30 Rock–-Thanks to Tina Fey’s freaky genetic similarity to Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, and the cultural zeitgeist created by her spot-on
impression of her, my favorite underachieving sitcom got a huge ratings boost going into the new season. There were also guest stars galore, like Steve Martin, Jennifer Aniston, and her majesty, Queen Oprah, who were all used to riotous effect. Martin and Oprah were particularly memorable. The odd couple dynamic between Fey’s Liz and Alec Baldwin’s Jack, who have somehow become best buds, is great. Tina Fey continues to be the 21st century Mary Tyler Moore, but even better, since she writes all this stuff, too. Life on Mars–I have become attached to this American reboot of a BBC show that has its protagonist, a New York City detective, get hit by a car in 2008 and awaken, still a cop, and still in the city, circa 1973. He doesn’t know why he’s there…or if he even really is there. Maybe it’s my affection for the year of my birth, the “can you believe they used to get it away with that?” chauvinism and police brutality, or simply the fact that I think star Jason O’Mara is dreamy. It could even be The Keitel (Harvey, that is), but I am really enjoying this show. The weekly cases are interesting enough, even though they sort of make me miss NYPD Blue, but Sam’s ongoing struggle to figure out if he’s alive, dead or something else, plus his run ins with his younger parents (he’s told his mother that his name is Detective Luke Skywalker, and his scumbag dad is played by the excellent Dean Winters) have me hooked. I’m hoping more people catch onto this one in 2009 thanks to it’s new plum position, airing out of Lost.
