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: Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs. Supernatural, Will & Grace vs. The Dick Van Dyke Show

Update: This poll has ended, but you can vote for Buffy here!

For our last matchups of round three, genre favorites Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural do battle, while Will & Grace faces The Dick Van Dyke Show!

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 3.4

  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (87%, 469 Votes)
  • Supernatural (36%, 196 Votes)

Total Voters: 539

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May Madness - Comedy, Round 3.4

  • Will & Grace (73%, 214 Votes)
  • The Dick Van Dyke Show (56%, 163 Votes)

Total Voters: 292

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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: 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: Enlisted vs. The Dick Van Dyke Show, Supernatural vs. Firefly

In our penultimate matchup of round one, newly canceled Enlisted (tear) faces classic comedy The Dick Van Dyke Show, while genre juggernauts, fellow Friday-show-axed-by-Fox-after-one-season-with-episodes-out-of-order Firefly does battle with long-running fan favorite Supernatural!

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 1.15

  • The Dick Van Dyke Show (84%, 37 Votes)
  • Enlisted (16%, 7 Votes)

Total Voters: 44

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May Madness - Drama, Round 1.15

  • Supernatural (51%, 26 Votes)
  • Firefly (49%, 25 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 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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The CW 2014-2015 Schedule Predictions

I’ve been browsing through pilot options for next fall lately, especially as some exciting cast announcements have been made. A bunch of TV ratings geeks often come up with possible schedules for the coming year, so I thought I’d try my hand at one of my own!

Since the CW has only 10 hours of primetime TV to schedule and 6 pilots in contention, I’m starting with them! I’m basing this off the TVLine pilot list and renewal predictions from TV By the Numbers.

Out of the CW’s 6 pilots, The Flash, Supernatural: Bloodlines, and iZombie seem like the strongest options. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the other 3 is picked up for midseason, but two of them (Identity and Jane the Virgin) sound soapy and convoluted, and the third (The Messengers) sounds like a Heroes clone (including the Apocalypse adds a bit of a Sleepy Hollow vibe, but I doubt it could improve on the awesomeness that is Sleepy Hollow).

Supernatural, Arrow, Reign, The Vampire Diaries, and The Originals have all been renewed, and it is likely Hart of Dixie will be as well, as a 4th season is needed for syndication. There may be one more renewal for under-performing The Tomorrow People, low-rated Star-Crossed (I know it’s a long shot, but I adore this show!), or yet-to-premiere The 100.

Last fall, after a special premiere after The Vampire Diaries on Thursday, The Originals moved to its own time slot as an anchor for Tuesday night. New shows tend to do better following established shows for their first year or so, but The Originals has done well at 8PM. One of the reasons I believe this occurred is due to 4 of the main characters being already well-established on The Vampire Diaries. A lot of spin-offs in TV today are set in the same world as the original show and are introduced in an episode or two, but it’s rare for so many main and reoccurring cast members to move to a new show.

As far as  I can tell, The Flash and Supernatural: Bloodlines won’t have that advantage, so I believe they will do best airing after their respective original shows. The Originals has already shown it can anchor a night, so I would move it to the troublesome Mondays, to avoid having to launch a new show on that night. I think Reign would be well-suited to follow The Originals – the frequent historical flashbacks in the vampire show would make it the best match to the network’s only historical drama.

For the plum post-Vampire Diaries spot on Thursdays, I’d put iZombie. Both contemporary shows with supernatural creatures masquerading as humans, I hope Rob Thomas’s input will be able to keep up with Damon’s snark, and there’s the David Anders connection. I can also see iZombie as a special 13-episode season (like Sleepy Hollow), followed by a midseason new or sophomore show taking its place.

Just-needs-one-more-season Hart of Dixie can eek out its final run on Fridays, paired with the mercy-renewal/unscripted TV/midseason downgrade/so-so pilot of the network’s choosing.

 

To recap, how I think the CW should schedule 2014-2015:

Monday: The Originals/Reign

Tuesday: Supernatural/Supernatural: Bloodlines

Wednesday: Arrow/The Flash

Thursday: The Vampire Diaries/iZombie

Friday: Hart of Dixie/???

 

This schedule would also be gentle with the network’s 4 top-rated shows: 2 would stay in their original spots, one would move an hour earlier, and one would air at the same time a day earlier.

How would you schedule the CW? Which shows do you want to see renewed and which pilots would you want to be picked up?

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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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Look Who’s Back – Veronica Mars Movie

Yes, Veronica Mars is back! As one of the Kickstarter backers, I couldn’t be more excited! I’ve watched the trailer, but I’ve tried to avoid some of the rumors swirling around this sure-to-be-epic movie, as I want to be surprised!

Also, I’m back! I’ve been without a computer for more than half a year, and the one post I managed to scrape together on my Kindle Fire was torturous. But yesterday while I was home sick in bed, my tax refund came in, and I promptly scoured the internet for the best President’s Day deals on laptops. Best Buy enticed me with a great deal on a new HP (I was looking at refurbished/used ones) that I could pick up in-store that day. I ordered it, took medicine, and fell back asleep, only to wake up to hear I’d been laid off from my office job.

But my loss is your gain! This site was born from unemployment and TV binge-watching, so when better to return? I’m sure I can find an acceptable job application/TV episode/blog post ratio!

So what shows are tickling your ears and dancing before your eyes lately? Leave a comment and let me know! I’ve finally started making some headway on Supernatural (now that I’m sadly not blogging about every episode) and am partway through season 3!

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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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The CW Picks Up Tomorrow People, The 100, Star-Crossed, and Reign, Renews Nikita and The Carrie Diaries

The CW announced series orders for four pilots today, for a total of five new shows (including The Vampire Diaries’ spinoff The Originals) to debut in the 2013-2014 season. The Carrie Diaries was renewed, as well as Nikita, for a shortened season.

Which of these shows will I watch next season? If I have time and the trailers look good, I’ll probably try to check out the pilots for all four new shows. I still need to catch up on The Vampire Diaries to watch the planted pilot for The Originals, but I’m leaning toward not watching the spinoff. Nikita I will watch till the end, and I probably would have at least given a shot to The Carrie Diaries (especially since it includes Doctor Who’s Freema Agyeman) if I had more time when it started airing.

Tomorrow People has an impressive line-up of executive producers (from Chuck, Arrow, The Vampire Diaries, and Nikita) and features genre favorite Mark Pellegrino as well as Robbie Amell (Arrow’s Stephen Amell’s cousin – who will play a character named Stephen). People around the world gaining superpowers isn’t new (see Heroes, Alphas, and more), but can be excellent if done right.

Star-Crossed (formerly Oxygen) has a human girl falling in love with an alien boy after he and 8 other alien teens are integrated into a high school ten years after their people landed on Earth. I’m not familiar with many of the actors, so I’m counting on previews to tell me why this intriguing premise is must-see TV.

The 100 refers to a group of juvenile delinquents who are sent to a nuclear-war-ravaged Earth to see if it’s habitable again. The cast includes a few actors I know from their reoccurring guest spots on other shows. It’s based on an upcoming book series – which I think would be a dream come true: being able to write such a great novel that it’s made into a TV show before it even releases.

Reign focuses on 15-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots, and her closest friends, three of her ladies-in-waiting, amid the secrets of the French court. I usually don’t watch historical shows, but I may give this one a try as it stars Megan Follows (aka Anne Shirley) and Anna Popplewell (aka Queen Susan of Narnia).

Gone are the days of the CW being the teen girl channel. Nearly all of their scripted programming now has a supernatural/sci-fi/action hero bent (4 out of 5 new programs, 5 out of 7 renewed programs), and the remaining ones have distinctive settings (deep South, 80s New York, 16th century France). And out of their 12 scripted shows for next year, I am currently watching four, want to catch up with Supernatural, would have given The Carrie Diaries a try, and will probably watch all five new pilots. That leaves the lone show I care nothing about, Hart of Dixie (ironic since my last name is also Hart), of which I watched the pilot. I didn’t expect to like it, though, since medical shows I like are few and Southern accents bug me.

So next fall, the CW may go from my least-watched channel (the first show I watched was Nikita when it premiered) to the channel with the highest concentration of shows I watch. And with so many genre shows, perhaps it’s more deserving of the Syfy name than the Syfy channel itself!

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Monday Madness: Favorite Christmas Episode

It’s hard to believe Christmas will be here in about a week! One of my favorite parts of the season are the awesome holiday episodes shows put out, and now it’s your turn to vote for your favorites! I purposely saved this poll for right before Christmas so I could add in some of 2012’s holiday episodes.

Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, Pinterest, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Our toolbar at the bottom of the page has lots of quick links to help you share this post, or you can mouse over the image above!

I know I’m missing some of your favorite Christmas episodes, so feel free to nominate more episodes on our Facebook page, tweeting me at @waterfallbooks, or by leaving a comment below. Please include both the show and episode name, and yes, you can nominate this year’s holiday episodes! (Be sure to stick with live-action, scripted shows, though it’s fine if just this one episode has some animation, like with a certain Community episode.) Please only nominate Christmas episodes that are part of a regular show, not one-off specials like “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or movie-related specials like “Shrek the Halls.”

Without further ado, vote for up to fifteen of the episodes below! Poll will close Sunday night, December 23rd, giving you one week to spread the word!

What's your favorite Christmas episode? (Choose up to 15!)

  • Leverage - The Ho Ho Ho Job (17%, 154 Votes)
  • Supernatural - A Very Supernatural Christmas (8%, 76 Votes)
  • Doctor Who - The Christmas Invasion (5%, 43 Votes)
  • Doctor Who - Voyage of the Damned (4%, 35 Votes)
  • Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol (4%, 35 Votes)
  • Doctor Who - The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (4%, 34 Votes)
  • The Big Bang Theory - The Bath Gift Item Hypothesis (3%, 31 Votes)
  • Psych - Gus's Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy (3%, 26 Votes)
  • Bones - The Man in the Fallout Shelter (3%, 24 Votes)
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Amends (3%, 24 Votes)
  • How I Met Your Mother - How Lily Stole Christmas (2%, 23 Votes)
  • The Big Bang Theory - The Santa Simulation (2%, 22 Votes)
  • Castle - Secret Santa (2%, 21 Votes)
  • NCIS - Faith (2%, 20 Votes)
  • NCIS - Newborn King (2%, 19 Votes)
  • Bones - The Santa in the Slush (2%, 19 Votes)
  • Friends - The One With the Holiday Armadillo (2%, 18 Votes)
  • NCIS - Silent Night (2%, 17 Votes)
  • Psych - Christmas Joy (2%, 17 Votes)
  • How I Met Your Mother - Symphony of Illumination (2%, 16 Votes)
  • The Vampire Diaries - O Come, All Ye Faithful (2%, 15 Votes)
  • Community - Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas (2%, 14 Votes)
  • New Girl - Santa (2%, 14 Votes)
  • Psych - The Polarizing Express (2%, 14 Votes)
  • Community - Regional Holiday Music (1%, 13 Votes)
  • Community - Comparative Religion (1%, 13 Votes)
  • Eureka - O Little Town (1%, 12 Votes)
  • Warehouse 13 - Secret Santa (1%, 12 Votes)
  • Eureka - Do You See What I See (1%, 12 Votes)
  • Warehouse 13 - The Greatest Gift (1%, 12 Votes)
  • Arrow - Year's End (1%, 11 Votes)
  • Chuck - Chuck vs Santa Claus (1%, 11 Votes)
  • Veronica Mars - An Echolls Family Christmas (1%, 10 Votes)
  • House - It's a Wonderful Lie (1%, 10 Votes)
  • The OC - The Best Chrismukkah Ever (1%, 9 Votes)
  • Glee - A Very Glee Christmas (1%, 9 Votes)
  • The X-Files - How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (1%, 8 Votes)
  • M*A*S*H - Death Takes a Holiday (1%, 8 Votes)
  • The West Wing - In Excelsis Deo (1%, 6 Votes)
  • Seinfeld - Festivus (1%, 5 Votes)
  • The Office - Dwight Christmas (1%, 5 Votes)
  • The Office - A Benihana Christmas (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Go On - The World Ain't Over 'Til It's Over (0%, 4 Votes)
  • The Office - Christmas Wishes (0%, 4 Votes)
  • Monk - Mr. Monk and the Man Who Shot Santa (0%, 4 Votes)
  • The Mindy Project - Josh and Mindy's Christmas Party (0%, 3 Votes)
  • Suburgatory - Krampus (0%, 3 Votes)
  • Smallville - Lexmas (0%, 3 Votes)
  • Monk - Mr. Monk and the Miracle (0%, 3 Votes)
  • The Neighbors - Merry Crap-mas (0%, 1 Votes)
  • Guys With Kids - Christmas (0%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 276

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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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Doctor Who – Thoughts on Its 49th Anniversary

I just finished watching “The Girl in the Fireplace” and felt an overwhelming urge to write some thoughts on Doctor Who. Turns out, today is the 49th anniversary of the very first episode airing, so my timing is perfect! (Spoilers through that episode – S2E4 – below!)

I’ll admit that this show has taken a while to hook me, and that’s even after starting with the more modern series. I’d watch an episode, be unimpressed, and then wait months to try another. I finally decided to try a bit harder to get through season one in a timely manner (since I’d heard things got better in season two) around episode six, “Dalek.” That was a decent episode, and even though the Dalek didn’t inspire as much fear on my part as its powers seemed to warrant, it was a vast improvement on the cartoonish villains of early episodes. “The Long Game” had good moments and bad, but the preview for the next episode made me delay getting back to the show (I started Pushing Daisies, did a three-week marathon through The Vampire Diaries, and dealt with the onslaught of new and returning fall shows instead).

The preview was misleading, however – when I finally got around to it, “Father’s Day” became my favorite episode thus far on the show (I’m a sucker for messing-with-personal-history time travel) – until the double whammy of “The Empty Child” and “The Doctor Dances” trumped it. I’d say those were the episodes that hooked me on the show. I think it was a combination of the charismatic Jack Harkness, added humor, the WWII setting (which I adore), and especially the Doctor’s joy when he realized everyone would live. It could have been a cheesy moment, but in that moment, I got it. The countless death the Doctor wades through, trying to save the world. Losing fellow comrades-in-arms, friends, his entire race – gaining victories at terrible costs. And finally one day, when all hope is lost, there is a solution that cures EVERYONE. As awesome as heartbreaking moments of this show are, it was that moment of joy that won me over.

“Boom Town” was a bit of a let-down after that, especially since it signaled the return of one of my least favorite villains. But “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways” were great. I knew that Rose “was” Bad Wolf going into the episode, and that the Doctor would regenerate at the end, so that was a bit spoiled for me (plus knowing that Rose wasn’t really dead). The rifts on reality and game shows were fun, even if the only one I’d seen was The Weakest Link. The Daleks still weren’t that scary – maybe if I’d seen them in the classic show?

“The Christmas Invasion” was an interesting return to the modern-day story, this time with a new Doctor in tow. I’m pretty surprised how much Jackie and Mickey have been a part of the show going forward from the first episode of the new series. I’d honestly expected not to see them again after “Rose,” except maybe for a brief cameo when she stopped being a companion (any other sci-fi fans also think of Inara from Firefly whenever that word is used?), but I’m glad they’ve stuck around. More people tend to form a Buffy-like Scooby gang instead of being “two good ol’ boys, behind the wheel, chasing down bad guys” a la Supernatural (bonus points if you knew that quote was from Leverage). This episode also had an interesting parallel to The Avengers – the whole “we know there are aliens out there now, so we have to create weapons using alien technology to protect ourselves” thing. A disappointing turn for Harriet Jones’ character, though.

“New Earth” and “Tooth and Claw” were okay episodes, but definitely not among my favorites. It’s cool how they parallel episodes 2 and 3 of the first season – “New Earth” taking place not long after “The End of the World” and including a common villain and mysterious friend, while “Tooth and Claw” matches “The Unquiet Dead” with famous 19th-century characters and seemingly common supernatural character which were really a form of alien. So now that we’ve had ghosts, zombies, and werewolves, where are the vampires?

“School Reunion” featured Anthony Stewart Head at a school, but sadly no Buffy references (also, IMDb says that no other BtVS actors have shown up in the new series to date). Fans of classic Doctor Who were probably overjoyed to see Sarah Jane again, but I had no previous connection to her, so what I mostly gained was a look at the Doctor’s history. I did enjoy Mickey’s role in this episode, especially his identification with K-9 The robotic dog did seem like it belonged to a younger show, and I’m guessing this episode helped set up the children’s spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. Unlike Jack Harkness with Torchwood, this episode gave me no inclination to watch the spin-off, and nary a push to watch the classic Doctor Who.

I don’t know how long it would have taken to get hooked on this show if I’d started with the first Doctor, as I tend not to enjoy older shows unless they’re ones I grew up watching. Terrible special effects, bland dialogue, and too-neatly wrapped storylines means I rarely watch any shows airing before the late 90s. While it isn’t exactly the same, I felt no need to watch the old Battlestar Galactica to enjoy the new one, no need to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer the movie to enjoy the show, or the old V to enjoy the new V. I prefer the Addams Family movies to the show, and while the new Beauty and the Beast still makes me cringe too often, I couldn’t even make it through the pilot of the old show. I’m not saying newish is always better with shows and movies (I do love the older Star Wars more), but having done the bulk of my TV watching post 2007, I’ve come to expect a certain level of shiny, or I’m pulled out of the experience.

And now to talk about the episode that got me itching to write this post, “The Girl in the Fireplace.” As I mentioned before, I love episodes that play with time, and this one did it in such a cool way while also being a lovely standalone story. The preview for the episode was just awful, nothing that made me look forward to watching, but it was nice in a way since I was so pleasantly surprised. The idea of a spaceship riddled with portals to various times in one person’s life was so cool, as was Reinette falling in love with the Doctor over the course of her life, while to him it was only about one day. And walking around in each other’s memories created an instant connection that prevent this from being a simple one-episode crush. Plus drunk Doctor was hilarious.

The villains were just the right amount of creepy and logical and fascinating – I also loved the steampunk vibe. And although Rose was supposed to be mad at Mickey in this episode, I liked that they got along, even if their adventures on the ship paled in comparison to 18th century France. It was fun spotting Angel Coulby (Gwen on Merlin) in a scene, and apparently more actors from that show end up on other Who episodes. I knew very little about Madame de Pompadour before watching this episode, though I was proud that I understood Mickey’s reference to Camilla.

The ending of the episode was superb. I didn’t quite believe the Doctor would trap himself in France with no way out, but I think his emotions overruled his logic. (And what were Rose and Mickey supposed to do, stuck on the broke spaceship?) I think it would have been interesting to see what he’d do if he didn’t find the remaining portal right away. As it was, choosing to go back without her, just for a minute, seemed destined to go poorly. It should have been, at the most, several weeks (based on the previous times he’d used that portal, but the unevenness made me think of the Narnia time differences), but six years pass instead, and he arrives just in time to watch her coffin leave the palace. Her letter to him was so sweet and sad. My heart broke for him as he watched the fire burn out.

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2012 Black Friday Deals on TV Shows

Amazon has some amazing deals on TV shows this weekend, so I thought I’d share them with you here. Prices are accurate at the time of posting, and I expect they’ll remain the same through the weekend, but there’s no guarantee, so order now!

Prices are for DVD sets, unless otherwise noted

How I Met Your Mother, seasons 1-5: $7.99 each

Burn Notice, seasons 1-5

White Collar, seasons 1-3

Community, seasons 1-3

Happy Endings, seasons 1-2

Modern Family, seasons 1-2: $11.99 each

The Walking Dead, seasons 1-2

Firefly, complete series: $7.99

The Office, seasons 1-7

Downton Abbey, series 2: $13.00

Psych, seasons 1-4: $7.99

The Big Bang Theory, season 5: $19.49

House, seasons 2-7: $11.99 each

Breaking Bad, seasons 1-4

Supernatural, seasons 1-7: $9.99 each

Fringe, seasons 1-4: $9.99 each

The Tudors, complete series: $34.99

Mad Men, seasons 1-4

Blue Bloods, season 1: $10.96

Bones, seasons 1-5: $7.99 each

Friday Night Lights, complete series: $53.99

Lie To Me, seasons 1-3: $10.49 each

The West Wing, complete series: $89.99

Charmed, complete series: $49.96

True Blood, seasons 1-3: $16.99 each

Gilligan’s Island, complete series: $32.99

The Good Wife, season 1: $9.99

Justified, seasons 1-2: $9.99 each

Parks & Recreation, seasons 1-2

 

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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.

Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, Pinterest, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Our toolbar at the bottom of the page has lots of quick links to help you share this post, or you can mouse over the image above!

Without further ado, choose your favorite 10 out of the 50 couples below! Poll will close Friday night, November 30th.

Which is your favorite TV couple? (Choose up to 10!)

  • Castle and Beckett (Castle) (9%, 1,283 Votes)
  • Tony and Ziva (NCIS) (8%, 1,160 Votes)
  • Elena and Damon (The Vampire Diaries) (5%, 680 Votes)
  • Derek and Meredith (Grey's Anatomy) (4%, 621 Votes)
  • Arthur and Gwen (Merlin) (4%, 555 Votes)
  • Scully and Mulder (The X-Files) (4%, 517 Votes)
  • Booth and Brennan (Bones) (3%, 474 Votes)
  • The Doctor and Rose (Doctor Who) (3%, 462 Votes)
  • McGee and Abby (NCIS) (3%, 461 Votes)
  • Barney and Robin (How I Met Your Mother) (3%, 398 Votes)
  • Chandler and Monica (Friends) (3%, 389 Votes)
  • Kensi and Deeks (NCIS: Los Angeles) (3%, 387 Votes)
  • Luke and Lorelai (Gilmore Girls) (2%, 330 Votes)
  • Rachel and Ross (Friends) (2%, 311 Votes)
  • Charming and Snow (Once Upon a Time) (2%, 304 Votes)
  • Marshall and Lily (How I Met Your Mother) (2%, 276 Votes)
  • Hodgins and Angela (Bones) (2%, 273 Votes)
  • Buffy and Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (2%, 265 Votes)
  • Nick and Jess (New Girl) (2%, 262 Votes)
  • Leonard and Penny (The Big Bang Theory) (2%, 244 Votes)
  • Peter and Olivia (Fringe) (2%, 240 Votes)
  • Chuck and Sarah (Chuck) (2%, 238 Votes)
  • Wash and Zoe (Firefly) (2%, 232 Votes)
  • Peter and Elizabeth (White Collar) (2%, 231 Votes)
  • Mal and Inara (Firefly) (2%, 227 Votes)
  • Leo and Piper (Charmed) (2%, 223 Votes)
  • Rumpelstiltskin and Belle (Once Upon a Time) (2%, 217 Votes)
  • Auggie and Annie (Covert Affairs) (1%, 206 Votes)
  • Sheldon and Amy (The Big Bang Theory) (1%, 192 Votes)
  • Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (1%, 188 Votes)
  • Shawn and Juliet (Psych) (1%, 175 Votes)
  • Emma and Graham (Once Upon a Time) (1%, 170 Votes)
  • Michael and Fiona (Burn Notice) (1%, 169 Votes)
  • Adama and Roslin (Battlestar Galactica) (1%, 166 Votes)
  • Eric and Sookie (True Blood) (1%, 166 Votes)
  • Eric and Nell (NCIS: Los Angeles) (1%, 164 Votes)
  • Elena and Stefan (The Vampire Diaries) (1%, 163 Votes)
  • Simon and Kaylee (Firefly) (1%, 144 Votes)
  • Cole and Phoebe (Charmed) (1%, 138 Votes)
  • Willow and Oz (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (1%, 114 Votes)
  • 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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