We have finally reached our last matchups of round one! Family comedy Last Man Standing goes up against the ragtag castaways of Gilligan’s Island, while two head-and-heart duos face each other as Bones battles Sherlock.
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 1.16
Gilligan's Island (68%, 27 Votes)
Last Man Standing (33%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 40
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May Madness - Drama, Round 1.16
Sherlock (62%, 34 Votes)
Bones (38%, 21 Votes)
Total Voters: 55
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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!
Since our last poll featured TV brothers, now it’s time to vote for TV sisters!
Sisters seem to be a lot less common on TV than brothers. Like the previous poll, I only included more recent shows (2000-present, hence the absence of the Huxtable sisters), and included both half- and step-sisters (but not sisters-in-law). There are some slight spoilers for a few shows (two characters actually being sisters, a sister being still alive to be in multiple episodes, etc.).
I also did not include sisters when one of them is only in a handful of episodes. For example, Robin Scherbatsky’s sister Katie is only in 2 episodes (so far). My general rule of thumb was going with sisters who had both/all been in at least 1/3 of the episodes. Be sure to keep that in mind with any nominations!
The winner of last week’s poll was Dean and Sam Winchester of Supernatural! Second place went to the Holmes brothers (Sherlock), followed by Klaus and Elijah (The Originals), Damon and Stefan (The Vampire Diaries), and Pete, Derrick, and Randy (Enlisted)!
This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 5 of your favorite TV sister duos (or trios). Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will win!
Even though there are many options on this list, I know there are sisters I left out! As always, you can cast write-in ballots by leaving a comment, and if I receive several nominations, I may add them to the poll! 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 12AM March 17th.
Who are your favorite TV sisters? (Choose up to 5!)
Prue, Piper, and Phoebe Halliwell, and Paige Matthews (Charmed) (14%, 21 Votes)
Buffy and Dawn Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (13%, 19 Votes)
Mary, Edith, and Sybil Crawley (Downton Abbey) (12%, 17 Votes)
Abbie and Jenny Mills (Sleepy Hollow) (12%, 17 Votes)
Beth and Maggie Green (The Walking Dead) (10%, 15 Votes)
Mary, Lucy, and Ruthie Camden (7th Heaven) (10%, 15 Votes)
Annie Walker and Danielle Brooks (Covert Affairs) (6%, 9 Votes)
Laurel and Sara Lance (Arrow) (5%, 7 Votes)
Meredith and Lexie Grey (Grey's Anatomy) (4%, 6 Votes)
Sarah and Julia Braverman (Parenthood) (4%, 6 Votes)
Kristin, Mandy, and Eve Baxter (Last Man Standing) (3%, 5 Votes)
Siobhan Martin and Bridget Kelly (Ringer) (3%, 4 Votes)
Amber and Abby Weaver (The Neighbors) (1%, 2 Votes)
Emily Thorne and Charlotte Grayson (Revenge) (1%, 1 Votes)
Cassie Blake and Diana Meade (The Secret Circle) (1%, 1 Votes)
Amy and Ashley Juergens (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) (1%, 1 Votes)
Jane Kerkovich-Williams and Alex Kerkovich (Happy Endings) (1%, 1 Votes)
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?
The CW has officially canceled Emily Owens, MD – the freshman show will air all of its 13-episode initial order. The Mob Doctor has also coded, but less officially – Fox declined to order additional episodes for the show, and is burning off the final four episodes around New Year’s. Both shows had terrible ratings, so their demise was expected. With Private Practice ending as well, these season has not been kind to medical dramas. The CW will still have Hart of Dixie in the genre, but The Mob Doctor did a poor job at trying to fill the Monday void left by House.
Speaking of House, Hugh Laurie is close to a deal to play Blackbeard in NBC’s 10-episode pirate drama Crossbones. Yes, I could totally see him as a pirate! NBC has also ordered a period pilot, The Gilded Age, from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.
Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue have enough time to tweak their final episodes, so fans of the shows will get some closure when the two shows end.
ABC’s two November-debut comedies (sophomore Last Man Standing and freshman Malibu Country) have been picked up for their back five episodes (instead of nine, due to their late starts). Also, Fox’s Touch has been moved to Fridays and will air a two-hour debut February 8th.
Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. has cast the role of Agent Grant Ward, giving it to newbie Brett Dalton. While I’m still hoping some Whedonverse vets make it into the show, I think it’s quite interesting that this guy looks like a combination of Angel (top half of his face) and Spike (bottom half). Am I the only one seeing this?
British historical fantasy show Merlin will come to a close after its currently airing 5th season, with a special 2-hour episode to wrap things up.
And I think that catches me up with at least the most important news (in my mind) that’s cropped up over the past week. What news items have YOU talking?
ABC announced its fall schedule yesterday, with a few returning freshmen shows (and Happy Endings) moving, but most of the schedule staying the same (Once Upon a Time, Castle, and Suburgatory all stayed put).
It looks like most of the new shows I want to try out on ABC are being held for midseason – including comedies How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) and The Family Tools (both of their trailers look pretty decent and far funnier than the descriptions suggested) and perhaps drama Zero Hour (looks interesting, probably will depend on how busy I am).
For fall, I was planning to try out The Neighbors (which has taken Don’t Trust the B—-‘s spot on Wednesdays at 9:30, the returning comedy has moved to the same time on Tuesdays following Happy Endings), but the preview makes the show look pretty dumb. I don’t think it’ll last long, though the post-Modern Family slot might hold off the inevitable for a bit. Last Resort, on the other hand, looks great, and I hope it will fare well with the competitive 8/7c slot on Thursdays. 666 Park Street seems pretty much straight horror from the preview, so I’m likely to pass on it completely (I was hoping for something more along the lines of Grimm/Warehouse 13/Buffy – call me old-fashioned, but I prefer supernatural baddies that you can beat up and behead, with a cast who can quip to lighten the tension).
Looking back at ABC’s list of pilots, there are so many I wish had gotten picked up! Primarily Beauty and the Beast. At least there won’t be network wars over who can keep the title. And since Americana wasn’t picked up, Once Upon a Time’s Belle (Emilie de Ravin) can stay where she belongs. Gilded Lillys, Gotham, and Prairie Dogs also sounded good.
Aside from a few midseason debuts and several likely-canceled shows, ABC, CBS, the CW, Fox, and NBC have all made their decisions about which new shows are returning, and which aren’t. How did I do at picking which shows to watch this year?
ABC
Canceled: Charlie’s Angels, GCB, Man Up, Missing, Pan Am, The River, Work It
Renewed: Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, Last Man Standing, Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Scandal, Suburgatory
I tried out Missing but wasn’t hooked. I fell in love with Once Upon a Time and Suburgatory, and my feelings for the B—- are a little mixed, but generally positive. I would have tried Revenge if I had time, and I planned to preview Scandal but was deterred by less-than-stellar reviews.
I give myself an A+ for ABC.
CBS
Canceled: A Gifted Man, How to Be a Gentleman, NYC 22, Rob, Unforgettable
Renewed: 2 Broke Girls, Person of Interest
I watched How to Be a Gentleman since it was the only 1/2 hour show in an empty timeslot. I disliked both Rob and Unforgettable, giving up on episode 2 for both after allowing the pilot a little leeway. I watched 2 Broke Girls and Person of Interest from the start, and liked both (though 2 Broke Girls has degraded some over the year).
I give myself an A+ for CBS.
The CW
Canceled: Ringer, The Secret Circle
Renewed: Hart of Dixie
I only watched Ringer, which I wanted to love more than I did. Sarah Michelle Gellar and the unexpected yumminess of Ioan Gruffudd kept me watching through a rough start, but I’m glad I saw the whole thing through till the end. I watched the Hart of Dixie pilot, but medicial + the South wasn’t my cup of tea.
I give myself a C- for the CW.
Fox
Canceled: Alcatraz, The Finder, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Terra Nova
Renewed: New Girl, Touch
I watched two new Fox shows, The Finder and New Girl. Didn’t even try the others. New Girl took a bit to grow on me, but I loved The Finder from the start, and am glad I watched it.
I give myself a C+ for Fox.
NBC
Canceled: Are You There, Chelsea?, Awake, Bent, Best Friends Forever, Free Agents, The Playboy Club, Prime Suspect, The Firm
Renewed: Grimm, Smash, Up All Night, Whitney
NBC canceled 8 new shows (of which I watched 3), and renewed 4 (of which I watched 2). I didn’t watch a single episode of the other 7. Grimm and Smash deserved the renewal for being fresh and catchy, something that Awake’s excellent but dour presentation could have used. Cop shows seem to work best with a bit of lightheartedness thrown in, a fact that Grimm realized by bringing in Monroe more. Awake’s twin tragedies prevented all but a slight wry sense of humor. The conspiracy behind Awake’s two realities could have counterbalanced that, but the show’s creators seemed to be saving most of that for future seasons, which ironically prevented future seasons by not hooking viewers. Bent and Free Agents were under-promoted and misrepresented, which almost caused me to miss out on them – how much more a casual TV viewer?
This week on Monday Madness, it’s time to vote for your favorite new TV shows! This poll is for all live-action scripted shows that aired their first US episode between June 1, 2011 and April 30, 2012, and includes both broadcast and cable shows.
This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite new shows. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10!
Even though there are 50 options on this list, I know there are some shows I left out (I think there are only a few canceled shows or lesser-known cable shows left out this week)! As always, you can cast write-in ballots (for new live-action scripted shows only please) 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.
Next week’s poll will focus on favorite season and series finales. Please nominate your favorite finales by leaving a comment! In your comment, be sure to note the show, season, episode title, and not-too-spoilery descriptive phrase (think of what a promo for that episode would say). For example: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 2, “Becoming, Part Two.” Aided by an unlikely ally, Buffy must face Angel to save the world.
Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 1AM May 7th.
UPDATE: This poll has closed. You can view the top ten list here.
This poll sponsored by Nannerbug Designs. Contact me if you would like to sponsor next week’s poll!
What's your favorite new show? (Choose up to 10!)
Once Upon a Time (10%, 168 Votes)
Person of Interest (9%, 144 Votes)
Grimm (9%, 144 Votes)
The Finder (7%, 111 Votes)
Bent (5%, 78 Votes)
New Girl (4%, 70 Votes)
Alphas (3%, 55 Votes)
2 Broke Girls (3%, 48 Votes)
Falling Skies (3%, 48 Votes)
Revenge (2%, 41 Votes)
Suburgatory (2%, 40 Votes)
Alcatraz (2%, 39 Votes)
GCB (2%, 39 Votes)
Touch (2%, 38 Votes)
Awake (2%, 36 Votes)
The Secret Circle (2%, 36 Votes)
Terra Nova (2%, 35 Votes)
Smash (2%, 34 Votes)
Ringer (2%, 33 Votes)
Hart of Dixie (2%, 33 Votes)
Scandal (2%, 32 Votes)
Suits (2%, 30 Votes)
American Horror Story (2%, 29 Votes)
Last Man Standing (2%, 26 Votes)
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (1%, 25 Votes)
TV Guide’s Facebook poll for Fan Favorites has ended, and here are the winners!
Notable wins include favorite comedy and favorite ensemble for Community, favorite new show and favorite villain for Once Upon a Time (Evil Queen), favorite guilty pleasure for Ringer, and favorite couple for Castle and Beckett!
Full list:
Favorite Drama:Fringe
Favorite Comedy:Community
Favorite Actor: Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Favorite Actress: Zooey Deschanel (New Girl)
Favorite Singing Competition:The Voice
Favorite New Show:Once Upon a Time
Favorite Horror Series:Supernatural
Favorite Guilty Pleasure:Ringer
Favorite Couple: Castle & Beckett (Castle)
Favorite Villain: Evil Queen (Once Upon a Time)
Favorite Comeback: Tim Allen (Last Man Standing)
Favorite TV Foodie: Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen)
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?