Fictional Celebrities

Do you ever watch a show and can’t help but notice that the celebrity in the episode is completely made up? It can seem a strange phenomenon that they can’t just use a real celebrity who is okay with this portrayal of themselves. But at the same time, it makes sense that there are just famous people that can be made up instead of real celebrities trying to fit whatever role needs to be filled in whatever plot of whatever episode is made. It can seem odd to have a “celebrity” on a show be someone that doesn’t exist in reality. But it probably works better than not.

When Television Wouldn’t Touch Abortion with a 4 Foot Coat Hanger

This will be the very last time I ever cover the topic of abortion in this blog of mine about TV. While there are plenty of other topics relating to abortion to blog about, I have created a blog about covering the topic of abortion and don’t want to cover it anymore here after this post is published.

 

https://fadamsecretaryblog.blogspot.com/

 

You can see how hard television leaned into the pro-choice topic nowadays even if you don’t watch the news at all. But this wasn’t always the case. At one point, television wouldn’t touch the abortion topic as it was too controversial. And it never would have covered it in a positive light.

 

One of the first shows to cover abortion was The Defenders. Don’t confuse this with the show starring Jerry O’Conner from more recently. There were no advertisers for this episode. But that wasn’t the end of it by a long shot.

 

It wasn’t until much later that Law & Order covered abortion in one of their earlier episodes. This show was nearly cancelled as a result. But the showrunner, Dick Wolf, was able to fix the issues elsewhere with the show by adding two major main female characters which helped make the show run for 20 seasons until its run was eventually surpassed by its spin-off.

 

Eventually, normalizing abortion became normal for TV shows. A topic that was once considered taboo became a topic that “had to be covered” for whatever dumb reason society will give you. And it didn’t even used to be that characters even got abortions. They were okay living with the consequences of their poor decisions. But now it is so normal that people don’t even question it. They depict scenes of it onscreen, such as in Scandal. And this is after a Family Guy episode wasn’t allowed to air because the network saw it as too controversial.

 

Sometimes television can change for the better. And sometimes it changes for the worst. I wish that this was never something accepted as right or covered so much by television. After the Dobbs decision put a wise end to this, television became even more outspoken in favor of abortion. It is sad that this is the world that we live in. And for more thoughts on abortion, they will be covered in the above mentioned blog and never again in this one.

They’re Not an Original Series, CW

I cannot tell if the CW is being misleading or just straight up lying to people. But they keep promoting their many foreign imports as an original CW series. That’s not the case at all. Why would they do that? I can’t understand how this is allowed. It didn’t originate on the CW. It shouldn’t be promoted as an original CW show. They have had plenty of shows that they could air as original. But they don’t seem to be doing any original shows anymore. Still, they shouldn’t be promoting a foreign import as an original series when it clearly isn’t!

The My Pillow Boycott: 2023

If you read this blog last year, then you’d know that I posted about a boycott of TV shows that promote My Pillow. It doesn’t yet seem that he is able to advertise during primetime on network television. But it could yet happen. I don’t see why someone who promotes election conspiracy theories should have anyone advertising his business. And while there are plenty of sedition caucus donors, none of them have the problem of being a dishonest business like this one.

 

In addition to what I am already boycotting (Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with James Corden, He Haw, one of my news sources, and The Andy Griffith Show), the new additions to the list are radio station 103.9 and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

 

I’ll admit that I haven’t always been good at boycotting all of these shows. I watched Jimmy Kimmel Live twice since my boycott of him started. One was because he was interviewing James Corden who was also on the boycott list by then. He had earlier interviewed Mike Lindell, the owner of My Pillow, which was notable to me for Mike actually making a good point: that Jimmy promotes his company.

 

I had returned to James Corden for an interview with Bill Clinton then returned to his final primetime special and true final show in its regular timeslot. It was hard to give up The Late Show and I haven’t always been as good with that, but often do have him gone from my viewing habits. And the news source is something I’m better at giving up now.

 

How it could still affect my blogs is unknown. I do know that when I did the first post on this, I didn’t know if I would be doing a blog called Fadam Secretary blog, but that did wind up happening. I did it a lot more when my blogs were on hiatus and now it is on hiatus until I need it again. But it can be helpful. For instance, if I give up my Elementary blog due to the boycott, it would lead to the only instance of me doing a Eadam Secretary blog on the locked in dates that I was to do the random updates of my Elementary blog only when I’m done with those random updates.

 

I would also do new blogs like that since it would be a good place to put the political updates of The Good Wife and Good Fight blogs if those blogs were to end. While the Madam Secretary blog would return if it were to be done with the updates (something that could also happen if one of the blog posts wind up deleted by the powers that be since that could happen since they inexplicitly put a warning on one of the posts without telling me what community standard I violated since I would want to just edit out whatever the offending part of it is and I would stop updating that blog in protest of them not telling me what I did wrong or giving me a chance to fix it), it would have to wait until new blogs are done and they would in this order now: Nadam*, Gadam, Oadam, Hadam, Padam, Iadam, Qadam, Jadam, Radam, Kadam, Sadam, Ladam, Tadam, and only then would Madam come back.

 

*I am editing out the Secretary blog part of all of these for simplicity’s sake

 

I would only post more about what happens in each blog if they really were to end as a result of the boycott. I could come back to them. I do know that with any of them in the cast update phase, I would not do anything relating to one blog or franchise in another should it have wound up in that updates. This would mean that a boycott of, say, CSI: Miami would mean that I wouldn’t add any new people from that show in my Elementary blog. It would also mean that the only people that I could save and move to another blog would be those who happened to have the same projects as people in the other blog already have (if that makes sense).

 

While I will talk about this more in my CSI: Vegas blog when and if it fully updated, in the event that I shared something on facebook from one of the late night talk show hosts that I have mentioned, I will be replacing facebook things that I did post, even though I won’t be deleting the old things that I have posted. (Right now, only Dilbert and Chris Cuomo get deleted and replaced, although I’m not sure if I ever shared the first one and the second one may already have been.) Basically, Jimmy Kimmel things will be replaced by Jimmy Fallon, James Corden with both Craig Ferguson and Jordan Klepper, and Stephen Colbert with both David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon.

 

I can’t think of anything else to mention in this blog post about the boycott I do of TV shows that promote My Pillow. I know that I did this blog post early relative to what I could have done, but I might not be able to do that many posts of this blog in the future and I can only guarantee one more one here this year on the last Sunday of this month. Thus, I wanted to get it done while I knew that I still could do it so this post is done now.

Saturdays in Primetime Version 8

I can’t believe that I’m as tired as I am and writing this post for the future when I’ll be unable to do what I normally would do. But I got this done for better or worse and am now hoping to relax some while also getting what else I need to get done outside of blogging.

 

Great Chocolate Showdown: Status- Currently on the CW at 8/7 Central on Thursdays. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch a new CW show at least once. Noteworthiness- This is a Canadian show airing here in the US. Description- Various contestants compete in a food competition where they deal with different chocolate creations. Pros- The food is always interesting and not just the same old thing over and over again. Cons- Its biggest flaw is that not all of the contestants get their food eaten during the first round which doesn’t seem fair. Note to Parents- There is nothing wrong that I can think about this outside of maybe LGBT contestants. I don’t find that wrong, by the way. I only mention that in case someone else finds it wrong. Recommendation- This might be good if you aren’t busy with other things. My Viewing Habits- I haven’t seen every episode, but have liked it since the first one. Prediction- I am pretty sure that it will keep airing in both countries. Reception: great. Grade: B.

 

Recipe for Disaster: Status- Currently on the CW at 9/8 Central with an additional episode right after that half an hour later. Description- Three teams of people compete in a cooking competition with various problems of weirdness happening while they do this. Pros- It is different than some simple cooking shows are. Cons- It is as dumb as you’d expect just given the promos of it. Nothing good or interesting happens in the show. Note to Parents- I can’t think of any flaws with this show in terms of whether or not a kid can watch it or not. Recommendation- Avoid watching at all costs. This should be an easy thing to do. My Viewing Habits- I watched one random episode of it and won’t see it again. Prediction- I don’t expect it to last, even if they had nothing else to air. Reception: I couldn’t find this in either of the two places that I normally check, which is a first. Grade: F. New review

2023 Summer Shows Part 2

With today being the best and only certain time for me to write this post, then I might as well get it done despite never having much time for anything and yet still bringing these blogs back because I have to do with my OCD instead of doing more sensible things at times. Anyways, here’s the other part of the summer reviews of shows this year.

 

Stars on Mars: Show Description- Celebrities compete in a Mars simulation. Behind the Scenes- There are a lot of famous people on this. My Thoughts- Personally, I couldn’t even bring myself to watch this show until after Lance Armstrong was gone from it. The show’s name may be an outright lie, but it does work in some ways. I hate that so many people just straight up quit over and over again. But it is good enough in the long run. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I don’t think that this will last unless the writer’s strike still hasn’t been resolved by next summer. Where to Find- On FOX at 8/7 Central on Mondays

 

Run the Burbs: Show Description- This focuses on a family in the suburbs. Behind the Scenes- This is a foreign show airing on the CW. My Thoughts- It was dumb and didn’t seem all the well acted. I give it two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- It probably won’t last here, although it might last in the country it started in. Where to Find- On the CW at 8:30/7:30 Central on Mondays

 

Children Ruin Everything: Show Description- Parents have issues with the immaturity of their kids and yet want another want. Behind the Scenes- Blah, blah, blah, foreign show on the CW, blah, blah, blah. My Thoughts- It isn’t good. The title alone is problematic. And it is hard to think of any redeeming value that it has in the long run. I give it one out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- This won’t last at all. Where to Find- On the CW at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays

 

Son of a Critch: Show Description- A boy describes his life at his new school and growing up in general. Behind the Scenes- This is yet another foreign show that airs on the CW and also based on the life of its creator. My Thoughts- The show is so unfunny that while trying to watch its second episode, I just had to turn it off and watch something else instead. While parts of it are decent enough, you can get much better things from shows like it like The Goldbergs. I give it one out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I have no idea if it will last here or not. I’d say maybe, but only because the CW has jack shit to air nowadays. Where to Find- On the CW at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays

 

Down to Earth with Zac Efron: Show Description- A documentary, Zac Efron explores some places on earth to help us understand it better. Behind the Scenes- This aired on streaming before it was on the CW very briefly. My Thoughts- It was a good show while it briefly lasted. I give it four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- It has been cancelled already due to low ratings, but if more of it airs on Netflix, where it first aired, remains to be seen. Where to Find-Not on the schedule

 

Fantastic Friends: Show Description- A documentary, we see twin brothers and their on screen sister who played characters in the Harry Potter universe explore some of the earth. Behind the Scenes- Bonnie Wright, James Phelps, and Oliver Phelps all appear together as the fantastic friends. They played the roles in the Weasleys: Ginny, Fred, and George. My Thoughts- It is a wonderful and fun documentary that would be worth watching if it were still on. I give this four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- It has already been cancelled and I don’t know if more of it will see the light of day on steaming if it hasn’t already. I put it as likely, but uncertain. Where to Find- Not on the schedule

 

Fight to Survive: Show Description- A group of survivalists, known for appearing in other reality shows like Naked and Afraid, Survivor, and other shows, compete to survive in Fiji against each other to see if they will share the same resources and work together or turn against each other. Behind the Scenes- This is a Roku show that is also airing on the CW. My Thoughts- Parts of this are predictable, but it is different and interesting enough. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I have no idea if it will last or not or if it will air on the CW if it does last. It might depend on just how much the CW scraps the bottom of the barrel as it has been since Nexstar bought it and if they make do with other things instead. Where to Find- On the CW at 8/7 Central on Thursdays

 

Recipe for Disaster: Show Description- Three teams of people compete in a cooking competition with various problems of weirdness happening while they do this. Behind the Scenes- Hey, look at that garbage can! My Thoughts- It is as dumb as you’d expect just given the promos of it. I give this one out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I don’t expect it to last, even if they had nothing else to air. Where to Find- On the CW at 9/8 Central on Saturdays

 

While I could do much more with the returning show section like I normally do, I am just going to include just the shows that I feel like doing newish reviews of. Thus, I won’t have to do too much more beyond what you have already seen so far.

 

Bump: Status- Currently on the CW at 9:30/8:30 Central on Mondays. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch every new CW show at least once. Noteworthiness- This is a show from Australia that is airing in the US. It is only half an hour so I’m unsure if this is supposed to be a comedy or a drama that’s shorter. I see it as more of a drama than a comedy. Description- A teenager who didn’t know she was pregnant winds up dealing with a lot of family drama beyond just being a new mom while still in high school. Pros- Parts of this seem interesting and worth seeing what happens. It can spark interesting conversations with family if you watch it with them. Cons- Parts of this seem dumb or otherwise not work such as the extent of some of the drama going on at once. Note to Parents- While a lot of this can be bad for kids, with teens, it might be worth watching if you are willing to have serious conversations about what goes on in the show. Recommendation- It is a wonderful show that I recommend. My Viewing Habits- I have seen what has worked out of this, but not all of it. Prediction- This has already had a lot of seasons beyond what we have seen so far in the US and a spin-off that might air here at some point in time. I would say that given CW’s status, it is almost certain that we will see these seasons when they air here. Reception: good. Grade: B-. New review

 

HouseBroken: Status- Currently on FOX at 9/8 Central on Sundays. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch a new FOX show at least once. Description- Some pets have adventures. Pros- It is different than the usual adult comedy in enough ways. Cons- This show was dumb and didn’t have much to it. Note to Parents- This airs with a content adversary warning so that’s all that you really need to know about that in the end. Recommendation- Don’t waste your time with it. My Viewing Habits- I watched one episode of this and won’t watch it again. Prediction- This might keep lasting, but I have no idea if it has good odds in the long run since it keeps airing in the dead of summer instead of the main season. I think that it is still likely to last for now. Reception: mixed. Grade: F. New review

Watching Less TV (and Being Okay with it)

So much crazy shit has happened in my life. And the past TV season has had all sorts of weird things going on too. Even just today, I had all sorts of weird things going on. Now if you want to know what all has happened in my life and this season that I’ll talk about in this blog, be sure to keep on reading this post. If you want to know what happened that caused the blogs to go on hiatus, read this post.

 

http://adamdeckercsicyber.blogspot.com/2023/07/tech-explaining-blogging-hiatus.html

 

This post should have up yesterday based on the rule that I have about it, but I decided that it would also work now without messing too much up. Or, I could have cheated and posted it when it was supposed to be up and not when it was. But I tend to avoid that, so I did. My mom had to go to a hospital a way away. She’s fine now. But she was the main reason why I couldn’t watch or record as much TV this season. She wasn’t the only reason.

 

There was also a missing remote causing a TV to not really turn on and be an inconvenience at one point with a backup until the main one was found. There was a TV tuner that stopped working until I found a new one. And there are a lot more problems with the receptions of channels, specifically FOX, that makes it impossible for me to see shows since they won’t come in. I can’t even find a show to watch at some times since I like to watch all of primetime during the main season and not just the few things that I would stick with.

 

And you know what? I’m completely fine with missing a lot of TV. It may seem odd. But since I know that I’m a TV junkie, I also know that good things to do at times is to detox from my addition. That’s why I got rid of new blog posts for a while with one that I still haven’t gone back to yet.

 

You see, even when you have legit OCD like I do and not just a certain way of doing things, you can still come to what I call an oh, well phenomenon. Basically, if despite all of your hard work trying to get something done that needs to be done that day that you couldn’t get done, how do you feel inside? Do you feel messed up? Do you feel like you can’t take it anymore? Actually, what I feel is a lack of caring, an oh, well. Oh, well. I couldn’t get that done. That’s not too bad at all, really. I don’t know why I had cared so much and maybe won’t obsess with things too much.

Peter Sallis as Wallace on Wallace and Gromit

It was a while ago in which Peter Sallis, the voice of Wallace from Wallace and Gromit died. In at least two of the three things I’m going to cover, his was the only voice heard as no one else even spoke. I know that there was a 2008 special, A Matter of Loaf and Death, but I don’t know how to watch it at the moment so I’ll be skipping it for now, despite it also featuring Peter Sallis as the voice of Wallace. I also won’t be covering these three specials in order, but you are more than free to read them that way if you want to. Now let’s get to Wallace and his involvement in the specials at hand.

 

The Wrong Trousers

 

Wallace starts out asleep until he hits a button in his bed for breakfast, being taken to the main floor there at hand. The landing is a bit painful. He needs money since he’s short on cash. He gives a present to his dog since it is his dog’s birthday. He gives his dog a collar and a leash, something Gromit does not like. Then comes a scary gift: techno-trousers. This leads to him being taken on a walk, but a decoy is used at one point in time.

 

Wallace lets in a penguin about a room to rent. This penguin wants Gromit’s room instead. Wallace helps put up wallpaper and decoration in another room, the spare one that he’s in now. Wallace seems to like this guest too much, which Gromit doesn’t like as Gromit runs away from home.

 

The morning after, Wallace finds himself in the wrong trousers, the techno-trousers. The controls are gone which leads to him being taken from place to place. He tells Gromit that they have gone wrong. It is revealed that the penguin is controlling them. Wallace is somehow about to put pajamas over these trousers as after his exhausting day, he goes to bed.

 

Gromit is later seen under Wallace’s bed as Wallace sleeps. Wallace continues to sleep as the penguin, now revealed to be a wanted chicken, takes him away. He is taken to where a diamond is on display. The penguin takes him to the roof where he goes through a vent and walks on a ceiling to be used to steal the diamond that’s there. A device on his head is used to steal the diamond.

 

After hitting an alarm by mistake due to a loose ceiling tile, Wallace is woken up and thinks that he’s dreaming. The penguin reveals himself. But he traps Wallace in a wardrobe. Gromit gets trapped there as well and fiddles with the controls on the trousers, breaking them out there.

 

Wallace gets stuck on a train and is able to help by taking the gun. He is later seen trying to catch the penguin with a next, but winds up catching part of the furniture. He then gets on the track behind Gromit who is able to build a way forward and they manage to catch the penguin and get the reward money to pay off all their debts. Wallace gets cheese and crackers for himself as this ends.

 

A Close Shave

 

Wallace is seen sleeping at one point. He and Gromit have a washing business. He is seen pushing a button wanting portage today since it is Tuesday. The machine malfunctions since the wires were bitten into. Wallace wants to make his own, but the box was bitten into as well. He notices a hole in the newspaper he is reading while saying that something fishing is going on.

 

He gets a call for a cleaning service so he takes himself and Gromit there to do it. It is a wool place where he sees a woman there. He meets her dog Preston. Her name is Wendolene. He stumbles over some words and talks about the sheep rustling and her wool that she has plenty of.

 

He and Gromit return home and he finally sees the sheep he was oblivious to before, not even realizing that it was a footrest for him as he read the plot convenience newspaper. He wants to get this sheep cleaned up. Wallace takes this sheep downstairs to the knit-o-matic. He watches as the machine winds up malfunctioning and accepts a small sweater from it. He names the sheep Shaun.

 

Wallace reminds Gromit that they are cleaning a clock which apparently isn’t hurt by this. He talks to Wendolene a lot about different things in the meantime. He continues to be oblivious to things as a herd of sheep go past him.

 

Later, he reads the paper about his dog’s arrest, being mistaken for a killer dog. Later, Wendolene comes and tells him to stay away from her and that she’s sorry about Gromit. The sheep are with him still as he passes time reading more newspapers about Gromit’s trial and imprisonment.

 

Unable to stand this, Wallace sends Gromit a mystery puzzle and busts him out of jail. They are fugitives. He notices that Wendolene and her dog are doing the sheep rustling and chases after her when her dog turns on her. The motorcycle winds up getting chased in return, but Gromit turns things around. Wallace gets separated from Gromit when the sidecar comes undone.

 

He is able to free the sheep briefly, but winds up captured with the sheep and Wendolene where they go to where Preston, the dog, makes his dog food. Shaun and also Gromit are able to assist in making sure that Wallace doesn’t get sucked into Wallace’s invention that Preston stole. Preston is a cyber dog. He does not do well prevent being sucked into this, although Shaun saves the day and Wallace’s life among the lives of everyone else.

 

Later, Wallace learns that Wendolene was able to reprogram her dog back to good. He offers her some cheese, but she is allegoric, ending any potential relationship between them. Wallace wants to eat the cheese that he has with a now exonerated Gromit, but Shaun is there eating the cheese instead. Gromit does nothing about this despite Wallace’s pleas.

 

A Grand Day Out

 

We begin with Wallace looking through various travel magazines, wondering where to go. Upon noticing that there is no cheese and eating a cracker on its own, he decides to go to the moon as the moon is made of cheese. But then, won’t there be less of the moon?

 

He designs a way of building a rocket to the moon. He kneels on top of an old yellow door as he saws it and once it predictably comes off the place where it is standing, he uses his dog Gromit to hold it up. The rocket gets built with everything under control as Wallace falls into it. He lights the fuse of it.

 

He has to quickly get the crackers and he does get it and back into the rocket before it blasts off. He reads the paper as they make their way to the moon. I’m unsure how they can do this without any space suits on, but this is Claymation, so I don’t really care as it isn’t realistic anyways. He takes a picture for the album. They do land on the moon which is, in fact, made of cheese.

 

They have a picnic on the surface of the moon. Again, no space suits and this is okay for both of them. Wallace can’t identify the type of cheese that is on the moon as it is like no cheese he has ever tasted. He messes with something that looks like a machine of sorts, but it doesn’t work until it comes to life. He had taken part of this machine off, a knob at the very right.

 

This machine notices Wallace eating part of the moon and as a protector, I guess, tries to strike Wallace with a bat, stopping right short of it having lost its powers. Wallace gets confused by it and goes back to the rocket when the robot chases after it. He starts an emergency countdown. The robot accidentally lights the fuse that Gromit had forgetting to. They do ultimately make it home and notice the robot skiing on part of the railing it took out of the rocket.

 

Well, I’m currently unsure how or if I can see A Matter of Loaf and Death here in America legally. I might see a bootlegged version online, but I feel that I got the classic three covered and that’s all that I need to do. I hope that you enjoyed this tribute to the late Peter Sallis.

2023 Summer Shows Part 1

It seems that I will have to split this up as usual since there is no better way to do this nowadays. One of the shows mentioned is already cancelled or so it seems. I’ll make sure that I know what’s going on as I mention it. More reviews will come later so let’s get to that. Sorry that this is as late as it is as I’m cheating and saying that this happened when it was supposed to go up. I will be doing this blog only every other Sunday until it falls on the last Sunday of the month. Then, it will be sporadic with no set dates or further obligation to do this once every month anymore.

 

Barons: Show Description- I’m not entirely sure, but it seems to relate to people wanting to do a lot of surfing, but there is peril in their lives as well due to all sorts of drama. Behind the Scenes- This is an Australian TV show that is airing in America. My Thoughts- I couldn’t make sense of the show, but could easily decide that I don’t like it. There wasn’t anything about it that made me want to come back to it ever again. I give it one out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- This was already pulled from the schedule before I think it finished airing. It was cancelled in America. I don’t know if that’s the case where it comes from or not. Where to Find- Not on the schedule

 

The Rising: Show Description- After being mysteriously murdered by circumstances she can’t remember that well, a woman still wonders the earth with few people able to see and talk to her as she seeks to figure out what happened to her and other strange things that went on. Behind the Scenes- This is a British show that is airing in the US on the CW. I think that it is strange that the CW promotes this and any and all other foreign imports as an original series when it isn’t. My Thoughts- While I do find it sad that it seems to rip-off parts of the movie The Invisible, it is very good and interesting outside of that from what I’ve seen. I give it four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- It might be over by the time that you are seeing this. Besides, I’m not sure how much they could milk out of something like this in the first place. Where to Find- It was on the CW at 8/7 Central on Mondays

 

LA Fire & Rescue: Show Description- A reality show, it follows real first responders in real crises. Behind the Scenes- I think that this is produced by Dick Wolf, who created the franchises Law & Order, FBI, and Chicago. My Thoughts- It is a pretty interesting show. I’m not sure how much I like this since I know how real it is and can be. But I might stay into it, if only due to cheap cliffhangers that are there at times. I give this three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I have no idea if it will last or not, but I think that due to the writer’s and actor’s strike, it will probably stay around for now. Where to Find- On NBC at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays

 

Moonshine: Show Description- A woman inherits her late mother’s hotel, but that’s not the end of things as there is a lot of family issues and other things that weren’t in the episode that I watched of this based off of the promos. Behind the Scenes- This is another foreign import airing on the CW, this one from Canada. Why Nexstar purchased the CW and, as far as I know, never (as of yet) aired any original new programming on the network is beyond my understanding (although they could just be killing the network for reasons unknown). My Thoughts- There were some good parts to this, but not nearly enough for me to either stay interested in this or keep watching it long term. I give this two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I have no idea. A lot of this has already been made, so we’ll see if things wind up airing in the US at some point in time. Where to Find- On the CW at 9/8 Central on Fridays

 

Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge: Show Description- People compete to form real life cars based on certain hot wheel designs. Behind the Scenes- This is based on the hot wheels cars for kids that is part of the toys for kids with adult competitors that you see in reality TV a bit nowadays. My Thoughts- I should have been more okay with this show, but since it is about cars that I normally don’t care about, then I don’t see a point in watching it myself, although you are more than free to watch this if you like it yourself. I give it two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I have no idea if this will last or not, but am pretty sure that it will get at least one more season since the writer’s strike is still ongoing. Where to Find- On NBC at 10/9 Central on Tuesdays

 

Greatest Geek Year Ever: 1982: Show Description- This is a documentary about various geek things that had happened in the world of cinema in 1982. Behind the Scenes- I have no idea why this was turned into a TV show. My Thoughts- This seems like a very random and specific thing to turn into a show and I just couldn’t stay interested in this myself. I give it two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I give this little to no chance of surviving beyond its current run. It doesn’t seem made for more than what could be done in one season. Where to Find- On the CW at 8/7 Central on Saturdays

 

Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars: Show Description- A lot of food competitions of all sorts are done among people who want Gordon Ramsay’s investment in their company. Behind the Scenes- This is perhaps the 30^th TV show featuring Gordon Ramsay and food. My Thoughts- While I get annoyed at all of the drama on this show and even how some of the annoying contestants have made it far in the game, I still think that it is quite interesting and fun to watch. I give it four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I see this lasting, probably. I can’t currently think of any Gordon Ramsay show that didn’t last more than one season. There could be ones that I’m not familiar with, though. Let me know if I’m wrong since it would be nice to know. Where to Find- On FOX at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays

 

The Prank Panel: Show Description- People submit ideas for pranks and some are approved for this hidden camera show. Behind the Scenes- Johnny Knoxville of Jackass fame is the host of this show. It is also notorious for causing a lawsuit. My Thoughts- It seems about as good as prank shows get. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I don’t have high hopes for it at the moment since I know about the lawsuit and other problems this could cause. It could stick around, but once a show like this is known, it is harder and harder to keep catching people off guard with it. Where to Find- On ABC at 9/8 Central on Thursdays

 

Here we switch to returning shows. I’m only going to include shows that are back as of now. If they are going to be part of the schedule later, I’ll get to it later when it premieres again. Let’s get to the ones that are part of the schedule now.

 

Tough as Nails: Status- Currently on CBS on Fridays and Sundays at 8/7 Central. 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 much of it after that due to wanting to see less TV. I returned for its fourth and fifth seasons. Prediction- This is renewed for a fourth season already and I see this as lasting for a while. Reception: somewhat good. Grade: B.

 

Family Law: Status- Currently on the CW on Fridays at 8/7 Central. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch a new CW at least once. Noteworthiness- This is a Canadian show that is now airing in the US. Description- Family drama comes to a head in various ways as a lot of family members now work together in court dealing with other family cases and their own drama as well. Notable People- It stars Jewel Staite from Firefly and The LA Complex. It also stars Victor Garble from Legends of Tomorrow. Pros- It is overall an interesting show. Cons- Some parts of this can be absurd, such as different subplots and what is sometimes dealt with as a case. I doubt a lot of the courtroom scenes would be allowed in reality. Note to Parents- Some of the subject matter that you see in the show isn’t something kids should be exposed to like drunkenness, sex, affairs, and other forms of cheating. There are lesbian characters. Child custody cases are an important part of the plot every episode. There is also a major trans character in the show as well. Recommendation- I think that this is worth watching if it works out for you. My Viewing Habits- While I’ve missed parts of this, I have seen this since the first episode. Prediction- I have no idea. It might be more likely to be kept if it isn’t affected by the writer’s strike going on right now should it need to be kept around in order to have something on. It might be more likely to last in Canada than here. Reception: good. Grade: B-. New review

 

Nancy Drew: Status- Currently on the CW at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I thought that it could be interesting. Noteworthiness- This is based on the popular kid’s book series based on the popular character. Description- Now a young adult, the sleuth Nancy Drew is working to solve a cold case murder and a newer murder. Notable People- This stars Riley Smith from Drive, Frequency, Life Sentence, and Proven Innocent. Pros- The show is interesting and isn’t just the same thing week after week like you often find in most mystery shows. Cons- It runs into usual problems like sex or other things that probably don’t need to be there. Note to Parents- There is enough in here that kids shouldn’t see, but teens could be okay with. Recommendation- I think that this is good to keep up with and say that you should watch. My Viewing Habits- I joined this into its first season and plan to watch what I can of this as much as I can. Prediction- It is currently airing its final season. Reception: mixed or average. Grade: A.

 

Crime Scene Kitchen: Status- Currently on FOX at 9/8 Central on Mondays. Why I’ve seen it- I had decided at the time to watch every new FOX show at least once, only making one exception so far after making that rule. Description- Contestants have to figure out what food was made based on clues left behind and then make it themselves. They are judged on accuracy, presentation, and taste. Notable People- Joel McHale, formerly of Community, Card Sharks, and Star Girl, is also the host of this show as well. He also does Animal Control. Pros- This show has done the impossible: make me like cooking shows. It is actually interesting for a change as I like seeing what all is made and how all it works. Cons- Splitting this into two rounds can make this take up too much time. It can be confusing not having all of the contestants in the game at once. If one isn’t that familiar with different types of food, one would be lost trying to guess what the potential food is. Note to Parents- There is not much, if anything, wrong with this for kids to watch. Recommendation- I think that one should watch this in the end. My Viewing Habits- I joined it during its first season and plan to watch as long as nothing else conflicts with it that I deem more important. Prediction- It is hard to tell for sure since it took such a long and largely needless gap between seasons. I say that it is just as likely to last as it is to fail. It will all depend on what excess programming FOX needs. Reception: good. Grade: B. New review

 

Riverdale: Status- Currently on the CW at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- From this point forward, I’ll try to watch any new CW show if possible. Noteworthiness- This is inspired by the Archie comic book series. Description- Starting out, it is about a murder at a high school and various other dark plots. At the moment, it is best described as the noir genre. It is hard to tell what the basic plot of it is. Notable People- Cole Sprose, who was one of the leads on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, is a character who also narrates the show. Pros- There is enough potential in it that it might be good. It seems better than just another dumb high school show. Cons- This seems stereotypical in a way. This probably has all the problems you could expect from a CW show. Some of it is unrealistic and doesn’t make sense. It can be sex crazed at times. Note to Parents- There are enough bad things in here that children shouldn’t be watching. Recommendation- I’d put this at a toss-up. My Viewing Habits- I started watching from the first episode. I have given it up at times for various reasons. When the plot got far too ridiculous, I gave it up for good. Prediction- It is ending this current season. Reception: generally positive. Grade: F.

 

And that’s the end of this post for now. Obviously, a part 2 is planned to come at some point in time, but we’ll have to wait until it works out until it is published. Hopefully I won’t be cheating much in blogs as I don’t like it and it is unfair, but that might be the only way that it works out some times. For the rest of the shows that you’ll be seeing me review, wait until you can see them. To be continued…

Hollywood Insults the Holy Sacrament of Baptism

Since I need to rush a very quick post out today, I’ve decided that since I haven’t seen much good from a recurring bit of television, I might as well get a post done about it. You see, a godfather and baptism is part of TV very briefly and it is never portrayed well. Normally, instead of a great event and way of people connecting with family of theirs, it turns into a whole issue over whether or not there should even be a baptism.

 

One is rarely portrayed on the show itself with there just being a conflict as to whether it should happen or if there should be godparents relating to it. There is normally some pushback and the conflict is over with people always deciding that there should be a baptism, but the focus never even being on Christian elements of it or other important parts of it. It just seems to be a way of promoting false conflicts within a show while trying to excuse amoral characters by saying, at least there’s a baptism.

Christmas Commercials 2022

I don’t even know if I can explain why other blogs that were supposed to return haven’t yet as I don’t know how much time I’ll have for things as I was sick and might still be some enough, but that’s not all what you need to worry about right now. I’m doing a post on last year’s Christmas commercials so I hope that you like it before I get to more important posts.

 

In 2012, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 0. The official count before Halloween was 27. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 200. In 2013, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 5. The official count before Halloween was 30. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 600. In 2014, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 3. The official count before Halloween was 26. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 700. In 2015, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 0. The official count before Halloween was 13. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 530.

 

In 2016, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 0. The official count before Halloween was 45. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 386. In 2017, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 0. The official count before Halloween was 78. The official count before December started was 767. In 2018, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 0. The official count before Halloween was 13. The official count before December started was 567. In 2019, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 0. The official count before Halloween was 19. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 487.

 

Christmas overrun for 2014-2015 is 28 commercials. Christmas overrun for 2015-2016 is 14 commercials. Christmas overrun for 2016-2017 is 55 commercials. Christmas overrun for 2017-2018 is 41 commercials. Christmas overrun for 2018-2019 is 36 commercials.

 

In 2020, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 1. The official count before Halloween was 33. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 360. In 2021, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 0. The official count before Halloween was 46. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 372.

 

In 2022, the official count of Christmas commercials before October was 8. The official count before Halloween was 89. The official count before the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 323.

 

Christmas overrun for 2019-2020 is 18. Christmas overrun for 2020-2021 is 17. Christmas overrun for 2021-2022 is 9. Christmas overrun for 2022-2023 is 43. Christmas overrun means that after Christmas and in a bit of January, you will see Christmas commercials of some type. I’m keeping track of them, although they will always be separate from the main list.

 

You may notice that this is the highest Christmas overrun total of any season so far, beating the next highest by over double it. What’s dumb about that is how a lot of it was both syndicated shows getting a Christmas theme in promos and that these same commercials didn’t air when it really was the Christmas season. Maybe they just wanted to make up for all of the Christmas commercials they didn’t air during the pre-season Christmas creep.

Back to School Commercials 2022

I knew that when I finally rolled for things again that I could mess myself up due to the forces of fate and that is exactly what happened which is why I needed to start effectively doing one blog post a day until all of them are caught up to some degree (although some will be better than others). Still, this is good for this blog as I can do this post on the back to school commercials from last year before they almost certainly start to air again right around when July starts.

 

In 2014, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 1. The official count before August is 48. The official count before September is 158. The official total of the whole year is 170. In 2015, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 0. The official count before August is 44. The official count before September is 125. The official total of the whole year is 136.

 

In 2016, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 1. The official count before August is ~61. The official count before September is ~261. The official total of the whole year is 286. In 2017, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 0. The official count before August is ~68. The official count before September is 219. The official total of the whole year is 234.

 

In 2018, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 0. The official count before August is ~20. The official count before September is 110. The official total of the whole year is 115. In 2019, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 0. The official count before August is ~52. The official count before September is 159. The official total of the whole year is 165.

 

In 2020, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 0. The official count before August is 48. The official count before September is 162. The official total of the whole year is 188. In 2021, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 0. The official count before August is 40. The official count before September is 170. The official total of the whole year is 188.

 

In 2022, the official count of back to school commercials before Independence Day is 0. The official count before August is ~23. The official count before September is 58. The official total of the whole year is 78.

 

And there you go. I hope to get rid of the approximate guesses that I have for some years as soon as an official number higher than the current one is seen. This will mean that you won’t get to see a whole comparison if such a thing ever happens, which I doubt, since I can’t watch as much summer shows as I used to in the past. But it doesn’t matter. At least this number is known now.

The Ongoing Writer’s Strike

Surprise! I’m back! I’m going to try really hard to get caught up on my blogs over time and, yes, I will share the post that I have about why nearly all of my blogs were on hiatus the moment that I have it written in my CSI: Cyber blog. I will be bringing back all of my blogs now over time whenever it makes sense most to me. Now that you have that update, I’m going to write about a current event.

 

You see, there is a writer’s strike going on right now over unfair conditions that people are no longer putting up with. With the rise of streaming also comes the problem of how writers would put up with doing way less episodes than those on network television. The short answer: they won’t. That is just one of the unfair things that writers have been putting up with. Like many times in Hollywood, they finally got fed up and said no more.

 

There have been a lot of shows put on hiatus. Other parts of the Hollywood industry outside of Hollywood are also affected, but that’s not what this post is about. We can only hope that the writers get what they want or it could be a long while until we get much, if any, new content written by the guild writers. Instead, the best we would get potentially would be non-Guild writers, but that won’t happen in most cases.

 

Some of the ways it is affecting TV right now is that most late night shows aren’t doing new episodes, some of the summer shows are starting even later than before, more foreign shows will be seen, and some specials, like the Tonys, aired without a script.

 

While I hope to get more caught up on all of the posts that I’m now way behind on in this blog and am still doing at some point, one of them would explain other times the television schedule has been disrupted or changed due to different things like 9/11 or the 2007-2008 writer’s strike. While I never did do a post on the final result of the covid pandemic on TV, it might be hard to note for sure what all had happened as a result of it even now all this time later.

 

Meanwhile, to end this post, I might as well talk some more about how this blog will change. The main thing that will be different is that a lot of the posts that I would have normally done won’t be done at all. I will still try to do and get caught up as soon as possible on whatever recurring posts I feel still need done in this blog. I’ll have to check the usual archive of posts to see what all I can still do and get them done all in time. In the meantime, expect weekly posts of this blog on Sundays with potential other updates whenever you may see them.

Hiatus

Considering how I just went on a hiatus, you might be surprised that I’m going on another one again so quickly. Well, sometimes you have more important things to deal with in life than blogging and you have to step up to learn life skills you should already know at this point in your life anyways. While I learn how to be more independent and take care of myself on my own, remember how I did this before:

 

http://adamdeckercsicyber.blogspot.com/2022/12/tech-when-i-take-break-from-blogging.html

One of the reasons that I didn't want this hiatus was because I could potentially put an updated review of Fantasy Island in this blog that's already in another blog. But I wasn't sure since I special aired in its place last week whether or not that show was cancelled. At the moment, it seems like it might still be on for now, but I am not sure and hope that I will know once I can bring this blog back.

While I get a crash course in adulting, know that two blogs of mine will be updated: the one on The Good Fight which is unable to go on a break and the Fadam Secretary one which would have to fill in for one at times even when it isn’t on a break. I’m going to have to take breaks again from what I should be focusing on as one show is on the air with new episodes and another will be by March with me having not been caught up on the earlier season’s finale yet. But I’m not going to complain about the lack of time that I have to do things while being more responsible in life. I’m making the wise choice again to step back from blogging again even as I have no idea when or possibly if I’ll come back. Just know that I want to and plan to. We’ll see how long I’m gone this time.

Tuesdays in Primetime Version 9

Tuesdays are a competitive night on television. It is also when some of television’s most popular shows are on. The only problem is that the shows are so good, you won’t be able to watch them all. What all is good? Well, let’s delve into it.

 

Night Court: Status- Currently on NBC at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch a new NBC show at least once. Noteworthiness- This is a sort of continuation of a show of the same name. Description- A newboot of the original show of the same name, we see people deal with night court. Notable People- John Larroquette reprises his role from the original. Melissa Rauch from The Big Bang Theory plays the star of the show. Pros- It seems to be pretty well. Cons- Parts of it don’t seem that well acted. Note to Parents- It has the usual issues, but isn’t nearly as bad as what you can see so this is much better than what it could otherwise be. Recommendation- It seems like a thing worth watching and it also works pretty well for fans of the original. My Viewing Habits- I won’t be able to watch much, if any of this, starting out. I will see what might change in the future of this show. Prediction- It will last if the current ratings keep up. Reception: positive. Grade: B. New review

 

9-1-1: Lone Star: Status- Currently on FOX at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watched the original so I figured that I might as well check this out too. Noteworthiness- This is a spin-off of the original 9-1-1, set in Texas. Description- A man dealing with personal problems brings his son to Texas and starts a new team there of firefighters there from other places since the old team had died in a previous crisis. Notable People- Rob Lowe, who was and is in a lot of other shows, such as The West Wing, Brothers & Sisters, Parks and Recreation, The Grinder, and Code Black, is the main character. Gina Torres, from Firefly, among other projects, is another character. Pros- The show is interesting and the characters are wonderful. Cons- Some of the characters don’t have as much material to them as others. Parts of it are way over the top. Note to Parents- There’s a lot of questionable content in here for kids and it airs with a content adversary warning most, if not all, of the time. Recommendation- This is quite a good show and worth keeping up with. My Viewing Habits- I have seen this from the beginning, but am not sure that I saw all of this thus far. Prediction- This will probably last for a while. Its only issue right now is if the other show will eclipse it. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: B.

 

The Rookie: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it enough to watch it. Noteworthiness- Supposedly, this is inspired by a true story. Description- After major life changing events, an older man winds up becoming a cop for the first time. There are other rookies on the show as well. Notable People- This stars Nathan Fillion who used to star in Firefly, Drive, and Castle. Pros- It seems interesting and different in a way from most other shows like it. Cons- I am worried about the typical relationship issues that you might see from time to time. Note to Parents- There are issues with it due to violence, sex, and other problems. Recommendation- I think that it is worth watching. My Viewing Habits- I was a fan of this since the first episode. I missed the first half of the second season in order to focus on Madam Secretary, am back to this long term in the future as long as it continues to last. Prediction- I think that this could go either way right now, although it is more likely to last than not. It is in syndication so it has that in its favor since they will likely need more of it to last throughout it. Reception: generally favorable. Grade: B.

 

FBI: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- It aired on CBS. Description- Needless to say, this is about the FBI and it features various threats that the team has to face. Notable People- This stars Missy Peregrym, who used to star in Rookie Blue. Dick Wolf, who created the Law and Order franchise and the Chicago franchise, also did this as well. Pros- It seems better than most shows are nowadays. Cons- Its main problem is being too generic. Note to Parents- This has the same sort of problems that you would often see on shows nowadays, but it is not nearly as bad as what you might see on other shows. Recommendation- I would say that one should watch this if one is able to. My Viewing Habits- I have watched this since the first episode, but have not seen every episode. Prediction- This will last until syndication. Reception: mixed. Grade: B.

 

Accused: Status- Currently on FOX at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I tend to watch a new FOX show at least once. Description- If I understand the premise of this correctly, we see the story of someone on trial, the events leading up to it, and what the end result is. Notable People- It might at some point star Keith Carradine from Madam Secretary. He might only appear in one episode. Pros- It is different from the usual courtroom drama. Cons- This show is all kinds of terrible in many ways. It doesn’t spend enough time in the courtroom, which is not a problem on its own, but seeks to take away why we are there in the end. It also seems to support the idea of vigilante justice instead of, you know, calling the police to make sure that a crime does not happen. Note to Parents- Don’t let your kids watch this show. Recommendation- Don’t waste your time with this. My Viewing Habits- I watched the first episode of this show and will never see it ever again. Prediction- I have no idea if this will last right now or not, but I would say that it might for now. We’ll see if it keeps the ratings that it has or if it gets lower ones in the future. Reception: positive. Grade: F. New review

 

FBI: International: Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watch the other FBI shows so I might as well watch this one as well. Noteworthiness- This is the third show in the FBI franchise. Description- An FBI team investigates cases internationally. Pros- I like what I’ve seen of it. It works as a show. Cons- A lot of it can be cliché. Note to Parents- There have been sex scenes at times with potential romance issues that shouldn’t be happening. There are also the usual problems with crime and violence. Recommendation- This is worth the watch even if you don’t see the other shows in the franchise. My Viewing Habits- I haven’t seen all of the episodes, but I have seen this since the first episode. Prediction- It seems likely to last for now. It is renewed for another season beyond what it is airing now. Reception: good. Grade: A.

 

La Brea: Status- Currently airing on NBC at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- It looked good and interesting. Description- A sinkhole appears in LA, but it appears to be in a wormhole to the past. This causes a man who has visions to seek for the people in the sinkhole to prove that they are alive as people seek to figure out what’s going on. Pros- It is quite interesting. You probably want to see what keeps happening on the show. Cons- This shows has typical science fiction clichés. It seems that some of the bare, basic elements of this could be ripping off Chrono Trigger. Note to Parents- Outside of maybe just the usual violence and a character obsessed with weed with other drugs being brought up as well, this doesn’t have much wrong with it. Recommendation- It is worth keeping up with as long as it lasts on TV. My Viewing Habits- While I have seen this from the first episode, I haven’t seen all of them. I plan to watch all that I can. Prediction- I think that this will last for now. We’ll see if it lasts longer and keeps up the good ratings that it currently has. Reception: negative. Grade: B.

 

The Rookie: Feds: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watch the original show so I might as well watch this as well. Noteworthiness- This is a spin-off of the show called The Rookie. Description- We see a new, older woman train to become a fed in addition to the other agents. Notable People- This has Britt Robertson from Life Unexpected, Under the Dome, For the People, and The Secret Circle. Pros- It works and is pretty good, even if you haven’t seen or don’t watch the original. Cons- It can be too much like existing crime shows. Note to Parents- This has about the same amount of problems that you would see in other shows. Recommendation- It is worth keeping up with and one should see it. My Viewing Habits- Prediction- It seems like it will last for now. Reception: bad. Grade: B.

 

Will Trent: Status- Currently on ABC at 10/9 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- It looked good to me and I promised to watch a new midseason show on ABC. Noteworthiness- This is based on a series of novels. Description- An eccentric detective seeks to solve a potential series long missing persons case and other mysteries that come along with it. Notable People- It stars Erika Christensen from 10 Days in the Valley and Parenthood. Pros- It is good enough to keep watching. Cons- It has the potential to be drug out for too long. Note to Parents- It has the usual problems with violence and sex. Know that crime is a part of the show on a regular basis. Recommendation- It is good enough if you want to watch it, but not so good that you may feel that you have to keep up with it. My Viewing Habits- I might be more interested in seeing this simply to know what happens with the missing person part of it more than anything else as I otherwise wouldn’t care about seeing it again. This means that if it resolves that plot too soon or drags it out too long, I might not stay into it if there is nothing else to keep me involved. For now, I am likely to stay into this and be a fan of this since the first episode, although I might not have stayed into it if the first case was resolved in the first episode. Prediction- I think that it is going to last at the moment. Reception: positive. Grade: B. New review

 

FBI: Most Wanted: Status- Currently on CBS at 10/9 Central on Tuesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I watch the original so I figured that I might as well watch this too. Noteworthiness- It is a spin-off of FBI and by the same creator as it. Description- An FBI team tries to find the most wanted criminals. Notable People- Dylan McDermott from Law and Order: Organized Crime, Hostages, and Stalker is on this. Pros- It seems like a good show that you would like and expect. Cons- I say that the problems with it are it seeming generic and like a carbon copy of the original with new characters instead of something new we could get from it. It is also much darker than it needs to be. Note to Parents- This probably doesn’t have as much of an issue as other shows do, but I would say that it might not be safe for the younger ones, but is probably fine for older kids. Recommendation- I think that one should watch this and one doesn’t yet have to see both this and the original in order to understand it. My Viewing Habits- I have seen this from the beginning and plan to watch it until the end. Prediction- This will last a while. It is renewed for next season. Reception: somewhat good. Grade: B.

Midseason Shows 2023 Part 1

I know that I should be catching up on things, but I also want to stay ahead on other blogs and some of that ties in with this blog. I might extend the deadline of getting caught up to March. I just hope that I can get caught up and do a fantasy schedule this year since I haven’t done one since 2020 and am normally always missing that post each year. Anyways, enjoy part of one more than one my reviews of the new shows thus far from 2023. Also, enjoy this blog post on my hiatus:

 

http://adamdeckercsicyber.blogspot.com/2023/01/tech-explaining-blogging-hiatus.html

 

Alert: Missing Persons Unit: Show Description- Detectives seek to find missing people after one of their own sons went missing and is later found again unless he isn’t who he claims to be. Behind the Scenes- This has Scott Cann from Hawaii Five-0. My Thoughts- I like this show so far, even if it stands the risk of being too mysterious for its own good. I give it four out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- This seems likely to last for now. Where to Find- On FOX at 9/8 Central on Mondays

 

Night Court: Show Description- A newboot of the original show of the same name, we see people deal with night court. Behind the Scenes- John Larroquette reprises his role from the original. Melissa Rauch from The Big Bang Theory plays the star of the show. My Thoughts- It seems to work out pretty well, although parts of it don’t seem that well acted. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- It will last if the current ratings keep up. Where to Find- On NBC at 8/7 Central on Tuesdays

 

Accused: Show Description- If I understand the premise of this correctly, we see the story of someone on trial, the events leading up to it, and what the end result is. Behind the Scenes- This seems to be an anthology show and I have no idea if this even has the same cast from episode to episode. It might at some point star Keith Carradine from Madam Secretary. My Thoughts- This show is all kinds of terrible in many ways. It doesn’t spend enough time in the courtroom, which is not a problem on its own, but seeks to take away why we are there in the end. It also seems to support the idea of vigilante justice instead of, you know, calling the police to make sure that a crime does not happen. I give it one out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- Initial ratings are potentially bloated and unreliable in this case so I will not know for a bit whether or not this will last. Where to Find- On FOX at 9/8 Central on Tuesdays

 

Will Trent: Show Description- An eccentric detective seeks to solve a potential series long missing persons case and other mysteries that come along with it. Behind the Scenes- This is based on a series of novels. It also stars Erika Christensen from 10 Days in the Valley and Parenthood. My Thoughts- I might be more interested in seeing this simply to know what happens with the missing person part of it more than anything else as I otherwise wouldn’t care about seeing it again. Still, it is good enough to keep watching, even if it has the potential to be drug out for too long. It better not fall into the same trap that Big Sky did. I give it three out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I think that it is going to last at the moment. Where to Find- On ABC at 10/9 Central on Tuesdays

 

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test: Show Description- Various celebrities do what military personal do. Behind the Scenes- This is a reality show that has a lot of famous people in it. My Thoughts- It has some potentially good parts to it, but seems largely too serious and potentially harmful. I give this two out of five stars. Long Term Prospects- I’m just going to guess that this won’t last, but have no way of knowing for sure right now. Where to Find- On FOX at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays

Top 25 Episodes of 2020

Welcome back! I have a lot of big posts to write and not much time to do them. I have a special catch up time to do in this month and the next one. I might even do some of this in March as well. I want to keep up on this blog now that the hiatus is over. And this post, once to be the last post of 2021, is the first one that’s going to do it.

 

Now when it came to ranking the top 25 episodes of 2020, there were some changes with the pandemic and what happened with it. This meant that some episodes were made to focus on the pandemic and there were a lot of good ones of these that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen. We also got at least one episode on the racial injustice. And some sudden season finales were good episodes that might not have stood out as much otherwise. Now let’s get to the episodes.

 

#25 Chapter Seventy-Three: The Locked Room (Riverdale): This almost wasn’t on the list as I was going to instead include an ABC news special on the pandemic instead. But then I remembered just how good this episode was and how it belonged on the list. While I missed the first half of this season, this was one of the reasons why it was good to come back for a while as I could see some of what had happened on the show come to fruition as one of the arcs on the show came to an end. Jughead explained some of what had gone on while identifying those who would have had him murdered. It was just what we needed to see to end this arc of the show in a great way.

 

#24 Saturday Night Live at Home (Saturday Night Live): One of the few socially distancing episodes that we saw, it was nice to see the cast perform and do stuff even without a live studio audience. While most people hated such a thing as zoom meetings and whatnot, we never would have seen such a great time like this without it.

 

#23 Fasten Your Seatbelts (Manifest): The season 2 premiere of this show, it provided a lot of great twists and turns throughout the whole episode as it continued the previous season’s cliffhanger in a good way while also setting up a surprise ending and giving a good episode the rest of the way as well. For a show that kind of jumped around in quality when I saw it, this was a good standout.

 

#22 Fade Out (Arrow): The series finale of the show did what I wonder if it should be done more often or if I should ever do as a showrunner of a show: end the series with the funeral of the protagonist. There was more in there than just the end of Oliver’s arc to the franchise as we saw other characters in the show’s history reunite and include the last major mission involved with the show.

 

#21 Pilot (Big Sky): As I think about just how far in quality and content the show has strayed from its original plot and purpose, I still think that the way this show started was a pretty good way to set up all of the major plot elements of the original episodes and its arc.

 

#20 The Clue in the Captain’s Painting (Nancy Drew): What became the first season finale had quite a lot of interesting parts to it as it had cliffhangers going into what would become its next season. That wasn’t all that was good about it, but in a TV season where most shows couldn’t get out the cliffhangers that they were wanting to, this one happened to have a good set up for the future making fans even more disappointed that there would be an even longer wait until we got it. But that’s what a good season finale cliffhanger does: leave fans wanting more as we eagerly wait to see what happens next.

 

#19 Aloha (Hawaii Five-0): This series finale made the list as a lot of them did as it provided a good way to end the series at hand. It makes you glad that they were able to finish filming the series before the pandemic related shutdowns. Speaking of which…

 

#18 Clueless (Schooled): For a show that didn’t know that this episode would end the season, much less the whole series, it provided a great homage to the movie Clueless while also ending the series nicely in a way it otherwise might never have done.

 

#17 Pilot (9-1-1: Lone Star): Here’s a great way to start a TV series. It shows you why the leads in the show got together where they did in the place that they did while also talking about series issues like PTSD and missing persons. There was a lot in there, which is why it became a two parter, but you never felt like you were missing much of anything in it.

 

#16 Frontline (The Good Doctor): This two parter focused on the pandemic in the show’s season premiere and first episode filmed right after it had started as we saw this show’s take on the whole thing at hand. I quite liked it and felt that it was a good way of addressing this.

 

#15 3 Seventeen Year Olds (S.W.A.T.): Focusing more on the recent racial injustice than the pandemic, it was nice to see this season premiere go in a bit of a different direction than focusing on the other main issue of the year instead going into a cultural reckoning of today’s times versus those in the past and how they related together.

 

#14 In the Air Tonight (NCIS: New Orleans): Set in March of 2020, one of the strangest times in the whole world, another two part episode focused on the pandemic and how it changed a lot of things in the world including how these people were reacting to it. It was a strong start to what became the final season of the show.

 

#13 Whenever You’re Ready (The Good Place): The last episode of the show may have had some issues as it seemed to imply that one would want to erase their own existence in eternity due to the boredom that you would succumb to there, it still had a great send off to the characters that we would know and love throughout the whole series.

 

#12 Like Father… (Prodigal Son): Officially the best cliffhanger of the year, it was shocking to see the twist at the end of Malcolm’s sister turning into a killer and all of the events leading up to it. Just the way that she did it in addition to knowing that it needed to be done as well made the season’s end even more shocking than we otherwise would have gotten.

 

#11 My Corona (Bull): This was the best of the episodes focusing on the pandemic as we got to have a more humorous look at it than just a serious one. While this episode was largely just instead the head of Bull given his dreams while suffering from covid, he was still able to do what he knew he needed to in the reality of this world where people randomly burst into song.

 

#10 Day of Death (The Rookie): I had taken a bit of a break from this show to focus on watching the final season of Madam Secretary and not even bother trying to record it. Sometimes when you come back to a show after a break from it, you see a really good episode that makes you wonder why you ever gave it up in the first place. Ultimately, following the cliffhanger of the midseason finale, we got to see one of the characters try to outwit her captor and stay alive even while buried in a barrel and wanting for the rest of the team to get to her in time. It was a wonderful episode to see.

 

#9 Save+The+Dam+World (MacGyver): There wasn’t much not to like about this episode where the Phoenix foundation had to continue with the threat of Kodex with some of them having infiltrated it and the other part worried that they might have turned with even one of the villains willing to save their own planet in the end.

 

#8 Pilot (Stargirl): A lot of shows that aired on the CW after this one had terrible origin stories in their first episodes. This was what a show should strive for when creating a first episode. There was a lot of back story into the characters at hand as we saw the beginnings of the main character’s turn at being a superhero in the end and start the series.

 

#7 Deus Lex Machina (Supergirl): Episodes like this makes me think that Jon Cryer missed his calling. He never should have been in comedy. He should have always been a dramatic villain. This show explained a lot about how Lex Luthor was living in the post crisis world and managed to make people believe that he was a hero with few people knowing the truth at the time.

 

#6 My Hangover’s Arrived (Dynasty): In what was a clear homage to The Hangover movie, the clear difference between that movie and this episode is that this episode was actually good in a very fun way as it set up a lot for the future while also providing a whodunit of sorts as they sought to piece together some of what had happened over the previous day and night.

 

#5 The One Where We’re Stuck on TV (Legends of Tomorrow): If you had told me that I would have wanted to see what effectively a crossover between Friends, Downton Abbey, Star Trek, and Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, I would have thought that you were either crazy or telling me what you think the plot of an episode of Legends of Tomorrow should be. And this was a great episode, going as far as using the filming styles of each show and making sense in the world of the show. It even combined the high stakes of the previous episode Doomworld while also combining the fun of Legends of To-Meow-Meow and being one of the best homages to TV ever made.

 

#4 Out of the Past (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.): As much as I wanted to include the series finale of the show in this list as it did just about everything right a finale could do, this episode was better in the final season of the show that was better than all the rest, rising above the occasion to be a good end to the series. This episode finally resolved the cliffhanger ending of Agent Carter while providing a great link for the future of the series with a new character as part of it.

 

#3 Leave a Light on (Grey’s Anatomy): Perhaps the most controversial part of the list as it is not only on the best episode list, but this high on it, this episode explained what happened to Alex Karev in a way that many didn’t like, but I felt was one of the best episodes in terms of character development that we ever saw in TV history. Everything actually made sense about this episode in terms of where we last saw him in the series, why he would have left, and why it would have been so hard to explain what had happened to him. He narrated perhaps the most heartbreaking episode of the series where no one even died, but it still provided a satisfying ending to his arc on the show.

 

#2 The Arizona (NCIS): In a nod to World War II and a quest to right potential wrongs, a man goes to drastic lengths in order to get the award he deserves for serving his country and proving that he could. Christopher Lloyd was spectacular in this as was the rest of the cast with the writing top notch.

 

#1 Dancing at Los Angeles (All Rise):  I have no idea just how short turnaround this episode got, but it was great how the writers of this show could do a virtual episode so quickly with the actors able to accommodate and the show going out around the time when it was and would be one of the most topical episodes in TV history.