Reviews of Shows that Began in 2004

Once again, I feel the urge to review shows that started before the start of this blog. Admittedly, this may contain reviews I’ve already mentioned before in a different way. I have my reasons for picking this year instead of other years. I don’t know if it is worth telling you why. I also don’t know if I should say why I’m doing this when I did the shows that ended in 2007 earlier this year. You might not see the next set next year, but you should at some point. I might as well get started with these reviews.

CSI: New York: Show history- It was the third installment of CSI franchise that ran for nine seasons, the shortest run of the franchise at the time. What’s it about- Basically, people solved crimes while using different investigative techniques. Why I’ve seen it- I slowly got into this when I realized that I might as well watch this since I watched CSI: Miami at the time. My viewing habits- I got into this late but stayed with it until the very end. Where it aired- It was on CBS its entire run. What I liked about it- It wasn’t as gruesome as other shows in the franchise. Things about it were straightforward and not confusing. What I didn’t like about it- The recurring storylines weren’t always that good. More thoughts on it- This is probably the best show in the CSI franchise (not counting anything connected by crossover). I felt that this probably had the best of the plots of all of the franchise. Current fate- It is probably in syndication on different cable networks, although I don’t know for sure. The show ended a while back after a move to Fridays brought lower ratings. DVD suggestion- I would get this and hope that I can in the future over time. Grade: B+.

Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends: Show history- I don’t know much about its history. What’s it about- There is a house for imaginary friends which actually exist when a child creates them and we see the adventures of these creatures and the few humans in their life. Why I’ve seen it- It looked good to me and it was back when I still watched children’s shows which isn’t a surprise as I was still in grade school back in 2004. My viewing habits- I saw what I could of this, although it wasn’t as much as I would like as a lot of it aired on cable which I don’t get. Where it aired- I mostly watched it on Kids WB. It also aired on Cartoon Network. What I liked about it- The show was inventive and quirky. There wasn’t much bad to it. What I didn’t like about it- Not all of the plots worked well and it can seem dumb at points. More thoughts on it- I thought that it was pretty good for its genre, although it wasn’t as educational as it otherwise could have been. Current fate- I don’t know if this still airs in reruns or if it is on DVD either. DVD suggestion- If this is out, I might get it were I not wanting too many other things. Grade: B.

The Batman: Show history- It aired as part of Kids WB. What’s it about- This is another animated version of Batman, one seeming more serious than others. Why I’ve seen it- I was never that into it, but I did watch sometimes as I wasn’t interested in other shows at the time. My viewing habits- I saw random episodes of this here and there but never cared much about it. Where it aired- This was part of Kids WB for its whole run. What I liked about it- It had recurring plots to keep you interested. What I didn’t like about it- It seemed darker than it needed to be and was too strange at times. It didn’t keep my interest as much as I would have liked it to. More thoughts on it- This was probably good, but I wasn’t interested at the time in it to care that much about it. Current fate- I don’t know if this airs on any network now and would be surprised if it did. DVD suggestion- It would work for some people, but I don’t think that I personally would get it. Grade: C.

Maya & Miguel: Show history- It aired for a while on PBS Kids as part of their then new PBS Kids Go programming block. What’s it about- A Hispanic brother and sister have mostly normal adventures with their friends of different races. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested enough to give it a chance. My viewing habits- I saw what I could of this when it was on. Where it aired- It was on PBS kids for its run. What I liked about it- Most shows don’t focus on multiculturalism so it was cool to see this show. Maya always tried to help people even if it wasn’t always with good results. What I didn’t like about it- The episodes seemed too long all the time and some of it wasn’t as realistic as it should have been. More thoughts on it- I liked this show, but probably not more than most other shows that I saw on PBS kids. Current fate- It lasted a mostly short time and launched a spin-off called Word Girl. I don’t think that it airs anywhere anymore. DVD suggestion- If this is out, it might be good to get. Grade: C+.

House: Show history- It was once the longest running drama on the FOX network. I think that Gotham has replaced it, if we include only the shows that are still on. What’s it about- A very strange doctor does whatever he can to save his patients. Why I’ve seen it- I was trying to get into medical dramas at the time that I thought I should give a chance too. My viewing habits- I only watched various episodes in what became the final season, stopping before the show’s run ended. Where it aired- It was on FOX throughout its whole run. What I liked about it- The show worked and didn’t seem too complicated. What I didn’t like about it- The main character is such an asshole and the plots, at least towards the end, were pretty bad. More thoughts on it- I was never that into it and had only a brief time that I spent watching it. Current fate- It had ended after its long run and I don’t know what networks might still air reruns of it. DVD suggestion- I’d pass. Grade: D.

Phil of the Future: Show history- It aired maybe two seasons or a bit more. What’s it about- A family from the future winds up in the present day. Why I’ve seen it- It being a Saturday morning show that I still cared about back then, I watched it because I could. My viewing habits- I watched what I could of this, but didn’t see too much of it. Where it aired- It aired on ABC for me, originally on Disney Channel. What I liked about it- The show was interesting with good concepts to it. What I didn’t like about it- Parts of it were dumb and pointless. More thoughts on it- It was a pretty good show and I never saw that much about it since I only get broadcast television and different things that I liked aired at the same time as it. Current fate- I don’t think that it airs anywhere anymore. DVD suggestion- This might be good to own, although I’m not sure if it is out on DVD. Grade: B-.

Postcards from Buster: Show history- This had a strong first season and some random episodes after this that have aired at random times. What’s it about- This was a spin-off of Arthur featuring a travelling Buster and his adventures. Why I’ve seen it- I watched all new shows on the network at the time. My viewing habits- I might have seen every episode outside of what might have aired after its second season, if any aired at all. Where it aired- This was on PBS kids for most of its run, with a notable episode airing in primetime in some regions. What I liked about it- It showed a lot of different places and cultures in the country. What I didn’t like about it- It seemed to have errors in continuity with Arthur as this should be set entirely within Arthur’s second season, yet it mentioned various events from future seasons. Also, the format was weird and unrealistic. More thoughts on it- Its fate was sealed when it featured a lesbian couple and lost funding as a result. The show was pretty much doomed from that point forward, although some episodes were made. Current fate- It no longer airs in any places to my knowledge. DVD suggestion- I don’t think that all of this is on DVD as the first season was incorrectly labeled as the complete series. It might be worth it, even though it is odd. Grade: B.

Quintuplets: Show history- I think that this only lasted for a single season. What’s it about- A comedy, this show is about a group of quintuplets when they are teenagers. Why I’ve seen it- My family was interested in it at the time. I forget if this aired on Sundays or not. My viewing habits- I saw various episodes, but I don’t think that I saw all of it. Where it aired- This aired on FOX. What I liked about it- It worked generally as a good sitcom about a family. What I didn’t like about it- A lot of it was widely inappropriate, yet in a way that I don’t think ever got a viewer discretion is advised warning. More thoughts on it- It seemed pretty much average in terms of quality. Current fate- I doubt that it reruns given its short length of time on the air. DVD suggestion- I don’t think that this is out and while I liked the show to an extent, I don’t think that I would get it. Grade: C-.

Tavis Smiley: Show history- The first black person to host an NPR show makes the switch to TV (although his radio show might still exist as well). What’s it about- Tavis Smiley interviews various people. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it at the time. My viewing habits- I have seen a few episodes here and there, but not too much of it due to its weird airtimes. Where it aired- It airs on PBS. What I liked about it- The show is very informative and interesting. What I didn’t like about it- Not everyone on it is as notable as one would like. More thoughts on it- I probably have not seen as much of this as I would like, yet I’m also not sure what I’d get out of this that I wouldn’t get out of other shows. Current fate- This show is actually still on the air with new episodes on PBS. DVD suggestion- This isn’t on DVD so a suggestion is not needed. It might be good if it were. Grade: B.

Wonderfalls: Show history- It aired a season, but not every episode was televised. It has since turned into a cult classic. What’s it about- A woman gets strange signs from the universe in the form of voices from inanimate objects talking to her. Why I’ve seen it- It looked interesting to me. My viewing habits- I think that I might have seen all that aired on TV, although I’m not entirely sure. Where it aired- It was on the FOX network. What I liked about it- The show was different and that was good. What I didn’t like about it- Parts of it didn’t seem to go anywhere. The supporting cast seemed wasted on unimportant plot points and only the main character seemed to have anything interesting going on. More thoughts on it- It was the type of quirky show that I tend to like even if some parts of it were dumb and a waste. Current fate- It didn’t last long, but all the episodes, including those that didn’t air, are on DVD. DVD suggestion- If you liked it, then you should get it. I personally don’t know if I care enough about it to get it. Grade: B-.

Drake & Josh: Show history- It aired a good while on Nickelodeon. What’s it about- Two people with opposing personalities become step-brothers. It could be described as similar to The Odd Couple. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested enough in it to watch it when I could. My viewing habits- I saw made a few episodes of it here and there. Where it aired- It aired on Nickelodeon at the time. What I liked about it- The show seemed to work a lot of the time. What I didn’t like about it- It wasn’t as educational as a show like this should have been. More thoughts on it- At times, it was weirder than it should have been and didn’t have as good appeal towards it that it should have. Current fate- I don’t think that this airs anymore. DVD suggestion- I don’t know if this is out or worth the money. Grade: C.

Lost: Show history- It had a pretty good run. What’s it about- A group of people wind up stranded on an island that is mysterious with things happening. Why I’ve seen it- I was checking what was on different tapes and this was one of the things that I found. My viewing habits- I only saw one episode of it and am not even sure that I should be reviewing it. Where it aired- It was an ABC show. What I liked about it- It seemed different than most shows you’d see. What I didn’t like about it- It was far too confusing and strange. More thoughts on it- I don’t think that I can gather much from the one episode of it that I saw. I just know that tons of people liked it until an infamous final episode of it aired. Current fate- I don’t think that it airs anymore, although it could. DVD suggestion- I’m not giving one. Grade: C.

I’m going to switch here to reviews of seasons of shows that started in 2004. This will be similar to how they were in 2007’s ended shows reviews. I’m going to mention the same groups of shows as that time as I don’t really know what else to include at the moment. Maybe I can expand more as I catch up to future years.

Survivor: All-Stars: Show history- This was the eighth season of Survivor and the first to use all returning players. What’s it about- Eighteen contestants from each of the seven previous seasons compete for a new chance to win a million dollars. Why I’ve seen it- I always watch Survivor seasons. My viewing habits- I did not see the whole season when it aired, although I got nearly all of it. Where it aired- It was on CBS and the first episode of the season was a Super Bowl lead-out program. What makes it different than other seasons- Before this season, they had never had all returning players before or any returning players in any capacity. It was also the first season to have more than sixteen players. There were other things they did different than usual. What I liked about it- The three tribes format was nice to watch. It was also cool seeing old players again. What I didn’t like about it- They seemed to put way too many dumb twists in here. The cast was kind of weak. Some of what happened here was just messed up. More thoughts on it- Out of all the seasons with all returning players, this is probably the lowest ranked in my mind. The events leading to Sue’s quit were among the most disturbing things ever shown on television. Where it ranks among other seasons- This would be with the bad seasons or pretty close to it. Maybe it is more average than actually bad, but I don’t think highly of it and most fans really hate this season. DVD suggestion- I would get this if you get all the DVDs of Survivor or in some way want to catch up on it for whatever reason, but I’d pass on this as a lot of it is bad. Grade: D.

Survivor: Vanuatu: Show history- This is the ninth season of Survivor. What’s it about- This was a battle of the sexes season where it began with nine men facing off against nine women. Why I’ve seen it- As always, I watch each new Survivor season when I can. My viewing habits- I might have seen this whole season when it aired, although I’m not sure at the moment. Where it aired- It aired on CBS. What makes it different than other seasons- While it reused an opening twist from Amazon’s season, there were some different aspects to it such as evolving game play and the formal introduction of the double tribal council twist. What I liked about it- I liked it being different and better executed than the previous battle of the sexes season. I felt that the winner and story arc after the merge that lead to his win was great to watch. What I didn’t like about it- The game before the merge wasn’t as interesting or good as it could have been. More thoughts on it- This was a pretty good season and could be underrated among them. Where it ranks among other seasons- I’d rank this among the good seasons, although I don’t know if it cracks the top ten. DVD suggestion- This is a pretty good season and I think that one should get it even if one hasn’t seen Survivor but one is interested in watching it. Grade: B.

Power Rangers: Dino Thunder: Show history- This was the second of the Disney owned Power Rangers seasons that aired. It featured the return of fan favorite ranger Tommy. What’s it about- A monster wants to return the earth to the days of the dinosaurs while the rangers try to stop this from happening. Why I’ve seen it- I was still into Power Rangers at the time and still watched this because it was pretty good and interesting. My viewing habits- I saw what I could of this, although I know I didn’t see every episode of it this season. Where it aired- It aired on one of the Disney related channels and ABC where I watched it. What makes it different than other seasons- While the villain is probably indisputably bad, he wasn’t just trying to take over the earth like all the other villains were. Like the previous season, it started with only three rangers although it had five at the end. What I liked about it- The evil white ranger story arc was well done and fun to watch. There was a lot in here for classic ranger fans while it kept things interesting to the new people who watch it. What I didn’t like about it- Due to scheduling issues, Tommy was underused in the season. Parts of it seemed to be too random and not make as much sense as it should have. More thoughts on it- I liked the season and felt it was one of the better Disney era seasons. Where it ranks among other seasons- I’d rank this pretty high, although not as high as some other seasons. DVD suggestion- I might get this at some point, but I think that fans of the classic era would appreciate it and so would people who want to know more about Power Rangers history in general. Grade: B.