Primetime on Thursdays version 2

Thursdays are the most competitive nights on television. All the networks put all their best shows on the same night. It is impossible to watch everything good at this time, unless, of course, you record some things to watch later or watch what you can’t see online. NBC is mostly comedy. CBS also shows comedies and a drama. ABC shows all dramas. FOX has a constantly changing lineup. The CW shows the popular Vampire Diaries. There are no losers and every network seems to win in their own right. The reason this night is the most competitive is the high demand of advertisers that movies and other people want on TV. I can’t believe that I didn’t know that before, but know you do too. I have seen a lot of these shows so here’s my views on them:

The Big Bang Theory: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. It has also been sold into syndication. Why I’ve seen it- General interest in the show from the moment it first aired and a bit before. Noteworthiness- It is one of the most popular shows on television. The cast has more female characters than it used to. When Two and a Half Men ends this season, this will become the longest running sitcom on CBS. Description- This show is about the adventures of nerds, a female neighbor, and other people in their lives. Reruns can be different than how the show is currently portrayed. Notable People- Chuck Lorre, who created Two and a Half Men, also created this show. He has created other shows as well, but I’m not sure they are worth mentioning. Kayley Cuoco from 8 Simple Rules and Charmed is Penny. Others are famous, some from being on the show. If they were famous before the show, then I don’t know who they are unless I just mentioned them. Pros- This is a really funny comedy. Everyone loves Sheldon, the Obsessive-Compulsive roommate. Some people can watch reruns over and over again and still find it just as funny as they did the first time. Cons- Sex and other bad stuff can be present a lot. Recommendation- I say that you should watch it if you like it. Most people do like this show. If you don’t laugh after watching an episode, then it isn’t for you. But, it is one of my favorite shows and I highly recommend it. Prediction- This show will last a very long time. Reception: mixed then positive. Grade: A-.

Bones: Status- Currently on at 8/7 Central on FOX on Thursdays and in syndication. Why I’ve seen it- Randomly watched certain episodes until I started watching every episode. Noteworthiness- This is the longest running FOX drama, although it also airs on syndication on various other networks. It is based on cases done by a real person who is a producer of some sort on the show. Description- A different type of drama, it investigates crimes where not much of the body remains, although the murder cases are similar to most TV dramas. Pros- The chemistry between the two leads is interesting enough. The opposites seem to attract. Cons- The timeslot keeps changing, which makes it hard to catch. It doesn’t really separate itself from other shows in this genre despite the few differences that it does have. The show might have been better earlier based on comments I’m reading online from those that call themselves fans (but might not be). Recommendation- I recommend it, even if earlier seasons are supposedly better. Prediction- I see no reason why it will leave the airwaves anytime soon, but you’ll never know what might happen. Reception: generally positive. Grade: B.

Grey’s Anatomy: Status- Currently on Thursdays at 8/7 Central on ABC. Why I’ve seen it-Desire to find a medical drama to watch all the time on a regular basis. When I realized that I liked medical dramas, I also realized that they always cancel the ones that I like, so I figured that I should watch this since it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Noteworthiness- It is the longest running drama on ABC. Description- A medical drama featuring a large cast of doctors of both genders solves medical problems that sometimes relates to their own team. I’m not really sure how to describe it that well so you might understand it better if you watch an episode yourself. Notable People- The only notable person I can think of is Patrick Dempsey, who does various movies. There are a lot of people who are and were with the cast that are famous, so I can’t keep track of them all. Some of them are famous from being on the show. Pros- This show is pretty interesting and humorous. Most of the large cast is focused upon most of the time. The medical aspect is well-done. It isn’t always about the same characters all the time. Cons- The show can be quite complicated and hard to understand and follow, especially if you don’t watch every week. If you don’t like soap operas, then this show probably isn’t for you because of the format it uses. There’s too much sex in the show as well and most people wouldn’t like the morals present. There are too many characters to keep track of on a regular basis and sometimes a lot of the cast isn’t in a certain episode. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. If you don’t like it now, you never will. Prediction- This could last a long amount of time, but I think that it could potentially end in the near future as well. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: C+.

The Vampire Diaries: Status- Currently on the CW at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- Void in life after the cancellation of Moonlight and I didn’t watch anything else at the time it was first on my schedule. Noteworthiness- It was inspired by a book series that existed before Twilight. The show is comparable to Twilight, in a way. Description- A teenage girl learns of the existence of vampires and other supernatural creatures. The story has since progressed into something much more complicated that would take too long to get into. Plus, I don’t watch it anymore, so I don’t know what it might be like anymore. If you really care, look it up somewhere or watch an episode. Pros- Although it is a teen drama like everything else on the CW, this has a twist that draws in other fans. The storyline is gripping to the audience. Cons- Inappropriate stuff is present as usual. There may be no human characters in the end of the series. The same stuff tends to happen in different ways. It follows a soap opera format and thus never really seems to end. You’ve seen one episode, you’ve seen them all. The show drags itself on and on with new storylines all the time. Recommendation- While I used to enjoy this show, I don’t want to see it anymore. Whether you feel the same way or not is your decision. Prediction- Since it is the most popular show on the CW, it will last a long time. Reception: mixed then positive. Grade: D+.

Mom: Status- Currently on CBS at 9:30/8:30 Central on CBS. Why I’ve seen it- If you didn’t know already, I like to watch every CBS TV show, even if it is just once. Description- A woman deals with the issues of single motherhood and various family problems. Notable People- Alison Janey and Anna Farris, both known for movies, are two main characters on the show. Chuck Lorre, who created Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and helps with Mike and Molly, helps with this show, although I’m not sure if he created it, which he might have. Pros- People like it, based on comments I’ve seen online. Cons- All the show is about is a bunch of immoral people and I don’t know why we should care about something like this. Also, it is far from being funny. Recommendation- Don’t watch it. The fact that people like it completely baffles me. Prediction- Toss-up. Reception: somewhat favorable. Grade: F.

Two and a Half Men: Status- It is currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Mondays and syndication on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- Curious about what it was like. Noteworthiness- It killed off the former main character when the actor who portrayed him went crazy. It is currently the longest running comedy on CBS, although it is ending this season, so it won’t hold that record for long. Description- I honestly don’t know what the point of the show is or the basic plot. It doesn’t even have two and a half men anymore. Notable People- Ashton Kutcher, known for his movies and That 70’s Show, is the main actor. Chuck Lorre, known for shows like Dharma and Greg as well as The Big Bang Theory, created the show. Pros- It is a popular comedy that can be funny at times. The show got better after Charlie Sheen left and it was finally worth watching for a while. Cons- There is too much sex and crap like that. There’s so much bad with this, you probably wouldn’t get anything good out of the episodes that you do watch. The show has lost its main purpose and with a half woman instead of a half man, this show is once again bad. Recommendation- If you liked it better with Charlie Sheen, then you shouldn’t watch anymore. If you’re a fan of Ashton Kutcher and like the new show, you might like it. Ultimately, since so much of the show is bad, I’d recommend not watching any of it. Prediction- It is officially ending this season although it probably should have ended sooner. Reception: positive to mixed. Grade: D+.

Bad Judge: Status- On NBC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. This show was cancelled. Why I’ve seen it- With it paired with A to Z, I watched this too because I needed to. Description- This comedy is about an unconventional judge. Notable People- Kate Walsh, known for Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, is the star of this show. Pros- It is better than one might expect. It actually has a person looking out for the everyman. Cons- It is far from realistic. They should have worked more on the actual humor aspect of the show. Recommendation- I like it and think that it’s much better than some people give it credit for. That means you should watch it, by the way. Prediction- With it officially cancelled, there is not much else to say here. Reception: negative. Grade: C. New review

Reign: Status- Currently on the CW at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I realized that it would be in my best interest to watch it considering how it would air at the same time of something else that I watched at the same time would get cancelled soon. Description- This is a historical fiction show about Mary, Queen of Scots. From what I understand, this may not have much to do with real historical events, so it may not be the best show to watch for a history lesson. Notable People- Anna Popplewell, who is most notably for her appearance as Susan in the Chronicles of Narnia movie series, is a character on this show. Pros- The show is unusual, so it has that in its favor. With it being a different type of show, you can find something much better than the usual. Cons- With the show being mostly made up, some people don’t like the fact that it has some real, historical characters. Recommendation- This is probably worth the watch. Prediction- It might last a long time or it might not. I don’t know for sure yet. Reception: mixed. Grade: B. New review

The McCarthys: Status- On CBS at 9:30/8:30 Central on Thursdays. It replaces Bad Teacher as well as The Crazy Ones. Why I’ve seen it- As usual, it is because I typically watch everything on CBS at least once. Description- This is another one of those sitcoms about a family. Pros- It can be a bit different than the usual, so it has that in its favor. Cons- I had the feeling that I probably wouldn’t like it before I saw it and I was right. One would have to wonder why they made the rest of the show after the poor quality of the pilot. They somehow did too much and not enough in a single episode. Basically, what makes it bad is terrible writing and lack of humor, which you never want to have in an actual sitcom. Recommendation- Don’t watch it as it isn’t that good. Prediction- I have the feeling that this won’t last very long, but I’ve been wrong before. Reception: mixed. Grade: D-. New review

A to Z: Status- Currently on NBC at 9:30/8:30 Central. It has been cancelled so it won’t last there much longer. Why I’ve seen it- I thought that I would like it. Description- This show is about a newly formed relationship and friends that go along with it. Notable People- This show stars Katey Segal from shows like Sons of Anarchy, Futurama, 8 Simple Rules, and Married with Children. She plays the narrator of the show and does not have an on-screen role. It also stars Cristin Milioti who played the mother on How I Met Your Mother. That role is one of the leads. Pros- It seems quite interesting. The show is very charming and unique. Cons- It’s hard to tell what exactly it is about. The show can be very strange and odd. They might have to work on the humor. Recommendation- I think that this show is overall worth the watch. Prediction- Since this show was officially cancelled, there is nothing more to add here. I hope for a good ending. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: B-. New review

Elementary: Status- This CBS drama airs at 10/9 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I generally like mystery shows, even if I’m not that familiar with this famous detective. Noteworthiness- This is another look at the Sherlock Holmes franchise set in modern day New York City. Description- Sherlock Holmes helps the police solve crimes in the present time. Pros- It can appeal to those that aren’t already fans of Sherlock Holmes. It is a bigger hit than most people would think. The show is pretty interesting. Cons- Not everyone would like the new interpretation of it such as Watson being female for some odd reason, it being set in the modern day, or it being in New York City instead of London. It can also be described as Americanizing a British hit (which almost never works out for anyone). Recommendation- Hopefully, it will work in the end and last a long time as I wouldn’t mind watching it every week. Prediction- It will probably last a decent amount of time, but I don’t know if it will be as long as people want it to. Reception: positive. Grade: A.

Parenthood: Status- It is currently on NBC at 10/9 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- Commercial made it look good, so I decided to see if it was any good. Noteworthiness- This is based off of a movie and a short lived TV series, making this quite possibly the only remake of a failed show to be a success. Description- A family drama, in a sense, we see the trials, big and small, that an extended family goes through. Notable People- Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls is in it. Mae Whitman, who voices Tinkerbell among other roles, is also in the cast. There are probably others too. Pros- It has an intriguing plot that keeps you coming back. The storytelling is pretty good. Cons- Basic plots tend to get repeated, including season long story arcs. Other good shows are on at the same time. You shouldn’t watch it if you won’t tune in every week or you’ll easily get lost to the plot. Recommendation- Watch this show if you get a chance to. Prediction- It is officially ending with this season. Reception: generally positive. Grade: A.