Fun Friday: Betting on Renewals and Cancellations

It can be a depressing time of year for a lot of people. We're only a month out from Network Upfronts Week (May 13-16 this year), and although we've already seen many cancellations and heard about many upcoming new pilots, there are still quite a few shows up for renewal, both freshman and returning. Back in January we did a Midseason Checkup on how the first-season scripted shows were doing so far. But, at that point there were still quite a few that hadn't even debuted, so a lot has changed. (and, actually, there still are some shows that have not seen the light of day yet, like Crossbones, Friend Me, The Goodwin Games, Save Me, Family Tools, and Mistresses.) That said, I wanted to go ahead and start predicting how things will go for freshmen series and the older series that this site follows. Again, this only covers the programming on the big five broadcast networks. If a show isn't on this list and you expected it to be, that's because its fate has already been announced, so check here.  

and, not, I didn't try to make the sections near-even, that's just a coincidence.

I think it'll be renewed:
Beauty and the Beast. While the numbers are decent for a series on the CW, there are many cable series that do better. Still, I think it's good enough for the situation. [update: we were right!]
Chicago Fire. Not the highest numbers, but the series is getting a spin-off, so you'd think they'd keep this around for some early publicity, crossovers, etc. [update: we were right!]
Golden Boy. The numbers are decent, but CBS can afford to be picky, so that might work against this drama. Still, the critics are more favorable than not on it, and although it's not my cup of tea, I could see it getting a second chance. [update: we were wrong!] 
Hannibal. For a series about the famed Dr. Lecter, it did not open well, and the second episode did about the same. It could be advantageous that the series does not plan full seasons but just 13-episode installments, and it's hard to make a judgment call after just two airings, but I think NBC could work with this.
How to Live With Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life). It could be a good fit for ABC, maybe even joining the TGIF lineup if the network could scare up some more family comedies to throw in there. After two episodes, it's still early, but the numbers are decent, even if it does have Modern Family as a lead-in at the moment. [update: we were wrong!]
Last Man Standing. (listed because it's one of the few non-freshman network series we cover that has not yet been renewed/canceled) The numbers are high enough for a renewal, and although I don't think the stories are going anywhere, I think it's a safe show for ABC's Friday night lineup. [update: we were right!]
Malibu Country. The numbers aren't where they could be, but the stories could go far, plus it pairs well following Last Man Standing. [update: we were wrong!]
The Middle. (listed because it's one of the few non-freshman network series we cover that has not yet been renewed/canceled) The numbers are better than last year's and the storylines could easily keep going, so I don't know why this would get canceled. [update: we were right!]
Nashville. The numbers aren't terrible for a 10pm slot, and it got decent critical praise. [update: we were right!]
The Neighbors. The numbers are on the weaker side and it's not a critical favorite, but it's high-concept and fits into the "family" block on Wednesday nights. [update: we were right!]

I think it'll be canceled:
1600 Penn. The numbers are absolutely abysmal, and the comedy packs in too much drama. [update: we were right!]
The Carrie Diaries. The CW operates by slightly different rules, but this series still has weaker numbers than Emily Owens, MD, and that's already been canceled. [update: we were wrong!]
Deception. The numbers are poor and there are two episodes to air that aren't even scheduled at the moment, which is not a good sign. [update: we were right!]
Go On. The numbers suggest that it just fell too far. Combined with a last-minute timeslot move and the very droll plots, I don't see this going anywhere. [Update: we were right!]
Guys with Kids. The numbers were never great for this one, and it aired against the more-established family comedy block on ABC on Wednesdays. It never even got a full season pickup, so as much as it pains me, I don't think it'll make it. [update: we were right!]
The New Normal. The numbers have been on a downward slope, and I think the stories would be scattered should the series continue. [update: we were right!]
Red Widow. The numbers are dropping, and month-long gap between the last episode and the next won't help anybody. [update: we were right!]
Revolution. The numbers have been falling drastically since the pilot, and it's a bit too high-concept for the show to try and "solve" the problem of the power so soon. [update: we were wrong!]
Vegas. The numbers have been pretty steady, although the move to Friday will keep many guessing as to how the remaining five episodes will do. Still, it's a big-budget show, and although another network might risk another season, CBS may not. [update: we were right!]

what do you think will happen? check out the poll to the right and let us know which series you think will be renewed!

Guys with Kids: Is This The End?

I completely believe that Nick would go to extremes to make sure that Chris doesn't fully reconcile with Sheila. Putting up old cut-outs and rounding up Sage weren't that extreme for this group, but I think calling the episode "Divorce Party" went a little far. Of course, Sheila also crossed a few lines this episode, making it all the more crushing that this might be it. We might have seen our final Guys with Kids, as this was the end of the first season to a comedy that never pulled in 5M viewers after the pilot and has gotten pretty poor reviews from most outlets. The chance that it will receive a second season is there, but mainly because NBC really doesn't have too much going for it right now. I'm pulling it for it, but don't put all your eggs in this basket. On a separate note, I was looking forward to the appearance of Keshia Knight Pulliam as Marny's sister, as I've been a fan of The Cosby Show for YEARS. And we just did a throwback article about Vanessa and Rudy, too. Because of how integral Bridget became, we might continue to see her if a second season is granted, so take that for what it's worth.

Guys with Kids "Divorce Party" (S01E17): Marny's younger sister, Bridget, visits. [how old is Marny supposed to be if her younger sister is 33? Emily can't be 30, and I never would have pegged Marny to be more than 35 before this...] Having promised Gary not to lend Bridget any money, Marny decides that Bridget should be Gary's assistant for his Wrapkin business. Bridget doesn't know much about working, but she does come up with a feminine design for the accessory, which Emily and Marny like. [bleh! not me!] Gary gets upset at the change, yells at Bridget, and she quits. However, when a baby store also prefers Bridget's design, Gary rolls with the punches and then apologizes to his sister-in-law.

Vivian Zink/NBC

Sheila and Chris talk about the logistics of having another child, and she asks him not to tell Nick, so she has the pleasure of doing so. [I hate Sheila.] But, when Sheila gets paranoid about the hormones involved, they agree to procreate the typical way. This causes Nick to think that Sheila is trying to get Chris back, so he pushes Nick to return to Sage. When Chris is late to Sheila's, she heads to the bar, finding him with Sage. Sheila leaves and Chris isn't sure what to do. [any bets?]

Guys with Kids: Gary's Business, Violet's Toy, Chris's Idea

Balance. I often talk about how this show is very skewed toward focusing on Gary and Marny's family over the others. That in itself is odd, because the original premise was to focus on the three guys, who just happen to have kids. But, I digress. This episode offered three storylines, one for each family. Yes, the larger plotline and episode title were reserved for Gary, but at least Nick and Chris had their own issues taking place. And those two stories were funny! Blaming your child for a talking toy when it's really your bottle opener? Hahahaha! Deciding to have a child with a woman to whom you're no longer married just so your child will have a sibling? Hilarious! And, who else besides Chris would say, "hey, apartment! I'm home!" ?? I'm gonna be sad if this show doesn't get renewed...

Guys with Kids "Rare Breed" (S01E16): Gary wears launches a website to sell his Wrapkins and starts going around to children's shoppes with Nick to market them. [albeit in a scheming way.] Marny panics that Gary won't have time to care for the kids if The Wrapkin takes off, but he claims that he can handle it all, though he has Emily watch his four children one day and then takes them all out with him the next. Utilizing Nick to help keep the household chores under control and bribing the older kids to keep quiet about what's really happening at home. [I love that Nick scooped one of the kids out of getting extra money for saying Gary is a "rare breed." I also laughed so hard at "take as much money as you need to keep quiet" that I had to pause before seeing Gary realize that Marny intercepted the twins.] Marny realizes how much trouble Gary is having, but because the business is going well, she decides that they should get some help in the afternoons. One day of that, however, and Gary misses out on Robbie's first steps. [awww!] Marny had paid off the boys to be quiet, but he sees through Clark and Yoda, and says that he hates missing milestones, so they decide to hire a business helper instead of a home helper. [that is one cute baby!]

Vivian Zink/NBC

One of Violet's toys can't be found, but its noises are keeping Nick and Emily up at night, to the point where Nick is taking naps at Chris's. [haha at Emily ripping open a pillow!] After all that, it turned out to be a talking can opener from Nick's mother. They don't want to take back a lecture at Violet about having too many toys, so they decide that, in the future, they'll be cool the first time they catch Violet drinking with her friends. [um, pause. it's not Violet's fault she has so many toys - have her donate some or put them into storage, ADULTS! Also, I want to talk about Nick going on and on about how awesome "Altered Beast" was for Sega. This has got to be some sort of random fandom happening. It's a somewhat obscure game that was panned in the early 90s, and many say it was only popular amongst those who received it as the "freebie" with the system. (yeah, most people recall "Sonic" as the "in-pack game," but this came first.) If this was ABC, I'd suspect that they were going for a tiny Wreck-It Ralph shout-out (which is available on DVD in a couple of weeks), as the final boss, Neff, is the purple rhino seen in bad-anon, but otherwise, why reference this specific game?? And, if you're curious, you can actually pick up Altered Beast on Amazon.]

Sheila is upset that Ernie isn't scribbling with crayons the way some other kids his age are, so she rushes him to a specialist. Chris begins to worry just as much, even after the doctor says Ernie is on-par for being fifteen months old. [why did these two divorce again? oh yeah, Sheila is this neurotic about EVERYTHING.] After nearly waking Freddy to show Ernie how to scribble, Chris realizes that Ernie needs a sibling so someone else will understand how ridiculous Chris and Sheila are as parents. [this is an even worse reason than Lilith deciding to have a second child with Frasier so Frederick would have a sibling!] He promptly announces this to his ex-wife, who thinks that a half-sibling would be good enough. [ha!] But, he points out that he doesn't want to remarry and doesn't think she'd do it promptly, so they decide to go to a lab and have another baby "for Ernie." [oh PLEASE let's have more of THIS story!]

Guys with Kids: Finding Guardians, A Manny, DJing

Ernie is over a year old and Sheila is just NOW returning to work?? What kind of company has such a lenient policy?? Also, Clark and Yoda are beginning to scare me. They manage to destroy so many things it makes me question whether they're particular terrors or I just need to give up on the idea that my stuff is safe when I eventually have children! On a similar note, it's interesting how the various adults on this show pass their "free time." We know Marny likes to hit the gym and Nick and Sheila like trivia nights, Chris is still in the "dating" stage of the game, and Gary desperately wants to work again, but what about Emily? Have we seen her with any hobbies (aside from dressing up for Christmas cards)? There are only two more episodes left in the first season, so we may never find out.

Guys with Kids "The Will" (S01E14): Clark and Yoda microwave a whipped cream can, ruining the appliance. [dang!] This causes Gary to have to thaw a chicken with a hair dryer. While doing so, he accidentally electrocutes himself, forcing Gary and Marny to realize that they need to update their wills. [not the coolest intro into needing a will, but not bad, either.] Her parents are too old, her sister is too snobby, his mother is too neglectful, and his brother lives on a boat. So, the couple has to think outside of the family, and they ask Emily and Nick. Emily jumps on board immediately (but soon regrets it) while Nick has concerns. They decide to demonstrate some poor parenting to make Gary and Marny rethink this decision. But when they don't have enough time to fully show off their neglect, Nick pretends Emily has a drinking problem and they can't take on more stress. It works, except Emily now has to act like she goes to AA and can't drink in front of people. [hahaha!] This leads Sheila to spread a rumor that Emily's pregnant, and she ends up coming clean before long. Fortunately, Gary and Marny accept that four kids is too many to take on... but then Emily feels so bad that she gives in again. [Emily makes me laugh so hard!]

While this is going on, Sheila hires a male nanny, Andy, who puts play into a historical setting. [I think that's awesome!] Chris tries to prove that Andy sucks, but just winds up impressing Nick and Gary. When Chris can't show-up Andy's songs, either, he gives up. [male nannies are not taboo anymore, guys. At least a half-dozen shows have had them by now, and a minimum of two centered their premises around such!]

Guys with Kids "Gary's Idea" (S01E15): Most of the group shares some good news: Nick is directing a Superbowl commercial, Marny got promoted, and Gary has an idea for bibs/ponchos for parents called "wrapkin." [better than overcho!] Chris feels left out and decides to become a DJ. He takes a class and starts dating the college kid Nick and Emily use as a babysitter, Stacee. [I am not a fan of ANYONE Chris dates! also, friendship bracelets FTW!] He decides to quit the law firm, so Nick tells Sheila to stifle Chris's spirit. [hahaha!] Nick, Emily, and Sheila go to the college party that Chris is DJing, but after he works in the Golden Girls theme song and only gets $32 from a collection, he decides that he can still be a lawyer but a DJ on the side. [smart.]

Vivian Zink/NBC

So, as Chris is finding something to do with his time, Gary wants to make better use of his, by marketing the Wrapkin. At first, Marny thinks it's smart... and then he asks her to invest $10,000. She says no, but he decides to invest in it anyway. [seriously??!?] He meets with 30 vendors but none are interested. [first, it could be that he wasn't hitting the right market. His network is commercial real estate and all. second, I was really surprised that Marny wasn't more upset!] 

Guys with Kids: Trivia Night is Better than Faking an Injury!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

What I loved most about this episode? Sheila's scoff at camp counselors having tons of enthusiasm. Guys, most of you have no idea how true this is. I did it for two summers of resident camp, a winter session of resident camp, and another summer of day camp, and you have to have enthusiasm or you're not going to make it. People who've never done it think it's an easy job, but you work sixteen-hour days, take your lunch WITH the kids, and on your breaks you do your laundry and check your email (smartphones weren't a thing back when I was a counselor, so every staff member shared one computer in the lodge, or you spent more of your break driving to the library). Otherwise, you're "on" the entire time. But you know what? I loved it. And, I bet Chris did, too. I could see Gary playing the cool guy at camp and Marny and Sheila being "too good for camp," while Nick rocked out and Emily did everything by-the-books to earn every possible badge. Actually, after all of this I hope we get another flashback of sorts, haha! What do you associate with enthusiasm?

Guys with Kids "Me Time" (S01E13): Gary is getting cabin fever from being home with the kids all the time, but Marny is too tired to talk when she gets home from work, making Gary even more anxious. [poor guy!] Nick suggests that she build some "alone time" into her day by lying to Gary about working late. Well, it works until the family is on a walk and sees Marny at the gym. [figures!] He calls her on it, and though he believes her story about wanting to look good for him, he decides to go as well, and he wants to sing and hold hands on the treadmill. [whoa. WHO DOES THAT??] She decides to fake an injury but he starts going overboard helping her around, going so far as to hire an acupuncturist and get her a motorized scooter. [hahaha at him bringing her into the guys' locker room for comparison!] She winds up coming clean in a "Tell-Tale Heart" scenario, blaming it on Nick, who told her to lie.

Chris signs up he, Nick, Emily, and Sheila for a bar trivia game, and Sheila names their team "Let's Get Quizzical." [whoa.] She and Nick soon become fiercely competitive, actually working in tandem. Unfortunately, when Chris and Emily keep costing them points, Sheila tasks Nick with firing Emily and Chris. Instead, Nick just lies and says that he's running late and they're not going to trivia this week. [how odd! the ONE thing these two have in common is trivia??] Unfortunately, Chris and Emily figure out they've been duped when Sheila and Nick will both be 35 minutes late and sound like they're calling from the same place. They go down to the bar and ruin Sheila and Nick's chance of winning. [that totally sucks!] Gary, fresh from hearing that Nick told his wife to lie to him, joins them and clinches the loss, preventing Nick from ever entering the establishment again. [I'm pretty sure a bar wouldn't go along with such a ban. they want the business, LoL. more importantly, I'm wondering where all of the kids were... ALL with Marny??]

Vivian Zink/NBC

Midseason Checkup

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

For the past six months, the new series that we've focused on have all been on the "Big 5," better known as the broadcast networks of ABC, FOX, CBS, the CW, and NBC. We looked at each show in four parts, deeming them "good," "bad," "questionable," and "ridiculous." Some of them have not yet started, as the midseason is just getting underway. FOX has The Following premiering tonight, and the ball will just keep rolling from there, with NBC's Do No Harm starting Thursday, January 31st, Body of Proof beginning Tuesday, February 5th on ABC, Zero Hour (also ABC), showing up on Valentine's Day, and more. So, this post will serve as an alphabetical roundup for where this season's shows now are and which are still to come. In the near future we'll do a separate article to look at a few cable shows. 

1600 Penn is three episodes in and definitely NOT a ratings hit. The critics are generally fans, though I've been back-and-forth on it.

666 Park Avenue made it seven episodes before cancellation. All thirteen episodes will air, though the final four won't be until the summer. Beginning at almost 7M, the show lost 3M before cancellation, though it enjoyed audiences in Canada, the UK, Spain, New Zealand, and Australia, where the series will finish in the next couple weeks.

Animal Practice seems to be nothing more than a laugh now. Five episodes aired before it was canceled, one after, and the remaining three went straight to Hulu, hopefully satisfying the fans it did have. I was among the 12,8M who tuned in for the pilot during the Olympics "Hot Weather Sports," but I never bothered again, finding it just too ridiculous. Still, 3.68M stayed with it until the bitter end.

Arrow, a modern retelling of the comic book Green Arrow, has been a hit with critics and audiences alike. The viewership has been steadily over 3M, and the show is about halfway through the first season. I haven't been able to get into it, but I'm happy it's doing well.

Beauty and the Beast has another 13 episodes to go in its rookie season, which has a very stable audience of around 1.5M. I thought that the pilot was better than the marketing, but I still didn't think it was great. Luckily, there are plenty of teenage girls ogling "beast."

Ben and Kate has been a bit weak for its time slot, rarely reaching 3M after the first three episodes. It has seven episodes left in its season to turn things around, but things aren't looking great. Personally, I'm only a fair-weather fan.

The Carrie Diaries just started a week ago, and the pilot drew 1.6M. I think that the CW was expecting more for the Sex and the City prequel, set during Carrie's junior year of high school, but nothing about the series really appeals to me.

Chicago Fire didn't draw my attention because I neither find Chicago nor firefighters intriguing. But, it is certainly drawing plenty of eye otherwise! It started with 6.6M and has seen peaks up to 8.54 recently. I highly doubt that this one will get canceled, so that 10pm Wednesday slot will probably hold this drama for a while. 

Crossbones has been largely forgotten about by many, as no news has really broken in months, aside from the possibility of Hugh Laurie starring. Production has been delayed, and this series will likely not even appear for another year, so don't get excited.

Cult begins Tuesday, February 19th at 9pm. My initial opinions about the series (a blogger investigates mysterious disappearances) remain: boring, but could have an audience.

Deception, initially known as Infamous, has its third episode airing this evening. The first two brought in 5.66M and 4.14M viewers, respectively, but I'm still left wondering how this mystery drama is going to work as anything other than a TV movie in the long run.

Do No Harm has been highly anticipated by many, and the marketing for this updated Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde really seems to be creating some hype for its debut on Thursday, January 31st. Personally, I find it to be creepy and an over-exertion of a simple theme. Still, with another former Cosby on the air (Phylicia Rashad), it might just do okay.

Elementary has been a ratings hit for CBS, and will likely continue to grow as it gets the coveted post-Superbowl slot this year. I've personally felt that the episodes are less entertaining as the first season goes on, but I'm clearly in the minority.

Emily Owens, MD is currently burning off the remaining episodes from its original order of thirteen. It's been wavering between one and two million viewers since its inception, but the CW doesn't have the same standards as the others. Its competition? Go On, NCIS: LA, Happy Endings, and New Girl.

Family Tools will be gracing the airwaves on Wednesday, May 1st at 8:30pm. It's only getting ten episodes instead of thirteen, but there are a lot of great actors who could make magic. I'm still looking forward to it!

The Following begins tonight, and I originally found it to be procedural and too crime-solving for me. After the pilot, I was astonished at how much I disliked it, and I'm not sure that Kevin Bacon is enough. That said, my husband liked the beginning of the series and is planning to cover it for TheTalkingBox, so if you think an FBI agent in the midst of serial killers is cool, stay tuned.

Friend Me has been up in the air since the co-creator committed suicide last fall. Unfortunately, the premise might need to change if the series is to continue, as it was to be based on two guys moving to LA to work for Groupon, which has not been doing that great.

Golden Boy begins Tuesday, February 26th at 10pm, though it will actually be a Friday night series for CBS. It's a cop show that originally had Ryan Phillippe attached, though Theo James is the new star. It's a biography to a certain extent, and is set to chronicle the life of a police officer from detective to commissioner. Not my cup of tea.

Go On is in the middle of its first season, and despite some early popularity, it's been below 5M viewers since 2013 began. I don't know if it can pull out of its dip, but many hope so. I'm still watching, but it's not my favorite comedy.

The Goodwin Games is still to come. With no start date in sight, the initial order was cut from thirteen to seven back in early November. The veteran writers and decently-known actors might still draw a crowd when FOX finally decides to air it, so don't panic yet! 

Guys with Kids has been getting a bad reputation since the beginning, with critics mainly complaining that it brings nothing original to the table. Its first season has six episodes left to air, but it has struggled to pull 4M+, succeeding only once since October. I actually think the show is funny and interesting to watch, but I need to start preparing myself for the fact that its renewal is not very likely.

Hannibal does not yet have a date to premiere, but follows the theme of prequels & adaptations, being based on the Hannibal character from the Thomas Harris novels. Not a fan of serial killers or creepiness, I won't be tuning in when it does air.

How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life has Brad Garrett playing Sarah Chalke's father, coming Wednesday, April 3rd at 9:30pm. Though the shorter title will certainly help, but Chalke as a divorcee with a close male BFF still isn't going to reel me in to watch.

Last Resort didn't receive a full-season order, and the final episode will air later this week. I thought that the exotic South Pacific was a strange locale for a show that would primarily take place on a submarine, and I guess I'm not the only one. The pilot drew 9.3M pairs of eye but the drama has dipped as low as 4.9M.  

Made in Jersey was an early cancellation, with only two episodes airing before it was pulled from the Friday night schedule. It actually got 7.8M and 6.7M viewers for those episodes, respectively, but it has already burned off the other six episodes that were completed. I hardly had time to really compose a stance on the series before it ended, so no skin off my back. 

Malibu Country did not last long in my book - I gave up after just two episodes. For a Friday night, the numbers aren't terrible... though the TGIF block needs more substance if you ask me.

The Mindy Project received a full-season order after just two episodes aired. Its ratings have since fallen from 3.68M to 2.76M, but it is up against Apt. 23 and NCIS: LA. The critics tend to like the series, though there has been plenty of speculation as to its staying power. Personally, I'm not a fan of Mindy Kaling nor this show's approach to medicine.

Mistresses is expected to begin in May, though it may begin airing in just a couple of weeks in New Zealand. It's a take off of a British series by the same name, and the more I learn about the series, the less interested I am. Still, I might give the pilot a go.

The Mob Doctor was canceled after eight episodes, but many wondered why it took so long. All thirteen episodes did air, albeit the final few often to only just over 2M people (the pilot only drew 5.1M anyway). My gripe with it was that it offered nothing original, and I guess I wasn't alone.

Nashville never interested me because of my dislike in country music. I wondered how it would do in a 10pm slot, but it's been great. Critics like it, the actors have been receiving award nominations, and its only halfway through its season. It has not fallen below 5.9M yet, so it's probably going to stay around a bit.

The Neighbors is halfway is halfway through its first season, staying above 6M in its slot between The Middle and Modern Family. The marketing seems to suggest that critics are coming around to the series, but I recently abandoned it for its failure to incorporate all of the characters and keep a cohesive storyline.

The New Normal has been a bit of a gamble since it was announced, but I like it. I'm not sure if it has a long and prosperous future, and it seems that the general public feels the same: It hasn't hit 5M viewers since the fourth episode, and the latest two have been under 3.5M.

Next Caller is dead in the water. The Dane Cook series never aired, and only four episodes were filmed. I didn't think it had a great premise - two radio hosts having to share the air - but it doesn't matter now.

Partners had a short life. Only six episodes aired, and though it never had more than 6.5M in the live audience, it also never dipped below 5.4M. I liked it but didn't think it was gold. How I Met Your Mother was its lead-in, and it was up against Bones, The Voice, and Dancing with the Stars, so completely different target demos. Oh well!

Red Widow begins Sunday, March 3rd with an eight-episode run. If gangsters are your thing and you want to see how a woman handles things when her mob boss husband dies, check it out. For me, the premise doesn't offer much.

Revolution had me going there for a while. At one point I was curious as to how the airwaves would handle another apocalyptic-like show, similar to both Falling Skies and Terra Nova. After the pilot, I was hooked. I wanted to see where things were going to go. A few episodes later, however, I was more frustrated than anything else. NBC choosing to air ten episodes in the fall and hold the other ten until March has been a choice questioned by many, but the show has never had fewer than 7M viewers, so they must be doing something right!

Save Me is still in the pipeline, with no updates in quite a while. You may recall that this is the show where Anne Heche can channel God. If not, don't worry, as I'm sure Anne Heche will be the big marketing factor when this one returns to light.

Vegas has surprised me. I'm not one for the 1960s mob scene, but it's been great for CBS, starting with nearly 15M viewers and still over 11M after 12/21 episodes. This is certainly an accomplishment, as it's up against Parenthood and Private Practice, among other things.

Zero Hour will first air on Valentine's Day... creepy for a series that is about the paranormal and conspiracy theories. Nobody wants to learn about a spouse abducted on the most romantic day of the day, so although I'm unsure about the debut date, I am sure that I won't be tuning in regardless of when it runs.

Guys with Kids: Marny's Dad Visits; Chris Dates

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

When I read the title for this episode, I was thinking that Marny's dad was going to die, not that Marny's Dad was going to visit. A bit morbid of me, but not too farfetched when you consider how Gary-and-Marny-centric this show is. I've been talking about that since the second episode, and, though I find it odd, I don't dislike that fact. I think I have joined the bulk of the characters in finding Sheila incredibly annoying, too. What annoyed me about this episode in particular, however, was that Gary and Marny tried to make her father miserable by giving him all four boys to watch for a couple of hours. Who does that? Even Gary's original hypothetical made no sense - why bundle up all four children when he could take one or two with him and Marny's dad could watch the others? I just found the set-up unreasonable, so when Marny's father wound up having no issues with the kids, I just sat here and rolled my eyes. Emily and Nick finding weirdos with whom to set-up Chris was also a failure, so this episode was an all-around dud. 

Guys with Kids "Marny's Dad" (S01E12): Gary prefers Marny's mother to her father, but he'll have to talk to the man during his five-day trip. Gary tries to have a couple different conversations with the man about space and boats, but he soon learns (through Chris and Nick) that the guy really doesn't like Gary. [haha, space boats!] So, Marny and Gary set it up for Marny's dad to spend two hours with the children, hoping it would get him to respect Gary more. Gary even preps the older kids with sugar and takes the pacifiers from the younger ones before bailing. [see, here's where they went too far.]

Photo by: Vivian Zink/NBC

When Gary gets home, everything is under control so Gary comes clean about what he was trying to do. Marny's dad admits that the reason he doesn't respect Gary is because he never asked for permission to marry Marny. [seriously? from ten years ago? who holds a grudge like that?] But, the reason Gary didn't do that because Marny didn't want him to, as she believes that women are not possessions. To make up for it, Gary invites Marny's dad over and sets the scene for 2002, but when he asks for Marny's hand, the guy says no. Before we can learn the reason, Marny barges in and tells her father off. [and an odd ending to boot!]

Chris had a date bail on him so he took Sheila to a concert, upsetting Nick. Emily and Nick offer to set Chris and Sheila each up, but Sheila doesn't believe they'd know someone she'd like, and Chris is upset over some bad set-ups in college. [this was probably the best set of jokes all episode.] Chris comes around, and both Emily and Nick set him up - identical dates and they'll observe both. [nice way to get two free dinners out of it! I also thought that their points scale was cute.] The date Emily chose winds up being overly close to her cat, and Nick's quickly admits that Chris is just too hairy for her. [HE HAS AN EXTRA TICKET TO BOOK OF MORMON?? how does this happen??]

Guys with Kids: How Everyone Met

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I had been wondering how everyone became friends, and this episode gave an interesting backstory for that. While I didn't care for Nick's hair in this episode, I thought the rest of it was pretty good, though Nick and Chris both have some crazy reasoning as to how Sheila ended up in New York! I thought it was kind of shocking how much Gary changed, but the fact that he keeps his tooth chipped to remind him was a bit odd... maybe I'm just too vain for that. I also was a bit taken aback that Emily got pregnant out of wedlock... she seems to have everything so perfectly planned all the time that I assumed she probably did the same thing with her conceptions. The episode isn't the greatest for the series, and it's getting annoying how the characters can exist completely separate from the rest of the world, but it's got its laughs. Oh, and the "Ernie's First Word" plotline? It most definitely played third fiddle here.  

Guys with Kids "First Word" (S01E011): When Sheila drops off Ernie with Chris, she doesn't leave, as she thinks that their son is about to say his first words. Nick is upset that Sheila is there, and Nick and Chris argue over who invited Sheila into their lives. Begin relentless flashbacks... Chris was shocked when Nick proposed to Emily, as they had previously agreed not to settle down until they were in their thirties. [how many people make this pact and break it??] Well, Emily got pregnant, Nick broke the agreement, and Chris went to law school (instead of becoming an actor), where he met Sheila. [haha at Gary now having to explain to his sons that you CAN get pregnant before you're married.] Nick argues that Chris would have gone to law school regardless, because Chris was a terrible actor. Chris then argues that, when Violet was born, Nick said that Sheila was hott, so Chris went for her. [bad reasoning.]

Marny shared a recovery room with Emily when Gary and Marny's second son was born. [haha at Gary trying to buy off Emily's bed for $500.] Emily took the name "Violet" from Marny, as that was the name she wanted for a daughter. [awww!]

During Chris's wedding, Nick tried to stop him from marrying Sheila, which began their mutual hatred. Sheila tried to cut out Nick permanently by moving to San Francisco, but three years down the road, Chris returns to New York with Ernie, Sheila shortly behind. So, Chris and Nick decide to blame either Violet (if Emily hadn't gotten pregnant, Chris wouldn't have met Sheila) or Ernie (if he didn't exist, Sheila wouldn't have followed Chris to NYC), but Sheila thinks it's Emily's fault for "being so easy." [it's the Sheila-Emily hatred that I don't get.]

The group realizes that Nick had hunted down the old number of Chris's girlfriend, Sage, when Chris and Sheila got married. Nick never got his tux dry cleaned, so the number is still there and Chris calls it. It's at this point that Ernie decides to grace everyone with his first word: "Sage." [go figure!]

Photo by: Vivian Zink/NBC

Oh, and while this is going on, we see a little sub-story: Marny wants Gary to get his chipped tooth fixed as a birthday gift to her, but he likes it. See, back in 2006, when Emily and Nick moved into Gary and Marny's building, Gary was a workaholic who got angry at their Russian nanny for letting the boys to play with a $5,000 football. When he fires her, she slugged him, chipping his tooth. [man! what a strange situation when you barely know somebody!]

Christmas Episode Round-Up: The New Normal, The Middle, The Neighbors, Guys with Kids, Suburgatory, The Big Bang Theory, Last Man Standing, 2 Broke Girls

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

The networks really seemed to spread out their holiday episodes this year... I think it ended up being a three-week window or something (perhaps even longer if you're a Family Guy fan!), which surprised me a bit. Because of the length, I'll jump right into some overviews and then the recaps with remarks.

The New Normal: Bryan gets Jane a job; Bryan and David realize that they're stressing over the baby.

Go On: Ryan, Anne, and Steven try to miss the group's holiday party, but when Lauren panics over getting engaged, they rush back.

The Middle: Brick is in a Christmas play, Sue bakes cookies, Frankie gets a holiday job, Mike fights with Rusty, and Axl enjoys a bachelor pad in the garage.

The Neighbors: Marty and Debbie decide to go to Hawaii for Christmas, but Larry ruins that idea by opening all of their presents and ruining them.

Guys with Kids: Sheila and Chris pass back and forth her engagement ring. Emily plans a romantic evening for Gary and Marny, who decide to just drink instead.

Suburgatory: Tessa doesn't love spending Christmas with her mom, and Ryan finds out that he's adopted.

The Big Bang Theory:The girls try to get Raj a girlfriend while Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Stuart play a holiday version of Dungeons & Dragons.

Last Man Standing: Mike tries to get the girls to all take trips for Christmas to give Vanessa simple holiday, but then has to get them all to stay.

2 Broke Girls: Max and Caroline resort to drastic measure to make rent during the holidays.

The New Normal "Baby Proofing" (S01E11): David is over-eating because of stress, and Bryan is drinking. They confront one another but don't get anywhere. Then they hire a baby-proofer to round corners, add a baby-gate, anchor bookshelves, etc.

Neil Jacobs/NBC

Jane is back and Bryan invites her to accompany him to a Christmas party because David doesn't like them and is busy thinking of everything that could happen to the baby around the house. [people can get crazy.] Jane is afraid that she'll never be accepted and succeed in LA, so Bryan gets her a job interview. [odd little DUI checkpoint where Jane's gun is the problem.] The whole experience convinces Bryan to pour wine down the sink. Jane is told that she's old-fashioned but when she makes it clear that she knows things, she's hired. [guess she's back for the long term. boo.]

Go On "The World Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" (S01E11): [did anyone reference anything other than Jimmy V that week?? and why did they script Anne an f-word if they just bleep it out?] Fausta decorates the group room a little for Christmas but Lauren tells her that everything needs to be non-denominational. [boo.] The group holiday party will be at 8pm on December 21st, 2012, which is when Mr. K. thinks the world will end, thanks to the Mayans. [I'm kinda glad that some show decided to point out that craziness!]

Lauren is afraid that Wyatt may be ready to propose, so when Yolanda and Sonia see Wyatt at a jewelry store, they try to sabotage the proposal (tho they're mostly worried that Lauren won't have time for them anymore if she gets married). He sees right through them and mentions that he's going to pop the question at the party. [groups are not the best idea for this, guys!] Meanwhile, Ryan and Steven decide to go to Napa like old times, and Ryan decides to invite Anne along to take her mind off her graveyard issues (she's been going every single day). They'll miss the end-of-the-world party, but oh well. That is, until Sonia spills the beans to Lauren, who calls Ryan for advice. He reminisces about how Janie told him to get it together or she'd leave him. [that was kinda interesting... I should have expected it but I did not.] They then decide to rush back to LA, but by then Wyatt had already proposed in front of a snow machine, and Lauren accepted. ["Asian glow" is an enzyme thing? and how did they go from Napa to LA in just a few hours??] The episode ends with Ryan turning out the lights to when Mr. K. projected the world to end.]

Vivian Zink/NBC

The Middle "Christmas Help" (S04E09): Reverend TimTom asks Brick to be a wiseman in a play for kids, and Sue will bake the cookies for the concession stand. She calculates that she needs to bake 1200 cookies (20 cast members + 2 parents each + siblings + 1.5 grandparents + crew members + church people + 5% accidental crumblage) and gets to work right away. [this made me laugh SO HARD, guys. how did the Heck family have the money for ingredients to bake 100 dozen cookies?] Brick even gets an extra line to help cover for another wiseman and starts practicing his singing all over the place. Sue has tons of cute Santa cookies but none are selling, so she donates the bulk of them to TimTom's next project. Brick is awkward in the play, not paying attention during his lines and directing others. [but was kinda cute.] 

Frankie and Mike worry that they don't have a way to pay for Christmas presents, even with Frankie not signing her tuition check. [remind anyone of Roseanne?] She decides to get a job at a store to get a 30% discount to buy presents, but the discount doesn't count for 20 days, meaning she can't use it until Christmas Eve. [haha, figures!] She tries to get people to stay away from the items she wants to buy, then just starts hiding them around the store. [let me digress for a second... when we were in middle school, our science teacher would take us to the library for research, but you weren't allowed to check-out any books until the end of the day, because each period deserved to have a chance to access all of the same materials. so, if there was a book you really wanted for your project, you'd hide it within the library, then run there after final bell so you could grab it and check it out and make it to the bus. after a few rounds of this, though, the teacher caught on and we got a big lecture about being unfair to others, LoL!] When she tries to hide a basket of goodies on a tall shelf, someone moves the ladder while she's up there, trapping her for hours. She isn't even able to buy anything before the store closes, so they give the kids pictures of what they're getting and they utilize the post-holiday discount to load-up the next day. [which is a nice way to do things, not gonna lie.]

ABC/MICHAEL ANSELL

A third storyline going on has Mike storing some furniture for Rusty, only to later find out that it may have stolen it from a police officer with whom Rusty plays poker. [episodes with Rusty are extra weird.] After a couple of days, Axl decides to arrange it as a "pad," and even serves dinner and has a Christmas party in the garage. [reminded me a little bit of Greg Brady decorating the attic.] Mike decides that he's "done" with his brother, but TimTom encourages him to pray about it and he does. When everything gets returned, Axl is upset, but Mike realizes that he and Rusty should make up.

The Neighbors "Merry Crap-Mas" (S01E09): Marty and Debbie move wrapped presents to Larry and Jackie's home to keep them hidden. [Max gets an iPad? If Abby is six, he must only be like eight! and, Amber doesn't strike me as the snowboarding type.] When Amber wants her gifts early so that she can leave on a ski trip on Christmas Eve and Max wants to amend his list, Marty and Debbie decide to return the presents and take a trip. [whoa. I don't mind a trip in lieu of presents, but you have to plan that sort of shenanigan in advance!] The kids are unhappy about having been "nice" all year for nothing, but Debbie and Marty still go to book Hawaii. [haha, I loved the kids reacting like that.]

Meanwhile, Larry decides to open the gifts to see what they are, causing the Weavers to have no presents (they're ruined) and no trip (they can't return them for money). Larry then watches Christmas movies, trying to analyze how Santa travels the world in a single evening. [haha on Larry thinking an Etch-a-Sketch has Siri.] Abby tells Larry that Santa will fix things, so he decides to dress as Santa and make Dick his elf. [haha!] They get some strippers to be luau dancers, get a pig for roasting, and scrounge up a few presents for the kids, including an etch-a-sketch for Max. [I particularly liked the carolers!] The Weavers have no presents or tree on Christmas morning, but the Zabvronians are there! [I laughed at an elf/Tiny Tim mash-up.]

ABC/ERIC MCCANDLESS

Guys with Kids "Christmas" (S01E10): Chris and Sheila recap that they got divorced because they had a baby to fix their marriage and it didn't work. [omg that sucks.] Sheila decides to return her engagement ring at this point, but Chris doesn't want to take it, so they pass it through various means until Sheila finally admits to being responsible for their divorce because she didn't try to solve their problems. [did they change the baby who plays Ernie?]

Nick, Emily, and their kids arrive at Gary's dressed in Victorian clothes from taking their Christmas card photo.

Vivian Zink/NBC

Gary and Marny bought a new dishwasher for Christmas, which Emily finds offensive because it's not romantic and she doesn't want them to wind up like her parents. Emily decides to stage an intervention to help them spice-up their marriage, even planning an elaborate date for the couple which includes a carriage ride. They don't love it, though, so they skip to drinking. They head to Nick and Emily's, where Marny takes off her bra and puts it on their Christmas Tree, then she and Gary call the couple "Nemily" because they're too cute. [haha on "Nemily" being expanded to include anything annoying!] They go back to their place to be intimate while Nick and Emily are honest about their own relationship, realizing neither actually likes those annual carriage rides. The next morning, Marny and Gary try to put together the events of the previous night, and Emily and Nick show up to return the couple's four children.

Suburgatory "Krampus" (S02E07): Dalia misses her housekeeper and comes up with a plan to get her back. So, she decides to make a music video about how Carmen used to do all of her laundry to win her back. Of course, she's not having the greatest time working for Noah and Jill anyway, offending the mother by saying she doesn't understand her baby because she never spends time with him. [ouch! it must be extremely taxing on Carly Chaikin to hardly ever smile! Also, Wan'Er in the bridge was random. And, Dalia calling George "Daddy Altman" was odd.] Carmen sees the video and George arranges for Carmen to be in a box for Dalia to open on Christmas morning. [super odd.]

Tessa doesn't like how quick Chatswin converts to Christmas, and even George gives her the early gift of being able to spend time with her mother in Manhattan. Tessa and Alex's first hug is awkward, and Alex can't figure out how to appropriately treat her almost-adult daughter. [whoa to "Krampus is like Santa, but evil."] Tessa decides to leave the hotel in the middle of the night to head home to her dad's.

Someone at the photo shop tells Ryan that he was adopted, freaking him out to the point where he strips in the street and growls at his family's car. [Ryan is SO crazy!] Lisa tells Tessa that she spilled it to the photographer so it's her fault.

ABC/RICHARD CARTWRIGHT

Later, Malik and his family are driving down the road when he sees Ryan running around without a shirt and acting like a wild animal. [what the??] They put him in the trunk and Ryan tells Malik what happened. [Lisa's pajamas were super cute!] Lisa asks Tessa to talk to Ryan about it all, and she shares that your parents are who raised you, and she winds up kissing him. [ahhh! and, Eugene Goldfarb?]

The Big Bang Theory "The Santa Simulation" (S06E11): Leonard wants to spend Saturday night playing Dungeons & Dragons with the guys, and though Penny finds it amusing, Bernadette and Amy aren't thrilled. The three of them parade around in hot dresses to show what the guys are missing, then go out for drinks, inviting Raj when his character dies early. Raj buys the drinks because he likes to pamper ladies so much that he gives his dog foie gras. [seriously??] The girls decide to find him a woman, but it doesn't work out. Plus, Amy gets offended that he once fell for Bernadette and Penny but not her, though they are able to commiserate over how lonely and sad they are. [uh oh. I hope the writers know what they're doing here!]

At the D&D game, meanwhile... Leonard gets Sheldon a scroll (his third favorite method of after stone tablets and skywriting) that features a quest with a holiday theme. Sheldon sings "Good King Wenceslas" to get them through a room, and they later play "Jingle Bells" on handbells. [Sheldon insisting on doing all of the verses was funny.] We learn that Leonard had to leave a research paper for Santa to grade. ["C- was your gift" was harsh!] Plus, Sheldon admits that, when he was five, he went to the mall and told Santa he wants his grandfather back for Christmas. [awww.] So, he decides to let the game's Santa die, causing him a nightmare where Santa sends a canon after him. [kinda crazy, I know.] 

Eddy Chen/Warner Bros.

Last Man Standing "Putting a Hit on Christmas" (S02E07): [odd shot of living room into kitchen. and Vanessa's necklace is ugly.] Mike asks Ed for a an idea for Vanessa for Christmas, so he suggests to steal the dog, let Vanessa freak out, then bring it back and be a hero. [tale as old as time! plus, Go On kinda just did this.] Vanessa admits to Mike that she misses simple Christmases before the kids and grandchild, so he decides to use that charade with his children. Mike gets Kristin to take Boyd to Winnipeg to see his other grandparents, sends Mandy on that Cancun trip, and allows Eve to go with another family so Aspen. Of course, there are problems along the way that he has to solve, like reuniting one of Mandy's friends with her cheating boyfriend and firing Eve from her holiday job as a gift-wrapper at the store. But, Eve figures out what's going on and cuts a deal - no questions about her next report card, as she's getting a D in art. [I hope we focus on that again at some point!]

ABC/CARIN BAER

Mike gives Boyd a snowglobe that plays "Little Drummer Boy," Vanessa's favorite carol. This gets her sad over missing everyone, so Mike makes everyone cancel their plans, reuniting them and looking to be a hero. [Kristin's tickets were refundable and Mandy's are good for a year??] Vanessa even decides to invite Ryan's parents to Denver.

Elsewhere, Ed accidentally shoots a bald eagle and tells Mike and Kyle. Ed and Kyle go to dispose of it, but the bird ends up still being alive. [this was kinda just filler, I feel.]   

2 Broke Girls "And the High Holidays" (S02E12): The girls don't have the money to pay their shoppe's rent, but Caroline doesn't want Andy to know. [typical.] Max has been doing "cupcake runs" at 2am, selling munchies to druggies. [awesome that her dealer tips her off! his name is Kieffer. Teen Mom 2, much? also, um... I don't think that California passed the marijuana bill, so was this taped pre-election and not changed?] Caroline thinks maybe it'll work out because there aren't drugs in the cupcakes, but after she witnesses a meth bust, she changes her mind, worrying that she'll get in trouble just by knowing about someone using. [haha.] Caroline won't ask Andy for money, so the girls try to evade their landlord by going out the bathroom window. Well, it turns out that Max got a big bag of pot from her dealer as a Christmas present, and when it accidentally pours into a pot, she makes drug cupcakes after all. [holy cow!] Caroline continues to be paranoid as Sophie come over and devours some, but then they feed them to their other friends as well, for thanks when they give them the money to make rent. [Oleg ($100), Earl ($50), and Han ($350)]

Darren Michaels/Warner Bros.

Max makes some calls and the girls go to a party to unload the goodies at $15 apiece. But, surprise! Andy shows up at the party to smoke weed, and Caroline goes out the window. [crazy antics!]

Also, we see the girls hosting a children's party where the kids threw frosting everywhere.

Cupcakery Total: $100.00. [finally! back to being poor!]

Thanksgiving Roundup: The Middle, The Neighbors, Suburgatory, Go On, Ben and Kate, The New Normal, Guys with Kids

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Happy Thanksgiving! If you're up early watching the parade, cooking, or preparing for football, we thought you'd like a nice run-down of some of this year's new Thanksgiving episodes. You can find several of them online, so if you need a break later on today (and don't want to watch more traditional holiday programming), consider giving some of these a try. First, the nutshell reviews and then the full recaps with remarks. 

The Middle: Everyone loves a great love story, and this episode has Brick enjoying a book about Love Story, Axl starting a new relationship, and Frankie's parents re-living their first date.

The Neighbors: The Weavers deal with having the Bird-Kersees over for the holiday while entertaining Marty's parents as well. In addition, Larry has to come to terms with Jackie's rebellious sisters.

Suburgatory: Tessa heads to Manhattan to see her mother and grandmother for the holiday, but her mother is nowhere to be found. When she returns home to a motley crew of recurring characters in her home, she is greeted by her long-lost mother as well.

Go On: The group decides to have Thanksgiving together, and Ryan decides to host it at the radio station because a) he's working and b) he wants to keep Steven from moving in on a potential love interest.

Ben and Kate: The night before Thanksgiving is a high school reunion for multiple grade levels, allowing Ben and Tommy to be cool kids once more while Kate (who is now on boyfriend-girlfriend level with Will) struggles to confront a bully.

The New Normal: David, Bryan, Goldie, and Rocky all have painful past experiences with Thanksgiving but decide to invite their families to celebrate together for the future of the baby. Things don't go as planned and each guest is booted from the event anyway.

Guys with Kids: Sheila wants to host for Chris and all of his friends' families while Gary is obsessed with purchasing a TV on Black Friday.

The Middle "Thanksgiving IV" (S04E08): [I thought it was funny that Frankie won't pay ten cents per bag at the grocery store so she carries everything herself.] Axl continues to flirt with his tutor, Cassidy. His foot also healed two weeks quicker than expected, so he's excited to get back on the field for the big game. But, his tutor says that football is a waste, causing Axl to wonder what he's doing. He decides to not let fear get in his way and he confesses to Cassidy that he likes her, inviting her to watch him play. [interesting... is Axl maturing?] But, her boyfriend is coming into town so she can't. He tries to cover by acting like he's inviting everyone to the game. [this reminded me of the first time my now-husband ever called me...] Meanwhile, the mascot head has been stolen by a rival school and Sue recruits Brad to help her get it back. Brad tries to have a "dance fight" but he gets beat up. [yep!] Sue tries to make a head on her own, but when that doesn't work she winds up wearing a bear head to the game. [I found it odd that nobody else really got involved with this plotline.] Axl overthinks playing and fumbles three times, so Sue gives him a pep-talk and he gets it together. [and we're supposed to believe that he listens to her now? wow, maybe he IS growing up!] Things end well for him as a scout reminds him that East Indiana really wants him AND Cassidy kisses him, telling her she broke up with her boyfriend. 

ABC/MICHAEL ANSELL

Now, the dinner-part of Thanksgiving... Frankie wants to host a couple of marines and is incredibly awkward about it, even saying the Pledge of Allegiance before Thanksgiving dinner. [ha!] Her parents make things worse when her father keeps droning on about nutrition (he lost four pounds recently). Things go so haywire at dinner that the Marines leave before dessert! 

The Neighbors "Thanksgiving is for the Bird-Kersees" (S01E08): [loved the early Marty line: "What could be more American than eating food to make room for more food?"] Jackie is profoundly depressed because she misses her sisters, who were exiled ten years ago for trying to overthrow Larry. [what was up with that crop-circle-like design??] Dick and Reggie decide to go visit the prisoners and invite them to Thanksgiving. Against his better judgment and sense of self-preservation, Larry does decide to let them be free once again. [though I hope that they're not going to be regulars!]

Marty is excited about Thanksgiving because he thinks he'll be able to impress his parents for once, but Debbie is stressed because she always gets criticized over her cooking. Marty suggests that they un-invite his parents and do things their way, and he makes up a lie about how the oven is broken. [...really?] But, as his parents begin to think that his new house is too small, he decides to let them come to show that he's doing well. [I'm surprised that Debbie isn't more upset about Marty's cowardice there!] But, they'll still be doing a deep-fried turkey. When the duo arrive, Marty's father doesn't even want a tour of the house while his mother gives the children hand-knit sweaters. [yeesh!] After Marty's mother starts in on everything about Debbie, her house, and her children, she stands up for herself and Marty defends her as well, sending his mother to sulk in the car. Dick decides to help by talking to Marty's mother about "changing the game" and not forcing mothers-in-law to keep their daughters-in-law "on their toes." [odd coming from Dick.] When she comes in, she actually compliments Debbie on her turkey, though everyone else dislikes it. 

ABC/PETER "HOPPER" STONE

Suburgatory "The Wishbone" (S02E05): Tessa wants to spend Thanksgiving with her mother in Manhattan. But, George plans to go to Dallas's for Thanksgiving this year, though without costumes. Dalia wants a Caribbean theme, but after Dallas finds out that Tessa won't be there, she decides to fire the chef and cook herself to "rally around" George. [um, I smell disaster!] But, George tries to cook and ruins potatoes trying not to have to pay "guest Alan" for advice. [I did think that $8 was a bit steep for a small pinch of advice! and, Carmen took the baby to see a witch doctor??]

Over at Lisa's, she's freaking out over how close Malik is getting to the family when Sheila invites him for Thanksgiving. Malik played touch-football with his family so he takes a shower when he gets there, but Sheila winds up seeing him naked, distressing Lisa more. 

ABC/ADAM TAYLOR

In Manhattan, Alex, Tessa's mother, is a no-show. She was supposed to bring the main course, so Tessa leaves early. When she gets home, Alex is there, initially thinking that Dalia is Tessa. [ha!] George is pretty upset that Alex didn't do what she was supposed to, but after some initial shock, Tessa and Alex talk. [the fake-snoring thing was awkward.]

Go On "Dinner Takes All" (S01E09): The group decides to have Thanksgiving together. ["Peter? sweetie, that's low self-esteem!" was hilarious! and cute The Brady Bunch moment with the heads!] Amy, a girl Ryan and Steven knew in college, is in town for a job interview and is staying with Ryan. [can we keep Lauren Graham, please? love her!] Amy and Ryan try to joke with Steven about how he doesn't know sports. But, Steven and Ryan both have feelings for her, and because of a broken fold-out couch, they share Ryan's bed, which makes him uncomfortable. [I bet!] So, when Steven announces that he's going to take Amy to Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving, Ryan decides that he should host Thanksgiving at the office and make his assistant do the cooking. [I thought that was rude, even for him!]

Ryan orders the group to create a de-sexualized atmosphere, but things get awkward quickly when Lauren offends Owen's mother and several of the others start bothering Amy. [Ann's two adopted children adoring Ryan wasn't as funny as I think it should have been.] Ryan decides to confront Steven, asking him to step aside because he might want to make a move in the future. So, they go to a bar and play an old game of see-how-many-sips-of-other-people's-drinks-you-can-take-before-getting-punched. [seriously? has anyone heard of anything like this before?] Ryan wins, almost breaking the ten-drink barrier. Ryan admits to Amy what's going on, and she tells him he has no chance with her right now - she won't be the first one after Janie, though she's always had feelings for him. [meh. I thought that was a weak way to end it... some far-off-future nonsense?]

(Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)

Ben and Kate "Reunion" (S01E07): Ben and Tommy rescue a live turkey from the mall (people were bidding on it to eat for Thanksgiving) and Kate decides to let them keep it, though they later drop it off at a preserve.

Kate and Ben's high school reunion is the night before Thanksgiving, and Kate isn't looking forward to it because there was a girl who made her life miserable. [such an informal reunion! and I'll never understand how the multiple-grades thing plays on TV, with the exception of teeny schools like on Wings.] Will decides to go and help Kate "slay the dragon." [Kate AND Ben played Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar? how often did their school do that musical??] It's been eight years and Kate isn't thrilled with where she is in life, so she's not thrilled when the mean girl plays innocent.

Cr: Jennifer Clasen/FOX

Will tries to get the girls to do a sing-off, but Kate doesn't think she needs to prove anything. [um, okay?] She decides to brag about her awesome boyfriend, and that's the end of it. Plus, Tommy wants to make an entrance at the reunion, and resorts to asking Maddie for ideas. [not sure why this happened.] She suggests that he "lose the fro." Luckily, he doesn't go through with it.

Perhaps the bigger story, however, is that Ben and BJ got married seven years ago and kate doesn't know. Ben wants to tell because mail is coming to her house addressed to "Mr. and Mrs. Ben Fox," but BJ thinks that the appropriate window has passed and they should just keep it a secret forever. Well, BJ decides to break the news during Kate's Thanksgiving toast... being even more honest than Ben expected. He thought it was a green-card-marriage when really BJ has dual citizenship but made Ben marry her so that he'd be around if Kate needed him, as he was going to head to Indonesia right when Kate became  pregnant. [I understand how this is supposed to be sweet, but it's a bit too odd.] 

The New Normal "Pardon Me" (S01E09): Goldie, Rocky, and the guys dish about how they don't like their family Thanksgivings so they decide to start their own traditions. [haha, Rocky wants to charge for the time spent having Thanksgiving with them!] Bryan and Shania go to get a turkey but didn't know that they'd have to choose a live one and kill it themselves, so they buy them all to liberate them, keeping them as pets. [what kind of theme is this??] After David's mother gives him a guilt trip, Shania suggests that everyone bury the hatchets and invite their families, including Goldie's grandmother, Shania's dad, Rocky's half-brother, and David's parents. [nobody for Bryan? I laughed at Jane as "the last real American, along with Newt Gingrich."] David's parents get through a fight and then get wild with one another. Then, Clay goes to hit Rocky's brother when he realizes that the guy has had a relationship going with Goldie for some time now.

(Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

Plus, Jane flips at the idea of a meatless Thanksgiving (they're having tofurkey at Shania's request) and goes hunting the backyard turkeys with a cleaver. [seriously??] All of the extra folks get kicked out, the tofurkey is terrible, and the core group orders pizza, deciding that they'll deal with families on Christmas but keep Thanksgiving sane in the future.  

Guys with Kids "Thanksgiving" (S01E09): Gary has decided that six months is too long to go without a television, so he plans to spend three days in line to get a Black Friday ultra-deal: a $4,000 television for $100. [say WHAT?? also, my brother will be spending the holiday in a similar situation, so I don't fault people who choose to do so.] Marny isn't upset that he could miss Thanksgiving with the family because she thinks he'll quickly wimp out. He starts out as the second person in line, but nobody will huddle with him and he gets upset. Marny tries to reason with him after one night on the street, but no dice. By Thursday, Gary has made peace with the cold by swapping spots with someone to be on top of a heating event - still keeping him sixth in line. Still, there's some fierce competition. 

Photo by: NBC

It's Ernie's first Thanksgiving so Sheila and Chris decide to celebrate together, at her place. [um, his birthday has already happened, so how is this his first one? perhaps he was in the NICU or something and didn't celebrate out of the hospital? or maybe the episodes were meant to be aired in a different order?] To make things less awkward, Chris invites Gary, Nick, and their families, having to cash-in a favor to get Nick and Emily to change their plans. Sheila wants to make a big fuss and theme everything, choosing to go for "historically accurate," complete with a boiled cod instead of turkey, no alcohol, no Oreo pie, and maple sap-soaked hickory nuts. [wow. that's worse than the Pilgrim-inspired meal on Everybody Loves Raymond! and what was Emily's outfit??] Yoda and Clark give the adults advice on how to get rid of the host's food and eat something else, but Sheila catches them snacking on stuffing in Emily's bag. [I didn't understand why the adults couldn't come up with a plan themselves... hiding food isn't new!!] Sheila freaks out and throws everything from the table out the window before she realizes that this group is so casual that she doesn't need to impress them. [her insults during this process were pretty intense.] Marny decides that they should all join Gary, and Sheila brings Subway sandwiches for everyone. [seriously, she wants them to pay her back??] When the doors open, Gary sicks his older kids on slowing down others, allowing him to actually get the big-screen!

Guys with Kids: Ernie Turns One

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

When I heard the title of the episode, I assumed that it would be for the first birthday of Gary and Marny's twins. I'm not sure why, but I figured that would be funny, comparing it to the first birthdays of their older children and whatnot. Instead, Ernie having to celebrate two first birthdays was an intriguing idea. Except that we don't see Sheila's celebration. I also struggle to get beyond how Chris and Sheila managed to split up less than a year after the birth of their son... I am always caught by surprise when a couple I know goes from "lovey dovey" to divorced in a matter of months. I mean, does nobody even TRY to work things out anymore? Surely you'd be on the rocks for at least a year before calling it quits, no? Anyway, the B-story was pretty weak, and the A-story was about average, so nothing too special. My favorite moment was when the fathers stood up their children and whichever fell first won money. What about you?

Guys with Kids "First Birthday" (S01E08): Sheila wants Chris to recite a poem for Ernie's first birthday, where there will be a pinata full of raisins and a string quartet. [a string quartet?? this isn't a wedding!] But, Chris wants to make the cake, a family tradition. So, Gary and Nick encourage their friend to throw a separate party. He plans it for when Sheila will be unavailable, and serves sno-cones and cotton candy while having an airbursh tattoo artist. [I didn't have that kind of treatment for my tenth birthday, let alone my first!]

Photo by: Vivian Zink/NBC

Chris lets Ernie try a lollipop just as Sheila shows up, having been dumped by Kareem. She doesn't like Chris's cake so she orders another, upsetting everyone. Nick decides that they should text Kareem an apology from Sheila's phone, but she catches them. [of course.] Emily explains that Chris doesn't want her at the party, but Sheila thinks Chris is lonely. She even kisses him, but that's disastrous. Chris admits that he wanted to be invited to be part of the original party, and she soon leaves (with Kareem). [Sheila is even annoying to hate!]

In the smaller storyline, Gary eats something from the floor and Marny eats something from the sink, forcing them to realize that they need to shape up. They consume nothing but kale smoothies in an attempt to cleanse their systems, but by Night Four, they give up and have cake.