Some People Juggle Geese

Fall Hot Takes

The Muppets: Enh (just got a full season pickup)

Heroes: Reborn: Pretty Terrible

Supergirl: Loved the Premiere

 

2015 TV Preview

Entertainment Weekly got their Fall TV Preview issue out THE WEEK BEFORE the TV season starts this year! It's a miracle! As always, this is my biased and incomplete guide to what I think of the new TV season. If it's not worth mentioning, I won't. Here's the day-by-day:

Sunday: The Simpsons (September 27, 8:00, Fox). Not much to say here other that it's still a season pass on the DVR, so it stays. CSI (Sept. 27, 9:00, CBS) wraps up its run with a two-hour series finale movie-type-thing. Once that's done, CSI: Cyber (Oct 4, 10:00, CBS) returns. This show is so incredibly stupid and yet I keep watching. I broke up with Last Man on Earth (Sept. 27, 9:30, Fox) about four episodes in last season. I'm told it got better, but I just can't stand Kristen Schaal, so no. Not going back. I'm told that Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Sept. 27, 8:30, Fox) is a show I should be watching. I might have to check it out this year. None of the new Sunday shows look worth investing in, so this will have to do.

Monday: Not exactly on time to the party, but CBS has decided that maybe there's something to this whole superhero thing that's going on and are launching Supergirl (Oct. 26, 8:30, CBS). I'm probably going to have to check this one out at least at first. Last season I meant to watch Fargo (Oct. 12, 10:00, FX) and I still have the first season on my DVR. The second season is getting good buzz, so I'd better try to watch season one before this kicks off.  It's also worth noting that the new Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Sept. 28, 11:00, Comedy Central) starts during the same weeks that most everything else is premiering. Check your DVRs. God only knows why I'm still watching The Big Bang Theory (Sept. 21, 8:00, CBS) but there you go. One of my favorite new shows of last season, Gotham (Sept. 21, 8:00, Fox) is doing some slightly different things this season, kicking off the first of two eleven-episode arcs. I'm looking forward to this one. Another "why am I still watching" show returns in Castle (Sept. 21, 10:00, ABC).

Tuesday: The big news on Tuesday nights this fall is the return of The Muppet Show (Sept. 22, 8:00, ABC). They've been kind of shanking the ad campaign, but there's enough nostalgia there to have me tuning in. There's also a new, vaguely amusing looking comedy in The Grinder (Sept. 29, 8:30, Fox), starring Fred Savage as a lawyer and Rob Lowe as an actor who's played a lot of lawyers. I might check it out if it doesn't cause a DVR conflict, because my favorite of the returning Tuesday night shows is The Flash (Oct. 6, 8:00, The CW). Also still watching, but not entirely sure why, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (Sept. 29, 9:00, ABC). We'll see how long that one lasts.

Wednesday: A lot of people really seemed to dig Empire (Sept. 23, 9:00, Fox) last season, but I'm not sure I need to watch. Maybe. All I really want out of my Wednesday nights is Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance (Sept. 23, 8:00. CBS). There are a lot of cast members I don't remember, but enough that I'm looking forward to it. Let's not forget South Park (Sept. 16, 10:00, Comedy Central) which returns for its 19th season. Wednesday's looking slim this year.

Thursday: Well, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to check out Heroes Reborn (Sept. 24, 8:00, NBC). The original got so, so bad, but the premise was good and it had a great start, so we'll see how this goes. The rest of Thursday nights have two of my favorite shows in Sleepy Hollow (Oct. 1, 9:00, Fox) and Elementary (Nov. 5, 10:00, CBS). Sleepy hollow was inconsistent at best in its second season, but it was good enough to bring it back with a little re-tooling. I can't wait.

Friday: On Fridays we once again get the battle of the laundry-folders in Grimm (Oct. 30, 9:00, NBC) and Hawaii Five-0 (Sept. 25, 9:00, CBS). I think Grimm is more entertaining than H50, but they're both pretty stupid.

Saturday: I'm not as in love with the show as I used to be, but I'll still watch when Doctor Who (Sept. 19, 9:00, BBCAmerica) returns. There's also Ash VS Evil Dead (Oct. 31, 9:00, Starz) which is exactly what you think it might be. I'm pretty sure I don't get Starz, so I might have to wait for other avenues to watch, but it looks amusing for sure.

That's pretty much it. The critics I follow seem pretty "meh" about the whole season. Not a lot of new stuff I'm dying to check out, but at least a few. Enjoy!

2014 Fall TV Preview

For those of you finding this for the first time, a brief explanation: This is a completely biased and non comprehensive preview of the fall TV season. We’ll go day-by-day and I’ll list the time, premiere date, and network with the show title. It’s a day or two late, so without further ado, here we go.

 

Sunday: As usual, I’ll be watching The Simpsons (8:00, Sept. 28, Fox). There’s not much else to say about that. I’ve heard good things about Brooklyn Nine-Nine (8:30, Sept. 28, Fox), but never picked it up. If you’re looking for another comedy to add to your DVR list, this one sounds promising. It’s a little ways out, but The Newsroom (9:00, Nov. 9, HBO) is back for it’s final season. I should probably finish watching the last one first. On the move: CSI (10:00, Sept. 28, CBS) is heading to Sundays, leaving it’s cozy spot on Wednesdays. I should also probably add that I broke up with Once Upon a Time (8:00, Sept. 28, ABC) when it took its mid-season break last year. I was the show last year I was hate-watching, and I realized I didn’t need that.

 

Mondays are packed. The first new drama apparently worth checking out this year is Gotham (8:00, Sept. 22, Fox). The critics seem to agree that this pre-Batman series has potential. Gotham is followed by what is absolutely my favorite show on TV right now, Sleepy Hollow (9:00, Sept. 22, Fox). You have no idea what you’re missing if you’re not watching it. Critic Mo Ryan has dubbed it “bonkersawesome” and she’s pretty much nailed it. On the move: The Big Bang Theory (8:00, Sept. 22, CBS) has shifted from Thursdays. Then of course there’s Castle (10:00, Sept. 29, ABC). I’m not entirely sure why I’m still watching Castle. I guess it’s what critic Alan Sepinwall calls a “laundry folder.”

 

Tuesday kicks off with another superhero show that’s getting some good notice in The Flash (8:00, Oct. 7, CW). I’ll probably check that out. It’s either going to make a good or terrible combo with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (9:00, Sept. 23, ABC). Then we close out Tuesday night with Person of Interest (10:00, Sept 23, CBS) which has turned into a solid, slightly offbeat procedural. There’s one other show that might be worth mentioning, but it’s essentially another procedural, and one with concepts we’ve seen before, called Forever (10:00, Sept. 22, ABC). Yeah, you read that right, it premiered the night before it’s going to air regularly. So, I guess I’m out on that one, since I missed the pilot. Oh, well.

 

Wednesday looks like a good night to catch up on Monday’s DVR bounty. I’ve really got nothing other than the new season of Survivor (8:00, Sept. 24, CBS). It’s another season of Blood vs Water, which will be interesting to see if anyone learned anything from the first go ‘round.

 

Thursday doesn’t have anything going on until October. The main show I’m interested in on Thursday is Elementary (10:00, Oct. 30, CBS). I’ve been consistently pleasantly surprised by Elementary. It’s one I actually look forward to every week. The only other show of note on Thursday is Gracepoint (9:00, Oct. 2, Fox). David Tennant of Doctor Who fame and Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad star in this murder mystery that is a remake of a show that aired last year in the UK called Broadchurch. The weird part is, Tennant played the same part in Broadchurch that he plays in Gracepoint, except in Gracepoint he’s saddled with an American accent. Everything I’ve heard about this just makes me want to tell you to just go watch Broadchurch and skip Gracepoint. BUT, if you didn’t watch Broadchurch, you’re feeling too lazy to go find Broadchurch (*cough*BBCAmerica.com*cough*), and are terrified and confused by British accents, Gracepoint is probably worth watching.

 

Friday once again has two shows I’ll likely watch on at the same time. Hawaii Five-0 (9:00, Sept. 26, CBS) is back and I can’t seem to quit it. I’m definitely not recommending it for anyone. Grimm (9:00, Oct. 24, NBC), on the other hand, has been consistently entertaining. It had a rough start, but has become a solid performer for NBC on Friday nights.

 

That about wraps up the week. Once again, I’m watching very few comedies. And every year this preview seems to get shorter. I guess I’m watching less TV these days? I get most of my laughing from The Daily Show, Colbert, and lately, This Week Tonight with John Oliver.

New 24: Nope

I've been recording the new 24: Live Another Day, but I hadn't worked up the mojo to start watching until tonight. I made it 20 minutes. I'm out. There's nothing about 24 that interests me anymore.

For the Shakespeare fans

The Hollow Crown series (Richard II through Henry V) starts tonight on PBS. It's from the BBC and it's excellent. Set your DVRs.

Fall TV starts tonight

I don't have my EW Fall TV issue yet to give you the full rundown, but there's an intriguing new show on tonight on Fox. Sleepy Hollow, yep, of the headless horseman varitey, starts tonight. Sounds completely weird, but I'm going to at least check out the premiere.

Pardon me while I dance on your grave

Anyone who is reading this that actually knows me knows that I rarely actively wish ill on anyone or anything. At worst, I engage in benign neglect of something I don't care for. In this case I'm willing to make an exception. NBC canceled Smash today. There were many cancellations announced today, including CSI:NY, which made me mildly sad, but I have to admit I danced a little mental jig when I saw that Smash was done for. If ever a show deserved it and overstayed its welcome, Smash was it. Well, and Glee. I'll be delighted when Glee dies.

Newsroom returning July 14

It wasn't the greatest series, but it's Sorkin and it's back for season 2 starting July 14 on HBO.

This is entirely for Rob. Vulture posted a "Name That John Williams Score in Three Notes." thing today. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I bet you'd nail it.

http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/3-note-john-williams-movie-score-quiz.html

Two quick things

One, Disney just bought Lucasfilm for $4B. That's FOUR BILLION DOLLARS. I am amazed at the amount and ambivalent about the overall transaction. Also, apparently, they announced that Star Wars Episode VII will be released in 2015. Say it with me...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Two, if you're still (hate)watching Smash, it finally has a premiere date. It comes back February 5th, at 9:00 for a two-hour premiere, then settle at 10:00 after that.