Thursday, September 19, 2013

2013 Fall TV Lineup!

So...this year, I am purposefully adding fewer shows than I have in years past, despite getting hooked up with the Genie from DirecTV for free!  I can now record 7 shows at once!  From what I hear, a baby will hinder my ability to watch as many shows as I used to, but we'll see ;)

We have recently lost or will be losing very soon many quality shows.  ABC failed big time by canceling Happy Endings, which was the best network sitcom since Friends.  All the other networks, USA in particular, failed by not saving it.  TBS saves garbage like Cougar Town but no one picks up Happy Endings?!  I don't know if it's the networks' fault or stupid viewers' faults who watch crappy shows instead of good ones.  Honey Boo Boo gets good ratings, right?  I rest my case!

Other shows that have come to an end are Futurama (for the final time, this time), Do No Harm, which was actually canceled back in February after just 2 'sodes which broke the record for lowest network viewership.  They burned the remaining 11 episodes over the summer and it actually got kinda good.  It wasn't a great show by any means, but certainly not the worst show ever.  Burn Notice, which was somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me, came to an end after 7 seasons. 

While Happy Endings certainly met its demise well before its time, one show that is coming to an end after a great run is Dexter.  The final episode is this Sunday and anything can happen!  (spoilers ahead)  Deb was shot last week; will she survive??  I hope Dexter and Hannah end up happy together (in Argentina it would seem).  Can Deb and Quinn have a happy ending together??



Okay, I digress.  On to the new shows!  My most anticipated one of the season is Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Anyone who's seen the Marvel movies, most notably The Avengers, will be familiar with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Coulson, who despite apparently dying in The Avengers will star in the upcoming show about the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division from the Marvel universe.  Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury will not appear in the show, but I could perhaps see Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill appearing down the line, especially with her show, How I Met Your Mother entering its final season this year.  Time will tell if S.H.I.E.L.D. can take Marvel's film success and transfer it to the small screen.  DC has had hits with Smallville and Arrow, so Marvel decided to get into the mix and unlike the two aforementioned DC projects, S.H.I.E.L.D. will come straight from the movies while Smallville and Arrow are standalone shows.  S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres on ABC on 9/24 and will air on Tuesdays at 7:00pm MT. 



Like I've mentioned before, premium channel shows are where it's at!  Dexter, Game of Thrones, True Blood, Homeland, etc.  While I didn't stick with Ray Donovan, I will give Showtime's new fall endeavor, Masters of Sex a shot.  The dramedy stars Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as real-life sex doctors from the mid 20th century.


Next up, we have The Crazy Ones.  Robin Williams makes his return to TV 32 years after Mork & Mindy and he stars as an advertising executive who works with his daughter, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.  With Williams as the star, it has potential.  Thursdays on CBS at 8:00, starting on 9/26.

Finally, we have The Goldbergs.  A sitcom about a family in the 80s.  Not too excited about this one, but the wife expressed interest, so we'll give it a shot.  Could be cut early, both from my DVR and by ABC.  It's on at 8:00, immediately following S.H.I.E.L.D.
 
Also, in 2014, Jack Bauer and 24 return for a "limited" 12-episode run!