All Grown Up, My Boys Move On

Sunday was the finale of My Boys. The always charming, often funny TBS sitcom enjoyed 4 seasons on the air, but only had 9 episodes for each of the last 3 offerings. That meant that it would be months on end before I saw the most relatable show on TV each year. And with the recent announcement of its cancellation, I'll never see My Boys again.

For 4 years, PJ Franklin has been the most approachable woman on the air- a true guy's girl in a girly girl TV world. And her wonderful boys Brendan, Mike, Kenny and Bobby have been some of the sweetest TV's ever seen. Even Stephanie, who took a long time to grow on me, will be sorely missed.

This last season saw the boys move on towards their final episode, appropriately entitled "My Men". PJ and Bobby moved in together and he's getting ready to start law school. Kenny decided to move to London with Stephanie, and Mike met the woman of his dreams, marrying her in a surprise ceremony in the finale. Oh, and Brandon bought Crowleys, their beloved neighbourhood bar, saving it from ruin. All the characters were sent on their way, smarter and more mature than when we met them. They're grownups now, and though they're moving on, we're left knowing they'll always be friends. And they'll always have their home to go back to, under Brando's management.

My Boys was about friends. It wasn't hollywood TV glamour or shock value "realism", it was based on real friends and clearly played by a cast that quickly became real friends. They could have be you and your friends; at times they certainly seemed like me and mine.

One of the most fun ensembles of characters ever, the my boys boys (and 2 girls) will be sorely missed from my TV schedule. But even if they won't be around anymore, I'm incredibly glad to have had them at all.

My Week in TV

The Bachelorette: She picked the right guy. They rode off into the sunset. I got simultaneously jealous and then ashamed of myself. It was pretty standard. Except that she let the other guy go before the last day, causing the producers to have to scramble for a new dramatic ending. I kinda liked that, it was both humane and inconvenient- right on. I fear that The Bachelorette may have made me like Ali. Well, something new every day I guess.

Big Brother: I don't know who to cheer for. Rachel is a lunatic but Kristen is a bitch. The brigade is a bumbling alliance but Brendan has terrible taste in women. Kathy is a nothing player. Britney and Ragan aren't bad but I usually don't approve of low key players. I suppose my loyalties still lie with the smartest brigade member, Matt (who's supposed mishandled HOH last week actually took the target 100% off his back) and the so-called "floaters" Britney and Ragan whom I think are playing pretty well, just subtly (and are also each good for some solid quotables each episode). See the comments section on Tim's post from earlier this week for more of my thoughts.

Drop Dead Diva: a good episode this week proclaimed that Jane and Grayson need to grow into their soulmate-ness. It was a great scene, brilliantly acted by Brooke Elliott and well written. It's a sweet concept but exists entirely in TV land, somewhere I always credited Diva for not living.

Project Runway: It's back! That is good. That is all.

My Boys: Another solid episode this week gave us some brilliant quotes as Mike planned his own birthday celebration.

Top Chef: A decent lot of chefs completely pales in comparison to last season's. Kenny keeps proclaiming that he's the man but has yet to truly prove it. Angelo is a decently strong chef but the producers are trying too hard to frame him as a villain when he's not dynamic enough to warrrant it. Alex is kind of an interestingly sketchy character and Amanda is maddening but overall these people are blandly talented and boring. Once you go Volt you never go back. Though even without the brilliant brothers, last season still had lots of great going ons like the great characters and food of Kevin and Eli, the controversy of Robin and the tough gal persona of Jennifer. This season's got none of it. It's also the kitschiest yet, and that's saying something considering last season was set in Vegas.

Life Unexpected: I'm catching up through summer re-runs. Me like.

The Good Wife: ditto.

The Last Comic Standing: Still loving my first experience with the show. Go Tommy Go!

So You Think You Can Dance: Kent's got this. That's been obvious since the second Alex went down. However, Lauren did have a spectacular week this week and Robert's grown on me. But Travis (LOVE) choreographed one of the most upsettingly moving pieces of the series thus far and gave it to Kent to dance with all-star Neil (also, LOVE) so he's got this, there's no doubt about it. And deservingly so. I mean, it should have been Alex but he's hurt. It could have been Anthony but the producers didn't like him enough to put him in the finals. It could have been Billy, but America didn't get him (though he REALLY should have made it past Adechike). So it's Kent. He's sweet, he's charming and boy can DANCE! He can take the prize, I'm cool with that.

Bones and True Blood: My current DVD projects. I'm still in season 1 of both but hoping to catch up to the newest seasons come fall. Loving both, especially Bones (that Christmas episode is superb!)

Welcome Back Boys (and PJ and Stephanie)

With gem lines like "this ice makes my scotch taste like freezer" and "I hope it's not Piven", PJ and her boys returned this week after a hiatus that was inhumanely long. But even after such a prolonged absence from my life, My Boys showed up this week swinging for the fences with 2 episodes that screamed "season 4 is gonna be the best one yet".

Even as stars Jordana Spiro and Kyle Howard saw pilot deals fall through with major networks for the fall due to contract conflicts with My Boys, chatter's been growing about an impending cancellation for the uniquely charming show. But as season 4 kicks off, it's painfully obvious that canceling now would be a terrible decision for TBS. The superstation doesn't have a lot of original programming to begin with so you take out the 4 year old sitcom and all that's left is dismal Tyler Perry fare. My Boys also sports a unique fan base that's largely untapped by most female-targeted programming: the guy's girl. It's got a solid cast, a unique point of view, sharp joke writing and fresh story ideas with the changing dynamics of the group. And with 2 of the funniest episodes I've seen starting off the new season, capping the series at 4 would just be plain wrong.

The season premiere dealt largely with the elimination of Jim Gaffigan from the series. The biggest name in the cast, Gaffigan opted out of the 4th season to focus on his standup career. So let's pretend for a second that that doesn't scream "I'm a selfish diva" and just celebrate the fact that my least favourite character is kaput, leaving 5 cast members I really love. Gaffigan's character Andy (written out lamely by moving him to China) was good in the premiere for a couple jokes at his expense and to spur the action of the episode, which saw the others trying to find a suitable replacement for his spot at poker night. It was fun, it was funny and the episode as a whole (which also included the contrived but always fun "how did we meet" flashback stories) was a great re-introduction to the series, without Andy. In the end, they predictably added Stephanie to poker night, making her truly a part of their group for the first time and leading right into the dynamic that would become crucial to episode 2.

The couples were the focus of the second of the double header episodes. Central cuties PJ and Bobby made plans to have a grown-up fancy dinner with new couple Stephanie and Kenny, leaving single guys Mike and Brendan on their own (because "only grownups watch Top Chef"). I was expecting predictable antics (as sometimes My Boys falls victim of) when the episode was turned on its head and saw Mike ("Michael" for the episode) and Brendan play the grownups and carrying on intelligent conversations that weren't about sports while having drinks with a pair of women. The couples had a terrible night, that was saved (in a way) by an accidental/on purpose ingestion of pot brownies. The role reversals proved hilarious as Michael and Brendan marveled at their own classiness "go ties!" and the others played out their night high as kites and had me laughing literally out loud through conversations in which they tried to name the 10 best human inventions or discuss the weight of water. As funny as it all was, it's that cheesy heart that's always beaten steadily beneath My Boys' wit that makes me love it so. That heart was back in full force in this episode as PJ capped it with her signature voiceover (which was then promptly undercut with a joke to send us to credits).

I think I'd managed to forget how much I love My Boys. It truly is one of my favourite shows ever, a female voice I actually understand and something TV needs on the air for years to come.  If I could choose any group to be a part of, the FRIENDS, the HIMYM gang or even Buffy's Scoobies, I'd choose PJ and her boys any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Dear NBC (and TBS), Work It Out!

Coming off the tragic news that My TV favourite Jordana Spiro is off of the upcoming NBC series Love Bites, I find myself once again disappointed in NBC. First of all, the reason for letting Spiro (incomparably charming, incredibly relatable) go is that she is contractually bound to TBS' My Boys. First of all, My Boys films like 3 months out of the year, I'm sure Spiro can find a way to do both. Second of all, and I'll elaborate on this in a minute, it's not likely that My Boys will even be returning for a 5th season, so you might not even have to show the tiny bit of flexibility I earlier suggested. Worst reason for firing someone ever. The news does not bode well for Kyle Howard fans either as he is in exactly the same boat as Spiro;  His NBC sitcom Perfect Couples contract conflicts with My Boys. Yeah, okay, but seriously, this can be worked out. Spiro and Howard were literally the only reasons I was planning on watching these series (well, that's a lie, Becky Newton is in Love Bites, so there's that. But really I was in it for PJ!). NBC, you cannot afford to be alienating fans right now.

As for TBS, how dare you give TV reporters any reason at all to suggest that My Boys won't see a fifth season! Let's take Tyler Perry out of the equation for a second... oh, you can't do that? BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SHOWS!!!! My Boys is the only reason, other than Friends reruns, to ever watch TBS. And I have all the Friends DVDs, so does everyone else; reruns are dead. My Boys is unlike anything else on TV, providing for an audience generally ignored, the guy's girl. It films quickly, gives TBS a good name, keeps the superstation in the original series equation and is inexpensive to make. So why are you threatening to take it away!?! My Boys is a crucial part of my TV season, I'll be all off balance without it. If anything (especially on the heals of Spiro losing her NBC contract), you should up the measly episode order per season, give us more than a few episodes at a time with our boys!

Attention 'My Boys' Fans

If you're a fan of TBS' lovable comedy about a guy's girl and her guys, you should really proclaim it to the world by becoming a fan of the show on facebook. On the show's fan page you can find out helpful tidbits (like the show's March premiere date), do all the usual facebook fun stuff (discussion boards, show info, etc...) and follow Jamie Kaler (Mike)'s frequent updates from the set (including fabulous behind the scenes photos like this one of him and Reid Scott aka Brando jamming on the piano). If you weren't sold on the fact that My Boys has one of the most fun ensembles in showbiz, let Jamie convince you otherwise.

PS: and while you're at it, become a fan of My TV on facebook to get our posting updates, share photos of your favourite shows and take part in our discussion boards. we're closing in on 6000 fans.

I Want Their Life

My Boys is easily one of my favorite shows, ever! After every episode, I confess I want to be part of these fictional characters lives. I want to be immersed in this show. But I don't admire one character more than the others; in fact, I want to live like all of them, in some way or other:

Kenny: He's not attractive like Bobby or Brendan. He doesn't have a typical 'cool' job like PJ or a high power job like Andy. He's not 'loud' like Mike. Or wear fancy clothes and drink wine like Stephanie. But, he is great. I want his job. He makes money off of something he LOVES! He owns his own store of sports memorabilia. How awesome is that? It's pretty damn awesome. And, although he is not a go-to favorite, his humor shines through the crowd. He balances out Mike's ridiculousness and highlights it at the same time. Like all the characters, he has his spot in the group, and it's perfect. I wouldn't mind being Kenny.

Mike: Now, just imagine a red-headed Matthew McConaughey....Have it? Well, now you have Mike--Or that is what Mike would like you to think in Season Two's opening episode. I wouldn't want to be Mike because he is always spot on with his humor but because he isn't afraid to make a fool of himself...I respect that because, let's face it, we're all fools sometimes. I even find Mike's simplistic apartment charming. He sees nothing wrong with owning a single recliner, a TV, and a couple other items. It's his life and he doesn't apologize for it. Being Mike (for a day maximum) seems like fun!

Andy: The lawyer, who's the family man...who doesn't seem like a family man. I think the reason I wouldn't mind being Andy is because he is the brother of the coolest TV character! I also admire him for being able to chillax with his friends, drink beer, and play poker while still being a decent husband and dad. He doesn't think he is too good to go to therapy when he and Meredith need help, which is another respectable quality. Andy is a fun guy and he brings a quality to the group that one is never too old to hang out and have fun!



Brendan: He's the official cool guy. His daily wardrobe consists of jeans and a t-shirt with the logo of some band on it. Despite his rocky relationship with Wendy, he has a pretty charmed life. He went from being a DJ radio host to unemployed to an owner of a club. How sweet is that? While unemployed, he didn't even have to live uncomfortably because his best friend housed him. See, Brendan is awesome because of his best friend, which is why I want his life: so I can be friends with PJ!


Bobby: His family is uber rich; his family is slightly crazy; and still, his life is grand. At first, Bobby is the new guy of the group, but after two episodes he no longer bares that title. He manages to find humor in Mike's awful jokes. He doesn't mind Kenny's social awkwardness. He totally fits as the second cool guy of the group. He gets along with everyone effortlessly. He just fits. When he's absent from poker night, something is missing. Bobby is charming. After finally seeing the folly of his ways with his almost-bride-to-be, Elsa, he and PJ finally find the groove in their romantic relationship. Bobby is a chill guy. A chill guy whose life rocks! A life I wouldn't mind trying.

Stephanie: As unrealistic as her life is, it still seems pretty awesome. When we first meet her, she is a writer for a magazine, yet she's in loads of debt. After a trip to Italy and focusing her attention on writing a book, she's a 'love guru.' A love guru who is no longer in debt. That sounds like fun to me. Stephanie hosts wine socials and invites all of her girly friends and PJ. She is able to balance both worlds of the ultra girl and the relaxed way of life that PJ defines. She fits in well with the group at Crowley's (even though she complains about being in a bar) and she fits in well at pricey wine bars. Like Brendan, she is best friends with PJ, which again is another huge factor of why I wouldn't mind being Stephanie. Besides, she has great taste in wine.

PJ: This girl defines awesomeness. She's a sport's writer. She loves beer. She knows her away around a poker game. Most importantly, she has the best group of friends and life. Sure, she has her men problems--well, that is, until Bobby. Stephanie doesn't think she is girly enough, but PJ doesn't care. PJ loves being a down-to-earth guy's girl who drinks scotch. My life goal is to be PJ: to have a job I love, to be able to claim a bar as my joint, and to play a weekly game of poker with the boys. Her life is amazing. AMAZING!

Please forgive the overuse of the word awesome and synonyms for awesome. You see, I think the characters of My Boys have such interesting and cool lives. Each person lives a life that suits them and I don't think I could choose which life I would want to live more.How do you choose between awesome and awesome?

My Boys: Quote of the Season

Brendan: Terminator, Battlestar Gallactica, Terminator 2... history teaches us that man always wins out in the end. 

Kenny: You know that's not history right?

Brendan: Only history that matters!

In Case You're Out of the Loop

2 of TV's most charming sitcoms are back on TV this week and I sure wouldn't want you to miss out on seeing them. 

Christina Applegate's Samantha Who? came back on Thursday. Be sure to tune in for next week's episode and, in the meantime, catch up on this week's on abc.com. 

and

Be sure to tune in to TBS this Tuesday at 10:30pm for the return of My Boys. It's been months since we've seen PJ, Brandon, Mike, Kenny, Bobby and Andy and I've really missed them, and I'm sure you have too. 

My Boys: making mondays my favourite day

I've said it before but I just watched the latest installment of the show that is almost single-handedly (alongside So You Think You Can Dance) getting me through the summer TV draught.

Haven't gotten into it yet?

My Boys is a unique sitcom: the friendships seem real, not forced; not everyone looks like a character from the OC; PJ (the lead) is a real girl who wears sneakers and drinks beer and says "dude" and is insecure around "those girls with, like, really tiny wrists"; the characters all look the right age; there are some platonic male-female friendships that somehow have managed to stay that way and, even when they are ridiculous, all the characters are real and recognizable and human. I know these boys, and I know PJ, and I know Stephanie (the token girly girl). I, like most girls I know, can see myself in PJ... which is refreshing after years of Rachel Green being the TV portrait of a "normal girl". Oh, and seriously, that McConaughey impression- perfect!

My Boys is on TBS, Monday nights (at least that's when my PVR catches it). In the States it airs on Thursdays- GO FIND IT and fall for Bobby, laugh with Mike, pity Andy and wish you had your very own Brendan.

New Weekly Obsessions

Every Wednesday I bring you a list of my current obsessions. This week the winners are...

Mia Michaels

A long-time favourite of mine, So You Think You Can Dance choreographer and judge Mia Michaels can always be relied upon for fair, tough and constructive judicial comments, a quirky turn of phrase, unique fashion choices and a general air of absolute cool. It's when she unveils a choreographic masterpiece such as this week's bed routine (danced by Kherington and Twitch), however, that she really shines.

The My Boys Boys

PJ's a great protagonist and someone who the average woman can really connect with. But in watching the first season of My Boys on DVD this week, I've come to realise that the reason I keep coming back to this show is PJ's boys. Bobby is adorably endearing yet flawed enough that you feel like you know him, Andy balances PJ in a comically sibling way, I love the innocence of Kenny and Stephanie's intense and unprovoked hatred of him, Mike's antics couldn't be funnier and his impressions are priceless. I even have a soft spot for Trouty (season 1 "guest boy" played by Big Bang Theory's Johnny Galecki). My favourite boy, however, is Brendan (played by Reid Scott), PJ's oldest friend and roommate. The ease of Brendan's relationship with PJ is truly a rare dynamic on television and their scenes are always some of my favourites.

Sports Night on DVD

If you read this blog regularly you should know by now that Aaron Sorkin is my all-time favourite writer. Throw him together with some of TV's greatest actors like Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) and Josh Malina (The West Wing), add his partner and director Thomas Schlamme, mix in a boat load of inspiring, dramatic and comical sports references, top with a pinch of pretension and preachiness, bake at a sitcom-appropriate temperature and set to cool on ABC (the best network out there). Voila! You've got 2 seasons of brilliant-but-cancelled entertainment ready for consumption in a nice yellow box set.

The Dark Knight promos and Entertainment Weekly coverage

Is there anyone in the world who's not excited for when The Dark Knight opens in theatres on July 18? I didn't think so. The promos look amazing, and while the late genius Heath Ledger will surely steal the show as The Joker, Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart and Michael Caine are sure to give stunning performances as well in this highly anticipated summer blockbuster. Entertainment Weekly's comprehensive coverage in their latest issue shouldn't hurt either as director Christopher Nolan hopes for a hit like his last film about the caped crusader.

and, lastly...

Amazon.com

My TV on DVD collection is my prized possession and I keep it stocked with excessive shopping action over at amazon.com. Way cheaper, easier and more reliable than the HMVs and Best Buys of the world, Amazon.com has quickly become the only place I buy my DVDs. Never again should you pay more than $60 for a box set or have to visit 3 stores to find the ones you want- it's all available on the Internet (for evidence, see my collection, which has overflowed onto a sixth shelf after my most recent purchase of 5 seasons of Will & Grace, My Boys season 1 and a new copy of Buffy season 2).

A New Feature: My Top Ten Obsessions of the Week (maybe TV related, maybe not)

10. My epic facebook TV debate with Rachael from "I watch movies then talk about them". Daily we exchange ideas on topics ranging from our favourite TV sidekicks to which female characters make the best case for feminism. 

9. Late Canadian stage legend William Hutt's performance of King Lear in the series finale of Slings & Arrows (seen here opposite Oscar nominee Sarah Polley's Cordelia) 

8. Re-reading the last installment of the Harry Potter series. The story only improves with age and attention. 

7. World Series winning manager Cito Gaston returns to the Toronto Blue Jays after the dismissal of the detestable John Gibbons. Gaston's first home game since returning to the Jays was a massive success as they crushed the Cincinnati Reds 14-1 with 22 hits and a well pitched game from AJ Burnett. 

6. The second season of My Boys, which began last week with a happy resolution of season 1's cliffhanger and a hilarious subplot involving the world's greatest Matthew McConaughey impersonation. Is there anyone out there not in love with Kyle Howard? 

5. The triple chocolate coconut caramel cookies I baked the other day. That's right, you heard me. 

4. Entertainment Weekly's latest issue featuring the "new classics" of TV, Film, Music, and more of the last 25 years. 

3. Tom Hanks in Big. Could he be any more charming?

2. Project Runway re-runs on Slice. I thought I'd missed out on all the fun of the first 4 seasons but Slice saved me by airing old episodes every night at 4am. My PVR is currently working on capturing season 3. 

1. Michael C. Hall. Making my way through season 1 of Dexter on DVD I can't help but mull over the incomparable genius of the man who flawlessly embodied the socially awkward but golden hearted David Fischer then flipped impressively to portray a charismatic sociopath.