Wednesdays in Primetime Version 3

Wednesdays can be a bit of a bore on television. There are some interesting shows but most of it is not worth your time. Yet it also has some of the best shows. ABC shows its comedies which are currently Modern Family, Black-ish, The Goldbergs, and The Middle. NBC shows Law and Order: SVU. The CW shows Arrow. CBS shows Criminal Minds and Survivor. I haven’t seen much of them that aren’t listed here, but I’ll tell you about what I have seen. There are no winners or losers, merely competitors.

The Middle: Status- Currently on ABC at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- Survivor reruns happened and I heard this was good. Noteworthiness- It is tied with Modern Family as longest running ABC comedy. Description- The comedy adventures of an ordinary family in Indiana. Notable People- Patricia Heaton, who was Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond, is the mother. Neil Flynn, from Scrubs, is the father of the show. Pros- Mothers would like this show. It is quite funny from time to time. The youngest kid’s quirkiness is humorous. Cons- Some inappropriate stuff comes up sometimes. However, the show is typically always PG so it’s not as bad as it could be. Note to Parents- This is probably more acceptable than other shows in terms of content, but I’d ultimately watch it for yourself to make a decision. Recommendation- I say that you should watch this show if you can. You’ll especially like it if you don’t like Survivor. Prediction- It will last a long time. Reception: positive. Grade: B+.

Survivor: Status- Currently on CBS at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays. It was on Thursday for a long time until it switched with the comedy blocks. It might have changed because March Madness would move it to this slot for that time and the network decided not to bother changing it for that time. Why I’ve seen it- I think that other people in my family liked it and I found it interesting as well and started watching. Noteworthiness- It shows two seasons a year; one in the fall and another in the spring. The current season they are on is their 27^th. There has been something new that happens on this show that has never happened in previous seasons. While most reality shows don’t have as good ratings as scripted shows, this has good ratings that show scripted shows could envy. It is also the adaptation of the Swedish reality show, Expedition Robertson. It is considered the first American reality show and is the longest running one on CBS if you don’t count a news related show. Description- Contestants compete against each other to see who will survive 39 days and win a million dollars. Every week, a contestant is voted out and the last few people face a jury of previously voted out people who vote one of them the winner. Notable People- Jeff Probst is the host. Mark Burnett is the creator of this show. Pros- There is a different cast each season so if you don’t like one season you can stop watching and watch the next season. The contestants are interesting sometimes. Drama is always pleasant. Due to the competition nature of the show, it can’t legally be scripted like a lot of reality shows are. Something new always happens in each season. Cons- The people that you hate can make it far while the people that you like get eliminated first. The basic plots of some seasons can be similar to each other. They like to recycle ideas, locations, and challenges. It can be hard to find a normal season anymore. A lot of controversies have arisen on the show. This show has indirectly made every other reality show. They have a tendency to keep having returning players each season which can be off-putting to those that aren’t already fans of the show. Lately, people have not liked most of the new seasons (beyond the twentieth season, at least). Note to Parents- I watched this as a child, but I’m not sure if your kids should. It is better than the typical show in terms of content that might be deemed inappropriate for kids. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. I like it and think that you should watch it, but not everyone has my opinion of this show. Prediction- It will last as long as it has the same host, enough viewers, and enough money. If the host changes, it might leave the airwaves shortly after although another network like the CW might still have faith in it which could lead to a dramatic retooling of the show plus a fight with any other networks that might want it (if any do). Besides, this is the type of show that can be off the air for an extended amount of time and suddenly return with new people. I even have a blog about it. Reception: good, although seasons vary. Grade: A-. http://adamdeckersurvivor.blogspot.com/

Arrow: Status- Currently on the CW at 8/7 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I wanted to watch a CW show that was new at the time. This show was new last season. Description- The CW drama is about the comic book character Green Arrow. I don’t know if it is accurate or not to the source material. Pros- It seems interesting enough to keep potential viewers coming back and watching it again. Cons- It seems like every other superhero drama. Note to Parents- This can be a bit gruesome at times so preteens and younger shouldn’t watch. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. If you have time to watch it, then you should. If you aren’t interested, then you aren’t missing out on anything. Prediction- It will stay around because this network needs another hit. Reception: positive. Grade: B.

The Goldbergs: Status- This ABC comedy airs at 8:30/7:30 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- The first time was because I was unable to stop recording a tape after a different program stopped airing which recorded a whole episode of the show. I watched more episodes because I thought that it might be good after watching that particular episode. Noteworthiness- It is somewhat based off of true events. Description- It is about a man’s life growing up in the eighties when he was a kid and is based on details that actually happened (although I’m not sure just how much). Pros- It can be pretty good and funny sometimes. Cons- It doesn’t make a lot of sense sometimes and can be a bit odd. Plus, there are normally always errors when setting things in the past. Note to Parents- This is borderline over what is and isn’t acceptable so I suggest you watch for yourself to make your own decision. Recommendation- It is a good show to watch. Prediction- It might last and probably will. I see a hundredth episode in its future. Reception: mostly mixed. Grade: B-.

Modern Family: Status- Currently on ABC at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- Free time at the time and general interest in the show. Noteworthiness- Like The Office, it is a fake documentary meaning it presents itself as a reality show, when it isn’t (although certain “reality” shows are that way). It has inspired ABC to look for families like the ones on the show. Whether anything will come of that besides 20/20 interviews is another question. It is a popular show winning awards as is the longest running comedy on this network along with The Middle. Description- A look at the people an extended family of “normal” ones and not so normal ones. Notable People- Ed O’Neil from Married with Children is present. Other people might be famous either before or after the show aired. Pros- This is a funny comedy that attracts all different people like the families that are like this. There are good episodes a lot of the time. Cons- The episodes do not always have enough material in them and move by too quickly. Inappropriate material shows up often. Note to Parents- This is borderline like a bunch of other shows like it. Recommendation- Watch this show if you like it. You probably will. Prediction- Since it is the most successful comedy on ABC, it will last a long time. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: A.

Criminal Minds: Status- Currently on CBS at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- It was during summer reruns (I think) that I first saw this. I was interested in seeing it at least once. Noteworthiness- The first main character left over creative differences on this show and the thought that it was too dark. Description- A law enforcement agency solves crimes. Pros- It is similar to other dramas so you know what to expect. Cons- It is too dark. One wonders how it can be allowed on network television. Note to Parents- This show is quite gruesome and graphic with its violence and crime. Don’t let people under the age of 13 watch this. Recommendation- I don’t like it and don’t recommend it. Prediction- If it continues getting the good ratings that it has, then it will continue to be on television. I still see it lasting for a while more. Reception: negative. Grade: F.

Law and Order: Special Victims Units: Status- Currently on NBC at 9/8 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- I forget why I started watching. Noteworthiness- It is the longest running drama spin-off on television as well as the longest running NBC drama. It is also the only primetime drama to premiere last millennium and still be on the air producing new episodes. It is a spin-off of Law and Order. Description- A group of people known as the special victims unit (SVU) investigate sexual crimes and crimes that happen to children as well. Pros- They never show the crimes. The plots are interesting and different. There are always twists that keep you hooked on the show. They use real life cases as an inspiration, but not as what actually is shown. Cons- The show may never end. They regularly switch head writers because it has been on so long. The endings are normally not happy. It has a rather grim subject for a show. Note to Parents- There’s a lot of dark stuff in here and every episode airs with a viewer discretion is advised warning. So keep that in mind when you don’t let your kids watch it. Recommendation- Give it a chance and you might like it. Prediction- It will last until people stop watching for some odd reason or it gets too expensive to keep making. Reception: great. Grade: A+.

Black-ish: Status- Currently on ABC at 9:30/8:30 Central on Wednesdays. Why I’ve seen it- What I normally watched wasn’t on. Noteworthiness- This is based on a true story. Description- This sitcom is about a black family. Pros- It is popular with critics. Cons- I thought that this show was terrible. I didn’t find any of it funny nor did I understand the purpose that it had. Note to Parents- Having only seen one episode, I don’t know what to put here. It might be okay for kids, but I really don’t know for sure what to tell people. Recommendation- I wouldn’t watch it, but that’s just me. Prediction- I say that this will probably last until at least syndication. Reception: positive. Grade: D. New review