best, tv

critics’ picks – top tv of 2012

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louieTime to get started on our year end lists! While the tv shows aren’t currently fresh, the critics’ best and award noms give you something to get ready to tune back into. I can’t personally recommend all of these shows (stay tuned for my top ten list) and as most readers know I don’t catch most of the real cable on first run (HBO, Show, Starz), but from the breadth of shows there is a little something out there for everyone. So without further ado here’s a sampling of top tv picks:

  • 2 Broke Girls (CBS) – E
  • 2012 Election  – JP
  • 30 for 30 (ESPN) – DF
  • 30 Rock (NBC) – AS, PGA, TG
  • American Horror Story: Asylum (Fx) – AFI, GG, JP, MoR, MZS
  • Archer (Fx) – MZS, TG
  • Ben and Kate (Fox) – TG
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – E, MR, PGA
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – GG, TG
  • Boss (Starz) – GG, TG
  • Breaking Bad (AMC) – AFI, AS, DF, JP, KT, MR, MoR,  MZS,  PGA, TG
  • Call the Midwife (PBS) – MR
  • Castle (ABC) – E
  • The Colbert Report (Com) – KT, MM
  • Coma (A&E) – MZS
  • Community (NBC) – E, MZS, TG
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – PGA
  • Dexter (Show) – MR, TG
  • Don’t Trust the B- In Apartment 23 (ABC) – TG
  • Downton Abbey (PBS) – MR, PGA
  • Enlightened (HBO) – GG
  • Episodes (Show) – GG
  • Game Change (HBO) – AFI
  • Game of Thrones (HBO) – AFI, DF, E, GG, JP, MoR, PGA, TG
  • Girls (HBO) – AFI, AS, DF, JP, KT, MR, MoR, TG
  • Glee (Fox) – E, GG
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – KT, MR
  • Gossip Girl (CW) – E
  • Happy Endings (ABC) – E, MoR
  • Hatfields & McCoys (Hist) – MZS
  • Homeland (Show) – AFI, AS, E, GG, JP, KT, MM, MR, MoR, MZS, PGA, TG
  • The Hour (BBCA) – DF, TG
  • House of Lies (Show) – TG
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – E
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx) – TG
  • Justified (Fx) – KT, TG
  • Louie (Fx) – AFI, AS, DF, JP, KT, MM, MR, MoR, MZS, PGA, TG
  • Luck (HBO) – AS, MM, MZS
  • Mad Men (AMC) – AFI, AS, DF, JP, KT, MR, MoR, MZS, PGA, TG
  • Magic City (Starz) – TG
  • The Middle (ABC) – MR
  • The Mindy Project (Fox) – E
  • Modern Family (ABC) – AFI, E, GG, PGA, TG
  • Nashville (ABC) – KT
  • New Girl (Fox) – E, GG, MoR, TG
  • On Freddie Roach (HBO) – DF
  • Once Upon a Time (ABC) – E
  • Parenthood (NBC) – AS, JP
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – AS, DF, E, JP, KT, MoR, TG
  • Raising Hope (Fox) – TG
  • Revenge (ABC) – E
  • Scandal (ABC) – E
  • Shameless (Show) – TG
  • Sherlock (PBS) – MM, TG
  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx) – MR, TG
  • Supernatural (CW) – E
  • Treme (HBO) – AS, DF, MZS, TG
  • The Vampire Diaries (CW) – E
  • Veep (HBO) – TG
  • The Walking Dead (AMC) – AFI, E, MM, MR, TG
  • Wilfred (Fx) – TG

AFI – AFI Television Programs of the Year, AS – Alan Sepinwall for Hitfix, DF – Dan Fienberg for Hitfix, E – E! Best Comedies and E! Best Dramas, GG – Golden Globe nomination, JP – James Poniewozik for Time, KT – Ken Tucker for Ew, MM* – Mary McNamara for LA Times, MR* – Matt Roush for TV Guide, MoR – Maureen Ryan for Huffington Post, MZS – Matt Zoller Seitz on Vulture, PGA – Producer’s Guild, TG – Tim Goodman’s Best Comedies and Dramas

* Some top votes were for categories of shows or notations to things like Clint’s chair speech and referee strike.

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my schedule

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We’ll see if anything changes and I’m always pretending I’ll be a bit more ruthless with some cuts, but here’s where things are netting out for now.

Monday

  • 8pm – How I Met Your Mother (CBS) / Bones (Fox)
  • 10pm – Castle (ABC)

I’m kind of over all of these shows but feel dedicated to see them through for their resolution and still glimmers of my past appreciation.

Tuesday

  • 8pm – Ben & Kate (Fox) / Hart of Dixie (CW)
  • 9pm – Happy Endings/Don’t Trust the B in Apt 23 (ABC) / New Girl/The Mindy Project (Fox) / Go On/The New Normal (NBC)
  • 10pm – Parenthood (NBC) / Vegas (CBS)

My biggest competitive slot at 9… Ben & Kate aren’t rock solid yet so we’ll see where it goes, but the rest of the funnies, assuming Endings and Apt 23 come back in good form, are pretty solid, capped off with some good family drama and a so far kind of intriguing Vegas.

Wednesday

  • 8pm – The Middle/Suburgatory (ABC)
  • 9pm – Modern Family (ABC)
  • 10pm – Nashville (ABC)

More funny, and I’m only one in but enjoyed the drama of the Nashville songsters and the actual and subjective politics surrounding them and the pretty catchy tunes.

Thursday

  • 8pm – The Big Bang Theory (CBS) / 30 Rock (NBC)
  • 9pm – The Office/Parks & Rec (NBC)
  • 10pm – Elementary (CBS)

When’s the last time I was enjoying so many comedies, though hoping Office will go out on a good note, and then the enjoyable latest iteration of Sherlock and Watson.

Friday

  • 8pm – Community (NBC) / ANTM (CW)
  • 9pm – Grimm (NBC)

So Community isn’t back yet, but whenever and wherever it hits I’ll check it, I have somehow been sucked back into ANTM hijinks, and still digging the silly and sometimes grisly weekly fairy tale mystery.

Saturday

  • Day of rest or frolic

Sunday

  • 9pm – The Good Wife (CBS)
  • 10pm – The Mentalist (CBS)

A good dramatic lineup to cap off the week with my favorite network drama Wife.

And still working in my less time slot specific cable entries of It’s Always Sunny (FX), The League (FX), Major Crimes (TNT), Sons of Anarchy (FX), The Walking Dead (AMC) and tentatively American Horror Story (Fx).

What’s in your queue?

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new and noteworthy tv: 9/24-9/30

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Things are really rolling now and starting to get my first time slot triple bookings, thank goodness for OnDemand…

Monday

  • How I Met Your Mother/Partners/2 Broke Girls/Mike & Molly/Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, 8/8:30/9/9:30/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – I’m sticking it out to find the mother though the series is uneven, and may give the broke girls one more shot but there’s not enough in our other comedies to keep me laughing or action in Hawaii to keep me tuned in.
  • Dancing With the Stars/Castle (ABC, 8/10pm) Season Premieres – More dancing and then the latest couple has finally gotten together.
  • Chrissy & Mr. Jones (VH1, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – The latest reality couple, spin-off from Love and Hip Hop.

Tuesday

  • New Girl/Ben and Kate/The Mindy Project (Fox, 8/8:30/9:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – What could pan out to be a funny lineup.
  • NCIS/NCIS: LA/Vegas (CBS, 8/9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Military investigations and then back to Vegas.
  • Private Practice (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Medical and personal drama returns.
  • Call Me Fitz/Less Than Kind (Dir, 9/9:30pm) Season Premieres – Am I missing out on anything without DirectTV?
  • Tosh.o/Brickleberry (Com, 10pm) Season/Series Premiers – Tosh shares and then the comic stylings of cartoon inept forest rangers.

Wednesday

  • Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Is there a new captain in the mix and do I care anymore?
  • Criminal Minds/CSI (CBS, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Crime it up.
  • The Middle/Modern Family/The Neighbors/Revenge (ABC, 8/9/9:30/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Neighbors doesn’t look to bring much funny but I’ll give it a shot as I revisit some pretty funny fams but no cheesy comeuppance for me.
  • South Park/Key & Peele (Com, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – Cartoon kids and sketches.

Thursday

  • The Big Bang Theory/Two and a Half Men/Person of Interest/Elementary (CBS, 8/8:30/9/9:30/10) Season/Series Premieres – I kind of wish Big Bang had a better partner, and Person didn’t hook me, but then I’ll tune back with cautious optimism for the new Sherlock.
  • Last Resort/Grey’s Anatomy/Scandal (ABC, 8/9/10pm) Series/Season Premiere – Last Resort is getting some buzz and I did finally drop Grey’s, and Scandal…
  • SNL Weekend Update Thursday (NBC, 8pm) – More politics and funny.
  • Prank My Mom (Life, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Does pranking a mom seem like a good idea?

Friday

  • Kitchen Nightmares/Fringe (Fox, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Nightmares and weirdness.
  • CSI: NY/Made in Jersey/Blue Bloods (CBS, 8/9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – I’ll give the Jersey girl a shot.
  • Flea Market Flip (HGTV, 9pm) Series Premiere – Who can reinvent their finds for the biggest funds.

Saturday

  • 48 Hours (CBS, 10pm) Season Premiere – Killer justice.

Sunday

  • 60 Minutes/The Amazing Race/The Good Wife/The Mentalist (CBS, 7/8/9/10pm) Season Premieres – News, racing, and then the return of two of my fave dramas.
  • The Simpsons/Bob’s Burgers/Family Guy/American Dad (Fox, 8/8:30/9/9:30pm) Season Premieres – Cartoon it up.
  • Once Upon a Time/666 Park Avenue (ABC, 8/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Let the fairy tales continue and then the hotel creepiness begin, worth a shot.
  • Call the Midwife (PBS, 8pm) Series Premiere – Will this 1950s London midwife be the new PBS rage?
  • Making Monsters (Trav, 8pm) Season Premiere – Starting with Megadeth props.
  • Dexter/Homeland (Show, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Another season of cops, killers, and coverups and people with Showtime say good things about Homeland.
  • Destination Fear (Trav, 11pm) Series Premiere – Looking for the haunted.

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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returning fall favorites

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The fall season is starting to trickle in… Until we get the full lay of the land of the new stuff, let’s take a look at what I’m looking forward to that’s coming back.

  • Community (NBC, Oct 19) – They’re able to do a crazy good job with random theme episodes and ongoing arcs that leverage the characters as well as pop culture.
  • The Good Wife (CBS, Sept 30) – Still one of my favorite dramas, I am somehow interested in all the aspects of the people, cases, relationships and politics.
  • Happy Endings (ABC, Oct 23) – This is my fave buddy/relationship comedy as each of these characters have evolved into their own random peeps.
  • Hart of Dixie (CW, Oct 2) – My new favorite fluffy small town rom-com, I want to see if Summer Zoe is still rocking the shorts at her medical practice.
  • The Mentalist (CBS, Sept 30) – This procedural has maintained the most of my interest, mostly due to Simon Baker being a likable wackadoodle.
  • New Girl (Fox, Sept 25) – This show too had some growing pains in the first season but I like that Jess has found a better balance of innocence and reality and the supporting cast has become more well rounded.
  • Parenthood (NBC, Sept 11) – What will befall the Bravermans this season, they get into some stupid situations but usually treat them with the right amount of humor and heart.
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC, Sept 20) – I almost wanted this show to end with the council election because it was just so perfect but am thrilled to see the return of these misfit government workers.
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX, Sept 11) – Every season I wonder how Jax and the crew will get out of their latest fix and am eagerly anticipating their new season of good bad guys.
  • The Walking Dead (AMC, Oct 14) – I finally caught back up and am ready for a new season of relationships strained to the max as they fight for their survival of the zomb-pocalypse.

Honorable Mentions (On the TiVo): 30 Rock (NBC, Oct 4), The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Sept 27), Bones (Fox, Sept 17), Castle (ABC, Sept 24), Dexter (Show, Sept 30), Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23 (ABC, Oct 23), Grimm (NBC), Hot in Cleveland (TVL, Nov 28), How I Met Your Mother (CBS, Sept 24), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX, Oct), The League (FX, Oct), The Middle (ABC, Sept 26), Modern Family (ABC, Sept 26), Suburgatory (ABC, Oct 17).

Debatable but may check in: American Horror Story (Fx, Oct), America’s Next Top Model (CW, Aug 24), Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Sept 26), The Office (NBC, Sept 20), The Voice (NBC, Sept 10).

Chime in with comments on what you’re looking forward to or other questions on returning faves.

Shows listed in alphabetical order and all premiere dates are of course subject to change.

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best, tv

procrastinator picks – top tv of 2011

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The critics have given their best lists so it’s time for mine. As most of you know I don’t get top tier cable so some of the HBO and Showtime and other options are waiting for a Netflix showing for me to properly evaluate. And as with all of my top ten lists there could be a good degree of variability particularly on order but also on inclusion depending on the way the wind blows… but here’s where I ended up today:

  • Justified (Fx) – Last season’s plot line did a great job of not only showcasing why we love US Marshall Raylan but the complexities of the good and not so good guys in rural Kentucky.
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – I’m still impressed with the well rounded stories and characters and the politics that go into everything they do, be it the weekly court case, the running of the law firm, the family drama and of course the politics.
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – This series started off a little rough not quite knowing what to do with their Office spinoff-ish format, but the show has really found its footing week after week with small town office politics and the characters involved.
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX) – Have recently been wondering how many club members could die a season and still keep going, but this show makes me mostly suspend belief as I am caught up in all the tensions wondering how they will ever make it through the next jam.
  • Bones (Fox) – So far I still enjoy the chemistry and character between/of the two leads as their relationship progresses on this sciency procedural with a supporting cast of folks that add good stuff to each week.
  • The Glee Project (Oxy) – This new angle on talent competition, looking for someone who would fit into a specific show focusing on slightly underdog characters, coached and judged by the cast, staff, and creators gives a great look at both the talent and what goes into getting it all together.
  • Men of a Certain Age (TNT) – Ray Romano, Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher each embodied a wonderfully nuanced character dealing with the dramas of life, I enjoyed what was unfortunately the final season.
  • Parenthood (NBC) – Ah the silly Bravermans keep making missteps but they seem to mostly balance family drama ridiculousness with some touching and truthful moments from each of the generations.
  • Cougar Town (ABC)/Community (NBC) – These two comedies were more uneven than some but still consistently gave me the most laughs and enjoyment, both took a little while to find their footing but they each were able to find the funny in their off beat characters and situations.

And of course lots of  stuff almost made the list, my TiVo is certainly full! What are your picks?

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critic’s picks – top tv 2011

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It’s that time of year again, yearend top tens! So the critics favored some new and some old. I don’t have Showtime, or HBO, so more to add to my queue. Check the links at bottom for a little more background and in some cases a longer list (people, I know 10 is arbitrary but 30?). Stay tuned for my Top TV of 2010, I’m still assimilating my TiVo backlog.

  • 30 Rock (NBC) – TG
  • American Horror Story (Fx) – MEF, GG
  • Archer (Fx) – TVM
  • Awkward (MTV) – MoR, MEF
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – MR
  • The Big C (Show) – Sat
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – AS, Sat, TG, JL, AFI, GG
  • Boss (Starz) – GG
  • Breaking Bad (AMC) – AS, Sat, TG, MEF, TVM, MoR, AVC, KT, JP, AFI, MR, DF
  • The Colbert Report (Com) – KT
  • Community (NBC) – AS, Sat, JL, MoR, JP, MR, AVC
  • Cougar Town (ABC) – TVM
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – AFI
  • Downton Abbey (PBS) – MEF, JL, MoR, MR, DF, KT
  • Enlightened (HBO) – GG, JP, KT, AVC
  • Episodes (Show) – Sat, GG
  • Friday Night Lights (DirTV/NBC) – JP, AS, Sat, JL, TVM, MoR, AVC, DF
  • Fringe (Fox) – TVM, MR, KT
  • Game of Thrones (HBO) – AS, TG, MEF, JL, GG, MoR, AVC, JP, AFI, MR, DF
  • Glee (Fox) – GG
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – JL, AVC, JP, AFI, MR, KT
  • Homeland (Show) – AS, TG, MEF, JL, GG, TVM, MoR, AVC, AFI, MR, JP, DF, KT
  • The Hour (BBCA) – DF
  • The Inbetweeners (BBCA) – TG
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx) – Sat, TG
  • Justified (Fx) – AS, Sat, TG, MEF, JL, TVM, MoR, JP, AFI, MR, DF, KT, AVC
  • Louie (Fx) – AS, Sat, TG, TVM, MoR, JP, AFI, DF, KT, AVC
  • Men of a Certain Age (TNT) – AS, MoR
  • The Middle (ABC) – MR
  • Modern Family (ABC)  – Sat, MEF, AFI, MR, GG
  • New Girl (Fox) – MR, GG
  • Parenthood (NBC) – JL
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC) – AS, TG, JL, TVM, MoR, AVC, KT, JP, AFI, DF
  • Raising Hope (Fox) – MEF
  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx) – Sat, MEF, TVM
  • Treme (HBO) – Sat
  • The Vampire Diaries (CW) – DF
  • The United States of Tara (Show) – AS

AFI, AS – Alan Sepinwall for HitFix, AVC – AV Club, DF – Daniel Feinberg for Hitfix, GG – Golden Globes,  JL – Jace Lacob for The Daily Beast, JP – James Poniewozik for Time, KT – Ken Tucker for EW, MEF – Maria Elena Fernandez for The Daily Beast, MR – Matt Roush for TV Guide, MoR – Maureen Ryan for The Huffington Post, Sat – Satellite Awards, TG – Tim Goodman for the Hollywood Reporter, TVM – TVMcGee

 

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my schedule

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There still may be some rearranging but here’s where I’m at…

Monday

  • 8pm- How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
  • 9pm – House (Fox) / Hart of Dixie (CW)
  • 10pm – Castle (ABC)

Hart of Dixie is the new addition to this evening, not an incredible show but I like Rachel Bilson and the Gilmore Girls-esque town, it makes me happy. House has been hanging by a thread on my schedule but I’m always interested if not entertained by the supporting cast shakeups.

Tuesday

  • 8pm – Glee (Fox)
  • 9pm – New Girl/Raising Hope (Fox) / Ringer (CW)
  • 10pm – Parenthood (NBC)

New Girl is one of two new enjoyable sitcom additions with a nice quirky feel that I hope they’ll grow into well, and it brought Raising Hope, which I sort of enjoy, back from being abandoned by me. Ringer is hanging on by a thread but I keep wanting to give Buffy a chance and see where it’s going.

Wednesday

  • 8pm – The Middle/Suburgatory (ABC)
  • 9pm – Modern Family/Happy Endings (ABC) / ANTM (CW)
  • 10pm – L&O: SVU (NBC)

Sitcom addition number two, Suburgatory, is another nice dose of quirky fun made better than average by the lead. ANTM all star edition is getting me back on board with this, and the new cast may not be enough to keep me on board with SVU.

Thursday

  • 8pm – The Big Bang Theory (CBS) / Community/Parks & Rec (NBC)
  • 9pm – [Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)] / Person of Interest (CBS) / Bones (Fox) /[The Office (NBC)]
  • 10pm – The Mentalist (CBS) / Prime Suspect (NBC)

Prime Suspect may not be getting great ratings but it is coming into its own, while it’s clearly the 9 o’clock hour that’s a problem. Grey’s is always borderline on schedule, but I can pick them up online if need be while PofI isn’t the most awesome new show I might be more interested than the no longer in its prime Office.

Friday

  • 8pm – Chuck (NBC)
  • 9pm – Grimm (NBC)

I was a little over Chuck’s family drama over the past season(s) but hoping their final year and rogue spy troupe is back to basics and giving the new fantastical procedural a go.

Saturday

  • Day of rest or frolic

Sunday

  • 9pm – The Good Wife (CBS)

She’s still good.

And not forgetting cable I’ve got Sons of Anarchy (Fx), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx), Walking Dead (AMC) still in the queue and am still on board but not sure how much I love the new totally bizarre but working it out American Horror Story (Fx).

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new and noteworthy tv: 9/19-9/25

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So my TiVo might be maxed out this week…

Monday

  • Dancing with the Stars/Castle (ABC, 8/10pm) Season Premieres – I don’t do dancing but still enjoy Castle and his muse.
  • How I Met Your Mother/Two and a Half Men/2 Broke Girls/Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, 8/9/9:30/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Still find enough to laugh at on Mother which kicks off with an hour and then willing to give Ashton and the Broke Girls a watch, 5-0 is maybe going to retire from my schedule but we’ll see how the night goes.
  • The Sing-Off/The Playboy Club (NBC, 8/10pm – PBC replays on Bravo 9/25) Season Premiere – I might not stick with it but I actually kind of enjoy these singing things and Ben Folds as I recall is a great judge, and I don’t know about the bunnies.
  • American Underworld (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Mark Allen Johnson pursues dangerous stories.

Tuesday

  • The Biggest Loser/New Girl/Raising Hope (NBC, 8/9/9:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – I don’t do the feel good of loser but willing to give Girl a go and maybe a second chance to Hope which I kind of dropped last year.
  • Dancing with the Stars/Body of Proof (ABC, 8/10pm) Season Premiere  – Meet the cast then results followed by Dana Delaney in a show that I found too poorly done.
  • Glee (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – This show is uneven but when it works it’s wonderful.
  • NCIS/NCIS: LA/Unforgettable (CBS, 8/9/10pm) Season Premieres – I don’t really do Navy but am willing to give the supposedly forgettable show a once over.
  • Tosh.0/Workaholics (Com, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – More of this funny.

Wednesday

  • The Middle/Modern Family/Revenge (ABC, 8/9/10pm – Revenge replays 9/23) Season/Series Premieres – Two funny comedies get an hour each and then it looks too cheesy to stick with but maybe once.
  • The X Factor (Fox, 8pm) Series Premiere – I actually want to watch this but the two hour time slot is filled up, perhaps just a drive by to catch the judges in early audition rounds.
  • Criminal Minds/CSI (CBS, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Get your crime on with returning CM cast and Ted Danson joining the lab.
  • Harry’s Law/L&O: SVU (NBC, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Cast shakeups on both shows are worth a look though maybe not continued watching.
  • The Ultimate Fighter (Spike, 9pm) Season Premiere – 32 new hopefuls compete.

Thursday

  • The Big Bang Theory/Person of Interest/The Mentalist (CBS, 8/9/10pm – POI replays 9/24) Season/Series Premiere – The funny guys are followed by some pre crime fighting and what happens to our protagonist after taking out Red John?
  • Charlie’s Angels/Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8/9pm) Series Premiere – The angels aren’t supposed to be good so may be muscled out of this time slot for me, though I’m still sticking with Grey’s.
  • Community/Parks & Recreation/The Office/Whitney/Prime Suspect (NBC, 8/8:30/9/9:30/10pm – Prime Suspect replays 9/24) Season/Series Premieres – Hoping that the new boss on office and whitney can hold up the funny, though Whit is rumored to not, and intrigued by Bello as the latest lady detective.
  • Prison Diaries (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Confessions from death row.
  • Sweet Genius (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another sugar packed competition.

Friday

  • A Gifted Man/CSI: NY/Blue Bloods (CBS, 8/9/10pm) Series /Season Premieres – Willing to take a look at the surgeon with a ghost but skip the rest of the crime night.
  • Kitchen Nightmares/Fringe (Fox, 89pm) Season Premieres – Pass.
  • Nikita/Supernatural (CW, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – Pass.
  • Dateline (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Pass.
  • Ghost Adventures/The Dead Files (Trav, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere -Not my kind of travel.

Saturday

  • Bang for Your Buck/Dear Genevieve/The Making of (HGTV, 2:30/5/7pm) Season Premieres – Spa bath, master bath, and the making of the magazine.
  • 48 Hours Mystery (CBS, 10pm) Season Premiere – Newsy.
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:29pm) Season Premiere – Alec Baldwin hosts with Radiohead.

Sunday

  • 60 Minutes/The Amazing Race/The Good Wife/CSI: Miami (CBS, 7/8/9/10pm) Season Premieres – It’s all about the wife.
  • Extreme Makeover: Home Edition/Desperate Housewives/Pan Am (ABC, 7/9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Will give the retro flight show a shot.
  • The Simpsons/The Cleveland Show/The Family Guy/American Dad (Fox, 8/8:30/9/9:30pm) Season Premieres – I don’t really do these.
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO, 9pm) Season Premiere – The empire continues.
  • Sister Wives/Long Island Medium (TLC, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Wives and a psychic.
  • Dirty Soap/Kendra (E!, 10/11pm) Series/Season Premieres – More reality.
  • IRT (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – More deadly roads.
  • Storm Chasers (Disc, 10pm) Season Premiere – More storms.
  • Watch What Happens (Brav, 11pm) Season Premiere – More late night talk.

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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returning fall favorites

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The drought is almost over, and as I wait for the critics to chime in on what’s worth a watch of the new crop of shows, we can take a look at what I’m most looking forward to returning.

  • Bones (Fox, 11/3) – Of the procedurals this still is probably my fave, like all the characters, and curious to see how the Booth/Bones baby will play.
  • Community (NBC, 9/22) – Embracing pop culture and media to the hilt, way more hits than misses with our pack of misfits.
  • The Good Wife (CBS, 9/25) – They’ve done an excellent job making each character and each storyline dimensional enough that I’m intrigued by it all, this season will the good wife be a little bad?
  • Modern Family (ABC, 9/21) – This show is a little uneven for me, but when it’s on, it’s on and the mix of family characters makes me laugh.
  • Parenthood (NBC, 9/13) – I had written this show off early but after a marathon I ended up falling a little bit in love with the Bravermans and their family drama, and Lauren Graham and Peter Krause don’t hurt.
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC, 9/22) – This show has really found its stride with the small town politics and their quirky crew, adding Rob Lowe and Adam Scott was also surprisingly a great move.
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX, 9/6) – It’s just too fun to watch these bad boys try to do good, and sometimes try to do bad, a hunky lead and complex family and motorcycle club relations keep me coming back for more.
  • The Walking Dead (AMC, 10/16) – I am thoroughly intrigued as to how they’re going to keep the story of these survivors of the Zombie-pocolypse going after a short season intro, although I’ve learned not to watch before bed, I can’t wait for season two.

Honorable Mention (TiVo Season Passes): ANTM (CW, 9/14), The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 9/22), Castle (ABC, 9/19), Chuck (NBC, 10/21), Dexter (Show, 10/2), Glee (Fox, 9/20), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9/22), HIMYM (CBS, 9/19),  House (Fox, 10/3), It’s Always Sunny (FX, 9/15), L&O: SVU (NBC, 9/21), The Mentalist (CBS, 9/22), The Office (NBC, 9/22).

Shows listed in alphabetical order and all premiere dates are of course subject to change.

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tv

looking beyond summer…

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The fall upfronts are done. ‘The what?’ Some of you may be asking… This is when the networks start pimping their fall shows to advertisers.

Personally I try not to get too invested in anything new. Most of the pilots aren’t finalized and certainly aren’t reviewed so things can change dramatically between now and then (and even go away). Though I am admittedly not immune the hope of a high concept show (Charlie’s Angels), the return of a favorite talent (Sarah Michelle Gellar in Ringer), or creators with a somewhat proven track record (Once Upon a Time from the creators of Lost and Spielberg’s Terra Nova).

What I tend to pay a little more attention to at this point are shows that have been canceled (see notations below) and shows in a schedule shootout. Every fall there is at least one time slot where something gets kicked to the curb that would normally make the cut. I do like to watch new shows at least once so thank goodness for a couple of replays and online viewing to ensure the right picks are getting the season pass. Here’s what it’s looking like for me for now:

Monday

  • 8pm – How I Met Your Mother/Two Broke Girls (CBS) vs. Terra Nova (Fox) vs. The Sing-Off (NBC)
  • 9pm – House (Fox) vs. Hart of Dixie (CW) vs. Two and a Half Men (CBS) – willing to give Ashton a try
  • 10pm – Castle (ABC) vs. Hawaii Five-O (CBS) vs. The Playboy Club (NBC)

Tuesday

  • 8pm – Last Man Standing/Man Up (ABC) & Glee (Fox)
  • 9pm – Ringer (CW) & New Girl (Fox)
  • 10pm – Unforgettable (CBS) & Parenthood (NBC)

Wednesday

  • 8pm – The Middle/Suburgatory (ABC) vs. The X Factor (Fox) vs. Up All Night/Free Agents (NBC)
  • 9pm – Modern Family (ABC) vs. ANTM (CW) vs. Harry’s Law (NBC) vs. The X Factor/I Hate My Teenage Daughter (Fox) – I admittedly can’t endorse 2 out of those 4 but I do watch
  • 10pm – Revenge (ABC) & L&O: SVU (NBC) – say goodbye to Stabler

Thursday

  • 8pm – Charlie’s Angels (ABC) vs. Big Bang Theory/How to Be a Gentleman (CBS) vs. X Factor Results (Fox) vs. Community/Parks & Rec (NBC)
  • 9pm – Grey’s (ABC) vs. Person of Interest (CBS) vs. The Secret Circle (CW) vs. Bones (Fox) vs. The Office/Whitney (NBC)
  • 10pm – The Mentalist (CBS) & Prime Suspect (NBC)

Friday

  • 8pm – Chuck (NBC)
  • 9pm – Grimm (NBC)

Saturday – Nothing

Sunday

  • 8pm – Once Upon a Time (ABC)
  • 9pm – The Good Wife (CBS)
  • 10pm – Pan Am (ABC)

And for a look at your own schedule check out TV Guide’s fall grid and for what’s been canceled (and sticking around) check out The Futon Critic’s scorecard. New shows are in italics.

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