On December 17, 1989, the face of television changed forever, as the first episode of The Simpsons aired. It was a half-hour episode featuring a crudely animated family struggling to make their Christmas memorable. Few people would have imagined then that in two decades time, the show would still be profitable.

I won’t pontificate on how The Simpsons have changed the TV landscape, as it’s all been said before; they gave new life to the fledgling Fox network, they pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in primetime (although what was controversial then is incredibly tame by today’s standards), they inspired numerous other animated shows targeted at older audiences, and of course they created a huge empire in their own right, full of world-famous characters and catch-phrases.

When I think of The Simpsons turning 20, I reflect on how big a role the show has played in my life. It’s easily my favorite TV show of all-time – there are a lot of other great shows that I love and obsess over, but nothing has been more consistent for me than The Simpsons. I’ve been watching the show religiously since I was 10. Since I was 10! That’s quite a streak. Other than playing video games, I can’t think of anything else that has been such a regular part of my life for so long. Hell, I met all of my childhood friends that I’m still in touch with after I met The Simpsons.

I’m fairly obsessive in my fandom, although of course there are far more uber-nerds out there. I’ve seen all 449 episodes of the show, from the very best (Cape Feare, Itchy and Scratchy Land) to the worst episode ever (The Computer Wore Menace Shoes), and I have always made it a point not to miss the latest show. In college, I would get to the TV lounge early on Sunday nights to make sure no one else would even attempt to put on another channel. And my parents who liked to call on Sunday nights were forbidden from checking in when The Simpsons were on. I even was known to watch four episodes of repeat episodes in a row; Ithaca picked up both the Fox Binghamton and Fox Syracuse stations, and one would air 2 shows form 6-7pm, and the other from 7-8pm. (Of course, that was only on special occasions, and this fact in no way negatively influenced my grades.”) Clint and I had a whole Sunday night ritual before settling in for Futurama, Simpsons, and The X-Files. When I would visit Courtney on weekends at Cornell, I would stay late on Sundays to watch the show with her and Mehler and Deej, even though it meant me getting back home at some unholy hour, while everyone else was still asleep in their comfy, comfy beds. When I was a Page at Saturday Night Live and I would get home at 11am on Sundays after being awake for over 24 hours, I’d sleep straight through until Monday morning – except to get up and watch The Simpsons.

But it’s not just the way I’d schedule my life. The Simpsons also has affected the way I speak. I remember once a friend at work commented that she and her friends once spoke in nothing but Simpsons quotes for an entire meal. I responded that my friends and I did the same thing, only for all four years of college. Honestly, how often did we say things like “I’m gonna allow this,” and “They have the internet on computers now” and even “Eeont?” For the non-members of D.U.M.B., “eeont” was the sound of the football hitting Hans Moleman in the groin in the Springfield Film Festival. We weren’t even quoting a LINE from the show, but a freaking sound effect! (For anyone wondering, yes, we did drive away the ladies en masse with our Simpsons speak.)

And my obsession with the show wasn’t merely a teen/college phase. It’s easier now with DVR and my Archos, but I still never miss a new episode. I still get all of the DVD’s and listen to all of the commentaries and watch every single piece of bonus footage. Nick and I went to see a midnight showing of The Simpsons Movie when it first came out, and I then saw it again that night with D.U.M.B. I still name all of my video-game characters Thrillho. I still quote random Simpsons moments to people who have no idea what the hell I’m talking about, as I tell them that something is a perfectly cromulent word, I complain about paying the Homer tax, and I ask where I can get some of these placebos. (Did you catch the few quotes/paraphrased quotes I threw into this post?)

Fox is airing a big 20th anniversary special next year, and they are releasing Season 20 on DVD even though they haven’t yet released Seasons 13-19. (Check out this new and updated poster jam-packed with characters that will accompany the Season 20 DVD.) The show has been renewed to go through a 22nd season, but it’s hard to imagine the show ever going after the air. I know that will be a sad day, not just for Comic Book Guy nerds, but for television fans everywhere.

So Happy Birthday, Simpsons! What are some of your favorite memories/episodes/quotes from the show?

Nope, that’s not a photoshopped picture. It is the real cover of the November 2009 Playboy. And Marge isn’t just on the cover – she’ll also be featured in a pictorial in the magazine as well. It’ll be on newsstands and in the hands of subscribers very soon.

I’m not totally sure how I feel about this. I mean, I love Marge, and she’s certainly a beautiful woman. But I don’t know that I really need to see her naked. I mean, she’s just not your average hot celebrity; she’s a woman I’ve been watching on TV for the past two decades. After seeing her nude, will I ever be able to look at her clothed in the same way again?

In the end, I know I’m going to look at the pictures – how will I be able to resist? I just hope that the photos are tasteful, and that Marge did the shoot for the right reasons. (Celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary is the reason she’s giving to the press, but my guess is there’s more to the story. Most likely Homer got involved in some wacky shenanigans that, after a bizarre series of events, resulted in Marge being in Playboy.)

Eh, I don’t know what I’m so worried about. Olivia Munn and Heidi Montag were featured on recent covers, and their “pictorials” ended up being total letdowns. In other words, its a safe bet that any questions regarding her blue hair will not be answered by these photos. (Besides, doesn’t everybody know that, as revealed in episode 1F20 “Secrets of a Successful Marriage,” Marge uses Blue Dye #56, having gone gray at the age of 17??)

The Simpsons are coming to a post office near you!

OK, I’m not really a stamp guy, but as a Simpsons fan, this is pretty cool.  TV shows have been made into stamps before, but never while the show was still running in primetime.  Long live the Simpsons!

The Homer one is great, although I’m not sure why they made Maggie look so pissed off – she’s generally a pretty happy baby.  (When she’s not packing heat, of course.)

I also love the quotes from the guys on the show quoted at cnn.com:

Matt Groening: “This is the biggest and most adhesive honor ‘The Simpsons’ has ever received.”

James L. Brooks: “We are emotionally moved by the Postal Service selecting us rather than making the lazy choice of someone who has benefited society.”

Deej, you should totally get these for your wedding invitations, and see what kind of reaction you get! We used the Star Wars stamps for ours, and we got… no reaction whatsoever.

Why didn’t they check with me first?

If they had, I would have politely told them that when someone tells you a final price, it should be a FINAL price, and that the word “final” is pretty specifically defined, and is not really open for much interpretation.

Then, this Sunday night I come home to find that instead of airing The Simpsons at 8pm like they always do, Fox decided to pre-empt the show with NASCAR. That’s right, NASCAR.

Why didn’t they check with me first?

If they had, I would have politely told them that no one cares about NASCAR, and watching a bunch of rednecks turn left for six and a half hours is just not entertainment. Now a show about a cartoon family that has been on the air for TWENTY FRIGGING YEARS is, in fact, quite entertaining, and that should therefore take precedence. Also, us non-rednecks have DVR’s that record our shows for us, and when things like this happen, we just get screwed over. The hillbillys who like their racing could very easily change the channel on their TVs to FX or some other channel, which wouldn’t interfere with their VCR recordings of their favorite “sport.” Now, I have to find 22 minutes to watch the show on Hulu, which is just inconvenient enough for me to whine about on my blog.

Then, I come to find that not only did I not win the raffle to buy Mets Opening Day tickets, but single-game season tickets will go on sale on March 15th, when Wifey and I will be on vacation.

Why didn’t they check with me first?

If they had, I would have politely told them that I am plenty displeased with how they are handling their ticket buying process. The fact that tickets are going on sale so late, the fact that the promotion schedule has still yet to be released, and the fact that their color-coded stadium pricing chart contains 42 shades of fuchsia all make for a rather annoying process.

So, in the future, if everyone could check with me before anything happens, it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

SPOILER ALERT!

I’ve been loving Lost this season, but I think last night’s episode may be my favorite so far. Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, and Faraday were given the night off, and we got a whole mess of how the Oceanic 6 – Jack in particular – made their way back to the Island. I didn’t care for the way the show started – with a short scene and then the “46 Hours Earlier” bit – it just wasn’t necessary. But overall the episode was amazing, answering a few questions while asking a ton more. I can’t wait to find out how Hurley got Charlie’s guitar, or how Sayid worked himself into custody on that flight, and who said what to Kate to get her to not only go back to the Island, but do so without Aaron. Dream-Claire did warn her to not bring him back, so maybe she was heeding that warning. I’ve been predicting for a while that Ben was going to kill Penny while Des had her in LA, and it looks like there was one hell of a bloody struggle there, although we’ll have to wait to see what exactly went down.

But the way the show worked in elements of fate and destiny, logic and belief – all for the umpteenth time, still felt fresh and relevant. We’re used to all kinds of coincidences occurring with these characters, and things happening because they “have to,” but Jack is still struggling with these concepts, even as he begins to slowly accept them. Lost has had me hooked for a while, but I sort of fell hooked anew after last night’s show.

OK, I’ll stop gushing. Some questions: Why didn’t the O6 have to bring Walt back to the Island – is it because he was “allowed” to leave? Did Flight 316 crash? Won’t people notice that the famous Oceanic Six disappeared form a second flight? How did the Ajira Air water bottles get onto the beach? When are Jack and company? It would appear the 70’s, based on the Dharma van. Have Jin and Farady and the rest of the group “joined” the Dharma group? They probably have it better than the Hostiles. That would explain how Farday was on the Island in the past. This question came from my buddy Mark, and I think it’s a great one – Did Christian die to bring the 815′er so the Island in the same way that Locke had to die to bring the O6 back? How old is Jack’s grandfather? Did he father Christian when he was 11?

But the biggest question of all – Why didn’t Jack or Kate pack some extra goodies with them? Like, you know that game where you say if you were going to be stranded on a deserted Island, you’d bring such-and-such? Why didn’t they bring some supplies along? Comfortable shoes, sunscreen, a couple of good books, maybe an iPod and one of those hand-cranked battery chargers? Some M&M’s, Peeps, I don’t know – something.

Also in pretty huge TV news is the fact that The Simpsons has gone hi-def and widescreen! (James wouldn’t understand.) I thought I’d hate having a new opening credit sequence, but it was really well-done, it kept the same spirit of the original, while taking out dated references (Bart skateboarding by Jacques and Bleeding Gums Murphy) and adding a ton of freeze-frame references put in for the die-hard nerds. Like me! For example, Maggie now is on the shopping belt with Krusty-O’s, Mr. Sparkle, and a bottle of Tomacco juice. The town motto on the Jebediah Springfield statue was a nice touch. And if you pause on the quick-pan across the townspeople, you’ll see Kodos and Kang and even Spiderpig! Little things like that make me happy.

In other news, Heores is totally boring now, and Wifey has officially given up on it. I may soon follow. Dollhouse was a bit disappointing, and though I like it when Fringe does the super-short commercial breaks – “Fringe will return in 4 seconds,” Dollhouse felt like it was just kind of dragging. But it was only the pilot, hopefully it will improve as it finds its footing. Flight of the Conchords reached a new high with “Too Many D*icks on the Dance Floor.” And Eastbound & Down made me laugh at a lot of inappropriate jokes, and I can appreciate that.

On to my other shows:

I know it has become rather vogue to rag on Heroes, but I have to jump on this fanboy bandwagon here. Seriously, what is up with this show lately? In Season One, the revelation that Claire was a Petrelli was shocking. Now Sylar is a Petrelli, too? Come on. And then there are more sisters that look just like Niki Sanders? Ugh. Niki was a terrible character in the first two seasons, and though they made a wise move in killing her off, the show runners should have let the actress go altogether. No offense to Ali Larter, but none of these sisters have added anything worthwhile to the plots, and Claire is better eye-candy anyway. And the whole time-traveling plot device has become moronic – Hiro sees a bad future, and doesn’t understand what’s happening, why doesn’t he go to a few days before the world ends and do some digging? Future Peter decides that Nathan’s revealing the Heroes is a bad move so he goes back in time to shoot him. Why not go back an hour before that and talk to his brother? And after F.P. figures out that shooting Nathan was a bad idea, why not go back again and stop himself? In The Eclipse Part 1, Noah rushes a lightly injured Claire out of the house, but doesn’t finish off Sylar and Elle. Why not? Sure he’s worried about his daughter, but how long does it take to shoot some suddenly powerless villains? There are way too many plot holes like these, and it’s just getting infuriating. I appreciate that the plots are moving faster, but sometimes it feels like they are moving too damn fast, and the stories aren’t given a moment to breathe. The flashback episode, like the season’s theme of finding a hero in every villain and a villain in every hero, is so full of potential, but the show has completely squandered every chance for greatness.

Now, on to my love-hate relationship with Smallville. Despite the incredibly noticeable absence of Lex, the show has been doing all right this year, looking like they are finally ready to have Clark accept and embrace his destiny as Superman. But then I have to go and read that the CW is looking to keep the show around for yet another season. Oh dear Lord, why? Well, the reason why is that Smallville’s numbers are still respectable, so they might as well keep trying to get blood from the stone. The problem with the show going on forever is that the very concept of the show was set up to establish Clark’s journey from a boy with superpowers to a man who is to be the world’s greatest superhero. And it’s a great concept for a show, but it needs to have a set end. By allowing the show to drag on for year after year, the series is basically making the character of Clark Kent less and less likeable because he just keeps putting off the inevitable. The show worked very well in the high school years, and even into Season Five, but after that point, Clark has been dragging his feet, and it hurts the overall tone of the show. This season, the Lois and Clark romance feels incredibly rushed to me, and there are so many nitpicky things that drive me crazy week after week. Like, for example, the fact that Chloe was given away at her wedding by Clark and not her father. Where the hell was he? And Martha couldn’t have taken a moment out of her schedule to attend the wedding at her family farm? What? All that said, I was glad they (finally) tied up the Kara storyline, and I have enjoyed the way the show has introduced Doomsday as a real badass with some frightening Kryptonian heritage.

Eli Stone has been great so far this year, and I am terribly bummed that the show will likely not live past halfway through this season. This is a really entertaining show that enough people just haven’t caught on to yet, which is a real shame. The musical numbers are fun, the characters are well-written, and the hot chick from Species is in the show. Why wouldn’t you watch it? With it’s themes of a higher-power making a guy set things right, the show has a very Quantum Leap feel, which is probably one of the reasons I like it. Hopefully ABC will give the show another chance.

The Office is back with a vengeance, which isn’t particularly surprising, but they continue to set the bar very high for themselves. Of course I loved the episode where Dwight mocked Andy by applying to Cornell, since it was chock full of references to my beloved alma mater, and the show has continued to handle the Jim and Pam storyline masterfully, and they remain one of the best couples to watch on TV. The Andy and Angela arc is still great, and the moment when Andy drunk dials his fiancée while Oscar watches was fantastic. Repairing Ryan and Kelly has reminded me how much I had watching them together, and I am convinced that for the series finale, whenever that may be, Michael and Holly will be reunited.

30 Rock has also been on a roll this season. I will admit to being one of the nerds who grumbled about all of the big name guest stars the show was bringing in, as it seemed like a ratings ploy. But the writing is so good, it doesn’t matter what star is playing the zany characters the show brings in, because it always works. And hell, I hope they do get more viewers with their special celebrity appearances, although Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin impression likely had much more to do with the ratings spike than an appearance by Megan Mullalley. My only complaint with the show was the way they abandoned the cliffhangers from last season’s finale. I know the Kenneth in China thing was a joke, but Jack being stuck in D.C. got a mention of how he was able to get out, and I would have liked a similar nod to the Page. But it’s a small quibble for a great show.

On the animated front, I am greatly enjoying The Simpsons and American Dad this year, while Family Guy just feels stale. The Clone Wars is great, even though the Jar Jar episode was, well, a Jar Jar episode. Robot Chicken’s second Star Wars parody was, like the first one, spot on with it’s great reimaginings, and I love the ultra-fast jokes for the super obsessed, like Lando commenting that he loves Boba Fett’s ship, but that he isn’t so crazy about the name. Brilliant. South Park had an amazing second half, and even though I thought the High School Musical and vampire kids episodes weren’t hysterical, they still had enough funny moments to make me happy. And the guinea pigs in their little outfits were simultaneously brilliant and adorable.

And a few other thoughts/news items:

The Girls Next Door remains a guilty pleasure, but the show has lost a little bit of its believability now that Hef has shed two-thirds of his girlfriend group. Eh, I always liked Bridget the best anyway, and I’m curious to meet these new twins.

And yay, Scrubs comes back on the air on January 6!

And could it really be that an Arrested Development movie is actually going to happen?

It’s the all-animation edition!

The Simpsons concept of Bart getting a cell phone didn’t sound very funny in principle, but the execution of the show was very well done, I thought.   Until of course things sort of unraveled in the third act with the family going to Machu Picchu.  But even then I was still laughing, and even though it’s only two episodes in, I’m enjoying the season so far.  And there’s been some good early buzz about the Halloween episode.

Family Guy has had its moments this year, but overall I’ve been sort of bored.  There have been too many jokes that they just don’t let go of that don’t work that well, and the real laugh out loud moments the show used to be so good at.  And while it was funny seeing Peter befriend Jesus, it felt very similar to the time he befriended Bill Clinton, and the time he befriended James Woods, etc.  Also, watching a very heavy Cleavland episode made me wonder how that character will survive on his own.

I dig the new American Dad opening credits, but the first two episodes were also underwhelming.  Roger is a fun character, but they really used him too much in the episode with his alter-ego.  Sure, the nod to Little Shop of Horrors was nice, but both episodes were a little light on the satire.

Clearly the highlight of recent television was last week’s South Park.  I know I had criticized the spring half of this season, but the fall season got off to a hell of a start.  Our DVR missed the opening credits, and when the show began, I at first thought I had missed something important; what the hell were Stan and Kyle talking about that they watched their friend got raped?  But when I saw they were talking about Indy IV, I had to pause the show I was laughing so hard.  Absolutely brilliant.  I can’t wait to see tonight’s episode.

(I still haven’t gotten to The Clone Wars episodes, but I’ll try to get to them soon…)

Even the mini-reviews are getting to be too much (hey, I watch a lot of shows here), so I think I’m just going to stick to general impressions/thoughts on recent shows, skipping here and there as I go.  Hope you enjoy.

The Simpsons’ twentieth (!) season kicked off with a bang, and I found myself laughing a lot. Despite South Park dedicating an entire episode to “Simspons Did It!”, The Simpsons seems to be a bit behind in parodying things that South Park has already done: First 24 and now Dog the Bounty Hunter, but both times the different shows went in such totally different directions it didn’t matter. And both episodes have been good, and that’s what really matters. The erotic bakery storyline wasn’t hysterical, but it served its purpose in delivering some random laughs.

True Blood is finally starting to pick up, probably because they no longer have to worry about annoying things like set-up and establishing characters, but they seem to have gotten the knack of who these people are, what’s going on in their world, and the stories have started to pick up some traction.

Little Britain USA didn’t win me over immediately, but I loved the dog “suggesting” its owner strip and stand in garbage was great, and the show proved its worth with the line, “In America there are more fat people than there are people.”

Heroes still feels like they’re recycling plot points; now there’s another guy who paints his visions?  Can’t they come up with any new powers for people to have?  And next week we’ll see evil Claire and good Sylar?  I don’t know, I just want more from this show.

Fringe is getting better and better, and I like the fact that they try to pack in one “eww” moment per episode, like a guy getting holes drilled in his head or someone being tortured with electric shocks through their nostrils.  I’m not quite sure how the show is going to turn out less complicated than Lost with so many unexplained tidbits happening in each episode, but whatever, I’ll keep watching.

Smallville’s season is young, but I already really miss Lex. He really was one of the best parts of the show, and Tess Mercer just isn’t working for me as a replacement. The introduction of Davis was also incredibly yawn-worthy. This is the guy who will eventually kill Superman? Really? And how the hell did Clark get hired at the Daily Planet – he’s a college dropout that wrote a couple of articles in his high school paper, yet he was given a reporter job at one of the biggest newspapers in the country? And how has there been no mention of Kara still being trapped in the Phantom Zone? I get that she’s no longer a cast member, but shouldn’t Clark care that his cousin is trapped in a floating prison in space? And what’s with Lois suddenly being smitten with Clark? She never noticed him before, and even though this show has already taken many great liberties with Superman continuity, isn’t she supposed to continue to be apathetic towards him only to then fall for his alter-ego? Having Lois be interested in Clark kind of hurts that eventual love triangle. But to the show’’s credit, I am intrigued by the possibility that Tess is creating an army of super-villains, perhaps a Legion of Doom in training?

Summertime has come and (almost) gone, and now that we’ve all gotten that pesky fresh air and outdoor goodness out of the way, it’s time we can focus on the things that REALLY matter, namely TV. There are only a handful (thankfully) of new shows coming this season that I’m looking forward to checking out, and there are plenty more of my favorites coming back for another go-round. So here, for your reading pleasure, is my complete list of Must-See-TV this fall, in chronological order by season premieres.

First up is the (already behind us) premiere of Robot Chicken, which happened this past Sunday night. If you have a DVR/Tivo, you have no excuse to miss this show. It’s about 12 minutes long and consistently funny in it’s satirizing of random pop culture nuggets. Think of the throw-away gags in a Family Guy episode, but without any attempt at a coherent plot.

I’m also passed the premiere date of Z Rock, which airs on IFC.  It’s a sort of Spinal Tap meets The Office meets Entourage sort of show, about three hard rockers who play kid parties during the day.  It’s raunchy and simple fun, or at least the first episode was.

True Blood premieres on HBO this Sunday, September 7. The buzz has been mixed, but having recently gotten into TV shows about vampires, I figure this one is worth a look. Besides, I’ll already be on my couch watching HBO on Sunday for…

Entourage, which returns this Sunday right after True Blood. Entourage started to feel a little stale last season, and it didn’t help that it was paired up with the hysterical Flight of the Conchords. But it’s still good old fashioned mindless entertainment.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles gets to pick up from where it was so rudely interrupted in it’s first season run when it comes back on Monday, September 8th. Like I’ve said before, I was totally over the Terminator franchise, but this show has restored my faith.

The next day, Fringe makes it’s debut. J.J. Abrams, the dude behind Lost, is co-creator and executive producer, which is kind of all I need to tune in to see what it’s all about. Add in that it’s inspired in part by The X-Files, and I’m more than signed up. According to an interview with Abrams in the NY Times, viewers can drop in and drop out without missing a beat, which isn’t really an issue for me, because if I’m going to watch the show, I’m going to watch them all.  And while I’m a little afraid that giving a show with an overall arc the Law & Order treatment might dumb it down, I’m still curious to see. (IGN also has an interesting article on Fringe here.)

Smallville returns for Season Eight on September 18th. I’ve already said all I can on this. I’m worried, but I’ll watch anyway; with my expectations so low, I can only be pleasantly surprised. Or be disappointed even further, I guess.

Heroes’ third season picks up on September 22nd, and I am definitely jazzed. Some fans were really bitter with the way Season Two went down, and while I agree that it wasn’t amazing, I didn’t think it was that bad, and I’m totally confident that the show can really make this whole “Villains” story work. Besides, Kirsten Bell?  Check. Hayden Panettiere?  Check.  A funny and lovable Asian time-traveler? Check!  What more do you need?

Also that night is the return of Two and a Half Men.  The wife got me into this show, and I have to admit that it always makes me laugh.  It’s light-hearted and surprisingly dirty, but it works.  I also had hoped to watch the previous seasons of How I Met Your Mother this summer in time for that show’s premiere (same night), but that didn’t work out.  Though it’s never too late, I suppose.

The Dunder-Mifflin crew returns with new episodes of The Office on September 25th, and after last year’s amazing post-strike run, the show has set the bar incredibly high for itself. But I’m not worried; these guys have proven time and time again how amazing their writing can be.

Sunday, September 28th sees the return of Fox’s Animation Domination, with new episodes of The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad. The sheer fact that a show I started watching and loving when I was 10 is now entering it’s 20th season is something I never would have imagined.  In the past 19 years I’ve never missed an episode, and I don’t intend to start now. Family Guy has definitely lost some of its magic lately (especially after the “Cartoon Wars” episodes of South Park), but it still does have great moments here and there. And despite initially being written off by a lot of people as a Family Guy clone, American Dad has completely come into its own, and often times is even funnier than the show that inspired it.

On October 3rd, The Clone Wars makes it’s television debut, and after enjoying the movie, I am definitely stoked for the small screen version. Sure, I’m a geek for anything Star Wars, but this show is dripping with potential, so count me in.

October 8th will bring another animated show, and that’s the return of South Park. The first half of this season definitely had some pretty big misfires, but I can’t help getting excited for new episodes. Matt and Trey can redeem the season with a strong second half, and I fully expect at least one episode with a biting election/political slant.

Eli Stone gets it’s first full season to start on October 14th, and the show’s run earlier in the year was a lot more fun than I expected. It was initially given the time-slot after Lost, and it will remain to be seen if the show can pull in good numbers without it’s big lead in. The concept is definitely a little out-there, but the wife and I came to really enjoy the show’s great characters.

30 Rock returns at the end of the month, on October 30th, and though it will be tough to wait so long for new episodes, it’s a safe bet that it will be well worth it. The writing on 30 Rock is definitely top-notch, the jokes come fast and furious, and the long arcs fit seamlessly into each episode. It really is, quite simply, a brilliant show.

Finally, deep into fall on November 23rd, we have 24: Exile, the two hour prequel to 24’s upcoming seventh season. It seems like 24 lost a lot of fans with it’s sub-par sixth season, and the fact that there haven’t been any new episodes since May 2007 doesn’t help matters. The show definitely allowed itself to slip into old habits its last time out, and it will have to really try new things this year if it wants to keep going. I’m willing to keep going with 24, if for no other reason than last year, the show *did* have some moments of brilliance, even if they were lost in the sea of mediocrity.

Photo credit: Cornell Alumni Magazine

So I was reading Cornell Alumni Magazine the other day – yeah, I like to keep up on my alma mater, you got a problem with that? – and they had an interesting article on the future of the campus. You know, about how they can expand and improve and modernize and everything, and I was enjoying the article, until I got to one part that definitely caught my eye. Under the above photo, the caption reads:

“[The Cornell Master Plan] calls for a transit circulator (shown here in red) that will be easily accessible from many places on campus. It could use buses, light rail, or something else— maybe a monorail?”

Now when I think of monorails and I immediately think of two things: The Simpsons, and Disneyworld. Now I love both the wackiness that ensued surrounding the Springfield monorail as well as the convenience of the conveyance around the various Disney properties in Orlando as much as the next guy.

But at Cornell? The most picturesque and beautiful college campus on the face of the planet? (Suck it, Harvard.)  I understand that the campus has to grow and evolve over time, and that it already looks dramatically different than what it looked like when I first came into Ithaca all bright-eyed and innocent.  And I understand that the parking and transportation system in place now is far from ideal.  And I understand that it could just get worse as the University grows. And I appreciate that they’re thinking outside of the box as to new solutions that are practical and ecologically sound.

But what about when this inevitably happens?