Upon Further Review

The regular network TV seasons (setting aside HBO, AMC, etc) that is currently ending was excellent and bad.  The returning shows that I like mostly had very good seasons: Chuck, Big Bang Theory, the Mentalist, Parks and Rec, Community, Friday Night Lights (not done yet on NBC, long past tense via DirectTV).  The new shows were mostly bad and disappointing--especially the Cape and No Ordinary Family.  I stuck with the latter longer than the former, but it became quite clear that both were dead.  The only new show that I will miss is Chicago Code.  It was a fun, not so realistic take on Chicago politics and police stuff.  Not The Wire by any stretch, but entertaining. 

I have been following the upfronts--where the networks explain their decisions for next fall--via Alan Sepinwall, Dan Fienberg and Tim Goodman, my favorite TV critics.  I have no excitement about any of the shows slated for next fall, although a few look pretty good.  I am going to hold off for awhile on any judgment given how tragically off I was for this past year (not even going to link to my predictions at the beginning of last fall).

The best news is that the non-traditional networks have been pumping out heaps of great TV: Game of Thrones, Mad Men (last fall and not again until 2012), Waking Dead, Breaking Bad (currently catching up via late night broadcasts of the first two seasons--I love my DVR), The Killing (not as great as the others, but still interesting).  The increasingly big cost of living in Canada is that we don't get FX, so Justified is now on my Father's Day list.

Summer is coming (like the winter in Winterfel), but there is still plenty to watch.  Plus I hope to finish my Wire quest this summer along with catching up with Breaking Bad and perhaps starting on The Shield.

And, yes, I hope to finish a book and go to Australia.  I guess I will have to just cut back on the lawn maintenance effort.