NEW PODCAST: Episode 29 Covers 2012 Fall TV Season Predictions!

A new For the Love of TV Podcast is up here.   Click on the link and check it out or head to iTunes and download it and subscribe!

So what are the 2012 Fall TV Predictions.   Basically I take the zero to little knowledge I have about the new fall season and I predict exactly what’s going to happen.  I bet you didn’t know I also go by the name of Shawn Spencer!   What am I predicting?   See for yourself….

1. Best New Show
2. First Show Canceled
3. Worst New Show
4. Best Show in Second Season
5. Struggling Show in Second Season
6. Show People Will Go Craziest Over
7. Best Newcomer (Comedy)
8. Best Newcomer (Drama)
9. Most Controversial New Character
10. Best Actor/Actress on a Bad Show
11. Actor/Actress Who I Most Want To Succeed
12. Best Rebound Show
13. Best Overall Show
14. Worst Overall Show
15. Established Show to End/Get Canceled

If you want to know what I think, you have to check out the podcast!!!  And then let me know what your predictions are, back here.

Remember this is all in good fun.  How the hell could I possibly know all this when I haven’t seen all of the new shows?  I think that’s what makes it even funnier.  I am willing to show just how bad I am at this and make it permanent for all to mock at the end of the season.

 

2012 Fall Preview

Each of the five major networks all have their official previews up.  To make it easier for you, at the top of the home screen is the 2012 Fall Preview.  So make sure you check it out.

All of the premiere dates are built into the preview section, but I will also be updating the 2012/2013 Premiere Dates section soon, if you just need to know when shows are premiering and returning.

Not too much longer now!!!!  I can’t wait!!!!

 

2012 CW Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• Hart of Dixie (10/2)
• Supernatural (10/3)
• 90210 (10/8)
• Gossip Girl (10/8)
• The Vampire Diaries (10/11)
• Nikita (10/19)

NEW SHOWS:

• Arrow (10/10)
• Beauty & the Beast (10/11)
• Emily Owens, M.D. (10/16)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Supernatural
• Arrow

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• None

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• 90210
• Gossip Girl

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• Gossip Girl’s Final Season: I used to watch this show religiously.  But I stopped last season.  I just couldn’t take it anymore.  The storylines were bad, the characters became uninteresting, and since Chuck and Blair were denied a future again, I was done.  I might tune in for the final season but I think I’ll just wait for it on Netflix.  But for those of you who have stuck it out, it will be a nice swan song for the fans.
• Supernatural’s New Showrunner: Jeremy Carver takes over for Sera Gamble as co-showrunner (with Robert Singer) and I say thank God!  Last season was bad.  I thought Season 6 was bad, last season was worse. I’m not saying it’s completely Gamble’s fault but she was responsible for the direction of the show and it was….disjointed…to be kind.  Carver left SN two seasons ago to create Being Human on the SyFy Channel with his wife.  Now he is back.  Carver is known for penning some of SN’s most popular and best episodes such as “A Very Supernatural Christmas”, “In the Beginning”, “Changing Channels” and more.   He also wrote the 100th episode “Point of No Return.”  Will that make him a great showrunner, we shall see.  But I can’t see SN getting any worse than it has been the last two seasons, and I really want my show back!!!!

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• Not many new shows this fall on the CW.  I’m most intrigued by Arrow, cautiously optimistic about Emily Owens, M.D., and completely unsure about Beauty & the Beast.  I haven’t seen any of these shows…only clips.  Arrow has an interesting premise about a wealthy playboy who is presumed dead only to be living on an island for five years.  He comes home with a huge secret and lives by night as a vigilante called…Arrow.  It’s based on the DC Comics character.  I was also really excited for The Cape when it was introduced on NBC a year and half ago and that didn’t turn out so well.  Not because the premise was bad, but the writing and execution wasn’t strong.  Hopefully, this show will be better.  Emily Owens stars Mamie Gummer (who I love) in the title role as a dorky intern fighting her inner high school demons when high school literally follows her to this Denver hospital.  It has a decent cast and Gummer is always so charming on-screen.  I just don’t know if the story will be good enough to maintain longevity.  BATB, to me, comes across as the typical police procedural that uses the popular story of BATB to attract viewers.  In fairness, I don’t know enough about it to make a very accurate assessment, but I will tune in to see if it can work for me.

 

2012 FOX Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• NFL Football (9/9)
• The X Factor (9/12 & 13)
• Glee (9/13)
• Bones (9/17)
• New Girl (9/25)
• Kitchen Nightmares (9/28)
• Fringe (9/28)
• The Simpsons (9/30)
• Bob’s Burgers (9/30)
• Family Guy (9/30)
• American Dad (9/30)
• The Cleveland Show (10/7)
• Touch (10/26)

NEW SHOWS:

• The Mob Doctor (9/17)
• Ben & Kate (9/25)
• The Mindy Project (9/25)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Bones (Bones is on the run from the law.  Will Booth clear her name so she can come back?)
• NFL Football
• New Girl
• Ben & Kate
• The Mob Doctor
• The Mindy Project

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• None

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• Glee
• The X Factor
• Kitchen Nightmares
• The Simpsons
• The Cleveland Show
• Family Guy
• American Dad
• Touch

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• Fringe the Final Season: People have been asking me to check out Fringe for a long time.  Now that’s it’s almost over…oh well!  I’m just kidding.  I will check out Fringe…hopefully it will be coming to Netflix sometime soon.  I’m glad they are going the Chuck route with Fringe.   Like Chuck, it was never a ratings darling but it was certainly a media and fan darling.  The people who watched it, loved it and were very loyal to it.  And also like Chuck, Fringe went through the stress every season of wondering whether or not what the fans watched was their last.  In fairness to the fans, we all know this will be Fringe’s last season and the writers will be able to send the show out on their terms…which I always appreciate.
• Glee’s moving to Thursdays: I’m not sure why Glee is on Thursdays at 9pm, but it is now.   My Thursday night is already jam-packed and since this show didn’t deliver in its third season (until the last 3 episodes) I’m done with iTunes, I mean Glee.  The show is terrible and now that the cast is divided, I have even less reason to watch.
• Bones moves to Mondays: Just like Thursday, I already have too much to watch on Monday night.  (Same with Sunday.)  Bones has been all over the schedule the past few years so I hope moving it again doesn’t screw up the ratings.  But I have a feeling, if you’re still watching Bones at this point, you’ll find it no matter what.

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• I liked all three shows when I watched them.  Ben & Kate surprised me the most.  I really didn’t think I was going to like it and I ended up LOVING it.  The Mob Doctor looks fascinating to me.  But FOX doesn’t have much success with dramas and doesn’t have a lot of patience for them.  So I don’t know if a show like that will stick around but I hope it does.  I’m still mad Alcatraz was canceled.  Hell I’m still mad Reunion was canceled!!!!  The Mindy Project was ok. I didn’t laugh out loud but I enjoyed it.  It very much mirrored the romantic comedies Mindy loves and watches in her down time.  And since Iove them too, I didn’t mind that approach to the story.  But if it’s supposed to be a comedy, I need some humor at some point.   But overall, thumbs up on the new FOX shows.

 

2012 CBS Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• Survivor: Philippines (9/19)
• How I Met Your Mother (9/24)
• 2 Broke Girls (9/24)
• Mike & Molly (9/24)
• Hawaii 5-0 (9/24)
• NCIS (9/25)
• NCIS: LA (9/25)
• Criminal Minds (9/26)
• CSI (9/26)
• The Big Bang Theory (9/27)
• Two and a Half Men (9/27)
• Person of Interest (9/27)
• CSI NY (9/28)
• Blue Bloods (9/28)
• 48 Hours Mystery (9/29)
• 60 Minutes (9/30)
• The Amazing Race (9/30)
• The Good Wife (9/30)
• The Mentalist (9/30)

NEW SHOWS:

• Partners (9/24)
• Vegas (9/25)
• Elementary (9/27)
• Made In Jersey (9/28)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Person of Interest: Where is Finch?  Reese is pissed since he was duped by the lovely Amy Archer. And when Reese is pissed, look out!!
• How I Met Your Mother: Robin’s the bride.  How do we get there though?
• 2 Broke Girls
• Blue Bloods
• The Good Wife: Who is Kalinda’s husband?   Peter sacrificed his chance at winning the election in order save Alicia (by admitting they are separated.)  Will this bring them closer together?  One (ME) can hope!  Now that LG has lost their top client to Canning and Nyholm, how will the firm survive?
• Partners
• Elementary

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• None

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• Vegas
• CSI
• Hawaii 5-0
• CSI NY
• Two and a Half Men

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• The Mentalist Moving to Sundays:  Sundays are already so crowed and now another show I watch is moving to Sunday nights.   I’m begging you schedulers, can you PLEASE start to spread these things out more!
• Two and a Half Men Moving to Thursdays:  TAAHM was anchored in the Monday 9pm slot forever.  Now that prime spot goes to 2 Broke Girls (more on that below…although not much more.)  Is this a sign that TAAHM’s days are numbered?  Probably not.  The Big Bang Theory made the successful move to Thursdays and since the competition isn’t that stiff (Last Resort, Up All Night, THe X Factor, and The Vampire Diaries), it should be just fine.
• New Shows in Prime Spots: Elementary (Thurs 10pm and Partners Mon 8:30pm)  Elementary takes over the Mentalist in the Thursday at 10pm slot.  Against it are Scandal and Rock Center.  Well since no one watches Rock Center, it really has Scandal to worry about and I think that’s two different audiences (although I’ll watch both.)  It will also have the very strong Person of Interest lead in so Elementary has every reason to succeed.  Partners will also have a strong lead in with How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls following it.  So people will give it a chance.  But Monday night at 8pm has some strong competition (Dancing with the Stars…which was always there, Bones…now on Monday nights, and The Voice…moved from mid-season to the fall.)  This may be a DVR and watch it later show which could spell disaster, but I hope not!
• 2 Broke Girls Moving to Two and a Half Men’s Spot on Mondays:  2BG moves to TAAHM’s 9pm slot.  It’s been a very successful spot for CBS the last 9 years.  I think the show will be just fine.  It has a solid audience and I think will do the time slot justice.

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• CBS doesn’t have a ton of news shows because their schedule is already so strong.  Only four shows!  I wonder if that is the fewest new shows in recent network TV.  Absolutely I will be watching Partners and Elementary.  Both previews were very strong with solid casts and great premises.  I’ve always been a fan of Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.  Partners is basically the story of them…two best friends (one who is gay and one who is straight) who work together and how their friendship affects the people in their lives.  This premise has worked well for them in the past (Will & Grace…which is based on Mutchnick and his best friend, Janet) so let’s see if they can dip into that well twice with success.   Elementary bring one of my favorite actors back to TV…Johnny Lee Miller.  Miller stars as the famed Sherlock Holmes in this new CBS drama.  But this show takes a different twist on the story we all know.  For one thing, it takes place in NYC vs. England.  Second, it focuses on Holmes’ struggle with addiction and how he manages his career and his strive to stay clean.  Third, Dr. Watson is still his side kick, but this time instead of Watson being John Watson, it’s Jane Watson played by Lucy Liu.  I’m not a huge fan of Liu’s but I liked her in this very much.   She’s there to help keep Holmes on the straight and narrow.
• As for the other two, I have no interest in Vegas.  Made in Jersey, I’m not sure about.  I usually like shows with an underdog that’s easy to root for…a them vs. the world story…the outsider trying to fit in.   But some of the writing bothered me.  For example, when Martina tells Natalie she worked a case in Trenton, Natalie asked her “Trenton, is that where you learned about tight jeans?”  What?  Are you kidding me?  Who talks to people like that?  Believe me, being from Philly, I love taking pot shots at Jersey people.  But it’s a joke.  I married a Jersey guy and there is a fun banter that usually takes place about Jersey people and Philly people.  But it’s all in good fun.  It’s never malicious or serious.  And I would NEVER in a business setting make a comment like that to someone!!!  How rude.  There are also a lot of cheesy lines, like a client telling Martina that she has to worry about her mother, grandmother, and sister and she tells her “well them I’m going to fight for all of them.”  Oh Lord.  However, there is very much a Working Girl aspect to this show and I loved that movie.  There were things to like about this show so I’ll check it out (I have my 3 episode rule remember) but we’ll see where it goes.

 

2012 NBC Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• Grimm (8/13)
• Sunday Night Football (9/9)
• Football Night in America (9/10)
• The Voice (9/10)
• Parenthood (9/10)
• Saturday Night Live (9/15)
• Up All Night (9/20)
• Parks and Recreation (9/20)
• The Office (9/20)
• Rock Center (9/20)
• Law & Order: SVU (9/26)
• Dateline (9/28)
• Whitney (10/19)
• Community (10/19)

NEW SHOWS:

• Go On (9/11)
• The New Normal (9/11)
• Guys with Kids (9/12)
• Revolution (9/17)
• Animal Practice (9/26)
• Chicago Fire (10/10)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Sunday Night Football
• Parenthood
• Grimm
• Parks and Rec
• Go On
• The New Normal
• Revolution
• Animal Practice

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• Community

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• Up All Night
• Whitney
• The Voice
• Guys with Kids
• Rock Center

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• The Final Season of The Office: Last year, one of my “what to watch fors” was the Office without Steve Carell.  My fears came true…the show was awful.  The Office had been slowly declining in past seasons but last season took a major plunge downward.  It was downright unwatchable.  I was going to pull The Office from my DVR, but then I heard that this will be the last season.  So I will watch for nostalgia purposes and cross my fingers that we see a resurface of Michael Scott just one more time at our favorite paper company in Scranton, PA!  But I think it was a smart decision to pull the plug because it’s time to say good-bye.
• Dan Harmon Out as Show Runner for Community: Community has been an up and down show for me.  At times, it is brilliant and the best comedy on TV.  Other times, it’s terrible.  But Harmon is out and Moses Port and David Guarascio are in.  Even though this show has had soft ratings during its run, the people who do follow Community are insanely loyal and most of it is due to the genius storytelling that Harmon was able to create at times during the series.  So Port and Guarascio have big shoes to fill, in the fans eyes.  But behind the scenes, a new direction needed to happen.  For those that don’t know, Harmon and Chevy Chase had a major feud going on behind the scenes.  Depending on what you read, the short version is that Chevy didn’t approve of what Harmon was writing (calling it down right not funny) and Harmon took issue with Chevy and even dressed him down at the Season Three wrap party in front of the cast, crew, Chevy’s wife and daughter.  If you Google search it, you’ll be able to find plenty of stories on the topic and you should be able to find the voicemail message Chevy left for Harmon.   Either way, something or someone had to give, and it ended up being Harmon.  Will Community be the same show fans of it have grown to love?  Will it become a better show for people who got turned off by Community many times?   Time will tell.
• Grimm’s Ratings After Premiering in the Summer: I didn’t like the idea of premiering Grimm after the Olympics.  I had no problem with using the ratings of the Olympics to boost the new shows, but to premiere an existing show?  I don’t get it.   People aren’t ready for their shows to premiere at that point.  People are still on vacation, still spending lots of time outside enjoying as much of the nice weather and long days as they can, and many people don’t even know the show’s premiered because they’re thinking Sept!   I haven’t watched any of the new Grimms yet.  I have them all on DVR1 but haven’t watched them.  I wasn’t ready in the middle of August for that.  Having said that, I think the ratings have been ok.  So will it be the smartest move NBC’s made in a long time?

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• I can’t believe how many comedies I liked!!! Last year I didn’t like Whitney or Free Agents and Up All Night was alright but I stopped watching because it wasn’t alright enough to keep watching.  But this year, I liked all the new comedies except for one…Guys with Kids.  I don’t like shows that try too hard for the laugh.  That’s what this show was for me.  It also had no realism what so ever.  Seriously, when was the last time you saw three guys in a bar with babies strapped to their chests?   That’s right, never.  It wasn’t as bad as Free Agents was last year, but it was as bad as Whitney.  People trying too hard to be funny and they just aren’t.   But hey, Whitney got renewed so maybe that’s a good sign for the show!  All the other shows (Go On, Animal Practice, and The New Normal) I really enjoyed so I will be watching all of them.  A few things on each.  First, The New Normal.  I LOVE the cast.  Right off the bat, they all clicked immediately.  I found it sweet and heartwarming and the writing to be pretty witty.  The one thing I wish they would do is tone down Ellen Barkin’s character.  WOW!  I understand they are showing her as a racist bigot but does she need to be THAT awful and crude?  I think we can get the point without her being so offensive.  But what I do like is right off the bat, we get insight as to why she is that way.  It doesn’t make it right, but her anger towards gays is at least explained.  Her treatment of everyone else however…Yikes!   Animal Practice was great.  I can’t remember a show where an Animal Hospital was the focus.  I’m probably wrong about that but I like the uniqueness of it.  The one thing I worry about…JoAnna Garcia and Tyler Labine having Paula Marshall syndrome.  What the hell do I mean by that?  The Paula Marshall syndrome is a terrible syndrome for any TV actor.  Because Paula Marshall’s shows, always get canceled.  Lately, Labine and Garcia are cursed with Paula Marshall syndrome.  And it sucks because both of them are fantastic and don’t deserve it.  But I hope this is the show that gets them out of the canceled show track record.  I love Garcia and I’m glad she was a late addition to the show.  Another show where the chemistry of the cast was great right off the bat!   Finally Go On.  also enjoyed this.  Matthew Perry has had some back luck returning to TV (as the anchor of a show) and I hope the third time will be the charm for him (as a lead after Friends.)  Another great cast and unique premise.  All three of these shows are available online at NBC.com so check them out if you want…or just wait a few more days.
• As for the dramas, I really like the look of Revolution and had no feeling either way on Chicago Fire.  I’ll watch CF but I don’t have high hopes.  Only because it seems lately cop shows and the like don’t seem to find an audience.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the first show canceled by NBC.  I could be way off base, but that’s what my initial reaction is.  Revolution has a great premise, if it can hold the audience.   There have been many shows on different networks who have tried to capture the “mythological” show audience since Lost went off the air.  Shows like Flash Forward, Alcatraz, and Terra Nova have all failed at their attempts.  Can Revolution buck the trend?  I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

 

2012 ABC Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• 20/20 (9/14)
• Shark Tank (9/14)
• Primetime Emmy Awards (9/23)
• Dancing with the Stars (9/24)
• Castle (9/24)
• Private Practice (9/25)
• The Middle (9/26)
• Modern Family (9/26)
• Grey’s Anatomy (9/27)
• Scandal (9/27)
• Once Upon A Time (9/30)
• Revenge (9/30)
• America’s Funniest Home Videos (10/7)
• Suburgatory (10/17)
• Happy Endings (10/23)
• Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apt 23 (10/23)
• Last Man Standing (11/2)

NEW SHOWS:

• The Neighbors (9/26)
• Last Resort (9/27)
• 666 Park Avenue (9/30)
• Nashville (10/10)
• Malibu Country (11/2)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Castle (Castle and Beckett are finally together.  I can’t wait to see what happens next!!!!)
• Revenge (Revenge had a fantastic first season.  Emily’s mother is alive, Fauxmanda is pregnant with Jack’s baby, and it’s possible 3 people may be dead…but I’d be shocked if it was Victoria.)
• Scandal (Another great first season and I’m thrilled it’s on the fall schedule.  I’m still not 100% sure if I care who Quinn really is, but we’ll see.  I’m disappointed Henry Ian Cusick won’t be back and I’m not sure how that’s handled since he was her rock on the show.  But I loved this show so I’m willing to go with everything for now.)
• Grey’s (Who will die when we come back?  I would have to say Slone since Eric Dane isn’t coming back.  I think it would be sweet…that way he can finally be with Lexie.  But don’t be surprised if it’s Arizona.  Shonda Rhimes has been very mum on Jessica Capshaw’s contract and the way Callie kept going on and on about how great her life is and how things are perfect right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Arizona.)
• Once Upon A Time (Another great rookie season…ABC had many of those last year!  Now that the curse has been broken and Emma believes, what happens now?)
• New Shows: Last Resort, Nashville, 666 Park Avenue.

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• Happy Endings (I didn’t enjoy Happy Endings in its 2nd season as much as I did its first.  The friendships seemed a bit less believable and the quirkiness seemed forced instead of natural.  It was as if the show wanted to be so weird and over the top that it wasn’t enjoyable.  If the writers can tone it down a bit, I’ll stick around.  If not, I won’t.)
• Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apt 23 (There were some episodes that were funny and many that weren’t.  I didn’t hate the show but it wasn’t as strong at the end of it’s run as it was in the beginning of the run.  I got really bored by the characters by the time the finale rolled around.  That’s not good. I’m going to give it another season because it was enjoyable enough.  But if the characters don’t become more interesting or funny, I’m out.)

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• Dancing with the Stars
• The Middle
• Modern Family
• Last Man Standing
• Shark Tank

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• The Sophomore Slumps?  Revenge, Scandal, and Once Upon A Time had very strong rookie campaigns for ABC last year.  Can they keep up the level of strength in their writing and characters in Season 2?  These shows were very unique and had loyal audiences but not monster ratings.  So they better make sure the story telling and character development is there, or there won’t be Seasons 3 and beyond.  But I have faith they’ll be just fine!
• “Castle” Making Castle and Beckett A Couple for Season 5.  I think the timing was perfect.  Any longer and Castle would have been in Bones territory.  I know viewers and fans were torn about this…most people wanted them together but were worried how that would change the dynamic of the show.  Well we’ll find out in a few weeks but I don’t think we have anything to worry about.  Andrew Marlowe has been planning for this from the beginning so I don’t think we’ll be disappointed!
• Revenge Moving to Sunday Nights.  Sunday night is jam-packed with TV and 9pm is brutal….Revenge, Dexter, The Good Wife, Sunday Night Football…ugh!  Thank goodness for the 3 DVRs, I’m going to need them just for Sunday night alone.  There’s a lot more competition for Revenge on Sunday nights, which makes me nervous.  Wednesday night was much easier for Revenge, let’s hope the audience moves with it.  ABC has a bad habit of moving shows all over the schedule and having it fail badly.  I hope that doesn’t happen here.

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• I haven’t seen any of the new ABC shows.  I’ve seen many different clips and read many reports on the media site regarding the premises and directions of the new shows.  So with that limited information, I would say I am most excited about Nashville, Last Resort, and 666 Park Avenue.  My jury is out on The Neighbors and Malibu Country, which isn’t surprising since I’m much harder on comedies.   I like the creepiness of 666 Park Avenue and the cast is fantastic.  It really has an all-star cast led by Terry O’Quinn, Vanessa Williams, Dave Annabelle, and Rachel Taylor.  666 Park Avenue follows Jane and Henry as they are offered the opportunity to manage The Drake hotel for owners Gavin and Olivia Doran.  The Drake is elegent and beautiful…where all of Manahattan’s elite want to be seen.  But the Drake is also dark with a certain evil lurking about.  Do Gavin and Olivia hold the keys to the mystery of the Drake or are they just pawns in a much larger game?  I can’t wait to find out!  Nashville stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere has country music stars in different stages of their career.  Britton’s Rayna is the long time star whose career is on the decline with her label ready to let her go.  Panettiere’s Juliette is on the upside of her career.  She doesn’t nearly have the talent and songwriting ability Rayna has, but she’s young and beautiful and the label wants Rayna and Juliette to tour together to help both of their careers.  I’m shocked I have any interest in this show because I HATE country music…with a passion.  But this show looked so good, I have to watch it.  And I love me some Connie Britton!   Finally we have Last Resort.  I’m not sure if this show is going to make it…ratings wise.  I like the concept…a US sub is asked to fire their nuclear weapon at Pakistan.  When the Captain (Andre Braugher) asks for confirmation (the weapon is only supposed to be fired if the USA has been wiped out) the White House strips him of his title and gives it to the next in command (Scott Speedman.)  But the new Captain also questions the orders and as a result the US fires upon their own sub and they become enemies of the USA.  For me, I am all over this show!  But I fear this won’t appeal to too many viewers.  As for the two comedies…The Neighbors and Malibu Country…meh.  I’ll check them out but I’m not sure they’ll stick.  One show is about Stepford aliens living in a cookie cutter community and the other is a country music star who moves her family to Malibu to start a new life.  With my lack of love affair with country music, I can only handle one country music show at a time, so I will be passing on Malibu Country.  I know that’s a dumb reason, but it’s the truth.  As for The Neighbors, I’m not big on alien shows.  I’ll check it out but I don’t know if I’ll stick with it.

Those are my thoughts on ABC.  What are yours?  Let me know!

 

2011 CW Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• 90210 (9/13)
• America’s Next Top Model (9/14)
• The Vampire Diaries (9/15)
• Nikita (9/23)
• Supernatural (9/23)
• Gossip Girl (9/26)

NEW SHOWS:

• Ringer (9/13)
• H8R (9/14)
• The Secret Circle (9/15)
• Hart of Dixie (9/26)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Supernatural (Castiel is now God….what!!!!  Also, I hope S7 will be stronger than S6 was.)
• Nikita
• The Vampire Diaries
• Ringer (Sarah Michelle Gellar’s return to TV…hollar!!!!)

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• Gossip Girl
• 90210

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• America’s Next Top Model
• H8R

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• Supernatural’s Season 7 Return: Fans of the show saw Castiel last season turn from trust worthy, lovable Cas into cunning, manipulative, all-powerful God.  The Castiel you knew is gone is the quote from the S7 promo.   You aren’t kidding.  Not to mention, Misha Collins will not be around as much this season as in previous seasons.  Castiel/Misha fans are really crying foul over that.  Since I’m not as big a Castiel fan as other people are, it doesn’t bother me.  But, after a very disjointed S6, the idea that the angel the boys have grown to trust has now turned on them and become the most powerful entity they know, and how that will impact their relationship and what they do for a living moving forward, could be very compelling.   That could be a tremendous storyline but not if Misha Collins is only going to be in 5-6 episodes, if he’s in that many.  According to an early press release from The CW, in S7, the Winchesters will be facing a foe unlike any they have encountered before.   What will make this so tough is that all their weapons, tactics, and methods won’t work the way the have in the past and they will really need to rely on each other to succeed.  Hmm.  I’m not sure how you could have a bigger for than Lucifer, but I’ll go with it.  I will say that I really like the idea of having to come up with a new way to defeat the Big Bad with none of the methods or weapons working on the villain.  And I hope they don’t forget about Sam and the wall coming down in his head.  They have to deal with that!
• Nikita’s Sophomore Season: It’s hard to write about Nikita because I still have 6 episodes left to watch (which I will be doing after this post.)  I love the show but I wonder if it will hold its audience from last year.  Sophomore shows always have an interest from me because I think they can potentially have tough years if they weren’t that strong in their rookie year or if they were strong, how well they hold up after the new schedule comes out.  Nikita will be one of those sophomore shows, I keep an eye on.   Plus, it’s awesome!!!
• Sarah Michelle Gellar’s TV Return:  I know people who are still upset that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is no longer on the air.  I didn’t watch it during its first run through but I watched Seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix this summer and I am part way through season 3 (so no spoilers please!)  SMG is certainly a force on network TV and I’m sure the CW is THRILLED to have her as part of their network family.  I heard the Ringer panel at Comic Con was ridiculously crowded simply because people couldn’t wait to see her.  I wish her and cast much success with the show which looks fabulous and I can’t wait to watch it!!!

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• Only four new shows on the CW with one I certainly won’t be watching (H8R) and one I most certainly will be watching (Ringer.)  As for Hart of Dixie and The Secret Circle, I am definitely going to check out Hart of Dixie.   Love the cast and the basis for the show.  It has some potential so I will give it a chance.  I’m not sure about TSC.  I really don’t need another teen show…even if it is about witches and looks somewhat interesting.  Plus I already have Grey’s, Person of Interest, The League, The Office, and Whitney in that time slot.  TSC may be a casualty of simply no time to watch.  It’s obvious that I am most excited for Ringer and SMG’s TV return.

 

2011 FOX Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• Cops (9/10)
• Glee (9/20)
• Raising Hope (9/20)
• Kitchen Nightmares (9/23)
• Fringe (9/23)
• The Simpsons (9/25)
• The Cleveland Show (9/25)
• Family Guy (9/25)
• American Dad (9/25)
• House (10/3)
• Bones (11/3)

NEW SHOWS:

• New Girl (9/20)
• The X Factor (9/21)
• Terra Nova (9/26)
• Allen Gregory (10/30)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Bones
• New Girl
• Terra Nova

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• Glee

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• Cops
• The X Factor
• Kitchen Nightmares
• The Simpsons
• The Cleveland Show
• Family Guy
• American Dad
• Allen Gregory

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• Fringe Moving to Fridays: Fringe was another show that got a surprise last-minute renewal (yeah for Fringe fans!!)  The show has been moved to Fridays where they either are either going to make a commitment to keeping the show there for the remainder of its run or the network sent it there to die slowly.  I fear it’s going to be the later but I hope not.  Friday is a tough night.   But I would rather see Fringe on a tough night that not on air at all!  At least there is a lot less pressure on the show on Friday night.  However, it is now on at the same time as Supernatural and the new show Grimm.  Some similarities in the target viewing audience there.   But Fringe is like Chuck….the little show that could with a strong, loyal fan base.  Let’s see how long it can chug along!
• Glee’s Revamped Third Season: You all know how I feel about Glee.  And this season is its last chance for me.  Ryan Murphy said he is going back to the formula of Season 1 which makes me very happy. S1 is what made Glee the awesome show that it was.  S2 destroyed it.   If S3 can get back to S1 glory, I am back in 100%.  If it can’t, I’m done with Glee.   This is also the final season with the big three…Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and Chris Colfer.   This is a very important season for Glee.  I think the 10-16 year-olds will watch it no matter what.  But anyone older than that who may be looking for a little more out of their TV experience, will need character development and solid, consistent story telling.  Ryan Murphy has promised that.  We will see if he lives up to his promise.
• The Return of Simon Cowell: The X Factor is coming to FOX.  I have already said I won’t watch since it isn’t my type of show.  But there is no denying how strong a force Cowell is on network TV.  He created the phenomenon that is American Idol and AI just isn’t as strong of a show without Cowell.  Personally I think there are lots of reasons why AI isn’t as strong as it used to be (the loss of Cowell and his dynamic with Paula Abdul, who is also gone, the talent isn’t very good, having the public decide leads to lousy people going too far or winning the whole thing, too many hours in the week dedicated to it, etc.)  But the biggest reason AI isn’t working as well these days is no more Simon Cowell.  Now he’s back on a different show.  Can he bring the same magic to The X Factor he did to AI?   Let me know, because I won’t see it!!!

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• The X Factor and Allen Gregory I could care less about.  I’m not into the cartoon comedies and you know I’m not a “reality” person so I won’t be watching The X Factor. Not to mention,  I am ridiculously tired of these talent shows.  I can understand why FOX brought both these shows on board because they will both be huge successes based on what America wants to watch.  I just won’t be one of them.  But I am all over New Girl and Terra Nova.  New Girl is adorable and funny and the cast is very strong.  Due to Happy Endings being picked up for a 2nd season, Damon Waynes Jr. had to pull out of New Girl.  He has been recast with Lamorne Morris.  Waynes will still be in the pilot, which they chose not to reshoot, but his disappearance will be explained in 2nd episode and Morris will take over from there.  I wasn’t a huge Zooey Deschanel fan before this show.  Love her sister to pieces but not so much her.  I completely fall in love with her in this role.  She’s great!   This will probably be my favorite comedy of the new season.  Terra Nova has an interesting premise….but so did The Event and Flash Forward and we know how they turned out.  With the obvious huge expense of the show, I don’t know how strong the ratings will have to be for them to keep going.   But if it’s a solid show, I hope they get the ratings they need to keep it going.

 

2011 NBC Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• Sunday Night Football (9/8)
• Football Night in America (9/11)
• Parenthood (9/13)
• The Sing Off (9/19)
• The Biggest Loser (9/20)
• Harry’s Law (9/21)
• Law & Order: SVU (9/21)
• Community (9/22)
• Parks and Recreation (9/22)
• The Office (9/22)
• Dateline (9/23)
• Chuck (10/21)

NEW SHOWS:

• Up All Night (9/14)
• Free Agents (9/14)
• The Playboy Club (9/19)
• Whitney (9/22)
• Prime Suspect (9/22)
• Grimm (10/21)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Sunday Night Football
• Parenthood
• Chuck
• Community
• The Playboy Club
• Grimm
• Prime Suspect

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• The Office

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• Up All Night
• Free Agents
• The Sing Off
• The Biggest Loser

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• The Final Season of Chuck: Chuck has always been the little show that could.   If Chuck was on any other network, I don’t think it would have lasted past 5 episodes (maybe it would have had an entire mid-season run the first year but then been canceled.)  NBC’s schedule had been so bad the last few years that a show like Chuck could make it 5 seasons.  And I don’t mean that as a knock on Chuck.  It just never got the big ratings.  It had consistent ratings and a rabid following (myself included.)  It’s a shame that the majority of America only seems to like two types of shows…procedural and “reality.”  Anything that strays from that, doesn’t work…shows like Chuck, The Cape, Eli Stone, and Pushing Daisies.  The only show that was able to break that mold was Lost.  I’m just happy for the writers that at least they know this is their swan song.  The last 3 seasons they had 12 episode renewals only to get extended to 19 or 21 and waited on pins and needles to see if they would get renewed.  Now, they know they have 15 episodes to make the best final season they can and I am really looking forward to it…with a tear in my eye!
• The Office without Steve Carell: I did an extensive post for “Goodbye Michael.”  That was one of the best episodes I have watched of The Office in years.  And I bawled my eyes out.  I said it then and I’ll say it again, I don’t think The Office can survive without Carell.  That is not a knock on the rest of the cast who are fantastic but Michael Scott was the heart and soul of the show.  And much of the show stemmed from him and his relationships and interactions with everyone.  It’s just not going to work the same with a new boss.   The Office has also been a show on decline from a creative standpoint in my opinion for the last few seasons.  I just know why they didn’t just decide to end the series with Carell leaving but I can understand them wanting to try it out.  I just think it’s going to fail.  I hope I’m wrong.
• L&O: SVU and Harry’s Law Cast Changes: Both shows had some significant casting shake ups in the off-season.   Starting with SVU, Christopher Meloni is gone and Mariska Hargitay is reducing her number of episodes this season.  For SVU fans, this is a big blow.  Danny Pino (Cold Case) and Kelli Giddish (Chase, The Good Wife) have been cast to fill those voids.  In a really smart move, NBC also brought back fan favs Stephanie March (Mrs. Bobby Flay) and Diane Neal as ADAs Alexandra Cabot and Casey Novak.  So it will be interesting to see how the show fares and how the fans react to this new casting this season.   Also on Harry’s Law, Brittany Snow and Aml Ameen were cut from the show at the end of last season.  Most people, myself included, were surprised by this.  It’s wasn’t as if their story lines weren’t working and Jenna (Snow) has been with Harry for a long time and followed her everywhere she went.  Now all of sudden she’s gone?  And Harry gave Malcolm (Ameen) this great opportunity and believed in him when no one else would and now he’s gone also?  I wonder how they are going to tie that up.  But the show brought on Mark Valley (Fringe, Human Target, Boston Legal) and Karen Olivo (The Good Wife, Broadway’s West Side Story and In The Heights) as series regulars and new hires at Harriet’s Law and Fine Shoes.  I guess the fine shoe portion is going along with Jenna?   Most importantly, the best character on the show, Tommy Jefferson (played by Christopher McDonald) is now a series regular.

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• The NBC new shows are actually shows I have seen so I can comment on a little more intelligently.   What I liked was Grimm, Prime Suspect, and The Playboy Club.  I was luke warm on Whitney and Up All Night.  And I out right hated Free Agents.   Free Agents was so bad, that 10 minutes to a 22 minute comedy, I turned it off.  But hey, if out of six shows, I only disliked one, that’s not bad!!!  I have to say, NBC has REALLY stepped it up in the drama department this season.  Grimm is fabulous.  It is so unique and different and as soon as I stopped watching, I couldn’t wait for the next episode.  The things I worry about are being on Friday nights, having Chuck as a lead in, and the fact that as I mentioned before, audiences typically don’t like interesting and different.  I hope it finds a niche because it was a great pilot.  The Playboy Club was my next favorite.  This was another show where I couldn’t wait for the next episode.  The cast is terrific and the premise is great.  The one thing I will say is that you can tell the pilot was changed from the original rough cut.  Some scenes were cut and some scenes were brand new to expand and explain certain story lines and to set them up better and other scenes added some more dimension.  And I think the changes they made were just right.  They deleted what was unnecessary and added further development in the most appropriate story lines.  If you watch the pilot you will be able to tell which scenes were added later.  Amber Heard, who plays Maureen, had shorter hair that styled very differently.  In the reshot scenes, her hair is much longer and doesn’t look as coiffed.  It’s very noticeable.  I can already tell that Carol-Lynne (played by Tony Winner Laura Benanti) will be my favorite character.   Prime Suspect was solid and Maria Bello is fantastic.  This is the American version of a the British show.  Bello plays Homicide Detective Jane Timmony of the NYPD.  The rest of her division is all men and they aren’t happy to have her there and give her a brutally hard time.  Already I like the fact that while she holds it together in front of her colleagues, you see her breakdown to her boyfriend at home.  She’s not made of stone and at first I was worried that was how she was going to be.   The cast is solid except for Aiden Quinn.  I don’t buy him as the head of the division.  He comes across as a bumbling drunk who uses his good old boys network to get his job done.   Maybe that’s what the character is supposed to be, but he rubs me the wrong way.   As for the comedies…Whitney was the best of the three.  It starts off a little stiff and there are many times during the pilot I think the entire cast is trying too hard to play their designed parts.  It doesn’t always come across as natural and that they are trying too hard for the laugh.  In the scenes where it is natural (like the kitchen scene where Whitney is trying to seduce Alex) it’s pretty funny.  So I will be watching.  Up All Night was alright.  I didn’t necessarily laugh but I did find Christina Applegate as charming as ever.  I love her!  Will Arnett is much better in this role than he was in Running Wilde.  But Maya Rudolph’s character is gratingly annoying.  She’s VERY over-the-top.  Her character alone might make me not want to watch.  But there were times when she settled down that I actually enjoyed her so there is a glimmer of hope.  And I will give it the benefit of the doubt and watch a few episodes to see how it goes.  And Free Agents is a no go for me.  I won’t be watching.  Not only was it not funny, I hated the storyline and didn’t like one character.   Watch it become the number one comedy on TV!!!!  It just wasn’t for me.
• I think NBC is shaping up to have one of it’s best seasons in a long time.  I really enjoy in the new shows and there are some mid-season shows coming that are just as strong….wait until you see Smash!   Way to go NBC!!!!  If you have written off NBC, this is the year to come back.