Pop Culture Roundup, June 3

Not too much going on this week, as we are in the dead zone between the regular TV season and the summer season.

Which TV Cancellations Hurts the Most? My Choice: Better Off Ted
Yes, Ken, it did hurt to get the final word that we would no longer be visiting our Friends at Veridian Dynamics each week. But, I mean, you kinda had to see that one coming.

Why Is Charlie Sheen’s Career Scandal Proof?
Great question. It seems as if, even with the ever-lowering bar for celebrity behavior, that Charlie Sheen gets a pass on things that would have sent a normal actor into hiding.

Summer Diversions: The Returns of Royal Pains and Burn Notice
TV critic Mo Ryan talks about two fun summer shows that are premiering today.

Summer TV Premiere Dates
Want to know when your summer shows will start? This is an awesome guide.

Numb3rs Actress Diane Farr Heads to White Collar
White Collar is bringing on quite a few new ladies this season.

Win a Very Special Supernatural Gift Bag
Danielle Turchiano is giving away a bag of Supernatural goodies. Enter by tomorrow!

Top of the Pile: Supernatural “Rising Son”
I will admit that I am not much for Supernatural tie-ins. I was all about the Twin Peaks tie-ins, but since then, nothing has been that interesting to me. But I’ve got a review of the new SPN comic.

How Hollywood Is Destroying My Post-modern Love Affair with 80s Pop Culture
I agree wholeheartedly with Jeremy Robinson: Hollywood is taking everything I loved about my childhood and ruining it with their big budget, crap-fest remakes.

Apple TV a Hobby Because There Is No Market
Steve Jobs laments the lack of viable alternatives for television delivery.

Diversity in Television: Are We There Yet?
Sylvia Franklin gives a rundown on what she calls one of the most diverse fall TV seasons yet. When I was younger, I didn’t think diversity was a big issue. I mean, a funny show is a funny show, right? Skin color shouldn’t matter. But then I looked at my viewing habits, and it turns out that there is some comfort in seeing someone on-screen who is at least a close approximation of you. So, kudos to the networks for realizing that it’s not just white kids who watch TV. And, yes, I realize that the programming decisions are based solely on money, but kudos to the nets for realizing that bringing more types of people to your network can provide value to advertisers.

M.I.A. + Mad Men + Hot Pants = All-New Obsessions
These are the Answer B!tch’s new obsessions. What are yours?

That’s all.

Don’t forget to catch the season 2 premiere of Royal Pains tonight and, of course, to enter the giveaway for a copy of One Bloody Thing After Another by Joey Comeau.

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Related Posts:

• My Fall TV Viewing Schedule
• Pop Culture Roundup, May 27
• Pop Culture Roundup, May 13
• Pop Culture Roundup, April 29
• Pop Culture Roundup, April 22

My Fall TV Viewing Schedule

[digg=http://digg.com/television/My_Fall_TV_Viewing_Schedule]Now that the fall lineups have been announced, my viewing plans are falling into place. Mondays and Thursdays are still full, especially now that NBC has announced that they will not move Chuck to Fridays.

Mondays, I’ll be on CBS, watching How I Met Your Mother at 8 and giving Accidentally on Purpose a Chance at 8:30. I’ll be recording Gossip Girl and most likely watching it at 9. Then to ABC for Castle. I am okay with the thought that I am breaking up with Heroes, but we’ll see if Mr. PCC records it on his DVR.

Tuesdays, it appears that no one has given me a reason to break up with 90210, so I’ll be all CW, all the time, watching 90210 at 8 and Melrose Place at 9.

Wednesdays are free until 9, when I visit Fox for Glee and then move to ABC for Eastwick.

Thursdays are pretty standard. Watch Vampire Diaries on the CW at 8 and DVR Flash Forward. Stick with the CW for Supernatural at 9 (obviously) and record The Office and Community/30 Rock. [Edited to add: Thanks to Rainn Wilson and Twitter, I realized that Joel McHale has a show coming out this fall: Community. I watched the preview at Zap2it, and it looks pretty funny.]

Fridays, I’ll be watching Dollhouse, but that is pretty much it. Thanks, Fox, for picking up this show for a second season.

My weekends look free. When DirecTV announces when it will play Friday Night Lights, I’ll update the spreadsheet I keep so that I won’t miss out on a new show I am interested in. (Yes, I’m that much of a TV geek. I make a spreadsheet each May and use it when the new shows premiere in the fall.)

Most of my favorite shows and ideas are slated for midseason: Chuck (NBC), Lost (ABC), Better Off Ted (ABC), The Body Politic (CW), Happy Town (ABC), V (ABC). I haven’t decided if I will follow Tyler Labine to Sons of Tucson.

Here are links to night-by-night grids to help you do your own fall TV planning, spreadsheet suggested but not required.

ABC

CBS

NBC

Fox

CW

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Related Posts:

• Pop Culture Roundup, February 11
• Monday Poll Results
• Pop Culture Roundup, June 3
• Pop Culture Roundup, May 27
• Countdown to New Shows: Spring 2010

Most Exciting Upfronts News

Which last-minute renewal made you do your happy dance? Feel free to explain your rationale or even describe your happy dance in the comments section.

Personally, I was most excited about Chuck’s renewal, but most surprised by Better off Ted. I really enjoyed that show, but I was sure it was a goner after the first episode. So, bravo to ABC for sticking with a fun and quirky show. Let’s hope we can make it past the second season, too.

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Related Posts:

• Happy Upfronts Week
• Dollhouse Renewed?
• My Fall TV Viewing Schedule
• Things Are Looking Good for Castle and Chuck
• Pop Culture Roundup, June 3

Happy Upfronts Week

We’re going into this week of fall schedule announcements and pageantry after a weekend of fabulous announcements.

Chuck, Castle, Dollhouse, and Better off Ted were all renewed. There were budget concessions in some cases, and the orders weren’t for a full season (13 episodes instead of 22). Those were huge wins for the fans and for creativity, but our work isn’t over.

We have to keep the momentum and make sure that we watch our shows, talk about our shows, and flex our consumer muscle so that our shows get renewed next year.

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Related Posts:

• Most Exciting Upfronts News
• My Fall TV Viewing Schedule
• Dollhouse Renewed?
• Things Are Looking Good for Castle and Chuck
• Pop Culture Roundup, June 3