There seems to be a… rash… of customers at the moment who seem to doubt the advice I give them, despite seeming completely clueless about the topic they wish to discuss. Case in point:

Customer: “Do you have Call of Duty 6?”
Me: “There is no Call of Duty 6. What you’re after is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. People think it’s number 6 because it’s 2 after number 4, but in reality there are more than 10 Call of Duty games.”
Customer: “Are you sure?”

What should follow is, “Yes, I’m sure. I’ve been playing video games since I was very young, I own the vast majority of gaming consoles, it is my main hobby. I am a huge geek and work as a manager in a video game shop. I think I know what the fuck I am talking about.”

This coincides with another theory about my customers that I had recently. Whenever a customer has a problem with a product or a question about something, I get the sense that they call some sort of family meeting. They then sit down around a table and think “Right then, I have a problem with my wireless network adaptor for my 360. Even though I know about it, I’m not going to go to the shop with it. Instead, I’m going to get you to go mum. Basically it’s not working, now go, go forth and ask”.

So the mum shows up at the shop and says ”This isn’t working, but I don’t know anything about it, so when you tell me what I need to do I’ll just keep nodding and saying yes but not actually take any of it in. But then, after you’ve told me what the problem is and how to fix it, I’ll then ask you if you’re sure, like all of a sudden I know what I’m talking about.”

Frustration.

Over the coming weeks there will be plenty of TV shows, blogs, and webisodes all about the previous year’s entertainment and their views on what was the best and what was the worst. Not wanting to fall into the same trap they have, where ultimately no one will ever agree with anything they say, I have decided to opt for an alternative look at the year. This isn’t to say that I want you to agree with my selections. My review will focus on things that I have discovered this year, not just things that came out this year. For instance, last year, 2009, I started watching 30 Rock, which will feature in today’s review, but 30 Rock originally started airing in 2006. This is the review of all things pop culture that I loved in 2009.

Let’s start with 30 Rock since it’s fresh in our minds, and begin the TV section.

Runners up for the award for Best TV of 2009:

1) 30 Rock: My love for 30 Rock stems largely for my love of Tina Fey. She was amazing on SNL and it’s clear that she’s a fantastic writer. The dialogue in 30 Rock is some of the best I’ve seen in sitcom land. It’s not quite at the level of Arrested Developement, but nothing ever will be. Tina Fey basically seems to play herself in the show which allows her to make the writing the star and not herself, which is refreshing. I have watched the first two seasons so far, which is all that is available on DVD at the moment. The third season is out in March I think. I pre-ordered it ages ago, so I guess I’ll just have to wait for it to show up. *sigh*.

The above pic has nothing to do with why I like Tina Fey. Honest.

2) Lie To Me: Following in the current trend of American shows that have British lead actors, Lie To Me stars Tim Roth. He’s crazily engaging and very watchable. The premise of the show is that he is basically a human lie detector, noticing the slightest changes in body language or micro expressions that pass across the face. What impresses me about the show, and what I thought would be it’s downfall, is that they find so many different stories in which to fit his talents. The plots are very different and they have written some great material. There are new plots every week, as well as the usual season long plots that run throughout most shows of this style.

Apparently, American law states that no British actor working in an American television series is allowed to shave beyond the stubble.

3) Boston Legal: Shatner is seemingly some form of comedy god nowadays. Boston Legal started and finished quite some time ago, but I only got into it in 2009. The main reason for this is that I wanted the complete set, instead of buying box sets each year. I scooped the full 5 seasons for a relitively cheap £85. It’s a very, very funny show. The plots get quite crazy at times and the acting is always perfectly over the top when it needs to be, yet still remains excellent during the more serious moments. There have also been some amazing cameo’s in the series. Most notably from Micheal J. Fox. He’s always been one of my favourite actors and he will be featuring in an upcoming edition of the review when we touch on books. If you’ve never watched Boston Legal, it’s highly recommended, especially if you’ve ever wanted to see William Shatner getting fresh with a sex doll. I know I have.

Possibly one of the greatest TV show double acts, ever.

Winner of the award for the Best TV of 2009.

True Blood: Vampires are cool. Fact. Having never read the Sookie Stackhouse books, on which the TV show is based, I had really no idea what to expect. As the show progresses, and I’m being very careful what I say here for those who haven’t seen it yet, but plan to, you get the feeling that there is a lot more… supernatural stuff going on than you first think. The idea is that Vampires now exist in mainstream culture. They are no longer a secret and they live among us. They feed by basically drinking a bottle of ”True Blood”, a synthetic substitute to our, arguably more tasty, real blood. Sookie, the main character, and as you will find out very early on in the first episode, a mind reader, works in a bar where she meets Bill, a very charming yet slightly odd bloodsucker. The series follows there relationship as it grows as well as the lives of her brother, best friend, nan, and friends. It’s truly something to marvel at.

Stay tuned for the next blog where we will discover the best Video Games of 2009. It’s not Modern Warfare 2, just so you know.

Gone are the days when I would sit with a coffee and update in an old fashioned stylee. Sad.

(I never get postcards).

It’s not all bad news though. I’ve just managed to find a CD copy of the Beautiful Katamari soundtrack from the 360 version of the previous game. It’s amazing. I have ordered it from play-asia.com and it will be here in a few days. I can not wait.

I’m sure you’re now thinking, Chris, that’s what your site is about, but you’d be wrong, like most people are when talking to myself.