The wait almost killed me, but Greek is finally back tonight! The knowledge that Cappie, Casey, and Rusty will be waiting on my DVR tonight is putting some serious pep in my step.
When we left off…actually, one of the things I love about this show is that 900 things are happening at once, which makes it a treat to watch but sometimes tough to recap. Here’s an overview:
My one problem with Greek? I have a hard time convincing people to give it a try. “It’s the most realistic college show I’ve ever seen,” I say, and people roll their eyes, because the experiences on Greek could not be more different than my own collegiate ones, plus they’re obviously and consistently a bit ridiculous. Don’t be fooled by the glitzy exterior, though. Greek is authentically, hilariously collegiate: It’s all about those weird waves of paralyzing self-doubt that turn into dazzling self-confidence, the you’re-only-young-once passion with which people hold their convictions — and the 24/7 shenanigans only drunk college kids could come up with. Plus it’s somewhere in the Ugly Betty/Gossip Girl family of zinger-happy series with distinctive voices and strong female characters.
Help me perfect my pitch, PopWatchers! How do you get your pals to pledge Greek?
This week, 
That alone, of course, does not an auteur make, but from The Mod Squad to Charlie’s Angels, from Beverly Hills, 90210, to Charmed, a distinct and almost incomprehensibly influential vision emerged. Spelling practically invented the modern TV guilty indulgence, a formula tougher to execute than it looks. When you’re watching Burn Notice or Gossip Girl or Desperate Housewives and that “zap” hits the pleasure center of your brain, send a prayer of gratitude up to Mr. Spelling (who died in 2006 at 83). His particular brand of magic hit multiple demos (The Love Boat: fun for the whole family!) and found fans among several generations of viewers — his credits span from the ’50s to 2006 (the year Charmed and 7th Heaven went off the air). Yet for all the critical drubbing his work regularly took, it inspires a rare lasting affection in its fans. 
In case you hadn’t heard the news that pierced the geekosphere this morning, like Cyclops’ eye-beam through the fog, 
Glee and Fringe are jumping into the future (sort of) with 
