Some Stops in the Vast Wasteland (Part One)

Good Monday everyone!

Okay, Mondays are generally not good, but it’s here so one might as well roll with it, right? Otherwise you’re just dropping a few Valium, calling in “incapacitated” and waiting for Tuesday to show-up. Awesome.

So I’m kicking off this second week of blogs with a bit about what’s being watched in the BSer house these days. Naturally, I’ve got to break it down quickly, as this could go on forever.

Oh yeah, none of the shows for the kids. I know that Zoboomafoo is a cool show for my kids, but you shouldn’t be that excited about that.

Also, we do use the DVR extensively. With kids there would be no chance to watch any show that started before 8 PM, and those later starts would be in doubt, too. If there has been any device that has enabled my television watching, the DVR has been the big one.

So, here are the 30 minute shows Sasha and I watch together. They make us smile and laugh, generally leaving the world a little brighter for their existence. (Only a little though.)

The Big Bang Theory (CBS – Monday)

This is a comedy for those of us who are geeks at heart. Because, for once, the writers don’t try and stick a machete into that heart over and over again. The show uses multiple characters to cover all the stereotypes of geeks, instead of the typical lump-them-all-into-one mentality when these type of characters appear.
And maybe, just maybe people who don’t consider themselves geeks can watch and see that they too have a little bit of geek within. (Hey, fantasy sport players, I’m talking to you.)

How I Met Your Mother (CBS – Monday)

If the writers of Friends found out that a narrative doesn’t have to be linear, and that a story can be told with a beginning, middle and end, this show could have been the result. HIMYM tells a story with consequences, changes and a little playing with time. Worth watching for Neil Patrick Harris (yes, that’s Dougie Hauser) alone, but the others do a fine job keeping the show interesting. Best Monday night CBS show.

Two and a Half Men (CBS – Monday)

If any of these shows I list could be called a guilty pleasure, Two and a Half Men would get top guilt honors. The characters are Seinfeld-esqe in that you wouldn’t want any of them as your friend, but the situations are so amusing that one cannot help but laugh. That is, if you aren’t offended by mean humor without the sharp wit of early Frasier.
Honestly, if it wasn’t for Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, this show wouldn’t be worth the time. Sheen plays a version of himself and Cryer hits spineless perfectly to make the show worth watching. It is a shame that the “half” portion of the show has very little impact any more. The price of having a good run, I guess.

The Office (NBC – Thursday)
We watch this. It’s very funny. Many people watch it. They think it’s funny, too. My only complaint is that the device of the documentary is the show’s weakness. But most other television shows have not sent me to the floor in laughter.
If you work in any kind of corporate environment, this show hits home far too often. Fortunately, it’s the kind of hit that makes one laugh with that tear of sadness, because you know it’s true.

30 Rock (NBC – Thursday)
The show 30 Rock hit the same season as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Both shows had the number of minutes in the title. Both featured behind the scenes of a comedy variety show being produced. One featured a lot of cast members from West Wing along with the producer. The other had SNL cast and Alec Baldwin. Both were good.
But Studio 60 was a show we wanted to watch but never got around to actually viewing. 30 Rock was top of the list in shows to view. Fortune smiled on 30 Rock’s absurd sensibility and thus it remains on the air, winning several Emmys along the way and remains one of our favorite shows to watch.

So I’m stopping here for now. Next post may be the longer shows or might be something completely different. But I will return to television later this week.

Be seeing you,

Jon