Thank God for Summer Television

I spent shockingly little time watching television this past year. 

 

Since we all know that's a blatant lie let me rephrase--my commitment and enthusiasm for watching shows live declined dramatically. The only shows that I watched as they aired were 'Castle' and 'How I Met Your Mother'. Don't ask me why those specific shows won out, because I honestly don't have an answer.

Now, however, it's finally summer and while (since adulthood) that doesn't mean my workload is any less than it is during the rest of the year, the annoying heat and rampant mosquitoes will encourage me to watch more TV as it airs. Lucky you!

What shows am I planning on watching and/or already watching?

Watch Dexter Season 7 Without Watching Prior Seasons

 spoilers for seasons 1-6. No season 7 spoilers.

 

Season seven of 'Dexter' was brilliant.

It may have seemed less brilliant if it weren't for the massive failures of seasons four through six, but regardless, it was a strong season.

When I first watched the seventh season I had only watched seasons one through three and part of season four. I got so frustrated after Jimmy Smits that I had to give up on the show.

But then I heard wonderful things about the seventh season and I caved. I watched it. Without watching any of the seasons inbetween.

And believe it or not that worked just fine.

Most of the back-story referenced this season took place during the first three seasons, and the major plotpoints (i.e. Rita's death) I had already learned about through watercooler conversations.

Although it wouldn't be quite as fun I think it would be relatively easy to watch season seven as a newbie without having seen any of the prior seasons. All you'd need would be minimal knowledge:

Dexter Season 7 Premiere on Youtube

Watch the Season 7 premiere of 'Dexter' entitled "Are You...?" below & then check out my comments!

Dexter Season 7: Will Deb Turn In Dexter?

After having a couple of slightly tedious seasons (exactly how many serial killers can Dexter face off with?), the seventh season of 'Dexter' had a promising start.

At the end of last season, Deb finally admitted to her therapist that she had feelings for Dexter. Since she's his sister this would be a little risque except they're not related people. The intense online debate of whether or not it was appropriate for her to fall in love with her foster brother shocked me. Because, come on, shouldn't we be dealing with the larger issue that she's unknowingly fallen in love with a serial killer?

64th Primetime Emmy Awards: Best and Worst of 2012

'Modern Family' won. Again. And again. And again. Begging the question: does anyone who makes TV in Hollywood actually watch television? Because sure, 'Modern Family' deserved to win...two years ago.

I desperately wish that one of the two men nominated for Best Supporting Actor who were not from the 'Modern Family' cast had won (that's right, every other nomination was for a 'Modern Family' cast member!). Seriously, it should have been Max Greenfield's year. He took a character who could have been a

'House of Lies' Premieres Tonight

I love Kristen Bell. I love Don Cheadle. Oh, and Ben Schwartz is pretty awesome too.

If you feel the same way I do, you'll definitely like 'House of Lies'.

It stars Don Cheadle as Marty, the leader of a team that is part of a large consulting firm. The team he oversees includes Jeannie (Kristen Bell), Clyde (Ben Schwartz) and Doug (Josh Lawson).

I recently watched the pilot episode (premiering tonight at 10/9C on Showtime) and was pleasantly surprised. The show is intelligent and fast-paced, despite the fact that it has some unusual editing techniques that take a bit to get used to. One such technique is the constant breaking of the fourth wall; Marty talks directly to the viewer, giving definitions of consulting terms, while all the action around him completely freezes.

The pilot episode is not particularly strong, and it doesn't come across as a comedy, despite the fact that it is advertised as such. Despite this, I believe that the characters are interesting and complex enough that 'House of Lies' shows great promise

Kristen Bell's character is an interesting addition. Jeannie is well-educated and as manipulative as the men on her team. Maybe we're finally getting a portrayal of a strong woman whose strength isn't made more 'reasonable' by some other flaw in her character. This is rare in television.

One of the most interesting aspects of the show is the chemistry between Marty (Cheadle) and Jeannie (Bell). Marty's states throughout the pilot that he will ultimately sleep with Jeannie. Of course, Marty sleeps with three different women in the first episode, so it's unclear how much sex with Jeannie would mean. The fact that he calls her to discuss actual issues in his life suggests that if he were to enter into a sexual relationship with her it would mean much more than meaningless sex. I think that the will they/won't they aspect of the Marty and Jeannie relationship will prove central to the plot (and the appeal) of the series.
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With Occupy Wall Street going on, the timing of a show examining the dirty work involved in corporate consulting couldn't be better.
'House of Lies' premieres tonight (Sunday, Jan 8th) at 10/9C.

'Shameless' Second Season Premiere

I know I'm a little behind the curve, but I finally got around to watching 'Shameless' on Showtime.

I like it all right, but I like the original series a lot better.

For those of you who don't know, the American series is based on the British version of the same name.

The plots aren't identical though (much like the plots of the American 'Office' are not complete copies of the British original), so you can certainly watch both series.

If you like 'Shameless' on Showtime, then head on over to Netflix Instant and watch the Channel Four British version. You can also catch up with the first season of the U.S. version of 'Shameless' on Showtime OnDemand.

The second season of the U.S. version of 'Shameless' premieres tomorrow 
(Sunday, Jan 8th at 9/8C)

UK version

US version

Screen Actors Guild Nominations Announced!

Let's take a look at the TV nominations...
Who was nominated for a SAG award? Which shows are doing the best? And which networks have the most nominations? (Scroll down to see a list of all nominees)

'Modern Family' has the most nominations (5 total), but of those five, two pairs of them are competing against each other, so the most awards the show could win would be three. '30 Rock' also has the chance to win three awards...we'll just have to wait and see whether having actors from the same show competing against each other in the same category splits the vote.

NBC is the network with the most nominated actors/shows (a total of 6), followed closely by ABC (5) and HBO (5). However, all of ABC's nominations are for 'Modern Family', and 60% of HBO's nominations are for Stunt Ensemble Performances, while NBC has nominations for both '30 Rock' and 'The Office'. CBS has only three nominations, as does Showtime. The fourth network, FOX, has the fewest nominations: 1. And that one nod is for 'Glee', a show which frankly does not deserve a win.

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Drama Series
Kathy Bates for 'Harry's Law' (NBC)
Glenn Close for 'Damages' (FX)
Jessica Lange for 'American Horror Story' (FX)
Julianna Margules for 'The Good Wife' (CBS)
Kyra Sedgwick for 'The Closer' (TNT)


Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Comedy Series
Julie Bowen for 'Modern Family' (ABC)
Edie Falco for 'Nurse Jackie' (Showtime)
Tina Fey for '30 Rock' (NBC)
Sofia Vergara for 'Modern Family' (ABC)
Betty White for 'Hot In Cleveland' (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Drama Series
Patrick J. Adams for 'Suits' (USA)
Steve Buscemi for 'Boardwalk Empire' (HBO)
Kyle Chandler for 'Friday Night Lights' (DirecTV/The 101 Network)
Bryan Cranston for 'Breaking Bad' (AMC)
Michael C. Hall for 'Dexter' (Showtime)


Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin for '30 Rock' (NBC)
Ty Burrell for 'Modern Family' (ABC)
Steve Carell for 'The Office' (NBC)
Jon Cryer for 'Two and a Half Men' (CBS)
Eric Stonestreet for 'Modern Family' (ABC)


Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Drama Series
'Boardwalk Empire' (HBO)

'Breaking Bad' (AMC)
'Dexter' (Showtime)
'Game of Thrones' (HBO)
'The Good Wife' (CBS)


Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Comedy Series
'30 Rock' (NBC)
'The Big Bang Theory' (CBS)
'Glee' (FOX)
'Modern Family' (ABC)
'The Office' (NBC)


Outstanding Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Television Series
'Dexter' (HBO)
'Game of Thrones' (HBO)
'Southland' (TNT)
'Spartacus' (STARZ)
'True Blood' (HBO)

'House of Lies' makes lying funny. Really funny.

Do you like Kristen Bell? Don Cheadle? Ben Schwartz?

Oh? You do? Me too!

Get excited about 'House of Lies'. It's premiering in January on Showtime.

The show is a half-hour comedy that looks at a team of management consultants and their constant pursuit for money.

Here's a promo:

Premiere Dates of Television Shows Fall 2011-2012

It's September, so it is officially time to prepare for the premieres of some of your favorite shows. Pull out that calendar, here are the dates that you need to keep free:

Returning shows (in order of release):

'Glee'
When? Wednesday, Sept 21st at 8 pm
Where? FOX
What? High school Glee club, made up of a bunch of ostracized misfits and popular Cheerleaders, sing and compete and date and break-up.

'Community'
When? Thursday, Sept 22nd at 8 pm
Where? NBC
What? A hilarious half-hour show about a study group at a quirky community college. Plus, Joel McHale.

'Parks and Recreation'
When? Thursday, Sept 22nd at 8:30 pm
Where? NBC
What? A hilarious half-hour show about a group of colleges at a Parks & Rec department. Plus, Amy Poehler.

'The Office'
When? Thursday, Sept 22nd at 9 pm
Where? NBC
What? Employees at a paper company work together, and insanity ensues. Also, no more Steve Carell?

'Desperate Housewives'
When? Sunday, Sept 25th at 9 pm
Where? ABC
What? Focuses on the crazy, crazy lives of a bunch of housewives and their families in a fictional suburb. Frankly, I'm a little shocked this is still on the air.

'Dexter'
When? Sunday, Oct 2nd at 9 pm
Where? Showtime
What? A serial killer who actually works for the police, and only kills bad guys. You need to be caught up on all the older seasons or you'll have no idea what's happening.

'Bones'
When? Thursday, Nov 3rd at 8 pm
Where? FOX
What? Forensic anthropologists and FBI guy solve crimes together, and may or may not be desperately in love with each other. Plus, now there will be two babies!

New shows you might want to watch (in order of release date)...

'Free Agents'
When? Wednesday, Sept 14th at 10:30 pm
Where? NBC
What? Remake of a British comedy (but aren't they all?), two co-workers deal with the aftermath of a one-night stand. Plus, Anthony Stewart Head!

'Two Broke Girls'
When? Monday, Sept 19th at 9:30 pm
Where? CBS
What? Two broke girls, who waitress and nanny. I think it's a comedy.

'New Girl'
When? Tuesday, Sept 20th at 9 pm
Where? FOX
What? Zooey Deschanel (little sis to the star of FOX's hit show, 'Bones') finally has her own show. Basically, she plays an awkward girl who moves in with three guys. Based on the previews, this will either be really funny or really obnoxious.

'Unforgettable'
When? Tuesday, Sept 20th at 10 pm
Where? CBS
What? Poppy Montgomery (of 'Without at Trace' fame) finally gets her own show. What a shock that it's another crime ridden one! She tries to solve the murder of her sister, who was killed when they were children. Oh, and she has the uncanny ability to remember everything (except the murder of her sister).

'Revenge'
When? Wednesday, Sept 21st at 10 pm
Where? ABC
What? A girl wants revenge on the people she believes are responsible for destroying her family. Basically, ABC attempts to use Emily VanCamp in a new show now that they canceled her old one ('Brothers and Sisters').

'Charlie's Angels'
When? Tuesday, Sept 22nd at 8 pm
Where? ABC
What? Modern remake of...'Charlie's Angels'

'Pan Am'
When? Sunday, Sept 25th at 10 pm
Where? ABC
What? Trying to grab some of the fans of 'Mad Men', this show revolves around the lives of beautiful Pan Am stewardesses. Back when they were called 'stewardesses'.

'The Playboy Club'
When? Sunday, Sept 25th at 10 pm
Where? NBC
What? This show revolves around the lives of hot Playboy bunnies, and their love interests/sleazy criminal interactions. Back when Playboy bunnies...never-mind.

'Hart of Dixie'
When? Monday, Sept 26th at 9 pm
Where? CW
What? Big city female surgeon gets sent to small Southern town. If you can buy Rachel Bilson as a surgeon (I said IF!) then you might buy into this show.


Want the release dates and times of other new or old shows? Just leave me a comment!

Why Don't I Have Showtime? or HBO?

Top 5 Reasons I Wish I Had Showtime (and HBO):

1. Dexter (Showtime)

2. Weeds (Showtime)

3. The Real L Word (Showtime)

4. True Blood (HBO)

5. Big Love (HBO)

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