penfold_x | Entries tagged with sleepy hollow

Must-Squee TV
NCIS (September 23, CBS, Tue@8)
Person of Interest (September 23, CBS, Tue@10)
Sleepy Hollow (September 22, FOX, Mon@9)

Also Recording
Agents of SHIELD (September 23, Tues@10)
Reign (October 2, CW, Thurs@9)
Sons of Anarchy (September 9, FX, Tue@10)
Supernatural (October 7, CW, Tues@9)
The Walking Dead (October 12, AMC, Sun@9)
The 100 (October 22, CW, Thurs@9)

Auditioning
Ascension (November 24, SciFi, Mon@9)
Constantine (October 24, NBC, Fri@10)
Gotham (September 22, FOX, Mon@8)
Scorpion (September 22, CBS, Mon@9)
Z Nation (September 12, SciFi, Fri@10)

On the Bubble
Bones (September 25, FOX, Thurs@8)
Elementary (October 30, CBS, Thurs@10)
NCIS:LA (September 29, CBS, Mon@10)

Over the summer, both of my DVRs went to silicon heaven. It was a bit sad (Old Reliable, my first DVR, had been with me since I bought him refurbished in 2002), but also somewhat liberating. For some time now, I've been recording more television than I really want to watch. My new hobbies leave me with less time, and some shows I used to enjoy just aren't as good as they used to be. I end up with stacks of unwatched episodes on my DVR that make me feel a little guilty each time I pass them over. It's hard to cut ties with old favorites, especially, because I still care about the characters, even if the writers have muddled them almost beyond recognition. Having to program in season passes for each series I watch has helped me cut the cord with some old favorites I just don't enjoy as much any more (Castle, Hawaii 5-0) and some programs that were OK for what they were, but not good enough to justify putting the time into (Big Bang Theory, Blue Bloods). I'm close to dropping Bones, NCIS:LA, and Elementary for the same reasons.

Apart from the return of my must-squees and the final resolution of Sons, I'm not terribly excited over the new season. I'm trying Constantine, Z Nation, and Gotham simply because I feel like I owe genre shows a chance. Scorpion's on my list because, as you've undoubtedly noticed, I'm hella weak for CBS procedurals. Ascension , however, has a fascinating idea at the core -- and Tricia Helfer. Of course, these things are all in the execution, but I think we've got legitimate reason to hope for more than Mad Men in space.

The networks have made their final renewal/cancellation decisions. I'm most surprised about the cancellation of Almost Human. While it turned out not to be my favorite of the new shows, it had solid ratings for its network and timeslot. And it wasn't a case of FOX clearing the decks--less well-performing shows, including Glee and The Mindy Project were renewed. Maybe it was the cost of the programs, with its enormous effects budget and set dressing needs? For what it's worth, though it had a rough start, I thought it settled in well to its niche by the end of its half-season run.

I suspect I have the typical fan reaction to Agents of SHIELD: meh. ( click for spoilers )

The Tomorrow People was similarly disappointing. Like SHIELD the cast seemed to be hired entirely for their looks and

( click for spoilers ) I'm not crying into my popcorn that there won't be a second season, especially if its cancellation is what made room for CW's mid-season replacement, apocalyptic drama, The Messengers.

At least all of my hopes--and then some--were fulfilled by Sleepy Hollow; it's campy fun and so much more! There's a great friendship at the heart of the show, and as original-asteria notes:

( click for spoilers )

Hostages, on the other hand, holds the dubious honor of being the first series I dumped from my DVR; all of the characters were so shrill and unlikable, I only hung on for four episodes before bailing out (the thirteen episode commitment made it unlikely the producers would kill both the 'heroes' and the 'villains' in a massive explosion during the fifth). Dracula quickly followed; the visual tone of the show was so dark, it was difficult at times to see what was going on (unclear whether this was an intentional attempt to hide how terrible the scripts were).

Of the four mid-season shows I was interested in, three are gone, but fortunately The 100 was the survivor. I never actually gave Intelligence or Believe a chance (too little time), but I watched both The 100 and Star-Crossed. Though both feature a lot of attractive young people in the mandatory love triangles, but The 100 makes much more of its premise. The book the series is based on, published less than a year ago, is clearly intended to be a Hunger Games knock-off, and the promotion for the show has definitely played up those aspects. And the kids on the planet do engage in some Lord of the Flies-style shenanigans, but pleasingly, the program continues to track events on the space station, where the adults (especially members and former members of the government) are engaged in all manner of schemes and there is a significant divide between the government class/security forces and the working class that keep the station together. Although there's a lot of terrible teenage decision making and merely mediocre young acting, I tune in each week anxious to see what happens next.