The Small Screen Podcast: Episode 6 (The Schedule is a-changing!)

The fall TV schedule that is! We had some issues with filming this episode since I had a power outage when we were supposed to record originally, so sorry for the delay. Oh well, we finally were able to record and here's the latest! We talk about Glee, American Horror Story, Hart of Dixie, and all the renewal and cancellation news.


Listen to the episode here:


And be sure you never miss an episode by subscribing on iTunes.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:15

TV News: 1:15 - 19:40

• Full-Season Pick-Ups for New Girl, 2 Broke Girls, Whitney, Up All Night: 1:15 - 8:33
• Cancellations: The Playboy Club, Free Agents, H8R: 8:34-10:25
• Chuck & Grimm: 10:26 to 13:28
• The Return of Arrested Development and the TV Show Movie: 13:29 - 19:40

What We've Been Watching (SPOILER ALERT): 19:41 - 48:05

• Awkward. & Suburgatory: 19:41 - 24:20
• American Horror Story: 24:21 - 26:59
• Glee: 27:00 - 37:08
• Hart of Dixie: 37:09 - 42:01
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: 42:02 - 48:05

What We're Looking Forward To

• The Walking Dead: 48:06 - 50:20

Closing: 50:21 - End

Follow me and my cohost on Twitter (@kristal_bailey and @poppas2cents) and feel free to send us any feedback there or in the comments here!

The Vampire Diaries is back!!

Season 3 premieres tonight and I am SO EXCITED. Really, it's hard to think about anything else. Just watch this  trailer and try to tell me you're not pumped.



Will you be watching tonight? Thursdays are PACKED with TVD, The Secret Circle, It's Always Sunny, and Archer - just to name a few! Let me know what you'll be watching in the comments.

SDCC: Sunday Recap, including The Cleveland Show and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

By Kevin Taylor

Just like that, it was Sunday, the last day of Comic Con. Crazy how fast it went. Kristal and I got on the floor early to grab a few items to remember the weekend. I got a couple of shirts, one of wario riding a go kart that says "I beat your mom at Mario Kart." The other one had pictures of some of Link's favorite weapons from Ocarina of Time, with the writing "Don't Make Me Go Zelda On You." Awesomeness.
Other purchases included Kristal's Angry Birds shirt that says "Drop Birds Not Bombs" and a pillow of the Facebook "Like" button. After that, we headed on over to Hall H to catch the Always Sunny Panel.

The Cleveland Show: Before we could enjoy the Sunny madness, we had to endure The Cleveland Show panel. They showed a scene from a previous episode that took place at Comic Con, which was kinda funny I guess. After that, they showed concept art of a Die Hard themed episode, "Die Semi-Hard." While I may not be a big Cleveland Show Fan, I do love Die Hard, and this episode actually looked half way decent. I will try to make sure to check it out, but if I don't catch it, I won't be heartbroken.

Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia: This was one of the panels that I was most excited for coming into Comic Con. Last year, they showed a full episode from the upcoming season, and they did the same thing this year, showing "Frank's Pretty Woman." As always, it was hilarious, and will definitely be one to watch out for. The "b plot" revolved around Mac, who in case you haven't heard, put on about 50 pounds of fat for this season, making him "fat mac." While the cast claims it was for the show, Kristal thinks that he put on baby weight, since his wife, Caitlin Olsen, or Sweet Dee on the show, was pregnant this past year. Either way, it was hilarious.

After the episode, the cast came out dressed up in their Nightman Cometh outfits, and answered a few questions. In a perfect ending, the guy who was given the last question asked for them to do a rendition of the "Dayman" song. The whole crowd and the cast sang the song, putting a perfect ending to a fantastic Comic Con!!

While that covers all the days of Comic-Con, stay tuned as Kristal will be posting her exclusive interviews and press coverage here and on GordonandtheWhale.com

My ABC's of Television

I did the ABC's of movies earlier, and me being a huge TV fan I knew I had to do this for the gems of the small screen. I feel like this list was even harder than the film one, since so many shows are close to my heart. While some letters had weak competition (allowing the newbie show NIKITA to take the letter N), there were a number of letters that were stacked. FRIENDS vs. FIREFLY vs. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS vs. FREAKS AND GEEKS? ANGEL vs. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT? Shows that are all so different, but so strong in their own way. Any glaring omissions? Let me know in the comments!

A is for ANGEL

B is for BUFFY

C is for CHUCK

D is for DOLLHOUSE

E is for EXTRAS

F is for FRIENDS

G is GILMORE GIRLS

H is for HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Find out the rest of TV choices after the break.

My Spring 2011 TV Schedule

There are a whole slew of new midseason shows, some of which I've profiled. With all the changes to the TV landscape, I figured I'll lay out just what shows I'll be watching (and therefore probably posting about.)

Mondays

8pm: Chuck (NBC)
While this season hasn't been my favorite, it's still a whole lot of fun to watch. While its ratings have never been stellar, it's become the anchor show on NBC's weak Monday night lineup. Will that be enough for it to get another season renewal? It's still too early to tell...
8pm: How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
This season has been a steady rise over a weak season 5. The hook of Ted telling the story of how he met his wife has me hook, line, and sinker. I'll be watching this show to the bitter end if it comes to that.
9pm: Being Human (SyFy)
I just posted about this in one of my midseason previews. My most anticipated new show! A werewolf, ghost, and werewolf are 20-something roommates. Hijink and drama ensue.


Tuesdays
8pm: Glee (FOX)
This is the most erratic show on television. For every 3 episodes of mediocrity bordering on crap, there's 1 that I love and keeps my watching. If that ratio gets worse, I may just give up on it but for now I'm in for at leas the rest of the season. And with the ratings stronger than ever and a plum post-SuperBowl timeslot, it's going to be on for a while.

Wednesdays

8pm: Live to Dance with Paula Abdul (CBS)
I'm a sucker for dance shows. I'm covering this for RealityWanted.com, so check it out :)
9pm: Modern Family (ABC) 
Still the most hilarious show on television. I'm not a part of the Community fervor, maybe one day when I catch it on DVD, but for now all my comedy love belongs to Modern Family and Cougar Town.
9:30pm: Mr. Sunshine (ABC)
Taking over Cougar Town's spot for a while, I'll be tuning in to see if Matthew Perry is still my favorite Friend.
9:30pm: Cougar Town (ABC)
If you wrote this show off because of the title, or after the first few episodes, please give it another shot! It's hilarious, smart, and has tons of heart while we follow this family of misfit friends.
10pm: Off the Map (ABC)
I'm not much for medical shows anymore (I used to be a huge fan of Grey's and House) but I do love exotic locations. Plus, a friend of mine worked on the show so if it gets picked up for a full season or more, my friend gets to keep his job! So everybody watch :)

Thursdays

8pm: The Vampire Diaries (CW)
I don't think I need to espouse my love for the show anymore.
8pm: The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
This season has been off with the whole Penny/Leonard and Sheldon/Amy, but I'm in til the end of the season, at least.
8pm: Bones (FOX)
Damn you David Boreanez! You're just so charismatic! The chemistry between Booth and Bones reached a major head in the fall finale of The Doctor in the Photo. It was the best episode of the season and I can't wait to see where things go from here between them.
8:30pm: Perfect Couples (NBC)
While the sneak preview episode wasn't great, I'm going to give it another shot just because of the cast. I love Olivia Munn and the It's Always Sunny Waitress finally gets a real role!
9pm: Nikita (CW)
My favorite new show of the season, the action has been nonstop and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.

Sundays

9pm: The Cape (NBC)
While this has been panned by many of the critics who got early screeners, I'm still hopeful. It's supposed to be like a comic book come to life and maybe those critics just didn't get/appreciate that aspect? It's superheroes and Summer Glau, of course I'll be tuning in.

What will you lot be watching this season? Anything you think I should give a chance?

Also, in case you missed it, here's a handy list of all the midseason premiere dates and times.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Premieres Tonight!

Enjoy the auto-tuned trailer for tonight's episode and the rest of Season 6. This show has definitely grown on me over the course of the last couple seasons. Initially I only watched it because my boyfriend is a big fan and I couldn't escape it, but it definitely makes me laugh and I can't believe the ridiculous stuff they do to each other and still call each other friends. I've heard it described as the anti-FRIENDS and I completely agree. This group of people are among the worst in terms of morals, intelligence, and respect, yet I love watching them week in and week out.

If the episode we watched during Comic-Con is any indication, this is going to be a fantastic season. 

Tune in to FX tonight at 10pm for the season premiere.

Fall TV Premiere Schedule

The fall TV season is only a few weeks away from fully gearing up, but some shows are premiering this week!  I'm looking forward to The Vampire Diaries on Wednesday and may check out Nikita since nothing else will have started by then. I'll be posting my schedule of the shows that I will be watching soon. I can already tell my DVR is going to overloaded!

Here's a full list of premiere dates from now through early October (ABC's "Body of Proof" and "Secret Millionaire" don't have premiere dates yet, and "V" is set to debut sometime in November):

Sept. 7
"Sons of Anarchy" (10 p.m., FX)

Sept. 8
"America's Next Top Model" (8 p.m., CW)
"Hellcats" (9 p.m., CW)
"Terriers" (10 p.m., FX)

Sept. 9
"Vampire Diaries" (8 p.m., CW)
"Nikita" (9 p.m., CW)

Sept. 11
"Cops" (8 p.m., FOX)
"America's Most Wanted" (9 p.m., FOX)

Sept. 12
"Football Night in America" (7 p.m., NBC)

Sept. 13
"90210" (8 p.m., CW)
"Gossip Girl" (9 p.m., CW)

Sept. 14
"One Tree Hill" (8 p.m., CW)
"Life Unexpected" (9 p.m., CW)
"Parenthood" (10 p.m., NBC)

Sept. 15
"Survivor: Nicaragua" (8 p.m., CBS)
"Outlaw" (previews at 10 p.m., NBC; regular timeslot is Fridays at 10)

Sept. 16
"The Apprentice" (two-hour premiere 9 p.m., NBC, regular timeslot is Thursdays at 10)
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (10 p.m., FX)
"The League" (10:30 p.m., FX)

Sept. 19
"Boardwalk Empire" (9 p.m., HBO)

Sept. 20
"Dancing with the Stars" (8 p.m., ABC)
"How I Met Your Mother" (8 p.m., CBS)
"House" (8 p.m., FOX)
"Chuck" (8 p.m., NBC)
"Rules of Engagement" (8:30 p.m., CBS)
"Two and a Half Men" (9 p.m., CBS)
"Lone Star" (9 p.m., FOX)
"The Event" (9 p.m., NBC)
"Mike & Molly" (9:30 p.m., CBS)
"Hawaii Five-0" (10 p.m., CBS)
"Chase" (10 p.m., NBC)
"Castle" (10 p.m., ABC)

Sept. 21
"NCIS" (8 p.m., CBS)
"Glee" (8 p.m., FOX)
"The Biggest Loser" (8 p.m., NBC)
"NCIS: LA" (9 p.m., CBS)
"Raising Hope" (9 p.m., FOX)
"Running Wilde" (9:30 p.m., FOX)
"Detroit 1-8-7" (10 p.m., ABC)

Sept. 22
"The Middle" (8 p.m., ABC)
"Hell's Kitchen" (8 p.m., FOX)
"Undercovers" (8 p.m., NBC)
"Better With You" (8:30 p.m., ABC)
"Modern Family" (9 p.m., ABC)
"Criminal Minds" (9 p.m., CBS)
"Law & Order: SVU" (9 p.m., NBC)
"Cougar Town" (9:30 p.m., ABC)
"The Whole Truth" (10 p.m., ABC)
"The Defenders" (10 p.m., CBS)

Sept. 23
"The Big Bang Theory" (8 p.m., CBS)
"Bones" (8 p.m., FOX)
"Community" (8 p.m., NBC)
"My Generation" (8 p.m., ABC)
"(Shit) My Dad Says" (8:30 p.m., CBS)
"30 Rock" (8:30 p.m., NBC)
"Grey's Anatomy" (9 p.m., ABC)
"CSI" (9 p.m., CBS)
"Fringe" (9 p.m., FOX)
"The Office" (9 p.m., NBC)
"Outsourced" (9:30 p.m., NBC)
"Private Practice" (10 p.m., ABC)
"The Mentalist" (10 p.m., CBS)


Sept. 24
"Medium" (8 p.m., CBS)
"Smallville" (8 p.m., CW)
"Dateline NBC" (8 p.m., NBC)
"CSI: NY" (9 p.m., CBS)
"Supernatural" (9 p.m., CW)
"The Good Guys" (9 p.m., FOX)
"20/20" (10 p.m., ABC)
"Blue Bloods" (10 p.m., CBS)

Sept. 25
"48 Hours Mystery" (10 p.m., Ch. 2)
"Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 11:30 p.m.)

Sept. 26
"America's Funniest Home Videos" (7 p.m., ABC)
"60 Minutes" (7:30 p.m., CBS, usual timeslot is 7, depending on football)
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8 p.m., ABC)
"The Simpsons" (8 p.m., FOX)
"The Amazing Race" (8:30 p.m., CBS, usual timeslot is 8, depending on football)
"The Cleveland Show" (8:30 p.m., FOX)
"Desperate Housewives" (9 p.m., ABC)
"Family Guy" (9 p.m., FOX)
"Dexter" (9 p.m., SHO)
"Brothers & Sisters" (10 p.m., ABC)
"Undercover Boss" (10 p.m., CBS, usual timeslot is 9, depending on football)
"Bored to Death" (10 p.m., HBO)
"Eastbound & Down" (10:30 p.m., HBO)


Sept. 28
"No Ordinary Family" (8 p.m., ABC)
"Stargate Universe" (9 p.m., Syfy)
"The Good Wife" (10 p.m., CBS)
"Sanctuary" (10 p.m., Syfy)

Sept. 29
"Law & Order: Los Angeles" (10 p.m., NBC)

Oct. 1
"Human Target" (8 p.m., FOX)

Oct. 3
"American Dad" (9:30 p.m., FOX)
"CSI: Miami" (10 p.m., CBS)

[What Alan's Watching]

(GUEST POST) Comic-Con: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

By Kevin Taylor (@tayke2)

We ended the looonggg but awesome weekend with the Always Sunny panel, which was a great way for me to end it because it is easily one of my favorite shows. The whole cast was there, which is Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olsen (who must be at least 7 months preggers), Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Danny Devito, and Mary Elizabeth Ellis. They were also joined by David Hornsby, who plays Rickety Cricket. He was in the crowd, but was convinced by the crows chanting his name to come up to the panel. They started off by showing us an episode from the upcoming season which starts in September. It was “Who Got Dee Pregnant?” and it was about the gang piecing together the night of Halloween, where Dee says one of them got her pregnant. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that I’m very excited for the upcoming season. The highlights of the Q&A were Charlie and Dennis singing the Nightman song. They also hinted that they would love to have Dolph Lundgren guest star, which would be pretty awesome, especially since it's filmed in the city where Rocky was. It was Always Sunny’s first time at Comic Con, and I can say that based on the crowd reception they got that they will probably come back, or at least I hope. It really is one of the best written and acted shows on TV, and it says a lot because it is just the 5 main actors going through their daily lives and it never gets old to me.

Comic-Con has arrived!

Today is the first day of Comic-Con, with preview night. The lucky few who scored tickets will get to watch sneak peeks of upcoming television shows, movies, and any other comic-book related things. While I'll be a Comic-Con all weekend, I missed out on the preview night ticket. I'm sure there will be lots of updates on twitter and a slew of entertainment blogs to make up for it though!

Below is my dream schedule. I doubt I'll be able to get in to all these panels, but hopefully I can get in to the majority of them. I'll be blogging and tweeting while in San Diego, so stay tuned here and to @kristal_bailey for updates!

Thursday, July 22
11am - TRON Legacy (Hall H). Expecting a lot of sneak footage in 3D!
3:30pm - Entertainment Weekly: The Visionaries (Hall H). Panel with geek gods J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon.
6pm - Universal: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Hall H). This is my most anticipated film left in summer! They're also having the Scott Pilgrim Experience all weekend, where select cast and crew will be signing t-shirts.

Friday, July 23
11:30am - Caprica (Ballroom 20). This smart Syfy show is returning in January 2011 and they'll be premiering the trailer along with other new information.
12:45pm - The Big Bang Theory (Ballroom 20). Sheldon. Enough said.
2pm - Bones (Ballroom 20). With filming starting this week, there won't be much new footage, but there will hopefully be some good scoops on what's going on next season and just how everyone reunites after their years abroad.
3pm - The Joss Whedon Experience (Ballroom 20).
4pm - Entertainment Weekly: Girls Who Kick Ass: A New Generation of Heroines (Ballroom 20). Television is the medium of strong female characters!
6:30pm TV Guide Magazine: The 2010 Hot List (Ballroom 20). Chuck's Zachery Levi will be there, and that's all I need to know.

Saturday, July 24 
This is the hardest day for me. Saturday is always packed with the best panels, but this year it's like Sophie's Choice! Do I go to the Chuck panel and miss out on the WB Green Lantern/Harry Potter presentation? Do I check out the new show No Ordinary Family or a surprise favorite of mine The Vampire Diaries? And if I do see TVD, would I be able to make it into Hall H in time to see the Marvel presentation? My life is so hard! (ha!) Well, below are a bunch of panels I'd like to see. In reality, I'll probably only make it to half, if even that.
10am - Chuck Screening & Q&A (Ballroom 20).
11:45am - Warner Bros.: Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Harry Potter (Hall H).
12:45pm - Futurama (Ballroom 20).
2:30pm - V Screening & Q&A (Ballroom 20).
3:15pm - No Ordinary Family (Room 6A).
4:15pm - The Vampire Diares Screening and Q&A (Ballroom 20).
6pm - Marvel Studios: Thor & Captain America: The First Avenger (Hall H).
7:15pm - Kevin Smith (Hall H).

Sunday, July 25
1:30pm - Glee (Ballroom 20). While Lea Michele, Cory Monmeith, and Matthew Morrison won't be there, the rest of the cast should be. I'm hoping next season can go back to the glory of the first 13 and this will be the first hint if it's possible.
2:45pm - X: Sons of Anarchy and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Ballroom 20).

Also, while all this is going on, there is so much going on the main floor with all the booths and free swag. It's going to be a busy four days, but I'm so ready!

Will any of you be at Comic-Con too? Better yet, planning to go to any of these same panels?

Comic-Con: First News!

I'm so excited for comic-con this year! I've been before, but this is the first time I'll be going for all 4 days. I've got the hotel booked, the tickets in hand, and am starting to try to plan out my time there.

The first news of who will be attending are starting to leak and I'll be posting news here as soon as I find it.

@MoRyan from The Watcher (Chicago Tribune) has a list of confirmed (mostly) attendees:

• "Archer" (FX, July 23)
• Possible panel: "Being Human" (BBC America)
• "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
• "Burn Notice" (USA)
• "Castle" (ABC)
• "Chuck" (NBC)
• Possible panel: "Look Around You" (BBC America)
• "Psych" (USA)
• "Hawaii Five-O" (new CBS show)
• "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (FX, July 25)
• "No Ordinary Family (new ABC show)
• "Sons of Anarchy" (FX, July 25)
• "Spartacus" (Starz, July 23)
• "White Collar" (USA)

I'm looking forward to No Ordinary Family already, if you haven't noticed.  I'm also super excited to be catching a Chuck panel, since they have always put on a great show with information on the upcoming season and sometimes even a performance by Jeffster!

I'll blog as much as possible while I'm there and will bring my new FlipCam to capture the excitement! Will any of you be at Comic-Con this July?

Linkulous: Lady Gaga, Top 10 Lists, TV Analysis, and More

Here are some of the most interesting articles I read this week. Maybe I'll start a weekly thing out of this.

When TV Became an Art - How the Aughties redefined the Television medium.

How to Discover Your Lifes Purpose - good for my fellow recent grads. I'm still figuring out this whole post-grad life, so I thought maybe others were too.

Big Shake Ups are coming to How I Met Your Mother

The Post Break Up Facebook Effect - social behaviors that are ingrained in us (or even instinctual?) in this new tech age.

TV's Best of the Decade: No. 25 - I was a huge fan of this show when it started, but fled during the lows of the 2nd season. Sounds like I need to add Season 4 to the netflix queue. Also, you should check out the rest of his picks. He's posting one a day, so they're not all up yet. But I agree with most of his picks so far, and he may have finally converted me to appreciating It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a show I just really can't get behind.

About That Spanish 'LOST' promo... - analysis of the Lost promo and how it reflects upon the show and the fans reaction.

Yes, LA's Cup Runneth Over - a look at the underappreciated and underacknowledged theater scene in LA.

Pinched: Living in a Van - one man's journey to go through grad school without taking out student loans.

5 Star Wars Facebook Status Updates

Time's Top 10 Everything for 2009

Lady Gaga's Little Shop of Horrors

Lady Gaga: Most Fascinating of the Year?

'Mad Men' to 'Gossip Girl': Not all nothingness is created equal

iTunes lists Top Sellers of the Year

A comprehensive list of Best Of Lists - For list junkies.

Frank Talk with Lady Gaga

Is LA the Toughest Town for Singles?

Nielson's Top 10 Rated Shows of 2009 - Very happy with the time shifted list! I love about half the shows on there. Too bad 3 of them were cancelled/wrapped up this season.

I think I've left you with enough to chew on to get you through the weekend. Have a great weekend!

2009 Fall TV Wrap Up

Before the season began, I wrote about which Fall shows I'd be checking out. Well, the Fall TV Season is wrapping up so it's time to check the pulse.

Monday


Monday's have proven to be pretty successful for CBS. How I Met Your Mother is doing well in the ratings and having a pretty good season so far. There have been a few lackluster episodes (like when Barney/Robin break up), but overall it's had some really hilarious moments. I'm interested to see where they go with Robin and the new guy Dan - if he'll be just a one-off character or will become Robin's "frozen waffles" like Marshall predicted. I also started watching The Big Bang Theory this season, since I finally caught up with the last 2 seasons. That show is consistently funny and I'm a sucker for the nerd humor. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that it's by the same guy who created Two and a Half Men. They're just such different shows and appeal to such different demographics.

Tuesday


So You Think You Can Dance has been having a great season! It suffered a bit in the beginning because of the restrictions that baseball put on it, but once that was over it was a return to form and has had some of the best dancing in the show's history. I don't think I want it to have another fall season though. It gets interrupted too much and there really is just too much competition to get it the audience numbers it does in summer.

V only aired four episodes, but from what was there I was really intrigued. It isn't set to return until March though, which could hurt its ratings. It didn't air long enough to gain a dedicated fanbase, so it'll be interesting to see how the ratings are upon its return.

Wednesday


So You Think You Can Dance results shows always pale in comparision to the competition show, which is to be expected in reality TV. But, I still wish the dancers would do original solos on Wednesday nights instead of just redo-ing their solos from the night before. Some of the solos on Wednesdays were the highlights of Season 4.

America's Next Top Model wrapped up its "Shorty" season a couple weeks ago and overall it was pretty lackluster. Nicole won, who was a frontrunner and photo favorite since the beginning. The show has been on long enough that contestants know what to say and what not to say, so it's getting a bit boring. There definitely hasn't been as much drama and catfighting as there used to be.

Glee is wrapping up its fall season this week and I have absolutely loved this show. It has lived up to the potential of the pilot, for me. Great songs, some great lines, and Sue Sylvester. I'm going to countdown my favorite moments sometime soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Modern Family consistently makes me question my declaration that Glee is my favorite show this season. It's always so funny and smart! It has the humor and jokes, but a storyline and heart at its core that push it above other sitcoms like 30 Rock and It's Always Sunny.

Cougar Town was a nice surprise this season as well. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I do. Courtney Cox is doing a great job of being funny in her 'cougardom' and not pathetic or annoying. Busy Phillips is my favorite though, she's been so spot on as that busty bimbo with good intentions.

Eastwick has been cancelled, but I actually liked this show. It didn't take itself too seriously, like other witchy shows have before (aka Charmed's later seasons). It moved at a slow slow pace for somethings, but still kept the show interesting. For example, the girls JUST admitted to being witches last week, even though they've been doing their magic thing on their own for the duration of the show.

Thursday


FlashForward has probably been the biggest disappointment for me. It's pilot was really engrossing, but since then things have moved so slowly. I liked the episode about Bryce and his mystery lady in Japan the best, but it seemed wasted because she won't be on the show much in the future. They should have used that storytelling structure more often with the characters we are supposed to care about. With all the behind-the-scenes problems on this show, hopefully it will improve after its hiatus in March. They can use this production halt to reasses the show's direction and how it'll work under the new showrunner.

The Office hasn't lived up to its past seasons this year. The Wedding was the highlight by far. I think it suffers from being too topical. All the storylines about money, the economy, and Dunder-Miflin's bankruptcy are too serious to produce laughs. Yes, there are some funny moments but overall it's just too uncomfortable. Just look at last week's episode about "Scott's Tots" for proof. In down times like these, sometimes we want TV to serve as escapism and The Office is just hitting too close to home.

Friday


Dollhouse has been cancelled, but its just getting to the level that we expect of Joss shows now. Last night's episodes were the best so far that have aired, and the buzz about the upcoming episodes is growing. This is the Dollhouse that Joss wanted from the beginning but couldn't get Fox on board with.

Overall, this has been the best fall season in years. The mid-season shows also look to be really strong (Chuck! Lost! Human Target, etc), so there's a lot still to look forward to.