Fall TV
Anyone watching a new show this fall? I’m not much of a network TV guy. I used to be, I guess we all used to be, but most of my TV watching is on cable or HBO. I think my TIVO only catches 24 and West Wing on regular TV. Well, that and The Apprentice because Mary likes that show and I watch it with her. The Apprentice is, at its core, very stupid, but it’s not bad time killing TV. The new season started last night and the Donald fired this insane Latino woman. She was so bad that I thought she was paid to act the way she did. Would that surprise anyone? A paid actor to get on a show like that and behave like a monumental dick/bitch?
I decided to give “Invasion” a chance the other night. It’s the one about the aliens that invade during a hurricane in Florida. It wasn’t bad. Not great, but not bad. Network TV dramas just don’t do it for me anymore unless the writing is top notch. We have so many more outlets. The glory days of The West Wing was network TV at its very best. I just watch it now more out of habit I think. Same with 24. To say that 24 has top notch writing is like saying the Browns have a ball hawking defense; it’s not only a lie but a really blatant one at that. I regret not giving Lost a shot because I hear it’s good and it has one of the hobbits from LotR in it. That’s always a plus.
I do love The Shield, but that’s on Fx so that doesn’t count as regular TV. The Shield kicks all kinds of ass.
However, I did start watching Rome on HBO a few weeks ago and I totally love it. It’s political, violent, debauched, and very much like how I imagine that era of Roman society.
I wouldn’t even get HBO if it wasn’t for the original programming. The movies on HBO, as a rule, kinda suck. But man..when you start rattling off the Grade A shows on HBO: Deadwood, Rome, The Sopranos, Real Time, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under (which just ended), and even the sports stuff like Costas Now and Real Sports — hell who has TIME to watch regular TV?
Not all HBO shows are up my TV alley. I don’t get into Def Poetry. I just don’t relate. And even as a snooty English degree carrying academic…I don’t like modern poetry. Never have. I also skip anything with “P. Diddy” in it just as a general rule. That rule has served me well over the years.
In thinking about this..wow I don’t watch one network TV sitcom. Do they still make those?
September 23rd, 2005 at 8:51 am
Try House, MD.
September 23rd, 2005 at 8:52 am
I agree….HBO shows kick all types of ass (except the show with Lisa Kudrow—The Comeback?)…..
However, I did catch “My Name is Earl” on NBC this week. I Tivoed it simply because media outlets like Entertainment Weekly and others said it was actually pretty good. And…?
It was. It was pretty damn funny. Jason Lee’s character is hilarious, and shows GREAT UPSIDE (sorry for the NBA Draft copyright infringement there). I enjoyed it so much I gave it the ‘ole Season Pass for it. Hell…i can always change that.
September 23rd, 2005 at 8:52 am
As far as I can tell Everybody Loves Raymond was the last decent sitcom… well, a lot of people like Scrubs, which I have to admit was pretty funny the few times I watched. I’m pretty sure that’s it, though.
Has anyone given tried watching Threshhold or that oceanic one? (I forget the title.)
Oh, and Bill I don’t remember if you’re into the SciFi thing, but give Battlestar Galactica a shot. May be the best SF TV series ever done. It’s convoluted as hell in terms of jumping right in, but season 1 is out on DVD now and worth renting.
Lost is really good popcorn TV, but if you give it a shot (season 1 for that is on DVD now) don’t go in expecting too much. It’s not nearlyl as deep as it seems it wants people to believe.
September 23rd, 2005 at 8:54 am
Oh, yeah. Scipio is right. House is good stuff. It is formulaic as all get out, but god does Hugh Laurie make the title characeter work.
NCIS too. I’ve given up on the rest of the crime dramas, but NCIS remains a must watch.
September 23rd, 2005 at 10:06 am
I guess I’m one of those that enjoy poorly written TV.
I’m addicted to 24. Haven’t missed an episode since it first aired. A lot of it is far-fetched at times, but that’s fine by me. TV is my escape from the real world! I watch the Apprentice every week as well. There’s something about that show that draws me in. Yes, the lady who was fired last night was a complete and utter psycho.
CSI:NY and Miami are 2 of my other addictive shows. Oddly enough, I never got into the first CSI.
Entourage on HBO is another show I rarely miss. Almost forgot about Numb3rs on CBS on Friday nights.
Those are just my shows. The lady loves “Yes Dear”, “Two and a Half Men” and “King of Queens” as well.
So pretty much all those shows are either watched in my house or DVR’ed - depending on what else I have to do.
September 23rd, 2005 at 12:41 pm
If you like 24, you should probably give Prison Break a look (although you’ve missed the first 4hrs or so). Lost is also pretty good. Other than that, I’m with you… I like the cable stuff way better. Rome, Sopranos, Curb, Nip/Tuck.
This fall seems to have an alien/xfiles theme. I gave all of the pilot episodes a look. Invasion and Threshold look decent, Surface was average. Supernatural’s pilot was good, but episode #2 was stupid and got removed from the TiVo Season Pass.
For comedies, there seems to be nothing good on network TV anymore. King of Queens and Scrubs have a good episode here or there, but nothing worth watching every week. Earl looks funny as well, the pilot was decent.
September 23rd, 2005 at 1:14 pm
The Office can be extremely hilarious at times…check it out.
On HBO, I like most of the shows you mentioned, but the one you left out that’s probably my favorite is The Wire. Give it a shot, it’s completely insane at times but a very good cop and criminal show.
September 23rd, 2005 at 1:15 pm
IMO “Arrested Development” and “Scrubs” are the only network comedies worth watching. Do yourself a favour and rent the first season of “Arrested Development” if you haven’t seen it. Funny stuff.
September 23rd, 2005 at 3:43 pm
I am with Jeremy here, Arrested Development is the best sitcom since Seinfeld.
September 23rd, 2005 at 9:23 pm
LOST is one of the best shows on TV. Alias was good, but it has since jumped the shark.
As for Sci-Fi, I’m liking Stargate Atlantis.
For comedies, Two and a half Men is awesome. Maybe even better than the good years of Raymond!
September 24th, 2005 at 1:14 pm
Comeback is good. It’s not a flashy show but Kudrow shows she has some acting chops.
New one debuting this weekend along with new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm is “Extras,” by Rick Gervais, the Brit guy who wrote and starred in the BBC version of “The Office.”
Will check it out.
Yeah HBO gets my money with the shows, not the movies. But they do have some very good original movies and even the older movies which have been out on DVD for a long time is okay to watch in HD. These are movies you’re iffy about even spending money for a rental.
September 24th, 2005 at 9:32 pm
I too watch Lost, CSI, CSI:Miami, and Two and a Half Men almost without fail. And i will watch Survivor untill all the hot girls get voted off.
I also am getting my continuing X-Files withdrawl syndrome taken care of by watching Threshold and Invasion. Both of those shows suprised me by being better than average sci-fi(ish). And Threshold has Lt. Cmd. Data on it, from ST:TNG. Invasion looks more X-Filey so I will keep an eye on it.
If I actually had HBO I would be watching Rome. gawd i miss it, and i have not even seen it.
September 27th, 2005 at 2:08 am
I love reading about this fall’s lineup, since there’s some shows that excite me, and so I stumbled across this post.
House rocks (course, I have a crush on Hugh Laurie . . .)
And I review Invasion, Lost, and Surface over at my blog, a few days ago, at http://www.piebolar.blogspot.com. Well, ok so it was before Invasion aired, but TIVO Screwed up that recording since the president’s speech pushed it by half an hour.