Watching Sitcoms

Well, if you’ve seen tonight’s episode of House, and you’re a fan, then you are probably either upset or angry right now. I’m leaning more towards upset right now, but I may hit angry later.

First of all, let me say that although I used to really, really love (more…)

I know I haven’t been writing about sitcoms too much lately, which is a little sad, since this site is called Watching Sitcoms. I guess there just aren’t too many sitcoms that I like to watch anymore. Maybe there never really were. At least not anytime in the last few years.

There are a couple I still watch, every week, even though I don’t always talk about them, and they are The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. The last couple of weeks were repeats, and so is this week, which makes me unhappy, cause I do miss them when they aren’t on.

I think part of the problem why I haven’t been blogging about the eps, which were great, is that Mondays are a very busy night. At 8:00 pm, I’m also watching Chuck, House, The Bachelor and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I’ve basically been DVRing two shows upstairs (Chuck and House) and two shows downstairs (The Bachelor and Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother). I have to DVR The Secret Life when it repeats at 10:00 pm. Of course, I also watch Heroes and True Beauty on Mondays (or at least I DVR them and watch them at some point).

So what that all means is that I end up watching The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother on Tuesday and Wednesday during my lunch hour when I come home from work to eat. So I’m downstairs and not near the computer. I should take notes so I can blog later, but I never do, cause I’m eating.

And that’s really my entire story about why I don’t talk about sitcoms too often. I’ll try to do better.

So I sat down and wrote out a complete schedule of all the shows I want to watch coming up in the next few weeks and I realized something.  I’m not gonna be able to do it.  There just isn’t enough time in the day for it.  Especially since I went back to work full-time.  *sigh*

Here’s the breakdown:

Mondays (7 hours)
8:00 pm - Chuck (NBC), House (FOX), The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Fam), The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
8:30 pm - How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
9:00 pm - Heroes (NBC), The Bachelor (ABC)

Tuesdays - (4 hours)
8:00 pm - 90210 (CW), American Idol (FOX)
9:00 pm - Fringe (FOX)
10:00 pm - Law and Order: SVU (NBC)

Wednesday (2 1/2-3 hours)
8:00 pm - American Idol (FOX), America’s Next Top Model (CW)
9:00 pm - Lost (ABC)

Thursday (4 hours)
8:00 pm - Bones (FOX), Smallville (CW)
9:00 pm - Kitchen Nightmares/Hell’s Kitchen (FOX), Supernatural (CW)

Friday (4 hours)
8:00 pm - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX)
9:00 pm - Dollhouse (FOX), Monk (USA)
10:00 pm - Psych (USA)

That’s over 20 hours of television. There is no way I’m fitting that all in, still working full-time, maintaining two blogs and having a life besides. Some shows are gonna have to go, but I just don’t know which ones. Monday is the worst. I was just coming around to being OK with the fact that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles had been banished to Fridays, mostly because Monday’s wouldn’t be so crowded anymore. Then they moved both House and The Secret Life to the same time slot on Monday. So now its gonna be even harder.

I guess I’ll just have to watch some shows online, since I can only DVR two things at a time. But when will I have time to watch these other shows. They kinda frown upon that sort of thing where I work. (”Gee, boss, I’m sorry, but I didn’t have any other free time to watch The Bachelor. I didn’t think you’d mind.”) *sigh*

I think I’m a TV junkie. I may need help.

New stuff is coming!! Maybe I get too excited about TV, I don’t know, but I can say that I’m happy that some new shows are coming. Well, not actually new, but returning shows with new episodes. And one new show that I care about, anyway. But that’s not until February.

Here’s how the week starts out:

On Monday, January 5, 2009 at 8:00 pm (ET) The Bachelor is coming back to ABC. I’m not a huge fan of reality TV, but some shows I just love and this has turned into one of them. I’m not even sure why. Maybe it’s all the stupid hot chicks. I guess it makes me feel good to know that they really are idiots. I mean, it wouldn’t be fair if they were all beautiful and young, with great bodies, and smart, too!

Also returning on Monday (more…)

I was talking to some friends about shows we watch in common, and it was pointed out to me that I watch a lot of TV. I didn’t really think so, well, I guess I did, but I didn’t think it was that noticable. Anyway, it got me to thinking about (more…)

Is it just me or is House more gory this season? I love House. I really do, but this year - after only two eps - I’m not loving it as much as usual. Somehow, I think I thought that after one season of all the strange people we’d be back to the original three. I miss them!! I miss Cameron, Chase and Foreman all working together.

I’m also already kinda tired of this story line with Wilson. I feel badly that whatsername died, but I didn’t really like her all that much and I’m glad she’s gone. Then Wilson’s whole attitude about House is a little weird. I mean its not like he was ever under any delusions about their relationship before. *big sigh* It just makes me sad, cause I want it to be like it was before.
(more…)

It’s getting to be about that time again. August is almost upon us and we begin to wonder when our favorite shows are going to start back up in the Fall. Well, I am anyway. The absolute best list ever, I mean the absolute most comprehensive list anywhere around is found at The Futon Critic, right here. They have lots of other lists, too, showing all the new shows, all the old shows, on every single network, and when they are starting, how many eps there will be, or just showing the fate of some shows that are never to be seen again.

It’s an amazing undertaking and I give them a lot of credit, cause I don’t know how much time and effort it must take to compile such a list. But luckily for me, all I gotta to is link to it and then I get to share all that info with all of you.

I am going to give a quick rundown of the shows I’m excited about seeing, and when they start, but you really, really ought to go check out their list. I’m in awe of it.

So here’s my list of the shows I’ll be watching (all times are ET):

Wednesday 9/3
8 pm - Bones - FOX

Monday 9/8
8 pm - Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles - FOX

Tuesday 9/9
8 pm - Fringe - FOX

Thursday 9/11
9 pm - Kitchen Nightmares - FOX

Tuesday 9/16
8 pm - House - FOX

Monday 9/22
8 pm - The Big Bang Theory - CBS
8:30 pm - How I Met Your Mother - CBS

Tuesday 9/23
10 pm - Law and Order: SVU - NBC

Sunday 9/28
11 pm - Little Britain - HBO

Monday 9/29
8 pm - Chuck - NBC

I’m also looking forward to these shows, coming in 2009:
Dollhouse - FOX
Lost - ABC
Hell’s Kitchen - FOX
Torchwood - BBC America

But honestly, go over to The Futon Critic and check out their list. It’s incredible.

So, what am I watching now? I thought I’d make a list, cause I’m getting a little confused myself. Especially cause it seems like shows are ending and starting all randomly every week. Here’s my rundown (all times are ET):

Monday
The Big Bang Theory - CBS - 8:00 pm
New Amsterdam - FOX - 9:00 pm
The Bachelor: London Calling - ABC - 10 pm

Tuesday
American Idol - FOX - 8 pm
Beauty and the Geek - CW - 8 pm
Reaper - CW - 9 pm

Wednesday
America’s Next Top Model - CW - 8 pm
American Idol - FOX - 9 pm

Thursday
Miss Guided - ABC - 8 pm
Lost - ABC - 9 pm
Smallville - CW - 8 pm
Supernatural- CW - 9 pm

Saturday
Torchwood - BBC America - 9 pm

That’s about 12 1/2 hours per week. That’s not too bad, is it? But, wow, that’s a heck of a lot more reality TV than I realized. And this Tuesday night (April 1) is the start of Hell’s Kitchen on Fox at 9:00 pm ET, following American Idol. That will be at least 6 hours of reality TV a week. I say “at least” because both American Idol and The Bachelor are sometimes longer than an hour.

Of my TV watching time, only an hour and a half is devoted to sitcoms. But, at least its 5 hours is on the CW, and since I write the watchingcw.com blog, too, I feel reassured by that.

Also returning soon are some other shows I’ll be watching, like House, Bones and Law and Order: SVU. Which puts me at a total of 15 1/2 hours per week. That’s not too bad, only a little over 2 hours a day. Of course, that’s only prime time, and it doesn’t take into consideration my regular daily routine while making, eating and cleaning up dinner, from around 5 pm to 8 pm. Then I usually watch, in this order: Everybody Loves Raymond, Everybody Loves Raymond, Judge Judy, 30 Minute Meals, Judge Judy, and Jeopardy. So that’s another possible 3 hours per day. But who’s counting?

I was enjoying the new eps of House and I’m gonna miss it until it comes back. I hear there are four more new eps to be shot that will air in April/May. (Meaning one or the other, or both, I wonder.) I’m not as happy with House this season overall, though. I don’t really like all these new people nearly as much as I liked the old people. And, as I believe I’ve mentioned before, I miss Chase. It seems to me that we see less of him in each ep than we do of Cameron and Foreman. It doesn’t seem fair that the one person who walked away is the one we see the most.

In any case, I still don’t trust Amber. Maybe House thinks she’s changed, but I’m not sure. Of course, he’s pretty smart, but its not like he’s never been wrong. I don’t like her with Wilson either. He’s too nice. Well, I guess he’s not really nice, he just seem nice cause he looks so innocent and young. I just don’t see their personalities being a match. And don’t give me all that she’s just like House crap, cause that’s really not true. She’s not that much like House. The thing that seems to be the greatest link between House and Wilson is their sense of humor. Does Amber even have a sense of humor? Other than the fact that she’s very self-serving and doesn’t care too much about others, what makes her like House? And what links her to Wilson? I’d rather see him dating Thirteen. What is her name again? Although maybe I wouldn’t like that either. I don’t know, there’s got to be someone out there for Wilson that’s more better than Amber.

Now that the absolute end of the strike is in sight (yay!!!), here’s some news about when shows are gonna be back on the air. I love Michael Ausiello, don’t you? He always has all the answers.

So I checked out his list for all the shows I’m watching, and I was interested to see that some shows still have pre-strike episodes that haven’t aired yet. Somehow, I thought everything that was out there had already aired, with the exception of those few shows that are presently airing new eps, like Lost, Smallville, Supernatural and whatever else there is . . . they know who they are. For instance, I didn’t realize that there are still eps of Back To You and Bones that haven’t aired. So that’s fun. Hopefully, those will air before Spring.

It was sad to see that both Chuck and Moonlight are not going to be back until Fall. I love those shows. Along with Big Bang Theory, they were my favorite new shows of the past season. At least Big Bang will be back by April or May. I guess it gives me something I can look forward to. I have some questions about those shows, though. When will the first season DVDs come out? And when they do, will it be just these few episodes? I mean, they won’t hold off on putting out the DVDs until after new episodes air next Fall, will they?

Well, the exciting news is some of the shows we’ve come to know and love will be back soon. And right now I’m busy pretty much every night of the week watching American Idol anyway.

Even though it was after the Super Bowl and everything I predicted came true (that is, the ep didn’t start until almost half an hour after they said and I had to stay up way too late to watch it) House was good. It was interesting to see House be attracted to someone real. (Or is that to be really attracted to someone?) It was nice to see him take a more personal interest in the case, too. I was kinda glad to not have to deal with all those other people too much. I’m not particularly interested in any of the new people. Well, I do like Kal Penn, but I miss Chase. Don’t you? It’s also kind of annoying how much the new girl looks just like Cameron. They could have at least made her a blond. She even acts a bit like Cameron, although maybe she’s not as sensitive. And certainly, she’s not in love with House.

And what was with Wilson dating Amber? I was surprised by that. I was pretty sure it wasn’t Cuddy, but I thought it might have been Cameron. I had one brief moment when I debated whether or not it could be Stacy (House’s ex-wife, for those of you who don’t remember) but then I was pretty sure she wouldn’t do that to her husband again, even if Wilson would. Besides, didn’t she move away or something? I’m not sure I like Wilson being a philanderer, cause he looks too innocent. But maybe that’s his charm. I always enjoy watching House work things out. I like smart people.

Well, there’s another new ep of House tonight. As far as I know, it’s the last one for at least a while. There are two-hour eps of American Idol for the next two weeks on Tuesday, anyway. So at least we have that to look forward to.

I was wrong. It appears that instead of House airing new episodes the next three Tuesdays, they will instead be airing new episodes tonight, January 29, Sunday night, February 3 (after the Super Bowl), and then next Tuesday, February 5.

I don’t get that. Why would you show a new episode of a show that everyone wants to watch after a sporting event that doesn’t necessarily end on time?

I’m not against the Super Bowl or anything, but I’m not really a big sports fan. I probably won’t be watching the Super Bowl. (well, maybe we will be, cause I’m sure my husband is planning on watching it in living color on the big TV.) But I will be going to bed and I don’t want to sit up and just wait for the Super Bowl to end so I can watch House. I can, of course, tape House, but who is to say that House will start at 10 pm or 10:30 pm? How do I know if I’ll be taping part of the Super Bowl and part of House?

It just seems like you should show a repeat or something when you can’t be certain what time the show will air. Right? I mean, am I right? Maybe its just me.

Tonight’s episode is entitled “It’s a Wonderful Lie,” which sounds like a Christmas ep to me. Well, it’s not February yet so I guess it’s OK. Sunday’s ep is entitled “Frozen,” and it looks like it’ll be fun, when the team has to diagnose a researcher who’s located at the South Pole. Next week the ep is entitled “Don’t Ever Change.”

House, Hugh Laurie, Super Bowl XLII

Woo and hoo!! New episodes are back. At least for a couple of weeks. And you can color me happy. Not that I’m not enjoying all the stuff I’ve been watching on DVD, but I’d just like to see something filmed after 1989. Its been so long for some shows, I’m not even sure I can remember everything I watched before. Which is a bad sign, cause it obviously means I don’t need to watch anything I don’t remember. And there’s also the fact that even when I remember which shows I was watching, I’m pretty sure I don’t remember what was happening when I saw them last.

I already mentioned Chuck, which will air the last two taped episodes tonight on NBC at 8 pm and 10 pm (this is lovely, cause I really, really miss Chuck) and Torchwood’s new season, which starts on BBC America on Saturday, January 26 at 9 pm. My watchingcw blog also discusses the new eps of Smallville and Supernatural, which start airing on Thursday, January 31 at 8 pm and 9 pm, respectively, on the CW.

And in other very exciting news, also coming back with new eps is (yay!!) House, three weeks in a row, starting Tuesday, January 29 at 9 pm, following American Idol. It will be so much fun to finally see how the new team works out, since we just got them picked when the last ep aired.

Finally, season four of Lost is starting on Thursday, January 31 at 9 pm on ABC, preceded by a recap episode entitled Lost: Past, Present & Future, at 8 pm. I’m really looking forward to Lost, but I’m not exactly positive why. I guess I just keep thinking that some day I’ll understand it and then it would have all been worthwhile. If you haven’t checked them out yet, you should go watch the “Missing Pieces.” They are a little confusing as they’re in no apparent order and they deal with stuff that happened over the past three years, but they are still fun. It only takes about 20 minutes to watch all of them that are up at the ABC site, so you should go see them before the season starts.

Chuck, Torchwood, Smallville, Supernatural, House, American Idol, Lost