Fall/Autumn 2010 tv: your thoughts thus far?

Richard Dower

To add to this well written and observed article, we're 5/6 weeks in...what are your thoughts on the season thus far?, worst season in years?, slim pickings for good shows?

http://www.spoilertv.com/2010/10/fall-2010-television-your-thoughts-so.html

Richard Dower

I'm glad the writer has highlighted the excellence that is The Vampire Diaries...too often people who've never seen it label it as Twilight, but as the writer states it's rapidly evolved into a more teen True Blood:

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES started out probably as bad as the Twi-hard "saga" but after a few episodes it turned into generally compelling television, and had some great twists, and the acting wasn't Godawful, either. This season, it seems to have hit a new level of quality, and is definitely defining itself as the teen True Blood, not the TwiVamp Show. We're only 6 episodes into the season and the show has already let loose the thrills, gore, and killing of characters. The writing is actually very good at amping up drama and yet remaining self-aware, and therefore, not nauseatingly annoying, (they have some of Joss Whedon's writers on board, so that shouldn't be too much of a surprise) and Katherine is a great addition to the show. I sometimes find it hard to believe that this show is for the teenage girls because (especially episode 2.06) it can be downright disgusting at times, (I feel like Supernatural has had some influence on this show sometimes--the brotherly relationship, the random and brutal gory parts, etc.) It makes for some pretty good television.

Richard Dower

Of the new shows this season, thus far the standout is Nikita...i'm generally not a fan of spy type stuff, i never liked Alias and Covert Affairs started well, had a strong pilot, but decended into "meh".

It was just too light and fluffy, but tbf the finale was really quite good....but overall not my taste.

The Event...mixed feelings on this, it just feels TOO much like Flash Forward, and i like alot of others got burned bad by that series. But in it's favour it does have more going on and they have interjected several very good twists i did not see coming.

But the writing and acting is vey patchy, the lead Jason Ritter is woeful as is Blair Underwood, Ivanek is great though, playing national security adviser...he was the better part of Heroes final season.

I'm not sold on the show but it's giving me enough to keep watching.

No Ordinary Family...it's the tv version of The Incredibles! (kinda)...look, this is family tv and it ain't half bad. Sure the writing is patchy and kids annoying...but Chilkis and Benz are pretty good. I read it'll get darker and explore the mythology as it goes along...much needed!

Right now it's very fluffy, it needs a darker edge imo, but it's a good family entertainment show.

RolandIRL

Is this not like that thread i created a few weeks ago...? :P

Nikita and Lost Girl are the main new shows for me this year, and i'm enjoying both of them very much so far. Lost Girl is shaping up nicely with a good few genuinely funny moments in it, and it being canadian means that it's not PG like most of american tv.

i'm still out on the event. even though it's got a full season, i've still a bit hung from flashforward and i'll wait until a second season has been confirmed/scrapped.

returning shows is a bit of a mixed park. the new south park episodes are just spot on, with hilarious moments through out (taking the piss of jersey shore was so funny ). 30 rock also has it moments, and i think it's improved a good bit since last season imo. SGU is going a bit slow for me atm, but it's keeping me hooked for now.
fringe is getting better this season. it's not as episodic as the first 2 seasons (which i can't even remember the overall plot of them, and found them a bit boring). it's developing the story each episode rather than leaving it for a few episodes.
caprica is a bit of a mixed bag. i like some of the V world stuff, but it needs to go at a faster pace, and try to establish some sort of a central plot which relates to all the characters. if a side-story isn't going anywhere, it should just be written out.

overall, quite content with this year, but not many new pickups for me, unlike last year

(and btw, i found denko out of heroes to be a woeful actor. really hated him, and felt he should have just been killed as soon as he appeared on screen)

Richard Dower

^ i should really have mentioned Lost Girl here, but i left my thoughts in the main LG thread.

pickarooney

It's a total write-off, a couple of decent returning shows notwithstanding. Let's hope midseason throws up something more entertaining than the September pukefest.

BTW did anyone else keep thinking they saw Julie Bowen instead of Julie Benz in the NOF pilot?

KerranJast

I've sworn off watching US shows until they've a season or two under them. Far too many good ones are cancelled early.

Poochie05

For me the highlight of very slim pickings is Terriers. Otherwise, nothing I couldn't live without seeing.

don ramo

im liking outsourced, and better with you, mike and molly isnt half bad, they seem to be slowly laying off the fat jokes,

Nikita and No Ordinary Family are shaping up to be good shows, while undercovers fill a gap at the moment, might get more interesting when we find out why they were reactivated, but i wouldnt really care if it was cancelled ATM,

also liking Hawaii Five-0 and Law and Order LA, LA has fallen into the procedural bracket easily enough, Five-0 not so much a proceduarl, could be a good underlying story in there,

im letting baordwalk empire build up, watched the first 2 eps didnt seem like a fast paced show so ive decided to watch it in blocks,

didnt bother picking up Lost Girl, The Event, Blue Bloods, Detroit 1-8-7, Outlaw, The Whole Truth, $"%* my dad says, The Defenders,Terriers, Hellcats, Running Wilde, Rasing Hope, Mellisa and Joey, think thats all of them,

most shows returned fiarly well, Fringe, Smallville, House, Sanctuary are on the up,

CSI x3, TBBT, SGU, 2.5 Men, HIMYM, ROE, have kept there standard not improving or reducing,

my biggest dissapointment this season has unfourtunately been Chuck, i cant exactly put my finger on it, first episode was class with chucks mom being badass, but the last 3 or 4 seem to be missing something, last weeks was a bright spot, so im really hopeing it kicks into gear this week,

don ramo

KerranJast wrote: »

I've sworn off watching US shows until they've a season or two under them. Far too many good ones are cancelled early.

i swore that also, yet somehow picked up 9 :eek::D

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Been taking it easy this season - haven't picked up any new shows yet (gonna catch up on a few at christmas and see if there's any keepers). I also dropped some shows (Supernatural, Stargate Universe, Bones, The Middle) from my weekly schedule and again intend to catch up at christmas.

Which leaves me watching House, Chuck, HIMYM, Dexter, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Modern Family, Community, The Big Bang Theory and The Biggest Loser from the US.

Throw The Apprentice IRL & UK, plus my soaps Fair City, Ros na Rún & Hollyoaks into the mix and I've still got quite a bit to get through every week.

Misfits is the only other thing I'll be watching before xmas.

pickarooney

Does anyone have a gut feeling on whether Outsourced will make it to the end of its season? Or Running Wilde for that matter. I'd like to watch them but can't be arsed with a show that will be axed before Christmas.

Richard Dower

My reading is Outsourced will get the full season, but not a third...Running Wilde will be axed fairly soon or see out it's 13 eps. and dropped mid season.

Basq

Richard Dower wrote: »

My reading is Outsourced will get the full season, but not a third..

Surely you mean second?

'Outsourced' is one of NBC's best performing sitcoms, and has already got the full season.

FWIW, it's one of the better sitcoms this year.

Running Wilde is dead in the water however.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

basquille wrote: »

Surely you mean second?

'Outsourced' is one of NBC's best performing sitcoms, and has already got the full season.

FWIW, it's one of the better sitcoms this year.

Running Wilde is dead in the water however.

Slightly off topic, but what's FWIW?

Basq

CaptainNegative wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but what's FWIW?

Slightly?

.. For What It's Worth

Sideshow Mark

Very much liked Thorne on Sky1, certainly stands up well against the better US dramas.

Sad to see that Glee has spectacularly jumped the shark this season. But very glad to see that whilst Chuck has sailed quite close to the shark, he hasn't strapped on the waterskis just yet .

A bit disappointed with House so far, if he's not off his head on drugs it's just not the same.

Fringe is currently my favourite US show. John Noble has been superb as Walter & Walternate, he deserves every acting award going.

Watching all of the above at the Sky/Irish pace.

Stayed away from new US shows this year until I know they're not going to be cancelled. Will probably start The Event this week, better than Flash Forward by all accounts. Can't wait to see The Walking Dead, but will manage to hang on until FX show the extended version of the first episode on Friday week.

Honestly think that this year due to Flash Forward many people have avoided getting into shows. Viewing figures on the new shows have been terrible.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Sideshow Mark wrote: »

Honestly think that this year due to Flash Forward many people have avoided getting into shows. Viewing figures on the new shows have been terrible.

Think its more of a case that the shows themselves are awful. Very few new shows show much potential tbh.