Tag Archives: tv

tv report card, part 1

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So I forgot to mention in my earlier TV post that Rob and I actually watch Monk and Psych on Fridays in addition to the rest of our TV schedule. The seasons are already underway so I didn’t really consider them part of the new Fall season. Oops. I guess I watch more TV than I thought.

Oh, and yes Ricardo, I AM in the CW demographic! Their sweet spot is 18-34 and I’m only 29!!! (For the next few days, at least, lol).

I watch so much TV that it’s hard to do detailed commentary like I used to years ago when I wasn’t so lazy. So I thought I would do a TV report card instead with some brief thoughts. YAY!

One Tree Hill – C-
Same ole earnest (but totally unrealistic) show. Not enough happy Haley. Way too much Quinn and Alex. I don’t like it when new characters take up too much screen time. And as much as I love Brooke/Julian, I have to admit they have no storyline — all they do is smooch in every scene. But that doesn’t make me any more excited to see how Alex’s interaction with Julian will affect his relationship with Brooke. Can’t the writers come up with something different? I mean, ANOTHER love triangle?

Gossip Girl – B
They might as well give Nate his own show – he practically never interacts with the rest of the cast anymore. Still enjoying Serena/Carter but Serena herself makes me roll my eyes. There’s always something wrong or missing in her life and it drives me crazy. Blair/Chuck can do wrong. Love Blair’s college storyline so far — definitely interesting to see her realize that college is a great equalizer. And Scott and Georgina can go far, far, far away. Those 2 characters BUG ME!

Big Bang Theory – B-
I’ve only seen 2 episodes so far (missed the premiere). It’s not quite enough to judge since I don’t know the history of all the characters but I do know that Raj is my favorite character.

CSI: Miami – C
What is happening with Calleigh and Eric? Why did they barely talk in this week’s episode? I really liked them together. *sad* Also, new CSI Jesse (Eddie Cibrian) is nice eye candy but I can’t help but think “CHEATER!” for a split second when I see him onscreen. I’m not so good with separating TV characters from the actors portraying them.

Heroes – F
I know I said I wasn’t going to watch this show but Rob does so I watch it by default. I don’t understand why Claire always gets saddled with SUPER annoying friends. First it was West back in season 2 and now Gretchen. ?!? Claire was my favorite character in the first season but now… UGH.

So You Think You Can Dance – B+
I like the hour-long audition episodes much, much better. Thank goodness! 2 hours was waaaay too long for me. The first Vegas episode was good but I want to meet the Top 20 already!

Glee – A+
Ahhh, SO GOOD. As much as Rachel was starting to bother me in the last few episodes (the ME ME ME storyline was getting old), she totally redeemed herself in this week’s episode (“Vitamin D”). I really liked that she reached out to Quinn the way she did. And OMG, her daily morning routine was totally spot-on. Loved that. Sadly, I still can’t support Will and Emma. I know they’re cute (and Terri is EVIL) but at this point, it’s cheating. :/

Cougartown – B
Watched the first 2 episodes. Funny! Courteney Cox’s son is the best. Love his dry humor.

Modern Family – B+
Grade is only on the basis of the second episode. Pretty freaking hilarious. The guy that ended up with 3 bikes cracked me up so much. I’ll have to try harder to remember when this and Cougartown are on — I totally forgot this week.

Eastwick – D+
I wanted to love this so much… but it’s not really “capturing” me. I mean, I love the witches but not their respective storylines. Take Kat for example — she seems like a fab character but she is stuck with a moron for a husband. Hate him. And Roxie is awesome too but her interaction with Darryl Van Horne irks me somehow. Too much sexual innuendo and dialogue that makes me roll my eyes. I haven’t seen this week’s episode yet, though, so maybe it’ll be better than the first two?

That’s it for now. Part 2 later when I’m not so sleepy…

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fall tv 09

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A couple of weeks ago the Fall TV Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly arrived in my mailbox. My TV bible! It’s my favorite issue of the year. And look who’s on the cover?!? JOSH JACKSON. Love him.

Here’s what I have planned this year…

MONDAYS:
One Tree Hill @ 8pm (CW) – Yes, this show is still on. And yes, I still watch it. I missed the middle part of last season but it was easy to catch up. I definitely miss Peyton and Lucas (I might be their only fan) but the additions of Clay and Julian definitely make up for their absence, lol. So far, I love Brooke and Julian but I’m not crazy about Nathan’s storyline right now (too much of a Haley fan) and don’t even get me started on Dan and Rachel (!!!). WTF.
Gossip Girl @ 9pm (CW) – SQUEE!!! Chuck and Blair. Aww, I just love them. Serena and Carter are VERY intriguing to me. Nate bores me to tears. I don’t know if JoAnna Garcia (who I love!) can save his storyline for me. And Vanessa continues to annoy.
Big Bang Theory @ 9:30pm (CBS) – I’ve watched maybe 2 full episodes of this show but Sarah raves about it so much that I think I’m going to check it out. 😀 I need some comedy on my TV schedule!
CSI: Miami @ 10pm (CBS) – Easy to watch. Doesn’t matter if I miss an episode.

I’m dropping Heroes this year. I adored the show in its first season but the past 2 seasons have been total clunkers. Sorry.

TUESDAYS:
So You Think You Can Dance (performance show) @ 8pm (FOX)

… and that’s it for Tuesday! I gave up on 90210 mid-way through last season (in large part because I don’t find the lead characters sympathetic or relatable AT ALL). It’s too bad because I really wanted to like this show. You know, the nostalgia factor and all. Oh, I *might* check out the new Melrose Place if I can. I downloaded the pilot when it was free on iTunes. Not sure when I can watch it.

WEDNESDAYS:
So You Think You Can Dance (results show) @ 8pm (FOX)
Glee @ 9pm (FOX) – This is officially my absolute favorite new show. It not only makes me incredibly happy but it’s GOOD! The characters have depth, the dialogue is witty, and the music is just icing on the cake. I’m so excited that it was picked up for a full season. Yay FOX!
Cougar Town @ 9:30pm (ABC)
Eastwick @ 10pm (ABC)

I’m only checking out the last 2 because I enjoy the actresses on these shows — Courteney Cox & Busy Phillips on Cougar Town and Rebecca Romijn & Lindsay Price on Eastwick. I’m crossing my fingers that they’ll be good.

THURSDAYS:
Thursdays are CRAZY, as per usual. It looks like I’m going to be doing A LOT of Tivo-ing. Yay?
Flash Forward @ 8pm (ABC) – Looks interesting. And has John Cho!
Bones @ 8pm (FOX) – I DO NOT need another show to watch but Rob and I watched the reruns on TNT this summer and ended up catching up on all 4 seasons. What can I say? It’s an addicting show! And I just love David Boreanaz as Booth.
Vampire Diaries @ 8pm (CW) – I wasn’t going to watch this show but it’s getting good reviews from the girls I follow on LiveJournal so WTH. I’m already behind 2 episodes though, LOL.
Grey’s Anatomy @ 9pm (ABC) – I almost dropped the show last season but the final episodes reeled me back in.
Fringe @ 9pm (FOX) – Like Grey’s, Fringe really hit its stride towards the end of last season. Plus, more Pacey!
Supernatural @ 9pm (CW)
CSI @ 9pm (CBS)

FRIDAYS:
Smallville @ 8pm (CW)

Nothing on Sundays this year because I stopped watching Brothers and Sisters. As much as I love Emily VanCamp, she couldn’t keep me from getting bored with all the Walker antics. :/

I guess I’ll be spending my weekends catching up with my Thursday shows. Hee.

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sytycd top 14

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Too tired and frankly kind of annoyed at So You Think You Can Dance to write my normal commentary. But I wanted to make sure I posted my predictions to see if I can get 2 out of 3 again…

Bottom 3
Randi/Evan – good Broadway choreography but lackluster performance
Caitlin/Jason – see above; I also think the general public won’t “get” it
Karla/Vitolio – surprisingly, really good! But they’ve been in the bottom the past 2 weeks and I don’t think a quickstep will keep them out out.

Rob and I voted for Karla/Vitolio for good measure. Fingers crossed!

sytycd top 16

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After a promising start in the first week’s eliminations, I thought last week was a little bit of a letdown (although I did predict 2 out of the bottom 3 again). I didn’t think Ashley or Max should have gone home — I would have sent home Caitlin (her technique isn’t any different than Kayla’s, imo) and Kupono (based on his lackluster hip hop performance and solo).

On to this week! Toni Basil is the guest judge. Her comments about “street” make me want to throw something at the TV so I fast-forwarded every time she opened her mouth. It’s too bad — I admire her dance and choreography career but she goes on and on and on during her critiques and doesn’t even really say anything constructive or helpful.

LOVED
Melissa and Ade – They’ve been OMGSOGOOD these past 3 weeks. And this rumba was fantastic. They got the hip movements and emotions down… their angles were gorgeous, lifts steady… I think they’ve just become my favorite couple.
Janette and Brandon – I haven’t been overly impressed with them so far but they totally killed this hip hop routine. Especially Brandon. I was not expecting him to be so good! It was energetic and fun — definitely my favorite of the night. WOW.

LIKED
Kayla and Kupono – A solid Viennese waltz. Very “dreamy” and ethereal feeling. But is it just me or was that routine really short? It felt like there were more tricks and lifts than actual waltzing.
Randi and Evan – The concept of this contemporary routine is pretty ridiculous but it worked. They were cute and performed it well. No complaints here.
Jeanine and Philip – Jeanine really shined in this Broadway performance. Philip’s lucky that the routine relied heavily on personality because he definitely lacks technique. Overall, though, they sold it.

EHHH
Karla and Jonathan – This Dave Scott hip hop was SO. DISAPPOINTING. First. Jonathan was waaaayyy out of his league. He couldn’t get the steps, he wasn’t in sync with Karla, and he had absolutely no personality. He seems like such a nice guy but SERIOUSLY, he is dragging her down. Poor Karla. I think she’s an amazing dancer but she’s saddled with a below average partner. Second. I really like Dave Scott but I think part of the problem was the choreography. It’s like he put all the effort into Janette and Brandon’s routine and slapped this one together.
Asuka and Vitolio – I didn’t like this jazz routine at all. I normally like Mandy’s choreography but this one didn’t do anything for me at all. A lot of it didn’t seem to flow very well from one step to the other… or maybe it was the dancers, I’m not sure. I actually stopped watching in the middle because Vitolio was so obviously out-dancing Asuka that it made me feel uncomfortable for her. Just like Jonathan, I think she’s out of her element — she’s not a very versatile dancer (yet) and it’s definitely starting to show.
Caitlin and Jason – Even with the dramatic music, I was bored out of my mind with this paso doble. They lacked the power and chemistry needed to pull this off. And it didn’t help that I could see the effort and concentration in their faces.

Predictions for the Bottom 3: Definitely Karla/Jonathan (insert sad face here) and Asuka/Vitolio. I’m wavering back and forth on Caitlin/Jason and Kayla/Kupono for the third spot but I’ll guess Caitlin/Jason. Ideally, I’d like Jonathan and Asuka to go so that would make way for a new couple in Karla/Vitolio…

sytycd top 18

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The So You Think You Can Dance judges totally got it right last week and sent Paris and Tony home. Wow! I was very surprised. And pleased. They were definitely the weakest performance of the Top 20.

Tonight’s episode was a little underwhelming compared to last week. 🙁 BUT. Shane Sparks is back (darn ABDC for keeping him away) and he choreographed 2 awesome routines! Too bad the dancers who got hip hop were disappointing. UGH, what a waste. I think I got spoiled last season with all the great hip hop dancers (Joshua, Twitch, Comfort, Gev).

I have to wake up really early tomorrow so I’ll try to write up some quick comments…

LOVED
Melissa and Ade – I haven’t been a fan of Sonya’s jazz choreography in the past but I *really* loved this. And these two were so great. Everything looked so effortless and they were totally in character. I have to agree with the judges that in watching this routine you wouldn’t know Melissa is a ballerina. Ballet requires “lifted” posture and elegant port de bras (arms), which is pretty much the complete opposite of what this jazz piece required.
Karla and Jonathan – This contemporary routine was my favorite of the night. All the lifts and partner work! So beautiful. But Karla really carried the performance — Jonathan is good (not great) and I’m worried he’s going to hold her back.
Kayla and Max – Yay, Brian Friedman’s back! I’ve loved him since he choreographed for Britney and NSync back in the day. I have to admit that I watched Kayla for most of this pop jazz routine. Max just isn’t as charismatic on stage. Kayla is a beautiful dancer with fantastic technique and I thought she really pulled off this dance.

LIKED
Janette and Brandon – This disco routine was HARD. Damn, Doriana. But I thought they did really, really well. And that spread eagle lift! WHOA. They did have a couple of slip ups so that’s why it’s not in the “love” column for me.
Asuka and Vitolio – Beautiful waltz but for me, kinda forgettable. Which is too bad because I really like Vitolio.

OK
Randi and Evan – I had high hopes for them but their technique just wasn’t there. Their leg flicks made me sad. But their personalities and high energy saved this jive for me.

EHHH
Caitlin and Jason – This routine reminded me of Shane’s hip hop routine in s3 for Dominic and Sabra, which I LOVED. I can’t even think about this one because Caitlin and Jason didn’t do it justice. They weren’t even synchronized most of the time. 🙁
Jeanine and Philip – I cringed through most of this tango. Jeanine was FAR better than Philip but the whole thing was really sloppy.
Ashley and Kupono – There were parts of this hip hop that were promising but overall it was disappointing. Kupono didn’t have any flair at all and poor Ashley being the “shadow” couldn’t carry the routine on her own. This routine should have been so good.

Predictions for the Bottom 3: Caitlin/Jason, Jeanine/Philip, and Ashley/Kupono. I got 2 out of 3 last week… tomorrow will be interesting!

sytycd s5

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I know one of the girls in the Top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance — Melissa Sandvig (well, when I knew her she was Melissa Watson). We used to dance together at Long Beach Ballet and were in the same class from when we were about 5 or 6 all the way until high school when I stopped serious training. I must have seen her at least 3 times a week for years — even more during times when we were touring and performing. It’s really such a small world. CRAZY.

SO. It’s finally Top 20 time!!! WOOT. Tonight was the first performance show and it was probably the best of all 5 seasons so far. I don’t think I’ve loved this many routines ever.

LOVED
Jeanine and Phillip – I have to admit that I really enjoy Tabitha and Napoleon’s (lyrical) hip hop routines. And Jeanine and Phillip danced the heck out of this one.
Randi and Evan – I’m not a huge fan of Tyce’s choreography (plus he has serious bitchface all the time) but GUH. This jazz routine was smoking. I didn’t realize how technically gifted Evan is until this performance.
Karla and Jonathan – Solid cha cha routine. Plus, Karla’s pinay!
Melissa and Ade – I adored this. The LIFTS! Their LINES! GORGEOUS.
Kayla and Max – Fun fun fun samba routine. I can’t believe Kayla has never danced ballroom before. WOW.

OK
Janette and Brandon – Their foxtrot was good but there was no “oomph.”
Caitlin and Jason – Damn, that Bollywood routine was HARD… all those plies and intricate hand movements. But I’m not sure why the judges were gushing. They weren’t quite in sync in a few parts and as cute as they are, I just didn’t think it was that spectacular.
Ashley and Kupono – I didn’t like the whole crash test dummies storyline (sorry Wade) and honestly, I just couldn’t get past that to care about their dancing.

YAWN
Asuka and Vitolio – Disappointing. This was sooo boring. Tyce’s choreography wasn’t particularly memorable but they made it worse by phoning it in. No spark, nothing.
Paris and Tony – UGH. This hip hop was the worst of the night for me. The routine itself was ok but they failed to BRING IT. Not to mention I kind of have irrational dislike for Paris. I can’t help it.

I can never predict the couples in the bottom but I’m going to guess Asuka/Vitolio (really, the routine was terrible), Karla/Jonathan, or Melissa/Ade (the last two couples because they haven’t been “featured” enough so far and that’s going to hurt them). I definitely think Paris/Tony should be in the bottom but his teen girl fanbase will totally save him. GRRR.

final tv upfronts

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I love 3-day weekends! Plus, I had a half day today so now I’m sitting here watching Bride Wars and surfing the net. Yay for multi-tasking.

So my last few comments on the upfronts…

CBS
I just realized that I don’t watch anything on CBS but CSI and CSI: Miami. They don’t have any interesting new shows either. Hmm… one day I’ll check out How I Met Your Mother. I always hear such good things about the show.

The CW
I am definitely more in the CW’s target demographic, which I guess is the reason why so many of their shows appeal to me. Ok, not really. I’m just a sucker for cheesy teen dramas.

Most of my shows made it to next season…
– Gossip Girl. I need to catch up. I’m behind by 5 episodes. Yikes.
– One Tree Hill. I haven’t watched since January but caught the final 2 episodes and thought that would have been a great series finale. I love Lucas and Peyton and the show just won’t be the same without them next season. Mia/Chase and Milly/Mouth can’t even come close.
– Supernatural. Yay for the Brothers Winchester!
– Smallville. But WHOA to it getting a new Friday time slot. It’ll probably do well, though. It made it 8 seasons already, which is FAR longer than I ever thought it would last.

The only show that I wish would have made the cut is Privileged. 🙁 Such a cute show! JoAnna Garcia was amazing (even though I didn’t love Megan that much) and was really looking forward to seeing how her relationship with Will and the twins progressed. Plus, Rina Mimoun! I’m such a fan of her work. She penned many of my very favorite episodes of Everwood and I wanted this show to do well for her.

As far as new shows, I’ll probably check out…
– Melrose Place. I’m not sure I like this “trend” of reviving old shows so we’ll see. I was really looking forward to the new 90210 and I managed to keep up for awhile but really, I realized that I just don’t care about any of the characters.
– Vampire Diaries. I bet this show only got picked up because the CW wants to capitalize on the Twilight craze. I, however, will watch it for IAN SOMERHALDER. Mmm. I’m still sad he got killed off on Lost. Too bad the sneak peeks I found on YouTube look terrible. Hopefully it’ll get better?
– The Beautiful Life. The sneak peeks for this show aren’t so great either but it’s about models. Like a fictionalized America’s Next Top Model!

I really wish they had picked up Body Politic with Jason Dohring (I miss him on TV!), Minka Kelly, and Gabrielle Union. It’s about young congressional staffers! Set on Capitol Hill! I’m hoping they’ll pick it up as a midseason replacement cause I’m almost positive one of the above shows will get axed.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

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tv upfronts again

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It’s TV upfronts time again!

I’m a dork and love the anticipation of show renewals and cancellations and the excitement for new series to come. So far, FOX, ABC, and NBC have announced their fall schedules. Nothing terribly exciting…

FOX
I don’t like So You Think You Can Dance moving to the fall. It’s my summer show! Humph. For the past few seasons, I’ve been looking forward to it as a “break” from the rest of my shows. Oh well.

Glad to see Fringe is back (which reminds me, I need to watch the season finale). But they moved it to Thursday at 9. THANKS A LOT. I watch 3 other shows in the same time slot.

Dollhouse was renewed. I don’t watch the show but maybe I will now. I read that the show got off to a slow start but built up to a solid season ending episode. Plus, I’ve always loved Joss Whedon’s shows. Hmmm.

The only new show I’m going to check out is Glee. I haven’t watched the pilot yet (it aired tonight after American Idol) but based on opinions from friends who saw it early, I think I’m going to like it. I mean, come on. It’s a show about a high school musical choir. Tell me that’s not TOTALLY UP MY ALLEY.

ABC
I don’t really watch much on ABC anymore besides Lost and Grey’s Anatomy and of course, those were easy renewals. I’ve long since given up on Private Practice, Ugly Betty, and Brothers and Sisters but I’m not surprised to see them on the fall schedule again.

As for their new shows, I’ve never been a huge sitcom fan so their Wednesday night comedy block doesn’t interest me at all. Eastwick looks promising though (based on the movie Witches of Eastwick) and it stars Rebecca Romijn and Lindsay Price. Love both of them.

NBC
PHEW. SO happy Chuck is back on NBC’s midseason schedule. Even if it’s only for 13 episodes. It’s such a good show! I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Heroes for the past few seasons but the finale definitely picked up so I have to admit I’m (cautiously) looking forward to season 4. I watched the premiere of Southland a few weeks ago but I guess Ben McKenzie isn’t as big of a draw as I thought because I never remember to watch this show. Too much going on Thursdays. Maybe Friday will be a better night for it? Although Friday seems to be the day where networks put shows TO DIE a slow death (recent example: Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles).

Are new medical dramas like Trauma and Mercy really necessary?

Also, it is VERY WEIRD to see The Jay Leno Show on the schedule EVERY NIGHT at 10pm. I like Jay Leno but he is taking away too many precious PRIMETIME slots. Couldn’t he have just conceded the Tonight Show to Conan and left it at that? Grrr.

chuck + heroes finales

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I can’t believe it’s already season finale time… Wowzers.

Chuck and Heroes ended their second and third seasons respectively so I wanted to write up some quick thoughts before I forget…

Let’s start with Heroes, shall we? (beware spoilers!)
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