For some reason, this conversation struck me as funny. There is a bit of background, of course. See, Alan thinks that it's a bad reflection of my moral and intellectual character that I watch Survivor. He also thinks that it's bizarre that I enjoy listening to a movie when I'm working. So, when I mentioned that I was listening to Back to the Future this morning, it apparently made an impression:

Alan says: I didn't want to interrupt Back to the Future today.
Jen says: It's only an hour and a half. I was done in plenty of time to watch the Amazing Race webcast at 1.
Alan says: I don't even know if you are being funny.
Jen says: Not intentionally.

(I just turned on Zoolander. Damn, I could listen to that movie all day.)

I know, I know, Carly. So cliché. So sue me.

Do I even remember how to do this? It’s been a while since I posted, but a snowy, quiet last-day-of-2005-esque day like today feels right for getting back into it.

10. What Not to Wear (TLC). I love this show with every fashionable bone in my body. Unlike other makeover shows, when I’m finished watching WNTW, I feel like the recipient has learned her fashion lesson and will continue along the path of righteousness. Stacy and Clinton aren’t trying to make everyone into clones (though the striped blouse-sweater combo of 2004 was starting to get predictable), which means that there’s something new to learn each week. I keep waiting for a chocolate-eyed, pale-skinned girl to appear on the show so I can get shadow tips from Carmindy.

9. My Name is Earl (NBC). Damned Jason Lee and his damned Scientology. I thought he was so cool in Chasing Amy (even though it was Ben who stole my 20-year-old heart), and was shocked—shocked! —to discover he was a member of The Church. I really didn’t want to love this show, but Jamie Pressly, Ethan Suplee, the guy who plays Crabman, and even Xenu-loving Lee, made me a fan. It’s like having my beloved Roseanne back, it is!

8. The Comeback (HBO). Normally, I am so not a fan of embarrassment humour. I couldn’t watch Meet the Parents or There’s Something About Mary without feeling incredibly uncomfortable and awkward. Friends and family have met with my cold shoulder when they behaved like freaks in public. I just can’t handle scenes like that. Which makes my love of The Comeback just that much more inexplicable. Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie gets shat on, literally and figuratively, for 13 episodes, and I can’t look away. I don’t know that she was meant to be a sympathetic character, but she had me rooting for her from Episode 4. Rot that Paulie G!

7. Survivor/The Amazing Race. I’ve been watching Survivor since Mike fell into the fire in Season 2, but TAR is new for me this year. I started watching because Rob and Amber were on, and was in love. I caught up on the previous seasons over the summer, so even the terrible Family Edition (more milkmaids, you say? Whoda thunk there were so many farms in this vast and apparently boring country of ours? Also, shut up, Weavers.) couldn’t scare me away. Survivor had two very strong seasons this year. I’m thrilled Jeff signed on for more seasons. Stephenie as a host would have been awful.

6. The Block, (HGTV Canada, Channel Nine in Australia). My sister and father say this show is getting too personal and is losing its home renovation roots. I say that Australia’s most popular show ever is freaking awesome, and I can’t wait to see how lovely Jane looks at her and Matt’s wedding.

5. Scrubs (NBC). I almost forgot to add this show to the list, it's been so long since it was on. Come back to me, J.D.!

4. The Office (NBC). See above, re: Embarrassment. I found the British version of this show awkward, but this one is just too funny. As much as I love the principals (Dwight!), it’s the secondary characters that make this show so awesome. I think I have an Angela at my office, and I know I have a few Kevins. Even Creed, who we knew nothing about when Michael tried to fire him in October, is starting to become an integral part of this show. I have to say that I’m worried about Jim and Pam, tho. I just can’t see it happening without one of them leaving Dundler-Mifflin. It will be way too Cheers for my liking.

3. Arrested Development (Fox). I have to say that I had my worries as this season began. I got that Charlize Theron’s Rita was supposed to be slow, but the one thing that keeps this show from becoming farceical is its timing. Hold a beat for too long and the jokes aren’t that funny anymore. I was glad to see her go, and even gladder to see this family close back in on itself (“Hi, Uncle-Father Oscar!”). Last season started out loose and tightened up by the fourth or fifth episode, and this season is gearing up to do the same. If Showtime doesn’t pick this up after Fox finally cancels it, I will be one unhappy pappy. You know, if I were a guy.

2. Veronica Mars (UPN). Like you didn’t see this one coming.

1. Rome (HBO). This show has everything I love. Somewhat-accurate history, warfare, costumes, nakednes—and real, no-fooling, character development. These people love, hate, hurt and find pleasure in everyday things. I can hardly wait until 2007 to watch Octavian and Antony go Gaulish on Cicero and Brutus’s asses.

Honourable Mentions go to Frontline, The Daily Show, The First 48 and Family Plots. Who knew I liked so many shows? Okay, don’t answer that.

Here, in one sentence, are my thoughts on some other new fall shows:

Survivor: Guatemala: These producers really are sadistic motherfuckers, aren't they?

57th Annual Emmy Awards: I could only watch for an hour because I'm exhausted from sleeping on the bottom bunk of my neice's bed last night, and also, Kristen Bell sang like an angel.

From the upfronts this week, a couple things I am happy about:

1. That both Arrested Development and The Office have been renewed.
2. That ABC is so spazzy it thinks its audience will follow Alias to Thursday nights opposite Survivor. Yeah, good luck with that.

That is all.

Aaw, Tom is so cute! This is the first time someone dominated every challenge and lived to tell about it. Good show, cute older fireman!

Katie only got one vote. Delightful! Way to ignore the titties, Ian.

Oh boy! Jury comments! Let's list it:

Coby: Eh? I expected more from you. Maybe voting for Katie?
Gregg: Ouch. Kicked Katie's pathetic ass. Voting for Tom.
Stephenie: Keep digging, Katie. Jesus! Voting for Tom.
Janu: Good questions. Katie threw away her vote. What the hell? What a bitch. Voting for Tom.
Caryn: Jesus. Will Katie even get one vote? What does Ian see in her? Is it just the tits? It has to be the tits! Voting for Tom.
Jenn: Feminist. Interesting. . . . Maybe this is why T at work has a girlcrush on her. Maybe Katie, but I doubt it.
Ian: Nice question. Tom answered this fantastically. I'd like to think that Ian would vote for Tom, but maybe he's so enamoured with Katie's tits that perhaps not.

Ouch! A buoy balance. Painful!

Look at that wind blow! Should they really be standing on a metal pole in a thunderstorm?

Katie's gonna give up. What a surprise! Would it be smart or stupid for Tom to take Ian into the final two? He's pissed off a lot of people at Tribal Council the last few go-rounds.

What are we at, 11-plus hours? Has Ian gone mad on that pole? What the hell? He'll only falling off if Tom takes Katie? Oh, Take Ian anyways!

Dammit. I really don't like Katie.

Keep on digging, Ian. Heh.

Oh man! I'm watching Survivor's finale, and we're right at the beginning of the show. Tom is kicking ass in the immunity challenge. If Tom wins, I think Ian goes home fourth, then Jen, then Katie and Tom in the final two. I kinda hope it will be Tom and Ian in the final two. The girls totally don't deserve it.

Oh damn! I'm psyched! Kick his scrawny ass, Tom!

Also, Joey is not a bad show. It’s not like it’s a masterpiece, but it’s at least as good as the final couple seasons of Friends. Jennifer Coolidge is a bit hard to take, but I like the Michael character and the Alex character, and the geeky neighbour Howard is pretty cute. Also, any show that features Colby Donaldson is just fine with me.

Colby’s dreamy.