It’s Been Awhile…

… since I’ve reviewed anything.

To be completely honest, I didn’t make it to the theater too many times in 2012.  In fact, of the 2012 movie releases, I have only seen three of them…  The Hunger Games (which I did review… in depth… over several days), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (which I don’t feel as if I can review properly until the other two films come out, and until I re-read the book), and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (which I just saw on DVD a couple of weeks ago).  No wonder I’ve slacked in the review department!

At any rate, I don’t know if this is really going to be a traditional type of review, either, but I have to take a few minutes to talk about my favorite (current) TV series.  Please keep in mind that our television does not get a single channel, so I’m working with Netflix here.  This is, in no way, a complaint.  There is almost nothing that I would actually want to watch on television.  I cannot justify paying for cable so that I can watch the Olympics in prime time every two years!  But over the past few years I have been previewing shows that I think the kids might like to watch sometime, and my absolute favorite is, “Good Luck, Charlie”.

Please do not misunderstand.  I know this show is marketed to twelve year olds.  I fall way outside the target group.  But I actually don’t understand, myself, where this shift in family entertainment came in.  I have always maintained that the death of family television was the demise of “The Cosby Show”, but why?  When I was a kid, my parents enjoyed watching family sit-coms with me, and although many of the Disney Channel shows are more in line with the genre of “Saved by the Bell” (which I am also currently watching with Grace… and loving it…); “Good Luck, Charlie” definitely falls into that old, 1980s style, family sit-com category. 

I am currently part way through season 3 and have found only two episodes that contain objectionable material, both misuses of God’s name.  When I finally sit down to watch the show with my kids, we’ll just skip those.  But I’m not sure the show is going to be as meaningful… or as funny… for them, even though they most certainly do fit right into the intended audience.  

Maybe it’s because I’m a mom of five.  Or maybe it’s because the fictitious Amy Duncan does stuff that is just outlandish for a mom, and I find myself taking mental notes on what not to do… in the future… again…  But this show often has me laughing so hard I am almost in tears.

The other night, Grace actually came to check on me… from another area in the house… because she wanted to make sure I was OK.  I had to pause the show, and I still couldn’t get enough control to let her know I was alright!  Several minutes later, Grace was looking at me as if I had completely lost it.  I just waved her off, finally managing to get something out like, “this show is so funny”.  With an eye roll, she went to bed.  

And so it just occurred to me that maybe other adults don’t find “Good Luck, Charlie” to be great evening entertainment, because they think it’s unrealistic.  I know that reality TV is pretty popular right now, along with shows with titles like, “The Office” (which I have never seen).  And I’m suddenly swept up in this “aha moment”.  Oh, wow!  Hahahahaha…  Other people think this kind of stuff doesn’t actually happen!  Oh, wait!  Let me compose myself!  Ahem…  I’d better just quit while I’m ahead…

L.