my "Girls" are back in town

Last night was the season premiere of Gilmore Girls and thank goodness for timeshifting otherwise I would have missed it. I know, that's so sad. There I was watching a promotional DVD from Princess Cruises and then all of sudden the penny drops "Oh my god. I missed Gilmore Girls."

So I ran downstairs to the other tv, the one with the timeshifting, praying that GG was on Global on Tuesday nights too (since I only get timeshifting on Canadian channels - yes, I know you can get it on the US ones too but that costs more and I have to draw the line somewhere.) It used to be that GG was on the WB on Tuesdays and Global on Wednesdays and I couldn't stand to think I would have to wait an ENTIRE DAY to see it - when all the other blogs and websites I visit will all have written their thoughts on the premiere. I'd feel like such a loser...

As luck would have it, it was on Global and I watched it from what I think was Calgary - somewhere out west anyway. And... it was just okay. All that and IT WAS JUST OKAY. I've read the spoilers, I hear this season will be great. And not to fret because Amy Sherman-Palladino is gone. Frankly, on the Amy front I thought the show jumped the shark last year with Luke's long lost daughter so I wasn't too broken up about it. It just felt like a bit of a letdown after a summer of anticipation. Luke and Lorelai over? Just like that? It didn't even upset me, they just seemed like bizarre wooden stick figures during those episodes - where was the spark of the old Luke and Lorelai? It was missing all last year and they didn't get it back. Maybe the show has run its course? I can't believe I'm writing that.

But Paris was the saving grace of the show. The best scene was her summer SAT-prep business where she gets both a mother and a daughter to fill out an aptitude test because she needs to know how much of it is the mother's fault and how much is the daughter's!

So I wait for next week to see the ramifications of Luke and Lorelai's breakup and how Rory and Logan will cope with miles of ocean between them. And I hope I care enough to tune in for episode 3.

You know they're just characters...right?

So I'm watching my Thursday night premiere night on NBC and I am very happy. All is right with the world when I can be back with the cast of The Office and ER. (and I may have picked up My Name is Earl but that's another story for another day). And as I'm explaining to David that Neela's "gut feeling" about Jerry is just proof that she's going to be a great surgeon he turns to me and says "You know they're just characters...right?"

Totally ruined my moment.

Of course I know they're just characters! But half the fun of watching TV is to get wrapped up in the show, get carried away to another reality. Otherwise why watch? To me a show's just no good if I don't wish in some way to be part of it or feel like I know the characters, root for them and feel their pain. I mean, let's take my favourite shows:

Gilmore Girls: I'm ready to make reservations at the Dragonfly, eat a cheeseburger at Luke's Diner and have Rory show me around Yale.

ER: I was elated when Neela and Michael were married and inconsolable when he was killed in Iraq. I felt such pride when Neela was operating on Jerry. And don't get me started about the tears I shed when Abby had to have a hystorectomy after giving birth to Joseph. And I let out such a whoop of joy when Abby and Luka finally got back together.

The Office: Where do I send my application to Dunder-Mifflin? Can I marry Jim? And I'm so proud of Pam for leaving Roy and taking some art classes (and an aside - since when did Roy get so hot???)

Everwood: I was ready to move there.

Veronica Mars: Love her. Love her. Love her. My favourite little Nancy Drew is all grown up and going to college this season.


So I don't think it's a bad thing that I get transported to another world with my favourite shows. It's just a sign that the actors/writers/producers/etc are doing an awesome job. And yes, at the end of the day, I know John Krasinski is not Jim Halpert, that Veronica would have died 6x over in the real world, and that a real ER is not quite as exciting.

But when that tv is on and I'm curled up on the couch I have only one request. Please don't spoil it for me.

Big Tuna

Big Tuna!?! My tv boyfriend's new nickname is "Big Tuna"!?!!??!! I just don't know about that... But I do know that those puppy dog eyes of Jim's over the computer screen at the Stamford branch is priceless! I missed him so much over the summer.

So, in case you didn't know (ie live in a hole or somehow don't watch, in which case you should be ashamed...) The Office was back with "Gay Witch Hunt", the season 3 premiere, on Thursday night. People - Thursday night Must-See TV on NBC is back!! Not since Friends, Will&Grace, Srubs and ER has such a great night of television existed. This Thursday night was the premiere of My Name is Earl, The Office and ER (with what I considered to be a long commercial break of Deal or No Deal in between. Sigh. Just not a Howie fan.)

The best news of the night was that Pam didn't end up marrying Roy!! Then again, she didn't end up with Jim either so I'm a little broken-hearted. But I'll live. David and I watched it together and we laughed until we could hardly breathe, the episode was so funny. When Michael tries to kiss Oscar to prove a point I almost passed out I laughed so hard. I know some people are probably a little against the whole premise of this episode but as Greg Daniels (executive producer) said in his live blog Thursday night on nbc.com - "We're not running for office here." It was so in character with Michael and Dwight that anything else wouldn't have been authentic for the Scranton branch.

But the major question of the day: Will Jim stay in Stamford? Yes my friends, Jim has transferred to Stamford and I miss him around the office. Though in the end, I think it's neat to see another branch of Dunder-Mifflin and how they make fun of the Scranton branch. For the all the craziness of Scranton, Stamford is just the other side of office life - overly competitive, uptight people looking to prove themselves. I'm thinking that there's some good comedy to come out of this. And like I said, Jim looking over his computer at the camera... priceless.

Emmy Recap

Okay, so I know the first question on your minds will be - but Kari the Emmys were last Sunday. Yeah, yeah - I know that. However, I just managed to watch them on Saturday morning (don't ask) and, since this blog is about prime time TV I felt it was necessary to blog on my Emmy thoughts despite the fact that it's almost a week late.

Now, lots has been said on the nomination process and the nominees themselves so I won't devote much time to that. Let's just say that we got some change in the process, some change in the nominees, but for some reason the WB and my beloved Lauren Graham continue to be shut out. There, I've said my piece on that.

So on to the ceremony itself. I was so excited this year because The Office was up for outstanding comedy series. And I got more excited as I read Jenna (plays Pam), Angela (plays, um, Angela) and Kate's (plays Meredith) blogs on MySpace (and yes, it really is them) about how excited they were, picking the dress, getting ready, etc. Incidentally, both Jenna and Angela have posted their own pictures from the Emmys - worth checking out.

I LOVED the opening sequence with Conan - particularly where he goes down the hatch and through a ceiling tile into The Office set. For those people who called it "cringeworthy" I have to say - the skit was obviously about Lost, it was pre-recorded and who knew a commuter plane would crash that day and even though it did stop taking everything as an offense and grow a thicker skin. Sheesh. People get kidnapped every day - do we call Without a Trace cringeworthy? No, we don't. Because one is television and the other is real life.

As a Canadian living in a bilingual province I loved Hugh Laurie's French translation when he was presenting, and laughed so hard I almost peed myself when he got to "winnowing." (Incidentally, there is a great movie playing right now called Bon Cop Bad Cop and I highly recommend it.) John Lithgrow's "So nice the Emmys are back" when he was presenting was also very funny.

In terms of acceptance speeches, I thought John Stewart's shout out to the people at The Colbert Report was well-deserved (and his "decision" to kill Bob Newhart was priceless - as was the entire sketch with Bob Newhart - his look is priceless). Greg Garcia's much publicized "No Thank You" acceptance speech was also very funny - even when I knew it was coming. Even funnier was the director who said how he remembered watching the Emmys as a kid, leaning forward in his chair when the directors were announced... and wishing they would hurry up and get back to the actors.

I was, of course, thrilled with The Office win for oustanding comedy series. Less thrilled Tony Shaloub won for Monk again. But I digress...

The tribute to Aaron Spelling was very well done. His pre-recorded message with "Follow your dreams' was very touching and inspiring. And I was thinking that, much as "purple is the new black" on the red carpet, Jerry Bruckheimer might be the new Aaron Spelling when it comes to prolific TV producing and shaping what a generation watches. And speaking of Jerry Bruckheimer - YAY to the Amazing Race for winning the Emmy 4 years in a row!! That show continues to be the best in reality television for reasons I won't get into here.

And that just about does it for my Emmy recap. Of course, there was more - Conan was brilliant, Julia Louis-Dryefuss funny, etc but much of that has been said by others and I would only be repeating it here.

If you want to check out Jenna's MySpace photos you can go to her site www.myspace.com/pambeesley. From there you can also link to Angela, BJ Novak, Creed, Toby, Kevin, Roy, etc. Some use their MySpace as their characters on the show, some as themselves and some have split personalities :)

And if you're bored - you can check out my MySpce page too!

Have a great Labour Day Weekend!!!!