wake me up when the talented people start singing

In light of the writer's strike, I've been watching some shows I thought I'd abandoned at least a season ago, like Lost and American Idol. Like last season, I thought I'd give American Idol a try this time around, especially considering there's little else to watch (from our pathetic basic offerings, at least). But once again, I find it hard to suffer through the first couple of weeks of rejects. I'm not that terribly entertained by the folks with potential, and as for the rejects, many of them border on mental illness and that's just not very fun to watch. Not for me, at least. I get physically uncomfortable before they even start singing because the way the show sets them up (comparing themselves to a famous singer, for example) you know that not only are they going to fail miserably, it's going to come as a total shock to them. A tour of the shows website provides little in the way of information about when the actual competition begins. That's how someone like me, who loves a lot of reality t.v., ends up not watching American Idol season after season. I'm fascinated by the popularity of the show, but I have to admit, once again: I just don't get it.

With Lost, on the other hand, I've enjoyed catching up and getting started on the new season a lot more than I thought I would. I found their "enhanced" airing of last season's finale tedious but as long as I ignored the text that kept popping up, I could kind of figure out all the pieces missing in my brain since I essentially stopped watching about halfway through last season. I'm still as confused as ever, but find the transition from flashback to flash-forward intriguing enough to keep watching.

Other new stuff and/or shows we're catching up on include Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (I think Summer Glau's such a great casting choice for the good terminator, but otherwise, I have to say I'm not that excited about this show...a future Terminator film with Christian Bale, on the other hand, I would definitely look forward to). Check out the show's site and wait a few seconds for Glau's eyes to open and look at you...Creepy!

Chuck is another show that I'm not sure I'd watch all that religiously if I had more to choose from, but it's definitely gotten better since the beginning. We started to watch Pushing Daisies, based on a number of recommendations, but I couldn't get into it. It's too...I don't know, 50s-ish, or something. And odd. And it bugs me that what's-his-name can theoretically touch people who he hasn't already touched (and brought back to life) but doesn't. And that the love of his life - a girl who seems pretty fond of him - is someone he can't touch at all. How is that ever going to work? Why do I want to watch a story about unrequited love week after week? He can't even pet his dog. It's just too much to take...On the other hand, I particularly enjoyed catching up on Ugly Betty, especially since I always felt inspired, while watching, to continue working on a crocheted blanket I started almost six years ago that shares many colors with Betty' Guadalajara poncho. I'm nearly done! Sadly, so is the show, for the foreseeable future, at least. Sigh.


Anyway, at least there's a bonus round of Big Brother to look forward to (oddly, CBS hasn't updated their website for BB 9, at least nothing I could find). And a bunch of stuff starting this semester, so to speak, including the next cycle of ANTM (premiers Feb. 20th), The Return of Jezebel James (from Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, the husband-wife dynamic duo behind Gilmore Girls, premiering Mar. 7th), and Battlestar Gallactica (premiers Apr. 4th!!!!!). See, it's not so grim...