Television Premieres and Notables: June 8-14, 2015

Monday, 6/8

Becoming Us; ABC Family. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A 17 year old man learns his father is a transgender person.



Tuesday, 6/9

Hell's Kitchen (Fox; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

iZombie (CW; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Dance Moms; Lifetime. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Younger (TV Land; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Thursday, 6/11

Beauty and the Beast; CW. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.

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


Friday, 6/12

Orange is the New Black; Netflix. Streaming. Season Premiere.

Dark Matter; Syfy. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Six characters wake up on a starship with no idea who they are or why they are there.


Saturday, 6/13

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell; CW. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Sunday, 6/14

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

Veep (HBO; 9:30 pm CST). Season Finale.

Television Premieres and Notables: June 1-7, 2015

Monday, 6/1

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

Devious Maids; Lifetime. 8 pm CST. 3rd Season Premiere.

UnREAL; Lifetime. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A scripted series about the behind-the-scenes look at a reality series.

The Whispers; ABC. 9:01 pm CST. Series Premiere.
An invisible entity that only children can see is tricking them into putting adults in life-threatening situations.


Tuesday, 6/2

Community (Yahoo Screen; streaming). Season Finale.
And likely series finale as more and more cast members get roles in new fall TV shows...

Stitchers; ABC Family. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A hacker becomes a part of a government experiment that allows her to become "stitched" into the minds of the recently deceased.

Pretty Little Liars; ABC Family. 9 pm CST. 6th Season Premiere.

Secrets And Wives; Bravo. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Royal Pains; USA. 9:01 pm CST. 7th Season Premiere.


Wednesday, 6/3

Melissa and Joey; ABC Family. 7 pm CST.

Baby Daddy; ABC Family. 7:30 pm CST.

Tia Mowry at Home (Cooking; 8 pm CST). Series Finale.

The Game; BET. 9 pm CST. Final Season Premiere.

Hot in Cleveland (TV Land; 9 pm CST). Series Finale.


Thursday, 6/4

Hannibal; NBC. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Friday, 6/5

Sense8; Netflix. Streaming. Series Premiere.


Saturday, 6/6

100 Things to Do Before High School; Nick. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Power; Starz. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Sunday, 6/7

Food Network Star; Food. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Just in time for Road Construction season...

Television Premieres and Notables: May 25-31, 2015

Monday, 5/25

Texas Rising; History. 8 pm CST. Mini-series Premiere.
Five-part mini about the Alamo starring Bill Paxton, Ray Liotta, and Brendan Fraser.

The Island; NBC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Bear Grylls narrates this reality show where fourteen men are put on an island, and all they have to do is survive.

The Last Alaskans; Animal Planet. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
A series that follows really isolated people in the biggest state in the Union.


Tuesday, 5/26

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader; Fox. 7 pm CST. Season Premiere.

The CW is reairing The Flash from the pilot starting at 7 pm tonight. Looks like one ep a week for the foreseeable future, but the CW commercial during the season finale said it was repeating the entire season over the summer. So should be safe to jump onboard if you want to try it out.
And, if you do try it out, I'll just say that yeah, it is flawed, and it did take some time to find its feet.
But I will also say it's probably the closest comic cook show to the source material there's been in quite some time.
Grant Gustin has just the right balance between earnestness and humor that makes Barry Allen someone to root for. He's not running around saving the city because he has this crushing sense of duty like most of the other DC screen properties have had; he does it because it's the right thing to do.
There are enough forgettable villains of the week, but they did hit some home runs with Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell as Captain Cold and Heatwave, guest stars who were such studs that they'll be a part of next year's DC's Legends of Tomorrow (let's hope they rename it before it airs).
And, finally, the season had a nice build that eventually raced to the finale-- and stuck the landing. So many jaw-droppers the last few episodes, it was impossible to know when to breathe.
So if you have inkling you might enjoy a nice adventure series (even if some of the characters dress up in costumes), give it a try.

I Can Do That; NBC. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Marlon Wayans hosts this show that sounds like a celebrity talent competition.

Knife Fight; Esquire. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Wednesday, 5/27

The Briefcase; CBS. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Families in need of funds get a briefcase full of money.
I am guessing there's more to it..

Bullseye; Fox. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Thursday, 5/28

500 Questions (ABC; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.


Friday, 5/29

Comedy Bang! Bang! IFC. 10 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Sunday, 5/31

Halt and Catch Fire; AMC. 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.

Television Premieres, Finales, and Notables: May 18-24, 2015

Monday, 5/18

The Following (Fox; 7 pm CST). Series Finale.

Mike & Molly (CBS; 7:30 pm CST). Season Finale.

American Dad! TBS. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.
I don't know; they call it a "season premiere", but it seems like TBS has one for this show every six weeks.

The Bachelorette; ABC. 8:01 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Tuesday, 5/19

The Flash (CW; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
This show exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations. It actually embraced its comic book origins, it propelled the storylines and wasn't afraid to change-the-game when the situation warranted. And-- holy shit!!!-- it made [I won't spoil it] a bad guy; a villain more powerful, more intellegent, and with knowledge of the future on his side that was an intense flip-side of the kind-hearted Barry.

And, in this finale episode, Barry has to decide if he should travel back in time to save his mother, free his father, and possibly destroy everything he knows that came after that night that changed his life.

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


Wednesday, 5/20

500 Questions; ABC. 7 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Survivor (CBS; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

MasterChef; Fox. 7 pm CST. 6th Season Premiere.

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

Late Show With David Letterman (CBS; 10:35 pm CST). Series Finale.


Thursday, 5/21

Between; Netflix. Streaming. Series Premiere.
In the town of Pretty Lake, people older than 21 years are dying from a mysterious plague.


Sunday, 5/24

Battle Creek (CBS; 9 pm CST). Series Finale.

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (Lifetime; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

Television Premieres, Finales, and Notables: May 11-17, 2015

Monday, 5/11

Girl Meets World; Disney. 7:30 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Jane the Virgin (The CW; 8 pm CST). Season Premiere.
If you get the chance, check out this show over the summer.
It follows (parodies?) the telenovela concept; crazy drama with outlandish coincidences, but there is heart underneath it all that makes me happy it's on the air.

Bates Motel (A&E; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

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


Tuesday, 5/12

NCIS (CBS; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

Chicago Fire (NBC; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Wednesday, 5/13

Moone Boy; Hulu. Streaming. Season Premiere.

The Goldbergs (ABC; 7:30 pm CST). Season Finale.

CSI Cyber (CBS; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.


Thursday, 5/14

Scandal (ABC; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.


Friday, 5/15

Shark Tank (ABC; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

Is Your Dog a Genius; NatGeo Wild. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.


Saturday, 5/16

Saturday Night Live (NBC; 10:30 pm CST). Season Finale.


Sunday, 5/17

The Simpsons (Fox; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.

Mad Men (AMC; 9 pm CST). Series Finale.

Television Premieres and Notables: May 4-10, 2015

Monday, 5/4

Gotham (Fox; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
I think Cobblepot's going to do some more bad things.
Maybe Nigma's going down a road he can't turn away from.


Tuesday, 5/5

New Girl (Fox; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.

Person of Interest (CBS; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.
And it hasn't been renewed yet...

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

Inside Comedy; Showtime. 10 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Wednesday, 5/6

Schitt's Creek (POP; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Thursday, 5/7

The Big Bang Theory (CBS; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
And I'm pretty sure it'll be the last ep I watch of this show. Time to call it quits for me.


Friday, 5/8

Grace and Frankie; Netflix. Streaming, Series Premiere.
Sorry; don't know what it's about.
But I do know Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen, and Sam Waterston star in it.


Saturday, 5/9

Say It to My Face! FYI. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Restaurants meet their online critics-- and and try to change their minds.


Sunday, 5/10

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

He probably never said this-- but it doesn't mean it's not true...