Whenever I talk to my parents, my mother brings up the fact there’s nothing on and repeats of NCIS/Angel/Bones/SG:1 will suit her just fine.
This talk segways nicely into my ramble entitled: What’s left on television with a LOST/mythology vibe to watch or what the frack do we watch after the 24th?
Now, before you start lobbing shows at me let me show you my line up right now by day, theme and what season they’re in. No, there won’t be a test.
Sundays
True Blood (9pm HBO) – Based on the books by Charlaine Harris, the Buffy-fix of 2008. 2 seasons. 3rd arrives in June.
Entourage (10pm HBO) – Dramedy. 6th season. 7th premiering soon.
The Venture Bros (Cartoon Network) Animated. 3 seasons.
Robot Chicken (Cartoon Network) Animated.
Titan Maximum (Cartoon Network), Animated. 1 season.
Mondays
Chuck (8pm, NBC) – Comedy Spy/Nerd send up – 3rd season, 4th season renewed for 13 eps.
HIMYM (8pm, ABC) – Comedy. 5 seasons.
Castle (10pm ABC) – Dramedy/Procedural-sorta 2nd season, renewed for a 3rd season! (Ha Za!)
Human Target (8pm Fox) – Loosely based on a DC/Vertigo Comic. A send up to popular 80s shows where one man can make a difference! 1 season. 2nd season renewal for 13 episodes! (Yay!)
Tuesdays
Warehouse 13 (9pm SyFy) – Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure/Comedy 1 season, Season 2 premiers July 6th.
White Collar (9pm USA) – Dramedy/Crook gone good. 1 season. Season 2 premiers July 13th.
Justified (10pm FX) – Drama/US Marshal 1 season. (If you aren’t watching you should be.)
Wednesdays
Leverage (TNT) – Dramedy/Crooks gone good. 2 seasons, 3rd on the way.
The Closer (TNT) – Drama/Cop/Procedural. 5 seasons, 6th on the way.
The inbetweeners (BBCA) Raunchy High School Comedy Series 2 done. Series 3 on the way.
Thursdays
Community (8pm, NBC) – College Dramedy. Season 1 picked up for 2nd.
30 Rock (9:30pm NBC) – Comedy. 3 season picked up for 4th.
Fringe (9pm, FOX) – Mythology X-Files-type show for 2008. Season 2 almost done, 3rd on the way?
Fridays
Stargate: Universe (9pm Syfy, moving to Tuesdays October 1) – Sci-Fi Action/Adventure/mythology 1st season, renewed for 2nd.
Eureka (9pm Syfy) – Dramedy – Dramedy/Adventure 3rd season. 4th season begins July 9th.
Caprica (9pm Syfy moving to Tuesday October 1) – Sci-Fi Dallas/Mythology. 1/2 through 1st season. No pick up for 2nd, yet…(?)
Saturdays
Doctor Who (Saturdays, BBCA) – Grandaddy of Sci-Fi/mythology as thick as the Empire State Building. 1/2 way through “Series 5”, Series 6 already ordered.
Being Human (BBCA) 2nd Buffy Fix this time from across the pond. Werewolves, Vampires and Ghosts. Series 1 finished, Series 2 coming soon.
Yep. That’s a lot. Thankfully, I don’t watch any Reality Television or I’d rilly be screwed.
There are obviously shows I have missed (Burn Notice, liked the premise/actors just haven’t had time to watch, Sanctuary kinda puttered out for me once they killed off Ashley played by Emilie Ullerup) but you get the general gist of what I’m talking about.
Stargate Universe is currently the only show that is post-BSG gritty and interesting, people at work talk about it and has an enjoyable 10yrs of mythology. It’s also a sci-fi show that doesn’t have the word Trek anywhere near it.
Doctor Who is a no brainer for the uber geeks but it’s so steeped in mythology and it’s “we’re a kid’s show hide behind the couch!” mentality it doesn’t reach new viewers easily.
We aren’t essentially looking at the death of mythology television since everything runs in cycles.
The network brass always throws things at the wall and sees what sticks only to yank it when ratings get bad, unfortunately. But they’ve been doing that for years so it’s nothing new.
Many shows in the last six years have tried to capture the essence of LOST but failed. Every show that had a “hook” the (insert big event) will effect (these people) and lead towards (insert event).
So far the only one survivor from last season is V and it was renewed while slighty smarter Flash Forward was canceled.
V. Renewed. These two words should rilly not exist in any form only because the execution behind V in the beginning was stupid. Letting the Aliens land on Earth in the first episode without word one from the Government in charge stupid. There’s a right way to do KISS science fiction and then there’s stupid science fiction for sake of the plot. I stuck with the show until the fall finale but never looked back. Since it has been renewed should I start taking bets on how many show runners they replace next season, too?
Moving on, what shows beyond comedies and procedurals have lasted more than 3 years? If you answered Smallville, Supernatural and Desperate Housewives then you are correct. But they don’t count, because I don’t watch them. I’m not looking down my nose at you hardcore fans of those shows mentioned above I’m just being honest.
Hell, they just canceled Law and Order after twenty years. The last time that happened was Gunsmoke in 1975! Even in the past nothing is safe from that Death Star that is Nielsen!
I normally judge shows like this:
1: How desperate am I?
2: How bad is the quality?
3: And what show does it conflict with?
Buffy had quality. Charmed probably had quality but the filming/lighting of the episodes drove me up a wall and I’m sure after sittin’ through 5 seasons of Supernatural I’d probably love it. But the only time I’m watching Desperate Housewives is when it moves to Cinemax.
The reason why I focus so much on LOST is two things: Everyone enjoyed it in one way or another and it had something for everyone. We could talk about it at work because at least five of us or more watched it and would groan when one of us is four episodes behind. Sure, the overall mythology wasn’t even written down by the time they filmed the pilot, I don’t care about that. What I care about is: What am I gonna talk about with cube mates around the post-Seinfeld “water cooler”?
A few shows peak my interest, AMC is working on Zombie show called The Walking Dead based on the comic book. It won’t be a happy cheery end of the world show but it has Zombies. The good news it’s not on prime time television.
Several other shows I09 has listed here that may look interesting.
Unfortunately, I give The Cape on NBC less than a season, not because of the Curse of Summmmmmmmmmmer (!) Glau but it’s sounds like a white Mantis without the disability. If it lasts more than a season someone at NBC is obviously taunting us.
Terra Nova on Fox is gonna last one episode. I call it now. Somebody write it down. The Firefly Curse remains in full effect at Fox. Hell, I was impressed Human Target got renewed.
The Event sounds interesting but it’s named The Event. C’mon.
Where’s a horrible Dark Tower mini series when you need it?
I’m sorry if I sound bitter but really, instead of enjoying 13 episodes of Firefly and 1 movie we should be well into Firefly Season 8 by now.
And, yes, I think Captain Tightpants could easily run double duty between Castle and Firefly. He is Captain Tightpants after all.
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