What I’m Watching On TV These Days

Like the title says, I’m an atheist geek. So I spend most of my TV time watching sci-fi and fantasy TV. With that in mind, here’s what I’m watching and a little bit about why. I’ll give you a quick list of what sucks (because I refuse to watch it) later. Now, on with the Atheist Geek’s TV shows!

What I’m Watching

1. True Blood

Hey! Sookie’s boobs were bigger in the novel. Now I’m disappointed.

True Blood is based on a series of novels about vampires in America’s deep South after the vamps have “come out” to the rest of the world and demanded equal rights. I actually bought one of those novel compilations of the series from the Science Fiction Book Club a few years back, but just couldn’t get into the whole “Southern Dead” series like I’d hoped. Still, the TV show is pretty good. I’d call it quirky, or maybe a little weird. Not quite so much as Lexx was back in the day, but if you like shows that are a little off beat … and where everybody’s gettin’ laid … you might like True Blood. Good thing it’s on a pay channel because the networks … sadly … tend to water down (and thus ruin) the darker stuff. Guess they’re afraid the soccer Mom’s and ultra fundamentalists will rise up in revolt. And they’re probably right. (Curse you Sarah Palin!!) Since it’s on a pay channel, I have to get the series from a friend to watch it. But it’s worth it. Give it a try.

2. Dexter

Heh heh. Dexter’s always prankin’ on people.

You knew I was going to say Dexter, didn’t you? Dexter freakin’ rules! It’s based on a series of books like True Blood above. This time, the “hero” is a serial killer whose father — a cop — recognized his son’s murderous traits when Dexter was in his early teens. So Daddy Morgan taught Dexter how to kill without getting caught. But Dexter lives by his father’s code, so he only murders other killers. Now that he’s all grown up, Dexter is a blood spatter expert in Florida with a dry whit and his own set of carving knives. He spends months following suspects around to make sure they really are murderers, then he wraps the crime-scene-to-be in plastic to keep the evidence from hitting the floor or walls. Then he drags the killer to his lair and it’s lights out. Did I ever mention that I wish Dexter was my crazy uncle? Anyway…

3. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

So Summer Glau and Erica Durance were made in the same factory? Who knew?

I always thought they should do a Terminator TV series. Maybe agents from the future could be sent back to stop Skynet’s machines from killing the leaders of the resistance or something like that? Well, The Sarah Connor Chronicles is better than my old idea. It isn’t totally awesome yet, but it’s good enough to keep me watching every week. Basically, the series is rewriting the whole Terminator mythos because Sarah and John have been sent into their future — which is our present — by some time travel equipment. So Sarah hasn’t contracted cancer and died like they said in the movies. Well, not yet. They also have a mysterious Terminator (played by Firefly’s Summer Glau) to protect them. So while Skynet tries to rewrite its own history, Sarah and company are trying to rewite things to our advantage. Who will win? Beats the hell outta me. Maybe we’ll find out soon.

4. Fringe

I didn’t know if I would like Fringe. I’m not a big X-Files fan, and it kinda looks like the X-Files. Still, J. J. Abrams is behind it, so I had to give it a shot. I’ve only seen a few episodes, but I’d sum it up like this: if the X-Files got drunk and woke up next to Threshold … well, their offspring would be pretty close to Fringe. See, there’s this pretty chick who joined up with a mysterious agency that deals with fringe (weird) science. She also has a young but screwed up genius to help her control his father, who is some sort of super-yet-evil genius and an all around crazy dude. I especially like this evil genius guy. Watch it and see if he doesn’t give ya the creeps. But in a healthy way. Like that neighbor who keeps staring at you from his kitchen window, but who doesn’t have the modesty to look away when you look back. See? Healthy, like I said. Oh, just watch it and you’ll see.

5. Heroes

I didn’t want to see this show when it first came on for some reason. So I was a moron. Sue me. There’s lot’s of us out there ya know. Anyway, Heroes is about a bunch of comic-book style superheroes and villains who rise up and fight one another. The heroes keep trying to avert some horrific future catastrophe (because some of them can see the future) while the villains keep trying to bring on the devastation. This may be a comic book kinda show, but the characters are actually pretty human. Some of their powers and problems are actually original at times too. Oh, and there’s this evil (or semi-evil) organization that thinks the heroes and the villains are all equally bad. Yet it’s being run by an older generation of heroes with their own set of powers. Who will win this season now that a new set of villains have been set loose? Go find out.

6. Supernatural

Dangerous? Sure. But I’d die happy. Very happy.

I didn’t like season one of Supernatural. Watching Sam and Dean look for their Dad while they roam the countryside helping good folk felt too much like a bad 70s buddy movie. Then I checked in during season three and discovered that the show has left its old roots behind. Both brothers have already been to Hell and back. Vampire hunters have been turned into vampires. The good guys got a gun that can kill anything, even demons that are possessing human bodies. (The Watchtower Society wants this gun so bad…) And then there was that hot foreign chick who stole stuff and kept foiling the brother’s plans. She nabbed the gun from them. She also very pretty. Me like. Too bad they killed her hot ass right off the show. (Bastards!!!!) Still, now that Dean has got an actual, honest to god angel giving him an attitude … even as Sam has an actual, honest to Satan demon named Ruby teaching him to use the dark side of the force … well, the show officially kicks ass. It’s both funny and dark all at once. Go see it or you’ll weep bitterly for the loss.

7. Stargate: Atlantis

Stargate: Atlantis has come close to making it on my “guilty pleasures” list. It isn’t quite as good as the other shows on my list, but it is thoroughly watchable. I always felt the same way about it’s big (but canceled) brother, Stargate: SG-1. Both shows are a bit naive, a bit cutesy, and even improbable. I mean, come on… How many time can Colonel Whats-Their-Name sneak into a highly secure alien facility and take on like 50 guards with only 3 to 4 team mates to back them up? And they win every single time?!? I don’t think so. This show has got “80s” logic written all over it for me. Still, I do keep watching on again and off again. So that counts for something. If you aren’t into dark, more sophisticated stuff, then Atlantis might be your show.

8. House

House isn’t science fiction. But it’s still pretty damn good. I’ve already reviewed house here.

9. The Daily Show

A funny (but mostly liberal) take on the absurdity of politics and the media that reports on it. Sometimes, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart does a better job of holding the bad guy’s feet to the fire than the supposedly real news. But it’s purely by mistake. Jon doesn’t mind dropping the occasional F-bomb, so if you’re not mature enough to handle it, maybe you should with stick old reruns of Not Necessarily The News or something. If you can find them. ’cause they weren’t very funny when I think about it.

10. The Colbert Report

Think of The Repor’ as The Daily Show’s younger brother. Here, Stephen Colbert plays an uber-right-wing dumb guy with a big mouth and misinformed opinions. Basically, it’s Stephen Colbert pretends to be “Pappa Bear” Bill O’Reilly. But the audience and the guests are all in on the joke.

I’m also watching (in reruns)…

I think I’m in love.

10. In Plain Sight

Mary: she’s funny, smart, hot, and emotionally vulnerable. Now I know what I want for Christmas.

11. Burn Notice

Michael isn’t a hot chick (damn) but he’s cool. This show isn’t as cutesy as other USA Network stuff. It’s right up there with In Plain Sight.

12. Doctor Who

I have to say that The Doctor started to let me down a bit after the first two seasons. But it is — theoretically, at least — a kid’s show. So I try to give it a little slack when I can. Some episodes are still winners in my book, so I’ll be waiting for the next season to come around. Or the next series. Whatever the Brits call it. Don’t they know how to speak English?

13. Stargate: SG-1

Little weak for my tastes, but I still watch it. At least Atlantis has stepped it up a notch since SG-1 got canceled.

Shhh… Now, Here Are My Guilty Pleasures

1. Smallville

If Clark Kent doesn’t put some moves on this one … he’s just plain gay. I’d go for it. If only I had moves.

Smallville lost me as a fan years ago when it suddenly went all right wing and weird. But I checked back on it this past year and found they had upped the ante a bit (the beginnings of the Justice League, among other neat features) and added Lois (her curvy hotness) Lane. Did you know that Erica Durance is super hot? I think some uber-nerd grew her in a lab so he could finally know the love of a woman, but she escaped. Yeah… They always escape, don’t they fellow nerds? *sigh* Anyway, when Clarke Kent’s boyscout antics drive me to the brink, I just star at Lois Lane and all is well again. Guess boobies really are like drugs. For men, at any rate. OK, for me at any rate.

2. Knight Rider (2008)

This show is truly awful. So awful that it loops itself and becomes hilarious. Which makes it watchable again. I won’t be following this show on purpose, but I might check in a few more times before it gets canceled. Hey, Metacritic gave it a 21% out of a hundred! Even the fans only gave it a 4.7 out of 10! I don’t think it’ll be around for long. So go watch it at least once while its still here. You’ll piss yourself with laughter. TRUST ME. Go set your Tivo to record it now.

Well, that’s about it. Any other shows you think I’d like based on these reviews? Let me know in the comments area. Thanks for tunin’ in.