Internet TV!!

So, a few weeks ago we cancelled our dish service. Eric hooked a computer up to the tv we watch most in the house and put a bunch of our kids' movies on the hard drive (he used a shrinking software called Handbrake, if you're interested). It's SO nice to just open a folder and choose a movie for the kids instead of taking dvd's in and out of a player. But, the only "tv" we have to watch now is what is available on the internet. Though I miss a few things about satellite, I have found some new shows, thanks to Hulu, that I like enough to recommend.

Burn Notice--Freelance spies who don't have the government's blessing, but can't say no to someone in trouble or to the chance to use a trunkfull of C-4 to scare away bad guys. And as viewers we learn a few tricks we can store away for our futures in covert ops.

Lie to Me--British wit (think House minus cynicism and drugs) + the brilliant ability to "read" a person's intentions based on facial expression and body language. All of this is, of course, used to solve or prevent crimes.

White Collar--I have only watched 3 episodes of this one, but can't wait for more. Team one of the best con-men around (who is still on probation, complete with an ankle-band tracker) with the FBI agent who caught him to track and stop white collar heists. The con-man, Neal Caffrey (played by Matt Bomer) is easy on the eyes, which is a bonus in this already smart, original storyline.

I've watched my fair share of Matlock, CSI, and Law & Order-type shows. They are all entertaining, but none is really original. They start with a crime (usually murder), and the balance of the show is spent solving the crime. With these three shows, each episode has a new fresh order to how the plot unfolds. The only real uniformity is that they are solving a problem each time--but without that element, who would watch? And every one of these shows is laugh-out-loud funny. I love "24" as much as anyone, but it lacks the humor element, for sure. These shows don't. So pop some corn, fire up the 'puter, and enjoy!