Nerd Mentality

What 2 Watch & Why

Posted September 27th 2007 by Curtis Brunet.

With so many new and returning shows this fall, how is a person to know what to dedicate their well earned TV time to? Well, I am here to get the ball rolling with some fun new shows, and of course some great returnees to make sure you tune into every week to enjoy again and again. Common people, let's ban together and make sure we don't get another FireFly on our hands!

Disclaimer: All descriptions taken without permission from multiple sources. Sue me

First off, the new shows.

CHUCK

DESCRIPTION: Chuck Bartowski is a socially awkward twenty-something who works as a computer expert at the Nerd Herd (a parody of "Geek Squad") at his local Buy More (a parody of "Best Buy"), a local electronics retailer, with his best friend, Morgan Santos. On the night of his birthday party, Chuck receives an e-mail from his former Stanford University roommate, Bryce Larkin, who is now a CIA agent. When he opens it, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data, once only privy to the government of the United States, into his brain. Both the NSA and the CIA want the intelligence returned to them and dispatch agents of their own, Major John Casey and Sarah Walker, respectively, to retrieve the data. As Chuck experiences flashes of memory activated by certain subliminal triggers, he must use the knowledge he now possesses to help the government thwart assassins and international terrorists, thereby upending his previously uneventful life. Chuck's decision to keep his newfound occupation a secret from his family and friends and to live his life as normally as possible forces Casey and Walker to establish an uneasy alliance with the shared goal of protecting Chuck at all costs.

BASICALLY: The Office meets 24.

GREAT LINE:

Hot Blonde Chick: "What do you really want to do?"

Chuck: "Oh, I'm working on a five year plan... just need to choose a font."

Hot Red Head: "What happened here, did you hurt your hand?"

Chuck: "No no, its from Call of Duty? The controller starts to chafe after several hours."

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: The Office or 24.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: CIA Agent Sarah Kent (Australian Yvonne Strahoski) shows off her assets while getting ready for her date with Chuck; walking around in boy cut underwear and bra while strapping throwing knives to her thighs and tying her hair up with razor sharp knitting needles. 27 year old Sarah Lancaster also looks great as Chuck's sister, Dr. Ellie Bartowski.

THE GOOD: Great sense of humour coupled with Yvonne Strahoski's assets. This alone will bring you back for a second viewing.

THE BAD: As a television series, Chuck sometimes has trouble deciding whether it wants to be an Action/Adventure show or a Comedy. Though the laughs are great, and the action intense, tying them together leads to akward moments where your not sure whether to cheer for the hero or laugh at him (during the Pilot episode, Chuck defuses a bomb by surfing for porn, I kid you not).

WHEN: Catch Chuck Mondays at 8:00PM EST on NBC.

BACK TO YOU

DESCRIPTION: Chuck Darling and Kelly Carr were co-anchors of a Pittsburgh news program that had great on-screen chemistry, despite constant quarreling off-screen. However, Chuck left to take a job elsewhere. After an embarrassing comment he made resulting in his firing from a large market LA newscast, Chuck has returned to Pittsburgh after 10 years to become anchor on the newscast he originally left.

BASICALLY: Anchorman in 2007: The sitcom.

GREAT LINE:

Marsh McGinley: "Man we used to go out and have some wild times after the show, huh? Remember those two skater girls with the georgous legs? They were characters from Sesame Street on Ice? As I recall, you banged Bert."

Chuck Darling:"Yeah, that particular night was brought to you by the letter 'O'".

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: Frasier or Everybody Loves Raymond

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: 50 year old Patricia Heaton still looks great, but it will be 28 year old Ayda Field as the sexy Weathergirl latina Montana Diaz Herera that will attract most eyes. Montana takes a liking to Grammer's character immediately, and you can be sure that the skimpy outfits will continue to pour out.

THE BAD: Unfortunately for both Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammar, their stardom on other shows might turn many people off, with Heaton's character on Back To You seeming too close to her character on Everybody Loves Raymond. The show revealed a huge plot point in the pilot episode that could either make or break the series.

WHEN: Catch Back to You Wednesdays at 8:00PM EST on FOX.

THE BIG BANG THEORY

DESCRIPTION: A pair of brilliant theoretical physicists live a sheltered existence. Locked away in their apartment playing games, the nerds sit watching Battlestar Galactica and discussing the ethics behind donating sperm. That is until restaurant hostess Penny moves next door.

BASICALLY: "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place", but the "Pizza Place" is M.I.T., and the Two Guys are super-nerds.

GREAT LINE:

Leonard: "Well this is an interesting development."

Sheldon: "How so?"

Leonard: "It has been SOME TIME since we've had a woman take her clothes off in our apartment."

Sheldon: "That's not true, remember at Thanksgiving my Grandmother with the Alzheimer had that episode?"

Leonard: "Point taken. It has been SOME TIME since we've had a woman take her clothes after which we didn't want to rip our eyes out."

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: Revenge of the Nerds.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: 21 year old Kaley Cuoco stars as the main characters hot blonde neighbor. Best known for roles on 8 Simple Rules and Charmed, Kaley is good looking, but not quite as good as you might expect. Most viewer might not look much further then her tiny cutoff short-shorts, so if your not much for actual looks, Kaley will do just fine.

THE GOOD: The Big Bang Theory is funny. Very very funny. When two people can sit on the screen and command attention by discussing the ethical dilemna of donating sperm (and thus possibly spawning a child with a lower IQ), you have absolute gold. I've lived my life with and around people very much like this (and have been known to get excited at a few integral equations myself), so not only is the material relatable, but what they do do is very very funny. The dialogue is spot on, and the characters not only match that stereotypical geek/nerd (a World of Warcraft addict friend of the main characters, trying to impress the girl, shows off his character, all the while sporting a NES controller belt-buckle), but they deal with new situations (such as a naked girl in their apartment) with the least amount of awkwardness, but the greatest amount of hilarity.

THE BAD: On the other hand, this show has so much potential, that I'm really worried that it won't get picked up for the simple reason that I don't think many people will understand why it's funny. When telling a joke about particle physics and calculus, it probably helps to understand the source material, and no offense to the TV watching world, I just don't think there is enough of us out there who would get it. Perhaps this is why they went with an old-fashioned laugh-track, to remind everyone when to laugh. Most of the time, it seems the show is laughing at the two reluctant main characters as opposed to laughing with them, and not only will some people find that not very funny, but the target audience may very well find it downright offensive.

WHEN: Catch The Big Bang Theory Mondays at 8:30PM EST on CBS.

REAPER

DESCRIPTION: Sam Oliver is an everyday 20-something working for a hardware store. Before Sam was born, his parents sold their first-born's soul to the devil, and the devil has come to collect. Arming himself with a vacuum cleaner and his best fried Sock, Sam must now be the Devil's unwilling Bounty Hunter for lost souls. Hilarity ensues.

BASICALLY: Ghostbusters without the Proton Packs.

GREAT LINE:

Mr. Oliver: "So, you boys got big birthday plans?"

Sam: "Oh, nothing too crazy."

Mr. Oliver: "Oh common Sam, you've gotta go out there and cut loose!"

Sock: "I like your thinking. I say we all get in the car, get some smack, kill a hooker in vegas."

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: Ummm, really, this is just an awesomely weird show. Enjoy.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: Leaving Heroes behind her, 25 year old Missy Peregrym co-stars as Sams "good friend". While previously appearing as the shape-shifter Candice on Heroes, the foxy Canadian has possibly made a great move to star on her own show. Heres for hoping it pays off.

THE GOOD: The show is funny, smart, and original enough that you won't confuse it with anything else. Directed by Kevin Smith, Reaper has the potential to be a great comedy drama, not having to take itself too seriously, and having enough action to keep the audience entertained. You will enjoy this show.

THE BAD: Really, there is not much bad about this show. Tyler Lebine is a great addition as the kooky sidekick, and Missy Peregrym is very very sexy. Not only that, but Ray Wise plays Lucifer perfectly, portraying the dark lord as a caring but stern malicious figure. Again, you will enjoy this show.

WHEN: Catch Reaper Tuesday at 9:00PM EST on CW.

Now for some returning favourites.

FAMILY GUY

DESCRIPTION: Sick, twisted, politically incorrect and freakin' sweet, the animated series features the adventures of the Griffin family. Peter and Lois have three kids - the youngest is a brilliant, sadistic baby bent on killing his mother and destroying the world. Their talking dog Brian keeps baby Stewie in check while sipping martinis and sorting through his own life issues.

BASICALLY: The Simpson's when it was funny, but it's still being written by manatees.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: Animated MadTV.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: Though animated, Lois Griffin, mother of three and wife to an ogre, remains foxy in a Jessica Rabbit sort of way. Quagmire is always good to bringing more and more ladies to the small screen. That 70's Show's Mila Kunis, though great looking in real life, voices the "light yourself on fire" inducing Meg Griffin.

THE GOOD: It's Family Guy. There is still tons of great things going on here.

THE BAD: Oh the huge-manatee. Ever since Trey Parker and Matt Stone rocked the world with their Family Guy filled "Cartoon Wars" episodes, it has become harder and harder not to notice the small cuts back and forth to, though funny, unimportant jokes that do absolutely nothing to continue the main storyline. Is it that hard to fill a 20 minute episode with real jokes that the writers are forced to create wild and wacky situations just to get some laughs?

WHEN: Catch Family Guy Sundays at 9:00PM EST on FOX.

THE SIMPSONS

DESCRIPTION: The Simpsons is the ultimate (if very unorthodox) nuclear family. Homer, the lovable dufus father, stumbles apathetic ally through his family life and work at the local nuclear power plant. Marge, the overbearing but responsible mother, Bart, the 4th grade underachiever and nemesis to Springfield elementary's principal, Lisa, the brainy and responsible 8 year old, and Maggie, the oft-forgotten baby, round out the family. Based on a series of small cartoon sketches from the Tracy Ullman show, the Simpsons enjoy many wacky exploits in their hometown and beyond.

BASICALLY: Do I really need to describe you The Simpsons?

GREAT LINE: In the last few seasons, this section is simply not applicable.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: The Simpsons: Season 6

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: Lisa is still 8 and voiced by Yeardley Smith, who, if you've never seen, is definitely not attractive. Just trust me on this one.

THE GOOD: Starting their 19th season, The Simpsons are going into a time where they still pull in the viewers, and they still have a few laughs left in them. The show is currently the longest running American sitcom and the longest running animated program on television.

THE BAD: But on the other hand, so many things have gone terribly wrong for The Simpsons lately, that it is actually very impressive that they are entering their 19th season of production. In fact, the only reason the show can still be called a hit is probably more or less due to the millions of people still tuning in every week begging finally for a half-decent episode. The Simpsons Movie, though decent, did not bring back the greatness of earlier seasons, and was more of a really good new episode than a great Simpsons episode. Is it finally time to say goodbye to our friends from Springfield? How is it that a fantastic shows like Futurama and Family Guy get canceled when The Simpsons continues to disappoint year after year? At least both those shows are coming back.

WHEN: Catch The Simpsons Sundays at 8:00PM EST on FOX.

HEROES

DESCRIPTION: Heroes tells the story of several people who "thought they were like everyone else... until they realized they have incredible abilities" such as telepathy, time travel, flight and spontaneous regeneration. These people soon realize they have a role in preventing a catastrophe and saving mankind. The series emulates the writing style of American comic books with short, multi-episode story arcs that build upon a larger, more encompassing arc.

BASICALLY: X-Men meets The O.C.

GREAT LINE:

Gabriel Grey/Sylar: "When I was a kid ... I used to wish some stranger would come and tell me my family wasn't really my family. They weren't bad people, they were just ... insignificant. And I wanted to be different. Special. I wanted to change. A new name, a new life. The watchmaker's son ... became a watchmaker. It is so futile. And I wanted to be ... important."

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: A Saturday morning cartoon.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: If you are 14-20, then look no further then 18 year old Hayden Panettiere. You may not be able to pronounce her last name, but once you get close enough to have to, it probably won't matter anyways as all that will come out is "OMG UR SO HOTT!!!1!". Feeling like you should be sent off to jail for looking at Ms. Panettiere? Then turn your attention to 31 year old Ali Larter, Heroes' resident psychopath. Be it playing sweet and innocent Niki Sanders, or the murderous superhuman Jessica Sanders, Ali would look great walking through your door. She also looks good in leather in Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back.

THE GOOD: Every geeks wet dream come true, Heroes is to comic book fans what American Idle is to, really, I don't know. Why do people watch that show again? Regardless, Heroes is fantastic, and you don't need to be a comic book fan to appreciate it. Taking a human element first, super-powers element second approach, Heroes has entertained while staying grounded in the relative real world. The show has sky-rocketed the popularity of Zachary Quinto, relative unknown turned super-actor in a matter of months. Mr. Quinto will be assuming the role of a young Mr. Spock alongside Leonard Nimoy in the latest Star Trek film.

THE BAD: In it's rookie season, Heroes lost millions of viewers when the series went dormant for weeks at a time, forcing viewers to wait for secrets to be revealed. This issue has been repaired with the addition of the Heroes: Origins shorts, but a lackluster Season One finale with very little action left a very bad taste in a lot of peoples mouth. The show will have to excite and entice viewers in it's sophomore year to stick around.

WHEN: Catch Heroes Mondays at 9:00PM EST on NBC.

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