Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives

While I admit to buying into these cliche hot TV shows, there's more than one reason I do tune them in. I have to admit I'd watch them regardless because they are extremely entertaining. But for a writer, they also show a range of off-the-wall characters who say and do outrageous things completely outside the box.

One of the main reasons I enjoy Desperate Housewives, aside from watching Mike Delfino, the sexy plumber guy strut his stuff, is to see what the housewives and their counterparts will do next. They are often times, laugh out loud funny. And sometimes we laugh even though that little angel sitting on our shoulder tells us it's a sin to do so. But oh, it feels so good.

In last night's episode, after Lynette bribed the eight year old pitcher so her son could finally get a hit in the game, I felt a measure of guilty pleasure seeing that struck ball target the pitcher and smack him upside the head. The pitcher went down and my husband and I laughed like school kids. The show is a jumble of high and lows, and isn't slapstick funny. Not really. Most the humor comes from irony and smart dialogue.

Speaking of smart dialogue what woman could resist a show with characters nicknamed, McDreamy and McSexy? Okay, the men on Grey's Anatomy are HOT! We all know that, but lots of shows have hunky guys. This show stands about because it's themed. And us writers know the importance of theme ... a running thread and a flow to the show that leads us to one all important conclusion at the end. Often times, Grey's has parallel themes that are so brilliant that I truly hate to see the episode end.

Expert writing. Witty dialogue. Characters you care about.

Isn't that what we in the romance world strive for and always hope to achieve on every page in every book?