Fall TV - PART ONE - NBC

In today’s post, we will break down some of the shows that are being introduced for the first time this fall as well as some returning for their sophomore effort. Also in this list will be a few shows that have been around for a while, some of which will be gone after this season. I will be breaking the posts down by network to keep your attention.

This is by no means a complete list of shows coming on in the fall. I don’t find it necessary to tell you about NJ Housewives or CSI: SVU or other stuff that is well below my age group (think CW or MTV productions). I will be mostly looking at shows that have some promise based on either its writing team or casting choices.

Read on and see if you agree with what is presented. Don’t forget to comment, particularly if you don’t agree. I love debate.

Revolution (Mondays, 9pm CST)

This new sci-fi series is a JJ Abrams and Bryan Burk production. That sentence alone may be just enough to lure in all of the LOST fans out there. Throw in the fact that it stars Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad fame and Billy Burke from the Twilight saga (I really want to type mess not saga, but that’s just me), you have an even bigger audience before the show even hits the airwaves.

The show takes place 15 years after the world’s technology is disabled by some unknown force. Operational electronics ranging from computers and cell phones to car engines and good old AA batteries, no longer are operational. This shakes the government’s ability to govern and now many areas are led by militias and warlords. At the heart of the series, a family may have possession of an item that can not only help them find out what happened when the world went black but may possibly be able to reverse the damage done.

The only problem I can foresee with this series is NBC has a long track record of bringing in a sci-fi genre show, getting people hooked in the first season, and then sending it to the gallows shortly thereafter (think Awake, V). Hopefully, NBC gets the viewers they need to keep it going without sentencing it to death before it gets a real chance.

Go On (Tuesdays, 8pm CST)

A new sitcom from NBC starring Friends alum Matthew Perry as a sportscaster that joins a support group to deal with a loss. Though the actual premiere is slated for September 11^th, the network has scheduled a preview on August 8^th, after the Olympics.

Perry hasn’t had a whole lot of luck on network television since Friends went off the air. His quirky, fast-talking cynicism worked on that show as well as his best known feature, The Whole Nine Yards, but it hasn’t had a great track record otherwise.

In Go On, Perry’s quick wit may prove to be the magic he has been looking for. While the overall premise of the show is group counseling with a bit of fun thrown in, one can’t picture a grief-stricken widow getting a chuckle from some dude joining their little group.

This show may be fun but it may end up in the trash pile along with some of Perry’s other efforts.

Grimm (Mondays August 13^th, 20^th and 27^th, 9pm CST; Fridays 8pm CST starting September 14th )

Ah, police procedurals. They are everywhere and have been for years. They’re all just about the same, until Grimm came along in late October 2011.

Grimm is a police show with a supernatural twist. The show focuses on Det. Nick Burkhardt, who works for the Portland Police Bureau and finds out he comes from a long line of ancestors known as Grimms. It is the duty of a Grimm to keep the peace between humans and the mythical creatures that walk among us.

Keeping the peace doesn’t come easy and Nick trying to keep his Grimm ancestry from his loved ones for their own protection is just as difficult. He receives a lot of his help from a reformed monster named Monroe, who is a Blutbad, a wolf-like creature that is provoked into violence by the color red.  

You may have noticed the oddity of the timeslots mentioned. A large portion of season one aired at 8pm CST Fridays. This put it in direct competition for two other extremely popular genre series’, FOX’s Fringe and CW’s Supernatural. Obviously, it didn’t hurt the show too much to have that kind of solid competition as it was picked up for the sophomore season. Since there is some wiggle room this summer to air repeats, this Monday night thing may just be a way for the show to grab a few more viewers they couldn’t snag on a Friday night. NBC plans on airing season one repeats prior to the season two premiere on Mondays, then returns to its normal timeslot on Fridays. Mark those calendars.

Sunday Night Football (Sundays of course, 7pm CST)

Yeah, I know. This isn’t what you were expecting. The fact of the matter is NFL programming is a huge deal in this country. Whether you like the game or not, it is here to stay. I felt I needed to at least put this on my list since it is a Fall TV standard. Other than that, I really don’t have much to contribute to this portion. You either watch football or you don’t. Nothing I say will make a difference. 

Up next, ABC .... 

Summer programming 2012 – What will you be watching while avoiding the heat?

Since you can get a basic listing of any shows that are coming up just about anywhere these days, I won’t bore you with a listing. Instead, I’m discussing the shows that do not include things like Gordon Ramsey, reality TV, game shows (including those inspirational ones for overweight people), and any soap-opera-type drama (Dallas…really?).

Frankly, I think shows like those mentioned above are insulting to people with half a brain. Yeah, my kids love Wipeout. Of course they do. What is funnier to someone under 15 than people hurting themselves for money? Probably watching their siblings getting hurt for free but I digress. What I am getting at here is I believe those shows are beneath YOU, not just me.

True Blood – (HBO, Sundays, 8pm CST)

True Blood had its fifth season premiere on June 10^th & proved while waiting sucks, being patient does have its rewards. This season has surpassed the previous one with the vampire history alone, not to mention the new additions to the cast. Getting Pam’s back-story is possibly the biggest reward for Truebies since we have learned very little about her & Eric’s relationship in the first four seasons. So far, it’s been totally worth the lengthy wait.

Falling Skies – (TNT, Sundays, 8pm CST)

June 17^th saw the premiere of the second season of this alien invasion apocalyptic series. This season we get a closer look at the aliens and their devious ways. We also see how the survivors are doing and find new people in the group to focus on. Not that anyone is safe on this show….

Anger Management – (FX, Thursdays, 8pm CST)

Charlie Sheen is back with his new series premiering June 28th. Not surprised about this? Me either. Mr. Sheen is a character and way more entertaining than Big Brother. The plot is hilarious if you think about it. Here, I will quote the FX Network website’s About the Show section and save you the trouble of looking it up. “Charlie Sheen stars as “Charlie,” a non-traditional therapist specializing in anger management.” That pretty much sums it up, folks. I will most likely tune in to see if it is a train wreck or if the funny guy is funny once again. Can he play anyone named anything else?

Wilfred – (FX, Thursdays, 9pm CST)

June 28^th on FX is a busy night with the premiere of Charlie Sheen’s as well as Russell Brand’s new shows. (Louie is also coming back on the same night. I’m not that into it but I think he understands.) This Thursday also welcomes back Wilfred for its second season. Elijah Wood plays a character that is out of the actor’s norm but he shines in this role as he has in others. Never thought I would see him as a TV series regular but here he is. As with many of FX’s shows, it pushes the envelope and this one succeeds. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but if you like perverted one liners and a pot smoking dog, this is the series for you. Give it a shot.

Weeds – (Showtime, Sundays, 9pm CST)

July 1^st marks the beginning of the eighth and final season of the mega-hit (pardon the pun). Last year’s cliffhanger has some fans reeling over what happens next. Though total numbers were down last season while Nancy & company are adjusting to her being out of prison, the almost cult-like following this show has makes me believe this premiere will be the highest rated of the series. I can’t imagine this story ending well which makes for compelling television.

2012 Summer Olympics London – (NBC, July 27^th-August 12^th, various air times)

Friday July 27^th is the Opening Ceremony, which will air as the First Primetime Show of the Olympiad. I only mention this because I find actual athletic competition so much better than most of the current summer television line up offered on network TV. Considering NBC is airing the trials for some Olympic sports every Friday night (other than the fluke of what seems to look like four straight hours of Dateline) until the actual opening ceremony, we should be prepared enough to not miss anything that would normally air on NBC during this timeslot. (Please note the sarcasm.)

Breaking Bad – (AMC, Sundays, 8pm CST)

July 15^th, a Sunday night, has been highly anticipated for quite some time, since the late evening of October 9, 2011 to be more precise. Critics can’t get enough of this show and neither can its rabid fans. What on earth are these guys going to do now? Cook more blue meth, I imagine. And find themselves in a whole crap ton of trouble, again. The premiere picks up right where we last saw Mr. White, shortly after Gus’ face-off (damn with my puns). Since they are dividing the fifth and final season up, we will have to wait until summer 2013 before we find out exactly how our beloved meth kings meet their ends. Will it be worth the wait? The answer is…Have you been watching this show AT ALL?? Of freaking course it will be! That’s church, yo.

Let's talk True Blood - The Authority and Pam stole the show

Sunday was the premiere of "Authority Always Wins," the second episode of the fifth season of True Blood.
If you haven't seen this episode, stop reading, go watch the show, then come back. This will still be here because of the magic that is the internet.
My point is, I will not censor my posts because I don't post them for at least a day after the episode has aired. In the case of a film related post, I will never post on a new release. I don't have that kind of funding.


Now on to my babble.....


Tara came back and was none too pleased about her newborn self. The exact line we thought she would utter was her only line. Rightfully so. Tara is now what she hates the most. I would be a little upset at my cousin & BFF, wouldn't you? Now where the hell did she run off to? Hopefully, she will find Pam.
Sam & Luna get into a fight that I honestly thought was pretty funny. Luna's little surprise with her kiddo was wonderful though. (BTW, for you Breaking Bad fans, Marcus' mother is played by the actress that played the "skank"..you remember....ATM...yeah...lol.) How is Luna going to deal with a puppy? How is Sam going to get the crap beat out of him because of his involvement with Luna and the pup? Sam is constantly getting beat up these days.
What on earth is going on with Terry? Arlene is a little too prying for my taste but I suppose that is what makes her a prime example of a lady from Louisiana. Terry's story is getting to look like he has more demons than we thought. It's a good thing.
Best part of the episode was finally getting to see some pre-vampire Pam. She has always been a fan favorite and we have wanted her backstory basically since we saw Eric's way back when.
Second best part, a short glimpse of Russell at the end. Always leaving me waiting for the next episode.
The Authority is finally fully revealed and I have to say I will never look at what I think is an abandoned, non-functioning elevator the same again. Roman was breathtaking when he was giving "communion." I can't wait to see more of the Vampire Bible stuff. I'm not sure what to think about the rest of the Authority just yet.
Jessica is starting to find herself while Bill is away. Some of the funniest lines were between Jessica and Steve. I really thought for a moment she was going to sell Jason to Steve, maybe to keep Jason out of her hair so she can party it up. We see here that she really is his friend.
Jason and Hoyt have taken a bad turn. I enjoyed seeing Hoyt pissed off and standing up for himself. Hoyt has been pretty much a squishy little ball of emotion until recently. It's nice to see him not be a doormat. Jason would be so much more boring if he kept it in his pants as a character. Then again, he would have more friends than enemies. Where's the fun in that?
Andy, Andy, Andy. Close call there buddy. Glad you took the high road.


Needless to say, great episode. Thumbs up for Meloni bringing life to Roman. He is going to astonish some people. Even bigger thumbs up for the Pam backstory.
Can't wait til Sunday.

The Killing S2 Finale - Thoughts about the episode & hoping for a 3rd season

Last night was our chance to finally find out who killed Rosie Larsen on AMC's The Killing. If you haven't seen the episode, don't read any further! I don't want to be the one that spoiled it for you.


The episode, titled "What I Know", was part two of the season 2 finale. While I would have preferred a two hour, one night airing, this seemed to work very well for this show.

As you might have read in my previous post, this show likes to point fingers at the likely suspects and then clear their names. I didn't think Jamie did it. Actually, I thought that the writers were trying to trick us again (I wasn't too far off the mark with that particular suspicion). I never imagined Jamie becoming so, for lack of a better phrase, out of control of himself. Jamie appeared to always have it together, other than his little throw down with the Mayor's aide earlier this season. Jamie was able to talk anyone into anything, Again, this is what made me question his part in the murder.
The Jamie I thought I knew would have tried a little harder to calm Rosie down. He hits her in the casino and thinks she is dead. I will never understand why he didn't feel or hear her breathing when he was carrying her out. I guess being in the middle of a freak out will make you not notice the little things.

Jamie reveals to Darren that Rosie managed to get out of the car and run off into the woods. Was he just driving around trying to figure out what to do with her? We know he at least filled the gas tank before Ames met him near the water. We never find out for certain what happened after Jamie chases Rosie and before he gets her into the trunk. Also, wouldn't the panic subsided just a little by this point? I mean, why chase her? Why not yell "Hey! I didn't mean to hurt you! I just need to explain something! I won't hurt you again!"? He had a chance to do exactly that when he was chasing her. Of course, had that happened we wouldn't have a murder to solve in the first place. So, yes, Jamie was partially to blame. He was the one the brutally beat Rosie. He was the one who tied her up and put her in the trunk. But I was right, Jamie wasn't the one who actually killed Rosie Larsen.
Oddly enough, the true murderer was the one person I suspected the least. Aunt Terry had her fair share of skeletons in the closet but I kept looking for a killer with no remorse, no morals and no real ties to the Larsen family. You sneaky writers (along with the spectacular performance by Jamie Anne Allman) had this viewer convinced that Terry's sole part in the case, the one little thing she should feel guilty about, was not informing anyone of her affair with Ames sooner than she did.
Again, The Killing doesn't fail in bringing excellent writing together with superb acting. Terry's confession of not knowing who was in the car when she put it in drive and shoved it into the water was compelling and despairing. Imagine the guilt she had to carry while taking care of Rosie's family after realizing it was Rosie in that car that night. The writers make you feel it in this scene.
There were a few things that need to be clarified for me. I will be re-watching the series from the beginning to look for clues I might have missed because I don't think the writing staff would leave holes in this fantastic story. However, there are a couple of things I would like to revisit. As I do, I will probably do a series recap/review and post it here.
At the end of it all, this viewer was very pleased with this series finale and am thankful the case wasn't solved at the end of last season. I honestly hope we get a third.



What did you think of the finale? Comments are always welcome.

Liam Neeson still delivers in The Grey

The Grey, released Jan. 2012, was something I had looked forward to checking out. I am a fan of Liam Neeson and based on his last few movies, I figured this one wouldn't disappoint. 

I was right. 

It begins, and ends, with the protagonist facing the decision to live or die. It is the choices he makes that draws you in. 

We follow Ottway (Neeson) and a crew of rough-and-tough oil men in a remote part of Alaska. Ottway is a sharp-shooter who's job on the outpost is to keep wild wolves that hunt in the area away from the workers. You get a very brief idea of who the workers are as the film tries to get the audience to understand how rough these guys can be. Then, Ottway tries to off himself before changing his mind. 

For one reason or another (we never get told the why), the crew boards a plane headed to Anchorage. The plane crashes (never explained why either) in the middle of "s"nowhere. Seriously, Alaska is not the place to crash a plane.

The crash sequences were stunning. It starts out with a little rumble and just as the guys on the plane realize something is not right, here comes the BAM! I will admit it. This plane crash sequence is better than the one from LOST, which coming from me is quite the compliment. 

Eight of our guys live through the crash. In a very touching scene, Ottway comforts one of the survivors who is on his way to death. Neeson's performance here was stirring and poetic. 

Now comes the time to start trying to live. The viewer is never given any specific reason for our hero wanting to keep on living. The number of survivors is now seven.

It is at this point in the film were we get to meet our wolves. Sort of. At one point, Ottway is ambushed by a wolf at another part of the debris site. Dead bodies = Easy Mac for wolves. In another scene, we get to see a couple of these big buggers but the rest of the pack is shown as only glowing eyes in the dark. If that plane crash didn't get ya, these bad boys just might.

Let me explain something. These wolves are huge for wolves. You won't see these babies at Yellowstone. One would think by the size they are well fed, so it would be reasonable to think there is food nearby.

There is an attack at the campsite and we lose another. Our team of merry-men have to move in order to find food and a safe place to hide. They collect wallets and head for the trees.

Throughout the trek, they are being stalked by the hunters. Honestly, it was brutal enough to have to walk through snow up to their knees. Did they really need to be chased? It's the little things like that which might bother you about this movie. I would think a wolf would be smart enough to know if we leave these guys alone, they'll freeze and then we can have man jerky for the rest of the winter. Apparently, these wolves are proactive.

Once they get to the trees, we are down to six but they're still not safe. The wolves don't mind the woods. 

Here is where things get hairy for folks who like wolves. Obviously, there are man v. wolf moments. Our guys get their punches in. If you are expecting no wolves to die, sorry. This isn't the movie for you. There is a particular scene regarding a wolf that some might find hard to stomach. One of the characters puts it the best but I won't ruin the actor's line here. 

As the guys keep moving, it's like watching a survivalist video that went all wrong. They are picked off one by one, making the band of roughneck's numbers dwindle. They still keep on trucking.

By the last half hour, we are down to the last few and the drive to go on dies in at least one of the characters. Just when you think these last two guys might make it, the wolves go after them again. They don't get our fellas but something else does. 

By the end of the movie, we get a glimmer of understanding of why Ottway made some of the decisions he made. Neeson is brilliant in a scene where he is screaming at God to help him and show him some proof that God exists. The fact that he doesn't get an answer but stands up to keep walking is a demonstration of the character thinking he is utterly alone while hoping he will find help. Then the damn wolves show up again. It is in these last few scenes where Neeson's acting skills are shown in their full glory.

The ending is somewhat ambiguous as you don't know what his fate will be. Although some might argue that one needs closure after becoming attached to the character and his will to live, others will enjoy these subtle nuances. 

While some of the survival tactics seem to make you stretch your imagination, overall the film stayed relatively realistic. The CGI effects were a bit obvious in some scenes but not so much to distract the viewer from the story.

It was a fun, suspenseful, thrilling, emotional movie. A few slow moments here and there but some great action sequences make up for it. If you enjoy Neeson's other films, you will enjoy this one too.

  

What to watch Sunday? The Killing S2 Finale? True Blood? Falling Skies S2 premiere? NBA finals?

I am just overwhelmed by the upcoming Sunday TV line up. Chances are I will be watching the game with the rest of Oklahoma City but you better believe that come Monday I will be in front of the tube (can we even call televisions that anymore???) catching up with everything that I missed.

Falling Skies - (TNT, 2 hour premiere, check local listings)

If you haven't seen season 1 of this sci-fi series, you really missed out. With that, stop reading. You won't get it and I'm about to talk about the finale last year. Just go to Amazon and spend your hard earned cash. You can buy the 1st episode for $1.99 and make your judgement without committing to an entire DVD set. 

*Deep breath*

Got that out of the way....

Last time we saw Tom, he was getting on that aliens little ship. What on earth could have happened? I heard/read somewhere that the premiere will not pick up right where we left off. All I know is these aliens seem to be changing the humans they bother to capture. I am looking forward to another season of the 2nd Mass kicking some Mech and Skitter ass! Particularly those Skitters...yuck.

Speaking of Skitters...The part I'm most looking forward to is more info on who these "things" are. We have been shown they too were harnessed. Were they like us? Waiting on the definitive answer to that one.

True Blood - (HBO, 8pm CST Sundays)

Last week's premiere finally put an end to the "what's to become of poor Tara" questions. Now I have other questions about that arc. We know Tara's gonna be pissed but how pissed and at who exactly? Will she be able to come to terms with her fate or will she find a way to meet the True Death? Is she "fucktarded" now? Is she gonna have to live with Pam? Have we seen where Pam lives? (The problem here is reading the books and watching the series. Makes it hard to keep straight. Sorry.)

Other things I am looking forward to seeing on S5E2..

RUSSELL!! One of the BEST villains on television. O'Hare is amazing in this part. Steals the show without fail. Ready to see him.

Eric, Bill and The Authority. All the hype leading up to this better pay off. On this show, I have yet to be disappointed. My jaw literally dropped when Bill and Eric took out Nan and her posse. How will they manage this one?

Alcide, Sookie and Debbie...well, dead Debbie. Will Alcide find out? Probably. Will he be pissed? Maybe. I mean he tried to make things work and be the better person. Debbie just couldn't do it. And boy, she effed up and paid for it. I think he will find out, be angry for a few episodes, go all wolf on some people and then go back to pining over Sookie. (Pam has a point...stupid name.)

Best thing about this show is the part serious and part camp aspects. While one character is having a serious moment (Newlin coming out, Tara losing Eggs, Andy facing addiction), the others are busy doing crazy stuff and giving hilarious one liners about someone else's taste in clothes. 

The Killing - (AMC, 9pm CST)

I already said my piece about this show. With that, I can't tell you how excited I am to finally get to find out what really happened. I hope this isn't the last season but chances are it will be. It's a shame. I guess Americans are too busy watching reality TV to take time to watch something with some thought put into it. Whether it comes back or not, the actors from this show should look forward to a very stunning career. They are all sublime.

NBA Finals, Game 3 - (ABC, 7pm CST)

I'm not even gonna recap Game 1 of the NBA Finals. You can find a much more qualified opinion at ESPN. I will be watching and rooting for my home team. (And making sure I have everything prepared to make my TV look like Sunday night on a Monday afternoon.)

The Killing - Anticipation of the S2 Finale

At this point, we are being shoved into believing that Jamie Wright is the one who killed Rosie Larsen. 
Of course, that is what this show does.
I have faithfully watched The Killing since the start and am probably one of the few who was glad to not have the case solved at the end of Season 1. With that being said, I don't think Jamie killed her. 
Every week, or almost, we have been led to believe it was one person or another. All the evidence points to "so-and-so" and next episode or two..BAM! Alibi. 
Now, I know that we are at the end and will find out for sure on Sunday.

I also know there would be so many questions to be answered in a short 45 minutes. For example, why kill her in the first place? Beat the crap out of her. Threaten her little brothers. Buy her silence. Hell, there are a 1000 ways to convince a 17 year old to keep quiet without resorting to beating her half to death and then locking her in a trunk to drown. This is why I think that if Jamie is in fact involved with the shady business concerning the Mayor and the casino, he would have charmed, bought or otherwise "Jamie'd" his way into Rosie not talking.
At this point, the most I am willing to say about Jamie is he might have been the one to beat her up at the Mayor's bidding. I am more inclined to believe that Chief Jackson beat Rosie.


Ok, I don't know who did it. That is part of the reason this show is awesome. Keeps you on your toes.
At this point, I say it is someone completely different. Maybe we will see another person on the elevator. Who knows? Just the people that make the show and they are not talking.

Welcome

Welcome to my Vision...Aprilision, see things through my eyes. Or at least read it.....


This is a blog where I will post my opinions on TV and movies. Mostly TV though. If I'm watching a movie, chances are I'm watching it on my TV anyway.


I just have to let you know a few things that you might need to know. 


I am a LOST fanatic. Die-hard LOSTie. Sorry if you didn't get all the answers you were looking for but I enjoyed the entire ride.


I have a strange sense of humor. Try your best to not get offended. This isn't about you anyway, now is it?


Most of my posts will not contain spoilers. However, if you didn't watch The Walking Dead (AMC, Sundays, currently on hiatus) and I post about that episode 2 days later... well, that is not really a spoiler. So don't cry to me about it. 


Also, please don't be afraid to disagree with my visions. Just be prepared to defend your own.


Now, on to my first actual post........