Sometimes this show's multiple plots don't work together. They don't have to intersect, but only writing for a few of the series' characters and not doing a great job gets annoying quickly. Ed dealing with worker issues might have fit better if Mike did a video for work or even if a Kyle-centric episode had featured the young man GOING to work. Instead, it just depicted him as a lost puppy, following around Mandy, regardless of how little attention she gave him. Plus, is there no subtle way to announce to the audience that a character is using contraceptives?? Vanessa really showed herself to be condescending as well, so this episode was a real stinker in my eyes.
Last Man Standing "Pledging"(S03E03): Kyle has managed to make more friends at school than Mandy, so Vanessa suggests she join a sorority. [Kappa Kappa Nu, apparently.] She does, and wears a pledge shirt around school, but Kyle isn't really welcome at any of the events. Kyle starts hanging out in Mandy's classes when she doesn't have time to hang out with him afterward, and soon he's just going to class for her. [c'mon, Kyle! get with it!] Vanessa suggests that a boyfriend might be one too many things in Mandy's life, so Mandy considers breaking up with Kyle. [first, she has nothing in her life, and now she has too much?] He tells her to stick with school, so if she needs a break from him to spend more time on school, he accepts that. [how did he know it was a metaphor if they hadn't covered that yet?]
facebook.com/LastManStandingABC
So, she winds up deciding to keep Kyle and ditch the sorority, making Kyle upset at Vanessa, who was encouraging her to meet new, interesting men. [why did Mandy tell Kyle? having him mad at Vanessa isn't doing anyone any good!]
At the store, Ed dresses like a worker and hangs out in the loading dock area to see where the issue with productivity is. Fortunately, they just need more men! Ed keeps it up, though, and is soon nominated to talk to "the boss" about a raise. [there was pretty much a union forming, really.]
I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but consider DVRing things on Christmas Day instead of watching them live. You're missing time with loved ones. Not to say you don't need a break, so maybe you could just time your escape accordingly. ;) This is the final installment of holiday recommendations from us, though you can follow our entire holiday schedule through January 2nd. Below is our highly-recommended list for Sunday, December 25th below. As always, times are
Eastern and Pacific to the best of our knowledge (except when noted
otherwise), but it's always good to double-check with your own provider.
5:21am: Home Improvement "'Twas the Flight Before Christmas" (TVLand) - I really enjoy the Home Improvement holiday episodes, but this one is one of my favorites. Tim and Al are out of town on business and are trying to return home on Christmas Eve. This leaves the boys to decorate the house on their own, in an attempt to win the neighborhood decorating contest. Between Tim and Al having a terrible time traveling and the fact that the house's brightness can be seen from the plane, there are some wonderful jokes in this episode!
7:34am, 3:34pm: Three's Company "Three's Christmas" (TVLand) - Well, it's honestly a pretty typical plot for this show. The trio plans for a great Christmas party, but it doesn't work out, so they're happy going to the Ropers' place. But, then they get a last-minute invitation to a "better" party, and they have their continual problem of whether to honor their initial obligation or go to something that seems to be better. I think you know what happens. Especially in a Christmas episode...
9am: Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade (ABC) - This isn't live like some parades are, but it's still pretty magical. Various music groups, marching bands, and Disney characters take part. This year, the Muppets and Jennifer Hudson will be in the parade (which was taped a few weeks ago), along with talent from Switched at Birth and Phineas and Ferb, among others.
12:44pm: The Jeffersons "Father Christmas" (TVLand) - Tom and George don't want to go caroling with their wives, Florence, and the neighbors, so they stay home and decorate the tree together. Although they normally don't share much personal stuff with one another, the guys end up talking about their childhood Christmases. 9pm: Everybody Loves Raymond "The Christmas Picture" (TVLand) - What do you do when you want to take a family picture but one grandmother doesn't want the other one in the photograph? Well, as you might imagine, that's what happens here. And, as you probably hypothesized, it's Marie who doesn't feel that Debra's parents are "family." It's not that original, and not even the funniest episode, but it's a little different.
Now, the thing to remember at this point is that many of the best Christmas specials running on Christmas Eve have already ran this season, and I have already recommended them. I'm making it a point to recommend new things each day, so some goodies will be overlooked in this list in order to focus on other programming. You
can still take a look at our entire holiday schedule, but we've
got a shorter list (with descriptions) below for Saturday, December 24th below. As always, times are
Eastern and Pacific to the best of our knowledge (except when noted
otherwise), but it's always good to double-check with your own provider.
12:30am: Friends "The One with the Holiday Armadillo" (FOX)
- Ross wants to teach Ben about Hanukkah, so he rents an armadillo costume. It's pretty funny, though I am always sad when Chandler, dressed as Santa, steals the show away from Ross.
11:30am: Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas in July (ABCFamily)
- If I'm not mistaken, there are four main Rudolph specials, and this is my second-favorite (the original being the best, in my opinion). It's the middle of July, and Frosty normally can't be around, as it's too hot. But, a (villainous) wintery fellow offers Frosty magical amulets to keep his family cool enough to enjoy the fireworks and other festivities. Rudolph and Frosty work to help a circus out, but the bad guy starts to make things go haywire, and they worry about Santa not being able to pick them up and bring them back to the North Pole. Tune in to find out how the dilemma is solved! Beware, it's a two-hour special with commercials. 3pm: Mickey's Christmas Carol (ABCFamily)
- My favorite thing about this special is just how many Disney cartoon characters they manage to cram in there. Willie the Giant is the Ghost of Christmas Present, for instance, and Mr. Toad is Fezziwig. Scrooge plays Scrooge and Mickey takes on the role of Bob Cratchit. It's a nice retelling of the story, especially if you were a DuckTales fan, as you really get how Scrooge portrays Scrooge. (This special is a few years pre-DuckTales, though, so don't get too excited.)
3:30pm: Winnie the Pooh and Christmas, Too (ABCFamily)
- If you're a Pooh fan and have never seen this, make time to stop by the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh tries to mail a letter to Santa with everyone's desires listed, but it doesn't work out well. So, he dresses as Santa and makes Piglet his reindeer. They build items similar to those that their friends wanted and deliver them. But the quality is poor and Pooh is confronted. Luckily, Christopher Robin comes to the rescue!
10pm: Everybody Loves Raymond "The Toaster" (TVLand)
- We're all guilty of it... returning a Christmas gift to a store. But, Marie is especially guilty this time around... she never even opened the toaster to discover that it had been engraved! Now, just why Ray didn't make her realize this when the package was first opened is unclear, but there are multiple people at fault in this one. I'm just glad that I never tried to get back a returned item!
So.Many.Holiday.Specials.!! If you don't want to sift through our entire holiday schedule, we've
got another issue of daily recommendations for Thursday, December 22nd below. As always, times are
Eastern and Pacific to the best of our knowledge (except when noted
otherwise), but it's always good to double-check with your own provider.
5:30am & 4:30pm (PT): Casper's First Christmas (Boomerang) - I didn't realize that this special was separate from Casper's Haunted Christmas
until this year. I set it to DVR because the description mentions that
Yogi Bear & the gang celebrate Christmas with Casper, the Friendly
Ghost. Sounds kinda wacky... almost like that time the Jetsons met the Flintstones, haha. I'm recommending it based solely on the synopsis, so it might not be any good. But, it might be great...
9am: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air "Deck the Halls" (TBS) - Can you imagine having your house professionally decorated every holiday season? That's what has been going on for the entirety of Ashley's life. So, Will takes it upon himself to decorate festively, both inside the mansion and out. This backfires when the neighbors complain about the garish look, but at least Ashely gets to see what Christmas can be. 3pm: Little House on the Prairie "Christmas at Plum Creek" (Hallmark) - You've got to be a bit of a sap to like this episode, as it is more of "love your family" type of message. Each member of the Ingalls household tries to bring in extra money so that they can buy one another gifts. Laura, being too young to work, sells her horse so that she could buy Ma a stove. Touching, selfless, and rather unbelievable.
8pm: Family Guy "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" (TBS) - While it isn't my cup of tea, this episode, more affectionately known by some as "the Family Guy where Peter wants to watch Kiss Saves Santa," makes a lot of people laugh. Things go wrong pretty much right off the bat, as Peter accidentally gives away the family's presents. It only gets worse from there (including a fire in both the living room AND kitchen), and Lois ends up on a rampage, ruining Christmas by melting a Frosty the Snowman, killing a Goerge Bailey, and wrecking the town Christmas tree. Stewie, in an ironic twist of fate, brings her back to reality in the end.
9pm: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (ABCFamily) - There's an animated opening. An extended family that arrives WAY TOO EARLY for Christmas. Clark getting locked in the attic while everyone else goes shopping. Cousin Eddie and family showing up unexpectedly. Over-lighting the house. Sledding way too quickly. A cat getting electrocuted. A kidnapping. And more. Go. 9pm: Everybody Loves Raymond "All I Want for Christmas" (TVLand) - I really enjoy this episode because it's just funny. All Ray wants for Christmas is to have sex with Debra. They try hard to make the time, but of course his family interrupts. Multiple times. Once Frank is hip to what's going on, he tries to help the cause... but you can only imagine how funny that can be.
It's hard to believe how close to Christmas we're getting! Below you'll find some of our recommendations for holiday
programming to watch or DVR for Saturday, December 17th. It's a bit heavy on the ABCFamily, so I hope that you get that network! For a full
listing, check out our Holiday Programming Schedule. As always, times are
Eastern and Pacific to the best of our knowledge (except when noted
otherwise), but it's always good to double-check with your own provider.
7am: Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (ABCFamily) - Now, I'm a sucker for some of the "weirder" Christmas specials out there, but I like this one. I don't love it, and I don't own it, but I do tend to watch it annually. Nestor is a lot like Rudolph... he's different from the others, but gets a really important job at some point. Rudolph got to take Santa through the fog, and Nestor got to be the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem.
10am: Twas the Night Before Christmas (ABCFamily) - The songs in this Christmas special are the most precious thing ever. I was always jealous that I couldn't sing as well as the children heard in this feature! Rather than actually read Twas the Night Before Christmas, we would watch this special as kids. I think that's why it became one of my favorites, actually.
2pm, 10pm: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (ABCFamily) - As a child, I based all of my Santa knowledge on this stop-motion special. The story of Kris Kringle, the fact that his wife was named Jessica, the fact that he was an outlaw, why he grew the beard, why the reindeer fly, and that the bad guy is always the Burgermeister Meisterburger. When children ask me questions about Santa, I spit out answers from things I learned here. It's worked so far!
3:30pm: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (ABCFamily) - It's not Christmas if I don't watch the first two Home Alone films! (I saw the third and fourth for the first time last year... what disappointments!) I prefer the original, personally, but I understand why the second one tends to be pretty popular. The "Kevin Saves Christmas" part of the film is a lot better than the "Kevin Saves his House" idea. The bird lady is more appealing than the snow shoveler. And, let's not lie, New York City at Christmas has a magic all its own. And, as I continue to steal bits from others, I tell Mr. Duncan's story of the two turtle doves as if it's fact... never having actually looked it up elsewhere. ha!
8pm: Frosty the Snowman (CBS), 8:30pm: Frosty Returns (CBS) - I love the song. I love the idea of bringing a snowman to life with a mysteriously magical hat. I'm not the biggest fan of the actual Christmas special in comparison, though. Maybe it's that whole greenhouse scene with Karen, but I was upset that Frosty would give his life to save someone else. I still get angry with that scene, and fast-forward through it when I watch to this day. Oh, and if you want another sequel, Frosty's Winter Wonderland is on ABCFamily at 3pm.
8pm: Wipeout "Deck the Balls" (ABC) - I made it a point at the end of the summer to give up watching Wipeout. It was a lot of fun for a very long time, but I just got sick of it. However, if you want a few laughs and physical injury is funny for you, I'm sure that this will be good. Their themed episodes were generally their best, and you'll get to see Jill's replacement as well. Should anyone tune in for this, report back and let us know how it was!
9pm: Everybody Loves Raymond "Season's Greetings" (TVLand) - This is the one where Debra wants to write a Christmas letter and it soon turns into a disaster. Marie and Debra decide to team-up (because that always goes so well... haha!), but nobody is happy with what's being written about them. This episode changed how I write my family update each year... the good and the bad are fine, since history is history.
From now until Christmas, TheTalkingBox will feature daily holiday programming recommendations! We like to think of it as our 12 Days of Christmas gift to you! Although we are continuing to add things to the final week of our Holiday Programming Schedule, there's just so much showing that we thought it would be a nice gesture to give some insight as to some of our favorites. Look for a new post daily with highlights of what will be airing! As always, times are Eastern and Pacific to the best of our knowledge (except when noted otherwise), but it's always good to double-check with your own provider.
Holiday Recommendations for Tuesday, December 13th: 9am: Full House "Our Very First Christmas Show" (ABCFamily)- This is the Christmas episode where the Tanners are stuck at the airport for Christmas Eve, since a blizzard hit and stranded them. It's a good episode because it really makes the best of a bad situation. 4:30pm (PT): A Christmas Story (Boomerang) - A dog and a mouse must find Santa Claus to deliver a letter on Christmas Eve. While the animation is old-school (we're talking very early 70s, folks), it's a cute story that has some great songs, including "Which One is the Real Santa Claus?" which is better known from a later appearance in one of the Flintstones holiday specials. 6pm: Merry Madagascar (ABCFamily) - Santa Claus crashes into the island and has amnesia, so the animals must deliver the presents... plus, try to get back to Central Park! I think that the Madagascar characters are really lovable, and this is a nice, albeit modern, holiday special.
6:30pm: Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special (ABCFamily) - Since Po is the Dragon Warrior, he has a lot on his plate for the holidays, since he's now the host of the Winter Feast. This special (released last year) is really about the balance between family traditions and other obligations.
8pm: It's a Wonderful Life (NBC)- How can we not recommend this one? It's one of the few movies that many agree is a true Christmas Classic. In case you don't know what this film is about, it's based on Philip Van Doren Stern's short story, "The Greatest Gift," about a suicidal man who is shown the differences he has made in others' lives. It stars Jimmy Stewart and was released around the holidays in 1946.
9pm: Everybody Loves Raymond "Christmas Present" (TVLand)
- This is the Christmas episode where Ray wants to go golfing, so he tries to get Debra an extra-special gift so that she will let him. It all backfires when the gift that Robert tells Ray Debra's getting him ends up being a decoy. I think it's pretty hilarious and very trademark Ray for the show.
Last week I posted about my thoughts on Little Family, Big Values, but the week before that I did my 10 favorite television weddings that DIDN'T happen... now it's time to look at those who took the plunge and went through with it. My main rule here was that I would only pick one wedding per show (because otherwise FOUR slots would have gone to Friends, LoL).
10. Luka & Abby on ER. I was one of the seemingly few who didn't really care if these two ever got together in the end. But, they did. Abby seemed so afraid of commitment for so long, and Luka arranged the wedding as a surprise, with the help of Hope (who disappeared not too long after the wedding). I think that, besides the surprise, the most memorable things about their wedding are Archie and Hope using the suite at the hotel, and Ray ending up a paraplegic after he leaves the reception.
9. Robert & Amy on Everybody Loves Raymond.Of course there's family drama... it would be a completely different show if there wasn't. It's really a bad day, starting when Ray can't get himself dressed, but finally turns around with Raymond's Best Man speech, and, of course, Amy and Robert doing a choreographed dance to "A Little Less Conversation."
8. Darlene & David on Roseanne. I always liked David, and Darlene was a lot more fun that Becky (to me), so their union was exciting to me. I still laugh at the comment that Roseanne makes to Dan about how their daughter is marrying someone who they consider to be their son, making them officially white trash. The wedding itself was very "them" being in the woods and all, and when Dan has the heart attack moments before the ceremony begins, it made for an unforgettable wedding episode in television history.
7. Whitley & Dwayne on A Different World. They were engaged by the fourth season, and married at the end of the fifth. HOWEVER, it was at Whitley & Byron's wedding where Dwayne comes down the aisle, begging her to marry him. This is probably the least well-known of my selections here, so if you haven't seen it, check it below. The good stuff happens starting around 4:00, and by 5:10 it's crazy. 6. Matt & Sarah on 7th Heaven. Their first date was amazing... they were enthralled by one another's backgrounds, and ended up getting married that very evening. While each of the Camdens tries to figure out what Matt's up to, it's Ruthie who manages to not only uncover where he is, but what he's been up to. She is the only one to know this little secret for quite a few years, until she's forced to blurt it out to throw the family off the track on another secret. Matt and Sarah go through a lot of problems as their "wedding day" approaches, and nobody is ever the wiser, probably because of how difficult things keep getting for their respective families.
5. Jesse & Rebecca on Full House. I was young when I watched this show, so I think that the courtship of Becky & Jesse had a big effect on how I looked at courtships and weddings. Buying a ring for Becky was amusing. Jesse trying to make a good impression with Rebecca's father was funny. I particularly love the "cake tasting" by Michelle. The wedding itself is a great two-parter in the series, the highlights include Michelle being friends with Howie, Jesse deciding to go skydiving but ends up in jail, and Becky driving a bus to bring Jesse back to the church while Joey and Danny hold a sing-along with the guests.
4. Niles & Daphne on Frasier. Forget that Niles and Daphne got together by breaking up Daphne's first wedding ceremony. Any marriage that starts off with three ceremonies in order to appease everyone is hilarious in my book! It was particularly hilarious that they just kept hiding the fact that they were already married, time and time again.
3. Steve & Janet on Beverly Hills, 90210. Um, how can a surprise scavenger hunt wedding NOT be awesome?? It gets rid of the hectic preparations, and the teamwork mends the gang to a certain degree. And I can't remember when I've ever seen Steve act so sincere. (S10E08 on youtube if you want to watch the whole thing.)
2. Phoebe & Mike on Friends. The engagement was awesome, with Mike stealing David's spotlight thanks to Monica & Chandler. And then there's the whole "let's donate the money we'd spend on a wedding to charity!" and then change your mind several times. And at the rehearsal dinner, where Monica won't let them speak. The cake, however, is taken when Phoebe fires Monica as her wedding coordinator, and a blizzard pops up. Roles are thrown out the window, all hell breaks loose, but it all manages to come together for a beautiful ceremony.
1. Cory & Topanga on Boy Meets World. I couldn't not put them first. From the shocking moment when she proposed marriage during high school graduation to the frustrations of them dealing with all of the wedding planning, it's great. I love how Eric manages to connive their way into an exclusive reception hall, how Feeny wants to do the music, and best of all, how Cory has to tell Shawn that he's gotta talk to Topanga now.
Who didn't make my list but might have made yours? I'm thinking someone would want Sully & Michaela from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Or perhaps the famous David & Donna wedding on Beverly Hills, 90210. Oh, and I know somebody wants to argue for Zack & Kelly on Saved by the Bell (I couldn't include them because I don't count the Vegas movie as part of the official show). Who else? :-)
Well, since I'm sitting here snowed in in Pennsylvania, my husband actually suggested today's topic. But, for some reason, most of the episodes that I thought of with blizzards and snowstorms are Christmas episodes. It took me a while, but I finally found some that fit! Here are my favorite ten episodes in other snowy conditions!
10. Family Matters: "Just One Date." Steve has officially asked out Laura 1,000 times. He's at the point of desperation, and he decides to camp out on the Winslow roof... during a blizzard. Both parts are on Youtube, but here's the more relevant half (all you've missed is Steve's declaration that he's camping out):
9. Daria: "Antisocial Climbers." As per the usual with this show, they tried an atypical teaching method: field trip to the wilderness. Well, the boys pay more attention to Quinn than the supplies, and the principal cares more about publicity than safety. After everyone is trapped in a cabin, we find out that Daria's parents are also trapped in a different cabin. Both parts are on Youtube, here's the second half:
8. 3rd Rock from the Sun: "Frozen Dick." Dick and Mary are supposed to fly to Chicago for work. Dick freaks out and they have to drive. Then he freaks out because it starts snowing, and wrecks the car. So, he and Mary are snowed in at a truck stop. This is the first time the main four see snow on Earth, so they all respond really differently. All three parts are on youtube, here's the middle section:
7. The Simpsons: "Skinner's Sense of Snow." Skinner keeps the school open, and students still go, but not the teachers. So Skinner and Willie show the kids a bad movie, and end up getting trapped inside. Skinner becomes a drill sergeant in making the kids do what he wants. Homer and Flanders try to rescue the kids, but end up frozen in their car, passed out. Skinner eventually gets trapped by the kids, and sends out a hamster for help. it's a strange episode, not gonna lie. Simpsons episodes are not on youtube, but I found it on another site. The first 4 minutes aren't snowy.
6. Everybody Loves Raymond: "Snow Day." Ray, Debra, and Amy are stuck at Frank and Marie's during a snowstorm. They're all having a good time until Debra accidentally insults Frank, and that's when Marie decides to tell the truth about how she feels about Debra. I could only find it in other languages, haha.
5. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "The Snow Must Go On." It's election night and Mary is stuck broadcasting her first show: the results. However, the results aren't coming in, and the show must stay on until the results are in. This one's on hulu.
4. Family Ties: "Birth of a Keaton." Everyone goes to the station to help with an annual telethon. However, things take a turn for the worse when Elyse goes into labor on-air. Steven, a plumber, and Skippy try to make it to the hospital, but eventually Elyse just pleads on TV for them to come back to the station. This is only part 1, sadly. The good stuff's in part 2.
3. King of Queens: "Ice Cubed." Carrie goes out to buy an ipod, isn't charged correctly, and ends up stuck at a church waiting out the storm with an ethical dilemma on her hands. Meanwhile, Doug is delivering packages in the storm, and gets invited in by a couple who are about to invite her father to live with them... just like Arthur. Part 1 and Part 2.
2. How I Met Your Mother: "Three Days of Snow." Ted and Barney are in charge of MacLaren's during a storm, and end up partying with a college marching band. Marshall and Lily deal with keeping traditions alive when he makes Robin drive him to the airport in a snowstorm while she goes all over trying to find a microbrew for him. In the end, the marching band shows up at the airport as well. It's all a bit more complicated, but I can't find a video of any of it anyway. :(
1. Friends: "The One With Phoebe's Wedding." Phoebe and Mike are getting married during a snowstorm. The officiant can't make it, so Joey fills in. Therefore, Chandler fills in for Joey in walking Phoebe down the aisle. Ross is stuck holding a stinky dog. Meanwhile, many other things go wrong, but tyrant Monica saves the day. It's all on Youtube, but here's the part that deals with the snowstorm:
Honorable Mention:The Simpsons: "Mr. Plow." Some may argue that this definitely deserved to be in the top ten, but I didn't want to repeat any shows, and I like "Skinner's Sense of Snow" much better than this one, although it is the more memorable and iconic of the two episodes. You can find it here.
So with all of the holiday magic taking place in this blog over the past month, commenting on other television articles across the internet has fallen by the wayside. One came out at the very beginning of December that I wanted to talk about a little bit. Link to the original article.
So someone has taken the time to look at the top ten most-watched television episodes since 2000. Interesting idea, and I had not ever thought about looking into this. Some of these are really obvious, and others make very little sense to me... which is really what I wanted to address. (and I will be doing so in the opposite order of the original)
One thing before I start... I was really surprised by the dates... HALF of them are from 2000, and none since early 2007.
10. Spin CityMichael J. Fox's finale regular episode (May 24, 2000). I think it makes sense that this one made the list, with 32.8 million viewers. Michael J. Fox was quite a beloved actor for this series and his other works, and with his health problems in the media, people tuned in to see what might have been his final performance.
9. Everybody Loves RaymondFinale (May 16, 2005). It's actually kind of a boring finale... Ray has to have a tonsillectomy and he brushes death. Now, it was a series finale for a long-running show, so of course it will bring a lot of viewers... but I've never understood why that particular show managed to gain such a following. And that episode wasn't even that good.
8. FrasierSeason Seven Finale (May 18, 2000). It was the lead-in that brought an audience. After watching Niles pine over Daphne for well over half a decade, this episode brought people back to see how Niles would go on after Daphne was married... he manages to get up the courage to confess his adoration the night before her wedding. Heart-touching and heart-breaking all at once.
7. Who Wants to be a Millionaireweek (May 3, 2000). I remember the early days of Millionaire quite well... it was a hot new gameshow when my now-husband and I began dating. And that's exactly why it makes this list... the hype was grand... the stakes were high... there was often someone from a town you've been to... it was the first major new gameshow in years... and Regis Philbin was the host. (Sidenote, did you see this craziness on Wheel of Fortune the other night??)
6. Grey's AnatomyPost-Superbowl Episode (February 5, 2006). Shows after the Superbowl often have large audiences, but bombs and lesbian scenes certainly helped maintain the football audience. I knew that this show had to come to fame at some point, and although I still pride myself on having never seen an episode, from the synopsis I can see why this one was seen by so many.
5. American Idol Season Six Premiere (January 16, 2007). This was the episode that introduced the world to Sanjaya. Apparently this was the height of the show's popularity (I only really paid attention back when Clay Aiken was the golden boy), and I think the author hit the nail on the head when he noted that each season brought more and more of an audience back then.
4. ER episode where Lucy dies (February 17, 2000). This was before I began watching the show religiously, so I can't quite appreciate why this episode was such a draw at the time. However, I always had a crush on Noah Wyle, so it's easy to believe that when he and Lucy were critically injured, it only makes sense that 39.4 million people would tune in to make sure that nothing happened to our beloved Dr. Carter.
3. Joe Millionaireseason finale (February 17, 2003). This is the entry that surprises me the most. The show was an interesting premise at first, but who wants to watch people get lied to and then just stare at the reactions? The show pretty much died afterward. But yeah, I can see why 40 million people wanted to see what would happen when a fake-millionaire chose a wife and then announced his true identity.
2. Survivor: Borneo finale (August 23, 2000). D@mn Survivor. I had really hoped that it wouldn't make the list, especially so high up!! But it's here, and the popularity of reality television became real. I'm surprised that so many people bothered to watch this, but since the show was still young, the true appeal might have been the idea that the winner wasn't "scripted."
1. Friends finale (May 6, 2004). This comes as no surprise to me. The finale was actually the second episode I ever saw (but I didn't remember a minute of it), since my best friend and I were over at another friend's house and that person loved the show (and yes, I've told this story before). And possibly that's part of the key to why this episode had fifty-two-and-a-half million viewers... the show had been around for ten years, and its fame probably brought quite a few first-time watchers just to see what all the fuss was about (this happened the FIRST time 7th Heaven ended as well... people tuned in for the send-off, and those involved with the show misinterpreted this as genuine interest in the show, LoL).
Here we go, the top ten I chose for biggest sibling rivalries!
10. Doug & Judy Funnie. They're a pain in eachother's butts. They pick on one another, scheme to get the other's goat, and generally argue to no end. Doug tells a white lie to Judy about his Christmas List, and the next thing you know, Judy gets to name their baby sister Cleopatra, and Doug's joke of "Dirt Bike" becomes her middle name. Mom is too meek to really care about their arguments, and many times Doug and Judy just battle it out until the bitter end.
9. Marcia & Jan Brady. You should've seen this one coming. It's definitely one of the classic rivalries. We all know that Marcia is the pretty one and that Jan just gets ignored. Hating your glasses and wanting to wear a wig to get a different perspective is one thing, but inventing a fake boyfriend and having the operator call your house so you can pretend it's George Glass is another. Still, Marcia did a lot of showing off, whining, and proactivity to get her way in the family, so she deserved to be hated.
8. Raymond & Robert Barone.omg, who does Mom love more?!? such a big deal, for no reason at all! But, even when Robert manages to do something stellar enough for recognition, Raymond pretty much always manages to steal the spotlight in one way or another. There's not really a lot of different things that they fight eachother for, it's really a main focus on their "dear" mother.
7. Ren & Louis Stevens. I see this one as a real classic sibling rivalry. Ren was the smart one, Louis was the mischievous one. They often had to bribe eachother to get what they wanted, and the other would go along with it... sometimes. Rarely, they would actually go far to cover for one another, but generally speaking, they were cutthroat enemies. And they were CRAZY CREATIVE with how they got back at one another, which is something you see pretty rarely these days.
6. DJ & Stephanie Tanner. All Stephanie ever wanted to do was be just like DJ (except have a BFF smarter than Kimmy Gibbler. not that Gia was that great, but anyway...). Stephanie would con DJ into doing what she wanted (often because DJ would sneak out or make out or stop eating or get a bad grade or scratch the car or....). On MANY an occasion, Stephanie stole an article of clothing from DJ, only to have something go wrong (the mustard from the Funky Franks, for instance). Plus, how many times did Mr. Bear have to get thrown around to make a point?
5. Cory & Eric Matthews. They often fought over the use of their bedroom (and mysteriously switched sides of the room several times, so I guess their space issues carried on off-screen, LoL). They fought over belongings. They fought over girls. They each had their go-to parent, but sometimes wanted the attention of the other instead. Eric was the more athletic one, but Cory gave sports a try with wrestling at one point (although there was the baseball obsession, the failure at basketball, and the attempt of scuba diving in the first season... none of which really ever surfaced again). Lastly, I think part of the fact that Eric was so girl-crazy was that Cory always had the steady Topanga by his side.
4. Monica & Ross Gellar. Um, so the main reason they're so high up on the list is that they remind me of my relationship with my younger brother. As the eldest, I pretty much always got him to do what I wanted. We tricked eachother with trivia and played board games hardcore (even now, we rarely get together without playing a game of some sort). You might go as far to say that I'm the obvious favorite, and if my mom wanted to create an exercise room, there's a good chance she'd do it in my brother's room (since I have trophies and plaques and all that jazz). And if you didn't see the parallels and thought I was just talking about myself, you need to watch more Friends.
3. Becky & Darlene Connor. This one is a true favorite. Mostly because of the early years, when Becky was the smart perfectionist and Darlene was the tomboy who didn't give a damn. Becky's obsession with hair, clothes, and boys was often a subject of ridicule by Darlene. Likewise, Becky would tease Darlene for her drab clothes and pessimistic demeanor. Darlene would also make fun of Becky's "bubble butt," right up until "original Becky" left with eloped-husband Mark. Oh, and this is all before we consider their arguments over stuff like chores, the phone, and their generic, blue-collar, crappy life.
2. Mary & Lucy Camden. Yep, I'm totally defending how high I put them on the list. I don't even know that I can remember how many different boys they fought over. The same goes with outfits. And with the family's attention. And popularity. Plus, they have a full-out brawl at least twice. Even when they date separate boys, they still act in complete competition (think Ben and Kevin!).
1. Dana Foster & JT Lambert. They were enemies even before they were step-siblings! In the pilot episode we learn that JT put a (dead) rat in Dana's locker. Dana was definitely the smartass in the family, and would often come back at JT (and Frank and Cody) with witty insults. JT referred to Dana as "Barky," and she had an endless supply of nicknames for him, too. I don't know that I have a favorite interchange between the two, but this is from a very early episode, and it showcases the Lambert's famed way of consuming chocolate milk.
who didn't make the list? Tia and Tamara; Kim and Christine; Wally and the Beav; Mary & Laura. And many others, obviously. But these pairs were considered.
So what does this mean? There were no correct guesses. But never fear, a more exciting contest is in the making, to be brought to light as soon as I can secure a good number of players, so interested lurkers might want to consider sending me a message or making a comment! :)
so today's topic stems from today's news. One of the first things I read this morning was "Top 20 Sitcom Characters You'd Kill in Real Life." And I must say that I severely disagree. We must have very different opinions on personas, the other blog writer and I. I'm going to argue why I wouldn't kill the character, rather than nitpick on why the other writer would.
20. Frasier Crane. Awesome guy to have around in real life. He knows EVERYTHING. Definitely worth a phone-a-friend slot on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
19. Joey Gladstone. While I wouldn't want to moocher living in my home for an extended period of time, he's pretty darn funny. The common sense, notsomuch, but I'm not worried about him diapering my imaginary baby with paper towels and ziplocs, so no worries.
18. Larry David. I've never seen Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I don't even know when it was on (is it still??), so no comment.
17. Cosmo Kramer. clearly the blogwriter has no spontaneous friends in his life. I love the craziness of people like my friend Joe, and their unexpected popping in and continual "great ideas" are something to be admired.
16. Marie Barone. I'm gonna agree here. The woman has no redeeming qualities. Hell, when she wanted more grandchildren, she bought her son wine and silk boxers, and gave his wife romantic CDs! Does pushy get much worse?
15. Archie Bunker. Agreed again. I can't stand his closed-minded bullsh!t. It drives me insane. In fact, I tried to get into this show at one point when it was big on Nick-at-Nite, but it just wasn't happening. Bigotry blows.
14. Carlton Banks. I think he's quirky. I also love perfectionists. I can relate to the idea of "all-nighters" in high school. He doesn't strike me as incredibly annoying, especially when you consider his stupid jokes ended after the first season, and became much more bearable.
13. Roseanne Connor. Sure, she's foul-mouthed. And I don't know that I'd want her as my mother. But I don't think that she's a bad person, and while I'd much rather have Jackie as a friend, I don't know that she'd truly "annoy" me.
12. Cindy Brady. Little sisters can be annoying, but Cindy never had any real storylines of her own (what, the tonsils thing? losing Kitty Cariole? the see-saw record with Bobby? what else was there?), so she really didn't have a major role. In a real-life scenario, there's not much harm in having a baby sister when there are already enough siblings to make you miserable from time to time.
11. Sheldon Cooper. I still have not seen even one minute of The Big Bang Theory, so I can't comment.
10. Phoebe Buffay. What? seriously? I'd love to have her as a daily plant in my life! I love to hear about the lives of those who grew up in crazy-different backgrounds. I love the unconventional hairstyles and clothing choices she had. Please, pour me a mocha and sit me on the couch, there's no way I'd off Phoebe.
9. Michael Scott. He's from the office, and I'm guessing he's Steve Carell's character. But I still don't know a thing about him.
8. Kimmy Gibbler. hmmm. now this is a toughie. She was pretty annoying on the show, and if she was my friend/neighbor in real life, I'm pretty sure it would drive me mad. Especially when you consider the crazy things that her family did, that would annoy anyone in a mile radius!
7. Lucy Ricardo. See here's the thing... yeah, she was a pretty big ditz, but women weren't portrayed as the pinnacle of intelligence at that time anyway. Either way, she was whiny, and I don't deal with that. agree.
6. Fred G. Sanford. he's a really mean old man. a codger, even. but it's not like he leaves his house much, so he doesn't have a lost of opportunities to bother you. No killings.
5. Steve Urkel. Yeah, I could see how he could get on absolutely every last nerve, but death is not an appropriate sentence. Lock your doors, hide your daughters, and call it a day.
4. The Janitor. I don't do Scrubs.
3. Screech Powers. It sure is handy to have a friend who can concoct devices in the blink of an eye with very little to work with. It's also great to have a scapegoat who can pull the wool over the Principal's eyes. the only downside that's coming to mind? he can't keep a secret. but neither can several of my friends. so don't keep them filled in and you're good to go.
2. Fran Fine. this is a tricky one. She had a unique sense of mind. A flirty nature. An eccentric mother. A nasally voice. A tacky wardrobe. A skewed view of life. I think she's very "take it or leave it," since there's nothing that sets her apart on either end of the spectrum... she's just balanced out in the middle, plain as day.
1. Gilligan. In my world, I don't live on a deserted island ninety minutes from the nearest bit of civilization. So the buffoon's charm at foiling escape plans isn't as problematic for me. However, he does sort of embody a kind of immature nuisance that I don't know I'd want to deal with forever...
Overall, I disagree with this list a LOT. Who would I kill, you ask? Well, I'd start off with Taub from House, MD, because he's useless, spineless, and boring. Cheryl from 7th Heaven, she was dumb and had no ambition. Plus, she stopped Matt from being with nicer, prettier girls. And there's Beverly Hills, 90210, definitely Valerie Malone, hands down. I hated her from like the second episode she was in, and I really tried to like her, since I was a big Tiffani Amber-Thiessen fan in the 90s. What an evil, sinister girl. And to finish off the list, all four girls from Sex and the City: Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. That show's attitude alone just kills me.
