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11/25/2014

The Loveseat Potato Is Back

Fall TV is in full swing but I... I mean, the Loveseat Potato... likes to bag a few episodes of each new show before passing judgment.

It's takes a while for this potato to really cook!

Of course, that means that by the time you read this, some of these shows have been cancelled and others are ready for their winter break. It also means that if you aren't already watching the spuds below, you should fire up your on-demand and catch up!

I started these reviews in 2009 and followed up in 2010 with a fascinating (ahem) account of my DVR schedule juggling act. Mrs. Potato Head made a guest appearance in 2011.  The Loveseat Potato was born (picked? harvested?) in 2012.  In 2013, she found a spuddy buddy to watch along.

Now, she's got 7 potato pets that look suspiciously like cats. (This isn't a glimpse into my future...right?)

This year, she watched 35 different shows for you.  So without further delay, chew on this...


BEST NEW COMEDY
SPUD: Jane the Virgin (CW)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:  It's the classic story of a girl (Jane) who's gyno accidentally pops a fertilized egg into her uterus, so she gets knocked up.  That's a bit of a wrinkle because she's still got her V-card, and has been saving it for her marriage to a cop, who, as luck would have it, is investigating the baby daddy & mommy.  If Ugly Betty, Gilmore Girls and Melrose Place had a baby it would be this show.

Honorable mention goes to: Manhattan Love Story (ABC -- CANCELLED), Black-ish (ABC), Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce (Bravo -- premieres on 12/2)

DUDS: Marry Me (NBC -- I want so badly to like this one, but I don't), Selfie (ABC -- CANCELLED -- John Cho: take heart, this was a mercy killing), Bad Judge (NBC -- CANCELLED), A to Z (NBC -- CANCELLED), The McCarthy's (CBS)


BEST NEW DRAMA:
SPUD: The Affair (Showtime)

WHY IT'S A SMASH: A much-needed escape after the intensity of Homeland on Sunday nights.  Sure, it centers on a steamy affair between 2 married cheaters, but what's cool is that each episode tells the same story first from his POV, then from hers. There's also a mystery woven in.  Plus, the theme song from Fiona Apple is pretty great.  Only thing that bugs me is that this is set in Montauk & Brooklyn but there's not a single NY accent to be found.  Then, I remember Pacey is in this too and all is forgiven.

Honorable mention goes to: Gracepoint (FOX), Stalker (CBS  -- Joss Whedon + creepy 80s songs at the end of every episode + Dylan McDermott = good TV), Scorpion (CBS)

DUDS: Madam Secretary (CBS -- nobody can possibly believe this premise and Tea Leoni is woefully mis-cast), Gotham (FOX -- I think I just don't like Batman), Constantine (NBC), Forever (ABC), The Mysteries of Laura (NBC -- Debra Messing is the least believable lady cop in history), How to Get Away With Murder (ABC -- see below for more)


BEST NEW REALITY:
SPUD: My Crazy Love (Oxygen)

WHY IT'S A SMASH: This show is totally ridiculous, and that's why I like it. A seemingly sane person (who may or may not be an actor) speaks to us via a webcam about the crazy things they've done for love while actual bad actors re-enact the story. So far, somebody pretended to be deaf for 7 months, lied about moving to LA to get her boyfriend to propose and instead went to live with her parents, killed a possum on a first date, got a tooth knocked out while pretending to be a basketball star to impress a colleague, and got arrested for stalking (they later married).  How can you not watch this?

Honorable mention goes to: The Jenni Garth Project (HGTV), Love Prison (A&E -- CANCELLED -- it was like an accident, can't look, can't look away), Married at First Sight (FYI)

DUDS: Manzo'd with Children (Bravo -- the whole premise is off because the sons live in my apt building not at home with mama), Slednecks (MTV), Euros of Hollywood (Bravo), Utopia (FOX -- CANCELLED)


BEST NEW COOKING OR COMPETITION:
SPUD: Hungry Games (Food Network)

WHY IT'S A SMASH:
This show is all about the connection your brain has with your tastebuds. Richard Blais is like a hipper Alton Brown.  He's relaxed a bit since his days as a contestant on Top Chef, and is pretty entertaining to watch.  So far, they've investigated and experimented with ice cream, pizza, burgers, diners, bar food, and BBQ.  Plus, the cherry on top is that I feel smarter afterwards because it's chock-filled with fun facts.

Honorable mention goes to: Nail'd It (Oxygen -- for obvious reasons)

DUDS: Food Truck Face Off (Food Network -- I've fallen asleep 3x during this show -- sorry Jesse Palmer, but zzzzzzzz.....), Fix My Choir (Oxygen), Project Runway: Threads (Lifetime), Kitchen Inferno (Food Network), Holiday Baking Championship (Food Network)


MOST DISAPPOINTING SHOW OF THE FALL SEASON:
DUD: How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

WHY IT'S A ROTTEN POTATO: Of all the new shows, this was the one that looked the best. Shonda Rimes?  Viola Davis?  Murder?  Hellooooo...sign me up!  The premise is simple enough.  A lawyer/law professor's husband is killed -- did she do it and if so, can she get away with it?  Here's the thing: My head must be filled with mashed potatoes because I can't seem to follow this dumb show. It flips around in time with no warning so I never know what day it is or who knows what.  She makes no sense either -- how can someone be a ruthless barracuda in the courtroom and SUCH a complete basketcase in her life? And I'm totally distracted by one of the students who looks exactly like C. Thomas Howell in the ill-conceived 80's embarassment: Soul Man.  Every week I vow I'm going to stop watching and every week the promo for next week's episode pulls me in -- the commercials I understand. But I'm honestly at the point where I don't care who killed her husband.  I hope it was her and she goes to jail.  The End.


Agree?  Disagree?  See something I missed?  Put the DVR on pause and comment below...


tags: entertainment

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Annalise Keating is Fierce!!!!!!!

chris said...

New shows to watch.......yayyy :)

Jessica said...

The Affair is sooo good.