Football Counter-Programming 2015--Week 4

Credit: awesomegifs.com

Welcome back again everyone--to another attempt at Football Counter-Programming!

How much time did you spend between last Saturday and now thinking about football? Be honest! I'm assuming you thought about it on Sunday . . . and again on Monday night . . . and probably once more on Thursday night. Isn't that enough time devoted to football thoughts? Can't we all get together for a bit right now and think about something else?

But what shall we think about today? Let's see what the Log Lady has to say and maybe we can go from there?

 

Hmmm. I think we will tackle the topic of sadness today, since that is what the Log Lady seems to be focusing on. And so I chose the image of Urban Meyer eating Sad Pizza a few years ago.

The Log Lady is giving a grim warning that the sadness will end at our time of death. And she is certainly right about that--struggle against that truth though we might. But that is a very pessimistic view of the world. (A view that is entirely within character on a show such as Twin Peaks.)

But I don't want to promote such a depressing weltanschaung. I want people to think and act more positively, rejecting the belief that this world is only about sadness. We can see so many wonderful things around us. But we have to try to see it.

This state of mind and this set of beliefs is rooted in my Christian faith--and it is something that I aim for . . . and something I fail to achieve quite often. But I was recently encouraged by listening to the Fresh Air interview between Terri Gross and Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber.

Her approach towards the Lutheran Christian faith was filled with humor and humility, long on hope and effort and short on definitive authoritative answers. Instead, she focused strongly on a confidence in God's unwavering love for us--regardless of how we fall short.

How can we feel sad if this is the message we hold?

But many of us do feel sad. And the sadness is rooted in a personal dissatisfaction that seems hard to shake. And this dissatisfaction comes from our culture. We are told to do more, to be more, to see how others do and be and measure our own understanding of success against others--to see that success and grab it.

It is a result of the freedoms and the affluence that we are blessed with in the United States. We believe that good enough is never enough. If you think Good Enough is  okay, then you are a slacker and you are not living up to your potential. If you are content, then you are lazy.

But . . . don't we see people who seem content amid the turmoil and wonder what do they know? Aren't we envious of those who are calm and seem to know themselves? Don't we want to reach a place where we know our edges and we stay within them? And when we don't . . . doesn't that bring sadness?

So much of today's bickering and political fighting comes from well-meaning (some of them, I assume) people who are trying--in their own spiritually-interpreted way--to draw some boundaries. For many, the freedoms and opportunities of this country seem like dangerous zones of confusion. They want to put a wall around what is understood and stay secure within those definitions of right, wrong, good, bad. They want to eliminate the unfamiliar, because they don't want to live there.

Those that are calm and secure . .  . I think they are willing to live in their areas . . . and they are willing to let others live in their areas. That security within oneself is the key to calm. You center YOURSELF. You know where YOU are. And you don't worry so much about everyone else. That gives you peace and diminishes sadness.

So . . . those are my thoughts on that. What do you think? Leave me some feedback in the comments. Am I full of shit? Tell me.

Until next Saturday . . . remember: no one cares if your team's kicker can't consistently make field goals beyond 35 yards.

Fall TV Preview 2015--Fox

Hey and welcome back in to another in my slowly-developing Fall TV Preview for 2015.

I'm sorry that I haven't gotten all of these posts done and live before the official launching of the shows--at least for all of the mainstream networks. BUT, I hope that you are enjoying my other Fall-related offerings over in the Football Counter-Programming area.

On to Fox!

Sunday

Oh boy . . . the calendar looks daunting on this first night of the TV week! So many half-hour shows!

I'll never get all of these posts written if I have to give thoughts on everything or try to come up a joke or whatever it is that you guys are expecting me to come up with. (Oh, hey . . . what ARE you guys expecting me to come up with? If you want something changed, leave me suggestions in the comments below.)

But anyhow, what is Fox giving us to enjoy on Sunday night? The good news--for me--is that none of these programs are brand new. Bob's Burgers [returns 9/27 @ 7:30], The Simpsons [returns 9/27 @ 8], and Family Guy [returns 9/27 @ 9] are all part of the animation block. But there is also Brooklyn Nine-Nine [returns 9/27 @ 8:30] and The Last Man on Earth [returns 9/27 @ 9:30] to round out the night. I've never been a consistent watcher of The Simpsons or Family Guy and I haven't let my kids (or Dean) talk me into liking Bob's Burgers. The biggest challenge for me on Sunday is Last Man on Earth. I watched more than half of last year's premiere season, but the complete unlikeability of Will Forte's Phil Miller character drove me away from watching any more of the last month of the show. And that is too bad, because I liked Will Forte and Kristen Schall and even January Jones. And I liked the idea of the show. But the writers were determined to make me so uncomfortable that I just couldn't sit through it anymore.

Monday

Okay, but now . . . here on Monday are some choices! First, there is Gotham [returned 9/21 @ 8] and then there is the new show, Minority Report [premiered 9/21 @ 9]. And I really am conflicted about what to do with Gotham. As you already know, I'm a fan of the superhero genre. And I think--in general--that the DC-based characters have fared better on television than they have in movies. BUT . . . Batman is the very big exception to that rule. Now, it is true that I am basing this on the very successful Christopher Nolan Batman movie trilogy rather than the shambling mess of Batman sequels that originally followed Tim Burton's 1989 original Michael Keaton blockbuster. But, you want Batman to do well, right? He's a cornerstone of the genre. He's someone that everyone knows at least something about. He's more approachable than Aquaman or even Wolverine.

Credit: www.hollywoodreporter.com/

But Gotham--in all of Fox's and DC's wisdom--is NOT ABOUT Batman. It's about Muppet Baby Bruce Wayne and the Gotham Police Department and the proto villains that we'll one day get to know more. But is that what we want? Smallville tried to tell the story of Clark Kent before he was wearing the big blue underwear. But teenage Clark still had Kryptonian powers! The problem with young Bruce Wayne is that he's got nothing but anger and confusion and money. He's a depressive Ritchie Rich when we want him to be doing crime fighting or learning how to train or deciding he won't use a gun or whatever. The journey towards Batman is so far away that the show seems unfulfilled.

All of this could be overcome if the staff had done a better job of writing dialogue and story last year. And maybe this season will be improved? I'm going to keep watching and I hope to report better things.

Tuesday

All new shows. On the same night. Three of them!

Grandfathered [premieres 9/29 @ 8] is the return of John Stamos. He's a guy (that I sort of equate to Neil Patrick Harris' Barney Stinson on HIMYM) who gets his life thrown out of whack by the sudden discovery of a child and that child's child (hense the name of the show).

If that sounds sort of typical, then maybe The Grinder [premieres 9/29 @ 8:30] would be better? It is different from Grandfathered because it is the return to TV of NOT John Stamos but rather Fred Savage . . . with the inclusion of a different version of Rob Lowe from the dude you liked a lot on Parks & Rec. What is The Grinder, though? It's about a successful lawyer that comes home to run the family law firm and finds himself in competition with his younger brother . . . also a lawyer. (I'd rather you take the interest in that concept and apply it to the MUCH better Better Call Saul [returns _____? 2016 over on AMC].

But . . . if you want something truly different--but also sort of familiar, then maybe you should give Scream Queens [premiered 9/22 @ 8] a try. It's different because it is a horror show about murder and victims and bad people. It's familiar in that it is by Ryan Murphy, who is the guy behind Glee and American Horror Story and its derivatives. So you see lots of that stable of actors and you can probably guess the style and feel of the show you'll be getting. (Kind of like when you decide to watch a Wes Anderson movie.)

Wednesday

One of the biggest hits in last year's TV schedule was Empire [returned 9/23 @ 9], a show about a family running a record label and filled with lots of drama and excitement. Truthfully, I didn't watch the show and while I know from headlines on social media that the show was a hit, I didn't click through the headlines to learn why it was a hit. But surely Fox hopes that success continues in its sophomore season. Did you watch? If so, what was good about it? Enlighten me in the comments.

The new show on Wednesday is Rosewood [premiered 9/23 @ 8], a show described thusly: "Private pathologist Beaumont Rosewood helps the Miami police department solve its toughest cases, whether they want his input or not, and teams up with maverick detective Annalise Villa to find clues where no one else can." Am I nuts or is this pretty much exactly how you might have described Rainn Wilson's Backstrom show last year? (Nobody watched that show either.)

Thursday

If you are a fan of Bones you don't need me to prod you to keep watching the show or even to tell you when it comes back on [returns 10/1 @ 8]. And I suppose the same can be said for one of last year's most hit-and-miss efforts, Sleepy Hollow [returns 10/1 @ 9]. I am almost as conflicted with Sleepy Hollow as I was above with Gotham--with the crucial exception that I am much more ready to dump Sleepy Hollow from my DVR. (Actually, I think I already have.)

I guess I just don't care anymore? Will I be able to simply drop it and walk away? True . . . the show is pleasantly bonkers and very unpredictable. But sometimes it feels like I'm rubbernecking at the location of a car crash. I really want to look away, but if I do I might miss seeing something memorable.

Ugh. Typing that just made me feel dirty.

Friday

Ahh Friday. The day of castoffs, rejects, and reality.

But hold on, that is a pretty negative view of things. And MasterChef Junior [returns 11/6 @ 8] is one of the more positive reality shows. Because it is about cooking competition and it features kids. Who doesn't like to watch kids cook? Who doesn't want to root them on as they saute and whip up remoulade? (Yeah, I spelled that correctly on the first try!) Who can't smile when they try to fancy up something depressingly kid friendly, like hot dogs? And the judges tend to be nicer as well.

But what about World's Funniest Fails [returns 11/6 @ 9]? I don't remember this show from past years. But it feels like a show that falls on the Reality Mean Spectrum to the right of America's Funniest Home Videos and to the left of Jackass.

You get the idea . . .

Saturday

And, well, mercifully that is it for Fox this Fall. On this weekend night you've got Fox Sports Saturday which could mean anything but it most likely means nothing.

Overall? Not too many shows that I'll definitely be watching. I think I'll give Minority Report a try. And I guess I'm going to grit my teeth and keep watching Gotham for a while longer. And I'll probably shame watch Sleepy Hollow a few times and see if there is anything there anymore. But that may be it.

Maybe that gif above represents more than just one of the world's funniest fails. Maybe it also represents Fox's attempt to entice me.

Better luck next time, Fox.

And to you, reader? Next time, we'll tackle NBC.

Fall TV Preview 2015--The CW

Here we are once again for another entry in the 2015 Fall TV Preview. If you need to catch up on the last few entries, click on the Page link at the top of the blog . . . the one labeled TV Preview Posts. It will give you access to all of the Fall TV posts I've written since WWYG?! went live in 2004. The most recent years are down at the bottom of the page.

And now, let's look at The CW.

In past years, I've written The CW late in my list of previews, because it usually provided a shorter list of shows. It is the "fifth"network, with the least amount of money and national coverage, it can't afford to offer a full slate of shows every single night. And that doesn't appear to be different this year either.

Sunday

Case in point. On Sunday night, The CW gives us "Local Programming."
What's that, you wonder? I can't begin to guess.

Well, truthfully, I could go sit down in front of the TV right now and verify what local programming might be--since I'm drafting this on a Sunday night. But I think it is more fun to imagine what it might mean in your locality.

Maybe in the southwest, local programming is lots of Clint Eastwood western movies. And maybe in the Deep South it consists of reruns of The Andy Griffith Show? (Presumably, it is based on lots of regional stereotypes?) Why don't you weigh in down below in the comments and tell me what local programming looks like where you live and watch TV?

Monday

Two shows are provided by The CW on Monday. Returning is last year's successful show Jane the Virgin [returns 10/19 @ 9]. And the new show is called Crazy Ex Girlfriend [premieres 10/19 @ 8]. This new show is described as "A woman gives up her prestigious job and upscale Manhattan apartment to search for love in California."

And with that simple sentence, I'm immediately turned off and tired of the entire concept. Why don't you ever see a show about a crazy ex-boyfriend who gave up everything to chase after the girl that got away? How many shows have tried to tell that story? I mean, I guess parts of How I Met Your Mother showed some of that, but very few shows have been honest about the emotional problems that men have faced in the world of dating. It is always expected that women carry the burden of emotion and caring. Guys are shown as actually caring less about it all. Just give them a beer and a football game and they should be just fine, right?

Tuesday

All right. Here we go with some interesting programming!

First, we got season two of The Flash [returns 10/6 @ 8]. As you know from my post on CBS and the new show Supergirl, I'm a fan of the superhero TV genre. And I enjoyed the first season of The Flash quite a bit. I didn't know much about the mythology of the comics character before I started watching, but the good news is that you don't really need any prior knowledge. As long as you can accept the possibility that a weird combination of super-colliding atoms and some other weird "weather stuff" can alter someone's atoms and body enough to give him super speed, then . . . well, you are in. Just enjoy watching Barry The Flash Allen adjust to his new powers and hope that he can use those powers to simultaneously help the innocent while also trying to solve the mystery of his mother's death (when he was a boy, naturally) and also try to hide the truth with those that he loves (to keep them safe). It's all standard superhero stuff. But it's done well. And most importantly, the costume doesn't look awful. (Always an important consideration . . . really!)

Credit: cw.com; Just LOOK at this image. Wouldn't YOU want to know what is going on in a show with this sort of imagery?

What is the other show on Tuesday? iZombie [returns 10/6 @ 9]. I admit that I didn't watch the premiere season of this last year. But Lynda gave it a few watches and was favorably impressed with it. So I set my DVR to catch me up and I am ready for the second season to start. Since I am currently watching the unrelenting sadness that is both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, this show is a welcome antidote to that  sort of zombie show. iZombie has a good mix of the humor of Veronica Mars, twisted through the zombie angle and dusted with a bit of Dollhouse (the zombie main character taking on a bit of the characteristics of a new crime victim each week). If you like these sort of genre-heavy shows, you might want to give this returning show a try in its second season.

Wednesday

And here is the final wheel of my superhero tricycle--Supergirl, The Flash, and Arrow [returns 10/7 @ 8]. As I mentioned in my earlier post, Arrow can tend to get too broody and mopey--especially all of the second half of last season, when Oliver Queen (the Green Arrow of the comics) debated replacing Rás al Ghul. It was pretty overwhelming in its sadness and pretentiousness and I never really believed that it was going to happen. So, it was hard sledding to sit through so many episodes focused on something that I had little investment in.

 I promise you that you will NEVER see the actors on Arrow this happy during an episode.
It will be much, much more like this.

But Arrow can be a good show at times, when it lets go a bit of the world-saving pressure that Oliver puts on himself. When it focuses down on the relationships between the characters--which just happens to be occurring during a time of crime fighting and costumes--it can be fun to  watch. (As long as there is not THAT much time devoted to Laurel Lance. I really don't like that actress very much. either before or after she became the Black Canary.) I could definitely use more of Stephen Amell (Oliver) and Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity).

Other than more superheroes, The CW on Wednesday night also gives you Supernatural [returns 10/7 @ 9].

Thursday

Have you watched The Vampire Diaries [returns 10/8 @ 8] or The Originals [returns 10/8 @ 9]? I have not. And I am someone who watched every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer PLUS Angel and I even tried to watch The Tomorrow People a few seasons back. Who does watch these shows? Maybe people who are tired of rereading Twilight novels or can't quite figure out how to combine their Anne Rice vampire fan fiction with that great idea for Speed Racer 2015?

Friday

And speaking of returning CW shows, how about Reign [returns 10/9 @ 8] and America's Next Top Model [returned 8/5] . . . so I guess I'm sorry that I didn't let you know in time for you to watch the most recent "cycle" of ANTM. My bad . . .

 I think that the best thing to be done with these shows is to combine them into a single program demanding that the fashion models only be photographed in medieval garb while the photo shoots center on things like winching up a drawbridge and putting a castle under siege.

Look, Game of Thrones handles medieval situations in sexy ways, so don't' tell me that it can't be done.

Saturday

Do I even need to tell you what is featured on this day? Well, just in case you wondered, it isn't football, football, football.

Instead it is . . .

 LOCAL PROGRAMMING!
(Video courtesy of Hayward Fowler, proprietor of Tifton's own The Fun Channel.)

Next time? Let's take a look at Fox. See you then.

Football Counter-Programming 2015--Week 3

Welcome back to another week of asking you to consider something besides twenty-something dudes wearing fake armor and knocking each other down. It's another Saturday of Football Counter-Programming!

And, as always, here is another Log Lady Introduction to get us started.
This quote introduces the third broadcast of the show, if the Pilot episode has no number. The title of the episode is "Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer." In it, we meet Ben Horne's brother Jerry for the first time and discover how much they love to eat food. The Horne brothers also visit One-Eyed Jacks for the first time. Surly FBI Agent Albert Rosenfeld comes to town to aid with some forensic investigation. And, most importantly, Agent Cooper has his first significant dream sequence, going to see the Man from Another Place do his strange dance.

Everyone knows that there are fewer things more tedious than hearing someone else describe their dreams. But I really did have an interesting dream the other night. It was about . . . oh, darn. I honestly can't remember what it was about right now.

I guess you've dodged that bullet.

So, instead, I guess we should instead talk about . . . um . . . well . . . ?

Yikes.

Oh, okay. I'll talk about "saying hello."

How do you like to meet new people? Are you comfortable in a crowd of strangers? Are you always trying to get to know new people and learn more about them? Are you more standoffish, holding back to see if anyone comes up to you and engages you first?

I am much more the latter. If I was going to try and be cool about it, I'd say I was sizing up the room or something like that. But mostly I am anxious about what to say to people I don't know that well. And really, why is that? We all know the drill and we all know how to engage in introductory small talk.

• Hi, my name is _____. Who are you?
• Oh, and you are from _____? I've always wanted to visit there, but I haven't had the chance to get there yet. Maybe someday, right?
• What do you do? Well, that sounds like an interesting job. What do you like about it? Huh. What got you interested in that field?
• Me? Well, I'm a ______. Yeah, I know. Nobody ever thinks that is a job, but someone has to do it right?
• How many kids do you have?/Do you have kids? Yes, those are my kids over there.

etcetera, etcetera, etcetera

It's all very inconsequential and light. (That is why it is called small talk after all.) We all know these basic things about ourselves, ready to deploy them as needed. If you have kids or watch any sports, you've already taken care of 15 to 20 minutes of chatting right there--with no effort.

So, why is it such a big deal? I should just boldly go up to anyone and let my details fly. I mean, I've got a blog that has been public for over a DECADE. I should just type the URL into their smart phone and let them start browsing. Imagine what they could learn about me!

How do you handle these types of introductory situations? What are the types of questions that you typically ask/are asked when you meet someone new? Do you have tips for what to do when engaging in social mingling? Flex your social skills in the comments below.

And, until next week . . . remember--

No one cares if your team has gone undefeated for the last thirty years against early season, in-state opponents.

Fall TV Preview 2015: Columbia Broadcasting System

Welcome back to my discussion of the 2015 new Fall TV season. Today we're going to examine the new shows on CBS.

Sunday

But wait . . .

None of the shows on CBS Sunday night are brand new. 60 Minutes is still starting the night--being delayed by the NFL since your grandfather was raising his children and teaching them to distrust the Kennedys. The other entries for the Tiffany Network at the start of the week include Madam Secretary [returns 10/4 @ 8], The Good Wife [returns 10/4 @ 9], and CSI: Cyber [returns 10/4 @ 10]. All three are dramas, fronted by strong female characters. Perhaps this is CBS' own version of Football Counter-Programming, giving the ladies something that they might want after many weekend hours of football?

Monday

The new CBS show on at the beginning of your work week is called Life in Pieces [premieres 9/21 @ 8:30]. It's a family-based sit-com that tells its episodic stories by focusing individually on each family's point of view. I assume that the discrepancies between these POVs is the main source of the comedy of the show. This might get pretty gimmicky pretty fast, but I appreciate the concept. And the acting troupe includes Dianne Wiest, Josh Brolin, and Colin Hanks. So . . . it might work well if the writing is creative and doesn't rely too much on tired tropes.

The returning shows include The Big Bang Theory [returns 9/21 @ 8], Scorpion [returns 9/21 @ 9], and NCIS: Los Angeles [returns 9/21 @ 10]. Did any of you watch Scorpion last year when it was debuting? I never did, so I'm a bit curious about how well it did in its first season. And I am watching TBBT--even though everyone else dismisses it as very ordinary. But I'm invested in the characters and I just want to see how Penny and Leonard handle being married!

Tuesday

Maybe that Monday night serving of NCIS: Los Angeles has made you realize how much you like dramas about criminal investigation units? Well, then you will absolutely LOVE CBS Tuesday nights, because at 8, you can watch NCIS: Original Recipe [returns 9/22 @ 8] and then chase that down with NCIS: New Orleans [returns 9/22 @ 9]. 

Source: CBS.com; note: not a link to an actual quiz

But I think that is waaay to much NCIS in my own life, so I have decided to give the new show Limitless [premieres 9/22 @ 10] a try. Yes, this show is based on the Bradley Cooper movie of the same name, and yes, the premise is about a guy that uses boutique pharmaceuticals to unlock more of his brain to grow smarter, more successful, and more in danger from criminals and the like. But Cooper is, I think, a producer on the show and will even appear in the pilot. So the idea must have his Hollywood blessing. I think it might be worth a DVR scheduling.

Wednesday

Now that you've gotten all of that Navy-based criminal investigation out of your system, what else is there to watch midweek?

How do you feel about yet another edition of Survivor? Because CBS is definitely interested in giving it to you [returns . . . again, 9/23 @ 8]. I am still amazed that this show is continuing to go strong--even when we've had this mini-renaissance of super high quality dramatic television in the last decade, stretching--as Alan Sepinwall has demonstrated--from The Shield through to LOST, Deadwood, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and on. But most of those shows were on cable, so I guess the rationale is that mainstream networks still need the cheap costs of reality TV to help maintain the bottom line? I guess? (Or is the show still popular after all these years? And why is IT successful that all the other first year efforts, like FOX's bomb from last year, Utopia, never get any traction? Is it just familiarity and inertia--the same forces that keep Big Bang Theory going?)

But don't accuse CBS of just going with the familiar again and again mindlessly. Its new 10 pm drama--called Code Black [premieres 9/30 @ 10] is described on the Web site as "Doctors and nurses fight to save lives in the country's busiest ER."

Oh, wait . . . really? 

Come on.

Thursday

Well, just when I was getting annoyed with CBS and my fingers were getting tired of typing . . . it serves up a gimme of a night. Because this night is only slotted with America's favorite past time--besides wondering what color hat Donald Trump will be wearing now . . .

Football, football, Thursday Night Football! All hail the football!

(In early November CBS will start showing actual shows on Thursday night again. Starting 11/5 @ 9 the football diminishes a bit and the shows Mom, Angel from Hell, and Elementary pop up in the schedule. Mom and Elementary are returning shows, but the other title is a new effort--about an advice-giving angel who is trying to help out a frazzled doctor in New York City. Jane Lynch plays the angel and Maggie Lawson plays the doctor.

(I don't know. . . but it feels sort weak to me. The only guardian angel I need in my viewing life is good ole Clarence.)

Friday

Well, if you're not in the mood for things you already know a lot about . . . then you're probably not going to be super interested in the end-of-the-week offerings from CBS. It is yet more shows that you've already heard of and for which you definitely already hold an opinion: The Amazing Race, Hawaii Five-O, and Blue Bloods. [All shows returning on 9/25 @ 8, 9, and 10.]

I guess I should be impressed with CBS methodical way of returning tested shows year after year, and seemingly all premiering that new night's worth of shows in a daily block. (Seriously, go check back through the days that I've outlined above and you'll see what I mean.) Charitably, I suppose it demonstrates a well-run network that had built up a good stable of solid programming. CBS is, I guess like the St. Louis Cardinal baseball team: dependable, predictable, and completely boring. But you grudgingly must acknowledge that it gets the job done year after year.

Ugh.

Saturday

What even is there to talk about on Saturday, on a network that isn't devoted to football? I mean, maybe I should take back that half-hearted praise that I just laid down and instead question everything that CBS stands for. How unAmerican can it be . . . not to have pigskin on the weekend?

Instead, they have something scheduled that is called "Crimetime Saturday" with no explanatory Web link to help me figure out what is being planned. But I'm not too worried, because I'm pretty sure I remember SEC football games leaking into the early evening, dinner hours on Saturday night. So maybe CBS isn't run by a bunch of socialists after all.

(And then there is 48 Hours at 10 pm.)

***

But . . . really, all of that was just a very long prologue to the most important show CBS is actually premiering on October 26 @ 8:30--Supergirl.




I really hope that this show is going to be a good one. I find it interesting that Marvel has done so well translating their comic characters to the cinema in recent years, while DC (outside of Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale, of course) has "struggled". And I put that struggled in quotes advisedly . . . because the various Superman reboots have been successful, just not gargantuan. And, well, yes. Green Lantern was not well received. And--sure--I've grown disillusioned with a lot of what Gotham did last year. (Maybe more to dome on that later.) And, well, I guess DC is at fault for never getting any good Wonder Woman movies made yet--but then again, look at all the Black Widow problems the MCU just went through this summer. So maybe struggled should come out of quotation marks after all?

BUT . . . my main point is that DC hero properties have done well on the small screen. I like Arrow pretty strongly (though it does get a bit too dark and mopey at times) and The Flash is quite good and a good tonal contrast to Arrow. So . . . expectations for Supergirl are strong. I really hope the show is quality and that the story is engaging.

This new show might be the one I am most interested in--and its on CBS. Who knew? I guess I'm getting older than I think.

(Stay tuned for the next Fall TV Preview post in a few days. Let's continue this superhero vibe and look at The CW.)