I was planning to wait until the season finales before writing about our spring/summer TV watching. But then this week, NBC announced that they would be either not renewing or renewing in a very limited capacity 30 Rock, Community and Parks and Recreation. Wow, talk about throwing a bomb on your programming. Thursday night NBC has been a powerhouse for the last few years with 5 shows, (yes, five, with their crazy programming flip flops) that were strong. Interestingly, The Office, the only show not chopped, has been the weakest of the bunch. I wanted the season with Michael Scott to be good but it really wasn’t.
Since I first wrote that some more details have emerged and it seems that all three shows have been picked up for 13 episodes–with, as I gather, room to expand if the new shows that NBC tries to fill their shoes with suck. If you want a positive spin on this, read the A.V. Club dude’s take on it (at the bottom of the post, final bullet point, although the whole post will tell you why it is such a good show if you’re not watching it.).
When I posted about TV last, Karen left a comment that we watch a lot of TV and that has stuck with me. I still don’t feel like we do… We watch a lot of shows, but we don’t channel surf, we don’t just have the TV on. We have appointment TV, is how I like to think of it. And, of course, while there a lot of titles, many drop off the list (by us or the networks) and quite a few are only 13 episodes long. But man, there has been a serious drop off in numbers after this season.
So let’s see what has been removed from the last post:
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
I really don’t have a problem with them taking years and years to get to the Mother–that seems to bother people. I don’t even really care that much about the Mother, I just like the storylines. I’m a little concerned about the new baby–babies always kill a show. But I have hopes for next year (and I know we haven’t seen the finale yet).
2 Broke Girls (CBS). We watched it until the end of the season (and the season finale that felt like it was 3 hours long). And it has been renewed. But unless the show will be retooled somewhat, I don’t really see me watching it (of course, since so many other things have been cancelled, maybe that’s all that’s left). My favorite observation about the show comes from the A.V. Club:
TV writer Denis McGrath came up with a term called the like-a-joke. It’s a sitcom placeholder gag that gets into the script because the writers want to make sure the story is as tight as it can be, before they go back and perk up the jokes. In many cases, like-a-jokes will last until the table read, when the writers can see if the actors are able to put some of them over through sheer line-reading ability. After the read, then the writers go back and plug in better jokes…. The problem with this show is that the like-a-jokes seem to have all stayed in the script.
And how the hell, did Whitney get ANOTHER show for herself? Make her go away!
New Girl (Fox)
Certainly the funniest show left on the air. It has been tweaked since it started. It’s still quirky but in a very different way. I do miss the crazy quirky Jess–just let her sing more!–but the show as a whole has gotten really really great. The ensemble is strong, and I don’t even care if there is or isn’t a plot, when the chemistry is this good. If I was in college I would totally play “True American”
Glee (Fox)
I am genuinely curious what they have in store for this show. Not because I think it’s good–the show pretty much sucks. But they had plans for what they would do after graduation–spin offs and what not and they fell through. So, what’s next? Are they going to follow the diaspora of students to NYC? Or are they just all gone for good. At the end of each show they still show the “gleek of the week.” Are there still people who think the show is that good? Rachel and Finn are the most unintentionally unlikable couple on TV, I can’t believe that anybody cares what happens to them.
Ringer (CW)
Sorry Buffy, we gave up. Oh, I just read that it was cancelled. Cest la vie.
ANTM: British Invasion (CW)
This is the first season of ANTM that we have actually stopped watching episodes. We couldn’t even bear ffwding through 85% of it anymore. And hearing that Tyra has fired pretty much everyone on the show, I don’t think I can handle her anymore.
Parenthood (NBC)
This has been off for so long I actually thought it was cancelled. Turns out NBC just renewed it for a shortened season. I’m looking forward to it now.
Are You There, Chelsea? (NBC)
No, not a good show, true, but better than many shows. Certainly better than many shows that were renewed (ahem, Whitney). I always like Laura Prepon, and I was delighted by the supporting cast. I hope they all get better gigs.
Modern Family (ABC)
Hate to say it, but it may be running out of steam. It still generates laughs, but not as much as it used to.
Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Weddings are never a good sign for a show. But when a show is about geeks finding romance, I guess it’s inevitable. Despite that complaint the writing has stayed strong and I always look forward to this show.
Community (NBC)
This show is the best sitcom on TV, and one of the best sitcoms ever. So, naturally it was renewed for only 13 episodes next year.
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
This show has really found its groove. The Rob Lowe character is always quotable, Aziz Ansari is awesome, and the Andy/April characters are so filled out compared to their one note origins. The show keeps getting better. So, naturally it was renewed for only 13 episodes next year.
30 Rock (NBC)
Reviewers haven’t enjoyed this season, but I have liked it better than most. At the same time, I knew that the show was going to be ending soon, so as long as they can end on their own terms, that’s fine with me.
The Office (NBC)
Reviewers This season has been pretty poor. Not that Michael Scott was irreplaceable, but that they didn’t know how to replace him. Robert California has been weird, but not good weird, the British lady is a horrible (and not in a good way) character and they focus way too much time on her. In fact, the whole plot thread that has been constructed around management has really sucked. The show should be about the office workers and how the crazy management affects the,. But we don’t need to see the management to see why their decisions are poor. The opening segments (about Phyllis, or Stanley’s moustache) are awesome. I would definitely watch more of that kind of show. The writers need to go into the characters more, not spread them all ver the country. I’m led to believe a major retooling is in the works. I wonder what that will be.
Up All Night (FOX)
I’m unclear why more and more of this show is focusing on Ava, my least favorite character. The brilliant Will Arnett is shut out of a lot of the show. And while I’m happy that women are getting prominent roles in sitcoms, Arnett is an awesome straight guy. Without him, you have the crazy Christina Applegate character (who is very funny but needs his reactions to really work) and the too quirky for her own good Ava character. Isn’t this show supposed to be about parents who just had a baby?
Grimm (NBC)
This has become my favorite drama in forever. It has so many elements of Buffy that I just adore. And it’s a cop show that I actually like. I didn’t think I was all that interested in the overarching story (what Buffy called “the mythology”) but it has become really captivating. Wonderful stuff. And I feel confident that since it’s dumped onto Friday night there’s no plans to cancel it.
Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
We have just recently discovered this show (thanks H. Jon Benjamin) and holy cow is it funny. I’m looking forward to watching Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2!
The Simpsons (FOX)
The writing is still good. I enjoyed the shout-out to David Foster Wallace recently.
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
I feel badly because I know Sarah liked this and we just kinda stopped watching it. I’m super psyched for Robert Carlyle though as he does creepy so well!
Breaking In (FOX)
This has to be a record. It was cancelled. It was retooled and brought back this season. And then it was cancelled again after 4 episodes. That’s gotta hurt.
I Hate My Teenage Daughter (FOX)
Yeah it’s wasn’t very good, was it. Although if it had aired in Fox’s early days after Married with Children, it would have gotten a seven-year run.
Summer used to mean reruns (I still don’t understand why networks don’t just run the shows straight for 20 weeks and then start a new show. They have so many shows to burn off, they could keep all of their shows on all the time.
Anyhow, summer used to mean reruns, but now it means a whole crop of new shows on cable.
I’m not sure when these shows will come back, but I’m looking forward to them
Archer (FX)
Lana!!!!
Face Off (SyFy)
The cool movie make-up game show
Work of Art (Bravo)
The cool artists show
Project Runway (Lifetime)
If it can return to some degree of credibility anyhow
Warehouse 13 (SyFy)
I’m pretty excited for its return
Key and Peele (Comedy Central)
My new favorite show from comedians
Workaholics (Comedy Central)
Coming back soon
South Park (Comedy Central)
I really love every episode I see, why don’t I watch this more?
So that’s that. I wonder what the networks have in store for us this Fall?
Of, and if we had HBO or Showtime, I’m sure we’d watch Girls and Game of Thrones and all the other brilliant shows. But we don’t.
Hi Paul – regarding Glee: so sad, it became a victim of its own success, though they did have some moments this season (the suicide attempt and car accident not among them). But –
I’m curious – how did you experience the characters that came in from the Glee Project? I’m curious to know how it looked to someone who didn’t “know” them before they showed up on the show. TGP is a bizarre thing, with Ryan being pretty arbitrary in who he kicked off. In fact, it occurred to me about halfway through that it might be a “semi-scripted” show, with every move being predetermined.
That being said, the TGP standout vocally was Alex who played Wade/Unique and got the consolation prize of 2 episodes. But he had a problem with being kind of muted and insecure but also arrogant; he seemed to get over it, I thought he was the best of the four of them in actual footage. And damn, he can sing. They didn’t really show him off to his full ability on the show. The girl who played the Rachel clone with in-utero credits (I forget her name, it was a long time ago; she too was a runner-up and got 2 episodes) also was quite a singer and decent actress, and boy did she have Rachel down. She did pretty well on the show, in an over-the-top character. They left the door open for both of them to continue next year, I noticed; Rachel-clone said she was only a sophomore, and Unique said he might want to change schools after the pep talk.
The official winners who got six episodes (or was it eight?), Damian (the Irish exchange student) and Sam (the dreads) were awful to me. I couldn’t understand a thing Damian said, which is odd since I understood him fine on TGP; it wasn’t his accent, he was too quiet and mumbled, and I can only surmise they wanted it that way. I think they were counting on him bringing in Celtic Thunder people, not sure if it went that way or not, but he was a dud; they didn’t give him anything to do other than the entrance patter with Britney and the Christmas episode. And Sam, the dreadlocked Christian so wishy-washy he’d be ok with anything as long as it involved a pretty girl. Dang, even I was offended by him, and I have no problem with making fun of hypocritical Christians, but he was just absurd. Funny, he was that way on TGP too, there was an issue with him saying he wouldn’t be comfy playing a gay character because of his grandmother, then he walked it back, then when a serious Christian quit (I think Ryan wanted him) Sam took over the Christian thing, saying he had a Jesus tattoo on his neck (but we never saw it).
So how did you see them?
Oh, and I’m with you about Rachel/Finn. I don’t get Finn at all. I don’t see him as attractive or talented in any way.
I thought it was hilarious that Tyra fired everybody. I guess firing herself wasn’t an option.
I’ll always be grateful to Parenthood for introducing me to Ray LeMontagne. And Mae Whitman. If you ever get the chance to see the 2009 TV movie “Acceptance” it’s a riot.
I’ve become strangely obsessed with Bobby Goren of L&O:CI lately. It was hit or miss when it was on, but now I hunt for reruns. Often it’s like that for me. I went through a Jack McCoy phase, too, but a long time ago.
With Glee, I had literally no idea that any of those people won TGP (well, the Irish kid I read about afterwards). I actually thought he was the only person from the Project. It didn’t even occur to me that Unique could have actually been on the show to show up so much later!
We missed the week that the Irish kid came on, so for us he was just there. And, strangely, I feel like dreads guy just showed up too. They have this way of not making their entrance interesting, and usualy they are so understated (compared to the rest) that I kind of forget about them.
The Irish kid is the most boring character on TV. The dreadlocks kid I actually like–I think I’m the only one. He’s so over the top in so many ways, but I still think he’s sweet–a rarity on this show. I don’t even remember if I’ve heard him sing by himself yet, so that can’t be good. Are these kids star struck when they get on the set, i wonder?
Believe it or not, I have no idea who the woman winner you’re talking about is. I have completely blocked her out. I’m trying to go back through episodes, and I can’t think of anyone who was on for two episodes and went away.
Unique I think is fantastic. His voice is stellar (he rivals Kurt who I think has the best voice on the show). Was he a drag queen in TGP? I thought his introduction while slightly odd, was totally fine. And he completely stole the show. That’s a great consolation prize! I assume he’ll be back (and since I assume that the “graduates” won’t be back I imagine that Unique would be the new star) which makes it really weird…Was he that popular from that one episode that they said, “we gotta book him for next year too!”
The last few episodes have kind sucked more than usual (I’m not sure what to think of nice-ish Sue, but at least she still gets zingers. But I admit that the Nationals episode was very enjoyable TV. And, I was really disappointed to learn that there’s another episode because that would have made an awesome season/series finale.
Wasn’t Finn kinda dumb in the beginning (not that he;s a genius now). Is the idea that she’s so insecure she needs a meathead behind her? And she is so self obsessed, why would he want to be with her? I just don’t care. Oh, and when Tina hit her head…those fifteen minutes were the best of Glee ever. Rachel wasn’t irritating (and I thought looked much prettier than usual) and it wa s fun way to make fun of everyone on the cast.
ANTM: We have 4 episodes queues up and I suspect we won’t watch them. I’m basically done. Although I hear the double elimination was pretty exciting.
Do you know that Mae Whitman was George Michael’s girlfriend Anne on Arrested Development? Which if you haven’t seen, you must.
I am one of the few people in American who has not watched any Law & Order except for the original one which I gave up on after a few seasons (and only watched in reruns anyhow). Although Sarah has never watched ANY of them. By my counting every actor in America has appeared on some version of L&O, and the fact that Saarh has never watched any of them must have some cosmic significance!
The best part of TGP was seeing them make the weekly group videos – even with untrained performers, little rehearsal, and only the most basic post-prod polishing, they weren’t half bad; in some cases they were pretty good. The biggest surprise was Zach Woodlee, producer/choreographer, who came across at judging time as a very sweet big kid (though in dance rehearsals he was all business). Ryan, on the other hand, was pretty much a jerk.
Alex only performed in drag once on TGP, at the very end, sort of as a response to something Ryan said about Amy Winehouse (it was tricky, she died between episodes so they had to cut some references and it doesn’t make sense), to kind of prove “how much do you want it.” That was “And I Am Telling You” which he just hit so far out of the park you can’t even see the park from there – really amazing, on a half hour rehearsal with an impromptu studio trio backing him up. Videos of all this stuff is on YouTube. I spent the first half of the series trying to figure out if Alex was a guy, a girl, or in transition and if so which way. I still don’t know. I just hope he’s feeling good and he’s on his way (he was only 18 last summer, and his high school years in North Carolina, as you can imagine, were not easy).
The girl… ok, I looked it up, Lindsay Pearce, she played Harmony, eps 1(“Anything Goes/Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better”) and 8, (“Buenos Aires” from Evita). On TGP she did “Defying Gravity” which not only trended worldwide (the series was on Oxygen, for gods sake) but got me to look into the Gregory Maguire books (though it helped that Madras Press issued some of his stories in their 2012 series). She got a nice musical theatre gig the day after TGP aired the finale. She’s got some growing to do before she’s Broadway bound, but she’s not bad.
I agree with you about last week’s episodes being the finale – I thought it WAS the finale! Jane Lynch was on with Rachel Maddow the next night (she did a great send-up of Rachel, what a talented lady) and Rachel promo’d the finale for “next Tuesday” – I actually thought she got it wrong and I kept waiting for the correction, then I found out no, that wasn’t the finale. It sure felt like it. They wrote beyond the ending.
I also agree with you on the Tina/Rachel thing. I was astonished at her singing as Rachel – she had the body posture perfect, the hands over the stomach, the shoulders hunched… somebody put a lot of work into that, either the actress (I don’t know their names) or a coach/director. I was pleased to see they didn’t just fake it but really nailed it. And the teacher in the auditorium with the reality show – that was the old Glee, the first season, before they started taking themselves so seriously as a Social Movement. I don’t even remember what the teacher’s problem was, but I remember laughing out loud (which is something only Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert get me to do, usually).
Arrested Development is another of those shows I know I’d probably like based on the people who like it, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on my cable tvguide screen thing. Maybe I’m mixing it up with Curb Your Enthusiasm which is in the same category. Since Bravo went All Housewives All the Time I should have lots of viewing time 😉
I think I only saw 3 of the British Invasion shows, I’ll probably watch if she comes back with a new crew to see what kind of mess she’s going to make then, with no one else to blame for it.
There’s a joke about L&O: what will NY actors do now that they can’t support themselves on it any more?