FX’s new animated show, Archer, is pure entertaining fun. It has a very Sealab 2021 feel, so much so that I went to the internet for information, and lo! Archer is brought to us by one of the co-creators of Sealab. If you missed Sealab back in the early years of this century, the can’t-miss episode is Bizzaro (I can only find a clip compilation, but the entire episode is worth seeking out).

Archer has the right mix of dry delivery and absurd humor, and clocks in perfectly at 30 minutes- longer would be too much to sustain, and 15 minutes wouldn’t allow for set-ups of longer jokes. As a bonus, it offers some vocal talent powerhouses- Jessica Walter (of Arrested Development) and Chris Parnell (of SNL and 30Rock), among others.

Between Archer and It’s Sunny in Philadelphia, FX is really on the cutting edge of comedy these days.

The reason for this, for me, has been that my opinion of most television as of late has been: 1) wow, this is really entertaining, or 2) I’m sick and tired of this crap. I wish I had more interesting insight, but admittedly, I did not.

To get back into the swing of things, I’ve decided it’s time to write a short little something about the one of the entertaining shows I’ve been faithfully watching. There are some really great half-hour comedies on tv right now, but the best — hands down — is Modern Family.

I wasn’t so sure about the show at first. It has a format that takes some getting used to, much like Arrested Development. And like AD, it’s a comedy where the core value is family.

Oh, how it sings to my heart that this liberal-leaning show is espousing true family values!  It’s a show about extended family who, despite their significant differences, love one another very much. Instead of paying lip service to the importance of family, it actually shows it on a weekly basis. The characters often make huge mistakes and can be somewhat misguided. But ultimately, they end up in a place where they put family first. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the sappiest show on tv right now, and I love it.

And on top of all of that, it is damn funny. Now, it can lean into that contact embarrassment realm (you’ve been forewarned), but the discomfort is worth the heart warming and huge belly laughs that come with each and every episode.

But Sunday night also brought possibly the best news for cartoon-loving nerds everywhere: Venture Bros. is back, baby!

It’s hard to sum up what makes Venture Bros. so damn entertaining. On the surface, it’s a parody of the old Johnny Quest-style adventure shows. But reducing Venture Bros. to a one-note premise like that is like saying that Battlestar Galactica was about homicidal space robots. It’s the truth, in a way, but it’s missing all the layers and complexity that made the show compelling.

Like the very best comedies, Venture Bros. builds its jokes on the strength of its characterization and continuity. Any particular scene will have numerous things going on: the omnipresent pop-culture references, in-jokes specific to the audience’s knowledge of the show’s history, foreshadowing for future plot lines that will only make sense upon later rewatches. As with shows like Arrested Development – or the The Simpsons in its heyday — I can (and have) watched episodes of Venture Bros. over and over again, and gotten something new out of them every time.

(Spoilers for the premiere after the jump)

“Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel” starts season four off with a bang. (Yes, literally — we pick up directly at the explosion which ended season three.) The episode has a typically Byzantine dual story structure: the A plot follows Brock’s recovery and quest for vengeance in linear fashion, while the B plot — involving Sargent Hatred’s new bodyguard duties, 21′s quest to bring 24 back from the dead, and… a bunch of Nazis with a dog containing Hitler’s soul — is intercut in reverse chronological order. In other words, this is an episode that really won’t make sense until you’ve watched it at least twice.

God, I love this show.

The usual dense layers of pop-culture references abound, of course. My favorite is the extended Raiders of the Lost Arc gag, complete with Orpheus wearing Belloq’s outfit from the climactic Nazi face-melting scene. The larger plot has also been moved forward a great deal with Brock’s initiation into the mysterious S.P.H.I.N.X. organization and the revelation that Hunter Gathers has been undercover since his (supposed?) sex-change operation in season two.

Apparently, this season will be split in two, with the first eight episodes airing this Fall and the last eight next Summer. I can’t say I’m happy about that, but it means there will at least be plenty of time to rewatch and dissect the first batch before we push to the end.

Of course, if you’re already a fan of the show, you probably already know all of this. And if you’re not, all I can say is: do yourself a favor and DON’T start with season four. Really. The first three are out on DVD. Watch them in order and you’ll enjoy them a lot more, I promise.

… unless you don’t like cartoons that expect you to pay attention because they’re not going to spell things out or dumb them down; complex, multi-generational storytelling; serial plotlines with an enormous cast or colorful, recurring characters; non-stop historical, literary and pop-culture allusions and homages; or humor that’s both sophomoric and sophisticated. Then this probably just isn’t the show for you.

So when I heard about plans for an animated Clone Wars movie and a new tv series — both covering the same time period but using a different, colder CGI style and adding a teenage apprentice for Anakin — well… I was a little skeptical. Fortunately, although I still prefer the look of the Tartakovsky version, the new series (and yes, Anakin’s headstrong apprentice, Ahsoka) have otherwise completely won me over.

Like the original animated shorts, the 2008 series follows a variety of characters from the expanded universe (as well as more familiar favorites like Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Mace Windu).

Storylines are presented in multi-episode arcs, which allows for a higher level of detail, characterization, and continuity than you might expect from a 22 minute cartoon aimed at kids. The dialog is snappy, both heroes and villains are vibrant — even the clone troopers have distinct, interesting personalities — and the whole thing is full of action.

It’s also full of female characters, which is more than you can say for either of the main trilogies. Princess Leia may be both my childhood hero and my first female crush, but she is also painfully alone. In the new movies, I wanted to love Padmé Amidala, but after a promising start, she got less and less effective in each succeeding movie before finally dying of a freaking broken heart. (Thanks for that, Lucas.)

In the Clone Wars universe, however, Padmé gets to do a lot more. She adventures and investigates; she’s got some freaking agency. She’s also got a lot more company. So far, we’ve seen female heroes and villains — Hutts, Jedi, dark Force users (the always entertaining Asajj Ventress, who I dearly wish had made it into the films), bounty hunters and senators. And, of course, Ahsoka.

Full disclosure: I love Ahsoka. She’s stubborn, loyal and brave. She makes mistakes constantly, but she also owns them. She gives Anakin crap, and also helps humanize him. She’s great.

(She also… doesn’t really fit in with the rest of what we know will be canon. So in my mind, at least, the entire animated series takes place in an alternate universe from the one of the films. A step to the left, if you will, where Anakin is a little less whiny and has a snarky apprentice. It’s more enjoyable that way, trust me.)

I think my favorite thing about her, however, is the fact that she isn’t defined by her gender. I can’t think of a single instance on the show so far where the scene would have read any differently had she been a boy. Ahsoka isn’t Anakin’s Girl Apprentice. She’s Anakin’s apprentice… who happens to be a girl. This is the kind of thing I would have killed for as a kid: plotty action show with a girl like me who gets to play the hero and  wield a lightsaber? OH, HELL YEAH.

After a successful 22 episode first season run, season two (helpfully subtitled: Rise of the Bounty Hunters), booted up with an hour long premiere last week in which a pair of enterprising bounty hunters staged a successful heist of valuable information from the Jedi archives.

I am a big fan of anything involving the Jedi library, so this made my night. (Princess Leia’s awesome and all, but the truth is that if I could magically transport myself to the Star Wars universe, I’d be a Jedi librarian, no question.)

I have high hopes for this season’s arc. Bounty hunters have always been a crowd pleaser for Star Wars fans. They tend to have cool toys, and they’re the perfect clever, amoral adversaries for the Jedi, who — let’s be honest — are noble, but can sometimes be a bit priggish.

While we wait to see how the season will unfold, isn’t it nice to have new Star Wars material that you’re not embarrassed to admit you like?

(Sometimes I like to picture the writers sitting around waving pom poms, shouting, “GIBBS, GIBBS, HE’S OUR MAN! IF HE CAN’T DO IT, NO ONE CAN!” It would explain a lot.)

I should hate this show. But somehow, I don’t.

I mainlined all six seasons this summer (USA reruns are like sweet, sweet crack), and I was insanely excited for the seventh season premiere. Like, bouncing out of my seat excited. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one.

So what is it about NCIS that makes it so compelling? I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but this here’s what keeps me coming back:

1) The team is ridiculously pretty (yes, I’m shallow that way):

They’re also damn good at what they do. I have a real soft spot for competent people — and sure, the skill level of the NCIS team is often over the top (Ziva’s the most badass killer around; Tony’s the smoothest talker in the world; McGee can hack any system; Abby is an expert at every single scientific field; Ducky’s got a story for every occasion AND can accurately psycho-analyze anyone; Gibbs’ ability at, well… everything). But it sure is fun to watch them do their thing.

Ah, competence porn. (See also: Leverage; Burn Notice)

2) The family dynamic. I’m such a sucker for massively screwed up people who come together to form their own bastardized family unit. Sure, they drive each other nuts and give each other crap constantly…

…but they’d also go to the ENDS OF THE EARTH for each other and God help you if you attack one of them, because the rest will end you:

Um, yeah. I might like that kind of thing just a little bit. You know, if you were wondering.

So, yes. Team NCIS is made up of obnoxious emotional cripples who need each other desperately. And I love it. Because let’s face it — as the parade of failed Ziva-replacements in the last two episode have so aptly demonstrated — at this point no one else can really stand to work with them. Together? They’re unstoppable. But remove one piece of the puzzle and it all unravels.

3) Tony and Ziva. Fandom seems fairly split between loving or hating any hint of unresolved sexual tension between these two, but put me firmly in the camp that can’t get enough of a good, old fashioned love/hate relationship like theirs.

The writers have been smart enough to leave just a smidge of ambiguity in even the most charged Tony/Ziva moments, so ardent opponents of the relationship can maintain plausible deniability. But if you like sub-text, the first two episodes of this season have been an all you can eat buffet of love.

In the past, it’s seemed like Ziva’s been more open with her feelings for Tony, but watching his total breakdown over her disappearance and supposed death deeply satisfied my need for dramatic pining. And their climactic reunion — complete with truth serum-induced confessions of not being able to live without her — was everything I could have hoped for.

But I can’t give all the credit to the writers. This past week, the action was all in Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo’s facial expressions. This clip should really be in the dictionary under “eye-fucking.” I don’t know where their relationship is heading (I doubt the writers will resolve the tension any time soon), but as long as the banter and the scorching stares continue, I will be there every week.

4) The women. I would never make the claim that NCIS should be winning any awards for sensitive handling of gender issues. (AHAHAHAHAHA… no. Just–no.) But whatever other headaches the show often gives me on the sexism front, I do enjoy the hell out of having Ziva David and Abby Scuito on my screen:

The gradual growth of their friendship over the past four years has made it one of my favorite relationships on the show. Hey, Tony and Ziva’s reunion in the premiere might have had me squeeing, but it was Abby tenderly touching Ziva’s bruised face at the end of the clip above that brought a tear to my eye. They’re two strong-willed, complex, three-dimensional, gorgeous women.

What more could I ask for in my fictional ladies?

5) The show’s just fun:

I can’t argue with that video. I’ve tried, but it makes me smile too much.

Bottom line: I guess I’m stuck with this show — judging by the ratings so far, it’s certainly not going anywhere (which is a nice change from the on-the-bubble cult shows I usually watch, believe me). And I don’t care that it’s dumb and predictable at times. I love my team of wacky, dysfunctional, superhero Navy cops, damnit!

So there.

First, there’s That Mitchell and Webb Look, brilliant sketch comedy by a couple of guys who owe a lot to Monty Python. It’s somewhat similar to Little Britain, which has been easier to find here in the States, but much, much funnier. The first season is available for instant streaming on Netflix, and the beauty of sketches is that they’re pretty easy to find on Youtube as well. By far the greatest sketch on the show (possibly one of the greatest sketches I’ve seen in my life) is the Surprising Adventures of Sir Digby Chicken Caesar.

Also from the Mitchell & Webb duo, Peep Show is pee-your-pants-funny (that, from me, is a compliment). The shaky cam and the extreme contact embarrassment will probably put off most of my tv-watching friends, but it is the height hilarity. I don’t know that a single clip on Youtube would do it justice, but the first season is available (on dvd) from Netflix.

Finally, my new favorite show, The IT Crowd. Written by the same guy who wrote Black Books, a show I can watch over and over again and still hurt myself laughing, the IT Crowd has gathered a pretty large following both in Britain and here. In fact, there was an American version slated for NBC (starring none other than Joel McHale!), but it was pulled from production. Which may be for the best, I feel like an American version would play up the nerdiness of the characters into caricatures and would lose some of the surrealism (the goth in the closet, for instance- see this clip for some hilarity).

My affections for this show have been slowly waning ever since they broke up the original team. I pretty much disliked the entire new group, except for Kutner, and we all know what happened there.

So when I thoroughly enjoyed this season’s opening episode I was pleasantly surprised. Now, I have a background working in mental health and the show took great leaps in its portrayal, in my opinion. However, I don’t really expect realism when it comes to the mental health system on television, so I let all that slide. What I really loved about this episode was House’s growth. He obviously made some progress dealing with his issues and I thought they portrayed that well. I especially loved that for the first time on the show they were able to show that one moment where he did something different. The moment he could build upon. And I think they rightly pointed out that he wasn’t all of a sudden cured; he still has a lot of work to do.

I had heard before this season started that they were planning to bring Chase and Cameron back to the forefront and this also pleased me greatly. I loved their wedding and thought that this season was the right time to bring them back. Then I found out that they were writing Cameron out of the show. I am so extremely disappointed by this. This weeks’ episode continued the themes of the parts I enjoyed from the season premiere and the scenes from next week’s episode show Cameron and Chase involved in the story.  If I didn’t know Cameron was leaving, I would be overjoyed. But it seems as though the writers are going to tease us with a cohesive team just in time to rip it apart.

What is going on with this show? I’m starting to think I should just expect them to do the exact opposite of what I want and either accept that or stop watching.

Yes, yes, the network interfered with Joss’ vision. (Oh, of course it did. It’s FOX.) Whatever the reason, the show often felt like it was glorifying the very kind of exploitation it was trying to criticize, which frequently left a very sour taste in my mouth. You know there’s something very messed up going on behind the scenes when the only episode that feels like it’s even hinted at a show’s true potential is an unaired extra on the DVD set.

But “Epitaph One,” a bleak look into a near, dystopian future when the Dollhouse technology will have finally been put to its inevitable (and much more logical) world-ending use, was easily the best, most entertaining, and least offensive offering of the entire first season. And it made me excited to tune into last night’s premiere.

I’m glad I did.

Echo’s story was — as usual — the weakest link. Mostly because it made very little sense. But I enjoyed seeing her get to kick ass again at the end, and I’m really curious to see where her partnership with Ballard is going now that she’s remembering past identities much more openly. One of my problems relating to Echo as a character in the past was her lack of agency, so this can only be a positive change.

But the main meat of the episode lay with the rapid unraveling of Amy Ackers’ Whiskey/Dr. Saunders, which makes me even more sad that she’ll soon be leaving the show. Her breakdown throughout the episode — whether tormenting Topher, gently menacing Echo, or needling Boyd on his lack of interest before she became a damsel to be saved — was fascinating to watch.

Speaking of Boyd, I’m really digging the hints of attraction and tension between him and Saunders. But at the same time, I was glad to see the show rather pointedly call out both him and Ballard, the only other supposedly moral man in the Dollhouse, on the way they are both complicit in the Dolls’ captivity while at the same time getting off on the hero fantasy of protecting them.

The rest of the supporting cast fared well too (even gone-but-not-forgotten November/Mellie rated a mention, which gives me hope that we will be seeing her again). It is infinitely easier for me to deal with Topher when he isn’t being coddled by the narrative or used as only the “loveable,” quippy comic relief. Which is why his confrontation with Saunders was the most interesting either character has ever been to me. Topher’s a monster, not a lost puppy. Now that it seems like both the show and the character are starting to realize that, his presence on screen is less likely to make me want to throw things.

Although we didn’t get much more than a glimpse of Sierra and Victor, their brief scenes were put to good use. Sierra’s bitingly racist intro with Ivy (Psst, Joss… can Ivy get more screen time this season, please?) did more to showcase the surreal creepiness of the Dollhouse’s identity manipulation than anything we saw all last season. Victor, still recovering from Alpha’s attack at the end of last season, bookended the episode — his reaction to Sierra touching his newly healed face provided a sharp contrast to Adelle’s similar but less welcome gesture at the beginning. Here, as with Saunders, the show is finally not shying away from the horror of the routine violations the Dolls must endure.

Finally, at the shallow end of the pool: Wesley Wyndham-Price, er, Alexis Denisof! With his real American accent! Jamie Bamber! With his real British accent! My world’s all topsy turvey! And thank you, Joss, for giving the gift of Jamie Bamber and Tahmoh Penikett sharing a scene again. It’s always fun when you know the showrunner fanboys the same shows you do.

All in all, I’m pretty optimistic about what the rest of the season will bring. If “Vows” wasn’t a fluke, then this show might finally be heading in the right direction. Here’s hoping!

And it seems fitting that since the fall TV schedule aligns so well with the start of the school year that the new shows I am trying would be about students. Here are my first thoughts about the new series I have picked up:

Glee is one of the most enjoyable shows on television. It is fun and light. It has a diverse group of characters and they sing and dance! Now, if singing and dancing isn’t your thing, you probably won’t be too keen on it. But it has many charms and worth taking a look at.

Vampire Diaries is cashing in on the vamp craze and doing so with mixed results. The first episode was wildly entertaining: campy vampire fog, bad brother versus good brother, female main character who isn’t an empty vessel.  But the second episode didn’t further the plot at all and Stefan and Elena’s “epic” love has yet to be fleshed out. I’m keeping an eye on this, but it may not be a keeper.

I also tried Community. Although I have friends who enjoyed it, I felt very luke warm about it. I’m going to try it a few more times and see where it goes.

In terms of returning shows, I’m still letting some of the premiere’s rattle around a bit.   Here are some of my initial reactions to shows that I will be continuing to follow this season:

Mad Men: So depressing, yet so fascinating.  This is one of the more thought provoking shows I watch. It often triggers emotions about gender roles, parenting and the limits of our society. It is a great show, but not recommended if you are looking to turn your brain off.

Gossip Girl: Chuck and Blair! Chuck and Blair! Ahem. Sorry. This season has started off on a strong note. GG continues to be soap at its best. No character is above screwing up or being devious. I love it and am extremely psyched about this season.

House: Last season, I had fallen out of love with House. But this season’s premiere brought back a spark for me. There are so many things I loved about this episode that I think it will require its own post. Stay tuned.

How I Met Your Mother: After getting past how obnoxious Lily was in the premiere with her pushy, busy body antics and how obviously pregnant Colby Smulders is, this was a rather enjoyable episode. I love Barney and Robin. If they can continue the games and playful back and forth, I think the writers can keep them fresh instead of letting them get stale. And since Colby is having her baby soon, I’m sure her absence will put another wrinkle in their story. I wasn’t opposed to how they got rid of Lily for Alyson Hannigan’s leave. It wasn’t realistic (what on this show is?), but it was simple and effective. I’m curious to see what this show pulls out of its bag of tricks for Robin. I guess only time will tell.

Bones:  God, I loved Bones when I first started watching it. Now, I feel like I keep watching hoping I’ll get the spark back. There are still moments that I enjoy, but overall it has lost much of its luster. The twist of this season – Booth’s brain surgery making him think he is in love with Brennan (when supposedly he really isn’t? I guess? I thought he was? I don’t understand) is not grabbing me. I guess it is better than some of the other stuff they have thrown at us. Besides, Booth and Bones are at their best when there is tension between them. Lose the tension, lose my interest.

Supernatural: Brothers torn apart by the Apocalypse.  Need I say more?

The Office: Jim and Pam continue to be the most adorable couple on television. They also prove that couples can continue to be interesting after they get together. It doesn’t hurt that the rest of the characters continue to make me laugh until I cry. Parkour!

And finally, I’m still awaiting the premieres of Ugly Betty and Dollhouse.

As you can see it is a full schedule. I’m hoping we’ll have much to discuss!

The main character, Michael Weston, used to be a spy before he was “burned,” which means he was basically fired and wiped from the government records. It was done without warning or cause.  It is the catalyst for Michael’s primary objective: to figure out who burned him and why. While doing so, he uses his special set of skills to help a client solve a problem in each episode. These are often people who would otherwise not have the means or connections to change their situation. Michael seems to help them out of compassion and a sense of justice.

He works with Fiona,  an ex-girlfriend who has a similar set of skills and a short fuse, and Sam, a friend who is a former Navy seal and an FBI informant. They all have light playful relationships that make watching them enjoyable. Their loyalty to each other is palpable – if one of them needs help with a job, the others are there to help, no questions asked.

Michael’s family is also often thrown in the mix. His mother uses guilt to try and work Michael and it’s easy to see where he gets his power of persuasion from. This is often portrayed in a comedic way and their love for each other is always obvious. His brother has gambling problems and is in and out, often needing Michael to get him out of trouble.  His father died, but he continues to be an active presence in the family, with the entire family carrying baggage from his abuse during their childhood.

Michael Weston may be one of the most bad-ass characters I have ever seen. He is confident, versatile, cool under any circumstance and blows stuff up on a regular basis. Did I mention he is super hot? When I first saw Jeffrey Donovan I didn’t think much about how he looked. When watching him as Michael Weston, I have to fan myself on a regular basis. He oozes sex appeal.

Michael and Fiona have enough sexual tension to keep their relationship interesting. There is a little “will they/won’t they” to their relationship, but it isn’t the central focus of the show. Fiona is just as talented and strong as Michael. She keeps up with him and is always portrayed as his peer. Let’s hear it for gender equality! She can be a loose cannon, but I like that about her. She is a big personality and does not apologize for it.

It all comes down to this – if you like shoot outs, disguises, spying, explosions, fun accents and hot people you will most likely enjoy this show.