Reviews of Shows that Began in 2005

Since a lot of what was happening in this blog was delayed, it is about time that I finally get to this post. I should have done this more towards the beginning of the year, but I am getting it done now. I like to go into the past sometimes with this blog in order to review what I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. Only this time, I’m able to review shows that I’ve already reviewed before since some of them are still on the air. Without further ado, let’s get to this post.

The Closer: Show history- This aired for a while on cable. It ended a while ago after launching a spin-off. What’s it about- A woman is known for being the reason that cases her team solves end. Basically, it is another in a line of police procedurals. Why I’ve seen it- My mother was into the show and I watched it with her. My viewing habits- I’ve seen a few episodes of it here and there. Where it aired- I think that this was on TNT originally. What I liked about it- The humor of it works and so does the writing. What I didn’t like about it- It seems too common in a way to other shows like it. More thoughts on it- I do want to see more of this in the future if I can. Current fate- It has ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- All of the seasons are on DVD. I’d recommend them if you want to get them. Grade: A.

The Colbert Report: Show history- This aired for a while on Comedy Central before it ended when its host moved to CBS. What’s it about- A spin-off of The Daily Report with Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert does news satire while playing a character based on himself. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it and was able to watch it. My viewing habits- I’ve seen this at least once and don’t know how many other times I might have seen it. Where it aired- This was a Comedy Central show. What I liked about it- The humor worked and host is great. What I didn’t like about it- It could be weird at times. More thoughts on it- I can’t form as good thoughts on this as I would like since I never saw much of it. Current fate- It is over now with Stephen Colbert’s move to CBS. DVD suggestion- I don’t think that there are any DVDs of this. It might be good if it were out, even if it runs the risk of being outdated now. Grade: A-.

Criminal Minds: Show history- This airs on CBS. What’s it about- We see profiles into terrible criminals as cases with them are solved. Why I’ve seen it- I guess I was interested in it to the point of giving it a chance once. My viewing habits- I only watched this once. Where it aired- This was always part of the CBS network. What I liked about it- It can be different than other shows like it. What I didn’t like about it- It is far too dark and gruesome. More thoughts on it- I don’t really like it and am glad that it will be ending soon. Current fate- Its final season will start later this year. DVD suggestion- I wouldn’t get this as I don’t like the show. Grade: F.

Close to Home: Show history- It aired for two seasons. What’s it about- A woman tries cases after she is back from being on maternity leave. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it. My viewing habits- I saw some of this, but maybe not as much as I would like. Where it aired- It was on CBS. What I liked about it- I felt that the plot was intriguing. What I didn’t like about it- It seemed too run of the mill and ordinary. More thoughts on it- I didn’t see this as much since it was on Fridays and I didn’t care as much about the shows on at that time yet then. Current fate- It ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- I’m unsure if there were any DVD releases of this. I would be interested in it if there are. Grade: B.

Grey’s Anatomy: Show history- This is the longest running medical drama in television history. What’s it about- We see the drama and love lives of various doctors and their patients. Why I’ve seen it- Simply put, I liked medical dramas and wanted to see one that wouldn’t just get cancelled. My viewing habits- I started watching this partway into its run and haven’t stopped. I haven’t always been able to keep up with it based on reception issues. Where it aired- This airs on ABC. What I liked about it- The acting is great, above and beyond what nearly other shows are like. What I didn’t like about it- A lot of it is far too sexual when it doesn’t need to be. Realism is questioned with the relationships that wouldn’t happen in a real hospital. More thoughts on it- The show is great, although I wouldn’t miss much if I weren’t able to see it anymore. Current fate- It is still on the air. DVD suggestion- This would be quite a commitment if you wanted the whole series thus far, but still might be worth it if you care. Grade: B-.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: Show history- I think that this aired on PBS at one point. What’s it about- This was a documentary of sorts about different advancements in civilization. Why I’ve seen it- It was on an old tape that I was watching to see what was on it. My viewing habits- I really only watched it once and didn’t have much of a chance to see it other times. Where it aired- I’m pretty sure this was on PBS at one point, although I don’t quite remember for sure. What I liked about it- One could learn a lot about the past by watching this. What I didn’t like about it- It didn’t all seem important or worth airing at all. More thoughts on it- Maybe it worked out well for the most part, but I might not have gotten as much out of it to form a good opinion about it. Current fate- This was more or less just a miniseries so there was not a long term plan to it. DVD suggestion- I’m unsure if this is on DVD now. It might be worth it if there isn’t much to get. Grade: C.

American Dad: Show history- This aired on FOX then TBS. What’s it about- It’s hard to explain what this is about. A man who is devoted to patriotism has a family, but there are other issues like an alien and other parts of his CIA life. Why I’ve seen it- I liked it at one point. My viewing habits- I used to watch when it was on FOX and still have seen it some after it ended, but have largely lost interest in it and gave it up long before it left FOX. Where it aired- This was once part of FOX’s animation domination. They got rid of it, but TBS picked it up for future seasons. What I liked about it- The plots were different enough that it could keep you interested even if you weren’t a fan. What I didn’t like about it- Too much of it was gimmicky and didn’t work. The plots were often bad in some way. More thoughts on it- I did not like this much at all. Current fate- This is still on TBS. DVD suggestion- Don’t get it. Grade: D.

How I Met Your Mother: Show history- This aired for nine seasons. What’s it about- A man tells his kids about how he came to meet his mother in the longest and most drawn out way possible. Why I’ve seen it- My brother liked it and I got into it as a result. My viewing habits- While I wasn’t as into it earlier when it first started airing, I did stay into it in the very end and have seen every episode. Where it aired- This was on CBS its whole run. What I liked about it- It was well written most of the time with well established characters and a plot that was thought out. What I didn’t like about it- The ending was so bad that I feel that it ended three episodes earlier when it made more sense as a better ending. There were too many bad morals present. More thoughts on it- I still like the show after its horrible ending. I just try not to watch that episode again. Current fate- It ended a while ago, but you still might find it in reruns. DVD suggestion- I’d pass on this one even if I still like the show. Grade: C+.

Deal or No Deal: Show history- This aired for a while on NBC and then syndication. I believe that there is a new version of it on TV now. What’s it about- A contestant has a briefcase and they have to decide if they want to accept a money deal for it or potentially keep the unknown value inside it. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested enough in it. My viewing habits- I’ve seen random episodes here and there. Where it aired- The main version of it aired on NBC for a while. What I liked about it- The show works and makes sense. What I didn’t like about it- It could seem dumb at times with how it works and what some of the people did. More thoughts on it- Part of the reasons that it might not have lasted as much the first time around was that it was overused too much in some way. Current fate- A revival should be on the air at this point in time. DVD suggestion- There aren’t DVDs. If there were, it might work, but probably would not be worth it. Grade: B-.

Everybody Hates Chris: Show history- This aired on UPN and then later the CW after its merger. What’s it about- We see the misadventures of a young Chris Rock inspired character. Why I’ve seen it- I liked it at one point. My viewing habits- I watched it some point into its run and stuck with it until the very end. Where it aired- It was originally part of the UPN network until it merged with the CW. What I liked about it- The general plot was good and it was funny at times. What I didn’t like about it- Parts if it were not as believable as it should be such as the treatment of characters. More thoughts on it- After this show had ended, I hated the finale so much, I never watched it again with the show being dead to me. Current fate- It lasted four seasons. DVD suggestion- All of the seasons are on DVD. But I don’t think that you should get any of them. Grade: F.

Danger Rangers: Show history- This aired on PBS from what I’ve heard, although I saw it on a different network. What’s it about- People explain various situations filled with danger and what to do in each of them. It is an animated kids’ show. Why I’ve seen it- It was on and I watched it for some reason. This was more towards when I stopped watching kids’ shows. My viewing habits- I only watched this once as I felt that anything it could teach me I would know already. Where it aired- I think that this was on PBS, but I am not sure what network I watched it on. I just know it wasn’t PBS. What I liked about it- It was quite an informative show and good at teaching kids what to do in various dangerous situations. What I didn’t like about it- I can’t remember any cons. I’m sure there were some. More thoughts on it- This was a good way to keep kids informed about emergency situations. Current fate- This didn’t last too long on TV and I have no idea where this might be on nowadays. DVD suggestion- There are none that I know of. I’d say that this would be a good choice if it were on DVD. Grade: A.

Johnny Test: Show history- This aired for a while on various networks, one of them being the CW. What’s it about- A kid is given various powers at times and goes on many adventures with his super dog under the supervision of his sisters. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it at the time. My viewing habits- I watched what aired of this on network TV. Where it aired- This was part of the Kids WB block and aired on the CW as well. What I liked about it- The plots were good and worked. What I didn’t like about it- It didn’t have as much educational value in it that it should have. More thoughts on it- I liked this show a lot and still do, actually. Current fate- There are rumors that this might come back for a new season soon. Not much else can be said about the show’s fate. DVD suggestion- Select episodes are on DVD. If there were complete box sets, it would be worth it. Grade: A-.

Bones: Show history- While no longer on the air, this is the longest running of all of FOX’s primetime shows. What’s it about- Based on real cases, a woman and others in a team of crime solvers look for what to do with crimes often involving just the bone remains of dead bodies. Why I’ve seen it- I had an interest in the show for reasons that I don’t remember anymore. My viewing habits- While I wasn’t into this originally, I did care about this as it later went on throughout its run and I stuck with it until it ended. Where it aired- This was a FOX network show. What I liked about it- The plots were good most of the time. The lack of filter with the main character was fun to watch. The show would point out different ways of living in what was often not mean in any way. What I didn’t like about it- Some of the plot points were immoral and didn’t work like it should. More thoughts on it- I liked it as a show and feel that it did a lot of good entertainment. Current fate- It ended after a long run. DVD suggestion- I would suggest this, just know that it is quite a commitment. Grade: B+.

Flight 29 Down: Show history- This aired for around two seasons on Discovery Kids. What’s it about- A group of kids were on an expedition when their flight crashes on an island and they have to survive on their own. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it and it was on. My viewing habits- I saw what aired of this on NBC when they had their link to the Discovery Kids channel on Saturday mornings. I never saw how it ended. Where it aired- This was largely on Discovery Kids. What I liked about it- The plot seemed like it was believable and could happen in real life. What I didn’t like about it- Some of the format was strange and didn’t work that well. More thoughts on it- There’s not much else to say about it. Current fate- This ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- All of this show is on DVD. I would recommend it if you want a good form of entertainment. Grade: B.

Cash Cab: Show history- This aired for a while on cable. What’s it about- Contestants get a ride in a cab where they solve questions on their journey to their next destination. If they answer wrong, they have to leave the cab where it is. Why I’ve seen it- I was wanting to see what all was on TV at the time and this was on. My viewing habits- I might have only seen this once. Where it aired- I don’t remember which network this was on. What I liked about it- The show was fair and worked. What I didn’t like about it- Parts seemed strange and like it didn’t work as well. More thoughts on it- I could give this a better review if I’ve seen more of it or seen it more recently. Current fate- It ended a while ago, I’m pretty sure. DVD suggestion- There are no DVDs. It might be worth it if there are, but I’m not sure that I would spend money on it. Grade: B-.

Krypto the Superdog: Show history- This aired for maybe a few seasons. What’s it about- We see the adventures of Superman’s dog as he works with other super powered dogs against various villains. Why I’ve seen it- At the time, I watched whatever kid shows I could. My viewing habits- I watched a lot of this, but don’t think that I saw all of it. Where it aired- This was part of the Kids WB block. What I liked about it- We got to see good stories from this show. What I didn’t like about it- Part of the changes that they made with the villains were bad. I don’t recall there being as good stories with educational value than it should be. More thoughts on it- There’s not much else to say. Current fate- This ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- Select episodes are on DVD, but complete box sets are not. Thus, I do not know what would be a good suggestion if you can’t get the whole show. Grade: B.

Loonatics Unleashed: Show history- This aired for two seasons. What’s it about- Set in the future, we see Looney Toons inspired characters with super powers fighting other powered villains. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it. My viewing habits- I think that I saw all of it or close to it. Where it aired- This was part of the Kids WB block. What I liked about it- I liked the updated version of these characters and we saw different adventures unlike what we’d normally see. What I didn’t like about it- Parts of it didn’t work as well and many didn’t like what was done with these characters. More thoughts on it- This show is considered an example of what shouldn’t be done again. Current fate- This show is over now. DVD suggestion- All of this is on DVD and I would suggest it is worth it, despite the negative reception that the show had. Grade: B.

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody: Show history- This aired for a while on Disney channel. I think that it might have been their longer running shows for a while. What’s it about- Twins live in a hotel and we see adventures of them and others who live in the hotel. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested enough in it to give it a chance. My viewing habits- I saw more or less all of what aired on ABC, but not much else that didn’t air beyond that. Where it aired- This was on Disney channel and repeats aired on ABC. What I liked about it- The plots normally worked. What I didn’t like about it- It didn’t always make sense and was not always believable. More thoughts on it- This continued in the form of a spin-off before it ended later. Current fate- This ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- There aren’t DVDs of this yet. If there were, it might be worth it. Grade: B-.

Trollz: Show history- This aired for maybe around one season. What’s it about- A group of five girls use magical powers for various reasons in everyday life. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it so I gave it a chance. I’m often into the magical girls genre anyways. My viewing habits- I don’t know if I saw all of this or not. But I saw nearly all of it if I didn’t see all of it. Where it aired- This was part of what CBS aired on TV on Saturdays. What I liked about it- The plot worked and episodes were good most of the time. What I didn’t like about it- Like other female leaning shows, it ran the risk of making men out to be the villains a bit too much. It didn’t always teach you lessons like it was supposed to. More thoughts on it- With this being part of the trolls toy franchise, it is likely to endure in some way. Current fate- This ended quite some time ago. DVD suggestion- There are no DVDs. If there were, it might be worth getting, even if there are others that are potentially better. Grade: B-.

Time Warp Trio: Show history- This aired for a bit on Discovery Kids. What’s it about- A group of three boys and their three great granddaughters from 2105 travel through time through a magic book and they have various misadventures through history. Why I’ve seen it- I had read a few of the books this was based off of and am generally into the whole time travel concept. My viewing habits- I have not seen all of this, but have seen most of this, I’m pretty sure. Where it aired- While the main show was part of the Discovery Kids block, I saw it when it aired on NBC on Saturday mornings. What I liked about it- We learned a lot about history through this show even if not all of it was entirely accurate. What I didn’t like about it- I don’t think that all of it was wrapped up in the end. A lot of it was hard to believe. A lot of changes were made from the books. More thoughts on it- I liked this show a lot and still do. What else can I say? Current fate- It ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- There are no DVDs. If there were, it might be worth getting. Grade: B+.

My Name is Earl: Show history- This aired for four seasons. What’s it about- A man seeks to undo all of the bad things he’s done in his life by writing a list of all the people he’s done wrong based on the concept of karma. Why I’ve seen it- Others in my family liked it so I watched it at some points as well. My viewing habits- I only saw this in syndication after it had finished airing. I never saw how it ended. Where it aired- This was on the NBC network. What I liked about it- It made sense why someone would do this and the show was largely funny like it is supposed to be. What I didn’t like about it- Too much of it seemed to rely on stereotypes. More thoughts on it- This is infamous for having a cliffhanger ending. Current fate- This ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- I have no idea what to put here. Grade: C+.

The War at Home: Show history- This aired for two seasons. What’s it about- We see a family with all sorts of problems going on. Why I’ve seen it- I don’t know why I saw it but I feel that either nothing good was on or if there was, I watched this instead. My viewing habits- I don’t think that I saw every episode, but I saw this from episode one until its final episode. Where it aired- This was on the FOX network for both of its seasons. What I liked about it- It wasn’t entirely the same thing that we’d see on other shows. What I didn’t like about it- The characters were almost all horrible people and there was little good about this show. It had a cliffhanger ending. More thoughts on it- This is considered one of the worst shows on television. Current fate- It ended a while ago. DVD suggestion- Only the first season is on DVD. I wouldn’t get it as it isn’t worth your money. Grade: F.

The Zula Patrol: Show history- While this supposedly aired on PBS at one point, I knew it from it airing on NBC. What’s it about- A bunch of aliens investigate all sorts of things related to the solar system and other space related things. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it so I watched it. My viewing habits- I watched what I could see of it. Where it aired- This aired on PBS and NBC as part of its Qubo block. What I liked about it- It could help keep people informed about the planets and other stuff like it. What I didn’t like about it- Some of it was too simple and dumbed down. More thoughts on it- It seemed like it was good at educating people. Current fate- I don’t think that it airs anywhere anymore so I don’t know how one would see it. DVD suggestion- There are no DVDs. It might be worth it if there are. I would like to see them if there were. Grade: B.

Numb3rs: Show history- This lasted a good while on CBS. What’s it about- A mathematician helps with crime solving. Why I’ve seen it- I watched most shows on CBS at one point so I caught this once when I was interested enough to see it. My viewing habits- I only saw this once when it originally aired, but saw a lot of it in syndication. Where it aired- This was a CBS show. What I liked about it- The math parts of it worked well and made it different. What I didn’t like about it- It could seem too ordinary at times. More thoughts on it- Some thought that the math parts were added at the last minute. Current fate- It is over now and I don’t know if it airs anywhere anymore. DVD suggestion- I would recommend it if you want to get an interesting show like this. Grade: A.

Here we get to a transfer to specific season reviews. I’m going to review seasons that aired in 2005. Here are shows that I feel would work well based on what I’ve seen thus far. I would want to add more, but I do not have much memory of other seasons that I’d want to review.

Power Rangers: S.P.D.- Show history- This aired on Disney channel and I saw it based on what aired on ABC on Saturday mornings. What’s it about- Set in 2025, a team of rangers are earth’s defenses against evil aliens and other villains. Why I’ve seen it- I always watched Power Ranger seasons at the time. My viewing habits- I saw most of it when it aired, but not all of it. Where it aired- This was on the Disney channel and then ABC aired it later as well. What makes it different than other seasons- This was largely set on earth with some travel to other locations. It was entirely set in the future. What I liked about it- The show seemed to have all the usual parts that we’d expect from liking about Power Rangers. What I didn’t like about it- The show seemed dull at times. The seventh ranger aspect was largely bungled and not done right. More thoughts on it- I don’t think that I liked it much compared to other seasons that I have seen. Where it ranks among other seasons- From the first season to RPM where I largely was not able to see it anymore, this is what I have ranked lowest. DVD suggestion- If you want to get all of the seasons of Power Rangers, then you should get this. Otherwise, you should pass on it. Grade: C-.

Survivor: Palau- Show history- This was the tenth season of Survivor. What’s it about- A group of twenty new players compete for one million dollars. Why I’ve seen it- I watch all seasons of Survivor and this one was no exception. My viewing habits- I have seen all of this season, but missed part of it when it had first aired. Where it aired- This was on CBS. What makes it different than other seasons- This season had no merge like every other season did. There were other differences as well. What I liked about it- I think that this is one of the best seasons due to various heroic stories, even those that ended badly. What I didn’t like about it- The fact that two players couldn’t get to play was one of the worst twists that they ever did in the game. It seemed unfairly marginalized against one tribe. More thoughts on it- I have this on DVD and blogged about it for a different blog. Where it ranks among other seasons- This is one of the best seasons in my mind. I rank this second best out of all of them. DVD suggestion- I would suggest that one get this. Grade: A.

Survivor: Guatemala- Show history- This was the eleventh season of Survivor. What’s it about- A group of sixteen new players and two returning players compete to win a million dollars. Why I’ve seen it- I see all Survivor seasons when I can. My viewing habits- I don’t know if I saw all of this when it first aired or not. Where it aired- This was on CBS. What makes it different than other seasons- This was the first one to have the one returnee per tribe format. What I liked about it- The show largely works still this time around. What I didn’t like about it- A lot of this season was bland for me. I hated how Stephenie’s old story was ruined here. The winner didn’t seem special to me. More thoughts on it- None of the players originally from this season have yet played again. Where it ranks among other seasons- I’d put this more towards the average side of seasons, maybe even towards the worse side. DVD suggestion- I would not recommend this unless you want all seasons. Grade: C-.