The Cancellation Canteloupe Strikes Again!

 Uh oh! It's back! Our favourite little friend is swinging his axe near The CW! This time looking at Emily Owens M.D. The medical dramaedy has failed to find an audience, and the network has decided to cancel it.

The CW have confirmed that they will show all 13 episodes (that's another 7!) and then the show will be over. For those who haven't seen the show, it is like a girl version of Grey's Anatomy.

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Ratings - Wednesday

Arrow, Modern Family, Suburgatory and Criminal Minds were all up in ratings this week while Supernatural was down.

Final broadcast primetime ratings for Wednesday, November 28, 2012:

Time	Net	Show	18-49rating/Sh	Viewers (millions)
8:00	ABC	A Charlie Brown Christmas - R	2.9/8	8.85
	FOX	The X Factor (8-10PM)	2.9/8	8.20
	CBS	Survivor: Philippines	2.7/8	10.37
	NBC	Christmas in Rockefeller Center	2.1/6	9.14
	CW	Arrow	1.3/4	3.74
9:00	ABC	Modern Family (9-9:31PM)	4.7/12	12.01
	CBS	Criminal Minds	2.9/8	12.37
	NBC	Saturday Night Live Christmas (9-11PM)	2.7/7	7.36
	CW	Supernatural	0.8/2	2.00
9:30	ABC	Suburgatory (9:31-10PM)	2.5/6	6.73
10:00	CBS	CSI	2.6/7	12.11
	ABC	Nashville	1.8/5	5.69

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Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2012 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.

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REVIEW - American Dad! S8E04

It’s impossible to discuss a Seth MacFarlane show like American Dad! without bringing up the formula that lurks in every work he’s released over the past eleven or so years. For those of you unfamiliar with it, many of Seth MacFarlane’s shows (and the movie Ted) resemble sitcoms of the early nineties and eighties with some generous helpings of black comedy and pop culture references. Despite this, he’s still able to produce entertaining content, even if some of it provokes eye rolling.

The episode ‘American Stepdad’ is one such episode.

Roger, after seven years of living in the attic, is finally being kicked out.

He’s being moved into the basement so Stan’s recently widowed mother can live in the attic instead.

Over the course of the series, we’ve come to learn that Roger is a manipulative little grey man who does things for two purposes alone:

1. His own amusement
2. To maintain his current lifestyle

I could probably write an essay on Roger’s behaviour if I had the time and the knowledge, but for the sake of this review I’ll summarise him as the character (since I’m not sure person would apply to this extra-terrestrial) with the most horrible personality on the show.

The audience knows this. Seth MacFarlane and his writing staff know this.

More importantly, Stan knows this.

Naturally, he doesn’t take Roger’s sudden marriage to his mother very well.

The episode that proceeds to unfold is one that has Stan struggling to get past his huge mistrust of Roger—to be honest, I couldn’t blame him for his behaviour at the start of the episode. Like Family Guy, American Dad! is prone to ‘snap backs’. Any time that Roger has tried to become a better person (either on purpose or by accident), he reverts to his usual self by the end of the episode.

You’ll likely mutter ‘this isn’t going to last’ as the episode goes on and Stan gradually grows to trust Roger and starts calling him ‘Dad’. You might be tempted to call out what’s going to happen before it happens, like I did. After all, you’ll be able to call most of the moments before they happen.

There is heavy emphasis on the ‘most’ in that sentence.

Like I mentioned before, Seth MacFarlane does have a formula that lurks in all his works—I somehow doubt that he and that merry team of writers failed to notice that. As the seasons of Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show roll on, there’s more and more pressure to do something new and unexpected.

Although they may not always succeed, we have got some spectacular episodes and interesting surprises from these shows (‘For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls’ and ‘Back to the Pilot’, anyone?). This might not be a standout episode, but the twist inside is still pretty good. You’ll get a few laughs out of it (even though the Fast & Furious related subplot fell a little short) and there’s enough warm fuzzy stuff in there to make you smile. I’d definitely check it out if you get the chance.

Review by Greta Rehak

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REVIEW - Vegas S1E08

This week, Sheriff Lamb and the military police unite when Vegas’s weekly game of Cluedo leads to an AirForce base.

Rizzo creates issues when he unwittingly hires Savino’s ex-mistress to sing at the Savoy – the sexy songbird is a volatile mix of miffed and smitten.

In a world where the bad guys aren’t always so bad and the good guys don’t play by the rules, Lamb and Savino’s relationship status still falls under ‘complicated’.  Who saved who is up for contention as the two engage in the witty banter and wise cracks we’ve come to expect.

Carrie Anne Moss gets some screen time, but frustratingly her talents are yet to be put to good use. Perhaps the creators are hiding that card up their sleeves. Time to play the hand, we think.

Savino’s wife shows her solidarity to her husband and his associates, before doing an about face regarding the cronies.

This episode also allows us a better glimpse into what could have happened to Lamb’s wife. Legal documentation states her death was an accidental car crash, but it’s clear the Sheriff thinks otherwise.

Overall, Exposure is a solid episode.

Review by Catherine Jones

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REVIEW - How I Met Your Mother S8E08

So far we are stilling deciding who will be the mother of Ted Mosby’s children? But his endeavour for love takes a back seat as Season 8 has mainly focused on his friends Lilly, Marshall, Robin and Barney.

Lilly and Marshall are absolutely drained of energy from their new baby, while Robin and Barney both have new relationships that fail evidently. It seems the writers are doing as much as they can to drag the storyline out.

The hilarious TV show picks up from where it left off in episode 7 when Marshall recommends old collage buddy Brad (Joe Manganiello) to his boss. Only to uncover that his so called “buddy” was using him to steal their strategy for the upcoming legal case concerning Frog lake, one of the areas Marshall’s company are determined to protect.

Fast forward to the actual case in episode 8 called “Twelve Horny Women” as Marshall is up against the impossible, a jury of a bunch of women heavily attracted to Brad. There is no lengths that Brad won’t cross to win, including: bending over to show off his backside, and sharing video footage of him swimming and chilling by Frog Lake - just in case the ladies didn’t get a glimpse of him shirtless yet.

However, Marshall will not settle for a ‘no’ and also wants to appeal to the jury by playing with their emotions. He lacks the sex appeal, so that’s out of the picture. Instead, he brings in an adorable duckling that he claims is suffering dermatitis due to all the chemical spillage in the lake.

As a subplot the gang try to convince each other that they were badass as teenagers. Although, not sure how this was relevant to the main story.

An interesting part of the episode was when it showed the awkwardness between Barney and Robin after their kiss from last week’s episode. Barney claimed he has given up trying to gain Robin’s affections. Nethertheless, it’s obvious they will eventually end up together but right now they're still in denial.

It was not the most exciting episode of the season so far but it ends with a happy note as Marshall wins the court case.

Review by Jessica Tisdell

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Ratings - Tuesday

Most shows were up from their ratings last week, with the exception of Emily Owens M.D. and Vegas while Hart of Dixie remained even with last week.

Broadcast primetime final ratings for Tuesday:

Time	Net	Show	18-49rating/Sh	Viewers (Millions)
8:00	NBC	The Voice	3.8/11	11.57
	CBS	NCIS	3.6/10	19.76
	ABC	How the Grinch Stole Christmas - R	2.4/7	8.37
	FOX	Raising Hope	1.8/5	3.87
	CW	Hart Of Dixie	0.5/1	1.39
8:30	ABC	Shrek the Halls - R	2.5/7	8.44
	FOX	Ben And Kate	1.4/4	2.82
9:00	ABC	Dancing with the Stars (9-11PM) Finale	3.0/8	16.73
	CBS	NCIS: Los Angeles	2.9/7	14.49
	NBC	Go On	2.5/6	6.06
	FOX	New Girl	2.3/6	4.12
	CW	Emily Owens M.D.	0.3/1	1.05
9:30	NBC	The New Normal	1.7/4	4.04
	FOX	The Mindy Project	1.5/4	2.76
10:00	NBC	Parenthood	1.8/5	4.49
	CBS	Vegas	1.6/4	9.35

Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2012 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.

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REVIEW - Family Guy S11E05

Joe wasn’t telling the truth. He did not lose the use of his legs by falling off a roof after a fight with the Grinch. Notorious criminal Bobby Briggs was responsible.

Joe’s nemesis, the criminal who shot out his legs when he was discovered as an undercover cop back in the 90’s has been apprehended by the police and is finally going to jail. Tom Tucker reports that Bobby ‘The Shirt’ Briggs was so called as he wore a shirt when committing all of his heinous crimes. This big time criminal had been on the run for 15 years but finally he has been caught and justice is about to be served.

Joe’s peace of mind only lasts 24 short hours before news breaks that Bobby Briggs has escaped and is back on the run. Joe demands to be on the case to help track him down but his boss at the department says that he is too close to the situation. That leaves Joe depressed and unhappy until his pals Peter and Quagmire offer to help.

The offer of help means they take the case into their own hands and try and track down Bobby themselves. The usual Hijinks is involved as they try and intercept Bobby Briggs before he hits the Mexican border. There are some great one-liners from Peter and a particular set of skills Quagmire has to get information from strippers and to escape some bent cops.

This could become a classic episode of the season and is a favourite of mine so far for Season 11, witty, funny and a few ‘I can’t believe they got away with that’ moments!

Review by Joann Duff

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Review - Family Guy S11E04

Brian is losing his touch at the bars when picking up women. He needs something spectacular to impress the ladies. Is a time machine a little too far?

Brian picks up hot chicks with low self-esteem with the pick up line to end them all. He sneaks them into Stewie's bedroom and uses his time machine. Brian takes the ladies anywhere they want to go and gets laid a lot in the process, it seems everyone is having a good time until Stewie gets suspicious.

In a panic Brian gets scared and doesn’t want his secret discovered by Stewie so he tries to fiddle with the time machine to reset the mileage. Disaster occurs when the time machine explodes, leaving Stewie and Brian battered and bruised but much worse is that it seems that time is in reverse.

Stewie and Brian seem immune at first but soon enough the whole neighborhood is going back in time. Back in episodes too as we revisit the all too long fight between Peter and the Chicken (do we have to keep wheeling that one out to fill a few minutes?) The ipecac spewing scene and Cleveland reappears in the bathtub as his home collapses.

As time reverses so does Stewie’s age and Brian has to fix the time machine before Stewie is ‘unborn’.

This isn’t going to be one of the standout episodes of season 11. Its not as gross, funny or topical as other episodes but it does have the most consistent storyline without too many of the usual random cut-to’s.

Review by Joann Duff

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REVIEW - New Girl S2E09

Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) has not had the best luck in finding a new teaching job and has been spending her time helping older people learn how to read to pay her bills. In episode 9 ‘Eggs’, the show opens with Jess’s lesbian gynaecologist friend Sadie and her partner Melissa sharing a dinner with Jess, Cece and Nick, when they announce they’re pregnant. It’s great news for them but when Sadie rants on about how women lose up to 90 per cent of their eggs by the age of 30, Jess realizes that time is ticking away and she begins to panic. 

“What if I only have weird eggs left?” Jess asks. Cece (her best friend) tries to calm her but Jess suddenly feels the need to be fertilised before it’s too late. A hilarious moment is when Jess screams “Give my nipples a purpose!” out her window to all the city people. Jess takes her craziness to a whole new level as she throws away any toxins in the apartment that could ‘harm’ her, including the microwave. All she wants to know is “Who is going to plant a flag on this sweet, sweet continent?”

Jess and Cece (Hannah Simone) decide to take a test that while determine how many child baring years they have left. Sadie breaks the news to them, luckily Jess’s hormones are off the charts but for Cece she doesn’t have as much time. Which comes the predicament, should she start trying for a family now while she is fertile and with her boyfriend who wants them in the distant future?

Schmidt (Max Greenfield), who signed a contract with his boss to be her sexual partner, is frustrated that she is bored. Known for his great sex, Schmidt does not settle until he can satisfy her. Earlier on, he turned to Melissa (since she is a lesbian and gynaecologist) for her advice and she called him a “Vagenius”. So whats wrong? Apparently love is what is missing…

Nick (Jake Johnson) on the other hand, wants to actually start his zombie novel. To do so, he wants to experience life and live an adventurous life like the famous writer Ernest Hemingway. Drunken Nick drags his roommate Winston to the Zoo to get some ‘life experience’ and Winston confronts Nick about his habit of never finishing anything in his life. In the end, Nick surprisingly does finish the novel (well kind of) and Winston is proud, even if it was crap.

The writers of New Girl did a great job on this episode and it was definitely one of funniest so far for Season 2.

Review by Jessica Tisdell

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REVIEW - American Horror Story S2E06

‘All of a sudden the monotonous replaying of ‘Dominique’ in the stark rec room at Briarcliff feels like a night at the Four Seasons.'

I watched this episode back to back after ‘I am Anne Frank (2)’. I jumped at my own shadow the whole way through and felt so unsettled that I had to calm myself by watching an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond to bring me back to safe TV. I’m a tough cookie when it comes to horror but this episode got into my head and under my skin.

Dr ‘ex Nazi’ Arden is getting sloppy, leaving devoted, devilish and increasingly busy Sister Eunice to pick up the pieces and tie up all his loose ends. The power scales now tip in her favour and you know that soon enough Dr Arden will be putty in her evil porcelain hands. She also finds time to spend with a young protégée. A girl who would not be out of place in ‘The Ring’ whose mother is so scared of her murderous tendencies and lack of emotion that she abandons her at Briarcliff.

This episode though has far more important business to attend to. That being the revelation that Kit is not the Bloodyface Killer. Mild mannered Dr Thredson is revealed as a mixture of all terrifying serial killers in American history, fact and fiction. Ted Bundy, Leatherface, John Wayne Gacy and Hannibal Lecter all rolled into a super intelligent, completely deranged, horrifyingly delightful character who can change personalities on a knifes edge.

Lana Winters is in really big trouble. Dr Thredson has rescued her, but he has other plans. She cannot return to her life as she knew it but Thredson has recreated a gruesome version for her. She is trapped with Thredson in one of the creepiest homes on earth. Thredson is looking for ‘mummy’ and has a penchant for sleeping with dead women and then skinning them. Not really the flatmate you want, and all of a sudden the monotonous replaying of ‘Dominique’ in the stark rec room at Briarcliff feels like a night at the four seasons.

Back at Briarcliff though it seems Dr Arden has finally got his wish to have Sister Jude out of the picture. She seems to leave with dignity but old Sister Jude has a trick or two up her sleeve and you know she won’t leave quietly.

The origins of Monstrosity is one of those episodes which doesn’t let your senses stop for a second and reveals some key questions while leaving many more left to be asked. If Bloodyface is in his mid-20’s in the 1960’s who the hell is Bloodyface today?

Review by JoAnn Duff

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REVIEW - American Horror Story S2E05

The saga continues for poor ‘Anne Frank’. Just as sister Jude pours all faith and belief into Anne’s story, her husband arrives at Briarcliff to take her home. She is not Anne Frank after all but a young wife and mother called Charlotte with severe postnatal depression according to a rather speedy diagnosis from Dr Thredson.

Dr Thredson seems so monotone, calm and balanced while hell happens around him that you quickly begin to wonder if he is a good guy at all. He professes to be able to save Kit from the death penalty if he can prove his sanity, and promises to break Lana out of the asylum that night. But the longer he stays on the screen the more unsettling he becomes. Your gut proves you right in the last third of the episode with a revelation which will leave you in disbelief.

Jessica Lange deserves an Emmy nomination for this episode alone. We see her become more fragile, old and lonely as her ivory tower begins to crumble from its very foundations. Sister Jude closes in on Dr Arden’s Nazi past it is and she turns to her beloved Mon Senior for support but is rejected and the Mon Senior wonders if Briarcliff is too much for her. The Mon Senior knows far more than he lets on.

Chloe on the other hand has problems far worse. Nazi Dr Arden has begun his devils work and testing on her as a human guinea pig. She is unrecogniseable and has become a poor tortured creature that I can barely look at on the screen. You find yourself wishing for her misery to end.

Sister Eunice continues creeps around in the shadows as the possessed El Diablo and is a gripping character to watch. You wait and wonder who becomes her next toy to play with.

I am Anne Frank (2) Brings American Horror Story Asylum right back to true form. Slick production, A-list acting, fast pace, and horror beyond your wildest nightmares.

Review by JoAnn Duff

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Ratings - Monday

Last night was a good night for most programs, with a majority find their ratings up from last week while Gossip Girl remained even with last week's ratings.

Broadcast primetime ratings for Monday, November 26, 2012:

Net	Show	18-49 Rtg/Shr	Viewers (millions)
NBC	The Voice (8-10:01PMPM)	4.2/10	12.185
CBS	How I Met Your Mother	3.4/9	8.772
ABC	Dancing with the Stars	2.6/7	16.03
FOX	Bones	2.3/6	7.919
CW	90210	0.5/1	1.033
CBS	The Big Bang Theory - R	3.2/8	8.998
CBS	2 Broke Girls	4.0/10	11.675
ABC	Extreme Makover: Home Edition	1.3/3	6.738
FOX	The Mob Doctor	1.2/3	3.998
CW	Gossip Girl	0.4/1	0.846
CBS	Mike & Molly	3.6/8	11.245
NBC	Revolution	2.9/8	8.704
CBS	Hawaii Five -0	2.3/6	10.106
ABC	Extreme Makover: Home Edition	1.2/3	5.236

Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2012 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.

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REVIEW - 90210 S5E01-07

The group may be growing up but they still keep making wrong decisions, one after the other.

It is never short of drama in the area code of 90210, as a group of friends: Annie, Dixon, Silver, Navid, Liam, Adrianna and Naomi falling in and out of relationships. It seems anyway. Season 5 picks up from the pleasing ending of the previous season when Naomi decided that she would not let the love of her life Max slip away, Dixon quit his music tour for Adrianna only to be a victim of a car accident, Silver decided she wants a baby and Liam discovered he is legally still under management with his Ex-Vanessa.

Since the new season, Max and Naomi have eloped after they confessed their feelings for each other. Only to find more trouble as Max’s business partner/best friend Alec is not happy about the marriage and was out to sabotage for his own benefit.

Liam sells the off-shore bar to buy out his manager Vanessa from his acting contract. He “accidently” burns down the bar, as his alternative way out by claiming insurance money to pay her off; Vanessa figures it out and takes advantage. It never seems to work out for poor Liam, as Vanessa falls from a balcony during a heated fight and disappears. While his jealous friend Navid swaps DVD’s at the movie premiere of Liam’s new film with video footage of Liam having sex. 

Annie is devastated over the news of her brother Dixon and spends most of her time staying by his side. While she works on finding a guy who is right for her which seems to be impossible, as the last guy was using her to access Max’s ideas for a new video game.

Silver asked her best friend Teddy to be the father of her child and he hesitantly said yes. She tries to get her ‘wild side’ out before she has a child by doing a naked photo-shoot and joining a burlesque dance club.

Dixon awakes from his accident, only wanting to see Adrianna, while she is in Vegas sleeping with someone else. Dixon and Adrianna try to rekindle their relationship but Taylor (the guy from Vegas) is determined to prove the attraction between him and Adrianna is real.

Although, the group may be growing up, it doesn’t really show as they seem to keep making the wrong decision, one after the other. This week’s episode “99 Problems” follows Silver, frustrated that she still is not pregnant and discovers medical complications, Liam is recovering from the unleashed sex-tape scandal and Adrianna announces she is opening for Ne-yo at the Hollywood Bowl. Dixon wants to show his love for Adrianna and considers a marriage proposal but doesn’t. Shame really, considering Adrianna was going to reveal that she cheated on him but from the promo’s for next week’s episode looks like Dixon will be finally be clued in.

While Dixon’s Sister Annie is having trouble treating her disabled date Riley as normal as possible but it back fires and Riley ditches her on their date. Ouch…and doesn’t turn up to the next one. Annie confronts him furiously; plants a good slap and they end up in a hot make out session in the pool.

As for the power couple of the show, Naomi and Max search for a new CEO after Max fired his best friend Alec, choosing his wife instead. Max is later introduced to Bryce (a beautiful woman) who is the best candidate for the job and Naomi is not very enthusiastic about it.

Things will begin to shake up as lies will be revealed and 90210 will celebrate their 100th episode.

Review by Jessica Tisdell

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