Aug. 23, 2021 Fall 2019 TV season: This always happens towards the end of August. I'm running low on scripted dramas to watch. I have to write about other TV shows.
Prodigal Son: This is my favorite TV show that came out in Fall 2019.
"Malcolm Bright, one of the best criminal psychologists around, uses his twisted genius to help the NYPD solve crimes."
Prodigal Son (TV Series 2019–2021) - IMDb
Pros:
1. There was a good opening. In 1998, Malcolm is an 8 year old boy saying goodbye to his dad Dr. Martin Whitley as he is being arrested. The news says that Martin is a serial killer.
Present: Malcolm is now a special agent for the FBI and he goes to save some hostages. He gets tasered from behind and fights back.
2. The cast:
Tom Payne- as the lead Malcolm Bright. He is smart and quirky as he joins NYPD and solves murders. He is funny and fun to watch. He chains himself to his bed and takes medication so he can sleep.
Martin Sheen- as Dr. Martin Whitley, the serial killer who is in jail. Malcolm is mainly the only one who visits him. He is a psychopath and quirky and entertaining to watch.
In the season 2 episode "Take Your Father to Work Day" is where Malcolm investigates a murder at his dad's prison. Malcolm and Martin end up in the basement:
Martin: Oh, this is a good place for a murder.
Bellamy Young- as Malcolm's mom Jessica who is uptight and has to deal with how her ex-husband is a serial killer.
Halston Sage- as Malcolm's little sister Ainsley who is a news reporter.
Lou Diamond Phillips- as the Captain Gil Arroyo and Malcom's boss and mentor. He is also Jessica's love interest.
Frank Harts- as the cop JT Tarmel.
Aurora Perrineau- as the cop Dani Powell.
Kieko Agena- as Dr. Edrisa Tanaka. She was Lane on Gilmore Girls.
3. There was a good case. A man is sitting on a chair with a bomb and Malcolm decides to chop off the man's hand and then will sew it on later by putting the hand in an ice box.
4. Good ethnic diversity. The Whitley family is white, and all the cops are people of color.
5. Good ending. Gil was a cop and 8 year old Malcolm had called the cops on his dad that he's a killer.
6. The season 1 finale was really gory. Spoiler alert: Ainsley murders a bad guy.
Cons:
1. Ainsley is a news reporter. I thought this was kind of contrived. They needed to have a sibling in the family so it's not only Malcolm dealing with his parents. Ainsley has to be a news reporter or a journalist so she could still be part of Malcolm's world of solving crime.
I did like the season 1 finale with her and they did expand a bit more on her mind.
Comparisons:
A kid visiting a parent in prison: On Alias season 2, Sydney visited her mom in the CIA's prison.
Criminal Minds: This show is about a FBI team finding serial killers. As for Prodigal Son, Malcom helps the NYPD find killers. Malcolm does talk to his dad and gets help in the cases.
My opinion: I watch all 2 seasons of this show and I would say it never jumped the shark.
I was reading TV Grim Reaper's website where he predicts which TV show is going to get cancelled. He predicted that this show was going to get cancelled because season 2's ratings decreased. He was right.
Aug. 24, 2021 LA's Finest: This is my 2nd favorite TV show that came out this fall. Around May 2019, I saw that Jessica Alba was on this TV show and I hoped I would get to see it in Canada. Then it was on CTV.
"The spinoff series of Bad Boys films focuses on drug enforcement agent Sydney Burnett, now working for the Los Angeles Police Department."
L.A.'s Finest (TV Series 2019–2020) - IMDb
Pros:
1. There was a good opening as Sydney and Nancy are talking. They then go to a store and there is a shoot out as they point guns at the robbers. There is a fight and they arrest them. Then they buy stuff at the store.
2. The cast:
Gabrielle Union as Det. Sydney Burnett from the Bad Boys movies to here. I have never really seen the movie. I think I saw a car chase scene from the 2nd one when it was on TV.
Jessica Alba- she plays Det. Nancy McKenna. I have been a fan of hers since Dark Angel TV show in 2000. However, I only saw a few of her movies like Fantastic Four 1 and 2, and Sin City. I'm not that big of a fan, that I will watch anything and everything for her.
Duane Martin as Det. Ben Baines. I have never seen him before.
Zach Gilford as Det. Ben Walker. I didn't recognize him at first until I looked him up and he was on the TV show The Family.
Joshua Alba- he is Jessica Alba's little brother and he was on a Dark Angel episode. On this show, he plays Nancy's little brother Nico. I didn't recognize him because it has been about 19 yrs since I last saw him. He's bald now.
Ryan McPartlin- is a DA and Nancy's husband Patrick.
Sophie Reynolds- Nancy's teen step daughter Isabal. Her character is smart as she wears a credit card on her leg.
Isabel: This is also a commentary of commodity on female bodies and the shortcomings of consumer culture.
Ernie Hudson- as Sydney's dad Joseph.
3. The writing has drama, conflict, and tension. In the pilot, there is a car driving wildly and it turns out it's a kid Kyle who is driving to save a woman who is in the back and needs his help. She is the nanny and was shot.
I saw this on The Rookie season 1.
It turns out Kyle's mom is an accountant and found this money. Her boss was working with the cartel.
Sydney went undercover and got hurt, and was left for dead. She needs to find the kingpin behind this.
4. There is a lot of action on this show. In the pilot, there were flamethrowers thrown at the safehouse. Shootouts, fights, and car chases.
5. The show is kind of funny. There is some race jokes, but I don't find them offensive.
Nancy to the two Det. Bens.
Nancy: Yeah, Blackman and Robin.
Walker: Hey Nancy, where's your darker half?
6. Ethnic diversity.
Cons: None.
My opinion: I watched all 2 seasons of this show and it never jumped the shark. This got cancelled after the 2nd season. I like action dramas and this was a solid and average cop show.
Aug. 25, 2021 Stumptown: This is my 3rd favorite TV show that came out in the fall.
"A sharp-witted Marine veteran becomes a private investigator in Portland, Oregon, where she takes care of her brother who has Down syndrome."
Stumptown (TV Series 2019–2020) - IMDb
Pros:
1. There is a good opening. Portland, Oregon. There are 2 guys in car and a woman (Dex) in the trunk. A fire extinguisher comes out and Dex is fighting the 2 guys as the car is moving.
3 days earlier.
They introduce Dex at a casino. She can see a guy is fake by his fake dog tags.
2. The cast:
Cobie Smulders- as Dex Parios. She is on military disability and has PTSD. She owes the casino $11,000. She dated Benny and he died during the war in Afghanistan. She has a gambling problem, because she doesn't know when to quit- or as Sue Lynn says.
She was on How I Met Your Mother as a regular.
Tantoo Cardinal -as Sue Lynn Blackbird. She is the casino owner. She is also the mother of
Benny.
Sam Marra- as Benny Blackbird.
Jake Johnson- as Grey McConnell. He is an ex-con and owns a bar. He was on New Girl as a regular.
Cole Sibus- as Dex's little brother Ansel. He has Down syndrome.
Michael Ealy- as Det. Miles Hoffman and as Dex's friend/ love interest. He was the lead in Secrets and Lies season 2.
Camryn Manheim- as Lt. Cosgrove.
3. There is good writing because of the mystery. There is drama, conflict, and tension.
The pilot has Sue Lynn give Dex a case, where the casino debt would be gone if she can find her grand daughter Nina.
Dex: Give me $1000 and a list of her friends.
Dex goes to one contact and ask where Nina is. The friend won't tell her, so Dex drives away. The friend calls Nina and Dex comes up from behind and gets the phone from her. This leads to a motel.
Dex pulls the fire alarm and everybody comes out. She finds Nina. This is halfway in. Their car gets struck and 2 guys kidnap Nina.
Nina's boyfriend: I had a shipment of drugs and Sue Lynn torched it.
Nina's dad is Benny.
Sue Lynn pays the boyfriend ransom money for Nina.
Dex is kidnapped in front of Ansel.
Ansel calls Grey. Grey calls Hoffman.
This leads to the fight scene at the beginning. There is a car chase. Dex drives the car and hits a guy with her car door. Cops come.
4. Good dialogue. At the police station.
Dex: It's not about the questions, it's about how you ask the questions.
5. There is a lot of action with fight scenes, shoot outs, and car chases.
6. Ethnic diversity.
Cons: None.
My opinion: I watched the whole first season of the show and it never jumped the shark. This is a fun action show to watch. You should at least check out the pilot.
Oct. 27, 2021 All Rise:
"A look at the personal and professional lives of the judges, lawyers, clerks, bailiffs and cops who work at an L.A. County courthouse."
All Rise (TV Series 2019–2021) - IMDb
Pros:
1. There is a good opening. Lola is a judge, and this Latino woman is the defendant and wasn't wearing pants. Lola gives her jacket to cover her up. The woman Daphne was arrested like that and she wasn't give any pants.
Then this Deputy goes crazy and points gun at the court room. The bailiff Luke shoots him.
2. Simone Missick is the judge Lola on the show. She is a likable character.
Wilson Bethel is a lawyer Will and friend.
Jessica Camecho as a lawyer Emily Lopez.
J. Alex Brinson as the bailiff Luke who is studying to get his law degree.
Ruthie Ann Miles as the judicial assistant to Lola, Sherry.
2. The writing: Luke does look at the case and it seems like Daphne is innocent because in a photo there's a picture of the shoe, and there's a spout in the back, not here, but there.
There is a subplot as Will has to go against this regular man who is accused of robbery. There is a video of him robbing the place. In the video, he doesn't have a beard. In court, he has a beard.
3. Good dialogue:
Lola: We can all do way more than we think we can.
4. Ethnic diversity.
Cons: None.
My opinion: I watched the pilot and then I never watched it again. This was average.
This show got cancelled after 2 seasons, and then it got picked up again:
‘All Rise’ Resurrected With Season 3 Pickup By OWN; Simone Missick To Return – Deadline
Almost Family:
"A woman who grew up as an only child discovers that her dad fathered many other children as a sperm donor."
Almost Family (TV Series 2019–2020) - IMDb
Pros:
1. The cast:
Brittany Snow as Julia who finds out her dad fathered a lot of children.
Emily Osment who was a successful gymnast. A guy touches her butt and she yells at him.
That's good that she yells at him.
Megalyn Echikunwoke is a lawyer.
The show got cancelled after one season, mainly for low ratings. The other reason was that the actor Timothy Hutton got a rape allegation:
Timothy Hutton to Face “No Charge” for 1983 Rape Allegation – The Hollywood Reporter
Sept. 14, 2021 Guess The First Broadcast Scripted Show To Be Canceled In The 2021-22 Season (Poll):
There can be only one! (first TV show to be canceled).
The 2021-22 broadcast season starts Monday, September 20, so it’s time to guess which new broadcast primetime scripted show will be canceled first.
For the purposes of this poll, a show has been canceled if:
- it’s removed from its original timeslot
- its episode order is reduced
- the network acknowledges it won’t order any more than the initial 13 episodes
La Brea (NBC) 19.73%
Queens (ABC) 13.2%
Guess The First Broadcast Scripted Show To Be Canceled In The 2021-22 Season (Poll) - TV Grim Reaper
My opinion: I voted Ordinary Joe getting cancelled because right now this is the lowest rated TV show on NBC. I always Google:
"Lowest rated tv show on (insert network) ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW (insert year) 2021-2022" and I can see all the shows on the network.
#FanExcuseBingo Card For The 2021-22 TV Season
#FanExcuseBingo Card For The 2021-22 TV Season - TV Grim Reaper
(Fox)
#OrdinaryJoe (NBC)
All other scripted shows that premiered since 9/20 are likely renewed, including 6 rookies (ABC 1, CBS 4, NBC 1), for now."Joyless, convoluted and unrewarding" (Assassin's Creed)/ "Just along for the ride" (Passengers)/ "A tug on your heartstrings" (Lion)
"Split's got a big personality"/ "On stranger tides" (The Pirates of Somalia)
Sat. Nov. 13, 2021 Leo opinion survey:
Carrieanne Lachance from , SK, would like to know:
On a day off from work would you rather...
Stay inside and relax
62.72% (3146)
Be outdoors enjoying an activity 37.28% (1870)
About six years ago, Grayzna Burek was clinically dead for 15 minutes before being revived. The 35-year-old Calgary woman recently reunited with the two men who stepped in to save her.
“I don’t have a lot of memory of the event so it’s scary to think about the situation but I think you just have to move forward.
“But I do make a point of celebrating my ‘deathiversary,'” Burek said.
She marks those so called ‘deathiversaries’ as reminder to appreciate life.
On May 31, 2015 Burek suffered a cardiac arrest while playing softball in north west Calgary.
Bystanders, including several nurses and an off-duty firefighter, provided CPR before paramedics Jack Cochrane and Richard Agnew showed up.
“We had to defibrillate her one more time and we got a pulse back on the way to the hospital,” Cochrane said.
At the time of the incident, Burek was in her second year of medical school and is now in her last year of medical residency.
As part of the residency program, she needs to take part in a two-day EMS ride-along.
Burek requested to be reunited with the two men who saved her life.
“I can say, ‘Thank you,’ and tell them all the stories, but what I feel in my heart can never be translated into words. They saved my life — literally,” said Burek, who started her ride-along shift with Cochrane and Agnew on Monday.
“This is more than likely a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Agnew said, “where you actually do get to meet the patient afterwards and see them and see how well they’re doing.”
Her life-changing experience in the back of ambulance as a patient influenced Burek’s choice to become a pediatric emergency physician.
“You never want to be a patient but that experience… helped me connect with my patients a lot better than I would have ever been able to prior to this,” Burek said.
