Posted 2:00 AM by Jason
Maybe I should go pick up that petition packet.

Two of my favorite TV shows had season finales tonight, Scrubs and Boston Legal, and I have nothing else to post on right now, just TV.  At least I have better taste than Ann Althouse.  Here's my question: why must season finale's be longer than normal episodes?  The first hour of the 2-hour Boston Legal finale conflicted with the hour-long Scrubs finale, so I chose Scrubs.  Granted, it wasn't too hard to catch up, but it was annoying.

Boston Legal
Before you tell me that Boston Legal isn't what real lawyering is like, save it, I understand that.  Growing up I watched a lot of Law & Order; I stopped because it became so very predictable and took itself too seriously.  I shied away from lawyer shows after that (with an exception for NBC's Ed), but I got into Boston Legal because it was so un-Law & Order.  It definitely doesn't take itself seriously. Tonight's episode included a handful of references to finales and sweeps weeks and such (I guess you had to see them).  They've also done well on the guest stars front, with Jeri Ryan, Michael J. Fox, and Parker Posey just tonight.  Fox and Posey have had recurring roles, as did Tom Selleck a few weeks ago.  Anyway, the show's forays into contemporary politics aside, it comes down to the only thing that ever really matters: personal taste. And I think it's funny.

Scrubs
Same rationale as above, I think it's funny. Unfortunately Scrubs will not be in NBC's fall lineup, but apparently will return at some point.  What bothers me is that they held it for January this year, and yet the season finale was this week, just like series that started in the fall.  Sure they ran a full 23 episodes, but the January-May calendar left little time for reruns to allow busy people to catch up on episodes they happened to miss.

As for other news in the fall TV lineup, Anne Heche has a show that's set in Alaska called "Men in Trees". Given that Northern Exposure was the best show ever (or at least from 1990-95), the setting alone gives it potential, so I will probably watch at least the first episode.  Oh, and Veronica Mars, which was my favorite new show this year (because I missed the first season, but caught it in reruns at the end of the summer), has been renewed for another season (a 22 or 13 deal).  Tina Fey has a show, "30 Rock", slated for the fall NBC lineup.  That sounds all well and good, until you see that she will star as "the head writer of a frenetic late-night television variety show."  Can we really call that acting?  

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