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: 3/26-4/1

So if I add Idol back into the mix I have fewer slot avails…

Monday

  • Oprah’s Lifeclass (OWN, 8pm) Season Premiere – Iyanla joins Oprah for some chats.
  • Secret Life of the American Teenager/Make it or Break it (ABCFam, 8/9pm) Season Premiere – More teen drama.
  • Brooklyn 11223 (Oxy, 11pm) Series Debut – Join some 20 somethings for a little Brooklyn reality.

Tuesday

  • Caught in the Act (Nat Geo, 8pm) Series Premiere – Animal voyeurism.
  • Best Ink (Oxy, 10pm) Series Debut – Tattoo competitions, but who are the volunteer recipients?
  • 16 and Pregnant (MTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – Pregnant cheerleader.

Wednesday

  • Auction Hunters (Spike, 9pm) Season Premiere – Getting stuff.
  • Whitechapel (BBCA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Murder in the workshop, BBC has been making me want to check out their series.

Thursday

  • The Decrypters (NGC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Forensic scientists investigate.
  • Mary Mary (WE, 10pm) Series Premiere – Following real life gospel duo.
  • Punk’d/Pauly D Project (MTV, 10/10:30pm) Season Premiere – Can’t make me watch prank shows or Jersey Shore’s Pauly D.
  • My Mom is Obsessed (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Plastic surgery much?

Friday

  • True Justice (Reelz, 9pm) Series Premiere – Steven Seagal goes undercover in Seattle, his character of course.
  • Magic City (Starz, 11pm) Series Premiere – Drama in a Miami Beach luxury hotel in the 50s.

Saturday

  • Sony Ericsson Open (CBS, 9:30am/Sun 10am) – Men’s and women’s final, tennis.
  • Beverly’s Full House (OWN, 7pm) Series Premiere – Beverly Sims opens her house to family.
  • Escape Routes (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Another road trip challenge show.
  • Kid’s Choice Awards (Nick, 8pm) – Will Smith hosts.
  • Wild Scene Investigation (Nat Geo, 10pm) Series Premiere – Aren’t there animal culprits?
  • Southern Nights (CMT, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Cast members from “Sweet Home Alabama” (which was maybe a dating series?) live together in a house.

Sunday

  • Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Blake and Reba host.
  • Great Expectations (PBS, 8pm) Miniseries Premiere – A look at Pip.
  • The Killing (AMC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Who killed Rosie Larsen, and will I regret another season?
  • Game of Thrones (HBO, 9pm) Season Premiere – I don’t actually know what this show is about but people like it.
  • Snapped (Oxy, 9pm) Season Premiere – A look at some crimes.
  • I Survived… Beyond and Back (Bio, 10pm) Season Premiere – These people actually flat lined.
  • Wicked Tuna (NatGeo, 10pm) Series Debut – Tuna crews.

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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