Old Girl, New Girl

     I am at the height of summer TV desperation. As a rule, I normally don't watch repeats of shows during the summer. I stick to limited runs and summer-only shows, just to freshen my mind and leave more time for fun.


It's time for more New Girl. I  fully understand the writers and show creates do not want to write Zooey Deschanel's pregnancy into the show. But I am seriously missing Jess, Nick, Cece, Schmidt, Winston, and Coach, who will  not be back until Winter 2016. I think the hardest thing about the new season will be the departure of Coach, played by Damon Wayans, Jr. The weirdest thing it that he was in the first episode, and due to Happy Endings (another really quirky and fun show) getting renewed, he didn't come back until season 3. Although a lot of formative episodes were pre-coach, I can't imagine life without him now. He has grown for a totally emotional cripple to Jess's close friend and co-worker. While Jess bonds closely with Winston over important things (getting a bathtub, lying about Cece's feelings for Schmidt), she and coach have a delightful discourse where she keeps wearing away at his tough outer shell, much the same way she did with Nick. The difference between Coach and Nick is that Nick fell for Jess, and Coach just learned to appreciate life more.

     I have been going back and binging the last few episodes left on Hulu, and watching the first and second seasons on DVD again. My Tuesday nights will not be the same now that The Mindy Project is moving to Hulu.

A Note About OTH Getting Real

In a shocking juxtaposition between what you get and what you see, One Tree Hill's promos have little to do (tone-wise) with the actual episode. Each episode is full of somberness and sorrow, the angst of your twenties with some soap-opera drama. Each promo is in the 90210-style "Ten Shocking Things that Happen This Week" method, which will need to stop if this show wants to continue with its integrity. And as much as I love OTH, let's agree that its integrity is definitely compromised this season. Not only was season 8 hanging by a thread, but both Clay and Quinn barely lived from that shooting.

Speaking of the shooting nobody should have survived (they were unconscious for like 30 hours), isn't anyone looking for that Katie nutcase that shot them? What happened to Tree hill Justice? Even though Dan wasn't convicted of Keith's murder for a while, they suspected he did it, and he did go to jail. They KNOW crazy Katie killed these people, and nobody seems to bat an eyelash...

But I do like Haley taking over as the narrator. Her bookend letters to Lucas are a cute way to narrate the show and get back to the roots,back when Lucas used to narrate the show. I miss those peroxide-heads. This show cannot go out without Lucas and Peyton coming back.

I'm undecided about how i feel about the new opening credits. I love the resurgence of the credits, but there's a new version of "I Don't Want to Be" every week. It's interesting, but its not comforting.

Another Note About Opening Credits

THEY'RE BACK!

I'm finally catching up on the season premiere of One Tree Hill, which much to my surprise, totally played the cliffhanger of Quinn and Clay getting shot off as a dream until the last possible moment of the episode, and then what happens????? OPENING CREDITS

The One Tree Hill opening credits, which were first pulled in the season three episode where Jimmy shot up the school, have been missing surely for seasons 6 and 7, and possibly a good portion of season 5 (except for the 100th episode where they filmed Gavin DeGraw singing and playing piano with little Jamie).

As is customary, there were shout outs to departed characters Lucas and Peyton throughout the first few minutes. Plus shots of Lucas bouncing the basketball across the train bridge at sunrise and a shot of Peyton's curly mane in one of Brooke's shots.

In a side note, hellcats is eerily reminiscent of One Tree Hill. Could it be the cheer competitions? The fact that Aly (Marty) looks just like a young Hilarie Burton (Peyton)? Could it be the east-coast southern location? Could it be the two former one tree hill cast members (Quentin and Psycho Derek?)

A Note With an Ode to the Opening Credits

I've been catching up on PSYCH lately, which is a whole other entry worth of an amazing show but somewhere near the opening credits I realized something. Who even has opening credits anymore?

While so many shows dropped their opening credits and settled for a quick flash of the show logo on screen (Greys, One Tree Hill, etc..), Psych is one of the few shows I can think of off the top of my head that still really does opening credits (and Royal Pains does too). I don't mean the credits with just the names of the actors (see True Blood- which has amazing and also creepy credits with a whole good/evil theme).

I mean honest to goodness - here is so and so, he plays a zany next door neighbor, look at him pet a puppy, then do a slow twirl type of credits.

Opening credits (and their amazing theme songs) used to define shows. When you heard the intensity of the ER sirens and pulsating music, you knew it was time for Clooney to save a life. When the friends theme song started, it was time to clap along and do your best impression of the Ross Gellar slow-walk. When "I Don't Want to Wait" pounded, you were prepared to scream at Dawson for being so self-centered. And when the schoolbell for Saved By the Bell rings - (yes rings- I still love watching Saved by the Bell like its 1990).

So PSYCH, which goes over and above the call of duty for credits, should be commended. There have been countless revisions to the song from Japanese to Western to 80s rock to "alien", there have been shortened versions and extended versions. It is the standard to which all opening credits should be held.