TV Updates

My travel schedule and competing demands for Thursday night television (damn you Fox for moving Bones to Thursdays resulted in a DVR full of shows I hadn't been able to attend to. Now that Burn Notice and The Closer have ended their seasons, I had an opportunity to do a few catch-up marathons. Here are some thoughts.

Kyle XY
I'm okay that this series has ended its run. I enjoyed it (a guilty pleasure, to be sure). I saw every episode. But this season seemed to reinforce the idea that the writers had run out of ideas. Instead of intrigue and action, we got teen angst that came across only as irritating and inauthentic.

A word on the last episode. Clearly it was designed to be a season cliffhanger rather than a series ender. But ABC Family might have given us a few more minutes of closure. If the show actually had a following, people would be screaming about the crappiest series finale ever.

Desperate Housewives

Marc Cherry has used some of the most creative ideas to revitalize this series. His trouble seems to be sustaining it over a season. This season remains lots of fun, but it's largely unmemorable. The death of Edie this week might revitalize once again and take us to an exciting season finish. I'm still recording on my DVR.

Grey's Anatomy

It just keeps getting worse and worse and worse. I couldn't take it, so it's all gone from the DVR, it's no longer recording, and I just couldn't take most of the cast any longer. The likables are minor and the dislikables rule. Buh Bye!

Law and Order

This has always been a DVR show for me. I like it, but I tend to watch it when nothing else is on. The cast shifts have been good, and the writing remains strong. The formula is a bit tired, but the election for DA has added a bit of sass to the proceedings. I'm still recording on my DVR

Saturday Night Live

The election episodes were amazing, and the January 10 episode with Neil Patrick Harris rates among the best ever. But SNL is definitely a show to record. You need to be able to skip through the endless commercials and the 50 percent of sketches that are unbearable to watch. But the one's that connect are terrific.

Ugly Betty

The best of the lot at the moment, Ugly Betty has simply gotten better and better. I was a quiet fan through the first couple of seasons, but the current season ranks as its best and one of the best on the air this year. I watched eight episodes in a row, and felt it hit a wrong note only once. The characters have evolved in ways completely consistent with their histories. Betty has a boyfriend who clicks (and who I hope stays for awhile). Occasionally, the show has given Justin his own episodes, and it's time to do that again. The guest stars (Bernadette Peters, Christine Baranski) fit perfectly. I'm glad to reconnect right as the show goes on extended hiatus, but I'll be there when it returns in a couple months. Must Watch TV!

And before I go, a word about Better of Ted. It will take me a few episodes to determine whether this is one of the most inspired shows since Wonderfalls or totally stupid. My initial reaction to the pilot, which I'm about to watch for the third time, is the former. Stay tuned.