Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – A Guide

My TV watching buddy and I came to a realization recently. Why It’s Worth a Watch has been going strong for quite some time. With so many posts under our belts, we thought now would be a good time to give you a full recap of what shows will be satisfying your entertainment appetite, and which dishes you should pass on.

Going from the worst to best choices, here are the shows I’ve reviewed. Be sure to check out Tiffany’s list for a full guide of what’s worth watching. First off, a quick recap of the Watchwed rating system:

GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech

I’ve only had to suffer through one Liver and Onions worthy show, Hawthorne. Thankfully, the show was not renewed for another season, so unless you run into it in syndication, it will be easy to avoid this awful dish.

I was a bit surprised that I only have one awful review, but don’t get too excited. This is less of a sign of better TV shows as it is my reluctance to give anyone a truly awful review, and Tiffany’s reluctance to make me watch something I already think I’m going to hate.

Which probably explains why I came up with Nyquil Induced Viewing. There are a few shows that fall in the “only when under the influence and trapped in bed” category. Sadly, both shows feature a female lead. Hollywood, please, I beg of you, write more quality roles for women. I know you can do it. The Protector and Body of Proof definitely are not evidence of that. (Incidentally, The Protector was not renewed for a second season. Body of Proof has been, but struggles in the ratings.)

When I’m looking for empty calories, my Junk Food TV shows were Chloe King on ABC Family and Harry’s Law. Being that I never returned to watching The Nine Lives of Chloe King, it was junk food that didn’t really grab my sweet tooth. This treat was discontinued (cancelled) in September, but others must still be looking for it, as ABC Family is in talks for a movie version. Harry’s Law sits in the DVR queue for weeks at a time and only gets a watch if there is nothing else around to satisfy my TV craving, but last I heard the network ordered six more episodes, so it’s still safe in the candy drawer.

Going back through the reviews, I noticed that one solitary show was sitting on the back burner still. Necessary Roughness caught my eye initially with Craig Bierko involved, but episodes without him didn’t hold my interest. It wasn’t bad, so it at least deserves to be tossed in the back of my junk drawer for later.

Now, judging by the amount of shows that fall in the MacTV and GTV rating categories, I love TV more than I care to admit.

While I haven’t watched the latest season, my very first #watchwed post fell between Junk Food and MacTV viewing, an impressive feat for a show on a network I never watched previous to this series. Switched at Birth, while predictable, was easy to watch drama on ABC Family. In the same category, a show I enjoy (but don’t get too upset if I miss) is Royal Pains, a light medical drama on USA. Also a simple, enjoyable watch.

Although blessed with a huge budget and substantial names backing it, Terra Nova only garnered a MacTV rating upon additional review. And that’s mostly because I kind of dig dinosaurs. I’m more excited about another newcomer, Falling Skies, set to return in the summer, as well as Once Upon a Time, a fairy tale based series created by the fellows that brought you Lost. Despite having somewhat favorable #watchwed ratings, sci-fi and fantasy shows don’t have a great track record lately, even popular ones, as I discovered when I went to review Eureka. We’ll see if Terra Nova or Falling Skies can break the trend.

That's the fear of cancellation in their eyes.

Comedy sitcoms have been pretty surprising this past year. With ratings ranging from the questionable macaroni salad that is Community to the gourmet mac that is Parks and Recreation, there seems to be something for everyone. Newcomers Suburgatory and New Girl have both been pleasant surprises, shows that I look forward to and even rewatch.

A Mac rated show I haven’t kept up with, but perhaps should, is Covert Affairs. With the soon to be absence of Chuck on my TV (::moment of silence: I could use something to fill the gap, and this just might be the right show. For now.

Pourin' a 40...

My favorite of my MacTV shows has to be Person of Interest. Great action, premise, and actors. I really look forward to settling in for this one, living up to its Gourmet MacTV rating.

So, what were my favorites of the “Why It’s Worth a Watch…” series thus far?

Initially, my Gourmet rating bore the kiss of death. Men of a Certain Age, a well written and acted drama, was too slow for the TV watching majority and didn’t survive. House, a show that I admit is probably MacTV viewing for most by now, but still held a special place with me, is also being considered for cancellation.

But the success of some of my other GTV shows gives me hope. The Mentalist continues to move forward with the Red John storyline, but in a way that keeps me interested. The Good Wife and Mad Men are proof that strong female leads can be written on TV (they have more female writers than most shows…take a hint TV). Castle continues to keep me and many others entertained, particularly with its winks and nods to loyal fans with inside jokes and Firefly references.

And Nathan Fillion, of course.

But more than all of them, the fanciest most gourmet meal on my plate goes to:

I just swoon.

Downton Abbey. Season two began last week and I am once more swooning over everything about this show. Originally a “Queue It Up!” selection in our series, it’s back on PBS in full swing and should not be missed. If you watch nothing else, watch this show. It is, without a doubt, absolutely delicious.

WATCH IT NOW!

Ahem.

If that’s not enough for you, Tiffany and I each gave a couple of our Netflix queue favorites in addition to our regular reviews. On my list was Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Sherlock, and of course, Firefly.

We’ve got more new shows coming, so many more reviews to come! What shows already in progress need to be in our list? What new shows are you looking forward to? 

Thank you to all of our readers for your continued support of the Why It’s Worth a Watch series. If you aren’t chatting with us about your favorites on Twitter, come find us using the #watchwed tag.

Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – They’re Watching

It’s that time again.

This week on Why It’s Worth a Watch, Tiffany and I return yet again to CBS. Tiffany is giving us her two cents on Unforgettable and I am filling you in on Person of Interest.

For those of you that joined us last week, you may remember that I mentioned Person of Interest in my DVR priority post. It seems only fitting that if it found a place in my queue, it should have a spot in the #watchwed lineup as well.

Person of Interest has an interesting premise to begin with. A man creates a program to help the government assess threats to national security after 9/11. The program does more than that, though. It spits out even the “less significant” threats. Since these threats aren’t considered important enough to be handled, they are ignored. This tugs at the system creator’s conscience. With the government doing nothing about these threats to individuals, this man, Mr. Finch (Michael Emerson, Lost), takes it upon himself to do something about it himself.

Why, hello there.

Or, at least with a little help.

Meet John Reese (Jim Caviziel). A former Green Beret and CIA Officer who is officially dead, yet very much alive, is a man with just the right skillset to assist Mr. Finch in saving those deemed “irrelevant”.

Armed with only a social security number, using Finch’s tech skills and general genius along with Reese’s military training, they set about finding a way to keep people from harm. Or in some cases, keeping people from harming others. You see, the computer doesn’t differentiate a victim from a perpetrator, so this difficult job is even harder than it looks.

So, obviously, I like this show. I’ve made that clear by stating that it has a spot in the DVR queue. But why?

While I am a fan of solving crime, this show is doing something different. Instead of solving a crime after the fact, it is all about figuring it out before it happened, then preventing it.

When it comes to saving people with amazing skill, John Reese not only impresses us with his training, but he doesn’t like to kill. After years of 24 on TV, it’s a refreshing change. Sure, there will be those who get their kneecaps shot, but hey, they’re alive, right?

And hey, in a post 9/11 world, who isn’t a little paranoid about when or where we are being watched? The intro of the show totally plays on this feeling, with the voice of Mr. Finch stating the following:

“You are being watched. The government has a secret system–a machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because…I built it…You will never find us. But victim or perpetrator, if your number’s up, we’ll find you.”

The creators of the show are no strangers to success. I mean, you have heard of Fringe, Alias, and Lost, right? This is a J.J. Abrams show, so it’s no surprise that the show’s pilot tested better than any drama for CBS in the past 15 years.

I kinda have a geeky crush on him.

Michael Emerson and Jim Caviziel are both perfect in their roles. Jim Caviziel is so calm and collected in his work, not to mention mysterious and brooding, and Emerson, well, he is genius in everything he does.

I have to give Person of Interest a GMacTV rating – Gourmet Mac N Cheese. It just missed Gourmet, but that is quite a feat for crime drama these days. Lobster for everyone!

What do you think? Does Person of Interest deserve a spot in your TV viewing routine? Can Mr. Reese replace Jack Bauer?

Now click over to Tiffany’s and see whether or not she thinks Unforgettable is worth remembering to watch.

Come back next week when we’ll have plenty more to say about what you should or shouldn’t be watching.

Remember to stop by the #watchwed hashtag in Twitter to discuss any of today’s reviews, or to mention any television programs that you’d like to see on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday in the future.

A Recap of The WatchWed Review System:

GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
TBPTV (Twice Baked Potato TV): Part gourmet and delicious, while absolutely horrible for our cholesterol
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech

Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – The Good Wife

This week on Why It’s Worth a Watch, Tiffany and I continue to give some love to CBS with reviews of The Good Wife and Criminal Minds.

I’m a big fan of legal drama, old and new.  Suits, Law and Order, Boston Legal, The Practice, The Guardian; be it serious or funny or something in between, I enjoy the various elements that go into trying a case.  A television one at least.

The Good Wife delivers not only interesting legal battles, but a great out of the courtroom drama.  The show focuses on Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), a woman who appears to be “standing by her man” as he becomes the center of a sex scandal and allegations of corruption in his role as State’s Attorney.  Sound familiar?  The creators were inspired by public figures like Eliot Spitzer, Bill Clinton, and John Edwards, to name a few.

In an effort to provide for her two teenage children while her husband Peter (Chris Noth) sits in prison, Alicia returns to work in a law firm as a junior litigator, after many years of being a stay at home mom.

A long way from Gilmore Girls...

Work brings its own challenges; Diane (Christine Baranski), a female partner who seems unsure of Alicia’s value to the firm, Will (Josh Charles), an old friend who she may or may not have feelings for, and Cary (Matt Czuchry), a young and ambitious associate who realizes that Alicia may be his biggest competition.

Despite the challenges, Alicia’s work brings her an opportunity to present herself as a strong woman dealing with the chaos of her husband’s public indiscretions, rather than a woman quietly wallowing or seeking out pity from others.

While the wider story is about Alicia’s life, the writers never phone in the legal battles.  In fact, the case prep brings us Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi), the firm’s private investigator who secures information, sometimes via unethical means.  The courtroom arguments deliver solid and satisfying dialogue, not to mention excellent guest appearances, like Michael J. Fox and Martha Plimpton.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Alan Cumming’s role, but to tell you who he plays might give something away if you don’t already watch, so just know that he is amazing in his delivery of the character Eli Gold.

In a show that houses so many actors I love (Julianna took home the Emmy this year, Alan Cumming is a genius in everything he does, and I’ve had a crush on Josh Charles since Sports Night) it should be no surprise that I give this show a GTV.  The writers manage to keep every character engaging, and every storyline crisp and entertaining, no small feat with everything this show has going on.

And I did mention Josh Charles, right?

Thank you, The Good Wife.

(N.B. According to online sources, the majority of the writers for this show are women. Another reason to love this show.)

If you’ve never watched, you can order Season 1 from Netflix (it currently is not a streaming option) or find episodes on iTunes.

If you aren’t watching this yet, why aren’t you?  Are you already a fan?  What makes you love or hate this show?  What is your favorite past legal drama?

Now head over to Tiffany’s blog to check out Criminal Minds, one of the few crime shows I haven’t seen! *gasp*

Come back next week when we click over to NBC and review two of the channel’s hit programs – Harry’s Law and Law & Order: SVU.  Can you guess which one you will find here?

Remember to stop by the #watchwed hashtag in Twitter to discuss any of today’s reviews, or to mention any television programs that you’d like to see on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday in the future.  We’re currently working on our September schedule and would love to chat with you!

A Recap of The WatchWed Review System:
GTV (Gourmet TV): Everything we want and more
MacTV (MacNCheese TV): Guilty pleasure. Not perfect, but is satisfies
JFTV (Junk food TV): It’s not great for us, but we’ll go back for seconds
SSTV (Still Simmering TV): It has potential, but the jury is still out
NIV (Nyquil Induced Viewing): Perfect for that late night television sleep timer
LOTV (Liver&Onions TV): Do we really have to explain? Blech

Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – CBS Hits

This week on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday, Tiffany and I take on CBS Hits.

When it comes to hit dramas, the idea of a super observant crime solver is not a new one. Law and Order: CI, Monk, and Psych all have a primary character that seems to have a super sense when it comes to piecing together clues to solve a crime.

The Mentalist tells that same tale through Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), the titular character, a former con man who now consults with the California Bureau of Investigation. Jane found great success in his con days as a psychic medium, so why would he now be living a life solving crime instead of committing them?

While a psychic, Jane appeared on a TV show and made mention of his psychic skills making it possible for the police to profile a serial killer known as Red John. Not appreciating his statements, Red John kills Jane’s wife and daughter. Wanting to avenge the death of his family, Jane using his skills of observation and understanding of human behavior to help the CBI catch criminals, specifically Red John.

Senior Special Agent Teresa Lisbon leads the team Patrick consults for, assisted by Special Agents Cho (Tim Kang), Grigsby (Owain Yeoman), and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti). Each agent has a distinctly different approach. Of the three, Van Pelt is the “greenest” agent, who occasionally butts heads with Jane over her belief in religion and her moral ideas.

The story lines are well put together, and watching Jane solve crime in unconventional ways, particularly when those ways put him at odds with his colleagues keeps the show interesting.

Unlike last week’s crime solving selection, Castle, this show has a darker, more serious tone. There is humor at times, but the primary character’s seeming lack of empathy and his mission to avenge the death of his family offers up a colder, more personal tale.

While the premise for the show is strikingly similar to Psych (fake psychic, consulting for the police) it is executed in such a way that you won’t find yourself drawing comparisons between the two.

This show is deserving of a GTV, a well paced story with interesting characters, whose back stories are only gradually revealed. It keeps you coming back to find out more about everyone’s motivation, not just the titular character.

Are you a fan of The Mentalist? Or at least Simon Baker? Who is your favorite character?  Is there a crime show you love more or less?

Now head over to Tiffany’s blog and see what she thinks of the CBS hit Blue Bloods and find out what we’ll talking about next week.