As he championed "the new journalism" in the late sixties, Tom Wolfe suggested no one ever would write anything truly compelling"”fact or fiction"”about the suburbs; he asserted, "There is no life there." During the New Depression, however, the suburbs have gone ghetto, suddenly teeming with life and depravity; and television writers are producing all kinds of compelling stuff about what they have discovered beyond the white picket fences. Witness Showtime's smash-hit "Weeds," the life and times of a "proper" suburban widow keeping-up appearances while she deals more dope than a six-pack of Mexican cartels. As in "The Office," the basic premise for "Weeds" is an import from Great Britain, adapted from the British film Saving Grace which showed a widow and her gardener conspiring to maintain the widow's lifestyle by supplying the locals with their favorite herbal refreshment. Critics frequently compare "Weeds" with American Beauty for its exploitation of the idea "Normal is the face we wear to cover how f***ed-up we are." By contrast with "Desperate Housewives," Nancy Botwin, our entrepreneurial heroine, has far more good reason for desperation than her difficulty achieving orgasm; she has a house, a mortgage, two sons, and a reputation. Since Bonfire of the Vanities tanked and "Weeds" flourished, Tom Wolfe may have to consider the distinct possibility that there is no life in Manhattan.

The TV show Greek (originally GRΣΣK) is all about belonging to a fraternity and yet it's even more a family program that caters to family relationships and closeness. College settings are fun and often depict the wildness that does occur while attending a college or university. Most everyone is full of youthful energy and are ready to test the boundaries of their young lives. The cast includes frat members, alumni, and a house mother Casey Cartwright (played by Spencer Grammer) who attempts to keep the house in order and not on the Dean's list. Other cast members include Clark Duke as Dale Kettlewell, Scott Michael Foster as the Captain John Paul "Cappie" Jones, and Paul James as Calvin Owens. Frat houses as we learn are somewhat specialized by their curriculum and several were depicted on the program including Zeta Beta Zeta which is a sorority that caters to those interested in athletics, philanthropy, and academics. Omega Chi Delta offers students that are specializing in networking, academics, and athletics a place to call home while they attend that facility of "higher learning".

"Whose Line Is It Anyway?" is an American improvisational comedy show that first aired in 1998. The show is based on a British version that aired in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The American version features a group of four comedians who perform comedic skits and games based on audience suggestions.

When Sasha Paley wrote her "young adult novel" about weight problems that are all too common in today's youth, she could have more than likely foreseen the popularity of a television series based on the concept. It is an enormous problem for many young people today and by addressing it within the context of a popular TV program it will be seen by many and perhaps help some who are struggling with their weight. A summer camp dedicated to weight loss, Camp Victory is the destination for the cast of "chubbies" determined to lose weight and become healthier along the way to becoming popular in school. Written capably by Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life) and her daughter Savannah Dooley, the cast includes Nikki Blonsky playing Willamena, filled with resentment for being sent to "fat camp" by her parents, Hayley Hasselhoff is Amber, thinner and prettier than the rest but lacking self-confidence, and Raven Goodwin who plays Becca, bookworm who is painfully shy and becomes fast friend with Willamena. Good writing and a talented cast make this semi reality show well worth watching.

Meghann Fahy fears her sister has fallen under the spell of a glamorous socialite played by Julianne Moore over one turbulent weekend in this darkly comic Netflix limited series.

Sometimes sarcastic, sometimes touching, but every time funny, The New Normal is a Ryan Murphy's and Ali Adler's TV series filmed originally for NBC. The TV show revolves around successful gay couple, David Murray and Bryan Collins (played by Justin Bartha and Andrew Rannells).Their life is good, their careers are rocketing and everything is running smoothly in their relationship, besides the one thing they wish insanely, a baby. On this ground they meet Goldie Clemmons (Georgia King), a young single woman who agrees to become a surrogate mother for their planned child. Notwithstanding there is one obstacle on the way to make David's and Bryan's dream come true "“ the Goldie's conservative grandmother Jane Forrest (Ellen Barkin), and be sure she will do everything to prevent two fathers-to-be happiness. Meanwhile Goldie, David and Bryan discuss if two "fathers" wishes to be present at Goldie's insemination. The Bryan responds with categorical NO, just because female genitals look for him ""¦as Tarantula's face". Later we learn that all he wishes the baby should be "blonde, skinny, and doesn't cry" so may by Goldie's grandmother was right?