Each network has a different style of shows on Sundays. Sunday is the only time you’ll see primetime from 6-7 Central. Except ABC, all of the major four networks show football for the first half of the season. This causes problems on CBS where most of the shows get delayed which is really annoying. FOX just preempts the first hour as needed which causes very rare delays sometimes. NBC doesn’t even show non-sports until midseason. In terms of consistency, this day of the week has the most, except for Friday. The CW doesn’t show any primetime shows on Sundays anymore. ABC and CBS show mostly the same thing in theory. In fact, it’s creepy how similar they are. FOX shows animation domination, all of them half hour shows that are animated that you shouldn’t let your kids watch. When NBC show shows after football season ends, it is normally just lame reality shows and a second edition of Dateline. Here’s my view of the shows that I have seen, some of them, watch regularly.
Bob’s Burgers: Status- Currently on Sundays on FOX at 7/6 Central. It was a midseason replacement both this and last season when it premiered. Description- Part of animation domination, we see the misadventures of a family who works in, owns, and (more or less) lives in a restaurant. Pros- It is funny, using a humor not typically seen on television. Cons- There may be worse things than this, but there are a lot of better things as well. It can be hard to stay into it and watch it all the time. It may take you a while to realize that it is good. Recommendation- It is pretty good. Prediction- I don’t know if it will last or it and could have only limited a limited number of episodes per season as sports might always delay it until midseason. That was what killed King of the Hill. Grade: B+.
60 Minutes: Status- Currently on Sunday nights on CBS at 7/6 Central. Some consider it to be the longest show in primetime. Description- It is an in-depth news show of current and interesting events. Could be like the PBS news hour with commercials. Normally three stories are shown with the first relating to current events and the last relating to culture. The stories are longer now that Andy Rooney has died. Pros- Unique news stories that could keep you hooked until commercials. Cons- Nothing keeps you into it if you want to watch something else and the segment you were watching ends. Controversies have arisen more from this show than any other show on CBS. The segments tend to last a very long time which can irate you. Recommendation- You should watch this if you have the chance. Maybe you’ll learn something interesting. Prediction- This show will be on until the end of the world. Even then, it might continue. Grade: A-.
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Status- Currently on ABC on Sundays at 7/6 Central and in syndication on various networks. Noteworthiness- It has been on a long time. Description- Viewer submitted home videos are viewed as the audience determines which one is the best. It is shown in Los Angeles. I used to watch it all the time with its original host, Bob Saget. Notable People- Tom Bergeron, who also hosts Dancing with the Stars, hosts this show. Pros- If you like the Three Stooges, you’ll like this show. It can be funny sometimes. Cons- Most of the laughs comes from people getting hurt. It can get boring quickly. Some of what is shown is far from being funny. Recommendation- Do not watch this show. It is not worth your time. Prediction- This show will be on until people stop watching it, submitting videos to it, or the network finally realizes how bad it really is. Grade: D-.
The Cleveland Show: Status- Currently on FOX at 6:30 Central Time. Description- A character from Family Guy (Cleveland Brown) moves to another town and his adventures are viewed here. Notable People: Seth MacFarlane, most well known for Family Guy, the show it span-off from, created this show and voices some characters. Pros- It keeps some of Family Guy’s format with a different set of characters. Cons- It can be uninteresting, inappropriate, and otherwise unentertaining. They use Family Guy cameos as a marketing gimmick. Recommendation- You can watch it if you want and like it, but I’d pass. Prediction- It will last for a while as Family Guy lives in it. Grade: C-.
The Simpsons: Status- Currently on FOX on Sundays at 8/7 Central and in syndication on various networks. Noteworthiness- It has lasted more seasons than any other primetime show that isn’t a news show. The original cast is still working on the show. There tends to be a famous voice in most episodes. It was originally a spin-off of The Tracy Ullman Show. Over 500 episodes have been made. FOX considered creating a channel just for reruns of the show. Description- This is an animated comedy on a strange family in Springfield. They have different, unrelated stories in each episode. Notable People- Anyone in the main cast because they are in the cast. Matt Groening, the creator who had done different comic book series as well as Futurama. Pros- Funny episodes are shown all the time. There is never any ongoing storylines so you don’t have to be devoted to the show. Despite the fact that it has been on a long time, they still manage to come up with great, new episodes and might be better than when the show originally started. Cons- Inappropriate humor is used a lot. Because of its length on the air, the head writer changes every so often. There is absolutely no continuity between episodes. Recommendation- You should watch it if you like it (and only if you like it) and have the time. It can be quite entertaining. Prediction- This show will last forever, unless the death of a cast member causes a retooling of the show or otherwise abrupt ending. One can wonder what the death of Matt Groening, who still supervises the show, would cause. Grade: B-.
The Amazing Race: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Sundays. Description- Teams of two different people race around the world to hopefully win a million dollars. It is a reality show. Pros- There is a different group of people each season, in case you don’t like one. It has some interesting moments and is hard to get out of once you start watching on episode. The critics love it and give it awards. Cons- If you don’t get into it soon enough, it won’t interest you. The problems that happen to the contestants that lead to a commercial break tend to be solved when it returns before a minute has past. It can be hard to stay into the whole season sometimes. Every episode follows the same basic premise and can get predictable. It isn’t as interesting as other shows are. It can be a bore sometimes with the redundancy of what always happens in every episode. There have been times where they hired contestants who have already worked on other reality shows. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. Like most reality shows, you may not like it, you may loathe it like every reality show, or you can’t live without it. Prediction- As long as it has fans, people will watch it. It could lose fans over time and cancellation wouldn’t be far away. The only way cancellation is certain is if contestants stop applying for the show because no one is interested or the current host leaves and gets replaced by an otherwise inept host. Grade: C+
Once Upon a Time: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Sundays. Description- The world of fairy tales are trapped in our world (a world of “pure horror”). Notable People- The creators of Lost also created this show. Pros- A captivating drama, it keeps you interested with the writers’ take on fairy tales. It is hard to stop watching. Cons- One can wonder if they’ll have enough material for a long series. One could wonder instead if the show moves fast enough. Due to the frequent use of flashbacks, one could wonder also if they can keep their stories straight and avoid continuity errors. Recommendation- It is a good show, if you don’t mind the other shows at the same time. You should watch it sometime. Prediction- This new show is a hit and the network needs more of those so it will stay around for quite some time. Grade: A.
Family Guy: Status- Currently on FOX at 9/8 Central and in syndication on various local affiliates. Noteworthiness- To my knowledge, it is the only show in television history that has been cancelled twice yet still manages to produce new episodes. Description- The animated adventures of a family including their dog and baby who can talk and behave like normal people. Notable People- Seth MacFarlane created the show as well as voices several characters. Seth Green, known for his work on Robot Chicken and some movies is Chris. Mila Kunis, who was in That 70’s Show and some notable movies like Black Swan, is Meg. Pros- The show manages to stay fresh while poking fun at somewhat recent events. Insides jokes come up all the time. Funny episodes are common. The themes that show up are less an approval of them but more a comment on them and how other people can sometimes think. Cons- Bad episodes pop up just as often as good ones. If it weren’t animated, it couldn’t be shown on network television due to sex, violence, and language. It can be too random at points leaving you with no clue as to what is going on. You’ll probably hate as much as you like. At least two episodes were controversial enough to not be aired. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. It’s not for everyone, although I like it sometimes. Prediction- It will last a long time because the people who hate it are a minority and could always bring it back another time by buying all the seasons on DVD for themselves. Grade: C.
The Good Wife: Status- It is currently on CBS on Sundays at 9/8 Central. Noteworthiness- The season, it was the only nominee for drama categories that was not on cable. Description- It originally started with an arrest of a public office holder in Chicago and revealed that he had an affair on his wife. He was found to be framed. The show, however, is about his wife and her journeys as a lawyer as well as other cast members. It is set in Chicago. Notable People- Juliana Margulies, from ER and other shows, is the lead character Alicia. Others might be present. Pros- It is an interesting show with a recurring storyline. It stays as best as possible with Democrats by neither downplaying them nor making them the best. It is a good courtroom drama. The editing is great. Cons- You’ll be confused watching it without knowing the recurring storyline. It can be very confusing with its plots. A whole episode can go by without you understanding what happened in the episode. Christianity has a weird representation which is seemingly from the views of non-Christians. It is very subtle and hard to catch some things in the show. If it weren’t set in Chicago, the courtroom aspect would be even more unrealistic than it already is. Recommendation- Watch this if you have a chance too. Prediction- It will be on for a while if CBS knows what’s good for them. The CBS website lists it as a popular show. Also, I don’t think cancellation by the network will be the end of it as other networks might be interested. Grade: B-.
American Dad: Status- Currently on FOX at 9:30/8:30 pm Central. Description- A CIA agent’s adventures including a talking fish and an alien with different identities he creates. Notable People- Seth MacFarlane, most well-known for Family Guy, created the show as well as doing some of the voices. Pros- Weird storylines keep this show fresh. Cons- Like every other show on FOX, it has a lot of smut that is bad for moral people. It’s not as good as some other shows. Recommendation- I don’t like this show, but you can watch it if nothing else good is on or so you don’t have to watch just the second half of a TV show. Prediction- I have no idea what will happen, but the ratings are good and that almost always ensures that a show stays on the air. Grade: D+.
CSI: Miami: Status- Currently on CBS at 10/9 Central. Noteworthiness- It is part of the CSI franchise, the second one to air. In a vote at www.tvseriesfinale.com, it was in the top six popular shows that should be cancelled. Some fans consider this the worst CSI. It was originally created to be the first “rip-off” of the successful CSI. Description- A team of CSIs investigates murders and other crimes in Miami. It is part of a television franchise. Pros- An interesting crime show for those that like typical crime shows. Cons- People have said that it doesn’t represent how CSI really works. Some episodes are weird and leave you wondering why they were made at all in the end. Not enough females are represented in the cast. Recommendation- Watch it while you can as it is likely to get cancelled very soon. There are two other CSI shows on television that you might like more. Prediction- It might get cancelled but I’m not sure if it will. It is very popular in other countries. If it does get cancelled, another network might be interested in it unless it has already run its course. More than once, it has been preempted and the original show they were going to air is delayed a week, thus delaying all new episodes. It used to be on when Hawaii Five-O is now on and the new timeslot doesn’t help it. It occupies a time slot that shows tend to be cancelled in. This season, it doesn’t even have a full season order which is normally a death sentence for a show on CBS. Grade: C.
I hope that you enjoyed these reviews. Hopefully, I'll be back soon with reviews of Monday shows.
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