tv

new and noteworthy tv: 10/8-10/14

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Just a few more shows in our fall reveal…

Monday

  • 90210/Gossip Girl (CW, 8/9pm) Season Premieres – The post teens teen dramas continue.
  • Independent Lens (PBS, 10pm) Season Premiere – Chronicling three years in the lives of Wisconsin residents post plant closing.
  • The Mortified Sessions (Sund, 10pm) Season Premiere – Starting with Busy Philipps sharing embarrassing tales.

Tuesday

  • Iconoclasts (Sund, 8pm) Season Premiere – Starting with James Franco and Marina Abramovic discussing art and process.
  • Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition (Life, 9pm) Series Premiere – Dancers and judges announced and then compete for money and Joffrey Ballet scholarship.
  • Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog (CW, 9pm) – If you haven’t caught this Joss Whedon internet sensation with Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day do it now!
  • Ink Master (Spike, 10pm) Season Premiere – Tattoo challenges with losers just seems wrong.
  • Keyshia & Daniel (BET, 10pm) Series Premiere – The latest celebrity couple shares their life.

Wednesday

  • Arrow (CW, 8pm) Series Premiere – Of the new CW shows this one has heard the most praise, but I’m not sure if that’s saying much, I’ll give it a shot.
  • Nature (PBS, 8pm) Season Premiere – Siberian Tiger quest.
  • Chicago Fire (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – This is supposed to be a lesser Dick Wolf show but sometimes that’s just enough in a formulaic drama.
  • Duck Dynasty (A&E, 10pm) Season Premiere – More duck family activities.
  • Nashville (ABC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Good buzz about this look into the country world focusing on Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere.

Thursday

  • Vice Presidential Election Debate (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, 6pm) – Can Biden do it?
  • The Vampire Diaries/Beauty and the Beast (CW, 8/9pm) Season/Series Premieres – More vampires and then a hot looking dude somehow becomes the beast to Kristin Kreuk’s beauty, I like to watch at least one of all these dramas but they’re making it difficult.
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia/The League/Brand X with Russell Brand/Totally Biases with W. Kamau Bell (FX, 10/10:30/11/11:30pm) Season Premieres – Sunny and League make me laugh in a totally inappropriate way.
  • Little Shop of Gypsies (TLC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Dress maker to gypsies and travelers.

Friday

  • Cursed (Bio, 10pm) Series Premiere – Misfortune follows objects.

Saturday

  • Too Cute! (AnPl, 8pm) Season Premiere – Fluffy puppies and baby goats.

Sunday

  • The Walking Dead/Talking Dead/Comic Book Men (AMC, 9/11/11:30pm) Season Premieres – Let the zombie hijinks continue, though I do find this show to scary tense to watch before bed, I’ve never quite gotten into the whole show of commentary about 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.

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tv

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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tv

new and noteworthy tv: 2/6-2/12

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Intrigued but not overly optimistic about some new offerings…

Monday

  • Smash (NBC, 10pm) Series Premiere – Behind the scenes of a musical, some of the critics that I read love this but not all do, def worth a shot.

Tuesday

  • The River (ABC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Creepy drama follows a wife and son, and tv crew, into the jungle to find missing wildlife tv host.
  • Doomsday Preppers (NGC, 9pm) Series Premiere – Profiles of peeps prepping for the end of the world.
  • The Real Housewives of Orange County (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – Blah, blah, Orange County.
  • Jersey Couture (Oxy, 10pm) Season Premiere – Blah, blah, New Jersey dresses.

Wednesday

  • Person to Person (CBS, 8pm) – Charlie Rose and Lara Logan interview peeps.
  • Maneater Manhunt (NGW, 9pm) Series Premiere – Tiger at large.
  • Restaurant Impossible (Food, 10pm) Season Premiere – Prime Ribs & Spaghetti can apparently go awry.
  • Vegas Stripped (Trav, 10pm) Series Premiere – Behind the scenes of sin city.

Thursday

  • Swamp People/Mudcats (Hist, 9/10pm) Season/Series Premiere – Gators and fishin’.

Friday

  • NFL Characters Unite (USA, 7pm) – For those who are having football withdrawals some NFL peeps do some stuff.

Saturday

  • Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown/A Charlie Brown Valentine (ABC, 8pm) – Unrequited love at its finest.
  • Parking Wars/Billy the Exterminator (A&E, 9/10pm) Season Premieres – Parking tickets and pythons.
  • The Bronson Pinchot Project (DIY, 10:30pm) Series Premiere – Actor as houseflipper.

Sunday

  • The Grammy Awards (CBS, 8pm) – LL Cool J hosts.
  • The Walking Dead/Comic Book Men/Talking Dead (AMC, 9/10/11:59pm) Season/Series Premiere – What now, then behind the scenes of comics, then a chat about what happened.
  • Worst Cooks in America (Food, 9pm) Season Premiere – Bad cook boot camp begins.
  • Full Metal Jousting (Hist, 10pm) Series Premiere – The ultimate extreme sport?
  • My Strange Addiction (TLC, 10pm) Season Premiere – And more people in need of therapy.

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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tv

my schedule

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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).

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tv

new and noteworthy: 10/10-10/16

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Another week, another listing…

Monday

  • The Rosie Show/Oprah’s Lifeclass (OWN, 7/8pm) Series Premiere – The ladies are trying to fill Oprah’s shoes?
  • Bored to Death/Enlightened (HBO, 9/9:30pm) Season/Series Premieres – Just because Ted Danson is on CSI doesn’t mean this show is off the air, and then Laura Dern tries to reinvent herself after a public breakdown.
  • Scare Tactics (Syfy, 9pm) Season Premiere – Nothing would irritate me more than being on a hidden camera show, even with a sci-fi twist.
  • American Guns (Disc, 10pm) Series Premiere – Following the family owned firearms facility.

Tuesday

  • Last Man Standing (ABC, 8pm) Series Premiere – Tim Allen’s show gets an hour block of fatherly doltishness humor.
  • Frontline (PBS, 9pm) Season Premiere – This season kicks off with a look at the 2001 anthrax attacks.
  • Cold Blood (ID, 9pm) Season Premiere – A look at some crimes, starting in sunny Hawaii.
  • I Used to Be Fat/Chelsea Settles (MTV, 10/11pm) Season/Series Premieres – Folks losing weight and then a plus size gal trying to get into the fashion industry.
  • Reed Between the Lines (BET, 10pm) Series Premiere – Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm-Jamal Warner do their take on the family sitcom.

Wednesday

  • Work of Art (Brav, 9pm) Season Premiere – More contrived art to be judged.
  • Psych (USA, 10pm) Season Premiere – Don’t you love it how people in crime shows occasionally just stumble upon a dead body.

Thursday

  • Bordertown (A&E, 10pm) Series Premiere – Following the Laredo Police Department narcotics unit.
  • Harvest (Hist, 10pm) Season Premiere – So harvesting crops now gets its own reality show too.
  • Secretly Pregnant (Health, 10pm) Series Premiere – So unlike I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant, these ladies know they just aren’t telling.

Friday

  • Time to start in on the TiVo backlog.

Saturday

  • Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s/Don’t Tell the Bride (OWN, 9/10pm) Series Premieres – Following a restaurant family and then the silly idea that a husband would plan the wedding.
  • Puppies vs. Babies (AnPl, 10pm) Series Premiere – I can tell you which set of video clips will be cuter.

Sunday

  • Visionaries/Ask Oprah’s All Stars/Our America with Lisa Ling (OWN, 8/9/10pm) Series/Season Premieres – Tyler Perry, Living Your Best Life, and a little journalism starting with porn.
  • The Walking Dead/Talking Dead (AMC, 9/11:59pm) Season/Series Premiere  – What drama will hit our zombie survivors next followed by chatting about the show.
  • Why Am I Still Single (VH1, 9pm) Series Premiere – The latest matchmaker tries to turn these singles around.

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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tv

returning fall favorites

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The drought is almost over, and as I wait for the critics to chime in on what’s worth a watch of the new crop of shows, we can take a look at what I’m most looking forward to returning.

  • Bones (Fox, 11/3) – Of the procedurals this still is probably my fave, like all the characters, and curious to see how the Booth/Bones baby will play.
  • Community (NBC, 9/22) – Embracing pop culture and media to the hilt, way more hits than misses with our pack of misfits.
  • The Good Wife (CBS, 9/25) – They’ve done an excellent job making each character and each storyline dimensional enough that I’m intrigued by it all, this season will the good wife be a little bad?
  • Modern Family (ABC, 9/21) – This show is a little uneven for me, but when it’s on, it’s on and the mix of family characters makes me laugh.
  • Parenthood (NBC, 9/13) – I had written this show off early but after a marathon I ended up falling a little bit in love with the Bravermans and their family drama, and Lauren Graham and Peter Krause don’t hurt.
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC, 9/22) – This show has really found its stride with the small town politics and their quirky crew, adding Rob Lowe and Adam Scott was also surprisingly a great move.
  • Sons of Anarchy (FX, 9/6) – It’s just too fun to watch these bad boys try to do good, and sometimes try to do bad, a hunky lead and complex family and motorcycle club relations keep me coming back for more.
  • The Walking Dead (AMC, 10/16) – I am thoroughly intrigued as to how they’re going to keep the story of these survivors of the Zombie-pocolypse going after a short season intro, although I’ve learned not to watch before bed, I can’t wait for season two.

Honorable Mention (TiVo Season Passes): ANTM (CW, 9/14), The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 9/22), Castle (ABC, 9/19), Chuck (NBC, 10/21), Dexter (Show, 10/2), Glee (Fox, 9/20), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 9/22), HIMYM (CBS, 9/19),  House (Fox, 10/3), It’s Always Sunny (FX, 9/15), L&O: SVU (NBC, 9/21), The Mentalist (CBS, 9/22), The Office (NBC, 9/22).

Shows listed in alphabetical order and all premiere dates are of course subject to change.

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best, tv

critic’s picks – top tv of 2010

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Well it’s that time again, the time to reflect on the best of the year that’s passed. A tv season doesn’t quite follow the annual flow but I’ll go with it and note what critics are touting as the best of the year.

Abbreviations follow the alphabetical listing and links to posted lists are at the end.

Stay tuned to see what made my personal top ten list.

  • 30 Rock (NBC) – EN, AFI, TG, KT, GG, Sat
  • 30 for 30 (ESPN) – AS, DF
  • Archer (Fx) – TGBetter Off Ted (ABC) – MR
  • The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – E, GG
  • The Big C (Show) – AFI, GG, Sat
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO) – SK, MR, EN, JP, AFI, JL, TG, AS, TVG, GG, Sat, DF
  • Breaking Bad (AMC) – SK, MR, JP, AFI, TG, AS, TVG, KT, Sat, DF
  • The Choir (BBCA) – TVG
  • Chuck (NBC) – E
  • Community (NBC) – EN, E, JL, AS, KT, DF
  • Cougar Town (ABC) – MR
  • Damages (Fx) – SK
  • Dexter (Show) – SK, E, GG, Sat
  • The Event (NBC) – SK
  • Friday Night Lights (DirTV) – SK, E, JL, KT, Sat, DF
  • Fringe (Fox) – MR, E, JL, KT
  • Glee (Fox) – E, AFI, TVG, GG, Sat
  • The Good Wife (CBS) – MR, EN, JP, JL, TVG, KT, GG, Sat
  • Great Migrations (NatGeo) – TG
  • Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – E
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS) – E
  • The InBetweeners (BBCA) – TG
  • In Treatment (HBO) – EN
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fx) – TG
  • Justified (Fx) – JL, TVG, KT
  • Life (Disc) – TG
  • The Life and Times of Tim (HBO) – TG
  • Lost (ABC) – MR, E, TG, TVG
  • Louie (Fx) – EN, JP, E, TG, AS
  • Mad Men (AMC) – MR, EN, JP, E, AFI, JL, TG, AS, TVG, KT, GG, Sat, DF
  • Men of a Certain Age (TNT) – TG, KT
  • Modern Family (ABC) – MR, E, AFI, JL, TG, TVG, KT, GG, Sat
  • Morning Joe (MSNBC) – SK
  • Nurse Jackie (Show) – GG, Sat
  • The Pacific (HBO) – JP, AFI, TG , AS, TVG, DF
  • Parks & Recreation (NBC) – MR, JP, E, JL, TG, AS, KT, DF
  • Party Down (Starz) – MR, JP, E
  • Raising Hope (Fox) – E, Sat
  • Rubicon (AMC) – MR, JP
  • Sherlock (PBS) – TVG
  • Sons of Anarchy (Fx) – SK, E, TG
  • Spartacus (Starz) – MR
  • SpongeBob SquarePants (Nick) – SK
  • Terriers (Fx) – MR, EN, JP, JL, TG, AS, TVG, DF
  • Treme (HBO) – EN, TG, AS
  • True Blood (HBO) – E
  • The Tudors (Show) – Sat
  • United States of Tara (Show) – EN, Sat
  • Vampire Diaries (CW) – E, DF
  • The Walking Dead (AMC) – SK, E, AFI, TG, TVG, GG
  • Work of Art: The Next Great Artist (Brav) – KT

AFI – American Film Institute, DF – Daniel Feinberg for Hitfix,  SK – Entertainment Weekly, MR – Maureen Ryan for TV Squad, EN – Emily Nussbaum for NYMag, JP – James Poniewozik for Time, E – Dramas and Comedies, GG – Golden Globe Nominations, JL – Jace Lacob for the Daily Beast, KT – Ken Tucker for EW, TG – Tim Goodman for Hollywood Reporter, Sat – Satellite Awards, AS – Alan Sepinwall for Hitfix, TVG – Matt Roush for TVGuide

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