Generally Talking Telley

This lens was inspired by an article I read in Entertainment Weekly, about the state of Television and so on. From this article as well as one in the same magazine at a later date made me think, well I should put my own two cents into this.

Don't get me wrong this isn't just one long whining rant. I have a variety of Information like Upcoming new shows, Cancellations (which I will try my best to keep up to date & report on, but if you hear of something please post it along with your comment (& if its new or cancled) My Guide grid, and more.

There's so many fall shows coming out that I feel like my head is spinning around like the Exorcist (original)

I think I've suffered from show withdrawal for the first time for True Blood Tweet #ShowYourFangs & especially Copper!

Fall Face off...what show will you be watching?? & Vote for new categories

September

14 American Horror Story season 6

Blindspot (NBC)

16 Z-nation 2 hr premier

19 Gotham & Lucifer (fox)

Big Bang Theory

Kevin can Wait (CBS)

The Good Place (NBC)

20 Agents of Shield (abc)

NCIS & NCIS:NOLA

Scream Queens (fox)

This is Us (NBC)

Bull (CBS)

21 Lethal Weapon (FOX)

Blindspot (moves to Wednesday at 8pm)

Modern Family (abc)

Survivor

Chicago PD (NBC)

Designated Survivor & Speechless (ABC)

Chicago PD

Empire

22 How to get away with Murder

The Black List (NBC)

Pitch (FOX)

Grey's anatomy(ABC)

Notorious

Superstore

Chicago Med (NBC)

23 Van Helsing (Syfy)

MacGyver (cbs)

Exorcist (FOX)

Hawaii 5-0 (CBS)

Blue BLoods

24 Ghost Adventures (travel Channel)

25 Quantico

27 Channel Zero & Aftermath (Syfy)

28 Criminal Minds (cbs)

2 Ash vs Evil Dead

Elementary(cbs)

NCIS:LA

Madam Secretary

3 Scorpion (CBS)

Timeless (NBC)

4 The Flash

5 Arrow & Frequency (CW )

10 2 Broke Girls CBS

11 Chicago Fire (NBC)

13 Legends of Tomorrow

17 The Odd COuple (CBS)

21 The Vampire Diaries Finale season

23 The Walking Dead

24 Man with a plan

27 Mom & The Great Indoors

Pure Genius

Life in Pieces (CBS)

NOVEMBER

15 Good Behavior (TNT)

20 The Librarians (TNT)

25 Gilmore Girls Netflix

December

FOX- Sleepy Hollow APB Hypnotize me Kicking & Screaming Making History The Mick My Kitchen Rules Prison Break, Shots Fired, Star

January 2017

The Expanse syfy & The Magicians

February

5 24: Legacy

I've tried to include at least the most recent season as well as maybe one or 2 others if not the whole series.

If a show is new & it wasn't available for pre-order & so forth I included an episode in its place

If You can find it.. Da Vinci's Demons: Devil Episode. Not one of the best, but I love the fact they have 'Dracula' in it.

Copper (esp. Episode Arsnic & Old Cake from season 1 )

Vikings

The Walking Dead

Animal Kingdom

Friday Night Lights

haven

Blood Ties

Season 4 and I think it was 6 were my favorites of Supernatural.

Vampire Diaries

Arrow

Game of Thrones

This grid will change as I find out when certain shows have their regular nights, and as I figure out what I can watch live as well as free on demand.

Bold title = still airing.... Underline= season is over

Likely I'll revise & update the reviews throughout the season

Hollywood Game Night Jane Lynch (is that the tall blonde lady actor's name from Glee?) hosts this, and its fun and funny! comeson on Thursday nights and so far as the 2 episodes that have aired they haven't played the same games! There's I think 3-4 celebrities on each team and play games while they have a couple drinks. This has been quite fun to watch between the banter & the celebs joking around with each other. Mario Lopez has been on, Laura Preppon of That 70s Show & Orange is the New Black I forget who's supposed to be on tonight but I can't wait! B+ Thursday Night's so far is my fave night of the spring/Summer as the next show is also funny

Undateable started may 29th. They aired the first 2 episodes. It was funny, but to me not as funny as Dads was, though the thought of putting the two shows together as one came to mind. I don’t know about the actor that plays the lead I think there coud have been a better choice. I'm not feeling this guy, if it was to find a new comer or an actor not well known there's other actors (or non actors) I may be able to come up with! Also the guy looks like a left over from the Grunge era (which I went through but it's like) between that, & to me him not really being all that attractive is like saying ok that's the reason he's undateable. Give it a chance with 2 episodes (as it's only a half hour show) so far a C+ for now but may get a better grade by the time the show is over

Cross bones I think I'm going to need another 1 or 2 episodes before I can make a fair assessment on this, as I hate to admit as much as I was looking forward to the show starting, for some reason I was only able to half watch it as I was already doing something & trying to finish up when it came on. The 2nd episode was better and was surprised i reconized Kevin J Ryan as pirate Finnigan!

Resurrection- This is an interesting mystery. How does one die 32 years ago & then come back in tact even after they have been buried or esp. cremated? Oh yeah & the first one a young boy originally from Aacadia (Mo ?) shows up on the opposite side of the world in china! I'm hooked on this paranormal mystery. Hooked & suggest

Vikings Season 2- Starts where the first season left off. Rollo & Ragnar collide but will Rollo fight Ragnar?

What will happen with Lagertha our favorite shield maiden. The 2nd season so far I think is even better than the first but really Ragnar has to stop going on raids.. nothing good it seems happens to come of it. Read more about the series on its own page

Hannibal Season 2- and I'm back to laughing at the irony of someone named MADS playing Hannibal Lecter!

Will is now in jail for the acts Hannibal has done, and they are still finding bodies. Will is claiming Lecter did it but no one is listening as there's no evidence against him. This is a show I have to watch very closely as I sometimes get a little lost as to what is going on.

Bitten- (Officially RENEWED) (syfy)I'm not sure if I really like the show and I never get tired of Vampires but at least there's finally an (all) werewolf show on tv for the Lycans lovers out there! With this sort only the guys can be BORN werewolves and the girls have to be bitten and Elena is the first that has survived the transition in (i forget how long) years! The Danvers are the noble Pack, following the rules etc. This is based on a book series, haven't read but as far as the show goes not interested. Greyston Holt who plays Clay, Even while in human form has a wolfish look Here's an Exclusive interview with Greyston Holt who Plays Clay Danvers

Lost Girl season 4- Ok I forget what happened in the s.3 finale (or if I saw it at all) but I feel like I have no idea what is going on in this episode. around 1/2-3/4 way in it makes sense. It's 8 episodes in so far on Syfy and I'm getting annoyed with how long they are taking to get to the Wanderer storyline. P.S. Geek Cheers for the The Cameo of who plays the snake in this season's pilot. FInally the character I ws waiting to show up appears the earliest in episode 8 (I forget but betwen 8-10)

The Walking Dead- For those of you that haven't seen the 2014 episodes yet, get a package of Chocolate pudding...

So 2nd half of the 4th season is like a whole new season we hit the ground running (& somewhat literally) due to the aftermath of the midseason finale. baby Judith is just fine (seriously did you really think they'd kill an infant or toddler off?) Each Character or a small group of them get their own epiosdes. We get to learn some back story so far on Michone's past as well as Darryl's. Now everyone seems to be looking for Terminus which I have a feeling will be like Woodbury ...

(this is what I said about the first half) The episodes don't even feel like they are an hour long! (I say they need to do like SOns of Anarchy, & go for an hour & a half) as the episodes are so action packed that it flies by. So much has happened (or so feels) in just the first 2 episodes that it feels like we have already seen 3-5 showings! They have upped the ante of zombies as well as the survival rate!

American Horror Story: Coven -(season 3) So the first season was Grand I loved that house, last season was well I'll just say I kept forgetting it was on & then realized that frankly it was just that it wasn't as good as the first season. This season I LOVE IT. How can you not with all those awesome actresses .. Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates as the real New Orleans' historical figure Madame Delphine Lalaurie and Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, Even Peters and Taissa from the first season are back as well. Gabourey Sidbibe plays the human voodoo doll (now that is a power I'd like to have!) and Jamie Brewer is back as Nan. Another reason I love American Horror story, it isn't the same show every year! Sure the actors may be more or less the same but they show their range & play different characters as well as a whole new story each season! I hope more anthology shows come out (I just ask the tv people don't go bat ** crazy on that like you have with reality tv)

AHS:Convent End of season review

Laveau House of Voo Doo

'great art', suspenseful, they tell an actual story through the whole season and not paper thin like some show's stories. I can't wait to find out what next season's theme will be.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.- The most anticipated show was not a disappointment ::wipes forhead sighs in relief:: The show is just as enjoyable as the Avengers was & can tell from the makes of the movie as well. It's just as much action, wit and Weadonism as Avengers had. Definitely a commitment for the season!

Sleepy Hollow- The Pilot was intriguing, I'm hooked. They have a nice twist to the legend that the headless Horseman is one of the 4 horsemen, I could do without the religious stuff but it's an interesting twist. My only problem with the show is that it's not FILMED in the real Sleepy Hollow, I looked up the location notes on IMDB just says North Carolina. RECOMENDED

I have to excuse myself as I must rant a bit about TVhaving way to many of the same types of shows just with another name. Medical & Law procedurals, it's rare if one of these are unique. With these kind of shows, every episode is somewhat the same an outline of a Crime happens, The cops start intvestigations & interviews. Find a suspect.. wrong person then with a (they think a) twist frome left field some other guy we think it can't possibly but is totally predictable.

House I watched a little here & there but it was like watching the same episode over & over, & the only thing good was House being the grumpy curmugeon he is.

Hawaii 5-0 I lvoe the show & I sometimes think I watched it more as my weekly vacation with all those beautiful Hawaiian landscapes and there's so much on monday nights and what do I watch instead ... wrestling! Why because well its comedy, drama and granted they may run a storyline to death & show the same matches after the pay per view events & so on but something keeps me watching. (ts a phase it will wear off as I've been doing since the 80s when I was a toddler.

I know one thing that is a new comodety or fad in Tv is the remakes of movies. Bates Motel, Hannibal (with Hannibal NBC has their new hit!) The CW scored with a dark version of Arrow which has been decribed as The Dark Knight rises.

Then there are stand-out cable shows for example.... The Walking Dead. Walking Dead sticks out so well that I am so thankful it is a TV show and not a movie franchise, why? I will give you one reason why... I am BAFFLED as to how a cable tv series can do better zombie make-up FX then the MILLIONS of dollars a movie gets and the movie make-up flat out well sucks. I've had Walking Dead actually gross me out on the occassion where movie zombies can not. I think while the Make artists on Walking Dead are off, I think is when zombie movies should be made, or at least have those artists make up the prosthetics and have an assistant help on whatever movie hired them.

Likeable Characters or relateable...doe one or the other matter more?

Entertainment weekly's Mark Harris The Final cut article "Now for Something Completely the same" from the March 15, 2013 issue inspired me to make this lens!

He wrote You know who doesn't care about likeable characters? People who watch Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad & Mad Men. The only one of those I watch is Game of Thrones. There are likeable characers in that show then there are ones you wished had died in the first episode (or when they were first introduced 'King' Geoffrey for instance. Who reminds me of a sterodal personality of Draco Malfoy.) Sadly the most likeable character is no longer in the series. (I won't ruin it for those of you who have yet to watch the first season)

Do they have to be the good ones or the antagonists as well?

I don't know if you want to call Hannibal the protagonist or not in the show of the same name (even though you know he is) but I am loving the acting and everything else (note for those with weak stomachs watch with someone so they can tell you not to look &look again! There's few gore scenes but still some can be surprising.) What if there's a character that you can say is both pro & antagonist depending on your point of view? Arrow is the one I would say belong in that. There's characters in the show that hate 'the hood' or Vigilante as they call him, There's others that are fans and want to help. On my behalf I'd say he is both as I can see where both sides come from but as far as if i were just a citizen If I could I'd have his back, if I were one of the criminals.. I'd run away and fast!

Harris notes relateability is one of the rules that asks "Does the hero have a clear objective"

Smart tv vs. idiots' savant - Some shows now don't seem to do too well with mythology (unless like Supernatural its evened out with being a 'formulaic' show, where you have the same stuff that happen episode in & out but the overall series has it, and therefore keeps it interesting and worth coming back. You can watch it as a must see or where you can tune in any time of any season. These kind of shows I like, because they are smart, I do like those with more mythology in it as well like Lost where they kept you guessing and so on. It made you think and pisses me off when show like 666 Park Ave end up being cancled with half the season shown. (Show the rest of it so that those who watch it can get the answers. Let the writer's know & have them have one last episode to finish up the series. There's also the show Cult which started on Tuesdays then was moved to fridays and I already had a full schedule that night. I really liked the show & it was jam packed with mythology and so on plus Robert Knepper (Tea bag of Prison Break) maybe best for a show to stream on Netflix or the like?

"Most Networks' perceive their viewers are stupid and inattentive or so assume (but then.... as I see it there are certain shows be it network or cable that Does prove this)

Network Hiatus (mostly the holiday season) forces A.D.D. I usually always go back to watching my shows, however sometimes where a show's break goes for too long, it goes from beloved to out of site out of mind. Like Prison Break's last season went on break & didn't seem to come back (I thought it was over) Revolution in 2013... didn't come back until March or April! Some of us, would appreciate it if there were no break in the episodes or to put something other than holiday repeats that have been showing before we were born. (maybe this should be Mini-series season!?)

The Walking Dead is TVs Biggest Scripted hit among 18-49 year olds and the show is a serial series. Tehre's the overall series mythology, season as well as the episodes. I don't think you can just start to watch in the middle of the series/season, but then I've been watching since day one, and may have mentioned this before but still trying to figure out how a Cable tv budget can get better Zombie make-up FX than Millions of dollar movie budgets & they look campy. Walking dead, actually shows what in varying time of decomposition the corpses are. The older the grosser.

Repeat Offenders- I can understand how each station would have a cop show, medical drama, the signature reality show, something supernatural, and so on for each genre and taste but WHY must they all be the same? It is a rare commodity if you actually find one with its own unique signature. I see NBC's Hannibal, as one of these unique endeavors. It's not the traditional cop procedural, but has that unique aspect you may be looking for compared to the rest. This is more a psychological thriller first then a bit 'cop' show. I also find it so enjoyable they show feels like its over in 15 minutes! (I tend to literally growl a get out to any one who interrupts while I am watching)

I understand the stations may still be serarching for the next Lost, but that show was great and one of the reasons you won't find another is

BECAUSE TEHRE WAS NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT ON AT THE TIME (and really don't have the need for something like it)

Here's a Formula for those TV big wigs or should I say the writers! (figures will be over 100%)

75% storytelling, make it original plot etc

+50% character development weather likeable or not

+Throw in say 25% mythology weather it be each season as (Lost, American Horror Story Supernatural & a few other shows have had a different theme for each of their seasons)

*doing a remake or 'prequel'? Watch Hannibal and Bates Motel to do it right!

+Don't just make your show stand alone episodes amke it one part serial and 1 part stand alone (Haven on the Syfy channel can be an example of that.) Watching formulaic episodes is such a bore and even if the show writing, actors and so forth are great... some fans will lose interest. (Like Hawaii 5-0 & House)

+25% mix of known and unknown actors.

(this formula is not complete I will add to it as I think of other aspects needed)

also remember Be a leader NOT a Follower..... Becasue the follower is always (falls) behind

Disclaimer Image= Scan of afformentioned Entertainment Weekly article property & Rights are theirs as well as the author of the article Mark Harris I claim no credit for that. The only credit I accept is for text with in 'Same Name'

Different Game Same Name

This is just on going from the article I wrote above inspired by the EW cloumnist Mark Harris, however this one is my Two cents to Dalton Ross' 'Living in a World of Spoilers' (posted below) from the Entertainment Weekly 2013 Special Summer Movie Double issue

Spoilers & the spoil sports that ruin the a tv episode series or movie for someone I'd love to figure out a punishment for them. I do know some that purposely do this, and then there's others that just don't know any better.

Spoilers are for the most part the fault of technology, mostly DVRs where some wait until the a few days later following week or even the end of a season to watch. I can understand if you didn't get to watch a show maybe there were other series You wanted to see (I have an abundance on Monday, Friday & Sunday & sadly my DVD player is dead & I don't have a DVR.) What really gets me is the trailers that seem to show the 'whole' movie, especially having the ending scenes in the triailer. (I thought the idea of a movie is to draw an audience to pay the $50 for the tickets & snacks, not for us to say oh that stuff looks like the climax of the movie no need to go now.)

Sometimes it feels like no matter where you go be it print, online or some other form of media, there's spoiler splashed headlines of movies, tv, & literature. On occassion I do wonder about Gme of Thrones if a theory of mine from only watching the show might be correct, but I don't ask my friends that I know have read all the books as if I'm right I don't want it ruined. If I see Spoiler Alerts written aacross a page I avoid it. I I usually do not read movie reviews before I've seen the movies as I do not want to be influenced by what they thought, the only time I read movie reviews is if I'm not really sure from the trailer if I want to see it in the theater.

I think if you cannot watch a live airing from the networks, watch that episode that night from your DVR. Still can't? HELLO pretty much EVERY tv show is streamed the day after from the network website or other option. If you don't know where to go to stream it.. go to IMDB.com and usually they have links where you can watch it free. Here's a sample page so you know where to look they are usually right under the 'poster' image of the show. The question comes up how long should we give you slow pokes before we let the bomb drop? For me I give you a month. If you just get into a new show (say if I watched it die hard from the first episode, I'm not going to ruin it for you, but if we talk often i will ask what you have watched so far the talk about it & whatever previous to it.)

I can say there's some that do not know the difference between an actual spoiler that will ruin or most likely will whatever you are watching or reading and then there are others that are minor or moderate but not jaw dropping major and the media mostly magazine & new paper columnists really need to learn which level they are.

There are shows I started to watch & kept at it but with so many other shows on I want to watch at once, something eventually gives so I may have to rent Revolution & watch maybe the last 2 disks.

Final Cut from the May 17th, issue "The Golden Era of Disappointment tv" Sadly at the moment I am not able to locate where I put my notes for that particular part!

Why would this be fore Serving a Life sentence.... simply or sinfuly (however you'd like to put it) the show has been running for Decades. If I remember right I think the first season was in the 1960s or 1970's even though there was a break I think I read was in the 1990s or I forget then it picked up again in 2005 (is the eyar that comes to mind anyway) there's also movies and so on.

From what I know watching the few seasons I have (last summer when we BBC America first popped up on our cable to now.) watched The Doctor doesn't exactly die, his conciousness just ends up in another body. Come November which I think is when I saw new episodes coming, I think there is going to be another new doctor. I liked the episodes I saw with David Tennant in them during the days there was a marathon on, but I think I was finally just really starting to enjoy Matt Smith, so not happy on that. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

November 23rd 2013 is Doctor Who day as it will be the celebration of the 50th Anniversary!!! The original Doctor William Hartnell started as the first doctor this date in 1963!!

Here's more information than I can give you Doctor Who Also one rule when writing about Doctor Who, you always write it out.

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