Top 5 Tuesday

If I weren’t so tired, and SO busy with finishing work for class tomorrow, I would have composed a much more thorough list for Top 5 Tuesday. However, I am not Superwoman, and I do have pages left to both read and write, so this will have to be brief. Brevity is the soul of wit, as I’ve heard. Here goes, my poorly written and executed Top 5, the best new elements of this television season.




5. Tony returning to 24. I’ve already written a post about this, so I won’t waste too much time. Suffice to say, I’m a fan of Tony Almeida, and I’m glad to see Jack has one of his old pals back, to help him battle the various enemies of the United States. We can all use a little help from our friends!



4. A steady stream of A-list guest stars, 30 Rock. Now, 30 Rock is a special kind of show, with a special kind of humor. One has to have watched it through several episodes to appreciate it. What better way to draw in new viewers than to ask for a few favors from your friends? Jennifer Aniston, Salma Hayek, Jon Hamm…it just keeps getting better, and funnier. By the way, I included a clip where Jack Donaghy highlights his first meeting with his mother's nurse, played by Salma Hayek. So it DOES technically give a hint about the carousel of great guest stars!




3. Cuddy’s baby, House. This is a very new development, but a welcome one. In fact, just a week ago, Cuddy was having to be convinced that her mothering, nurturing instincts would kick in at any time. I, for one, never doubted her. Cuddy has wanted a baby for so long that there were bound to be a few things in her way, and I was touched by what was probably a very normal reaction for an adoptive mother. Now she can barely tear her eyes away from her nanny cam long enough to terrorize House. Things sure have changed at Princeton-Plainsboro!




2. Jim and Pam’s engagement, The Office. Does this need further explanation? I would have thought, after having perused my last Top 5, that no one would doubt my affection for the best couple on television.




1. Olivia Dunham and the Bishop family, Fringe. I am a HUGE fan of Joshua Jackson (Team Pacey!!), so I was thrilled to hear he’d be back on tv, and my confidence was further boosted by hearing the pilot was the brainchild of television wunderkind JJ Abrams. Fringe has not disappointed, largely because of the charm of John Noble, who plays Walter Bishop, and the awkward chemistry that has been established with Olivia, Walter, his son Peter (Josh Jackson!), and even the oft-neglected Astrid, Olivia’s assistant and fourth member of the team. The show itself is very X-Files-y, but with a much bigger budget and cooler special effects. Check it out, especially if you used to pine away for Pacey in the days when Capeside and the WB ruled.