It’s the end of another decade; and what a decade it has been. Between 2000 and 2009, so many shows have come and gone. And when I think about it, most of my TV obsessions sprung within the past 10 years. From Smallville (which I used to love but now do not watch completely) to Veronica Mars (which I miss to this very day) to Friday Night Lights (the BEST drama right now) plus a bunch of new and amazing comedies (The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family) that replaced some classic favorites (Friends, Sex and the City), watching television pretty much ruled a part of my life the past decade.

Anyway, before moving on, you might want to read my year-end TV recaps since 2006 when I started blogging about TV. It might give some insight into how my TV watching has changed (or not) over the past 4 years:
TV in 2006
TV in 2007
TV in 2008

And now…. As a salute to the decade that was, here are some notable TV highlights between 2000 and 2009 (some personal, some general observations). The shows mentioned may not all be award-winning critical favorites; but I loved ‘em (maybe even left ‘em recently):

Smallville (2001-present)

From the time I heard about it being produced, I’ve been excited to check out Smallville, which is basically “Superman as a teenager.” The first season was everything I loved in a series: drama, action, comedy and a lot of teen angst. It became the first show I was truly obsessed with (at least in this decade). I visited websites, read spoilers, collected its music, even started a fansite of my own for the show.

The first few seasons kept me hooked, with the cliffhangers as events I always looked forward to. I kept on watching until half of the sixth season, when the stories just became less and less interesting. Plus, when I heard that the show was losing Michael Rosenbaum, quite possibly the best actor on Smallville; that was it for me. Now, the original executive producers have gone and the show still goes on… It’s now on its ninth season; and I have absolutely no idea what’s happening.

I still have the first three seasons in my DVD collection; and despite the show losing its quality in recent years, Smallville still remains in the back of my mind as a show that started my TV show obsession.

Meteor Garden (2001)

The first Asianovela I watched (and still a favorite). With only 19 hour-long episodes, the story ended quickly; but the mania that came along with it lasted quite a while. Four guys that made up the supergroup F4 became a sensation; and the Philippines never looked back. Asianovelas, until now, are a staple in television programming. Though imports still keep coming in, none of them could recreate the stir that Meteor Garden started.

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Thanks to The TV Addict‘s March 2009 TV calendar, we know exactly what to expect this month. There are a number of sweeps stunts coming our way (Please refer to our crash course # 1 to understand what "sweeps" is. Plus, an answer to why it’s March sweeps this year and not the usual February sweeps.). Also, there are a couple of series and season premieres on the horizon. Here are some of the highlights:

March 3
Reaper returns to The CW for a second season!
I really missed this show. The latter part of the first season has gotten really interesting; and my brother and his wife are just getting into it. So there’s really no choice but to get the latest episodes.

March 5
[edited]
We meet the 12 finalists of American Idol season 8.
After this Wednesday’s results show, Thursday will be the Wild Card Round. Each judge gets to pick 2 contestants from the Top 36. They will perform and the final three finalists will be chosen by the judges on the same night. Exciting!

March 9
Summer Glau guest stars on The Big Bang Theory as herself.
The geeks are gonna go crazy over this Terminator star and I can’t wait to see what happens!

March 15
It’s the series premiere of Kings.
I’m not so sure what this show is about; but there’s some buzz. I’m just being the usual TV drone that I am.

March 16
Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill return.
It’s been a long couple of weeks since we last saw a new episode. I can’t wait to get my hands on them. Seriously. Everyone’s been asking me where the new episodes are. They’re finally back!

March 18
Better Off Ted premieres on ABC.
I’ve seen the promo; and I think it’s a good, quirky comedy that probably won’t be appreciated by most Americans (i.e. Arrested Development). Still, I love these kinds of shows; and I’m hoping audiences will wise up and watch it.

March 20
It’s the series finale of Battlestar Galactica.
I know I haven’t gotten all caught up; but this means I can buy the complete series on DVD soon (original, of course!).

March 30
Greek returns for a new season!
I missed this show a lot. It’s one of those light and fun shows that I really enjoy. Plus, last season’s cliffhanger really threw me. I have to know what happens next.

March 31
Cupid premieres!!!
It’s finally here! Rob Thomas’ second chance at making his old creation a hit… I really hope it’s as good, if not better, than the original. Please!

Here it is… A much-awaited peek into the upcoming ABC revival Cupid created by one of my idols, Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas. I loved the original which was sadly short-lived; so I hope this revival will churn out a hit. Please, TV gods!

heads up from: Too Much TV

Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas has just sold ten episodes of a new show he has developed together with Paul Rudd and John Enbom to Starz, a cable channel in the US. It’s called Party Down and it’s about cater waiters in LA. Those folks who follow their dreams to Hollywood only to find themselves wandering around at the age of 30 and wondering if it’s time to give up the dream and get a real job. Since Rob Thomas is already busy with Cupid (which I’m so excited for), Enbom will mostly be running the show. Still, this guy was very much involved in Veronica Mars, so I trust he’ll do a good job.

According to the source, "there are several familiar faces among the cast including Ryan Hansen, James Jordan, Jackie Debatin, Enrico Colantoni, and Paula Marshall. Of course, Enrico and Paula are off doing their own shows at the moment so it’s possible they’ll have to do some recasting."

This is supposedly set to air in March 2009. Can’t wait!

Source: RTVW.com

… and the TV Backtrack continues…

Last week, because of the non-existence of a project in my work life, I decided to “get hold” of shows that were, at some point, declared to be canceled before their time. I started with the cult favorite, constantly-used-as-an-example Freaks & Geeks, then followed it up with a Judd Apatow creation – Undeclared. So far, the series have lived up to, if not exceeded, expectations; and since I’m on a roll, I decided to dive into a creation of Rob Thomas (of Veronica Mars, duh) entitled Cupid.

I’m now more than halfway through this series; and I absolutely love it. This is a show that has a concept so far from Veronica Mars (yet still great in its own way) that now I truly bow down to the genius that is Rob Thomas. The premise is simple, yet the stories are brilliantly written and each episode is amazingly well-acted. Basically, Trevor Hale (Jeremy Piven) is a guy who believes he’s Cupid, the god of love. He was punished by the gods, stripped of his magical bow and arrow, sent down to earth with a mission to bring together 100 couples before he could go back to Mount Olympus. With this delusion (or is it?), renowned couples therapist Dr. Claire Allen (Paula Marshall) takes him under her care and supervision. We then watch Trevor try to complete his mission in a world where love has mostly been reduced to a science. The yin and yang between him and the doctor just makes for great entertainment; and at the same time, we witness modern stories of boy meets girl that end up in true love.

Despite being produced in the late nineties, this show could very well be considered as timely (and timeless) when it comes to their discussions of love, dating and relationships. Almost every episode is a romantic comedy that simply melts your heart. (I’m a sucker for romantic comedies.) There are also a few surprises in the form of guest stars such as Connie Britton (now in Friday Night Lights), Paul Adelstein (was in Prison Break, now in Private Practice) and Kate Walsh (was in Grey’s Anatomy, now also in Private Practice).

With only 15 episodes produced, it’s unfortunate that this show is yet another prematurely canceled creation that could’ve been really great. I sincerely hope it comes out to DVD. For now, I have to settle for not-so-clear recordings that are decent enough to appreciate. Oh well…