Now that our favorite shows are close to being back in production and new episodes are just around the corner, I started thinking about the things I missed during those horrible three months. Stuff like The Office, Pam Beesly, Amy Poehler, etc.
Some shows aren’t even going to come back for awhile, but there were moments or characters that SHOULD have been on television had the strike never happened. Heck, I even miss things that haven’t happened yet but are future “misses.”
The crazy thing when I tried to think back on this subject was actually discovering I didn’t miss as many things as I thought I would have. Sure, I could have probably done an entire list of just things from The Office, but that’s not really fair.
Of course, it’s my own blog, I can make up any rules I want. But I’m not really like that. So without further ado, here is my list of 8 things I missed during the Writer’s Strike.
1. Jim playing pranks on Dwight
I think this is one we all likely share. At least, if you are a fan of The Office. From dressing up like Dwight Schrute to acting like a vampire, Jim Halpert has never let us down when it comes to pranks. And I really can’t wait to see what they have in store for us when The Office returns.
2. Jack Bauer kicking terrorism’s ass
As much as last season sort of was a “groan” for me, I always get excited about 24 at the beginning. And no matter how dull the series may get, Jack Bauer/Kiefer Sutherland will never lose his coolness.
3. Liz Lemon
I just really love Tina Fey and 30 Rock, but mostly Fey’s character of Liz Lemon. She’s so unsure of herself, so funny, so much of a homebody that it’s hilarious. I’ve missed her interactions with Alec Baldwin.
4. Seeing Heroes get better
The second season of Heroes started off pretty bad and wandered here and there without rhyme nor reason. But the creators knew it and promised things would change. We saw a possible start to it, but then the strike happened and we lost our chance to see what they were going to do.
5. J.D. and Turk
Probably the two of the greatest “best friends” ever on television (at least until someone points out a better example), I miss J.D. and Turk on Scrubs. If you’ve never seen their musical duet called “It’s guy love…between two guys“, then you really haven’t lived. Click on that link to reborn.
6. Charlie Crews
I was one of those people who really enjoyed the new NBC series, Life this season and it was mainly for the lead character of Charlie Crews. He’s unique in that he was framed for murder, stuck in prison for a long time, became a student of Zen and then was released with a secret mission to find out who screwed him over. His style of being calm and introspective, yet a butt-kicking, intelligent detective is pretty brilliant.
7. Weekend Update and SNL Digital Shorts
Yes, it was back last week, but it just reminded me how much I missed Amy Poehler and Seth Myers doing the Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, along with Andy Samberg and his cohorts doing hilarious Digital Shorts.
8. A Full Season of Lost
Perhaps the biggest thing we’ll end up missing because of the strike is the loss of three episodes of Lost this season. We know now that they will film five more before the season ends, meaning we’ll only get 13 total out of the promised 16. While I think they will be jammed packed and awesome, I feel like we’re going to miss out on a narrative that was planned out well before the strike.
What about you guys? Did you miss anything during the strike? Did you even notice it happened?
I agree Mike, there are some shows that I will lament. I agree with Jim’s pranks on Dwight, with the LOST episodes, and with 24. I would add, for me, Flight of the Conchords and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
FOTC returns in 2009 from what I have heard. Not sure about It’s Always Sunny.
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..American Idol (2008) – Week 2 – Top 3 Girls
I actually would have included those, plus stuff like Entourage and Rescue Me, if they weren’t summer shows…I think they mostly are, aren’t they?
Man…Sunny in Philly, Conchords, Entourage, Damages…Rescue Me…the summer shows are really so much better than ever before.
Sunny is behind schedule I believe. They were to begin writing for the upcoming season as soon as the strike hit. So they are a little behind the curve – not sure how that will impact them.
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..American Idol (2008) – Week 2 – Top 3 Girls
Well , BSG season 3 could have come out much sooner on DVD than next month and we could be deep into season 4 already.
Hmmm, I wasn’t sure BSG would have started any earlier, because the first 10 or so episodes have been finished for awhile.
i think it was supposed to of start, but they pended it for the strike as the already mid season split they didnt want to shrink the number they would show as a mid season, it was supposed to start in feb originally way back….
Great list! One note: JD and Turk rival the guy-love of Seth and Ryan for those closet OC fans.
Oooh, nice one babe!
My favorite prank was when Jim had all of Dwight’s office supplies loaded into the vending machine and Pam bought one of them. That was great. Then they gave him a bag of nickels to buy all of his stuff back.
I laugh every time I see it. In fact I have Season Two on DVD, I think I’ll watch it right now. I think it was Season Two.
The vending machine was an absolute classic…
I like it when they moved Dwight’s desk into the bathroom and then Jim calls him to ask him a question – lol. What a great show. It will be fun to have new episodes again.
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who Is Jesus? – Part 4
It’s so hard to pick a favorite Jim/Dwight prank – they are all so funny. And the JD/Turk duet “Guy Love” makes me laugh until I cry every time I watch it.
In some ways, the strike was kind of nice. I didn’t feel like I was chained to the TV and I spent more time reading. Although, don’t get me wrong, I certainly am glad it’s over. And I’m back to being a most willing prisoner to the TV schedule now that LOST is back.
D.L. White’s last blog post..A Booklover’s Questionaire
Stapler in a jello mold…
Maybe you should put him in custardy?
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who Is Jesus? – Part 4
ROTFL
I didn’t miss anything as much as 24 – We Want Jack Back! We Want Jack Back! We Want Jack Back!
This is where everyone starts doing it at the same time wherever we are and all of the people around us start looking at us weird but it’s cool because the camera will show us all doing it in unison so we’ll look really cool and we’ll know that it means something…something important…
We Want Jack Back!
You guys aren’t doing it, are you?
no…
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Social Responsibility to Kenya?
Of course, no. Why I should do it. But why did you hold an writer’s strike if you did miss that bunch of things? I can’t follow it anymore.
What?
{imitates Jerry McGuire}… who’s coming with me?!?!? who’s coming with me?!?!? {Cap’n steps forward}.. “Jason Clark I will go with you!… We Want Jack Back!We Want Jack Back!” …”Thank you Cap’n Schwartz in accounting”…
..me thinks ole Simlock has been sippin too much on grandpa’s ole cough medicine….
Simlock is European of some sort. Don’t pick on the guy. He obviously enjoys reading this blog and has a thing for Jason.
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Red, The New Blu
Oh, I’m not picking on him, his name reminds me of the immortal words of Socrates who said “I drank what?!…”
We Want Jack Back! We Want Jack Back!
Me and the Cap’n know what’s important here…
And lots of people have a thing for Jason…it’s not my fault.