T.V. Crushes Worth Having: Starbuck

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Anni M.

Image source: Icyte.com

If you thought my crushes were limited to emotionally precarious boy geniuses with floppy hair and OCD, you were sorely mistaken. My crushes also happen to include emotionally stunted, muscle-bound, girl fighter pilots named Kara Thrace. I don’t have a type: I have brainy girl crushes too (I’m looking at you, Velma), it’s just, there’s something about women butt-kickers: the legs, the attitude, and the kicking (with the legs). There’s also something about underwear scenes.

Image source: Pajiba.com

Starbuck (Kara Thrace) played by Katee Sackhoff, is an enigma wrapped in a gun-belt, wrapped in a cute tank top, wrapped in an angel-faced Caprican. She’s hot-headed and cocky, single-mindedly anti-cylon and pyramid-balls-to-the-wall alcoholic. She’s not about to do as she’s told but you better believe, when the chips are down, she’ll pull some twisty loop-de-loop maneuvers in her viper to save Galactica from nuclear missiles.

Image source: Ew.com

I have to admit, I could never get into the original Battlestar. I’m not proud of my ignorance, and after this let’s please never mention it again. I mention it now only because it makes it hard to do a play-by-play comparison of Katee Sackhoff’s Starbuck and Dirk Benedict’s 1978 version. I can, however, make a comparison between their equally awesome actor names that evoke certain anatomical treasures best left euphemized.

Here are the two Starbucks, in Starbucks, drinking Starbucks, smoking Starbucks cohibas:

Starbuck from the Original and New Series'

Image source: Geekologie.com

I especially love Starbuck when I compare her to the skinny, pointy, blond Cylon (Trisha Helfer) everyone seems so excited about. Puh-lease. Yes, Starbuck is by any account a 100% gorgeous woman, but she manages to also not be a stick-girl, which, while I wish I didn’t have to mention it because it shouldn’t even be an issue, is an issue and I do have to mention it.

Image source: Kateesackhoff.com

I don’t know if the network gave her a hard time about her weight but I would be surprised if they didn’t. She’s got discernible hips! You can’t see a single rib! I choose to believe Katee Sackhoff, true to her character, flipped a big fat finger at the network and played Starbuck just as she should have: curvily. I like boobs. Call me crazy.

Image source: Duckydoestv.com

One thing that kind of annoys me about Starbuck is her slight dip into the crazy sauce towards the end of the series. C’mon, S.B.! I count on your unerring fortitude, your flinty tenacity. Painting pretty pictures of circles all over the ship is not the act of a mighty, strapping young pilot. Although, sexy paint-spattered skin and outfits does kind of make a psychosis worthwhile.

Who Ya’ Gonna Call? Top Five Paranormal Programs

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Shannon M.

You don’t have to be Peter Venkman to know that paranormal is popular. Some of the most-watched shows on cable television revolve around elements of fear and the unknown – be it ghosts, creepy psychic teens, or a fire in the sky. Over the years, TV execs have tapped into this fascination with gripping, sensationalized, paranormal programming. I’ve found the following shows to be a disembodied head and shoulders above the rest:

Ghost Hunters

Image Source: Syfy.com

If you know ghost shows, then you know Jason and Grant. Since 2004, the crew of the Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) has explored the darkened corners and dusty confines of some of America’s most haunted establishments. Sure, these dads aren’t proving the existence of an afterlife or even proving anything really but, gosh darnit, every hour I spend with those guys is an hour well-spent. Perhaps that’s why Ghost Hunters, now in its 8th season, is the longest-running reality show on Syfy.

Paranormal State

Image Source: aetv.com

Ryan Buell takes ghost-hunting very seriously. At times, the stoic, seldom-smiling host of Paranormal State seems more haunted than the houses he investigates. It’s that seriousness which is both terrifying and intriguing. Mostly because it underscores the fact that Ryan and the rag-tag crew of Penn State’s Paranormal Research Society (PRS) might actually believe in ghosts they are hunting. Unlike other shows in the genre, Paranormal State gives more focus to the human and research elements of their cases, making episodes more like mini-documentaries than thrillers.

Paranormal Witness

Image Source: Syfy.com

Syfy warns viewers against watching Paranormal Witness alone and, no lie, this show almost scared the bejesus out of me. Maybe it was the reenactments or perhaps it was the fact that I was watching in the dark – what ever the reason, this show was terrifying. Paranormal Witness is cinematic to the core, combining drama and lore with documentary-style narratives.

Ghostly Encounters

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Sure, the producers of Ghostly Encounters probably need to hire a new graphics guy. And, while they’re at it, they probably need to get a new host, too. Everything else though, from the first-hand ghost stories to the reenactments and set design (or lack thereof) is totally engaging. Oh, and every one speaks in a Canadian accent – which is, of course, just the icing on the cake.

The Dead Files

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The Dead Files turn the classic psychic investigative show on its head with a tormented medium (Amy) and a retired New York City homicide detective (Steve). This team is like the Turner and Hooch of ghost shows! The best part of The Dead Files, however, is in the different “investigation” tactics. Whereas Steve resorts to his professional training, Amy relies on what appears to be a mild form of spirit possession. It’s kind of awkward – and utterly amazing.

Spin-Off Spotlight: Torchwood

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Mia R.

Torchwood Children of Earth Gwen Jack and Ianto

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Do a quick search and you’ll find many articles about hit British television show, Doctor Who. And for good reason; this hugely popular sci-fi has recently found a passionate cult American audience. But what about Torchwood? This Doctor spin-off (no Spin Doctors pun intended) is nothing like the original show, except for the fact that it shares a central character and alien technology. So what is it about Torchwood that makes it worthy of the spotlight? Continue reading →

4 of the Best TV Pets

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Mia R.

Robin's 5 dogs from How I Met Your Mother

Image source: televisionwithoutpity.com

There’s this old piece of advice in the film, television, and theatrical world: never work with children or animals. Despite this, some shows just can’t help but write pets into the cast. Now, we’re not talking about animals that happen to be a lead character (i.e. Scooby Doo, Wishbone) but full on pets that support their human companions, stand by their side in times of need, and provide much needed cute relief. Continue reading →

David Tennant: The Perfect Wack-Job Doctor With All His Alien Sexiness

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Anni M.

Image source: News.bbc.co.uk

Every Dr. Who fan has his or her favorite Doctor. Its just part of loving something: choosing which parts you love best. (If you don’t yet love Dr. Who, start here). I’ve been a Dr. Who fan since I was a tiny nerd kid hanging out with my regular-sized nerd dad. At the time, Tom Baker was the Doctor—be-curled, be-scarved and be-dazzling. It didn’t hurt that my dad kind of looks like Tom Baker, or that I was an obscenely hardcore fan of robot dogs. Tom Baker will always be the original, held in the same esteem with which I hold the original Star Trek in all its rough-and-tumble, good ole’ boy glory. Not to compare Baker’s Doctor to Kirk—that would be like comparing crackers to crisps, or mitts to wits. But it’s the nostalgia—the love of my first guides through space and time mixed with grilled cheese and cozy Sunday T.V.—that’s the same.

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Since the third grade, I’ve been holding tight to my original “I Heart Dr. Who” pin. When the show came back on the air with Christopher Eccleston at the helm, I was a kid in hysterics. Not only was he flamboyant, dark, unpredictable and brash, his companion was the incomparable Rose Tyler: with her dauntless Cockney valor and former Brit popstar good looks, by far the best companion there ever was or ever will be.

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I was aghast when, after absorbing the energy of the time vortex, it became clear that Eccleston’s run would last but a single season. I might have given up there, if not for the return of Rose Tyler, whose luminous smile, quirk, and whimsy kept me on board for Doctor #10.

Image source: Tvloop.com

Thank you, Rose Tyler. Without you, I’d have never known the cheeky smarts, the technobabble, the complex extroversion masking a 900-year ache, the spectacles (on his face, and in space), the moodiness, the heartbreak, of David Tennant, Doctor #10. Pale but never wan and with a remarkable sense of taste, Tennant’s Doctor demonstrated what a doctor could be: the object of abject love and devotion, universe-wide and beyond the fourth wall.

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It’s not just that Tennant nails the Doctor (which he does, firmly) but he nails my heart (also, um, firmly, ehem). Tennant is 100% dreamboat—tall, gangly, brainy—the perfect foil for John Barrowman’s brawny (and brawnily American) Jack Harkness. Tennant’s acting is also world-class—none of that tentative Matt Smith hipster fop— just confident, rumpled, wack-job Doctor in all his alien sexiness.

Image source: Rollanet.org

It’s no big thing for me to claim #10 as my favorite Doctor. I’m probably in the majority. He is so good, so natural… I wouldn’t be surprised if Dr. Who is a real Timelord who decided, on a lark ‘round about 2005, to play himself on T.V.: stage name, David Tennant.

A Few of Television’s Best Robots

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Anni M.

Image source: Gawker.com

As a sci-fi fanatic, nothing gets me more psyched than a good robot. People have an endless fascination with the human-like machine. It’s so awesome watching them scoot around on their little treads! Of course, not all T.V. robots are cute and cuddly—some are so human they make us question our own humanity, while others strike terror in the hearts of Time Lords. Here are some of my favorite television robots for your reading pleasure.

Rosey the Robot Maid

Image source: Robotanime.com

Apparently, in the future, we can dispense with that pesky paying-a-fair-wage-for-an-honest-day’s-work thing. No smoke breaks. No lunch. Just a sweet robot named Rosey to take your coat, discipline your children, and give you advice about being a good Spacely Sprockets employee.

Vicki the Small Wonder

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V.I.C.I., or Voice Input Child Identicant, is the robot daughter of Ted Lawson, a robotics engineer who’s attempt at building a domestic servant backfired when his creation turned out to be a super-intelligent, self-improving “real” girl. Along with his family, Ted creepily decides to pretend Vicki is their actual human daughter. Never mind that Vicki was the object of many a real young boy’s affections (or because of it) the writers decided the family would keep Vicki in their 12-year-old son’s bedroom cabinet. Somehow this didn’t bother the censors.

Star Trek’s Lieutenant Commander Data: Technically an Android

Image source: Animediet.net

I won’t lie: Data is my favorite mechanical creature on television, hands down. Created by Dr. Noonien Soong on the planet Omichron Theta, Data is a sentient android serving as Chief Operations Officer on the Starship Enterprise. Data is thoroughly loveable as he strives for his own humanity—struggling nobly to understand humor and human emotion, learning to whistle, satisfying a woman, and, in the season 2 episode “Measure of a Man,” proving his autonomy and civil rights under Starfleet law. Emotion chip or no emotion chip, the Data-Geordi bromance never stops.

Gypsy, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot

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Joel Hodgson’s wacky robot friends man-up to do battle with the worst movies ever made in the beloved Mystery Science Theater 3000. No peanut gallery is complete without their shadowy little heads. Gypsy is just in here because I felt bad leaving her out. Cambot, well, we hardly knew ye.

Dr. Who’s Cybermen

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Technically cyborgs, this race of mechanical men use spinning metal torture chairs to transform human beings (and other humanoid aliens, of which there are inexplicably many in the Dr. Who canon) into more of themselves. It’s kind of like the Borg if the Borg were completely incased in metal and had funny little rectangle mouths.

The Cylons

Image source: Criticalgamers.com

Battlestar Gallactica (the college years) hit a home run with their totally human-like Cylons (Cybernetic Lifeform Node). Unlike other robotic incarnations on television, the Cylons have emotions, they bleed, they plot… they do all the messed up bologna humans do. You know you’ve come a long way when you don’t even need albino makeup for your robot actors. Also, Battlestar Gallactica seems to understand something fundamental about my people: N.L.L.L. (nerds love Lucy Lawless).

Don’t Miss This Episode: Angel’s “Five By Five”/”Sanctuary”

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Bailey C.

Image Source: angel.fcpages.com

Our new blog series Don’t Miss This Episode takes you in to the standout episodes of your favorite shows.

At their very best, television episodes play upon the mythology of the series, the characters they’ve built and the major moral or philosophical themes the show has dealt with. You will likely remember this sort of thing in that one episode of The Hills where Lauren Conrad must choose between buying a Fendi purse or really going all-out for the Chanel. Continue reading →

How to Sound Like A Geek

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Mia R.

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Is there a special geek someone you’re trying to impress, but don’t know what to say? Worry no more! This guide will help fake you through 4 TV shows that nerds love (not these four) to help you fit in with the not-so-cool kids. Continue reading →

TV’s Top 5 Sexiest Nerdettes

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Dabney B

It’s never been a better time to be a nerd. Twenty or so years ago, nerds were getting stuffed in lockers and given atomic wedges. I mean, that might still be the case now, but at least nerds nowadays can blossom into acceptable and loved socially awkward nerds.

That trend is becoming more and more evident on TV, with nerdettes getting more and more camera time. As I said in an earlier article, I’m liking this trend that nerd culture is becoming cooler. This focus on female nerds has the added bonus of breaking stereotypes, because it shows audiences that even book worms and brunettes in horn-rimmed glasses can be sexy, too.

5. Kaylee – Firefly

Image: Firefly Wikia

Kaylee’s bound to feel a bit outmatched when it comes to feminine charm aboard Serenity. On one side of her, she’s got Inara, a trained Companion who’s devoted her life to pleasing others. On the other, she’s got Zoe, an exotic Amazonian warrior goddess who kicks ass and still has time to have hot, sweaty alone time with her husband in bed.

But don’t let Kaylee’s inglorious occupation fool you. Her humble demeanor, southern twang, unabashed love of ships, and caring disposition make her the perfect gal. And be honest with yourself: those grease smudges are just too darned cute.

Image: Penny-Arcade

4. Bernadette – The Big Bang Theory

Image: Bluelight

This squeaky blonde gives a new meaning to the term “mousey.” The miniscule Bernadette is uncharacteristically attractive considering the guy she’s dating (lucky douchebag). To be honest, I think she might even more good-looking than the resident “hot one.”

Image: Series and TV

3. Seven of Nine – Star Trek Voyager

Image: Well You Say That

Not only can this blonde bombshell calibrate a super computer to intercept the trajectory of a spacecraft at warp 9.6, but she’s also struggling to rediscover her human emotions and is looking for someone to teach her what it means to love again. And who knows — maybe her Borg hardware comes with built-in vibrating features.

Image: en-memory

Just make sure you give her a chance to freshen up before heading out on a date together.

Image: MS Chaut

2. Jess – The New Girl

The New Girl is getting rant reviews and is quickly developing its own set of devoted followers. But with the “adorkable” Zooey Deschanel at the forefront of the show, it’s hard not to get sucked in.

Image: People

Nyaww, isn’t she so cute? Makes you want to take her home with you, kind of like a puppy that’s so clumsy that it trips over its own paws.

1. Liz Lemon – 30 Rock

Image: Grrl Planet

My favorite nerd goddess of all time, Tina Fey brings out social ineptitude in 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon. One of the best gags of the show is that Liz is completely unsuccessful in the dating world as is often considered to be unattractive, which creates a weird but successful comedic effect, considering how attractive Tina Fey actually is. It’s kind of like that Twilight Zone episode with the ugly doctors. I mean, honestly, who red-blooded male wouldn’t be turned on by this?

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Don’t Miss This Episode: Buffy’s “Once More, With Feeling”

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Bailey C.

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Our new blog series Don’t Miss This Episode takes you in to the standout episodes of your favorite shows.

Musical episodes of otherwise non-musical shows can be a tricky thing. Too easily they can fall into gimmickry, or the music itself can be lacking, or the actors look intensely out of their depth for the full length of the episode. But when they work, boy do they work. Continue reading →