The fall TV season is back in full swing (or at least it will be once Chuck makes its return next month), and I’ve gone from having one or two shows to keep up with over the summer to suddenly having to find time for a dozen. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a DVR and Hulu has tightened their restrictions on free broadcasts of network shows (which I don’t really get–hello, network TV? YOU’RE FREE! Stop being so greedy with the streaming); but somehow, I’m managing to fit it all in. Thank Heaven that I can knit and watch TV at the same time.
Here’s what I’m watching, in the order that it airs, even though this bears little resemblance to the order (or days) that I actually watch them.
Sunday: The Amazing Race
I haven’t watched the starting line yet, and I haven’t seen any previews or read anything about the contestants for this round. To be honest, I’m not feeling a burning need to watch it this year, and I considered dropping it from my roster instead of watching it out of habit; but the truth is that I love my race, and I loves me some Phil, and this is the one reality game show that I actually want to participate on someday, so it stays.
Monday: Castle
Again, I haven’t watched this week’s ep yet, but last week’s was, without spoiling anything, kind of frustrating. But I missed this gang and their geek-shoutout-heavy banter, and I’m glad they’re back.
Tuesday: Ringer, Glee, The New Girl
I reviewed The New Girl last week, so let’s move on to Ringer, which I’m really enjoying. This is Sarah Michelle Gellar’s comeback to TV, in which she plays a pair of twins, and while it does help to ease the dull ache in my heart if I pretend that she’s really Buffy in disguise (using the Buffybot to help carry out her world-saving scheme), this show is a fun guilty pleasure in its own right, with a great supporting cast that includes Horatio Hornblower and Bat Manuel/Richard Alpert, also in disguise (clearly, I have trouble letting go of the past). Welcome back to my TV, Smidge.
As for Glee, consider it on notice. The season opener bored me to tears, and with Smash waiting around the corner to fill my musical-geek heart with joy, I’m starting to sense a break-up in our future.
Wednesday: Survivor, Top Model, The X Factor
Survivor is another one that I’m still watching mainly out of habit more than anything else, but at least this season I’m intrigued to see if watching how he came across his last two times on the show has truly helped Coach to grow as a person. So far, it seems promising, as he hasn’t said or done anything too douche-y or crazy yet. He’s actually coming across like a decent and normal guy. I wish I could say the same for Russel’s nephew Little Hantz. He needs to shut up, is all I’m going to say. Ah well, at least after last week’s TC, he’s probably not much longer for this game. Here’s hoping.
Top Model had fallen into the “habit” category for a few seasons, but the last few seasons have brought it back to oddly fascinating. This “All Stars” season is more train-wrecky than ever, and I can’t look away, and I don’t want to. Team Creepy Chan all the way!
Thursday: The X-Factor
Maybe it’s because I didn’t watch that other singing competition show after Simon left; maybe it’s because it’s been two whole seasons without any Paula in my life; maybe it’s because I’m PMSing and the human-interest style, emotionally manipulative background stories are pushing all of my hormonal buttons, making me bawl and hug my dog really hard; or maybe it’s because it really is a better show. Whatever it is, I’m loving The X Factor so much I don’t even miss Seacrest.
Friday: Fringe, Supernatural
Fringe has become my favorite American show, a.k.a. the show other than Doctor Who that I’m most likely to obsess over during the rest of the week. This show is The X-Files on acid and Red Bull, and I couldn’t wait for it to start back up again. Now that it has, all I can say is: phew! And: what? And also: whoa. And finally: aw!
As for Supernatural, which used to be a favorite, I also briefly considered a break-up after last season’s ender, because let’s face it: this show should have ended after season 5 as originally planned. But I had to stick around to see how they would fix my favorite scruffy, trench-coated angel, and now that I’ve seen the season opener, they’ve sucked me back in. I just can’t quit those Winchester boys, apparently.
Saturday: Doctor Who
Okay, this only has one more episode to go this season, but it will be back eventually, so I included it. But I can’t wait to see how this last episode resolves itself. Whatever happens, I’m sure it will make me cry, and set me on pins and needles waiting for the Christmas episode.
What about you, Dear Internet? What are you watching?