Once Upon a Time Archives

2015-2016 In Review: Cancellations, Renewals, and Surprises

Last May I did a round-up of the year in broadcast TV, and I think I’m going to make that an annual tradition. One change from last year – I now have less than 600 episodes on my to-watch list, compared to last year’s 900+!

ABC

So the innovative British guy is out, and ABC has a new president, one who’s besties with Shonda Rhimes (I don’t watch any of her shows, so you can guess how I feel about that). New gal cleaned house, canceling several of my favorite shows in the process, including Agent Carter (pictured above), Castle (which was sort of for the best, since it would have had to continue without Beckett), and Galavant (which at least ended well). ABC used to be my most-watched network, and now it is my least, with only 2 shows I watch returning next year: Agents of SHIELD and Once Upon a Time (which, like last year, sits mostly unwatched until I catch up during breaks). None of ABC’s nine new shows sounded especially appealing, though after watching the trailers I may try out Designated Survivor and the more boring-sounding of the three time-travel shows launching this year, Time After Time. I was thinking of giving Hayley Atwell’s Conviction a chance, but the promo made me think it’s not really my cup of tea.

0 new shows watched, 3 of my shows canceled, 2 of my shows returning

CBS

The Eye Network still has plenty of veteran shows I will keep watching until the end, even as they become more annoying to watch as the only broadcast network who doesn’t put their shows on Hulu. I have the no-commercials option on Hulu Plus, so watching CBS shows with all commercials live or on demand feels like a waste of time. I’d sign up for CBS All Access in a heartbeat if it got rid of commercials, but unfortunately, it doesn’t. I tried out the excellent Life in Pieces (renewed) and the doomed-to-fail Angel from Hell (canceled) this year. Person of Interest is also ending this summer. In addition to Life in Pieces, next year I’ll watch returning comedies The Big Bang Theory and just-renewed The Odd Couple. For dramas, I’m still watching NCIS (how I will miss DiNozzo!), NCIS: Los Angeles, Elementary, and Scorpion. Out of their new shows, the only drama I plan to try out is Michael Weatherly’s Bull (the premise is meh, but the 4-minute trailer looks awesome), but I will probably at least sample all of their new comedies.

2 new shows watched, 2 of my shows canceled (1 new), 7 of my shows returning

FOX

Fox actually had a cool screening opportunity in my area for 3 of their new shows – Grandfathered, The Grinder, and Scream Queens. Of the 3, I only liked Grandfathered, but only Scream Queens was renewed. I also really liked Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, which was canceled. Sleepy Hollow was a surprise renewal – the show will never be as good as its first season, and I still have a few episodes waiting to be watched, but I’ll keep watching as long as Tom Mison plays Ichabod Crane. I also will watch the final season of Bones, and of course awesome comedies New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I haven’t watched any more of The Last Man on Earth, but I may try out the show again if I’m running out of comedies over the summer. Fox’s new fall shows aren’t particularly compelling, but at midseason I may try out The Mick and APB since promos look interesting. Midseason time-travel comedy, Making History (starring Adam Pally and Leighton Meester), is the one new Fox show that earned an immediate spot on my to-watch list (which means, of course, that Fox will cancel it).

2 new shows watched (2 others tried), 2 of my shows canceled (both new), 4 of my shows returning

NBC

I noted last year that NBC had only one returning show I would be watching – Grimm. I tried out two of their new shows this year, Blindspot and Superstore, both of which I enjoyed immensely and both of which were renewed, along with Grimm. So now I will have 3 NBC shows to watch next fall, plus I will definitely check out their 3 new shows, Timeless (time travel and Matt Lanter), The Good Place (Kristen Bell), and This is Us (Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia). All have pretty decent spots on the fall schedule, so I’m hopeful they’ll stick around for at least a season, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of the showrunners’ previous shows, so I’m hopeful the quality will be good. Plus, NBC has a number of midseason shows I want to check out, especially the DC comics-set workplace comedy Powerless, starring Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi, and Alan Tudyk. Excited that NBC seems to be turning things around.

2 new shows watched, 0 of my shows canceled, 3 of my shows returning

The CW

For the second year in a row, the CW renewed all their shows (spring show Containment, now canceled, had yet to premiere, and summer show Beauty and the Beast had already been announced as final season). I tried out and liked new shows Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Legends of Tomorrow. I’ll still be watching Arrow, The Flash, Jane the Virgin, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and iZombie (and Supernatural if we ever catch up – on season 6 now). I’ll probably try out their 3 new shows, and while I like the premise for No Tomorrow more, I liked the trailer more for Frequency. Though if Riverdale premieres in the spring, there’s not much hope for it (since the CW seems to cancel one spring show every year – Containment in 2016, The Messengers in 2015, Star-Crossed in 2014, Cult in 2013, etc.).

2 new shows watched, 0 of my shows canceled, 8 (9 if counting Supernatural) of my shows returning

2016-2017 Predictions

As much as I hate losing shows, it’s time for some long-running favorites to come to an end. Castle ended this year; Bones is entering its final season. NCIS: Los Angeles has lost viewers away from its parent show, and is now moving to Sundays. I wouldn’t be surprised if it or Elementary gets canceled next year, but if CBS’s new shows bomb, they’ll likely stick around. On the speculative side, The Vampire Diaries is showing its age, and if more actors are bailing, it should end. I also don’t see Once Upon a Time lasting much longer, though I do like how they’ve been exploring different realms every half season to keep things interesting. Supernatural will live as long as Jared and Jensen want to keep doing it, and the same with the cast of The Big Bang Theory.

I don’t think the CW will renew all their fall shows again this year. There’s just not space, and I’m pretty sure one of the newbies will go. And I’m guessing at least one returning show will be moved to summer.

New fall shows that I think will be renewed: Bull (everyone who liked Michael Weatherly on NCIS will keep watching his new show airing right after NCIS), Designated Survivor, This is Us, Speechless, The Great Indoors, and Timeless.

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2014-2015 In Review: Cancellations, Renewals, and Surprises

2014-2015 has been a year of change. In October, I moved to a nearby town with another of my sisters, and both of us being TV fans, we synced our to-watch lists. So far, we watch upwards of 75% of the same shows, and we tried out many of the same new shows. The sheer volume of what we have left to watch is boggling. I have more than 900 episodes on my to-watch list. So it’s not surprising I haven’t devoted time to blogging about TV – I spend too much time watching it!

Fall 2014 brought a bumper crop of new shows to broadcast networks, many of which I tried and many of which were canceled.

ABC

New shows I tried that were canceled:

Forever – this show will be greatly missed. I’ve never seen such unanimous disappointment over the cancellation of a new show. At least things wrapped up fairly well in the last episode.

Selfie – Karen Gillan made this a guaranteed watch for me. The humor was probably a bit too niche to garner needed ratings, but I loved the My Fair Lady/Pygmalion parallels.

New shows I tried that were renewed:

Galavant – a fun, crazy musical medieval comedy. It was a big surprise to everyone that this was renewed, but I’m glad it was, especially since season one ended on a cliffhanger. It seems like ABC is going with a lot of shorter season shows to fill in gaps and provide more original content over the year.

Agent Carter – another “gap” show that was easily one of my favorites this year. Can’t wait for more of Peggy and Jarvis!

Other notes:

Agents of SHIELD followed up its amazing end of season one with an uneven season two, though the unevenness was between episodes that were amazing and some that were merely good. No matter – I’ll be watching it until the end because I love these characters. Castle is showing its age, but still tells a decent story each week. I fell behind on Once Upon a Time, so I still have half this season to watch.

CBS

New shows I tried that were canceled:

Battle Creek – I probably wouldn’t have tried this if my sister hadn’t been watching, and I ended up dropping it after a few episodes. It was too similar to other crime shows and the team didn’t gel. Five years ago, I probably would have kept watching.

New shows I tried that were renewed:

Scorpion – we watched the first few episodes and loved this, but with the busyness of all the returning and new shows and moving, we fell behind on watching and because CBS hates Hulu, we weren’t able to catch up easily and let it go. We’ll be watching the rest of season one this summer.

The Odd Couple – Matthew Perry was the main draw for watching this, but I preferred his characters on Friends and Go On. The humor is too forced for me to really enjoy it, but I’ll probably keep watching, especially since I have only a handful of returning comedies to watch next fall.

Other notes:

The Hulu-lessness of CBS made on-demand the best option for catching up, but wait too long and the episodes were gone from there too. So I have quite a few episodes of NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles (which has had a rash of terrible episodes lately – get new writers!), and Elementary to watch. I watched Person of Interest by myself, and I’m enjoying the more serialized nature it has taken. I hope that the 13-episode renewal doesn’t signal a final season. The Big Bang Theory has been its usually excellent self, which may be why The Odd Couple failed to shine when paired with it.

FOX

New shows I tried that were canceled:

Backstrom – this one I watched because of Hart Hanson and Rainn Wilson. I’ll watch the final 4 episodes, but I think the main character was too unlikable for this show to catch on. We almost stopped watching several times. But Needlemeyer is awesome.

New shows I tried that were renewed:

The Last Man on Earth – I tried this one because of the weird premise, and the main actor is pretty funny. But a couple episodes in, it was getting pretty skeezy. I might try an episode or two more to see if it improves.

Other notes:

Fox has burned me way too many times with shows, so I’m always wary to try their new ones. Empire was buzzy, and I might have tried it out because of Taraji since I liked her on Person of Interest, but the premise didn’t appeal to me. Gotham looked too dark, and while I have enjoyed the recent Batman movies, I’m not invested enough in the characters to be overly interested in their origin stories. Gracepoint (the American remake of Broadchurch, which I love) didn’t get great ratings so I expected its outcome. I thought of watching, but I couldn’t get past David Tennant’s American accent. It was just too weird. The Mindy Project’s cancellation was a shock, less so Hulu’s pickup of the show. We fell behind on Sleepy Hollow and only watched one episode this season of New Girl, but plan to catch up on both this summer.

NBC

New shows I tried that were canceled:

A to Z – cute premise, loved that it had the Mother from How I Met Your Mother, but Abbi seemed to always want to watch something else, so we fell behind but will watch the rest of the show later.

Marry Me – a watered-down Happy Endings that was still decent. Liked the main couple (which was a surprise since I only knew the guy as the sleazy PI Vinnie Van Lowe from Veronica Mars) but the supporting characters weren’t as great. Still, was sad to see it go. (Can we get Happy Endings back instead? Please?)

New shows I tried that were renewed:

None.

Other notes:

NBC has gone from being one of my most-watched networks to least-watched. I only have Grimm to watch as a returning show next year, and that’s only if I catch up on it during the summer (wasn’t a fan of what they did to Nick at the end of last season, so have only watched one episode so far this past year). We did start watching Parks and Recreation recently (which ended this season), and after a rocky first season, it has grown to be one of my favorite comedies as we start season 4. Where are your shows like this, NBC?

The CW

New shows I tried that were canceled:

None.

New shows I tried that were renewed:

The Flash – a great reminder of how FUN superhero stories can be. As an Arrow spinoff I was guaranteed to watch this, and I liked the characters in the planted pilot.

Jane the Virgin – this sounded like the stupidest show ever, until I watched the promo and loved it! Based on the over-the-top soap-opera style of telenovelas, this show knows its plotlines are ridiculous and embraces that fact fully. It balances that with grounded characters with whom you can both laugh and cry.

iZombie – I usually dislike anything zombie-related, but definitely wanted to try this new show by Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas. It’s more zombie-lite, with characters affected able to pass as human as long as they have a steady supply of brains. Said brains give the zombies who eat them personality traits of the person who used to own them as well as vision-like bits of memory that pop up when triggered. The result is a darkly hilarious show with a case-of-the week format, voiceovers by the main character, and a strong overarching mystery (much like Veronica Mars).

Other notes:

The CW is the network I watch the most, which is surprising since I didn’t start watching it until Nikita’s debut, what, six years ago? I’ve seen at least one episode of every scripted show airing on the CW this year, with the exception of the DOA The Messengers (with the entire fall lineup renewed and iZombie getting the plum post-Flash spot, the terrible ratings the premiere got only sealed the deal). While Hart of Dixie failed to impress (me, Abbi watched every episode), The 100 was too gruesome, and Reign was mostly dropped because of time, all the other shows keep me watching regularly. I’m caught up on all of those except for Supernatural, which sits on season five.

What canceled and renewed new shows did you check out last year?

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May Madness: Once Upon a Time vs. Beauty and the Beast, Friends vs. The Mindy Project

For our next-to-last matchups of round three, cop romance with an altered DNA twist Beauty and the Beast faces the reimagined fairy tales (which include both a beauty and a beast) of Once Upon a Time. Also, redefining comedy Friends takes on newbie (and only current comedy left) The Mindy Project!

These round three polls will launch every other day, and be open for about 72 hours, so be sure to spread the word quickly if you want your favorites to make it to the next round! As always, you can find the links to all the current matchups on our main post. Please try to vote in all the polls, not just the one with your favorite show!

May Madness - Drama, Round 3.3

Beauty and the Beast (59%, 105 Votes)
Once Upon a Time (41%, 74 Votes)

Total Voters: 179

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May Madness - Comedy, Round 3.3

Friends (67%, 65 Votes)
The Mindy Project (33%, 32 Votes)

Total Voters: 97

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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!

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May Madness: Once Upon a Time vs. Agents of SHIELD, The Cosby Show vs. Friends

Our next two matchups pit ABC favorites Once Upon a Time and Agents of SHIELD again each other, while The Cosby Show battles Friends!

These round two polls will be open for about 72 hours, so be sure to spread the word quickly if you want your favorites to make it to the next round! As always, you can find the links to all the current matchups on our main post. Please try to vote in all the polls, not just the one with your favorite show!

May Madness - Drama, Round 2.6

Once Upon a Time (55%, 29 Votes)
Agents of SHIELD (45%, 24 Votes)

Total Voters: 53

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May Madness - Comedy, Round 2.6

Friends (63%, 32 Votes)
The Cosby Show (37%, 19 Votes)

Total Voters: 51

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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!

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May Madness: The Cosby Show vs. Parks and Recreation, Once Upon a Time vs. Arrow

As always, I am surprised by which matchups manage to garner hundreds of votes and which struggle to get 20, leading to unexpected upsets and popular shows who don’t make it past round one. These polls feature a pairing I consider impossible to decide between – let’s see how many of you can actually make the decision! The Cosby Show faces the renewed-for-a-final-season Parks and Recreation, while Once Upon a Time’s fairytale heroes battle Arrow’s modern ones!

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 1.11

The Cosby Show (53%, 40 Votes)
Parks and Recreation (49%, 37 Votes)

Total Voters: 75

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May Madness - Drama, Round 1.11

Once Upon a Time (52%, 68 Votes)
Arrow (50%, 65 Votes)

Total Voters: 131

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May Madness 2014

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!

TOURNAMENT FINAL

Castle vs. M*A*S*H

DRAMA FINAL

Castle vs. Beauty and the Beast – Winner: Castle!

COMEDY FINAL

M*A*S*H vs. Friends – Winner: M*A*S*H

Round four begins with only eight shows remaining! Each of these polls will be open 72 hours.

DRAMA – ROUND FOUR MATCHUPS

White Collar vs. Castle – Winner: Castle!

Beauty and the Beast vs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Winner: Beauty and the Beast!

COMEDY – ROUND FOUR MATCHUPS

I Love Lucy vs. M*A*S*H – Winner: M*A*S*H!

Friends vs. Will & Grace – Winner: Friends!

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.

DRAMA – ROUND THREE MATCHUPS

White Collar vs. House – Winner: White Collar!

Castle vs. The X-Files – Winner: Castle!

Beauty and the Beast vs. Once Upon a Time – Winner: Beauty and the Beast!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs. Supernatural – Winner: Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

COMEDY – ROUND THREE MATCHUPS

M*A*S*H vs. Golden Girls – Winner: M*A*S*H!

The Andy Griffith Show vs. I Love Lucy – Winner: I Love Lucy!

The Mindy Project vs. Friends – Winner: Friends!

Will & Grace vs. The Dick Van Dyke Show – Winner: Will & Grace!

Here are the round two matchups!

DRAMA – ROUND TWO MATCHUPS

White Collar vs. Leverage – Winner: White Collar!

Veronica Mars vs. House – Winner: House!

Castle vs. Doctor Who – Winner: Castle!

ER vs. The X-Files – Winner: The X-Files!

Beauty and the Beast vs. NCIS – Winner: Beauty and the Beast!

Once Upon a Time vs. Agents of SHIELD – Winner: Once Upon a Time!

Criminal Minds vs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Winner: Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Supernatural vs. Sherlock – Winner: Supernatural!

COMEDY – ROUND TWO MATCHUPS

Scrubs vs. M*A*S*H – Winner: M*A*S*H!

The Office vs. Golden Girls – Winner: Golden Girls!

The Andy Griffith Show vs. Get Smart – Winner: The Andy Griffith Show!

That 70s Show vs. I Love Lucy – Winner: I Love Lucy!

Suburgatory vs. The Mindy Project – Winner: The Mindy Project!

The Cosby Show vs. Friends – Winner: Friends!

Will & Grace vs. Hogan’s Heroes – Winner: Will & Grace!

The Dick Van Dyke Show vs. Gilligan’s Island – Winner: The Dick Van Dyke Show!

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!

COMEDY – ROUND ONE MATCHUPS

Scrubs vs. Raising Hope – Winner: Scrubs!

How I Met Your Mother vs. M*A*S*H – Winner: M*A*S*H!

The Office (US) vs. 2 Broke Girls – Winner: The Office!

Golden Girls vs. New Girl – Winner: Golden Girls!

Modern Family vs. The Andy Griffith Show – Winner: The Andy Griffith Show!

Get Smart vs. The Crazy Ones – Winner: Get Smart!

That 70s Show vs. The Big Bang Theory – Winner: That 70s Show!

I Love Lucy vs. Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Winner: I Love Lucy!

30 Rock vs. Suburgatory – Winner: Suburgatory!

The Goldbergs vs. The Mindy Project – Winner: The Mindy Project!

The Cosby Show vs. Parks and Recreation – Winner: The Cosby Show!

Friends vs. The Middle – Winner: Friends!

Will & Grace vs. Seinfeld – Winner: Will & Grace!

Community vs. Hogan’s Heroes – Winner: Hogan’s Heroes!

Enlisted vs. The Dick Van Dyke Show – Winner: The Dick Van Dyke Show!

Last Man Standing vs. Gilligan’s Island – Winner: Gilligan’s Island!

DRAMA – ROUND ONE MATCHUPS

Dexter vs. White Collar – Winner: White Collar!

Angel vs. Leverage – Winner: Leverage!

Glee vs. Veronica Mars – Winner: Veronica Mars!

Game of Thrones vs. House – Winner: House!

Gilmore Girls vs. Castle – Winner: Castle!

Magnum, PI vs. Doctor Who – Winner: Doctor Who!

Moonlight vs. ER – Winner: ER!

The X-Files vs. Suits – Winner: The X-Files!

The Vampire Diaries vs. Beauty and the Beast – Winner: Beauty and the Beast!

NCIS vs. Charmed – Winner: NCIS!

Arrow vs. Once Upon a Time – Winner: Once Upon a Time!

Agents of SHIELD vs. JAG – Winner: Agents of SHIELD!

Criminal Minds vs. Dollhouse – Winner: Criminal Minds!

Dark Angel vs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Winner: Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Supernatural vs. Firefly – Winner: Supernatural!

Bones vs. Sherlock – Winner: Sherlock!

Which round one loss are you most disappointed by? Leave a comment and let me know!

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May Madness Nominations: Current TV Dramas

Update: Nominations are over, vote in the bracket tournament!

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 comedies like The Big Bang Theory, New Girl, and 14 others!

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 dramas 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 20 of your favorite current TV dramas. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into our bracket tournament next week!

Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s May Madness nominations! Voting ends around 12AM May 5th, and the top 16 will make it into our bracket.

Which current TV dramas deserve to be in our May Madness bracket? (Choose up to 20!)

White Collar (18%, 658 Votes)
Beauty and the Beast (3%, 121 Votes)
Castle (3%, 99 Votes)
Agents of SHIELD (2%, 91 Votes)
Sherlock (2%, 90 Votes)
Supernatural (2%, 89 Votes)
NCIS (2%, 84 Votes)
Arrow (2%, 83 Votes)
Once Upon a Time (2%, 77 Votes)
Suits (2%, 76 Votes)
Doctor Who (2%, 64 Votes)
The Vampire Diaries (2%, 61 Votes)
Game of Thrones (2%, 59 Votes)
Criminal Minds (1%, 55 Votes)
Glee (1%, 55 Votes)
Bones (1%, 50 Votes)
The Mentalist (1%, 50 Votes)
Sleepy Hollow (1%, 49 Votes)
Psych (1%, 49 Votes)
Covert Affairs (1%, 48 Votes)
Hawaii Five-O (1%, 46 Votes)
Elementary (1%, 46 Votes)
Grimm (1%, 45 Votes)
Grey's Anatomy (1%, 44 Votes)
NCIS: Los Angeles (1%, 42 Votes)
The Blacklist (1%, 41 Votes)
The Walking Dead (1%, 40 Votes)
Person of Interest (1%, 38 Votes)
The Originals (1%, 38 Votes)
Downton Abbey (1%, 38 Votes)
Teen Wolf (1%, 37 Votes)
Rizzoli & Isles (1%, 35 Votes)
The Good Wife (1%, 35 Votes)
Law & Order: SVU (1%, 32 Votes)
CSI (1%, 31 Votes)
Almost Human (1%, 31 Votes)
Chicago Fire (1%, 30 Votes)
Royal Pains (1%, 30 Votes)
Blue Bloods (1%, 28 Votes)
Scandal (1%, 27 Votes)
True Blood (1%, 26 Votes)
Pretty Little Liars (1%, 26 Votes)
House of Cards (1%, 26 Votes)
Reign (1%, 26 Votes)
Warehouse 13 (1%, 25 Votes)
Revenge (1%, 24 Votes)
The Tomorrow People (1%, 24 Votes)
Orphan Black (1%, 24 Votes)
Hannibal (1%, 23 Votes)
Orange is the New Black (1%, 22 Votes)
Graceland (1%, 22 Votes)
Parenthood (1%, 21 Votes)
Perception (1%, 21 Votes)
Mad Men (1%, 21 Votes)
Hart of Dixie (1%, 21 Votes)
The Following (1%, 21 Votes)
Nashville (1%, 20 Votes)
Homeland (1%, 20 Votes)
Bates Motel (1%, 19 Votes)
The Americans (0%, 18 Votes)
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (0%, 18 Votes)
Da Vinci's Demons (0%, 17 Votes)
Chicago PD (0%, 17 Votes)
Star-Crossed (0%, 16 Votes)
Dracula (0%, 16 Votes)
Being Human (US) (0%, 15 Votes)
Revolution (0%, 15 Votes)
The 100 (0%, 15 Votes)
Intelligence (0%, 15 Votes)
Justified (0%, 14 Votes)
Major Crimes (0%, 14 Votes)
Falling Skies (0%, 14 Votes)
Franklin & Bash (0%, 13 Votes)
American Horror Story (0%, 13 Votes)
Continuum (0%, 13 Votes)
Believe (0%, 12 Votes)
Vikings (0%, 11 Votes)
Drop Dead Diva (0%, 11 Votes)
The Fosters (0%, 11 Votes)
Resurrection (0%, 11 Votes)
Devious Maids (0%, 10 Votes)
Dallas (2012) (0%, 10 Votes)
Witches of East End (0%, 10 Votes)
Ripper Street (0%, 10 Votes)
Longmire (0%, 10 Votes)
Girls (0%, 9 Votes)
Lost Girl (0%, 9 Votes)
Mr. Selfridge (0%, 9 Votes)
Boardwalk Empire (0%, 9 Votes)
Switched at Birth (0%, 9 Votes)
Sons of Anarchy (0%, 9 Votes)
Nikita (0%, 9 Votes)
Crisis (0%, 8 Votes)
Haven (0%, 8 Votes)
Call the Midwife (0%, 8 Votes)
The Carrie Diaries (0%, 7 Votes)
Shameless (0%, 7 Votes)
Masters of Sex (0%, 7 Votes)
The Bridge (0%, 7 Votes)
Bitten (0%, 6 Votes)
Hostages (0%, 5 Votes)
Twisted (0%, 5 Votes)
Banshee (0%, 5 Votes)
Unforgettable (0%, 5 Votes)
The Killing (0%, 4 Votes)
Defiance (0%, 4 Votes)
Betrayal (0%, 3 Votes)
Strike Back (0%, 3 Votes)
Ray Donovan (0%, 3 Votes)
Helix (0%, 3 Votes)
Black Sails (0%, 3 Votes)
Rake (0%, 2 Votes)
Hemlock Grove (0%, 2 Votes)
Mob City (0%, 1 Votes)
In the Flesh (0%, 1 Votes)
Lilyhammer (0%, 1 Votes)
Hell on Wheels (0%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 846

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Monday Madness: Favorite Hero/Villain Duo

This Monday Madness, vote for your favorite hero/villain duos! The hero of any TV show, whether comic-book-based, sitcom, or procedural drama, always faces opposition in the pursuit of his/her goals. Often, that opposition comes from the people around our hero. But sometimes, one opposing person stands out from the crowd. They may be a twisted version of our hero, or just amazing at being evil. But you can be sure that an epic battle (of wits, weapons, or fisticuffs) is about to begin!

The pairs below are some of the more popular hero/villain duos, along with several nominated by readers of this blog. Which are your favorites? Go forth and vote!

Also, this poll is not as limited as previous ones – feel free to include older shows and villains who aren’t around for very long – just be sure to nominate ones that make an impression!

The winners of last week’s poll are here.

This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 5 of your favorite TV hero/villain duos. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will win!

I had a hard time coming up with duos for this list, and I know there are many more epic heroes and villains out there! 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. Stay tuned – I have something special in mind for the rest of April and May!

Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 12AM April 7th.

Which is your favorite TV hero/villain duo? (Choose up to 5!)

Elena Gilbert vs. Katherine Pierce (The Vampire Diaries) (11%, 38 Votes)
Sherlock Holmes vs. Jim Moriarty (Sherlock) (9%, 32 Votes)
The Doctor vs. the Master (Doctor Who) (8%, 29 Votes)
Emma Swan vs. Regina Mills (Once Upon a Time) (7%, 25 Votes)
Steve McGarrett vs. Wo Fat (Hawaii Five-O) (6%, 20 Votes)
Nick Burkhardt vs. Adalind Schade (Grimm) (5%, 16 Votes)
Sheldon Cooper vs. Wil Wheaton (The Big Bang Theory) (4%, 15 Votes)
Dr. Horrible vs. Captain Hammer (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) (3%, 12 Votes)
Col. Robert Hogan vs. Col. Wilhelm Klink (Hogan's Heroes) (3%, 12 Votes)
Will Schuester vs. Sue Sylvester (Glee) (3%, 11 Votes)
Temperance Brennan vs. Christopher Pelant (Bones) (3%, 11 Votes)
Richard Castle vs. 3XK (Castle) (3%, 10 Votes)
Merlin vs. Morgana (Merlin) (3%, 10 Votes)
Patrick Jane vs. Red John (The Mentalist) (3%, 10 Votes)
Agent Phil Coulson vs. the Clairvoyant (Agents of SHIELD) (3%, 10 Votes)
Luke Danes vs. Taylor Doose (Gilmore Girls) (3%, 9 Votes)
Robin Hood vs. the Sheriff of Nottingham (BBC Robin Hood) (3%, 9 Votes)
Chuck Bartowski vs. Daniel Shaw (Chuck) (3%, 9 Votes)
Buffy Summers vs. Glory (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (2%, 8 Votes)
Nikita vs. Amanda (Nikita) (2%, 7 Votes)
Harold Finch vs. Root (Person of Interest) (2%, 6 Votes)
Veronica Mars vs. Sheriff Lamb (Veronica Mars) (1%, 5 Votes)
Sydney Bristow vs. Arvin Sloane (Alias) (1%, 5 Votes)
John Bates vs. Thomas Barrow (Downton Abbey) (1%, 4 Votes)
Annie Walker vs. Henry Wilcox (Covert Affairs) (1%, 4 Votes)
Alice vs. Jafar (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland) (1%, 4 Votes)
Agent G. Callen vs. Marcel Janvier (NCIS: Los Angeles) (1%, 4 Votes)
Jane Rizzoli vs. Charles Hoyt (Rizzoli & Isles) (1%, 3 Votes)
Claire vs. Sylar (Heroes) (1%, 3 Votes)
Michael Westen vs. Anson Fullerton (Burn Notice) (1%, 3 Votes)
Dr. Lee Rosen vs. Stanton Parrish (Alphas) (1%, 3 Votes)
Tessa Altman vs. Dalia Royce (Suburgatory) (1%, 2 Votes)
Dr. Gregory House vs. Michael Tritter (House) (1%, 2 Votes)
Ryan Hardy vs. Joe Carroll (The Following) (1%, 2 Votes)
Vince Farraday vs. Peter Fleming (The Cape) (0%, 1 Votes)
Jessica Pearson vs. Daniel Hardman (Suits) (0%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 125

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What I Will Be Watching in Fall 2013 – ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW

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?

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD (6%, 19 Votes)
NCIS (5%, 16 Votes)
Supernatural (4%, 15 Votes)
Arrow (4%, 15 Votes)
Castle (4%, 15 Votes)
The Big Bang Theory (4%, 14 Votes)
Elementary (4%, 13 Votes)
Grimm (4%, 13 Votes)
Once Upon a Time (4%, 13 Votes)
Bones (4%, 12 Votes)
NCIS: Los Angeles (3%, 10 Votes)
Criminal Minds (3%, 10 Votes)
How I Met Your Mother (3%, 9 Votes)
Person of Interest (2%, 8 Votes)
Dracula (2%, 8 Votes)
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2%, 8 Votes)
Almost Human (2%, 8 Votes)
The Mentalist (2%, 7 Votes)
Sleepy Hollow (2%, 7 Votes)
The Vampire Diaries (2%, 6 Votes)
Hawaii Five-O (2%, 6 Votes)
New Girl (2%, 6 Votes)
The Tomorrow People (2%, 6 Votes)
Grey's Anatomy (2%, 6 Votes)
Blue Bloods (1%, 5 Votes)
Revolution (1%, 5 Votes)
Revenge (1%, 5 Votes)
The Good Wife (1%, 4 Votes)
Modern Family (1%, 4 Votes)
Scandal (1%, 4 Votes)
CSI (1%, 4 Votes)
Law & Order: SVU (1%, 3 Votes)
Ironside (1%, 3 Votes)
Two and a Half Men (1%, 3 Votes)
Enlisted (1%, 3 Votes)
Raising Hope (1%, 3 Votes)
The Michael J. Fox Show (1%, 3 Votes)
The Crazy Ones (1%, 3 Votes)
Glee (1%, 3 Votes)
Nashville (1%, 3 Votes)
Hart of Dixie (1%, 3 Votes)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (1%, 3 Votes)
The Mindy Project (1%, 3 Votes)
The Originals (1%, 3 Votes)
Beauty and the Beast (1%, 3 Votes)
2 Broke Girls (1%, 2 Votes)
Reign (1%, 2 Votes)
Dads (1%, 2 Votes)
Hostages (1%, 2 Votes)
Parks and Recreation (1%, 2 Votes)
Parenthood (0%, 1 Votes)
The Goldbergs (0%, 1 Votes)
Last Man Standing (0%, 1 Votes)
Blacklist (0%, 1 Votes)
Mom (0%, 1 Votes)
Chicago Fire (0%, 1 Votes)
Super Fun Night (0%, 1 Votes)
Back in the Game (0%, 1 Votes)
The Neighbors (0%, 1 Votes)
We Are Men (0%, 0 Votes)
Betrayal (0%, 0 Votes)
Sean Saves the World (0%, 0 Votes)
Welcome to the Family (0%, 0 Votes)
Trophy Wife (0%, 0 Votes)
Lucky 7 (0%, 0 Votes)
The Millers (0%, 0 Votes)
The Middle (0%, 0 Votes)
The Carrie Diaries (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 31

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Which Renewed Shows Will I Have Time to Watch 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?

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ABC Picks Up Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 5 Other Dramas, 5 Comedies

ABC has picked up S.H.I.E.L.D., and the cast photo reminded me so strongly of Torchwood, I couldn’t resist matching up the characters! Coulson is of course Jack, since he can’t die (apparently), and since I don’t know the other characters, I went by looks. And how odd is it that both casts are entirely brunette? Also, there are two Brits in the cast, and now that aliens are obviously part of this universe after Avengers, who’s to say they won’t be investigating everything from invasions to alien tech?

None of ABC’s new comedies is sticking out as must-watch, so I’ll wait for trailers before considering them. Super Fun Night does sound somewhat promising if they do it right, and Back in the Game sounds the most boring (Maggie Lawson better not be leaving Psych for a show as lame as this sounds, and Psych better not be ending). The summaries for Trophy Wife, Mixology, and The Goldbergs interest me not at all, and none have cast I really care about, so previews will have to blow me away.

For the other dramas, Mind Games tops my list, with a unique premise and casting Steve Zahn. Resurrection sounds interesting, but I need a better idea of where they’re going with the show, and of the cast, Omar Epps is the only one I know. Killer Women has an awesome cast, but a lone female Texas Ranger amid all the male ones sounds boring (and didn’t Prime Suspect already try something similar?). Lucky 7 and Betrayal have neither cool casts or cool premises, so they’re an easy pass.

Also, while not a regular series, ABC has picked up Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, a limited series that will bridge Once Upon a Time’s winter hiatus. I definitely plan to watch.

What new ABC shows will you try out?

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Eight TV Fandoms I Embraced in 2012

2012 was a great year for me in regard to uncovering awesome TV shows. It may even top 2011, when I got pulled into Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Bones, Warehouse 13, Eureka, and Veronica Mars, not to mention enjoyed great new fall shows like Once Upon a Time, Grimm, Suburgatory, and Person of Interest.

My top eight new shows for 2012 are also a mix of brand new and new-to-me shows. Like with the list above, this year wasn’t always my first exposure to the shows in question, but 2012 was the year they hooked me. I’m listing the shows in roughly chronological order of getting sucked in.

The Finder

This short-lived Fox drama (so many awesome shows can say the same thing) caught my attention as a companion show to Bones – not quite a proper spinoff as none of the main characters from Bones joined the new show. But with a planted pilot, same showrunner, and guest appearances by Bones cast, the tie was definitely there. Geoff Stults (as Walter) and Michael Clarke Duncan (as Leo) hit it out of the park on day one, but the ratings didn’t match the show’s awesomeness. Fox also aired the episodes out of order, threw in a month-long hiatus in March, and moved the show to the Friday death slot – starting Easter weekend!

From the beginning, the show felt like it should have been airing on USA Network – it had the same breezy, pop-culture-riddled sensibilities as Psych, and would have been a perfect fit for their “Characters Welcome” brand. But in the end, the cancellation of the show was moot, as Michael Clarke Duncan, who as Leo was the heart of the show, passed away over the summer.

I’m still waiting for the DVD set to become available, but at least The Finder introduced me to the amazingness of actor Geoff Stults, who I’m currently enjoying as a reoccurring cast member on Ben and Kate. Sadly, that show also airs on Fox, and I’ve learned not to get attached to anything airing on that network now.

True Blood

Buffy and Being Human showed me that shows about vampires are cool. So to feed my bloodlust, I decided to try out this buzzy HBO show, not really expecting to like it – keeping things PG-13 is more my style, and I’m not a fan of the deep south. But checking out episode one led swiftly to two, and three, as each twisty cliffhanger glamoured me into watching more. Short season meant catching up in time for season 5, and while this show is fairly low on my list of vampire TV shows, it’s addicting enough that I’ll keep coming back.

Happy Endings

There’s a dearth of good comedy over summers, so I decided to give this recommended show a try in late August, and quickly grew to love the quirky group.

The Vampire Diaries

After catching up on True Blood, I decided to try out the last major vampire show currently airing that I hadn’t seen. Plus, I was looking at writing a book with a high school setting and vampires trying to control their urges, and I wanted to make sure it was different enough from this show. The pilot bored me, but I heard later that the rest of the show was a vast improvement, so I dove in during September, and caught up on all three seasons within 3 weeks, just in time for the season 4 premiere.

Like True Blood, the fast-paced storylines made the show insanely addictive, but in this case, the characters and relationships became an even bigger draw. Damon’s struggle with what sort of person to become, Elena’s compassion without weakness, Stefan’s dual nature, Caroline’s ditziness turned to strength, Alaric’s unlikely allies becoming the family he always wanted, and more.

Elementary

No, it’s not Sherlock, but it doesn’t have to be – I love both shows, and Jonny Lee Miller makes an amazing Holmes. Making Watson female, setting the show in NYC, and coming up with new stories instead of revamping the classics all help differentiate this show. And with us getting only 4 1/2 hours of Sherlock every 18 months or so, there’s plenty of room for a fun, quirky drama like this. I enjoy the recovering addict twist, and Joan Watson’s slower progression to teaming up with her client.

Arrow

Aside from Alphas, TV has been sorely missing a good superhero show, and in the wake of The Avengers’ popularity, the Batman trilogy’s gritty conclusion, and America’s obsession with bow-toting heroes, Arrow is exactly what was wanted. While there are still a few rough edges on this new drama (dialogue could use some help), great ratings will give it time to truly soar.

Doctor Who

I always knew I would eventually watch this show. I purchased digital editions of series 1 and 3 back in 2010, and watched a few episodes here and there, but didn’t get hooked. I watched a couple more earlier this year, and in November started liking the show more and more. In December, I started marathoning through Doctor Who in earnest, as most shows were going on hiatus and I had more time. I rewatched season 1 with my sister (and liked it a whole lot more the second time) around Christmas, and caught up with the whole show (excluding classic Who) a few days after the New Year.

Torchwood

I bought the first two series of Torchwood in 2010 also, and despite some misgivings about the show’s adult content, I liked the character of Jack Harkness from Doctor Who enough to give the show a try (and keep all the crossovers in their proper places). As a result of watching the two together, it’s hard to separate Torchwood as a distinct show in my mind. It’s the only show on this list I’m not current with, as I still have 6 episodes left of the Miracle Day mini-series. It’s definitely a more serious show (during various episodes I found myself longing for the more lighthearted Who), morality is a bit grayer, and quite often there isn’t a happy ending. But it definitely grows on you, and there are quite a few exceptional episodes.

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Best TV Show Flashbacks Poll

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!

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Top 10 Favorite TV Couples 2012

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.

Which TV couples would be in your top 10?

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Favorite TV Couples Ultimate Showdown

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.

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)
John and Mary (Supernatural) (1%, 104 Votes)
Ned and Chuck (Pushing Daisies) (1%, 97 Votes)
Nathan and Audrey (Haven) (1%, 89 Votes)
Oliver and Laurel (Arrow) (1%, 85 Votes)
Ellie and Awesome (Chuck) (1%, 74 Votes)
Troy and Britta (Community) (0%, 53 Votes)
Brad and Jane (Happy Endings) (0%, 43 Votes)
Daniel and Kate (Perception) (0%, 27 Votes)
Fargo and Holly (Eureka) (0%, 26 Votes)
John and Rachel (Alphas) (0%, 18 Votes)

Total Voters: 4,413

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