"Rookie Blue" - the cop version of "Grey's Anatomy"

And yes, it's just what you'd expect. I ended up kind of hating this show by the end. The tone of it was off, the characters were off, and it felt like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Southland" crashed into each other and this freak came crawling out of the rubble.

First, this may just be me, but I don't find Missy Peregrym, who plays Andy McNally, all that appealing. She reminds me of a slighty more tolerable Genevieve Cortese. I didn't like her in her short stint on "Heroes" and I was only lukewarm regarding her character on the short-lived "Reaper." The show also stars Gregory Smith, who I know only as "that guy from 'Everwood,'" a show I never watched. The only other person I recognize is Eric Johnson, who "Smallville" fans know as Whitney. He's been around since then, most notably as a demon on "Supernatural," but I'm glad he's trying to get a steady role in something. I think he's very likeable and he's grown up well since his days of courting Lana Lang.

The tone of this show is really odd. I'm a big fan of "Southland," which I think is the best recent portrayal of police life. This show is like an ABC soap version of a cop drama, but it ends up with emotional moments that don't resonate and funny moments that are more cutesy and cringe-inducing. The life of a cop is very different from the life of a doctor, and "Southland" best captures the grittiness of reality. I know reality isn't high on the list of things you look for in a TV show, but I feel like this show didn't intend to be as soapy as it came off.

There were so many cliches in the pilot of "Rookie Blue" that I wish I had been playing a drinking game. You've got the rookie cop with a parent who was a respected veteran and now the rookie has a lot to prove ("Grey's Anatomy" - Meredith and her genius surgeon mom Ellis Grey; "Southland" - Ben coming from a wealthy upbringing, has a lot to prove; "Dexter" - Debra Morgan trying to live up to her father's distinguished legacy). You've got the respected veteran cop who is now a mere shadow of what he once was ("Grey's Anatomy" - Ellis Grey's alzheimers). You've got the senior cop romantically involved with a rookie cop ("Grey's Anatomy" - Meredith and Derek, Christina and Burke). You've got the requisite shot of some guy taking off his shirt to reveal rippling muscles underneath (way too many shows to count, but ABC is a prime offender). You've got the storyline of the rookie screwing something up early in the game only to redeem herself later in the episode (once again, way too many examples to pick from). You've got the bitter, jaded old veterans who need the newbies with their pluck and enthusiasm to remind them why they became a cop in the first place many years ago.

Other random thoughts:

• The music on this show really bothered me. It was bubbly and upbeat when it was trying to tell us a scene was supposed to be funny. It was the kind of music the Walker family drinks wine and gossips to on "Brothers & Sisters." And there were too many moments where they play some hip song while the characters bond meaningfully or encounter new situations. It came off as a desperate attempt to fill time after the episode came up short in running time or as a desperate attempt to create a poignant moment.


• Does every profession and every workplace have a bar they all retreat to at the end of the day or is that a complete creation of the TV world out of necessity for a gathering place for the characters? Is it always just one bar that was established as "the watering hole"?


• If two characters make out in a closet at the station, I'm out of here.


• If Missy Peregrym's character and Eric Johnson's character get it on, I'm out of here (not that I'd blame her).


• Can ABC do any other sort of character drama without making it sexual relationship drama?


• From the moment one of the rookies said "I love all these guys so much" in the bar in the opening, I knew it would be an uphill battle to win my affection. I was hoping they'd pull it off as a moment where the guy was really drunk, but instead they made it into a touching moment that wasn't so touching.


• I liked seeing "police service" on the sign outside the station instead of "police force." It reminded me of the scene in "Hot Fuzz" where Nicholas Angel says official police guidelines state that "force" shouldn't be used anymore as it sounds too aggressive.


• The voiceover better go away fast. The show doesn't need it. It was used so poorly for expository purposes when the exposition wasn't even needed. It was another early strike against watching this show.


• The talk about the rookies not knowing anything and that there is "no training that prepares you for life on the street" also feels completely lifted from "Grey's Anatomy." See: Chief Webber's speech to the interns about the program in the pilot. Also see: Bailey's speech to the interns in the pilot.


• You get the veteran cops coaching the younger cops, but it feels more like babysitting than tough love like John teaching Ben survival skills in "Southland."


• The best part of the show was the trailer for the new Christopher Nolan movie "Inception." Leo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Cillian Murphy all in one movie directed by the man behind the new Batman movies? I'm so there. The trailer for "Salt" is still baffling to me though. I know people love Angelina Jolie, and maybe it's because I'm a girl that I don't get her mass appeal, but isn't the Russian spy storyline a little outdated?

I might watch the next episode in a week if I have absolutely nothing else to do, just to see if this show is headed where I think it's headed. I'm not holding out hope though.

Songs I'm ashamed to admit I know all the words to (Part 1)

I love Spongebob Squarepants. The cartoon started at a time where I was still just barely young enough to watch cartoons and it began in 1999, so I classify it as the last great cartoon of the 90s Nick era. I was a child of the 90s, and all you have to do is look at the Children of the 90s blog to see how strong our nostalgia is for the time period. One post I've always hoped they would do is a list about 90s songs you're ashamed to say you know by heart still - even the ones you haven't actually heard since the 90s. This is why I bring up Spongebob. I know that he lives in a pineapple under the sea, et ceterea, et cetera, but Spongebob still airs so I'm not that ashamed to admit I know the theme song by heart. Honestly, that's not that big a feat, tons of people probably know the theme song. (But how many people know the FUN song, which is my favorite Spongebob musical number?) But that got me to thinking of all the songs I still know the words to that I really should have forgotten by now or should not know in the first place. Most of them come from my childhood, but plenty others are current or come from before I was born so I don't really have a good excuse there. But in celebration of summer randomness and openness, I decided to make a list of songs that I am ashamed to say that I know all the words to. They are in no particular order, although you can judge for yourself how embarassing each one is. (Note: I'm just guessing where lyric cut-off lines are. I'll fact check only to a certain point. So if you're a music snob or something, be warned).

1. The FCC Song from "Family Guy" - I figured I'd start with an obvious one. I'm tvgirl, of course I know the FCC song. "PTV" is one of the best episodes of "Family Guy" ever and they're at their best when they go musical. I also know the words to Road to Rhode Island, Awfully Different, The AIDS and Vascectomy songs, My Drunken Irish Dad, You've Got a Lot To See, and plenty others. But my favorite is the FCC song.
My favorite lyric: So they sent this little warning/they're prepared to do their worst/and they stuck it in your mailbox hoping you could be coerced/I can think of quite another place they should've stuck it first
2. Summer Girls by LFO - this wins my award for most random song ever written. Good thing I had this song to school me on important things like the fact that New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits, peaches come from Georgia, and that Billly Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets.
My favorite lyric: Call you up but what's the use/I like Kevin Bacon but I hate "Footloose"

3. The "Reading Rainbow" theme song - that great theme song. LeVar Burton. VHS tapes. PBS. Children's books. "Reading Rainbow" was a childhood staple and one of many great educational programs on public television. But you don't have to take my word for it!

My favorite lyric: I can be anything/take a look/it's in a book/of Reading Rainbow!
4. See You Again by Miley Cyrus - time for a more recent yet more embarassing one. I didn't say I necessarily liked all these songs, but I'll be honest and say this is the only Miley Cyrus song I couldn't resist.

My favorite lyric: OoOHooOHoh I/ I can't wait/to see you again

5. The Pokemon theme song - and back to my childhood. This one I'm not ashamed to admit and the theme song had a great 80s wanna-be-tough feel to it. I loved Pokemon back in the day, which probably stemmed from my love of anime as a kid. Yes, I was one of those people. But don't worry, I grew out of it. Mostly. (I'll never say anything bad about "Dragonball Z" or "Yu Yu Hakusho.") I'll also confess something even worse: I can still say the entire Pokemon rap song.
My favorite lyric: I want to be the very best/like no one ever was/to catch them is my real test/to train them is my cause!

6. Let's Hear it for the Boy by Deniece Williams - speaking of the 80s..."Footloose!" "Footloose" had a great soundtrack that is a perfect slice of 80s awesomeness. Also, Matt Damon sings some of it on an episode of "Will & Grace." Need I say more?

My favorite lyric: Maybe he's no Romeo/but he's my lovin' one-man show/oohooohoohooh!

7. Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega - and on to the 90s again! Lots of the cheese of the 80s persisted into cheesy albeit feel-good 90s songs. All Mambo No. 5 was missing was an awkward group dance. Okay, the lyrics include directions, but I don't recall it sweeping the nation like the Macarena or something.

My favorite lyric: Do all the "aaah!"s and "Mambo number five!"s and "the trumpet!"s count?

8. One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head - I know I'm a little crazy since I love 80s music, but some of the songs are so wacky and bizarre that I enjoy hearing something a lot different than Top 40. Granted, this song was originally from the musical "Chess" (don't know it? Don't blame ya), but it became a chart topper out in the real world. In my world, I just thought this song was amazing and I knew I had to learn all the lyrics. Mission accomplished. There's nothing quite like a song that says "Exotic locales? Danger? Wild sex? Nah, let's have a real party and play some chess!"

My favorite lyric: You're talkin' to a tourist whose every move's among the purest/I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine

9. Super Nova Girl from "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century" - this was a Disney channel staple back in my day, and like many good kid movies, it ended with a big music number. Because, as we all know, all young teens worship a band, want to be in a band, or do both. There were lots of fun words in this song that I didn't really understand, but sounded very science-y and future-y.

My favorite lyric: Zoom zoom zoom/make by heart go boom boom (of course!)
10. What Dreams Are Made Of from "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" - yeah, while we're on the subject, I'll add the other movie that proves I was pretty damn girly at one point. What makes this even better is that I saw this movie on TV the other day and just had to watch it. That was the moment I realized I still knew the big song at the end, where Lizzie gets to be a mega pop singer for a little bit and show the world the star inside her. What else could a girl want?

My favorite lyric: Then I see you smile and I go oh oh oh (Can you tell I love the parts where you can sing along annoyingly?)

11. Cinderella by the Cheetah Girls from "The Cheetah Girls" movie - might as well go on to another girly Disney movie. Once again, the dream of a young girl is to be in a band. I liked "The Cheetah Girls" because it had a lot of music in it. I grew up with kids movies that were normally part musicals, so I liked the random moments of bursting into song. I like to say that the reason I watched this movie so many times was so I could figure out what each girl's name was. Aquanette, Dorinda, Galleria, and Chanel? Seriously? I also know the words to Together We Can, Girl Power and, of course, the Cheetah girls song at the end of the movie. Cinderella was my favorite though - it was the perfect mix of Disney girl power and pop.

My favorite lyric: I can slay my own dragons/I can dream my own dreams/My knight in shining armor is me/so I'm gonna set me free

12. Piano Man by Billy Joel - Something a little more grown up, I hope. I do love me some Billy Joel. My favorite is Only the Good Die Young and of course I know all the words to that, but Piano Man is longer and more pensive. This is the kind of song you really get into, swelling up into the emotional "he said SON will you PLAY me a MEMORY!" And then sit back and hum along to "la da di dee daa" as you make love to your tonic and gin. This is one of those songs I guess I'm not so ashamed to know as I think everyone should know this one and be able to belt it out at a moment's notice.

My favorite lyric: And he's talking with Davy/who's still in the Navy/and probably will be for life...Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness

13. "Firefly" theme song - This one goes into the ashamed pile because it exposes me as a Browncoat. Okay, I wouldn't be ashamed, "Firefly" is amazing, but I'm afraid to mention it because I'm afraid to be mistaken for a Whedonite. Long story for another blog post, but "Buffy" hasn't struck me in the way "Firefly" did. Once again, the show gets major points for actually having a theme song. More points for having a theme with actual words, not just an instrumental riff. This theme captures the tone of the show perfectly. It makes me sad sometimes that we live in a world where "One Tree Hill" gets more seasons than "Firefly." I've watched a lot of genius, short-lived shows in my day, but "Firefly" is the most painful cancellation yet. You might think all the posthumous hype would be impossible to live up to, but this is one case where fans really aren't exaggerating the quality level.

My favorite lyric: Take me out to the black/tell them I ain't coming back/burn the land and boil the sea/you can't take the sky from me
14. The Saga Begins by Weird Al - Growing up with a brother, it was almost impossible to avoid liking Weird Al. Plenty of his music stays with me even now, but this is the only one I still remember all the words to. I knew this song before the original song it was based on, American Pie, so when I hear American Pie I automatically launch into "my my this here Anakin guy." I had this problem with many other songs used in "Moulin Rouge;" since I was young at the time, I remember songs as being part of a "Moulin Rouge" medly before I remember them as original songs from years before the movie. But I still like Weird Al's version of the song better.

My favorite lyric: But their response didn't thrill us/they locked the doors and tried to kill us

15. I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly - Another childhood memory. "Space Jam" is often overlooked in lists of 90s kid movies, but I remember particularly loving it. Don't know why, I'm not really into basketball. Or the Looney Tunes. Maybe it was because the movie taught me the power of believing in myself. Or because Wayne Knight a.k.a Newman was in it. Both are strong selling points.

My favorite lyric: I see me running through that open door (I really hope this symbolizes opportunity instead of Heaven, which is what I thought when I was a kid. Hey, the song had a real gospel feel to it!)

16. Cell Block Tango from "Chicago" - I know all the songs in "Chicago" by heart, but it's a tad embarassing to admit that my favorite isn't the famous All That Jazz or I Move On, but the saucy Cell Block Tango. Also, even in quick voiceover moments, Taye Diggs is still sexy.

My favorite lyric: So I took the shotgun off the wall and I fired two warning shots/into his head....He saw himself as alive/and I saw him dead (Brings a whole new meaning to "female empowerment," huh?)

17. Tradition from "Fiddler on the Roof" - Speaking of musicals, another one I can quote in its entirety - songs and everything else. I feel like being able to recite all of Tradition at the drop of a hat is a bigger skill considering a lot of it is dialogue. Singing along with Tevye to If I Were a Rich Man or To Life is fun, but getting Tradition down takes some nerdy dedication.

My favorite lyric: You may ask "how did this tradition get started?"/I'll tell you/I don't know/but it's a tradition!

18. It Wasn't Me by Shaggy - this goes under the category of Why on Earth do I Know this Song? Probably because it's catchy as all get-out and it was on the radio enough for the lyrics to infiltrate my mind and never leave. It's kind of annoying when a song about a lying cheating douchebag is catchy and made for singing along. It also had that incomprehensible interlude by that Jamaican dude. Oh, I guess that doesn't count then for "knowing all the words," but really, who does know what that guy is saying? Also, this song gets filed under another category of Songs that Sound Like they're Sung By Women. Sorry, Shaggy, but if you weren't singing about your girl catching you, I'd have assumed you were a girl.

My favorite lyric: My girl just caught me/you let her catch you?/...I don't know what to do/say it wasn't you/alright!

19. La Tortura by Shakira - I don't know Spanish. There might be some stuck over from high school wafting around my head, but I probably don't know enough to form a coherent sentence at this point. So the fact that I know every word to this lesser known Shakira song that is entirely in Spanish is completely bizarre. Even more embarassing - I may know the words to sing along, but I don't know what most of them mean. This is normally the part where someone tells me the translated words are unspeakably filthy.

My favorite lyric: I'm afraid to even bother.

20. Snakes on a Plane (Bring It) by Cobra Starship - I finally got around to seeing "Snakes on a Plane" on TV and was glad I never spent money on it, not that I would have anyway. All you have to do is watch Samuel L Jackson's famous clip and you've seen the movie. But one good thing came out of it - an awesome song. If only the lyrics were more generic and weren't so related to the movie, it might have had better life on its own.

My favorite lyric: Pop the cheap champagne/we're going down in flames, hey!

21. Love Will Keep Us Together by the Captain and Tennille - Blame this on "Will & Grace." Will and Grace sing it together when they have their old-fashioned piano party, and I thought it was so cute I downloaded the song. A million plays later, I still love this sweet 70s song. I didn't exist in the 70s, but even I know I should be ashamed that I'm a fan of a Captain and Tennille number.

My favorite lyric: Young and beautiful/someday your looks will be gone/when the others turn you off/who'll be turnin' you on?/I will, I will, I will

Stay tuned for part 2 where I'll embarass myself some more...

My Top 10: Unfairly Hated TV Characters

One of the unfortunate products of the Internet is the fact that people are allowed to spew all sorts of hate in comfortable anonymity. Now, I take TV kind of seriously but I also realize it's all fiction intended for our entertainment. Other people, however, take things very seriously and apparently get very worked up over certain plotlines or characters. I've noticed that a lot of characters that get chastised for being annoying are often very realistically written and perhaps people just don't want to spend time with fictional people who whine and complain just as much as real people do. I also love the irony of people complaining about characters who complain too much. Some of the hate heaped on certain characters is, in my opinion, unwarranted. And when I say hate, I don't mean so-bad-it's-good, love-to-hate hate. I mean hate-to-hate, revulsion, cancel-this-monstrosity-now-it's-burning-my-eyes-out hate. So I made a list, in increasing order of unfair hatred, to defend some of them. The standard caveat applies: I can only cover shows that I'm familiar with. I'm sure there are plenty more unfairly reviled characters, so feel free to comment away with other suggestions.

10. Susan Meyer (Teri Hatcher) from
"Desperate Housewives"

There's a LOT of hate for this character, even more than the hate for everyone else on this show. I think most of it stems from a general hatred out there towards Teri Hatcher for some reason. I'd like to clarify that I don't even like Susan Meyer - in fact, she irritates me quite a bit when her neurotic side takes over (which is, let's face it, often). But I also find her neurotic disposition and gossipy lifestyle to be painfully realistic sometimes. These qualities are exaggerated for comic effect, but I think there are plenty of people in the real world who are just as annoying. People get really nasty about this character because of lots of reasons that combine into one giant force of annoying. Lots of people hate Teri Hatcher. Lots of people love to hate "Desperate Housewives," since it's cool to bash it and try to make yourself look smart and superior. Lots of people hate Susan because she's silly, clumsy, and immature. Some complaints on this subject are warranted, but it shouldn't take the nasty form it often does.

9. Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) from
"Gilmore Girls"

I put this one low on the list because it's a rather dated reference by now. Luke is a good example of character assassination because the writers demanded it but didn't bother to make it realistic at all. After Luke and Lorelai finally got together, the writers decided they needed obstacles, so they threw in Luke's long-lost daughter April, a lispy precocious young teen who drove a wedge between the couple. As that season progressed, Luke became more and more distant as he kept Lorelai and April apart for no reason whatsoever leading Lorelai to eventually explode and run into her ex's arms. While I hated Luke during the season or two he became even more crotchety than normal, I think the hatred by a lot of fans was unfair. His change in personality was out-of-character and completely contrived. It was the kind of personality change where it takes you out of the show to the point where you can hear the writers pondering "hmmm....should we bother giving them an organic conflict that leads to a satisfying resolution and deepens their relationship? Nah, let's just make Luke act like an ass so we can have fun with Christopher again! We already know Luke and Lorelai will end up together at the end of the series, so let's not bother worrying about things like consistent characterization."

8. Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) from
"Heroes"
People really started to hate Mohinder. I might be a little biased in my opinion since I had a major crush on him and I stopped watching the show for a while when he finally got more storyline, but I still think he was unfairly reviled. To lots of people, he came off as preachy and ineffective. But he was one of the only people on the show with no powers, the cast of the show was huge and he wasn't given enough screen-time to flesh out his character, and the brief arc where he was pals with Sylar (when he didn't know it was Sylar) certainly didn't do him any favors. Now, I missed the storyline of him getting his own powers somehow, so maybe it was awful and he deserved the hatred for that, but a lot of the hate was spewed before that season and I just felt really bad for him.

7. Grace Adler (Debra Messing) from
"Will & Grace"
Grace is the type of character you either like and enjoy or find grating and dislike. She's the standard neurotic, flustered female you get on a sitcom. This definitely falls under the category of "if you loathe the main character, why are you watching this show?" "Will & Grace" is a sitcom - you're pretty much ensured this kind of character. I feel like the kind of people who go around talking about how much they hate a character like Grace are the kind of people who feel like they have some sort of obligation to humanity to convince everyone that the show sucks as much as they think it does, even though every person is completely free to watch or not watch depending on how they feel on the subject.

6. Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) from
"Will & Grace"

Once again, you know what you're getting into with a sitcom - wacky characters. I'm in the camp of people who love Jack. But I can understand where some people are coming from in hating him. He's played as a stereotype and a lot of the humor on "Will & Grace" comes from stereotyping. But once again, it's a sitcom. Almost every sitcom has some sort of stereotypical character. I don't see people up in arms over "Glee" reinforcing stereotypes of drama queens and gay characters, yet I know "Will & Grace" received plenty of criticism for this. The way I see it, it was a groundbreaking sitcom still held back by a time period of considerable homophobia. And while the characters were often stereotypes, they were also endearing, funny, heartwarming, and compassionate friends. Jack may have been a stereotype, but he was not a negative character by any means.

5. Violet Turner (Amy Brenneman) from
"Private Practice"

Violet shares a lot in common with Meredith Grey in that they're both characters with dark pasts who are not immediately likeable to the unforgiving viewer. I was surprised how many people hoped Violet would be the one to get killed off in the season finale since I don't think she's that insufferable. She went through a major traumatic experience! Some mourning time and recovery is warranted here. Her romantic entanglements I can take or leave, but I actually enjoyed her storyline when it involved her trauma and the custody battle over Lucas. I was especially glad that, instead of getting nasty and staying there, the Oceanside group got nasty for a while, then felt bad and rose above it. Violet dealt with her situation in a mature manner - she understood she had to get better before she could be entrusted with Lucas, yet she demanded her rights as a mother. I think most people on the outside of the show find everyone in the cast insufferable, but the people who can stand the show and enjoy it on a certain soapy level have no reason to hate Violet in particular, in my humble opinion.

4. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) from
"Grey's Anatomy"

This is just a character that lots of people don't like. But since she's the star of the show, complaints about Meredith often lead me to wonder once again, "then why are you watching the show?" Many people hate the voiceover device. I like it when used well but I don't mind it so much to the point of hatred even if it's vague and adds nothing to the show. Physically, Ellen Pompeo isn't a stunner and I do have a hard time imagining guys fighting over her. She's like primetime TV's version of Bella Swan (although that may be a bit too harsh. Okay, extremely harsh). And personality-wise, she isn't the most fun either. But I find her to be a realistic character in the way her dark and twisty-ness comes out. She complains about legitimate things most of the time - like her issues with her mother's affair, her father's abandonment, and all sorts of other family trauma. She's not the most immediately likeable character, but I think there's something human about her in that, once you get to know her, her eccentricities make sense and her dark attitude becomes justified. Also, I give "Grey's Anatomy" and Meredith major points for allowing the character to change and evolve over the years. Meredith isn't still doing the same dark and twisty routine she did in early seasons. She's married, she's matured, and dealt with many of her childhood traumas. She's got a good relationship with Lexie and her marriage to Derek is surprisingly - dare I say it? - healthy.

3. Daniel Shaw (Brandon Routh) from
"Chuck"

This one might be pretty controversial for "Chuck" fans. I was by no means a fan of Shaw, but I think this is another case of The Powers That Be influencing the narrative negatively. I could understand just not liking him - Brandon Routh is like handsome cardboard. And I could understand not liking him for coming between Sarah and Chuck. And maybe it's my own opinion, but I never felt like Shaw was that big a threat. Romantically with Sarah, he never had the same charm and magnetism that Bryce Larkin did. I knew that he was thrown in to give Chuck and Sarah another obstacle, I knew that Sarah was afraid of getting involved with Chuck and afraid of what Chuck was becoming so she might find solace in fellow spy Shaw, and I knew that Chuck and Sarah would end up together anyway. So yes, I understand he wasn't a likeable character, but I think people went way overboard with how much they despised him. I think this backlash was more from the Shipper fans, who couldn't stand to see anyone come between Chuck and Sarah. (Oh, and to note: this was my attitude before he became the finale villain and killed Chuck and Ellie's father. Then we were supposed to loathe him. I'm talking about the period before, when we were supposed to accept him as a team member. Later, I loved-to-hate him since he gave us some epic Chuck vs. Shaw action).

2. Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) from
"Doctor Who"

Poor Freema had a very tough position. She had to follow the beloved Rose Tyler played by Billie Piper. She was also saddled with a forced crush on the Doctor that was, of course, not going to end well. In retrospect, she gets an even worse rap since people adored Donna Noble as played by Brit comedian Catherine Tate. One of the biggest disadvantages Freema had was being an unknown. While unknown to us US viewers, both Billie Piper and Catherine Tate were already famous before being cast as companions and therefore already had solid fan bases. Freema didn't get this luxury and ended up with an uphill battle to win fan support. I personally think Donna is as overrated as it gets. People loved her habit of "knocking the Doctor off his high horse, calling him on his mistakes, and generally keeping him grounded." I hated her habit of being an annoying bitch most of the time. (She had her highlights though. I actually really loved her in "Partners in Crime" and "Turn Left.") Martha was smart, driven, and an asset to the Doctor. It was about time to have a companion who wasn't a doe-eyed worshipper of the Doctor, but Martha wasn't the fluttery preteen-like fangirl that many "Doctor Who" fans make her out to be. If nothing else, I think she should get major points for being gorgeous. Not to be entirely shallow, but she did have redeeming qualities on a purely physical level! (And now that I sound like a lesbian creeper....on to number one!)

1. Rita Bennett/Morgan (Julie Benz) from
"Dexter"

The inspiration for this list. It's a little late coming since most of the hatred was released in the wake of her death as people everywhere declared "good riddance." Me, I could never understand why people hated or even just didn't like her. I loved her with Dexter and loved seeing how he became a better person when he was with her. Most, if not all, of the complaints came from Rita's purported "nagging" of Dexter. Apparently people think a wife should be perfectly fine with her husband being gone at all hours of the night or gone on secret trips, even if he's had a history of leaving you for another woman amidst a heroin addiction. What a pain in the ass, a woman wanting to know where the man she loves is! What a nagging bitch, asking you to commit to your family! I wasn't thrilled when she got killed off and hope her character gets a proper send-off on-screen, since many "Dexter" fans celebrated her off-ing. Rest in peace, Rita.

"Lie to Me" - a procedural worth watching

I'm not normally one for procedurals. My kind of show is not the kind that you can drop for several seasons and then pick up again with no problem. I will watch and enjoy them from time to time, though, when I need something to sit back and enjoy without thinking. When you're working hard on something, nothing makes better background noise than an "NCIS" marathon on USA Network which, fortunately, happens pretty much every other day. Even shows I love I tend to eventually tire with if they veer too much into the procedural territory and don't have enough character development or long-term story arcs to keep me interested. A prime example of this is "House," which I loved for the first few seasons. But after they scrapped the original doctors helping House, got some boring new people, then attempted to bring back the originals to no avail, I gave up on the show. By then, you knew what would happen - a few incorrect diagnoses, the one they think is right but isn't, then the one that is after House gets one of his "a-ha!" moments. It is clear, however, that America absolutely adores procedurals. Just look at the ratings something like "NCIS" or "CSI" gets. So it irks me more than usual when I see a quality procedural like "Lie to Me" fly under the radar of the average viewer. This isn't entirely the viewers' fault, as FOX has toyed around with this show for a while, ultimately banishing the rest of its second season to the end of the regular TV season in June. In my ideal world, this would give the show a boost since it has little if any competition now.

"Lie to Me" centers around Cal Lightman, played by Tim Roth, who runs a group that aids law enforcement by using psychology. The concept is mostly why I enjoy this show, as you get tons of fun facts about deception and lies and 'microexpressions.' It sounds slightly ridiculous, but it is based on a real person and a real type of science. Lightman works with Kelli Williams' Gillian Foster, Brendan Hines' Eli Loker, and Monica Raymund's Ria Torres. Mekhi Phifer, of "ER" fame, recently joined the cast as a liasion between The Lightman Group and the FBI. We also occasionally get to see Lightman's ex-wife and his daughter, and family drama and romantic relationships are so much more fun when everyone is skilled at lying as well as detecting lies. The fun, fascinating characters matched with the unique concept make for one worthwhile procedural drama. Also, any person remotely interested in psychology should enjoy this show a lot.

The series finally came back with a new episode Monday night, which featured a guest appearance by Jason Dohring, who viewers might possibly recognize as Logan Echolls from the criminally overlooked drama "Veronica Mars." Dohring played a serial killer who Lightman encounters while giving a lecture at a university. When Dohring's character challenged Lightman's observations about Richard Nixon's "I am not a crook" speech, I assumed at first that he was joining the show and I had just not heard about it yet. I thought he would be another 'natural' like Ria Torres who would butt heads with Lightman. But instead, he was a psychopath who was torturing and killing women. I think Dohring completely pulled this off. I always thought (well, at least for the last season of "Veronica Mars") that he seemed like a guy who could snap at any moment. He plays the arrogant, charming, damaged psychopath very well. Many mind games ensue and Lightman eventually gets him for his crimes after he gets himself kidnapped. That was the only moment in the episode that was a little awkward for me, when Dohring's character finally captures and waterboards Lightman. It was glossed over so quickly that it was over by the time you realized what was happening. I liked the twist of him getting captured, but it felt very rushed. Perhaps they could have cut a little from Loker and Torres' B-story about a teacher who claims to have seen a UFO. On the plus side, we did get to see yet another military character played by Glenn Morshower, the go-to guy for military roles. To "24" fans, he's best known as Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce. The first episode back was a fine return to form for the show, and I'm really looking forward to next week's episode, where it looks like Lightman's checkered past comes back to haunt him in a big (read: explosive) way.

For any interested person, the first season is out on DVD and the rest of Season 2 is probably available online somewhere. The pilot would be best to start with, obviously, and it showcases lots of fun deception tips. My favorite thing "Lie to Me" does, which they do in the pilot, is when they show a character making some expression and then pictures of famous figures pop up with the same exact expression. It mixes psychology and history, and I just love it. There are many other great episodes to check out, which feature hostage situations (and those always make for riveting TV), poker tournaments (with deception experts, so it's not as boring as real poker tournaments), a harrowing trip to Afghanistan, plenty of psycho killers (Qu'est-ce que c'est? Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba...), undercover operations, and conspiracies. Also, the show gets extra brownie points for actually bothering to have a theme song and opening sequence. That's a dying art in television that they really need to bring back.

Hey, it's THAT guy! - Alan Dale

What with summer upon us and a small amount of actual, relevant television to talk about, I thought this would be a good time to start a new regular segment called "Hey, it's THAT guy!" One of the most annoying feelings is when you're watching a show or movie, and you see an actor that you just know you've seen a million times before. You feel like you should easily know their name by now, but nothing strikes a bell. I know more actors by name than most people, especially TV actors, but it still happens to me quite a bit and nothing is more frustrating than that tip-of-your-tongue feeling.
So, for my first segment, I decided to profile Alan Dale, who recently wrapped up a stint on "Lost" as the mysterious Charles Widmore. I was surprised to find out that he's actually from New Zealand originally, as he's an actor that ably juggles different accents. He first came to major fame for an Australian show called "Neighbours," that apparently became quite popular. Like most people, he eventually guested on "ER." Nowadays on American TV, he normally plays the role of "powerful douchebag," as seen in such roles as Charles Widmore on "Lost," Dr. Aaron Copley on "Torchwood," and Bradford Meade on "Ugly Betty." I particularly remember him from "Torchwood" as he was the powerful douchebag who shot and killed Owen Harper. He's played many roles in procedurals as well including "NCIS," "Law & Order: SVU," "Crossing Jordan," "CSI: Miami," "JAG," "The West Wing," and "The Practice." I'm ashamed to admit I don't remember him as Vice President Jim Prescott on "24," but then I remember how long ago I actually watched "24." I never watched a single episode of "The O.C.," but he was a regular on that show for a while as Caleb Nichol. He's primarily in television, although he did have a part in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." However, I think it's best if we just forget that movie ever existed.