Sunday, August 30, 2015

Cancellation Predictions for the 2015-2016 TV Season

Okay, so I have a tradition of predicting which shows will get cancelled in a TV season. I do the predictions before the season starts. Now I don’t keep track of which summer shows will get cancelled and I always overestimate the cancellations as I know that the sheer number that I predict will never all be cancelled. Regardless, I’m still putting up my predictions which I plan on doing every TV season. I know that I won’t get all of them right, especially since I make the predictions before the season itself starts airing new and existing shows. I decided that this time, I will split the predictions into different sections based on what network shows air on. If I ever do a look back on these predictions, then I’ll only point out which shows I didn’t think were cancelled that were versus which shows which cancellations I got right. I know that I am over-predicting by mentioning far too many shows, but I will explain why I think different shows will end. As usual, there will be no predictions for summer shows unless they were going to be an earlier midseason show in the announced schedule. Well, I might predict some summer shows, or at least one. Remember, as usual, that these are only predictions. I’ll list why I think that these particular shows will get cancelled

ABC new shows- Blood and Oil (this show has undergone numerous name changes, but it is mostly its bad name and the fact that nothing new typically does well on Sundays that has me thinking that it will be cancelled), Dr. Ken (most Friday shows get cancelled and the last two shows that aired after Last Man Standing all ended so I see no reason why this would be any different), Uncle Buck (this one will fall under the bad title rule), The Catch (this show will also fall under the bad title rule), Of Kings and Prophets (while the timeslot might have changed, I don’t see it airing well regardless of when it will be on), The Real O’Neals (this one also falls under the bad title rule), Quantico (this is only here because new shows don’t do well on Sundays, sometimes at least, although I hope that I’m wrong about this one because it looks good)

ABC returning shows- Grey’s Anatomy (you’d think that the longest running show on a network would be in danger of cancellation due to the show getting too expensive to make so it is listed this year, even though I doubt it will actually end), Marvel’s Agent Carter (it probably shouldn’t be on the schedule for this year due to its low ratings last year so I say that unless something changes, it will have too low ratings and get cancelled), Galavant (another illogical renewal, I just don’t see it lasting long the second time), Nashville (since it will have enough episodes for syndication after the fourth season, if the ratings don’t improve, then it will end)

Continued- Last Man Standing (shows on Fridays just don’t tend to do well and I think that constant low ratings will end it), American Crime (I’m not sure why it was renewed with its bad ratings so I see this as likely to get cancelled unless there’s a serious uptick in ratings), Beyond the Tank (this Shark Tank spin-off doesn’t sound like a long term interest to me, although I think that I could easily be wrong about it), Castle (this could be an example of a show getting too expensive to keep making, although I doubt that it will actually get cancelled), Secrets and Lies (this is the last of the shows that shouldn’t have been renewed for a second season thus making me think that it will end unless the ratings improve)

CBS new shows- Angel from Hell (only a craptacular show like this would replace Two and a Half Men and with it premiering as close as it is to November sweeps, then I think that they will cut their losses early on this piece of crap), Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (the last spin-off of Criminal Minds aired at midseason and failed miserably so I see no reason why this would do any differently)

Continued- Code Black (most medical dramas never tend to do well, although I hope that I’m wrong about this one), Rush Hour (this is here because most movies that become TV shows do terribly as a TV show and a midseason drama show probably won’t work on CBS), Limitless (this is on here because most TV shows that were based off of a movie don’t do well), Life in Pieces (this is only here because it looks terrible and there’s enough returning comedies for midseason that they might cut off their losses before the end of Thursday Night Football in October)

CBS returning shows- The Good Wife (this is here because a lowly rated show like it can’t keep getting renewed forever), CSI: Cyber (since it will be moved to the worst timeslot on not just CBS, but possibly all television, it seems like it will not get enough ratings and will thus get cancelled, although I might do a blog about it in the future), Person of Interest (it being randomly downgraded to a midseason replacement, something that hasn’t been done typically in recent years at least on this network, has many people thinking that it will be cancelled and I feel that it probably will be), Madam Secretary (I still don’t have long term hope for this show although people think that it exists to help support candidates running for office and wouldn’t get cancelled, I still think that it will)

Continued- Blue Bloods (this show isn’t doing as well in the ratings as one would want it to so unless that changes, then it will end), Hawaii Five-0 (this is pretty much on the list for the same reason that Blue Bloods is), 2 Broke Girls (it recently getting syndicated might actually be a bad sign, although it being put on at midseason is probably worse), NCIS: Los Angeles (it has actually slipped enough in the ratings, although I’m not sure that it will end in the long run), Elementary (this is probably because of syndication rules and low ratings, unless it does better in the upcoming season in terms of ratings)

CW new shows- My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (this show looks pretty bad, although I could be easily wrong about it due to being surprised by some shows that I thought I would hate, but I still see this as getting cancelled), Containment (with it being one of two midseason replacements on the CW, the CW having a 50/50 track record of success with their midseason replacements, and the other one probably going to be a success, then I say that this show will be cancelled)

CW returning shows- Whose Line is it Anyways? (Why is this on here? Well, I’m not entirely sure that it’s on the schedule for next season, although it probably will be back on the air and won’t get cancelled anytime soon), Supernatural (this is only here due to beliefs that the longest running show on a network could get cancelled), Reign (it being moved to Fridays and being the lowest rated show last season is what worries me, although it being on a magical third season might make it cheat death until next season), America’s Next Top Model (it seems like this show isn’t cared about as much as it used to be and that’s the only reason why it is on my list)

Continued- Beauty and the Beast (I know that it was renewed for next summer before the current summer season even aired and I don’t see a risky move like this turning out well in the long run making me think that it will end, although I’m sure that there’s a lot of people who have constantly lost money betting that it would be cancelled), The Vampire Diaries (with it having lost its main character recently, I doubt that it will continue to be as great in the ratings as it once was), The 100 (it may seem random to have this here, but I just don’t see it lasting as long as one would like it to last)

FOX new shows- Scream Queens (when I first saw a promo for it, I thought that it would get cancelled considering how horror TV shows don’t typically work to my knowledge), Boardertown (if I understand correctly, this show was already cancelled before it aired only now they decided to air it after all, although I doubt that it will last)

Continued- The X-Files (this is filed under the remakes/reboots won’t be successful rule, plus, it seems like it won’t be long term anyways), Grandfathered (the plot of this show is why I think that it will fail pretty quickly), The Grinder (this is on my prediction list for the same reason that the previous show is because terrible plots make for terrible shows), The Frankenstein Code (this is filed under the supernatural shows won’t work well rule), Lucifer (see previous prediction and apply same rule), Minority Report (I don’t think that movies that become TV shows work in the long run)

FOX returning shows- Bones (I’m not actually sure about this one, which is only listed due to the belief that the longest running drama on a network will end), American Idol (with this being officially cancelled at the end of the season, to not put it on my list of predictions would be stupid), The Last Man on Earth (I still think that this type of show might not last in the long term, although I hope that I’m wrong about this), Sleepy Hollow (this show would need to get higher ratings for it to do well in the long term), World’s Funniest Fails (I may not like this show that much which is the only reason why it is on here, although I doubt that it would last anyways), New Girl (I remember a while ago how 30 Rock became a midseason replacement after Tina Fey got pregnant only to get much lower ratings to end shortly afterwards and with a similar thing happening in this show’s case and FOX never doing that well with any of its comedies in the long run, then I think that this could end soon)

NBC new shows- People are Talking (I’m filing this under the bad title rule), Emerald City (it was already cancelled once but then they decided to bring it back only I don’t see much hope for the future of this show), Heroes Reborn (this is filed under the remakes don’t do well rule), Best Time Ever (for some odd reason, I just don’t see this as lasting as the network doesn’t seem to have long term hope for it), Blindspot (I don’t think that the show after the Voice still works as good in the ratings as it used to and it seems too high-concept to work), Hot and Bothered (this will be filed under the bad title rule), Shades of Blue (this is also filed under the bad title rule), Superstore (yet another example of the bad title rule), You, Me, and the End of the World (see previous three shows and apply same rule), Game of Silence (also bad title rule), Crowned (still more of the bad title rule), Little Big Shots (you guessed it! The bad title rule)

NBC returning shows- Law and Order: SVU (this show could become too expensive to keep making), The Mysteries of Laura (this is another example of a show that shouldn’t have been renewed but was making me doubt it will have great chances this next season), Undateable (with it going live, things could go wrong that they didn’t want to, although this seems more likely to fail due to being moved to Fridays which is never that great a place for a show), The Celebrity Apprentice (issues with Donald Trump could get this show cancelled before the planned next season or the next season will have too low ratings with a new host to justify renewal and it could end that way too, although I don’t think that it will air again until after this upcoming season anyways)

Next, I will list all the new fall shows followed by the midseason shows. Any that aren’t mentioned aren’t on the schedule and will not be predicted by me. I would probably list them as cancelled anyways as unannounced shows never tend to do well. I’ll also have a note next to any of the new shows that I think will get cancelled. It doesn’t mean that they will be or should be. No note to it means, obviously that I won’t think that it will get cancelled, although it still could and might.

New fall- Blood and Oil (cancelled), Quantico (cancelled), Life in Pieces (cancelled), Supergirl, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (cancelled), The Grinder (cancelled), Minority Report (cancelled), Blindspot (cancelled), The Player, Best Time Ever (cancelled), Grandfathered (cancelled), Scream Queens (cancelled), Of Kings and Prophets (cancelled), Limitless (cancelled), The Muppets, Code Black (cancelled), Rosewood, Angel from Hell (cancelled), Heartbreaker, Dr. Ken (cancelled), People are Talking (cancelled), and Heroes Reborn (cancelled).

New midseason- The Family, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (cancelled), The Guide to Surviving Life, Chicago Med, Houdini and Doyle, Shades of Blue (cancelled), Superstore (cancelled), You, Me, and the End of the World (cancelled), You the Jury (cancelled), Better Late than Never, Rush Hour (cancelled), Game of Silence (cancelled), Wicked City, Hot and Bothered (cancelled), Coach, Crowned (cancelled), Emerald City (cancelled), Lucifer (cancelled), The X-Files (cancelled), The Real O’Neals (cancelled), The Catch (cancelled), Containment, Little Big Shots (cancelled), Boardertown (cancelled), The Frankenstein Code (cancelled), Legends of Tomorrow, and Uncle Buck (cancelled).


Well, those are all my predictions for what will be cancelled in this upcoming TV season. What will I get right? What will I get wrong? I know that I can’t get them all right. I wonder which shows that aren’t on this list will be cancelled and which ones that are on it won’t be cancelled. I guess we’ll have to wait to see what happens relating to it. Remember that these were only predictions.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

67th Annual Primetime Emmy Predictions

Now that the nominees for the 67th annual primetime Emmy awards have been released, I’m going to list my predictions for who will win what awards. In case you are wondering, this post is mostly about mocking the awards for what they typically do year after year. They can be a bit predictable.

While I do like to watch the Emmys, there are tons of things that I don’t like about it. For one, there should be a rule that once some show or person wins an award one year, then it shouldn’t be eligible to win the next year. You’ll notice me mocking how obvious the fact that they keep giving the same show the same award year after year. That will mostly be in the show categories, but things will be different when we reach the other categories.

The actual telecast, I’ve noticed, is always average. I’ve never regretted watching it, but I never would have missed anything outstanding if I missed it. Plus, I always get annoyed when the same show shared multiple categories. In this year Emmys, for instance, two Game of Thrones episodes are both nominated for best directing. Why not just pick the best of the two? Also, you’d think that their new rules would prevent the limited series from having an obviously wrong show in it, but it doesn’t. You can nominate American Crime, but even if it won’t have a second season (which it will), it doesn’t belong in that category.

Full discloser: information about the nominees comes directly from Wikipedia. I hope that this isn’t considered plagiarism, but I don’t know of a better way of saying the nominees other than copying a source that already has it. If this is a problem, then I won’t do a post like this again.

The nominees for outstanding comedy series are Louie, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Veep. Interesting how television’s currently best comedy, The Big Bang Theory, isn’t even nominated. Now you’d think that the final season of Parks and Recreation would be a good bet for the winner. But you’d be wrong. Modern Family is going to win the award because it always wins.

The nominees for outstanding drama series are Better Call Saul, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards, Mad Men, and Orange in the New Black. An interesting thing to note is how the rule changes have made Orange is the New Black a drama now when it used to be in the comedy category. I haven’t seen that show so I don’t know what it best fits as. Will the final season of Mad Men get the award? It’s possible. The typical winner of this award has gone off the air. But, it’s possible that its spin-off Better Call Saul wins and I say that it will.

The nominees for outstanding variety talk series are The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with David Letterman, and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Typically, the winner is the Colbert Report. But the final season of the Late Show with David Letterman (a show that typically isn’t nominated) could be serious competition. Likewise, I still say that The Colbert Report wins because it always wins.

The nominees for outstanding variety sketch series are Drunk History, Inside Amy Schumer, Key & Peele, Portlandia, and Saturday Night Live. I’m pretty sure that Portlandia typically wins the award, although I’m not sure if there is a usual winner for this or not. I don’t have strong thoughts about these shows having only seen one of them. I say that Portlandia wins.

The nominees for outstanding limited series are American Crime, American Horror Story: Freak Show, The Honorable Woman, Olive Kitteridge, and Wolf Hall. American Crime, which is not a limited series in any way, should probably have been with the drama nominations. Meanwhile, the more problematic nominee, American Horror Story, is going to win because it typically wins all the time.

The nominees for outstanding television movie are Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case, Bessie, Grace of Monaco, Hello Ladies: the Movie, Killing Jesus, and Nightingale. With no regular winner for this category, I will have to say that Killing Jesus wins in this case.

The nominees for outstanding reality competition program are The Amazing Race, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, and The Voice. Every year, the winner in this category is the same. I see no reason why this year would be any different. The Amazing Race will win the award this year.

Well, now that we’ve gotten the obvious winners out of the way, we might as well get to the ones that are a bit harder to predict. Also, I might be wrong about what has won in the past. If I get any predictions wrong, well, that would just make things that happen being the way they usually are.

The nominees for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series are Anthony Anderson on Black-ish, Don Cheadle on House of Lies, Louie C K on Louie, Will Forte on the Last Man on Earth, Matt LeBlanc on Episodes, William H Macy on Shameless, and Jeffrey Tambor on Transparent. How is anybody from Black-ish worthy of winning an Emmy? That show’s terrible and I noticed a lot of overacting on it. Meanwhile, I think that Jeffrey Tambor will win due to tendencies for serious nature shows to do well at award shows.

The nominees for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series are Edie Falco on Nurse Jackie, Lisa Kudrow on The Comeback, Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Veep, Amy Poehler on Parks and Recreation, Amy Schumer on Inside Amy Schumer, and Lily Tomlin on Grace and Frankie. In my mind, I think that the final season of Parks and Recreation will make Amy Poehler this year’s winner in this category.

The nominees for outstanding lead actor in a drama series are Kyle Chandler on Bloodline, Jeff Daniels on The Newsroom, Jon Hamm on Mad Men, Bob Odenkirk on Better Call Saul, Liev Schreiber on Ray Donovan, and Kevin Spacey on House of Cards. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, despite never winning an award for the show before, that Jon Hamm will win this year. If I’m wrong, which I could easily be, then Kevin Spacey would win instead.

The nominees for outstanding lead actress in a drama series are Claire Danes on Homeland, Viola Davis on How to Get Away with Murder, Taraji P Henson on Empire, Tatiana Maslany on Orphan Black, Elisabeth Moss on Mad Men, and Robin Wright on House of Cards. I’m going to guess that Taraji P Henson is the winner for this award.

The nominees for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie are Adrien Brody on Houdini, Ricky Gervais on Derek the Special, Timothy Hutton on American Crime, Richard Jenkins on Olive Kitteridge, David Oyelowo on Nightingale, and Mark Rylance on Wolf Hall. I’m going to guess that Ricky Gervais wins the award.

The nominees for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie are Maggie Gyllenhaal on The Honorable Woman, Felicity Huffman on American Crime, Jessica Lange on American Horror Story: Freak Show, Queen Latifah on Bessie, Frances McDormand on Olive Kitteridge, and Emma Thompson on Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Barber Fleet Street- Live from Lincoln Center. I’ll say that Jessica Lange wins the award.

The nominees for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series are Andre Braugher on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Tituss Burgess on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Ty Burrell on Modern Family, Adam Driver on Girls, Tony Hale on Veep, and Keegan-Michael Key on Key and Peele. Typically, a Modern Family actor wins this award, so I’ll say that Ty Burrell is the winner this time.

The nominees for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series are Mayim Bialik on The Big Bang Theory, Julie Bowen on Modern Family, Anna Chlumsky on Veep, Gaby Hoffmann on Transparent, Allison Janney on Mom, Jane Krakowski on Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt, Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live, and Niecy Nash on Getting On. This may seem random, but I’ll go with Mayim Bialik as winning the award this time.

The nominees for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series are Jonathan Banks on Better Call Saul, Jim Carter on Downton Abbey, Alan Cumming on the Good Wife, Peter Dinklage on Game of Thrones, Michael Kelly on House of Cards, and Ben Mendelsohn on Bloodline. It’s hard for me to say who will win. I haven’t seen a lot of these shows as I only get free TV legally. I think that Alan Cumming will win.

The nominees for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series are Uzo Aduba on Orange is the New Black, Christine Baranski on The Good Wife, Emilia Clarke on Game of Thrones, Joanne Froggatt on Downton Abbey, Lena Headey on Game of Thrones, and Christina Hendricks on Mad Men. Largely due to its last season, the actress from Mad Men, namely Christina Hendricks, is my pick to win.

The nominees for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie are Richard Cabral on American Crime, Damian Lewis on Wolf Hall, Bill Murray on Olive Kitteridge, Denis O’Hare on American Horror Story: Freak Show, Michael Kenneth Williams on Bessie, and Finn Whitrock on American Horror Story: Freak Show. Another random guess of mine is that Bill Murray will win.

The nominees for outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or movie are Angela Bassett on American Horror Story: Freak Show, Kathy Bates on American Horror Story: Freak Show, Zoe Kazan on Olive Kitteridge, Regina King on American Crime, Mo’Nique on Bessie, and Sarah Paulson on American Horror Story: Freak Show. There are so many nominees from American Horror Story. Will any of them win? I’ll have to guess that Angela Bassett will be the winner.

The nominees for outstanding directing for a comedy series are The Last Man on Earth by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Louie by Louis CK, Silicon Valley by Mike Judge, Transparent by Jill Soloway, and Veep by Armando Iannucci. I think that it’s probably going to be Louie CK winning this time.

The nominees for outstanding directing for a drama series are Boardwalk Empire by Tim Van Patten, Game of Thrones by David Nutter, a different episode of Game of Thrones by Jeremy Podeswa, Homeland by Lesli Linka Glatter, and The Knick by Steven Soderbergh. I think that the Homeland episode by Lesli Linka Glatter will win this award.

The nominees for outstanding directing for a variety special are the 87th Annual Academy Awards by Hamish Hamilton, The Kennedy Center Honors by Louis J Horvitz, Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert by Natalie Johns, Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special by Don Roy King, and the 68th Tony Awards by Glenn Weiss. I think that Don Roy King will win for the 40th Anniversary special of Saturday Night Live

The nominees for outstanding directing for a limited series, movie, or dramatic special are American Horror Story: Freak Show by Ryan Murphy, Bessie by Dee Rees, The Honorable Woman by Hugo Blick, Houdini by Uli Edel, The Missing by Tom Shankland, Olive Kitteridge by Lisa Cholodenko, and Wolf Hall by Peter Kosminsky. In my mind, it’s easy to see that Ryan Murphy will win the award since American Horror Story always tends to win awards in this category.

The nominees for outstanding writing for a comedy series are Episodes by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, The Last Man on Earth by Will Forte, Louie by Louie CK, Silicon Valley by Alec Berg, Transparent by Jill Soloway, and Veep by Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche. I think that Jill Soloway will win for Transparent.

The nominees for outstanding writing for a drama series are The Americans by Joshua Brand, Better Call Saul by Gordon Smith, Game of Thrones by David Benioff and D B Weiss, Mad Men by Matthew Weiner and Sami Chellas, and another Mad Men episode written by just Matthew Weiner. I think that Gordon Smith will win this for Better Call Saul.

The nominees for outstanding writing for a variety special are (writers will not be mentioned in this paragraph since not all writers were credited in the source that I found) the 72nd Golden Globe Awards, Key and Peele’s Super Bowl Special, Louis C K: Live at the Comedy Store, Mel Brooks: Live at the Geffen, Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special. I think that Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special will have the writers that win this award.

The nominees for outstanding writing for a limited series, movie, or dramatic special American Crime by John Ridley, Bessie by Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, and Horton Foote, Hello Ladies: the Movie by Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky, and Lee Eisenberg, The Honorable Woman by Hugo Blick, Olive Kitteridge by Jane Anderson, and Wolf Hall by Peter Straughan. This will be another random choice, but I’m going with Jane Anderson for Olive Kitteridge.


Well, those are my thoughts for who will win what in the upcoming Emmys. Tune into them and you will see what I got right and what I didn’t. Trust me, I know that I got some right. Not unless the Emmy voters suddenly decided to fuck with us would all of my picks be wrong. I might come back and do predictions sometime next year. We will see.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Cancelled Shows 2014-2015

As happens every season, there are shows that got cancelled. My list may not have all of them since, as stated many times before, some are never cancelled and it is hard to tell why. As usual, shows that air during the summer will probably be mentioned next season, although I could mention it this season as well. There are some cancelled shows that were cancelled a long time ago, Whodunit and The Million Second Quiz, that I never reviewed with the cancelled shows, even though they were cancelled. Their lack of official cancellation is why I never covered them. I won’t know. I just know that I didn’t see enough of Whodunit to give it a real rating and the Million Second Quiz was absolute crap. I will be better with those sorts of shows in the future. That’s why I made sure to include the Quest in the cancelled shows for this season. Let’s face it: the show isn’t come back since it’s not on the summer schedule. Anyways, prepare for this long post.

Note: Any summer shows from 2015 that will get cancelled but isn’t cancelled yet will be mentioned with the cancellations for the next season. I’m just glad to have finally finished this post and will publish it, not caring about any of those shows that I might miss. I will mention them with next season’s cancellations. I’ve already started working on that document. Also, I’m sorry if certain parts of this post get messed up when I repost old reviews. Reposting has worked in the past with no problems when I’ve looked at the previous blog posts of mine, but I’m not sure if it will always work or not. If it looks normal right before I post it and doesn’t look right after I do, then I don’t know what the problem is. I also don’t know how to fix it, although I have never edited an old blog post of mine anyways.

Parks and Recreation: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it looked interesting. Noteworthiness- It was originally supposed to be a spin-off of The Office, but the creators just made it a separate series. It is also a fake documentary like The Office. Before its cancellation, it was the longest running NBC comedy. I’m not sure what will replace it once it ends, but it could be the show Undateable. Description- I don’t really know how to describe this show except that it is a show about people who work with parks and recreation and deal with local politics. I don’t really know a better way to put it and I’m not even sure that’s the right description. Notable People- The main actress, Amy Poehler, is famous from Saturday Night Live and other works. Others might be present. Pros- Funny sometimes. Not the type of show that is similar to others. You might enjoy it if you had time to watch it. Cons- They deviate from the main plot (parks and recreation) so much that the writers make fun of it on the show (unless I never understood the main point of the show in the first place anyways). It can also be strange and hard to understand. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. You may like it, you may not. Cancellation reasons- I’m not entirely sure why they are ending it, but they are. I guess they had low enough ratings that they decided to end it. Similar show- Modern Family. DVD suggestion- I say that you should probably get them, if you like the show, of course. I don’t think it will be my one show from NBC this season (a rule that I might break due to all sorts of good shows getting cancelled), but I recommend this to everyone else since I really liked this show. Reception: mixed then positive. Grade: B.

Glee: Why I’ve seen it- Peer pressure, plain and simple. A lot of people talked about how good it was so I thought that I might like it as well and I watched it myself. Noteworthiness- It is both a comedy and a drama, although it is mostly a teen drama. It is also a musical show with a big cast, both current and former. Description- Even after seeing it, I don’t really know what it’s about. It seems like a teen drama in high school. One might wonder why it’s not on the CW. Notable People- The entire cast is now famous because the show has aired. If they were famous before, I don’t recognize them. Also, the cast has changed some. They might be famous after doing this show. Pros- Actually focuses on having kids following their dreams, the anti-bullying movement, and some real like morals (I said SOME). It is unique as there has never been a successful musical show before. In fact, it is the only musical show since Smash was short-lived. They had to include musical with comedy so that it could be nominated for awards and eventually win them. Cons- I have noticed a lack of continuity between episodes. If you haven’t seen enough episodes, the show will not make sense. Sex is present, although downplayed. The songs don’t always fit and tend to be about sex. It could also be called a rip-off of High School Musical. It can be pretty weird at some points and not in a good way. The big cast can be hard to keep track of as well as remembering everything that has happened. It doesn’t have a theme song and almost no original songs. You’ll probably hate as much on this show as you like it. All of the awards it won were under false pretenses because it is not a comedy. Recommendation- This is the most overrated show on television. I won’t give it a grade on the normal scale, but it is stupid. Cancellation reasons- This seems like another surprise cancellation to me. While I’m not disappointed that it is ending, I’m not sure why it is. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- Don’t get them. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: O for overrated. On a real scale, it’s an F.

The Quest: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it could be interesting. Description- 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. Pros- The show does have a more interesting format than the standard reality show. Cons- There seems to be too many people in the fiction of the game (not playing it) than would seem to be necessary. Recommendation- I’d say that this is good enough to watch. Cancellation reasons- I’m pretty sure that this was supposed to air sooner in the season, but it was delayed to the summer. When shows like this are delayed, then it only makes sense that it will get cancelled in the end. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I doubt that there will be DVDs of this, but if there are, then they might be worth buying. Reception: positive. Grade: B.

A. D.: Why I’ve seen it- With this being a show regarding Christianity, I thought that it would be worth a watch. Noteworthiness- This is based off of quite possibly the most well-known book in the world: the bible. Description- Promoted as a sequel to the Bible miniseries (which aired on another network), this is about events from the New Testament starting around the first Good Friday. Pros- This show is pretty good. It can be interesting and is nice to see something about Christianity on network television. Cons- A lot of stories like this get embellished beyond what is written in the bible itself. I’m not sure how non-Christians will feel about it. It is more violent than it has to be. Recommendation- I’d say that you should watch it. Cancellation reasons- This was supposed to be a miniseries event meaning that it was supposed to last just one season and be done. But, good ratings would have prevented that, if only the ratings were good. But they weren’t. There are rumors that another network could pick it up for another season, although those things tend to go nowhere so don’t get your hopes up. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I would say that you should get them. Reception: mixed. Grade: A-.

Resurrection: Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it. Noteworthiness- It is based off of a book called the Returned. Description- Basically, for some unknown reason, dead people somehow return as they originally were before they died many years later. Mystery of how and why this happened seems to be the central plot of the show. Notable People- Kurtwood Smith, from That 70’s Show, among other works, is a character on the show. Pros- It can keep you interested due to the overall mystery of the show. Cons- It is a pretty strange show. I’m not really sure where they are going with this or what it has going for it since the mystery of the show is unexplained. Nothing was wrapped up at the end of the series. Recommendation- It is worth watching if you aren’t already into something else. Cancellation reasons- This show had terrible ratings. Similar shows- Sleepy Hollow, Supernatural, and Grimm. DVD suggestion- I liked this at one point, but I wouldn’t want to own it giving its tendency to go nowhere basically. Reception: mostly mixed. Grade: C.

Two and a Half Men: 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 was the longest running comedy on CBS before its cancellation. The longest running CBS sitcom will now be The Big Bang Theory, following the end of this show. There were at least three different versions of this show as to who were the two and a half men at each different point. 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. Cons- There is too much sex and crap like that. The show has lost its main purpose and with a half woman instead of a half man, this show is once again bad. Recommendation- I honestly think that probably none of it was worth watching. Cancellation reasons- I guess people just got tired of it. Maybe the ratings got too low. But I’m not sure that the show was ever any good so that makes TV better. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- There is no reason why anyone should spend their valuable, hard-earned money on this. Reception: positive to mixed. Grade: D+. This show was ultimately replaced by Angel from Hell after lacking a replacement for the rest of the main season.

Parenthood: Why I’ve seen it- Commercial made it look good, so I decided to see if it was any good. It was. 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. Well, moderate 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 a lot of noteworthy people who work on this show, but I find it hard to remember them all. 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. Cancellation reasons- It was never that good in the ratings so this was bound to happen. They must have thought they should give it one last season for it to end. Similar show- Blue Bloods. DVD suggestion- I suggest that you buy the DVDs regardless of if there are other good cancelled shows on NBC this season or not. Reception: generally positive. Grade: A.

American Odyssey: Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it and had a good opportunity to watch it. Description- Mistaken for dead, a woman has to escape the Middle East to find her way home. Pros- It is pretty interesting. The show has a lot of good drama. Cons- The show is confusing and repetitive. There can be too much in it. Recommendation- I would say that it might be worth your time if you care enough. Cancellation reasons- I’m surprised that it wasn’t announced as cancelled sooner since it wasn’t showing any signs of being on the schedule for next season. It was lowly rated. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I’d put this as a maybe. Reception: mixed to negative. Grade: C+.

Battle Creek: Why I’ve Seen it- My devotion to the CBS network and the lack of a good alternative at the time that it aired. Noteworthiness- One very notable thing about this show is how old the script was. I’m pretty sure that the idea for this show first surfaced around ten years ago before it finally came out this year. Description- It’s hard to describe this show. I just know that it is a crime series of sorts mixed with the buddy cop genre. Notable People- I forget who the creators are, but they created well-known cable dramas. Kal Penn, who was on House, is a character on the show. Liza Lapira, who did various TV shows, had a recurring role on this one. Pros- The show is good in the end. It is interesting even if it doesn’t have a recurring storyline. Cons- They didn’t work well enough on different parts of the show. It seemed to lack a true purpose. Recommendation- I’d say that one should watch it. Cancellation reasons- As a CBS drama that’s a midseason replacement, you probably wouldn’t think that it would last long, especially with it airing at the worst timeslot in television history. So the low ratings that it got helped cancel it. Similar shows- Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: Los Angeles. DVD suggestion- If there are DVDs, they might be worth the buy. Reception: positive. Grade: B-. This show was replaced by Code Black.

CSI: Why I’ve seen it- I watched one of its spin-offs back when it was still on so I thought that I should watch this as well. Noteworthiness- Its pilot was passed by three different networks, ABC, NBC, and FOX, before it was picked up by CBS. It was also the longest running drama on CBS before its cancellation. That honor now goes to the original NCIS. Description- A team of people solves cases using Crime Scene Investigation. Basically, it’s a mystery show. Notable People- Ted Danson, known for various comedies, actually, is the main character of this drama, although he didn’t used to be. I don’t know if other famous people are there or not. Pros- This is a good crime drama which goes more in-depth into how they solve crimes and catches the person who committed them. Cons- Not enough women are represented. A lot of other shows are just like it. Probably isn’t realistic. It has lost its main character, not once but twice. Main characters have been known to leave in the middle of a season. The show is very violent, more than it needs to be. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. I like it and think that others should watch it. Cancellation reasons- After being put at the most horrible timeslot in television history, it seemed like the show would end soon. Of course, the network seemed to make decisions that only helped with that fact, such as cutting back the episode order for the season and pretty much not airing reruns. The ratings were too low to justify a renewal, but there will be a television movie to wrap things up next season. Similar shows- CSI: Cyber, Castle, The Blacklist, Elementary, Grimm, Hawaii Five-0, and Law and Order: SVU. DVD suggestion- I’d say that you should get the DVDs. Reception: positive yet controversial. Grade: C. This show was replaced at first by Battle Creek and then by Code Black.

Riot: Why I’ve seen it- Nothing good was on, including this. Description- This is an improvisational shows of sorts. Pros- They were trying for something. Cons- Nothing about this show was remotely close to being good or funny. It meandered around without a point or purpose. Recommendation- I’d say not to watch it, but you can’t anyways. Cancellation reasons- The show was crap, plain and simple. Similar shows- none. I’d compare it to Whose Line is it Anyways?, but that would mean that this show is good in some way. DVD suggestion- There won’t be DVDs. If there were, don’t buy them anyways. Reception: mixed. Grade: F.

The Mindy Project: Why I’ve seen it- There must have been nothing else good on at the time. Description- A doctor of some sort (I think) has some sort of adventures with her friends. Notable People- Mindy Kaling, from the Office, is the main character of this show. Pros- It has a good lead-in and can be funny at times. Cons- Not much good or interesting things happen on this show a lot. It can be quite a bore. Recommendation- I’d pass on this show and not watch it. Special note- While cancelled by FOX, this show will continue with new episodes on Netflix. Regardless, when network change happens, I still mention the show among the cancelled shows of a season. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I don’t think that you should get DVDs of this. Reception: positive. Grade: D.

The McCarthys: 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 good. Cancellation reasons- The show was pretty terrible, but the bad ratings were all that mattered. They pulled this show off the air around the time of February sweeps before they finished airing episodes, thus making it clear to anyone who wasn’t a fan that they were now cancelled. Similar shows- Black-ish, Mom, Mike & Molly, American Dad, & Family Guy. DVD suggestion- I doubt that there’ll be DVDs. If there are, don’t buy them anyways. Reception: mixed. Grade: D-. This show was replaced by The Odd Couple. Since the Odd Couple won’t be on the schedule immediately, then you might wonder what will replace it next season. Well, 2 Broke Girls is also moved to midseason with the Odd Couple and both of them will be replaced by Supergirl.

One Big Happy: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it might be good and I wanted a sitcom to watch right after New Girl. Noteworthiness- This show is based off of a true story, I believe. Description- A man marries a woman on a whim it seems and he also has a lesbian best friend who he donated sperm to and is having a baby with. Notable People- Ellen DeGeneres works with this show in some way, although I don’t if she’s more than just a producer. You see, sometimes a well-known name is put in ads with the show, but it doesn’t mean that they wrote it. Why do they do that? They are clearly misleading people when they do that. Pros- This show is different. Cons- It seemed to not have any real purpose. It wasn’t a good show in my mind. Recommendation- Don’t watch it. Cancellation reasons- I don’t know how this would have any long term potential. It didn’t seem like it could last, even without the bad ratings. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- There won’t be DVDs, but don’t get them anyways. Reception: negative. Grade: D.

Stalker: Why I’ve seen it- I watch every new CBS show. Description- This show is about helping victims of stalking. There are more crimes than just stalking. At the moment, it replaces the Mentalist (that show returned, only to end). Notable People- The show has Maggie Q from Nikita and Dylan McDermott from Hostages. Pros- This show is much better than some people would think. It is interesting. Cons- It is hard to tell how or if it is realistic or not. The show may be a bit over the top. It is definitely too violent. It ended on a cliffhanger. Recommendation- I think that it is better than people think. I’d say that you should watch it, but it doesn’t exist anymore. Cancellation reasons- The ratings were pretty terrible so that sealed its fate. Similar shows- Criminal Minds and Law and Order: SVU. DVD suggestion- I’d say maybe on the probably won’t exist DVDs. Reception: negative. Grade: C. This show was originally replaced by CSI: Cyber before it went on hiatus. It returned to the air replacing Scorpion briefly. It will be replaced by the returning show Scorpion. CSI: Cyber is better described as its true replacement.

Cristela: Why I’ve seen it- I only watched it due to it airing with Last Man Standing, a show that I used to watch. Description- This is a show about a Hispanic woman and her family. Notable People- Gabriel Igneous, well-known comedian known as being fluffy, is a character on the show. He is not the main character, which should be evident of the show’s title. Pros- It can be different than the usual show and it has that in its favor. Cons- In my mind, of the different shows that I watched this season, this is one of a few duds. It isn’t any good. It is pretty much worthless. Recommendation- It’s not good so don’t watch it. Cancellation reasons- As usual, it was terrible ratings that did this show in. Similar shows- Fresh off the Boat and Black-ish DVD suggestion- There won’t be DVDs, not that they’d be any good. Reception: mixed then positive. Grade: F.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Why I’ve seen it- It being on right after a different late night show that I watch increased the likelihood of me watching this show as well. In the end, I wound up slowly getting into it as time went by and I didn’t care about getting to bed at a good time. I felt that it was worth staying up late to enjoy this show. Description- Craig Ferguson hosts a show that is “not your ordinary late night show.” Pros- This show is funny and interesting. You get to see a host that knows what he is doing. It’s quirky, humorous, and even the viewers help participate in the show by sending tweets and emails to the host. Cons- There’s a lot of bad language (even though it is censored) and a lot of sexual references constantly being made. One wouldn’t think that this could air at all on national television if it weren’t airing as late into the night as it did. Recommendation- This show is awesome and I highly recommend that people watch it. Cancellation reasons- As with a lot of different talk shows, if the host doesn’t want to continue with it, than it will end. After Craig Ferguson left, the show went through a series of guest hosts before James Cordon ultimately became the new host. Similar shows- The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DVD suggestion- Unfortunately, there will not be DVDs of this wonderful show, otherwise, I’d say that you should buy them. Reception: positive. Grade: A+. This show was replaced by a series of guest hosts for a while and ultimately by James Cordon’s hosting of this show.

Original review of this show: The Late Late Show is currently hosted by Craig Ferguson, also the third host of the show. It is a CBS creation of David Letterman to compete against Late Night and might be winning. Craig is very good and might even be better than David Letterman (I said might). He mostly does improv, but some writers do help with something. Sometimes he has puppets do some jokes and his sidekick is a robot skeleton that says random stuff. He doesn't have a band and likes it that way. He also includes an email segment from everyday viewers. This show has to exist late at night or he wouldn't be allowed to be on basic television. I think that you should watch if you are still up that late. Grade: A.

The Messengers: Why I’ve seen it- I believe that it was a lack of good alternatives when the show first aired. Description- This show is about a group of people trying to stop the apocalypse. Pros- The show is pretty interesting. Cons- The show is unusual and strange. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. I watched it, but it’s understandable if others don’t. Cancellation reasons- With it premiering as late as it did into the TV schedule, that was not a good sign for its future. It aired on Fridays. Plus, with a bunch of renewals on the CW’s schedule before the show even started, I’d have to say that its chances of getting a second season was pretty slim before it started. Similar shows- Supernatural, Grimm, and Sleepy Hollow. DVD suggestion- Given its cliffhanger ending, I would not buy the DVDs. But, you wouldn’t have to worry about it being released since any real release probably won’t end up happening. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.

Crossbones: Why I’ve seen it- I had planned on watching it when they were going to air it sooner. So I decided to still watch it when it came in. Description- This is a show about the pirate Blackbeard and the man who is sort of hunting him, with other characters as needed. Pros- A period piece on piracy is interesting to watch. Cons- Not all of it is really that worthwhile since you can’t tell where they are going. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. Cancellation reasons- They moved new episodes to Saturdays, which always means cancellation. Plus, as usual, a lowly rated show got cancelled. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- You could get it. I never saw enough of it to know if it’s good. Reception: mixed. Grade: C.

Unforgettable: 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. While it was cancelled again, it was actually brought back by A & E for more seasons. 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. Special Note- As noted above, this show technically still lives on, despite being cancelled by CBS twice. New episodes will premiere sometime on A & E in the future. As to why CBS didn’t continue making new episodes? That was because of low ratings, as usual. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I’d pass on it, even though I liked it, to an extent. I could never really tell what happened with the original storyline. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-. This being a summer show, lacks a typical replacement, although The Good Wife took over its old time slot.

Original review of Unforgettable containing now outdated information: Description- A woman cop has a memory where she cannot forget anything. She is also trying to solve the death of her sister. Why I've Seen It- It was on CBS, the best network dedicated to quality programming. Pros- It's a very unique type of show that doesn't show up that often. Cons- It can seem unrealistic at points. The show doesn't really end and probably won't be picked up by another network (but it could still happen, even if it's unlikely). Recommendation- It was fun while it lasted, but it isn't on anymore. Cancellation Reasons- There just weren't enough viewers for whatever reasons. I guess the unforgettable show is something they'd rather forget. Similar Shows: none. Grade: C.

Reckless: Why I’ve seen it- As usual, my love for the CBS network is why I watched this. Plus, there’s not much to watch during the summer anyways. Description- This is a courtroom drama that is hard to explain what it’s about. Notable People- 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). Pros- The stories always seem to be interesting. Cons- The characters aren’t as interesting as one would like. Recommendation- I’d say that this is probably worth your time. Cancellation reasons- Probably low ratings although it might have been dead anyways with it premiering so late into the season. Airing new episodes on Saturday was pretty much the sign that it would end. Similar show- The Good Wife. DVD suggestion- If there is only one summer show that you can get on DVD, then get this. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-. This being a summer show, it lacks an official replacement, although CSI ultimately took over its time slot first.

The Mentalist: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it might be interesting. Description- An adviser to the CBI uses his powers of observation to catch criminals as well as a serial killer named Red John, although the Red John angle is out of the show now. Pros- An interesting drama with some comedy that keeps you interested. The main character is funny with his methods of catching criminals. Cons- The main character can be annoying sometimes. It can also be dark including the Red John storyline that might have been dragged out too long. Some people don’t like how it was resolved. Recommendation- Watch this show. Cancellation reasons- Low ratings made it surprising that this last season even happened. Similar shows- Castle and Scorpion. DVD suggestion- I would say that you should probably get it. Reception: positive. Grade: A. This show aired during the hiatus of two other shows this season (The Good Wife and Survivor), thus it lacks a true replacement. I’ve looked up information about it and CSI: Cyber is pretty much what now airs in its place.

Bad Judge: Why I’ve seen it- With it paired with A to Z, I watched this too because I needed to. Plus, at the moment, it seemed like nothing else good was on without getting into something that wasn’t new. 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 liked it, but since most people didn’t, then it doesn’t matter much. Cancellation reasons- Low ratings and bad reception are ultimately what did it in. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I don’t think that there will be DVDs, but I’m not sure that they are worth buying, even if I did like the show. Reception: negative. Grade: C.

A to Z: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that I would like it. Plus, this was mostly to fill my new show from NBC requirement that I have every season. Description- A newly formed couple in love is the best description. Of course, we see their friends as well. 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. The role she plays is one of the leads. Pros- It seems quite interesting and has a certain charm about it. Cons- It’s hard to tell what exactly it is about. The show can be very strange and odd. I’m a bit worried for the overall plot of the show. The humor could have been better than it was. Recommendation- I think that this is overall worthwhile. Cancellation reasons- Really low ratings killed it more than anything else. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- It might be worth it, but DVDs are unlikely. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: B.

Utopia: Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in this type of show for some odd reason. Noteworthiness- This is a reality show based on a foreign show like many reality shows are. Description- This show has contestants, known as utopians, trying to create a new society. It can be described as similar to Big Brother and Survivor. The main difference is that people are replaced with different people once they leave. Pros- It seems like a pretty interesting type of show that can entertain us for good reasons. It’s nice to see different people getting along together. Cons- It seems like just the type of show you would expect: a bunch of strangers with different backgrounds constantly clashing with others. This is the type of reality show that could be scripted. Recommendation- I think that it was good to watch. Cancellation reasons- This show had terrible ratings so they got rid of it. Similar shows- Survivor and Big Brother. DVD suggestion- I doubt that there will be DVDs. If there, then you could buy them and hopefully see the unaired parts near the end. Reception: negative to critically panned. Grade: B.

The Millers: Why I’ve seen it- I normally watch most CBS shows and there wasn’t an alternative show for me to watch at the time. Description- I’m not quite sure how to describe this show that’s about a man and his friends, family, and their crazy adventures that deal with parents getting divorced and moving in with their kids. It is a sitcom. Notable People- Greg Garcia, known for My Name is Earl and Raising Hope, is the creator of this show. Will Arnet, known for Arrested Development, Up All Night, and other works I’m not familiar with, is the main character of this show. JB Smoove, known for Till Death, Last Comic Standing, and various movies, is a main character on this show. Pros- The stories are pretty good so far. It can be interesting having family drama that turns out mostly humorous. Cons- This is very similar to every sitcom like it in terms of the basic plot of the series and basic premise of each episode. The promos for it make the show look lame. And, let’s face it, some of the show can be lame at times with dumb plots. Recommendation- I think that you should watch it if you have the time to. Cancellation reasons- A sudden drop in ratings was enough to get it pulled from the schedule before they finished airing episodes. Similar shows- Modern Family, Bob’s Burgers, and The Middle. DVD suggestion- I’d say maybe on the DVDs. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-. This show was replaced by the returning show Mike and Molly. Since Mike and Molly won’t immediately be on the schedule for next season, it will be further replaced by Life in Pieces.

Cougar Town: This show was originally on ABC but then it switched to TBS. After a long-ish run on TBS, the show was cancelled. I saw it when it was on ABC and I didn’t like it at all. It seemed pretty dumb and pointless. But now it is done for good. If you want my full review of it, then read the next paragraph of my original review of it before it left ABC for TBS. Reception: mixed then positive. Grade: D-.

Original review of Cougar Town probably containing some outdated information: Cougar Town: Description- I honestly have no idea what the show is about. Even the creator of the show hates its name because it doesn't work. It was once tied with The Middle and Modern Family as ABC's longest running sitcom, despite its short time on the air. Why I've Seen It- Nothing else was on and a friend recommended it. Notable People- Courtney Cox from Friends is on the show. Pros- No other show like it exists on television. Cons- It can be very stupid and pointless. Recommendation- Not worth your time. Special Note- The show may be over on ABC, but it will continue on TBS. I'm not sure if ABC cancelled it, but it will cost less to make on TBS. Similar Shows: none. Grade: D+.

Allegiance: Why I’ve seen it- A promo might have misinformed me as to what the show would be like, but I stuck around because I liked it. I was interested in it based on the genius main character. Noteworthiness- This show is adapted from a foreign series. Description- A spy series, Allegiance is about a genius of sorts and his family. People have compared it to the Americans, although I’ve never heard of The Americans. Pros- This is quite an interesting drama, in my mind. You see interesting characters in a good show. Cons- This show is probably similar to the few other spy dramas that exist. Plus, it probably relies too much on Russian stereotypes. Its cancellation can be considered a con since it cut the great show short. Recommendation- I think that it is worth a watch. Unaired episodes might still be at www.nbc.com if you care. Cancellation reasons- The ratings were very terrible so it’s only natural that it was short-lived. Similar shows- none that I’ve seen. DVD suggestion- I’d say get the DVDs if they are ever released. Reception: mixed. Grade: A-.

The Late Show with David Letterman: Why I’ve seen it- It was the late night show that my mother would typically watch so I ended up watching it to over time. Noteworthiness- Before the show ended, the host of it, namely David Letterman, was the longest running late night host in television history. (For the nitpicky, David Letterman’s tenor was on two different shows with a brief break between them whereas Johnny Carson’s long tenor was on a single show with no breaks.) Description- David Letterman hosts a talk show in the Ed Sullivan Theatre. Notable People- David Letterman is notable, although it is hard to explain how without this show. Paul Shaffer, former of Saturday Night Live, is the bandleader of this show. Pros- Unlike a lot of other late night shows which are almost always rated TV14, this one is normally rated TVPG. The show is always interesting to see and watch. Cons- Some of the repeated bits go nowhere. Recommendation- This is a good show to keep watching when you can. It won’t be on anymore (unless there are somehow reruns on some other network), but hopefully you have watched it when you could. Cancellation reasons- David Letterman wanted to retire so he left the show. When the host of a show wants to leave, then it ends: simply put. Similar shows- Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and The Late Late Show with James Corden. DVD suggestion- I’d say that you should get the DVDs, but I know that there won’t be any. Reception: universally acclaimed. Grade: A. This show was replaced by drama reruns for a while and will eventually be replaced by Stephen Colbert’s hosting of the show which begins next season.

Original review of the Late Show with David Letterman: The Late Show is currently hosted by David Letterman. It is on CBS after the news competing with The Tonight Show. From what I understand, the ratings are almost tied. It helps that they have different political views to catch different viewers which is why some people don't like this show. Also, some of the jokes tend to be repeated and you can get the impression that the live studio audience doesn't normally watch the show. It is, however, funny and can poke fun at stupid people and events (read, celebrities and politicians). The only person who has hosted a talk show longer than him (during the late night schedule, at least) was Johnny Carson, and by now that record will probably be outlived anyways. Grade: A

Hart of Dixie: Why I’ve seen it- Nothing to watch during the summer and wanting to see it for a while. Description- A female doctor moves to the south to continue her job and the show focuses on the people there in the town she works at. Notable People- Rachel Bilson, from the OC and probably other works as well, plays the main character. Jamie Pressley, formerly from My Name is Earl, is another character on the show. Pros- This show is humorous and keeps you interested in it whether you are a regular viewer or not. Cons- They don’t focus on the medical aspect of this show as much as some people would want them to. Recommendation- If you have time to watch it, then you probably should tune in, even if it isn’t as in focus on the medical aspect as other medical dramas. Cancellation reasons- The ratings were pretty terrible, but what really sealed its fate was that every other show from the network (expect those that hadn’t yet premiered) was renewed leaving this one on the outs. It was going to get cancelled from that point forward and remains one of the few shows that ended on the CW this season. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- Yes, you should get the DVDs for this show. Reception: mixed. Grade: B.

Now, I will include brief thoughts on other various cancelled shows from this season. They are listed here because I never saw them. As usual, I will ignore any cancelled shows from outside of network television, except, of course, for things that once aired on network television before they left the schedule. That is why a show like Cougar Town was included in my reviews.

The Taste: This was an ABC competition show of some sort that probably sounds as lame as the title is. To me, there was no surprise that there were low ratings for it. Plus, I’ve never understood the appeal of cooking shows. To me, any show that includes cooking segments is wasting our times with those segments. I don’t know why they are there.

Weird Loners: I didn’t have much hope for a FOX version of Undateable. It premiered late in the schedule which is almost always a bad sign. I honestly don’t know what to say about it. It was about strange people by the looks of it.

Famous in 12: A reality show about would-be celebrities? That’s not a good idea. So this CW summer show was officially cancelled after it appropriately didn’t do that well in the ratings. Besides, if people wanted to watch reality shows about people who are supposedly famous but really aren’t, then they should just tune into a VH1 show.

I Wanna Marry Harry: This was a FOX reality show notorious for being one that is fooling all of the contestants into actually doing something else. A bunch of seemingly dumb women want to marry the prince of England, but this guy only looks like him and they don’t know this at first. This smelt like cancellation from the get go.

Hieroglyph: This show would have aired on FOX had they bothered to wait to air it. But, they decided not to air the show that would have been a midseason replacement and cancelled it before it ever aired. Only the pilot ended up being made, although other episodes were written.

Forever: I didn’t think that a show about a person who kept dying and coming back to life would be a long term idea. It might have been interesting, but not interesting enough for me to ever devote time to actually watch it.

Seed: This is a sitcom about a sperm donor meeting all of his children that he produced from donating sperm. It’s cancellation leads one to wonder why it would be a good idea in the first place. Once again, the CW makes poor choices of what to air during the summer.

Backpackers: CW gave up doing sitcoms like this a long time ago. They knew that they were bad at doing sitcoms so they gave up. Well, apparently they didn’t remember that when they did this TV show about people backpacking through Europe and airing it during the summer will only hurt its chances of doing well.

Marry Me: I’m not sure what to say about this show. It was based on a real life experience, I think, and it seemed like Rob in a way. Remember the show Rob? No? I didn’t think so. The main difference here might have been that the lead here was female, but I was not interested in it at all.

The Queen Latifah Show: This was a talk show hosted by its namesake. I might have been interested in it at one point, but I never made the time to see it. A lot of daytime can come and go like this show so for whatever reason (probably low ratings), this one went.

About a Boy: This show could have been NBC’s longest running comedy following the end of Parks and Recreation. In fact, it might have been for a brief time, actually. I’m not sure what to say about it except that it obviously didn’t interest me.

Mission Control: This was supposed to be an NBC comedy about NASA, but they decided to cancel production on it before it was made. Like a lot of shows this season, it was cancelled before it aired. Why that happens at all is a bit of a mystery and always varies depending on the show.

State of Affairs: Starring Katherine Heigl, this show aired on NBC. It did actually interest me, but I never watched it as I felt that it aired at a bad time. Enough people hate that actress for some dumb reason so they might have been why the show had low ratings.

Revenge: I might have been interested in this at one point, but I never made the time to tune into a whole episode. This show was about a woman with a difficult past trying to get revenge on all the people who ruined her life. Many people think that it should have been a miniseries event instead of a long series. Regardless, the show has now been cancelled due to low ratings.

Backstrom: Let’s make yet another show about an asshole! Doesn’t that sound great? Actually, this time people didn’t watch it even though concepts similar to House have worked in the past. I’m not sure if there’s anything else to say on the topic.

The Following: This show was about a cult of some sort. A lot of places that I read had people who didn’t like this show. It never interested me since it was about killers and whatnot. It always seemed to be at midseason which is never a good sign.

Members Only: This ABC show was cancelled before it aired. It used to be that a straight to series order (meaning that a show was picked up without a pilot being made) was a good sign for the long term chances of a show, but now it seems that people toss it outside either before any of it is made or after very little of it is made. I don’t know what happened with this show other than it was cancelled before airing on TV at all.

Taxi Brooklyn: This was an NBC summer series that I never saw and wasn’t even sure if I was interested in. It had Jennifer Esposito in it who was unfairly fired from Blue Bloods. I don’t know what the show was about so I’m done talking about it.

Constantine: This was a supernatural type show that aired on NBC. I think that it was based off of a comic book of some sort. You see, once just 13 episodes were made, they shut down production of the show which unofficially cancelled it. I’m not sure what to make of it, although I will add that I should have watched this but didn’t.

Emerald City: This show, set in the world of Oz, was supposed to be a midseason replacement on NBC. However, they decided against airing it and it never saw life on television, being cancelled before it even aired an episode. In fact, I’m not sure if any of it was made in the end. Well, it turns out that NBC has reversed their decision about this show. I’m not sure if a show that got cancelled before it aired and then decided that they will air it will actually air in the end, so look out in the future and we’ll see both if it airs and if it lasts beyond a first season. If it doesn’t make it to air, then we’ll know what happened. I’ll probably watch it if I can.

Gracepoint: This was a remake of a British show called Broadchurch. Originally promoted as a limited run series, it became just that with its low ratings bringing it down. While any good show can overcome its original limited run series status to become something better than just a one season event series, this was not one of them. I never saw it so I don’t know if it was good or not.

Cedric’s Barber Battle: This show aired briefly and then was abruptly pulled from the schedule, thus making it cancelled whether they say it is or not. It was a reality show about haircutting competitions. They only surprise about its cancellation is that it isn’t official. Why even make a show that doesn’t sound interesting? While this show might not actually be cancelled as it is, in fact, returning to television, I still say that it’s safe to call this show cancelled.

Selfie: This was an ABC comedy about people in love. It got little viewers so it got cancelled. Not really sure what else there is to say about it, since I never watched it. Like every show among the first five cancellations besides Manhattan Love Story, I should have put this on my dead pool list, but I did not. I could mention thoughts on that website’s dead pool this year, if I haven’t already done so.

The Daily Buzz: This was a syndicated game show that I never saw because it never, to my knowledge, aired in a region where I can watch it at. I’m not sure why it was cancelled, but it was probably due to low ratings as that’s the usual reason for cancellations.

Rising Star: A reality show where viewers could vote, this show’s cancellation hasn’t even been made official and probably never will. It aired last summer and hasn’t returned this summer or beforehand so it is cancelled whether they ever say that it is or not. I might have been interested in watching it at one point, but I never did end up seeing it. Its cancellation comes as a bit of a surprise as it didn’t suffer in the ratings like most cancelled shows, you still see it come to an end.

Manhattan Love Story: This was another show about a couple that’s new together. What made it slightly different is that you could hear the thoughts of these two people. It didn’t seem that different from plenty of other shows. It was the first real cancellation of the fall season. It was also a worthy dead pool pick for www.tv.com. Glad that I picked it. However, of the five that I picked, this was the only one that I got right (although, I think some other picks of mine were cancelled, just not in the first five cancellations of the season).

Hannibal: I’ll talk more about this next season since I typically put summer shows with the previous season instead of where they probably belong. I’m just going with what the Emmys normally do with nominations. If you remember my fantasy schedule for the next season, you’ll notice that I had this show predicted as cancelled so I was right about it then, even though I didn’t mention it with official cancellations.

Motive: This was a Canadian show that aired in America on ABC. It will actually continue to air in Canada, but it will not air in America anymore. I never was able to see it, due to reception problems that air on my local ABC affiliates that are quite bothersome to me.

Bet on Your Baby: Obviously, this TV show would fail. If you don’t know why, read the title of the show again. If you still don’t know why, then know that the show aired on Saturdays during the summer. It was an ABC game show by the way.

Working the Engels: I don’t know if this is continuing in Canada, its country of origin or not. I think that it might be, but it was cancelled here in America. Why? Simple: it aired during the summer and you probably didn’t even know that it existed in the first place.

NY Med: This show was actually cancelled before but came back which means that this show could easily return. Some people may even doubt whether or not it is cancelled, but it is. If it returns, that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t cancelled this time. It was a documentary series on ABC.

American Dream Builders: NBC aired this reality series during the summer and it didn’t really last that long after airing in the summer and not returning to the schedule again. I’m not sure what all there is to say about this.

The Better Show: This was a syndicated show that I have never heard of or seen. So I don’t have much to say about it except for pointing out the obviously ironic name. If it were a better show, then it probably wouldn’t have gotten cancelled, right?

Wayward Pines: I’ll have more to mention on this show with the next season’s cancellation. When shows air during the summer, I find it hard to tell when it actually is cancelled for sure. If it started with the main season, I always count it with those shows, but the summer is a hard time to classify regarding cancelations, in my mind at least. I blame the Emmys and how they put shows from the summer with certain nominees from the next season.

Let’s Ask America: This is another syndicated show that I have never heard of, this one being a game show. I’m not sure what all there is to say about it. If it aired in my region, I had no idea when. The point is, this is a show that I never could have seen and thus didn’t see.

Welcome to Sweden: I might have been interested in watching this, but I never ended up seeing it. That actually happens more often than I would like to. I will mention this more with next season’s cancellation since it is a summer show.

Knock Knock Live: This will be the last of this summer’s shows that I will mention. Any other shows that get cancelled this summer will be mentioned with the next season’s cancellations, even if that is kind of incorrect. I don’t really care that much about it, just as long as it is mentioned, or in this case, mentioned twice. That’s when you’ll see my thoughts on this show.

List of every cancelled show: Parks and Recreation, Glee, Two and a Half Men, Parenthood, The Mentalist, Riot, Hieroglyph, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Backpackers, Seed, Famous in 12, I Wanna Marry Harry, Crossbones, Unforgettable *, Reckless, Manhattan Love Story, A to Z, Bad Judge, Utopia, Selfie, The Millers, Gracepoint, Emerald City, Cougar Town, The McCarthys, Allegiance, Members Only, Mission Control, The Queen Latifah Show, Hart of Dixie, Revenge, The Mindy Project *, The Messengers, Resurrection, One Big Happy, Cristela, Weird Loners, The Taste, Forever, Battle Creek, Marry Me, CSI, About a Boy, State of Affairs, Stalker, Backstrom, The Following, Constantine, The Late Show with David Letterman, Cedric’s Barber Battle, The Daily Buzz, Rising Star, The Quest, Taxi Brooklyn, Motive *, A. D.: the Bible Continues, American Odyssey, Hannibal, American Dream Builders, NY Med, Working the Engels, Bet on Your Baby, The Better Show, Let’s Ask America, Knock Knock Live, Wayward Pines, and Welcome to Sweden.

Cancellation Reasons (continued until end of blog post): bad ratings (Glee, Parenthood, The Mentalist, Riot, Backpackers, Seed, Famous in 12, I Wanna Marry Harry, Crossbones, Unforgettable, Reckless, Manhattan Love Story, A to Z, Bad Judge, Utopia, Allegiance, Hart of Dixie, The Messengers, Resurrection, Welcome to Sweden, One Big Happy, Cristela, Weird Loners, The Taste, Forever, Battle Creek, Marry Me, Knock Knock Live, CSI, About a Boy, State of Affairs, Stalker, Backstrom, The Following, Constantine, Motive, American Odyssey, American Dream Builders, NY Med, Working the Engels, Bet on Your Baby), Bad reviews (Two and a Half Men, Bad Judge, Utopia, One Bib Happy, Stalker)

Ruined by advertisements (Two and a Half Men, Riot, Seed, Famous in 12, I Wanna Marry Harry, Manhattan Love Story, Bad Judge, Knock Knock Live, The McCarthys, One Big Happy, Weird Loners, Marry Me, Stalker, Backstrom, Hannibal, Bet on Your Baby), never advertised (Hieroglyph, The Millers, The McCarthys, Members Only, Mission Control, The Following, Revenge, Utopia, Glee, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Resurrection, The Taste, Marry Me, Cedric’s Barber Battle, The Daily Buzz, Taxi Brooklyn, Motive, Hannibal, American Dream Builders, NY Med, Working the Engels, The Better Show, Let’s Ask America)

Bad title (Parks and Recreation, Glee, Two and a Half Men, Riot, Seed, I Wanna Marry Harry, Wayward Pines, A to Z, Bad Judge, Selfie, Gracepoint, Cougar Town, Members Only, The Mindy Project, One Big Happy, Weird Loners, The Taste, Forever, Marry Me, Knock Knock Live, Stalker, The Following, Backstrom, The Daily Buzz, Working the Engles, Be on Your Baby, The Better Show)

Barely existed (Riot, Hieroglyph, Backpackers, Seed, Famous in 12, I Wanna Marry Harry, Manhattan Love Story, Allegiance, Members Only, Mission Control, The Messengers, Knock Knock Live, Cedric’s Barber Battle, The Daily Buzz, The Quest, Taxi Brooklyn, American Dream Builders, NY Med, Working the Engels, The Better Show, Let’s Ask America)

Bad timeslot (Glee, Parenthood, The Mentalist, Crossbones, A to Z, Bad Judge, Utopia, The Millers, Gracepoint, The McCarthys, Alleignace, Hart of Dixie, The Messengers, Cristela, Battle Creek, CSI, State of Affairs, Backstrom, Constantine, Cedric’s Barber Battle, The Quest)

Hated by network (Unforgettable, Utopia, The Millers, The McCarthys, Crossbones, Reckless, Battle Creek, CSI, Stalker, The Quest), crappy show (Glee, Two and a Half Men, Riot, Cougar Town, The McCarthys, One Big Happy, Cristela, The Mindy Project)

Retooled (Two and a Half Men, The Mentalist, Unforgettable, Bad Judge, Utopia), uninteresting (Glee, Two and a Half Men, Riot, Backpackers, Seed, Famous in 12, I Wanna Marry Harry, Cougar Town, The McCarthys, The Mindy Project, One Big Happy, Cristela, Cedric’s Barber Battle, Knock Knock Live)

Reality (Famous in 12, I Wanna Marry Harry, Utopia, Cedric’s Barber Battle, Knock Knock Live, American Dream Builders, NY Med, Bet on Your Baby, Let’s Ask America, The Daily Buzz)

Summer (Cedric’s Barber Battle, Rising Star, Wayward Pines, The Quest, Taxi Brooklyn, Motive, Knock Knock Live, Hannibal, Welcome to Sweden, American Dream Builders, NY Med, Working the Engels, Bet on Your Baby Riot, I Wanna Marry Harry, Crossbones, Unforgettable, Reckless)

Fridays (Crossbones, Hart of Dixie, The Messengers, Utopia, Cristela), midseason replacement (Allegiance, Hart of Dixie, The Messengers, One Big Happy, Weird Loners, Battle Creek, State of Affairs, Backstrom, Knock Knock Live The Following, Cedric’s Barber Battle, A. D.: the Bible Continues, American Odyssey, Hannibal), dead on arrival (Hieroglyph, Backpackers, Welcome to Sweden, Seed, Famous in 12, I Wanna Marry Harry, Riot, Knock Knock Live, Manhattan Love Story, Members Only, Mission Control, The Messengers, One Big Happy, American Odyssey)

Bad lead-in (A to Z, The Millers, The McCarthys, Revenge, Cristela, Stalker, A. D.: the Bible Continues), competition (Parenthood, Manhattan Love Story, A to Z, Bad Judge, Utopia, Gracepoint, The McCarthys, Allegiance, Revenge, The Messengers, Resurrection, State of Affairs, Backstrom, The Quest, American Odyssey)

Unofficially cancelled (Cedric’s Barber Battle, Rising Star, The Quest, American Dream Builders, NY Med, Working the Engels, Bet on Your Baby), surprise cancellation (Parks and Recreation, Glee, Two and a Half Men, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Unforgettable, A to Z, The Millers, The Late Show with David Letterman, Rising Star)


Never even aired (Members Only, Mission Control), left on its own term or wasn’t cancelled (Parks and Recreation, Two and a Half Men, Glee, Parenthood, The Mentalist, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Cougar Town, The Late Show with David Letterman)