2007 Ended Shows reviews

One of the problems that I noticed when I started this blog was the lack of shows I could review from before the blog started. While I could retroactively go back and blog about any of them, I had decided not to, until now, that is. A review of an old show that I decided to do for a different blog is what ultimately prompted me to go ten years into the past and review whatever shows ended in 2007. This could be the start of an annual tradition. I know that this still won’t cover some of the shows that I’ve seen, but it should be a nice insight into what else I like that isn’t on anymore.

Gilmore Girls: Show history- It is considered a family drama that aired on the WB before switching to the CW after UPN merged with the WB. This network change is what lost the original showrunner and led to the low ratings that caused the show’s cancelation. What’s it about- It starts out with a mother and daughter who live in a fictitious town where the daughter starts going to an elite school. Why I’ve seen it- I borrowed the DVDs of the first season from a friend to watch for myself and blog about for a different blog of mine. My viewing habits- I originally didn’t watch this when it aired, but I did watch the first season on DVD later. I don’t think I’ll be watching beyond that, but that’s not due to me not liking the show. Where it aired- It aired on the WB before switching to the CW. It was later rebooted for Netflix. What I liked about it- The show is quite interesting and simple. It is funny at times. What I didn’t like about it- It doesn’t seem like a lot happens in it. More thoughts on it- The show is something that is good to watch, but isn’t something that you’d be upset about missing. I’m not sure that I’ll see more of it or if I want to. Why it ended- A change of showrunner brought forth bad ratings and then cancellation. What current shows are like it- This is us. DVD suggestion- I’d go with a maybe on this one. Grade: B-.

Copied review of Gilmore Girls from a different blog: Review of original Gilmore Girls: Status- No longer on the air, it used to air on the WB and then later the CW. Why I’ve seen it- I borrowed the DVDs from a friend just for this blog. Noteworthiness- This got rebooted by Netflix. Description- Mostly the story of a woman and her daughter trying to make their way through the world. Notable People- Matt Czuchry was on this show at one point. Melissa McCarthy, who later did movies and the TV show Mike and Molly, was also a character. Lauren Graham, who later was on Parenthood, was one of the main characters. Pros- The show is nice and simple. Cons- It seems dragged out, in a way. Note to Parents- I say that it might be good for most ages, although it has enough in there that wouldn’t be good for people younger than preteens. Recommendation- I guess that the original show is good enough, but it is hard to give it that good a rating for sure. Reception: critically acclaimed. Grade: B-.

7^th Heaven: Show history- It aired on the WB and then had a surprised return to television on the CW despite having a heavily promoted final season and series finale. What’s it about- This was about a big family, most notably its father pastor. Why I’ve seen it- I had seen various episodes of it with my family, although I can’t remember why for sure. My viewing habits- I was never really into this show that much. Where it aired- It aired on the WB for most of its run before switching to the CW for its final season. What I liked about it- The antics of the youngest daughter were always fun to watch. What I didn’t like about it- It wasn’t gripping enough for me. More thoughts on it- This show was pretty interesting and lasted longer than any other family drama (according to promos). While it wasn’t good enough for me to stay into, it is probably something that most people would like. Why it ended- I think that it was basically time for it to end, although it did last one season longer than it should have. What current shows are like it- This is Us. DVD suggestion- I’d put this at a toss-up. Grade: B-.

Close to Home: Show history- It actually didn’t last that long. What’s it about- I’m not entirely sure what it was about, but it seemed like a crime show/courtroom drama to me. Why I’ve seen it- I can’t remember for sure, but I must have wanted to watch something at the time since this is around the time that I finally started watching Friday shows long term. My viewing habits- I honestly missed most all of it, but I did see how it ended. Where it aired- It was a CBS show. What I liked about it- The show was pretty interesting. What I didn’t like about it- It seemed too commonplace and failed to separate itself from other shows like it. More thoughts on it- I liked it for the most part, although it didn’t seem that gripping to me. Why it ended- I’m not sure, but it was probably low ratings. What current shows are like it- Law and Order: SVU. DVD suggestion- I have no idea what to say here. I’m not interested enough, but that’s largely just me not wanting everything. I honestly don’t even know if this is on DVD. Grade: B-.

Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks: Show history- It aired for a while, then disappeared, then returned with new episodes before ending for good this time. What’s it about: In the present, a person tells the story of his life as a kid and how it relates to his kids today. Why I’ve seen it- I still watched PBS kids shows at the time. My viewing habits- I think that I saw every episode of it, both with the original live action segment, then the new live action segment. Where it aired- It was a PBS kids show that aired around two seasons, with a strange gap between the two. What I liked about it- The show taught kids good lessons, and from a different perspective than usual. What I didn’t like about it- The show seemed to only offer the same life lessons you’d see elsewhere and might have aired in too long a way to keep kids into it. More thoughts on it- The show was good and something that I enjoyed watching sometime. Why it ended- It seemed to be due to the lack of general interest with the show, although I honestly don’t know what kills most of the PBS kids shows. Some last, but most don’t. What current shows are like it- Super Why. DVD suggestion- I don’t think that this is out on DVD, although it might be worthwhile if you can get it. Grade: B.

Drive: Show history- This lasted a short time, although it is beloved by some. It was an early summer show, which might be why it failed in the ratings. What’s it about- Random people are chosen to compete in a cross-country road trip, some unwillingly through the use of people close to them being kidnapped, where they compete for money. Why I’ve seen it- I thought that this would be interesting and I was right. My viewing habits- I think that I saw every episode that aired on TV, although two were made that didn’t air. Where it aired- It was on FOX (spit noise). What I liked about it- The show is quite interesting and good with all the drama of the various, complex characters. What I didn’t like about it- It didn’t last long enough and ended abruptly without a real conclusion as a result. More thoughts on it- Ten years later, and I’m still pissed that this was cancelled as soon as it was. It could have been a great part of television, but it was just a blip in the radar instead. Why it ended- The bastards at FOX barely gave it a chance as they premiered at a dumb time during the year and got bad ratings as a result, thus resulting in its cancellation. What current shows are like it- I honestly don’t think that anything on TV has ever come close to being what this show was. DVD suggestion- I doubt this will ever be on DVD, but if it, then it might be worthwhile, if only you don’t mind the lack of an ending. Grade: A+.

Kid Nation: Show history- It only lasted one season. What’s it about- It’s a reality show about kids trying to run a society by themselves. Why I’ve seen it- It interested me, so I watched it. My viewing habits- I didn’t care as much about this as a rotated between this and other shows that aired at the same time, although I did see how it ended. Where it aired- It was a CBS show. What I liked about it- The show is interesting as it featured a part of life that isn’t focused on as much. What I didn’t like about it- It didn’t have much of a plot, point, or purpose. A lot of it went nowhere. More thoughts on it- The show overall just seemed to be a kid version of Survivor without any planned eliminations. Why it ended- The show was controversial before it even aired due to it being considered to have exploited children and violated child labor laws. Furthering controversies happened as it aired, such as when it was considered that producers were telling the kids what to do for the cameras. All this resulted in the show ending. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- I doubt that this would be on DVD and I’d put it at a toss-up then anyways. Grade: C.

The King of Queens: Show history- This lasted a while until syndication, although I’m not sure what networks still air it. What’s it about- A man works with package delivering and his wife, father-in-law, and various friends are in the cast as well. Why I’ve seen it- I’m not entirely sure why I watched it, but I might have found it interesting at the time. My viewing habits- Most of my viewing of this show came from when it was still in local syndication. I did see the final season in primetime and, after the series finale, never watched the show again. Where it aired- It aired new episodes on CBS the whole time it lasted on television. What I liked about it- The show was a bit quirky and the type of thing that you expect from most sitcoms. What I didn’t like about it- I’m not sure that the show was ever really that good. The characters all had different flaws. In retrospective, this show really sucked. More thoughts on it- The show’s final story arc and especially its series finale forever tainted my opinion of this show. It might be one of, it not, the worst ending to a show in my opinion. The show was practically dead to me from that moment onward. Why it ended- I’m not entirely sure, but it might have been simple mortality that shows have. What current shows are like it- Kevin Can Wait, The Odd Couple, Mom, and The Great Indoors. DVD suggestion- Don’t get them. While I might have at one point, after the terrible ending of the show, I have no more interest in it. Grade: D.

Flight 29 Down: Show history- This lasted around two seasons, I think. What’s it about- A bunch of kids and a few adults survive a plane crash on an island and have to figure out how to get rescued. Why I’ve seen it- I watched a lot of kids shows at the time and this was one of the shows I watched on Saturday mornings. My viewing habits- I watched what I could of it when it aired on network TV, but the end of the series never aired where I could watch it. Where it aired- It aired on discovery kids although I watched the episodes of it that also aired on NBC since they aired discovery kids episodes on Saturday at one point before switching to the Qubo programming. What I liked about it- The show is more serious than what you would expect from a kid’s show, which is actually quite good. What I didn’t like about it- The show seemed less focused on life lessons than it was on survival. More thoughts on it- A lot can be learned from this show. You normally don’t see characters this complex on kid’s shows. Why it ended- It had a limited premise as a series and that’s why it ended. What current shows are like it- The closest thing to it would be Survivor, although no scripted shows that I know of are close enough to it. DVD suggestion- I honestly don’t know as I don’t know how it ends. Although, I’m not sure that it’s on DVD anyways. Grade: A.

Maya & Miguel: Show history- It aired for a while on PBS kids as part of their then newish PBS kids go programming. What’s it about- A multicultural show, it is mostly about a brother and sister with their various friends. Why I’ve seen it- I watched all PBS kids shows at the time. My viewing habits- I watched most of the episodes, although I don’t think that I saw all of them. Where it aired- It aired on PBS. What I liked about it- The show taught us different aspects of life than the usual kid’s show did. You normally don’t see multiculturalism expressed well in shows. The antics of Maya are part of what makes this show different. What I didn’t like about it- Some of the plots were weird, hard to believe, and didn’t make that much sense. It seemed like many of the episodes dragged on with too much to them. More thoughts on it- I liked this show while it lasted, although it wasn’t as long as I would have liked. Why it ended- I’m not entirely sure, but with PBS kids shows, it tends to be a lack of interest with those who invest in the show by donating to the network. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- If this is on DVD, it might be a good buy. Grade: B.

Thank God You’re Here: Show history- This show only lasted one season. What’s it about- It was an improvised show where a person would enter a scene that they didn’t know about in advance, but the other characters did. Why I’ve seen it- I’m not entirely sure, but there might not have been anything else that I was interested in at the time. My viewing habits- I only saw it once and missed the first half of the episode. Where it aired- It was an NBC show. What I liked about it- It actually seemed entertaining. What I didn’t like about it- It wasn’t as funny as it should have been. More thoughts on it- I would have liked to have seen more than one episode of it, if only to get more of an opinion about the show. Why it ended- I’m guessing it was low ratings, but I honestly don’t know. What current shows are like it- Whose Line is it Anyways? DVD suggestion- I don’t think this is out on DVD and I wouldn’t know if one should get it anyways. Grade: B-.

Reba: Show history- It lasted six seasons. What’s it about- A woman’s life seems to fall apart when she learns that her daughter and husband’s mistress are pregnant. The show evolved beyond that in later seasons. It’s actually a comedy. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it for some reason. My viewing habits- I got into this show later than usual. I saw most of it in syndicated reruns and not as much in primetime. Where it aired- It was a staple part of the WB for the end of its existence and came back for a surprise final season when the CW was first around. What I liked about it- The show is different than usual as it takes a serious issue and actually makes a comedy out of it. What I didn’t like about it- The first and last season were subpar compared with the others. Some of what is in there is teaching people the wrong thing. More thoughts on it- I liked this show a lot and think that the last episode was pretty good for the most part. Why it ended- This show fell victim to just normal mortality that some shows can’t last that long. What current shows are like it- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. DVD suggestion- This might be a good buy or it might not, depending on your opinion. Grade: B-.

That’s So Raven: Show history- I think that it aired around four seasons, although I’m not entirely sure if that’s right. What’s it about- A teenage girl has psychic powers which can cause problems in her life. It is also part comedy. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it due to the sci-fi nature of the show. My viewing habits- I think that I saw most of the episodes, although I’m not sure if I’ve seen all of them. Where it aired- It was mostly a Disney channel show, although it also aired Saturday mornings on ABC which is when I watched it. What I liked about it- The show was normally funny as it was interesting watching the antics of the titular Raven, her friends, and family. What I didn’t like about it- A lot of it was dumb, relying on slapstick comedy and hard to believe situations. More thoughts on it- I was confused by why the mother wasn’t part of the show at one point and felt that this wasn’t explained well. I ultimately like the show a lot, although there were enough bad parts about it. Why it ended- I’m not sure, but it was probably regular mortality. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- I’d go with a maybe on this, although I’m not sure if it’s even out on DVD. Grade: C.

On the Lot: Show history- This only lasted one, incredibly low rated season. What’s it about- This was a reality show where people can help vote for the winner. This one featured people who wanted to be directors. Why I’ve seen it- I was kind of interested in it. My viewing habits- I barely watched much of this, partly due to a scheduling conflict. Where it aired- It was a FOX show. What I liked about it- The show seemed different and interesting. What I didn’t like about it- The show is kind of boring at times and never offered much. More thoughts on it- This more than likely would have been pulled from the schedule had all of it been prerecorded. It wasn’t as good as they were going for and never attracted a strong audience. Why it ended- As already stated, the ratings were very low throughout its run, so that’s why they got rid of it. Some may be surprised it even lasted as long as it did. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- It’s not on DVD nor would it be worth getting anyways. Grade: D.

The War at Home: Show history- This lasted for two seasons. What’s it about- This is a pretty standard show about a family of people doing crap. Why I’ve seen it- It was originally on FOX Sundays back when I always watched what was on it. My viewing habits- I saw most of it, but not as much of it on Fridays. Where it aired- This was on FOX. What I liked about it- Um, you’d know what to expect from it, I guess. What I didn’t like about it- The characters are incredibly horrible people and the last episode was an utter failure. More thoughts on it- This is among the worst shows I’ve ever seen and I don’t know why I ever watched it in the first place. Why it ended- Terrible ratings and the Friday slot it briefly had. What current shows are like it- Man with a Plan, Last Man Standing, and 2 Broke Girls. DVD suggestion- Don’t get it, even though it isn’t out anyways. Grade: F.

Stargate SG-1: Show history- This is one of the longest lasting science fiction shows. What’s it about- A team of people investigate interstellar lands that can be found through a device known as a Stargate. Why I’ve seen it- I was always curious about it so I borrowed a season of it from a friend. My viewing habits- I mostly just saw the second season since that is what I could borrow from my friend. I might have seen parts of other seasons. Where it aired- Believe it or not, it started on the Showtime network before switching to the Sci-Fi network during its run. I’ve known some reruns to be on Comet TV. What I liked about it- The show isn’t too complicated and has good plots. What I didn’t like about it- The team gets captured way too much. More thoughts on it- While it is probably a staple part of the science fiction vernacular, it might not have been as good as I would have liked it to be. I don’t know yet if I will watch any more of the seasons or not. Why it ended- I think that it was a big enough ratings drop to cancel it, although they did a movie later to wrap it up. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- I might get some, personally, although I’m not sure if I ever will. Grade: B.

The Winner: Show history- This only lasted one season. What’s it about- A late bloomer tries to finally make something of his life. Why I’ve seen it- I think that I only watched it due to it being a FOX comedy. My viewing habits- I only watched the first episode. Where it aired- This aired on FOX. What I liked about it- This show teaches you that freeloading is a problem. What I didn’t like about it- There is no one in this show that would make you want to watch it again. Nothing interesting happened in it and the show pretty much sucked in every way. More thoughts on it- This show was very bad and just didn’t work in any way. Why it ended- I’m not sure, but it was probably low ratings. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- Don’t get it, even though it probably isn’t released. Grade: F.

Pirate Master: Show history- This lasted for only one season and they didn’t even air all of the season. What’s it about- This is a reality show about people becoming pirates and competing against each other for a bigger prize. Why I’ve seen it- I liked the idea of the show. My viewing habits- I watched most of what I could of it when it first aired, although I did end up seeing them all online years after it first aired. Where it aired- It was on CBS. What I liked about it- I thought that the show was different and good. Everyone who played could potentially earn some money with it. What I didn’t like about it- When I was finally able to see the ending, I understood why they tried to hide it from us by putting the unaired episodes online instead of airing them. More thoughts on it- About at the halfway point of this show’s run, it was pulled from the schedule, which I think is unusual for a reality show. I was able to see the unaired episodes online much later and the person who won had so little going for him that the failure of the show might have been beyond most people’s control. Why it ended- It had terrible ratings, so they got rid of it as a result. What current shows are like it- Survivor and Big Brother. DVD suggestion- I don’t think that this would be on DVD ever and while I liked this show until I saw the end, I don’t know if I can get behind it anymore. Grade: B-.

Standoff: Show history- This only lasted one season. What’s it about- A team of people, notably a man and woman who sleep together, help solve hostage situations. Why I’ve seen it- I was kind of interested in it. My viewing habits- I didn’t watch this as much as I probably could have and very nearly missed the ending. Where it aired- It aired on FOX, although it was hard to catch it at times. What I liked about it- The show has its moments with interesting drama that keeps you in suspense. What I didn’t like about it- I’m not sure if it was as gripping as it was supposed to be. More thoughts on it- While I liked the show to an extent, I never knew when it was on, if it was still on, nor did I care about watching it as much as I otherwise could have. Why it ended- The network loved messing with it so it wasn’t at all surprising when it ended. What current shows are like it- Ransom. DVD suggestion- If it was out, I might consider getting it, although I’m not sure if it will ever be out. Grade: B.

Loonatics Unleashed: Show history- I think that this lasted around two seasons. What’s it about- It’s an updated version of Looney Toons where some of them have superpowers and have developed into a team of heroes to protect the world from various evils. Why I’ve seen it- I watched it because I liked the idea of them trying to reboot this franchise. I also tended to watch most kids shows at the time still, even though I was in high school at the time. My viewing habits- I might have seen every episode, although I’m not entirely sure if I did. If I haven’t, I’ve seen most of them. Where it aired- This aired as part of the Kids WB lineup on Saturdays before they eventually switched to the CW 4 kids. What I liked about it- They made this show different. What I didn’t like about it- The way this show was different was also a flaw as this wasn’t the way some people would like these characters as. More thoughts on it- I liked this show a lot, although it did change a lot of the characters that we liked. Why it ended- I don’t know for sure, but it might have been that a lot of kids shows, especially those not on PBS, tend to last a short time. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- I don’t know if this is out. Even then, I’d put it as a toss-up. Grade: B+.

At this point, I’m going to do something unusual and post reviews of some seasons of shows that ended in 2007. This will mostly be a secret tie-in to other blogs that I have as an exclusive review in this blog about something that relates to another blog. I hope that makes sense. Anyways, on to reviews of seasons of shows that ended in 2007.

Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive: Show history- This was the fifteenth season of Power Rangers. What’s it about- In this season, the rangers are fighting various bad guys and trying to find missing jewels. Why I’ve seen it- I liked watching the new Power Rangers seasons as they came out. My viewing habits- I watched every new episode of this that I could, although I’m not sure if I did see them all. Where it aired- This aired on various channels, but I watched this on ABC as part of its Saturday morning line-up. What makes it different than other seasons- The rangers of this season didn’t have secret identities this time around, which is something that only two other seasons that I know of are like. There was a reunion special this season with rangers from past seasons uniting to face the bad guys. What I liked about it- The season seemed more special and there was stuff constantly going on to progress what ultimately was the final point of it. What I didn’t like about it- It seemed like there were too many villains in it and no real main villain to keep the team together. More thoughts on it- I loved this season a lot, partly due to its anniversary special. It could have been better in some places, but there were still surprises in it that I didn’t expect. Where it ranks among other seasons- I rank this among the highest of the seasons, although it isn’t too high. It is the second highest ranked Disney era season, in my mind. DVD suggestion- I’m not sure if it is out just yet, although it would probably be worth getting if it is out. Grade: B-.

Survivor: Fiji: Show history- This is the fourteenth season of Survivor. What’s it about- It is about a group of nineteen new players competing to potentially win a million dollars. Why I’ve seen it- I watch every season of Survivor. My viewing habits- I think that I saw every episode of this season as it aired. Where it aired- It was on CBS. What makes it different than other seasons- This starts with an odd number of players due to a last minute quitter that couldn’t be replaced. It was more racially diverse than most other seasons in part due to the last season being controversially started with a tribe of each race. It had an infamous twist which lead to one tribe dominating another one. What I liked about it- This season improved on the hidden immunity idol, giving it its best format. What I didn’t like about it- The cast was very weak (indeed, only one of them applied to be on the game and the rest were recruited and none of them had seen the show before). Most of it is very forgettable. The premerge was a waste. More thoughts on it- I’ll never think well of this season, unless a future rewatch of it improves my thoughts of it. Where it ranks among other seasons- I rank this as the absolute worst season that Survivor ever did. DVD suggestion- If you get every Survivor season, then you should get this one too. If not, then I’d pass on it. Grade: D-.

Survivor: China: Show history- This is the fifteenth season of Survivor. What’s it about- In this season, there are sixteen new players who compete against each other to potentially win a million dollars. Why I’ve seen it- I watch all Survivor season seasons unless I miss parts of it. My viewing habits- While it’s possible that I missed an episode as it aired, I’m not sure if I did. Where it aired- This was on CBS. What makes it different than other seasons- This season used a recurring kidnapping twist before the merge that even factored into the tribe swap. It didn’t have Exile Island like other, recent seasons had. This had the lowest number that they’ve ever used for a cast, something that they don’t do anymore. It also took place entirely in China (outside of the reunion show), something that no other show had apparently done before. What I liked about it- I felt that the kidnapping twist was something interesting that you didn’t see much in the show. James’s blindside this season was awesome to watch. What I didn’t like about it- The cast was weak this season compared to other casts. The tribe swap was poorly done and lead to unfair conditions for those that had been switched. The winner wasn’t really a standout and a lot of the people aren’t likable. More thoughts on it- I was not impressed by this season and do not understand why other fans like it as much as they did. Where it ranks among other seasons- This ranks in my bottom ten Survivor seasons for me. DVD suggestion- I would pass on this one unless you were wanting it for some odd reason. Grade: D.