BK's 3rd Annual TV Season Review

Another solid season of TV came to a close for me on Monday, which means time for the season review of my favorite shows.

Lost- B+ Many weren't fans of the time-tripping Season 5, but I liked the direction the story is headed into its final season. And the finale was riveting, as we crossed back over to destiny vs. free will debate. Season 6 should be a great ending, though waiting till January will be rough.

24- B- Jack was back for the first time in 18 months, and after a horrible 6th season and the strike almost destroyed this show, "24" rose from the ashes to be good (if not great) again. No silly side-stories, though there was plenty of the "are they good or bad?" lines. And Kim came back, and wasn't chased by a cougar. Season 8 might be the end, so enjoy it while you can.

My Name Is Earl- C+ Marked improvement from last year's jail/coma storylines, but starting to feel a little worn out. And it may not matter, as NBC has canceled the show. Fox may pick it up, but the show has almost run its course.

The Office- A- Another very good season from Steve Carrell and the gang. From the Holly storyline to Michael starting his own company, "The Office" rarely had a mediocre show this year. And Cafe Disco was one of the best episodes ever. It ended on a good note with Holly's return.

30 Rock- A- Competing with The Office as the funniest show on TV, Tina, Alec and Tracy are the best trio in comedy right now. Hilarious help from the supporting cast as well, and great (if too many) special guest stars.

Scrubs- B+ A great rebound for the supposed final season (since has been renewed), Scrubs got the ending it deserved but could never get from NBC. I'm a little torn on a 9th season, as the original cast will be sparse. Either way, ABC did the show right.

Family Guy- C- Very, very uneven season. First there was the 4 months of no new episodes in the middle of the season. Then came the horrendous OJ and Steven King episodes. There were some really good ones (The Bird is the Word), but Seth should worry about his bread-winner instead of making spin-offs.

Some hope for the future:
Better Off Ted- B-
Parks and Recreation- C
Gary Unmarried- B+

Oh, September can't get here soon enough!

TV Season Comes To A Close

With the season finale of Lost last night, the TV season has come to a close, and my 2nd annual ratings of my favorite shows will commence. Note that every show gets an F for effort due to writers' strike that made ridiculously short seasons.

Back To You- C+ the only new show that I stuck with gets cancelled. Not the greatest show in the world, but smart and funny; and is bringing this show back for a 2nd season really worse than an 8th season (not making that up, folks) of According to Jim???

Til Death- B- the addition of the hilarious JB Smoove(Curb Your Enthusiasm) late this year may save this show in its upcoming 3rd season. A funny enough show with some really good episodes this year.

24- MIA because of writers' strike. Lets hope an extra year's worth of time saves this once-great show after a crappy 6th season last year.

My Name is Earl- D+ Absolutely went wrong this year, sending the main character into an inordinate amount of episodes in prison and a coma. Let's hope it gets back to what made this show great just a year ago.

The Office- A- No complaints here, the Jim and Pam thing was better than could have been expected, Michael got back to being cringe-inducing with a heart of gold; background characters were better fleshed out.

30 Rock- B Started strong but finished a bit weak. Tina Fey is still the funniest woman on TV, and the ensemble of this show could turn this into a "Cheers"-type show, if only people would watch!

Scrubs- C+ I'm biased a little only because I enjoyed all 6 previous season over last summer and was a bit dissapointed in how lackluster this one felt. Thankfully ABC has picked up this show for a final season after being treated horribly by NBC at the end. Let's hope for a high note.

SNL- B Funniest season in awhile, and the political years always help. Amy Poehler needs to do one more year just to keep giving us Update and Hillary.

Family Guy- B The episodes that actually aired were funny as always. All 12 of them, by far the fewest of all the shows.

Lost- A+ Saved the best for last. This season was phoenominal. 14 episodes that didn't leave a moment for filler, chock full of meaty storylines, some answers, and more questions. This has the promise to become the smartest-written show ever. We'll know for sure in 2 years, when we come to the end.

More Convention..

A couple videos from the Q & A, taken by another fan. The questions aren't included, but Office fans will get the gist. Enjoy!

Part 1:



Part 2:

The Office Convention!

What an unexpected thrill to go to The Office convention on Saturday. It was held in my hometown of Scranton, the setting for the show. I braved the hard rain to go down and spent the entire day taking it all in. First, I got to be in the Office Olympics, a take-off of a Season 2 episode. I did ok, but did not win. Still alot of fun!


After that, I headed back over to the tent to pick up my free t-shirt, and Phyllis Smith (Phyllis) was signing autographs. I got to meet her and she was just as sweet as she is on the show.


Staci and I headed down to grab a bite at one of the many stands that were set up. The Good Alfredo's Pizza was there, as was Poor Richard's and Farley's, all of which are often mentioned on the show. As we walked back up towards the main stage Creed Bratton (Creed) and Craig Robinson were joining local band The Scrantones for a few tunes. Turns out Creed really was in the '60's group The Grass Roots (as is his character).



The highlight of the day was definitely the Q & A with the cast. 10 members of the supporting cast were there and they answered silly and serious questions for 2 hours. They really seemed touched by the reception they had received by locals and out-of-towners alike.



All in all, a great day, hopefully next year, we can all go and hit the non-free events!

Farewell, TV Season!

Wednesday officially ended the 2006-07 TV season. And while I settle in to a summer of all baseball, all the time, I thought I'd review some of the highlights and lowlights of my favorite shows.


Lost- Many fans were disappointed with the season, and while I'll admit that it started off slowly, what a great last few weeks! And the explosive season-finale was fantastically done, and left me literally on the edge of my seat. As is always the case with "Lost," many questions answered, and many more created. And now we have to wait till February of '08.


24- Jack, Jack, Jack...Now, I want to be clear, I am still one of 24's most devoted fans, and Jack Bauer is one of the best characters on TV, hands down. But this season..well, as Mari would say, "the worst season ever!" It would have been a great season if we hadn't seen it 5 times before. Most of the year, it was predictable, and I found myself continuously saying, "Yup, this happened in Season(insert 1-5 here)." My great hope was that the finale would be outstanding. Nope. Producers are telling us that Season 7 will be completely retooled with a whole new plan for the show. Let's hope so.


The Office- Another solid season put in by TV's funniest comedy. And good news for next year- there will be 30(!!) episodes instead of the normal 22 to cut down on repeats. I'm very excited. (I know, Michael, "that's what she said.")

Other shows that are honored by my watching:
Family Guy- B+ Too many repeats, not enough flashbacks.
Simpsons- C- Time to let this show go out with some dignity.
Studio 60- B+ RIP Studio 60, we hardly knew ye. Yet Prison Break gets another year. What a world.
My Name is Earl- C+ Too many repeats, and too many serious shows. Let's get back to comedy next year.
30 Rock B Best new comedy, by far. Alec Baldwin creates the funniest character on TV.

So there you have it. Now enjoy the last 6 episodes of Studio 60, and Rescue Me in June, as I will, and I'll see you in September.