It is that time of year. We are, in some cases, almost a quarter of the way (or more) through the season run of TV shows for this year. As is the usual case in our family, we have purchased Season Passes for some shows and checked out the free pilots for still others. Below is a brief summary of my thoughts on the shows we have sampled so far.
The Big Bang Theory - If you checked out my Fall TV post from last year, you are aware that we have been watching BBT for several years and last season we started to see a drop off in our enjoyment of the show. Sad to say that is continuing into this year. The lack of character development for Sheldon - at times he is infuriatingly mean to other characters (and doesn't need to be). The flip-flopping for Raj - sometimes sensitive and then sometimes a jerk and then a complete disaster in front of women. They might as well just have Raj and Stuart start dating as at least that would be funny. Amy's character just continues to be the long-suffering girlfriend who has to roll her eyes at Sheldon. What can be done to raise the bar for this show is more episodes like The Romance Resonance, which was clever and sweet. They should also mine more geeky tropes like in the The Raiders Minimization (albeit without the subsequent lame response from Sheldon). Is the show bad, no. Is it as good as it has been, no. Worth watching, but not nearly as must see as it has been in the past - 3.5 Mick Happies.
Elementary - The show continues to mine the Sherlock mythology and provide insightful mysteries for the duo of Holmes and Watson to solve. If you have liked the show's first season, there really is nothing to keep you from liking the second season. The one concern I have is that the show seems to be modeling some of the episodes off of headlines from the news. While this has worked in the past for shows like Law & Order, it takes me right out of the story with Elementary. This is probably due to the mysteries seeming so unique in season one. We'll have to see if this is a trend of just a couple one-off episodes. - 4 Mick Happies.
Grimm - Coming off a big cliff-hanger from the end of season 2, Grimm could have gone seriously wrong with the start of season 3. Happy to say that the show runners quickly resolve the main story line from the end of last year. There are some long-term concerns that Nick and crew need to deal with and the writers probably need to stop trying to find relationship tension for Nick and Juliette, but overall the show is still fun and action-packed - 4 Mick Happies.
The Goldbergs - A 1980s-based sitcom covering the real-life antics of show runner Adam F. Goldberg's family. I made it through 2 episodes before deciding to not buy the complete season pass for this show. The nostalgia is there and it is funny, but not funny enough to sway me to vote with my dollars to watch the full season as it airs. What you get here is big hair, leg warmers, bright clothes, the start of rap hitting mainstream, teen angst, family bonding, etc. All the hallmarks of a family sitcom from the 80s. Oh, did I mention the roller rink? Look it up, think indoor skate park without the jumps (and most of the bruises). - 3 Mick Happies
Last Man Standing - Over the summer, we took advantage of Netflix to start watching the first two seasons of the Tim Allen, Nancy Travis starred family sitcom. Tim Allen plays Mike Baxter, the marketing head for an outdoor sports equipment chain. He handles work and his family consisting of wife and 3 daughters. The show also stars Hector Elizondo as Mike's boss and one of the standouts is Christoph Sanders as Kyle, a nicer than smart employee at the sports store who dates one of Mike's daughters. It is fun and easy to get into type of show. If you liked Home Improvement, there are shades of that here but doesn't feel like a re-hash. Note that there was a casting change in the oldest daughter between seasons one and two, but you will get past that quickly. Catch up on Netflix and then dive into season 3. Fun - 4 Mick Happies.
Super Clyde - This is the failed pilot from Gregory Garcia (Raising Hope, My Name is Earl) starring Rupert Grint (Harry Potter) and Stephen Fry. The show is about Clyde, who inherits a lot of money from an eccentric family member. Eventually he finds out what his (I think) uncle was doing, dropping wallets of money and helping those who returned the wallet. Clyde, with the help of his butler (played by Fry) becomes a super hero of sorts when he takes up where his uncle left off. This seems to follow in the same vein as My Name is Earl, helping people who need it on a weekly basis or at least it would have if picked up. You can probably find the pilot online and it is worth a view if just to see Rupert Grint in a part other than Ron Weasley. - 3.5 Mick Happies.
Almost Human - I have been waiting for this show since I heard about it. Karl Urban as an acerbic cop in a crime-riddled future who has to work with a android partner? Sign me up. Urban is partnered with an outdated android model that is programmed with empathy and feelings named Dorian (Michael Ealy). The show has action, funny dialogue and will have you wondering who is more human, the driven cop with regrets and bad interpersonal skills or his sympathetic android partner. Two episodes in and I can't wait for number 3. - 4.5 Mick Happies.
Those are the shows we are watching so far this season. Can't wait for Lost Girl to start up again and I did get to see the 50th anniversary episode of Dr. Who, but the ones above are where I have spent most of my TV show viewing time. Hope you enjoy one or more of them too.
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