What's that, fall TV season? You rock?

Yes, you most certainly do.

If you've read my previous post on the wonderfulness of fall, then you know we are officially one month into autumn and awesome new TV. I thought I'd post a few of my follow-up thoughts on the cookie goodness I've had the fortune of sampling so far this year.

Chocolate chip: Dependable and delighful, these don't disappoint.
Still tasty: Arrested Development and Gilmore Girls continue to be solid high points to my week. You can't be unhappy with shows that feature a combination "analyst-therapist" (take 3 letters off each title and you get one very dirty hyphenate) and an artfully scripted, Grandmother-delivered verbal smackdown.
Fresh from the oven: Everybody Hates Chris, the chocolate chip newbie I referenced in my previous post, didn't make it into the weekly rotation. Sure, the first episode had some good humor and retro charm, but I wasn't hooked. On the upside, I discovered a CC show in the guise of a snickerdoodle! How I Met Your Mother is a Beckmann/Veltman pleaser that is romantic and sweet without being cloying, funny and sarcastic without being cheap. Best of all, the characters grow on me with every week I spend with them. Yay 3-D TV friends!

Oatmeal raisin: Healthy and heartwarming.
Still tasty: Who knew cookies created in Colorado or a hospital could be so good? I guess the WB and ABC did. This fall I'm loving Everwood, a family-centered drama set in a small Colorado town. Relationships and events that on another show are melodramatic and soapy are handled with just the right amount of angst and emoting on Everwood. For a slightly more heavy-handed take on the ORC, try Grey's Anatomy. I don't think most hospitals have this much sexual tension, but then again, they probably don't have this hot a crew of attendings either! I'm content with what the creators have done with each character this season. They keep giving me what I want, and I'll keep watching - medically accurate or not.
Fresh from the oven: There's a reason so many shows on Friday nights fail. It's because no one watches them. I've been diligently taping Threshold, one of this fall's promising shows, but I have yet to watch a single ep. Looks like I'll keep taping until I hear they've got a full-season order - then I can just wait for the DVD. Sorry Carla Gugino. You're no match for the siren call of sleep after a long week at work.

Snickerdoodle: Light-hearted laughers.
Still tasty: When, when, when, will NBC decide to put Scrubs back on their schedule? This whimsical comedy explores the joy of medical practice through inner monologues, fantasy sequences, and embittered janitors, while reminding us that doctors are humans too. JD, the main character, is earnest without being irritating, and John C. McGinley has a great role as a cynical head doctor. I miss this show!
Fresh from the oven: Hee. That's the sound I hear in my head every time I look at the sweet handlebar moustache Jason Lee sports as the title character in My Name Is Earl. This mellow comedy celebrating the power of karma shows that good intentions and a good heart are their own reward. It isn't laugh-out-loud, but I always end up with a smile on my face watching Earl take baby steps towards being a better person. Then there's The Office, starring Steve Carell. I've never seen the Brit original, but I have a feeling it would be too embarrassing for me to tolerate. The US version balances cringeworthiness with chuckles, and I love the hesitant, adorable near-relationship between good-natured Jim and soft-spoken Pam. Unfortunately, Kitchen Confidential (one of the new shows I wanted to check out) is in direct competition with one of my new faves, How I Met Your Mother. Though I heart me some Bradley Cooper, I'm still choosing "Haaaaave you met Ted?" over him.

Double Chocolate: Sinful, sweet, sometimes sickening.
Still tasty: Ahhh, ANTM. Can you ever get tired of the self-obsessed, catty, awkward, opinionated, ambitious, ignorant, gorgeous model wanna-bes competing to see who is the most fabulous of all? Not if you're Abbey, Sara or me. Deep inside every woman lies the heart of a model, or if not a model, then a girl who wants to wear pretty pretty clothes and have someone else do her hair and makeup. I'll never be tall enough, skinny enough, or pretty enough to be a model; but if I can't join them, I'll beat them, with verbal jabs and cold-hearted analysis of how constipated and/or bloated they look in photographs.
Fresh from the oven: So many trashy new shows, so little time. Generally, quality wins out over quantity, so I'd rather watch a little of the good stuff instead of a lot of the sub-par stuff. Love, Inc. turned out to be Crap, Inc.: grating and predictable. Reunion had an intriguing premise and an attractive cast, but cliched, flat writing. I'm still waiting to watch Related; it's up against my ODCCC show, so it doesn't have much of a chance, but as long as Abbey keeps Tivoing it, I'll keep holding out hope.

Oatmeal dark chocolate chip: Art.
Still tasty: Veronica Mars. The tastiest. Need I say more? Oh, I already did. And if you don't believe me, maybe you'll listen to Joss Whedon or Kevin Smith.

And lastly, a new addition to my cookie menagerie!

Peanut Butter: This cookie is rich, peppy, and reminds me of a wholesome childhood spent full of wonder, excitement, and peanut butter sandwiches. Sometimes you get nuts in the cookie for that extra bit of crunch - a crunch not unlike the sound of a punch or broken bone. Eating a PB cookie gives you that burst of energy that will propel you into action. Watching a PBC show might just propel you off the couch to do some situps so you look as supa-fine as the stars of the show. Arguably, Buffy was a bit of a PBC show, what with all the butt-kicking, but a better example is probably Alias or or the Veltman brother fave 24. If Sydney Bristow and Jack Bauer ever spawned, you can bet their offspring would like peanut butter cookies and kickin' ass.
Fresh from the oven: Veltman and I are both loving the adrenaline-inducing, if implausible, new series Prison Break. This is a show that manages to make structural engineering sexy. It's got taut action, likable characters, and an intriguing puzzle of a plot. Breakout star Wentworth Miller rocks the (cell) block and your world with his laconic charm and mental prowess. Tune in for your weekly dose of escapist entertainment. Get it? Escapist? I kill myself.