tv

my schedule

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Things are already wrapping up for their fall finales but everything is finally basically out so here’s where I’m at. *New shows indicated.

Monday

  • 10pm – The Brave* (NBC)

This show isn’t necessarily all that good but it has avoided must of the unbearable personal stories or soapy drama that made the others of this ilk unwatchable, and you know so far they succeed on their missions in an uplifting way.

Tuesday

  • 8pm – The Middle/Fresh off the Boat (ABC) /  Lethal Weapon (Fox)
  • 9pm – This is Us (NBC) /  Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)
  • 10pm – Kevin (Probably) Saves the World* (ABC)

Some good classics are still hitting the queue, though I am almost over This Is Us unless they find a way to make anyone else as interesting as Randall and his family’s stories. I am thoroughly enjoying the oddball Jason Ritter series where he’s trying to balance family and his new secret missions with his invisible to others new cohort.

Wednesday

  • 8pm – Speechless (ABC)

I dropped this show mid-way through last season but am glad to say I listened to critics and got back on board.

Thursday

  • 8pm – Gotham (Fox) / Superstore/The Good Place (NBC) / The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
  • 9pm – Will & Grace*/Great News (NBC) / Mom/Life in Pieces (CBS)

I am mostly waiting for Gotham to be canceled and I am not sure how into Great News or Life in Pieces but some good comedies are still hitting Thursday night including the funny familiar though uneven Will & Grace.

Sunday

  • 8pm – Ghosted* (Fox)
  • 10pm – Madam Secretary (CBS)

I’m enjoying the buddy paranormal fighting comedy and the Secretary still gives me hope for politics where most things turn out ok.

And because no one lives on network alone, some cable shows that are in the queue: Better Things (Fx), Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (BBCA), Full Frontal (TBS), Good Behavior (TNT), Ink Master: Angels* (Spike), You’re the Worst (FXX), Z Nation (Syfy)

And I still haven’t watched this season yet but they’re backing up: The Long Road Home* (NGC), Mr. Robot (USA), Project Runway (Life), Queen Sugar (OWN), Top of the Lake (Sun)

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new and noteworthy tv: 11/13-11/19

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I wrapped the second season of Stranger Things and though it’s probably not going to blow anyone away it keeps many of the notes of the first and keeps the kids busy. And I’ve made it on to the final season of The Wire, this season I think we add in the newsroom. Though looks like this week Netflix is adding two series I’ll be compelled to get started on.

  • Ill Behaviour (Show) Series Premiere, Monday, 10:30pm – This is dubbed a comedy thriller so not sure what to expect fro this six-part BBC series.
  • Future Man (Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday – A janitor/gamer is visited by folks from the future to save humanity and I’ve read a few positive reviews.
  • Bushcraft Build-Off (Disc) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – For the survivalist fans not sure whether this slant is in your bag as folks compete by making structures with primitive skills.
  • Back (SundNow) Series Premiere, Thursday – A dark comedy about a man looking to take over the family business after his father passes only to be met by his foster brother who wants to get back in the mix.
  • There’s… Johnny! (Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday – A comedy set in the world of The Tonight Show as a new gofer starts his job.
  • Longmire (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – Excited for the new season though sad that it’s the final season.
  • Marvel’s the Punisher (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – These Marvel series have been uneven but there’s something about them that keep me tuning back in, we’ll see if this darker slice introduced in Daredevil merits our attention.

The procrastinator lists 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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new and noteworthy tv: 11/6-11/12

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With the majority of Fall tv out I’m starting to winnow down the queue to get back to saving some time for things like The Wire. 

  • The Long Road Home (NGC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 9pm – A dramatic retelling of an ambush during the Iraq War, though I’m tempted to add historical dramas to the other sort of series I’m not watching I’ve read some good reviews of this.
  • Damnation (USA) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – a man masquerading as a preaching during 1930s in the American heartland, doesn’t sound that compelling.
  • CMA Awards (ABC) Wednesday, 8pm – Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood host.
  • Hot Date (Pop) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 8pm – A comedy focusing on the social mores of dating, sex, and marriage.
  • The Climb (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – A new comedy looking at a couple of friends in Detroit trying to get internet famous.
  • Lady Dynamite (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I never got into this show but her particular style of comedy resonates well with some peeps.
  • Sea Oak (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – From George Saunders based on his story about a meek woman played by Glen Close killed who comes back with determination to live the life she never had.

The procrastinator lists 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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new and noteworthy tv: 10/30-11/5

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While some shows are calling this week their Fall Finale (a new term shows made up for the extensive break over the holidays) a few of our final fall shows are starting things off with their Series and Season Premieres.

  • Call My Agent (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday – I don’t recall the first season of this series coming out but this French comedy about a talent agency and its celebrity clients returns.
  • SWAT (CBS) Series Premiere, Thursday, 10pm – Shemar Moore stars in this tactical police show that reportedly has some grains of promise but overall looks like it disappoints.
  • Alias Grace (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – The latest Margaret Atwood adaptation hits as a miniseries that looks worth checking out.
  • SMILF (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – Single twenty something mom does a show based on her short film of the same title, I have heard middling reviews.

The procrastinator lists 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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new and noteworthy tv: 10/23-10/29

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It’s a light week while we wait for a few final shows to see the light of day.

  • Fearless (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – Legal conspiracy thriller digs into an old case that starts to uncover a bit more.
  • Stranger Things (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I enjoyed the first season of this, more like a campy summer matinee than a quality show but hoping for an equally bingeable season 2.
  • It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (ABC) – Halloween party.

The procrastinator lists 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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new and noteworthy tv: 10/16-10/22

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  • Hit the Road/Loudermilk (Aud) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10/10:30pm – A family band led by Jason Alexander hits the road in this half hour comedy followed by Ron Livingston as a recovering alcohol and substance abuse counselor who apparently doesn’t have his shit together, better buzz for the later than the former on this ATT channel.
  • Freakish (Huly ) Season Premiere, Wednesday – The group of trapped High School students are met by new survivors.
  • It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown / Toy Story of Terror (ABC) Thursday, 8/8:30pm – It’s officially Halloween season.
  • Haters Back Off (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – Another season of this comedy of an untalented star on the rise, I have yet to check out this middlingly reviewed show.
  • Red Oaks (Am) Season Premiere, Friday – I never quite got into this 80’s country club comedy.
  • Superstition (Syfy) Series Premiere, Friday – I had this listed a couple of weeks ago but apparently this Funeral Home and paranormal show hits now.

The procrastinator lists 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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new and noteworthy tv: 10/9-10/15

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I went out of town for a minute and now am totally behind on new shows. I did enjoy Kevin (Probably) Saves the World and Ghosted but have a few more shows to try and retry before I see what settles in.

  • Valor (CW) Series Premiere, Monday, 9pm – The third of the elite military teams, this one focuses on elite chopper pilots and is done CW style with a little more pretty and a little more romance.
  • Chance (Hulu) Season Premiere, Wednesday – Based on the book by Kem Nunn, Hugh Laurie returns to series as neuropsychiatrist.
  • Queers (BBCA) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10am – Eight separate films telling stories of British gay history.
  • Dynasty (CW) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – If you’re old enough to remember the first one you may not be watching the CW, good soapy fun?
  • I Love You, America (Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday – Sarah Silverman channels her soft side as she gets to know folks across our great land.
  • Comedy Get Down (BET) Thursday 11:30pm – A scripted behind the scenes look of a stand-up comedy tour.
  • Lore (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – Based on the podcast it’s an anthology series of a look behind modern day myths and legends.
  • Mindhunter (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Two FBI agents try to get the answers as to how crazy people think.
  • Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – Based on the original 70s series that I remember fondly enough to maybe take a look at this version for nostalgia sake.
  • White Famous (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – SNL’s Jay Pharoah plays a young comedian who starts making it big.

The procrastinator lists 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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new and noteworthy tv: 10/2-10/8

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I’ve been chipping away at some of the new shows but other than locking in a few oldies Big Bang, Lethal Weapon, Brooklyn 99, Speechless, Superstore, and The Good Place nothing new has stuck, though I might check out second eps.

  • 9JKL (CBS) Series Premiere, Monday, 8:30pm – Newly divorced and washed up actor moves back to an apartment neighboring his family, good actors so far not great buzz.
  • The Gifted (Fox) Series Premiere, Monday, 9pm – In the X-Men universe a man tasked with rounding up mutants has a change of heart as his family becomes the hunted, sounds like it has potential.
  • Grown Folks (Bounce) Series Premiere, Monday, 9:30pm – Two couples deal with ‘issues of life in hilarious ways,’ on a network someone probably gets.
  • The Halcyon (Ova) Series Premiere, Monday, 10pm – A drama set in 1940 showing London life in a 5-star hotel and the impact of war.
  • The Mayor (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 9:30pm – The new sitcom has gotten the most consistent good buzz so worth checking out a rapper turned mayor.
  • Ink Master: Angels (Spike) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – I don’t normally point out new reality, but I’m intrigued to see four female former contestants travel around competing in inking challenges as victors could be heading to Ink Master.
  • Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – Jason Ritter stars as a guy who doesn’t quite have his act together when he gets a ‘messenger of God’ only he can see, looks quirky.
  • Ghost Wars (Syfy) Series Premiere, Thursday, 10pm – A medium, an earthquake, and bad stuff happening, who knows.
  • Suburra (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Italian-language organized crime.
  • Superstition (Syfy) Series Premiere, Friday – Mario van Peebles stars as head of a funeral home with a little extra responsibility dealing with the paranormal.

The procrastinator lists 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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new and noteworthy tv: 9/25-10/1

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Fall is officially here, both seasonally and televisionally so get out your remotes. I’ll look back longingly on the nice week of comedies The Good Life, Better Things, Bojack Horseman, You’re the Worst, and getting ready for One Mississippi. Below are the new series but take a perusal to your own lineup to make sure your season passes are all up to date because a ton of stuff starts this week.

  • Young Sheldon/Me Myself & I (CBS) Season/Series Premiere, Monday, 8:30/9:30pm – Following The Big Bang Theory this spinoff goes to a sweeter side of Sheldon, and later the three phases of one guy’s life may or may not strike the right amusement.
  • The Brave (NBC) Series Premiere, Monday, 10pm – One of several military procedurals, Special Ops responds, I think this one is a pass.
  • The Good Doctor (ABC) Series Premiere, Monday, 10pm – Showing the implications of the Autism spectrum on this doctor and probably a weird case of the week.
  • Difficult People (Hulu) Season Premiere, Tuesday – These difficult peeps are supposed to be amusing, though I am still Hulu free.
  • L&O True Crime: The Menendez Murders (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – If this is your bag it’s probably worth checking out the latest showing of a headline worthy crime.
  • Seal Team (CBS) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – Another military take, this one hasn’t gotten great buzz but I always give David Boreanaz a look.
  • Liar (Sund) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – A six part series where secrets and lies unravel in this ‘classed up’ melodrama.
  • Roshaven (Sund) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 11pm – Australian comedy series set in Tasmania supposedly a fresh small town comedy.
  • Startup (Crackle) Season Premiere, Thursday – This is one of those shows on a network I don’t know what it is but I’m not sure it’s supposed to be all that good.
  • Will & Grace (NBC) Season Premiere, Thursday, 9pm – This is both being billed as a new season and as season one of the new take but if you liked the gang in early episodes be sure to tune in.
  • Big Mouth (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Animated comedy by and based on Nick Kroll’s teen years with many big voices.
  • Real Rob (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – It always surprises me when I really don’t remember a show at all but streaming shows seem to be slipping past my try to watch at least one episode as they get deferred, this one about Rob Schneider doesn’t look like it was that well reviewed.
  • Tin Star (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – This might be worth a look as Tim Roth plays a police chief moving his English family to a Canadian town, with secrets of course.
  • Marvels Inhumans (ABC) Series Premiere, Friday, 8pm – This is the one that’s supposed to be a dud, where a family of inhuman royalty I think is living on the moon until some infighting somehow sees them ending up in Hawaii and fighting in some way.
  • Ghosted (Fox) Series Premiere, Sunday, 8:30pm – Craig Robinson as washed up cop and Adam Scott as washed up astro-physicist pair up in something like a comedy X-Files.
  • Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS) Series Premiere, Sunday, 8:30pm – Another supposed to be dud where Jeremy Piven uses his tech skills to get everyone in the world to help solve crimes.
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – Another of the lapsed series that might have fallen out of your queue, David is back after a six year break.
  • Ten Days in the Valley (ABC) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – Krya Sedgewick returns though not sure if she’s the victim of crime, her daughter gets kidnapped, it’ll have the same spark.

The procrastinator lists 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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intriguing new fall tv

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So the critics overall aren’t noting a lot of intrigue in the new season but you sometimes find a few that fill some empty slots in your schedule, or just backlog your dvr queue. Comedies overall I give a longer leash to find themselves but generally I like to give a show two episodes to win me over to at least want to see more, though a few don’t make it that far. Here’s what’s on the horizon.

  • 9JKL (CBS, 10/2) – Family living right next door in the same apartment building may be too close for comfort but though it includes Linda Lavin and Elliott Gould as Mark Feuerstein’s parents, early buzz makes me think it’s clunky.
  • Dynasty (CW, 10/11) – A return to soapy nighttime fun is the attempt, I’ll check this out but typically unless there’s something special going these don’t work and I haven’t heard anything special (if there is something special going on I might make it a season or two).
  • Ghosted (Fox, 10/1) – Who wouldn’t want to check out Craig Robinson and Adam Scott being amusing and investigating the paranormal?
  • The Gifted (Fox, 10/2) / Marvel’s Inhumans (ABC, 9/29) – The latest other-than-human intros, of the two The Gifted from the X-Men franchise focusing on teens/families dealing with nascent mutant abilities is supposed to be good and the other about inhuman royal family internal struggles that force them into the regular world is supposed to be a dud.
  • The Good Doctor (ABC, 9/25) – Another unlikely or unlikable Dr with pretty impressive skills, this one with Freddie Highmore, fresh off of Bates Motel, is supposed to be a little sweet as we see how his Asperger impacts his work.
  • Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, 10/3) – Jason Ritter in a sort of Joan of Arcadia type show, and he’s charming enough as an actor to hope this one finds a good stride.
  • L&O True Crime: The Menendez Murders (NBC, 9/26) – This is so completely capitalizing on American Crime but I trust them to take a turn at this, though I might have my fill of these retellings for a bit.
  • The Mayor (ABC, 10/3) – Hearing good buzz all around on this comedy showing hip hop artist as mayor, after running for a little self-promotion, but you know he’s got a heart of gold and a member of supporting staff to whip things into shape.
  • Me, Myself and I (CBS, 10/2) – Visiting a man at three different points in his life with actors picked less for resemblance, still curious for a look at Bobby Moynihan and John Larroquette.
  • The Orville (Fox, 9/10) – This slightly light but not comical Seth MacFarlane Star Trek-like show just didn’t hit any notes to make it worth tuning back into.
  • SWAT (CBS, 11/2) /  SEAL Team (CBS, 9/27) / The Brave (NBC, 9/25) / Valor (CW, 10/9) – I’m lumping these altogether because they strike me as sort of the same people saving people, SWAT is the Shemar one that I’ve heard has some potential and SEAL Team is the David Boreanaz one that might have less but at least has him, I think the other two are a pass.
  • Ten Days in the Valley (ABC, 10/1) – Kyra Sedgwick returns to tv in a show about a woman working in tv and her daughter goes missing, and apparently there are secrets, worth a look.
  • Wisdom of the Crowd (CBS, 10/1) – This strikes me a bit like last season’s APB from Fox where a single guy uses his weird vendetta technique to try to help the greater good, only this one is Jeremy Piven and crowd sourcing and getting terrible reviews.
  • Young Sheldon (CBS, 9/25) – I’m dubious about this BBT spinoff but I think it will end up being just a totally different tone so while I’ll try not to worry about continuity I’m not sure the sweeter Wonder Years take will hit the sweet spot for me.

And I’m just starting to scratch the surface on some of the additional cable and streaming offerings: American Vandal (Net, 9/15), The Deuce (HBO, 9/10), Future Man (hulu, 11/14), Hit the Road (ATTAud, 10/17), Hot Date (Pop, 11/8), The Last O.G. (TBS, 10/24), Liar (Sund, 9/27), Mindhunter (Net, 10/13), Riviera (SundNow, 9/14), Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television (YT Red, 10/25), SMILF (Show, 11/5), Star Trek: Discovery (CBSAA, 9/24), Tin Star (Am, 9/29), White Famous (Show, 10/15)

Premiere dates are subject to change so stay tuned for “next week”s and check your local listings.

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