Watching The CW

OK, so this has nothing to do with the CW, but I just wanted to share.

It may come as a surprise to some of you, but I really love American Idol. I know, its stupid, but I love it. At first, I didn’t. I used to have a very hard time watching the first few weeks when everyone makes fools out of themselves. Honestly, sometimes I still have to leave the room when that happens. But I love when the real competition kicks in. Last year was a bit lacklustre, except for Sanjaya, who was at least interesting. But my fav of the season was Chris Sligh. He just made the Top 10 when he was eliminated, so I got to see him in the concert and I think he was the best one there.

His CD, which was put out with his band, Half Past Forever, just before he went on Idol (I believe) is called Take a Chance on Something Beautiful and its one of my favorite CDs. I listen to it constantly (well, except for right now when I am listening to Christmas music, of course). There’s something about his voice that makes me think of Chris Daughtry singing with his prior band, Absent Element. Don’t misunderstand me, the two bands are nothing alike, but just something about the tone of Sligh’s voice reminds me of Chris Daughtry’s voice on that album.

Anyway, below is a link to Sligh’s myspace, which has some of his new songs and, personally, I like them. So go take a listen and see what you think.

Heather, Saleisha, Chantal, Bianca and Jenah. Who will go home tonight? If I had my druthers, it would have been both Heather and Jenah. I’ve just gotten so very, very tired of Heather whining about everything. Asperger’s is a form of autism, so obviously some things can’t be easy for her, but still, does she have to continually whine? She chose to be in this competition. Just deal with it already. Also, she is kinda creepy looking sometimes, isn’t it? Oh well, buh-bye Heather.

And speaking of Jenah, what’s up with her ‘tude? She just really thinks she’s all that, doesn’t she? Hopefully, she pulls it together so we don’t have to deal with that next week. Also, why is it that every time Nigel is the photographer, one of the girls says something stupid and rude to him? Could it be him??

I was glad when Bianca won the challenge, cause although she’s often a jerk to the others, I think she really, really wants this and she seems more focused than the other girls. Plus, she doesn’t act like she’s got it all sewed up like some others who will remain nameless. *cough* Saleisha and Jenah *cough*

Actually, this week, they could have just cut right to panel and I would have been OK with it. Not that it was all bad or anything, but it was just mostly people wandering around aimlessly which isn’t my fav thing to watch.

And tell me, during panel did anyone else think Tyra said “Mister J, Afro Man” instead of “Miss” J? And shouldn’t it be Afro Girl or even Queen of the Afro? I wasn’t taping, so I couldn’t go back and check.

America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks, J. Alexander

Reaper was OK this week. Maybe I’m expecting more cause so many shows are repeats now. We were actually sitting at dinner tonight and I had one of those really frustrating conversations that often happen with my 80-year old mom:

MOM: That show is a repeat again tonight.
ME: What show?
MOM: You know, Back To Back, Back To You?
ME: Yeah, of course, there aren’t any more new episodes.
MOM: Why do they do that? Why start a new show and then right away show repeats?
ME: Um . . . the writers strike? Remember the strike? It’s all over the news and most shows are in repeats now.

Anyway, that’s my life. Getting back to Reaper, its not that I didn’t have fun when they were running around into people’s homes and stealing cremated ashes, but I kept thinking, this could be better. Years ago I worked for an attorney that had a deceased client’s cremated remains in our vault. The office was in a really old house and the vault was a creepy place. Our law clerk (he’s not a partner at one of the largest firms in the city!) went down and opened the box so we could look at it. We were young. After that time, the rest of the people in the office kept playing all these practical jokes on me and saying it was her ghost. Ahhhh, good times.

OK, Reaper. What was it about again? Oh, I did like the part where Ben told Sam and Sock about his uncle that the grandmother won’t let them speak to anymore. He lives in the house and no one can talk to him!! That’s funny. Cause, you know, our family has crazy stuff like that, too. I was a little freaked out when the grandmother stabbed Sam in the hand, although, of course, I totally saw it coming.

I did wonder that no one comments when Ben’s grandmother tells him that he was doing “God’s work” since obviously, they are working for the Devil. Who, by the way, is just as awesomely, evilly creepy as ever.

Reaper, Writers Strike, Back To You

Just to keep up with strike issue and holiday programming, I’ve checked out the prime time schedule on the CW for the next couple of weeks. The CW shows its own programming from 8 to 10 pm Sunday through Friday, and local programming on Saturday night. Here’s the scoop:

Sunday, November 25
Tonight, they are showing a repeat of New Life is Wild and, as always on Sunday, an encore of the latest ep of America’s Next Top Model.

Monday, November 26
Monday is the night of the sitcom at the CW and this week there are all new programs all night, which are Everybody Hates Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends and The Game.

Tuesday, November 27
Both Beauty and the Geek and Reaper are new this week. Of course, being reality TV, Beauty and the Geek will be new regardless of the strike. There probably aren’t too many weeks left though.

Wednesday, November 28
Wednesday has another reality show, America’s Next Top Model, which has about 3 weeks left, plus this week, a new Gossip Girl. At first, I thought of watching this, but somehow, I never got around to it. Some of the previews I’ve seen, though, have not at all captured my interest.

Thursday, November 29
Unfortunately, both Smallville and Supernatural are repeats this week, which makes me very sad.

Friday, November 30
The CW has the Friday Night Smackdown each week, and being a form or reality TV - or do they consider this a sport? - its a new ep.

Sunday, December 2
New Life is Wild and encore of ANTM.

Monday, December 3
All the sitcoms are all repeats.

Tuesday, December 4
Both new Beauty and Reaper.

Wednesday, December 5
All new ANTM and Gossip Girl.

Thursday, December 6
Again, *sigh* repeats of Smallville and Supernatural.

Friday, December 7
New Smackdown.

Sunday, December 9
Once again, we are treated to a new Life is Wild and an encore of the latest ep of ANTM.

Just for fun, here’s a link an Ausiello report of the 20 things he’s thankful for this year. It’s worth it, just for the link to the what could have been Season 4 Veronica Mars trailer, so check it out.

The CW, the Ausiello Report, Veronica Mars, Reaper, America’s Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, Supernatural, Smallville, Life Is Wild, Everybody Hates Chris, Aliens in America, Girlfriends, The Game, Bauty and the geek, Friday Night Smackdown

America’s Next Top Model surprised me this week. Usually I’ve got a pretty good idea of, maybe not who’s going home, but at least who will be in the bottom two. Although, this week, I really did think that Jenah was going home. Mostly just cause she’s so very, very dull. I mean, someone has to get that chick a personality.

As they were calling the girls up at the end, I was naming them off in order, perfectly, up until number four. I thought Lisa would stay and Jenah would go. I mean Lisa did mess up, but not really any worse than Heather. I guess Lisa would cave under the pressure. No one would know if Jenah did, cause she has no emotions whatsoever, as far as I can tell. Of course, we do only see what they want us to and, possibly, Jenah’s a real chatterbox who whines and cries and laughs and parties til dawn, but they just don’t show that stuff.

In any case, I’m still not sure who I want to win. Lisa was too emotional, Heather is too whiny, Jenah’s too dull, Chantal doesn’t seem so bright, Bianca is just not very nice, and Saleisha (I always remember her last - what do you think that means?) is starting to be kinda smug.

It looks like they want Heather to win, which does not make me happy. Does it also seem that the girls this year aren’t nearly as pretty out of the makeup. I mean in the pictures, they’re all gorgeous, but just standing around, not so much. Except for Saleisha, who’s cute no matter what. Jenah’s kinda bug eyed and bucktoothed, Chantal’s face looks rounder and her nose bigger without makeup, Bianca looks sorta older or maybe just tired. Heather and Lisa were just not as striking, but look more average, or maybe just a little off somehow. Pay attention next week and you’ll see what I mean.

America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks

A deal with the Devil is not a good thing. Ever. That was definitely proven to Sam this week on Reaper. I have to say I was very glad about that. I was also glad that Sock macking on Gladys was all a bad dream sent by a demon. Cause, ewwwww!

I’m starting to get more into this show each week. More than I did at first, anyway. One thing I find so interesting is how they can take a show that is basically silly and a little funny and then suddenly turn it around with something really gruesome, like the detective being forced to shoot himself. Obviously, that was better than having him shoot Sam, but still, it seems like a very hard price to pay to redeem your debt to the devil.

I hope Sam is paying close attention. I hope he’s learning. I know he really seems to dislike the devil and he did, possibly, learn his lesson. This time. I just don’t want him to forget and think he can trust the devil. OK, I’m thinking about this way too much, aren’t I? I do know that these aren’t real people. Really I do. And I’m pretty sure that they won’t mess up their show by killing off the main character anytime soon, but I am wondering what direction they plan on taking this, since they keep proving that no one wins when they go head to head with Satan.

I’m also wondering when and how Sam is gonna need that get out of jail free card.

Reaper, Bret Harrison, Ray Wise

Supernatural was fun again last night. I actually stayed up late to watch it. Just cause I wanted to, and that’s the first time I’ve done that for Supernatural since sometime last season. Of course, I’m a big fan of vampire stuff, so that was a draw, but I really wanted to see what was gonna happen. At first, I was just going to watch a couple of minutes and before I knew it, I’d watched the entire show. That’s a real positive.

Probably my favorite bit of dialogue was when the vampire, Dixon (guest star Matthew Humphreys), was whining and moaning on about spending eternity alone (Question: Why are vampires generally portrayed as so depressive, mopey and dramatic?) and he says “Can you imagine a worse kind of hell?” Dean respond “Um, hell?” Just the way he said it was perfect. Right. Hell itself would most definitely be worse than, you know, hell on earth. That was perfect. You gotta love the writers and Jensen’s wonderful line delivery.

That’s the kind of stuff that makes me watch this show. I love a well put together sentence, either written or spoken, and, even more, I love a good comeback line. Plus, of course, I love Dean, so that was really pretty much a win-win scenario.

I liked that Sam got to kill Gordon as a vampire and not as a human. But now I wonder what the deal was with that storyline, since they’ve been building up that Gordon was hunting Sam. Now that Gordon and Kubrick are dead, I wonder if that’s just a done deal, or if other hunters will be coming after Sam.

I guess I could read more about the show and see what they have in mind, but I’m not that much of a spoiler whore. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind reading spoilers, but I also like to stay unspoiled, so I don’t go looking for them. Besides, I like having readers comment and tell me what I don’t know, cause then at least I know someone is reading this!

Supernatural, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles

I spent the entire time I was watching America’s Next Top Model reminding myself that they are all very young. But I still wanted to throttle Heather. Spoiled, whiny, miserable . . . . grrrr! And then they kept her. Ambreal was the only one on there who has even a modicum of maturity. I know they are looking for something special, but still.

Heather and Lisa really showed that they don’t have the maturity and poise, at least not yet, to be a Top Model. Bianca still gets on my nerves, too, but even she had it much more together than either of them.

Chantal was less on my nerves this week, but I always notice that she looks so much prettier when she’s in the photos. Somehow, when she’s just talking, she looks less than bright and it annoys me. But she’s definitely cute.

Once again, I can’t really remember who’s still on there without looking it up. But I’m gonna try. Alright forget it. I can never remember Jenah, so that can’t be good. It will be like she’ll make top 3 and then they’ll realize that they don’t even know who she is, so she’ll be out.

I’m not sure why I keep forgetting about Saleisha, cause I like her. She sorta reminds me of Eva Pigford, cute and little and feisty, only she’s nicer. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Eva in cycle 3, and she was actually my favorite, but she definitely had a ‘tude.

Now that we’re up to the Top 6, I guess it’s time to make a call on who will win, but I really can’t. Not yet. Maybe Bianca. I’m not sure. But I’d rather have her than Heather. That much I do know.

America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks, Eva Pigford

Although I’ve been watching, apparently I haven’t been blogging about ANTM for a while. So here goes. It was a little disappointing to see Sarah get kicked off on America’s Next Top Model last week. Have they ever kept a “plus sized” model past the first few weeks?

Also, did anyone really think Sarah was fat? I mean, she just seemed normal sized to me. Why not just have a normal sized model?

Both Bianca and Chantal are getting on my nerves, mostly cause they each think they are so much all that! I’m like, whatever! I keep having to remind myself that they are all very young. Like early 20’s. Which, you know, from my perspective is pretty young. Still, I’ll be happy to see the end of either of them. Or both. I was pretty happy to see the end of Ebony a couple of weeks ago. Quitting was the best thing she could have done for all the rest of us.

I’m not sure who I want to win. So far no one has really struck me as that great. I know that everyone likes Heather, but she seems a little weird to me. I don’t know that she would relate well to people as a model. Plus, I hate skinny people who don’t eat. I eat every meal and some other stuff in between. I don’t get not eating all day. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, where I am or how busy I am, I always remember to find time for food. So that kinda thing just really turns me off.

Lisa also strikes me as a little strange. I do like Ambreal, but not that much. I also like Saleisha a bit. I can’t even remember any of the others, so that’s not good. And I meant for the show, not me.

America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks

I’m starting to like Supernatural again. Almost as much as I did in the first season. Almost. I am getting a little confused with all these random chicks, though. Who are they and why are they here?

I’m not against them adding more people, but I was liking Dean’s interaction with Ellen’s daughter, Jo (Alona Tal), and then they just dropped her out of sight entirely. Where did she go? Did she die in the fire at the bar? Did she get another acting gig so she’s no longer available to Supernatural? What happened to her and why don’t they ever mention it? I really want to know.

Now, they are adding all these other chicks, like, they had the crossroads demon, plus that demon who’s “helping” Sam, and now Bela (Lauren Cohan). And what’s her deal exactly? I mean, does she take the place of the yellow-eyed demon as Sam and Dean’s number one antagonist?

Also, I much prefer to see someone who has an interest in Dean rather than Sam. Pretty much only because I think Dean is just way, way better looking. I mean, just look at Jensen Ackles. He’s like a perfectly perfect specimen of a man. He’s just beautiful. Not that Jared Padalecki isn’t cute, but in my opinion, Jensen is just so much more gorgeous. I actually remember being surprised when I first started watching that Jared was considered the star, rather than Jensen.

Checking out what’s coming up, I see that this week, the ep (Fresh Blood) is about vampires, always a favorite subject for me, and it stars Mercedes McNab, another Buffy/Angel alum. I’m looking forward to it.

Supernatural, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Alona Tal, Mercedes McNab, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel

I’ve been meaning to watch Smallville again, but, honestly, I just keep forgetting. I get busy doing something and then I remember when it’s mostly over. I have caught the last few minutes the past couple of weeks anyway.

I just read somewhere that James Marsters was coming back to reprise his role as Professor Fine/Braniac and I don’t want to miss that. Actually, it was because of him that I started watching in the first place. I mean I did try to watch it back in the beginning, but I couldn’t get past the stiff writing and not so great acting. Sorry, I just couldn’t.

I wanted to like it. So when James played Braniac in the fifth season, I watched, and was teased that James might be on into the sixth season. That didn’t happen, so I saw maybe two eps of the sixth season and then I gave up. I did, briefly, contemplate going back to the begining and watching all the eps, just cause. (My nephew owns them, I wasn’t gonna spend any money.) But I never did and then I lost the urge. Maybe I still will. Over this winter when there are no new shows to watch cause of the writer’s strike.

Of course, no new Smallville means no James Marsters. He’s actually in a couple of other shows, coming to a tv near me soon. Or possibly someday (see above, re strike). He’s playing a recurring role in Without a Trace, another show I’ve never seen, but plan to watch just to see James. Also, he has a part in Torchwood, which just makes me so happy. For those of you who don’t know, Torchwood is a spinoff of Doctor Who. Granted the ep James is gonna be in won’t make it to a channel I can see for years to come at this point, since the first season of Torchwood still hasn’t (it’s actually just now airing on BBC America, however, I don’t get that channel; but I’ve heard rumors it’s coming to SciFi). In any case, since the first season, which originally aired in Britian in 2006, is just now here in the US, how long will I have to wait to see the second season, airing in 2008?

Smallville, James Marsters, Without A Trace, Torchwood, Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel

So where does the term Grim Reaper come from anyway. I understand the context, I’m just wondering about the origination of the term. Does it have something to do with the Brothers Grimm? This past week, Supernatural based their episode “Bedtime Stories” on the Grimm version of some fairy tales. So is that the origin of the word “grim” as well? I’m gonna have to do some research.

In any case, it’s not my favorite show, but I do like Reaper. Although, I guess I wouldn’t call it grim. Ray Wise really makes such a great devil. He’s just perfect in that role and he’s so much fun.

I’m even liking Sock better. At first I thought he was so annoying and over the top, but he’s growing on me. I also enjoy the relationship between Sam and Andi. I like how they brought them so close together, then created a situation which kept them apart for a couple of eps, and now are bringing them back together. I think it makes things better, creates more interest and tension on a show, to keep the main characters apart.

I’ve mentioned it before, I know, it’s that whole Moonlighting, Remington Steele thing. There’s probably some more modern shows where the same thing has happened, but I think they were the start. A show with all this great tension between the main characters that’s ruined by their eventually hooking up. There must be a way that it can happen and maybbe there are shows where it works, but I always worry about it messing up a show I like.

Also, I happened to catch an ep of Grounded for Life over the weekend with Bret Harrison. I didn’t realize he was in that show. He was such a little doll.

Reaper, Ray Wise, Bret Harrison, Grounded for Life, Moonlighting, Remington Steele, Grim Reaper, Brothers Grimm

Sooooo much better. Supernatural, that is. It was so very much better this week. Creepy, funny, and everything else I expect it to be each week. I did feel a little bit sad for the people who died (the two little pigs and the guy in the woods), though. And I wondered why they kept asking the survivors how they escaped, like it meant something, when in the end it really didn’t. Except, I guess it did, cause the point was that Dr. Garrison’s daughter allowed someone to escape to be treated by her father, so that he’d understand what she was trying to communicate to him. OK, so it took me a while, but I finally got it.

It’s too bad that the evil stepmother was already dead, though, cause it would have added some fun to be chasing her down. Although, I have to admit that I am also an evil stepmother. Did you ever notice that pretty much every Disney flick has an evil stepmother, ergo, all stepmothers are evil? I did, since my stepdaughter was six when I married her father and every movie we watched just reminded me what a terrible person I must be to have become a stepmother. I’m not that good of a stepmother anyway, cause I have little to no maternal instincts and I’m way too immature. So maybe I really am evil.

I guess they didn’t want to waste time on punishing the stepmother, cause they still needed to move the overall story line ahead at least a little bit.

I loved that Sam killed the demon at the end. It does make me wonder, though, about how much he’s changed since he started. Killing always seemed to come easy to Dean, but not Sam. So maybe he did come back a little changed. I mean, yes, demons lie all the time, but that doesn’t mean they can’t tell the truth.

CW, Supernatural, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Disney, stepmothers

I was a little disappointed in Supernatural last week. The ep “Sin City” just didn’t live up to my expectations. I sorta felt the same way last week, as well, as you can see here.

But I’ve read some other reviews about Sin City and they seemed to really like it, so maybe I wasn’t paying good enough attention, but I just had the feeling that last weeks ep, which was neither scary nor all that interesting, was like a place holder. Like they had to do something to fill up the 44 minutes that week so they wrote that episode. It was like when a show has so much random stuff happening that they have to make an episode that’s mostly exposition, so that you, as the viewer, can get from where you are to where they want you to be in terms of the storyline.

I don’t like that. I’d rather they had less going on and didn’t waste an entire episode on nothing. But like I said, other people seemed to really enjoy it, so maybe I need to go back and watch it again to see if I missed something. Also, I don’t think a nun would scream like that just cause someone committed suicide in front of her. OK, that sounds crazy, but I’m serious. I just think that priests and nuns work with people and probably see and hear some pretty upsetting things. I think they just know how to deal better than that. But I guess it did make for a moment of excitement in what I thought was an otherwise dull episode.

I’m hoping for better things tonight with the episode “Bedtime Stories.”

CW, Supernatural, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles

Well, things change, and as of today, the change on WatchingCW.com is that I’ll be the new blogger.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to provide you with lots of fun info, along with my occasionally slanted take on the CW’s shows. Please feel free to comment, discuss, argue, cajole, and whatever else you’d like, in the comments section. I love to have feedback.

Just so you have some background info about me, I love scifi stuff, so I’m a fan of Reaper and Supernatural, and to a lesser degree, Smallville. I also watch America’s Next Top Model, whenever I get the chance, and not, as you might think, because I believe that chicks that skinny must be aliens. Well, I’m not positive they aren’t, but I’m pretty sure.

If you hang around me long enough, you’ll know that my absolute favorite show of all time, is, was and always will be, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That probably tells you something about me that you may or may not even want to know. Either way, get ready for lots of random Buffy quotes and Whedonisms, as well as comparisons to Buffy and why, in my opinion, it was so much better than any other show out there. Ever.

I hope we’ll all be very happy together for some time to come and get to be great friends. Or at least that you will read my blog and post comments so that I don’t think I’m just here talking to myself and that no one cares.

You can also check out my other blog at www.watchingsitcoms.com.

CW, Reaper, Supernatural, Smallville, America’s Next Top Model, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon, Watching Sitcoms