My Favorite TV Shows

My Favorite TV Shows!
(Currently Running* Shows)


PSYCH

Uploaded by evergreen82 on Apr 5, 2009

(This show's a lot more fun than this promo shows.)

Fun, fun show about Shawn Spencer whose cop father raised him to be highly observant. Watching a news clip of a police investigation, Shawn solves the crime and reports that to the Santa Barbara Police Department. He stops by the station, expecting to receive a reward, but instead gets arrested, because: How else could he know what he knows? He then claims to be psychic and forms a psychic detective agency with his lifelong pal Burton Guster, a.k.a. Gus, a.k.a. whatever silly nickname Shawn gives him. The silly nicknames are one of the running gags of the show. Also, in every episode, a pineapple is shown, mentioned, and/or alluded to in some way. (Kind of like Superman on "Seinfeld".)

Psych's fun, because of its premise, its cool hipness, the character dynamics, the fast-paced funny banter chock full of pop culture references, the intriguing crimes that need to be solved, and much, much more. Helps that the camera highlights whatever Shawn looks at it, so we get to see the clues he sees. Watching/listening to the commentary on DVD, you can see/hear how much fun the cast and crew have creating the show. Also, the show has one of the best TV theme songs ever. The theme song's written and sung by the creator of the series: Steve Franks. (See next week's post: "My Favorite TV Theme Songs".)

Favorite Episodes: 

1X01: Pilot: It sets up the show and is so much fun. 

2X02: 65 Millions Years Off: Just plain fun, Shawn claims the killer is a T-Rex; and the interim police chief orders Shawn to undergo psychiatric evaluation. 

4X09: Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark: Not as funny, but well-written, suspenseful, Shawn gets shot! 

4X15: The Head, the Tail, the Whole D*mn Episode: Fun jabs at JAWS. 

5X09: One, Maybe Two, Ways Out: Franka Potente guest stars, forgetting that he's wired; and thus, unaware that Juliet can hear what he says, Shawn has his "Serious Shawn moment" where he tells Gus how he really feels about Juliet. 

THE MENTALIST

Uploaded by poohbear1701 on Sep 3, 2008

Oddly enough, The Mentalist is also about a fake psychic who uses his keen powers of observation to read people and solve crimes. Hmm. My top two favorite TV shows are both about fake psychics! What does that say about me? I think we’re all posers, painfully aware of the Grand Illusion? Or I just enjoy entertaining shows with captivating characters, clever mysteries, and hilarious humor. 

The Mentalist is still a funny show, but it takes itself more seriously. The thrust of the show, its undercurrent, if you will, is the relentless search of former "psychic" Patrick Jane's search for Red John, the serial killer who murdered his wife and daughter. Obviously, that part's not funny. But there's still a lot of humor and fun with this show too. Intriguing mysteries as well. Moving moments too, like when Patrick has to kill the only person who could lead him to Red John in order to save Detective Lisbon's life. 

I've only seen Season 1 in its entirety and various episodes from the other seasons, but I've enjoyed every one I've seen. Where the show excels is in the clever plans Patrick Jane devises to catch the guilty. Plus, part of the fun is the funny reason Patrick gives for why he first suspected the culprit he catches. Spoiler Alert: I.e., "He uses too much butter." "No one steals beef and barley soup." 

Favorite Episodes:

1X01: Pilot: It sets up the show and is so much fun, like when Patrick Jane talks to a shrink and says he feels guilty because he paid his brother to do his chores, but his brother got killed doing so; and the shrink comments about how the same thing happened to Johnny Cash. 

2X01: Redemption: The opening scene alone is well worth watching. The team gets pulled off the Red John case which makes Patrick Jane wonder why he should continue to work with the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) if he can't pursue his wife and daughter's killer. 
3X02: Cackle-Bladder Blood: Patrick helps his brother-in-law. Funny, fun, and fascinating episode. From the opening scene until the ending where Patrick solves the case in an usual way. 


Although I haven't read it yet and can't say for sure, this book claims to help you become a mentalist and "master the secrets behind the hit show": 

CASTLE

Uploaded by charmed14921 on Jan 24, 2009

The Rule of Threes? Or because I don't want you to think I only like shows about fake psychics? Either way, another favorite show of mine is: Castle. Fiction writer Richard Castle tags along with New York Police Detective Kate Beckett, so he can base his character Nikki Heat on her. What adds to the fun of this show are Castle's mother and daughter. 

The undercurrent and thrust of the show Castle is Detective Beckett's search for her mother's killer. Similar in tone to The Mentalist. In fact, I think of The Mentalist as being the show Psych with the sentiments of Castle. The Mentalist is funny, but not zany. In another similar vein, Beckett had to shoot the only person who could lead her to her mother's killer to save Castle's life. Quite sad watching her continue to give the dead man CPR. But overall, this show's fun too. 

I missed the first season and some of the second season of this show, but I've thoroughly enjoyed Seasons 3 and 4 and what I saw of Season 2. What's brilliant about this show from a marketing standpoint is that a new Nikki Heat book gets published at the end of each season. Supposedly, these are the books Castle worked on all season. The books appear on the show too. And the books are published as if written by Richard Castle himself! For more info about two of these books, check out my book reviews: Book Review: Naked Heat by Richard Castle and Book Review: Heat Rises by Richard Castle.

Favorite Episodes:

3X24: Knockout: When Kate gets shot, Castle admits his love for her, which sets up a lot of forthcoming tension in Season 4 when she pretends she never heard him, but he eventually figures out she did. 

4X02: Heroes & Villains: Fun superhero story!

4X21: Headhunters: Nathan Fillion who plays Castle reunites with his fellow actor from the Firefly TV show and Serenity movie: Adam Baldwin. 

And my secret favorite TV show ...

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS


Uploaded by prettylittleliarsss on Apr 21, 2010

Fun show. Lots of twists and turns. Flashes of humor. Emotional. Suspense galore. A mysterious person (or persons) known only as "A" torments and taunts four friends whose friend Allison disappeared. But just when you think Allison might be A, she turns up dead. Dead from a year ago, which gives her a brilliant alibi! Might be the most intense of the shows listed. 


Ick Factor: Season 3 puts the "Liars" in their senior year in high school. I thought they were in their senior year the first season, and then the second season when they were still in high school; and thought the character of Aria might have been 18 in the first season; thus giving her teacher Ezra the benefit of the doubt. But if she was only a sophmore then, the oldest she would've been is 16, so eww! (Lucy Hale, the actress who portrays Aria is 23, but from the standpoint of the story that makes her former teacher Ezra ... Ick!) 


But Ick Factor aside, the show's fun with its other predominant story lines, character dynamics, the webs of deceit and tricks "A" uses against the "Liars", and their schemes to try to catch and foil "A" as well. 

The show is based on the book series by Sara Shepard:

  

And vice versa, some of the books are based on the TV series too:

Favorite Episodes:

1X01: Pilot: It sets up the show. 

2X25: unmAsked: Supposedly reveals the identity of A, but even with this person locked away in a loony bin, someone claiming to be A still threatens and frustrates the fab four. 

3X03: Kingdom of the Blind: The girls finally reconnect to an extent with Jenna whom they accidentally blinded before the series began (in the back story of the show). After undergoing surgery, Jenna can see now, even though she continued to pretend to be blind, because she seems to be hounded by A or someone like A too. This episode has the fun interchange: Spencer: "Hannah, you have all the subtlety of a hand grenade." Hannah: "Thank you!" 

Blessings& Joy,

Dean

* My all-time favorite TV shows will be revealed in a future blog. Although this list doesn't show it, I mostly like comedies. But, as this list makes apparent, I also enjoy mysteries, intrigue, and suspense. Even so, each of these shows demonstrate some humor too.

COMING JULY 13: My Favorite TV Theme Songs

COMING JULY 20: My Favorite Commercials*

* For my Favorite Favorite Commercial, see: My Favorite Commercial

My Favorite Superhero Movies

With "The Amazing Spider-Man" being released on July 3, 

now's the best time to blog about: 

My Favorite 
Superhero Movies

  
 

I know. Two of those are cartoons. Cartoon enthusiasts prefer the phrase: Animated feature.

Just like comic book aficionados prefer the phrases: Graphic novel. Or sequential art.

Regardless of how good Batman Begins is, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman origin movie. I admit The Batman Superman Movie might be a wee bit silly. But I still like it. My favorite part? When Batman weakens Superman with a tiny chunk of Kryptonite and says: "Doesn't take much, does it?" (Kevin Conroy's got a great Batman voice.) Mark Hamill (a.k.a. Luke Skywalker) plays the voice of the Joker in both! Batman: Year One's a lot of fun too. Although quite similar, the graphic novel's better than the movie.

Uploaded by hedede on Sep 22, 2006

As far as the non-animated features go, Spider-Man 2's my favorite so far*, because so much happened! He gets unmasked. The film explores the themes of sacrifice and what it means to be a hero. The scene where his unconscious body's carried by the subway passengers is quite moving. "He's just a kid." "We won't tell nobody." Tremendous action scenes. Spidey at his best! Until the new movie* comes out, which looks even better: The Amazing Spider-Man! Be sure to check out my blog Heaven-Bent on July 2nd for a special look at Spidey.

The Avengers? Awesome! A super dee duper superhero movie! The scene where Black Widow breaks free from her "captors" is worth the price of admission. The whole movie is great. The character interactions. The action. The dialogue. Lots of fun moments. Explores the need for teamwork and sacrifice. Might be the best superhero movie, but I still say Spider-Man 2's my favorite because that's the best Spidey movie so far.*

Published on Apr 4, 2012 by MARVEL

I don't recall being much of an Iron Man fan. But both of the Iron Man movies are awesome.

Batman Begins is great for a non-animated Batman origin story. Bruce Wayne didn't get the luxury of being bitten by a radioactive spider, he trained himself, pushed himself beyond his own limits to become a superhero. Great look at the importance of focus and determination to conquer one's goals. 


I'm not the only one who thinks these superhero movies are the best, since most of these films each made hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office. 


Until next time, search for what's super inside you; and do all you can to make the world a better place. 

Blessings & Joy,

Dean

*Although I haven't seen it yet, 

something tells me this will soon be my favorite superhero movie: 

Published on May 14, 2012 by spidermanmovie

For more Spidey/Superhero fun, be sure to read my blog posts: 
The Superhero with the Most TV Shows, 
What Makes Spider-Man So Amazing?, 
and The Amazing Spider-Man Is Spectacular!.

COMING JULY 6: My Favorite TV Shows

COMING JULY 13: My Favorite TV Theme Songs

COMING JULY 20: My Favorite Commercials*

* For my Favorite Favorite Commercial, see: My Favorite Commercial

My Favorite Shark Movies

My Favorite Shark Movies

So far, in the history of cinema, there have been only two* great shark movies.

"JAWS"

Uploaded by oldhollywoodtrailers on Dec 12, 2011

The characters, the soundtrack, and, of course, the brilliant directing make this movie great! Works best when watched on a big screen with an excellent sound system.

"Deep Blue Sea"


Uploaded by warnervod on Sep 29, 2009

How do you compete with a classic like "JAWS"? You ramp up the horror! In "JAWS", the man-eating shark was a mindless, eating machine. In "Deep Blue Sea", the man-eating sharks are smart. And there's three of them. So that's the formula for competing with previously successful films: Make the horror more threatening; and increase the number of them. Characterization worked well with this one too. My favorite scene is when Thomas Jane's character pulls a Louisiana license plate out of the mouth of one of the sharks as an homage to "JAWS".

"Open Water"

Uploaded by LionsgateShop on Jul 23, 2009

This isn't a great shark movie, nor is it a favorite of mine, however, I would have enjoyed this movie much, much more, if I had known beforehand that they used real sharks. (I wondered how they got such fantastic CGI!) Strangely, the sequel didn't have sharks. 

Blessings & Joy,

Dean Burkey

For a more comprehensive look at the shark movie genre, please enjoy my Heaven-Bent blog post: Shark Movies

* Three if you count "Soul Surfer" as a shark movie. I don't, because that movie was more about the victim than the shark. You hardly saw the shark. Besides, shark movies are fantasy and only fun when the victims are evil. But "Soul Surfer" was based on a true story; and that darling girl didn't deserve to be attacked. In accordance with Romans 8:28**, God used even that horrific event to work wonders. So it's an excellent faith-based movie, but not a shark movie.

** Romans 8:28 (NKJV): "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

My Favorite Artists

My Favorite Artists

Perhaps it's the desire to multi-task, but I like surreal art that does two things at once. That makes you look twice and ponder. 

Like William Ely Hill's1915 masterpiece "My Wife and My Mother-In-Law" which shows two women while only showing one. What?! The woman you see depends on how you look at the picture. Which woman do you see? 

The beautiful young lady that's his wife? *
Or the woman that's his mother-in-law? **

Whichever one you saw first says a lot about you. I don't know what it says about you, but it says a lot. 

Seeing both at the same time means I have a dual personality, which is why I'm banned from working as a lumberjack or a butcher; and I'm also not allowed to operate any tools or machinery that have pointy bits. 

And sure, I just made that up, but it sounds so convincing that I can avoid performing messy tasks. 

That's the kind of art I like; 

and here are My Favorite Artists:

Salvador Dali

Pure genius! He created so many great works. 
But this one is my  favorite!

"Swans Reflecting Elephants"



The reflection of the swans and tree trunks create elephants!

MC Escher

He also created lots of great works. 
But this one is my  favorite!

"Drawing Hands"



Who's drawing whom?

Jim Warren

He's still alive and creates many great works. 
I can't pick a favorite!

"Galloping Waves"

Where do the waves end; and the horses begin?

Rob Gonsalves

He's also still alive and creates many great works. 
I can't pick a favorite!

"Ladies of the Lake"



Where does the midnight mist end; 
and the ladies of the lake begin?

Blessings & Joy,

Dean Burkey

 

Here's a great book that features 
most of these artists and more!
(The cover is by Rob Gonsalves.)

* His wife looks to the left and to the back a little. 

** His mother-in-law looks left and downward, without looking back. (Her nose is his wife's left cheek.) 

My Favorite Commercial

My Favorite Commercial

Uploaded by LindseyL81 on Oct 21, 2011

New version of the award-winning Sedal hair commercial 
starring The Lockwood Twins: Amanda and Lindsey 
and featuring Ray Charles' rendition 
of the song Bye-Bye Love.


Fun, fun video. 
Peppy music. 
Superb acting.
Action. Humor. Twists. 


And with all that, the commercial makes its point:
Sedal hair gives you several hairstyles 
and options from which to choose.


Blessings & Joy,

Dean Burkey

My Favorite Brian Regan Routines

My Favorite Brian Regan Routines

Pop Tarts

Uploaded by ennuimarch on Jun 24, 2007

Walkie-Talkie

Uploaded by kozes on Dec 21, 2006

Enjoy Clean, Family-Friendly Comedy at Its Best!


Blessings & Joy,

Dean Burkey

My Favorite Action Movie

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

The most amazing thing about this movie 
is that they made this one even better than the last!


Until this movie, my previous favorite action movie was:

Mission: Impossible III

As exciting as those previews are, 
they don't even begin to show you the real thrills!

Both movies abound 

with suspense, thrills, twists and turns. 

But MI 4 does so even more!


But then again MI 3 has Maggie Q!

From a screenwriting point-of-view, 
MI 3 has a tighter script.
MI 4 had a couple flaws, 
one at the beginning and another at the end, 
but still  MI 4  presents an exciting thrill ride,
making MI 4 a real motion picture!


I hope you saw this one in the theater.
If not, try to watch MI 4 on as big a screen as you can.


For added fun, sit in as tall a chair as you can.

Blessings & Joy,

Dean Burkey