"Lights" Highlights

Season 2, Episode 13, “Humble Pie”

My highlights from last night’s episode:

Jason the car salesman: Who would’ve thought Jason peddling Chevy’s – and with such blatant product placement – would be so satisfying? I certainly didn’t, but I knew I would like this storyline from the very beginning of the episode when Buddy – in his smarmy, self-serving way – asked, “Jason, did you ever think about selling cars?” Buddy and Jason have such an interesting dynamic, and it was nice to see them interacting without Lyla in the middle of it. The highlight of the episode for me was Jason inspiring/browbeating indecisive customer Gerald into buying a car he’s been pining after. “Gerald, life is too short, man,” Jason advises. “Things change in an instant. Take it from me, OK. Take control of your life. Be a man. Buy this car.” Scott Porter really brings it, and every episode he’s been in this season has been a favorite for me. Plus: Jason and Herc’s domestic life together = hilarious.

Tyra the volleyball-playing badass: Tami recruits Tyra to play on the volleyball team after realizing how tall she is. 5’11! I knew she was tall, but 5’11! That’s almost a whole foot taller than me. Remind me never to stand directly next to Adrianne Palicki. Anyway, Tyra’s got the height, but she doesn’t have the passion to destroy until Tami tells her to think of something that makes her really angry. And there stands Tim Riggins. Fueled with her Riggins rage, Tyra becomes the all-star of the volleyball team and they finally win a game. Tyra might also have been imagining Landry’s new dreaded lady friend as she spiked that ball. If things keep pissing Tyra off, the volleyball team might have a better shot of making it to states than the football team. Speaking of…

Smash the criminal: Smash is arrested for the incident at the movie theater where he beat up a racist jerk who was harassing his younger sister. Smash swallowed his pride and apologized only to take it back (in a big, angry, public way) on TV when the jerk bad-mouthed him and his sister. Smash was suspended for the last three games of the regular season, leaving the team’s prospects of making states pretty bleak. This storyline showcased Smash balancing his ego with his love for his family and his team. His scenes with his sister in particular were very touching.

Riggins the human punching bag: Again, Riggins really can’t catch a break. He confesses his love for Lyla only to be shot down icily in favor of her new boyfriend, The Good Christian (so nice to have you back on my TV screen, Matt Czuchry). And Tim made chicken and everything! But maybe Tim should be worrying less about Lyla and more about drug dealing Ferret Guy, who beats him up for the $3,000 he stole. Although Lyla rejected Riggins, she gives him a consolation prize of $3,000 to pay back Ferret Guy. Tim and Billy pay him pack, and all would be good except Billy’s big mouth leads to Ferret Guy pulling out his big gun. Just a guess, but I’m thinking we haven’t seen the last of Mr. Ferret.

Chuck: Season 1, Episode 13

"Chuck Versus the Marlin"

This was, sadly, the last episode of Chuck produced before the strike. It seems like NBC is willing to hang onto it through the strike, so hopefully we'll have Chuck and Captain Awesome and Adam Baldwin back on our screens next fall.

This one centered around bugs planted at Buy More by some bad guys called the Fulcrum, who apparently only needed the bug's reciever to determine that Chuck is the Intersect. If they get the reciever, Chuck's cover will be blown, and he'll have to be hidden away in a government bunker somewhere, for, as Casey puts it "so long you'll forget what fresh air feels like." Thankfully, the good guys figure that out first, and hilariously take everything out of Buy More in order to find the receiver.

It turns out the receiver is in Big Mike's prized marlin that hangs on the wall of his office. It's the same Marlin that Jeff and Lester take during a drunken escapade into Buy More and then hide at Chuck's apartment -- which is then stolen by Morgan, who then hides it in the Wienerlicious freezer.

Meanwhile, Chuck is panicking because Captain Awesome just asked his permission to marry Ellie (which: awwww) and then entrusted him with the keeping of the enagement ring. Of course, in the process of emptying Buy More and the subsequent hijinks with the marlin, the ring ended up inside the fish, leaving Chuck desperate to find the ring, convienently taken by the Fulcrum agent who is after the Intersect.

Sarah and Casey chase after the Fulcrum agent (who gets the ring and reciever from the marlin at Wienerlicious) in order to preserve his life with his family and friends. The general orders Chuck to be taken away, even if the Fulcrum agent is apprehended, for the safety of the Intersect.

The episode culminates on top of a building, as the CIA prepares to take Chuck away and the Fulcrum agent closes in, only to get her ass kicked by Sarah in a dumpster. The ring is found, Big Mike getes his marlin back, Chuck gets the ring to Awesome, Ellie says yes, and Chuck stays home with his family. (But only, it seems, for a short time, if Casey's final sentence and the ominous music are anything to go by)

Other things I loved:

These last two episodes had a ton of Captain Awesome in them, which is...awesome. He's one of the funniest supporting characters on TV. I think my favorite line of his tonight was on the phone with Chuck, who is still trying to get the ring back: "I need the ring. This is NOT awesome."

When Chuck first flashed on the bug, they showed Foxborough, Massachusetts and a football stadium. At that point, I was hoping that the episode had something to do with blowing up the New England Patriots. Or maybe, that bug was how Belichek did all of his cheating this year. Hmm.....

How cute was that first scene between Awesome and Chuck? I loved that Awesome asked Chuck for permission to marry Ellie.

Morgan called Chuck his "life partner." Hee.

Awesome to Chuck, after the ring has been recovered: "I always knew you could handle my family jewels." Double hee.

Chuck recap: Chuck vs. the Undercover Lover

The undercover lover would be Casey’s long-lost girlfriend, Ilsa, who returns from the “dead” this episode to give Adam Baldwin more to do, and remind me why I love him so much.

We first meet Ilsa in a flashback (Chechnya, 2004) as she and Casey are canoodling on a bed. As she’s getting dressed, Ilsa and Casey banter about their professions – she: photojournalist, he: “energy consultant.” After Ilsa leaves the snuggle session, she is on the street when a bomb explodes. Casey rushes outside to the scene of the explosion … only to find her banged-up camera on the ground. Poor Casey!

Buy More, Present Day: Chuck discovers Ilsa when he flashes on her and a bunch of Russian baddies on the hotel guest list of a swanky hotel (Jeff is supposed to be fixing the hotel’s computer, but instead he’s using his powers of geek to stalk Tara Reid).

Chuck has now appointed himself the Yente of the spy world, and he’s determined to get the scoop on Ilsa. Casey’s not into sharing his feelings, and Chuck gets Casey’s hand squeezed firmly around his neck.

Unlike Chuck, the CIA is not so interested in Casey’s love life. They’re more focused on the troupe of Eastern European thugs currently camped out in the same hotel as Tara Reid. They send Chuck and Sarah in undercover to a cocktail party at the hotel to investigate the baddie conference. Chuck thinks this would be the perfect opportunity for Casey and Ilsa to rekindle their love, but alas, Chuck’s matchmaker ambitions are dashed when Sarah reveals that Ilsa is dead.

At the cocktail party, we discover that Ilsa is (surprise!) not so dead, and looking pretty darn good for a girl who was blown to smithereens. Casey and Ilsa’s eyes meet, and Chuck might just have a future in matchmaking after all. But wait… Isla is marrying the king of the Eastern European baddies, who have all gathered here for the blessed union.

That’s the least of Casey’s problems, though. Turns out, Ilsa is French Secret Service and she’s being tracking/dating King Russian Baddie as an assignment. She has to go through with the wedding! She can’t be with Casey! Casey mopes then hits the liquor hard.

Chuck discovers that a necklace Ilsa had been wearing was bugged, meaning that King Russian Baddie knows everything and Ilsa probably won’t make it much past her wedding night. Chuck and a drunk, pants-less Casey rush to the wedding to save the day – only to be caught and tied together by more Russian baddies. King Russian Baddie tells them that Casey, Ilsa, and Chuck (as a “man stewardess”) will be sent on a doomed honeymoon flight, which leads to the best line of the night: “Casey, I don’t want to die as a man stewardess!”

Don’t worry Chuck, Casey will beat some people up, you’ll fall in a pool, and the Sarah/Ilsa team of hot girl agents will save the day!

Casey and Ilsa say their final tearful goodbyes and Casey is left to be consoled by Chuck. Awwww, male bonding. And then Casey shoves Chuck into a planter.

I'll miss you, Chuck. See you when the strike ends...

Blast from the Past: Alias

During these posts, which will be regular features on the blog, either Allie or I will look back at a beloved show; gone from our screens, but not from our memories.

As my very first post stated, Alias is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It aired on ABC from 2001-2006; the second television venture from J.J. Abrams. It follows the life of Sydney Bristow, who realizes in the pilot episode that the espionage organization she was recruited into, SD-6, was not a part of the CIA, as she was told, but part of a rouge enemy conglomerate called the Alliance. So she becomes a double agent for the real CIA, and the first one and a half seasons followed her quest to take down SD-6 by working counter-missions for the CIA. I have the first two seasons on DVD, and I’ve just finished “Phase One,” the 13th episode of season 2, the one that aired after the Super Bowl. In that episode, the premise of the show is blown to shreds, SD-6 is taken down, and the show basically hits the reset button.

Watching the first two seasons over again, I’m amazed at the obvious network meddling that ABC did to try and pick up more viewers. The exposition, the clip show, and finally, just starting over when that all failed to work…it’s not really subtle, and it sucks, because this show could have been so much better had they just accepted the 8 million viewers they had and moved on.

I loved so much about this show, starting with Jennifer Garner, who I’ll follow into every last “Elektra” or “13 Going on 30” because I have such a massive girlcrush on her from this show. Then there was SpyDaddy, or Jack Bristow, played by Victor Garber, who did more with a twitch of his cheek than most do with an entire monologue. And of course there were cute boys: Michael Vartan, who played Syd’s CIA handler, Michael Vaughn, now appearing on Big Shots. (Totally the only reason to watch that show) Also, this show introduced David Anders into my life. He played Mr. Sark, an awesomely badass British assassin. (Allie will be putting up a list of her favorite “bad boys” soon, and I’m actively lobbying to have him on the list.) He was most recently seen on Heroes, playing another British bad guy, Adam Monroe.

Even though Alias really went to pot during the third, and especially fourth, season, it redeemed itself enough that I sobbed through the series finale in April 2006. I miss the wigs, the fights, the crazy locales, and stretching my credulity to the limits every week. J.J. Abrams has of course moved on to bigger and better things – maybe you’ve heard of Lost, or Cloverfield, or the upcoming remake of Star Trek – but it was this show that made me a fan of his for life.

I know this is a TV blog, but...

...I've got to say something about the Justin Timberlake concert special. Technically, it aired on HBO first, so that brings it into the TV realm. I got the DVD for Christmas, but I saved it until I could watch it with other Justin fans. I know what most people are thinking: 'Seriously? You bought a concert DVD?' And I totally understand. Who actually buys those things? But this one is phenomenal. If you can't lay down the obscene amounts to see JT in person, this DVD is the way to go.

Obviously I'm biased, because I've liked Justin since the days of "Tearin' Up My Heart," but the concert is amazing. The singing, the dancing, Timberland shows up for awhile...definitely worth a watch. (HBO was replaying this for awhile back in early January, so maybe it'll be on again)

What to Watch Tonight: January 24th

ABC has the last new epsiode of Ugly Betty tonight at 8, followed by a repeat of Grey's Antomy at 9, and an all-new Big Shots at 10. I didn't even know that show was still on. I'm sure it's still terrible, though.

CBS is in repeats all night, with CSI:NY at 8, CSI at 9, and Without a Trace at 10.

FOX has an all-new special two-hour Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? Oh boy.

The CW has a Smallville repeat at 9 and a Supernatural repeat at 9.

The Winter X Games have started. Who knew? ESPN has coverage from 9 to 11.

MSNBC has Olberman at 8, followed by yet another debate. It's the Republicans's turn this time. Coverage/spin probably goes until 2 am or so.

Pick of the night: NBC is dumping its last two new episodes of Chuck tonight. So watch the first at 8, take a break to do some homework while a new epsiode of Celebrity Apprentice runs, then come back at 10 to watch another new Chuck. This may be the last we get for a while.

Project Runway: Denim Shockers

In tonight's episode of "Project Runway," the designers were asked to make a new "classic" garment out of classic pairs of Levis. The denim challenge brought out some surprising twists, but some things were just as predictable as an old pair of jeans ...

Things that didn't surprise me:

1) Christian was arrogant and annoying

2) I still had to respect Christian by the end of the episode because his two-piece garment was amazing

3) Jillian didn't leave herself enought time ... and then wasted more time whining

4) Victorya got the boot for her boring, uninspired coat

The big surprises:

1) People realized Christian is arrogant and annoying. For the first time this season, other designers acknowledged what a pain he is. I was beginning to think everyone loves him and I'm just irritated easily.

2) Rami didn't make a draped a garment! I'm guessing it's pretty tough to drape denim, but still... points for changing it up.

3) Ricky can design and sew! Just as I was writing off lingerie designer Ricky as the next one to get the "Auf wiedersehen!" he surprised us all with a fabulous dress and a win.

Photo: EW.com

Kristen Bell's a Geek Too!

I bought the latest issue of Complex because Kristen Bell (a.k.a the best actress on TV) is on the cover. I should clarify though, Kristen is on the cover of this men's mag in her underwear. I got VERY strange looks at the school book store when they rang this up.

The looks were completely worth it though because the interview showed Kristen at her wittiest. This quote from her Q & A is the new mantra of my life:

"What I like about nerdiness, geekiness, is it doesn't really matter what you're into - it just means you're not a follower. People who like what they like and don't apologize for it just because it's not mainstream."

I heart Kristen!

Complex article:

http://www.complex.com/GIRLS/Cover-Girls/Kristen-Bell

Omar Talk

In honor of Omar’s return, we give you a link to an interview with the man behind the shotgun: Michael K. Williams. Williams talks to Terry Gross of “Fresh Air” about his scar and how tough it is to be Omar tough.

Check it out at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18299087

Picture courtesy of:

http://fiftyonefiftyone.com/uploaded_images/bacon1-735297.jpg

EW's Tips on Strike Survival

All of us TV junkies are especially desperate during the strike, so in order to help us through, Entertainment Weekly’s latest issue includes a strike survival guide, headlined by Conan O’Brien’s hilarious strike diary.

Check it out at:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20172074,00.html

The Wire, Espisode 3 Commentary

Jenn and I battled it out to see who would cover “The Wire” – the TV love of both our lives. Since neither of us would give up the privilege of writing about our favorite show, we decided to split the duty. Check out Jenn’s comprehensive re-cap of the third episode, “Not For Attribution,” and stay tuned for my recap of next week’s episode. In the meantime, here are the thoughts I’ve been bursting to share about episode three:

- Omar’s triumphant return: I second Jenn’s “Hell yeah!” on Omar’s return. Even if it was just for two minutes at the end of the epi, his presence was a welcome addition to the episode. It’s unfortunate that Butchie had to be killed in order to bring Omar back, but it was a necessary and inevitable plot point. I’ve been holding my breath since Butchie was introduced on the show, just waiting for one of Omar’s many enemies to discover him and use him to get to Omar. Honestly, I was a little surprised one of Avon’s crew never paid a visit to Butchie’s bar. Now that Marlo did the deed, though, I’m counting the days until Sunday – when Omar breaks out the shotgun to exact his special kind of justice.

- Lester’s move to the dark side: Some “Wire” fans have complained that McNulty’s fake serial murderer scam is uncharacteristic and over the top. And while it may be further than Jimmy’s ever gone before, I don’t think it is out of character for him. Jimmy’s proven time and time again that he’s willing to do whatever it takes (going to the judge, breaking the chain of command, using Rhonda and the legal system) to get what he wants. When times get (even more) desperate in Baltimore, Jimmy’s actions escalate. He takes what in his semi-twisted mind is the next logical step to getting real po-lice work done. Lester, on the other hand, has always been the moral compass of the show. On several occasions, he has put Jimmy in his place when his actions get out of hand. That is why it was particularly disturbing to watch him go along with Jimmy’s plan. True, times are tough in Baltimore, but I counted on Lester to hold onto that little bit of “good guy” morality on the show. This is just another stunning example of how no one person is “good” or “evil” in “The Wire” universe.

The Wire Season 5, Episode 3

“Not for Attribution”

First of all: Omar BACK, yo. It’s about time. Too bad it came under such circumstances, though. RIP Butchie.

We open with McNulty going ahead with his plan to create a serial killer in Baltimore. I have to say, I’m still not sure how I feel about this – I mean, clearly we know that McNulty is willing to push things when he sees a wrong that needs to be righted, but I think I’m with Bunk on this one.(“Motherfucker, we have kids.”) Although his line about Marlo, “He does not get to win, we get to win” struck a chord, I don’t know if I can follow McNulty down this ethically challenged path.

This scene also leads to possibly the funniest line of the episode -- McNulty referring to his fellow detectives, “Most of the guys up in here couldn’t catch the clap in a Mexican whorehouse.” Almost as funny was Carcetti’s reaction to Valcheck nominating himself to be Burrell’s temporary replacement. Tommy’s ‘Is he shitting me?” glance/eye-roll over to Norman made me laugh out loud. Anyway, Valcheck is bringing Carcetti the latest crime stats before Burrell presents them, and they include a four percent bump. But during his presentation, Burrell tells Carcetti that there’s been a one percent drop, even after Carcetti warns him about cooking the books. And so now we know how Burrell exits. Enter Daniels as commissioner.

But wait. He certainly wasn’t as excited as Rhonda about the prospect of being promoted. And that scene with his wife (Nice to see you again, Marla!) touched again on those “troubles,” back when he was in the Eastern District. I swear, Daniels’ early career mistakes are like ‘The Wire’s’ “what’s Big’s first name?” mystery: they keep stringing us along on these rumors. JUST TELL US ALREADY! I’ll probably still love you, Daniels.

Things at the Sun aren’t any better. Alma’s story about a triple homicide gets pushed off the front page in favor of a skydiving story. The Tribune Company is making more cutbacks, and offering buyouts to the older, more expensive members of the Sun staff. It’s still taking me awhile to get into the newspaper scenes. I feel like ‘The Wire,’ usually so great at giving its villains some redeeming qualities, is making the newspaper brass really…villainous. I mean, every time I hear one of them say “more with less,” I just want to punch my television screen. With the clear divide between Whiting (the executive editor) and Klebanow (the managing editor) representing corporate greed and bureaucratic evil, and Gus and the other old hands representing good reporting, it just seems too easy. And, as a journalism major, nothing makes my blood boil more than to see someone make up a quote, as Scott did in the story about Daniels. Again, he just seems too villainous to be remotely sympathetic. Perhaps I’m being too nitpicky – there are still seven episodes to go, maybe somebody can be redeemed.

The sweetest and saddest plot was Michael and Dukie’s plan to take Bug to Six Flags for the day. God, it was nice to see them having fun with girls, winning stuffed animals, and getting away from the streets for the day. Getting back to the corner at night, though, you couldn’t help but feel for Michael, who’s being reported to Chris about his unexcused absence. This could go one of two ways: I think Chris sees a lot of himself in Michael, understands what he’s going through, and is willing to be patient with him. Or, I could be overestimating the possible sympathy of a serial killer, and Michael will be dead by the end of February. Guess which one I’m hoping for?

Marlo goes to Prop Joe for help, all while attempting to undermine Joe’s standing with the Greeks. We got our first look at Vondas since season two, though it looks like Marlo still has some convincing to do, even with those seemingly endless briefcases of money. In the meantime, Marlo ups the bounty on any of Omar’s people, leading to a very funny discussion between Cheese and Prop Joe. As Joe said, “Why in the hell would I want that motherfucker back?” Because he’s the best character on the show, Joe. That’s why. But Cheese goes ahead and sells out poor Butchie anyway, and of course Omar won’t let that stand.

So, after having sex on the front of his police car (…holy crap, I mean, can he go any lower?), hitting on Alma, finally prodding Det. Barlow into remembering his own red ribbon, and discovering the same problems with the newspaper that Alma did, McNulty turns to Lester for help with his serial killer problem. And Lester goes along with it. And if Lester is going along with it…how can McNulty resist? Bunk still doesn’t like it. I still don’t like it. This is not going to end well.

Quick Hits:

Clay Davis, finally going down. Awesome. And I loved the line from Rhonda: “Could you slowly explain every word, starting with non-profit?” Oh, Baltimore juries.

I know we’re three episodes in now, but I love this year’s theme. This might be my favorite one. Props to Steve Earle, a.k.a “Waylon.”

Loved McNulty’s mention of the late Detective Cole, it seems like all of the old names and faces will be getting a callback in these final ten episodes. First Avon, now Cole, Marla, and Davis’s driver. Who’s next? Is it too much too hope that Stringer actually survived? Maybe he has a twin brother somewhere?

Dominic West’s accent was not good this episode. You’d think after five years of speaking American, he wouldn’t sound so…British.

Even in whatever tropical hideaway Omar’s in, he’s still looking for his Honey Nut.

My life as a TV geek

Welcome to The Cable Box. I’m Allie Baker, one of the TV addicts behind this blog. I split my time and obsessive tendencies evenly between TV and journalism. I am a senior magazine journalism major at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University (a.k.a the perpetually gray snow tundra). When I’m not writing, interviewing, or freaking out about the prospect of graduating and getting a real life, I can be found glued to my television.

My love affair with TV began with “Buffy” and intensified to frightening levels when I wrote my college application essay about how the slayer has impacted my education. I know; I’m a dork. Since college, I’ve come to own my TV geekiness. In a crowning moment, I announced tearfully to a jam-packed college bar that I forgot to DVR “Battlestar Galactica.”

I think you can tell a lot about a person by the TV shows they watch. And while it may not be nice, fair, or sane, I judge new people by what their DVR is set for. So instead of continuing to blabber on about myself, here’s a list of my 10 favorite shows (the old, the new, and the unjustly canceled). Feel free to judge me now.

1) Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2) Veronica Mars
3) The West Wing (the Sorkin years)
4) The Wire
5) Friday Night Lights
6) Queer as Folk
7) Battlestar Galactica
8) Gilmore Girls
9) Firefly
10) Sex and the City

And so it begins...

Allie and I are journalism students at Syracuse University, and we love TV so much that we decided to start writing about it. To go along with the biographical information we'll give you today, we'll both give you our top 10 favorite TV shows of all-time, so you know what our tastes are and where we're coming from. Coming your way soon will be recaps, more lists, interviews, and nostalgic looks back at some of our favorite shows that were gone too soon.

My name is Jenn, and I have lived in this frozen tundra called Syracuse my entire life. I couldn’t get enough of the sleet, ice, and negative wind chills, so I stayed another four years to get a degree in magazine journalism and political science. I started watching primetime television about 5 years ago; I think the first show I watched week-to-week was Dark Angel. For those who don’t remember (and who could blame you?), DA was James Cameron’s short-lived foray into television, back in the days when only its weekly audience of 5 million viewers knew what a terrible actress Jessica Alba was.

It was only when I got to college and actively started looking for ways to put off homework that I became the TV addict that I am today. Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, The O.C., Lost…I picked them all up in my first two years of school. Since then, I’ve picked up more TV shows than I really have time to watch, much less recap, and/or countdown to their season premieres (LOST starts in ONE WEEK, people!!). But somehow, I’ll mange to put off more history reading and article writing, because I love TV, quite possibly more than anything else in the whole world (SU basketball not withstanding).

Here's my top ten list. Obviously, these lists (which will be regular features on the blog) will be heavily biased toward recent shows, because that’s all that I’ve seen. I could also make a “worst of” list, but I think it’s better to celebrate the best then to remember the not-so-good. (I only escaped the whirlpool of hell that is American Idol last year…it’s been a long, hard road of recovery, but I’m doing my best). So, without further ado:

1) The Wire (HBO) This has got to be the greatest show in the history of television. A bold claim, seeing as I’ve already admitted to having limited TV experience, but this show changed the way I look at the world. Poverty, the drug trade, politics...this show handles it all in a way that’s made me re-examine my beliefs, and all while being consistently enthralling and entertaining. What else could you want from a TV show?

2) Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi) Dear NBC Universal, way to put out the Season three DVDS a full year after the season ended. XOXO, Jenn

3) Lost (ABC) SEVEN DAYS! SEVEN!

4) Band of Brothers (HBO) I know this isn’t technically a show, it’s a miniseries, but it’s beautiful, and I’ve seen it ten or eleven times.

5) Alias (ABC) If this was based on only the first two seasons of a show, Alias would be a lot closer to #2. But as it is, once that ridiculous Super Bowl episode happened and they married Vaughn to stupid Lauren in Season 3, this show went to the dogs.

6) The Office (NBC) The American version. Because John Krasinski is my future husband, Jenna Fischer is my future BFF, and I just can’t get enough of the wacky hijinks of Dunder Mifflin.

7) Arrested Development (FOX) Before Superbad and Juno, Michael Cera was on AD, doing the same geekily endearing shtick…all while crushing on his first cousin. It was awkward perfection.

8) The X-Files (FOX) Thanks to Netflix, I’ve been able to catch all of the good seasons – the ones before Mulder was abducted. This was the show that made me into the sci-fi geek I am today.

9) Firefly (FOX) Oh, Firefly. I still sob over your passing. I had never watched Buffy or Angel, so this was the show that recruited me to the cult of Joss. I don’t know if I can ever forgive FOX’s bungling of this beautiful sci-fi western.

10) Friday Night Lights (NBC) Loved the first season. LOVED it. Cried like a baby at what I thought was the best episode of television last year (pre-Lost finale), “State.” NBC thankfully renewed it, only to see the moronic “Landry kills Tyra’s attacker” plot introduced. My interest has waned slightly this season, but here’s hoping that the brilliant Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton get another season to get back the awesomeness of season one.