The Idiot Box: TV Season 2011/2012

[Crafty_Pat]

Blood and Chrome trailer: Putting aside the blatantly derivative approach, this looks like a strong return to what made Moore's re-envisioned BSG so great. Consider me optimistic.

Turns out that was just a demo reel, and that while SyFy will broadcast the 90-minute pilot it's declined the series, opting instead to develop it as a web product.

[foproy]

clerks animated series may make a come back.
http://www.slashfilm.com/clerks-animated-series-return-2013/

[Mister Andersen]

So, the debut episodes of Korra were quite enjoyable. I'm still not exactly sure why Tenzin doesn't look like his mother was Kitara though.

[foproy]

catching up on the killing before season 2. this show feels much like twin peaks.

[Mister Andersen]

Dr Who 2012 teaser trailer

[Crafty_Pat]

The Newsroom: This is Sorkin's return to serialized TV. On HBO. With Jeff Daniels. And Sam Waterston.

Mark my words. This will be mighty. Even if it's stillborn in the ratings*.

* which, for what it's worth, I very much doubt will happen.

[VisualStatic]

The Newsroom: This is Sorkin's return to serialized TV. On HBO. With Jeff Daniels. And Sam Waterston.

Mark my words. This will be mighty. Even if it's stillborn in the ratings*.

* which, for what it's worth, I very much doubt will happen.

Looks interesting, hopefully he knocks it out of the park like West Wing.

[Crafty_Pat]

Fringe's Fate will likely be determined this week: At best, we're looking at 13 episodes and done next year.

[Sletchman]

Fringe's Fate will likely be determined this week: At best, we're looking at 13 episodes and done next year.

I am liking this trend of telling the writers "this will be your last season" in advance (Fringe, Chuck, Eureka*).  Giving production teams a chance to actually close out a show properly is just so much better then the final episode of a show you like being a "see how this resolves next season!" that just never happens (I'm looking squarely at you SG:U).  I hope that more networks give shows that are on the bubble and get renewed the chance to go out strong - that or writers finally get over the antiquated notion of a season finale cliffhanger ep.

* SyFy kinda flubbed it with their substantially reduced episode order after the eps were written and in production, but the potential was there.

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I watched the season final of Justified last night.  The first 2 seasons I thought to myself "Wow!  How on earth can they even match this on the next season?" and season 3 was no different.

I was really interested in the way the final ep of the season finished - in the first two it ended with a dramatic cliffhanger (as noted above - I hate these, and think it's a cheap way to get a loyal audience to return), but season 3 actually ended fairly quietly by comparison (but certainly no less powerfully).

This whole season did so much right IMO - the way they handled Helen's death, the fact that a post-Mags Bennet Justified didn't just suck (because, honestly, where do you go from an arc that amazing?), Raylen's theory that Arlow may have thought he was shooting him (OMG!), and of course Raylen's kinda off the rails interrogation of Wynn Duffy (who I suspect/hope may be a big player next season).

[foproy]

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i saw the ign review before i watched it, and that episode was not the 8 they gave it it was a 10. where do you think they will take the  wynn duffie situation?(wynn is probably one of my favorite characters on televisioni also liked jere burns in burn notice.)you think he will go to detroit? also i loved the scene in the slaughter house.

i hope the show continues to produce as it has.

anyone been watching supernatural? i have not been impressed with this seasons story, though a few of the side episodes have been good.

[Krensky]

Admittedly, I haven't watched the last few episodes of last season, but for Eureka just ending it might have been better because the seasons are msotly self contained.

[Sletchman]

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i saw the ign review before i watched it, and that episode was not the 8 they gave it it was a 10. where do you think they will take the  wynn duffie situation?(wynn is probably one of my favorite characters on televisioni also liked jere burns in burn notice.)you think he will go to detroit? also i loved the scene in the slaughter house.

i hope the show continues to produce as it has.

anyone been watching supernatural? i have not been impressed with this seasons story, though a few of the side episodes have been good.

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He did say to the boss in detroit that the original plan was a good one (it just needed a non-insane person at the helm).  Maybe he'll capitalise on Quarles' death and start the operation back up.  He has a good shot if Johnny and Boyd start locking horns - that'll create a nice power vacuum for a shot time that he could capitalise on.  Could go either way though - he could move up to Detroit too (hope not though - he's one of my favourite characters and him being in Detroit would reduce his time on the show considerably).

Admittedly, I haven't watched the last few episodes of last season, but for Eureka just ending it might have been better because the seasons are msotly self contained.

True - but if the writers were working on a 20 episode arc, and suddenly get told "you get 13" it seems to me that the season will be right in the meat of the arc when it suddenly ends.  Hopefully the production team pulls it off though.

[Krensky]

What I meant was no fifth season might be better then a short one. They usually have a few episodes not tied to the arc though, maybe closer to half if you count the ones that have a throw away scene to keep the arc in people's mind.

We'll see.

[Crafty_Pat]

I appreciate cliffhangers as a narrative device more than a marketing one, and I think when they're used for good - as in, say, Season 2 of Buffy, Peter Campbell getting shot on Soap, or most of the early seasons of Lost - they can generate loads of positive discussion and a deeper connection with the story. That said, they're not always a great fit or a strong complement to every story, and they are overused.

Justified was amazing this year, no doubt, and I had the same feelings about Season 3 after that great arc last year. I'm so happy they pulled it off, and I have no worries now about Season 4.

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Personally, I'm hoping that Theo and Winn Duffy both return. Adam Arkin's a great, often underrated character actor, and I haven't seen enough of Theo's particular brand of family yet. 

[Crafty_Pat]

Mockingbird Lane concept art: There are certain creators I will follow into hell... Steven Moffat, Joss Whedon (even after Dollhouse), Amy Sherman-Palladino... and Bryan Fuller, who brought us stuff like Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies, and Dead Like Me. The man's an absolute genius and can turn even the daftest concept into dramedy gold.

As you may know, he's working on a Munsters Reboot. Well, here's the latest...

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