I was thinking this would wrap up my TV reviews, but then I realized I watch quite a few shows on Sundays as well, so I'll do a post for them in the next few days. By the way, don't think I forgot about Wednesdays; I didn't, there's just nothing decent on that night.
My Name is Earl: I'm beginning to consider giving up on this show. It's not that the show is bad, but compared to so many other sharp, intelligent sitcoms out there, this sticks out like a sore thumb. Each episode makes you feel nice with their uplifting themes, but I just don't find myself laughing a whole lot. All of the main characters have become stale and whenever they try to give the characters new developments, it never is for the better. The highlight of the show is still Jaime Pressley's Joy, who continues to find new levels of being hilariously trashy. If the networks try and squeeze anything else on this night, this is likely the first to go.
Kath and Kim: I gave the show a look and for some reason have stuck with it. The show really isn't very good or funny, but I can't seem to give it up. Part of it is that I know there is potential there because of the funny cast. The other part is that train wreck mentality where you know what you're watching is horrific, yet you can't look away. Along with Earl, this one needs to shape up quickly if it has any chance of surviving on my DVR.
The Office: This season has definitely been an improvement over the unnecessarily dour season 4, but still has not returned to complete greatness. I think I've resigned to the fact that the show simply cannot live up to the awesomeness that was season 2. That season focused on the nuances of working in a dull office, whereas now, too much focus is on the characters and their relationships. There have certainly been some highlights though, including the development of Michael and Holly's relationship. I hope she can return at some point down the line. I also have enjoyed how they've thrown these potential stumbling blocks in front of Jim and Pam, yet have resisted to have them breakup over some cliched conflict. I'll be looking forward to seeing what they do with the post-Super Bowl slot in a few weeks. The early reports sound like we'll be in for a big treat.
30 Rock: I think the praise and accolades have hurt this show a bit. Not that I think the writers or stars are getting big egos, but rather it has caused them to try and create episodes that abandon the show's original concept in order to generate more viewers to justify in remaining on the air. There were too many episodes thus far stuffed with guest stars and there was hardly any time spent on the TV show that the characters work on. The highlight for me this season was the subplot involving Kenneth and Tracy trying to film an appropriate ending to Night Court. In an episode focused on Jennifer Aniston's appearance, seeing the reunion of Harry Anderson and Markie Post was the real treat for me. This show remains funny, but they need to start remembering what brought them to the dance.
Survivor: This was not one of my favorite seasons. Of course, it would have been tough to top the crazy and exciting Fans vs. Favorites season, but this one came in way under expectations. This is mostly to blame on a lousy cast. Anyone that was remotely interesting was booted early and we were left with a handful of unworthy or egotistical characters. It became difficult to root for anyone near the end, however I was thrilled to see that Bob won as he proved himself out there. Unlike their last visit to Africa, locale wasn't a major issue this time. True, there wasn't a whole lot of water, but they made up for that with the beautiful jungles and wildlife, which I'm sure looked amazing in HD. Having watched every season, I know that some are better than others, so I'll definitely be looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us when they travel to Brazil next season.
CSI: We knew going into this season that Grissom wouldn't be sticking around and as sad as that is, I think the show has done a wonderful job of depicting how this job has broken him down. Most of the cases themselves have been nothing extraordinary, but Grissom's performance has been top notch. I would love to see him actually get some recognition come awards season, something that typically eludes him being on a serial show like this. I really enjoyed the cliffhanger episode that introduced Laurence Fishburne. The Dick and Jane killer was very interesting and Fishburne character already has enough mystery surrounding him to make us curious about him. I may not always get to this show immediately on Thursday nights, but it never fails to entertain me whenever I do get around to watching the episodes.
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