I'll be interested, for example, to watch Ghost Whisperer.  It airs tonight, and I think the ads look interesting. The show centers around a woman who can see the lingering spirits of those who have died but not yet moved on. Apparently, she helps them to get their urgent messages to the living, assisting them in completing their unfinished business so that they can leave the earthly plane. I'm interested to watch because it sounds like more of a win-win scenario than one usually finds on TV. But perhaps the show will find plenty of "bad guys" in all that "unfinished business" to keep us enmeshed in the win-lose mentality. Still, the show has potential. I'll be interested to see where they go with it.

Another interesting twist has appeared in a show that I very much enjoy anyway. Yes, it's true, I'm a huge fan of Stargate SG-1. I've been watching the show forever. Definite win-lose format: good earth people and good alien races aligning against bad alien races who want to take over the universe (or at least various galaxies therein). Still, it's great entertainment. What's interesting to me lately is the introduction of an ascended race with "evil" intentions. This race is interested in harnessing the free will of "lower order" beings to enhance their own power. The people of the Stargate program, on the other hand, stand for the right of all peoples to believe as they see fit, to make progress (or not) along the path to ascension of their own volition. On some level, the show has always been about defending the right of free will, but the dialog is becoming downright blatant about it. On a planet where people still argue over religion with the fervor of the "righteous," I have to applaud the effort. I think we can use as much dialog about free will as we can get.

On a personal SG-1 note, I have to make a public appeal to bring back the unpredictable Vala Maldoran. (Spelling? Anyone?) She's a little off-center, sure, but that's because she's just so completely and utterly herself. Introducing that character was a stroke of true genius. (Thank you, whoever you are.) Now please bring her back. The team needs her. In the meantime, kudos for the fresh face of Colonel Mitchell. He's a breath of fresh air.

As the television season progresses, I'll be curious to see what various shows do with the standard win-lose format of story conflict. I'll also be watching for shows that manage to break out of this mold from time to time. If you have suggestions, please feel free to comment here or to e-mail me with them. I love good television, and my wonderful DVR now lets me save it up for rainy days. (If you like TV, and you don't have a DVR, get one. It's a total win-win technology. Tuck in the kids, read them a story, and then watch your favorite show. Go salsa dancing in the middle of the week, and catch up with your favorite program three days later. Pause the TV, answer the phone, comfort your sobbing sister, and then start the show back up again. TV that fits your life. To quote Colonel Mitchell, "That's what I'm talkin' about!")