Here are TV’s top 10 dads, as chosen by all of you! I find it especially appropriate that the on-screen daughter of this poll’s winner helped spread the word to get people to vote for her “dad”! Also of note – nine of the 10 dads are from shows that are currently airing or will return in the fall.
#10 Gibbs (Mark Harmon) – NCIS
Continue reading Top 10 Favorite TV Dads
This Monday Madness, as nominated by Kathy Manno, we’re looking at TV villains! Some of these villains are pure evil, while others have a redeemable side and eventually begin working with the good guys – but please vote for them as a villain, not a hero! Some of these villains are so evil they can keep you awake at night, while others are so hilarious in their villainy that you almost want them to win.
This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite TV villains. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10! Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Get creative!
Even though there are 50-some options on this list, I know there are dozens of TV villains I left out! You can nominate villains I missed in the comments until Thursday night, and I may add them to the poll (villains from live-action scripted shows only, please).
Want more of a say in who makes it onto the poll each week? Be sure to follow me on Twitter or like TV Breakroom on Facebook, since I usually ask for nominations for the next Monday Madness the weekend before the new poll. Please help out with nominations! There are only so many shows I can watch personally, so I’m counting on you to fill me in!
Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 1AM June 25th.
Who is your favorite TV villain? (Choose up to 10!)
Total Voters: 2,112
Loading ...As chosen by you, the voters, here are the top 15 favorite non-original cast members! I expanded this list from 10 to 15 because six of the top 10 were from two related shows. Feel free to consider #11-15 honorable mentions if you’re a top 10 purist. 🙂
The poll, while it didn’t quite receive the most votes, set a new record for most-viewed poll (and post) to date – and all in one week! Thanks to everyone who voted, and especially to those who spread the word about the poll!
Here are the results!
#15 – Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) from NCIS: Los Angeles
Continue reading Top 15 Favorite Non-Original Cast Members
This Monday Madness, in honor of Father’s Day this coming Sunday here in the US, we’re looking at TV dads! These dads, whether grounded or goofy, often set the tone of their shows, and no matter how difficult or stubborn, always have a soft spot for their kids. This poll is focusing on actual (both biological and adoptive) dads, since including father-like figures would have made it too lengthy – though many of the dads on this poll do have a father-like role in other characters’ lives.
This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite TV dads. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10! Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Get creative!
Even though there are 50 70-some options on this list, I know there are dozens of TV dads I left out! You can nominate fathers I missed in the comments until Thursday night, and I may add them to the poll (dads from live-action scripted shows only, please, and the dad must be in at least 3 episodes of the show).
Want more of a say in who makes it onto the poll each week? Be sure to follow me on Twitter or like TV Breakroom on Facebook, since I usually ask for nominations for the next Monday Madness the weekend before the new poll. Please help out with nominations! There are only so many shows I can watch personally, so I’m counting on you to fill me in!
Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 1AM June 18th.
Who is your favorite TV dad? (Choose up to 10!)
Total Voters: 4,136
Loading ...Another spoiler post, this one full of news about shows I love! Some highlights:
Those hoping for some Finder action on Bones aren’t crazy: Don’t think the thought hasn’t crossed the mind of the man in charge of both shows. “I would love that so much,” says Hanson. “But you would have to make sure it wasn’t self-indulgent. And I don’t have a sense right now how much the Bones audience would like to see that. And I don’t know if the Finder audience would want it to happen. But I personally think it would be great.” Hanson concedes that he’s still “exceedingly depressed” about The Finder‘s cancellation, confessing, “It’s hard to let go.” He also says that after some “initial wariness,” the Bones cast warmed up to “the Finder upstarts,” adding, “They all became very fond of each other. David [Boreanaz] really liked working with Geoff [Stults]. They got along terrifically well, so it would be fun to have them on [Bones].”
White Collar’s Sara Ellis will be in several episodes of season 4, but she won’t be a regular cast member (yay!).
Once Upon a Time will pick up right where it left off, and be on the lookout for more Disney princesses getting their stories told!
More spoilers at the link below:
Glee Season 4 Spoilers — True Blood, Once Upon a Time and More! – TVLine.
This Monday Madness, we’re looking at non-original cast members! Sometimes these characters replaced fan favorites who had left the show (for plot, personal, or business reasons), and often their presence upset the show’s dynamics. Many had a difficult time being accepted by long-time fans of the show, while with others it seemed like they had always been a part of the story. But, begrudgingly or with open arms, we learned to love most of these characters, and now you get to choose which ones are worthy of recognition!
This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite characters who joined their shows later on. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10!
Even though there are 50-some options on this list, I know there are dozens of characters I left out! You can nominate people I missed in the comments, and I may add them to the poll. I tried to limit this mostly to characters who joined after the complete first season, though with shorter-running shows I was more lenient. Want more of a say in who 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. Please help out with nominations! There are only so many shows I can watch personally, so I’m counting on you to fill me in!
Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 1AM June 11th.
UPDATE: this poll has ended. Vote for this week’s poll here: Favorite TV Dads.
Who is your favorite character who joined their show later? (Choose up to 10!)
Total Voters: 8,576
Loading ...Continue reading Monday Madness: Favorite Non-Original Cast Members
I love Tina’s acting on Veronica Mars and Bones, so I’m sure she’ll be great on True Blood. Will be an interesting departure for her if she’s part of the Authority’s support staff as a vampire and not a human.
True Blood Casts Tina Majorino — Season 5 – TVLine.
The votes have been tallied, and the winners have emerged! Here are the top 10 favorite couples from realistic/contemporary TV shows, as voted by you!
It’s worth noting that only Bones has two couples in the top 10, though 7 shows managed to have two sets of sweethearts in the top 20! And speaking of the top 20, I plan to combine this poll’s top 20 with the speculative TV show couples top 20, as well as 10 new/wild card choices, for an ultimate fan poll sometime this fall. So if you’re wondering how Nathan Fillion’s Castle (and Beckett) would fare against his Malcolm Reynolds (and Inara), or David Boreanaz’s Booth (and Brennan) against his Angel (and Buffy), stay tuned!
#10 Angela Montenegro and Jack Hodgins – Bones
Continue reading Top 10 Favorite TV Couples – Realistic Shows
This round of Monday Madness, it’s time to look at TV couples! Because there are so many, I’ve divided this poll into 2 categories – realistic/contemporary and speculative. We’ll cover vampires, time travel, and spaceships next week. This week, we’re looking at couples from dramas, comedies, crime shows, and action. (And yes, it was really hard to decide where to put the couples from Chuck, with the show’s speculative elements, but since the show focuses on the spy aspect, I felt it was best to put it with the other spy shows.)
This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite TV couples. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10!
Even though there are 40 50-some options on this list, I know there are dozens of couples I left out! You can nominate couples I missed in the comments, and I may add them to the poll. You can also start nominating couples from paranormal, futuristic, and other outside-the-box shows for next week. Want more of a say in who 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 1AM May 28th.
UPDATE: This poll is now closed. Go vote for this week’s poll – favorite TV couples in speculative shows!
Which is your favorite TV couple? - Contemporary/Realistic Division (Choose up to 10)
Total Voters: 5,341
Loading ...Continue reading Monday Madness: Favorite TV Couples – Realistic
Now that all of the broadcast networks have revealed their fall schedules, as well as trailers or clips of new shows, it’s time to look at what I will be watching live, what I’ll have to catch online, and how many annoying half hour and hour “dead zones” I’ll have between good shows.
TVLine was nice enough to compile a grid chart of what’s airing when, which you can view at the link below (it will open in a new tab so you can follow along):
Fall TV Schedule Grid 2012-13 — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW – TVLine.
Thanks to 666 Park Street’s too-much-horror bent, Once Upon a Time remains my only show for Sundays, though if my Sunday evenings stay busy, I’ll be watching online anyway.
Monday has a lot of dead zones. Since I don’t get HD Fox coverage in my area (which makes the picture 2/3 of its normal size), I’ll watch Bones on Hulu and How I Met Your Mother live. But since I’m likely giving up 2 Broke Girls (since it’s become the ladies’ version of Two and a Half Men instead of a smart, funny comedy), I don’t have anything else I plan to watch until Castle at 10. Revolution looks good, but like Smash (which will be back in midseason), I’ll only watch it live if Castle is a repeat or ABC won’t come in.
Tuesday’s first two hours are packed for me. I’ll probably watch NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles live when I can, because if I have to watch a show online I prefer Hulu to CBS’s video player. But if they’re on repeats or I’m in the mood for comedy, I have choices: Ben & Kate on Fox at 8:30, New Girl on Fox or Go On on NBC at 9, and The Mindy Project on Fox (maybe) or Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23 at 9:30. Nothing on at 10 that interests me, though I might watch the pilot of Vegas out of curiosity.
Wednesday just has two shows I plan to watch, and of course they conflict – Arrow at 8 and Suburgatory at 8:30. I might try out Animal Practice (at 8) if I’m watching Suburgatory live.
Even with Community’s move, Thursdays remain my busiest night. At 8, I have to choose between The Big Bang Theory and a half hour dead zone, or ABC’s Last Resort. At 9, Person of Interest and CW’s Beauty and the Beast will probably push The Office to online-only. My only conflict-free hour will be at 10, with CBS’s Elementary.
Friday, I will probably watch Community and Grimm (NBC, 8:30 and 9) live, and catch Nikita online.
All told, that’s 22-26 shows every week, out of which up to 12 are 1/2 hour comedies. Up to 20 hours total every week for broadcast shows, if I like all the new shows I’m trying out. Seems like a lot, but I guess not really for someone who runs a TV site. 🙂
I guess the Glee move to Thursdays is the big news about the new Fox schedule, but since I don’t watch the show and rarely watch Fox live (thanks to the local station not broadcasting in high def), I don’t really care (unless CBS keeps Person of Interest in that same slot and it suffers in the ratings, but since they’re such different shows I don’t think this is likely).
Fox is keeping Bones on Mondays and pairing it with a new doctor show instead of House. Touch is moving to Fridays (yay! I hope the ratings sink terribly and Fox realizes they should have renewed The Finder instead).
Full weekday schedule below (new shows in all caps):
MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Bones
9:00-10:00 PM THE MOB DOCTOR (new)
THE FOLLOWING (new) joins in midseason.
TUESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM Raising Hope
8:30-9:00 PM BEN AND KATE (new)
9:00-9:30 PM New Girl
9:30-10:00 PM THE MINDY PROJECT (new)
THE GOODWIN GAMES (new) joins in midseason.
WEDNESDAY
8:00-10:00 PM The X Factor (fall) / American Idol (midseason)
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM The X Factor Results (fall) / American Idol Results (midseason)
9:00-10:00 PM Glee
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 PM Touch
9:00-10:00 PM Fringe (fall)
At the link below, there’s lots more info including Facebook and Twitter links for the new shows and new series synopses.
Not a bit surprised, given the ratings for both, but I was hoping against hope The Finder would make it. As it turned out, despite making it to #4 in this site’s poll for favorite new shows, it’s the first of my long-shot shows to fall.
And Fox rubbed salt in the wound by renewing Touch, a show whose previews put me to sleep. At least they’re letting House wrap up properly. And renewing Bones and New Girl.
(I will not think of Firefly and Dollhouse. I will not think of Firefly and Dollhouse.) Okay, I will, because Joss Whedon can rub the success of The Avengers into Fox’s face now.
Alcatraz Cancelled — Fox Axes The Finder Too – TVLine.
I’ve watched the ratings and predictions, and it seems like many of the shows I love are coming back next year. But there are a handful of shows that seem headed toward cancellation that I’m hoping against hope will beat the odds and get another shot. These aren’t shows that have been yanked from the schedule (like Free Agents), or that spent a lot of time in the danger zone, yet got renewed (like Fringe) or will likely be renewed (like Community). These are shows that most TV experts consider “bubble shows” or “long-shots” or “beyond hope.” I do think perhaps one of them will be fortunate enough to get a renewal; I’d be very happy if 2 or more made it.
UPDATE: I was correct. One – and only one – of these shows did get renewed: Nikita. Which if I’d had to guess which one might make it, I would have chosen.
Here are the shows, in no particular order, that in my perfect dream world would be coming back in 2012-2013:
Nikita
This is the show that got me to take the CW seriously for the first time. It perfectly filled the void left by Dollhouse’s cancellation (except for the mind-bending stuff). I love the “family of rogue agents” that has formed in this second season. Most recent spy shows have a lighter, humorous feel. This show manages to remain dark, but still be awesomely fun to watch.
Ringer
I started watching this show because of the intriguing premise and because I was curious to see what Sarah Michelle Gellar was like as not-Buffy. I stayed because of Ioan Gruffudd. I’d seen him in several movies (102 Dalmatians, Amazing Grace, Fantastic Four), but I didn’t fall in love with his acting until this show. It was nice to have Veronica Mars’ Jason Dohring around again too. The show was almost too twisty (I found myself saving up several episodes to watch so I could avoid agonizing cliffhangers), but it was very engaging and always kept me wanting more.
The Finder
My brother thought this show was on USA Network, and the humor on it matches the tone of that network perfectly. Walter could be Shawn Spencer’s long-lost cousin. I just love how zany and lighthearted and pure fun this show is. Plus it’s much more flexible than typical crime shows – finding things can take you anywhere. It’s also nice to have Bones characters dropping by occasionally.
Awake
I’ll admit, this was much more of a crime drama than a mind-twister than I was expecting. Still, it’s excellent, and piecing clues together from different worlds adds a great new dimension. I realize you can’t give away the entire “story behind the story” in the first season, but I really want to know more of what’s going on. Hopefully the show will get a second season (even if abbreviated) to dive into things, like Dollhouse was able to get.
Bent
This under-promoted comedy won my heart by the first episode. It’s not just the two leads, who have great chemistry, it’s the entire fun family formed by Alex’s daughter and sister, and Pete’s dad and crew. I couldn’t wait to see where their adventures would take them next.
Last week’s poll scored an impressive 8438 voters, and was the most-viewed poll yet! All those views caused the site to even crash at one point (I’ve enabled caching to prevent that problem in the future).
This poll’s nominations were the most controversial yet, with many complaints about great shows that had been left off (I’d severely underestimated the number of shows that have reached the season 7 benchmark), even after I’d tacked on 5 more shows to the initial 45. Speculative shows secured an early lead, but eventually the large fan base of crime shows made a significant dent in the top 10. Which show won? Keep reading!
Number 10: Criminal Minds
Continue reading Top 10 Favorite Long-Running Shows
Here’s a look at what to expect when Fox shows wrap up for this year. Yes, there are spoilers. I know it’s redundant to say so, since there’s the word “spoilers” in the title, but someone spoiled last night’s House for me, so I want to be extra clear.
Spoilers on Glee, House, Bones, Fringe and More — May Sweeps 2012 – TVLine.
