SiftPop

It’s September, which means I’m putting my DVR through it’s last chance workout getting ready for all the new television that’s getting ready to head our way.  It also means it’s time for my annual 21 hr. challenge!  Since 2007 I have taken each fall to cull down the cornucopia of network television to 21 broadcast hours per week.   Each day this week I will run down the network schedule and identify three types of shows.  In green are the shows that made the cut for me, in blue are shows I don’t mind but don’t have time for, and in red are the shows that I wouldn’t watch even if I were The Doctor and could take my Tardis back and reclaim the wasted time.  At the end of the week, I will add up the total and make any final cuts needed to get under the necessary 21.  I will also select one show each day as the “must”, meaning I think it’s likely to be the one show not to miss on that night.

Thursday:

Classically the hottest night of TV, Thursday is a shell of itself.  Think of it this way.  NBC, who has been the sitcom king on Thursdays since The Cosby Show, through Seinfeld, Friends, and even more recently with The Office, and Parks and Rec, is now airing a Reality Show on Thursdays.  Now granted, it’s actually one I enjoy, but still, what happened?  Whatever the case, I’ll miss my laughter on Thursdays with the only  sitcom on my docket the brand new “A to Z” and who knows how long that will be around.  Of course many people will continue to watch The Big Bang Theory and the other CBS laugh track riots, but I just can’t bring myself back into the world of fake laughter.

As previously alluded to I will also be watching “The Biggest Loser” which I always find fascinating, even if this year’s “former athlete” theme feels a bit forced to me.   British import “Gracepoint”, formerly “Broadchurch” on the BBC, also imports its star David Tennant, for one of the most compelling murder mysteries I’ve ever seen, if they can get the feel of the original right.  Finally, Elementary, though not as good as BBC’s “Sherlock”, has the distinct advantage of actually being on the air more than every two years for more than 3 episodes at a time.

As far as the over all 21 hr. challenge, things are looking good.  Yes, there are 3 days of the week left, but going to the weekend with almost 6 hours breathing room is like going to walmart with $10,000.  Sure you could find a way to spend it if you want to, but I highly doubt there’s enough there to really make it worth your while.

MUST:  Elementary

The rest of the week:

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
The Weekend

The color coded breakdown:

8PM

ABC – Grey’s Anatomy
CBS – The Big Bang Theory
CW – Vampire Diaries
Fox – Bones
NBC – The Biggest Loser

8:30PM

CBS – The Millers

9PM

ABC – Scandal
CBS – The McCarthys
CW – Reign
Fox – Gracepoint
NBC – Bad Judge

9:30PM

CBS – Two and a Half Men
NBC – A to Z

10PM

ABC – How to Get Away With Murder
CBS – Elementary
NBC – Parenthood

Thursday’s Total: Two 1 hour dramas, One half hour comedies, one 1 hour reality, 3.5 hours

Overall Total: 8 hours drama, 2.5 hours comedy, 5 hours Reality  = 15.5 hours