Turn on Friday Night Lights

NBC’s Friday Night Lights was one of the best new shows last season. And tonight marks the last pre-strike episode of the show, perhaps the last ep of the season, and possible the series finale. Since the ratings were not that great—even with brand new episodes airing against less than stellar strike-fare—season three seems unlikely. (I am still hopeful, as those rose-colored glasses block out a lot of drudge.)

If you haven’t caught this prime-time football drama that’s more about the people affected by the game in small-town Dillon, Texas, than football itself, you are missing out. Friday Night Lights, filmed in TX, is shot more like a feature film than a TV program. The acting is superb—if the plot lines tend to be a bit melodramatic. And even the most fanatical, annoying character at the beginning of the show’s run (Buddy Garrity, I’m talking about you) has become endearing. Meanwhile, the most stable—Matt Saracen—has totally lost it after being tested one too many times. Lucky for Matt, Coach is watching out for him.

Check out FNL before the lights go out for good.

The New TV Season Begins

Talk about going from 0 to 60 in a few days flat... The new TV season just officially started, and already I am struggling to figure out what to watch, when, and how to have a life that doesn't require pictures and sound from an electronic source.

Prison Break had its second ep last night. It's not that I'm a neat freak--okay, well, maybe a little--but the grime and filth of this new prison is making me not want to watch. Plus, it's up against Chuck, which is Alias-reminiscent with real-life-ish people thrown in for good measure. It may be my favorite hybrid of the season.

Tonight, the Dr is in. Oh, how I have missed House. There is some Tuesday-night viewing overlap--tonight's 90-minute Boston Legal season premiere starts at 9:30, but I have a plan: watch House live, record BL for later in the week. Yes, Boston is a guilty pleasure, but I am not quite ready to give it up; I look forward to seeing how The Practice v3.0 is going to reinvent itself...again.

Wednesdays means Private Practice/Gossip Girl/Back to You, and Dirty Sexy Money. And Pushing Daisies hasn't even started yet. Thursday - ABC extravaganza - Betty, Grey's, and Big Shots. And there's Fridays, complete with actual good programing--yay Friday Night Lights. Don't even get me started on Sundays. Ooh. Getting overwhelmed just thinking about it.

As they say in Episodic television, to be continued...

So You Think You Can Dance: The Final Six

So You Think You Can Dance is by far my favorite summer reality show. Watching these young dancers on the path to realizing their dreams is fun, exciting, and delightful.

I was annoyed as anyone about the massive nepotism at the start of the season. Siblings and a "friend of the show" took 4 of the top 20 spots: Travis' brother, Benji's sister/Heidi's cousin, a choreographer's assistant from last season, and Stanislav's sister. Stas's sister—Faina—was voted off the second week (lasted one week longer than big bro), but the other three—Danny, Lacey, and Lauren—are in the final six.

As six becomes four, I can only hope that one of the aforementioned woman (preferably Lacey) gets kicked off the dancing island to make room for Sabra, the 20-year-old contemporary dancer who has been dancing for just 4 years. Sabra has heart, but more than that, she taps into her passion every time she steps out on stage. And that's the kind of energy that transcends the TV set and goes into the audience's living room.

Speaking of amazing dancing, Danny has certainly earned a place in the top four. Words cannot describe the beauty and power of his movement, his seemingly effortless talent. Is it enough for him to win? Maybe, maybe not.

Which brings us to Pasha and Neil. As far as I'm concerned, the final four can be the three boys and Sabra. (No offense, Lauren, but it has taken you a long time to come into your own in the competition, and you are not quite there yet.) Pasha looks good, but has versatility issues. On the other hand, Neil, who was not my favorite, to say the least, has proven himself over the past few weeks. He has shown the most growth, which is a big part of what this competition is all about.

This week we get SYTYCD overload: results Monday, Finale part 1 on Wednesday, and Finale part 2 on Thursday. I'm sure Benji would be happier than anyone to pass the torch to his sister, who has talent but is lacking the maturity befitting a professional. She clearly isn't ready for the crown.

The final four should be Sabra, Lauren, Pasha, and Neil. And in my heart, Sabra's already won.

For more on So You Think You Can Dance, go to: http://www.fox.com/dance/