Tag Archives: series premiere

December 2011 Premieres, Specials & Events

Posted on 2011/12/01 | Leave a comment

I know there hasn’t been much happening on this site in a long while and for that I’m sorry. It’s been a struggle figuring out how to better balance my new responsibilities in the day job with the extracurricular activities I want to do, like this site and some other exciting things to come in 2012.

But people who know me know that I love me a good list, and I love me some television, so why not take what I do anyway for myself and share it all with you. Many of you may remember these monthly columns from TV Squad and subsequently AOL TV. Well, they’ve proven pretty popular and I’ve seen them copied countless places on the ‘net, so why not on my own site. I did put in the man-hours to create it after all :).

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School Pride, “Soaring Eagles!” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/10/16 | Leave a comment

'School Pride' - 'Soaring Eagles!'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Fri., Oct. 15, 2010 (8:00 PM)
Network: NBC

Kudos to Angel and James for taking the initiative of submitting a video to this show to spotlight the deplorable conditions of the school. This new show manages to be both uplifting and emotional, while at the same time shedding a light on some rather disturbing things. In fact, the ‘School Pride’ crew uncovered a secret at Enterprise Middle School that I’m still trying to wrap my head around.

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(BootlegTV-UK) Phoneshop, “Doctor Who” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/10/08 | Leave a comment

'Phoneshop' - 'Doctor Who'Identifier: Series 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Thu., Oct. 7, 2010
Network: E4

(What is BootlegTV? To put it simply, sometimes things are available in other parts of the world, but not in the US. That doesn’t mean they can’t be enjoyed here, though.)

The premise is straightforward enough. It looks like we have two main characters: Janine as the eager employee who’s desperate to be assistant manager, and Christopher as the new guy trying to figure out everything. They’re joined by Lance as their somewhat incompetent boss, obsessed with his former assistant manager, and Jerwayne and Ashley, two virtual carbon copies of one another. Both are equally smarmy, arrogant and piggish. In other words, they’re good salespeople.

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The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, “In Which Claims Are Made and a Journey Ensues” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/10/02 | Leave a comment

'the increasingly poor decisions of todd margaret' - 'in which claims are made and a journey ensues'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Fri., Oct. 1, 2010 (10:00 PM)
Network: IFC

Well, David Cross, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this new British venture, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only does it have an incredibly long title, but Todd Margaret had me laughing despite myself. It helped that his cohort in London is Dave (Blake Harrison, ‘The Inbetweeners’). Russel Tovey (‘Being Human,’ ‘Him & Her’) had the role initially, but he’s a bit busy. Still, Harrison was very good as the local having a bit of fun at Todd’s expense.

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No Ordinary Family, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/29 | Leave a comment

'No Ordinary Family' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Tue., Sep. 28, 2010 (8:00 PM)
Network: ABC

The fact that this is an ordinary family is why this pilot worked so well. They wasted no time in establishing the Powell family with their abilities by giving us their origin sequence right away. Then, because they are just normal people living normal lives, we didn’t have any of the flair for the dramatic that ‘Heroes’ did right off the bat. Plus, we learned that they may not be alone.

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Blue Bloods, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/25 | Leave a comment

'Blue Bloods' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Fri., Sep. 24, 2010 (10:00 PM)
Network: CBS

It’s so good to have the mustache back on TV. Magnum is all grown up and has a family of his own now, and he’s also the seemingly new commissioner of the NYPD, going under the name Frank Reagan. That comes with a lot of pressure. Pressure not helped by his cop family; in particular son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) who will do whatever it takes to get to the truth. Think Vic Mackey minus the corruption … that we know of. After ‘Boomtown,’ it’s always nice to see Wahlberg back on TV as well, and he’s so good as a cop.

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Outsourced, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/24 | Leave a comment

'Outsourced' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Thu., Sep. 23, 2010 (9:30 PM)
Network: NBC

I’m still a little on the fence about the very premise of this show, but I found myself surprised at how much of it I enjoyed. I’m not particularly culturally or racially sensitive, as I have enough hues in my blood to consider myself a mutt and I just kind of accept everyone for who they are. If it’s insensitive to the Indian culture, I don’t know enough about it to say one way or another, and on the other hand I ask why is that a problem?

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$#*! My Dad Says, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/24 | Leave a comment

'$#*! My Dad Says' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Thu., Sep. 23, 2010 (8:30 PM)
Network: CBS

This show’s title is about three words too long. If William Shatner weren’t in it, it would be virtually unwatchable based on this pilot alone. Will Sasso and Nicole Sullivan are both capable actors, but even they are stumbling through these lines as if determined to make it as awkward as possible, But nobody could be as awkward as Jonathan Sadowski, in the lead role of Henry. This guy has one expression, and I hate it.

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My Generation, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/24 | Leave a comment

'My Generation' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Thu., Sep. 23, 2010 (8:00 PM)
Network: ABC

The idea of a show following a bunch of 2000 high school graduates in their lives ten years later does have potential. The country was in such a different place in 2000 than it is now, it could make for a compelling look at how youthful idealism turned into late 20s reality. Instead, we got this.

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(BootlegTV-UK) An Idiot Abroad, “Great Wall of China (China)” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/24 | Leave a comment

'An Idiot Abroad' - 'Great Wall of China (China)'Identifier: Series 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Thu., Sep. 23, 2010
Network: Sky 1

(What is BootlegTV? To put it simply, sometimes things are available in other parts of the world, but not in the US. That doesn’t mean they can’t be enjoyed here, though.)

Karl Pilkington, of ‘The Ricky Gervais Show’ fame, is sent gallivanting around the world to see the Seven Wonders … and hating every minute of it. Those who’ve seen the HBO animations of the titular podcast, or hear the podcast on the Internet know that Karl has a rather unique worldview. He’s never been outside of the UK area, and has no desire to do so. So what better thing to do for his friends and tormentors Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais than to send him around the world and film it as a travel documentary.

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The Whole Truth, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/23 | Leave a comment

'The Whole Truth' - 'Partners'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Wed., Sep. 22, 2010 (10:00 ET)
Network: ABC

Another hour, another legal drama. Actually this is on in the same hour as ‘The Defenders.’ And ‘Law & Order: Los Angeles,’ which I’ll not be checking out. That’s a lot of legal in one hour, networks? But I’m kind of intrigued by the premise of this one. Shown entirely through the defense and prosecution sides separately (though with overlapping scenes), we aren’t shown if the suspect is guilty or innocent until after the verdict is right. Plus, we get to see Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow tear up the screen as the prosecuting and defense attorneys, respectively.

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Better With You, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/23 | Leave a comment

'Better With You' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Wed., Sep. 22, 2010 (8:30 ET)
Network: ABC

I really wanted this to be better. It wasn’t awful, but there was some unforgivable laziness on the part of the writers in trying to show us how these three couples are at different stages of their relationship. Didn’t we already cover this material, and find that it’s just not that funny, in ”Til Death’? But there are elements I enjoyed as well, and five of the six actors were rather engaging. One, though, confused the hell out of me more than any actor on any show so far this fall.

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Undercovers, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/23 | Leave a comment

'Undercovers' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Wed., Sep. 22, 2010 (8:00 ET)
Network: NBC

Thank god for the cast, because otherwise there might not even be enough here for me to care to come back next week. But the chemistry between Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Steven and Samantha Bloom is just adorable. And it’s always great to see Gerald McRaney, here playing Carlton Shaw, the agent who was tasked with convincing the Blooms to come back into the Agency. But would they?

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Detroit 1-8-7, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/22 | Leave a comment

'Detroit 1-8-7' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Tue., Sep. 21, 2010 (12:00 ET)
Network: ABC

This series may have been a victim of circumstances beyond its control. When a real life tragedy led to the banning of all police ride-alongs in Detroit, the documentary ride-along aspect of this show had to be scrapped. What was left is a bland and disappointing procedural that neither gave me characters to care about, nor shined a particularly powerful spotlight on the city it’s portraying. Maybe because it spent 99% of its air time on the case, leaving no room for exposition or character development.

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Running Wilde, “Pilot” [series premiere]

Posted on 2010/09/22 | Leave a comment

'Running Wilde' - 'Pilot'Identifier: Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Tue., Sep. 21, 2010 (9:30 ET)
Network: FOX

Just as I expected less than I got from this show’s lead-in ‘Raising Hope,’ I expected more from this one than I feel I got. Maybe it’s because this was all a set-up to establish what will be the status quo for the series, but it all happened rather too conveniently. Emmy (Keri Russell) is taking a pretty drastic step, and making a huge life change, on very little information. And what about Andy (David Cross)? At least Fa’ad (Peter Serafinowicz) was awesome!

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