I dedicate this to my continuous love of television and storytelling. Television has always been close to my heart. When I was growing up we didn’t actually have cable tv in our home, so I was a big fan of FOX and The WB (turned The CW). But when I was in junior high school I fell in love with the Disney channel and all its gloriousness; and in walked Lizzie McGuire. I remember locking myself in my Cousin’s room at my Aunt’s house and just watching for hours. They had cable and I had to take advantage. Granted I got yelled at a lot by my mom for being anti-social. But looking back now TV was an outlet. An outlet to express emotion and storytelling. I may not have known all the way back then that I wanted to be a writer of television (and film) but maybe it was my gateway to a dream that would captivate my heart for years to come.

Then came along a little show called One Tree Hill. And this is where the idea of directing and behind the scenes stuff really became of interest to me. I was completely obsessed with this show’s story and its characters. I was interested in how they came up with the ideas and would often watch behind the scenes footage and listen to commentary. I was just as interested in what the creator had to say as I was interested in what the cast/actors had to say.  My best friend was equally obsessed, we used to have weekly viewing parties and watch together. Gosh I miss that! Time flies! Anyway, that led to the discovery of fanfiction (which if you don’t know is a place where fans write fiction stories about their favorite characters on their favorite tv shows…and then post them online to share with other like-minded fans…) No I never posted I would just write them (pen and paper, the good old fashioned way). My best friend and I began writing stories based on the One Tree Hill characters and would exchange them during school. This I think is where my love of writing really started. So thank you Mark Schwahn for paving the way, and thank you Roe for being my first critic. 😉

TV allows you to feel.

It expands reality.

It’s an escape.

It’s a new world we get to live in and love in and experience that all, as a part of the show.

As the audience we want to see the drama unfold but we also want to see realistic aspects and bits and pieces of ourselves in these characters.

That’s how we relate.

The content has to be human.

So what makes a good show (not necessarily a successful show because I’ve seen some really great stories cancelled before they got their chance)… but what I think makes a good show is finding a way to fuse the two; to incorporate real life into this television dream land of sorts.

I mean television life is way sexier but that’s just because it has to be.

What do I watch you ask?

Well let me break down *my TV show schedule* for you…

Monday

The Fosters @8 abcfamily

Eye Candy @10 MTV

Tuesday

Pretty Little Liars @8 abcfamily

Married At First Sight-First Year @9 FYI

Chicago Fire @10 NBC*

Wednesday

Melissa & Joey @8 abcfamily

Baby Daddy @8:30 abcfamily

Chicago PD @10 NBC

The Game @10 BET*

Thursday

The Vampire Diaries @8 The CW

Grey’s Anatomy @8 ABC*

Scandal @9 ABC

How To Get Away With Murder @10 ABC

Friday

Hart of Dixie @8 The CW

Glee @9 FOX

Saturday

*NONE* I take a day off 😉

Sunday

The Walking Dead @9 AMC

The Talking Dead @10 AMC

Revenge @10 ABC

Girls @9 HBO*

*– means I try to keep up with them but don’t always get the chance. The others I make sure to fit in!

**Other shows I watch that are on hiatus/available on NetFlix

Finding Carter -MTV

Awkward -MTV

Faking It -MTV

Young & Hungry -abcfamily

Bates Motel -FX

Orange is the New Black *Netflix

Lost *Netflix (still have to finish this series!)

When it comes to storytelling I become a giddy school girl. Fangirling is for real. My favorite thing about TV and movies is their ability to tell a good love story. But I love TV even more than film because TV is allowed the time to tell the ins and outs and ups and downs of building relationships. I’m a sucker for a well-played out love story. I love the “couple’s timeline.” You know First Meeting, First Date, First Kiss, First I Love You’s, First Time…. It’s pure magic. And when two actors really have good chemistry on screen, it’s even better! I love watching it all unfold. I love the couple names, you know when you take half of one name and combine it with the other half of the other person’s name. Watching tv is when I get to become a fan again. An audience member again, (not that I won’t critique the scenes, but I will be able to enjoy the story).

I remember watching One Tree Hill and being at the edge of my seat or standing on my couch during scenes of The Walking Dead. I am very obnoxiously eccentric when I watch TV. And it’s not because I’m trying to be, I’m just excited about the story. I just can’t help it. I guess I’m just so absorbed, I feel I have to dance or scream to let out my happiness, lol! I really should be filmed while watching certain shows, because I am sure it would be hilarious. In fact just this week I was in a frenzy watching Chicago PD, yes it’s an action show, so there’s definitely that. But Sophia Bush’s (also known as Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill) character Detective Erin Lindsay has been having this ongoing flirtation with her partner Detective Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) since Season 1. Now we are in Season 2, and these two have yet to get even close to starting something. They had went out once, and decided they were friends and partners and that it wouldn’t be wise to start something in the work place. P.S. their boss a.k.a. Det. Lindsay’s father figure wasn’t gonna have it in his unit. So now Lindsay traded up to a position on a task force and she and Halstead no longer work together…so what do you think happened…use your imagination or watch this and freak the f out like I did. #Linstead. I ship them. I was nearly standing on my bed, screaming, dancing, climbing, and jumping… all the verbs. I was so excited to see all the friendship, care and flirtation that had been building for over a season be positioned into something so great. It was a tasteful love scene too, so props! The cast does a live tweet during the show, so I was literally a frenzied ball of tweets and screams. And now I sit here dying to know what’s going to happen with them this coming Wednesday. That’s good tv, that’s when you know the people involved know what they’re doing. That is what TV does for me. And you can call it weird or obsessive but I call it passionate research.

So I will continue being very vocal, I will continue to yell at my TV (same goes for scary films, I can’t go to see those in theaters I scream and do the running man in my seat.) My brother always laughs at me and my mom he says we are the best people to watch scary movies with because of our reactions. I got it from my momma. 😉

Notice my TV schedule as of the moment is extensive. It’s a lot to keep up with and I don’t have DVR or TiVo so thank tech gods for free on demand and the internet. YouTube is a godsend, haha. Like I said, I don’t call this obsession, I call it research. No shame. TV is where I wanna be. My ultimate dream is to write for a TV show and eventually be able to executive produce and create my own. I’ve been writing bits and bobs of one for years! Until then! 😀

**R.I.P**

to the fallen TV shows who got axed before their peak…

it’s just like they stopped and I was left wondering well what happened next? That is honestly the WORST feeling. As a writer I could only imagine how unsettling it would feel to put your whole heart into something and then not get to finish telling your story. I think that’s partly why my blog posts end up always being so damn long! haha.

Beautiful People -abcfamily

Privileged -The WB

Jane By Design -abcfamily *this one still stings

The Carrie Diaries -The CW

Manhattan Love Story -ABC *its new episodes were released on Hulu and abc.com and on demand. So maybe it’ll get a second season?

One Life To Live -ABC *oh my fallen soap opera

*I do no take any credit for any images or gifs used*

-<3-