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binge season

June 12, 2014 3 Comments

Summer used to be known as a time to get outside because there was nothing on tv (and you know because of the nice weather). But today ‘nothing on tv’ is a little less true and even if you can’t find any live tv what better time to do a little catching up on series you might have missed the first time.

Personally I like to balance my standard catch up and new summer shows with one new series I plan to glut on, and I prefer that new series to be one that has already completed. I also prefer series that are available via one of the mediums I already have access to (I’m not yet ready to pay for a new cable or streaming service unless I’ve exhausted all my other options).

Following are a few of the things I’m considering as well as a few shows I might recommend:

Absolutely Fabulous (BBC) – These ladies are so culturally ingrained but I’ve only seen them outside the actual show.
Big Love (HBO) – Are we intrigued by the polygamists?
Caprica (Syfy) – I wrapped BStarG not that long ago and was wondering if this was worth a follow up.
The Comeback (HBO) – This is an exception to the complete rule because I read that the cancelled show is in fact coming back, what better time to jump in to Lisa Kudrow’s character try to revive her career?
Deadwood (HBO) – Outlaw misfits in the gold rush, oh and Timothy Olyphant, need I say more?
Oz (HBO) – Prison drama, as I understand it a little more serious than current OITNB.
Prime Suspect (Netflix) – I recently started pulling up this one, lady detective not so revolutionary but reminds me a bit of The Closer in the getting to squad to accept her sort of thing, considering putting it back at the top of the queue.
Rescue Me (Fx) – Recently tuned in to Sirens which I enjoyed and was sort of described to me as a lighter version of this.
The Shield (Fx) – Corrupt police with Michael Chiklis might fill my recent gap in police dramas.
The Wire (HBO) – Everyone talks about this but it’s a lot of episodes and until recently hasn’t been available enough without Netflix dvds, but am I ready to finally commit?

And for some of the shows I might recommend if you’re looking for summertime fodder:

Buffy/Angel/Firefly/Dollhouse – No surprise here, last summer’s plan (or the summer before) was to rewatch the previously unavailable to me Joss Wedon series start to finish, totally worth it.
Battlestar Gallactica/Friday Night Lights – Two of my more recent binge shows, very different but both well worth a watch for the characters and drama of their own communities.
The X Files – I’m not sure I actually finished this series once we moved to other players but I’ve recently started to re-gander at this one.
Arrested Development – I redid this one before Netflix picked up the last season, and though the revisit season was worthwhile but of mixed success the original series sure holds up.
Freaks and Geeks/Undeclared – Want to get a taste for early Apatow humor, Freaks particularly worth a look for the great cast in early roles with some teen angst and whatnot.
Don’t Trust the B- in Apt 23 – Recently went back to catch this since I’m not sure they ever aired them all and quite amusing.
Terriers/Saving Grace/The Riches/Chuck – A few series I haven’t been back to but quite enjoyed the first time around.

Not currently as easily available but worth a watch: Beverly Hills 90210 (the original), Bunheads, Flight of the Concords, Gilmore Girls, Men of a Certain Age, The O.C., Pushing Daisies, Six Feet Under, Sopranos, Southland, and Veronica Mars.

Let me know in the comments what you think I should pick next, I think you can tell what I’m leaning toward.

spin off

January 27, 2009 3 Comments

I am delighted with the news that they are making a Gossip Girl spinoff, particularly because we’re not losing any of the cast and that it will focus on Serena’s mom Lily van der Woodsen in her early years. She’s in the Valley (that’s LA) with her older bohemian sister in the 80s. Could I miss a show about flashy troubled teens in the 80s? We’ll get a taste of what’s to come during a May ep of the existing GG. Casting is apparently all the buzz right now.

In other spin off news NCIS, a spinoff itself of JAG (surprisingly maybe the only two network shows I’ve never seen an episode of). A new NCIS (whatever that stands for) unit working in a different location will be introduced later this season. Think CSI, hopefully they’ll do better than David Caruso.

And then there is The L Word which wraps its season this year and viewers will get a taste of what’s to come in the new series. Current character Alice played by Leisha Haley goes to prison!

And of course there’s The Office spinoff that turns out its not going to be a spinoff. Particularly since in addition to Amy Poehler the cast includes Rashida Jones in a different role than she played on The Office. Though rumor has it we’ll see her again as Karen on the after Super Bowl episode.

And if you’re not getting the spinoff that you’re looking for perhaps you should check the theaters. Deals are being finalized for an Arrested Developed flick, a Veronica Mars script is being penned as we speak, and the Sex and the City gals are signing on for another run. I won’t even count the movies based on original tv shows currently in development…

potpourri

April 9, 2008 2 Comments

Not much to report on tv shows themselves this week so I thought I’d just check in on a few things of note.

NBC released its year round upfront to the upfronts. Although I actually try not to pay much attention to these since everything changes or disappears before it goes live but, worth noting are a ‘The Office’ spin-off, the surprising return of not great ‘Knightrider‘ and ‘Lipstick Jungle‘ but also another shot for ‘Life‘ which I just told someone wasn’t coming back.

As for the other networks we’re not official yet but I might be a tiny bit excited about Joss Whedon’s (Buffy!) expected ‘Dollhouse‘ show starring Eliza Dushku (Faith!) and trepidatious about Rob Thomas’s (VMars) ‘90210‘ the next generation (Donna has expressed interesting in playing a milf though it sounds like they’re courting Kelly to round out the older generation on the show).

‘Project Runway‘ is slated to move from Bravo to Lifetime, not this next season but the one after, though NBC has something to say about that. People with Tivos will follow but will this impact the show or the networks? Wait do I get Lifetime? And if I hear correctly ‘Scrubs‘ is moving to ABC. So what one more season?

‘ANTM‘ is getting busted for showing some full frontal – albino Anya’s nudie shoot with Nigel was deemed by some to be inappropriate for evening eyes. I actually watched this and thought she was wearing little coveries but I guess they just blurred her out, really it was all fine, but conservative parental organizations are still arguing about Dennis Franz’ butt on ‘NYPD Blue‘ so perspective is not something these organizations have.

Oh and Kathie Lee Gifford took up residence in the last hour of ‘The Today Show‘, I haven’t watched this in ages but maybe she can put some life in what I recall was nearly dead air.

i hate veronica mars

October 3, 2007 14 Comments

Ok, so we all know that’s not true, but I’ve decided the VO (by VM’s own Kristin Bell) is maybe the most annoying part of the new show I love to hate, or the show I hate love, Gossip Girl. I am of course annoyed that the kids in private school all dress better than I ever could, and that’s all accessory based since they are all wearing uniforms, though I always did have a soft spot for a short plaid skirt.

So we’re mostly following the return of previous social queen bee Serena aka S (Blake Lively of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants). She fled unexpectedly to go to boarding school and goodness we all still want to know why. We all know that she slept with her best friend Blair’s boyfriend Nate, who is clearly more into her than he is into Blair. And Blair aka B, now knows that, except she doesn’t know that Nate’s dad is basically forcing him to keep them together for the better of his business deals.

We know that Serena’s younger brother Eric tried to kill himself and is being hidden away by mom Darla in some treatment facility (supposedly he’s in Florida). He has recently gotten cozy with new gal Jenny, who is dying to become a part of the it crowd, and is touched by Serena’s true kindness but wooed by Blair’s offers. She has already accepted a dress in exchange for a future favor. And we all know that will be a doozy.

Jenny came into the light by getting almost date raped by Chuck. Chuck is the boy we’re all supposed to love to hate. But since it’s early in the season we only hate him. It will take a while for them to introduce some scenes where we learn how truly tortured he is and start to secretly like him. Chuck of course hates Dan (Penn Badgley of short lived series The Bedford Diaries and The Mountain), Jenny’s brother, the boy we’re supposed to root for, and we do. He doesn’t have money and he has some character and he looks out for his younger sister Jenny.by decking Chuck.

And of course Serena’s mother and Dan’s dad Rufus, a member of one of the ‘Top 10 Forgotten Bands of the 90s’, have a history. Though Dan and Serena are getting close we should assume that they’re not related since I don’t think these shows push it to incest. So mostly we follow how B and S are at odds, or are they the only people who understand each other. And seriously if one more person questions the appropriateness of a cheesy ass show setting an example for kids today… I can’t say it’s good, but I can’t turn away. Stay tuned.