Enjoying Our Not-So-Idiotic Box

I've been on a particularly good streak of television lately. I don't know what it is, but some oldies have gotten new life breathed into them, while two newer shows are really delighting both Kris and I, enough that they get a blog post. Yay!

The Big Bang Theory on CBS is a really, really funny show. The premise is somewhat believable, which helps, but what makes this show a lot of fun is the cast and their unbelievably good comedic skills. Simply put, these five actors really know how to make funny "funny." I've been reduced to tears of laughter in each of the last few episodes. Look for this one to continue for quite a while if they can figure out how to work the "Penny & Leonard's secret love for each other" properly. And how to keep people from just killing Sheldon.

Fringe on Fox is a lot of fun: it's The X-Files meets Lost (without the time-travel stuff). The cast is outstanding, especially John Noble as Walter Bishop and the guy from Dawson's Creek as Peter Bishop. Last night's episode dealt with liquefied brains, but they had enough guts to juxtapose a character's brain melting with her mother cooking spaghetti in the kitchen at the same time - THAT's good writing. I'm glad I got in on this one early - I won't be catching up for years the way I was with X-Files.

Friday Night Lights is finally back on NBC, though it remains to be seen if they've got the sense to keep this one around. Frankly, the couple playing Coach Eric Taylor and Principal Tami Taylor are the most realistic married couple I've ever seen on television, and two of the most positive role models on TV as well. Last week they jerked us around by our hearts quite a bit - I remember looking at Kris about halfway through the show and saying, "this f#%$ing show; they do that on purpose!" But it is good television, well worth the agony of watching an entire town succumb to the idolatry and obsession that is big-time Texas high school football.

The all-around prize winner for jerking heartstrings, at least this week, goes to Grey's Anatomy. I stopped watching at the beginning of Season 3 because the show seemed completely self-indulgent and whiny at the time: "oooh, my super-rich hottie doctor boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband is sleeping around, and I'm so mad I could just...sleep with him/her!" Whatever magic they lost, it's back, big time. Last Thursday's episode might just be the finest hour of television I've ever watched, except for Dr. Mark Green's final episode on ER. Finally, the real world has returned to Seattle Grace Hospital, and not a moment too soon.

All right, that's the DVR workout this week for you. Back to sermonating...

Grace & peace,
Scott