Go Team Braverman

NBC drama Parenthood is definitely worth a gander. For one thing, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) is in it. Apparently she's television typecast forever as the sassy single mother of a teenage daughter. There's even a storyline dealing with the repercussions of dating her daughter's English teacher. Gilmore Girls, much?

To be fair, the writers have thrown in a few changes. She also has a teenage son, three siblings, and her character is named Sarah, which is TOTALLY different to Lorelai, especially when you say it out loud.

Kidding aside, Parenthood is highly entertaining.

Most of the leads are television and film veterans. Lorelai/Sarah's brother Adam, emotional linchpin of the Braverman family, is portrayed by Peter Krause, who appeared in Dirty Sexy Money and Six Feet Under, as well as the under-appreciated miniseries The Lost Room, alongside Julianna Margulies.

Kudos also for avoiding casting model-esque types to portray the not-so-charismatic members of the Braverman clan. Let's face it, extended families always include a few rellies who are dumpy, ugly, or just plain annoying for no real reason (shame on me).

This mob are a mish-mash of personalities who happen to be joined by blood. Every now and again the bonds are stretched taut, alliances shift, and yet, when it comes down to the wire, someone in the clan always comes through for a fellow Braverman.

The characters are fabulously flawed, occasionally spouting one set of values before hypocritically taking off in the other direction. Like people in the real world, they either learn and grow from their experiences, or choose to completely ignore the implications of their actions. Every now and again the goody two shoes types get tired of being good. Alternately, the devil may care family members occasionally wake up and smell the coffee someone else more mature is making for them.

Just a few things niggle...

A part of the family dynamics is the (supposed) dazzling beauty of resident blonde Julia (Erica Christensen), referenced resentfully by Graham's character Sarah. Unfortunately, actress Erika Christensen looks relatively ordinary on camera, while Lauren Graham appears fresh and quite stunning. You can see the writers are trying to set up some deep-seated familial issues for future reference, but Graham is far too dazzling onscreen to qualify as a downtrodden, exhausted, plain Jane brunette single mum, as implied by the script.

Also, be warned, Braverman teenagers are really annoying. They seem incredibly immature, but maybe that's because we're invited to view the characters more from the parent's perspective? Programs aimed primarily at a teen audience (The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl) offer savvy, relatively together teenagers. This mob are a mess. Interestingly enough, the monarchs of the clan, Zeek and Camille, also seem a bit behind the eight ball when it comes to emotional maturity...

Parenthood's true allure is the way it captures the minutiae of family life, especially moments that are unexpectedly memorable. Think rites of passage with surprisingly tragic slants, empathic insights that take a conversation from annoying to poignant, and simple everyday dilemmas that transform suddenly into hilarious experiences. This series gives you a taste of the unpredictable chaos of everyday existence, and the role a closeknit clan can play in helping you survive it (even if they're as much a part of the problem as the solution).

The second season of Parenthood kicks off in the US with an early premiere. Let's hope it picks up enough of an audience to stay around for a third outing.

The Supes Are Alright

Supernatural creatures are where the money's at. Current zeitgeist is all about the supes. You can't click through channels without tripping over an actor in eye-warping lenses.

I've got nothing against humans, but in a way, human characters have become the straight man, filling empty spaces in the frame like onscreen pot plants. (Plot plants would be more accurate, since they do move around, make noise, and give the narrative some motion).

Right now, the passion and psychotic unpredictability that can make television delicious is firmly in the clutches of the supes in the cast.

Supernatural creatures allow for unusual character motivations and different ethical perspectives, without insulting anyone in the real world. You can infer metaphor-for-minorities, but frankly, eternal beings have weird thought patterns that occasionally make for fantastically volatile television.

The Gates is a new show for America's ABC Family, obviously designed to appeal to audience members who can't, or won't, pay for the vamp tramp pleasure of True Blood. While promotional imagery seemed to push the bloodsucker angle, there's a whole lotta supes here. Werewolves, a woman in thrall to an artifact (Warehouse 13, anyone?), good witches, bad witches and a budding succubus. Overachieve, much?

Not a rousing ratings winner, The Gates is still an interesting attempt to marry elements of the mundane and the supernatural. Some subplots are more successful than others, but overall, the show is worth a look, especially with a number of narrative threads becoming more complex, and therefore more engaging, in recent episodes.

To label The Gates another True Blood is a misnomer. The Gates is relatively tame, inferring violence rather than visually revelling in it. If you removed the graphic violence, sex, drug references and bloodshed from True Blood, each outing would last around seven minutes. Rather than a season of television, twelve episodes would view more like a short film festival.

The Vampire Diaries, on the other hand, could be labelled True Blood Lite. Firmly focused on the teen market, there's no denying the vamps inject a rabid (excuse the pun) energy to the script. There's also no denying the human characters, in general, are portrayed as dull as dishwater.

Supe TV isn't just about those on a haemoglobin diet. Right now, werewolves are beginning to counter the vampire overload on television. Werewolves are rugged and earthy, vamps are violent and sleek. In simple terms, an easy way to divide up, balance out and diversify a program's hottie ratio.

The only (television) humans holding strong against all the supe competition are Dean and Sam from Supernatural. Even the ecclesiastical troubles of sidekick angel Castiel can't hold a candle to the complex psyches of the Winchester brothers, and their convoluted sibling relationship. Oh, the humanity.

Half Hour Humour: The Sitcom Ghetto

Most fans of scripted television spend a lot of time shaking their fists at the thirty minute situation comedy, but I'm going to make a stand for the underdog.

There's a reason shows like The Big Bang Theory are rating strongly. Watching procedurals that investigate stabbings, rapes and other forms of nefarious crime isn't always the preferred way to unwind.

To be fair, there's no denying the less-than-perky theme of war has a recurring role on the sitcom scene. What is that about? Iconic programs like Mash, Hogan's Heroes, even 'Allo, 'Allo! come to mind. Imagine pitching those scenarios...

1. "Surgeons and nurses working at a field hospital during the Vietnam War. Bunch of laughs."

2. "How about a POW camp during World War Two? No?"

3. "A French cafe owner caught between the Resistance and the Nazis. Guaranteed hilarity."

Come again?

I recently lost a sitcom. 10 Things I Hate About You was aimed at a teen audience, based on characters from the film of the same name. It was kind of charming at times. Not to mention Gregory Peck's grandson Ethan Peck was doing a mighty fine job as the resident bad boy with a soft heart and (hereditary) deep voice.

Losing your viewing is always tough.

Karen: Oh, Jackie, what are we going to do? What are we going to talk about around this water cooler every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning?

Jack: I don't know, Karen. I mean, you hear about when other people lose their shows, but you never think it's going to happen to you. It makes me sick to think how cruel I was to my own mother when Barnaby Jones got canceled.

Karen: You know, when Stan died, I knew just what to do. A few months later, I simply got engaged to someone else. But this is different, Jackie. This is television.

Will and Grace, Season 6 Episode 19.

When it comes to trying a different show, I have one rule, and that is to sidestep cringeworthy comedies.

Not to be confused with badly written constructs, these are programs that have, unfortunately, outdone themselves. Combine brilliantly subversive writing with impeccable performances, and you've lost me.

Prime examples? Seinfeld and The Office. The cringeworthy factor is so high, it's a comedic killer. As a viewer, I am so embarassed for the characters I can't even laugh. Instead, I feel slightly sick from mortification. Sure, the people on the screen aren't real, but this is situational television. In short, they could be!

Standout new kid on the block, according to the ratings, is Modern Family. High grade sitcoms tiptoe the line between outrageously funny and blatantly overdone. So far, Modern Family is twirling easily on that tightrope, to the point of showing off.

We all know Betty White has the Midas touch. Even the mediocre writing in Hot In Cleveland can't haul this ratings rocket back down into the stratosphere. Following three women of a certain age, their overwhelming obsession with finding men is more nauseating than endearing. Is nothing else going on in their lives? Or, more importantly, their heads?

Cougar Town has a certain goofiness that's oddly charming. The internet has been abuzz with gossip concerning a possible name change. Sounds like a good idea. The program's wandered away from its original premise, focusing more on the kooky adventures of a close knit group (sound familiar?) which is probably what Monica, sorry, Courtney, should have run with from the outset. Definitely one to watch for sheer fun.

Of course, there's nothing like the classics to keep you smiling. Every now and again I try to catch an episode of that paragon of modern sitcoms, Friends. (I like to think I'm Phoebe-esque. Sadly, my little bro informs me I'm so very Ross). Murphy Brown's currently repeating on a network here. I haven't caught it yet, but a friend recommended tuning in to the FYI crew for the fashion flashbacks alone...!...

Does The New Dr. Who Measure Up?

...take a quick jog down Memory Road, turn left at History Street, and eventually you'll hit Nostalgia Lane.

My childhood was full of Dr Who, in all his different, ahem, forms. Every time a new one wandered into shot, American soaps like Bold and the Beautiful came to mind. In the land of daytime television, characters often go away (ie anywhere offscreen), to return an entirely different actor.

Credit to the producers of Dr Who for imbuing a dodgy television habit with their own special kind of genre cred. A casting transformation generally considered tacky is covered in sparkly sci-fi sprinkles (he's a Time Lord, he lives forever, it's really regeneration) and suddenly, the audience is nodding along sagely.

And they say True Blood knows how to market.

My favourite doctors? I grew up watching Dr Afro (Tom Baker), and Dr Blondie (Peter Davison). Tom Baker had big eyes and the best scarf. Peter Davison always looked like he was on his way to the cricket.

To be honest, my favourite Dr Who character was one of the sidekicks, Adric from Aldarius, and yes, I sobbed when he died. His costume had a large star on the shirt pocket. I think I've always appreciated stars on clothes for exactly that reason. Funny what visual memories set up shop in the subconscious.

I've always liked Dr Who's ensembles. The scarves and coats are like a layered exterior representation of the doctor's inner depths. The music has worn a groove in my brain somewhere, and the Daleks gave me nightmares for years. In the world of Dr Who, the baddies were BAD. Strangely, the only baddies that didn't scare me were the bloodsucking vampires. (Lifelong fascination, explained in a nutshell).

I thought the new doctor was going to be obnoxious. The writing this season is occasionally a touch too Torchwood for me, alternately overwrought, and blunt, but Matt Smith really delivers in the acting department. I liked David Tennant, though sometimes I would watch his twitchy, wide-eyed approach to the role, and wonder if the modern Dr Who wasn't an intergalactic fan of Grandmaster Flash? Specifically the track, White Lines (Don't Do It)...

The new Doctor Who is quite fantastic. Serious kudos to whoever called that casting, especially as some fans were dubious about the choice, mainly in regards to the actor's youth. But it's a new era, with Gen Y kids less interested in ye wise olde sage stereotypes.

In terms of characterisation, this season's doctor was written a touch tragic, occasionally melancholic, multi-faceted and confusing. For the audience, his motivations are unravelling slowly over time, episode by episode, thread by thread.

So far, Matt Smith's handling the complexities of the role beautifully.