TVSquad

It's Thanksgiving morning as I'm writing this. I've got five pounds of potatoes boiling for our mashed potatoes, the turkey is in the oven, and the butternut squash is cut up for the risotto I'm making. My baby is playing ball with his dad, and the dog is on the couch trying to sleep and just remaining thankful that said baby isn't trying to pet her eyeball right now. I have a lot of things to be thankful for, but as others have said before, me, this is a TV blog, so let's talk about television-related things I'm thankful for.

As we're getting close to the mid-season point, I feel more and more that this is an exceptionally strong season of television-- even with the whole Leno debacle. There are several new shows that I'm quickly falling in love with, and some returning shows that are better than ever. In no particular order, here are things that I am thankful for.

NBC Thursday night comedies

Yes, NBC is a big ol' pile of fail in general, but this season's Thursday night comedy line-up is the one bright spot in an otherwise dreary schedule. This is the strongest the lineup has been in years, and I look forward to every single show. Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock are all a match made in heaven. There isn't a single other lineup of four shows that I would watch, so at least NBC execs have this small success to keep them warm at night.

Troy and Abed on Community

I know I just talked about Thursday comedies in general, but Troy and Abed deserve a special mention. They are really the breakout characters of the season, on a show filled with amazing people. Every week, I look forward to the end credits featuring these two. Those thirty seconds are consistently some of the funniest moments on television. Here are a few of my favorites:

If you woke up as a doughnut, would you eat yourself?



Dr. Doogie Seacrest




La Biblioteca



Joel is also thankful for them and is threatening to put them on the podcast. I want in!

Dexter

It's been mentioned already, but for a show that's in its fourth season, Dexter is really bringing it. I watched last week's episode with my jaw just hanging open. John Lithgow as the Trinity killer is the creepiest thing on television right now, and the latest episode was the best episode that this series has ever done.

Twitter

It's a time-sucker, but I love the number of TV stars who use the service. I cannot even tell you how many stories I have gotten for this site solely based on a random Tweet from a star, network, or other random TV-obsessed person. So in that way, Twitter has directly made me money. And that is awesome.

Glee

Never has a show put a smile on my face as quickly as Glee does. I've never been into musicals, but this show never ceases to just make me happy. The fact that other than Jane Lynch and Jayma Mays, I've never seen most of these people before in my life, really works for the show. It's nice to see actors getting their start and showing that you don't have to have a series that's chocked-full of stars in order for it to be good. Plus, it makes me cry all the time, which is also, oddly, a big plus in my book.

The TV Squad Readers

Seriously, you guys are awesome. You make me laugh, you make me think, and you make me better. I appreciate all of your comments-- even the one where the guy told me he hoped that a swarm of moths gave me AIDS. Because, really dude? A swarm of moths? Okey-dokey.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!