Tag Archives: Smash

New Fall TV Season: Hopelessly Devoted to the Tube

Ever since I was a kid, this time of year got me jazzed for the new TV season. I pored over entertainment articles about upcoming shows and eagerly anticipated my returning favorites. I pitied  friends and family who claimed they didn’t have the time or interest to keep up with TV.

I fear I have become one of those people.

My brother (also a TV junkie) asked me the other day which new shows I liked and whether I had started “Homeland” and “Modern Family.”  I panicked. This is the first time in a long while that I’m completely behind on my TV repertoire and it’s stressing me out a little bit.

Life’s busy now that I’m back to work, and at this time of year the school and sports activities are endless.  And I also need to find time to blog for you people! My TV-watching window has decreased significantly and I don’t feel quite myself.

Thanks to modern technology, I can be behind on many shows and still catch up, between the DVR and OnDemand channels. Is this good or bad…I’m not sure.  In some ways I’m comforted by the knowledge that the shows are there waiting for me….but also feel the pressure to watch.

Over the summer, I had grand plans of picking up a bunch of shows I missed last year and finishing up others I left mid-season. I did manage to watch some but yet more eluded me.

I’m done harping on this digital dilemma. Instead I’ll cut to the chase and give you my overly obsessive list of where I stand in my TV commitments….

Shows I’m devoted to no matter what:   Mad Men,  Parenthood, Boardwalk Empire, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, How I Met your Mother, Daily Show, Saturday Night Live.

Shows I enjoy occasionally but can’t commit:  The New Normal, X Factor.

New shows I’m determined to try and know I’ll love:  The Mindy Project, Nashville, Revolution, Call the Midwife.

Shows I caught up on this summer and won’t give up:   Boss, Smash, New Girl, Homeland.

Shows piled up on my DVR because I want to watch them but somehow get pushed to last priority:  30 Rock, Gossip Girl, Oprah’s Next Chapter.

Shows that have jumped the shark or gotten stale but I just can’t quit:  Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, The Office, The Big C.

Shows I would love to watch if Wilson wouldn’t judge me and leave the room:  Real Housewives of NJ/NY, Katie, Oprah’s Lifeclass.

Shows I regret missing completely:  American Horror Story, Glee, Weeds.

Shows I have missed but will find time to watch before I go gray: Breaking Bad, The Wire, Downton Abbey.

Here’s a link to some of the new shows this season with brief reviews. I’d love to hear which shows you’re watching and which you think I can let go. Tell me in the comments.

My Summer TV Picks

Summer TV used to be rerun city. Now the digital TV world is my oyster and I’m always looking for the next pearl.  It’s the end of May so season finales are over and I can finally catch up on all the TV I missed while watching other TV, plus add some new gems. It’s challenging to find time to watch so many shows, but a girl can try.

(Full disclosure: I’m a bit of a show hoarder. I see a promo for a show I like and immediately set up a recording. Then I can’t erase that program until I’ve watched it.  This drives Wilson crazy but he’s a patient man and accepts my disease.)

Both my DVR’s are at about 90% full with backlogs of favorites. The bevy of modern viewing options is surely feeding my addiction but I’m thrilled to have so many choices and not be limited to the old September to May TV season. I’ll barrel through my DVR stockpile, and then check out what’s available on OnDemand and my iPad.

I also poked around the web in search of promising new shows premiering this summer.  Of the scores of possibilities, very few caught my eye. Here are a few I’ll check out to see if they pass the test to get into my regular watching rotation.

Sam Waterston & Jeff Daniels star in “The Newsroom”

–“The Newsroom”/HBO                                                                                 

Aaron Sorkin, the guy responsible for three of my favorites—“Sports Night,” “West Wing” and “Studio 60”– has created a show for HBO set in a cable newsroom.  I happened to work in a cable newsroom for 11 years so I can’t wait to see what snappy dialogue and political message Sorkin has in store. The cast—led by Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterston, and Olivia Munn—also has great potential. Premieres 6/24.

Anger Management/FX                                                                        

This could be a complete disaster—but like a bad car wreck, who can turn away? A presumably humbler Charlie Sheen plays a therapist with anger issues himself in this half-hour comedy.  The premise doesn’t thrill me but I’ll tune in just to see how they handle the irony. Premieres 6/28.

Beverly Hills Nannies/ABC Family                                                          

This could be my summer guilty pleasure. I hate to admit it, but I’m fascinated by extremely wealthy people so eager to be famous, they’re willing to have their family life filmed for entertainment.  I’ll enjoy ogling the homes while looking down my nose at egomaniacs in designer shoes and handbags, planning six-figure kids’ birthday parties.  Premieres 7/11.

The cast of “Beverly Hills Nannies”

Told you it was slim pickins.  But that’s ok, because I’ll have more time to read. I’m dying to catch up on the “Hunger Games” trilogy this summer too.

Below are shows on my “catch up” list.  I completely missed out or only saw a few episodes but want to start from the beginning. Let me know in the comments if there are any I should skip or add to my summer schedule.

Smash/NBC

The Killing/AMC

Downton Abbey/PBS

Veep/HBO

Happy summer viewing!