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When one looks in the box, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the cat.

Reactor

So, anything good on television?  What about the movies?  I’m staking out the media beat here at Tor.com, where I hope to comment regularly on sf’s ongoing takeover of the silver screen.  There’s lots of new stuff out there, and plenty to talk about.

Who am I?

I confess. I’m a hardcore media junkie.  I watch way more tv than is good for me.  I read Entertainment Weekly and SFX cover to cover, and my morning routine consists of surfing the internet to find the latest media news and gossip at scifi.com, mania.com, aintitcool.com, darkhorizons.com, and similar sites (despite their occasionally atrocious spelling).  And, in the real world, I deal with the craziness of Hollywood on a regular basis.  But because there are only so many hours in the day and, contrary to popular opinion, I retain some semblance of a life, I also tend to pile up hours of tv programming on my nifty DVR which I intend to get around to watching someday.  Now, I could try to introduce myself here by citing all my favorite movies, shows, and genres, but you want a real snapshot of my eclectic tastes in media?  Take a look at what’s lurking on my DVR’s memory this morning:

[more below the fold…]

 The season premiere of Monk.  Adrian gets a new shrink.  Can’t miss that!

Two episodes of Doctor Who, the new-and-improved version.  I never really got into the old Who, but the new show has me hooked.  The recent two-parter set on the planet-sized library was brilliant.

Two episodes of the revived Scare Tactics on Sci Fi.  You know, Candid Camera with monsters.  Indefensible, but kind of fascinating.

A classic old Twilight Zone episode that I haven’t seen in years.  “Death Ship,” which is currently being developed into a new feature film.  I want to rewatch the original in preparation for the remake.

A History Channel special on the American Revolution.  (It was the Fourth of July.  I was feeling patriotic.)

The Spiral Staircase (1946), a spooky b/w melodrama I taped off TCM.  Worth checking out if you like shadowy mansions, thunder and lightning, and the obligatory homicidal maniac.

Three episodes of NBC’s new horror anthology, Fear Itself.  I haven’t decided yet if this show is scary or just gross.

The Best Man (1964), Gore Vidal’s scathing drama about a presidential election, which I remember enjoying years ago. With the current election on my mind, I felt an urge to rewatch this.

A rerun of The Ghost Whisperer.  A Friday night staple, although I worry about next season now that the Jay Mohr character is leaving the show.  All that sentimentiality needs a bracing dose of sarcasm.

Daughter of the Dragon (1931), an early Fu Manchu movie.  Probably pretty creaky, but I’m sucker for old pulp material.  I admit I’d never heard of this film before it popped up on TCM a few weeks back.

Seven episodes (!) of The Sarah Jane Adventures.  I like this show, really I do, but I just haven’t figure how to squeeze it into my schedule.   Especially since it’s on at the same time as Ghost Whisperer.

Masterpiece Theater:  “Cranford,” Parts Two and Three.  I enjoyed Part One, but haven’t been in the mood to watch the rest yet.   Too low-key to be considered a cliffhanger.

Three episodes of Smallville.  A wildly uneven series that tends to pick up speed as it heads towards the end of the season.  (The less said about the Jimmy-as-James-Bond episode, the better.)

Masterpiece Theater:  “Sense and Sensibility,” both parts.  Supposed to be good, but I’m Jane Austen-ed out after sitting through all the previous installments of PBS’s recent Austen film festival.  Maybe in the winter when I’m in the mood for something cozy.

Jason and the Argonaut (1963), my all-time favorite Ray Harryhausen movie.  Sorry, Sinbad!

Battlestar Galactica: Razor.  Yes, I’m mortified that I still haven’t watched this miniseries yet.  I’ve seen every episode of the main series, though, and can’t wait to find out what happens to Starbuck and Co. after they find Earth.  Next year, you say?  Frak!

A History Channel special on “The Ghosts of Gettysburg.”  I’m saving this for my brother-in-law, who loves real-life hauntings.

Paint Your Wagon (1969).  Clint Eastwood sings!  I figure I have to see this at least once.  (There’s got to be a “Make my day” joke here, but it’s 93 degrees outside and I’m too hot to look for it.)

The Universe.  A science program about the planet Saturn, which has been languishing on the DVR for nearly a year now . . . .

Clearly, I need to spend more time catching up with my tv-viewing, or less time hitting the “Save” button on my remote!

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Mina McQueen

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