I know- the horrors and shame of being an artsy intellectual who also watches TV. I’m addicted to Heroes (ZOMG I want to have Dr. Surresh’s babies!) I love trashy sci-fi like Stargate (before you even ask- I like both SG1 and Atlantis- shudup)and silly British stuff like the League of gentlemen and Red Dwarf.

Sad but true.

I also love Master Piece Theater & Mystery on PBS. Last night was the beginning of “The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard” on Master Piece. It is a sweet and idealistic story about a middle aged woman who accidentally becomes Prime Minister of England (She just meant to run as an independent for an MP spot and managed to start a political party in the process).

This is every bit as much of a fluff piece as The American President was, but that doesn’t stop it from having merit. The point in Mrs. Pritchard is that we need to be involved in politics and not keep ourselves away from it out of disgust and frustration. Hey, I’m a poly sci major and even I get apathetic sometimes out of disgust and frustration. Every now and then we need a little something to remind us how awesome the idea of democracy is. And since we no longer have the West Wing to keep our spirits up on a weekly basis, a little dose of British optimism can’t hurt. Neither can classic West Wing clips from YouTube