(no subject)

[akilika.livejournal.com]

So, near as I can tell, the new fall season for a lot of shows starts at the end of this month! :D I was wondering which shows you folks were all looking forward to.

Me, I don't have a TV, and don't seem to have the attention span to watch TOO-too much over the web... but there are still two shows I'm looking VERY much forward to seeing start up again!


Once Upon a Time (second season starts September 30): The core concept of this one is a cool one--fairy-tale characters live in this world, utterly oblivious (mostly) to who they are and where they came from. Their one hope against the Evil Queen/Mayor is Emma Swan, a child born of the fairy-tale world but who came to the real world before the curse took effect--and who is destined to break the curse in her time.

It's a good concept, and I figured it'd last them a good while. What I DIDN'T realize was that they would take the whole bleeding concept, turn it on its head in the season one finale, and leave me totally uncertain of what was going to happen in Season 2. And if this doesn't sound like a good thing... IT IS.


What I like best about this show is that, despite flirting with Darker and Edgier, it still has a lot of heart and optimism. People get Killed Off for Real, many of the good guys have done very bad things, and the bad guys (so far) have a distressing tendency to come out on top for a good while...

...but True Love is the most powerful force in the universe. The good guys who did bad things--they're either atoning for it, or suffering for it, or... basically, there is an EXTREMELY clear idea that doing the Right Thing is important, and pays dividends. Even the bad guys, who seem in large part to be very powerful and successful as a result of the bad things they've done--it's clear they're suffering, too, as a direct result of their evil.

The Darker and Edgier, in short, seems to mostly be a way to raise the stakes and make the characters' journeys more strenuous; the concept that the Right Thing is the Right Thing, and the Wrong Thing may gain you temporary benefits but overall doesn't serve you in the least is still right on top.

Despite Everything Changing for Season 2, I have faith that these core concepts and themes will make it through. And frankly, these are some themes I find have been sorely lacking from MOST media for... quite a while. It's refreshing to get rid of the trendy Gray and Gray or Black and Gray morality for a while.


Which brings us to the other show I'm looking forward to...

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (third season starts... TBA, but the rumors have said sometime in August or September.)

This one's a little stranger to try to describe--depending on what episode you're looking at, it can be either an adventure series, where ponies with magical powers defeat the forces of darkness trying to destroy Equestria... or (more usually) a slice-of-life show featuring the characters trying to get through the day-to-day interpersonal struggles of life. I far favor the latter. The characters are honest, consistent, and likeable, the lessons down-to-earth and sincere.

And... okay, this is REALLY not a big part of the show. But I've actually been wanting to make a TRF post about this one for a while because, unlike most television I've seen, this one appears unabashedly pro-commerce.

Seriously! Take Applejack--a farmer with a southern accent who's portrayed as honest, hardworking, and ever-helpful (in other words, extremely positively--imagine that!) She's unabashed about how one of her primary goals is making lots of money, and it's never once demonized, either by the other characters or the universe at large.

In an episode about a land dispute between the ponies and the buffalo (stand-ins for Plains Indians), compromise is eventually reached... on the basis of trade. (This episode is disliked by a lot of fandom, seemingly for this very reason, but I adored it.)

And the farming family and the sales-and-distribution family appears to work very closely together, to the benefit of both. The sales-and-distribution-guy is called Filthy Rich, and has bags of money as his cutie-mark... but he seems to be a good guy. (Although the same can't be said of his spoiled daughter, admittedly.)


Not that it never falls down on the commerce aspect--the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 5000 episode had me banging my head on missing the obvious (much as it's still one of my favorite episodes)--but... much like True Love Conquering All and the Right Thing Being The Best Thing is something I didn't see much of on television before Once, commerce and business and sales Being a Good Thing is nearly absent.

So seeing it celebrated in My Little Pony is something that also makes me smile.



So anyway. That's what I'M looking forward to this season. What are YOU looking forward to?

Comments

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

Also a MLP fan, and enjoyed Pinkie Pie even before the "faith" episode that had (some) fans reeling. I also look forward to seeing how they repair the scandal over poor little Derpy (Ditzy Doo).

[brendala.livejournal.com]

The "faith" episode was a shocking, pleasant surprise. How many kids' shows have episodes where the main message is "you can be a skeptic. Just don't be a dick about it!"?

[akilika.livejournal.com]

I loved Pinkie Pie from the beginning. (*singsong* "It was under E-eee!") Actually... the only one that wasn't true for is Rarity, who just took a little longer to grow on me. :) (Suited For Success is another one of my faves. Naturally. :D )

[kharmii.livejournal.com]

The one that took a long time to grow on me was Fluttershy. She looks cute, but the ott timidness got annoying sometimes. I liked the episode where she got over it when some ponies were making a big tornado.

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

I watch "Once upon a Time" too, but the show I REALLY can't wait for is "Person of Interest." Just ask my longsuffering f-list. :-)

Also excited for the return of "Psych" -- in October, I think.

As for new shows, I'm interested in checking out "Nashville" and also Reba McEntire's new show.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to new MLP episodes, too. I'm also keen on Young Justice (though I have no idea when that is coming back).

And I'd be squeeing for tomorrow's Switched at Birth premiere if the show hadn't tragically jumped the shark at the end of it's first season (but I'll probably still peek at it because I have a masochistic love of train wrecks).


I'm also looking forward to one of the worst shows ever made (http://brendala.livejournal.com/111213.html) FINALLY coming to an end. Though I'd love to see it suffer another long network hiatus first (MWA HA HA!)

[kharmii.livejournal.com]

That was an interesting essay. It also pisses me off that they made Fred into an abusive boyfriend. Then again, he was a jerk in the movies too.....

There are a lot of classic cartoons out there that should have been left the hell alone. Scooby Doo is one. Another is Looney Tunes. Why the hell did they have to make a lame-ass remake of those? The character in the new Looney Tunes that makes me raise an eyebrow the most is the old witch. In the old episodes, the old witch sounded like an old witch, cackling and terrorising Bugs. Now she sounds like a stereotypical southern black woman. Huh?!

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I swear, the show has gotten WORSE since I wrote that essay! It's like the writers are trying to take a big, steaming dump on America's collective childhood. >_<


I think reboots are fine just as long as they're handled by the right people. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and A Pup Named Scooby Doo are perfect examples of how a reboot can be a loving tribute to the original show while still modernizing it and improving upon it's shortcomings.

That said, I have NO idea what they were thinking when they cast New-Witch Hazel. I'm guessing June Foray couldn't voice both characters (a character like Witch Hazel is probably too much for a 95-year-old actress) and they wanted to try something new with her. But "Witch=Sassy Southern Black Lady"? WTF!!?

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I'm a HUGE MLP fan, too. And I also find it refreshing that the blatantly "southern" characters are painted in a positive light instead of just adhering to the old "brain-dead intolerant hick" stereotype. And the fact that it CELEBRATES capitalism and Applejack's drive to make money is awesome!

I also think it's great how Rarity and her business is presented. It shows that there's more to starting one's "dream career" than just doing what you love. That having your own business is hard work and talent and desire alone aren't enough to keep it afloat. It's one of the main reasons Rarity is my favorite character.

[foxfire74.livejournal.com]

I am a hopeless Rarity fangirl because she neatly dodges so many tropes (the brainless fashionista, the OCD nitpicker, the helpless damsel) and because she's a screaming artistic perfectionist, which describes me fairly accurately. :) And MLP gives me a good conversational in for discussions with my six-year-old daughter, who has an active fantasy life and responds very well to "what would YOU do in (whatever situation just happened)?" And right there with you on the portrayal of the Apple family, says the lifelong Southerner.

(besides, MLP has "Look out! Here comes TOM!" which for some reason sends me into helpless giggles every time it comes up. I could use more helpless giggling.)

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I'm a wacky artist; so I latched onto Rarity fairly quickly (and it helped that her character/actress is hella funny).

[kelincihutan.livejournal.com]

I am looking forward to the rest of this season of White Collar and Doctor Who. White Collar being about a felon learning to live a law-abiding life and Doctor Who being one of the most unintentionally pro-life shows I've ever seen.

[christina-tm.livejournal.com]

Unintentionally pro-life? I've always hated Dr. Who, but I might have to give it another shot if that's the case.

[kelincihutan.livejournal.com]

It's entirely by mistake, I'm sure. But when you've got episodes where people are unintentionally created and the Soctor calls them "sacred life" or someone kills themself after a depressing life but the Doctor reminds his companion that even that doesn't mean their life was not worth living, I start to wonder how everyone doesn't think this show is pro-life. The again, Doctor Who is full of aliens and wacky monsters that the show is constantly saying have worth and value, so it's inevitable that they would make some strong pro-life points somewhere or other. Unless they just abandoned any sort of internal logic, that is.

[kelincihutan.livejournal.com]

I R can sPelL, bt i R typng on mi Kindle. Plz fourgive? :)

[foxfire74.livejournal.com]

I've watched every Doctor since Tom Baker. I love the show, but internal logic is not precisely their strong point. It's certainly not intentionally pro-life, but the fact that New!Who Doctor treasures life whenever possible is lovely to watch. ('Course, the other thing I have learned from watching 9 and 10 so far...when the Doctor says "I'm so sorry?" RUN. :)

[kharmii.livejournal.com]

I like those shows too, and wonder what it's going to be like in Once Upon A Time, now all the fairy tale characters have their memories back.

I'm also looking forward to the new episodes of CSI and CSI NY, American Horror Story, and anime thundercats, which is better that the original, even though I've never been a fan of anime style before. Oh, and Criminal Minds, if that's still around.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Fringe, Bones, Person of Interest, Young Justice and Green Lantern (the latter is due back some time this month, so I assume the former is too). Plus I'm going to check out Revolution. Plus HIMYM (I'm in too deep to get out now), Big Bang Theory, Raising Hope, The New Girl, and my reality show guilty pleasure: Survivor. Oh and Grimm and Futurama which are already back <3

[brendala.livejournal.com]

I normally avoid reality shows like the plague. But I plan on tuning into Survivor this season because Lisa Whelchel is gonna be on and I'm a HUGE Facts of Life fan! ^_^;

[christina-tm.livejournal.com]

Agreed on Once Upon a Time. I didn't think I would like it, but it's become my favorite show currently running.

[foxfire74.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to new ponies, and I would love to watch Once, but Netflix doesn't have it and I have yet to make myself break down and buy Hulu to watch it. I loved the pilot episode, though, and as a certified Bioware fangirl, seeing Rafael Sbarge with an actual face was a pleasant change. :D

[coldblossom.livejournal.com]

OMG SBARGE! I started watching OUAT when it first started and lost track of it, only catching episodes here and there. And I know I caught a bit of one episode with him in it only I didn't know it was him. D'oh! I keep meaning to catch myself up on it, because if nothing else who can resist Sbarge? :D

[kataoi.livejournal.com]

Doctor Who will have me screaming and running around in circles for the next few Saturdays, so that's always a plus. Where there is Who in my life, it is a better time.

Once that ends (or goes on season-break), I'll get my beloved Community back in mid-October. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping it gets a back 9 order, otherwise the fourth season is the last season, which I feel is a harsh injustice given what other schlock gets put on TV. Oh well. I've learned to deal with many things not being fair in the TV world.

MLP is...something I have an interesting relationship with. I'll be blunt, I detested s2. It was the most disappointing and insulting nose-dive in quality after coming off of what was a very, very good first season. Characters being forced into single-stereotypes, constant Brony pandering, and too many episodes I thought were just plain boring. I ended up with about five episodes I liked from s2, and the finale is two of them (OH MY GOSH THAT FINALE WAS SO GOOD it was NOT fair how good it was in comparison to the terrible season it came with). But. I hope that maybe along the way, they've picked up something and learned their lesson and make a s3 that's reminiscent of s1. Hopefully.

Although I guess I'm okay so long as Toonami keeps chugging along on Saturday nights.

[gratuitous-love.livejournal.com]

Doctor Who being back for about a month makes me happy, except for them breaking midway and then making us wait AGAIN. Especially since last night's debut had a certain someone that no one expected and it just makes it that much more tantalizing and exciting, urgh.

Ponies season 3 looks like it's going to be potentially interesting if the toys coming out have anything to say about it, what with the crystal pony empire thing, but I have to second the dissatisfaction with season two. My ultimate undoing point was The Last Roundup and all of the controversy that surrounded Derpy/Ditzy/Dizzy/Bubblecup/whatever name you choose. But then stuff like Hearts and Hooves Day and A Canterlot Wedding was SO GOOD and ugh I have to watch it now and I will probably end up watching the whole thing anyway.

Once Upon A Time has been something I've been meaning to watch...one of my friends adores it. I could conceivably watch it starting with season two, but I'd rather start from the beginning. Unfortunately, I think the only place it's legally online is Hulu Plus. I wish it was on Netflix, but alas.

Other things, other things...I'll probably watch Community s4; I did like season three, after being an extremely hard sell on trying to watch assorted stuff from the previous two seasons, despite most of the fandom being extremely on edge with the writer change [and for good reason, of course, but still]. I might also take some other shows under my belt that aren't necessarily starting this season but have been things I've been meaning to watch for a while anyway, mainly Breaking Bad and Gravity Falls. And of course, Toonami will continue to entertain; Eureka Seven's return to TV makes me thrilled beyond belief, and Casshern Sins stomps on my heart each week.

...oh, and I'm not sure if this counts, but once The Avengers comes out on DVD/Blu Ray later this month, rest assured I'll be watching that until my discs explode. *cough*

[jdphoenix.livejournal.com]

Especially since last night's debut had a certain someone that no one expected and it just makes it that much more tantalizing and exciting, urgh.

I almost wasn't going to come back to DW but then I found out about that through tumblr and had to watch. It was so amazing.

...oh, and I'm not sure if this counts, but once The Avengers comes out on DVD/Blu Ray later this month, rest assured I'll be watching that until my discs explode. *cough*

Same. I am going to rewatch that movie an embarrassing amount of times.

[brendala.livejournal.com]

Eeep! How could I forget about Gravity Falls? That show is TOTALLY on my "must follow" list!

[kataoi.livejournal.com]

Gravity Falls is super-great. :D If you need another push then I recommend it.

[onceuponapillow.livejournal.com]

I am so anxious for Fringe to come back. I have high hopes for this final season so I hope it is amazing.

I'm also looking forward to New Girl, Criminal Minds, Sons of Anarchy, and the rest of Bunheads first season.

And I'm gonna watch How I Met Your Mother, though I'm not that excited. Last season was horrible and not remotely funny.

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

I ADORED Once Upon a Time, until...


S

P

O

I

L

E

R

S

!

they went the cheating route with Snow and Charming. (But his wife let him go, so it's all okay!)

I was crushed.

I haven't looked up anything about S2. If it ended at S1, I'd be okay with it. I was so brokenhearted and disillusioned.

[athousandsmiles]

That was a sucky storyline, but I felt it was redeemed by the fact that the cheating issue led to some pretty dire consequences for the people involved. It certainly wasn't a storyline that glorified cheating, IMO. And of course, as the creators of the show explained, it was part of the curse that these characters who had integrity in the Fairy Tale World would make really bad decisions in Storybrooke.

I just bought the season one DVDs-- hoping to have a rewatch before season two.

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

And of course, as the creators of the show explained, it was part of the curse that these characters who had integrity in the Fairy Tale World would make really bad decisions in Storybrooke.

Well, there's an explanation I hadn't heard!

[akilika.livejournal.com]

It makes sense, now that I think about it--think about Jiminy Cricket, for goodness' sake! He got better with Emma and Henry's influence, but... well, the curse being focused around Snow White and Charming, I can see how it would be harder to pull them out of it.

(That whole plotline made me headdesk a lot--they both did wrong, but it's like Charming had an allergic aversion to doing the right thing by either woman.)

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

but it's like Charming had an allergic aversion to doing the right thing by either woman.)

Yes, that was exactly what bothered me most. I fell in love with him immediately, and then he turned out to be a bit of a wuss, in my view. If he would've made a clean break from his wife, from the start, it would've been more tolerable for me.

But whether it's a man or a woman, I hate this business of emotionally stringing two people along and not choosing one or the other.

[sreya.livejournal.com]

Normally that would have sent me screaming, except for the fact that Charming isn't REALLY married to her, and they definitely made it all confusing and painful and full of consequence. And never went so far as them sleeping together, at least not blatantly. I thought they handled it pretty well.

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

To me, that made things worse, because it made it easier for the audience to justify it all. I wanted him to be wonderful, because he seemed to be that way in Fairy Tale World. But after that sort of behavior - "really" married or not - who's gonna trust a guy like that again? It was all about feeeeeeelings, which drives me insane.

I also thought this series would make good and evil very clear. I was excited about that.

I'll probably try S2 just to see what happens, but I am totally disillusioned. Makes me mad. They have some lovely actors and the idea was unique.

[jdphoenix.livejournal.com]

You have an Owen Burnett icon! Oh my gosh, you are my new favorite person!

Anyway, thank you for this post. It's nice to see someone loving OUAT for everything it does right rather than mocking Charming's determined faith in happy endings. (Oh, fandom, why do you say these things?) It's just so well-done and it's a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of what's out there. I've been extra excited for this show's return ever since ABC finally started showing reruns a couple weeks ago and I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to happen after that finale. I'm still blown over by that, but in a completely good way. There were a lot of things I unhappily imagined, prior to the finale, would be coming in future seasons and now, even if they do still happen somehow, they'll be much more interesting.

I think I need to give MLP another chance based on some of the comments I've seen in this post, so thanks for bringing it to my attention again. :)

I'm also looking forward to Hart of Dixie, which was much more fun than I thought it would be and is one of the few shows on TV that just makes me feel happy. I'm also looking forward to the returns of The Walking Dead and Amazing Race (why must it be on at the same time as OUAT?) and I'm gonna try to watch Arrow, since it's the only premiering show that's really interested me so far.

[akilika.livejournal.com]

Owen is ONLY my favorite character from that show, which remains one of my all-time favorites. ;) (I understand why folks like Xanatos, but... dude, gimme the insanely-competent, reliable, bespectacled glue that holds the whole operation together. ;)

[jdphoenix.livejournal.com]

Oh, Owen all the way. The man put his arm into a potion with unknown consequences. (Granted the potion only affects his human form but that's actually worse, it would be so much easier to deal with a stone hand as Puck than as Owen.) He's super-assistant. He's like Phil Coulson and Donna Noble rolled into one.

Xanatos is fun as a sometimes-villain but if I had to rank everyone on that show he'd be a ways down the list.

[jacobs-muse.livejournal.com]

I watch a lot of TV, lol. (I work at home as a writer and don't have kids.)

Grimm is already back with 3 episodes. Been watching Stars Earn Stripes, AGT, and SYTYCD. And Saving Hope. HGTV and Food Network are good year-round. Live Well Network has Motion, a travel show in America's parks.

For fall, September will have The Voice until other stuff premieres, Parenthood, Castle, New Girl, Big Bang Theory, Hart of Dixie. Sons of Guns and TUF (TUF is more for my man than me).
Adding new shows: Go On, checking out Revolution, Last Resort, Elementary, and Arrow.
October brings Supernatural, Whitney, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, Nikita, then Last Man Standing is back in November.
Smash doesn't come back until January.

The mister watches some with me, the "non-girly stuff". We got a DVR last summer and it's been a big help. He works insanely early, so I'm lucky if he's awake past 9pm.

[thekindone.livejournal.com]

Alphas (http://www.metafilter.com/119559/Syfys-fine-new-tv-show-Alphas) is supposed to be pretty good.

I'm also hoping the second season of the BBC Sherlock will be out on Netflix Instant sooner than later. They just got the fifth season of Burn Notice and the fourth of Breaking Bad, so I'm hopeful.

[farchivist.livejournal.com]

Doctor Who.
American Horror Story.

That's pretty much it. I search out more older and out-of-print stuff than anything new.

[sreya.livejournal.com]

I'm still suffering from separation anxiety over the end of Chuck and Eureka. (I actually cried when Chuck ended!)

But I'm enjoying White Collar, and looking forward to Psych and Fringe. And chewing my nails over Burn Notice, which won't resume until November!

[coldblossom.livejournal.com]

Revolution is it right now. I like post-apoc stuff and for some reason this show reminds me of a book I read last year. I've also been watching Stars Earn Stripes, which I am really enjoying, but its supposedly getting bad reviews/ratings, so I'm not sure its coming back.

I would say Game of Thrones as well, but that won't be back for quite some time. :(

[chibimarchy.livejournal.com]

If I remember, I might turn in to Revolution. I don't really watch anything on a regular basis on TV these days, though... but I am looking forward to Reed Timmer (from Storm Chasers) releasing his new independently-produced series, Tornado Chasers, online later this month!

[ladyrogue79.livejournal.com]

.... Hotel Hell and Kitchen Nightmares. Oh god, I'm a Ramsay junkie!!! *needs help*