BAFW TV Guide

I love watching television. I just get lost in intricate storylines and plot twists and I revel in it. Below, is a list (incomplete I'm sure) of television shows I'm currently enjoying. I've broken them down to Must Watch and Might Miss. I record them all on my TiVo'esque DVR recorder.

Must Watch

Battlestar Galactica - This show is hardcore. The re-envisioning of this sci-fi classic show that SciFi is putting out every Friday is superb. Everything from the characters, to the drama, to the moral issues that are brought up and the subtle parallels to what is happening in real life outside of the television show are on point. The action scenes are sparse, but that's because this show does not rely on flashy CG graphics (although they're there) to carry the weight of the show. No, this program relies on the strength of the stories being told and the ability of it's actors to pull off these scenes. Best show on the SciFi Channel. I can't believe that this is the same network that put out "Mansquito".

Lost - I know it's in hiatus until February. But damn that was on hell of a cliffhanger last week. It left me salivating for more (just like the Kate & Sawyer sex scene). Some people might complain that this show throws out too many questions and doesn't deliver on answers. I can see that. But it's all about the mystery and the feeling that if we keep watching . . . we might eventually find out the whole picture. Or we might not. And I'm totally ok with that because it's that good of a show.

Jericho - Post-apocalyptic flavor with a down-home country feel. I was a little iffy with this show after the 2nd lack-luster episode, but the show has started to pick up the pace. If you saw last week's episode, then you know that there is action. And there's this whole hidden conspiracy with the new people in town that moved in just 2 days prior to the apocalypse. This is a good show that just keeps getting better. So good indeed that it got a full order of episodes this season . . . something crap like "Justice" can't claim.

Heroes - This show has got me geeking out hardcore. Everytime I watch this show, I have a big smile on my face. It IS like a comic book on television. It's interesting, and the characters have some cool powers that are not being overexposed too soon. It's got a whole "Year One" feel that DC does so well along with Marvel'y superpowers that kick ass when you see them actually working. Plus, the "Hiro" character is a hoot. Yeah, I just said "hoot".

Medium - This show is starting up again this week, and I couldn't be happier. Not that I was anxiously awaiting its return, it's just that it won't be conflicting with "Lost" for a while, so, I can watch it. I don't know why they made the move to Wednesday. "Medium" would make a pretty great follow up for "Heroes" on Monday nights. But the peacock has got that "Studio 60" thing on there . . . which I hear is aight. This is another favorite of my wife's, who needs me to watch it with her because it scares the pants off of her. Whenever my wife's pants are scared off . . . I have to be around. Opportunity knocks, you have to answer *wink*.

Gilmore Girls - I'm still remaining faithful to this show. Not because the writing got better after that Paladino woman left (and it hasn't) but because I'm still waiting for a Rory on Lorelai lesbian incest romp. That, and the whole "Aerie Tuesdays" feature that the CW has going with American Eagle Outfitters is so unintentionally hilarious that it demands my attention every week. My wife checked out of this show this season because she claims it got stupid. It remains my "girly guilty pleasure".

CSI - Classic, great, inventive and diorama serial killer makes this one of the best seasons yet for CSI. I don't watch the Miami & New York spin-offs because . . . well, how many crime proceedurals can one watch in a week? This season there seems to be a storyline connecting all of the episodes which is a nice break from the self-contained episodes I am used to. What with the Diorama killer still on the loose and Greg's continued legal problems after he ran over one of those Fannysmackers, it just makes for good TV.

Best Week Ever/The Soup - These two shows make me laugh every week, and it's something that anyone who loves celebrity gossip should watch. The Soup feels like the more guerilla of the two, with BWE being the more polished of the two, but they both deliver great, insightful comedy.

Adult Swim - I could write individual entries for "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", "Robot Chicken", "Metalocalypse", "Squidbillies", "Frisky Dingo" and "Harvey Birdman" . . . but I'd be saying the same things over and over and over and over and over (snap out of it) again. They're all 15 minute gems that must be shown more appreciation.

America's Funniest Videos - After you get through the fact that you are watching a show hosted by Tom Bergeron, then you can begin to enjoy this collection of funny clips. I can't get enough of it. It is way better than the "Saget" years, and there's no annoying "Americast Funniest People" follow up hosted by Uncle Joey (or, as he's lovingly referred to in my heard . . . Uncle Douchey). I especially love it when I see little kids falling over and old people falling down like bowling pins. God I love watching bodily injury happening to other people.

Might Miss

The Nine - My wife likes this show, which is why we record it every week. This has that whole grand story that you learn a bit at a time, and since Lost is currently occupying that slot in my brain, I don't think I can dedicate too much time to it. Not that it's bad, it's just too much for my brain.

Nip/Tuck - This show was great last season. This season though, it all feels like too much. From incest, to babies with lobster-claw hands, to Rosie O'Donnell, to midget-love affairs . . . I checked out of this early on because I couldn't handle the ridiculousness that the show has dived into. The Scientology-based episodes were kinda funny to me, but that was about it. My wife still watches it, and we still record it, but every week, she always questions herself as to why. She must have a masochistic streak.

The Simpsons - This last weekend's episode actually made me chuckle a couple of times. This is a feat that it has not been able to do for quite some time. I don't know what happened to "The Simpsons", but 5 years ago, it was in it's hey-day. Now, it feels old and tired.

Family Guy - If you're surprised that this fan-favorite is in the "might miss" category, then you are more of a moron than I thought. The truth is, Family Guy was at it's best before its initial cancellation. Maybe it's because I was much less mature than I am now. This cartoon relies too much on pop-culture references, and while this was funny the first couple of season, much like "The Simpsons", it has gotten tiresome. It doesn't help that it's on the same night as "American Dad", a show that I absolutely hate, and pretty much does the same damn thing but with "different" characters.

That's all for now. I'll probably follow up with more BAFW TV Guide installments in the future. I'm almost positive that I have neglected some great television shows. Drop me a note in the comments section and let me know what you're watching. It might be one of the ones I watch but forgot to mention. You can be my blog-Ginko-Biloba