Friday, September 26, 2025

"Canadian kids network Family Channel to shutter in coming months"/ "Corus Entertainment axes five kids' channels"

Aug. 28, 2025 "Canadian kids network Family Channel to shutter in coming months": Today I found this article by Abby Hughes on CBC:


After nearly 40 years on air, the iconic kids TV network Family Channel — home to favourites like Life With Derek, The Next Step and Yo Gabba Gabba! — is set to shut down in the coming months.

Toronto-based company WildBrain announced this week it would be shuttering four of its channels because they were "no longer commercially viable": 

Family Channel, 

Family Jr., 

WildBrainTV 

and Télémagino.

"For nearly four decades, Family Channel has been a trusted destination for Canadian kids and families. 

We're incredibly proud of the legacy we've built — 

thanks to our loyal viewers, 

dedicated television employees 

and the many talented Canadian producers we've partnered with,"

 WildBrain's president and CEO Josh Scherba said in a statement.

WildBrain said that Rogers had notified the company it would stop distributing the channels after the two parties had been unable to work out a new broadcasting agreement. 

This — plus Bell's previous decision to remove the four channels — led to the decision to shutter them entirely, WildBrain said.

An exact end date hasn't been announced, but WildBrain said it will stop broadcasting the channels once Rogers stops carrying them.


More than a TV program

Millennial and Gen Z viewers shaped by the channel will remember it as the Canadian home for Disney channel shows like Hannah MontanaThe Suite Life of Zack & Cody and more, plus homegrown favourites like Life With Derek or The Next Step.

For the people behind the beloved kids shows — like Michael Seater, director and actor who starred as Derek in Life With Derek — the loss brings back formative memories of time spent on set or at in-person events the channel was known for.

Seater says he realized just how big Family Channel was to a generation of kids when he and his co-star, Ashley Leggat, did their first promotional meet and greet event at a mall. He recalls coming down an escalator and looking out over a sea of thousands of screaming fans.

Seater had starred in a few other TV shows before Life With Derek, but said none of his roles on other networks had received that kind of attention.

"I really understood that … Family Channel was a completely different beast," Seater said. "Those were, like, definitely the glory days of Family Channel. And it was just wild how popular all these shows were."

Outside of the shows themselves, Seater says Family Channel also promoted events and content that tackled important issues — like the Stand Up anti-bullying campaign. 

Kids would write in to the network about experiences being bullied or standing up to it, and stars of Family Channel shows, including Seater, would visit schools to talk about how to put an end to bullying.

"I was bullied a lot as a kid ... and so it meant a lot to me. And it felt like a really cool thing to be a part of that Family Channel was doing every year," Seater said.

Former Family Channel producer Adrienne McDonnell says events like the Stand Up rallies were something that really set the network apart from others. 

Mall tours, 

concerts 

and giveaways 

that gave fans a chance to be on the network 

all engaged viewers in real life in a way other programs didn't, 

according to McDonnell.

"It was much bigger than just sitting down in front of the TV and watching for an hour or two," McDonnell said.

The channel also embraced its Canadian-ness, she says, airing homegrown shows right after some of Disney's big hits in order to help give them a shot at the spotlight. 

McDonnell says the channel's promotion of Canadian content makes the loss especially worrying.

"I hope that … kids will just be able to find that new and unique content, especially Canadian [content]," McDonnell said.


Tough times for kids' TV

The move by WildBrain comes amid a tumultuous time for broadcast TV — and an even rockier one for kids programming, 

according to Ryan Tuchow, a senior reporter at Kidscreen Magazine which covers the kids entertainment industry.

WildBrain had previously signaled the company was moving away from broadcast when it secured a deal to sell off the four channels to IoM Media Ventures, Tuchow points out — a deal that WildBrain said is no longer, following the decision by Rogers to remove the channels.

"The … economics have become so troubling that moves like WildBrain shuttering channels, you know, are stark and depressing, but not wholly surprising. It seems like that's the way things are going," Tuchow said.

For their part, WildBrain said the impact of the channels' shuttering on their business would be "minimal."

Aside from broadcast, WildBrain licenses content to streaming services,

 and puts some of it up on its YouTube channel,

 which has over 11 million subscribers. 

But Tuchow says broadcast is still a major way that WildBrain would have been getting its original content to air.

And while it's possible some Family Channel content could migrate to other platforms after the broadcast channels are no longer, 

Tuchow points out that some programs could simply be unavailable to Canadians because of this move.

CBC News asked WildBrain if any programs would be unavailable to Canadians once the cable channels shut down, but the company said they couldn't provide those details.

At the very least, "it certainly is going to be a hit for the company in terms of just how many eyeballs are going to be on their content," Tuchow said.

This also comes as Corus Entertainment is set to wind down five of its own kids TV channels — Nickelodeon, ABC Spark, Disney French, Disney XD and Disney Jr — starting on Sept. 1. Those channels were home to programs like SpongeBob SquarePantsBlueyStar Wars: Young Jedi Adventures and more.

With all of these channels lost, Tuchow says the landscape of kids entertainment on terrestrial cable is bleak.

"There's really not much left for kids without all these [channels], right?" Tuchow said. "

[Kids content] is going to be moving to YouTube and … that's going to be, really, the only place for them."

YouTube has eaten up a big share of the kids' entertainment space from traditional TV and steaming alike. According to a 2024 report by parental control software company Qustodio, 

YouTube outranked platforms like Netflix and Disney+ as the most favoured entertainment platform by kids globally.  

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/family-channel-shuttering-1.7620532


Aug. 5, 2025 "Corus Entertainment axes five kids' channels": Today I found this article by Melissa Hank on the Calgary Herald:


Bluey, an animated series about a playful family of Australian cattle dogs, has become a casualty of Corus Entertainment’s decision to
 shut down five popular children’s channels. Photo by Disney+

My opinion: I don't watch Bluey, but I do like this picture.

SpongeBob SquarePants, The Backyardigans and Bluey are small-screen staples for many Canadian kids, but as of Sept. 1, they — along with other children’s shows — will no longer air on linear television.

The TV casualties are part of Corus Entertainment’s announcement earlier this month that it will shut down five kids’ channels. The company is axing 

ABC Spark, 

Nickelodeon, 

the French-language La Chaîne Disney, 

Disney XD 

and Disney Jr., 

according to a statement per The Canadian Press. 

Corus will still distribute the English-language Disney Channel on linear TV and its streaming platforms.

A spokesperson said in a statement that the decision came after a “comprehensive review” of the company’s assets.

“Corus regularly reviews its portfolio of channels to ensure we are meeting the evolving needs of our audiences and distribution partners,” the spokesperson said, according to C21 Media.

Children will now need to look for the shows they’re missing on other platforms. For example, SpongeBob SquarePants streams on Netflix and Paramount+. Bluey is on Disney+. Dora the Explorer, another kiddie favourite that Corus airs, also streams on Paramount+ and PlutoTV.

Corus Entertainment’s announcement comes amid an advertising revenue slump for the company.

Last month, news broke that Corus cut seven per cent of employee costs in its most recent quarter. 

Chief executive John Gossling told analysts that the company expects its TV advertising revenue to drop about 20 per cent year-over-year in the current quarter as “geopolitical and economic uncertainty” remains, according to The Canadian Press.

Corus has said goodbye to other channels recently. 

In December 2024, it stopped carrying 

HGTV 

and Food Network 

— Rogers Communications had picked up the Canadian licensing and trademark agreements for those channels (along with 

Cooking Channel, 

Magnolia Network 

and OWN). 

Corus rallied by replacing Food Network and HGTV with two new channels: 

Flavour Network 

and Home Network.

Corus Entertianment’s portfolio still includes solid performers such as 

Global, 

the History channel, 

Showcase, 

Adult Swim,

 W Network, 

Slice 

and National Geographic.

https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/television/corus-entertainment-axes-five-kids-channels?itm_source=television

My opinion: I used to watch the Family Channel when I was a kid and teen, like by the end of jr. high school.

There is still YTV:

https://www.ytv.com/

The Cartoon Network:

https://www.cartoonnetwork.ca/


The other 2 blog posts of the week:

"‘Found’ Canceled By NBC After 2 Seasons"/ "‘The Irrational’ Canceled By NBC After 2 Seasons"

http://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/09/found-canceled-by-nbc-after-2-seasons.html


"Alert: Missing Persons Unit: Cancelled by FOX; Police Drama Not Returning for Fourth Season"/ "Why Fox Canceled The Cleaning Lady After Four Seasons"

http://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/09/alert-missing-persons-unit-cancelled-by.html


My week:


Sept. 26, 2025 High Potential: I watched the first 2 episodes of the season and it's good.

Murder in a Small Town: I watched the first episode of the season. and there was a good mystery.  There were a couple of new characters brought in.

Law and Order: Organized Crime: I got to watch the season 5 premiere and this looks like a big case for them to solve.



I worked at Comic Con: I worked 4 days there.  1 day to set up the store and 3 days of selling toys and posters. 

This was a good and fun experience.

I never went to Comic Con for fun.  I was an average fan of sci -fi.  I know this is for anyone who's interested in sci -fi and anime.  My little brother buys the 3 -day pass and goes there every year since 2013. 

Article content
Corus Entertainment’s announcement comes amid an advertising revenue slump for the company.Corus has said goodbye to other channels recently. In December 2024, it stopped carrying HGTV and Food Network — Rogers Communications had picked up the Canadian licensing and trademark agreements for those channels (along with Cooking Channel, Magnolia Network and OWN). Corus rallied by replacing Food Network and HGTV with two new channels: Flavour Network and Home Network.
Article contentThe TV casualties are part of Corus Entertainment’s announcement earlier this month that it will shut down five kids’ channels. The company is axing ABC Spark, Nickelodeon, the French-language La Chaîne Disney, Disney XD and Disney Jr., according to a statement per The Canadian Press. Corus will still distribute the English-language Disney Channel on linear TV and its streaming platforms.

"Alert: Missing Persons Unit: Cancelled by FOX; Police Drama Not Returning for Fourth Season"/ "Why Fox Canceled The Cleaning Lady After Four Seasons"

Jun. 7, 2025 "Alert: Missing Persons Unit: Cancelled by FOX; Police Drama Not Returning for Fourth Season": Today I found this article by Trevor Kimball on TV Series Finale:

The work of Philadelphia’s MPU is over. FOX has cancelled Alert: Missing Persons Unit so we won’t be seeing a fourth season for 2025-26. The show’s third season of 10 episodes finished airing on May 27th.

A police procedural drama series, the Alert: Missing Persons Unit TV show stars Scott Caan, Dania Ramirez, Adeola Role, and Ryan Broussard, with Elana Dunkelman recurring. The story revolves around the personnel and investigations of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit (MPU). 

The unit is headed by Nikki Batista (Ramirez), whose marriage to Jason Grant (Caan) deteriorated after their son Keith went missing. Six years later, while Jason’s working as a private investigator, Nikki recruits him to join the unit. They work alongside a team of highly skilled individuals. 

Mike Sherman (Broussard) is Batista’s current love interest who she met when he was assigned to oversee the search for Keith. Kemi Adebayo (Role) is proficient in many languages, highly discerning of visual clues, and uses her know-how as a shaman to take a holistic approach to her job.

Airing on Tuesday nights, the third season of Alert: Missing Persons Unit averaged a 0.13 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 1.05 million viewers (includes DVR playback through 3:00 AM). Compared to season two, that’s down by 16% in the demo and down by 8% in viewership.

The show is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television, so Fox Entertainment also must share the profits with the external studio.

According to Deadline, FOX considered retooling the series to boost the ratings but ultimately decided to cancel it instead. 

In the demo, it’s FOX’s lowest-rated scripted series, barely beating The Cleaning Lady (which was also cancelled today).


https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/alert-missing-persons-unit-cancelled-by-fox-police-drama-not-returning-for-fourth-season/#google_vignette



Jun. 8, 2025 "Why Fox Canceled The Cleaning Lady After Four Seasons": Today I found this article by Devin Meenan on Slash Film:


Fox crime drama series "The Cleaning Lady" aired its season 4 finale on June 3, 2025. The series' fans didn't have long to savor the episode or guess what would come next, because mere days later, on June 6, Fox canceled the series, citing low ratings. 

In fact, ratings for "The Cleaning Lady" had been declining consistently. 

The first season generally enjoyed around three million viewers (give or take) per episode back in 2022, 

while by the fourth season, it was down to one million.

 It's possible that the decline just has to do with fewer people watching all network TV, but the end result is the same.

Created by Miranda Kwok, "The Cleaning Lady" is a remake of an Argentine TV series, "La Chica que Limpia" (Spanish for "The Cleaning Lady"). 

The series starred Elodie Yung (best known as Elektra Natchios in "Daredevil," which she could play again) as Thony De La Rosa, a Cambodian-Filipino surgeon living in Las Vegas. 

On an expired visa and with an ill young son, Thony puts her talents to work as a cleaning lady for the mob.

The phrase "cleaning lady" typically suggests a maid, but not here. A "cleaner" is someone who cleans up crime scenes of incriminating evidence, like Winston Wolfe (Harvey Keitel) in "Pulp Fiction" or Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) in "Breaking Bad." To put this in Martin Scorsese mob movie terms: Thony doesn't clean (or paint) houses, but she does do her own carpentry.

The double entendre of "The Cleaning Lady" title is intentional because initially, Thony is an actual cleaning lady, but then she witnesses mobster Arman Morales (Adan Canto) commit a murder

Instead of just disposing of her as more evidence, Arman recruits her as a mob doctor and cleaner. 

Thony has to maintain a double life as a criminal, a la "Dexter" or the aforementioned "Breaking Bad." 

"The Cleaning Lady" flips the formula of prestige crime TV on its head by putting a woman in the lead role, 

the same way that "Yellowjackets" gave women their own Walter White with Shauna Shipman (Sophie Nélisse/Melanie Lynskey).

So why did "The Cleaning Lady" bleed interest despite a novel and politically timely premise? 

There was a disruption beyond the show's control. 

Adan Canto came down with cancer and ultimately died in January 2024.

Arman, who was set up as the co-lead in the first two seasons, was abruptly written out, first temporarily and then permanently.

"The Cleaning Lady" had to uproot the show's defining relationship because of this; a recast would have also been in bad taste. 

Still, I wouldn't be surprised if this hurt the show's ability to build long-term fans (not that anyone who worked on the show is to blame here). 

Something else that probably hurt the show's fandom is that it took a long hiatus between seasons 2 and 3. 

"The Cleaning Lady" season 1 aired from January to March 2022, 

then season 2 aired from September to December that year. 

Then, season 3 didn't come until March 2024, stalling out the momentum.

The winner of "The Cleaning Lady" ending might wind up being "Daredevil" fans. Now that Elodie Yung is open for different acting opportunities, her schedule is clear to play Elektra.

 "Daredevil: Born Again" season 2 is already confirmed to be bringing back Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones. With the way that season 1 ended, don't be surprised if Elektra comes to "Born Again" sooner or later.


https://www.slashfilm.com/1880241/why-fox-canceled-the-cleaning-lady/


My opinion: 


Alert: Missing Persons Unit: I thought this show was average.  I only watched this show when my favorite TV shows ended.  I recorded the series on my DVR so I can watch this during the summer time when there weren't a lot of scripted shows on.

I was neutral when this show got cancelled.


The Cleaning Lady: I really liked the show.  I loved Adan Canto and the character he played as Arman.  

When he wasn't on the show anymore, the show became average.

I was neutral when this show got cancelled.


"‘Found’ Canceled By NBC After 2 Seasons"/ "‘The Irrational’ Canceled By NBC After 2 Seasons"

May 9, 2025 "‘Found’ Canceled By NBC After 2 Seasons": Today I found this article by  Nellie Andreeva on Katie Campione Deadline:


EXCLUSIVEFound will not be getting a third season at NBC. The series, starring Shanola Hampton, may be shopped by its lead studio Warner Bros. Television.

The news comes ahead of the Season 2 finale, which has been teased as a showdown of sorts between Gabi (Hampton) and Sir’s sister Lena (Danielle Savre). The episode, which will now serve as a series finale, airs on May 15.

Found was canceled today alongside fellow NBC sophomore drama The Irrational. Coming from different studios, 

Found from Warner Bros. TV 

and The Irrational from Universal Television, 

the two series had similar runs.

Held as strike contingency, both shows launched in fall 2023 amid a dearth of scripted originals on the broadcast networks. 

Taking advantage of the lesser competition and potent lead-ins, 

The Voice (Monday) for The Irrational and The Voice (Tuesday) for Found, the dramas started off well on NBC and Peacock. 

Found became NBC’s top launch on the streamer until then, 

with its premiere episodes drawing 10.5M viewers across platforms in the first week. 

By late November, both dramas had been renewed for a second season.

On a stacked 2024-25 broadcast schedule, Found – like The Irrational – has been registering steep year-to-year ratings declines, which factored in the cancellation decision. 

Found also faced a new story paradigm in Season 2 as one of the key elements of its premise changed with Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) escaping from Gabi’s (Hampton) basement in the Season 1 finale.

Ultimately, Found became a casualty of NBC’s cutback on entertainment programming to accomodate the 180 primetime hours of basketball next season under NBCUniversal’s $2.5B a year deal with the NBA, 

which also claimed dramas 

The Irrational, 

Suits LA 

and comedies Night Court 

and Lopez vs Lopez 

— all canceled today.

Found follows public relations specialist Gabi Mosely (Hampton), who was once herself one of the more than 300,000 missing people of color in the U.S., and her crisis management team who now make sure there is always someone looking out for the forgotten missing people.

Gosselaar, Kelli Williams, Brett Dalton, Gabrielle Walsh, Arlen Escarpeta and Karan Oberoi also starred.

The series came from creator/showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll, who exec produced alongside Sonay Hoffman, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman and Lindsay Dunn. Berlanti Productions and Rock My Soul Productions produced in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television.

https://deadline.com/2025/05/found-cancled-nbc-shanola-hampton-1236386965/#comments


"‘The Irrational’ Canceled By NBC After 2 Seasons": Today I found this article by Nellie Andreeva on Deadline:


EXCLUSIVE: NBC has opted not to renew sophomore drama series The Irrational for a third season.

The news is not entirely surprising. After a promising freshman run, the crime drama starring Jesse L. Martin fell off significantly in the ratings during its second season with comparable lead-ins, The Voice on Monday in Season 1 and The Voice on Tuesday in Season 2.

The TV landscape was different in the two seasons though. 

Launching as strike contingency in fall 2023 amid a dearth of scripted originals on the broadcast networks because of the writers work stoppage, The Irrational took advantage of the lesser competition and a potent lead-in to start off well on NBC as well as Peacock. The series’ premiere tallied 12.1M viewers across all NBCU platforms in its first 15 days. By late November, the series had earned a Season 2 renewal.

Facing a fully stacked playing field in Season 2, The Irrational found it difficult to keep up with its initial performance, posting significant year-to-year declines.

Likely because of that, with so many NBC series on the bubble this season and renewal decisions coming down to the wire as the network has to make room for about 180 hours of expensive primetime NBA programming next season, The Irrational’s fate was pretty much sealed weeks ago.

Still, it was a tough call as Martin is a beloved star at NBC where he previously starred on Law & Order.

Canceled alongside The Irrational today were NBC’s drama Suits LA and Found and comedies Night Court and Lopez vs Lopez.

The Irrational, based on Dan Ariely’s book Predictably Irrational, follows world-renowned professor of behavioral science Alec Mercer (Martin), 

as he lends his unique expertise on an array of high-stakes cases involving 

governments, 

law enforcement 

and corporations. 

His insight and unconventional approach to understanding human behavior lead him and the team on a series of intense, unexpected journeys to solve illogical puzzles and perplexing mysteries.

The cast of the series, which ended its Season 2 run in March, also includes Maahra Hill, Travina Springer, Molly Kunz, and Arash DeMaxi.

Arika Lisanne Mittman served as showrunner and exec produced alongside Mark Goffman, Sam Baum and David Frankel. Universal Television, part of Universal Studio Group, was the studio.

https://deadline.com/2025/05/the-irrational-canceled-nbc-jesse-l-martin-1236390821/#comments


My opinion: 


Found: This show was average.  I liked it for the mystery of finding missing people.

The Irrational: This show was average.  I liked it for the characters solving mysteries. 

I had low expectations and predicted these shows were going to get cancelled because the ratings decreased a lot in the 2nd season.

I feel neutral about these shows getting cancelled.

Both shows didn't "jump the shark" meaning it went bad.


I go on Google "lowest rated shows on network ________ and the year _______"

like "lowest rated shows on network NBC 2024-2025" and it leads to TV Series Finale.com:

https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/nbc-2024-25-tv-season-ratings/


I'm writing a blog post where I'm going to analyze these shows more.


Saturday, September 20, 2025

mid -season 2025 TV show reviews

This is from my May 2023 blog post:

TV and movie comparisons/ Angel season 3 ep 1 "Heartthrob" question


 This is my Jul. 2022 blog post:


Should I continue into TV production? (Part 4)/ Why do you want to be a TV writer?


I want to ENTERTAIN people as a TV writer.

Now I want to EDUCATE and INFORM people as a blogger.


Sept. 4, 2022 My life purpose: It seems like I'm not going to be able to become a TV writer and producer. 

My life purpose is to entertain and make people happy, educate, and inform people as a writer/ blogger.

When you read these "TV and movie comparisons" about creative writing and screenwriting, I hope you are entertained by this and learn about writing.


When you read my TV show reviews, I hope you learn about creative writing and screenwriting.


These are the TV shows I watched from my favorite to my least favorite.


Jan. 19, 2025 The Hunting Party:


"Follows a small team of investigators who are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers ever seen, all of whom have just escaped from a top-secret prison that's not supposed to exist."


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21906554/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Pros:

1. There is a good opening.  2 guards put in a prisoner Richard Harris (Tobias Jelinek) in his cell.  The guards scan a barcode on his foot.

The cell has a one sided mirror where he can't see what's outside.

There is a huge prison with all these cells.

It is deep underground.

There is this huge explosion.  It blows up Cheyenne, Wyoming. 

Cut to Virginia.  Bex Henderson is working as security at the casino.  She can tell the Dealer knows the Player, and she is dealing by the bottom of the deck.

Bex is picked up the FBI to work for them.

2. The cast:

Melissa Roxburgh- as Bex Henderson.  She was an FBI agent (profiler), and then removed, and now back on for this case to catch a serial killer.  I have seen her on the show I like Manifest

Patrick Sabongui - as Hassani, a White House advisor.

Josh McKenzie- as Shane Florence, a prison guard.  He's from the TV show that I like La Brea.

Nick Weshler- as Oliver Odell, FBI agent and he worked with Bex.  He was on the TV show that I like Shades of Blue.

Spoiler alert of the pilot:

Bex tells Shane she wanted to a profiler since she was 15 yrs old: My dad was the Sheriff.  My best friend's dad was a little too interested in the case.  He asks me about what the police heard.  I slept over at her house, and then went to the garage.  I found a rope tied in a strange knot like in a crime scene photo I saw in my dad's office.

Shane: I was recruited from the military.  I wanted to be close to family.


Mar. 7, 2025: I watched the 2nd episode, and they brought another character in:

Sara Garcia- as Jennifer Morales.  She is part of the tech team and finds info on the inmates.


3. There is good writing.

There is exposition as Bex tells about what she knows about the serial killer Richard Harris.  She's the one who helped catch him and he was executed in 2017.

Also as Hassani explains to Bex (and the audience) about the prison called the Pit.  Harris wasn't executed at all and he was in the Pit.  He is the only inmate that they know escaped because his uniform is off with 2 dead guards.

There are quite a few surprises that I didn't predict in this case.


Spoiler alert of the pilot:

Shane tells Bex that there are recordings.  Harris had drugs being pumped in him.  They were running experiments on the inmates.

Hassini to Bex: There are a lot less serial killers over the year.  We catch them before they become the next Ted Bundy.  Everything we know about killers is because of us.

They put Nicole who is Harris's last victim as bait to draw out Harris.

Harris comes at the house with the Bex, Hassani, and Shane there.

Nicole tries to hit Harris with a shovel, and he grabs her with a knife to her.

Hassani shoots Harris in the head.

The "Cleaners" van pick up Harris's body.

Bex is tasked with the telling a story to Nicole.

Hassani and Shane goes to Harris's car, and there's thumping.  There's a woman tied up in there.

They call Bex.

Bex then tells: You and Harris were working together.

Nicole grabs a knife and Bex shoots her shoulder.


There are flashbacks of Bex with Oliver working as FBI.  Oliver has a killer tied up in the cabin.  Bex is locked outside.  Oliver pours the gasoline onto him and sets it on fire.

Oliver: Where is she?

Killer: There's a small fishing shack 2 miles from here.

Bex saves this 13 yr old girl Samantha.

Bex adopted her.


Huge surprise: Bex meets the warden and it's Oliver.

Bex: You could have put out the fire (in the cabin killer.)

Oliver: This explosion wasn't an accident.  It was a jail break.



4. There is good action.

Bex goes to a animal hospital where she thinks Harris is, there's a short fight.

Cons: none.

My opinion: The pilot was average.  I will record the series and watch this all in a week.


Mar. 7, 2025: I watched 4 episodes this week, so half the season.  I find this show to be solid with good writing in the mysteries of catching these serial killers.  There is also the mystery of who is behind the explosion of the Pit.


This is really good writing because it's unpredictable.  At first it seems like the killer is killing these people for this reason, when really he or she is killing for that reason.

There are a lot of twists and turns.


Apr. 8, 2025: I just finished watching the whole season (10 episodes) and I really like it.

You should all watch it if you like mystery, crime, and action.


There is also the mystery of Shane and why is he visiting the Dr. Dulles (who was a doctor) in the Pit.  He now has Alzheimer's.

There are twists and turns to Shane's story.  Spoiler alert: Shane pretends Dr. Dulles is his dad, when he isn't.  Dulles's daughter Sarah reports him to the nursing home that he doesn't have a son.

It turns out Shane learns he was adopted when he's 18 yrs old, and wants to know his biological parents.  Dr. Dulles was his therapist for a long time and may know who his parents are.


Sept. 13, 2025: I want to say this show is kind of funny.  My favorite episode is S1 Ep 7 "Mark Marsden."  


"Bex and the team race to catch Mark Marsden, known as the Widower, a handsome and charming serial killer who murdered three of his wives in cold blood. Everything changes when Mark decides to take a new bride."

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32567530/?ref_=ttep_ep_7


Mark is played by Jesse Bradford (Bring it On).  I never found him attractive, but he looked good and his acting was good in this episode.  Carol (Brooke Smith and was on Big Sky) is the new bride. 

Mark is in exposure therapy with being in weddings.  Carol is an administrative assistant at the Pit and pretends to be the bride in the therapy to make more money.  There are hours of this therapy/ wedding videos.  Mark kidnaps Carol.

They have to find them.

Shane: Carol is out there with some creep, and is watching wedding videos from hell our best lead?


Apr. 24, 2025 Comparisons:


Dark Angel: This kind of reminds me of this show. 

They create super soldiers with good DNA and train them to fight and kill.

Lydecker: Why send 1000 soldiers out and 100 die when you can send 10 soldiers out and no one dies?


"A group of genetically-enhanced children escape from a lab project. Years later we meet Max, one of the escapees who now works for a messenger service in the post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest."

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204993/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_dark%2520ang


The Passage:


"When a botched U.S. government experiment turns a group of death row inmates into highly infectious vampires, an orphan girl might be the only person able to stop the ensuing crisis."


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1074206/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_the%2520passage


My opinion: I saw the last half of the season, because I didn't know it was on.  This was a good show.


Sept. 13, 2025: The Hunting Party will have a 2nd season in mid -season 2026.


Apr. 15, 2025 Paradise:



"A Secret Service agent investigates the murder of a former president in a seemingly peaceful community."



I saw promos for this show.  I wasn't really that interested in it, but I met this young woman Char who said this show is so good and recommends that I watch it.

I saw a promo that I could watch this on CTV and Telus on Demand.  I saw the pilot and there's a good murder mystery.  You will want to watch this to solve the murder, and also how they all came to this place called Paradise. 


Pros: 

1. There is a good opening.  This introduces the character Xavier and his family, and then his neighborhood, and job.

Then he finds the former president dead.

2. The cast.

Sterling K. Brown -as Agent Xavier Collins who is the lead agent in protecting the president.  He's from This is Us.

James Marsden -as the President Cal Bradford.  He's Cyclops from X- Men.

Julianne Nicholson -as Sinatra.

Nicole Brydon Bloom -as Agent Jane Driscoll.

Jon Beavers -as Agent Billy Pace.

Sarah Shahi -as Dr. Gabriela Torabi.  She was on the TV show Reverie.



3. There is good writing. 

There is the murder mystery where a lot of TV shows and pilots start with a whole season to solve this big murder.

Also what happened to Xavier's wife.

There is the biggest mystery of all, is the city of how Paradise was made- and where it is.

There are also flashbacks.


Spoiler alert:

At the end of the pilot is the biggest surprise of all.

Cal: Will you ever forgive me for what happened?
Xavier: I'll sleep again when you're dead.

Xavier takes Cal's box of cigarettes with the letter X written on in blood.  There is a number written on a cigarette.

There is an extinction event of humanity.  The White House was to design a construction of a city in a mountain in Colorado.



4. Good acting.  All the characters were really interesting and there is good writing for them.



Cons: none.

Comparisons: 

The characters are trapped in a town.

Wayward Pines: 


My opinion: I saw the pilot and it was good.  I will record the series and watch this all in a week.

Sept. 13, 2025: I watched the whole first season (8 episodes) and it's really good.  I'm impressed by the writing and acting.  I recommend you watch it, or at least watch the pilot.  

They will have a 2nd season in mid -season 2026.


Grosse Pointe Garden Society: This show is coming out on Sun. Feb. 23.  This is on NBC.  This looks interesting:

"Follows four members of a suburban garden club, as they get caught up in murder and mischief, as they strive to flourish."

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26748764/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_in_0_q_grosse%2520garden

Pros: 

1. There is a good opening.  They're digging a hole, and they put a body in there to bury.

6 months earlier.

2. The cast:

AnnaSophia Robb- as Alice.  She was on The Carrie Diaries.  I never watched it.

Ben Rappaport- as Brett.

Aja Naomi King- as Catherine.  She was on How to Get Away with Murder.  I only saw the pilot.

Melissa Fumero- as Birdie Bradley.  I was watching the pilot for 15 min. and was like: "She's from Brooklyn Nine- Nine."  I saw the first 2 eps of that show.

Matt Davis- as Ford's dad and a cop.  He's from The Vampire Diaries


3. The writing.  Spoiler alert for the pilot:

Alice is an English teacher.  She has an artist boyfriend.

She gets into conflict with giving a D to a student Peyton for plagiarizing a song as his poem.

Alice's dog Molly was missing, and was found shot dead.  Peyton insinuates that he killed her dog.

Alice tells the Principal, but he says Peyton's parents funded a lot of things for the school.

Alice tells Peyton's mom that he killed her dog.  She is fired from her job.


Brett catches his ex- wife cheating on him.  He has a 9 yr old daughter and 7 yr old son.  The ex- wife Melissa has married Connor who's a tax accountant.

Brett helps a man with a fancy car that broke down on highway as a way to prove to his kids he's smart.

He shows the fancy car to his son and the students there and impresses them.

Connor is digging into Brett so he can get custody of the kids.


Catherine is a real estate agent and is cheating on her husband with her co-worker Gary.  They work for Gary's father-in-law.  She sees Birdie wearing a bracelet that Gary bought for her.

Catherine tells her friends Alice and Brett about it.  They follow Gary around and he's hitting on all these female customers.

Catherine tells Birdie about it.

At a house showing, Gary and Catherine are to hook up.  Gary takes off all his clothes and the lights come on.

The boss and father-in-law is there and fires him.  The women and Birdie are there and gives him the bracelets back.


Birdie is an author.  She got into a car accident, and hits a fountain.  She's now doing community service by volunteering at the garden club.

She wants to improve her image, so her publicist tells her to create a scholarship to give to a teen.

Birdie meets teen boy Ford who gets the scholarship.

Birdie: This is so you won't make bad decisions like I did, like get pregnant in 10th grade.

Ford: I'm not dating anyone.

Birdie: Neither was I.

Later, Ford's mom Misty goes to Birdie:

Misty: We'll take the money.  

Birdie: I thought you would.

Misty: You agreed to no contact.

Birdie: My parents did.  He doesn't know he's adopted.

Joel (dressed as a cop) comes by.

Joel: I'm his dad. 

Birdie is having contact with Ford whom she gave up for adoption, and has conflicts with the adoptive parents.


The conflicts:

Gary has a gun and is sitting outside Catherine's house.

There are flash forwards of 6 months into the future.

The body is buried in garden, and will be dug up to put in a pond.

The audience doesn't know who got killed.

4. There is good comedy.  

5. Ethnic diversity.


Cons: none.

My opinion: I will record the series and watch this in a couple of weeks. 

Sept. 13, 2025: I watched the first season (13 episodes) and thought this was average.  This show got cancelled and I feel neutral.


Spoiler alert of who got killed: The four friends of Alice, Catherine, Brett, and Birdie were destroying a blanket.  Alice's father -in -law Keith grabs the blanket, and then falls back and this garden tool stabs holes in his back.

The four will most likely go to jail for manslaughter.  They decided to cover it up.

In the season finale/ series finale: Catherine, Brett, and Birdie have someone tied up.  You may think it's Alice.


Jan. 9, 2025 Doc: I was able to watch this TV show on Telus on Demand on the Global network.  This TV show came out on Tues.


"It tells the story of Dr. Amy Larsen who loses her memory during a car accident. She must return to being an intern and somehow rebuild her life from the pieces that remain."


Pros:

1. There's a good opening with the screen is black and a crash noise.  Dr. Amy Larsen is in a car accident.

She goes through a surgery and then does a CT scan.  She's asked questions about herself.

Doctor: How many kids do you have?

Amy: Katie and Danny.  They're 9 and 7.

Doctor: Who's the President?

Amy: FDR.  Barack Obama.

24 hrs earlier.

They show Amy being the Chief of Medicine.  She's dating Jake.  The patients complain about her bedside manner.

2. The cast:

Dr. Amy Larsen- Molly Parker is a good actor.  I haven't seen any of her work.

Dr. Michael Hamda- Omar Metwally from Big Sky.  He is Amy's ex- husband and runs the hospital and administration. 

Dr. Richard Miller- Scott Wolf from Nancy Drew and Party of Five.

3. There is good writing and a good story.  Spoiler alert:

Amy has retrograde amnesia of the last 8 yrs.  She doesn't remember what happened to her family.  They have to explain to her.

Michael: We got divorced 4 yrs ago.  Danny died 7 yrs ago because of his heart.

Amy cries.  I got upset and felt like crying.


4. Ethnic diversity.


Cons:

1. This is a mild con.  The TV title is kind of boring.  Maybe there could be some word with memory in it.


My opinion: I just finished watching the pilot.  This was average.  This is a medical drama and I don't usually watch these.  I won't be watching this again.  

If you like medical dramas and to watch a woman put her life together, then you might like this.

I heard about this show in the May 2024 upfronts:


May 13, 2024 "Fox Fall 2024 Schedule: ‘Lone Star’ Succeeds ‘9-1-1’, ‘The Floor’ Moves, ‘Family Guy’ Among 8 Scripted Series Held For Midseason": Today I found this article by Nellie Andreeva on Deadline:

https://deadline.com/2024/05/fox-fall-2024-schedule-9-1-1-lone-star-the-floor-family-guy-midseason-1235913421/

Sept. 13, 2025: This show got a 2nd season.


Jan. 29, 2025 Watson: 

"A year after the death of his friend and partner Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson resumes his medical career at a clinic dedicated to the treatment of rare diseases. However, he soon finds that his old life is not done with him yet."


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22475008/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_1_nm_6_in_0_q_watson

Pros:

1. There was a good opening with Watson running in the woods and he calls Sherlock Holmes's name.

This was in  Reichenbach waterfalls, Switzerland.

Holmes and his enemy Moriarty fall into the water.  Watson jumps in.

6 months later.  Pittsburgh.

Watson has a traumatic brain injury.  Shinwell Johnson tells him that Holmes left him money for a clinic for Watson to run.

2. The cast:

Morris Chestnut- he is Dr. John Watson.  I have seen him on the show The Enemy Within.

Ritchie Coster- as Shinwell Johnson, the sidekick.

Eve Harlow- as neurologist Dr. Ingrid Derian.  She was on Next.

Inga Schlingmann- as Dr. Sasha Lubbock.  She was born in China, and adopted into a rich family in Texas.

Peter Mark Kendall- as twins Adam and Stephens Croft.  Watson hired them to see nature vs. nurture.

Stephen is the analytical one.

Adam is the laid- back one.

Rochelle Aytes- as Dr. Mary Morstan.  She is divorced from Watson, and is the medical director.

Spoiler alert for who plays Moriarty: Randall Park.


3. The writing was average.  Spoiler alert of the pilot:

Erika is five and a half months pregnant.  She hasn't slept for 7 days.

Erika needs bone marrow.

They have trouble finding her brother because he does drugs and doesn't have an address.

Watson finds him.

Then Erika's cousin Autumn has the same symptoms as Erika.

It turns out they are really half- sisters.

Throughout the episode, there is a problem, and then it gets solved.  

However, then another problem comes up.

That's how you write a story.  There has to be drama, conflict, and tension throughout it.


They said this which is what Holmes says:

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." 

Watson's first genetic professor said:

"The stories of our lives is written inside of us before we're ever born."


4. I like the office set.

Cons: none.

Comparisons:

Elementary: This is Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solving crime.  This show is also on CBS like Watson.  I only saw the pilot and the 3rd episode "Child Predator."  This show was average.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2191671/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_6_nm_1_in_0_q_elem


House: I have never watched this show before.  I was reading the reviews on IMDB, and they were saying how Watson is like House, but worse.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_6_nm_1_in_0_q_house


My opinion: The pilot was mediocre and then I never watched it again.  This is a medical drama and I don't usually watch these. 

This show got a 2nd season.


Feb. 21, 2025 Good Cop/ Bad Cop: This show is on the CW and I don't have access to that channel.  I found out I have USA network for free preview on Telus, so I may be able to watch 2 episodes.

"Siblings working as detectives in a small town navigate quirky locals, limited resources, their strained relationship, and their father, who's the police chief, in this comedic crime procedural."


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31691565/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_good%2520cop


Pros:

1. There is an interesting opening with this being set in Edenvale, Washington with a population of 9376 people, and then soon to be 9375.  There was something around 9000 people.

There is a pharmacy.  A man wearing a Ronald Reagan mask burst in.

Ronald: Everybody, down on the ground!

Everybody was already down on the ground, a man wearing a Hockey Mask was robbing the pharmacy with a long shot gun.

There is a shoot out.

Then there is the police station.  The cop Joe puts a young man in his 20s in the interrogation room and warns that Det. Hickman is going to come in. The Man and audience predict Hickman is going to be mean and hard on him.

Det. Lou Hickman is all nice.

Lou: Is Sheila your mom?  I know her.  Let's call her together.

Man: No, don't call her.  His name is White Mike, that's all I know.

Then Lou has to investigate the pharmacy murder and robbery.

2. The cast:

Leighton Meester- as Det. Lou Hickman.  She's from Gossip Girl.

Luke Cook- as Det. Henry Hickman.  I have never seen him before.

Clancy Brown- as the police chief Hank Hinkman.  He's from The Shawshank Redemption.  I never saw that movie.

3. The writing:

Mystery: They are solving crime and a mystery.  Who would rob this pharmacy?

There is detective work with forensics and finding a cell phone.

Spoiler alert of the pilot: It turns out the pharmacist Phil was behind the robbery.

Phil: I hired him to stage a robbery so I could give the drugs to the people who lost their insurance.  The Robber came back and started threatening me to give him everything.  

Lou: So that's why you used the deer head off the wall to kill him with it.


Comedy: Cut to Lou and Hank.  

Lou (is on the phone): De Niro's dead?

Hank: No.

Lou: The gunman, not the actor.

Hank: Oh.


There is also the drama, conflict, and tension with the family.

Henry wrote an article about how his dad shouldn't be the chief of police because he fudges crime statistics, and gives preferential treatments to his friends which is true.

The article was written 7 yrs ago.  Henry has been estranged from Lou and Hank since then.

4. Ethnic diversity

Comparisons:

A cop show that is also a comedy:

The Rookie:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7587890/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_the%2520rookie

Brooklyn 99:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2467372/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_4_nm_4_in_0_q_brooklyn


Cons: none.

My opinion: The pilot was average.  I like mystery and crime drama.  I don't really like comedy.  If there isn't anything else on, I would watch this.

Sept. 13, 2025: There still isn't any news if this show is renewed or not.



Feb. 25, 2025 Suits LA: This show is coming out on Sun. Feb. 23.  This is on NBC.  I'll check out the pilot, but I don't know if I'll watch more eps.

"Follows a new group led by Ted Black, a former New York prosecutor who built an L.A. law firm that specializes in criminal and entertainment law."

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31122751/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_suits


Pros:

1. There is a good opening:

In New York 2010.  Ted visits his witness Billy who is afraid of testifying against a big mob boss.  Ted threatens to arrest his daughter Tina who go to jail if he doesn't testify.

Ted leaves, and then there is this huge explosion at the house.  I jumped.

Ted wakes up.

Ted's brother Eddie is there.  He has Down Syndrome.

At the law office, there is news that Lester Thompson has been arrested for murder.

There is a big merger of 2 law firms.

2. The cast:

Stephen Amell- as entertainment lawyer Ted Black.  He is from Arrow.

Josh McDermitt- as criminal defense lawyer Stuart Lane.  He's from The Walking Dead.

Lex Scott Davis- as entertainment lawyer Erica Rollins.  I have never seen her before.

Bryan Greenberg- as entertainment lawyer Rick Dodsen.

Maggie Grace- as a criminal defense lawyer Amanda Stevens.  She doesn't work for them.

Troy Winbush- as Kevin, who used to work for Ted.

Kevin Weisman- as Lester Thompson.  He was on Alias.

John Amos- he's an actor who plays himself.  I have never seen his work.

Carson A. Egen- as Eddie.  Ted's brother.

3. The writing was average.  There is drama, conflict, and tension.

Spoiler alert of the pilot:

Stuart and Ted merge their law firms together.  Stuart takes nearly all the senior associates with him.

Ted has only Rick and Erica with him.

There is also Ted helping Lester prove that he didn't murder his partner, and that it was a shooting accident.


Ted talks to Amanda.

Ted: How do you do it?  How do you live with yourself knowing that whoever it is, is guilty of what they're accused of doing?

Amanda: Because everyone deserves someone to fight for them.  Even if it's some kid who broke into a house, because doesn't know any other way. 


Stuart wants Erica to work for him and feed him information about Ted, and then Erica will be the head of the entertainment department because that's what she wants.

Erica tells his junior associate Leah.

Leah tells Ted.

Ted yells at Erica and fires her.

Erica: I said that to her to see if I could trust her and if I could trust you.


Rick writes a letter that he's leaving Ted.

Rick: When I said you should fire Greg Litvak, you got a look of glee.  He left to provide for his family and not to screw you.  The main thing is that you took on Lester.  You're taking on something you despise (criminal defense) to save your firm. 


The best part was the ending.  Ted's dad was a lawyer.  Now he's in hospice and will be dying very soon.

Ted says goodbye to him while the dad is still sleeping.

Ted: When you got convicted, you wanted to spend the last night of freedom with me.

You let them kill Eddie.  You didn't show up at his funeral. 


There are questions set up:

1. Did Lester really kill his partner by accident?

2. Who killed Eddie?


4. Ethnic diversity.


Cons:

1. The writing: I don't find this show that interesting.

There are questions set up.

I don't see a mystery.  I like to watch mysteries and crime dramas.


My opinion: The pilot was average.  I don't think I'm going to watch this again.  I don't really like law dramas.

I never saw the original Suits so I can't compare this to them.

Sept. 13, 2025: This show got cancelled.


The other 2 blog posts of the week:

"David Thewlis to Star in ‘Sherlock & Daughter’ Series Ordered at CW"/ "The CW Fall 2024-25 Schedule: Top Scripted Series MIA, ‘Superman & Lois’ Bows Out On New Night"

http://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/09/david-thewlis-to-star-in-sherlock_22.html


"Swift ‘S.W.A.T.’ Spinoff: Behind The Mad Dash To Get ‘Exiles’ Starring Shemar Moore Off The Ground"/ "S.W.A.T. EXILES Reveals Full Spinoff Cast, Including 9-1-1: Lone Star Vet"

http://badcb.blogspot.com/2025/09/swift-swat-spinoff-behind-mad-dash-to.html


My week:


Sun. Sept. 14, 2025:

Tara B, Fort McMurray , Alberta, would like to know:

Are you looking forward to fall?

Yes    60.27% (2552)

No    39.73% (1682)



My opinion: Yes, but for now I will enjoy the summer by sitting outside in my lawn chair in my backyard as much as possible.


Fri. Sept. 12, 2025 Free toys: I went to the 2 free libraries that are closest to me.  No books I wanted.  I did see a box that said "Boys toys free."  There was Hungry Hungry Hippos, toy cars, and a big activity book where you can put stickers of comic book characters on.  

This box (that was never opened) of how to build this light.

I didn't really like any of this.

Sat. Sept. 20, 2025: I saw the box, and most of the toys are gone.