Grey's Anatomy S08E03 - Take The Lead

There are special episodes and there are ordinary episodes. Every once in a while, however, there are episodes that are especially ordinary.

As a team, the residents of Seattle Grace have moved on from previous disruptions. Alex is generally accepted as part of the group and April is finding her way as Chief Resident. Meanwhile, the Chief of Surgery sees a different face as Dr. Webber steps down and leaves the title to Dr. Hunt. A transaction I, for one, have been waiting for quite some time.

Suburgatory S01E01 - Pilot

The show is based form a very familiar concept but fails to exceed beyond that.
Suburgatory is an easy breeze in the way that you've already seen the story before and this re-telling is very easy to swallow. But even though it has some good jokes (the passive aggressive book reading), the show is a whole lot of the same. Think Mean Girls  meets The Stepford Wives.

Morning Madness (9/30)

Good morning Upper Western Hemispheres,
You probably had the busiest day yesterday and might've missed out on some awesome news stories. But instead of going through the endless news channels online who often post the same stories, why not see it all in one place? Where? Here of course! AngrodTV gatheres all of TV's top stories in one place for you to read. Breakfast not included.
You're welcome and enjoy!

How I Met Your Mother scoop: Barney, Robin, Ted storyline will 'take a few episodes' 

Don't call it a love triangle just yet.
The final moments of Monday's How I Met Your Mother could have been interpreted many ways. As Victoria boarded a bus out of Ted's life, she left him with parting words, "There is a reason it didn't work out between you and me. It's Robin."
Read the full interview over at Inside TV

Casting News
	ABC signs deal with Lost exec Carlton Cuse for spiritual drama (TV Guide) Hart Of Dixie casts Lemon's younger sister (The Hollywood Reporter) Chuck gets comics legend Stan Lee to guest star (HitFix)
Behind The Scenes
	NBC's Bob Greenblatt not rushing to wield cancellation axe on Playboy, Free Agents (Deadline) NBC extends run of Parenthood this season (Inside TV)
Ratings
	Wednesday Final Ratings: X-Factor, Survivor, Modern Family adjusted up, Happy Endings down
Specials/Interviews
	The Most Memorable TV Weddings (TV Guide) 90210 scoop: Matt Lanter talks Liam (Inside TV) Grey's Anatomy jaw-dropping moments (TV Guide)

Morning Madness

Good morning Upper Western Hemispheres,
You probably had the busiest day yesterday and might've missed out on some awesome news stories. But instead of going through the endless news channels online who often post the same stories, why not see it all in one place? Where? Here of course! AngrodTV gatheres all of TV's top stories in one place for you to read. Breakfast not included.
You're welcome and enjoy!

FOX gives New Girl a full-season pickup

FOX has ordered an additional 11 episodes of the hit comedy New Girl bringing the series to a 24-episode season order, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.
Read more over at TV by the Numbers

Casting News

An O'Malley returns to Grey's Anatomy (TVLine) Jennifer Tilly has a Modern Family (TVLine)

Behind The Scenes

Ashton Kutcher: Genius marketing man or annoying peddler? (EW) South Park documentary '6 days to air' trailer (Collider)

Ratings

TV Ratings Tuesday: New Girl leads Fox Win (TV by the Numbers)

Awkward S01E12 - I Am Jenna Hamilton

For its entire first run Awkward has been full of pleasant surprises. The season finale however disappoints on several levels.
Of course, throughout the entire episode the show went out of its way to respect its title, which made up for some pretty memorable scenes. But this is still a formal and even if Awkward dealt with it in an original way, we still have seen it all before.

Pan Am S01E01 - Pilot

The most ridiculous premises can work if you find the right balance. Pan Am definitely flies high but I'm not sure how it'll land.
I checked out the pilot in the eleventh hour because I needed something light. Now, Pan Am won't get you high but it is definitely easy to swallow. The show mixes a lot of good working concepts and it results in a rather surprising end result that has everything it needs, except that reason to stick around.

Weeds S07E13 - Do Her/Don't Do Her

What the fuck.
I do mean to curse because I'm so distraught I don't even know what is up anymore. Weeds finales always tend to leave you completely messed up, shocked, surprised and clueless as to where the show is heading. This year it is really no different. We jump, we land, we're lost.

Gossip Girl S05E01 - Yes Then Zero

Can you fall back in love with a show? Yes. Amounts of times I thought about not punning the title? Zero.
I really, really liked the premiere, obviously. Everything fit in the right place, even the things I first hated. For one I really disliked the cliffhanger last year. I didn't want some lame mystery about who was pregnant and for most of the episode, it was dealt with exactly that way. Most of the episode.

Hart Of Dixie S01E01 - Pilot

Hart Of Dixie misses the small town charm that worked so well for the WB.
Let me say upfront that I love Summer Roberts and her portrayer Rachel Bilson. I could dedicate an entire blog to all the reasons why and it would still not be quite enough. So it's all the more surprising that this show hasn't won me over by just casting Bilson as the lead.

How I Met Your Mother S07E03 - Ducky Tie

Listen up Oxford, we're replacing a saying in the English language. 'Don't judge a TV show by its season premiere.'
If anything, How I Met Your Mother proved it very well knows what it has, what makes it work and where it came from. With a classic "bet" episode, fans are treated with flashbacks that matter, a story that engages and the very premise of the show that's dealt with delicately.

Person Of Interest S01E01 - Pilot

In a way it's 'The Dark Knight' for television but in the same way it's really not.
Jonathan Nolan has a powerful name and it demands the expectations of a kind of quality that very few filmmakers can provide. Person Of Interest delivers on some aspects and definitely leaves you wanting more. But it also feels incomplete and far less intriguing than the previously named film.

Grey's Anatomy S08E01E02 - Free Falling/She's Gone

After a season of healing we're ready to get back in the ring, so Grey's Anatomy comes back with an event and more drama than we can remember.
When the clinical trial story line went south I think few anticipated the impact it would have on the show. But now that we're dealing with the aftermath I'm pleasantly surprised by how it unfolds. After so many years it feels like we're done dealing with individual seasons, we're in these characters lives and we're there to follow them anywhere. The shifting relationships on the show are actually a good thing and, unlike some other shows, aren't hard to keep track of.

Revenge S01E01 - Pilot

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Obviously Shakespeare was talking about Revenge.
I think the concept of a woman who's hell bound will never get old. Unlike men they tend to be more malicious and manipulative, which often makes for better drama. I only started the show because someone described it as 'what Ringer should have been' and it is, only better.

Glee S03E01 - The Purple Piano Project

Remember when this show was about the underdog in us all? Well, as it turns out, rising to the top only makes you a snob.
There aren't enough pages in the world to justify my annoyance by creator Ryan Murphy's actions last summer. With so many behind-the-scene drama and so less on-screen realization of promises, there isn't a lot going on for fans. With a flop of a movie and a horrible season premiere, I'm pretty sure Glee has sung its highest tune.

The Office S08E01 - The List

To be fair the show had to do some serious good work in order to stay on my radar so it can't really be a surprise that it failed to do so. 
For a lot of years Michael Scott was the reason I didn't tune in. Now that he's gone you'd think I'd be having a field day but I'm not. It's not that I miss his annoying humor or hatable actions but The Office feels terribly empty without him. As if all the characters are missing a piece of themselves. The season premiere didn't do much to forget all about that and ended up being quite forgettable.

Community S03E01 - Biology 101

Talking about sitcoms keeping their groove, Community was its clever, funny and aware self again in the season premiere.
I'll start by confirming that this is not the show's strongest episode but even so it is better than a lot of other episodes starting the new year. We're immediately brought back to the crazy kids of McKinley Greendale when the parody 'High School Musical' and shows alike. A new year indeed has begun but, as the dean would conclude later on, nothing has changed. That's only a good thing.

New Girl S01E01 - Pilot

Even if Zooey Deschanel's eyes aren't enough to hook you there are enough goodies to go around with FOX's new, charming comedy.
New Girl might have a slightly predictable concept but it proves that it hasn't worn out. The show approaches the moving in story with some diversity and class so that even when it's cliche, it's still highly enjoyable.

Modern Family S03E01 - Dude Ranch

With its first fresh installment of the season Modern Family immediately claims the throne of Best Comedy for another year.
Very few shows manage to (re-)introduce a family of characters as well as this show does within the span of twenty minutes without losing track of the individual story lines and developments. We start the season with a fully-packed episode that touches upon a lot of relationships and complications we already visited before but it never feels out-dated.

The Playboy Club S01E01 - Pilot

Welcome to the club, the very competitive prime-time club. How long will you stay?
The Playboy Club is quite bad. But it definitely has the potential to become the guilty pleasure it so desperately tries to be. If, you know, it sticks around long enough.

2 Broke Girls S01E01 - Pilot

The first new fall show I really like, 2 Broke Girls hits all the right notes.
The real credit actually goes to Kat Dennings, who not only gives Max the dynamic she needs but adds the sass, wit and lightness that keep the numerous puns and references enjoyable.

Two And A Half Men S09E01 - Nice To Meet You, Walden Schmidt

The show screams "judge me by my looks, not by my content".

The only reason why I really hated Two And A Half Men all these years was because of Mr. Sheen. Now I just hate it because of it's horrible humor. The jokes are terribly easy and the laugh track has become it's own character to whom you don't relate. I was hoping for a complete reinvention of the show, instead it just became less horrible to look at.

The best thing about the episode were the guest stars. A nicely B-starstudded funeral and of course the revisiting of Chuck Lorre's previous creations. I loved the moment Jenna Elfman walked in right before Thomas Gibson joined her. Not only was the image of Dharma & Greg immediately back but also tweaked in the sense that suddenly, they were very different from the Dharma & Greg we remembered.

It's very ironic that the best scene of the episode had very little to do with the show itself. Kutcher might be there and might be joking but he didn't raise the bar. Instead he had to get naked to really show his assets.

In essence the show remains the same and there is nothing for me there.

How I Met Your Mother S07E01 - The Best Man

When the season opens it is immediately clear how the show will continue. In a likely event, it will be without me.
It's not that How I Met Your Mother doesn't deliver the laughs, because to a certain point it does. But even so it is to a much lesser extent than before. I don't know if it's because I am more aware of the writers' tricks or because the show outgrew itself but it was a lot of easy shooting last night.

Not in the last place because of the story. I have come to the point where I don't even care who Barney is going to marry or who Ted is going to meet. The writers keep dropping traces but never a clue and my patience has run out.
Where the show still manages to shine is character. When Ted tells Robin he stopped believing it feels real and logical and don't get me started on the times Marshall and Lily say the word "baby".
Of course, there's still the issue of Robin and Barney who seem to have no chemistry at all and the large amount of stories Ted has to tell before any development occurs. I'm not sure if I want to stick around for that. I love the gang but I really want to go to bed, so can this story be over already?

The Secret Circle S01E01 - Pilot

The premiere underwhelmed with too much repetition and not enough intrigue.
I don't know if it's the idea of TV witches not being interesting since Charmed closed the door or the special orphan in strange place concept or the theme song that after four times is already annoying. Anyway, The Secret Circle fails to stand out from the ever-growing pool of stories based on the same premise.

The Vampire Diaries S03E01 - The Birthday

With some hesitation I entered the new season but I'm declaring it now for everyone to read: I've met my new number one show.
One thing I absolutely loved about the third season premiere, but what also instantly made it inferior to most of season two, is that it took a backseat to the game-twisting approach we got used to.
Not much has changed in two months and that actually feels believable. Jeremy hasn't told anyone about his dead ex-girlfriends following him around and he is just now starting to break. Though, personally, I think it'd be smarter for him to ask his current witch-girlfriend for advice, he confides in anti-supernatural Matt. Because, you know, all the best bromances grow out of shared drug use and ice cream eating.

Up All Night S01E01 - Pilot

A descent comedy with well-liked stars and some nice jokes.
The premise of the show isn't really all that great. In fact, when it comes to comedy it's pretty worn out and doesn't really serve for a lot of potential. I'm still confused about the choice of title but those are minor details. Up All Night actually manages to work pretty well.

Free Agents S01E01 - Pilot

You know that feeling when you're tired and someone says something stupid so you reply with an equally stupid joke? Those are the jokes made on this show.
'Not funny' wouldn't even cover half of the supposed jokes on this show. It doesn't help that I find neither stars to be funny or charming but none of the characters are interesting enough to want to spend time with.

Parenthood S03E01 - I Don't Want To Do This Without You

The Bravermans are back in the same emotional yet compelling matter to which we are accustomed.
Moving on from the fact that the adult Bravermans don't have friends, Sarah's birthday party was just a nice excuse to get the clan back together. As forced and awkward as the moments might feel, it's a lot more satisfying seeing this family making a fool of themselves and having fun than seeing your own do the same. That's exactly where the power of the show comes from.

90210 S04E01 - Up In Smoke

The show has lost itself in all of its drama and none of the characters seem worth the ride anymore.
The gang has left high school behind but it hardly feels any different. Instead of going new places and accepting new challenges they all return to their ridiculous behavior and boring lifestyle. Excuse me when I say that my major problem with the episode was Naomi's party. Who would even stay there? A bonfire in which you can burn the past? Yawn. Waiters with sushi and branches at the door? What?! Not even talking about the DJ that wasn't playing anything memorable and somehow sensed he should stop as someone outside wanted to propose.

Ringer S01E01 - Pilot

A descent start.
The expectations for Ringer weren't particularly high on my end. I hoped for a fast paced action-thriller that coincidentally starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, whom I adore more for her portrayal as Kathryn than Buffy.