15 August 2007

Fall lineup

Recently a lot of commercials are about the new shows coming this fall. I don't have cable, so I don't get a lot of the really bad stuff, but I also don't get a lot of the educational (and decorating and cooking and gardening) shows, either. Just dealing with the standard fare on the regular news channels is enough for me. Even PBS is becoming questionable (bratty Caillou, eastern mystical Sagwa, environmentally friendly Bob the Builder, insane Teletubbies, etc). Now that I have kids, I really scrutinize things. Not really. It doesn't take much scrutiny, just a look at the titles or reading the synopsis in the paper is telling.

As an aside, I'm a spring person. I love spring, especially after having lived in Seattle for 10 years. Spring hits Seattle big time. In Minnesota, spring kind of whimpers in, squished in between the disappearance of dirty snow and the onset of heat and humidity. My husband loves fall. My father used to, too. Something about the return to the cooler temps and the changing colors in the trees. To me, fall is kind of melancholy. A time to start putting things away and buckling down before winter comes. More of an end than a beginning.

Fall also reminds me of school. I think I have been attending school for most of my life. Now, with the kids, school is pretty much on hold or a thing of the past. I really miss it, but my husband is going to be taking classes again. In a few weeks, he will be resuming his grad school studies without me and I am so envious! His job will pay for his courses, but I can't even afford a pencil, not to mention grad school tuition. So, this fall I will be sending sweet hubby off to school (at night) on his own while I am left spending my time avoiding the questionable, and very questionable, shows on TV.

It's a good thing I don't watch much TV, because here are some of the new shows the networks have dreamed up. Seriously, they must be dreaming.

CBS
Yes, Ghost Whisperer returns for the new season. I've never watched an episode, but know it's loosely based on the life of psychic to the beyond, James Van Praagh. I've seen JVP on some talk shows and wonder if he really is hearing dead people, thinks he is hearing dead people, is faking or something more sinister. I really can't understand this fascination with "dead people," but maybe it is a comfort to some who want one more chance to talk to their deceased loved ones. I think saying a rosary for the repose of their soul or having Masses said would be a better thing to do.

New show, Moonlight, is about a private investigator who is also a vampire. This is the commercial I saw that really made me wonder what the heck they are putting on TV these days. Coming soon to the other networks in typically copy-cat fashion, will be a show about a PI who is a zombie, werewolf or the like. Seriously, a show about a vampire. Makes me almost miss Horror Incorporated. Oh, and by the way, the lead character's name is Mick St. John. A vampire with a saint's name. Go figure.

ABC
I'm kind of curious about Caveman. I don't think it will last long, but it should be good for one viewing...maybe. Supposedly, the cavemen didn't evolve like the rest of us. Another go figure.

There are a bunch of dramas that ABC seems to be repackaging. Carpoolers is like a male version of Desperate Housewives. Private Practice is an off-shoot of Grey's Anatomy. All on my not-fit-for-kids list.

More dramas of the same ilk are: Dirty, Sexy, Money; Big Shots; Women's Murder Club; and, Cashmere Mafia. Like we didn't have enough of this kind of thing with Desperate Housewives and Grey's.

Then, in the requisite spiritual category, is Pushing Daisies, about a guy that can bring people back to life with a touch. OK. Sure. Great premise. Not.
Also, another drama called Eli Stone. Here's what ABC says about it, "...a unique, character-driven drama that explores the very different worlds of law and spirituality in a humorous and heartfelt way. Joining fantasy and spirituality from The Ghost Whisperer , sincerity and passion from The Practice and quirky humor from Monk , the show asks if we can change the course of our life midstream. Eli Stone is the cutthroat lawyer who risks everything he's worked for in order to explore a higher calling. Meaning, the guy knows right from wrong, seems to always choose wrong and then feels guilty about it...or maybe doesn't even feel guilty. On my skip list.

NBC
Journeyman is about a San Francisco reporter who travels back in time, ala Quantum Leap. Also being repackaged by the network is the Bionic Woman. Guess these network guys were given a box of string and told to come up with some new ideas. They must've been too busy text-messaging to really care.

Good thing the kids like books. Think we will be doing a lot of reading when the days grow shorter and it's too cold to be outside. I can't believe it's almost fall.

8 comments:

Mairin :o) said...

I think anything 'heard' from the dead comes from the devil since the bible warns against it.

I don't know how old your kids are, but when my daughter was younger I had her read the little house series then we visit Lake Pepin and Plum Creek. Caddie Woodlawn is also fairly close by.

swissmiss said...

:o)
Back when I was still working, before kids, I used to get home before my husband. There was one of the psychic shows on. I watched it one time, then the next day, and so on for two weeks. By that point, I had to go to confession. It's intriguing, but that's the sneaky part of it. Slippery slope.

The kids had a play date today and the other mom and I talked about books we read to our kids. She suggested Farmer Boy, which I think is Alonzo's life from Little House, or something like that. I never read the Little House books, but plan to get them.

Hidden One said...

I agree with :o). Heartily agree. in my own life, I had an experience with a girl 'possessed' by a 'ghost' which, naturally, was a demon. Every now and then I still have an encounter of whatever sort with it. I don't like it one bit. (On that note, a new prayer request just came into my head...)

swissmiss said...

hidden one:
You just gave me goose bumps all over...seriously. This ghost stuff is dangerous territory. That's kind of the what I meant, however flippantly I might have said it, that these psychics are either delusional or messing with something very dangerous.

A new prayer request is on its way. Enlist your Guardian Angel for some stepped up protection.

Mairin :o) said...

I agree watching the psychics/mediums is a slippery slope. I watched Jon Edward for a while.

I'd say the St.Michael the Archangel prayer for encounters w/the 'spirit'. How scary.

On the way to Walnut Grove there is a sod house that your kids could see. Gives you an idea on how they lived. I thought it was cool. Yes, Farmer Boy was about Almonzo.

swissmiss said...

Jon Edwards is the show I watched! I couldn't think of his name, but knew it was the same as a presidential candidate. Yep, I watched him for two weeks, first just to see what his deal was, then started to watch. Ugh. Thank goodness I never watched too long, but it left me with a really creepy feeling.

I never read the Little House stories as a kid since I thought I was too cool for them. Too girly girl. Now that I have kids, I plan to read them to both my son and daughter!

Anonymous said...

It's Almanzo....LOL!

I lived, breathed, slept and ate LHP books. I have read The Long Winter at least 20 times! I wanted to BE Laura Ingalls. OK, enough about me!

I watched Ghost Whisperer once or twice. It is not compatible with Catholic theology if I remember correctly although it did strengthen my resolve to NOT play Ouija, see a medium, get palm read, etc. (not that I would, but just in case!)

swissmiss said...

Angela:
Yes, I'm illiterate. I've only seen the TV series LHP a few times and that is just recently with the kids. I never read, owned or even so much as held a LHP book. Now that I'm a mom, my perspective has changed and there is so much junk out there that LHP books are refreshing.