My Personal Wish List

At this time of year families and friends gather to celebrate the holidays – whether it be Chanukah or Christmas (et al) – exchanging gifts and feasting on all their favorite meals. In years past my family would gather to watch my (at the time) little nieces and nephews open their gifts and share in our traditional Christmas meal; sometimes dividing our time between my two older brothers’ homes.

As the years progressed and my nieces and nephews grew older, our family Christmas traditions slowly changed and adapted. I am sure that is the same for many of our readers here at NiceGirlsTV.

Since I moved to California from Pennsylvania over 9 years ago, and with the passing of several of my family members, my holiday traditions have changed drastically. And while I don’t celebrate the holidays like in years past, it’s hard not to create a wish list, especially with that lingering 17-year old TV fan inside of me screaming for some of the wonderful memorabilia that is available.

Included in my wish list for this holiday season include the following:

1. The Legend of the Seeker on DVD – The first season of this hit syndicated series based on the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth novels, starring Craig Horner, Bridget Regan and Bruce Spence became available on October 13. I have thoroughly enjoyed the series to date, including the beginning of Season 2, and will look forward to reliving all the adventures of Richard, Kahlan and Zedd on the DVD.

2. Glee: Season 1, Volume 1: The Road to Sectionals on DVD – This FOX series has taken critics and viewers by storm, creating a frenzy wherever they go and raking up fairly decent ratings to boot. The series may not be for everyone because of its over-the-top stories and too polished sounds; but it is quirky, fun and enjoyable. I, for one, cannot wait for the first 13 episodes to be released on DVD on December 29; and will look forward for Season 1, Volume 2 to become available in Spring 2010.

3. Gods of Midnight Book Series by Deidre Knight – Author Deidre Knight has created a compelling new series of books featuring seven immortal Spartan warriors who protect mankind. The first book Red Fire was published on October 7, 2008 (for which I have already read); but some of the other books in the series include Red Kiss, Red Angel and Red Demon. I look forward to getting these books and learning more about these Spartans.

4. Battlestar Galactica Soundtracks by Bear McCreary – I will gladly take any of the soundtracks from any of the four seasons of this fantastic series, as Bear McCreary is perhaps one of the most prolific composers in television today. His music became so engrained in the series that looking back on the episodes now, I couldn’t imagine any other composer doing a better job.

5. Across the Universe on DVD – This spectacular movie set to the music of The Beatles was centered around the Vietnam War; was directed by the visionary Julie Taymor and starred Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood. This incredible movie was released in theatres in October 2007 and I was enraptured by the entire spectacle. Every actor in this movie was gifted with superb vocals, making the soundtrack a hot property for that year as well.

6. Torchwood: Children of Earth on DVD – This special stand-alone 5-hour mini-series based on the hit BBC series Torchwood aired in the UK and the US in July to critic and fan acclaim. And while I’m not actually a fan of the series itself, I was anticipating seeing this mini-series as much as the die-hard fans and, despite the dark and harrowing nature of the mini-series, I was blown away by the performances of the entire cast and the overall storyline. Kudos to Russell T. Davies, John Fay and James Moran for writing this incredibly dense and compelling story, which became a must-see for the summer.

7. Sereni-Tees from the Jason Palmer Studios – Jason Palmer is an incredible artist whose work I discovered around 2003 and have been enraptured by his skill and craftsmanship ever since. I have four pieces of his artwork in my home and this year was gifted with one of his new Sereni-Tees (based on artwork he created for the fan-favorite movie Serenity by Joss Whedon). Jason has a number of new tees coming out soon and I look forward to getting one or two more to add to my collection. You can learn more about Jason Palmer’s Sereni-Tees at:   http://www.jasonpalmer.net/SereniTees.htm and you can discover his artwork at: http://www.jasonpalmer.net/index.html.

So, there you have it: the top 7 must-have items I would love most under my (non-existent) Christmas tree this year. What are some of the must-have items you are hoping for this holiday season?

PS: I also want to recommend Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog by Joss Whedon (and the talented members of his family), which starred Neil Patrick Harris in the title role as well as Nathan Fillion (of Firefly, Serenity and now Castle fame) and the wonderful Felicia Day (of Buffy fame). This delightful, Emmy Award winning online mini-movie took the industry by storm in the summer of 2008 and has garnered a rapid following all over the globe. There are also talks of a possible sequel and the fans can only hope that the rumors will become fact.

Happy Holidays!!