Cancellation Anxiety + What's coming on 'Justified'

Particularly good Ask Matt this week over at TV Guide. Some items of interest, including a couple of questions from yours truly:

Regarding the possible cancellation of Nashville: These days, the networks would almost kill for "lackluster," so while Nashville isn't what you'd call a runaway hit, it's doing OK, and because it's going the right way creatively (pulling out of its first-half slump), and like Glee and Smash it has a separate revenue stream with its music downloads and CD releases (which seem to get good reviews, though I'm not a music critic), I'm cautiously optimistic that ABC will renew it. As our in-house ratings guru puts it when we gather to discuss such things, they can't cancel everything.

Regarding seeing Limehouse again on Justified, and this season's 'big mystery' instead of 'big bad': I've heard that Mykelti Williamson may reprise his role sometime this season, but can't say when or how. (I'd like it to be a surprise, should it occur.) Regardless, I'm loving this season, as I have the past three, in part because it's so different from what's come before. Still the same blend of action, intrigue and wry humor that we can't get enough of, but once again the show is taking us into new areas of Harlan mythology, from the brutality of the hill people to the murderous machinations of the Clover Hill power-brokers, with whom Boyd and Ava have memorable dealings this week. This Tuesday's episode gives Elmore Leonard a story credit, and it introduces one of my favorite characters from his recent novel Raylan. I'll let you discover her for yourself, but I'm curious what avenues she'll eventually lead our besotted marshal down.

Regarding my concerns about the fate of Up All Night: The situation with Up All Night brings to mind the metaphor about rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. What is the point? Nothing happening on the show is as fascinating or laughable as what's taking place behind the scenes. If we ever see it again in any shape or form, I'll be amazed. And outside of professional morbid curiosity, completely uninterested as a viewer. Let it go.

Regarding my concern that Happy Endings moving to Fridays is a very bad thing:  Regarding Happy Endings' current misadventures in ABC limbo, I knew it was the odd ensemble out in the current schedule (not unlike Cougar Town before it), but until the news that the remainder of episodes would be burned off on Friday, I didn't view it as necessarily endangered. Now it's hard to see it as anything but. (Which of course will prompt questions about whether someone will swoop in to rescue it, like TBS did with Cougar Town. I usually don't encourage such speculation, but while I'm not especially fond of Happy Endings, it generates enough buzz and media attention to make it a good candidate.)

[Side note: I'm worried Matt and I have nothing in common, as I discovered he likes Big Bang Theory, and as stated above, isn't a fan of Up All Night or Happy Endings. Wha?!]

The Hummels on Justified!

Anyone else catch Mr & Mrs Burt Hummel on Justified this week? He, as Theo Tonin's right hand man (that you do not want to mess with ) and she, as Arlo's lawyer?

No Joke. Emmy Nominations.

Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Justified - I love you all. And even the shows I don't watch, I'm confident your nomination is well-deserved (except that Beau Bridges' Brothers & Sisters nod. Seriously?)

Ok. Drama cataegories, you can go sit over there in the corner. You're good. I've got beef with the comedy nominations though. MAJOR BEEF.

There are more comedies besides Modern Family, The Office and 30 Rock. And Glee wasn't even that funny this season.

Have they ever seen Community or Bored to Death? I literally LOL every single episode. And don't all my friends love It's Always Sunny in Philedelphia? Curb Your Enthusiasm? I mean, people even like Cougar Town, but Courtney Cox's buddy Matt gets nominated for playing himself on Episodes? Really? Even newbie Happy Endings has caught a spot on my DVR!

I get it. The shows that were nominated are good. But geeeeeeeez I am so sick of seeing Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey at every stinkin award show. I'm rooting for Big Bang Theory by default.

My TV Highlights for the week...

Grey's Anatomy. Just when I was about to give up, I went back for more and got hooked. See my last post.

Justified. I'm not a huge fn of the lead actor but the character he plays- Marshal Raylan Givens- is really intriguing. I've yet to watch the second episode, but check out my reaction from the first. 

How to Make it in America. Great opening credits featuring Aloe Blacc's 'I Need a Dollar.' Bryan Greenberg. Entourage with more bad luck and less whining. The first season just ended on Sunday, but it is only six, half hour episodes, so it is easy to catch up on. Check out HBO or the Internet for eps. 

And Lost, always Lost of course. I actually really liked the Sun/Jin episode. But not really because of Sun and Jin. I was more interested in Widmore and 'Locke.' And the surprise cameo by Patchies of course! I did like seeing Jin and Sun in love in the sideways world... from the scene on the plane I thought for sure they would have gone back to being an unhappy couple. Oh, but sidenote: Sun, speak English. 

Am I watching Justified? Undecided.

Okay, I can already tell you why I won't be watching Justified...

1. It is on Tuesdays. LOST is reserved for Tuesdays. Sorry.
2. I just can't stand Timothy Olyphant (the main guy... yes, the one wearing the cowboy hat). Not only did he star in the worst movie ever, but he has creeped me out ever since he played a drug dealer or porn star or something in The Girl Next Door. I think of him as a poor man's Josh Duhamel.
3. Since he (spoiler!) shot the bad guy in the first episode, I'm worried it will just be another procedural crime show. Snooze.

Okay, now that that is all out of the way, here are a few reasons why I will be watching....

1. Despite my distaste for Olyphant, I actually really like the character Raylan Givens. He's a troubled, bad ass. And he wears that cowboy hat like it's his job.
2. Since he (spoiler!) didn't kill the bad guy in the first episode, I'm thinking that it may not turn into another procedural crime show with another bad guy every week. I think the premise of a season-long (or maybe longer) battle with one adversary is so much more compelling (think Dexter, True Blood...). Plus, Walton Goggins, who plays racist/Nazi/overall scary dude Boyd is listed on the FX page as a main cast member. That's gotta mean he's sticking around for more than one episode, right?
3. I'm hoping Doug E. Doug (the black pastor who you may remember from the classic Cool Runnings) pops up from time to time.