Goodbye to L & O

I love Law and Order. I may have mentioned this a few thousand times. And this week aired the very last episode of the New York show. It's a sad passing. Yes,there are others, and yes, you can still see all 450+ episodes in syndication. But it won't be the same. I think I'll miss S. Epatha Merkerson the most. She play the Loo.

If you have not yet read this article (thanks sweetie) you really must. It's the perfect homage to such a great show. Goodbye L&O. You will be missed.

Bomp. Bomp.

Le Parisien Publecite

This is a series of Parisian ads that ran in Paris. The tag line is, "Better To Read One Than To Meet One." I love them!

Back To The Grind

Well, it's time to get back to the pace of real life. The holidays are all over around here and school has started for the boy today. And yet, there are still these sorts of stories that make Monday just a little bit better. You gotta love it! (My thanks to Neatorama.com for this one.)

Merry Christmas Everyone

Murder One, Or How I Fell In Love With Stanley Tucci

In all honesty, I never thought I'd see this show again. I mean, it was really a one season wonder when it aired (at least in our household). It actually ran for two seasons, and the premiss was an exciting one: follow a murder case - one case- for then entire season. It was great that season, but we opted out of the second season. Also, I had just discovered Law & Order. But I digress.

Steven Bochco is the master mind behind the show. And the cast was stunning. Honestly, it must have run in the late 90s, because that's when I caved to the technological pressure and we bought our first TV (that's an entirely other story). And I had never seen Stanley Tucci before. And of course, I fell madly in love with his acting. And of course, then it seemed like suddenly he was popping up all over -- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Maid In Manhattan, Guest Starring on Frasier, The Terminal, and finally in my most favorite roll, Devil Wears Prada. (I admit to not having seen Julie & Julia yet -- I don't get out much.)

So when I stumbled across Murder One over on Hulu, I was thrilled. And consequently stayed up far too late, deep in the memories and glory of the show. I loved seeing the cast again -- you just never know when and actor is going to break out. You might give it a try. I still think the mystery is captivating (and I already know who done it).

Glee

I am so in love with the new Fox show Glee. I can't get enough! I am actually a little sad that I discovered it in real time - and not a season or two later when I could gorge myself on an entire season at once. If you haven't seen it yet, you really must. Hulu is my savior, as I can only record so many shows at once on the DVR (yes, I realize what this sounds like).

I always thought I wanted to be in show choir as a high school student; but I convinced myself I was either too lame (really) or too flat, or too selfish to really do it. I mean, you had to audition in front of the rest of the choir - on a stage - and you had to spend in ordinate amounts of time in rehearsal and competition, and I was already in the "real" choir, the top choir other than Encores - our show choir. It was no surprise to learn that the creator of the show himself was a native hoosier and in fact, an alum of Warren Central High. Of course he was.

This show is really all that and more. If I had to go back to high school (and please realize, this would be as dire a ring of hell as I could imagine - I'd rather be a cannibal) I'd hope it was with these people.

I love it when the fall sweeps begin. It's just another reason to love fall.

Law & Order Addiction

I freely admit it: I'm a Law & Order addict. I love the show, the spin-offs, I even took the which Law & Order detective are you quiz on face book. I am Alex Eames, of course. 

My most favorite is the Criminal Intent spin-off series. And last night I got to see Jeff Goldblum's debut as Det. Zack Nichols. I love him. He has a zany yet understated quirkiness that I think will go a long, long way. Dare I say, he could even rival Vincent D'onofrio as my heart-throb detective. 

Some times things are just worth waiting for.

Dirty Little Secret

So, here’s my dirty little secret that many of you may not know: I am addicted to television. I have several shows that I have set to record weekly, most of which are mindless, purposeless and not very good at storytelling. But I like stories and TV has them in tidy little 60-minute packages. It fits into my life, and, well, I’m willing to settle.

The writer’s strike really put a damper on things this spring. Just as shows were getting started, bam! we’re back to reruns. And then, in several of my favorite crime dramas they cleared the decks of my favorite characters. In CSI Warrick is gone – I loved the complexity they gave his character. In CSI: Miami, the medical examiner, Alexx, left the show. I loved how she loved her dead bodies. And lastly, in Law & Order: Special Victims, they inferred the leaving of Casey (the lawyer), Lake (the detective), and Iced T’s character, Tutualla (the detective). Can this all be related to the writer’s strike? One has to assume the two are somehow related. And then there is the end of Battlestar Galactica, one of THE BEST shows on television. I am sad to see it go, and sorry that they took the tack they did on Earth. If you follow the show, you’ll know what I’m talking about. There are still a few episodes left for the show to redeem itself.

So it’s no surprise that I am delighted to finally have the start of the summer series at hand. I am a big fan of The Closer. I love to go around imitating Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson. I think the characters on the show are super and I especially love how Brenda is a smart, fast-talking dame who always gets her man. And I’ll be giving Saving Grace another shot this summer too. I love Holly Hunter’s inhibitions. And the premise of the show is promising. I just don’t think they took the spiritual angle far enough last season. I’m hoping for a bit more daring in that department this time around.

I’ve been looking for something to fill my crime-drama yen. I’ve seen all the Law & Order episodes, ditto with the spin-offs Special Victims and Criminal Intent (the joy of the DVR). I’ve also tapped out CSI (I’m working on the CSI: Miami series). I’ve even seen all the Without a Trace Episodes. Of course we record the new episodes, but like I said, I’m addicted. I’ve tried Cold Case and it’s just not satisfying. Love to hear your recommendations.

Dancing Fool

I am a fool for Dancing with the Stars. I can't help myself. I just get all wrapped up in it and somehow believe the possibility that I, too, could be a fabulous ballroom dancer given the opportunity to train with a pro for 4 weeks. My money is on Helio Castroneves, Mark Cuban, Mel B and Sabrina Bryan. Although, truth be told, I really want Wayne Newton to stick around for a while. I think I have a little crush on him!