Summer Shows 2018

Well, if you've paid attention to this blog often enough, you would know that I kept talking about the possibility that it might not be updated on Saturdays anymore. Well, the time has now come for me to start with the updates of this on Sundays now instead of Saturdays. You might see the occasional Saturday update, but if you are wondering which week to come and read this blog, it will now mostly be on Sundays weekly instead of Saturdays. We'll see how long this last. Saturdays are complete and Sundays are now when this blog will be updated. Now, let's get to this long delayed post.

Well, I’m sorry that this post has been delayed as long as it has been. I have not had as much time for writing what I want to due to my job taking place when I would have written things. I should be glad at least that I’m able to watch more or less every summer show I wanted to at least once except for the show Castaways and have time to write all these posts that I do. Now enjoy this post.

Pink Collar Crimes: Show Description- A true crime show, people describe crimes they committed and the reason why. Behind the Scenes- This is another in a long line of Saturday programming that CBS does on and off from time to time. My Thoughts- It is hard to tell much about it based on one episode, but I would have to say that it seems pretty interesting even if it is similar to any show like it. It will be cool if we continue to see it from the criminal’s perspective like we did in the pilot. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I doubt this would last. Do many last minute additions to the schedule last? Where to Find- On CBS at 8/7 Central on Saturdays

Whistleblower: Show Description- People describe real life cases of calling out wrongdoing in various situations. Behind the Scenes- This is a summer replacement for Celebrity Undercover Boss which aired earlier in the summer. My Thoughts- I liked it, but I don’t know what makes it much different from most of the other true crime shows. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- If I had to guess, after this summer season is over, it will never return or even have the network given us the courtesy of us telling us that it was cancelled. Remember CBSN: On Assignment? Where to Find- On CBS at 8/7 Central on Fridays

Burden of Truth: Show Description- A lawyer goes back to her hometown to investigate a case of weird things happening there. Behind the Scenes- I don’t think that this replaced any show from a previous summer. It is a foreign show airing here in the US for one reason or another. My Thoughts- It is pretty good and I hope that it focuses on all of the issues in good ways. I just hope that it is interesting enough in the long run. I give it four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- With this being a show from a foreign network, whether or not in lasts in the US is unknown. I don’t think that it has a long term plan in line as I can’t see it lasting that long unless it has a new plot for a second season. Where to Find- On the CW at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays

TKO: Total Knock Out: Show Description- People compete in an interactive obstacle course for fastest time while others try to knock them off the course at each different stage. Behind the Scenes- Kevin Hart, known for doing stand-up and movies, is the host of this show. My Thoughts- It seems like a rip-off of Wipeout and Kevin is annoying as host. It isn’t that bad a show, but you aren’t missing a thing if you don’t watch it. I give it two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- If you don’t remember Wipeout, then there might be a reason. It will probably suffer the same fate and never be brought back in the future. Where to Find- On CBS at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays

The Outpost: Show Description- I don’t understand all of the plot, but it seems like there are people who live at a place called the outpost which seems to be the last place people want to be, only they wind up here for some reason or another and the show focuses on a woman who is a rare breed who survived a slaughter of her people and her continuing adventures. Behind the Scenes- This replaced Hooten and the Lady, I believe. It is the American airing of a foreign show. My Thoughts- It seemed good in some ways. I can’t exactly tell too much about it and hope that it doesn’t just rely on the same old types of olden type, mystical shows that we see from time to time. While I wish that I could see more, it won’t upset me missing it. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- Like a lot of these new shows, this will only last if it lasts internationally and the ratings here won’t matter just like how ratings internationally normally don’t matter here. Where to Find- On the CW at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays

My Last Days: Show Description- Dying people do a show based on the last days of their lives. Behind the Scenes- The host of this was on the show Jane the Virgin for a while. My Thoughts- It seemed like a good show, but you wouldn’t like it if you don’t want things that make you sad. Long Term Prospects- This aired for three episodes and probably won’t be back unless it is just for some one-off specials. Where to Find- Not currently on the schedule

Here, we make the change to returning shows. A lot of these reviews, you will have seen before. Some of them, you have not seen. But if it is on its second season or first of a reboot or revival, then you will see it mentioned as a new review. Enjoy my thoughts on these shows.

Celebrity Family Feud: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Sundays. Why I’ve seen it- I was able to catch a rerun. Description- This is basically the same as Family Feud, only the people competing are from famous families and competing for charities instead of themselves. Also, winning people wouldn’t be back on future shows like in the regular game show. Notable People- Steve Harvey, well known comedian and current talk show host who also currently hosts the regular version of Family Feud is the host of this show as well. Pros- Everything that you’d love about the regular Family Feud is in this show as well. Celebrities are competing for charity so it is all for a good cause. Even the losers’ charities get money. Cons- To make this an hour, they cram what are two half hour shows into one episode, which I find strange and unnecessary. A lot of the questions relate, intentionally or otherwise, to sex. Note to Parents- You might have some stuff to worry about for the really young ones, but other than that, it should be fine. Recommendation- I’d say that this is worth watching. My Viewing Habits- This is something that I plan to watch when I can although I haven’t always watched it in the past. Prediction- This show comes and goes already so even if it ends, it could come back. I’d imagine that it will probably stay as a long term summer show for a while. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: B+.

48 Hours: NCIS: Status- Not currently on the schedule. Why I’ve seen it- I normally watch a show on CBS at least once. Noteworthiness- This is a spin-off of 48 Hours, a true crime show, focusing on cases that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service have worked on. Description- People tell stories of real life cases that NCIS has worked on. Notable People- Rocky Carroll from the show NCIS is the narrator of this show. Pros- If you like and watch 48 Hours, then you would like this show. Cons- This doesn’t seem as good as any of the shows in the NCIS franchise. Note to Parents- I wouldn’t let your kids watch this as it can be rather gruesome. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. If you like true crime, you’ll like this show. If not, then you won’t like this show. My Viewing Habits- I only watched this once. I might watch it again, but I don’t know for sure if I will or not. Prediction- This will probably last, even if it is just to fill in the gap of a cancelled show. Reception: good. Grade: C-. New review

Big Brother: Status- This CBS show airs in three hours of primetime during the summer and on live internet feeds at www.cbs.com. The three primetime hours are basically split into the mostly live show where people are voted out, the show where people get nominated to get voted out, and the show where people compete to possibly change the nominations on the show. Basically, you’d have to watch the average week of shows to get the way it airs. The current airing schedule has it on Sundays at 8/7 Central, Wednesdays at 8/7 Central, and Thursdays at 9/8 Central. Why I’ve seen it- A parody of it on the Talk interested me in watching the real thing. Noteworthiness- There are many versions of it in other countries, most of which work very differently than ours. In case you were wondering, we were not the first country to do this show, although we were the first country to use the format that it has in almost no other country’s version of it. Description- A group of people, normally strangers, but sometimes not, are put into a house where they are recorded 24/7 and competing for a money prize. Notable People- Julie Chen, formally of CBS’s the Early Show and current co-host of the Talk, is the host of this show. Pros- While it may seem similar to other reality TV shows, it is very different to the usual. You can see whatever you want to online since CBS has live feeds of what goes on inside the house. Cons- The live internet feed gets cuts a lot making it seem like the people that air the show is hiding something. Tons of controversies have arisen on the show. Note to Parents- I’d say that teenagers can watch this. I wouldn’t go with much younger than that as the typical episode can have enough objectionable things in it. Recommendation- This show is a pretty good show to watch. My viewing habits- I got into this late and for varying reasons don’t know yet if I’ll watch it again. I have not been watching it this season and might not see it again as it is too much of a time commitment. Prediction- It will probably last a long time, although it just as easily might not. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.

The $100,000 Pyramid: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Sundays. Why I’ve seen it- It seemed interesting and I didn’t really have anything else to watch at the time. Noteworthiness- This is a reboot of the pyramid game show. Description- People have to get various questions answered by the other contestant. The current format has a regular person paired with a celebrity and they compete against another team like them. Partway through the game, the regular person is then paired with the other celebrity. Notable People- Michael Strahan, who used to cohost the Live talk show and still helps with sports commentary, is the host of this show. There are famous guests who help each show. Pros- The show is fairly entertaining and funny to watch. Cons- It is weird that they always put together two halves of a show into one hour long show instead of just making this one half hour show while finding other things to air. Parts of the format are a bit strange and don’t entirely seem fair in a way. Note to Parents- This is mostly acceptable outside of potential sexual things said. Recommendation- I’d say that people would like and watch this. My Viewing Habits- I don’t always watch but do whenever I can see it. Normally I watch when I can. Prediction- This could last and it might not. Whether it does or it doesn’t, I’m not entirely sure of. If it doesn’t last, it will probably still be revived again at some point anyways. Reception: good. Grade: B.

Penn and Teller: Fool Us: Status- It airs on the CW at 8/7 on Mondays. Why I’ve seen it- It being a magic show interested me enough into watching it. Noteworthiness- Originally, this was a foreign series that had lasted a single season and was cancelled. It aired in Britain, but not in America for a while. After it aired in this country, the show was brought back for a second season and it has been on the CW during the summers and oddly timed reruns and other episodes since then. Description- Various magicians compete for a chance to be an opening act for Penn and Teller. They get to do a trick for them and get to be the opening act if Penn and Teller can’t explain how the trick was done. Pros- With a standalone format, this is the type of show that you don’t have to watch every week. The tricks are entertaining, regardless of if Penn and Teller are fooled. You get to see them perform a trick at the end of the show to keep things interesting. Cons- Whether or not Penn and Teller are fooled, we don’t know what the secret is behind the trick. So, basically, if people don’t fool Penn and Teller, we still don’t know how they aren’t fooled. I will say this, though, the tricks that fool tend to be better. Also, it can be rather annoying when people who have been on before, especially if they have already fooled them, are back on another time. Note to Parents- Anything potentially offensive in this show is relatively minor compared to most other shows. I’d be wary of the sexual things that show up from time to time. Recommendation- If you can watch it, then you probably should. My Viewing Habits- I haven’t always watched this compared to other shows. I do watch it if there is nothing notable I feel competes with it, which it doesn’t at the time. Prediction- I think that this show will last a while, although it will obviously end if something happens to Penn and/or Teller. Reception: positive. Grade: B-.

Whose Line is it Anyways?: Status- Currently on the CW on Mondays at 9/8 Central. Why I’ve seen it- I liked the original show and am a general fan of improvised comedy. Noteworthiness- It is the remake of an ABC show and retains much of the original cast. Description- A group of comedians make up stuff and make us laugh while competing for meaningless points. Notable People- There are guests from certain shows that are noteworthy, whether they are the fourth member of the group (which changes) or a different special member. Aisha Tyler, who used to co-host the Talk, is the current host of this show. Pros- This is more or less the same great show that we all knew and loved when it first aired. Most of the original cast is back. Even though everything is made up, it still manages to be really funny. Cons- There are normally guests on the show that tend to slow things down and take away from the talent of the true part of the show. There tends to be some sexual related things that come up often enough. Note to Parents- Some of the humor is not things you’d want your kids watching, but most of it is okay and shouldn’t cause any problems if they watch it. Recommendation- You should probably watch it. I don’t know why one wouldn’t like this. My Viewing Habits- I try to watch this as often as possible, although I know that I miss it a lot. I watched the original version when it was on too and plan to keep watching it until it ends. At the moment, I’m not watching it as Salvation airs against it. Prediction- This should last a very long time, provided that the cast can stay together throughout the run of this show. I’m pretty sure that the cast not being able to stay together is what killed it the first time, although low ratings didn’t help. Reception: positive. Grade: A+.

The Gong Show: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I was wanting to see it once so I tuned in. Noteworthiness- This is a reboot of a popular former show. Description- People complete in a talent show where bad acts get the gong and are taken off stage. Notable People- There are recurring guest judges that are famous in some way. The current host is said to be a character done by former SNL star Mike Meyers. Pros- There are legitimate acts that are good every now and then. Cons- It can be dumb at times as a lot of the acts are hit and miss. Plus, only one person has to hit the gong to get someone to stop their performance, which doesn’t seem far when there are three judges. Its biggest flaw is that it is intentionally about bad acts, although the occasional good act gets through from time to time. Note to Parents- It might be questionable at times, but you’d have to watch it for yourself to decide if you think your kids should watch it. Recommendation- I wouldn’t watch this again as it seems to be about the bad acts and not about any good talent. My Viewing Habits- I only watched once and then never saw it again. Prediction- I’d have to guess that this probably won’t last. It could last or get rebooted again if it fails. Reception: good. Grade: D.

Salvation: Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Mondays. Why I’ve seen it- I always watch a CBS show at least once under most circumstances. Description- A meteor is coming to strike the earth and wipe out mankind, but some people are trying to stop it while there are various other complications. Notable People- Ian Anthony Dale, who also stars on Hawaii Five-0, plays a character on this show. Pros- The show focuses on a lot besides the asteroid with various political conspiracies also in the plot. Cons- It can do too much while also somehow not doing enough. This seems unoriginal in some places. Note to Parents- There are enough various problems in here that would make this a bad choice to let a lot of really young kids watch, although preteens and teens probably can watch it with there being any issues of any kind. Recommendation- I think that it is good enough to watch. My Viewing Habits- I have not always kept up with this show, but do plan on watching it until the very end. Prediction- I do not know if this will last long or not. I’d put its renewal chances at a toss-up for now, meaning that it is just as likely to stay as to go. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-. New review

Match Game: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- It originally fit in my schedule when it was first airing. Noteworthiness- This is a reboot of a game show that has been around, on and off, for various decades. Description- This is a game show where two ordinary people try to match their answers with those of celebrities. Notable People- Alec Baldwin, well known actor who has hosted Saturday Night Live the most times, appeared in 30 Rock, and has a notable movie career, is the host of the show and there are various celebrities who help with the show. They make use of the same celebrities at times, but not always. Pros- This show is quite entertaining as it can be funny a lot. Cons- Some of the questions are strange and one can wonder why they are as suggestive as they are. Plus, they seem to have a strange format by combining two half-hour shows into one all the time. One can question if some choices are easier than others. Note to Parents- This show frequency uses double entrées and sexual related dialogue so I would probably steer clear of those younger than teens watching this unless you want to explain to them things no parent would probably want to under most circumstances. Recommendation- If you aren’t busy and want to watch something without much long term commitment, this show would work for you. My Viewing Habits- I watch this sometimes, although I don’t care about this too much. If it’s during the summer and something else I like is on, I wouldn’t watch this long term. But I do tend to watch this when I can if I am doing nothing else. Prediction- I say that this probably will last for a while. It would probably eventually come back if it goes away again. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: B.

Love Connection: Status- Currently on FOX at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it might be interesting enough for some reason. Noteworthiness- This is a reboot of a show of the same name. Description- In this show, a person goes on a date with three other people and the audience votes in advance of learning about the dates who had the best connection. If they guess right, the person wins money and the date. If they guess wrong, the person has to choose between money and the date. Notable People- Andy Cohen, who used to host a late night show on Bravo and helps with the Real Housewives franchise, is the host of this show. Pros- It can do good potentially. Cons- It seemed kind of lame to me, another in a long string of largely uninteresting reality shows made to exploit people’s desires to be with one another. It could rely too much on fighting. Note to Parents- I don’t know what to say here except that you probably shouldn’t let them watch this. Recommendation- Don’t waste your time with this. My Viewing Habits- I haven’t seen much of it and only really tried to watch it once. Prediction- I have no idea if this might last or not. Reception: good. Grade: F. New review

To Tell the Truth: Status- It is currently on ABC at 10/9 Central on Sundays. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested enough in it to watch. Noteworthiness- This is a reboot of the same show by the same name that has been around every so often. Description- Celebrity panelists have to guess who there is really who they say they are and not just pretending. Notable People- Anthony Anderson, who currently stars on Black-ish is the host of this show. Pros- It can be funny at times. Cons- It can seem pointless. There should be more to it in the modern version. Note to Parents- This may be the standard amount of what you’d find objectionable so I’d say that you should watch an episode for yourself to see if you think kids could watch it. Recommendation- If you aren’t watching anything else at the time, you’d like this. If you do care about literally anything else, then don’t bother with it. My Viewing Habits- I’ll probably watch this when I can. Prediction- This could last a while, but I don’t know for sure if it will or not. I think that it is likely not to stick around in the future. Reception: good. Grade: C.

Masters of Illusion: Status- It airs on the CW at 8/7 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- It first aired right after a show that I normally watch. Noteworthiness- Looking up the history of this show, I found out that it has aired off and on various networks in recent history. That means that if it ends, it could be brought back. Description- Simply put, this show has various magicians doing performances for people. Pros- A lot of stuff happens in one episode. Tricks and magicians always change so you know you can expect something different in each episode. The show happens quickly and this isn’t something that you always have to watch as the episodes are always standalones. Cons- Well, some of the pros can also be cons. They seem to focus on putting too much in a single half-hour. A lot of the tricks are things you’ve seen before. It is hard to tell a new episode from a rerun as a lot is repetitive. Note to Parents- There isn’t too much in here that would be worrisome for kids to see. All one would have to worry about is mild innuendo every now and then. Recommendation- I would say that you should watch it if magic is the type of thing that interests you. My viewing habits- It can be hard to stay into this show although I do watch it at times, but not always. Prediction- I think that this show will last a good while and if it ever ends, it can come back again as it has in the past. Reception: somewhat negative, although, it was hard for me to find a good place that mentioned the reception that the show got. Grade: B.

Primetime: What Would You Do?: Status- It airs on ABC at 9/8 Central on Fridays. Why I’ve seen it- Commercials made it seem interesting. Cancellation of The Good Guys helped me decide to watch it. Noteworthiness- It is the first hidden camera show I’ve seen that wasn’t out to exploit people for laughs. It is actually very serious. Description- Different situations are set up to see how people react to them. The point is to get people to react to a situation and get them to help people out. Very serious situations are acted out using issues such as coming out, unwanted pregnancy, racial issues, gender issues, and more. Pros- It shows the good side among people and how they actually help sometimes. It is very interesting and could make good teaching material. There are different segments in each episode to keep you interested. It probably is a more realistic version than any scripted show could come up with. Cons- Some segments are better than others because some segments are just pointless. A certain amount of deception is involved with the people. All the shooting locations tend to be in the same locations. The Would You Fall for That? segments are pretty dumb. One can question the legalities of this show. It is often annoying when it pushes something with an agenda of some sort. Note to Parents- Some segments might be okay for kids and others are not. I’d say that it depends on your mood to be honest. Recommendation- Everyone should watch this show. This is my favorite TV show of all time. My viewing habits- I haven’t always watched this in the past but always watch it now whenever I have the chance. Prediction- It should be on until they run out of ideas, which is unlikely that they will. I guess it might matter whether or not there’s enough interest and it could just disappear randomly and never come back. Reception: positive. Grade: A++.

Planned Viewing Habits: Fall of 2018

I haven’t yet told you about what I plan to do regarding primetime in the upcoming fall season. I might as well tell you about that in this post before the season starts. We’ll see what all happens and you’ll find out in reviews whether or not I could stick to the plan or not.

Before I continue with this, know that work affects what I will be able to watch on TV. I have missed a lot of shows as a result of work. I’m okay with that. Don’t ever think that I would complain about having a job just because it can interfere with my work schedule. But it does mean that I might not watch as much as I could have in the past before I started working nights.

I’m also unsure of what could change with what all I watch. I could give up shows in the future. I could start watching shows that I haven’t seen before. There could be a schedule change and what I would have seen before, I wouldn’t be able to anymore.

Let’s talk about what I like that isn’t on until midseason. ABC isn’t showing Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or For the People until later in the season. CBS isn’t showing Elementary, Instinct, or Ransom until later in the season. The CW isn’t showing iZombie or Jane the Virgin until later in the season. FOX isn’t airing Gotham or The Orville until later in the season. NBC isn’t airing Brooklyn Nine-Nine or Ellen’s Game of Games until later in the season.

There are some returning wild cards as I call them going into this season. This basically means that I don’t know what will happen regarding whether or not I watch certain shows or not. I’m probably not going to watch The Blacklist again. Since Chicago Med is now up against Survivor, I doubt that I will stay into it, even if I could watch it later online. Riverdale will continue to be complicated and I’ll stay into that if and when I can, if only because Graham Phillips is or could be in it at times. I will probably not be into American Housewife anymore since it, too, is airing against Survivor. I still have no idea if I might ever see Supernatural in the future.

Now let’s get into all of the returning shows at fall that I plan to keep watching as usual. I will keep watching the ABC shows of The Good Doctor, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, and How to Get Away with Murder. I might watch Fresh off the Boat at times. I will keep watching the CBS shows of NCIS: Los Angeles, Madam Secretary, Bull, NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, Survivor, SEAL Team, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, Hawaii Five-0, Blue Bloods, MacGyver, and S.W.A.T. I will see 60 Minutes for most of the time unless I decide to watch something else instead.

I will keep watching the CW shows of Supergirl, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, The Flash, and Dynasty. I will keep watching the FOX shows of The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, The Resident, and The Gifted. I will keep watching the NBC shows of Law and Order: SVU, The Good Place, and Blindspot.

There are returning shows I might start watching for the very first time. The most notable of these will be the returning Murphy Brown. It has been off the air for a while. I don’t know what is with all these threads of revivals. I might start watching Chicago PD, but probably won’t.

Now let’s get into all of the new shows that I plan to watch. I don’t know if I will watch The Alec Baldwin show yet or not. That might be the only new show wildcard I have thus far outside of A Million Little Things, both of which are ABC shows. As for the ABC shows that I do plan on watching for sure, they are Single Parents and The Rookie. The new FOX show that I plan on watching is just Rel. I might watch some new shows only because they air with shows that I like already.

You should know by now that I plan to always watch a new CBS show at least once. Thus, I plan to watch God Friended Me, The Neighborhood, Happy Together, FBI, and Magnum P.I. While you might think that I do the same thing with CW shows, you are not entirely right about that because I will not be watching Legacies at all since it is a spin-off of a show I never watched which itself was a spin-off of a show that I used to like, but not longer cared about before it had the spin-off. What will I watch then? I will tune into Charmed and All American.

NBC has reception problems for me. If I can watch the new shows on it, I will tune into New Amsterdam and Manifest. I never ended up seeing The Brave as it was likely to be cancelled and I figured that I shouldn’t end up wasting my time with it. This could affect a lot of what I’d want to watch and be able to watch. If only trees didn’t affect my antenna. I have no idea how long the problem could last. But I have not been able to watch any of the NBC shows this summer that I would have liked to watch.

That’s all for this post outside of posting a reminder that plans can change. I may not stick to my own plan and may have no reason to do so. If I wind up not being able to watch TV at all if I wind up with a full time job that conflicts with seeing primetime. We’ll see what ends up happening in the future with any of what I do or watch.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Drinking Game

So many posts to write, so little time to do it. Let's face it, if I have all this time for a blog, then I shouldn't be complaining if I don't have enough time to write this blog. So here I am with another drinking game. Continuing the sort of rotation that I'm doing, it will relate to Jimmy Fallon's current talk show. If one is still drinking that late at night, when would one drink?

• If there is singing by anyone, then take a shot.
• Any random music being played, like the one typically done at the end of segments, is a shot.
• Any game is a shot.
• Jimmy being awkward in some way is a shot.
• Any mention of or conversation with band members or the side kick is a shot.
• Any mention of any tweet of any kind is a shot.

Notes on the Upcoming CBS Schedule: 2018 Version

As I hastily try to write all of the posts for this blog for the near future, I’m reminded that for a while now, I have done posts that talk about the upcoming schedule on CBS. Few people besides me would care about what show replaces what other show on this network. Honestly, a lot of my writing is just for my own benefit. But I might as well get this accomplished as soon as I can.

One of the things that will be a bit confusing is the Murphy Brown revival that is not really a new show but might as well be labeled that for the sake of this blog. It is taking over the timeslot that Life in Pieces had. Life in Pieces is gone now until midseason.

What are all the new shows? One is called The Neighborhood. Another is Happy Together. There is also a reboot of Magnum P.I. FBI is a new show as well. And don’t forget God Friended Me. Then, all of the new midseason shows are The Code, Fam and The Red Line.

Thursday Night Football is over on this network and that will be good for the future. It has made some of the scheduling changes a bit difficult to keep up with. Well, a lot of things were basically the same with some of the changes and didn’t matter until it was over. But there won’t be any issues with comedy changes with Mondays and Thursdays.

I need to write a note here for other blogs of mine so I’ll know where to look in terms of what might end up happening in the rare event that I create a new blog for some reason. What I need to know for this note is that Life in Pieces is now Murphy Brown. Instinct is gone for now with God Friended Me as its replacement, although Instinct will return at some point. Kevin Can Wait is now The Neighborhood. Code Black is now Criminal Minds. 9JKL was replaced by something and is now half of Magnum P.I. And Superior Donuts is now the other half of that show. Elementary is replaced by FBI.

Before the season ended, there were changes with other shows. Me, Myself, and I was replaced by Man with a Plan. Wisdom of the Crowd was replaced by Instinct. 9JKL was replaced by Living Biblically. Near the end of the season, Scorpion was replaced by Elementary. Criminal Minds was replaced by Code Black. And I think that was about it.

It will be confusing that some of the shows on CBS will be returning later, but not right away. Among them are The Amazing Race, Man with a Plan, Life in Pieces, Instinct, possibly Celebrity Big Brother, and I have no idea for sure what’s happening with Undercover Boss.

Have I covered what all is replaced by what? I hope that I have. But I don’t know for sure if I got all of it or not. Man with a Plan is being replaced by Happy Together. Only Man with a Plan will return at some point. Living Biblically now forms half of Magnum P.I. with Superior Donuts providing the other half. I have no idea what could have replaced Murphy Brown since it went off the air, but I might look it up in the future if I really care about it that much.

In conclusion, I hope that this post is worth more people’s times than just mine. I’m not entirely sure that it affects more than just me. I hope that I didn’t mess up too much of this post from what I normally have done in the past with things like it.

A Look Back at my 2017-2018 Cancellation Predictions

I am so behind on all the posts that I need to write that you might have been wondering where some of the usual summer posts are. Well, I haven’t had as much time for writing this blog that I’ve spent writing this blog like I’m supposed to. I need to do research some times for it and that is why a lot of these have not been done yet. All of them probably will be at some point. Otherwise, sorry for any of the posts that you like reading but aren’t getting.

Before I get going with this post any further, I might as well get to what some of the asterisks in this post mean. I will then look back on my predictions of what would be cancelled last season. First note that if it has one asterisk, that means it is unofficially cancelled. Two asterisks means that it is switching networks due to being cancelled. It isn’t over as it is moving to another network even if one cancelled it first. Here is a good way to note it: unofficially cancelled *, switching networks **. Know that what I mention later as fate unknown is probably unofficially cancelled.

What I got right: Scandal, Wisdom of the Crowd, Ten Days in the Valley, Ghosted, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, Law and Order: True Crime *, The Mayor, Once Upon a Time, Inhumans, Deception, Alex Inc., The Crossing, The Toy Box *, Roseanne, Quantico, Kevin Can Wait; Me, Myself, and I; 9JKL, Code Black, Living Biblically, Superior Donuts, Scorpion, Life Sentence, The Originals, New Girl, Lucifer **, The Mick, The Exorcist, LA to Vegas, The Brave, Great News, Taken, Timeless, Champions, Rise, Trial and Error

Scandal: This was a freebie. I was guaranteed to get it right since they announced it was airing its final season before the season started. If I ever get a freebie wrong, then there is something wrong with me as I must not have been paying attention.

Wisdom of the Crowd: There might not have been much wrong with the show in terms of quality, but there were other issues with it and it seems that at least one Sunday show has to get cancelled on every network each season.

Ten Days in the Valley: Here’s a show that was probably a short term plan anyways. Unless I’m mistaken, this was going to air earlier and got delayed. Then it was pulled from the schedule, but at least they were nice and aired all of the episodes and released the show to DVD.

Ghosted: Often, you will know when a network hates a show. For instance, if they pulled it suddenly from the schedule and don’t announce a return date until it randomly comes back for the summer, then you know that it is probably dead. And it seems appropriate that they ghosted the show since that is its name after all.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World: So many shows seem to do a Christian angle and they all seem to fail. The only one I can think of that lasted a while was 7^th Heaven. Even if they try to get it right, they often fail at garnering viewers. And they screwed a lot with this show’s airing which cemented its status as dead well into its season.

Law and Order: True Crime: While I get annoyed at my region for having reception problems for NBC and even more annoyed that the NBC website often fails, I should be glad that it happened when it did or I might have got sucked into a really stupid show. I only watched one episode online around the time that my laptop was failing and I wouldn’t have been able to watch it if it wasn’t. I only watched this for a different blog of mine. Meanwhile, it wasn’t actually cancelled, but it might as well have been since I just don’t see it coming back any time soon.

The Mayor: This show looked terrible and nobody really watched it. I’m not sure if all of it aired in the end. I guess people figured that if they wanted to see a person who shouldn’t have won an office that they are now stuck with for a while, they could watch the news and see what Trump is up to. *sips tea* They might have tried to make the lead more endearing, but it just didn’t work.

Once Upon a Time: With so many changes going into it for the next season, you do have to wonder if it should have just ended a season sooner so as to not have so much of the cast lost going into it.  Maybe that is why people stopped watching or maybe them putting it on Fridays was the death sentence. All I know is that I’m glad they had the decency to tell us midway through that it was ending this season and was glad that they gave us a great ending.

Inhumans: I might never understand why so many people hated this show. I just hope that they didn’t waste their time watching it, but not a lot of people did spend their time with it. After all of the negative reception and low viewership, it was one of the least surprising cancellations of the season.

Deception: While I might have watched this if it aired at a different time originally, I ultimately never saw it. I didn’t know anything about it going into the season, but figured that it wouldn’t last due to its title. After airing on a dreaded Sunday night slot on ABC where no show wants to be, it was cancelled due to low ratings. I don’t know if it would have lasted in another slot, but since ABC messed up so much of Sunday this season, I’d have to say that it might have under different circumstances.

Alex Inc.: This is another example of the bad title rule in use. It is hard to tell without watching if a show with a bad title will wind up cancelled at the end of its season or not, it more than likely is. I never saw the show so I don’t know if it is as bad as its title or not. Maybe the title isn’t bad.

The Crossing: I liked the promos for this show and watched it as a result. While the show was good in some places, it wasn’t in others. Whatever the reason, people didn’t watch this and it was cancelled, getting such bad treatment that the last two episodes aired on a Saturday.

The Toy Box: While there may be a chance that this show comes back, since it was linked with Toys R Us and that retailer is going out of business, this show is as good as dead. I am writing it off as cancelled as a result since it doesn’t seem like it will be coming back in the future.

Roseanne: If only the star of this show were smarter on twitter, then this would be staying around. It got such great ratings that they decided to sort of keep the show alive in the form of a spin-off focusing on some of the characters with it. I only had it on here because revivals and reboots don’t tend to do well. So much weirdness happened with it, it is hard to keep track of everything.

Quantico: When a show gets an illogical renewal, then it is likely not to stick around much longer. It is still airing the rest of its episodes as of this post. If things had gone better for it, then a cancellation in its third season wouldn’t make sense. But it didn’t have enough episodes going into it. And I don’t know what went wrong with its final season, but too much changed.

Kevin Can Wait: Honestly, this probably should have lasted given its good enough ratings and not much being against it. But there was enough fan outrage over unnecessary cast changes and too much of the show was different in its second season.

Me, Myself, and I: Maybe it failed because it was a single camera comedy on CBS and only Life in Pieces has lasted a long time on that network without having a live studio audience laughing at the antics of what was going on. And while I did like the show, it wasn’t really that funny in the end. Shows that use a different type of concept tend not to last anyways.

9JKL: The more I think about it, the more I think that this was just a rip-off of Everybody Loves Raymond. It wasn’t that good a show so I didn’t watch it as much as I could have. This makes me question what real life scenarios I could turn into sitcoms as they might not last.

Code Black: CBS never cared that much about this show or it would have gotten a full season order on any of its seasons. While only its first season renewal seemed illogical, it was never good betting on its future which makes me wonder why the TV Grim Reaper ignored his own advice and thought that it would last before it even started airing.

Living Biblically- This show could have worked, but it didn’t. It ultimately seemed like a strange man trying to live a better life but failing at providing good entertainment. I had it under here by the original name of By the Book. It didn’t keep its name nor did it last.

Superior Donuts: Here’s another illogical cancellation. The only reason why it seems like it might have been cancelled to me is because CBS wanted it air dramas in place of its many comedy times. I never liked the show even if others did and it might have tackled serious issues at times.

Scorpion: I don’t get why it was cancelled or why the writers had to give us such a terrible ending that I would have hated even if they show had continued. You see, it became clear as things went along that CBS cared less about it since they weren’t showing it on reruns anymore. It is always telling what they won’t air in repeats. It goes against a lot of their own habits not to renew it based on what they have done before with other shows in the past. Now I hate this show, even if I might write a fan fiction to resolve the storyline if only due to it having a flimsy connection to the NCIS franchise.

Life Sentence: The CW network is getting to be more and more predictable as time comes by. If they ever air two shows at midseason, when one starts airing, you’ll know the other will get cancelled. This is another in a long time of shows that started airing later than it should have and was ultimately dead on arrival as a result.

The Originals: It might have only gotten another season last year because The Vampire Diaries, the show it span-off of, was cancelled and I have yet to know of a case where a show and its spin-off end in the same season. I knew that it would be pretty much dead then as a result the next season and I was right, although it will sort of continue in the form of a spin-off.

New Girl: Here’s another freebie. It was FOX’s longest running live action drama, which can make one wonder why it got such a short send off. But if CSI proves anything, it’s that even shows that last long will not always get a good final season in terms of episode numbers.

Lucifer: I can’t tell for sure if this should have lasted longer on FOX or not. But Netflix is picking it up for another season so now it will probably last until syndication, possibly. It is hard to tell for sure. I don’t know why people liked this show which is more or less the only reason it was on here.

The Mick: While I’ve never seen an episode of this, I still despise the show as it is so stupid a plot and it makes you wonder why shit like this is made when so many other things don’t see the light of day. And yet, it still seems like this show was illogically cancelled in the end. But hey, I’ll take it as right even if it was just a hate vote that put it on my list.

The Exorcist: This never should have gotten a second season and the ratings the second time around were just as disastrous as the first time. It makes me wonder why they waited so long to cancel it, but I guess that it wasn’t given any real false hope among its fans.

LA to Vegas: I don’t know if this is another illogical cancellation or not. I might have watched this if only because I had a dream about it once. But it looked mostly dumb and I doubt that I missed anything good by not seeing it. Knowing nothing about it in advance, I don’t know why it was in my predictions. But I guess that it was the bad title rule if nothing else.

The Brave: While I wanted to watch it at one point, by the time I finally could have, it seemed like it was more and more likely to end than stick around. The prediction was right. I don’t know if it was any good or why it didn’t last, but I figured that a show with its timeslot was doomed to fail and I was right.

Great News: I had a chance to watch this once, but decided not to. I don’t know if it was any good or not. While it wasn’t an illogical renewal last season for sure since it premiered so late, it didn’t get that good treatment the second time around and ended as a result.

Taken: First it was supposed to air during the fall, but never did. Then it got pushed up earlier in the schedule with little to no warning for two weeks in a row, making people more likely to miss it. Then, despite it being a second season show which often isn’t subject to such grim treatment like the first season shows that don’t last are, it was pulled from the schedule then burned off on Saturdays. All I know is that it shouldn’t have gotten renewed last season and should have gotten better treatment for this season.

Timeless: It was never going to last. It was over after the first season before they decided to bring it back after Sony gave them a lot of money while fans falsely think they brought it back with a fan campaign. Then it was over again and is likely to stay that way.

Champions: All I know is that it was either the lowest rated of the new NBC sitcoms or it was the second lowest rated of the new NBC sitcoms. I never saw it and only had it on here due to its bad title. I have no idea what it was about so I can only guess that it didn’t last due to lack of exposure.

Rise: Most musical themed shows won’t last and this was one of them proving that rule. It might have been something that I would have watched if it premiered just a bit later or didn’t air when it did. So whether it was good or not, I’ll never know for sure.

Trial and Error: I guess that the fate of whether or not this show would last was subject to some trial and error itself. This is one of many shows that I would have cared about if things had gone differently at one point or another. It shouldn’t have been renewed and was cancelled this season as a result.

What I got wrong: The Middle, Valor, Brooklyn Nine-Nine **, The Last Man on Earth, Shades of Blue, Fate unknown: The Bachelor Winter Games, Undercover Boss, The X-Files, Still could be: Reverie, The Awesome Show, Making It

Just a note before going on that I will not be doing any thoughts on the shows whose fate are unknown or could still be cancelled in the future. Just know that Making It was originally called The Handmade Project and any show marked fate unknown is more than likely cancelled or taking an extended break from airing on television. Still could be shows started or will start during the summer, thus leaving their fate unknown for a while.

The Middle: You’ll never know when a long running show will decide to end. It is hard to guess things like that in the future. And that is why I got this wrong by thinking that it would be safe. There is nothing notable to say here except that it was tied with Modern Family for being the longest running sitcom on ABC and now after nine years, Modern Family can claim that title all its own.

Valor: It is always risky thinking that a new show will be safe. I thought that it being military themed would mean that it would last, but it being on the CW during the fall might mean that it shouldn’t have been on my list of safe choices considering what happened last season. Oh well. You live and learn.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: It’s funny that the longest running FOX live action comedy for a brief time after New Girl ended will now be on NBC and has lasted longer than Superstore, the longest running NBC sitcom. It is hard to say whether or not all of the changes make sense. But I didn’t think that FOX would cancel it. Even if it is lasting longer on NBC, it was technically cancelled, so I got it wrong by saying that it was safe even if it isn’t really going anywhere.

The Last Man on Earth: I don’t know why FOX decided to purge itself of all of its remaining live action single camera sitcoms in favor of all muti-camera sitcoms since the last one they aired, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, bombed terrible. There hasn’t been a successful muti-camera sitcom on FOX since That 70’s Show was on the air. This was an illogical cancellation, I’m pretty sure. At least there are a lot of people left on earth in the end.

Shades of Blue: The longer a show goes without a return date, the more likely it is to get cancelled. If I had done my fantasy schedule before its fate was cemented, I would have known that it was going to get cancelled this time around. I didn’t know the shabby treatment it would get. It’s a third season show for Pete’s sake! But it did end or will sometime soon in the future.

I have the feeling that I did a lot of this post differently than I have in previous seasons. I guess we will see for sure what people think of this. Know that while Mondays are a day of the week that could turn into weekly posts instead of Saturdays, this will not be the start of them this time around as I’m using a cheat to update this blog instead of rolling for a Survivor episode. I hope to have Sunday posts in the future, but I don’t know if they will happen when I want them to. It’s possible that the cheats that I use to update this blog will return to a different blog again. You’ll know if a regular post is missing if this did end up happening or not.

Golden Huckleberry Nominees: 2017-2018

Well, here we are, finally here. I’m getting to the worst of television from last season. I have done this in the past and have never yet stated when things have to air to qualify for these awards. Basically from June 1^st of 2017 to May 31^st of 2018, that is when I’m choosing stuff to nominate for these “awards.” Other years will have the same time frame: June 1^st to May 31^st. That means that if they haven’t finished airing once June starts, then it will have to wait until the next award show if I thought it was bad. Now there are some more notes before the beginning of the nominees.

Something that I did in the last post was get rid of certain potential nominees because someone who was still working on the show had died and I didn’t want it to seem in poor taste to nominate a show where someone in it died. Well, I realize now that I messed up then by still nominating shows that had a recently deceased person in them. I don’t plan on changing the last post retroactively, but I do plan on making a note of this so I’ll remember not to do it in the future.

Last year when I did this post, I got rid of an award called worst cliffhanger resolution which I gave to season premiered that failed to deliver on the hype of the previous season’s cliffhanger. Instead, I did something more basic called worst season premiere. Now, I have both of the awards present as I felt that it was the best way to go forward given both of the episodes. Now let’s get to the worst of TV from my perspective.

Main awards

Worst season premiere: Kevin Can Wait

Worst cliffhanger resolution: Hawaii Five-0

Worst title: The Mick

Worst ending to a TV series: Reign, Doubt, Scorpion

Worst acting: Lucifer, Life in Pieces, Mom, A.P. Bio, Living Biblically

Worst writing: The Bachelor in Paradise, The 100, Lucifer, Mom, The Blacklist, Law and Order: True Crime, The Mick, Life in Pieces, Zoo

Worst plot: Zoo, Mom, Life in Pieces

The good riddance award: The Mick, Battle of the Network Stars, Doubt, Zoo, Taken

Why do people care award: American Idol, any show in the Bachelor franchise, Lucifer, The Gong Show, Mom, Life in Pieces, The Americans

Worst idea for a show: Love Connection, The Bachelor Winter Games, A.P. Bio, Good Girls

Biggest waste of time: Doubt, The Blacklist, The 100, Reign, American Idol

Most forgettable: Living Biblically

Bonehead decision of the season: Living Biblically

Worst pilot: Love Connection

Worst drama show: Taken, Lucifer, any show in the Bachelor franchise, Doubt, Zoo, Good Girls, The Blacklist, The 100, The Americans

Worst comedy show: Mom, Life in Pieces, The Mick, Man with a Plan, Living Bibically, A.P. Bio

Worst new show: Living Biblically, A.P. Bio, Good Girls

Why is it still on award: A.P. Bio, Bachelor in Paradise, American Idol, Love Connection, Lucifer, The Gong Show, Life in Pieces, Mom, The 100

Most overrated show: The Americans, American Idol, The Blacklist

Weakest Characters: Doubt, Zoo, any show in the Bachelor franchise, The Mick, Lucifer, Life in Pieces, Mom, The 100

Worst reason to cancel a good show: Man with a Plan

Why was it created award: A.P. Bio

What were they thinking award: Zoo

Why do people like it award: Lucifer, any show in the Bachelor franchise, American Idol, The Gong Show, Life in Pieces, Mom, The Blacklist, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The 100, The Americans

Worst retooling of a show: The Blacklist

Jumped the shark award: The Blacklist

Most obvious cancellation: Living Biblically, Taken, Reign

What’s it about award: Life in Pieces, Doubt, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Time to stop watching award: The Blacklist

They’ve stopped caring award: The Blacklist

Most average show award: Superstore

That’s actually a show award: The Gong Show

Not worth a second viewing award: The Gong Show, Battle of the Network Stars, Living Biblically

Weirdest show: The Gong Show, Living Biblically, Zoo, The Blacklist, Reign

Worst news show: The Allman Report

Biggest Dud: A.P. Bio

Dead to me award: Doubt, Scorpion, Reign

Worst show on FOX: Lucifer, The Mick, Love Connection

Worst show on ABC: any show in the Bachelor franchise, American Idol, The Gong Show, Battle of the Network Stars

Worst show on CBS: Life in Pieces, Man with a Plan, Mom, Scorpion, Living Biblically, Doubt, Zoo

Worst show on NBC: A.P. Bio, Good Girls, The Blacklist, Taken

Worst show on the CW: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The 100, Reign

Worst show on every other network: The Americans

Worst syndicated show: Maury, The Jerry Springer Show, Dr. Phil

Worst show on television nominees: pending

Other awards

Worst story arc: Walter’s dream romance on Scorpion

Worst plot twist: the blood was changed on Doubt

Worst new character: Carter Diaz from Arrow

Biggest moron: Glasses from Grey’s Anatomy

Most hated character: Cater Diaz from Arrow

Worst character transformation: Elizabeth Keen from The Blacklist

Most overrated character: any of the characters on Mom

Most obvious twist: Jake and Amy getting engaged on Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Why are they still alive award: Eobard Thawne from Arrowverse

Most accepted death: Mallus from Legends of Tomorrow

WTF death: Mary from Reign, David Rosen from Scandal, Donna from Kevin Can Wait, Fitz from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Most obvious death: Anezka from Jane the Virgin

Most useless character: Carter Diaz from Arrow, Mallus from Legends of Tomorrow, Stevie from Madam Secretary

Worst Villain: Lucifer Morningstar from Lucifer, Mallus from Legends of Tomorrow, any of the Restinghouse agents from Timeless, Carter Diaz from Arrow

Dumbest scheduling choice: All of the delays and timeslot changes of Taken on NBC, randomly pulling Ghosted from the schedule despite a half hour timeslot for reruns you could have put new episodes from this on at instead on FOX, doubling the airing of America’s “Funniest” Home Videos and Shark Tank instead of airing something more worthwhile on ABC

Worst episode yet: The Return from Doubt, All it Cost Her… from Reign, A Lie in the Sand from Scorpion, Abraham Stern from The Blacklist

Worst episode this season: The Return from Doubt, All it Cost Her… from Reign, A Lie in the Sand from Scorpion, Abraham Stern from The Blacklist

Episode not worth a rewatch award: The Return from Doubt, All it Cost Her… from Reign, A Lie in the Sand from Scorpion

Dumbest character departure: Donna from Kevin Can Wait

Weirdest plot choice: two straight women marrying each other on The Last Man on Earth, the breaking of team Scorpion on Scorpion, Petra’s sudden lesbian phase on Jane the Virgin, killing Reeves in Abby’s farewell episode on NCIS

Worst romance: Hook’s and Zelena’s daughters from Once Upon a Time, J.R. and Petra from Jane the Virgin, Sadie and her client from Doubt

Worst commercial: “Thanks,” Mike Madigan, Make Google do it, Share a Coke with you, We Like Beer

WTF moment: Michael is alive on Jane the Virgin

Worst season yet: The Blacklist season 5

Saturdays in Primetime Version 2

Well, it is time for the next set of reviews for Saturday shows. I will not do the note that these are both new reviews as I can just mention that here. It could be a while before you see a lot of new reviews in the future outside of summer shows and those of cancelled shows. I don’t know what will happen with this blog and hope that I can write what I want to in the future. Enjoy this post then of the two summer burn offs that CBS are doing this summer of cancelled shows.

Me, Myself, and I: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Saturdays. Why I’ve seen it- I normally always watch a CBS show at least once. Description- This is the story of a person’s life at three different stages, old, middle aged, and young. Notable People- Bobby Monahan from Saturday Night Live plays the middle version of the main character. Pros- It is different and works. Cons- I think that its main flaw is presenting itself as a comedy when it would work better as a drama. Note to Parents- There were the usual problems with it, but not too much wrong with it. Recommendation- I’d watch what remains of this while you can. My Viewing Habits- Due to issues with watching multiple things at once, I gave this up for a while until the issue was resolved. I plan to see the end of it, but might miss a lot of it due to when it airs now. Prediction- It is ending soon. Reception: mixed. Grade: C.

Living Biblically- Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Saturdays. Why I’ve seen it- I like to watch most CBS shows at least once. Noteworthiness- This is based off of a real life book that a real person once did. Description- A man decides to live his life according to the bible, much to the chagrin of everyone who knows him. Pros- I’m glad that it wasn’t trying to make Christianity look bad. The man is trying to be a better person in this and uses the bible as a basis. Cons- The show didn’t work well as it wasn’t funny and they failed in their mission to make religion look good. Note to Parents- This might work well in terms of what is good and isn’t, although it can be hard to tell based on just the one episode of it that I saw. Recommendation- I’d pass on this. My Viewing Habits- I only saw this once and wasn’t interested in seeing it again. Prediction- This will end after they finish airing the rest of what they made of this. Reception: mixed to negative. Grade: D.