Best Televised Guilty Pleasure That Is Not Guilty, at All!

Rob Thomas' 'Veronica Mars' on CW

When local boy Britt Daniel from Spoon showed up at the cafe where super-teen-sleuth Veronica Mars works and karaoked the Elvis Costello song "Veronica," we were sold. It was even better than when key characters began sporting UT logos. Fun and self/TV-referential, VM, as penned by other local boy Rob Thomas, could be dismissed as a guilty pleasure were it not so well written and convolutedly engaging. It's a blast to pick apart the dialogue loaded with fansite nods ("I ignored all of the spoiler alerts, which I know is kinda douche-baggy.") and other TV-show winks, ("frak"). And with the third season loaded with upcoming episodes with smart titles like, "Hi, Infidelity," "Charlie Don't Surf, "Wichita Linebacker," and "My Big Fat Greek Rush Week," where's the mystery? Like the Longhorn on Logan Echolls' shirt, we're hooked.

Rob Thomas Productions
www.robthomasproductions.com

A Hand Made Production
2505 E. Kent St., 512/417-2685

Digital Light and Sound
4700 Staggerbush Rd #428, 512/535-7470
www.dlightsound.com

Oso Negro Productions
907 E. 49th St., 512/743-9790