TV SHOWS

New Movies Opening This Weekend: 

The Host    An adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's non-Twilight bestseller, this poorly-reviewed movie stars Saiorse Ronan as a teen forced to act when an unseen alien force infiltrates the bodies of her friends and town and erases their memories.  Directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, In Time), who penned one of the great modern scripts for The Truman Show.  Co-stars Diane Kruger, William Hurt, and Max Irons (Jeremy's son).  Kind of a YA body-snatching sort of movie. 
(Yes)

The Place Beyond the Pines    Blue Valentine director re-teams with Ryan Gosling for this long, "epic" family crime drama.  Gosling is a stunt motorcycle racer who turns to robbing banks to support his girlfriend (Eva Mendes) and unborn child.  In the second triptych, we are introduced to Bradley Cooper's rookie cop, who finds himself on a collision course with Gosling.  In the third part of the film, we are introduced to the characters' sons, who inherit this legacy of crime and bad ends.  Ambitious, divisive, aims for the greatness of a Greek tragedy.  Ray Liotta co-stars.
(Yes)

G.I. Joe" Retaliation    You pumped for this sequel?  It's got the Rock, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum...
Yeah, me neither. 

Tyler Perry's Temptation    No idea what this one is about, but it is written and directed by Tyler Perry, it was not screened for critics, and it does co-star Kim Kardashian and Brandy Norwood.  You've been warned. 

*

Going on and on as I was in yesterday's post about The Bates Motel got me realizing that I have never made a list of my favorite TV shows (of all time). 

This was a tough list to construct, and I had to winnow away the shows that were guilty pleasures as a young guy and teenager (Golden Girls, Saved by the Bell, TGIF-related stuff).  Also, I didn't include any shows that came out before I was born - although I did like an episode of All in the Family or Sanford  & Son if they were ever on).  Some of the shows only lasted a season.  And, yes, some of them I And, sorry, I can't include mini-series', but I do include reality shows.   
quit watching at some point. 

So, here goes.  Here are the 50 Shows I Can't (and Couldn't) Have Done Without:

- Alias    (ABC)
- Arrested Development    (FOX)
- Big Love  (HBO)
- Breaking Bad   (AMC)
- Castle   (ABC) 
- Cheers    (NBC)
- The Closer   (TNT)
- Covert Affairs  (USA)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm  (HBO)
- Damages  (FX)
- Dexter   (SHOW)
- Downton Abbey  (PBS) 
- Ed   (NBC)
- Entourage  (HBO)
- Everwood  (WB)
- Extras  (HBO) 
- Frasier  (NBC)
- Friday Night Lights  (NBC) 
- Friends  (NBC)
- Harper's Island  (CBS)
- Hart of Dixie  (CW)
- Homeland   (SHOW)
- In Treatment  (HBO)
- Justified   (FX)
- Mad Men   (AMC)
- Modern Family   (ABC)
- My So-Called Life   (ABC)
- The New Adventures of Old Christine  (CBS)
- Nip/Tuck   (FX)
- Nurse Jackie   (SHOW)
- The Office   (NBC)
- Once and Again   (ABC) 
- Parenthood   (NBC)
- Party of Five   (FOX)
- Project Runway   (Bravo)
- Rizzoli and Isles   (TNT)
- Scrubs   (NBC)
- Seinfeld   (NBC)
- Sex and the City   (HBO)
- Six Feet Under   (HBO)
- The Sopranos   (HBO)
- Tales From the Crypt   (HBO)
- 30 Rock   (NBC)
- Top Chef   (Bravo)
- Twin Peaks   (ABC)
- Veronica Mars   (WB)
- Weeds   (SHOW)
- Will and Grace   (NBC)
- The Wire   (HBO)
- The X-Files   (FOX)


Runners Up:  Brothers and Sisters (ABC), Californication (SHOW), Dawson's Creek (WB), Enlightened (HBO), Freaks and Geeks (NBC), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (NBC), Girls (HBO), Hot in Cleveland (TV Land), Home Improvement (ABC), How I Met Your Mother (CBS), King of Queens (CBS), Luther (BBC), The O.C. (Fox), What About Brian (ABC).

(Given time, though, and more episodes some of these runners-up - Girls and Luther - will easily make it into my list.  easily.  I love them!) 

So for the record, the breakdown of shows by network:

NBC: 11
HBO: 10
ABC: 6
Showtime: 4 
FOX: 3 
WB/CW: 3 
FX: 3 
AMC: 2
Bravo: 2  
CBS: 2  
TNT: 2
USA: 1 
PBS: 1 



No blog for tomorrow, so here are the NCAA Picks for tonight and Friday:

Arizona over Ohio State
Miami (Fl) over Marquette
Syracuse over Indiana
Wichita State over LaSalle 


Louisville over Oregon
Kansas over Michigan
Duke over Michigan State
Florida over Florida Gulf Coast

(So far: Correct - 35 ; Incorrect - 17)