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new and noteworthy tv: 7/17-7/23

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A little Wimbledon this weekend has challenged my catch up but I’m still making some progress.

  • Loaded (AMC) Series Premiere, Monday, 10pm – A dramedy where tech entrepreneurs get lots of dough from selling out might be worth a look.
  • Last Chance U (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – Docuseries dives back in to follow a Mississippi junior college program.
  • Ozark (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Jason Bateman and Laura Linney play a couple who move their family to escape a drug lord, I’ll check them out in anything.
  • Phelps vs Shark (Disc) Sunday, 8pm – I’m not really sure how this works but Michael Phelps is swimming against a shark for Shark Week.
  • Tour de France (NBCSN) Sunday, 7:30am – Wrapping it up on the Champs-Elysees.

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: 7/10-7/16

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I am managing to winnow down the backlog…

  • Will (TNT) Series Premiere, Monday, 9pm – I’m always skeptical of fictionalized accounts of historical peeps and not so much of a Shakespeare fan to find that angle of interest.
  • The Hollywood Puppet Sh!t Show (Fuse) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10:30 – Tue stories told by celebrities and acted out by marionettes?
  • ESPYS (ABC) Wednesday, 8pm – Peyton Manning hosts.
  • Salvation (CBS) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – An asteroid is coming to earth and science, tech, and government get involved and yes conspiracy abounds, this doesn’t look good but maybe good enough summer fare.
  • I’m Sorry (Tru) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – Haven’t heard anything about this new what I think is Mom comedy.
  • Odd Mom Out (Bravo) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – I stumbled on this in a later run and was amused by the hipster Mom mingling with the circles of her husband’s wealthy family.
  • Hooten & The Lady (CW) Series Premiere, Thursday, 9pm – This lost treasure hunter series looks like a bad Indiana Jones spoof.
  • Friends From College (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – A couple returns to a circle of friends from college and sounds like it might be more awkward cringe than comedy.
  • Remember Me (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – Death in an assisted living facility kicks off this newest mystery.
  • Wimbledon (ESPN) Saturday/Sunday, 6am – Men’s and Women’s Finals.

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: 7/3-7/9

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I just wrapped up GLOW on Netflix, which was quite good but I just didn’t love it as much as I had hoped, for me it took a bit for the more dramatic mix of this half hour show to find its footing. And enjoying some summer fare like Killjoys, Orphan Black, Queen Sugar, Wynonna Earp, Playing House, and Animal Kingdom. Still need to take a pass at Broadchurch and the new Prime Suspect: Tennison.

  • Wimbledon (ESPN) Monday, 4am – The first round of this fortnight begins.
  • Tour de France (NBCSN) Monday, 5am – Apparently I no longer have this on my radar because it started on Saturday, too much tv for me to follow this race but might catch a replay of the preshow on Monday before the regular time race to get the lay of the land.
  • 4th of July Fireworks (NBC) Tuesday, 8pm – In case you don’t want to leave your home but still want to see the sparkle and some performances.
  • Snowfall (Fx) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – The rise of crack in LA in the 80s has gotten more talk of potential than raves about the start of the series.
  • Pure (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday – Import of a Canadian drama about a Mennonite pastor battling drug trafficking in his neighborhood.
  • Tour de Pharmacy (HBO) Saturday, 10pm – Andy Samberg’s latest comedic entry is a look back at the drug filled cycling, perhaps an amusing break from today’s actual tour?

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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stepping up cable: digital preferred

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So a couple things happened recently that made me revisit my cable. First my latest discount level contract expired and my cost for my Digital Starter package of 140+ channels went up. Second my channel lineup made yet another adjustment where they decided that Viceland, a channel where I only watch King of the Road – a skateboarding scavenger hunt show, is now worthy of being on a higher level. This is the second of the two ‘junky’ reality shows getting nixed, the first was Ink Master – the tattoo competition. Now when I lost Ink Master I debated upgrading my cable but it’s already so expensive it just didn’t seem worth it for one junky show. But two junky shows started to get my ire up.

So I did what any person in my social circles would do, threaten to cut the cord. Now as this blog makes pretty clear I’m not one of those people who doesn’t watch television but there are so many options out there that one might not need to have ‘cable’. But before I cut the cord I’ll need to research what I’m replacing it with. I already have Netflix and Amazon Prime. But if I added Hulu does that cover enough of the shows I’m currently watching? And do I need to supplement with other channels? And are they current? Can I shift to just not having shows in real time? Can I watch them online on the channel’s sites? And what are these new services I keep hearing about? In the end am I just sacrificing other shows? Or am I now going to spend so much money on other technologies that are going to be a pain to make up for it? Phew this was exhausting and I hadn’t even started.

So I did what any normal person in my social circles would do, punted the decision for another year. I signed up for another year’s contract at a discounted rate and went ahead and went for the upgrade. I’m probably spending $10/mo more than I was previously but really how big of a deal is that in the grand scheme of things? Plus now I finally also get Sundance and IFC among some other stuff. Still no HBO and all but I am still working my way through The Wire on Prime so no need to go crazy for now.

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new and noteworthy tv: 6/26-7/2

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Diving back into The Wire and even though I have some backlog on Orphan Black, Queen Sugar, and Fargo, I decided to embark on some new options. Deadwood has been on the list for a while, but I think I was too tired to start, I’ll try that again at another point (to subtitle or not to subtitle?). And I launched into the much anticipated GLOW, and while I liked the first two episodes (it’s about a half hour) I’m not entirely positive I’m in sync with the vibe, maybe yet.

  • Tales (BET) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 8pm – An anthology series that uses current and class hip-hop songs to tell ‘cinematic’ stories.
  • Broadchurch (BBCA) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – Starting the final series of the trilogy with a new case.
  • Younger (TVL) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – How will Liza’s lies impact this year? I like this fun show.
  • Battle of the Network Stars (ABC) Series Premiere, Thursday, 9pm – I remember this show fondly but I think the deluge of ‘star’ shows might dull the fun in seeing them compete.
  • All or Nothing (Am) Season Premiere, Friday – A season with the Arizona Cardinals.
  • Gypsy (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – Naomi Watts as a screwed up therapist sounds promising but the early reviews are not.
  • Killjoys (Syfy) Season Premiere, Friday, 8pm – Another perfect summer series, space bounty hunters is just kind of fun.

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: 6/19-6/25

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Well I’m actually getting some good summer shows going plus I finally wrapped up the latest season of Bosch and Sneaky Pete so getting season 3 of The Wire going.

  • Queen Sugar (OWN) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – This show was just on the right side of soapy and a little bit beautiful, this season we turn back to see the family try to make it on their sugar farm
  • Little Big Shots: Forever Young (NBC) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 8pm – If you thought the kids were cute you might also enjoy heartwarming oldsters.
  • Boy Band/The Gong Show (ABC) Series Premiere, Thursday, 8/10pm – I recall finding similar making a group shows Pop Stars and O Town kind of fun and am a bit nostalgic for the unusual talent show performances.
  • The Mist (Spike) Series Premiere, Thursday, 10pm – The latest adaptation of Stephen King’s novella isn’t supposed to be that promising.
  • Glow (Net) Series Premiere, Friday – This gorgeous ladies of wrestling show is getting great buzz.
  • Playing House (USA) Season Premiere, Friday – This light comedy centering on friends co-parenting a baby is a pretty fun.
  • Prime Suspect (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – This is a prequel set in the 70s with a young Jane Tennison.

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: 6/12-6/18

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A busy week and tennis finals has gotten a little in my way this week so probably good that nothing new strikes my fancy.

  • The Putin Interviews (Show) Miniseries Premiere, Monday, 9pm – Oliver Stone and the Russian
  • Blood Drive (Syfy) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 10pm – Dystopian future and a race car fueled by blood, literally in this grindhouse style series.
  • The Tunnel (PBS) Season Premiere, Thursday, 9pm – I enjoyed the Bridge version of this but never got engaged with this latest version of this series.
  • The Ranch (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I never quite cottoned to this ranch running with Danny Masterson, Ashton Kutcher, and Sam Elliott.
  • My Mother and Other Strangers (PBS) Series Premiere, Sunday, 8pm – Rural Ireland in WWII a family comes into close contact with the military.

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: 6/5-6/11

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Not a ton new and noteworthy but there are some fun summer shows that I enjoy returning, while I’m still attending to Fargo and kicking through some streaming shows.

  • Ink Master (Spike) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – I’m still unresolved about my no longer getting Spike.
  • King of the Road (Vice) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – I thought the first season of this was a weird fun combination of skateboarding and stupid scavenger hunt hijinks.
  • Queen of the South (USA) Season Premiere, Thursday, 10pm – I enjoyed the first season of this drug dealing show with a good protagonist and lots of things going bad.
  • Orange is the New Black (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – Picking up where we left off with big trouble in Litchfield prison.
  • Wynonna Earp (Syfy) Season Premiere, Friday 10pm – This was a fun campy fighting the dead sort of show.
  • Orphan Black (BBCA) Season Premiere, Saturday, 10pm – The final season of what has been a great, though sometimes uneven show, excited to return to Sarah, her sisters and their friends and family.
  • Tony Awards (CBS) Sunday, 8pm – And the award goes to…
  • Claws (TNT) Series Premiere, Sunday, 9pm – Things are complicated in this Florida nail salon dramedy.
  • Steve Harvey’s Funderdome (ABC) Sunday, 9pm – Audience votes on one of two entrepreneurs.
  • French Open (NBC) Saturday/Sunday, 6am – Ready for some finals!

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: 5/29-6/4

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I’m finally caught up on The Americans, next Fargo… assuming I don’t get caught up in French Open.

  • Still Star-Crossed (ABC) Series Premiere, Monday, 10pm – Based on the book and coming from Shondaland, this period drama picks up following the story of Romeo and Juliet, so far the buzz isn’t promising.
  • F is for Family (Net) Season Premiere, Tuesday – I never quite got into this animated series.
  • House of Cards (Net) Season Premiere, Tuesday – Super fun first season but I finally gave up on this mid last season.
  • Animal Kingdom (TNT) Season Premiere, Tuesday, 9pm – While not amazing this screwed up family of criminals was certainly compelling, I’m intrigued to see what messes and infighting they get into next.
  • World of Dance (NBC) Series Premiere, Tuesday, 10pm – The latest dance competition with JLo.
  • The Carmichael Show (NBC) Season Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – I enjoyed this half hour sitcom of a family dealing with a pretty topical issue a week, though baseball seems to be getting in the way I think we can pick it up on alt NBC station.
  • The F Word with Gordon Ramsey (Fox) Series Premiere, Wednesday, 9pm – Gordon’s latest brings competition coming live and other food related segments
  • Flaked (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – This wasn’t a great show, maybe not even a good show, but I somehow zipped through a the first season of this half hour show following Will Arnett as a Venice beach ambassador.
  • I’m Dying Up Here (Show) Series Premiere, Sunday, 10pm – Based on a nonfiction book of comedians in the 70s this series brings comedians and their comedy club owner/mentor, probably worth a look.

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: 5/22-5/28

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As things keep wrapping up I’m starting to make a little dent in the backlog.

  • The Bachelorette (ABC) Season Premiere, Monday, 9pm – Rachel Lindsay is your new lady looking for love.
  • Princess Diana/The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke (CBS) Monday, 8/10pm – A look at Diana and then songs in cars.
  • Casual (Hulu) Season Premiere, Tuesday – I’ve heard some good things about dysfunctional family show.
  • Dirty Dancing (ABC) Wednesday, 8pm – Another redo.
  • Beat Shazam /Love Connection (Fox) Series Premiere, Thursday, 8/9pm – Jamie Foxx hosts this name that tune plus technology show, then a return of the tries 3 dates and reports back.
  • Red Nose Day (NBC) Thursday, 10pm – Entertainers fund raise for kids in need.
  • Bloodline (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – I gave up on this after season one since I ended up not caring that much about any of the characters.
  • French Open (NBC) Sunday, 9am – First round play begins.

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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