2009 Ended Shows Reviews

Sorry that this post is here so late. I should be working on the cancelled shows from the previous season, but do plan to have this done first since it was supposed to be published much earlier in the year. Those are both of the biggest posts of this year that still need sooner rather than later. Also, I’m getting a bit tired of telling you when certain posts get updated so I’ll try to only include information like that in the future with new or changing major posts as it can be hard to keep track of all of the reasons why I’m posting this blog on certain dates.

Hank: Show history- Aired for one season on ABC. Not all of the episodes saw the light of day. What’s it about- This seemed like a typical show about a family the centered on a man named Hank played by Kelsey Grammar. Why I’ve seen it- I forget why I watched it, but it was my general interest in it before it was anything else. My viewing habits- I forget how much of this I watched, but it might not have been that much since it was pulled from the schedule so quickly. Where it aired- It was on ABC. What I liked about it- I felt that it was interesting and humorous. It seemed like a good show to me. What I didn’t like about it- I felt that it didn’t have enough time to grow to seem that different than other shows like it. More thoughts on it- It was part of a sweep of new comedies on ABC at the time and the first of the four main new ones to get cancelled at the time. Why it ended- Kelsey Grammar himself wanted the show to be cancelled, not liking the quality of the content, and told the network to pull it from the schedule. Whether or not that had any factor into their decision is unknown. What current shows are like it- Young Sheldon and The Goldbergs. DVD suggestion- There are no release dates planned for the series so it makes sense not to hold your breath waiting for a release of it. I would be interested in it, but don’t think that such a thing would happen anyways. Get it if it comes out. Grade: B.

Howie Do It: Show history- It aired for only one season. What’s it about- A prank show, people are tricked into believing that they are filming some other show where things often go wrong. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it and didn’t care about anything else at the time. My viewing habits- I saw most of the episodes here and there, but doubt that I saw all of them. Where it aired- This was an NBC show. What I liked about it- The bits seemed to work for the most part without being too mean most of the time. It was a nice twist to not even hide the hidden cameras on a hidden camera show. What I didn’t like about it- Like most prank shows, it results in deception that can make you feel bad for the people involved. More thoughts on it- Howie Mandel was the host of this show. It didn’t seem to make much of a mark on television. Why it ended- I guess there was a general lack of interest in it so they didn’t make anymore. Plus, lots of shows like this are kind of blown once they make it to the airwaves making it even harder to do it ever again without people catching on much more easily. It could have only been planned to last a short time. What current shows are like it- none. The closest example in Primetime: What Would You Do? Only that isn’t a prank show. DVD suggestion- I doubt that there are any, but they might be worth it unless this isn’t your type of thing. Grade: C.

According to Jim: Show history- This aired for many seasons on ABC, despite relatively low ratings until they cancelled it. What’s it about- A man named Jim lives with his family and in-laws. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested enough in it and guess that I cared suddenly about it. My viewing habits- I’ve seen this a lot sporadically in syndication and saw a bit of this in primetime as well. Where it aired- It was on ABC. What I liked about it- It seemed good and funny most of the time and wasn’t something that I ever regretted seeing. What I didn’t like about it- It could seem generic and ordinary. More thoughts on it- I don’t think that there is too much else to say. I never saw how it ended, but didn’t care enough to see it. Plus I don’t know how I would be able to see it. Why it ended- The network finally had enough of it since it was never really a hit despite lasting as long as it did. What current shows are like it- Young Sheldon and Last Man Standing. DVD suggestion- I wouldn’t personally get it since I didn’t care about this show too much, but if you like it, it would be interesting to get, although I don’t know if all of it is out on DVD anyways, although it might be. Grade: B.

Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?: Show history- Aired for a while on FOX and then had a revival season later. I think that a current version exists on TV nowadays on cable. What’s it about- A game show, contestants are asked questions that grade schoolers would get to prove that they are smarter than a fifth grader. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in the idea of the show so I tuned into it to see it. My viewing habits- I watched some of it, but don’t think that I saw all of it. Where it aired- It originally aired on FOX. What I liked about it- The show could be entertaining at times. What I didn’t like about it- The show seemed to seek out idiots and even if they weren’t dumb, if they didn’t get the grand prize, they had to say that they weren’t smarter than a fifth grader. Too much of it was drawn out with time wasted on pointless things. More thoughts on it- I thought that it was interesting enough, although I could see why people wouldn’t like it in the end. Why it ended- I guess there was a lack of interest in it or something like that. What current shows are like it- none? DVD suggestion- There aren’t any and I don’t know if they’d be worth it or not. Grade: B-.

Deal or No Deal: Show history- This aired for a while on NBC and I think that a reboot of this currently exists on CNBC. What’s it about- Contestants pick out a suitcase containing an unspecified amount of money from preset determined amounts from as high as $1,000,000 to often as low as $1. They then have to either make a deal with a banker for a different amount for their suitcase or keep eliminating all the money (by revealing their amounts) in the other suitcases. Why I’ve seen it- It was an interesting idea to me so I tuned in. My viewing habits- I’ve seen bits of it here and there. Where it aired- This was an NBC show back when I largely knew it for its game shows. What I liked about it- The show has a good enough concept to make for compelling TV. What I didn’t like about it- It could seem too drawn out in many different ways. More thoughts on it- It is probably one of the more iconic game shows of the turn of the century. Howie Mandel was the host of this show, known for his famous fist bumps with the various contestants as revealed later to be a result of him being a germaphobe. Why it ended- From what I understand, the network was milking too much out of it and people lost interest as a result. It then was moved to syndication for a while. What current shows are like it- Let’s Make a Deal. DVD suggestion- I doubt that there would be any, although it could be good. Grade: A-.

Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight: Show history- This aired on the CW kids which might have been called something else at the time. The last episodes were only available online as they never aired on TV in this country. What’s it about- A creature from a world on the other side of the mirror wants to use a group of Kamen Riders to take over earth, but other riders who are good are out to stop him. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it and liked the idea of it. My viewing habits- I missed a lot of this as it aired, wanting to keep up with it as much as possible when I could. Where it aired- This was on the CW on Saturday mornings. What I liked about it- The plot worked and was interesting enough to keep one into it. What I didn’t like about it- The last few episodes being online exclusive was annoying. Parts of it could be quite confusing at times and other parts could be predictable once they happened. More thoughts on it- This was based on a Japanese series, the second to be adapted for the US following Masked Rider. Why it ended- The series had low ratings so they got rid of it once it was done airing. What current shows are like it- Power Rangers. DVD suggestion- There are none in the US released, although it is available in some European countries, if I have the information straight. I have no idea if this will be out in the US ever, but I would be interested in it if it was. Grade: B.

Everybody Hates Chris: Show history- This aired originally on UPN before airing the rest of its seasons on the CW. What’s it about- A black child lives with his family while going to a predominately white school. He suffers various misfortunes, it seems, in each episode. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it for some odd reason. Maybe others I knew liked it or I just wanted to see something that was on at the time it was on. My viewing habits- I missed a lot of the beginning of this but largely kept with it when I saw it for the first time for more or less the rest of the series. Where it aired- This was on two different networks, but only due to the merge with the CW. What I liked about it- The show was fun to watch despite the unfortunate luck of the main character. What I didn’t like about it- It wasn’t as funny as it could be. They intentionally ended this on a cliffhanger. More thoughts on it- This was inspired by the life of comedian Chris Rock. It is dead to me now. Why it ended- The ratings were too low so it was axed and it might have been around the time that the CW got rid of all of its remaining comedies. What current shows are like it- Young Sheldon, Black-ish, and The Neighborhood. DVD suggestion- All of this is out on DVD, but I would not recommend it. Grade: D.

Eleventh Hour: Show history- This only aired for one season. It is an adaptation of a British show. What’s it about- Sort of science fiction (but not really) different cases are solved with unusual aspects to them. Why I’ve seen it- It worked out well for me to watch it the one time I did. My viewing habits- I only saw this once. Even though I liked it, I never tuned into it again, valuing sleep and school work more at the time (I did not have a job then). Where it aired- It was on CBS. What I liked about it- The show was different enough to not be the same old crime drama that you’d get from other places, even this network. What I didn’t like about it- The show was too weird in some place to make sense or work as well as you would like. More thoughts on it- I might have liked to see more of this, but am okay with what I saw. Why it ended- I guess the ratings were too low or something like that. What current shows are like it- Evil. DVD suggestion- It is out now if you are interesting. I’m not, but do think that it is a good show for those who care about it. Grade: B+.

Elmo’s World: Show history- This was part of Sesame Street for a while. What’s it about- Elmo from the show gives people a glimpse in his world with various interesting segments. Why I’ve seen it- I watched this show or part of this show for longer than I should probably admit, which is how I saw this so often for a while. My viewing habits- I don’t know how much I watched or didn’t watch of this, but just the gist of it to understand it. Where it aired- This was a PBS Kids show. What I liked about it- It could teach you a lot of simple things that one might not have known about at a young age. What I didn’t like about it- The show was often boring and predictable with formats that repeated themselves in many ways. More thoughts on it- While it was supposed to boost the ratings of the parent show, it actually lowered it for a while until it was gone. Why it ended- People felt that it wasn’t that good a show anymore so they got rid of it. What current shows are like it- unsure. DVD suggestion- It is unknown if this is on DVD, but I’d say that it probably wouldn’t be on box sets, but could be with other collections. Grade: B.

Barney and Friends: Show history- This aired for a long while on PBS Kids. What’s it about- A dinosaur from children’s imagination and his friends teach us various lessons about the world. Why I’ve seen it- I was a kid and it was on PBS. You do the math. My viewing habits- I watched it a lot as a kid and they I outgrew it. Where it aired- This aired on PBS for many years. What I liked about it- It teaches kids a lot of lessons while using memorable songs to do so. What I didn’t like about it- It is almost impossible to like this as an adult outside of maybe being a thing parents might like at times. More thoughts on it- There is a lot of humor aimed against this show. Why it ended- There wasn’t any interest in this anymore so they got rid of it. What current shows are like it- Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. DVD suggestion- I couldn’t find any information about whether or not there are DVD box sets of this so there might not be any outside of select episodes. Grade: C.

Brothers: Show history- This only aired for one season and I don’t think that all of it made it to the air in the end. What’s it about- A retired football player moves in with his estranged brother after issues. Why I’ve seen it- I liked the idea of it and think that I had the chance to see it then as it best worked in my schedule at the time. My viewing habits- I might have seen all that aired, but am not sure that I did as I might have missed any of it. Where it aired- It was a FOX show. What I liked about it- The show worked and was different. It was nice to see a disabled actor on TV as one of the character was in a wheelchair. What I didn’t like about it- While it was a comedy, it wasn’t all that funny in the end. More thoughts on it- While the show didn’t last that long, most of the actors on it eventually found better and more long term work after it and because it ended. Why it ended- The ratings were too low to justify keeping it on the air. What current shows are like it- Mom, Young Sheldon, and The Neighborhood. DVD suggestion- This is out on DVD so it might be worth it, especially if you want to see what didn’t air. Grade: C+.

Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends: Show history- I saw this on either the WB or the CW, if not both of them. What’s it about- A kid’s show, imaginary friends become real once a child thinks of them and we see the adventures of a group that lives in one of these homes. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in the idea of it and thought that I would like it. My viewing habits- I saw a lot of what aired on network TV, but not all of it. I also saw some of what aired on cable too. Where it aired- This was a Cartoon Network show. What I liked about it- The adventures were great to see and fairly interesting. What I didn’t like about it- The show could be mean at times and not make sense all of the time. Parts of it were not resolved intentionally at times. More thoughts on it- This was one of my favorite shows and I know some other people who were in high school at the time that liked it. It was done by Flash animation which is now almost obsolete. Why it ended- I guess that they just didn’t want it anymore. What current shows are like it- Sesame Street. DVD suggestion- Some is out, but I don’t think that there are box sets of any of the seasons. If there ever are, I would recommend it. Grade: A.

Mad TV: Show history- This aired for a long while on FOX until competition from Saturday Night Live was too much for it to stay on the air. It then aired a summer revival on the CW. What’s it about- This is a late night sketch show that is different enough from others to not be a mere rehash. Why I’ve seen it- Honestly, I might have watched this more when Saturday Night Live didn’t come on or because it had started a bit earlier. My viewing habits- I saw random bits and pieces from this, but enough to get a general sense of what it is like. Where it aired- It aired for a long time late night on FOX and then later had an anniversary special and later a revival season with a largely new cast (outside of old cast coming back as hosts) on the CW. What I liked about it- It was funny and different from what we would know from the show it competed against. It might have worked better not being live and covering different topics than the other ones. What I didn’t like about it- The show could be dumb at times and not work all the time. Too much was random. More thoughts on it- I wish that the summer revival on the CW had been tried for longer than it was (meaning more than just one season) since it had the potential to work and cover things that Saturday Night Live would not have been able to. Why it ended- People liked SNL too much for this to stay on the air for longer so they got rid of it as a result. What current shows are like it- Saturday Night Live. DVD suggestion- Some complete seasons are available and might be worth it, although I don’t care enough to be interested in it. Grade: B.

Pushing Daises: Show history- This aired for two seasons and one was on the few second seasons shows to be pulled with unaired episodes. What’s it about- A man can briefly revive the dead without causing another death and does this in order to learn who killed them and why. Why I’ve seen it- This looked like an interesting show to keep track of so I started watching as a result. My viewing habits- I missed a lot of this as the show aired on a network with bad reception for me, but have seen a lot of it. Where it aired- This was an ABC show. What I liked about it- The show’s quirkiness was what made it different and quite a fun show to keep track of. What I didn’t like about it- I didn’t like how short it lasted on TV. It could be too odd in some ways and wasn’t as realistic as it could be even factoring in the supernatural twist it had. More thoughts on it- It is one of my favorite short lived shows. Why it ended- The ratings were too low and the network didn’t even want to air the rest of it, although I think that it was burned off at some point in time. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- I want it and think that others would like it as well. Grade: A.

Sushi Pack: Show history- I think this was a two season show, but am unsure of if I saw any of the first season or not. I know that I only ever saw this with one theme song. I also don’t know if this was from this country or Japan at first, but I think that it was, although I’m not sure. What’s it about- A group of superhero sushi fight against various villains. Why I’ve seen it- I watched kid’s shows at the time. My viewing habits- I watched a lot of this, but am unsure if I saw all of it. Where it aired- This was on CBS. What I liked about it- It was fun to see. What I didn’t like about it- It was obvious in many ways with the lessons that you’d find elsewhere. More thoughts on it- It was pretty basic with what you’d see on kid’s shows making it good. Why it ended- Some kid’s shows don’t last, especially if they are on network TV that isn’t on PBS. What current shows are like it- unsure. DVD suggestion- There is no information that I could find about DVD releases and don’t think that I can say much else about it. I think that it would be good to get if it were released at some point. Grade: B.

Monk: Show history- This aired for a long time on cable, although I forget which network it was on. What’s it about- A detective with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a member of a team who solves cases with theories of his. Why I’ve seen it- It rerun for a while on My Network TV so I saw it then when it aired. My viewing habits- I saw random episodes here and there. Where it aired- I think that it was on the USA Network. What I liked about it- The show was great to watch and we even saw a character who wasn’t the typical one that we’d see. What I didn’t like about it- It wasn’t always nice towards the main character and offered very little different from other crime shows. More thoughts on it- It was known for having an unusually high rating for a cable show series finale. Why it ended- I have no idea, but do know based on reports that it solved the series long mystery in the last episode. What current shows are like it- Prodigal Son. DVD suggestion- It might be good if you liked it a lot. Grade: A.

My Name is Earl: Show history- This was in syndication, although it might not have lasted 100 episodes. What’s it about- A comedy of sorts, a man tries to fix the issues of his life to get good karma. Why I’ve seen it- I honestly forget, but think that others in my family were into it which got me into it too. My viewing habits- I never saw the ending as I only saw bits and pieces of it here and there. Where it aired- It aired on NBC its entire run. What I liked about it- The show worked well and had enough that kept one into it over and over again. What I didn’t like about it- It wasn’t as funny as most sitcoms are and the prison storyline was a bit confusing. More thoughts on it- It ended on a cliffhanger. I never even saw what the ending was. Why it ended- The cancellation was a surprise, although I don’t know what else factored into the decision at hand. What current shows are like it- Young Sheldon. DVD suggestion- I have no idea what I’d get or suggest. Grade: C+.

The Unit: Show history- This aired for a while on CBS. What’s it about- Based on a supposed secret part of the government military that doesn’t actually exist (officially), we see such a group in the army while we focus on the lives of them and their family. Why I’ve seen it- I liked it at the time and the rest of my family watched it getting me into it too. My viewing habits- I saw various episodes of it, but didn’t see all of it. Where it aired- This was on CBS for maybe four seasons. What I liked about it- The show was gripping with lots of good storylines. What I didn’t like about it- It also had a lot of terrible storylines such as questionable life choices that were made by the characters and an ending that left fans like me wanting. More thoughts on it- The show was good, although I find it hard to enjoy with what was left unresolved. Why it ended- The cancellation came as a surprise, but was largely due to being too expensive of a show to produce. What current shows are like it- SEAL Team. DVD suggestion- I do still like the show despite its bad ending, but do not recommend getting it on DVD as a result. Grade: C+.

Viva Piñata: Show history- This aired on Saturday mornings until it seemed to be suddenly pulled once games based on it were released. What’s it about- Talking piñatas live in an island when they are not sent to parties, if they get sent there at all. Why I’ve seen it- I watched a lot of shows like this at the time. My viewing habits- I saw a whole ton of this, but am unsure if I saw all of it or not. Where it aired- It was on the FOX network. What I liked about it- The plots were varied with villains that made sense and characters that worked despite constant flaws. What I didn’t like about it- It didn’t really teach lessons. More thoughts on it- There’s not too much else to say. Why it ended- It might have only been made to plug in video games that the series itself was based on. For whatever reason, it ended. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- No complete collections are available now. Not sure if there ever will be. Grade: B-.

Without a Trace: Show history- It aired for many seasons, maybe around seven. What’s it about- This is about people trying to find missing people. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in the idea. My viewing habits- I saw what aired of it once I was interested. I would like to see all of it at some point. Where it aired- This was a CBS show. What I liked about it- You normally don’t see crime shows cover this topic as they normally only cover murders. What I didn’t like about it- Too much of this was focused on the crimes and not the characters. More thoughts on it- It was one of the few shows that I know of that lasted this long to keep its original cast the whole run, gaining only one new cast member at one point. It is also part of the CSI franchise via a crossover. Why it ended- It might have been too expensive or had other issues with declining ratings. Some shows age too much and end as a result. What current shows are like it- none. DVD suggestion- I would suggest getting all the DVDs. Grade: A+.

Switch to seasons

Survivor: Tocantins: Show history- This was the eighteenth season of the show. What’s it about- 16 new players compete for a million dollars. Why I’ve seen it- I watch every Survivor season when I can. My viewing habits- I missed some of this season as it aired for various reasons that I don’t remember that well. Where it aired- It was a CBS show. What makes it different than other seasons- It was the last major season for a while to keep Exile Island as a recurring twist throughout the whole season. It was the last season to have only 16 players on it. What I liked about it- It had a different setting than usual which helped make it good to watch different backgrounds. What I didn’t like about it- I hated how one of the contestants was treated throughout the season and how a single twist lead to this. More thoughts on it- It seemed to be good to see the winner play his game, but he was overshadowed by others in the game on his way to his victory. Where it ranks among other seasons- I would put this more towards the average side of seasons. DVD suggestion- It might be worth it, but I’d pass on it unless you were wanting all of the seasons or to catch up on it. Grade: B-.

Survivor: Samoa: Show history- This was the nineteenth season of the show. What’s it about- 20 new players compete for a million dollars. Why I’ve seen it- I always watch Survivor when I can. My viewing habits- I think that I saw all of this when it first aired. Where it aired- It was on CBS like all of the seasons have been thus far. What makes it different than other seasons- The observer twists and leader twists were not something that we had seen before. It was nice to see splitting the votes not take place for once. What I liked about it- Seeing the postmerge dominance of the Foa Foa tribe was wonderful. What I didn’t like about it- Too much of this was spent on the annoying villains of Russell Hantz and Shambo. The premerge was largely a waste. It was too brutal and even aspects of the medical evacuations could be considered unfair in some ways. More thoughts on it- Most of the fans who liked Russell hated the fact that he didn’t win which is the main issue that some people have with this season. Where it ranks among other seasons- I rank this lower among the seasons, but on the good side of bad and not the plan old rotten side despite its bad (morally) players. DVD suggestion- Pass on this unless you think that you need to get caught up or want them all. Grade: D.

Power Rangers: RPM: Show history- This was the current last of the Power Rangers seasons to air on network TV. What’s it about- This team of rangers has to prevent a virus from taking over what remains of life in a post apocalyptic future in what seems to be a different world that the rest of the series as a whole. Why I’ve seen it- I still watched Power Rangers at the time because I still could so I did and stuck with it. My viewing habits- I saw what I could, but never saw the last few episodes or so. Where it aired- It aired exclusively on ABC back when they aired kids show. What makes it different than other seasons- It is set in a different universe than the rest of Power Rangers and took a more serious tone than we get from a typical season. What I liked about it- The show was really good and seemed to stand out as the best of the Disney era of the show. What I didn’t like about it- Parts of it were annoying in some way and the theme song sucked. More thoughts on it- This was the last real Power Rangers season that I have seen as none of the rest of it aired on a format that I could see easily. Where it ranks among other seasons- I have this ranked among the highest. DVD suggestion- Yes, you should get it. Grade: A.