Tube Bits

As pointed out by the illustrious Pen, the fall TV season is upon us. I'm notorious for killing shows by liking them (like...Women's Murder Club, Studio 60, Carnivale...), but I remain undeterred and reviewed the fall lineup for this year's possibilities.

I will continue, of course, watching ProRun through the fall, and I confess, I got hooked into the premiere of Top Design the other night. Any show that includes the quote, "Every gay has a dog. Get over it." is one I'm likely to watch. Plus, they're going to be doing an episode where they design for former ProRun contestants including Santino and ANDRE!!! I can hardly wait to find out what happened to Andre!

I'll be adding to my regular ProRun viewing as other shows begin premiering - like HOUSE which premiers onthe 16th, and I AM STOKED - and I've decided to give a few new(er) shows a watch or two and see if they feel like regulars.

Fringe premieres this Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Fox. From J.J. Abrams of Lost and Alias fame, this is another puzzling conspiracy theory. And it includes the bonus of Josh Jackson - Pacey's all grown up y'all. I think I would've liked Lost if I had gotten hooked into it at the right time, so I'm going to be a good girl and watch the first ep and ride the wave with everybody else.

The Big Bang Theory starts on the 22nd at 8 on CBS. It's in its second season, so maybe I won't kill it just be checking on the first few eps of season 2. I need a little comedy in my life, and while House is hilarious, it's darkly so, and I hope maybe this will infuse a little light-hearted geek-omedy into my life.

Chuck, also in its second season, starts again on the 29th at 8 p.m. on NBC. The marketing team has done a stellar job on this one. The promos have me intrigued enough to tune in for the premiere. The question is will it deliver enough to keep me tuned in.

Big Bang and Chuck are in a competing time slot, as are Project Runway and Do Not Disturb, a new Fox comedy that I considered. Plus, I'll be picking up Grey's and possibly E.R. for old time's sake when they return, so it's questionable how many shows I'll really have the time and inclination to watch.

So much boob tube. So little time.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good
*David Gray is likely to have a new album out before the end of the year and he claims it is more like his early work. I am breathless with anticipation.

* Summer hours start at work next week. Hello, 9-to-4 on Fridays!

* Counting Crows are kicking off the Summer in the Park series on Good Morning America on Friday.

* Braves game on Thursday - my first trip to The Ted in almost a decade!

* Getting more and more certain that Dillon's going to be left-handed.

The Bad
* May be in love with a country musician.

* Missed House season finale last night because I am programmed for it to be on Tuesday but, as if the writers' strike wasn't enough, they moved House after it returned. Egads.

* Must work on Friday night. Blech.

* ABC canceled Women's Murder Club. Booooooo!

The Ugly
* My lower back just north of where the good Lord split me, sunburned to the nth degree after weekend yard work. Guess there was a gap between my tank and my shorts.

* My room, scattered with clothes worn over the past three weeks and littered with half-unpacked bags.

* My brain...not a great string of days here in the last 8 to 10

* Envy...the Rockstar heads to Ireland and Spain tomorrow.

* I'm grumpy as hell.

Absurdly Pleased With...

* What I wore today - very simply, new jeans, a navy sweater with a button-up underneath and my new quilted vest and cowboy boots

* Almost being done with a good book and knowing I have another waiting upstairs

* A new episode of Women's Murder Club tonight

* New organic cotton bathrobe

* Kim's admission last night that her career aspirations as a child were to solve mysteries with Lavar Burton

* The size and shape of me...no more, no less

* Cherries

Ash's Must-See TV

While I'm not usually one for regularly scheduled programs, particularly the network fare, I find myself parking it in front of the boob tube on a regular basis these days. It's a commentary on the gripping life I lead...but you know, if you're looking for something to watch, and Pen's regularly scheduled programming hasn't let you to what you seek, check out these prime-time gems.

Monday - 8 p.m., GPTV, Antiques Roadshow
Okay, so I know it's kind of lame that I watch Antiques Roadshow with my parents every Monday. But it makes them happy and it appeals to my nerdy love of odd history and such. Plus, it's always a bonus when someone from the bowels of south Georgia comes up with a piece of pottery they bought for a quarter at a garage sale that's worth $20k. I'm getting really good at spotting which ones are going to be big-tickets.

Tuesday - 9 p.m., Fox, House
I love this show. I love this man - this odious, cynical, unjust, brilliant man. I want to be verbally and emotionally abused by Gregory House. I can't get enough of the wicked humor and quirky relationships on this show. (And I missed it tonight because I erroneously thought it was a rerun - egads!)

Wednesday, 10 p.m., Bravo, Project Runway
Tim Gunn alongside a cardboard box would entertain me. The fact that he's surrounded by 15 catty designing divas and the caricature-ish Michael Kors and Nina Garcia really ups the ante for me. Carry on!

Friday, 8 p.m., Men in Trees
Think of this show, now in its second season, as Northern Exposure meets Sex and the City. Other than the fact that I sometimes space out for a second or two thinking about how odd Anne Heche is in real life, I love her character Marin, a relationship coach jilted by her high-profile fiance who then retreats to Alaska. She hosts a radio show, and her monologue is often very Carrie Bradshaw-esque. The scenery is gorgeous and the supporting cast is equally charming - including Orlando Jones as a very persnickety gay man partnered by Mario Cantone of S&TC fame.

Friday, 9 p.m., Women's Murder Club
I know, I know. I virtually just assured myself a spot in the Single Cat Lady Hall of Fame with this admission. And Kim may no longer be my friend because the lead, Angie Harmon, just happens to be the sister of the sinister and much-hated Mark Harmon. (Ask her, she'll tell you the story.) But it's a good show. And it also features Rob Estes, who starred in the USA Network Original Series Silk Stalkings, of which I was a big fan. I never quite got over the death of his character Sgt. Chris Lorenzo, so I'm really just happy to see him alive.

Addendum: After consulting IMDB, I have discovered that Angie Harmon is actually no relation to Mark Harmon. Kim, consider yourself cleared to join the Women's Murder Club.