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critics’ picks – top tv of 2012

December 27, 2012 No Comments

Time 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.

new and noteworthy tv: 10/22-10/28

October 21, 2012 No Comments

The return of a few more comedies, now we just wait to see what gets canceled next…

Monday

Debate (6pm, various) – One more.
Totally Clueless (MTV, 7pm) Series Premiere – I really hate all hidden camera shows, so hidden camera game show is not calling to me.
Richard Hammond’s Crash Course (BBCA, 10pm) Season Premiere – First stop Hollywood stuntman.

Tuesday

Secrets of the Dead (PBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – Starting with real life Last Resort, or at least a guy who didn’t launch a nuclear torpedo.
Happy Endings/Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23 (ABC, 9/9:30pm) Season Premieres – This time slot is now officially overbooked assuming I am still bringing the laughs.

Wednesday

World Series Game 1 (Fox, 4:30pm) – Will the Giants be joining the Tigers?
The Houstons (Life, 9pm) Series Premiere – Whitney’s family carries on, on camera.

Thursday

Project Runway All Stars (Life, 9pm) Season Premiere – Still seven behind on the current season.

Friday

Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – More Chef Ramsay.
Mockingbird Lane (NBC, 8pm) – The Munsters return in what I think is a pilot that didn’t get picked up.
Gold Rush/Jungle Gold (Disc, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Finding gold and more gold.
Say Yes to the Dress (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Bridesmaids argue.
Health Inspectors (Food, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Food poisoning your friends.

Saturday

The Haunting of (Bio, 10pm) Series Premiere – People share their haunted experiences.
The Graham Norton Show (BBCA, 11pm) Season Premiere – Schwarzenegger continues his publicity tour.

Sunday

Ice Loves CoCo (E!, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – I guess he still loves her.

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.

my schedule

October 17, 2012 No Comments

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?

returning fall favorites

August 23, 2012 No Comments

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.

my schedule

November 1, 2011 No Comments

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).