GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: Week 21

Look below this post for a review of The River (I finally had time to watch it!)

GOOD WEEK: "THE VOICE"
NBC has been having a terrible season but there is one bright shining light and that came courtesy of The Voice. After a surprisingly strong season last spring/summer, The Voice came back after the Super Bowl and delivered the best numbers for a post-Super Bowl show since Grey's Anatomy in 2006. It followed that up with a very strong Monday night performance in its regular timeslot - its 17.8 million viewers and 6.6 demo easily eclipsed anything NBC has done with any regular shows this season. Even if the glow of the debut fades a bit, NBC has a bonafide hit on its hands. They should be careful about not overdoing it because it could be the key to rebuilding their lineup slowly.

BAD WEEK: "THE RIVER"
There were two new debuts this week - NBC's Smash and ABC's The River. While Smash showed some promise even as it dropped over the hour, ABC's The River does not look like a long term player. Its 7.6 million and 2.4 demo with drops across the two hour premiere was very ho-hum. ABC has had a lot of success with new shows this fall and Once Upon a Time and Revenge have broken ABC's string of failed new dramas. But this one feels like one that would have debuted on ABC - a show with no real pop that can't find an audience. Maybe they will have more success with the upcoming GCB or Missing.

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EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While Rhoda has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way. Rhoda could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls: Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...

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