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Fall TV: What Are You Watching?
The cast of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
Fall TV has begun and in spite of the fracturization of media consumption, enough people still watch the Big Four (and CW) that the rhythms of fall, spring and summer programming persist. Entertainment sites tout the cool shows to recap and analyze “The Walking Dead” in its various forms, “Game of Thrones,” and whatever show HBO is taking too seriously this season.
But what are people really watching and why? There are two shows I’m looking forward to this fall:
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”: This cop workplace comedy starring Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher on Fox is a fun ensemble piece that rarely veers into territory either saccharine or politically correct. In spite of the fact that they have yet to make a “Homicide: Life on the Streets” joke, calling back to Braugher’s finest role as Frank Pembleton, the show gets the best out of the entire cast.
“The Blacklist”: Look, I know the show is stupid. Laughably so. But it has generated goodwill that it has not yet burned through.
- Amir the FBI IT guy is not a gun-toting hero; when bullets fly, he hides and gets sweaty and nervous. This seems like an odd way to be endeared to a character, but I like a good hamster that keeps his head down in a ridiculous situation.
- Reddington, played by James Spader, has such an incredible backstory that I love hearing his self aggrandizing anecdotes told in such a modest way. It’s all Spader, of course, but it’s a good illustration of how one person can carry an entire show.
Oh, and if Rob Long is reading this, the reason people have stopped watching the Emmys, Oscars, and other awards shows is because they’re tired of being scolded about Social Justice. They just want to see pretty dresses, eye candy, and find out who won. Just take the statue and say “thank you” already. I do not want my awareness raised.
Published in Entertainment
The Flash.
Pretty much the only show I’m watching this year.
I just burned through the first season of Gotham on Netflix last weekend. If I had tv, or a schedule that allowed me to watch such things, I might watch this.
Mrs. Dubya and I are watching, on Netflix DVD, the previous season of Homeland as we need to catch up on that series so that we can then jump right into the new season which starts soon. No spoilers, please!
Sadly, she lately has been binge-watching certain series without me, such as Prison Break and Scandal. Actually, it’s all for the best, because I find it hard to watch dramas that are utterly and completely ridiculous, unless they involve a protagonist by the name of James Bond.
Other than Faux News, and the aforementioned Homeland, the only other show I watch regularly is Wheeler Dealers. I’m a huge Edd China fan, mostly because I am in the process of fixing up a 1981 Fiat Spider, and WD is both entertaining and instructional for anyone trying to keep a classic car on the road.
Reruns of ‘American Dad’ on Netflix. I’m just not that into TV.
Can’t say I am watching anything. Just not into it anymore.
Seawriter
Why? I alway want to like CW shows and then they are too tweeny angsty. I admidt I have not watched The Flash other than the pilot but even that was clunky feeling.
Also CoC’d! My first time and who knew the fecal matter of male Bovinae would do it?
Re: Scandal She never wears the same outfit twice. Must be fun being the costumer for that show.
Already watched new season of Longmire streaming on Netflix. Wonderful. On Hulu, watching new season of The Mindy Project. On TV: Fresh Off the Boat, the Goldbergs, and looking forward to the start of Dr. Kim this Friday. 1950’s TV baby.
Drunk History.
S’very
eud. .egd. . educational.I’ll admit that the CW loves relationship drama and angst around relationships but it keeps you there in the dull times.
The Flash is just pure comic book nerd joy – Barry Allen is a hero who wants to be a hero and makes several heroic choices that has me at least ropting for hI’m as the story develops. Having Cisco, a character that acts like a comic book nerd, in a comic book show is pretty neat as a hook too.
1. I’m looking forward to the new season of Downton Abbey.
2. I have extremely high hopes for the new Supergirl series on CBS this October. I’ll watch anything with a Kryptonian as the lead character.
3. I’m a huge fan of the Amazing Race.
I should say that while I’m a huge fan of comic book adaptations in general, I simply DO NOT get why the current roster of heroes has been selected. I mean really – Flash, Green Arrow and Bruce Wayne? It’s almost as if the producers deliberately set out to pick the most boring possible characters in the entire DC Universe and make big budget shows about them in order that they could say, “Look, these superhero shows are crap. Nobody watches them! Don’t make me do anymore of them!” I mean to say! The two most uninteresting members of Justice League and a kid with angst. What a waste.
That show is duuuuumb!
Viewing has dropped significantly.
We still watch NCIS despite the fact that Mark Harmon has done to it what Alan Alda did to MASH, if only to see David McCallum do his stuff.
I search in vain to find something to replace Justified. I may have to try Longmire.
Not into zombies. Enjoyed the Last Ship until this season where it got silly. The new bad guys are too competent, too quickly, but stupid when the writers need them to be.
Looks like TV SciFi is dying again. Defiance was okay but now over. Alas.
I enjoyed House of Cards season 1, got bored with season 2. I think binge watching has a side effect of reducing forgiveness of writer sins in the week between episodes. Brit version was excellent and different, not better.
We have Netflix, Amazon Prime, Roku and the ability to miracast our laptops and phones along with a full cable package and I have less energy to go find something new.
I couldn’t be more bored with Zombies and Vampires. I’ll walk a mile out of my way to avoid watching anything with them in it.
Defiance is still around in theory. A quick Googling around didn’t produce an article that stated a final decision on Defiance’s future had been been made either way. But I personally, will miss Falling Skies which just ended this year. Also, (though this is technically next summer, not this fall) Dark Matter on SyFy was AMAZING! The title says it all — it’s very dark indeed. And nobody, not even the obligatory cute techie kid is an angel — at least not the un-fallen type. But, Hooo Baby, is that a good show!
There are (will be) 5 dramas on the big four that I will watch this year – all pretty much similar three returning shows, two new ones.
NBC Blacklist (Spader carries the whole show, but he pulls it off effortlessly).
CBS Person of Interest (Rand Paul’s worst nightmare come to life.)
CBS Elementary (I like the very different take on Watson and Holmes.)
Two new
NBC Blindspot (Almost complete Blacklist wannabe clone, the female lead has the most spellbinding green eyes, and the male lead is a pretty decent actor (nowhere near Spader level though))
NBC The Player (This seems more like a MacGyver or A-team style show. Plus I have to watch because I went to High School with the lead actor Phillip Winchester, although it is a little awkward seeing a high school friend run around Las Vegas only in his underwear.)
I’m binge-watching “Narcos” on Netflix. It’s fantastic and I’m hoping the fact that 1/2 of show is in Spanish will help me re-learn the language.
My daughter and I watch “Once Upon a Time” together, which is really fun.
I’m trying to get into “How to Get Away With Murder” but I am finding it difficult to suspend belief too much – especially since it uses a flashback method and apparently the protaganist is able to successfully defend highly complex cases from arrest to acquittal in about two days using first-year law students.
It kinda jumped the shark about a year ago but I still like it. Oh, and don’t forget that purse she hauls around everywhere.
Watched Blind Spot twice now. Not bad but as someone pointed out, totally a Black List rip-off. Which leads me to…
The Black List. Big James Spader fan. It’s a must watch on Thursday night, right after Scandal. Again…
Scandal: Yes, it’s beyond belief and yet sometimes it’s exactly the type of show to veg out to.
Yeah, don’t call me on Thursday night.
Otherwise, waiting for Downton Abbey’s final season and House of Cards right after.
Yeah, don’t call me the first three months of 2016.
However…I will binge watch HOC and I might be available within 48 hours after its release.
It’s going to be a long winter.
I’ve watched Scandal from the beginning, and still do, even after seeing Kerry Washington’s idiotic speech at the Dem convention last time. She actually said with a straight face that Republicans want to take the vote away from women. But I try to forget.
I love Homeland, but I wish they hadn’t made Carrie manic depressive, because a) I’m sick of the Damaged Hero thing and b) I hope to God the real CIA doesn’t have people with that kind of disorder.
I love The Good Wife even though most CBS shows, well okay all network shows, sometimes club you over the head with lefty agendas. I mean Valerie Jarrett had a cameo! Gah. They constantly make snarky remarks about Republicans. But they do accurately portray the corrupt Chicago Democrats, who I know very well.
Love Madame Secretary, on just before The Good Wife. I always set my DVR to record the news shows following them, because football can make them start late. Just a handy tip there.
Love Game of Thrones, Criminal Minds, American Horror Story.
The Last Ship lost me this season too.
Love The Strain.
Like House of Cards and can barely believe someone is portraying Democrats as they actually are.
Binge-watched Narcos and love it. I have personal stories about Colombian drug lords. Maybe for the PIT some day.
Zombies and vampires aren’t my favorite things. I love most horror, but not those for some reason.
Brooklyn 99, The Flash, I Zombie, Jane the Virgin, Fresh Off the Boat
The Grinder looks like it might have possibilities
Anybody else like Sleepy Hollow? I hear they are revamping the third season. Love Longmire and Brooklyn 99, too. The Benedict Cumberbatch version of Sherlock is excellent. I also like Vikings and Outlander, but those new seasons start next year, sigh.
I don’t enjoy binge watching….mostly because after I’m done, I’m restless. Perhaps I should drink more while doing it…possibly a 2016 resolution I can keep…
Ok, back to the topic:
I regularly watch Person of Interest and Modern Family. I like Fixer Upper on HGTV.
I have enjoyed The Flash, but don’t watch it regularly.
My husband and I watch Elementary and PBS Sherlock Holmes.
When I want to laugh, I watch hours of Frasier…I love the word play on that show! When I want drama, I watch Sense and Sensibility, both the movie and the BBC series.
I will also confess my secret shame…Scorpion Truly terrible writing, unbelievable characters, multiple required suspensions of disbelief per episode…and, if my husband is in the room, regular taunting. Yet I can’t seem to stop.
We are finishing up re-watching NYPD Blue which has been shown in sequence, every weekday on the Audience channel on Directtv. It has taken about 10 months! Truly one of the best shows ever, really shows how the TV drama has devolved. We were too busy raising kids to catch it all when it was on before…
I will miss Sipowicz when we are through.
I’m a longtime Castle fan, and the new season is off to a promising start.
In other seasons, I’ve been enjoying some scifi shows: Orphan Black, Killjoys, Dark Matter.
For the past year and a half, I’ve become enthralled by the longest-running weekly episodic tv program in US history. It’s an absolutely fascinating combination of a 3-hour live skit show, soap opera, and athletic spectacle. I am talking, of course, about WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW. Here’s the current GOP frontrunner when he made an appearance:
It is stupid. I know this, but I love it. It is “fake”, in that it’s scripted, but the athleticism these guys and gals display is incredible, and many of the moves really do hurt.
I figure if I can suspend my disbelief to watch Game of Thrones (where white walkers and dragons are real), I can suspend my disbelief to watch “wrestling”. Once you embrace the over-the-top acting, it’s hilarious.
Finally, I justify my fandom (to myself) with a quote from Chesterton, as applied to TV:
Good literature may tell us the mind of one man; but bad literature may tell us the mind of many men. A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth… about its readers; and, oddly enough, it tells us this all the more the more cynical and immoral be the motive of its manufacture… A sincere novel exhibits the simplicity of one particular man; an insincere novel exhibits the simplicity of mankind… men’s basic assumptions and everlasting energies are to be found in penny dreadfuls and halfpenny novelettes.
Public Morals. Edward Burns wrote and stars in this 60’s drama about his dad, plainclothes policeman in the Vice Squad. Evocative sets, solid writing, memorable characters, and classic music.
Okay, I just checked out the first two episodes of Limitless, on demand, just because a friend of mine got some extra work on it and I wanted to catch a glimpse of her.
I actually liked it. I’ll watch that again.
And I agree with everyone who mentioned the Sherlock Holmes reboot. I love that show. It came in handy, last year, when my sister visited and I had to leave her alone in the apartment the first couple nights, to go to rehearsal. The last time I left her alone here, I came back from work to find everything I owned piled in the middle of the room under drop cloths, and her on a ladder, painting my ceiling.
This time, I cued up Sherlock on Netflix, before I left. She was on the third episode when I got back – – and hadn’t even remembered to order dinner.
I know firsthand that the CIA actively recruits from colleges’ Students With Disabilities offices. They pride themselves on their efforts to be in full compliance with the ADA, or so their glossy brochures say.
GAH