Random Thursday: My Fall TV Lineup

It's time for another Random Thursday with Lin, Sarah - and me! This week's topic is one I look forward to all year:

"We've waited eagerly for them & finally all of our favorite shows are back! From dramas to comedies and old classics to new series, we all have those TV shows that are just too good to miss." Yeah, we do. And I have a lot of them. I have a habit of putting TV on in the background of whatever I'm doing - sometimes I barely pay attention to it, other times I'll stop mid-whatever-I'm-doing and sit (almost) entirely still for the full episode. But no matter what, I get through a lot of TV in a week. So Fall and the return to regular episodes of some of my favourites - plus some new ones - is something I look forward to all summer long!

Returning Favourites:

1. Criminal Minds 

Best. Crime. Show. EVER. (Okay, maybe not ever, but for a long time and in the States, anyway). Fair warning: Not for the faint of heart. It's graphic and creepy - not only does it feature really disturbing violence, but because it's about a team of FBI profilers, there's the whole psychological thriller angle too (think Hannibal Lechter). Still interested? I guess you're as weird as I am, then. It's realistic, gritty, and I find trying to figure out the why as well as the who and the how keeps my mind extra busy. Always look forward to this one. (Another word to the wise: maybe don't watch 4 seasons marathon-style while on pain killers recovering from surgery. This way lies lots of checking in closets and showering with your eyes open. Yes, this advice comes from hard-earned personal experience.)

2. Castle

Despite his somewhat disappointing response to Jenny Lawson's (better known as The Bloggess) request for a picture of him holding twine (click here to read the response and here if you have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about), I still love Nathan Fillion and this is one of my favourite shows. His character is compelling, the plots are varied and really, really interesting and did I mention I love crime dramas? My favourite episode is the one with the old-time bar and the hidden passageways... something to do with reading too many Nancy Drews as a child, I'm sure. 

3. Sons of Anarchy

 If I had to pick one show to watch this fall, this would be it. I can't do it justice, so just go watch it. In case you ladies need any more incentive, here you go:

4.Once Upon A Time

I'm not a fan of Jennifer Morrison - particularly since she went blonde. But the show is filmed here, I love Robert Carlyle, and the twists on fairy tales are a new and interesting theme.

5. Fringe and Supernatural

Fringe is one of those shows that keeps managing to twist and turn unexpectedly - mostly in ways that keep me wanting more. I like that it reminds me of The X-Files, too. Nostalgia. As for Supernatural, one word: Dean.

6. Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother/New Girl

Big Bang Theory is one I've already re-watched many times, and I've been waiting for more geeky antics! HIMYM has its ups and downs for me (*ahem* Jennifer Morrison), but I love Barney, Marshall and Lily enough to watch it to the end. New Girl I'm on the fence about, but I've had enough giggle fits watching it to stick with it for another season!

7. The Good Wife/Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice/Revenge/Scandal/Homeland/The Vampire Diaries/Parenthood

I'm not a huge fan of any of these,but they're just good enough to have on when I'm washing the dishes or doing the ironing, so I'll probably keep half an eye on them.

8. The Walking Dead 

I can't wait to see what happens next - that badass warrior woman with the collared walkers at the end of the last season has had me wondering and waiting for months! 

9. Bones/Body of Proof/Blue Bloods/Major Crimes

I'm honestly not even sure if Body of Proof is coming back, and I'm not really into Bones as much the last two seasons. But if I'm out of other crimes to watch, I will watch it. Hoping Body of Proof comes back, because that was a good one. Blue Bloods I only started watching over the summer, but I'm pretty into it - Tom Selleck's character is great and I like the brothers. Though I have to admit that whenever I'm doing something else and not watching the screen when it's on and Donnie Wahlberg starts talking, in my head I just see Mark. Major Crimes took over where The Closer left off, and while I'm still really bitter about the loss of Kyra Sedgwick, who simply can't be replaced, I have to grudgingly admit that this is pretty good after all.

10. Covert Affairs

I'm not sure if this belongs in summer or fall, but I'm including it. First of all, I'm not a fan of Piper Perabo (I mean, really. Just look at her name.) - but this show totally has me hooked. I love Augie's character, I'm a sucker for any sort of spy drama, and let's face it, there's not a lot of good ones out there. So this stays.

11. Misfits/Sherlock

These are my favourite British shows. I think they're all coming back sometime in the fall - at least I hope they are! Misfits is a really interesting show about a bunch of young offenders who got special powers when caught in a freak storm. Sounds really weird, but is actually very good. The characters sell it. Though it isn't the same without Nathan, it's still worth checking out. Sherlock - I mention this one in the section on Elementary below - is a fantastic re-boot of the classic detective series. It takes place in modern-day London, which I love as a bit of a twist (I'm also not a huge fan of period dramas). But the best part of it is the casting. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman fit their roles as Sherlock and Watson, respectively, to a T and have amazing on-screen chemistry. You need to watch this if you consider yourself a fan of the mystery genre.

Brand Spankin' New:

1. Elementary

I love crime dramas. Particularly when they're intelligently written and have characters that are as intriguing as the whodunnit plots. I'm a HUGE fan of the British modern-day re-make that this series is cashing in on, Sherlock (only 3 episodes a season, but they're movie length and SO good - if you haven't seen it yet, watch it now!). And while I don't expect this to be as good, I'll definitely give it a shot!

2. Revolution

A co-worker just told me about this one - so I'm adding it to my list, even though I don't know much about it! Apparently it's some sort of post-apocalyptic theme where all electronic devices have stopped working. Oh, and there's a strong female character who hunts with a bow and arrow. Sound familiar? 

A nod to some favourites that aren't returning:

1. Missing 

I'm still seething about this one. I love Ashley Judd, Cliff Curtis and Sean Bean. The plot of this was awesome, and her character was kick ass. Think female Jason Bourne. Not only that, but they ended the first season on a horrible cliffhanger that will now never be resolved! I will never forgive them for that.

2. The Ringer

I miss Buffy so much that even though this show was convoluted, a bit watered down and not Sarah Michelle Gellar's best role - I'll take it. 

3. Alcatraz

Not the best show ever, but I liked the actors, and Alcatraz is a great setting for this type of show. Also it was filmed down the street from my old house, so that was interesting.

4. Spooks (AKA MI-5)

I'm completely gutted that this spy show, after a decade of outstanding intrigue, is gone for good. Spooks is my all time favourite spy show. It's gritty, realistic, has well-written and bone-chilling plots, and they're not afraid to kill off main characters which adds to the suspense and makes it all the more realistic. It also goes by the name MI-5, in case you find that confusing. I can't believe it's gone, and, quite frankly, don't want to. If you enjoy spy and thriller shows, you should go back and watch this one. It's excellent.

I'm sure I'm forgetting slews of shows that I'm going to be doing facepalms over later, but I'm tired, so that's all you get. 

And in case you need a little help keeping track of your favourites, I found a couple of handy schedules. This one tells you the dates of the season premieres, and this one breaks down which shows you can plan to watch on which days. Very useful, I tell ya!

What are you looking forward to? Link up and share your faves below!