The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 38: How We Ranted About HIMYM

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 38. During our second episode of the week we covered what we've been watching and what we're looking forward to. Shows include: Castle, How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, Modern Family, South Park and more. Check out the episode breakdown to avoid any possible spoilers.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:06

What We're Watching: 1:07 - 35:40

• Castle: 1:07 - 5:20
• How I Met Your Mother: 5:21 - 23:50
• New Girl: 23:51 - 32:29
• Modern Family: 32:30 - 34:33
• South Park: 34:34 - 35:40

What We're Looking Forward To: 35:41 - 44:14

• Fringe: 35:42 - 37:12
• Homeland: 37:13 - 37:27
• Grimm: 37:28 - 38:01
• Revenge: 38:02 - 38:30
• Dexter: 38:31 - 39:07
• Hart of Dixie: 39:08 - 40:03
• More Dexter: 40:04 - 44:14

Closing: 44:15 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:



For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents
Screen Invasion: @screeninvasion
Invasion Radio: @invasionradio

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 27: Don't You (Forget About Our Podcast)

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 27. After an impromptu hiatus, Kristal and I are back to chat about TV. This time around, we talked about AMC's newest Robert Kirtman adaptation, The Office's revolving door of ideas, Smash's new boss, two Texas boys heading to HBO, plenty of renewals, and of course what we've been watching and what we're looking forward to. As always, check out the breakdown for details.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:26

TV News: 1:27 - 24:05

• AMC adapting Thief of Thieves: 1:27 - 3:36
• The Office reboot: 3:37 - 8:44
• Smash's new showrunner: 8:45 - 12:40
• Woody Harrelson & Matthew McConaughey to HBO: 12:41 - 15:19
• Fringe renewed for 5th and final season: 15:20 - 21:07
• Girls and Veep renewed by HBO: 21:08 - 22:16
• The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and 90210 renewed: 22:17 - 24:05

What We're Watching: 24:06 - 43:27

• Glee: 24:07 - 32:20
• The Vampire Diaries: 32:21 - 39:56
• America's Best Dance Crew: 39:57 - 43:27

What We're Looking Forward To: 43:28 - 45:48

• So You Think You Can Dance: 43:28 - 44:49
• Sherlock: 44:50 - 45:58

Closing: 45:59 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents
Screen Invasion: @screeninvasion
Invasion Radio: @invasionradio

News: FRINGE Renewed for Fifth and Final Season

Yesterday, the Internet blew up as multiple sources confirmed that FOX had indeed picked up cult favorite Fringe for a fifth and final season of 13 episodes. While I'm happy for the fans of the show, I have to admit that I had mixed reactions when I read the news.

On one hand, I'm all in favor of these kind of "fringe" shows living on network television. Heck, one of my favorite shows of all-time (Chuck) was a cult classic, so I understand the kind of love and dedication fans of Fringe have for their show, and I'm happy that it gets to live on to keep the TV landscape refreshing and daring.

On the other, television's still a business and keeping a show that's so low-rated on the air seems puzzling to me. Again, I cannot throw stones since Chuck's numbers were also pathetic towards the end of its run, but I also expected it to get cancelled multiple times. Sure, I was happy when NBC kept it going, but even those renewals didn't make sense to me at the time either.

I know that people are going to point out syndication, licensing fees and other factors that allowed FOX to bring back Fringe, so I understand that there's some justification from a business perspective ... for Warner Bros. but not necessarily FOX. While I'm by no means an insider, even I know WB essentially gave Fringe away to pad its episode order so it can put together a sweet package for any channel willing to show reruns, but will anyone be willing to.

The reason why syndication can be a good deal for the studios that produce television shows is because their programs can fill holes on network's schedule, but there's some debate whether a heavily serialized show like Fringe can thrive in syndication. More often than not, the channels that buy syndicated packages will air episodes throughout the week and at odd hours, so if someone tries to watch something like Fringe, Lost or Heroes missing one day out of the week can throw them off. I'm not even saying that most people would watch these shows in that way, but there's a reason why most reruns on off networks tend to be sitcoms and procedurals; you don't need to watch every episode to follow along.

That's my long-winded way of saying that I'm glad Fringe is back, but I still don't know what FOX was thinking. I suppose the real moral of the story is if you have an idea for a television show that's only appealing to a small amount of viewers, then pitch it to Warner Bros. Television because they'll do whatever it takes to keep it going like they did for Fringe and Chuck ... and that network television has entered into a bizarro world where low-rated sci-fi is the new black.

TV Showdown: The TImeslot Wars II - Fall 2010

With the 2010 Fall TV season starting in the next couple of weeks (technically this week if you're a fan of the CW), it's time to firm up which shows are going to get my attention this year. Last winter, I blogged about how the lack of a DVR or Tivo has forced me to pick shows in some of the most competitive timeslots. It's September, and I still don't have a DVR (I refuse to spend money I don't have to), so here is the Fall 2010 edition of Timeslot Wars.

Mondays @ 8p/7c: Chuck (NBC) vs. How I Met Your Mother & Rules of Engagement (CBS)

One of the few repeat matchups kicks off the week as Chuck is up against How I Met Your Mother once again, and this time around the CBS comedy is bringing longtime hanger-on Rules of Engagement. Now, I'm probably in the minority, but I actually enjoy RoE mostly due to Oliver Hudson's performance. Too bad RoE isn't a stellar show and is paired up with the long-in-the-tooth How I Met Your Mother.

I know Carter & Bays have said they're going to right the HIMYM ship, and they've learned their lessons from the horrible 5th season, but I'll believe it when I see it. If HIMYM can stop focusing on gimmicky stand-alone episodes, tones down Barney's shtick, and gets back to the "mother" then this show will be watchable again.

In all reality, Chuck shouldn't have gotten a 4th season, but it did and I'm not going to complain. Until this show is cancelled once and for all, I will always watch Chuck live and catch up on other shows online. The realist in me figures this will be the last time there will be a Timeslot Showdown on Mondays at 8 PM, but the Chuckster in me hopes I'm wrong.

WINNER: Chuck

Catching Up On: Shows I Want to Watch

I've always been more of a movie watcher over a TV watcher, which is why I've been having to play catch-up with a couple of shows that have been pretty popular over the years.  Since I've started Project Catch-Up I've been exposed to shows like: Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Psych, Friday Night Lights, Bones, The Big Bang Theory, Dexter and few others, but my work is far from done.

Right now, my Netflix queue is jam-packed with shows like:

Supernatural: Maybe it's because of Angel, but I have the feeling that I'll really like this show mostly due to its, demonic and paranormal elements, but also because of the witty and dark humor.

Hustle: I remember hearing about a British con-man show that was going to be on AMC, but for some reason I never started watching it.  Then, Leverage came out, and everyone immediately started comparing it to Hustle, so of course I have to check it out since I'm such a huge fan of the former.

Mad Men: I really just want to see what all of the hype is about...

Dollhouse: I did try to watch Dollhouse when it was actually on the air, but I lost interest after the first two episodes.  I have heard that it gets a lot better, and there was so much hub-bub about "Epitaph One" and "Epitaph Two", that my interest was reignited.

Fringe: I tried to watch most of season 1 of Fringe when it first aired on FOX, but I missed a few episodes which meant I was completely lost.  I caught up in time for season 2, but for some reason Fringe fell off of my TV watching schedule, which is odd since I always watch Bones live.  I'm trying to watch most of the S2 episodes online, but part of me thinks I should just wait until it comes out on Blu-Ray and knock them out at once.

Robin Hood: Seriously, who doesn't like the Robin Hood mythology?

And those are the shows that I can remember off the top of my head.

My Fall TV Watching Schedule

So, all of the networks announced their fall schedules, and it looks like I'm going to have a lot of free time until the mid-season shows start.

Mondays
I'll be giving How I Met Your Mother one more shot to redeem itself, and if season 5 is as bad as season 4, I might be cutting ties altogether.

The only other show I'll be watching on Mondays is ABC's Castle. I'm so pumped that this show got picked up for a second season. Sure, it's a cop show, but it's so much better than anything CBS airs. Nathan Fillion is pure pimp, and how can you not love Stana Katic. The chemistry is there, the humor is there, so let's hope the fan base grows.

UPDATE: After telling a friend I'd give The Big Bang Theory another shot, I watched all of season 1, and while it's not one of my favorite shows, it is funny enough to convince me to DVR it.

Tuesdays
Nothing to watch on this day.

Wednesdays
The only new show that I'm excited about is FOX's Glee on Wednesday nights. I checked out the Pilot, and it has a good combination of satire, good natured humor, and musical numbers. It could be the break-out hit of the fall, but it could also bomb because it's too good for TV. We'll just have to wait and see.

I might give ABC's comedy block a chance, but the only show that's mildly entriguing is Courteney Cox's Cougar Town.

I have thought about subscribing to DirecTV in order to watch the new season of Friday Night Lights, assuming they'd show it on Wednesdays again.

Thursdays
Nothing

UPDATE: I just got done watching the first three seasons of Bones, and if I can catch up on season 4 in time, then I'll probably be checking it out this season. I'm also thinking about giving Fringe another shot.

Fridays
Nothing

Mid-Season
This is when things will get interesting because Chuck, Scrubs, and Better Off Ted all come back.

So, there it is. I'll be watching three shows this fall. I might not even bother getting cable because it'll just be a waste of money.

My New Favorite TV Show

With "Scrubs" on its way out, I'm in need of a new favorite show. Last season was the first time I really paid any attention to the television mostly because of my DVR which is a God send, so there are some potential shows that will eventually replace my beloved hospital comedy as No. 1.

The Front Runners

• "Chuck" - Out of all of the shows on TV right now, I'd have to say that "Chuck" has the best shot at becoming my favorite new show. I've been watching "Chuck" since it started on NBC, and I've been entertained almost every episode. For those out of the loop, "Chuck" is a mix of "Alias", "Scrubs", with a little bit of Clerks thrown in there as well. This show has the right mix of action, humor, and romantic tension. Plus, Yvonne Strahovski is HOT!
• "How I Met Your Mother" - At the start of last season, "HIMYM" was on route to becoming my new favorite show, but then season 3 ended on a relatively low-note. Season 3 was inferior compared to the first 2, especially when they had Robin & Barney hook up. Personally, that hook-up is when this show jumped the shark. So far season 4 has been a let down as well, but it's still early so this show still has the chance to redeem itself and to take the top spot.
• "Greek" - So, I'm usually not a fan of teeny bopper, tweener shows, but I really like ABC Family's "Greek". Now, I was never "fully" in a fraternity, so the Greek-life aspect of the show is kinda of irrelevant to me, but I do find the rest of the show entertaining. This show's just a funny take on college life in general with some charming characters involved in a good mix of drama and comedy.
• "Pushing Daisies" - I just started watching this show last weekend thanks to Netflix, and I quickly became a fan. I love the fact that this show is not like any other on any network today. Sure, it's quirky and too fairy-taleish, but it's got more going for it than most shows on TV. I like the storybook elements, and this show has good characters, charm, humor, and a little romance thrown in there for good measure. The second season opener was not on par with the first season, but I'm still hooked.

The Middle of the Pack

• "The Simpsons" - I've been a Simpsons fan for a good portion of my life, so it's hard to say goodbye to the show, but it's no secret that the series has been struggling for too many years. Even the movie couldn't reinvigorate my love for this show, but I will be tuning in every Sunday with my fingers crossed, hoping that it can recapture some of its original magic.
• "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" - I used to be a big "CSI" fan, but I've lost interest over the last couple of seasons, mostly because it was up against "The Office" and "Scrubs". Also, I was not happy that they had Grissom and Sara together at the end of Season 6. That was the beginning of the end for me. Season 7 was sub-par as well mostly due to the fact that Grissom left for sabbatical or whatever the reason was. Now that "Scrubs" is no longer on Thursday nights, I might head back towards "CSI", but this show is on its last legs and should be done once Grissom is gone for good.
• "House M.D." - "House" is another old favorite that has lost some steam. I really started to lose interest when they tried to introduce the new team in season 4, although I liked how the hiring process took place. It made sense to introduce a new team, but viewers really got attached to Cameron, Chase, & Foreman so any change is not going to go over well. Add the fact that the new team is pretty weak in comparison, and that's not a good sign. Despite the inferior new team, there are still some redeeming qualities that will keep me watching, just not as many.
• "Reaper" - This little fantasy dramedy had some potential early on, but mid-season it started to get formulaic and boring, then it ended on a pretty high-note. I'll be checking in to season 2, but I'm not happy that it's coming back mid-season so I might be hooked to another show by the time it is back on the air. There's also a chance that it will be going up against "Scrubs" which is not a good sign.
• "Fringe" - "Fringe" is one of the few new shows this season that has peaked my interest. This show is very J.J. Abrams which can be a good thing and a bad thing. I liked "Alias" but could never get into "Lost", and this series is in the same vein as both. Right now, it has some promise but we'll have to wait and see if it has lasting power.

Barely Hanging On

• "The Office" - I didn't start watching "The Office" until last summer thanks to Netflix Watch Instantly, so I was able to catch up on the first two seasons in a few days, and I was hooked. Season 3 was just as good, and then Season 4 happened. Season 4 was just horrible with only a minimal amount of laughs, and some episodes were actually painful to watch. I decided to give "The Office" one more shot, and so far Season 5 is just as lackluster.
• "Heroes" - Season 1 was engaging, Season 2 was a bore, and so far Season 3 is just all over the place. I know that "Heroes" is a show that is supposed to be complex, but right now I don't have the patience to put up with this show.
• "Family Guy" - For some reason I keep giving "Family Guy" another chance to convince me that it's a funny show, and every time it fails. It's just not funny.

So, there is a lot of competition for my TV heart, and while some may have the inside track, I'm always on the lookout for some good food for my DVR, so if there's a show that I should be watching (aside from reality TV...I refuse to watch reality TV) let me know.