TV Showdown: Timeslot Wars III - Justified vs. White Collar

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This installment of the TV Showdown is not going to try to determine which show, Justified or White Collar, is better because they're both pretty damn good. Rather, it's more of a commentary on how crazy Tuesday nights are going to be in 2012.

As it stands, the night will kick off on FOX with Glee, New Girl, and Raising Hope. Then things get interesting at the 10 o'clock hour as FX's Justified and USA's White Collar go head-to-head (both returning on January 17).

Now, if I HAD to pick one over the other, I'd have to go with White Collar mostly because I've been watching since day one and I'm still new to Harlan County, but it'd be a tough call. Thankfully, FX tends to repeat the heck out of its shows, so it should hopefully be manageable.

Either way, I can't wait for both shows to return. Until then, check out these sweet Justified trailers...

TV Showdown: ONCE UPON A TIME vs. GRIMM

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It might be unfair comparing ABC's Once Upon a Time and NBC's Grimm because the former is more serialized whereas the latter is taking a procedural approach, but I figured they have enough in common since they're both using fairy tale motifs.

Storytelling Structure
It's hard to determine which show's structure has the upper-hand because it all comes down to personal preference. Some viewers want an on-going story the requires them to tune in week in and week out, but some would like to watch a show that has more standalone episodes so they can jump in and out without missing anything. Both styles have their strengths and weaknesses, so I'm going to see which show has the potential to use their approach more effectively.

Since I've only seen the pilots of both shows, I have no idea where they're going from here and cannot comment on whether Once's serial elements are better or worse than Grimm's more episodic ones. What I can say is after one episode, I feel that Grimm's premise could benefit it more than Once's.

The idea of using Grimm's Fairy Tales as the foundation for Grimm's on-going story telling meshes well with a more procedural nature. You can easily see the show taking a Monster-of-the-Week approach that has benefited others like Angel and Supernatural, which are its natural predecessors. Fans of those shows know that they ended up becoming more serialized, but using a procedural spin can make for an easier introduction to the world. If Grimm is given the time to grow, it could be on its way to following in the footsteps of those that came before it.

I'll admit that I'm a fan of procedurals, but I like serialized storytelling too, so I'm glad that Once Upon a Time is giving us the chance to show what it can do. That being said, I can see how this approach can hurt after watching the pilot. Right now, there are too many characters, questions, and plot elements that I can see it becoming a jumbled mess. Yes, following an on-going story can be fun, but it can also be tedious when viewers have to keep tabs too much stuff.

Both shows have a ways to go before we can see what they really have to offer, but I feel more confident in Grimm's procedural/episodic take on fairy tales than Once Upon a Time's serialized one.

WINNER: Grimm

Cast of Characters
I'll be honest, both shows are lacking in the character department because neither were able to win me over during their pilots. The main characters, Emma Swan and Nick Brukhardt, lack the charisma to really draw me in, but hopefully that will pass once they're given time to develop.

The difference makers are going to be the supporting characters. Like I mentioned earlier, Once Upon a Time already has too many characters to keep track of which could end up making things confusing. I'm all for having a deep roster, but you could run into problems if it's too deep. Just look at Glee. What's also working against Once is the fact that they were not able to make any of the characters interesting during the pilot. Yes, it was only one episode, but it needed to make us care in that first outing and it didn't for me.

Grimm's cast is not as stuffed, but that could allow it to give enough time to make the characters interesting. Unlike OUaT, Grimm had a standout character right off the bat in Eddie Monroe who is a "big bad wolf" and will be Nick's sidekick. The idea of a reformed wolf-like character is not new, but Eddie brought some much needed humor to the pilot.

WINNER: Grimm

Atmosphere
The tipping point may come down to the atmosphere and worlds that these two show can create. Once Upon a Time has taken another bold move by creating two settings: a fair tale world and a real one. One the opposite end of the spectrum is Grimm that only takes place in modern day Portland, OR.

While watching Once's pilot, I wasn't wowed by either worlds that it tried to establish. All of the fairy tale land scenes felt overly fake due to really bad green screen work, and the real world wasn't very compelling either. What it came down to, is I didn't want to spend time in either realities.

I'll admit, I might be a little biased since I lived in Portland, but I felt that Grimm used its setting better than Once Upon a Time. PDX is the perfect city to shoot a show like this because its gray dreariness, lush forests, and metropolitan feel can add a lot to the world that it's trying to build.

WINNER: Grimm

So there you have it. It was a clean sweep by Grimm, which was a little surprising because I wasn't expecting to like it based on all of the negative reviews. While I still respect what Once is trying to do, it feels like there's too much going on whereas Grimm's stripped down could make it easier to digest.

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

TV Showdown Tournament: The Regionals

It's March, which means it's time for March Madness, and I've decided to follow the lead of Hulu, and put together a 64-show TV Showdown Tournament.

The way the TV Showdown Tournament is going to work is there are going to be two 32-show brackets, one for drama and one for comedy, and each bracket will consist of two regionals (network and cable). The winners of the 2 network regionals will face off against the winners of the cable regionals to crown two winners.

The participating shows were picked using the following criteria:

• Each Big Three Network (ABC, CBS, NBC) will have four automatic berths; FOX and The CW will have two automatic berths due to less hours of programming.
• If a Network cannot fill its automatic slots, the remaining slots become Wild Cards which can be filled by a show from any of the other Networks, with FOX and The CW getting priority.
• Since there are so many cable channels and less programming on each channel, the Cable shows are not subject to the Network Automatic Berths Rule.
• Seedings will take into consideration: ratings, award wins and nominations, critical buzz, and my own subjective beliefs.
• This is purely subjective and for kicks, so don't get your feelings hurt if your show didn't make the cut.

Now, onto the Regions...

TV Showdown Tournament: Bracketology

In honor of the NCAA's March Madness, Hulu is putting on its Best in Show Tournament, which inspired me to put together my TV Showdown Tournament where 64 shows will face off in two divisions (drama and comedy). Now, I seriously doubt anyone will take this tournament seriously (or know about it for that matter), but it's a fun way to kill some time. Brackets will be released this Sunday.

TV Showdown: The Timeslot Wars

One of the downsides to watching too much TV is having to pick and choose between shows if you do not have Tivo or DVR.  Since I've moved to San Marcos, I have yet to sign up for either, which means I have some important decisions to make when it comes to my favorite TV shows starting this week.

Mondays @ 8/7c: Chuck (NBC) vs. How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

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This battle used to be a Triple Threat Match when I used to watch House, but the whole "Cuddy" drama made it easy to turn away from FOX on Mondays.  This showdown is actually pretty easy, because I made the decision to watch Chuck live early on, but the only drawback is CBS tends to be the worst when it comes to posting content online, which is just exemplified by the fact that they don't use Hulu either.

WINNER: Chuck

Mondays @ 10/9c: Castle (ABC) vs. Greek (ABC Family)

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Another pretty easy call to make because I'll be picking my favorite novelist/cop duo over the silly (but fun) college antics that the kids from Cyprus Rhodes get themselves into.  One of the biggest reasons why I'm picking Castle over Greek is the storytelling has been so much better from the former than the latter.  Too bad both shows seem to be on the bubble, so it's a good chance that both will be gone by season's end.

WINNER: Castle

Tuesdays @ 9/8c: Lost (ABC) vs. Glee (FOX)

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Tuesday nights went from having nothing on, to having a few shows on (Scrubs & Better Off Ted), to having too many shows on.  Things really don't get interesting until April when Glee comes back to take on Lost in a David vs. Goliath match-up.  The choice should be easy since I just started watching Lost about a month ago, and I've loved Glee from the start, but the fact that this is the final season does make it more noteworthy, so I'll probably end up picking them.

WINNER: Lost

Wednesdays @ 10/9c: Leverage (TNT) vs. Psych (USA)

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This match-up could have been a doozy since it pits two wildly popular cable shows up against one another.  While I like Psych with its plethora of 80's and 90's pop culture references, Leverage is by far the better of the two series, and will be getting my full attention on Wednesday nights.  Plus, Leverage has Parker, Hardison, and Eliot...it's hard to compete with that.

WINNER: Leverage

So while some nights are a logjam when it comes to quality TV, most of my decisions were easy to make.  I'm just glad we have the Internet to make our TV watching lives a little bit more manageable...and for other reasons...which we will not get in to ;)

TV Showdown: 'Bones' vs. 'Castle'

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Two of my favorite TV shows right now are Bones and Castle, which really shouldn't be a surprise since they are essentially the same show.  Both shows are procedural in nature, and they both have special consultants to assist the law enforcement agencies with their insider knowledge.  Both shows tweak the cop show formula by adding their own brand of humor, which actually makes catching killers enjoyable.  Both shows have ex-Whedonverse alums as leads.  And let's not forget all of the unresolved sexual tension.

While the two shows are so much alike, I've found myself loving each one differently, and after watching last night's episode of Castle, I have to admit that right now the ABC drama is slightly better than its FOX counterpart.  Of course, my opinion is completely subjective and irrelevant, but I decided to put together my Tale of the Tape for a Bones vs. Castle showdown.

Leading Man: Special Agent Seeley Booth (Bones) vs. Richard Castle (Castle)
I would have to say the Leading Man category might be the closest of them all.  Both, Seeley Booth and Richard Castle have the good looks that make women swoon, while also keeping a guy's guy quality, yet they are two totally different characters.

Booth is essentially Captain America without the Super Soldier serum.  He is a modern romantic who still believes in love, giving his all, and doing what's right.  He's a loyal friend and partner, a great father to his young son, and he still believes that family is the most important thing we have.  Booth is an old school leading man for a very modern time.

Castle has school boy charm, rogueishly good looks, and one of the quickest wits on TV today.  You know right off the bat that Castle is a celebrity that leads a playboy lifestyle, and he has a pickup line and/or quip for almost any situation.  He may not be the superhero type that Booth is, but he's just one of the boys, and we all love him for it.  While he can be a cad at work, he's one of the best TV dad's to date, and this is the role that he's the best at.

Overall, Booth barely edges out Castle for Best Leading Man because he's America incarnate.  Booth could be from a different, simpler time, but he's not out dated.  Don't get me wrong, he's a very modern leading man, but he's the kind of guy that teaches as all what it means to be a gentleman.

WINNER: Special Agent Seeley Booth

Leading Woman: Dr. Temperance Brennan (Bones) vs. Detective Kate Beckett (Castle)
Once again, we have two leading characters that are equally captivating and a little bit mysterious.  They are both career minded, strong females that can hold their own, and occasionally have to put their boys in place, but they are not so one dimensional and they are two totally different types of leading lady.

Dr. Brennan's greatest strength is also her greatest flaw.  She's a brilliant scientist who uses logic to answer every question she encounters, but sometimes she's too logical which makes her socially awkward in real-life situations.  That is until she goes undercover, and this is when she lets her freak flag fly.  Also, her hyper literalness is a defense mechanism that keeps potential suitors at arms length.

Detective Beckett is a by the books cop that throws herself into her work, but this has made her one of New York's best detectives.  While she is also reserved and she shelters herself, Beckett allows herself to be one of the boys while maintaining her femininity.

Beckett takes the Best Leading Woman title from Bones because she's the more realistic of the two.  Yes, they're both damaged, closed-off, and strong leading ladies, but Beckett is not afraid to joke around with the boys, be comfortable with her sexiness, and she can be somewhat functional in a social situation.  Bones' biggest flaw to me is the same thing that makes her successful, and that is her brilliance.  She's so smart and logical that she has no grasp of the outside world, which leads to her naivete, and that can get annoying.  I sometimes find myself shaking my head at Bones, and I have yet to do that with Beckett.

WINNER: Detective Kate Beckett

Supporting Cast: The Squint Squad & Dr. Sweets (Bones) vs. The Castles, Ryan, & Esposito (Castle)
The supporting characters is what really makes the difference for me when it comes to the two shows.  On Bones, we get the Squint Squad which are the scientists that assist Dr. Brennan with the case of the week.  Dr. Sweets is the FBI's psychologist that was assigned to determine if Bones & Booth can be functioning partners, but has now become one of the team.  On Castle, there are two groups of supporting characters; Castle's family and the detectives that work with Beckett.

While the Squints add some dimension to Brennan's work environment, they're pretty much there to help answer questions about the case of the week.  Sure, we get a glimpse of their real lives, and some have had major roles in some of the plots, but really they're glorified technicians.  The Squints have also lost some clout once Dr. Zach Addy left the show, and was replaced by a revolving door of interns, so we have yet to find a character to really connect with.  Dr. Sweets is by far the best supporting character on the show because he's essentially there to help the audience fill in the blanks when it comes to Booth & Brennan.  He helps humanize the crime fighting duo, while also giving some psychological insight to the various cases.  Sweets also tries to hold up a mirror to Bones & Booth, so they can see what they mean to one another.

Detectives Ryan and Esposito are also there to assist with Detective Beckett on the case of the week, but they add a little flavor to the show.  One minute they're super serious cops, and the next they're cutting up with Castle.  They help make the precinct fun.  Also, we get to see a bit of Castle's personal life thanks to his mother and daughter.  The family scenes with the Castles is what really makes this show special because they allow us to really see what kind of person Castle is.  At work he's a jokester and is Beckett's foil, but at home he's a dedicated father and son.  His family is what makes Castle the most well-rounded character of the two shows.

WINNERS: The Castles, Det. Ryan, & Det. Esposito

Storyarcs: Bones' Family vs. Beckett's Family
Another similarity that Bones & Beckett share is the fact that they both lost someone close to them, and their dealing with these loses have been a driving factor in some of the overlying story arcs.

Bones was orphaned fairly young (her early to mid-teens), and her brother left her because he did not know how to raise his baby sister.  Being abandoned meant that Bones had to be put into foster care, which had a major impact on her development as a person.  We learn fairly early on that there was more behind her parents' lives than we were led to believe.  Essentially, they were con-artists.  While we have some more information about Brennan's family life, there are still some unresolved questions, and we're bound to see her family again.

Beckett lost her mother, and saved her father from alcoholism.  It's's obvious from the get go that the murder of Beckett's mother is a major influence on her life and career, but we don't know much more than what's been revealed so far.  We do know that she's very private about the matter, and insists that Castle not dig up her past, which of course he does albeit out of concern for a friend, but so far we know little else.

Right now, Bone's backstory and family storyarc wins out just because it's a little bit more developed, which makes sense since Bones had a three season head start.  So far, Beckett's backstory has fallen to the wayside and it hasn't been mentioned since the season two premiere.  I'm sure we'll be getting more of the details, but for right now, we have very little to go on.

WINNER: Bones

Unresolved Sexual Tension: B&B (Bones & Booth) vs. Caskett (Castle & Beckett)
Finally, the element that makes both of these shows tick: the unresolved sexual tension shared by the two leads.  Usually, I'm not a sucker for UST because it's usually just a cheap trick used to reel in casual fans, but that all changed when I started watching shows like Bones and Castle.  The reasons these two shows helped change my perception about UST is because the tension is not always taking up center stage.  Sure, it's always kind of there, but every episode does not have to be dedicated to resolving it.

Bones and Booth are clearly complete opposites.  Bones is all about the head and logic, while Booth is all about the heart and gut instinct.  The fact that they are on two different ends of the spectrum is what makes them great partners, and potential lovers.  They balance each other out.

Castle and Beckett are also opposites because Castle is carefree and jovial while Beckett is more by the books and serious.  These differences make for some enjoyable moments because the two just verbally spar when they're together.

Right now, I have to give Castle & Beckett the nod over B&B because their sexual tension is more organic.  Sure, Castle and Beckett are opposites, but they're also a lot alike.  Beckett can hold her own with Castle when it comes to jokes, and Castle is smart enough to help out with the cases.  They do more than just balance each other out; they complement one another.

That's not to say that Bones & Booth don't complement each other, but they are so completely different that it's sometimes hard to see how that would work when it comes to a relationship.  Also, up until recently, Booth and Bones were so blind about their attraction whereas Castle and Beckett are in on the joke.  Castle & Beckett know that they're attracted to each other, which is great because they actually flirt, and egg each other on.  Bones & Booth may have some better "aww, how sweet" moments, but Castle & Beckett have more "wow, that's kinda hot" moments, and sometimes hotness beats out sweetness.

WINNER: Castle & Beckett

Really, both shows are awesome because they flip the ho-hum crime procedural genre on its head.  They're able to solve a grisly murder while tossing in some well timed humor, and they both have some great characters.  And as always, we cannot forget the wonderful sexual tension that fills the room.  Right now though, Castle just barely beats out Bones in a close 3-2 race.