Television Blah Blah Blah

Considering that I don't watch much television, it's no surprise that I care very little about the Emmy Awards. That is, I did until I realized that I will actually be very sad if my beloved Battlestar Galactica and Chuck are snubbed, especially BSG since it has been routinely snubbed.

This frustration plagued me today as I tried to explain to a friend of mine and her friend why they should watch Battlestar Galactica (as I do to many people, as I have done about several things in the past... like Heroes, back when it was good) and her friend was gracious enough to actually allow me to attempt to describe the premise (which, I admit, I didn't do with flying colours; it is so hard to make the show sound as un-sci-fi as it actually is). This reluctance is something I understand. It took me a long time to give in to urgings to watch House and Mad Men and I watch most other TV shows for various other reasons (I started watching Gilmore Girls due to the ABC Family reruns, Heroes for Milo Ventimiglia's beauty, Chuck because it was on before Heroes, Battlestar Galactica because drunk guys in a neighboring dorm watched it frequently which piqued my curiosity, and Gossip Girl because I was turned on to What Chuck Wore... and I am a twisted soul) but I admit that I rarely watch TV because people recommend it to me directly.

Is it futile to recommend things to others? I know that my recommendations to friends often fall on deaf ears. Or, occasionally, my pushing can lead to overhype, as my roommate refuses to watch the second half of The Departed because I had "hyped it up" too much and she wasn't that impressed by the first half. But then again, I have successfully convinced a few people, namely my mother, into trying these new things. Yes, you say, it's my mother, you say, she'd do anything for me, you say, but it takes at least minimal interest to read through the seven Harry Potter books, sit through Cowboy Bebop and the first three seasons of Battlestar Galactica. Plus, it was by her free will that she started watching Chuck when I watched the DVRed episodes. I have convinced an unfortunate amount of friends to watch Heroes... if only I could transfer that poor faith into a show with real quality, like Chuck or BSG. I apologize, my friends, I never knew it would go so sour after such an excellent start.

But back to the Emmys, which I started to post on. Since I have started concerning myself with them all of a few days ago, I have heard just how lame they are and unoriginal and on about how they don't feature excellence (I admit, I was surprised to hear The Wire, highly praised by every other member in my family including my elder brother, a film major/film buff whose taste in music I disagree with (he likes RAP) but his eye is better than his ear, had never been nominated. I don't know much about it except that it is supposedly AMAZING). So no wonder a show as wonderfully deep, action-packed, thrilling, smart, and acclaimed as BSG won't be noticed. But there's hope yet for my beloved Chuck, which hit an amazing stride in its second season. Yes, the first season was a great start, but the second season... SO good, especially as it moves on.

But if what I've heard about the Emmys is right, Chuck has no hope, and I'll just have to hear more nominations for shows that have never interested me enough to watch or even read about them, much less consider them the best of TV. But then, considering that most television is crap (sure, my friend whose interests include fat people might enjoy Dance Your Ass Off, but I could care less), I can see how it's easy to pounce on anything half-decent. I can also see how hard it is to convince anyone that this or that show is particularly amazing. I know I rarely react, especially to my dozens of friends who are Dr. Who addicts (including my dear roommate), so why should anyone else?

Oh, right, because BSG is totally amazing. x)

And March 2010 and the return of Chuck is SO FAR AWAY.

The only bright side? Mad Men returns next month! I'd feel a lot better if I knew the actual return date though...