New shows are in red. There are three separate charts just for posting and readability purposes. Click charts to enlarge text.
Heroes – B+
I think Heroes is definitely trying to pull itself up back to where it was during its season one heyday. Do I think it’s there yet? No, but I can definitely see improvement now from where we were at this same time during seasons two and three. As you know, I just did a marathon to catch up on Heroes—last half of season three and the first three eps of season four. And the reason I had to do that was because last April I gave up on Heroes. I found I was getting the same feeling at the thought of watching a new episode of Heroes that I used to get when I was heading into Mr. I-Cannot-Remember-Your-Name-But-You-Tried-to-Fail-Me-for-Being-Sick’s pre-calculus class in 11th grade. Unacceptable. But I was told by people I trust that the show was doing better and that I should give it another chance. So, I have! And I can honestly say that I do not feel sick at the sight of a recorded Heroes ep on my DVR list. It is still not the first thing I go to watch the next day, but I don’t want to cry when I press play and that’s progress!
The Good Wife – A
I know I’ve talked about The Good Wife and how I love it and why already, so let me summarize: this show, while it does follow the traditional case-of-the-week format, has a lot more going on than the average legal drama. Julianna Margulies character, Alicia Florek, brings something new to drama. She’s strong but struggling, and watching her struggle and survive is not just entertaining. It’s beautiful. I adore this show and I am so glad that CBS gave it a full season pick up already. Plus, I cannot complain about any show that brings Chris Noth back into my life even if he is just a special guest star.
Glee – A+
Real talk: I am a Gleek. I do not have enough good things to say about this show and Fox for giving it such amazing support. I listen to the songs from each episode over and over again. I pine for Wednesday nights like a sane person pines for Friday. I quote Sue Sylvester like it is my job. In recent years, a wave of smarter comedies have taken over television making shows like Two and a Half Men bigger jokes than they already were. And I don’t just mean smart as in intelligence—stylish, sleek, witty, genuinely funny (not just ehhh funny) television. Glee follows in the footsteps of greats like 30 Rock and The Big Bang Theory. But Glee brings something more—music and characters to identify with. The Gleeks are a bunch of outcasts and misfits, but you love them and identify with them and want to see them succeed. You don’t sit passively by laughing at them—you sing and dance with them and cheer them on. I feel like I ask everyone I meet this one question: If you aren’t watching Glee already, what are you waiting for?
Cougar Town – A+
This is the best comedy pilot I have ever seen. Ever. Period. Even 30 Rock got off to a slow and somewhat awkward start. But Cougar Town has been pure perfection from the beginning. It absolutely doesn’t hurt that lead actress Courtney Cox is a veteran comedienne or that co-creator and co-executive producer Bill Lawrence was the creative brains behind the uber successful Scrubs (which Courtney had a guest starring role on last year). I cannot say enough good things about the writing, the casting, the delivery, everything. And I need to just mention that Dan Byrd, who plays Courtney’s son Travis on the show, does amazing things with the limited screen time he gets as a supporting character. Cougar Town and the show I am about to discuss below just increase my love and pining for Wednesday nights.Eastwick – A+
First, I must be clear: Eastwick is amazing. Second, it is constantly being talked about with regard to it being “in danger” of “getting the ax” from ABC because it gets low ratings. So, while I adore this show to no end because it fills my Wednesday nights with joy and lady energy that is seriously lacking since the cancellation of Lipstick Jungle, I live in fear of it being ripped from my schedule before its time. Honestly, this show is fun. Straight up. The three female leads and all of their enormously adorable supporting castmates (including Sara Rue and Kyle XY’s Matt Dallas—heyyy!) are perfection. Per-fect-shun. It’s basically Sex & the Town plus MAGIC, and you really can’t beat that combo, can you? So, ABC, if you believe in magic, do not cancel Eastwick. Like for the next five to eight years. Thanks!
Flash Forward – C
Let’s put it this way: I do not heed Vanessa Williams’ advice and save the best for last. I watch Heroes before I watch Flash Forward, and I leave Flash Forward on my DVR longer than a week (I do everything in my power to watch a show the next day, but if I don’t the rule is that I must watch it before the next episode airs or perish). After watching the first two episodes, I was convinced that I was going to drop this show. But the third episode showed a little bit of a spark. And I can’t lie—the cast is really holding it together for me. The show did just break up with its showrunner, Marc Guggenheim, so some changes like, oh say, PICKING UP THE PACE could be in Flash Forward’s future. I’m going to hold on for a little longer, but right now Flash Forward is not ranking anywhere high on my list of favorite TV shows.
Community – A
Joel McHale is funny. His new comedy is funny. But his new comedy is not necessarily funny because of Joel McHale. The real standouts are his supporting cast members like Danny Pudi, Alison Brie and Chevy Chase. Community is an oddball comedy that somehow works while still being incredibly over-the-top. You almost laugh solely because the things that are happening are so absurd. One of the strong points for Community is the show’s ability to juggle multiple plots (3-4 going on simultaneously in any given episode) and carry them out successfully in 30 minutes. I was hoping this show would suck real bad so I wouldn’t have to take on another NBC show (grrr at NBC!), but Community is worth letting my guard down slightly.
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