Hello! Please see below for the infamous tv schedule spreadsheet. Anything highlighted I’m going to watch, anything in RED is new, BLUE is new timeslots.
But before we get into my two cents on the new fall shows, I have a bit of casting scoop:
Freddy Prinze Jr. has been cast in 24 next year (don’t know how I feel about that) while John Lithgow will be on Dexter. The Whedon also gave an interview the other day and said that we should expect to see Summer Glau (T:SCC, Firefly) in the Dollhouse next year but that she wouldn’t be a doll because that would be too obvious.
Fall Season Previews:
ABC
Shark Tank (Tues 8)-Regular people pitch their ideas to five high powered investors.
The Forgotten (Tues 10)-Centers around a team that investigates the murders of victims whose identity is unknown. Their goal is to figure out who the “forgotten victim” is & solve their murder. Originally Reiko Aylesworth (Michelle, 24) was one of the leads, but she has since dropped out. Ehh, I watch too many murder of the week shows, don’t need to add this one!
Hank (Wed 8) Kelsey Grammer stars as a rich man who lives in NYC with his family until he loses his fortune & is forced to move his family to Virginia. I won’t be checking this one out.
The Middle (Wed 8:30) –Patricia Heaton stars as the matriarch of a wacky family living in the middle of Indiana. The trailer reminded me a little of Malcolm in the Middle, but I chuckled a few times so I’ll probably check it out. Plus, bonus points….the husband is Janitor from Scrubs!!
Modern Family (Wed 9)-This show revolves around three “modern families”; the stereotypical American family with 3 kids, an older man/younger woman newlywed couple and two gay men who have just adopted a baby girl. Familiar faces include Julie Bowen (Lost, Ed) and Ed O’Neill (Married…With Children). I was entertained enough by the preview that I will be checking this one out as well.
Cougar Town (Wed 9:30) Bill Lawrence (the creator of Scrubs) brings a new comedy starring Courtney Cox-Arquette as a newly divorced, 40-ish woman trying to deal with aging while getting back into the dating world. Busy Phillips (Freaks & Geeks, Dawson’s Creek) and Christa Miller (Scrubs) co-star. Definitely going to check this one out.
Eastwick (Wed 10) When a tall, dark & handsome stranger arrives in town three women discover they have some mystical abilities. Familiar faces: Rebecca Romijn I’ll be passing on this one.
Flash Forward (Thurs 8) ABC had 2 minute previews for all of their new shows except for this one, apparently they are trying to keep the whole thing very hush, hush. From the 12 second preview, it looks like a bunch of people black out & see some horrible event that is supposed to occur in the future. Stars Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love) and Penny from Lost. I may check it out, but I’m already triple booked for Thurs at 8, so unless it gets rave reviews I’ll probably skip it.
V! (midseason) This is a remake of a 1980’s miniseries. Some aliens land ( Independence Day style) but then they send a message saying they are peaceful. While it seems that the visitors are friendly, a group of people start to believe that the visitors have an evil agenda and are using their influence to manipulate humans. I thought it looked interesting. Cast includes a bunch of favorites like Juliet from Lost, Tom Baldwin from the 4400, Inara from Firefly and Scott Wolf (you should know who that is without me listing all his credits!!). I’ll probably check it out just because of the cast. Hopefully it is cool.
The Deep End (midseason) Lawyer show. That’s pretty much all I got from the trailer. But I did see Mac from Veronica Mars, Dr. Abbott from Everwood & Billy Zane!! If I’m really bored I may check out the pilot.
Happy Town(midseason) On first glance it looks like a nice little story about a woman moving to a quiet, happy town (get it?) in Minnesoooooota. Well then someone gets killed by the “Magic Man” (sorry but all I could think of was Talladega Nights) and wackiness ensues. I’ll be passing on this one. Although I think I saw Amy Acker in the trailer..hold on…a quick check on IMDB confirms that I did see Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse) but I don’t think that is enough for me to check out the show (Plus this show just got a wretched review on AICN).
You can check out all the ABC trailers at: http://abc.go.com/fallpreview/index
NBC
The Marriage Ref (midseason)- From reading this description, it sounds a lot like the 30 Rock episode where Lemon goes on to a talk show & yells “That’s a DEAL BREAKER” at couples asking her advice. And if you don’t watch 30 Rock, then you lose!!
Trauma (Mon 9)-Set in San Francisco & follows first responder paramedics.
Day One (midseason) After a cataclysmic event, survivors try to rebuild. Familiar faces: Carly Pope (24, Popular) Julie Gonzalo (Veronica Mars, Eli Stone)
Parenthood (Wed 8)-Based on the Steve Martin film, the show explores the family life of the 4 grown siblings of the Braverman family. Familiar faces: Peter Krause (Dirty Sexy Money, Six Feet Under), Maura Tierney (ER), Craig T. Nelson (Coach), Dax Shepard (Punk’D), Monica Potter (Patch Adams) and Erika Christensen (Traffic, Six Degrees) Besides the cast, this show boasts some serious tv cred, with producers Ron Howard & Brian Grazer, writer/director Jason Katims (FNL), plus the pilot is directed by Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing). How can you not check this one out?
Mercy (midseason)-A medical drama focusing on three nurses from Mercy Hospital. Familiar Faces: Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy, Gossip Girl) also Guillermo from Weeds is one of the nurses (not one of the main 3) Fun Fact: One of the main characters, Veronica is torn between her husband & a new doctor that she has a past with. The two characters are played by actors who were on Men In Trees, Ivan & Jack!! I don’t usually like medical dramas, but I was a bit interested by the preview.
Community (Thurs 8)- Joel McHale (The Soup) stars as a lawyer who has to go to community college after it is revealed that he never graduated from college. He soon realizes that Greendale Community College is made up of high-school losers, newly divorced housewives, and old people who want to keep their minds active. He starts a study group to get closer to a pretty girl and everyone becomes friends (awwww). Familiar faces: Chevy Chase. The show is written & directed by the people who brought you Arrested Development. That’s enough for me to check it out.
NBC previews are available at: http://thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=8076
CBS
Three Rivers (Sun 9)-Looks at organ transplants from three different perspectives. From the donor, the recipient and the surgical team. The cast was recently completely replaced except for the dude that was in Moonlight.
Accidentally on Purpose (Mon 8:30) Jenna Elfman has a one night stand with a younger man & gets knocked up. I’m not a big Elfman fan & the preview looked a little too “sitcom-y” for me so I’ll be passing this one up.
The Good Wife (Tues 10) Ever wonder what those women are thinking when they are standing stone faced next to their husbands during a press conference where the man is confessing to adultery or some type of crime. Julianna Marguiles is a woman who must re-enter the workforce (as a lawyer) and try to keep her family together after her husband (Chris Noth) is caught up in a very public sex and political corruption scandal that lands him in jail. Familiar Faces: Christine Baranski & Grams from Dawson’s Creek!
CBS previews are available at: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2009/
Fox
The Cleveland Show (Sun 8:30)-Animated show, I think Cleveland is a character on Family Guy.
Sons of Tucson(midseason)-Three boys pay a slacker to play their dad when their real one goes to jail. Familiar Faces: Tyler Labine (Reaper)
Past Life (midseason) A psychologist & a detective solve crimes by helping people with “past life traumas”. I thought the trailer didn’t look half bad but I have too many of those cop/non cop buddy shows on my plate.
Human Target (midseason)- Based on a DC Comics graphic novel, the show follows Christopher Chance (Olivia’s boyfriend from Fringe), a bodyguard who will do anything to save the lives on his clients (in the preview it is Caprica Six from BSG). Familiar Faces: Chi McBride (wah….I want him on Pushing Daisies). Trailer looked interesting, but is he going to protect different people every episode? That could get tired pretty quick. Anyhoo, it will really depend on what night its on.
Brothers (Fri 8)-Holy crap this looks terrible!! Michael Strahan plays an ex-NFL superstar who comes home to help his brother who is struggling to run his restaurant after a car accident has left him in a wheel chair. I can’t believe this show was actually given the greenlight.
Glee (Wed 9) If you missed the pilot episode after the American Idol finale you should check it out on hulu.com. Is there anything better than a story about bringing people together through singing & dancing?
Fox previews are: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b124530_watch_previews_of_foxs_new_fall_pilots.html
CW
Melrose Place (Tues 9)-Oh CW this is why you are still banned. Anything with potential you cancel (that’s why I didn’t watch Reaper or Privledged) while you keep on drivel that should have been cut years ago. And to top it all off, you have no original ideas. So one year after trying to nostalgic-me into watching 90210 (which only worked for 3 episodes) you are trying yet again with Melrose. SPOILER ALERT. THE NEXT FEW LINES WILL DISCUSS PLOT POINTS OF THE PREMIERE.
Since Heather Locklear wouldn’t do it, you resurrected my dear Sydney only to kill her off in the pilot. Well I’m not going to fall for it! Plus Ashley Simpson? BLECH.
The Beautiful Life (Wed 9)-It’s so hard being a supermodel, especially when you are Mischa Barton. I’ll pass, thanks!
The Vampire Diaries (Thurs 8) A teenage girl is drawn to a new boy at high school who just happens to be a vampire. He’s good, but his brother is a bad vampire which of course puts the girl & her brother’s life in peril. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Familiar faces: The good vampire was Kim’s husband on this season of 24 & also Amy Abbott’s bad boyfriend on Everwood. The bad vampire is Boone from Lost!
CW previews: http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/the-cw-fall-2009-preview
Here's the spreadsheet for your viewing pleasure!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
KT Update-Season Finale Grades!!
Hello my friends,
Well, another tv season has concluded. It has been too, too long. Work was monopolizing my time & I apologize for the lack of KT updates. On the plus side, with facebook I am able to post notable news stories right to my page so you are never left without scoopage!! Anyhoo, please see below for my season finale report card. Last week was Upfront Week so later this week I’ll be sending out the 2009 Fall TV Schedule and some first impressions of the new shows. That will be followed up by a wrap up of the season, listing out the best performances (according to me).
Before I get to that, I’d just like to take a minute to say that people in Hollywood are DUMB. How can you possible think of making a buffy anything without the Whedon? I could see if it was 20 years from now & you were introducing the character & mythology to a new group of people but Buffy has a rabid fan base & I think you are just setting yourself up to fail. A big Booo Bahhhhh Hisss to that one!!!
As I have mentioned before, it is pretty hard for me to break up with a show after I’ve invested so much of my time but I did successfully ditch Heroes (really? You escape from a plane crash & then just hang around there? You don’t run for your life??) and Private Practice (the last 2 episodes were sitting on my tivo and I just had absolutely no desire to watch them).
Even after all this time I'm still heartbroken over the loss of Pushing Daisies. At least ABC has decided to air the final episodes along with those of Eli Stone & Dirty Sexy Money. I believe they start airing this Saturday, so make sure to set your Tivo's!!
How I Met Your Mother-This has been an interesting season with Ted nearly getting married, Barney realizing he has feelings & the constant struggle to hide both Robyn & Lilly’s real life pregnancies. HIMYM continues to be one of my favorite shows, even though later, I can’t ever remember what the episodes were about. Season Finale & Season: B+
24-This season was a significant improvement over season 6 (which truthfully, isn’t sayg very much). I was happy to see Soul Patch Tony, but I kinda wish he had stayed good because it would have been nice if Jack had one person he could always trust. I really liked the new President & her staff (except for her daughter who stunk & I’m glad her ass is going to jail). As an added bonus, Kim showed up & ultimately did not suck. She was able to avoid kidnapping, cougar attack & amnesia & even ended up contributing (and, if we are to make our own assumptions about the finale, saved her dad). I thought the finale was a bit anticlimactic, but I guess they all can’t end with Nina killing Terri (best ending ever)….Season: B+; Finale B
Chuck-You need to be watching this show. WHY ARE YOU NOT WATCHING THIS SHOW?? Chuck has one of the best ensemble casts on tv (I would argue second to 30 Rock). Adam Baldwin is frikkin fantastic as gruff agent Casey, while Sarah is the stuff little boys dream about and the staff of the Buy More regularly make me fall off the couch because I am laughing so hard. The show really kicked it up a notch over the last few episodes & turned the series on its head in the finale. Thankfully the show was picked up by NBC & will return to the schedule at midseason. Plenty of time for you to get your asses on Netflix and add it to your queue (or you can go to hulu.com or NBC.com). Season: A; Finale A+
The Mentalist-This is one of those shows that snuck up on me. I wasn’t going to watch (especially since I’m watching too many cop shows right now) but then I saw a few of the commercials & decided to check it out. The show rests on Simon Fuller’s Jane’s shoulders & he pulls it off. He has just the right amount of arrogance to make him still likable. We know he knows more than we do and he knows that we know that he knows more than everyone, but he never comes off as obnoxious. Many times the story of the week is predictable, but it is how Jane and his CBI peers figure it out that makes the show worth watching. Plus I’m definitely interested to see how the Red John story plays out. Season: A, Finale:
Life-Oh Charlie Crews, I will miss you! It saddens me that this show is gone, but I’m glad that the writers had the foresight to know that they were in danger & wrapped up most of the big mysteries of the series. Again, for me, this show was not about the week to week mysteries, it was about my connection to Crews, his mystery, his friends & his connection to Danni. I thought the finale was fantastic, especially that throat punch at the end. Season: A; Finale: A+
Fringe-I started watching this show for my beloved Pacey & even though the week to week stories were interesting, I was there for Pacey & because Jay LOVES this show. It tends to freak me out, but I like it. Although I was not over the moon for this show on a weekly basis, I have to say the finale as fantastic. Where shows like Lost & Greys’ simply set up cliffhangers for the sake of cliffhangers (more on that later) Fringe actually gave some answers to the questions we’ve been asking all season while proposing exciting new questions for next season. Besides the last scene (which was CRRRAZZY) I can’t believe Pacey is alternate dimension Pacey!!!! Season: B+; Finale: A+
Lost-Two hours. Two hours & really what did we learn? Yes, we saw some progress on the John Locke storyline. Locke is indeed dead, his body cloned & hijacked by Jacob’s early companion. Did Jacob want Ben to stab him? Was Ben finally the one being played? Exactly who is the “they” that are coming? But really, I felt like the show just spent 2 hours moving at a glacial pace to just set up more questions for next season. Questions that we’ve been asking all season anyway. What’s up with those other people on the plane? Ok, we know they are linked to Jacob, still no clue who they are. Will Jin & Sun be reunited? Will the time travelling stop? And is Juliet dead? (my guess is yes as she is in a new show next year)….so we’ll see. Last summer I rewatched the entire series straight through & I have to say that it made me appreciate the show so much more. I have faith that next season will be worth it. But I think as far as season finales go, it was WEAK. Season: A, Finale: C+
Grey’s Anatomy-I tried to break up with this show when Denny showed up. If it had just been Denny I may have been able to handle it but really the first half of the season was pretty weak. When Shonda finally admitted that Izzie did have a brain tumor (as rumored) then I decided to give it another go. It was a very uneven season. As I previously mentioned I hated Denny & I also couldn’t stand the cardiologist with Aspergers, the interns re-enacting Flatliners, does anyone remember Melissa George? Plus the disappearance of Hahn showed a complete lack of respect for not only the actress, but also for the audience (a thought I will come back to in a minute) I thought Meredith & Derek were a lot less annoying than last season (likable even!!), I think McSteamy & Callie have the best friendship ever (and I was secretly hoping for them to get together after Hahn left) and I loved every second of the Christina & Owen story (well, except for the icicle incident). The second half of the season was a lot better. Once we knew about Izzie’s illness, Katherine Heigl (love her or hate her) demonstrated the acting abilities she possesses and I thought this storyline upped everyone’s game, except of course for my dear George, who probably had a total of 45 min of screen time this year. As if I wasn’t mad enough at Shonda for George’s lack of screen time, I am furious with her for the conclusion of his storyline. I think she is a spiteful person & I have lost a lot of respect for her as a result. So you give an actor 6 lines through the first half of the season & then get pissed when he asks to be released from his contract? Shonda claims all characters have ebbs & flow. Seriously? I don’t remember anyone else having an ebb like this one. And then, in the finale, which is most likely his last episode, you drag him for a block and a half by a bus & leave him as a mangled mess. To add insult to injury, none of his friends realized it was him (because you know, they are use to George not being around on account of his 6 lines all season) until the last 5 min of the show. Even if you are having issues with an actor, you owe it to your audience to send a beloved character out in a respectful manner and I don’t think she did the George character right. Izzie on the other hand, would have a fantastic send off, if in fact she is leaving, which I don’t think she is. So yeah, we’ll see how next season goes. I’m pretty bitter about the finale & think Shonda is a big ol bitch, so if the show doesn’t hold my interest it will be pretty easy for me to remove it from my schedule. Season: C+ (D for first half A for final half); Finale C+ (thought it was good minus the whole George incident and I think the penultimate episode was 1000x more emotional)
Survivor-This is a show that varies by season. It really depends on the cast & how they interact. I thought this was a great season, it was very easy to root for JT, Stephen & Taj (especially when they went into the merge down by 3) but they managed to rally & vote off the entire other tribe. In addition, I thought Tyson added just the right amount of villain & love him or hate him, Coach provided many comic moments. Plus, not only did I win the Survivor Pool (go JT) I also want the Survivor Fantasy league (Tobins-is that a first??) Season: A, Finale: A+
The Office-Honestly, I probably wouldn’t watch this show if Jay didn’t love it so much. As I’ve said in the past, I’m kinda over Steve Carrell & it is hard for me to take him seriously as a boss. I will say that I really enjoyed the Michael Scott Paper Company development, especially since it demonstrated what makes Michael so valuable. Season: B+; Finale:B+
The Amazing Race-I thought this season had potential. The cheese challenge was hysterical & I was all about the Mel & Mike. Too bad they didn’t make it to the end. I was underwhelmed with the teams that made it to the end and I thought the finale was a bit anticlimactic. Still good times though. Season: B; Finale: C
Desperate Housewives-I will miss Edie Britt. I think the series will be missing the brutally honest bitch element that Nicole Sheridan brought to the show. I thought it was a solid season, especially the start of the season when we first were met with the ladies’ new situations, five years after the finale. I was a bit disappointed that they threw Gabby & Carlos back into the lap of luxury, but at least they are a solid couple this year. I thought the finale was ok, a bit anticlimactic, and really, I could care less about who Mike is marrying (my bet would be Catherine though) what is really interesting to me (and terrifying at the same time) is Lynette’s unplanned pregnancy (with twins!!!) Season: B, Finale: B+
Brothers & Sisters-This season was so-so for me. There were some great moments (any Walker family dinner for example). For me, it is still all about Kevin. I’m glad Tommy is gone, he was pretty lame anyway and I’m soooooo over Ryan. I had a little Buffy déjà vu when Kitty ran after Robert’s helicopter, but I suspect their marriage is DONE which is a bit sad because I like Rob Lowe, but I think it will provide some fireworks. Season: B-; Finale: B
Castle-I am a Nathan Fillion fan which is why I decided to check this show, but I grew to like it very quickly (although truthfully it is mostly because of Fillion’s character, Nick Castle). In the same way that The Mentalist relies on Patrick Jane’s ability to read people & see things others overlook, Castle, as a mystery writer, is able to take a step back from the case & see what the cops are overlooking. Again, I could care less about the weekly mysteries, it is just fun to see what trouble Castle will get himself into each week. It is a completely ridiculous concept, but Filllion is so awesome I don’t care. Season: B Season Finale: B+
Scrubs- I’m glad that ABC picked up this show last year so that it could get the proper send off it deserves. Solid season & I thought the finale was perfect (and I’m not too happy about them bringing it back next year). Season: B Finale: A
Better Off Ted-I think this is a great sitcom with a really strong cast. Besides Ted himself, I think Portia Di Rossi is a stand out. All the supporting characters are solid & I really like the original feel of the show. The finale provided extra laughs as the folks from Veridian tried to increase morale by decorating the “drones” cubes in 4 prepicked “safe” styles (cat, space, antique car & Green Bay Packers)—you know instead of letting everyone decorate their cubes in their individual styles-- and Veronica tried to complement everyone (including the kitchen cabinet) while keeping her hair down to appear less intimidating.. Season: B+, Finale: B+
30 Rock- I am so in love with this show. The best cast on tv with every single person contributing to make magic. I regularly laugh out loud & I’m glad that Liz Lemon & company are finally getting some respect. Season: A; Finale: A
Bones-I started watching this show over the summer (thank you Netflix) and caught up about halfway through the season. I think the show is great most days with a few misses (I really hated the conclusion of the grave digger storyline). I am interested to see how they are going to keep the Booth/Bones dynamic moving along without getting tired. I’m a wee bit scared of the amnesia storyline that is waiting for us next year & I thought the season finale was a big ol waste of time (don’t hype your 2 main characters getting together if it is not real!!). Season: B; Finale: D
Dollhouse-I thought the season started off a little rough but showed definite improvement as the season went on. I’m hoping Joss & Co. have a game plan laid out just in case the show survives another season because I’m a bit concerned that the overarching storyline could stall out. In addition, I was also afraid that Eliza Dushku couldn’t carry a show on her own but I think she has improved as well. I thought the finale was a little bit of a let down, but there were a few cool moments (like finding out that the doctor aka Fred was a doll and Omega kicked ass). Season: B; Finale: B-
Friday Night Lights-For me, the season started in October, so forgive me if I forget some of what happened. Regardless, I remember really enjoying the season and all of the characters (especially my Timmy!). I think the finale was great & I’m really interested to see where the show is going to go next year. Where will people’s loyalties lie? Who will still be around? How will Coach Taylor adapt? Very exciting indeed! Season: A; Finale: A
Well that's it for now. Be on the look out for the fall season grid, first impressions on the new schedule & the best of the 08-09 season!!
Well, another tv season has concluded. It has been too, too long. Work was monopolizing my time & I apologize for the lack of KT updates. On the plus side, with facebook I am able to post notable news stories right to my page so you are never left without scoopage!! Anyhoo, please see below for my season finale report card. Last week was Upfront Week so later this week I’ll be sending out the 2009 Fall TV Schedule and some first impressions of the new shows. That will be followed up by a wrap up of the season, listing out the best performances (according to me).
Before I get to that, I’d just like to take a minute to say that people in Hollywood are DUMB. How can you possible think of making a buffy anything without the Whedon? I could see if it was 20 years from now & you were introducing the character & mythology to a new group of people but Buffy has a rabid fan base & I think you are just setting yourself up to fail. A big Booo Bahhhhh Hisss to that one!!!
As I have mentioned before, it is pretty hard for me to break up with a show after I’ve invested so much of my time but I did successfully ditch Heroes (really? You escape from a plane crash & then just hang around there? You don’t run for your life??) and Private Practice (the last 2 episodes were sitting on my tivo and I just had absolutely no desire to watch them).
Even after all this time I'm still heartbroken over the loss of Pushing Daisies. At least ABC has decided to air the final episodes along with those of Eli Stone & Dirty Sexy Money. I believe they start airing this Saturday, so make sure to set your Tivo's!!
How I Met Your Mother-This has been an interesting season with Ted nearly getting married, Barney realizing he has feelings & the constant struggle to hide both Robyn & Lilly’s real life pregnancies. HIMYM continues to be one of my favorite shows, even though later, I can’t ever remember what the episodes were about. Season Finale & Season: B+
24-This season was a significant improvement over season 6 (which truthfully, isn’t sayg very much). I was happy to see Soul Patch Tony, but I kinda wish he had stayed good because it would have been nice if Jack had one person he could always trust. I really liked the new President & her staff (except for her daughter who stunk & I’m glad her ass is going to jail). As an added bonus, Kim showed up & ultimately did not suck. She was able to avoid kidnapping, cougar attack & amnesia & even ended up contributing (and, if we are to make our own assumptions about the finale, saved her dad). I thought the finale was a bit anticlimactic, but I guess they all can’t end with Nina killing Terri (best ending ever)….Season: B+; Finale B
Chuck-You need to be watching this show. WHY ARE YOU NOT WATCHING THIS SHOW?? Chuck has one of the best ensemble casts on tv (I would argue second to 30 Rock). Adam Baldwin is frikkin fantastic as gruff agent Casey, while Sarah is the stuff little boys dream about and the staff of the Buy More regularly make me fall off the couch because I am laughing so hard. The show really kicked it up a notch over the last few episodes & turned the series on its head in the finale. Thankfully the show was picked up by NBC & will return to the schedule at midseason. Plenty of time for you to get your asses on Netflix and add it to your queue (or you can go to hulu.com or NBC.com). Season: A; Finale A+
The Mentalist-This is one of those shows that snuck up on me. I wasn’t going to watch (especially since I’m watching too many cop shows right now) but then I saw a few of the commercials & decided to check it out. The show rests on Simon Fuller’s Jane’s shoulders & he pulls it off. He has just the right amount of arrogance to make him still likable. We know he knows more than we do and he knows that we know that he knows more than everyone, but he never comes off as obnoxious. Many times the story of the week is predictable, but it is how Jane and his CBI peers figure it out that makes the show worth watching. Plus I’m definitely interested to see how the Red John story plays out. Season: A, Finale:
Life-Oh Charlie Crews, I will miss you! It saddens me that this show is gone, but I’m glad that the writers had the foresight to know that they were in danger & wrapped up most of the big mysteries of the series. Again, for me, this show was not about the week to week mysteries, it was about my connection to Crews, his mystery, his friends & his connection to Danni. I thought the finale was fantastic, especially that throat punch at the end. Season: A; Finale: A+
Fringe-I started watching this show for my beloved Pacey & even though the week to week stories were interesting, I was there for Pacey & because Jay LOVES this show. It tends to freak me out, but I like it. Although I was not over the moon for this show on a weekly basis, I have to say the finale as fantastic. Where shows like Lost & Greys’ simply set up cliffhangers for the sake of cliffhangers (more on that later) Fringe actually gave some answers to the questions we’ve been asking all season while proposing exciting new questions for next season. Besides the last scene (which was CRRRAZZY) I can’t believe Pacey is alternate dimension Pacey!!!! Season: B+; Finale: A+
Lost-Two hours. Two hours & really what did we learn? Yes, we saw some progress on the John Locke storyline. Locke is indeed dead, his body cloned & hijacked by Jacob’s early companion. Did Jacob want Ben to stab him? Was Ben finally the one being played? Exactly who is the “they” that are coming? But really, I felt like the show just spent 2 hours moving at a glacial pace to just set up more questions for next season. Questions that we’ve been asking all season anyway. What’s up with those other people on the plane? Ok, we know they are linked to Jacob, still no clue who they are. Will Jin & Sun be reunited? Will the time travelling stop? And is Juliet dead? (my guess is yes as she is in a new show next year)….so we’ll see. Last summer I rewatched the entire series straight through & I have to say that it made me appreciate the show so much more. I have faith that next season will be worth it. But I think as far as season finales go, it was WEAK. Season: A, Finale: C+
Grey’s Anatomy-I tried to break up with this show when Denny showed up. If it had just been Denny I may have been able to handle it but really the first half of the season was pretty weak. When Shonda finally admitted that Izzie did have a brain tumor (as rumored) then I decided to give it another go. It was a very uneven season. As I previously mentioned I hated Denny & I also couldn’t stand the cardiologist with Aspergers, the interns re-enacting Flatliners, does anyone remember Melissa George? Plus the disappearance of Hahn showed a complete lack of respect for not only the actress, but also for the audience (a thought I will come back to in a minute) I thought Meredith & Derek were a lot less annoying than last season (likable even!!), I think McSteamy & Callie have the best friendship ever (and I was secretly hoping for them to get together after Hahn left) and I loved every second of the Christina & Owen story (well, except for the icicle incident). The second half of the season was a lot better. Once we knew about Izzie’s illness, Katherine Heigl (love her or hate her) demonstrated the acting abilities she possesses and I thought this storyline upped everyone’s game, except of course for my dear George, who probably had a total of 45 min of screen time this year. As if I wasn’t mad enough at Shonda for George’s lack of screen time, I am furious with her for the conclusion of his storyline. I think she is a spiteful person & I have lost a lot of respect for her as a result. So you give an actor 6 lines through the first half of the season & then get pissed when he asks to be released from his contract? Shonda claims all characters have ebbs & flow. Seriously? I don’t remember anyone else having an ebb like this one. And then, in the finale, which is most likely his last episode, you drag him for a block and a half by a bus & leave him as a mangled mess. To add insult to injury, none of his friends realized it was him (because you know, they are use to George not being around on account of his 6 lines all season) until the last 5 min of the show. Even if you are having issues with an actor, you owe it to your audience to send a beloved character out in a respectful manner and I don’t think she did the George character right. Izzie on the other hand, would have a fantastic send off, if in fact she is leaving, which I don’t think she is. So yeah, we’ll see how next season goes. I’m pretty bitter about the finale & think Shonda is a big ol bitch, so if the show doesn’t hold my interest it will be pretty easy for me to remove it from my schedule. Season: C+ (D for first half A for final half); Finale C+ (thought it was good minus the whole George incident and I think the penultimate episode was 1000x more emotional)
Survivor-This is a show that varies by season. It really depends on the cast & how they interact. I thought this was a great season, it was very easy to root for JT, Stephen & Taj (especially when they went into the merge down by 3) but they managed to rally & vote off the entire other tribe. In addition, I thought Tyson added just the right amount of villain & love him or hate him, Coach provided many comic moments. Plus, not only did I win the Survivor Pool (go JT) I also want the Survivor Fantasy league (Tobins-is that a first??) Season: A, Finale: A+
The Office-Honestly, I probably wouldn’t watch this show if Jay didn’t love it so much. As I’ve said in the past, I’m kinda over Steve Carrell & it is hard for me to take him seriously as a boss. I will say that I really enjoyed the Michael Scott Paper Company development, especially since it demonstrated what makes Michael so valuable. Season: B+; Finale:B+
The Amazing Race-I thought this season had potential. The cheese challenge was hysterical & I was all about the Mel & Mike. Too bad they didn’t make it to the end. I was underwhelmed with the teams that made it to the end and I thought the finale was a bit anticlimactic. Still good times though. Season: B; Finale: C
Desperate Housewives-I will miss Edie Britt. I think the series will be missing the brutally honest bitch element that Nicole Sheridan brought to the show. I thought it was a solid season, especially the start of the season when we first were met with the ladies’ new situations, five years after the finale. I was a bit disappointed that they threw Gabby & Carlos back into the lap of luxury, but at least they are a solid couple this year. I thought the finale was ok, a bit anticlimactic, and really, I could care less about who Mike is marrying (my bet would be Catherine though) what is really interesting to me (and terrifying at the same time) is Lynette’s unplanned pregnancy (with twins!!!) Season: B, Finale: B+
Brothers & Sisters-This season was so-so for me. There were some great moments (any Walker family dinner for example). For me, it is still all about Kevin. I’m glad Tommy is gone, he was pretty lame anyway and I’m soooooo over Ryan. I had a little Buffy déjà vu when Kitty ran after Robert’s helicopter, but I suspect their marriage is DONE which is a bit sad because I like Rob Lowe, but I think it will provide some fireworks. Season: B-; Finale: B
Castle-I am a Nathan Fillion fan which is why I decided to check this show, but I grew to like it very quickly (although truthfully it is mostly because of Fillion’s character, Nick Castle). In the same way that The Mentalist relies on Patrick Jane’s ability to read people & see things others overlook, Castle, as a mystery writer, is able to take a step back from the case & see what the cops are overlooking. Again, I could care less about the weekly mysteries, it is just fun to see what trouble Castle will get himself into each week. It is a completely ridiculous concept, but Filllion is so awesome I don’t care. Season: B Season Finale: B+
Scrubs- I’m glad that ABC picked up this show last year so that it could get the proper send off it deserves. Solid season & I thought the finale was perfect (and I’m not too happy about them bringing it back next year). Season: B Finale: A
Better Off Ted-I think this is a great sitcom with a really strong cast. Besides Ted himself, I think Portia Di Rossi is a stand out. All the supporting characters are solid & I really like the original feel of the show. The finale provided extra laughs as the folks from Veridian tried to increase morale by decorating the “drones” cubes in 4 prepicked “safe” styles (cat, space, antique car & Green Bay Packers)—you know instead of letting everyone decorate their cubes in their individual styles-- and Veronica tried to complement everyone (including the kitchen cabinet) while keeping her hair down to appear less intimidating.. Season: B+, Finale: B+
30 Rock- I am so in love with this show. The best cast on tv with every single person contributing to make magic. I regularly laugh out loud & I’m glad that Liz Lemon & company are finally getting some respect. Season: A; Finale: A
Bones-I started watching this show over the summer (thank you Netflix) and caught up about halfway through the season. I think the show is great most days with a few misses (I really hated the conclusion of the grave digger storyline). I am interested to see how they are going to keep the Booth/Bones dynamic moving along without getting tired. I’m a wee bit scared of the amnesia storyline that is waiting for us next year & I thought the season finale was a big ol waste of time (don’t hype your 2 main characters getting together if it is not real!!). Season: B; Finale: D
Dollhouse-I thought the season started off a little rough but showed definite improvement as the season went on. I’m hoping Joss & Co. have a game plan laid out just in case the show survives another season because I’m a bit concerned that the overarching storyline could stall out. In addition, I was also afraid that Eliza Dushku couldn’t carry a show on her own but I think she has improved as well. I thought the finale was a little bit of a let down, but there were a few cool moments (like finding out that the doctor aka Fred was a doll and Omega kicked ass). Season: B; Finale: B-
Friday Night Lights-For me, the season started in October, so forgive me if I forget some of what happened. Regardless, I remember really enjoying the season and all of the characters (especially my Timmy!). I think the finale was great & I’m really interested to see where the show is going to go next year. Where will people’s loyalties lie? Who will still be around? How will Coach Taylor adapt? Very exciting indeed! Season: A; Finale: A
Well that's it for now. Be on the look out for the fall season grid, first impressions on the new schedule & the best of the 08-09 season!!
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