TV thoughts

I watch several TV shows on a regular basis, while I'm not near as bad as my sister (sometimes using 2 VCRs to record so she can watch 3 shows that come on at the same time). Before I give out any awards and complain about certain shows, let me give you a list of shows that I watch.

Can't miss: The Amazing Race (CBS, Sun.), Heroes (NBC, Mon.), Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thu.), Black Donnellys (NBC, Mon.....more below), Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, Sun.)

Watch if around: NCIS (CBS, Tue.), How I Met Your Mother (CBS, Mon.), Eureka (SciFi, Tues.), Psych (USA, Fri.)

Ok, now you know my baseline of TV viewing. Not all that exciting, but there it is. Ok, now for my award ceremony.

Best Reality show: The Amazing Race (far better than any vote-in or vote-off show)
Best Comedy: How I Met Your Mother (not a lot of competition out there)
Best Drama: The Black Donnellys; Grey's gets Honorable Mention
Best New Show: The Black Donnellys; Heroes gets Honorable Mention
Best Cable show: Battlestar Galactica

Figures that the shows I watch are those that get awarded. The Big 3 networks have all released what shows are returning, cancelled, or starting new for next season. I can honestly say that after reading the quick and dirty synopsis of the new shows, NOTHING sounds that good. In other words, there are NO future shows that have me excited. Further, by making room for new shows (that sound stupid), the networks have to make cuts. I am really not pleased with NBC for this either. NBC has decided to cancel The Black Donnellys (as well as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip).

The Black Donnellys was the best new show I've seen in a long time. Had it been allowed to continue and have a full season, it would very quickly knock Grey's Anatomy from my favorite show. TBD was an amazing show. Drama, action, it had it all. You really could feel for the characters. I mean it, a great show. I highly recommend you go to NBC.com and watch the episodes online. I believe there are only 9 or 10, so you should go watch them (be sure to start with the pilot episode or you will be confused). I am really bummed that this show is not returning. I believe that it really wasn't given a fair shot. It started while Heroes went on its winter hiatus and was taken off right before Heroes returned. So it had no lead-in show, and aired without much hype. I really hope another station (or NBC comes around) and picks it up for next season.

Grey's and Heroes are in need of some really good season finales. Grey's is about to go through some cast changes (a true first for the show) and needs to explain them well. Plus, it has felt like Grey's has been spinning its wheels on most plot lines. Heroes needs to tie up the main story line. If there is a major cliffhanger ending, and nothing is explained, then I'm done with the show. I've put up with it thus far for the promise of answers to come. If it becomes a Lost-like series that never goes anywhere with the story, then I'm done with the show. I don't expect that to happen, thus far Heroes has been decent at progressing the story after all character introductions were done in the first month of the show.

Time will tell what happens, but those are my thoughts.