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 Bear McCreary Show

Update: this poll is now closed. You can vote for this week’s poll here.

He’s composed music for some of TV’s top shows, and today’s his birthday! So for this first poll back after this site’s long hiatus, we’re going to celebrate the work of Bear McCreary!

I first noticed Bear’s stunning scores on the short-lived NBC series The Cape, and soon began paying special attention to who was scoring upcoming shows. I was excited to find out he’d been selected for Agents of SHIELD. His work encompasses everything from the groundbreaking Battlestar Galactica to the culture phenomenon The Walking Dead to the brand new Black Sails.

This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 3 of your favorite Bear McCreary-composed shows. Be sure to spread the word!

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. Also, feel free to suggest your own poll ideas!

Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around midnight next Sunday night.

What is your favorite TV show for which Bear McCreary has composed music? (Choose up to 3!)

  • Battlestar Galactica (35%, 43 Votes)
  • The Walking Dead (11%, 14 Votes)
  • Black Sails (9%, 11 Votes)
  • Da Vinci's Demons (7%, 9 Votes)
  • Eureka (7%, 9 Votes)
  • Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (7%, 9 Votes)
  • Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (6%, 7 Votes)
  • Defiance (5%, 6 Votes)
  • Caprica (5%, 6 Votes)
  • Human Target (2%, 3 Votes)
  • The Cape (2%, 3 Votes)
  • Trauma (2%, 2 Votes)
  • Holliston (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Shelf Life (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Daybreak (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 63

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Grimm – Bad Teeth

I’ve started reviewing Grimm over on the TV show review site Billie Doux. I’m working on the current second season right now, though I do plan to go back and review season one, too.

Does anyone else absolutely hate the new intro for Grimm? It has a cool visual look, but the voiceover (both content and tone) and music is terrible. It’s a good idea to give new viewers a quick idea of what they’re in for, but did they have to make it sound so 90s?

Monroe: Cats don’t play possum, do they?

Full episode review: Billie Doux: Grimm: Bad Teeth.

Continue reading Grimm – Bad Teeth

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TV Olympics: Favorite Father/Son Duos

For this round of our TV Olympics (our final poll will launch Sunday), we’re looking at father/son duos! There are a few trios in this poll, since for several of these dads, the bond between both sons seemed equally strong. For others, one father/son relationship seemed more dynamic that the other (and hence more worthy of the term “duo”).

This poll is for actual fathers (biological and adoptive, but not simply father-figures), and since the relationship between dad and son is a key part of the poll, they need to have appeared in a number of episodes together, and infant sons are excluded. If you know of any duos you believe should be in the poll, leave their names and the show in a comment!

Poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 3 of your favorite dad/son duos. Remember to keep checking the main event page for all the current polls and results!

What's your favorite father/son duo? (Choose up to 3!)

  • John and Dean/Sam - Supernatural (27%, 269 Votes)
  • Henry and Shawn - Psych (27%, 264 Votes)
  • Walter and Peter - Fringe (15%, 144 Votes)
  • Alan and Don/Charlie - Numb3rs (9%, 92 Votes)
  • Jackson and Jethro - NCIS (6%, 61 Votes)
  • Jonathan and Clark - Smallville (3%, 34 Votes)
  • Uther and Arthur - Merlin (3%, 32 Votes)
  • Marvin and Marshall - How I Met Your Mother (3%, 28 Votes)
  • Nathan and Jamie - One Tree Hill (3%, 27 Votes)
  • Stephen and Chuck - Chuck (2%, 24 Votes)
  • Cliff and Theo - The Cosby Show (2%, 17 Votes)
  • Frank and Danny - Blue Bloods (1%, 9 Votes)
  • Vince and Trip - The Cape (0%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 582

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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).

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 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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New Extended Trailers for CW’s Arrow and Emily Owens, MD

The CW has finally corrected its too-short preview clips of new fall shows Arrow and Emily Owens, MD by releasing extended trailers!

Emily Owens, MD will air Tuesdays at 9, following fellow medical drama, Hart of Dixie. The show stars Mamie Gummer, Justin Hartley (who played the Green Arrow on Smallville), Kelly McCreary, and Michael Rady (who I’m most familiar with as Kostos in the Sisterhood movies; he’s also been reoccurring on The Mentalist and House of Lies recently). WARNING: This preview seems to give away the entire plot of the pilot, so if you’re already eager to watch it, I’d skip the trailer.

 

Arrow will air Wednesdays at 8, and will be followed by Supernatural. From this trailer, Arrow looks dark, intriguing, and awesome! This isn’t No Ordinary Family, or even The Cape – bad guys aren’t likely to be tied up and left for the police. And from The Hunger Games to The Avengers, archers are “in” right now. I’d describe this show as Hawkeye meets Batman meets The Count of Monte Cristo (only with an island instead of a prison). Arrow stars Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy (Monte Carlo, Melrose Place), Susanna Thompson (Kings, NCIS), Willa Holland, and Paul Blackthorne (The River).

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Top 10 Canceled Shows That Should Return

The votes are in! A record-setting 9043 people voted for which shows they’d like to see return. Shows were limited to ones that had 3 seasons or less. Here are the results for TV Breakroom’s first-ever Monday Madness poll!

Number 10: Jericho

This show about a small town impacted by a nuclear event barely made it into the top 10, being only 3 votes away from #11, Dark Angel. After it was canceled following its freshman season, fans were able to bring it back for a 7-episode second season. The story continued in comic form, and there are still movie rumors spreading around.

Continue reading Top 10 Canceled Shows That Should Return

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Monday Madness: Who’s Your Favorite Quirky Character?

This round of Monday Madness, it’s time to look at those crazy characters in the shows we love. Often, they’re on the sidelines – not the main character, their romantic interest, or the person in charge. They provide comic relief in otherwise serious shows, or are a main source of laughter in comedies. They can be indispensable, evil, or hopelessly inept. But they refuse to fade into the background, and the shows wouldn’t be the same without them.

This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite quirky characters. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10!

Even though there are 40 options on this list, I know there are many great characters I left out! As always, you can cast write-in ballots by leaving a comment. Want more of a say in what makes it onto the poll each week? Be sure to follow me on Twitter, since I usually ask for nominations for the next Monday Madness the weekend before the new poll.

Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 1AM April 16th.

Update: voting is over, but you can vote on this week’s poll here! Winners’ post here.

Who's your favorite quirky character? (Choose up to 10)

  • Mozzie from White Collar (7%, 1,712 Votes)
  • Martha Rodgers from Castle (5%, 1,330 Votes)
  • Bobby Singer from Supernatural (5%, 1,203 Votes)
  • Jayne Cobb from Firefly (5%, 1,201 Votes)
  • Abby Sciuto from NCIS (5%, 1,198 Votes)
  • Hoban Washburne from Firefly (5%, 1,182 Votes)
  • Dean Pelton from Community (5%, 1,139 Votes)
  • Squinterns from Bones (4%, 1,092 Votes)
  • Senor Chang from Community (4%, 983 Votes)
  • Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory (4%, 953 Votes)
  • Claudia Donovan from Warehouse 13 (3%, 761 Votes)
  • Schmidt from New Girl (3%, 744 Votes)
  • Sam Axe from Burn Notice (3%, 744 Votes)
  • Xander Harris from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (3%, 717 Votes)
  • Parker from Leverage (3%, 683 Votes)
  • Dwight Schute from The Office (3%, 617 Votes)
  • Bernadette Rostenkowski from The Big Bang Theory (2%, 614 Votes)
  • Anya from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2%, 600 Votes)
  • Eddie Monroe from Grimm (2%, 595 Votes)
  • Morgan Grimes from Chuck (2%, 562 Votes)
  • Donna from Suits (2%, 542 Votes)
  • Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time (2%, 541 Votes)
  • Astrid Farnsworth from Fringe (2%, 541 Votes)
  • James Wilson from House (2%, 532 Votes)
  • Alec Hardison from Leverage (2%, 517 Votes)
  • Douglas Fargo from Eureka (2%, 514 Votes)
  • Topher Brink from Dollhouse (2%, 426 Votes)
  • Seymour Birkhoff from Nikita (1%, 364 Votes)
  • Nell Jones from NCIS: Los Angeles (1%, 293 Votes)
  • Willa Monday from The Finder (1%, 291 Votes)
  • Gary Bell from Alphas (1%, 255 Votes)
  • Evan R. Lawson from Royal Pains (1%, 250 Votes)
  • Wallace Fennel from Veronica Mars (1%, 190 Votes)
  • Marshall Flinkman from Alias (1%, 158 Votes)
  • Leonardo Prince from Fairly Legal (1%, 153 Votes)
  • Noah Werner from Suburgatory (0%, 117 Votes)
  • Gupta from Outsourced (0%, 106 Votes)
  • Davis from Tru Calling (0%, 82 Votes)
  • Much from Robin Hood (0%, 81 Votes)
  • Max Malini from The Cape (0%, 47 Votes)

Total Voters: 6,353

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Monday Madness: What Canceled TV Show Should Return?

Since so many people stopped by this site for March Madness, I wanted to continue the whole Madness thing, this time with actual polls (so if things go crazy like they did with Psych vs. Castle I won’t have to count up 600 votes!). More people seemed to stop by to vote on Mondays, no matter when the bracket match ended, so I decided to continue the “M” trend with weekly match-ups/polls/competitions, and dubbed them “Monday Madness.”

This very first Monday Madness focuses on those beloved shows that ended far too quickly. Sometimes it was a lack of viewers, sometimes schedule changes and episode rearrangement, sometimes poor promotion and network mismanagement. But all of the shows have a dedication group of fans who mourn the small amount of episodes available.

But which of those canceled shows deserves to be brought back? I know most of the cast has moved on to other projects, but if you could, which shows would you bring back?

You can choose up to 10 of the thirty shows below, and if I’ve missed any of your favorites, let me know by voting in the comments! I’ve limited this poll to shows that had 3 seasons or less – if a show gets to four seasons, that usually means syndication, and I don’t want this to be about shows that made it, but the underdogs that need a second chance at life.

You’ll notice that Arrested Development is missing from this poll, because that show has already beat incredible odds to garner another season, thanks to Netflix!

I’ll announce the top 10 canceled shows that should return next week, so be sure to vote and pass along the link so your favorite shows can make it! Again, if I’ve missed a show (canceled with 3 seasons or less), vote in the comments, and I’ll total up those votes against the poll leaderboard.

Update: This poll is closed, and I will be posting about the top 10 soon. But the Monday Madness isn’t over! Go vote for your favorite quirky character!

Which TV show would you bring back if you could? (you can select up to 10)

  • Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles (38%, 6,990 Votes)
  • The Cape (21%, 3,779 Votes)
  • Firefly (11%, 2,052 Votes)
  • V (4%, 730 Votes)
  • Dollhouse (3%, 638 Votes)
  • Pushing Daisies (2%, 414 Votes)
  • Veronica Mars (2%, 389 Votes)
  • Dead Like Me (2%, 307 Votes)
  • Freaks and Geeks (2%, 278 Votes)
  • Jericho (1%, 241 Votes)
  • Dark Angel (1%, 238 Votes)
  • Better Off Ted (1%, 230 Votes)
  • FlashForward (1%, 224 Votes)
  • Wonderfalls (1%, 182 Votes)
  • Deadwood (1%, 172 Votes)
  • Life (1%, 158 Votes)
  • Tru Calling (1%, 151 Votes)
  • Moonlight (1%, 147 Votes)
  • Roswell (1%, 127 Votes)
  • My So-Called Life (1%, 119 Votes)
  • No Ordinary Family (1%, 110 Votes)
  • Party Down (1%, 106 Votes)
  • Robin Hood (BBC) (1%, 105 Votes)
  • Outsourced (1%, 98 Votes)
  • Journeyman (1%, 96 Votes)
  • Kings (0%, 81 Votes)
  • Life on Mars (0%, 72 Votes)
  • Samantha Who? (0%, 71 Votes)
  • Undeclared (0%, 61 Votes)
  • Life Unexpected (0%, 45 Votes)

Total Voters: 9,043

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CW’s Arrow Pilot Likened to Jason Bourne Films – TVLine

After a superhero-less year (thanks to the cancellation of Smallville, The Cape, and No Ordinary Family, the only superheroes on TV were SyFy’s Alphas this past summer), it’s nice to see interest in the CW’s Arrow. I like that the pilot will have a Bourne feel, though I’m wondering if the network is planning to replace Nikita with this. Since the Green Arrow is more along the lines of a Batman sort of hero, I’m guessing the grittiness, fighting, and cool gadgets will be on par with Nikita’s. The only good thing (for Nikita at least) about Arrow’s buzz is that the CW may not want to exile the show to Fridays, leaving Nikita to keep its Supernatural lead-in spot.

CW’s Arrow Pilot Likened to Jason Bourne Films – TVLine.

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Farewell to 2011

2011 has been a year of big changes for this blog. At the start of this year, I only had 3 posts and hadn’t even begun sharing the link. Now, I’m working on post 124 and get thousands of views every month.

As you can see, I’m also ending the year with a big change – a new layout. As much as I loved the look of the old layout, it was confusing for some and also probably hurting my chances of being found by search engines (with no text other than categories on the home page). I do plan to keep the same “wall of TV pics” look as my Twitter background, though. I’m still working through some of the kinks (like having to set images as featured images and adding read more links in ALL my old posts), so please let me know if you come across something that’s not working! Continue reading Farewell to 2011

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Some Other Beginning’s End

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Top 10 Favorite TV Opening Credits

Nothing invokes the memory of a favorite TV show faster than its opening credits. That may be why I always feel a bit cheated when a show doesn’t have any, or when they’re terrible, or when they don’t match the show at all.

White Collar is a prime example of how attached fans get to show intros. When season three debuted with new opening titles, fans were very vocal about their dislike. Eventually the network hosted a poll, and the fans voted the old opening back in.

I didn’t include any classic shows in this list – in fact, only one show had episodes airing before the year 2000. There are no animated shows, and it’s also limited to shows I actually watch. I made my decisions based on the music, visual appeal, how well they meshed, and how well they matched the show. I included some unique ones as well.

I had a terrible time narrowing the list down to just ten, and that’s even with leaving out the shows that only have title and creator in their intros (like White Collar above and How I Met Your Mother) or have voiceover intros (Burn Notice’s “My name is Michael Westen, I used to be a spy” and Castle’s “There are two kinds of folks that sit around thinking about how to kill people – psychopaths and mystery writers”). This list changed several times even as I was writing this article, and the main excuse I gave myself for leaving Bones off was that I couldn’t find a good video for the credits!

#10 – Alphas

I love the music to this theme, and how well the lyrics fit the show. I also love the mysterious quality – it’s hard to catch everything the first few times you watch it, which works well for a show that has a lot under the surface.

 

#9 – The Cape

This theme sticks in my head long after I’ve watched the intro, and I love the way the comics dissolve into the show’s characters. Hate that this got cancelled.

 

#8 – Community

The folded paper design of this intro is just plain fun.

 

#7 – Chuck

The cartoon Buy More guy getting in and out of trouble is perfectly in keeping with the lighthearted tone of this show.

 

#6 – Warehouse 13

I love the mysterious quality of these credits, and the music fits perfectly! It’s cool seeing the artifacts “at work,” too.

 

#5 – Covert Affairs

Unfortunately, this clip cuts off the cool intro whistle (which plays before the credits actually start). I like the juxtaposition of the actors over the virtual background.

 

#4 – Veronica Mars

Yes, this is NOT the season 3 opening, which I disliked (it wouldn’t have been as bad if they’d simply changed the visuals, but they messed up the song, too). Bonus points for perfect lyrics (which were even quoted in an episode)!

 

#3 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Apologies for the quality of this clip. Love how this opening meshes scary and funny. I rock out to these credits whenever I’m watching Buffy by myself. 🙂

 

#2 – NCIS

A classic, solid, intro, with fun music and great transitions. I especially love McGee’s rocket pack impression.

 

#1 – Psych

No, I didn’t make this my top choice simply because it’s my theme this month and I’m giving away a season. I love how it matches the show, with zany moments and apt lyrics. I also love how they change it up to match special episodes – Spanish lyrics, a Christmas version, even a Bollywood rendition.

 

What openings would be in your top 10? Did I miss any good ones?

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Superhero TV Episodes

Yesterday’s episode of Castle was chock-full of geeky comic book superheroness. So today I thought I’d blog about those costume-clad episodes of TV shows we love. If I missed any, be sure to let me know in the comments!

For space, I’m not going to focus on the shows that are all about superheroes – whether reimaged comic classics (Smallville), new characters in ordinary clothes with various powers (No Ordinary Family, Alphas, Heroes), or masked vigilantes (The Cape). And I wasn’t going to mention Halloween episodes – but I couldn’t resist the few ones that popped into my head: Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard all dressing up as Flash (The Big Bang Theory). Abed becoming Batman (Community). And Brennan as Wonder Woman (Bones).

Castle – “Heroes and Villains”

A man attacking a woman gets sliced in half by a sword, and the team soon discovers it’s the work of a costumed vigilante. They’re a bit reluctant to go after someone who’s administering justice throughout the city, but things are not as they seem. The costume is from a character in a popular online-only comic (which I thought was a nice plug for a newer medium for comic books). Castle gets plenty of opportunities to geek out during the episode, and even Beckett shares what superhero she would be (Electra, to Castle’s Bruce Wayne), mentions the first comic book she bought, and is embarrassed to have revealed that she pre-ordered Castle’s Derrick Storm graphic novel. (Wow, this is the fourth season, and I just now made the connection that Rick Castle named his character DerRICK.)

Warehouse 13 – “Mild Mannered”

Sean Maher and Jewel Staite (Simon and Kaylee from Firefly) star in this episode where an artifact gives its wearer superpowers. Pete recognizes the costume as mimicking the Iron Shadow, one of his favorite superheroes, and generally revels in the comic-book aspect of this mission. He’s still waiting to receive his comic book collection from home, which may have gotten lost during shipping, but Myka surprises him with the rare Iron Shadow issue he’s missing.

Bones – “The Superhero in the Alley”

For some reason, when I heard about the Castle superhero episode, I thought they’d already done one. I think it was this episode I was remembering instead. Booth and Brennan try to figure out how a costumed teenager died, and Angela reconstructs the unfinished comic book found with him. Despite his geekish tendencies, Zack had never read comic books before, but he makes up for it in this episode. It’s interesting that several scenes from this season take place in a bowling alley, and the last episode that has aired to date was mostly set in a bowling alley as well.

Psych – “Shawn vs. the Red Phantom”

This episode goes beyond comic books to a full-blown convention. Shawn and Gus track a missing teenage boy there only to find he has disappeared as well. Clues point them to website reviews of superhero movies and eventually a villainous plot ripped right from the pages of a comic book. My favorite part of the episode is when Shawn turns his fake psychic powers in a show to get attendees’ attention, complete with help from Gus’s “magic head.”

Any other shows you can think of that have a superhero episode?

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Nikita – Game Change

My favorite new show from the 2010-2011 season has returned! Yes, Nikita beat out the renewed Blue Bloods and the North American version of Being Human, plus the cancelled Detroit 1-8-7, No Ordinary Family, Outsourced, and The Cape as my most exciting discovery of the regular season. The CW kept me on pins and needles, finally renewing Nikita in mid-May, well after I’d learned the fate of the other shows I watched.

Spoilers ahead!

Last season ended with a huge blow-out episode. Percy (Xander Berkeley) found out Michael was working with Nikita (Maggie Q). Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca) was reeling after finding out Nikita killed her parents. Amanda took over Division from Percy with the help of Oversight. Birkhoff helped Michael escape with a decrypted black box.

As this season opens, Nikita and Michael are on the run and trying to set right the wrongs listed on the black box – without “starting World War III.” They’re unaware that Amanda is now in charge of Division, Percy is locked up, and Alex is working with Amanda as an independent contractor. But they know they have to now bring down Oversight (a group of six highly-connected individuals who are responsible for Division) as well as Division.

Oversight sends in a liaison to keep tabs on Division, Sean, played by Dillon Casey (I’m only familiar with the actor from his appearance on the Warehouse 13 pilot). He butts heads with Alex immediately, but you can tell that the sparks between them aren’t just angry ones. With Thom and Jaden dead, Nathan out of the picture, and recruitment on hold, the show really needed someone else for Alex to interact with her own age, and Sean fits that slot. Whether he’ll end up being a good guy or a bad guy remains to be seen.

At the beginning of the episode, Alex doesn’t really seem out to get Nikita. At least intellectually, she understands that Nikita was only following orders, and the real villain is the man who ordered her parents’ deaths. But to get to him, she has to help out Division, so she’s out to retrieve the black box.

Nikita and Michael both get a chance to show off their fighting skills in this episode – Nikita with taking out Russians who laundered money for Division (her tease about breaking up with her boyfriend was so mean – but it made it all that much cooler when Shane West came barging in on his motorcycle), and Michael with helping a prisoner unwillingly escape from jail.

The prisoner had been investigating a Division money heist, so Percy had him framed and then threatened his son if he ever spoke up. Nikita and Michael are about to go get the son when Alex calls Nikita, claiming to be in trouble and back on drugs. But Alex’s ploy to get Nikita out of the way fails when a Division team zooms in. Badly outgunned, all looks lost for Michael and Nikita when fighter drones fly in, take out the Division team, and knock out the two and the prisoner. They wake up in a lavish house to discover the brains behind their rescue – Birkhoff!

I absolutely love that they brought Birkhoff back for season two. And apparently, this season is going to have more humor than the previous one (that and some awesome guest stars were really the only things that were lacking in season one), and Birkhoff (Aaron Stanford) will be a huge part of that. It was hilarious when, after instructing Michael to tell Division they’re not working together (and thus get Division off his back), he steps in front of Michael during a video chat with Division to taunt their techs. Afterwards, Michael deadpans, “By the way, Birkhoff is not working with us.”

I mentioned in my first post about this show, that despite many similarities to Dollhouse, the only significant (meaning more than Shane West’s few lines in one Buffy episode) Whedonverse connection was Melinda Clarke (Amanda), but I’ve found another since then. Marc David Alpert worked on many episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even getting his name in several cemetery scenes, and he also produces Nikita.

The climax of the episode is the big fight scene between Nikita and Alex. Nikita tried to talk Alex out of fighting her several times, even dropping her weapon while Alex still has her gun pointed at her, but Alex stubbornly keeps attacking. In the end, Nikita breaks her arm and shoots her in the leg, saying. “I’m doing this because I care” and “Get out while you’re still alive.”

I’d be more worried about this making them mortal enemies forever if Nikita hadn’t shot Michael in the shoulder last season – look where he is now. But its certain to fuel Alex’s anger in the short-term, at least. Looking forward to the next episode!

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