You Know How I Know You're Gay? You're Bummed "Men In Trees" Got Cancelled

I thought I'd save you all the trouble of making fun of me by casting the first stone. Yes, I will admit now that I've been a closet MIT fan since episode 1 and will be broken hearted to see the show go away, even if it had turned into a jumbled mess of contrivance. I even stuck around for the multiple month gaps between new episodes, changes in days/times, and plot twists that skirted further and further away from logic.

The appeal of the show was in the ensemble cast. A friendly group of characters with good hearts and good intentions. Anne Heche, who is so divisive to most people, was one of the least interesting people on the show. I'll be sad to see them all go. Even though this second season had lead some of them astray (memory loss due to being struck by lightning, bar owner buys a bad hockey team and moves them to nowhere Elmo, Alaska, ex-hooker starts dating a minister who tries to practice abstinence), they were still a nice group of people to catch up with once a week just like they did as they gathered at the local bar, The Chieftain. Plus, I was still holding out hope that they'd bring Justine Bateman back. I still have a crush on her from her "Family Ties" days. She's aged beautifully.

The show was total comfort food. Just a nice, breezy 40 mins of fluff (once you've FF thru the commercials). It will be missed.

And, I guess I wasn't quick enough to save "Aliens In America". That got the axe too. Shame. Why does everything I love leave me? Stay tuned for a rant on how VH1 Classic has left me a widower.

Please Watch Aliens In America

I just need to give a shout out to a great show that is totally off the radar. Aliens In America is on the CW on Sundays right after Everybody Hates Chris (another great ignored show). It gets poor ratings and is considered “on the bubble” to come back next season.

I’m sure that doesn’t mean much to any of you because almost no one watches it, but it’s a great show, very funny and real and subtle and deserves a bigger audience. It’s very much in the same vein as Wonder Years, in that it’s about awkward adolescence, simple humanity, has no laugh track, is narrated by the main character, and it isn’t filmed on a sound stage.

It’s basically the story of nerdy high schooler, Justin Tolchuk, and his life and family in suburban Wisconsin. His parents are nice and loving, but goofy, and his sister is younger and hot and popular. His parents decide to try and broaden their kids horizons and agree to take in an exchange student, only to find out he’s from Pakistan. This is the source for a lot of great comedy, but the show is never one-note and it’s only one of many story lines they glean for laughs.

To best appreciate it, I would seek out the pilot. Maybe you can view it online. If not, set your DVRs and give it a couple weeks. Admittedly, even with as much as I like it, I often forget how much until I’m actually watching it. So, try it more than once. Chances are you’ll smile a lot.