In our next-to-last post of round two, we have two teams who fight the creepy (whether supernatural or human), Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Criminal Minds, do battle, while Will & Grace goes up against Hogan’s Heroes!
These round two polls will be open for about 72 hours, so be sure to spread the word quickly if you want your favorites to make it to the next round! As always, you can find the links to all the current matchups on our main post. Please try to vote in all the polls, not just the one with your favorite show!
May Madness - Drama, Round 2.7
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (68%, 30 Votes)
Criminal Minds (32%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 44
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May Madness - Comedy, Round 2.7
Will & Grace (53%, 20 Votes)
Hogan's Heroes (47%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 38
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Feel free to leave a comment about which show(s) you voted for and why! I may quote your comment in a Facebook post or tweet promoting this poll! Also, there may be a bit of a lag if a lot of people are voting, so make sure the first poll finishes loading your results before submitting your vote for the second poll!
For these next matchups, Seinfeld faces Will & Grace, while popular Criminal Minds battles cult favorite Dollhouse!
These polls will be open for about 72 hours, so be sure to spread the word quickly if you want your favorites to make it to the next round! As always, you can find the links to all the current matchups on our main post. Please try to vote in all the polls that have shows you like, not just the one with your favorite show!
May Madness - Comedy, Round 1.13
Will & Grace (68%, 26 Votes)
Seinfeld (32%, 12 Votes)
Total Voters: 38
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May Madness - Drama, Round 1.13
Criminal Minds (72%, 34 Votes)
Dollhouse (28%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 47
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Feel free to leave a comment about which show(s) you voted for and why! I may quote your comment in a Facebook post or tweet promoting this poll! Also, there may be a bit of a lag if a lot of people are voting, so make sure the first poll finishes loading your results before submitting your vote for the second poll!
At last, it is time for the 64 TV shows YOU chose to battle it out for the best TV show of all time! Over the next few weeks, shows will face each other in 72-hour single elimination matchups! Everyone who responded to my question about whether to have comedies and dramas mixed throughout the tournament preferred to have the genres battle it out separately and the top comedy and top drama face each other in the final match, so that’s what we will do!
This post will be your go-to reference for current and upcoming matches, so be sure to bookmark it and check back daily! I will add the links as the posts go up. Or, subscribe to our RSS feed to get the latest posts!
And now we’re starting round three, as the remaining 16 shows face off! The lists will be completed as the round one matchups finish, and links to each new poll will be added after they go live! Each of the round three posts will contain two matchups: one drama battle and one comedy battle. All polls will be open 72 hours.
These will be the matchups for round one. This list was randomly generated, and each of the round one posts will contain two matchups: one comedy battle and one drama battle. I may post several times in a day during this first round so that this bracket won’t go too far into June, but all polls will be open 72 hours. If any of the choices below seem impossible, remember, your decisions will only get more difficult as the tournament progresses! Have fun!
The schedules are out, the promos are released – now it’s time for me to figure out what I want to watch, what I have time to watch, what I won’t miss, and which new shows I’ll give a chance to wow me. As always, shows that aren’t live-action and scripted are ignored by this site.
New shows are in bold.
SUNDAY
Watching: Once Upon a Time
Not watching: Revenge, Betrayal, The Good Wife, The Mentalist
Only one new show is debuting on Sundays, Betrayal, and while the promo was good, the subject matter is meh in my mind.
MONDAY
Watching: Castle, How I Met Your Mother, Bones, Almost Human, Beauty and the Beast
Checking out: We Are Men, Intelligence , Sleepy Hollow
Not watching: 2 Broke Girls, Mom, Hostages, Blacklist, Hart of Dixie
Almost Human’s promo was so excellent, it got bumped right to the watching list. Of course, if it stinks, it’ll get bumped right back down. While Hostages and Blacklist had good promos, they’re just not something I’m interested in watching. Mom looks awful. Sleepy Hollow looks far better than I expected, so I’ll probably watch the pilot out of curiosity’s sake, but I doubt I’ll keep watching due to time constraints. Other than HIMYM, the returning shows that are on Mondays are the ones I fell most behind on (thinking about it now, why Castle and Bones got the short end of the stick was because we usually had a friend over on Tuesdays to watch previous seasons of HIMYM, so I didn’t have time to catch up).
TUESDAY
Watching: Marvel’s Agents of Shield, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Person of Interest, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, The Mindy Project
Checking out: The Originals
Not watching: The Goldbergs, The Trophy Wife, Lucky 7, Dads, Chicago Fire, Supernatural
The only reason Supernatural is on the not watching list is because I haven’t caught up yet, and since I’m still on season one, I doubt I’ll catch up this summer. I was going to watch Dads because of Seth Green, but the promo was so awful I don’t even plan to watch the pilot (besides, it’s in a horrible time slot so I doubt it will last). I’m behind on The Vampire Diaries, so my “checking out” of The Originals may only consist of watching the planted pilot (not a huge fan of the original siblings or Haley). Agents of Shield went on my to-watch list as soon as it was announced, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the promo for Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Unless the first few episodes strike a very different tone, it’ll probably stay on my watch list.
WEDNESDAY
Watching: Arrow
Checking out: The Tomorrow People
Not watching: The Middle, Back in the Game, Modern Family, Super Fun Night, Nashville, Criminal Minds, CSI, Revolution, Law & Order: SVU, Ironside
Wednesdays are once again my least-watched weekday. Aside from the Amell cousins’ projects, I’m passing on the entire night. Back in the Game and Super Fun Night look awful. Ironside looks excellent, but I watch so many other excellent crime dramas that new ones need a fun sci-fi twist (like Almost Human) or to cast one of my favorite actors.
THURSDAY
Watching: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, The Big Bang Theory, The Crazy Ones, Elementary, The Vampire Diaries
Checking out: Reign
Not watching: Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, The Millers, Two and a Half Men, Glee, Parks and Recreation, Welcome to the Family, Sean Saves the World, The Michael J. Fox Show, Parenthood
It used to be that I mainly watched NBC comedies; now I’m just waiting for Community to come back. CBS’s The Crazy Ones pairs Mork and Buffy, which pushed it onto my short list, and the behind-the-scenes promo was as hilarious as most regular trailers. Wonderland’s preview is amazing, and Reign has an interesting premise and enough actors I know for me to give it a try.
FRIDAY
Watching: The Neighbors, Bones (once it moves), Enlisted, Grimm
Checking out: Dracula
Not watching: Last Man Standing, Hawaii Five-O, Blue Bloods, Raising Hope, The Carrie Diaries
Enlisted was one of my most anticipated series contenders thanks to a great cast, and the promo shows that it’ll be funny as well. I probably won’t watch Dracula, but I do want to see where they’re going with the story, so I should preview the pilot.
That gives me 22 shows that I plan to watch (8 comedies and 14 dramas for 18 hours total) and 7 that I want to check out (1 comedy and 6 dramas for 6.5 hours total).
What shows are you watching next fall? Vote below and spread the word!
What broadcast shows do you plan to watch during fall 2013?
Which TV show has the best flashbacks? That’s the question you get to answer in this week’s poll! Flashbacks add depth to current storylines and allow us to understand characters’ motivations, and range from heartrending to hilarious.
You can nominate shows missing from the poll below, but be sure the show has a significant amount of flashbacks to be included. The show should have a minimum of two episodes with a large portion of the episode as flashback, preferably more, and they should have some impact on the story/characters (a brief explanation would be appreciated!). I’ve added some flashback explanations to a few of the shows in the poll, but they are to jog your memory, not represent every flashback in the show. (One more note – I’ve put Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel as one option since their flashbacks revolve around the same characters for the most part.)
Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, Pinterest, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Our toolbar at the bottom of the page has lots of quick links to help you share this post, or you can mouse over the image above!
Our next poll will be favorite Christmas episodes! Feel free to nominate episodes on our Facebook page, tweeting me at @waterfallbooks, or by leaving a comment below. Please include both the show and episode name, and yes, you can nominate this year’s holiday episodes!
Without further ado, choose up to ten of the shows below, but be sure to vote based on how awesome the flashbacks are! Poll will close Friday night, December 15th, giving you about a week and a half to spread the word!
Which TV show has the best flashbacks? (Choose up to 10!)
Once Upon a Time (Fairy Tale Land) (12%, 121 Votes)
Leverage (recreated past stories) (10%, 105 Votes)
How I Met Your Mother (Robin Sparkles, hippie Barney, college Ted, Marshall, and Lily) (10%, 102 Votes)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel (pasts of Darla, Angel, Drusilla, and Spike) (9%, 91 Votes)
Supernatural (8%, 78 Votes)
The Vampire Diaries (pasts of Damon, Stefan, Katherine, and Klaus) (7%, 71 Votes)
Psych (7%, 70 Votes)
Lost (5%, 53 Votes)
Friends (5%, 48 Votes)
Arrow (scenes on the island) (4%, 43 Votes)
Person of Interest (4%, 42 Votes)
NCIS (Gibbs' and Tony's pasts) (4%, 39 Votes)
White Collar (3%, 32 Votes)
Criminal Minds (3%, 27 Votes)
True Blood (2%, 22 Votes)
Pushing Daisies (2%, 20 Votes)
Nikita (1%, 14 Votes)
Highlander (1%, 13 Votes)
Being Human (BBC) (1%, 11 Votes)
Revolution (1%, 9 Votes)
Being Human (Syfy) (1%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 421
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Update – here are some pics I’ve edited to promote the poll! Now you have additional images you can pin on Pinterest, or you can share them on Tumblr, Facebook, and more! I’m working on getting more for the other shows, but you can help out by creating your own!
The holidays are coming to TV Breakroom a little early this year, as today we kick a three-poll arc celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas episodes! First up on the calendar, it’s time to vote for the spooky and funny episodes that either give you great ideas for costumes and pranks or make you afraid to sleep at night.
If there are any great Halloween episodes I left out, please nominate them in the comments! Side note – I love the vampire/Spanish symmetry of the left and right pictures above.
Poll will be open for one week, and you can vote for up to 3 episodes. Be sure to check out our other ongoing Olympic polls and the medal results on our main event page!
What's your favorite Halloween episode? (Choose up to 3!)
Supernatural - It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester (34%, 130 Votes)
NCIS - Code of Conduct (8%, 30 Votes)
Bones - Mummy in the Maze (7%, 28 Votes)
How I Met Your Mother - Slutty Pumpkin (6%, 24 Votes)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Fear Itself (6%, 22 Votes)
Castle - Vampire Weekend (5%, 20 Votes)
Criminal Minds - Devil's Night (5%, 20 Votes)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Halloween (5%, 19 Votes)
The Big Bang Theory - The Middle Earth Paradigm (4%, 16 Votes)
Chuck - Chuck Versus the Aisle of Terror (4%, 15 Votes)
The Big Bang Theory - The Good Guy Fluctuation (4%, 14 Votes)
Angel - Life of the Party (3%, 11 Votes)
Community - Epidemiology (3%, 10 Votes)
Community - Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps (2%, 8 Votes)
The Office - Halloween (1%, 5 Votes)
Suburgatory - Halloween (1%, 4 Votes)
Freaks and Geeks - Tricks and Treats (1%, 3 Votes)
Happy Endings - Spooky Endings (1%, 3 Votes)
Community - Introduction to Statistics (1%, 2 Votes)
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!)
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!)
Rick Castle (Nathan Fillion) - Castle (14%, 1,951 Votes)
John Winchester (Jeffery Dean Morgan & Matt Cohen) - Supernatural (10%, 1,362 Votes)
Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) - Eureka (5%, 681 Votes)
Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen) - Psych (4%, 620 Votes)
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!)
Spike (James Marsters) - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (9%, 3,410 Votes)
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!
Update: this poll is now closed. You can find this week’s poll here.
This time on Monday Madness, it’s time to vote for your favorite TV show that has run at least 7 seasons! Whether they are still wrapping up their season 7 or have reached the double-digits, these shows have endured to become TV legends.
This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite long-running shows. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10!
Even though there are 45 50 options on this list, I know there are shows I left out! As always, you can cast write-in ballots by leaving a comment. 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 1AM April 30th.
I like voting for things. Especially when they have to do with my favorite shows. So I thought I’d provide a quick rundown of this year’s People’s Choice Award Nominees. Just the TV section, mind you, and only the scripted shows. I usually haven’t seen most of the movies (I did vote for Thor over the very close choice of Captain America), and I’ve don’t listen to nearly all of the music artists.
FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA
Pretty much a no-brainer that I was voting for House. Supernatural hasn’t captured my attention, and while The Good Wife looks like a solid show, I’ve never seen it (blame my lawyer aversion). And Grey’s Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries look FAR too soapy for me.
FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR
How can I choose between David Boreanaz and Nathan Fillion? Fortunately, with this award, I can vote as often as I like, so I’ve been alternating between the two. Not so when the two face each other in Round 3 of TV Line’s “Ultimate Law-Enforcement Crushes Bracket Tournament.” I don’t know how I’ll pick. Nathan has Castle and Firefly and Dr. Horrible and now Much Ado About Nothing. David has Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I’m ignoring Nathan as Caleb since I hated him in that role) and Angel and Bones.
Hugh Laurie only gets a distant third in this category, and Ian Somerhalder and Patrick Dempsey are soundly ignored by me.
FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS
A very easy vote for Emily Deschanel. I haven’t even heard of some of the others on the list: Blake Lively, Ellen Pompeo, Eva Longoria, and Nina Dobrev.
FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA
Another super easy choice, as I only watch White Collar. Game of Thrones does sound good, though, and people have recommended Dexter to me. Don’t know about True Blood and Pretty Little Liars.
FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory gets my vote most of the time for this one, but I’ll occasionally vote for How I Met Your Mother as well. Interesting that Dr. Horrible is competing against his sidekick, Moist. I only enjoy Glee for the music, Two and a Half Men is crude instead of funny, and I’ve never seen Modern Family.
FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR
Hmm, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) or Barney (Neil Patrick Harris)? Same as above, I’ll usually tilt toward the Thursday night show but occasionally choose the Monday night one. Alec Baldwin, Chris Colfer, and Cory Monteith don’t make me laugh.
FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Kaley Cuoco wins hands down over Courteney Cox, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, and Tina Fey.
FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY
I don’t currently watch any of these, though I used to watch Royal Pains (seriously, why is this a nominee instead of Psych?). I may come back to the show later, I’m just not a huge fan of medical shows (House is the only one I watch now) and not too fond of the main character (loved Evan and Divya, though). It does get my vote over the shows I haven’t seen: Hot in Cleveland, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Nurse Jackie, and Weeds.
FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA
When I first saw the nominees for this category, I thought, Are you kidding? I’ve mentioned several times on this blog that Bones, Castle, and NCIS are my top three crime dramas, and all three were nominated this year! I voted for each of them. I’ve only seen bits of CSI and Criminal Minds episodes.
FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY SHOW
I’ve only seen Supernatural on this list, so I voted for it, but Fringe has been on my to-watch list for a long while. From what I’ve heard, I think I’d prefer True Blood to The Vampire Diaries (too bad my favorite currently-airing vampire show, Being Human, didn’t make the list), and since zombies bore me, The Walking Dead has only appeared on my radar since its ratings are good.
FAVORITE TV GUEST STAR
I loved Jim Carrey’s appearance on The Office, and would have much preferred his character to Robert California. Katy Perry’s appearance on How I Met Your Mother was funny, but I felt like most actresses could have played the role well. I didn’t see the appearances of Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Chenoweth, or Michael J. Fox.
FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Twelve options is a lot to choose from, but Once Upon a Time has wowed me in all three episodes. Ringer is a close second and gets my vote every once in a while. Person of Interest has built slowly but is improving, and Grimm’s two episodes have been good enough for me to keep watching.
Out of the remaining shows, I’ve only seen Unforgettable, which I hated. Pilots sometimes don’t match the rest of a show, but I couldn’t even get halfway through episode two. I’ve heard good things about Pan Am, Terra Nova, and Revenge, but my “new shows to try out” list already had 11 shows on it (plus more than a dozen returning shows). Medically-minded Hart of Dixie and A Gifted Man didn’t sound like quite my thing, and neither did The Secret Circle or Prime Suspect.
FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
2 Broke Girls was super-easy choice for this category, though Suburgatory has been good and New Girl has been okay. Guessed to be not my cup of tea by the previews: Whitney, Up All Night, Last Man Standing, and Man Up. I don’t watch animated TV (the only way I think I ever would was if Joss Whedon created an animated show), so no Allen Gregory.
What did you vote for? Are there any shows mentioned that you think I should be watching?
This episode started off with a glimpse at the middle of the episode (since it was a misdirect instead of stealing thunder from the climax, I didn’t mind), which seemed far more like an episode of Criminal Minds than Supernatural. That and the “normal” introduction to the attack – a friend falsely accused of murder – didn’t really influence me toward believing there was a natural explanation for all this. I hope Supernatural does throw in a few non-speculative scenarios eventually, if only to make red herrings less blatant. But in episode six of a show? The theory’s not even worth considering.
“Skin” did add a few twists to the shapeshifter trope. I hadn’t heard of the whole silver bullets thing to kill them before, but using silver to kill supernatural baddies is old hat. What impressed me was the whole “downloading memories,” thereby foiling the one easy way to tell the shapeshifter and the real person apart; needing the person to be alive to maintain the charade (unlike the First in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which needed the person to be dead to impersonate them); and the elaborate skin-shedding process (which was pretty gross).
I liked that this episode continued to build on Dean and Sam’s relationship, which still needs some work if I’m going to get addicted to this paranormal-battling duo. I hate that I’m still lukewarmish about this show. It’s been almost two months since I watched the first episode and this is only number 6. In that same amount of time I’d watched 4 seasons of Bones, or watched 5 seasons of Buffy and 2 of Angel.
What say you, Supernatural fans? Should I keep going or give up on the show?
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