My Fall TV Report Card

I realized the other day that I watch a lot of TV. Whether it's on my way to and from work on my little iPhone screen, or on a Saturday morning catching up on the DVR, I basically watch the majority of scripted shows on television today. (I have tried to eliminate the majority of my reality TV, but cannot give up on Project Runway, Top Chef (when it returns in NEW YORK!!!), Intervention, or, ahem, The Hills (I know). So now that most shows are back in our living rooms (save 30 Rock til October, sigh) it's about time I give you my opinions on them. Because, let's face it -- there's a good chance I watch more TV than you and your friends....combined.

MONDAY

• Gossip Girl (A-): Is it just me, or does this show get better and better with each episode. Ever since Blair screamed "Oh my effing god," I knew this season has perfectly combined their clever media savviness with their guilty-pleasure drama. With Serena and Dan finally broken up, we can see Serena for who she truly is (well, anything but a whiner please) and the will-they-won't-they Chuck and Blair storyline is enough to keep me tuning back week after week.
• How I Met Your Mother (A): I'm so glad this show has finally gotten the publicity it deserves (even if we had to watch Britney Spear's stoic performance to get it). Barney's realization he's in love with Robin could have been forced, but NPH plays it off with such style that we can do nothing but cheer him on. This week's hamburger episode was a cute ode to New York, and even incorporated another silly guest star (Regis) in a great way. Please watch this show so it doesn't get canceled!
  
• Heroes (C+): Anything after last season was going to be a great improvement, and the two hour premiere's pace was definitely back Season 1's standard. With some silly story lines in the way (Suresh, ugh, Hiro, please) we're still getting some jampacked drama and comedy thanks to Sylar and Noah Bennett (even if this week's buddy cop drama was cheesy). I think the writers need to throw out the "Save the world" aspect of the show (it's been done...twice) and focus on the characters that we all know and love. Hey, even Nikki became interesting!
• Weeds (B+): I had my doubts at the start of the season. The move from Agrestic could only mean jump the shark terriority, right? Wrong. Instead we delved deep (and deeper) into border smuggling with Nancy taking a harsh and real look at her role as a mother, and a drug dealer, and how she can possibly still teach right and wrong. The last episode may have been a shocker, but I suspect Mrs. Botwin may just be saving her ass one more time. That girl is sneaky, and I love it.
• Intervention (A): This show has the power to ultimately make me cry and feel better about my life. What more could you ask for? This isn't your cookie cutter reality TV, this is heartbreaking and almost too real at times for me to digest. I've noticed that this season almost all of the subjects have come out on top in the end, even for the lowest of all lows (did you see the one with the girl sucking on the dust-off? Jeez.) I guess they know we're suckers for a happy ending.
• The Hills (C): I wish I could stop watching this show. I wish Heidi would break up with Spencer. I wish Heidi's mom would be on the show more. And I wish LC would stop thinking everyone in her life (because of this show) is out to get her. And that is why this show is so popular, because we care, even when absolutely nothing happens in the 30 minutes we watch it every week. I wish I could stop! Maybe I need an Intervention, heh, heh...get it.

TUESDAY

• House (B+): It's not easy keeping this show fresh. The writers knew this last season when they though throwing in a bunch of new characters would create a new game for our favorite TV Doctor. It did, and I found it quite successful (although fans are complaining about the lack of Cameron and the Australian guy). Last season's finale was one of the most interesting house on TV (other than on Lost) and so far this season we've seen House try and deal with the aftershock. The rumored Cuddy/House romance hopefully wont ruin this consistently interesting show (even if all patients do have seizures!)
• Fringe (B): I love me some J.J. Abrams. I've loved and obsessed about every show he's done and was not going to stop here. Sure, the story lines are ridiculous. But this is TV people. It's supposed to be ridiculous and entertaining. Combine that with the undeniable attraction of Pacey Witter (or whatever his name on this show is) and you have a pretty solid doubleheader from FOX. Keep up the pace, J.J.
• Greek (B): I started watching this show on reruns during the summer and it was easy to get caught up in the lives of this sorority and fraternity peeps. I never got to experience the Greek life at NYU, and probably wouldn't had I gone to some other school, but the dramedy and freshness of these story lines make for a fun show. This season we've seen Frannie move in on Evan Chambers (ugh), Cappie break up with Rebecca (yay!) and Casey get a new man. I quite like the new guy, even if he does cry, but I'm still holding out for a Cappie/Casey moment by season's end. Please? Pretty please?
• The Secret Life Of The American Teenager (D): I can't believe I watched this show.
• 90210 (F): Ditto on above. I gave up after one episode. I'd rather have my fond memories of the Peach Pit, thank you very much.
  

WEDNESDAY

• Project Runway (B+): I hate to admit that I liked Kenley at the beginning (I'm a sucker for that 50's retro look) and now she's the spawn of the devil. Only on reality TV can be begin to love and hate someone within the span of one season, with their combattive claws coming out for the love of fashion. While some of the challenges have been boring (Olympics, yawn) the drama and clothes have more than made up for it. My money is on Korto, although I'd be happy with Leanne or Jerell as well. Just get Kenley out of there, stat!
• Lipstick Jungle (B-): I just watched this entire first season last week (there were only 8 episode, ok?) in time to catch the season premiere. Frankly, this show is definitely not as bad as I originaly thought. There's clever writing and above decent acting, it's almost like a hour long version of Sex And The City without showing any of the sex (but they get pretty close). I give props to this season's premiere, showing a more realistic side of death, with Neko coming to grasp how to mourn a husband who was planning to leave. Now I hope she can have some fun with Kirby. And please don't let Andrew McCarthy go!

THURSDAY

• The Office (A): Man, I just love this show. From the smallest one-liners ("That wasn't a tape worm) to the big moments (holy crap Jim and Pam!) this show encompasses everything I love of TV. Characters I want to tune into week after week and that warm fuzzy feeling when Standley fist-pumps in the air. Even Andy got me teary-eyed. Here's to many more laughs, and many more episodes to come.
• Grey's Anatomy (C): I told myself that I was going to give up on this show. I'd had enough. The story lines kept recycling, Meredith kept whining, and the Office and 30 Rock should be the only show allowed during the 9 o'clock hour. And yet this morning I found myself downloading the two-hour premiere onto my iPhone and crying on the ferry to work. What is it with this show? Bernadette Peters in a fairy-costume and an icicle falling into Yang? Pul-eeze. But I must admit that I'm sorta glad that Mer and Der are finally together, and think that Lexie and George are cute. Sigh. We'll see about this one.
• It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (A-): This show has definitely filled the void felt by the departure of Arrested Development. It's out-there comedy definitely brings on the laughs and the more ridiculous this show gets, the more daring and creative the writers seem to get. There just are no boundaries here, as we've already discussed canabolism in the first episode. It seems like the popularity of this show is growing, so hopefully FX will keep it on for a few more seasons. I'm a little bit scared, however, at how far they'll go!
  

SUNDAY

• Mad Men (A+): I was a bit late to the Mad Men train, having watched the entire first season this summer after hearing all the accolades. Well, they didn't lie. What is undoubetly one of the best new shows of the last few years, Mad Men sucks us into another world and time where we can't help but love to hate and hate to love the incredibly complex Don Draper. While the pace is slow, it does give us time to oogle over the costumes and sets and it's fantastic ability to intertwine real-life events with this fictional show. I'm so glad that Betty finally got a backbone this season, but I fear the result once Don decides he's either coming home or not. Such drama, and so classy.
  
• Dexter (B-): I declared this show my favorite show of 2007, and I'm glad to see that more of my friends have picked up on this amazing piece of work. However, I'm a bit skeptical on this season, thanks to the curve-ball ending that way too many TV shows are victim of. I found it interesting that the writers have now officially moved away from the books the series is based on, and the territory is now unknown. Here's hoping they don't screw this up.
  
• Entourage (B-): Last season was a snoozefest, but I've found myself remembering why I liked this show so much in the past. Sure, it's no surprise that Vinnie will have to work his way back up to the top (as does the show) but Drama's story line, and even E growing a pair of balls (kinda) has marked for a good time. And hey, Piven never disappoints so at least we have that!
  
• Brothers & Sisters (C): I watched the premiere of this season last night and was bored. This is one show that is victim of the series cancellation on my DVR, and frankly last night did nothing to convince me otherwise. We get it -- the family is disfunctional. Now let's move on and get some real story lines, okay? The prospect of yet another illegitamate Walker is not what I wanted.

(FYI: Shows that haven't yet premiered that I plan to watch: 30 Rock, Lost, 24, Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money)

So there we have it! What are you watching? Do you agree/disagree with my grades? Should I cancel Grey's, The Hills, or B&S? What should I be watching instead?

Yes, I Watch American Idol

I'm often ridiculed over the fact that I watch American Idol religiously. I know that there are bazillions of people out there just like me, but I'm pretty sure they are all have a medium age of 16. I'm glad my soon-to-be-24-year-old self upped that average.

You see, I'm not an American citizen. I do feel left out in the fact that I can't voice my pick for our next president. Of course, I'm not putting our Commander In Chief in the same vein as this year's American Idol winner but the actual act is one in the same.

I didn't really like David Cook from the start. In fact, I thought his hair was stupid and I was too busy pining over the Australian, wondering how I could get his phone number other than the one Ryan Seacrest kept telling me to call. But as the weeks went by, and as everyone else was wooing over that stupid 17-year-old kid, I started to dig the psuedo-rocker's style. Sure, Cook is totally cheesy and a bit of an early 90's wanna be, but I applauded the fact that not only cold this dude sing in any range, but he also did his homework by giving the judges what they want: originality.

So as much as I'm prepared to see the other David take home the prize tomorrow night (in spite of that hideous voice crack during "Imagine" and the fact that he cannot form a complete sentence), I would still like to state my vote went to Cook. And yes, I did vote. It's the American thing to do, after all.

The Paper - 1.1

Is it wrong I really enjoyed watching the premiere episode of MTV's The Paper? Perhaps after being officially bored with The Hills today, the station's latest reality try—this time in the setting of a high school's news room—came off as witty, entertaining, and highly addictive. But maybe it's because I related to the young teens quest to become Editor In Chief. Although when I got the position my senior year, no one was plotting a coup d'etat. I don't think.

As the four gunning for the position took the walk to find the piece of paper that would determine the rest of their lives (okay, not exactly but go with me), I specifically remembered my own walk. It's the little dramas in our lives that are so important in their settings, and frankly—it makes for great TV. Who doesn't want to see Amanda overcome her patronizing and succeed at leading a staff? Who doesn't want that lame couple to break up so that it's awkward city in the staff room? And, by god, let's hope that they win all those awards again or else brace yourself for some mental breakdowns. Because in the first five seconds of the show, truth was spoken: journalists are the most important people in the world.

Amen, sister.

Friendship

I froze my hands
Broke my fingers off
Gave them to my friends as a gift
Because a rift has formed between us.

I always loved that line from Mason Proper's song "Friendship." It's one of those very strange images that makes complete sense once you hear it, but for only a split second, of course. It's charming and disturbing—the kind of dichotomy I fall in love with.

Irony is a funny thing. I have spent the past two weeks basically cleaning up my life, feeling guilty about removing parts that I've held so dear, and taking on new occurrences, thoughts, dreams. It's actually my dreams that are throwing me for a loop, the subconscious ones and not, which can battle and befriend at the same time. But in a swift move of "a ha" my computer died yesterday, the hard drive completely failed, and all the things that I had always planned on holding on to, have been removed from my life. And somehow I'm left without a job, without a computer, and paralleling one of my favorite shows on television. Sure, I'm on no island, but I am trying to figure out what the hell is going on around me.

Luckily, I tend to be an eternal optimist. And frankly, I always think that things happen for a reason so I'm off to search exactly what one is. Who knows, maybe this time next week everything will have changed again.

Of course, it only really takes one thing to lift my spirits, and anything pop culture related pleases me to the core. Which is why I was thrilled to see my name forever imprinted on the wonderful USA Today Pop Culture blog. Click here to read about my silly obsessions with Ethan Hawke, Felicity, and a lot of other embarrassing moments. It was incredibly fun.

In related news, I came in fifth on my first ever Hollywood Draft. Thanks Heath for getting me the most points. (Too soon?)

--
"Friendship" by Mason Proper is found on their recently released Shorthand EP, which can be purchased on iTunes.

Lost Link Of The Day

Lol. Literally.

More here [via Pop Candy]

Your Ex-Lover Is Dead

I've been watching a lot of Degrassi lately. I never really watched the show up before meeting Pat, and I've since found myself waiting for Sunday mornings to catch the repeats on the WB. Then came The N, and basically in light of my recent unemployment, I've almost gotten a grasp on all the different dramas that have gone through the cast of characters, although I find myself asking Pat a lot of questions still. Cause, you know, they "go there."

I've turned a lot of my attention lately to TV, rather than music. It's an awfully strange experience when something has basically occupied your entire life to be so accepting of its place on the back burner. But like everyone who I tell that I think I'm done writing about music, they seem to all respond: well, you're probably burnt out. And perhaps they are right, and perhaps this "break" between music and myself will only be beneficial. For the first time in a very long while I've found myself not listening to what I should be listening to, but instead what I want to be listening to. Who cares if it came out three years ago, who cares if they weren't some buzz band, or if they were. I'm paying attention to what I want for a change, and it feels kind of nice.

Last week, my first real week of unemployment, I went to see three bands just for kicks. I wasn't worried about writing about them, or taking pictures, or meeting the right people—I found comfort in hiding in the back of venues once again, and just listening to what was in front of me. As it turned out, I liked the two bands I knew nothing about, and was underwhelmed by the one I thought was the greatest thing ever. I will always love the art of finding and falling in love with certain bands, or albums or songs, but it feels nice to be sure that there are no ulterior motives.

So music is kind of like an ex-lover. An ex-lover is far different than an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, and forgive me for quoting Carrie Bradshaw, but it helps if you pronounce it "lovah." Because an ex-lover is free from guilt or heartbreak, and only the fond memories are remembered. Which made me go back to a song I quite liked, which was featured in an episode of Degrassi I was watching tonight: Stars' "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead." And as strange as it seems, its lyrics seem quite appropriate to my "relationship" with music today.

Live through this, and you won't look back...
There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave
You were what I wanted
I gave what I gave
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry there's nothing to save

MP3: Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead

Beauty vs. The Geek?

Dear Beauty And The Geek,

I never thought I'd watch your show. It's not that I'm against reality TV (trust me, it's far from that) but I just never thought that this idea/concept was interesting. It sounded like a farce. My past roommate started watching it, and since the majority of New Yorkers are too broke from their expensive rents to leave that apartment, I got hooked. It wasn't what I expected—there was an actual "moral" if you can call it that, perhaps "message" is better. Everyone went on the show to better themselves. The geeks wanted more confidence, the beauties wanted to be more accepting. If you forgot the fact that they were competing for money, it was an interesting, and somewhat genuine, social experiment. And yes, by season's end, I always ended up in tears.

I was okay with your "twist" last season to have one couple whose genders were switched (the beauty was the male, geek female). It was pretty fun in the end. But after watching this season's premiere, where you have decided to have the beauties compete against the geeks, I wonder why you have completely removed the only redeeming factor of the show. We don't need a new twist every season, we just want to fall in love with the characters. By having these two teams fight against each other, instead of learn from each other, you lose your essence and the search for comraderie. Its ideas like these that hurt my defense of reality TV.

Sincerely,

Rachael

P.S. - I really like Gregie.

Lost Link Of The Day

Listening to the LostCast right now…thankfully there’s no Tasha this week (fast forward through the beginning to avoid listening to her “dance remix” ugh.)

LOSTCasts 64: The Other Woman

Lost 4.6 - "The Other Woman"

While this week's episode of Lost was far from the mind blowing and equally adoring episode last week—any episode with Desmond and Penny is automatically my fav—we did have some fun stuff in this week's, too. While I'd venture to call it one of those "filler" episodes, it's still keeping with the fantastic pace and ambition of Season 4. Juliet has always been a fascinating character and, unlike some people, I enjoyed this week's flash back just as much as previous ones. If only for Ben's utter creepiness when he uttered the lines: "You're mineeeee. (pause) Take all the time you need." Let me say it again—Michael Emerson is an acting genius.

I could, of course, have done without the Kate/Jack romance—hopefully it will just lead to Ben kicking some Shepherd ass—and the Daniel and Charlotte mission was ultimately anticlimatic. Of course, scenes between Locke and Ben have become more and more intriguing and within minutes I cringed and then yelped at the sign of that "Red Sox" dvd. Finally! We have a proper Widmore connection to the island, that hasn't come from something other than the show. I have a theory as to who that blindfolded guy in the video was, but we'll get to that in a second.

Although we weren't privy to another flash-forward, this flashback cleared up some holes in our story line. It's great to see scenes we've come to know so dearly through new eyes. Ben ordering Goodwin to go to the Tailies (what does that mean for Ethan?), Goodwin and Juliet in bed together, and so on. While not too many mysteries were introduced or revealed, there's nothing more creepy than a dinner party with Ben. Please, invite me next time. Thanks.

Best line: "This rabbit didn't have a number on it, did it?" Genius.

Some theories....

I'm 99% convinced that the guy in the blindfold is Desmond. I just have a hunch that I cant get rid of, no matter how many people tell me I'm wrong. It's him.



I'm also 99% convinced that Ben is able to time travel. How else would it explain how he knows where Daniel and Charlotte were heading and how he could tell Harper to warn Juliet? That would also explain why he sent Goodwin to the Tailies.



And what's with Faraday's map?!



Poll on who the mole is on the freighter? My guess is Michael but I hope they throw us a wild card to keep up the shock value.

Friday Night Lights Saved?

After finally catching up on Friday Night Lights just prior to Season Two's finale, I was disheartened to hear that it could be the end for this show. While bordering on soap-opera-esque story lines, there's a lot of heart in this little show, and a cast of characters/actors that make even the cheesiest scenarios seem authentic. Luckily, it might not be the end.

EXCLUSIVE: NBC Picking Up 'Friday Night Lights' After Partnering With DirecTV

Lost Link Of The Day

As expected, the one…the only…Doc Jensen…

'Lost': A Desmond Fact-Check

Nice little tidbits from Damon about what happened last week, plus some clarifications on tonight’s ep. Mild spoiler warning.

Project Runway Season Four Winner

Not to toot my own horn, but I so called this after the very first episode this season.

Read Bravo's interview with the winner here. (Spoilers, obviously)

I didn't actually get to watch the episode last night, but I had to see who had won. The rumors, and my own predictions were right. Horray!

How Well Do You Know 'Arrested Development'?

Even after watching all the episodes on a regular basis before i go to sleep, I only managed to get a 12 out of 20 on this quiz. It's harder than you think.

We Miss Arrested Development (So I Made This Quiz)

In other AD news, looks like that movie might actually happen. I can't decide if this is awesome or scary. I'm going to stick with awesome.

Lost Link Of The Day

I've been sending daily emails to my friends and co-workers with various Lost related links, and figured I might as well let everyone else enjoy. I'll copy and paste my emails here, and most of the time I'll make fair warnings if any spoilers are involved. This week's episode is a Juliet-centric episode. It's going to be hard to beat last week's Desmond-amazingness, but I'm sure our Lost friends will throw something just as crazy at us. Is this season the best, or what?

I know some of you don’t like any spoilers, but here’s two clips from this Thursday’s episode. I promise that these are official ABC promotional clips, and coming from someone who watches them each week, it doesn’t give anything big away. It’s just a nice way to ease the pain of having to wait 7 whole days for a new episode.

Watch at your own risk:









Via Kristen at E!Online

'Californication' Coming To DVD

I know what I want for my birthday!! From TvShowsOnDVD.com...

After getting a kind of a "DVD debut" as bonus episodes included with recent releases of The Tudors and The L World, you will now be able to get the entire first season of Californication on DVD this coming summer! Showtime and Paramount Home Entertainment have announced a June 17th release this morning of all 12 episodes!

Californication - Season 1 stars (and is executive produced by) David Duchovny, who won a Golden Globe as "Best Actor in a Television Series" for his role as Hank Moody in this series. Just a bit more than a month after this DVD release, Duchovny returns to his classic role as Fox Mulder in the new X-Files theatrical film, which hits cinemas on July 25th. Showtime has picked up Californication for a second season later in the summer, but the exact debut date of the new episodes has not yet been announced.

The DVD release of the first season set will be in Anamorphic Widescreen video, with soundtracks in various formats of 2.0 Stereo, 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital, and Mono. Language support is both English and Spanish. The running time is approximately 10 hours. Pricing information, extras (if any) and box art were not made available this morning, but stay tuned and we hope to have it for you soon!

Sophisticated and unique, this comedy centers on novelist Hank Moody (David Duchovny) who struggles to raise his 13-year-old daughter, while still carrying a torch for his ex-girlfriend. His obsession with truth-telling and self destructive behavior -- drinks drugs and relationships -- are both destroying and enriching to his career.

If you missed this show when it was on air, start your count downs now. Californication was easily one of the best new shows to hit cable in 2007, and number four on my top 10 of the year. Find out more about the show, and David Duchovny's Golden Globe win, over at Showtime's website.

Lost 4.2 - "Confirmed Dead"

Where to begin? As I was watching "Confirmed Dead" I began to get restless. I wanted to know who these people that have arrived on our island are, and the flashbacks were not giving me enough. I wanted a showdown. I wanted to know how Hurley gets off the island. I wanted to know so much that I found myself at the edge of my sofa, unable to breathe. Welcome to Lost.

In what could easily be referred to as a filler episode, the more I thought about last night's expose on our four Freighters, the more I liked the pace that this show has now taken. With no one Lostie flashback, instead we were given snippets of who our so-called rescuers are: a physicist who cries, a con-man who talks to the dead, an archaeologist, and a drunken pilot. There was little bits of fun material—was that Eko in those pictures at the dead guy's house? Have you called the Oceanic hot line (I have)—the story was really propelled by their adventures into the jungle to find the beeping locations. That beep was enough to make me nervous (Hello, type in the numbers) and some snide comments from our dear Sawyer and the look on Locke/Ben's face when Hurley mentioned Jacob's cabin were priceless.

And the big revelation, of course is, as Jeremy Davis so perfectly delivered rescuing is not their primary objective. What is? Ben. My thought is that Abbadon is Hanso/Dharma-related, funded by the Windmore's, and these are the four that they chose to kill Ben for his mass execution on the Island. Kinda makes sense, so it must be wrong.

But that picture up above? What a hottie.

What is up with the polar bear in Tunisia? I'm really hoping this all doesn't come down to time travel or else I'll be confused. My thoughts are just that this Island adventure was not the only one Dharma initiated.

How did this helicopter land so nicely if Frank Lapidus landed so far away? (notice the numbers too!)

I'd put money that Ben's mole on the freighter is most definitely Michael. Thoughts, ideas, theories? Leave them in the comments below!

Lost 4.1 - "The Beginning Of The End"

First of all—thank god this show is back on television. Secondly—thank god there are still creative minds out there that realize that some television viewers are smarter than a 5th grader. In last night's season four premiere Lost proved its accolades, by giving viewers one hour of jam-packed drama: laughs, tears, fears, and all that good stuff. The implementation of a flash forward, in my opinion, is pure genius. With such a serialized show as Lost, it was easy for viewers to become frustrated and bored. Now, the entire game has changed. The flash-forwards are so seamlessly intertwined in this epic odyssey that we are no longer wondering: will they get off the island? We know want to know is: why? and how? and what!? And so much more.

I'm beginning to think this season (whatever we get to see of it) will rest heavily with the theme of ghosts. If season one was all about the survivors, and two was about the hatch, and three finding out about the others, this season we'll be visiting by all the ghosts of our favorite folk's past, and wonder how they fit into our magical island. Are they dead? Sure. But are they real? That we don't know. As with any sort of paranormal being, there's always a purpose. We're set to find out what that is.

My two major questions from last night:

Is Christian Shepard (Jack's father) Jacob? Is he what Jacob has taken form in? Has he done that with Mr. Eko's brother, Walt, etc? Screen shot:

Who's eye is this? My first thought was Locke, but some people are saying it was Charlie because there was a hoodie.

I loved having Charlie back, even if he is still dead. I know some people hate his character, but I think he's adorable. In case you didn't catch it, that was Charlie when Hurley was "hallucinating" while the police was questioning him. In fact, he had a message, "They Need You":

Man. I need to watch this episode again. Feel free to discuss in the comments.

J.J. Abrams Is My Hero

I'm going to the Cloverfield MySpace party thingy tonight and am super stoked. Yes, it will be cool to sort of be part of Rob's surprise party (although I hope I make it out alive), but what is really getting me so excited is the fact there is a chance—perhaps a very small chance, but one nonetheless—that J.J. Abrams will be there. Among a few people in my life, he is most definitely one of my heroes. From my obsession with Felicity to Alias and Lost, if there's one thing J.J. Abrams makes you do, is think. Which isn't all that common in television and films these days.

So I was happy to watch this TED talk that J.J. Abrams participated in. Pretty interesting stuff. Who knows, maybe I'll get my own personal inspirational talk tonight. Probably not. Maybe it was just a flashforward.

Heroes Volume III Sneak Peek

Thanks to TV Squad for this video. Tim Kring presented this at the Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival of Los Angeles, which includes scenes from episode 12 and 13 which were shot before the strike. And holy crap!! Sylar is ready to kick some ass next season. Please end the strike so I can get back into my TV obsession. Please?

Milo Ventimiglia's 'Winter Tales'

Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia isn't sitting still during the writer's strike, instead, he's out promoting AE Winter Tales a strange off-beat clamation series that tells true-life tales of the actor's life. Co-star and Miss Veronica Mars herself Kirsten Bell, alongside Pete Wentz, Lil John, and Friday Night Lights' Adrianne Palicki narrate the five shorts that are available now at AE.com (yes, American Eagle Outfitters). After watching the first one, entitled "Home for the Holidays'" where Ventimiglia recounts a flight from hell, I'm surprised at the level of wit and sarcasm coming from a sponsored-project. The Gilmore Girls referenced-line "'Why did you grow your hair out so long, Jess? Was it because Dean made fun of your pompadour 'do?" was enough to win me over.

Check out the first one here: