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TV Scoop

News and commentary on TV

Fox, NBC unveil fall schedules

Monday, at 1:44 by

NBC announced its fall schedule Sunday. In addition to the series I mentioned in a previous post Friday, the network will also  have the new comedy “Guys With Kids” about guys in their 30s coping with fatherhood. To make room for its new shows, NBC canceled “Awake,” “Are You There, Chelsea?”, “Best Friends Forever,” “Bent” and “Harry’s Law.” But “Community,” which had been struggling in the ratings, will be back for 13 episodes, as will “30 Rock.” Unfortunately for fans… Read More »

Watch this (week of May 13)

Sunday, at 1:00 by

Time to say a bunch of goodbyes again this week as a whole slew of shows shutter for the season.  SUNDAY  “Desperate Housewives” (9 p.m., ABC) ends its eight-season run tonight as the women of Wisteria Lane bid farewell for good. In tonight’s episode,  Bree is on trial for murder, Susan’s daughter Julie is about to give birth and Lynette and Tom are on the cusp of reconciliation… or saying goodbye forever. (My money’s on the former). MONDAY Lily went… Read More »

Get ready for upfronts

Thursday, at 12:42 by

As many TV shows come to a close, networks shift their focus to fall. Will your favorite show stay to entertain another year, or was this season’s finale its last? And what new shows did the networks pick up in the hopes that they will become your next favorites? The answers to these questions are near: Next week, it’s upfront week, when networks unveil their 2012-13 line-ups. As far as the major networks, on Monday, Fox and NBC will announce… Read More »

Watch this (week of May 6)

Sunday, at 1:22 by

This week is a busy one for season finales, so here’s a look at some shows that are ending (for now): SUNDAY “The Amazing Race” (8 p.m., CBS) ends with a two-hour finale.  MONDAY Martha Stewart guest-stars on “2 Broke Girls,” (8 p.m., CBS) as Max and Caroline try to get her interested in their fledgling cupcake business. Hopefully, she’ll class up the jokes a little bit. On “Castle” (10 p.m., ABC), Beckett and Castle look into tip about the… Read More »

Watch this (week of April 29)

Sunday, at 1:00 by

After a few weeks of high-profile returns and new-series debuts, I can’t find much to get excited about this week, other than new episodes of all the old stand-bys, and the season finale of “The Good Wife”… which only means I’ll have to wait months before it’s back. Nevertheless, here’s a quick recap of what’s going on this week: SUNDAY “Desperate Housewives” (9 p.m., ABC) returns to kick-off its sprint to the finish line. The series says goodbye for good… Read More »

Watch this (week of April 22)

Sunday, at 1:00 by

I’m beginning to think this weekly post should be called watch what’s on Sunday, since that seems to be when many of the best shows are on. Some shows to look for this week:  SUNDAY After two successful sitcoms, Julia Louis-Dreyfus goes for a third with “Veep” (9 p.m., HBO). The buzz is good, so she may have it. As the title suggests, Louis-Dreyfus plays the vice president. The political satire is paired with another show that premiered recently to… Read More »

Watch this (week of April 8)

Sunday, at 1:17 by

SUNDAY As “Desperate Housewives” takes a break leading up to its final episodes, ABC airs back-to-back episodes of its new comedy “GCB” (9 p.m.) On Showtime, not one, not two, but THREE series return tonight: “Nurse Jackie” (9 p.m.), “The Big C” (9:30 p.m.) and “The Borgias” (10 p.m.).  TUESDAY “Glee” (8 p.m., Fox) returns. Who knew Blaine had a brother? Turns out he does, and tonight, his brother comes for a visit. Hopefully, we’ll find also out what happened… Read More »

Watch this (week of April 1)

Sunday, at 1:00 by

SUNDAY “Game of Thrones” (9 p.m., HBO) and “The Killing” (8 p.m., AMC) both return tonight for their second seasons. “Game of Thrones” is the kind of show you watch with lights off, curtains drawn and your cellphone stowed. Even the opening credits need to be watched, since they help provide information on the connections between the characters. This season starts where the last one left off: With King Robert dead and his psychopathic teenage son Joffrey on the throne,… Read More »

Watch this (week of March 25)

Sunday, at 1:00 by

For me, this week is more about counting down… only seven days until the premiere of “Game of Thrones” on HBO. I’ll be watching the usual new episodes of “New Girl,” “Community,” etc… But if you want something a little different: SUNDAY The critically acclaimed “Mad Men” returns to AMC tonight with a two-hour season premiere. (Actually, watch your DVRs on this one, since the debut is listed as being 128 minutes long.) This is one of those shows I… Read More »

Battle of the shows, part 2

Tuesday, at 5:00 by

I recently compared several similar-themed shows to see how they measured up against one another. Here’s a look at how, in one reviewer’s opinion anyway, six more shows compare.  Battle of the musicals: NBC’s “Smash” vs. Fox’s “Glee” The soapy drama “Smash” centers around efforts to bring a musical about Marilyn Monroe to Broadway. “American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee plays the straight-from-Iowa rookie with the big voice, while Megan Hilty plays the veteran who nabbed the title role (and a… Read More »

Watch this (week of March 18)

Sunday, at 1:00 by

Need a break from March Madness? Here are a few options. (If you’re a true NCAA basketball fan, though, you probably won’t have time to watch anything else this week.) SUNDAY “The Walking Dead” ends its second season tonight on AMC. It’s a great time to catch up since AMC is running a marathon leading up to the finale. Also Sunday, the stunning “Frozen Planet” begins its seven-episode run tonight on Discovery and TLC. If you don’t already have a… Read More »

What’s going; what’s staying

Friday, at 10:34 by

This week, CBS announced the renewal of a slate of shows, including rookies “Person of Interest” and “2 Broke Girls.” Other shows returning next year (most of them no-brainers) include “Survivor,” “The Good Wife,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Amazing Race,” “Undercover Boss,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS” and its offshoot, “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Mentalist,” “Mike & Molly,” and  the original “CSI.” No word yet on its spinoffs. HBO canceled its racetrack… Read More »