Monday, 3/16
On How I Met Your Mother (CBS; 7:30 pm), Ted finds out that Lily may be at fault for many of his breakups.
Dhani Tackles the Globe; Travel. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
NFL Linebacker Dhani Jones travels the world, trying out other sports.
Kyle XY (ABC Family; 8 pm). Series Premiere.
Not happy to know ABC Family gave this "(geek) genre-friendly" the boot-- less than a year after they canned Middleman.
Battlestar Galactica: The Last Frakkin' Special; Sci Fi. 9 pm. Special.
I'll get to BSG a little later, but this is a retrospective-type special about the series.
Tuesday, 3/17
Modern Toss; IFC. 10 pm. Series premiere.
Another British sketch-comedy.
Wednesday, 3/18
Better off Ted; ABC. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
The show has gotten lots of play on ABC with non-stop commercials, but the reviews I've read were mixed. I'll check it out, of course (there are too few comedies out there), but I may stop watching well before it gets cancelled.
Thursday, 3/19
Bad news for The Office's (NBC; 8 pm) Michael Scott, but awesome news for us: The Wire's Idris Elba (who played drug lord Stringer Bell) appears in this first of six episodes as a new Dunder Mifflin VP who doesn't put up with the nonsense that goes on at the office. I am about as pumped for this as I have been for anything I've read about this year.
Friday, 3/20
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Cartoon Network; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Introducing bounty hunter Cad Bane.
Head Case; Starz. 9 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
Season One was funny. Season Two expanded to 30 minute eps and wasn't as funny. I hope Season Three can find the funny in the half hour it's given.
Party Down; Starz. 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Rob Thomas (creator of Veronica Mars) and Paul Rudd created this comedy about six people who are in the catering business in Hollywood. I haven't gotten a chance to check it out yet (Starz OnDemand is showing the first ep now), but if I get to it before the premiere, I'll put a note in the blog. It stars the always entertaining Ken Marino (Reaper).
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi; 8 pm) Series Premiere.
Two last hours to wrap this series up. I have no frakkin' idea how they'll do it, but most creators/actors on the show said there is a very satisfying ending for (almost) all the characters-- and it's not an ending that anyone has predicted yet on any website.
I'm not sure if that bodes well. I want to make sure the ending makes sense and isn't just done to try to avoid the fan expectations.
And I'm not sure they'll fully explain just what the Hell Kara is, which would be a bummer.
Anyway, like I said last week, this is must-see television. Don't let the spaceships fool you-- this is one of the most thought-provoking, human shows that has ever aired. The science fiction setting is just there to do what the best science fiction does: hold a mirror up to our present selves. This show raises many, many questions about human existence that maybe have no answers; some of which I'll list here:
What constitutes a "human"? Can a machine become "human" if it acquires nearly all the same qualities of them?
Where does the line cross between good and evil? Can one fully atone for his sins?
Does religion serve a purpose? Is the hope it offers real-- or does it interfere with reality?
Are there "acceptable losses" in war? Is it okay to kill "friendlies" to kill more enemies?
What does it mean to be immortal? Can you be "human" if you are?
Are humans ultimately flawed?
Are our existences pre-determined? Are we truly free if we have a destiny to follow?
Can we escape our destiny?
Is it okay to give up our freedoms in a time of war (very intriguing question during the post-9/11 years)? Should we allow our leaders to take away our freedoms-- even if they think they are doing the right thing?
I can't say this is my favorite show of the year I watched this season (from June to now; right now, The Wire holds that title-- but that's just a mind-blowingly awesome f-ing show), and I also can't say it'll end up in my all-time Top Five (even though it's better than some of those Top Five shows), but this is high-quality television right here. Catch repeats, buy/rent/borrow the DVDs, do what it takes to experience this.
Saturday, 3/21
The Locator; WE. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Sunday, 3/22
Big Love (HBO; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Flight of the Conchords (HBO; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Eastbound and Down (HBO; 9:30). Season Finale.
Although Danny McBride has no current plans to make a second season, so this may be it.
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