In Which I Break My Ankle and Watch Tonnes of TV

*waves*

I am not even sure if I am a blogger any more. I keep my blog, but I always seem to fizzle about updating it any more. I start doing other things and then reading and blogging take a back burner. It's weird, to be honest. I must be changing as I get older because reading has always been a constant in my life. And, now, I can go days without reading anything. I used to blame reading slumps, but I just think it is the progression of things. There are times when I am big into reading... and then there are times when I am into other things. At the moment, thanks to being laid up with a broken ankle, it is all about TV (and some movies). So, in an attempt to show that I am actually still alive, I thought I would talk about some of the things that I have watched since falling.

I actually started to watch Game of Thrones when it first came on the air, but it just didn't grab me. I wasn't a huge fan of the first book either. I find that George R.R. Martin goes a bit too crazy with the surprise factor. The show (and books) should just be called 'Everyone Dies'. But, I was bored and it was there so I decided to give it another try. I am now officially caught up in the show. Did I love it? Nope. Will I watch season 6? Yep. It's watchable and I did like it, but I didn't love it. You would think after 5 seasons I would be able to tell you why I don't love it, but there is just something that doesn't click with me. I like a bunch of the characters and the story-lines... I think the only reason I gave it another try at all is I am a fantasy fan typically and I want to like it. I do want to see where things go next, though, and maybe one day will read the rest of the books.

Banshee is a show that my brother-in-law really likes and has been saying to watch. So, I finally did. It is a crime show meets cop show and I love it. I cannot wait to see what happens next! (Which means a new season because I am caught up on the three seasons that are out there now.) Banshee is a small town where insane things happen. The main character, Lucas, gets beat up in almost every episode. You would think that it would get to be a bit insane, but there are story-lines and back-stories that keep you watching. Plus, I love Job. He is one of the best characters in TV! So, if you haven't checked out Banshee you should!

Okay, folks, drop everything and watch Penny Dreadful. I had no idea what this show was about, but it was recommended to me and I have lots of time on my hands. I still had no idea what it was about when I sat down to watch the first episode. It is set in 1891 and it is literary! Frankenstein and Dorian Gray are in it! There are vampires, werewolves, demons, witches. There is a kick-ass female lead, Vanessa; plus some really creepy kick-ass other female characters. All I have to say is that I love this show and cannot wait to see what is going to happen next. There are only 2 seasons, but they are definitely worth checking out.

My mother's boyfriend, and most of the rest of the world, really like House of Cards, so that is where I went next. Kevin Spacey has long been an actor who I enjoy their work, so I was curious to see him play a role in a TV show. I was not disappointed! It is not my typical show, but I am glad I took a chance on it. Firstly, I love Claire. She is a ruthless, strong female character. Robin Wright plays Claire perfectly. I definitely look forward to seeing more from her in Season 4. Kevin Spacey plays a ruthless politician and makes it believable. And, I like the background characters like Doug Stamper. I enjoy shows that give the rest of the characters a backstory so that they are not just background characters, but they are people that you become interested in. I am glad I went outside my comfort zone and watched this. I look forward to season 4.

Next up... Sense8.  I have only just started this today and only seen one episode... We will see what I think when it is over.

What shows do you recommend for someone who is watching a lot of TV?

Life, Friday Reads, Tuning in on Thursday, Listening to on Wednesday

Photo Credit

So, today is the closest thing to an anniversary that the charming comedian and I have. It is basically a day to start a new year on. He is working back shifts so we didn't do anything special. Last night (or early this morning rather) I was telling him I looked back on old posts to see the first time I at least tagged that a post contained something about the charming comedian. The following conversation occurred:

CC: You still call me that on your blog?
Me: Yep.
CC: Why? I am not really charming OR a comedian.
Me: That's kind of the point.

Don't worry, I am not really that mean. I did later say something along the lines of 'Just Kidding'.

Anyway, Happy Anniversary to the cc!

Photo Credit

Tuning in on Thursday

For television it has mostly been Star Trek and I did get back to Bones a bit. Our current project is watching Roots because it is the 35th anniversary. I know I have seen it before, and some of it is really familiar, but it has been too long for me to remember the details. It is also Black History Month, so I thought it was a fitting time. I also plan to watch The Color Purple. I read the book a few years ago and then couldn't find the movie anywhere. I finally have it, so hopefully will get to that soon.

I did finally get around to a few movies lately. One I refuse to admit that I watched because it was horrible, but I will admit to 3. 

Just Go With It - The guy really likes Jennifer Aniston, so we usually watch her movies eventually. This one was actually pretty good. She is a good actress and Adam Sandler didn't annoy me so much. His cousin or whatever did, but that is to be expected. I was surprised by the appearance of Nicole Kidman. I had no idea she was in the movie. Oh, and Dave Matthews. The cc wouldn't believe even the credits that it was him so I had to look it up and prove it to him. A keeper.

Crazy. Stupid. Love - I wanted to see this when it was in theatres, but the people we were going to the movies with had all ready seen it. It has been in the back of my mind for a while, though, and I have to admit that we both enjoyed it. I liked how it all came together in the end. I have to admit that I missed a part in the middle, though, so plan to rewatch it soon so I can see the full effect. Isn't Ryan Gosling everywhere lately? A keeper.

127 Hours - I had a vague memory of this movie once I heard that James Franco was in it, but I didn't remember the story it was based on all that well. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the movie because he is stuck by himself. It is hard to make a movie with really only one character. It wasn't terrible and probably captured what happened very well, but I don't think it is something I need to watch again. I would rather read the book. Good, but no need to keep.

Friday Reads

Photo Credit

I am having a quiet reading week. 

I decided to work on this series this week. I read the 7th and have now moved on to this one. It's not the best series ever, but it is good and I do enjoy reading it. It is really all that I have read by James Patterson...

I am still making my way through this book. It is very interesting and I am learning a lot of stuff. I am not entirely sure it is all stuff I had a pressing need to know, but she presents it in a very readable way.

Kobo had this for 99 cents. I don't really know much about it, but I had to get a new phone and joined the Smart phone revolution. I started this book just to see what the e-reader is like on my phone. I will still probably use other methods, but it wasn't that bad for when I am somewhere and I have only my phone to use...

Photo Credit

Listening to on Wednesday

Thanks to Deanna from Polishing Mud Balls I have been listening to NEEDTOBREATHE tonight. They are actually not that bad... I have their newer CD, The Outsiders, playing. I have never heard of them before, but they seem to have more than one CD...

Here is an example of their music: 

Then, did you see that Walk off the Earth has a new video up? I think they are well on the way to being famous. They signed a record label and we heard this song on a commercial today! Yay for Canadian musicians!


More Meme Fun!From Lisa at Books.Lists.Life:

1. Could you eat the same thing for lunch every day? What would it be?
Probably. I hate cooking, so I am pretty simplistic. It would probably be pasta, but then, that can be lots of different kinds of things...

2. How many library books do you have checked out right now?
um, 10, I think.

3. Do you feel strongly about specific music? or more of a music in general type person?
I am a music in general person. I usually have it on in the background when I am on the computer or whatever.

4. What is your favorite brick and morter retail store?
I am not much for shopping either. Probably the local second-hand bookstore. For the guy it is easily Canadian Tire.

5. What is your favorite online store?
Book Depository.

6. What is your favorite moment of heartstopping romantic tension? (Book, movie, music, tv, real life, art, anywhere.)
Oh, wow, I don't know. I don't really think of things like that. See the beginning of my post? That's about as romantic as it gets...

7. What is the first book you remember reading?
Green Eggs and Ham!


8. Are you creative in any way? How so?
Not really...

9. Not counting your family, pets, and vital personal documents/pictures, what one thing would you save in a fire?
My postcard collection. I have old ones that came from my family, people have given me plenty, and then I have all the ones I have received in the mail from friends and family.

10. What is your favorite type of vacation (museums, beach, cabin, mountains, theme parks)?
Oh, that is a hard call. I love museums, but then on the other hand I enjoy theme parks. I prefer to do be doing something when I take a trip, so sitting on the beach doesn't really interest me.

11. What is the most surprising or unexpected thing you've done in the last 12 months?
hm... Well, two days ago I got a Smart Phone. That shocked me!

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Then, since I was doing it I decided to answer the questions from Fizzy Thoughts. The questions originally come from Trish at eclectic/eccentric.

1. What is your favorite piece of art?
I have no idea... Art is not something I have really paid a lot of attention to...

2. What literary character do you think would make an awesome world leader?
um... hm.... This is a bad question from right now because I am in a cranky political mood, so I will pass.

3. What color do you think should be outlawed from clothing?
Anything really really bright. It is hard on the eyes.

4. Hats. Yes or no?
Yep!

5. What contemporary novel should be added to the high school curriculum?
A Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

6. What book featuring real people do you think could work if the characters were switched to animals?
These questions are hard! Anything I can think of other people have all ready said and I don't want to copy, so I have no idea.

7. Genetically designed humans. Hell yes or absolutely not?
Hell no!

8. What book would you like to see get parodied a la Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?
NOTHING! Ruins a perfectly good book...

9. What book would you absolutely hate to see get parodied?
The Time-Traveller's Wife. I very randomly really enjoy that book.

10. TV. Awesome source of entertainment or horrifying time suck?
I don't really watch that much TV.

11. What literary character should immediately jump off the page and into your bed?
Something else I don't really think about! The sad thing is that the first thing that popped into my head was Skulduggery Pleasant... But, well, he's a skeleton, so that's a bit disturbing!

Friday Reads - 5th Edition, A Sherlock Holmes Viewing Experience, and a Few Other Things...

Friday Reads 5th Edition

I only read the introduction to this book. I am supposed to read it for a buddy read this month, though, so I really should get around to it soon. I want to finish the Kingsolver first, though.

I didn't really need another short story collection, but this came in for me at the library and I decided to see about finishing it to post about on Valentine's day. It just seemed to be good timing.

I am really enjoying this book, but with all my other 'projects' it keeps getting pushed to the side. When I do read it I spend a bit of time with it, but obviously I need to spend a bit more!

This will probably be on here for the month. I am just reading a story or 2 here and there depending on how much time I have. I think this is going to be my method for the year because I have many short story collections that are unread.

This book continues to be rather interesting. For one thing, I think it is brave for people to share their experiences in such a public format. It also gives you things to think about. I like to say I am pretty open-minded, but there are times where I probably could be more so...

I am about halfway through this book and really enjoying it. I have been brain-storming ways to have even a little garden this year, which I do most years anyway, and I was explaining to the cc yesterday that I would really like to learn how to make cheese.

At the rate I am going this is going it will be 2013 before I finish it. It's my own fault. I never have enough hours in the day for everything that I want to do and I always have too many books on the go!

Watching BBC Sherlock Season 1: A Q & A About the Experience with Suey and Melissa.

Suey's Questions:

-- Favorite thing about this show?
Well, first up I am very happy that Sherlock Holmes is played by someone other than Robert Downey Jr. As much as I enjoy the movie versions he is just not who I had pictured for Holmes. I am a bit torn on the two actors playing Watson, though. They are both very different; but each have their strong points. On a more serious note, my favourite things about the show are the humour, creativity of changing the time period entirely and making it work, and the chemistry between Watson and Holmes. Obviously that ties into the humour over and over again, but what I actually mean is that the two actors work well together.

-- Least favorite thing about the show?
Okay, I am sure there is probably something, but nothing is really coming to mind at the moment.

-- Analyze the characters.
Well, first there is Sherlock. I think that he is played really well. I can picture the character that I have read about easily while watching him on the screen. He might not be a perfect casting choice, but that is the hard part about watching books become movies. I enjoy watching his mind work and his humour even if he is not necessarily trying to be funny. I think it is a good interpretation of how Sherlock works. Then, we have Watson. When I saw him in the very beginning I didn't really think he matched what I had always pictured as a Watson, but as I continued to watch I couldn't help thinking he captures the character very well. He is a perfect companion for Holmes and plays off him very well. I also enjoy that instead of writing their adventures into books he is blogging about it. I am just going to go with the two main characters.

-- How is this one different from other Sherlock shows?
I have to admit that I have only really watched Sherlock the one other time and that was just the Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law movies. I believe that their core the shows are very similar, but the writers also have their own interpretations of how to show it on the screen. Also, this show is actually British with British actors. The movies are not. They do have things like the humour, the connection of Holmes and Watson, etc in common, though.

-- Are you most into the stories? Or the characters? Or the actors?
I think it is a little bit of both. The stories really come together and I enjoy learning both the back stories and watching Holmes get to the bottom of the cases.  Then, I really enjoy both Holmes and Watson. They make the watching experience a lot of fun. And, in order for them to work so well they have to be played by wonderful actors. So, I enjoy all three.

My Questions:

-- Have you ever read the original novels? If so, how do you think the characters compare to those in the books? 
I have read some of the original books, but I haven't finished. I would like to catch-up this year, though. I have read enough to get an idea of the characters, though, and like I said above they might not be exactly as I pictured them, but they still have a lot going for them.

-- Which was your favourite episode of the 3?
I think the very first one was my favourite just because I enjoyed the puzzle of it all. But then, I also enjoyed when Moriarty was introduced through a voice on the phone and Holmes had to solve puzzles to save them all. I really think all three episodes had redeeming qualities that made them all very enjoyable overall.

-- Did you like how the show is set in the present day?
I love it! I think it opens up much more creativity for the show to break away a bit from the 'common' story. It also opens up the door for new technology. In the very first episode when they are having a press conference and Sherlock keeps sending text messages to all of the reporters telling them the police are wrong is priceless. This is not something that would have been possible if they had set it in the past.

-- What do you think of how while Sherlock is thinking words appear on the screen instead of the watcher being left in the dark.
I love this idea! The guy does, too. I like watching how Sherlock comes up with his ideas. The way that he thinks is wonderful. We should all be more observant!

-- What do want to see in the second season?
Well, I am going to be obvious and just say I want to know how the cliff-hanger ending is addressed.

Final Thoughts: This was fun! I don't watch a lot of things as a group, so I was excited to do something a bit different. If you have read my blog with any regularity you will notice that I enjoy buddy reads, so this was the next possible step. I also think we chose a great show to try this with. I look forward to more review with Suey and Melissa in the future, but also to more Sherlock!

Then, I just wanted to inform everyone that there will be the first months wrap-up post on Lu's blog today. Be sure and check it out and make sure you didn't miss anything. The Linky and such for February will be on this blog on the 28th. I hope to see people participate!

Lastly, I know I won't have time to join in for this event, but if anyone needs someone to write to I will happily write back. I also collect postcards... Just saying! (If you need my address just ask.)

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 12

Television

Bomb Girls - This is a Canadian mini-series set during WWII. It is 6 parts and we watched the first two the other night just to see what it is like. It is actually rather interesting. I am just a bit disappointed that it is a Canadian show and it about the American war experience, but that is pretty much to be expected. I do still enjoy shows that centre around the female experience and the women that built the bombs during the second World War.

The Muppet Show: Season 1 -  I am trying this again. I have yet to make it to the end because of various problems, so I am determined to this time around. I have watched about 5 episodes lately. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation - We were hooked up with the seasons of this show. The guy has been skipping around watching favourite episodes, but I want to eventually go back and start from the beginning. I have always figured I have seen every episode, but I am curious if I have missed any. We actually watched the very last episode last night because I always rather enjoyed it and the guy had never seen it before.

And, just because this is a bit boring, here are some more Walk off the Earth videos:

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 11 and Friday Reads 4th Edition

I simply forgot to update my blog yesterday. I don't even have an excuse! Today is a snow day for the schools but so far there is very little snow. Casey is sitting in the window watching it fall, though. It is one of her favourite activities. She is in her glory as it is because some nice person dug all of her toys out from under the couch.

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 11

This was another quiet viewing week...

Television

BBC Sherlock Holmes Season 1 - I started this show back in December, but I just kept failing to get back to it. In the end I watched the first episode 3 times. I was supposed to review this in more depth with a couple other people, but not sure what is going on now.

Once Upon a Time - We finally caught-up in this show. I am still really enjoying it! We watched 1 episode one night and the other 2 another. I am looking forward to the new episode on Sunday! 

Friday Reads 4th Edition

I finished my other short story collection, so I decided to see what this one was like. I am not even sure where it came from, but it fits in with the Science-Fiction Experience. I have only read the first story so far.

I have owned this book forever! I am happy that I am finally getting around to it. This is for a buddy read with Ana from things mean a lot. I think this is the first time I have ever read any of Kingsolver's non-fiction, but she writes really well.

I cannot remember for sure where I heard of this book, but when it arrived for me at the library the other day I decided to see what it was all about. It is easy to read a bit of it here and there.

Reading this book right now is just silly because I have so much else on the go, but I am actually quite enjoying it. I have been reading it slowly for the first little while. 

I did get a chance to read a  large chunk of this yesterday. I started it at the beginning of the month, but then it was sort of sat down and not picked up again. It is a really good book but there is only so much time in a day and I read too many books at a time.

I did actually read some of this since my last post, but I STILL haven't finished book 1. I am not sure why I am reading this book so slowly. I think the key is not to keep putting it down because then it takes me forever to get back to it. I am enjoying it, but it is not knocking my socks off... I will hopefully get back to it soon.

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 9

New Fall Shows

I was so excited to watch Once Upon a Time last Sunday and then it wasn't on until partway through because of  a football game. I have it to watch, but I just haven't had a chance to since. I am really disappointed because I had waited all day to be able to watch. So, that's it for newish shows and I didn't even watch it. 

Older Shows

I have had all sorts of hopes, but I did not get around to any of the older shows I have been watching lately either. I was supposed to have watched Sherlock Holmes and I really want to watch Bones, but it just hasn't happened. Hopefully this week!

Movies

The guy has been a movie mood lately, so these are just the ones I have bothered to pay attention to lately. He has watched more.

16 Blocks - This movies stars Bruce Willis as a washed-up alcoholic cop. I wasn't super thrilled by the movie choice, he always seems to play the same role, but I have to admit it wasn't entirely bad. It is basically about a guy who is a witness and is to testify in court in order to be freed from his own life of crime. Bruce Willis has to take him 16 blocks to testify, but things do not work out as easy as all that... 

The Invasion - I wanted to see this movie back when it was in theatres, but then never got around to actually watching it until now. It was a science-fiction movie, so it was perfect for the month of January to coincide with the Science-Fiction Experience. It was also rather good. The guy says it is a new version of The Body Snatchers. I am proud to be able to say I have even heard of that movie before. I haven't seen it, though...

28 Days - I had seen this movie before, but the guy hadn't. We have combined our movie collections, but really do not branch into each others all that much. I always really liked this movie for some reason, probably Viggo Mortenson, and I think he enjoyed it for the most part.

Mercury Rising - Yeah, more Bruce Willis. The guy watched some interesting movies that I would have watched other than this one, but this is when I tuned in. Again, not a terrible movie, but mainly because I thought the little boy in it did a REALLY good job. Bruce basically just played himself...

Gothika - Now, this movie was strange. I didn't really know if I was going to like it, but it was actually not that bad. I seem to like movies and books that are tied in with mental institutions and this was no exception. It was another one that I thought looked interesting when it came out and then never got around to watching it. I think the guy liked it, too.

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 8

New Fall Shows

I haven't really watched any of them but I had to do a bit of a happy dance about Once Upon a Time returning this weekend! I am really excited because I have seen tid-bits here and there about what to expect in the coming episodes.

Older Shows

Bones - I started season 4. I love this show. It is really nerdy goodness. I wanted to watch more but we had a bit of technological problems and it sort of killed most of our watching recently. I am hoping to get back to it this week, though.

Big Bang Theory - I watched a bit of the 4th season of this show, too. It really is the funniest show on television, but I am a bit unreliable about actually watching it. It was also on as a marathon around Christmas so we saw lots of the older episodes. I love Sheldon I must admit. But really, the whole cast works really well together.

Movies

I call them movies, but really they are concerts. In the last little bit we have watched an Alice Cooper concert, a John Lennon tribute concert, and a Rush concert. We always get a few for Christmas. They were all really good. The John Lennon concert annoyed me because apparently John only had one child. It is really unfortunate that everything is centred around his one wife and nothing else seems to matter. Apparently he also didn't belong to this very famous band because the pictures skipped from before to happy days with his wife. That time in-between just didn't happen. Otherwise it was enjoyable! The Alice Cooper is entertaining just because it is Alice Cooper... And the Rush was my favourite, but it is sad that Geddy Lee can't sing the same way any more.

Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back: I educated the guy on these movies, but we never finished. I can't believe he had never seen them before! We only made it through part of this movie before, so we finally watched the rest so we can move on to my favourite... 

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 7

Yes, this is a day late. I am impressed I am getting a chance to post period. I think it is because I am trying to avoid dealing with the snow that is falling at the moment. It was supposed to be just a nice covering, but we are reaching shovelling levels. I have about a million things I should be doing, but I am just going to pretend they don't exist for the moment.

On another note, I would like to thank everyone for the Christmas cards! I feel a bit bad because this is the second year in a row I didn't. I will have to try and actually get them out next year. Also, I apologize for not visiting all the blogs for Virtual Advent. I will try and get a chance in the next few days.

Now, I should get this post finished so I can do the other things I really should be doing.

New Fall Shows

New Girl - I have every episode of this show so we can watch it, but we just never seemed to find the time. We finally had a bit of time the other night and caught up on the episodes we had missed. I honestly can't decide if I like this show. It is just a bit strange... We will have to see in the New Year if we keep it up. I still think I would have liked it better if the casting hadn't changed after the first episode. 

Movies

Jim Henson CNN People Profiles, 1999 - I was looking for something on YouTube and this came up. I figured I would check it out and it was actually rather interesting. I enjoyed watching Henson grow-up in the show-business world and I actually learned a lot. It is still a real shame he died so young.

Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas - It might have actually been this movie that lead me to the special above. I hadn't seen it in years and I think they mentioned it on Tor.com. I had to track down a way to watch it. It's a great little movie and a perfect holiday film. If you haven't seen it, you should. It is from 1977 and includes the voices of all of your favourite Muppets. 

The Smurfs - The other day I 'cleaned' the channels off the TV. There were some coming up that we didn't actually have. Needless to say, I seemed to have found a few channels. This movie was playing on one of them and I decided to give it a watch. I really enjoyed The Smurfs when it was on television, but not enough to flock to the theatres to see the movie. It was cute. The only problem I had with it was the cat vomited in one of the scenes and I was eating lunch at the time. 

Jim Carrey's A Christmas Carol - If you follow me on Facebook you may have noticed where I said I started to watch this movie... I just thought it was terrible. I am thinking I only like this classic tale if it has a Muppet or cartoon character in it. So, I turned it off partway through to watch:

Muppet Christmas Carol - I love this movie! It is one of the movies I make sure to watch every Christmas. I introduced people to it over the years. It is just a fun movie and a great holiday tradition!

And, I did forget some movies last week where I hadn't posted the week before. They were:

Grown-ups - I REALLY wanted to see this movie at theatres, but we never made it. I thought it had an amazingly funny cast and would be fun to see. It was! I enjoyed it and am glad I finally got a chance to see it. It is not my favourite movie ever, but sometimes you just need to laugh.

The King's Speech - I don't get it... I am starting to think that I never agree with the Academy. It wasn't a terrible movie, but I found it boring at times and the cc stopped watching entirely. I actually wound up shutting it off about halfway through and then watching it by myself a few days later.

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 6

I missed last week, so now I am probably going to forget to talk about a few things... I should have written things down! Let's see how I make out...

Older Shows

NCIS - We watched maybe one or two episodes of NCIS, but then the other night when it was time to watch something I put a movie on. I just need a change. We will probably resume our re-watching in the New Year.

Bones - I have paused on watching this show. I have too many things that I want to do, so I will probably pick this back up in the New Year, too. I have been dropping many, many hints about getting the seasons of this show on DVD. I don't think they registered...

Big Love - I also paused on this show. I never even finished the first season... I got a bit distracted with other things, but I do at least want to see how it plays out. I will have to find a bit of time for it soon.

Sherlock Holmes - I am not sure where to put this, so I will stick it in here. I decided to finally watch the show that is done by the BBC. I mentioned that I was and now I am buddy watching it with Suey from It's All About Books. I watched the first episode a few nights ago and really enjoyed it. Suey has caught up with me so I should be watching episode 2 tonight or tomorrow.

New Fall Shows

Once Upon a Time - I continue to love this show! I am amazed that every Sunday I watch this show with the guy. This is a very unheard of thing. For one thing, I didn't expect him to even like the show. Then, there is the actual sitting down to watch a show when it is actually on. There is one Sunday a month where the guy is at work for it, but otherwise we are religious watchers.

Grimm - I think we are an episode behind in this show. Friday nights are just a bad night for planned television watching. We will have to catch-up sometime soon. I don't think we are going to be home for this weeks episode either.

Movies

This is where my memory will have to start working...

The Muppets - This is the new movie that is playing at theatres. We went to see it a couple weeks ago. I was very happy to get a chance to see it in theatres. I don't go to the theatres very often, so you know a movie is special when I make the effort (and pay the ridiculous price). It was fun to visit with old friends. It really is The Muppets for a new generation, though. The voices are different. I just can't imagine The Muppets without Frank Oz, for example, but the newer generation wouldn't really know any different. I think they should have made more of this franchise when they had the chance.

This was one of my favourite parts of the movie (this is changed a bit):

Muppet Family Christmas - You can actually watch the entire thing on YouTube. When they released it on DVD they didn't include some of the songs because they didn't want to pay the fees, but this is the original movie in its entirety. I was so excited! I'll probably watching it again with the guy because he was saying he hadn't seen that movie in ages. It was just a nice trip down Memory Lane.

The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson - Jim Henson makes a cameo at the end of the movie above, so it got me thinking about him. I found out that this was made. I probably have seen it before, but it was so long ago I only have vague memories. I think he would have really enjoyed his tribute. It also lead me to finding this video, which everyone should watch:

The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years - It is hard to believe that The Muppets are now 50 years old. I think it was a bit disappointing that more of a big deal wasn't made about it. It really was just a money-making period by releasing the older movies on DVD. I appreciate that, but I still think they should have had some fun with it. I really wish Jim Henson had lived longer. As you can tell the new movie put me in a Muppet mood. I still have to watch Muppet Christmas Carol and I am getting Muppet Treasure Island for Christmas. I just love Jim Henson. I have his other movies, too. I collect them every time they are released on DVD.

Moving on...

A Single Man - I am a bit of a thief, but I am attempting to broaden my music and movie horizons. On Wednesday's I have been posting about music that Ana recommended for Debi. And, well, I have also been browsing the movie selections. I really hope Debi doesn't mind! Anyway, Chris recommended this movie for her and I really like Colin Firth. Apparently this movie had some award buzz. Did I mention I live under a rock? I probably did hear about it, but I didn't pay attention. I really liked this movie, though. It was a very different movie for Colin Firth, but he acted in it very well and the movie itself was overall done well. (And, wow, what a contrast from The Muppets!)

I know there were probably more, but I can't remember.

And, you know what? I can tell you easily where my love of science-fiction came from: Star Trek. I have always struggled with an answer for the fantasy question, but it is so apparent now... Jim Henson. Have you ever seen the greats like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth? (Also, watching the Jim Henson Tribute reminded me that I have misplaced my DVD of The Storyteller. That is sad...) Anyway, he was my earliest influence, so it is easy to trace him from those movies to my fantasy reading. I bet you needed to know that desperately, right? And, yes, I am bit of a nerd. Puppets are cool, though!

Moving back on the correct subject, I came across a challenge tonight that fits with my current goal of attempting to broaden my movie horizons. It is called The 2012 Movie Madness Challenge.

Guidelines:

· Record each movie you watch. You don’t have to review any or all of them but at the end of each month make a post with the list of movies you have seen that month and a final tally of 2012 to help keep track of it all.

· There are four levels in which you can attempt to achieve:
25 Movies: Movie Newbie
50 Movies: Movie Fanatic
75 Movies: Movie Critic
100+ Movies: Movie Master

· Mini Series count but only as ONE movie, as do Television Series (the entire series and not just single episodes)

· The movies don’t need to be new, old favorites also count.

· We will post a monthly update at both The Talking Teacup and A Girl, Books & Other Things where you can also share your progress in the comments if you are not a blogger, and we will show last months leaders and what not.

· Have fun with this guys!

My List:
1. 16 Blocks (Watched January 6, 2011) (review)
2. The Invasion (Watched January 6, 2012) (review)
3. 28 Days (Watched January 7, 2012) (review)
4. Mercury Rising (Watched January 8, 2012) (review)
5. Gothika (Watched January 9, 2012) (review)
6. Horrible Bosses (Watched January 14, 2012)
7. Valkyrie (Watched January 15, 2012)

I still haven't made up my mind about book challenges for 2012, but I am going to join this one for sure. I think I will sign-up for Movie Newbie, watch 25 movies, and then take it from there.

If you are interested in joining yourself the information is all found over here.

I will probably keep these posts up in 2012... If anyone is bored I wouldn't mind a button for it...

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 5

Older Shows

NCIS - We are just about at the end of season 5. Finally! It is not that I don't like the show, but there is lots of other things that I would like to get to one of these days. I am starting to think we were not planning well when we decided to re-watch all the seasons. It is a huge commitment that has lead a few times to having to watch episodes again because someone fell asleep during them. We stopped watching the other night because I was getting cranky and in need of something else.

Bones - I finished the 3rd season. It was actually pretty short, so didn't take very long. I am really enjoying this show! I don't have my own copies, though, so I have been holding the seasons up at the store and saying *hint hint*. I have seen them for relatively cheap lately. I will resume watching soon, but with the whole getting tired of NCIS I decided to take a break for a bit with this show.

Big Love - As I mentioned in my post on Love Times Three, I was curious about this show and decided to give it a watch. I only sort of heard of it before because we don't have the channel it aired on. I am about halfway through the first season and it isn't terrible, but it isn't the best thing I have ever watched before either. I probably will watch the entire show one day, but in the meantime I am thinking there is some other stuff I would like to watch more.

New Fall Shows

Once Upon a Time - The guy was at work when this episode aired, so I waited for him. We finally watched it last night and I continue to love the show! It is fun that the show continues to explore favourite characters from my childhood and there are still many more characters to be introduced. I look forward to next weeks episode!

Grimm - After watching Once Upon a Time, we decided to catch-up with this show, too. I have seen the third episode 3 times now. The guy fell asleep twice and I don't think he was home one of the times. I told him last night that I refuse to watch it again, so we were moving on. I enjoyed this episode much more than the previous one. I am just not a big fan of bees... I was particularly interested in this episode because it centred around 'Bluebeard'. The show continues to have a couple problems for me, mainly the lack of female characters in roles other than the victim, but otherwise it is interesting. For those that are interested I was just recently introduced to the Grimm Guide. This is very useful because I was baffled after watching the third episode what tale it was based on. This site answers those questions for you!

Movies

Murder by Death - I never know what to watch when it comes to movies, so just like with music I have been borrowing ideas from the lists provided to Debi for her Happiness Project. In this case it is a movie recommended by Pat (deslily). When I saw it had Peter Falk and Alec Guinness in it I knew I had to give it a watch. It was a lot of fun! I am very glad I was able to track down a copy. I am sure we will watch other movies off the list if we can track down copies.

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 4

Older Shows

NCIS - We finally have returned to our re-watch of this show. At the rate we are going we may get to season 8 in this century. There is just always too much else going on, so we are slow. We should have watched the 8th season and then gone back and re-watched everything that came before it. Something along those lines! We continue to enjoy the show, but I want to see something new...

Bones - I have been watching the 3rd season of this show recently. It was a short season, so must have been the year of the writer strike. It continues to be good so far and I am looking forward to seeing what else plays out in this season.

Community - We watched the first season of this show on NetFlix, but they didn't have the second season on there. Now that we have it, we have been watching an episode here and there. The episodes are also shorter, so they fit in when we don't have a lot of time for longer watching.

House - I actually watched the new episode of House last night just to get a feel for what is happening in the show. It's interesting, to say the least. I haven't been watching because I haven't entirely watched the season before it. I should have by now, but I have been busy with Bones and NCIS. If I have it on, the cc will watch House, but he is not a big fan.

New Fall Shows

Once Upon a Time - This show was sadly not on this week. I am looking forward to the next episode!

Grimm - I haven't had a chance to watch the new episode yet. I have plenty of time to catch-up because I think this show is on a bit of a hiatus for the next little while.

I continue to be behind in shows like New Girl, The Secret Circle, and A Gifted Man. I really must stop watching Bones long enough to catch-up!

Movies

We were going to watch a movie the other night, but I couldn't make up my mind what to watch. Any suggestions?

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 3

Older Shows

Bones - I finished the second season of the show. I think I am going to take a break, though. This is the fastest I have watched a show pretty much ever and there are other things needing my attention. I really enjoy the show so far, though, and have even started the first book by Kathy Reichs. It is very different so far! I am not sure I would have read it otherwise, but someone I know has the whole set and I figured I would see what I thought.

NCIS - We are still on the same season of this show we have been on for a while. At this rate I should have asked for something else for my birthday and saved NCIS for Christmas. It will be after the holidays before we watch it, anyway. We tried to watch it over the weekend, but just when we would get around to it the cc would have fallen asleep.

New Fall Shows

Once Upon a Time - We continue to both love this show. It is so much fun! I love fairy tales, so it just stands to reason that this would be the show for me. I am still surprised that the cc enjoys it, too. We are looking forward to episode 4 on Sunday.

Grimm - I am all caught up in this show again. I really enjoyed the 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' story-lines for the first two episodes, but then I was a little confused with the third episode. I had never read a Grimm story with bees before. I guess it does exist, but I hate bees. It was not my favourite episode of television ever. I hope they get back to more recognizable tales next week. I still don't love this show, but it is enjoyable enough.

Movies

No movies again this week. We have been too busy to watch much of anything together. This weekend is going to be hectic again because I am FINALLY getting a new kitchen floor. I imagine there will be pictures because I am very very excited. I absolutely despise the current floor. It is likely 15 or 20 years old. We had flooring picked out, but it meant either a new fridge or renovating the cupboards. The guy would like to avoid renovating the cupboards. I hated the new fridge option. So, we just got entirely different flooring...

Tuning in on Thursday - Week 2

Older Shows

Bones - I am going back and watching the first season of this show at the moment. I am really enjoying it! I have watched this show over the years, but not religiously. I know the basic storyline, but it is nice to go back and watch it from the beginning. This is what I have been doing instead of reading. Although, I am actually reading tonight. I just paused to write this post. Anyway, good show! I have access to the whole show, so I am looking forward to it!

NCIS - The guy and I continue our rewatch of this show. I actually cannot remember if we have watched anything since last Thursday. We were busy on the weekend and then the guy worked backshifts, so I don't think there was much time for it. Regardless, we are still on season 4.

Does anyone still watch Glee? I really liked the first season because I enjoyed the music aspect, but the teenage angst was getting to me. Is it worth checking out what I missed of the second season and starting in on the third?

New Fall Shows

Once Upon a Time - It is official. I love this show! We went away on Sunday to stay overnight in a hotel and I made us return to said hotel just so we could watch the new episode. I am terrible at keeping up with shows, so this was very impressive! The guy likes it, too, which is surprising. I tell him all the time if he actually read he would read the same sort of stuff as me. He doesn't believe me, but I am right! (Well, with a few exceptions... I highly doubt he would read young adult no matter how appealing it might seem. That being said, if he didn't know it was young adult he would probably pick it up...) Anyway, this show has huge potential. It is fitting that one of the stars left another one of my favourite shows, House, and found her way to this one.

I still have not caught up in Grimm, The Secret Circle, or A Gifted Man. This can easily be blamed on my recent obsession with the first season of Bones. On another note, the book I am reading tonight is the first book in L.J. Smith's series that The Secret Circle is based on. I am not very far in, but I might as well be reading something entirely different. The show is hugely different than the books... I still do want to get back to the show and the other shows I supposedly watch!

Movies

No movies this week. If I hadn't had a bit of a Bones evening while the guy was working back shift, I don't think we would really have watched anything this week...

What did you watch? Anything of note?

Tuning in on Thursday

We tend to tune in for movies and television on a mostly regular basis. I posted a general look at what I have been watching a couple weeks ago, but I thought I would talk a bit about what I have seen since.

Older Shows

NCIS - We are up to the fourth season on our rewatch. One of these days we will make it to the newest season that I received for my birthday. We didn't watch it on television religiously, so I am rather curious what happened! We can only watch so fast, though, and other things have been vying for attention.

House - I received the newest season on DVD for my birthday. I still haven't sat down and started watching it. I have had other things going on. The guy will watch it, but it is more my show than his. He isn't big on needles. My thing is anything to do with eyes... This also means I haven't watched any of the season airing on television. I have been hearing it is gone in a strange direction, though.

Bones - I decided to go back to the beginning and watch all the episodes of this show. I have made it through one. Very sad! I really like this show, but I just never remember to watch it unless I happen to catch it on television...

New Fall Shows

New Girl - I haven't watched this show since episode 3... I have episode 4 to watch, so maybe tonight we will at least watch that one. I am not even sure how far behind that makes us. I have to admit I REALLY liked the first episode, but then there was a cast change and I was a bit disappointed...

The Secret Circle - I have also fallen behind with this show. Did I mention I am really bad at keeping up with things? I have all of them to watch, but I just haven't got around to it. We might have to pause on NCIS and catch-up on a few things!

I have also fallen behind on Pan-Am and A Gifted Man. I really suck at keeping up with things!

Once Upon a Time - I LOVED this show. The first two episodes were awesome! I love fairy tale retellings and this has been a lot of fun so far. I think the guy even likes it. He doesn't really say because he is basically forced to watch it! I cannot wait for more!

Grimm - There has only been one episode of this so far. It is another fairy tale-type show. I am intrigued, but I can't say I loved the first episode. I look forward to the next one to see what I think of it. I think I will keep watching no matter what.

Movies

The Three Lord of the Rings Movies - I watched these and then decided to join in for the read-along of The Fellowship of the Ring. I am thinking I will have to rewatch the movies after finishing Return of the King in November. This is only the second time I have seen the extended versions of the movies. I have to admit it had been so long since I had seen the older versions that I probably missed a lot of the changes. It was still great to watch them. It was the first time that the cc had seen the extended versions. It gives me a good basis to compare and contrast the books as I reread them.

Jane Eyre - I finally read this book, so it was perfect timing for seeing the new movie. It was actually pretty good. It wasn't amazing and probably not my favourite movie ever, but I thought it was true to the book enough to be worth a watch. There were a few scenes that were cut out I would have liked seeing, but nothing major. It was a perfect Gothic movie for this time of the year, actually. I am glad I finally read the book and watched the movie.

Rebecca - When I read this book last year I knew I was going to have to watch the movie. It is the Alfred Hitchcock version and you can actually watch the entire thing on YouTube. I was very happy to have the chance to watch this! It was really good, I must admit. I think it perfectly captured the atmosphere and the mood of the classic novel. I am going to see about tracking down a copy to own.

Seven Year Itch - The guy wanted to watch this movie because of the classic Marilyn Munroe scene where her dress flies up. Overall, nothing amazing, but not a terrible movie. It is about time I got back to watching classic movies after doing rather well with it earlier this year. I have many more that I want to watch!

Volcano - I had actually seen this before, but the guy was home sick from work and he was having a movie night. I didn't see everything he watched, but I did watch this one. It is pretty good Tommy Lee Jones movie. It was nice to see the little girl from Now & Then. I loved that movie!

Bad Teacher - We actually watched this last night. It had its good parts, but overall I think most of the good scenes were in the trailer. My favourite Cameron Diaz movie remains The Holiday. That was actually on television the other night and it was nice to get a chance to see parts of it again. I will have to get my own copy at some point.

In Which I Talk About Television...

I have to admit that I am not a big television watcher. I am terrible at watching on a schedule no matter how much a show appeals to me. The only reason I have watched as much as I have is because we watch things together. This fall I decided to give a few new shows a try because I feel like I stopped really watching television about 7 or 8 years ago. The only two shows I have kept up with in that time are House and NCIS. There were other shows, but they long ago went off the air and I never bothered to find anything to replace them. As it is, I buy the DVD sets of both those shows every fall. I have loved the shows for years, but I still forget to actually watch them regularly. Anyway, between avenues like the library and Netflix, we have been doing a bit better about watching shows. I thought I would talk about a few that come to mind for something 'different'.

Community: Season 1: My friend Court suggested that we give this show a watch. It was on Netflix and it looked funny. The guy and I both really enjoyed it! It was fun, refreshing, and entertaining enough to watch over a short period of time. We have the second season to watch very soon.

The Tudors: Season 1 and 2: We are a bit divided on this show. I really want to know what happens next, but the guy got bored. He figures that now that Anne is dead it is a bit anti-climatic from there. Plus, this is the sort of show you need to know what is going on to enjoy it, so he wants to go back and re-watch part of the second season before watching the third. At this point we will probably just wait until we have a bit less to watch.

NCIS: The reason we are not getting around to the further seasons in other shows is because we are currently re-watching this show before we watch the new season I just got for my birthday. We are currently on the second last disc of the second season. It is going to be a while! If we had to pick, I think both of us would say this is our favourite show.

Supernatural: Season 1 and 2: This is another show we both really enjoyed, but it has so many seasons now it sort of got pushed to the back burner. I think after we watch a couple other things I would like this to be our 'winter project'. Don't get me wrong, I love NCIS, but just like with my reading there is always many other things calling for my attention!

True Blood: Season 1: Another split vote. I actually plain do not like this show. I know it is very popular, but it just is not for me. The guy on the other hand really enjoyed this first season. I think it is mainly because I lack the interest that we haven't moved on to season 2. He would like to and we probably will at some point.

The Game of Thrones: This is my fault. We watched the first episode, both really enjoyed it, but then I wanted to read the book before finishing. I read the book, but we still haven't got back to the show. (I also still have never reviewed the book...) I would really like to see how this series plays out.

Downton Abbey: I don't know what is wrong with me, but this series keeps getting pushed to the back burner. I have been watching it by myself, but there just seems to be so much else going on that I haven't got through the whole thing yet. At this point I would have to go back and watch the whole thing over again in order to finish the last few episodes. I really need to get around to that!

The Muppet Show: Season 1: I tell you, I am having a wicked hard time with this show. I thought it would be a fun trip down Memory Lane, so I got the first season from the library. It skipped so bad it was terrible! Then, it screwed up entirely and we had a battle with the DVD player to get the disc back out. That DVD player wound up breaking, so I am not sure if it was the DVD or the player. The next time I attempted to watch it, I was doing so on my computer. Then, my computer broke and with all the excitement (ha) around that time, I still haven't managed to get back to it. It is a really fun show, though. The cc's little guy (who is really not so little any more) had never really seen The Muppets before, so this was educational to him.

American Dreams: Season 1: We rearranged things in the bedroom so we can watch movies in there now. The only thing is that normally I read, but I have been trying to at least watch this show occasionally. It is normally something I watch when the cc is working back shift. I am not sure what I think of it yet. On the one hand, I really like it, but on the other hand I am not sure I love it. We will see what happens.

Mad Men: Another show that I really love, but have managed to fall very far behind in. I think I have only seen the first season in its entirety. One of these days I will get back to it!

Rome: Season 1 and 2: This is the show the guy has been watching by himself. When we first started dating we used to catch an episode here and there on TV all the time, so the first gift I ever bought him was the first season. We watched both and it is a really well-done show. The cc decided to re-watch it recently. I have tuned in for an episode here and there, but generally I seem to be doing something else when he watches it.

House: I love this show. I seem to really like medical shows considering how much I used to love ER. After ER lost steam for me, I got into watching this show and I love it. I received the newest season for my birthday, so there will be a House marathon in my future. I actually wish I could have had it before the new season started because I am rather curious about the teasers I have been seeing, but that would be a huge undertaking for me!

Bones: This is a show that I will watch whenever I see it on television, but never religiously. I am determined to watch it from beginning to end, but I am really failing at this. When I first got the first season we watched the first episode. It has been months, so I thought maybe I should watch it myself. I have made it through the first episode... It is not that I don't like the show, but mainly that I have just been busy with other things. The thing that annoys me is that this show has all these seasons and I feel like the replay the same ones over and over again on television. I caught a random episode the other night and I had all ready seen it before.

I am sure there is more, but that is all I can think of at the moment. Another show I watch on television occasionally is The Mentalist. I have enjoyed what I have seen, but I have watched it very sporadically, so I am usually lost on the sub-text. I am hoping that one day I can go back to the beginning and see what I am missing.

New Fall Shows:

Before I end this, I thought I would talk about the few shows we have managed to watch so far this autumn.

New Girl: We forgot to watch the new episode last night, but the first two episodes were a lot of fun. So far this is a show that we can both agree on, but I was disappointed that they made a cast change. We are going to try and watch the third episode this evening, so I am looking forward to seeing how the show is progressing.

The Secret Circle: I still haven't found time to watch episode 3 and episode 4 airs tomorrow, but so far this show has potential. I really enjoy witches and I am not sick of them like I am some of the other paranormal fads. The guy can take it or leave it, but he does like it when I wait for him.

The Playboy Club: Yes, I actually have seen this show. We had the TV on the other night when the first episode aired and when the cc saw what it was, he decided that he was going to watch it. I was only sort of paying attention, but I have to admit I enjoy the music aspect of the show. I got really into it when a couple of those scenes aired. The first episode is all we have managed to watch, but we do have the 2nd and 3rd. I don't think this show is doing very well, is it?

Pan-Am: This show was being advertised here, there, and everywhere. I was actually rather looking forward to it because I enjoy shows that are period pieces. I have only managed to watch the first episode so far, but it was mostly enjoyable. I am not sure if I enjoyed it quite as much as I was hoping, though. I will have to see how the 2nd episode works out for me.

A Gifted Man: Okay, I never intended to watch this show, but my friend explained the first episode to me and it sounded rather interesting. I enjoy medical shows, this one centres around a surgeon, but it also incorporates a ghost element. The ghost element is the weird part, but so far I think this is my favourite new show of the season. I am not hearing a lot about it, though, and it has a bad time slot, so I am thinking it will be cancelled...

Up All Night: We tried this show, but the first episode didn't do a lot for us, so we will probably give the show a pass. I expected it to be a lot funnier than it was.

The truth of the matter is, when it comes to television I would rather read and the guy would rather watch random shows that he stumbles upon. If I watch TV randomly, I usually tune into either the History Channel or the Sci-fi Channel. He does about the same. What shows do you consider favourites? What shows have you been enjoying that are just starting out this fall? Later in October I am also curious about Once Upon a Time and Grimm.