My experience might be of some interest to anyone who wears glasses and is particularly appalled by their high cost.

( A cheap online source )

I think the pickings this summer are far worse than they were last year. :( As usual, I've been checking out many of the new shows, at least on the major networks, and am very underwhelmed.

Merlin: NBC has aired four episodes so far. This show sure isn't finding much of an audience. The first two episodes had mediocre ratings, then the pair last night shed a lot more viewers to end up at just over a puny four million. That's opposite reruns, which makes it even more pathetic. Of course, I don't think the quality is very good so far. The younger cast members are uniformly horrible actors, and the dialogue is pretty bad. Still, it's watchable enough, for summer fare, and I'm desperate for new episodes of almost anything. Will give it more time to see if it picks up.

Mental: That guy who was Whistler on Prison Break is a psychiatrist here. Again, not a very good show and I have a feeling this one doesn't have much potential to improve anytime soon. It's like a really watered-down House. It's also not finding much of an audience.

The Philantropist: Rich guy with tragic past decides to help those who need it. Broken record time: The pilot was not good. OTOH, it wasn't that dreadful. One TV reviewer suggested that this series is the worst show ever. What, he's never seen Dollhouse, Cop Rock, The Bedford Diaries, or Head Cases (the gloriously awful Chris O'Donnell series that aired all of two episodes)? Shows that burn in the memory like those disasters come along only every so often. The Philanthropist doesn't even come close to being in their league. So, I will check it out again.

So You Think You Can Dance: I was always mildly interested in this reality series and watched it during the summer because of lack of options, but I finally stopped this season. Why? Because of judge Mary Murphy. Simply put, she laughs too damn much and has one of the most annoying laughs ever. It sounds something like this: HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW! I used to grit my teeth and tolerate her whinnying with poor grace, but this summer it wore me down. In a last-ditch attempt before quitting the show, I tried to hit the mute button at moments when she might potentially let loose with another loud cackle. The problem was, she laughed in the middle of dancers' auditions; she laughed when other judges gave their evaluations; she laughed when stating her own opinions. In short, she didn't know how to friggin' shut up! Thank you, Mary Murphy, for ruining the show for me.

I doubt more than a handful of people on my flist watch this show, but what the hell. I've been hunting for good fanfic and not finding much. So far, I have exactly one rec: Time Clock of the Heart, by yahtzee63, a lovely Denny-centric story set late in the second season.

GA apparently does not have a large central archive, aside from Fanfiction.net. Yeah, I went there. I wasn't expecting much and therefore was not disappointed. I also found an LJ comm that's fairly active, but a bit difficult to wade through.

If anyone has goodfic recs or suggestions on where to find any, please LMK. So far, I've located the following recs lists that I'm still checking out:
Grey's Anatomy Fic Recs (LJ comm)
Grey's Anatomy Slash Fic Recs (all Alex/George)
Littlemisslikes's recs
Mammothluv's Recs
Mrsfjl66's Recs
Quality Grey's Anatomy Fanfic
Rec50 (LJ comm)
Skye3's Recs (all Meredith/Derek, I think, except for some RPF)
Thinkatory's recs
TWoP Forum Recs
Uk_girl_recs (recs for various fandoms)
Vicious Wishes' Recs

I'll look at anything, except I have a deep hatred for RPF. Favorite characters include Izzie, Bailey, Meredith, Denny, and Alex; would especially love anything centering around one or more of them, but I'd also be happy with quality fic about other characters. Shipfic, gen, whatever.

Happy birthday, purple_bug!

I don't think this is really spoilery. The few specific things I mention are basic plot points that are revealed pretty early on.

( But just in case, a cut )

NBC cancelled Medium (apparently over a dispute involving how many episodes they wanted to order for next season); CBS, which owns Medium and thus profits from DVD sales/syndication money, promptly picked the show up and will air it on Fridays following Ghost Whisperer. That's really a very compatible pairing of programs.

Cancelled: My Name is Earl (low ratings), Privileged (low ratings), Reaper (low ratings), Eleventh Hour (average ratings, and evidently CBS was not pleased with the creative direction of the show), Without a Trace (below-average ratings for a CBS show, expensive to produce), The Unit (below-average ratings for a CBS show, also relatively expensive). Earl is the only one of the lot that I think has much chance of moving to another network. It might not, though.

I'm most sad about Eleventh Hour, a show I liked, but I'm sure I'll like a bunch of the new shows, too.

Most of my favorites, like Amazing Race, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, and Gossip Girl, are safe. :) fall schedule, as it currently stands

Here's a handy page telling which shows have been renewed/cancelled. As I type, it hasn't yet been updated with the news about Medium going to CBS.

Dreamwidth gave me two more invite codes, so they're available to anyone who can use them. Takers?

BTW, my Dreamwidth account (not that I've used it for much yet) is here. If you friend/subscribe me, I'll reciprocate.

I know some people on my flist watch Sarah Connor. Rumors that it would be cancelled have been flying for weeks, since the ratings have been dreadful all season, but it wasn't until tonight that a source I trust finally posted the news. I'm disappointed but not surprised. Given the numbers, even as a fan I would have made the same decision.

Which brings us to Dollhouse, a show I have grown to despise because it's both boring and sexist. This one was renewed despite lousy ratings. Obviously, Fox was looking at more than just the "live" viewership numbers, but I still see this decision as a big stretch that ultimately won't pay off. Why was Dollhouse renewed yet SCC was not? Possibilities: lower budget, greater growth potential, seen as having better creative direction, etc.

Cold Case has been renewed. Still waiting to hear about The Unit and Without a Trace, also on CBS. At least one (most likely The Unit) is expected to be cancelled. Maybe both will be. Eleventh Hour is in real danger as well. If CBS doesn't pick up Old Christine, ABC said it will. So that one's safe.

Bones was renewed, but that's no surprise.

Better Off Ted, a low-rated comedy on ABC, will be back in the fall. So will Scrubs, despite having aired what was expected to be the series finale. Viewership was fairly low this past season, but additional episodes mean more syndication money for ABC (which both owns and airs the show).

Chuck has been renewed. Still waiting to hear on Medium and Law & Order. I'd guess both will return, but we'll soon see. Life has been cancelled. :( I enjoyed the characters (Charlie and Ted, really) and will miss this one.

On the CW: Gossip Girl, Top Model, One Tree Hill, 90210, Smallville, Supernatural are all good to go for next season. Privileged and Reaper's fates are in the air.

All of this info is available on the site I linked in the first paragraph, if anyone really wants to read details.

ETA: ABC also renewed Castle, the most successful drama from their midseason offerings. Entertainment Weekly reports that The Unusuals, an unsuccessful midseason cop show, won't be renewed.

Anyone still need a Dreamwidth invite code? I have two available.

Both claimed. If by chance I get any more, I'll post again.

Happy birthday, lost_spook!

Happy birthday, sneakyangel!

Happy birthday, calapine!

Happy birthday, netgirl_y2k!

Two today! So, happy birthday to both yuxonomei and shinyjenni!

Already posted at who_otp.

Update of almost 150 stories. I last updated in January(!) and will try to do so more often from now on, because that's an awfully long time between postings. Rarer pairings only: Eight/Master, Cliff/Jo, Ben/Polly, and more. Additions or corrections? LMK.

See also the kinkmeme at sizeofthatthing, which has a ton of stories by various anons.

( Under here. )

Happy birthday, magicallaw!

I finished my taxes on Tuesday (the 14th), a whole day early. My lack of enthusiasm directly correlated to the fact that I owed money, though not that much. If I'd been entitled to a refund, I would have figured out the things months ago. Anyway, they are done for another year, and I even remembered to sign the return this time. See, if you don't sign it, the IRS mails you an excruciatingly polite form letter that might make you panic, upon seeing the return address, that you're being audited. Of course, this has NEVER happened to me. ;)

Also! I won a laptop in a contest. I'm on a bunch of survey panels, and usually they hand out gift certificates. This time around, I won an actual prize of note, a laptop computer:



Her name is Gwen. Yes, after the Torchwood character. I figured with all the bashing she gets from certain viewers, something positive named after her would be a nice change. Besides, I had to name the computer. When I was setting her up, a "name this computer" screen appeared. Suggestions were things like "Work computer" and "Office computer." I couldn't name her something so bland and impersonal! "Gwen" popped into my head, so that was that.

She is an Acer Aspire something-or-other. Technical details are lost on me. I started her up and she works, and that's pretty much all I care about.

Happy birthday, maddeinin!

As usual, I've been following the TV ratings and am speculating on which shows will survive to another season. Obviously, Desperate Housewives and the like are more than safe. But what about Eleventh Hour, Life, Dollhouse, etc.? I've made some educated guesses about their fates, which should become known for sure no later than next month, when the networks hold their advertising upfront presentations.

( Read more... )

I have a few thoughts about the (U.S.) Life on Mars finale, the ER finale, and the April 6 House episode. Spoilers!


( Life on Mars finale )


( ER finale )

( April 6 House spoilers )