Good News/Bad News for some of my favorite shows on the bubble.

via TV Guide

Alcatraz (Fox)Wrapped March 26; aired Mondays at 9/8c

The Good News: Fox has kept Fringe alive this long — maybe executives will be generous to another J.J. Abrams drama with a small-but-passionate fan base? And they already canceledTerra Nova, which theoretically helps.
The Bad News: The Voice kind of clobbered it, and worse, viewers flat-out rejected this island mystery. Less than half the audience who watched the premiere tuned in for the finale to learn the secret of those disappearing, reappearing prisoners.


Awake (NBC) Thursdays at 10/9c

The Good News: Series creator Kyle Killen, he of the well-liked-but-short-lived Lone Star, is a guy with ideas! A guy creative people flock to! So what if he makes shows for broadcast that would be better off on cable and not enough folks come to watch?
The Bad News: To be fair, airing it at the end of NBC's low-rated Thursday-night comedy block — and immediately after the night's biggest loser, Up All Night — hasn't been a great fit for the somber drama about a man dealing with tremendous loss. Ratings are abysmal. 



Community (NBC) Thursdays at 8/7c
The Good News: After a more than three-month hiatus, Community returned in March to its biggest audience since October 2010. And relative to NBC's Thursday-night lineup, it's pretty coolcoolcool.
The Bad News: NBC's Thursday-night lineup is a bust, led by a flailing-in-its-eighth season The Office, so any ratings fetes enjoyed by Community are still small in the bigger picture — and it will be measured against some strong comedy pilots in contention, among them Justin Kirk-frontedAnimal Kingdom and White House comedy 1600 Penn, starring (Bill Pullman) and Book of Mormon's Josh Gad.

Fringe (Fox)
Fridays at 9/8c

The Good News: Fox has always loved this show, having rescued it from the bubble twice already. Since the network has already canceled Terra Nova and House, it may want to hang on to this cult favorite for a final (probably shortened) season.
The Bad News: Fox has a couple of buzzy new drama pilots, including a serial killer story from Kevin Williamson starring Kevin Bacon, so the network may decide to clear the bench. Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly put it pretty plainly in January that the network's generous pocketbook might be closing when it comes to the costly Fringe: "We're not in the business of losing money," he said.



Parenthood (NBC)
Wrapped Feb. 28; aired Tuesdays at 10/9c
The Good News: This touching family drama is a critical darling with a small-but-loyal fan base, and NBC will need a couple veteran dramas to anchor its fall schedule. Parenthood is neck and neck with Law & Order: SVU to be the second-highest-rated drama at NBC behind the already-renewed Smash.
The Bad News: We're running low on Kleenex over here!


Up All Night (NBC)Wrapped April 12; last aired Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c
The Good News: NBC pulled out all the stops trying to make this one work. After it did so-so numbers on Wednesday, they decided to give it another push, slotting it behind The Office and hoping that viewers would take a second look at Will Arnett and Christina Applegate playing new parents, and Maya Rudolph as a crazy diva talk show host.
The Bad News: The audience actually shrunk in the move to Thursday! NBC already has a few low-rated pedigree comedies it probably wants to keep (30 Rock, Community, Parks and Recreation) and this one has the fewest viewers.

New shows to look forward to

A little of new blood I'm looking forward to..
The Newsroom


Girls


Also...
Don't Trust the B- in Apt 23
Magic City

Sunday TV Dilemma: Game of Thrones and Mad Men

Sunday Is Coming - watch more funny videos

Reminds me...
I miss LOST parties.
And I need to update my TV schedule.

Farewell Terra Nova

So, Fox cancelled Terra Nova. I'm not really surprised... bad acting + slow storytelling made for low ratings, and a gazillion dollar budget meant it wasn't worth a second round. Honestly, I don't think it was that terrible. There were plot lines that intrigued me - What is the writing on the rocks?! Who is sending these people!? Is Taylor bad? Is his son bad? Ahh! - and the finale was pretty great - Are they seriously starting civlization over?! Without any technology or medicine or anything?! The problem is people were too obsessed with bad dinosaurs, they couldn't get to enjoying the actual story. Remember how LOST did not show you the monster? And it was still scary? And when it did turn out to be a weird rope bully system and/or black smoke, you were already invested and didn't care if it was lame? That is what Terra Nova should have done. We didn't need to see bad CGI-dinos to know they were a threat. You just killed your budget.

Any who, Shep from Let's Talk TV thinks this is good news for Alcatraz - also low in the ratings. With openings from Terra Nova and the end of House, Fox needs something to stick around and fill the spot. Good news for me, because I actually adore Alcatraz.

Game of Thrones Season 2 Trailer

Season 2: Preview - You Win or You Die

True Blood Season 5 Teaser

Season 5 - Buried Tease

Was that a battle?

Anyone else think MTV's Battle of the Exes was a little light on the battling?

I was sort of hoping more of these exes would hate each other.... that something shady happened to make them dislike each other, even if it was off the air.

Mark and Robyn dated for a long time.... yet, they're named as exes who get along really well and can communicate. (Secret confession: I hope they win. Poor Robyn has been doing this for a long time.) Heather doesn't seem to have any resentment towards Dustin. Rachel claims Aneesa mistreated her... yet they seemed to be strategizing for the mission just fine. Cara Maria even called Abram 'babe'!!

So far, the biggest 'battle' is that one of the two still harbors feelings for the other. That's lame.

And all the CT/Diem will they/won't they is going to make me puke. They aren't some fairytale couple. Yes the whole taking the wig off thing was adorable when it happened.... but can I remind you that CT used to be a complete monster? Sure he hooked up with Shavon and that's 'disgusting', but remember what happened after that? The whole trying to kill Adam thing? I'm not over that.

I know it's only the first episode.... but bring on the fighting! the drama! the backstabbing!

OTH Final Season Promo. The !s and ?s.

CHRIS KELLER!
LUCAS' HAIR?

Oh God, Dex.

Watched the Dexter finale last night....

SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! 

Am I the only one that really only cares about what the hell is going on with that lab geek?! The one that is obsessed with serial killers?! And mailed Dexter the arm from the Ice Truck Killings?!

Maybe I'm just finished with the whole Doomsday killer. There have been too many close calls, too many encounters with Dex. No more mystery or intrigue. I lost it about the time we found out Gellar was dead and Travis locked Dexter in the basement. That was finale-worthy for me. That was unexpected. Travis taking Harrison? Not unexpected (especially since it was featured on 'next week on Dexter'). Dexter faking him out with the needle? Not unexpected.

I guess I just gave up. I knew Dexter was going to get him, eventually, and I was hoping something nuts would happen along the way. Maybe he kills Batista's sister? Maybe even Harrison? All that would have been shocking. Dexter finally getting the bad guy? I sort of assume that is going to happen.

I actually was hoping the department would realize Travis was after Dexter - the missing boat, the painting, taking Harrison. I wanted them to be like, 'Wait... what does this guy know about Dexter? Why is he after him?' I wanted them to be like, 'Wait... why do all our big cases link back to Dexter? Ice Truck Killer. Trinity. Bay Harbor Butcher....' Why doesn't Quinn, now that he isn't with Deb any more, start suspecting Dexter again?  If Deb is such a great detective, why doesn't she connect the dots?

And Deb. Oh, Deb. I don't like at all where this is going. Boardwalk Empire provided me with enough incest to last a life time.

Let's take a vote on how Deb will react to seeing Dexter killing Travis:
A. Sob uncontrollably and/or have a major meltdown, sending her into a psych ward.
B. 'Holy shit fuck. You're a monster just like the rest of my ex-boyfriends!'
C. Be all like, 'Whatev. You're my bro. I still love you. Thanks for killing all those bad guys!'

Dear HBO, I Kinda Hate You

I don't all-the-way hate you, because this year you still brought me an incredible season of Boardwalk Empire and introduced me to the epic, epic, epic Game of Thrones. But despite all that, I'm still rather peeved at your cancelling of Bored to Death, How to Make it in America, and (yes, even) Hung.

Why? I'll tell you.

Bored to Death is/was/and always will be comedic genius. It's quick, witty and as awkwardly charming as a series about a writer posing as a private detective could be. It became my new Pushing Daisies. It was the type of comedy you had to pay attention to (I never understood Season 2 being positioned back-to-back with the brainless, dim-witted Eastbound and Down). It was the kind of comedy some of my friends didn't 'get.' And it had Ted Dansen smoking pot all the time. It was perfect.

How to Make it in America. Now this show is just cool. The opening credits are killer. The actors are all good looking. The style is hot. The story is one I relate to as a twenty-something trying to make it in the big city (ok fine, St. Louis is not NYC.... but trying to pave your future, trying to make rent, trying to navigate friendships/relationships... I can relate). It wasn't the NYC you see on Kardashians or Real Housewives or Gossip Girl or whatever. It was the real NYC.... or what I assume so. AND you left me with such a great finale! They were finally going to get to make the jeans they had set out to make in the beginning! Sigh. I'll miss you, Ben + Gang.

Admittedly, I've only watched one season of Hung. But I was intrigued. I love that redhead (she was on this past season of Justified too, I'm just lazy and don't feel like looking up her name). Sometimes I can't believe how far they took this silly concept - a guy with a huge penis becoming a pimp. Adding in the younger, crazier couple this year seemed like a smart move. Gave some conflict and longevity. And ending the season with his ex-wife finding out? I really was looking forward to seeing that play out.

Shame on you, HBO.