breaking up is hard to do

With the wrapping up of Grimm and Bones, two shows that I quite enjoyed but abandoned along the way, made me start doing another think on shows that had once be enjoyed (some making my favorite tv of the year lists) and had to be given up along the way. Real estate for tv shows these days is limited so though I like to give some a long leash eventually the cost (time)/benefit (enjoyment) needs to hit a reality check.

  • The 100 (CW) – This pretty teens style CW show really developed into an interesting post-apocalyptic take but after a mixed season last year (as well as some unfortunately cast cuts) this year’s latest impending doom just couldn’t keep my interest.
  • The Blacklist (NBC) – I was never a fan of Elizabeth and as all the drama revolves around her it was always a matter as to whether Red and the others could balance that out, and when things turned to Elizabeth and her baby I couldn’t take it anymore, I wish they had killed her off.
  • Empire (Fox) – I love a fun soapy show and the musical angle on this just made it that much more fun, but these all seem to have a shelf life, no matter how much I enjoy the characters there’s a limit to how many circles of drama can keep me engaged.
  • The Outsiders (WGN) – This captured a little of the spirit of the total chaos of Sons of Anarchy with the wild folks in the woods but turned out to be too much of a mixed bag to keep it in the lineup.
  • Sleepy Hollow (Fox) – The first season of this was what’s been described as ‘bonkers awesome’ and then while they continued to struggle with how to manage the stories and supporting cast the key was always the chemistry between the two leads, and when they decided to nix one of the two in a reboot that was it for me.
  • The Walking Dead (AMC) – Ok, so the drama here was usually a good balance of zombie chaos outshone by drama and violence of the more human kind but somehow eventually managed to undermine the characters and my patience in sticking through some of the downs for more sparing ups.

And some previous drops Awkward, Grey’s Anatomy, Last Man on Earth, Major Crimes, Modern Family, Nashville, Suits and my most controversial Breaking Bad following season 2 (I am tempted to go back and see if I would have turned back around on this).

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breaking up is hard to do

breaking-bad

As a person who clearly loves some television, and spends a decent amount of time watching it, even I can’t watch everything. I’ve found over time that I like a well balanced portfolio… a little quality drama, a little comedy, a little procedural. Sometimes I want to sit down and focus on a show I think is great and sometimes I want to have something on in the background while I write a pchron post.

What I need to avoid is having a TiVo backlog so large that I feel like it’s a to do list or I’m spending time watching something I don’t enjoy all that much and haven’t gotten back to Friday Night Lights for example which I happen to really be enjoying.

So why can’t I let go? Some shows used to be good. Some shows are good enough but there are too many things that I like more. And some shows may be great but they drive me crazy for one reason or another (stop being so dumb/mean/crazy!). So cutting the cord on committing to the rest of Under the Dome (which I felt great about until someone started talking about how good it was getting) made me take a look back at some of the shows I’ve let go.

  • American Horror Story (Fx) – Loved some of season one just too random crazy.  
  • American Idol (Fox) – Over the judges and the repetitiveness of the rounds.
  • Bates Motel (A&E) – I liked the way they recreated the characters but too much crazy in that town.
  • Breaking Bad (AMC) – This is the one that gets most people, I like an anti hero but I still need someone to root for.
  • The Carrie Diaries (CW) – This show was cute, but a little too cute.
  • Criminal Minds (CBS) – I still occasionally catch this in reruns, just not enough interest in cast or cases to keep me invested in the brutalness.
  • CSI (CBS) – Again just not interested enough in cast or cases.
  • Franklin & Bash (TNT) – I like a dumb cable show with quirky leads, but there are a lot out these days so not all make the cut.
  • The Glades (A&E) – I almost like the leads, just not quite enough.
  • Glee (Fox) – This show had some amazing moments but it just started to falter too much.
  • The Killing (AMC) – The leads are great, particularly Holder, but the misleads and unsolve were too much for me to return to S2.
  • L&O:SVU (NBC) – Whatever Benson.
  • Perception (TNT) – Not sure if it’s that I don’t love RL Cook in this or if I’m not quite sure about the cases or McCormack’s ‘perception’ solving them.
  • Person of Interest (CBS) – Intriguing but somehow not engaging…
  • The Voice (NBC) – I get why people dig Blake and Adam but tuning back in second season not as into the competitors.

And some of these are on the chopping block:

  • Awkward (MTV) – I loved the first season of this but now Jenna has just gotten more annoying, we’ll see what the new showrunners bring.
  • Bones (Fox) – This was once one of my favorite procedurals, but I’m kind of over it, not because they’re together or not but because it’s hard to stay fresh after eight seasons.
  • Burn Notice (USA) – Ok it’s in the final season I’m hanging in there.
  • Castle (ABC) – Ditto Bones though season 5…
  • Crossing Lines (NBC) – If this show hadn’t been on when there wasn’t a lot else I’m not sure I would have stuck out the first season.
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – Another last season that is keeping me hanging in for my need for completion and hope for a few of those choice moments.
  • Major Crimes (TNT) – I did love me some Closer but our new lead’s calm might be working against the show.
  • Modern Family (ABC) – I find this show brings some funny, but its gotten a little too stereotypical and repetitive.
  • Nashville (ABC) – I remember really enjoying the first couple eps, but saved almost all of season 1 on dvr and have yet to return, not a good sign.

There have also been a few shows that for me have come back from a drop:

  • American Idol (Fox) – Ok I dropped this again but at one point I got sucked back in, reality shows can do that any season for me.
  • America’s Next Top Model (CW) – I have a couple of friends who watch this so it’s harder for me to chat about the silliness that this show is if I don’t watch.
  • Parenthood (NBC) – The Bravermans sucked me in after dropping them one day when I was sick and checking out OnDemand.

The fall season is always a good time to reevaluate so we’ll see what makes the cut. I’m sure there are other things I’ve cut or am about too cut, what about you, anything getting the ax?

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new and noteworthy tv: 4/15-4/21

awkward-season-3

I’ve still got a good amount of backlog, good thing I don’t need to make room for much more…

Monday

  • Oh Sit! (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – Sitting competition?
  • Defiance (Syfy, 9pm) Series Premiere – Futuristic society on earth following war, will the fragile peace remain?
  • James May’s Man Lab (BBCA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Let’s get some skills.
  • Scam City (Sci, 10pm) Series Premiere – Scams in Rio.

Tuesday

  • Deadliest Catch (Disc, 9pm) Season Premiere – Who’s up for some fishing?
  • Don’t Be Tardy… (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – Real housewives woman…
  • Storage Wars/American Hoggers (A&E, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – For some reason a ventriloquist is making a guest appearance and then hoggers.
  • Awkward (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Jenna’s predictable humiliation and family, friend, and romantic drama with wit are back.
  • Who Gets the Last Laugh (TBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – Donald Faison hosts comedians in prank challenges.

Wednesday

  • Hoarding (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – I am always trying to winnow my stuff. 
  • Locked Up Abroad (NGC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Telling POW tales.
  • Off Pitch (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Show choir.

Thursday

  • Gigolos (Show, 11pm) Season Premiere – There’s a new guy in town.

Friday

  • Sons of Guns (Disc, 9pm) Season Premiere – Sometimes you gotta go to Vegas to demo a gun. 
  • I Found the Gown (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – More dresses.

Saturday

  • Four Houses (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Scoring each other’s homes.
  • Spoiled Rotten Pets (NatGeoW, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – These make our pampered pets look tortured.
  • Raising Whitley (OWN, 10pm) Series Premiere – Comedian and friends raise a baby, and yes this is another reality show.

Sunday

  • Dog and Beth/Guntuckly (CMT, 8/9:30pm) Series Premieres – Bounty hunting and family gun range.
  • The Bletchley Circle (PBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – A three part murder mystery series of female code breakers.
  • I’m Married to A… (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Unconventional partnerships.
  • What Would Ryan Lochte Do?/Married to Jonas (E!, 10/10:30pm) Series/Season Premieres – Unwatchable or so bad it’s good and then are they ready to move to New York?

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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new and noteworthy tv: 6/25-7/1

Starting the sporting portion of our summer schedule…

Monday

  • Wimbledon (ESPN2, 3:30am) – The fortnight of tennis begins!
  • Tour de France Preview (NBCSN, 8am, and various) – Who’s who and who to watch at this year’s tour.
  • Olympic Trials (NBC, 8pm, ongoing + NBCSN) – Swimming! The trials are starting and the focus on the pool begins as we get a look at the times Lochte and Phelps will be throwing down, other trials are taking place on cable including Track & Field, Diving, and Gymnastics.
  • Mobster Confessions (Disc, 9pm) Series Premiere – Mobster tales.
  • Hollywood Exes (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Stop the madness, if you stop watching these shows they will go away.

Tuesday

  • Craft Wars (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Tori Spelling hosts this competition of crafting.
  • Retired at 35 (TVL, 10pm) Season Premiere – Has this dude been unemployed for a year?

Wednesday

  • Final Witness (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – I think this is a combo of investigating and reenacting crimes.
  • The Real World (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Apparently they haven’t run out of people or places to be real.

Thursday

  • Wipeout (ABC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Nerdy dudes vs. hot dudettes.
  • Anger Management/Louie/Brand X with Russell Brand (FX, 9/10/10:30pm) Series/Season Premieres – A new start for Charlie and Russell and another bad day for Louie.
  • Trip Flip (Trav, 9pm) Series Premiere – Excursions.
  • Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Anne finds someone to turn restaurants around.
  • Awkward (MTV, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – Welcome back another season of romance and public humiliation as only high school can bring.

Friday

  • Chasing UFOs (NGC, 9pm) Series Premiere – A skeptic, a believer, and an undecided go chasing lights…
  • XIII (Reelz, 9pm) Series Premiere – A secret agent looks for his true identity, I’m thinking Bourne-esque, might be worth a look.

Saturday

  • Tour de France (NBCSN, 5am) – The boys are hitting the road for the first stage in the tour, get your dvrs cleared off!
  • X Games (ABC, 10am, various and ESPN/2) – The games kick it off on Thursday hitting network on the weekend for another crop of crazy runs and hopefully only minor injuries.
  • ER Nights (Health, 10pm) Series Premiere – Night time medical visits.

Sunday

  • Queen & Country (PBS, 8pm) Series Premiere – Starting with a look at the guards of the queen.
  • Weeds/Episodes (Show, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – Kicking off the final season of Weeds, do I move on past season three? and another season of Joey.

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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