Valentine's Day in the Life of a Couch Potato

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day!

As many of you head off to romantic evenings with your significant others, I, in true couch potato fashion, will be spending the evening with one of my TV boyfriends. After all, while it may be quite difficult to meet Mr. Right sitting in my living room working on homework, that's the lot I've chosen right now. No matter, I have a wealth of suitors to choose from right off my TV screen! But whom do I choose for the most romantic of holidays? Let's recap my Top 8 list of TV crushes!

1. Nick Miller from New Girl. 

OK, so Nick is a bit of a slacker. And kind of a slob. Like I've never dated any of those before! He's that one. The curmudgeon of the group. The wisecracker, and as Nick himself would say about girls in pink robes, "Smart asses are my catnip."

But despite his grouchy demeanor, deep inside he's just a softy, who loves his friends and appears to be quite the passionate kisser, as evidenced below. Can I get a link and an amen, ladies?

2. Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy.*

We can't sum up everything I love about Jax in a paragraph. He would need an entire blog post unto himself. Believe me, there are times I think I could write one I'm so inspired by his ass character! 

He's wonderfully complicated! For starters, he's caught up in the uber-violent world of a gun-running motorcycle club. He totally holds his own among gang members, drug cartels and even members of the IRA, yet he comes home to his wife and sons and is completely gentle and loving. 

Sons of Anarchy is full of dichotomies like Jax's character and I love it. The cast is a gang of misogynist bikers who throw women away like used beer cans, yet the matriarch of the group, Jax's mother, Gemma, is revered like a queen. And trust, Jax loves his mother deeply – they are very close – but he is no momma's boy!

What he is, is a reluctant leader, trying to navigate through very violent circumstances in order to make a better life for his family. He's a true anti-hero, in every sense of the word and I love him! 

*honorable mentions could and should go to many of the men in the Sons of Anarchy cast, including Opie, Chibs and Juice (not you, Clay, you suck!), but heart will always belong to Jax.

3. Matthew Crawley from Downton Abbey.

Oh, sweet Matthew! 

Through some strange, old-world English legalities middle-class lawyer Matthew, third cousin of Lord Grantham (who has only daughters), becomes heir to the sprawling estate Downton Abbey.

Lady Mary, Lord Grantham's eldest daughter, is less than thrilled to have Matthew join the family and live at Downton. She'd much rather find a wealthy husband and have the money stay in the family.

But damn that Matthew, he's just so charming it isn't long before stuffy Mary finds herself nursing feelings for him. Just in time for him to go off to fight in WWI and almost get himself killed! But our hero returns in a most romantic manner, sweeps Lady Mary off her feet and the two were married this season! 

I like to watch the episodes of Downton Abbey as they air here in America, but I have heard **spoiler alert** that my time with Matthew is at an end, as he will not make it past next week's season finale. **sniff, sniff** 

Poor Matthew. We'll always have  Downton.

4. Daryl Dixon from, The Walking Dead.

What can I say about Daryl, except he kicks ass? 

There's something very attractive about a man who can keep you safe even when shit goes down, like the zombie apocalypse! And Daryl has things covered. With a crossbow, no less!

Daryl's had a hard life. So when the world became over run with flesh eating zombies, he wasn't exactly sad to see the old way of things end! 

Daryl and his horrible brother, Merle, were raised by their alcoholic father. For years all they've had is each other so it's hard for him to let anyone else in. So much so that when his group of fellow survivors took over an old farmhouse, Daryl felt more comfortable sleeping in a tent outside.

He's coming around slowly, but surely. He's bonded with battered wife Carol, and crazy Carl, the sheriff's son and only surviving child in the group. That is until Carl's sister is born. Daryl affectionately gives her the name Lil' Ass Kicker. 

Daryl usually has a serious demeanour, but occasionally makes wry comments and jokes to break the tension. Here's a nice little character study I found on Youtube to honor my TV boyfriend, Daryl.

5. Clark Kent from Smallville.

Anyone who knows me, knows I love Superman. For many, Christopher Reeve will always be Superman. That may be true, but for me, Tom Welling will always be Clark Kent.

In Smallville, we meet Clark as a teenager, years before he becomes the Man of Steel. Instead he's just a normal (and seriously hot) high school boy, obsessed with the school's prettiest girl, Lana Lang.

Inability to see the awesomeness that is his best friend Chloe aside, Clark is just too dreamy! He is strong and kind but also full of integrity and vulnerability. And did I mention the peepers on that boy/man?

For ten years I watched his journey into superhero status and I loved every minute of it.  How can I not want him to be my valentine? I mean, he's Superman! What's sexier than a man who can rush to Paris to bring you croissants, heat up your coffee with his X-ray vision and then fly you to the moon and back? Just don't ask him why he missed your birthday party. Again.

6. Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries.

Why didn't I have this guy higher on my list again?

Talk about an anti-hero! Damon will tell you forget hero period, he's the villain! 

Oh, but there is good in him. We see it whenever this vampire looks at Elena, the resident heroine on The Vampire Diaries and former girlfriend of Damon's brother, Stefan.

Those who are friends with me on Facebook always know when I'm watching TVD because I will post a simple status update that reads, "I love you, Damon Salvatore." Because I do. 

What makes Damon so attractive is that for hundreds of years, he's done whatever he wants with no worries about the consequences. After all, he's a vampire! 

And he loves Elena dammit, even if it does make him a better person! Now, when confronted by an even more evil vampire, Klaus (yes, it's a show like that), Damon explains to Klaus why he'll never be loved.

He says, "You do bad things for no reason. You do them to be a dick... if you're gonna be bad, be bad with purpose." 

That's what makes Damon so attractive. He's a bad boy with a purpose. It really makes it hard to hate him. And again, look at those eyes!  Damon Salvatore, I love you.

7. Dean Winchester on Supernatural.

Ask anyone and they'll tell you Dean Winchester is a dick! He'd probably tell you that himself!

But really, what do you want from a guy who allows himself no life, no love and no home? All he has is his car, his brother, and his ability to save the world from evil. 

Dean and his brother Sam (who is also hot and crush list-worthy)  are hunters. They travel the US in their Chevy Impala saving the world from things that go bump in the night. Vampires, werewolves, angels of death, seven deadly sins, Lucifer himself? Yeah, they've fought that.

And if he hadn't, Dean probably would not have made my list because, as I said, he's a bit of a dick. He's thoughtless and crass, slovenly and smug. He eats like a pig and belches like one too. He's also sarcastic, sometimes sweet and just generally sexy in a completely masculine way. 

Another anti-hero here. Dean has been hunting so long, he's become jaded and his shoulders are heavy with the weight of the world. He just needs a hug and I'm here to give him one.

8. Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly.

I mentioned Mal and Firefly in one of my last posts talking about shows that were canceled too soon. But here are four words that sum up why I love Captain Mal Reynolds so much:

Malcolm Reynolds = Han Solo

Yep. Mal shot first.

Rakish, charming, a devil-may-care attitude, that's Mal! I'd like to plunder this smuggler's booty. But, beware! This captain is a gentleman in disguise. And that makes him even more swoon-worthy! 

I had to work really hard to whittle this list down to 8. Truth be told, I wanted it to be a top 5, but I'm a little bit of a TV whore who couldn't tie myself down to that few!

There were countless more who almost made the cut: Both Ben and Noel from Felicity (I mean, really, is there a bad coice there? Either way you win!), Sawyer from Lost, Jim Halpert from The Office, Chandler Bing from Friends (In Janice's voice, "I love you, Chandlah Bing!"), oh! Doug Ross from ER, or McDreamy (Derrick) from Grey's Anatomy. Medical dramas provide plenty of eye candy!

Did I miss anyone?

Tell me, TV or not, who are you spending your Valentine's Day with? Whoever it is, I hope your day is beautiful!

The Times, They Are A'Changin'

Is it just me, or is TV not the same as it used to be?

I heard a song on the radio today that made me think of the show the Wonder Years. 

The Cast of the Wonder Years

Damn, I loved that show! Wonder Years was the story of Kevin Arnold, a boy growing up in the Vietnam War era. No matter how complicated life was around Kevin and his friends, they remained innocent and hopeful.

Maybe it's just that I've grown up, but doesn't it seem like TV has lost its innocence? Or it is my perspective that's changed?

I think back to some of my favorite shows growing up and they all had an air of innocence. Take The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The entire premise of the show was about a kid sent to live with family in Beverly Hills because the town he grew up in (West Philadelphia born and raised) was too violent. You think if they remade that show today Will Smith's character wouldn't be so much more jaded? 

Speaking of Beverly Hills, another show I couldn't get enough of was Beverly Hills 90210. Sure the show tried to be cutting edge. I remember Brenda's pregnancy scare and Donna Martin's shocking speech about the importance of teaching kids about safe sex. But even the toughest subjects back then were handled differently than they are now. I checked out the 90210 remake for nostalgia's sake when it premiered. Within the first 15 minutes there was a shot of one of the character's receiving a blowjob in his car as his girlfriend walked through the parking lot. You'd never have caught Brandon or Kelly doing that!

I know, I know, I've talked a lot about the kind of television that I watch. A lot of it is gory and violent and exactly what I am complaining about. However, most of my favorite shows – like American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead – all air on cable TV, a vehicle for sex violence that didn't exist in the time I am speaking of.

Violence abounds in the very awesome Sons of Anarchy.

There's a time and place for violence. And in my opinion it's after 10 p.m. on cable networks. My question is, where is the love? The innocence? The sense of wonderment? Where is Kevin Arnold and the Wonder Years???

Is it fall yet?

Everyone teases me about how much TV I watch. I admit it, I'm totally obsessed! As a former student of film and video I am so impressed by the size of the team and the effort it takes to put together a weekly installment of a show. And the writer in me loves getting invested in the stories! You can learn so much more about a character in a 13- or 22-hour season that you can in any 2-hour movie...

Every fall I wait with anticipation to check in with all my favorites and we're almost there! Here are a few of the programs I'm most looking forward to this fall. If you're not watching them, you should be!

1. Sons of Anarchy. Centered on a group of motorcycle riding gun-runners in picturesque Charming, CA, Sons of Anarchy is basically Hamlet on Harleys. And I love it!

The cast includes Katey Sagal as Gemma Teller the matriarch of the Sons. Sagal turns in an incredible performance week after week on SoA. Believe me, her days of playing Peg Bundy are way behind her! At the center of the club is Jax Teller the biker with a heart of gold. Ladies want him and men want to be him. British actor Charlie Hunnam plays Jax and he brings a perfect mix of toughness and vulnerability to the role. Where is this man's Emmy nomination, I ask you?

<------  Oh, and did I mention he's nice to look at??? 

Yeah. There's that too.








2. AMC. I could list the shows on this channel individually, but that would take up the rest of my list! Seriously, with hits like the excellent Mad Men, Breaking Bad and my latest obsession, The Walking Dead, the network has yet to go wrong with any of their original dramas (I specify drama because I am not especially fond of their new "reality" comedy, "Small Town Security." Stick to the dramas, AMC, that's your wheel house and you do it better than anybody!

The Casts of AMC's The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad and Mad Men

3. American Horror Story. This. Show. Is. Creepy. And again, I love it!!!

The show's first season centered around the Harmon family. A fractured family dealing with infidelity when they move into a home known locally as "Murder House." The Harmons aren't alone in the house, and this becomes evident as strange things go on in the new home. By season's end the viewer is never sure if the character they are watching is alive, a ghost or something in between!

Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine

Rather than ruin a perfectly scary and engrossing story into the ground by stretching it out season after season, American Horror Story producers have opted to make the show an anthology. Each season there will be a new cast, a new location and a new horrific story. This fall's season is set to take place in an insane asylum! And Jessica Lange and Even Peters - two season one cast members who played their parts to perfection – are returning in new roles. Soooo looking forward to it!

Oh yeah, and this guy is signed on to show up! -------->

Is it October yet???

4. Top Chef. Yep. I'm a reality show junkie. Survivor, American Idol, Big Brother. I watch 'em. But this one is my favorite! This is how a reality competition should be done. And could Padma Lakshmi please host every show? She is beautiful to look at, classy and I could listen to her talk all day. At any rate, the chefs all seem so talented and each episode leaves me HUNGRY and wishing I'd enrolled in culinary school!



5. For my last entry on the list we jump across the pond to a lovely old home known as Downton Abbey (please don't call it Downtown Abbey! LOL).

I don't normally go in for any shows found on BBC, especially anything aired by Masterpiece Theater. They all make me feel like I can feel myself growing older by the minute as I watch them.

Downton Abbey is different. It centers on the Earl and Countess of Grantham, their three daughters and their servants.

The cast is stellar. A. Maz. ing! And Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess is nothing less than a hoot! As the Brits themselves would say, just spot on!

From the cook's apprentice the the Earl's valet to the family members themselves, you will care about these people and if you don't you have no soul!


So there you are. Five reasons I can't wait for fall TV. All this talk makes me want to run home and check my DVR to make sure everything is set to record! Summer Schmummer - I'm ready for new TV!