Why I Love The Neighbors

If you haven't tuned in to The Neighbors yet, what the heck is wrong with you?

I know this show is destined for failure, for several reasons.

1. I laugh through all 30 minutes of it.

2. It has a sci fi twist and for some reason that doesn't work on network tv anymore.

3. The characters are absolutely a hoot!

This show is more slapstick then Third Rock From The Sun was, but you might draw comparisons, because they are both comedies with the main characters being aliens. Though I have to say, I think the aliens in this show are much funnier.

I have already stated that if they can this show, the Simon Templeton should be cast as the next Doctor. I kept watching him thinking...yes he would make a great Time Lord.

One of the things that makes this show so awesome are the cute kids that aren't obnoxious.

This is one of those cute kids

Ian Patrick plays Dick Butkus. He's absolutely adorable, and he's the youngest of the alien kids, I think. The most fun part of the show is watching how the aliens try to adapt to life on Earth.

This show is hysterical. Even if you don't have a love of Sci-Fi you should give it a try.

TV Review: Once Upon A Time

ONCE UPON A TIME - From the inventive minds of "Lost" executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis comes a bold new imagining of the world, where fairy tales and the modern-day are about to collide. "Once Upon a Time" stars Ginnifer Goodwin ("Big Love") as Snow White/Sister Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison ("House MD") as Emma Swan, Robert Carlyle ("The Full Monty," "Trainspotting," "SGU Stargate Universe") as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold, Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen/Regina, Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham, Jared Gilmore ("Mad Men") as Henry, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/John Doe and Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie. "Once Upon a Time" was written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who are also executive producers, along with Steve Pearlman (ABC's "V"). The pilot is directed and executive-produced by Mark Mylod ("Entourage"). "Once Upon a Time" is from ABC Studios. (ABC/JACK ROWAND) GINNIFER GOODWIN, JOSH DALLAS

If there is one crazy show to watch this season, Once Upon A Time is it. I can't pinpoint what it is about this that really pulls you in to watch more and more, but there is something there. I hope it succeeds, because it is so unusual, almost as unusual as Lost, who the executive producers also created.

The cast is stunning with Jennifer Morrison, who most of us know from House, as Snow White/Sister Mary Margaret. With short hair as Mary Margaret, she's really unrecognizable.

I really am interested in seeing how long they can keep this show going. What is the public's interest in fairy tales that try to become part of reality?

Well, it is a Sunday show, so the public doesn't have to be too interested to keep it going, and I would love to see it last more than 6 episodes. The scenery is fantastic, as are the costumes when the show goes into "fairytale land."

If you haven't given this show a shot, I suggest that you do, it is probably one of the most original things on right now.

TV Review: Good Luck Charlie

Last night saw the premiere of another Disney Channel show. Good Luck Charlie is probably not the greatest show they have, but its definitely one that everyone can sit down and watch.

Remember the TGIF days of ABC? Well this show may not be up to shows like Full House or Family Matters, but its definitely in the ball park with them. Its cute. Its funny. Oh and since its on Disney there's no sexual innuendo spilling over into each and every joke.

It features some actors and actresses that you will have seen before on Disney, like Bridgit Medler who plays Teddy Duncan. She was the vampire on Witches Of Waverly Place. Jason Dolley who plays big brother PJ was in the Disney TV movie, Hatching Pete.

Its only downfall is that Bridgit sings its theme song, which means that sometime in the grand scheme of the Disney mind-control, Bridgit will have an album. After all, we can't have a Disney show anymore that doesn't feature a star that is also Radio Disney friendly. Perish the thought!

That said, for the time being, Disney has managed to pull off a show that's funny without being too sickeningly sweet, like Full House was in its day. Oh and did I mention its on Sunday nights? The veritable wasteland time for TV, so it is in fact one of the only "good" things on.

Check Out This Show: Past Life

The new series on Fox, Past Life is one fans of cop dramas will want to check out, especially if you are bored with the same old same old that you find in the Law and Order and CSI franchises.

Past Life is a drama series that investigates the world of the unexplained through the eyes of a doctor and a former detective who must work together to solve decades- old mysteries. It was inspired by a novel called The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose.

3 episodes have already aired and with all hope, this show will be a hit, much like Bones.

The characters are Dr. Kate McGinn: a psychologist who believes in reincarnation after a past life regression in her twenties, Price Whatly a detective that occasionally thinks she's a kook. Together they solve mysteries.

The reincarnation twist really sets this show apart from the usual crime drama. Its not nearly as much blood, guts and gore that the other shows usually throw at us. Definitely not one of the prettier casts out there, but the show is definitely "must see" TV.

The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners

Everyone here knows I'm not into teen TV. Sorry there's no Vampire Diaries for me, or Gossip Girl (though I do like the books). I wasn't even keen on Skins when it aired on BBC America, and I like most things from the UK.

The Inbetweeners has changed my mind about this kind of programing. One plus is its geared more towards teenage boys than girls, and for some reason that makes the show much more appealing to me.

Its 4 16 year old boys in public school trying to make it through sixth form. Click the link to try to sort out the educational system in the UK.

It basically shows the life of the typical not so popular teenage boys trying to make their way through life, trying to acquire booze and chicks all the while they're screwing up.

Unlike Skins, The Inbetweeners is not quite so serious and more funny. My mother was laughing hysterically through it.

If you are looking for a laugh out loud funny show about teenagers and how life is often very fucked up at that time of your life, this is the show to watch. Oh and since its a UK show, there's plenty of profanity too.

TV Review: Nan's Christmas Carol

TV Review: Nan's Christmas Carol

I realize this is late in coming but I finally got around to watching Nan's Christmas Carol, and I have one thing to say about it, IT'S FUCKING AWESOME!

Now first allow me to say, of all the characters Catherine Tate does on her show, Nan is the one I like the least. For the most part the potty mouthed granny gets on my nerves, so why do I like this special so much?

Well, it's got David Tennant as the Ghost Of Christmas Present for one, but the main reason, is its just totally funny. Nan is simply Nan throughout the whole thing, even when she's reforming at the end, she's Nan! She doesn't try to get serious even when faced with the opinions of people during her visit to Christmas Future.

The fun and funny in this special is Catherine Tate and her ability to really play so many different characters and as you see Nan grow up you really appreciate her abilities. Oh and props go to the little girl that played the young Joanie that got to spout off the F-bomb in the special.

This was by far one of the funniest specials I've seen in a very long time. Oh and David Tennant looks hot in skinny jeans!

Christmas In Canaan

Christmas In Canaan

This film was a Hallmark Channel original movie. I admit to liking sappy stuff. I'm sure it ruins my credibility, but I don't really care.

This made for tv movie was based on the book by Kenny Rogers tells the story of two boys growing up in the south. So yeah, its about interracial relations, but its a story that should give each and every one of us hope. Yes, we have our first Afro-American/Man of Color/Black (pick the most politically correct term) president, but that doesn't mean that bigotry is dead.

When the two boys, DJ and Rodney get into a fight over the capital of NY, DJ's dad (Billy Ray Cyrus) comes up with a plan. The two boys should spend equal time living with the other boy's family. As a result a deep and abiding friendship grows and when Rodney's grandmother dies, DJ's family takes him in as one of their own.

In the 1960's and in Texas, this is something that likely would have had more repercussions than the movie portrays, but this is a holiday film and its about feeling good, even when bad things happen and yes, bad things do happen. Crops are bad and one Christmas is very bleak and as the boys are reaching the end of their school years, DJ's young brother is struck by a car and crippled trying to warn Rodney of a hate crime about to happen.

Sure some of the things that happen seem far fetched. Can that much bad stuff befall one set of people? (probably..I know my life)

But that doesn't matter. This story paints a beautiful picture of racial harmony in a time when there wasn't a whole of it. Billy Ray Cyrus proves he's the talent in the family (as most of us already knew). The rest of the cast shines too. If you want to watch a good, heartwarming and tearjerking movie on TV this holiday, check your listings for this one. Its worth the 2 hours spent in front of the TV.

The Sing-Off

The Sing-Off

I'm not normally one for reality shows, but I had to get sucked into The Sing-Off because Ben Folds is one of the judges. I would preorder the deluxe audiobook of Ben Folds reading the phone book. I was delightfully surprised by the show, though. Kind of like the movie Deathrace, it was a healthy mix of genuinely good parts and so-bad-they're-good parts.

The premise is much like any of the musical competition shows, and the gimmick is that every group is a capella. Hosted by the ever-awkward Nich Lachey and judged by Folds, Boyz-II-Men's Shawn Stockman, and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls. And good lord, is Nicole a mess. Idol missed the boat when they replaced Paula with Ellen. She uses the adjective "dope" a lot, pronounced ukulele as "ookoleele," and has a zen-like stream-of-conscious Michael Scott way with finishing sentences very far from where she started.

As for the contestents themselves, it's a mixed bag. Sure, you've got your "kooky white college boys" that come to mind when you think of college a capella (the Beelzebubs, a crowd favorite and actually one of my frontrunners) and your Glee-tastic happy kids (the SoCals), but they're not representative of all the groups, which is pretty cool. My favorite so far is a female soccer mom barbershop quartet called Maxx Factor, who rocked it out barbershop style to ABBA's "Dancing Queen."

So far the crowd's faves have been Faces, a rock-apella band of bouncers and Cold Stone Creamery lackeys that got sent home early, and Noteworthy, an all-girl Mormon group from BYU with a fauxhawked lead singer. Then there's the band Solo, who tried to stack the deck in their favor by continually saying that they "had nothing to go home to." Wow. Way to make everyone look like dicks when you got voted off, guys.

The show lasts this week, I'm guessing to pull in those mythological Christmas ratings. For now I've got a guilty pleasure show and Ben Folds has an extra paycheck and some new fans. (Ben Folds was #1 on the Google Hot 100 search terms list last night, and I found out via Facebook that my high school Spanish teacher is now a fan for life. )

What more can a gal ask for?