Sunday September 16th What You Should Watch

Boardwalk Empire is back for Season 3 on HBO. 

Tonight ABC is catching us up on Revenge with three episodes airing back to back tonight from 8 to 11.

NBC Sunday Night Football game is Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

CBS has repeats of The Good Wife and The Mentalist

Broadway or Bust continues on PBS.

The series finale of Weeds airs at 10pm on Showtime

Boardwalk Empire

Episode: Resolution

Nucky makes a resolution; Margaret considers a hospital expansion; Gillian builds a new business; Van Alden stumbles onto a confrontation.

 

Weeds

Episode: It’s Time

FINALE

 

 

Broadway or Bust

Episode: Boot Camp

Performers prepare for the auditions and awards ceremony.

 

 

The Good Wife

Episode: The Penalty Box

Alicia represents a judge facing misconduct charges; Cary makes a decision about his career; Kalinda deals with the consequences of Agent Delaney’s investigation.

 

The Mentalist

Episode: Red Rover, Red Rover

 A message from Red John causes Jane to lose focus on a current investigation, putting his career in jeopardy.

 

Revenge

Episode: Pilot

Emily Thorne rents the Southampton home she once shared with her father and sets her plan in motion.

 

Revenge

Episode: Chaos

Emily’s vendetta takes a dark turn at her and Daniel’s engagement party, putting everyone in mortal danger; Jack decides to track down Amanda; Charlotte goes to extremes to relieve the pain of her family’s betrayal.

 

Revenge

Reckoning

Emily intends to finally follow through with her plan for revenge; the Graysons continue down a path of self-destruction; an explosive event changes everything.

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2012 TV Season New and Returning Shows What Are The Odds For Survival

The 2012 season will soon be upon us, the week of Sept 9th to be exact. The networks spend lots of money figuring out what we want to watch and what advertisers will buy.  I have been doing a little research, looking at the data based on the focus groups, seen some of the pilots, and read what the critics have said so far. Here is what I think will either earn “Revenge’s” title for break out hit or replace “The Playboy Club“, as the biggest flop. 

Just because a show got renewed doesn’t mean it will survive season 2, it may have been renewed because it’s 3 million viewers was a better bet than one of the pilots.  Let’s also look at some of those returning shows and see who is primed for a sophomore slump, or homecoming queen.

Returning Shows

Dramas

Revenge: Clearly the breakout hit of the 2011 season. This show has the potential to continue to build its audience and solidify it’s place as the catalyst for the nighttime soap rebirth. OR The creators could meddle with the formula and get in over their heads, too many changes and diversions could spell ratings disaster. Hope you dug two graves, one could be for this show.  BTW note to ABC, I don’t think moving it to Sunday night was a good move, the first half of the season will constantly be interrupted because of football. And you are forcing your viewers to DVR it if they are bigger fans of The Good Wife.

Scandal: It started slow, but the finale was the highest rated, and based on reviews and fan discussions it built a solid following who want to see what Olivia Pope and her gang of merry folk will be up to this season.  Shonda shouldn’t have parted company with Henry Ian Cusick, he made Olivia’s preachy/teachy scenes more tolerable.  Private Practice is on its way out, Shonda may need to keep the brand alive by giving this show all her attention which could be a good thing for viewers. I predict a shaky second season and time slot juggling.

The Good Wife: This is a well written show with great acting that consistently turns in solid episodes filled with twists and turns balanced with the right amount of human story every week. It’s ratings are weak, and this year it goes up against Revenge and the first half of the season being interrupted by football. Why does CBS hate The Good Wife. It will hang in, but don’t expect to know if this show will be renewed until the last possible second. Enjoy it today for we may not have tomorrow.

Comedies

2 Broke Girls: Like Revenge this was a big break out hit last year.  Sure critics complained about the crass humor, but the people watched the ongoing antics of waitress/cupcake queens Max and Caroline and kept watching.  I am interested in seeing what tweaks they make, I for one hope they don’t change a thing. This show is really good just the way it is.

Suburgatory: Another break out hit, ABC obviously sees a lot of potential, this season is nestled safely between Modern Family and the much anticipated The Neighbors on Wednesday night.

New Dramas

Nashville: Top Notch Cast- check, classic All About Eve story – check, catchy soundtrack – check (iTunes tie in moneymaker – bonus). ABC Wednesday night comedy block lead in – check. What could go wrong. If this show isn’t the next big thing, I will personally walk up and down Ventura Blvd singing the entire Tammy Wynette catalog.

Revolution: I love Billy Burke and want him to have a hit, the kind of TV hit that buys you houses, bankrolls your retirement and gets you development deals with the network. But, alas I don’t think Revolution is it. The premise is tight, but not sustainable, think Flash Forward or The Event. I predict the power will be back on mid-season.

Chicago Fire: Pretty Pretty boys, not much else, besides its up against CSI and Nashville. Time slot change then cancellation. 

Vegas: Like Blue Bloods, this show is going to kill in overall viewers, but not the key 18-49 demo. This show is going to be a break out hit for the older set. Michael Chiklis has a strong following from his days on The Shield and The Commish, and Dennis Quaid, well he’s Dennis Quaid, he was the Matt Damon of his generation. He could make any movie better.

Elementary: Going in this show has too many things working against it, Robert Downey Jr‘s Holmes is too fresh in our minds, the success of the British reboot currently airing on Masterpiece Mystery and do we really need another police procedural where the detective isnt’ a cop but some sort of savant (see The Mentalist and Perception) The best ever ” a little off” on a cop show Goren on Law and Order CI). Elementary is this year’s Prime Suspect.

New Comedies

Animal Practice: I don’t know why, but this show really appealed to me. It could have been the animals, it could have been Justin Kirk, there was just something about that I liked. But I am not getting attached, it didn’t do well with the focus groups. It is not long for this world.

The Mindy Kaling Project: This show didn’t do well with the groups either, and the pilot was far from perfect. But Kaling has a distinctive style, read her book to see what I mean.  I will be surprised if it gets a second season, but then again I was wrong about New Girl.

The Neighbors: The pilot will have Modern Family’s lead in, then settle into the 8:30 Wednesday time slot. A typical American family moves into the gated community of  Hidden Hills, little do they know all their neighbors are aliens. So its the alien’s next door story in reverse, the problem is the fish out of water, double take humor will get old fast and so will the show.  That’s ok, because when they cancel it they can bring Happy Endings back to Wednesday’s where it belongs.

What do you think will be the break out hits? Or the big misses this season?  Head on down to the comments.

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Wednesday 5/9 What You Should Watch

Revenge is new tonight, Legacy takes us back to 2002, call this the “origin” episode for our revenge super hero.

All of ABC is new tonight, so yuck it up with The Middle, Suburgatory, Modern Family and Don’t Trust the B…

Season Finales airing tonight, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Revenge

Episode: Legacy

Back in 2002, Amanda Clarke starts reading her father’s journals and begins staking out the Grayson’s home; as her anger and determination grow, she forms a plan to seek justice — as Emily Thorne.

Suburgatory

Episode: The Great Compromise

While Tessa tries to adjust to living with Eden, George takes issue with Eden’s parenting; Lisa and Malik consider which camp they should attend.

Modern Family

Episode: Disneyland

When the family travels to Disneyland, Phil struggles to keep up with Luke; Claire is stunned when they run into Dylan; Cam and Mitch must curb Lily’s new penchant for running.

Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23

Episode: Making Rent …

After struggling to make ends meet, June comes up with a creative way to make extra money; James launches a line of super-skinny jeans.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Episode: Homecoming

When three dead bodies turn up a few blocks from a campaign dinner, the team makes a shocking discovery.

Revenge “Justice”

Nolan to Amanda, “you do realize if you expose the Grayson’s for jury tampering, you risk your fiancé spending the rest of hs life in prison”?, Amanda says “I came here for one reason, nothings going to get in my way”.  Amanda is committed to her to plan, I guess we now know she is not in love with Daniel.  I am not sure who is more cold, her or Victoria.

“Justice” opens, several months, and 15 days into Daniel’s trial. Which make sense since this show is about Revenge and we need to wrap up the trial to get back to business.

 However, I have to hand it to Mike Kelley, the murder and the trial are interesting ways to expose more of the characters layers.  We always knew Victoria was calculating, but who knew to what extent, getting her own son beat up in prison just to spring him.  Jury tampering, threatening inocent children. The trial has also upped the cat and mouse game between Amanda and Victoria, it’s great to see two solid female leads heading up a show.  The men definitely take a backseat to these ladies.

In a nutshell, Declan recants his story, he says he didn’t see anyone on the beach that night. Jack comes back to town, Amanda gets the bloody hoodie and plants it on Victoria’s goon, or “mini-Frank” as Nolan has named him, Nolan really does get the best lines. Victoria has hired the goon to go after one of the jurors, instead he gets arrested and put in jail. He threatens to expose the Grayson’s,  Conrad has him killed, makes it look like a suicide and in the fake note mini-Frank confesses to killing Tyler. Case closed. 

In between, Daniel breaks house arrest to confront Amanda about having an affair with Jack, he lands back in Jail. Conrad gets rid of Victoria’s artist boyfriend. And we get a lot of cool Amanda/Nolan scenes, how I love these two together.

In the end, Amanda figures out that her dad was killed just like mini-Frank, the Grayson’s murdered her father. Game so Fu&#ing On!!

Next Week

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Wednesday 2/29 What You Should Watch

Ok this is it, the last night of sweeps.

Revenge is all new tonight!!! Tyler was shot, by whom we don’t know.  All we do know is. Daniel is going on trial.  Per the preview below, it looks like Daniel finds Amanda’s infinity box. Will he learn her secret? Will he keep it?

The ABC comedy click is all new, Suburgatory and Modern Family are the best way to get over the mid-week hump.

Whitney and Are you there, Chelsea?  are on their way out, get them while you can.

Revenge

Episode: Scandal

The Graysons unite in the face of recent scandal; Emily becomes increasingly anxious; Amanda’s location is questioned.

 

Suburgatory

Episode: Poetic Injustice

Fred thinks Sheila is interested in George; the new poetry teacher, Ms. Evans, takes an interest in Dalia’s prose despite Tessa’s efforts to impress.

 

Modern Family

Episode: Leap Day

Mitchell feels pressured to make Cameron’s birthday extra special; Jay’s manliness comes into question; the girls interfere with Phil’s leap day plans.

 

Whitney

Episode: Homeland Security

Whitney has an unexpected reaction when confronted with a mugger; Lily tries to keep herself busy after her and Neal’s wedding is called off; Mark encourages Neal to talk about his feelings.

 

Are You There, Chelsea?

Episode: Those Damn Yankees

Chelsea faces her father’s wrath after the minor league baseball player (Wilmer Valderrama) she has been dating is traded to the Yankees; Rick helps out Nikki’s grandmother (Estelle Harris).

 

Survivor: One World

Episode: One World Is Out the Window

Harsh elements lead to new conflicts between the sexes; poor communication has contestants scrambling during a frustration-filled immunity challenge.

 

Criminal Minds

Episode: A Family Affair

The BAU goes to Atlanta to investigate a series of murders, which they believe are being committed by more than one unsub.

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SPOILER ALERT Revenge “Chaos”

If you haven’t seen tonight’s episode of Revenge and you don’t want to be spoiled, then stop reading now.

Proceed at your own risk.

You have been warned.

Just like I predicted, Tyler was shot, and Daniel is going on trial for his murder.  Real Emily is back, but not for long, Amanda’s Revenge sensei Mr. Takeda took her away.  According to the shows creator Mike Kelly, the identity of the murder will be revealed by the February 29th episode.  My money is on Takeda, Real Emily is just too obvious.

The show is also going thru a time jump, it will flash forward to Christmastime and everyone will have moved back to New York City.  I also here Charlotte is going to start doing her best Valley of the Dolls impersonation to deal with the revelations about her father.

Jack will be going in search of FakeAmanda. And Daniel is going to begin a downward spiral, his murder trial is only the tip of the iceberg.

Thanks to my mom who lives in NJ, she gave me the heads up.

Image via Wikipedia

Wednesday 2/15 What You Should Watch

Revenge, this is it folks, the engagement party, the shooting it all comes to a head tonight.

ABC’s comedy block is all new. Are you watching Suburgatory, it’s my new favorite sitcom.

Revenge

Episode: Chaos

Emily’s vendetta takes a dark turn at her and Daniel’s engagement party, putting everyone in mortal danger; Jack decides to track down Amanda; Charlotte goes to extremes to relieve the pain of her family’s betrayal.

 

Suburgatory

Episode: The Body

Tessa hopes to win the student body president election and change Chatswin High’s obsession with sports; when Ryan is injured during a wrestling match, George tries to help him overcome the setback

 

Modern Family

Episode: Aunt Mommy

After selling a house to Mitch and Cameron’s friends, Claire and Phil plan a celebratory dinner; overindulging in drinks leads to over sharing.

 

 

 

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Wednesday 1/25 What You Should Watch

Kiefer Sutherland‘s new show “Touch” is debuting the pilot tonight after American Idol. 

ABC is all repeats. Revenge doens’t come back until February 8th, just in time for sweeps.

Whitney and Are you there, Chelsea are new. Watch while you can these will be cancelled in 3….2….1

Touch

Episode: Pilot

After widower Martin Bohm discovers that his emotionally impaired 11-year-old son can predict the future, he meets with a social worker and a professor who may be able to unlock the boy’s mind.

One Tree Hill

Episode: Love the Way You Lie

Dan helps Haley, who is struggling at Karen’s Cafe; Quinn learns that Clay is keeping a secret; Chase tries to fix a broken heart; Julian makes a mistake.

Whitney

Episode: Codependence Day

Roxanne hires Whitney as her assistant and office spy; Alex reorganizes the apartment; Mark asks Neal and Lily for help with a woman.

Are You There, Chelsea?

Episode: Believe

Chelsea meets a guy (Austin Butler) at Sloane’s church group social and decides to set him up with Dee Dee; Rick is excited when his ex-girlfriend (Natasha Leggero) lands a job at the bar.

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Revenge “Commitment”

We open with our dynamic duo, FauxEmily and Nolan viewing one of the interview tapes stolen from Mason Treadwell’s house before FauxEm burned it to the ground. The tape reveals what we suspected all along, Charlotte is David Clarke’s daughter.

Nolan asks FauxEm what she is going to do with the tapes, she says she will use one to blow up the Grayson divorce and the other to get rid of RealEmily. She already framed her for burning down Mason’s house, the tape is just insurance, she must get rid of her.

Nolan asks, what about Charlotte, what about Jack, they will get hurt. She doesn’t care, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, no matter the collateral damage. 

The episode centers around, the divorce, Charlotte’s paternity, getting RealEmily out of town and the proposal.

FauxEmily tells RealEmily she needs to get out of town, Vicki is coming for her. She also tells her Vicki burned Treadwell’s house down, and is going to pin it on her. RealEmily is having none of it, she is staying.

Meeting the Grayson’s and the lawyers, the storm is starting in the background you can hear thunder and wind. Very cool, I love a good storm episode.  Conrad’s lawyer plays the tape about Charlotte, the kid is out of the bag.  There is going to be a paternity test, the question is will Vicki’s lawyer rig it. 

Vicki and FauxAmanda have tea, they spar, FauxAmanda says you are not the boss of me and walks out. Vicki’s attorney comes in picks up a spoon for a DNA test. He informs Vicki the prelim is in on Charlotte and Conrad isn’t the father. Oh dear.  Say good-bye to all the money.  Is Vicki’s revenge next if she loses it all. 

More Grayson’s and the lawyers, even thou the DNA test shows Charlotte isnt his, he decodes not to void her trust fund. Conrad and Vicki have a private meeting, he offers her a settlement if she doesn’t they will go to court and everyone will know that Charlotte is the daughter of the most hated man in America.  Ashley overhears everything.

Conrad tells Charlotte she has to move back in with Mommy. 

Daniel proposes to FauxEmily, she says yes, but we knew that already.

Ashley and Nolan have a heart to  heart at the bar, she tells Nolan and Jack that Daniel proposed to FauxEmily.

Daniel tells Conrad about the proposal, Connie asks Danny if Emily knows she is a pawn in the trust fund game. Daniel says he is in love with Emily, Connie scoffs and says someday she will have a secret so big it will bring down the family.  Daniel asks for an explanation, Connie tells him to go see “Mommy”.

Back to Grayson manor, the lawyer shows up and says all the DNA tests are back and FauxAmanada and Charlotte are half sisters. Vicki doesn’t buy it, but DNA doesn’t lie. Vicki fires her lawyer.

Vicki’s henchman breaks into Jack’s to steal the tapes, Jack catches him and gets the stuffing knocked out of him Nolan informs RealAmanda of the beating, and tells her she has Jack’s blood on her hands.  Nolan seems pretty disgusted with her.  RealAmanada goes off to meet the lawyer, they have been in cahoots the whole time.  He tells her to reassess what she is doing.  She goes to see Jack, she stands over him as he is sleeping and strokes his hand.

The Emilys have a sitdown, Amanda tells Emily the truth about her father and how the Grayson’s set him up. Amanda tells Emily she is here for her revenge, and that she and Jack are in danger. She needs to save herself, she gives her a new cell, id and passport.  Ok, you know she is so coming back. I am telling you she is our shooter, now the question is who does she shoot.  She thinks its Daniel, but could it be David Clarke, come back with plastic surgery so no one recognizes him. Or is it Tyler?

Final scene – Daniel and Mommy, every time I see them I think of the great mother/son teams of all time.  Hamlet and Gertrude, Oedipus and Jocasta.  Daniel asks mommy about the big secret, she leads him to believe David Clarke raped her.  If we thought Amanda was getting revenge before, holy crap wait till she hears this. 

Next week a repeat as we gear up for February sweeps.

My guess is the shooting will be wrapped up during sweeps.

Revenge “Duress”

When I saw the promo for this episode I was afraid the sequence with Tyler would turn out to be a hallucination because he was off his meds. I am so happy they didnt cop out, although it seemed a little to contrived the way FauxEmily set it all up, taking out the bullets, getting Frank’s wallet into his jacket.  But, since this show is a “soap” I am willing to just go with it and enjoy.

I hope Tyler returns, he is so good at being bad and crazy. I still say he is the dead man on the beach. The whole scene with him going into a rage, complete with him looking  at the image of himself in the broken mirror was classic camp. Show how I love and missed you.

In a plot line that goes back to the Greeks, Daniel teamed up with mommy against Daddy. Mommy gives him a memory book for his birthday, she claims she has been making it since his childhood. Man I love Victoria, she has no shame, she stole the idea from Emily, and gave him the gift right in front of her. If Victoria and Emily don’t end up duking it out in ball gowns in the pond I am going to be so disappointed.  Or perhaps the classic fall down a flight of stairs, one accusing the other of pushing.

The Grayson divorce battle has begun, the object at the center or it all, Charlotte. I find this most interesting because I am pretty sure we all know Charlotte isn’t Conrad’s, she is David Clarke’s daughter.  Victoria’s lawyer voids the pre-nup saying she was pregnant at the time and under duress. We later find out Victoria lied, her lawyer finds a doc who will fake a report so he draws up the necessary paperwork to support the fib.

I wonder if the first Mrs. Grayson will ever show up?

Emily and Nolan made up, they had a genuine heart to heart and Emily called Nolan her friend.  Nolan proved what a good friend he is by getting stabbed by Tyler.  What happened to the bodyguard?

Poor Ashley, he meal ticket went bye-bye. Do I sense a Nolan Ashley pairing on the horizon.  And you know we are heading for a Jack/Real Emily/Fake Emily triangle as well.  FakeEmily may have feelings for Daniel, but she is in love with Jack. If the previews are to be believed, Daniel is only proposing to Emily to get his trust fund.  They are using each other, he is using her to help his mother and she is using him to get to his mother. Neat!

Best scene of the night, FauxEmily and Victoria discussing FauxAmanda being back in town.  Victoria’s response to whether she remembered her, “vaguely, poor dear”.  Then FauxEmily telling Victoria she has invited them to the clambake. HA!!

Emily discovers Tyler’s dirty little secret, he is on meds, attacked his former doc and on the run from the cops.  She goes to Nolan for help, they track down his brother.  Nolan offers to fly him out to pick up his brother.  Did I mention Nolan has been tracking Tyler via his cell phone.

Conrad and Victoria meet, he tells her Tyler is blackmailing him, he has Lydia’s speech and a tape of Frank pushing Lydia off the balcony. This is perfect, Tyler has been discredited as a blackmailer and the scene at the birthday party seals his fate. Provides cover for FauxEmily.

Daniel enters the pool house to find Tyler sitting in the dark waiting for him. Tyler wants Daniel to come away with him to California, Tyler is sooo in love with him.  A few insults, some idle threats and Tyler is gone.

Tyler shows up at Nolan’s, threatens him with a knife, he wants the sex video. He slices Nolan’s arm and the catches the feed of the whale cam from FauxEmily’s house.  You know this is a double cross by FauxEm and Nolan, but Tyler thinks he actually has one up on them.  Silly Rabbit.  Tyler ties Nolan up, and not in a good way and takes off for the party.

Off to the party.  FauxAmanda is introduced to the Grayson’s and we get a flashback to Victoria and David making plans on the beach. So Vicki was going to leave Connie for David, and she never met Amanda a child, smart writers tha helps with a lot of pesky questions. Did Connie find out Vicki was going to leave him for David, is that why he took him down, jealousy, there has to be more to the story.

Tyler shows up and in a performance worthy of Christian Bale in American Psycho, he sings Happy Birthday to Daniel and starts a game of Truth or Dare. He asks Conrad to tell everyone the truth about David Clarke or someone will get killed.   Conrad is willing to let Tyler shoot FauxEmily to keep his secret. Now that is Klassy with a K.

Tyler’s brother and Nolan show up just in time, the police arrest Tyler, they find Frank’s wallet in his jacket. Conrad is no longer a suspect and informs Vicki she is in for the fight of her life.  FauxEmily had removed the bullets from the gun, she knew Tyler was going to do something. 

More importantly, Tyler has planted the seed that there was more to the David Clarke story then everyone knows and FauxAmanda is going to run with it. 

Next Week “Infamy”

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