Let’s face it. There are just so many hours in a day and between work, sleep, reading, and master origami training, free time is at a premium. So when it comes to t.v., I tend to be very selective, often multi-tasking my way through certain shows – recording them and then watching them the following day during my morning work-out. Truth is, when it comes to my viewing schedule, the dance card is pretty full: House, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, 30 Rock (when it returns), Survivor, and The Amazing Race – with Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef in the back-up position. And Friday Night Lights whenever it comes back. Weeds, Nip/Tuck and Grey’s Anatomy with the wife. Trust me. That’s plenty. Still, there are shows out there that didn’t make the cut that nevertheless intrigue, shows that I have a feeling I would actually enjoy if I sat down and gave ’em a chance. Not that I have the time, mind you. But, if I did, these are the shows that give me pause whenever I set my DVR for the week…
The Big Bang Theory
Why I don’t watch it: I’ve never been a big fan of sitcoms, preferring single camera comedies.
Why I should reconsider: A lot of very funny people I know have nothing but great things to say about this show. Also, geek humor is right up my alley.
Bones
Why I don’t watch it: I’ve never been a big fan of procedurals either.
Why I should reconsider: I always catch the last couple of minutes because I record the show immediately following (House?) and I have to admit that, in the little snippets I’ve actually watched, the chemistry between the two leads is terrific.
Lie To Me
Why I don’t watch it: To be honest, I missed the premiere and seriously wondered how many “tells” they could unearth and analyze before tapping out.
Why I should reconsider: My writing-producing partner, Paul, a notoriously tough critic was just talking about this show the other day, noting how clever it is.
The Mentalist
Why I don’t watch it: Love the premise but simply never got around to sitting down and watching on a regular basis.
Why I should reconsider: I caught an episode earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, Simon Baker is terrific.
Criminal Minds
Why I don’t watch it: Call me a wimp, but I find the whole serial killer angle grisly and disturbing.
Why I should reconsider: Call me goulish, but I find the whole serial killer angle grisly and intriguing. Also, whenever she comes to town, my friend Rosemary who works at CBS always does a great job of teasing upcoming episodes.
Hey, all you television aficianados. I assume you’re familiar with some if not all of the above-mentioned shows. Your toughts?
Mailbag:
T’loc writes: “Regarding the 2 that went thru to the other plant, is it possible that the reason why the gate addresses were “locked out” was because those gates are space gates and the ship realize that its shuttles are not operational so it allows only the planetary gate to be opened.”
Answer: Unlikely given that the seeder ship was planting gates on planets. It’s more likely that those addresses were locked out because of a security protocol deemed them dangerous or incapable of sustaining human life.
Boookal writes: “On a side note, I’ve looked and looked for the KINO videos and can’t find them. Can ya point me in the right direction?”
Answer: Sorry, I have no idea when they’ll be making their appearance.
Jason “The Chef” writes: “I really like the title of the episodes being shown. You should also maybe have more fun with it like Japanese sized episode titles like “The rat finds no purchase in life without hair color.” or “Some say we walk with a little tilt””
Answer: Those are episodes titles for seasons 10 and 8 respectively. Alas, not my call on the onscreen titles. Sorry about that, chef!
Col. Mustard writes: “Col. Mustard writes: “Something that I noticed about Air II while watching Air III, what was Dr. Lee doing in Rush’s body while Rush was in Lee’s?”
Answer: Yes.
Of course! Now it makes complete since. I can’t believe I didn’t see that.”
Answer: Oops. I misread the question. I thought you were asking for confirmation tat Dr. Lee was in Rush’s body while Rush was occupying his. No doubt Dr. Lee was checking out the immediate area Rush retreated to use the stones.
Marjorie Liu writes: “Fantastic episode, and a wonderful start to a new series. I know I’m in love with a show when I find my mind wandering back to the characters, wondering/imagining what will happen next to them.
As well as where they’re going to get more toilet paper when that runs out.”
Answer: Hey, Marjorie. Very much enjoy your work in the comic field and do intend to check out one of your books sometime soon. Yes, toilet paper and bullets will be cause for obvious concern as time goes on.
Thornyrose writes: “The mailbag is appreciated as always. not that I expect an answer, but does the “not a shuttle” that left the ship have something to do with the more-battered than would be expected condition of Destiny?”
Answer: I’ll just say stay tuned. That and good guess.
Dusty Owens writes: “I dont know if I buy that the Destiny was never maned before. Because why would their be crew quarters with beds, life support or shuttles in the first place if no one was ever to be on it?”
Answer: It was meant to be manned but the Ancient never got around to actually boarding it.
Answer: Why, yes. I’ll be at home watching Darkness of course.
Mary writes: “The first time you meet him, he’s locked up, and then he almost attacks an unarmed and much smaller woman. He’s the only person we see stealing food.”
Answer: We don’t know the circumstances that led to his incarceration. He was certainly going to confront her, but to say he “almost attacked her” is a bit of a stretch. He did not steal any food. That was someone else (Sgt. Spencer).
Zac B. writes: “ Is there any chance you could post some shots of the Kino remote?”
Answer: If I remember later in the week, I’ll track down a pic for ya.
Matt Boesch writes: “I dont know if this has been asked yet but when Will you guys find about a renewal for Season Two of Universe?”
Answer: We should know by January at the latest.
Alex Deva writes: “You just said: “I don’t know. At the risk of spoiling the rest of the season for me, I haven’t read any scripts past those for the first three episodes.”
On the other hand, on April 21st you said: “today, I read Brad’s finished version of Darkness and Light.”
Which one is it?”
Answer: Both. I read the script and provided notes, then had those parts of my memory erased using the device we got from that planet in SG-1’s Collateral Damage. Cool, no?
Michael writes: “If Atlantis left for Pegasus “Several Million Years Ago” according to “Rising”, was Rush mistaken in his estimate that Destiny left Earth “Hundreds of Thousands” of years ago?”
Answer: He misspoke or was speaking sort of off-hand, assuming he wasn’t going to be called on it by a knowledgeable fan.
Wraithfodder writes: “Ah, Joe, greyhounds are wonderful dogs. I’ve seen a few rescued ones and they’re gentle, loving and quite good looking.”
Answer: Just what first-time visitors to the production offices say about Exec. Producer Carl Binder. I rest my case.
Jean de Montreal writes: “Do we really need a quick justification to everything we don’t understand right on the spot?”
Answer: Good point. Quite a few (not all) of the problems some viewers have had with the show so far stem from the fact that their questions have not been immediately answered. Patience. Patience.
Ranthus writes: “What should we call the new gates?”
Answer: Harold and Pedro.
Guiguioh writes: “Is there a specific reason to use Dr Lee in the pilot, apart from a nice cameo purpose?”
Answer: Well, that and the fact that he IS one of the Stargate Program’s most trusted scientists.
DasNdanger writes: “Not sure if you saw my question the other day, but I was wondering if you had finished Aaron’s first Weapon X arc (ending with #5).”
Answer: I read #1 and #2 and loved ‘em and have picked up #3 and #5. I want to get #4 before sitting down and finishing the arc.
DasNdanger also writes: “Wraith telepathy – early on I believe it was said that only Queens have the ability to get into human minds, and Teyla was only vulnerable to Wraith in general due to her Wraith DNA. Later, however, it is suggested that Michael got into Carson head, and in Vegas McKay tells Sheppard (regarding Todd, who – as far as I know – is not a Queen… ), that they can get into ‘your head’, suggesting that Todd had read Sheppard’s mind and that’s how he had learned his name. Was this change supposed to be a reflection of better human understanding of Wraith abilities, or something else?”
Answer: The Queen’s ability to influence lesser minds far surpassed those of other wraith. In the case of the second tier wraith (again the keepers), they all possess the ability to a certain extent – but their relative influence varies from individual to individual. I believe this ability is innate in all wraith and in the case of the warrior-drones, almost negligible.
Noelm writes: “ Do hulu viewers show up in the ratings?”
Answer: No, they are not factored into the overnights, same day +1’s or the +7’s. That said, they are factored into the show‘s “big picture” performance numbers that include iTune and DVD sales.
Suskiekew writes: “Will we find out just why Greer was in detention?”
Answer: Yep. Soon. Soon. Pay close attention to the Young-Greer corridor conversation near the end of Fire.
Michael Jones writes: “What is Vanessa James’ rank?”
Answer: Second Lieutenant Vanessa James.
Susiekew also writes: “Just had to say that I’m so glad you had the chance to tell us all what a nice guy Jamil really is. I’m telling you, he must be a hell of an actor ’cause he has me totally convinced that his character is borderline psycho with a REALLY big chip on his shoulder.”
Answer: Yeah, in terms of how the individual cast members line up vis-à-vis their characters: Robert, Louis, Alaina, Elyse, Jamil, Lou, and Ming are most UNLIKE the characters they play while Eli and Brian have a lot in common with their onscreen personas.
Ok Joe…. thanks
….when Will you guys find about a renewal for Season Two of Universe?”
Answer: We should know by January at the latest.
Marking calendar to watch for the hints, threads, smoke signals, annoucements, or however you will alert us!
And, delighted to enjoy each week’s episode and keeping fingers and toes crossed!
Oh goodness, if anyone’s not seen Bones yet, YOU NEED TO GO SEE IT NOW!!!! It recently replaced Grey’s Anatomy as my Thursday show! I accidentally caught the 5th season premiere and positively fell in love with it! (Aaaaaand, there I go, getting carried away with exclamation points again.)
Mr. M,
Brian’s birthday is tomorrow. If you see him, will you tell him Happy Birthday and give him a big hug for me? Okay Thanks!
Thank you very much, Joe! And get reading your comics! Who knew – you’re a ratfink AND a slacker. 😉
RE: TV shows.
I just caught The Big Bang Theory for the first time at Mr. Das’ insistence. It had a few funny moments, but I just have no desire to get into any more shows.
I really like The Mentalist – but it changed nights and I really don’t have much space on my DVR to record it. Besides, I’d much rather watch it as it’s happening… otherwise I get distracted with life and forget about it. I can’t even begin to tell you how many shows I record, and then delete before I ever get around to watching them.
As for the rest, some I haven’t even heard of!! I really am the wrong person to talk tv with. 😛 As I’ve said before, with the exception of a handful of shows, in the last 20 years I’ve mostly watched old movies, Brit mysteries, and the odd Brit comedy when I can find them – they’re much funnier than American comedies. Even those shows that I enjoyed – like Scrubs – I would often forget to watch. Huh. Maybe it’s just that I’m not disciplined enough – no routine – and so find it hard to commit to a specific time each week for a tv ‘date’. Or, I’m just totally bored with everything out there…which is most likely the case.
I did watch a new Lewis tonight – that thoroughly entertained me, especially with another little hiccup in Lewis and Hathaway’s relationship. I think there’s only one or two eps left. I am really going to miss this one very much. 🙁
das
i’ll say this about ‘Lie to Me’… the lead actor, tim roth, would have made a wonderful Rush! =D
so, joe, anymore shippy tidbits coming up for scott/james?
(feels this ship is doomed, especially with chloe around… )
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, The Mentalist, it’s good.
Big Bang Theory, a lot of my friends like it but I am more of a How I Met Your Mother kinda person. It is funny though.
Bones is also good when you get into it, if you are flipping channels, forget it.
I like Criminal Minds. I only watch it if I have time or if there is nothing else on but it is a good show.
Well, we’ve screened two episodes at the battered womens shelter I volunteer at…
…and I’m afraid the results are not what you’d like. Not that a small group of American women have any clout with TV producers but I think you deserve to know how they reacted to the show anyway.
They went in wanting to like it. They’d all loved SG1. They’d been pretty fond of SGA. They wanted to love Universe. They just didn’t. I did an informal poll of the why’s and here’s what I learned.
1. They didn’t find a character to “root” for. No clear-cut lead; no hero if you will. Lot’s of interesting people, but no one to get behind, to follow while the confusion of the opening episodes sorted itself out.
2. The ship is dark and somewhat featureless to them. SG1 had the marvelous sets and the strange aliens, SGA had Atlantis with all her mythical beauty…and the strange aliens. Universe is new to them, but they’ve been underwhelmed by the visuals so far. (Almost to a woman they did not like Rush. I couldn’t get a clear answer as to why. I thought he’s going to be a great bad guy. Of course if he’s not supposed to BE a bad guy that could be a problem!)
I encouraged them all to hang in with the show for a while longer. That it takes time to establish a new world and new characters. To this they responded with mutterings of “John Sheppard” and “Daniel Jackson” or “General O’Neil”. I wish I had something positive to give you from them. I’m hoping that when we sit down for the next episode (for they have promised to watch with me again) that they’re all happier. Happier viewers will hopefully mean loyal ones, leading to more Stargate fun in the future.
Hi, Joe
Which ep will reveal some info about FTL drive?
Someday, I’m going to catch up on all those except Bones and Criminal Minds via DVD. Also, someday, I’ll watch more Psych and Burn Notice.
Someday, I’ll get cable or properly hook up my antenna. 🙂
I’ll leave you with this gem I came across in today’s Dr. Seuss selection:
But a Nook can’t read,
so a Nook can’t cook.
SO …
what good to a Nook
is a hook cook book?
I can only comment on Big Bang Theory and Bones.
BBT: The geek humor sometimes seems like it would go over the general viewers heads, and sometimes it really does, but it’s done in such a clever way that it’s still funny. And the non-technical/geeky bits, such as Sheldon’s inabilities to grasp normal social behavior, probably makes me laugh the most. Leonard’s the most sympathetic character, because he *knows* how out of sync he is with “normal” people, but he’s still such a loveable cuddly character. If you ever get a chance, perhaps during hiatus, check out the first season dvds or catch an episode on tv.
Bones: I’ve recently started watching this show, part the first because Stewie from Family Guy showed up in an episode, and I had to find out how and why, and part the second because I heard so many great things about it. The chemistry between Booth and Bones is great, and the secondary characters around them each have their own special quirks that make them interesting to watch. I’ve only been watching the last month or so, which include the new episodes, the few from last season that was left on Hulu, and the random ones on TNT. It’s drawn me into it so quickly that I’m currently trying to track down the first season episodes.
We saw one episode of Lie to Me, but it didn’t draw us in enough to watch it against other shows in its timeslot.
Hey…
Love Bones and Lie to me… Great shows, they make you think.
I have a question… Is there a theme song or opening title sequence for Stargate Universe? I saw the quick “SGU” title, but nothing else. I loved how you could relate to a series through a piece of music, such as SG1 and Atlantis.
Daniel
You must check out The Big Bang Theory! It’s ah-mazing. Go buy the first two seasons and then DVR the rest!!!
SGU is going wonderfully! We are dying to know what that little shuttle / tracker / weird-looking-puddle-jumper thing is! Speaking of that, will we ever see puddle jumpers in SGU? I miss them so much!
Hey Joe,
RE: Greer. I love his reaction when the Destiny slips back to FTL that first time. “What the heeeellll was that?” Great delivery.
RE: Big Bang Theory. I don’t watch much non sci-fi and/or non science stuff on TV, but you’re really missing the boat on Big Bang Theory. Some of the funniest writing around. Geek out!
I love Bones. It’s such a guilty pleasure. The characters are great and the two leads do have good chemistry. I think sometimes TPTB make their relationship a little cheesy and really shove the tension in your face. But other than that I have absolutely no complaints about that show.
You’re pretty tight-lipped on spoilers for SGU. Do you ever read spoilers for shows you like? There are some pretty juicy House ones I could share!
Haha I think you meant “David” not “Eli”! They must really be very similar if you’re getting their names mixed up! 😉
Re Grey’s Anatomy: don’t judge me. 8)
Big Bang Theory is also on my list of shows that I don’t watch but would probably enjoy if I did. I’m a total nerd/geek (and I bet if I watched BBT, it would clarify the difference for me!) and all of my nerdy friends have recommended it to me. But I, too, have never been a fan of sitcoms. I’m going to try it out (I “test drive” shows) when Wil Wheaton guest stars this season.
Joe (and all who’ve never seen it), you ought to add NCIS to your list. While it’s a spin-off of JAG, it feels like its own show, and the characters make it seem very non-procedural. The goth lab tech alone makes this show worth watching!
Also something for everyone to check out: Shadow Unit. It’s an online TV show written out like short stories. Shadow Unit is a fictitious unit of the FBI that deals with people with paranormal abilities. It’s the sister unit to the Behavioral Analysis Unit which is portrayed on Criminal Minds. And best of all: it’s FREE! Highly recommend it!
Bones and the Mentalist are both excellent shows. I have watched Bones from the beginning and the show is carried by the two leads, the chemistry between them is definitely the best part of the show. I didn’t watch Mentalist from the beginning, started two-thirds of the way into last season and was instantly hooked. I caught up with the reruns except for one episode they didn’t show again, I still haven’t watched the DVD yet. Simon Baker carries that show and it has jumped way up in my must watch list.
Someone asked what Dr. Lee was doing while he was in Rush’s body. Probably sleeping since that was what he was doing on Earth when Rush’s mind arrived.
Sparrowhawk wrote – “But if I do decide to stop watching, that doesn’t mean the show is bad, it just means that it doesn’t appeal to me.”
Exactly. Different things appeal to different people – doesn’t mean a show is bad if someone decides not to watch. For now – and to put it in Joe’s words – I am “cautiously optimistic” about SGU…and will continue to give it a go. So far, the pros outweigh the cons…but that can always change. And, of course, it would be much better with a long-locked pallid creature in it (human, or otherwise), but I’ll deal. 😉
RE: Fat women in SGU. Yup, like many others here I carry a few extra pounds. It’s almost a fact of life in America. So sure, I would like to see a full-figured woman in a tv show, ANY tv show – but here’s the problem…
It’s not fair to the actress. We all know the ridicule any overweight actress will get – her appearance, and not her acting abilities – will become the center of attention, and that will eventually lead to the inevitable ‘weight loss’ episode, which will just further reinforce the idea that fat women are not acceptable in our society. So though I wouldn’t mind a realistic-looking woman in SGU, I also don’t want to see another full-figured woman verbally attacked because her appearance doesn’t meet Hollywood’s ridiculous standard.
das
I haven’t watched any of those shows. Stargate is the only show I make time for, everything else I watch on a very casual basis. Although I do love House and The Office. I think House is off to a fantastic start this season.
“Lie To Me” is utter tripe. Laughably bad, and terminally predictable.
“Bones” is quite good, on the other hand, mostly for the reason you intuited: the interplay between the leads (and the quirkiness of the supportings) is the reason for watching.
I’ll add “Fringe” to the “recommend” list, because of the fascinating characters and intriguing, on-going plot.
Sorry I tried both Bones and Lie to Me and couldn’t stand either of them, Bones because the “science” they used to “solve” their mysteries had utterly nothing to do with anything that could possibly, maybe, theoretically, push-through-a-garbage-disposal-serve do with reality/science. I’m certainly willing to give a show a break, but Bones abuses it to the max. Lie to Me I just find the main character a bit over the top, and just gets a bit predictable (and needs to step off his high horse every once in awhile…) I still watch it every once in awhile when I have some time to kill on hulu though, unlike Bones.
“they are not factored into the overnights, same day +1’s or the +7’s.”
Buwaah? What does that stuff mean?
Cheers,
-J
Hi! I’m new here! So hello all.
I’ve been watching closely and still miss stuff on SGU. I have it DVR’d so I can watch it repeatedly. It is AWESOME!
The people leaving comments can just wait for the story to develop.
There is just ONE thing that I just can’t get outta my head. When people body swap, if I blink, I don’t know who is who or not who. Could there be some kind of visual shadow/ghosting effect or something so the viewer knows but not the characters? Or maybe a flash/fade of the two off and on…dunno. Have you or your peeps work it out..I’m sure they can do a better job than me. Or I could be way outta line.
I did think that the kawoosh might look different, but then a wormhole is a wormhole is a wormhole…
I agree about the ladies makeup. Chloe’s mascara woulda been streaked all over and she couldn’t reapply. What’s a girl to do! Definitely requires a ‘suspension of disbelief.’ au naturale would be better. Their hair though would be fine. I have seen a woman who has hair like Tamara’s and hers looked perfectly coiffed ALL THE TIME. Even after PT. I hated her.
Oh, I HATE ‘Lie to Me’ cuz I’m hearing impaired and I already pick up on facial cues. Roth’s character drives me nuts jumping to conclusions.
I have left messages on user boards to find out what the
Senator’s watch was and someone wanted to know about the sunglasses on the 3rd hour. Where do we get this info without bugging you?
Thanks!
@J, I agree about realism, but I meant I really didn’t notice the size of the women. The ship was pretty dark, and a lot was going on. As for the complaints about who was getting more screen time, the story was moving, and I really didn’t think about it. I just think people need to lighten up and give things some time.
Regarding “The Big Bang Theory”, having a son known as GeekBoy pretty much settles the question of whether we’d watch that. We particularly enjoyed watching Sheldon try to learn to drive, since that happened while we were attempting to teach GeekBoy the same thing. One thing I can vouch for: the plots are pretty realistic!
Mr M
Follow Bones & Criminal Minds occasionally. They are interesting. But my main viewing is via the seasonal DVD box sets for a show. Maybe switching to HD iTunes downloads once the new computer is operational with the multi-Gigs of hard drives. Mainly to avoid ad interruptions.
Does TPTB have comments/opinions on the IMDB episodic cast lists for the entire first SGU season?
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***** Mr M delete the following at your discretion *****
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IMDB also indicate that Julia Anderson (2lt Vanessa James) is schedule on another TV series in the future. Since 2lt James also is not in the last 4 episodes of the season, does she suffer the red-shirt fate? Or will she be back for season 2?
Hey Joe,
[b]Joe wrote:[/b] [i]Pay close attention to the Young-Greer corridor conversation near the end of Fire.[/i]
I went to check which episode [b]Fire[/b] is, and there is no such episode listed on Gateworld! Which one did you mean? Light maybe?
Jean
@Daniel: according to Joel Goldsmith there will be no introduction music with a tile as with the other two series owing to the fact that he hasn’t been asked to write one. He did say though that there is a longer version of the closing titles that will be included on the dvds as well as the sgu cd.
@Joe: so per your comment today in the mailbag destiny was launched around the time atlantis left earth. If this is the case then how could the power supply have lasted this long? Yes I know the next episode is about power issues, but unless the ftl drive is waaaay more efficient I don’t see how it could have gotten as far as it did without ‘recharging’ is this something that’s going to be addressed or is it yet another ancient mystery 😀
You should check out Castle, Joe. Sort of like Bones, except the leads have even better chemistry and the hero is a writer! Give it a shot. 🙂
What do I watch? Castle for its sarcasm and humor (and Nathan F), I’m awaiting Chuck’s return (love Adam Baldwin), and Bones – I like the writing, the tension between characters, and the science is generally correct (hey I’m a PhD student in cell biology and genetics with a background in microscopy, of course I’m going to criticize the science).
Hey Joe,
So where exactly does the term “kino” originate? I remember Eli mentioning something about a Russian something or another, but I’m still a little confused on the reasoning for the name.
Btw, loving SGU so far. Although I am sad to hear there will be no extended opening credits… Nonetheless, can’t wait for next week’s episode.
“Guiguioh writes: “Is there a specific reason to use Dr Lee in the pilot, apart from a nice cameo purpose?”
Answer: Well, that and the fact that he IS one of the Stargate Program’s most trusted scientists.”
This, after making him comic relief in S9/S10? If he’s the most trusted, I’m amazed they didn’t lock Sam in a lab.
Sorry, Joe. I tried. Really. Air 1&2 weren’t bad. Not stellar (no pun intended), but I don’t expect series pilots of knock it out out of the park. Air 3… I turned to the brother-in-law and asked if he was finding it as boring as I was. He said yes. And he doesn’t agree if he doesn’t feel the same. I’ll give it a few more eps before I start taking the laptop over and playing on it while waiting for Sanctuary.
I *do* like Tamara (just found out the character’s name today). Says much when you know 4 characters names after 3 eps. And I really like Col. Young. So there *is* hope. Eli is good comic relief.
Air 3.. Spaceballs references kept coming up. Dink, dinkdink and water water, oil oil, room service room service… though at least the girl didn’t take along a hair dryer like Vala did. I love my Spaceballs. Just not in mature SF.
I know it doesn’t sound like it, but I really try to take each ep as a separate entity from what (imo, mistakes) came before. Air 3 wasn’t bad. It was meh. No sense of jeopardy.
My parents love Big Bang Theory. They have episodes recorded that they watch over and over. Yet, somehow, I can’t convince them to buy the dvd.
They also love The Mentalist. I have only seen a few episodes, but I think I like Psych instead. Psych had the concept first and it’s funnier. Plus the dynamic between Shawn and Gus is awesome.
I like Criminal Minds. Doing stuff like that is a career goal of mine, though, which may be why I watch it. I also pretty much watch every crime procedural on CBS; at least on a semi-rehular basis. I am a sociology/criminal justice major; that may explain some of it.
I feel the same way about Lie To Me. It’s the same reason why I stopped watching Numb3rs. The concept is cool, but eventually there’s nothing new to really use.
On an SGU note: I got really excited during the sample taking and lake deposit explanation at the beginning of Air III. I’m in an intro geology class this semester so I knew what they were talking about. Then I got more excited because I have an exam on that type of stuff tomorrow and I knew what they were talking about.
Lie to Me is a great show. It took a few episodes to get hooked, but it has developed into a really great show. I actually have learned quite a bit from it and it has helped me in school meetings advocating for my son’s right to be educated.
Of all the shows you mentioned, I’ve never seen any of them except Hell’s Kitchen (go Dave!). I only watch a hand full of shows during their first run. SGU is one of them right now. After watching Air III, I must say I stay pretty confused with all the jumping around and sub stories going on. The cameras are jumpy, they are always jumping into flashbacks, they are jumping through the gate into different planets now, and jumping into other people’s bodies. If SGU will be able to body swap with anyone anywhere, then they are not really stranded in space, are they? I’m getting lost. Speaking of Lost, I have never seen that show in real time either. I have the first 4 seasons on DVD and have watched it there. Everytime they do a flashback, I do a Fastforward on the DVD.
After a slow release, how much you want to bet “Paranormal Activity” will be in every theater by Halloween. Smart marketing.
Bones, Lie To Me, and The Mentalist are all on my list of shows that I watch (So you might want to reconsider reconsidering watching them). My favorite character the past 2 seasons of Bones has been the psychologist. The Mentalist’s lead is great for that role, but we’re in season 2 and it’s already getting a bit repetitive. The lead in Lie To Me is brilliant (and I’m not just saying that because he was Abomination in The Incredible Hulk). I thought it would get old quickly, but I find myself enjoying the show. Also, I can tell if anyone lies to me now. 🙂
I don’t watch The Big Bang Theory because I am a devout Creationist. I haven’t watched much of Criminal Minds…I got enough of that when I was in sales.
JOE: No doubt Dr. Lee was checking out the immediate area Rush retreated to use the stones.
Dr. Lee was asleep and probably remained so while in Rush’s body.
More later, including notes on “Criminal Minds”.
Hi, I do not know if this is where i am supposed to post my questions for the mailbag, but i will give it a shot.
So far I have not been to impressed with SGU, I liked Air I and II, not so much III. And as a long time SG fan (since the original movie), I have some issues with some of the things. But most i can deal with as this is a new series, and as you have mentioned all throughout your blog, most will be addressed.
Now, my question is as followed.
If Destiny was launched back when the Ancients were on Earth, why was Ra’s Point of Origin (PoO) used instead of the Ancients Gate PoO (Beta)? Since we know the 9 chevron address is really a code, wouldn’t the code have to be correct, thus using Beta as the PoO?? We have been discussing this over at Gateworld, and i figured i would just come over here and ask. This is partly because i do not think it will be addressed in series.
Also who brought the gate to the planet that Icarse base is on. Was it left there by the ancients or did we bring this? From my understanding we brought it to the planet.
Anywhoo, looking forward to your response and this fridays episode.
I highly recommend Big Bang Theory and Bones – they’re not like your typical sitcom or procedural.
I’m a fan of The Office, Survivor, Amazing Race and Top Chef as well, plus those 3 Stargate shows – not sure if you’ve heard of them – so I obviously have good taste in TV.
I watch The Mentalist and really enjoy it. It’s funny and smart, and there’s some seriously great acting from the team. I admit, once in awhile, I get a little annoyed that Jane (Simon Baker’s character) is always the one to solve the problem. I would like to see a bit more input from the other team members. That being said, I realize Jane is the focus of the show and that, if this show continues on air, it will grow and become more involved much the way the NCIS team grew up around Mark Harmon.
LIE TO ME! If you add no other show, watch that one…imho. I love Tim Roth and have loved everything he has done (no matter how obscure). An excellent actor. And very intelligent for a tv show. Listen to your writing partner…
What, no “Dancing With the Stars”?!? C’mon!
😉
@Joe – ” … and Grey’s Anatomy with the wife.” I am not sure if you mean Private Practice. But, if you do mean that show, I love it too. Very adorable puppy on your front page, wonder what it’s name is…
@dasNdanger – I appreciate your comments on women’s figures on tv.
Unfortunately, I agree with you: It is a standard that I disagree with, and find baffling too.
Fortunately, I disagree with you: Even though there is pressure to be “thin” in these industries, it is possible to make it as you are. And, women don’t have to be “fat” to look of an average size. The Bailey and Callie characters on Grey’s anatomy are full-figured, and I haven’t sen them forced to lose weight. But, maybe that is because Shonda Rhimes is full figured too (creator of the show.) But, I’ve always seen Katherine Heigl’s character (Izzy) as someone of about average size, maybe a little under. The Meredith character is obviously is skinny one.
I love Kate Winslet (I know, she’s a movie actress, not tv.) I think of her now because I am reminded of some of the flack she caught for being “too chubby” when she did Titanic. Not only did her weight not affect that movie’s success, but she said in an interview that while she was filming the movie with her co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, he told her that he was happy that she was the size she was for the role because people needed to see an average sized woman as beautiful/desireable.
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada played a character that was “supposed” to be a size 0 (I read the book), and she’s cleary not that size in the movie. Not only was she stunning to look at, but she totally nailed that character. No one else could have done a better job.
And, when Oprah first started her show, they knew she was overweight, and they still gave her the show. I know she has had struggles with her weight over the years, but no one ever forced her to lose weight. Her viewers accept her as she is, fat or thin.
So, I guess I’m saying that super-thin with certain features isn’t the only way to go. But, I still look at what you’re saying and think “Point well-taken.”
Peace, Love, and Goodnight.
j
I like Big Bang Theory if only for the vanity cards. But all of Chuck Lorre’s ponderings are posted online, though, and always good for a laugh.
As for the dopes that went to the forbidden planet, I’m kinda curious what happened there since the kino read a habitable environment, ruling out a space gate or lava planet. I’m guessing the Destiny detected an imminent meteor strike or the Big Bad of whatever backwater galaxy they’re in at the present.
@crazymom1 – Thanks for the feeback. As you say, there’s still a season ahead.
Peace, Love, and Goodnight (this time – really.)
I watch Criminal Minds and Big Bang Theory. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I enjoy CM.
I heard that Summer Glau played herself in an episode of Big Bang Theory called, “The Terminator Decoupling.” I watched the episode, and loved it. Since then I’ve caught up on the episodes and I’m watching the current 3rd season on tv
Happy Thanksgiving!
I watch WAY too much TV, but I only watch 3 of your “would watch” list!! Big Bang Theory is hysterical from a laughing at the geeky fanboys/girls (of which we are all members!) standpoint – Sheldon has so many tics he’s a walking conundrum…
Also like Criminal Minds and Lie to Me, the whole psych aspect of human behavior is fascinating to watch. I also like Burn Notice, Primeval, and – sadly – Glee. You can blame David Blue for that one, he talked it up so much on Twitter that I watched.
Wanted to say, I really liked Air III MUCH better than the premiere ep – mainly from a story telling perspective. Greer’s character is scary angry, I want to know why…. TJ’s hiding something, and Rush is going to be one of those “love to hate” fellows, in my opinion. So far faves are Eli and Brian Smith’s character, whose name escapes me at the moment.
Night all!
Lisa
What the SGC ought to do, if they find there is absolutely no way back for the “castaways” is take a bunch of otherwise healthy deathrow inmates, swap bodies with them via the stones and then just throw the stones away, leaving the convicts to float away in space.
Then our guys could get back to their lives, albeit in different bodies.
Thinking about it, could a person body swap into a younger one, kill the old body and keep doing it over and over to stay young forever?
That’s so cool how in one of your pictures, in the Destiny shuttle the buttons were labeled to show what each button does! That’s amazing. I love those blueprints of rooms/hallways/stuff in the Destiny you post. That’s awesome to see.
My questions are:
Did the people making Stargate ever consider doing blueprints for SGC, or ships shown in Stargate, or the Atlantis city, etc. Like every room and hallway planned out in blueprints.
And, there seems to be CGI models of the Atlantis city and CGI models of the Destiny ship. Do you think it would be possible to get pictures of the entirety of all the CGI for the Destiny or Atlantis. Like a top picture of the Destiny, a bottom picture of the Destiny ship, a side picture of the Destiny, etc. Something that could be posted online to download. That would be so crazy amazing.
Hey Joe,
I know you’re a foodie and you’re going to Tokyo, so…I came across this on digg:
http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/10/japanese-restaurants-unusual-rule-you-get-what-the-person-befo/
I don’t know how far that is from where you are going to be. Sorry if someone’s already linked it to you.
As to the topic at hand, I only recently started watching Lie to Me and without knowing who the characters are, it is still a good show. The acting is top notch.
The Big Bang Theory is funny at times, but not often enough. The geek cred only goes so far when it’s set-up, joke, set-up, joke, repeat ad nauseam. That said, I’ve only seen the first half of season one and it’s possible the show has improved since then.
Cheers,
-J
After watching the Air three parter so far, I have to say… Haig Sutherland is fantastic. The man can really deliver sarcasm.
I hope we get to see more and more of Riley on the show, and I hope he just gets grumpier and grumpier each and every episode.
of all of those….I would definitly choose Bones as a must reconsider…I LOVE Bones…and it is the absolute truth that David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel are the best duo on TV…
What do you think of Survivor so far this season?? It’s kinda wierd to watch this season, knowing I stood in line and auditioned for it…hahahaha
oh…and here’s my TV and DVR schedule…
Heroes, Trauma, Bones, Survivor, Fringe, Project Runway, SGU, Friday Night Lights, Merlin , Caprica (when it starts), American Idol, Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, Vampire Diaries….I think that’s it…but I feel like I’m missing a few…LOL
Welll….I just haven’t gotten used to SG-1, SGA, ER and BSG not being on that list…
You do mean David (and Brian)…and not Eli?
Did anyone notice in the 3rd hour that there were scenes when the group was still supposed to be together, but one BRIEF scene in it where they had broken up into TWO teams and were just walking apart? again, it might just be me. I’ll watch again and see for sure.
LOVE the contrast between the white sand and the dark ship. Well, besides all the other awesome stuff about the show. LOVE the music, the short intro (gives you more show!)
Gotta find out about the Senator’s watch and the sunglasses in III! anyone know???
RE:TV shows
Castle has great writing and chemistry. Sometimes tho it is hard to believe that the characters would be able to be so quick witted all the time. On procedural shows: If I see someone in a “staring at tweezers” shot again, I’m gonna puke. LOVE Big Bang Theory (but I am a geek) and How I Met Your Mother. Criminal Minds still holds my attention, Bones only has the chemistry between the two main characters and the psycologist (psychiatrist?). Can’t stand The Office cuz it’s too much like real work. Love Simon Baker, but the show is getting too boring overall.
GO GIANT’S!!!! What an ASS Whooping Giant’s 44- Raiders 7
Love love Lie to me!!!!!
What did you think of the 2hr House premiere??I thought it was fantastic apart from sky1 over here split it into 2 eps over 2weeks..which was so frustrating because it was made to be viewed consectutively!!!!
Thanks!!
Tina
Lie to Me is an excellent show. I heartily recommend it.
Also, random question for you! When you dial every stargate in the galaxy, what happens when you send a physical object through? I hope the answer is a gruesome splitting of atoms and sending bits through every gate, but something tells me that pesky safety-conscious Ancients wouldn’t allow that to happen.
Hi Mr M!
Am skimming through the comments to avoid spoilers.
But have to say, any chance your Mom could do an Audio Commentary for SGU….That would be priceless!!!
Best to all at the Bridge!!
S’n’T
I agree with your vote for The Mentalist and I love Lie To Me.
House, Grey’s Anatomy, and Castle are also wonderful. No one has mentioned Warehouse 13 yet, which I find to be a cool show. Of course, I have to mention Sanctuary as being excellent too. If you have not seen Burn Notice though, its worth a look see. I think the writing is very creative and the characters totally entertaining. In season 2, Michael Shanks delivers his usual top notch performance as Victor, his character who is seen over a four episode story arc.
SGU is turning out to be really great, in my opinion, and I’m glad I approached it with an open mind. At first I was a bit overwhelmed with the sheer number of characters, but after watching Air III, I’m getting much more comfortable with our wayward adventurers. I’m anxious for them to learn more about Destiny as they explore further. To me, SGU is a nice addition to the Stargate family.
Gina
I’m a HUGE fan of The Mentalist. Although the first season had more than a few episodes where the solution to the mystery was very obviously displayed (even for someone as unobservant as I am), it was done so charmingly and Simon Baker made his character so intriguing it doesn’t matter. (Wow, that was quite the run-on sentence.)
As for Bones and Big Bang Theory? I finally gave in over the summer and am now kicking myself for not having watched them sooner. They’re both fantastic shows.
I stumbled onto the first episode of Bones and wasn’t impressed, because of the “fake science” cringe factor. Shortly after that I was introduced to the books of Kathy Reichs, the anthropologist/author who inspired the character of Bones in the TV show. Read the entire series (8 or 9 by that stage) in a few weeks and then caught up on the show. In the books the science is very real and described in great detail by a board certified anthropologist. In the show the science is more showy and convenient, something I have grown used to as I have fallen in love with the characters.
Definitely worth a watch. Even if it’s just to secretly lust over Emily Deschanel’s wardrobe.
I thought the Hammond was rushed into service due to the other ships being away, so the Asgard weapons weren’t finished.
I mean, how can the RoMW (Rest of Milky Way) go through such a massive leap in technology, that they even surpass the Ori?
@Herbertsummerfeld. ROFL. Loved your reason for not watching Big Bang Theory……
As for shows listed, I’ve pretty much given up on sit coms after Seinfeld dominated for so many years. As for Bones, the show does nothing for me. The forensics side is done better by other shows, and they place their forensics people in totally implausible positions. As for the leads, I’m not going to watch a show just to see the sparks between two characters.
Lie to Me. Tried an episode. Sorry, but there is no such thing as a human lie detector, despite the show’s premise. Just can’t get behind this show.
The Mentalist. Must see TV. The supporting characters are slowly coming into their own, and Simon Baker makes the show watchable with just one of his “eyes a twinkle” smiles. And I love having a sympathetic skeptical character on the air.
Criminal Minds. Watch it sometimes. Gritty, usually downbeat. The cast is strong, though rather stereotypical to me(rugged handsome lead, geeky young guy, female computer guru-well, less steotypical since she is a she rather than a he). I’d pass unless you have nothing better to do. which you usually have.
Thanks for the great mailbag and Happy Thanksgiving Day.
Thanks for answering my question. I have another:
Why Colonel Young didn’t ask General O’Neill anything about the conversation he had with Dr. Rush?
Like, if Rush was really “put in charge” by O’Neill…
I watched an episode of The Mentalist this summer with my husband, and the two of us ended up laughing at the unintentional (I think!) humor of the plot. In fairness, maybe we just caught a bad episode. I’ve never seen another. But have you ever heard of the show Psych? Supposedly there’s a similar premise, and it’s a show I keep meaning to check out because I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, not only from friends but also on the blogs and Twitters of some of my favorite writers.
So far it’s on my “to watch” list. If you beat me to it, let me know what you think.
Morning Joe!
Love the list of shows…have to admit I don’t watch The Mentalist or Lie to Me and only occasionally watch The Big Bang Theory…I find that show frustrating at times….much like Seinfeld! Funny but frustrating to the point where I have to either change the channel or leave the room…usually the latter.
Also only occasionally watch Criminal Minds as I think there is only so much doom and gloom one can take in a day.
Bones is awesome…I love the chemistry between the two leads…much like the chemistry between Sam and Jack in SG1.
But I have to say my favourite shows on tv at the moment are Sanctuary and Stargate Universe. And Top Gear!
What shows did you grow up with?
Cheers Joe. Congratulations again on the success of SGU! Awesome show. 🙂
Hey Joe,
I recommend Bones, The Mentalist, and Lie to Me. Lie to me is great because it is not a straight Crime Drama. They are not police officers, and they cannot arrest anyone. The situations they are in are very different that most shows. Bones and the Mentalist are great because of the Pairings of the Main Characters that solve crimes. Bones is Crazy logical, and Booth is a gut instinct guy. Them together is maddening. It is a similar set up with The Mentalist, with Simon Baker being tormented by a serial Killer who killed his wife and child. Very cool.
I love Big Bang Theory….I am not one for sitcoms and it’s the only one I watch….I read somewhere that it is a “love letter to geeks” and it really is. My husband does not get all the references, but he still enjoys it. AND they have referenced SG1!..
Bones…I didn’t watch for a very long time, because I was a fan of Kathy Reichs books and the Temperance Brennan in the books is a totally different character than the Temperance Brennan on the show. SO that was off putting, but I caught a few rerun episodes in the 3 or 4 season and enjoy it now (tho’ I don’t tend to watch the first showing and catch it on rerun – I don’t have a DVR, and VCR is broken)
Criminal Minds – I LOVE! I like procedural shows and the whole serial killer thing has always been a fascination for me (I’ve even read John Douglas and others – previous head of the real FBI BAU equivalent) The chemistry is really good between the characters.
Mentalist – Just got into this partly through last season. Really enjoy Simon Baker and the rest of the cast. It’s an interesting show….
Hey who do you like in Amazing Race? I was bummed that Zev and Justin left the way they did – I liked them. This is my happy show – It just makes me happy (except when there are “ugly” American moments when I just want to hit the person) I love going to all the places they visit vicariously….
How come the wife of a senator knows about the Stargate program? I was watching “Inauguration'” (SG-1 season 7 episode 20) and President Hayes learned about the program just on his first day in office!!!
das – have you checked out Drop Dead Diva? The lead is a woman of size and she is fabulous!!! There had been some comments about weight in the first few episodes (because of the premise) but haven’t really noticed any during the rest of the season…Her name is Brooke Elliot and she is getting strong reviews…
Big bang theory is about a bunch of gay nerdish people, not really about nerds in general–just the gay ones who are aparently heterosexual in the show. that depiction alone should make you not want to see it.
Bones, is a magnificiant show, the relationship between the two characters never gets old and its the main drive of the show and the workplace relationships featured in it make it entertaining not just for women. it is cheesy in dialogue most of the time, but thats fine by me, and whats cool also is that they talk about social issues in a non-PC manner that is refreshing to see. and the “Bones” character is really funny in how she has that slightly misguided view of society. Booth’s role is correcting that view lol but they both make interesting points.
forget Mentalist, its not gonna entertain forever, but criminal minds is intriguing and very informative—its as original as it gets because it tackles the whole crime drama thing from an interesting angle. sometimes its not that believable though.
im not good at keeping up with shows to be honest, right now i only watch SGU, Bones, Fringe and Clone Wars. thats it. and barely being able to catch up. i dont know why, its not like im super busy. i dropped House, coz it got old for me, and True Blood, the same. i like curb your enthusiam when i watch it, i just usually view comedy as second priority since its just for laughs you know.
Maddog316: Nice to meet ya! I work with animals. I love pit bulls. They are loyal and mostly friendly. Of course, they are very territorial and can back it up with pure muscle. Very mistreated breed.
Mr. M, I’m really enjoying SGU and I’m only on the second one. The cast is great. I knew David Blue would be my favorite. A quote from Galaxy Quest “He is the plucky comic relief”.
Shows: I like Bones. I’ve read most of Kathy Reichs’s Books. They are completely different than the show! Like you stated, the chemistry between the actors is fun. David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel are a breath of fresh air. I’ve never watched those two actors before but I’ll probably follow them from show to show now that I’ve seen them in action. Emily Deshanel’s character is so flawed but very honest. She reminds me of my Asperger’s Syndrome cousin. She tries to apply logic to every problem and sometimes people don’t use logic.
Anyway, I hope everyone has a great day. (Is that too Pollyanna?)
Tam
Hey Joe!
The Big Bang Theory is a MUST see! And I’m not just saying that because sometimes I feel like Penny who just happened to marry Sheldon… with a little bit of Leonard thrown in… and a touch of Wolowitz. Yeah… I married a Sheldon type.
Anyway… I have gotten other people to watch who happen to not like sitcoms. They seem to like this show. Plus, Bare Naked Ladies does the theme song! BONUS! 😆
I finally watched the third episode of SGU. Now I’m convinced that Rush is totally supposed to creep me out. He makes me want to punch cute little stuffed animals. I love Eli! LOVE him!
Trish 😀
OH! And Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians out there! 🙂
As for Carl, you do NOT look like a greyhound. Poor Carl. Should I fly up there to Vancouver and give all those meanies you work with a stern talking to about bullying? 😉
Hey Joe,
I checked my dashboard too and I didn’t have that feed stats thing so I investigated further & found out WordPress got rid of it.
You could sign up to Feedburner (owned by Google) to handle your feed & you get stats with it as well. You’ll find out numbers of people subscribing via readers or email etc. You can even get banners to publicise your blog via email in your signature.
Cheers, Chev
I watch a fair few shows
Defying Gravity
Heroes
House
Fringe
SGU (I’m serious)
Sanctuary
Guess we can see a Sci Fi trend here… “Defying Gravity” do they have part of the Atlantis set? It might be just me.
Also any news on the Atlantis movie(s) Production, maybe even a release date if I’m (we’re) lucky?
Tried Big Bang Theory tonight and didn’t like it. Much prefer The IT Crowd for geek humour.
I’ve seen Criminal Minds. I’d probably watch regularly but it was on at the same time as another program I watch.
Watched a little bit of Bones when I’ve been at Mum & Dads. Can’t really get into it. Keep waiting for David Boreanaz to turn into a vamp.
Cheers, Chev
herbertsommerfeld said:
I watched it for the first time tonight. It has nothing to do with evolution you know.
Plot from Wikipedia:
“Set in Pasadena, California, the show concerns two male Caltech prodigies in their twenties, one an experimental physicist (Leonard) and the other a theoretical physicist (Sheldon), who live across the hall from an attractive blonde waitress with show-biz aspirations (Penny). Leonard and Sheldon’s geekiness and intellect are contrasted with Penny’s social skills and common sense for comedic effect.”
Cheers, Chev
p.s. For the record, Evolution all the way….but I’ll listen to other points of view.
No, I’m not gonna ask whether it’s Friday already or not.
Just want to mention how much I have been enjoying SGU. I really hope the show is going to be a major success, in the US and rest of the World. It truly is a quality show, starting from the cast and writing to special effects. Outstanding.
Oh, and the sand alien was seriously creepy. I think I might have another phobia developing.
Criminal Minds is the only show on your list that I watch on a regular basis. I actually started watching last year because Connor Trinneer appeared in an episode and I got hooked on it. Love all the cast members, I think they have good chemistry.
I’ve seen The Big Bang Theory a few times and think its cute.
“Suskiekew writes: “Will we find out just why Greer was in detention?”
Answer: Yep. Soon. Soon. Pay close attention to the Young-Greer corridor conversation near the end of Fire.”
Ok I might be living in an alternate reality but wasn’t fire split into two episodes, darkness and light. months ago. 😉
So will we see this Young-Greer conversation at the end of darkness or light?
Thanks so much,
Major D. Davis
I’d highly recommend Big Bang Theory and Bones to anyone, both great shows!
ooooooooooo Joe, you’ve got to give “Lie To Me” a go. Tim Roth is the star and he makes the show.
It’s fascinating. I love it!
I’m going to find Lie to Me’s popularity very annoying. I have Tourette’s and I already had enough trouble with people thinking they know how to interpret my body language.
@herbertsommerfield – They are probably using the word Bang as some kind of sexual euphemism. I know, not better.
Shawn and Gus *do* have great chemistry on Psych. Their conversations always make me laugh when I watch. Sometimes (usually) it’s a bit *too* silly and cringeworthy. Corbin Burnsen (sp) does a great job too.
Of the mentioned shows, I think I’d really like Bones and The Big Bang Theory. But I never remember to watch. Oh well.
I only just recently got hooked into watching Bones (bought the season one DVDs on a whim, and am now scrambling to watch all the other seasons too), and you’re right — the chemistry between the leads is terrific. But I think it’s the whole cast that makes the show — the supporting characters are equally entertaining. Also, I am a sucker for the Hodgins brand of sarcastic humour.
Criminal Minds is one of my favourite shows ever. I think I like it because it’s less about the gruesome images, and more about the gruesome psychology — what makes someone kill, or rape, or torture someone else? And sometimes, the answers are awful, and sometimes they’re just tragic. I also like that the team really is a team in that every person brings a slightly different but equally valuable skill to the table. And I like that we get to explore not only the minds and behaviours of the killers, but also of the profilers who are trying to identify them.
I don’t think I can recommend shows for you, Joe, since we don’t have similar taste in TV. And I just don’t watch a lot of TV, so I have a very limited fund of knowledge.
Personally, I enjoy Bones. I have to confess I started watching it for David Boreanaz, but I really got hooked. Good characters, interesting stories and as a bonus – plausible science!
I love Fringe, but it might be hard to jump into it without having seen last season. It is one of the only shows I watch every week without fail.
And now I have to go cook chicken for my dog. She couldn’t keep anything down yesterday. I think her stomach is upset from the antibiotic she was taking for the skin infection that developed from the rash she has because she is allergic to grass and, being a Lab, she can’t resist a nice roll in the grass after a rousing game of fetch. Hopefully, the bland diet will take care of her tummy troubled and we won’t be back at the vet AGAIN this week.
I adore Big Bang Theory. My geek friends are young enough that I actually catch all the newer references, which is fun. This one is a must for scifi fanboys and grrrrls. “I have Leonard Nimoy’s DNA!” Although the one time they referenced Stargate, it wasn’t a real episode.
I do like The Mentalist, but if I miss one I don’t mind, it’s OnDemand on Comcast. I can catch up.
I enjoy Criminal Minds, although it does get creepy as hell now and then.
I just started watching CRIMINAL MINDS and have found that even though the episodes are supposed to be plot-driven, it’s the team that keeps me watching. The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) are a group of people with different backgrounds and experiences who have come together to use their talents as members of a team. It’s kind of like SG-1, and indeed, many parallels can be drawn between the two shows when it comes to a team and their fight against the enemy to keep the world safe. I’m glad that the writers of CM have given the viewers tidbits about each character along the way and that they have written some great character-defining moments throughout the stories.
On the other hand, I can see why people don’t like the show. The material is very dark and looks into the evil side of humanity on a weekly basis. What is impressive about the writers in that regard is that they show what this does to the team members. In the little over four years that they’ve been on the air, they’ve had a lead leave and wrote it in that he couldn’t handle the darkness (as was the real-life case of the actor involved). They also had one of their leads go darkside, becoming executioner when the justice system let her and other victims down.
So, in short, CM is now one of my favorite shows because of the characters — the team — and how they work together with their various backgrounds to overcome the enemy and make the world safer. 🙂
Hey,
I love love Bones. The leads DO have amazing chemistry, but I also love the way they’ve developed the secondary characters.
Big Bang Theory is also on my “I really ought to watch this” list… everyone tells me I would love the show, I just haven’t gotten around to watching it.
Criminal Minds – the serial killer angle is disturbing… yet fascinating.
The Mentalist, I love that show. Simon Baker does such a great job.
I never saw Lie To Me… (but at first glance it seemed sorta similar to The Mentalist, which I already loved.)
(Some of my friends disdained The Mentalist as a Psych rip-off, but it plays a lot differently. Psych is also a show about a hyper observant guy solving cases, but it’s much more a comedy complete with a ton of 80s pop culture references.)
Gate Names: Harold & Pedro
LOLROFLMAO-really, I like that! Good one Joe!
Some shows I don’t miss other than SGU are Sanctuary,
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, The Hour, The Soup, 30 Rock, Burn Notice, Fringe and a few others I watch more occasionally. I like stories with intriguing characters so I will try Lie to Me because I’m sure Tim Roth is excellent in that. I am also not a fan of serial killer stories but have to say that we are currently renting the series, Wire in the Blood, with Robson Green. Love his quirky portrayal of clinical psychologist Tony Hill – sometimes very funny. I tend to shut my eyes during some of the really creepy stuff. In spite of the violence, it’s still well worth watching for his performance and that of the rest of the cast.
Oh and I like the new FLASHFORWARD show till LOST comes back, I though it would be corney but when everyone on the world blacked out and they found the guy in Detroit moving around during the blackout is what grabbed me, my guess he’s Gilbert Godfry! Lol just jk but it a good show for now!
1) Is anyone onboard the Destiny severely mentally unbalanced?
2)Will there be any surprising relationships formed this season?
I do watch all of the shows that you mentioned, which is probably why I can’t get caught up on BoTM.
The Big Bang Theory is true hilarity and one of the few shows on TV that can make me laugh out loud. My next door neighbor can usually tell when I am watching it because he can hear me from the patio. There are a lot of science jokes but the humor really comes from the observations on the characters behavior. If you were ever socially awkward than you can appreciate this show.
Bones is great, though I do appreciate the earlier episodes more. This show in particular has embraced its campiness exponentially as the show has progressed but it is a nice counterpoint to the degree of gore they like to display. I think from a character standpoint it is top notch, the cast is great, and that is what brings me back every week.
Lie to Me is good, not spectacular but decent. I have found that a truly good procedural has strong characterization so that when the cases of the week start getting boring (as they inevitably do around the end of season 2) you still want to come back and watch it. This is why NCIS has been on the air forever. Lie to Me hasn’t really had the time to find that footing yet. If it does, then I will upgrade it to great.
The Mentalist is fabulous. Simon Baker plays this perfect combination of charming/arrogant/empathetic/skeezy that sucks you in. He easily could carry the show entirely by himself, but the great part is that he doesn’t have to. The supporting cast on the show is just as amazing. It is funny, well-written, and lively.
Criminal Minds has been one of my favorite shows since its inception. Yes, the plots are horrifying and yes, it screws with your head a lot. As an overly-empathetic person it can be difficult to watch at times particularly because the writers are so fond of torturing the crap out of the main characters. However the cast is amazing and has held together despite frequent, major change ups. The plots are interesting and relatively fresh assuming you are not a true crime buff. And the show helps you identify that friendly guy on the street who is going to sneak into your house, murder your dogs and beat you senseless with your people’s choice award. Always a plus.
And just because this post isn’t long enough I have to put my two cents in on SGU. I will admit to having some trepidation after see Air I and II mostly because I am not fond of deeply depressing TV. I stopped watching Battlestar Galactica for that very reason. My first response to turning on that show is “Wow, your life sucks. I get it. Can we move on now?” But I remembered you saying that Air III would have a little more of that SG humor so I held my tongue. And you were right. I still think that it will take a little time for the characters to grow on me, that I will settle into the show in the same way the characters are settling into the Destiny. I am not abandoning you yet. Besides what the hell else am I supposed to do at 9 on a Friday night, watch Dollhouse?
I avoided Big Bang Theory for the first season, thinking it would be a one note, laugh at the geek show. I started watching it because my wife had it on, and did find find it not to be how I imagined it would be.
The most distubing part of the show to me is that I get most of the uber geek references. What does that say about me? lol
As far as the “Mentalist” and “Lie to Me” are concerned, I like my smarter than the room, I know more than you people to be funny. That being said, “Psych” on USA network is more my speed. I believe it’s produced in Vancouver too. I could not find it broadcast on any Canadian channels when I visited relatives this past summer, but I assume the DVD’s are available. I like the, better pay attention or you miss it dialouge and delivery. Season 4 episode one set in BC had lots of laughs. It even references “The Mentalist”.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Loving SGU and I am grateful for the SG fix. I have been blown away by Joel’s score – fantastic!
A special note for Carl – my kids and I all love Pocahontas; we just want you to know that. 🙂
Big Bang Theory – Joe you really have to give it a try some day. Watching the first seasons on DVD, it took the better part of year 1 for the whole thing to ‘gel’, but has been well worth it. Freaks me out a little when I find myself relating to Sheldon…
Any chance for a birthday ‘shout-out’ today, Joe? It’s the big 3-8 for me. I plan to celebrate by eating far too much turkey, surrounded by family and feeling very blessed.
Have a great day.
I highly recommend The Big Bang Theory. You should be able to pick up the first season on dvd for a good price. Second season is on dvd now as well. They also make a Stargate reference in season 2 that I thought was pretty funny.
Has filming for the season wrapped yet or are you still shooting the season finale? Also, this might be a better question for Rob Cooper or one of the directors, but does it take more time or less time to film an episode using the new shooting style for SGU than it did for SG-1 or Atlantis?
I’ve tried several times to get into BIg Bang but the characters do not engage me whatsoever,not a lover of sitcoms (Frasier and Cheers being the exceptions IMHO)
Bones I came to grudgingly having read the Kathy Reichs novels I found the characters totally different from how I envisaged so I decided to disregard the books and tune in to drool..I mean appreciate David Boreanaz’ Booth, love the humour too:)
Lie to Me wouldn’t work with anyone that wasn’t Tim Roth, he’s simply brilliant, it isn’t merely the “tells” but many of the moral dilemmas the whole truth brings with it.
Criminal minds is one I have an on/off appreciation for, dependant upon which personality is dominant at the time.
The Mentalist is another on my list of unmissable, Patrick Jane is an irksome dude but the subsidiary characters are wonderfully watchable.
Here’s some more I wouldn’t miss:
Fringe:- Love the premise and Walter Bishop is my favourite character, he alone is worth the time taken.
FlashForward, albeit in its infancy I’m enjoying it thus far.
Supernatural:- Dean Winchester ’nuff said
Medium:- Whilst I find Patricia Arquette singularly whingeful and self absorbed I love Jake Weber and the kids who play the kids are coming into their own.
If I were to urge you in any direction tho it would have to be Fringe, check it out..or else!
I highly recommend both Bones and The Big Bang Theory. Great shows, very funny.
Hi there! I’ve visited your page here for a long time, though this is my first time commenting.
Question about the universe in Stargate continuity and the Ancients’ newspaper from a few years ago. Several of the shows props – with writing on them, such as book covers – reveal pseudo-hidden jokes. However, the “Ascended Times” newspaper (from episode “Threads”) had a number of articles in it that clearly were not a joke, with topics about Anubis, the Wraith, and similar.
One of the articles was entitled, “Edge of the Universe Discovered”.
Do you think the concept of the edge of the universe might eventually apply within the Stargate Universe series?
Alternately, do you think that concept might have potential in the show?
Thank you! And keep up the excellent work!
For starters…’love’ the new show
Its nice to see a show and a network that is committing itself to produce high quality dramas (private snub at NBC here).
The writing, darkness of the scripts, music, plot…its a good shift of direction for the franchise.
Now we all know your going to kill and hurt some of the characters….but don’t kill off the Vanessa James character please…
I never noticed how hot she was in SGA…and her first scene in SGU certainly was a change of direction for the franchise. It’d be a shame if you ended it considering all the possibilities it could have.
Oh and I forgot, my husband makes me watch Hell’s Kitchen with him and in return, I make him watch Top Chef.
Mr M
Hope the the TPTB is not pulling a Star Trek Voyager sleeper agent plot line with one of the cast among the Destiny castaways. It’s too predictable, especially if it is the 2lt James character. Remind anyone of the traitorous Seska character (play by Martha Hackett) on Voyager.
Hey Tammy,
Ya pitbulls do get a Bad Rap, and the wrong people aways gives a bad light on the Breed, I love annuals to but dogs are the greatest friend a guy can have, they listen to your troulbles and their always there to comfort you, my fav animal ate wolves. Because of my small apartment I can’t have a large dog, but I am getting a new dog this week from a neghbor going back to Brazil, I forgot the breed but will chime in with the answer when I know it, I do know it’s full blooded w/papers and small, it’s like a hairy Jack Russle, last dog I had died 2 yrs ago, we had him 19 yrs, he was a Short haired Fox Terrier, named Snoopy, he was the best dog anyone could have, I’m rambling lol this is Joes Blog lol
Coucou Joseph! ça va ?
Moi super mais j’ai beaucoup de choses à faire!
Je doit faire un devoir en anglais, il faut décrire un personne que l”on aime beaucoup et je vous ai choisi^^!!
Bon je dois aller commencer!
Bisou Bisou!
Blah. Was hoping my question in your last post’s comments would be answered. Oh well. By the way, don’t waste your time on Lie to Me. It maybe clever, but that’s all it has. It’s House-lite. All style, no (new) substance.
Hi Joe!
Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
In the US, they show Fringe after Bones this season, so are you maybe taping that?
Thanks for the genuine LOL re: Harold Gate and Pedro Gate. Y’know, that’s gonna become a thing for us fans, eh?
I don’t watch The Big Bang Theory, but I did see the ep with Summer Glau. It was pretty funny. I stopped watching sitcoms years ago because they don’t really grab my interest.
I’ve watched Bones since the first season, and I really enjoy it. I wanted to see if I was a fan of the character Angel or of David Boreanaz. Found out I like them both. The show can be a bit gory for me when showing body (parts), but I really enjoy the actors and their characters. Seeing Billy Gibbons as Angela’s dad in a couple of eps was a cool bonus.
Lie to Me is OK. Nice to see Tim Guinee (who’s popping up everywhere!) last season, and Tim Roth is a brilliant actor, so his House-like character keeps things interesting. Not a must-see for me, but better than reality TV.
I’ve been watching reruns of Criminals Minds on A&E channel. Mostly, I find it depressing. No one smiles. Best ep I’ve seen was the one with Alex O’Loughlin as the killer, but only cuz Alex O’Loughlin was the killer. Not sure if CM or NCIS started first, but the main characters seem to be spun of the same cloth. Since NCIS has more humor and fewer creepy rapists and murderers, I choose NCIS. Plus, I get the bonus of Mark Harmon! 🙂
I can’t get into The Mentalist. Simon Baker seems nice enough, and the show is OK, but I don’t understand why it’s so popular. I’m not saying it’s bad, and I’m not criticizing fans of the show. I just honestly don’t understand why so many people watch it. Seems kind of watered down. One good thing is Tim Kang’s character who is funny to me in his seriousness, and Tim who has some seriously awesome arms. (drool)
None of these shows touch my li’l fandom heart like the SG series, though.
eddy
Hey Joe
I haven’t watched any of your ‘maybe’ shows, however, I thinking of watching Big Bang Theory due to comments.
I would, however, like to lend my support to Fringe. Great show. You might want to begin at the begining, I think it will be a bit hard to jump in partway through.
Currently I’m watching NCIS, House, Fringe, Castle, Sancturary and, of course, SG:U
Keep up the great work!
Elminster
I agree with Shiningwit that Medium is worth the checking out of. ;-P I don’t find Allison to be whiny, though. Jake Weber as her hubby Joe is great and I love their relationship. In the past couple of seasons, I’ve seen them act like a real married couple, loving, fighting, raising a family. It’s the small things, a touch of a hand or quick kiss that is something my hub and I do and is hardly ever seen on TV. Heck, seeing someone tell a family member “I love you” when it isn’t a life-or-death big soap-operatic moment is hard enough to find in TV-land.
eddy
I enjoy Bones although I find the character of Brennan often too socially inept to be believed. I have enjoyed for a long time the Kathy Reichs books on which the series is based, which are different from the television show in some ways. In the books the Brennan character splits her time between Montreal and North Carolina as a forensic anthropologist and her main love interest is a Montreal detective. She is also much more realistically connected to human social interactions without sacrificing her love for science. I’ve noticed that Kathy Reichs is a consultant on the show, maybe a producer, so she must be okay with the depiction of Brennan as a clueless nerd. I’m also glad that Hart Hanson is the creator of the series because I’ve enjoyed his series Traders as well. It’s a good show and the previous seasons are all available on DVD so you can watch at your leisure, assuming that you ever find any. 🙂
I’m way down at the bottom of the pile, but I’ll throw my two cents in anyway.
Bones is a delightfully entertaining show. You really should check it out. The writing is tight, and the humor amid skeletons and gore is gallows light and very clever.
I like The Mentalist which has been rather lighthearted, but now seems to be about to take a darker turn (having to do with catching the murderer of the mentalist’s wife and child). It remains to be seen if this is a good thing, but Baker will shine no matter what, and there’s good chemistry among all the cast. However, Tim Kang seems to be channeling Jack Webb’s Joe Friday.
Criminal Minds is not for the faint-hearted, and that’s all I’m going to say.
I don’t watch Lie To Me because I can’t stand the lockstep political posturing.
I can’t advise you on sitcoms or reality TV as I don’t watch either. I know there are some good sitcoms, but as you say… so many hours in the day. “Reality” TV is just dreck.
Maddog316: Jack Russell’s are good dogs. I hope the new dog is a good fit for ya. So your best bud was a wired hair fox terrier? They are beautiful dogs and very smart. My favorite dog is the “greyhound” or a plain ole mutt.
No offense Trish but Carl does have greyhound eyes AND he is lucky to have them! 😀
Tam
Soooo…to rephrase:
Are the new gates made of naquadah still?
Hi, Joe.
MGM Press Release:
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS129570+12-Oct-2009+PRN20091012
MGM’s ‘Stargate Universe’ Ratings Blast Off
Covers US, Canada, UK and Australian ratings successes!
Best wishes, Morjana
I watch all of the shows you mentioned except Criminal Minds and Big Bang Theory. They’re all fantastic. I used to watch Criminal Minds, but it got kind of old after a while.. Really similar story lines and the characters got weird. But the first few seasons were great!
Hey Joe,
Really enjoying SGU!
I did have a quick question though. Are you still writing the episodes in five acts ? (I am a bad fan; I didn’t keep track.)
If so, did you all ever consider switching to a 4-act structure?
What would be the advantages and disadvantages of each?
It just seems like the frequency of commercials on SGU is higher than some network shows (though they must be shorter).
Thanks in advance!
Brandon
Oh yeah…forgot to add. I tried to read the first Kathy Reichs book. Sorry Kathy, found it excruciating, found myself skipping chunks. It was like she was trying too hard to be incredibly detailed that she forgot to move the plot along. The books seem pretty popular so maybe she’s gotten better.
Cheers, Chev
Hi Joe, well, went to the neurologist this morning and kinda came back with more questions than answers. We’re going to try adjusting meds and if that doesn’t calm things down, we’ll think about doing an MRI to see if anything else (other than epilepsy) is going on. We’re trying to hold off on doing it because obviously, there is some concern about using general anesthesia on Elway, never mind the fact that if he does have a brain tumour, then what? Do we do chemo or radiation? Surgery? How much is too much to put him through? He’s pretty much back to his happy self now, so hopefully we’ll get a break for a while and this will resolve itself to the extent that it can be resolved for now. I suppose that in the end, we can only do our best for him and the rest is pretty much out of our hands.
Finally had the chance to watch part 3 on Hulu last night, and liked it much more than parts 1 and 2. The thing with the stones bugs me, but I’m probably hooked anyway 🙂 Still, must say, I really find myself missing McKay. I know, it’s over and done with and nobody wants to hear about that any more, but I miss him all the same. I really hope we get some (or plenty) of the humour I so love about Stargate.
Oh, if you would, please wish Brian a happy birthday for me! Yep, just tell him Deni sent ya 🙂
Hi, Joe.
From SyFy’s Craig Engler’s Twitter site:
http://twitter.com/Syfy
SyFy Stargate Universe GREW in its 2nd week, with a massive 22% gain in adults 18-49, 13% in adults 25-54 & about 2.4 million total viewers #sgu
*****
Terrific news! Congratulations to everyone at Bridge Studios!
🙂
Best wishes, Morjana
@Deni – all the best to you and Elway. It’s so stressful. I have my little Quaker and her feather plucking issues that just break my heart, so I sympathize with you. She had seizures too last year, and it was partly a calcium deficiency and hot (temperature) food. We have been seizure free for over a year. Now we’re trying to grow feathers again. We’re getting there. Don’t give up, love believes all things, hopes all things.Think positive and live in the moment.
There are other shows besides SG-1 and Atlantis???
Mr. M. I’m impressed you have time to watch TV at all! You write for SGU, SGA movies, SG1 movies and your comic books. This blog must take hours of time, right? (and we appreciate it) The dogs, your hobbies and least of all your wife! Are you laid back with good organizational skills, or a workaholic with a very understanding wife?
Tam
@spectre
I totally agree. Mr. M, Riley has delivered what many reacurring characters cannot. With just a few lines, I fell in love with him(no homo) and wanted to see, hear, and know more about him. That rarely happens for me with a reacurring character. AWESOME!!!
I have only watched a couple of episodes of only 3 of the shows you mention above, I’m actually not much of a TV watcher but at the moment I will turn my TV on to watch: Supernatural, House, Burn Notice (thanks to MS for the intro), Scrubs and South Park (and of course SGU).
Congratulations on the ratings for Air part 3 which have just been published on Gateworld 🙂
@Duneknight… “gay nerdish people”? Really? In this day and age you actually write drivel such as that? Okay, everyone! Turn away! Joe I don’t blame you if you chose not to approve this comment…
Duneknight, on behalf of my gay friends … Fuck You. Sideways. With a chainsaw. Dude, you suck, and not in a good way. Join the 21st century already.
Thank you, I feel much better now.
Hi Joe — Is there anything else on TV besides Stargate? 🙂
I’ve watched Lie to Me — can’t get into it. Tim Roth’s character is overbearing to the point of being unwatchable.
The Mentalist — I like Simon Baker, but it’s already getting repetitive after 1 season, and basically a Psych rip-off. Psych — now there’s a cute show. The writing is funny and the leads are a scream. They also make fun of The Mentalist, in a wink-wink kind of way. Throw in the outtakes over the closing credits, and it’s a fun ride.
I also like Burn Notice and Castle. Clever.
One show no one has mentioned is The Closer. One of the draws for me is that Kyra Sedgwick plays a Southern woman with smarts and sass. It also shows how infighting and turf wars can get in the way of doing your job, which is something I’ve experienced working in both the public and private sectors.
I’ve tried to watch Bones (love David Boreanaz!) but it’s hard for me to swallow that an anthropologist would be that out of touch with human nature. She’s so literal it’s cringeworthy.
Criminal Minds is too creepy for me, and we don’t watch The BBT. DH loves NCIS, but that’s one show where you can’t get too attached to a character. They have a habit of killing them off.
FYI — none of these I have mentioned are “must-see” for us. The only show we plan to watch is Stargate.
Shows you should watch my uppence worth.
Well I only watch Bones and Lie To Me out of those mentioned so I’ll only comment on them.
Bones: well I adore David Boreanaz for reasons that… umm, you probably won’t but yes, the two leads do have amazing chemistry. Unfortunately they seem to try rather too hard to push that. There’s been a number of extremely contrived excuses to get them to kiss or make out or whatever (yes, this from someone who has often declared I could ‘ship two motes of dust if they happened to drift too close together). I just wish they’d let the actor’s natural chemistry dictate the course of the relationship instead of shoving it at us all the time. I’d be able to sit back and enjoy the actual goings on of the week more without the distraction of rolling my eyes every time they “push” Brennan and Booth at us. However, when Bones is not overplaying the relationship card it is extremely good and clever entertainment.
Lie To Me: I think it’s brilliant! In part because it’s beautifully acted and has real characters with real live and real flaws. Like you, I fear how long they can tap that vein before it gets formulaic but, actually, if watching TV has taught me anything it’s that writers are incredibly inventive and, just when you think they are about to run out of options, they pull something amazing out of the hat. Almost always anyway. I’d give it a shot if I were you. I don’t think you’d hate yourself for doing so.
@Tammy: well that’s a compliment, though. So that’s no problem.
@Deni: Aw! I’m so sorry you’re going through all that. You’re in my thoughts. Hopefully you can get things figured out with Elway. That’s so rough. 🙁
Another vote for Bones. After several seasons of Dr. Brennan becoming more “normal” (at least for her), this season appears to be making an effort to return the character to her socially unaware roots to generate more humor.
As you noted, the chemistry between David Boreanaz Emily Deschanel makes this show, although Michaela Conlin as Angela Montenegro and Deschanel have some great scenes together as well.
While the completist in me would suggest going the DVD route to “catch up”, the current 5th season appears to have reached a point where it’s not really serialized from a story standpoint.
Should have asked this earlier, all in the same comment but; is there any reason each show has a new hyperspace window effect? in SG1 it’s purple, in SGA it’s white and in SGU its fairly similar to the SGA one except it’s kind of pink.
@Kabra and Trish: You guys are incredibly sweet, thanks so much for the kind words. Hope to see you both soon! Elway sends kisses 🙂
@ Sheryl
Ft. Myers Fl, 60miles west of the Big Lake “O”(great bass fishin)
@MADDOG316, you live in FLORIDA? Where? Tell us, 6 of us here on Joe’s blog live here and we are going to meet in Orlando on OCT. 31st, Wanna come? @DENI- Glad Elway is better. We will talk soon. Joe, do ya want chestnuts? They are on their way to me, so let me know? Sheryl
Yeah, Fringe is awesome!
The sunglasses in hour 3 were Wylie X if im allowed to say so. Another viewer wanted to know.
Mr. M, i am disabled and all I do is sleep and watch TV. If there is anything you need me to do, I’d be happy to help 😉
@ Deni – Hugs to you and Elway.
My sister is here visiting, and we got talking about tv shows, and she told me she can’t watch Psych because Shawn reminds her too much of Mr. Das.
Heh. I guess that makes me Gus! 😀
We had a family todo tonight, and my brother tells me that they lost their cat for three days – couldn’t find her…looked all over and figured she got outside and was lost. Well…nope – seems Jellybean got into my niece’s dresser drawer and was trapped there over the weekend while she was out of town. Jellybean is found and is fine, but can’t say the same for the clothes that were in the drawer… 😛
das
The only two shows on your list that I regularly watch are Lie to Me and Bones. I’ve tried The Mentalist and wasn’t impressed. Lie to Me is okay, but its not really must see. Bones used to be great fun. I will say all of the actors are very good and have great chemistry. That said the show jumped the shark a while back. It never seemed to recover from the writers strike. It seems to be getting slightly back on course this season but last season was down right painful to watch and if it wasn’t for the likeable actors I would have given it up. I really wouldn’t bother if I were you.
I would highly suggest Supernatural. Its well written and has a well thought out plan. Its one of those great shows that no one watches. If you ever do get around to watching, know that the first season is mostly good fun popcorn viewing but once you hit the second season it gets incredible. Hands down my favorite show on the air and one of my all time favorites, up there with The X-Files, Firefly, Lost and SGA and SG-1.
Hey Joe,
Question for you…
With a lack of a DHD in universe, do the off-world gates have their own internal power source for establishing an outgoing wormhole? Will this be addressed in the upcoming episodes?
Cheers!
Hi Joe! Long time reader, first time commenter, as the old saying goes! I would second the vote for Supernatural – it’s got humour, great storylines, and a great selection of music.
I’m loving SGU so far, except for the fact that I have to wait a week to see what happens next! I’m a little confused about the gate system though – doesn’t the fact that you have to use an Ancient remote/tablet device instead of an easily accessable DHD render the entire gate system kind of useless? Why would the Ancients put so much effort seeding a system across galaxies that only a select few can use? Plus why is the range on the new (old?) gates so short? Even if they had the range of the Milky Way or Pegasus gates, they’d still require massive amounts of power to dial back to Earth!
Please don’t think I’m dissing the show – I really love it so far, especially Eli. I have nothing but respect for my fellow nerds!
Deni: Sending good health vibes to Elway.
Tam
Sorry Sheryl
I’ll have to take a raincheck that night, Obligation to my nieces and nephews, my family has a big party on Holloween and take the kids around my aunts neighborhood, let me know of another time and I’ll make a weekend trip up to Orlando, but if ya didn’t catch it Ft. Myers, it’s 60 west of lake “O” in Southwest Florida.
“Criminal Minds”
Started with the pilot, as Andrew Jackson, whom I’d met at Gatecon. Stayed with due to quality of storytelling and excellent cast. BTW, Kirstren Vangness is an example of a “real woman” actress, though the “geekcentricities” can sometimes be over the top.
“The Mentalist”
Also started from the premiere, due to interest in the concept.
I don’t time-switch these, nor are they “must see”, but they are pleasant diversions either first-run or syndication.
@Joe said—parts of my memory erased using the device we got from that planet in SG-1’s Collateral Damage. Cool, no?
**Maybe they can do that for the Senators wife, problem solved! And Cool Yes!
@Deni, Hope your puppy is feeling better, as Abby on Ncis would say, Positive thoughts! Positive thoughts!!
Joe, I like Mentalist, maybe its because its easy to look at Simon Baker, maybe its for the content of the show, anyones guess. I enjoy Bones and Big Bang Theory, Not so much Criminal Minds. I am watching Lie to Me as we speak, so I guess I it gets my vote also.
Have a great Day!
Correction to previous:
Started with the pilot, as Andrew Jackson, whom I’d met at Gatecon, played the antagonist.
And since “Psych” was mentioned, I started with the pilot because the late Don S. Davis was a guest. Have stayed with but have to watch repeats, since, in USA, NBC/Universal’s TPTB chooze to run great shows at conflicting times on various NBC /Univ. networks.
Oh, and San Antonio talents are involved with CM (Thomas Gibson) and Psych (James Roday).
yup, i was right. in the third hour, just before Eli’s “damn you all to hell” speech, there is an overhead shot where the team has spit up and the one group is walking off. this is shown BEFORE the team has decided to split up.
what is the power source of the communication stones? two AAs? what if this runs out in the middle of a body jump!
drag.
what is the source of all that water used to mix with the lime. there is an awful lot of it in the scrubber containers.
picky picky picky, huh.
and open some of the ancient’s storage containers alredy!
i’m glad a lot of the questions are being answered from SG1/SGA that i had laying around in my noggin. i always wondered where they could get more zpms.
as much as i want to add to the roundtable of the new book, i can’t afford buying more books, so that’s out. plus i cant read too well anymore.
I highly recommend Big Bang Theory and Criminal Minds. BBT is the one sitcom that has me laughing out loud. Criminal Minds is quite dark and disturbing, but in a good way. The Mentalist is also quite good, Simon Baker is wonderful.
Hiya, Joe…
Don’t know about the other shows, but I love Bones for the chemistry and all the previously stated reasons. Need to get the DVDs from the “li-berry” to catch up on it. Did see one AR/alternate-reality episode where the leads are married and very glad to see each other…. Yep, they did it, but we only saw them from the shoulders up. The show waited four years before getting to that point, and it wasn’t done in an “in-your-face,” young people “—ing” style. I already know how you feel, but I think the timing and the way it was done was a major mistake. And like you, I don’t like to say much unless there’s something nice to say. (Having a heavy schedule doesn’t help, either, or you would have had the upbeat reactions too, instead of a medical mistake comment and this one today.)
Last couple weeks have been crazy, and are about to get crazier. The two-a-day job schedule starts tomorry. Will have to catch up on the blog on weekends. Had a Blast last week because the national specialty dog show for my late doggie-grrrl’s breed, Samoyed, was actually here in my hometown. And guess what? One of the guest experts brought along their baby Frenchie! Too cute. Having the show in my own backyard was a total gift, being around those special dogs and their special people for a week. Four different folks are ready to send a puppy my way when the time is right. Still have stars in my eyes. Had my picture taken with as many dogs as people. 😀 The dogs were all beautiful, but none of them were my baby grrrl.
Hey, I put something in the mail for, I dunno, somebody’s birthday. 😉 They said it wouldn’t get there till Monday. Drat. You’ll just have to have an extended celebration like the rest of us do. At least you’ll get a laugh out of part of it. Hard telling what the rest of the week will be like, so I’ll say it now: Happy Birthday!
Forgot to ask, how is Jelly girl doing? And the rest of the Mallozzi fur tribe? And a Brie question, if she is a “guest,” do you co-own her with her breeder? (A common arrangement in dog circles.)
The few times I’ve watched Bones, I love the chemistry between the characters. It’s the grossness I can’t deal with at all. I would really like to watch it. It’s hard to fast forward through that stuff and know what’s going on. My oldest son has all the seasons on iPod, so if I want to catch up, I can.
You should try Chuck and Burn Notice. The Executive Producer of Burn Notice reminds me so much of you. Not that he has a blog, mind you. You just seem to have the same sense of humor. And Chuck is always good!
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. A Canadian friend of mine was telling everyone what she was serving. Reading her description of the menu made me so hungry.
Bones is a great show! It is my favourite show (now that Atlantis has been cancelled).
Hey Joe,
My daughter who is 13 and also a very rough critic of crime and procedural genre loves both the Mentalist and Bones. She is really tough point out plot flaws and mistakes in science and has nothing but good things to say about both the shows. Give the DVD’s a watch and see what you think. On a personal note, I LOVE Dexter. I don’t know if it has been mentioned above, but I feel that Dexter got the shaft 2 years running at the Emmys against Madmen. Consistently great writing stories and a great cast. Give it a look on dvd, it is a bit gory but you can always close your girlie little eyes:-)
Wow! All these replies? Will anyone ever get to this one?
Regarding The Big Bang Theory: It’s the type of show that I would like, but I tried the first few episodes and could not get into it for one very good reason. The characters are supposed to be Physics graduate students. Well, I was a Physics graduate student (Boston University, MA ’93), and I’m sorry to say that the characters are completely unrealistic.
Had they just made them engineer geeks in the workforce or something like that, I probably could have gotten into the series….
Instead of the Mentalist, try watching Psych. It’s filmed in Vancouver (support your filming neighbor!), and is the source of the basic plot for the Mentalist (well, maybe not the source, but the basic premise is virtually identical). Plus it’s funny!
“Lie to me”:
All shows have a formula they repeat (spaceship flying from planet to planet? 🙂
Lie to me has the “Oooh, I can see you are lying to me (or not)” – but the stories are generally good, and created with clever care.
“The Mentalist”
Right for the first scene Simon Baker must have decided that he better lift this show into the limelight by sheer force of will, and the rest of the cast woke up and started chasing him into a funny creation. It balances on if you like him or not, if you don’t you’ll see him as an insufferably arrogant manipulator – and if you do like you’ll still see him as an insufferably arrogant manipulator but love him for it with each cutting remake. He’s a modern day Sherlock Holmes, its totally unbelievable and totally entertaining.
And it has cool multi-word episode titles.
Hi Joe,
Watched the first two eps of SGU, not yet the third- am still undecided over the show, but liking the cast.
YOU MUST WATCH BONES!!!!!!!!!
Reasons why:
1. The cast is A-MA-ZING!!!!!!!!
2. It’s better than most crime-shows. (Bones focuses on the anthropological side of solving crimes rather than the tough cop way, as many other crime shows do)
3. There’s fantastic guest stars- Including Ryan O’Neill, Stephen Fry………..& many more.
4. You watch the next program anyway- why not just start watching Bones?????
5. The stories- though often gruesome- are out-of-the-typical crimes shown in other crime shows.
6. Again, just start watching that channel 1 hour earlier- you’ll learn to love it.
7. I’ll watch SGU (when it comes on Free-to-air here in Australia) IF you watch Bones. [and I’ll be expecting a screencap of Bones EVERY week as proof]
SG related:
1. If SGU’s ratings picks up, does that mean the SGA movie is in with a shot of being filmed & released?????
I’m sorry Joe, but the shows you don’t watch imho are better than the shows you do watch. The only exception being House.
BONES & MENTALIST ….♥