TV, DVD, PC: What I've been watching

--Valentine is a new hour-long dramedy that airs Sunday at 8p on the CW. It is about Aphrodite and her crew struggling to bring love to mortals in the 21st century. Their methods aren't working as well as they have in the past, so Aphrodite recruits her favorite human romance writer to help them with modern methods.

The show is light, almost to the point of being inconsequential. I can almost here my sci-fi buddies laughing at me. It reminds me of something that the late Aaron Spelling would have produced. The romance-of-the-week that always ends happily is reminiscent of Spelling's Love Boat, but there is a darker sub-plot that hearkens back to Charmed, another Spelling show. I like it, but I would definitely recommend it to my friends who watch Ghost Whisperer rather than the Buffy fans. If you want to check it out, you can watch full episodes on Hulu.

--The Mad Men season finale was this week, and I am already suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Matthew Weiner really dropped some bombshells on us this season and I can't wait for the show to come back next year and show us the fallout. This show is slow-moving, but I think if you give it a chance you will be greatly rewarded.

--On the DVD side, I've been on a Criminal Minds kick. I don't consider myself a big fan of crime shows, but this show and NCIS both have very interesting characters. In the case of Criminal Minds, I watch for the one or two scenes in each episode that feature Garcia or show a part of the characters' personal lives.

--This week, I've been streaming the UK series Skins. If you think that Degrassi: The Next Generation is too gritty, don't even attempt to watch this show. It has teenagers in it, but I wouldn't be able to let M watch it. There is plenty of sex, nudity, drugs, and drinking. It's a wonder that these kids have any time to go to class! I have to admit that the characters are engaging, though. Each episode is more of a day-in-the life study, although there are a few plotlines that carry through. I keep watching to see if any of characters get their lives straightened out. If you want to check it out, try Surf the Channel.