tv

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

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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.

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new and noteworthy tv: 9/23-9/29

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crazyones

My first fall conflict, I’ll catch The Black List Saturday while I give Castle and Hostages a run…

Monday

  • How I Met Your Mother/2 Broke Girls/Mom/Hostages (CBS, 8/9/9:30/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – There have been moments of great humor throughout the years on HIMYM and here’s hoping the final season brings some of those, I can’t recommend Broke but I have to admit I’ve tuned in and chuckled, so here’s to hoping Mom has a few of its own with Anna Faris and Allison Janney and Hostages can extend a movie premise into a series for Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott.
  • The Voice/The Blacklist (NBC, 8/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – I’m out on Voice but you know, the original judges are back, then James Spader returning is always worth a look.
  • Black Ink Crew (VH1, 9:30pm) Season Premiere – More tattoo parlor drama.
  • Castle (ABC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Beckett won’t leave the show but they will undoubtedly continue to manufacture some ridiculous relationship drama.

Tuesday

  • Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD/The Goldbergs/Trophy Wife/Lucky 7 (ABC, 8/9/9:30/10pm) Series Premieres – Cautiously optimistic for any Joss Whedon show as these agents protect us, less optimistic for 80s flashback sitcom and the latest lottery winners but sandwiched in there is Malin Akerman and Bradley Whitford bringing some potential funny to family life.
  • NCIS/NCIS: Los Angeles/Person of Interest (CBS, 8/9/10pm) Season Premieres – Yup, I’m out on these.
  • Income Property (HGTV, 9pm) Season Premiere – Basement apartment anyone?
  • Fangasm (Syfy, 10pm) Series Premiere – Fans become roomies to get ready to embody their, I don’t want to say, geeky Comikaze culture.

Wednesday

  • The Middle/Back in the Game/Modern Family/Nashville (ABC, 8/8:30/9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – The return of some family funnies around a new take on the Bad News Bears, followed by a show that I dug starting last season but I somehow have 19 saved on my TiVo.
  • Revolution (NBC 8pm) Season Premiere – The power of the power, not so much for me.
  • Criminal Minds/CSI (CBS, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Crimes and killers, fortunately for me another pass.

Thursday

  • The Big Bang Theory/The Crazy Ones/ Two and a Half Men/Elementary (CBS, 8/9/9:30/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – I am still enjoying the expanded cast on this show, have my fingers crossed for the return of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Robin Williams, skip the men but am back for more Sherlock and Watson cases.
  • Parks & Recreation/The Michael J. Fox Show/Parenthood (NBC, 8pm) Season/Series Premieres – Was loving MJF on Good Wife but here’s a return to comedic form in what I hope is a nice pairing with P&R followed by more Braverman drama.
  • Glee (Fox, 9pm) Season Premiere – The show must go on.
  • Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9pm) Season Premiere – What ridiculous drama must these hospital employees survive next?

Friday

  • Masterchef (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Junior edition.
  • Undercover Boss/Hawaii Five-0/Blue Bloods (CBS, 8/9/10pm) Season Premieres – Let’s pretend I don’t watch these on Friday just because I have too busy a social life.
  • Dateline (NBC, 9pm) Season Premiere – It’s newsy.

Saturday

  • 48 hours (CBS, 10pm) Season Premiere – It’s newsy.
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:29) Season Premiere – Tina Fey and Arcade Fire.

Sunday

  • 60 Minutes/The Amazing Race/The Good Wife/The Mentalist (CBS, 7/8/9/10pm) Season Premieres – Newsy, and then I skip the Race which peeps enjoy but tune back for Wife and Mental.
  • Once Upon a Time/Revenge/Betrayal (ABC, 8/9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – I’m anticipating dropping Betrayal like I did the two earlier shows, but worth a look.
  • The Simpsons/Bobs Burgers/The Family Guy/American Dad (Fox, 8/8:30/9/9:30pm) Season Premieres – Animation domination.
  • Instant Mom (Nick, 8:30pm) Series Premiere – Tia Mowry returns to sitcom form as a new step mom.
  • Breaking Bad (9pm) Series Finale – Apparently people are into this show which wraps its run tonight.
  • Homeland/Masters of Sex (Show, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Another drama joins the lineup with a look at early sex researchers.
  • Eric & Jessie (E!, 10pm) Series Premiere – Eric Decker and his fiance…
  • Eastbound & Down/Hello Ladies (HBO, 10/10:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – Is he a family man and is he a ladies man?

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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breaking up is hard to do

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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: 9/10-9/16

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Labor Day is over and fall is in the air…

Monday

  • The Voice/The New Normal (NBC, 8/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Blind auditions and banter followed by cute new ‘family’ sitcom.
  • Basketball Wives LA (VH1, 8pm) Season Premiere – The wives are back.
  • Fall TV Preview (CBS, 8:30pm) – Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs of Two Broke Girls host the sharing of new CBS fare.
  • All On the Line (Sund, 9pm) Season Premiere – Joe Zee returns to lend more expertise to clothes and clothiers.
  • Hoarders (A&E, 9pm) Season Premiere – More horrors of stuff.

Tuesday

  • Parenthood (NBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – Following official return of Go On and new timeslot and new ep for New Normal the Bravermans and all their drama return.
  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx, 10pm) Season Premiere – Trouble is brewing in Charming and I know I’d be too tense to watch an hour and a half premiere on a school night but so excited this is back.
  • Bomb Girls (Reelz, 10pm) Series Premiere – New drama following women at work during WWII, who gets Reelz?

Wednesday

  • The X Factor (Fox, 8pm) Season Premiere – Check out Britney and Demi joining for a new season.
  • Damages (Dir, 9pm) Series Finale – How will the crazy end?
  • Cajun Pawn Stars/American Restoration (Hist, 9:30/10pm) Season Premieres – Pawning cajun style followed by restorations American style.
  • Guys with Kids (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Three dads don’t look to bring a ton of comedy.

Thursday

  • Glee (Fox, 9pm) Season Premiere – Almost intrigued to see them take the Rachel show on the road.
  • The Real Housewives of Miami (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – Miami wives new and old.
  • Rock Center with Brian Williams (NBC, 10pm) Season Premiere – More newsiness.

Friday

  • Shark Tank/What Would You Do / 20/20 (ABC, 8/9/10pm) Season Premieres – New inventions, awkward situations and news stories.
  • The Ultimate Fighter (Fx, 9pm) Season Premiere – Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson.
  • Primetime Preview (NBC, 9:30pm) – Matthew Perry hosts a look at NBC’s new stuff.

Saturday

  • Bayou Billionaires/Redneck Rehab (CMT, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premieres – Spending money and getting back to country roots.
  • Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s (Own, 9pm) Season Premiere – New shop.
  • Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:30pm) Season Premiere – Seth MacFarlane hosts.

Sunday

  • Rehab with Dr Drew/Behind the Music (VH1, 8/9pm) Series/Season Premieres – More struggles with addiction, this time it’s dubbed without the ‘celebrity’ angle which I can’t help it but I’ll watch,  followed by a look at Train.
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO 9pm) Season Premiere – The season begins on New Year’s Eve.
  • Weeds (Show, 10pm) Series Finale – I lost this show seasons ago but it somehow wraps up.

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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