Television Premieres and Notables: May 26-June 1, 2014

Monday, 5/26

Masterchef; Fox. 7 pm CST. 5th Season Premiere.

American Ninja Warrior; NBC. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

The World Wars; History. 8 pm CST. Mini-series Premiere.
The story that spans from WWI to WWII.


Tuesday, 5/27

Extreme Weight Loss; ABC. 7 pm CST. 5th Season Premiere.

America's Got Talent; NBC. 7 pm CST. 9th Season Premiere.

The Night Shift; NBC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.

The Wil Wheaton Project; Syfy. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Wheaton covers the geek news of the past week.


Wednesday, 5/28

So You Think You Can Dance; Fox 7 pm CST. 11th Season Premiere.

Rogue; DirecTV. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Big Ballet; Ovation. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Plus-size ballerinas put on a show of Swan Lake-- apparently without making fun.


Thursday, 5/29

Undateable; NBC. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
I know the hilarious Ron Funches (watch the episodes when he's on @Midnight) is on this show, but I haven't heard a single positive thing about this obvious burn-off series.
Let me tell you that most reviews I've read have pretty much said this show should have been called "Unwatchable".
Tee hee...

The Sixties; CNN. 8 pm CST. Mini-series Premiere.


Friday, 5/30

Crossbones; NBC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
John Malkovich plays the legendary pirate Blackbeard.
(I've heard this show stinks, too.)

Derek; Netflix. 2nd Season Premiere.


Sunday, 6/1

Silicon Valley (HBO; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

Halt and Catch Fire; AMC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Television Premieres and Notables: May 19-25, 2014

Monday, 5/19

Bones (Fox; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

Warehouse 13 (Syfy; 8 pm CST). Series Finale.

The Bachelorette; ABC. 8:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.

The Maya Rudolph Show; NBC. 9:01 pm CST. Special.
Maya Rudolph teams up with Lorne Michaels and other SNL friends to host her very own variety show-style special.


Tuesday, 5/20

I Wanna Marry Harry; Fox. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
I am not positive if this is the real premise, but it looks like Fox got a bunch of nitwits to be on TV who think they have a show at marrying Prince Harry.
Because, you know, a British prince has no other way to meet women...

The Voice (NBC; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series (El Rey; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.


Wednesday, 5/21

Modern Family (ABC; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

The Americans (FX; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Thursday, 5/22

Gang Related; Fox. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Friday, 5/23

Hannibal (NBC; 9:01 pm CST). Season Finale.


Sunday, 5/25

Mad Men (AMC; 9 pm CST). Mid-season Finale.
Yes, even Mad Men is doing the final split-season thing that has become popular.
See the final round of eps (still under the same "season") next spring.

Television Finales, Premieres, and Notables: May 12-18, 2014

I'm still reeling over some recently-announced cancellations (Almost Human, Trophy Wife, Community, and the one that hurts the most: The Neighbors), so I don't feel too bad about these other shows coming to an end for the season or the series.

But, like TV has done for decades: some go, some come back, and there's always something new waiting in the wings to get their shot.

I'm looking forward to cleaning-out the DVR and catching my breath. Of course, networks and cable netlets don't give us too much of a break anymore.


Monday, 5/12

The Blacklist (NBC; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed

Castle (ABC; 9:01 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed


Tuesday, 5/13

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC. 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
It started a little slow/sloppy, but, really, many many shows do.
But the fantastic Clark Gregg really held it together until it found its feet-- and with the help of the game-changing Captain America: The Winter Soldier events-- it has become a must-see show like so many other Joss Whedon creations (not to diminish the contributions of the day-to-day creators, but this has always been touted as a Joss project).
Betrayals, secrets, the "peeling onion" storylines; things looking like one thing and becoming something else later.
It's still a more tame show (and I don't mind; I like having something I can watch with my tween-age kids), but there are flashes of terrible things that will probably give nightmares (an exposed brain of a conscious person, the Deathlok project victim, a murdered person stuffed in a ceiling and dripping blood below it).
And, man, Gregg is awesome. Even without all the above, I'd watch simply because if him.
So if you missed it or didn't stick with it after the first half-season, try to hunt it down over the summer.
Renewed

Glee (Fox; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
Another uneven season-- but at least I didn't hate it outright like I had other seasons. (Why do I still watch? There is just enough flashes of greatness or just enough pathos to keep me at least coming back, even though the love I had for it from the first season is all but forgotten.)
The next season is the final one, I believe, so I guess I'll stick with it. Maybe I'll be surprised.
I do have to give props to them acknowledging Cory Monteith's death-- and getting us to give a shit about these characters again; at least for a little bit.
Renewed

The Originals (The CW; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed

NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed

Riot; Fox. 8:00 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Steve Carell helps bring the international comedy game show Slide Show to the States.
I don't completely understand it, but it has to do with teams of comedians/actors doing improv on a stage that is tilted at a 22.5 degree angle.
Or maybe that's the sole gimmick, and there's nothing more to understand about it...

The Goldbergs (ABC; 8:01 pm CST). Season Finale.
Thankfully, this great, fun show avoiding the ax.
Renewed


Wednesday, 5/14

Arrow (The CW; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
No sophomore slump with this show.
Intense, twisty-and-turny, and jaw dropping.
Renewed

Suburgatory (ABC; 7:30 pm CST). Season Finale.
This season felt "off", but it won't get a chance to right the ship because...
Cancelled

Nashville (ABC; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed


Thursday, 5/15

The Big Bang Theory (CBS; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
Every time I try to get out, it pulls me back in.
Not as "dumbed down" as recent seasons had been (since the move to Thursdays), but not as clever as it used to be.
Renewed

Grey's Anatomy (ABC; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed

Reign (The CW; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed


Friday, 5/16

Kitchen Nightmares (Fox; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Hart of Dixie (The CW; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed


Saturday, 5/17

Saturday Night Live (NBC; 10:30 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed for a 40th season...


Sunday, 5/18

Bob's Burgers (Fox; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
This show has really grown into one of the more clever shows on a network.
Renewed

The Good Wife (CBS; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.
Renewed

I am going to aspire to have an obit like this written for me...

Television Premieres and Finales: May 5-11, 2014

Monday, 5/5

24: Live Another Day; Fox. 7 pm CST. Series Return.
Jack's back!
This is one I feel bad for missing originally (kept recording them-- and then the seasons kept building until it got too intimidating to finally start).
So I decided to jump on with this short season-- until I started reading the reviews saying this isn't the strongest comeback.
Maybe I'll wait a month. If I hear things got better, I'll try it OnDemand or later on DVD.

The Tomorrow People (The CW; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.
Sure, it's a typical CW show: hot, young people doing young, hot things-- but it did have a pretty nice mythology going for it, and it also had a near-ludicrous number of surprises that resulted in interesting cliff-hangers nearly every episode.
I liked it. Wasn't my favorite, but it keep me watching.

Bates Motel (A&E; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.
Geez-- over already? I haven't even started watching the season yet...

Louie; FX. 9 pm CST. 4th Season Premiere.


Tuesday, 5/6

Pioneers of Television (PBS; 7 pm CST [check local listings]). Season Finale.

New Girl (Fox; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.
This show had its sophomore slump a year too late.
Hopefully they turn it around next year...

Small Town Security; AMC. 10 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.


Wednesday, 5/7

Catfish: The TV Show; MTV. 9 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.


Thursday, 5/8

Two and a Half Men (CBS; 8:01 pm CST). Season Finale.

Maron; IFC. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.


Sunday, 5/11

Once Upon a Time (ABC; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

Rosemary's Baby; NBC. 8 pm CST. Mini-series Premiere.
Just what this Mother's Day needs: a reimagining of the 1967 novel and 1968 film based on it; starring Zoe Saldana.

Penny Dreadful; Showtime. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Revenge (ABC; 9:01 pm CST). Season Finale.

Television Premieres and Notables: April 28-May 4, 2014

Monday, 4/28

The Following (Fox; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.


Tuesday, 4/29

Playing House; USA. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Wednesday, 4/30

It took a couple of episodes for me to "get it", but I want to give a recommendation to watch Billy on the Street (Fuse; 10 pm CST). That show makes me laugh out loud frequently with Billy Eichner's bombastic, abusive confrontations with people. Keep an eye out for the repeats with Neal Patrick Harris and with Joel McHale. Insane and hilarious.


Thursday, 5/1

Vikings (History; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Sunday, 5/4

In The Simpsons' (Fox, 7:00 pm CST) 550th episode tonight, Homer finds himself in a Lego-ized world.

Resurrection (ABC; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

Just in time for Prom