Saturday, November 07, 2009

Living in a White Collar World



I've been watching a lot of TV lately.

A lot.

Truth to tell, once I got over the rush of all a new season promised, I crashed like an energy drink addict. I was all giddy at first, full of energy and fire after viewing the upfronts (well, some of them, anyway.) After a few hours of viewing all those new shows, though, the sugar of the sitcoms and the caffeine of the crime procedurals wore off, and I crashed. For all the hype, the networks weren't offering anything that they hadn't been offering for years. In fact, they were offering less--recycled reality shows and endless Leno was not my idea of innovative programming.

Fortunately, basic cable doesn't play that way. USA network, for example, may be the stepchild of NBC, but it's an unruly one. Monk wouldn't have lasted eight seasons on NBC, much less garnered all the awards it has over its run had it been on the parent network. Even in its last season on USA, it's going out with dignity and buzz. But all good things come to an end.

Filling the gap Monk will leave is the new series White Collar, which is like a shot of B12 for the prime time fatigued. It's smart, funny, and leaves you wanting more. Read my full review here:

Obviously, I'm a bit excited about White Collar. There's hope for TV after all.
I'm also excited about the news that USA is relaunching its Character Arcade (http://www.characterarcade.com/). There are a lot of new features with the relaunch, including:
-Facebook Connect Integration; sign in with your Facebook account & challenge friends
-Game of the Week promotion featuring weekly prize give-aways
-Point System to buy accessories and upgrade avatars [redeemable for physical rewards coming soon]
-New virtual trophy case-New Games including MMO and downloadable PC Games
It's all very exciting, don't you think? I'll keep you posted on all upcoming details and news as it breaks. Until next time...