Wednesdays in Primetime Version 8

Wednesdays can be good with television. This is the day of the week I’m most likely to miss shows on a regular basis whenever church gets in the way during Advent and Lent. There are some interesting shows and it has some of my favorite shows. ABC shows comedies before ending with a drama. NBC shows the Chicago franchise all night. The CW shows Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman. CBS shows Survivor, Tough as Nails, and CSI: Vegas. FOX is airing The Masked Singer and Alter Ego.

 

The Goldbergs: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- The first time was because I was unable to stop recording a tape after a different program stopped airing which recorded a whole episode of this show. I watched more episodes because I thought that it might be good after watching that particular episode. Noteworthiness- It is somewhat based off of true events. Description- It is about a man’s life growing up in the eighties when he was a kid and is based on details that actually happened (although I’m not sure just how much). Pros- It can be pretty good and funny sometimes. Cons- It doesn’t make a lot of sense sometimes and can be a bit odd. Plus, there are normally always errors when setting things in the past. Note to Parents- This is borderline over what is and isn’t acceptable so I suggest you watch for yourself to make your own decision. This is a whole lot better in terms of content than you see in most shows nowadays. Recommendation- It is a good show to watch. My Viewing Habits- While I like this show, I normally don’t watch it since too many other things I like air at the same time. I might see more in syndication in the future, when Survivor is on break, or various other reasons that I would like to watch it. Prediction- It will keep lasting like it has already. Reception: mostly mixed. Grade: B-.

 

Chicago Med: Status- Currently on NBC at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- At the time, the only show that I watched in this timeslot, Notorious, had its episode order cut so I started looking for a replacement in the timeslot. I chose this show due to its connection to a show that I watched and its fairly new time on the air. Noteworthiness- This is the third installment of the Chicago franchise that has different groups that focus on different things. Description- Basically, this is a medical drama. Notable People- Dick Wolf, who created the Law and Order franchise, also helped create this show. Pros- One of the characters has autism, so that makes the show more interesting. There’s certainly nothing major wrong with it. Cons- It doesn’t seem to be that notable in any way. It seems like just an ordinary show with nothing major ever happening in it. They could make it more interesting than it is, such as caring about the characters more. Note to Parents- Mostly, it’s just the medical stuff that one would see that I would recommend against letting young kids see. Recommendation- I’m not sure what to say here. It is good enough for me to watch, but not really that outstanding a show. I would suggest watching it only if you don’t care that much about anything else. My Viewing Habits- I started watching into what I believe its second season was. I have since given it up now that it competes with Survivor and have not seen it since. I might return to it someday, but have no plans to do so right now. Prediction- I think that this will last for a while still. It is renewed for another season. Reception: mixed or average. Grade: B-.

 

Survivor: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I think that other people in my family liked it and I found it interesting as well and started watching. Noteworthiness- It shows two seasons a year; one in the fall and another in the spring. It is an adaptation of a Swedish reality show, Expedition Robertson. It is considered the first American reality show and is the longest running one on CBS if you don’t count a news related show like 60 Minutes instead which is not a competition show like this is. Description- Contestants compete against each other to see who will survive in a wilderness place and win a million dollars. Every week, a contestant is voted out and the last few people face a jury of previously voted out people who vote one of them the winner. Pros- There is a different cast each season so if you don’t like one season, you can stop watching and watch the next season. The contestants are interesting often. Drama is always present. Due to the competition nature of the show, it can’t legally be scripted like a lot of reality shows are. Something new always happens in each season. Cons- The people that you hate can make it far while the people that you like get eliminated first. The basic plots of some seasons can be similar to each other. They like to recycle ideas, locations, and challenges. It can be hard to find a normal season anymore. A lot of controversies have arisen on the show. This show has indirectly made every other reality show. They have a tendency to keep having returning players each season which can be off-putting to those that aren’t already fans of the show. They focus too much on twists nowadays. Note to Parents- I watched this as a child, but I’m not sure if your kids should. It is better than the typical show in terms of content that might be deemed inappropriate for kids. Some of it is better at times although it has rarely aired with a content adversary warning. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. I like it and think that you should watch it, but not everyone has my opinion of this show. My Viewing Habits- I came in during the second season and have mostly watched since. Now that I have a blog about it, I will probably watch every new episode until the show ends, if it does. Prediction- It will last as long as it has the same host, enough viewers, and enough money. If the host changes, it might leave the airwaves shortly after although another network like the CW might still have faith in it which could lead to a dramatic retooling of the show plus a fight with any other networks that might want it (if any do). Besides, this is the type of show that can be off the air for an extended amount of time and suddenly return with new people. Reception: good, although seasons vary. Grade: A-. I have a blog about the show:

 

Blog link: https://adamdeckersurvivor.blogspot.com

 

The Masked Singer: Status- Currently on FOX at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- It turns out that Shad Moss, whose career I follow for a blog, was on the show so I watched it to see what it was like. Noteworthiness- This is adapted from a South Korean show and is the first non Asian adaptation of the show. Description- Different celebrities in masks compete on a singing show where the loser gets unmasked. While all get unmasked at some point, the winner goes the longest without this fate. Notable People- Ken Jeong, from Community and Dr. Ken, is a judge on the show. Pros- This doesn’t have as bad a voting problem as other reality competition shows since what we see is always pretaped. Even if they aren’t professional singers, they can still be good. Cons- Some have complained that the results of voting is too random and can eliminate great professional singers from the game too soon. Too much of this seems wasted on the banter between the judges and host or trying to guess the identities of the singers. They never seem to criticize bad singers as much as they are too focused on who is who. I do not like the newer wildcard twist as I find it unfair. Note to Parents- This is a good show for the family most of the time. Recommendation- I think that it is a good show in the end and worth keeping up with if you don’t care much about anything else. My Viewing Habits- I saw this once for a blog and returned to it later when Survivor was on an extended hiatus. I don’t know yet if I will see it again due to scheduling conflicts. I only care about who is on it, but don’t have to watch the show to learn about who is on it. Prediction- This will probably last quite a while since it is said to be one of the most watched shows now. Reception: somewhat mixed. Grade: B-.

 

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: Status- Currently on Wednesdays at 8/7 Central on the CW. Why I’ve seen it- I had an obligation to watch one midseason replacement on the CW at the time plus a general interest in the show. Noteworthiness- This is adapted from The Flash and Arrow TV shows using characters from them and from DC comics. It is set in the general Arrowverse. Description- A time master gets a team of people from our time to save the world from a threat in the future. The plot has evolved beyond that, although the idea of time travelling superheroes is still there. Pros- The plot is good and gripping. It is very interesting and keeps you coming back for more. Cons- Its connections with other shows are quite a problem. It drags on too long. It recycles too much from Arrowverse without bringing too much on its own without it. Like all shows in this franchise, it is hard to understand it without watching the other shows as well. Note to Parents- This is probably the standard amount of objectionable material, although it doesn’t seem as focused on sex as some shows. There’s a lot of fighting in it like there are in all of the Arrowverse shows. There are gay and bisexual characters on it. Recommendation- You should watch this if you don’t already have more important commitments. My Viewing Habits- I have watched this since the first episode, although I have missed a lot. Prediction- This will probably last for a while, if all goes well. The only thing against it is whether there are simply too many shows for the network, but I see it lasting a long time. It might be in more danger of ending in the future than other shows in the franchise, but we’ll see. Reception: mixed to positive. Grade: A.

 

The Conners: Status- Currently on Wednesdays at 9/8 Central on ABC. Why I’ve seen it- I had a dream about it once and the time to check it out at one point. Noteworthiness- This is a spinoff of the show Roseanne set after her death with the rest of the family on the show. It was created after the star of Roseanne was fired and a version of the show without her was decided to be made in its place, mainly this show. Description- A family deals with various issues and living their lives. Notable People- This has Sara Gilbert who was on The Talk and The Big Bang Theory. Pros- There’s enough of a story in there to keep some people interested in it. Cons- It didn’t seem funny enough or interesting enough to me to watch again. Note to Parents- This might not have too much wrong with it in terms of content, but I’d watch for yourself and decide for yourself what to think. Recommendation- Don’t bother with this show. My Viewing Habits- I only watched this once and don’t plant to watch it ever again. Prediction- I think that this will last. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: D. New review

 

Tough as Nails: Status- Currently on Wednesdays at 9/8 Central on ABC. Why I’ve seen it- At the time, I watched a new CBS show at least once. Description- Men and women compete at real job sites and on two teams to see who is the toughest of them. Notable People- Phil Kogan, the host of The Amazing Race, also hosts this show as well. Pros- It is nice to see something sort of different and contestants that are out of the individual competition are still part of the team competition so that can help them earn money still in the game. I like the show. Cons- Not all of this is worth keeping up with. Note to Parents- There isn’t anything wrong with the show based on what I saw of it. Recommendation- I think that it is worth watching and keeping up with. My Viewing Habits- I’ve seen maybe all of the first season, but have not watched it since due to wanting to see less TV. Prediction- This is renewed for a fourth season already and I see this as lasting for a while. Reception: somewhat good. Grade: B. New review

 

Batwoman: Status- Currently on the CW at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watch all of the Arrowverse shows when I can as this is one of them. Noteworthiness- Part of Arrowverse, this is also adapted from a lesser known comic book character. It also became more notable for replacing its main character with a different one. Description- With Batman missing, a new hero seeks to save the city of Gotham. Pros- The show is interesting as it has some complex characters and can be wonderful like a well made psychological thriller. Cons- It is likely that the first season will be too different from the rest of them. Note to Parents- The main character is gay as are some other people in the show as well. There is also a lot of violence and the occasional sex, but not too much of the last one. Recommendation- I would say that you should watch this and it isn’t as related to the rest of Arrowverse the way other shows are. My Viewing Habits- I have seen this since the first episode and hope to see every one. I have not seen every one. Prediction- This will last until at least 100 episodes, if not later. Reception: mixed or average. Grade: A.

 

Alter Ego: Status- Currently on FOX at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I try to watch one new FOX show at least once. Description- Ordinary people compete as CGI alter egos in a singing competition of sorts. Notable People- This has singer Nick Lachey as a panelist. Pros- If you like your typical singing show, you would like this. Cons- It seems nothing more than a take on The Masked Singer but with gimmicks making them ordinary people instead. The judges aren’t as critical as they could be or need to be at times, although there weren’t bad singers the first time. Note to Parents- The only thing to worry about this is song lyrics that might not be appropriate. Recommendation- This isn’t worth your time in the end. Don’t bother with it. My Viewing Habits- I’ve watched the first episode, but won’t see it again. Prediction- I have no idea if this will last or not, but currently don’t have high hopes for it lasting that long. Reception: bad. Grade: D+. New review

 

Home Economics: Status- Currently on ABC at 8:30/7:30 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- It worked with the schedule at the time. Description- A family comedy, each adult sibling lives in a different social class and has personal issues of their own as they deal with each other. Notable People- This stars Topher Grace from That ‘70s Show, Jimmy Tatro, who had a minor role on Modern Family in addition to various other roles, Sasheer Zamata, who was on Saturday Night Live, and Karla Souza, who was on How to Get Away with Murder. Pros- It seems pretty interesting and good from what I’ve seen of it thus far. Cons- It needs to make itself more different than other shows like it. Note to Parents- There are lesbians on this show and sex happens a lot, although most of it is implied. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. I like this show and watch it. My Viewing Habits- I’ve seen this since the pilot, but have not seen every episode. Prediction- This is likely to last for now. Hopefully it will keep lasting. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: C. New review

 

CSI: Vegas: Status- Currently on CBS at 10/9 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I’m a fan of the CSI franchise so I wanted to watch this new one as well. I blog about CSI: Cyber. Noteworthiness- This is a continuation of the original CSI, largely focusing on a new team, but also bringing back people from the original team returning. Description- We return to characters from the original show solving new mysteries and dealing with potential issues of old teammates. Notable People- This has a lot of the original cast returning, including William Petersen, Jorja Fox, and Wallace Langham. It is also created by the same franchise creator as the four previous shows, Anthony E Zuiker. Pros- I felt that this was quite a good show and worth keeping up with. Cons- It can be too mysterious for its own good and also could ruin what’s previously part of the franchise. Note to Parents- Don’t let preteens watch this, but teens and older can. Recommendation- This is good and worth watching. My Viewing Habits- I plan to watch every episode about this to blog about it. Prediction- I don’t know if this is going to last now. You’d think that it would, but the main thing against it right now is whether or not it is just a short term plan in the end. It is going to last 10 episodes this season so we’ll wait to see if there will be more episodes and/or more seasons. Reception: great. Grade: B+. New review

 

Blog link: https://adamdeckercsivegas.blogspot.com/