Top 12 Doctor Who Episodes

I finally caught myself up on one of my all-time favorite TV shows, one of my early loves, one of my oldest obsessions… Doctor Who. After I finished, I began rewatching and reevaluating some of the old episodes and reminded myself of why I loved it in the first place (because I did sort of fall out of love with it for a bit). As I did that, I created a list. But not a top ten list... a top 12! Because that's what Doctor we're on now :)

(If you don't know what Doctor Who is, you can check out my brief explanation blog post I wrote when there were only eleven Doctors HERE, but the information still stands)

Oh yes, this has been long LONG overdue. So here we go (caution, there may be minor spoilers):

12) The Christmas Invasion- TENTH DOCTOR

The Doctor has just regenerated and manages to land the TARDIS back on earth Christmas day only just before he collapses and falls into a coma. Meanwhile, a space probe sent out by scientists to explore Mars is intercepted by an aggressive alien race who plans to invade Earth and sell the population into slavery. With the Doctor out of commission, Rose and the new prime minister attempt to sort out the mess and pacify the aliens.

I have a certain fondness for this one. I don't really know why. It's not much better than a lot of other ones plus the Doctor is absent for 80% of it (and he's the main selling point of the show). I think it's just when the Doctor does finally show up, it's really good. I mean, we've grown attached to the ninth Doctor-- Christopher Eccleston's Doctor-- and suddenly he's gone and we've got… well, David Tennant. The way he establishes himself is so brilliant, funny, and impacting without being overly powerful and emotional (like it tended to get with later regeneration establishment scenes). You just watch him perform and you think "Yes! That is the Doctor!". One of my favorite bits, the Lion King bit. You really have to watch it to fully appreciate it.
Also, it is interesting to see that the TARDIS and the Doctor are linked in the respect that the TARDIS is out of commission when he is. And it was nice to see Harriet Jones again, also the first mention of Torchwood.

11) Smith and Jones- TENTH DOCTOR

An entire hospital is uprooted from its place and taken to the moon. Strange alien police thugs arrive and begin scanning the patients and staff, searching for a non-human life form. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Doctor had checked into the hospital the day before and is accompanied by a doctor-in-training, Martha Jones, to find the hiding alien before the air runs out, the criminal is not found and the entire hospital is declared guilty, and/or before the Doctor himself is targeted.

I often recommend this episode to people who are first watching the show. It literally has everything in it and explains everything (at least the basic stuff); Who and what the Doctor is, what he does, the TARDIS, the sonic screwdriver, the basic gist of how an episode goes, who a companion is, etc. The plot is entertaining enough too. Lots of people give Martha grief for some reason, but I quite like her.
It's the first time we see the Judoon who come up several times in the future. It's interesting because they're not really bad guys, they're just doing their job, but it becomes a threat when the real bad guy can't be found.  There's a good amount of suspense, but it's not one of the overly dramatic ones where the Doctor gives a big speech about what he's going to do or whatever. In fact, the way he gets them out of the mess is really quite clever. I wish there were more episodes like this. Suspenseful and fun, but not too dramatic and makes you question your humanity and morals at every turn.

10) Nightmare in Silver- ELEVENTH DOCTOR

The Doctor takes Clara and the children she watches to a space amusement park only to find it long-since abandoned and destroyed. Soldiers based there tell them of the war against the Cybermen and how they were wiped out. However, dormant Cyber bugs latch onto the children and begin to assimilate them. Cyber bugs come for the Doctor too, planning to make him the Cyber-planner, but he fights back. He makes a deal with the Cyber-planner, Mr. Clever, that whomever wins a game of chess takes over his mind and can do what they want. Meanwhile, supposedly dead Cybermen reawaken and begin attacking the soldiers and Clara.

Now, I find the plot to be a little complicated (certainly not the most complicated that Doctor Who has ever come up with. Not by a long shot), but it was still engaging. What really sold it for me was Matt Smith's performance. *slow claps* The way he switched between the Doctor and Mr. Clever was so subtle and so dramatic at the same time. The way the internal struggle was portrayed with them talking to each other was brilliant. Then showing the one body changing posture and voice as the two minds switched back and forth. Yes! The performance is so good! Matt's voice just goes colder and his eyes squint up when he's Mr. Clever. You can hardly tell… But you can! It's so subtle, but it's so dramatic! It's difficult to explain. And I loved their chess game too. It made it all the more intense. 

9) The Husbands of River Song- TWELFTH DOCTOR

The Doctor is mistaken for a surgeon who is called to remove a diamond from a cybertronic king's head. When he arrives, he finds River who has married the king and plans to have the Doctor simply chop off the king's head rather than surgically remove the diamond. She fails to recognize the Doctor and he becomes tangled up in her scheme to escape the king's murderous cybertronic body and sell the diamond.

I just love the Doctor and River's interactions in this. Even when River doesn't know it's him, it's so sweet and so fantastic. I mean, nothing against Matt Smith because he is a doll and I love him, but really this couple seemed a lot more natural and well… together. Eleven and River were cute and everything, but they were a lot less… I don't know. Like it was more physical and shell-like. Twelve and River, when they're together, you could just feel that they were a team and that they cared for each other. (Not hating on Eleven/River because they did have their moments). The way the Doctor looks at her! *puts hand over heart* How can you say that he doesn't love her back? I will fight you!
I love jealous Doctor. Ha! And of course, River up to her usual antics. It's all a pleasure and a joy.

8) The Lodger- ELEVENTH DOCTOR

When the TARDIS struggles to land and the Doctor is expelled from it with Amy inside, he becomes flatmates with a fellow, Craig, who lives near the problem. The Doctor attempts to live as a normal person while simultaneously investigating what is stopping his ship from landing… which seems to be coming from the flat above Craig's.

Such a funny episode! The Doctor trying to be normal. You can imagine. When he stumbles out of the shower and attacks with the toothbrush XD Plus James Cordon as Craig! The two actors play off each other so well, I love it so much. It's not a particularly interesting story in respects to many others, but I love the characters, the dialogue, the acting, and everything.
(Also, check out Closing Time, when the Doctor pops back in on Craig again. It was SO close to making the list)

7) Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead- TENTH DOCTOR

The Doctor receives a mysterious message on the psychic paper telling him to come to the largest library in the universe. When they arrive, they find it completely empty, but are soon joined by a team of archeologists who have come to investigate the library's vacancy. What happened to everyone? And what is in the shadows?

Easily one of the scariest monsters in Doctor Who, the Vashta Narada. I thought I was over it, I've seen this episode(s) a thousand times years ago, but I watched it the other night and then had to go downstairs and I got really uneasy being in the dark. It's interesting how the episode(s) play out because you're just so confused for the large majority of the time. Like who the heck is that little girl? What's she got to do with the library? Where in tarnation is Donna at? And so on. Very Steven Moffat-ish. Now that I'm over the initial frustration of it, I appreciate the cleverness of it all. I'm also impressed by the monster. Doctor Who always tries to create monsters out of nothing, fears everybody has, or whatever and sometimes it falls right on its face (really? Eye booger monsters? Give me a break!). But this one took a fear that pretty much everyone has at some point (fear of the dark) and turned it into something even worse and almost believable.
Then of course, there's the introduction of River Song. Oh, if only we knew then all the complicated plots and twists that would soon follow.

6) Time Heist- TWELFTH DOCTOR

The Doctor and Clara awaken at a table with two other people and a recording of each of them saying that they agreed to a memory wipe. They are then briefed on an unbreakable bank which they have apparently agreed to break into with an unknown target. Among many threats in the bank, the greatest is the Teller, a telepathic sort of sniffer-dog alien who can read guilt and kill you by melting your brain.

It's just a very entertaining plot. A sort of Now You See Me type episode. These four people have absolutely no idea why they're breaking into this supposedly unbreakable bank, because the less they know, the safer it is since the Teller reads guilt. It's very intense. I like how it's a group effort with everyone's separate abilities combined. Also the mysterious "Architect" who's present all along the way, helping them. It's suspenseful and engaging. I just really enjoyed it.

5) Human Nature/The Family of Blood- TENTH DOCTOR

John Smith is a school teacher at an all boys boarding school in the early 1900's. He is a little bit clumsy and awkward, but still quite brilliant. He fancies the school nurse and is tended to by a maid, Martha. He spends a lot of his time writing down his strange dreams into stories; that he is a time traveling alien who visits other worlds and saves lives. 

This one... You're just sitting there like "What is going on?". Because this guy looks like the Doctor, but he's not acting like the Doctor. Is he pretending? Is it a dream? Martha is there and she almost seems to know what's going on. But WHAT is going on!?
And when you find out what is actually happening and that choice has to be made… oh! Your heart is just torn to pieces! Seriously!

4) The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances- NINTH DOCTOR

The Doctor and Rose land in 1940's London and become separated. The Doctor comes across scavenging orphans. They all are afraid of a certain little boy wearing a gas mask and calling for his mummy. The Doctor is instructed to not let the boy touch him. Meanwhile Rose meets a charming Time Agent from the future, Captain Jack Harkness, who believes they are there to buy his product.

Another classic Doctor Who episode. "Are you my mummy?" Yeah, say that to a Whovian, it'll send them running. I like watching everything play out and then come together in the end. Just all the subtle little things in the beginning that you wouldn't think are important, but then end up being key plot points.
Also, the introduction of Captain Jack Harkness ("and who are you?" XP). I wish he'd come back, I loved him. Then, of course, Nine had to be on my list somewhere! People who skip him should be ashamed of themselves and their parents for having them!

3) The Doctor's Wife- ELEVENTH DOCTOR

The Doctor is summoned to the outer reaches of the universe by a distress beacon of the Time Lords. Once arrived, the TARDIS matrix dies. While investigating, they meet the inhabitants; the Patchwork People and their master, House- the intelligence. One of the Patchwork people is particularly drawn to the Doctor, calling him her "thief". She is declared mad by the others and locked away. Meanwhile, the Doctor investigates and realizes he has been tricked. House was after the TARDIS, wanting to devour it. However, it is impossible to devour it with the matrix inside, but since it's gone, House can get in. But TARDIS matrixes can't be killed so therefore was removed… so where has it gone?

I ship the Doctor/TARDIS so hard, it's not even funny! Yes, that may sound weird to some people, but it is alive after all. And besides, she's always there for him, she takes care of him, she dies when he does, when he's upset then she's upset, he talks to her and tells her his deepest secrets and fears. In the end, after everyone else is gone, it's always just the two of them. (Also, can I just say, in the episode The Husbands of River Song, the TARDIS knew he was upset so she projected foam antlers on top of his head in an attempt to cheer him up XD). In this episode, they finally get to speak with one another. It is so glorious! We learn more about when the Doctor first stole her and what the TARDIS is actually thinking and how she feels about the Doctor (and the other way around). I love this episode so much!
And as a side note, Rory and Amy's trippy experience in the House-inhabited TARDIS is kinda interesting too.

2) The Day of the Doctor- EIGHT AND A HALF, TENTH, AND ELEVENTH DOCTOR

In the midst of the Time War, the Doctor steals a weapon of mass destruction, the Moment, intending to use it to destroy the entire race of Daleks and Time Lords. The Moment speaks to him and attempts to talk him out of it. It shows him his future. He meets the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors as they come together to figure out the meaning of a Gallifreyan painting, stop an alien invasion, and perhaps even prevent the total genocide of two races.

The 50th anniversary special. Of course it was going to be absolutely, breathtakingly superb! The drama, the mystery, the humor, the fun! Everything you love about Doctor Who intensified by 50! ;P Obviously the best part was having three doctors together and interacting with each other. I loved seeing David Tennant again (he was my Doctor after all). And John Hurt was excellent as the forgotten Doctor. I thought for sure he would be dark and gritty, but he was upbeat and clever just like the other two. Eleven and Ten together was just too good to be true! Ah, they were all so funny together. I loved their bantering. Because they are all the same person. How would you cope if you met yourself? (10:"You've done this before. What happens next?" 11:"I don't remember." 10:"How do you not remember this?" 11:"Oi, it's not my fault. You're obviously not paying enough attention!"). The climax! Oh! And of course, that twist ending!
(Yes, that is the Eighth Doctor in the picture, he was present in a minisode prequel The Night of the Doctor)

1) Blink- TENTH

"Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink! Good luck."

Sally Sparrow begins coming across strange messages addressed from the Doctor which predict her every move and instructing her on how to avoid danger. She meets up with strange angel statues that seem to move every time she looks away. She teams up with her friend's brother who has come across an old recording of the Doctor which has been hidden on several random DVDs. They learn that the statues are not statues at all and are actually monsters that will send them back in time if they're touched. However, they can only move when you're not looking, even in the blink of an eye. The Doctor was touched and is stuck in the 60's so needs Sally's help to send him his TARDIS. 

Alright, fellow Whovians, you all knew this was coming. This is pretty much the universally-agreed-upon best Doctor Who episode ever made. And with good reason. I promise you, if you haven't seen the show and you watch this episode, then don't like it… you will not like the rest of the show.
The Doctor himself is barely even present for like 95% of the episode, but his presence is around in messages, videos, and such. The episode really shows you the magic of time travel and how it can be used to an advantage when tweaked properly. It's so cool how all the messages show up exactly on time, not just from the Doctor, but from the Angel's victims. Those Angels are FREAKY! Hands down, the scariest Doctor Who monster!

Talents

For some reason, when people find something impressive about you, they'll express it to you by saying, "wow, I wish I had such natural talent" or "you definitely take after your parents". Which, alright, I see what they're trying to do, but honestly, that just sort of takes away from all the hard work that goes into what was done.

For example, I make movies. Just stupid little home videos mostly, but over the years I have come to be very familiar with editing, music, transitions, appropriate titles, framing, and so on. I'm no professional, but I'd consider myself very knowledgable. I have an entire YouTube channel filled with my work. Every once in a while, my dad has to make a video for church, work, or whatever, and always asks for my advice on something because I have a lot more experience in the area. (Of course he doesn't always listen to my tips, but…). So then people see his videos and think "wow, that was really great!". Cut to later and I'm supposed to make a video for somebody. I present the video and someone comments, "you definitely take after your dad". No, no, no! I know they are not trying to offend, but the issue here is that I am the one who has been putting so much work into making videos over the years and just because my dad's work is put in the spotlight more often, it is assumed that he has the talent and I "take after him". No! I work hard at developing my talents. In fact, he often asks ME for advice! And not to say that he doesn't have talent, but honestly. We're two separate talents! Sorry, I'm not here to get riled up, just to point out a flaw.

The other common response to talents is "I wish I had such natural abilities". Again, it's not meant as an offense, but it does take away some of the idea that I haven't worked hard at what I do. For example, my artwork. Art is hard even for people who are "naturally" good at it. And I get it, some people are better at it than others. Just like some people are better at math than others. I can't do math to save my life, but I don't consider it a "natural ability". When someone is good at something, even if seems to come easily to them, they still have to work hard at it on some level. I am a "natural" artist. However, I have taken several art classes over the years. I have sat through boring lectures on art history, I have memorized the color wheel, I have learned the concepts of depth perception, I've learned how shadows work when light falls on an object, I've learned how to mix colors, I've learned to use different art mediums, and so much more. It was not easy! I started out like anybody else did: as a three-year-old with a box of crayons and scrap paper scribbling random shapes. I just progressed as I got older because I love to draw. Honestly, I didn't produce anything truly impressive until high school when I began taking art classes.

Alright, my ranting is over. I do appreciate compliments and I will take what I can get. But I'm just putting this out there to help people become aware. I know it's hard to come up with words to express when you're just so impressed with something, and usually those are the two things that come to your mind and you think "yes, that sounds good". But if you can help yourself, try to just stick to "that is amazing/impressive/awesome" or something of the like. I may be the only one with this opinion, so you probably don't have to worry TOO much, but if you're looking for small ways to improve yourself, I'd say this is one way to go.

Families

Recently the church has put out a new policy that children who have gay parents are not permitted to get baptized until they are eighteen years old.

In all honesty, when I first heard that I thought it sounded a bit harsh and would most likely spawn so many debates as well as give people just another reason to attack us and call us haters. I and many people have been trying to emphasize previously, the church does not hate gay people, we have nothing against them and we do in fact see them as equals. We only disagree with their lifestyle. The church believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman, that it was actually set apart by God himself. If someone chooses not to live this lifestyle, we respect that, but we also know that it is wrong in the eyes of the God that we love and worship on a daily basis.

So on the subject of this policy change… I did think it was a bit harsh and illogical at first. Isn't it the goal of our church to bring as many people into the fold as possible? What if there's some kid who really wants to be baptized, but cannot because they have gay parents? That's not the kid's fault. So they have to wait? How is that fair?

Then I began to think… The one thing more profoundly impressed upon us than missionary work in the church is families. Families are central to the Lord's plan for us. Heck, we have an entire document dedicated to families, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". Even if a family is comprised of two dads or two moms, a family is still a family. What does this have to do with the policy change? Well, the fifth commandment tells us to "honor thy father and thy mother". If a child of a same-sex couple were to get baptized, it may break up the family. It is because the gay couple are directly not living the standards, acutely breaking one of the Lord's most sacred laws that this policy is in place. You know that this policy also applies to polygamists? You also have to wait a year after your civil marriage before you can enter the temple to be sealed. Marriage is so sacred to the church.

Basically, I think that this is here to keep families together. It is here to respect the gays, not to hurt them. On the surface, it may seem like an attack on the same-sex couples, like a prejudice against them and their families, but it's not. Nowhere does it say that they can't come to church or that they can never be baptized. The parents themselves can even come to church if they desire, anyone and everyone is welcome.

We-- the members-- know that missionary work is important to the church and that nothing should hinder it, so why would something like this policy be put into place unless it came from a higher call? Surely it must have a legitimate, important reason. My advice as a humble member, if you are doubting or questioning it, remember the words of Moroni: "I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Moroni 10:4).

Don't Be Two-Faced

It's that time of year again where I talk about my Halloween Costume! (Read least year's) I think this year may have been one of my more elaborate ones. This year I was Harvey Dent/Two Face from Batman, specifically the one from the animated series.

I was inspired by my last two costumes because they were both batman villains as well (the Joker and the Riddler). I looked at couple different villains in a number of superhero universes, but ended up coming back to Batman's because his just seems to have the most recognizable and the most fun. I had actually considered Two Face in the past, but decided that his costume and makeup was way too elaborate to pull off… this year I decided I was up for the challenge.

I chose the animated series version because I found his suit pre-made online for a decent price so I didn't have to worry about making my own outfit. That's literally what decided it. I just typed "two face costume" into my search tab and looked for the best looking and cheapest outfit I could find.

Next, I made a list of everything I would need (not including makeup):
White or gray hair dye
Fake gun
Silver dollar
Black shirt
White tie
Blue glove
Black and white shoes (one of each)

I found the hair dye at… Target I think?
I ordered the gun online for an excellent price.
I also found the silver dollar online. Would you believe that two-headed silver dollars are cheaper than real ones? It was like $5 where a real one is more like $80. After I got the coin I defaced one side using a sharpie and a knife.
I already had the black shirt from my Riddler costume.
I might've ordered the white tie online… Or I found it at Khol's? I actually can't remember.
I found blue doctor's gloves online for super cheap. They were way too big, so I kept them on with a rubber band. They were the perfect color though.
By a stroke of luck, I had both pure black shoes and pure white shoes. I had had the black ones for years and then had recently ordered the white ones for my Animaniacs cosplay photo project.

Now for the make up… I was not quite sure how I was going to go about it. I didn't just want to paint half of my face blue and call it good, I really wanted to get intricate. I looked up a couple pictures online and found some interesting ones. There was one girl who I decided to model after:

At the time, I thought her makeup was the best I had ever seen… But then I thought, "OMG YouTube! Make up tutorials!"

So I went to YouTube and found a couple different ones which all had some good tips, but by far the best one was for the Two Face from The Dark Knight. She full on covered her face and scalp with make up and everything and texturized it. It looked real!

And she made it so easy. It was a surprisingly simple process, so I thought, "I could do that." However, I was already doing the animated series' Two Face. So after some thinking, I thought of how I could assimilate her process into my own.

All my supplies included:
Liquid latex
Cotton balls
Light blue, dark blue, black, white, and yellow face paint
Fake nails
Fake moustaches

I applied the liquid latex to my face using a Q-tip in certain spots like on my cheek, my forehead, and my chin, then broke up the cotton balls and stuck the pieces on. Then I texturized the cotton with the latex, making it look sort of bumpy or scabby (the thing with liquid latex is you DO NOT want to get it on your hair or eyebrows because it WILL pull it out and hurt like a mother hugger).
While it was drying, I used the latex to stick cotton all along the side of my mouth. This would serve as the mouth. I cut the fake nails down to the size that I wanted and used the latex to stick them on accordingly. Then I rolled up some cotton into snakes and glued it all along the outside of the teeth, creating the lip. I could have let it all dry naturally, but I was crunched for lime, so I used a hairdryer.
Once everything was dried, I began painting over it all with the light blue, covering my neck and my ears. Once that was done, I painted the lips black as well as around my eye. I began to use all the other colors (except for yellow) to lust give the texturized skin highlights and lowlights. I went over the teeth lightly with the yellow so that they didn't look to pearly white and int between them with the black.
Then I took two of the fake mustaches and cut them to form the right shape of the eyebrows. The stickiness on the backs would stick on my mack up, so I had to use liquid latex (being very careful not to put any on my real eyebrows).
I did actually have a white contact to pop in, but it was really irritating my eye that day, so I had to leave it out which I was kind of bummed about. I had worn it plenty of times before and it was fine, but of course on the day that it mattered, it wouldn't cooperate. Oh well.

As for the makeup on the other half, I full on went prom makeup, meaning I put on all my special occasion stuff. I winged my eyeliner, I covered my entire face with all my foundations, I wore my makeup super thick, I even had on mascara. I wanted that half to look as perfect and flawless as possible to contrast with the hideous side.

The entire process took about an hour to complete.

Before I started my makeup, I had to do my hair. I simply parted it down the middle and then ratted one side. After I ratted it, I had my mom spray dye it outside while I held a towel over the other half. Once that was done, I got my dad's hair gel and combed the other side back, to contrast the crazy side.

So there you have it! It was a process, but totally worth it, I think. It actually wasn't all that hard, just time consuming. And look how it turned out:

Until next Halloween!

Annoying Characters

Characters are difficult to write, especially for a TV show since they have to remain lovable and endearing for a long amount of time through ups and downs, twists and turns, and whatever adventures and/or mishaps they may get into.

I have said so many times in the past that the plot is what always brings me back to a show, but characters are a very close second. If I don't find the characters endearing, then the show automatically loses my interest. You have to stay invested in these characters lives, you have to care about the decisions they make, feel their hurt, share in their joys, get angry when they are, burn in second-hand embarrassment when they do something stupid, and all that stuff. When you experience that, you know that you have come across an well-written character.

I have watched several shows in the past that have been amazing, fantastic, mind-boggling superb… but there was one character that was flat and they always made me groan every time they were on screen.

Now, when I say "annoying character", I don't mean those that are written intentionally to be annoying like Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter or Joffrey from Game of Thrones, I mean those who are written as the protagonist or the best friend or love interest, sometimes the antagonist (but not usually) and turn out to be the most irritating person on the planet! They aren't meant to be annoying, but as a result of sloppy or lazy writing, that's how they come out.

For some reason, this happens the most with female characters. With all the feminist issues today, it is really difficult to write an interesting and strong female character. They are either written as simply the love interest with no personality at all, or if they are around for an extended amount of time, writers often don't know what to do with them and end up making them really obnoxious.

I've come up with only two examples of some severely annoying characters just because I know that my commentary on the subject may get a bit lengthy:

SAM PUCKETT from iCarly

So I didn't watch a whole lot of this show when I was young, but apparently it was SUPER popular. I did watch it a little though, I remember it pretty well. It's a pretty funny show, following in the footsteps of Drake and Josh, one of the most hilarious shows of my childhood. It sort of has the same spirit and odd humor that D&J had, but then there's this character… Sam. Grrr! She rubs me in all the wrong ways! So, I think what the writers might have been going for was a tom-boyish, sarcastic, mischievous sort of character… but it totally bombed. She comes across as a trouble-maker who gets everybody else into trouble, who insults everybody, who picks on people for absolutely no reason, who mooches, who is happy to let others take the blame for her wrong doings, and to top it all off, she feels absolutely no remorse and never learns her lesson. One of the worst episodes was one where she hacked into the school system to change her's, Carly's, and Freddie's grades. Then she made Carly and Freddie swear not to tell, so the guilt ate Carly and Freddie alive and they literally tormented themselves the entire episode. The two of them even got caught hacking into the system while trying to change the grades back and got in trouble for it. Finally at the very end, Sam confessed and got detention, but THEN she hacked into the system again and changed her detention hours! Seriously! After all that, she didn't learn a thing! She just got right back to it! And that's how it is all the time!
She does such horrible things and even openly proclaims that she doesn't care that it hurts other people. She is so mean! She always insults everyone, especially Freddie. He never does anything to her and she simply insults him nonstop every time they're around one another. It's borderline abuse, I tell you! See, I might be able to let it slide if he hit her back with something, like some sort of witty banter or something. Beatrice/Benedick style, ya know? But no, she only attacks him and he just takes it. Sometimes other shows have awful characters who do awful things, for example, Barney from How I Met Your Mother. He almost has no moral compass. He does so many terrible things all the time (serial womanizer, lying, deceit), but he still manages to remain one of the most loved characters on the show? Why? Because while he has his flaws, he has other redeeming qualities that are as equally prominent as his bad ones (love for his friends, quirkiness, loyalty).
All of Sam's antics are meant to be funny, but when it comes down to it, they're not. She's a bully. I think the writers might have been aiming for a sort of Megan character like in Drake and Josh. Megan was mean, did terrible things, and never learned her lesson, so they might've been trying to do something similar here. The thing with Megan though is that she was so exaggerated. She wasn't just mean, she was evil. It worked because she was a little girl with so much power and deviousness. It was on the fence of believable and ridiculous. With Sam, you actually see her type in the real world whereas it's harder to find a nine-year-old who has video monitors hidden in her room.
The reason Sam irks me so is because this is a kid/tween show and she is meant to be a role model for the viewers. Now, I've never been so on board with the preachy cheesy kids's shows with the "shove-it-down-your-throat" morals and picture perfect role models, but this girl is just ridiculous! Kids might be attracted to her because she is funny and charismatic, that's not good! Other than her crazy, silly behavior, she's got nothing going for her. I honestly do not understand why Carly is friends with her. What does Sam ever do for her except get her in trouble? What is the appeal?

BARBARA KEAN from Gotham

This has got to be some of the sloppiest writing on a character I have ever seen. The show is great and the rest of it is super well done… but this lady, argh! They could have made her so good and so interesting, she had a lot of potential… but no. They HAD to follow all the bad cliches and on top of it all they HAD to make her a lesbian just because it's a popular trend right now. Literally, that is the only reason. It is SOOOO forced! I mean, go ahead and write gay people. Whatever, it's cool, I ain't homophobic. When it works, it works... but when you go and write THIS CRAP! No!
So let me lay it out here: She is the main character's (Jim's) love interest, in fact she is his fiancee. Yes, HIS fiancee. Let me tell you, right from the get-go you come to realize that all she is there for is to create problems. She's the stereotypical "let me in, trust me, I want to share your burden" type of love interest in you often see in drama flicks. Which I could let that fly except for when she is eventually let in (despite all of Jim's warnings that he is trying to protect her) and everything suddenly comes crashing down around her because of it just like Jim said it would, what does she do? Does she stand by her love like she said she would? Does she remain strong-willed? No! She runs away and cries about how she can't handle it! What??? This is not the kind of woman Jim needs by his side! She is whiny and whimpy and naggy. Seriously, all she has going for her is that Jim "loves her". He keeps saying so over and over again and gets really emotional when he does so… but why? Why does he love her? She hasn't given him any reason for it. She's not funny, she's not smart, she's not brave. She's kind of pretty I guess, but I've seen better. Honestly, he could find better!
But it gets even worse! Now, love triangles really are not the best idea, but sometimes they work. They're sort of overused and have SO many cliches of their own. You have to be very careful when using them. How does Gotham handle it? NOT GOOD! Not only is Barbara's ex-lover a woman, but she works with Jim and is constantly trying to steal Barbara back by trying to prove that Jim is a bad person.  In fact when Barbara runs away because of the stress Jim's job brings, she runs back to this woman and they make love. For crying out loud, that would be bad writing even if this woman were a man! I mean, Barbara never actually broke up with Jim, she only said she was leaving town and then she goes and basically cheats on him! AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES A PROBLEM WITH THIS!?!?!! But people are so blinded by it because of the lesbian love! "Ooh look at the two women kissing! We can overlook the major plot-holes and character flaws because two women are in bed together! All is right in the world!". The writers flubbed up big time by making her gay. If they wanted to put a gay person in there, they should have put it somewhere else, not as the main character's love interest! Could they honestly think of no other way to make her interesting than by playing on the popular trend? "Oh she's a lesbian. Now everybody will love her!" My GOSH! It makes me so mad!

Kelsi's Recommendations

Do you ever find yourself looking for a good TV show? I know I have raved and ranted about so, so many on this blog in the past, so I thought that I would give my personal recommendations for ones to check out if you ever find yourself searching. Don't worry, I'll be brief.


Chuck:

A spy show, but a sort of quirky take on one. It centers around a guy who works in the "Nerd Herd" at an electronics store, the Buy More (a take on Best Buy). One day. he receives an email from an old college roommate and suddenly downloads all sorts of top secret information into his brain. He literally becomes a walking computer filled with government secrets. The CIA and the NSA send agents to protect him and also use him as an asset on missions since he is able to identify and access key information. This show is awesome on so many levels. It's funny, it's intense, it's quirky, it's action-packed. What's really great about it is the characters. From major to minor, there are some well written, lovable, enjoyable characters. They are the main selling point, really (not that the other stuff isn't great though). The actors are so on point! And of course the fact that I have a huge crush on Zachary Levi doesn't make me biased at all ;P So if you enjoy fun characters, engaging story lines, action, and humor, this is one to check out.
All the seasons are on Netflix instant view.

Doctor Who:

This one has recently become very popular. It used to only be popular in the UK with a cult following in the US. But now it's pretty huge and well-known. I was in on it before it was popular. *puts on rimmed glasses* I liked Doctor Who before it was cool. Anyways, in short, it's about this 900+ year-old alien (who looks human) who travels around time and space in his time machine/spaceship saving planets, fighting aliens, exploring history, and having all sorts of adventures. The unique thing about this show is that the lead actor changes every few seasons. Remember  I mentioned him being an alien? Yeah. You see, when he dies or is dying, he sort of regenerates and changes his entire body in order to save himself. So, the show has changed a lot over the years. Yet, it still has all the same charm it always has. If you enjoy wit, quirky characters, (and depending on which season you're watching) complex plots, and all around great fun and excitement, this is the show for you.
The show has been running for 50+ years! I'd recommend starting with the 2005 reboot series which can be found on Netflix instant streaming.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

I totally forgot about this until recently. It's just a short vlog-series. It follows an aspiring supervillain as he tries to prove himself while he struggles with his inventions, always being one-uped by his arch-nemeses, Captain Hammer, and facing his crush at the laundromat. It's told partially in vlog form, but there's also "in between" scenes, such as the laundromat scenes and such. It's a pretty cute and funny tale, and musicals are always fun (yes, it is a musical). Neil Patrick Harris is such a joy! Although, I should warn you if you're planning on watching it, be prepared for all the feels! If you're looking for something quick and fun to watch, this is for you.
It is a three or four piece vlog series that can be found on the Dr. Horrible website or on YouTube, but I'm sure someone has put together a compilation. The complete series is about 45 minutes long.

Emma Approved:

A vlog-style adaption of Jane Austen's novel, Emma. It follows the story pretty closely, only updating it into modern times: Emma is a life coach and matchmaker who owns her own business with her partner, Alex Knightley. She begins taking in new clients, bigger and more important ones such as Senator Elton, and takes a particular interest in improving her shy new assistant, Harriet Smith. This is a super charming and cute take on the classic story. It is super well done too. It is well acted, well written, well paced… My one criticism is that it seems a little too polished. I mean, aren't blogs sometimes a little sloppy? But I guess that's Emma though; a perfectionist. So, I'll let it pass. It is still super enjoyable and fun to watch.
You can find all the episodes on YouTube, each about 5 minutes long.

Friends:

Everybody knows this show! Or at least has heard of it. I mean, you literally would have to have lived under a rock your entire life to have never heard a reference to Friends at some point. So, I really don't have to say much. It's about six friends who live in New York and all the crazy situations they get into with dating, work, and such. There's really not much to say except for the given that it is hilarious! Seriously, it has some of the best lines, comedic situations, and quirky characters ever put on screen. And the actors's performances are all spot on! They each deliver all their lines so perfectly whether a funny scene or a serious scene. A very well done show, I must say. Is it over-sold and over-exaggerated? Probably. But I still enjoy it. So, if you're looking for a good laugh and/or an enjoyable sitcom, this is the one for you.
You can find all the episodes on Netflix instant view

Gotham:

I got into this one fairly recently. It's one of those superhero backstory shows. See, while Marvel is dominating the movie matrix, DC is top notch in the TV show department. Gotham takes place (as you can probably tell from the title) in the Batman universe. However, it does not really follow Bruce Wayne as the main character. The focus is on James Gordon as he fights crime in a very corrupted city full of bizarre baddies. We see the origins of all sorts of Batman villains, places, icons, characters, etc. setting the stage for the day that Batman will emerge. As a lover of comic books as well as villains, I am so enthralled by this show. It has a very dark, gothic, gangster tone to it. They do not hold back on anything. It's not like Marvel where it's happy-go-lucky, save the world, yay! There are some dark tones and bad stuff happens. The character development is extraordinarily well done. Several of the future Batman villains are set up differently and not all of them start out as power-hungry psychopaths or even bad/evil. However, all of them have their own individualized believable arks that lead them down the right path to the villain they are in the comics. The Penguin, the Riddler, and the Joker have been my favorite so far. Even though they stray from a lot of the canon origins in the comics, this show is still enjoyable and entertaining. A criticism I have is that it tends to sometimes throw in random/pointless stuff only for the sake of adding extra drama instead of furthering the plot. So, if you like comic books (and especially Batman), enjoy a darker, more adult show, and love some solid character development and story-telling, this is a show to check out.
All available seasons are on Netflix.

How I Met Your Mother:

Another sitcom phenomenon! It's about a guy, Ted, as he tells his kids the story of all the events that led up to him meeting their mother. This includes several side stories involving him and his four friends as they go through life dealing with work, dating, and so on. I have all the same comments with this one as with Friends. It's funny, it's got great lines and hilarious situations, and the characters are fabulous. The writers come up with some very original stuff (like the telepathic talking for example. Ha!). Not to mention random musical numbers (who doesn't love those?). And just the way they portray everyday life in this exaggerated way... yet that's how we all see it, right? So funny! My one criticism is that I absolutely DESPISED the ending. However, I just pretend it did not happen and manage to watch the entire show without thinking about it (I'm in complete denial). It doesn't ruin it, so I can move on. The show is enjoyable with or without it. The show is still fun and funny. If you want a good laugh and something a little lighter to watch, I highly recommend it. (EDIT: I recently rematched this and it was a bit dirtier than I remembered. Even worse than Friends if that's something to go off of. Still funny and clever, but if you're not comfortable with that, I wouldn't recommend it.)
It is also on Netflix.

Lizzie Bennet Diaries:

Another vlog-series, the one that started it all actually. This time it's adapting Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Lizzie is a college student living at home with her parents and two sisters, Jane and Lydia. When a rich, young medical student, Bing Lee, moves into town, Jane is instantly smitten while Lizzie is at odds with his less-than-cordial friend, William Darcy. I love this adaption SO much! It captures each of the characters SO perfectly! Lizzie is witty and a bit prejudiced, Jane is sweet and caring, Lydia is loud and obnoxious. The buildup to Darcy is hilarious and exciting all at the same time. What makes this particularly enjoyable is the use of "costume theater": how Lizzie reenacts stuff in her life using costumes. She'll dress up as someone and have a friend/sister dress up as another person and then reenacts something that happened earlier, using silly voices and such. It makes it all the more funny and entertaining. A very well written and filmed adaption if you ask me. I highly recommend it!
You can find all the episodes on YouTube (I recommend watching this playlist since there is more than one channel)

Merlin:

One of my early loves. The BBC is what got me hooked on TV shows. It's the backstory of the wizard we all know about and his relationship with the future King Arthur as well as other Arthurian characters: Merlin is a young, magically-talented young man who arrives in Camelot where magic is outlawed. He stays under the care of Gaius, the court physician and learns to master his powers in secret. Meanwhile, he saves Prince Arthur's life and is made his personal servant. Merlin is always at the prince's side, discovering plots against the throne, saving his life, and of course shining his armor. Looking back on this show now, I see that it had so much potential and opportunities that it did not take. But for what it did, I think that it is still an excellent show. It is a family show, so it's not too tough, dramatic, and gritty. Merlin and Arthur's interactions are the main selling point, I think. They act just like an older brother and younger brother. There's quite a lot of funny scenes as well as serious ones. But I do enjoy the unfolding of everyone's destinies, seeing all the different characters from the legends, and so on. If you want an enjoyable fantasy/adventure show with some Arthurian backstory, this is a good one to check out ;)
This is also available on Netflix

Nothing Much to Do:

Another vlogseries. An adaption of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Taking place in New Zealand, Beatrice has just moved in with her cousins and is starting Messina high school. For years, she has been butting heads with one, Benedick. After weeks of their arguing, their friends decide that they are going to trick them into liking each other. Meanwhile, Beatrice's cousin, Hero begins dating Ben's friend, Claudio who is a very jealous individual. I cannot even begin to describe to you how much I love this series. It is so well thought out and scripted! And it is so natural. The issue with amateur films and vlogseries is that either they seem too polished or they are obviously scripted. That's not the case here. The point is that it is just a bunch of teenagers making their own videos and it looks like it. Hardly any of it seems forced or scripted. Then, the characters are all so lovable and quirky. You really care for all of them. I definitely recommend this one. The one downside is that there is some heavy language included. If you're interested in watching it without so much colorful language, I downloaded it and cleaned it up as much as possible.
You can find it on YouTube (or message me)

The Office:

Don't lie and and say you haven't heard of this show. Well, just to clear the air, it's a mockumentary about a paper company, Dunder Mifflin, and the antics all the characters get up to at work and their personal lives. With hilarious characters including an immature boss, a shy receptionist, a likable smart-alek, a kiss-up sociopath, a singing salesman, a sexy intern, and others all mixed up with office pranks, love affairs, and of course, selling paper. The characters are what really sell the show. They are flippin' hilarious! I mean, the writing and a lot of the lines and scenarios are funny, but the way the characters say their lines or handle certain situations is what makes it that much funnier. I remember seeing a scene a couple years ago that was supposedly hilarious according to those who watched the show, but I only thought it was mildly funny (it barely got a smile out of me). But then I later watched the show from the beginning and when I got to that scene, I was busting a gut from laughing so hard. Why? Because I now understood the characters. I will say this, the humor in the show is definitely an acquired taste. A lot of it stems from making you uncomfortable, sometimes you will be in physical pain from how uncomfortable you are. The boss, Michael, has no boundaries. He just says stuff, thinking it's OK and... oh dear. But it's funny! But it's terrible! But you gotta love it because he means well. So yes, I would recommend this show because the characters are so well written, it is FABULOUSLY acted (Steve Carell won an Emmy for his portrayal of Michael Scott), the dialogue is so brilliant and quotable, I could go on.
You can find it on Netflix.

Pushing Daisies:

I feel this show is severely underrated. It's about a man who has a very special power where he can wake the dead by touching them. However, if after a minute he does not touch them again, something in close proximity will die in its place. Also, after he's touched something once and it dies again, it stays dead. So, this man, Ned, works in a pie shop and assists a money-loving PI by asking murder victims who did it. What a setup, right? The plot itself is a lot of fun, but its the characters, the atmosphere, the costumes, and the sets that totally bring this one together. It sets a sort of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Nightmare Before Christmas vibe. It's very upbeat and whimsical for being a mystery show. And the narrator only improves it with all his nicknames for the characters ad his sophisticated voice. The mysteries are intriguing as well. I get very wrapped up in what is going to happen. Two thumbs up! I wish it had a longer run. If you're looking for a light-hearted mystery show with amazing visuals, look this one up.
This one is more difficult to find. Unfortunately it is not on instant view. You may try Amazon or iTunes.

Psych:

One of the most hilarious shows I have ever seen in my entire life! Shawn Spencer has extraordinary hyper observant capabilities and a photographic memory. To get out of trouble with the police who do not believe he can just look at a person and read guilt as well as their entire life story, he claims he is a psychic. He manages to "prove" this claim and is eventually hired by the police to investigate a kidnapping. After successfully closing the case, he is officially put on the Chief's consultants list. Shawn and his best friend Gus open their own private detective agency with Shawn as the psychic detective. This show is so awesome! The characters are unbelievably fantastic, the two leads have amazing chemistry and are absolutely hilarious every time they're on screen. Shawn is a lovable, immature, yet secretly brilliant goofball. I love how much he can get away with, and his one-liners! XD The mysteries are super intriguing and fun to watch. There are some pretty intense moments. Heck yes for this show! Highly recommended! If you want humor, mystery, and interesting characters and plots all wrapped into one, I'd check this one out right away.
All the seasons are FINALLY on instant view!

Sherlock:

Literally one of the finest TV shows ever made. It is so polished, so flawless, so refined. It's no wonder there's a two year waiting period between each season -__- It's an updated, modern version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Taking place in 21st century London, Dr. John Watson-- a retired war doctor-- seeks a flatmate and is directed towards Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock is a consulting detective for the police department. He is highly observant and a master of deduction, able to tell someone their life's story with one glance. John gets sucked into Sherlock's adventures as he tags along on his calls. As I said, this show is literally flawless. The writing, the acting, the cinematography, the music, the atmosphere, the costumes, the sets, the editing, everything! Everyone's heard of Benedict Cumberbatch now, right? He's suddenly making a name for himself. Or Martin Freeman, he played Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit? Yeah, they're Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. The drama, the comedy, the mystery! It's all so perfect! It's very intense a lot of the time, but there are many lighthearted moments. The writers really know how to balance it all out so that you're not too overwhelmed with one. Each episode is 90 minutes long, so it's basically like a movie. There's three episodes to a season, and there are three seasons out so far with a fourth on the way (and a Christmas special coming this December! :D) Looking for a literally flawless mystery show? Look this one up.
All available seasons are on Netflix instant view.

Smallville:

Ah, where would we be without this show. It pretty much started the idea of telling the backstory of a famous character/legend/story. Now we have all these shows like Merlin, Arrow, Gotham, and all that. Anyways, Smallville is the backstory of Superman. From the time he landed on earth until he becomes the hero everybody knows and loves. A lot of the seasons circulate around him in high school saving people who had been mutated by the "meteor rock" (Kryptonite). Later seasons have him in Metropolis, establishing himself as a faceless vigilante crime fighter. This show is a lot of fun. Though a bit soap opera-ish at times, it is still very engaging. It does a very good job at establishing characters and developing them over time. Nothing is too rushed or forced. It does an excellent job of tying things together and keeping all the Superman lore together. It even includes many other DC comic characters which was fun to educate myself on since all the hype these days is on Marvel characters. The first season's effects are definitely not top notch, but by the last season… I was so blown away! Awesomeness! I just enjoy watching Superman become… well, Superman. Fun show. Definitely worth a watch! Want a show with drama, action, superheroes, and mystery? I'd recommend this one.
Not on instant view.

Studio C:

There's not really a set plot to this. It's a sketch comedy show. Each episode contains several different skits starring the same ten cast members. It is clean, family-friendly comedy. All the cast members have great comedic timing, are good actors, and are of course completely hilarious! All the sketches are at least pretty funny, but there are some that are absolutely hysterical and extremely clever. They don't depend on stupid humor, fart jokes, sex, or any of that stuff common in today's humor. They stick to old-fashioned slapstick, wit, spoofs, and so on (not that there isn't some stupidity sometimes XP). I love this show and its cast! Absolutely recommended! If you want a good laugh, then go look them up.
You can watch the full episodes on the BYUtv website or you can just look up some of their sketches on YouTube.

Supernatural:

I had seen this show around for so long, so I randomly decided to watch the first episode just to understand what it was about… but then I was hooked. It's about two brothers, Sam and Dean, who travel around the country hunting down demons, ghosts, monsters, and such. Yeah, that's about it. I mean, of course there's different running plots for each season and whatnot, but that's the overall idea. This show is so amazing! I believe there are three main selling points: the horror, the comedy, and the brothers. The horror is done very well. Scary imagery, intense situations, things popping out at you, and so on. I was actually afraid to walk around my house at night when I first started watching. No joke. Then there's the comedy. Since there's "supernatural" situations, they can get into some pretty weird stuff like alternate universes or whatever. Also, Sam and Dean are totally hilarious sometimes, apart and together. Lots of other characters as well. That brings me to the brothers. Their love for one another, their chemistry, the way they banter. Amazingness! A must watch! If you want a show chocked full of suspense, engaging plots, interesting characters, and mind-boggling...ness, I'd say tho is the show for you.
All current seasons are on instant view.


If you're looking for kid shows, I have a couple for you...
Animaniacs:

I didn't watch this as a kid, but I think I would've enjoyed it. It's about three cartoon characters, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, who were created in the thirties, but proved to be too zany, so they were locked away in the water tower… until they escaped. The show has a couple different cartoons per episode. There's also several other characters who have their own cartoons. I LOVE this show! It is so funny and so clever! The spoofs, the songs, the jokes! Enjoyable for kids and adults. It even tries to educate you once in a while.

Batman: The Animated Series:

Alright, I only recently watched this one as well. The title says it all. It's the adventures of Batman, saving Gotham form different villains such as the Joker, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, and so on. I was extremely impressed with how well done this show was. For a 90's cartoon, the animation was top notch, the voice acting was stellar, and the stories were actually engaging. Unlike most other cartoons of the time that were only trying to sell something or make a cheap buck, this one really put some effort into what it was doing. And a shout out to Mark Hamill (what!? Who knew?) for his portrayal as the Joker. That has got to be one of the best Joker voices I have ever heard!
Not on Instant View. You could purchase all the seasons on iTunes or perhaps the DVDs somewhere. Perhaps Amazon or Ebay.

Drake and Josh:

Probably one of the funniest shows of my childhood. It's about two teenage stepbrothers with completely opposite personalities, and all the antics they get up to. As I said, the comedy is SPOT ON! Even people who don't watch the the show have heard some of the quotes before (e.g. "You calling me a liar?" "I ain't calling you a truther!"). The two leads have fantastic chemistry and are always fun to watch. Ever heard of Josh Peck? This was his start… And boy did he ever transform into one hunky dude since this show was shot! (As the phrase goes, he Neville Longbottomed us). As cliched as they get sometimes, all the situations are fun to watch and even though things can get a bit repetitive and predictable, it is still always enjoyable because the actors are so on point and the comedy is gold.
This show is almost impossible to find. You can find most of the episodes on YouTube, but not at the greatest quality and the sound pitch is off. Even iTunes doesn't have all the episodes! I might recommend searching out actual DVDs somewhere if you want the full collection.

Kim Possible:

This one I did grow up watching and I was totally in love with it! It's about a teenage girl who balances her regular school and social life with saving the world. Totally boss show! Strong characters, amazing animation, great voice work, engaging plots. A fresh idea where the female is the competent one in a fight and the male cannot do anything! The fight scenes are actually quite good, none of this hokey-pokey "ooh I punched you! Oh you hit me! Ooh! Ooh!" where the characters barely move like a lot of animated shows. This show put quite a bit of effort into the animation. And the comedy, spot on! The one thing that I love most about it is that it perfectly portrays what it is like to be a teenager without being too preachy or trying too hard to relate to the teens to the point of being disrespectful. It just shows it like it is.
Not on Instant View. You can find all episodes on iTunes or try purchasing DVDs.

Let's C What's So Funny

Ever heard of Studio C? If not you need to rectify this immediately and go look them up!

(left to right) James Perry, Whitney Call, Adam Berg, Mallory Everton, Jeremy Warner
Jason Gray, Matt Meese, Stacey Harkey, Natalie Madsen, Stephen Meek

They're a comedy sketch group who write and perform fun, clean, family-friendly sketches that are still totally ha-LAR-ious! Imagine, comedy being clean and still funny as heck? Who'da thought?

The cast started out at BYU just performing for fun as "Divine Comedy" (you can look up some of their stuff on YouTube), mostly making fun of being in college, pointing out the annoyances of dating, spoofing church traditions, and so on. Typical young single Mormon stuff XP

However, after they got out of college, they signed on with the BYU channel and got their own show. They changed their name to "Studio C" after the name of the studio where they shoot all their sketches.

The cast includes:
Adam Berg
Whitney Call/Meek
Mallory Everton
Jason Gray
Stacey Harkey
Natalie Madsen
Stephen Meek
Matt Meese
James Perry
Jeremy Warner

They're all hilarious and amazingly talented in their own ways. I love them all! Sometimes they have other people come in and guest star, but mainly it is only those ten. They write and perform every single sketch on the show.

They've been running for about six years now, just barely starting up the sixth season. Each episode is about twenty minutes long, containing a compilation of different sketches. They also have a YouTube channel where they regularly release new sketches.

Go watch full episodes HERE

Here's 20 of my favorite sketches in no particular order. I can't pick a top 10. It's like picking a favorite child. (I'm not including any of the reoccurring sketches like Ann the Librarian, Shoulder Angel, Tongue Twisters, Captain Literally, or Awkward Avoidance Viking):

Crayon Song

I don't know why I laugh so hard at this one. Adam is perfect as the emo crayon.

Scott Sterling

This sketch became a YouTube phenomenon, going viral almost overnight. It still remains their top viewed video and for good reason. It is totally hilarious!

Matt Center

I know that technically this is a reoccurring sketch, but they are just SO funny, I couldn't not include them. (And I couldn't pick just one.) "Que BUENO!!!"

Love From Afar

So much randomness I cannot!

Supervillains

I think about this sketch a lot. I wonder who made all these connections. "Vader, you're in love with your enemy's dead mom!"

School Photo

This is one of those sketches where there's so much truth, it's funny.

Star Wars Leaked Footage

I love Disney so much, I caught all the references. The Space Mountain bit is my favorite.

Mr. Eckelstone Driver’s Ed

I think this could technically be counted as a reoccurring sketch, (really, it's just a reoccurring character), but I don't find the others even close to being as funny as this one. And it took me forever to figure out which actor was playing Ecklestone. "Pray to whatever deities you may worship. If there are any atheists among us, you may pray to science."

Fencing Slow-Mo

They put every single cliche you could think of into this and I love it!

A Bold New Soap Opera/Telenova

Really, the Spanish version is the one to make the countdown, but you sort of have to watch the original to fully understand why it's so funny.
You sometimes catch the actors coming close to breaking character in some of the sketches, but they normally don't actually laugh. This one, however, it all falls apart and it is hilarious! The entire point of the Spanish one was to actually try and make each other laugh.

P90X

What makes this video so great is how spot on Matt's portrayal of the instructor is. But of course, the background is what makes this sketch so funny. I feel Jeremy on a spiritual level.

Ugly Cop

This one also has a sequel, but again, not nearly as funny as this one. Jason in that get-up XD "MAYONNAISE!!!"

International Relations

"Oh hiiii, USA." Their portrayals of all the countries are spot on! (The semi-sequel is also perfect, with the democrat party and the republican party fighting for their "daughter" in divorce court.)

Halloween Prank

So many twists and turns! Haha! And Matt and Mallory's facial expressions the entire time are priceless!

Spidey Senseless

Isn't this exactly how we envision a spider? Isn't this just everyone's worst nightmare?

Mad Scientist Creates Junior High

I quote this one a lot, surprisingly. Especially the part about the math.

Lord of the Dance

I get a kick out of this one mostly because I grew up watching Irish dancing. Adam playing the violin in the background! XDD

Mall Kiosk War

This is another one where there's so much truth, it's hilarious! Mall kiosks are VICIOUS! Jason portrays him perfectly!

Clue Murder Mystery

The match and the pipe! Haha! And Matt's clapping every time! Lol!

Michael Bay Slow-Mo

James doesn't always get a lot of moments to shine, but this sketch totally cracks me up.

Two Guys On a Scooter

This isn't really officially part of he count since it's number 21, but I had to put it in at the end so that the song will be stuck in your head. You're welcome.