Must See TV

The new fall line ups are here! I'm not talking fashion line ups, but the line up of our favorite tv shows! It's nice to be out of reruns and have something new to watch! On the other hand, I watched a lot new tv throughout the summer. I watch many of the shows on Bravo, and they don't follow traditional seasons of the major networks. But, my favorite shows are still the sitcoms and dramas so I was happy for their return.

Over the last few years, many of my favorite shows have run their course (sigh, Gilmore Girls) or gotten cancelled, and I haven't replaced them. I was a diehard fan of NBC's Thursday night "Must See TV" in all its evolving formats - Cheers, Seinfeld, Mad About You, Friends, Frasier, Will & Grace, and ER- I loved them all. I suppose it's no surprise that two of my favorite shows are still on NBC Thursday nights - The Office and Community.

I have watched The Office from the beginning. I heard a lot about the BBC version, and watched a few episodes that I thought were hilarious, so I knew I had to give the American version a try. The episode from the first season entitled "Diversity Day" got me completely hooked. I used to tell people who weren't sure whether to watch The Office to watch the episode specifically. If people found that episode funny, they would become Office fans. If not, they weren't going to like it. The show has evolved quite a bit since then - I don't want to spoil it for you, but Jim and Pam are married now and they have a daughter - but I still think it's funny and one of the best shows on television. This season is going to be Steve Carell (Michael Scott)'s last, so I'm curious to see how his storyline will evolve. Next season will certainly be interesting without him.

Community is only in its second season, but I'm already hooked. I probably would've given this a shot because it's an NBC Thursday night show, but I had a special interest in it because I know someone on the show! Danny Pudi, who plays Abed, went to my alma mater and I knew him through an activity we both participated in during our college years. He is an extremely nice guy and incredibly talented so I naturally had to support his show - and good thing for him, I loved it! It's a great ensemble cast, but of course I think he's the true star of that show. This season started with a bang, having Betty White as a guest star and capping the show off with a new rap that harkens back to the original La Biblioteca rap that really highlighted Abed and Troy as comedic partners. I highly recommend this show - it's so ridiculous sometimes (see paintball episode) that it's also absolutely brilliant.


The other scripted show I watch regularly is Law and Order:SVU. I like all the Law and Orders, but there's something about SVU that has kept me watching. Honestly, I think it's that the detectives haven't changed, unlike the original Law and Order. The format has stayed the same over the years, and I expect it to get old, but somehow they've managed to keep the show compelling. Don't get me wrong - the content is incredibly disturbing and sometimes too intense for me, but I still really enjoy that show.
I also watch 30 Rock, though I don't DVR that one. If I miss it, I miss it and I'm okay with it. I think Tina Fey is a genius, and the show is brilliant, but I'm just not as into it as I am the other shows.
I'm trying to pick a new show to watch this year. So far, the front runner is Glee. I love musicals, and I love a good teen drama (see Dawson's Creek, starring Katie Holmes who went to my high school). However, the Brittany Spears episode from this week was weird, and I'm not really a fan of a show that celebrates Brittany as "influential." The verdict is still out on that.
I tried Dexter and ... no. I generally don't like shows where the main character is a serial killer. This also rules out shows about vampires. Also, I'm not interested in anything that begins with CSI.
Is there anything else on television?
Edit: Lest you think I only watch three shows, I thought I should include my list of unscripted (reality) shows to demonstrate that I really watch waaay too much television:

• Project Runway (Tim is feisty this year, isn't he?),
• Top Chef (getting lame, barely watched this season)
• Real Housewives of ___ (although not DC and probably not Atlanta or Beverly Hills)
• The Rachel Zoe Project (although probably no more since Brad left)
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
• Deadliest Catch (WTF is going on? First Phil, now this?)
• Giuliana & Bill
• Monday Night Football and various other sporting events

I'm sure I'm missing some but I can't think of any others at the moment.