Top Ten Tuesday: Let's Talk TV

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

We all know I love books. You do too if you're reading this blog. But us bookworms seem to have a love of other types of stories as well and that's what this week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about. I've decided to list my favourite TV shows of the past and present (trying to choose favourite  movies is WAY too hard). What are some of your favourite TV shows? Are there any that you think I should watch?

Past

Gilmore Girls is my all time favourite show. I own all the DVDs and would watch them over and over again as I did homework in university. I loved the women, the humour, the boys, and the story. I wish with all my heart that Amy Sherman-Palladino had concluded the series but I suppose what we got wasn't too horrible (ok, just think that it could have been worse). Also: I never missed a single episode when it was airing live. Big deal in the time of no DVR or easy online watching.

I got into this show a little late but I adored it. It lasted four seasons (which was the plan) and it was amazing. Being Erica has a bit of fantastical twist (time traveling!) but it's so real. Plus, I loved that Erica was trying to make it in publishing in Toronto. 

My family and I started watching House because we loved Hugh Laurie in Jeeves and Wooster (a must watch!). He played Dr. House so well and I watched this show religiously. Confession: I still haven't watched the final season so don't tell me what happens! (The boyfriend and I are working on rewatching the series but got side-tracked with trying to rewatch all of 24 before the new season started!)

Oh, be still my teenage heart. I was the perfect age for this show when it started (just a year older than the characters). I already knew (and loved) my future husband, Adam Brody (thanks to Sausage Factory and the aforementioned Gilmore Girls), so that's why I started watching it. I was hooked after the first episode. A friend of mine and I have actually been rewatching the series and it's been SO much fun.

Current

I was a latecomer to Bones. My mom watched it and a couple of roommates in university watched it so I had caught quite a few episodes here and there. A friend lent me the DVDs one summer a few years ago and I powered through the series in time to start the new season. I was feeling "meh" about it prior to last season but they had a stellar season and I'm looking forward to next year.

Castle is another one I was late to the game to. My sister got into it and, thanks to her DVDs, I caught up and now eagerly look forward to the new episodes every week. Nathan Fillion is fantastic and I love the chemistry between him and Stana Katic. I like that the show is so funny as well as dramatic.

Sigh. I love Downton Abbey: the story, the actors, the scenery, the time period. Just love it. I bingewatched the first couple of seasons and am addicted (I believe I watched season two in one day...). I'm actually behind on this one too, thanks to being busy/away for a few weeks, so as soon as I get a permanent job I will be buying the DVD set of season four so I can catch up. 

Speaking of bingewatching, the boyfriend and I signed up for Netflix and I saw that Sherlock was available to us Canadians. I had had many people tell me I would probably love it so we decided to give it a try. We could not stop watching it. We didn't realize when we started it, though, that each season was only three episodes so we quickly finished the first two and were all "what the hell?" Absolutely cannot wait for the next season.

I love fairy tales so I was excited when I first heard about Once Upon a Time. I still love it and I love that it is a little bit cheesy. It plays with the stories we know so well thanks to Disney and puts their own spin on them. It's so much fun to watch and I cannot wait to see what happens with Emma and Hook (swoon). 

Yep, I like both Sherlock AND Elementary. I started watching the NYC show first (since it was readily available on network TV). It filled the hole House had left (which makes sense since House is loosely based on Holmes). And I just love Lady Watson! 

Honourable Mentions
24 - I only watched one season but I am LOVING the rewatch the boyfriend and I are doing. Jack kicks ass.
The Crazy Ones - I don't watch a lot of sitcoms but Robin Williams' new one is freaking hilarious.
Justified - This show is so bad ass but clever (and lacks the extreme violence of Sons of Anarchy which kept me from sticking with that show).
Parenthood - I started watching this because, duh, Lauren Graham. I've missed a bunch of episodes but it really is a great show.

Pumpkin Spiced Fall TV!

Earlier this week I talked about pumpkin spiced reading so I thought it would be fun to talk about the pumpkin spiced television today! Fall TV shows have already started premiering and I am so excited. Anyone else? I know some people may think that it's silly to get so attached to TV shows but, hey, I enjoy it.

I've got all my upcoming shows noted in my calendar on my phone so I don't miss anything. Even though I'm not sure what time each episode is on at or on which network. I have the added confusion of having to check the Canadian sites and figure out which networks are carrying shows instead of just going to the show's original source network. Lots o' fun.

Here are the returning shows I'm looking forward to watching this year:

Bones
Monday, September 16 at 8 Fox/Global
This one's already aired and it was a pretty good one. I can't wait for them to kill Pelant and for things to get back to normal. And, as much as I love the show, I think this should be the last season. It's in its ninth season  now and I think it might be time to move on.

Castle
Monday, September 23 at 10 ABC/CTV Two; Sunday, September 22 at 9 CTV Two
I'm currently marathoning Castle right now. I'm just finishing season three and I doubt I'll even get through four before Sunday (woohoo for being able to watch it earlier in Canada!). I can't wait to see if Beckett says yes!!!

Elementary
Thursday, September 26 at 10 CBS/Global
My boyfriend and I got hooked on this show last year. I love the twist they created with this Sherlock and Watson - placing them in New York City and making John a Joan. I also realized that I was missing the crazy hero with House being done. (PS I can now say that I'm watching the BBC's Sherlock...just started it last week and am loving it!)

Parenthood
Thursday, September 26 at 10 NBC; Friday, September 27 at 8 CTV
I started watching Parenthood because of Lauren Graham - Gilmore Girls is my favourite TV show ever. I missed part of season...three, I think...but watched last season anyway. I was worried that they would finish the season but I knew there were more stories to be told.

Once Upon a Time
Sunday, September 29 at 8 ABC/7 CTV
I was so excited when I first heard of Once before it had premiered. A modern day fairytale show? I'm in. I've really enjoyed the past two seasons and I can't wait to see what happens next! It's a little cheesy but I think that's what makes it so much fun!

And the new shows I want to check out:

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 
Tuesday, September 24 at 8 ABC/CTV

I'm not really into superheroes and I don't know the backstories to a lot of them but I'm still interested in seeing what this show is like. I've really enjoyed the Marvel movies I've seen so I'm hoping the TV show is just as good. We'll see!

The Crazy Ones

Thursday, September 26 at 9 CBS/City

Robin Williams. I don't think there really needs to be much else said! But, here's what the show is about, from the official site: "(The Crazy Ones is a) workplace comedy about a larger-than-life advertising genius whose unorthodox methods and unpredictable behavior would get him fired... if he weren't the boss". Sarah Michelle Geller plays his daughter, the dude who screwed everyone in The Newsroom (the actor, Hamish Linklater, who played Jerry Dantana) is also in the show, and Zach Cropper, played by James Wolk, is another main character. It sounds like it'll be funny so hopefully it lives up to its expectations!

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

Thursday, October 10 at 8 ABC/City

Since I love the original Once, I figure I should at least check out this spin-off. It's supposed to be a retelling of Alice in Wonderland but, if the original is anything to go on, we know other fairytale characters will show up.

Obviously, these are all network shows. Sons of Anarchy (FX) just started this month, too, but I haven't decided if I want to watch this season or not. I watched last season and, while I love the story, it's just so crazy violent and I am a huge wimp. So, I think I'll be replacing that with The League (FXX). Totally different, I know, haha. My boyfriend watches both those shows and that's why I've seen some episodes. I'm particularly interested in The League this year because Adam Brody is in it...aaaand, I love him. :) PS Fun fact I just learned...I can't even go to the FX site...have to go to the Canadian specific one. Ridiculous.

So what TV shows are you most excited about? Are there any new ones (or old ones!) I'm missing that you think I would like?

Happy watching! :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Book to Screen

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

It's been awhile since I've taken part in TTT! This week was just too good not to pass up: Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show (set in a perfect world...in which movies don't butcher the books we love.) I'm a fan of adaptations and understand that they're two different things but, as a booklover, I'm of course going to be upset with some of the choices made by filmmakers. (See my TTT for my best and worst list of adaptations.) Read on to find out which books I'd like to see made into a movie or TV show! (Links lead to reviews)

Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating this week!

Any Sarah Dessen novel.
I'm not picky. That Summer and Someone Like You were already combined into a movie ten years ago (How to Deal) and I really enjoyed it. If I had to choose, though, I think I'd go with either Along for the Ride or The Moon and More. I'm partial to those, especially AftR, because they take place in the beach town of Colby.

Blogger Girl - Meredith Schorr
Once Meredith writes a sequel (she doesn't have a plan for that but I will convince her, haha), this would make for a great TV show, I think. It has a fun and flirty tone that I think would lend itself well to the small screen.

Finding Lucas - Samantha Stroh Bailey
This would make for a hilarious rom-com. And it would allow for some actors to really play up the wacky - I'm thinking of those who would play Jamie's moms and roommates. So much fun!

The Space Between Us - Jessica Martinez
This Canadian YA novel would be so great as a movie. The main characters are forced to move from Florida to Banff, Alberta because of some bad choices. It's a great book, which is part of why it'd make a good movie, but it could also highlight Banff - one of the most beautiful parts of Canada (so photos tell me, I've never been myself, alas!)

The Runaway Princess - Hester Brown
It's like a grown up The Princess Diaries. This needs to happen.

A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness
History, magical creatures (including the ever popular vampires), and a great story. I think that'd be a win, don't you?

Where We Belong - Emily Giffin
There's already been success with a Giffin adaptation (let's get Something Blue on the go, shall we Hollywood?) and I think Giffin's latest would make a great movie. There's a lot of drama and is a great mother/daughter story. It could allow for a young actress to make a splash.

The Single Girl's To-Do List - Lindsey Kelk
I picked this one because it'd be a fun rom-com and also because it would allow for some more Canadian exposure. The characters spend time in Toronto and Niagara Falls and I'd love to see that on the big screen.

Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan
OK, this is a bit of a cheat because it is going to be made into a movie. But it hasn't been made yet (it's still in the very early days) so I'm counting it! There are so many lavish details that will translate well and I cannot wait to see it.

Arranged - Catherine McKenzie
This is another sort of cheat one because it is going to be made into a short film. The story is good and it has the added bonus of beachy awesomeness because part of it takes place in Mexico.

An Ode to Sex and the City

As some of you know, I'm currently unemployed. This means that I have a lot of time on my hands! While I have been spending a lot of my time reading (there's a shocker) and hunting for jobs, I decided early on that it would be a great time to start watching my lovely box set of Sex and the City DVDs. And watch I did. According to Get Glue, I watched the entire series (six seasons, 94 episodes) in 28 sittings. I must say that I impress myself. I found it fitting that I watched the series this year as 2013 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the show's premiere (it started in 1998). I saw a number of articles floating around online a few months ago about how much the show did for television and for women and I thought I'd throw my two cents into the ring. Why did this show resonate with me and with so many women?

I didn't watch Sex and the City live. For starters, I didn't get the channel. The main reason though? I was only 11 when it debuted and still in high school when it aired its final episode in 2004. Not quite the target audience. Once I was in university, where I had access to cable, I started watching reruns. I realized as I watched the episodes in order that I had seen quite a number of them at least once through reruns - other than the final season. In all the years since the show ended, I had only seen the finale once...and I couldn't remember the specifics. I loved recognizing some of the more famous episodes (the one with the Rabbit, for example) and remembering how I wrote an article on the Absolut hunk for my advertising class in university. Seeing the fashion and hairstyles change was really interesting, not the mention the way the show was filmed and structured. And watching how the women themselves grew and matured was great too and I think their evolution was well done and written well.

Let's get the big (ha) question out of the way...which of Carrie's boyfriends did I like the most? Usually you'll find that fans are either Team Big or Team Aidan. Of course, there's the odd person who really liked Berger (that post-it note break-up will live on for a long time) or maybe even the Russian (I didn't like him at all), but mostly it's just the two camps. So who do I root for? That would be Aidan. I think I have a pretty good response for whenever someone groans and asks how I could like him more than Big (as I'm sure some of you are right now). I think my problem with Big came from the fact that the first few episodes I ever watched were ones where he's a huge ass. I didn't see him in a good light for ages and I suppose that coloured my judgement. What about you? Are you happy that she ended up with Big in the end or do you wish that she had had a third chance with Aidan?

I finished watching the series a couple of weeks ago but I haven't been able to bring myself to watch the movies yet (which are also included in my pretty set). I loved the first one. I saw it in theatres with my mom, her friend, and my best friend, Marisa. We both teared up and leaned into each other when Charlotte starts yelling at Big because she's so upset with how he's treating Carrie. The second movie though...ugh. I'm pretty sure I saw that one in theatres too but I've blocked it from memory because it was just so damn ridiculous. And that's why I don't really want to watch the movies right away. The end of the series was just so perfect that I don't want to ruin it with the movies. I'll get to them eventually...in another month or so.

Watching the entire series in order over a fairly short period of time was fantastic. I was so into these characters' lives and I didn't want to leave. Their friendship is one that I, and millions of other women, want for ourselves. How many of you have tried to determine which of your friends are which SATC character? This past May, three girlfriends and I met up for a birthday brunch as three of us have May birthdays. We realized going in that it was going to be a very Sex and the City type brunch (the city was my super small hometown and the mimosas were tea) and we inevitably started discussing who would be who. "Miranda" and "Charlotte" were assigned right off the bat, which left Marisa and I deciding who was "Carrie" and who was "Samantha". In the end, it was my curly hair and love of writing that had the girls declaring that I was "Carrie". Of course, everyone has a little bit of each woman in them. Just as the characters realize throughout the show. They're all so different but they're really similar, too.

I must admit that I was quite sad when I put in the final disc. I didn't want the magical time to end! I can't imagine what the actresses must have been feeling when they filmed the final episodes. (Actually, the special features give a good insight and definitely made me tear up.) As I pressed play on "An American Girl in Paris: Part Une", I found myself hoping that my boyfriend wouldn't come home from work early as I was sure I would find myself crying at some point before I finished the show. I did tear up a few times but he came home after I finished "Part Deux", thankfully. The first scene that set me off was the dinner the four friends have before Carrie leaves for Paris where she says:

Today I had a thought. What if I had never met you?

What if, indeed. Can you imagine not having your best friend(s) in your life? I can't. Nor do I want to!

I've already talked about the friendship but what about the other reason this show resonated with so many women? The fact that they were completely frank and open about everything and discussed so-called taboo subjects with each other. Threesomes? Check. Vibrators? Check. Grooming? Check. These sorts of things weren't really discussed on television before and it was great to see how they continually pushed the envelope throughout the series.

In the end, I had to watch the final episode and I had to say goodbye. I teared up and sighed in happiness as the screen faded to black. Is that overdramatic? Maybe. But I think that's the mark of a good show. When they go out on top with a great finale that makes you so happy you were a part of it, somehow. Even if it was years after the premiere (and finale) and through DVDs, not live TV. Sex and the City was a special show and I think it's right that it's lived on in the hearts of so many women. There's so much more I could say but I think I'll end it here. Let's talk about this show. What do you think of it? What's your favourite episode? Are you happy they ended it when they did or do you wish it had kept going?

An Ode to "Once Upon a Time"

Guys, I am in love with this new show. I'm a girl who grew up with Disney so I'm a sucker for fairy tales. Is it any wonder that I am LOVING ABC's new fairy tale-esque show "Once Upon A Time"?

I heard about this show well before the start date, which was late in the television season. I was so worried about forgetting it was on that I made sure to put a reminder in my phone. What made me want to watch it? It was a combination of a couple of things...

- Fairy Tales - The show promised to tell the story of Snow White and Prince Charming. While she's not one of my favourite princesses (that honour goes to Cinderella with Sleeping Beauty and Belle following close behind) she's still a princess. I love how fairy tales are meant to be told out loud with great visuals. It's great that they've decided to take some classics and put a new twist on it for a television show. I mean, fairy tale characters that are trapped in our world and don't remember their old life? Pretty neat.

- Jennifer Morrison and Ginnifer Goodwin - I've been a fan of Morrison's since she was Cameron on "House" (it really is too bad she couldn't work things out with House...now we're given a revolving door of female doctors...but that's a little off topic). I knew she'd bring great things to the show and I was interested to see how she did on this new show. Same goes for Goodwin. I loved her as Rachel in "Something Borrowed" and was looking forward to getting to see more of her in this show.

Emma (Morrison) and Snow White (Goodwin)

I appreciate that they keep the fairy tales family friendly. They don't shy away from some of the "scarier" aspects of fairy tales - there's fighting with evil trolls and fires and there's a whole episode featuring Snow's Hunter - but they don't go into the gruesome details that they could. And I appreciate that. This means that the show's not for everyone but that's fine by me.

So far "Once Upon A Time" is meeting my expectations. Each show focuses on different fairy tales, Snow White, Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, Jiminy Cricket, and slowly reveals parts of each character's other life. You start to really understand what makes them tick and you realize what you think you know may not be true. So far my favourite episode has been "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter". Yes, it was terrible upsetting at the end but it was just so good. I never even clued in about who Sheriff Graham really was and appreciated that the show surprised me.

I know I'm not the only one out there in the book blogging universe who's also obsessed with "Once Upon A Time" so feel free to comment and let me know what you think!