Television Premieres, Finales,sand Notables: April 14-20, 2014

Monday, 4/14

Warehouse 13; Syfy. 8 pm CST. 5th Season Premiere.

Mom (CBS; 8:30 pm CST). Season Finale.

Bam's Bad Ass Game Show; TBS. 9:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.



Tuesday, 4/15

Pioneers of Television; PBS. 7 pm CST (check local listings). 4th Season Premiere.

Celebrity Wife Swap; ABC. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Fargo; FX. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Doubtful it'll live up to the film, but that's a pretty high bar.
But it has a pretty good start in the acting department with stars Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton.

Awkward; MTV. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Wednesday, 4/16

Unusually Thicke; TVGN. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Alan Thicke finally gets a reality show.


Thursday, 4/17

Community (NBC; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

The Crazy Ones (CBS; 8:01 pm CST). Season Finale.

Parenthood (NBC; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Saturday, 4/19

Billy Crystal 700 Sundays; HBO. 8 pm CST. Special.

Orphan Black; BBC America. 8 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
And, if you missed season one, watch the marathon that begins at 8 am that'll bring you up to speed.
I haven't watched it yet, but I plan on catching up by the time S2 gets rolling because I've heard good things...

Sex Sent Me to the ER; TLC. 8 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
I'm only mentioning it because I like the series title.
Do NOT watch this over Orphan Black.


Sunday, 4/20

Signed, Sealed, Delivered; Hallmark. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A look at postal detectives.

Devious Maids; Lifetime. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Salem; WGN America. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
WGN gets in the game with its first scripted drama.
It's about the thing Salem's most famous for...

Television Premieres and Notables: April 7-13, 2014

Monday, 4/7

Inside Comedy (Showtime; 10 pm CST). Season Finale.


Tuesday, 4/8

Justified (FX; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Wednesday, 4/9

The Tom and Jerry Show; Cartoon Network. 4:40 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Deadbeat; Hulu. 11 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Tyler Labine stars as a paranormal medium who completes ghosts' unfinished business for them.


Thursday, 4/10

Suits (USA; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Alaska State Troopers; National Geographic. 9 pm CST. 6th Season Premiere.


Friday, 4/11

The Neighbors (ABC; 7:31 pm CST). Season Finale.
It's gonna be an even longer summer now (and ABC had better bring this back).


Saturday, 4/12

Comedy Underground With Dave Attell; Comedy Central. midnight. Series Premiere.


Sunday, 4/13

Nurse Jackie; Showtime. 8 pm CST. 6th Season Premiere.

Californication; Showtime. 8:30 pm CST. 7th Season Premiere.

Mad Men; AMC. 9 pm CST. 7th Season Premiere.

Years of Living Dangerously; Showtime. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Not many will get it; but those who do will know it's awesome...

Television Premieres, Finales, and Notables: March 31-April 6, 2014

Monday, 3/31

How I Met Your Mother (CBS; 7 pm CST). Series Finale.
The end is here for a show I really loved early on in its run. I liked the actors/characters and the scripts quite a bit (I especially loved how the plots played with time and circled-back on themselves; not unusual nowadays, but practically unheard of nine years ago).
But as the show drug on, it started to lose itself a bit. This season has been a bit of return to the unknown and surprises. That was another thing I liked: it was unpredictable; something not many CBS comedies are.
The show really never was about the mother for me, but I do like they took time to bring her into the show this season. She seems like a good fit for who Ted has become.
So, yeah, I'll miss this show-- even though I know it's time for it to be done.

Friends With Better Lives; CBS. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
I don't know much about it other than it stars James Van der Beek and Kevin Connelly.


Tuesday, 4/1

Lab Rats; Disney XD. 6 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.

Cougar Town (TBS; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

Inside Amy Schumer; Comedy Central. 9:30 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.


Wednesday, 4/2

Trip Tank; Comedy Central. 9:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Thursday, 4/3

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
Don't expect it to come back next year...

Community (NBC; 7 pm CST) gives us a another odd episode; this time, the gang is animated G.I. Joe style.

Short Poppies; Netflix. 11 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Friday, 4/4

Unforgettable; CBS. 7 pm CST. Mid-season Premiere.

Raising Hope (Fox; 8 pm CST). Series Premiere.
Like many quirky shows, the shine has been dulled a little over the years, but it really hasn't been because of the actors. I'm especially going to miss Martha Plimpton and Garrett Dillahunt, who absolutely killed in their roles.

Continuum; Syfy. 8 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.


Sunday, 4/6

Game of Thrones; HBO. 8 pm CST. 4th Season Premiere.
I really have to start watching this show...

Shameless (Showtime; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Turn; AMC. 8 pm CST. Series premiere.
Espionage in the Revolutionary War era.

River Monsters; Animal Planet. 8 pm CST. 6th Season Premiere.

Cutthroat Kitchen; Food Network. 8 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.

Ax Men (History; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Silicon Valley; HBO. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Mike Judge brings us this show about a small group of programmers who design a game-changing algorithm and have to decide if they're going to sell it to the company they work for or or try to go on their own with it.

Veep; HBO. 9:30 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.

I want to live here

Television Premieres and Notables: March 24-30, 2014

Monday, 3/24

The Fosters (ABC Family; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.


Tuesday, 3/25

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox; 8:30 pm CST). Season Finale.

Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge; Syfy. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Wednesday, 3/26

Psych (USA; 8 pm CST). Series Finale.


Thursday, 3/27

Surviving Jack; Fox. 8:30 pm CST. Series Premiere.



Sunday, 3/30

Call the Midwife; PBS. 7 pm CST (check local listings). 3rd Season Premiere

The Walking Dead (A&E; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.
It's been an especially slow (but worthwhile) season, so I'm pretty apprehensive about what the season finale will be like (and, you know, after last week's episode, I'm wondering if they will write an even more gut-wrenching ending).

Masterpiece Classic: Mr. Selfridge; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings). 2nd Season Premiere.

Television Premieres and Notables: March 16-23, 2014

Monday, 3/17

Adventure Time (Cartoon Network; 6 pm CST). Season Finale.

Dancing With the Stars; ABC. 7 pm CST. 18th Cycle Premiere.


Tuesday, 3/18

Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe; ABC. 7 pm CST. Special.
In lieu of an Agents of SHIELD episode this week, we get a peek into the MCU.
Hopefully it'll be more than fluff because this is an amazing story about a studio that took a big chance with some (at the time) B-level characters and tied them together to make something astounding.

Storage Wars; A&E. 8 pm CST. 5th Season Premiere.

Rizzoli & Isles (TNT; 8 pm CST).

Chopped; Food Network. 8 pm CST. 20th Cycle Premiere.


Wednesday, 3/19

The 100; The CW. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
After they nearly destroy the Earth, humanity has moved to space stations surrounding the planet. Now, after nearly a century, they're wondering if the planet is inhabitable again, and to find out, they send 100 juvenile delinquents down to check it out.
I'm guessing things won't go well as it's a series and not a movie/mini-series...

Doll & Em; HBO. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Dolly Wells and Emily Mortimer star in this comedy about a movie star who hires a friend to be her assistant.


Saturday, 3/22

DaVinci's Demons; Starz. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Sunday, 3/23

Drop Dead Diva; Lifetime. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Girls (HBO; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

Happy 3/14

Television Premieres and Notables: March 10-16, 2014

Monday, 3/10

The Bachelor (ABC; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

Believe; NBC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
J.J. Abrams brings us another TV show (does that dude ever sleep?); this time, he's got the help of co-producer-- and pilot director-- Alfonso Cuaron (you know: the guy who just won the 2014 Best Director Oscar).
This series follows a ten year-old girl who has mysterious-- and uncontrollable-- powers.


Tuesday, 3/11

Lady Sif (again played by the awesome Jaimie Alexander as she did in the Thor films) joins up with Marvel's Agents of SHIELD (ABC; 7 pm) to stop a rogue Asgardian.
I just listened to the Nerdist podcast she was on last week, and she's great fun. I love that she's a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Chrisley Knows Best; USA. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Wednesday, 3/12

Men at Work (TBS; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Thursday, 3/13

Breaking Boston; A&E. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Friday, 3/14

Tanked; Animal Planet. 8 pm CST. 5th Season Premiere.

Vice; HBO. 10 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
One of the things I miss most after giving up HBO is this show.


Saturday, 3/15

Doc of the Dead; Epix. 7 pm CST. Special.
This documentary looks into the zombie craze, where it came from, and why it's so popular now.


Sunday, 3/16

Naked and Afraid; Discovery. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Crisis; NBC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Dermot Mulroney and Gillian Anderson star in this series about teens of rich and powerful people being abducted and the agents who are tasked with finding them.

Television Premieres and Notables: March 3-9, 2014

Monday, 3/3

Bates Motel; A&E. 8 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.
Season 1 had some moments where it dragged (the whole town-wide drug trade yawner, for one), but stars Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga were absolutely great. Totally worth some eye-rolling to watch their work.

Those Who Kill; A&E. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Chloe Sevigny stars as a detective with some serious baggage.


Tuesday, 3/4

Bill Paxton appears for a few episodes of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD (ABC; 7 pm CST).

The Goldbergs (ABC; 8:01 pm CST) pays homage to that classic '80s film: The Goonies.


Wednesday, 3/5

Flipping Out; Bravo. 9 pm CST. 7th Season Premiere.

Restaurant Impossible; Food Network. 8th Season Premiere.

The Face; Oxygen. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman; Science. 9 pm CST. 5th Season Premiere.


Thursday, 3/6

Saint George; FX. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Sirens; USA. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Co-creator Denis Leary brings us this humorous series about Chicago EMTs.


Friday, 3/7

Sofia the First; Disney. 8:30 am CST. 2nd Season Premiere.

Cesar 911; National Geographic Wild. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Cesar Milan has another show.


Saturday, 3/8

The Graham Norton Show (BBC America; 9:15 pm CST). Season Finale.


Sunday, 3/9

Resurrection; ABC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A young boy who was last seen 30 years ago is seen in a rice paddy in China.
He hasn't changed, physically.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey; Fox. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Seth MacFarlane produces this "reboot" of Carl Sagan's classic series, and he brings Neil deGrasse Tyson to show us around.

True Detective (HBO; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Chopped Tournament of Stars; Food Network. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

OMG! Wall-E is coming true!

Television Premieres and Notables: February 24-March 2, 2014

Monday, 2/24

The Voice; NBC. 7 pm CST. 6th Cycle Premiere.

Dallas; TNT. 8 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.

RuPaul's Drag Race; Logo. 8 pm CST. 6th Season Premiere.

Late Night With Seth Meyers; NBC. 11:35 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Another Saturday Night Live alum gets a show.
Funny considering SNL has sucked for so many years...


Tuesday, 2/25

Game of Arms; AMC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
This hard-hitting docu-reality series gives us a close look into the high-stakes world of arm wrestling.
I hope they use the Sammy Hagar/Edward Van Halen tune "Winner Takes It All" (as heard in the Stallone classic film Over The Top) as the theme song.

Amish Mafia; Discovery. 8 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.

Mind Games; ABC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Christian Slater and Steve Zahn star as brothers who use observation to manipulate others into doing things.

Clash of the Ozarks; Discovery. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Ink Master; Spike. 9 pm CST. 4th Season Premiere.


Wednesday, 2/26

Survivor: Cagayan; CBS. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Mixology; ABC. 8:31 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Legit; FXX. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.


Thursday, 2/27

The Red Road; Sundance. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A Jersey sheriff forms an alliance with a Native American tribe.

Ice Cold Gold; Animal Planet. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.

Vikings; History. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.


Friday, 2/28

Inside Job; TNT. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Four people apply for a job; one is a spy for the company.
I don't know what the point is...

Hannibal; NBC. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.

Betty White's Off Their Rockers; Lifetime. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Sunday, 3/2

NASA's Unexplained Files; Science. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.