I spent about two hours today investigating my options for television viewing in the fall. Have I mentioned I’m unemployed? Because, yes. That is something one does, when one is unemployed. Spends a lot of time investigating television viewing options.
Then I thought, huh, remember last year I made all kinds of lists of the shows I was super-excited about and such? Just for fun, let’s see how they fared this past season.
Ringer
CANCELLED.
Meh. Not good; the writing was kind of terrible and soapy; the acting was awful (what’s going on with Sarah Michelle Gellar? Was I only imagining she was good on Buffy? No. A LOT of people liked Buffy. So it wasn’t just Buffy. I guess I have to blame the writing on Ringer.) Also, NOT ENOUGH JASON DOHRING. I’m not done with the season – since my man Dohring’s in it, I of course will finish the season – but if you’ve got someone like Jason Dohring in your cast, you USE him. For more than random “I AM A TEACHER!” scenes. (Which, let’s be honest, he’s wonderful in, but there are so FEW of them.) It’s far from the worst show on television or anything, but I’m not surprised it was cancelled.
Terra Nova
CANCELLED (they *say* they’re shopping it to other networks, but they always say such things, don’t they?)
Again, big fat meh. I watched three episodes of this and just totally gave up. Maybe it got better, I don’t know. Don’t care. A lot of times it was too dark to see anything; the dinosaurs weren’t too bad, but the plot was as boring as hell; and I didn’t have a single character I was rooting for. Life’s too short for bad television. I didn’t want to give it any more episodes. I just didn’t care enough.
Once Upon a Time
NOT cancelled!
I think this did pretty well. At least, from what I can tell from the internet buzz. And it got renewed. I ran out of time to watch it last season so am attempting to catch up on this over the summer so I can watch it next season. I liked it well enough. I didn’t LOVE it, but I liked it well enough. It’s light enough entertainment. And it’s pretty. I like pretty.
Grimm
(surprisingly) NOT cancelled!
I was SURE that since I liked this so much, it would be cancelled. Because it was everything I liked (dark, broody, bloody, intelligent) and that usually means, buh-BYE, show! But no! It apparently did well enough – on a Friday night, no less! – that they’re bringing it back for a second season! For some odd reason, it’s coming back on August 15 (WTF?) so, as I’m WAY behind on it, I have about 3/4 of the season to catch up on in 10 days. I’m going to be immersed in Grimm for the next week and a half. There are worse things to be immersed in. I like it a lot. Also, I’m really digging Silas Weir Mitchell as Monroe. A whole damn lot.
American Horror Story
NOT cancelled!
Whoo-hoo! On to season two! I loved the first season of this show SO MUCH. I can’t imagine season two will be anywhere near as good as season one was – usually shows like this should have thrown in the towel after one season, so they can remain bright and shiny in our minds – but I’ll remain optimistic. Season two is set in a mental institution in the sixties. Well, that already sounds creeptastic, doesn’t it? And some of my favorite actors from season one – Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, Lily Rabe, SYLAR, will be returning for the season (but in different roles, which is an interesting twist.) I’ll be there, American Horror Story. Don’t you worry. I’ll be there.
In looking at next season…I am underwhelmed, honestly. Not with the returning shows – most of my favorite shows were renewed, if not moved around to different days a little – but with the new shows. It’s a season of very stupid comedies and procedurals. There are one a couple that stood out as a little different, and even those…come on, networks, you can’t do better than this?
The ones I’m most excited about – please note, “excited” is in kind of weak air-quotes, here, because I can’t say that I’m overly excited about any of these:
Revolution
A group of people attempt to survive and reunite with loved ones in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously ceased to exist.
I don’t know what this even means. No forms of energy? So…aren’t WE kind of forms of energy? Like, we eat food, it turns to energy, yeah? Wouldn’t ALL forms of energy assume WE TOO ARE DEAD? Did I just solve this show? Anyway, I like apocalypse-style dramas, if they’re done well. And J.J. Abrams from Lost and Eric Kripke from Supernatural are involved in this one. So I’ll give it a shot. This energy thing is confusing, though, I have to admit. Like, are their fires? Because those are a form of energy. The internet tells me SOUND is a form of energy. So is the whole show silent? This is going to be like that terrible movie with Toothy McTom Cruise War of the Worlds where all the power stopped except, randomly, one guy’s video camera, right? I’m a little worried, let’s be frank.
Elementary
Another (sigh, yes, yes, I know) Sherlock Holmes reboot.
I know. There’s absolutely no need for this. But you know the States – something’s doing well in another country? WE WILL DO IT HERE! IT WILL BE AWESOME!!!1! I like Sherlock Holmes, I like Jonny Lee Miller, and I’m curious if it’s worthwhile. I’m guessing it won’t be, but it’s worth a shot, at least. (Watson is a LADY. Played by Lucy Liu. But the producers PROMISE Holmes and Watson won’t do any sexual crime-solving. I’ll believe it when I see it.)
666 Park Avenue
A Midwestern couple get hired to manage a swanky New York apartment building, but all the residents have sold their souls to the Devil to get their wishes to come true.
This sounds cheesy, but totally fun. And if it’s done well, it could be good. There’s a lot of opportunity for stories in a high-rise building, and I like devil-things. NO NOT LIKE I’M A DEVIL-WORSHIPPER. If they’re done well (i.e., funny, like in Reaper, or scary/creepy/a little campy, like in Supernatural) I’m totally down with the Devil on my TV. (Or, again, if done well, in movies. The Exorcist? SCARIEST MOVIE EVER. Also, book, which I read way too young, and twisted my little kiddo-brain. I haven’t seen that movie in…let’s see, probably 15 years? Maybe a couple more? And HAVE NOT WATCHED IT AGAIN SINCE. TOO SCARY.) So, this has potential. Might be ok. Might be silly. We’ll see.
And…um…that’s it? There are a couple that look interesting that are randomly on the TV Guide website but they’re not on the fall schedule. Like something called Cult that has Robert Knepper from Prison Break, and one called The Following about a whole damn CULT of serial killers. Why aren’t they on the schedule? Weird. Wait, I will research. Ah, ok, so Cult is midseason and The Following is a SECRET that I can’t find ANYWHERE even though it’s got freakin’ Kevin BACON in it, what the hell? Why so secretive, Fox?
There are plenty of returning shows I’m keen on – don’t worry, there will always be more than enough shows for Amy to watch, no worries there, I can ALWAYS find something to watch, I’m a BOSS at rotting my brain – but it is sad that there are only three new shows and two new shows with NO REAL RELEASE DATE that I’m even slightly jazzed about? Hmm. Worrisome, networks. Very worrisome.
Oh, well. If nothing else: we have THIS to look forward to in 2013. SIGH TIMES A BILLION.