How Network Television Keeps Losing

How can a certain part of television be free to access, get the most viewers, have mostly all of the notable live events throughout the year, and yet still lose? Well, ever since cable networks were introduced, there were problems that this caused for network television and these problems still persist. In a way, the most common and easily accessible part of television is also destined to keep losing.

One of the most notable ways network television loses is when it comes to award shows. Most of the award nominated shows are not on network television. Some aren’t even on television at all! Mostly cable shows get all the love from the Emmys and Golden Globes. And these are award shows that always air on network TV. (The Daytime Emmys, which are so irrelevant now, I’m not even sure that they still air on any network, much less network television, is something that I’m not sure if I care enough to know whether or not they nominate most network shows or not.) When all the critically acclaimed series are no longer on free TV, there is a problem as a result because of it.

So many people claim that nobody watches network TV. Obviously this is wrong because, except for maybe the CW network, whatever is shown on network television keeps getting the highest set of ratings that not even most cable networks could possibly compete with them on the same standards. Cable shows have far less ratings than whatever you see on network TV. And yet, there are tons of people who never watch network TV and always find it odd that there are people like me who do. I can’t understand why people would never watch anything on network TV, but there are so many buzz worthy shows not on network TV that nearly everyone talks about instead of, for example, the show Reign (which is doing tremendously terrible against many cable shows).

The main appeal of network television is the primetime shows that it airs. You can find primetime on cable. Sports air on network TV, but most of what people would want air on cable. Some channels are dedicated entirely to sports so why watch a game on FOX when ESPN is always going to give you a fix? There are 24 hour news channels, so why watch any local news since most important events will be on them before it will be on your local news? You can pay to watch movie channels instead of just hoping that sometimes they will air a certain movie on network TV. This leads into my next point:

There is a lack of censorship on cable channels. You can have uncensored swearing on most cable shows. Remember George Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words? You can say all of them, uncensored, without fear of problems from the FCC on cable. You can also have as much nudity as you want to on cable. Butts, boobs, vaginas, and penises are all allowed without blurs or bars covering the naked parts. This is all part of how it works and is different. There can be as much violence and gore as can possibly happen. You can’t do that on network TV. What you get for free comes with limitations.

Reruns don’t always happen the way they used to on network TV. Whatever they have is limited and subject to change. A lot of cable networks always air a lot of reruns. You could probably watch whatever you want to of NCIS on USA and you wouldn’t have to get them on DVD. Just find the channel you want and you can get reruns of the shows there. And while they might change, they are far more common and often then whatever local programming you’ll find on network TV.

Another problem with network TV is a lack of foreign shows on it. Sure, we get American remakes of foreign shows, but we don’t get unedited versions of foreign shows except for when we watch British shows on PBS. Cable can fix this problem by airing these shows on their own networks.

Well, that’s about it for me. I enjoy network TV a lot and will probably be happy never having access to cable TV, even if someone else would pay for it and continue my freeloader lifestyle. But the most easy to access part of TV is also the most likely to pale in comparison to whatever else might be on other networks. While I enjoy getting TV for free, it does come with many limitations and many shows that I’ll probably never be able to watch without borrowing it from someone else. While I’m okay with missing out, many would rather stop watching network TV in general and that’s why it’s destined to keep losing over and over again. It has the most ratings, but not much else to offer.

My Planned Viewing Habits: Midseason 2017

Before the midseason starts, I might as well tell you about what I plan on doing in terms of what I will be watching if I can. I can now watch as many as four shows at once if I wanted to, but I don’t know yet just how much I will be watching. But, I’ll tell you what I plan on watching.

Here are the existing shows on the schedule that I plan to continue watching: The ABC shows that I will keep watching when they air at midseason are Once Upon a Time, Quantico, The Middle, Fresh off the Boat, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Match Game, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy. I might watch some of The Goldbergs during the winter hiatus of Survivor, but I might not get that chance. I might watch Shark Tank and 20/20 whenever what I normally watch isn’t on. The CBS shows that I will keep watching are NCIS: Los Angeles, Madam Secretary, Elementary, The Big Bang Theory, Scorpion, NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, Survivor, Code Black, Hawaii Five-0, and Blue Bloods. I’ll also watch 60 Minutes whenever it works out.

The CW shows that I will keep watching are Supergirl, Jane the Virgin, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow. The FOX shows that I will keep watching are The Simpsons, Family Guy, The Last Man on Earth, Gotham, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and New Girl. I might watch Scream Queens in the future, but I don’t know yet if I will. I won’t go out of my way to watch it. There are also times when I watch Bob’s Burgers, whenever that fits in my schedule. As for NBC, I’ll keep watching Law & Order: SUV and The Blacklist. I do want to watch Blindspot during Survivor’s winter hiatus and am trying to watch it online, although I seem to not have time for it. Hopefully I can see some of it. I also started watching Chicago Med.

Here are the new fall shows that I’m still into watching: On CBS, I’m still watching Kevin Can Wait, Bull, Pure Genius (if it is still on), and MacGyver. I’m still watching Son of Zorn on FOX. I’m still watching Frequency on the CW. I’m still watching The Good Place and Timeless on NBC. On ABC, I will still be watching Designated Survivor.

Here are the returning shows not on the schedule until midseason that I plan on watching: On NBC, I will watch the final season of Grimm in addition to Shades of Blue and, possibly, Hollywood Game Night if that works out. I’m not sure if any of CBS’s returning shows at midseason will be something that I’ll watch. I used to watch Undercover Boss, but that show has since become dead to me after they aired an employee insulting someone with autism. But enough of that.

On the CW, I will be watching iZombie and Reign. I’m undecided yet on if I will return for the fourth season of The 100 or not as it seemed to have lost me a lot in its last season. I don’t know if Masters of Illusion will be on before the summer, but I do plan on watching that if I can. The same can also be said about Whose Line is it Anyways? On ABC, I will watch The Catch and, if it returns, I’ll watch Beyond the Tank if and when that works on the schedule. Of course, I have no idea if that's ever coming back. On FOX, I will watch the final season of Bones and Sleepy Hollow as well.

Here are the new midseason shows that I plan on watching: On the CW, I will tune into their new show Riverdale. On CBS, I will tune into all of their new shows (if I can), which are Superior Donuts, Doubt, Ransom, and Training Day. On ABC, I plan to watch Time after Time. On FOX, I plan to watch Making History, Star, and Shots Fired. On NBC, I plan to watch Trial & Error, The Blacklist: Redemption, Emerald City, Powerless, and Taken. I might watch Chicago Justice, although I’m not entirely sure if I will watch it or not just yet.

Here is a new fall shows that I watched that isn’t on at midseason: Notorious. It was sort of cancelled, although it seems unlikely that any of them will be official before May due to the false hope that networks like to give us when they either cut the episode order or decide not to order any new episodes. There are other shows that never had more episodes ordered, although they will be on during midseason. Those shows, that I’m interested in, are Conviction, Pure Genius, and Frequency.

Here are the fall shows that I watched once but wasn’t interested in seeing again: No Tomorrow, Man with a Plan, and The Great Indoors. No Tomorrow lost me at the pilot due to a lack of any characters that I would care about long term. Man with a Plan was overall bad (kids with cell phones? I know that really happens, but still!) and it seemed like Matt LaBlanc with always overacting in it. The Great Indoors seems to do in promos what Hardees does: insult the people they are targeting with their ads. They don’t need to go after my generation especially since they are in the 18-34 demographic that’s so important. Why insult the people you want to watch the show?

Anyways, this is my current plan on what to watch. I have no idea what will end up happening in the end. I had planned at one point last season to watch American Grit and Game of Silence, but I ended up seeing neither one of them. And I did start watching The Grinder towards the end of its run. Different things can happen and change and you’ll see with future reviews what new shows, at least, of what I did end up watching. Plus, I'm going to loan out my second VCR, so I'll have even less options that way.

Back to School Commercials 2016

Even though I have not had to go to school in quite some time, I find the fact that there are as much back to school commercials as there are to be highly irritating. We do not need a high number and we don’t need them to start after school has only been out for a month. Now the number may get less ridiculous now that I’m keeping track of it. But we’ll see what happens this year compared to the previous years that I’ve kept track. Hopefully, I can update this earlier in future years.

In 2014, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 1. The official count before August is 48. The official count before September is 158. The official total of the whole year is 170. In 2015, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 0. The official count before August is 44. The official count before September is 125. The official total of the whole year is 136.

In 2016, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 1. The official count before August is ~61. The official count before September is ~261. The official total of the whole year is 286. There were even 2 during October.

You might be wondering why I have the approximately sign (~) in this blog. Well, I may not have the right number for part of the post. I may have had to guess at some points. This means that in future years, if the official known count in higher, I will certainly remove this year from future list mentions in future years. We’ll see what happens with that later for sure.

This is all for this post. I don’t know what else there is to say with this. I got really confused by some of the October commercials. There was one using the School’s Out song, two back to school commercials, and the start of Christmas commercials. This was all mixed with the mudslinging of the election. And don’t get me started on the “let me hear you say truck, yeah!” bullcrap that Ford has been shoving down our throats for quite some time. Ugh. Anyways, as I was trying to say, I’m done with this blog post and sadly looking forward to the vast Christmas commercials since it means that the election will finally be over. And this is the latest an election can ever be in this country. At least that’s over with.

A Week in the Life of a TV Junkie

I watch a lot of TV. Too much? Probably. But I figured that it might be a good idea that I should tell you about what a week might be like for me. Every week is different for me, despite the fact that most shows are not changing on a constant basis. I have decided to tell you what a week is like and how it goes down for me. Want to know how I catch all the shows that I’m a fan of? Well, now you have your chance. From Sunday to Saturday, I will tell you what my viewing habits are.

Sunday

This is the weirdest day of the week. NBC is airing football in the fall and only after football season is over do they actually air worthwhile programming. The CW doesn’t show anything on Sundays anymore which is kind of weird. Even with all the programming they now have on the network as a result of over-renewal, they still haven’t brought back Sunday primetime, something they did use to have. FOX is airing a World Series game tonight, so this means that the normal programming of theirs that I watch won’t be on tonight to watch anyways. ABC is coming in, so I will watch that. CBS is not delayed due to sports so that’s good and won’t mess me up.

I watch 60 Minutes live while recording nothing. I plan to then record all of the CBS shows that follow- NCIS: Los Angeles, Madam Secretary, and Elementary. I will watch ABC live from 7-10 and they will be airing Once Upon a Time, Secrets and Lies, as well as Quantico. I haven’t seen Secrets and Lies before and am only watching it now to see if an actor formerly from The Good Wife has a big enough role on this show now for me to include it on the cast updates of that blog. I will record the CBS shows on my TV tuner. That’s my first choice for something to record on whenever possible.

Monday

I watch a recording of Grey’s Anatomy with breakfast. Normally I watch exactly two hours of shows that are recorded on my laptop as I feel that’s the best way of doing that. So hopefully after the news, I can get the other hour of today in.

Most shows are normally airing tonight so I watch Gotham, use to TV tuner to record Kevin Can Wait, and record Supergirl on VHS. (There is someone else who watches shows that I record, which is why I did that instead of putting the half hour show on tape.) I was able to start the recording on VHS at the time the show started, but there were problems with the TV tuner loading which happens a lot. I was able to start the recording of that show near the end of the opening credits. I also, thus, missed some of the beginning of Gotham. But I was, more or less, able to see the rest of the episode.

With the change of half an hour that can be a problem, I end up recording a lot of Man with a Plan before I’m able to stop the recording. I’m not into that show since seeing it once. The recording also goes over on the tape, meaning that I miss the beginning of Jane the Virgin, the next show I watch, due to the difference when networks air shows, as I’m still watching the end of Gotham before I can change to the next show.

At 9:00, I’m ready to record the next show, but then there is a bit of a complication. The show I want to record on my laptop, Timeless, is not coming in well on the TV tuner, so I decide to watch it live instead and record Scorpion on my laptop. Conviction is not on tonight since ABC aired one of its many specials instead after Dancing with the Stars. Later, while it does go past midnight, I am able to watch Pure Genius from earlier.

Tuesday

I don’t work today, so I woke up later than usual and watched more recorded shows. I started with Modern Family from last week and then watched NCIS: Los Angeles. Then, I watched Kevin Can Wait. While this does cover my two hours, I actually can watch more in one use options that I have at the moment. I then watch Elementary later and work on a blog post for it as I’m starting a new blog about it. Next comes primetime.

Since there is another World Series game tonight, there is nothing for me to watch on FOX that I normally would. It’s possible that I might watch Scream Queens in the future, but I honestly don’t know when/if that will ever happen. I record The Middle on tape, put NCIS on my TV tuner, and watch The Flash live.

It turns out that CBS decided not to air their originally planned new programs tonight. This has to be to avoid competing against game six of the World Series. I can see them doing the same tomorrow as well, if there is a game seven. This means that I ended up recording an old episode from last season of NCIS. I might at least see whether or not it is one I haven’t seen of it somehow.

With Bull being a rerun, I switch to live watching Fresh Off the Boat. I then watch The Real O’Neals afterwards for the first time. There will not be a second time. They almost never air something good with a comedy that I like. They just air a very crappy comedy with it. That’s why I normally watch a drama at the same time to record the comedy for later. I watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. live and then watch local news and the ABC late night shows afterwards.

Now is when they started airing the reruns of the last season of shows in syndication, so this means having to catch whatever Modern Family episodes I missed last season and seeing most of last season’s The Middle episodes for the very first time. Now is the first season where I can watch The Middle long term as it airs instead of having to wait until it airs in syndication.

Wednesday

I watch Scorpion with breakfast and part of Madam Secretary with lunch. I’m not able to finish the rest of Madam Secretary until later. I watch Survivor live and record Arrow on a tape for later. The CMA are on ABC so I won’t have to worry about missing anything on that network. FOX is airing game seven of the World Series tonight, although I wouldn’t have watched it anyways.

At 8, I’m able to record Frequency on my laptop instead of leaving it on the tape that is recording Arrow. I live watch Law and Order: SVU. Afterwards, I watch Code Black. I don’t know how much of the late night shows I’ll be able to watch today; I just know that I’m probably missing the news or some late night show to finish watching the Madam Secretary episode.

ABC late night is delayed, but I watch that after I watch game seven of the World Series up until the Cubs win. I’m a Cardinals fan, but I’m not going to whine and complain about this win. It doesn’t matter if I like a team or not, a win is a win and it is well deserved for them.

Thursday

Without the necessary two hours of laptop recordings to watch (I would more than likely have what I need if various shows weren’t preempted due to the World Series), I don’t watch the one hour I have. I record The Big Bang Theory, The Good Place, Chicago Med, and Pure Genius on my laptop. Chicago Med is a show I might get into since the episode order of Notorious was cut, effectively cancelling it at the end of its run. However, with Thursday Night football about to start on NBC, I might need a different replacement in mind.

I live watch Grey’s Anatomy, Notorious, and The Blacklist. I record Legends of Tomorrow on tape for later. For late night, I wind up watching The Late Show then The Late Late Show. Normally I watch Jimmy Kimmel Live, but I didn’t do that today.

Friday

For the first time since I remember starting my whole “watch as much as possible” thing that I do, I don’t record any shows on Fridays at the moment. This means, basically, that I watch the three hours that I can watch and I don’t record any extra hours tonight. All of my watching tonight is on CBS, starting with MacGyver, continuing with Hawaii Five-0, and ending with Blue Bloods. I run out of time to watch recorded shows today.

Saturday

Today, the only show that I watch on TV is Saturday Night Live. The rest of the shows I watch are what are recorded on my laptop. I watch Frequency, The Big Bang Theory, The Good Place, and since I have the ability to watch more than two hours if I wanted to, I watch Chicago Med as well. Guess that I’ll have to save Pure Genius for later.

Well, there you have it: a week in a TV junkie’s life. No two weeks are the same even if they are airing the same shows they normally do. I’m not sure if I’ll track this again. We’ll see what happens for sure later. Now you know what a week for me can be like.

Award Shows Reviews

You might be wondering why I didn't update the blog last week. Perhaps I was too busy with Thanksgiving? Well, considering how I could have scheduled one in advance, that might not actually be the reason. You probably know that I don't update multiple blogs on the same day. Well, that's why I didn't update this blog last week. I decided that it would be best to update a different blog instead, moving a cheat that I had from this blog to that blog. I don't know how long these Saturday posts will last. I'll keep doing them as long as possible, but it's likely to change sometime. I'll let you know more about that later. I should get to the regularly scheduled (er, posted as usual) blog post. I should stay on most Saturdays for the foreseeable future. We'll see what happens later...

You might be wondering if it would be better for me to just review each award show that I see as it happens, but I’m honestly not sure if that’s a good idea or not. The shows are very similar from year to year and it seems that any show can have its own format in a way. I’d have to say that I would like more quality from all the of award shows, except for maybe the Tonys since they always tend to be so good. Regardless, I’m still reviewing all the award shows that I’ve seen.

Emmys: Sometimes called television’s greatest night, the Emmys are all about giving awards to what’s considered the best of television. Now the network it airs on always changes each year as it rotates between the four major networks. Thus, the host of it always changes. You might see repeat hosts on the same network, but it tends to be who or what is big on the network at the time. Now I’ve never regretted watching the Emmys when I’ve been able to see it, but it never had the best quality when you think about it. It has never been more than average. Few of what is nominated is something on network television and the same shows tend to fill the same category year after year. I’ll still watch this when I can, but it tends to not be as good as it should be. Overall Grade: C+.

Golden Globes: This show covers both television and movies. It always airs on NBC in early January and there tends to be new shows competing against it when nearly every other time, networks refuse on a typical basis to compete against major award shows. It has had regular hosts, but they have not always been that good. Ricky Gervais tends to be highly offensive when he’s on while Tina Fey and Amy Poehler don’t always do as much as they could when they host. I do wonder if many people think this show is even serious or not as it tends to not be counted as that huge a winner if you do win a Golden Globe. I do normally like the show, normally in spite of Ricky being a terrible host, but I don’t think that I miss much, if anything, if I ever stopped tuning in. There is too quick of a time, in my mind, between when the nominees are announced and when the show is. Sometimes the movies aren’t even out yet when they do the show or nominate them, at least. It can cover too much (since it does both movies and TV shows), but it does seem interesting and good in the end. Overall Grade: B-.

Oscars: I normally don’t watch this, unless I like the host, but that’s mostly just because I don’t watch movies as much as I watch TV. The host always changes, although I’m not sure why. This always airs on ABC and it tends to get good ratings, possibly due to a lack of counterprogramming from other networks. It has been criticized for its lack of diversity among the people it nominates. Movies nominated are sometimes still in theaters sometimes and there’s normally a ton of movies that you’ve never heard of that got nominated over those you have probably seen. I’ve actually hated a lot of Oscar winning movies. So while they can get stuff wrong, in my mind at least, you do have to wonder if this is such a good show in the end. It certainly always goes over more than any other award show. Ultimately, I’d give it a good score, but not really one that’s that good. Overall Grade: C-.

People’s Choice Awards: Some may question whether or not this is, in fact, a real award show since it isn’t the actual people with TV who do the nominees. Yet, in a way, the fans have more input into this than any other award show. I sometimes watch if I like the host; otherwise, I don’t bother with this one. You tend to see very different shows and people nominated here and it isn’t all that interesting like most other award shows are. But, I’d still ultimately give it a passing grade in the end. Overall Grade: C+.

Tonys: This show is for the best in stage. This is my favorite of all the award shows for many reasons. First, it is highly entertaining. Second, it is something that a lot of people wouldn’t be able to see and, thus, would need to watch this show in order to see anything from Broadway. I’ll watch this probably any time since I will probably always like the host. It is always fun to see and watch and I recommend it to everyone. Overall Grade: A+.

Grammys: This is probably the one I least like of the award shows that I’m actually reviewing. While it is a good show, it seems to drag on and on. Plus, I normally don’t care enough about the music industry to wonder what they think is the best here. It’s kind of like the Oscars, only I can never really stay into this show that well. While it is actually good and entertaining, it fails to be much of a show. They overload it with one musical number after another and one can forget that there’s actually a point to it. Overall Grade: D+.

Tuesdays in Primetime Version 3

Tuesdays are a competitive night on television. Except for CBS and the CW, all networks have an hour of comedies at this time. It is also when some of television’s most popular shows are on. The only problem is that the shows are so good, you won’t be able to watch them all.

The Middle: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- Survivor was on hiatus (this show used to air on Wednesday) and I heard this was good. Noteworthiness- It is tied with Modern Family as longest running ABC comedy. Description- The comedy adventures of an ordinary family in Indiana. Notable People- Patricia Heaton, who was Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond, is the mother. Neil Flynn, from Scrubs, is the father of the show. Pros- Mothers would like this show. It is quite funny from time to time. The youngest kid’s quirkiness is humorous. Cons- Some inappropriate stuff comes up sometimes. However, the show is typically always PG so it’s not as bad as it could be. Note to Parents- This is probably more acceptable than other shows in terms of content, but I’d ultimately watch it for yourself to make a decision. Recommendation- I say that you should watch this show if you can. Prediction- It will last a long time as it has already. Reception: positive. Grade: B+.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Status- This show is on FOX at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- The critics like it and I thought that it might be good. Description- It is a comedy-drama (mostly comedy) that has cops solving crimes in a humorous way. Notable people- This show has Andy Sandberg (formerly from Saturday Night Live), Terry Crews (known from Everybody Hates Chris), as well as other famous people I don’t know that well or what they are from. Pros- I’d have to say that it’s pretty good how it takes stuff that could be put in a drama and has a funny spin on it. Cons- The usual bad morals are present and a lot of the humor is hit and miss. Note to Parents- I’m not sure if this has ever aired with a viewer discretion is advised warning, but there’s enough in here that’s bad for younger than teenagers. Recommendation- This show is pretty good and I recommend it. It’s nice to see a cop comedy instead of the typical cop drama. Prediction- I don’t know if this show will last or not. I hope that it does, but it might not. I say that it might last for now. Reception: positive. Grade: A-.

The Flash: Status- On the CW at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- General interest in shows like it. Noteworthiness- This is set in the same world as Arrow. This show is based off of a comic book series. Description- This show is about a person who is struck by lightning and gains the power of super speed. It is not ordinary lightning. Pros- I thought that this show was pretty good. It seems interesting. Cons- It can be hard to tell where they are going with this. It may seem similar to other superhero TV shows. Note to Parents- This show is targeted to teens and is safe for them to watch, although enough of it is bad for younger audiences. Recommendation- I think that this is probably worth watching all the time. Prediction- This will probably last a good while. I haven’t heard problems with ratings so I think it will do well. Reception: positive. Grade: B+.

NCIS: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays and syndication on networks like USA. It is the most watched drama on television and has two spin-offs that are still on the air. Why I’ve seen it- My brother and the rest of my family liked the show and I thought it was good enough to watch all the time. Noteworthiness- It is a spin-off of the show JAG. At least at the beginning, the cases on the show were inspired by real cases. I don’t know if they still are. It has two spin-offs. Description- A team of federal agents solves murders of marines and navy members as well as other crimes relating to them and other people. Set in Washington DC. Notable People- Wilmer Valderama from That 70’s Show, Awake, and Minority Report, is a character on this show. Jennifer Esposito, who was in Blue Bloods, is another character on the show. Pros- It stays fresh despite its long time on the air. The humor is quite interesting. Cons- It is running out of steam. The creator of the show is no longer the head writer. Note to Parents- I’ve noticed enough bad stuff in here, but mostly related to violence more than anything else. I watched this as a teen and don’t see why others can’t too. Recommendation- It is one of my favorite shows. I say watch it if you have the chance too and aren’t already. Prediction- It will last a while more. Reception: very positive. Grade: A+.

New Girl: Status- Currently on FOX at 8:30/7:30 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it might be good and I like the actress who plays the main character. Noteworthiness- This show is the longest running FOX live action comedy. That probably says a lot about the success of lack thereof of FOX sitcoms. Description- After breaking up with her live-in cheating boyfriend, Jess, the new girl, moves into a new place with four guys. Also in the cast is Jess’s best friend. Notable People- Zooey Deschanel, known for being in various movies, is the main character. I’m not certain who else is noteworthy or not. Pros- The show is quite funny most of the time with the quirky characters that it has. Cons- As usual, bad morals are present like sex and stuff like that. Some of the acting is over the top, but that’s more due to the personality of the characters of the show instead of bad acting. Note to Parents- There have been occasions where this airs with an advisory warning, although most of it seems acceptable to me for high schoolers, but not much younger. Recommendation- I’d say that you should watch it if you have the time. Prediction- It has lasted long enough and will probably keep lasting unless something weird happens. Reception: generally positive. Grade: B.

Fresh off the Boat: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- It aired with a comedy that I normally watch. Noteworthiness- This is based off of a true story and book. Description- Set in the past, this is a sitcom about an Asian family that moved to America. Pros- This is actually quite good in terms of quality. Cons- The show can be weirder than it needs to be. Note to Parents- This is actually quite acceptable in terms of material as I can’t think of much bad in here for kids and other young ones. Recommendation- I would watch this show if you can. Prediction- It is doing well in the ratings right now so it should last. Reception: critically acclaimed. Grade: B-. New review

Bull: Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I always watch a CBS show under most circumstances and I thought that this show would be interesting too. Noteworthiness- This is inspired by something Dr. Phil did before he went into television. He also helped create the show. Description- This is about a jury consultant who helps with court cases. Notable People- This stars Michael Weatherly, well known from NCIS, as the main character. Pros- It seems like a pretty interesting show as you normally don’t see courtroom dramas from this perspective. In fact, it makes you wonder why you don’t see shows like this more often. Cons- Michael Weatherly is doing a bad job of separating himself from NCIS as his character on this show is very similar to the one he played on NCIS. Also, it doesn’t seem realistic as no other courtroom drama has this angle on it. Note to Parents- This is probably the standard amount in terms of what is acceptable for kids or not. Recommendation- I would watch this show if you could. Prediction- With an NCIS lead-in, it’s unlikely that this fails any time soon. If it ever losses that in the future, then there could be problems. I guess we’ll have to see what happens with it. Reception: negative. Grade: A. New review

No Tomorrow: Status- Currently on the CW at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- Starting from now, I’ll always watch whatever new shows air on the CW. Noteworthiness- Like possibly everything on the CW, this is based on something else, in this case, a Brazilian TV series. Description- It’s hard to tell for sure what it is about. It seems to be about a woman who is being taught how to live by a person who thinks that the world is ending. But there is more to it than that. Pros- It did have some interesting qualities. It benefits from being different. Cons- I didn’t like it enough. It seems that the characters are too flawed to like. Note to Parents- There’s enough in here that’s objectionable for younger ones, but not teens. Recommendation- I’d pass on this one. Prediction- While it will probably last a bit given the wimpyness of the network it’s on to offend what little fans they have, I doubt that it lasts too long as even on the CW, it isn’t good enough ratings. Reception: generally positive. Grade: D. New review

The Real O’Neals: Status- Currently on ABC at 9:30/8:30 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- It aired with a show that I do watch. Description- This is another in a line of dysfunctional family shows. Notable People- This has Martha Plimpton, who was in Raising Hope, stars in this show. Pros- It is gay friendly. Cons- The show mocks religion, is devoid of humor, and is downright terrible. Note to Parents- Don’t let them watch this. Recommendation- There is nothing good about this show so don’t waste your time with it. Prediction- The end is coming for this show as it isn’t getting that good ratings. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: F. New review

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Status- Currently on ABC at 10/9 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- Interest in the Marvel world after having seen various superhero movies based on their works. Description- This show is about an organization that deals primarily with superheroes and becomes heroes of their own. Notable People- This show is done by Joss Whedon, who is known for creating science fiction shows that enjoy cult status and are typically not always enjoyed by everyone. Examples include Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, and Buffy the Vampire. Pros- It is considered a good show to some people. You don’t have to be a fan of the Marvel world to understand this show. Cons- It felt like there could be more in it. It seems to be lacking the heroes and the action of the movies as well as the drama content. There is also a connection between this and the rest of the Marvel world that can confuse people who don’t see the movies. Note to Parents- This is a bit questionable in terms of content for kids, mostly due to the violence of the show. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. Watch it if you like it. Prediction- I don’t know if it will last or not, but it’s possible that it will even on a network that is known for screwing with its shows and cancelling more than any other network (I think). Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: B+.

NCIS: New Orleans: Status- On CBS at 10/9 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watch the original so I figured that I should watch this as well. Description- This is a show about an NCIS team set in New Orleans.  Noteworthiness- It is a spin-off of NCIS. This show is actually filmed in New Orleans where it is set. Pros- There are plenty of good things about the show. It is as interesting and good as most dramas are. It keeps the charm of NCIS even with a different cast. The different filming location probably helped it. Cons- Some people have been annoyed by the fake accents of the characters. Plus, it may not be as interesting or good as the original NCIS is. Note to Parents- This has the standard amount of stuff that you would find it shows. There is more violence in it that is negative for kids than anything else. Recommendation- I saw that you should probably watch it. Prediction- I think that it will probably last a while. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: A.

Sports Delays and Why They Won’t Go Away

Have you ever wanted to watch a show, only to find out that it was being aired later than it normally would? I complain about this in other blogs of mine. Typically, when shows air on tape delay, the reason is because there was a sports game earlier in the day that they had to show to its completion. Why do they do that? Well, there’s a good reason, even if it means bad things for people who aren’t sports fans. It mostly sparked from a single controversy.

On November 17, 1968, there was a football game that aired on NBC. I don’t know if this was before the concept of tape delay had been introduced to the television world. But people would make sure not to have a repeat of the incident. The football game was between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders. The teams were known for their heated rivalry. The game probably wouldn’t have been notable in any way were it not for how it ended and how many didn’t see the end.

Football games didn’t typically take that long of a time to play originally. A three hour time slot was given to the game and this is an hour more longer than what was typically given. It still didn’t turn out to be enough time. It was believed that the movie Heidi should start at 7 as most shows or moves would always start on time. Everyone said that Heidi must start on time. But they knew that the game was going to run long. What were they going to do?

What they wanted to do originally and wanted to do when the game was running long were two completely different things. At the point that Heidi was going to begin, many at the network thought that they should show the rest of the game until it was over. But, they had to inform the people in charge of this. Meanwhile, too many people were calling about the impending cut-off with some wondering if the game would be shown to the end and others wondering if Heidi would start on time. This caused numerous switch boards to jam and caused various communication problems for the people who were trying to work out the problem.

The Jets were winning the game when it came time for Heidi to start. Many executives were wanting to show the end of the game. But the communication problems caused this to not happen. With no way of making it clear that they wanted to show the rest of the game, the decision was made to cut off the end of the game and start Heidi on time. This caused outrage by many people. They wanted to know what happened with the rest of the game. And others thought that the game had ended with the Jets winning. But just what happened with the rest of the game?

There actually wasn’t much of the game left that was cut off. But, it was important enough to change the game. Described as one of the most exciting finishes in football history, the Raiders were able to pull a come from behind victory and win the game with the time they had left. And due to the cut-off, many people had no idea that this had happened. Those who weren’t on the Eastern and Central time zone got to see the rest of the game. But nearly half of the country didn’t see the final outcome.

Here’s more information about this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Game

Many people have gone to great lengths to insure that such an event would never happen again. It is unlikely that they would ever cut off the end of any sporting events again. Well, there have been reported cases of certain moments like this game happening after it. But those events are pretty rare and don’t happen too much. Although, I can remember a time when something like it happened

In the summer of 2014, for instance, I’m pretty sure that the East Coast feed of a golf event on CBS was moved to a cable channel while they started delayed problems. So we wouldn’t get to see the end of the game without that channel. I can’t remember for sure when it happened, but I clearly remember them saying that it would continue on CBS on the west coast and finishing airing on some cable channel for the rest of the east coast people. So it caused both tape delay and a preemption.

One of the things I’d like to know about tape delay is how it is resolved in the end. I mean, they can’t just keep things on delay and they never are on delay by the next day. So it makes me wonder how they catch up the time. What do they cut? Maybe I’ll find out someday, but I doubt that I’ll ever say up that late to see what happens. I need sleep.

Well, now you know why there is tape delay, although you probably knew it was something along the lines of having to show the end of the game. There are some times when the game is shown out of region, meaning in a place where neither teams play, where the game is cut short in the broadcast, but that typically only happens with an extreme scoring differences and an absolute fact that the losing team cannot possibly turn things around. That’s what I’ve heard about that, at least. But, now you know why you’ll see tape delay with sports events, although it can also happen with live news events as well. It all depends on the situation.

New Fall Shows: 2016 Part 2

Well, here we are back with part 2 of the reviews of new fall shows. We’ll see if any of them are good or bad. I might have to always split reviews of new shows into different parts now, although I’m honestly not entirely sure what will happen with that in the future. We’ll see.

There was something that I can’t believe I forgot to mention in part 1 of these reviews: what CBS shows replaced what other CBS shows. I know that is a weird thing to keep track of, but I might as well mention what replaced what from part 1. I just hope that I can remember to mention these things for part 2. Anyways, Kevin Can Wait replaced half of Supergirl, which moved to the CW, and the last season of Mike and Molly (also true of the other show that replaced the other half of Supergirl). MacGyver replaced The Amazing Race, only that show will return some time during midseason. Bull replaced Limitless and Person of Interest. Now to part 2 of the reviews:

Conviction: Show Description- This show is about people who work for the Conviction Integrity Unit, a place that works to make sure that people were not wrongly convicted. Behind the Scenes- Hayley Atwell, who was the star of Agent Carter, is a character on this show. Eddie Cahill, who was on CSI: New York, is another character on the show. My Thoughts- There is a time limit to doing the case that seems arbitrary. There are some flaws with the characters that don’t help the show. It isn’t a courtroom drama like some might want it to be. Despite that, the show is pretty interesting and good. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- The future of this show does not actually look that good so don’t expect it to last too long. Where to Find- On ABC at 10/9 Central on Mondays

Frequency: Show Description- A woman is somehow able to use a ham radio to talk to her father twenty years in the past. It replaces America’s Next Top Model (which is now on cable, or will be, at least) and The 100 (although that show will return). Behind the Scenes- This is a remake of a movie of the same name. My Thoughts- This show is pretty good on the consequences of changing time and stuff like that. I’m not sure if there is much bad about it just yet. I give it five out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I’d put it at a toss-up for now. Where to Find- On the CW at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays

No Tomorrow: Show Description- It’s hard to tell for sure what it is about. It seems to be about a woman who is being taught how to live by a person who thinks that the world is ending. But there is more to it than that. It replaces iZombie (for now, but that show will return) and Containment. Behind the Scenes- Like possibly everything on the CW, this is based on something else, in this case, a Brazilian TV series. My Thoughts- While it did have some interesting qualities, I didn’t like it enough. It seems that the characters are too flawed to like. I give it two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- While it will probably last a bit given the wimpyness of the network it’s on to offend what little fans they have, I doubt that it lasts too long. Where to Find- On the CW at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays

Pure Genius: Show Description- Based off of a true story, this show is about a genius who wants to help people with his hospital that he created. It replaces both CSI: Cyber and Rush Hour. Behind the Scenes- Dermot Mulroney, who was in Crisis, is a character on this show. Brenda Song, who was in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as well as Dads, is another character on the show. My Thoughts- I’ll admit, it probably falls to the same old format that most medical dramas fall into. But, I still feel that the show is good and interesting. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- This will probably not last. Where to Find- On CBS at 10/9 Central on Thursdays

Timeless: Show Description- A team of three people chase after a team of bad guys, both with different time machines. Behind the Scenes- This is at least the fourth show I know of that has aired after The Voice, which is a lead-in most shows would want. My Thoughts- The show seems interesting, although it also seems confusing as well. I guess that I’ll have to see more of it to know for sure, but I like it enough for now to keep watching. I give it four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- This is likely to last for a while as long as it airs after The Voice. Where to Find- On NBC at 10/9 Central on Mondays

Man with a Plan: Show Description- A man’s wife goes back to work leaving him to take over more as a househusband. On CBS, this replaces half of Supergirl. Behind the Scenes- Matt LeBlanc, who was in Friends, is the main character on this show. My Thoughts- This show was overall dull and pointless. There wasn’t too it in terms of quality. At least it isn’t too bad, but I don’t think that I will watch it again since there wasn’t much to it. I give it two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- This show might last a while, for now at least. Where to Find- On CBS at 8:30/7:30 Central on Mondays

The Great Indoors: Show Description- An outdoorsy person has to get used to a new job inside. This show replaces half of The Good Wife (the other half of The Good Wife being replaced by the returning Life in Pieces). Behind the Scenes- Joel McHale, who was in Community, is the lead of this show. My Thoughts- While it wasn't too bad, I didn't like it. For one, this loses points for attacking my generation. The cast seems to be too young and doesn’t exactly work that well. The show is not that good. Maybe there are some good things about it, but they are hard to find that easily. I give it two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- Since it airs after The Big Bang Theory, it will last for a while. Don’t expect it to end just yet. Where to Find- On CBS at 8:30/7:30 Central on Thursdays

New fall shows: American Housewife, Conviction, Designated Survivor, Notorious, Speechless, Bull, The Great Indoors, Kevin Can Wait, MacGyver, Man with a Plan, Pure Genius, Frequency, No Tomorrow, The Exorcist, Lethal Weapon, Pitch, Son of Zorn, The Good Place, Timeless, and This is Us.

Those shows I’m reviewing: Conviction, The Good Place, Notorious, Designated Survivor, Frequency, No Tomorrow, Kevin Can Wait, Man with a Plan, The Great Indoors, Bull, MacGyver, Pure Genius, Timeless, and Son of Zorn.

NCIS Franchise Speculation

I didn’t know when to do this blog post at first. I basically only thought of it to go with the post that I did on the CSI franchise. Now that Gary Glasberg has died, this might be something worth writing about to people who read this blog. I doubt that this franchise is doomed as of this writing, but you’ll never know what might happen. Here's my random thoughts about this.

Now you might be wondering: who is Gary Glasberg? What importance does he have to the NCIS universe? Well, he actually created the show- NCIS: New Orleans and was the third head writer of NCIS. When actors die during the shows they work on, there are always changes. The loss of the head writer for two of the shows could be interesting in terms of how it would affect the shows. You’d think that since he was writing for two different shows that he might have two different replacements on each show. For instance, you’d have to wonder why the same person would start writing for both shows especially considering how they are filmed in two different locations anyways.

There are numerous different things to speculate regarding the shows part of the NCIS universe. I don’t know if Gary’s death will ultimately affect either NCIS or NCIS: New Orleans in such a negative way that either would be in danger of cancellation in the future. Now the syndication gods will give NCIS: New Orleans a fourth season for sure and NCIS was already renewed for another season beyond what is currently airing. This means that only NCIS: Los Angeles might be in danger this season and we honestly don’t know if it will just yet. But that has a different showrunner named Shane Brennan, up until the most recently airing season, that is.

Shane Brennan might come back, for a moment at least, to be the showrunner of NCIS again. He might be the best choice as a transition person, if nothing else. I did notice that Brad Kern was the writer of a recent episode of NCIS: New Orleans. I know him from the show Charmed as he wrote a lot of its episodes and was its showrunner from seasons 3-8. He would make a good replacement for Gary Glasberg on NCIS: New Orleans. Who knows, if he stays long enough and is good enough, he could wind up creating a new series in the franchise. I just hope that this franchise doesn’t get done to death like the Chicago franchise on NBC. That has to be overcompensating for something.

Now I might as well get into less grim parts of this blog. What’s interesting about a connection between the shows is that the main director (or boss) of NCIS works on the main show. But what if the main show ended? Then where would the director be? What if the director needs replaced for one reason? Well, on NCIS: Los Angeles, there is an assistant director who works at the agency. Both are main characters on each of their shows. Does this mean that if the director dies in universe or is replaced for whatever reason that the assistant director from LA would then transfer to Washington where NCIS is set as the new main director? If NCIS: Los Angeles ended, would this mean that the assistant would help the team in New Orleans? Would the director move to New Orleans if the main show is to end? There could be a lot of different potential transfers in the unlikely event that any of these shows end. Well, any of them could end, but it just doesn’t seem likely for any right now or ever before now.

Some may wonder if franchises can actually end. Well, they probably can. Look at the CSI franchise. None of their shows are left and I’m not sure if any new one will ever be made. The franchise is going well for now, but it only takes one scheduling change to mess with the format and cause the ratings to fail for any of the shows. That’s what happened to the CSI franchise and why it is no longer on the air. But I doubt that anything could ruin the whole franchise for quite some time. It is a strong part of CBS and I just don’t think that they’d want to ruin it unless something else comes along. Most shows end, although a lot of shows last a long time, seemingly forever. Will this still be as strong as it was three years from now? Will all of these shows still be on?

Honestly, there is a lot more to wonder about Gary’s death affecting the franchise. At least NCIS: Los Angeles is certain to be unaffected by it. Mark Harmon is an executive producer for NCIS: New Orleans so you’ll have to wonder if that could affect him on the main NCIS for a while. At the very least, it might set up for an episode where Gibbs is in New Orleans. You might also wonder if they would do a new character on any show in memory of Gary. I’m also wondering what will happen to When Pigs Fly, the production company that Gary created. Surely someone else would continue using it, right? Or will it end and there be some other production company for future episodes? Would the production company just end?

Doing more research into the franchise, I learned that the original showrunner of NCIS: Los Angeles, Shane Brennan, has left the show (as showrunner at least) and has been replaced by R Scott Gemmill. I don’t know if that person has any link to the rest of the franchise or not. Will he help with either of the other shows? Meanwhile, Gary would have had it good if he had lived as he would have remained the showrunner of both NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans until around 2019. Granted, it’s possible that neither show would have lasted that long, but we do have to wonder who the new showrunner of each show will be. I may not post this until I find out for sure. Suggestions I have for new showrunners are James Whitmore Jr., Avery Drewe, Patricia H O’Hara, Jesse Stern, Mark Horowitz, Tony Wharmby, Chas. Floyd Johnson, John C Kelley, Terrence O’Hara, Arvin Brown, and Brad Kern, although I might like any of them. I honestly don’t know who of them all are still with at least the main show or if all of these people are in fact writers. I’d have to do more research. What will be weird is that by May, all of the shows in the franchise will have a new showrunner. His wife, Mimi Schmir, is also a screenwriter, but I’m not sure if she ever worked for the show or could have.

I’ve seem to have lost focus on this blog post. Honestly, though, I’m not sure what the original point or purpose of this post was. One can wonder if this franchise will continue lasting strong or not. I mean, some people didn’t actually like the direction of NCIS under Gary Glasberg. Some may wonder if the show will improve now. I personally wonder if any of the new showrunners will end up creating a new show in the franchise. I doubt that there will be a new installment as long as one of the current shows remains on the air. I mean, CBS doesn’t overcompensate with this franchise the way NBC does with the Chicago franchise. Well, they don’t know. In 2019, will all three shows still be on the air? It wouldn’t surprise me if only one of them were still on.

To wrap up this practically pointless blog post, I will say that the franchise will be changing for the rest of this season and we’ll see how this affects future seasons. I doubt that the franchise is doomed yet, but we’ll never know what the future might bring. Who knows? If there’s enough of a ratings drop this season, next season could be the last one for NCIS. But I still see the franchise going strong for a while more and I think that it’s likely we could still see new shows in it.

Fridays in Primetime Version 3

Fridays are the least competitive nights on television although there are some good shows out there. Viewers aren’t regular, but those that are and even those that aren’t, give the show these ratings. It only seems like CBS and the CW care about good programming on this night although it doesn’t always catch on. ABC handles the night best with stand alone episodes of reality shows and might actually care harder than the two networks I just mentioned. The CW shows The Vampire Diaries and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. CBS is showing Blue Bloods, MacGyver, and Hawaii Five-O. ABC shows 20/20, Last Man Standing, Dr. Ken, and Shark Tank. NBC shows Dateline. FOX shows mostly reality shows, shows that are ending, or shows that they don’t strongly care about. They show more than what I mentioned, but I’m mostly going with what I have seen. Beware that most of the shows come here to die and they are only here right now to enjoy them before they are gone, although some shows have thrived here since they have never really seen another night throughout most of their run.

Last Man Standing: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- My brother liked it at the time and the show I typically watched at the time was repeats. Description- This is a man-centric show about being a man with numerous women in your family. I’m not sure if there’s a better way of describing this show or not. Notable People- Tim Allen, known for his comedic work, various movies, and his time on Home Improvement is the main character on this show. Pros- It has been funny in the past. Cons- It can be sexist and otherwise demeaning. It is far too political. An actress was recast which typically isn’t a good sign for a show. As usual, the morals aren’t good. Note to Parents- I’m not sure if this is acceptable for kids or not. I’d lean towards not. Recommendation- I have no idea if you’d like it or not. If you do, then watch, if not, then don’t bother with it. Prediction- Toss-up: I’d say it might last longer but it’s just as likely that it will get cancelled. Reception: widely panned, yet somewhat more positive as it went along. Grade: D.

MacGyver: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- I typically always watch a CBS show once and I honestly wasn’t interested in anything else at this timeslot. Noteworthiness- This is a remake of a show by the same name. Description- This show is about a man who uses whatever he can to do cool spy things. There are also other people in the cast as needed. Notable People- George Eads, who was in CSI, plays a character on this show. Justin Hires, who was recently on the Rush Hour TV show, is another character. Pros- It has the same type of interesting quality that you’d see in spy dramas like it. Cons- It may seem a lot like the Limitless show, which is weird. I’ll admit that some of it seems predictable and cliché. Note to Parents- This has the standard amount of what would be considered objectionable to kids concerning sex and violence. Recommendation- I think that you should watch it as I think it is good. Prediction- It is doing good, for now, so we’ll see if it stays that way or not. Reception: generally negative. Grade: A. New review

The Vampire Diaries: Status- Currently on the CW at 8/7 Central on Fridays. 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. Note to Parents- Teens may like this but much younger shouldn’t watch. 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- It is officially on its final season right now and won’t last longer than that. Reception: mixed then positive. Grade: D+.

Dr. Ken: Status- Currently on ABC at 8:30/7:30 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- What I watched wasn’t on, so I watched this instead. Description- An actor who was once a doctor plays a doctor. There are other characters as needed. Notable People- Behind the Scenes- Ken Joeng, who was once on Community, is the star of this show. Pros- It gets good ratings. Cons- This show is terrible with bad acting, bad writing, and overall poor quality. I’m not sure if it has any redeeming values in the end. Note to Parents- I honestly don’t know what to put here. It could be good for kids, but I don’t know having only seen one episode. Recommendation- This is not worth anyone’s time so don’t watch it. Prediction- It is actually doing well in the ratings so it might last a while, or at the very least, into next season. Reception: very negative. Grade: F. New review

Shark Tank: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- I was flipping channels and stayed here because it seemed interesting. Description- A reality show where a group of rich sharks, as they’re called, decide whether or not to buy into a business of an entrepreneur. Pros- The segments are usually short and the decisions are interesting. It can be very intense. These are actually proceedings among people which makes it more real. Cons- You may not like their decisions. You might not watch unless you’re a regular viewer. Note to Parents- Mostly everything in this is acceptable for kids. Maybe some products pitched aren’t for kids, but most of the episodes are okay for younger audiences. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. I like it and you might but whether you should watch or not is up to you. Prediction- It will stay on as it gets good ratings on Fridays. I’m not sure what could end it, although it getting different people doing the deals might cause some problems. Reception: positive. Grade: B+.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Status- This show is on the CW at 9/8 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- I watched due to my promise to watch a new fall show on each network a season and the fact that this was the only new show on the CW during the fall last season. Description- A woman randomly moves to where her ex-boyfriend lives in hopes of winning him back. There’s more to the show as needed. Pros- There are some good parts about it. It can be funny at times. Cons- While this wasn’t bad, I didn’t like it. It was strange and didn’t seem to have much of a point to it. Note to Parents- Having only seen the pilot, there is not much advice to offer here. I’d say this is probably good for teen and preteens but not younger than that. It may be safe for some ages, but I wouldn’t think that. Recommendation- I’d pass on this. Mostly it’s a toss-up between good and bad, so I’ll pass. Prediction- I don’t think that it will last, but it just as easily could. I’ve been wrong about things before. Reception: positive. Grade: D.

Hawaii Five-0: Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- Devotion to the CBS network and curious about what the show is about. Noteworthiness- It is a remake of an old, popular show. It has already been sold into syndication. Description- An elite crime fighting team works in Hawaii to solve cases. Notable People- Alex O’Loughlin, known for his work on Moonlight, Three Rivers, and some movies, is McGarrett. Daniel Dae Kim, known for his work on Lost and other shows, is a cast member as well. Pros- This show is actually filmed where it set. It is an interesting drama. The bickering between the two leads is entertaining. Cons- Some of the methods the characters use to catch the perps are unethical. It is a remake, and thus could just be considered trying to reclaim what it once was. Note to Parents- I’d say maybe on this, although it is probably better to not let your kids watch this unless they are teenagers. Recommendation- Watch this if you have the time to. Prediction- It will last awhile. Reception: positive. Grade: B.

Dateline: Status- This is currently on NBC at 9/8 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- Nothing else on and it seemed interesting. Noteworthiness- It is the longest running primetime news show on NBC and sometimes airs multiple times in one week. Description- Pretty much an NBC version of 20/20. I don’t know which came out first. Pros- It can be interesting. Cons- It can only be interesting if you like it. I haven’t seen enough of it to find out how different it is from other networks versions of this show. They mostly only do murder mysteries from real life. Note to Parents- This show is gruesome a lot with what they show on it. They even promote it in a way that implies that the squeamish shouldn’t watch it. So you probably shouldn’t let your kids watch this. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. Prediction- It will last forever. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: A.

Blue Bloods: Status- This is currently on CBS at 10/9 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- It is on CBS. Nothing else good was on. Description- This is a cop show where the cops are related. It is set in New York City. Notable People- Pretty much everyone who works on the show is famous in some way. Tom Selleck from Magnum PI and movies, is present, but is not the main character. Donnie Walburg, who is in the band New Kids on the Block (I think) is a character as well. Pros- Something good exists on Friday nights for you to watch. A partial family aspect is added to the show which makes it more relatable. They rarely deal with murder and seem to deal with every sort of crime and problem that you might hear about in real life. Cons- The ways the officers catch and interrogate some of the suspects/criminals is unethical sometimes. It can be like a lot of other dramas. They have made some questionable off-camera choices regarding at least one actress who works on the show. Some episodes are better than others. There have been some episodes which use unfair stereotypes for villains. Note to Parents- This is better in terms of what is acceptable to show your kids. But, I’d still only let mostly teens and older watch. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. I like it. You might too. Prediction- It will stay around for a while. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: B-.

20/20: Status- This is currently on ABC at 10/9 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- It looks interesting, depending on the news story. Noteworthiness- It is the longest running primetime news show on ABC and the longest running ABC show in primetime at least. It premiered when Jimmy Carter was president. Description- This is an in-depth news show regarding issues relating to current events or just anything like a murder mystery. Pros- Can be quite interesting if you don’t watch anything else at that time. Cons- There’s a show like this on every network. Re-runs rarely exist. Some episodes are better than others. It can be hard to watch all the time. Note to Parents- If you typically let your kids watch the news, then this is something you can let them watch. Although, I’d honestly stay clear of letting most kids watch this as it is far too grim for him. Recommendation- I like it, but don’t watch it unless I know that I want to. Maybe you’ll like it or consider it a complete waste of time. Prediction- It will last forever unless something weird happens. Reception: currently positive, although the first episode was panned which lead to a retooling of the good show we know today. Grade: A.

Thursdays in Primetime Version 3

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 airs some popular dramas and an hour of comedies. CBS airs Thursday Night Football right now, something that they will now share with NBC for seemingly no good reason.ABC shows their popular TGIT night which are all dramas by Shonda Rhimes. FOX has a constantly changing lineup that I won’t bother to keep track of. The CW shows Supernatural and Legends of Tomorrow. 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 for the movies that will come out the next day. I have seen a lot of these shows so here’s my views on them:

Superstore: Status- Currently on NBC at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- My mother was originally interested in it, so I recorded it for her and watched it myself. Description- This is a comedy about people who work in a store and the adventures that ensue. Notable People- America Ferria from Ugly Betty is in the cast. She might have also created the show too. Pros- This show is interesting and different. Cons- There really isn’t much that this show offers. It can be weird. Note to Parents- This is probably the standard amount of what you’d expect in terms of what is acceptable or not for your kids to watch. Recommendation- It isn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t watch it again. Prediction- I say that it might last, but only given NBC’s general lack of comedies that they have to rely on. They need something, right? Reception: mixed/average. Grade: D. New review

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: Status- Currently on Thursdays at 8/7 Central on the CW. Why I’ve seen it- I had an obligation to watch one midseason replacement on the CW plus a general interest in the show. Noteworthiness- This is adapted from The Flash and Arrow TV shows using characters from them and from DC comics. It is set in the general Arrowverse. Description- A time master gets a team of people from our time to save the world from a threat in the future. Pros- I love this show and think that it is awesome. The plot is good and gripping. It is very interesting and keeps you coming back for more. Cons- It’s only potential problems are with its connections with other shows and it potentially dragging on too long. Note to Parents- This is probably the standard amount of objectionable material, although it doesn’t seem as focused on sex as some shows. Recommendation- You should watch this if you don’t already have more important commitments. Prediction- This will probably last for a while, if all goes well. The only thing against it is whether there are simply too many shows for it. Reception: mixed to positive. Grade: A. New review

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 to still be in production. 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 Good Place: Status- Currently on NBC at 8:30/7:30 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- In order to review this for another blog of mine, I watched it. Description- A comedy, a woman finds out that she is dead, but in the good place. The main problem: she’s not supposed to be there. Notable People- Ted Danson, who was in many shows in the past, among them Cheers, CSI, and CSI: Cyber, is a character on the show. Kristen Bell, who did many movies and Veronica Mars, is the main character. Pros- The show is different and interesting. It tries to keep religion out of it so as to not offend anyone. Cons- The idea of things going wrong with the good place in death is a bit hard to believe. It lacks a certain amount of charm that you would want it to have. It doesn’t seem as funny as it could be. Note to Parents- This is borderline is terms of what is acceptable to let your kids watch or not. Recommendation- I’d honestly just leave this is a toss-up for now at least. Prediction- It might last a while, but I’m not sure yet if it will last long. Reception: positive. Grade: C+. New review

Notorious: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- Basically, there was nothing else to watch at the timeslot when it first aired. Description- It’s hard to say for sure what it is about, but it appears to have many plots and has an overall focus on newsmakers. Notable People- Shonda Rhimes, who is known for many dramas, the most notable being Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder, helps make this show, although I’m not sure if she created it. Pros- The show is interesting and I hope that it can be good as it continues along. Cons- It seems to rely too much on sex as usual. It can also be hard to tell if these are people to root for or not. Note to Parents- I wouldn’t let your young ones watch this. Teens might be okay, but I’m not so sure about that compared to what you’d see on this show. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. I’ll watch it for now, but I wouldn’t be torn up over a cancellation. Prediction- I’m not sure that it will last that long right now. It only seems to be filing the gap until Scandal’s return anyways. Reception: negative. Grade: B-. New review

The Blacklist: Status- Currently on NBC at 10/9 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I don’t know why I started watching it, but it was probably because the promos made it look good or something like that. Description- Okay, I don’t really understand what this show is about yet. It’s intriguing enough that if you can’t tell what it is, you still might want to watch it to figure it out. Apparently it is about some law enforcement agency going after very dangerous criminals that are on something called the blacklist. Notable People- James Spader, from movies and other things I’m not familiar with, is a main character on the show. Pros- This show is very interesting and keeps you coming back time and time again. Cons- It can be hard to understand. The show is very violent and bloody. Recommendation- I’d say that you should probably watch it. Prediction- I think that it will stay a long time since it’s doing better than most NBC veteran shows. Reception: critically acclaimed. Grade: B.

A Hypothetical Speculation of this Blog’s Future

I know for an absolute fact that I will not be able to outlive television. Now I’m not trying to sound morbid or anything, but I do have to wonder what other TV junkies like me would if they wanted a replacement. I have no idea who could work as a replacement to this blog of mine and I honestly haven’t bothered to look. But many different things could change this blog.

I would like having a career in television, movies, or both. I’m not sure if that would even happen, though. I’d honestly rather be a TV critic, like a lot of this blog, but only getting paid for it. But if I ever do get a TV career, I could update this blog about me doing that.

While I would like someone else to blog about TV in the place of this blog, I honestly don’t know who would work. Maybe the blog would just end abruptly and no one else would be inspired to continue it. Maybe there would be someone who would like to continue this blog in their own way somehow. I just don’t know of many, if any, other TV junkies like me. Hopefully I can find someone at some point in time. Do you know of any other blogs about television besides this one? I should be more actively looking for other blogs.

A potential drawback of the future for me in terms of me watching television could be parenthood. While parenthood would be quite a good thing, there is no way that I’d still be able to watch the amount of television that I do and may have to phase out what I do watch. Of course, it’s unlikely that I have to worry about becoming a parent anytime soon. Since I don’t engage in hookup culture, it’s highly unlikely that I’ll randomly wind up with a child even nine months from now.

I’m honestly not sure of the point of this blog post anymore. I guess that it is this: if you like TV and want to write a blog about TV, let me know so I can start reading it. I don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon. But that doesn’t mean that something bad and unexpected could happen to me. Regardless of what happens, when I die, or what future this blog may have, I really hope that someone has the time and dedication that I do to blog about TV.

New Fall Shows: 2016 Part 1

Well, here we are at last with a new blog post with the new fall shows. Since I am now updating this blog on a more regular basis instead of sort of whenever (although, the whenever posts will still happen), I will need to write the corresponding posts. Here are the reviews of some of the fall shows that I have seen. I hope that you enjoy.

The Good Place: Show Description- A comedy, a woman finds out that she is dead, but in the good place. The main problem: she’s not supposed to be there. Behind the Scenes- Ted Danson, who was in many shows in the past, among them Cheers, Becker, CSI, and CSI: Cyber, is a character on the show. Kristen Bell, who did many movies and Veronica Mars, is the main character. My Thoughts- It can be hard to tell much about the show just starting out, although I do plan on keeping watching it for now. I didn’t expect much realism from it, but that’s to be expected from a work of fiction like this. I’m not sure that I care that much about that aspect. But I do think that it is interesting for now. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- It might last a while, but I’m not sure yet if it will last long. Where to Find- On NBC at 8:30/7:30 Central on Thursdays

Notorious: Show Description- It’s hard to say for sure what it is about, but it appears to have many plots and has an overall focus on newsmakers. Behind the Scenes- Shonda Rhimes, who is known for many dramas, the most notable being Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder, helps make this show, although I’m not sure if she created it. My Thoughts- Well, it seems to rely too much on sex as usual. It can also be hard to tell if these are people to root for or not. But, the show is interesting and I hope that it can be good as it continues along. I give it three stars out of five. Long Term Prospects- I’m not sure that it will last that long right now. Where to Find- On ABC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays

Designated Survivor: Show Description- Inspired by a real life situation, a cabinet member in the line of succession is taken to a secure place during the state of the union address to ensure that there would be a president if something bad were to happen. Well, in this show, something bad does happen and the designated survivor does become president. But there’s a lot more to the show than just that. Behind the Scenes- Keifer Sutherland, who was on 24 and Touch, is the main character, the new president. Kal Penn, who was on House, had roles on other TV shows, and even worked for the administration of a real president, is another character. Maggie Q, who was on Nikita, among other things, is another character. My Thoughts- This show may be too complicated for its own good. But, it is an interesting and gripping story. I give it four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- For now, it looks like this will stay around. Where to Find- On ABC at 10/9 Central on Wednesdays

Kevin Can Wait: Show Description- It seems to be about a man who just retired, or wanted to, at least, but it could be about any number of things that could evolve over time. Behind the Scenes- Kevin James, who was on King of Queens before starring in many movies, is the main character of this show. My Thoughts- I honestly don’t know yet if I’ll stick with this in the long term or not. While it isn’t that bad, it also isn’t that good either. It can be hard to tell the long term quality as of yet. I may watch it for now, but it could lose my interest as it could be too bloated with its cast. For now, I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- For now, it will get good ratings. Once it loses the lead-in of The Big Bang Theory, it may not be so lucky anymore. Where to Find- On CBS at 8:30/7:30 Central on Mondays

Bull: Show Description- This is about a jury consultant who helps with court cases. Behind the Scenes- Supposedly, this is inspired by something Dr. Phil did before he went into television. This stars Michael Weatherly, well known from NCIS, as the main character. My Thoughts- If this was Michael Weatherly’s way of separating himself NCIS, he could have done better as his character on this show is very similar to the one he played on NCIS. Outside of that, it seems like a pretty interesting show as you normally don’t see courtroom dramas from this perspective. I give it four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- With an NCIS lead-in, it’s unlikely that this fails any time soon. If it ever losses that in the future, then there could be problems. Where to Find- On CBS at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays

MacGyver: Show Description- This show is about a man who uses whatever he can to do cool spy things. There are also other people in the cast as needed. Behind the Scenes- This is a remake of a show by the same name. This also stars George Eads, who was in CSI. My Thoughts- I think that it is good. It may seem a lot like the Limitless show, which is weird. I have not seen the original version of this show, so I don’t know if it is better, worse, or the same quality compared to that. I’ll admit that some of it seems predictable and cliché, but it also has the same type of interesting quality that you’d see in spy dramas like it. Long Term Prospects- It is doing good, for now, so we’ll see if it stays that way or not. Where to Find- On CBS at 7/8 Central on Fridays

Son of Zorn: Show Description- It’s hard to tell some of what the show is about right off the bat. It seems to be about an animated man named Zorn and his family. The title would have you believe that it is about his son, but I think that it is more about Zorn. Behind the Scenes- Zorn is an animated character and there is some animation in this, but most of this is live action. Jason Sudeiks, from Saturday Night Live, is the voice of Zorn. My Thoughts- As expected from the promos, this show is weird. I’ll always find it strange when humans interact with animated characters as if there is nothing unusual about this. But, the show can actually be funny. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I honestly don’t know if this will last or not. I think that it is too soon to know for sure. But, it might have a good chance at that for now. Where to Find- On FOX at 8:30/7:30 Central on Sundays

New fall shows: American Housewife, Conviction, Designated Survivor, Notorious, Speechless, Bull, The Great Indoors, Kevin Can Wait, MacGyver, Man with a Plan, Pure Genius, Frequency, No Tomorrow, The Exorcist, Lethal Weapon, Pitch, Son of Zorn, The Good Place, Timeless, and This is Us.

Those shows I’m reviewing: Conviction, The Good Place, Notorious, Designated Survivor, Frequency, No Tomorrow, Kevin Can Wait, Man with a Plan, The Great Indoors, Bull, MacGyver, Pure Genius, Timeless, and Son of Zorn.

That’s it for part 1 of this review. We’ll see more in the future of the fall reviews. Stay tuned for part 2 where you will see the reviews for Conviction, Frequency, No Tomorrow, Pure Genius, Timeless, Man with a Plan, and The Great Indoors. I’ll be back in the future with more new fall shows. I don’t know when that will be just yet, but it will be soon. To be continued…