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March Madness Comes to TV Breakroom

TV Breakroom is doing its own version of March Madness! And there’s a prize!

You will vote between two shows by leaving a comment with your choice on a bracket post (not on this post – though feel free to predict the winner here!). Every 6 days this month, I will close the comments, add up the totals, and set things up for the next stage of the bracket. I’ll link to all of the bracket posts here.

Every comment you leave throughout the month, whether to vote in the bracket or normal comments on other posts, will count as one entry toward a $15 Amazon gift card. Only one comment per post will count as an entry, and comments flagged as spam will be ignored. Contest begins on March 1, 2012 at 12:01 EST and ends March 31, 2012 at 11:59 EDT. Winner must provide email address and respond to winning notification within 3 days.

For a show to qualify, it had to air at least 5 new episodes between June 1, 2011 and February 29, 2012. It also has to be a US show (airing originally on a US broadcast or cable network, no matter where it was filmed), and I have to have seen at least 5 episodes of the show.

Here is the final match-up! The order in which shows would face each other was created by Random.org. Click the match-up to go to its bracket post and vote! Voting for this round ends around 1AM on March 31st, so get your votes in now!

Psych vs. Castle

Update – go here to see the winner!

Here are the 32 shows:

~~Leverage~~
~~Supernatural~~
~~New Girl~~
~~Rizzoli & Isles~~
~~White Collar~~
~~Chuck~~
~~Grimm~~
Psych
~~Nikita~~
~~Community~~
~~The Big Bang Theory~~
~~Ringer~~
~~NCIS~~
~~Being Human (SyFy)~~
~~Eureka~~
~~Once Upon a Time~~
~~Suburgatory~~
~~House~~
~~The Office~~
~~Burn Notice~~
~~Bones~~
~~NCIS: Los Angeles~~
~~Warehouse 13~~
~~Alphas~~
~~Blue Bloods~~
~~The Finder~~
~~2 Broke Girls~~
~~How I Met Your Mother~~
~~Suits~~
~~Person of Interest~~
~~Castle~~
~~Covert Affairs~~

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Fox Moves Bones to Mondays, Touch Premieres March 22

Fox has decided to juggle its spring schedule around like crazy! Bones is moving to Mondays at 8 after Alcatraz finishes its initial run – yay for getting Bones back 3 days earlier than anticipated (April 2 versus April 5), but boo for competing shows. House will move back to its old spot of 9PM on Mondays the same day, and have all new episodes until the two-hour retrospective/finale May 21.

Thursdays, The Finder will air a spring finale March 8, and return at an undetermined time. Its rating indicate that it’s likely to be canceled, but I’d be happy if it continued to share a timeslot with Bones. It feels like a summer show. I love the crossover episodes and would like to see more of them (I expect Isabel will show up on Bones the next time a U.S. Marshall is needed).

Touch will premiere Thursday, March 22, at 9, taking the typical Bones/The Finder slot after American Idol.

Fox Moves Bones to Mondays, Touch Premieres March 22.

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Five ways Psych is like Sherlock Holmes’ “The Red-Headed League” | CliqueClack TV

With all the discussion about the show Elementary “stealing” the idea of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes from BBC’s Sherlock, I thought this article comparing Holmes and Psych was especially apt. Usually House is touted as already being an American version of Sherlock Holmes, but this article clearly shows that Psych can be considered one as well. From gathering clues through observation to a medically-inclined sidekick/friend/indispensable colleague, Shawn and Sherlock aren’t as far apart as they might first appear.

Five ways Psych is like Sherlock Holmes’ “The Red-Headed League” | CliqueClack TV.

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NCIS, House, Smash Spoilers — Spoiler Alert!

Fun new episode of Spoiler Alert! – with an appearance by Michael Weatherly (giving suggestions for Jimmy’s bachelor party), as well as actors from Cougar Town giving a dramatic reading of a scene of Smash. Ausiello and Mitovich also discuss their wishes for House’s final episodes.

NCIS, House, Smash Spoilers — Spoiler Alert!.

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Dan’s Media Digest: ELEMENTARY, dear Jonny

I’ve heard bits about Elementary, an American modern take on Sherlock Holmes (as opposed to the British modern take, Sherlock) for months, but they finally have cast the detective himself. Jonny Lee Miller (who I know from his playing the leading man in several Jane Austen adaptions) will be bringing the distinctly British legend to New York.

Some people are claiming it’s a blatant rip-off of Sherlock. I think that it may be inspired by the show, but I’m kind of glad it’s not a direct remake. Those type of shows (Being Human, The Office) usually take a season before they start being their own show. And two recent American remakes of British shows haven’t succeeded very well (Free Agents, Prime Suspect).

For another thing, a modern reimagining of Sherlock Holmes has already been gracing US TV for 8 years. House turned the detective into an antisocial doctor fascinated by medical mysteries. It seems fitting that Elementary should get its chance as House is ending.

I’m not delusional in thinking that Elementary will live up to the greatness of Sherlock. But given that it takes a full year or more to get three 90-minute episodes of the British show, I think there’s room for a show that explores Holmes’ brilliance and idiosyncrasies on a more frequent basis. Plus Elementary will have a unique fish-out-of-water aspect if Holmes is a recent transplant to America.

Thanks to Ruth Anderson for the link!

Dan’s Media Digest: ELEMENTARY, dear Jonny.

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NCIS: LA, House — News and Spoilers — Inside Line

It’s rare that I read a multi-show spoiler article that mostly features shows I actually watch, but this one does, down to every character pictured above! From a Kensi-centric NCIS: Los Angeles episode to a Chase-centric House episode, there’s tons of news! There are also hints at future episodes of Person of Interest, White Collar, The Big Bang Theory, and 2 Broke Girls.

NCIS: LA, House — News and Spoilers — Inside Line.

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Bones Returns in 2012 — Season 7 Return Date, April 5

Less than two months before Bones returns! It will replace its spinoff show, The Finder, which will finish its first season in March. Currently, IMDb has 13 episodes listed for The Finder, with the 12th episode airing the last Thursday in March, but they could easily play 2 episodes during one night to make up for it if IMDb’s information is accurate.

The Finder hasn’t been doing so well in the ratings, so I hope it will pick up soon. The fifth episode airs today. Four episodes in, it’s not yet “must watch” TV for me, but it’s quirky and lighthearted. It almost seems a better fit for USA Network than Fox. If I miss watching shows on Thursday, The Finder tends to be the second one I watch online the next day (right after The Big Bang Theory), which indicates I enjoy more than its competition (Person of Interest and The Office). At least House ending will add another slot to Fox’s fall schedule, which may improve The Finder’s chances of being renewed.

Bones Returns in 2012 — Season 7 Return Date, April 5.

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House Canceled After End of 8th Season – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers

Wow, it’s hard to believe this: House is ending this year. I find it hard to imagine Hugh Laurie playing any other character. And Wilson! No more one-upmanship and pranks between him and House. House is the first “real” show I started watching as an adult (didn’t have TV for most of my teens), and the only medical show I still watch and love. Sad to see it go.

House Canceled After End of 8th Season – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers.

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Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on NCIS, Grey’s, Glee, House, HIMYM, Five-0, Gossip Girl and More! – TVLine

Wow, so many good tidbits of info about future episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles, Suburgatory, Private Practice, and much, much more! (See list of tags for all the shows that come up in this fun article!)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on NCIS, Grey’s, Glee, House, HIMYM, Five-0, Gossip Girl and More! – TVLine.

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People’s Choice Awards 2012 Nominees – PeoplesChoice.com

Well, I told you all who I voted for this year – now to look at the results! Full results list with all the winners and nominees is linked at the bottom of this post.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA

I voted for House, Supernatural won.

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR

I voted for both David Boreanaz and Nathan Fillion, and Fillon won!

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS

I voted for Bones’ Emily Deschanel, but The Vampire Diaries’ Nina Dobrev won.

FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA

Pretty Little Liars won. I really wish it had been White Collar – an excellent show that more people should be talking about.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY

I voted for both The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother, and HIMYM won.

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR

HIMYM continues conquer as Neil Patrick Harris won. I voted for both him and Jim Parsons.

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS

Voted for Kaley Cuoco, but Glee’s Lea Michele won.

FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY

Don’t currently watch any, but Hot in Cleveland won.

FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA

Voted for my 3 favorite ones, all nominated this year: Bones, Castle, and NCIS. Castle won.

FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY SHOW

I’d only seen Supernatural on this list, so I voted for it, and it won.

FAVORITE TV GUEST STAR

Katy Perry’s appearance on How I Met Your Mother won this, though I preferred Jim Carrey on The Office (wish he would have had more of a role).

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA

Surprised that Person of Interest won this! It’s a solid show that keeps improving, but hasn’t seem to create the buzz and fans that shows like Once Upon a Time (which I voted for) have.

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY

2 Broke Girls was my vote, and it won.

People’s Choice Awards 2012 Nominees – PeoplesChoice.com.

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Fall 2011 Comedy Verdicts

I just made a list of all the shows I’m behind on (it’s getting to be quite a few), but I quickly realized there is one type of show I haven’t put off watching – comedies! Of course, their usual 20-minute length makes them a bit more compatible with a busy schedule than a 45-minute show, but I believe it’s also because I’ve been in the mood to laugh. Continue reading Fall 2011 Comedy Verdicts

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People’s Choice Awards 2012

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?

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Some Other Beginning’s End

Thanks to this week’s episode of The Office, I’ve had “Closing Time” (Semisonic) running through my head all evening. Especially haunting is the line: Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

For some reason, I transferred that idea to TV shows. How many great shows exist because actors’ previous shows were canceled (either prematurely or not)?

To start off, let’s take a look at the poster child for all canceled shows: Firefly. Many of the actors have gone on to have guest spots and reoccurring roles in other shows, and some have even become regular cast members of other shows that were canceled in turn (Morena Baccarin in V, Summer Glau in The Cape, etc.). But out of the ashes of the Serenity rose two other great shows, now in their 4th and 5th seasons.

Nathan Fillion is Castle. It is impossible to imagine another actor playing his role on the show, and since Fillion influenced Stana Katic becoming his co-star, Beckett would be different as well.

While I suppose Chuck could have survived without Adam Baldwin playing John Casey, would we have wanted it to? His grunts and relationship with Morgan make the show.

Another show that came to mind immediately was Angel. It was canceled, and a year later, David Boreanaz ended up on Bones as Agent Seeley Booth. As much as I would have wanted Angel to continue, I think the actor is much more suited to the role of Booth.

The gap between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and How I Met Your Mother was a bit longer (2 years), but I love Alyson Hannigan in both. It seems a bit of a stretch to include Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ringer, since 15 seasons seems highly improbable for any show, and I don’t see Gellar “owning” Siobhan/Bridget yet. Anthony Stewart Head’s transition from Giles to King Uther on Merlin is more apt.

Dollhouse also pulls actors from the three ended shows above, but in a less lead-actor-to-lead-actor way. The show that really had to end so we could have Dollhouse was Battlestar Galactica. Tahmoh Penikett was vital to both shows.

I never watched Lost, so I don’t know how vital Michael Emerson’s role was to the show, but I can’t imagine Person of Interest without him.

And then there’s the whole issue of characters dying on one show only to wind up on another. Sometimes they “die” because of the new show. I could go on for hours listing examples of this, but this post would end up so full of spoilers that no one could read it without coming across something they didn’t know. So I’ll stay mum for now.

Less spoilery is characters moving away or otherwise disappearing from the scope of a show before the end to star in a different show. Jared Padalecki bowed out of Gilmore Girls two years before it ended to begin Supernatural. Jennifer Morrison joined How I Met Your Mother for a year between House and Once Upon a Time.

What shows that you loved had to die so you could get a different show to love?

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Once Upon a Time – A Perfect Fairy Tale

I watched the trailer for this show about a dozen times before the premiere. The premise – fairytale characters trapped in our world with no memory of who they once were – intrigued me, and the visual effects were stunning. I only hoped the show itself would be half as good.

It far, far exceeded my expectations.

Both worlds captured my attention from the start – the fairytale land full of woods and castles and elaborate clothes, and the trapped-in-time town of Storybrooke, Maine, with its quaint touches and secrets. And transitioning between the two wasn’t difficult at all, since both stories progressed in chronological order.

The fairytale story: After Prince Charming awakens Snow White with a kiss, the evil Queen threatens to ruin their happiness. The newly-married and expecting couple visit Rumpelstiltskin in the dungeon to find out more about this threat. In exchange for the baby’s name, he tells them that their daughter will return to save them from the Queen’s curse on her 28th birthday. When the Queen arrives, the Prince has just enough time to hide his baby daughter in the magic tree/wardrobe/portal they’d been preparing so she won’t be frozen in time and trapped like the rest of them.

The contemporary story: Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison from House) celebrates her 28th birthday with a fake date with a bail jumper (guest appearance from Alphas’ Warren Christie) and a lonely cupcake. But as soon as she makes a wish and blows out the candle, the son she gave up for adoption 10 years ago appears at her door. As she drives Henry back home that evening, he tells her that all the stories in his book of fairy tales are true, and that she’s in the book, too. He says his adoptive mother, the town mayor, is the evil Queen from the story, his teacher is Snow White, and his therapist is Jiminy Cricket. But now that Emma has come to town, she can battle the Queen and free everyone.

The first episode set the bar high as it established both story worlds and the main characters. I absolutely loved the Prince’s swordfight while holding his newborn daughter. And it was fun seeing all the creative touches the real world character had of their fairy tale counterparts: the Queen’s obsession with apples, Jiminy Cricket’s green scarf, Red Riding Hood’s crimson hair streaks.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the second episode, “The Thing You Love the Most,” but it was nearly as good as the first. Emma begins to learn just how strong the Mayor’s hold is on the town, and to actively work against her after Regina has her framed. Sheriff Graham popped up once again to arrest Emma, and he’s the one character in the show so far whose fairy tale counterpart is a mystery. My friend, Ruth, suggested he may be the Queen’s Huntsman, which I think fits perfectly with the story. I’m looking forward to how his relationship with Emma progresses.

I thought there was a good chance that the pilot was the last we’d see for a while of the fairytale world, but I couldn’t have been happier to be proven wrong. This time it focused on the Queen’s story: what she was up to during the year or so between her threats and her attack, who her allies were, how she got the spell, and what she had to sacrifice to cast it. And it’s not to build sympathy for her character – if anything, she seemed even more evil. Such a twisted and selfish view of happiness.

And Rumpelstiltskin seems a little less of a bad guy in league with the Queen and more of a manipulative man with his own agenda. As Mr. Gold, he doesn’t seem to have forgotten anything about his fairytale life – or at least he remembered enough to have Regina adopt Snow White’s grandson to eventually bring Emma to Storybrooke, and to not trust Regina.

Speaking of Henry, he is a perfect mixture of faith and cunning. It’s amazing that he could have grown up as sweet as he did with Regina. It was interesting to find out the story behind his name in the latest episode.

And I loved that all three characters – Snow White/Mary Margaret, Emma, and Henry – prefer hot chocolate with cinnamon. It looked so good that I made some up for myself! 🙂

(By the way, the winner of the Psych contest has been notified, and I’ll mention the winner when I announce the November contest later this week. Can you guess the theme? 🙂 All November comments will count toward it, so feel free to start!)

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House – Waiting for the Real Team

I was waiting for this show to establish the “new normal” before blogging about this season, but I’m getting the feeling that may be several episodes away. House hasn’t had this much upheaval since the end of season three/beginning of season four, when he lost his entire team and had to choose a new one (which took more than a third of the season).

Added to that is the displacement from early season six, only this time House isn’t in a psychiatric hospital, but a prison. There’s also the rift in his friendship with Wilson (a la season five). But the writers did bring something new to the table, though it didn’t originate with them: the departure of Cuddy.

Amazing what driving into a building can do.

The jury’s still out on whether all the upheaval will save this aging show. I really wanted to see the “new” team and how they worked with House before I made a judgment. After hearing about Lisa Edelstein leaving, I was almost positive this would be the last season. Now, I’m not so sure.

I’m mostly discounting the first and third episodes of this season. “Twenty Vicodin” was basically just House being House in prison. Fun to watch, but not a good indicator of the rest of the season. “Charity Case” was a farewell episode for Thirteen, with some bits on how Adams and Park get along (but who knows whether both of them will end up on the team).

Episode two, “Transplant,” showed that this show probably isn’t anywhere near done yet. First was the surprise reveal of the new dean of medicine:

House: Tell the dean that I don’t want to see her.
Guard: He said you’d say that.
House: He?

Cut to the visiting room, wherein sits Foreman.

It was quite a pleasant surprise. I’d assumed they were bringing in someone new, but promoting Foreman seems just as perfect as promoting Andy in The Office. Foreman knows how House works, what tricks he will play, and how to keep him under control while giving him enough leeway to figure out the cases.

Dr. Chi Park is an interesting addition to the show. I loved her in this episode, but I was starting to get a bit of tired of her by the end of her next episode. I think, like some of the more annoying squinterns on Bones (Daisy, anyone?), she’d better in small, infrequent doses than as a regular member of the team. (Oh, and speaking of Bones, they played a new preview for it during the latest House episode. Can’t wait for the new season!)

The “lungs in a box” patient made the episode unusual by itself, and I love how Foreman knew House wouldn’t be able to resist the case.

House’s efforts to repair his relationship with Wilson show how much he has grown over the seasons. Sure, he is still relentless and over the top – his playing “My Heart Will Go On” in Wilson’s office was hilarious – but he was also direct and open about needing to have Wilson in his life. He asked about Wilson’s arm and admitted he was wrong. Their closing scene ended the episode perfectly.

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