Kate's Television Update

Not really television since I watch everything on Netflix now--but television shows:

The Mentalist: I started watching this show this month. It has all the fun stuff I love: single-plot episodes, mysteries (even though they are very easy to figure out--and I don't even TRY), an off-kilter hero, a smidgen of romantic tension . . .

And it has Simon Baker! I watched almost the entire first season of The Guardian because of Simon Baker (well, and Dabney Coleman), and The Guardian wasn't my type of show at all (angry people, soap opera plot lines, etc.). I confess, Simon Baker is one of those actors who makes me go weak at the knees. There's a lot of good-looking guys on television, and some of them are even sexy. But Simon Baker is . . . wow: 5'10"; compact (this is my word for builds that are somewhere between stocky and skinny); attractive in a non-squared jaw, indeterminate way. I like his hair too, but that's just a bonus. Seriously, give me Peter Falk (whose hair I also like), David Caruso (not his acting, just his appearance), and John Castle (for you BBC fans), and I'm purring like a cat.

Bones: I confess that I still prefer Season 3 to all the other seasons. I'm not sure why. I honestly think Season 4 is better written (I agree with Eugene that the episode where Booth keeps referring to a dead guy as "translated" is absolutely hilarious). I think Season 4 just strikes me as a little frenetic. Still, kudos to the writers and directors for not totally ruining the show (yet; sorry, my pessimistic side is showing).

House: Not caught up yet.

Scarecrow & Mrs. King: The DVDs for Season 1 finally came out. I loved this show when I was younger, but I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my memory.

It has! It is still corny and adorable and sweet and surprisingly funny on occasion. It is actually an interesting precursor to Bones (with the roles reversed although husky-voiced Kate Jackson reminds me of Emily Deschanel). I have to remind myself that Bruce Boxleitner (who I like) would have seemed very edgy in the 80's. He's just soooo clean-cut.

Numbers: I made my way through all the available seasons on DVD and started over. The one thing stands out the most: Rob Morrow is a very good actor.

I don't require very good actors on television, just hard-working ones. But Rob Morrow is surprisingly good. He is paired with a B-list crowd (especially after Diane Farr left), but they are all good enough, and he doesn't require an A-list crowd to give A-list work.