Summer, Instagrammed.
I’ll be honest guys, I’m pretty bummed to see summer slowly slipping away. The weather in Nova Scotia this year has been a-mah-zing, and I’ve really been living it up. Lounging poolside, hitting the beach, cottage country, wine tastings, horseback riding, MOUNTAIN CLIMBING…you name it, I’ve done it. (Please don’t name it. You’ll say something like “kayaking!” and I’ll say “Um…reading?”) This weekend I’m even going to a hot air balloon festival! Cool! (Trips up in the balloon are a cool $180 each, so expect me to start promoting a crowdfund campaign for next year.)
But there are other things to get excited about. Pumpkin spice lattes. Boots. Leaves changing color. Choosing a culturally relevant Halloween costume. (We all think I can pull of Carly Rae Jepsen, right?) And of course, fall means the return of all my favorite TV shows!
So what will I be reviewing? Pretty much the same as always, with a few additions and cuts. I’m also planning a change in how the blog covers sitcoms – instead of individual posts on each episode, look for a weekly sitcom round up every Friday where I’ll talk about each sitcom, whether I thought it was a good episode, and throw out a few of my favorite lines.
Here’s my schedule for the fall TV viewing season:
Or check out the PDF: tv schedule
Shows I’m really excited to have back in my life are Revenge, Parenthood and Survivor, as well as my favorite comedies right now – Happy Endings, New Girl and Parks and Recreation.
Then there are the shows I’m feeling pretty lukewarm about. I’m pretty much ready to give up on Boardwalk Empire, and I’m still not sure I’ll be watching this season. The more I think about it in comparison to shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, the more it bugs me. Too many characters, too hard to follow, and I just don’t look forward to watching it enough. TV should be fun! I’m still angry when I think about what a colossal mess Dexter was last season, but I have to watch to see what happens, and I’m a fan of Yvonne Strahovski who they’ve cast this season. And of course, there’s Glee. I certainly won’t be watching that one on Thursday nights, and I’ll no longer be subjecting the world to my weekly rage-filled recaps. I’ll DVR it and see where things go. I won’t cry if I end up bailing completely, that show really lost me last year.
I was sure I had quit The Office last year, but given that this will be the last season and that the original showrunner is retaking the reins, I’ll have to stick around. I’ve also been growing tired of Grey’s Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother and Raising Hope, but not enough to stop watching completely.
Of the new shows debuting this fall, I’ve already reviewed The Mindy Project and Ben and Kate. I might check out a couple other new sitcoms on a trial basis, and I’m going to give the Tami-Taylor-Swift drama Nashville and the Sherlock Holmes based Elementary a go. I have a feeling that Elementary will be too much of a typical CBS procedural for my taste, but I’ll give it a try because I like Lucy Liu.
How about you guys? Is the promise of fall TV helping to soften the blow that August has come and gone? What will you be watching?
We have a lot of common ground! I’m growing weary of HIMYM, let’s get this show on the road already. I’m planning to hate-watch Two Broke Girls, because it has the bones to be so much better than it is. (Related: Michael Patrick King is a misanthropist who just hates everyone. Showing my work: SATC2. Discuss.)
The 10pm Tuesday block is a nightmare. Somehow, I’m going to watch (in order of love/priority): Happy Endings, The Mindy Project, New Girl, Go On (I have a lot of time for Matthew Perry), Apartment 23.
I’m giving The Office a victory lap. We had some good times together, and I’m going to miss it when it’s gone.
I’m stoked Revenge is moving to 10pm Sunday. I could never stay awake long enough to watch it on Wednesdays.
I may give Go On a chance too. The Tuesday insanity is holding me back a bit, but I do have a soft spot for Matthew Perry.
I totally agree on Michael Patrick King. At the Television Critics Association panel last year he pretty much showed no interest in trying to fix what most people considered problem areas of the show, like the racial stereotypes. And SATC2 was the mos misogynistic and racist thing I’d ever seen. I think I wrote a rant of a blog post about it at the time.
I might try to watch Go On, but as you said, Tuesday is a real cluster of shows I love so it’ll be hard to add another one in. I might have to download it, I’m not even sure my DVR can handle all this!
The Revenge move is good for all of us for sure. Sometimes I could watch it, but I often fell asleep mid-show.
Community looks so lonely.
I’m glad you posted this. I’ve been meaning to figure out my TV schedule, and now you’ve done it for me! Well – it’s pretty close. I won’t be watching all of those shows, but most. And I’ll add on Bones, Once Upon a Time, and Criminal Minds. Bones and Criminal Minds started to wear on me last season, but picked up near the end (which they typically do), so we’ll see if I continue to watch them after the first few episodes. I came this close to dropping Once partway through the season, but it became a show I found myself looking forward to. They really turned that show around, though there are still issues. Terrible CGI being one of them.
Fall TV is one of the only things that can distract me from the end of summer sads. Looking forward to it.
I’m glad someone I know kept watching Once. It had some good aspects to it and I really like Ginnifer Goodwin, so I’m glad the show improved.
Yay – fall TV! I’m excited too, although there are only a couple of shows I’ll be adding to rotation… Nashville and Elementary being the main ones, but I’ll also give Matthew Perry the benefit of the doubt. I’m so ready to drop Grey’s but suspect I’ll watch the first couple of episodes just to see how bad it will be this year. But I can’t wait for Parenthood!
Looking forward to your Friday sitcom round-ups – great idea!
Thanks! I have such a hot and cold relationship with Grey’s. I thought it had a period of rejuvenation following the season finale with the shooting, but then it began to bore me again. When they had the plane crash, I felt like it was just a cheap attempt at trying to recreate what a previous trauma had done for the show. Like you, I’ll probably tune in for a couple episodes and see how I feel.
For new TV shows I plan on giving Nashville, The Mindy Project and Revolution a shot – maybe Last Resort as well since TWOP gave it a thumbs up. I will also be DVR’ing “new to me” Parks and Rec until I catch up.
Returning Shows I’m excited about:
Survivor, Big Bang, Community, TAR, Revenge, Homeland
Returning Shows I’ll less excited about/likely DVR’in for rainy days
Gossip Girl – I almost quit it but was charmed by Dan/Blair so I’ll finish it out
Castle – not an avid watched but I find Fillion rather charming
Happy Endings – mainly so I know what y’all are talking about..
Modern Family – still amusing at times
Criminal Minds – purely for my anti-social genius love
Wow finishing up this list, I’m like “that’s it?” I’m realizing I’m preferring more of the smaller network Spring/Summer shows. That being said I’m still pumped for the new season to start!
Happy Endings is really easy to jump into, too. You don’t need to have seen all the episodes to think it’s funny.
What a great idea to do a sitcom round up!
Shows I am looking forward to: Parenthood, Revenge, Homeland, Modern Family, Mike & Molly, Downton Abbey
Shows I am lukewarm about: Dexter, Boardwalk Empire,
Shows I keep watching out of habit: Grey’s
New Shows I am considering: Go on (also for Matthew Perry), Nashville, Zero Hour (Anthony Edwards new show),
Thanks Dana! I recently listened to EW.com’s podcast about fall TV, and they had seen the first episode of Dexter and the first five episodes of Boardwalk Empire. They had positive things to say, so I’m going to probably try and watch even though I was debating dropping both.
I can’t say I am chomping at the bit for any new shows this fall. I am looking forward to Go On as well (love Matthew Perry) and I just hope this one actually takes off. Please, please.
So glad someone is finally giving PARENTHOOD the credit it deserves. Absolutely love the show, think it is one of the best on TV today for casting, writing, etc. Ray Romano is going to be on it and I think he’ll be an awkwardly funny character, which I totally support.
Grey’s died for me a long time ago, and I watched since Day 1. It got me through many a college week, but I think something changed once they killed George (remember him?)… I don’t know, there is just too much death all the time (I know that seems silly saying considering it is a show about doctors, but do so many of their colleagues really die all the time? Are they always put in life- threatening situations? Sigh.)
Revenge–I still have to finish last season!–but am looking forward to it. Hawaii 5-0 (cue that CBS procedure you mentioned above, but what can I say? I love all the men on that show.), Person of Interest (I argue this is a great, great show) and BBT (still have to finish last season) are my others I am looking foward to.
Love your blog; it’s hilarious, esp your Bachelor Pad updates (Yes, I watch it, and yes, I so agree, it is ridiculous, but still, I tune in!). OK, Thanks!
Thanks Jessica! Glad you found the blog & commented. I’ll have a review of tonight’s Bachelor Pad finale up tomorrow so hopefully you’ll be back!
I totally agree with you on Ray Romano, although I’m sad that he’s a love interest for Lauren Graham because I love Jason Ritter so much. I never watched Men of a Certain Age, but from what I read about the show and saw in clips, it’s a good representation for what he’ll be like on Parenthood.
I don’t know why I can’t ditch Grey’s, I wish I could. I barely blog about it anymore, and usually catch up on DVR long after the show aired. They are relying WAY too much on using traumatic life-or-death situations, it’s gotten ridiculous. I too miss the days of George.
I totally hear you about Ray Romano v. Jason Ritter. Jason is adorable and wonderful and wonderful and adorable. But, perhaps we are all in denial about Lauren Graham’s character Sara(h)–maybe she needs a Ray Romano in her life, perhaps he’d be better suited? Not sayin Jason isn’t–we’ll just have to see to find out. (Oy, already making predictions and Season Premiere hasn’t even aired yet!)
I am not sure I like Ray Romano as a love interest for Lauren Graham either, but we’ll see.
I have heard good things about Dexter and Boardwalk Empire so getting marginally more interested in those.
Jill I am with you about Grey’s, I really would like to stop watching it but I just can’t. I agree, the show relies too much on death and cliffhangers.
Yay! I’m so glad tv is back! Oh, how I missed it over the summer.
I’m most looking forward to Survivor (obviously), Parks & Rec, Community, and New Girl. I’ll still watch HIMYM and TBBT, too. They’ve really been meh for me over the last year or so though, but I feel invested in them, so I keep watching.
I don’t think there are any new shows that really strike a chord with me yet. I’m going to wait things out and see what the general consensus on them is first before I dive in. I was the complete opposite last year – took on what seemed like a million new shows, and ended up disappointed in many of them. Here’s to much less tv heart break this season.
Love how many shows we have in common! You have good taste.
What are your thoughts on The Mindy project for a new show?