'08-'09 TV Shows: A Mid-Season Report Card
Some of these were summer and/or cable series which will not return until later next year, and other shows are only mid-season at this point, but here is how I would rate each of them right now:
- 30 Rock: B+
- The Amazing Race: B
- Bones: B
- Brothers & Sisters: B
- Dexter: A-
- Dirty Sexy Money: B-
- Eli Stone: B
- Entourage: C
- Fringe: A
- Grey's Anatomy: C
- Heroes: C+
- House: B
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: B+
- Life: B+
- Life on Mars: B
- Lipstick Jungle: B
- The Office: B-
- Private Practice: B
- Pushing Daisies: B
- Samantha Who: B+
- Saturday Night Live: C
- Survivor: B
- Top Chef: B
- True Blood: B
- Ugly Betty: B-
Other returning favorites which I am quite excited about include Damages, Flight of the Conchords, Lost and Medium. I will continue to enjoy the remaining episodes and then mourn the loss of Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Lipstick Jungle and Pushing Daisies.
As a huge fan of the small screen, it is very disheartening to see that kind of programming disappear, and alarming to note the number of ill-advised reality shows filling up the airwaves instead. Note to studio execs: there is a reason that The Amazing Race, American Idol and Survivor remain popular year after year- they feature actual competition, emotion and talent. Enough with the dating garbage (I'm talking to you, NBC, MTV & VH1). I realize that it is far less expensive to create and produce an allegedly unscripted reality series these days, but it is a shame that the television landscape (and audience) loses quality and creativity as a result.
OMG! Do you actually watch all those shows? lol.
Great report card Jo. I couldn't agree with you more on the reality tv situation. Attempting to watch those dating shows give me a headache, make me nauseous, and generally give me the urge to soil myself out of disgust.
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I can't believe I still watch Heroes - it is like every episode I hope is going to change the direction. As if the next one on is going to be any where near the level of wven the worst episode of Season 1. Does that make me an addict?
Here is a question, if it wasn't for TIVO or DVR, which would win in the battle for watching one show in a given time slot?
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Wow. And, I thought I had a big list of TV shows.
Here's my take on things:
- Chuck (A)
- The Shield (A-)
- House (A-)
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (B+)
- Prison Break (
- Boston Legal (
- Stargate: Atlantis (
- Sanctuary (
- Brothers & Sisters (
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (
- South Park (
- Ugly Betty (C+) (stopped watching halfway thru season)
- Fringe (C+) (stopped watching after a few episodes)
- Heroes (C)
- Survivor (C-)
Chose not to watch this season (and glad I didn't):
- Pushing Daisies
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Private Practice
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Hey Todd, I pretty much agree with you on every score you gave. Except for Fringe, I love that show and give it a B+.
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Arghh. My Bs and B minuses from my last reply turned into emoticons. I rated Prison Break and Boston Legal as B and the other five as B minus.
PavementRunner asks a challenging question because half of my shows came on Monday night. I'd have a hard time choosing between Chuck & Heroes on NBC and Prison Break & Sarah Connor on Fox.
In a way, I'm almost glad that Sarah Connor will be paired with Dollhouse on Fridays. There again, I may end up with a three-way conflict between Fox shows, Sci-Fi Channel shows, and Clone Wars on Cartoon Network.
Can't anything good ever come on Wednesday any more? Is Wednesday night the new Saturday night?
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Great comment to reality show producers/execs. I totally agree. I am an Amazing Race fan. It gets a B in my book too because the last few seasons have not had very difficult competitions. Where is the bungee jumping or skydiving or eating 2 gallons of cavier, I'm sure it was not that much, but still.
LOVE Fringe and would also give it an A, but so wish the lead actress was someone else - I really do not enjoy her acting at all. But, the rest of the cast is top notch - the mad scientist/dad deserves an Emmy or something.
I'm afraid that is all I watch from your list. I don't get much TV in.
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