This post is one of many that should have been done much earlier in the year. But I have to spend a lot of time on it and put it off in favor of ones that I could do more quickly. Since I put this off long enough, then I might as well get to it.
Note on DVD suggestion: Sometimes when I do reviews of shows, typically when they are cancelled, I mention whether or not you should get them on DVD. I do some research to see if any of it is even on DVD. Well, I’m done doing research on it due to time constraints. From now on, this will only apply in the event that there is even something to get but you readers will have to do more research yourself to see if the shows in question are on a format. I realize that they might be available to stream instead. Consider it being available for streaming the same topic being covered.
30 Rock: Show history- This aired on NBC for a while and entered syndication at one point. What’s it about- Inspired by Tina Fey’s time as head writer on Saturday Night Live, we see the cast of a show with their many adventures of what goes into the show when they aren’t making it. Why I’ve seen it- I heard a lot about it and was wondering if it was any good so I tuned into it when I could. My viewing habits- I watched most of this in syndication when it was available where I lived, but did some of it in primetime towards the end. Where it aired- This was an NBC show. What I liked about it- The show is pretty funny and works very well. It helps to be part of a more usual format and not a mockumentary. What I didn’t like about it- Not all of the main characters were seen as much as they could have been on the show. It wasn’t as funny as one would have liked. More thoughts on it- This is one of my favorite NBC shows and it is fun to watch. Current fate- This is in syndication, presumably on streaming, and the complete series is on DVD. DVD suggestion- I think that it would be worth it. Grade: A.
1 versus 100: Show history- It aired some on NBC and also had a scaled down version elsewhere. What’s it about- A game show, a mob of 100 players compete against one player with only one of them winning in the end. Why I’ve seen it- It was on at a good time when it worked out well for me to see it. My viewing habits- I didn’t see much of it. I might have liked to see more of it than I did. Where it aired- This was an NBC show at first until it moved elsewhere later, but I forget where. What I liked about it- The show had a basic to understand format and worked for the most part. What I didn’t like about it- Some of the way that it worked didn’t seem to benefit the main player. The questions were at times too easy or too obscure. More thoughts on it- It worked better than a lot of other game shows that I have seen. Current fate- It is gone from the airwaves as far as I know. DVD suggestion- It could be worth it, but I’d go without. Grade: B-.
3-2-1 Penguins!: Show history- This was part of a video series that was adapted for television in a way. What’s it about- Two kids have adventures with a group of space penguins while also learning some life lessons that are a bit adapted from biblical morals. This is by the same people who did VeggieTales. Why I’ve seen it- I wanted to see it a lot when it aired on TV since I don’t know if I could rent it and cared enough to see it. My viewing habits- I watched what I could of it when it aired, but am not sure if I saw as much of it as I could. Where it aired- This aired on NBC as part of their Qubo programming on Saturday mornings. What I liked about it- It worked with its plots and had enough of a recurring storyline in its second season that made it work well. What I didn’t like about it- Parts of the plots and messages seemed obvious. More thoughts on it- It could have more in its original format, but it might have only lasted in some ways since it was on TV. Current fate- This ended after only three seasons with the main second and third being on TV. DVD suggestion- It is good, especially if you have kids. Grade: B+.
Chaotic: Show history- This aired for a while. It was a Saturday morning kid’s show. What’s it about- A teen is given access to a special world based on a card game that is played which leads to a lot of some different adventures. Why I’ve seen it- It looked interesting, although I can’t remember for sure. My viewing habits- I saw a lot of this, although I might have missed some of this here and there. Where it aired- This aired on both FOX and the CW. What I liked about it- It was interesting and had lots of good plots. What I didn’t like about it- I didn’t like the animation format change between seasons, even if the new one was ultimately better in the end. A lot of the act breaks were too quickly resolved in the same way. More thoughts on it- It was a pretty good show and not much else about this is worth adding. Current fate- There are hints of a potential revival that remain uncertain for now. DVD suggestion- This could be worth it and nice. Grade: A.
Crumbs: Show history- This aired briefly, but didn’t air all of its episodes on TV. They might have become available in some way. What’s it about- A closeted gay man tries to deal with his dysfunctional family such as his mother who just got out of an asylum. Why I’ve seen it- I honestly can’t remember why I saw it at all. My viewing habits- I might have actually seen all of this that aired on TV. Where it aired- This was an ABC show. What I liked about it- It seemed pretty funny in some places and had a plot that worked in some places. What I didn’t like about it- Some of the characters didn’t have as much to them that made them interesting. More thoughts on it- I think that it could have done more if it were given more time to grow, but its low ratings prevented this. Current fate- It only lasted one season. DVD suggestion- It might be worth it if only to see what isn’t otherwise available. Grade: C.
Curious George: Show history- This aired for a while on PBS, a second adaptation of the book series. What’s it about- Basically, there are different adventures that a monkey owned by a man in a yellow hat do. This might be a follow-up to a movie with the same animation format. I have not yet seen the movie in question. Why I’ve seen it- I still liked to watch kid shows at the time despite being in my teens at this point in my life. My viewing habits- I watched a lot if not all of its first season. I saw other parts of the show over time, but this wound up being among my great kid’s shows purge that I did where I stopped watching all of the remaining kid show’s that that I still watched. Where it aired- This was on PBS for its whole run. What I liked about it- It had lots of good lessons from time to time. It had lots of interesting characters beyond just George. What I didn’t like about it- A lot of the plots were ridiculous in some way or form. There were inconsistencies between the setting, such as whether George lived in a hotel in the city or if he lived in a house in the country. More thoughts on it- It was one of the greater shows in my mind of the end of when I watched kid’s shows. Current fate- It ended a while ago and does not still air in reruns as far as I know. DVD suggestion- They are good and worth getting. Grade: B-.
Hannah Montana: Show history- This lasted for maybe the typical amount of time for a Disney channel show. What’s it about- A teen girl wants to be an ordinary person while also being a rock star as well. She is both as a result. Why I’ve seen it- I guess that I was interesting in it at the time. My viewing habits- I largely only saw what aired of this on ABC and not much else as not much else of this aired on network TV. Where it aired- This was a Disney channel show that aired partly on ABC on Saturday mornings as well. What I liked about it- The show focused a lot on more than just the lead. What I didn’t like about it- Parts of it seemed dumb and didn’t work out as well. This wasn’t as relatable to the everyman as it could have been. More thoughts on it- This was reworked from what was supposed to be a spin-off of That’s So Raven. For better or for worse, this show made Miley Cyrus into what she is today. Current fate- It lasted the standard amount of time and had a movie that relates to it before it ended at some point in time. DVD suggestion- I’d pass on this, honestly, despite liking it to an extent. Grade: C-.
The Emperor’s New School: Show history- This aired a few seasons. What’s it about- A continuation of the movie The Emperor’s New Groove, we see Emperor Cusco learning more in school in order to get his job in the long term. Why I’ve seen it- I like the movie so I might as well see the TV show as well. My viewing habits- I watched what I could of this, but didn’t see as much of it as might exist. Where it aired- This was largely a Disney channel show that also aired on ABC on Saturday mornings. What I liked about it- This show was good at keeping the spirit of the movie in its writing style. What I didn’t like about it- Too much of this contradicted the events of the movie and ruined what happened to the characters there in it. More thoughts on it- This would have worked better as a prequel to the movie instead of taking place after it. Current fate- It ended a long while ago. DVD suggestion- This is a good show in some ways, but not really worth owning. Grade: B.
Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman: Show history- This lasted for several seasons. What’s it about- A cartoon dog gets real kids to compete in a reality show where they learn things too. Why I’ve seen it- I watched a lot of these shows at the time. My viewing habits- I saw every episode of nearly all of the seasons outside of the last one where I missed a lot of it, but did see the end of. Where it aired- This was a PBS kids show. What I liked about it- It did teach good lessons and worked as a reality competition as well. What I didn’t like about it- The show didn’t always seem fair, at least in the first season. Too much of this was strange at times or otherwise didn’t work. More thoughts on it- I felt that this show was pretty nice in some ways and it ultimately ended due to a sudden lack of funding. This was more connected between seasons than you would like despite new casts in each one. Current fate- This ended a while ago and left the airwaves shortly thereafter. DVD suggestion- This is a good show and might be worth getting in the end, especially to see what all happens. Grade: B.
Cake: Show history- I don’t remember just how much of this aired, but it didn’t seem like more than just one season. What’s it about- A teen girl with her three friends work on issues and also do projects in the form of how to videos. Why I’ve seen it- It seemed like it was interesting for some reason or I otherwise saw it for one reason or another. My viewing habits- I saw random episodes of this here and there. Where it aired- This was a CBS Saturday morning show. What I liked about it- It kept things simple by just having a cast of four, no guest stars, and largely focused in one location. The format was easy to follow and stick to. What I didn’t like about it- Too much exposition was used throughout the show’s run as they focused on off camera characters or other things never seen on screen. More thoughts on it- The how to segments towards the middle could drag the plot down at times, but never seemed like they didn’t belong in an episode. Current fate- This didn’t last too long on TV. DVD suggestion- It might be worth it in a way since it isn’t much of a commitment. Grade: B-.
The New Adventures of Old Christine: Show history- It aired for a while. It might have lasted until syndication, but I’m not sure about that. What’s it about- A woman has to deal with her ex dating someone with the same name as her. Why I’ve seen it- An episode seemed like it could be interesting or at least tolerable. My viewing habits- I only saw one whole episode of this. Where it aired- This was a CBS show. What I liked about it- The actors are good. What I didn’t like about it- The writing sucks and the plot was bad. There wasn’t much good about this. More thoughts on it- It seemed rather boring in my mind in many ways. Current fate- It ended a while ago allowing its star, Julia Louise-Dreyfus, to go on to do better things by starring on the acclaimed Veep. DVD suggestion- Don’t waste your money on this show. Grade: F.
Standoff: Show history- This only aired for one season. What’s it about- Two teammates that are also a couple deal with various hostage situations. Why I’ve seen it- It looked good so I watched it. My viewing habits- While I missed a lot of this, such as the beginning, I did see the end. Where it aired- This was a FOX show. What I liked about it- The show was interesting. What I didn’t like about it- There wasn’t as much of a recurring storyline to keep people coming back for more. More thoughts on it- This is similar to shows like Flashpoint or S.W.A.T. Current fate- It ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- I think that this would be good and isn’t much of a commitment. Grade: A-.
Legion of Super Heroes: Show history- This lasted for maybe two seasons. What’s it about- Various DC comics characters join together to fight various villains in a heroic group. Why I’ve seen it- It looked good to me. My viewing habits- I don’t think that I’ve seen all of it, although I’ve seen most of this and the end. Where it aired- This was a CW show which might have aired at the time on Kids WB which they still had at the time. What I liked about it- The show had interesting plots and good storylines to keep you coming back. What I didn’t like about it- It ended on a cliffhanger. Some of the plots were repeated. More thoughts on it- It was a nice animated show that should have lasted longer if only so that we would know what would happen to the characters. Current fate- It has ended a while ago and is unlikely to wrap things up. DVD suggestion- I’d pass. Grade: C.
‘Til Death: Show history- This aired for maybe four seasons, although it is hard to be sure of what happened since the airing of it was really messed up. What’s it about- At first, it was about a married couple that had been together for a while becoming friends with a newlywed couple. It changed a lot as it went on but always had the longer married couple as part of it. Why I’ve seen it- It looked good at first when it had started. My viewing habits- I watched what I could have of this, but it had a really strange airing cycle and was screwed in many ways with this. Where it aired- This was a FOX show. What I liked about it- The earlier season episodes worked out pretty well. What I didn’t like about it- The later season episodes were dumb and the episodes aired so horribly out of order that one couldn’t make sense of it. More thoughts on it- The show was more screwed than anything else that I had ever seen on TV and its cancellation was so obvious, I wondered how it even made news. Current fate- This has long sense ended and even entered syndication for a while. DVD suggestion- Don’t bother with it as it probably won’t make sense. Grade: C-.
The Unit: Show history- I think this was another four season show with episodes that lasted shorter than they could have for various reasons. What’s it about- A military unit that doesn’t officially exist that does a lot of secret missions as a result. Why I’ve seen it- It was something that my family was interesting in that I ultimately got into as well. My viewing habits- I missed a lot of the earlier episodes, but did see the end of this and kept watching for the most part after I started watching. Where it aired- This was a CBS show. What I liked about it- It had a lot of good drama to it and the story was good to keep up with at times. What I didn’t like about it- I hated what they did with some of the characters, such as the affairs that happened. It didn’t resolve everything in the end. More thoughts on it- This show was a bit screwed by the writer’s strike, but maybe not as much as others were. Current fate- It was in syndication at some point in time. DVD suggestion- These are good to get. Grade: B-.
Viva Piñata: Show history- This aired for a bit before some video games related to it came out and this was pulled from the schedule. What’s it about- Different piñatas live on an island with some of them wanting to avoid their fate of being used for their purpose. Why I’ve seen it- It looked good enough, although at the time, it seemed like I watched most kid shows still at the time when it worked in my schedule, although not all of them. My viewing habits- I might have seen nearly all of this, if not all of this. Where it aired- This was a FOX show on Saturday mornings. What I liked about it- It had a lot to it in terms of storytelling and had a lot about different characters. What I didn’t like about it- Some of the plots were dumb. More thoughts on it- This is actually adapted from a video game series although I still don’t know why two games were promoted with it and it was pulled as a result. Current fate- It is long gone. DVD suggestion- It might be good to watch, but not all of this focused on morals. Grade: B-.
Shark: Show history- This aired for two seasons. What’s it about- A lawyer solves cases. Why I’ve seen it- I was getting interested in courtroom dramas at the time. My viewing habits- I missed a lot of this, but did see the end of it. Where it aired- This was a CBS show. What I liked about it- The show was good, focusing on lots of characters besides just those solving the case. What I didn’t like about it- The ending, although not a cliffhanger, left more to be desired. More thoughts on it- It would have been nicer if it has lasted longer, but that was not the case in the end. Current fate- It ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- It is worth getting if you want them. Grade: A.
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!: Show history- This aired for a bit on the CW. What’s it about- A departure from the traditional Scooby-Doo franchise, instead of the whole gang solving mysteries, it is largely just about Shaggy and Scooby fighting against a super villain and his minions. Why I’ve seen it- I wanted to so I did. My viewing habits- I saw a lot of this when it aired, but don’t think that I saw all of this. Where it aired- This was on the CW at the time. What I liked about it- The show worked for the most part. What I didn’t like about it- Parts of it seemed unrealistic even in the cartoon world. More thoughts on it- Most would consider this the worst of the Scooby-Doo franchise, although I like it well enough. Current fate- It ended a while ago, maybe lasting just one season. DVD suggestion- This could be worth getting, but you’re just as easily fine without it. Grade: C+.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters: Show history- This was part of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise in a first, the only part made by American TV first instead of Japanese. What’s it about- After winning a contest, the friends wind up stuck in a world of capsule monsters. Why I’ve seen it- This was part of a franchise and I had seen the rest of it as well. My viewing habits- I think that I saw every episode of this. Where it aired- This was on FOX, which was unusual at the time for this type of show since it typically aired on the WB or CW. What I liked about it- It was true to the story, not mattering as much that it was added at a certain part of it. What I didn’t like about it- It was more of a departure from the usual format than it should have been. More thoughts on it- It works well as part of the franchise and isn’t missed without it either. Current fate- It lasted just the one special season then ended. DVD suggestion- It could be worth it in the end. Grade: A-.
Switching to specific season reviews
Power Rangers: Mystic Force: Show history- This is part of the Power Rangers franchise. What’s it about- Rangers have to use magic to fight against various villains. Why I’ve seen it- I like Power Rangers and wanted to see more of it. My viewing habits- While I missed a lot of it, I saw all of this that I could in the end. Where it aired- I saw this on ABC, although it also aired on Disney channel. What makes it different than other seasons- You don’t see this type of magic used as much. What I liked about it- The show had a good plot that worked and made sense. What I didn’t like about it- The lack of true main villain was a bit confusing as it changed a lot throughout it. More thoughts on it- Some say that one of the characters that ended as a good guy was the strongest villain in the franchise at one point. Where it ranks among other seasons- I’d put this on the better end of it. DVD suggestion- I would get it myself at some point. Grade: A.
Survivor: Panama: Show history- This aired on CBS. What’s it about- It has Survivor contestants split into four different tribes at first and then differently throughout the season. Why I’ve seen it- I watch all of the Survivor seasons. My viewing habits- I don’t know if I saw this when it first aired, but saw nearly all of it if I didn’t. Where it aired- This was on CBS like all of the seasons have been. What makes it different than other seasons- The introduction of Exile Island as a season long twist was not done before. What I liked about it- There wasn’t too much different about this despite the changes. What I didn’t like about it- I hated how the best contestant this season was the last one voted out. More thoughts on it- I put this more towards the bad or average seasons. Where it ranks among other seasons- This isn’t as high as it could be. DVD suggestion- Unless you are a completionist, then skip this one. Grade: C-.
Survivor: Cook Islands: Show history- This was the thirteenth season of the show. What’s it about- This time, contestants are controversially split into tribes by race. Why I’ve seen it- I also watch each new Survivor season. My viewing habits- I probably saw all of this season or close to it. Where it aired- This is a CBS show. What makes it different than other seasons- The opening twist has never been done since, although they now make sure that half of the contestants aren’t white. What I liked about it- I felt that the domination of Ozzy as a player for the most part was fun to watch. What I didn’t like about it- I hated how Ozzy didn’t win. More thoughts on it- Most people hated a bottle twist that I don’t think was as unfair as other thought it was. Where it ranks among other seasons- I put this more towards the middle of the road in terms of seasons. DVD suggestion- Take it or leave it. Grade: B.
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