The Next to Go

According to Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly, CBS has announced that they're breaking up with The Ex-List. I am very sad for TV's loss of Alex Breckenridge and Adam Rotherberg as Bella's best friends, and especially sad that Rachel Boston won't be returning as Bella's sister Daphne. The show as a whole I'll miss less. And as for Bella herself, I'm going to assume that her soulmate was the surfer dude. 

For Ausiello's Report Click Here

A Tedious Ex List

This week's ex, surfer boy Shane, was pretty cool. I thought he deserved at least a two episode arc. But it is promising to know that even though he left to go to El Salvador, Bella didn't cross him off the list yet, she claims he's "still in play". 

And though this was the only week in which I've liked the A story so far, the B stories and my beloved supporting cast fell dramatically short this week, Daphne only getting a couple lines and Viv and Augie's entire story being about a shower head. 

Even at her best, Bella isn't enough to make me tune into this show, the supporting cast needs to up their game again. 

Mr. Matthews Back on TV

In The Ex List's 3rd episode one character was given a chance to shine, Bella's father. Though he was in the pilot episode, his scenes were so brief that I failed to notice that he's played by none other than William Russ, Mr. Allan Matthews (of Boy Meets World) himself. He's very much the same character: the all American, hard working dad who's a former Navy officer, really into football and a tad overprotective. Welcome back Mr. Russ, you've been missed. 

In other news, I still hate Bella (this is definitely never going to change) and still love her friends (also, not likely to change). The B story this week was dominated by best friend Vivian (Alexandra Breckenridge), whom I kind of love, while mildly amusing sidekick Cyrus (Amir Talai) got a mildly amusing story involving the sale of home security systems and Bella's amazing old friend Augie (Adam Rothenberg) and fantastic sister Daphne (Rachel Boston) were relegated to bit parts. 

The Ex List Googling Game

The most recent episode of The Ex List affirmed my previous review. I still hate Bella but I still love her sister and her friends. In honour of these great supporting characters, here is the drinking game they invented while Googling their exes. Research never sounded so fun. 

Enjoy. 

• Pick someone to drink if you find an ex in a news article
• You drink if they involve criminal activity
• If your ex has a family page you have to drink
• Drink if they have a myspace page (unless they’re a musician)
• But if their myspace photo is hot you can make someone else drink
• Wedding and birth announcements each count for a drink
• If they have a blog you do a shot
• If your ex is something awesome you can make everyone take a shot

The Lowdown on The Ex List

CBS's new Friday night sitcom The Ex List has all the following qualities:

• a really cool concept: A psychic tells Bella that she's already dated her soul mate
• a great supporting cast of characters including an honest to God male/female best friendship that rings true, a funny blond whose relationship with Bella's best friend is sure to serve up a lot of laughs, a spunky sister (played by American Dreams' Rachel Boston) and a dry wit sidekick. 
• amusing bit players: a funny dad and a sarcastic know it all psychic
• the promise of great guest stars (Eric Balfour was in the pilot as the first of the ex boyfriends Bella re-dates) 

but it also has....

• a protagonist I really don't like. Bella seems selfish and cold. She's too caught up in her own ideals of perfection to see how something imperfect might be just as good. For example, the only reason that Bella dumped her latest ex is that he doesn't want to get married. It's not that he refuses to be monogamous, it's not that he won't live with her or doesn't love her or that there's anything wrong with the relationship at all, he just doesn't believe in marriage as an institution. Bella's not religious, conservative or in any way traditional, so isn't a marriage certificate just a piece of paper? Not if it means that Bella has to compromise. 

Though I have little patience for the main character, I'll probably still devote half an hour a week to The Ex List, hoping for a few laughs from Bella's fabulous friends and sister.