Guilty TV pleasures revealed

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