So Much Good TV, So Little Time

This Fall TV season is going to be the death of me. So many great shows and old favorites and so little time. I'm sure some of the new shows will fall off my radar after a bit, because I simply can't keep up with them all.

But, for now, I'm overloading myself. And I'm enjoying it!

Some thoughts...

New Shows

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

I've been entertained so far, but I'm jonesing for some more superheroes. I get that our favorites can't be on there week after week (although I'm salivating for some Thor, Ironman, Captain America, and on and on), but give me some new superheroes. I'm liking this agent/double agent thing going on with the hot guy (can't remember his name) and Skye.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

Hooked already. Love that they are mixing Aladdin, one of my favorite Disney movies, elements with Alice in Wonderland themes. So excited to see where they go with it. Plus it helps that Cyrus/the Genie is hot!

Sleepy Hollow

So intense and exciting. I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but I like that it's not campy and it's going for some frights. Plus, I'm looking forward to the dynamic of the sisters and more backstory about Lt. Abbie Mills' Sheriff guardian.

Witches of East End

I was really looking forward to a good witch series this season, but I'm not sure this is it. The concept is interesting, but I found the acting less than stellar. How can that be with stars like Julia Ormond and Virginia Madsen? A bit disappointed. But I'm not giving up yet. Hoping it gets better.

The Originals

I was devastated with what happened to Elijah. Klaus without a conscience is not what I want. When he was in love with Caroline on Vampire Diaries, I was much more intrigued with his character. If Klaus is all bad, I'm all out. Bring back Elijah to add heart. The picture I've included gives me hope that... 1) Caroline will still be involved and 2) Klaus will still be interesting.

The Blacklist

I tuned in solely for James Spader (yes, I'm a child of the 80s), but I'm staying because of some great episodes. That and wanting to find out more about Elizabeth Keen's connection to Raymond "Red" Reddington and the story behind her husband. There's a real Silence of the Lambs feel to the show--a pretty high compliment.

New to Me

Arrow

I've missed previous seasons, but my superhero-obsessed daughter asked me to watch the first episode of this season. I know a bit about Green Arrow, so I wasn't completely lost. Still, I was left scratching my head quite a bit. I barely have time to keep up with what I'm currently watching, so I doubt I'll have time to go back to old seasons. So, I hope I get in a groove soon on this one.

Old Favorites

Once Upon a Time

This is one of those rare shows that we all sit down and watch as a family. I'm so excited about an Emma and Captain Hook romance, so I hope I'm not disappointed.

Vampire Diaries

So much was squeezed into one hour. Crazy! But I'm not loving Elena as a college student. She is an immortal. Does she really need to go to college right now with Stephan missing and her brother, Jeremy, being back from the dead? Oh, and a super hot, they-finally-figured-it-out love affair with Damon. Come on! Loving Katherine's comeuppance. Being a human ought to teach her something.

The Voice

Okay, I need something light. I love the brotherly bickering between Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. I'm kind of done with American Idol, dance shows, and never really got into the X Factor.

On DVR
but haven't had time to watch yet

The Borrowed People, Person of Interest, and Castle.

So, and I'm afraid to ask, what am I missing out on? If you watch any of the shows above, do you agree/disagree with my thoughts?

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

I Should Be Writing: Blogathon, Day 13

In case you haven't watched it, and you really should, Castle follows the adventures of Richard Castle, a best-selling mystery novelist, and Kate Beckett, an NYPD Detective.

Not only is there plenty of romantic tension and interesting crime cases but there's also some fun for writers and readers since the lead is a novelist.

Recently, I was watching a rerun of Castle and ended up with some valuable writing advice. Advice I know, but need to hear day in and day out. Castle was sitting there with his laptop and the screen was scrolling...

So cool that one of my favorite shows ended up being inspiration for writing, too.

Oh, and for those of you who wonder how I made that little graphic... visit wigflip.com. 

What's one of your favorite television shows? Does it ever surprise you with a lesson you needed in your own life?

Red Herring = R: Blogging from A to Z

Ready for R!

Continuing with my Blogging from A to Z Challenge theme of literary devices, today is red herring.

Red Herring
(source)
An English-language idiom that commonly refers to a logical fallacy that misleads or detracts from the actual issue. It is also a literary device employed by writers that leads readers or characters towards a false conclusion, often used in mystery or detective fiction.

The origin of the expression has a number of theories. Conventional wisdom has long attributed it to a technique of training hounds to follow a scent, or of distracting hounds during a fox hunt; however modern linguistic research suggests that it was most likely a literary device invented in 1807 by English polemicist William Cobbett, and never an actual practice of hunters. The phrase was later borrowed to provide a formal name for the logical fallacy, and is also a formal name for a literary device or technique.

Why, you might ask, is there a picture from the A Pup Named Scooby-Doo series? 

As soon as I decided on red herring, Scooby-Doo cartoons popped in my head. First, there was always at least one red herring per episode. Second, there was an actual character named Red Herring in the A Pup Named Scooby-Doo series.

Although it's obviously a tool for mysteries, a lot of paranormal novels play with this concept. Is the vampire/werewolf/angel bad? Or, does one seem good that ends up bad or vice versa? Such a fun tool!

Do you have a favorite example of a red herring?

Please take a moment to visit some other R blogs today here.

Chewing Gum for the Eyes

I loved BlogHer's "Eye" prompt today...

Frank Lloyd Wright said, "TV is chewing gum for the eyes." What are your favorite shows to chew?

First of all, I love that quote. I am such a chewing gum fan, so this spoke to me. I don't have much free time for TV, and I have a horrible memory for what shows are on when. DVR has helped me, but time hasn't cooperated. Sometimes, I will have five or six episodes recorded and give up.

But I have a few shows I'm addicted to, some guilty pleasures, and some shows I wish I was cool enough to love.

My Favorite Shows Last Season

Castle - Big Fan of Nathan Fillon. He drew me to the show initially, but the will-they-or-won't-they dynamic keeps me coming back. (The first episode this season did not disappoint!)

Once Upon a Time - My girls and I watch this together. Love the concept of fairy tale characters living in the modern day with a curse that makes them forget who they are. Such fun.

Pawn Stars - I don't know what it is I love about this show, because normally I avoid the History Channel like the plague, but it's charming and interesting.

Chopped - When in doubt, I turn on Food Network. It's easy on the eyes and stomach!

Guilty Pleasures



Ian Somerhalder (Source)

Vampire Diaries - I never read the books, but have you seen Ian Somerhalder? Enough said. I'm pulling for the bad guy!

So You Think You Can Dance - In my mind, I'm matching them move for move. In reality, I'm a dork.

The Voice - Growing weary of American Idol, I gave this a try and really enjoyed it. I don't love it enough to DVR it, but it's an easy catch-on-the-fly kind of show.

New Fall Shows I'm Looking Forward To

Nashville - I'm a big fan of country music, and this looks like wicked fun.

Elementary - I love the concept of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes accompanied by a female Watson. I've already set my DVR to record this.

Wish I was Cool Enough to Watch

Walking Dead
Game of Thrones
Sons of Anarchy

But I'm a big sissy and prefer my TV shows to be light. I used to be a huge fan of the 30-minute comedy show, but I haven't seen one in awhile that made me want to record it.

Am I missing something? What's your favorite chewing gum for the eyes?

Lessons from Wonder Woman

Earlier this week I posted about the lessons I learned from my youngest daughter's first grade basketball game. Then, last night, my oldest daughter asked me to sit down and watch Wonder Woman with her. My daughter has been obsessed with superheroes, particularly Wonder Woman, since a very early age.

Source: Wikipedia

This past weekend I found Season One of the Lynda Carter television series, Wonder Woman. I was so excited to share it with my daughter. We sat down for some mom-daughter bonding and watched it.

I was struck by several things:

* Lynda Carter is gorgeous. Still is, actually, if you've seen an updated picture of her. She's a classic movie star beauty, in the same category as Natalie Wood, Doris Day, and Grace Kelley. These actresses were before my time, but I'm grateful for a mother who shared their movies with me.

* The television series is cheesy and flimsy. Really, Diana Prince is somehow in military intelligence and glasses alone keep Major Steve Trevor from figuring out who she really is. Then again, Clark Kent only hid behind glasses while surrounded by reporters. Yet my daughter loved it like I loved it. Good, clean fun.

* I get that it was campy, but I was offended by how lightly they took World War II and the Nazis. Everything was so glossed over and softened. I would rather them have made up a fictitious war than used the real thing. I never noticed this as a kid.

* In the late 1970s, woman had real bodies. At first, I found myself gawking at the size of the women. But they were gorgeous and, well, round like a woman should be. It's a shame that my daughters are growing up in a generation that thinks Angelina Jolie is the epitome of beauty. A strong wind could blow her away.

A blogger friend* recently wrote a wonderful post: Nostalgia Ain't What It's Cracked Up to Be. She nailed it. We think the "good old days" were so much better. They really weren't. They just remind us of our youth and what made us happy. But we also have to remember we looked at these events through inexperienced eyes.

I watched my daughter soaking in the fun of Wonder Woman. I knew she'd remember it as time with mom. When she grows up, she'll drag out things from her youth to bond with her child. I hope I'm around to enjoy the moment with them.

Do you ever watch shows or movies from your youth and end up amazed by your adult reaction?

*If you haven't had a chance to check out Ramblin' with AM, please do.

Characters of Interest: ROW 80 Check In

My husband and I try to pick a new television show every season to watch together. Too often we exchange quick goodbye kisses and run in opposite directions. Some days we talk more over email than we do in person. Our weekly television show is our date night. We should focus on each other more, but we try to at least squeeze this in.

This year the show picked us. We couldn't agree decide which show to try. One night, uncharacteristic of our typical week, we sat down at the same time. I had my laptop and he had his, but we were sitting next to each other on the couch. It doesn't hurt that our kids go to bed on school nights at 8:30pm and this show airs at 9pm. My husband, as usual, was flipping around. Finding no sports to watch, he stopped on Person of Interest.

We were so drawn in, we both set our laptops aside. We found our new show. A brief description from the show's website: "a crime thriller about a presumed dead former-CIA agent, Reese, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire, Finch, to prevent violent crimes by using their own brand of vigilante justice."

I won't lie, I was originally drawn to the show's star, Jim Caviezel. He's handsome and brooding, what more could I want? Beyond that, I am completely intrigued by his character. Is he good? Is he bad but misunderstood? Or, is he just bad?

Last week's episode ended with Caviezel's character, Reese, facing a huge decision: kill a criminal scumbag or let him live. The last scene was Reese reaching for the gun, but hesitating. I was yelling at the screen, something I don't normally do, "Don't do it!" I wanted him to have a shred of goodness, a conscience, anything I can remain invested in.

I realized this is what writers have to do with characters. I don't want some perfect Prince Charming. I want the bad guy who gradually finds his heart, usually because of the love of a good woman. Right or wrong, I'm more willing to accept a darker side in male characters. Women can have an edge, but too much darkness turns me away from the character.

Do you find you are more accepting of darkness in male characters than in female ones?

*****

My A Round of Words in 80 Days Update

Writing: More like researching and planning. I'm trying my hand at a more methodical approach. My panster tendencies too often leave me staring at a blank page. My young adult novel is about a young woman who thinks she's becoming a werewolf. I've been plotting using note cards and outlines, something new and awkward for me. Plus I'm working on the dark side of my main male character, and it's integral to this piece (one of the reasons I was so taken with our new show). Wish me luck.

Blogging: Going well. I'm really enjoying the gift theme of this month's NaBloPoMo. For a taste, check out Out of the Mouths of Babes. Mom in Love with Fiction is ramping up, too. I am joining a To be Read Pile Challenge later this week and have two books in the pipeline for review.

Editing: Working on a nonfiction sailing novel, such a departure for me but also a great learning experience. Also still editing another book. I'm so excited about it, but can't reveal anything here yet.

Miscellaneous: I finally got around to doing some blog visiting.

Exercise: Cleaning my house and decorating for the holidays count, right? Still staying away from sugar, too. My workout partner is out of town this week, so I hope to get to the gym on my own.

Hope the writing muse visits all my writer friends during the holiday season!