Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Sundays

Hands down the laziest night for my fingers and remote, whose only work will be tuning the TV to ABC and letting the shows do the rest.  A modern soap with a tough as nails heroine (Revenge) booked ended by fairytales (Once Upon A Time) and the devil's lair (666 Park Avenue)?  Kudos ABC, kudos.

OUAT and Revenge were two of my favorite shows last season, so I'm expecting Sundays to be epic based on that pairing alone.  The only wild card is 666, but being the uber-Lost fan that I am, how could I NOT follow John Locke wherever he goes (unless it's to push the button ...).  Huge fan of Vanessa Williams as well ... so basically the only wrench on this party is my complete lack of tolerance for any type of horror ...

Side note: the MTA in NYC made a shrewd move allowing full subway car marketing (both inside and outside of subway plastered with the theme of what's being advertised), at least for the Shuttle.  As a result, we get these:

 Classy!  Hope we get to keep these pretty seats ...

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Fridays

Fridays used to be the graveyard of television where low-viewership shows went to die.  Yet, it seems that, with the rise of DVR usage, the fact a show airs on Friday would make little to no difference to audiences nowadays.  So, does the Friday still stand?  Comparing this year's schedule to last's, it doesn't appear Friday shows suffered any more (and arguably less!) at the hands of the cancellation bear than shows on other nights, as most of the night's offerings are returning Friday shows.  In fact, shows like Grimm was considered a success (despite getting only so-so ratings) and Fringe and Nikita survived to see another season (despite terrible ratings) most likely BECAUSE of the lower expectations and ratings standards for airing on a Friday.  Ditto for Supernatural which was moved to anchor a different night (ostensibly a slot promotion) due to its steady ratings that matched other CW shows' on non-Friday nights.  Basically, where there is danger, there is also opportunity, and I certainly hope my favorites on this night will take advantage of the latter!

Starting off the night are some Friday newcomers, including my sentimental favorite Community (brilliantly quirky with the most well-matched hodge podge of characters).  Glad NBC is giving this show a chance, and although it might end up moving to replace another comedy on a different night for the network, I hope it gets the chance to prove it can be sustainable on Fridays first (and fingers crossed that it is).  The network should give it some extra credit for the early success of Go On, which basically copies the Community format ...  Despite its amazingly touching pilot, Touch lost me a few episodes in ... may try to pick this one up.

The only brand new entry is Made In Jersey on CBS, whose procedurals I generally avoid as a rule.  No suprise that it looks so bland (not bad, just blah) and cliche-laden.  The only thing of interest is the oddity of a British lead actress attempting a New Jersey accent.  It seems it'd be a good fit with CSI: NY and Blue Bloods though (3 hours of the Big Apple!).

My live viewing dilemma will be at 9pm between Grimm (which became exponentially more enjoyable toward the end of last season and early this season) and Nikita (the best show currently on the CW in my opinion, which ironically doesn't really belong on that teeny bopper network).  Nikita has the edge right now, though most likely I won't be home and will DVR both anyway : )

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Thursdays

While Thursdays on TV haven't been must-see TV since the heyday of Friends (also shout-out to Frasier) and the subsequent downfall of NBC, it does offer up some solid viewing options this season.  I don't really follow The Big Bang Theory, Two And A Half Men, Vampire Diaries or Grey's Anatomy (anymore, not since sometime in the third season anyway), but there's no denying those are some ratings powerhouse for their respective networks.  Glee has been a disappointment since halfway through its sophmore year, and I think this is the season I throw in the towel.  The X Factor suffered an embarrasing defeat at the hands of The Voice last week (Christina 1, Britney 0 -- love them both though), and Simon Cowell is probably off somewhere shellshocked with a foul taste in his mouth (ha!), perhaps counting all his $$ to recuperate.  Still, these shows continue to generate buzz for FOX and are not too shabby in the ratings (yet).  Never got into any of the NBC comedies other than Parks & Rec, which I'm still catching up on so won't be watching live, but they have generally (with the exception of Up All Night) delivered when it counted for the Peacock.

So basically the only returning show of interest to me on this night is Person of Interest, which was one of my favorite new shows of last season (along with Once Upon a Time and

Revenge ... coincidence that those were the 3 top new shows ratings-wise? ... prabably - my record's never that good!).  Glad I gave this a shot (thank you Ben Linus!) despite the procedurals vibe it gave off, and the show rewarded in a big way when half-way through the season it switched gears to become more serialized.  The second season will open with the hunt to retrieve Finch (Michael Emerson), who has been kicknapped by a psycho hacker/killer played by Amy Ackers (love her).  The premiere should reveal how  HAL the Machine figures into Finch's rescue and will guest star another Lost alum ghost-whisperer Miles (Ken Leung ) (yay!).

Two new shows, Last Resort and Elementary, look to be perfect bookends for POI.  The former is about a state of the art US submarine and its crew that take over a remote island (no it doesn't have a polar bear and is actually on the map) for refuge after refusing suspicious orders to nuke Pakistan and getting missiled by the US government (or a wicked subgroup within) as a result (Phew!).  The pilot, which has been available online, already sets up several factions of interests and hints at some grand conspiracy (what else?).  All in all, it was decent if not overly ambitious - as for the rest of the show - could be amazing if executed well (and a hot mess a la The Event if not).  As for Elementary ... well I like Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu and will probably be too lazy to change the channel after POI so ... hoping it'll be good.

Daily Musing: Go On Continues to Chug Along

Admittedly, I loved Friends and do want to see Matthew Perry finally succeed with a TV show.  However, I had been on the fence for his new show Go On until tonight's episode (ep. 3) [I'd checked out but ended up giving up on all his prior post-Friends endeavors].  Maybe the increased presence of John Cho helped sell it, but I now think I'm ready to commit!  The show revolves around Perry as a sportscaster who loses his wife and joins a support group (complete with the customary variety pack of eclectic and eccentric characters) to cope.  Sure it's somewhat of a twist on Community and still not nearly as brilliant, but to its credit, it has been getting better with each passing episode.  Now just must rethink how to allocate DVR usage for the 3-way race between this show, Happy Endings and New Girl.

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Wednesdays

Quite a few new shows on the Wednesday schedule.  Over on ABC, Modern Family and Suburgatory (in a new slot) are staples for me, and I'll be checking out Nashville with the hope that it will erase the memory of totally-fell-flat Country Strong and maybe actually prove to be what I had hoped for that movie (plus a catty Hayden Panettiere should be interesting).  Predicting these will rate solidly with the audience.  On the flip-side for the alphabet network, The Neighbors, about a family that moves into a subdivision filled with quirky aliens, has been getting the worst pre-season reviews of any new show.  "It's not Third Rock from the Sun!" the critics rant ... when a new show is this universally hated, I basically am going to have to watch just to see for myself ... with any luck it'll be so bad it's funny, or at least lend itself to be adapted into a drinking game ...

A couple of other not-so-well-received sitcoms are moving in (temporarily until the ratings settle anyway) on NBC - Animal Practice (vet running an animal clinic) and the title-wise even more self-explanatory Guys with Kids.  I thought the concepts for both were ridiculous and cliche.  However, having watched each pilot, I was actually pleasantly surprised.  No no, neither is a cutting-edge show that will take comedy to a higher level a la Arrested Development or other such pioneering (or just excruciatingly funny) shows, but neither was really offensively bad either.

Disclosure: I LOVE monkeys and babies, so the above paragraph may be a bit biased ... but seriously, the monkey in Animal Practice is my favorite new character this season, no contest.  It looks like the Hangover II monkey and reminds me of Ross' Marcel on Friends - most brilliant thing ever.  **Edit** It IS the Hangover II monkey - awww!  Her name is Crystal : )

Finally, the CW (not big on procedurals or reality TV, so this is all that's left).  The trailer for Arrow was sort of a mixed bag - the acting seemed inconsistent, and the Smallville Green Arrow story is still pretty fresh on this fan's mind, but it is dark and seems to follow a plot.  Will try to give it a chance.  Haven't watched the recent seasons of Supernatural, but it certainly has been a workhorse for the network.  Wishing it the best of luck on its new night (no competition with other genre shows - should draw in and retain the fanboys - not much more can be asked for).

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Tuesdays

While the buzz the past couple of days has been all about The Voice vs The X Factor (advantage: The Voice ... bit surprising imo but guess Britney isn't the draw she used to be ...), I'm more looking forward to the verdict on the battle of new age comedies on Tuesdays!

The 9pm comedy block sets up a 3-way battle between The New Girl (Fox), Happy Endings (ABC) and Go On (NBC) and another between The Mindy Project, Don't Trust the B in Apt 23 and The New Normal.  Lots of DVR and OnDemand logistics to figure out with this one since I watch or plan to watch all 6.

Within the first set, I'll have to go with Happy Endings for live viewing, which had really come a long way from it's first season.  The characters all have great chemistry with one another, and Jane and Brad are possibly my favorite comedic couple on TV these days.  New Girl is a bit overrated but still entertaining - love Schmidt!  Wasn't that impressed with the pilot for Go On, but the 2nd episode was much better - Matthew Perry and John Cho deserve a hit show at this point.  Ideally, I'd DVR Go On for later night viewing and catch New Girl on OnDemand, but Fox isn't so good at making new episodes available right away ... Dilemma. **Edit** Looks like ABC isn't premiering its comedies until October 23, when the Fox comedies will likely go on hiatus for baseball - goodie!

For 9:30, think I'll stick with ABC and catch my dose of James Van Der Beek playing JVDB on Apt 23 (hilarious!), though Mindy Project is shaping up to be the dark horse and just may change my plan (wasn't even going to watch the show but got a sneak preview of the pilot - deliciously un-PC - loved it!).  Speaking of political correctness, New Normal has certainly raised its share of controversy ... though so far it's highly stereotypical, and not in the call-it-as-it-is un-PC way - will catch it on OnDemand but not expecting much.  In fact, it seems that each of these three comedies thrive on its un-PC-ness and unorthodox characters, thereby likely appealing to the same audiences ... bloodbath!  Hoping for the best, but I've got a feeling nobody's going to be leaving this slot a winner.
Earlier in the night, Raising Hope (an occasional watch for me) starts off the night of comedies for Fox, followed by Ben and Kate (the pilot was surprisingly touching, so may be worth giving a chance).  I'd given up on Parenthood a while ago (though I suspect it is still quality), so the only other prospect for me on this night is Hart of Dixie (CW).  Not too happy with the way the first season ended (the heroine was really going down the pathetic path), so let's if it can be redeemed.  If not, more time to catch up on all those comedies on DVR!

Thoughts on Fall Lineup: Mondays

Not a difficult night to juggle for me.  Haven't been keeping up with Dancing with the Stars (ABC), but the all-stars edition should be interesting - might take a peek.  Otherwise, my schedule will swing between the CBS comedies - How I Met Your Mother (let's see how this Barney/Robin thing is going to re-kickoff) and 2 Broke Girls (dvr maybe?) and NBC's Revolution (more on that below).  Although it's not been favorably-received, Partners just *may* draw me in with Michael Urie (love loved him on Ugly Betty) (the rest of the cast is not to shabby either, including a Superman).

As much as I fear the Revolution will just turn out to be another cancelled one- (maybe two with a strong save-the-show campaign) season show and so many of its genre before it, the fangirl in me just HAS to give it a chance.  It's got an intriguing premise - envisioning the future of a world without power/electricity and sets up the mysteries (why did the blackout happen? what did the dad know about it? were there others who knew? how did the characters change from their pre-blackout selves?).  Having attended a sneak peek of the show (only to realize later it was already on ondemand - but at least got to see all the cyclists (see below) and the actor who plays the dad), I can say the pilot at least was pretty solid and kept me interested - kudos to a couple of big twists at the end that I didn't guess until very close to the reveal.  Sure there were some plot holes and moments that require some suspension of disbelief, but nothing so glaring if you just watch and enjoy the ride.  The next episodes should be more telling though.  Afterall, the Event had a decent enough pilot too, but that turned into a series laden with unbelievable events and completely illogical actions by unbelievably stupid characters ...

One thing's for sure though - Revolution is nothing like Hunger Games - please can the comparisons stop!

Fall 2012 TV Lineup

There's no better time to come out of blog hibernation than the new fall premiere season.  Hard to pick up where I left off, so onwards it shall be!  Upgraded the format of my master fall TV schedule chart for easy one-stop viewing of all that the networks have to offer this season ... wonder how many we'll need to scratch off in a couple of months!?  More thoughts on that later.  So, without further adieu: