I warn you now...I wrote this when I was totally exhausted and therefore probably completely out of my mind....but I felt the need to share!

So I know it really should have occurred to me by now…and probably has before, but I have forgotten….but I realised that there are people out there who will see exactly the same thing I do, and think about it in a totally different way to me. What I like/have seen/appreciated/am aware of etc…affect how I will read something.
For example, my mum and I both watch Brothers and Sisters, and have from the beginning. So in terms of the characters and the general story of the show, we have the same history to pull from in our understanding of what is going on.

However, there is also all the material we bring from our pre-existing knowledge/history/adoration etc of the actors/writers etc… We knew going into the series that Calista had done Ally McBeal, and that Sally Field had done many things and loved them for them. I knew about Patricia Wettig and Ken Olin being actually married. I knew Ron Rifkin from Alias and so that made me see his character in a different way to my mum.

Now I didn’t really know anything about Rob Lowe when he started in Brothers and Sisters, and am not sure if I even thought that much of him after that…I knew I liked him, and knew that he was from The West Wing, and some 80’s movies…but not a whole lot else. Then I watched the West Wing…and while that changed the way I see almost everything, I now realise that my love of him from TWW makes me love his character more. I “aww” at him, and like his smile and him in a tux makes me happy. But my mum isn’t a fan, she doesn’t love him. And as a result does not get so excited to see him in the show, I mean she doesn’t hate him or anything, but she does adore him like I do. She doesn’t understand why I giggle when he says something overly political, or grin when he’s wearing a tux, but she can appreciate the character most of the time.
So if I take that logic to anything else…I A) start to feel bad(and kinda sad) for all the people watching movies with Allison Janney in them, that don’t or can’t appreciate her awesomeness! It’s really their loss, and I am sure most of them don’t know what they are missing. And B) worry about the people that watch the same shows I watch, and don’t get why so many people love certain characters they don’t, and also how so many people can actually HATE characters that I LOVE to death!
I wonder if there will ever be the day I will not be watching something and be able to connect it back to one of my fave TV shows. I also worry that someday I am going to either miss something, or not be able to hate the characters I should, because I am too attached. I mean its sorta happening already, but I imagine in the future, my brain might completely end up changing a movie or show I’m watching, and I will actually believe a very different outcome to what ACTUALLY happened.

Things I learned about TV while writing my media essay!

I recently handed in my very last Uni essay, which was for Information Society, an essay comparing the media ownership policy of Australia and the US. While working on it, I noted down a couple of things I found interesting, or things that I learned of/about.


• I learned the original reason the world was inundated with game shows! Because of a law that made it illegal for a network to show any network show between 7 and 8pm, other than 30 minutes of network news.

• The Big US Cable channels all belong to major broadcast networks. (okay I already knew about Showtime and CBS cause they put that in there title)

• The West Wing has opened up my mind with unexpected parameters. Issues relating to The White House, Government and Policy are no longer dreaded topics in my readings, or general interest.....however don't think I'll start to get TOO into Aussie politics...or involved in any non-major issues! I don't care THAT much!!!!

• In relation to the point above, I think I would be able to learn anything if it was written about by Aaron Sorkin! –I wonder how well I could have done in high school if everything had been explained or written by him?!


• Approximately 5 companies own the whole of US/World Media.....in Australia, we only have 2 or 3....still worse for us! Plain scary infact!


-Obviously I learned a lot more than that from my Media and Communications degree....but these were a couple of recent points that stuck out.

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Carlie

1 Part Addiction, 1 Part Guilty Pleasure, and 3 Parts Old Loyalties

So my level of Glee addiction is building. It was so nice to have a new ep this week, after 2 weeks almost cold turkey! And extra nice to have a Wicked song and Wicked refs. :D
I so can't wait for the next soundtrack, I believe it comes out in december.

My guilty pleasure show, or really my Like-not-love show, is Cougar Town....I imagine if the people in it were other people, I probably wouldn't like it so much...but its kinda quirky and entertaining. I'll stick with it.
I mean it's getting better/more entertaining each week!

The loyalties lie with Brothers and Sisters, Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy. I can't believe how good Grey's has gotten in the last few eps. I wasn't really expecting anything, and they surprised me. I do think that they need to rap it up soon..I think it'll get weird if it starts going for 8, 9, 10 etc seasons. It's not the same as ER...I mean if Ellen leaves....it seems odd to have a show named Grey's Anatomy...without Meredith...and Lexi is really no substitute....But I'm gonna try and not think about it.
Loving the other two still, however I hope Brothers and Sisters stays on track...sometimes it has a habit of seeming to have no point or direction.

In other TV watchage....Still haven't watched anymore of The Good Wife, I'm almost done with season 4 of Gilmore Girls, I'm up to season 2 in my rewatching of Grey's from the beginning.

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Carlie

"Reality Has Absolutely No Place in Our World!" -Lorelai Gilmore

So...I'm putting it out there...I do not live in reality.

I prefer living in a world where...
...Studio 60 never ends, just keeps going on and on...with Matt and Harriet staying together
...Josh and Donna really DO live happily ever after, getting married and all....
...Monica, Chandler, and the Gang still hang out and get up to their antics
...Luke and Lorelai stay together and Rory doesn't stay away too long
...County ER is still fixing up people and doing us proud
...Vaughn and Sydney are living happily with the kids...and maybe doing the occasional spy gig
...Jordan and Woody figure it out!
...Delinda actually has her baby.....
...Jack and Karen, Will and Grace still drive each other crazy (in the best possible way)
...Joey and Pacey stick together, and Dawson finally gets a grip!

(There might be more I'm forgetting.....but I'll ignore that for now)


I have lost more shows in the last few years than I've watched shows total in the last few years...which is worrying. I am enjoying picking up some older shows...I mean I knew what I was getting into with The West Wing...but I never in a million years knew I'd love it that much, that I'd miss not having new eps to watch!
But I think Studio 60 is the worst...not to mention poor Delinda stuck in labor-limbo!


Reality TV aint for me! No way, no how!


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Carlie

Updates....Again

So...not a whole lot going on in my TV world at the moment. I've been busy with uni.

I'm halfway through season 4 of Weeds. Starting to get scary now. But still good.

I'm loving Cougar Town...it's silly, but just gets better every week. Especially Christa and Busy!
I'm totally addicted to Glee. And I'm bummed about waiting till the 11th (or 12th in my case I guess) for the next ep!

Since I had a break in my roster of TV, I finally watched the pilot of The Good Wife with Julianna Margulies. I like it. The cast is too good! I'll give the 2nd ep a shot, see how things go from there.
I plan to also finally get around to Modern Family at some point.

Other than that, I'm still watching Studio 60 for about the billionth time....I've just got past The Harriet Dinner eps.  I've also just started season 4 of Gilmore Girls....for about the trillionth time. But I do love it!



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Carlie