Must See Shows of 2008

Although I think my fandom love is on perpetual display, I was tagged by the amazing trench of 7milesdown. Also? This is fun!

My Must See Shows are:

1. Heroes
From creator/writer Tim Kring (NBC’s “Crossing Jordan”) comes the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated “Heroes,” an epic drama that chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities.

When It Airs: Mondays, 9pm EST on NBC

Why I watch: I’ve been a fan all three seasons. The characters are intriguing, the stories are actually more developed than a genre show would normally suggest. Their paths intertwine in the most interesting ways and as of now, no one is ever who they seem.

My favorite characters: Oddly enough I had to think about this for a moment, only because there are so many! Peter and Nathan are probably the heart of the show for me, so I’m going with them.


2. Fringe
From J.J. Abrams (“Lost”), Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the team behind “Star Trek,” “Mission: Impossible III” and “Alias,” comes a new series that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between the possible and the impossible.

When It Airs: Tuesdays, 9pm EST on FOX

Why I watch: This show is amazing. It’s nearly a push with Heroes for the number one slot on my list. Supernatural dark humor is pretty much the most perfect writing as far as I’m concerned and Fringe has it in spades. Even though I don’t track the clues (and there are tons of them), I enjoy this show greatly. The cast is well put together and the stories are creepy enough to intrigue me, but just outlandish enough to not keep me too scared to sleep at night.

My favorite characters: Olivia Dunham is just amazing to watch. The character’s conflict over the dubious missions she’s handed reads all over her face. Walter Bishop is certainly going to be many people’s favorite crazy man/brilliant scientist, but that either description can apply at any given moment, making the subtleties of the moment very interesting.

3. Merlin
Starring veteran actors Richard Wilson and Anthony Head (he of BTVS fame), the series focuses on Merlin’s conflict with Arthur, as well as many other parts of the legend.

When It Airs: Saturdays, BBC One. USA: Spring 2009, NBC

Why I watch: The production for this series is nicely done. The score alone is lovely enough to hook me, but the feel of show is a nice escape to simpler times. I like seeing how this telling of the legend unfolds.

My favorite characters: Gaius has won me over as a guiding figure in young Merlin’s life. A kind voice in a new land is always good to have. The Dragon is probably my favorite character so far. Speaking of voices! I’d let Mr. Ollivander The Dragon lend me advice and hand me knowledge anytime with that soft, wise voice.

Round and Round (Table) Again

I was disturbed from my peaceful weekend by legend. I don’t know how in the world I missed the fact that the new BBC showing of Merlin was premiering this weekend. I think it was because DW has been finished for quite awhile now and Robin Hood didn’t start airing, so I just got used to having nothing on.

Anyway, on to the show: I like it. I’m a sucker for Arthurian lore. I like how no two adaptations are remotely similar. It’s the contrast between stories I think I like more than the story itself. Because of the star power involved, I knew I’d like the performances well enough; and I did. Giles as King Uther is fun and Gwen Cooper as a witch was just, um, appropriate. Hee! I think this series will win an award for fastest slash setup in a series. I can already feel the communities setting up for Merlin/Arthur smut, and with any luck, they’ll be on FW in no time. Nonetheless, I will definitely be watching this light, pop-corn fluff all the way through.

Weekend O’ Hob

The title should actually be “Weekend O’ Hob and the Little Guy, Too!” but there just wasn’t enough space. I’ve felt incredibly tired this week. I haven’t had it this bad since grad school, where I would be sitting in class so tired that it physically hurt to stay awake. I’ve been dropping as soon as I get home, but I can’t seem to get enough sleep. I did catch Fringe of course, but that was the only show I watched first-run this week. I still have Eureka and Top Design to watch, but I have all weekend to get caught up.

The plan is to plant myself firmly on the couch and not move until prompted to do so by Hobbit or Istar. The only thing that would make this a better plan is if it were to rain all weekend.