More TV talk - from Cath

Okay - I'm not the story expert in the family - but I do watch TV and am interested in what works and what doesn't and why.

So...these aren't the final authoritative statements about these shows - but they are early opinions.

UGLY BETTY - I was excited about this show. But found myself disappointed. Why? Well, while I really enjoyed America Ferrera's character, and appreciated that the writers didn't fall into the trap of the "ugly duckling" stereotype, I felt that everyone else in the show was a total caricature. When the show is about seeing worth in things that we are unfairly labeling (the "don't judge a book by its cover" idea) - why on earth would you make the other characters so obvious and unreal? Makes no sense to me. A shame.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS - I knew nothing about this show before watching. I watched it right after "Ugly Betty" (Oh, the joys of TiVo.). While some characters could be stereotyped (Calista Flockhart's character is a conservative radio host) - it was more about subtle layers - about being real, despite what people think is going on. And I was actually blown away by the acting in a scene with Sally Field and Calista. Wow!

Feel free to share your thoughts if you've seen the shows. (I'm not interested in arguing any points - but an open electronic discussion could be fun.)

Just Cath's thoughts...