The First Five for Christmas!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So I took a week off last week, and hope that you guys were able to catch up on all of the clips I've included lately, and maybe caught a couple of the episodes in full as well. What did you like the best?

Today we start in on the Christmas/Hanukkah/etc.-themed episodes. Now, since these are much more popular with mainstream television than the other holidays, this will be a very tough list to narrow down. As with the previous holidays (Halloween and Thanksgiving), I'll be doing five each Monday until Christmas arrives. There is no set order, so I'm not "saving the best for last" or anything like that.

Okay, here we go!
Frasier: "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz." It starts out with a kindly gesture by a stranger. That leads to Frasier dating a Jewish woman and getting the whole family to play Jews while the woman's mother visits. It's rather hilarious when Niles is dressed as Jesus and there's a Christmas tree in the bathroom (oh, that's because Daphne is putting on the funniest Christmas musical pageant ever). I chose the middle segment here (all three parts can be found on Youtube), it gets most of the "let's try to be Jewish" quirks.


Boy Meets World: "Santa's Little Helpers." (1998) This is the Christmas where Eric, Jack, and Rachel dress up and work as Santa and his helpers. But Eric (as always) takes it too far, and decides to make sure every needy kid gets a gift. He steals stuff from the house and maxes out his dad's credit card getting stuff for the kids. And then one asks for parents, and Eric doesn't know what to do. Meanwhile, Angela and Shawn are having issues, and end up both invited to the Matthews' for the holiday, but all doesn't go so well there, either. The clip below is the Eric storyline spliced together.



Rugrats: "Chanukah." (1996) Kinda self-explanatory, but Grandpa Boris tells the story of Chanukah and the kids imagine themselves acting it out. Boris is also dealing with an age-old rivalry for the lead in the Chanukah pageant. What makes it special (besides the fact that there are very few Jewish holiday specials for young kids in general) are all of the puns that come out, like Lil calling Phil "Philistine" haha. I could not find a clip (Rugrats gets taken down a lot on Youtube), but here is an image.
Full House: "A Very Tanner Christmas." (1992) This is the one where DJ and Steve break up because he's chosen to go to college out-of-state. Stephanie and Michelle are greedy little monsters so Uncle Jesse takes them to a homeless shelter. Becky is homesick for Nebraska's white Christmases, so Jesse makes it snow in the backyard. Here we have the second half (both halves are on Youtube), where the ends are wrapped up and three Santas are surprising.



7th Heaven: "X-Mas." (2005) I love all of the different plots in this one. There's Kevin & Lucy, who have different ideas about a pet for Christmas. There's Rose and Sandy, who know nothing about how Jesus fits in with commercialism and Christmas. There's Annie taking the twins to talk with Sudanese students, Ruthie working at the hospital and reuniting with an old friend, and Eric spending time at the retirement home. I couldn't find a single clip or even part of the script, which is sad. I imagine that is partly because the 10th season has not come to DVD yet, so the only possibilities would be people taping it off ABCFamily or Hallmark or whoever is showing it these days.

um... I missed it...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So I'm in vacation this week in Florida. And I didn't really watch much television... I was busy running from one thing to another. I'm going to write off catching up on some things and be hopeful on others. Also, if anyone knows a place online where I can watch the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I'd love to know

With South Park off-season now, I'm also down to only four days of new television shows each week (and, let's not lie, I often miss Monk so I don't even know how fair it is to count Fridays). So, I'm game for suggestions as to something light and funny on Wednesday or Thursday nights. I'd love something along the lines of How I Met Your Mother, in that "group of friends" type sitcom.

Friday:
Monk: missed it.

Sunday:
The Simpsons (S21E06): lmao... I found the beginning scene funny since I was just on a microfilm machine the day before, LoL. I liked the idea of the episode, the jokeboy was funny. The play on how fast non-preservatived food lasts was pretty funny... would've done well on The Goode Family...

Family Guy: I missed this to watch the Seinfeld reunion on Curb Your Enthusiasm. I fell asleep twenty minutes into it.

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: I'm now missing the past two episodes. But they're going to be on CBS.com so I really need to get there.

House, M.D. (S06E09): I missed the opening but got there to catch the end of the credits, so I didn't miss much. I literally burst into tears upon realizing that Cuddy sent House to an empty house. I giggled a little at the double entendre of "house-sitter" tho, hahahahaha. The relationship between House and the patient was also interesting, since they're both geniuses who struggle to have regular relationships with other people, in any capacity. It also once again personified the idea that "everybody lies," which the show hasn't been hitting hard this season. The Cuddy/Lucas thing is getting on my nerves.

Little People, Big World: off-week, thank goodness.

still missing "Downhill Dwarf" and "Game Over"

Jon and Kate Plus Eight: missed the series finale! so unlike me! I even was hoping to catch it again when it aired late at night, but I was sick and fell asleep without thinking. So, until I catch "It's a Crazy Life, But it's Our Life," this show will remain on the dockett, then go away... so sad.

Cake Boss: Missing "Pizza, Poochies, and Pop-in-law" and "Golf Greens and Gravity"

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: missed it...

list of missing: "Duggars in Dixie," "Duggar on a Diet," "GrandDuggar: First Month"

Table for 12: missed it, too. which makes the list for this show quite long.

missing the eps "hit the deck," "ramp it up," "summer," "busy day," "jumping in," "brace yourself

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Off season:
Wipeout (summer 2010)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (January 2010)
The Goode Family (January 2010)
Lincoln Heights (no information available at this time)
South Park (two more seasons are contracted, no start date yet for season 14)

More Holidays = Less TV

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk: missed it.

Sunday:
The Simpsons (S21E05): "I do not have the hots for my mom"... what exactly happened to make Bart have to write this??!? Loved that modified The Italian Job sequence. A cookie sale to raise money for childhood obesity?? "pop goes the chupacabra" was my favorite line of the night. "I heard your pants ain't hiring cuz your butt won't quit" is ridiculous. The boat in Homer's mind was disturbing. The first three quarters of the episode were pretty good, old-school Simpsons fun. But the last bit was not, LoL.

Family Guy (S08S06): I've decided that the Griffin family spends entirely too much time in front of the television. Not sure why I never noticed this before. Funny play on foreign news with the British guy on the ham radio. LMAO on Quagmire knowing that Peter was talking to Ronald Reagan. Clone Stewie was strange... reminded me of the "bad dupe" from Multiplicity. Vibrating pacifier was creepy. The jaw and the eye were gross, and that's all I have to say about that. And Quagmire's final lines were enough to make me drop this show. But I don't think I will... yet.

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother:

House, M.D. (S06E08): not gonna lie, I am totally losing interest in this show. House popping up in Taub's office or Thirteen's gym was semi-amusing. Intriguing idea that you can't be a porn producer and get a liver transplant... not really that interested, so I have nothing more to say about this episode, LoL.

Little People, Big World (S05E11): um, dang. I couldn't believe the opening argument with Matt & Amy. :( the way Jacob and Zach play is SO rough sometimes... I mean, I know they're siblings and they're boys and all... but shooting someone in the FACE with a BB gun is uncalled for. Molly really has opened up a lot this season, she talks a lot more, both in the interviews and when the cameras are on around her. The twins didn't seem too happy that the dad was in Hawaii for their 19th birthday. More on discontinuity... it's Mother's Day in this episode, so it's May now... Kiteboarding!! man that's cool! too bad the wind wasn't there... that really would've been AWESOME to watch! TLC really seems to be into camping... this is seriously like the 4th show to feature an episode on it. If Buddy does a camping-themed cake next week, that'll be the last straw, LoL. I think it's really strange that Matt went to Hawaii after making a big stink a few weeks ago that Amy is the one who wants to do a lot of traveling and he wants to sit around the farm. Zach's little flashlight trickery to give Amy her Mother's Day gifts was really sweet & funny.

(S05E12) omg Molly said "pwn" outloud. This may be like the second time EVER I've heard it spoken. geez! Sign Language is a really difficult thing to help someone study for if you don't know anything about it... like there was no cheat sheet on Zach's study sheet. I remember jotting down descriptions of how the signs were done so I could study when I took Sign Language in undergrad. LoL on the math issue being the exponents of i. Matt: "how do you have time to go to the gym when your homework isn't done?" Jeremy: "six words. er, letters. S-E-N-I-O-R." Matt: "does someone make sure they do their homework?" a) bad attitude on Jeremy's part. b) what's with "someone" ? If Matt's not doing it, he should ask Amy directly, because those are the only two people who matter in this equation. I like how Amy continues to hit the college thing hard with the kids... her and Matt both know that the kids aren't doing that well, but she keeps bringing them to colleges, having them talk with admissions representatives, the whole shebang. I can totally relate to the Molly-gets-a-B+-and-mom-freaks-out moment. It happens. It's not the end of the world. And in Molly's case, it was only halfway through the term, so a B+ can easily become an A- if not an A. woopty-freaking-doo. Now, the fact that Zach apparently used to get really good grades and now isn't even academically eligible to play soccer could be a concerning factor that his younger sister could head down the same road. But Molly is very well aware of how Zach is troubled these days, and I really don't think there's any reason to panic. Wait, now it's six weeks later in the SAME episode? Geez, throw the timeline out the window on this show, LoL.

still missing "Downhill Dwarf" and "Game Over"

Jon and Kate Plus Eight (S05E21): LoL, Mady hated a lot of jumping jacks when she was three, but Cara loved it, LoL. um... Kate was looking awful large up top in the gymnasium. I'm really curious as to how long the paparazzi will follow the Gosselins around... I mean, when will they lose their appeal to the masses? It was funny that the kids asked if the mascot ever blinked, LMAO. I LOVE that Joel loved baseball. I really appreciate individual interests in multiples. I think it's funny that all those girls came up to Jon and wanted their photos with him. I thought it was nice that the episode was dedicated to Nana Janet... I had read about her passing a couple weeks ago.

(S05E22) Wow, they were going to go to Korea?!? Dang that's a big bill!! Kate mentions there were problems in February, and that they all kept quiet about where they might be going to keep the lurkers away. I'm actually surprised that I hadn't heard about the possibility of a Korea trip, since Jon did say it aloud in the AAA office. I wonder why "Jon didn't want the kids to go" to Korea...? The obstacle course was really cute. I was surprised that the kids couldn't really jump rope... I certainly distinctly remember being able to do it by the time I hit kindergarten. People seriously wait in line for 12 HOURS to see Kate for 20 seconds?? She's not Springsteen, people. Every once in a while Kate reminds me of one of my aunts, and this episode had a moment like that, LoL. WOW Kate was ballsy in making that announcement for the Ronald McDonald House that Jon was not taking part in making and serving the dinner. DANG.

Cake Boss (S02E06): I want to go to Carlo's so badly. I just have no other reason to drive all the way to Hoboken! LoL. It's only an hour and fifteen minutes, so maybe I can convince my husband to take me there for my birthday... we can get cupcakes or something. :) (actually, I can TELL you now he'd get a cannoli. guaranteed.) That talking Alfie was super neat. I often wonder how Buddy and the crew decide how big to make the cakes... sometimes the customer mentions how many people it needs to feed, but sometimes they don't... yet the cakes are similar in overall size most of the time. That doesn't really seem to work out to me. lmao with high school wrestling being all that similar to cage fighting, hahaha. I loved the tape they made! so cute. the legs of that dragon done in cereal treats was AMAZING. The guys training for the match was funny. I hate that the girls are such b!tches in this family... I can't believe they re-did the tape of the alphabet! Thank goodness that they didn't tape over the original!! I couldn't believe how realistic the final product of the dragon was!! But, speaking of which, that cake was GIGANTIC in the end... I mean, I understand that it's an imitation, but the size was just immense... did they really eat all of that??

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting (S03E23): I loved that Joy had her interview with wet hair, LoL. How "Duggar" hehe. I was impressed with how detailed her daily expectations were... I am curious as to who in the family puts that together and which kids have them (I imagine the older six or so don't have them since they kinda have the same expectations and routines day-to-day). Poor Joy climbing in flip flops! I was really surprised that she didn't go all the way up. I do love that JimBob really does a lot of the activities with the kids, LoL. Why was figuring out the message on Joy's cake so difficult for Jill and Amy, LoL? When they showed the list of players on the teams, it listed a "Jonathan" on the right-hand side... who is that?? One lovey shot of Josh and Anna... and then they showed up both in orange... but I appreciate not waking up the baby or anything to get her on camera again.

list of missing: "Duggars in Dixie," "Duggar on a Diet"

Table for 12:

still missing the two eps "hit the deck" and "ramp it up"

Wednesday:

South Park (S13E14): LoL, "Pipi's Splashtown." Cartman's racism in this one bothered me. Usually I just take it with a grain of salt, but the "too many minorities" song was too much. "this is more math than I've ever seen you do" haha. hahahahhahahaha on the 83% pee is acceptable in waterparks. And all the math kept getting funnier. The water certainly began looking greener after a while! Definitely not the most sanitary episode... "it was almost all p, no H." Poor little Kyle... had to drink the pee... :( and the banana at the end was funny.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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 (January 2010)
Lincoln Heights

Updated Holiday Specials

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Okay, last week I pretty much just gave an overview of what I know is showing on television this year as far as holiday episodes and specials go. I've added a few new items, and did some explanations for some of the not-as-well-known items.

Now included: ABC, CBS, NBC, TCM, ABCFAM, AMC (only through 12/19)
Cartoon Network, Disney, TBS, and Nickelodeon don't have holiday schedules posted yet.
All times Eastern.

11/23, 11am: "Thanksgiving" episode of Home Improvement (TBS) [this is the one that I mentioned a few weeks ago]
11/24, 11am: "A Frozen Moment" episode of Home Improvement (TBS) [mentioned this one on Monday]
11/24, 7pm: Merry Madagascar (NBC) [new this year!]
11/24, 7pm: Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure (ABCFAM) [new this year!]
11/25, 9:30am, "Talking Turkey" episode of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TBS) [Can't wait to see this once again, another favorite like I mentioned! :)]
11/25, 3:30pm, "The Miracle of Thanksgiving" episode of Full House (ABCFAM) [the only Thanksgiving episode of the show, remember!]
11/26, noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm, 10pm: Home Alone (F/X)
11/26, 8pm: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (ABC) [I had the hardest time understanding this special as a kid... why did Peppermint Patty invite the folkd over to Charlie Brown's?? Like, did NONE of their families have a meal planned at all?? There's also another Thanksgiving-ish special that isn't well-known (I brought it to school in third grade and nobody else in class had ever seen it!), about the first Thanksgiving with the pilgrims and Indians. It was part of the "This is America, Charlie Brown" series of specials, and was called "The Mayflower Voyagers."]
11/26, 8pm: Miracle on 34th Street (ABCFAM)
11/27, 2pm: Yours, Mine, and Ours (TCM) [not holidayish per se, but such a classic!This is the original with Lucille Ball... not the remake.]
11/28, 7pm: A Boy Named Charlie Brown (ABCFAM) [you know, I really like to say that I have seen the vast majority of Peanuts and Garfield specials that came out before 2000, but every once in a while I am thrown for a loop and realize there's ones out there I've been missing!]
11/28, 8pm: Merry Madagascar (NBC) [new this year!]
11/29, 6pm: Home Alone 4 (ABCFAM) [had no idea a 4th existed! I never saw #3, but heard it was bad, so let's go straight to #4, haha. ]
11/29, 8pm, The Santa Clause (TBS) [I can't believe how many times I have seen this film. It is easily over ten, might be closer to twenty.]
11/30, 9:30am, "Ooh, Baby, Baby" episode of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (TBS)
11/30, 8:30pm: Shrek the Halls (ABC) [haven't seen it]
11/30, 8pm, 10:15pm: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (AMC) [now, I'm not the biggest fan of Chevy Chase's National Lampoon movies... they're all okay once... it's just after that my patience begins to wear thin... but at least it's out there]

12/1, 8pm: A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC) [this is the traditional one with the pageant and the little tree. There are other Charlie Brown Christmas specials, hopefully some network will air one this year]
12/1, 8pm: Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (ABCFAM) [haven't seen it but LOVE the first two!]
12/1, 8pm, 10:15pm, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (AMC)
12/2, 7pm: Pixar Short Films (ABCFAM) [probably not Christmassy, but who doesn't love Pixar?]
12/2, 7pm: Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NBC) [worth catching]
12/2, 8pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS)
12/2, 8pm, 10:15pm, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (AMC)
12/3, 8pm: A Christmas Carol - 1938 (TCM)
12/3, 8pm, 10:15pm, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (AMC)
12/4, 7pm: Frosty's Winter Wonderland (ABCFAM)
12/4, 8pm, 10:15pm, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (AMC)
12/5, 8pm, 10:45pm: White Christmas (AMC)
12/7, 7pm: Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/7, 7:30pm: Cranberry Christmas (ABCFAM) [haven't seen it]
12/7, 8pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (ABC)
12/7, 10pm: Jack Frost (ABCFAM)
12/8, 8pm: The Year Without a Santa Claus (ABCFAM)
12/8, 9pm: A Miser Brothers' Christmas (ABCFAM) [new this year!]
12/9, 7pm: Rudolph's Shiny New Year (ABCFAM)
12/9, 8pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (ABCFAM)
12/9, 10:30pm: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
12/10, 10pm: A Flintstone Christmas (ABCFAM) [cute! there are a couple of these specials too, and I like the other one btter, LoL]
12/11, 8pm: A Muppets' Christmas: Letters to Santa (NBC) [haven't seen it]
12/11, 8pm Prancer (AMC) [the trailers were so magical when I was a child, I still remember them vividly and I don't know why they left such an impression!]
12/11, 10pm: Santa Claus: The Movie (AMC) [my parents own this one on VHS and I wasn't allowed to watch it until I was like nine or ten for some reason...]
12/12, all day: Holiday Classics Marathon (ABCFAM) [will get specifics for next update!]
12/12, 8pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS)
12/13, 8pm: White Christmas (AMC) [two duos get together to do a Christmas show. classic!]
12/13, 10:45pm: Holiday Inn (AMC)
12/14, 1:15am: White Christmas (AMC)
12/14, 4am: Holiday Inn (AMC)
12/14, 8pm: Shrek the Halls (ABC) [haven't seen it!]
12/14, 8pm: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (AMC)
12/14, 10:15pm: Santa Claus: The Movie (AMC)
12/15, 12:30am: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (AMC)
12/15, 2:45am: Santa Claus: The Movie (AMC)
12/16, 6pm: Pinocchio's Christmas (ABCFAM) [didn't know this existed! did you??]
12/16, 8pm: Happy Feet (ABCFAM) [sadly, I really need to see this!]
12/16, 10:30pm: Frosty's Winter Wonderland (ABCFAM)
12/17, 6pm: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (ABCFAM)
12/17, 6:30pm: Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (ABCFAM) [this may be a lot more far-fetched than some of the other stop-motion animated specials from the past forty years.. but it's cute. Nestor becomes the donkey that Mary rides in on.]
12/17, 7pm: Jack Frost (ABCFAM)
12/17, 8pm: Jack Frost (ABCFAM)
12/17, 10pm: Jingle All the Way (ABCFAM)
12/18, 8pm: Frosty the Snowman (CBS)
12/18, 8:30pm: Frosty Returns (CBS)
12/19, noon: Meet Me in St. Louis (TCM)
12/19, 8pm: A Muppets' Christmas: Letters to Santa (NBC) [gotta catch it!]
12/21, all day: Holiday Movie Marathon (ABCFAM) [hoping for specifics next time]
12/22, 1pm: A Very Brady Christmas (ABCFAM) [I really enjoy this special. It's the type of reunion that does a really good job, I think. The original Cindy is not in it, but the rest of the cast reprises their roles. Some of the kids are married with kids, others facing unknowns in relationships, and almost as if on cue, Carol loses her voice again but manages to get it back to sing "Adeste Fideles" on Christmas morning.]
12/22, 7:30pm: Dr. Seuss on the Loose (ABCFAM) [I had never heard of it, but a quick internet search reveals that it contains short renditions of Green Eggs and Ham, The Sneetches and The Zax. certainly looking forward to it!]
12/22, 8pm: Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (ABCFAM) [apparently this sucker won two Emmys. And I've never even heard of it... adding two great characters together sounds like fun!]
12/23, all day: Holiday Movie Marathon (ABCFAM) [specifics to come!]
12/23, 7:30pm: Miracle on 34th Street (ABCFAM)
12/24, all day: Holiday Classics Marathon (ABCFAM) [specifics to come!]
12/24, noon: Pinocchio's Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/24, 1pm: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/24, 5pm: Jack Frost (ABCFAM)
12/24, 6pm: Frosty's Winter Wonderland (ABCFAM)
12/24, 6:30pm: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/24, 7pm: Rudolph's Shiny New Year (ABCFAM)
12/24, 8pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (ABCFAM)
12/24, 9pm: The Year Without a Santa Claus (ABCFAM)
12/24, 10pm: A Miser Brothers' Christmas (ABCFAM) [new this year!]
12/25, 9am: A Christmas Carol - 1938 (ABCFAM)
12/25, 11am: Jingle All the Way (ABCFAM)
12/25, 4pm: Miracle on 34th Street (ABCFAM)
(there's also a Sherlock Holmes Marathon on TCM Christmas Day, from 8pm to 8pm the next day!)

Final Set of Thanksgiving Favorites!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I know that there is another Monday after today that takes place before Thanksgiving, but I'm going to be out of town, so I can't guarantee anything. And, I honestly am tapped out as far as good Thanksgiving episodes go. There's a ton more that I could throw on a list, but I wouldn't be backing them fully. So, without further ado, here are the final five Thanksgiving episodes that you should try to catch this season.


Home Improvement: "A Frozen Moment." While Jill is making Thanksgiving dinner, Tim goes overboard building a Christmas village for the family to take a Christmas card photo in. He even makes the kids dress as elves! I couldn't find any clips of most of the episode, but I did find a short segment featuring the Tool Time part of the show: The Man's Bathroom.


Cheers: ''Thanksgiving Orphans." The gang all goes to Carla's for Thanksgiving. Diane wasn't invited, but she shows up anyway, in a pilgrim costume. The first half of the episode actually isn't all that special, but the second half is hilarious. First, Diane's list of things she's thankful for is good, the food fight is fun, eating while covered in food is even funnier, and the icing on the cake is the chance at seeing Vera, but her face gets smashed with a pie as soon as she arrives.

Family Ties: "No Nukes is Good Nukes." The conservative kids (and the grandparents) can't stand that the parents want to go to an anti-nukes rally on Thanksgiving. Jennifer makes some good jokes. THe ongoing gag about Grandma being a bad cook was funny, too. Definitely a different holiday when Elyse and Stephen are arrested at the protest. It's on CBS's website, watch it in full here.

Friends: "The One Where Ross Got High." Ross tells Chandler that the Geller parents don't like him because Ross blamed pot on him once. Rachel makes a trifle with beef. Joey and Ross are trying to get to a party. Monica and Ross end up telling on eachother for all kinds of things... truly a great clip. But, you get the spliced trifle storyline here. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to catch the whole thing on TBS on Thanksgiving Day, LoL.

Friends: "The One with the Late Thanksgiving." Monica and Chandler don't want to host Thanksgiving, and then when Monica is challenged, everyone comes really late. The guys go to a game, and the gals take Emma to a beauty pageant. Monica gets really upset and locked them all out. Joey gets stuck in the door. The adoption agency calls. In the end, all is well. Check out the first part of the episode.

Mondays are about to get a little lighter...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk (S08E12): caught it live! not often for Friday nights, LoL. $900 grand??!? good grief. Mr. Monk is going camping to schmooze? love it. the whole thing wasn't that interesting... way too much drama and not enough crime stuff. I don't understand why he didn't get reinstated at the end... and was even more baffled by the fact that Monk didn't pay attention, LoL! I did like how he explained the "this is what happened" to the bear... and the bear got bored and walked away, LoL!!

Sunday:
The Simpsons: no new episode this week.

Family Guy (S08E04): funny reference to Cleveland moving, haha. the episode overall was really bad, except for a closing scene where Rita is telling Brian where to put the keys and he has no idea what piece of furniture she is referencing.

There was the almost-live special afterward, which opened with a great rendition of the opening theme song. I was really surprised at the lack of commercials in that segment. I actually wasn't that taken with the skits in it, either, LoL.

(S08E05) For some reason, they ran ANOTHER new episode. um, wtf, Hanna Montana was SO last year. would Chris really consider "practicing kissing" with Meg?? The parents are soooo disrespectful of the kids!!! Stewie got in to see Hanna and then even gets to sing with her? ::cough bullsh!t cough:: I'm glad that the monkey is gone. :)

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother (S05E07): when did it become acceptable to be so openly talking about porn at 8pm on CBS? EASTERN for crying out loud! I LOOOOOOVED that Barney knew Ted would watch a porno and that it would be the one about architecture, haha. And I particularly love that Barney made the message so long ago that he makes a Weekend at Bernie's reference and still believes he'll never be in a real relationship. The fat suit on Barney was kinda funny. LoL, Barney doesn't care about sex anymore?? Fat chance (pun intended)! Of course LazyRobin and LazyBarney would go for getting married, and the reasons were hilarious... "name's too hard to spell... most of the stuff's there already... The stormtrooper in the car was hilarious... as was renting a station wagon to save $25, LoL. I'm glad there was a shot of HottBarney at the end, even though Robin and Barney are no more. And I love how they're always setting up stuff that might come next week or it might not come for months... but the Canadian Variety Show will surely surface again!

Lincoln Heights (S04E09): I am so glad that I didn't have all the Cassie-Charles college drama. My then-boyfriend and I went our separate ways to further our educations in the best places for each of us. And neither of us have ever regretted it. If Cassie and Charles can't suck it up, then move on already. Their on-again, off-again relationship is more than just a little annoying. The PTSD with Nate Ray is an interesting addition to the show. Lizzie was kinda clever in calling the mean girl's bluff, but I think she's starting to ask for trouble all over again. Cassie needs to grow up. I can't believe Lizzie broke-and-entered to get Sylvia's contact information. And why the hell does Cassie keep talking to Sage about crap?? I had a feeling all along that it was the garden making people sick.

(S04E10) Glad we're getting closer to solving the money thing. I have a hard time seeing Charles in the army. Cassie asking Charles to marry her in this way is exactly like Topanga asking Cory all those years ago on Boy Meets World. Eddie trying to right all the wrongs of the world is also getting old. Um, how much more 80s can you get than Tay's shirt when he's playing that song?? The song itself was really quite nice, tho. Lizzie's singing and dancing in detention were out of order, regardless of how it may have reinstated the show. Cassie's "wedding skirt" was really trashy-looking. Her shoes weren't much better. I'm not gonna touch how Lizzie told the mom. Are there always tons of people dressed up to elope at City Hall? That's really weird-looking. But at the same time, both times I went to get my marriage license (hubby forgot his driver's license or something the first time) that area was busy. How did the entire family get together so quickly to get to city hall?? WTF how did so many people get to the house for the "practice ceremony" ???? OF COURSE Charles' dad can get him out of army enlistment. OF COURSE. Who didn't see that coming... besides me? I also didn't think they'd get half the money from Cyd... altho I surely hoped so!

House, M.D. (S06E07): I loved Jordan's hair in the opening scene. LMAO "it's been on your calendar for months" "so has Ramadan." House's new glasses are weird. I don't really understand how they're only 16 and were at that club/concert. I also don't like his new haircut. Cuddy's shirt was bit more low-cut than usual. Cameron was looking oooooold this episode. And Chase and Cameron not knowing what tweets were was awful. I love House's 80s from another century. Reminds me of a great 80s party I went to in grad school where a guy came dressed like he was in his 80s... complete with a cane. I loved the look of love in House's eyes when he and Cuddy were dancing. "expelled from my FIRST med school" hahahahaha. Wilson and the euthanizing was surprising. It's about time we saw Cuddy's baby again. Lucas, however, took me by complete surprise!! House reading Wilson's paper was intriguing... I guess. Jordan never actually doing anything was so pansy. House only goes to international conferences... interesting. Camerons with Chase at the end was weird... she was just odd.

Little People, Big World (S05E09): it was smart of Matt and Amy to have some good rules in place about his cell phone. Jake, as many teens, went waaaaay over on his text limit. Jacob's girlfriend was cute... but he's 12!! I think it's strange to invite her and her parents over that early, LoL. It's crazy that mom collects is every night and the kid STILL went over the text limit! Matt thinks Amy needs time management classes?? and he's angry that she doesn't text him when she's out at a social event?!? Jeremy was acting wise in realizing how big of a problem it was for Jacob to be using the phone in the manner he was. I was really shocked at how defiant he is becoming. He gets his phone taken away for a day, then a week. And he still managed to ring up 8,000 texts, causing a bill from AT&T for like $2700.

(S05E10) Zach didn't have a clue where a pot would be in his own kitchen? I don't really care about soccer, but it was nice to watch the kids be SO excited about the game.

still missing "Downhill Dwarf" and "Game Over"

Jon and Kate Plus Eight (S05E20): a "clips" episode, if you will. I liked how they gave Kate a chance to guess what would be picked in each category. "Everyone makes mistakes," done deal. and that's the case with a lot of these... like the blow-ups. LoL on "Daddies have wieners." And I loved that Kate used "I'm in agreeance" very late in the show... I'm guilty of slipping up and using that once in a grad school class, so I appreciate that I'm not the only one. :-p

Cake Boss (S02E05): Buddy does a military cake. 25 sheets? good grief. the woman who requested the dance cake kinda looked like a horse, lol. "and it's a recession!" holy mackerel that's a big plane! Daniella has issues with proportion... again. 4 feet by 8 feet is reallllllllly big. especially for a cake. In the end, it looked more like a parade float than a cake.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting (S03E22): Jessa really seems to be great at the mandolin! Wow, all four of the older girls have been playing the harp for ten years!! I had no idea! Again with not answering directly if there's any potential suitors for the girls, but they did mention that JimBob definitely has a soft spot for his daughters... which makes a lot of old episodes make a little more sense... like when Jill and Jana went to him when they were preparing for their teeth surgery, etc. Jinger doesn't have the love for cooking that Jill and Jana seem to?!? JimBob called Jill a "supermom already" which I thought said a lot. I thought it was a strange three-minute addition to show Jill and Joy going off to babysit, but maybe they just want to show that the kids do get out of the house and do things independently. ...they just went to a farm, so why are they going to see birds at another farm now, LoL? unless they were actually pretty far apart and just aired close together... but I kinda think that since Josh and Anna have been absent lately that these were filmed close together. Dang, I didn't realize that ostrich eggs rivaled cantaloupes in size! I wonder which Duggar didn't try it... ?

list of missing: "Duggars in Dixie," "Duggar on a Diet"

Table for 12 (S02E03): The kids are looking a lot older than last season, so there was probably a big gap in filming, LoL. The interviewing of the kids is new, and a nice addition. "I was previously a scout" haha. The oldest two are a riot! For being all out in the project alone, I was pretty happy with Kyle's safety precautions... I was nervous about him in sandals tho. I'm curious as to how dryer lint works as a firestarter, LoL. It is a little frustrating to hear that out of ten kids, only one was helping. Although in their defense, a couple did ask to help, but Dad wasn't ready yet. I was really impressed that he almost had the fire going with just the flint. I'm glad the scary story went over okay in the end... it was a bit intense for four-year-olds, LoL. Not to compare it too much to J&K, but it's nice to see the parents trust each other's judgment.

(S02E04) It was very nice for the kids to get to take part in lessons. Kyle's in his second year of musical theatre camp, Meghan is in her first. And to have random funny moments of the kids was adorable. It's about time we saw a little more of individual kids' issues, like Kyle and Meghan not getting along. Yay for all the kids having a good time with their summer activities. :)

still missing the two eps "hit the deck" and "ramp it up"

Wednesday:

South Park (S13E13): morning announcements, yay! When I was in fifth grade, there were no auditions. They just gave it to the kid with AD(H)D the job so he was good at something, LoL. Cartman's commentary was interesting, but a little over-the-top by the second point. lmao on the hating of the Smurfs. The Casey Kasem impression was kinda funny. I'm a big fan of Cartman living amidst the Smurfs, that was pretty funny... right up until the brutal murders. :( "Dances with Smurfs" ... really?? how do the kids believe this mess?? Butters peeing on Wendy's front door and then running away with his pants around his ankles was ridonkulus. Cartman's greying around the temples was kinda amusing, but I couldn't figure out who he was supposed to be. "The Smurf Holocaust," um... no. And the way they turn it into Avatar was genius. The weird thing about the morning announcements in this case is that it wasn't clear whether they were televised or just audio... at various parts in the episode the kids were looking at different focal points.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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 (January 2010)

This Year's Holiday Specials

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Now, this doesn't cover all the goodies that'll come, but I tried to include everything I could find on the internet (mainly ABC, CBS, NBC, TCM and ABCFAM). Cartoon Network, Disney, TBS, and Nickelodeon are among the major networks that don't have holiday schedules posted yet. So, obviously I'll have to update this at some point, but I figured I'd note things I plan on watching if I get the chance, as a suggestion that you check them out as well (especially if you haven't caught them before). All times Eastern.

11/16, 8pm: A Dennis the Menace Christmas (ABCFAM) [I've never seen this one]
11/17, 6pm: Richie Rich's Christmas Wish (ABCFAM) [I've never seen this one]
11/14, 7pm: Merry Madagascar (NBC) [new this year!]
11/24, 7pm: Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure (ABCFAM) [new this year!]
11/26, 8pm: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (ABC)
11/26, 8pm: Miracle on 34th Street (ABCFAM)
11/27, 2pm: Yours, Mine, and Ours (TCM) [not holidayish per se, but such a classic!]
11/28, 7pm: A Boy Named Charlie Brown (ABCFAM) [shhhh, I haven't seen this, either!]
11/28, 8pm: Merry Madagascar (NBC) [new this year!]
11/29, 6pm: Home Alone 4 (ABCFAM) [had no idea a 4th existed!]
11/30, 8:30pm: Shrek the Halls (ABC) [haven't seen it]

12/1, 8pm: A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC)
12/1, 8pm: Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (ABCFAM) [haven't seen it but LOVE the first two!]
12/2, 7pm: Pixar Short Films (ABCFAM) [probably not Christmassy either, but who doesn't love Pixar?]
12/2, 7pm: Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NBC) [worth catching]
12/3, 8pm: A Christmas Carol - 1938 (TCM)
12/2, 8pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS)
12/4, 7pm: Frosty's Winter Wonderland (ABCFAM)
12/7, 7pm: Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/7, 7:30pm: Cranberry Christmas (ABCFAM) [haven't seen it]
12/7, 8pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (ABC)
12/7, 10pm: Jack Frost (ABCFAM)
12/8, 8pm: The Year Without a Santa Claus (ABCFAM)
12/8, 9pm: A Miser Brothers' Christmas (ABCFAM) [new this year!]
12/9, 7pm: Rudolph's Shiny New Year (ABCFAM)
12/9, 8pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (ABCFAM)
12/9, 10:30pm: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
12/10, 10pm: A Flintstone Christmas (ABCFAM) [cute!]
12/11, 8pm: A Muppets' Christmas: Letters to Santa (NBC) [haven't seen it]
12/12, all day: Holiday Classics Marathon (ABCFAM) [will get specifics for next update!]
12/12, 8pm: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS)
12/14, 8pm: Shrek the Halls (ABC) [haven't seen it!]
12/16, 6pm: Pinocchio's Christmas (ABCFAM) [didn't know this existed!]
12/16, 8pm: Happy Feet (ABCFAM) [sadly, I really need to see this!]
12/16, 10:30pm: Frosty's Winter Wonderland (ABCFAM)
12/17, 6pm: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (ABCFAM)
12/17, 6:30pm: Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (ABCFAM)
12/17, 7pm: Jack Frost (ABCFAM)
12/17, 8pm: Jack Frost (ABCFAM)
12/17, 10pm: Jingle All the Way (ABCFAM)
12/18, 8pm: Frosty the Snowman (CBS)
12/18, 8:30pm: Frosty Returns (CBS)
12/19, noon: Meet Me in St. Louis (TCM)
12/19, 8pm: A Muppets' Christmas: Letters to Santa (NBC) [gotta catch it!]
12/21, all day: Holiday Movie Marathon (ABCFAM) [hoping for specifics next time]
12/22, 1pm: A Very Brady Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/22, 7:30pm: Dr. Seuss on the Loose (ABCFAM) [not sure what this is...]
12/22, 8pm: Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (ABCFAM) [sounds like fun!]
12/23, all day: Holiday Movie Marathon (ABCFAM) [specifics to come!]
12/23, 7:30pm: Miracle on 34th Street (ABCFAM)
12/24, all day: Holiday Classics Marathon (ABCFAM) [specifics to come!]
12/24, noon: Pinocchio's Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/24, 1pm: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/24, 5pm: Jack Frost (ABCFAM)
12/24, 6pm: Frosty's Winter Wonderland (ABCFAM)
12/24, 6:30pm: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/24, 7pm: Rudolph's Shiny New Year (ABCFAM)
12/24, 8pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (ABCFAM)
12/24, 9pm: The Year Without a Santa Claus (ABCFAM)
12/24, 10pm: A Miser Brothers' Christmas (ABCFAM)
12/25, 9am: A Christmas Carol - 1938 (ABCFAM) [new this year!]
12/25, 11am: Jingle All the Way (ABCFAM)
12/25, 4pm: Miracle on 34th Street (ABCFAM)
(there's also a Sherlock Holmes Marathon on TCM Christmas Day, from 8pm to 8pm the next day!)

Get in the Holiday Spirit! 5 More Thanksgiving Eps

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Full House: "Thanksgiving." In a show that could have easily pulled off a Thanksgiving episode every season, there is but one to this series. It was the tenth episode of Full House, and it was called "The Miracle of Thanksgiving." Grandma can't make it, and since it is the first Thanksgiving without Danny's wife/Jesse's sister/the girls' mom, everyone tried to make it just like always. However, the frozen turkey and ruined pie are just the beginning... trying to buy a stranger's turkey is nuts. And the corwning moment is Joey + a bottle + a chair + a fire. This clip is the second half (minus a couple minutes) of the episode, where all the crazy shenanigans come together!

Boy Meets World: "Turkey Day." Opening up with a funny classroom skit, the story of the haves and have-nots starts early. Morgan's little date is a cute idea. Shawn and Cory doing a group donation every year is also kinda funny. There's a rather surprising situation with the trailer park "homeowner's association" and a very touching ending as well. I share with you the final part... the first two can be found from the same member.

Will & Grace: ''Lows in the Mid-80s." In a double-episode flashback, Will & Grace give a lot of their history. Well, mainly about how they went from being boyfriend and girlfriend to engaged to not speaking for a year to the current state of best friends. We see how Will realized he was gay, a high school Jack, and the beginning of Karen and Rosario. Grace's family is seen in its strange state, and it's really kinda crazy in general. I couldn't find a clip longer than three minutes (and those weren't ideal clips), but I did find the script, so if your want to get the gist, read this. But, be aware that you don't get the crazy 80s clothing or many of the funny details.

How I Met Your Mother: ''Slapsgiving.'' The most modern great Thanksgiving episode. The gang is together for their first Thanksgiving... Robin and Ted haven't been broken up for too long, Lily is freaked about creating a perfect dinner, and Marshall is counting down to the moment when he will take out his final slap on Barney. Not a very long clip, but embraces the title.

Mad About You: "Giblets for Murray." I'm not going to lie to you... this is one of the funniest Thanksgiving episodes I have ever seen in my entire life. Paul and Jamie are determined to make a Thanksgiving that everyone in both of their families will like. They make like six trips downstairs to the local store to pick up random items to appease the guests. They have issues with the table settings and the guests changing things to fit each person's individual's tastes. But that's only the start. The dog eats the turkey, so they have to sneak another one in without anyone finding out. This proves harder than one would think, and one turkey after another is doomed. This clip does pull out all of the drama and some of the great jokes, but you get the humor. (slowly, different people figure out what's going on, and by the end they all know but they don't say anything)

The World Series is changing my shows, LoL

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk: wasn't able to catch it and it hasn't been up on Hulu. maybe next week!

Sunday:
The Simpsons: no new ep this week.

Family Guy: no new ep this week.

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother (S05E06): um, omg 83 beds?? yikes. "Barnstormer" and "RoRo" um, ew. And I was just shocked that the "bagpiping" neighbors were that old!!! The dishes/orgasm trade-off was so funny. I'm kinda weirded out by Barney's name these days... it's finally starting to be kinda.... big-purple-dinosaur. And it's overly spiteful that Lily would make Marshall's favorite dinner only for herself. :(

Lincoln Heights (S04E08): why would Cassie talk to Charles about going to New York? I don't see what sense that makes. Having a history paper due is enough to stop Lizzie from trying out for a play? Again we see Lizzie's strange style of dancing. What does rich Aunt Naomi do? I am so happy that Jett Jackson made an appearance... he's so adorable!! Charles has no problem with the younger kids drinking?? Those girls are only like juniors. I wonder what sort of horrible thing those other girls did to make Lizzie have to go to the principal's office?!? I hate Sage, she's SUCH a B!TCH! I also don't like Naomi's attitude. And D@MN these Sutton kids can't catch a break... poor Tay getting the crap beat out of him.

House, M.D.: no new ep this week.

Little People, Big World (S05E07): wait. it's Spring Break on this show? LoL. I really thought it was a big problem for Matt to go ahead and book a trip, knowing that Amy couldn't make it. I understand Zach not wanting to go, and that Jeremy thought it was an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted. After Molly and Zach decide not to partake in a "family vacation" without their mother, Jacob was really in a rough place. He wanted to go, and it was clear that Amy was pointing out all of the cool things that he'd get to do if he went. But, he was sad that Zach and Molly weren't going. I was kinda offended that Matt was trying to guilt Molly and Zach into going.

(S05E08) Jeremy seemed to have no compassion for Zach and Molly's decision. Not much to say about this episode, really, LoL.

still missing "Downhill Dwarf" and "Game Over"

Jon and Kate Plus Eight (Special): not really a "final episode" and not really the original name of the show, either. Instead, just Kate spoke about stuff. "Kate: Her Story" was the title. They talked about the families who "cashed in on them" like her brother, Kevin, and his wife, Jody. The girl that Jon has been dating was the daughter of the surgeon who did Kate's tummy tuck???? WTF. (although on the radio today, I heard that Jon and she have gone on a break)

Cake Boss (S02E04): The robot idea was neat, but I didn't like how Buddy complained about it and then asked the others who was the doubter, LoL. Anthony having to take Buddy on the delivery was crappy... that kid is annoying! The tie-dye fondant was pretty neat. I was actually in love with the Rollerskate cake, LoL. I liked watching Buddy on the skates, too.

(S02E03) The Billiards idea was neat. Buddy talking about his pool skills got old fast. You could see the worry on the painters' faces when Buddy's sister told them to paint the walls pink. Same problem as last week when she abused Buddy's assistant. I adored the pool table cake... so neat! And after the painters did the brown thing... it just looked like a warehouse. so boring. so, so boring.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting (S03E21): stiiiiiill no "and one on the way." The pop-up box said that biblical times usually had 4-8 children, and Noah only had 3. Interesting. Who drives the yellow bug? It was interesting to see Joy pushing a stroller... usually we don't see her helping with the younger ones much. With Jennifer so afraid of bearded JimBob, why keep putting them together?? I liked the pairings of the kids in the interviews... it was good to hear from a bunch of the non-usual kids.

(S03E18) I was able to catch "Old McDuggar Had a Farm" from my list... This was a verrrry "let's praise John David" episode... and I'm not sure why. "is it important to spend one-on-one time with each kid" um, duh. Of course Michelle is going to say yes. What kind of prompt is that??

list of missing: "Duggars in Dixie," "Duggar on a Diet"

Table for 12: no new ep this week.
still missing the two eps "hit the deck" and "ramp it up"

Wednesday:

South Park (S13E12): the kids "need a break" so they head out to the wilderness. They are quickly upset by a bunch of motorcyclists driving through. It quickly becomes apparent that the guys realllllly crave attention. I liked that comparison to sixteen-year-old girls, haha. After Cartman and Ike both call the gang "fags," they begin to become really concerned. There's some obvious homophobia going on when they talk about how the mere sound of their engines means they can't be gay. The parade of motorcycles with random noise-making accouterments was amusing. I love how the kids are always calling group meetings of the classroom kids, haha. lmao KFC chicken and gravy. The need to "motorboat" while riding got old fast. Of course as soon as the kids spray paint "fags get out" on the billboard, true homosexuals got upset. The point being made that "fag" has become too household of a word was a little vague, but decently put. Women, poor people, old people, "inconsiderate douche bags" ..... clearly definitions are ambiguous. haha, Emmanuel Lewis. LMAO on Butters' "bi-curious" self again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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 7 Worst Female Middle Names

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

As promised, as a follow-up to the worst male middle names, here we go with the ladies... unfortunately, I was unable to come up with more than seven truly bad middle names. I'd love to know others if you are aware of them!

7. Dharma Freedom Finklestein (Dharma & Greg). A strange name overall, that's for sure. The reason it's the least embarrassing is that Dharma actually isn't that bothered by it. Growing up with hippie parents, you have to expect things like this, I guess. (although Family Ties had hippie parents and they didn't give crazy names...)

6. Jacqueline Beulah Burkhart (That 70s Show). Jackie gets pisssssed whenever her middle name is said. And for a spoiled little rich girl, "Beulah" is a doozy.

5. Calliope Iphigenia Torres (Grey's Anatomy). Well, it's clear that her parents loved the Greeks, that's for sure! At least "Calliope" can be shortened to something cute, like "Callie." :)

4. Hayley Dream-Smasher Smith (American Dad!). Well, when you're born on safari because your dad thinks pregnant mom can travel against the doctor's wishes, and you take up your dad's free time, it's easy to see how your middle name becomes "Dream-Smasher."

3. Robin Charles Scherbatsky, Jr. (How I Met Your Mother). Ouchies. Yes, Robin's Canadian, and that's often the butt of the jokes about her, but this one simply comes from her father wishing for a boy. And while fans of the show enjoy poking fun at her stage-name "Robin Sparkles," it makes sense... how would you sell a song about going to the mall when you're a boy?

2. Cate Stinky Hennessy (8 Simple Rules [for Dating my Teenage Daughter]). Again, the fault of a father. While Cate tries hard to pretend that the "S" initial stands for "Stacy," her namesake is a friend that her father accidentally stabbed in Korea. Regardless, "Stinky" is a crappy name to be stuck with.

1. Cleopatra Dirtbike Funnie (Doug). Three names, none of which are fabulous. Now, let's remember that many characters on this show have strange names... Douglas Yancey Funnie, Judith Anastasia Funnie, Theda Opal Funnie, Mosquito Valentine, Tippingdale Dink, Chalky Studebaker, Al and Moo Sleech, and Patti Mayonnaise are just some of the more major characters with tragically funny names. But "Cleopatra" and "Dirtbike" ???? yikes. Oh, and the manner in which she receives this name is also amusing... long story short, Doug is making a Christmas list, claims it's a list of possible baby names, older sister Judy snatches it and reads it aloud, then mocks the "Dirtbike" suggestion by giving overly-theatrical ideas, like "Cleopatra."

Start out with these 5 Thanksgiving Episodes

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Continuing with the holiday theme, here are five Thanksgiving-themed episodes to get you started on thinking about the Turkey holiday. No particular order here, and stay tuned next Monday for more suggestions!

The Cosby Show: ''Cliff's Wet Adventure". It's a downright hilarious episode. It's later in the series, and as the family is preparing the Thanksgiving meal, they keep sending Cliff out to the store in the pouring rain. He forgets items and keeps having to go back out. Meanwhile, Denise invites Martin's ex-wife to dinner, in a kind gesture that ends up filling her in on why the marriage ended. Here's a clip of just the Cliff scenes:


The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: "Talking Turkey." This season one holiday episode features Will's mom coming out to visit, and the boys' professor coming for dinner. When Will's mom sees that the children do no work around the house, she gives all of the help time off, and forces the children to come up with a way to cook the holiday meal. Well, obviously this is not ideal, so it gets funny to the point of ridiculousness. (couldn't find a clip of this episode)

Home Improvement: "Thanksgiving." (even Wilson and Willow are going out of town!) while Tim schemes about how to ask if they can spend it elsewhere. When he finally asks, Jill is really happy that she can sleep in and not cook, so the Taylors go to see the Lions game in a box seat for Thanksgiving. While Tim manages to black out all the lights, the rest of the family has a good time hanging out with Rodney Dangerfield and a few other random celebrities.


Roseanne: "Home is Where the Afghan Is." There's a lot of funny jokes in this one... the final season's Thanksgiving. THe house has been redone, caterers are doing the dinner, and Bev comes out of the closet. Merriment continues as the Connor family realizes that money isn't everything and they donate a lot of food to the needy people of Lanford. Here's the opening:

Frasier: "A Lilith Thanksgiving." The Cranes go to visit Lilith and Frederick for Thanksgiving. Not a bad premise, until Lilith and Frasier go to meet the dean of a prestigious school (so Frederick can get the best education). They continue trying to make a good impression while making fools of themselves time and again. Meanwhile, Martin is playing with Frederick and he keeps getting hurt. And, Niles is making the turkey... hahahahaha. The whole thing always gets me rolling. The clip included begins with Frasier and Lilith's THIRD trip to see the Dean, and keeps going until the end of the episode (I truly believe you should watch the entire thing tho, it's so good. Part 1 and Part 2):