Monday Madness: Favorite TV Brothers

ABC’s new drama Mind Games premieres this week (Tuesday, February 25, at 10/9c on ABC), and since the show focuses on two brothers, our poll this week features TV brothers! First, here’s the logline for Mind Games:

Centers on the complicated relationship between the Edwards brothers: Clark, a bipolar genius in human psychology, and Ross, a slick ex-con, who solve their clients’ problems using the real science of human motivation and manipulation.

It features one of my favorite comedic actors, Steve Zahn, so I can’t wait to check it out!

I didn’t realize until I started putting together this poll that it would pit some of the most popular fandoms against each other! (Sherlock, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, etc.) I only included more recent shows (hence the absence of The Brady Bunch boys), and included both half- and step-brothers (but not brothers-in-law).

I also did not include brothers when one of them is only in a handful of episodes. For example, Seeley Booth’s brother Jared is only in 5 episodes. I’d planned to include Michael Westen and his brother Nate, until I realized Nate was only in 15 episodes out of 111. My general rule of thumb was going with brothers who had both/all been in at least 1/3 of the episodes. Be sure to keep that in mind with any nominations!

The winner of last week’s poll, by a landslide, was Battlestar Galactica!

This poll will be open for one week two weeks, and you can choose up to 5 of your favorite TV brother duos (or trios). Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10!

Even though there are many options on this list, I know there are shows I left out! As always, you can cast write-in ballots by leaving a comment, and if I receive several nominations, I may add them to the poll! Want more of a say in what makes it onto the poll each week? Be sure to follow me on Twitter, since I usually ask for nominations for the next Monday Madness the weekend before the new poll.

Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 12AM March 3rd 10th.

Who are your favorite TV brothers? (Choose up to 5!)

  • Dean and Sam Winchester (Supernatural) (19%, 25 Votes)
  • Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock) (15%, 20 Votes)
  • Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson (The Originals and The Vampire Diaries) (10%, 13 Votes)
  • Damon and Stefan Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries) (8%, 11 Votes)
  • Pete, Derrick, and Randy Hill (Enlisted) (5%, 7 Votes)
  • Don and Charlie Eppes (Numb3rs) (5%, 6 Votes)
  • Peter and Nathan Petrelli (Heroes) (5%, 6 Votes)
  • Frankie and Tommy Rizzoli (Rizzoli and Isles) (5%, 6 Votes)
  • Ben and Danny Wheeler (Baby Daddy) (5%, 6 Votes)
  • Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows (Prison Break) (5%, 6 Votes)
  • Francis and Sebastian (Reign) (4%, 5 Votes)
  • Lucas and Nathan Scott (One Tree Hill) (3%, 4 Votes)
  • Reggie Jackson and Dick Butkus (The Neighbors) (2%, 3 Votes)
  • Gob, Michael, and Buster Bluth (Arrested Development) (2%, 3 Votes)
  • Earl and Randy Hickey (My Name is Earl) (2%, 3 Votes)
  • Danny and Jamie Reagan (Blue Bloods) (2%, 3 Votes)
  • Adam and Crosby Braverman (Parenthood) (2%, 2 Votes)
  • Tim and Billy Riggins (Friday Night Lights) (2%, 2 Votes)
  • Jack and Declan Porter (Revenge) (1%, 1 Votes)
  • Tommy, Kevin and Justin Walker (Brothers & Sisters) (1%, 1 Votes)
  • Ethan and Dan Whitehorse (The Lying Game) (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Silas and Shane Botwin (Weeds) (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Chuck Bass and Eric van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl) (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Hank and Evan Lawson (Royal Pains) (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 50

Loading ... Loading ...

 

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Gone Too Soon – TV Shows That Never Should’ve Been Canceled

Guest post by Andy Johnson. If you would like to submit your own guest post, please contact me.

Some TV shows were taken from us before their time. In a respectful act of tribute, we share our top picks for TV shows that were cancelled prematurely, leaving us longing for more.

“Heroes”

After four seasons, NBC pulled the plug on this revolutionary show that seemed poised to take primetime viewing in an entirely new direction. The first season introduced us to ordinary people who discover they have super powers, including an indestructible cheerleader and one of the best super villains ever. The show captured the attention of a staggering 17 million viewers in the first season, but a steady decline in viewership, and a writers’ strike-induced eroding storyline, eventually led to the show’s demise. However, “Heroes” was poised to make a comeback and NBC should have given it at least one more season to go out the way it came in.

“My Own Worst Enemy”

“My Own Worst Enemy” had a smart, witty premise that also packed quite a punch. Christian Slater played the dual roles of regular suburban hubby and dad Henry Spivey, who was really a deadly secret agent called Edward Albright – except good, ol’ Henry had no idea about his double life. The twist was a first episode glitch that caused the worlds to collide, leaving Henry in some sticky situations he had no idea how to survive. The idea was fresh, the writing was good, the actors were entertaining and engaging (Alfre Woodard and Taylor Lautner also starred) – what gives? This show got its pink slip after only nine episodes, hardly long enough in our minds, and the 5.2 million viewers who got pulled in by the mind-control espionage spy games would agree.

“Pushing Daisies”

This delightfully imaginative show looked like nothing else on primetime. The characters, writing and intelligent, fast-paced, quirky humor matched the beautiful artistry of the show’s presentation. Ned the Piemaker barely got started using his ability to bring the dead back to life before ABC put “Pushing Daisies” on the chopping block. Once again, ratings and the unfortunate interference of the writers’ strike were blamed for the show’s early passing. Fans protested that the network didn’t give the show the proper promotional push to gain an audience that could appreciate the clever premise and artistic fantasy world of what may be the most original and visually satisfying show to air in decades.

“Reaper”

This show, about a slacker firstborn son promised to the devil in exchange for his father’s life, short-changed not only the ruler of the underworld but all the fans of this comic drama during its two-season run. Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that a smart, original show like “Reaper” couldn’t survive on a network like the CW that tends more toward teen and young adult soap operas like “Gossip Girl” and “The Vampire Diaries,” but it still hurts. Perhaps the show was misplaced and that’s why it couldn’t gain the traction needed to endure, despite being well-received at Comic-Con and heroic attempts to keep the series alive as part of the Sci-Fi channel’s reboot as Syfy. Regardless, the show left viewers hanging and should have been given the chance to reap souls for another season or two.

“Arrested Development”

Anyone who ever caught even part of an episode of this sitcom knows that the cancellation of “Arrested Development” was one of the biggest TV travesties of all time. And people haven’t stopped talking about it since it happened in 2006. That alone has to say something about this in-your-face show about a dysfunctional family chasing the American dream. The show’s demise came on the heels of much critical acclaim and less regular viewership. It seems, however, that cutting this cult hit down in its prime prompted rumors that another season might be making an appearance on Netflix, but no one has confirmed this. [Katie: It has been confirmed – filming started this fall, with plans for a spring 2013 release.]

What other TV shows do you think got canceled too soon?

Andy has lived in several different areas of the United States, but always calls Utah home. He wrote articles for a local paper about outdoor recreation with pets before joining the USDish team in 2010. When he is not watching outdoor adventure programs on Animal Planet, The History Channel, or The National Geographic Channel, Andy can be found hiking in the red rock deserts of the Southwest.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Supernatural – Asylum

Okay, when I was making the photo collage for this week’s poll (favorite scary show), I had no idea the random freaky-looking Supernatural image I grabbed would turn out to be from the very episode I ended up watching the same evening! And it was one of Supernatural’s more creepy episodes, which made me regret deciding to watch it so late at night. Ah, well, onto the review!

I bookended watching the episode with two other shows I’m having a hard time getting into (but people/buzz keep telling me I should like), Doctor Who and Arrested Development. I figured perhaps an iffy episode of Doctor Who would make Supernatural seem better by comparison, but I happened to watch one of the most heartfelt episodes – at least so far – of the British show (“Father’s Day”). So it didn’t do Supernatural any favors, but I still thought “Asylum” was pretty decent.

It’s a fairly simple “evil spirits, find the body, salt and burn” episode, set in a creepy asylum. Far too much of the episode seemed to be characters wandering around the place, waiting for ghosts to pop out of any corner (or having them dart around behind the characters’ backs). Both the two cops that visit the place at the beginning of the episode and the two teens caught inside with the brothers later on seemed pretty cardboard – though I did like that the girlfriend knew how to use a shotgun.

As usual, this show rests on the relationship between Dean and Sam, and I am seeing signs of improvement in that area. The scene where Dean pretends to be an annoying reporter, and Sam makes him leave so he can bond with the cop and get answers was humorous. I also liked that Dean knew not to give the spirit-addled Sam a loaded gun – no tearful “I knew you wouldn’t shoot me” moments here.

The good son/rebel son dynamic is getting a bit old, though. As is the tug-of-war between looking for their father and hunting creatures (especially since creatures always win). At least there seems to be some movement on the father end (now that we know he’s just avoiding them) with the phone call at the end of the episode.

Watching this right after an episode of Doctor Who really helped me see the parallels between the two shows and why I’m having trouble getting hooked on both of them. Both have two characters traveling around in a specific vehicle putting their lives in danger saving people from otherworldly attacks. Doctor Who has more reoccurring characters so far, though Supernatural will eventually have more. The visual effects are better on Supernatural, but the storylines are more varied on Doctor Who. I like Dean and Sam better (though only marginally) than the ninth Doctor and Rose, but I know the British dynamic will change in later seasons, while I’m “stuck” with Dean and Sam for the duration of the American show.

My favorite shows, however, tend to have five or more main characters and be set in the same location. Everything from Community to Buffy to How I Met Your Mother to NCIS to The Vampire Diaries fits that mold. Maybe that’s why I never really got into Tru Calling (not enough main characters) or Revolution (characters scattered and on the move).

Anyhow, this was a decent episode of Supernatural, one of the better ones I’ve seen so far. I just hope it doesn’t give me nightmares (remember to not watch future episodes late in the evening!).

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Jason O’Mara Joins CBS Ralph Lamb Pilot, Salli Richardson is Downwardly Mobile – TVLine

Well, it looks like Terra Nova stars aren’t holding out much hope for a Netflix revival, as another one has joined a pilot (for a show I very much doubt will make it to series). In my opinion, Terra Nova would be a terrible choice for Netflix’s initial resurrections. It doesn’t have enough of a cult following. In fact, this article lists a bunch of scifi-bent shows that would be a better choice for the digital streaming service.

Netflix succeeds because of the classics – shows, whether new or old, that people will continue watching and talking about for years to come. Terra Nova doesn’t have that yet, and likely never will. Arrested Development does, as do many of the shows mentioned on the list above.

In other news, Eureka’s Salli Richardson and Missourian Greg Cromer (who you may remember as Community’s “doctor who is so skilled at pottery that he makes Jeff jealous” – before he turns into a zombie, that is) will play a rich couple turned poor on Downwardly Mobile.

Jason O’Mara Joins CBS Ralph Lamb Pilot – TVLine.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Netflix less about flicks, more about TV – latimes.com

Interesting look at how Netflix’s model has switched from almost exclusively movies to more than 60% of videos streamed being TV shows. I especially loved the insight on how serialized shows (ones that focus on an overarching story and are best watched in order) are doing well with Netflix, as new viewers can start from the beginning and watch every episode in order. And the service makes TV marathons easy: I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Bones, and Veronica Mars (latter unfortunately not still available via streaming) in rapid succession thanks to Netflix, plus I’m using the service to get my friend hooked on How I Met Your Mother.

I’m also excited about Netflix’s leap into original programming. So far they’ve bought US rights to foreign shows (like Lilyhammer), funded new shows, and ordered new episodes of cult favorites (Arrested Development). This article hints that there are more on the way! What show would you like Netflix to bring back?

Netflix less about flicks, more about TV – latimes.com.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print