The State of TV: Fall 2011

Remember September when I wasn’t ready for the Fall TV Season? Remember how pessimistic I was? I couldn’t believe that summer was over and that the Network Television season was already upon us.  I was still disappointed by the lackluster 2010-2011 TV year and was ready to be disappointed again. I promised to cut the fat out of my TV diet while I juggled a whole series of Big Brother UK in the fall. So I really wasn’t too excited for another year of disappointment. Fortunately I was able to watch The Hour which somehow calmed my nerves and made me love television again. But I’ve learned a few things this fall. If a television show starts feeling like a chore there is no point in watching it. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be topical and tell you how terrible Terra Nova was week to week. At the same time if there is a show (Desperate Housewives for instance) that I still enjoy even though the masses have left it for dead, I can still watch it and enjoy it. Who cares what anyone else thinks? I also learned to trust my first instinct. I should’ve known that before watching four hours of Pan Am. Out of all of the shows that I felt needed to prove themselves…only one did…and I thank Revenge for proving me wrong.

Even though I gave up on 10 different shows this fall, I think we’re off to a good start. ABC has really impressed me with Revenge, Once Upon A Time, Happy Endings, and Suburgatory. While 2009 was a good year for them with their comedies, I’d say this is their best new slate of shows since 2004. The Network’s Wednesday night alone is the reason why I watch so much television. It’s pretty much the same old stuff from the other networks but at least they’ve been consistent. I wasn’t completely disappointed by CBS’s reality show offerings like I was last spring. FOX has been consistent even if slightly sub-par and NBC keeps chugging along. I would say the only show with a noticeable drop in quality is The Office but you can’t say it hasn’t been somewhat interesting with the new dynamics. Like most viewers, I’ve started to migrate to the cable channels. I’m not ashamed considering they offer more unique and interesting shows. It’s hard when I don’t pay for premium channels like HBO and Showtime but it’s not that bad when you can find most shows online for free. I did miss out on one big show this fall, which I regret but what can you do? Here’s what I think of the 2011-2012 Television Season so far.

ABC

The Middle Season 3

The Middle has become comfort food television for me and it is a great way to start ABC Wednesday nights. I wasn’t too impressed with the ratings grab premiere but the rest of the season has been what I’ve come to expect from this show. What I like about this season, is that the show spent more time at home than at Frankie’s horrible job at the car dealership. I’ve given it my best shot, but the car dealership always brings an episode to a screeching halt. This also means less Bob, which is fine because Bob is awful. I’ve also come to enjoy the ever changing dynamics with the kids. Sue is now in high school with Axl and there is still a lot of potential here. I hope they don’t waste it because Axl’s character is supposed to head off to college after this season…which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense…since when do seniors take the PSATs? Shouldn’t Axl be taking the SATs at this point? It’s not that big of a deal but considering it was a plot point in an episode you would think they would get that figured out. If anything this show has gotten stronger and has found a routine that has worked for it. Every episode besides “Forced Family Fun” has been enjoyable and works to at least some degree.

Modern Family Season 3

I can’t say it’s been a horrible season of Modern Family…it just feels kind of lazy. The show is just going through the motions. It’s coasting. ABC and the showrunners know they have a viable hit at this point so the show isn’t as ambitious as it used to be. I’m sure some of you are asking: “What are you saying? Wasn’t going to Wyoming ambitious enough?” Not really. Looking back it seems kind of gimmicky. When the series headed to Hawaii in the first season, I felt like the show was building up to that. That it deserved to have a huge family vacation episode. Now I feel like they just went to the mountains because they could. It was random and there didn’t really seem to be a point. That’s pretty much what the rest of the season felt like. Yea it was ok and there were some funny moments but things are getting a little stale. “Treehouse” was probably the highlight so far and I appreciated the new pairings in “Express Christmas.” Don’t rest on your laurels Modern Family, you’re better than that.

Revenge Season 1

I didn’t have high expectations going into this. I thought this was going to just be a forgettable soap that would disappear after a few showings. But Revenge proved me wrong. The pilot was slick and sophisticated and the show’s premise seemed well thought out. Revenge looked like it was going to go somewhere. After the pilot the quality dipped a little bit. It was kind of turning into a procedural…in a sense. Every week Emily would focus on one person who she would enact her revenge upon. It seemed a little silly and wasn’t as serialized as I had hoped the show would be. It wasn’t until Revenge’s fifth episode that I new I was hooked. Lydia comes back and the show abandons its revenge of the week formula and decides to just go crazy. The last four episodes feel like a master class in how to write a soap opera. Lydia is pushed off her balcony by Victoria’s body guard and falls into a coma. Then the real Emily Thorne shows up and kills of the body guard. Meanwhile Amanda/Emily is continuing to seduce Daniel while she and Nolan continue screw up Victoria and Conrad’s marriage.  There are plenty of deaths, surprises, betrayals, and hook ups. You aren’t sure whose exactly with who and where people’s loyalties lie. Plus in this economy it just feels so exciting watching Emily Thorne screw up the lives of the rich and powerful. Revenge is still a silly soap opera but it’s the best silly soap opera.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 8

Remember that episode where all of the doctors in the hospital compete in a big drunk softball game? You do? Well that has pretty much been the theme of the season. It’s felt like one big drunk softball game. The characters lazily all sleep around and you don’t really remember who is with who and what’s going on. Meanwhile Derek and Meredith are still in some stupid fight over the clinical trials all while still trying to adopt a baby named Zola. I don’t know who is with whom anymore and I don’t really care. I don’t think Shonda Rhimes really cares either. I’m definitely over this show at this point. I’m having a really hard time remembering what happened this season. Why is Baily so mad at Meredith? Is Lexie with Sloane or Avery? And what exactly is Richard’s job now that he isn’t chief resident? I don’t know the answer to any of those questions. So either I’m not paying attention or the writing is terrible. I still really like April as the chief resident. I love seeing her prove everyone wrong. Maybe it’s because all of the characters on the show find her a nuisance and I hate all of the other characters. I also still really like Cristina Yang but she is nowhere near as awesome as she used to be. I also didn’t care an ounce about Henry the entire time he was on the show and his death means nothing to me. I don’t know why I still watch this show. Someone needs to tell me to stop torturing myself.

Desperate Housewives Season 8

I’m sure a lot of my complaints for Grey’s Anatomy could be said about Desperate Housewives, but I wouldn’t say so. I’ve enjoyed this show so much over the years. Maybe I just can’t look at it objectively anymore. I just find it funny, charming, and enjoyable eight seasons later. Even when Desperate Housewives was at its worst (kid in the basement, Carlos getting his eyesight back, Edie getting electrocuted) I still kept watching. You don’t really have to pay too much attention and nothing ever really changes. It’s not that hard to figure out what is going on. I’m sure someone who abandoned the show way back in season two or three could easily get caught up after watching an episode this season. I just wish the show would go all out. They know it’s the last season why are they playing it so safe? That’s my biggest gripe. It doesn’t feel like this show is ending. It doesn’t feel that special. Desperate Housewives was so popular when it first started and even though it’s lost is luster it can still go out with a bang. I’m sure Bree will be fine when the show returns…but I kind of wish this show would take a chance. Kill off Bree now. Make it surprising and exciting. Really shake up the neighborhood. Bring back more and more old characters. Just do something. I really like Bree’s icy relationship with Chuck Vance. He’s been an interesting boyfriend turned antagonist. Lynette’s separation from Tom has also given Felicity Huffman something new to do, even though she still looks bored out of her mind. Gabi has kind of been all over the place but Eva Longoria is still really funny. The whole PTA plot seems kind of like a waste of her time. I don’t mind Susan’s art class but it’s just another ridiculous Susan plot that we’ve come to expect. Plus who is stupid enough to paint a criminalizing picture like that? Oh yea Susan. If anything it has been interesting watching these four share this secret murder but the show is playing it way too safe this late in the game.

Suburgatory Season 1

I’m not completely sold on Suburgatory. It’s enjoyable to watch but it is just kind of there. It’s definitely the weak point and my least favorite part of ABC Wednesday’s. I think it could go one of two ways at this point. It will really come together and start self referencing its characters and become this insanely strong show in its second half. Or it won’t know what to do and just start recycling the same storylines and never really go anywhere. I kind of felt this way at the beginning of the show and nothing so far has really given me a clear indication one way or another. If it starts to lose quality one episode, the next episode balances it out with a pretty funny half hour. Jeremy Sisto, Alan Tudyk, Cheryl Hines, and Carly Chaikin have all grown on me since the beginning. But their characters all feel largely feel disconnected from one another. None of them are fully realized and all just kind of seem like silly people that Tessa and George bounce ideas off of. Dallas and Dalia feel really underdeveloped at this point but that might be a problem with the actors instead of the show. Suburgatory took a huge step forward with “Thanksgiving.” I felt like the characters were really interacting and giving real observations and opinions on one another rather than just spouting a funny one-liner. This show still has a lot of potential but right now it’s kind of forgettable. Not in a bad way just in a they-haven’t-done-anything-worth-mentioning way.

Happy Endings Season 2

Wednesday gave us an abundant amount of good television this fall. It has Survivor, Modern Family, Revenge, it even had American Horror Story before it went completely insane. So I was always pretty excited for Wednesday nights. But honestly if I really think about it, I was always much more excited for a new episode of Happy Endings than anything else. I couldn’t wait to watch it. Sometimes I’d watch immediately, other times I’d wait. I’d get through everything else and have Happy Endings as my dessert. I’m finding it hard to write any criticism for this show. It packs so many jokes in a half hour that even if one of them doesn’t quite work, they make you quickly forget about it by telling another joke. It is just so off the wall funny and out there and definitely one of the best shows of the year. I found myself not even really getting that upset at Elisha Cuthbert and Zachary Knighton. They’ve both improved a lot this year especially Elisha Cuthbert. She even holds her own against the comedy heavyweights of this show: Casey Wilson and Eliza Coupe. Some of the highlights so far have included “Baby Steps” which had Jane hilariously tracking down this girl who she thought was her daughter, the brilliant “Spooky Endings” which might just be the best Happy Endings episode to date, and any episode that features Penny talking about the Year of Penny. I love that this show an audience and I love that it got picked up for a complete second season. This is definitely one of the best comedies this year and has become a really strong show.

Once Upon A Time Season 1

While not as strong as Lost was at this point in its run, Once Upon A Time is doing a pretty decent job. There is a clear direction and I love that it follows the flashback formula. While we get bits and pieces from other characters, every episode focuses on just one person and we get a little bit more of their back story. It all feels like it is leading up to something big and special and I’m definitely going to go along with it this year. The show isn’t without its faults. It relies heavily on cheap special effects and green screen. My rule is that you shouldn’t use green screen unless you absolutely have to. The most jarring example was the Prince Charming episode “The Shepherd.” Besides a field or two I felt like the entire flashback was played in front of a green screen. The characters looked like they were floating the entire time. It just looked weird and fake. Does this show not have a good budget? I don’t understand what the deal is. I’m sure they could build a half decent castle set that they could redress and decorate a few times so it didn’t look like the same place. If they need money they should fire the wig makers…those are just so horrible and look so fake. The obvious green screen usually steals my focus away when I notice a weird glow around the actors, this needs to be addressed. I’m also ready for an Emma Swan flashback. After learning all about Mary, Regina, Archie, and Mr. Gold she seems pretty boring. She’s not as developed as any of them. She’s just kind of random besides her obvious connection to Snow White and Henry. Speaking of Henry, I don’t really care for him either way. He’s not obnoxious or annoying. I see his purpose. But he’s not necessary and the show could easily continue on without him. Maybe some guy on a boat will take him away at the end of the season…I’d like that.

FOX

Raising Hope Season 2

Raising Hope has kind of lost that new fun feeling it had in the first season. Maybe I’m just bored but it isn’t doing anything that exciting. It’s still a decent show and it makes me laugh but it isn’t really trying that hard. Even with the return of Amy Sedaris as Virginia’s cousin Delilah the show was just kind of ok. It’s definitely more of a background filler show while I simultaneously surf the internet and a sandwich. Or it’s something I watch when I don’t really feel like thinking. The Greyson Chance premiere and his subsequent return didn’t really help much either.  Don’t get me wrong I still like the show I’m just not as into it as I was last year. But I’m probably not as bored of it as I think I am. I never let the episodes pile up like I do with other shows. If I don’t watch it the next day I usually catch up by the weekend. That can’t be said for other shows that I like better. Lucas Neff, Martha Plimpton, and Garrett Dillahunt are the best dysfunctional family on tv right. I love how desperate and disgusting they can get, just to save a few dollars. Also the writing is still fantastic. Hearing Virginia screw up another idiom without batting an eyelash is always a highlight. Also let’s be honest, out of all the babies on tv…Hope is definitely the cutest. It’s been a solid season but nothing special anymore.

Fringe Season 4

It’s been a pretty lukewarm season of the show. It is still working and there have been some great episodes but something is missing. I don’t want to say that my heart isn’t in it anymore because that’s not true. I still really like Fringe and it is the best American Science Fiction show on the air right now. I’m just not sure what I should care about. There hasn’t been a quality drop and the characters are still really nuanced and specific but it just kind of seems aimless. I think we missed out on an episode due to scheduling conflicts with baseball so maybe the next episode is what we’ve all been waiting for, I’m not sure. I just don’t feel like the season has really gotten started at this point. Yea Peter has returned from wherever he disappeared to but the show has barely built upon last season’s finale. If this season is indeed the last season I would love to see Astrid really fleshed out for once. I think that is a missed opportunity. Anyway I’ll continue to air my frustrations with this season in my episode recaps and I’m excited to see what Nina Sharp is up to.

Check out my Fringe Archive for complete episode reviews on all of the episodes this season.

The Cleveland Show Season 3

I’m going to try and discuss something different here. I’m not going to discuss how The Cleveland Show is a worthless spin off. I’m not going to discuss that it just feels like throw-a-way material that Family Guy didn’t use. I’m not going to talk about how Cleveland is actually good character and the show just doesn’t know its purpose. I think I’ve talked about that all quite enough. I’m going to talk about horrible its supporting characters are. They are just unlikable. And I’m not just talking about one or two of them; I’m talking about all of them. Every one of them is hard to stomach from Kendra to Murray and even the random David Lynch bartender character. I’ve tried my best to give them a chance thinking they would grow on me. But I feel three seasons is enough time.  Whenever an episode focuses on one of these supporting characters its hard to really enjoy the episode. I’d rather just watch Cleveland and his family. I don’t feel this way about Family Guy or even American Dad. I like their neighbors and recurring characters. I don’t hate them or constantly roll my eyes and groan at their stupidity. For some reason or another I find no redeeming qualities in these cartoons and really hope that Cleveland and his family will just move back to Spooner Street. But that is not going happen anytime soon.

Family Guy Season 10

It’s not going happen is it? Family Guy isn’t going to get any better. I guess that’s ok. It had a good run. It shouldn’t be surprising considering the show is in its tenth season. It’s disappointing. I wish Family Guy was as good as it used to be. Now it feels like filler. It is something I watch when I’m trying to go to sleep. There were a few highlights this fall but they don’t really make up for the last few seasons. “Back to the Pilot” was probably the strongest non-Star Wars parody episode since last season’s premiere “And Then There Were Fewer.” It was clever. It made fun of the crude animation and Meg’s original voice. It also had a funny gag about what the characters do during the cutaways. Even though I wish the show would switch up the pairings, especially now more than ever, the Brian and Stewie buddy episodes are usually the strongest every season. The characters have a pretty long history with one another and are usually the funniest when it’s just the two of them. But their one or two centric episodes a season can’t really make up for a show that has been a lackluster for awhile now. I also enjoyed Brian’s trippy hallucinations in “Seahorse Seashell Party.” If anything it shows just how great the animation can be in this show. I’m also glad that FOX decided to air the pre-empted Hurricane episodes so quickly this year. Even if they weren’t as good as I was hoping for. What intrigues me more is Family Guy’s growing fondness of “serious” episodes and themes. It’s odd and unsettling and I’m not really sure why the show is headed in that direction. “Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q” and “Thanksgiving” are really jarring. The show sets up this serious topic like domestic abuse but then in the last second minutes throw in a stupid one-liner about murder. It takes away from the rest of the episode. There isn’t a clear message. It isn’t the first time the show has shown a darker side, but it is becoming more and more frequent. If Seth MacFarlene wants to focus on these issues, like domestic abuse, abortion, and cancer, that’s fine. But it can’t both funny and serious.

American Dad! Season 7

I really enjoyed last season of American Dad. It felt smart, sophisticated, and funny. It was what I wanted Family Guy to be…and what Family Guy used to be. I loved discovering the show and its characters. I felt like I had missed out on great animated program and I was really happy to have a hundred episodes to watch at my leisure. Unfortunately this season has been forgettable. I remember more about Family Guy and The Cleveland Show. As I look at the episode list and synopsis I can’t really remember what most of them were about…yet I watched them all. I think the only episode I enjoyed was “Hurricane!” and that wasn’t even supposed to be a part of this season. It’s still early on so maybe it will turn around but right now things aren’t looking so good. Which is really too bad, considering how great this show was in its last three seasons. There was the occasional sub-par episode this season but there is just nothing to write about.

NBC

Parenthood Season 3

There is nothing quite like sitting down late in the afternoon and watching a few episodes of Parenthood. The hours just fly by as you catch up with this great show. I don’t know why I find it so enjoyable. Other shows I have to watch immediately but Parenthood works better when you can watch a few consecutive episodes in a row.  I’m not stressed out waiting from week to week. I get my fix and then I move on waiting for the next batch of episodes to build up on my DVR. I’m not exactly helping the ratings but Nielsen ratings aren’t what they used to be. Parenthood is just as enjoyable as ever and I felt like the entire cast was pretty involved this year. In previous seasons Joel, Drew, and Camille were largely ignored and forgotten about. Sometimes they would disappear for a couple of episodes. Not this time. Camille was offering helpful advice to almost everyone and had her own struggles with Zeek and his commercials. Joel was dealing with Sydney’s tantrums and was right there with Julia when trying to adopt Maria’s baby. The adoption plot has also given Julia some focus because her storyline has been kind of aimless so far. Drew probably had the most to do out of the three with Seth returning along with his new budding romance. If anybody has been forgotten about recently it’s Haddie. But that’s ok she had quite a lot to do last year with Alex and she’s not always that interesting. I’m not sure I like Adam’s new job with Crosby but it works and make for some interesting dynamics with Kristina. I really like watching Crosby and Jasmine’s ever changing relationship, especially with Dr. Joe now in the picture. Sarah feels kind of aimless now. I know she’s been dealing with Seth while dating Mark but nothing else is going on. Sarah’s been the focus for quite some time so it’s ok if she takes a backseat every once and awhile… but it’s kind of like she forgot all about her play writing. Parenthood remains one of the best dramas on network television and it can continue doing what it does so well. Just as long as the show continues to make me happy and teach me something about myself, I have no complaints.

Up All Night Season 1

Has Up All Night already peaked? I wasn’t blown away by the pilot but I felt like it was slowly coming together. “Cool Neighbors” was just ok and “Working Late and Working It” just felt kind off. Will Forte was kind of too weird for this show and didn’t really fit. More on that in a second though. I felt like the show was really starting to figure itself out around the fifth episode of the season and it was firing on all cylinders in the hilarious “Birth” flashback episode. But then things start to fizzle out. It’s as if the show got scared and decided to pull back. The rest of the season, following “Birth”, has just been ok. It hasn’t been that funny or that interesting and in my opinion doesn’t really deserve Community’s spot on Thursday nights. I’m not sure if this show knows what it wants to be. Regan and Chris are extremely grounded and realistic and I feel like they are surrounded by Saturday Night Live characters…oh wait they literally are. I really like Maya Rudolph and I want her to be successful but she’s on a completely different show. Ava is so ridiculous and over the top. It’s not very believable and I doubt Regan would have anything to do with her. They don’t seem like real friends to me or and I keep waiting for Ave to break out into a Whitney Houston song. The same goes with all of the other guest characters. Yea Will Forte and Molly Shannon are funny but what are they doing here? Their characters just don’t mesh very well with Regan and Chris. Emily Spivey is a talented writer but she needs to decide what kind of show this is. Both Will Forte and Christina Applegate need to be as over the top and eccentric as everyone else…or the supporting cast’s eccentricities needs to be taken down a notch.

Community Season 3

Oh my god, I can’t believe this show is on an indefinite hiatus. Which is pretty funny considering the show went through some considerable growing pains in its first season. My opinion sure has changed.  I’ve recently been watching the first season on DVD and I find it just as enjoyable as the later episodes. Looking back I can’t believe I panned it so bad. Community remains one of the most ambitious and unique comedies on television right now. It goes above and beyond its premise and pretty much does whatever it wants. Seriously, NBC should just give Dan Harmon free reign to make the best show he possibly can, because he is a pretty creative guy. I don’t understand how Community gets such bad ratings and why a show like Two and Half Men is a juggernaut. Community is so much more original. But I digress, I know me and the average TV viewer differ on a few things. NBC shouldn’t care about its ratings at this point and I hope Community can take a spot away from Whitney or Are You There, Chelsea? This season didn’t start off great. It spent way too much time with Chang who has become a bit of a nuisance. They should’ve kept him as a teacher a little longer and I feel like the writer’s don’t know what to do with him. They also introduced Michael K. Williams and John Goodman in the premiere and have rarely used them. I thought they would be a bit more recurring than they have been, especially John Goodman. But the rest of the season has been amazing. “Remedial Chaos Theory” is one of the best episodes of any show this year. I still have it recorded. “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps” is just as creative and fun. I love seeing all of these different stories from everyone’s point of views. At least Community ended on a bright note by making fun of Glee with their fantastic “Regional Holiday Musical” musical episode. I’m going to have to buy the second season to get my Community fix in.

Parks and Recreation Season 4

Why don’t I own this show on DVD? I’ve been watching old episodes on Netflix with a friend of mine and I feel like this show is even better the second time around. I feel like I missed out on a lot of little jokes and subtle reactions. This new season has not disappointed me either. Whatever issue I had last summer is now gone and I hope never comes back. I’m still not entirely what my problem was. Maybe I was having a bad day or something I’m not sure. Anyway, Leslie’s campaign for public office has given the show even more material to work with. We are starting to see more and more of Pawnee. It’s becoming so intricate and detailed that it is starting to seem like a real place. The show has a rich history now that it is really starting to self-referencing previous episodes and previous storylines. Amy Poehler and Adam Scott work very well together and Leslie and Ben’s relationship is a lot of fun to watch. They seem like a real couple with their own issues and frustrations with one another. Parks and Recreation is also feels very focused and thought out this year. The season seems to have been completed plotted out. Ben and Leslie’s relationship led to her trial which led to her campaign committee quitting forcing the Parks Department to become her new committee. Very well thought out and the events progressed naturally. The same goes for Entertainment 720’s downfall and bankruptcy. The show didn’t rush it and I felt like Tom spent just enough time away from the department before returning. There wasn’t a weak episode this fall. If I had to pick a highlight “End of the World” was probably my favorite but “Smallest Park” was incredibly strong too.

The Office Season 8

This has been an interesting experiment but it’s not really working. I think the show needs to end. It needs to be put out of its misery. The Office used to anchor NBC Thursdays but it’s ratings are really start to tank. Unfortunately NBC hasn’t really had another successful comedy. While Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock are popular and have their following, there ratings have never been as good as The Office. The Office has been averaging fewer than six million viewers for most of the season. I don’t know what NBC is going to do but The Office is showing its age. I can’t imagine any other show losing its lead character and continuing on like this year after year. Has this happened before faithful ATVA readers? Is there a show that continued on after losing its lead character? I’m sure there has I just can’t think of any off the top of my head. The whole show is just extremely frustrating and boring to watch now. Yea frustrating and boring what a horrible combination. I’m watching wanting to pull the hair out but I’m too sleepy to actually do it. I like Andy Bernard…but I don’t like Andy Bernard shoved down my throat. He’s no Michael Scott and isn’t as endearing. The writers have tried really hard to make us feel for the guy but he’s a much better supporting character. The rest of the cast seems aimless and stupid, like they are all perpetually wondering what they doing there. The only breath of fresh air is Ellie Kemper who continues to surprise me with Erin. Compared to everyone else, Erin is still relatively new and Ellie Kemper seems to have much more energy than anyone else. In a sick way it’s interesting watching this show fall apart but that’s the only thing that is interesting.

CBS

Survivor 23: South Pacific

I’m not going to write too much more about Survivor…cause I already write quite a bit about the show. It still gets decent ratings, it is still trying new things, and it’s still working in some sense. At this point it’s only a few years shy away from Survivor 30 which is just crazy and insane to even think about. This season was a step in the right direction. The focus was much more spread out. Even though we only got a lot from four people in particular it wasn’t as bad as Redemption Island or Samoa. Redemption Island has been an interesting little twist. It is a twist I wanted to see play out on Survivor for quite some time…but it didn’t really pan out. I’m sure that Jeff Probst is a bit frustrated because this twist was his baby. I’m looking forward to the Spring Season.

Check out my Survivor Archive for complete episode reviews on all of the episodes this season.

The Amazing Race 19

This season didn’t start out so strong. Nobody was eliminated in the season premiere (never a good thing, reality tv viewers want blood) and then the show lost one of its biggest draws this season, Ethan and Jenna, in a stupid never-before-done double elimination. The next few episodes weren’t that eventful either and I was pretty much done. It looked like Andy and Tommy were going to waltz to the end with very little competition. I felt like there wasn’t really a reason to watch. But The Amazing Race 19 got better as it went along. The right teams started to get eliminated and there were plenty of people to root for by the end. Andy and Tommy were still around but so were Ernie and Cindy, Amani and Marcus, and Bill and Cathi. That usually doesn’t happen on this show. Usually there is one team to root for and you just kind of put up with everyone else. We also got some great and surprising eliminations. I was totally fooled when Jeremy and Sandy beat Laurence and Zac. Usually the editors try to throw you off but it’s always obvious that the team who left the final task last is the one out. Not this time. I hope this trickery becomes more common place in future seasons, even if it means bending the truth a bit. Andy and Tommy’s elimination was also pretty surprising. These guys had dominated the entire race but went to the wrong location for the pit stop, leaving the finale open ended. While the finale wasn’t that exciting, I was happy to see it play out in my home town of Atlanta especially with such evenly matched teams. I think the show could be a bit more cruel and mean. Double U-Turns and hidden clues are great and all but nothing to get that excited about. Everyone is also way too polite. I hate to say it but The Amazing Race needs its version of Russell Hantz cause its time to take the game to the next level.

MISC

Downton Abbey Series 2

I just couldn’t wait. I thought about it for a little while but in the end I decided to watch it all online before its 2012 US premiere. It’s that good. Downton Abbey has always been about the inhabitants of Downton adapting to their ever changing world. In the first series it focused on the Crawley’s dealing with the loss of their heir and learning to live with Matthew. Matthew and his mother were adapting to their new lives at Downton while the servants were just adapting to each other…and Bates. This series everyone was adapting to the war and the struggle and heartbreak it brought. While most of it worked there were a two frustrating aspects. First of all I’m sick of the Mary and Matthew will they or won’t they relationship. Let’s be honest they are Ross and Rachel in period costume. It’s nice and entertaining but kind of ridiculous. After Lavinia discovered them kissing, I knew she was going to die from the Spanish Flu. Also give Edith something to do. I know she helped out when Downton became a convalescent home but her character is really aimless. What was the point watching her work at the farm? What was the point watching her deal with the fake (?) Patrick? That being said there isn’t much else to complain about. This show is very well written and I love how it is starting to slowly rotate in new characters. Ethel and Lavinia were both great additions this series while Richard Carlisle has become an excellent new antagonist. I really enjoyed Anna and Bates this series. I loved seeing them come together and dealing with Vera while she tried to blackmail Bates. I cannot wait to see what happens in the Christmas special. Did Bates really kill Vera or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?  Finally I can’t say I’ll really miss William. I always found him obnoxious, even in the first series, while he was pining after Daisy. I need to pick these series up on Blu-Ray.

Luther Series 2

Where was Alice Morgan? She was the best part of the first series and was barely featured at all minus a few cameo appearances. I get that the second series was only four episodes long and there was only so much time, but her general absence was a big mistake. Alice Morgan was always my favorite part in the first series. Same thing with Mark, he was barely in the show at all. So he and Luther are just cool now? Even though Zoe is dead they are just fine with each other after everything that happened? I wanted to see the fall out from the series 1 final but it was just kind of swept under the rug after Luther helped Alice Morgan escape from the mental institution. Instead Luther dealt with Jenny and her mother. The plot was nowhere near as deep or interesting as anything done in the first series. All of a sudden Luther became a father figure to Jenny…but they had barely spent any time with one another. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me and their whole relationship over the four episodes felt rushed and cheap. Luther’s real strength lies in its case of the week (see I like procedurals) or in this case two cases over four episodes. They were just so enthralling and creepy. The first case ended with the killer gassing a bunch of schoolchildren while the second one involved twin’s randomly murdering people based on dice rolls. While this series wasn’t as impressive as the first one it was still highly addictive and kept me coming back week after week. I wish Nikki Amuka-Bird had gotten more to do and I wish the writers had focused on the serialized aspect of Luther. Luther himself is still as crazy and over the top as he’s ever been making him a fun character to follow, especially when he gets in these menacing and horrible situations. I’m ready for a third series.

American Horror Story Season 1

I was entertained. I’m not sure I’ll be back next season, but I was entertained. My problem with American Horror Story, and any Ryan Murphy show, was that it was frenetic and ridiculous. It was weird for the sake of being weird and went in so many directions and barely gave me any time to catch up. Now that might not be bad thing if the show is starting fresh next season. If Ryan Murphy really is getting rid of all of the characters and starting a new story somewhere else then it doesn’t matter. But if that’s not true, I feel like the show has already dried up a lot of potential stories and has written itself into a corner. Ryan Murphy is known to change his mind quite a bit and I won’t believe anything I’ve read until it’s confirmed by FX. But those were my biggest gripes. I actually really enjoyed the show quite a bit. It was one of those fun, mythology heavy shows where you were trying to figure out where all the pieces fit. American Horror Story tantalized us with clues and flashbacks slowly revealing the history of the murder house. Plus the show even had a nice little twist near the end when it was revealed that Violet had been dead for most of the season. I know I was surprised and I thought the show did a clever job revealing that to the audience. It seems pretty obvious looking back at the earlier episodes, but they definitely tricked me. Vivien and Ben were kind of boring though and I found their marital problems to be kind of ridiculous and stupid. I had a tough time believing that Ben would put his pregnant wife in a mental institution. I had a tough time believing a lot of things in American Horror Story… like Vivien eating the brain, Eric Stone-Street’s whole appearance, and that the Harmons would keep living the murder house despite all of the issues they had to deal with.  Also by the end it got a little crowded. How many spirits were there? The highlight of the season was of course Jessica Lange. She did some of the best character work on television this year. Constance felt like a real person with all of these different issues and problems. She was a horrific person, I felt so bad for Adelaide and Tate. She was just this horrific matriarch hell bent on saving the murder house. Constance looked like she was always thinking which shows just how great of an actress Jessica Lange is. So the show was entertaining but sometimes I felt like I was in a pinball machine.

The Walking Dead Season 2

I’ve been enjoying the second season more than I thought I would.  But it was still kind of boring and really slow. Once again the show wasted a lot of time rooting its characters in one place. Instead of the campground, it was Hershel’s farm…every episode the group went out to look for Sophie or just kind of sat around trying to figure out what to do. They of course had their own issues and problems but once again not a whole lot was happening. What kept me going were the characters. Their original storylines were starting to change and develop. They have all become a lot more dynamic and layered. Glenn, who was very one-note in season one, has been much more involved with the others this time. He was the first person to find out about Lori’s pregnancy and learned that Hershel was keeping Walkers on his property before anyone else. His position in the group was also questioned. It was brought up that he was someone they could afford to lose, after they used him as bait. Glenn was pretty forgettable in the first season but now he is one of my favorites and I’m curious to see where they go with him next. He’s definitely the Hurley of the group. Andrea is still one of my favorites. Her issues are probably the most developed out of any character in the series. I would even argue that Andrea is more developed than Shane or Rick at this point. She’s mad at Dale because Dale forced her to keep living, she off hooking up with Shane, and pretty much a nuisance to the group. She spent the first few episodes trying to get her gun back only to shoot Daryl thinking that he was a Walker. Rick is kind of like Jack Shepherd right now. He has issues being the leader of the group which means he doesn’t get a whole lot to do. I don’t dislike Rick as much as disliked Jack in the early seasons of Lost. But their struggles definitely mirror one another. I like Shane a lot more this season. He is a horrible person but he’s keeping a lot of secrets at this point. He’s quick act and has some anger issues but is becoming much more nuanced. I’m not a big of Lori’s pregnancy though. It’s very soap opera-esque and not really necessary. I know the show is based on a graphic novel but the whole plot is just ridiculous if you ask me. I don’t care who the father is and I don’t care that she thinks it’s going to be difficult. Regardless her character is a bit more fleshed out so I hate her or anything; I just find the pregnancy to be a weak choice in the show’s overall plot. So even though the show still feels a little repetitive, at least the characters are more developed. I’m starting to care about them a little bit more. Just give them something interesting to do…cause if they don’t leave the farm in the first or second episode back…I’m going to be mad.

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5

I’m so sad that this show is over. It is still hard to believe that Elisabeth Sladen is no longer with us. I like her so much that I’m planning on buying her autobiography as soon as I can afford it. I can’t give enough praise for this show. It started off as a simple Doctor Who spin-off but really came into its own. For a show geared towards children it sure had some well developed characters and storylines. The final series didn’t disappoint. All six of the episodes were brilliant. Sky was an interesting addition in this last series. It would’ve been nice seeing her character develop and grow. It was such a tease seeing her interact with Luke. I would’ve loved to see her character in series six or seven. We definitely missed out.

Check out my Sarah Jane Adventures archives for complete episode reviews on all of the episodes this series.

 24 Hours in the ER Series 1

This show was oddly comforting. I would wake up, make myself some coffee, and watch people head into the hospital with these horrific ailments. Some of it was a bit much for 9 o’clock in the morning but it was a nice show to slowly wake up to.  24 Hours in the ER really made me appreciate how much work goes into running a hospital and definitely eased my nerves about hospitals a bit. I had appendicitis earlier this year and was in the hospital for a few days. I spent a lot of the time the first day just sitting in the ER. I was in a lot of pain so my memory is a bit foggy (cause I’ve tried to block it out) but it makes me think about all of the issues they probably had to deal with that day. Channel 4 was lucky they got so many interesting physicians in one place. Nurse Jen Du-Prat was the highlight of the program. She was this fun and caring nurse but she very practical and no-nonsense. I absolutely loved her every single time she appeared on the program. The show balanced serious medical emergencies with more light hearted affairs. One episode focused on the amount of drunken people that end up in the ER every night. It wasn’t that dramatic and at times it was a little silly. Another episode featured a family whose son was hit by a car and they weren’t sure if he was going to make it or not. I really liked that balance and I’m glad the show could focus on both issues. At times the show got a little repetitive. They filled a lot of episodes with short little vignettes in the waiting room. While they are funny and sometimes the best part of the show I felt like more time could’ve been focused on specific people. This is definitely one of the best reality-documentaries this year and I’m glad that a second series has been commissioned.

Big Brother UK 12

It was tough watching this in the fall. I got really far behind and was desperately trying not to get spoiled by my own twitter feed. It wasn’t my favorite series but I’m glad the show is back. It’s changed quite a bit but its still is Big Brother UK. Going forward I think I’m going to be a lot more critical and judgmental of the contestants though. It seems to me that a lot of these people were putting on some kind of act or were definitely exaggerating their character to a certain degree. This is definitely a summer show and the regular series has no business airing in the fall. I wish the producers had been a bit tougher on these guys and I wish they had played a few more mind games. There is still a lot of potential even after all these years.

Check out my Big Brother UK archives for weekly reviews on all of the episodes this series.

Case Histories Series 1

I don’t have too much to add from my original review. I enjoyed this series and it was nice to have a light-hearted Scottish mystery show to follow. I think I was mostly enthralled with its location at first but the trials of Jackson Brodie grew on me. I like that every two-part episode had its own standalone mystery but that there were serialized aspects of the show. The serialized aspects mainly involved Brodie’s relationship with DC Monroe and trying to keep his daughter in Scotland but they were nice little connections all the same. I also really liked seeing the mysteries all come together in the end. There was always one main one but several small off shoot mysteries that would become connected as it all went along. Sometimes it felt a little too convenient but it isn’t an issue with this show. Everything fit together like nice little puzzle pieces. At points it was a little slow and I wish Masterpiece had aired it over 6 weeks instead of three. It is hard to devote two hours to a single episode especially with this show’s pacing. If Awake ever airs and really picks up I would hope that Jason Isaacs can continue working on new episodes of Case Histories as well.

America in Primetime Season 1

Not much to say about this. It was a well made documentary. It seemed a little too self-congratulatory at some points though. But in the end I learned quite a bit about television’s history. I mean they really got just about everyone who mattered to talk about not only their own show but classic television shows. It made me really want to watch The Sopranos and Freaks and Geeks showing clip after clip of these critically acclaimed series. “The Misfit” was probably the highlight of the season. It felt much more developed than the other three episodes, at least to me. I felt like the commentators had much more to talk about and actually felt much more attuned to these types of characters in general. I’d love to see a second season. They pretty much nailed every single type of character in these episodes but I think they could get even more specific. I’m not sure if PBS will be replaying these any time soon, but they are out on DVD.

Canceled, Quit, Forgotten

Ringer – I feel like I got tricked into watching this. About 10 minutes into the second episode I realized my mistake and decided not to continue. Sometimes you don’t need four episodes to realize that Sarah Michelle Gellar is overrated…and there is only so much horrible green screen I can handle.

The Playboy Club – While I didn’t think the pilot was as bad as everyone made it out to be I didn’t care enough to watch the second episode before it was cancelled.

The X Factor – What was I thinking? I don’t like American Idol and I didn’t want to watch an American Idol clone. Enough said. I should’ve known this before recording the premiere.

Prime Suspect – I was just bored to tears. I really liked Maria Belo in the pilot…but the whole thing felt outdated. Good thing I didn’t continue because this was not picked up for a whole season.

Boardwalk Empire – It felt like a chore watching this last year and I didn’t really want to do it again. I am intrigued by this season’s shocking finale death but not curious enough to sit through the second season to see if play out. I’m sure Steve Buscemi and Kelly Macdonald did I great job, I just didn’t care to watch.

Pan Am – I actually gave Pan Am a decent shot this fall. But it squandered away any potential it had in its pilot. Over the course of four episodes it quickly became this ridiculous parody of itself. I stopped after the fourth episode when the show focused on the insufferable Ted. I’m still trying to figure out what Christina Ricci was doing here.

Terra Nova – I hate it when a show tries to be all mysterious with its mythology without telling us anything. I just couldn’t do it this time. I’m not sure if Terra Nova got better or worse but I wasn’t about to get caught up in another sci-fi show that doesn’t know what it’s doing.

Allen Gregory – Did anybody watch this after the first 10 minutes? When is Bob’s Burgers coming back?

Person of Interest – This show got the longest reprieve from me. I thought maybe it was going to be a slow burn. That it would be like Fringe’s first season where it was mostly standalone episodes until it suddenly became this awesome serialized show. It looked like it was going that way too. We were getting more clues about Elias while Reese and Finch were so accumulating more and more contacts to use for later. I even enjoyed Fusco and Detective Carter working together. But nothing is really panning out. I really like Michael Emerson and Taraji P. Henson but even they can’t keep me watching a boring procedural. Plus Jim Caviezel is as interesting as a piece of toast.

Hell on Wheels - I’ll admit I didn’t give this one a fair chance. I was planning on watching this but I read review after review that it was boring from the start and that it only got more boring as it went along. I started to watch the pilot and pretty much just decided I didn’t want to get into this. I’m an AMC apologist (I loved Rubicon and I’m planning on watching the second season of The Killing) but even I felt like I was wasting my time.

What I Should’ve Been Watching

Homeland – I dropped the ball on this one. From what I’ve read it is supposed to be 24 without all of the time constraints…and a lot better. It has been popping up on everyone’s end of the year lists. I’m definitely going to catch up on this before its second season rolls around. Oh well, you can’t watch everything.

And apparently I should’ve also been watching Enlightened but I haven’t watched that yet either.