TVSquad

I know that I'm not the target demographic for a cable channel like Cartoon Network. Although I still watch Pokemon on Saturday mornings, the last non-Adult Swim original cartoon I watched was Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.

Recently, Cartoon Network has announced a block of programming they're calling "CN Real." I'm already upset that a show like Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job isn't animated (don't get me started on Delocated), but isn't getting rid of the cartoons turning the channel into just "Network"?

The long, drawn-out cancellation of Arrested Development was one of television's greatest crimes against humanity. It ranks right up there with the approval of a new Knight Rider when the original was already one too many, the spinoff Baywatch Nights, and the made-for-TV movie Knight Rider 2000. That's right, I just hassled the Hoff. If any of you want a piece of me, I also come with a side of "whoop-ass."

But with the Arrested Development movie clawing its way inch-by-inch towards the big screen, Mitchell Hurwitz will at least have one other project on the horizon and on the very same network that tried to destroy him. Either he's showing he's a good guy and can take rejection in stride, or he's trying to bring down the place from the inside. You make the call.

Fox announced that Hurwitz's new show, Sit Down, Shut Up, will air sometime next fall. Critics also got an advance screening at the Television Critics Association conference last week.

To be honest, I don't usually think of television as something to be thankful for. This time of year I usually reflect on how lucky I am to have loving husband, a supportive family, and loyal friends. Also, as I'm sure most people do, I pause for a moment of gratitude for the things I take for granted most days: my health, my job, enough to eat, the clothes on my back, etc.

But now that I think about it, after I say thank-you for all the above, I guess I am rather thankful for television (especially on the weeknights). After a long day at work or running errands, I can't say I'm not grateful that a new episode of Cane, The Office, or Boston Legal is on. And on Sundays, the inevitable dreaded Monday morning is made more bearable by Desperate Housewives or some HBO series (I used to love Rome).

I know, you're probably thinking, isn't the TV Squad blog just a series of random thoughts about television already? Yes and no. Sure, the thoughts are often random, but we put them in very specific posts, whether it's a review, an essay, or an op-ed piece.

The random thoughts below are just things I've been thinking about lately. They could possibly end up in some future post about a specific show or star, but I'm putting them here for now. (And thanks to Rich for starting this.)

1. Why do weather forecasters and anchorpersons always freak out over cool temperatures? When October comes around and the temps drop to the 50s, you'd think the world was ending by the way the local news stations act. It's not 10 below zero folks, it's 55, and it happens every single fall. And it's comfortable! Newscasters always seem to bemoan the start of fall, almost to the point of apologizing to viewers, because summer is over. Folks, I have news for you: humid, 90 degree weather is terrible; fall is the best season.

Great interview with Simpsons/Futurama creator Matt Groening in today's issue of The Onion. In it he reveals that he is often freaked out by strangers who quote obscure Simpsons lines to him (at first he's frightened, but then relieved they're not crazy), talks about how FOX treated Futurama, and even mentions the Simpsons/Family Guy rivalry.

I don't know why, but I never got into Futurama. I thought the show looked great, but never thought it was that funny. I guess I was looking for Simpsons-level humor and found it lacking. Of course, I'm basing this on just the first season, when I last watched the show, so I probably don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

Also in The Onion: Simpsons quotes for everyday use.