Television Programming

I'm not generally a big TV 'watcher'. But there are a few shows that I don't miss: (in no particular order):

1) Smallville.
I'm a HUGE fan of the show. I joined this party late, but I absolutely love it. It is all stories built in a land of comic book heroism, which was a childhood obsession that still grabs my imagination today.

Smallville is an entire series that is an origin story. It is a coming of age tale showing the path Clark Kent walks to go from farm boy to the greatest hero of all time, but it also much more than that. Watching Lex Luthor develop from a spoiled rich kid with a decent heart to an evil mastermind is actually more interesting to me than Clark's story. How does Lois Lane go from college dropout to super reporter? How does Chloe go from ace reporter for a high school newspaper to "Watchtower" (the computer geek information specialist for the Justice League. As if I had to explain that...)

It is all interesting to me. There are some stories I could do without. But the show itself is great. I watch it every Friday.

2) Chuck
I will admit it. I did not like this show when it first aired. Shana kind of liked it, so we watched it, but it was basically a show we watched while we waited for Heroes to come on. It had a hot chick (Sarah), so I wasn't complaining. But it was a throwaway show really.

But giving the show a chance, it really started to pick up. The characters that seemed just 'throwaway' suddenly became interesting. Adam Baldwin started as a very one dimensional 'tough guy', but actually developed into somebody I cared about.

I can't explain why I like Chuck. And, if you sit down for just 1-2 episodes...you will probably dismiss it. But if you watch it over the course of an entire season...I think you MAY really fall in love with it.

3) Castle
Castle is a show about Nathan Fillion. It is a cop show that is fairly standard "situational crime drama" tripe. It reminds me a lot of "Murder, She Wrote", except that the part of the old woman is played by Nathan Fillion. (Well, he isn't technically an old woman. As far as I know)

Nathan Fillion makes the show watchable. The only reason I started watching this show is because Nathan Fillion played Malcom Reynolds on Firefly, a show I loooooooooooooove. And...the only reason I still watch it is because Nathan Fillion is on it.

He plays snarky and self assured so well, and has great comedic timing. I will seriously watch any show/movie/school play that this man stars in, and this program is no exception.

4) Holmes on Homes
One thing could be said about me that I will not argue in the slightest: I am not a handyman.

I don't know much about carpentry that I haven't seen on TV. I don't know much about Plumbing, electrical work, gardening, landscaping, motors, or cars. The closest I have ever come to that was working with my Uncle while I was in high school doing some roofing projects.

So I can carry shingles up a ladder, and I know generally what the steps are to putting a shingle roof on a house.

I know computers. I know a little bit about programming. I can make the blinking 12 go away on any VCR on planet earth. But I couldn't frame an interior wall correctly if my life depended on it.

That said...I love watching Mike Holmes. I love watching other people work.

5) Deadliest Catch

I've wrote about this before, and I still love this show.

TV Show cancellations

The end of television's Spring season is fast approaching and with march toward the season finale episodes comes the inevitable rumors as to the demise of many popular series.

My kids are sad that the Knight Rider remake likely will not be renewed...but really....did anyone expect any different?

Heroes is reportedly going to be renewed, but their poor showing in the ratings over the Season (despite the show actually seeming to get better, at least when compared to Season-2) leaves it's fate still up in the air.

Dollhouse was reportedly ok, but I'm now hearing that while it's initial run was for 13 episodes, the network has cut the 13th episode from the air schedule, and there will now be only 12. For those keeping score at home, this does not bode well for a second season. Why do they start good shows on a terrible night? Friday night is NOT the night for good TV programs. Friday night is where mediocre programs should be put until they die.

The worst is Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I was just really getting into this show, and it sounds like the plug is being pulled. It's ratings are in the toliet, despite being one of the most popular online shows on Hulu.

The Networks does see a lot of monetization opportunity from online viewership though, so they will cut a pretty decent series. TSCC was doomed when it was put in the deadend slot on Fridays. Damn you Fox. You kill these shows and produce filth. You disgust me.