For our next pair of matchups, a current classic with a controversial ending faces a beloved comedy with one of the most-watched series finales of all time. On the drama side, Christian Kane fans will have a bit of a dilemma – after getting his two best-known shows to places #1 and #2 in the past drama nominating round, they face each other in this first round!
This poll 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!
May Madness - Comedy, Round 1.2
M*A*S*H (75%, 200 Votes)
How I Met Your Mother (25%, 68 Votes)
Total Voters: 268
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May Madness - Drama, Round 1.2
Leverage (90%, 224 Votes)
Angel (10%, 26 Votes)
Total Voters: 250
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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!
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!
I love TV-related bracket tournaments. What I don’t love is said tournaments leaving out so many great shows (yes, Hulu, I’m looking at you), and not giving TV fans a chance to pick which shows are included.
So in preparation for TV Breakroom’s May Madness bracket tournament, you, this site’s readers, get to choose which 64 shows will battle it out for the best show of all time!
I’m dividing this competition into four sections (though the bracket itself will be randomized), between past and present shows, as well as comedies and dramas. Present shows will include renewed shows and any shows that have aired episodes October 2013 or later (even if they have since been canceled). Comedies will include all 20-30 minute shows, while dramas will include 40 minute plus shows, even if they are very funny. So Psych, which you might consider a past TV comedy, will actually be among the present TV dramas. Each of these 4 sections will have their own nomination poll, in consecutive weeks. Last week’s poll selected great dramas like Leverage, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and 14 others! (Update: A three-way tie for 16th place was broken by a one-day Facebook poll, and Veronica Mars secured the last spot.)
This site’s typical guidelines (scripted, live-action, primetime shows) apply. So don’t look for (or nominate) The Simpsons, Whose Line is It Anyway?, daytime soaps, or variety shows. Online shows like those created by Netflix and Amazon are eligible, web series with episodes shorter than 20 minutes (no matter how much we love The Guild) are not. Shows must have aired either a full season or at least 5 episodes to be eligible as well.
I did my best to include all the current TV comedies that meet the guidelines. Feel free to nominate any great ones I missed, and if they meet the guidelines I’ve outlined above, I will add them to the poll.
This poll will be open for one week, and you can vote for up to 10 of your favorite current TV comedies. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into our bracket tournament next month!
Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s May Madness nominations! Voting ends around 12AM April 28th, and the top 16 will make it into our bracket.
Which current TV comedies deserve to be in our May Madness bracket? (Choose up to 10!)
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?
Networks have cleaned house, and their cancellations means more time for me to watch other shows. But as I don’t have time to watch my current shows, and there are a bunch of new shows debuting next season, which ones will have priority?
I’m holding off on most decisions for new shows until we get a bumper crop of promos during this week’s upfronts. And since I did a decent job at choosing shows this past year, I’m not going to gain many extra hours. I didn’t lose any shows from CBS and the CW, and only one from Fox (Ben & Kate). NBC freed up some sitcom time by canceling 4 new comedies I enjoyed and ending The Office; they also got rid of Smash, but since I’ve only made time for an episode or two this season, it doesn’t really help. ABC got rid of two comedies I liked and a drama I abandoned early on. So in reality, with shows canceled early and ones I fell behind on, I’m only gaining about 2 hours of TV time to put toward new shows, and one of those is already devoted to Agents of SHIELD.
Fall 2013 is going to be very, very busy.
Below is a rough categorization of which shows I will be keeping up with more stringently and which I will be letting slide. A lot of factors are going into this, so it’s not just which shows I like best. CBS and NBC are the only two networks I get on my main TV, so those are more likely to be watched live. Live TV brings promos for other shows on the network, so to avoid spoilers, I want to stay caught up with all shows on a network. I’m more likely to watch CBS shows live since they’re not on Hulu and I hate CBS’s player. Also, crime shows and comedies are less likely to include spoilers in promos and/or online post-airing. I also took into account what it was like to fall behind on many of these shows this season, and how that effected my viewing. A few of these shows I watch live with my sister when we can, and others are talked about in the office where I work, so I like to stay current with those.
Shows to watch immediately:
The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Arrow
Shows to watch within the week:
Once Upon a Time, Elementary, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Person of Interest, Community, The Vampire Diaries
Shows to watch when I can:
Castle, Suburgatory, The Mindy Project, New Girl
Shows to watch eventually:
Bones, Grimm, Nikita
Shows I may abandon:
The Neighbors, Beauty and the Beast
That equals (adding in previous tiers as I go): 2 hours of immediate viewing, 8 1/2 hours within a week, 11 hours when I can, 14 hours eventually, and 15 1/2 hours of renewed television available for me to watch on broadcast networks every week.
So far, I have 66 1/2 hours’ worth of these shows to catch up with from this season, not to mention 27 hours of canceled ones. Let’s say each has aired 10 original episodes since I started my job in January. Adding back in the 2 hours of canceled shows, and we have 175 hours of original broadcast TV airing. I’ve fallen behind by close to half. And cable is even worse – I only watch Doctor Who consistently. Yes, I will probably have time to catch up this summer amid cable shows, but next fall?
Both good news and bad news popped on the radar last night. For the good, How I Met Your Mother was renewed for a ninth season! Jason Segel had decided to not to do another season, but at the last moment he changed his mind. I’m kind of hoping the show reveals the mother at the end of this season, and we get to see her and Ted’s relationship in the ninth season, but who knows what the show’s creators have up their sleeves?
Sad news for Leverage fans, though – the show has been canceled, and Christmas Day’s season five finale will be the series finale. Executive producer Dean Devlin had stated that they “decided to end this season with the episode we had planned to make to end the series, way back when we shot the pilot. So, the episode that will air on Christmas is, in fact, the series finale we had always envisioned.” Leverage’s “The Ho Ho Ho Job” is currently winning our poll for favorite Christmas episode. While I still love the show, I have to admit that a few of the later episodes haven’t been as compelling (though the finale looks like it’s going to be awesome!). I’ll be kind of sad if the show ends without us finding out Sophie’s real name, or without Eliot finding someone (poor dude has been the odd man out now that Nate and Sophie and Hardison and Parker are together). And I look forward to seeing where the actors end up next year!
Also renewed – Psych! It’s been given a season 8 before season 7 has even begun to air. It’s only an 8-episode season, though (a shorter season sometimes indicates a final season, but they haven’t stated it’s the final one). That may be to get the show on a different schedule, as what used to be a summer show was pushed back to a fall, and now a late winter, start.
Other news: the final main actor (Chloe Bennet) for the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot has been cast, and she’s another newbie to the Whedonverse, making Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson) the only Whedonverse actor to have a regular role in the show. Speaking of the ‘Verse, Jewel Staite’s show The L.A. Complex has been canceled by the CW (it was previously canceled on its original Canadian broadcast channel, but it’s dismal US ratings made it unlikely to be saved by the CW).
The CW seems to be moving away from glitz and glamour and toward grittier drama with an archery bent (and who wouldn’t, after Arrow’s success?). The network has just ordered a script for Sherwood, a period drama about a noblewoman who joins up with Robin Hood and his merry men as she tries to find and free her serf boyfriend.
On the network’s Beauty and the Beast, Sendhil Ramamurthy (Covert Affairs, Heroes) will reoccur as an ambitious assistant district attorney determined to find the vigilante (aka Vincent) who’s been stalking the streets.
AMC has renewed The Walking Dead for season 4 (big surprise), but Glen Mazzara is stepping down as showrunner.
Brian Klugman is joining Bones as a new squintern, as some of that weird, brillant group will possibly depart for other projects.
It’s hard to believe Christmas will be here in about a week! One of my favorite parts of the season are the awesome holiday episodes shows put out, and now it’s your turn to vote for your favorites! I purposely saved this poll for right before Christmas so I could add in some of 2012’s holiday episodes.
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!
I know I’m missing some of your favorite Christmas episodes, so feel free to nominate more 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! (Be sure to stick with live-action, scripted shows, though it’s fine if just this one episode has some animation, like with a certain Community episode.) Please only nominate Christmas episodes that are part of a regular show, not one-off specials like “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or movie-related specials like “Shrek the Halls.”
Without further ado, vote for up to fifteen of the episodes below! Poll will close Sunday night, December 23rd, giving you one week to spread the word!
What's your favorite Christmas episode? (Choose up to 15!)
Leverage - The Ho Ho Ho Job (17%, 154 Votes)
Supernatural - A Very Supernatural Christmas (8%, 76 Votes)
Doctor Who - The Christmas Invasion (5%, 43 Votes)
Doctor Who - Voyage of the Damned (4%, 35 Votes)
Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol (4%, 35 Votes)
Doctor Who - The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (4%, 34 Votes)
The Big Bang Theory - The Bath Gift Item Hypothesis (3%, 31 Votes)
Psych - Gus's Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy (3%, 26 Votes)
Bones - The Man in the Fallout Shelter (3%, 24 Votes)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Amends (3%, 24 Votes)
How I Met Your Mother - How Lily Stole Christmas (2%, 23 Votes)
The Big Bang Theory - The Santa Simulation (2%, 22 Votes)
Castle - Secret Santa (2%, 21 Votes)
NCIS - Faith (2%, 20 Votes)
NCIS - Newborn King (2%, 19 Votes)
Bones - The Santa in the Slush (2%, 19 Votes)
Friends - The One With the Holiday Armadillo (2%, 18 Votes)
NCIS - Silent Night (2%, 17 Votes)
Psych - Christmas Joy (2%, 17 Votes)
How I Met Your Mother - Symphony of Illumination (2%, 16 Votes)
The Vampire Diaries - O Come, All Ye Faithful (2%, 15 Votes)
Community - Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas (2%, 14 Votes)
New Girl - Santa (2%, 14 Votes)
Psych - The Polarizing Express (2%, 14 Votes)
Community - Regional Holiday Music (1%, 13 Votes)
Community - Comparative Religion (1%, 13 Votes)
Eureka - O Little Town (1%, 12 Votes)
Warehouse 13 - Secret Santa (1%, 12 Votes)
Eureka - Do You See What I See (1%, 12 Votes)
Warehouse 13 - The Greatest Gift (1%, 12 Votes)
Arrow - Year's End (1%, 11 Votes)
Chuck - Chuck vs Santa Claus (1%, 11 Votes)
Veronica Mars - An Echolls Family Christmas (1%, 10 Votes)
House - It's a Wonderful Lie (1%, 10 Votes)
The OC - The Best Chrismukkah Ever (1%, 9 Votes)
Glee - A Very Glee Christmas (1%, 9 Votes)
The X-Files - How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (1%, 8 Votes)
M*A*S*H - Death Takes a Holiday (1%, 8 Votes)
The West Wing - In Excelsis Deo (1%, 6 Votes)
Seinfeld - Festivus (1%, 5 Votes)
The Office - Dwight Christmas (1%, 5 Votes)
The Office - A Benihana Christmas (0%, 4 Votes)
Go On - The World Ain't Over 'Til It's Over (0%, 4 Votes)
The Office - Christmas Wishes (0%, 4 Votes)
Monk - Mr. Monk and the Man Who Shot Santa (0%, 4 Votes)
The Mindy Project - Josh and Mindy's Christmas Party (0%, 3 Votes)
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!
We have our winners! Our favorite TV couples ultimate showdown has ended, and now it’s time to see which couples garnered the most votes from you, their fans!
You may notice there’s “2012” at the end of the title above. That because I’ve decided to make this TV couples poll an annual event! Things will change up a little each year. I also plan to continue the spring polls with more specific categories, though I will probably change those the most – maybe divisions for comedies and dramas, or by networks. Stay tuned!
Three of these couples did not make it into their division’s top 10, yet managed to improve their rank against increased opposition. Couples from the realistic division dominated this round, winning 6 of the 10 slots and the top two spots by a large margin. None of the wildcard additions made it into the top 10, with most situated close to the bottom (Nick and Jess from New Girl, despite not being an official couple, made it the highest of the newbies – #19).
Speculative couples got a lot of shakeup from last poll to this one. Once Upon a Time had 3 couples in the top 10, now they have none. Whedonverse shows had a decent showing with 2 couples from Firefly and one from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but none got to the top 10 in this poll. Even the winner of that poll barely garnered a hundred votes this time around.
The realistic couples were much more steady. Each of the five shows represented below also had couples in the top ten of the spring poll, though there was a bit of shuffling as to who from each show made it in.
#10 – Barney and Robin from How I Met Your Mother
This time, How I Met Your Mother fans preferred this destined-to-happen couple (don’t you love those HIMYM flash forwards?) over the rock-solid Marshall and Lily (which were #9 in the realistic show poll) by more than 100 votes. In the spring poll, they were less than 50 behind their friends for a #12 finish.
#9 – McGee and Abby from NCIS
Like Barney and Robin, this NCIS couple just missed making it into the top ten in the spring (#11), but got a better rank this year while getting about the same number of votes. (Hmm, I would who would win if we combined votes? Nah, too much math for me, but you’re welcome to figure that out and post it in the comments!)
#8 – The Doctor and Rose from Doctor Who
I can appreciate this couple more now that I’m partway through season two of the show. Their rank dropped from a #4 in the speculative poll, though they managed to garner an additional hundred votes this time around.
#7 – Booth and Brennan from Bones
In the spring poll, this couple was #6 and was joined by their coworkers Angela and Hodgins at #10. Pretty impressive that they only slipped one spot in the ranking against more competition.
#6 – Scully and Mulder
This couple was ranked #13 in the speculative poll, but the original shippers rallied and got them a spot in the top 10 this time.
#5 – Arthur and Gwen from Merlin
This couple stayed rock-solid in the ranks, earning the #5 spot both times. In this poll, they received 250 more votes, perhaps an acknowledgement of the fact that we soon will be bidding them farewell. In my mind, they tie McAbby for the most adorable couple in this top ten.
#4 – Derek and Meredith from Grey’s Anatomy
This couple made a dramatic comeback in the final days of this poll, going from #32 to #4 in less than 4 days. They also improved over their rank (#5) in the spring poll.
#3 – Elena and Damon from The Vampire Diaries
This couple jumped from #6 in the speculative poll, probably aided by the current plotlines on the show. It’s interesting to note – the day that poll ended was when I tried watching the pilot, probably influenced by how many people had voted for Elena and Damon. (Although it didn’t hook me, I watched 5 episodes in one evening when I gave the show another chance 3 1/2 months later.)
#2 – Tony and Ziva from NCIS
This couple remained at first and second place for most of the poll’s run, and lost by only 123 votes, a marked improvement from their #4 spot in the spring poll. With Tiva heating up, I wouldn’t be surprised if they win next year.
#1 – Castle and Beckett from Castle
The top favorite couple in the realistic division won a much closer race to again emerge victorious! While the spring poll coincided nicely with the season finale that brought these characters together, it’s great to know fans still love Caskett even with the will they/won’t they tension gone.
Amazon has some amazing deals on TV shows this weekend, so I thought I’d share them with you here. Prices are accurate at the time of posting, and I expect they’ll remain the same through the weekend, but there’s no guarantee, so order now!
Back when we did our favorite TV couples polls (with realistic and speculative divisions) last spring, I promised that in the fall, we’d have the winners from those polls face each other in an ultimate showdown. Friends, that time is now. The top 20 couples in each of the two polls have joined together with 10 newbie wild card competitors to determine which couples are truly TV’s top 10!
Since this poll will take place over Thanksgiving (for us Americans), I’ll keep the poll open through the end of the month, giving you a full 15 days to get the word out for your favorite couples. You can vote for up to 10 couples, but choose carefully, as you only get to vote once! (Oh, and be sure to enter our Friends giveaway!)
Unlike most of our polls, you can’t nominate other couples, since this is based on the results of two previous polls. Even for our ten wild card additions, I only choose couples that did not appear in the previous polls. Some were overlooked, some are newer shows or newer couples, but I chose 5 from speculative shows and 5 from shows without speculative elements: Brad and Jane from Happy Endings, Nick and Jess from New Girl, Auggie and Annie from Covert Affairs, Troy and Britta from Community, Daniel and Kate from Perception, Oliver and Laurel from Arrow, John and Rachel from Alphas, Fargo and Holly from Eureka, Nathan and Audrey from Haven, and Adama and Roslin from Battlestar Galactica.
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!
Without further ado, choose your favorite 10 out of the 50 couples below! Poll will close Friday night, November 30th.
Which is your favorite TV couple? (Choose up to 10!)
Castle and Beckett (Castle) (9%, 1,283 Votes)
Tony and Ziva (NCIS) (8%, 1,160 Votes)
Elena and Damon (The Vampire Diaries) (5%, 680 Votes)
Derek and Meredith (Grey's Anatomy) (4%, 621 Votes)
Arthur and Gwen (Merlin) (4%, 555 Votes)
Scully and Mulder (The X-Files) (4%, 517 Votes)
Booth and Brennan (Bones) (3%, 474 Votes)
The Doctor and Rose (Doctor Who) (3%, 462 Votes)
McGee and Abby (NCIS) (3%, 461 Votes)
Barney and Robin (How I Met Your Mother) (3%, 398 Votes)
Chandler and Monica (Friends) (3%, 389 Votes)
Kensi and Deeks (NCIS: Los Angeles) (3%, 387 Votes)
Luke and Lorelai (Gilmore Girls) (2%, 330 Votes)
Rachel and Ross (Friends) (2%, 311 Votes)
Charming and Snow (Once Upon a Time) (2%, 304 Votes)
Marshall and Lily (How I Met Your Mother) (2%, 276 Votes)
Hodgins and Angela (Bones) (2%, 273 Votes)
Buffy and Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (2%, 265 Votes)
Nick and Jess (New Girl) (2%, 262 Votes)
Leonard and Penny (The Big Bang Theory) (2%, 244 Votes)
Peter and Olivia (Fringe) (2%, 240 Votes)
Chuck and Sarah (Chuck) (2%, 238 Votes)
Wash and Zoe (Firefly) (2%, 232 Votes)
Peter and Elizabeth (White Collar) (2%, 231 Votes)
Mal and Inara (Firefly) (2%, 227 Votes)
Leo and Piper (Charmed) (2%, 223 Votes)
Rumpelstiltskin and Belle (Once Upon a Time) (2%, 217 Votes)
Auggie and Annie (Covert Affairs) (1%, 206 Votes)
Sheldon and Amy (The Big Bang Theory) (1%, 192 Votes)
Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (1%, 188 Votes)
Shawn and Juliet (Psych) (1%, 175 Votes)
Emma and Graham (Once Upon a Time) (1%, 170 Votes)
Michael and Fiona (Burn Notice) (1%, 169 Votes)
Adama and Roslin (Battlestar Galactica) (1%, 166 Votes)
Eric and Sookie (True Blood) (1%, 166 Votes)
Eric and Nell (NCIS: Los Angeles) (1%, 164 Votes)
Elena and Stefan (The Vampire Diaries) (1%, 163 Votes)
Simon and Kaylee (Firefly) (1%, 144 Votes)
Cole and Phoebe (Charmed) (1%, 138 Votes)
Willow and Oz (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (1%, 114 Votes)
How I Met Your Mother has cast a lot of Whedonverse stars over the years, but this one, reuniting Willow and Oz, takes the cake. Even better, Seth Green will have scenes with his former Buffy co-star Alyson Hannigan! The episode will tentatively air December 10th.
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!).
Our second round of competition starts with some tough matches. Spike and Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer face Marshall and Lily from How I Met Your Mother, and classic duos Kirk and Spock from Star Trek battle Hawkeye and BJ from M*A*S*H!
Reminder: While there are romantic pairs in this bracket, that’s only one possible aspect of a duo’s relationship. Duos have fun together, work well together, and/or have hilarious interactions. Simply put, they spark.
You can find a full list of upcoming TV duos matchups here (edited to show half of our round one eliminations!). Round two matchups are in burgundy. Each of the round two matchups will be open for 72 hours (3 days), so spread the word quickly so your favorite pairs will make it into the next round! Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, 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!
Which is your favorite TV duo? Round 2.1
Spike and Buffy - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (57%, 130 Votes)
Marshall and Lily - How I Met Your Mother (43%, 98 Votes)
Fox has a full episode preview of its new romantic comedy, The Mindy Project (you can watch it now on Hulu, and it premieres September 25 at 9:30PM). I don’t watch many medical shows, but if the pilot is any indication, this show is light on Mindy’s career as an OB/GYN, and heavy on her quest to find the perfect man of her chick-flick-loving dreams.
Fortunately for the show’s longevity, Mindy Lahiri (played by The Office’s Mindy Kaling) seems to be about as lucky in love as How I Met Your Mother’s Ted Mosby. After a drunken speech at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding, she’s arrested for disorderly conduct (which included riding her bike into a pool) and bailed out by her best friend. On blind date (with guest star Ed Helms), she’s charmingly awkward enough to get the guy’s interest, but messes things up with her reaction to being called in for a delivery.
Her own office offers up two possibilities to liven up her love life: a British hottie who’s available for no-strings hookups, and a rival doctor who gets on her nerves, offers unwanted advice, and mocks her favorite movies (hello, inevitable soul mate). Rounding out the supporting cast is Mindy’s best friend and her daughter, and what appears to be the office’s head doctor and receptionist.
The episode was pleasant and humorous, and with a lead-in like New Girl, should stick around long enough to find an audience. It’s too soon to tell if Mindy’s quirks and self-sabotage will be endearing or annoying, but the juxtaposition of idealized romanticism and realistic dating disasters should be a hit among female viewers.
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