TV Thoughts: Ghost Whisperer/Threshold

Friday, September 30, 2005

Each and every Friday night, I have watched two new series that have premiered on the CBS network. I'm not a person big on Friday night television. Friday and Saturday nights seem to be dead nights when it comes to television. Shows seem to be placed on this night and die off quickly. Well, I decided to give two shows a try, and I am glad I did.

First let's talk a bit about Ghost Whisperer. The premise of this show is a newlywed woman has an ability to see and talk to the dead. Melinda Gordon has been able to do this since she was a young child. However, she is the type to let this ability to consume her. She sees herself as helping those cross over by delivering some message to the ones they left behind or having those they left behind give them the okay to move on they need. Last week, we had the ghost of a man that died in Vietnam reunite with his son just in time to see his grandson born into the world. This week, a young boy that died in a tragic accident when a train hit his car is told by his mother that its okay to move on.

This show to me is really touching. It isn't all that scary even with its supernatural element. It reminds me a bit of Touched by an Angel, a popular television that aired previously on the CBS network. Both episodes of this show have brought tears to my eyes, and I really enjoyed this show. Jennifer Love Hewitt plays the title role, and she does a good job here. I would recommend checking this show out, especially if you were a fan of Touched by an Angel.

Ghost Whisperer is followed by Threshold. Tonight the show aired its third episode, and I'm enjoying this show more and more with each passing week. I've spoken about this show here in my blog previously. The basic premise is that aliens have landed some type of probe on our planet, and it plays a signal that changes the DNA strands of humans. A bit different but the show works.

Each week, the Threshold team led by Dr. Molly Caffrey finds more and more people infected by the alien code, and they end up chasing them down. They find someone new each week, and with this discovery more and more is uncovered about the aliens. It's a slower progression than the other alien sci-fi shows that are on air right now.

I enjoy Threshold more than I do Invasion. Although Surface is my favorite out of three, this show is a close second. I hope these shows do well for the network in their Friday time slot, but that remains to be seen.