Tuesday, August 30, 2016

A Look Back at My Fantasy Schedule for the 2016-2017 TV Season

Boy, I've been doing a lot of this blog. I'm surprised that I've been able to finish all of these updates for you. Now I have a bunch of random posts written and I might have to do them if other things aren't done in time. I can only hope that I can just keep doing updates over and over again. I will mostly be scaling back to just weekly updates on Saturdays and occasional random updates on other days. There will not be anything linked to me watching Survivor in a while. I will let you know if there are any major changes in this blog, but I'm kind of getting tired of updating it. Have I ever done this many posts in a month before?

Remember when I posted a fantasy schedule for what I thought the next season of TV would look like? Well, I’m back with a look back at that schedule. What did I get right? What did I get wrong? And what crazy things are the networks doing? We’ll see what some of what I thought happened versus what actually did happen the next season.

ABC: What I got right- I was right thinking that a new show would air after Dancing with the Stars. I was right thinking that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be moved back an hour so that they would have two hours of comedies on Tuesdays. I was right with all of the comedy predictions as to what would stay and what would go. I was right thinking that a new show would air on Wednesdays at 9. I was right with a lot of the predictions of what would air at different timeslots as most of them didn’t change. I was right thinking that a lot of the obscure summer shows would be cancelled (even though it wasn’t actually official in any way).

ABC: What I got wrong- I believe that I am wrong about Repeat after Me coming back. I’m probably wrong about Bachelor in Paradise getting cancelled. It appears that I thought that Uncle Buck wouldn’t air at all. I made no prediction about The Catch. I was wrong predicting that a new show would air at 8 on Sundays. I thought that Secrets and Lies would be a summer show instead of waiting to air during the fall. I didn’t know that Scandal would be moved to midseason and a new show would air in its place. I got a lot of the timeslots wrong with comedies such and not knowing when some would move to or when the two new ones would air.

CBS: What I got right- While I was wrong about the timeslot, I was right thinking that NCIS: Los Angeles would be moved to Sundays. I was right predicting that there would be a new comedy on Monday at 7:30. I was right thinking that there would be any comedies on Monday. I was right predicting that a new comedy would air on Thursdays after The Big Bang Theory. I was right predicting the cancellations of CSI: Cyber, Rush Hour, and Person of Interest. (I was right about a lot of other cancellations, but most of the others had already been announced.) I was right thinking that a new show would air on 9 on Thursdays. I was right thinking that Undercover Boss would once again be at midseason. I was right thinking that around two new dramas would air at midseason. I was right thinking that The Odd Couple would finally air during the fall season.

CBS: What I got wrong- I switched the timeslots of Madam Secretary and NCIS: Los Angeles. I was wrong predicting the cancellation of Code Black and the renewal of Limitless. I did not have the Amazing Race at midseason or Hawaii Five-0 at the fall season. I was wrong thinking that any comedies, new or old, would be at midseason (methinks this means that we’ll see a cut of the number of comedies sometime into the season). I was wrong thinking that the CSI franchise would have a new installment so soon. I was wrong thinking that Supergirl would still be on CBS in this next season. I did not have enough new dramas on the schedule for the fall. I made no predictions with Thursday Night Football, although I had no idea that it would be teamed up with NBC. I didn’t know that there would be two hours of comedies on Mondays or that Scorpion’s timeslot would be moved back as a result. I guessed all of the returning comedies’ timeslots wrong, except for some of The Big Bang Theory.

CW: What I got right- I was right thinking that a new show would air after The Flash. I was right thinking that The 100 and iZombie would both air at midseason. While I was technically wrong about a new show airing at 7 on Mondays, it is technically new to the network. I was right predicting the timeslots of Jane the Virgin, The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supernatural. I was right thinking that only one new show would be at midseason. While none of them were officially cancelled, I was right thinking that none of the new summer shows last season would return this season.

CW: What I got wrong- I was wrong thinking that anything new would air during the summer on this network, although a new version of MadTV did return. I had no idea that Supergirl would move to this network. I was wrong thinking that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend would be at midseason. I was wrong thinking that The Originals would air during the fall. I got Supernatural’s timeslot wrong.

FOX: What I got right- I was right thinking that new shit would air during the summer. I was right when I said that there would be more new shows than they needed. I was right thinking that a new animated comedy would air after The Simpsons. Except for Sleepy Hollow, I was right with all of the shows that I thought would be cancelled getting cancelled.

FOX: What I got wrong- There was a whole lot that I got wrong. I didn’t know when they’d air the shortened final season of Bones. I got many airdate predictions wrong such as thinking that the new 24 would air during the summer this season. I only thought that one new thing would air during the summer part of the schedule, it seems. I was wrong thinking that Grandfathered would return. In fact, there was so much that I was wrong about, I’m not going to bother listing any more. This network has started acting too much like a cable network, which has actually hurt its ratings a lot.

NBC: What I got right- While I got the exact name wrong, I was right thinking that Chicago Justice would air at midseason sometime. While I was wrong about it being a new show, I’m probably right thinking that a crappy reality show will air at 7 on Fridays. I mean, why are there so many shows that are just airing lame stuff from online? Why not just go to www.youtube.com and type in “some sort of stupid video” and watch all the results that play? I was right about most of the regular shows being at midseason as normal. I was right thinking that a new comedy would air after Superstore. I was right thinking that only one hour of comedy would air during the fall.

NBC: What I got wrong- Once again, I got a plethora of things wrong that it would be hard to list them all and, instead, I’m just listing the most notable mistakes. I misplaced the hour of comedies. I made the mistake of both thinking that Emerald City would air during the summer and that it would be cancelled shortly thereafter. (I still don’t know if I’ll be right about its inevitable cancellation, although if it’s as good as I hope it is, then I don’t want it to be cancelled. Sadly, it probably will be as it has nothing going for it.) I was wrong about the show I Can Do That being brought back this summer (although it was renewed before they gave it the shaft). I was wrong thinking that Get Out Alive and Running Wild would be cancelled. I failed at predicting various timeslots throughout the season.


Well, I feel that I did better at this the first time, although that list had its own flaws as well. I could never get the list of a network right, unless I owned the network myself. While that is one of my many dreams, I just don’t see that ever happening. Besides, even after announcing a schedule, there tends to be something different on at least one network by the time the fall actually rolls around. I guess that we will see if anything I was wrong about changes again.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Late Night Shows Version 2

A while ago, I did somewhat lame reviews of late night shows. Now, I’m coming back with better, full-fledged reviews of these shows. It makes sense to do this now that a lot of the hosts are different now. I haven’t seen Conan at all so that show won’t be reviewed. As for the others, I might as well do better reviews than last time. Conan O’Brien is the longest lasting of the current late night hosts, provided you factor in his hiatus from hosting after the Tonight Show conflict. Since David Letterman’s record counted with a hiatus of his own, then he’s probably the longest lasting, even if some shows have technically been on the air longer than his current show. But now that I’m done mentioning him and his show that I’m unable to see, I might as well get to the reviews of these shows.

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon: Status- Currently on NBC at 11:35/10:35 Central weeknights. Why I’ve seen it- I was a fan of Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night. Noteworthiness- This is a continuation of the long running Tonight Show franchise with its sixth or seventh host depending on if one counts Jay Leno twice. This is considered more technologically advanced than some other late night talk shows due to how viewers can affect it. Description- Jimmy Fallon hosts a late night talk show. Notable People- This host is now Jimmy Fallon who was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live before he had an ill fated attempt at a film career. Afterwards, he hosted Late Night for a while and then ultimately moved up an hour to this show. Pros- It is pretty much the same great show that he hosted on Late Night only it’s the Tonight Show instead. If you liked him before, then you’ll like him now. Cons- Some of the bits are pointless and go on for too long. It can be overall scattered throughout an episode. Note to Parents- The episodes are typically TV14 and I can’t think of any exceptions to that. Recommendation- This show is pretty good and you might want to watch it if you don’t already have plans late at night. Prediction- I’d say that Jimmy Fallon will be here for a while. I don’t know who might replace him when he or the network decides that he should leave, but it would either be Seth Meyers or some notable SNL alumni. Reception: generally positive. Grade: A-.

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Status- Currently on ABC at 11:35/10:35 Central weeknights. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it and looking for an alternative to David Letterman’s show at the time. Noteworthiness- After David Letterman’s retirement, this show is the longest running late night show out of those still on the air, beating out Last Call with Carson Daley. It should be noted that this is not the longest tenured of the current late night hosts. That would be Conan O’Brian. He has two part monologues sometimes which can be interesting. The show used to air a half hour later, after Nightline. Sometimes, there have been primetime reruns and specials of this show. It used to be live at one point, but they changed it so that it is only live on occasion. Description- This is a late night talk show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Pros- The show is always funny and interesting. Cons- It can be pretty pointless from time to time. Not all of it works or makes sense. Note to Parent- Some teens may like some of the bits, but people younger than that probably shouldn’t watch this show. That’s not even taking the late air time into consideration. Recommendation- I’d say that you should probably watch this. Prediction- This is likely to stay on the air as long as Jimmy Kimmel wants to keep working as a late night host. I don’t know who might replace him once he leaves, whenever that is. Reception: good. Grade: A.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Status- Currently on CBS at 11:35/10:35 Central weeknights. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it, I typically watch new late night shows, and I typically watch every show on CBS at least once. Noteworthiness- This version of the Late Show is only the second incarnation of it with its first replacement host after David Letterman, the original host, left. Description- Stephen Colbert hosts a mostly standard late night talk show. Notable People- Stephen Colbert, formerly a fake newscaster who did The Colbert Report, is the host of this show. Pros- He doesn’t limit himself to a certain type of guest. It most certainly has the type of weirdness that you would come and expect from late night talk shows. A lot of the fake news aspects of his old show remain on this one. Cons- He can be a bit over the top sometimes. The monologue is shorter than one would like. It seems like they are trying to put too much into a single episode each night. There seems to be too many guests in one night. Note to Parents- This is the only late night show that I can think of that has a regular TVPG rating. Keep that in mind should your kids be up that late. Recommendation- I say that he’s ultimately a good host in the end and worth a watch. Prediction- If I had to venture a guess, I’d have to say that Stephen Colbert will probably be here for at least a decade, probably longer. I don’t know who might replace him when he wants to leave. It would possibly be James Corden, although I’m not sure where CBS would plan to go with that in the future. Reception: very positive. Grade: A.

Saturday Night Live: Status- Currently on NBC at 11:30/10:30 Central on Saturdays. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it. Noteworthiness- The idea for this show started all the way back in the Johnny Carson era of the Tonight Show. When he decided to scale back his hosting duties before he ultimately retired, a late night slot grew open and they decided to put a live variety show on Saturday nights.  This show has been on since the 1970s. Description- A celebrity host joins an ensemble cast in hosting a sketch show. Pros- The show is quite funny and interesting. It always tackles current events. A lot of it becomes popular online. Cons- The cast is always changing, even during a season still on the air. Sometimes the writing is off. Each episode tends to have a worthless sketch. The hosts can be bad at times. Various controversies have arisen partly due to it being live. Note to Parents- Teens and older can watch, but you probably shouldn’t let most younger people tune in. Recommendation- I’d say that this is probably worth it, possibly depending on your sleep schedule. Prediction- The death of its creator Lorne Michaels could cause a bad enough change to cancel it. I’m not sure what else would potentially end the show, although it could be any number of things. Reception: great. Grade: B-.

Late Night with Seth Meyers: Status- This NBC show airs weeknights at 12:30/11:30 Central or a bit later. Based on your time zone, it technically actually airs early in the mornings on Tuesdays through Saturdays, although most people up that late forget that midnight is officially the start of the next day. Why I’ve seen it- I watch most late night shows at least once. Noteworthiness- Late Night has its fourth host with Seth Meyers. This show has been on for a long time, mostly to air after the Tonight Show as another late night talk show. Description- Seth Meyers hosts a late night talk show. Notable People- Seth Meyers had a long tenure on Saturday Night Live and was once the longest tenured person still in the cast. He was the Weekend Update anchor for longer than anyone else on the show (although he did once share his duties with both Amy Poehler and Cecily Strong, over the course of his time there). Fred Armistan, from Saturday Night Live and Portlandia is the bandleader and sidekick, even though you won’t always see him on the show. Pros- He seems to be a pretty good host of Late Night. His jokes and other bits work for the most part. Cons- Some parts of it can be stupid like the stuff that Fred Armistan makes up. Not all of it makes sense. The politics of the show can be dumb. Note to Parents- Like most late night shows, I’d say teens can watch, but not younger aged people. Recommendation- I’d say that this is a pretty good show to watch, although I would rather watch James Corden’s show. Prediction- The show gets good ratings so it is likely that they keep Seth Meyers as a host. Now, NBC has been known for the hugely moronic decisions in late night talk shows, so we’ll see if they keep him or not. He is likely to be replaced by another alumni of Saturday Night Live (one who might not have even started working on the show yet) whenever he leaves. Reception: mixed then positive. Grade: C-.

Nightline: Status- Currently on ABC after Jimmy Kimmel Live starting at around 12:25/11:35 Central. Why I’ve seen it- It originally aired before Jimmy Kimmel Live and when I wasn’t interested in watching The Late Show with David Letterman, I watched this before that show started. Noteworthiness- This has been on the air since the Iran hostage crisis. It predates the airing of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Description- This is basically a national news show on the events of the preceding day. Pros- The show is good at mentioning important current events. It keeps people updated on what is going on in the world. Cons- With its new time slot, it is likely to lose viewers to late night talk shows. A lot of what they cover can be considered mundane and unimportant. Note to Parents- If you typically let your kids watch the news, then you can let them watch this show. If you don’t, then I wouldn’t let them watch this. Remember that the news can be gruesome. Recommendation- I honestly don’t know what to put here. There are other good shows on at the time that this airs. But it is a good show to watch so I would say that it is worth watching if you are up that late and don’t like the competition that is has. Prediction- With it having been on since the 70s, it is tempting to say that it would last forever. However, it probably will last forever unless ABC would rather air another late night show after Jimmy Kimmel. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: B-.

The Late Late Show with James Cordon: Status- Currently on CBS at 12:35/11:35 Central on weeknights. Why I’ve seen it- I watch every CBS and late night show at least once. Noteworthiness- This is the fourth regular host in the Late Late Show franchise replacing Craig Ferguson and a bunch of guest hosts. This show has been on the air for a while with different hosts. Description- British comedian James Cordon hosts a late night talk show. What makes his a bit different is that all of the guests are typically out at once instead of one at a time. Pros- It’s very funny and very good. The show works for the most part. Cons- Some of what they do is utterly pointless and stupid, particularly with the sidekick Reggie Watts. Note to Parents- It might be more acceptable to some ages than other shows, but I’d say that most kids shouldn’t watch this. Recommendation- I recommend it if you don’t care about lack of sleep by staying up so late. Prediction- I think that James Cordon will probably stay for as long as he wants to. When he does leave, I have no idea who might replace him. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: A+.


Last Call with Carson Daley: Status- This is currently on NBC at 1:35/12:35 Central on Tuesdays through Saturdays (since midnight is when a new day begins). Why I’ve seen it- It was on? I don’t really have a good answer here. Noteworthiness- This is the latest airing new show on a regular basis on network television. Description- Carson Daley does an unusually formatted show of some sort. Notable People- Carson Daley, who also hosts The Voice, is the host of this show. I’m guessing that many of the people on it are notable as well. Pros- There is something new to watch this late at night. Cons- Nothing about it is interesting or worth watching. Note to Parents- Well, remembering how late this airs is enough reason to not let your kids watch it, although I don’t know whether or not it is good for kids since I haven’t really seen that much of it. Recommendation- If this show is on, turn off your TV and go to bed. Prediction- Carson Daley could easily get screwed out of hosting this show, although it’s possible he never will. I don’t if it would continue with a new host should Carson Daley leave for one reason or another. If there were a new host for this, hopefully it would be a much better show then. Reception: negative. Grade: F.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

A Look Back at My 2015-2016 Cancellation Predictions

Once again, I'm stealing a day away from my Survivor blog and now have gone two weeks without updating it. I hope that they'll understand when I am able to update it again. Now I have only one more Survivor: Palau episode to roll which means that I would mostly be updating on just Saturdays in this blog. Of course, there would still be other blog posts on other random days. I don't think that I have updated this blog so much in a single month before. With my luck, I'll probably roll the last Survivor: Palau episode a week from now preempting that blog from being updated for three weeks in a row. But we'll see what happens and I need to finish working on more posts for this blog, making sure that the right one is written.

Before the last TV season started, I predicted what shows would be cancelled from each network. Now, I’m going to do a look back at these predictions. You can access the archive to look at these previous predictions. I wonder how well I did, if I did well at all, that is.

I got a whole lot right, which is surprising in a way. A lot of them were just random guesses or going off of nothing more than just its title. Some of them were easier to see than others. A lot of them probably should have been a prediction but weren’t. But I might as well tell you what I picked as cancelled that was and what I didn’t pick as cancelled that was. I’m going to ignore as always the stuff that I said might be cancelled that wasn’t as that’s not something that I count as wrong.

What I got right: Blood and Oil, Beauty and the Beast, Of Kings and Prophets, Marvel’s Agent Carter, Galavant, Nashville *, Castle, Angel from Hell, Rush Hour, Limitless, The Good Wife, CSI: Cyber, Person of Interest, Containment, America’s Next Top Model *, Bordertown, Grandfathered, The Grinder, Second Chance, Minority Report, American Idol, Truth be Told, Heroes Reborn, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Uncle Buck, You, Me, and the End of the World, Crowded, Game of Silence, The Mysteries of Laura, Undateable, World’s Funniest **

Blood and Oil: It’s hard to tell how I knew that this was going to be cancelled. It does have a terrible timeslot for ABC shows. How I knew that it was getting cancelled is hard to tell, but I got it right and that’s all that matters.

Of Kings and Prophets: There were enough production problems with the show that I knew it would probably not be successful. It was easy to pick as something that would end. I’m not sure based on what little aired whether or not I would have liked it to last longer. Besides, with a limited amount they could even do with the show, it might not have lasted into a second season anyways even if it was a success with viewers. Sadly, the rest of the episodes never aired, in the US at least.

Marvel’s Agent Carter: It didn’t make sense to renew it the last time so I figured that unless something changed with the ratings that it would probably get cancelled. Well, the ratings didn’t improve so it won’t be back for a season 3. Hopefully it being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe means that its cliffhanger ending will be resolved in some way.

Galavant: This show had an illogical renewal the previous season (one that the show even mentioned in the title of its second season premiere) that it was pretty much a good bet thinking that it would be cancelled. While it will return in theatre, it will not return to TV and that is what counts.

Nashville: It only got this fourth season because it was close to syndication having three full seasons last year. The low ratings kept up and thus it was easy to see this as being cancelled. It will live for future seasons on cable after what might be the rare successful fan campaign to save a show.

Castle: This show was constantly on the bubble and yet stayed for many years. Then it came time to either cancel the show or continue it without two of the major characters who had always been there. So it seemed to be a lose/lose situation towards the end so they probably angered a lot less people by ending the show. Of course, they could have ended it better.

Angel from Hell: It was delayed to midseason for practically no good reason other than to possibly have Jane Lynch as host of the People’s Choice Awards. Stuff like that nearly always kills a show. In fact, if you can think of delays ever being a good thing, then let me know as I have never known these shows to last a second season.

Rush Hour: I still don’t know if midseason on CBS still equals cancelled or not. It doesn’t seem to be the well known rule anymore. But, it still happens more often than not, as is the case of this show. Plus, adaptations from movies to television tend to not work in the long run.

Limitless: Most people probably wouldn’t have had this as cancelled throughout the season. I guessed that it might be beforehand, but then I was surprised when it actually was. Movie to TV show adaptations don’t always work and that’s why I had this listed as cancelled originally.

The Good Wife: This was always on the bubble for as long as I’ve known it to be a show. Bubble shows can stay around a long time, but they will eventually end at some point. The show seemed like it was running out of steam to many people. With the creators leaving for a potential eighth season, it seemed as if the fate of the show was pretty much sealed.

CSI: Cyber: There was so much against the show throughout the season that some had to wonder if it had any chance of renewal. But with the worst timeslot possible, terrible reviews, and pretty low ratings, its fate as cancelled seemed pretty much sealed. The one question left is whether or not the franchise will return ever or if that too is done with.

Person of Interest: A random downgrade to midseason raised many red flags for most people including me. It was on hiatus for almost a whole year and it was on its final season officially when it returned for an early summer burn-off. If only CBS owned the show, then it wouldn’t have gotten this shabby treatment from that network. At least it went out on a high note.

Containment: Poor shows on the CW that premiere too late are just doomed from the very start to have a meaningless existence throughout most of the summer season. I don’t know if I should have watched this or not. It is another in a long line of midseason replacements that just didn’t last on the CW, but surprisingly aired every episode.

America’s Next Top Model: I figured that the CW network hasn’t cared about this show for quite some time and would eventually get rid of it. Now the show was picked up by VH1 for future seasons, but this was after airing what was officially a series finale on the CW. So even though the show will continue, it was cancelled on the CW and I was right about it.

Beauty and the Beast: A lowly rated show like this one was going to end eventually and it did. Normally I don’t track summer shows, but one as derided as this one has to be coming to an end at some point. A show cannot be this hated and keep staying on the air.

Bordertown: When a show keeps getting delayed for one reason or another, that’s a bad thing and you can tell that it is probably going to get cancelled sooner rather than later. This was scheduled to air last season at some point, but it didn’t ultimately air until this year. When it aired, it didn’t get good reviews or ratings so they cancelled it by the end of the season.

Grandfathered: I thought that this show would be bad and I was right. I just don’t see what good thing it had to offer. It didn’t do well in the ratings and it seems that FOX was doing good with what comedies it already has. To me, it just wasn’t too hard to see this as being a failure.

The Grinder: While I was wrong about this show actually being bad as what little I ended up seeing of it was quite good, I was right in thinking that it would be cancelled by the end of the season. It’s sad that it didn’t last longer, but at least I was right about its cancellation.

Second Chance: Under its original name, I didn’t have high hopes for it. While I did like the show, outside of the ending with bad implications, there was too much against it throughout the season and it appears that it never did that well with reviewers either. There was no second chance for this show.

Minority Report: While some shows can actually last while being a remake like Hawaii Five-0 and the American version of The Office, most of them don’t last. This show was good while it lasted and I was able to see a lot of it passed when it aired due to being behind of the tapes I did of it (since I wasn’t able to see it when it first aired or shortly thereafter). Its episode order was cut and it can be a bit funny that it took them a day after the other cancellations were announced in May for them to remember to make its cancellation official. Guess they forgot about it.

American Idol: I’ll admit that if I didn’t know in advance that this would be ending this season, I’d never would have guessed that it would actually end. But, thankfully, the show did end finally. Plus, it didn’t really have much to offer FOX except scheduling problems with other shows.

Truth be Told: I think that under its original name alone I didn’t have high hopes for it and it had the episode order cut and production officially shut down before the year even ended. There were not high hopes for this show as it went along and I was right thinking that it wouldn’t work.

Heroes Reborn: When a show is brought back, sometimes it just doesn’t last long term. In fact, I’m not sure what outside of Family Guy has lasted long after being brought back from cancellation. Sometimes it’s just in and out. Kinda like sex sometimes, I hear. Anyways, it didn’t have long term plans, although it would have if it actually did well in ratings.

Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris: There was never any long term plans for this show based on my understanding of it, although I’m sure that it would have if it actually did well in the ratings. There could have been improvements on the show, but they appeared to never do much to change the format. I still liked it, even though I couldn’t watch it towards the end of its run.

You, Me, and the Apocalypse: Having never bothered to see the show, I don’t know if it was lame or it. I couldn’t tell if this was trying to be like The Last Man on Earth or not. I don’t even know the genre this was. Whatever the reason for its cancellation, I was right thinking that it would happen long before it even aired and I would have known what it was about.

Crowded: Based on nothing but its name, I figured that it wouldn’t last. Sure, I got the name slightly wrong when I posted it (I thought it was Crowned instead of Crowded for some odd reason), but that shouldn’t matter too much. The point is that it was a lame comedy that didn’t last as you would hope that most lame comedies don’t.

Game of Silence: This one was predicted as cancelled by me simply due to its possible bad title. It looked interesting, but I never actually watched it to know for sure. In a way, I’m glad that I never got into it since it would have just ended anyways.

The Mysteries of Laura: My local reviewer hated this show. That’s all I pretty much got out of this show as I never actually saw it. It might have been an illogical renewal for another season and like the plot of Final Destination 2 (I think, although I honestly have no idea, not having seen any of these movies), it couldn’t cheat death twice.

Undateable: I didn’t know if this show had anything going for it into its third season and thought that them doing all live shows was a potential ratings stint. While I did end up watching it for the first time this season, it didn’t do well in the ratings and didn’t even air all season. While I was sad to see it go, it made complete since to me from the very beginning of the season that it might not last.

Uncle Buck: While this didn’t air until the summer, I didn’t have high hopes for it. The promos made it look bad and they aired it twice in one day. Obviously, they didn’t care much for this show as it was cancelled, even though you won’t see it mentioned again until next season’s cancelled post.

World’s Funniest: You might be wondering what the two asterisks up above meant. One means that a show was cancelled, but will continue airing on a different network. Two means that a show was cancelled, but not officially. In this case, it wasn’t among the shows listed as renewed for next season, although I’m guessing that it could reappear again like Rules of Engagement did for what ended up being its final season. That typically means that a show is cancelled, even though they clearly don’t expect you to know or remember that this show existed in the first place.

What I got wrong: The Family, The Muppets, Wicked City, Supergirl *, The Player, Heartbeat, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, Telenovela, Houdini and Doyle, American Grit **, Repeat after Me **, Coach

The Family: Knowing nothing about this show other than its name, I had it listed as not cancelled. While it was a great show outside of its stupid lack of an ending (answer questions, damn it!), I had no idea going into the season that it would actually end at the end of it.

The Muppets: I thought that this reboot would be a hit going into the season. There were tons of people who hated it, although I wasn’t one of them. I’m not exactly sure why it wasn’t a hit or why there were problems backstage (real problems with real people, not the likes you’d see on The Muppet Show). The show didn’t work out and I had no idea going into the season.

Wicked City: I had no way of knowing before the season started just how the show would be screwed. It was originally planned for midseason, but was pushed up to late fall after creative differences delayed the planned start of the show Of Kings and Prophets, which would also get cancelled. This delay was dumb as you’d think that this show would be ready and that they’d have time to promote it to air earlier in the fall. So after some of Beyond the Tank and mostly using encore programming, ABC started airing this show much later than they should have and, of course, it failed to obtain good ratings and was cancelled. It was the first official cancellation of the season, although four other series had episode orders cut and were effectively cancelled long this had even started airing. Of course, I had no way of knowing that any of this would happen before the season started, nor did I know what a terrible plot this show would have so I didn’t know in advance that this show would be cancelled.

Supergirl: Some people, myself included, may question whether or not this show was cancelled. I can’t tell if the network change was more due to convenience for both networks (more so for CBS) or because CBS had cancelled the show and it moved to the CW network because it wouldn’t continue otherwise. The point is, while I might have been wrong by saying that it would not be cancelled, it will continue anyways so I might not actually be wrong, if that makes sense.

The Player: Once again, I didn’t know much about it before the season started so I thought that it would be safe. But it wasn’t. It was cut down to nine episodes and the network actually had the balls to admit that it was cancelled before the year ended instead of May like other networks. I still don’t know for sure what the show was about, just that it didn’t resolve what little plot it had.

Heartbeat: Had I been paying attention, I would have included this show on my cancelation prediction list. Here’s what I mean by that: At one point on one of the schedules that I had, it was mentioned as being on part of the fall schedule. A later schedule had no mention of it on the fall schedule. This should have been a red flag for me as shows that are delayed are almost never brought back for a season 2, if they are ever aired in the first place. But I wasn’t paying attention and I missed it.

Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life: I thought that this show would last. If I had known the cast, I would have known that Lisa Lapira was in this and she hasn’t had a successful show since leaving NCIS. I really hope that things change for her as I like her a lot as an actress.

Coach: This poor show never even got to air after being ordered straight to series. It’s always sad that some shows never even air when they were originally planned to. Let’s have a moment of silence. I SAID SILENCE! Okay, you can stop being silent. I never had any reason to think that there would be something against the show, but it was cancelled although I didn’t have any guess ahead of time that this would happen. One can never be right 100% of the time.

Telenovela: Okay, this one wasn’t my fault. There was no advanced warning that this show would exist this season when I made my predictions. Thus, I couldn’t have been able to predict that it would be cancelled as I wouldn’t have known about it being a show. Sadly, I still got it wrong as it would’ve had to have been renewed before I could make a prediction about it.

Houdini and Doyle: This one was delayed until late into the main season that it is probably best described as a summer show. Shows that get delayed that long for no reason don’t last. I never saw this show, although I might have been interested in this at one point. It didn’t work for me to watch it. The point is, I thought that it would last, but it didn’t.

American Grit: Here’s another show that I didn’t know was going to air before the season started. And while it technically wasn’t cancelled, I don’t think that it is appearing on TV again with new episodes. I was all set and ready to watch this, but then decided against it as it would have taken up too much of my time. I’ll admit that it could probably make a surprise reappearance in the future a la Secrets and Lies, but it wasn’t renewed for the next season and that basically means that it was cancelled even if the network never has the balls to tell anyone this.

Repeat after Me: I know that this show didn’t even air this last season and I didn’t know if it was renewed or not for the upcoming season. I had it listed as safe by not mentioning that it would be cancelled. Now it wasn’t cancelled, but I don’t think that it is airing again.

Before we get on to the meaningless last paragraph of this blog post, I might as well mention Better Late Than Never, which I have predicted as not cancelled. Well, this show basically aired its first episode yesterday so they delayed it pretty freaking long for no good reason, it seems. I now think that it will be cancelled, although I’m honestly not sure. As for its eventually airing, it was better late than never. If it does get cancelled, then I would have been wrong, although I honestly forgot if I mentioned it on the cancellation predictions for next season or not.


This is all of this blog post. I really need to buckle down and work more on these blog posts for the future, especially if I’m going to keep doing one every Saturday, which is the plan. There are at least two more that need published before the next season starts (one is written, the next planned one isn’t finished just yet) and I’ll have to do more posts to keep up with my own demands. Between work, sleep, TV, reading, writing this and other blogs, and whatever else I do in life, I’m a pretty busy man. I just need to keep writing blog posts and hope that people keep reading them.

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Cancelled Shows 2015-2016

Well, it's taken quite a while to do all the research and stuff necessary to post this blog post. This is probably the most work that I put into a blog post each year so I hope that you enjoy it. Also, the last three shows mentioned in the other cancelled shows portions were shows that I just looked up recently to confirm whether or not they still exist, which they don't. Anyways, on to the blog post!

As I do every year, I would like to post my thoughts and reviews on the cancelled shows from the previous TV season. Remember as always that the summer shows from 2016 will be posted in next year’s post, although I might double post some of them here. Some shows are also never actually cancelled officially so that explains why I have some of them listed that might not otherwise be mentioned anywhere else but my blog. Summer shows from last year that are cancelled or weren’t brought back will be mentioned in this blog. Any summer shows cancelled from this season will probably be in next season's cancelled shows post, although you might see it posted twice.

Undateable: Why I’ve seen it- I had a dream about it so decided to start watching it. Noteworthiness- This is the first primetime drama to go live for every episode, which it was for this season. This is also based off of some sort of book. Description- While it was a bit hard for sure to tell what the show is about, it seemed to be about people who couldn’t really find dates, although maybe they had gotten past that point by the time that I decided to start watching. It is probably best described as a group of friends who hang out at a bar type of show. Notable People- One of the actresses from Rules of Engagement was in this show. Pros- The cast is good and the show is quite funny a lot. There’s more good to it with the plots as well. Cons- Some say that it was better before it went live, although I don’t know if that’s true or not as I hadn’t seen the show then. I will say that the live format lead to some goofs in the show. Note to Parents- This is kind of acceptable, although there may be the usual stuff that would worry you. Recommendation- I like this show and would watch it again. Cancellation reasons- It got low ratings that didn’t improve with the revamping of the show, so it was cancelled. Once again, the longest running NBC comedy was cancelled. NBC’s longest running comedy is now The Carmichael Show. Similar shows- The Big Bang Theory and New Girl. DVD suggestion- I would buy it if you can. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.

American Idol: Why I’ve seen it- My family originally liked it. Noteworthiness- It is very popular with some people, at one point being the most watched show on television, unless you don’t count reality shows like it. It was also voted by people at www.tvseriesfinale.com the runner-up of what long running show should be cancelled. The judges are famous, no matter who they are. Far enough in the game, you can vote as many times as you like for who you want to win. Description- This is a reality competition where we vote for our favorite singer. Pros- We get to choose the outcomes at some point. The bad people early on can be funny for us. Inside jokes are present a lot. Cons- The voting system, where you can vote as often as you like for whoever you want, is seriously flawed. Most contestants are never heard from again even after winning the show. We are always going to dislike some of the judges’ and voters’ decisions on who should win. Note to Parents- This show is all over the place with whether or not kids can watch as the earlier ones in the season tend to have lots of swearing but there is nothing bad in the episodes where one can vote. So make your own decision with that. Recommendation- I don’t like it. Watch it at your own risk. I’d say that you should avoid it. Cancellation reasons- I honestly don’t know why they cancelled it. It seems like a surprise and illogical cancellation to me. Maybe it was over a worry of declining quality more so than declining viewership. Similar shows- The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance? DVD suggestion- I don’t think that they would release this show to DVD. Well, parts of it are released, but I don’t think a whole season would be. If they do release it, don’t bother buying it. Reception: mixed then positive. Grade: F.

Bordertown: Why I’ve seen it- It first aired with a show that I normally watch. Description- This is an adult animated cartoon about people that live near the Mexican border and how a white family and Mexican family interact with each other. It mostly focuses on race relations. Notable People- The creator of this show has worked on Family Guy and still might. Also, Hank Azaria from The Simpsons is also on this show. Pros- The show is interesting and what you would expect from a FOX animated comedy. Cons- It can be dull and relies on stereotypes too much. Note to Parents- Like all FOX shows, a teenager can watch this, but any younger age is best avoided. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. You aren’t missing anything by missing it and you probably wouldn’t hate it if you watched it. Cancellation reasons- Low ratings as usual got the best of it. Similar shows- Family Guy, Last Man Standing, The Real O’Neals, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Life in Pieces, Mom, and 2 Broke Girls. DVD suggestion- I’d put this as a toss-up. Reception: mixed to negative. Grade: C.

Live with Kelly and Michael: Why I’ve seen it- I honestly can’t remember why I started watching it, although it was probably just because of how others in my family had seen it. Description- Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan cohost a morning talk show that is live on the east coast at least. Notable People- Kelly Ripa, former soap opera star, is on the show as the longer tenured of the two hosts. She remains a cohost now. Michael Strahan, former sports player, current sports commentator, and now a full time cohost of Good Morning America, is the more recent regular cohost. He is the one who left. Pros- The show is quite interesting with Kelly’s bubbly personality. It is fun to watch and has interesting guests. Cons- The format isn’t that good, as it has a really long first segment and then various other shorter segments. Note to Parents- This would typically air when your kids are at school. If they are off, then it might be something that they could watch, although there tends to be minor sex stuff in it from time to time. Recommendation- I’d say that you should watch it if you either have time for it in the morning or you are awake when it airs. Special Note- This show isn’t technically over. Michael Strahan has left the show and it will continue with just Kelly as a host until they find a new cohost by on air auditions. There were various and conflicting reasons as to why Michael left the show. It was mostly just so that he could spend time doing other things although possible rumors of tension between him and Kelly are also possible reasons why he left. So the show is continuing without him and just Kelly now which I why I have it mentioned on the cancelled shows. It remains on air syndicated in the various morning hours of the day on various networks throughout the country. Similar shows- Live with Kelly (the same version of this show now without Michael), The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DVD suggestion- This won’t be on DVD so you won’t be able to watch it. If it was released, it would be worth getting. Reception: positive. Grade: B.

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?: Why I’ve seen it- I forget why I first watched it in its original run. It was probably because I found the show idea to be interesting. I watched it after it returned to TV because I liked the original version and not much has changed. Noteworthiness- The show was originally in primetime before, but then moved to syndication for a while. After a hiatus from new episodes, the show has returned this summer. Description- This is a game show where adults compete with the help of real fifth graders to answer questions found in actual grade school textbooks. Notable People- Jeff Foxworthy, a well-known redneck comedian, formerly of Blue Collar TV, is the host of the show. Pros- The show is quite interesting to watch. It is funny seeing adults fail at basic questions. Cons- The show seems to have a set format which can make things, like whether or not someone succeeds in the show, predictable when it airs. Some of what happens can be mean to the contestants. Not all of it seems far. Note to Parents- This is pretty much acceptable for kids. After all, they would allow pretty much all of this show for fifth graders. Recommendation- I think that this is a good show to watch. Special Note- This wasn’t actually cancelled officially, but it was on the summer schedule last season and didn’t return for this season so it is probably cancelled. It could return for new episodes sometime like it has in the past. But it is over for now even though they didn’t cancel it the second time. Similar shows- Jeopardy and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? DVD suggestion- This probably won’t be on DVD since I don’t think that game shows are put on DVD. If it were, then it would be something I’d consider buying. Reception: positive. Grade: B.

Angel from Hell: Why I’ve seen it- I typically watch a CBS show at least. Description- A woman is guided by a different woman who may or may not be a guardian angel. Notable People- Jane Lynch, formerly of Glee and current host of Hollywood Game Night, is the so called guardian angel. Pros- The show is different. Cons- The show wasn’t really good. It failed to stand out as quality entertainment. Note to Parents- I have no idea what to put here. I’d say that it might be questionable, but I don’t care enough to know. Recommendation- I would not watch it again, although it wasn’t that bad. I’d say that you should probably pass with this one. Cancellation reasons- Despite having higher overall ratings than 2 Broke Girls (which aired in the same timeslot and wasn’t cancelled), the ratings for this show just wasn’t good enough. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- It won’t be on DVD, but you shouldn’t buy it anyways. Reception: average/mixed. Grade: D. It mostly aired during the hiatus of Survivor so it doesn’t have a real replacement. It would if it wasn’t pulled so close to when it started airing.

Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life: Why I’ve seen it- It was originally paired with a show that I normally watch. Description- It’s hard to tell what this show is about. From what I understand, it is the misadventures of Cooper Barrett and his friends. Notable People- Liza Lapira, who was in NCIS, Dollhouse, Traffic Light, Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23, Super Fun Night, and Battle Creek, is a character in this show. Pros- It can be interesting and fun to watch. Small parts are funny. Cons- The show can be weird and not make sense. Note to Parents- Since this is a FOX comedy, it might be best to avoid letting your kids watch this. Teenagers should be okay, but not much younger than that. Recommendation- I’d say that you can watch it if you want to. It doesn’t really stand out as either good or bad. Cancellation reasons- The ratings were terrible so they got rid of it. Similar shows: New Girl, Jane the Virgin, and The Last Man on Earth. DVD suggestion- It might be nice to own and I might get it if it were released, but I doubt that it would be. Reception: average/mixed. Grade: B-.

The Astronaut’s Wives Club: Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it. Noteworthiness- This show is based on historical events so it has a true story angle to it. It is also based off of a book. Description- This show is about the wives of various astronauts, set in the 1960s. Notable People- The show also stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who, before she was married, starred on the show Reba, before going on to have important roles on other shows like Better with You, Animal Practice, and Privileged. Pros- The show is interesting and pretty informative. Cons- I don’t know what spoilers one could learn about this show by looking up the history about it. I don’t know what of it is accurate. Note to Parents- I can’t remember there being anything objectionable in it regarding whether or not kids should watch it. Maybe there was in some places, but I don’t think it was bad for kids. Recommendation- I say that this is good to watch. I’d recommend it to people to watch. Cancellation reasons- It was low rated and that was pretty much the main reason. Besides that, the creator admitted that it was never supposed to last beyond its original planned run it had. Similar shows- Fresh Off the Boat and The Goldbergs. DVD suggestion- I’d say that you should probably buy them, that is, if they are ever released in the first place. Reception: mixed. Grade: A.

The Briefcase: Why I’ve seen it- As expected, this was watched by me because it was a CBS show. Description- This is a reality show. Two families are given a briefcase full of money and they have to decide whether or not to keep all the money, give all the money away, or a combination of the two. What they don’t realize at first is that there is another family making the same decision and they are deciding whether or not to share money with each other. Pros- I find this show to be pretty interesting as it shows the more human side of people. Cons- There are problems that could be caused with families since there are always two people on each family that have to make decisions and it could cause them to have big disagreements. Many have criticized this for taking advantage of the less fortunate. Note to Parents- Sometimes questionable stuff for kids show up. I’m not sure what to say since this is the typical primetime show in terms of material. Recommendation- I believe that the show is pretty good and can lead to nice decisions so you should watch it. Cancellation reasons- The backlash regarding this show was so bad that many were petitioning it to be cancelled. Despite that, it was the typical low ratings that got the best of it. Similar shows- DVD suggestion- none. This won’t be on DVD. If it were, it might be an interesting buy. Reception: overwhelmingly negative. Grade: B. It doesn’t really have a replacement as it aired during the gap between the end of Survivor and the beginning of Big Brother.

Extant
: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it would be interesting, plus my devotion to the CBS network. Description- It is hard to tell what this show is about, but it’s a science fiction show that involves aliens and a pregnancy of a human by an alien. There are also side stories with robots as this is a show set in the future. Notable People- Haley Berry, who is famous for movies, is the star of the show. Grace Gummer, who is one of Meryl Streep’s daughters (and famous in her own right) is a character on the show. Pros- The storyline of what they have told us is pretty good. It is interesting. Cons- With an unexplained mystery behind the show, it can be hard to tell what the real point of it is. There was a cliffhanger ending. Note to Parents- There’s enough in here that your kids should avoid watching, although there’s not as much as there otherwise could be. Recommendation- I say that you should probably watch it. Cancellation reasons- Low ratings were the cause as usual. Similar shows- BrainDead, Jane the Virgin, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Supernatural, The 100, and iZombie. DVD suggestion- I’d put this at a toss-up. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: B. With it being a summer show, it won’t be have a typical replacement. American Gothic is taking over its summer timeslot.

The Family: Why I’ve seen it- I thought it would be interesting based on the promos for it. I generally like missing person dramas. Description- A family’s life is turned upside down when a person claiming to have been a missing boy they thought was murdered shows up. But is he who he claims to be? Notable People- Joan Allen was in this show, although I can’t think of how she was famous easily in this review. Pros- This show is pretty good and interesting with its gripping storyline and interesting characters. Cons- The show is too mysterious for its own good. Various plots were not resolved in the end. Note to Parents- This is too gruesome for kids as the main part of it focused on kidnapping and rape. There was also a lot of sex in there. Recommendation- I did like it at a point, but after its bad ending, I won’t be watching it again. Cancellation reasons- The ratings were terrible as was its timeslot so it was cancelled as a result. Similar shows- Law and Order: SVU, Blindspot, Scandal, and Reign. DVD suggestion- This would have been something I’d recommended, if it had resolution to the story. It won’t be on DVD anyways. If only the story were resolved, then I would recommend it. Reception: mixed. Grade: C+.

Community: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that I would like it. Noteworthiness- It was cancelled by NBC but revived by Yahoo Screen. Description- This show is about the random adventures of a group of friends at a community college. Pros- The show is quite interesting and funny. Cons- It can be random and weird at times. Note to Parents- I’d say that this is borderline on whether or not your kids should watch this. Normally it is okay and good to watch for preteens and older. Recommendation- I suggest that people watch it. Cancellation reasons- It didn’t do that well online and most of the cast went away to other projects. There still might be a movie in the future due to the motto of the show being six seasons and a movie. Special Note- There might be some sort of possibility that it wasn’t cancelled and will continue making new episodes. I don’t think that will happen, though. Also, it technically aired sometime last season and not this season so this is another late cancellation notice. Similar shows- The Simpsons, Family Guy, and The Big Bang Theory. DVD suggestion- Yes, get the DVDs of this show. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: A.

Original review of Community with possibly outdated information: Community: Why I’ve seen it- It got my interest and the show I normally watched was showing a rerun. Description- This is a show about people at a community college and what unusual things happen there. Pros- The show is pretty interesting and not the type of thing typically shown on television. Cons- It’s hard to understand all of it and missing out on the earlier seasons make it feel like you missed out on something good. Recommendation- I’d say that you should watch it. Cancellation reasons- The network loved to screw with it so when that caused the ratings to suffer, they cancelled the show because of it. Similar shows- The Simpsons and Family Guy. DVD suggestion- I’d say that you should probably get them. If you can get only one cancelled show from NBC on DVD, then this should be the one. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: B. UPDATE: While still cancelled by NBC, there will be new episodes airing online. I hope that this doesn’t affect the DVD releases and it will still be available to buy on DVD. It won’t be free online. It was free on TV since every show on network television is. My DVD recommendation stays the same, however, even if you can’t end up buying the sixth season. The strangeness about this cancellation might change my rule of only one cancelled show per season per network so that I can get the two great cancelled shows from NBC next season that I know that I would want. (Those shows are Parks and Recreation as well as Parenthood, which you will read more about in the next season’s cancellation blog post.)

Mike & Molly: Why I’ve seen it- Curious about the show, plus my devotion to CBS. Description- An overweight couple finds romance with each other although the show evolved past that. Notable People- Chuck Lorre, creator of The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, is not the creator, but he is an executive producer and probably helps with a lot of the episodes. Billy Gardel from Monopoly’s Millionaire Club is the main actor. Melissa McCarthy from various movies is the main actress. Pros- Finally a love story for fat people. The characters that you know are going to be together actually get together. A lot of it is Emmy material. Cons- The acting and writing could use some work. About half of it is complete crap. Expect for the leads, the cast is mostly worthless. Note to Parents- This probably has the standard amount of stuff that you’d find objectionable. Recommendation- You can watch it if you want to. It’s better than nothing although it isn’t all that good. Cancellation reasons- There were different factors involved in the show’s cancellation. For one, the network hasn’t cared about it for a while by always delaying it until midseason. Then a problem happened when Melissa McCarthy got famous for her movies. Ultimately, there would have been too much wrangling in potential future contracts for a new season so they cancelled the show as it wouldn’t have aired before a decision to renew the contracts of the cast members could be made. Similar shows- The Carmichael Show, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Last Man Standing, The Real O’Neals, Black-ish, Life in Pieces, and Mom. DVD suggestion- I’d pass on this one. It wasn’t really as good as it could have been. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: C-. It was replaced by both Kevin Can Wait and Man with a Plan as it aired for one hour when it ended.

Under the Dome:  Why I’ve seen it- I like the CBS network and nothing else was really on during the summer. Noteworthiness- This is based off of a book by Stephen King. He helps with this show. This was first pitched to the Showtime network which passed on it and gave it to CBS. Description- For some odd reason, a dome traps people in a small town underneath it. Notable People- Dean Norris, from Breaking Bad, is on the show. There are probably others. Pros- The show is interesting science fiction. It keeps you into the show. The secret lives of the characters are pretty good storytelling. The mystery of the show is gripping. Cons- A lot of people don’t like it. It seems to drag on without a real purpose to it. I don’t think that they ever explained what they needed to. One wonders what the point of it is in the end. The ending was incredibly stupid. Note to Parents- Kids should definitely not watch this although teenagers might be okay. I think that they aired a content advisory warning before most shows. Recommendation- I use to like the show and would have recommended it at one point, but it is now dead to me after its terrible ending. Cancellation reasons- This show got too low ratings as it went on. Similar shows- Grimm, Blindspot, BrainDead, Lucifer, Scream Queens, Sleepy Hollow, Wayward Pines, Supernatural, The 100, and The Vampire Diaries. DVD suggestion- I might have suggested this at one point, but then the show was affectively dead to me after its terrible series finale. Reception: mixed. Grade: B+. BrainDead was the next summer show that aired in its old timeslot so that can be considered the main replacement.

Nashville: Why I’ve seen it- When Code Black was replaced by Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders for the rest of the season, I sought something new at that timeslot, so I started watching this. I was always interested in this, but never started watching until this year. Description- This show is similar to soap operas in a way as it is about various cast members who work in the country music industry. Notable People- Hayden Panettiere, who was in movies and has a music career, is a character on the show. Pros- The show is interesting. Cons- There is too much sex involved in it. Note to Parents- This is possibly okay for teens, but not for kids. Recommendation- I’d watch it if you can. Special Note- While this show was cancelled by ABC, a fan campaign to bring it back was actually successful and it will move to the network CMT as well as Hulu. So it will continue for future seasons, but not on network television anymore. Similar shows- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Reign, The Voice, The Catch, The Bachelor, Grey’s Anatomy, Jane the Virgin, and The Bachelorette. DVD suggestion- I’ll probably get it, but I don’t know yet if I will. I say that others should get it too. Reception: highly positive. Grade: B-.

Limitless: Why I’ve seen it- It aired on CBS and I always tend to watch a CBS show at least once. It looked interesting too. Noteworthiness- This is based off of a movie called Limitless and set in the same world that it is. It also shares a character from the movie who has a recurring role in the show played by movie star Bradley Cooper. Description- This show is about a person who uses a mysterious drug and helps the FBI with different cases. Notable People- Hill Harper, who was on CSI: New York, was a character on this show as well. Pros- The show is quite likable. It can be funny at times. It is interesting and good. The last episode was good and seemed to wrap everything up. Cons- With it being another in a line of informant works for law enforcement shows, you can sort of see it being predictable. It can be weird. Note to Parents- This is kind of objectionable in some places. It depends on what you’d normally find offensive in a show or not. I don’t think it’s as bad as others. Recommendation- I would say that you should watch it if you still can as it was good. Cancellation reasons- Honestly, the cancellation came as a surprise as it seemed to be in a good position all season. I guess the network wanted other shows instead of this one. Similar shows- Elementary, The Big Bang Theory, Scorpion, and Blindspot. DVD suggestion- If this show is ever released on DVD, it would be a good thing to get, but I just don’t know if it would be released. Reception: mostly mixed. Grade: A. It was replaced for a while by some of the last season of Person of Interest and will ultimately be replaced by Bull.

The Meredith Viera Show: Why I’ve seen it- It worked out well for me to see it at the time that it aired in my region. Description- This, simply put, is a talk show hosted by Meredith Viera. Notable People- Meredith Viera was previously on The Today Show and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Pros- This show might appeal to the more everyman type of person. Cons- A lot of daytime talk shows run the risk of being too bland for one reason or another. This show falls prey to that. It seems too boring and uninteresting focusing mostly on lame topics instead of something that will keep a person coming back all the time. Note to Parents- I haven’t seen enough of it to make a judgment call as to whether or not kids can watch it. It is probably okay for them, but I honestly don’t know. Recommendation- I would pass on this show. I found it dull and uninteresting. Cancellation reasons- The ratings must have been too low or something like that. Similar show: Rachel Ray. DVD suggestion- There won’t be DVDs, not that it would be any good anyways. Reception: mixed. Grade: F.

Rookie Blue: Why I’ve seen it- There was nothing else to watch during the summer at the time so I watched this. Noteworthiness- This is a Canadian show that airs sometimes in America. Description- A bunch of rookie cops (or, at least they were rookies when the show started) solve a bunch of cases. Pros- The show gives you something different to watch on TV sometimes. Cons- It’s hard to know when this is on making it easy to miss. Note to Parents- There’s enough in here that’s objectionable for kids to watch, although teenagers and older probably can. Recommendation- This show is pretty good and you should watch it. Cancellation reasons- I’m not entirely sure why it was cancelled. I think that they wanted to end it so they did. Low ratings probably had something to do with it as well. Similar show: Quantico. DVD suggestion- I would get the show myself, but only if there were room for it on my wish list. Reception: mixed. Grade: B.

The Player: Why I’ve seen it- I basically watched it as my normal show wasn’t back on yet due to Thursday Night Football. Description- It’s hard for me to explain what the show is about. From what I can tell, it steals a bit of plot from a Liam Neeson action movie by having a person team up with other people to help fight against various bad guys while looking for his wife or ex-wife who may or may not be dead. Notable People- Wesley Snipes, who was in movies, is a character on the show. Pros- It keeps the cast small for a change and keeps you interested. Cons- It didn’t have much of a plot and what plot it did have wasn’t resolved. Notes to Parents- This has the standard objectionable material in it, such as sex and violence. Recommendation- I honestly don’t know what to put here. I didn’t like it much after the lack of an ending. Cancellation reasons- The ratings were terrible and they cut back the number of episodes that it originally had ordered. They made the cancellation official later. Similar shows- The Blacklist, Shades of Blue, Gotham, Scorpion, The Amazing Race, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. DVD suggestion- It won’t be on DVD and I wouldn’t get it after the ending. Reception: fairly negative. Grade: C.

The Grinder: Why I’ve seen it- This was a last minute addition to my schedule as it worked for me to watch it. Description- A TV lawyer works with a real lawyer in different cases. It’s a comedy. Notable People- Rob Lowe, who was in Parks and Recreation as well as various movies, was a character on the show. Pros- The show is funny and quite interesting. Cons- It seems that there could be more to it than there is. Notes to Parents- I haven’t seen much of it to know for sure, but I’d have to say that this is probably mostly okay. Recommendation- I would watch it and wish that I was watching it sooner than I did. Cancellation reasons- While it might not make as much sense to some people, it was mostly just FOX wanting to keep other comedies over this. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I’m not sure if it will be out or not, but I would recommend it if it is. Reception: highly positive. Grade: B.

Rush Hour: Why I’ve seen it- It’s a CBS show and I normally always watch a CBS show. Noteworthiness- This is based off of a movie series of the same name starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Description- Based on the movie series of the same name, this show is about a black cop and Asian cop who team up to fight crime. It is mostly drama, but part comedy. There are differences between this and the movie series such as different characters used besides the main one. Pros- I’d say that it’s enough different from the movie that it doesn’t just seem like a carbon copy of this. It seems interesting and funny. Cons- It seemed like they could do better in some places and put more into the show than they did. Notes to Parents- This probably has the standard amount of violence that you’d expect in a show. There was some sex, but not too much. Recommendation- I think that others can watch this. Cancellation reasons- It premiered too late, and thus, failed to find an audience. Similar shows- Hawaii Five-0, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. DVD suggestion- I would buy it, but it won’t be released. Reception: mixed to negative. Grade: B+. It will be replaced by Pure Genius.

Grandfathered: Why I’ve seen it- It worked for me to see it once as none of my regular shows were on except the comedy that this is paired with. Description- A lady’s man learns that he has a son and granddaughter. Notable People- This stars John Stamos who is mostly known, to me at least, from being in Full House. Pros- This is different. Cons- It has the bad smut that’s all too common on TV these days. Note to Parents- The cons section mentions what you need to know about this show. Recommendation- Don’t watch this. It’s bad. Cancellation reasons- It mostly struggled in the ratings so they got rid of it. Similar shows- Dr. Ken, Last Man Standing, The Real O’Neals, Modern Family, Jane the Virgin, Mom, Life in Pieces, 2 Broke Girls, The Carmichael Show, and Family Guy. DVD suggestion- This won’t be on DVD, although it wouldn’t be worth getting anyways. Reception: positive. Grade: F.

Unforgettable: Why I’ve seen it- I watch all shows on CBS at least once and that was the network that originally aired this show. Description- A woman who can’t forget anything helps people solve crimes. Pros- The show is interesting. Cons- The show isn’t much different from other shows like it. I don’t think that they ever resolved the storyline they once had. Recommendation- I don’t know what to put here, especially now that the show is cancelled. It is good, but maybe not good enough to watch long term. Cancellation reasons- It was pretty much low ratings. Plus, it had survived two previous cancellations by CBS so the third one by A & E was not the charm. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I’d probably pass on them. Reception: mixed. Grade: C.

Review of Unforgettable after its second cancelation by CBS probably containing outdated information: 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.

Review of Unforgettable after its first cancelation by CBS which probably contains outdated information: Unforgettable: 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.

Of Kings and Prophets: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it might be good. Noteworthiness- This is based off of the story of David and Saul from the Old Testament. Description- Similar to AD, this is a show based off of the bible, this time on the story of David and Saul from 1 & 2 Samuel. Pros- The show isn’t the usual type of show. It is an interesting show despite it adding to the story. Cons- I’m not sure when the show focused on stuff that was actually in the bible, but I haven’t read that part of it yet to know for sure if it did focus on that or not. Meanwhile, it is rather violent with its content and is not something the whole family should watch (should your family still have young kids in it, that is). Note to Parents- As stated in the cons section, the show is very violent and required a viewer discretion is advised warning. There was also sex in it and it can be as violent as the story in the bible is written. Recommendation- I honestly don’t know a good recommendation for it as it didn’t last long enough for me to form long term thoughts about it. Cancellation reasons- There were production problems that prevented this from airing in the fall as originally planned. Now production problems are never a good thing. They didn’t even air the rest of the episodes (in the US at least). The ratings were terrible and a lot of people that it was targeted for were against the show. Similar shows: Modern Family, Jane the Virgin, Reign, Scandal, and The Blacklist. DVD suggestion- I honestly don’t know what to put here, even in the rare event that it is released on DVD. Reception: mostly negative. Grade: C-.

The Island: Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it. Noteworthiness- This is adapted off of British show of the same name with around the exact same premise. Description- A reality show, the Island is about a bunch of men who are isolated on an island while seeing if they can form a society. There’s not a competition aspect to it. Pros- The show stays interesting since it shows real people with important things to do. Cons- It wasn’t supposed to have eliminations, but people seem to keep going out every episode. It could be scripted with no possible penalty to be faced if it is. Note to Parents- The only problem seemed to be real world violence. Recommendation- I thought that it was pretty good to watch for the short time that it lasted. Cancellation reasons- Actually, this show wasn’t cancelled officially, but when a summer show doesn’t come back the next year, that means that the show is cancelled even if it is never made official. There was little interest or investment in the show so they got rid of it. Ratings weren’t good either. Similar shows- Survivor and The Amazing Race. DVD suggestion- I doubt that this would be on DVD, but it might be a good buy if it is. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: C.

The Muppets: Why I’ve seen it- I like the Muppets. Noteworthiness- This is the third regular TV series that I remember the Muppets, or these particular Muppets, starring in. Description- Basically put, this is a half hour mockumentary about the Muppets. Notable People- Bill Prady, who co-created The Big Bang Theory, is a creator of this version of the show. Most of the regular Muppet voices are here as usual. Pros- This show is the good type of humor that you’d expect from the Muppets. Everything that you’d love about the Muppets is in here. Cons- I’m not sure if the format of this works as well as it could. It had a bit of a cliffhanger ending, although that could always be resolved with the next Muppet movie. Recommendation- I’d say that you should watch it if you can because I like it. Cancellation reasons- There were numerous problems with the people who made the show and the original showrunner was replaced midway through the season. Enough people didn’t like the show for it to do well. The ratings were bad, despite it doing better in the ratings than the show that replaced it and was renewed for a second season. The Muppets will endure, just not on TV for the moment. Similar shows- Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, and Modern Family. DVD suggestion- I would recommend buying the DVDs if this ever is released to viewers. Reception: somewhat favorable. Grade: A.
                                                                                     
The Good Wife: Why I’ve seen it- It was mostly due to a dream implying that I should watch it. It fit with my schedule more following the cancellation of The Forgotten. Description- It originally started with an arrest of a public office holder in Chicago and revealed that he had an affair on his wife. The show, however, is about his wife and her journeys as a lawyer as well as other cast members. It is set in Chicago. Notable People- Juliana Margulies, from ER and other shows, is the lead character Alicia. Others might be present. Pros- It is an interesting show with a recurring storyline. It stays as best as possible with Democrats by neither downplaying them nor making them the best. It is a good courtroom drama at times. The editing is great. Cons- You’ll be confused watching it without knowing the recurring storyline. It is a weird blend of fiction and reality and can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. It can be very confusing with its plots. A whole episode can go by without you understanding what happened in the episode. Christianity has a weird representation which is seemingly from the views of non-Christians. It is very subtle and hard to catch some things in the show. If it weren’t set in Chicago, the courtroom aspect would be even more unrealistic than it already is. A lot of people didn’t like the ending. Note to Parents- I would steer clear of letting young people watch it. Maybe teens could, but not any younger than that. Recommendation- Watch this if you have a chance too. Cancellation reasons- This show was always on the bubble so they finally got rid of it despite it actually having decent ratings still. The showrunners were on their way out, so they probably wanted to end it on their terms instead of some other writer’s. Similar shows- BrainDead, Reign, Madam Secretary, Jane the Virgin, and Scandal. DVD suggestion- I would get it if you can. I know that I’ll probably get it. Reception: positive then a bit more critical. Grade: B-. This show will be replaced by two comedies: the returning Life in Pieces and the new show The Great Indoors.

Note about blog: http://adamdeckergoodwifetvshow.blogspot.com/ I have a blog about The Good Wife. Now that the show is over, you might be wondering what I’m going to do with this blog. Well, I’m not actually going to end the blog. I’m going to continue posting it with cast updates regarding where people from that show are now. That will include reviews of shows that they are on. I will do my best to update all of that information in that blog and this blog. I thought that I would tell you about this as it will affect this blog. Keep an eye up in the notable people section as any required review of mine for that blog will mention a major actor, actress, or the creators of The Good Wife.

Boom: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it would be interesting and what I wanted to watch wasn’t coming in. Description- A game show, Boom is about people trying to cut the right answers to questions to avoid exploding a sort of bomb. This show is based off of a foreign game show. Pros- I like that people are playing as a team and you get more than one mistake that you can make. The show is quick and informative. Not much is obvious in the edit. Cons- Promos can give stuff away. It is a problem that you can’t walk out with your total earning prior to the final question with the toughest bomb. Note to Parents- I don’t remember there being anything objectionable for kids in this show. Maybe some of the questions were bad, but I think that this is okay for them. Recommendation- I like the show and think that others should watch it. Cancellation reasons- This wasn’t cancelled officially. Despite doing well enough in the ratings, it wasn’t enough of a hit to be brought back the next summer, thus signifying its unofficial end. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- It would be nice on DVD, even though it probably won’t be released on DVD. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.

Second Chance: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it would be interesting. Description- A dead man is brought back to life in order to help save someone’s life while trying to figure out the mysterious circumstances regarding his death and help solve other crimes as well. Pros- The show is interesting and different enough. Cons- It can be similar to other procedurals with supernatural twists. The ending leaves stuff to be desired. Note to Parents- Teens can watch this, but with the sex, violence, and viewer discretion is advised warnings, young kids shouldn’t watch it. Recommendation- Originally I would have said that others should watch this, although after the bad ending, I won’t be recommending this anymore. Cancellation reasons- The ratings were terrible from the very beginning and it was isolated to Fridays were FOX doesn’t give jack shit about shows. It can be a bit of a surprise that it aired all of its episodes. Similar shows- The Blacklist, Blindspot, Grimm, Gotham, Wayward Pines, Supernatural, and The Vampire Diaries. DVD suggestion- I’d lean against this simply due to its bad ending. Reception: mostly negative. Grade: B.

Castle: Why I’ve seen it- Recommended by my brother and not that great a devotion to any other show at the time. Noteworthiness- Tie-in novels under a character’s name that are referenced on the show have been published in real life. One of these novels was supposedly going to be turned into a show, but it appears that nothing came of it. Description- A writer of novels assists the police in solving murders and other crimes in New York City. It is also about the love of the two main characters who work together and will stop at nothing to solve any case. Notable People- Nathan Fillion, known for his work on Firefly, and other shows, is the title character, Richard Castle. Pros- It is a semi-unique drama with good comedy and recurring storylines. Cons- It can take a while for some plots to be returned to in the storyline. Basic plots get repeated constantly. The ending could have been better than what it was. Note to Parents- While not as violent as some other shows, it did have the standard sex problems that you’d see in a show. This has the same amount of what you’d expect from a primetime show. I’d say that teenagers can watch this, but not much younger. Recommendation- Watch this show. It is very good. Cancellation reasons- This show was always on the bubble so its cancellation was inevitable. There were tensions between the two leads when they weren’t filming that lead to problems. It seems that this show was either doomed to be cancelled this season or have a terrible next season without some of the characters the show had always had. Similar shows- Elementary, The Blacklist, Blindspot, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Lucifer, Grimm, and Sleepy Hollow. DVD suggestion- Despite the bad ending, I’d still recommend this show to own on DVD. Reception: positive. Grade: A.

Truth Be Told: Why I’ve seen it- This aired after a show that I normally watched and there were no alternatives for me that one night. Description- From what I can gather, this show is about two married couples and the friendship between them. I’m not entirely sure what else the show is about or why it is called Truth Be Told as I only saw one episode. Pros- I thought that parts of it were funny. Cons- The overall plot of the episode I saw was pretty stupid. I didn’t like it in the long term. Note to Parents- I do not think that this is appropriate for kids, although teens might not have any problems with it. It’s the standard amount of objectionable stuff. Recommendation- I’d lean against watching this. Cancellation reasons- The episode order was cut after low ratings and it burned out the last episodes on Christmas. When the order of episodes is cut, that means that it is cancelled, even if they don’t own up to it at first. Production was shut down shortly after the cut, also a sign that the show is over forever. Similar shows- America’s Funniest Home Videos, Dr. Ken, The Odd Couple, Black-ish, The Carmichael Show, Mom, Last Man Standing, The Real O’Neals, Life in Pieces, and 2 Broke Girls.  DVD suggestion- This won’t be on DVD or worth owning if it was. Reception: generally negative. Grade: D.

Last Comic Standing: Why I’ve seen it- Originally, I watched this because my aunt was in the live studio audience of one of the episodes and we wanted to see her in the audience (we did). Since we didn’t know when she’d appear, we started watching at the beginning of the second season and we were too interested in the rest of the season by the time we got to the episode my aunt was in so we kept watching. I haven’t seen much of other seasons so I don’t know what all has changed. Noteworthiness- This show has been cancelled twice and brought back twice it so it could be brought back again in the future like it has in the past. Description- A bunch of people compete for a comedy deal of some sort. This is a reality show. Notable People- The hosts and judges of the show constantly change, but are typically notable. I’d mention who they are, but you would have better luck just looking up the information for yourself. Some of the contestants become notable after they appear on the show. Pros- The show can be quite good, especially if the contestants are good. Cons- The jokes are only as good as the person who makes them meaning if a contestant isn’t that good, then you won’t be amused. The format is a bit confusing, although they might have improved on it from when I used to watch. Note to Parents- Since a lot of the jokes would be sex related, then this isn’t good for kids, although teens would probably like it. Recommendation- If you have time to watch it, then you might as well tune into it. If not, then you wouldn’t be missing anything. Cancellation reasons- I’m honestly not sure why this ended for the third time, but I guess that the network felt that they had other shows more worthwhile to air instead. Similar shows- none. DVD suggestion- I don’t think that shows like this are released to DVD, although it would be nice to own if it were. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: C+.

Agent Carter: Why I’ve seen it- I have interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that this is part of. Noteworthiness- This is a sequel to the movie Captain America featuring one of the characters from it. It is set in the past in the same world as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Description- This show is mostly about one of the early agents of what would become S.H.I.E.L.D. Pros- You get to learn more about the Marvel Cinematic Universe by watching this show. This show was pretty interesting. Cons- It may seem like only an old fashioned Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It ended on a cliffhanger, although that could be resolved elsewhere in the universe of this show. Recommendation- If you are a fan of Marvel movies, then I’d say that you should watch this. After the ending, I’m not sure if I’ll watch it again, although it could be resolved elsewhere. Cancellation reasons- The ratings were terrible the first season, yet it was still brought back. It did not improve in ratings for the second season so they had to cancel it. Similar shows- Sleepy Hollow, Fresh off the Boat, The Goldbergs, Quantico, iZombie, Madam Secretary, Blindspot, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. DVD suggestion- I’m not sure that I would buy this unless you get everything else in the Marvel Universe already. Reception: highly positive. Grade: B-.

Supergirl: Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it looked good and I watch every show on CBS at least once. Noteworthiness- This is adapted from DC comics. It might have future links to the shows The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow as it did have a crossover with The Flash. Description- Superman’s cousin, a female, becomes a superhero herself fighting various alien outlaws and other supernatural creatures. Pros- This show is quite good and interesting, seeing a previously unknown superhero get her own story. Cons- There could be potential flaws with trying to appeal to feminists and being politically correct. Note to Parents- From what I’ve seen thus far, this show is pretty acceptable to a younger audience, although there still might be more violence than they would need. Recommendation- I think that this is a good show and worth watching. Special Note- I’m not entirely sure of this show was in fact cancelled from CBS or not or if it is just randomly moving to the CW for seemingly no good reason. The show will continue with new episodes on the CW and not be ending forever as it could be. You’ll see more updates about it later. Similar shows- Madam Secretary, iZombie, Grimm, Gotham, The Flash, Arrow, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. DVD suggestion- I might get them, but I’d wait until the show ends to give you a full-fledged suggestion here. Reception: highly positive. Grade: A-. On CBS, it was momentarily replaced by Mike and Molly and will ultimately be replaced by two comedies: Kevin Can Wait and Man with a Plan. On the CW, it replaces, for the moment, Reign.

Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris: Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it. Noteworthiness- I think that this is based off of a foreign show of some sort. Also, every episode of it was live. Description- This is simply put, a variety show full of various whatnot hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Notable People- Frequent host and former star of How I Met Your Mother, Neil Patrick Harris, is the host of this show. There were other famous guests in each episode. Pros- The show was interesting and always had a set format that it followed. Cons- The episodes that I have watched seemed sporadic and all over the place. It wasn’t bad, but it might have lacked a real point. Note to Parents- There probably wasn’t too much bad in here for kids, although there might have been enough that young ones shouldn’t watch. Teens, for course, can watch this. Recommendation- It is good so I say that you should watch it if you can. Cancellation reasons- The network didn’t really have long term plans for it, although it probably would have lasted longer if it did better in the ratings than it did. Similar shows- Live with Kelly, Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. DVD suggestion- This would be worth buying in the unlikely event that it does wind up on DVD. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: C+.

CSI: Cyber: Why I’ve seen it- I watched this for various reasons, among them being that this is part of the CSI franchise which I like, it originally airing at a time when nothing else good was on, and it airing on CBS. Noteworthiness- This is a spin-off of CSI, being promoted as the next generation of it. Description- This drama deals with cyber crimes. Notable People- It has Patricia Arquette who was on Medium. It also has Ted Denson from Cheers and the original CSI, playing the same character moved to this division. Pros- I like this show a lot. I think that it has a lot of potential and is living up to it. Cons- It may not be realistic, which is a common complaint about any CSI show. Note to Parents- The show is violent a lot. I’d say that some teenagers could watch this, but not much younger than that. Recommendation- I like this show and think that others should watch it as well. Cancellation reasons- There were many factors that brought forth its demise. It had terrible ratings and was quite possibly the lowest rated show on the network. The reception for this was terrible. It also had the worst timeslot of any show on television which resulted in two cancellations last season. All in all, it had nothing going for it so they got rid of it and probably the whole CSI franchise itself, although they will probably try to reboot the franchise with a new show sometime in the future. Similar shows: NCIS, iZombie, Hawaii Five-0, Scorpion, Blindspot, and Quantico. DVD suggestion- I would buy this myself. Reception: negative. Grade: B+. It was replaced for a while by Rush Hour and will ultimately be replaced by Pure Genius.

Note about blog: http://adamdeckercsicyber.blogspot.com/ Like my Good Wife blog, this blog will also be changed to cast updates and will incorporate reviews from this blog if it had the actors or any of the creators of this show on it. I will still update it even though the show is over. Also be on the lookout for any posts and blog about new parts of the CSI franchise, if there ever are any.

Minority Report: Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in watching it. Noteworthiness- This is inspired by and set after the movie Minority Report. It is in the same universe, but there are some differences here and there. One does not have to see the movie to understand this show. Description- A continuation of a movie of the same name, we see a precog (a person with unusual powers of seeing the future, typically seeing potential future deaths) team up with an FBI agent to prevent future crimes from happening. Notable People- It starred Wilmer Valderama from That 70’s Show and Awake. Pros- The show is very interesting and worthwhile. Cons- There are differences between this and the movie that could be considered errors to some people. One might also wonder where they are going with this. Note to Parents- The show can be a bit gruesome with its deaths. I wouldn’t let people younger than teens watch this. In fact, I think that it always airs with content advisory warnings. Recommendation- I think that this is worth your time to watch. Cancellation reasons- It did bad in the ratings and the episode order was cut, signifying its end. Similar shows: Blindspot, Grimm, Sleepy Hollow, iZombie, and Legends of Tomorrow. DVD suggestion- I doubt that this would be on DVD, although, if it were, it would be worth owning in my mind. Reception: mostly negative to mixed. Grade: A.

Other cancelled shows

Hannibal: When I remembered that this show still actually existed and that the network was neglecting it then I randomly thought: this show will get cancelled. Well, it turns out that random hunch was right. I’ve never understood the appeal of shows about murderers. I’ve heard rumors of other people trying to pick up this show, but as far as I know, that went nowhere and the show is in fact cancelled.

Welcome to Sweden: This show was notable for having Amy Poehler’s brother in it. I never saw it so I didn’t know if it was any good or not. It might have been good, but I don’t know. I’m not entirely sure what it was about. I would have liked to see it, but never did.

Knock Knock Live: This was some sort of summer show that didn’t make much sense to me. It featured Ryan Seacrest in one of his many hosting roles. I’m not entirely sure what it is about so I decided not to watch. In fact, a record number of people didn’t watch this, resulting in its cancellation.

Galavant: I never saw this show as I was never really that interested in it nor did I understand what it was about fully. It might have been good and funny or it might have been incredibly lame. I’ll never know for sure what it was in terms of quality. It was a musical comedy of some type. I didn’t care enough to watch and thus never did.

Coach: This was a planned series on NBC that wasn’t made for whatever reason even though it was originally planned to be part of the schedule. I’m not sure what happened so I might have to do more research into why it was cancelled. Research has proved that, as usual, there was generally no interest in it, so it was cancelled before it was made.

Mr. Robinson: This dumb looking NBC comedy aired during the summer of 2015. I don’t know what it was about, just that the promos for it made it look dumb which is never a good sign. If you typically ever end up watching a show like that, it will most certainly be bad.

Person of Interest: I have decided that since the final season is mostly airing during the summer, I will mention more about it in the next season’s cancellation post. Its cancellation seems quite possibly the oddest of the season as it was randomly degraded to midseason and never started airing until nearly a year after its last new episode. The closest explanation that makes sense to people regards ownership in television. Since CBS does not own Person of Interest, it appears that they cancelled it before what would be its final season would be since it had enough episodes for syndication money that would go to WB and not CBS. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant as the show is cancelled. Its most basic replacement can be described as the show Bull, although it is complicated to track the replacement for sure. BrainDead can also be considered a replacement to it since it aired at two timeslots this summer, for a while at least.

Beauty and the Beast: I know little to nothing about this show other than the fact that many people online hated it and it got terrible ratings. Despite these bad ratings, it kept getting renewed for a while, but the network couldn’t afford to keep it anymore so they announced that the next season would be the last one. I’m not sure what it’s replacement is yet. If it has one, I’ll find out next summer.

America’s Next Top Model: The cancellation of this means that it no longer shares the record of longest running CW show that it held with Supernatural. (It had actually started on UPN before Supernatural started on the WB. It was technically longer on the air by that measure, even if it wasn’t regularly on the schedule the way Supernatural was. It was the only reality show that I know of that changed networks. Regardless, for now, the CW’s longest running show is Supernatural, a show that has been on a year longer than the network has been around. Supernatural started on the WB. This means that no show from the UPN is still in production.) Now, to actually talk about this show, some of my family members were interested in watching it, but I never was. My sister actually knows a contestant from it. This was a reality show hosted by Tyra Banks about finding a good model. I’m not sure what the benefits of the show is. Regardless, the network seemed to have lost interest in it by cutting back the number of seasons that it had and then ultimately canceling the show. UPDATE: This show has been picked up for future seasons with a new host on VH1. We’ll see how long that lasts. Anyways, on the CW, its replacement is the returning show The 100 and eventually Frequency.

The Whispers: This ABC horror drama aired during the summer. I wasn’t interested in it as I’m never interested in horror type shows. There’s not much that I can add here. It related to imaginary friends that were actually real. But I don’t know much else about it.

Containment: This was a CW shows that premiered too late and thus ended as a result. There were too many renewals already on the network’s schedule so it only makes sense that this was DOA. I probably wouldn’t have liked it, although I wasn’t able to watch it in the first place anyways. This will be replaced by the new show No Tomorrow. On the summer schedule, it was replaced by the returning Mad TV.

Wicked City: What might have been a record late first (official) cancellation of the fall shows, Wicked City was put in a bad place by reasons beyond its control. The delay of the show Of Kings and Prophets to midseason messed up part of the schedule. With Quantico moving to Sundays before it started, the Tuesday slot, which was bad last season for ABC, but the whole main season instead of just part of it, became pretty dull before they moved up the premiere for Wicked City, a planned midseason replacement. (Man I really hope that sentence makes sense to someone.) Long story short, it took longer than it should have for this show to start and that’s why it got low ratings and got cancelled. Of course, this was after four other shows were unofficially cancelled, but you’ll see them mentioned elsewhere in this post. Sometimes the sign is clear that a show has been cancelled but the network still waits until fucking May to make it official. And don’t get me started on all the summer shows that get cancelled without so much as a recognition as to it ever existing in the first place. They just don’t bring it back and expect us not to notice it was ever part of the schedule in the first place. Plus, it was a show about a couple who kill people, so it sounds bad enough to deserve being cancelled.

Blood and Oil: I couldn’t tell what this show was about, other than that it had a lot of sex in it for some reason. Surprisingly, that didn’t actually appeal to people this time. The network cut back its episode order and pretty much ended it once it finished airing. It’s another failure for its time slot.

Famous: This is another line in shows that were cancelled before it aired, in this case, was even made. It would have aired on FOX if it ever had life to it in the end. I’m not even sure what to think of shows like this and sometimes wonder why I even mention them at all.

Heroes Reborn: This show was, based on its title, a redone version of the show Heroes. It could have lasted longer than just one season if it did well in the ratings. But it didn’t, so they cancelled it. Then they made it seem like there was only supposed to be one season of this.

Crowded: NBC decided to air this show on Sundays where nearly all of their failures air since they stopped putting the Celebrity Apprentice on that night. While some of their shows that season actually lasted into the next one, this show failed.

The Game: This was one of the two first new shows that aired on the CW, although it had a link to a UPN show. After airing for a while on the CW, it was cancelled with the network’s other last remaining comedy, Everybody Hates Chris, and the shows were replaced on the CW by The Vampire Diaries while no new comedies aired on the CW until they brought back Whose Line is it Anyways? After leaving the CW network, it moved to BET for a while and survived a major cast change. Ultimately, it ended sometime last year and it may actually belong with those cancelled shows instead of this one.

Telenovela: When NBC promoted that Superstore was doing well in the ratings, what they didn’t tell you was that this show was failing in the ratings compared to it. So, this show was clearly the failure of the two and it was cancelled after its run ended.

Game of Silence: I had originally planned on watching this show but then I decided that I didn’t have enough time for it in the end. I don’t know whether or not I would have actually liked it in the end, but it struggled in the ratings and was cancelled because of that.

Heartbeat: There were delays in this airing as it was originally supposed to air in the fall but was then pushed back into later midseason in favor of a different medical drama (part of the Chicago franchise). This didn’t last long as a result.

Monopoly’s Millionaire Club: This was a syndicated game show hosted by Billy Gardell, the Mike in Mike and Molly. It appears that he’s lost two jobs this season. I never understood what it was about or like based on what little I saw of it. Guess others didn’t like it either.

You, Me, and the Apocalypse: I don’t know if this was supposed to be along the same lines as The Last Man on Earth in terms of format and premise. This show didn’t work in the ratings so it was cancelled like so many other shows before it.

The Mysteries of Laura: Despite low ratings in its first season, it was renewed for a second. Things did not get better for it and then it was cancelled. I know nothing about it except that my newspaper’s local TV reviewer hated the show.

Wife Swap: Actually, this one might have been cancelled last season and I’m just now getting around to noticing that it was cancelled. But I completely forgot to mention Wipeout in this blog (although it might have predated the history of this blog anyways) because I didn’t know that it was cancelled at first until I realized that it was no longer part of the schedule (and I don’t think that it was officially cancelled either). This show sounds strange and seemed to only occupy the schedule when something else was cancelled. It then had a celebrity version at some point and was then cancelled, possibly, or at least the production stopped forever. Why would anyone find this type of show interesting?

American Grit: This was a FOX reality show that was on the schedule for this season and then not announced in the schedule for the next season. That means that it was cancelled, even though it isn’t official in any way. I had planned on watching it at one point, but never did as I felt that I didn’t have time for it anymore.

Significant Mother: This was a comedy on the CW, a network known for never airing comedies. If you ever saw this show, you’d know why they don’t do comedies. It’s because this is the best that they can do and it failed miserably. A sad truth about this terrible show, besides the fact that they aired every episode of it, was that it was never officially cancelled, although this isn’t coming back for more episodes in the future. With it being a CW summer show, it is hard to tell what would have been its replacement and it could be reruns of something anyways.

Dates: This was another dumb summer show on the CW. Like a lot of these shows that you are seeing, this wasn’t actually cancelled officially, but it probably won’t ever be coming back. I don’t know what this show was about since I never saw it.

Food Fighters: Yes, this was actually a show, but I don’t know much about it other than the fact that it existed and never returned so it is cancelled even though there was never an official announcement about that. I don’t even know which network this aired on.

Bullseye: Here’s another de facto cancelled show that wasn’t actually cancelled officially. It was some sort of contest to see if people could hit a target in different situations. Yes, this was actually a show. I thought that it was a joke at first, but no, it was a real show. If you don’t believe me, you can look it up for yourself. I never saw it as I wasn’t interested in it, but like many FOX shows, it didn’t stick around after it lasted a short while during the summer.

A Wicked Offer: This was a summer CW show that I never saw. They got rid of it without so much as an official cancellation to it. It seemed to be a lame reality show (and that’s saying something) so it makes sense that it isn’t coming back again for future seasons. I have no idea what would have replaced it, if anything official replaced it at all.

World’s Funniest: Here’s yet another show that wasn’t renewed or cancelled that might as well have been cancelled since it probably isn’t coming back for next season anyways. It looked like a rip-off of the MTV show Ridiculousness, this one hosted by Terry Crews. I’m surprised that anyone would have watched this crap, although it seems to have ended without so much of a notice as to that fact.

Repeat after Me: This was a hidden camera show inspired by the antics of Ellen DeGeneres. This aired entirely last season and is a late cancellation notice by me. I was confused because I thought that it might have been renewed, but it never was. It was also never officially cancelled either, but since a lot of shows aren’t, I’m putting it on this list anyways.

Golan the Insatiable: This was a weird animated FOX show (aren’t they all, though?) that I never really cared about so I never watched it. It wasn’t actually cancelled, but it might as well be since it isn’t coming back for new episodes, now at least. It could come back later, but a summer show like this isn’t probably doing much in the future.

Save My Life: Boston Trauma: I don’t even want to reference another show like this that aired during the summer, never came back, and wasn’t even officially cancelled. It was an ABC show. I didn’t include it with the cancellation reasons list as I’m not sure I care about much. But, I will mention it so I don’t forget any other cancelled shows.

Extreme Weight Loss: Here’s yet another summer show that wasn’t officially cancelled by the network that aired it. They are still accepting future applications to it, although they did the same with Pirate Master and that never got a second season.

I Can Do That: This show was officially renewed for a second season, but the season never came and, thus, it is cancelled. I don’t know why any network would renew a show but then never bring it back, but they care very little about it and I’m not even sure it’s worth mentioning.

Now there’s a lot of spillover from one season to the next. I will mention whatever summer shows are cancelled from this summer in the next season’s cancellation post. While The Messengers aired mostly during the summer, it premiered late enough last season for me to not mention it again. I could miss shows that were cancelled again, but I feel that I did well enough even if I didn’t actually get them all. Some of them are never officially cancelled. Look at Cedric’s Barber Battle. They still have two unaired episodes of that, and we all know that it is never coming back with new episodes.

List of every cancelled show: American Idol, Angel from Hell, Hannibal, Welcome to Sweden, Knock Knock Live, The Astronaut’s Wives Club, Community, Under the Dome, Coach, Mr. Robinson, Extant, Beauty and the Beast, America’s Next Top Model *, The Whispers, Wicked City, The Player, Minority Report, The Briefcase, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Blood and Oil, Truth Be Told, Mike and Molly, The Meredith Veira Show, Heroes Reborn, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Supergirl *, Game of Silence, Heartbeat, Telenovela, Crowded, Undateable, Second Chance, Bordertown, The Grinder, Monopoly’s Millionaire Club, Grandfathered, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, Containment, CSI: Cyber, The Family, Galavant, Agent Carter, The Muppets, Nashville *, Castle, Famous, Of Kings and Prophets, Rookie Blue, Live with Kelly and Michael *, The Mysteries of Laura, The Island, The Game, American Grit, Last Comic Standing, Unforgettable, You, Me, and the Apocalypse, Wife Swap (late notice of cancellation), Limitless, Rush Hour, Boom!, Golan the Insatiable, Significant Mother, Dates, Food Fighters, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer, World’s Funniest, Repeat after Me (late notice of cancellation), Save My Life: Boston Trauma, Extreme Weight Loss, I Can Do That, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

Cancellation Reasons: Bad ratings (Knock Knock Live, The Astronaut’s Wives Club, Under the Dome, Coach, Extant, Beauty and the Beast, America’s Next Top Model, Wicked City, The Player, Blood and Oil, Truth Be Told, Heroes Reborn, Undateable, Second Chance, Bodertown, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, Containment, CSI: Cyber, The Family, Galavant, Anger Carter, The Muppets, Nashville, Castle, Of Kings and Prophets, The Mysteries of Laura, Rush Hour, Crowded, Heartbeat, Telenovela, Minority Report, The Briefcase)

Bad reviews (Knock Knock Live, Beauty and the Beast, The Player, The Briefcase, Truth Be Told, The Good Wife, Undateable, Second Chance, Bordertown, CSI: Cyber, Of Kings and Prophets, The Mysteries of Laura, Minority Report, Under the Dome, Extant), Ruined by advertisements (Angel from Hell, Mr. Robinson, Wicked City, Blood and Oil, Truth Be Told, Game of Silence, Telenovela, Crowded, Grandfathered, The Grinder, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, Galavant)

Never advertised (Hannibal, Coach, Person of Interest, Second Chance, Bordertown, Containment, Famous, The Island, Last Comic Standing, Wife Swap, Dates, a Wicked Offer, Word’s Funniest, Repeat after Me, Food Fighters, Bullseye, Monopoly’s Millionaire Club), Bad title (Angel from Hell, Knock Knock Live, Extant, The Player, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Truth Be Told, Game of Silence, Crowded, Undateable, Bordertwon, The Grinder, Grandfathered, Galavant, Famous, Rookie Blue, The Game, American Grit, You, Me, and the Apocalypse, Wife Swap, Limitless, Rush Hour, Boom, Golan the Insatiable, Significant Mother, Dates, Food Fighters, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer, World’s Funniest, The Whispers, Wicked City)

Barely existed (Angel from Hell, Hannibal, Knock Knock Live, Coach, Mr. Robinson, The Whispers, Wicked City, The Player, Minority Report, The Briefcase, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Blood and Oil, Truth Be Told, Game of Silence, Heartbeat, Telenovela, Crowded, Containment, Galavant, Famous, Of Kings and Prophets, The Island, American Grit, You, Me, and the Apocalypse, Wife Swap, Boom, Golan the Insatiable, Significant Mother, Dates, Food Fighters, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer, World’s Funniest, Repeat after Me)

Bad timeslot (Angel from Hell, The Astronaut’s Wives Club, Extant, America’s Next Top Model, Wicked City, The Player, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Blood and Oil, Truth Be Told, Heroes Reborn, The Good Wife, Game of Silence, Heartbeat, Crowded, Undateable, Second Chance, Grandfathered, Containment, CSI: Cyber, The Family, Bordertown, Of Kings and Prophets, American Grit, You, Me, and the Apocalypse, Rush Hour, World’s Funniest, Repeat after Me, The Grinder)

Hated by network (Angel from Hell, Hannibal, Beauty and the Beast, Minority Report, Truth Be Told, Mike and Molly, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Second Chance, Undateable, Bordertown, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, Containment, CSI: Cyber, The Muppets, Wife Swap, Rush Hour, World’s Funniest, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Blood and Oil), Crappy show (American Idol, Angel from Hell, Mr. Robinson, The Meredith Veira Show, Grandfathered, Famous, Wife Swap, Golan the Insatiable, Significant Mother, Dates, World’s Funniest), Retooled (Extant, Mike and Molly, The Meredith Veira Show, Heroes Reborn, Person of Interest, The Good Wife, Undateable, Agent Carter, The Muppets, Castle, Of Kings and Prophets, Live with Kelly and Michael, Last Comic Standing)

Uninteresting (American Idol, Angel from Hell, Hannibal, Knock Knock Live, Mr. Robinson, Beauty and the Beast, World’s Funniest, Grandfathered, Containment, Famous, Galavant, The Mysteries of Laura, You, Me, and the Apocalypse, Wife Swap, Golan the Insatiable, Significant Mother, Dates, Food Fighters, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer, Repeat after Me, Monopoly’s Millionaire Club  America’s Next Top Model, Crowded, The Whispers, Blood and Oil, Truth Be Told, Mike and Molly, The Meredith Veira Show, Telenovela, Wicked City)

Reality (American Idol, Knock Knock Live, America’s Next Top Model, The Briefcase, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Famous, The Island, American Grit, Last Comic Standing, Wife Swap, Boom, Dates, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer, World’s Funniest, Repeat after Me, Monopoly’s Millionaire Club, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?)

Summer (Hannibal, Welcome to Sweden, Knock Knock Live, The Astronaut’s Wives Club, Under the Dome, Mr. Robinson, Extant, Beauty and the Beast, The Whispers, The Briefcase, Containment, Famous, Rookie Blue, The Island, American Grit, Last Comic Standing, Rush Hour, Boom, Golan the Insatiable, Significant Mother, Dates, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?)

Fridays (America’s Next Top Model, Second Chance, World’s Funniest), Midseason replacement (Heartbeat, Angel from Hell, Of Kings and Prophets, Game of Silence, Telenovela, Crowded, Second Chance, Bodertown, Containment, The Family, Galavant, Agent Carter, You, Me, and the Apocalypse, Wife Swap, Rush Hour,  Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life)

Dead on arrival (Angel from Hell, Knock Knock Live, Mr. Robinson, Wicked City, The Player, Minority Report, Blood and Oil, Truth Be Told, Crowded, Second Chance, Containment, Famous, Of Kings and Prophets, The Island, Rush Hour, Golan the Insatiable, Dates)

Bad lead-in (Wicked City, Telenovela, Crowded, Second Chance, Galavant, Rush Hour, World’s Funniest), Competition (Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Containment, Game of Silence, Wicked City, Crowded, Grandfathered, The Muppets, American Grit, The Player, Heartbeat, Heroes Reborn, Castle, Rush Hour), Low network budget (Supergirl)

Unofficially cancelled (Famous, American Grit, Wife Swap, Boom, Golan the Insatiable, Significant Mother, Dates, Food Fighters, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer, World’s Funniest, Repeat after Me, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?), Surprise cancellation (American Idol, Supergirl, Rookie Blue, Live with Kelly and Michael, Last Comic Standing, Limitless, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?), Never even aired (Coach)

Left on its own term or wasn’t cancelled (Live with Kelly and Michael, American Idol, The Astronaut’s Wives Club), Shows you didn’t know existed (Hannibal, Welcome to Sweden, Knock Knock Live, Coach, Mr. Robinson, The Whispers, Monopoly’s Millionaire Club, Famous, Of Kings and Prophets, The Island, Golan the Insatiable, Food Fighters, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer, Significant Mother, Dates)


Obvious cancellations (Angel from Hell, Hannibal, Mr. Robinson, Beauty and the Beast, America’s Next Top Model, Wicked City, The Briefcase, Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, Truth Be Told, Mike and Molly, The Meredith Veira Show, Heroes Reborn, Person of Interest, World’s Funniest, Game of Silence, Heartbeat, Telenovela, Crowded, Bordertwon, Grandfathered, Containment, The Player, CSI: Cyber, Galavant, Agent Carter, Famous, Of Kings and Prophets, The Mysteries of Laura, The Island, You, Me, and the Apocalypse, Rush Hour, Golan the Insatiable, Significant Mother, Dates, Food Fighters, Bullseye, a Wicked Offer)