What I'm Watching: Fall 2014

Am I the only person who's pretty disappointed with the new television this year? Aside from a couple notable exceptions, I haven't been excited about much of the new stuff on the tube. (Ugh, I just realized that loads of people these days probably don't even know why it's called "the tube.")

Now that we're fully into the fall television season, I thought I'd continue my tradition of sharing what I'm watching--and a few I'm not. 

New Obsessions

The Affair - This new show on Showtime stars Dominic West (The Wire), Ruth Wilson (Luther), Joshua Jackson (duh, Fringe/Dawson's Creek), and Maura Tierney (News Radio/ER). With a cast like that, I was already onboard. But! The Affair is some captivating storytelling. It's got a couple of unreliable narrators in the form of West & Wilson's characters and a central mystery that's slowly unfolding. My one complaint: Not enough Joshua Jackson and his horse. 

Jane the Virgin - I was skeptical, but this adaptation of a Venezuelan telenovella is damn charming, largely thanks to the fantastic lead actress, Gina Rodriguez. She brings so much to this role that could be not-great if she didn't have such a strong presence. I love the family dynamics so much and it's just plain fun, with it's melodramatic narrator. 

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - This isn't super new, since it started in the summer, but I love former Daily Show contributor John Oliver's smart new show on HBO. While it's comedy, I love that he's tackling issues that are very important and often overlooked by mainstream news outlets. 

Maybe I Like You

The Flash - I've caught up with a couple of episodes of this comic book show on Hulu and think it's pretty fun. There's nothing too heavy, thus far, and it's certainly not as atmospheric as Gotham, but it's a good one for streaming while I work, since I don't have to follow all the carefully. 

How to Get Away with Murder - Viola Davis is cool as hell, and I think that's why I'm letting the massive character and plot holes in this Shondaland production slide more than I normally would. But, guys, I've worked at a law school--trust me, that's not how law school works at all. 

Cancellation Sucks

Selfie - I thought this comedy on ABC had a ton of potential and was a lot of fun. But people are jerks about rom-coms and ABC is impatient. Sadness. 

I'm Going to Watch, I Promise

Transparent - This Amazon Studios production comes highly recommended by a couple of friends and I'm going to stream it when I'm out of new television this winter.

I Tried

Gotham - I'm in the minority on this, but I thought this Fox show was all style and not a lot more. It's gorgeous, and I'm sure comics folks love it, but for me it didn't have enough story to keep me interested. 

Red Band Society - What the hell is this garbage? I can't even with the terribleness of every aspect of this show. 

Old Obsessions

The Mindy Project - I teach until 9pm on Tuesdays and have never been so committed to ending a class on time. I've made it home to catch Mindy by 9:30 every single time--an accomplishment I'm more proud of that I should admit. I love how Mindy's story is unfolding and how it's unashamedly filthy in its humor and actually smartly explores the complexity of relationships--it's sneaky that way.

Sleepy Hollow - I think this show has been hurt by their season being extended to 20-some episodes, I'm not going to lie. There are too many new characters and situations and they're interfering with Sleepy's tight storytelling from last year. However, I still have faith and am a loyal viewer. It's a fantastic blend of bonkers and intelligence. 

Parenthood - I almost quit this show last year, despite really liking it in the past. But, I am glad I stuck around because the final season has been very solid. I spend every episode convinced someone is going to drop dead, though. 

Goodbye 

Nashville - I love Connie Britton and her glorious hair, but I couldn't make it through the season premiere of this hot mess of a show. I just didn't care about any of the characters at all. I do really enjoy reading the Previously.tv recaps, though. 

Homeland - Yeah, this just went off the rails for me in season three, and I can't be bothered to watch to see if it's improved. 

What have I missed that I should be watching? 

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