Summer Shows 2014

Okay, I'm finally posting my review of summer shows this season. I will post more reviews pretty soon since you'd think that they are done canceling shows this season. But, since some of the summer shows from last season have yet to be cancelled and will never air again since they aren't making new episodes, you might never see some shows on the list that are cancelled that should be there. For the record, my list mostly goes off of what www.tvseriesfinale.com mentions on their list. But, I should get to the reviews of summer shows that includes both new and returning shows.

Okay, I’m finally posting about the summer shows of 2014. First, I will talk about the new summer shows this season before going into other summer shows that are currently on the air. This will only cover shows that I’ve seen and want to review. The new shows that I was interested in are Crossbones, Extant, The Quest, Reckless, and Riot.

Crossbones: This is a show about the pirate Blackbeard and the man who is sort of hunting him, with other characters as needed. It airs on NBC and was supposed to air earlier in the season, I think. A period piece on piracy could be good and it is interesting to watch. But, not all of it is really that worthwhile since you can’t tell where they are going. They moved new episodes to Saturday so it could not be more cancelled. I give it three out of five stars.

Extant: It is hard to tell what this show is about, but it’s a science fiction show that involves aliens and a pregnancy of a human by what is guessed to be an alien. This is a summer series on CBS that airs on Wednesdays. With an unexplained mystery behind the show, it can be hard to tell what the real point of it is. But, the storyline of what they have told us is pretty good. Haley Berry, who is famous for movies, is the star of the show. I give it three out of five stars.

The Quest: This is a reality show that seems to be a live action role playing game, that’s a TV show of some sort and a competition as well. It airs on ABC at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. I’m pretty sure that this was supposed to air sooner in the season since, at one point, it was going to air soon after the year (2014) began. I’m not sure that it will last outside of this one season, but what do you expect from an ABC summer series? There seems to be too many people in the fiction of the game (not playing it) than would seem to be necessary. But, the show does have a more interesting format than the standard reality show. I give it three out of five stars.

Reckless: This is a courtroom drama that is hard to explain what it’s about. It is a CBS show that airs on Sundays. Adam Rodriguez from Ugly Betty and CSI: Miami is on the show in a relatively minor yet starring role (he’s not the main character, but he’s one of them). The characters aren’t as interesting as one would like, but the stories always seem to be interesting. I do wonder that if this gets future seasons, if they will air before the summer season. I give it three out of five stars.

Riot: This was an improvisational show that has already been appropriately cancelled since it had nothing going for it. It aired on FOX. Random celebrities, some more so than others, go on a series of different games with no script to go off of. You’d think that a script would help improve on the overall mess of the show. There’s no point to it and it lacks the drive to it that would make a show like Whose Line is it Anyways? good. Plus, the host is the only thing that stays the same while every celebrity is always different in each episode. I’d say something good about this show, but since I already mentioned that it was cancelled, then there’s really nothing else to add. I give it one out of five stars.

Now you get to see standard reviews for TV shows that air during the summer. You’ve probably seen these reviews before since I’ve probably posted some before. But, if people even read this blog in the first place, then I’d be worried about needlessly repeating myself. If I were worried about needlessly repeating myself, then I wouldn’t needlessly repeat myself. I just hope that someone starts reading this blog again, if people did that in the first place.

Rookie Blue: Status- Currently on ABC during the summer. Why I’ve seen it- There was nothing else to watch during the summer so I watched this. Noteworthiness- This is a Canadian show that airs sometimes in America. Description- A bunch of rookie cops (or, at least they were rookies when the show started) solve a bunch of cases. Pros- The show gives you something different to watch on TV sometimes. Cons- It’s hard to know when this is on making it easy to miss. Recommendation- This show is pretty good and you should watch it. Prediction- It has lasted a good amount of time so far. Whether that means it will keep lasting a while or if it will end soon is unknown. I heard rumors that it might end soon but don’t know if those rumors are true. Reception: mixed. Grade: B.

Under the Dome:  Status- Currently on CBS during the summer. Why I’ve seen it- I like the CBS network and nothing else was really on during the summer. Noteworthiness- This is based off of a book by Stephen King. He helps with this show. This was first pitched to the Showtime network which passed on it and gave it to CBS. Description- For some odd reason, a dome traps people in a small town underneath it. Notable People- Dean Norris, from Breaking Bad, is on the show. Britt Robinson, who was on Life Unexpected at The Secret Circle, is another character. There are probably others. Pros- The show is interesting science fiction. It keeps you into the show. The secret lives of the characters are pretty good storytelling. The mystery of the show is gripping. Cons- A lot of people don’t like it. It seems to drag on without a real purpose to it. One wonders what the point of it is in the end. Recommendation- I think that this show is pretty good and worth watching all the time. Prediction- If it keeps the good ratings that it has, it should last a while, even if it airs during the less watched summer. However, if the general negativity of this show continues, then I don’t see it lasting much longer than it already has. Reception: mixed. Grade: B+.

Big Brother: Status- This CBS show airs in three hours of primetime during the summer and on live internet feeds at www.cbs.com. The three primetime hours are basically split into the mostly live show where people are voted out, the show where people get nominated to get voted out, and the show where people compete to possibly change the nominations on the show. Basically, you’d have to watch the average week of shows to get the way it airs. Why I’ve seen it- A parody of it on the Talk interested me in watching the real thing. Noteworthiness- There are many versions of it in other countries, most of which work very differently than ours. In case you were wondering, we were not the first country to do this show, although we were the first country to use the format that it has in almost no other country’s version of it. Description- A group of people, normally strangers, but sometimes not, are put into a house where they are recorded 24/7 and competing for a money prize. Notable People- Julie Chen, formally of CBS’s the Early Show and current cohost of the Talk, is the host of this show. She has hosted this show longer than any other host in any other country’s version of this show. Pros- While it may seem similar to other reality TV shows, it is very different to the usual. You can see whatever you want to online since CBS has live feeds of what goes on inside the house. Cons- Okay, I should warn you that this cons section might be misleading since, although I like the show, I can think of a lot of cons about it, but not that many pros. You have to devote a lot of time to watching it to not miss anything important. The live internet feed gets cuts a lot making it seem like the people that air the show is hiding something. Tons of controversies have arisen on the show, whether they were caused by contestants on the show or the people who make the show. The live shows make you wonder if contestants don’t follow the rules of the game. The live aspect of the show makes the editing of it strange since one doesn’t know what will happen. Information about what happens on the show can be known before it even airs. Recommendation- Despite the rather lengthy cons section that I just mentioned, this show is a pretty good show to watch. Prediction- It will probably last a long time, although it just as easily might not. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.

Last Comic Standing: Status- Currently on NBC at various times throughout the summer. Why I’ve seen it- Originally, I watched this because my aunt was in the live studio audience of one of the episodes and we wanted to see her in the audience (we did). Since we didn’t know when she’d appear, we started watching at the beginning of the second season and we were too interested in the rest of the season by the time we got to the episode my aunt was in so we kept watching. I haven’t seen much of other seasons so I don’t know what all has changed. Noteworthiness- This show has been cancelled twice and brought back twice so if it ends again, it will more than likely come back later. Description- A bunch of people compete for a comedy deal of some sort. This is a reality show. Notable People- The hosts and judges of the show constantly change, but are typically notable. I’d mention who they are, but you would have better luck just looking up the information for yourself. Pros- The show can be quite good, especially if the contestants are good. Cons- The jokes are only as good as the person who makes them meaning if a contestant isn’t that good, then you won’t be amused. The format is a bit confusing, although they might have improved on it from when I used to watch. Recommendation- If you have time to watch it, then you might as well tune into it. Prediction- It should last a while and, like I said before, if it doesn’t, then it will come back anyways at some point in the future. Reception: somewhat mixed to slightly positive. Grade: C+.

Unforgettable: Status- Currently on CBS on Sundays at 9/8 Central. It is a summer show. Why I’ve seen it- I watch everything on CBS that I can and that’s why I watched this. Noteworthiness- This show was cancelled for a while and then was brought back as a summer series. Description- A detective with a memory condition that makes it impossible for her to forget something helps solve crimes with other people. Notable People- Poppy Montgomery from Without a Trace is on this show as the main character. Jane Curtin, who was in the original cast of Saturday Night Live, among other things, is another character. Pros- The show is quite interesting considering the format of it that you probably wouldn’t see on other shows. Cons- The recurring storyline has been pretty much ignored in the newer seasons and I don’t think that it was resolved beforehand. Recommendation- I’d say that you should probably watch it. Prediction- Toss-up. I don’t know if it will last more, but it could even if it might not. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.