That’s the question that anyone who decides to weed through the amount of shows that air every year has to ask themselves. Because the content of any top 10 list depends on the importance assigned to any number of factors – ambition, execution, emotional complexity, sheer entertainment value. With as much television as there is nowadays, you could make a number of variant top 10 lists and all of them would be valid, as the sheer volume of projects today has allowed creators to explore what television is and how they can best explore subjects that don’t fit into the constraints of cinema.

Rather than focus on one particular element in compiling our own top 10 list, TVHackr decided to try and hit on all of them, as the 10 shows we’ve selected exemplify the year in television that was 2014. Of the bunch, some have improved from past seasons, while others are as ambitious as anything you’ll find on television; some have a uniqueness that makes them stand out from the pack, while others are extremely well-executed while remaining familiar in some form or fashion. Simply, if you are going to watch any television that aired in the year 2014, this is what TVHackr would recommend you check out. As with the previous article, included below are the positions that every show was ranked for the past two seasons, an essential episode that captures the show at its best, and previews/sneak peeks/trailers for every show in our top 10.

10. Kingdom (The Audience Network)
Last Year: N/A (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Cut Day”
Kingdom might not be the most innovative drama on television, but it’s a damn fine representation of its genre and an example of the power that lies within scripted sports programming. A Shakespearian drama by way of Rocky, the series is all about the redemption that can come through competition, as it follows three MMA fighters and a gym owner looking to ascend to the peak of their sport, if only for a single moment. With nothing else to hang onto in their lives, they’ve turned to the ring for the sense of purpose and fulfillment that they’re otherwise lacking and the show manages to add pathos amidst the pounding thanks to a grainy aesthetic and a series of strong performances. In particular, Jonathan Tucker’s fiery turn as Jay Kulina, a fighter looking to fulfill his vast potential and win the approval of his father, manages to encapsulate the series at its most virile and sympathetic, with the violence he leans into masking the deep hurt he feels inside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAozACshVGE

9. Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
Last Year: 15 (Two Years Ago: 10)
Essential Episode: “Mazel-Tina”
With each successive season, oddball FOX comedy Bob’s Burgers manages to grow just a bit more confident in its storytelling and the unique voice it’s been cultivating for five years. Perhaps the most inclusive, optimistic comedy on television, one in which family bickering is replaced by a sense of camaraderie and a celebration of what makes us weird, Bob’s Burgers is also one of the few current shows that addresses socio-economic difficulties, as the show chronicles a family struggling to make ends meet and often coming up empty when they have a chance to make financial progress. It’s a show where every character combination works, where gross-out gags are outweighed by heartstring tugs, where pop culture is celebrated rather than leaned upon like a storytelling crutch. In 2014, Bob’s Burgers tackled everything from a musical combination of Working Girl and Die Hard to underdog cheerleaders, television fan gatherings, and a town festival centered on turkeys with the same type of scrappy spirit and open-hearted lust for life that has defined the show since its inception

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymPCIAZCx_k

8. Shameless (Showtime)
Last Year: 12 (Two Years Ago: 11)
Essential Episode: “Iron City”
The world of Shameless has always been a little grim, but the show had previously been able to mask it thanks to how openly it embraced its identity as a dramedy. While awful stuff happened to the Gallaghers for the first three seasons of the Showtime series, there was always enough bite to the comedy it created to let you know that it was all going to be okay. That wasn’t the case, though, in season four and frankly, the show was all the better for it. After an accident that lands family matriarch Fiona in jail, the Gallaghers experienced their most harrowing time yet, as the remaining siblings had to scramble to keep the household afloat while tending to their own personal issues. The show made a series of bold choices in season five that took these characters to some unfamiliar and appreciatively unexpected places, all the while never trying to soften the emotional blow of the tough places in which they found themselves. That unapologetic storytelling might have wilted in a finale that pulled one too many punches, but for most of the season, Shameless was its best self and it was beautiful.

7. In the Flesh (BBC America)
Last Year: 7 (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Episode 6”
A lonely, affecting social allegory centered on prejudice and identity, In the Flesh is the most original reinterpretation of the long-standing zombie mythos to ever be put to film. Relying more on an unsettling atmosphere and institutionalized discrimination than an endless supply of weaponry, the series takes the air out of horror violence by putting a face to the “monsters” that haunt our dreams. In Roarton, England, the boogeyman has a (figurative) heart and wants nothing more than to blend in with the rest of the crowd, making the times the show indulges in acts befitting its genre all the more horrifying. While managing to keep Kieren Walker’s journey to self-acceptance in the forefront, the series managed to expand its scope in season two by exploring how The Rising impacted the whole of Roarton, including the Human Volunteer Force, and how the fear of a Second Rising led to the sanctioned subjugation of an entire group of people. It was an ambitious undertaking, this exploration of grief and how fear breeds hatred, but In the Flesh managed to keep its intimate storytelling from being swallowed up by the big ideas it tried to address.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbJRw8uUZnQ

6. Getting On (HBO)
Last Year: – (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Doctor Death”
The lack of space in the aesthetic of HBO melancholy medical comedy Getting On mirrors the claustrophobia felt by its characters. All guerilla camerawork and washed out fluorescent lighting, the series spent its second season exploring a crowded elderly care facility in Long Beach showing just how toxic an environment Billy Barnes was to its handful of employees. While Nurse DiDi weighed how much she valued herself against her overflowing household and need for a paycheck, Nurse Dawn’s fertility issues and personal awakening brought a tension to the floor that sometimes got in the way of the patients’ care. But it was the downfall of Dr. Jenna James that was the most intriguing element of Getting On this season, as the show managed to make the egomaniacal researcher into a sympathetic figure by focusing on her professional ambition continually hitting the glass ceiling that came with an underfunded facility. Once the season’s antagonist, Jenna slowly unveiled her humanity as her grip on Billy Barnes, whose resources she took advantage of for her personal gain, loosened significantly, making the second season crescendo impressively bleak and incredibly powerful in the process.

5. The Comeback (HBO)
Last Year: N/A (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Valerie Faces the Critics”
The return of The Comeback should have been awful. Any show that takes a decade away would bound to lose a step, especially given the enormous amount of changes to the entertainment industry since it was last on. However, the story of Valerie Cherish was an incredibly satisfying piece of television, as the former it girl was given a chance to shine on an HBO limited series created by her old nemesis. All she ever wanted to do was show people what she could do and have people acknowledge her for her talent, but it was a long road for Valerie, paved with marital strife from her obsessive desire for professional validation, a health scare for one of the few people who’s stuck with her through the entire journey, and a thin justification for cosigning a carnival mirror version of her time on Room & Bored. In addition to offering sharp commentary on sexism and ageism in Hollywood, season two of The Comeback was a touching a story of retribution, personal fulfillment, and overcoming obstacles, a season that managed to darker, funnier, and more touching than anything season one had to offer. Don’t stay away too long this time, Val.

4. Rectify (SundanceTV)
Last Year: 6 (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Donald The Normal”
Rather than utilizing the dreamy, poetic landscape it created in season one, a landscape that was the result of Daniel’s wonderment at the 19 years of small things that he missed while in prison, the second season of Rectify was a bit more plot-oriented, as it delved further into the case that had its protagonist sent behind bars. But Rectify is in no danger of becoming Law & Order: Atlanta, not when it remains content to luxuriate in the moment in lieu of pressing the gas pedal on the next legal revelation. Doubling down on the small town ennui while showing the impact that Daniel’s freedom has on the Holden family, Rectify is as unique a drama as you’ll find on American television, a hyper-literate melange of sad-eyed wonder, sunlit romanticism, and walls closing in terror. Most impressively, the show managed to take Ted Jr. to extreme emotional places during season two while humanizing him at the same time, proof that those who seem to be the greatest monsters have the most hurt to try and mask.

3. Looking (HBO)
Last Year: N/A (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Looking for the Future”
The story of three gay friends living in San Francisco, Looking is a different flavor of LGBT-oriented entertainment. Eschewing coming out stories and gay bashing for talk of bottom shaming and circumcision, this is as “post-gay” as television has gotten – a series about gay men whose lives and storylines don’t revolve around being gay. Quickly undoing pre-season talk of being “the gay Girls” with its warmth, underrated sense of humor, and slow burn storytelling, Looking is simply a gorgeous piece of television thanks to subtle, honest performances from the likes of Jonathan Groff and Raul Castillo and cinematography that brings out the best of San Francisco. Without the traditional touchstones of gay pop culture to hit, the series became a low-key slice of romanticism in an increasingly bitter television world, somehow capable of producing a Before Sunrise-esque episode centered around video game developer Patrick and bouncer/barber Richie five installments into an eight-episode first season. That confidence of character and attention to intimacy helped Looking become not just a great series for gay audiences, but a great series in general.

2. You’re the Worst (FX)
Last Year: N/A (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Sunday Funday”
Blisteringly snarky and deceptively vulnerable, You’re the Worst is a romantic comedy for those who don’t like romantic comedies. When misanthropic author Jimmy meets self-destructive PR rep Gretchen, he thinks the two are just going to be casual and that he can continue being the accented playboy that doesn’t “do” relationships; however, he and Gretchen begin developing feelings for one another, with those emotions challenging their preconceived notions on love, intimacy, and emotional barriers.  You’re the Worst managed to keep its black heart beating strongly while going against as many romantic conventions as it could, as its initial surliness eventually gave way to a weary, guarded look at relationships that anyone who’s had their heart broken can relate to. With Jimmy’s roommate Edgar, a veteran who suffers from PTSD, adding a dose of optimism and helping to balance the tone of the show, and Gretchen’s unfulfilled best friend Lindsay pulling her toward a more hedonistic lifestyle, You’re the Worst is a strong ensemble that gives energetic writing just enough spark to become something truly special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbxKUpS0mSA

1. Veep (HBO)
Last Year: 5 (Two Years Ago: 8)
Essential Episode: “Debate”
What do you do when you get what you’ve always wanted? That’s the question that former Vice President Selina Meyer faces after a season of campaigning for the presidency that ended up with her getting the job only because of POTUS’ resignation. The moment she receives the news was as touching as normally cynical Veep gets – the culmination of years of working toward a specific goal that seemed to only be getting farther away. Every public faux pas, every half-baked assignment while she was Vice President, and every time she felt as if she wasn’t being heard were all worth it now that she had the opportunity to show the American public who she was as a leader. It’s that sprinkling of sentiment that helped the third season of Veep continue its meteoric rise up the television ranks; the show remained as verbally dexterous and as full of piss and vinegar as it had been for the first two seasons, its brand of all-encompassing political satire as timely as ever, but it started showing the makings of an emotional core that weren’t always present beforehand. For as many sight gags (Selina’s new haircut), guest spots (a game Christopher Meloni), and political digs as the show managed to work into season three, all of which highlighted just how intricately constructed the show actually is, Veep is ultimately a series about an underdog looking to fulfill their potential and find personal validation through their professional endeavors. We don’t know how good of a president Selina Meyer will be just yet, but her journey in getting there, from campaign bus to Saturday Night Live, from gun shows to Silicon Valley, was the best, most fulfilling thing on television in 2014.

Out:
Archer (from No. 20)
Reign (from No. 18)
The Americans (from No. 17)
Justified (from No. 16)
The Borgias (from No. 13)*
Masters of Sex (from No. 11)
Sleepy Hollow (from No. 10)
Moone Boy (from No. 9)
Orphan Black (from No. 8)
Spartacus (from No. 4)*
The Returned (from No. 2)**
Enlightened (from No. 1)*

*Series finale aired in 2013
**Didn’t air new episodes in 2014

Further reading:
Top 20 TV Shows of 2013: Sexy Viking Queens Eating Hamburgers (20-11)
Top 20 TV Shows of 2013: Cloned Child Zombie Political Gangsters (10-1)
Top 10 TV Shows of 2012

The post Best TV Shows of 2014: The Top 10 appeared first on TVHackr.

This year, TVHackr is giving you monthly premiere dates for the warmest time of the year, with the primary focus being original on-going scripted and reality series. Not included are specials, awards ceremonies, miniseries, sporting events, and season/series finales, while notable scripted programming to bow during this time period includes FOX hip-hop soap Empire, HBO comedy Togetherness, and the Syfy adaptation of 12 Monkeys.

A full list of January season/series premieres with date, time, and network attached can be found below. A February list will be published in either late January or early February.

Thursday, January 1st
9:00 Little Women: LA (Lifetime) – Special Night
10:00 Big Women: Big Love (Lifetime) – Special Night
10:00 The Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo) – New Time Slot
10:00 Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory (MTV)
10:30 Ridiculousness (MTV)

Friday, January 2nd
12:00 a.m. Lucas Bros. Moving Company (FXX)
12:15 a.m. Stone Quackers (FXX)
8:00 Undercover Boss (CBS) – New Time Slot
8:00 Whale Wars (Animal Planet)
9:00 Love It or List It (HGTV)
9:00 Mysteries at the Castle (Travel)
9:00 Say Yes to the Dress (TLC)
10:00 Alaskan Bush People (Discovery)
10:00 Off the Map with Shannen and Holly (GAC)

Saturday, January 3rd
9:00 Raising Whitley (OWN)
10:00 House Hunters Renovation (HGTV)
10:00 Rev. Run’s Renovation (DIY)

Sunday, January 4th
8:00 Beachfront Bargain Hunt (HGTV)
8:00 Galavant (ABC) – One-Hour Premiere
8:00 Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge (CMT)
9:00 The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) – Special Night and Time
9:00 Caribbean Life (HGTV)
9:00 Downton Abbey (PBS) – 75-Minute Premiere
9:00 Sister Wives (TLC)
9:00 Snapped: Killer Couples (Oxygen)
9:00 Thicker Than Water (Bravo)
9:00 Ultimate Survival Alaska (Nat Geo)
9:00 Unusual Suspects (ID)
9:00 Worst Cooks in America (Food)
10:00 Total Divas (E!)
11:00 Watch What Happens: Live (Bravo)

Monday, January 5th
8:00 Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
8:00 The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) – Time Slot Premiere
8:00 The Bachelor (ABC) – 3-Hour Premiere
9:00 Kitchen Crashers (DIY)
9:00 Love It or List It (HGTV)
10:00 Best. Ever. (Food)

Tuesday, January 6th
8:00 Alaska: Ice Cold Killers (ID)
8:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter (ABC) – Special Time
8:00 MasterChef Junior (FOX)
8:00 Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
9:00 Dance Moms (Lifetime)
9:00 Fixer Upper (HGTV)
9:00 The Haves and the Have Nots (OWN)
9:00 Living Different (Oxygen)
9:00 Switched at Birth (ABC Family)
10:00 60 Minutes Sports (Showtime)
10:00 Child Genius (Lifetime)
10:00 Framework (Spike TV)
10:00 How We Got Here (AHC)
10:00 My Crazy Love (Oxygen) – New Time Slot
10:00 Obsession: Dark Desires (ID)
10:00 Real Husbands of Hollywood (BET)
10:00 Wild Transport (A&E)
10:30 Cougar Town (TBS)
10:30 Hack My Life (TruTV)
11:00 The Challenge (MTV)

Wednesday, January 7th
8:00 American Idol (FOX)
8:00 Evil Twins (ID)
8:00 Idiot Test (GSN) – New Time Slot
8:00 The Mentalist (CBS) – New Time Slot
9:00 Baggage on the Road (GSN)
9:00 Extra Virgin (Cooking)
9:00 Little Women: LA (Lifetime) – Time Slot Premiere
9:00 Love Thy Neighbor (OWN)
9:00 My 600-LB. Life (TLC)
9:00 Empire (FOX)
10:00 The Art of (Ovation)
10:00 Big Women: Big Love (Lifetime) – Time Slot Premiere
10:00 Black Market (Nat Geo)
10:00 Hindsight (VH1)
10:00 My Strange Addiction (TLC)
10:00 Nazi Mega Weapons (PBS)
10:00 SWV: Reunited (WE tv)
10:00 Wahlburgers (A&E)
10:30 Donnie Loves Jenny (A&E)

Thursday, January 8th
8:00 American Idol (FOX)
9:00 Expedition Unknown (Travel) – Two-Hour Premiere
9:00 Unraveled (ID)
9:00 Wild West Alaska (Animal Planet)
10:00 Alaska: Battle of the Bay (Animal Planet)
10:00 Archer (FX)
10:00 Babylon (SundanceTV)
10:00 Love Thy Sister (WE tv)
10:00 Portlandia (IFC)

Friday, January 9th
8:00 Cold Justice (TNT)
8:00 Glee (FOX) – Two-Hour Premiere
8:00 Hart of Dixie (The CW)
8:00 Jessie (Disney Channel)
9:00 Marriage Boot Camp (WE tv)
9:30 Masters of Illusion (The CW)
10:00 Banshee (Cinemax)
10:00 David Tutera’s Celebrations (WE tv)
10:00 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
10:00 Treehouse Masters (Animal Planet)
11:00 Comedy Bang! Bang! (IFC)

Saturday, January 10th
9:00 The Incredible Dr. Pol (Nat Geo Wild)
9:00 Preposterous Pets (Animal Planet)
11:00 All About Sex (TLC)

Sunday, January 11th
9:00 Girls (HBO)
9:00 Shameless (Showtime)
9:00 Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters (Animal Planet)
9:30 Togetherness (HBO)
10:00 Looking (HBO)
10:00 Remote Survival (Nat Geo)
10:00 House of Lies (Showtime)
10:30 Episodes (Showtime)

Monday, January 12th
10:00 Eye Candy (MTV)
10:00 Friends to Lovers? (Bravo)

Tuesday, January 13th
8:00 Parks & Recreation (NBC) – One-Hour Premiere
9:00 Face Off (Syfy)
9:00 Married at First Sight: The First Year (FYI)
10:00 Big Giant Swords (Discovery)
10:00 Hotel Showdown (Travel) – Special Time
10:00 Mikie Saves the Date (FYI)
10:00 My Big Fat Fabulous Life (TLC)
10:00 Restaurant Startup (CNBC)
10:00 Wrestling with Death (WGN America)
10:30 Kroll Show (Comedy Central)

Wednesday, January 14th
8:00 Melissa & Joey (ABC Family)
8:00 Rock This Boat (Pop)
8:30 Baby Daddy (ABC Family)
9:00 The Story Behind (Pop) – New Time Slot
9:30 Hardcore Pawn (TruTV) – Time Slot Premiere
10:00 The Car Chasers (CNBC)
10:00 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
10:00 Workaholics (Comedy Central)
10:00 Restaurant: Impossible (Food) – New Time Slot
10:30 Broad City (Comedy Central)
10:30 Man Seeking Woman (FXX)

Thursday, January 15th
8:00 Fool’s Gold (Animal Planet)
8:00 WWE Smackdown (Syfy) – New Time Slot
9:00 Chopped Canada (Food)
10:00 American Greed (CNBC)
10:00 Breaking Point (ID)

Friday, January 16th
8:00 World’s Funniest Fails (FOX)
9:00 12 Monkeys (Syfy)
9:00 Glee (FOX) – Time Slot Premiere
9:00 Impact Wrestling (DA) – New Time Slot
10:00 Dateline (NBC) – New Time Slot
10:00 Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives (Food)
10:00 Helix (Syfy)

Saturday, January 17th
8:00 Bella and the Bulldogs (Nickelodeon) – One-Hour Premiere
9:00 Beverly Hills Pawn (Reelz)
9:00 The Musketeers (BBC America)
9:00 My Big Redneck Family (CMT)
10:15 The Graham Norton Show (BBC America) – New Time Slot

Sunday, January 18th
8:00 Austin & Ally (Disney Channel)
8:00 Rugged Justice (Animal Planet)
8:30 K.C. Undercover (Disney Channel)
10:00 Christina Milian Turned Up (E!)
10:00 Grantchester (PBS)
10:00 Hoarding: Behind Closed Doors (DLC)

Monday, January 19th
8:00 The Fosters (ABC Family)
9:00 Brain Games (Nat Geo)
9:00 Chasing Life (ABC Family)

Tuesday, January 20th
9:00 Friday Night Tykes (Esquire)
9:00 Holmes Make It Right (DIY)
9:00 Hotel Showdown (Travel) – Time Slot Premiere
9:00 Open Heart (Teen Nick)
9:00 Overhaulin’ (Velocity)
10:00 Justified (FX)
10:00 The Short Game (Esquire)

Wednesday, January 21st
10:00 Best New Restaurant (Bravo)
10:00 The Mistress (DLC)

Thursday, January 22nd
9:00 Backstrom (FOX)
10:00 Million Dollar Critic (BBC America)
10:00 Nightwatch (A&E)

Friday, January 23rd
12:30 a.m. This Is Not Happening (Comedy Central)
9:00 Bring It! (Lifetime)
9:00 King of the Nerds (TBS)
10:00 Love, Lust, or Run (TLC)
10:00 Preachers’ Daughters (Lifetime)

Saturday, January 24th
9:00 Black Sails (Starz)

Monday, January 26th
9:00 Bizarre Foods (Travel)
9:00 Ellen’s Design Challenge (HGTV)
10:00 Mud, Sweat, & Gears (BBC America)

Tuesday, January 27th
10:00 Rebel Without a Kitchen (Cooking)
10:00 Sirens (USA)
10:30 Eat St. (Cooking) – New Time Slot

Wednesday, January 28th
10:00 The Americans (FX)
10:00 Mississippi Rivermen (History)
10:00 Suits (USA)

Thursday, January 29th
10:00 Fortitude (Pivot) – Two-Hour Premiere
10:30 Breaking Greenville (TruTV)
10:30 Duff till Dawn (Food)
11:00 Close Up Kings (Syfy)

The post Midseason TV Premiere Dates: January appeared first on TVHackr.

As with the past two years, the TVHackr Best TV Shows of 2014 list is not comprehensive. We can’t watch everything, so you’ll notice some critical and audience favorites are nowhere to be found; this isn’t necessarily an indictment of their quality, though. Either we simply haven’t had time to check them out, fell out of watching in a bid to make room for new shows, or slotted them just below the cut off for this particular article. Following in the footsteps of our 2013 retrospective, our look at the 2014 TV landscape will be divided into two articles, with trailers, previews, or promos provided for every entry. Also listed are the positions each show came in at on our 2012 and 2013 articles, along with the episodes we either liked the most or felt best exemplified the season as a whole.

20. Da Vinci’s Demons (Starz)
Last Year: – (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “The Rope of the Dead”
The second season of Starz action-adventure drama Da Vinci’s Demons managed to expand the show’s scope while further grounding its particular brand of lunacy in the main character’s emotional journey. Focusing on Leonardo’s search for the Book of Leaves and his quest for closure as to his mother’s whereabouts allowed the show to have a stronger sense of direction than in season one, thus giving its typically big, bold decision-making more weight. The cuts back to Italy, where Lorenzo was caught up in a political trap he didn’t anticipate and Clarice allowed her loneliness to get the better of her, never felt jarring, as they furthered the series theme of the destructive nature of power, while a well-placed death and a killer cliffhanger capped off an impressively ambitious season of television.

19. Almost Royal (BBC America)
Last Year: N/A (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Boston”
An improvisational comedy structured like an unscripted series, Almost Royal finds English royals Georgie and Poppy Carlton gallivanting their way across the United States as a way of fulfilling their father’s dying wish. The show wisely leans hard on the easy chemistry between stars Ed Gamble and Amy Hoggart, whose ability to play off of each other lifts every segment and makes the best scenes absolutely crackle, and stylishly combines the cringe comedy of Curb Your Enthusiasm with some culture clash material that’s been impressively freshened up. It’d be easy for a show in this vein to develop a mean streak a mile wide, whether it be a desire to skewer the format it apes or a temptation to humiliate those who don’t know what kind of show they’re on, but almost always, the joke on Almost Royal is on Georgie’s dearth of masculinity or Poppy’s vain egocentrism.

18. Revenge (ABC)
Last Year: – (Two Years Ago: -)
Essential Episode: “Execution”
Freed from the shackles of being a buzzworthy, network carrying hit, Revenge found itself creatively during the back half of its third season and the front half of its current fourth season. Rather than focusing on self-sustainment and milking as much as possible out of a thin concept, the show decided to throw caution to the wind and take itself to places that it might not have been able to had it stayed on its season two-era trajectory. Gone were the circular plotting and faceless antagonists that defined its fall from grace; in their place was a newfound sense of bravery in its storytelling and a desire to get to the emotions that motivated Emily’s trademark red sharpie. Not everything about new era Revenge has worked perfectly, but the fact that it’s become so willing to try new things and examine the very concept it based itself around made it a perfect candidate for the TVHackr Top 20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgd_VKB4lsc

17. The Neighbors (ABC)
Last Year: 14 (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “There Goes the Neighbors’ Hood”
In an effort to make the best of poor network scheduling, the first half of The Neighbors‘ second season eased away from some of the more unconventional elements of its identity and tried to highlight the fundamental dynamic between the Weavers and the Joyner-Kersee/Bird household. At the end of the day, they were just two families trying to do the best they can at raising their children and two sets of partners who only want to better understand each other, right? Well, as enjoyable as the first half of the season was, the show’s confidence and unapologetic bearing of its weird little heart being the highlights, the second was a greater step forward. The Neighbors whole-heartedly embraced its self-aware edge in a closing arc that didn’t shy away from addressing its looming cancellation and cut to the emotional core enhoused in a quaint little New Jersey neighborhood that just so happened to be inhabited by a family of aliens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9FM4jIviIU

16. The Affair (Showtime)
Last Year: N/A (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Episode 1”
Utilizing a pair of unreliable narrators in a series of flashbacks, marital-drama-meets-murder-mystery The Affair has the most interesting relationship with time on television. The second half of the season had at least two major, unannounced/non-foreshadowed time jumps, while every episode recounts the same time frame from a different perspective, with the devil being in the details and the subtle character shifts depending on whose story we’re watching. Exploring the dissolution of two seemingly perfect marriages without a hint of judgment, The Affair was more than just a narrative device, though; it concerned itself with deconstructing the American Dream (through father of four Noah) and illuminating the impact that tragedy can have on a relationship (through grieving waitress Alison), an ambitious undertaking that the show mostly followed through on during its inaugural season.

15. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Last Year: 3 (Two Years Ago: 6)
Essential Episode: “King of Norway”
The swift decline of Boardwalk Empire from its position on last year’s list primarily comes down to the short episode order of season five (eight episodes vs. a typical 12) and the fact that this was the season that wrapped up the series. Known for its novelistic, slow burn approach to storytelling, Boardwalk Empire simply isn’t as effective without the room to stretch its legs, with the pacing of season five off enough to be noticeabl. Although the time jump the show implemented took out one of its most entertaining characters in Arnold Rothstein, the show managed to pull through with an appropriately moving final stretch of episodes that engrained sympathy in its staid main character, paid proper respect to those whose journeys helped define an era, and showed how a single choice we make can set us off on a path of destruction.

14. Penny Dreadful (Showtime)
Last Year: N/A (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Possession”
What should’ve been a hacky exercise in assaulting the public domain became perhaps the surprise drama of 2014, as John Logan managed to wrangle Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a werewolf, Dorian Gray, and figures from Dracula into a coherent, engrossing tale of the macabre. Interestingly paced for a freshman drama, Penny Dreadful was content to luxuriate in its spooky, stifling atmosphere while dedicating entire episodes to backstory and a bottle storyline, with that unpredictability helping to mask some of its slower moments. But above all the surprise killings and flamboyant Egyptologists, Penny Dreadful belonged to Eva Green; no one acted harder in 2014 than Green, whose visceral, exceedingly physical performance as psychologically tormented Vanessa Ives was a whirlwind of facial tics, vocal inflections, and creepy-crawly lumbering. She was simultaneously terrifying and heartbreaking, the show’s unnerving heartbeat that slowly brought the madness to a fever pitch.

13. Homeland (Showtime)
Last Year: – (Two Years Ago: 1)
Essential Episode: “There’s Something Else Going On”
For the first five episodes of Homeland season four, I was reasonably entertained. The Middle East setting was a nice change of pace both visually and narratively, as was seeing Carrie stable and working in the field, but there wasn’t an anchor in the same way that her cat-and-mouse relationship with Brody anchored the first season. Yet once the show reached into its big bag of twists, which has gotten it into trouble in the past, and offed a character that seemed destined for a season-long arc, the season came alive and never looked back. Homeland has never been tenser or timelier than it was for the middle chunk of season four; not only did it lean on the show’s greatest asset in Carrie’s relationship with Saul, it more effectively used reveals than it did in season three while putting together breathless action sequences that were nicely contrasted against an increasingly tumultuous power struggle.

12. Vikings (History)
Last Year: 19 (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Blood Eagle”
Ragnar Lothbrok’s march toward infamy continued in the second season of History drama Vikings, as the former farmer’s well-honed skills on the battlefield were married to a newfound political savvy that made him even more dangerous. Centered around King Horik allowing his pride to overtake his sense of reason, the season proved that Ragnar’s ascension wasn’t a feat of brute strength, nor was it a fluke that could be rectified by someone marginally more powerful than he was. It’s very real and before long, he’s going to become quite the threat to the European establishment, meaning that Vikings is only going to get bigger, badder, and bloodier from here on out. With a swagger that’s Game of Thrones by way of an interesting twist to the television anti-hero, as well as a reverence for women that not every historically-based drama can boast, Vikings managed to expand its scope while honing in on the brutality necessary to build an empire.

11. Playing House (USA)
Last Year: N/A (Two Years Ago: N/A)
Essential Episode: “Let’s Have a Baby”
Stories about female friendship unimpeded by men are rare on television, which is one of the reasons Playing House is so special. Following workaholic Emma as she returns to her hometown to take care of pregnant best friend Maggie, the show, which has the looseness of improv while still being impressively structured, is a warm, silly love letter to unconventional families and the growth that can come from embracing your past. Although Playing House has populated its small Connecticut town with a quirky, reliable stable of characters that add dimension without falling into small town stereotypes, the show’s soul lies within the chemistry between Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, real-life best friends whose comfort with one another makes the lifelong friendship between Emma and Maggie all the more believable. With its lived-in feel and plethora of inside jokes, the first season of Playing House was like hanging out with your best friend – heavy on the shorthand and stories that comes from years of friendship with a kernel of pathos thrown in for good measure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3XzEnkALus

The post Best TV Shows of 2014: 20-11 appeared first on TVHackr.

Thus far, the notable bits from the fall finale scheduling are that the fall finale of weepy family drama Parenthood is going up against the fall finale of buzz-y ABC mystery How to Get Away with Murder; Resurrection and Revenge had their fall finales bumped up a week due to returning in January, whereas Once Upon a Time won’t be back until March; and The CW is seeing how Jane the Virgin and The 100 perform without their high-powered lead-ins, as they’ll be the last two finales of the fall.

Which fall finale are you most anticipating? Why do you think ABC hasn’t released a finale date for Forever just yet? Which network has the most work to do for midseason and through the rest of this season?

Monday, November 10th
10:00 The Blacklist (NBC)

Thursday, November 20th
8:00 Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
9:00 Scandal (ABC)
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
10:00 Parenthood (NBC)

Tuesday, December 2nd
10:00 Chicago Fire (NBC)

Sunday, December 7th
9:00 Resurrection (ABC)
10:00 Revenge (ABC)

Monday, December 8th
8:00 The Originals (The CW)
10:00 Castle (ABC)

Tuesday, December 9th
8:00 The Flash (ABC)
9:00 Supernatural (The CW)
9:00 Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD (ABC)
9:00 Marry Me (NBC)
9:30 About a Boy (NBC)

Wednesday, December 10th
8:00 Arrow (The CW)
8:00 The Mysteries of Laura (NBC)
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
10:00 Chicago PD (NBC)
10:00 Nashville (ABC)

Thursday, December 11th
8:00 The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
9:00 Reign (The CW)
9:00 Bad Judge (NBC)
9:30 A to Z (NBC)

Friday, December 12th
9:00 Grimm (NBC)
10:00 Constantine (NBC)

Sunday, December 14th
8:00 Once Upon a Time (ABC)

Monday, December 15th
9:00 Jane the Virgin (The CW)

Wednesday, December 17th
9:00 The 100 (The CW)

The post Fall Finale Dates: ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX, and NBC appeared first on TVHackr.

This year, TVHackr is giving you monthly premiere dates for the warmest time of the year, with the primary focus being original on-going scripted and reality series. Not included are specials, awards ceremonies, miniseries, sporting events, and season/series finales, while notable scripted programming to bow during this time period includes the final season of The Mentalist, BBC America fantasy epic Atlantis, and The Missing, which stars the likes of James Nesbitt and Frances O’Connor.

A full list of November season/series premieres with date, time, and network attached can be found below. A November list will be published in either late November or early December.

Saturday, November 1st
9:00 Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet (Nat Geo Wild)
9:00 Just Kidding (Disney XD)
9:30 The Haunted Hathaways (Nickelodeon) – New Time Slot
10:00 Flex & Shanice (OWN)

Sunday, November 2nd
9:00 Kourtney & Khloe Take the Hamptons (E!)
10:00 House of DVF (E!)

Monday, November 3rd
9:00 K. Michelle: My Life (VH1)
9:00 Vanderpump Rules (Bravo)
10:00 Euros of Hollywood (Bravo)

Tuesday, November 4th
8:00 MasterChef Junior (FOX)
9:00 The Curse of Oak Island (History)
9:00 Life Below Zero (NGC)
9:00 Moonshiners (Discovery)
9:00 Overhaulin’ (Velocity)
10:00 Billy Bob’s Gags to Riches (Discovery)
10:00 Friends of the People (TruTV) – New Time Slot
10:00 Search for the Lost Giants (History)
10:30 How to Be a Grown Up (TruTV) – New Time Slot

Wednesday, November 5th
9:00 Preachers of L.A. (Oxygen)
10:00 The Car Chasers (CNBC)
10:00 The Fashion Fund (Ovation)
10:00 Fix My Choir (Oxygen)
10:00 The Game (BBC America)
10:00 Hot in Cleveland (TV Land)
10:00 Kitchen Inferno (Food)
10:00 Snooki & JWoww (MTV)
10:30 The Exes (TV Land)
11:00 The Almighty Johnsons (Syfy)

Thursday, November 6th
9:00 Deadly Affairs (ID) – New Time Slot
9:00 White Collar (USA)
10:00 Covert Affairs (USA)
10:00 Pawnography (History)
11:00 Vanderbilt MDs (USA)

Friday, November 7th
12:15 a.m. The Eric Andre Show (Adult Swim)
12:30 a.m. Adam Devine’s House Party (Comedy Central)
11:30 Nissan GT Academy (Spike TV)

Saturday, November 8th
9:00 America Unearthed (H2)
9:00 Fatal Vows (ID)

Sunday, November 9th
8:00 The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Bravo)
9:00 Finding Bigfoot (Animal Planet) – Two-Hour Premiere
9:00 The Newsroom (HBO)
9:00 Snapped (Oxygen)
10:00 The Comeback (HBO)
10:30 Getting On (HBO)
11:30 Fashion Queens (Bravo)

Monday, November 10th
10:00 Godfather of Pittsburgh (A&E)

Tuesday, November 11th
9:00 Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda (ID) – New Time Slot
9:00 Storage Wars (A&E)
10:00 A Crime to Remember (ID)
10:00 Dogs of War (A&E) – Special Night
10:00 Song by Song (Ovation)
11:00 Tattoo Nightmares (Spike TV)

Wednesday, November 12th
9:00 Your Worst Nightmare (ID) – New Time Slot
10:00 Down East Dickering (History)
10:00 Love the Way You Lie (ID)
10:00 Off the Chain (Bounce TV)

Thursday, November 13th
9:00 Untold Stories of the ER (Health)

Saturday, November 15th
9:00 Atlantis (BBC America)
9:00 The Missing (Starz)
10:00 Epic Meal Empire (FYI) – Returns from Hiatus

Sunday, November 16th
8:00 Once Upon a Time (ABC) – Back-to-back episodes
10:00 Dogs of War (A&E) – Time Slot Premiere
10:00 Finding Bigfoot (Animal Planet) – Time Slot Premiere

Monday, November 17th
9:00 The First 48 (A&E) – New Time Slot
10:00 State of Affairs (NBC)

Tuesday, November 18th
9:00 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
10:00 Shipping Wars (A&E)

Wednesday, November 19th
9:00 Duck Dynasty (A&E)
10:00 Country Buck$ (A&E)

Thursday, November 20th
9:00 Party Down South 2 (CMT)

Friday, November 21st
9:00 Eat: The Story of Food (NGC)

Saturday, November 22nd
10:00 Amish Renogades (DIY)

Monday, November 24th
9:00 Major Crimes (TNT)
10:00 Booze Traveler (Travel)
10:00 Eric Greenspan is Hungry (NGC)

Tuesday, November 25th
10:00 The Sisterhood (Lifetime)

Wednesday, November 26th
9:00 Property Brothers (HGTV)

Friday, November 28th
10:00 Boogeymen (DA)
10:00 Momsters: When Moms Go Bad (ID)

Sunday, November 30th
9:00 Ax Men (History)
9:00 Only Happens in… (Travel)
9:30 The Mentalist (CBS) – Special Night and Time
10:00 A Haunting (DA)

The post Fall TV Premiere Dates: November appeared first on TVHackr.

This year, TVHackr is giving you monthly premiere dates for the warmest time of the year, with the primary focus being original on-going scripted and reality series. Not included are specials, awards ceremonies, miniseries, sporting events, and season/series finales, while notable scripted programming to bow during this time period includes Arrow spin-off The Flash, family comedy The McCarthys, and The Affair, which stars Dominic West and Ruth Wilson.

A full list of October season/series premieres with date, time, and network attached can be found below. A November list will be published in either late October or early November.

Wednesday, October 1st
9:00 Criminal Minds (CBS)
10:00 The Filthy Rich Guide (CNBC)
10:00 Stalker (CBS)
11:00 Girl Code (MTV)

Thursday, October 2nd
8:00 The This Old House Hour (PBS)
8:00 The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
8:00 Instant Mom (Nickelodeon) – New Time Slot
8:30 See Dad Run (Nickelodeon) – New Time Slot
9:00 Bad Judge (NBC)
9:00 Donut Showdown (Cooking) – New Time Slot
9:00 Gracepoint (FOX)
9:00 Reign (The CW)
9:30 A to Z (NBC)
10:00 Dead Again (A&E)
10:30 Carnival Eats (Cooking) – New Time Slot
11:00 Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors (Reelz)

Friday, October 3rd
8:00 Last Man Standing (ABC) – One-Hour Premiere
8:00 On the Menu (TNT)
8:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon)
8:00 Whose Line Is It Anyway? (The CW) – New Time Slot
9:00 America’s Next Top Model (The CW) – New Time Slot
10:00 Kendra on Top (WE tv) – Special Time
11:59 Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution (Comedy Central)

Saturday, October 4th
9:00 Austin City Limits (PBS)
9:00 Ghost Adventures (Travel)
9:00 Survivor’s Remorse (Starz)
10:00 The Chair (Starz) – New Time Slot
10:00 Pitbulls & Parolees (Animal Planet)
11:00 The Graham Norton Show (BBC America)

Sunday, October 5th
7:30 Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
8:00 Alaska: The Last Frontier (Discovery)
8:00 North Woods Law (Animal Planet) – New Time Slot
9:00 Bar Rescue (Spike TV)
9:00 Extreme RVs (Travel)
9:00 Gator Boys (Animal Planet) – New Time Slot
9:00 Halloween Wars (Food)
9:00 Homeland (Showtime) – Two-Hour Premiere
9:00 Inspector Lewis (PBS)
9:00 Manzo’d with Children (Bravo)
9:00 Oprah: Where Are They Now? (OWN)
9:30 Mulaney (FOX)
10:00 Catch a Contractor (Spike TV)

Monday, October 6th
8:00 The Originals (The CW)
9:00 Mystery Diners (Food) – New Time Slot
10:00 Are You the One? (MTV)
10:00 House vs. House (FYI)
10:00 Restaurant Stakeout (Food)

Tuesday, October 7th
8:00 The Bad Girls Club (Oxygen)
8:00 The Flash (The CW)
9:00 30 for 30 (ESPN)
9:00 The Big Break (Golf)
9:00 Hotel Impossible (Travel)
9:00 Nail’d It (Oxygen)
9:00 Supernatural (The CW)
9:30 Best in Bridal (FYI)
10:00 America: Facts vs. Fiction (Military)
10:00 The People’s Couch (Bravo)
10:00 Resort Rescue (Travel)
10:00 Town of the Living Dead (Syfy)

Wednesday, October 8th
8:00 Arrow (The CW)
8:00 Lucha Underground (El Rey)
9:00 Cutting Crew (El Rey)
9:00 Ghost Hunters (Syfy)
9:00 Inside Paradise (Travel)
9:00 Kingdom (DirecTV)
10:00 American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX)
10:00 Hollywood Divas (TV One)
11:00 Nitro Circus Live (MTV2)

Thursday, October 9th
8:00 Food Truck Face Off (Food)
9:00 Monsters Inside Me (Animal Planet)

Friday, October 10th
8:30 Cristela (ABC)
9:00 Kendra on Top (WE tv) – Time Slot Premiere
9:00 Say Yes to the Dress (TLC)

Saturday, October 11th
8:00 My Cat From Hell (Animal Planet)
9:00 Auction Hunters (Spike TV)
9:00 Swamp Pawn (CMT)
9:30 Thrift Hunters (Spike TV)
10:00 Swamp Hunters (CMT)

Sunday, October 12th
9:00 The Walking Dead (AMC)
10:00 The Affair (Showtime)
10:00 Unique Sweets (Cooking)
10:00 Talking Dead (AMC)
11:59 Comic Book Men (AMC)

Monday, October 13th
9:00 Jane the Virgin (The CW)
9:30 Tiny & Shekinah’s Weave Trip (VH1)
10:00 Independent Lens (PBS)

Tuesday, October 14th
9:00 Car Matchmaker (Esquire)
9:00 Marry Me (NBC)
9:30 About a Boy (NBC)
10:00 Chrisley Knows Best (USA)
10:00 Frontline (PBS)
10:00 The Profit (CNBC)
10:00 Restaurant Redemption (Cooking)
10:00 Song by Song (Ovation)
10:00 White Collar Brawlers (Esquire)

Wednesday, October 15th
8:00 Nature (PBS)
8:00 Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight (DirecTV)
8:30 Uncle (DirecTV)
9:00 The Getaway (Esquire)
9:00 How We Got to Now (PBS)
10:00 Top Chef (Bravo)
10:00 Unlivable (FYI)

Thursday, October 16th
10:00 Midnight Feast (FYI)

Friday, October 17th
8:00 Eat St. (Cooking) – New Time Slot
9:00 Gold Rush Alaska (Discovery) – Two-Hour Premiere
10:00 Welcome to Fairfax (Pivot)
10:30 Freestyle Love Supreme (Pivot)
11:00 Comedy Bang! Bang! (IFC)
11:30 Birthday Boys (IFC)

Saturday, October 18th
10:00 The Graham Norton Show (BBC America) – New Time Slot
10:30 Black Dynamite (Adult Swim)

Monday, October 20th
8:00 Hungry Games (Food)
8:00 Kirby Buckets (Disney XD)
8:30 The Millers (CBS)
8:30 Rewrapped (Food) – New Time Slot
9:00 American Dad (TBS)

Tuesday, October 21st
9:00 True Tori (Lifetime)
10:00 Real Husbands of Hollywood (BET)

Wednesday, October 22nd
8:00 Melissa & Joey (ABC Family) – Special Presentation
8:30 Baby Daddy (ABC Family) – Special Presentation
9:00 The 100 (The CW)
11:00 Web Therapy (Showtime)

Thursday, October 23rd
11:59 Newsreaders (Adult Swim)

Friday, October 24th
8:00 Dateline (NBC) – New Time Slot
9:00 Grimm (NBC)
10:00 Constantine (NBC)
10:00 Deal with It (TBS)

Monday, October 27th
8:00 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
9:00 Bizarre Foods America (Travel)
10:00 Fake Off (TruTV)
10:30 Mike Tyson Mysteries (Adult Swim)

Tuesday, October 28th
10:00 Friends of the People (TruTV)
10:00 My Crazy Love (Oxygen)

Wednesday, October 29th
9:00 American Pickers (History)
10:00 Weekend Fix (Esquire)

Thursday, October 30th
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – New Time Slot
8:30 Mom (CBS)
9:00 Two and a Half Men (CBS)
9:00 Project Runway: All-Stars (Lifetime)
9:30 The McCarthys (CBS)
10:00 Elementary (CBS)
10:00 Project Runway: Threads (Lifetime)

Friday, October 31st
9:00 Ancient Aliens (H2)
10:00 Brad Meltzer’s Lost History (H2)

The post Fall TV Premiere Dates: October appeared first on TVHackr.

This year, TVHackr is giving you monthly premiere dates for the warmest time of the year, with the primary focus being original on-going scripted and reality series. Not included are specials, awards ceremonies, miniseries, sporting events, and season/series finales, while notable scripted programming to bow during this time period includes ABC character procedural Forever, CBS political drama Madam Secretary, and FOX comic drama Gotham, which stars Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue.

A full list of September season/series premieres with date, time, and network attached can be found below. An October list will be published in either late September or early October.

Monday, September 1st
10:00 #RichKids of Beverly Hills (E!) – Special Night
10:00 Highway to Sell (Discovery)

Tuesday, September 2nd
9:00 19 Kids & Counting (TLC)
9:00 Extreme Weight Loss (ABC) – Special Time
9:00 Yukon Men (Discovery)
10:00 Ink Master (Spike TV)
11:00 Tattoo Nightmares: Miami (Spike TV)

Wednesday, September 3rd
9:00 Fool’s Gold (Animal Planet)
9:00 Surviving Evil (ID)
10:00 Dead on Arrival (ID)
10:00 The League (FXX)
10:00 My Friends Call Me Johnny (Esquire)
10:30 Ali G: Rezurection (FXX)

Friday, September 5th
9:00 Bellator MMA Live (Spike TV) – Special Time
10:00 Pond Stars (Nat Geo Wild)
10:00 Young, Hot, & Crooked (ID)

Saturday, September 6th
9:00 Buying Alaska (DA)
9:00 Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN)
10:00 Six Little McGhees (OWN)
11:00 The Chair (Starz)

Sunday, September 7th
8:00 Utopia (FOX) – Two-Hour Premiere
9:00 Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
9:00 Oprah’s Lifeclass (OWN)
9:00 Total Divas (E!)
10:00 Angels Among Us (TLC)
10:00 Ghost Asylum (DA)
10:00 Pressure Cooker (FYI)

Monday, September 8th
8:00 Rewrapped (Food Network)
10:00 Love Prison (A&E)

Tuesday, September 9th
8:00 Utopia (FOX) – Timeslot Premiere
8:00 MasterChef Canada (Cooking) – Special Time
9:00 MasterChef Canada (Cooking) – Timeslot Premiere
9:00 If Loving You is Wrong (OWN) – Two-Hour Premiere
10:00 Sons of Anarchy (FX)
10:30 Adam Devine’s House Party (Comedy Central)

Wednesday, September 10th
8:00 Hell’s Kitchen (FOX) – Two-Hour Premiere
9:00 Couples Therapy (VH1)
9:30 South Beach Tow (Tru TV)
10:00 I Heart Nick Carter (VH1)

Thursday, September 11th
8:00 The Biggest Loser (NBC) – Two-Hour Premiere
10:00 Haven (Syfy)

Friday, September 12th
12:30 a.m. Adam Devine’s House Party (Comedy Central) – Time Slot Premiere
8:00 Utopia (FOX) – Timeslot Premiere
9:00 Alaska Monsters (DA)
9:00 Bellator MMA Live (Spike TV) – Time Slot premiere
9:00 Kitchen Nightmares (FOX)
9:00 Mysteries at the Museum (Travel Channel)
9:00 Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) – Special Time
10:00 Z Nation (Syfy)

Saturday, September 13th
8:00 Henry Danger (Nickelodeon) – Time Slot Premiere
8:30 Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, & Dawn (Nickelodeon)

Monday, September 15th
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
8:00 Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood (VH1)
10:00 Twisted (ID)

Tuesday, September 16th
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (ABC) – Special Night
9:00 New Girl (FOX)
9:30 The Mindy Project (FOX)
10:00 Kim of Queens (Lifetime)
10:30 Brickleberry (Comedy Central)

Wednesday, September 17th
9:00 Red Band Society (FOX)
9:00 Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse (OWN)
10:00 The Mysteries of Laura (NBC) – Special Time

Friday, September 19th
12:15 a.m. Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories (Adult Swim)
10:00 Tanked (Animal Planet)

Sunday, September 21st
8:00 Miss Marple (PBS)
8:30 Madam Secretary (CBS) – Replays at 10:30
8:30 Liv & Maddie (Disney)
9:30 The Good Wife (CBS)
10:00 Cutthroat Kitchen (Food Network)
11:59 Mr. Pickles (Adult Swim)

Monday, September 22nd
12:15 a.m. Squidbillies (Adult Swim)
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – One-Hour Premiere
8:00 Gotham (FOX)
8:00 The Voice (NBC)
9:00 Scorpion (CBS)
9:00 Sleepy Hollow (FOX)
10:00 The Blacklist (NBC)
10:00 Forever (ABC) – Special Night

Tuesday, September 23rd
8:00 Finding Your Roots (PBS)
8:00 NCIS (CBS)
8:00 The Voice (NBC)
9:00 Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD (ABC)
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)
10:00 Awkward (MTV)
10:00 Chicago Fire (NBC)
10:00 Forever (ABC) – Time Slot Premiere
10:00 Person of Interest (CBS)
10:30 Faking It (MTV)

Wednesday, September 24th
8:00 The Middle (ABC)
8:00 The Mysteries of Laura (NBC) – Time Slot Premiere
8:00 Survivor (CBS) – 90-Minute Premiere
8:30 The Goldbergs (ABC)
9:00 Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
9:00 Modern Family (ABC)
9:30 Black-ish (ABC)
10:00 Chicago PD (NBC)
10:00 Life on the Reef (PBS)
10:00 Nashville (ABC)
10:00 South Park (Comedy Central)
10:30 Key & Peele (Comedy Central)

Thursday, September 25th
8:00 Bones (FOX)
8:00 Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
9:00 Scandal (ABC)
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
10:00 Jokers Wild (Tru TV)
10:00 Parenthood (NBC)

Friday, September 26th
8:00 The Amazing Race (CBS)
8:00 Shark Tank (ABC) – Two-Hour Premiere
9:00 Hawaii Five-0 (CBS)
10:00 Blue Bloods (CBS)
10:00 20/20 (ABC)

Saturday, September 27th
10:00 48 Hours (CBS)
10:00 Pitbulls & Parolees (Animal Planet)
11:29 Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Sunday, September 28th
8:00 Once Upon a Time (ABC)
8:00 The Paradise (PBS)
8:00 The Simpsons (FOX)
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
9:00 Family Guy (FOX) – One-Hour Premiere
9:00 Resurrection (ABC)
10:00 CSI (CBS)
10:00 Revenge (ABC)

Monday, September 29th
8:30 Mom (CBS)
10:00 Are You the One? (MTV)
10:00 Castle (ABC)
10:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)

Tuesday, September 30th
8:00 Selfie (ABC)
8:30 Manhattan Love Story (ABC)
9:00 Makers (PBS)
11:00 Happyland (MTV)

The post Fall TV Premiere Dates: September appeared first on TVHackr.

Which is where TVHackr comes in – we’ve combed through the veteran shows returning in the fall and picked four that are worth the time to catch up on. Surveying the television industry is quite intimidating, so rather than forcing you, dear reader, to scour the internet for information about what’s worth your time or when something returns, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about each of the four shows we’re recommending. In addition to general information like premiere date, premise, and cast, we’ve provided reasons why you should catch up, which episodes you should watch if you’re crunched for time and can’t marathon, and the different avenues where you can catch up on any of these shows.

About a Boy (NBC)
Premiere date: Tuesday, October 14th
Premise: A man-child bachelor living off his past success finds his world turned upside down when a single mother moves next door with her pre-teen son.
Who’s in it: David Walton (Perfect Couples), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting), Benjamin Stockham (1600 Penn), and Al Madrigal (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart)
Why you should catch up: About a Boy is a show that effectively uses formula as a way of deepening character relationships. For the first half of the season, it’s a cute, fluffy little comedy that hits the beats that you think it’s going to, yet before you know it, you’re deeply invested in the main character’s personal progress and the lovably awkward friendship he has with the affable, big-hearted boy next door. It’s a comedy of self-acceptance and learning to let go, of finding healing through your relationships with others and forgiving yourself for a past that you might not always welcome, with the 13-episode first season is one that grew stronger and more assured as it went on. With Walton and Stockham sharing an extremely pleasant dynamic, Walton and Driver bypassing any hint of will they/won’t they in favor of an unlikely friendship, and the show itself unafraid to tackle emotionally complex ideas for a broadcast comedy, it’s a show primed to make the leap in season two.
Recommended episodes: “Pilot”; “About a Poker Night”; “About a Boy’s Dad”; “About a Hammer”; “About a Rib Chute”
How you can catch up: iTunes has the entire first season at $2.99 per episode. NBC.com has the last five episodes of the season available for a limited time. Hulu has the last five episodes of the season available. Amazon Instant has the entire first season available at $1.99 per episode, with the entire season at $19.99. The last five episodes of the season are available on demand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK7JPt2UbSc

Reign (The CW)
Premiere date: Thursday, October 2nd
Premise: A Scottish royal moves to France to fulfill an agreement between the two countries and wed the man she was promised to as a child.
Who’s in it: Adelaide Kane (Teen Wolf), Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables), Toby Regbo (Mr. Nobody), and Torrance Coombs (Heartland)
Why you should catch up: Reign is the messy, fearless costume drama that had been missing from broadcast television. Delightfully loopy and never meeting a plot twist it couldn’t turn on its head, the series probes issues of power, familial loyalty, and individual wants vs. the needs of many, all through the eyes and experiences of a teenage girl thrust into a position she never really wanted in the first place. Anchored by a searingly compelling performance by Follows as the misunderstood queen, Reign grew much darker with each passing episode while still able to find the light in the most seemingly dour of situations, its confidence growing the more it intertwined the CW-ness of it all with the trappings of its sister period dramas. From blood cults to trips to the Caribbean, from campy one-liners to the fall of one of France’s most powerful beings, Reign is a lot of fun and a refreshing stylistic change from the normally genre-obsessed CW.
Recommended episodes: “Pilot”; “Left Behind”; “The Consummation”; “Long Live the King”; “Slaughter of Innocence”
How you can catch up: iTunes has the entire first season at $2.99 per episode. CWTV.com has the last three episodes of the season, in addition to two earlier episodes, available. Hulu has the last three episodes of the season, in addition to two earlier episodes, available. Amazon Instant has the entire first season available at $1.99 per episode, with the entire season at $19.99. The last three episodes of the season, in addition to two earlier episodes, are available on demand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRpcOUiJJdc

Revenge (ABC)
Premiere date: Sunday, September 28th
Premise: A scorned woman moves to the Hamptons to seek vengeance on those who framed her father.
Who’s in it: Emily VanCamp (Everwood), Madeleine Stowe (The Last of the Mohicans), Gabriel Mann (The Bourne Supremacy), Nick Wechsler (Roswell), and Josh Bowman (Make It or Break It)
Why you should catch up: Revenge very much stumbled during its second season. Rather than continuing to mine the specificity of Emily Thorne’s quest for vengeance, it got too big, too bloated, and too boring, losing sight of the heart of the series in favor of Alias-like conspiracies and the vaguest shadow organization you can imagine. However, a showrunner change and some impressive soul-searching found the ABC drama at the top of its game during its most recent season; not only did Revenge allow Emily to, y’know, get some revenge through takedowns of the week and some serious progress against the Graysons, it allowed her to reexamine why exactly she’s doing this and reignite her determination to see things out for her father. In a season of katanas, mental institutions, and over-the-top deaths, it was a more cerebral way of looking at the very damaged psyche of a woman who lost her entire childhood due to the interests of the very people she’s trying to bring down.
Recommended episodes: “Secrecy”; “Exodus”; “Disgrace”; “Impetus”; “Execution”
How you can catch up: iTunes has the entire third season available at $2.99 per episode. ABC.com has the last five episodes of the season available. The last five episodes of the season are available through Hulu, though the entire 22-episode third season is available through Hulu-Plus. Amazon Instant has the entire third season available at $1.99 per episode, with the entire season at $39.99. The last five episodes of the season are available on demand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAqywOC3p04

Sleepy Hollow (FOX)
Premiere date: Monday, September 22nd
Premise: A resurrected Ichabod Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow and teams with a female police officer to prevent the apocalypse.
Who’s in it: Tom Mison (Parade’s End), Nicole Beharie (Shame), Orlando Jones (MADtv), and Katia Winter (Dexter)
Why you should catch up: Sleepy Hollow should not have worked. It had a ridiculous concept that was made all the more ridiculous by its high-octane trailer, but the commitment that the show had to its concept and the self-aware humor that quickly became an integral part of the show tied everything together beautifully. In a television landscape committed to creating the least offensive, more broadly appealing content possible, Sleepy Hollow was very much itself and never pretended to be anything else, highlighting the playful chemistry between Beharie and Mison while crafting a show that worked both as supernatural procedural and mythologically threaded serial drama. It was loud, it was visually striking, and it had more chutzpah than nearly every other freshman drama from last season combined – it was event television in every sense of the word and something that has the potential to become even greater going forward.
Recommended episodes: “Pilot”; “The Sin Eater”; “Necromancer”; “The Golem”; “Bad Blood”
How you can catch up: iTunes has the entire first season available at $2.99 per episode, in addition to a wealth of free bonus material. FOX.com has the last eight episodes of the season available for a limited time. Hulu Plus has the entire first season available. Amazon Instant has the entire first season available at $1.99 per episode, with the entire season at $31.99. The last seven episodes of the season are available on demand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFHvr-EhmUo

The post Four Shows to Catch Up on Before Fall appeared first on TVHackr.

But Olivia Vincent will not go away quietly – it’s just not her style. Her death, which Oscar attempted to sweep under the rug by hiring Sloane and railroading Chase, is threatening to undo the very fabric that holds the Devils organization together. Someone associated with the franchise pushed her off the landing and it’s not someone like her husband with only tenuous ties to the Devils; it’s someone deeply entrenched in the organization, someone who, if word of their involvement in the murder was to leak, would cast a pall over what should be the happiest time in the franchise’s existence. Under Coach Pete Davenport, the Devils have managed to make it to the finals – the pinnacle for any professional sporting team – yet it could all come crashing down around them before the first bottle of champagne gets popped.

With the mystery surrounding Olivia’s death to culminate in a shocking finale reveal, TVHackr decided to look at the suspects in the murder and determine who’s most likely behind the fall of the beautiful former dancer. Once you cut out the least likely suspects in the murder, either due to their role on the show (e.g. Ahsha) or their lack of ties to Olivia (e.g. Terrence), the five Devils and Devils adjacent figures on the hot seat when it comes to the investigation are Oscar, Jude, Jelena, Kyle, and Derek, all of whom knew the Devil Girl director had something on them. But who could be the person whose one decision could threaten a multi-million dollar franchise?

Kyle Hart
Could she…?: Kyle has previously refused to answer any questions about what she was doing the night of the murder, feigning offense at the insinuation rather than actually coughing up her alibi. She and Olivia clashed multiple times since she joined the team and there’s a possibility that she could have accidentally shoved Olivia to her death in the heat of yet another argument – this one about the information Olivia was holding that could send Kyle to prison. Was Kyle desperate enough to free herself from Benny’s clutches that she refused to let Olivia take that opportunity from her?
But wait: Kyle Hart is the comic relief of Hit the Floor, the one character who has managed to keep her sense of humor in the face of an uneasy time, and those aren’t the characters who get pinned for stuff like this. The show needs Kyle’s brassy Southern drawl dispatching sassy one-liners to keep the tone from shifting too much to the dark side and it’s not as if she hated Olivia as much as someone like Jelena; there might be some shiftiness in Kyle this season, but with how afraid she became of Oscar and how she was trying to build a better life for herself, that doesn’t equal a murderer.
Final verdict: Though Kyle might have had a reason to kill Olivia, Hit the Floor wouldn’t turn their ray of sunshine into a full-on heel, not after undergoing its darkest season yet.

Jelena Howard
Could she…?: Jelena and Olivia hated each other’s guts and continued to battle for control of the Devil Girls until the latter’s death. Jelena has made no mystery of the importance the Devil Girls have in her life and through her interactions with Ahsha and Sloane, she’s shown herself to be ruthless enough to get what she wants no matter the impact it has on others. Already the show’s B-villain, she has a history of nefarious activity that killing Olivia wouldn’t look too out of place up against, especially since she was the one who moved the shovel for Oscar, and having her be the one to push Olivia to her death would be a way to amp up the mystique around the baddest Devil in the locker room.
But wait: The show has done an awful lot to humanize Jelena this season – having her be cautiously friendly with Raquel, showing just how much she cares about Terrence, shining a spotlight on the issues she has with her mother. While there’s always a chance that this was all a bait-and-switch, a way to soften the character before being hit with a reminder of just how deep her badness goes, it doesn’t feel like something that Hit the Floor would do, not when Jelena is as prominent on the show as she is. Some catty comments are one thing, but would the show have arguably its second lead become a murderer?
Final verdict: Jelena Howard is capable of a lot of things, but season two has proven that murder isn’t one of them.

Derek Roman
Could he…?: Olivia knew about Derek’s drug use and could have used that to destroy his public image, thereby costing him millions of endorsement dollars in the process. Word about his addiction could have also robbed him of a chance to play for a championship and put quite a bit of heat on the Devils regarding whether they would suspend him or keep him on the roster, so he had an ample amount of motivation to silence Olivia. Derek didn’t want to rock the boat in the Devils organization like Olivia wanted him to and rather than going up to her home to scare her off of his back, he ended up pushing her to her death, an event that embedded itself in his subconscious and helped inspire his relapse.
But wait: Derek is part of the central love triangle on Hit the Floor and there’s just no way that they would sully that by having him kill someone, even accidentally. His relationship with Ahsha played a huge part in season two and since they’ve already leaned on Derek’s addiction issues to complicate things between the two of them, adding something like this and completely severing the chance that he and Ahsha were to get back together just feels like too much. “Dersha” might be dead for the moment, but there’s too much between Derek and Ahsha for Hit the Floor to throw in a murder and obliterate arguably one of the vital components of its identity.
Final verdict: Derek cares too much about basketball and Ahsha to get mixed up with Olivia Vincent.

Oscar Kincade
Could he…?: If Olivia were to go to the press with what she knew about Oscar’s financial improprieties and penchant for lending his girls out to other high rollers, it would have obliterated his tremendously successful empire and possibly forced him to give up the Devils for good. The show has spent the entire season pointing to the fact that Oscar isn’t afraid to kill to get what he wants and has the most to gain from Olivia being kept silent, so with him already pinning the crime on Chase with the shovel, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to have him be the one directly responsible for Olivia’s death.
But wait: Oscar Kincade doesn’t get his hands dirty, so he just doesn’t seem like someone who would not only go to Olivia’s house himself but push her to her death. He’s more about using his resources to get what he wants and since he wasn’t the one to kill Mia in order to keep her from talking, it’d be out of character for him to be suddenly front and center on jobs like this, especially when you consider the similarities between Mia and Olivia’s appearance and personal history. Having him connected to the death itself rather than the covering up would be believable; him breaking the pattern he has with his girls and putting his dreams of a new arena in danger simply isn’t.
Final verdict: Oscar is a bad man who deserves jail time, possibly some for his connection to Olivia’s murder, but is he the one who gave Olivia the final shove? I don’t think so.

Jude Kincade
Could he…?: Jude is desperate for the approval of his father. Be it their lack of a relationship, his insecurity about his sexuality, or his desperation to move up in a testosterone-dominated field, he would do anything to prove himself to Oscar and to keep his father in power. He’s already hinted to Zero that he’s done bad things in the name of helping Oscar and he has two very distinct reasons for wanting to keep Olivia from speaking to the press: he wanted her to back down in order for the arena to still be in play and he knew that Olivia knew about him, Derek, and the coke. Even if it was ultimately something that he didn’t mean to do, Jude killing Olivia would save his career, get him “in” with Derek (and thus, the rest of the Devils), and keep the chance of building a relationship with his father open. Were he to be the one responsible, it would cast a tragically ironic pall over the last few episodes, as Jude would have given up a promising career and many years of his life for a man who ultimately disowned him, and give the season just a little bit more punch than it had before.
Final verdict: Barring any last minute twists, look for Jude to be led away in handcuffs for the murder of Olivia Vincent, assuming Hit the Floor pivots away from an obvious-seeming suspect (Oscar) and toward someone that has motive but whose participation in the crime is a little more shocking.

The season finale of Hit the Floor airs Monday at 9:00 on VH1. The show has already been renewed for a 10-episode third season, which will premiere next spring. You can check out a sneak peek of the finale here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRxymJRylts

EDIT: The identity of Olivia’s killer can be found here.

The post Hit the Floor Season 2 Speculation: Who Killed Olivia Vincent? appeared first on TVHackr.

Are these the only new shows that could face difficulty in finding an audience? Not at all, but in the interest of brevity, TVHackr only looked at what they believe to be the most vulnerable new show on every broadcast network at this point in time. The positives and negatives of each show’s respective situation were weighed, with appropriate scheduling advice and extended trailers included, as well.

Jane the Virgin (The CW)
Premiere Date: Monday, October 13th
Premise: An ambitious 20-something gets accidentally inseminated with her boss’s baby.
The Bright Side: Jane the Virgin is one of the more distinct offerings of the fall with its clean, pastel-flavored color palette and unique (to say the least) premise, so it could get a decent amount of people curious about how this will all come together. Plus, with its diverse cast, it could tap into an underserved audience.
However: It’s unlike anything else on the network and it’s not as if genres lacking supernatural/genre elements have been doing gangbusters on The CW, anyway. There’s also the matter of its incompatible lead-in and the fact that people could reject it based on the premise alone.
Where It Should Have Been Scheduled: Fridays, along with America’s Next Top Model. The Originals might have a higher W18-49 rating than America’s Next Top Model, but that might not matter considering the smothering competition on Mondays, something that could keep Jane from gaining any traction. Top Model seems likely to have a better audience flow with the telenovela-inspired dramedy and Jane could stick out even more on Fridays, which are heavy on procedurals and family comedies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgDz0s7xw8A

Scorpion (CBS)
Premiere Date: Monday, September 22nd
Premise: An IT genius recruits other geniuses to help solve complex crimes.
The Bright Side: Scorpion looks to be a younger-skewing take on the tried-and-true CBS crime drama. After falling in the 18-49 demo last season and with their major franchises not getting any younger, CBS needs to de-age while remaining true to itself, which Scorpion could provide.
However: Scorpion has the unenviably task of being the series that caused CBS to shrink the Monday comedy bloc that’s been in place for decades, so the network could get a little gun-shy about the change if ratings don’t seem especially promising, especially since Mike & Molly is on the bench. Plus, CBS doesn’t have as much luck when it tries to step outside its dramatic comfort zone, meaning that Scorpion might not have as high a ceiling as other series.
Where It Should Have Been Scheduled: Summer. It could be a decent fit alongside Hawaii Five-0 on Fridays, but it would disrupt the night due to the incompatibility with Blue Bloods; as a whole, the show just isn’t prototypically CBS enough to work in-season, as Sundays are very female-skewing and Tuesdays through Thursdays are set. CBS has attempted to expand their portfolio in the summer with genre fare like Under the Dome, so an male-skewing action-y drama like Scorpion wouldn’t have been too much of a reach.

Bad Judge (NBC)
Premiere Date: Thursday, October 2nd
Premise: A hard partying judge is tasked with raising a little boy whose parents she put behind bars.
The Bright Side: Kate Walsh is a television star; Bad Judge lead-in The Biggest Loser found new life last season in a similar one-hour format; and NBC has a success in About a Boy that is basically a gender-flipped version of this premise.
However: NBC learned firsthand with Michael J. Fox and Sean Hayes that television stars can’t carry a series on their name alone; The Biggest Loser might not be as potent without The Voice pre-tune in; and Bad Judge will be running up against red hot Scandal, a female viewer magnet that could drastically lower the NBC comedy’s ceiling. Plus, Bad Judge is already scheduled to be moved from Thursdays in February, so NBC might not have it on a long ratings leash.
Where It Should Have Been Scheduled: Either Tuesdays with About a Boy or sometime midseason. As mentioned, it’s similar in premise to About a Boy and Bad Judge seems broad enough to take advantage of the hefty lead-in from The Voice; if it were to fail, Boy has shown itself sturdy enough to protect Chicago Fire. But with The Blacklist lingering over NBC Thursdays, Bad Judge might have been better off if NBC has slotted the final season of Parks & Recreation at 9:00 and jumped into the best available slot come January/February. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3vxmJsDIk

Utopia (FOX)
Premiere Date: Tuesday, September 7th
Premise: Fifteen people leave their lives behind and attempt to build the perfect society.
The Bright Side: Utopia is getting a jump on the fall season with its early premiere, which could help with casual tune-in and allow it to have some breathing room to find itself. It has a splashy enough concept to make some noise, particularly if FOX were to get behind it and not panic if it’s not a breakout hit.
However: Utopia is airing two nights a week and not even two consecutive nights – Tuesdays and Fridays. Big Brother can manage that in the summer because of the lack of competition and its dedicated audience, but asking people to sample a new show two nights a week that far apart? It doesn’t help that the Tuesday edition runs head-on into NCIS and The Voice or that FOX Tuesdays collapsed last season, so Utopia will be paired with an ailing New Girl and The Mindy Project, hits only when you look at sub-demos and L+7 ratings.
Where It Should Have Been Scheduled: Fall Wednesdays, with two-hour episodes. Summer would’ve also been an acceptable option, but FOX needs something to make noise in the fall and the way to do that isn’t to split up a show that could generate buzz if treated properly. Keeping it confined to fall Wednesdays for a first season would concentrate its audience and allow the show to act as a seat warmer for the next season of American Idol; the format might be designed for a continuous string of episodes, but it’s a show that would benefit from a truncated order and a concrete ending, even if it were to expand for a potential second season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3fu7j02Mks

Manhattan Love Story (ABC)
Premiere Date: Tuesday, September 30th
Premise: A new couple’s internal monologues get exposed.
The Bright Side: Manhattan Love Story seems like something ABC audiences could take to, as the network isn’t afraid of a little romance or of simply focusing on the relationships that exist between two people. The counterprogramming against NCIS and The Flash could end up working, especially if lead-in Selfie manages to properly self-start.
However: Manhattan Love Story won’t have the luxury of compatible pre-tune in thanks to its Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD lead-out and it doesn’t seem like a series loud enough to cut against the cluttered television landscape and stand out against a full network slate, not without some help from either side of its night. The voiceover gimmick feels like something that will be polarizing at best and the thing that keeps the show from being sampled at worst. The show has a less known cast (Jake McDorman, Annaleigh Tipton) and creator (Jeff Lowell) than Selfie and if it comes down to saving one comedy from the Tuesdays-at-8:00 death trap, ABC will more than likely save the much louder Emily Kapnek comedy over Manhattan Love Story.
Where It Should Have Been Scheduled: Midseason Mondays following The Bachelor. ABC continues developing romantic comedies and sticking them on the wrong night, for some reason, so while comedy at 10:00 is extremely risky, something like Manhattan Love Story seems tailor-made for a pairing with the venerable reality-dating series. It could be a little edgier than it’ll be able to at 8:30 and it would be solid counterprogramming to what the other broadcast networks will be offering in the same slot, thus allowing Castle to use its remaining strength in a more pressing time period.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21llS2xvRTM

The post Five Vulnerable New Fall Shows appeared first on TVHackr.