tv

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

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I’ve just wrapped up a suite of seasons: Mr Robot (still has some moments but s3 not up to the s1 high bar), Gianni Versace (pretty compelling story and storytelling), and Trust (interesting but not quite compelling), and also finally caught the last Legion (the weird of s1 couldn’t quite be held with any sense). For new summer fare I’m still sticking around to the somewhat interesting Dietland, and will give another episode to Yellowstone to see what they do with the parts of the show that I found a little intriguing, and the less interesting but lighter fare Reverie and Take Two (one episode wasn’t great but we’ll see if they can maintain the good fluff line). With not enough to keep me in, I had to pass on Love Is ___ , 100 Code, Cloak & Dagger, and American Woman.

  • Tour de France Preview (NBCSN) Tuesday 5:30pm – Tour de France, which I will likely refrain from watching, starts July 7.
  • Secret City (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday – A dedicated journalist willing to risk her life and career to expose something.
  • Glow (Net) Season Premiere, Friday – A lot good going on in the first season of this so intrigued to see where they go with the very rough beginnings of lady wrestling.
  • A Very English Scandal (Am) Series Premiere, Friday – This three-part BBC miniseries follows Parliament member Hugh Grant trying to protect his political career from his scandalous affair with a stable boy.

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: 7/17-7/23

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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: 7/3-7/9

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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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new and noteworthy tv: 6/24-6/30

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Under-the-Dome

Monday

  • Wimbledon (ESPN, 4am) – Coverage begins for this fortnight of tennis.
  • Under the Dome (CBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – Who can resist at least a look at this new Stephen King series?
  • POV (PBS, 10pm) Season Premiere – Starting another season with funeral insights. 

Tuesday

  • Rizzoli & Isles/Perception (TNT, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Fluffy but not necessarily great cable procedurals, though curious to see the level of crazy they bring Will/Eric McCormack back at.
  • Catfish (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Exposing fake online relationships.

Wednesday

  • Big Brother (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Back and longer than ever, tune in if you must. 

Thursday

  • X Games (ESPN2, 5pm) – They’ll be showing the games from Munich, Germany through Tuesday. 

Friday

  • Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Nobody seems to love their bridesmaids dresses. 

Saturday

  • Tour de France (NBCSN, 4:30am) – Stage 1 begins, and I am at this point planning not to watch, trying to winnow down my sports watching. 

Sunday

  • Dexter/Ray Donovan (Show, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – The final season of our favorite serial killer and the first of  a new Liev Scriber as fixer with complicating father Jon Voight. 

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: 7/16-7/22

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The final week of the tour should be getting folks in shape for Olympic coverage coming next week…

Monday

  • The Batmobile (CW, 8pm) – Sadly I don’t know if we’ll see any Christian Bale in the evolution of the Batmobile.
  • Eureka (Syfy, 8/9pm) Series Finale – What will go wrong in Eureka next and will they live happily ever after, I’m kinda over this show but always kinda sad to say goodbye.
  • Market Warriors (PBS, 9pm) Series Premiere – Flea market fun.
  • Degrassi (Teen, 10pm) Season Premiere – More teen Canadian drama.

Tuesday

  • American Gypsies (NGC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Let’s follow along with some Manhattan psychic gypsies.
  • The LA Complex (CW, 9pm) Season Premiere – When Canadian teens want to make it big they go to LA, this was so bad it was good and then it just got bad, do I tune back in?

Wednesday

  • Mama Drama (VH1, 11pm) Series Premiere – Mothers and daughters together again.

Thursday

  • Project Runway (Life, 9pm) Season Premiere – We’re back from the All Stars!
  • Great Lake Warriors (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Sailors operating tugboats on Great Lakes.
  • Sullivan & Son (TBS, 10pm) Series Premiere – A son returns to buy back his dad’s bar, and the actor is a comedian, so I think it’s supposed to be funny.

Friday

  • King of Dirt (DIY, 9pm) Season Premiere – Landscape away.
  • John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show (Com, 11pm) Season Premiere – More stand-up.

Saturday

  • 30 Greatest NBC Olympic Moments (NBC, 8pm) – USA, USA, USA!
  • Rove LA (TVG, 10pm) Series Premiere – Australian comedian interviews US stars.

Sunday

  • Tour de France (NBC, 10am) – The final week’s coverage on NBCSN rides into Paris for the glory lap and a final sprint stage, will the jerseys change hands before then?
  • Teen Choice Awards (Fox, 8pm) – Because our teen icons need to be honored.
  • Bar Rescue (Spike, 9pm) Season Premiere – Transformation of failing bars.
  • The Bachelorette (ABC, 8/10pm) Season Finale – I have at least one friend who still watches these, she picks and then they all talk…
  • Flip Men (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – Turning foreclosures around.

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: 7/9-7/15

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Relieve to have the Tour as my only sports obligation, I mean it’s a fun obligation but it’s a lot of tv…

Monday

  • Tour de France (NBCSN, 5am) – Another week kicks off with the time trials, will Wiggins prevail?
  • Bizarre Foods in America (Trav, 9pm) Season Premiere – $750 cupcake?
  • The Closer/Perception (TNT, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Goodbye to Brenda and hello to Eric McCormack and his psychotically induced imaginary friends as he joins Rachel Leigh Cook to solve FBI cases.
  • The Bad Girls Club (Oxy, 10pm) Season Premiere – More bad.
  • Opening Act (E!, 10pm) Series Premiere – Picking a band from the online competition sounds like a recipe for success.

Tuesday

  • Destination Truth (Syfy, 8pm) Season Premiere – Bigfoots and Goblins oh my!
  • Hardcore Pawn (Tru, 9pm) Season Premiere – I’m sure there is a difference amongst the pawn shows but…
  • Trust Us With Your Life/NY Med (ABC, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Celebrity improv and another visit to another hospital to see how the real healers heal.
  • White Collar/Covert Affair (USA, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – How Neal gets back into the FBI fold from his island escape is I’m sure one plot twist away and more CIA thrills.

Wednesday

  • Beverly Hills Nannies (ABCFam, 9pm) Series Premiere – Writing that title makes me physically ill.
  • Damages /Hit & Miss (DirTV, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Those crazy legal ladies are back, and then Chloe Sevigny as a contract killer who happens to be a transsexual, you bet.
  • Toddlers and Tiaras (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – More of this.
  • The Franchise (Show, 10pm) Season Premiere – A season with the Miami Marlins.
  • Picked Off (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Throw team competition into a pawn show.
  • Restaurant: Impossible (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Steak and Seafood done wrong?

Thursday

  • Big Brother (CBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – Is this show still on?
  • Natural Born Sellers (HGTV, 9pm) Series Premiere – Too lazy to look up what they’re selling.
  • The Real L Word/Polyamory (Show, 10/11pm) Season/Series Premieres – NYC lesbians join and relationships multi partner style.
  • Property Wars (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Battle on.
  • Top Spot (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Your pick of the best of three.

Friday

  • Tyler Perry’s for Better or for Worse (TBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – I guess worse is more dramatic…

Saturday

  • Dark Matters (Sci, 10pm) Season Premiere – Looking into the dark?

Sunday

  • Leverage (TNT, 8pm) Season Premiere – I just can’t resist this fluffy con/heist show.
  • Breaking Bad/Small Town Security (AMC, 10/11pm) Season/Series Premiere – Walt and Jesse appear to have survived another season and the reality of private security.
  • Political Animals (USA, 10pm) Series Premiere – Word is good on this Sigourney Weaver as fictional not Hillary Clinton.
  • Strange Sex (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – More sexual irregularities.
  • 3 Days to Open with Bobby Flay (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Can he help in time?
  • Combat Pawn (Tru, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – How much pawn can we take?

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: 7/2-7/8

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Still wrapping some sports, but taking it a little bit light for the American holiday week…

Monday

  • Four Houses (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Decorating times four.
  • Web Therapy (Show, 11pm) Season Premiere – Lisa Kudrow returns as the therapist most in need of therapy.

Tuesday

  • Michael Wood’s Story of England (PBS, 8pm) Series Premiere – History.
  • Haunted Highway (Syfy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Paranormal roads.

Wednesday

  • A Capitol Fourth (PBS, 8pm) – Host Tom Bergeron brings music and fireworks.
  • Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular (NBC, 9pm) – Regis hosts with performers and fireworks.
  • America’s Lost Treasures (NatGeo, 9pm) Series Premiere – Treasure, historical style.
  • Boston Pops Spectacular (CBS, 10pm) – Orchestra and fireworks.

Thursday

  • Breakfast at Wimbledon (ESPN, 4am) – Recover from the fourth with a little preshow the the Wimbledon action.

Friday

  • And recover from the fifth maybe by going out.

Saturday

  • Tour de France (NBC, 5am) – Stages 7 & 8 hit the network for a little weekend viewing, otherwise catch one of the many showings on NBCSN.
  • Wimbledon Highlights (ABC, 1pm, Sat & Sun) – Randomly the Wimbledon finals for both men and women are noted as “highlights” on ABC so keep the recording set for ESPN at 6am for what should be the full events.
  • Dog Whisperer (NatGeo, 8pm) Season Premiere – Cesar begins his final season of dog (or owner) interventions.
  • The Walking Dead (AMC, 8:30am) – Catch up from the beginning starting on Saturday or just the TiVo lost second half of season two starting Sunday at 11:30am.

Sunday

  • Big Ang (VH1, 9pm) Series Premiere – A mob wife gets her own show.

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

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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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new and noteworthy tv: 5/14-5/20

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Schedules and cancellations rolling out, time to prune my season pass list…

Monday

  • America’s Got Talent (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Howard Stern joins.
  • The Bachelorette (ABC, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – Dates, roses, whatever.
  • Outlaw Empires (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Kurt Sutter supplements Sons of Anarchy with a look at real life criminal organizations.

Tuesday

  • Pregnant in Heels (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – Maternity concierge is pregnant herself.

Wednesday

  • ANTM (CW, 8/9pm) – Maybe it’s time to check back in on the British invasion.

Thursday

  • American Idol (Fox, 8pm) – Aren’t we done with this yet?

Friday

  • Tron: Uprising, Beck’s Beginning (Dis, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – There’s more story to tell about Tron.

Saturday

  • Hard Parts (Speed, 11pm) Series Premiere – Haven’t you always wanted to watch someone track down hard to find auto parts?

Sunday

  • AMGEN Tour of California (NBC, 10am) – The cable coverage wraps up on NBC as the guys head into Los Angeles.
  • Billboard Music Awards (ABC, 8pm) – Performances, awards.
  • Keeping Up with the Kardashians (E!, 9pm) Season Premiere – Whatever.
  • Jessie Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (CBS, 9pm) – Tom Selleck returns to the role that is much better than that Blue Bloods thing he does.
  • Mrs Eastwood and Company (E!, 10pm) Series Premiere – Managing a South African singing group.
  • Mystery Diners (Food, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Can a hidden camera catch a thief?

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: 7/18-7/24

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I will be almost as relieved as the riders when the Tour de France is complete…

Monday

  • Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – I don’t do cooking shows much and I don’t love the yelling.
  • Giuliana & Bill (Style, 8pm) Season Premiere – More people I don’t care about.
  • Degrassi (Teen, 9pm) Season Premiere – In its 11th season I wonder how old these kids are now.
  • Selling LA (HGTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Firms dealing with fancy LA properties.

Tuesday

  • It’s Worth What? (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Cedric the Entertainer hosts this game show challenge to guess the value of items.
  • Ludo Bites America (Sund, 9pm) Series Premiere – Let’s see how a French guy fares traveling the US helping struggling restaurateurs.
  • Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO, 10pm) Season Premiere – Bryant looks at sports or sports people or something.
  • True Grime (ID, 10pm) Series Premiere – Clean up is nothing compared to crime scene clean up.
  • Awkward (MTV, 11pm) Series Premiere – The latest teen dramedy about a high school gal who starts the series off getting in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
  • Web Therapy (Show, 11pm) Series Premiere – Kudrow’s web series gets some additions as it makes its first appearance here, with wacky sessions with lots of guest stars.

Wednesday

  • Hollywood Hi-Tech (DIY, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Hmm, I think the premise is celebrities get impressive electronics and we get jealous.
  • Deadliest Warrior (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – Washington vs Bonaparte.
  • South Beach Tow (Tru, 10pm) Series Premiere – A family that tows together…
  • Storage Wars (A&E, 10pm) Season Premiere – Once you win the stuff I learned you have to figure out how to make money off of it.

Thursday

  • Plain Jane (CW, 9pm) – For some reason they are rerunning this kind of sweet makeover dating show.

Friday

  • Tour de France (VS, various) – Today’s stage heads to Alpe-d’Huez, getting that much closer to Sunday’s final stage to Paris Champs-Elysees.
  • US Open Series: Atlanta (ESPN2, Fri-Sun, various) – The US Open tennis series kicks off.

Saturday

  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (ABC, 8pm) – In case you want to ready yourself for the final flick with a rewatch of the first one.

Sunday

  • Same Name (CBS, 9pm) Series Premiere – If your name were David Hasselhoff… I think it’s like Wife Swap
  • Family Renovation (DIY, 9pm) Season Premiere – A couple starts renovation on their home.
  • I Do Over (WE, 10pm) Series Premiere – Wish your wedding had been better?
  • Top Gear (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – More gear.
  • Entourage (HBO, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – The final season begins and I’m sure these guys have changed significantly.

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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