More Fall TV

I slept decadently late this morning, possibly because it was cool and cloudy but also because I'm still not getting uninterrupted sleep. There's an old ABBA song (I guess all ABBA songs are old) called "If it Wasn't for the Nights" that's probably about how the singer wouldn't miss the old lover or wouldn't succumb to the bad lover who's not good for her if it wasn't for the nights. In my case, I'd feel a lot better if it wasn't for the nights because that's about the only time I still feel bad. I'm okay until late in the day, and then I guess I get tired, so the hacking begins. Lying down makes it worse. I tried propping myself up on pillows, but I sleep on my side, and even if I fell asleep propped up on my back, I'd turn over in my sleep and end up in a horrible position. But last night I didn't end up taking another dose of medicine in the middle of the night and still managed to get some decent sleep, so I may be on the mend.

However, I didn't get any work done. I was just sitting down to work when a solution for a computer problem my mom's been having popped into my head, and I rushed to see if it worked (it did!), and then I saw an e-mail relating to FenCon PR that I had to deal with, which is good because it was urgent. By the time I was able to get back to work, the evening tiredness coughing kicked in.

But today, writing conditions are excellent, I'm not coughing that much, I had scones for breakfast, I think I've dealt with all the PR issues, and I should be able to get past this sticking point in the book.

While I was tired and coughing last night, I skimmed through the OnDemand menu and found another sneak preview, The Mindy Project on Fox. I needed something about that length, and I like Mindy Kaling from The Office, so I gave it a shot. This series is essentially Bridget Jones's Diary, except instead of our heroine being an Englishwoman working in publishing/journalism in London, she's an Indian-American doctor in New York. Mindy grew up obsessed with romantic comedy films that have influenced her views on life and love. Now she's hit bottom after her ex-boyfriend, who was supposed to be The One (they even had a cute-meet right out of a movie!) has married someone else, so she decides it's time to change her life and get herself together, only her willpower doesn't always hold out, especially where one of the doctors in her practice is concerned. He's handsome, British and allergic to commitment but up for any arrangement that allows him to have sex. Mindy thinks he's like Hugh Grant from one of his movies -- the lovable cad who changes his ways when he meets the right woman -- but her best friend says he's more like Hugh Grant in real life. But then there's the other doctor she works with, who's brash, egotistical and macho and who challenges all her romantic assumptions. And if you've ever seen a movie, you can probably figure out how this will go.

This wasn't the funniest or most original series I've seen, but it was rather charming, and it scratches the romantic comedy itch. It's filmed like a movie and has no laugh track (a big bonus for me). I won't be watching in real time because it's on ballet night, but I may save up episodes OnDemand and then marathon them on dateless Friday or Saturday nights (which is all of them, these days) when I'm in the mood for a romantic comedy.

The fall season starts to kick off next week, with The Office and Parks and Recreation coming back, plus the season premiere of Haven. SyFy UK has done a rather brilliant and atmospheric promo video for Haven that makes me wish the US promo team was as clever. In just that little bit of film, you get a sense of the characters, their relationships and their conflicts, plus we get good looks at Lucy and Sarah, our heroine Audrey's past identities. Note that the premiere date in the promo is for the UK. The US premiere is Friday, Sept. 21. When I'll be at FenCon.