New For Summer

Well, as the 2009-2010 television season wraps up, some shows with a bang, some not-so-much, it is nice to see that some of the major networks are finally catching up with what the cable networks have had for a few seasons now - new scripted (and "unscripted" of course, but that isn't actually new...) dramas!! Well, at least ABC and FOX are playing ball with the likes of Showtime, HBO, and USA.

While I realize that it is summer, and that should mean vacations, being outdoors, and a slew of other reasons NOT to be inside watching television, those of us that live in the seventh circle of hell in the summer (aka Arizona) : ) can appreciate having something good on television when it is simply too hot to be anywhere else.

There are several good shows returning, and a few new faces that will hopefully make it past episode 3, and I've compiled a list of some of the notables below.

Please note, that I can't possibly cover ALL the summer shows (well, I could, but I do have a job...), but there is a pretty good article on new and returning comedies and dramas right here. And I am focusing on the scripted, although I am quite excited for Hell's Kitchen to return, unscripted, "reality" television has a need for its own post...which may or may not happen...

So, lets start with what's coming back:

Burn Notice - Out of all of the shows that I am discussing, this is the only one that I don't currently watch. Returning for its fourth season on June 3rd, Burn Notice has also been renewed for fifth and sixth seasons. USA has created several great shows, and this is supposedly one of them. I actually put this in here because I intend to start watching it and get caught up. Unfortunately, I can't really discuss it in detail, cause, well...I think I have seen all of, maybe 2 episodes...so, this serves more of a notice that it's coming back, and you should check it out.

True Blood - Ah, where would we be if we didn't have vampires on TV in some fashion. This increasingly popular breed has invaded primetime network (Vampire Diaries)and cable (True Blood) television, and also make an appearance in one of the new shows that I mention below (The Gates in case you hadn't heard). As the third season begins on HBO, this mature audiences drama crashes onto the scene with several new characters (from the previews I've seen and heard), new relationships, and a ton of, well, blood. Based on novels by Charlaine Harris, this steamy series has something for just about everyone. True Blood returns on June 13th.

Futurama - Yep, I said it. Futurama is back!! After cancellation from FOX in 2003, Comedy Central has resurrected this supremely funny animated gem. On June 24th, Comedy Central will present the first of 26 new episodes, with original cast members reprising their roles - which should lead to some classic comedy gold! Way to go, Comedy Central!!

Psych - Another great show from USA. Psych will begin its fifth season on USA on July 14th July 21st July 14th (there have been some plan changes and debate as to when it actually premieres, but I'm pretty sure it is the 14th). Shawn and Gus, the best fake-psychic detectives on TV today are back with more crime-solving, relationship issues, and above all else, good times. : )

So, that is about it for the returning series, now to move on to some new faces:

The Good Guys - Premiering on FOX on June 7th (although there was a sneak peek last week), this hour long comedy pairs Bradley Whitford (complete with awesome mustache) with Colin Hanks (when the heck did he grow up? Seriously!), and it has the makings of a great show (from what I have heard). Brought to us by none other than Matt Nix (who just happened to bring us the aforementione Burn Notice), this buddy cop action comedy has the potential to be a huge hit!

The Gates - Vampires, Werewolves, and other Supernaturals, oh my. This new drama from ABC premieres on June 20th and has been called "Eureka meets Desperate Housewives" which could be a complete disaster, or one of the best new shows. As someone who never really got into Eureka, (although I am told I would love it, which really isn't saying much, I like A LOT of stuff...) and who gave up on DH after they flashed forward five years, but the storyline didn't seem to improve any, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I really want to like this show, I like a lot of the people who have a part in it, and I am hoping that they will make it a worthwhile show, and not something that falls into one of the "sometimes eerily accurate, and not in a good way" descriptions of the ABC Network of Already Been Cancelled.

However, The Gates will have to find its footing quickly, because with the successes of Vampire Diaries and True Blood, television may be getting a little saturated with the pale and undead crowd, so they will need to bring more than standard vamp antics to the party.

Covert Affairs - As a die hard Alias fan (J.J. Abrams, you genius), I really hope that Covert Affairs can live up to the standard that show set, but I'm gonna be a realist about this. Piper Perabo as a rookie CIA agent has the potential to be great, with her blind handler leading the way, I am really hopin that the show will be original enough to hold new viewers, and pick up some spy-hard fans as well. Another USA opportunity, Covert Affairs premieres on July 13th.

Well, that in no way covers all of the new programming for this summer, but it is what I will be watching, and since that is pretty much all that matters (to me, which should mean to everyone), so that's all we're gonna talk about. Happy watching, and hopefully, as these new shows start, I'll be able to post some comments and thoughts.

-- Kelly ( :

The Battle of the eReader: Kindle vs. Nook - Round One

So, one day my mom calls me and tells me that she knows what she is getting me for my birthday. "A Kindle," she shrieks, all excited! She just got her Kindle and it is the best thing since sliced bread...possibly even before that. Now, you have to understand - I love reading and I love books, and I learned this from my mom. I was initiated at an early age, I picked up the TV Guide at four years old and started reading from it. (With beginnings like that is it any wonder that I love television and have a degree in Film and TV production? Yeah, I didn't think so either.) Sorry, shiny objected there (and no matter what else you hear, or who you hear it from, that is MY phrase...I turned it into a verb. Yep, me.) Ack, I did it again though...so easily distracted. Where was I?

Oh, yes, "The Kindle". So, my mom, after telling me what I was getting for my birthday (which, by the way, this particular conversation was at least a good six months before said event (it's next month, if that matters)), proceeds to tell me that I need to forget that she told me, so it can be a surprise. Yeah, right. Cause, as much as I love books, I love techie stuff, and the Kindle, well, it's pretty much a techie dream!! (Well, for books anyway...and maybe .PDFs, but you get the point.) Well, sometime around our conversation, this shiny new product came out, from my favorite bookseller no less - the nook, by Barnes and Noble. Oooh, color touchscreen, android platform, browsing full books when inside a B&N, look ma, shiny things!!! (The actual origins of shiny objects and shiny objected). So, now what? My mom LOVES her Kindle, she's pretty sold on that, but I'm not my mom - for the most part. I am, however, a researcher; there are plenty of Kindle vs. nook websites out there, with reviews on design, speed, reliability, and a host of other things.

So, lets get started, cause there is a lot that each eReader has going for it.

Now, I've noticed that whichever way people are leaning towards is typically the ones the reviews start out with, I mean you have both Kindle vs. nook and nook vs. Kindle, with each one giving slightly biased reviews based on the device listed first...so, I'm breaking that particular mold...and going with the underdog first.

The nook - Yep, I said it...the nook is the underdog in this case. I mean, it certainly does have the Android platform going for it (I love the Android platform...a discussion best saved for another day, before I get shiny-objected again). And a pretty slick color touchscreen component. And yes, expandable memory, Wi-Fi, and a multitude of other cool things - wait, which side am I on here? Oh, yeah, underdog...ok, better now. But there are two big downfalls of this reader - battery life, and speed. From everything that I have read, which, trust me is a lot at this point, even though the nook says that it gets up to 10 days on a single charge, that isn't always the case, 5 - 6 seems to be more the norm...and what is the big drain on the battery you might ask? Well, I'll tell you - the slick color touchscreen, and Wi-Fi. Surprised? No? Me either. : )

The second thing I mentioned was speed. From the majority of the reviews that I have seen, the nook is sorely lacking in speed, from power up to page turning, it's slower, hands down (or so they say - and whoever "they" are is also a story for another day). Now, those things might not seem like a big deal, but when we are talking about 3 seconds from power button to reading vs. 1 minute and 30 seconds for the same action, that is a gaping chasm. And, for someone like me who can churn out approximately 100 pages of printed text in an hour, an eReader needs to keep up with my reading pace. Which brings me to...

The Kindle (or, Kindle 2 more appropriately) - What the nook offers in flashy "upgrades" the Kindle balances out with all that a true bibliophile needs...but nothing more. And while it lacks some of those nice options, Wi-Fi, expandable memory, and even a removable battery (truly a downfall of the Kindle, IMHO), the purported speed of the device, with its unmatched and unparalled battery life, if true, will keep me a Kindle customer for a very long time. The speed I mentioned above, and it is the lack of "bells and whistles" that allows a much smoother, sleeker start-up process. I don't necessarily need to see the image of the book that I want to read, I (usually) already know what it is about, so the simple "home" page with it's list of titles is fine for me. And the touchscreen on the nook is said to be somewhat clumsy as well, so I'll stick with the KISS principle (look it up if you don't know) on this one. And if the pages turn and load as quickly as they say they do, well, that will be a big plus for me.

Additionally, I'm terrible for charging things, I usually forget until they, well...die, so the longer this lasts on a charge, the better. Websites and reviews claim up to 14 days, but the norm seems to be about 10 when hand-ons reviewers take over. (Which, if I can "math it up" right (another term I coined...) is still better than 5 - 6)

I am aware of one other thing...I am only comparing two eReaders, while there are a ton of others out there, not the least of which is the shiny, new iPad. But that isn't what this blog is about. Because, even though the iPad is definitely a cool device, at this point, I'm not looking for that many features, options, and other stuff going on. (Yet) I want an eReader. Something that I can easily take with me on trips, to work (for lunch hours only), or anywhere else that I might have some down time, and not have to lug all of my books along with me. And don't get me wrong, no matter which way this ax falls, visiting Barnes and Noble will still be one of my favorite relaxing activities, and I by no means intend to dispose of, or stop, my book collection.

Here's my dilemma though, I'm a visual learner. So, "Round Two" of this particular topic will have to be once I actually have my Kindle (that is, if my mom actually does get me one for my birthday (sorry mom, I tried to forget about it...sorta)). If not, well, Round One will be the only round in this fight until I can afford the frivolity.

-- Kelly ( :

(Oh, and P.S. in case you're keeping track (and I'm not entirely sure why you would be), this now matches my total posts in 2008, and is more than my posts in 2007 and 2009, both separately AND combined. Just saying...)

Didn't We Just Go Through This

Ok, so I was going to do a post entitled "10 Things Every Amazing Race Contestant Should Know", but that show ended a couple of weekends ago, so it is a moot article, at least until the fall. But that made me realize that it is season (and series) finale time once again. (Um, wasn't Thanksgiving yesterday? Where does the time go?)

So, I thought I would mention some notable shows leaving the air:

24 - After eight seven grueling days (I know the show ran for eight seasons, but this final season was not all that noteworthy...even I stopped watching), spanning several years, Jack Bauer finally gets some time off from work...at least until the movie comes out. This show started off with an amazing idea, it was a new concept, a semi-original idea even, and it was done brilliantly! It kept viewers wanting more, and even if it was convenient that SOMETHING major happened just at the end of EVERY SINGLE hour of the day, I went back week after week. Until this year. I saw about the first 10 episodes, but couldn't get into it. It may have gotten better, and I probably shouldn't judge until I have seen the rest of the episodes, but IMHO, it should have ended after it's seventh season.

Heroes - Another show that probably could have gone away a lot sooner. I stopped watching it a while back, but all I hear from people are that it has gotten really bad, boring, and needs to be done already. So, while it too had a good concept, and was a different breed, it doesn't seem like it will be missed too much.

Lost - Ah, what can be said about the JJ Abrams mind-twisting epic? Well, most likely, "Huh?" followed by "WTF?". Seriously though, I missed the last two seasons (I'm sensing a trend here...), and although I have been trying desperately to get caught up, with the finale being this Sunday, it is unlikely that I will make it in time. However, I will still watch the finale, because I'm sure it will not only be one of the most watched episodes,and I want to see where the crazy train finally disembarks, but, well, now that Amazing Race is over, nothing else is on Sundays...(just kidding, sheesh!) The genius executive producer behind some of our most amazing televison (Alias, Fringe, Felicity (athough I never watched that one)), as well as what I hope will be some promising new shows, certainly created a buzz with Lost, and I know that it will be missed...even though it's time to move on.

I know that many other shows (iconic and not-so-much) ended this season as well, but...I can't focus on everything...well, I could, I choose not to.

I would like to take some time in future posts to discuss some of the new season of shows (including the new one from JJ Abrams) as well as returning favorites...so, stay tuned for that.

-- Kelly ( :

I'm Not Gonna Say It

This time, things will be different, but I am not going to actually make any claims, because you see how well that worked out the last, um, several times. Case in point: The Last Time, and The Time Before That, and to complete the Trifecta, The First Time I Went Down This Road. (Ok, the last one is more about other things, but it fits in with the others, so there it is.)

So, I have a lot of things piling up that I want to get out there, but I don't want to make promises...so for now, it is just a goal, and a wish.

Here's to hoping I see you again...before 2011. :)

-- Kelly ( :