The Best Show You're Not Watching

Season 3 of "Chuck" premieres Sunday on NBC.

You probably haven't been watching Chuck because, well, no one is really watching NBC at all these days. But trust me, it's a high quality show that deserves your attention. It's developed a small but very loyal following over its first two seasons, and I'm so excited it's returning.

Chuck Bartowski is a normal guy who has managed to fall ass-backwards into a double life as a spy when a bunch of government secrets wound up in his brain back in season one. (Just go with me on this.) He's a bit of a geek who's trying to do his duty to his government while attempting to maintain some semblance of a normal life. It's a quirky, offbeat blend of comedy, action and drama. Check it out, it's definitely worth an hour of your time.

Here's a preview of season 3:

Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street

I always loved Sesame Street as a kid. It's marvelous that it's still around today.

Enjoy my favorite character and a classic Sesame Street song:

Funny Moment from the Djoker

I have not been much of a Novak Djokovic fan since he made some rather toolish comments about Andy Roddick after beating him in the quarterfinals at the US Open last year. I've been hating on him ever since.

But his post match interview after winning his 4th round match the other night went a long way towards redeeming him in my eyes. He's gracious and funny, and talks John McEnroe into coming down on the court from the commentator's booth to hit a few.

Novak does his John McEnroe imitation while he's waiting, and Johnny Mac returns the favor when he gets on court.



My favorite moments:

6:56 Cliff Drysdale: "Oh, I hope he gets one in."
7:33 Darren Cahill: "That racquet looks about 200 years old."

Classic stuff!

Wipeout: A Guilty Pleasure

Right up front, I'm going to tell you that Wipeout is a show with no redeeming qualities at all. It doesn't challenge me to think about complicated social issues, or teach me anything useful. In fact, I may even lose a couple of IQ points every time I watch it. It's stupid, mindless, lowest-common-denominator viewing. But boy, does it make me laugh out loud, which is definitely something I can use at the moment. Here's a promo:



It you enjoyed the clip, then you'll enjoy the show, because what you see is what you get. An hour of pratfalls, crashes, slips and trips. Lots of water, lots of mud, lots of humiliation. Check it out at 8pm Wednesdays on ABC. It will be our little secret.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

One of my very favorite Irish things (along with Baileys Irish Cream, Liam Neeson and Aran knitting patterns) is Father Ted. It's a fantastic sitcom that aired on the BBC about 15 years ago, about three misfit priests banished to the far-flung Craggy Island parish. I generally pull out the DVDs and watch a few episodes every year around St. Patrick's Day.

Some typical Father Ted humor:

Tom: Father...I've killed a man.
Father Ted: Er, well, we'll talk about that later, Tom. Right now I'm going to be on the telly!

And...

Father Dougal: God Ted, I've heard about those cults. Everyone dressing in black and saying our Lord's going to come back and judge us all.
Father Ted: No...no Dougal, that's us. That's Catholicism you're talking about there.

The episodes I'm enjoying today: Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rollerblading, in which the three priests attempt to give up their respective vices for Lent, and Are You Right There, Father Ted?, where Father Ted holds a "Celebration of Craggy Island's Ethnic Diversity" to convince the town he's not a racist. If you ever stumble across it on BBC America, it's well worth your time.

For those not fortunate enough to have access to Father Ted, but would still enjoy a St. Patrick's Day-themed laugh, I offer the Top 10 Worst Irish Accents on Film, courtesy of IrishCentral.com. My personal choice is Tom Cruise in "Far and Away." I freely acknowledge that I think Tom Cruise is a jackass and that likely influenced my selection. Who's your pick?