Sunday, July 29, 2018

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 entrĂ©es 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++.

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