Have you ever noticed that when TV writers finally get two characters together, the conflict between them often evaporates and the couple is no longer interesting? Not so with Jim and Pam on The Office.
Last week the show returned from hiatus with Michael and Jan hosting the dinner party from hell and then finally calling it quits. This week, Michael’s biological clock was ticking. He wants to have a family, and he’s also shopping for a new chair for his office. The chair model in the supply catalogue turns out to be the perfect woman for him, with only one minor hitch. She died in a car accident.
To console Michael, Pam sets him up with her landlady, who happens to be a very nice woman, just not hot enough for Michael. That situation creates a perfect transition from the episode’s main plotline to some lovely Jim-and-Pam banter.
If Pam’s landlady kicks her out, she can move in with Jim.
Except she won’t move in unless they’re engaged.
Has he really not proposed yet?
Pam raises her ringless hand for inspection.
Then, in one of those fabulous vignettes with Jim talking to the camera, he shows us the ring he bought a week after they started dating.
The promise of Jim’s proposal will keep fans of The Office coming back for more. I can’t begin to guess what the writers have in store for us, but I’ll bet Jim’s proposal will kick everyone’s butt!
"Hey, Pam. Will you wait for me one second while I tie my shoe?"
Yes, Jim. We're all waiting.
Here's what I'm watching tonight:
Brothers & Sisters is back!
I'll also be tuning in to Sweet Nothings in My Ear, a made-for-TV movie staring Marlee Matlin - a family drama about a deaf and hearing couple who struggle to decide whether or not to give their deaf son a cochlear implant.
And of course Marlee's still a contender on Dancing With The Stars!
Showing posts with label Brothers and Sisters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brothers and Sisters. Show all posts
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Tuesday News
April is TV Month! It’s been a long time since we’ve seen new episodes of our favorite shows, so April is feeling like fall premiere season all over again. Here’s what I’ll be watching:
For the writers out there, April is conflict month with The Wet Noodle Posse. On April 8 I'll be blogging about characters' goals, motivation and conflict, and about writing GMC statements for our characters. But it gets better!
Talk to you later.
Lee
Men in Trees — Wednesdays (currently airing new episodes)
NUMB3RS — Friday,April 4 (6 new episodes)
Samantha Who? — Monday, April 7 (6 new episodes)
30 Rock — Thursday, April 10 (5 new episodes)
The Office — Thursday,April 10 (6 new episodes)
Brothers and Sisters — Sunday, April 20 (possibly 6 new episodes)
Gossip Girl — Monday, April 21 (5 or 6 new episodes; note the new night)
Grey's Anatomy — Thursday, April 24 (not sure, but there should be 4 or 5 new episodes)
For the writers out there, April is conflict month with The Wet Noodle Posse. On April 8 I'll be blogging about characters' goals, motivation and conflict, and about writing GMC statements for our characters. But it gets better!
"Along with the award-winning Wet Noodle Posse authors, we have a star-studdedThe Posse hopes you'll join us and our guests this month for lively discussions about conflict and the chance to win some great prizes!
line-up of guest bloggers, including bestselling authors Jo Beverley (whose new
book, A Lady's Secret, is out today!), Susan Gable, Anna Campbell, Tawny Weber,
and Christie Kelley. You won't want to miss a single day! We will be giving away
a signed copy of a Jo Beverley novel on the 24th to a lucky participant, but you
must comment to enter. So please plan to join us all month long and bring your
questions and comments to our knowledgeable group of writers."
Talk to you later.
Lee
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Brothers & Sisters
I really, really like this show. I watched the season premiere on Sunday and have been wanting to say something constructively critical but the truth is, I simply like the show. Not so much because of the writing or the acting, but because of its premise, theme or whatever you want to call it. Family.
No matter what choices our parents or siblings or even aunts and uncles make, they’re family. We love them and because of that we’re there at their side, helping them work through whatever decision they made. In Brothers & Sisters, I love that Nora, their mother, is at the core of the family. Whatever happens to one of her children happens to her because she’s right there with them, sharing their joy and disappointments. It doesn't matter that they're adults because they'll always be her children.
I love that Nora assembles her family to celebrate special occasions and family dinners. It reminds of my grandmother. From the tiniest kitchen you can imagine, she could serve up a feast to three generations, and make it look easy. Although she’s no longer with us and everyone has spread themselves across the continent, I still love family dinners. In fact I’m already planning Thanksgiving dinner for this weekend. Yes, Canadians celebrate in the early fall, maybe because harvest has to happen before the snow flies! Although Thanksgiving Day is October 8, we’ll have dinner on Sunday because Monday will be a travel day for some.
Hm. Family dinner on Sunday evening. Must remember to tape the second episode of Brothers & Sisters!
I’ll be back soon!
Lee
No matter what choices our parents or siblings or even aunts and uncles make, they’re family. We love them and because of that we’re there at their side, helping them work through whatever decision they made. In Brothers & Sisters, I love that Nora, their mother, is at the core of the family. Whatever happens to one of her children happens to her because she’s right there with them, sharing their joy and disappointments. It doesn't matter that they're adults because they'll always be her children.
I love that Nora assembles her family to celebrate special occasions and family dinners. It reminds of my grandmother. From the tiniest kitchen you can imagine, she could serve up a feast to three generations, and make it look easy. Although she’s no longer with us and everyone has spread themselves across the continent, I still love family dinners. In fact I’m already planning Thanksgiving dinner for this weekend. Yes, Canadians celebrate in the early fall, maybe because harvest has to happen before the snow flies! Although Thanksgiving Day is October 8, we’ll have dinner on Sunday because Monday will be a travel day for some.
Hm. Family dinner on Sunday evening. Must remember to tape the second episode of Brothers & Sisters!
I’ll be back soon!
Lee
Sunday, September 23, 2007
At Home on TV
The list of my favorite shows in the sidebar might seem a tad eclectic—dramas and comedies for adults and young adults, and settings ranging from small towns to big cities or, in some cases, stories set primarily in a single building. I’m not saying these are the best shows on TV. They’re simply the ones that have a struck a chord for me.
Different as they may seem, I see lots of similarities. Gilmore Girls (even though it’s been cancelled, it’s still a favorite), Men in Trees and October Road are set in small town America. To me, those communities are like secondary characters in their respective stories. But communities don’t have to be towns and cities. In The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, communities exist within the walls of a building. The Office’s boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) has almost as much affection for the building as he has for his staff. Seattle Grace is practically home for the surgeon and interns of Grey’s Anatomy. In Degrassi: TNG, the community is a high school and, for the first time last season, a university.
Home and family are important factors in most of these shows. The contrast between Lorelei’s home and her parents’ home was a major story element in Gilmore Girls, and Rory eventually leaving home became a major part of the show. In Men in Trees, Marin Frist leaves her home in New York and finds a new one in the unlikely town of Elmo, Alaska. October Road is about a character returning home after a long absence and having to come to terms with what has changed and what has stayed the same. The relationship between two very different brothers and their father is an important element of NUMB3RS and for me it’s one of the things that sets it apart from most other crime shows on television. Their family home is a retreat from the chaotic, albeit predictable according to Charlie, world around them.
Brothers and Sisters is all about family. I didn’t watch it during the regular season last year, but I caught the summer reruns. At first I thought it might be too political for my taste, but that’s overshadowed by each family member’s individual story arc and the adult children’s relationships with their, um, slightly neurotic mother, Nora Walker (Sally Field).
I’m still debating which new shows I’ll watch this year. I saw the first episode of Gossip Girl and will definitely check out a few more before I make up my mind about that one. Since The Practice is a spinoff from Grey’s Anatomy, I’ll give that one a chance, too.
Any recommendations?
Back tomorrow.
Lee
Different as they may seem, I see lots of similarities. Gilmore Girls (even though it’s been cancelled, it’s still a favorite), Men in Trees and October Road are set in small town America. To me, those communities are like secondary characters in their respective stories. But communities don’t have to be towns and cities. In The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, communities exist within the walls of a building. The Office’s boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) has almost as much affection for the building as he has for his staff. Seattle Grace is practically home for the surgeon and interns of Grey’s Anatomy. In Degrassi: TNG, the community is a high school and, for the first time last season, a university.
Home and family are important factors in most of these shows. The contrast between Lorelei’s home and her parents’ home was a major story element in Gilmore Girls, and Rory eventually leaving home became a major part of the show. In Men in Trees, Marin Frist leaves her home in New York and finds a new one in the unlikely town of Elmo, Alaska. October Road is about a character returning home after a long absence and having to come to terms with what has changed and what has stayed the same. The relationship between two very different brothers and their father is an important element of NUMB3RS and for me it’s one of the things that sets it apart from most other crime shows on television. Their family home is a retreat from the chaotic, albeit predictable according to Charlie, world around them.Brothers and Sisters is all about family. I didn’t watch it during the regular season last year, but I caught the summer reruns. At first I thought it might be too political for my taste, but that’s overshadowed by each family member’s individual story arc and the adult children’s relationships with their, um, slightly neurotic mother, Nora Walker (Sally Field).
I’m still debating which new shows I’ll watch this year. I saw the first episode of Gossip Girl and will definitely check out a few more before I make up my mind about that one. Since The Practice is a spinoff from Grey’s Anatomy, I’ll give that one a chance, too.
Any recommendations?
Back tomorrow.
Lee
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Who Has The Remote?
This is my first post on my new blog. Thank you for stopping by! First, a bit about me. I am a romance author, thrilled to be writing for Harlequin’s American Romance series. Yes, those covers in the sidebar are for my first two books! Aren’t they gorgeous?
Along with writing, the most important things in my life are family and friends. Which makes American Romance a perfect place for me because that’s what these books are about—everyday people overcoming difficulties with the help of their family and friends, and finding love and happiness in the communities they call home. If you’re already a fan of these books, you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you’re new to American Romance, I hope you’ll love them as much as I do.
Readers tell me they love my characters and I’m always thrilled to hear that because creating characters is my favorite part of the writing process. And it’s so much easier than developing a plot. Fortunately, after I get to know my characters, they fill me in on their story as I write. As unbelievable as that might sound, that’s how the process works for me.
The hardest part is coming up with a book proposal to send to my editor before I’ve actually written the book. How can someone like me write a synopsis for an unwritten book when she doesn’t have the faintest idea what’s going to happen? I’ve struggled with this and finally managed to get a handle on it when I learned a little about scriptwriting and storyboarding techniques.
A TV or film script is a thing of beauty. Dialogue and a few stage directions—an entire story arc, stripped to its bare bones. It’s similar to what I might come up with if I were plotting a book, and it sort of resembles a first draft. Then I get to take off my scriptwriter’s hat and become the costume and set designer, director and camera operator as I flesh out the story. That’s the fun of being a novelist!
I still have a lot to learn and believe it or not, and watching my favorite TV shows is part of the process. I’m especially looking forward to this week because many of the season premieres for those shows will be on.
The Office (NBC) (one-hour season premiere!)—Thursday, September 27
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)—Thursday, September 27
NUMB3RS (CBS)—Friday, September 28
Whistler (CTV)—Saturday, September 29 (only in Canada)
Brothers and Sisters (ABC)—Sunday, September 30
My top fav, Men in Trees (ABC), doesn’t start until Friday, October 12. Still three weeks away, and I’m trying very hard to be patient.
Every week I’ll blog about my take on what I’ve seen, why I love these shows, and what I’ve learned. I may discuss what I as a writer might have done differently, but I’m not a critic so don’t expect in-depth analyses and critical reviews. Also, don’t expect Hollywood gossip—it’s not my thing.
From time to time I’ll also post news and reviews about my own writing, and there’ll be the occasional guest blogger and even a contest or two. And of course I’d love to hear your insights and recommendations or anything else that’s on your mind, so drop by any time.
See you tomorrow.
Lee
Along with writing, the most important things in my life are family and friends. Which makes American Romance a perfect place for me because that’s what these books are about—everyday people overcoming difficulties with the help of their family and friends, and finding love and happiness in the communities they call home. If you’re already a fan of these books, you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you’re new to American Romance, I hope you’ll love them as much as I do.
Readers tell me they love my characters and I’m always thrilled to hear that because creating characters is my favorite part of the writing process. And it’s so much easier than developing a plot. Fortunately, after I get to know my characters, they fill me in on their story as I write. As unbelievable as that might sound, that’s how the process works for me.
The hardest part is coming up with a book proposal to send to my editor before I’ve actually written the book. How can someone like me write a synopsis for an unwritten book when she doesn’t have the faintest idea what’s going to happen? I’ve struggled with this and finally managed to get a handle on it when I learned a little about scriptwriting and storyboarding techniques.
A TV or film script is a thing of beauty. Dialogue and a few stage directions—an entire story arc, stripped to its bare bones. It’s similar to what I might come up with if I were plotting a book, and it sort of resembles a first draft. Then I get to take off my scriptwriter’s hat and become the costume and set designer, director and camera operator as I flesh out the story. That’s the fun of being a novelist!
I still have a lot to learn and believe it or not, and watching my favorite TV shows is part of the process. I’m especially looking forward to this week because many of the season premieres for those shows will be on.
The Office (NBC) (one-hour season premiere!)—Thursday, September 27
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)—Thursday, September 27
NUMB3RS (CBS)—Friday, September 28
Whistler (CTV)—Saturday, September 29 (only in Canada)
Brothers and Sisters (ABC)—Sunday, September 30
My top fav, Men in Trees (ABC), doesn’t start until Friday, October 12. Still three weeks away, and I’m trying very hard to be patient.
Every week I’ll blog about my take on what I’ve seen, why I love these shows, and what I’ve learned. I may discuss what I as a writer might have done differently, but I’m not a critic so don’t expect in-depth analyses and critical reviews. Also, don’t expect Hollywood gossip—it’s not my thing.
From time to time I’ll also post news and reviews about my own writing, and there’ll be the occasional guest blogger and even a contest or two. And of course I’d love to hear your insights and recommendations or anything else that’s on your mind, so drop by any time.
See you tomorrow.
Lee
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