Here are TV’s top villains, as voted by all of you! I expanded this to the top 15 since many of the villains were from the same shows. Also, I’m posting this a day later than usual since I was away yesterday.
#15 Phil Constantino (Timothy Omundson) – Jericho
Continue reading Top 15 TV Villains
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
In a hard-fought battle by fans (only the winner was helped out with actor retweets), two Firefly couples and THREE Once Upon a Time couples made it into the top 10! And don’t forget, the top 20 couples from this poll will battle against the top 20 couples from realistic shows later on this year!
Here are the winners, chosen by you, the voters:
#10 Wash (Alan Tudyk) and Zoe (Gina Torres) – Firefly
Continue reading Top 10 Favorite TV Couples – Speculative
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
In part two of our TV couples Monday Madness, we’re looking at couples in speculative TV shows! Whether it’s sci fi, fantasy, paranormal, historical myths, or just a futuristic bent, these shows all have something out of the ordinary, even if the couples in them are perfectly normal human beings.
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-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. 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 4th.
UPDATE: poll has ended. Go vote in this week’s poll!
Which is your favorite TV couple? - Speculative Division (Choose up to 10)
Total Voters: 2,191
Loading ...Continue reading Monday Madness: Favorite TV Couples – Speculative
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
Last week’s poll received a record 45,198 voters! However, the site pageviews did not justify that many votes. There’s a chance that the poll was embedded on different sites, but it’s more likely that the poll was hacked. It’s impossible to tell which votes are fraudulent, however. All of the top 5 characters seem to have some degree of auto-voting, but before the sudden spikes in voting, all of those characters were in the top 10. So this top 10 list is fairly accurate, however the actual order may be incorrect.
To prevent future auto-votes, I would have to subscribe to a voting system costing $300/year or more. So I would ask that if you want your favorite shows/characters to win a particular poll, you share the link on social networks and fan sites instead of automating votes. I would hate to have to discontinue Monday Madness because of cheating.
But back to the fun! Here are the winners of last week’s poll!
Number 10: Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Continue reading Top 10 Favorite Undead/Nonhuman Characters
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.
This poll sponsored by Nannerbug Designs.
What's your favorite long-running TV show? (Choose up to 10!)
Total Voters: 8,438
Loading ...This time on Monday Madness, it’s time to vote for your favorite undead/nonhuman characters! Whether they are ghosts, vampires, aliens, werewolves, or something a bit more unconventional, they add color and plot twists to every show they are a part of.
This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite undead or nonhuman characters. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10!
Even though there are 40 options on this list, I know there are many great characters I left out! As always, you can cast write-in ballots by leaving a comment. 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 April 23rd.
Update: this poll has ended – results post is here. You can vote on this week’s poll, Favorite Long-Running TV Show, here.
Who's your favorite undead/nonhuman character? (Choose up to 10)
Total Voters: 45,198
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The litmus test for a comedy is simple: does it make you laugh? This fall I’ve tried out 5 new comedies: Free Agents, 2 Broke Girls, Suburgatory, How to Be a Gentleman, and New Girl. Here’s a quick rundown on what the shows are like and whether they’re worth watching.
New Girl
Laugh rating: A smirk here and there
Fox’s ultra-cutesy comedy about a clueless young woman (Zooey Deschanel) who moves in with three guys after she finds her boyfriend cheating on her. I almost didn’t watch a second episode after I cringed through most of the pilot. Deschanel’s usual quirkiness is pushed way over the top, and her character’s habit of randomly singing quickly became the most annoying thing about the show. Fortunately Jess dials back the singing a bit in episode 2, which was more enjoyable but didn’t put the show on my “will watch” list. I may try a third episode if I’m in the mood for something lighthearted, but the Hallmark movie moments at the end of the episodes tip the scales toward likely not. But if you’re into silly, heartwarming comedies, you might want to give New Girl a try. The three roommates (one who previously played Leo on Veronica Mars) and their frustration with and big brother attitudes toward Jess, are easily the best part of the show.
Free Agents
Laugh rating: Laughing out loud
This isn’t the type of show that would normally catch my interest, but I checked it out solely because of Anthony Stewart Head (Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and King Uther on Merlin). I’m so glad I did! The pilot was more raunchy than I would have liked, but the second episode toned it down some, and the third episode was just about perfect. The acting on this show is just superb. The two leads (Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn) say more with their faces in one scene than many shows do in entire episodes (Person of Interest – I’m looking at you!). I’ve heard complaints that the writing in the pilot isn’t so great, but the following episodes stepped things up. (Besides, I think this cast could make reading a cereal box funny.) The side characters are a bit stereotypical, but the show knows that and has fun with it.
The third episode, “Dr. Hu,” made me laugh more than this season’s first 3 episodes of The Big Bang Theory (which I previously considered my favorite currently-airing network comedy) combined. First, they made a lovely Doctor Who joke out of the therapist’s name. Second, watching the irrepressible Emma take over the umbrella ad campaign was hilarious, and I loved her going crazy at the idea of having to pitch. Third, Tony Head made a joke about American sports (which made me flash back to Giles making fun of football – “strap on forty pounds of protective gear just in order to play rugby”). Fourth, Alex and Helen’s individual arguments with Dr. Hu were fun, but nothing compared to their joint meltdown in front of him at the restaurant. And I love that they went from yelling at each other to blaming him, and then settled down to a normal “date.” Fifth, the security guard demonstrating how dangerous an umbrella can be added the perfect closing note to the episode.
How to Be a Gentleman
Laugh rating: A few smiles
Unlike the previous shows, I’ve only gotten to see the pilot of this show, most of which was spoiled by the promos. So I may change my mind about it. This show works best when contrasting the two main characters, uptight etiquette columnist Andrew, and gym rat and former bully Bert. I hope Bert’s efforts to bring Andrew into modern times doesn’t ruin their Odd Couple charm. My favorite part of the show is Andrew’s voiceovers about how a gentleman should behave. I’m not too fond of Bert, or sold on Andrew’s family, and the jokes got a little raunchy for my taste, but I’m going to give it at least another episode.
Wow, while checking names for this post I just realized the actor who plays Andrew, David Hornsby, is married to Emily Deschanel (Bones). But seriously, Henry Hornsby? How could they do that to a kid?
Suburgatory
Laugh rating: Some snickering
Like Free Agents (with which it shares a time slot), I checked out this “out of my normal type” of show because of a Whedonverse alum, this time Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Dollhouse). He plays a friend of the dad, and I’ve only seen the pilot of this as well, so I’m not sure how much of a role he’ll have in the show. The premise of the show is fun – a motherless teenager from the heart of the city moves to the suburbs with her dad, and enters a world of overly cheerful, plastic, stay-at-home moms and their mall-trotting daughters. At the end of the pilot she seems to be more okay with her new life, but I hope the show doesn’t lose its fish-out-of-water edge. I’ll definitely be watching the next episode, but most likely online. (Though if I want to help out Free Agents, whose ratings are low, it’s probably better that I watch on Hulu where they can track my viewing than on TV, where they won’t.)
2 Broke Girls
Laugh rating: Chuckling
Just as How to Be a Gentleman brings reminders of The Odd Couple, 2 Broke Girls seems to reimagine another classic show about two working girls who share an apartment – Laverne and Shirley. While Shirley was never rich, her prim and proper ways match Caroline’s very well, and Max’s no-nonsense ways seem very Laverne-esque. The show isn’t all that unique, and neither are the characters and the setting, but for some reason the over-the-top acting just works, and the show manages to feel fresh and relatable at the same time. Caroline may be ditzy, and Max may have a tough exterior, but they both have enough heart to make their unlikely friendship believable. I also love the gimmick of having their earnings toward the cupcake shop add up at the end of each episode.
My verdict: I’m definitely going to keep watching Free Agents and 2 Broke Girls. It’s highly likely that Suburgatory will make it on my list too, but I have to see more than one episode to know for sure. I”ll probably give New Girl and How to Be a Gentleman one more episode to prove themselves to me, but I’m quite likely to drop them as I run out of time to watch shows.
I fell in love with this unlikely comedy from episode one, and I’m looking forward to an amazing third season – even if they “have more fun and be less weird than the first two years combined.” (Though, wouldn’t that mean they could be more weird than either of the previous years, just not as much as both of them put together?)
Side note: I might have blogged about The Big Bang Theory instead today, especially since it had two episodes airing last night compared to Community’s one, but I just wasn’t impressed with its episodes. Too much raunchy stuff, reminding me that the show came from the same mind as Two and a Half Men. I really hope the rest of the season isn’t like that.
“Biology 101” offered two weird glimpses in to the mind of Jeff Winger, beginning with the crazy music opening quoted above. Hilarious to think that Jeff daydreams in musicals. The second is a monkey-gas-induced trip into the power of the study group table – but more on that later.
And yes, there shall be spoilers!
Dean Pelton steps into his new role as regular cast member with a new adversary, his vice-dean, played by John Goodman. I’m not all that fond of the dean, so I hope he doesn’t take over the show, but he’s tolerable and even funny in small doses, like Senor Chang. I loved it when Chang emerged from the air vent and said, “Don’t tell the monkey I live here.”
And Pierce is back! For good it seems, thanks to the events of this episode. For a bit it seemed like he was back to his nefarious ways, but no, he seems to have improved over the summer. The fight over the spot in the biology class was fun, though, even with Jeff’s weird vision of himself eating his cell phone and Pierce on his deathbed, still reaching for the study group table.
I like the new teacher. It’s nice that it seems the group will be actually learning something this year, as opposed to the craziness of having Chang, Betty White, and Duncan as teachers in the past. He even got Jeff’s attention, though admittedly, the reason Jeff paid attention is because he didn’t want to lose his study group.
It’s interesting, though – if the group needs the cohesiveness of taking the same class, does that make a fifth year of the show completely out of the picture? I just hope the ratings are good enough this year to at least get a fourth year and bring the series to a natural close.
A highlight of the episode is when Abed freaks out when he hears that Cougar Town won’t come back until mid-season. Britta hopes to comfort him with the British version, Cougarton Abbey, but fails to mention it’s only six episodes long. When the sixth episode of his “new favorite show” ends with everyone drinking hemlock, Abed becomes nearly catatonic. He finally snaps out of it when Britta introduces him to another British show that’s been airing since the 1960s, Inspector Spacetime (a clear parody of Doctor Who).
And Chang gets a new job as a security guard for the college. I love Jeff’s response to that: “Interesting. And this is the year we all die.”
