Sunday, September 9, 2012

fall programming


yeah, so, ummmm (scratches back of head)... I've been missing for a while. I hate excuses, so I'm not going to give any...I hope to be back blogging on a more consistent basis, I miss this place. I suck, I need to be better, end of story.

on that note, as always, i wanted to share my list of what to watch this fall. I've outlined the dates for you, and put in my 2-cents... happy channel surfing

Friday, Aug. 24
America's Next Top Model: College Edition (CW), 8 p.m. 
Monday, Sept. 10
The Voice (NBC), 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 11
Go On (NBC), 9 p.m. As much as I love Matthew Perry, I am going to have to say this might be Fall’s first comedic cancellation (sorry Chandler)
The New Normal (NBC, series premiere), 9:30 p.m. MUST. SEE. TV. Ryan Murphy is a genius, already watched the pilot and it’s amazing
Parenthood (NBC), 10 p.m. This show still rocks
Sons of Anarchy (FX), 10 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 12
The X Factor (Fox), 8 p.m.
Guys With Kids (NBC), 10 p.m. This is a preview only, show technically begins on Sept 26th. But definitely worth it. Jimmy Fallon creation, staring Jamie Sigler and Jesse Bradford? I’m so there
Thursday, Sept. 13
The X Factor (Fox), 8 p.m.
Glee (Fox, season premiere), 9 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 14
Shark Tank (ABC), 8 p.m.
What Would You Do? (ABC), 9 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 17
Bones (Fox, season premiere), 8 p.m.
The Mob Doctor (Fox, series premiere), 9 p.m. This might be the Fall’s first drama casualty… I’m calling it, D.O.A.
Revolution (NBC), 10 p.m. A world with no technology? Not sure about this one, but Jon Favreau directed the pilot, so I’ll check it out
Wednesday, Sept. 19
Survivor: Philippines (CBS), 8 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 20
Up All Night (NBC), 8:30 p.m.
The Office (NBC), 9 p.m. Last season hanging out in Scranton. You bet your ass I’ll be there
Parks and Recreation (NBC), 9:30 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 24
How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 8 p.m.
Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars (ABC), 8 p.m.
Partners (CBS, series premiere), 8:30 p.m. Sophia. Bush. Enough said.
2 Broke Girls (CBS), 9 p.m.
Mike & Molly (CBS), 9:30 p.m.
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS), 10 p.m.
Castle (ABC), 10 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 25
Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars (ABC, results show), 8 p.m.
New Girl (Fox), 8 p.m. Still incredibly adorkable.
NCIS (CBS), 8 p.m.
Ben and Kate (Fox, series premiere), 8:30 p.m. Not loving the premise, if my tv stays on fox after New Girl, maybe I’ll pay attention.
New Girl (Fox), 9 p.m. (actual official new time slot)
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS), 9 p.m.
The Mindy Project (Fox, series premiere), 9:30 p.m. Yup, Mindy Kaling is too funny not to check this one out
Vegas (CBS, series premiere), 10 p.m. Not wasting my time on Dennis Quaid…reviews aren’t that great
Private Practice (ABC), 10 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 26
Animal Practice (NBC), 8 p.m.
The Middle (ABC), 8 p.m.
Guys With Kids (NBC), 8:30 p.m.
Criminal Minds (CBS), 9 p.m.
Modern Family (ABC), 9 p.m.
Law & Order: SVU (NBC), 9 p.m.
The Neighbors (ABC, series premiere), 9:30 p.m. An alien neighborhood that reads for sustenance? I just can’t get on board with that
CSI (CBS), 10 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 27
The Big Bang Theory (CBS), 8 p.m. One of the funniest shows on tv today
Last Resort (ABC, series premiere), 8 p.m. Scott. Speedman. Enough said!!
Two and a Half Men (CBS), 8:30 p.m.
Person of Interest (CBS), 9 p.m.
Grey's Anatomy (ABC), 9 p.m. I’m still not recovered from the finale…
Elementary (CBS, series premiere), 10 p.m. Yeah, not sure if this will make it, but I will definitely check it out. I love Jonny Lee Miller
Scandal (ABC), 10 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 28
CSI: NY (CBS), 8 p.m.
Fringe (Fox), 9 p.m.
Made in Jersey (CBS, series premiere), 9 p.m. Not hearing good things
Blue Bloods (CBS), 10 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 30
The Simpsons (Fox), 8 p.m.
The Amazing Race (CBS), 8 p.m.
Once Upon a Time (ABC), 8 p.m.
Bob's Burgers (Fox), 8:30 p.m.
Family Guy (Fox), 9 p.m.
Revenge (ABC), 9 p.m. I just hope that season 2 is as good as the first
The Good Wife (CBS), 9 p.m.
Dexter (Showtime), 9 p.m.
American Dad (Fox), 9:30 p.m.
The Mentalist (CBS), 10 p.m.
666 Park Ave (ABC, series premiere), 10 p.m. Hearing good things (psychological thriller a la The Shining and Rosemary’s Baby). Besides, it has Rob Buckley and Dave Annable; that’s enough reason for me
Homeland (Showtime), 10 p.m. 
Tuesday, Oct. 2
Hart of Dixie (CW), 8 p.m.
Raising Hope (Fox), 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 3
Supernatural (CW), 9 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 4
30 Rock (NBC), 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 7
The Cleveland Show (Fox), 7:30 p.m.
America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC), 7 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 8
90210 (CW), 8 p.m.
Gossip Girl (CW), 9 p.m. Last 13 episodes; I’ll be tuning in just to see if all is tied up in the end. Very curious to see where the writers take us on this final journey
Wednesday, Oct. 10
Arrow (CW, series premiere), 8 p.m. Hearing good things. CW is marketing hard for this one, which makes me believe it has the goods to deliver
Chicago Fire (NBC), 10 p.m. Firefighters and paramedics in Chicago; not only is the cast gorgeous, but I love these types of shows. I’ll be watching for sure
Nashville (ABC, series premiere), 10 p.m. HELL YES. Country Strong, but with Tami Taylor? This is a no-brainer!!!!
Thursday, Oct. 11
The Vampire Diaries (CW), 8 p.m. Things are about to get very interesting…
Beauty and the Beast (CW, series premiere), 9 p.m. Not sure if this one will make it
Sunday, Oct. 14
The Walking Dead (AMC), 9 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 16
Emily Owens, M.D. (CW, series premiere) 9 p.m. Looks cute, and I love Mamie Gummer. I’ll try this one out and see what happens
Wednesday, Oct. 17
Suburgatory (ABC), 9:30 p.m.  
Friday, Oct. 19
Whitney (NBC), 8 p.m.
Community (NBC), 8:30 p.m.
Nikita (CW), 9 p.m.           
Tuesday, Oct. 23
Happy Endings (ABC), 9 p.m. CANNOT WAIT! It’s going to be a-mah-zing!
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (ABC),  9:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 26
Touch (Fox), 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 2
Last Man Standing (ABC), 8 p.m
Malibu Country (ABC, series premiere), 8:30 p.m. Typical storyline (husband cheats, wife moves family to new town to restart career), not sure if I want to sit through another of those. But it is Reba, she’s funny as hell…
Shark Tank (ABC, new time slot premiere), 9 p.m.

usual disclaimer; these are only my views, take from it what you want.

after all, that's just this girl's opinion

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Nothing Left to Say but Goodbye - this girl's reflection on the 9 wonderful seasons of One Tree Hill


“Every song ends, is that any reason not to enjoy the music?”

I still remember when I first saw the promo back in September 2003. It introduced us to small town basketball, and two brothers who barely acknowledged each other’s existence. Fast-forward 9 years, and here we are…saying goodbye to a show that in one way or another, has taught us all a little something.

187 episodes later, we are still captivated by the lives and escapades of all the residents of Tree Hill. To pay homage to the world Mark Schwann brought us into, I wanted to write a little something special. In the following post, you will see all the ways I have been affected by One Tree Hill. In true Schwann-fashion, I begin each point with a correlating song, which also was once listed as an episode title.

So with great sadness, tomorrow night we say Goodnight Rivercourt, Goodnight Karen’s CafĂ©, Goodnight Tree Hill.


Family Affair - Giving us new faces. Well, maybe not all the faces were new. We all saw: Paul on the original 90210 when he seduced Kelly Taylor; Moira skating her way to fame in The Cutting Edge (toe-pick); Chad in Dawson’s Creek (don’t lie, you know you watched it); Joy, who I remember seeing on Guidng Light (thanks mom); James was just a kid when he played a jerk in Once and Again (still adorable though); Hilarie laughed with us every day on TRL; and who can forget Lee, as nerdy Minkus on Boy Meets World. But you introduced us to so many others. Sophia Bush, Stephen Colletti (as a real actor, not a “tool on Laguna Beach”), Jackson Brundage, Lisa Goldstein, Joe Manganiello, and everyone else who we loved for a season or more. You weren’t afraid to pick those actors who weren’t as well known. You introduced many people into our lives and now we get to follow them through their careers (and on twitter).


The First Cut is the Deepest - Love stories. You made us all believe in true love. Whether it was found in unexpected places (Naley forever) or was brought on by days and years of pining (Leyton, Karen and Keith) it was true and it was real. We all finished those episodes with smiles on our faces and love in our hearts. It may only be on tv, but you give us hope, and for that every girl across the world is grateful.

We Might as Well be Strangers – You gave us all a reason to connect. The constant texting during the hour, the long conversations after an episode, the extended lunches going over every little detail. OTH was a common ground we could all meet on. We loved talking about the storylines and gossiping over what we thought would be coming next. OTH never failed to bring the excitement, with every story and every new development.


Truth, Bitter Truth - It’s ok to be different. Whether it’s a tutor in high school, or a “clean teen” looking for a place to fit in, everyone is unique. OTH wasn’t afraid to show us the differences between us all. They put them out there for all to see, and showed the acceptance of just being yourself.

Good News for People who Love Bad News - A million and 1 reasons why my HS years were not nearly as bad as I thought (comparatively speaking-no stalker, no wedding/baby, no crowbar wielding psycho bookies). We all think we have it bad, but I’m not sure anyone can compare to what these characters went through. OTH made it all seem like a walk in the park (well, mostly).


Songs to Love and Die By - The introduction to some of the best music I've ever put my hands on. Gavin DeGraw, Bethany Joy Lenz, Tyler Hilton, Angels and Airwaves, Lupe Fiasco, City and Colour…this list could literally take up pages and pages. You brought us music you felt best described each scene, each moment. I bet we can all remember what song was playing when Nathan first kissed Haley; when the Ravens won the State Championship; when Lucas and Peyton finally got married, and then had a baby. Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing (yes, that’s ABBA, but I couldn’t resist). You made my iPod playlist that much better, and for that alone, you deserve a standing ovation.

Life is Short - Taking risks. You weren’t afraid to show us what it was like to lose someone. You weren’t afraid to show us the horrors of real life. The episode in season 3, where Jimmy Edwards brings a gun to school, might be one of the most powerful hours of television I have ever seen. It didn’t hold back, it didn’t sugarcoat a messy situation. It brought us all into a scary world that we wanted to come out of alive. Tree Hill never shied away from real life issues; whether it was a risky pregnancy or a glimpse at fraudulent business practices. We learned lessons every week, lessons that will stay with us always.


I and Love and You – We have all shared in the joys and triumphs and basked in the glow of the wonderful things that happened on One Tree Hill. The stories and lives we watched unfold were a joy to us all. Haley, Nathan and Brooke were a constant we all loved having in our lives. A constant we could count on every week to take us out of our lives, and transport us to a place “where everything’s better and everything’s safe”. A place not on our map, but a place we would gladly affix our names to on any map.


Mark, to you I say thank you. Thank you for your creativity, thank you for your passion. Thank you for believing that the script was bigger than just a 90-minute movie. Thank you for making us all see the wonder in the world.

“… So don't be afraid to make mistakes, to stumble and fall, cause most of the time, the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you'll get everything you wish for. Maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you. The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination.”

Mark, thank you for letting us all take this journey with you. It’s been truly magical. There is, and will only ever be, One Tree Hill.

But hey, that’s just this girl’s opinion

(The title of this post is a song by Audioslave. Fitting title, don’t you think?)