As yesterday was July 4th, you can probably guess that there wasn’t any big TV news. Biggest thing was that Daniel Radcliffe said he has no plans to appear in the Harry Potter TV series. I wouldn’t be too worried about that response. He is on miracle Workers, so he is comfortable doing TV. If the show is good, I’m sure he’d join it.
12) Dinosaurs (Disney Plus)
English Audio Description?: No
Status: Ended
Robbie is left to babysit the baby. Hilarity ensues.
Episode Grade: B-
11) Family Matters (MAX)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Ended
Urkel appearance. But, Laura finds a dog, which is adorable. Harriet wants it taken to the pound, but the rest of the family wants it to stay. how will Earl feel?
Episode Grade: B-
10) Futurama (Hulu)
English Audio Description?: No
Status: Returns this month
There are so many moments in Futurama where I can say i think the episode would have been better with audio description. That being said, installing a chip in Bender so he can feel the same emotions as Leela did present some laughs regardless.
Episode Grade: B
9) American Born Chinese (Disney plus)
English Audio Description?: yes
Status: not Yet renewed
There are a few times where I feel like there are two shows here. They haven’t quite blended. Apart of that problem is that i feel like Jin is the lead, and his set of problems is wildly different than his awkward buddy who comes from a magical realm and needs to find the fourth scroll. Three episodes in, and I’m not sure they’ve merged these ideas cohesively yet. I’m oddly far more invested in Jin. I really don’t even care that Michelle Yeoh is in this.
Episode Grade: B
8) FUBAR (Netflix)
English Audio Description?: Yes
English audio Description?: Yes
There was some more humor that worked in this episode. Fortune Feinster is the unsung hero here. it’s weird how we always end in one mission, finish that mission and start the next, but don’t finish that one, and constantly leave missions in cliffhangers.
Episode Grade: B
7) Deadlock (Amazon)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Unknown
This really has a lot of possibility, but both episodes overstay their welcome. Even though this is structured like an hour long police procedural, it almost has that Reno 911 level of ineptitude in most of the characters. It’s not even like monk or Psych, which is why I think the length of the episodes is hurting the show overall. I would have tried to stay a lot closer to the half hour mark. It’s basically a dark comedy, and sometimes gambling on running those for a full hour each episode can also water down the episode.
Episode Grade: B
6) Somebody Somewhere (MAX)
English audio Description?: Yes
Status: Renewed
Sam makes peace with her BFF, and sings at Fred’s wedding. It’s a nice book end to the season. Not my favorite show on HBO, as it is incredibly understated, but I also appreciate that shows like this exist. The laughs feel more earned through character development, over a period of time, than necessarily having someone in the writer’s room who is great at one-liners.
Episode Grade: B+, Season 2 Grade: B
5) 5) Better Call Saul (Netflix)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Final Season
After the previous episode, which saw the death of a major character, which followed an episode that saw the death of another series original, it was somewhat odd to calm down. I know that was the point, to show that things can’t always be fixed, and life doesn’t always go back to normal, and putting on a smile is tough, but there just ahve been stronger episodes this season. not that this was bad, but in the rankings, this is not an episode I’ll remember. I think it connects us to the final part of the series.
Episode Grade: A-
4) Everwood (FreeVee)
English Audio Description?: No
Status: Ended
Ephram is befriended by Colin, which does not make Bright or Amy happy, but even though Ephram blows Colin off at their behest, he ends up listening to why Colin wants him to be his friend, and decides Colin’s reasoning wins.
Episode Grade: A-
3) Smash (Roku)
English Audio Description?: No
Status: Ended, Though bombshell Is Being developed For Broadway
I was a big fan of smash, particularly the first season. The second one messes it up a bit by having a competing musical thrown in there, but the songs written for Marilyn are great. it has a great cast, even if i never wanted or thought Katherine McPhee deserved the part. It was obvious to me that Megan Hilty should be Marilyn, and this coming from someone who was a big fan of Kat’s from American Idol. But the pilot still has the two of them together on let me be your Star, and hearing that again, it was still incredible.
Episode Grade: A
2) Mad Men (FreeVee)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Ended
The best part of the episode is the last part, when Roger has a heart attack, which he survives, but it clearly has Don rattled. There are some great moments here from Hamm, but the rest of the episode is somewhat mundane. Though, hearing that old Kennedy ad was fun.
Episode Grade: A
1) Silo (Apple Plus)
English Audio Description?: Yes
Status: Renewed
I think what makes Silo so good is that no character feels safe, not even Juliette. by starting off the series with so many characters dying that you think won’t, it puts you in the position to think that possibly this show doesn’t even have a lead. And even if you are a name like Tim Robbins, we’ve already lost name talent so that doesn’t make you safe either. This show feels like Season 2 could have an entirely different cast, and it would still somehow work. Why do i feel like “the syndrome” is just Parkinson’s?
Episode Grade: A
