Partly

I belong to the landcomm tvholics and for one of our challenges we were supposed to create two new characters for any two shows, past or present. For totally random reasons I picked Man From U.N.C.L.E. and The Big Bang Theory.

( Chastity Irons in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. )

( Jonathan Dillinger Moore in The Big Bang Theory )

And, just because I can (and I like it), here is my sig for the comm:

I discovered today, quite by accident, that Supernatural has replaced "24" as my must watch show. I was helping Myr with her school work and I said "Well, how 'bout you take a break at 8:30 and we can watch the DVR of 24." Then I paused and said "Wait. I mean Supernatural!"

Heh.

This is good because I really miss 24. And Supernatural fills that hole.

( Cut because while I doubt there are spoilers, better safe then flamed )

Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show

This is easy. The Dish on Style. It shows all the most ridiculous moments from the reality shows, news and daytime shows. It's actually quite frightening some times. Okay, it's quite frightening most times. It's the closest I come to watching most of the reality shows. It makes me fear for the future of the human race at times. It does make me very up-to-date on all the shows that I never watch, though.

It amazes me how many people get on television just by being complete fools.

Day 14 - Favorite male character

Apparently when I do icons I can't post memes. So you get spammed with GIPs instead. Oh well. You get both today.

I have a favorite male character type. I like the cowboy archetype. I like men who take action, who do rather than wait. I like dangerous men. I don't mean bad guys, but guys who can be, if pushed, dangerous. But as much as I love my characters with edge, they also need a moral center. I could never watch "The Shield" or "The Sopranos" because those characters lacked a soul. They had no moral center and I always wanted them to be served real justice for the misery their self-serving ways caused. I can't even watch "Rescue Me" no matter how good the show or how much I love Denis Leary because the character lacks, well, strength of character. I can't enjoy a show where the only feeling the character elicits from me is pity.

So it's easy to pick my favorite male characters. Jack Bauer, John McClain, Eliot Spencer, Aaron Hotchner, Dean Winchester, Michael Westen. Mickey Kostmeyer (remember him?), Rick Simon, the whole A-Team … I've got a type.

I also have a favorite male character: Stingray. I've geeked out over the show and the character before: Stingray tag. I've even crowned him my favorite character. Don't you love it when you can quote past posts to answer current questions!

I can't say that this is my favorite show of all time, but the character of Ray is, far and away, my favorite character ever to exist. If I could bring one character to life from any media, ever, it would (without a second thought) be Stingray. He is everything I passionately love in a character. He is dark, mysterious and dangerous. He lives and works in a world of moral ambiguity, where being the good guy doesn't guarantee anything. He knows that evil exists, having not only seen it, but actually been part of it. Yet, even though he is more than capable of evil himself, he chooses to work for good. Ray stands out from other anti-heroes, though, in that he's not broody and angsty as some sort of self-flagellating penance over the mere capability of doing evil. The character, despite the darkness, manages to have many light moments. He even has a sense of humor that is allowed to come out. He is actually permitted to be happy at times.

Love. Love. Love the character.

Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times

I've watched entire series 5 times. And in every series that I like and have copies of there's at least one (if not two or three) episodes that I've watched 5 times.

I love rewatching episodes. I love watching them back-to-back, I love knowing the lines as they're coming up and when all the good parts are. There's something comforting about rewatching a favorite show.

Right now I'm re-watching the entire series of The A-Team and I'm sure that I've seen every one of those eps five times each. This includes "The Quarterback Sneak" or "The Crystal Skull". Because even as bad as those two are, they still have some really good moments in them. And it really doesn't feel right to skip them in the "play all" feature.

Why else do you buy a show on DVD unless you plan on watching it over and over?

And tonight? Tonight I make at least two TV A-Team icons. If not four.

Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving.

An easy one? Unbelievable.

This would be Glee. And it wasn't that I thought I'd not like it just for the premise or ads or what not. No I actually watched the pilot before I decided I didn't like it. There were so many things that were stupid about the pilot (mostly every single female character) that I only watched the shows first couple of eps because Myr was in love with the musical aspect. She kept saying "Just don't think about it." Don't think about it? How could I not think about it? The whole baby-swapping thing, the narrow-mindedness, the selfishness, the everyone is a walking cliché, the whole "girls are vain and stupid and needy" was the entire point of the show, was it not?

And then… it wasn't.

There were consequences for actions. There was change. There was amazing acting. Depth was added to all the main characters. And did I mention consequences? Not just outside, imposed consequences. No, actually internal recognition of stupid behavior that promotes change.

More than that, this show has some amazing portrayals of supportive parents in it. It also has probably the greatest TV father of all time: Burt Hummel. A man who doesn't understand his son but loves and supports him the best he can. I find it vaguely disturbing that a satirical musical/comedy is the only show on television that has a positive portrayal of parents.

My complete and unending adoration for the actors (especially Matthew Morrison) also has a lot to do with my love of the show. The musical aspect of the show provides for larger than life characters. It allows for emotion and grandeur that is usually scorned on television – but that is often present in real life.

And the writing… I love the writers. Let's face it, this satirical genre is so easy to do wrong and is often very limiting. It's hard to make the characters likeable or relatable when they are basically stereotypes. It's daring (and dangerous) to bring change and self-awareness to such characters. But they manage to do so.

A quote from Time magazine sums up what I love about the show: that having established a world of primary-color stereotypes, it's now willing to subvert those expectations.

In many ways, we all walk around the world viewing it in "primary-color stereotypes". We construct entire personalities based on a single aspect of another person, be it their politics, religion, job or sexuality. We refuse to read books or watch movies or get to know someone if their primary colors don't compliment ours. We rarely acknowledge that people never are just made up of primary colors and we openly deride any possibility that life may be more complicated than "red, blue or yellow".

I love Glee. The fact I love I for it's writing above it's music shouldn't really surprise anyone.

Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show

Not going to answer this one correctly. I mean, 24 is my favorite show and you can't really choose one episode from that because it's not an episode type show. There were seasons and story arcs and scenes/action sequences but episodes? Not so much.

I'm just going to skip the "favorite TV show" part and pick a favorite episode from a TV show that isn't my favorite. I am, in fact, going to choose an episode of a TV show that won't even be on my top 10 shows of all time: Due South. Don't get me wrong I love Due South, it just falls below the "Favorite" rating.

It does, however, have my favorite episode of a TV show: Gift of the Wheelman, ep. 1.10.

I love this episode because it is an example of well-framed story. I've waxed poetic on this before. So I'm just going to steal from that post because, you know, I wrote it.

A father, in order to provide monetarily for his son, knowingly commits a crime. Because of this crime, the father, his family and innocents are put in danger. In order to keep the money earned from his illegal activity and to stop the “bad” guys from hurting more people, the father decides to kill the villains – by burning both the bad guys and himself.

This story sets up a lot of possible emotional content. The plot line if rife with tons of father/son issues, morality and ethical issues, personal responsibility issues… There were a lot of strong, complex issues available to frame the story with. A frame would take one of those issues and highlight it, thereby giving the show a theme and deeper resonance.

The Due South episode did this. It focused on the theme of what a father owes to his son – what is the most important gift a father can give his son. The reason for the robbery is constantly present. The father’s concern for his son is paramount in everything he does (is, in fact, the only reason for him committing the crime) and the son’s conflicting feelings for his father is evident through out the episode. This theme was reinforced by having the theme mirrored in the relationships between the two main characters and their fathers. At the end of the show, the father is stopped from following through on his plan (to kill himself and other) by understanding that a father's true legacy isn't money or possessions, it in his example on how he lives his life. The show ends with the son visiting his father in prison, talking about regrets, memories and possible future plans.

This show is perfectly framed. Every single scene and shot helps build the theme. Familial relationships are everywhere. It’s set around Christmas, a time traditionally about family. There are several scenes demonstrating the strong affects that fathers have on sons – both good and bad.

I need to say that I'm not sure this would be the best Due South episode ever. I do, however, love the elegance of the writing. The way it's so nicely knit together. I love the way the confrontational scene is filmed. I love the emotional payoff off in the end. I love that there is humor and angst melded together and that people do the right thing and accept the consequences of their actions.

Day 04 - Your favorite show ever

Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha.

Oh so funny. One? I can't choose one of anything. I don't even have a favorite color and that's a lot simpler than shows.

That said: 24

Oh. That was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

There are a lot of shows that I may love and 24 may not be the first show that I toss in when I looking for a quick diversion, but I think it's my favorite show.

I posted this just before the series finale but it bears saying again:

My favorite show, if forced to chose under threat of "aggressive interrogation", would have to be 24. It feeds my dark side without having to root for bad buys -- which I just can't do. There's so much about this show that I love. The character of Jack Bauer and Kiefer Sutherland's passion for the character and show top the list. I love the over-the-top action and melodramatic philosophical, moral and ethical dilemmas. I love the fact that it just keeps pushing forward. As much as I hate losing characters I love, I love the fact that anyone can die. The show is far from perfect. I know it's limited by it's real-time format and it's write-it-as-we-go constraints: Subplots are dropped without any explanation. Great characters disappear before they have a chance to really grow. Really terrific possible subplots never happen. Character development is often overrun by the immediateness of the plot.

But that's all details. Every show has a premise and format that sets up limitations on what kind of stories can be told. You have to focus on the story that it can tell. And 24 tells great stories. The show has never failed to provide the thrills and suspense that it promises. More than that it gives us Jack Bauer. This character is a walking philosophical debate, and I adore that; I even bought "24 and Philosophy: The World According to Jack". More than that this show never did anything to dull my love of it. That can't be said of any other show out there.

I'm a cowboy at heart. I think it's a far greater sin to sit back and do nothing than to make a wrong choice. Inaction is an an action and it is inevitably the worst one. 24 is all action and choice. How could I not love it?

Day 02 - A show you wish more people were watching

I'm not sure about this. Mostly because I have no idea what the ratings are for shows that I watch. I will say that I think that everyone should watch Castle. It's light and fun and full of great characters. But then I could say the same thing for Leverage and White Collar. So watch them, too. Of the three, I think that Castle is the one with the "most likely to be canceled" tag on it, if only because it's on a major network.

I know that Chuck has low ratings and that stresses people out. Mind, I don’t really watch it, but more people should because it would make people I like happy. And, yes, I recognize the irony of me saying more people should watch a show that I really don't watch.

I'm watching Angel. I like this show. I like it a lot. I didn't really watch it when it was on because Myr was a little young for the show. We catch it every once in a while in repeats. That's a little hard because the show is incredibly complicated... relationships change, characters die or evolve, alliances shatter.

All things I love in a show. It makes it almost impossible to step in and watch, though.

Still, I like the line of moral strength that the show has. I like the writing. I like the characters. I like how they play goodness and light in such a dark setting.

finabair, do you have Angel on DVD or just Buffy? I don't watch a lot of Buffy, for the same reason mentioned above. Myr and I have watched some of the early eps -- which I find I really like. The later episodes have all sorts of emotional entanglements that I'm not ready to discuss with Myr at this point. So, that will have to wait.

Oddly enough, I feel that I can discuss the moral ambiguities of good and evil, right and wrong with her at this point much more easily than I can the emotional/personal/relationship ones. I suppose, since the shows all come down on the Good side and because she's not going to be dealing with demons or such, it makes it a less complicated discussion.

Jonesing for a 24 fix, I ran across this little tidbit:

Geraint Wyn Davies has signed on as a "recurring" character in the upcoming season of 24. I was just reading an article saying how Kiefer Sutherland liked to have Canadian actors on the show.

It really is a small world -- especially when Canadians are involved.

*glee*

This makes me irrationally happy. I always liked GWD. Liked him in Forever Knight. Hell, I even liked him in the last season of Airwolf when they recast everything after Jan-Michael Vincent left the show. Of course, you have to keep in mind that "recurring role" on 24 may mean that he's in one scene for five shows before he dies horrible death. On the other hand, this may signal the new plot line of "Canadian terrorists".

Actually, I'm liking the rumors of the new plot for 24. ( cut for those who may not want any spoilers )

Hmmm.. drifted off subject there! But still, much *glee* for GWD.