tv

binge season

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the-wire

Summer used to be known as a time to get outside because there was nothing on tv (and you know because of the nice weather). But today ‘nothing on tv’ is a little less true and even if you can’t find any live tv what better time to do a little catching up on series you might have missed the first time.

Personally I like to balance my standard catch up and new summer shows with one new series I plan to glut on, and I prefer that new series to be one that has already completed. I also prefer series that are available via one of the mediums I already have access to (I’m not yet ready to pay for a new cable or streaming service unless I’ve exhausted all my other options).

Following are a few of the things I’m considering as well as a few shows I might recommend:

  • Absolutely Fabulous (BBC) – These ladies are so culturally ingrained but I’ve only seen them outside the actual show.
  • Big Love (HBO) – Are we intrigued by the polygamists?
  • Caprica (Syfy) – I wrapped BStarG not that long ago and was wondering if this was worth a follow up.
  • The Comeback (HBO) – This is an exception to the complete rule because I read that the cancelled show is in fact coming back, what better time to jump in to Lisa Kudrow’s character try to revive her career?
  • Deadwood (HBO) – Outlaw misfits in the gold rush, oh and Timothy Olyphant, need I say more?
  • Oz (HBO) – Prison drama, as I understand it a little more serious than current OITNB.
  • Prime Suspect (Netflix) – I recently started pulling up this one, lady detective not so revolutionary but reminds me a bit of The Closer in the getting to squad to accept her sort of thing, considering putting it back at the top of the queue.
  • Rescue Me (Fx) – Recently tuned in to Sirens which I enjoyed and was sort of described to me as a lighter version of this.
  • The Shield (Fx) – Corrupt police with Michael Chiklis might fill my recent gap in police dramas.
  • The Wire (HBO) – Everyone talks about this but it’s a lot of episodes and until recently hasn’t been available enough without Netflix dvds, but am I ready to finally commit?

And for some of the shows I might recommend if you’re looking for summertime fodder:

  • Buffy/Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse – No surprise here, last summer’s plan (or the summer before) was to rewatch the previously unavailable to me Joss Wedon series start to finish, totally worth it.
  • Battlestar Gallactica/Friday Night Lights – Two of my more recent binge shows, very different but both well worth a watch for the characters and drama of their own communities.
  • The X Files – I’m not sure I actually finished this series once we moved to other players but I’ve recently started to re-gander at this one.
  • Arrested Development – I redid this one before Netflix picked up the last season, and though the revisit season was worthwhile but of mixed success the original series sure holds up.
  • Freaks and Geeks/Undeclared – Want to get a taste for early Apatow humor, Freaks particularly worth a look for the great cast in early roles with some teen angst and whatnot.
  • Don’t Trust the B- in Apt 23 – Recently went back to catch this since I’m not sure they ever aired them all and quite amusing.
  • Terriers/Saving Grace/The Riches/Chuck – A few series I haven’t been back to but quite enjoyed the first time around.

Not currently as easily available but worth a watch: Beverly Hills 90210 (the original), Bunheads, Flight of the Concords, Gilmore Girls, Men of a Certain Age, The O.C., Pushing Daisies, Six Feet Under, Sopranos, Southland, and Veronica Mars.

Let me know in the comments what you think I should pick next, I think you can tell what I’m leaning toward.

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best, tv

procrastinator picks – top tv of 2011

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The critics have given their best lists so it’s time for mine. As most of you know I don’t get top tier cable so some of the HBO and Showtime and other options are waiting for a Netflix showing for me to properly evaluate. And as with all of my top ten lists there could be a good degree of variability particularly on order but also on inclusion depending on the way the wind blows… but here’s where I ended up today:

  • Justified (Fx) – Last season’s plot line did a great job of not only showcasing why we love US Marshall Raylan but the complexities of the good and not so good guys in rural Kentucky.
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – I’m still impressed with the well rounded stories and characters and the politics that go into everything they do, be it the weekly court case, the running of the law firm, the family drama and of course the politics.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – This series started off a little rough not quite knowing what to do with their Office spinoff-ish format, but the show has really found its footing week after week with small town office politics and the characters involved.
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX) – Have recently been wondering how many club members could die a season and still keep going, but this show makes me mostly suspend belief as I am caught up in all the tensions wondering how they will ever make it through the next jam.
  • Bones (Fox) – So far I still enjoy the chemistry and character between/of the two leads as their relationship progresses on this sciency procedural with a supporting cast of folks that add good stuff to each week.
  • The Glee Project (Oxy) – This new angle on talent competition, looking for someone who would fit into a specific show focusing on slightly underdog characters, coached and judged by the cast, staff, and creators gives a great look at both the talent and what goes into getting it all together.
  • Men of a Certain Age (TNT) – Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher each embodied a wonderfully nuanced character dealing with the dramas of life, I enjoyed what was unfortunately the final season.
  • Parenthood (NBC) – Ah the silly Bravermans keep making missteps but they seem to mostly balance family drama ridiculousness with some touching and truthful moments from each of the generations.
  • Cougar Town (ABC)/Community (NBC) – These two comedies were more uneven than some but still consistently gave me the most laughs and enjoyment, both took a little while to find their footing but they each were able to find the funny in their off beat characters and situations.

And of course lots of  stuff almost made the list, my TiVo is certainly full! What are your picks?

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critic’s picks – top tv 2011

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It’s that time of year again, yearend top tens! So the critics favored some new and some old. I don’t have Showtime, or HBO, so more to add to my queue. Check the links at bottom for a little more background and in some cases a longer list (people, I know 10 is arbitrary but 30?). Stay tuned for my Top TV of 2010, I’m still assimilating my TiVo backlog.

  • 30 Rock (NBC) – TG
  • American Horror Story (Fx) – MEF, GG
  • Archer (Fx) – TVM
  • Awkward (MTV) – MoR, MEF
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – MR
  • The Big C (Show) – Sat
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – AS, Sat, TG, JL, AFI, GG
  • Boss (Starz) – GG
  • Breaking Bad (AMC) – AS, Sat, TG, MEF, TVM, MoR, AVC, KT, JP, AFI, MR, DF
  • The Colbert Report (Com) – KT
  • Community (NBC) – AS, Sat, JL, MoR, JP, MR, AVC
  • Cougar Town (ABC) – TVM
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – AFI
  • Downton Abbey (PBS) – MEF, JL, MoR, MR, DF, KT
  • Enlightened (HBO) – GG, JP, KT, AVC
  • Episodes (Show) – Sat, GG
  • Friday Night Lights (DirTV/NBC) – JP, AS, Sat, JL, TVM, MoR, AVC, DF
  • Fringe (Fox) – TVM, MR, KT
  • Game of Thrones (HBO) – AS, TG, MEF, JL, GG, MoR, AVC, JP, AFI, MR, DF
  • Glee (Fox) – GG
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – JL, AVC, JP, AFI, MR, KT
  • Homeland (Show) – AS, TG, MEF, JL, GG, TVM, MoR, AVC, AFI, MR, JP, DF, KT
  • The Hour (BBCA) – DF
  • The Inbetweeners (BBCA) – TG
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx) – Sat, TG
  • Justified (Fx) – AS, Sat, TG, MEF, JL, TVM, MoR, JP, AFI, MR, DF, KT, AVC
  • Louie (Fx) – AS, Sat, TG, TVM, MoR, JP, AFI, DF, KT, AVC
  • Men of a Certain Age (TNT) – AS, MoR
  • The Middle (ABC) – MR
  • Modern Family (ABC)  – Sat, MEF, AFI, MR, GG
  • New Girl (Fox) – MR, GG
  • Parenthood (NBC) – JL
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – AS, TG, JL, TVM, MoR, AVC, KT, JP, AFI, DF
  • Raising Hope (Fox) – MEF
  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx) – Sat, MEF, TVM
  • Treme (HBO) – Sat
  • The Vampire Diaries (CW) – DF
  • The United States of Tara (Show) – AS

AFI, AS – Alan Sepinwall for HitFix, AVC – AV Club, DF – Daniel Feinberg for Hitfix, GG – Golden Globes,  JL – Jace Lacob for The Daily Beast, JP – James Poniewozik for Time, KT – Ken Tucker for EW, MEF – Maria Elena Fernandez for The Daily Beast, MR – Matt Roush for TV Guide, MoR – Maureen Ryan for The Huffington Post, Sat – Satellite Awards, TG – Tim Goodman for the Hollywood Reporter, TVM – TVMcGee

 

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new and noteworthy tv: 5/30-6/5

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It looks like summer is here, if not in weather then in the start of summer series…

Monday

  • Basketball Wives/Single Ladies (VH1, 8pm) Season/Series Premieres – Real life wives and then a fictional take with a Sex & the City-esque hang with some gal pals.
  • Cake Boss (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Will the NASA cake fly?
  • Platinum Hit (Brav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Kara DioGuardi and Jewel bring us the latest singing slant on folks who write their own.
  • Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition (ABC 10pm) Series Premiere – Spending a year with one person instead of a couple weeks with a couple dozen contestants.

Tuesday

  • NBA Finals (ABC, 6pm) – Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks kick it off.
  • America’s Got Talent (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Another season of random talent.
  • Deception with Keith Barry (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – A ‘mentalist’ looks at the world of deception.
  • The Little Couple (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Fertility issues continue.
  • Love Handles (Life, 10pm) Series Premiere – How could a mix of reality, couples, and weight issues be wrong?
  • Million Dollar Decorators (Brav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Hmm, how far does a million dollars go?

Wednesday

  • Franklin & Bash/Men of a Certain Age (TNT, 9/10pm) Series/Season Premiere – Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer offer up another take on unconventional lawyering then more conventional guys.
  • Haunted Collector/Hollywood Treasure (Syfy, 9/10pm) Series/Season Premieres – Not just places but things can be haunted and this guy takes a look, then a look at items more cinematic.
  • Man v. Food Nation/Sand Masters (Trav, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Food challenges hit the road and then sand castles get serious.
  • Sweat Equity (DIY, 9pm) Season Premiere – More home repair.
  • Love in the Wild (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Think Survivor as a dating show.
  • The World According to Paris (Oxy, 10pm) Series Premiere – I am not even interested in Hilton in a trashy sort of way.

Thursday

  • The First 48: Missing Persons (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Spinoff of The First 48 follows missing persons.
  • Love Bites (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – I believe this is a summer burn off of a romance anthology that never quite made it into the schedule.
  • NY Ink (TLC, 10) Series Premiere – A Miami Ink guys starts up in NY.
  • Children’s Hospital (AdSw, 11:59pm) Season Premiere – This is one of those comedies that is so random I kept wanting to like it.

Friday

  • French Open (NBC, 11am) – The week on ESPN2 leads up to the men’s semis, with women’s final Saturday at 6am/pst and men’s final Sunday 6am finals.
  • Whale Wars (AnPl, 9pm) Season Premiere – More anti-whaling action.

Saturday

  • NHL Stanley Cup Finals (NBC, 5pm) – Go hockey, Game 1 is Wed at 5pm/pst, games 3 & 4 head to Vs. and returns to NBC for 5 and on if needed.

Sunday

  • Food Network Challenge/The Next Food Network Star (Food, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – 80s cakes and then 15 new chef’s arrive to compete.
  • MTV Movie Awards (MTV, 9pm) – Jason Sudeikis hosts the one where they vote for things like ‘The Best Kiss.’
  • Ice Road Truckers (Hist, 9pm) Season Premiere – More ice, more trucking, more truckers.
  • Locked Up Abroad (NGC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Crimes in foreign countries strikes me as a bad idea.
  • Finding Bigfoot (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – Do you think they find him?
  • Freaky Eaters (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – I’m glad these people are getting help even if it is through exploitation tv.
  • The Glades (A&E, 10pm) Season Premiere – I found this fluffy detective out of his element in Florida series not necessarily great but enjoyable.
  • Mancations (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Man friendly getaways.
  • The Real L Word (Show, 10pm) Season Premiere – Reality show lesbian-style.
  • Teen Wolf (MTV, 11pm) Series Premiere – I can’t stop picturing Michael J Fox and Justin Bateman but this is a much more modern take on a high school werewolf.

new and noteworthy tv: 6/6 – 6/12

June 5th, 2011

Monday

  • Masterchef (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – A few kitchen dudes look for the next amateur ready to make it big time.
  • My Yard Goes to Disney/House Hunters on Vacation/HGTV’d (HGTV, 8/8:30/9pm) Series Premieres – Outdoor spaces Disneyfied, travelers visit homes before selecting one as a vacation stay, and surprise makeovers.
  • Switched at Birth (ABCFam, 9pm) Series Premiere – It reads like a Lifetime movie but this latest fictional look at the rare familial entanglements will keep going week after week, this family channel is often too trite but sometimes worth a look.
  • Unfaithful/The Dr Laura Berman Show (OWN, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – A look at infidelities and then a camera joins the dr’s radio show.
  • Behind Mansion Walls (ID, 10pm) Series Premiere – Why just look at murders when you can look at murders involving rich people.

Tuesday

  • White Collar/Covert Affairs (USA, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Campy spy business back to back, I’m more enamored with the likable hustler than the newest addition to the CIA.
  • 19 Kids & Counting (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Please tell me these people aren’t still counting on more kids.
  • Love/Lust (Sund, 10pm) Season Premiere – The season starts out with a look at street foods.

Wednesday

  • CMT Music Awards (CMT, 8pm) – Country goodness.
  • Operation Repo (Tru, 9pm) Season Premiere – More repossessions.

Thursday

  • Nightmare Next Door (ID, 10pm) Season Premiere – Crimes in your own neighborhood, depending on where you live.

Friday

  • My Babysitter’s a Vampire (Dis, 7pm) Series Premiere – Disney’s take on vampires in our midst.
  • FBI: Criminal Pursuit (ID, 10pm) Season Premiere – Cops FBI-style.

Saturday

  • Color Splash (HGTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – A tranquil bedroom update.

Sunday

  • The Tony Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Host Neil Patrick Harris has been teasing me with glorious reviews of broadway’s best, via twitter of course.
  • Bridezillas/Amsale Girls (WE, 9/10pm) Season Premiere – Difficult brides from bride and bridal store perspective.
  • Finding Sarah (OWN, 9pm) Series Premiere – Folks like Dr Phil and Suzy Ormand help out Sarah Ferguson.
  • The Glee Project (Oxy, 9pm) Series Premiere – Real life Gleeks compete for a role on Glee, I’m mildly intrigued though don’t think I get this channel.
  • Swamp Wars (AnPl, 9pm) Series Premiere – Beheaded pythons and gator killings.
  • Keeping Up With the Kardashians/Ice Loves Coco (E!, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – Blah, blah, reality, blah, blah.
  • The Protector (Life, 10pm) Series Premiere – This series introduces us to a divorced homicide detective’s work and home.

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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