The Joy of Not Having to Watch So Much

With coronavirus having taken away a lot of the time that I normally would have devoted to watching shows as shows just haven’t been on the air to watch, this is actually quite a good thing in the end. I could use a good detoxification from my TV addition and this can do it without jobs interfering and thus forcing it to happen in the end.

I like the fact that there is a whole lot less on TV to watch. What I care about will hopefully return at some point in the future. I don’t have many worries that what happened to Stumptown will happen to other shows that I actually care about. I won’t have as much to worry about staying caught up on if there simply isn’t that much to watch. Enough of the new shows aren’t good or worth keeping up with all the time even if they are good. And I can always go without shows at times.

While it can be annoying going without some of my favorite shows for quite a long time, it is still quite a good thing to happen in the end as I can devote my time to other things. I watch shows on DVD and even tape still. But I don’t have to put as much on tape. But I am still putting things on tape. I’m just not doing it as much because of there being three things that I care about all airing at the same time.

It will only be a matter of time until TV gets back into doing normal productions and normal TV seasons in the future like they are used to. But I’m enjoying some of the foreign imports that we are getting from Canada and the UK. I might go into more of that in the future as I even have awards to give then too. And I’ll talk about the other events in my lifetime that caused changes as well. I’ll also have to give an award for takes on current events as well. And while it may seem gimmicky, I will have to cover more of the coronavirus changes over time. But this is actually a good change, to not have as much to watch and keep track of that I normally do.

Thursdays in Primetime Version 7

 Surprise! I've started doing Saturday posts now again for this blog. You will see one of them every week until further notice. This will probably mean phasing out the Tuesday posts. You won't see one of them this coming Tuesday. But now that you have this introduction, let's get to the rest of this main post without any other further details. Also, sorry if this registers as a Sunday instead of Saturday.

Thursdays are the most competitive nights on television. All the networks put all their best shows on the same night. It is impossible to watch everything good at this time, unless, of course, you record some things to watch later or watch what you can’t see online. NBC airs comedies and a drama. CBS airs comedies as well and ends with Star Trek: Discovery right now. ABC shows their popular TGIT night which are all dramas produced by Shonda Rhimes, unless it is on hiatus like it is right now. FOX has a constantly changing lineup that I won’t bother to keep track of, but will review from time to time. The CW shows Walker and Legacies. There are no losers and every network seems to win in their own right. The reason this night is the most competitive is the high demand of advertisers for the movies that will come out the next day. I have seen a lot of these shows so here’s my views on them:

 

Young Sheldon: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watch the show it span off from so it made sense to watch this too. Noteworthiness- This is a prequel to the show The Big Bang Theory. Description- A spin-off of The Big Bang Theory, it features Sheldon Cooper at a younger age. Notable People- Jim Parsons, who plays adult Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory, is the narrator of this show, or was at one point. Pros- The show works and is pretty good. It doesn’t have some of the problems that the main show has, like focusing on sex too much, due to all the characters being young. Cons- It doesn’t seem to have the same type of appeal that The Big Bang Theory does. It doesn’t seem as funny as one would want it to be. Note to Parents- This is pretty acceptable most of the time. There have been some issues now and then, but not too many. Recommendation- I would suggest watching this. You don’t even have to like The Big Bang Theory to enjoy this, although there are links between them. My Viewing Habits- I have not seen every episode, but I have watched this since it first started. Prediction- This will probably keep lasting for a while. It is renewed for next season. I see no reason why it wouldn’t last. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: A.

 

Mr. Mayor: Status- Currently on NBC at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I had to see it to review for my CSI: Cyber blog. Description- A wealthy man wants to impress his daughter and runs for mayor of LA, an election that he unexpectedly wins, thrusting him into a new world of politics. Notable People- Ted Danson, from Cheers, Becker, CSI, CSI: Cyber, and The Good Place, is the main character. Tina Fey from Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, who also created Unbreakable Kimmi Schmidt and Great News, is the creator of this show. Bobby Monahan, also from Saturday Night Live, is a character on this show as well. Holly Hunter, from movies, is on the show. Pros- It seems like it is a pretty decent show. Cons- It does not have an original premise. Note to Parents- This could be a risky thing to let your kids watch as at least one episode focused on legalizing pot. I’d say to be careful with letting your kids see this. Recommendation- Toss-up. My Viewing Habits- I’ve seen the pilot, but am unsure yet if I will see any more of this over time. Prediction- Early on, it looks likely to last. We’ll see if it stays that way or not. Reception: mixed. Grade: C. New review

 

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- It was on and I’ve seen the original. Noteworthiness- This is supposedly the first celebrity version of this show and possibly the first primetime one as well. Description- It’s like the regular Wheel of Fortune, but with famous people and it’s an hour long. Notable People- The contestants are all famous in one way or another. The notable host and presenter from the main show are on this too. Pros- It was quite funny to watch and could be more enjoyable than the regular show given how entertaining the contestants can be. Cons- The way the show is fitted into an hour is strange. Note to Parents- I do not see any reasons why this could be bad for kids. Recommendation- If you’ve got nothing else going on, then I recommend that you watch this. My Viewing Habits- I’ve seen it once and can only hope that I’ll see more of it over time. Prediction- Reception: good. Grade: A. New review

 

Superstore: Status- Currently on NBC at 8:30/7:30 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- My mother was originally interested in it, so I recorded it for her and watched it myself. Noteworthiness- Despite its short time on the air, it is the longest running comedy on NBC. I don’t know if the return of Will and Grace complicates things or the transfer of Brooklyn Nine-Nine to this network. Description- This is a comedy about people who work in a store and the adventures that ensue. Notable People- America Ferria from Ugly Betty is in the cast. She might have also created the show too. Pros- This show is interesting and different. Cons- There really isn’t much that this show offers. It can be weird. Note to Parents- This is probably the standard amount of what you’d expect in terms of what is acceptable or not for your kids to watch. In the episode I saw, an unmarried woman was pregnant. Recommendation- It isn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t watch it again. My Viewing Habits- I only watched this once. Prediction- It is officially ending this season. Reception: mixed/average. Grade: D.

 

B Positive: Status- Currently on CBS at 8:30/7:30 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watch most CBS shows at least once. Noteworthiness- This is inspired by a true story that happened to the creator of the show. Description- A divorced man needs a kidney and a woman from his past who has personal problems decides to be one. Notable People- This is produced by Chuck Lorre, who does a lot of producing for CBS comedies. Pros- The show seems to work for the most part. Cons- I’m unsure how it will evolve in the future. Note to Parents- This has the typical issues that you might see from shows from time to time. Recommendation- It is worth keeping up with if you have no other major commitments. My Viewing Habits- I don’t think that I’ve seen every episode, but I plan to see all of what I want to from this. Prediction- It seems likely to last for now. Reception: positive. Grade: B. New review

 

Call Me Kat: Status- Currently on FOX at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch a new FOX show at least once. Description- A woman quits her job and starts a cat café with various others in the cast as well. Notable People- This has a lot of notable people in this. I might mention them more in another post. Pros- Part of the plot seems different. Cons- This was dumb and had little purpose to it either plot wise or from any other perspective. Note to Parents- I could not tell based on the pilot if this would be good for kids or not. I’d say that parts were fine. Recommendation- Don’t waste your time with this. My Viewing Habits- I watched the first episode of this and won’t tune into it again. Prediction- This might last given current ratings, but might not if it goes sour. I’d say that it won’t keep up the good ratings. Reception: negative. Grade: F. New review

 

Mom: Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- If you didn’t know already, I like to watch every CBS TV show, even if it is just once. Description- A woman deals with the issues of single motherhood and various family problems. Notable People- Alison Janey and Anna Farris, both known for movies, are two main characters on the show. Chuck Lorre, who created Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and helps with Mike and Molly, helps with this show, although I’m not sure if he created it, which he might have. Pros- People like it, based on comments I’ve seen online. Cons- All the show is about is a bunch of immoral people and I don’t know why we should care about something like this. Also, it is far from being funny. Note to Parents- This has so much smut in it that I wouldn’t let anyone you take care of watch it. Recommendation- Don’t watch it. It’s terrible. The fact that people like it completely baffles me. My Viewing Habits- I watched the first episode and would rather watch 30 straight minutes of commercials before I’d tune into this again. Prediction- This will keep lasting for a while unless something weird happens. Reception: somewhat favorable. Grade: F.

 

The Chase: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- It was the only thing on when I wanted to see something. Noteworthiness- This is based on a British show of the same name. Description- Contestants compete against a trivia master to win a certain amount of money. At some points, they have to avoid being chased out of their money. Notable People- The three most notable Jeopardy players are the people chasing the other, main contestants. Pros- It works well enough as a format. Cons- It can be strange at times. Note to Parents- This seems completely fine to let your kids watch. Recommendation- If you have no other commitments, then watch this show. My Viewing Habits- I have seen this once and might watch it again if it works out. Prediction- Toss-up. Reception: positive. Grade: C. New review

 

Law and Order: Special Victims Units: Status- Currently on NBC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I forget why I started watching. It might have been me wanting an hour long alternative to Modern Family so I wouldn’t have to watch what aired with it. Noteworthiness- It is the longest running drama spin-off on television as well as the longest running NBC drama. It is also the only primetime drama to premiere last millennium and still be on the air producing new episodes. It is a spin-off of Law and Order. It is now the longest running primetime show of all time. Description- A group of people known as the special victims unit (SVU) investigate sexual crimes and crimes that happen to children as well. Pros- They never show the rapes, even though that’s often what the show is about. The plots are interesting and different. There are always twists that keep you hooked on the show. They use real life cases as an inspiration, but not as what actually is shown. Cons- The show may never end. They regularly switch head writers because it has been on so long. The endings are normally not happy. It has a rather grim subject for a show. Note to Parents- There’s a lot of dark stuff in here and every episode airs with a viewer discretion is advised warning. So keep that in mind when you don’t let your kids watch it. Recommendation- Give it a chance and you might like it. If you don’t, that’s okay because it is dark. My Viewing Habits- I tend to watch this whenever possible, although I do miss a lot of it. I watch it a lot when it reruns on My Network TV, although it only tends to be when what I normally watch isn’t on or during the summer. Prediction- It will last until people stop watching for some odd reason or it gets too expensive to keep making. It might be in danger of ending, but if it is, there might be enough warning to let viewers at the people who do this show time to know. Reception: great. Grade: A+.

 

The Unicorn: Status- Currently on CBS at 9:30/8:30 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch each new CBS show at least once when I can. Description- A widower decides to go out into the dating world again. Notable People- It stars Omar Miller from The Eleventh Hour and CSI: Miami. Pros- There is a good thought behind the basic premise of the show. Cons- It doesn’t seem to offer much to it. Note to Parents- This has some objectionable stuff that you might not want your kids exposed to. Recommendation- This isn’t really any good so I’d pass on it if I were you. My Viewing Habits- I watched the pilot and that’s it. Prediction- This is likely to stay around for now. Reception: positive. Grade: D.

 

Last Man Standing: Status- Currently on FOX at 9:30/8:30 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I was into it at one point. I can’t remember why. Noteworthiness- This was cancelled by ABC where it had originally aired before FOX did a revival of it a year later for a few seasons more. Description- A largely conservative man raises his daughters while working at a business and other things happen too. Notable People- Tim Allen from Home Improvement is the main character on this show. Pros- It can be good in some places. Cons- The earlier seasons were probably better than any of the later ones. This can be too political and far from being funny as it often just insults people. Note to Parents- There’s a lot in here that is bad for kids. Recommendation- Don’t waste your time with this. My Viewing Habits- I saw the ABC version a lot until I realized that I no longer liked the show. I never saw any of the FOX version. Prediction- This is currently airing its final season. Reception: fairly negative. Grade: F.

 

The Hustler: Status- Currently on ABC at 10/9 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- It looked like it could be good and interesting. Description- A group of contestants compete for money and identifying which one of them is the hustler who has been given all of the answers and sought to take all of the money. Notable People- Craig Ferguson, who has hosted The Late Late Show and Celebrity Name Game is the host of this show. Pros- It can be interesting in some ways. Cons- The format can be strange. Note to Parents- This might be fine for kids. I am unsure just how late your kids should be staying up to see this show. Recommendation- It is a good show to watch. My Viewing Habits- I am unsure right now just how much I’ll be able to see of this. I’d like to see more than what I have already. I have only seen the first one thus far. Prediction- I have no predictions or guesses as to what will happen with this show in the future. Reception: good. Grade: B. New review  

 

Star Trek: Discovery: Status- Currently on CBS at 10/9 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I try to watch a CBS show at least once. Noteworthiness- This is part of the Star Trek franchise. Description- A prequel to the original Star Trek, we learn some of what happened on a different star ship. Pros- I find this to be interesting in different ways. Cons- It can run the risk of being boring at times due to not having that great a plot for some episodes. Note to Parents- This is okay for some children, but it might work better for the older kids than really young ones. Recommendation- I think it is a good show worth watching. My Viewing Habits- I’ve seen most of what has aired of the first season. Prediction- It will probably last on CBS: All Access. I doubt that it will rerun a lot on CBS, though. Reception: positive. Grade: B. New review

Midseason Shows 2021 Part 1

 

If there has ever been a January with this many important midseason shows all on it at once before, I sure have not seen anything like it before. This is to be expected, honestly, given just how strange the TV landscape has been since coronavirus took a hold of the world. This will not even contain all of the shows that will start this month or even on the next day of the week that I’ll cover in this blog. But I want to do a first round of shows and do at least one other one sometime in the future. And I want to finally finish other posts as well before too long. But let’s get to this.

 

Card Sharks: Show Description- Two players compete against each other in a game of trivia and with cards. Behind the Scenes- First off, this was a fall show that I forgot to review sooner. Sorry about that. Second, I do believe that this is a reboot. The host of this is Joel McHale who was also on Community, among other shows and projects. My Thoughts- This can seem strange and unusual in places. The first round, that is competitive, does not always seem fair if the cards are the same since one cannot place this bet. But it does work for the most part besides that. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I have no idea if this will last or not. I think that it will, but only if ABC needs more of this type of programming in the future. Where to Find- On ABC at 9/8 Central on Sundays

 

The Masked Dancer: Show Description- Masked celebrities compete against each other as they seek to avoid being unmasked the longest. Behind the Scenes- This is adapted from a segment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and now officially part of The Masked Singer franchise. There are notable panelists and the host is notable too, but not worth getting into right now. My Thoughts- It can seem dumb that it has never once thus far been just the lone dancer by themselves without at least one other person dancing with them. It doesn’t seem as notable a thing to do as singing is. But I still think that it is worth keeping up with over time. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I think that this could last, but only if people don’t find it to be a poor man’s Masked Singer. It could prove to be different enough in the end. Where to Find- On FOX at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays

 

Trickster: Show Description- I have no idea what this is supposed to be about or how the name ties into the show. Behind the Scenes- This is a Canadian show that is now airing here. My Thoughts- I could not make sense of what this was about and understood very little of it. Plus, drugs seemed to be a major focus of at least the first episode so it has that against it as well. I give this one out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I doubt that this will last. Where to Find- On the CW at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays

 

The Hustler: Show Description- A group of contestants compete for money and identifying which one of them is the hustler who has been given all of the answers and sought to take all of the money. Behind the Scenes- Craig Ferguson, who has hosted The Late Late Show and Celebrity Name Game is the host of this show. My Thoughts- It can be interesting in some ways, but I don’t know just how good it can be at the moment. I’ll have to see it more to get a feel for how good or bad this is. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I have no predictions or guesses as to what will happen with this show in the future. Where to Find- On ABC at 10/9 Central on Thursdays

 

The Mayor: Show Description- A wealthy man wants to impress his daughter and runs for mayor of LA, an election that he unexpectedly wins, thrusting him into a new world of politics. Behind the Scenes- Ted Danson, from Cheers, Becker, CSI, CSI: Cyber, and The Good Place, is the main character. Tina Fey from Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, who also created Unbreakable Kimmi Schmidt and Great News, is the creator of this show. Bobby Monahan, also from Saturday Night Live, is a character on this show as well. My Thoughts- Without having seen much of this, it seems like it is a pretty decent show, even if it is not that great or an original a premise. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- Early on, it looks likely to last. Where to Find- On NBC at 8/7 Central on Thursdays

 

The Chase: Show Description- Contestants compete against a trivia master to win a certain amount of money. Behind the Scenes- The three most notable Jeopardy players are the people chasing the other, main contestants. My Thoughts- It seemed like it could be interesting enough and it works well enough as a format. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects: Toss-up. Where to Find- On ABC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays

 

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: Show Description- It’s like the regular Wheel of Fortune, but with famous people and it’s an hour long. Behind the Scenes- This is supposedly the first celebrity version of this show and possibly the first primetime one as well. My Thoughts- It was quite funny to watch and could be more enjoyable than the regular show given how entertaining the contestants can be. I give this four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I think that this will last for quite some time. Where to Find- On ABC at 8/7 Central on Thursdays

 

Call Me Kat: Show Description- A woman quits her job and starts a cat café with various others in the cast as well. Behind the Scenes- This has a lot of notable people in this. I might mention them more in another post. My Thoughts- This was dumb and had little purpose to it either plot wise or from any other perspective. I give this one out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- For some reason, people are watching this so unless something changes soon, it will last for now. Where to Find- On FOX at 9/8 Central on Thursdays

 

Name that Tune: Show Description- Simply put, contestants try to identify a song based on various clues and other ways of hearing the song. Behind the Scenes- This is a reboot. My Thoughts- It seems like a good and fairly simple show that doesn’t have many issues even if it doesn’t really stand out as well as it could. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- Who knows? With all of the changes from coronavirus, if this lasts, it could be because of being unable to do other shows that they normally would have instead. Where to Find- On FOX at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays

 

Nurses: Show Description- This is a medical drama that focuses more on nurses than on doctors, from what I understand of it. Behind the Scenes- This might be a foreign show airing in the US, but I am not entirely sure of that right now. Also, this premiered in December so might not count as midseason, even though I didn’t see it until recently. My Thoughts- While what I’ve seen of it thus far seems good, it also seems to be generic. Plus, it seems too much like a carbon copy of Grey’s Anatomy right down to the voice over narrations. Still, it seems like it has the potential to work out well. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- This could last, but I don’t think that it matter much of it does or doesn’t here in the US. Where to Find- On NBC at 10/9 Central on Tuesdays

Minor Commercial Problems and how to Fix Them

 Sorry that this planned post disappeared. I don't know what went wrong or if this has happened to other blog posts or not. I can't rewrite this as it is not on an archive. But I can go through a quick summary of what I was trying to say in this post.

1- Commercials can be annoying.

2- Don't have breaks be too short.

3- Don't have them be too long either.

4- Don't air back to school commercials in October.

5- Make sure that other commercials air more according to their time frame and not for too long.

6- You can fix things by not doing these problems.

And that's it. In the future, if there is ever a major problem like a post that hasn't appeared in the blog that should be there, please do me a favor and comment if you can so I know what the problem is and can fix it in the future. I just hope that problems with blogs are easier to fix and I don't lose what I posted. I thought that there might have been an issue with this post, but didn't care too much about fixing it then. Now I will know to make sure nothing weird is going on if possible.

Wishlist for Final Season of Black Lightning

With the upcoming season of Black Lightning being its last, one has to wonder what a fan like me would want this show to do in the very end of it all. I can think of a few things that would best work for how this show could end nicely with various things done to wrap it all up.

1: Resolve the Tobias Whale storyline. It is weird to have a series long big bad in the universe of this show compared to various others, but they should do something to resolve the long storyline with him. Maybe they should finally kill him off or do something with him that would rid him of the world forever. Whatever they do, it should be a permanent solution that would make sure he never shows up in this world again and his story will be done.

2: Do more with Tyson Sykes. I have no idea how much or little they could do with Wayne Brady since he is one of the more busy actors in a normal year. But they can’t introduce Gravedigger, considered to be the first metahuman of at least the new multiverse, and have him be one of the biggest bad guys of the whole series, just to underuse him in the end. They need to delve more into his character that they haven’t already while also exploring more of his relationships with Jefferson Pierce and his family.

3: Have Lynn Stewart wind up with Jefferson. I’ve never quite understood why they aren’t together. They work so well together and often seem more like a married couple than a divorced couple. While this show has always been confusing in some ways, it is hard to understand their relationship as they shouldn’t be divorced in the end.

4: Address Black Lives Matter. Due to all of the racial unrest in the country over the past year, it would make more sense to address parts of this in the show that haven’t been covered already by doing their own version of it. It wouldn’t make sense for a black centric cast like this to have this issue not be a part of this show as it ends.

5: Explain the limitedness of green light. Since Black Lightning is sort of part of Arrowverse now, it would make sense to explain why this probably won’t be seen in the rest of the franchise. It could give a lot of others in other shows a good boost and explain why they could have powers. So if they are all destroyed or otherwise removed from the equation, it would be a good thing to explain. 

While it is hard to understand this show at times, these are the last set of things that I think would be important to address as the show undergoes an early exit from the airwaves. Maybe the CW sees more value that it can do with All American or future shows. But I still look forward to the end of the show and hope that it works in the end.