The Daily Pop

TV Round Up – Some Thoughts on What I’ve Watched this Week (9/23-9/27/12)

What a week of returns and debuts! Here's a brief rundown of my thoughts, when certain shows air and how I feel they faired:

SUNDAY

 8 PM Sun. MTV – Rehab with Dr. Drew – For ANYONE that has had a family member or a friend or a child or themselves that has flirted with the idea that “drugs or alcohol aren’t that bad and I’ll be able to control it” – YOU need to watch this show. It is with real people from varying backgrounds (upper-middle class, wealthy, poor, black, white, Hispanic). It is gritty and raw and not glamorous at all. Drugs and drinking are not cool and do not make you look or act cool. If you think they do, check out this show. It is a wake call I WISH I could have shown someone near to me, but now it is too late. Heart and gut wrenching and shows what words are too hollow to demonstrate.

Top 10 List for the Primetime Emmy Awards 2012 (Plus, a brief look at the Fall Lineup)

This year the Primetime Emmy Awards were hosted by late night funny man Jimmy Kimmel. Overall, I think he did an OK job, but on the red carpet, last year’s host Jimmy Fallon seemed to have a lot more topical material & I think he would have been a bit more funny while still having an edge than Jimmy K. Jimmy K., at times, seemed a bit bored to be there & also just doesn’t have the spontaneity of his predecessors to really reve up the crowd. Here are a few of my thoughts, pro & con, of the ceremony.

Where has all the “Love in the Afternoon” Gone?

So, Matt Lauer has just signed a new deal with the Today show that *may* make way for a fifth hour of the Today show. Are you KIDDING me? Four is plenty. Watching Hoda and Kathy Lee get loaded on martinis and wine at 10am is the PERFECT way to end the show. Plus, there are enough talk shows to choke even the most avid chat show fest fan. But, the real reason I have my feathers all riled up, is that this would most certainly mean the end of Days of Our Lives. Yes, another soap would be killed , so another person could talk about how we could better our selves in 5 easy steps, or roast a turkey in under an hour, or create the cutest little party favors with only a leftover cardboard box and food-colored kitty litter. ENOUGH!!

Fall Prime-Time TV Line-Up: What you should be watching, Part Three (Saturday, Sunday, and Nightly Shows)

In this final installment of “What you should be watching in prime-time,” I have included shows that air on Saturday and Sunday, in addition to shows that air nightly. This is but a microcosm of what is on, but these happened to grab my attention and my loyalty as a viewer. Enjoy!

Fall Prime-Time TV Line-Up: What you should be watching, Part Two (Thursday & Friday)

 On my last post, I suggested a few shows that I feel make for “Must See TV” on Monday through Wednesday. Here are my suggestions for Thursday and Friday. (It was going to be through the weekend, but it ended up being more than I had bargained for. I didn’t realize I had so many shows that I follow! I will share those, along with nightly shows in part three of this series.) Hope you enjoy!

Fall Prime-Time TV Line-Up: What you should be watching, Part One-A (AKA, The One’s I Forgot…)

On my last post, I suggested a few shows that I feel make for “Must See TV” on Monday through Wednesday nights. However, I left off three of my FAVS: The new hit comedy, New Girl, Glee and Psych. Like I said, there is just a lot of great TV on this fall! Consider this an addendum to my last post…

Fall Prime-Time TV Line-Up: What you should be watching, Part One (Monday-Wednesday).

This fall, there are so many great shows on TV that my DVR is working overtime just to keep up. There are a few shows that I miss from last season (Lie to Me, being one…) but plenty of others have entered the TV landscape and have made for great TV watching. Here are a few of my favorites, by day, time, and channel.

FRINGE: Where is Peter Bishop? The Season 4/ “Series” Premiere

Well, the wait is over – Season 4, episode 1 of Fringe, “Neither Here nor There,” started the season with a bang! (Just FYI: Spoilers ahead!)

FOX has been billing this season’s premiere as a “series” premiere, as Peter has disappeared and both universes have built an uneasy alliance. In the opening moments of the show, before the new orange credits (to represent a new era with the universes coexisting and working together), we saw the two Olivias (Anna Torv) arguing (“our” Olivia and “Fauxlivia,” from the other universe). Once they were done, we saw a glimpse of Peter (Joshua Jackson) flash on the screen beside our Olivia. It had me captivated immediately!

FRINGE: A recap to get you started for Season 4 — Where is Peter Bishop?

It’s finally back — FRINGE! I’ve been on the edge of my seat all summer long, watching the teasers by FOX, then the web-series, “Fringe: Past + Present + Future.” (If you haven’t seen these and are new, or even old, to Fringe, they are worth a watch.)



If you haven’t watched Fringe, here’s the gist: Over 20 years ago our Walter’s (John Noble) son Peter (Joshua Jackson) died as a child before Walter could come up with a cure. During this time, he and his friend, William Bell (fabulously played by Leonard Nemoy), both fabulous scientists, were giving a drug to children, to help them prepare for what was to come in our future. Olivia (Anna Torv) was one of his subjects. As he is looking into the other universe, he sees that Peter on the other side is dying of the same disease. By this time, he has found a cure, and creates an opening into the other universe to steal Peter and raise him as his son. He is encouraged to this by an “Observer” named September. He tells Walter that “The child must live.” Peter always felt he was different, and this caused a strained relationship with Walter.

Welcome Back, Castle!

I don’t know about you guys, but last week felt like “No Man’s Land” for TV shows! All of the summer hits were already on fall hiatus (I miss you, Burn Notice…), so I have been waiting (not so patiently) for the return of this week’s fall line-up. Tonight’s season premier of ABC’s Castle did not disappoint!

At the end of last season, we were left with the cliff hanger of will Becket (Stana Katic) live or die? Did she hear Castle (Nathan Fillion) admit he was in love with her? Who will replace the now-deceased Captain Montgomery (the very missed, Ruben Santiago-Hudson)? All of those questions and more were answered. The teaser preview kept me on the edge of my seat until 10:01 PM tonight!

I have to admit, I like the quirky Castle over the brooding Castle, but I’ll take either over none! Fillion plays both so beautifully, and you really feel Castle's connection to Becket. When she called Castle in right after she awoke from surgery, we were hoping she’d tell him she loved him, too. Ahhh, but that wouldn’t make for good TV! After her surgery, she told everyone, including Castle, that she didn’t remember anything after she felt the gun shot. She also told him not to stop by anymore, that she would “call him” in a few days. Not a good sign…