When I was a kid there were three ways to find out what was on TV; the Sunday newspaper, the TV Guide, and my mom.

These days I manage to remember the listings after the newspaper has been recycled, I haven’t seen a TV Guide in years (though I do sometimes check tvguide.com), I still get reminders from my mom from time to time but I watch far too much television for her to keep track of everything; thankfully there are alternatives for those of us who own smart phones, tablets, and various other portable devices that run either iOS or Android.

One excellent option for iOS users is TV Forecast.  This little app has quickly become a favorite of mine because it is simple to use and performs its appointed task perfectly and with some flair.  Simply download the app, open it, and hit the plus sign in the upper right corner (image 1), search for your show (image 2), when you see what you’re looking for tap it and TV Forecast adds it to the schedule (image 3).  The main screen has a list of your shows often including artwork and a large easily identifiable number of days to next air date.  You can set a reminder of your program’s start time in fifteen minute increments up to two hours ahead.  This app also offers detailed information (image 4) including a listing of all episodes and seasons of individual series, episode summaries and the option to read more online.

Check it out, TV Forecast $0.99 on iTunes.

— John Morton