Photo Recapping 2013 Comic-Con: Vehicles

"Vehicles" may sound like a strange category for a photo recap, but, trust me and the 130,000 people who were at Comic-Con, it's not. In fact, the variety of vehicles is rather extreme, from pedicabs to sports cars to ships. Below is a smattering of the different modes of transportation that we spotted this year! make sure to scroll down toward the bottom to see all of the superhero cars!

Once Upon a Time's third season, set in Neverland, decked out some pedicabs! Amy K. Bredemeyer

a front shot of the Once Upon a Time pedicab, complete with costumed bicyclists! Jonathan Bredemeyer

Hell on Wheels customized the light rail that goes right by the Convention Center! Jonathan Bredemeyer

Revolution decided to dress-up a shuttle bus! Jonathan Bredemeyer

another post-apocalyptic drama, Falling Skies had a bus of its own at an off-site activity rally! Jonathan Bredemeyer

Scooby-Doo is the passenger in this van! Amy Bredemeyer

inside Nerd HQ, they had their own promotion vehicle! Jonathan Bredemeyer

Superman had his car in blue, of course. Jonathan Bredemeyer

I loved the Justice League SUV, especially the individual headrests! Jonathan Bredemeyer

another group car shot! Jonathan Bredemeyer

a new-age Batmobile. Jonathan Bredemeyer

Green Lantern's color scheme caught me by surprise! Jonathan Bredemeyer

who could forget Aquaman? Jonathan Bredemeyer

last but not least, Flash! Jonathan Bredemeyer

the Jackdaw from Assassin's Creed IV. even video games got into the action! Jonathan Bredemeyer

a different kind of ship... this one was for a relay race of sorts that began at Skywalker
Ranch and went all the way to Comic-Con! Jonathan Bredemeyer

last but not least, and it may be the largest stretch of the definition of "vehicle,"
but here's the Despicable Me 2 blimp! Jonathan Bredemeyer

It is difficult to select a favorite, but I have to say that I really liked the pedicabs in comparison to years past, and the train really looked neat in the old-timey facade. We had also seen the Despicable Me blimp before (in San Francisco), but my sister asked for a picture so we snapped a few when it appeared. I think the ships were the most surprising, as there were a couple of others, too. In fact, it was surprising how often "nautical" came up this Con! More pictures coming soon!

News Roundup: Late December Edition

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Renewals, Cancellations, & Scheduling:
The Nate Berkus Show has been canceled. The final episode will air in May.

A fifth season of Ruby is not planned.

The League has been renewed for a fourth season.

CBS, FOX, and NBC all renew their NFL deals through 2022. Here's a little history if you're interested.

Psych returns with new episodes on Wednesday, February 29th at 10pm Eastern.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has been canceled as a regular series, but will still air specials from time to time. The final episode will air on January 13th. [Apparently many people are upset about this cancellation...]

House of Anubis, a Nickelodeon live-action mystery show, returns with its second season on Monday, January 9th at 7pm Eastern.

Enlightened has been renewed, but Hung, How to Make it in America, and Bored have all been canceled.

Hell on Wheels has been renewed for a second season. [bleh.]

Cast & Plot Updates:
On March 19th, "A" on Pretty Little Liars will be revealed.

Alicia Silverstone will have a recurring role on Suburgatory, playing a love interest for George.


Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff:
Showtime is having a free weekend Friday, January 6th - Sunday, January 8th. Not all providers are participating, however, so take a look at the list on that site to see if you're lucky or not.

Lowe's and Kayak pulled (or "did not renew") their advertising from All-American Muslim. Since this is one of the bigger news stories lately, I imagine that you've heard all about it by now, but I still wanted to throw up some links, just in case.

President Obama's favorite shows include Homeland and Boardwalk Empire. Also, the Obama family enjoys Modern Family.

The average American watched 34.1 hours of television on average each week in 2011. It was 33.9 hours in 2010. And, 42% of all homes in America now have a DVR of one sort or another.

HBO is developing a drama series called Beat the Reaper, focusing on a young ER doctor. [I like the title!]

CBS has acquired the rights for broadcast distribution of Hot in Cleveland.

Speaking of Hot in Cleveland, Betty's White's 90th Birthday Bash will air on January 16th on NBC. Her birthday is January 17th.

If you have Time Warner Cable and subscribe to HBO, HBO Go is finally available for streaming. Expect to have the unlimited option within a month.

NBC.com is offering full-season free streaming of Up All Night, Whitney, and Grimm through January 15th, so if you want to pick up these shows, now is a good time. This season's episodes of Parenthood, The Voice, The Biggest Loser, and The Sing-Off are also available.

Similarly, all the episodes of Pan Am are available free on iTunes, Amazon, VUDU, CinemaNow, the PlayStation Store, and Sony Video Unlimited.

Next fall, Bloopers will return to the air.

Cougar Town is going to have viewing parties across the country to hype up the fading comedy. A star and a writer will be in attendance at each one (and they started a few days ago), and plenty of prizes will be available for attendees.

16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom star Amber is back in jail, and will be until at least January 27th, when she appears before a judge. She's in for probation violation, battery, and possession of a controlled substance. Regarding her probation violation, she failed to submit to some drug tests, didn't get her GED, didn't complete anger management classes, didn't put $10,000 into en educational fund for Leah, and she owes some fees. The battery is the same old charge from a while ago. The controlled substance is in regards to pills such as hydrocodone that she has without a prescription. Oh, and she wants to get out of Teen Mom ASAP.

Did you see Betty White talking about Monday Night Football? It's fun.

Mid-Fall Check-In

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Well, the fall season is well underway. Some shows have been cancelled, others given a full season, and others are still waiting to hear their fates. I've fallen in love with some new stuff and dropped others like hot potatoes. I figured it would be good to take a look at the original list of things I had hoped would be promising this season.

At the Top:
2 Broke Girls: The premise and the title aren't exactly the same, which is throwing some people. It's doing well with everyone, myself included. While the ridiculous number of sex jokes tends to bother me every third episode, I can see past them to the other humorous bits... as dated as they'll be ten years down the road. My big gripe is that Max and Caroline aren't doing much to save toward their cupcake bakery, but maybe it'll come in spurts or something. CBS really has itself some great comedy. 

Last Man Standing: This has really been a breakout hit in my eyes. I initially tuned in to see Tim Allen in a Home Improvement-esque show, just with daughters. While it's not the funniest thing on television, I really enjoy the interactions between the characters and the personalities of the family members. It's getting plenty of marketing and isn't suffering in the ratings, so hopefully we've got ourselves a winner here!

All-American Muslim: Overall, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I think that they've just got too many families on this show. On the other hand, so much has happened in the first four episodes. I think that the show is doing a good job of fitting the premise - the lives, communities, and customs of those adhering to various degrees of the Muslim faith. And, I think that Dearborn is a good place to film, and that the families chosen have different things to offer the viewers. Still, the show isn't perfect and I wonder if the participants would even agree to film a second season. TLC shows are especially difficult to judge (Table for 12 never got an official cancellation, and that was ages ago!), but I certainly hope that we're going to have more than just the original order for All-American Muslim.

So Far, So Good:
Pan Am: we're only nine episodes into this show, which is floundering. It hasn't had big ratings since the pilot, and only 14 episodes have been promised to the public. The show isn't on ABC's mid-season line-up, so even if it does get renewed, it likely won't be back until the fall. While I won't be happy if it gets cancelled, I won't be as heartbroken as I would if that fate struck some of the other shows I've come to love season. After a while I stopped noticing the fact that it's a period show, which is weird... I thought that would stand out forever. I think that the actors are doing a great job, but I wonder about some of the storylines and where they're going.

Terra Nova: I'm struggling a little bit with this one, which seems to be the general consensus amongst critics. There are only three episodes left in the first season, which will wrap up on the 19th. Terra Nova has not yet been renewed, but given its very long shooting and post-production time, if it does get a second season, we won't see it until at least next fall, if not later. My big problem with this show is that they opened up SO MANY plot lines, then ignored them in favor of single-episode, non-arcing stories, and now everything is tying together pretty darn quickly. I imagine that I'll start a second season if it materializes, but I can't say if I'll finish it...

Suburgatory: This is a show that I came so close to dumping in its opening episodes... but by the time Halloween came around, I really started to look forward to it. I can't stand most of the characters on the program, but the writing brings me happiness. I think it's weird that the premise has been thrown away for the most part... George and Tessa have such a close and open relationship, it's difficult to believe that he'd be so shocked and abrupt when he found condoms in her room. It's been doing pretty well, and reruns in primetime are catching more and more viewers as well. I'm still not 100% sold on this show, but right now it looks like I'll be giving it at least another half-dozen episodes.

The Exes: This is the most difficult program on this list to judge, since the second episode just ran a few nights ago. I was rather disappointed in the pilot, and haven't been struck by Mark Reisman's normal writing brilliance yet, either. The premise is good, the casting seems spot-on, but there's still something missing from having this show be a heavy hitter. I'm hoping that the show gets better, but maybe I shouldn't get my hopes up too high...

Below the Bottom:
Boss: I dropped this episode half-way through its short first season. At first I had a difficult time letting go, but then my mind cleared up... I wanted to love this show because I like Kelsey Grammer. But even your favorite actor can seem totally boring when you're not enthralled with the subject. And, for me, politics is one of those areas that is just better left alone. All of the corruption is what really forced me to turn away from what some people are truly enjoying. My husband, who has run for political office, has enjoyed the show somewhat, though he felt that the bulk of the season was tied up before the finale. Regardless, it's got a second season coming, which I won't be watching.

Hell on Wheels: I couldn't even hang in there for five episodes. The pilot was interesting enough, but the focus on interesting things just kept waning. I wanted to be really into this western drama, but it didn't happen. I struggled with it, as did the few people I know who were really anticipating a great show here. It's doing well in the ratings, however, so for those who are happy with where the show is going, it may end up with a long and healthy run. 

24 Hours in the ER: It was like I couldn't drop this one fast enough! Sadly, this was the most disappointing show for me. I like medical shows (with ER, House, and Miami Medical topping that list) quite a bit, and I also watch a fair amount of reality programs, so I thought that this would really be up my alley. But, it wasn't. It was so far from my alley, in fact, that I was almost miserable watching it. But, bad choices happen. No big deal. Hopefully I'll get into some other BBCAmerica show, as I'd like to give that channel more attention in some way.

Hell on Wheels: I Will Never Forget You

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

That's how the title of this episode translates, for those who are not French speakers. And, I find it to be extremely true. More true than normal. See, I haven't been the biggest fan of this show, and this was the end of it for me. So, while I won't miss it, I won't forget it. It's the first Western I ever tried to get into, and I enjoyed quite a few aspects of this period television show. But, it's very trying. I don't look forward to watching it. So much takes place in one episode, but the bulk of it is just boring to me. I've talked with a few other folks who were also looking forward to the program, and it hasn't caught anyone's eye. Now, the ratings aren't too shabby, so there is certainly a population for this show. And, with several networks banking on future Western shows, this is a good sign. However, it and I just weren't meant to be. So, unless something remarkable happens before next week, this is the final recap that I'm doing for Hell on Wheels.

Photo Credit: Chris Large/AMC

Hell on Wheels "Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai" (S01E04):  Durant goes to see Lily, who is up by a graveyard of sorts. He plays the nice guy, bringing her to get some medical attention. Lily (who doesn't seem to have the maps on her) mentions that Cullen was the one who brought her back. [Delmonico's steakhouse is that old??] Lily tells Durant that she wants to give the reward money to someone else, and secretly brings it to Joseph. The money is donated to the church, as Joseph won't accept a reward. [cute and annoying. But, seeing the reverend ask about the truth to the newspaper article was interesting...] Durant sends telegrams to invest money in railroad stock and to ask for more money for a new surveyor. Durant tells Lily how he needs surveys done of the Rocky Mountains. [does she know how to survey land?]

Some black powder is coming on the train the next day, and  Gunderson wants Cullen to look the other way when he and his men unload a few barrels of it. Gunderson pays him off, though he told Durant that his men would be guarding it forcefully. [I love how Cullen's first reaction when someone opens his tent in the morning is to cock his gun.] It's not long before barrels of black powder blow up all over Hell on Wheels and there are many injuries and much damage. [...what was the point? I mean, really?] Cullen goes looking for Harper. He spots a guy on horseback who might be him, but his horse is injured and he can't pursue. He puts the horse out of its misery, and the episode closes.

Elam propositions one of the whores, who is willing to entertain him for a dollar, off the books. The girl was a slave as well. [...not as interesting as I think that they were going for...]

The Irish brothers aren't making much money, so they start a live peep show in the women's dressing area. It doesn't last long before they're discovered, however. [this whole part of the storyline isn't doing it for me.]

Hell on Wheels: Cullen Takes No Reward

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Talk about a boring opening! Maybe it was just me, but I thought that the speechless first four minutes were annoying. I do, however, enjoy the fiddle music we hear... but why aren't we seeing someone play it live? That happened back then and all. I wasn't sure if Cullen was trying to be selfless with not collecting money for bringing in Lily or if he really wanted to stay under the radar regarding being out and about off-site. I'm also getting more interested in the Irish brothers and what's going to happen with them in the end. But what was with the scene near the beginning where the one went to talk to the new girl? Odd. I also feel like we're more than three episodes in... maybe five or so. Anyone else feel that way?

Hell on Wheels "A New Birth of Freedom" (S01E03):  Cullen gives the daily orders, but is interrupted by Gunderson. The Swede is looking for Lily, and tells the men that there's a reward for bringing her back... which is a conflict, since Cullen says he'll fire anyone who goes to find the girl in lieu of working. Elam says that his boys can do the work of the missing men as well, so a bunch do head out. Cullen announces that he's looking for Frank Harper. One worker stands up to Elam, claiming that Elam acts white and too good to be working there. The black workers are making $3 less a day [a day? or a week?] than the others. After work, Elam goes to the entertainment tent, but one man makes fun of him and the new girl won't serve him.

Because the railroad is moving so slowly, it doesn't look like it's a good idea to keep the track so curvy, though Durant refuses to straighten it at all. Durant sends a message to a senator about how the Indians are hostile and impeding railroad growth. The Swede tells Durant that something doesn't "add up" about Cullen. [I'd be upset if nobody thought something was strange about the guy!] Later, Durant receives a message that the senator is upset about the lack of progress made on the railroad.

Photo Credit: Chris Large/AMC

The converted Native American, Joseph, still has Lily, but they're soon found by Cullen, who frisks Joseph and has him help remove the stitches and an arrowhead. [graphic!] Cullen tells Joseph that an Injun bringing the girl back won't bode well, so Joseph leaves and Cullen takes over "custody" of Lily. He acts like he couldn't care less about her, while she questions Joseph's whereabouts. A few horsemen arrive while Cullen is elsewhere, wanting to take Lily with them. Lily pulls a knife and Cullen returns, taking a few shots. Lily runs for cover and Cullen shoots the men. Cullen leads Lily to the camp and then lets her bring herself in.. he's not interested in the bounty. He then rides off to Cheyenne Territory.

Durant goes to see a show and the Irish boys charge him $5, since it's after closing and a private viewing. [well that sounds ridiculously price-gouging!] Durant questions why the boys went west instead of working in New York or another eastern city after immigrating. They respond that the railroad in Ireland gave them freedom. [that's interesting.]

Joseph goes crying to the reverend, saying that he recognized the arrows - his brother was the one who ravaged the area. [that sucks.] The reverend tells him to keep that fact to himself, always. He cuts his hair (which wasn't all that long to start). Hell on Wheels has a group funeral, and Durant wants the Natives to convert, like Joseph. [though I'm not sure why he's pointing this out at the moment... are the workers going to help with the conversions or something?]

Hell on Wheels: Cullen is a Survivor

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

After this second week, I'm in-between on this show. I'm not in love with it, but there's nothing I hate about it, either. So, I'm sticking with it. What about you - have you tuned in yet? Have you already tuned out?

Hell on Wheels "Immoral Mathematics" (S01E02): The death scene where the Indians had the massacre of sorts in the first episode is being photographed... and they do it as graphically as possible... laying out extra bodies, sticking in more arrows, etc. [whoa, creepy!] Everyone is looking for the maps, but they're not found. They come across Bell's body in the woods, and find a pocketwatch with a photo of his wife inside, so there's an idea of whom to look for now. There's a $100 reward for Lily, but no word is given about the maps being missing. [these things must be very valuable...]

Back at Hell on Wheels, the workers are slaving away. Cullen is brought to Gunderson, a Norwegian whom people call a Swede, to be questioned about the recent murder. Cullen says he knows nothing about anyone having trouble with the deceased Johnson. Since there's no official laws or enforcement officers, Cullen goes to leave... and has a gun pulled on him in the process. He's locked up in a train car where he's told that he'll have a chance to confess to the crime. [grrrr. not a big fan of unjust situations.] Cullen tries to remove screws from the floorboards when Elam (the murderer) comes to talk to him, and asks if he will be testifying against him.

Photo Credit: Chris Large/AMC

The next morning, Gunderson comes to Cullen, eating breakfast in front of him. He shares a little about his past, and Cullen kicks the plate from his hands. [... that was ballsy!] There's no retaliation, though Cullen is told to make things right with his maker. [eeek!] Cullen is able to get the spoon, and uses it to remove a screw. That allows the floor board to come loose, so Cullen's shackles are no longer attached to anything. He then pops out a few more boards and escapes through the floor. He blends in with the crowd, though his hands are still cuffed.

Cullen walks into the ministerial tent and the guy covers for him. Cullen has Elam bust his shackles, then he heads to Durant's to ask for Johnson's job. He says that he did well in the army, though he was always outnumbered. He gives examples of things he's destroyed. He then brings up the fact that Durant smuggled cotton out of Mississippi, and that Durant needs help if he's going to finish the railroad. Gunderson comes by, and Durant announces that Cullen is the new foreman after all. [I actually don't know how this changes my opinions of Durant or Gunderson, but we know that Cullen is quite sly.]

[Other things that happened in this episode?] Lily is walking along a creek with the maps and sees some Native Americans on horseback in the woods. She's still quite tender as she crawls for cover behind a log. The Native Americans are gone when Lily wakes up, and she makes her way to their smouldered fire. She removed the arrow tip from her chest and stitches herself up. [ahhhh!] Lily envisions her late husband, then sees three birds circling overhead. The Native Americans see them too, and head for the area. Lily takes off for the woods again, where she's found, but not by those specific Native Americans! [hmmmm....]
 
Gunderson talks to the Irish brothers, and wants money for the tent where they've set up their movies. He asks for $2 a week, on Fridays, which is about half of their income. The Irish brothers take money from their mother's stack. [is this part of the show going anywhere?]

NEW SHOW: Hell on Wheels

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

When considering the many new shows of the Fall season, I chose Hell on Wheels partly for its historical setting. Regardless of how fabricated the actual story would be, I thought that the clothing, language, attitudes, and setting might be fascinating. The first episode was largely confusing. I struggled to determine characters' names, was surprised at the number of deaths shown in the pilot, and was genuinely amused that I was struggling to figure out what was going on in a couple of scenes. Maybe part of the problem is that, in the past, Westerns have never particularly interested me. But, I'm not alone, either. Many other critics are not fans of the show, and one even believes that it's AMC's worst drama yet. It did, however, open to a very large audience. Perhaps time will tell... but I'm already a bit wary.

Hell on Wheels "Pilot" (S01E01): It's 1865. Lincoln has died, the war is over, and we're starting in Washington, DC. A guy went into a church for confession, but the gentleman sitting in the priest's spot kills him because he knows about "Meridian." The killer is none other than Cullen, a Confederate soldier whose Northern wife was killed by Union soldiers... for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. [that sucks.] Cullen owned five slaves, two of them women. At his wife's insistence, he gave them freedom the year before the war started, but kept them on and paid them as workers. [admirable to a certain point.] He heads west to work on the railroad, and is hired to be the "walking boss" of the gut crew, since he owned slaves previously and the men he oversees are black.

Elsewhere, a surveyor and his woman are on the move, headed toward Indian Territory. He is ill though, so she will not be returning to Chicago as once planned. [well this can't be good news...] We see Indians infiltrate their campground, killing multiple people. The surveying couple take off for the woods, carrying the maps. They're followed, and the guy's coughing gives them away. [dang. too bad...] After being wounded, the girl kills the Indian, who took her husband's life. [whoa. The whole thing was a bit brutal...] The girl is still out there, in the middle of nowhere, with the maps.

Also going on... Thomas Durant ("Doc") wants to build the railroad while paying himself with government subsidies. To make sure this happens, he bribes another guy, with both shares and the threat of building around the guy's Nebraska property otherwise. [renegotiation sucks.] As he heads west on a separate train, he is presented with a mapped plan for the tracks. Because the government will pay $16,000 per mile, Thomas wants the track to squiggle a bit, making it longer... even though the land is flat and there's no reason not to build it straight. So, he fires the original architect and replaces him with a bystander. [that was random. But they needed to get that piece of information in there somehow. Also, not a big fan of the font they're using for captions.] A telegraph comes through... Robert Bell, the surveyor, is dead. This causes the folks on the train to head immediately to "Hell on Wheels." [I imagine next week's episode will begin with their arrival to the area...]

  Chris Large/AMC

While Cullen is out and about, the black men sing a cadence as they work. One man is kicked in the face by a horse (controlled by the one-handed guy who hired Cullen), as punishment for drinking water while he should have been working. [the guy may have been out of order, but he's lucky his friend helped him... it seriously looked like he was going to have a heat stroke!] Cullen tells the guy's friend not to retaliate. [it's kinda clear that he will... he's sharpening a blade...] When Cullen talks to his boss that night, he gets a gun pulled on him when he mentions "Meridian." Looks like the guy was behind it... but he also states that killing the woman wasn't his idea to kill... she was strangled by a sergeant and then hung. Colin didn't know about the sergeant, but before he could find out more, the friend of the horse-kicked guy kills him. [very Sweeney Todd with the sweeping of the blade across the neck. Too bad Cullen's lead died so soon, though. But, I didn't like the guy anyway.]

The New Fall Shows

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Any true television fan knows that deciding what to watch every fall is a big deal... and it gets more difficult with each passing year. Now that some networks are utilizing 7-11pm instead of 8-10pm, and there's some showing original programming every day instead of just weeknights, there is a LOT out there! And that's not even considering all of the new shows coming to cable networks that didn't used to feature their own programming!

So, today's post looks at the TEN shows that I'm planning to try out this fall. See if you agree and consider persuading me to check out what you're looking forward to!

Sundays:
Pan Am, starting Sunday, September 25th at 10pm on ABC. Set in the 1960s, this drama is based on real Pan Am stewardesses' experiences. The cast and guest star lineup looks pretty promising, plus Jack Orman (ER, folks!) is a writer on the show.

Hell on Wheels, starting Sunday, November 6th on AMC. Set in the 1860s, this western drama is centered around the transcontinental railroad. It will include slaves, Native Americans, and a single woman in the regular cast. Chinese laborers are avoided, as the present episodes focus on the east side of the railroad.

Mondays:
2 Broke Girls, starting Monday, September 19th at 9:30pm on CBS. It will normally hold the 8:30-9pm slot, right after How I Met Your Mother. The basic premise is that two young gals in New York City are living together (think Odd Couple) and working together (in odd jobs and as waitresses... like Laverne & Shirley) who have much larger dreams.

Photo: Michael Lavine/FOX

Terra Nova, starting Monday, September 26th at 8pm on FOX. I've already seen the bulk of the two-hour pilot, and the setting (both in 2149 and in 85 million BCE) certainly grabbed my attention. Dystopias and utopias are favorite genres of mine, so this show attempting to encompass both intrigues me greatly. Short season orders, however, are pet peeves of mine, so it may not work out in the end.

Tuesdays:
24 Hours in the ER, starting Tuesday, September 27th, at 9pm on BBC America. This is a 14-part documentary that was filmed over the course of four weeks in a London emergency room. It's a major trauma center that also deals with community issues, so I think it will be a nice mix. Plus, the clips I've seen show it being rather different than American hospitals, so I think that will be an educational experience.

Last Man Standing, starting Tuesday, October 11th, at 8pm on ABC. I'm drawn to this one solely because of the similarities and differences between it and Home Improvement, Tim Allen's last comedy. In this one he has three daughters instead of three sons. It probably has the worst outlook of the shows I'm trying, so let's see how it goes!

Wednesdays:
Suburgatory, starting Wednesday, September 28th at 8:30pm on ABC.This is another show that isn't getting the best press, but I think the basic idea is cool. After a single father finds condoms in his 16-year-old daughter's room, they move from Manhattan to the suburbs. The daughter must adjust to the new environment while her father takes a whole new perspective on parenting.

The Exes, starting Wednesday, November 30th at 10:30pm on TVLand. I'm already in love with the cast and the clips that I've seen so far (not to mention that Mark Reisman of Frasier fame is a writer for it!). The plot pusher (three recently-divorced men live together in an apartment owned by their attorney) isn't a total win, but I think this show has the potential to be another star for the network. 

Fridays:
Boss, starting Friday, October 21st at 10pm on Starz. Kelsey Grammer as the mayor of Chicago... sounds like a winner to me. While the short episode order is a bit annoying, the bit of mystery that seems inherent in this show just piques my interest enough. 

No Specified Day:
All-American Muslim, date and time TBA (probably starting in November) on TLC. Focusing on five Muslim families in the Detroit area, this show will look at the lives, communities, and customs of those adhering to various degrees of the Muslim faith. Listening to several of the "cast members" really sealed the deal on my interest in this series - I am very much looking forward to this show as bringing the "Learning" aspect back to TLC.

I am working full-force to catch up on The Middle episodes I've missed, as I've decided to pick that up full-time this season. I will also start covering Two and a Half Men, of which I've seen every episode since the Charlie Sheen scandal began early this year. I did consider joining the bandwagon fans on both Parks and Recreation and Mike and Molly, but I've ultimately decided to pass on those. The former is just a little too much like The Office for me, while I still think the latter just doesn't have the staying power to go beyond a few seasons of storylines. And I'm just too late to the game to start on Rules of Engagement, which I enjoyed random bits of here and there last season, and Border Wars, which I just recently found out existed.

There are a few things that won't premiere until mid-season (aka 2012), so I'll check in later with those! Also, stay tuned for my ultimate TV schedule for the fall, coming soon.