new and noteworthy tv: 3/31-4/6

himym-9

Still not caught up in general, though goal is to actually watch the final ep of mother so I don’t have to listen to everyone complain about how it ended without context.

Monday

  • HIMYM/Friends with Better Lives (CBS, 8, 9pm) Series Finale/Premiere – Glad that this thing is finally wrapping up, though I have to remember when it was actually great whether I’m glad about how it resolves or not, and then another option they’re hoping will grab the void.
  • T.I. and Tiny/This is Hot 97 (VH1, 9/10:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – More reality with those peeps and then behind the scenes of hip-hop radio station.
  • House of Food (MTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Another cooking competition, MTV-style.

Tuesday

  • 19 Kids & Counting (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Dating?
  • Inside Amy Schumer (Com 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Sketch comedy and whatnot.

Wednesday

  • Million Dollar Listing New York (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – Dream Listing.
  • Down East Dickering (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Bargain hunters in Maine.
  • Treasure King (Reelz, 10pm) Series Premiere – Antiques expert looks for goods around the globe.
  • Triptank (Com, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Edgy animated shorts.

Thursday

  • How It’s Made (Sci, 9pm) Season Premiere – There are always more things to look at.
  • My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Feuding family love.

Friday

  • Continuum (Syfy, 10pm) Season Premiere – One of those shows that I don’t watch.

Saturday

  • Guntucky (CMT, 9pm) Season Premiere – A family gun range, what could go wrong?

Sunday

  • Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS, 8pm) – Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan host.
  • Game of Thrones/Silicon Valley/Veep (HBO, 9/10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – I might get around to this show some day, a new drama about the company that could be the next tech thang, and then more action near the oval office.
  • Married to Medicine (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – In case you need a show following female doctor wives.
  • River Monsters (AnPl, 9pm) Season Premiere – Amazon riverboat sinking.
  • Turn (AMC, 9pm) Series Premiere – American Revolution-era spy drama.
  • Hotel Secrets and Legends (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – It happened there.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 3/24-3/30

JimHenson_detail_2560x1450_1280x725_183347267978

My no new reality shows plan is sometimes tested…

Monday

  • Bizarre Foods America (Trav, 9pm) Season Premiere – Starting the season in Alaska.
  • The Safecrackers (Tru, 10pm) Series Premiere – I normally ignore shows on this network but I’ve always been intrigued

Tuesday

  • Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge (Syfy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Puppetry challenges where puppetry is done, I’m interested in a look behind the curtain.
  • Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan (BBCA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Kenya and cobras.

Wednesday

  • Prince Harry’s South Pole Heroes (NBC, 8pm) – I don’t know why they’re going but if you want to check it out you can.
  • Hot In Cleveland/The Soul Man (TVL, 10/10:30pm) Season Premieres – Cleveland continues to be a cute take on the old school sitcoms while Soul has never caught my attention.

Thursday

  • Surviving Jack (Fox, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Christopher Meloni stretches his sitcom muscles playing hard ass newly full time parent, worth a shot.
  • America’s Worst Tattoos (TLC, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – I like a touch of a bad tattoo on my shows but find the promise of all bad tattoos just depressing.

Friday

  • If you’re watching tv on a Friday don’t forget about Hannibal.

Saturday

  • Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best? (WE, 10pm) Season Premiere – All the jokes about Joan making a sex tape…

Sunday

  • Call the Midwife/Mr Selfridge (PBS, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – I’m never sure if I should be watching more PBS dramas but they mostly haven’t caught my attention.
  • Caribbean Life (HGTV, 8pm) Series Premiere – Could be pretty or just jealous making.
  • Eric & Jessie (E!, 10pm) Season Premiere – Following another ‘famous’ couple.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 3/17-3/23

the-100

Was just saying I need to start cutting shows out of my TiVo backlog, I def don’t need to add…

Monday

  • Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8pm) Season Premiere – Who will dance the worst first?
  • The Fabulist (E!, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Hosts and panelists tell you what’s what, you know as far as trends.
  • Lords of the Car Hoards (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Clearly a Corvair is not a Corvette, at least to these guys looking for cars.

Tuesday

  • Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe (ABC, 8pm) – An inside look at the studios.
  • Storage Wars/Barry’d Treasure (A&E, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Storage and collectors search.
  • Chasing Maria Menounos/Celebrities Undercover (Oxy, 10/10:30pm) Series Premieres – More reality, following Maria and then celebrities try to pull a fast one over on peeps.

Wednesday

  • Save My Bakery (Food, 8pm) Series Premiere – This appears to be restaurant rescue-style.
  • The 100 (CW, 9pm) Series Premiere – Something tells me the future has pretty people, every once in a while one of these is a cheesy gem.
  • Doll & Em (HBO, 10pm) Series Premiere – A new series of actress and bff assistant.
  • Deal With It (TBS, 10:30pm) Season Premiere – More hidden camera hijinks.

Thursday

  • I don’t know, NCAA basketball?

Friday

  • Whose Line Is It Anyway (CW, 8pm) Season Premiere – The gang continues their improvery.

Saturday

  • Da Vinci’s Demons (Starz, 9pm) Season Premiere – A quest.
  • House Hunters Renovation (HGTV, 10pm) Season Premiere – A total overhaul.

Sunday

  • Super Soul Sunday/Oprah & Eckhart Tolle (OWN, 11am/12pm) Season/Series Premieres – Shirley MacLaine and of course Eckhart.
  • American Dream Builders (NBC, 8pm) Series Premiere – 12 designers compete remodeling, and cutie patootie Nate Berkus.
  • Drop Dead Diva (Life, 9pm) Season Premiere – This show is surprisingly charming for a silly premise, mostly thanks to a great lead.
  • Living Alaska (HGTV, 10pm) Series Premiere – Family, fishing, and whatnot.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 3/10-3/16

believe

I’m still behind on my backlog…

Monday

  • Believe (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – A girl with ‘mysterious’ gifts, maybe.
  • The People’s Couch (Brav, 11:30pm) Season Premiere – It’s like if you didn’t have friends to talk tv with.

Tuesday

  • The Freshman Class (Cook, 8pm) Season Premiere – More culinary class.
  • The Real Housewives of NYC (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – More women I care very little about.
  • Chrisley Knows Best (USA, 10pm) Series Premiere – Some new southern reality thang with a dad who says lots of Southern stuff.

Wednesday

  • Property Brothers (HGTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – Time to upgrade your pad.

Thursday

  • Hell’s Kitchen (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Can anyone impress Gordon?
  • Breaking Boston (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – The reality of four young working-class women.

Friday

  • Colin & Brad (CW, 9pm) – Comedians perform.
  • Vice (HBO, 11pm) Season Premiere – Another season of this journalistic take.

Saturday

  • Summer Dreams (CBS, 8pm) – Behind the scenes at the NBA Summer League.
  • Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s (OWN, 9pm) Season Premiere – More family run food happenings.

Sunday

  • BNP Paribas Open (ESPN2, 12pm) – Men’s and Women’s tennis finals.
  • Naked & Afraid (Disc, 9pm) Season Premiere – Not much to say about the return of this.
  • Total Divas (E!, 9pm) Season Premiere – More behind the scenes of the WWE gals.
  • Crisis (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ambushing a bus full of kids, not just any kids, important people’s kids, maybe.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 3/3-3/9

resurrection

Not a lot of interest in a couple new series but worth a look…

Monday

  • Bates Motel/Those Who Kill (A&E, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – I almost stuck with Bates but it was just too… then Chloe Sevigny stars based on Danish crime series, intrigued.
  • Beat Bobby Flay (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Who can out cook him?
  • Southern Charm (Brav, 10pm) Series Premiere – This show follows old and new wealthy singles in the South.

Tuesday

  • Brunch at Bobby’s (Cook, 10pm) Season Premiere – Because there’s never too much Bobby Flay.
  • CIA: Declassified (AHC, 10pm) Series Premiere – A look back at the old files and cases.
  • The Little Couple (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Picking up another kid.
  • Flip It To Win It (HGTV, 11pm) Series Premiere – Buy a house, sell a house.

Wednesday

  • Preacher’s Daughters/Bring It! (Life, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – More reality about the daughters and then hip-hop majorettes.
  • Flipping Out (Brav, 10pm) Season Premiere – More house haps.
  • Restaurant: Impossible (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Bland bbq won’t do.
  • The Face (Oxy, 10pm) Season Premiere – More pretty ladies with coaches Naomi Campbell, Anne V, and Lydia Hearst.

Thursday

  • Saint George (FX, 9pm) Series Premiere – They hope hilarity ensues on this sitcom about a Mexican-American divorcee and his family.
  • Celebrity Home Raiders (Life, 10pm) Series Premiere – A look into celebs homes as they pick items to auction.
  • Review (Com, 10pm) Series Premiere – Forrest MacNeil gives his take on culture.
  • Sirens (USA, 10pm) Series Premiere – What promises to be a raunchier take on EMT happenings in this scripted series, worth a look.

Friday

  • Marriage Boot Camp (WE, 9pm) Season Premiere – Can these couples be helped?

Saturday

  • The Vanilla Ice Project (DIY, 10pm) Season Premiere – Ready for an open house.

Sunday

  • Resurrection (ABC, 9pm) Series Premiere – This is the one that isn’t The Returned.
  • Cosmos (Fox, 9pm) Series Premiere – An update to Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.
  • Catch a Contractor (Spike, 10pm) Series Premiere – Ever wanted to hold your contractor accountable?
  • Lindsay (OWN, 10pm) Series Premiere – Yes, Lohan’s life.
  • Online Dating Rituals of the American Male (Brav, 10pm) Series Premiere – A look at real life dudes trying to get some.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 2/24-3/2

hannibal

A little delayed, and what with some new television actually available…

Monday

  • The Voice (NBC, 8pm) Season Premiere – We’re on the Shakira/Usher version, and I think I just read CeeLo will be out out so not sure if Usher is fighting to stay?
  • Dallas/Private Lives of Nashville Wives (TNT, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – More of the Ewings and then some other stupid reality show.
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race (Logo, 9pm) Season Premiere – America’s next Next Superstar.
  • Cryptid (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – Alleged mythical swamp creatures.
  • The Tanning of America (VH1, 11pm) Series Premiere – A four part series on hip-hop pop-culture.
  • Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC, 12:36) Series Premiere – Really.

Tuesday

  • Amish Mafia/Clash of the Ozarks (Disc, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Some guy is back on top and then Arkansas family rivalry.
  • Game of Arms (AMC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Competitive arm wrestling!
  • Ink Master (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – Continuing my refinement of ink judgments.
  • Mind Games (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Christian Slater is the kiss of death to a series these days but willing to check out he and Steve Zahn manipulating people.

Wednesday

  • Survivor (CBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Cagayan anyone, this time its split into Brawn, Brains, and Beauty.
  • Mixology (ABC, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Singles bar mingling, not supposed to be a winner but I’m always desperate for sitcoms.
  • The Americans (FX, 10pm) Season Premiere – Mission goes awry, I read two critics who say second season is even better than the first.
  • Legit/Ali G (FXX, 10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – Our protagonist is a sex addict and then some sketches a la Borat.

Thursday

  • Countdown to the Oscars (ABC, 8pm) – In case you can’t wait until Sunday.
  • Mary Mary (WE, 9pm) Season Premiere – Returning from hiatus.
  • The Red Road (Sund, 9pm) Series Premiere – A sheriff forms a native american alliance, but pretty sure this isn’t Longmire.
  • Scandal (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Something shocking?
  • Vikings (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – Someone recently was saying good things about this show I could never quite get into, take that for what its worth.
  • Portlandia (IFC, 10pm) Season Premiere – More of the randomness.

Friday

  • Inside Job/Save Our Business (TNT, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Peeps looking for great gigs and bad companies trying to get it together.
  • Bellator MMA Live (Spike, 9pm) Season Premiere – Duke it out.
  • Hannibal (NBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Oh how I missed the creepy crazies, will Will finally get a helpful medical diagnosis.
  • Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (Life, 10pm) Season Premiere – I hate that I feel bad saying a mean thing about Betty White.
  • Beyond Scared Straight (A&E, 10pm) Season Premiere – Will the aggressive regress?
  • Game of Stones (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – A rare stone collector.

Saturday

  • Deion’s Family Playbook (OWN, 10pm) Series Premiere – For those folks who need to see what Sanders is up to.

Sunday

  • Red Carpet/Oscars (ABC, 2/5:30pm) – And the winner is… speaking of my Oscar pool of course.

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.

Continue Reading

amazon pilot season

transparent

With the evolving television model comes Amazon’s latest take on tv. They’ve posted Pilot Season on Amazon with ten series pilots for anyone to view, five kids and five adult (made up of comedy and drama). We the public are supposed to view and cast our opinion as to what matters.

Now a couple of logistical things apply. First I can stream Amazon via my TiVo but for some reason it doesn’t turn up on search or is visible through my limited Amazon scroll. Second, I can view it on my laptop but am unable to Chromecast it up to my tv because it uses an unsupportable plugin, silverlight. I must say the kids today are used to watching on their laptops but if I’m sitting in my living room I’d rather watch it on an actual television. Kids today feel free to chime in via comments as to how I’m clearly overlooking how to do this.

As for the shows themselves, I was sort of happy to have mixed reviews (let’s be serious, I didn’t watch the kid’s shows):

  • Mozart in the Jungle (:30) – Classical music and the folks who make it interesting, good cast options with Gael Garcia Bernal vs Malcolm McDowell as conductors, created by pedigreed talent including a Coppola, too much in a pilot but intrigued to see where they would go, ‘Fame’ grows up a little and goes to the symphony; would watch again.
  • The Rebels (:29) – In over your head with a crazy pro-football team isn’t revolutionary so I’d expect at least the initial view of Natalie Zea (Justified’s baby mama) to be a little more drawn out than a former cheerleader who has been married to an owner yet wouldn’t know that uniforms aren’t called costumes, felt ‘Necessary Roughness’ light; pass.
  • Transparent (:30) – You had me at Jeffrey Tambor but the latest from the maker of ‘Six Feet Under’ and ‘…Tara’ brings us a look of an adult family and their secrets in Los Angeles, I was intrigued to see where all of the characters might go, ‘Arrested Development’ goes to ‘Laurel Canyon’ (ok not quite but tough comparison); would definitely watch again.
  • The After (:55) – Oh Chris Carter my threshold for creepy conspiracy setups in a world struck by mystery is now high based on many disappointing evolutions, and this tale of eight strangers navigating post weirdness made me want to turn away, felt ‘Event’-ish; definitely pass.
  • Bosch (:51) – Based on the Connelly books, which I haven’t read so I’m not sure how close to character or content these are, Titus Welliver (who I recognize from stuff but had to look him up) is a well-chosen quiet tough detective, but you know the drill, the stoicness keeps it all a little cold; intrigued enough to go again.

Watch the shows. Call the shots. Your opinion matters. So I took the survey, it was a little ambiguous as to the path and timing to series. Is this the new model? If so or if not what’s next?

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 2/17-2/23

aboutaboyyy

Monday

  • Star-Crossed (CW, 8pm) Series Premiere – The latest pretty teen offering from this net, the kids are a mix of human and pretty tattooed aliens, I’m not optimistic but I will watch one.
  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Figure skating, ice dancing, snowboarding, freestyle skiing
  • Basketball Wives (VH1, 8pm) Season Premiere – Catty drama?
  • Love It or List It (HGTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – More space?
  • Worst Cooks in America (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – I think this team competition is looking to make cooks better.
  • The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 12am) Series Premiere – I don’t really follow the late night shows but check out what Fallon does in his new slot, should you care about that sort of thing.

Tuesday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, bobsled, short track.
  • Tosh.0 (Com, 10pm) Season Premiere – ‘Sports or Consequences’ is back, whatever that is.

Wednesday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Figure skating, alpine skiing, bobsled, snowboarding.

Thursday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Figure skating, freestyle skiing.

Friday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Alpine skiing, short track.
  • Say Yes to the Dress (TLC, 9pm) Season Premiere – I don’t know why but Seth Meyer is surprising someone.
  • Hello Ross (E!, 10pm) Season Premiere – Sure.

Saturday

  • Daytona 500 Bash at the Beach (Fox, 8pm) – Nascar and music.
  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Alpine skiing, snowboarding, speed skating.
  • Ripper Street (BBCA, 9pm) Season Premiere – I tried to watch this show but can’t recall why I didn’t dig it.
  • About a Boy (NBC, 11:07) Series Premiere – Capitalizing on the supposed Olympics carryover this latest based on the Hornby book, a history of good adaptations and a cast with promise including Minnie Driver makes me want to tune in.

Sunday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Closing ceremony.
  • Food Court Wars (Food, 8pm) Season Premiere – Hot dogs vs beignets.
  • Growing Up Fisher (NBC, 10:38pm) Series Premiere – Another comedic offering with some promise, a family show with a blind dad twist.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 2/10-2/16

house-of-cards-season-2

A little more Olympics and then heading into a long weekend for a little tv catch up…

Monday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Alpine and Freestyle Skiing and Short Track.
  • Top Gear (BBCA, 8:30pm) Season Premiere – Hot hatchbacks.

Tuesday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Snowboarding, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, and Ski Jumping.
  • Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (USA, 8pm) – Woof.

Wednesday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Alpine Skiing, Figure Skating, Snowboarding, and Speed Skating.

Thursday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Speed Skating, and Skeleton.
  • Tattoo Titans (CMT, 11pm) Series Premiere – With my new found appreciation for tattoo competition shows I’m tempted to check out this standalone ep competition (as opposed to the narrow it down through a season format).

Friday

  • House of Cards (Net, 12:01am) Season Premiere – Spacey is back and ready for a binge.
  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Figure Skating, Alpine Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, and Skeleton.
  • Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm) – Is that candy for me?

Saturday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Alpine Skiing, Short Track, Seep Skating, and Ski Jumping.
  • Outrageous Acts of Science (Sci, 10pm) Season Premiere – Web videos and science lab time.

Sunday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 7pm) – Figure Skating, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, and Speed Skating.
  • BAFTA Awards (BBCA, 8pm) – Will the Brits predict the Oscars.
  • Wicked Tuna (NGC, 9pm) Season Premiere – Back in the boat.

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.

Continue Reading

new and noteworthy tv: 2/3-2/9

sochi-winter-olympics-2014

USA! USA! Ok so I do kind of like the Olympics but the scheduling often makes me crazy, NBC, MSNBC, NBCSN… I mostly default to what NBC decides is network primetime worthy but do like to pop around for some of the less mainstream.

Monday

  • Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (NBC, 9pm) – Host Heidi Klum and other bathing beauties.
  • Swamp People (Hist, 9pm) Season Premiere – Nervous deckhand?
  • Buy This Restaurant (Food, 10pm) Series Premiere – Finding the perfect property.

Tuesday

  • Winter Gold (NBC, 8pm) – A first look at the Sochi Olympics.

Wednesday

  • How to Raise an Olympian (NBC, 8pm) – Wheaties?
  • Backroad Gold (Trav, 9:30pm) Series Premiere – Following a dude named Corky Corker finding stuff.

Thursday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 8pm) – Figure Skating, Snowboarding, Freestyle Skiing; had previously thought I misheard the phase team figure skating, whatever will it be?

Friday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 7:30pm) – Opening Ceremony, judging ensembles can’t be helped.
  • Diners, Drive-ins & Dives (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Guy starts this season at home.

Saturday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 2:30/8pm) – Ski Jumping, Biathlon, Seeps Skating, Cross-Country Skiing; Figure Skating, Snowboarding, and Freestyle Skiing.

Sunday

  • 2014 Olympic Winter Games (NBC, 2/7/11:35pm) – Figure Skating, Biathlon, Speed Skating, Cross-Country Skiing; Figure Skating, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Ski Jumping; and more Figure Skating.
  • A Grammy Solute to the Beatles (CBS, 8pm) – Sing it.

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.

Continue Reading