tv

new and noteworthy tv: 7/5-7/18

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Note to my subscribers: The provider that I was using to email out my posts has shut down its service so I have moved to follow.it. This is the first post using the new service so we’ll see how it goes : ) And for anyone reading who is not subscribed, to ensure you don’t miss a post hit the email icon on the “please follow & like us :)” box in the sidebar/footer.

Leverage: Redemption

I wrapped up the very good second season of Mythic Quest on Apple+ before my free trial gets cut off, though think I’ll let it slide for a month to catch Ted Lasso before I cut ties. We’ll see what I’ll do when the third seasons of those come out, I have refrained from getting into anything else. I also enjoyed Bridgerton and wrapped the series of The Bold Type which was ridiculous in anything having to do with the business side of things but fun and light in a Sex in the City/Younger kind of way.

I’m excited for the return of brutal Animal Kingdom on TNT and the entertaining This Way Up and Never Have I Ever. My main recommendation would be the return/new Leverage, though I’m also cautiously optimistic about Wellington Paranormal based on the ridiculous What We Do In the Shadows.

  • The Beast Must Die (AMC) Series Premiere, Monday 7/12, 10pm (7/5 on AMC+) – This six-part ‘revenge thriller’ where a mother, Cush Jumbo, looks to take revenge on the man she thinks killed her son, Jared Harris, a good enough cast to have potential.
  • Gossip Girl (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/8 – I dropped the old GG after a few seasons but the start sure was fun, here’s hoping this updated version brings it.
  • Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/8 – I remember these movies as being sort of fun though not as interested in an animated series.
  • Leverage: Redemption (IMDB) Series Premiere, Friday 7/9 – This original series was a fun light caper each episode, and glad to see the majority of the cast back, though Noah Wyle taking over for controversial Timothy Hutton and Aldis Hodge in limited eps.
  • Wimbledon (ABC) – Men’s and women’s finals Saturday and Sunday at noon, previous rounds on ESPN.
  • Wellington Paranormal (CW) Series Premiere, Sunday 7/11 – This New Zealand horror-comedy about the investigation into paranormal cases is a spinoff of What We Do In the Shadows so sure I’m in.
  • The White Lotus (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday 7/11 – This six-episode series takes various guests to an exclusive Hawaiian resort, but is there a darker side to this drama, initial reviews are good.
  • Professor T (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday 7/11 – Teaching at Cambridge about the science of crime but his self-imposed sterile state from his OCD is disrupted when he helps a former student with an actual crime.
  • Eden (Spec) Series Premiere Monday 7/12 – All is not as it seems in this Australian thriller series where we look at characters and events before, during, and after a woman goes missing.
  • American Horror Stories (Fx/Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/15 – If you didn’t get enough of American Horror Story, this is a weekly anthology series.
  • Dr. Death (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/15 – Based on the podcast, a drama exploring the twisted mind of a doctor and the failures of the medical system with Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater, and AnnaSophia Robb.
  • The North Water (AMC+) Series Premiere, Thursday 7/15 – Based on the novel, set in the late 1850s a disgraced ex-army surgeon finds a job on an ARctic whaling ship.
  • Schmigadoon! (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 7/16 – A parody of musicals with Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key and many other great talents, where they get trapped in a magical town to find “true love.”
  • SurrealEstate (Syfy) Series Premiere, Friday 7/16 – Haunted and possessed houses calls for a special team of realtors in this drama.
  • The End (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday 7/18, 8pm – This dark comedy is set in an Australian retirement community.
  • Power Book III: Raising Kanan (Starz) Series Premiere, Sunday 7/18, 8pm – A prequel about the early years of “Power.”

More Streaming:

  • You Are My Spring (Net) Series Premiere, Monday 7/5 – A hotel concierge and a psychiatrist form a bond over a local murder case in this Korean romantic drama.
  • The War Next-Door (Net) Series Premiere, Wednesday 7/7 – The matriarchs of two families in a posh neighborhood good to war in this Mexican comedy.
  • The Cook of Castamar (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 7/9 – Based on a novel, in 1720s Madrid a cook catches the eye of a duke.

Returning streaming: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Net, 7/6), Dogs (Net, 7/7), Mire (Net, 7/7), The Dog House (HBOM, 7/8), Motherland (SundN, 7/8), This Way Up (Hulu, 7/9), Atypical (Net, 7/9), Biohackers (Net, 7/9), Virgin River (Net, 7/9), Jack Irish (Acorn, 7/12), El Cid (Am, 7/15), Archibald’s Next Big Thing is Here (Pea, 7/15), Beastars (Net, 7/15), First Wives Club (BET+7/15), Never Have I Ever (Net, 7/15), Making the Cut (Am, 7/16), Explained (Net, 7/16), Serengeti (Disc+, 7/18).

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST.

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critics’ picks – top tv of 2012

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louieTime to get started on our year end lists! While the tv shows aren’t currently fresh, the critics’ best and award noms give you something to get ready to tune back into. I can’t personally recommend all of these shows (stay tuned for my top ten list) and as most readers know I don’t catch most of the real cable on first run (HBO, Show, Starz), but from the breadth of shows there is a little something out there for everyone. So without further ado here’s a sampling of top tv picks:

  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) – E
  • 2012 Election  – JP
  • 30 for 30 (ESPN) – DF
  • 30 Rock (NBC) – AS, PGA, TG
  • American Horror Story: Asylum (Fx) – AFI, GG, JP, MoR, MZS
  • Archer (Fx) – MZS, TG
  • Ben and Kate (Fox) – TG
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – E, MR, PGA
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – GG, TG
  • Boss (Starz) – GG, TG
  • Breaking Bad (AMC) – AFI, AS, DF, JP, KT, MR, MoR,  MZS,  PGA, TG
  • Call the Midwife (PBS) – MR
  • Castle (ABC) – E
  • The Colbert Report (Com) – KT, MM
  • Coma (A&E) – MZS
  • Community (NBC) – E, MZS, TG
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – PGA
  • Dexter (Show) – MR, TG
  • Don’t Trust the B- In Apartment 23 (ABC) – TG
  • Downton Abbey (PBS) – MR, PGA
  • Enlightened (HBO) – GG
  • Episodes (Show) – GG
  • Game Change (HBO) – AFI
  • Game of Thrones (HBO) – AFI, DF, E, GG, JP, MoR, PGA, TG
  • Girls (HBO) – AFI, AS, DF, JP, KT, MR, MoR, TG
  • Glee (Fox) – E, GG
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – KT, MR
  • Gossip Girl (CW) – E
  • Happy Endings (ABC) – E, MoR
  • Hatfields & McCoys (Hist) – MZS
  • Homeland (Show) – AFI, AS, E, GG, JP, KT, MM, MR, MoR, MZS, PGA, TG
  • The Hour (BBCA) – DF, TG
  • House of Lies (Show) – TG
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – E
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx) – TG
  • Justified (Fx) – KT, TG
  • Louie (Fx) – AFI, AS, DF, JP, KT, MM, MR, MoR, MZS, PGA, TG
  • Luck (HBO) – AS, MM, MZS
  • Mad Men (AMC) – AFI, AS, DF, JP, KT, MR, MoR, MZS, PGA, TG
  • Magic City (Starz) – TG
  • The Middle (ABC) – MR
  • The Mindy Project (Fox) – E
  • Modern Family (ABC) – AFI, E, GG, PGA, TG
  • Nashville (ABC) – KT
  • New Girl (Fox) – E, GG, MoR, TG
  • On Freddie Roach (HBO) – DF
  • Once Upon a Time (ABC) – E
  • Parenthood (NBC) – AS, JP
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – AS, DF, E, JP, KT, MoR, TG
  • Raising Hope (Fox) – TG
  • Revenge (ABC) – E
  • Scandal (ABC) – E
  • Shameless (Show) – TG
  • Sherlock (PBS) – MM, TG
  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx) – MR, TG
  • Supernatural (CW) – E
  • Treme (HBO) – AS, DF, MZS, TG
  • The Vampire Diaries (CW) – E
  • Veep (HBO) – TG
  • The Walking Dead (AMC) – AFI, E, MM, MR, TG
  • Wilfred (Fx) – TG

AFI – AFI Television Programs of the Year, AS – Alan Sepinwall for Hitfix, DF – Dan Fienberg for Hitfix, E – E! Best Comedies and E! Best Dramas, GG – Golden Globe nomination, JP – James Poniewozik for Time, KT – Ken Tucker for Ew, MM* – Mary McNamara for LA Times, MR* – Matt Roush for TV Guide, MoR – Maureen Ryan for Huffington Post, MZS – Matt Zoller Seitz on Vulture, PGA – Producer’s Guild, TG – Tim Goodman’s Best Comedies and Dramas

* Some top votes were for categories of shows or notations to things like Clint’s chair speech and referee strike.

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new and noteworthy tv: 12/17-12/23

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Less new shows, more holiday filler…

Monday

  • Dreamworks Dragons/Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas/Happiness is a Warm Blanket (Fox, 8/8:30/9pm) – Ho and a ho.
  • Gossip Girl (CW, 8pm) Series Finale – I haven’t watched this for years but remember the start of their journey fondly.
  • 1600 Penn (NBC, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – A preview of the humorous take on the family in the White House, at least one critic likes it.

Tuesday

  • A Charlie Brown Christmas (ABC, 8pm) – The meaning of Christmas.
  • It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (CW, 8pm) – Kermit tries to save the theater.

Wednesday

  • A Home for the Holidays with Rascal Flatts (CBS, 8pm) – Inspiration and singing.
  • Miss Universe Pageant (NBC, 8pm) – Women from around the world, you know not from around the universe.
  • Full Throttle Saloon/Black Gold (Tru, 9/10/11pm) Season Premieres – Work it.
  • Cheer Perfection (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another psychotic trainer and her disciples.

Thursday

  • A White House Christmas (NBC, 8pm) – First families share holiday cheer.
  • I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!/CMA Country Christmas (ABC, 8/9pm) Rerun hangs with Snoopy and Spike then someone named Jennifer Nettles hosts holiday country style.
  • Beyond Scared Straight (A&E, 10pm) Season Premiere – More teens to jail.

Friday

  • Michael Buble/A White House Christmas (NBC, 8/9pm) – In case you missed this holiday fun.
  • Back to the Beginning with Christiane Amanpour (ABC, 9pm) – Origins of religions.
  • The Happy Elf/Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (CW, 8/9pm) – More holiday characters.

Saturday

  • Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol/WWE Tribute to the Troops (NBC, 9pm) – Another take on the holidays.
  • Prep & Landing/A Chipmunk Christmas/CMA Country Christmas (ABC, 8/8:30/9pm) – Can’t get enough of holiday specials.

Sunday

  • Lost Treasure Hunters (AnPl, 11pm) Series Premiere – Adventurers adventure, first diamond mines.

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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dropped

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I’ve mentioned some of the shows that I’m looking forward to, but fall is also the time to make some cuts. There have been a few shows that have been dropped over the years, I can’t wait for them all to get canceled… Sometimes it’s because I can’t keep up with more than two shows per time slot but typically I just can’t take it anymore. For these I’ve only included shows that I’ve stuck with for a bit, and admittedly these aren’t all recent drops.

  • American Idol (Fox) – I keep trying, and tune back in to catch the new competitors as well as the new judges but I just find myself with not enough to keep me tuning back in, I’m out.
  • The Apprentice (NBC) – I tried some of the early seasons of these but just can’t get on board with watching the ‘celebrities’ fight and fight their way through challenges.
  • Criminal Minds (CBS) – This gruesome case of the week got a little monotonous for me though I do still tune back into reruns now and again.
  • Glee (Fox) – I loved the moments where they got the mix of humor and heart and music just right but those got fewer and farther apart, I’m slightly intrigued about life after high school but history tells us that it won’t improve things.
  • Gossip Girl (CW) – I loved a few seasons of this but again post high school shenanigans and re-pairings lost my interest much like every other teen drama.
  • Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – I was still hanging on to this when a triple booking last season meant I would have to take an extra step like watching online, after I missed a couple eps… no more Meredith for me.
  • Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) – Though the show did make me want to visit Hawaii again, and I liked the banter between the boring and the funny leads, one character of interest in a case of the week wasn’t enough.
  • The LA Complex (CW) – It was so bad it was good but then this Canadian kids trying to make it big in LA just got plain bad.
  • Once Upon a Time (ABC) – I love a fairy tale remake but though I was engaged in some of the retold tales the present day town didn’t have much to offer.
  • Person of Interest (CBS) – If two men who don’t emote go around trying to save people does anyone care?
  • Private Practice (ABC) – Who would have thought that you could get cheesier than Grey’s?
  • Scandal (ABC) – The thing that may have kept me tuned into this was the fact that the lead wore some beautiful outfits, but the scandalous items and their resolutions are a little too preposterous.
  • Survivor (CBS) – Reality shows are the easiest for me to drop, I’m not engaged in the new set of characters and though new each season, it’s somewhat repetitive.

As noted on a couple shows are also probation: ANTM (CW), L&O: SVU (NBC), The Voice (NBC). What’s no longer in your queue?

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new and noteworthy tv: 9/26-10/2

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It’s time to start eliminating shows…

Monday

  • Sesame Street (PBS, check your local listings) Season Premiere – The gang helps the human cannonball.
  • Terra Nova (Fox, 8pm – repeats 10/1) Series Premiere – This big budget Spielberg dinosaur isn’t rumored to be all that engaging but worth a look nonetheless.
  • Gossip Girl/The Hart of Dixie (CW, 8/9pm) Season/Series Premieres – The gang goes to Hollywood and then big city doctor takes on the south, fingers crossed for the Rachel Bilson charm.
  • House Crashers (DIY, 8pm) Season Premiere – What makes a great bachelor pad?
  • Mike & Molly (CBS, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – Time to plan the wedding.
  • Cake Boss (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – The most challenging cake?

Tuesday

  • 19 Kids & Counting/The Little Couple (TLC, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Duggars have kids, Bill and Jen want kids.
  • 24 Hours in the ER (BBC, 9pm) Series Premiere – A real day in the ER.

Wednesday

  • Suburgatory/Happy Endings (ABC, 8:30/9:30pm) Series/Season Premieres – Suburban quirky fun and more of the new friends with lots of potential for funny.
  • Mythbusters (Disc, 9pm) Season Premiere – Are motorcycles more green than cars?
  • Rocket City Rednecks (NGC, 9pm) Series Premieres – Rocket science and back woods ingenuity.
  • Luther (BBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Sadly I no longer get BBC.
  • The Real World (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – A new gang of kids in San Diego.

Thursday

  • How to Be a Gentleman (CBS, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Odd Couple comedy taken to the caricature extreme.
  • Private Practice (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – More shenanigans at the doctor’s office.

Friday

  • Jessie (Dis, 9pm) Series Premiere – Small town girl turns big city nanny.

Saturday

  • Austin City Limits (PBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – Tune in for Mumford and Sons.
  • Bedlam (BBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Described as a haunted Melrose Place.

Sunday

  • America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC, 7pm) Season Premiere – Funny?
  • Tough Love (VH1, 8pm) Season Premiere – A matchmaker takes on some of the ladies in Miami.
  • Dexter/Homeland (Show, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – I can’t resist Dexter and his messes and this next one is supposed to be a good one, returned POW or traitor?
  • Halloween Wars (Food, 9pm) Series Premiere – A four part series on decorating scariness.
  • Making Monsters (Trav, 9pm) Series Premiere – A look at some makers of animatronic monsters.
  • Hung/How to Make it in America (HBO, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – A couple of shows that… oh I don’t know.
  • Around the World in 80 Ways (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Can they use ‘every’ form of transportation.

The procrastinator lists items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation other than those underlined. Times noted are typically PST.

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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 9/13-9/19

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Another week until the full onslaught of fall kicks in, get your dvrs ready… procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

  • Oprah Winfrey/Nate Berkus Show (Syndicated) – I don’t really follow daytime but thought it worth noting that Oprah kicks off her last season while her latest protege, who is adorable, gets his own show.
  • 90210/Gossip Girl (CW, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – I watched GG for a few seasons with pleasure but just lost interest as the college years started, which would make me think this might be the last good season of 90210 if I had ever liked it.

Tuesday

  • One Tree Hill/Life Unexpected (CW, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Another couple shows that I gave a little time to but just couldn’t stick with.
  • Parenthood (NBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – This show grew on me over the season with the family drama and the always likable Lauren Graham and Peter Krause (and we all know they’re dating in real life right?).
  • Fashion’s Night Out (CBS, 10pm) – Neil Patrick Harris hosting almost makes me want to tune in.
  • 1000 Ways to Die (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – Um, ick.
  • Sextuplets Take NY (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – The obsession with procreation continues.

Wednesday

  • Survivor (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Another season, another destination, Nicaragua.
  • Ma’s Roadhouse (Tru, 9/9:30pm) Series Premiere – A Dallas man and his ma manage a bar, bike shop, and tattoo parlor.
  • Outlaw (NBC, 10pm, repeats Friday) Series Premiere – Jimmy Smits stepping down as Supreme Court Justice to help the little guy hasn’t gotten great buzz for a relatively procedural courtroom drama.
  • The Ultimate Fighter (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – Fight!
  • Top Chef Just Desserts (Brav, 11pm) Series Premiere – If you’re a Top Chef fan you can imagine what this’ll be like.

Thursday

  • The Apprentice (NBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Taking a break from celebrities, this season features the unemployed.
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia/The League (Fx, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – So wrong it’s right, and then taking fantasy leagues to the next level.

Friday

  • Ghost Adventures (Trav, 9pm) Season Premiere – Travel at its spookiest.
  • Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10pm) Season Premiere – Bill keeps it real.

Saturday

  • Dvr catch up?

Sunday

  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO, 8pm, repeats various) Series Premiere – Maybe the most critically buzzed about new show, Martin Scorsese directs Steve Buscemi as an Atlantic City power guy during 1920s Prohibition.
  • Real & Chance/Fantasia for Real/La La’s Full Court Wedding (VH1, 9/10/10:30pm) Series/Season Premieres – More shows, more reality.

Since scheduling come fall gets difficult and networks sometimes rerun pilots I’ll try to note repeat airings for new shows, all times are typically PST.

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new and noteworthy tv: 5/17-5/23

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I could talk about the one new show and Lost, Lost, Lost, but I guess we can talk about finales, what will they bring?

Monday

  • House (Fox, 8pm) Season Finale – Can House save another?
  • One Tree Hill (CW, 8pm) Season Finale – Are those kids still living in One Tree Hill?
  • Gossip Girl (CW, 9pm) Season Finale – Will Georgina’s return bring more drama?
  • Castle (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – Will Castle declare his love for Beckett?

Tuesday

  • 90210 (CW, 8pm) Season Finale – Drama? Romance? Arson?
  • V (ABC, 10pm) Season Finale – What are those Vs up to?

Wednesday

  • The Good Guys (Fx, 8pm) Series Premiere – Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks give the odd couple buddy cop show another avenue, the series premieres in its regular timeslot on 6/7.
  • The Middle/Modern Family/Cougar Town (ABC, 8:30-10pm) Season Finales – Did Cougar Town actually become one of my favorite comedies?
  • Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 10pm) Season Finale – Will Sharon Stone be the next ADA to leave?

Thursday

  • Bones/Fringe (Fox, 8/9pm) Season Finales – Will we continue to see creepy death and just plain creepy?
  • Community/Parks & Recreation/The Office /30 Rock/The Marriage Ref (NBC, 8-11pm) Season Finales – Will Community keep up the goodness? Will the other comedies return to goodness? Will I ever watch an ep of Ref?
  • CSI/The Mentalist (CBS, 9pm) Season Finale – Will death hit close to home? Will the psychic detective solve another?
  • Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9pm) Season Finale – What good could Mandy Moore bring to Grey’s?

Friday

  • Ghost Whisperer/Medium/Miami Medical (CBS, 8/9pm) Season Finale – If they don’t survive Miami Medical will one of the ladies talk to their ghosts?
  • Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 9pm) Season Finale – Will the Chef ever stop yelling?

Saturday

  • Golden God Awards (VH1 Classic, 10pm) – Metal awards?

Sunday

  • Lost (ABC, 7/9) Series Finale – Will Jack wake to find it was all a dream?
  • Brooks & Dunn (CBS, 8pm) – Whatever.
  • The Simpsons/The Cleveland Show/Family Guy (Fox, 8-10pm) Season Finale – Will animation domination be funny?
  • The Apprentice (NBC, 9pm) Season Finale – Will anyone care who wins?
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new and noteworthy tv: 3/8-3/14

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Monday

  • The Bachelor (ABC, 8pm) – For those doubters out there, we have a couple getting married.
  • Gossip Girl (CW, 9pm) – I missed a bunch of these and now folks seem to be hooking up with their partners from three years ago.
  • Trauma (NBC, 9pm) – Did you think this show was canceled?

Tuesday

  • 90210/Melrose Place (CW, 8/9pm) – Trash or trashy goodness? I have given up but if you haven’t they’re back.

Wednesday

  • America’s Next Top Model (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – They’ve dropped the tiny models and are back for another season of bitchiness, I dropped this last season but I’m giving it another go.
  • High Society (CW, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Just what was missing from the schedule, more reality, this time following some Manhattan socialite and her ‘friends’.
  • First Love, Second Chance (TVL, 10pm) Series Premiere – Couples that didn’t happen, give it another go.
  • Billy the Exterminator (A&E, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Billy exterminates.

Thursday

  • Sober House (VH1, 10pm) Season Premiere – Some of the gang new and old gives sober living a shot, including Tom Sizemore, Heidi Fleiss, Dennis Rodman, Seth Binzer, Kari Ann Peniche, Kendra Jade Rossi, and Mike Starr, I still can’t look away.

Friday

  • Numb3rs (CBS, 10pm) Finale – This show hasn’t officially been canceled but if you’re a fan you might get ready to say goodbye.

Saturday

  • The Guard (Ion, 9/10pm) Series Premiere – The Canadian Coast Guard comes to the US.

Sunday

  • Minute to Win It (NBC, 7pm) Series Premiere – What will contestants be asked to do in a minute?
  • The Apprentice (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Another round of ‘celebrities’ compete, who will be fired first? will Brett Michaels be seen without his bandanna?
  • The Pacific (HBO, 9pm) – This ten part miniseries kicks off at Pearl Harbor.
  • Ultimate Recipe Showdown (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – Starting the season with comfort foods.
  • Sons of Tucson (Fox, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – The kind of funny guy from Reaper pretends to be a foster parent to some kids.
  • America’s Worst Driver (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Do we really want to focus on bad driving.
  • The Antonio Treatment (HGTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Hmm, they are redoing a gym?
  • Hoarding (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – If Hoarders wasn’t enough for you, you can chase it with some Hoarding.
  • Kendra/Pretty Wild (E!, 10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Some girl is followed by a few girls.
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my schedule

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Looks like fall shows have launched and now that I’ve given it a look or two, with my goal as always to keep shows to two per time slot max, until they cancel, reschedule, add, or I just get over something, here’s where I’m at:

Monday

  • 8pm – House (Fox) / How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
  • 9pm – Gossip Girl (CW) / Big Bang Theory (CBS 9:30)
  • 10pm – Castle (ABC)

House is one of those shows I wish I could give up but somehow don’t (Laurie is good but they just almost kill a person until they save them every week), Gossip Girl is a quality guilty pleasure, and Castle has Nathan Fillion who is great enough to pull off this relatively formulaic weekly crime drama; although I do occasionally catch 2 1/2 Men I would love to redo the schedule and put HIMYM and BBTheory in the same hour, both are good fun. I’ve been catching Trauma on Saturday repeats.

Tuesday

  • 9pm – Melrose Place (CW)
  • 10pm – The Good Wife (CBS)

Melrose has just been so bad I can’t quite turn away, mostly because there is no competition for me on this night (I hope the cheesiness is intended) but I’ll probably tune in until Heather shows, and have found Julianna and supporting cast to be interesting in the mix of personal drama and weekly lawyerness on Wife.

Wednesday

  • 8pm – The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS) / The Middle (ABC) / Mercy (NBC)
  • 9pm – Glee (Fox) / Modern Family (ABC)

Christine is finally paired with something that might be kind of funny, too bad it’s on another network, let’s hope they don’t mess up my time blocks, unless they pair Middle with Modern which so far is good; Glee is my favorite new show of the season, and I don’t know why so far I keep watching Mercy it’s not actually good. Have been getting SVU and ANTM on repeat nights.

Thursday

  • 8pm – Bones (Fox) / Community / Parks & Recreation (NBC)
  • 9pm – Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) / The Office / 30 Rock (NBC)
  • 10pm – The Mentalist (CBS)

I still dig Bones and am happy that Community actually seems to be funny paired with P&R which I still find a little uneven but funny. I am almost over Grey’s (I’m never excited to watch but still seem to enjoy the episodes) and still enjoying Office and looking forward to return of 30Rock; oh yeah and Simon is still good on the Mentalist.

Friday

  • 8pm – Law & Order (NBC)
  • 9pm – Dollhouse (Fox) / ANTM (CW)
  • 10pm  – Numb3rs (CBS)

L&O is always a good staple but I don’t so much care, Dollhouse is still a little uneven but I love the way they explore the themes of identity, and I really want to be over ANTM (the less of Tyra the better); Numb3rs is a show I just keep on the list just because I kind of like the math FBI brothers and their dad.

Saturday

  • 9pm – Trauma (NBC)
  • 10pm – Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

I don’t know if I’ll stick with Trauma but we’ll see, and if I miss an ep of any of the L&Os I don’t really notice but keep them in the queue.

Sunday

  • Day of rest.

But what about cable? Fortunately those shows I’m still getting tend to repeat in the off hours so I can catch at random times, currently I am mostly catching Sons of Anarchy on FX and am going to have to check online for the final eps of Greek and Monk until I decide on a cable commitment (I’ve got some Dexter waiting for me one someone else’s Tivo as well).

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next week 9/14

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New and notable in the week ahead… procrastinator picks are underlined,

Monday

  • Lincoln Heights (ABCFam, 8pm) Season Premiere – One of the few shows I’ve never seen an episode of, probably won’t tune in now with expectations of tuning out.
  • One Tree Hill (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – I made it through the first season before I couldn’t take it anymore and sort of surprised it’s still on.
  • Gossip Girl (CW, 9pm) Season Premiere – The gang is back with the high school drama transition to college, good thing Little J and that other brother will keep us in school uniform variations.
  • Eddie Griffin: Going for Broke (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Who wants more reality?
  • The Jay Leno Show (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – So is it the demise of television as we know it, or is it just Jay at a different time?

Tuesday

  • The Biggest Loser (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Heartwarming stories make it too hard for me to make fun, I like my reality a little cheesier.

Wednesday

  • Full Color Football (Show, 8pm) Series Premiere – I’m still stuck on black and white football.
  • The Beautiful Life (CW, 9pm) Series Premiere – With Mischa Barton fresh off her psychiatric hold, I mean wisdom tooth breakdown, will this show about models be bad enough to be good or just plain bad?
  • MysteryQuest (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Some sort of quest for a mystery.
  • The Ultimate Fighter (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – 16 fighters compete.

Thursday

  • Bones (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – What’s the future for Booth and Bones with the brain tumor removal induced amnesia, that’s actually a little soapier than this show normally goes, back to romantic tension and the case of the week.
  • SNL/Parks & Recreation/The Office/Community (NBC, 8/8:30/9/9:30pm) Season/Series Premiere – Weekend update Thursday kicks of this night of expected laughs, Parks & Rec still needs to find its footing but worth a watch, and then The Office shows that Jim and Pam together can still be funny, and newcomer Community introducing a washed up dude turned community college professor and his band of misfits tutor group including none other than Chevy Chase.
  • Survivor (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – This time it’s Samoa for more castaways, more plotting, more torches getting snuffed.
  • Extreme Cuisine (Food, 9pm) Series Premiere – Jeff Corwin heads off to Greece.
  • Fringe (Fox, 9pm) Season Premiere – I couldn’t quite get on board with this last season.
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx, 10pm) Season Premiere – I don’t watch this show regularly and I ask myself why, first the gang tries their hand at the mortgage crisis.

Friday

  • Alma Awards (ABC, 8pm) – Eva Longoria Parker and George Lopez host.
  • Crash (Starz, 10pm) Season Premiere – Who gets Starz channel anyhow?

Saturday

  • Action Sports (NBC, Sat/Sun, 9/11am) – The Dew Tour has the Toyota Challenge hits Salt Lake City.

Sunday

  • Emmy Awards (CBS, 8pm) – I still don’t care but this year it’s hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, 9pm) Season Premiere – As I’m sure you’ve heard there’s a Seinfeld reunion coming.
  • Bored to Death (HBO, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Jason Schwartzman is a writer, no wait now he’s a detective.
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