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People’s Choice Awards 2012

I like voting for things. Especially when they have to do with my favorite shows. So I thought I’d provide a quick rundown of this year’s People’s Choice Award Nominees. Just the TV section, mind you, and only the scripted shows. I usually haven’t seen most of the movies (I did vote for Thor over the very close choice of Captain America), and I’ve don’t listen to nearly all of the music artists.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA

Pretty much a no-brainer that I was voting for House. Supernatural hasn’t captured my attention, and while The Good Wife looks like a solid show, I’ve never seen it (blame my lawyer aversion). And Grey’s Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries look FAR too soapy for me.

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR

How can I choose between David Boreanaz and Nathan Fillion? Fortunately, with this award, I can vote as often as I like, so I’ve been alternating between the two. Not so when the two face each other in Round 3 of TV Line’s “Ultimate Law-Enforcement Crushes Bracket Tournament.” I don’t know how I’ll pick. Nathan has Castle and Firefly and Dr. Horrible and now Much Ado About Nothing. David has Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I’m ignoring Nathan as Caleb since I hated him in that role) and Angel and Bones.

Hugh Laurie only gets a distant third in this category, and Ian Somerhalder and Patrick Dempsey are soundly ignored by me.

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS

A very easy vote for Emily Deschanel. I haven’t even heard of some of the others on the list: Blake Lively, Ellen Pompeo, Eva Longoria, and Nina Dobrev.

FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA

Another super easy choice, as I only watch White Collar. Game of Thrones does sound good, though, and people have recommended Dexter to me. Don’t know about True Blood and Pretty Little Liars.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY

The Big Bang Theory gets my vote most of the time for this one, but I’ll occasionally vote for How I Met Your Mother as well. Interesting that Dr. Horrible is competing against his sidekick, Moist. I only enjoy Glee for the music, Two and a Half Men is crude instead of funny, and I’ve never seen Modern Family.

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR

Hmm, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) or Barney (Neil Patrick Harris)? Same as above, I’ll usually tilt toward the Thursday night show but occasionally choose the Monday night one. Alec Baldwin, Chris Colfer, and Cory Monteith don’t make me laugh.

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS

Kaley Cuoco wins hands down over Courteney Cox, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, and Tina Fey.

FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY

I don’t currently watch any of these, though I used to watch Royal Pains (seriously, why is this a nominee instead of Psych?). I may come back to the show later, I’m just not a huge fan of medical shows (House is the only one I watch now) and not too fond of the main character (loved Evan and Divya, though). It does get my vote over the shows I haven’t seen: Hot in Cleveland, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Nurse Jackie, and Weeds.

FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA

When I first saw the nominees for this category, I thought, Are you kidding? I’ve mentioned several times on this blog that Bones, Castle, and NCIS are my top three crime dramas, and all three were nominated this year! I voted for each of them. I’ve only seen bits of CSI and Criminal Minds episodes.

FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY SHOW

I’ve only seen Supernatural on this list, so I voted for it, but Fringe has been on my to-watch list for a long while. From what I’ve heard, I think I’d prefer True Blood to The Vampire Diaries (too bad my favorite currently-airing vampire show, Being Human, didn’t make the list), and since zombies bore me, The Walking Dead has only appeared on my radar since its ratings are good.

FAVORITE TV GUEST STAR

I loved Jim Carrey’s appearance on The Office, and would have much preferred his character to Robert California. Katy Perry’s appearance on How I Met Your Mother was funny, but I felt like most actresses could have played the role well. I didn’t see the appearances of Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Chenoweth, or Michael J. Fox.

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA

Twelve options is a lot to choose from, but Once Upon a Time has wowed me in all three episodes. Ringer is a close second and gets my vote every once in a while. Person of Interest has built slowly but is improving, and Grimm’s two episodes have been good enough for me to keep watching.

Out of the remaining shows, I’ve only seen Unforgettable, which I hated. Pilots sometimes don’t match the rest of a show, but I couldn’t even get halfway through episode two. I’ve heard good things about Pan Am, Terra Nova, and Revenge, but my “new shows to try out” list already had 11 shows on it (plus more than a dozen returning shows). Medically-minded Hart of Dixie and A Gifted Man didn’t sound like quite my thing, and neither did The Secret Circle or Prime Suspect.

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY

2 Broke Girls was super-easy choice for this category, though Suburgatory has been good and New Girl has been okay. Guessed to be not my cup of tea by the previews: Whitney, Up All Night, Last Man Standing, and Man Up. I don’t watch animated TV (the only way I think I ever would was if Joss Whedon created an animated show), so no Allen Gregory.

What did you vote for? Are there any shows mentioned that you think I should be watching?

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Some Other Beginning’s End

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ringer – Pilot

Sarah Michelle Gellar is back! That was really the only tagline needed for the new noir drama on the CW. But the premise is intriguing by itself. Bridget runs away the night before her testimony in a criminal trial and goes to visit her estranged twin sister Siobhan. When Siobhan apparently kills herself, Bridget sees a way out and assumes her sister’s life. But she soon learns that Siobhan has secrets of her own, and someone wants her dead, too.

I watched a lot of the Comicon coverage for Ringer, and several trailers, so almost all of the secrets revealed in the pilot (and even a few that weren’t) had been spoiled for me. So I didn’t expect to be wowed by it, and I wasn’t. I’m looking for the next episodes too, though.

So for those of you who didn’t see all the previews, or didn’t watch the premiere episode, beware of spoilers!

This is the first thing I’ve seen Gellar in since Buffy, so I was a little surprised at how much older she looked, but it was more her clothes and mannerisms than her actual face. I noticed a few Buffy references in the first segment of the episode, but my guess is they were more imagined than actual hat tips to the show. The gargoyles on the penthouse roof gave a cemetery-link feel to the first moments of the episode, so that was probably deliberate. I probably only noticed the word “amends” in a conversation since that was the last Buffy episode I watched, and the word cookie because the cookie dough conversation was in the final Buffy episode. And when Bridget mentioned waitressing, I could only think about how that paralleled with the final issue of the Buffy season 8 comics (season 9 starts today!).

One of the “surprises” that got ruined was when Kristoffer Polaha seems to be following/stalking Bridget. I already knew he wasn’t a hitman out to get her, but Siobhan’s best friend’s husband Henry with whom Siobhan was having an affair. The show did manage to keep the surprise of Siobhan’s pregnancy, and that Siobhan blames Bridget for her (apparent) son’s death.

It’s easy to see Bridget as the hero in this story, as she tries to right Siobhan’s wrongs – breaking off the affair, trying to mend things with Andrew (Siobhan’s husband), reaching out to his daughter Juliet. I also like the setup of Bridget’s relationship with her sponsor, Malcolm, as the one person she can be “real” with.

One preview showed an extended clip of the final scene, of Siobhan’s phone conversation in Paris (yeah, we knew she wasn’t really dead). Only when I saw the clip, I thought it was Bridget. So that was a bit of a surprise.

So who sent the attacker in the climax? Was it Gemma, the best friend who’d summoned her to the loft? Andrew, whose mysterious phone conversation seemed like he was trying to call off a hit after he’d learned of Siobhan’s pregnancy? Or Siobhan, wanting to put the final nail in the coffin of her fake suicide and get revenge on her sister in one move?

I guess I’ll find out next week.

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Fall 2011 TV Shows Anticipations

Fall TV is about to start for 2011! Here are some things I’m anticipating about the shows I plan to watch, in the order of their season premiere dates.

September 13

“Ringer”

I’m hoping this show will be as in-depth and multi-layered as Veronica Mars. I don’t think the show will make me laugh, but as skilled as many of the cast are with dramatic moments, it may make me cry. Previews gave away maybe a little too much of the pilot, but with 3 seasons planned of twists and turns, I expect to be surprised quite often. It has stiff competition in its Tuesday 9PM slot, but I foresee an early renewal.

September 14

“Free Agents”

Previews show this to lean toward the bawdy type of workplace comedy I usually avoid, but I love Anthony Stewart Head’s acting, so I’ll probably give this show at least two episodes to prove itself to me. And since The Office has flourished with its UK to US transfer, I’d say the odds for renewal are slightly greater than 50/50.

September 19

“How I Met Your Mother”

A great cast and hilarious hijinks make a few off episodes bearable, and I’m pretty content with not having met the mother yet, since that means the show can continue longer. The twist of another wedding should add interest for long-time viewers and keep them watching.

“2 Broke Girls”

As the only half hour show in its time slot, and paired with the popular “HIMYM,” this show should do well by default. I’m not expecting much from it, just a few laughs, but I would love to be pleasantly surprised.

“Castle”

I’m positive Beckett’s not dead, as the premise of this show would fall apart without her, but I hope the events of the final moments of last season will have far-reaching effects on this one. I am not looking forward to the new chief. The absence of station politics is one thing I enjoyed about the show, so rumors I’ve heard worry me. But it would take a lot more than that to make me stop watching this show. Hoping for some more Whedonverse guest stars and Firefly references this season.

September 20

“NCIS”

Can’t wait to hang out with the gang again. With the start of season nine, this show is the longest-running one I watch, and it’s stronger than ever. Starting out with emotional turmoil for DiNozzo sounds like a great way to begin the season.

“NCIS: Los Angeles”

Unlike its sister show, NCIS: LA is picking up right when the last season ended. The only thing I ask for season 3? Don’t get rid of Hetty. If I had one other wish, I’d love to see Nate back as a regular part of the team.

“The New Girl”

With two shows already competing for my Tuesday 9PM viewing, I wasn’t even going to look at this show, but with the other Deschanel sister not coming back until November, I probably will check out at least the pilot online. But with strong competition on every other broadcast channel, the ratings will probably be terrible enough to make a renewal unlikely. It’s one saving grace is that it’s the only comedy in its timeslot.

September 22

“The Big Bang Theory”

This show makes me laugh more than any other. And it’s one of those shows that while you know the two of the characters belong together, you don’t really care how many detours they take along the way, because it adds new dimensions to the show.

“Community”

I’m still mad at the networks for making this and the previous show compete. It’s a little sad to think that cast will be juniors this year, so the show is most likely halfway over. It was left up in the air whether Chevy Chase would return to the group, but if any of the main 7 characters had to go, I’d prefer him.

“The Office”

The show proved it could survive without Michael Scott at the end of last season, so I plan to keep watching. While not every episode tickles my funny bone, I love (some of) the characters enough to tuning into their workdays for as long as they’ll let me.

“Person of Interest”

An intriguing premise and Jim Caviezel are enough to put this show on my to-watch list for at least the first several episodes. With Bones starting late, this show has the potential to grab a few extra viewers. Most of my action shows tend to be summer ones, so I’m hoping this will be good. Need to know more before predicting renewal, though.

September 23

“Nikita”

The new season brings a twist to the dynamics of this show, with characters switching sides, but I’m confident Nikita will make it work. My one fear is Lyndsy Fonseca looking like a powder-puff villain next to Melinda Clarke. And the show has a month to establish some viewers before Chuck comes in to try and woo them away.

“Blue Bloods”

This show has a great cast and interesting episodes, but doesn’t have the compulsive watching quality many other crime dramas do. I hope the second season starts off with a bang and adds a layer of intrigue.

September 28

“Suburgatory”

Alan Tudyk is the only reason I’m checking this show out. The fact that it’s unlike most of the other shows I watch may help it stay on my list. But it’s kind of funny that the only Wednesday night shows I’m interested in air at the same time and pit Whedonverse actors against each other.

September 29

“How to Be a Gentleman”

I hated the first preview for this show, but the second was a little better, so I’ll still watch the pilot. I have my doubts about this one being a keeper, though.

October 2

“Homeland”

This will be the first Showtime TV show I’ve ever tried out. But with Damian Lewis (Life), Claire Danes, and Morena Baccarin (Firefly), how could I resist?

October 3

“House”

I’m curious who the show will bring in to replace Cuddy, and how House will get his job back. I almost feel like the show’s starting to wind down, which is a shame, but it’s had a good run. Of course, this next season could surprise me and pick up momentum again.

October 12

“Psych”

It’s been way too long of a hiatus for Shawn and Gus, so I’m really looking forward to the return of my favorite fake psychic, and the boatload of special episodes he brings with him.

October 21

“Chuck”

Back for a truncated 5th season, it’s nice that the show will have the chance to say goodbye. I’m looking forward to a hilarious season with Morgan’s new role.

“Grimm”

I love the idea of this show. But with cult favorites Supernatual and Fringe vying for the same slot with a month-long lead, the ratings will likely be terrible. (Whose bright idea was it to stack three speculative shows against each other?) The reviews for the pilot haven’t been great. No big-name actors or even geek favorites. And Friday nights are usually the death slot. The plus side is that it’s created by some guys responsible for much of Angel, and has a great lead-in show with Chuck. Since I didn’t catch up on Supernatural and Fringe this summer like I wanted to, I’ll definitely be watching this. I just hope the studio will focus on day+7 and online views when deciding how long to let it run.

October 23

“Once Upon a Time”

I’ve watched the preview for this show more than any other. I just hope it lives up to the beauty and intrigue that glimpse conveyed, and there are enough twists and turns to spawn multiple seasons.

November 3

“Bones”

Having caught up on this show, I’m excited to be finally watching it in “real” time, without spoilers to mess up my expectations. I’m hoping the baby mania won’t overtake the show, but I trust that it will be an awesome season.

November also brings the return of split season shows like Covert Affairs, Burn Notice, and Leverage.

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What I Will Watch in Fall 2011

Now that CBS has finally posted its fall 2011 schedule, I have a good idea what I’ll be watching come September. Most of the time, of course, I will watch shows online the day after they air, but if I get a chance to watch them live, this will be my schedule.

Sunday

8PM – Once Upon a Time – ABC

This fairy tale meets modern life sounds like it has promise, and I love the promos.

Monday

8PM – How I Met Your Mother – CBS

8:30PM – Two Broke Girls – CBS

9PM – House – Fox

10PM – Castle – ABC

Chuck’s move to Fridays and House’s move to 9 finally makes my Mondays conflict-free (though I imagine Chuck’s ratings would have greatly improved with House’s move – seriously, is it any wonder the show wasn’t doing well against BOTH House and HIMYM?). Two Broke Girls sounds interesting, and will nicely fit in my half-hour gap.

Tuesday

8PM – NCIS – CBS

9PM – NCIS: Los Angeles – CBS

9PM – Ringer – The CW

CBS was smart not to mess with its Tuesday domination. Both shows had awesome finales Tuesday night, and NCIS: LA was finally renewed yesterday. I was a bit worried that they were going to off Jimmy Palmer in the NCIS finale, but Los Angeles ended with the more dramatic cliffhanger, making me anxious for season 3. I will have a hard time deciding what to watch at 9, but the CW’s terrible online viewing experience may tip the scale toward Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Ringer.

Wednesday

8:30PM – Suburgatory – ABC

8:30PM – Free Agents – NBC

I will be checking out these two shows solely for their Whedonverse alums: Suburgatory features Alan Tudyk (Firefly and Dollhouse), while Free Agents stars Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Merlin).

Thursday

8PM – The Big Bang Theory – CBS

8PM – Community – NBC

8:30PM – How to Be a Gentleman – CBS

9PM – The Office – NBC

9PM – Bones – Fox

9PM – Person of Interest – CBS

Thursdays are still full of conflict. As usual, I probably will watch The Big Bang Theory live and Community on Hulu when both are airing new episodes. How to Be a Gentleman sounds promising, and I probably would have checked the show out anyway even if it didn’t perfectly fill a half-hour gap (the promo, however leaves a bit to be desired). Watching Bones will depend on if I catch up on back seasons of the show over the summer. The Office’s penultimate episode of season 7 proved that the show can still be hilarious without Michael Scott, so I plan to keep watching. Jim Caviezel (The Count of Monte Cristo, The Passion of the Christ) stars in Person of Interest, and the sneak peek was excellent.

Friday

8PM – Nikita – The CW

8PM – Chuck – NBC

9PM – Grimm – NBC

10PM – Blue Bloods – CBS

It seems a bit odd, having such a solid line-up of shows for a Friday night. Blue Bloods has proved it can hold its own on the evening, but its family vibe makes it a more likely choice for those who stay in Friday nights. I suspect the young-adult-aimed Chuck won’t do as well, but since it’s the final season of the show the numbers aren’t as important. And it’s pitted against fellow action show Nikita, which also doesn’t seem like a good Friday night fit. Grimm has a tough shot against both a cop show and TWO speculative fan favorites, Fringe and Supernatural (which even I may be watching instead if I have time to check them out this summer).

USA’s Psych typically counts as a summer show, it doesn’t sound like it will be starting until August or September this year (since it’s cable, I won’t be watching it live, though). There are a few other shows on the major networks and some mid-season pickups I also plan to check out if I have time.

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