This season signals the end of a lot of shows, shows that have been with us for a long time. This season also promised a slew of new comedies that were going to be amazing (I know they promise that every year, but some of them got really strong praise from objective sources). And yet, here we are, half way through the season (Grimm is taking a Mid-Winter break or some such thing) and I didn’t really like anything new.
Next season is shaping up to be rather a wasteland.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Oh, I so loved this show for so many seasons. I don’t know if this is the last season, but I rather hope so now. Now that Marshall and Lily have had a baby they are in sitcom purgatory–parents who have to pretend like they have baby (when it is convenient for the plot) but who have more or less been written out of any interesting plots. (And why is Marshall so skinny all of a sudden, I miss chunky Marshall). Something needs to knock some excitement into this crowd again (and no, a dog wing man is not going to do it).
Ben and Kate (FOX)
This is a surprisingly enjoyable new show. I recently read some comments about it that suggested it is more of a light drama with humor than a sitcom and that makes me like it even more. It’s not outrageously funny by any stretch, but there are some very funny moments. The cast is quirky and very good and the writing keeps getting better. I have high hopes for this (if it doesn’t get cancelled because of low ratings–or the whims of FOX).
New Girl (FOX)
This season has been really strong already. I know the shows isn’t that quirky little sitcom like when it first started, but the male characters have really developed into wonderful three dimensional men. And the plots are even stronger. Nick especially cracks me up. His comment this week, looking the older Asian man in the face and saying “there’s something real creepy about you, pal,” makes me laugh so hard I have watched that clip about 50 times and I can’t stop laughing about it.
Go On (NBC)
I dislike just about anything that the cast of Friends gets involved in, but this show is surprisingly good. Not brilliant, but it is really finding its feet. And although I don’t crack up at it, it gets many chuckles from me each week. It’s odd though that some six weeks into the season, they have finally created an opening theme for it (go New Pornographers).
The Mindy Project (FOX)
Oh, I want to like this show so much. I like Mindy Kaling and I think she’s very funny. I just don’t like that she has picked this setting for her sitcom. I mean kudos to her for making her character a successful doctor, and not neurotic about it, but the comedy is really quite stale. The other doctors are painful to watch and the set ups are just so clichéd. And yet the opening scene of the recent episode where Mindy’s paramour was wearing her pants was hilarious Let’s break her out of her office and keep her in the bedroom. I’m also surprised to say that the ex-convict nurse is actually quite funny because I wasn’t very impressed when he made his debut.
Parenthood (NBC)
This show continues to be emotionally exhausting and very well written. However, I don’t need a breast cancer story line taking up the rest of the season. It’s just not compelling TV. And man I really hoped that it was benign and over with. thirtysomething did the same story arc what twenty years ago (“We can’t answer coz Nancy has cancer”). But, I’m going to say aloud something I never thought I’d say…I really like Ray Romano. I have never liked him in anything but he is awesome in this role. Having said that, I don’t want him to mess things up with Sarah and Jason Ritter, who is too awesome for words. Oh and the new baby over at Julia’s? Let’s just say that I’m glad AdoptionQuest is over.
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (ABC)
Has this show come back yet this season? I am so on the fence about it. I love The B and Dawson, but I really don’t like the main character. She’s just too…too something, maybe they can tone her down or something.
Modern Family (ABC)
I disagree that this is the funniest show on TV. I like it and Phil is outstanding but the show hasn’t sparkled quite as much as in seasons past. I can’t imagine that a new baby is actually gong to help things either.
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Big Bang is a little stagnant this year. Howard in space was cute for a week but ran its course quickly. The season feels transitional, like something big is coming up (like boy I hope that Leonard gets with Alex). But the show still makes me laugh a lot (and thankfully they have toned down the “Bazingas” an awful catch phrase if ever there was one. Oh and for GOD’S SAKE, Leonard why do you wear so many layers of clothes all the time? This is the coldest California I have ever seen. Please writers tell me he’s suffered from hypothermia as a child or something
30 Rock (NBC)
Final season and doing really well so far. I hope it goes out with a bang!
The Office (NBC)
Final season and struggling somewhat. I’m glad they are not focusing on outsiders and are getting back to the main cast. Although frankly, I think the key would be to have more stories with the supporting cast who were terribly underutilized last season. The pranks are back though and that’s awesome. And, amazingly, I even like the British woman this season.
Parks and Recreation (NBC)
This show continues its rise of excellence. Having Joe Biden on was pretty sweet… Did they wait until after the election to film the scene? I feel like it would have been awkward if Obama lost. And Adam Scott, you rule!
Up All Night (NBC)
Oh man this show hurts me. How can you waste these actors with these scripts. How can you push Community aside for a lame Thanksgiving episode like this? Really, Eva wants to volunteer on Thanksgiving? How original! And please, why don’t you fly on Thanksgiving Are you really trying to tell me that people don’t fly on Thanksgiving? I do not believe it. When the show first came out it was different–young parents coping with a baby and the father at home. Why did they switch it to a typical sitcom where the baby is ignored and the parents struggle to stay hip. Bleagh. I admired the show for trying to mix it up this season (the Ava show was terrible) but it just hasn’t gotten any better. Next they’ll be bringing on Megan Mullally to try to save it. Just put the show out of its misery or… do what NBC is doing, switch it from a single camera to multiple camera and film it in front of alive audience, we’ll never notice the difference. Cause that’s what happening when it comes back in three weeks.
Elementary (CBS)
I don’t normally like hour-long procedurals I don’t normally like “detective” shows, but this one is right on! There are cops but not rally, he’s not using paranormal intelligence, he’s just very observant I missed the pilot so I haven’t quite reconciled that he is Sherlock Holmes, but whatever, it’s still really good.
Grimm (NBC)
Man this show is good. It’s funny, a little scary and very well written. I love the backstory of all the beasts they come up with. And each time I think I don’t care about the “mythology” behind the show, the have an episode like this week’s that kicks ass. Grimm is a fantastic show in the vein of Buffy, and if you’re not watching it you might want to when it comes back.
Once Upon a Time (ABC)
I know Sarah really wants to get back into this show, and yet we haven’t yet. At this point I feel like the season is half over already. This may be a show we stream some summer if it stays as good as people say it is
The Simpsons (FOX)
I don’t even know what season this is, but we’ve watched a lot of episodes this season and it’s been really enjoyable. The story lines are strong and the jokes are funny. Back off, haters
Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
Wow do I love this show. I didn’t give it any chance at all when it first came out but I have seen the errors of my ways. Th entire cast is outstanding. I feel that I unfairly maligned the cast as being all men, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This show is one of the best on TV.
Project Runway (Lifetime)
I love how shows try to make themselves seem more important than they are. Like this “tenth anniversary” season, even though the show has only been on for like 8 years. I still wish that they would drop back to 60 minutes, and I still wish they’d show less talking heads and more Tim Gunn and more actual construction of garments, but I still enjoy watching people make stuff.
Project Runway Allstars (Lifetime)
Or as Karen likes to call it Project Runway: People Who Were Once on the Show. Her post about how the contestants paid to be on the show is stellar. I really don’t understand this show. Why aren’t Heidi and her team involved? The hostess is godawful… literally godawful, and the guest judges are just silly. But in fairness, the quality of the work is very good and it is nice to see some of these old faces again. But rather than the faux drama and backstabbing I’d just like to hear what everyone has been up to for the last few years. They surely can’t have a third All Stars as there will be literally no one left to be on the show.
Face Off (SyFy)
Face Off is like the butch version of Project Runway and its a really enjoyable series. It is all about creating special effect makeup. Although it does kind of ruin the magic of movie makeup, it is really awesome watching the guys and gals make gruesomely cool prosthetic faces and bodies. True Glen Hetrick is a tool of the first order, but the show still rocks.
Archer (FX)
Why are the funniest shows on TV cartoons? Why do they all have H. Jon Benjamin in them?
Tosh.0 (Comedy Central)
It’s entirely possible that Tosh has run out of actually funny things to make fun of.
Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell (FX)
My goodness is this show awesome. I am genuinely excited when I see it on the TiVo list. It’s a half hour comedy/politics/talk show. Kamau is hilarious and his observations are outstanding. If you’re not watching this show, you should be.
Key and Peele (Comedy Central)
Like Kamau, this is a hilarious show that should be watched by everyone. It is just such a damn funny sketch show. Peele’s impression of Obama is uncanny and if you haven’t seen the suburban zombies skit, you are really missing out.
The Inbetweeners (MTV)
The US remakes yet another British show, and this time they put it on MTV. Uh oh. And yet, while it never reaches the depravity of the original, it is a solid show and very funny. And now that they have broken away from the British plots, they’ve really found a voice for itself. The season finale was really good and I’m looking forward to it coming back.
Underemployed (MTV)
Another MTV show? Yes. This one has promise. I enjoyed a lot of the first episode (and didn’t enjoy other parts of it) but we haven’t watched any since. So who knows where this will end up in a few weeks time.
Community (NBC)
Whither Community? We knew Poor Dan Harmon was kicked out. We knew that it was getting pushed to Fridays, we knew that it was only going to do like 5 episodes. But we did not know that NBC would just never air them.
Come on, 6 Seasons and a movie!
Glee (FOX)
This show is likely dead to us. We watched a bit of the show and realized that Rachel in NYC is boring and that frankly everyone is boring. So we haven’t watched any other episodes this season. Although the commercials look funny enough.
And the shows that are dead to us
2 Broke Girls (CBS)
I just couldn’t bring myself to watch this show this season. Recently on the radio, the “hilarious” clip for an upcoming episode was “OMG. I repeat. OMG.” I feel like we made the right choice
Mike & Molly (CBS)
This isn’t even on our TiVo anymore, I think one Chuck Lorre show is all can handle.
The New Normal (NBC)
Here’s how you know Glee is not a comedy. Because when the creator of Glee makes a comedy it comes out like this–over the top, shrill and outrageously hard to watch. This was supposed to be the great new show of the season. It seemed like it would be very funny but, ugh, is it ever not.
Neighbors (ABC)
This show could have gone one of two ways. It was obviously a crazy broad comedy about living near aliens And it could have been weirdly subversive and quirky and funny, and it started off mildly promising But it soon settled into what it is..a family comedy about people not fitting in. And the last episode that we watched a few weeks ago was painful.
Animal Practice (NBC)
I had no expectations for this show and only watched it because Sock was in it (that’s Tyler Labine to those who didn’t watch Reaper). But oof, it was bad. Why must everything be set in a hospital? And I’m going to say it, no show that has a monkey in its cast is going to be good. It was the first cancelled show of the season (the curse of Tyler Labine).
America’s Next Top Model (CW)
This show has gotten worse and worse each season and yet still we plugged on watching it. Now it has simply gone so far off the deep end that we had to look away from the flaming wreck. How on earth did it get picked up for another season?
Hot Set (SyFy)
After the greatness of Face Off, I wanted to give Hot Set a try. It’s a competition show where people make a set for a movie in a few days. It’s not an elimination show with the same cast, it’s a one-off, person 1 vs person 2 show. I watched one episode and I think that was enough. I enjoyed it but I don’t need to see any more.
Hey, thanks for the shout-out. RE PRAS, I swear, when I said Andrae paid for 4 episodes, I picked that number randomly.
I’m still watching Glee but a couple of weeks behind. I don’t even know when it’s on any more, I just go look in On Demand every once in a while and find a couple of episodes I haven’t seen. It’s a very different show than it was, the edge is gone, which makes me sad. 😦 But I’m not quite ready to cut bait on it. I still want to see if Kurt ends up a judge on Project Runway.
I have to find Kamau’s show.