Ho Ho Ho

You can't go past a Christmas movie this time of year.

I don't mean trendy Yuletide cinema, like Elf or Bad Santa. I'm not even talking old school classics like It's A Wonderful Life, or Miracle On 34th Street. I mean the made-for-tv efforts we all somehow end up watching at some point in December. Full of goodwill, seasonal cheer, emotive monologues and sparkling Christmas lights!

There's something charming about even the most atrocious made-for-tv Xmas movie. The script may be cringeworthy and the performances less than glowing, but there's nothing like a happy Yuletide ending. Somehow, these often clumsy efforts bring a touch of seasonal spirit to the small screen, a sense of magic that gets everyone a little teary-eyed.

The truth is, once you get a taste for questionable Christmas viewing, you can't go back. Sure, sometimes the material's way too sweet and saccharine, making you feel a tad sick (a la too many fruit mince pies), but that's part of the Xmas tv movie charm...

Here's half a dozen gems I've sat through with friends and family over the decades that might ring a bell (get it?):

A Smoky Mountain Christmas

You should Know: This movie has a lot of cliched moments... and that's just during the voiceover intro. Also, it's directed by The Fonz!

The Story: Seven orphan children are on the run after escaping from an orphanage. They end up in the same mountain cabin as a successful singer. (I'm gonna let you figure out the rest).

What I Remember Most: Obviously that would be Dolly. When I was little, I thought she was some kind of weird Barbie come to life. Albeit one that sang beautifully, but still, she was a tad mindboggling to the eyes of a child. Also, being Australian, I'd never really heard anyone talk with that particular twang before.

A Carol Christmas

You Should Know: The title is a bad pun. They're scroogin' on the words (couldn't resist).

The Story: Your basic Ebenezer tale, except this time the hard-hearted Dickens character is replaced with a cold young media type. A talk show host played by Tori Spelling, to be precise.

What I Remember Most: That William Shatner, aka Captain Kirk, appears as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Gotta love the Shat. Now I'll shock the world by saying I didn't mind Tori Spelling in this movie. There, I've said it. (Although Dickens is probably spinning in his grave at the loose 'adaptation').

Prancer

You Should Know: The ending calls for definite 'plausibility' magic, otherwise there'd be a lot of crying kids, on and off the screen.

The Story: A little girl finds a lost reindeer (well, as lost as it can be in the forest) and reaches the logical conclusion that it's Prancer.

What I Remember Most: Johnny Galecki, aka David from Roseanne and Leonard from The Big Bang Theory, is in the mix. I guess he went home for the holidays too. Also, the passing of time in this movie, ie night and day, seemed erratic. As in, defied the laws of the universe. (Whole new level of suspension of disbelief required).

A Mom For Christmas

You Should Know: This is a Disney tv movie.

The Story: A little girl makes a wish, a mom for the holidays. As a result, a mannequin in the store comes to life. (Proving that online shopping really can't compete with the retail experience).

What I Remember Most: Wondering why the mannequin had a name to start with... Thus movie made me realise that whenever I see Olivia Newton-John, all I wanna do is watch Xanadu. I can't help it. She's so typecast in my head that I kept waiting for her to rollerskate. (My bad).

Secret Santa

You Should Know: It's all about small town charm, and morals, and kindness. Very Christmassy.

The Story: A young journalist sets out unmask a Secret Santa, who does good deeds every year, in a small town determined to protect his identity. (Although she's not that great a reporter, since most viewers figure out who the good samaritan is about fifteen minutes in).

What I Remember Most: I watched this one year right after Tori Spelling's Xmas flick. I don't know what it is about the original 90210 alumni, but Christmas material seems to work for them. Jennie Garth really holds her own. (A lot of people reference this movie as a bit of a seasonal favourite).

Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus

You Should Know: There was no way I could write a Christmas blog without this infamous letter getting a look in.

The Story: A journalist recently widowed has to answer a letter from a little girl who wants to know if Santa Claus is real. (This is the 1991 version btw).

What I Remember Most: This is based on a true story, so when a voiceover starts reading the original 1897 letter and reply, I always get goosebumps. Pretty much sums up the spirit of Christmas. Also, Charles Bronson, who usually plays bad asses onscreen, is surprisingly brilliant as a man crippled with grief.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! xxx

Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall...

...Once Upon A Time, a television show proved it could pull audience numbers without explicit sex and violence. Of course, it turned out to be a fairytale.

The initial marketing for ABC's new series Once Upon A Time, left me confused, more than anything else. Not bored, excited, or intrigued... just not quite sure exactly what reaction the network was trying to evoke?

Here's the basic premise. Fairytale characters have been dragged from their home (by an evil witch's curse, no less) and dumped in a small American town. (Didn't see that coming, did ya?) Also, the curse has induced a form of amnesia, a bit, a la Sleeping Beauty en masse, in a sense. Good times.

Early trailers left me slightly baffled. I couldn't wrap my head around the show's potential audience. The network kept pushing 'from the writers of Lost', but seriously, people who love that stupid island show don't seem like the types to get excited over Snow White. (Can you tell I'm not a fan of the plane crash crew? Me and about five others. Kind of like that chick in Unforgettable, except there may be more people with hyperthymesia than non-Lost watchers).

Another stumbling block was the slightly naff visual feel in the fairytale realm. I watched the first episode, cringing at the costuming and makeup in Ye Other Place. To be frank, it was a tad tacky. Fairytale costuming is a hit and miss field.

Kind of like traditional pretty-pink-and-crafts decor so popular at bed and breakfasts. Some innkeepers bring a hint of busy grandeur to the intensely layered style. At the other end of the spectrum is the frightening Cheshire Cat from Gilmore Girls. Overwhelming, clashing and a tad cringeworthy.

This is how I felt during the first episode of Once Upon A Time. Like everyone had gone to the same cheap dress up store (for a fancy dress party that would probably involve free keggers) and scored a bulk discount.

And YET. Despite a handful of eyesore moments, I was unexpectedly intrigued. So I kept watching. By the third episode, I was completely enthralled... enchanted, even! (Gotta work in a few fairytale puns, it's mandatory).

Once Upon A Time is one of the most fascinating television offerings of 2011.

What's brilliant is that we, the audience, have a preconceived idea of what the characters should be like. I mean, who doesn't know Cinderella's story? Or Snow White's? But, as it turns out, we've been reading neat press releases after the fact. Now we get to see what the character's lives were really like in the fairytale realm, courtesy of some very clever flashbacks interspersed throughout the present narrative.

The truth is, being a princess protagonist isn't quite what it's cracked up to be. (Who'd a'thought it?)

In a way, it's almost as if three incarnations of each character have to be reconciled. a) Our fairytale idea, b) what their old life was actually like, and c) their current existence. It's utterly riveting watching all these elements blend and weave together.

The story starts twenty eight years after our fairytale friends were banished. No one has aged because no time has passed, thanks to the curse. The clueless residents of Storybrooke are living one long, everlasting loop. (Yes, a cute exaggeration of small town syndrome).

In a city far (far) away, a child named Henry shows up on Emma Swan's doorstep (on her birthday no less. Love the symbolism). In the vein of The Emperor's New Clothes, Henry is the only character aware of what the evil queen has done. He wants Emma to come back to Storybrooke with him, so she can break the curse.*

*This kind of character resonates with young audiences. Yes, the insightful youth surrounded by clueless adults may seem slightly precocious (to older viewers), but it appeals strongly to sympathetic youngsters.

I know, I know, many a blogger has complained about the use of the archetypical evil stepmother. (Or in this case, the adopted mother). But it's a dominating fairytale persona. Here, the evil queen is such-a-bitch. Major sociopath. I'm literally scared of her every time she walks on screen (whatever the reality). You're just never sure what she's going to try and pull off next...

In this world, the evil queen is both Henry's adoptive mother, and Mayor of Storybrooke. When she crosses paths with Emma Swan, SPARKS FLY. She wants Emma out of her town. The irony is, Emma's more than willing to go. Henry makes her uncomfortable (since she doesn't seem to handle complex emotions too well), and the whole rediscovered son thing (an apparently delusional one, at that) is proving pretty overwhelming. Emma tries to head off, but it turns out fate has other ideas.

Basically, Emma is the ultimate reluctant hero. She's fantastic. Actress Jennifer Morrison does a brilliant job of managing to convey just how conflicted Emma feels. The character ends up staying in town primarily to make sure Henry's okay.

The pivotal scene where I knew I'd love this show? The evil queen/Mayor gives Emma a basket of red apples from her personal tree (and we all know how badly that can end). Henry implores Emma not to eat them. Later, when her nemesis continues upping the pressure, Emma doesn't crumble and leave town. Instead, she heads over to the Mayor's place and takes out her precious apple tree with a chainsaw.

Bet you don't remember THAT bit from the story books, huh?

Perhaps this is so affecting because even though Snow White and Cinderella display a lot of sass (via flashbacks), Emma Swan is something else altogether. She's the embodiment of a more modern attitude, something the archetypical queen hasn't come up against before, which promises for a lot of interesting scripting.

And of course, there's no overlooking Ginnifer Goodwin, who plays both Snow White and the school teacher Mary Margaret Blanchard. She absolutely shines in both roles.

To be honest, I love all the modern interpretations of fairytale characters. Part of the charm is figuring out exactly which fairytale character the town's residents were in the other realm. (A little like that game where people put a celebrity's name on their head?).

Red Riding Hood is no sweet little miss. Rumpelstiltskin, played by the ever talented Robert Carlyle, got the best of the deal, transforming into the modern incarnation of corporate greed. (Basically, he's the one percent in Storybrooke).

The princes in this series are not my type at all. They look weak and kind of goofy. At first I was a bit baffled. Surely the casting department could have opted for more seterotypical choices? Some tall, dark and handsome types, like Ian Somerhalder over on The Vampire Diaries? Then I realised- this show is about the women. They're the strength here, and the focus, which is an interesting slant.

(Also, after the pilot, the fairytale scenes get a whole lot slicker, visually, which is a relief).

It's really hard to encompass just how appealing this program is. The whole concept is strange and unexpected. The mysteries are so involved. The characters are constantly diverting- even if their real world lives have (technically) been both transient, and extended.

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a show that doesn't have a patina of grittiness. Somehow, there's so much intensity here, even without the overt expressions. There's no in-your-face violence or sex, but it is implied. Best of all, there's a lot of focus on the kind of themes fairytales excel at... sacrifice, love, compassion, honour and integrity.

The truth is, storytelling, the kind you find in fairytales, is about good narrative. That's why they've endure through the centuries. Once Upon A Time takes this adage seriously, and pays homage to its original inspiration with clever, intricately woven tales each week that leave us waiting with baited breath for the next instalment of the story.

Frankly- I hope they all end up living Happily Ever After... in The End, I mean.

Many, many seasons from now.

Halloween Onscreen

Since it's All Hallows Eve, I thought I should take a (sort of) traditional path and give kudos to kick ass costumes on the small screen.

Best Existential Costume... Oz, come on down!

Always understated in his approach, Oz from Buffy The Vampire Slayer pretty much won the costume pool with his low key portrayal of God (ie, a stick-on nametag). Sometimes, less really is more. It didn't hurt that his gf was dressed as Joan of Arc... To be fair, Xander came in a close second, with his snazzy ensemble.

Buffy: Like the tux, Xander.

Xander: Bond. James Bond. Insurance, you know, in case we get turned into our costumes again. I'm going for cool, secret agent guy.

Buffy: I hate to break it to you, but you'll probably end up cool head waiter guy.

Xander: As long as I'm cool and wield some kind of power...

Buffy, Season 4, Episode 4.

Best Random Costume... Cassie, come on down!

New teen supernatural show The Secret Circle is about a bunch of witches. The crew put together some fantastic set design for the onscreen Halloween party. (Serious thumbs up). All of the characters wore costumes that matched an aspect of their character's personalities, except the main actress... who attended her Halloween party as a bee.

Yes, you read that right. It was totally bee-zarre (sorry). I'm guessing that in this still shot, she's actually on the phone to the producer, just confirming that she is, in fact, meant to appear in a pivotal episode dressed as a bug??

Best Lame Costume... Chandler, come on down!

Some people say Ross's effort as a 'Sputnik' (part potato, part Russian satellite) was the lamest Halloween outfit on Friends, but I beg to differ. Chandler as a pink bunny? Truly sad. Everyone knows he's always desperate to appear more manly, yet his girlfriend goes ahead and hires him a pink rabbit outfit. Way to emasculate.

Best Meta Costume... Castle, come on down!

The character Castle tries on a 'Space Cowboy' costume. His daughter in the show complains he wore the same outfit the previous year.

What makes this AWESOME is that actor Nathan Fillion, who plays Castle, used to be in the cult tv show Firefly. This costume is actually what his character Mal wore on Firefly. There's one for the fans.

Best Memory of a TV Costume... Brenda and Dylan, come on down!

Remember Ye Olde Days, when we thought this crew were the height of teen sophistication? Dylan and Brenda as Bonnie and Clyde looked sensational. (As a PG rated Spelling effort, the script kind of glossed over B&C's murderous habits). All I really remember is being in awe of Shannon Doherty's style.

Best Undead Costume... Sheldon, come on down!

Sheldon kicks some Halloween ass in the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory. After a number of failed trickster moments, eventually he dresses up as a zombie and comes bursting out of the couch. (Yes, he's actually lying in the framework). "Bazinga Punk", indeed.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Kids These Days

Two sitcoms for teenagers, with girls in the lead roles, recently hit tv screens. So how do Awkward and Suburgatory compare to Ye Teen Shows of Olde?

What I learnt from the first season of Awkward is, never let teenagers out of the house. Simple as that. This could be a knee jerk reaction to the main character losing her virginity in the opening scenes of the pilot. At summer camp. In a supply cupboard. (Cue parental wincing. To clarify, I don't have kids, but this made me empathise with in-house Powers That Be).

The show lives up to its name, especially the sex scenes. Our protagonist is desperately in love with the school's alpha dude. Unfortunately, he seems as dense as a pile of bricks. To add insult to injury, he hides the fact they're involved from his oh so trendy friends.

What a star.

Frankly, it's all a bit, Lay Back and Think of England. In some of the early sex scenes, it's almost like Jenna's being assaulted. She just grits her teeth and lies there, occasionally fake-smiling when he remembers to look in the general direction of her face.

It's almost disturbing, especially when the script implies she really enjoyed the sex. Ah... are you sure?? It seemed more that she liked the idea of a popular guy banging her, but NOT the actual banging (excuse the blunt language, I'm trying to work in some lingo to connect with the kool kidzzz of 2day LMFAO).

Luckily, our heroine finds her SELF RESPECT as the season progresses. She even watches 16 Candles on her sixteenth birthday (props to the writer's for introducing a new generation to John Hughes' films).

Television continues to embrace recycling. Here it's with a reconstructed Lane from Gilmore Girls. As in, the Korean best friend in dark framed glasses with uber-strict parents and a love of alternative music. There's also more than a hint of Dharma from Dharma and Greg in the kooky hippy counsellor.

Overall, the premise is pretty hilarious, in a dark kind of way. Jenna's sent an awful anonymous letter, detailing the reasons her life sucks, point by point. She falls over in the bathroom and through a clumsy chain of events, ends up with both a cast and counsellor.

Kinda like a Heather, Jenna had no intention of killing herself, but the not-suicide attempt defines her reputation, much to our heroine's chagrin. She even has a stalker who makes a killing (okay, bad pun) selling JENNA LIVES tshirts at school.

Awkward, much?

Suburgatory is still in the early stages of production, so audiences should cut the show some slack. The lead teen actress looks a little like Emma Stone, who both look a little like Lindsay Lohan. (Apparently Hollywood has a type).

The series is obnoxiously pro New York. I get that our family unit aren't enjoying suburban life, but even the Big Apple's home to a few worms. The pair of them should just slip on their I ❤ NY tshirts and shut up already...

The trailer implies some cutting edge wit, but the script's a tad heavy handed. (Think of someone trying to tell a good joke, with bad delivery). Plastic people are a pretty easy targets, though. You've got to do something clever, material-wise, to avoid clunky scenes. So far, the show's a bit hit and miss. I mean, making fun of shallow mall rats... not really a comic challenge, is it?

Now and again Suburgatory bypasses the obvious turn down Jaded Road for an unexpected jaunt through Sweetness Lane. Yes, it humanises stereotypes. Some may scoff, but I like the unexpected gentleness.

It does spook me that the obnoxious guy Elton from Clueless is now old enough to be playing a dad role. This makes me feel one hundred thousand years old. Even scarier is the sight of Wash from Firefly, all tanned, buff'd and blonde... Worse than Reavers.

What I like about both shows are the pro dad angles. It's not often the most approachable parent in a thc show is Papa. Rather than authoritarian, there's a hint of the Full House vibe going on. Nice touch.

Our lead misfits are both pale, so apparently not being tanned is de rigour in outcast circles. A sassy mouth and world weary sarcasm are also must-haves, hiding a certain vulnerability.Thumbs up for the obvious intelligence (ALWAYS good to see in female protagonists).

Kind heartedness is nice onscreen, especially when expressed toward the underdog. Surrounded by social piranhas, the key to surviving high school, apparently, is a) finding the other victims in the crowd, b) teaming up to tough out the rest of your sentence and c) suffering in solidarity.

A lust for sporty meat heads seems a recurring theme on both shows. But in Suburgatory, Tessa overcomes her desires by pretty much dismissing them (after a brief indulgence), while Jenna moves on to date the nice best friend (plenty of opportunity for future drama there).

Overall, I think Awkward and Suburgatory are worth checking out, especially if you're a teen girl. For the rest of us, they're like David Attenborough documentaries focusing on young homosapiens. Not quite golden, there's still a definite sheen.

For all their faults, these new shows are pretty sophisticated in comparison to the teen shows I was raised on. Being Australian, I grew up with the Henderson Kids:

MY, HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED...

Buffy-Ingenuity=Ringer

Boy, did Sarah Michelle Gellar choose the wrong vehicle for her comeback or what? Yes, Buffy's back, but it's not pretty. Frankly, the best SMG's new tv show can hope for is a REALLY early cancellation.

I thought maybe it was just the pilot. I considered the idea that I was terribly biased on account of the Buffy love. I tried to step back and pretend SMG had never swung a stake in Sunnydale.

In short, I focused on being open to the slayer's new project. I mean, there's only one Joss Whedon. The chances of SMG hooking up with a production team as awesome as her old crew were pretty slim.

Expectations now seriously lowered, I watched two more episodes...

...and the best I can say is, there's a very talented cast going to waste on some seriously mediocre scriptwriting, more's the pity.

I honestly gave Ringer a fair chance. Really I did. Unfortunately, Buffy: The After Years is atrocious. Well, to be fair, the first episode was atrocious. From then on, the show moved forward to merely awful. (As Xander would say, "Yay??").

Gellar plays an ex junkie stripper. Oh, and she has a really rich identical twin sister (as you do). The pilot's so cliche-ridden you might want to wear protective headgear because there's only so many times you can be slapped in the face with a tv stereotype.

Gellar Twin #1 is a witness in police protection, complete with wooden FBI guy who says lame and predictable lines about putting the bad guy behind bars blah, blah, blah.

We start off at Alcoholics Anonymous, where Gellar convincingly non-portrays her character (ie shows us how ill-cast she is to play an ex-junkie stripper).

I also loved how the authorities 'hide' their star witness at a cheap motel, complete with a plain clothes cop sitting guard outside her room 24/7. CAUSE THAT'S NOT WEIRD OR BOUND TO DRAW SUSPICION.

Now on the run, having wigged out on the witness thing, Twin #1 goes to see Twin #2. This is an uncomfortable and weird scene 'cause the twins have history. Or herstory. Maybe herstories??

Also, I can see that Twin #1 is going to be the better person, despite her dodgy past. How do I know this? Because she wears her hair down a la naturale. Hence, she is now the good twin. (I've watched enough bad television to recognise the signs).

Suddenly, FOR NO REASON, they take a boat ride together without changing into, I don't know, boat riding kind of clothes?? Or is that boat more of a mini-yacht?? (Frankly, I'm not rich enough to tell the difference). Back to my oh-so-important point. Shouldn't they be wearing bathers, maybe? Or even kaftans?

Note: The above was meant to read, "take a boat ride together in the studio". MY EYES. (Did I mention I'm sensitive to low grade effects?)

Twin #1 wakes up on the boat/yacht whatever (obviously after being drugged, but frankly EVERYTHING about this story is brutally obvious at this point) and Twin #2 is gone, her clothes floating in the ocean. Naturally (as naturally as twinkies growing on trees), Twin #1 becomes Twin #2.

Now we get to watch Twin #1 stagger around pretending to be Twin #2. To pull this off, she needs to figure out who her friends/family are. There's also a lot of convoluted soapie-esque group dynamics etc, because these people are rich Americans. Everyone who's anyone knows this automatically translates into DRAMAH DARLING.

It's true. Loaded US of A citizens have affairs all the time and scheme a lot, because, hello, who hasn't seen popular documentary series Gossip Girl? (She is everyone's favourite voiceover-er and KINDA like the U.S. version of David Attenborough).

SHOCKINGLY (by which I mean, not shocking in any way), it turns out rich twin is not dead but pulling some kind of complex ruse. Frankly, it's hard to care as she is a two-dimensional caricature of Wealthy Types, ie standoffish/scheming/self-absorbed/wandering around in a lot of bling.

And get this- she hits the (fake?) European streets in disguise. By which I mean, A BIG HAT AND DARK GLASSES.

The plot thickens (or should I say congeals, becoming more sluggish, glugg-y and generally inconsumable), when someone tries to kill the rich twin. Keeping in mind it's actually the poor twin pretending to be the rich twin, but nobody knows that. Except the other twin, I guess?...

...Frankly, I can't even pretend to care anymore.

Oh, there's a dead body Twin-One-being-Twin-Two worries about for a whole episode, which is dull. The FBI agent continues to hang around, supposedly looking for Twin #1, but really, I think he just ❤s New York. This character borders on farcical btw. He also wears more eyeliner than your average teen emo.

Someone's pregnant (one of the twins, I mean). A baddy looking for Twin #1 tortures her AA sponsor. (Question: Why do TV shows these days always work in some torture porn? What is up with that?) Twin #2's sleeping with an international banker, or something, and doing something devious (I presume) while still being uber-posh, or something...

Wait a minute. Why am I watching this??

BUFFY- WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!

The point is, skip Ringer. Don't even dip your toes in. Put on a Buffy dvd on instead, or go for a walk. Clean the house, even. It's scarier than The Ring, that's for sure, but in a ver-y different way...

(Although kudos to whoever made the following trailer, it really hides the overall mediocrity of the material).

Who's that girl? It's Jess!

Fresh tv show New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel, is a nice 'n light slice of sitcom fun.

Decent sitcoms are currently few and far between. Remember the good old days, when sitcoms weren't just about ugly chubby men with hot wives? Laughing along with Will & Grace, wincing at the embarrassing antics of the Seinfeld crew, shaking your head at Frasier's pomposity. And let's not forget Friends, the Holy Grail of hang out television.

Ensemble chemistry is key to any program's success, and New Girl offers a nicely balanced cast. The whole show revolves around indie darling Zooey Deschanel in the lead role of recent singleton Jess. Luckily, Deschanel is a dab hand at playing kooky and adorable, without the performance tipping over into saccharine.

Jess isn't chubby and plain but she is- weird. That's what makes her so loveable to viewers, but potentially unattractive to today's (tv) males, who prefer simpler sexual fare. Any girl with strange collecting habits, a penchant for fantasy or even a love of nanna-esque fashion will relate to Jess on some level.

Jess: A rebound? I don't know if I'm ready or not.
Schmidt: You're totally ready for it, I'll take you through the whole thing, I'll be like your guide.
Jess: Like Gandalf through Middle Earth?
Schmidt: Probably not like- okay, first of all, let's take the Lord Of The Ring references, lets put 'em in a deep, dark cave, where noone's gonna find them, ever.
Jess: Except Smeagol (whispers) He lives in a cave.
New Girl, Season 1, Episode 1.

Another loveable factor is Jess's obviously less-than-savvy sexual persona.

Jess: Woah, cute guy alert!
Schmidt: Okay Jess, game time, let's do this- you wanna forget about Spencer, you're gonna have to do some very, very bad things to that man right over there.
Jess: How bad??
Schidt: Real bad Jess. REAL BAD.
Jess: (pause) Like a makeout session, no tops?

New Girl, Season 1, Episode 1.

Sure, some writing moments are a tad mediocre, but there's also a lot of lighthearted laughs. Already, it's obvious the show's strength will be the closeknit bond shared by the four flatmates.

And let's be honest- sometimes you just want to mellow out on the couch and laugh. You don't want to think anymore, you don't want to worry about following intense, convoluted storylines, you don't want to be challenged... you just want to chillax. (Yes, I already feel bad about using that word).

So, say hello to Jess and her homies.

Just like in Friends, this crew care about each other right off the bat. Sometimes modern sitcoms overlook this vital element. In trying to be funny, the characters often become cruel and sarcastic. A sitcom without empathy can 'taste' like pizza base without yeast; flat and lifeless. New Girl looks like a return to an old fashioned but winning formula... in that, it has heart.

Similar to runaway bride Rachel in the first episode of Friends, Jess is desperate for a fresh start following a disastrous break up. But in a post-millenium twist, instead of crossing paths with the new crew at a coffee shop, Jess finds her soon-to-be clique on craigslist.

When I saw the trailer for New Girl, I wasn't sure about the male characters. They seemed like walking cliches. However, after catching the first episode, I have to admit I now adore each and every one of them!

Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield (yes, that's Veronica Mars' cop boyfriend), is desperate to be perceived as cool, dying to hook up with hot chicks and totally obsessed with the idea of Jess having model friends. As a result, he's constantly putting money in the apartment Douchebag Jar.

The scene where he high fives and yells street-esque lingo back and forward with another bunch of office workers at the local pub is such a sad attempt at white collar hipness, it's hilarious.

The softest personality in the group is Nick, played by Jake M. Johnson, whom I love already. The flashbacks of drunken phone calls to his ex, where he adopts international accents, are so CUTE. He's the softhearted, suffering type, and a bit of a scene stealer.

The final guy in the roommate trio, a fitness instructor/personal trainer played by Damon Wayans Jr, is a comedic gem. Nicknamed Coach, his inability to communicate with women is sure to pull a lot of laughs over the season. (Pull? Get it?).

Each of these characters gets some one-on-one time with Jess in the pilot (and no, not in THAT way). Deschanel offers fantastic onscreen efforts in every one of these scenes. Nick, Coach and Schmidt all click with Jess, in their own unique ways, boding well for the show.

There's also the inference of an established dynamic between the three men. For example, I love how Nick, when placed in the middle of a conflict between the other two more forceful personalities, regularly raises his hood and hides.

The most ANNOYING aspect of the first episode is actually the sloppy continuity. If continuity is your thing, this episode will probably drive you up the wall. Jess's hair has a life of its own. Her glasses move on and off her face between edits. Worse, once you pick up on it, you can't stop registering the constant visual glitches.

Like any new show, it's hard to tell if the humour will hang in there (in terms of quality). Sometimes tv writing can go haywire, especially in a sitcom. Trying for laughs can override storyline considerations, giving the material a forced feel.

Overall, New Girl isn't for cynics, or for lovers of hard-hitting television. The show will appeal to those who think being awkward is okay, who are happy to laugh at the lighthearted moments in life, and like the idea that a you can get through everyday dramas with the help of kindhearted friends.

Not to mention fans of Zooey Deschanel. (They're going to have a field day). However, if you can't stand the actress, maybe give the show a miss, because New Girl is definitely her vehicle.