oooooh Sharona!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk (S08E10): Natalie and Sharona have vastly different voices... how could Monk get them confused?? And why would Monk check for a five-year-old dry cleaning ticket, LoL?? If Benji has a summer job, it must be summer. But it was the middle of the year when Natalie's daughter sang? $950/week versus $930/week... that's a funny differentiation. I really didn't like the super-speed explanation that Monk gave at first. Monk jumping in a cab with "how far will $52 take me?" was very peculiar. The chase scene (and resulting fight scene) was hilarious. Sharona is much more conniving than I recall.

Sunday:
The Simpsons: no new ep this week.

Family Guy: no new ep this week.

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: no new ep this week.

Lincoln Heights (S04E07): It was only a matter of time before people came knocking at the Suttons' house, asking for some of the "found" money. After all the problems in the past, security at the high school is non-existent again?? Charles' brother got in with no problem at all. I thought that Charles did a good job of putting his father in his place by pointing out the uncle relationship. I was not a fan of Deacon, so I'm glad that Dorothy broke it off with him. I don't know how I feel about his with Grandpa Sutton, tho... nothing of interest in the second half of the episode. I like Tay's singing voice, but that's not new.

House, M.D.: off-week

Little People, Big World (S05E05): we saw the older three kids in school. Both of the twins aren't doing that hot, with less than 3.0 GPAs. Mom and twins toured Portland State University and Corbin. The kids were kinda clueless about majors, LoL. Matt wasn't much better tho... he didn't know Pepperdine and Wharton were tough to get into, and that UCLA only took in "600" students a year (that's ridiculous when you even remotely fathom the size of the school). The cooking speech was an interesting assignment. Zach really isn't a good speaker though... he has lots of problems in the small segment they showed. (I wonder when he had his braces off?) Zach KNEW he had a "messed up philosophy of school" but wasn't doing anything about it? Interesting note, Jeremy's hair isn't the same color throughout the episode, so I'm not sure how wide of a span this covered.

(S05E06) I loooove the new furniture, I guess they finally got that going after the forever-long renovation. Who says "good luck" and sends a person off to clean out the basement?!? Both parents going grocery shopping separately was pretty hilarious! I actually don't know what my stance is on the discipline and household management issues that this episode brought up.

still missing "Downhill Dwarf" and "Game Over"

Jon and Kate Plus Eight (S05E19): the dogs are back at the breeder's. It was really cute watching how the kids cleaned the dog pee. "at that time I knew that I meant it" regarding the vow renewal... that was a YEAR ago... how do these things unravel so fast?? "if I have to, I will" in regards to nursing... it's a "backup career" for Kate. How is Kate only sleeping 4-5 hours when her kids are so much more mature and less needy now?? I think one of the clips (from the show where the dresser knob was broken) blanked out Kate saying "shit" !!! I really want to find it and check now! How Kate's shoe choices have changed is amusing. Now she doesn't feel dressed unless she has heels on?? I'm glad that between the show and her book, the kids now have enough to go to college. I thought the "come hell or high water" was used a bit frequently, and I never would have guessed that Kate wanted to do animated voices, haha.

Cake Boss (S02E01): I'm glad this came back. I adore this show. Of all the shows that I really keep up with, this one has very little drama involved. Why in the world would Mary eat lilies if there's a possibility that they're poisonous?!? I love Mama, she's a trip. I loved how she ripped Buddy a new one for making a mess trying to get Anthony back. The missing engagement ring was really funny too, lmao. I thought that the Venus Fly Trap was kinda boring... or cheesy... something.

(S02E02) Holy hell. Buddy just flips over like a 3' x 2' x 2" slab of pound cake. geez, that looks so much harder than tossing a pizza, lol! Note to self: "royal icing" dries. buttercream does not. The tiny error in putting "CANDY" on the Candy cake was cute and unnoticeable to most people. My jaw DROPPED when Anthony got into the accident. Buddy got there before the cops? Did they not even call the cops?? The candy cake was crazy sugary. I couldn't believe the damage when Buddy hit a pothole or whatever! 70 pounds of cake to feed 150 people?? My wedding cake fed 200 and I really doubt it was that heavy. But then again, mine wasn't dense pound cake, LoL.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting (S03E19): an episode of Q&A, just like on Jon and Kate last night. The older four girls are actually all gone at the same time?!? amazing. Southern Baptist is their actual denomination. I'm curious as to how that differs from generic Baptist... LoL. There were a lot of questions that have been covered throughout the series, so I'm kinda confused as to why people asked again if they genuinely cared... since real fans knew a lot of the early answers. I was glad that they addressed "dancing," but their response was pretty plain... they don't like the shaking of bodies because it might make people have desires, LoL. I also found it strange that they showed a lot of the things that would normally be edited out, LoL - like Michelle getting up and taking care of kids and then coming back, etc. I didn't appreciate how a couple questions were ignored, like "could the girls wear pants if they wanted?"

(S3E20) I didn't really care for JimBob picking up his cell in an interview and notifying the other party that they'd be late... fake, and it surprised no one, LoL. LoL at JimBob thinking it was crazy that 1200-1500 people would "get up that early" to run. It was nice that the girls walked and the boys (for the most part) ran, all getting to participate in his/her own way. was really cute for three of the little boys to be interviewed, and I loved that one of them asked offscreen Jana if he was present for a certain event.

list of missing: "Duggars in Dixie," "Duggar on a Diet," and "Old McDuggar Had a Farm"

Table for 12: okay, still missing the two eps "hit the deck" and "ramp it up" but found out it's off the air until November 10I thought that it th, so I have some time to catch up. kinda.

Wednesday:

South Park (S13E11): omg. seriously. what a cute birthday ruined so quickly. I did laugh that the Japanese killed the Miami Dolphins football players in addition to the marine animals all over, LoL. Too much "Poker Face" tho. And the band angle got old fast.

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Off season:
Wipeout (got renewed for summer 2010 and it's already filming with a NEW set. yay!)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (January 2010)
The Goode Family (Comedy Central picked it up to re-run the original 13 episodes starting January. they'll take it from there)

Top 10 Worst Male Middle Names

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I'm one of those people who were given a middle name that sucked. When I got married I gave it the boot, throwing my maiden name into that slot instead (which, actually, is much worse in a sense, but anyway). There are a lot of television characters with unfortunate middle names. This week we'll go over some males, next week the females!

10. Theodore Jasper Dettweiler (Recess). "Jasper" isn't all that bad, but it's bad enough for a fourth grade to go by TJ instead.
9. Bartholomew Jojo Simpson (The Simpsons). "Jojo" isn't that bad, either, but let's keep in mind that it's Bart, and he's not exactly high on the list of kids-so-perfect-nobody-will-tease-them. Plus, it sounds goofy.
8. Leonard Leakey Hofstadter (The Big Bang Theory). Yes, he's named after an archaeologist friend of the family, but it's geeky and laughable.
7. Waldo Geraldo Faldo (Family Matters). Now, having each of your names rhyme might qualify you to be higher on the list, but the strangeness of the character in general balances that out some.
6. Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten (The Simpsons). Um, who names their child after the founder of fascism?
5. Douglas Yancey Funnie (Doug). Here, we have a name that you could play off as being some beloved ancestor's name. But only if it was used sparingly. On Doug, we see the name used frequently, and the guidance counselor ALWAYS makes sure to use the Yancey.
4. Maxwell Beverly Sheffield (The Nanny). For a man so important in New York, you'd think they'd give him an honorable middle name. But the other reason he ranks so highly is the humorous scene in which the name is revealed, and Fran's reaction to hearing it.
3. Geoffrey Barbara Butler (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). Boys with girly middle names top the list because it's odd and hard to play off. I went to school with a girl named Michael (first name), and it was very strange. I haven't seen her in ten years, but I wonder if she eventually began going by something else... Oh, and let's not forget the irony of having your surname be your profession.
2. Drew Allison Carey (The Drew Carey Show). Allison is a REALLY girly name, and not even in an old-fashioned way. Plus, it's his REAL name as well. AND, all three of his names have female spellings but the same pronunciations.
1. Chandler Muriel Bing (Friends). Not only is "Muriel" a really unimpressive middle name, but "Chandler" "Bing" never really had a chance in the first place. I mean, Chandler is not that enticing of a name, and even Phoebe's dimly-portrayed brother chooses it as a girl's name for one of his triplets. And once a name gets used by a dog, that's it.

Catch These 5 Halloween Episodes

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

The first five holiday-themed episodes are debuting today. Since Halloween is this week, that's the theme. They're not numbered since I just wrote about them in the order I remembered their greatness. I included a few clips, more (of most of these) can be found on YouTube! Please, share your own favorites with me, as I'd love to add some new favorites to my list!!

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: "Someday Your Prince Will Be In Effect." Hilary throws a lavish Halloween party, and the family must find costumes. While shopping at the mall, Vivian sings, Phillip shops for unneeded junk, Ashley and Hilary are accused of shoplifting, and Carlton and Will race to find a date. Between the costumes, the party, and the surprise turn-of-events (both Cinderella and the Burglar), it's a laughter-heavy, hour-long episode.


Home Improvement had Halloween-specific episodes in seven of its eight seasons. A few of them are hilarious, but my favorite is the final one, "Bewitched." Halloween pranks are famous on the series (and in Roseanne for that matter), and in this one, Tim is finally gotten good. Wilson is allegedly dating a witch, and after he goes missing (and then his body is found), Tim is the main suspect. (couldn't find a video clip)

Friends: "The One with the Halloween Party." There are some great one-liners (e.g. Joey making fun of Halloween for being just about dressing up as something you're not, then Chandler points out that Joey's an actor; Phoebe joking about Rachel's pregnancy after she gives everything to a girl who says she loves her; Chandler being "maxed out" on embarrassment; "I'll prove it like a theorum!"). But the costumes are hilarious and so cleverly in-character... Joey as Chandler, Ross as Spudnik, Catwoman vs. Supergirl, and Chandler as a big pink bunny... Oh, and how about Rachel giving out the candy/money/anything to the trick-or-treaters?!? haha.


Frasier: "Halloween." Nearly halfway through the long run of the show, Frasier had one of the most farcical Halloween episodes ever. Confusion abounds as the various characters overhear and miscommunicate with one another. Roz confiding in Frasier that she's waiting for a call from her obgyn eventually amounts to Frasier announcing to a roomful of guests that he is not the father. Niles is especially entertaining in this episode, but I definitely should point out that some of the humor is best appreciated by people who are familiar with some great literature.
(embedding disabled, here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyMGAqdse5M)


Third Rock from the Sun had an episode, "Scaredy Dick," where the Solomons discover the intricacies of the holiday. While some of the characters are out learning about egging houses and checking candy for poison, Dick has a storyline going about being afraid of a doctor's physical... and ends up making some great jokes (pirate-themed at times!). The costumes are only partially amusing (in comparison to the extent other shows dress up) but the whole shebang is just such a knee-slapper!


Note, the famous Boy Meets World episode "And Then There Was Shawn" (the Scream episode), was not a Halloween feature... it originally aired in February! And that's the only reason it didn't make the tip-top of any list I could ever create!

Recap of The Short-Lived Television Show

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

My first series of this blog (long-running television shows) lasted 22 entries. The second is now coming to a close (which I'm sure you probably guessed since they haven't been posted regularly lately), and has run 17 posts. An index is found below.

Flash Forward
Freaks and Geeks
The Weekenders
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Jack & Bobby
My So-Called Life
Saved by the Bell: The College Years
The Forever Untitled Show
Doogie Howser
ALF
Recess
Foofur
Ready or Not
It's Punky Brewster
Eerie, Indiana
Get Real
Joey

It's not that I ran out of eligible shows (Undeclared, Firefly, The Critic, Pepper Dennis, American Dreams, Reunion, Roswell, Herman's Head, Max Headroom, Johnny Quest, Reboot, Even Stevens, Pepper Ann, and The Black Donnellys were all candidates on my list), but I kinda got bored with this topic. Probably because it required a lot more research than the first series, and I wasn't always familiar with the shows (I've never seen Eerie, Indiana for instance).

So, what should we do next? Well, I've been sitting on this for a little while now and figured out not only what's next, but what will follow that. :)

Today we begin a countdown of the Top 50 Television Holiday Specials. For the next ten Mondays (aka until 2010 begins), I'll showcase five episodes each week. Now, I should tell you upfront that I'm only planning to cover Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah/what-have-you, and New Year's. And instead of lumping them all together, they'll be debuting separately (Halloween first... only one week for New Year's... etc.), so it's more of a collection than a countdown, so-to-speak.

Again, this series is very subjective, since I can't possibly put something in the top 50 without having seen it. AND this isn't including holiday specials (like Garfield or Peanuts), just holiday episodes of regular-running television shows. But as a sidenote, there may be some regular "top ten lists" coming up on future Wednesdays to address those... ::wink::

Ruling out another show

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk (S08E09): in all the years that the show has been on, why hasn't Mr. Monk's birthday ever been a problem before? But seriously, poor Monk. The kids leaving the party after the entertainment but before the cake is seriously really sad, and it hurt me. :( Obviously, a lot of Natalie trying to throw Monk a party follows. Natalie telling Monk to choose between the port-a-john and the dumpster was funny. And I slightly thought it was a ploy for the party until the policeman got shot, then I freaked. Monk getting Cowboy Hank again made me happy.

Sunday:
The Simpsons (S21E04): the annual Treehouse of Horror episode. These are typically quite good, at least in my opinion. I loved the beginning with the costume changes - werewolf Harry Potter is hilarious. "you're a smart kid, bet you like ideas" LMAO. The funny definitions of "ding dong ditch" and "TP her" were amusing. Although my jaw seriously dropped when Bart pulled Hooper's head from his bag. Reverend Lovejoy's wife is Lisa's godmother?!? I know the Treehouse episodes are non-canonical in the sense that they take place in an alternate universe, but that's still an interesting thought. The communion joke was pretty funny, too. The musical number was a letdown this year, tho.

Family Guy: no new episode this week.

American Dad! (S05E04): I'm sorry. This episode was ridiculous all around. I think this will be the end of my American Dad! watching.

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother (S05E05): so this episode was really funny. I was a bit confused as to why Marshall and Lily are just a "we" now as opposed to the past ten years that they've been together and two years they've been married?? The Tantrum stuff was realllly amusing. "4 minutes" is all it took for Marshall to happy up in the car, haha. Why listen to the dog story without Lily?? not the best episode, since both storylines felt kinda rushed.

Lincoln Heights (S04E06): Poor Lizzie, still thinking about Johnnie Nightingale. Whatever happened to that lesbian friend of Cassie's - the minister's daughter? It got creepy when Lizzie kept trying to get in extra sleep so she could see Johnnie more. I love how the 7th Heaven Martin character has come back as a womanizer. I was quite impressed with the scenes where the family is just waiting on word from the Army. I'm trying to decide how cliche it is that Lizzie is falling for a white boy like Cassie.

House, M.D. (S06E06): I thought that the joke about Cameron in those pants was funny. That room was so Amber-centric it was creepy. I looooved: "Don't you have school?" "recess." hahahaha. The shot of Wilson talking to Amber before bed was really sweet... and sad. "Visiting hours don't apply to my patients," haha.

Little People, Big World: missed "Downhill Dwarf" and "Game Over"

Jon and Kate Plus Eight (S05E18): kinda whiny of Kate in the beginning to talk about all the trips they've taken this year. The butterfly thing was neat, and the girls with the birds and insects were cool. Jon and the rocket were boring, and the water balloons were funny. Reminds me of my brother and I not really getting into water balloons appropriately when we were around eight and five, respectively. Kate saying "rigmarole" was funny, too. "Kate the Dragon" was ridiculous, tho. Apparently Kate has no more fear of heights... since she mentioned that she'd even do this again, too. The fact these puppies air out of order is so annoying... like this episode is stated as taking place before school started, so why not air it before the "First Day of School" episode?!? I guess the filming is taking a nosedive tho, since next week seems to be only Kate in the show.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: well, I missed the new episode but did catch "Duggars and Bates Reloaded" (S03E05) It's really focused on the Bates family, and could have served as a pilot for them. It was a very nice episode, but it was strange that JimBob kept talking as if the visit was a surprise, but the Bates had planned on them coming... Kelly Bates' request of "more beds" was strange in context, but she meant for the company, which a lot of bloggers on the 'net apparently didn't understand, LoL. I could swear Jessa/Jinger wore eye makeup in the interview segment... I did finally understand why that remodel got out of control like it seemed on the other episodes covering this story arc, LoL. It never ceases to amaze me how little space some really large families make do with.

list of missing: "Duggars in Dixie," "Duggar on a Diet," and "Old McDuggar Had a Farm"

Table for 12: okay, still missing the two eps "hit the deck" and "ramp it up" but found out it's off the air until November 17th, so I have some time to catch up. kinda.

Wednesday:

South Park (S13E10): it was a pretty funny premise. At first I thought it would be like another Simpsons with the wrestling crap. But it turned out to be quite different, and the townspeople believing it all was hilarious. Maybe not as hilarious as Cartman's female alter-ego being addicted to abortions, but still.

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Off season:
Wipeout (got renewed for summer 2010 and it's already filming with a NEW set. yay!)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (January 2010)
Cake Boss (next week!)
The Goode Family (I still believe this has a chance to be picked up again)

New Duggar, Roloffs are Back, Butters is a Pimp

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk: haha, Monk has to go to group therapy instead of individual. It was really funny for Monk to try and fix all of his problems in one last individual session. Monk gets creative and gets Natalie to pedal him on a tandem bike on Dr. Bell's route... but this is also on the previews, so I was hoping another sneaky attempt to get free therapy would happen, but nope. Monk coming in to the first therapy session late was amusing... Monk thinking that he was the murderer just because it made sense to kill off those people was funny, and when he made the comment about how the cleaning products as the weapon was his perfect match, I was practically rolling. Finally, I was very moved that Harold would switch therapists so that Monk could be alone in his group therapy. I couldn't believe that Monk's archenemy would do such a nice thing, especially when you think back to certain old episodes where Harold was dying to even get the name of the doctor Monk was seeing!

Sunday: (regarding all these Sunday night FOX shows... I feel like there were too many commercial breaks... I like the longer tv/longer commercials)
The Simpsons: haha, 97,000 pages of porn in searching "girls having fun" to find "crazy bowling." The sign outside the police station was also pretty funny "No police -- be good." I guess "Ultimate Fighting" just hasn't been made fun of anywhere, haha. Marge's take on it was quite reminiscent of the REALLY old episode where she takes on the violence in Itchy & Scratchy. Nelson wants to be an event planner... haha, makes me laugh. AND haha "septagon," thought that was kinda a crazy add-in. AND "that flattens my soda pop" is funny. But the episode was pretty bad, so I began to zone out... and do other things... so no more comments after that part of the episode.

Family Guy: "Lois Griffin, poop for one" was pretty funny... and the elephant exchange made me giggle... especially since the elephant "couldn't remember" how long it would take him. Peter's character really weighs 270 pounds? DUMP/DUMPF was kinda funny. "everything from A to backwards R" haha. I liked the appearance that the game "go bananas" made, but the "one word at a time" was kinda dumb here. I think one of the things that I appreciate about Family Guy is that NOBODY seems to get ALL of the pop culture references. It's like a little something for everyone, and I like that.

American Dad: um, dumb paper airplane junk. remote controlled airplane... cool. super sad face about the little prison birdie getting killed. And I guess "no questions" means only until you get tied up by the Chinese mafia. ...and the moral of the fight: hit everyone in the nuts. I hope to see the squirrels again, they were pretty funny.

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: "Tweed is the textile of the eunuch," lmao. I want Lily and Marshall to be MY couple friends! I think it would kill my husband tho, LoL. I'm getting annoyed by their flashback sets tho. Why didn't Ted and Robin ever do the couples night with Marshall and Lily? I gotta say that the poem by Barney this week was one of my FAVORITE monologues EVER. I loooooooved it. I may need to reproduce it. Lily's tubetop-ish shirt didn't seem to fit her well. And the Barney-Robin depression scenes were realllly out of character.

Lincoln Heights: the teddy bear had $50,000 of PURE heroin in it?? Dear God! Cassie acting like it's all going to go away overnight is dumb and annoying. Lizzie wore a strange outfit the morning they went to Gabriel's apartment. Who talks on the phone when they're having an Italian suit custom-made?? And I know that Charles is only a teenager, but he should be able to understand that an illegitimate child is not something that an important person needs. A nephew who has been taken in is fine, there was no reason for him to freak out like that. Likewise, Cassie should have just left well enough alone, there was no reason to freak out to her parents. I think it's amusing how everyone is trying to catch the bandit. And that they're really hyping up the danger of the area this season. Poor Lizzie, she just can't seem to stop running into trouble. :( It took until this point for Eddie to realize that Cassie loves Charles?? I was surprised that Charles' crappy father didn't try to talk to the other son after Charles left... fill him full of stories, etc. THe entire Marco storyline has been weird since its inception, but oh well, it's over now.

House, M.D.: I thought 13's jump to talk about her "big dog" was funny. Chase and Foreman scurrying around to come up with various lies is amusing. Cameron actually getting to test out one of her ideas was nice... usually they just dismiss her suggestions. Why doesn't Cuddy realize that something will go seriously wrong, not just "come clean, no big deal" regarding the Dibala case? Really, why would Wilson cancel 13's strange & random Bangkok trip?? C'mon, it's ALWAYS House.

Little People, Big World: wow, it's been gone forever, but it's back! the new opening is cute. new mule/workhourse was BIG. SOOOOOO many projects on that property, good gracious! I was hit hard by the fact that "divorce" was mentioned just four minutes into the episode! Molly & Amy were wearing Central Michigan apparel... ? how did we NEVER see the castle before, unless I've just missed it every time?? The finished castle is pretty freaking awesome, tho!
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Zach got a custom-made suit which is nice. I thought it was funny that he didn't know what lapels, buttons, cuffs, pockets, etc. he wanted. Of course, everyone was seventeen once, so it makes sense. The outside look of the house is a lot different than it originally was, but at least it's all in once piece, LoL. I thought it was weird/funny that Amy was hemming Zach's pants the day of... why not get them done by the suit ladies? Jeremy doing Zach's hair was funny. I really loved Zach and Molly crying out "Mom!" throughout the getting-ready process. The time difference is so great... this episode was like last January or so, a much greater difference than in most other TLC shows. I love how different Jeremy's hair is all the time. And then the last few minutes were again devoted to the struggles of Amy & Matt's marriage.

Jon and Kate Plus Eight: Yay!! First day of school for the six!! "Junior kindergarten?" Kate really seemed to struggle with the kids in the shoe store. Stride Rite... the same place that the Hayes family went with their kids... The kids were much more ready for this than they were for preschool! Why is the bus stop at a shopping center, LoL? And they finally said it, "with only a limited number of episodes left." Kate hadn't been to Mady & Cara's room in how long??? She doesn't tuck them in? anything?

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: still no more "one on the way." It's not unheard of to change the opening credits mid-season, I want them to do it! LoL. Yahoo messed up their description of the episode and called Anna "Amy"!!!!! I thought it was amusing that Michelle and Anna had an OB appointment on the same day, haha. But this is obviously a time-lapsed episode, since Anna was only 30 weeks along here, and she had the baby last week at 38ish weeks. (Plus, Michelle conceived on Father's Day and she's 9 weeks along.) JimBob actually said that he feels helpless without the older girls (similarly, I was kinda surprised that ALL of the older girls got to go on the outing, I assumed they'd leave 1 or 2 at home!). It was interesting that Anna addressed the "pressure to have a lot of kids" issue. We also saw a shot of the "home church" that is held at the Duggar's house. Suzanne talked again, but we still don't know why she was there for several months... Josh needs to sell 6 cars a month to break even... that's interesting... Josh and Anna don't have good homework habits. :( And I was unsure how Josh didn't know what to expect from a Bradley class at all... his mom and several of his sisters (not to mention his DAD) have all gone before. haha, the Bradley instructor commented on Josh's weight (he is getting some moobs, after all). Has Anna changed the way she's doing her eyebrows? They look kinda thinner than I remember. Josh "trading" for a limo was cool, and it was nice to see Anna's family all there for the shower! The Duggars have a soda fountain in the house? I never noticed that before. I want the recipe for "cherry vanilla ice cream punch" !! The inclusion of Psalm 127:3 was nice, I had never seen a Bible verse on a baby cake before. The chocolate diaper game grossed me out... even if the families enjoyed it. I liked the idea of mothers having bigger flowers on their shirts than non-mothers (at least that's how I understood it... maybe the distinction was something else completely). Josh was using an iphone app for the contractions... cute. Um, once you're IN LABOR, I think you should have a plan. Just because your doctor is out of town, you don't know what to do?!? I understand that Anna wasn't a big fan of other/strange doctors, but many first-time mothers deliver early, so two weeks early when you know your doctor is out of town, you HAVE TO HAVE A BACKUP plan. The idea of showering often in the late stages of labor intrigued me, just because I hadn't heard of that before. The cameraman and Josh switching places was a little funny. At what point do they head to the hospital? It didn't look like they went that night, unless they just took their time.

Table for 12: not new this week! I need to find out if this show is actually on, or if the two new episodes I missed a few weeks ago were a fluke!

Wednesday:

South Park: I never would have thought to have a kissing booth for $5 when I was nine years old. These kids are geniuses sometimes, haha. And $2 for hugs, hahaha. What kinda sting operation doesn't arrest the guy until AFTER doing the deed??!? There are pimping CONVENTIONS?!? The stings were really too graphic for me, I was deeply disturbed by the second one. I didn't think you could lie tho... the guy literally asked if she was a cop and she said no... Butters is so cute saying "do you know what I am saying" and enunciating every word, haha. Hold up. Wait a minute. Butters also has REAL hoes?!? I just can't get over how funny it is.. and the scene where Butters goes to ACORN to file some stuff is hil-freaking-larious. I love that hoes can get health insurance, LMAO.

Sidenote, I have been wanting to make a South Park character one and off for three years or so. But I never got around to it until this week. I've included her to the right, and I think she's adorable. :)

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Off season:
Wipeout
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (January 2010)
Cake Boss (Monday, October 26th)
The Goode Family (waiting to be picked up again)

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also, I'm up for taking requests for new shows to start covering. :)

Top 10 Man-Whores

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

As a follow-up to Top 10 TV Sluts, I thought it would be fitting to do something similar with male television characters as well.

10. Zack Morris (Saved by the Bell). While we don't know how many girls he actually had sex with, the promiscuity of his character is a major part of his personality throughout all three series. One-daters are frequent, and include many of his close friends as well as people we only see once. Notable gals: Shana, Kelly, Stacy, Tori, Leslie.



9. Jack McFarland (Will & Grace). The sole gay man to make the top ten, Jack considers nearly every "relationship" serious, regardless of how short it is. Many of his conquests have no names, and many are one-night stands. He hits on many men, and his reputation among his friends is that he sleeps around. Notable men: Stuart.







8. Will Smith (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). While his sexually active status is not consistent throughout the series, he definitely makes it known that he has a way with the ladies and that he's keeping it real (yep, I know that line is from Smart Guy). But let's not lie, he was pretty fly for a high schooler. Notable women: Mimi, Kayla, Kathleen, Jackie, Lisa.


7. Tony DiNozzo (NCIS). More of a flirt than a follow-through player, but he'll flirt with pretty much any and every woman he encounters. His approach changes a little bit throughout the seasons, but his womanizing nature is probably here to stay. Women: Ari, Michelle, Paula, Jeanne.








6. Luka Kovac (ER). I find it intriguing that a man who lost his virginity on his wedding night became such a hotshot after the war killed his family. I can't even remember some of the names of the women he has had relations with. And he's not known for ending them on a positive note, either. Notable women: Carol, Chuny, Sam, Abby.


5. Gavin "Spinner" Mason (Degrassi: The Next Generation). I think of him as a player... but definitely one of the least attractive on the list, and not just physically. But he hasn't had the easiest life, and we all know how that goes, especially on sitcoms. Notable women: Paige, Manny, Darcy, Jane.

4. Jesse (Cochran) Katsopolis (Full House). I think that everyone understood him to be a ridiculous womanizer. Most of the gals seemed to only last an episode or so, and it was rather common that we'd see "old girlfriends," like when he ran away to Tahoe, when he went on the fishing trip, and various band episodes. At least he calmed down. Memorable ladies: Corrina, Cheryl, Denise, Becky.



3. Joey Tribbiani (Friends). He comes in at #3, surprisingly. At first I figured he would be at the top of the list, what with his "how YOU doin'?" and other antics, but it turned out that there's actually a few men worse than he is in this department. Anyway, without further ado, here's the only girls whose names I could remember... Angela, Melanie, Erin, Kathy, Kate, Katie, Lorraine, Charlie.


2. Glenn Quagmire (Family Guy). Yep, animation near the tip-top of the list. How many times have we seen MULTIPLE women coming out of Quagmire's house or car? Yep, I can't count, either. Names aren't important, and neither is ethnicity, body type, or even age to some degree. Named women: Joan, Loretta.

1. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother). Barney has slept with over 200 women. He doesn't remember them all, but keeps a scrapbook. He also ends up having to create a bracket system to try and figure out who might have bad-mouthed him! He almost always sneaks out after a single night of sexual encounters, and he has jokes, catchphrases, and codes for his lifestyle. Some named women: Shannon, Rhonda, Robin

Didn't make the list but you could argue that he should have: Ricky Underwood (The Secret Life of the American Teenager). He has Adrian, Amy, (almost) Grace, and a reputation quite long at school and band camp.

South Park is back...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk: no new episode this week.

Sunday:
The Simpsons: some funny lines. I would never in a million years have thought to get a teacher drunk when I was in the fourth grade.. I'm not sure if this is just a sign of the times or if I wasn't creative enough at a young age, or if FOX is starting to go too far.

Family Guy: haha, Quagmire really didn't know that there was porn on the internet, lmao. but the main point of the episode on Judaism was only mildly entertaining.... bah.

American Dad: funny Little Mermaid skit in the beginning. whyyyyyy are Roger and Klaus wearing s&m clothes for hiking?? this was actually pretty funny... with the role-playing games and such. and water park inside the mansion? amazing. I want one in my house now, LoL.

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: um, what is Lily wearing with the red 70s designs? and strange blondish highlights in her decidedly red hair. I love that Ted is teaching Barney how to date Robin, LoL. I'm even more in love with ADD NPH than I am on a regular basis. <3 style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">

Lincoln Heights: oh, dreams. starting with Tay the DJ, LoL. Why does he think that he's entitled to so much money at all? It clearly needs to go to the parents and the house and such... especially since they got ripped off by the FEMA scam. And... he's so influenced... using a credit card of a stranger with only a slight chance there's any chance he'll be able to pay it off?? I love how "good" Lizzie is, she's just a shining star sometimes. And she genuinely cares about the kids. I get weirded out that Charles and Cassie have things to say to each other first thing in the morning at school... why don't they talk to eachother on their cellphones before bed, LoL? Especially since later Charles says, "we're gonna talk and text constantly." Why wouldn't Lizzie put the bear much higher if it was subject to being stolen??!? When did the Sutton's house get a fence? Why does Lizzie think it's okay to take a kid away from a sitter's house without permission? Um, big problem. Cassie and Charles get REALLY dressed up to meet his father... but I guess it's a big occasion for them. Cassie.... c'mon now... "better for the environment" to share a bed? worst.excuse.ever. um, protection? Um, school just started... how is Charles going to leave for "a week, two weeks," forever? I guess just live in Santa Barbara permanently.... boo. I want him on the show regularly. Why in the hell is the bear stuffed with drugs?? and WHY doesn't Lizzie call her dad about what to do!!?? Unless that's going to be the start of next week...

House, M.D.: interesting opening with the subpoena. "you two are both competent" -really, Foreman? That's your line to win over Chase and Cameron? Love how Cameron's first words to House were "you look good," haha. and I definitely didn't realize that olestra could be a medication... I thought it was just that bad diuretic they put in chips for a while, LoL. Why would "cooking smells" waft down a floor?? I didn't really care for this character for James Earl Jones, either. And I realllly hated the neighbor in Wilson's apartment building. I had forgotten that Cameron's first name was "Allison" ... thanks, Chase. Speaking of which, what are we doing... killing off ALL of the characters? Now Chase kills someone, let's see him get caught and go to jail.

Jon and Kate Plus Eight: really... Kate, the biggest Type-A ever, is having an organizer come in?? AND, didn't we do this once before, last house? Why does she have 8 million bottles of laundry detergent? Did whoever sponsors her give her a year's worth all at once, LoL? And this episode had to happen while Kate's best friend from Michigan was visiting?? Kate has an elliptical AND a treadmill, ok. But she's never had/used a label maker before, no. Why isn't Kate donating the toys? She mentioned they're just "trash." The twins' calendars were really cute... maybe I'll do something like that for my future babies. :) why do do you need labels for the "toilet paper" shelf? Will you ever have it empty for so long that you forget what goes there? no. Why did Kate hitting herself in the leg make the edits? Kinda neat that Kate took Cara and Medy to the Jonas Brothers concert. I wonder what venue they went to, since they live in the middle of nothing... maybe Pittsburgh or Philly, which dates this episode July 23-25. which makes a big gap before next week, which we know will be the sextuplets' first day of kindergarten. final thoughts: that is SOOOOO much storage space! geez.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: I was expecting the opening to start including the new "one on the way" this week... since it's been announced for a full month now, but I guess not. Jill was sporting a new haircut... I didn't like it. It was nice to see one of the younger boys helping to get stuff together (he was sorting dresses or something?). It was really nice to see all the younger photos of the kids, I've been wanting an episode like this for a long time. Wow, engagement after just five months! "I wish I would've waited like Josh did" haha. AND a Christmas Eve proposal... cute. I can't believe how many buttons that dress had... I would've gone crazy. I had a zipper with a hook-and-eye at the top, that was good. I actually liked Michelle's dress, considering the sleeves and neckline "requirement."
I took note of what Michelle had to say about each kid, that was fun.
Josh - "I like him." haha.
John-David - mellow.
Jana - high energy. chatterbox toned down as she grew up.
Jill - sweet.
Jessa - "a little spunky thing." "made us learn a lot more about parenting." "so smart."
Jinger - Michelle really only talked about the birth, since it was a good home birth... but nothing notable about the child. :(
Joseph - man of few words. hard worker. muscle.
Josiah - people person. creative.
Joy Anna - tough.
Jedidiah - deep thinker.
Jeremiah - (I never realized how different he looks from ALL the other boys! except maaaaybe James. he was a very different face) loves to draw.
Jason - funny one-liners.
James - Michelle really seems to like his looks, haha. She talked about how cute he is a LOT. But later Michelle mentioned that he can make Jennifer laugh, LoL.
Justin - Michelle only mentioned the birth, again. :(
Jackson - Michelle mentioned he was "a jumping jack" in the womb, but other than that, nothing about his personality.
Johannah - JOSH described her as active and daring. nothing from Michelle.
Jennifer - nada.
Jordyn-Grace - unless you want to count "sweet and precious," nothing here, either.

Table for 12: no new episodes this week.

Wednesday:
South Park: well, given the typical storylines, it makes sense that they'd try and cover everything that happened since the last new episode in April. And mix it with The Sixth Sense and cute little Ike. nice. plus some really bad Ghost Hunters. The "spooky doctor" had waaaaay too much airtime. Michael "in denial of everything" was kinda dumb. and then he embodied Ike.... cr@p. and some Toddlers and Tiaras for good measure. the "baggage" joke was the best.
Featured celebrities included: Billy Mays (the Chipotle jab was funny). Farrah Fawcett. David Carradine. Ed McMahon. Walter Cronkite (voice only). Michael Jackson (voice only). Bea Arthur (only by sight). Patrick Swayze. Liam Neeson's wife (only by sight)

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Sidenote: I think that the little boy on the newest Disneyland commercial is the same kid who plays Gabriel on Lincoln Heights.

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Off season:
Wipeout
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (January 2010)
Cake Boss
Little People, Big World (October 19th)
The Goode Family (waiting to be picked up again)

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also, I'm up for taking requests for new shows to start covering. :)

Top Ten Television Surnames

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

With all the last names out there, why repeat? Yes, seeing "Smith" or "Jones" make multiple appearances makes sense. And I didn't come up with any rare repeated surnames... but I find it really amusing that the most popular name I found was "Cooper," a surname of which I've only ever met one real-life person sharing. Anyway, I thought this was a neat concept to explore, and please let me know if I'm not thinking of some characters (because we know there's a lot of "popular" shows I don't watch at all).

10. Smith (American Dad, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The A-Team)
9. Malone (Cheers, Beverly Hills, 90210, The Office)
8. Jones (Simpsons, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Sex and the City)
7. Wilson (Dennis the Menace, House, Home Improvement)
6. Green(e) (Friends, ER, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Facts of Life)
5. Carter (ER, Edison, Eureka, Stargate SG-1)
4. Taylor (Beverly Hills, 90210, Home Improvement, Friday Night Lights, The Andy Griffith Show, Queer as Folk)
3. Chase (Entourage, My So-Called Life, Boston Legal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, House)
2. Brown (Murphy Brown, Family Guy/The Cleveland Show, Everwood, The Unit, Peanuts)
1. Cooper (Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Twin Peaks, Torchwood, Angel, The O.C.)

one more surname featured at least three times: Morgan (Angel, Dexter, The Office)

Other Mentionables: well, the families that spurred the creation of this list were the Tanners (Full House and ALF), but then I couldn't come up with any others. Other "doubles" include the Warners (Facts of Life and Yes, Dear), Adlers (Will & Grace and South Park), Harpers (Mama's Family and Two and a Half Men), Burns (Simpsons and M*A*S*H), Sinclairs (Dinosaurs and Degrassi: The Next Generation), Skinners (The X-Files and The Simpsons), Camerons (House and Degrassi: The Next Generation) and For(e)mans (House and That 70s Show).

...I find it particularly interesting that "Cameron," "Foreman," "Wilson," and "Chase" all made this post... and are all found on House, MD...

Back in the Swing of Things

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk: voodoo. well, it's unique, I guess I can say that. I didn't get to see the episode live (was in Florida), but lucky for me, USA just keeps showing their new stuff, LoL. Randy was being a pansy, afraid to open the actual box at the second murder victim's house, LoL. "Call an ambulance. A different ambulance, this one's cursed!" A very intruiging crime, I was completely stumped as to how the packages and the mail worked out, etc.

Sunday:
The Simpsons: I feel like we've had enough comic book heroes on Simpsons. I thought that the public not wanting to look at Homer was funny, and the way he "slimmed down" was amusing. okay, this was a horrible season opener. the end.

Family Guy: alternate universe television episodes are always amusing.

American Dad: I'm thinking of giving up on this show. I was never really a fan of the plotline or most of the characters, and I can't say that I really enjoy the idea behind the show, either. objections?

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: funny Ted premise. Why couldn't we get hotter girls to be the strippers? why didn't we get the backstory as to who set Ted up on that blind date both times? Why did Ted's not calling her the first time end the second date? It's been SEVEN years!! ummmm... OMG Marshall gets a boner when he drives by cemeteries because his fantasies include dead Lily? ahhhhh. We also know that this can't be the Mother, so the imagined wedding was a dumb move.

Lincoln Heights: Leave it to Sage to get in the way. I love how crazy-dangerous this show is. Tay gets beat up, Cassie almost gets hit by a car, and that's in the first twenty minutes, LoL. I hate crappy parents, I really do. Charles' mom just makes me so, SO angry. The nerve-wracking part of the show definitely keeps me on the edge of my seat, like watching the fake wheelchair-bound guy try to kill Nate Ray, and pull a SECOND GUN!! Sidenote, Tay is looking uglier these days, guess he's not gonna age well, LoL. (oh, and I HAAAATE how Charles went back to his mom after all that. grrrr.) I also don't like how Charles pawned off the mysterious money on Eddie... now he doesn't know the source and it'll never get properly sorted out. Plus, knowing the Suttons, they may go and donate the money instead of using it themselves... :-/

House, M.D.: strange opening with the video game, LoL. The cat guy looked like he belonged on Thundercats, LoL. "janky" got used before the first five minutes were up. 13 had quite a bit of makeup on this episode... and still hating House's haircut. I like how Foreman's making it easier to hate him these days. I was happy that Nolan was back. Why does Taub keep bringing up Foreman's pants?? House taking up cooking with Wilson was kinda interesting, and I especially enjoyed the medical methodology being used in the kitchen. This episode had a lot more sexual references than usual... hope that show's tone isn't headed that way. "in public, the team opinion is your opinion" is not the way House ran things, and it makes me hate Foreman more. again. "I like to pretend they can see me eating" while watching Biggest Loser was the funniest line of the night (for me). I liked how Foreman read off faxed-in ideas and Taub and 13 took turns shooting down the suggestions. House is far too clever sometimes... Labrador Retriever pee? Brilliant. House solved the case after all that... I love it. loooooove it. Hated the ending. grrr. But I guess if House is coming back, 13 can return, so all is well again, haha.

Lie to Me: I'm thinking of leaving this show behind before I even begin commenting on it. Do any readers want to hear about this show? If so, it'd be easy enough to add in, my husband watches it religiously... I'm just not that into it.

Jon and Kate Plus Eight: wait. now it's a flashback to North Carolina again (which apparently was in like June, since Cara and Mady missed a week of school for it... but that's a separate issues)?!? Dang I hate the continuity issues on this show! Leah's hair got long! It's also interesting how the paparazzi is everywhere but I never see those photos in the tabloids at the grocery store... When did Cara get her ears pierced? I know Mady did last year when Cara went rollerblading, but I guess it ended up not being anything worth noting on the show, LoL. I kinda hate how much Kate complains about eating things like ice cream... it seems that she makes at least one comment every episode.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: I love how included Jana was with the renewals, but some things (like telephoning various vendors and parties) should have been done by Michelle. I couldn't believe how rude the dress people were when JimBob asked about a puff-sleeved dress! And I couldn't believe how the little girls were chewing gum as they stood over the wedding dress in the package... I'm pretty sure someone would have died if gum got anywhere remotely near my gown. One more thought... the Huckabee show was on August 1st, but the Duggars didn't announce their newest pregnancy until September 1st... so at least the store really did take 6 weeks or so to order/ship the gown.

Sidenote: Michelle looked really confused when Huckabee asked about Jon and Kate, probably because she doesn't watch that... and he should have known that, LoL. Michelle really left for a week at one point? wow. D@mn Josh and his need to point out junk, like what his daughter's name is to be. I also thought it was really strange that they rehashed some of the pranks they pull on eachother... especially that they shared televised pranks, nothing new.

And why are Josh and Anna referring to their little "first anniversary vacation" as a "second honeymoon" ? LoL.

list of missing: "Duggars in Dixie" and "Duggars and Bates Reloaded" and "Duggar on a Diet"

Table for 12: no new episodes this week.

Wednesday:
Glee: This being Kristin Chenoweth's episode,I gave the show a last chance to "wow" me. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to those kids croon some Journey, and Finn is growing on me, but the values in this show kill me. Equus as a HS production? Being failed over and over so you can continue to act/sing/play sports, etc.? ugh. The HS dropout drinking boxed wine and squatting in a house? ugh. I'm not sure where to start with April/Kristin getting the kids to drink, shoplift, be promiscuous, etc... and I'm just gonna leave the issue of Will's selfish motives for keeping around the bad influence alone. And why does Rachel have no problem quitting club after club? It's wrong of Will to take her back AND put her in the spotlight again. If he takes her back after the attitude she had before, she should have started at the bottom and had to re-earn a position as a lead singer. It should have taken a long time, like issues are handled seriously - think Drumline if nothing else! And then she quits and gets full creative control of the play?!? ahhhhh! But wait, DRUNK Kristin/April gets to sing in the concert after DRIVING DRUNK. nope. can't take it it. there's no way Will should have let her go on, regardless of whether or not she was needed. Yes, he decided to pull her (at intermission?), but then Rachel (who re-quit the play and is back here again) pulls her unethical crap. NO NO NO NO NO.
Um, how many glee club kids get music scholarships... seriously. The juxtaposition of Kristin/April and Rachel was kinda neat, but maybe a bit expected... And do the cheerios always have to wear those outfits?!? I hate Rachel's always saying "it's not easy being in the spotlight" lines... ahhhh! Oh, and realism... can someone who is 30 (and I'm shooting low) go to high school with regular kids in Ohio? Because you can't in Florida. The "date" between Finn and Rachel was cute, at least. Oh, and why are April and Rachel the only options for lead singer? What's wrong with the other girls? They've proven themselves a few times now...
anyway, bottom line. I can't take it. I will no longer be watching or supporting this valueless debauchery.

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Off season:
16 and Pregnant
Wipeout
South Park (October 7th)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Cake Boss
Little People, Big World (October 19th)
The Goode Family (waiting to be picked up again)

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also, I'm up for taking requests for new shows to start covering. :)