Sherlock Archives - TV Breakroom

May Madness: Supernatural vs. Sherlock, The Dick Van Dyke Show vs. Gilligan’s Island

For our final matchup of round two, fandom juggernauts Sherlock and Supernatural do battle, while classic comedies Gilligan’s Island and The Dick Van Dyke Show face each other!

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 2.8

Supernatural (65%, 67 Votes)
Sherlock (36%, 37 Votes)

Total Voters: 103

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May Madness - Comedy, Round 2.8

The Dick Van Dyke Show (59%, 38 Votes)
Gilligan's Island (41%, 26 Votes)

Total Voters: 64

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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: Last Man Standing vs. Gilligan’s Island, Bones vs. Sherlock

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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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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Monday Madness: Favorite TV Brothers

ABC’s new drama Mind Games premieres this week (Tuesday, February 25, at 10/9c on ABC), and since the show focuses on two brothers, our poll this week features TV brothers! First, here’s the logline for Mind Games:

Centers on the complicated relationship between the Edwards brothers: Clark, a bipolar genius in human psychology, and Ross, a slick ex-con, who solve their clients’ problems using the real science of human motivation and manipulation.

It features one of my favorite comedic actors, Steve Zahn, so I can’t wait to check it out!

I didn’t realize until I started putting together this poll that it would pit some of the most popular fandoms against each other! (Sherlock, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, etc.) I only included more recent shows (hence the absence of The Brady Bunch boys), and included both half- and step-brothers (but not brothers-in-law).

I also did not include brothers when one of them is only in a handful of episodes. For example, Seeley Booth’s brother Jared is only in 5 episodes. I’d planned to include Michael Westen and his brother Nate, until I realized Nate was only in 15 episodes out of 111. My general rule of thumb was going with brothers 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, by a landslide, was Battlestar Galactica!

This poll will be open for ~~one week~~ two weeks, and you can choose up to 5 of your favorite TV brother duos (or trios). Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10!

Even though there are many options on this list, I know there are shows 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 ~~3rd~~ 10th.

Who are your favorite TV brothers? (Choose up to 5!)

Dean and Sam Winchester (Supernatural) (19%, 25 Votes)
Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes (Sherlock) (15%, 20 Votes)
Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson (The Originals and The Vampire Diaries) (10%, 13 Votes)
Damon and Stefan Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries) (8%, 11 Votes)
Pete, Derrick, and Randy Hill (Enlisted) (5%, 7 Votes)
Don and Charlie Eppes (Numb3rs) (5%, 6 Votes)
Peter and Nathan Petrelli (Heroes) (5%, 6 Votes)
Frankie and Tommy Rizzoli (Rizzoli and Isles) (5%, 6 Votes)
Ben and Danny Wheeler (Baby Daddy) (5%, 6 Votes)
Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows (Prison Break) (5%, 6 Votes)
Francis and Sebastian (Reign) (4%, 5 Votes)
Lucas and Nathan Scott (One Tree Hill) (3%, 4 Votes)
Reggie Jackson and Dick Butkus (The Neighbors) (2%, 3 Votes)
Gob, Michael, and Buster Bluth (Arrested Development) (2%, 3 Votes)
Earl and Randy Hickey (My Name is Earl) (2%, 3 Votes)
Danny and Jamie Reagan (Blue Bloods) (2%, 3 Votes)
Adam and Crosby Braverman (Parenthood) (2%, 2 Votes)
Tim and Billy Riggins (Friday Night Lights) (2%, 2 Votes)
Jack and Declan Porter (Revenge) (1%, 1 Votes)
Tommy, Kevin and Justin Walker (Brothers & Sisters) (1%, 1 Votes)
Ethan and Dan Whitehorse (The Lying Game) (0%, 0 Votes)
Silas and Shane Botwin (Weeds) (0%, 0 Votes)
Chuck Bass and Eric van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl) (0%, 0 Votes)
Hank and Evan Lawson (Royal Pains) (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 50

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Elementary – Pilot

“You have two alarm clocks. No one with two alarm clocks loves their job. Two alarm clocks mean it’s a chore for you to get up in the morning.”

Elementary has an uphill battle to fight. TV snobs complain that it’s just another CBS procedural drama. Sherlock devotees whine that it’s a blatant and inferior rip-off of their beloved show. Clueless TV dabblers assume it’s set at a school for young children. But what is the show actually like?

It’s fast-paced, witty, and shows many flashes of brilliance. And the same could be said for its lead, Jonny Lee Miller. He owns the role of the role of the legendary detective, and plays it a bit more jaded than Cumberbatch’s, and a bit less than Downey’s. I was overjoyed when I found out Miller was keeping his British accent, though the breathless clip with which he delivers his lines had some viewers searching for closed captioning buttons on their remotes. I didn’t have any trouble understanding him, though.

I didn’t think Miller would have much trouble pulling off a great Holmes, but I was a bit more wary about Watson. I’m not familiar with Lucy Liu’s acting, and I worried that it might become just another will they/won’t they couple teaming up to solve crime (not that I don’t love many shows with that format, it just doesn’t seem very Sherlock Holmes). Since the producers have assured many times that they don’t intend the Holmes/Watson dynamic to turn romantic, I then focused on what Liu would bring to the table as Watson.

Liu’s Watson is far less awed by Holmes’ brilliance (perhaps partly due to a false deduction he made to spare her feelings) than a typical rendering of the character, has a painful past, and has some skill of her own at noticing clues. She plays the calm one to Holmes’ manic tendencies, but also shows a more playful side occasionally (as in the ending scene). Her enjoyment of both opera and baseball hints at a layered personality.

The initial crime to solve had a decent amount of twists, though it isn’t earth-shattering. Thankfully, the previews didn’t give much away. I was surprised by how willing Captain Gregson was to let Sherlock into the case, but him working with Holmes before in England made it more plausible.

One of my favorite parts was Holmes crashing Watson’s car into a suspect’s vehicle. Like Watson, I assumed he did it because it would help them get evidence to arrest the murderer. But no, he just did it because he was mad. Spoiled rich kid.

Elementary isn’t basing its cases on the classic Doyle stories, though I suspect Moriarty will show up soon enough. And after Watson deduced that Sherlock’s spiral downward was caused by a woman (yes, Holmes isn’t the only one with deducing skills), my first thought was that could be Irene Adler.

In all, while this pilot didn’t blow me away, I enjoyed every minute of it, and my high expectations were fully met. I love the character of Sherlock Holmes, and a movie every two years and three episodes every 18 months leaves plenty of room for another version of Holmes. Also, Holmes-inspired shows like Monk and House have now ended, leaving room for more anti-heroes with excellent deductive reasoning. I definitely plan to continue watching.

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IMDb: Fall TV: Top Ten New Shows – a list by IMDb-Editors

IMDb presents a list of their picks for the top ten new shows – and I agree with just about the entire thing! Each show has a photo and a brief description, followed by thoughts from the site’s editors. I enjoy that they push past all of the hype and nitpicking to give an honest look at how well the pilot episodes work and where they see shows going from there, both good and bad.

#1 Last Resort

My favorite of the pilots I’ve seen so far (admittedly mostly comedy). Great suspense, great characters, awesome possibilities for future stories. I just hope it’s not handicapped by a competitive time slot. Full pilot review here.

#2 Arrow

Dark Knight, archery division. While I haven’t seen the pilot yet, IMDb puts Stephen Amell’s acting somewhere between Tom Welling’s Superman and Christian Bale’s Batman, which is good enough for me! An awesome superhero show for the fall is needed after enjoying superhero movies and Alphas all summer.

#3 The Mindy Project

This was a “see if the pilot’s any good” show for me, but since episode one had an unexpected quirky rom-com charm, I plan to stick around for several more episodes. Pairing this with New Girl is brilliant. Here’s my review of the first episode.

#4 Nashville

One of the few shows I disagree with on this list, mostly since I hate country music and don’t usually like shows that run solely on relational drama (give me murders, spies, bombs, crimes, aliens, cool powers, and other worlds for my drama fix). But if it’s your cup of tea, enjoy away!

#5 Elementary

The third in my trifecta of most-anticipated new dramas this fall (for the others, see #1 and 2 above). I have a feeling the pilot will be a bit spoiled by the promos, so I’m more looking forward to the second episode. And since Sherlock is already reimagining the traditional Holmes stories, I’m glad this show will focus on new stories. Update: my review of the pilot is here.

#6 Ben and Kate

A heartwarming little gem that I look forward to seeing more of. See my full review of the pilot here.

#7 Hunted

I don’t follow many cable shows unless they air on USA, Syfy, or TNT, so I had no idea this cool-looking spy drama from Cinemax even existed. If the pilot shows up online I may have to try it out.

#8 Go On

The pilot was great, the second episode a little less so, but I’m definitely giving this show a few more episodes to find its stride. I think the main thing is that the characters don’t feel like family yet, but that usually requires several episodes for most shows. I just hope the writers will be able to find the right balance between humor and pathos as most of the characters deal with pretty significant losses.

#9 Vegas

One of the other exceptions I’d take off this list – not that it isn’t well made, it’s just not a show I care to watch. I don’t watch many historical shows, unless they’re set in a time and place I love (looking at my list of tags, that’s pretty much medieval England, but there are others). Las Vegas doesn’t interest me at all. Neither does the 60s. I don’t really care about the conflict between a sheriff and a mob boss, and the main cast doesn’t feature any actors of whom I’m a huge fan. So even though I have no other broadcast shows to watch at 10pm on Tuesdays, I won’t be watching (at least this sounds better than Unforgettable, though).

#10 Revolution

This, along with Beauty and the Beast, was in my second tier of new dramas to try out, so my anticipation level wasn’t as high, but I was still hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t. While the pilot had some great moments, very little about it pushes me to watch the next episode. Since it conflicts with Castle, I’ll probably save it to watch online, but I have a feeling this is one of those shows that’ll get put off until I’m so far behind I stop watching. I do plan to watch at least the second episode, to see if it gets better.

For pics, plot descriptions, and IMDb editors’ thoughts on these 10 shows, visit the link below.

IMDb: Fall TV: Top Ten New Shows – a list by IMDb-Editors.

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TV Duos Bracket – Round One, Day 14

In our fourteenth day of competition (only two more days remain for round one!), two classic shows square off as Klink and Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes face Cagney and Lacey! But I suspect the latter matchup will attract more voters as two enormous fandoms clash. Supernatural’s Dean and Sam versus Sherlock and Watson is a battle that could have easily taken place in this bracket’s finals, but fate/Random.org determined the duos would face each other in round one.

Our day 11 matchups just ended – be sure to check out the results and all our current matchups here! The winning duos will advance to the next round (which will launch in three days!).

You can find a full list of upcoming TV duos matchups here (edited to show our first half of round one eliminations!). Round one matchups are in teal. Each of the round one matchups will be open for 72 hours (3 days), so spread the word quickly so your favorite pairs will make it into the next round! Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Our toolbar at the bottom of the page has lots of quick links to help you share this post!

Which is your favorite TV duo? Round 1.27

Cagney and Lacey - Cagney & Lacey (59%, 61 Votes)
Klink and Schultz - Hogan's Heroes (41%, 43 Votes)

Total Voters: 104

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Which is your favorite TV duo? Round 1.28

Dean and Sam - Supernatural (58%, 164 Votes)
Sherlock and Watson - Sherlock (42%, 119 Votes)

Total Voters: 283

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Elementary Promo Photo

I couldn’t resist sharing this awesome promo pic for CBS’s upcoming drama Elementary. Now that BBC’s Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch has wished the show well and showrunner Rob Doherty has taken will they/won’t they melodrama off the table, the future looks even brighter for this modern take on Holmes. Adding the fact that the only scripted broadcast competition the show will get in its Thursdays at 10 timeslot is the lukewarmly-received Scandal, and I think its nearly certain CBS has a hit on its hands.

Full promo photo slideshow here.

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Elementary on CBS: No Sexual Tension for Sherlock and Watson – TVLine

Yay! I’m so glad Elementary is going the friendship route for its unconventional Holmes/Watson pairing. It’s so much more true to the original stories. We already have great “will they or won’t they” crime-solving shows like Castle and Bones – Elementary needs to be different. And having the main guy/girl duo of a show being just friends is rare on TV today. The only current show I know of with that type of guy/girl friendship for the two most prominent characters is Warehouse 13, with Pete and Myka. (I’m sure there are others.)

And this isn’t just speculation, it comes straight from the top:

“For me, it’s completely off the table,” Elementary showrunner Rob Doherty told TVLine. “It’s just not in my head for Season 1 and, looking ahead . . . I just don’t feel like that’s a part of the show.”

He added, “People will ask us every week, and there will be people who want to see it happen, and I don’t want to break any hearts but it’s just not in our plans. And I have felt no pressure [from higher-ups] to pursue that kind of storyline.”

Also, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch finally broke his silence about the show that many are claiming is clearly a ripoff of his own. “I wish them luck, I really do. I think it will be great. It will be a different spin on it, because obviously, theirs is modern-day as well, so it needs to be different from ours, and I think the more differences, the better, to be honest.”

He added, “I don’t see why they shouldn’t co-exist with us, I don’t think they’ll steal our audience. I think people who are Holmes fans who think they do a good job of it will have a treat in watching ours and the films. So I wish them good luck!”

Elementary on CBS: No Sexual Tension for Sherlock and Watson – TVLine.

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Monday Madness: Favorite Brilliant Yet Crazy Characters

This Monday Madness, in honor of TNT’s new show, Perception (which premieres Monday, July 9th, at 10/9c), we’re looking at TV’s brilliant yet crazy characters. Perception centers around a schizophrenic neuroscientist (Eric McCormack) who works with FBI Agent Kate Moretti (Rachel Lee Cook) to solve complex criminal cases. Perception also stars Arjay Smith and Kelly Rowan, with special appearances by Levar Burton.

For the purposes of this poll, I’m defining “crazy” as anywhere from clinically insane to mild disorders to kind of quirky. “Brilliant” ranges anywhere from off-the-charts IQ to uniquely skilled in a certain area (though most lean toward high IQ).

This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite smart, zany characters. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10! Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Get creative!

Even though there are 20-some options on this list, I know there are brilliant-crazy characters I left out! You can nominate ones I missed in the comments until Thursday night, and I may add them to the poll (from live-action scripted shows only, please, and avoid villains unless they’re a major part of the show).

Want more of a say in who makes it onto the poll each week? Be sure to follow me on Twitter or like TV Breakroom on Facebook, since I usually ask for nominations for the next Monday Madness the weekend before the new poll. Please help out with nominations! There are only so many shows I can watch personally, so I’m counting on you to fill me in!

Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 1AM July 9th.

Who's your favorite brilliant but crazy character? (Choose up to 10)

River Tam (Summer Glau) - Firefly (16%, 1,291 Votes)
Castiel (Misha Collins) - Supernatural (11%, 916 Votes)
Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) - Sherlock (7%, 549 Votes)
Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults) - The Finder (6%, 456 Votes)
Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) - The Big Bang Theory (5%, 411 Votes)
The Doctor (various) - Doctor Who (5%, 402 Votes)
Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) - NCIS (4%, 318 Votes)
Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) - House (4%, 317 Votes)
Parker (Beth Riesgraf) - Leverage (3%, 259 Votes)
Shawn Spencer (James Roday) - Psych (3%, 244 Votes)
Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) - Community (3%, 234 Votes)
Zack Addy (Eric Mulligan) - Bones (3%, 220 Votes)
Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) - Dexter (3%, 214 Votes)
Walter Bishop (John Noble) - Fringe (3%, 210 Votes)
Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) - Monk (2%, 192 Votes)
Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) - The Big Bang Theory (2%, 188 Votes)
Mozzie (Willie Garson) - White Collar (2%, 185 Votes)
Fred Burkle (Amy Acker) - Angel (2%, 181 Votes)
Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) - Warehouse 13 (2%, 134 Votes)
Topher Brink (Fran Kranz) - Dollhouse (2%, 132 Votes)
Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) - Chuck (2%, 127 Votes)
Murdoch (Dwight Schultz) - The A-Team (2%, 125 Votes)
Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar) - Burn Notice (2%, 123 Votes)
Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) - Lie to Me (1%, 108 Votes)
Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) - The Office (1%, 94 Votes)
Gary Bell (Ryan Cartwright) - Alphas (1%, 86 Votes)
Daisy Wick (Carla Gallo) - Bones (1%, 83 Votes)
Gaius Baltar (James Callis) - Battlestar Galactica (1%, 79 Votes)
Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) - Homeland (1%, 42 Votes)
Seymour Birkhoff (Aaron Stanford) - Nikita (0%, 39 Votes)
Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) - Law & Order: Criminal Intent (0%, 34 Votes)
Billy Chenowith (Jeremy Sisto) - Six Feet Under (0%, 15 Votes)
Jeffrey Geiger (Mandy Patinkin) - Chicago Hope (0%, 14 Votes)
Tony Hill (Robson Green) - Wire in the Blood (0%, 13 Votes)

Total Voters: 2,717

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Top 15 TV Villains

Here are TV’s top villains, as voted by all of you! I expanded this to the top 15 since many of the villains were from the same shows. Also, I’m posting this a day later than usual since I was away yesterday.

#15 Phil Constantino (Timothy Omundson) – Jericho

Continue reading Top 15 TV Villains

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Monday Madness: Favorite TV Villain

This Monday Madness, as nominated by Kathy Manno, we’re looking at TV villains! Some of these villains are pure evil, while others have a redeemable side and eventually begin working with the good guys – but please vote for them as a villain, not a hero! Some of these villains are so evil they can keep you awake at night, while others are so hilarious in their villainy that you almost want them to win.

This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite TV villains. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10! Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Get creative!

Even though there are 50-some options on this list, I know there are dozens of TV villains I left out! You can nominate villains I missed in the comments until Thursday night, and I may add them to the poll (villains from live-action scripted shows only, please).

Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 1AM June 25th.

Who is your favorite TV villain? (Choose up to 10!)

Crowley (Mark Sheppard) - Supernatural (8%, 630 Votes)
Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) - Sherlock (7%, 572 Votes)
Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino) - Supernatural (6%, 535 Votes)
Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) - Once Upon a Time (5%, 382 Votes)
Regina Mills/Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) - Once Upon a Time (4%, 353 Votes)
Spike (James Marsters) - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (4%, 344 Votes)
Alastair (Christopher Heyerdahl) - Supernatural (4%, 316 Votes)
Azazel (Fredric Lehne) - Supernatural (4%, 309 Votes)
Dick Roman (James Patrick Stuart) - Supernatural (4%, 306 Votes)
The Master (John Simm) - Doctor Who (3%, 229 Votes)
Angelus (David Boreanaz) - Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (3%, 227 Votes)
Matthew Keller (Ross McCall) - White Collar (3%, 223 Votes)
Ari Haswari (Rudolf Martin) - NCIS (3%, 215 Votes)
Drusilla (Juliet Landau) - Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (2%, 202 Votes)
Phil Constantino (Timothy Omundson) - Jericho (2%, 169 Votes)
Sylar (Zachary Quinto) - Heroes (2%, 151 Votes)
Mr. Yang (Ally Sheedy) - Psych (2%, 146 Votes)
Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) - The Vampire Diaries (2%, 138 Votes)
Cole Turner (Julian McMahon) - Charmed (2%, 133 Votes)
Jim Sterling (Mark Sheppard) - Leverage (1%, 125 Votes)
Klaus (Joseph Morgan) - The Vampire Diaries (1%, 123 Votes)
Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) - Lost (1%, 122 Votes)
Glory (Clare Kramer) - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1%, 120 Votes)
Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) - Glee (1%, 116 Votes)
The Smoking Man (William B. Davis) - X-Files (1%, 112 Votes)
George Foyet (C. Thomas Howell) - Criminal Minds (1%, 108 Votes)
The Gravedigger (Diedre Lovejoy) - Bones (1%, 103 Votes)
Mayor Wilkins (Harry Groener) - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1%, 103 Votes)
Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane) - Angel (1%, 103 Votes)
Anson Fullerton (Jere Burns) - Burn Notice (1%, 100 Votes)
Lionel Luthor (John Glover) - Smallville (1%, 90 Votes)
Red John - The Mentalist (1%, 86 Votes)
Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare) - True Blood (1%, 80 Votes)
Katherine Pierce (Nina Dobrev) - The Vampire Diaries (1%, 80 Votes)
H.G. Wells (Jaime Murray) - Warehouse 13 (1%, 75 Votes)
Gormogon (Laurence Todd Rosenthal) - Bones (1%, 71 Votes)
The First - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1%, 55 Votes)
J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) - Dallas (1%, 54 Votes)
Alexei Volkoff (Timothy Dalton) - Chuck (1%, 51 Votes)
Number Six (Tricia Helfer) - Battlestar Galactica (1%, 49 Votes)
Carla (Tricia Helfer) - Burn Notice (1%, 49 Votes)
Sheriff of Nottingham (Keith Allen) - Robin Hood (1%, 47 Votes)
Anna (Morena Baccarin) - V (1%, 43 Votes)
Daniel Shaw (Brandon Routh) - Chuck (1%, 43 Votes)
Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman) - Suits (1%, 42 Votes)
The Chameleon (Christopher Lambert) NCIS: Los Angeles (1%, 42 Votes)
Jasmine (Gina Torres) - Angel (0%, 41 Votes)
Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) - The Dukes of Hazzard (0%, 41 Votes)
Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe) - Revenge (0%, 39 Votes)
Nina Meyers (Sarah Clarke) - 24 (0%, 38 Votes)
Adalind Schade (Claire Coffee) - Grimm (0%, 37 Votes)
Marie Barone (Doris Roberts) - Everybody Loves Raymond (0%, 37 Votes)
Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman) - Heroes (0%, 37 Votes)
Elias (Enrico Colantoni) - Person of Interest (0%, 35 Votes)
Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) - The X-Files (0%, 34 Votes)
Maryann Forrester (Michelle Forbes) - True Blood (0%, 32 Votes)
James MacPherson (Roger Rees) - Warehouse 13 (0%, 31 Votes)
Siobhan Martin (Sarah Michelle Gellar) - Ringer (0%, 31 Votes)
Amanda (Melinda Clarke) - Nikita (0%, 29 Votes)
Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (0%, 27 Votes)
Percy (Xander Berkeley) - Nikita (0%, 21 Votes)
Valerie Malone (Tiffani Thiessen) - Beverly Hills, 90210 (0%, 20 Votes)
Herrick (Jason Watkins) - Being Human (UK) (0%, 16 Votes)
Benny (Belita Moreno) - George Lopez (0%, 16 Votes)
Daniel Holtz (Keith Szarabajka) - Angel (0%, 15 Votes)
Weyoun (Jeffrey Combs) - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (0%, 12 Votes)
Roan (Rob Stewart) - Nikita (0%, 9 Votes)
Roy Biggins (David Schramm) - Wings (0%, 8 Votes)
Peter Fleming (James Frain) - The Cape (0%, 7 Votes)
Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (0%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 2,112

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Benedict Cumberbatch Interview — On Sherlock Season 3 & Downton Abbey Controversy – TVLine

Great interview with Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch, answering such questions as: What does Cumberbatch think of “A Scandal in Belgravia”? How does he get into the Sherlock persona? Where would he like to see a Sherlock billboard? Will his movie success ever take him away from Sherlock? When does series 3 start shooting? Find out at the link below!

Benedict Cumberbatch Interview — On Sherlock Season 3 & Downton Abbey Controversy – TVLine.

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