TV Worth Watching

rudyamid — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:47:48 +0000

These days, a parent like me who has a lot of things to do every day and night, would not have so much time to watch any TV, right? Surprisingly, I do have some time, thanks to streaming technologies like Hulu, Netflix, Torrents, Tivo, and YouTube. Time shifting becomes much easier. Granted, I don’t always watch the TV shows at the day they air. But that’s ok – they’re not so important that I have to see them right away, anyway. Plus, TV shows now typically have very short seasons, with less than 20 episodes and 1-4 months breaks in the between. So there are plenty of time to catch up.

Here are some of the shows I’ve been following recently:

24

Jack Bauer is the man! I’ve always been entertained with the ridiculous plot twists and turns. This season, they have Starbuck as a meek computer girl, with a shady past. The only thing that won’t let me down is the timeline: In real time¹! As a sidenote, I got a kick of Kiefer Sutherland‘s voice performance as the General in Monsters Vs Aliens.

Heroes

Been following this show since the beginning. What grabbed me are the interesting characters and plot twists. Milo Ventimiglia (who plays Peter Petrelli) is from my current city of Anaheim. Also the best, is Masi Oka playing the Japanese hero, Hiro Nakamura.

House M.D.

It’s another show that I’ve been watching since the beginning. It’s also a show that I like to watch in one sitting, so it’s my favorite “one-sitter” series. Hugh Laurie is the absolute star of the show, as the blatantly honest yet brilliant medical doctor. As a side note, also in the movie Monsters Vs Aliens, Hugh’s voice acting as the roach scientist was so funny and entertaining!

Castle

I’ve been a fan of Nathan Fillion since “Firefly”. Now he’s back (for good, I hope) in a smartly written “Castle” with a stunning co-star, Stana Katic. Last Halloween, Nathan donned his Captain Mal suit in the show. How cool was that?

Leverage

I liked the movie Ocean’s Eleven. I also liked the classic Robin Hood story. This show is just like that – thieves who help the needy. I like the tricks and plot twists in each episode. I also like the performance of Timothy Hutton, who I haven’t seen since the movie Ordinary People. Then, there’s of course the parade of guest stars from Star Trek veterans like Brent Spiner, Jeri Ryan, Wil Wheaton, and Armin Shimmerman.

Burn Notice

It’s a cross between Macgyver and the A-Team. This show got me hooked from the beginning. Honestly, I watch it because of Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness).

Stargate SGU

I have my reservation at first. A reboot of the Stargate series, with a darker story line and mostly characters with a dark past. It’s been compared to new Battlestar Galactica in so many levels. But after a few episodes, it’s starting to mold into its own unique show. Also what makes it good, at least so far, is the intriguing character development of Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) and Eli (David Blue).

Sanctuary

They had a slow first season. But, they had an amazing season finale and interesting 2nd season, so far. I’m going to stick with it because of Amanda Tapping, a Stargate SG-1 veteran.

Eureka

A short summer series, always delivering fun stories about time travel, physics defying vehicles, and futuristic gadgets. All wrapped in a comedy of human interaction, with a bit of drama thrown in. Lately, I haven’t seen Matt Frewer in the show, which is a pity, he’s a fun actor to watch since the days of Max Headroom.

V

What can I say, I love the original 80′s TV mini-series. The new show was written, in such a way, to have picked up from where it left off. We all know who the “Visitors” are. We all know what they want. What we don’t know if what are they gonna do now? I’m tuning in to find out. Also, as I mentioned before, I’m a fan of Firefly, so I’m also watching because of Morena Baccarin. Also good to see Joel Gretsch again, since the show The 4400.

Top Gear

Funny, craftly scripted, well presented, and an awesome parade of super cars. It’s a TV show made for men! The series is short at 8 episodes per series, with at least 6 months worth of breaks in between. Plus, every finale there’s always a rumor about cancellation. I suppose the big budget has a lot to do with it. With that bombshell, I think Jeremy Clarkson is the funniest presenter… in the world!

Doctor Who

I’ve watched the classic Dr. Who since I was a teenager in Canada. Last year, I’m disappointed David Tennant left the show. David’s energy made the Doctor exciting and fun watch. I’ll keep an open mind with the new Doctor and see how well he’ll fit in.

Merlin

The retelling of a famous English legend, featuring the young versions of Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere, Galahad, and Morgana. Brilliant set and costume designs. The main actors are mostly new and unknown, with only a few prominent supporting actors like Anthony Head and John Hurt.

Human Target

The most exciting new series that I’ve watched, so far. The pilot episode was superb, great action show, with Tricia Helfer guest starring. I also like the quiet, yet comical, Chi McBride, from Pushing Daisies. If they can keep up this pace, it’ll be a delight to watch.

Photo Credit: VintageLooks

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TV Worth Watching

unlike Lost where they go back and forth in time.

Kids and Watching TV

rudyamid — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:44:05 +0000

A lot of parents object to kids watching TV. They think TV corrupts and robs the family of quality time together. Personally, I don’t think TV is the issue. The problem is the lack of parental control and supervision. Parents sometime use TV to “baby sit” their kids by letting it go on for hours. Some parents also don’t use enough discretion to limit what the kids are watching.

My daughter likes to watch TV. My wife and I kept her TV time to a minimum, and only with select shows without the commercials. I always use the DVR to play one 30-minute shows at a time, and not live TV. While watching, there will be either my wife or I supervising her, interacting with her by asking (or responding to) questions. We also evaluate the shows, to make sure they have positive content and full of educational materials, such as reading, writing, counting, dancing, and singing. I’m sure, with common sense and discipline, TV watching can be a pleasant and beneficial family time.

I have a list of recommended shows that my daughter likes:

All of these shows spark creativity, as well as telling positive values of sharing & helping. Her current favorite is The Wonder Pets, a show where a group of pets goes out to help other animals in trouble. Her all time favorite is Hi-5 because she loves to sing and dance. Actually, Hi-5 is kind of fun to watch for us too, because the performers are talented singers and the song lyrics are smart.

I have no doubt as my daughter grows older, her selection will change. There are new shows like Sid the Science Kid and Imagination Movers, that she’s starting to warm up to. With so many selections to choose from, I think we have to start to be even more picky. It may be a difficult task because they’re producing more and more quality children shows these days. When we sat down to preview some, she tends to like many of them! Her mind is like a sponge – absorbing them like water. We just have to make sure the water is clean and refreshing.

Image Credit: Wallcoo.com

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Kids and Watching TV

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