The Punter Enacts Revenge

I’ve been sick all weekend. I suppose it is some sort of cold. My throat is pretty sore. My head has a lot of pressure. My nose has not seen this much congestion since I drove through Knoxville last year. But, I seem to be on the mend, even if I sound like one of those guys who has throat cancer and talks through the speaker box.

Moving on to better things. Here is my update on the shows I have been watching.

Chuck is still funny and entertaining, though I sort of doubt how long they can keep it up.

Heroes is still captivating and the plot thickens each episode. Which makes me wonder if the writers aren’t in danger of making the plot too convoluted (i.e. Lost – though the writers keep insisting that there will be resolution).

The Mentalist is thoroughly entertaining. It has the humor of Psych with the Zen like import of Life.

Speaking of Life, the show still packs a punch and the interaction between the main characters is wonderful to listen to. Austin has, on various occasions, complained about the scoring of various shows. The music in Life is great. It is as good as I have heard. Great songs at just the right time.

My Own Worst Enemy lacks something. I don’t mind watching it and it is entertaining, but in the end not overly compelling.

I have the first 3 hours of Crusoe ready to watch but have not had the time.


I will leave you with the following video. I saw it live yesterday, and this clip is easily the highlight of Sunday’s football games:

Fall TV Preview

With Fall Programming beginning this week and new shows continuing to begin through October, I thought I would share which shows get the official Sam Long seal of approval. I will begin with the returning shows I will be sure to watch and follow it up with some new shows that contain some potential.

Monk – If you have not seen an episode, you have not seen Tony Shalhoub at his finest. He was great in Wings. He is even better in Monk.
Psych – not great, but entertaining enough to watch.
Burn Notice – I don’t know how long they can keep this show going (plot wise), but so far I am hooked.
Chuck – Funny, clever, interesting. In addition, we get to see a Jewelish (the singer) eye candy.
Heroes – Riveting. That’s all I can say about it.
Life – If you didn’t see the first season, download it and check it out. The lead actor has great stage presence and the plot progress keeps me coming back each week.
The Office – We all know how good this show is.
Lost – We all know how good this show is.
House - We all know how good this show is.

Now, my time and interest are limited, so there are some new shows I plan on giving a try. However I will have to be really impressed in order to devote my limited time to them. (Descriptions are from the network websites):

Crusoe: Based on the tale of Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe will brave the elements in a contemporary tale of love, friendship and self discovery.
2-Hour Series Premiere, Friday, October 17th 8/7c
My Own Worst Enemy: Explores the duality of a man who is pitted against himself and raises the question: who can you trust when you can't trust yourself?
Series Premiere, Monday, October 13th, 10/9c
The Mentalist: Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane, a detective and independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation.
Fringe: From J.J. Abrams ("Lost"), Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the team behind comes a new series that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between the possible and the impossible.


Observations – most of the shows are from USA or NBC. FOX, ABC and CBS have a lot of crappy reality shows that seem to be taking precedence over quality dramas and comedies.

So, what are you looking forward to seeing in the fall programming?
Which show do you think I am an idiot for watching?