of this decade), Randy Newman, and Billy Bob Thorton have been among those who’ve performed the song for the show.

The Office
Nutshell – Offbeat mockumentary of life in a paper company office
SureHits Says: B?
Here’s a nugget for all you Office fanatics. Karla and I watched the first episode and gave up on it.  That’s right, gave up on it.  The shaky camera thing just made me a bit ill and it was a bit too quirky for my taste.  Since then, just over 10,000 people have told me it was their favorite show.  “What did they know?” I thought.  Plenty of people still watch ‘Til Death.

But, then it went on to win a Peabody and I knew we had to give it another chance.  We watched the 2 part season-finale and I have to admit, I liked it enough to give it a shot next season.

Final note on TV today.  Heroes starts Monday and that show is not to be missed under any circumstances (it’s a clear A+). If you somehow, some way, didn’t watch season 1 you owe it to yourself to watch the DVDs immediately and then tune in on Monday!