Posted by Araceli on
February 18, 2010
Tops of 2009: Fandom Edition I
Tops of 2009:
[Fandom Edition I]
“For me, the cinema is not a slice of life,
but a piece of cake.”
~Alfred Hitchcock
Welcome to my Tops of 2009: Fandom Edition I. Complete with my favorite movies, tv shows, and episodes new and old of 2009. Here are my favorite visual stories both long and short:
+Movies
+TV Shows
++Episodes
Posted by Araceli on
January 19, 2010
2009-2010 Midseason TV Review
There are so many shows premiering or returning each year, that deciding what to watch or what to continue watching can be quite a task. Here are some important qualities I use when judging a television series. Then we’ll take a look at some shows I watch and see what comes out on top.
Television Show Pyramid
- A good solid base…: An intriguing premise or story that says something interesting and can be expanded upon over time.
- …on which all other factors are rooted: Good acting, writing, directing, cinematography, music, etc. For the most part these things just have to be average. But when they’re firing at all cylinders, and coupled with all the other qualities, is when we really know we’ve got something special.
- Someone to take us through…: Compelling multifaceted characters that you care about and want to know what happens to them from week to week.
- …the journey to the other side: Good character and story development every episode. Especially standalone episodes, even if it’s a crumb of a scene lodged somewhere within the episode.
Posted by Araceli on
October 2, 2009
This isn’t your daddy’s Stargate.
As much as I’ve reviewed all the new series and talked about my favorite returners so far, it may be hard to believe that my most anticipated television show has yet to premiere. Even more interesting is this anticipated show won’t even be airing on one of the main broadcast networks. And even more peculiar is it will be premiering and regularly airing on a Friday night. But then the most bewildering thing of all is that it’s not even a completely original show, but both a spin-off and a reboot of the shows that came before it. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to have seen or have any knowledge of it’s predecessors to enjoy this new offering from the television gods.
So yes, despite everything Stargate Universe has still managed to become one of the most buzzed about and top 10 most anticipated new shows of the fall. So sit back and let me have a couple minutes to suggest why you should join me tonight at 9pm on SyFy. Hopefully after you read this you’ll be as excited as I am about it. But we’re not going to take my word for it.
Posted by Araceli on
August 29, 2009
Fall TV 2009-2010
It’s that time of the year again. Quite possibly one of my favorite times of the year. The time when all our favorite shows that left us hanging this past spring or all the new shows we’ve heard promoted all summer are finally here. One week and counting til the start of Fall TV 2009. Are you ready?
Have you read the releases and watched the trailers for all the new shows? Have you made your TV schedule? Do you know what days and times everything will premiere? Do you have your DVR, VCR, or Torrents set?
Great, then there’s still time to advise you on my picks for this TV season. So, without further adieu:
Posted by Araceli on
June 9, 2009
2009-2010 New Shows
This is coming a little later than I would have liked, but better late than never. This is in conjunction with my previous post on the fall lineup.
Quick Blips on Upfront Teasers
Day One on NBC – Everyone seems to be comparing the show to Jericho. It doesn’t have a proper trailer yet, but rather a behind the scenes clip. I’ll have to wait before I have further opinions on this one.
Mercy on NBC – Told from the eyes of the nurses, the only bright spot seems to be Michelle Trachtenberg. From what I saw ‘zzz…’.
Parenthood on NBC – Good actors, interesting characters, interesting plot. As I said in my previous post, the next Brothers & Sisters.
Trauma on NBC – Told from the eyes of the paramedics. I’m not interested, but at least it looks better than Mercy.
Human Target on FOX – He can be anyone you need him to be. It’s kind of like a new take on the Pretender, John Doe, or Dollhouse idea. Premise is interesting. Trailer doesn’t look too bad. Further viewing is needed.
Past Life on FOX – Interesting idea, FOX. But I think it’s pretty out there for the premise of a tv series. I don’t see this lasting. And I felt like I just watched the whole season premiere in the trailer.
Eastwick on ABC – CharmedRedux? I wonder if this will be the next chick series?
Flash Forward on ABC – More of a teaser than a trailer, but it looks good. I’m in.
V on ABC – Joel Gretsch (4400), Morena Baccarin (Firefly), Scott Wolf (Party of Five), and Alan Tudyk (Firefly) on one show about the world’s first encounter with aliens, who may or not be friendly. It doesn’t come out til midseason. But I’ll give it a try.
Three Rivers on CBS – My pick out of three medical dramas based on the previews. I may have to give this one a try. Plus, Alex O’Loughlin (Moonlight) and Katherine Moennig (Young Americans and The L Word) back on tv.
The Beautiful Life on CW – This show could be interesting and be the next Gossip Girl for the network. Plus, the return of Mischa Barton. And I never noticed her voice was so deep before.
Melrose Place on CW – Yawn. Felt like I was watching a daytime soap. The younger cast including Ashlee Simpson could be interesting, but otherwise…
The Vampire Diaries on CW – This show could go either way depending on how it’s played. So far it looks all right to watch. The next Roswell/Supernatural for the CW?
Well, that’s it. We definitely need more scripted television and less reality television. So, here’s hoping at least a couple of these shows stick and are a success with viewers.
2009-2010 Upfront Trailers
Make your own decisions and let me know what you think!
NBC 2009-2010 Upfront Trailers
FOX 2009-2010 Upfront Trailers
ABC 2009-2010 Upfront Trailers
Posted by Araceli on
May 24, 2009
2009-2010 Upfronts
Upfront week for the main networks has come and gone. I haven’t even had a chance to look at the shows and schedules til now. But like every year, I’m here to present my choices, interests, and thoughts in the offerings for the upcoming season. And as always, complete upfront information for each channel can be found at TheFutonCritic.
2009-2010 Schedule
Sunday
I usually like starting my week on Monday, but seeing as there just isn’t much to see on Sunday… Basically we’ve got Brothers and Sisters on ABC returning at 10PM. And then at 9PM we have Three Rivers on CBS, which is a new medical drama that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, the recipients and the surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country where every moment counts.
Monday
At 8PM I’ll be watching Gossip Girl’s third season on the CW. I’d say the CW network’s best and most promising show. I’m most looking forward to seeing whether Chuck and Blair will actually stay together for a while? And how the show will run now that the gang are in separate colleges. Heroes is also back at 8pm on NBC for another year of pain and watching the beloved show of first season slowly waste away each year. Can the show ever go back to the greatness of first season? I doubt it. And our beloved Chuck will be replacing the show in the spring. House is also back at 8pm on FOX. Not sure how much life is left in this show either. Although I am interested in seeing where the events of the season finale lead the characters next.
Then at 9PM on CW we have One Tree Hill, the show that won’t die. Especially after they’ve lost two of their main stars going into the new season. Besides that we’ve got two new drama offerings on NBC: Trauma, an intense, action-packed look at first responder paramedics. Perhaps the next ER or maybe Grey’s Anatomy? And Day One, this season’s Jericho on dealing with the aftermath of a catastrophic event. Day One will actually be replacing Trauma in the spring. And we also have Lie to Me on FOX, which apparently will be having it’s second season even though I didn’t even know it existed til now. The premise sounds interesting though, so maybe I’ll have to watch it a bit.
Tuesday
At 8PM we have 90210 back for a second season on the CW, which will hopefully be better than the first season. Otherwise, zzz… And that’s about it for me.
Following 90210 at 9PM we have 90210Redux also known as the CW’s new show Melrose Place. Will it be any good? We’ll have to wait and see. But Sarah Connor Chronicles‘ Stephanie Jacobsen will be in this new show as well as Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. We also have another new offering from FOX called Past Life about a pair of past-life detectives who investigate whether what is happening to you today is the result of who you were before in another life. I don’t know about this FOX…
Wednesday
We have a new offering at 8PM on NBC that features a star-studded cast (among them are Maura Tierney, Erika Christensen, and Peter Krause) and sounds like it may be this season’s Brothers and Sisters. Parenthood is about a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif. after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids. Most likely one of the season’s biggest hits. Replacing it in the spring is another medical drama Mercy, portraying the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital as seen through the eyes of those who know it best — its nurses. Michelle Trachtenberg from BtVS and Gossip Girl can be seen in Mercy. I don’t see myself watching either of these shows, but we’ll see.
At 9PM we have the much hyped Glee on FOX, which actually has the pilot available for viewing already. I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet however. Replacing it in the winter will be Human Target based on a comic book. Mark Valley from Fringe stars as Christopher Chance, a unique private contractor/security guard hired to protect by completely integrating himself into his clients’ lives to become the human target. Meanwhile on CW, Mischa Barton returns to television on The Beautiful Life about models, and which sounds kind of yawn-worthy.
Thursday
First at 8PM we have Flash Forward on ABC which may be one of the most interesting scifi/fantasy options this season. When a mysterious event causes the entire world to black out, humanity is given a glimpse into its near future, and every man, woman and child is forced to come to grips with whether their destinies can be avoided or fulfilled. Another new show is CW’s The Vampire Dairies about a girl and two vampire brothers. The added bonus is seeing Paul Wesley on tv again. I’ve been watching him for a while in different shows like Wolf Lake, Everwood, and the Fallen miniseries. Could be an interesting show, but we’ll have to see. Then, of course there is Bones on FOX returning for a fifth season.
At 9PM we also have the return of various fan favorites: Grey’s Anatomy on ABC, CSI on CBS, and Supernatural on CW. Plus, we now also have FOX’s Fringe which will be battling these other three shows for ratings in it’s new time slot. I’m not sure this is a wise decision to pit against the other three already established shows.
Friday
Smallville is another show that has gone past it’s shelf life. So, instead of canceling it, it’s been banished to Friday where shows go to die.
Meanwhile, at 9PM Ugly Betty on ABC and Southland on NBC have also been sent to Friday. And Medium while finally getting an earlier time slot, has also been sent to Friday. And Dollhouse on FOX, while it managed to get another season was not given a vote of confidence by moving to another night. And now it has another three new shows to compete with in the same timeslot that it didn’t have before. Perhaps this season Friday will not be where shows go to die? Maybe the networks will establish a new night of television?
Posted by Araceli on
January 12, 2009
Tops of 2008
When a year ends sometimes it’s hard to remember where it began. Sometimes the time goes by slowly, and other times it goes by fast. And in the years to come, you’ll struggle to remember what you did that year and the things that defined you. It’d be nice to remember what you invested your time in, what made an impression, and what represented you as a whole for that year. That’s why I bring my:
Tops of 2008
