Why It’s Worth a Watch – Common Law

May 30, 2012 By 12 Comments

This week on Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday, Tiffany and I are hanging out at the USA network. Well, not literally. But for how much love we show for their programming, they should be extending an invite. This week, Tiffany visits the already in progress Fairly Legal and I check out the brand new Common Law.

Common Law features two police detectives, Travis (Michael Ealy) and Wes (Warren Kole), who are great detectives who seem to be having some troubles in the partnering department. Their captain, not wishing to give up on their partnership, does what he thinks is best: sends them to couples counseling.

Not only are they in couples counseling, but they are in a group counseling situation, which makes for some fun amongst the romantically intertwined.

The partners are your typical Odd Couple. One is straight-laced, bordering on OCD (maybe even crossing the corder), while the other is a shoot from the hip ladies’ man.

Sound familiar? Of course. The “Odd Couple” formula has been played over and over and over (and did I mention, over?). Yet, these two are charming and neurotic enough to keep me from immediately changing the station. The great thing is that they work well together and obviously don’t hate each other. They just have a hard time getting along.

Coming from a big family, I know that feeling. You can love someone to death, yet want to smack them on a regular basis. So, the relationship here is one you can definitely relate to.

There are moments in the dialog and cases that are on the predictable side for me, yet I still found the show enjoyable. USA manages to do what it always does well – deliver characters.

Only time will tell how good the show can be. While the trite “Odd Couple” formula might be a formula for failure on other networks, USA seems to know how to deliver this idea in a way that keeps its viewers watching (think Gus and Shawn in Psych).

This won’t be entering my Top Ten list anytime soon, or even my favorite USA show, but it definitely deserves a spot in my JFTV viewing. We’ll see where it lands in my junk drawer as the series progresses.

Now head over to Tiffany’s blog and see what she thinks of Fairly Legal. Given USA’s track record, I’ll bet it is at least watchable.

Next week we revisit Smash and The Client List, to let you know what happened after we let them simmer for a bit.

A brief announcement: I’ve cancelled my cable service. I’ll be continuing the #watchwed series with Tiffany, but it may mean featuring more programming available on the web, which is great news for those of you who have already made the same jump I just did.

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
GMacTV (Gourmet MacNCheese TV): A combination of fine wine and comfort food
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

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Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – A Guide

January 18, 2012 By 32 Comments

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.


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Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – Summer Recap

August 3, 2011 By 20 Comments

It’s recap time!

After a summer of watching whatever there was to watch and reporting back, we thought it would be best to follow up and let you know if our relationships with Summer TV viewing have waned, are growing stronger, or remain rock steady.

You may remember that we began this summer spending some time with ABC Family, unfamiliar territory for this viewer.  I talked about Switched at Birth and Nine Lives of Chloe King.  Back when I first watched these premieres, as a reluctant viewer mind you, I gave them both a SSTV.  I felt I couldn’t make a proper call without more time.

Switched at Birth is a solid JFTV, perhaps even creeping into MACTV viewing.  Even though I find elements predictable, I have to admit, it’s made it into my DVR queue, no small feat these days.  I think if I were an ABC Family kind of gal, I’d be more willing to give thus a MACTV rating, but since I’m not, Junk Food it remains.

How about catgirl?  Er, Chloe King?  I  have to admit.  I didn’t follow up.  I started to watch a second episode, got bored, and never switched back.  I can’t make an actual judgement on something I’m not watching, can I?  So, I’ll put this in the JFTV category.  But it’s more circus peanuts than candy corn.

Now, a moment of silence for my first Gourmet TV rating.  Men of a Certain Age, a completely solid program worthy of every bit of it’s gourmet rating, has been cancelled.  Pretty sure I predicted that.   *shakes fist at network executives*

RIP, MOCA.  (If you were a fan, you can sign a petition for another network to pick them up here.)

Moving on, let’s talk about two of my lowest ratings.

The Protector showed itself worthy of a newly created rating.  Sadly, this worthiness wasn’t exactly a good thing.  Like most programs on Lifetime, it was Nyquil Induced Viewing - just the sort of thing I might turn on the TV when I’m laid up in bed, under the influence, not concerned with knowing how it ended.  Hopefully the new cop drama, Against the Wall, which recently premiered can prove that Lifetime can produce shows worthy of viewing when healthy and sober.

HawthoRNe was the first show to receive a Liver and Onions rating.  I shuddered through a little more, just to be fair.  Am I glad I did?

*Gag*

No.  End of story.

The USA Network has held the most noteworthy offerings across both Tiffany and I’s summer review radar, and I’m holding on to my findings for Covert Affairs and Royal Pains – both MACTV, which the occasional fancy cheeses and fixings giving these shows that extra something special.

What about Necessary Roughness?  A rare thing, but this show is still simmering for me.  (Pssst…if there could be more Craig Bierko, I’d be inclined to give this a bump.  Just sayin’.)

Worth a watch.

Last, but not least, our summer scifi offering, Falling Skies.  It’s made me reignite a one time crush on Noah Wylie (ahh…ER, we were so young then) and I have been a faithful viewer since I watched it for the purpose of #watchwed reviewing.

Is it sappy and predictable in moments?  Sure.  But I don’t mind.  So it remains a solid MACTV as well.

What are your thoughts on the shows of the summer?  Have any of them unexpectedly won your heart, or at least space in your DVR?

Next week, we bring you a very special edition of #watchwed – Netflix!  I’m pretty psyched, as we tell you what’s worth queuing up, old and new.  Tiffany and I are going to take a blind run at it – let’s see if any of our recommendations match.  Be sure to chime in with your streaming favorites.

Also, don’t forget, The Tambernies are coming!  Have you picked out what you’ll be wearing on the red carpet?

Now head over to Tiffany’s and check out her recap of the summer.

 

*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

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Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday – Med Edition

July 27, 2011 By 22 Comments

Welcome once again to “Why It’s Worth a Watch Wednesday“, where Tiffany White and I take on the arduous task of watching the latest TV has to offer, letting you know what’s worth tuning in to, and what is better left alone.

This week I talk medical drama on TNT and USA, in HawthoRNe and Royal Pains.

I like medical drama. I accept that it is generally overdramatic, and often unrealistic.  I mean, I’ve been to an ER.  No hot doctors, no one running around like it’s a matter of life and death, no power struggles unfolding in front of the patients; it’s just dull and expensive.

While I can suspend some belief, I only do so when the characters are likeable and the situations they find themselves in are at least somewhat plausible.

HawthoRNe (the RN tells you it’s about nurses) centers around Christina Hawthorne (Jada Pinkett-Smith) a no nonsense, tough as nails nurse.

She means business. Or something.

Or at least that is what they want the viewer to think of her.

Instead, we get a bossy woman who is implausibly always right, surrounded by people who are never as smart, who never take risks, who all-in-all can’t live up to the standard set by her mere existence.  In case you aren’t getting it, I don’t like the main character.  And I am supposed to.  That translates into big fail.

Now, I’ll be honest.  I’ve seen two episodes, both from the beginning of the second season.  In the first episode, there were so many things that should have tugged at my heartstrings.  Should have.  I’m about to give you a spoiler, just to be clear in how much I don’t like this show.  Someone loses their baby.  Being a mom, that usually means I am in instant tears.

I didn’t even flinch.  Somehow, this show has been written in a way that I care so little for the characters in it, that dead babies don’t even make me tear up.  Typing that sentence made me more emotional than watching this show did.

It is sad that a program showcasing eye candy like Michael Vartan, James Morrison, David Julian Hirsh, and Adam Rayner is so unlikable.

HawthoRNe, I would declare you DOA, as cheesy and trite as that sounds since that formula seems to be your go to, but you have already survived an entire season.

I will instead bestow upon you the very first LOTV.  Liver and onions all the way.  Not even bacon can save this bad boy.

USA Network, can you save us from the atrocity that is the TNT medical drama?

Royal Pains, now in its third season, follows the story of Henry “Hank” Lawson (Mark Feurstein), a doctor who loses his job as a successful ER doc after he focuses his attention on the “wrong” patient.  Giving attention to the patient he thought was in more dire need, a wealthy contributor to the hospital dies.

Tall, handsome, Jewish doctor. I feel a fever coming on...

From the start, the series sets us up with the idea that Dr. Lawson is a caring individual who doesn’t like to let politics or other non-medical factors affect his choices.

Through a series of events that include saving a life while in The Hamptons, he finds himself taking a job as the private doctor to a German nobleman named Boris (the oh so pretty Campbell Scott).   In addition to taking care of Boris, who allows Hank to live in his guest house, he is able to attend to other wealthy patients.

Hello there.

He doesn’t work alone.  His brother, Evan (Paulo Costanzo), serves as HankMed’s CFO, an job title he bestows on himself.  He approaches his brother’s medical practice as a business, often to the annoyance of Hank and his Physicial Assistant, Divya (Reshma Shetty).

The show has a nice blend of funny, dramatic, and just a touch of MacGyver, as Hank tends to make the best of whatever is handy when he comes across emergency situations.  His character, while obviously talented, is caring, never the know-it-all.

Even his often annoying brother has his endearing moments, and the seemingly stiff Divya has her soft side as well.  Well introduced back story (without the aid of lengthy and unecessary flashbacks) clue you in to each characters personalities and idiosyncrasies.

All in all, good characters and good stories.

It doesn’t hurt that Divya wears some killer outfits, and the Lawson brothers are pretty adorable in their own right.

Work it, girl. I ain't mad at ya.

I give Royal Pains a MacTV rating.*  Maybe it’s Lobster Mac N’ Cheese, something worthy of theHamptons?  It is definitely satisfying, and maybe has just a little bit extra.  If you don’t want to take my word for it, this is one case where the majority agrees with me – Royal Pains is one of the highest rated shows on cable.

So, are you watching any medical drama this summer?  What do you think of HawthoRNe and Royal Pains?  Give us your two cents in the comments below or on Twitter using the hashtag #watchwed.

Next week, we give a quick recap of the summer reviews.  What are we still watching?  Have our opinions changed?

Head over to see Tiffany explore whether cons can change from bad to good as she reviews Leverage and White Collar.

What shows are you looking forward to this fall?  Let us know what you’d like to see reviewed in the future.

Also, don’t forget to get your votes in for the Tamberny Awards!

*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

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