Warning: Full spoilers (if you can call them that) for the finale of Entourage follow

Here’s the thing about Entourage: it was always an easily digestable, fairly light-hearted show about a group of bros.  Last season the show took a turn to the dark side, showing Ari’s crumbling marriage and Vince’s descent into drug abuse.  It was a different tone for the show, but it worked.

This season, the show went back to the “It’s all good, bro!” formula, which while more familiar, also felt a little odd coming off of all the serious real-world problems they just dealt with.  Vince’s rehabilitation was basically brushed under the rug, and there was never really any doubt that Ari and Mrs. Ari would get back together.  And Vince’s infatuation with the Vanity Fair reporter felt bizarrely out of place.

All of that said, the show was able to do a good job at tying up loose ends; hell Turtle and Drama even got happy endings.  The Sloan back and forth was getting tiresome, but it actually ended on a believable note.  For all the ups and downs, I was buying the hangar scene as a great way to send off these characters.

Then Eric and Sloan go their own way.  What?  I get it – they have issues to work out, but the notion that they may miss Vince’s wedding was just absurd.  If Eric had simply said, “We’ll see you in Paris,” that would have been much more satisfying.  Instead, we’re to believe that they might fly somewhere more romantic and work on their problems while missing E’s best friend’s wedding?  Please.

And I love Led Zeppelin as much as the next guy, but playing “Going to California” while all of the principal characters are *leaving* California seemed like an odd choice.

Then there was the post script scene with Ari.  Really?  That’s how you send off the show?  With a set-up for the inevitable movie?   Come on, that’s just lame.  It is implied that Ari will always be tempted to return to his old life.  Showing Charles Widmore giving him a specific offer was just an unnecessary tack-on.  Boo.

The True Blood season finale was a bit lackluster as well.  Marni’s final send-off was pretty anti-climactic.  (And how did she manage to get the jump on Bill and Eric anyway?)  It seems safe to assume that Sam will be able to kill that werewolf that was threatening him.  The Vampire Reverend at Jason’s doorstep can’t come inside without a formal invitation, so he’s in no immediate danger.  And shouldn’t Bill and Eric sense Sookie’s panic and be able to save Tara with their blood?  Note to producers: for ideas on how to end a season with major cliffhangers that leave the audience truly begging for more, see Game of Thrones.

The Eighties
A decade of amazing pop culture milestones, sitcoms in the 1980’s knew how to do a theme song. The crème de la crème:

Perfect Strangers – the greatest TV show ever about a guy named Balki and his cousin.

Family Ties – the “sha-la-la” at the end is legendary,

Who’s the Boss – “the choice is up to you, my friend” – how inspirational!

The Dukes of Hazzard – technically the show began in the 70’s, but come on, this is a classic.

The Greatest American Hero – I never watched a single episode of this show, but what a song!

The CW
Sure, most of the shows on the WB/UPN/CW are aimed at teeny boppers, but there have been some gems – gems with killer theme songs no less.

Veronica Mars – The Dandy Warhols brought it with their theme song, although they really did make it lamer in Season 3.

Smallville – this song is best sung by James and myself in the highest pitch possible.

Smallville Theme
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It’s Not TV, It’s HBO
Remember when HBO used to just air movies, and not amazing series with fantastic theme songs?

The Sopranos – how else can you make a drive through New Jersey seem cool?

True Blood – everything about this show is cool, especially the way it starts.

Kid Friendly Fare:
Shows for kids need to have an amazing theme song to hook the kids in – it’s just good marketing.

The Muppets – no one from our generation does not have this song memorized.

Spongebob Square Pants – a true modern sing-a-long classic.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – They’re heroes in a half shell… and they’re green!

Lyric-less
Sometimes, a great theme doesn’t need any (or just a few) words in order to be super catchy.

The Simpsons – universally know because of the show’s popularity, but a great theme in its own right.

30 Rock – a great tune that lets you know you’re in store for hilarity.

The Office – this was Courtney’s ring tone for a while, and it never got old.

Just a few fast thoughts on the sophomore season of True Blood:

• Overall it was a damn good follow-up season
• I enjoyed the mystery of Maryann and Texas stories, but it was a shame they were so disconnected
• Great introductions sure to reappear: the telepathic hotel bellhop and Sookie’s cousin who hangs with the Queen
• Hoyt and Jessica are my favorite couple on the show
• Who took Bill?  All signs point to Eric, but that would be lame because he took Lafayette in last season’s cliffhanger
• Why is Sookie not human but Jason is?
• When the parental discretion before the show says nudity, it should really only refer to female nudity

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, and there are a lot of TV shows to catch up on, so I’m making this a two-parter.

First up since it is fresh in my mind: Jack is back! Last night’s 24 mini-movie totally got me excited for Jack Bauer and 24’s return to TV this fall. The real-time action! The political intrigue! Jack taking out bad guy after bad guy after bad guy before they have any idea what’s coming at them! Yeah, last season was a let down, but I’m not ready to write off this show yet. Seeing Jack in Africa (instead of LA for the first time ever) was a nice change of pace, and having him run around D.C. should bring some fresh changes to the show. As for Redemption specifically, I thought it was enjoyable, although the boy soldiers thing did feel very reminiscent of Blood Diamond. And I didn’t totally get why Jack needs “redemption” – he’s saved the free world several times already. But the action was good, Jack yelled “Dammit!” a lot – everything was there. Oh – and one season seven prediction: Tony Almeida isn’t really a bad guy. He’s actually a good guy working inside the terrorist organization to take it down from the inside. I have to believe that – I just don’t accept that Tony would turn rogue.

True Blood ended up being one of my favorite new shows of the season. It got off to a rocky start, but once it found its footing, the show really started to work. The cliffhangers kept the show moving, they weren’t afraid to kill off characters, and none of the supernatural elements felt hokey. My only complaint with the tail end of the season was that the last 15-20 minutes of the finale felt like it was all set-up for season two. But hey, it worked, because I’m looking forward to it.

My other favorite new show has been Fringe. It feels like a cross between Lost and The X-Files – it was supposed to – but the format works. The acting is great and the stories are fun – I really hope the show can keep up its pace.

Meanwhile, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles has been really, really bad. I almost lost it last week when a human villain from the future showed up in the present, and Derek and his girlfriend killed him, but let the present version of the guy go, because he wasn’t yet that monster, and hopefully he wouldn’t become him. Hopefully? What? Is that how this show works now? Why do they bother protecting John then? Hopefully he’ll survive and defeat the machines and everything will turn up rosy. This may be one nitpicky point, but it is representative of the huge errors in logic this show has been making this season, and it’s getting to be too much.

All right, that’s it for now – more to come tomorrow!

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?

I’m starting with last week’s HBO shows; I didn’t get to watch last night’s due to the Emmys, but fear not, I’ll get to them…

True Blood: The First Taste – This show ain’t getting any less cheesy, but I’m still enjoying watching it. And apparently, I’ll enjoy it for a second season as well, if I so choose. I find it a little odd that the show got renewed after its second episode, but hey, HBO has gambled successfully before. So far, I’m liking Sookie and the vampire Bill, and I wish the show would spend more time on them than on the jerky brother and the sassy best friend.

Entourage: Unlike a Virgin – Johnny was obsessive and Turtle made fun of him, which always makes for good comedy. The more serious side of Vince and Ari, as they discussed the reality of his future as an actor, made for a nice contrast. I was surprised to hear Ari speak so candidly about Vinny’s so-so acting ability, though – it kind of seemed odd that he would be so invested in someone he didn’t really believe in.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Automatic for the People – What the hell is going on here? I am seriously confused. So everyone is a Terminator? Did the Terminators want the reactor to open and for it to poison people? Or was it just prepared that, if that plan should have been foiled, the T-1000 would find a way to buy and automate the system? This whole multiple timeline and multiple people and machines altering destiny thing is getting a bit confusing for me. It might be that I’m just over analyzing, but hey, that’s what good geeks do.

Fringe: The Same Old Story – I love that the whole baby-turning-into-an-old-man bit didn’t go anywhere near where I thought it was going to.  The show is still sort of finding its footing, but it has tons of potential.  I wasn’t that crazy about the “seeing the last thing the dying person saw” bit, especially since last week’s episode introduced the concept of questioning dead people.  There are plenty of paranormal concepts out there that they don’t need to repeat themselves, and I’m hoping that was a one-time lapse in judgment.

Smallville: Odyssey – My expectations were so low – how was I still able to be disappointed?  Well let’s start with how Jor-El allows someone to “control” Clark – he loses his powers.  Yawn.  How many times has that happened already?  Then Clark manages to escape to Russia from the North Pole without any special powers?  All of the scenes with him in captivity were just blatant attempts to get him in a wet T-shirt.  It was cool to see (half of) the Justice League going to find Clark, but I’m not so sure I want Green Arrow coming to rescue me, when if a couple of armed guards enter a room, he is so slow that he couldn’t fire off a single shot.  And the whole “spinal fluid kryptonite that controls you” thing was totally shoe-horned and under used.  And without powers, an arrow through the heart doesn’t kill Clark right away?  Huh?  The show ended with the potential of Clark *finally* accepting his destiny, leaving the farm, and moving on to the Daily Planet, but it was still a weak premiere.  Oh, and why does Tess look exactly like Lois?  Awkward.

The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards – Cons: Five lame reality show hosts that talk too much, everyone spewing their politics, and hokey TV show “sets.”   Pros: Ricky Gervais vs. Steve Carell, and 30 Rock getting its due.

Sorry to keep y’all waiting, but I warned you the posts would come a little fewer and further between. The TV season has kicked off, so here are some real quick mini-impressions of what’s premiered so far.

True Blood: Strange Love – This series has potential, but the writing has got to improve. The characters all seemed completely over the top, and all the exposition really got in the way. But that might have just been necessary for the show to get it’s footing, so I’ll give it another chance or two. Although the whole silver-hurts-vampires thing really bugged me, I did appreciate the fact that they called out the fact that it’s normally reserved for werewolf lore.

Entourage: Fantasy Island – The boys of Entourage are back, and I realized how much I missed them with this episode. It probably helped the show that I wasn’t that crazy about True Blood and anything would have looked good by comparison, but Entourage felt fun again after taking itself too seriously in it’s most recent run.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Samson & Delilah – While I understand that it wasn’t the show’s fault that the first season was cut short by the writer’s strike, this season premiere just didn’t feel like a season premiere. And of course it couldn’t, because it took place immediately after the very cliffhanger-y moments of the previous episode. I found myself not totally remembering everything that happened last season with the Turk, and the “Previously on” didn’t help much. I also hated Shirley Manson’s character right from the start, with her boring speech on the majesty of the machines, and the reveal that she is a T-1000 just felt haphazard. Does this show really need *another* Terminator running around? And WTF was up with John’s repairing of Cameron’s chip? The Terminator’s main circuitry works like a NES game – you just blow on it, clean off the dust, and it goes back to working all of a sudden? Lame.

Fringe: Pilot – So far, this has been my favorite television of the season. This episode worked brilliantly as both a stand alone and as a series premiere. They completely resolved the episode’s main mystery, but tied it into one over-arcing conspiracy story that should play out really well as the series continues. The introduction of the characters was handled well, the plot didn’t seem overly convoluted, and the extended length plus limited commercials made the pilot feel like a movie. My only complaints would be the way the music was very close to what you hear on that *other* J.J. Abrams show, and while I dug that they tried something new with the “this-scene-takes-place-in…” text, the bold letters in the middle of the locations just didn’t work for me.

Also, a belated goodbye to Swingtown, which seems unlikely to get picked up for a second season. Watching swinging suburbanites in the summer of ‘76 (say that fast three times) made for some enjoyable viewing while nothing else was on. Except anytime the daughter was on screen…

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.