My interests
I was going to put a list of my fandoms on my profile page, but then I decided to elaborate a bit and it got too big/clunky for my profile and I moved it here.
Shows/Fandoms that interest me
La Femme Nikita - I cannot say enough good things about this show. Sure, it had some problems, especially as the seasons drew on, but it was very, very awesome while it lasted. I loved the moral ambiguity of the characters and how they were complex and interesting (well, until the later seasons, but I won't get into that). I'm predominately a Hopeless Romantic (Michael/Nikita), but my favorite character is Madeline. (I read a Madeline/Nikita story that I liked, and I think that is potentially an interesting pairing, but the two main pairings (HR and Twisted Romantic (Operations/Madeline)) seem to be the only things really dealt with in the fandom. That's fine with me, as I love it all and will take it however I can get it. If you've never seen an episode, I would so recommend it, especially if you watched/liked Alias, as a lot of its elements were first done in LFN.
NCIS - I liked the show the first couple of seasons, but after the third season, I was hooked. I love Ziva (if you don't, please don't bash her in my LJ, thanks), and I like how the show is a good mix of humor and serious stories. Do I take it seriously? No, it is just a very fun ride. As I stated above, my favorite character is Ziva, but I don't dislike any of the characters (even McGee has grown on me, and (unlike the majority of people here on LJ, it seems) I rather liked Colonel Mann and was okay with Jenny and Jeanne). Tony/Ziva has really grown on me. (Unfortunately, there seems to be quite the backlash against it.) I can't really see a lot of the popular pairings (Gibbs/DiNozzo and Gibbs/Ducky seem to be the two biggies on LJ), but I've read Tony/Kate, Gibbs/Kate, Kate/Ari, Kate/Abby, Abby/McGee, Abby/Ziva, and Ziva/Jenny. I'm less into the show now, due to the fandom driving me away. It used to be such a great little fandom, but.... Oh well.
Legend of the Seeker - I adore this show and this fandom. Sadly, what I feared came to past and the fandom has not weathered so well after the cancellation of the show, but what is still there is still awesome. The show was a great mix of crack/action/drama and was a great escape. I adored (adore!) Cara to no end and was willing to ship her with anyone. My major interest in a ship for her is Darken Rahl, because there is something about the dark and twisted nature of that relationship that intrigues me, but I'll take it all.
Battlestar Galactica - Okay, so this is sort of a cheat, as I'm not at all in the fandom, but I was so obsessed about the show that I had to put it up top. I knew that this show might interest me as soon as I heard about it (Yes, I am a sci-fi geek, why do you ask? *grin*), but I never got around to watching it on the SciFi network. Then I got Netflix and decided to get the DVDs. I was hooked. I haven't brought myself to finish the series (I'm in season 4 at the moment), but I still really like it. At this point I love Laura, Starbuck, and Apollo, and my pairings would be Apollo/Starbuck (I've also read Starbuck/Anders and Apollo/Starbuck/Anders) and Adama/Laura (although not quite as much because Adama isn't as much of a favorite).
Burn Notice - Okay, this is also sort of a cheat, because there isn't much of a fandom at the moment, but I would so be there if there were! I think the fact that the show is on cable and has a limited following in the US to begin with (forget overseas), probably limits the potential for fandom. I absolutely love the show, though. I like Michael and his snarky attitude, I love the tone of the show, and I love the friendship between Michael/Sam, the grudging respect between Fiona/Sam, and the relationship between Michael/Fiona.
Haven - And yet another cheat. How is there not more of a fandom for this show? Sure, the plots are a little weak/thin, but the characters more than make up for it. I love Nathan/Audrey and Nathan/Audrey/Duke, both as friendships and romantic ships. And the dialog/banter/development is just really good.
In Plain Sight - This is another show which is made by the characters, not the plots. I liked the first season best, but the others have been decent. I am not fully in the fandom at the moment, but I still peer in (mostly Marshall/Mary) from time to time. I'm hoping that the Mary storyline this season doesn't screw up the show.
Fringe - I liked the show well enough the first two seasons, but I was not obsessed. Then came the AltLivia/alternate universe storyline and I was hooked. I really loved what they did last season, and I'm looking forward to more next year. I'm a AltLivia/Peter, Olivia/Peter shipper with maybe some AltLivia/Lincoln tossed in there too.
The Pretender - It makes sense that there isn't much of a LJ presence for this show, as it was canceled awhile ago, but I've at least discovered a bit of a fandom. I recently read a few Miss P/Jarod stories that I liked and have hopes to find more. I've purchased the DVDs, but I've only made it through the second season at the moment, what with so many current shows on that I like. I would be completely willing to talk about it, though!
Highlander - Although this show was canceled awhile ago as well, there seems to be a fairly large presence of the fandom on LJ. Unfortunately, it seems to be mostly Methos/Duncan related. I love Methos, don't get me wrong, but I just cannot see that pairing. Oh well. I don't have the DVDs, but I do have every episode on videotape. I hope to buy the DVDs at some point. Also, because I was rather obsessed with this show when it was on (and belonged to some mailing lists at the time) I remember the details of episodes better with this show than with The Pretender. Thus, I do follow some discussion here on LJ. (I don't participate, but I do follow). The last movie sucked, but I'm trying not to let it color my opinion of the show. Trying.
Shows I also watch (but they don't interest me enough to seek out fandom and/or there is not really a fandom...
Firefly - Okay, so this doesn't really fit either category. I'm totally interested in this show enough to seek out fandom. And there is definitely a fandom. But honestly? The fandom kinda scares me, so I have stayed away. I really should search and see what is out there, as I mainlined the show on DVD and adored it. Zoe and/or Mal were my favorite characters, although I was invested more in gen relationships than romantic entanglements.
Farscape - Again, another cheat. In this case it is mostly because as fast as I am watching this show, I'm only in the second season and I don't want to risk getting spoiled. Overall I don't adore the show yet, but I really like Aeryn Sun and Aeryn/Chrichton. I love watching their relationship develop.
Lie to Me - I really liked the show. As is usual for me, it wasn't really the stories that drew me in, but rather the characters. I liked watching Cal/Gillian. I hung around in what little fandom there was, but I haven't been there in awhile and am assuming it has petered out with the cancellation of the show.
Cold Case - I really liked this show for awhile, but there was never really much of a fandom. I used to be a little involved over on FanForum, but that was about the extent of it. I really liked the character of Lilly Rush, though, and would read good stories involving her if they could be found.
Psych This show is amusing and I enjoy watching it, but I don't feel any kind of need to seek out more about it, whether fanfiction or discussion or whatever.)
Better Off Ted - I loved this show when I watched on Netflix instant viewing. I can't imagine fanfic being as good as the dialog on the show and I never really had a ship, so I can't imagine ever really seeking out fandom.
The Good Wife - I really enjoy this show. I love that it has strong female characters. I just have never really sought out fandom for it. I could see Alicia/Kalinda, Alicia/Peter, Alicia/Will and probably combinations of all of the above. I just haven't really read any of it.
Blood Ties - This will never be confused with an Emmy winning show. However, it was a great guilty pleasure. I liked the characters and their interactions much better than Moonlight. Maybe because the lead female was a lot stronger of a character. I really loved Vicki. A lot. I preferred her with Mike in show canon, but I wouldn't say no to Vicki/Henry or Henry/Vicki/Mike. I have read a couple of Yuletide stories, but that is it. I am not even sure what else is out there.
Castle - I got into this fandom for like a nanosecond, looking for Castle/Beckett fics, but nothing really resonated with me, so I didn't do much there. I enjoy the show well enough (first seasons more than the last), there have been some great moments/episodes, I like all of the characters, but I just haven't been pulled in as much as I would have thought.
The Mentalist - I think that Patrick Jane is a compelling character. I would love to see an exploration of his darker side. I could even see Jane/Lisbon working as a pairing. I just didn't see it so much in the few fics I read when I went looking, so I didn't really look again. Also, I think it is because while I do enjoy the show/characters, I have not been fully drawn into them. Investment in the characters is the main reason that I get into fandom/read fanfic, and for some reason, it never really happened here.
Other characters/pairings that interest me (but I don't watch/care about the shows)...
Irina and Irina/Jack from Alias (I dislike most of Alias, as I see it as a rip-off of LFN, but Irina and her twisted morality and complexity drew me in despite myself. I've only seen the first two and fourth seasons, but I know how it ended. I've read a couple Irina/Madeline (La Femme Nikita) crossovers that were really good.)
Myka/HG Wells from Warehouse 13 - There was such potential there. For a handful of episodes I was starting to really see what this pair could be and I really liked the HG Wells character. Then the season finale happened. And it pretty much killed my love for the character and the pairing in canon. I would hope that some fanfic writers have "fixed" it, but I haven't really searched yet. I think I might when more time has passed and I'm less irked by the canon.
Angel and Angel/Cordelia from Angel: The Series (I started watching the show a few years ago, but I am only partway through the third season at the moment (I stopped after the twist with Connor). I liked what I saw of the show well enough, but I don't think I'll ever truly be a part of the fandom for several reasons. First, the show is over, so I can't really see being too into discussion of episodes and whatnot. Second, the fans seem to be really rabid, from what I've read when they've interjected their thoughts into discussions of other fandoms. (Really, (as much as I adore Firefly) Josh Whedon is not a god, Angel and Buffy aren't the epitome of great television, people are allowed to not like/watch the shows without having no taste, etc.) Third, it seems that the fandom is mostly Spike/Angel, which I can see as plausible only when Angel is Angelus (especially in the past), and I have no desire to read that story (or to wade through the countless Spike/NormalCurrentAngel stories, which is a pairing I cannot buy at all. And what little of the fandom is left is Buffy/Angel which I also cannot get behind because of the squicky (to me) age difference; in the episodes I saw, Buffy seemed so teen-like and it just bothered me to see her with a 200+ year old vampire. Maybe if I'd watched more than a handful of early episodes, I would have come around. Cordelia is slightly better, not only because she is older, but because in the episodes I've seen (due to the dying from the visions thing?) she just seems to act older and less teen-like, especially as the series progressed.)
Mulder and Scully from The X-Files (I recently rewatched this show from the pilot episode because Tivo discovered it and recorded it as a suggestion. I liked the show well enough, but I found that the stand alone episodes were more interesting to me than the mythology based ones. I love the chemistry between Mulder and Scully, though, and I've read a couple of stories about them. It's hard to find good ones, though, as I have the same problem here as in other fandoms. It seems that a good portion of the good/more mature authors are writing pairings like Mulder/Krychek (which I don't see) and a lot of younger (not-so-talented) people are writing the Mulder/Scully pairing. Also, I don't really have the time to do an extensive search through all that is available in that fandom to find stories that I would like.)
Shows I used to watch/fandoms I used to be in/characters & ships I used to love, but not really so interested anymore...
Lost - First season I was obsessed with this show. I sought out discussion, fanfic, etc. Then Season 2 happened. I didn't particularly care for the additions and I thought the show got away from the characters and the character interaction that I had so loved. Plus the discussion on LJ got so negative, and that reduced my love for both the show and the fandom. I started liking the show again in the later seasons, but my passion never fully was regained. I used to be Sawyer/Kate, Sawyer/Jack, Sawyer/Kate/Jack, but then I ended up mostly Sawyer/Juliet.
Addison and Addison/Pete from Private Practice (I think it is telling that I had to look up Pete's name, because all I could think of was "Tim Daly". This show is pretty dreadful, but I still love Addison (despite the writers trying to kill that love with these inane plots and character "development"), and I can see some sparks between Addison and Pete. I gave up on the show a couple of seasons ago, but if someone were to drop a well-written Addison fic in my lap, I would not object.
Calleigh/Eric from CSI: Miami (The show was never great to begin with, but there was something about these two characters that made me tune in anyway. I finally gave up on the show when it became all-Horatio-all-the-time and no trace remained of the the only thing that interested me. I would still be interested in reading Calleigh/Eric stories if someone wanted to rec some, though.)
Nick/Sara from CSI (I used to really like the show, and these two were my preferred pairing. There were no superior/subordinate issues, no hero worship, nothing like that, just two people with chemistry who had scars from their past and would fit well together. I figured I was safe, even with Grissom/Sara being the predominant ship, because there was no way that CSI would wreck its all procedural format with romance, right? Right? *sigh* And I also started disliking the show because it seemed like it cared more about the sensational aspects of cases than the twisty, turny aspects that they used to always focus on. (I mean, a grown-up baby? Really?) Thus, I haven't watched since season six, but I'm still interested in well-written Nick/Sara fic if it can be found.)
Bones - I used to love this show. I had no problem with the Zack storyline, which so many others did. But then the fourth season happened and kinda killed my love for the show. The show became farcical with the characters becoming caricatures. The show got better after that, so I kept watching, but I just don't love it anymore. And the Booth/Brennan thing was drawn out too much. We'll see what happens with the twist at the end of the last season. Maybe that will be the spark I need to adore the pairing and/or the show again.
Gilmore Girls - This was the show that first introduced me to fandom. The first message board I ever visited was for this show, and the first fanfic I ever read was a Java Junkie (Luke/Lorelai) one. Thus, it saddens me that I don't care that much for the show and the fandom anymore. The fandom thing happened as I stopped visiting message boards so much and focused more on LJ; I just didn't have the access to the fandom as much here. The show disconnect happened with the way ASP trashed the show her last season. I still watched the entire last season, but I hated the way the sixth season ended, and the seventh season (while decently written) just didn't have enough time to set everything right. My favorite character used to be Lorelai, but I don't really have one right now. Maybe Paris? I loved flirty Luke/Lorelai in the early seasons, but I didn't care for them all that much when they were in a relationship in the sixth season (and they weren't really together in any way, shape or form in the seventh). I am not sure how much of that is the fault of TPTB, how much of that is the fault of the actors, and how much of that is due to something else entirely. I thought the series finale set the ship on the right course, but it was an abrupt ending. I've tried to search out fanfic to continue the series, but most of the good writers seem to have been as disgusted as I was by the sixth season, and they all seem to have left the fandom. *sigh*
Without a Trace - My interest in this show seriously waned in the third season and stopped watching in the fifth. I used to love it because it was mostly about the cases, with us learning about the characters through little snippets or how they related to their cases. In season three (because of actor pressure?) all that stopped, and it seemed that character issues played a much bigger part. I didn't like how the Samantha/Martin relationship was dealt with. (Really, why go there if you're just going to end it abruptly without doing anything with it? It didn't make the characters look good and offered little in the way of character development, so what was the point? I preferred the relationship to remain in the realm of fanfic than to see it screwed up so badly in canon.) I also didn't like how they made episodes all about the characters rather than all about the missing people. I mean, compare 'Shadows' (Martin's ep) and 'Legacy' (Danny's ep) from Season two with 'Off the Tracks' (Danny's ep) and 'John Michaels' (Jack's ep) from Season three. The first two were about the missing people with bits of character development tossed in there. We learned about the family lives of both of those characters without it overwhelming the story. In the latter two, the emphasis was the character, not the story, and the story suffered. I probably could have gotten over that, but then they started adding new characters. The show was already primarily Jack focused, so did we really need another excuse (Anne) for Jack airtime? No. Not at all. (And I didn't even mind Anne; it was just the principle of the thing.) There was already so little airtime to divide among the characters, so did we really need to add another agent? Especially when said agent (Elena) did nothing that couldn't be done by the others and doesn't (so far) add a unique viewpoint? No. Not at all. Especially when the actress isn't the greatest. *sigh* I'm primarily a Martin/Samantha shipper, but I'm accepting of all viewpoints (my two best friends are Martin/Danny shippers). And I haven't read anything in awhile, but would not say no to a well-written Martin/Samantha or team story. I don't really have a favorite character, but I mostly identified with Martin (one of my few favorite characters who was male), as his background is so similar to mine.
Grey's Anatomy - I wasn't too much of a fan of this show at first, but Addison (Kate Walsh) sucked me in completely. I adored that character and loved seeing her relationships with all of the other cast members. I also liked Alex a lot, so I was mostly an Alex/Addison shipper, but I've also read Mark/Addison and Addison/Derek. (I refuse to do all of those smushed-up, made-up names.) Between Addison leaving and the introduction of "Gizzie" (really? Doesn't that shipper name sound awful? Why wouldn't you just type out George/Izzie if you are a fan?), my interest in the show pretty much disappeared. As far as George/Izzie goes, the timeline of the show was such that it had only been a few months since the death of Denny, so why was Izzie so ready to declare her love for George? And George was married! I hate adultery storylines. I can sort of buy adultery in certain situations (I wasn't too pissed over the drunken sex), but the continuing of it squicked me out, especially because I really liked Callie! I've heard that the show got better last year, but I just couldn't bring myself to watch again.
Supernatural - I was never really in the fandom, but I did enjoy the show and hung out on the periphery of the fandom for awhile. I discovered that I really like the family dynamic present in the latter episodes of the first season and the second season. The cases often left something to be desired, but the twisted family was great to watch. My favorite character was definitely Dean and liked the Bela/Dean pairing. (I really don't understand all of the Bela hate, and would prefer it not to happen in my LJ. If you dislike her and have rational discussion, fine, but please no random bashing. Thanks.) I also loved Ellen. How the writers handled the Ellen storyline (actually how they handled all female characters) is what finally drove me away from the show. I stopped partway through that season and haven't gone back at all.
Law & Order / Law & Order: SVU - I watched the original series from its first episode, but I started losing interest when Serena came on and completely stopped watching when Briscoe left (although I have read a couple McCoy/Claire stories). I loved the last incarnation of the show, and was a Connie/Cutter fan, but I don't think there was really much of a fandom. And then the show was canceled. I spent most of my fandom energy on SVU (which I started watching from the first episode, but I missed a lot starting from the 7th or 8th season or so). This is another fandom that I have slowly drawn back from, and I cannot see myself returning, as I tried a few of the new episodes and found them over the top. I liked the characters less and less as the seasons have gone on, and I just haven't read anything in forever. Again, though, if anyone gave me an awesome Benson/Stabler fic, I'd totally read it.
I think that's it! I don't know if anyone managed to wade through all that. It does give you an idea of my interests. I'm willing to discuss anyone and anything from the shows I watch/have watched. (This also shows you that I really cannot shut up once I start! Fair warning... *grin*)
Shows/Fandoms that interest me
La Femme Nikita - I cannot say enough good things about this show. Sure, it had some problems, especially as the seasons drew on, but it was very, very awesome while it lasted. I loved the moral ambiguity of the characters and how they were complex and interesting (well, until the later seasons, but I won't get into that). I'm predominately a Hopeless Romantic (Michael/Nikita), but my favorite character is Madeline. (I read a Madeline/Nikita story that I liked, and I think that is potentially an interesting pairing, but the two main pairings (HR and Twisted Romantic (Operations/Madeline)) seem to be the only things really dealt with in the fandom. That's fine with me, as I love it all and will take it however I can get it. If you've never seen an episode, I would so recommend it, especially if you watched/liked Alias, as a lot of its elements were first done in LFN.
NCIS - I liked the show the first couple of seasons, but after the third season, I was hooked. I love Ziva (if you don't, please don't bash her in my LJ, thanks), and I like how the show is a good mix of humor and serious stories. Do I take it seriously? No, it is just a very fun ride. As I stated above, my favorite character is Ziva, but I don't dislike any of the characters (even McGee has grown on me, and (unlike the majority of people here on LJ, it seems) I rather liked Colonel Mann and was okay with Jenny and Jeanne). Tony/Ziva has really grown on me. (Unfortunately, there seems to be quite the backlash against it.) I can't really see a lot of the popular pairings (Gibbs/DiNozzo and Gibbs/Ducky seem to be the two biggies on LJ), but I've read Tony/Kate, Gibbs/Kate, Kate/Ari, Kate/Abby, Abby/McGee, Abby/Ziva, and Ziva/Jenny. I'm less into the show now, due to the fandom driving me away. It used to be such a great little fandom, but.... Oh well.
Legend of the Seeker - I adore this show and this fandom. Sadly, what I feared came to past and the fandom has not weathered so well after the cancellation of the show, but what is still there is still awesome. The show was a great mix of crack/action/drama and was a great escape. I adored (adore!) Cara to no end and was willing to ship her with anyone. My major interest in a ship for her is Darken Rahl, because there is something about the dark and twisted nature of that relationship that intrigues me, but I'll take it all.
Battlestar Galactica - Okay, so this is sort of a cheat, as I'm not at all in the fandom, but I was so obsessed about the show that I had to put it up top. I knew that this show might interest me as soon as I heard about it (Yes, I am a sci-fi geek, why do you ask? *grin*), but I never got around to watching it on the SciFi network. Then I got Netflix and decided to get the DVDs. I was hooked. I haven't brought myself to finish the series (I'm in season 4 at the moment), but I still really like it. At this point I love Laura, Starbuck, and Apollo, and my pairings would be Apollo/Starbuck (I've also read Starbuck/Anders and Apollo/Starbuck/Anders) and Adama/Laura (although not quite as much because Adama isn't as much of a favorite).
Burn Notice - Okay, this is also sort of a cheat, because there isn't much of a fandom at the moment, but I would so be there if there were! I think the fact that the show is on cable and has a limited following in the US to begin with (forget overseas), probably limits the potential for fandom. I absolutely love the show, though. I like Michael and his snarky attitude, I love the tone of the show, and I love the friendship between Michael/Sam, the grudging respect between Fiona/Sam, and the relationship between Michael/Fiona.
Haven - And yet another cheat. How is there not more of a fandom for this show? Sure, the plots are a little weak/thin, but the characters more than make up for it. I love Nathan/Audrey and Nathan/Audrey/Duke, both as friendships and romantic ships. And the dialog/banter/development is just really good.
In Plain Sight - This is another show which is made by the characters, not the plots. I liked the first season best, but the others have been decent. I am not fully in the fandom at the moment, but I still peer in (mostly Marshall/Mary) from time to time. I'm hoping that the Mary storyline this season doesn't screw up the show.
Fringe - I liked the show well enough the first two seasons, but I was not obsessed. Then came the AltLivia/alternate universe storyline and I was hooked. I really loved what they did last season, and I'm looking forward to more next year. I'm a AltLivia/Peter, Olivia/Peter shipper with maybe some AltLivia/Lincoln tossed in there too.
The Pretender - It makes sense that there isn't much of a LJ presence for this show, as it was canceled awhile ago, but I've at least discovered a bit of a fandom. I recently read a few Miss P/Jarod stories that I liked and have hopes to find more. I've purchased the DVDs, but I've only made it through the second season at the moment, what with so many current shows on that I like. I would be completely willing to talk about it, though!
Highlander - Although this show was canceled awhile ago as well, there seems to be a fairly large presence of the fandom on LJ. Unfortunately, it seems to be mostly Methos/Duncan related. I love Methos, don't get me wrong, but I just cannot see that pairing. Oh well. I don't have the DVDs, but I do have every episode on videotape. I hope to buy the DVDs at some point. Also, because I was rather obsessed with this show when it was on (and belonged to some mailing lists at the time) I remember the details of episodes better with this show than with The Pretender. Thus, I do follow some discussion here on LJ. (I don't participate, but I do follow). The last movie sucked, but I'm trying not to let it color my opinion of the show. Trying.
Shows I also watch (but they don't interest me enough to seek out fandom and/or there is not really a fandom...
Firefly - Okay, so this doesn't really fit either category. I'm totally interested in this show enough to seek out fandom. And there is definitely a fandom. But honestly? The fandom kinda scares me, so I have stayed away. I really should search and see what is out there, as I mainlined the show on DVD and adored it. Zoe and/or Mal were my favorite characters, although I was invested more in gen relationships than romantic entanglements.
Farscape - Again, another cheat. In this case it is mostly because as fast as I am watching this show, I'm only in the second season and I don't want to risk getting spoiled. Overall I don't adore the show yet, but I really like Aeryn Sun and Aeryn/Chrichton. I love watching their relationship develop.
Lie to Me - I really liked the show. As is usual for me, it wasn't really the stories that drew me in, but rather the characters. I liked watching Cal/Gillian. I hung around in what little fandom there was, but I haven't been there in awhile and am assuming it has petered out with the cancellation of the show.
Cold Case - I really liked this show for awhile, but there was never really much of a fandom. I used to be a little involved over on FanForum, but that was about the extent of it. I really liked the character of Lilly Rush, though, and would read good stories involving her if they could be found.
Psych This show is amusing and I enjoy watching it, but I don't feel any kind of need to seek out more about it, whether fanfiction or discussion or whatever.)
Better Off Ted - I loved this show when I watched on Netflix instant viewing. I can't imagine fanfic being as good as the dialog on the show and I never really had a ship, so I can't imagine ever really seeking out fandom.
The Good Wife - I really enjoy this show. I love that it has strong female characters. I just have never really sought out fandom for it. I could see Alicia/Kalinda, Alicia/Peter, Alicia/Will and probably combinations of all of the above. I just haven't really read any of it.
Blood Ties - This will never be confused with an Emmy winning show. However, it was a great guilty pleasure. I liked the characters and their interactions much better than Moonlight. Maybe because the lead female was a lot stronger of a character. I really loved Vicki. A lot. I preferred her with Mike in show canon, but I wouldn't say no to Vicki/Henry or Henry/Vicki/Mike. I have read a couple of Yuletide stories, but that is it. I am not even sure what else is out there.
Castle - I got into this fandom for like a nanosecond, looking for Castle/Beckett fics, but nothing really resonated with me, so I didn't do much there. I enjoy the show well enough (first seasons more than the last), there have been some great moments/episodes, I like all of the characters, but I just haven't been pulled in as much as I would have thought.
The Mentalist - I think that Patrick Jane is a compelling character. I would love to see an exploration of his darker side. I could even see Jane/Lisbon working as a pairing. I just didn't see it so much in the few fics I read when I went looking, so I didn't really look again. Also, I think it is because while I do enjoy the show/characters, I have not been fully drawn into them. Investment in the characters is the main reason that I get into fandom/read fanfic, and for some reason, it never really happened here.
Other characters/pairings that interest me (but I don't watch/care about the shows)...
Irina and Irina/Jack from Alias (I dislike most of Alias, as I see it as a rip-off of LFN, but Irina and her twisted morality and complexity drew me in despite myself. I've only seen the first two and fourth seasons, but I know how it ended. I've read a couple Irina/Madeline (La Femme Nikita) crossovers that were really good.)
Myka/HG Wells from Warehouse 13 - There was such potential there. For a handful of episodes I was starting to really see what this pair could be and I really liked the HG Wells character. Then the season finale happened. And it pretty much killed my love for the character and the pairing in canon. I would hope that some fanfic writers have "fixed" it, but I haven't really searched yet. I think I might when more time has passed and I'm less irked by the canon.
Angel and Angel/Cordelia from Angel: The Series (I started watching the show a few years ago, but I am only partway through the third season at the moment (I stopped after the twist with Connor). I liked what I saw of the show well enough, but I don't think I'll ever truly be a part of the fandom for several reasons. First, the show is over, so I can't really see being too into discussion of episodes and whatnot. Second, the fans seem to be really rabid, from what I've read when they've interjected their thoughts into discussions of other fandoms. (Really, (as much as I adore Firefly) Josh Whedon is not a god, Angel and Buffy aren't the epitome of great television, people are allowed to not like/watch the shows without having no taste, etc.) Third, it seems that the fandom is mostly Spike/Angel, which I can see as plausible only when Angel is Angelus (especially in the past), and I have no desire to read that story (or to wade through the countless Spike/NormalCurrentAngel stories, which is a pairing I cannot buy at all. And what little of the fandom is left is Buffy/Angel which I also cannot get behind because of the squicky (to me) age difference; in the episodes I saw, Buffy seemed so teen-like and it just bothered me to see her with a 200+ year old vampire. Maybe if I'd watched more than a handful of early episodes, I would have come around. Cordelia is slightly better, not only because she is older, but because in the episodes I've seen (due to the dying from the visions thing?) she just seems to act older and less teen-like, especially as the series progressed.)
Mulder and Scully from The X-Files (I recently rewatched this show from the pilot episode because Tivo discovered it and recorded it as a suggestion. I liked the show well enough, but I found that the stand alone episodes were more interesting to me than the mythology based ones. I love the chemistry between Mulder and Scully, though, and I've read a couple of stories about them. It's hard to find good ones, though, as I have the same problem here as in other fandoms. It seems that a good portion of the good/more mature authors are writing pairings like Mulder/Krychek (which I don't see) and a lot of younger (not-so-talented) people are writing the Mulder/Scully pairing. Also, I don't really have the time to do an extensive search through all that is available in that fandom to find stories that I would like.)
Shows I used to watch/fandoms I used to be in/characters & ships I used to love, but not really so interested anymore...
Lost - First season I was obsessed with this show. I sought out discussion, fanfic, etc. Then Season 2 happened. I didn't particularly care for the additions and I thought the show got away from the characters and the character interaction that I had so loved. Plus the discussion on LJ got so negative, and that reduced my love for both the show and the fandom. I started liking the show again in the later seasons, but my passion never fully was regained. I used to be Sawyer/Kate, Sawyer/Jack, Sawyer/Kate/Jack, but then I ended up mostly Sawyer/Juliet.
Addison and Addison/Pete from Private Practice (I think it is telling that I had to look up Pete's name, because all I could think of was "Tim Daly". This show is pretty dreadful, but I still love Addison (despite the writers trying to kill that love with these inane plots and character "development"), and I can see some sparks between Addison and Pete. I gave up on the show a couple of seasons ago, but if someone were to drop a well-written Addison fic in my lap, I would not object.
Calleigh/Eric from CSI: Miami (The show was never great to begin with, but there was something about these two characters that made me tune in anyway. I finally gave up on the show when it became all-Horatio-all-the-time and no trace remained of the the only thing that interested me. I would still be interested in reading Calleigh/Eric stories if someone wanted to rec some, though.)
Nick/Sara from CSI (I used to really like the show, and these two were my preferred pairing. There were no superior/subordinate issues, no hero worship, nothing like that, just two people with chemistry who had scars from their past and would fit well together. I figured I was safe, even with Grissom/Sara being the predominant ship, because there was no way that CSI would wreck its all procedural format with romance, right? Right? *sigh* And I also started disliking the show because it seemed like it cared more about the sensational aspects of cases than the twisty, turny aspects that they used to always focus on. (I mean, a grown-up baby? Really?) Thus, I haven't watched since season six, but I'm still interested in well-written Nick/Sara fic if it can be found.)
Bones - I used to love this show. I had no problem with the Zack storyline, which so many others did. But then the fourth season happened and kinda killed my love for the show. The show became farcical with the characters becoming caricatures. The show got better after that, so I kept watching, but I just don't love it anymore. And the Booth/Brennan thing was drawn out too much. We'll see what happens with the twist at the end of the last season. Maybe that will be the spark I need to adore the pairing and/or the show again.
Gilmore Girls - This was the show that first introduced me to fandom. The first message board I ever visited was for this show, and the first fanfic I ever read was a Java Junkie (Luke/Lorelai) one. Thus, it saddens me that I don't care that much for the show and the fandom anymore. The fandom thing happened as I stopped visiting message boards so much and focused more on LJ; I just didn't have the access to the fandom as much here. The show disconnect happened with the way ASP trashed the show her last season. I still watched the entire last season, but I hated the way the sixth season ended, and the seventh season (while decently written) just didn't have enough time to set everything right. My favorite character used to be Lorelai, but I don't really have one right now. Maybe Paris? I loved flirty Luke/Lorelai in the early seasons, but I didn't care for them all that much when they were in a relationship in the sixth season (and they weren't really together in any way, shape or form in the seventh). I am not sure how much of that is the fault of TPTB, how much of that is the fault of the actors, and how much of that is due to something else entirely. I thought the series finale set the ship on the right course, but it was an abrupt ending. I've tried to search out fanfic to continue the series, but most of the good writers seem to have been as disgusted as I was by the sixth season, and they all seem to have left the fandom. *sigh*
Without a Trace - My interest in this show seriously waned in the third season and stopped watching in the fifth. I used to love it because it was mostly about the cases, with us learning about the characters through little snippets or how they related to their cases. In season three (because of actor pressure?) all that stopped, and it seemed that character issues played a much bigger part. I didn't like how the Samantha/Martin relationship was dealt with. (Really, why go there if you're just going to end it abruptly without doing anything with it? It didn't make the characters look good and offered little in the way of character development, so what was the point? I preferred the relationship to remain in the realm of fanfic than to see it screwed up so badly in canon.) I also didn't like how they made episodes all about the characters rather than all about the missing people. I mean, compare 'Shadows' (Martin's ep) and 'Legacy' (Danny's ep) from Season two with 'Off the Tracks' (Danny's ep) and 'John Michaels' (Jack's ep) from Season three. The first two were about the missing people with bits of character development tossed in there. We learned about the family lives of both of those characters without it overwhelming the story. In the latter two, the emphasis was the character, not the story, and the story suffered. I probably could have gotten over that, but then they started adding new characters. The show was already primarily Jack focused, so did we really need another excuse (Anne) for Jack airtime? No. Not at all. (And I didn't even mind Anne; it was just the principle of the thing.) There was already so little airtime to divide among the characters, so did we really need to add another agent? Especially when said agent (Elena) did nothing that couldn't be done by the others and doesn't (so far) add a unique viewpoint? No. Not at all. Especially when the actress isn't the greatest. *sigh* I'm primarily a Martin/Samantha shipper, but I'm accepting of all viewpoints (my two best friends are Martin/Danny shippers). And I haven't read anything in awhile, but would not say no to a well-written Martin/Samantha or team story. I don't really have a favorite character, but I mostly identified with Martin (one of my few favorite characters who was male), as his background is so similar to mine.
Grey's Anatomy - I wasn't too much of a fan of this show at first, but Addison (Kate Walsh) sucked me in completely. I adored that character and loved seeing her relationships with all of the other cast members. I also liked Alex a lot, so I was mostly an Alex/Addison shipper, but I've also read Mark/Addison and Addison/Derek. (I refuse to do all of those smushed-up, made-up names.) Between Addison leaving and the introduction of "Gizzie" (really? Doesn't that shipper name sound awful? Why wouldn't you just type out George/Izzie if you are a fan?), my interest in the show pretty much disappeared. As far as George/Izzie goes, the timeline of the show was such that it had only been a few months since the death of Denny, so why was Izzie so ready to declare her love for George? And George was married! I hate adultery storylines. I can sort of buy adultery in certain situations (I wasn't too pissed over the drunken sex), but the continuing of it squicked me out, especially because I really liked Callie! I've heard that the show got better last year, but I just couldn't bring myself to watch again.
Supernatural - I was never really in the fandom, but I did enjoy the show and hung out on the periphery of the fandom for awhile. I discovered that I really like the family dynamic present in the latter episodes of the first season and the second season. The cases often left something to be desired, but the twisted family was great to watch. My favorite character was definitely Dean and liked the Bela/Dean pairing. (I really don't understand all of the Bela hate, and would prefer it not to happen in my LJ. If you dislike her and have rational discussion, fine, but please no random bashing. Thanks.) I also loved Ellen. How the writers handled the Ellen storyline (actually how they handled all female characters) is what finally drove me away from the show. I stopped partway through that season and haven't gone back at all.
Law & Order / Law & Order: SVU - I watched the original series from its first episode, but I started losing interest when Serena came on and completely stopped watching when Briscoe left (although I have read a couple McCoy/Claire stories). I loved the last incarnation of the show, and was a Connie/Cutter fan, but I don't think there was really much of a fandom. And then the show was canceled. I spent most of my fandom energy on SVU (which I started watching from the first episode, but I missed a lot starting from the 7th or 8th season or so). This is another fandom that I have slowly drawn back from, and I cannot see myself returning, as I tried a few of the new episodes and found them over the top. I liked the characters less and less as the seasons have gone on, and I just haven't read anything in forever. Again, though, if anyone gave me an awesome Benson/Stabler fic, I'd totally read it.
I think that's it! I don't know if anyone managed to wade through all that. It does give you an idea of my interests. I'm willing to discuss anyone and anything from the shows I watch/have watched. (This also shows you that I really cannot shut up once I start! Fair warning... *grin*)