I’m feeling pretty insignificant today. Pretty forgotten. Unnoticed. Unimportant. It’s not a feeling I like. I like to be the center of attention. “The hostess with the mostest” as my dad would say. I like to know I matter. To know that there’s a reason I exist. My gloominess started with the pleasure of driving to work in the fog. There’s nothing like not being able to see more than 20 feet in front of you to make you feel isolated and alone. The wind has howled longingly all day, and you can’t go outside without being soaked to the bone and chilled to your soul. Work didn’t do much to help the situation, and as I drove back home in the rain, even my favorite songs seemed to be too sad and forlorn to listen to. (Then again, most of my favorites aren’t found in the “If You’re Happy And You Know It” songbook.) But, alas, I’m home… in pajamas… drinking hot tea… rockin’ out to Matty Nay. All the problems of my world aren’t solved, but if I’m gonna feel lonely, I wanna be in a pink room listening to a pink iPod. Wouldn’t you?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past five weeks, I’m sure you’ve heard of (and, more importantly, your favorite television shows have been affected by) the great Writer’s Guild Association Strike of 2007. Just to make sure you’re up to speed on the strike, I’ll recap. Every three years the WGA negotiates a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. However, this time around, a negotiation was not reached and a strike vote was passed. The key issues hindering an agreement include DVD and Internet residuals. So what does that mean? It means the writers aren’t writing… so the actors aren’t acting… and no writing and no acting means no new tv shows being filmed. Most shows were able to finish anywhere from eight to twelve shows before the strike, so your favorite shows should be approaching a permanent rerun status in the next month of so if they haven’t already. Sad, I know. But what’s even sadder is the chance that some of this season’s best new shows may never get a fair chance at surviving and being picked up for a second season. In case you’ve missed some of this season’s gems, here are my 5 favorite new shows and why you should be watching them.

ABC’s finest new comedrama, Pushing Daisies, is an adult fairytale centered around Ned, a mysterious pie maker, with the ability to bring the dead back to life by his touch. However, there’s a catch to his gift… if he retouches the revived at any time they return to the world of the deceased, and if he doesn’t touch them within the first minute, another living (within the same physical proximity) creature dies in the reborn’s place. Pretty crazy, huh? Olive (the quirky pie waitress with a thing for Ned), Emerson Cod (Ned’s ‘business partner’), Chuck (Ned’s recently returned childhood sweetheart), and Chuck’s eclectic aunts round out this charming cast. If you enjoyed Amelie or have a soft spot for romanticism with a side of dark humor, this is one show you don’t want to miss. (ABC- Wed 7/8c) Click To Continue Reading…