Obsessions: Grey's Edition

by Kelly Bedard

Most people gave up on Grey's Anatomy years ago. Every single one of them was wrong to do so. The Shonda Rhimes medical drama has gotten better and better since the epic slump of seasons 4 and 5 to become the well-paced, consistently engaging, excellently cast tragicomedy it is today. While the drama is still melodramatic, the characters are much more richly drawn than they used to be, a lot more mature across the board. But where the series has really been excelling of late is in the comedy. It doesn't take itself too seriously, a welcome relief after so many years of behind-the-scenes drama and "emotional' ferry crashes. Last week's fantastic tribute to the men of the show (seriously, the women barely appeared at all) was stellar, but this week's classic return to form was every bit as good. Here's a sampling of some of my favourite things Grey's included this week:

Obsession of the Week: Seth MacFarlane

by Kelly Bedard

If given the chance to meet just one celebrity in my life, it wouldn't take long for me to come up with a remarkably short list of whom I would choose. Very near the top of that list would be the endearing and multi-talented Seth MacFarlane.

If you watch an interview with the Family Guy/American Dad/Cleveland Show creator/showrunner (preferably his superb episode of The Kevin Pollak Chat Show), his easy charm, quick wit and everyman humility are so irrefutably endearing that it's hard not to fall in love with him.

Penny, my hero

by Kelly Bedard

She's crazy, she's emotional, she's exuberant to the point of obnoxious, she's open, she's loving, she's a walking mess with a new condo and terrible taste in men. And as Happy Endings' Penny (Casey Wilson) embarks on "the year of Penny", I can't help but love how she lives her crazy crazy life.

I also love her friends (particularly Jane, Brad and Max- pretty much everyone but silly former couple Alex and Dave). Max's insecurity about growing apart from Brad was just genius.

Also, the square root of love IS love, running socks ARE stupid and mediocre shows can have great sophomore seasons so long as they're in The Year of Penny.

We Love You Neil, Congratulations

Obsession: Your Summer Abed Fix

In case, like most TV-loving people, you're terribly lonely and missing your favourite shows now that summer is upon us, Variety is here to save your day. Your best friend Abed is back, if only in print, to give you his predictions for this year's Emmy race. Here's the link to the hilarious article from the savant's point of view. But be wary of the bitter sweet reality that Abed lives in a world where Community isn't a TV show and therefore the absurd and unfair fact that it undeservedly won't be in the race is lost on him. Not lost on him? The fact that his beloved Cougar Town won't be there either.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118037818/

Enjoy!

Obsessions of Right Now

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Actor Obsession: Kyle MacLachlan

The Twin Peaks star's presence can make almost any film or TV show better. Since his iconic show went off the air in 1991, MacLachlan has mostly filled the role of "that guy who's in everything", creating some of the most memorable television roles in recent history.

His was one of my favourite long term romance stories on Sex and the City. As Trey, Charlotte's first husband, MacLachlan was Mr. Perfect. With that comically perfect hair, impossibly chiseled jaw and classic movie star voice, MacLachlan reads as that guy that Charlotte knows from fairy tales. Add that Trey was a rich doctor from a good family and Charlotte's found the perfect man she's been holding out for, the one she wants. Add a little erectile dysfunction, some serious mom issues and general emotional ineptitude and Trey is everything Charlotte doesn't need. That was what was so great about it. Trey was everything she was looking for and was one of the biggest let downs in her 6 season run. Harry, on the other hand (husband number 2), wasn't anything like what she wanted, he was nothing like the perfect Trey, so he ended up being perfect for Charlotte. Kyle MacLachlan was the key to that dichotomy in Trey. His particular brand of off-kilter perfection told us everything we needed to know about Charlotte.

Then there's the brilliant Orson Hodge. Bree's dentist husband on Desperate Housewives was simultaneously creepy and disarming, trustworthy and malicious, sympathetic and psychopathic, abused and abusive. And MacLachlan managed to play all those things in a single shot. Over 6 seasons we learned a lot about Orson and understood almost nothing about him, except whatever MacLachlan decided to give the camera that week... and with Orson, that could have been anything.

Finally, this week's How I Met Your Mother capped his wonderful arc as The Captain, Zoe's ex-husband and Ted's feared "friend". MacLachlan played The Captain with a lot of sympathy and humanity, as a lonely guy desperate for love, friendship and someone to share his boat with. Use that bizarrely handsome, threateningly regal thing the actor has going for him and filter the character that through Ted's self-centered, romantic and overly dramatic eyes and The Captain is a threatening nemesis who is likely to kill Ted for stealing his woman.  It was pretty brilliant, and no one could have pulled off that part better than Kyle MacLachlan.

Top it all off with his fantastically controlled performance as Claudius in Michael Almereyda's crazy, modern Hamlet film and MacLachlan is officially one of my favourite actors in the business.

Character Obsession: Julian Baker

Change is good. Or at least it can be, especially cast change-over kind of change. MASH really became MASH when BJ showed up in the fourth season to replace the frivolous Trapper; Grey's Anatomy gained so much by adding adults like Teddy, Arizona and Owen and losing whiny upstarts like George and Izzy; Lost lost Boone and Shannon and so many others but icons like Ben and Juliet swooped in and saved the day. It's not always the case (what convinced Whedon that Kennedy was an adequate Tara replacement I'll never know), but oftentimes when castmembers leave, those who come in their place take the show to new levels.

So when star Chad Michael Murray left One Tree Hill it seemed like the end of the show. But what it really was was the beginning of a much, much better one. The thoughtful/angsty golden boy Lucas was replaced by hands down my favourite character the series has ever had.

Julian Baker (played by the wonderful Austin Nichols) is smart, fun, charming and handsome- just like everyone else in Tree Hill. But he's also a huge dork. A film nerd/indie director, Julian peppers his dialogue with references and quotes. He's a mama's boy, an awkward sidekick and a girl's guy. He's a weirdo, but an amazing weirdo who's engaged to the most perfect woman in the world (I love Brooke, always have, don't let her perfection persuade you otherwise).

And the writers know exactly what to do with him. Julian's not often at the centre of OTH's more dramatic plots. Rather, he plays the observer, working as a frame device or colour commentator as he makes a documentary about the people in his life. But most often, he serves as a charming comic subplot or a foil to Nathan's social ease. His most amusing trademark: Julian's not good with guys. He gives weird high fives, knows nothing about sports, the list goes on and on. Some of the series' best episodes have featured Julian dreading male bonding time, or (most recently), searching for a best man. He was picked last for the touch football game at Thanksgiving in tonight's episode and was teased by 8-year-old Jamie for his lack of baseball skills earlier this season. He gives impassioned speeches, is a hopeless romantic and showed us who he really was for the first time in the John Hughes episode when he channeled Duckie from Pretty in Pink.


Julian always, no matter what's going on or how bad the episode is, makes me smile. He's the best thing about One Tree Hill (and I freely admit I love lots of things about One Tree Hill). He may be a dork but I wouldn't change him for the world.

Actor Obsession: Matt Letscher

So there's this guy. Whenever someone asks me who my favourite TV actors are, I never think of him. I don't remember to include him in lists of TV crushes, standout characters or superb guest stars. But the thing is, I really really should. Maybe it's because he's not very showy. Or maybe it's that no matter how many awesome shows he's on, they always seem to be canceled before their time. He doesn't often get to make grand speeches, stand on any literal or metaphorical coffee carts or get top billing as the star of the show. But I love him. I've loved him for years (since 1998 to be exact) and have loved every single thing I've ever seen him in (which is a lot). He deserves to be on those aforementioned lists, I'm embarrassed that I never remember to put him there. He did, however, earn a My TV Award nomination in 2009 for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his work on Eli Stone. That guy is Matt Letscher.

Still don't know who he is? Letscher's is one of those names that people never seem to recognize when I bring it up, but almost everyone knows his work. He's a terrifyingly unrepentant villain (The Mask of Zorro), a terrific office prig (Good Morning Miami), the playful but responsible older brother (Eli Stone) and the sweet single dad from the playground (Brothers & Sisters). He was married to Joey's crush and dated Old Christine. And now he's hired Parker and Kim to defend him on Drop Dead Diva.

In a lovely episode that miraculously overcame many many cheesy hurdles (a bizzaro court case for Jane, an overly emotional Grayson, an insecure Kim, and Jake Pavelka), Letscher made me love him all over again. He barely said a word for the first half of the episode, just sat there wearing cool "I work in the TV industry" glasses and not giving too much away. He played the producer of a Bachelor-like reality show, who was being sued for inflicting emotional damage on a rejected bachelorette (the always adorable Camille Guaty). Kim called him a jerk, Pavelka's character claimed he set the bachelorette up for heartbreak and we were bombarded with criminalizing footage from the fictional show; all signs pointed to "this guy's a pig". But there's something about Letscher's eyes. He didn't have to say anything, I knew he was a good guy this time. Maybe it's the way he furrows his brow, or something about the light going out of his twinkling blue eyes when he plays a villain; maybe it's the way his face reddens before you see any tangible tears (not that he cried on Diva, just sat there downhearted) or all or none of the above. Whatever it is, Matt Letscher is one of the most emotional actors working today. He can always make me feel whatever it is I'm supposed to. This time around, no matter what the evidence, I knew I was supposed to like him. So I did, and it turns out I was right to. Matt Letscher's the best in the business for emotional turns: he can rip your heart out without ever seeming dramatic; he can make you laugh, make you mad and give you nightmares. That's a lot of reaction for a familiar face to inspire.

Would someone PLEASE get this man a starring vehicle?! He can play absolutely anything and will have the audience exactly where he wants them the entire time. I'm telling you, there's something about those eyes.

Actor Obsession of the Week

As I continue on my epic journey of marathoning Dawson's Creek, I'm realizing that this time around I'm much more fond of Jack McPhee than ever before. Why? I'm not really sure. But as I make my way through season 4, his best season, I realize that Kerr Smith's charming football player is a much more endearing character than I've ever given him credit for being. He's cute, he's sweet, he's a loyal friend, a caring brother, a part-time jokester and the best darn little league soccer coach ever.

Add on the fact that Smith is the perfect guy to round out the cast of the CW's schmultzy darling Life Unexpected (which I'm catching up on now), and he quickly becomes an all-star of my TV week.

Further investigation reveals that the 6-foot-tall actor has a BS in business administration, taught himself to play the piano and the bass and was the face of the first gay kiss on primetime network TV.

Colour me impressed.

In related news, I'm also catching up on The Good Wife. And among that brilliant cast (Josh Charles I adore you!) is Mary Beth Peil, the Creek's erstwhile Grams. Which got me thinking: Jack is on Life Unexpected, Grams on The Good Wife, Pacey on Fringe, Audrey on Cougar Town and Dawson on Mercy. Add in 2 certified movie stars in Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes and the Dawson's Creek cast, it turns out, completely transcended any trace of a teen show curse: almost all of them going on to successful careers. I knew there was something special about that show.

Obsessions of The Week

Project Runway's Seth Aaron: Thank God Ping is finally gone, it leaves room for wonderful underrated designers like the edgy and classy Seth Aaron who stood behind his badly-reviewed design and lovable design partner this week even after Heidi gave him an easy out in placing the blame fully on Anthony. Overall, this season's crop of designers is truly sensational, there's more talent in almost every one of them than in 90% of last season's contestants.

Amy Acker and Reid Rosenthal: This week I interviewed 2 of the 2009 My TV Award nominees. Both were sweet and candid and a pleasure to talk to. The interviews will be posted in the near future.

Big Love: talking to Amy Acker about her favourite show made me really excited to get into this current season.

Obsessions of the Week

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- The Foa Foa Foursome (Jaison being the only one I don't absolutely adore)

- The New Scrubs (What is everyone complaining about? I think it hasn't missed a beat)

- The Princess and the Frog (It's so good I thought I was back in 1994)

- The Top Chef Reunion Episode (It was the first time I really liked Jen!)

- Better Off Ted Season 2 (Back and still fabulous)

- Mark Salling (For obvious reasons)

- The Being Erica Season 2 Finale (The perfect Kai sendoff)

- Up in the Air (It's as good as they say)

- Christine Baranski on The Big Bang Theory (She's always, always good)

- The TV Addict Podcast (It's back on a regular basis and I'm loving it yet again)

- John Krasinski on Conan (I caught a couple minutes of the interview, gosh he's charming)

- Chuck & Blair (Way to let them stay together, you go producers!)

Obsessions

This poster for Big Love's new season.

Eli Stone. I just watched all of season 2 in 3 days and I've gotta say, there's almost nothing wrong with this series. It's really quite a remarkable feat of network television and its cancellation will always be one of the great tragedies of the 08-09 season.

Fantastic Mr. Fox. Wes Anderson's stop-motion adaptation of the book from my favourite childrens author Roald Dahl is really remarkable. With superstar voice talents (led by the ever smoothly fantastic Mr. George Clooney), remarkable aesthetics, a great script and a brilliantly paced story, Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.

Anticipation of the Top Chef Finale. My money's on Brian Voltaggio for the win with the final showdown being between him, his brother Michael and Kevin (who might surprise me and take it all, though I'm firmly rooting for Brian). I'll miss the Volts when the season ends.

Chelsie Hightower and Louis Vito on the Dancing with the Stars finale. She's proven over the past two seasons that she might just be the best teacher they've got on the show. She's continually paired with a guy's guy longshot and has them dancing like a pro just a couple weeks in to the competition. The couple's fast-paced routine (set to the lovely tune of Donny singing) was a highlight of the finale and Louis came off as delightfully charming. Other great performers include the too-early eliminated Aaron Carter who performed the most entertaining quickstep I've seen in awhile, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and her partner Mark "I should not be a popstar" Ballas and the Olympic swimmer who got voted off really early despite being a really great dancer, as evidenced by her performance on the finale. One last highlight was the phenomenon that is the show's pro dancers livening up a depressing performance by the decaying Whitney Houston with some absolutely incredible vivacity and ballroom skill; when the pro dancers are free from their partners (like in the first week of the show when they have a featured dance), you really get to see how truly remarkable they are.

The Project Runway Finale Results. She may be a bit nasty but it's really nice to see the best designer win the competition over her nice but unexceptional fellow designers. Meana Irina had the best taste of the season and deserved every win she got, even with an all-black final collection.

Mark Salling. I don't think I know anyone who would chose Finn over Puck. Not only is Puck more attractive, smarter, funnier AND a better singer but he's a more developed character. Mark Salling brings a lot of depth to the best character Glee has to offer, taking him from villainous jock to sympathetic fan favourite without losing his edge or abandoning character consistency. And that bone structure...

Kelly Osbourne threatens to stalk Louis Van Amstel. Priceless!

The Grey's Anatomy Holiday Episode. It's not the holidays until the TV says it is and Grey's Anatomy officially kicked off the season with their weeks-spanning episode that carried the characters through to New Years. While it does mean that we'll all be going Greys-less for quite some time, the episode was so enjoyable that I really didn't mind. The standout? The episode confirmed Arizona as my favourite character of the season so far.

That Dove ad that uses "Do Your Ears Hang Low". I love their campaigns and this one's particularly sweet.

The fact that Scrubs is back. It's such a charming show. I love Denise and like that she's becoming one of the new focuses. I like all the changes and that they've somehow managed to maintain some of their original fibre. I like the new girl, even if she is a little perky. And Denise's boyfriend is fantastic, I can't wait to watch their fascinating dynamic unfold.

Show Tyme's choreography on SYTYCDCanada. My favourite hip hop choreographer by far on the show, his House routine for Everette and Tara Jean was one of my favourites of the season.

The West Wing season 1. In the perpetual cycle of West Wing episodes that my father and I are locked in, we've recently come round on season 1 again. Man that's a good show, and season 1 contains every reason why (except Ainsley Hayes, she comes later).

The recurring SNL sketch with the alien sportscaster. I have no idea why I find it so amusing but Bill Hader is FUNNY.

Sebastian Pigott on Being Erica. The addition of Kai has revitalized Being Erica's second season, giving it a shape that was neither expected or unwelcome. The new direction they're taking with Dr. Tom, the ramifications of Kai's therapy on Erica's life and the beginnings of exploration into the mythology of the therapy all make for promising earmarks of a bright future for the show. Also, Pigott's musical interludes never go unappreciated.

The Guild season 3. Watch it online at watchtheguild.com, you'll feel cool for having done so.

Kevin Pollak's Chat Show. Live every Sunday with full episodes available anytime online, this lowbudget online show is literally Kevin Pollak (Sam Weinberg, comedian and perpetrator of the best Christopher Walken impression in the business) sitting and talking to a guest for 2 straight hours, unedited. The result can be monotonous if the guest isn't interesting but it can also be fascinating. Instead of a pre-selected "funny anecdote" carefully rehearsed then delivered to Ellen or Letterman or whoever in a 3 minute segment, you'll witness guests rambling, searching for words, going off on tangents and actually telling the truth; it's really quite refreshing. And then, if you can make it through the whole ordeal, you're rewarded with the one "bit" that Pollak has on the show: the Larry King Game. Guests have to do a bad impression of King revealing something personal on the air then go to the phones. Standout episodes include Seth McFarlane and Josh Molina (especially if you're a Sorkin fan) though the award for best Larry King Game submission goes to Matthew Perry's spot on impression while delivering "I'm sitting in my own sauce. Wichita, hello"

and

Better Off Ted premieres next week. Could not be more excited.

Obsessions of the Week

Manny: the only truly great thing about super overrated ABC sitcom Modern Family is the creepily mature, naively proud and generally delightful stepson/uncle/brother Manny (Rico Rodriguez).

One Tree Hill: Julian's adventures into brohood, Nathan's willing decent from superman status, Brooke/Haley bonding time, some fun Skills moments and a good campfire nanny Carrie story= one very funny episode of a show that really should be considered a comedy.

Community: last week's episode was hysterical and it's been solidly hilarious for weeks now. Jeff is a fantastically engaging character to follow as he skulks through the college halls (and Joel McHale plays him impeccably), Britta is a surprisingly refreshing female lead, Annie and Abed are delightful and used with the perfect amount of restraint needed with such quirky characters, Troy is an absurdist foil to the high energy craziness and Shirly has quickly become one of my favourite characters to watch. The only weak point in the show at this point is Chevy Chase, who's over-hyped existence on the show was destined to be over-the-top. Here's hoping that viewers and critics alike get their heads on straight soon and abandon ABC's mediocre Wednesday comedy line up and get behind NBC's Community and CBS' Accidentally on Purpose before they get the freshman axe.

Wanda Sykes: with a talk show kicking off, a prime character on Old Christine, a great interview on The Daily Show and a stellar standup comedy special that aired this week, Sykes is, and deserves to be, on top of the world right now.

Actor Obsession: Matthew Rhys

Since Brothers & Sisters' first season back in 2006, Matthew Rhys has been one of my favourite people on television. His complicated and endearing character Kevin Walker has also been a favourite, as well as one half of TV's best couple: Kevin and Scotty. The 34-year-old masks an accent and tackles English as a second language (his first is Welsh) to play Kevin and manages to steal every scene that he's in; this week was no exception as his scene with Kitty was the most affecting I've seen in quite some time.

Though most of his film credits have gone unseen by the My TV team, Rhys' work in Julie Taymor's controversial 1999 interpretation of Shakespeare's Titus was startling when Tim and I first saw the film a couple weeks ago. Once we realized that we were watching our beloved kind-hearted Kevin in the despicable role of Demetrius (who, alongside his brother Chiron, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, rapes and mames Titus' daughter Lavinia), it took us awhile to adjust to seeing Rhys in such a different character (not to mention sporting a different accent and bleach blond hair). But Rhys' performance is undeniably good, a highlight of the star-studded film and one of the more memorable pieces of character acting I've ever seen.

So with a solid line of credits, international appeal and one of TV's most engaging characters as a day job, the only question that remains is: where is this guy's Emmy?

Actor Obsession: Bill Hader

Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday premiered tonight (alongside a decent season premiere for The Office and a promising series premiere for Joel McHale's new show Community) and it exceeded expectations (which, in all fairness, weren't particularly high).

The episode as a whole was just average (the concept of an overflow Weekend Update segment on Thursdays was brilliant last fall when there was a ton of election coverage to be done but is now a little tedious since all they have to report on is health care). It was nice to see Amy Poehler back behind the desk and see the burden lifted from head writer/only remaining anchor Seth Meyers' shoulders a little bit. It was even funny when they made mistakes and were forced to improv around it. But the highlight was, as it often is on any Saturday Night Live, Bill Hader.

The 31 year old Oklahoma native/ Chicago Cubs fan/ Star Wars geek steals the show of every movie he does (including many an Apatow farce as well as this summer's joyful Battle of the Smithsonian, in which his General Custer stood out as a highlight) and is consistently one of the best things about SNL; tonight's episode was no different. He pulled off a dead-on impression of democratic political operative James Carville that had me laughing out loud.

Hader can next be heard in the starring role of the animated film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (released tomorrow)and be seen in his element in the upcoming season of Saturday Night Live (premiering soon on NBC).

PS: I love a good "Really!?!" segment and my love of Seth Meyers only continues to grow, so I love any Weekend Update I can get.

Obsessions of the Week: August 13th

A Chorus Line: the movie- After watching this ridiculously outdated movie musical for the first time a couple days ago, I find myself wondering if perhaps we're giving the So You Think You Can Dancers too much credit. Watch the dancers in this movie take on the intricate choreography and you'll never accept a mediocre pirouette again. (Fun side note: watch for future-Javert, Terrence Mann, and his impressive moves in a really sympathetic role)

Julie & Julia- yum. The whole movie was a million calories of happy. AND I learned the proper way to brown a mushroom.

Lost in Austen- this adorably strange British import follows a modern Pride & Prejudice fan as she mysteriously gets trapped in the world of the beloved novel. Currently airing on TVO in Canada, Lost in Austen is pure delight for any P&P fan.

Seth Rogen in Funny People- one of the few films in the Apatow comedy genre that I really enjoyed, Funny People was a pleasant surprise (even if it was almost a full hour too long and a bit narcissistic at times). The most pleasant thing about the movie, however, was not so much of a surprise. Seth Rogen (who, when given the right character, can be incredibly charming) has made this list before (for being the best thing about Undeclared) and has done it again this week for his role as Ira, the sweetly loyal struggling comedian who pulls a pathetic Adam Sandler through the uneven story.

Rachael Ray- lots of people hate her, but I jumped on the 30 Minute Meal bandwagon this week and find Ms. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) entertaining. She talks too loud and too much, she's always including unnecessary personal details, she drops things and looses things and laughs at her own jokes...it's great. Who wants to follow the instructions of someone flawless anyway?

Sean Cheesman on SYTYCD Canada- the second episode of the Canadian series aired tonight and though there were some promising dancers and Leah Miller has finally started to grow on me (though she'll never measure up to Cat Deeley), the judges continued to annoy. By the end of last fall's season 1, I was so tired of Jean-Marc's weak metaphors and Tre's hyperbolic blather that I came to actually appreciate the nutjobs on the American version. Small glimmers of hope, however, appeared with guest judges like Stacey Tookey, Blake McGrath and Rex Harrington. The best of these guests (and choreographers) was always the calm and insightful Sean Cheesman. Cheesman made his first appearance of season 2 tonight and his influence made all the difference. He was quick to the point, was never over the top and made a point of looking for the potential in all the dancers. Add a sexy voice, a snazzy wardrobe, mad choreographic skill and oodles of charm and you've got 1 very good reason to watch So You Think You Can Dance Canada.

And finally,

The Stratford Festival of Canada. I wrapped up my 7 show summer with a weekend excursion that saw me and and a friend ecstatically applauding The Importance of Being Earnest, Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Earlier in the season I'd seen the festival's colourful West Side Story, beautiful Cyrano de Bergerac, poignant Macbeth and idiotic A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (the only thing I really didn't like all season). Highlights included: the incomparable Colm Feore (known to TV fans from Slings & Arrows and 24) as the season's notable guest star, leading a perfect production of Cyrano de Bergerac (under the direction of his wife Donna Feore, who you might remember as one of Triple Sensation's toughest choreographers) and a daring Macbeth that included artistic director Des McAnuff's insightful vision of the Scottish tragedy as set in 20th century Africa with a semi-insulting forced parallel between an (unimpressively played) Lady Macbeth and first lady Michelle Obama; former Hairspray star Tom Rooney showed off his chameleon-like talents in the polar opposite roles of Cassius (the weasely mastermind behind Caesar's assassination) and Puck (the charming, trouble-making fairy in Midsummer); Ben Carlson redeemed himself for last year's horrible Hamlet by playing a pitch-perfect Jack Worthing in Earnest then a chilling multi-dimensional Brutus in Caesar; Mike Shara made me laugh hysterically and fall for his charming characters in Cyrano and Earnest; Relative unknowns Laura Condlln, Jennifer Rias and Andrea Runge stood out in wonderfully vibrant productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, West Side Story and The Importance of Being Earnest, respectively. I finally got to see Slings & Arrows star Stephen Ouimette onstage in the lovely Earnest and the detestable farce A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Another notable Slings alum, Geraint Wyn Davies (who played season 2's delightful villain Henry Breedlove) brought serious gravitas to his roles as the murdered kings Duncan and Caesar and then serious joy to the (often overplayed) role of Bottom, which he mastered. James MacDonald stood out among the directors for elements of sheer genius that permeated his interpretation of Julius Caesar. Ultimately, however, my true Stratford obsession of the year is a young actor named Bruce Godfrey, who is only in his second season with the festival. An alum of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a highlight of last season's dismal Hamlet (he played Laertes, other highlights included the aforementioned Wyn Davies' Polonius, Rooney's Horatio and Adrienne Gould's Ophelia), Godfrey went into the Dream with the bar set very high (having replaced last year's Romeo, Garreth Potter, who was supposed to take the role). Armed with incomparable energy, daring, commitment and solid classical technique, Godfrey soared as the best thing about the excellent production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, effectively making the (often boring) character of Lysander the most interesting on stage. He also kills himself in Caesar and kills other people in Macbeth, but Midsummer is where he truly shines. If you're able to get to Stratford, ON this season I seriously suggest 6 of these 7 plays (avoid Forum at all costs!): start with the Dream and make sure to see Cyrano, Earnest and Caesar along the way, you won't regret it. Oh Stratford, how do I love thee, let me count the ways!

My Newest Obsession: a cure for my stupider obsessions

If you are, like me, a low life who can think of no better way to occupy their summer than to watch hours and hours of mindless TV, may I recommend that you try and take in a little reality check each week.

The Soup is the perfect foil to the hours of reality TV and soapy summer dramas that I watch a week. Host Joel McHale is more than happy to point out the ridiculousness of this brand of summer TV, and in doing so pokes fun at his own audience (after all, to get the comedy in his references you have to be not just someone who enjoys making fun of low brow entertainment but someone who watches it in the first place).

Watch, laugh, and feel a little better about your entertainment choices. At least now you're in on the joke.

Obsession of Right Now

A good old-fashioned baseball movie from the early 90s that features all sorts of wonderful television stars: including The West Wing's Tim Busfield (Danny), Gilmore Girls' Scott Patterson (Luke) and Samantha Who's Kevin Dunn (Howard aka Sam's dad).

Hey, if my team's not doing well I have to have someone to root for right? Hence Little Big League, Angels in the Outfield and A League of Their Own. And, if all else fails, root for the Rays.

Actor Obsession: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is not only the incomparably engaging (and beautifully dimpled) star of my new favourite movie of the summer (500 Days of Summer) but he is also the star of my favourite sports movie of all time (Angels in the Outfield) and my favourite teen movie of all time (10 Things I Hate About You). Oh, and he was on a little show called 3rd Rock From the Sun, you may have heard of it.

The super talented and artistically-minded Gordon-Levitt started out his career at the tender age of 7 with a guest stint on Family Ties. He then established himself as a child star and transitioned seamlessly into a teenage leading man, spending 6 seasons on the beloved sitcom 3rd Rock in the process. After an acting hiatus that saw him studying French at Columbia University, Gordon-Levitt's artistic tastes led him down the independent film road. Now, with his lovable performance in the sweet yet purposely un-sentimental indie 500 Days of Summer, he is reemerging as an audience favourite.

Gordon-Levitt can next be seen in a completely different role for him: in a big blockbuster action film. He plays Cobra Commander in the upcoming GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra (out in August).

(500 Days of Summer kudos also to Zoey Deschanel for brilliantly conquering a very tricky role, to screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Webber for a lovely and fresh story that was quirky but not annoyingly-so, and to director Marc Webb for brilliant visuals, great pacing and the casting of lovely TV ladies Rachel Boston and Minka Kelly. See this movie- it's lovely).