Television

  • Hello, summer binge-watching …

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    Can you guys believe that it’s June already? It seems like it was still January just a few weeks ago. Sigh.

    The broadcast networks have wrapped up their shows for the season (I’ll miss you, superheroes!). But with those shows off the air, it gives me time to check out some new programs. Here are some of the shows that I hope to binge-watch this summer.

    Note: The descriptions are from Amazon. Also, I believe that Bosch is only available through Amazon, but you can get the other shows on DVD or through a variety of TV/streaming services.

    Bosch — Season 3 — Amazon

    Angered by the truths behind his mother’s murder, LAPD detective Harry Bosch struggles to find integrity in an imperfect justice system. The killing of a homeless veteran, the suicide of a serial killing suspect, and the high-profile murder trial of a Hollywood director pit Bosch against ruthless opponents who all threaten to destroy him. BOSCH Season 3 promises to be the most compelling yet.

    My thoughts: I really enjoyed the first two seasons of this show. I love a good cop show, and this one not only looks at various crimes, but it also focuses on the internal politics between various officers, departments, prosecutors, etc. The show is based on the books by Michael Connelly, and I’m hoping to read some of those this summer as well.

    iZombie — Season 1 — DVD

    From the executive producers of Veronica Mars, iZOMBIE stars Rose McIver (Masters of Sex, Once Upon a Time) as Olivia “Liv” Moore, a medical resident on the fast track to a perfect life … until she’s turned into a zombie. Now stuck between half-alive and undead, Liv transfers to the city morgue to reluctantly access the only thing that allows her to maintain her humanity — human brains. But there are side effects to Liv’s new diet. With each brain she consumes, she experiences flashes of the corpse’s memories — including, at times, clues as to how they were killed. Her boss, a brilliant but eccentric conspiracy theorist, encourages her to embrace this gift and to work with an eager, unproven homicide detective to help solve these murders … and quiet the voices in her head. iZOMBIE is based upon characters published by DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint. Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley and David Anders also star.

    My thoughts: I’m not a zombie fan, but this looks like a really fun show. Plus, I like David Anders.

    The Good Witch — Season 1 — DVD

    The Good Witch series follows the adventures of a mysteriously enchanting woman, who peaks the curiosity of her neighbors. Based on the “Good Witch” series of cable movies, Season One follows Cassie Nightingale and her young-teenage daughter Grace, who shares that same special intuition as her mom. When New York transplants move in next to the Grey House, they are immediately spellbound by the mother-daughter duo next door.

    My thoughts: I love When Calls the Heart on the Hallmark Channel, and I thought I would check out this series too.

    What about you guys? What shows are you planning to binge-watch this summer?

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    Do you binge?

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    Note: This post will also appear tomorrow at Magical Musings.

    Earlier this year, I finally subscribed to Netflix. I know, I know. I’m a couple of years behind the times.

    But for the first time, I understood why people binge-watch TV shows. Just … one … more … episode!

    In the space of about a month, I watched both seasons of Marvel’s Daredevil, along with Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Since then, I’ve tried some other shows, including Marvel’s Luke Cage, which premiered in late September, and I’ve watched some episodes of shows that I already follow.

    But I find that I don’t always do the same kind of binging when it comes to reading.

    Rocket Raccoon Chasing TaleOne of my goals over the summer was to finally (finally!) whittle down my TBR pile, especially when it came to all the comics/graphic novels. And I did that. I read a lot of comics over the summer, including Rocket Raccoon Volume 1: A Chasing Tale by Skottie Young and Jake Parker, some Deadpool, several different Captain America series, and more.

    But I didn’t sit down and read them all back-to-back-to-back, and I didn’t read just comics. I also read some contemporary and paranormal romances, action-adventure thrillers, and young adult books.

    So why don’t I binge on a certain series or a certain genre when it comes to reading?

    When it comes to a TV show, I want to know what’s going to happen to the characters next, and the Marvel shows are very good at ending their episodes on cliffhangers to keep you watching. Plus, in some ways, a season of a TV show feels like a book to me, especially the superhero-type shows that usually feature a big bad villain who is defeated by the end of the season. When I get to that last episode, I feel like I’ve finally seen the whole story (at least for the current season), and I can set it aside and move on to something else. Plus, sometimes I just want to laze around on the couch and watch TV. 🙂

    When it comes to a book, I still want to know what’s going to happen to the characters, but I also want to absorb the words and story, especially if the characters are really interesting, or the book has some great, snappy dialogue. I tend to savor the experience of reading a good book a little more than I do watching a TV show. And I like to read in one genre, then read something else in a different genre. The variety just makes reading a little more fun for me.

    What about you guys? Do you binge-watch, binge-read, or both? What are some of your favorite movies, TV shows, and book series to binge?

  • Re-watching Saved by the Bell …

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    Note: I posted about this a couple of weeks ago over at Magical Musings, but I thought I would share the post here too.

    Every summer, I pick out a TV show to watch. Sometimes, it’s a new show that I’ve heard folks buzzing about. But more often than not, I chose an old TV show — either something that I remember watching as a kid or something that I always wanted to watch and just never had time to.

    In previous summers, I’ve re-watched The A-Team, which was my absolute favorite show as a kid. And yeah, probably as an adult too. LOL. I’ve also watched all eight seasons of Magnum P.I., which was escapist fun, and I’ve checked out the first season of Miami Vice, which was way darker and more depressing than I thought it would be.

    Saved by the BellThis summer, I decided to re-watch Saved by the Bell.

    As a kid, I loved Saved by the Bell, especially Mr. Zack Morris. I was totally Team Zack from day one. Seriously, Kelly, why did you spend so much time dating Slater? Zack was always so much cooler.

    I have fond memories of Zack and the gang and all their hijinks, and I remember a lot of the episodes. Seriously, a lot of them. I don’t know if my memory is that good, or I just watched the episodes that many times as a kid. Probably a little of both.

    But it’s interesting going back and watching the show now. I’ll admit that some of it makes me cringe — the bad fashions, the cheesy jokes, how mean everyone was to Screech.

    But you know what? I still really like the show. If nothing else, it’s a chance to look back fondly on something fun and goofy from my childhood. And I think we could all use a little more fun and goofy in our lives, don’t you?

    What about you guys? Are there any shows you want to check out or re-watch this summer?

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    Finale fun … or not …

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    Note: I posted this over at Magical Musings last week, but I wanted to share it here too.

    So most of the fall TV shows have wrapped up, and the summer shows are starting. I’m looking forward to the start of Covert Affairs this month.

    For the most part, I’ve enjoyed all the season finales (and even the cliffhangers) over the past few weeks of shows like Arrow, The Blacklist, and The Good Wife, but there’s one finale that I’m still thinking about—the finale of How I Met Your Mother.

    Oh, boy.

    How I Met Your MotherI’ve always really enjoyed HIMYM, but I was not a fan of the finale. In fact, it sort of ruined the whole show for me, especially since the point of the show for nine seasons seemed to be Ted finding the Mother, the love of his life. But if you’ve seen the finale, you know the show was really about something and someone else entirely. I kind of feel like the whole thing was a bait and switch.

    Finales can be hard to do, especially with a long-running series like HIMYM. It can be difficult to wrap up every single plot thread and leave fans with a satisfying conclusion. But, man. I was not expecting everything that happened in the HIMYM finale, and it was not satisfying to me at all. I’ve enjoyed watching reruns of the show, but now that I know how it ends? Even the reruns have lost some of their charm. Like I said, the finale sort of ruined the whole show for me.

    I’ve been thinking about book finales too. The finale of the Hunger Games trilogy is another one that didn’t work for me. I kind of felt like everything that Katniss went through was for nothing, since a certain character doesn’t make it back home at the end of the series. On the other hand, I thought the end of the Harry Potter series was very well done and let readers leave the characters knowing that Harry and company were in a good place.

    Maybe it’s cliché, but at the end of the day—or TV show or book—I want the characters to get their happy endings. To me, those are the most satisfying finales.

    What about you guys? Did you enjoy the HIMYM finale? What do you think are some good book and TV finales?

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    Holiday books are here …

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    Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed something becoming more and more common at my local bookstores — holiday books.

    Yep, those snow- and Christmas-themed covers are here, along with the holiday stories that fill the pages.

    Sleigh Bells in the SnowOne holiday book that I’ve been looking forward to is Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan. I enjoy contemporary romance, and I usually read at least one or two holiday stories this time of year.

    But it’s not just new holiday books that are on the shelves now. You can also find many different editions of classic holiday stories like A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens or The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore.

    For Christmas several years ago, Wheezley bought me a copy of A Christmas Carol, and it was interesting to read the story versus seeing all the interpretations in other books and holiday movies.

    Now, I enjoy a good holiday book, but I am totally addicted to all the holiday romance movies on TV stations like ABC Family, Lifetime, and the Hallmark Channel. I love a good holiday rom-com, and I’m looking forward to seeing what new movies come out this year.

    What about you guys? Do you read holiday books or watch holiday movies? Do you have a favorite holiday book or movie that you read or watch every year?