Here are four TV shows in particular that prove why ABC ruled popular culture in 2005, and will likely rule it again in 2006.Lost – Wednesdays, 8 p.m.
The numbers! The hatch! The flashbacks! The ‘Lost’ logo at the beginning of every episode!
If “Lost” isn’t the new “X-Files,” then Interpol isn’t the new Joy Division. There was no other show that inspired more geek-related haggling this year; fans could be found manipulating the cursed numbers on the hatch to explain everything that’s happening on the island, and fans spent as many if not more hours speculating what exactly was in that hatch than actually watching the show after the May season finale.
The best part about “Lost” as a geek-cult phenomenon is how is so readily is feeds into a fan’s sense of intrigue. The cursed numbers could be found on a series of soccer players’ uniforms in an episode at the end of season one along with on a bottle of medicine within the hatch in the beginning of season two, selectively placed probably just to grab our attention and say “Hey, numbers!” instead of actually being relevant somehow to the plot. Also, notice just how many times other characters end up in character flashbacks, just long enough to be noticed.
But is everything really all connected as the show would suggest so, or is the show’s creators J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof making it just seem this way so we think they’re more intelligent and sneaky than they really are? According to ex-producer David Fury, who is working for a different show this year, everything is in fact completely random – the show’s writers create connections and mysteries on the go. But J. J. Abrams insists that they know everything that has happened and everything that is going to happen in the show for the next four years.
No matter what, it’s the sharp production design, fantastic score and refreshingly good acting that will last with this “Lost” fan for a very, very long time.
Grey’s Anatomy – Sundays, 9 p.m.
Last year’s mid-season break-out hit, “Grey’s Anatomy,” boasts one of the most ethnically diverse casts on television and provides some of the best medical dramatics since ER’s prime in the mid-90s. But what really brings 18 million viewers to this show every night (besides the “Desperate Housewives” lead-in) is the smoking-hot chemistry between the cast-mates, especially between “Mr. Dreamy” Dr. Shepard (Patrick Dempsey) and main character Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo).
“Grey’s Anatomy’s” appealing, relatable characters and emotionally resonant storylines make it the reason to watch TV on Sunday nights, not the good but inconsistent “Desperate Housewives.” Who couldn’t resist last week’s episode, where one of Meredith’s one-night-standees appeared at the hospital with a erection that was lasting just a bit too long? Added bonus: The soundtrack is rockin’.
Alias – Wednesdays, 9 p.m.
I’ve been an “Alias” fan for quite awhile, but after the lackluster season four last spring, I was more than ready to give up and move on to better and prettier things (i.e. “Lost”). But “Alias’s” creators took a risk and either killed off or put into a coma a couple of main characters and brought in a host of new, fresh-faced actors and actresses this season, and the show’s quality shot through the roof because of it.
It’s unbelievable how good “Alias” has been this season, with the exception of Jennifer Garner, who couldn’t look more excited to be there than if she were watching paint dry. Up-and-coming actress Rachel Nichols is the new cast’s best find, lending her character Rachel Gibson the vulnerability and humanness the show was so desperately missing in season four.
Too bad ABC recently announced that the show is ending at the end of this season, just when things were starting to get good again.
Desperate Housewives – Sundays, 8 p.m.
One of TV’s highest rated shows, “Desperate Housewives” thrilled audiences with its prime-time soap charm in season one, but has failed to rekindle the spark in season two with its tired plotlines and the introduction of the Applewhite family that simply hasn’t paid off quite yet.
Marcia Cross’s Bree still remains one of TV’s most well-acted characters, and Eva Longoria and Teri Hatcher have continued to give fine performances. But please, Marc Cherry, give these ladies some better plotlines to work with, pronto.
Still, one of the best TV moments this season and this year has to be when Susan and Mike officially broke-up after it was revealed Susan had lied to him about the whereabouts of his son. Susan, wearing a wedding dress, ran out into the street, desperate and crying, and begged Mike to take her back. When he said “We’re through,” Teri Hatcher made sure our hearts broke right along with Susan’s.
Thank you, ABC, for returning television to its former glory. The more fantastic episodes of television you put on, the more and more I can tolerate the losses of “Firefly,” “Angel” and “Wonderfalls” from television.
Photos courtesy of ABC
