tv

new and noteworthy tv: 9/14-9/27

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Filthy Rich

Good gawd, we’re six months into a pandemic lockdown and I’m still not caught up on television. It’s clearly impossible. Though I did wrap up both the odd yet amusing season 2 of Ramy and the rewatch of Better Off Ted, a workplace comedy that’s still very sharp and funny today. Ok I guess I am admittedly also doing some rewatching. But there’s still more coming. I guess it is fall, and though things look a little different this year I really should look at what sort of fall tv has coming. Will check out Filthy Rich and returning shows Pen15 and Fargo.

  • The Third Day/We Are Who We Are (HBO) Series Premiere, Monday 9/14, 9/10pm – Jude Law and Naomie Harris star as visitors to a mysterious island followed by a story of two American kids living on a US military base in Italy in these limited dramas, the latter more positively reviewed than the former.
  • Departure (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/17 – Investigators look into the disappearance of a passenger plane
  • The Great Pottery Throwdown (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/17 – Reality spotlight on a competition to find Britain’s best home potter.
  • The Last Word (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/17 – A woman overcoming the sudden death of her husband becomes a
    eulogist, the person who eulogizes in this German dramedy.
  • One Lane Bridge (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/17 – This New Zealand character driven crime drama with a supernatural edge.
  • Spides (Crack) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/17 – A young woman wakes from a coma after taking a mysterious drug in this sci-fi series.
  • Ratched (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/18 – For those Ryan Murphy and Sarah Paulson fans this one’s for you as we see the beginning of Nurse Ratched’s work at a psychiatric facility, no early reviews.
  • LA’s Finest/Filthy Rich (Fox) Series Premiere, Monday 9/21 – I’d call this the first of fall tv with a reairing of Spectrum’s Bad Boys spinoff with Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union and then Kim Cattrall as matriarch of an evangelical family whose secrets and bastard siblings come out, sudsy fun perhaps, no early reviews.
  • The Murders at the White House Farm (HBOM) Series Premiere, Thursday 9/24 – Dramatized true crime story of three generations of a family murdered on their farm, limited but not enthusiastic early reviews.
  • Sneakerheads (Net) Series Premiere, Friday 9/25 – A family man falls back into his sneaker obsession in this comedy.
  • Tehran (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 9/25 – A new espionage thriller about a Mossad agent who goes deep undercover.
  • Utopia (Am) Series Premiere, Friday 9/5 – A conspiracy thriller following young fans of a comic who find that the threats of the demise of humanity is real.
  • The Comey Rule (Show) Miniseries Premiere, Sunday 9/27, 9pm – Jeff Daniels stars as former FBI director Comey, mixed early reviews.

Returning streaming: Taco Chronicles (Net, 9/15), Criminal: UK (Net, 9/16), Meateater (Net, 9/16), Signs (Net, 9/16), Becoming (Dis+, 9/18), Pen15 (Hulu, 9/18), Bang (Acorn, 9/21), The Yorkshire Vet (Acorn, 9/21), Chico Bon Bon (Net, 9/22), Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father (Net, 9/22), The Chef Show (Net, 9/24).

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted 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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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 12/28-1/3

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New series, new season, or just a little something of note, here’s what you might (or might not) want to know about in the week to come. Not a lot of note but procrastinator picks are underlined.

Monday

  • Motor City Motors (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Detroit kicks off the latest reality series by trying to turn a Model T into a hot rod.

Tuesday

  • Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (ABC, 8pm) – A little claymation as you hear a little narration from Red Skelton.
  • Kennedy Center Honors (CBS, 9pm) – Springsteen honored among others and Barack says, “I’m the president, but he’s the Boss.”

Wednesday

  • Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) – Charlie and everyone else could use a good year.
  • The Real World (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Eight strangers start getting real, or whatever they do on this show, in DC.

Thursday

  • Twilight Zone (Syfy, 8:30am) – This marathon will take you through ’til 6am January 2nd.
  • Live From Lincoln Center (PBS, 8pm) – The New York Philharmonic provides an alternate to the rockers in this new year’s eve special.
  • Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest (ABC, 10pm) – The boys will be in Times Square while Fergie hosts from Vegas.
  • New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly (NBC, 10pm) – Also in Times Square, I wonder if he can see Ryan and Dick?
  • Billboard’s New Year’s Eve Live (Fox, 11pm) – And I wonder if hostess Carmen Electra will hang out with Fergie in Vegas?

Friday

  • Better Off Ted/Scrubs (ABC, 8:30/9pm) – Following the Rose Bowl we get a special night of these comedies.
  • Now on PBS (PBS, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – The season starts with a look at the road to recovery for bankers and businesses.
  • The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie (HGTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Australian Jamie travels the world in search of inspiration for ‘lackluster’ backyard designs.
  • Friday Night Alright (VH1, 11pm) Series Premiere – Starts with Pink performing in Australia.

Saturday

  • How Do I Look/What I Hate About Me (Style, 8pm) Season/Series Premiere – From style issues to looks at women’s top ten issues with  ‘expert’ advice.
  • Underdog to Wonderdog/It’s Me or the Dog (AnPl, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Starting the season with one problem dog and then handling a household’s nine dogs.
  • Demons (BBCA, 10pm) Series Premiere – More vampires…

Sunday

  • Frank the Entertainer… (VH1, 8pm) Series Premiere – The cheap version of the Bachelor where ladies move into Frank’s parent’s basement.
  • Durham County (Ion, 9/10pm) Season Premiere – The detective deals with another season of mystery as he tries to hold his family together.
  • Guiliana & Bill (Style, 9pm) Season Premiere – Is Guiliana having a baby, does anyone care?
  • Platinum Weddings (WE, 9/9:30pm) Season Premiere – Like weddings aren’t expensive enough, here’s a look at really expensive ones.
  • Secrets of Aspen (VH1, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another ‘reality’ look at ladies, this time singles in a ski-resort town.
  • Worst Cooks in America (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Culinary boot camp competition, sign me up, too bad I already cut my finger on a knife, darn, will have to sit this one out.
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critic’s picks – top tv of 2009

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madmenWe’re wrapping up the year and critics and award shows are singing the praises of the best of 2009. Following is a consolidation of what I’ve found on folk’s best lists.

Who said which? Initials included after titles and full names and links below. Am I missing some? Post them in comments and I’ll make updates. What do I think? Stay tuned for my year end tv post.

  • Battlestar Galactica (Syfy) – JP, MR, Wat, TG, AS
  • Better Off Ted (ABC) – TG, AS, CNN
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – AFI, MR, Wat, SA, AS, CNN, AF
  • Big Love (HBO) – JP, AFI, TG, SA, AF
  • Bored to Death (HBO) – TG
  • Breaking Bad (AMC) – JP, MR, WG, TG, KT, SA, AS, AF
  • Chuck (NBC) – Wat, AS, AF
  • The Closer (TNT) – TVG, SAG
  • Community (NBC) – TG, AS
  • Cougar Town (ABC) – TVG
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – TG, WG, SAG, AS
  • Damages (FX) – TVG, SA
  • Dexter (Show) – WG, SAG, TG
  • Dollhouse (Fox) – Wat
  • Flight of the Conchords (HBO) – TG, SA, AS
  • Friday Night Lights (NBC) – JP, AFI, TVG, MR, WG, Wat, KT, AS, AF
  • Fringe (Fox) – KT, CNN
  • Glee (Fox) – JP, AFI, TVG, MR, WG, SAG, TG, KT, SA, CNN
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – SAG, KT, SA
  • Greek (ABCFam)- TVG
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – TG, SA, AF
  • Hung (HBO) – TG
  • In Treatment (HBO) – SA, AS
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX) – TG
  • The League (FX) – TG
  • Lost (ABC) – JP, TVG, WG, Wat, TG, AS
  • Mad Men (AMC) – JP, AFI, TVG, MR, WG, Wat, SAG, TG, KT, SA, AS, AF
  • The Middle (ABC) – TVG
  • Modern Family (ABC) – JP, AFI, TVG, TG, MR, WG, Wat, SAG, KT, AS, CNN, AF
  • The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (HBO) – AFI
  • Nurse Jackie (Show) – AFI, MR, Wat, TG, KT, AF
  • The Office (NBC) – JP, TG, WG, SAG, AS, AF
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – JP, TG, Wat, SA, AF
  • Party Down (Starz) – AFI, Wat, AS
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX) – JP, Wat, TG, KT, SA
  • Supernatural (CW) – Wat
  • 30 For 30 (ESPN) – AS
  • 30 Rock (NBC) – TVG, TG, WG, SAG, SA, AF
  • 24 (Fox) – TVG
  • Torchwood: Children of Earth (BBCA) – MR, Wat, AS
  • True Blood (HBO) – AFI, MR, Wat, SAG, TG, KT, CNN, AF
  • Ugly Betty (ABC) – AF
  • United States of Tara (Show) – AS
  • Weeds (Show) – SA

AF – Ausiello Files, AS – Alan Sepinwall for Star-Ledger,  AFI, CNN, JP – James Poniewozik for Time, KT – Ken Tucker for Entertainment Weekly, MR – Matt Roush for TV Guide Magazine, SA – Satellite Awards, SAG – Screen Actor’s Guild (best ensemble), TVG – TV Gal, TG – Tim Goodman for SF Chronicle Comedies, Dramas, Wat – The Watcher by Maureen Ryan, WG – Writer’s Guild

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