Monday, April 22, 2013

S.O.S. Save Our Shows!

It's that time of year again. The snow has melted, flowers are beginning to bloom and network television shows are coming to an end. For many shows it's not the true end - only the end of a season. We'll see them again in September. Sadly, the fate of other shows is still unknown.

Many of our favorites here at Nerdy Pop are on the brink of extinction. It's happened before and it's bound to happen again. Brilliant, funny and top-notch series get left behind while shows we've never seen continue to be seen by tens of millions of viewers, apparently.

Luckily, the way ratings are tabulated is beginning to evolve along with the way we all watch, taking social media into consideration. But, in the meantime, we'll still lose shows way before their time. Below are my three favorites that need saving this season.

Emily Owens M.D.
If you're one of the few of us who have even heard of this show, you might be thinking "Um, wasn't this already cancelled?" and technically you are correct. I don't think time of death has been called yet, but not being granted a back 9 by the network pretty much means you're done. I, however, love this show so much that I'm not giving up hope!

Emily Owens M.D. reminds me of the early seasons of Grey's Anatomy, except Emily, for me, is much more relatable than Meredith Grey. 

Emily (played by the fabulous Mamie Gummer) is a hospital intern who knows her stuff, but is also able to connect with patients on a personal level in ways her colleagues often aren't. Although she knows what she's doing at work, in her social life Emily's more unsure of herself.

Yes, it sounds like you've seen this show before. But, it's so well done and Emily grows up so much just in the 13 episodes of season one that it's more believable than many other series that's have tried this angle before. You root for Emily at every turn. After introducing this series to a friend she was raving about it FOR DAYS!

If you haven't watched I encourage you to do so. Maybe we can help it make a full recovery!

Community


By now you probably know how much I love this show. It's been back for a few months and is just as good as ever.

I was concerned at first. It took a few episodes for the new show runners to find their own voice without compromising the Community tone fans are used to. If you ask me, I think by now they've got it down.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Well, Why Not? 2013's Pilot Season

This year promises to deliver a lot of dramatic comedies and some more female leads.  My favorites all lie in ABC's hands.  S.H.I.E.L.D. was already greenlit nearly as soon as its announcement.  So let's take a look at the nerd-centric pilots that could potentially be airing on our TVs in the fall or midseason.

S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)
Joss Whedon will direct, produce, and co-write the pilot.  His brother Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen will work on the pilot as well and will take the reigns post-pilot.  Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb will also be developing the pilot.  The espionage, peacekeeping government organization will follow a group of its active members.  Some Avengers may show up, as well.  Clark Gregg resumes (and revives) his role as Agent Colson, alongside Ming-Na, Brett Dalton, Elizabeth Henstridge, Ian De Caestecker, and Chloe Bennet.  (UPDATE: S.H.I.E.L.D. was picked up.)

Murder in Manhattan (ABC)
Bridget Regan (eh-hem excuse me...BRIDGET REGAN!!!!!!!) and Annie Potts star as daughter (Lex) and mother (Blythe) as a duo of amateur sleuths.  Lex, described as sexy, works at the Mayor's office by day.  The joy I have at this duo is only exacerbated by the addition of Enver Gjokaj (Lex's best childhood friend Jack) and Brendan Hines (Bylthe's son/Lex's brother).  Jack works for the NYPD and Hine's character works as an Assistant District Attorney, both of whom I'm sure help the mother-daughter sleuths out.  (UPDATE: ABC has not order the pilot to series.  I have been CRUSHED.)
Regan, Potts, Hines; photo courtesy of Brendan Hines (@Brendan_Hines)