Our time has come, procedural watchers. This is Beat Cop, and it’s our TV watch. Well, it’s a mini-watch…in PopWatch…and we’ll cover lots of shows instead of getting all precious about just Lost or Fringe, but we’re doing God’s work here, ladies and gents.
No really! The hallmark of the procedural fan is that we have an overdeveloped sense of justice. We seek resolution, answers. We like our bad guys nabbed, diseases diagnosed, cases closed. It’s not that we mind continuing storylines—we like our cops, docs, investigators, and fake psychics to have personalities (even Columbo had a missus to whom he frequently referred, even if her spin-off wasn’t quite worthy of the man, himself). But there’s something about wrapping up misery and mystery in a neat little bow at the end of an hour that just feels satisfying.
So here’s what we’ll do: We’ll meet here twice a week (let’s start with Mondays and Fridays and see how that goes) and discuss our favorite procedurals. It’ll be a mix of review and preview, in that if I’ve seen an episode, I’ll tell you about it in as spoiler-free a manner as possible. Otherwise, we’ll just chat about what happened on CSI, Lie to Me, NCIS, and myriad other shows. Understand, though, this is an advocacy blog, which means I’m not even aiming for fair. I’ll talk about Castle more than I should because I adore that show (seriously, the chemistry between Nathan Fillion and Molly C. Quinn makes them cutest damned father/daughter pair on television). I’ll coo over Criminal Minds Kirsten Vangsness’s flirty banter with Shemar Moore, and make snippy comments that Richard Belzer and Ice-T don’t get nearly enough face time on Law and Order: SVU. I’ll ask you to explain–since somebody needs to tell me–why I just can’t seem to get into Cold Case even though I watch literally every other network procedural out there. We’ll talk. READ FULL STORY »
Today’s “Made Us Think” post comes from the message boards at 
C’mon, admit it, you missed that constantly bothered, constantly blamed man we love to watch flounder at the mercy of society. Larry David is back, and unlike Cheryl David’s low tolerance, I personally can never get “too much Larry.” With most of the colorful players that make up Larry’s easily offended world in tow (and then some), and Larry just being…Larry, the first episode of the seventh season did not disappoint.
First I spotted Halloween candy at CVS. Then I saw a leaf on the ground. Then I wore a sweatshirt under a jacket (best day of the year). But now I know for sure that it’s fall, because there is way too much TV on at 8 p.m. tonight. In a good way. What to watch? DVR? Skip? Save? Let’s break it down….
Many readers have pointed out that in 
