Showing posts with label ABC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ABC. Show all posts

Thursday, 9 September 2010

Returning shows I'm looking forward to

After waiting all summer, the time has finally come for the shows that ended in May, to return. Thought there are many shows I'm looking forward to returning, there are some that I'm looking forward to more.

The Vampire Diaries
This show was one of the best new shows last year. It had the ability to keep me on the edge of my seat every episode and its finale was no different. It was a finale that had me buzzing about it weeks after I saw it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it from the very first episode as I was rolling my eyes at yet another show about vampires but somehow it continues to be fresh.

Grey's Anatomy
Like The Vampire Diaries, it was one of my favourite finales but for different reasons - it played upon the emotions. We were promised a game changer and it certainly delivered. How the characters deal with the aftermath is the question.

Fringe
This show is in my top 5 shows and like the previous two, was one of my favourite finales. The show just keeps getting better with outstanding performances and storylines. With the alternative universe being shown more, the show looks to keep up its consistency of being something not to miss.

Community
This is one of my favourite comedies and if you haven't seen it already, just watch the episode Modern Warfare and you'll be hooked. It has one of the best ensembles with funny and consistent writing. I shall continue to review the episodes on Series.nu

Other shows that I'm looking forward to but just not as much
Parenthood
Life Unexpected
Modern Family
Cougar Town
Glee
Castle
The Middle
The Good Wife

Two shows that I was considering dropping form my viewing list were Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives but the casting of Katie Cassidy and Vanessa Williams respectively have breathed a new sense of anticipation for me and I shall keenly watch to see how both shows utilize the actresses.

Sunday, 23 May 2010

Lost for the Final Time

The wait is nearly over and soon the last episode of Lost will be aired.

Some have been billing it the television event of the year and further proof of how momentous it is, the episode will be simulcast over parts of the world when it's aired at the same time as the U.S. West Coast.

Sky1 in the UK, Fox Italia and Telecom Italia in Italy, Cuatro Spain, Fox Spain and Portugal, Digiturk Turkey, HOT Israel will broadcast the airing despite the time difference. While CTV Canada will broadcast the finale at the same time as the U.S. East Coast. Other international networks will air the finale in 24-48 of the broadcast.

It's hard to fathom the significance of this simulcast which is normally reserved for award shows and sport events. I do wonder if other shows that have a big international audience will get the same chance to broadcast their final episode.

One thing that has helped this show is the fact there was a clear time frame for when the show was to end. Heroes, which was also an international hit was recently cancelled. If a rumoured 2 hour movie does happen will NBC do the same?

Over the past six seasons I've enjoyed the unexplained elements of Lost. There are many things that I don't understand and I'm not sure I ever will. I believe there are questions that won't be answered in the finale. Regardless of this I've enjoyed the whole series from the smoke monster to polar bears, time jumping to flash forwards, backwards and sideways.

One day I'll sit down and watch all the episodes over again and I'm sure I'll discover things that I missed the first time. Until then I've got my snacks ready to enjoy the ride for one final time.

Friday, 2 April 2010

Review: Modern Family – Game Changer (Series.nu)

Check out my review of episode 19 from Modern Family, now up on Series.nu

Friday, 26 March 2010

Review: Modern Family – Starry Night (Series.nu)

Check out my review of episode 18 from Modern Family, now up on Series.nu

Friday, 12 March 2010

Review: Modern Family - Truth Be Told (Series.nu)

Check out my review of episode 17 from Modern Family, now up on Series.nu

Katherine Heigl's possible Grey's exit - do we still care?

The TV buzz over the past few hours has included the possible end of
Katherine Heigl's time on Grey's Anatomy (EW was one of the first to break the story). She's been missing for most
of the season due to extended leave to shoot a film and maternity
leave since adopting a child.

The long running saga, off camera, could possibly be coming to an end.
It has actually become boring hearing the same story of her leaving,
every season so if it's true, this yearly dance can come to an end.

In my opinion, the character Izzie was at her best in the first couple
of seasons. I for one found the whole hallucinating sleeping with your
dead fiancé ridiculous.

The show is over populated, so it can do with shedding a few characters. I haven't missed the character at all and the show has proved that there's sufficient actors/characters to follow.

As for the actress herself, her current film career is
filled with not very good romantic comedies that don't even use the
best clichés. Heigl proved with her Emmy win that drama is where she
sells it and she should try and burst out of the rom-com bubble before
she gets eternally typecast.

Sunday, 7 March 2010

Review: Modern Family - Fears (Series.nu)

Check out my review on episode 16 of Modern Family called Fears.

Read it on Series.nu

Sunday, 21 February 2010

Castle coming to the UK - yay and nay?

On Thursday it was announced that UKTV's Alibi had picked up the rights to broadcast Castle. I've been lucky enough to catch a few episodes and have mentioned, in a previous post, that I really like this show. Richard Castle has become one of my favourite TV characters.

After my initial excitement wore off, the realisation of it all took over; the show will be on Alibi. This might not mean much to some people but for me, this channel is a way for me to catch some of the episodes of Murder She Wrote that I didn't catch the first, second, third or fifteenth time it has every been aired.

Yes the channel does have crime drama's but its line up consists mostly of rebroadcasts from other UK channels, some dating back to the 80's; Murdoch Mysteries is one of a very small handful of shows that have originally aired in the past couple of years.

I read The Hollywood Reporter's story about the acquisition, which included quotes from UKTV acquisitions manager Alexandra Finlay "This acquisition exemplifies the channel's ambition to secure other key U.S. and international crime content in the future."

Alibi boss Steve Hornsey added "Alibi is well known for its high-quality British content, and introducing a hugely successful U.S. series in "Castle" will not only broaden the appeal of the channel but also the editorial mix. Adding Castle to our schedule should be seen as a clear message of intent."

I thought that if one of the main five channels didn't pick Castle up then maybe Sky1, E4, ITV2 or one of Five's sister channels might pick it up. These have proven track records with showing US TV and higher viewing numbers.

Scepticism aside, I do hope the show does well enough and others get to enjoy it. I will be keen to see what advertising is done, if it performs well and if the channel does add some more new content to help it become more than just a channel of repeats.

Tuesday, 16 February 2010

Grey's Anatomy and The Time Warp

Forget about FlashForward, it's all about flash sideways and flashbacks. Brothers & Sisters recently announced their casting of their flashback episode but, in the US, this week's it's the turn of Grey's Anatomy.

The episdoe synopsis is "In his new role as Chief, Derek restores the hospital lecture series, and Richard, Bailey and Callie present to the group pivotal surgical cases from their pasts - Bailey reflects on her first days as a shy resident, Callie looks back on a polio case, and Richard recalls a case in which he and Ellis worked on a patient diagnosed with GRID, a virus later called AIDS."

Guest starring will be Sarah Paulson and J. August Richards as Young Ellis Grey and Young Richard Webber and Missi Pyle as Bailey's Former Nemesis, Dr. Nicole Baylow.

Check out the two promos below and in honour of the episode being named 'The Time Warp', a clip from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.





Saturday, 13 February 2010

Review: Modern Family - My Funky Valentine (Series.nu)

Check out my review on episode 15 of Modern Family called My Funky Valentine.
Read it on Series.nu

Thursday, 28 January 2010

Scrub out Time

It might be a little harsh for me to say but out of the ABC comedies, Scrubs has become that annoying person who was funny the first and maybe second time but now it's the hundreth time of hearing the same joke and it's unfunny, boring and kind of sad.

The latest episode with Turk made me believe I was watching an episode from season 1, he just didn't have his equally immature best friend with him. I wasn't asking for much but a little growth from the now "Chief of Surgery". Things that used to work seems tired and recycled. I was waiting to see how things played out once JD left the canvass but the jokes feel as cold as a cadaver at times.

The way Drew and Denise have been played out the last couple of episodes seems slightly lost at times and having Drew reveal he was married last week seemed to come out of nowhere and I don't feel it's moved them anywhere.

There have been small glimpses of the potential of the medical school students but I feel that with too much time spent on JD in the early parts of the series, it didn't give the others a real chance to develop. The show should have either not come back this season or a clean break should have been made with JD at the end of what was a fitting finale last season.

Tuesday, 12 January 2010

Better Off Ted: Unedited jokes

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, watch the unedited jokes that will be bleeped from the first of a double episode - Ep8 The Impertence of Communicationizing

Sunday, 10 January 2010

Fav Scene of the Week 3rd - 9th Jan 2010

Not all of the shows have made their return in the new year but I decided to pick something anyway. This video isn't a scene but three clips that stood out for me. They are from Better Off Ted, the first from two episodes that were shown this week. It wasn't just the scenes as a whole but Veronica's lines and Portia De Rossi's delivery and expressions during it.

Is ABC's Wednesday Night Complete?

Ugly Betty had it first airing at 10pm on Wednesday but is it a good fit with ABC's comedy block.

It's now been established that ABC has hit the right note with new comedies Modern Family and Cougar Town. With these breakout shows and The Middle, Wednesday has become a success for the network. There have been obvious hiccups, with the now cancelled Hank and Eastwick. Repeats of Modern Family have since taken Hank's spot but this week a new episode of The Middle was aired.

Eastwick's lost has been Ugly Betty gain. As soon as news broke of Eastwick's cancellation, talk was being made about Ugly Betty receiving that slot. The show had been struggling on Friday and fans thought a move could save the show from possible cancellation.

This meant Lost had to move to Tuesdays; I guess the network didn't want to change a winning team. With Lost airing its final season, it could be seen as ABC testing what could possibly be the line-up come September. It's a safe bet that Modern Family and Cougar Town will be renewed. The Middle has a good chance and this week's ratings will help their case, achieving 8.2 million, with a little help from an appearance from Brooke Shields.

The 8pm slot is still up for grabs and Better Off Ted fans would like the show to be moved there. Unfortunately with low ratings and the network burning off double episodes to finish its order in January, its unlikely to return for a third season. Scrubs will get the 8pm slot on January 27th and February 3rd, to finish off its current season. Ratings for them has also been disappointing. The show has been less impressive and should have ended last season.

Ugly Betty's Wednesday debut only managed 5.1m, less then the average of the cancelled Eastwick. Some of the episodes have been better than last season and Justin's growth has been interesting and touching to watch. Part of the problem is that once people stop watching, it's hard to get them back. When people are raving about other shows, then you end up checking those out instead; too many people have given up on this show. If ratings don't improve for the next few episodes, then I think I'll be proved right in my prediction of this show being cancelled.

Wednesday, 6 January 2010

Lost Catchup in 8 minutes

If you've missed any of Lost, check this 8 minute catchup

Sunday, 3 January 2010

Better Off Ted: Don't Fight It, Watch It

Better Off Ted is smart, witty, packed with one liners and is also a show that not a lot of people are watching. While more viewers are flocking to Modern Family and Cougar Town on a Wednesday, Better Off Ted has being struggling on a Tuesday.

It's no secret that I like this show; I even changed my Twitter image to a Better Off Ted photo. I share the opinion of others that this show would be much better on a Wednesday with The Middle, Modern Family and Cougar Town.

Before the fall season started, I thought Modern Family and Cougar Town would struggle, but when I saw how good they were doing, it gave me hope for Better Off Ted. Unfortunately not enough viewers haven't been knocking on the door.

People might be raving about Sue, on Glee, but there is another female with great one liners; Veronica, played by Portia de Rossi. You can't forget Phil and Lem, two scientist who in the last episode were upset that a human replaced the clean-up robot. With lines like "I feel like my heart has been kicked in the testicles", this show provides laughter in every episode.

This month, ABC will be burning off episodes by showing two a week. I personally don't think the show was given a proper chance. Half of the first season was shown from June to August, bringing a ratings dip to its figures from March to May. The recent episode shown after a bowl game, gave the show some of it's best ratings but this doesn't seem to be enough.

Ken Tucker, EW.com, has started a save Better Off Ted Campaign and he regularly posts about the show the day after it airs.

Monday, 21 December 2009

My Hits List of 2009

There have been a lot of best and worst of 2009 lists floating around and I thought I'll do my own little list. My previous post listed my misses of 2009 and now I give you my hits.

Not sure why I started to watch you but you're actually quite good - The Good Wife

Breakout star in a bad show - Katie Cassidy, Melrose Place

I can't believe you're not watching this - Better Off Ted

You're a star - TNT for picking up Southland

I can't stop watching this scene - Kurt and the football team doing Beyonce's Single Ladies, Glee

Outstanding multi performances - Jane Lynch (Party Down and Glee) and Toni Collette (United States of Tara)

Most improved but I always thought you were good - Parks and Recreation

Your character annoys other people on the show but I think you're brilliant - Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory

Best network manoeuvre - ABC's Wednesday night comedy trio

I can't believe you've left me hanging - Lost's season 5 finale

Best new shows that more people should talk about - Nurse Jackie and United States of Tara

Got cancelled just as the show hit its a storyline high - Dollhouse

Best answer to a question - Quagmire answering Brian's question 'why don't you like me', Family Guy

My Misses List of 2009

There have been a lot of best and worst of 2009 lists floating around and I thought I'll do my own little list. I warn you now, that this isn't your standard best show and worst show list. I've been a little inventive with my awards. I start of with the misses list.

What were you thinking? - NBC cancelling Southland before the new series was aired

I can't believe you're still on the air - Heroes

Hail Mary attempt at more viewers - Claire's lesbian kiss, Heroes

It's not what it says on the packaging - FlashForward. Some billed it as the next Lost, well it's not.

I should really turn it over - The Cleveland Show

Stop and stare moment - Heather Locklear's face. There's something going on that I can't quite figure out.

Biggest waste of an hour - The Beautiful Life

Biggest waste of half an hour - Hank

I like you but I couldn't keep watching your show - Alex O'Loughlin and Alfre Woodard, Three Rivers

Is it you or your character that annoys me - Joseph Fiennes, Mark on FlashForward

Are you trying to kill the show on purpose? - Fox moving Fringe from Tuesday to overloaded Thursday

Do you want people to watch you? - NBC's dwindling primetime scripted shows.

Most obvious outcome in a cliffhanger - Grey's Anatomy with George and Izzie

Friday, 11 December 2009

King of the Castle

It seems rare these days for me to be continuously entertained by an hour long show but Castle has managed to do that since the first episode. It uses a notable formula of having a male and female as the main characters with underlying sexual chemistry. It’s this chemistry that helps make this show work; quick wit, excellent writing and a great cast. I, for one, was drawn by Nathan Fillion at first and everything about this show has kept me watching. It isn't just about Fillion, Stana Katic, Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas should also get a mention, as well as the rest of the cast.

What also helps for me is the casting of guest stars, especially the Buffy alumni (it's one of my favourite shows so I love seeing actors from there). More great casting is to come with Alyssa Milano set to appear in January.

The relationship that Richard Castle has with the women in his life is fascinating and also is a testament to the character. He has a great relationship with his daughter and mother and I find his interactions with other females hilarious, especially the flirting with Beckett.

While people are talking about other shows, in terms of why they are struggling with story-lines or ratings, Castle has been quietly building good storylines to keep me entertained. The last episode got 8.4m and though this isn't setting the house on fire, I urge ABC to renew this show.

Wednesday, 2 December 2009

FlashForward UK Ratings

The UK might have got the opportunity to see episode 10 of FlashForward, three days before the US but ratings hit a low. According to Digital Spy early figures show that the episode only pulled in 1.98m in its regular 9pm slot, coming fourth in the hour. Over the 10 weeks it’s been on, the show has averaged 2.63m. The second episode gained the shows highest ratings with 3.26m.

FlashForward: Revealed, which included interviews with the show's actors and writers, was shown straight after and only managed 851k. I didn’t watch this myself, as the show hasn’t garnered anymore interest for me to want to sit through interviews.

The show has failed to live up to the kind of buzz that it initially had. The mid-season finale has tried to do the usually and keep people hooked until the show comes back from their hiatus but will it be enough. Co-show runner, Marc Guggenheim departed the show 2 months ago and production was temporarily shut down a couple of weeks ago. We just have to wait and see if there’s any difference to the quality, when it returns.