Watching Sitcoms

It looks like lots of good stuff is coming our way for Spring, now that the strike is over, both new and returning. I’m still sifting through them trying to decide which, if any, of the new shows I want to add to my increasingly full TV schedule. And which of the returning shows I want to continue to watch.

Sitcom-wise, here’s what to expect and when to expect it:

Sunday, March 2
Unhitched on Fox - 9:30 pm

Friday, March 14
The Return of Jezebel James on Fox - 8:00 pm

Monday, March 17
The Big Bang Theory on CBS - 8:00 pm
How I Met Your Mother on CBS - 8:30 pm
Two and a Half Men on CBS - 9:00 pm

Monday, March 18
Miss Guided on ABC- 10:30 pm; regular time Thurs, 3/21 at 8:00 pm

Monday, April 2
Samantha Who? on ABC - 9:30 pm

Thursday, April 3
My Name is Earl on NBC - 8:00 pm

Thursday, April 10
30 Rock on NBC - 8:30 pm
The Office on NBC - 9:00 pm
Scrubs on NBC - 9:30 pm

Monday, April 14
The Rules of Engagement on CBS - 9:30 pm

Other shows, new and returning, starting tonight, Sunday March 2:
Oprah’s Big Give on ABC at 9:00 pm
Canterbury’s Law on Fox at 9:30 pm
Here Come the Newlyweds on ABC at 10:00 pm
Dirt on FX at 10:00 pm; Second season premiere

So have fun watching something new and, hopefully, interesting for a change!

This weekend, I took a Benylin day. Well, I didn’t really take any Benylin, but I was just so tired and achy and sick feeling, I decided I deserved a couple of days to rest. So I stayed home Sunday and Monday, all warmly wrapped in blankets, sleeping and watching DVDs. Since I had the time, I gave in and watched another ep of The Office. It was Business School (ep 16 from Season 3) and I watched that particular episode because Joss Whedon directed it. And you know how I love Joss. I mean, really, really love him. I kept thinking that if Joss is a fan of this show, I must be missing something.

So I saw it and I’m not gonna say I loved it or anything but it wasn’t as bad as the eps I saw from the first season. I mean, the parts with Michael behaving like an embarrassing jerk were still unwatchable for me, but overall it was OK. I did like seeing that Michael was the only one from work that went to see Pam’s art show. I mean for a jerk, he can be a nice guy.

I did, however, enjoy Jim pretending that the bat bit him and convincing Dwight that he was turning into a vampire. Of course, I’m also a huge vampire fan, and being that it was Joss with the whole Buffy the Vampire Slayer association, it made me like it even more. But I’m pretty sure that a bat bite will not turn you into a vampire. Well, at least Joss never told me if it does.

The Office, Steve Carell, Joss Whedon

Well, I finally did it. I sat and watched an episode of The Office. OK, so I didn’t really watch the whole thing, but I did watch part of it. See this is what happened. We were all sitting around and decided to watch the first season. So we’re watching the pilot ep, and the other people with me (my husband, my mom and my friend) were all laughing at stuff and I sat there thinking “what’s so funny?” Then I started to cringe a little, cause it just got more and more embarrassing and I hate to be embarrassed or to be around people who are embarrassing.

I don’t know, maybe if it had a laugh track it would take away some of the awkward feel. I just got more and more uncomfortable and finally, I left the room. I did come back when they put the second ep on, but again, I kept hiding my head so that I wouldn’t have to look at all the embarrassing and uncomfortable stuff they did. I wanted to watch it. Really I did. I wanted to see what people think is so funny, but suddenly, I just wanted to get away from it.

Maybe I’ll try it again. Someday, when The Office is on, I’ll sit quietly, all alone, and watch it. It’s possible that it was made more embarrasing for me by the fact that other people were in the room. I’ll give it another shot. Someday.

But honestly, I don’t get what people think is so very funny about it.

The Office, Steve Carell

I’ve been trying to keep up with what’s happening with the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) Strike. It’s only been a week, and already some sitcoms (just after the late night talk shows) are feeling the impact, which is sad.

One affected adversely is The Office, as Steve Carell is also a writer for the show. It makes me think I should go get the DVDs and start watching it. I know I’m weird. The show is off and now I wanna watch it.

I’m particularly unhappy about The Big Bang Theory, which I am really enjoying so much. I hadn’t realized that sitcoms were missing from my life until I started to watch it this year and now . . . I’m losing it so soon. Other stopped sitcoms include Back To You, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Rules of Engagement, Two and a Half Men and ‘Til Death. So what if I never watched them. Someone did, I’m sure of it.

Desperate Housewives is done and the premiere of 24 has been postponed. I believe I read somewhere that Lost was good, as all the eps had been written, which makes me a bit more happy knowing I have that to look forward to. Although some actors won’t cross the picket lines to shoot, so who knows.

The only up side I can see is that many shows go on a hiatus over the holidays for other programming anyway, so maybe we’ll all be too busy roasting turkey and making cookies to realize what’s gone until January. A girl can hope.

Writers Guild of America Strike, The Office, Back To You, Big Bang Theory, 24, Desperate Housewives, Lost