Guilty TV pleasures revealed
Ghost Whisperer
CBS
You jeer, oh yes, you do. You scoff at the gentle-ghost/scary-ghost
choose-your-own-adventure plots. You hiss that the show dropped a plane
on dull best friend Andrea (Aisha Tyler) for no discernible reason. You
douse Jennifer Love Hewitt's evening-gowns-in-the-afternoon wardrobe
with your hate. But name another actress who could so graciously accept
being upstaged by her ''girls'' that she's reduced to third lead on her
own show? You cannot. At its heart, Ghost Whisperer is about altruism
and trusting in others and is no less spiritual than Touched by an
Angel. So you know what? That white light? It's for you. — Alynda Wheat
Las Vegas
NBC
A Friday night spent checking out Las Vegas' fictional Montecito Resort
& Casino, with its beautiful employees, endless intrigue, and wacky
subplots, is almost as good as a visit to the real thing — especially
since you're not risking your life savings. Unlike crime procedurals
that are ''ripped from the headlines,'' this glossy dramedy is counting on
your suspension of disbelief to appreciate its bevy of half-naked women,
its zooming CGI shots, and the brawny appeal of James Caan. Perhaps
Elvis says it best in the Las Vegas theme song when he pleads for ''a
little less conversation, a little more action.'' Don't overthink it.
Just have fun. — Abby West
Standoff
FOX
Hello. My name is Whitney, and I want TV characters to make out with one
another. Not just sometimes — all the time. So for me and the millions of others just like me, Standoff may be the greatest show ever. FBI
negotiators Matt (Ron Livingston) and Emily (Rosemarie DeWitt) are the
perfect couple — not because their relationship is functional, but because
if they broke up, this show would almost literally have no reason to
exist. And therefore, so long as Standoff is on the air, Matt and Emily
will have to make out, no matter what. And that, my friends, is
something special. That's love. — Whitney Pastorek
The O.C.
FOX
It's been a rocky road for us O.C. fans over the years, starting with
that controversial era hereafter known as ''Olivergate.'' But the fourth
season has triumphantly returned to the snarky, sweet brilliance of the
show's glory days. Putting Ryan and Taylor together might have seemed
awkward, but the latter's energy is just what our sulking bad boy
needed. As for Ryan's former flame Marissa, her death has rewarded Julie
Cooper with her juiciest material since bedding Luke back in season 1.
Speaking of Luke, if the show would only bring that blond himbo back, I
might even forgive it for the whole Ryan's-brother fiasco. — Tim Stack
The Real World: Denver
MTV
No words I write could accurately explain why I'm again hooked on this
show, now a soused shell of its formerly innovative self. So we'll let
pro cheerleader Jenn (who, in a Darwinian display of dominance, hooked
up with a male roomie whom her housemate Colie was pursuing) do the work
for us: ''I'm a hypocrite, I'm a whore, and I look foolish.... I didn't
want to have sex with Alex. I didn't even want to make out with Alex.
And last night, I told him I did.... I don't know why, because a
friendship is stronger and more valuable than anything with a guy.
And... Colie will be in my wedding.'' The defense rests. — Nicholas Fonseca
