Wednesday, September 21, 2016

2016 Fall Returning Series

Ok, so lets have a look at what returning TV shows are worth watching, and which of my favorite shows didn't make it to the new season.


Here is the list of returning shows that I will be tuning into this fall (I'll give each show a rating out of 5 for how much I am looking forward to it - 5 being the ones I am most excited about):

• 2 Broke Girls (3) - I really liked this show at first, but last season it was not must see TV for me.

• Big Bang Theory (5) - This show is always fun. I am really surprised that all my co-workers who are not into anything nerdy, all seem to love this show. I did already see the first episode of this season, and was a little let down. Hopefully next episode the show will be back to form.

• Blackish (3) - Another show that I did really like, but that I had lost interest in. But they have me very interested in the first episode this season as they are going to Walt Disney World.

• Brooklyn Nine-Nine (5) - I believe this is my current favorite show. Great cast, and always funny!

• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (4) - A great show when you can fast forward through the cheesy song and dance numbers.

• Elementary (4) - A very solid detective show, with just enough humor to keep me coming back.

• The Goldbergs (5) - Another favorite of mine. I'm so glad it caught on and has become as popular as it has become. I assumed that because I liked it, it would be canceled, but here it is back for season 4.

• The Flash (4) - I am a huge comic book fan and have always loved the Flash so this is a great treat. I love that I can share this show with my son, who also loves watching.

The Last Man on Earth (2) - Another show I really liked at first, but last season I was not really enjoying it too much. This may be a show that I stop watching after the first couple of episodes this season unless it does something amazing to hook me back in.

• Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (3) This show is a bit of a mixed bag in quality of episodes. Last season, for every great episode there was a real dud. Hopefully there will be more great episodes to duds this season.

• Modern Family (3) - A good show, that I mostly keep watching because it is sandwhiched between other shows I like.

• Saturday Night Live (3) - I usually watch the show, and there is almost always something worth watching in the show. The news segment is usually the best part.

• Supernatural (4) - After more than 10 years, I have faded in and out from watching, but found myself looking forward to the episodes last season. I'll be back watching on a regular basis for this coming 12th season.

• Superstore (5) - A very funny new show. Hopefully season two will be just as good as the first. I am a little disappointed that this show made it to season two and TeleNova (which debuted at the same mid season as Superstore) did not, as I liked the later just a bit more that Superstore.

• The Walking Dead (5) - The only show that I always watch live. And I always watch the following Talking Dead, as I don't have friends to talk to the show about, so this is my version of the work water cooler talk - although I don't think the people on TV ever listen to me when I give my opinions.


Here are the cancelled shows that I am sad to see go:

• Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris. - Not sure why I liked this show so much as I didn't really like the Karaoke segments, and some of the other segments seemed a little forced, but still it was a fun show in the style of those shows my mom used to watch when I was a youngster.

• Galavant - I was really disappointed to see this one cancelled, when Crazy Ex-Girlfriend received so much praise. Galavant was by far the funny show and had much better song and dance numbers.

• The Grinder - I thought this show was supper funny, but my friends told me it was awful. Apparently they knew more than I did.

• The Muppets - Although I kept watching this show, I didn't think it was all that great. I was just thrilled to see the Muppets back on TV.

• TeleNova - I thought this was the funniest show on TV last season. It seems no one else agreed with me.

• You, Me and the Apocalypse - I enjoyed this show and the fact that it has been cancelled, mean I will never get to see how it ends?

• Undateable - This was by far my most looked forward to show each week. I enjoyed the show during the first season, and when they went to 'live' episodes last season, I was totally hooked. I watched both the East coast and West coast version, as it was fun to see how they changed it up for the second version 3 hours later. I wonder who many others were watching both episodes each week? If they were to release a DVD set of last with both the East coast and West coast versions, I would plunk my cash down to own this, but my guess is this show will never make it to DVD. Too bad.



Friday, September 16, 2016

2016 Fall TV Preview


It's fall, and that means many things, but most importantly, it means the new fall TV season is upon us! Each fall I look forward to picking up the fall preview issues of TV Guide, or in more recent years, TV Week, as TV Guide ceased releasing print editions 10 years ago. As long as TV Week continues to put our their print editions, I will be happily plunking my money down for the Fall Preview issue and Returning Series issues each new season.
As you can see from the cover of the Fall Preview issue, there are 53 new shows this season. Here is a list of the seven shows (including two midseason shows) I will be tuning in to and checking out this fall (I'll give each show a rating out of 5 for how much I am looking forward to it - 5 being the ones I am most excited about):

• Son of Zorn (2) - This one looks pretty lame, but the premise of putting an animated character into the real world is at least worth a look.

• Kevin Can Wait (4) - TV Week says, "Do you miss King of Queens so much that you'd watch the exact same show, but with other actors in pace of that show's great supporting cast? Then boy oh boy does CBS have a sitcom for you!" King of Queens rip off... ok, I'm in.

• Man with a Plan (4) - New sitcom with Matt Leblanc. I loved Friends and Episodes, so will try this one out as well.

• The Great Outdoors (3) - I liked Joel McHale in Community, so will give this one a whirl. I'm guessing this one won't make it through the first season though.

• Macgyver (3) - I never watched the original, but this new one is gonna have a tough time living up to McGruber!

• Imaginary Mary (5) - A show with Jenna Elfman and an imaginary (Muppet style) friend. If its any good, it could be my new favourite show.

• Riverdale (1) - Based on the Archie comics, this one is being billed as a bizarre 're-imagining' of the Archie world. I have just started to appreciate the old cartoony Archie comics, but have not been interested in the new updated realistic/gritty style comics. This new show seems more like the newer Archie, so probably one episode will be enough.

All in all, a pretty disappointing fall season. At least we have next weeks Returning Series issue of TV Week to see which of the shows I liked from last season made the leap to this new season. I already know my favourite show didn't make the cut.