Reasons to Be Thankful This TV Season

By Kristin Dos Santos Nov 21, 2007 6:46 PMTags
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Well, tubers, it's that time. Time to start loosening that belt, mashing those yams and roasting the delicious Tofurkey that will no doubt flawlessly complement your Aunt Margaret's pickled Jell-O salad surprise. (Or maybe it's time to figure out how you're gonna get out of the whole Thanksgiving dinner thing?)

It's also time to pause and take stock in all the glorious reasons for which we can be thankful.

And since this here column is all about all the things we can bow down to worship on the almighty small screen, allow me to share with you a few things that myself and my cohorts in TV-loving crime, Korbi Ghosh and Jennifer Godwin, are especially thankful for this season.

Why? 'Cause we want to. (And we're gonna give you all the chance to do the same! But first, listen up…)

Korbi Is Thankful For:

Jim Spellman/WireImage.com

• The women's movement, which paved the way for careers like the inimitable Tina Fey's as well as many other funny, talented and brainy females.

• The parents of the people who write Dexter, because they spawned some damn smart kids.

• NBC, which renewed the best drama on television, Friday Night Lights.

Jen Is Thankful For:

• The stories. I'm thankful for shows that get enough episodes to create genuine, authentic characters and give them arcs and have them grow and change as people. Movies are awe-inspiring and larger than life; books are deep and smarter than me; but TV people are my people, and I'm thankful there are so many amazing stories being told right now.

ABC/Mario Perez

• That son of a bitch Sawyer and his crazy girlfriend Kate—those two are epic.

• TiVo, DirecTV, Netflix, screeners, iTunes and YouTube, for making the extremely involved and challenging work of watching TV a little bit easier. Before all that stuff, these working conditions were just terrible. ;)

Kristin Is Thankful For:

• Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley, who I'm pretty sure could cure cancer, put an end to hate crimes and solve all the problems in the Middle East, if only scientists could find a way to bottle the squeal-good feeling we all experience while watching them. (Legislators: Look into it. Thank you.)

Dexter. Really, the best thing on TV right now.

• Writer-producers like Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse and Tim Kring, who have every right to hate the spoiler-spilling press and hate-spewing fans but still treat all of us with more kindness and respect than some members of our own family. (Plus, they keep doing what they do even though most of us in the same position would have suffered nervous breakdowns and been institutionalized long ago.)

Tomas Ageskog

• Finding a guy who has proven that even die-hard fans of Two and a Half Men and cheesy Brazilian telenovelas deserve love, too. (Turns out, that Men show doesn't even suck all that much…Who knew?!)

• Everyone who makes it possible for this here column to exist, including, most notably, the aforementioned and thoroughly awesome in every way Jennifer Godwin and Korbi Ghosh, plus my fearless editor Erik Pedersen, producer Kat Forcadas, the copy editors, interns, photo editors, production elves and, most important, our WWK mascot, Moondust, who's taught us too many life lessons to count (hair gel and pantomime among them).

• And most important…YOU, for coming to this column against your better judgment, for keeping me gainfully employed (yes, this is your fault!) and for making me feel a little less of a freak by loving TV as much as I do.

That said, there have to be a few things you're feeling grateful for this Turkey Day, no? So, sound off in our poll below.

Poll

Have a Very Wonderful and Teeveelicious Thanksgiving, Tubers!

What are you most thankful for this TV season?
Kenneth the Page (in all his uncircumcised glory)
1.4%
Saran-Wrap kisses
4%
Jam (aka PB&J)
4.9%
Dexter Morgan's proactive crime-fighting tactics
4%
Justin Walker back from Iraq
1.2%
The third slap
3.8%
Claire's blood
2.1%
Dillon Panther football
6.6%
Every word of The Office
5.1%
Mama Walker
1%
"B" and "S" and "XOXO"
2.7%
House for being so un-House and yet so good
2.3%
Earl for being so un-Earl and yet so good
0.1%
Kristen Bell
13.9%
Booth and Brennan
13.5%
Beet farms
0.3%
Lost coming back
10%
Jericho coming back
1.6%
Team L.C.
0.7%
Team Heidi
0.1%
The return of Project-freaking-Runway: booyah!
1.7%
Jack Donaghy and his remarkable head suit
1.2%
Jon Stewart and his posse
1.9%
Zachary Levi
4%
Writers
3.7%
Studios
0.1%
A swift resolution to that bad thing
2.9%
That TV's still worth fighting for
5.1%

You can only pick one (because of the way our polls work), but tell us about your other faves in the Comments.

What'd we miss? What are your favorite small-screen things? Post below, tuberinos—we wanna know!