Arts Roundtable
Kyle Leitch, Robyn Tocker, Alexandra Proulx, Neil Adams
How much TV do you watch each week?
Leitch: I’m not a dude who watches too much TV at the best of times. I’d say anywhere between three and five hours is a lot of TV in a week for me.
Tocker: Way too much. It’s usually background music for when I’m online, and since I’m almost always busy on my computer, It’s on about 10 hours a day. Startling, I know.
Proulx: On average, I watch anywhere from 10 to 15 hours of TV a week, not including any sports teams I cheer for. I also generally stick to ABC and CBS primetime shows, such as How I Met You Mother, NCIS, Modern Family and Grey's Anatomy.
Adams: I personally watch about 15 to 10 hours/week. I have cable, but I usually just marathon stuff on Netflix. I watched seven episodes of Mad Men in one sitting this weekend.
Are there any new shows that have caught your eye, or you're excited about for this fall TV season?
KL: Not really new, but America’s Funniest Home Videos premiers its new season on October 7. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia premiers that following Thursday, and I want to get to the bottom of that weird promo starring the “new” cast.
RT: I don’t usually get into new shows. I’m an old-favourites type. But I’m excited for the return of Criminal Minds and NCIS.
AP: I haven't started watching a new show yet, but if I were to start watching one it would probably be The New Normal. I saw a sneak peak, and it was actually pretty good; I just haven't had the time to actually sit down and watch a full episode yet.
NA: It usually takes a whole season or more for something to really get my attention. I can't commit to shows that might take a bad turn.
Who will have the best season premier
KL: American Horror Story: Asylum. The first season of this show on FX was a legitimately great psychological thriller, yet it had piss-poor ratings. It needs to deliver something brilliant in this premier if it wants to get renewed for season three.
RT: NCIS had it, in my opinion. The pursuit of the criminal who bombed NCIS headquarters, the continued sexual tension between Agent Ziva and Agent Tony, and the possible death of the mortician Ducky? What could be better!
AP: The best season premier for me already aired, and it was Grey's Anatomy. Instead of it picking up right where it left off last season, it jumped ahead, so you had no clue who was alive, at least not until the end of the episode, which revealed a huge shock. I won't reveal anymore than that in case people haven't seen it. But man, hands down best one I saw last week.
NA: Game of Thrones is certainly going to start with a bang in the spring. Same with Breaking Bad. It had kind of a soft ending, but I'm sure that "The One Who Knocks" won't be able to walk away from the Jib game so easily.
What show do you think will be the biggest let down this season?
KL: Don't Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. I don’t know how in the buggering hell this made it past a pilot, yet here we are with the second season premier fast approaching. Unfunny, stock characters in stupid and predictable situations, and bad writing, even as far as sitcoms are concerned. Yeesh.
RT: That’s hard to say. The only thing I can think of is Grey’s Anatomy and that’s because of the death of two of my favourite characters, Lexi Grey and Dr. “McSteamy”.
AP: I don't watch Glee, but I have heard that this season will not be up to its usual standard. That's the only show that comes to mind when I think of which show could potentially be a let down. I choose the shows I watch based on a consistency basis, which means they never let me down.
NA: 30 Rock. Should've been put out of its misery last season. Tina Fey is funny, but it just seems like they're getting lazy and phoning it in, not unlike the Saturday night variety show it parodies.
Which still-running show would you stop if you could?
KL: The Simpsons/Family Guy/American Dad/The Cleveland Show, etc. You all put up a valiant effort, (some of you way more than the others) but your courses have run out. At ease, soldiers.
RT: Glee. The first two seasons were good, but after the third, it should have stopped. Trying to add new characters to replace old ones is bothersome for the fans, and with the music less than fantastic, it’s about time the show just called it quits.
AP: If I could stop one show, I would probably ask that Two and a Half Men just stops. I don't usually watch is anyways, but I definitely haven't been interested in it since they introduced Ashton Kutcher into the mix after the Charlie Sheen fiasco. Plus the fact that the kid isn't even a kid anymore.
NA: Supernatural. As I understand it, the creators had a five season story arc built with and ending, but its entering its tenth season. I really enjoyed the first three or so seasons but the Wincester bros. haven't aged well since they were the fresh faced Mulder/Scully type-duo they were when it premiered. Just like The X-Files, this dog needs to be put down before its legacy is irreparably damaged.