Anyone who knows me well, should know that I am currently embarking on a mission to only watch shows that have been cancelled. I find this frees up a lot of my spare time, and indeed has enabled Maristar and I to cancel our cable. This gives me a good buffer of time to read about the rise, popularity, and fall of a show before allowing myself to pass judgement. Plus, I usually watch all my shows in marathon episode-after-episode sessions that are made that much more enjoyable by the lack of commercials and perfect DVD quality.
That said, everyone should go watch Heroes, right now. No, it isn’t cancelled yet. It’s just started in fact, and it’s some kickass shit.
I was just going to leave my article at that because that’s how serious I am, but I guess I could throw in a picture and maybe comment a bit on it too.
The story behind Heroes is pretty simple: following a solar eclipse a bunch of folks around the planet (a dozen or two in the storyline; probably thousands worldwide) find they are gaining superpowers. The show portrays it in a very realistic sense - it isn’t “Oh! We’re mutants! Let’s strap on tights and build a giant command center to save the world in,” but instead is a much more interesting and engaging “Really? I have.. Super… Whats? Woah… How should… Wait, seriously, superpowers? Heh”
The powers themselves are varied so far; from the inane (getting a photographic memory) to the plot-enriching (painting the future) to the trouble-making (reading minds); all the powers exist solely as excellent plot decisions by the writers.
The show has a lot of promise, and it’s keeping me gripp-ed at the edge of my seat. People are saying “it’s the new Lost” (I have no idea what lost is; it isn’t cancelled yet) and people are tripping over themselves to get their mitts on the action-drama-comedy mix that is taking the world by storm.
But more than anything, I watch the show for one duo. The over-exuberant non-english-speaking Japanese 20-something that has just found out he has one of the coolest powers of them all - he can bend time and space. Plus he’s dragging his normal-joe friend along as his companion and translator.
I mean seriously, this guy is hilarious, while still having such a kickass ability that he can’t help but move the plot and keep the show interesting when he isn’t even trying.
I found a website that lists all the episodes, if you want to write them down and find them on DVD when it’s released. Because I’m a nice guy like that. Even if you think you can just buy the box set I encourage you to click that link just to see what the episodes are named, in anticipation of the awesomeness.
Posted on May 22nd, 2007 by Iride Daley 
on May 24th, 2007 at 12:08 pm #
It always kind of bugs me when people talk about “Simpsons should hang it up” and it not being as good as Family Guy or South Park or whatever. Cause even if its not as good as either of those shows (and that’s debatable), its still better than 90% of what’s on TV.
I will agree that Family Guy was better than Simpsons this week. But I liked the Simpsons a few months back where Bart and Lisa built a cardboard box fortress better than both of them.
on May 24th, 2007 at 10:00 pm #
I agree with that. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy The Simpsons anymore. It’s just sad to see something that was formerly so great sink so low. The Simpsons in its prime was better than South Park or Family Guy will ever be, it’s just so sad to see them struggling now. It’s like watching an interview with Muhammed Ali, I just wish they had had the self-respect and discipline to go out while they were still on top like Seinfeld. Saying it is better than the other crap on TV isn’t saying much at all. I don’t know what kind of original programming you have on CBC, but a blank screen has got to be better than at least 60% of shows in the U.S.
on May 29th, 2007 at 12:31 pm #
At the end of clip two Death lists the people killed and Peter admits he doesn’t know who those people are.
What chunk of the populations of the U.S. and Canada do you think know who those people are, and who are worse in the short and long runs, the people who support/like the Tucker Carlsons, etc, or the people who don’t even know who they are?
on May 29th, 2007 at 5:16 pm #
I watched the Simpsons religiously until about season 13, and since then I miss it more and more often. I actually have been pretty bad about watching Family Guy as well the last couple seasons, though I am going to download them when the season is over. But yes, while the Simpsons isn’t what it once was, I’m pretty sure that if it were taken off the air, its place wouldn’t be taken by some excellent show, instead we’d be treated to more of the crap that we’re getting already. The little quality that does actually make it to air seems to happen in spite of the tv networks’ efforts, not because of them.
on May 29th, 2007 at 5:18 pm #
As far as Tucker et al. are concerned, it’s always easier to face the enemy you know.
on May 29th, 2007 at 5:47 pm #
The Mad TV shot reminded me of a clip Pagz and I were talking about the other night. We both agree that’s it’s quite literally the only fun thing they’ve ever done.
on May 30th, 2007 at 6:54 am #
This may be more fitting to the other Iwright article comment section but whatever.
The trouble with this whole discussion is that we’re dealing with quality of music or television or whatever as a totally objective thing, but its subjective. One bee’s feces is another man’s honey so to speak.
Foley watched Simpsons until season 13 and then petered off. That’s fine, but I petered off at about season 8 and then got back into it about 13 cause the writing started to be a lot funnier to me.
Same thing applies to music, as discussed in the other article. Most people would tell you that Pink Floyd’s high point was around Dark Side of the Moon, but I love the early Syd Barrett stuff much more. And I know people who swear by their late 80’s early 90’s stuff. Personally, I think their later stuff wonks, but I don’t think that makes the people who like it wrong.
Because we’re all like snowflakes my children…
on May 30th, 2007 at 9:04 am #
… we’re all very pretty.
on May 30th, 2007 at 4:39 pm #
The Simpsons was one of the best shows back-in-the-day, but a lot of folks are forgetting that more shows are being made every day. Pretty soon we’ll have enough stellar-awesome-amazing shows on the tube that we would be able to sit down and really, really enjoy it, 24/7.
The Simpsons is better than many shows out there, but between all the heavyweights these days (Heroes/Lost/Family Guy/etc etc) there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to fit the Simpson’s in.
on May 30th, 2007 at 4:40 pm #
You know, and still go to work and such.
on May 30th, 2007 at 4:48 pm #
Don’t ask me man, I don’t even have cable
on May 30th, 2007 at 4:52 pm #
I don’t either! I do obtain shows through different means (for example, maybe I rent them on DVD! Maybe.).
And all those shows I obtain don’t have commercial breaks or anything, and I have enough of them to fill all my off hours, and the simpson’s isn’t one of them.