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On Television |
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really want a ginger biscotti from Harrod's in London. The Pet Psychic told me you really want a plain old cracker!" |
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Here goes her reputation:
A critic reveals her tastes
By DONNA J. PLESH
of TheColumnists.com
A couple of years ago, prior to a network press session,
I was with some TV writers and critics and we were discussing
what shows we watch when we are 'off the clock' and on our own
time. I¹ll never forget one writer who said, 'I only watch
public television.'
I thought he was being a bit pretentious, then I wondered if
he was being truthful. Or if he just wanted to be thought of
by the group as above what the masses of Americans watch when
they kick back in the recliner with a cold one, a bag of chips
and the
remote.
I thought about that recently as I was channel surfing and wondered
what he would have made of my current personal viewing habits.
Or, as I call them, my guilty TV pleasures. They aren¹t
on top of the Nielsen ratings--and probably never will be. They're
mostly very, very longshots to ever come within striking distance
of even being nominated for an Emmy Award. But mostly they are
just entertaining....and isn¹t that what TV is supposed
to be all about?
Here¹s my list:
The Parkers (UPN)
This is a half-hour sitcom centering around a mother and daughter
living in Los Angeles and attending a small community college
together. It stars comedian Mo¹Nique as mother Nikki, and
Countess Vaughn as daughter Kim. Now in its fourth season, Nikki
and Kim have both grown up, come to understand each other better
and get along fine most of the time. Both are looking for love
and Nikki found her man, college Professor Oglevee (Dorien Wilson).
The only fly in the ointment is that the professor doesn¹t
return Nikki¹s affections This non-mutual atrraction provides
most
of the laughs in the show. Nothing very serious, nothing deep,
just fluff and some laughs.
Pet Psychic (Animal Planet)
We all talk to our pets, telling them we love them, how good
they are, etc. But our pets never talk back to us, so we don¹t
know how they feel. We gauge their reactions to our words by
a wagging tail, a purr, or a coo. However, psychic Sonya Fitzpatrick
claims she can communicate with members of the animal kingdom.
On the show, people who are worried about their pets or their
behavior, ask Sonya in to find the answers. The show is great
fun because Fitzpatrick is deadly serious as she psychically
communicates with the pets (including dogs, cats, parrots, camels,
horses and zebras), then tells the concerned owners what she
has learned. They believe what she tells them, but we don¹t.
Heck, we all know she in¹t really communicating with the
animals..... or is she?
8 Simple Rules for Dating
My Teenage Daughter (ABC)
Why do I watch? John Ritter, John Ritter, John Ritter. The guy
is just great at light comedy, and it¹s fun to watch him
navigate his way through the ups and downs of his
teenagers' sometimes complicated, hormonally challenged daily
lives.
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Katey Sagal in ABC's "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter." |
Yes, Dear (CBS)
Its on at 8:30 p.m. Mondays and I tune it in after my weekly visit with "The Parkers." Well, I really don¹t watch "Yes, Dear" so much as have it on in the background while I open mail, read a magazine or pay bills. Two of its stars (Anthony Clark and Liza Snyder) starred in different short-lived TV series ("Boston Common" and "Jesse," respectively). "Yes, Dear" has cruised along in its safe harbor timeslot after "King of Queens" and just before "Everybody Loves Raymond." I must admit that I really have watched several episodes uninterrupted...but I don¹t remember them. Guess that says it all.
Good Morning, Miami (NBC)
Okay, so I don¹t know anyone else who watches the show (or will admit that they do). The show fills the half-hour timeslot between "Will & Grace" and "ER" on Thursday nights. Mark Feuerstein (of the failed series "Conrad Bloom" and "Fired Up") stars as a hotshot brought in to boost the ratings of a small Miami TV station. That¹s pretty much irrelevant. Simply put, here¹s the plot: Boy is crazy about Girl. Girl has a
Boyfriend. Girl likes Boy as a friend but isn¹t really aware of his real feelings for her. It¹s corny, but it¹s sweet. And I am rooting for the Boy (Feuerstein) to get the girl before NBC pulls the plug on the show.
So Graham Norton (BBC America)
He¹s Irish. He¹s a comedian. He¹s devilishly funny. He¹s outrageous. He¹s bawdy. He¹s rude. And he has no problems getting stars to come on his talk show. His guests have included William Shatner. Ivana Trump, Joan and Jackie Collins (separate
appearances), Boy George and Carrie Fisher. Plus many British celebrities and personalities not familiar to most Americans, other than the odd Spice Girl. Nothing is sacred to Norton, and the celebs need to be on their feet when he tosses barbs their way. Funny, funny and more funny. Defintely not family fare. But great fun to watch and laugh out loud.
©2003 by Donna J. Plesh. The cartoon is from IMSI's Master Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd. E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506, USA. The photo of John Ritter and Katey Sagal is courtesy ABC.
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