procrastinationchronicles.com – Page 54 – how television rules my life…

new and noteworthy tv: 4/7-4/13

April 6, 2014 No Comments

Still needing a little catch up time…

Monday

Capital One Championship Central/NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship (CBS, 6:30/6pm) – I think the bracket conversations will be over soon.
Being Human (Syfy, 9pm) Series Finale – What will happen to our vampire, werewolf, and ghost.
Kitchen Casino/Mystery Diners (Food, 9/10pm) Series/Season Premieres – Chance with cooking followed by more diners.

Tuesday

Flip or Flop (HGTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – Long distance bidding.

Wednesday

Women of Homicide (TLC, 9pm) Series Premiere – A look at real lady homicide investigators.
Big Bold Builds (Bio, 10pm) Series Premiere – Starting with a fire station.

Thursday

FNA USA (CMT, 10pm) Series Premiere – Viral video countdown.
The Real World/Road Rules Challenge (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Is it embarrassing to say I remember the first Real World?

Friday

Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Chef Ramsay returns.
Boss Hog (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – A son joins the hog business.

Saturday

Love in the City (OWN, 10pm) Series Premiere – Oprah’s look at four friends married and single and apparently fierce.
The Graham Norton Show (BBCA, 11pm) Season Premiere – Russell Crowe and Cameron Dias among others.

Sunday

America’s Best Cook (Food, 9pm) Series Premiere – Sixteen home cooks arrive to compete.
MTV Movie Awards (MTV, 9pm) – Conan hosts.
Nurse Jackie/Californication/Years of Living Dangerously (Show, 9/9:30/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – The return of these series is followed by a combo of celebrities and science as they look at climate change.
The Bletchley Circle (PBS, 10pm) Season Premiere – Getting the circle back together.
Mad Men (AMC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Getting ready to say goodbye.

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.

new and noteworthy tv: 3/31-4/6

March 30, 2014 No Comments

Still not caught up in general, though goal is to actually watch the final ep of mother so I don’t have to listen to everyone complain about how it ended without context.

Monday

HIMYM/Friends with Better Lives (CBS, 8, 9pm) Series Finale/Premiere – Glad that this thing is finally wrapping up, though I have to remember when it was actually great whether I’m glad about how it resolves or not, and then another option they’re hoping will grab the void.
T.I. and Tiny/This is Hot 97 (VH1, 9/10:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – More reality with those peeps and then behind the scenes of hip-hop radio station.
House of Food (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another cooking competition, MTV-style.

Tuesday

19 Kids & Counting (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Dating?
Inside Amy Schumer (Com 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Sketch comedy and whatnot.

Wednesday

Million Dollar Listing New York (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – Dream Listing.
Down East Dickering (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Bargain hunters in Maine.
Treasure King (Reelz, 10pm) Series Premiere – Antiques expert looks for goods around the globe.
Triptank (Com, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Edgy animated shorts.

Thursday

How It’s Made (Sci, 9pm) Season Premiere – There are always more things to look at.
My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Feuding family love.

Friday

Continuum (Syfy, 10pm) Season Premiere – One of those shows that I don’t watch.

Saturday

Guntucky (CMT, 9pm) Season Premiere – A family gun range, what could go wrong?

Sunday

Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan host.
Game of Thrones/Silicon Valley/Veep (HBO, 9/10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – I might get around to this show some day, a new drama about the company that could be the next tech thang, and then more action near the oval office.
Married to Medicine (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – In case you need a show following female doctor wives.
River Monsters (AnPl, 9pm) Season Premiere – Amazon riverboat sinking.
Turn (AMC, 9pm) Series Premiere – American Revolution-era spy drama.
Hotel Secrets and Legends (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – It happened there.

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.

new and noteworthy tv: 3/24-3/30

March 23, 2014 No Comments

My no new reality shows plan is sometimes tested…

Monday

Bizarre Foods America (Trav, 9pm) Season Premiere – Starting the season in Alaska.
The Safecrackers (Tru, 10pm) Series Premiere – I normally ignore shows on this network but I’ve always been intrigued

Tuesday

Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge (Syfy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Puppetry challenges where puppetry is done, I’m interested in a look behind the curtain.
Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan (BBCA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Kenya and cobras.

Wednesday

Prince Harry’s South Pole Heroes (NBC, 8pm) – I don’t know why they’re going but if you want to check it out you can.
Hot In Cleveland/The Soul Man (TVL, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – Cleveland continues to be a cute take on the old school sitcoms while Soul has never caught my attention.

Thursday

Surviving Jack (Fox, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Christopher Meloni stretches his sitcom muscles playing hard ass newly full time parent, worth a shot.
America’s Worst Tattoos (TLC, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – I like a touch of a bad tattoo on my shows but find the promise of all bad tattoos just depressing.

Friday

If you’re watching tv on a Friday don’t forget about Hannibal.

Saturday

Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best? (WE, 10pm) Season Premiere – All the jokes about Joan making a sex tape…

Sunday

Call the Midwife/Mr Selfridge (PBS, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – I’m never sure if I should be watching more PBS dramas but they mostly haven’t caught my attention.
Caribbean Life (HGTV, 8pm) Series Premiere – Could be pretty or just jealous making.
Eric & Jessie (E!, 10pm) Season Premiere – Following another ‘famous’ couple.

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.

new and noteworthy tv: 3/17-3/23

March 16, 2014 2 Comments

Was just saying I need to start cutting shows out of my TiVo backlog, I def don’t need to add…

Monday

Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Who will dance the worst first?
The Fabulist (E!, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Hosts and panelists tell you what’s what, you know as far as trends.
Lords of the Car Hoards (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Clearly a Corvair is not a Corvette, at least to these guys looking for cars.

Tuesday

Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe (ABC, 8pm) – An inside look at the studios.
Storage Wars/Barry’d Treasure (A&E, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Storage and collectors search.
Chasing Maria Menounos/Celebrities Undercover (Oxy, 10/10:30pm) Series Premieres – More reality, following Maria and then celebrities try to pull a fast one over on peeps.

Wednesday

Save My Bakery (Food, 8pm) Series Premiere – This appears to be restaurant rescue-style.
The 100 (CW, 9pm) Series Premiere – Something tells me the future has pretty people, every once in a while one of these is a cheesy gem.
Doll & Em (HBO, 10pm) Series Premiere – A new series of actress and bff assistant.
Deal With It (TBS, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – More hidden camera hijinks.

Thursday

I don’t know, NCAA basketball?

Friday

Whose Line Is It Anyway (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – The gang continues their improvery.

Saturday

Da Vinci’s Demons (Starz, 9pm) Season Premiere – A quest.
House Hunters Renovation (HGTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – A total overhaul.

Sunday

Super Soul Sunday/Oprah & Eckhart Tolle (OWN, 11am/12pm) Season/Series Premieres – Shirley MacLaine and of course Eckhart.
American Dream Builders (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – 12 designers compete remodeling, and cutie patootie Nate Berkus.
Drop Dead Diva (Life, 9pm) Season Premiere – This show is surprisingly charming for a silly premise, mostly thanks to a great lead.
Living Alaska (HGTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Family, fishing, and whatnot.

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.

new and noteworthy tv: 3/10-3/16

March 9, 2014 No Comments

I’m still behind on my backlog…

Monday

Believe (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – A girl with ‘mysterious’ gifts, maybe.
The People’s Couch (Brav, 11:30pm) Season Premiere – It’s like if you didn’t have friends to talk tv with.

Tuesday

The Freshman Class (Cook, 8pm) Season Premiere – More culinary class.
The Real Housewives of NYC (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – More women I care very little about.
Chrisley Knows Best (USA, 10pm) Series Premiere – Some new southern reality thang with a dad who says lots of Southern stuff.

Wednesday

Property Brothers (HGTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – Time to upgrade your pad.

Thursday

Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Can anyone impress Gordon?
Breaking Boston (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – The reality of four young working-class women.

Friday

Colin & Brad (CW, 9pm) – Comedians perform.
Vice (HBO, 11pm) Season Premiere – Another season of this journalistic take.

Saturday

Summer Dreams (CBS, 8pm) – Behind the scenes at the NBA Summer League.
Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s (OWN, 9pm) Season Premiere – More family run food happenings.

Sunday

BNP Paribas Open (ESPN2, 12pm) – Men’s and Women’s tennis finals.
Naked & Afraid (Disc, 9pm) Season Premiere – Not much to say about the return of this.
Total Divas (E!, 9pm) Season Premiere – More behind the scenes of the WWE gals.
Crisis (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ambushing a bus full of kids, not just any kids, important people’s kids, maybe.

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.

movies

now available on dvd: the way, way back

March 4, 2014 No Comments

It’s been a while, but now that the Oscars are behind us let’s take a look at what’s available in your own home.

2 Guns (11/19) – Enjoyable though somewhat ridiculous buddy ‘cop’ flick, Denzel and Marky Mark fun enough shooters.
About Time (2/4) – Maybe a little too precious but nicely brings you along the designated sentimental and romantic path.
Captain Phillips (1/21) – Tense throughout… Hanks rocks another good performance.
Dallas Buyers Club (2/4) – Almost forgot it was McConaughey during his and other’s great portrayals, almost.
Drinking Buddies (12/3) – Small moments make and break it, but can’t hate on Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson.
Enough Said (1/14) – Bittersweet but lovely to see Gandolfini and JLD showing their onscreen relationship baggage together.
Fast & Furious 6 (12/10) – No complaints about Fast & Furious 6, fast, furious, and fun… though it is not more than expected.
Frances Ha (11/12) – A well done film about a woman who is sort of a mess does not make it enjoyable to watch a woman who is sort of a mess, meh.
Gravity (2/25) – As I was afraid would be the case, totally stressed out, though you know it was pretty well done though not believable at all.
The Lifeguard (10/8) – Kristen Bell was quite good but I might be a smidge too old to not become despondent over a 29 & 10 mos yr old breakdown.
Much Ado About Nothing (10/8) – Lovely job on the modern setting, even stopped thinking of them as Wesley and Fred, Joss does like his peeps.
Nebraska (2/25) – The slow journey outweighs the comic moments but this sorry old man’s touching and painful tale ends up somewhat poetic.
Pacific Rim (10/15) – Yeah, I don’t know, the robot fighting, I didn’t expect much but still couldn’t quite hold my attention.
The Spectacular Now (1/14) – Not exactly your typical teen flick it has some nice poignant moments.
The Way, Way Back (10/22) – A summer coming of age story the way it should be done.

And a few that might be added to my to do list for one reason or another: All Is Lost (2/11), Before Midnight (10/22), Blue is the Warmest Color (2/25), Blue Jasmine (1/21), Don Jon (12/31), Elysium (12/17), Fruitvale Station (1/14), The Heat (10/15), In A World (1/21), Kick-Ass 2 (12/17), The Lone Ranger (12/17), Man of Steel (11/12), Red 2 (11/26), Riddick (1/14), The World’s End (11/19).

new and noteworthy tv: 3/3-3/9

March 2, 2014 No Comments

Not a lot of interest in a couple new series but worth a look…

Monday

Bates Motel/Those Who Kill (A&E, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – I almost stuck with Bates but it was just too… then Chloe Sevigny stars based on Danish crime series, intrigued.
Beat Bobby Flay (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Who can out cook him?
Southern Charm (Brav, 10pm) Series Premiere – This show follows old and new wealthy singles in the South.

Tuesday

Brunch at Bobby’s (Cook, 10pm) Season Premiere – Because there’s never too much Bobby Flay.
CIA: Declassified (AHC, 10pm) Series Premiere – A look back at the old files and cases.
The Little Couple (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Picking up another kid.
Flip It To Win It (HGTV, 11pm) Series Premiere – Buy a house, sell a house.

Wednesday

Preacher’s Daughters/Bring It! (Life, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – More reality about the daughters and then hip-hop majorettes.
Flipping Out (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – More house haps.
Restaurant: Impossible (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Bland bbq won’t do.
The Face (Oxy, 10pm) Season Premiere – More pretty ladies with coaches Naomi Campbell, Anne V, and Lydia Hearst.

Thursday

Saint George (FX, 9pm) Series Premiere – They hope hilarity ensues on this sitcom about a Mexican-American divorcee and his family.
Celebrity Home Raiders (Life, 10pm) Series Premiere – A look into celebs homes as they pick items to auction.
Review (Com, 10pm) Series Premiere – Forrest MacNeil gives his take on culture.
Sirens (USA, 10pm) Series Premiere – What promises to be a raunchier take on EMT happenings in this scripted series, worth a look.

Friday

Marriage Boot Camp (WE, 9pm) Season Premiere – Can these couples be helped?

Saturday

The Vanilla Ice Project (DIY, 10pm) Season Premiere – Ready for an open house.

Sunday

Resurrection (ABC, 9pm) Series Premiere – This is the one that isn’t The Returned.
Cosmos (Fox, 9pm) Series Premiere – An update to Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.
Catch a Contractor (Spike, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ever wanted to hold your contractor accountable?
Lindsay (OWN, 10pm) Series Premiere – Yes, Lohan’s life.
Online Dating Rituals of the American Male (Brav, 10pm) Series Premiere – A look at real life dudes trying to get some.

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.

new and noteworthy tv: 2/24-3/2

February 24, 2014 No Comments

A little delayed, and what with some new television actually available…

Monday

The Voice (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – We’re on the Shakira/Usher version, and I think I just read CeeLo will be out out so not sure if Usher is fighting to stay?
Dallas/Private Lives of Nashville Wives (TNT, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – More of the Ewings and then some other stupid reality show.
RuPaul’s Drag Race (Logo, 9pm) Season Premiere – America’s next Next Superstar.
Cryptid (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Alleged mythical swamp creatures.
The Tanning of America (VH1, 11pm) Series Premiere – A four part series on hip-hop pop-culture.
Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC, 12:36) Series Premiere – Really.

Tuesday

Amish Mafia/Clash of the Ozarks (Disc, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Some guy is back on top and then Arkansas family rivalry.
Game of Arms (AMC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Competitive arm wrestling!
Ink Master (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – Continuing my refinement of ink judgments.
Mind Games (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Christian Slater is the kiss of death to a series these days but willing to check out he and Steve Zahn manipulating people.

Wednesday

Survivor (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Cagayan anyone, this time its split into Brawn, Brains, and Beauty.
Mixology (ABC, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Singles bar mingling, not supposed to be a winner but I’m always desperate for sitcoms.
The Americans (FX, 10pm) Season Premiere – Mission goes awry, I read two critics who say second season is even better than the first.
Legit/Ali G (FXX, 10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – Our protagonist is a sex addict and then some sketches a la Borat.

Thursday

Countdown to the Oscars (ABC, 8pm) – In case you can’t wait until Sunday.
Mary Mary (WE, 9pm) Season Premiere – Returning from hiatus.
The Red Road (Sund, 9pm) Series Premiere – A sheriff forms a native american alliance, but pretty sure this isn’t Longmire.
Scandal (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Something shocking?
Vikings (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – Someone recently was saying good things about this show I could never quite get into, take that for what its worth.
Portlandia (IFC, 10pm) Season Premiere – More of the randomness.

Friday

Inside Job/Save Our Business (TNT, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Peeps looking for great gigs and bad companies trying to get it together.
Bellator MMA Live (Spike, 9pm) Season Premiere – Duke it out.
Hannibal (NBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Oh how I missed the creepy crazies, will Will finally get a helpful medical diagnosis.
Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (Life, 10pm) Season Premiere – I hate that I feel bad saying a mean thing about Betty White.
Beyond Scared Straight (A&E, 10pm) Season Premiere – Will the aggressive regress?
Game of Stones (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – A rare stone collector.

Saturday

Deion’s Family Playbook (OWN, 10pm) Series Premiere – For those folks who need to see what Sanders is up to.

Sunday

Red Carpet/Oscars (ABC, 2/5:30pm) – And the winner is… speaking of my Oscar pool of course.

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.

amazon pilot season

February 19, 2014 No Comments

With the evolving television model comes Amazon’s latest take on tv. They’ve posted Pilot Season on Amazon with ten series pilots for anyone to view, five kids and five adult (made up of comedy and drama). We the public are supposed to view and cast our opinion as to what matters.

Now a couple of logistical things apply. First I can stream Amazon via my TiVo but for some reason it doesn’t turn up on search or is visible through my limited Amazon scroll. Second, I can view it on my laptop but am unable to Chromecast it up to my tv because it uses an unsupportable plugin, silverlight. I must say the kids today are used to watching on their laptops but if I’m sitting in my living room I’d rather watch it on an actual television. Kids today feel free to chime in via comments as to how I’m clearly overlooking how to do this.

As for the shows themselves, I was sort of happy to have mixed reviews (let’s be serious, I didn’t watch the kid’s shows):

Mozart in the Jungle (:30) – Classical music and the folks who make it interesting, good cast options with Gael Garcia Bernal vs Malcolm McDowell as conductors, created by pedigreed talent including a Coppola, too much in a pilot but intrigued to see where they would go, ‘Fame’ grows up a little and goes to the symphony; would watch again.
The Rebels (:29) – In over your head with a crazy pro-football team isn’t revolutionary so I’d expect at least the initial view of Natalie Zea (Justified’s baby mama) to be a little more drawn out than a former cheerleader who has been married to an owner yet wouldn’t know that uniforms aren’t called costumes, felt ‘Necessary Roughness’ light; pass.
Transparent (:30) – You had me at Jeffrey Tambor but the latest from the maker of ‘Six Feet Under’ and ‘…Tara’ brings us a look of an adult family and their secrets in Los Angeles, I was intrigued to see where all of the characters might go, ‘Arrested Development’ goes to ‘Laurel Canyon’ (ok not quite but tough comparison); would definitely watch again.
The After (:55) – Oh Chris Carter my threshold for creepy conspiracy setups in a world struck by mystery is now high based on many disappointing evolutions, and this tale of eight strangers navigating post weirdness made me want to turn away, felt ‘Event’-ish; definitely pass.
Bosch (:51) – Based on the Connelly books, which I haven’t read so I’m not sure how close to character or content these are, Titus Welliver (who I recognize from stuff but had to look him up) is a well-chosen quiet tough detective, but you know the drill, the stoicness keeps it all a little cold; intrigued enough to go again.

Watch the shows. Call the shots. Your opinion matters. So I took the survey, it was a little ambiguous as to the path and timing to series. Is this the new model? If so or if not what’s next?

best, movies

procrastinator picks – must see movies of 2013

February 17, 2014 No Comments

I actually caught up on movies a while ago but as usual there is something particularly daunting about throwing down with a top ten list. Of the movies that I have seen this year some just floated to the top. The order as always is pretty subjective.

American Hustle – Darned if I don’t like a good hustle flick, and darned if this wasn’t a good hustle flick, and not only because of the great cast; an always irresistible (to me) Christian Bale, even when he’s gross he’s good, but Cooper, Adams, Lawrence, Renner, and a wonderful use of Louis C.K. really didn’t hurt.
Her – Spike Jonze’s odd take on topics is often a hit for me but this futuristic romance with almost a seventies stylized look took me along a poignant romance path, even if I do normally hate Johansson her roboticness worked for me in this tale.
12 Years a Slave – Our protagonist gets tossed into an awful life where we are made to see in him fish out of water but what’s worse, that he’s not really a slave or that slavery exists? Good performances show a lot to be bothered by.
The Way Way Back – The cast and script bring charm to this coming of age tale, summer vacation with mom and her new boyfriend starts out a little rough, but our protagonist starts to come into his own, who knew a water park and its management could be just what it took, Rockwell, Collette, Carell, and Janney add lovely if not lovable character performances.
Enough Said – Second takes on romance through beautifully touching performances by Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini, maybe I’m getting old, ok older, but the realness in the still cinematically unreal relationships was a nice touch.
Out of the Furnace – Did I mention that I love Bale? Well he’s not quite weird enough in this role for it to be my fave but when he tries to do right by his messed up brother he goes from blue collar bad company to back woods worse, violence much?
The Spectacular Now – Admittedly I often enjoy these teen coming of age tales and this slant on the ‘party’ guy and the ‘nice’ girl gives just enough of a less than typical character and path to make it feel sincere and effective.
Captain Phillips – Based on true stories make me a little crazy but I was brought along with the tense turns of the hijacking with Hank’s well played captain, wondered if paying more attention to what really happened would have helped or hurt.
Dallas Buyers Club – The performances from McConaughey and Leto in particular were almost enough to make the movie, but the somewhat historical look at this ’80s cowboy navigating the AIDS medical system kept our story engaging.
Much Ado About Nothing – I do love me some Joss Whedon but I also love an interesting slant on existing material and this modern setting shot on a small break at Whedon’s home brings new light to the romantic Shakespearean pairing.

What were your picks and pans from 2013?

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