“The Friday TV Report” 10 from Sally Ember, Ed.D., and her mom
Every few weeks for 2015-2016, or when there are new shows or returning shows’ first episodes, I (Sally) plan to update this with our opinions. Check on Fridays! This is the tenth post, for five weeks ending 4/8/16.
BACKGROUND
My mom, 83, and I (61) are probably not the “target demographic” for almost any show on television or any movie being produced currently. We live in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, USA (Midwest, for those of you unfamiliar: think of that huge “Gateway Arch”? That’s here). I grew up here but then didn’t live here for 42 years; I’ve been back for about one year, now. We were both raised Jewish, but I have been a meditator since 1972 and a practicing Buddhist since 1996. We are both Caucasian women-born-women. We are considered “middle class” although we have almost zero dollars of “disposable income.” My mom is hetero; I am bisexual. We are both partly disabled. I am highly educated (doctoral degree plus other training); my mom has extensive work-experience, with a high school diploma.
My mom has been a TV watcher for over 60 years. I watched a lot as a kid, but from about 1972 – 2002, I didn’t have a TV and hardly watched it elsewhere, either. I usually didn’t have a TV between 2005 – 2014 as well, but I watched some shows online (Hulu, usually) or Netflix.
We think we should be part of a group that at least some producers are aiming to please, because we (especially Mom) now watch a lot of television. We also get movies regularly from DVD borrowing through our local library. We even occasionally go to a theatre to see a movie. We eagerly await the “new season” of television every one of the four times it seems to occur every year: “Fall Sweeps” happen, but so do Mid-season Sweeps, Mid-year New Seasons, and channels with an entirely different set of “seasons.”
AND, UPDATE: We (in late 2015) started to have Netflix!
However, we are consistently disappointed that many shows we do like are cancelled and some shows we despise seem to go on forever.
Again in February – March, 2016, I/we continue through the year with this Report.
image from http://www.tophdgallery.com
We don’t watch: most “sit-coms,” any zombies or vampires, reality shows (except one on BBC), extremely violent shows, premium channels (HBO, Showtime, Starz), “teen” shows.
Fall TV + Netflix, 2015 – Winter/Spring, 2016
Our planned evening viewing line-up for shows (updated frequently) is as follows, sort of in calendar order, BUT, those I’ve already reviewed get “bumped” to the bottom of this post.
Scroll down if you don’t see a show “on top” that you want to read my review of.
NOTE: Our viewing “schedule” includes a lot of recording-and-watching-later, due to simultaneous broadcasts and my early bedtime.
**usually only Mom watches
*usually only I watch
NEW SHOWS
Weeks ending 4/8/16
**Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders 3-16-16
*Heartbeats mid-March
The Catch 3/24/16
Game of Silence April 12 “sneak preview,” then April 14
The Tony Awards (CBS special, 6-5-16)
NETFLIX Premier dates for 2016 (some are not new shows, but they’re new to us):
[We don’t know anything about these show, below, but may check some out.]
Flaked – March 11
The Ranch – April 1
Lost & Found Music Studios – April 1
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – April 15
Kong: King of the Apes – April 15
Marseille – May 5
Word Party – June 3
Stranger Things – July 15
The Get Down – August 12
NEW, AS YET TO BE SCHEDULED on TV
None we care about at this time (March-April, 2016).
RETURNING SHOWS (tried and liked, up until now… Won’t comment on them all, but a few are worth mentioning.)
*The Americans late March, 2016
I like this show, but the content is quite disturbing, for sure. The morality, ethics, honesty and deception issues are quite seriously depicted, there is a lot of violence (which I don’t like), and people are very screwed up, on all sides. Multiple complexities and grey areas are not shied away from, and they include many key events/issues from the USA’s 1980s: bravo to the writers, actors, director, fact-checkers/researchers!
I hate to read subtitles, but having the Russians speak Russian adds verisimilitude, for sure.
Both Matt Rhys (Phillip) and Keri Russell (Elizabeth) give nuanced, fascinating performances, especially when interacting with their now-“read-in” daughter, adolescent Paige (played admirably by Holly Taylor) and Alison Wright as Phillip’s “other” wife.
Remarkable performances also by the great Frank Langella, with key moments played by Callie Thorne, Noah Emmerich, Annet Mahendru, Lev Gorn and brief appearances by Dylan Baker (will he be back?) and Richard Thomas and Costa Ronin (who each did a lot last season) make this a show well-worth watching.
Cringing, but keeping
*Mr. Selfridge late March, 2016
*Orphan Black April 14
Person of Interest May 3, for its last season
AS YET TO BE SCHEDULED, Returning
*Halt & Catch Fire TBD
From Previous Weeks’ New Shows Reports
Agent X
Jeff Hephner, John Shea, Sharon Stone, Carolyn Stotesbery, Gerald McRaney in the cast with Executive Producers Armyan Bernstein and Nathan Fillion (yes, of Castle, Firefly and Dr. Horrible): what could go wrong?
Watched the pilot this week, when it aired. Interesting premises and glad to see a good role going to Sharon Stone.
Could do without seeing so much of Gerald McRaney (why do people like him? He’s so stiff; also, always the same character and very much overused.).
Jeff Hephner is good in his role, as it goes, but the show and its music, moves, storylines and villains are very comic-book-y—two-dimensional—using many “inside jokes” and tropes from James Bond, Mission Impossible, and various spy TV and film shows from the past.
Writing seems lazy and trying too hard, both; not amusing enough to be “camp.”
image from http://www.zimbio.com
It’s sometimes fun and not entirely boring, but, again, too much kick-boxing/fighting/chase scenes and not enough story or character development.
All we know about the main character is that he is Agent X. So?
All we know about the Vice-President is that she lost her husband in a car accident somewhat recently and is the first woman to have this elected office. So?
John Shea as President is wasted and almost absent in Episode 1, but he was the VP before Stone. Thought he might be useful, then they tell us that he’s not allowed to talk to Stone about her job at all. Huh? So, why is he even in the show?
Giving it a C- grade but will try a few more Episodes before deciding.
Keeping, for now. UPDATE in January: CANCELLED. Not surprised.
Live at Lincoln Center: Act One (PBS special, 11/13/15): The life of Moss Hart
Watched the first hour of this and were mostly disappointed.
Since they kept advertising/listing this as having Audra MacDonald in it, we thought this was a musical. It’s not and she is (so far, anyway) nowhere to be seen or heard).
They use the same actors for multiple roles, which we found confusing (maybe it works better in a live theatre where most of the audience is too far away to notice!).
Very poorly directed: most of the actors are overacting to the degree that it’s annoying to listen to them. Their accents are so fake and their speech patterns so overdone and arch we can barely stand to watch a scene unfold.
I don’t know under what circumstances we would be moved to watch the rest. I kind of doubt it. We have 37 Wheel of Fortunes we have recorded and not yet watched that seem more interesting.
Probably won’t finish.
*Chicago Med
Unfortunately, this show seems to have been written by the same writers who ruined Code Black and many other medical shows. They need to study with the writers on House, Grey’s Anatomy, ER, Night Shift and other successful medical shows that focus more on the doctors and nurses than the medical/disaster cases. WRITERS: There is no “storyline” when all the show offers are various emergencies every few minutes with death always hovering but no content, barely any characters and almost no continuity between shows.
Nice to see S. Epatha Merkerson and Oliver Platt, but so far, they’re not doing much.
My mom watches all the other Chicago shows and likes to see the others’ characters dropping in to this ER. I couldn’t care less.
Going from crisis to crisis is actually not interesting. It’s like watching car chases. BORING.
OFF MY LIST, but my mom will probably continue.
Supergirl
So, we have Melissa Benoist from Glee, Jeremy Jordan from Smash, Calista Flockhart from Ally McBeal and Brothers and Sisters, Laura Benanti from Nashville, and who knows who else on this show who can SING: when do they, please?
Delightful, except TOO MUCH PHYSICAL FIGHTING. Again. Sigh.
image from http://smj12.com
Wishes for singing aside, my mom and I both liked the pilot enough to keep watching, but there was TOO MUCH FIGHTING. That is SO BORING (thank goodness for fast-forward), even though we liked seeing Owain Yeoman from The Mentalist out of his “good-guy” guise and all villained out.
How adorable to have Dean Cain, who played Clark Kent/Superman on Lois & Clark, as Supergirl’s adoptive father. Also totally fun to see an African-American Jimmy (James) Olsen, played superbly by Mehcad Brooks, whom we liked a lot in a very different role on Necessary Roughness.
UPDATE after Episode 3: The writers seem to think this character should act about 15 years old: she whines, she’s unnecessarily jealous of and competitive with Superman, she’s ungrateful and rude to her sister and co-workers who try to help her, and she’s ridiculously obsequious to the two-dimensional boss played by Flockhart (very poorly, I might add, but it’s written badly; it’s not all her fault). Getting boring and disappointing, both. Might not keep watching.
Keeping, maybe
*Wicked City
Ed Westick (known to me from Gossip Girl), plays the bad guy on this show and also a complicated, screwed up kid/young adult on GG very well. He creeps me out easily, but that is not the reason I watch TV.
I guess I should have researched this better because after the first 5 minutes, I shut it off, erased the recording and the entire series from our DVR. Not interested in gratuitous violence against women or unloving sex acts in cars.
GONE FOREVER and good riddance. UPDATE: I guess many agree. CANCELLED after 3 Episodes
The Great British Bake Off
It’s on again with new contestants and it’s excellent! This is only reality show we watch because the baking concoctions and watching the bakers create them are fascinating, always unusual and new to us, informationally. Many funny moments, but not at any baker’s expense, usually, which we like.
Plus, none of the competitors is actually a professional baker: a student; one makes satellites; a retired teacher; one also paints. So interesting that these individuals chose to compete in this way.
RECOMMENDED HIGHLY. Wish we could taste the entries!
**The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
I am not a fan of this format, regardless of who is doing the hosting. I was a huge fan of The Colbert Report, so I gave his new show a try…several tries.
I do not like this show much, and probably won’t watch most episodes.
Mom is becoming a faithful viewer. She likes The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as well.
image from http://www.greenvilleonline.com
UPDATE in November: Watched a few more Episodes and getting to see Colbert put more of his own spin on the news and current events is a great relief. Still don’t like the show or its format, much, but he’s putting more of his own ideas into it, now, so when he has a guest I might like, I do watch some of it. The musical guests seem to be catering to the under 40 age group (my mom and I never heard of most of them), but we just fast-forward through those parts.
Watching some.
Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris
We didn’t really know what this show was about, but we both adore Neil Patrick Harris from his awards-shows’ hosting (but neither of us watched How I Met Your Mother). We couldn’t even get through the intros because we thought this show’s premise and tone were so bad.
Removed this from our recording list. DO NOT LIKE. CANCELLED
*Life in Pieces
I appreciated the cast (especially Colin Hanks, James Brolin, Dianne Weist) and a few of the jokes, but if the pilot episode is supposedly the best of the best and it’s all downhill from here, this show won’t last 4 Episodes. I probably won’t watch again. It just was not that interesting.
Side note: more than a few many sexual references and anatomically correct labels were applied to genitalia (and not applied) in fewer than 23 minutes. How necessary was that?
Removed this from our recording list.NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Blindspot
Very unnecessary gratuitous violence and nudity in the opening scenes: trigger warnings for sexual and child-abuse violence as well. I say “unnecessary” because the opening scene for getting a message to the FBI Agent could have happened ANYWHERE. He didn’t even have to be on duty to get a message, right? So, right away, my mom and I are not liking this show’s choices.
Second, it’s unnecessarily confusing, which seems to be what passes for art and mystery these days in both TV and film scripts. Guess what, writers and directors: making the scene so dark the audience can’t see what’s going on, making the audio so muddy no one can understand what’s being said or overlaying the music so loudly the dialogue gets lost is not “cinema verite.” It’s “cinema awful.”
Third: how about dispensing all together with the growing popularity of conveying important information to the audience by attempting to put a text message to a character on screen? Between the terribly small text sizes, poor resolution on the cell phones’ screens and bad camera angles, WE CAN’T READ THE MESSAGES! Duh!
Fourth, the story for this pilot was also extremely cliched and not very interesting, except for the sub-plot (which should have been the main plot, given the hype for this show) regarding the identity of this amnesiac protagonist. We find her interesting. The crimes she’s supposed to help solve: not so much.
UPDATE in November: We’ve been watching weekly. It’s somewhat interesting but also quite absurd and getting more so by the week.
We probably plan to keep watching, but we bet we won’t like it much and we also bet it’s cancelled soon.
Minority Report
We both saw the original film that this TV series’ story is supposedly continuing, but if you haven’t, go read about it. Otherwise, you will be hopelessly confused.
The storyline of this show is suspiciously like The Listener, The Mentalist, Forever, and so many other crime dramas in which the crime-solvers get to collaborate (inadvertently and/or reluctantly, to start) with a non-law-enforcement character who has special “powers” or access to information, like in The Blacklist. Blindspot is actually in this “plot family” as well. We usually like those types of shows, but now that there have been so many, what new twists can there actually be?
Complaint: why, in this fascinating look into a not-so-distant future, are the tech aspects all new-ish but the crimes are not? Why is advertising so annoying and pervasive? Can’t ayone envision anything about a future that isn’t awful?
We’ll probably keep watching, but we also bet this one is cancelled. UPDATE: it is CANCELLED after 10 Episodes.
Rosewood
Refreshingly NOT CAUCASIAN, not all heterosexual (but not “camp,” either), not too serious version of “non-cop with special abilities working with police” dramedy.
Strange casting for Anthony Michael Hall as a grumpy detective, but great to see him, again. Liked Lorraine Toussaint in her somewhat minor but obviously recurring role. Liked the main character and his sister’s banter a lot.
Definitely keeping this one.
The Player
There is not one likable character still alive after the Pilot show ends. Spoiler: that character dies in the first 10 minutes, anyway. The premise is awful, the characters are worse. If you’re into high-tech and rich-people conspiracy fantasies along with a lot of violence, chases and meaningless macho posturing, you’ll love this show.
We liked seeing Wesley Snipes, until we saw what he was being/doing.
HATED IT. Off our list AND CANCELLED after 9 Episodes.
Quantico RETURNS 3/6/16
My mom and I liked Quantico for the first half or so. Then, it devolved, as so many do, into chases and violence and not much (else?) to commend it.
The premise was supposed to be that this is a show about a new cohort of recruits at the FBI federal training academy (Quantico) in the USA. Why didn’t they stick with that? Why did they think they needed a terrorist bombing/ “moles”/ multiple deceptions-based plot?
We know it’s an FBI show and we did expect some of the above. But, really, when more than a few minutes of every show is devoted to pursuit chases and macho posturing/inappropriate blame and shaming, we look at each other and say: “Not enough plot, eh?”
UPDATE in November: going back in forth in time from the cadets to the present is a good idea but not done well at all. Relying too much on different hairdos for the female characters and who’s having sex with whom to anchor the timeline (who cares?). Still watching, but not sure why.
We’ll probably watch one or two more episodes, but we bet it’s cancelled.
*Heroes Reborn
Dear Mr. Kring:
What happened to you? Heroes was somewhat vile and bloody (who can forget what a despicable character Zachary Quinto portrayed? So glad he redeemed himself by playing a young Spock in Star Trek films right after that), but at least it had interesting characters, a set of authentic storylines and more than a few minutes in each episode free of violence.
You are a very disturbed person. From the last few shows I’ve watched that you produced and created, I conclude that you unfortunately seem to enjoy a lot of violence, perhaps because you endured bullying yourself, and generally appear to view humans from a dark and deadly perspective. This newest show is the worst (or best) example of your dysfunctions to date.
I thought I could stomach it because I like the “Evos” premise; people with special powers are an interest of mine. But, I cannot.
I watched the entire two-hour blood-fest with increasing boredom mixed with disgust. Is it really necessary to kill people every five minutes or so for an entire two hours in order to generate “excitement”?
Try having a comprehensible story line that doesn’t include putting humans into video games. That segment is a 1980’s snoozefest. Ever heard of Tron?
I feel very sorry for you and everyone close to you. Get some therapy.
OFF MY LIST. WILL NOT WATCH. CANCELLED
Blood and Oil
We couldn’t even finish watching the pilot episode of this, it was that bad. Boring, predictable, with stock characters and situations, too much violence and not enough of anyone or anything we could possibly care about, except the great scenery.
Huge waste of Chace Crawford, Don Johnson, and Scott Michael Foster (these are the ones we recognized) and all the other cast and crew. In fact, why is Scott Michael Foster playing almost exactly the same role he already played (and was killed off in, apparently to take this role) in Chasing Life? At least in that plot his character had a somewhat legitimate excuse for acting like a spoiled, selfish, drunken lout of an heir to the fortune and political status of his father: brain tumor.
What is this character’s excuse on Blood & Oil? Terminal boredom?
We can relate to that. I actually went back to finish the episode on my own: totally not worthwhile.
Off our list for good AND CANCELLED after 10 Episodes.
**The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
We turned this on with great trepidation, having both been big fans of Jon Stewart‘s show and of him and having already been disappointed at Stephen Colbert‘s new show, but we were very pleasantly surprised by the opener. The same great writing, an endearing host in Trevor, and the same tropes, music, and stories we have come to like and appreciate from The Daily Show were all there.
Neither of us is a fan of Kevin Hart and we couldn’t understand how he rated the honor of being the first guest, but otherwise, good show and we’re hooked.
Plan to keep this one.
The Grinder
Kind of sweet, very silly and improbable. Good cast, acceptable writing.
May continue watching just for seeing Rob Lowe‘s and Fred Savage‘s characters as unlikely siblings (who supposedly wear the same size suits???), sons of William DeVane’s character.
My mom doesn’t usually watch sit coms, but she is going to watch the pilot to see if she can stand it.
Verdict: not worth our time, after 2 Episodes.
Unwatchable
**The Muppets
My mom watched a few minutes of the first show and said: “NOPE.”
Off her list. Never on mine.
*Code Black
This show was so bad I had to fast-forward through most of it. Whose idea is it to have such detailed procedural medical dramas with almost no cast/character information and almost no dialogue except for “pass the scalpel” type announcements? I guess if I had known what “Code Black” meant before watching it, I could have saved myself the trouble (BTW: it means that the ER is overloaded and always in crisis mode).
There was literally no one I could care about in this entire episode.
Even Marcia Gay Harden can’t save this bomb. Too bad Kevin Dunn also had almost nothing to say or do, either.
I also spent the entire show thinking that Bonnie Sommerville was Kellie Martin. LOL
OFF MY LIST
*Grandfathered
This was so horrible I could only watch about 15 minutes.
OFF MY LIST
*Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Not sure about this.
Love that it’s a musical-comedy/magical realism. The “This is the Sexy Getting-Ready Song” was hilarious and on-the-mark.
Very talented, feminist-oriented writers and cast, but the original premise (Rebecca Bunch [how is this a “Jewish” family name?], a mid-twenties attorney, played by Rachel Bloom, is so personally unhappy that she has a kind of mental breakdown, leaving her lucrative junior partnership offer to “follow” her summer camp boyfriend,Josh, played by Vincent Rodriguez III—the one who unceremoniously dumped her as they’re leaving camp to go home—to California after running into him for five minutes in NYC) is very dicey and not appealing to me.
“West Covina” song’s opening bars rip off “Dulcinea” from Man of La Mancha, BTW.
Can imagine this obsessive-stalkerish girlfriend story (ironically sexist, since if the genders were reversed, not sure anyone would find it “funny”) is quite appealing to a younger crowd.
Best surprise is Paula, played by Donna Lynn Champlin: great voice and excellent acting, almost succeeding in making a completely silly character believable.
Worst is Darryl (Rebecca’s new boss, played horribly by Pete Gardner and written even worse). Guest what, writers? Anti-Semitic ignorance isn’t funny.
Santino Fontana is wasted as the bartender who immediately gets exploited by Rebecca to aid in her stalking Josh. At least the writers don’t make him a total ass; he doesn’t take sexual advantage of her.
It’s kind of fun, but it’s also completely unrealistic and inane, plot- and topic-wise, and more than vaguely insulting to Jews, Chinese, women, the mentally ill and many other groups, and that’s just Episode 1.
This isn’t Glee, not by a long shot. But, could be better if the writing improves.
STOPPED watching after one Episode
The Wiz (NBC special, 12-3-15)
DID NOT FINISH
Watched up through the odd insertion of an additional witch, played by Glee‘s Amber Riley as Addapearle. Amazing voice, as always, but why does this character exist? Why is she dressed like she’s ran away from Alice in Wonderland?
Shanice Williams as Dorothy was fine, but we missed the excellence of an “Over the Rainbow” song in the first half hour; this show’s music just isn’t that good. Not her fault; she has an excellent voice.
It was fun, knowing the history of this show, to watch/listen to Stephanie Mills, it’s original Broadway Dorothy, playing Aunt Em. She’s still great.
My mom and I weren’t entertained enough to keep watching, however. Once Dorothy left Munchkinland (and why were the “munchkins” so large???), we left Oz all together. Too bad.
Dolly Parton‘s Coat of Many Colors (NBC special, 12-10-15)
Aside from being an incredibly “white-washed” version of anyone’s life (what can you do in 2 hours, even if you focus on only about one year?), this was an entertaining, touching view into the life of a mega-talent. The young girl (Alyvia Alyn Lind) who played Dolly as a child was amazing: she was quite well-directed and followed instructions excellently, but also, she played the part in a very realistic and talented manner, showing us what Dolly must have been like at that age.
Jennifer Nettles as her mother and Ricky Shroeder as her father were well-cast, with the annoyingly ever-present Gerald McRaney (does Hollywood really have no other actors in this age range and type to cast?) as her grandfather doing a passable job in a somewhat two-dimensional role as the local protestant (Baptist?) preacher.
Our major complaints: not nearly enough singing and far too heavy on the Christianity elements.
Probably worth watching if you’re a fan or grew up in this type of environment. Otherwise, give it a pass.
Childhood’s End 12-14-15 SyFy
My mom and I watched all 6 hours of this, over several days, one hour at a time (as it is probably meant to be viewed in the future).
First, we HATE the format of having previews before each segment (after every commercial). Why does the SyFy channel do this? We always fast-forward through them, but sometimes they catch us unawares and we accidentally watch some: VERY CONFUSING and unnecessary.
Second, we HATED most of the background music: why use the horribly, fake-operatic Christian-Latin chorus so often? YUCK! Also, why did they choose to use so many old songs (pre-1990) to set moods? Does the “future Earth” not have any new music?
The story, an Arthur C. Clarke classic, was one I had read so long ago that I remembered very little of it. My mom didn’t know a thing about it and I did not tell her anything as we watched or before, which was good because this was not completely faithful to the original.
“Updating” sci-fi stories or movies is controversial, I know, but this one really didn’t suffer from that so much. Putting it in “now” was probably just easier for the producers and set designers, so, fine.
What else we objected to was how deliberately confusing it was as edited, jumping around among unnamed characters, not placing any of them in time or location frequently enough to keep track, with no explanations as to the reasons these characters was each being depicted or how they connected until well into each segment. Why? Clarke’s story wasn’t like that.
Additionally, there were many opportunities to show more about the ways the main character, Ricky Stormgren, played very well by Under the Dome‘s Mike Vogel, was feeling and responding to his having been chosen to be and his serving as Earth’s liaison, but these were mostly ignored/missed.
Daisy Betts played his long-suffering and seemingly trivially jealous betrothed (about to become and then does become his second wife, Ellie) very well, but, again, why weren’t the aspects of their relationship shown more as they were impacted by Ricky’s role?
Furthermore, Ricky’s first wife was idealized purposefully, but again, working right along with classic stereotyping to cast her with the blonde and beautiful Georgina Haig. Trite.
Charles Dance was excellent as the semi-deified/demonized Karellen (how did they make his so tall?). Why, though, do so many USA science-fiction films/TV shows cast British-sounding actors in mega roles, often playing god-like characters? Do USA filmmakers really believe that deities have to sound like upper-class British folks to sound important?
Finally, it seemed an unfortunate and strange choice to give so little time to the key elements that provided the story with both its title and its theme: so little was explained about all that.
We were left confused and disappointed by the final two Episodes.
Too much time was given to the traveling through space and showing the effects of that on Milo, played a bit heavy-handedly by Osy Ikhile. Why not have more of his experiences allow the viewers to understand Earth’s situation better?
The “Overmind” special effects made it very difficult to hear what was being said and it was disappointingly depicted as well.
Overall, we gave it a C- grade. Worth watching if you’re a fan. Otherwise, skip it.
The Expanse 12-14-15 SyFy
I wanted to like this, but turned it off after about 10 minutes of the most boring introduction to a science-fiction TV show EVER.
Maybe I’m not the target demographic (you think?), but who wants to watch someone in anti-gravity for more than one minute with no dialogue? The rest, once people appeared who could talk, was too dark and still boring.
Off my list.
Kennedy Center Honors (CBS special, 12-29-15)
The Eagles, Carole King, George Lucas, Rita Moreno, Seiji Ozawa and Cicely Tyson
This was AMAZING! The Eagles couldn’t be on due to Glenn Frey’s illness, but a version of Desperado was sung to honor him and the others got more air time, which was AWESOME!
Every montage for each honoree was stellar: informative, moving, funny, entertaining. The musical numbers staged for each were also fabulous, but, of course, Aretha BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE! Best show-stopped EVER!
If you get to see this, DO! My mom and I were moved several times to TEARS!
Fabulous!
*Superstore 1/4/16
Watched about ten minutes of this and turned it off. Disappointment. America Ferrera is usually in things that are so much better than this!
Off my list.
Shades of Blue 1-7-16
We watched the entire first Episode (under duress, just so I could do this review), and it was HORRIBLE. What is more discouraging, disappointing, depressing and downright NOT NECESSARY than a show in which there are NO “good guys”? Yet another Hollywood police drama, this time with corrupt, delusional and/or weak police and even meaner-than-usual versions of these stock characters, including some in the FBI and some “low-lifes.”
Why, J-Lo? Why, Ray Liotta? Why, Drea de Matteo?
Only nice part: the young woman who plays Jennifer Lopez’s teenage daughter, Cristina, Sarah Jeffery, is well-cast. So what?
BTW: How is
Warren Kole
NOT the brother of the Graceland actor, Aaron Kyle Tviet?
OFF OUR LIST
PBS Special Telecast, 1/8/16: “A Celebration of American Creativity: In Performance at the White House, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities” 50th Anniversary https://www.arts.gov/news/2016/white-house-honors-nea-50th-anniversary-televised-music-special#sthash.wvZGLewy.dpuf
Amazing, wonderful, African-American-centric line-up of singers, performers and musicians, with a few readings by Carol Burnett and one sweet duet by James Taylor and Keb’ Mo’, also including Queen Latifah, Esperanza Spalding, Buddy Guy, MC Lyte, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, Trombone Shorty and Usher
So fun, so moving, so worthwhile.
Watch this!
Colony 1-14-16
We were very confused and a bit impatient with the way this series’ pilot throws viewers into the middle of an alternate Earth near-future without sufficient explanations. However, we kept watching and did enjoy the pilot, despite our bewilderment.
We liked seeing Josh Holloway, since we liked him so much in the all-too-soon-cancelled Intelligence, and Amanda Righetti, from The Mentalist, which we loved.
But, we never watched Lost, The Walking Dead or Hercules, so the others are new to us, except for Peter Jacobsen, from House and Madam Secretary, and Paul Guilfoyle, from CSI.
Luckily, I had taped the “Colony: Behind the Wall” show, which we watched after we saw the pilot. That was excellent, because it explained a LOT. We also got to see how and why they established some of the special effects and sets for this series. We are now looking forward to seeing the subsequent episodes.
Without giving away too much. we appreciated the parallels the producers/creators are deliberately creating between Nazi-occupied Paris and a hypothetically occupied Los Angeles, asking us all (and all the characters are also asking themselves and each other): what would you do? Would you be a collaborator or a resister? Are you a pragmatist/selfish/greedy “winner,” or are you trying to keep going with “normal” life while wresting control from the occupiers and collaborators as you do? What lengths would you go to and what risks would you be willing to take under these circumstances?
Excellent questions and cool concepts.
You can to the series’ website and choose your side and see what you get into there! http://www.colonytv.com/
Keeping this one.
*Angel from Hell 1-7-16
I saw commercials for this and decided to forego it, despite liking Maggie Lawson from Psych and Jane Lynch from Glee and many films. The premise is so insipid and over-done. Saw Lynch on Colbert‘s show: this boring interview confirmed my assumptions.
Life is too short.
Not watching. CANCELLED after 5 Episodes
Baskets 1-21-16
I also saw commercials for this and realized I would hate it. Very stupid; not my kind of humor or characters.
Not watching.
Shadowhunters 1-12-16 (ABC Family)
Very intriguing pilot and we also watched the “Making of Shadowhunters” afterwards, which we appreciated a lot. We are definitely going to keep watching this to find out what happens. Shadowhunters is an “American fantasy television series based on The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, and developed for television by Ed Decter.” Cassandra was in the “Making of…” and it was great to “meet” the author that way.
The plot and characters are a bit “familiar,” but we like it so far.
Fun to Harry Shum from Glee as a gay warlock. You go, Harry! Katherine McNamara as the lead, Clary, is excellent. A perfect combination of strong and confused in the pilot. The others are also strong and fun to watch: Dominic Sherwood, Alberto Rosende, Matthew Daddario
Keeping this one.
Second Chance 1-13-16 Fox
This is an awesome show! We really liked it, although having Tim McKay (White Collar) seemingly typecast as an FBI agent is funny. It’s smart, interesting, original and yet, familiar.Not super-violent (not yet, anyway), intriguing, somewhat funny.
My mom and I both liked the pilot.
Keeping this one.
Angie Tribeca 1-17-16
Didn’t know this was a sit-com like Brooklyn 999, only worse (I know; hard to believe anything could be worse). Watched about 3 minutes and ditched it.
Off our list.
*D.C.: Legends of Tomorrow 1-21-16
I watched the first Episode and was intrigued by the premise (never having read the comics), so even though I didn’t like it much, I watched this and part of the second, but then switched it off.
Way too much fighting and ridiculous scenarios, sexist costumes, awful ethnic and social class stereotypes, very difficult to hear/understand the dialogue, absurd premises and generally boring (to me).
OFF MY LIST
*The X-Files 1-24-16
I was a HUGE fan of the original and saw every Episode and all the films. HOWEVER, David Duchovny, since then, has made such a mess of his life and done such horrible other TV (Californication, e.g.) and film work that I was dreading his return to The X-Files. Gillian Anderson has been in some shows I watched in which she was very wooden or oddly cast (The Fall, Crisis) and became a co-author of some awful novels (don’t bother), so I wasn’t sure about her, either.
Watched all of Episodes 1 & 2. Watched “The Making of The X-Files.” Watched all of Episode 3, which was the worst of them by far.
With horror. With disgust. With disdain. THEY ARE HORRIBLE! The acting is terrible, the writing is worse, the directing is non-existent.
How can we “catch up” to these two characters after 15 or more years and find them UNCHANGED? Who doesn’t change in that amount of time? Mitch Pileggi, same thing: except for more grey hair, no changes discernable in his character, either. WHY?
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
They spent a LOT on special effects and costumes, so I guess that is where they want to focus, but I am beyond disappointed in Chris Carter and the entire production crew.
I can’t go on. I want to believe, but I just can’t.
Off my list.
*The Magicians (new to me, Season 2)
Don’t know how I missed this last year, but catching up, now, and liking it enough to keep going. Kind of trite, but interesting. Liking Anna Dudek in the headmistress role.
Keeping, for now
*You, Me and the End of the World/the Apocalypse
This is quirky, slow to start and hard to get into, much less like, but somehow, I do (so far; Episode 1 only). Funny to see Rob Lowe (again??), this time as a upper-level but renegade Vatican investigative Priest. The rest are new to me, except for Jenna Fischer
I want to keep watching the way we want to keep watching a speeding train on its way to disaster, if only to find out if they get off or not before it crashes….
Keeping, for now CANCELLED
GREASE! Live (FOX special, 1/31/16)
WHY do they cast 25+-year-old actors as high school students? Glee and many other shows/plays do this, and it DOES NOT WORK at all. It is fun to see the serious guy, Aaron Tveit (from Graceland), in his late ’50s costume, singing and dancing and posturing, but NO ONE thinks he’s 18. Please.
I saw the original cast show in 1973. Hard to beat that: Barry Bostwick as Danny, Carole Demas as Sandy, Adrienne Barbeau as Rizzo. Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey and the rest of the original writers and producers deserved a better re-make than this.
The choreography and costumes for the lead singer and others in the opening song were OFFENSIVE, not of the right time period, and AWFUL. Jessie J in a blonde wig? She was terrible.
We watched up through Summer Lovin’ and had to take a break. Not sure if we’ll return. Wish they had cast actual unknowns, of the right age. That would have been fun to see on TV, live.
Maybe won’t finish
*Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (2/8/16)
I loved Samantha Bee on The Daily Show and awaited her new individual show with great anticipation. I was not disappointed.
Bee was funny, insightful, appropriately outraged and very bold, extremely feminist and “in-your-face,” but since I agree with her POV, this all worked great, for me. I laughed out loud and sighed with relief at many of her “bits.”
Finally: a feminist’s POV delivered with wit and humor about this horrible election season! Yeah! And, more coming, I’m sure.
Definitely keeping!
American Masters: Mike Nichols (PBS special, 1-29-16)
Watched this a bit later than it aired, but it was so worthwhile! Highly recommended if you are a Baby Boomer who grew up watching and then continued to enjoy this amazing Director’s movies. You will be amazed at his accomplishments. I had no idea that Mike Nichols had directed so many of my most-remembered movies!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
*ADELE: Concert LIVE in London February
This live show is interspersed with interviews that Adele does with Graham Norton that are entertaining, informative, engaging and interesting. The live singing/show’s songs are excellent.
My favorite parts were the clips from the Adele Impersonation contest in London that Adele entered (in disguise!). After the set-up clip that only we saw, explaining Adele’s disguise (physical as well as conversational), they showed Adele and some impersonators talking backstage. So funny. We see snippets of a few contestants’ performances. The best clip was of the performance of the real Adele as the camera pans across the other contestants’ faces just as each realizes it is actually Adele they’re watching/listening to. Then, they cut to the live performance as the two of them are talking about all this and we see that some of those same contestants are in this audience. Priceless!
Very fun. Watch!
American Masters: Carole King (PBS special, 2-19-16)
We had the great luck to be able to see the musical based on Carole King’s life, Beautiful, when it was on tour and here in St. Louis on March 5, so we waited to view this show until after we had seen the musical.
I had listened to Carole King’s own reading (and singing/piano playing) in the audio book version of her autobiography, A Natural Woman: A Memoir: Carole King, in 2014.
We had also both watched King in her televised shows/ceremonies Kennedy Center Honors and the USA White House’s performances for the George Gershwin American Songbook Songwriter’s Prize (and the first woman to be so honored!) in 2014-2015, so we knew quite a bit about her and had seen her recently with many performing her songs in addition to her. You have to see Aretha Franklin‘s show-stopping finale at the Kennedy Center show! https://youtu.be/XHsnZT7Z2yQ
We also saw King‘s duo performance with Sara Bareilles for the Grammy’s in 2015, which was awesome (they did a mosh-up of “Beautiful” and “Brave,” which worked so well, each of them on a grand piano and singing! It ROCKED! Catch it on YouTube here: http://dai.ly/x2iica2
This special was WONDERFUL! Excellent interviews, fabulous clips or recent and much older performances and even some practice sessions in the same era as the musical! Very fun. What a talent!
Watch if you can!
RETURNING SHOWS Reviewed previously
Stitchers
The new season hasn’t started, yet (March, 2016), but my mom and I found Stitchers in the spring of 2015, late into the season, so we’re very glad we have the DVR set to record re-runs. ABC-Family is showing last season’s Episodes (some of them, anyway) in preparation for the mid-season return of this great show.
Because it’s on ABC-Family, all the violence is low-key and mostly off-camera (yeah!), while the characters and plot are much better than on “adult” stations.
Take a hint, “adult” stations: this is what TV should be like!
Keeping and excited to have it return with new Episodes in 2016, on its newly named BOOM station.
*Modern Family
Glad to see them all back and the kids keep growing up, don’t they? Still caught in a lot of stereotypes and quick characterizations, but how not to do that in 23 minutes of mostly one-liners? When Modern Family first aired, the “normalization” of the gay couple’s life and family interactions were ground-breaking. Now, with many shows’ having copied MF and the legalization of marriage equality in the USA and many other countries, where does this show go to be edgy?
It’s not sure.
Enjoying and keeping, but very much not a priority to watch.
Scorpion
Could be that this show, like so many, is becoming a bit too formulaic, a caricature of itself. This season’s opener had a few too many “Oh, one of the bizarre genius’ amazing ideas, number four, didn’t work, so we’re going to die” moments. It was good to see the lead from Forever (Alana De La Garza) showing up as a recurring character in this show, since Forever was unfortunately cancelled and she was great in that.
However, like Mysteries of Laura, why do writers believe that they have to introduce a class-A horrible person as a new character to create tension or conflict? Can there really be no other way to bring in a new collaborator or boss than to have that character be a grouchy idiot or plain stupid or both?
Please, also, tell us: why does Katherine McPhee almost never sing in this show? She has a spectacular voice. What a waste.
Probably keep watching, but not as excited about this show as we were last year.
Mysteries of Laura
Writing is tighter, which we appreciate (less silliness, more story). Not all the first year’s characters are “back,” but most are. There is a new addition who has so far been given a very trite role, but we liked Callie Thorne a lot in Necessary Roughness, so we’ll see how it goes.
Someone should tell Debra Messing‘s hair stylist to tone down her dye job. Number one: what police detective could afford to keep that up? Number two: it looks awful on her.
What happened to the chef/love interest for Messing’s character? It is not credible and is a slap to feminists everywhere that the writers would be reuniting her romantically with her cheating ex just because he got shot. We really hope that is not where this season’s plot is heading.
Keeping this one on our watch list, but skeptical.
NCIS New Orleans
Good start to the new season. Like the new character (female, African-American, kind of snarky and good at her job).
Shalita Grant, on her own Instagram account.
Plot was so forgettable, though, that it’s hard to remember it even one day later. Not a good sign.
Speaking of not a good sign: since when does anyone go undercover into a very tight-knit, paranoid network with less than one day’s preparation and no experienced handler? Ridiculous.
Also, why do so many of these law enforcement shows involve one or more characters who come into some money and then use some of it to purchase a bar/restaurant? Why do they all drink so much alcohol?
Prediction: drinking is going to go the way of smoking in media. Remember: EVERYONE used to smoke, good guys, bad guys, women, kids; since about 1985, only bad guys or historical figures smoke on screen and very few public places allow it anymore, either, because IT KILLS PEOPLE. So does alcohol. Drinking will disappear from all but the most ritualistic, celebratory or heinous occasions and characters’ habits, and no one who drinks will drive, unless the storyline dictates that they die or kill others. Life will soon follow.
My mom plans to keep watching. I probably won’t.
Nashville RETURNS 3/16/16
C’mon, Nashville: Need to have more singing, less soap opera.
My mom only watches for the music and fast-forwards through the stories because they’re so tedious and boring. I’m fast approaching her point of view. Most of these characters and their lives are horribly dysfunctional.
The coming-out storyline, though, is important. I’m glad they’re not showing it all to be too easy or comfortable for anyone.
Could do more in the future with the former mayor/father of the girls being in prison and the impact that has on his daughters, especially the younger one.
Cheesy not to show right away the outcome of last season’s cliff-hanger surgery, for example, and deliberately misleading the audience for the first 10 minutes or so was largely a waste of time.
Missed the boat on informing people more significantly about post-partum depression, which is too bad because the characters’ alcohol and drug abuse continue unabated and mostly undiscussed.
Glad we can record it and skip a lot of the sturm-und-drang.
**Grey’s Anatomy RETURNS 2/11/16
I am a long-time fan of this show, especially, Ellen Pompeo, so glad this opener featured a lot of her. Like her shorter hair, also. Good to have a strong story featuring Miranda Bailey’s character; she’s creator/producer Shonda Rhimes‘ counterpart, for sure.
Loved the anti-homophobia storyline and the actions/discussions this inspired, especially for parents of LGBT kids and for everyone about bullying. Excellent PSAs built right into the show.
Not sure where they’re going with the marriage of Jackson and April or why they’re making Arizona such a ditz. Need to fix all that.
Do not miss Patrick Dempsey at all.
Glad Grey’s is back.
Scandal RETURNS 2/11/16
Glad this opener was a lot less violent than many of the Episodes last year. Hated those. Had to fast-forward through much of those B6-13-ish scenes. Since Olivia’s father’s character is absent and the actor playing him took a new job (as medical chief on Proof), who will the new villain be?
While it is fun to see the Prez finally get with Olivia right in the West Wing, her character is correct when she says that they can’t just waltz into a new relationship as if everything is fine when the President takes a mistress while still not divorced.
Please explain to us, though, why the obviously psychotic and possibly amnesiac ex-Vice-President, Sally, gets to mouth off as if she is occupying some moral high ground when she murdered her own husband? Did everyone else forget that, too?
The Princess Diana storyline seemed oddly placed and very out-of-synch with everything else. Why have that?
The writers may have painted themselves into quite a few corners at this point, it seems.
Plan to keep watching, but where is this going?
How to Get Away with Murder RETURNS 2/11/16
Glad Viola Davis won the Emmy. She deserved it. Good acting by her and many on this show is not enough to save it, though.
The writers of this show are a weird bunch, for sure.
Not liking the incestuous undertones and physicalization between her character and Wes (Alfred Enoch; yes, from Harry Potter films!). NOVEMBER: NOW they’re hinting that he may be her child??? ICK ICK ICK.
Not liking the very late-in-the-storyline and oddly placed introduction to her character’s being bisexual, although we don’t mind that she is at all.
The writers seem to enjoy making almost every character psychotic and murderous. How many are they planning to kill or frame?
UPDATE in November: Only 2 more Episodes. Not liking the way the writers start with the end and then bring us forward to that point each week by giving little hints along the way as to how the characters get to that juncture.
The production values are so bad and the timeline jumping done so poorly that we have no idea what’s going on most of the time. Filming is too dark and cuts are too quick. Dialogue is not loud enough.
We do keep watching but we’re glad when it’s over. Too dark without much to redeem it.
Blue Bloods
My mom LOVES this show and watches re-runs for fun, mostly because she loves Tom Selleck as the family patriarch and Chief of Police. So, with great anticipation, we started watching the season opener.
What a disappointment. Why, oh writers, do you think Blue Bloods and your fictional NYC should continually deal with Islamic terrorists and terrorist threats? Not only does it fan the flames of anti-Islam sentiment in this country (the last thing we need), but it’s BORING, predictable and flat.
This episode made Danny’s character (played somewhat woodenly by Donnie Wahlberg this week) even more of a jerk than usual. Then, it had the hilariously unlikely premise that somehow, out of thousands of police detectives and officers, only the Reagan family’s detective, Danny, and his brother, Jamie (Will Estes), on patrol could possibly be involved in the same terrorist plot.
Once again, Erin (Bridget Moynahan) was put in a terrible position regarding a conflict between her job and her dad’s job’s wishes. BTW: Whatever would they do without Erin in the DA’s office? Whom else could her male police relatives trust and manipulate?
The writers then gave Grandpa, Danny’s family, Erin’s daughter and the supporting cast members almost nothing to do. They succeeded in making what can be and often is a great ensemble show with intricate, non-overlapping but thematically-linked storylines into nothing more than a bombing plot/chase fiasco.
My mom is very pissed and comments almost very week, that she doesn’t understand why Jamie Reagan hasn’t been promoted to detective.They made him into an excellent patrol officer and show that he is interested in being a detective, but he apparently has never applied, sat for the exam, or been promoted in five years.
That is unlikely and bizarre, but I just shrug and say: “The writers only want one Reagan in each job.”
VERY BAD CHOICES for this opener. I may not keep watching, but my mom is faithful.
Castle Returns 1/4/16
Watched Part I Sunday night, in preparation for Monday’s Part II. Have to say: we were both disappointed and underwhelmed by the storyline and characters depicted in Part I.
Beckett gets promoted to Captain and immediately disappears. What is the point of that? Then, every time she reappears, she explains NOTHING to Castle. Unacceptable and completely out of character, especially after all she went through last year when Castle disappeared.
Good to see Alexis Castle all grown up (and Molly C. Quinn!) and given more to do. However, none of the others did much more than bicker and chase people around while dodging kicking feet or bullets.
UPDATE in November: WHERE THE HECK IS BECKETT???? Very bad plan to write her out of the show. Plots and storylines also stupid.
We both love Castle and will undoubtedly keep watching, but the opener was bad and we both hate 2-parters, anyway.
NCIS
Wat