I didn’t watch quite as much TV this summer as I did last summer, and that’s probably a good thing. While I never made time for The Office (again) or season 2 of The Wire (that will come this fall), I did manage to make it through several series. I’ve recapped those below.
Episode-by-Episode
Blackadder (Seasons 1-4)
- Season 1: B
- Season 2: B+
- Season 3: A-
- Season 4: A-
Skipped: “The Cavalier Years,” “Blackadder’s Christmas Carol,” “Back and Forth”
Favorite Episode: “Goodbyeee” (for its gut-punch of an ending)
Least Favorite Episode: “The Archbishop” (for its wasted potential)
The Simpsons (finishing Season 7)
- A
Previously Covered: “Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)” through “Homer the Smithers”
Favorite Episode: “Much Apu About Nothing” (for perfectly capturing the stupidity of the current immigration debate… back in 1996)
Least Favorite Episode: “Homerpalooza” (for being a little stale)
Undeclared (Season 1)
- A-
Skipped: “Full Frontal Nugent-y” (the original version of the second episode)
Favorite Episode: “Eric Visits Again” (for being a template of single-camera comedy)
Least Favorite Episode: “The Assistant” (for bringing in Adam Sandler then leaving us with an even more unlikable character)
The Wire (Season 1)
- A
Favorite Episode: “The Wire” (for setting a standard so early)
Least Favorite Episode: “Cleaning Up” (for killing time until a great finale, which technically begins in the last 10 minutes of this episode)
Binged
Friday Night Lights (Season 1)
- A
Favorite Episode: “Mud Bowl” (for the most exciting game of the season)
Least Favorite Episode: “Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes” (for shining a light on why this show was best at 13 episodes a piece)
The Newsroom (Seasons 1-2)
- Season 1: B+
- Season 2: A-
Favorite Episode: “News Night with Will McAvoy” (for doing everything this show does right, then doing it in real time)
Least Favorite Episode: “Election Night, Part II” (for being a limp to the finish line)
Read on for what to expect with TV this fall…
Regular Coverage
These are the shows I plan on covering every week. You’ll notice it’s a smaller group than usual.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (airs Sundays on Fox starting 9/28)
- Key & Peele (airs Wednesdays on Comedy Central starting 9/24)
- The Mindy Project (airs Tuesdays on Fox starting 9/16)
- The Newsroom (airs Sundays on HBO starting 11/9)
Periodic Check-in
These are the shows I’ve followed for a while, but are too inconsistent for me to commit to watching every week.
- Modern Family (airs Wednesdays on ABC starting 9/24)
- Saturday Night Live (airs Saturdays on NBC starting 9/27)
- The Simpsons (airs Sundays on Fox starting 9/28)
New Shows
These are the shows I’ll be giving a three-week trial period. If I still like them enough at the end of those three weeks, they’ll be added to my regular coverage.
- Black-ish (airs Wednesdays on ABC starting 9/24)
- Gotham (airs Mondays on Fox starting 9/22)
- Marry Me (airs Tuesdays on NBC starting 10/14)
- Mulaney (airs Sundays on Fox starting 10/5)
Old Shows
These are the classic shows I’ll be going through weekly, alongside my regular coverage. I will likely start coverage of these beginning in early September.
- The Simpsons (Season 8)
- The Wire (Season 2)