Girl Meets World: A Locket and a Chicken

Five episodes into this show now, I'm ready to make some larger observations. First, I love the theme song. It's very fitting for both the characters and the time period. Second (and this might be because I watched some Full House this week and no show was better than that one at highlighting the lesson of the episode), I'm okay with the overly sweet morals the series shoves down your throat... Boy Meets World made me feel secure in being a "good kid," and if it worked for that show, may this assist many adolescents today.

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Third, the settings are mid-boggling on both ends of the spectrum! On the one hand, Riley's school has stairs, lockers, classrooms, benches, walls, and even bathrooms (conveniently a girls' room where Cory had a boys' room) in the same place as John Adams. And Cory's classroom being where Mr. Turner's was certainly brings back memories! However, at the Matthews' home, what's with the artwork in the hallway? It seems very odd...

Girl Meets World "Girl Meets the Truth" (S01E05): Maya wears a large gold locket, which Riley won't stop harassing her about until she learns how Maya came to own it. [I was surprised that Riley would buy either that Maya "went to France" or that her "dad sent it" to her.] Maya saw the necklace in a lost-and-found of a store in the Village for months, and claimed it because it was an orphan. [she didn't really expand upon "why" she did that, though. also, what was with the pigeon? ] Riley still claims that Maya took something that didn't belong to her, but Maya wants to keep it because there's a family inside with a father and a mother. [ooohhh...] But, when the girls are out and about and see the family that matches the picture, Maya returns it. [well, yeah. it would have been weird not to at that point.]

Cory gives his class a lecture on truth, then faces the wrath of his wife when the chicken dinner she makes isn't awesome. [we don't hear what Riley has to say about the meal, though.] He keeps making the situation worse by comparing the dryness of the poultry to that of dinosaurs, so Topanga locks him out of the house. [funny to see him try to get back in through multiple window!] Auggie helps his father realize that he should be thankful Topanga cooks for him, even if it isn't always what he wants. [Auggie's line was cute.]

Lucas plays Romeo to Riley's Juliet, but in the kissing scene, Farkle interrupts and calls Maya to the stage. [I don't understand how none of the teachers stopped the situation! also, why wasn't Riley the least bit nervous about Lucas potentially kissing her??] Afterward, Riley doesn't want to tell Farkle that he ruined the play, as she doesn't want to crush him, but because she encourages him, he becomes pompous about his future in acting. He even quits the chess and chemistry clubs, only to find out that he's not very good at acting. He still thanks Riley, though, because she gave him the courage to try something new... and he kisses her chin. [the kiss was weird enough, but I am hard-pressed to believe that he was still grateful in that moment...] Lucas sees it all, and hints at the fact that he wants to kiss Riley when the moment is right. [well, maybe she'll be nervous in the future?]

Another notable similarity to the original series: Riley telling Maya "if you tell me you did it, then I believe you," which Cory said to Shawn.

Bob's Burgers: A Psychic, a Pony, an Entrepreneur, and a Trickster

I recently pointed out how Bob's Burgers sometimes takes on overdone storylines while also trying out unique takes on situations. Well, in this next batch of episodes, the writers continue to play with ideas that have been seen before (hello, hit-to-the-head = psychic!) with pop culture-y, timely jokes (Equestranauts was perfect for this series! not a stretch until the tattoo part!). Plus, they bring the viewers back to life in a seaside town (where else would you find ambergris?), and simultaneously freak them out by remembering just how kooky the family can be (Gayle's sleeping arrangements had me wide-eyed and questioning why the kids even know where she lives...). There are a few episodes left this season, and I look forward to seeing what else they can cook up!

Bob's Burgers "I Get Psychic out of You" (S4E16): Linda starts predicting things correctly, and everyone except Bob believes she's psychic. [been there, seen that storyline!] The kids decide to use their mother's "abilities" to bet on a horse, using Tina's $80. They get Teddy to place the bet, and wind up losing it all. [eh. it's a lesson.] Meanwhile, Linda gets recruited to help solve a serious of crimes, but Bob ends up figuring out who the thief is, causing Linda to realize that she's not psychic. [oh, Bob!]

Bob's Burgers "The Equestranauts" (S4E17): The kids watch a My Little Pony-esque show called The Equestranauts, and the family heads to a toy pony convention. But, they soon learn that it's geared for adult men who call themselves "Equestricles." [and I had to pause and explain Bronies to my husband at this point.] Tina starts hanging out with a group anyway, and they talk Pony theories. [seriously, guys. if you've never been to a fan convention before, it is such a fulfilling and enlightening time, talking nitpicks about things you love!] But, soon, they trade Tina for her original horse and give her a new one. Louise hears the guy talking about swindling Tina, so the family plots to get the rare pony back, learning that it had a production defect. Bob dresses up and Tina teaches him about the ponies so he can infiltrate the group. But ,Tina realizes that Bob studied some fanfiction, too, and panics, just as Bob starts mentioning the zombie pony in Tina's writing and winds up being forced to get a tattoo. [how random!] The family shows up and Tina gets her horse back. [yay, status quo! I also loved how Tina started to decide that she had matured but all of the hassle made Bob encourage her to keep playing with the horses!]

Bob's Burgers "Ambergris" (S4E18): The kids find something that smells both great and terrible, and Tina finds out that it's an ambergris from whales. [gross already!]

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Because perfume is made out of it, the kids think they'll get rich from selling it on the black market. Louise convinces a criminal to help them out, but she then thinks she can cut him out, only to wind up being sabotaged by Tina, who replaces the ambergris with a cantaloupe covered in dirty socks. [ewww!]

Meanwhile, Bob and Linda are supposed to keep the landlord's brother busy, so they stick the annoying guy with the task of upgrading the restaurant's restroom, which suffers from brown hot water, among other problems. [yuck!] The end product is a very black and modern bathroom that doesn't fit the look of the rest of the restaurant. [it was very "Smash Club" from Full House, I thought.]

Bob's Burgers "The Kids Run Away" (S4E19): The kids have dental check-ups, and Louise has a bad cavity. The dentist is afraid of the little girl, and she puts up a big fight before going out the window and running away. [I loved that she had a "go bag" in the woods, LoL.] After failing at checking into a hotel, she takes a bus to visit her Aunt Gayle. Linda finds out and decides to trick Louise, so she lets Tina and Gene "run away," too. Then, Linda says that if Louise can make it the whole weekend without Gayle driving her crazy, she doesn't have to get the filling. Bob is skeptical, but Linda plans to cheat with their "inside man," Tina. [I couldn't stop laughing when Linda told Bob that she planned to cheat!]

The eldest Belcher daughter asks to hear Gayle's poetry, change out the claw covers on the cats, and play a long board game that makes no sense. [I've never seen these claw-cover things before!] Bob, Linda, and Teddy stake out the apartment, but fall asleep. [ha, Cliff of Huxtable.] In the morning, Louise has ice cream for breakfast (courtesy of Linda's tricky parenting once again), making her double-over in pain. [I've always found it weird when people don't have any pains until a doctor/dentist points them out, and then it's constantly coming to light.] Louise is still afraid, so Gayle uses her weirdness and gets the dentist to play along with a spy role-playing game. [cool ending!] 

Instant Mom: Is Gabby a "Good Kid" ??

One thing that bothers me about Instant Mom is the lack of press material available. The official site only ever had photos of the first few episodes, and even the facebook page doesn't have a great selection. The image below is clearly from a rehearsal, for crying aloud!

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Rant aside, this was a decently funny episode, with Stephanie remembering her own teenage years and seeing them in Gabby, despite the two not having a lot in common. I had a similar problem growing up - my mom was convinced that I (and my sister) was a bad kid who was out doing drugs and having sex, when I was going to Bible studies and playing board games at parties. On the converse, my husband is convinced that our potential future children won't be good kids like we were, and already doesn't trust them in various situations. I guess everyone has their own paranoid thoughts in one way or another... 

Instant Mom "Buy Any Jeans Necessary" (S01E19): James has started selling unopened gifts that Charlie and Stephanie received for their wedding, and enlists Aaron to help. Gabby finds out and blackmails James for $200 because Stephanie won't buy her jeans that expensive. [if Stephanie was trying to teach Gabby about bargain shopping, why were they even in a store that sells apparel that excessive?] But, the security tag is still on the pants, and Gabby destroyed the receipt so she wouldn't get into trouble. So, when she brings them back to the mall to have the tag removed, she's busted for shoplifting. [seriously? those cameras aren't real?? isn't that how DJ and Stephanie got caught on Full House?]

Charlie believes that Gabby didn't steal the jeans, but Stephanie doesn't. [who would have guessed that Stephanie was a real wild child??] When asked where she got the money, Gabby says a friend loaned it to her, so Stephanie grills the friend. [omg!] James then comes clean because he's feeling guilty, but neither Stephanie nor Charlie believe his story. [ha!] In the end, Stephanie sells the pants online, and Gabby just re-buys them! [what sort of resolution was that??]

RETURNING: Instant Mom: A Concert, Cleaning, and a Pet

Well, let's start by saying that my age is showing... I have never heard of Cody Simpson before, and was completely lost as to how badly anyone would want to go to his concert. In fact, the last time I was that lost about a musician on television, I think it was Stephanie fawning over Tommy Page on Full House! On another note, a great way to have a pet-friendly episode and not have to continue writing in rabbits, snakes, and mice is to have them all die and run away at the same time... interesting way to go! I did like that they weren't the standard cats, dogs, and hamsters, though, as I had the weirdo pets growing up, too - it was turtles, birds, and lizards for my family! Lastly, I feel like a lot of shows tried to do the kids-on-strike storyline in the late 80s/early 90s (when family shows were all the rage), but it's been a while, so it was interesting to see how it would play out now. Except, really, the additions of modern technology and changing priorities didn't really factor in, and I kinda liked that. Which of the latest three episodes of Instant Mom did you enjoy most?

Instant Mom "A Kid's Choice" (S01E16): The kids all make music videos to win tickets to a Cody Simpson concert, and it's Aaron who winds up winning! [but we don't see his video! :(] Stephanie thought that James and Gabby's videos were terrible, so she had already talked Charlie into letting whoever wins choose their company - adult or not. Aaron is game to take whichever sibling knows him better, but neither of them (nor Stephanie and Charlie) manages to get a single question correct. [loved that Garfield question!] Aaron doesn't know what he should do, but when Cody hears about it, he brings extra tickets for the whole family! [oh. like when the Beach Boys helped out Stephanie in the same dilemma on Full House.] BUT, when Cody delivers them, he accidentally falls for one of James' pranks on Gabby, and he helps the kids cover it up so they'll still be allowed to go to the concert. So, despite being glued to a chair, Cody manages to keep Charlie and Stephanie from knowing what's going on, even if it means that he gets carried out of the house! [the stolen chair kinda gave something away, though!] 

Instant Mom "Chore Money, Chore Problems" (S01E17): The kids take advantage of their weekly cleaning service, so Stephanie fires the maid and tries to get the kids to help out some more. [haha, I remember the first time my parents tried to crack down and get us to help clean the house. it failed because we were smart asses. we only had to "clean on the commercials," so we watched nothing but PBS. :-P] The kids decide to revolt unless they get paid, but Stephanie and Charlie decide to re-hire the cleaning service anyway. But, when the kids start talking back, the ante gets upped, and Charlie re-cancels the cleaning service, and the kids wind up sleeping in the backyard. [we couldn't do that - coyotes and all.] Furthermore, Charlie insists the kids can't wear clothes that he purchased, so the kids have to wear grandparents' gifts to school... and the humiliation breaks Gabby. TMNT breaks Aaron, but James maintains his stance, even after Charlie hires another kid to play James. It's Stephanie hiring a clown that brings James and Charlie back together. [Maggie was strangely absent.]  

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Instant Mom "Requiem for Mr. Floppity" (S01E18): Aaron watches his class rabbit for the weekend, but it dies when it pops a balloon. [why would Stephanie have it playing with a balloon anyway?] The teacher just replaces it, but Stephanie takes the opportunity to explain death to Aaron, so he's freaked out on Monday at school when the rabbit "returns because it missed the class." [wow that's a rough situation! and the "zombie rabbit" theory wasn't any better!] But, Stephanie insists on a funeral, even though they can't find the original rabbit's body and she has to stuff a plush rabbit with rocks. Of course, the room of eight-year-olds catches her, confusing them even more.

Even having the rabbit around for a few minutes reignites Gabby's desire for a pet, and Charlie lets her get a mouse. Of course, James decides to trade a friend a comic book for a snake, which spells out nothing but trouble for both the rabbit and the mouse!  

ROUND-UP: The Goldbergs: Ups and Downs

It's been a while, partly because the latest episodes have seemed a little off-the-mark. "Lame Gretzky" has a weak Adam/Barry/Murray storyline, but the Beverly/Erica/Pops plot plays well, even if all it really does is continue to drive home the point that Bev will do anything for her children. "For Your Own Good" is a mom-and-dad arguing episode, and it works because it's completely believable, but it's just not memorable. It does feature hyper-color t-shirts, though, which was a fun bonus. Then, it's back to Bev doing whatever it takes for Adam in "The President's Fitness Test" while Barry tries to hit on Erica's foreign friend. I warmed up to this episode the more I thought about it, because pen pals, foreign exchange students, and the President's Fitness Test were all things that were part of my youth that don't seem to be popular anymore. "You're Not Invited," though, really brings this series back to my good side, though. While I never went to a birthday party at the movies, basements, indoor play places like Chuck E. Cheese, and the roller skating rink made up a large part of popular party locales for me, too. So, back in my good graces The Goldbergs go! Do you think the end of the season will stay that way?

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The Goldbergs "Lame Gretzky" (S01E17): It's February 25th, 1980something, so the heart of hockey season! Adam's not the biggest fan, but Barry and Murray love it, so Adam plays along. When he finally scores his first goal, it goes in the wrong net, upsetting Murray. [awww. just like Michelle playing soccer on Full House.] Pops suggests that Murray get into Adam's hobbies, like making sci-fi movies, but when he tries, Adam ruins one of Murray's shirts and upsets him. [hahaha!] Barry then teaches Adam how to fight in hockey, but that doesn't help anyone, and Murray agrees to let Adam stop playing hockey... and even helps with the alien movie again. [awww.]

Erica is studying for the SAT, and when the tutor is too patient, Beverly fires her and takes over. [her helicopter parenting is intense!] Erica's score goes up, but now she wants to apply to Stanford, upsetting Beverly because of how far away the university is. [haha, double-edged sword!] So, The Smother makes up some fake vocabulary words and tries to sabotage Erica... but the teen is savvy and throws it back in Beverly's face by using those words in an admissions essay! [LOVED it!] They have it out, but Beverly eventually agrees to work on supporting her daughter, who winds up scoring a 1300. [Pops' small but random part fit well.]

The Goldbergs "For Your Own Good" (S01E18): March 7th, 1980something. Bev buys Murray a new living room chair, but he doesn't like change, so he retaliates by buying her a microwave. [her anti-microwave attitude was amusing. we had one by 1987, as did my grandmother and everyone I can think of.] Bev then gets him boxers instead of briefs, so he takes her hairspray, and she replaces the TV with an aquarium. [changing her hairstyle was such a big deal! I wonder how the average prep time for a woman to get ready has changed!] Murray winds up making his wife admit that she dumped the old chair for aesthetics, not for health and safety. [this is the kind of trick my husband could get me to fall into!] She asks Goodwil where the chair ended up, tracks it down to a fraternity house, and cleans the place up in exchange for the recliner.

Adam is being bullied, so he pretends that Barry is clinically insane. [ha! I once tried to claim my brother was my bodyguard, but he was two years younger than me so it didn't work very well.] Adam then gets Barry to ride the bus with him to bully the bully, but Barry just starts bullying everyone. [unexpected side effect!] Adam leads a coup, and everything is back to the status quo once again. [nice pop-up of hypercolor shirts!]

The Goldbergs "The President's Fitness Test" (S01E19): April 8th, 1980something. Adam has a rough time in gym class, and it only gets worse when he'll need to do pull-ups as part of the fitness challenge. [I remember those!] Bev offers to write him a note, which Murray fights. It gets worse, however, when the coach is willing to put off the test until Adam "feels better." [hahaha!] The Goldberg parents have to come down to the school and agree that the only thing that can get Adam out of that test is a note from President Reagan. [seriously? I bet it would be easier to get kids out of that now if the test was still around.] Beverly sets off to make it happen, and though the letter isn't written by someone who directly works with the President, it does have the Presidential seal! [I'll take it!] Still, Murray tries to encourage Adam to try anyway, and the lad manages a single pull-up. [I liked how the difference was noted that girls have to do the flexed arm hang.]

Erica's French pen pal, fanny, comes to visit, and when Barry asks Erica to help him translate flirtatious lines, she messes with him. [duh. why didn't he find a friend who was taking French and ask him to translate??] Pops puts a stop to it, and Erica even makes up a note from Fanny to make her brother feel better. [pretty generous for Erica.] Of course, he takes it as a love note and promptly takes off for the airport to tell her that it won't work between them, but they'll always have poptarts. [so ridiculous that I couldn't wait for the end of the episode. ::eye roll::]

The Goldbergs "You're Not Invited" (S01E20): Adam is angling for his first kiss on his birthday, so Barry tells him to throw a make-out party rather than a laser tag bash. He goes for it, upsetting Beverly in the process. Murray forgets it's his son's birthday, and Pops encourages him to get Adam a good gift... so he buys him a laser tag set. [that must've been hella expensive at that time!!] But, when Spin the Bottle doesn't work out, they try Seven Minutes in Heaven, only for Bev to ruin Adam's turn with Dana. [Spin the Bottle has got to be the most 80s teen game EVER.] They all wind up playing laser tag, and Adam does get his kiss, after jumping in front of Dana (see above image). [Adam sending Beverly on an errand to make a Bert & Ernie cake was awesome.]  

Instant Mom: Kids on Valentine's Day

When it comes to comedies, I think that children have the best Valentine's Day storylines. Remember the sweater DJ got on Full House that led Stephanie to shoplift? What about when The Brady Bunch's Greg tries to help Peter get the girl, but the girl thinks Greg is crushing on her? With those only being the tip of the iceberg, Instant Mom came through with funny plotlines for James, and especially Aaron. Having him now be dating his bully was precious, and learning that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in the Hoover family was even better. Gabby's flashes on the screen fell flat, Maggie might as well have been absent from the episode, and the vows situation was a bit horrific, so it was nice to have cute kids experiencing first love for Valentine's.

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Instant Mom "True Romance" (S01E13): It's Valentine's Day, and Gabby protests not being able to date by dressing all in black. [I didn't realize this was set in Philly, but that's what the newspaper suggests!] Later, she gets invited on a group date to the movies, so it all works out. [though her dress was hideous!]

Charlie forgot about the holiday and rushes off to the jewelry store while Stephanie prepares a nice dinner and plans to watch their wedding video together. [they haven't seen it yet?? did they just receive it in the mail??] However, when Maggie comes over and wants to preview it, they learn that it's the DVD of his first wedding, and Charlie used the same vows! [jaw drop!] He claims that he lost the vows he wrote for Stephanie, and had to come up with something on the spot, and knew these ones because his ex-wife used to make him watch the video annually. [haha!] She asks him for new vows, but he just memorizes something from the internet, upsetting her further. [sidenote, she was a Tri-Delt.] The couple start listing complaints about one another,but wind up realizing that they're deeply in love. [this was pretty realistic.]

James gets a mystery card from Dana, a girl he likes, but bitter Gabby tries to scare him by making it look like he's being stalked. [that was kinda awful of her, really.] Eventually she succeeds in freaking him out, but when Dana comes over, all is resolved promptly. He even gets kissed, so all is well with the world. Aaron, on the other hand, gave all of Stephanie's jewelry to give to Sam, who passed it on to her grandmother. [wearing every piece at the same time was too on-the-nose for me.] Stephanie goes to collect it back, and gets multiple sob stories from the woman, but Aaron convinces Sam to make her grandmother return it. [so the kid even bosses around her family? figures.] 

2 Broke Girls: Cake Fries

The opening sequences are starting to be really "out there," and so unrelated to the actual episode that I find them annoying. Max potentially dealing with credit card fraud was different and could have had an original and unique spin, but it turns out the customer was using his restrooming friend's card, nothing fancy. The remainder of the episode, however, never went back to that at all (and they don't always have to. Full House and Cheers were both great about unrelated opening scenes) and made it feel out of place rather than a teasing interest point. Anyway, the basis for the episode is Caroline trying to find out how the girls can capitalize on the "cronuts" phase and build popularity on that. Rather than attempt to bake the item themselves, they first try a bait-and-switch, then combining elements of snacks to create something of their own. The gang all enjoys "cake fries," which have a cupcake served upside-down with a side of fries for dipping in the frosting. It's something that I don't see myself enjoying, but apparently it works for them! What's next?!?

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2 Broke Girls "And the Cronuts" (S03E05):  Caroline goes to give a free cupcake to a couple of customers, but they don't want it, as "cupcakes are over" and cronuts are in. [cookies are my personal favorite, then brownies, but cupcakes will never "be over." just saying.] The half-croissant-half-donut is only sold at one shop in SoHo, and the line can last two days, according to Sophie. [for those of you who don't "get it," we have lines like that for bakeries and ice cream shops out here, too. It's very common for the line to stretch down the block on weekends for no special reason.] Caroline does some market research by asking people why they're in line, and realizes that mixing two things is what people are after these days. [Max working at Target the year they sold out of Tickle-Me-Elmo is unlikely, as it was a popular toy in 1996, when she would have been 10 years old.] They wind up waiting and not even getting a cronut because the two people behind them and skip at the last second, buying the last of them. [as soon as I saw the people inching up, I knew that would happen. Max should have whipped out her savoir-faire!]

Caroline decides to sell black market cronuts at the window, then quickly "sell out" and sell their cupcakes instead. But, first they have to acquire them from Craigslist, at a price of $20 per pastry! The guy actually wanted $30 each, but Max wises up and forces the sale. A line for the window grows, but as soon as they sell out, the line dissipates. [well, yeah. if I wait in line for a flavor and it sells out, I've walked out of the shoppe at least a half-dozen times. recently, this has happened to me twice when I've gone to get a pumpkin latte!] Caroline decides that they need more than one product, and when Max dips french fries into her cupcake frosting, Caroline thinks that's it. Max has the diner gang try it, including Veronica, a black woman Sophie likes. Everyone enjoys the innovation, including Han, who had been on a cleanse. They start selling "Cake Fries" and actually sell out.

Cupcakery Savings Total: $2,012.00 [up $500.00 from last episode.]

2 Broke Girls: Coffee is Complicated

I'll admit, making coffee is not my forte. I have no idea how lattes, cappuccinos, and the like are made, though I have studied the infographics that illustrate the ingredient differences! So, the fact that Caroline and Max (who is 26, we've learned) struggle to work their new cappuccino machine makes sense to me. They had the same problem on Full House when Jesse bought the Smash Club, if I'm remembering correctly. However, I am fairly certain I would not have come up with the solution to just get hired at Starbucks for a few hours, long enough to learn the complicated system of caffeinated drinks. Too bad it didn't really work. 

2 Broke Girls "And the Group Head" (S03E04): At the diner, Max and Caroline witness a guy berating his wife into ordering salad instead of french fries, and order him to allow his wife what she wants. [this opener seemed a bit out-of-sync with the series... not sure why they wrote that!]

The girls want a cappuccino machine in the diner so they can use it for their cupcake window. [kinda selfish.] Oleg "knows someone" who steals them, and he takes one for the girls, under the deal that they will help he and Sophie reunite. [that machine is worth more than $600, by the way. we've priced such things!]

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Caroline talks to Sophie about it, but she has no desire to be with Oleg again, upsetting the cook. Meanwhile, the girls can't figure out how to work the machine, so Han gives it a try... only to burn his neck. The girls ask the new employee, Luis, a 53-year-old gay day waiter with 27 years of industry experience, but he isn't interested in helping them or being their friend. [oh, please, let's get rid of this guy!] The girls decide to work at Starbucks long enough to learn how to use the contraption, but when they don't pick it up quickly, they wind up being fired. [in their defense, that trainer wasn't very nice.] Oh, and Han hired a new day waiter (who has a thing for Oleg) because the girls had been complaining about the former one. [if they don't stop being ten minutes late for every shift, they might wing up on the chopping block, too!]

Cupcakery Savings Total: $1,512.00 [up $202 from last episode.]

Instant Mom: Keyboard, Harp, and Drums

There was less Grandma Maggie in this episode, which was definitely a plus. Charlie also didn't have a large role, really allowing Stephanie and the kids to illustrate their relationships. James definitely stands out as a character (and Tylen Jacob Williams as an actor), and has certainly become an early favorite. Aaron reminds me of Michelle Tanner on the midyears of Full House... doesn't say too much but gets humorous lines straight out of the mouths of babes. Gabby being written as a real teen continues to make this series feel more real than others on television, and although the family comedy is not at the top of the list for my favorite new shows this fall, I hope the subsequent episodes continue to make this cable show shine.

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Instant Mom "Harp & Soul" (S01E03): Singer Stephanie is concerned that James is only good at Guitar Hero, not playing an actual guitar, so she convinces Charlie to get the kids playing instruments: Aaron chooses drums, Gabby picks keyboard, and James goes with the harp. [I knew a girl who played the harp growing up. It sure sounded beautiful, but she had to drive like 2 hours each way for her weekly lessons!] James figures that Stephanie won't be able to get one and he'll get out of it. [ha!] Then, when she procures a catalog, he goes with a $24,000 one. Stephanie buys a small practice harp, and James practices strumming to build calluses before his real lessons begin. [this brings me back to my violin callus days... ouch!] He gets one lesson but is beyond bored... but, he's decent at the harmonica! Aaron is tired of the drums after one session. [just like a six-year-old, LoL.]

Gabby allegedly practices every afternoon, but it turns out that she just turns they keyboard on auto-play and reads magazines. [piano without a teacher?? also, who believes that she was banging out "The Entertainer" and "Fur Elise" after just a week??] She is discovered when an emergency organist is needed at church, and James removes the memory card from her keyboard that has "Amazing Grace" programmed. Stephanie is actually more embarrassed because the song was to accompany her solo, which Maggie has been hassling her about all week. Gabby apologizes but also demands an apology from Stephanie for forcing her to play an instrument in the first place. [and that's the end of that!]

NEW SHOW: Instant Mom: Stephanie Tries to be Cool

Take Trophy Wife but rather than two ex-wives with their own children, there's just one ex-wife with children. Then, change the husband from a lawyer to a doctor, swap out a BFF for a mother, and make everyone African-American. Instant Mom, otherwise, is very similar to the aforementioned comedy, with a twentysomething stepping in to help raise three kids - two sons and a daughter. Stephanie, like Kate, wants to be able to handle parenting, but starting with the 6-15-year-old crowd isn't easy. Both Kate and Stephanie try too hard to be a friend at first, and accidentally pass on ideas that young minds don't need to hear. Still, some major differences are there - Stephanie is going to have the kids on a much more regular basis than Kate, and Charlie's kids seem much more friendly to Stephanie than Pete's are to Kate. I also found the humor in this show a whole lot better, but time will tell on that one.

Bonnie Osborne/Nickelodeon©2013 Viacom, International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Instant Mom "Pilot" (S01E01): Stephanie is excited that she only has to parent kids on the weekends, but when their grandmother breaks her hip, the kids have to stay with them for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, she has her mother to turn to for help, especially as Stephanie can't really cook, despite being a food blogger. ["Grandma Maggie" prefers to go by "Lola" to sound younger, haha!] Still, Stephanie goes from having a girls' night at a Drake concert to staying home to give fashion advice and have marshmallow gun fights. [it could be worse!] However, Stephanie agrees to let Gabby (a freshman) wear one of her dresses to a party on a school night, but Lola disagrees with the outfit and Charlie doesn't agree with parties on school nights. [I wouldn't agree with that outfit, either! and I loved Charlie's point that "who has parties on a Tuesday night? someone whose parents don't know about it."] So, Stephanie has to be the bad guy and take back her agreement. That night, Aaron, the youngest, gets sick from eating too many marshmallows, and Stephanie has to clean him up when it turns out Charlie can't handle bodily fluids. [not really buying it. not only is he a doctor, but he's been a father for over a decade!] The next day, when Aaron isn't feeling well, Stephanie gets him to drink medicine by teaching the kids to play quarters. [she's lucky that she got away with only playing a single round AND that Aaron was chosen to drink!]

Gabby decides to sneak out, using the old "going to study with a friend" excuse, and Stephanie buys it. [flashback to DJ Tanner sneaking out on Full House!] Younger brother James agrees to cover for $10, but then he realizes he could get even more money by vaguely suggesting Gabby isn't where she says she is and demanding $10 from Stephanie to divulge where the party is. Stephanie drags the other kids along to get her, and has to spray down some teens with water to find out where she is.

Throwback Thursday: Stephanie Tanner's Turtles

Continuity errors have always bothered me. Historical inaccuracies, too. When I was a senior in high school I did my IB Extended Essay (a 4,000-word paper) about the issues in the Disney movies Davy Crockett and Pocahontas. So, when I watch a new episode of television and some character does something that makes no sense because of previously established facts, I get upset. This also happens when I see a rerun and pick up on something that I never noticed before.

For example, in the episode of Full House where Jesse and Rebecca have their twins (S05E10, "Happy Birthday, Babies Part 2"), DJ points out how identical Nicky and Alex are, musing about how the new parents will tell who's who. An interesting thought...

http://fullhouse.wikia.com

Well, Stephanie suggests that they could put a drop of red nail polish on one of their backs. Apparently, this is what she did with her turtles (and might have been a good idea, considering that Jesse does mix-up the boys in the very next episode, "Nicky and/or Alexander"). Problematically, there are no turtles on Full House. Aside from Comet, the dog, the family only has Michelle's fish in an episode and later her donkey for an episode. What turtles is Stephanie talking about??

HIMYM: The Return of Robin Sparkles

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Guys, Tim Horton's really is amazing. If you haven't had their coffee and donuts, I truly feel bad for you. I first had their delicious coffee and donuts when I visited Niagara Falls, and make sure to get some delicious goodness every time I'm in New York! Anyway, I digress. The main thing to come out of this episode is the fact that it stands to reason that the woman after Jeanette will be "the mother."Makes perfect sense if the series was going to be wrapping up in another five or six episodes. Instead, it was recently renewed for a ninth season, so the writers will either need to keep Jeanette around for a while, keep Ted single for a while, or do something crazy with the timeline, which is not outrageous for this comedy. And, speaking of comedy, this episode was very odd. I thought that the transformation of Robin Sparkles into Robin Daggers was amusing, but I was so distracted by the craziness that is Jeanette that the new song, "P.S. I Love You" was rather overshadowed. Agree?

Also, I don't know what I think of Lily's "explanation" that it was a coincidence that she met Marshall... she currently claims that she purposely broke her stereo and knocked on every door until she found Marshall. I didn't go digging, but haven't we previously learned that she was actually looking for Ted at the time?

How I Met Your Mother "P.S. I Love You" (S08E16): Ted is trying to find a woman he saw on the subway, reading the same book that he was. But, despite as hard as he tries, she tries harder, showing up at the University. See, she pulled the fire alarm to get him to come out of the building lit a fire to set off the fire alarm and empty the building, forcing a "coincidence." The gang warns Ted that the girl could be a crazy stalker, and she soon admits that she has been following him followed him into a bookstore and bought the same book he did. In fact, she's been following him since he was on the cover of New York magazine. [...wow! and that Dobler-Dahmer thing was amusing.]

This whole thing beings up some ghosts in Robin's closet... she once stalked a guy to the point that a restraining order was put in place. [yikes!] When she won't tell Barney who it is, he breaks into her apartment, reads a notebook, and flies to Canada to hunt him down. [I love how far the characters take things on this show!] He treats a few guys to Tim Horton's before he learns that there was a Canadian version of "VH1 Behind the Music," called "Underneath the Tunes," that did a special about Robin Sparkles. Barney gets his hands on it and he watches it with Ted, Marshall, and Lily. [HAHAHA! the records going "maple" and "double maple."] Well, they uncover a "lost" music video that Robin's record label refused to release because it was "too dark." See, at a Grey Cup (Canada's Superbowl) performance, she tried to pull off Robin Daggers and began a grunge movement.

facebook.com/HowIMetYourMotherCBS

Barney hunts down Alan Thicke, believing he's the one Robin was singing about. [I had to pause the episode I was laughing so hard at Bob Saget's voice liking Dave Coulier's "cut it out" joke. yay, Full House!] Barney gets beat up pretty badly, admits that anyone can become obsessed, and Robin admits that the song was really about Paul Shaffer, who was in the front row at the Grey Cup. [so odd!]

Fun Friday: Camp Cucamonga

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Oh, camp movies! They seemed to be everywhere twenty years ago, from Heavyweights to Poison Ivy, and one of my personal favorites, Camp Nowhere. It might be the middle of winter, but NBC announced last week that it will debut a summer camp drama, Camp, later this year. Set at Little Hawk Family Camp, "parents decompress with gin while teenagers make gleeful mischief and fall in and out of love." Well, thanks to Netflix and their suggestions, I checked out Camp Cucamonga recently, and thought it was cute. Not great, but had I seen it when it originally aired on NBC in 1990, I might be singing a different tune now! I bring it up today because, not only was it a TV movie, but it cast mainly television stars as the characters. Read on:

John Ratzenberger, most known as Cliff on Cheers, played the kind-hearted owner of a camp that, while beloved, may only be a few violations away from shutting down. Jennifer Aniston, now known most for playing Rachel on Friends, was one of the two main camp counselors in this film, and the daughter of Ratzenberger's character. And, Sherman Hemsley, renown for his role of George on The Jeffersons, acted as the handyman, though he was mistaken for the inspector throughout most of the movie!

Quite a few of the kids were favorites from my childhood, including Candace Cameron (DJ on Full House), Jaleel White (Steve Urkel on Family Matters), and Josh Saviano and Danica McKellar (Paul and Winnie, respectively, on The Wonder Years). Sure, there were folks from shows I never watched, like Chad Allen (Zach on My Two Dads) and Brian Robbins (Eric on Head of the Class), but I'm sure some of you recognized those faces! There were also a couple of non-television people, like the never-did-much-else-besides-ten-episodes-of-South Central Tasha Scott and the silver screen wonder Breckin Meyer, too.

I'd love to give this proper credit, but I could only find it here:
http://landofcandycanes.blogspot.com/2012/07/ten-on-tuesday-burned-brotchen-corgis.html

What's the movie about? Well, there's plenty of young love, some cliques, a little bit of wilderness survival, and plenty of antics. There's a resident dork, an attitude chick, a skater, and a bad boy. The show drips with late-80s fashion and jargon, and once you see it you'll never forget the "cu-ca-mon-ga" chorus from the music video the kids create to try to save the camp. Much of the plot is predictable, but there are a couple of twists which will keep you laughing!

Have you seen Camp Cucamonga? Will you be adding it to your Netflix queue? Are you interested in NBC's upcoming Camp? Weigh in below!

Fun Friday: Full House by Tom Hanks

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Jimmy Fallon apparently had Tom Hanks read/act a jazzy poem about Full House. I didn't see it on television, but thanks to the virality of internet videos, it came my way and I want to pass it on.

How I'm Like: DJ Tanner

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I chose Donna Jo Margaret Tanner as my comparison today because I was recently reminded of an essay I wrote in the second grade. The assignment was to write about your idol, and while everyone around me chose a parent or sibling or some such, I thought about various television characters before settling on DJ. I don't remember if my teacher thought it was an odd choice, but I didn't find anything peculiar about it at the time! The year was 1990, Full House was in its fourth (of eight) season, and I wanted to be a "cool kid" by the time I was thirteen. DJ had great clothes, nice hair, was the editor of her school paper, and played the lead in Romeo and Juliet! What about her wasn't admirable to a seven-year-old??

I actually have talked about loving DJ before... I selected her wardrobe as a closet I'd raid, placed her relationship with Kimmy Gibbler at #3 on my list of Best Friendships, and, of the eight episodes I listed as some of the best in the series, she's a major character in five of them. Now, her character wasn't perfect... in fact, it managed to stop growing toward the end of the series (in my opinion), but we still have a lot in common. On the surface, it might not seem so (my hair is not blond, I don't have two younger sisters, my mother wasn't killed by a drunk driver, and I didn't have three men raise me), but the similarities are there.

For starters, I was stuck sharing a room with my sibling(s) and longed for privacy (though DJ succeeded and I didn't). I didn't get my own phone line, but I was able to convince my mom to get call waiting after years (literally) of begging, even offering to pay for it (much like how DJ convinced Danny to get her a personal line). I got roped into babysitting all the time. I found it unfair that my sister was allowed to copy everything I did and was permitted to do many things (like pierce her ears) at a younger age than I was (almost the same situation as DJ & Stephanie). I even idolized a cousin, much like DJ did with Steve. I even thought that turning 13 would be a life-changing day like DJ did. I also thought that having a Pontiac Firebird would be the coolest car in the world, but Joey delivered on that while my father did not.

When I was younger, I dreamed of stardom, and after DJ auditioned for a television commercial, I begged my parents to take me "to be discovered" as well. Of course, I didn't understand that San Francisco was a lot different from Long Valley, NJ, but had I actually been talented, NYC was only 50 miles away! Also, when we were younger, my brother and I often got into hair-brained schemes (though none as great as the time DJ and Stephanie put a hole in Danny's wall and had to repair it!) where we'd eventually have to come clean because of the damage we'd done. My first day of high school was kinda similar to DJ's first day of junior high. I wasn't thrilled that my best friend and I only had one class together, but we were determined to have lunch together. Fashion was everything then, and although I wasn't wearing the same outfit as a teacher, I didn't make the wisest first-day choice, either (I wore black corduroy overalls, guys). BUT, we both made speeches at graduations!

DJ did have a bit of a rebellious side, though she skipped school as early as age 11 to get an autograph and the only time I ever skipped school was the last day of my junior year to go to the beach! And, on the flip side, she was the one that her friends turned to when they needed help, and Danny even calls her from jail once. Well, I've been in those shoes, too! DJ encountered underage drinking in her senior year, and although I wasn't around any until the night before graduation, I guess I did, too. And, I was every bit as shocked as she was that it was going on!

I think that the biggest commonality between DJ and myself, however, is that we both struggle with wanting to be things we aren't. DJ wanted to be treated as a boy when it came time to play sports and stuff, then wanted to be a waif at a pool party, and struggled throughout her high school career to figure out what she wanted in a boyfriend and where she should go to college. My college choices weren't all that difficult to figure out, but I went through the rest of that stuff, particularly with the yearning to be accepted even if it meant changing yourself a little bit here and there.

It's difficult to draw more comparisons between she and I, as we never knew DJ post-high-school, and I've had ten extra years of life experience at this point. Still, I'd say we had a lot in common up to that point... what do you think?

December 13th Holiday Recommendations

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

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.

10 Favorite Best Friendships

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Last Wednesday I was in Florida, having spent just about a week with various friends. The night before I left I had dinner with my two best friends and then we played Phase 10, our mutually favorite game. So, in honor of friendships, today we look at ten great pairs of best friends.

Now, before you look at this list, you kinda have to know that a) I specifically left out trios & ensembles, like Danny-Jesse-Joey on Full House, the six on Friends, the four on Seinfeld, the six/five on Saved by the Bell, the five on How I Met Your Mother, etc. b) there are some famous duos I've never seen, so I can't comment. This includes groups like Laverne & Shirley. c) I also left out shows that only focus on two individuals, like Square Pegs. And d) I didn't consider people who are work-friends only, since we rarely see them in a social setting.

I also struggled to find female-female best friends... and I'm not sure why. I came up with four or five female ensembles, but no one-on-one best friendships of note. Anyone think of any? I'm sure I'm just drawing a blank here, right??

10. Larry Appleton & Balki Bartokomous (Perfect Strangers) These two guys are thrown together by chance, really. Larry isn't thrilled with what's about to transpire, but he powers through and the two end up having a lot of fun over the run of the show. Balki's positive thinking and natural ability to find mischief keeps this pair on their toes. Sometimes you have to wonder what's keeping them together, but they are sure one hilarious pair to watch interact with each other and others!


9. Kevin Arnold & Paul Pfeiffer (The Wonder Years) Being a teenager is tough, and it's important to have a good best friend, especially one with whom you can learn about sex, deal with the woes of studying, rely on when times are tough, and turn to when all hope is lost. Kevin & Paul really go through the whole "coming of age" thing together, and although it's clear early on that their lives are destined for different paths, their friendship is always there. And, while we all know that girls tend to come between buddies as they get older, these two manage to get past the few such occurrences that happen in their lives.

8. Philip J. Fry & Bender (Futurama) Time, space, and species no longer matter in this one-of-a-kind friendship. Fry has a difficult time fitting in when he's fast-forwarded 1,000 years, and so his fellowship with robot Bender seems to come natural. Not to mention the fact that they met in a suicide booth, LoL. Neither of them are particularly bright, and both enjoy a good time causing mischief, so their pairing off fits the show well, and allows for a great number of storylines where their close-knit relationship is apparent but not overwhelming.

7. Hawkeye Pierce & BJ Honeycutt (M*A*S*H) If ever there was a pair who had more fun together trying to make the best of a bad situation, let me know! These two goons are absolutely hilarious together, and are always there for one another around camp. The tricks that they come up with to play on their fellow doctors and nurses are clever, and their banter in any given situation is comical. They may very well be the funniest duo on this list! Thank goodness for their sense of humor, because otherwise the war would have been much less exciting for the 4077th!

6. Michael Westen & Sam Axe (Burn Notice) Sam used to snitch on Michael... and not like you tell the teacher on a copycat. Sam was an informant for the FBI, haha. But, that was a long time ago and Michael is now a free agent, so he and Sam are free to be the best of buds. This is handy, since they can't seem to pull off their antics by themselves, really. The fact that they think fast on their feet is probably the biggest asset to their friendship, as one generally needs to bail out the other at a moment's notice... sometimes even less.

5. Gregory House & James Wilson (House, MD) For most of the series, it's not really known how many other friends these two have besides one another. The friendship is kinda one-sided, in that House mooches off of Wilson in every way one can think of, but Wilson takes it and is generous towards House. Wilson does do nice things for him, even if they're kinda out there... like drugging and kidnapping House to bring him to his father's funeral, LoL. All in a day's work for these doctors.


4. Will Truman & Grace Adler (Will & Grace) These two are just so good together, and have been from the get-go. They need each other to stay sane at times, but have proved that they can also function independently. They are probably the most similar in personality on this list, since they have a lot of common dislikes and hobbies, and are on the perfect wavelength to be one another's partner in games like Tribond (which is good, given hoe competitive Grace can be!). They do things for one another, large and small, time and time again, and it just warms my heart with how much consideration and compassion they have for each other. The fact that they seem to fall out of touch in the look-into-the-future at the end of the series just broke my heart.

3. Kimmy Gibbler & DJ Tanner (Full House) I learned a lot about friendship by watching Kimmy and DJ. There's always a prettier friend, there's always a smarter friend, and there's always a sluttier friend. While it's more often DJ putting her neck on the line for Kimmy than vice versa, their friendship stands out for the realism of it all. Kimmy changes a grade for DJ here, DJ helps Kimmy study for a Spanish test there, etc. Although, DJ does things with Kimmy for at least three of her birthdays on the show, whereas DJ really only has one major birthday on the show, and I always found that to be a bit weird. But, running off to Reno at a moment's notice to stop your best friend from marrying the wrong guy is probably one of the crowning friendship moments for this pair.

2. Tommy Pickles & Chuckie Finster (Rugrats) The adventures that these tiny tots get into are often remarkable, especially considering how fortunate they are that no adult is ever paying attention to them when the chaos is about to start or already in progress. Tommy and Chuckie would never turn their backs on one another, despite Chuckie often being portrayed as the coward of the group. They share everything, there's no adventure too treacherous, and we know that they remain best friends when they are pre-teens (All Growed Up).

1. Cory Matthews & Shawn Hunter (Boy Meets World) These two are the epitome of best friends. From middle school through high school to college, from one relationship to another to one's wedding and the other's constant family issues, no two friends can be closer than Cory and Shawn. I laughed with them, I cried with them, my heart was touched as they stumbled through some of life's biggest moments together. Shawn's continuous search for love and acceptance (through friends, girlfriends, parental figures, the cult...) is always aided by Cory's everlasting dependability, and Cory's always wanting to live more wildly and unpredictably is covered by Shawn's creative and devious nature.

Who's left out? I left out Tucker & Becca on (the old) Flash Forward, since you could argue that they don't do a lot for one another on a regular basis, and both had other "best friends," too.

10 Best TV Weddings

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

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? :-)

10 Best TV Weddings that Didn't Happen

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

you know. when the characters are set to get married but something doesn't go as planned. [My apologies to those who may have received this before it was finished - I had an internet problem.]

This isn't an original thought of mine... I saw another list done here recently, but I have different ideas of what should be at the top of the list (and my list is a top ten, LoL). Keep in mind, this is based off of shows that I watch, so things like Hayden & Christine on Coach aren't gonna make the cut, regardless of how interesting that may have been.

10. Danny & Vicky on Full House. They show up so low on the list because I never really warmed up to Vicky. Sure, Danny and the kids liked her, but I kinda wished Danny would have made it with Cindy (about two seasons before Vicky showed up, LoL), plus then we'd have Rusty in the picture for the girls to contend with.






9. Sam & Diane on Cheers. I think I would be more intrigued by Frasier & Diane, but I haven't seen any episodes that dealt with that. Anyway, Sam and Diane have a tortured history, and several really bad breakups along the way. It makes the list today because Diane left with the promise to return after she finished her novel... even though Sam knows it'll never happen.

8. Will & Lisa on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I liked Lisa a lot, but didn't think she was right for Will. But I think she does make a good sister to him. That's right. The second time the couple tried to wed (the first was the Shaft wedding in Vegas), they called it off and their respective parents married each other. Strangely, Lisa is never seen again.

7. Ted & Stella on How I Met Your Mother. We all kinda knew that Stella couldn't be the mother of Ted's children (it just didn't seem logical), but it would've been interesting if he had a first wife before the mother, LoL. Stella leaves Ted for her ex-husband and father of her child, and Ted is devastated. I'll never forget how sad he looks on the ferry boat.





6. Luke & Lorelai on Gilmore Girls. They belong together. Truly. From their first interactions, I think many fans wanted them to come together. It took four seasons for them to kiss, another for the engagement, and sadly it comes to a close when Lorelai doesn't want to wait any longer, and Luke does. Then there's an awkward phase (that seemed like forever!) before the two seem to rekindle in the series finale. It could've been a beautiful marriage.

5. George & Susan on Seinfeld. I think this one wins in the comedy department. It all starts when George & Jerry decide to "grow up" and settle down. But, when George decides he doesn't want to get married after all, he tries like HELL to break up with Susan. She turns into the world's most-accepting woman and puts up with everything he does. The only way the wedding gets called off is because she dies, poisoned by the glue on the wedding invitations. Classic.

4. Sabrina & Aaron on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. Yeah, yeah. You probably stopped watching that show about the time Sabrina went off to college and lived with Soleil Moon Frye, LoL. But, it kept going for several years, and she eventually meets a guy named Aaron in the (middle of the) final season (although I think she would've been better with Josh!). They date for about 5 episodes, are engaged for about 5 episodes, and then she calls it off because she realizes that Harvey is her soul mate. Best part of the wedding? Zelda is a candle so Sabrina's mother can attend her daughter's wedding.

3. Donny & Daphne on Frasier. I never liked Donny (I wanted Niles to have her and be happy, LoL), and was surprised when the pair got engaged. This episode gets ranked so highly purely because of the craziness that takes place in the wedding episodes. Not only are Daphne's brothers so much more than a handful, Niles and Daphne constantly being interrupted by one thing or another. And, let's not forget, the moment on the balcony where we were all pulling for dear, sweet Niles, was one of the most dramatic scenes EVER.





2. Brandon & Kelly on Beverly Hills, 90210. These two went through a million different problems through the years. They first seriously consider marriage at the end of Season 5, miscarry at the end of Season 7, get engaged toward the end of Season 8, and the wedding goes awry in the Season 8 finale. Really, the couple just decides that they have too many doubts. But they were TOO CUTE together! And Jim and Cindy's return to see it happen was great. And as much as I liked her with Dylan, he could have Brenda. I really wanted Brandon and Kelly to work out. In fact, I think I still do (I don't watch the newest spin-off, but I hear Brandon has made an appearance... and Kelly is a regular...).

1. Simon & Rose on 7th Heaven. She was all wrong for him. I don't know that many people were pulling for them at all! But, it was still an amazing set-up. And the fact that they still had the party without the wedding was fun, because we heard about the three oldest children all expecting twins! It made for an interesting (faux) series finale, and for a crazy start to what became the final season (poor Lucy and her miscarriages).

who's missing?