Sons of Anarchy (FX) Sept. 7
Nikita (CW) Sept. 9
Vampire Diaries (CW) Sept. 9
Venture Bros. (AS) Sept. 12
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX) Sept. 16
The League (FX) Sept. 16
Boardwalk Empire (HBO) Sept. 19
Chuck (NBC) Sept. 20
Event (NBC) Sept. 20
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) Sept. 20
Undercovers (NBC) Sept. 22
Community (NBC) Sept. 23
Fringe (Fox) Sept. 23
Office (NBC) Sept. 23
Shit My Dad Says (CBS) Sept. 23
30 Rock (NBC) Sept. 23
Smallville (CW) Sept. 24
Supernatural (CW) Sept. 24
Saturday Night Live (NBC) Sept. 25
Bored to Death (HBO) Sept. 26
Dexter (Showtime) Sept. 26
Eastbound & Down (HBO) Sept. 26
Family Guy (Fox) Sept. 26
Simpsons (Fox) Sept. 26
No Ordinary Family (ABC) Sept. 28
Sanctuary (Syfy) Sept. 28
Stargate Universe (Syfy) Sept. 28
Human Target (Fox) Oct. 1
Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (IFC) Oct. 1
Walking Dead (AMC) Oct. 31

The event takes place in San Diego from July 22nd-26th. If you’re attending the Con and plan to go to any of the panels, let us know what you learn. We’d love to have some TVZ reporters there.

photo credit: Lord Jim

Wednesday, July 22:

6-9 p.m.: WB Pilot Preview Night

Thursday, July 23

TBD: Burn Notice, Legend of the Seeker, Psych

5-6 p.m.: Dexter

Friday, July 24

TBD: Caprica, Eureka, Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Stargate Universe.

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: Flash Forward

1-2 p.m.: The Big Bang Theory

2:15-3 p.m.: 24

2:15-3:15 p.m.: Past Life

3-3:45 p.m.: Bones

4-6 p.m.: Dollhouse (including Epitaph One screening)

Saturday, July 25

TBD: Heroes, Sanctuary and Warehouse 13

10-11 a.m.: Chuck

10:15-11:15 a.m.: Eastwick

11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Lost

11:15 a.m.-12 p.m.: Family Guy

12-12:45 p.m.: The Cleveland Show

1-1:45 p.m.: Futurama

1:30-3 p.m.: Glee (including new episode screening)

1:45-2:30 p.m.: The Simpsons

2:45-3:45 p.m.: V (including full pilot screening)

4-5 p.m.: Fringe

4:45-5:45 p.m.: Human Target

6-7 p.m.: Vampire Diaries

7:15-8 p.m.: MythBusters

Sunday, July 26

10:00-11:00 a.m.: Dr. Who

10:30-11:30 a.m.: Smallville

11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: American Dad

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: Supernatural

1-2 p.m.: Ghost Whisperer

2:15-3:45 p.m.: Torchwood and Being Human will be a shared panel.

photo credit: fatalfarm

MONDAY

8pm          ABC         Dancing with the Stars
8pm          FOX         House
8pm          NBC         Heroes (Chuck at midseason)
8pm          CBS          How I Met Your Mother
8pm          CW           Gossip Girl
8:30pm   CBS          Accidentally on Purpose
9pm          FOX         Lie to Me (24 at midseason)
9pm          NBC         Trauma
9pm          CBS          Two and a Half Men
9pm          CW           One Tree Hill
9:30pm   CBS          The Big Bang Theory
10pm       ABC         Castle
10pm       CBS          CSI Miami

TUESDAY

8pm          ABC         Shark Tank
8pm          NBC        The Biggest Loser
8pm          CBS          NCIS
8pm          CW           90210
9pm          ABC         Dancing with the Stars Results
9pm          FOX         So You Think You Can Dance (Past Life at midseason)
9pm          CBS          NCIS: Los Angeles
9pm          CW           Melrose Place
10pm       ABC         The Forgotten
10pm       CBS          The Good Wife

WEDNESDAY

8pm          ABC         Hank
8pm          FOX         So You Think You Can Dance Results (American Idol at midseason)
8pm          NBC         Parenthood
8pm          CBS          New Adventures of Old Christine
8pm          CW           America’s Next Top Model
8:30pm   ABC         The Middle
8:30pm   CBS           Gary Unmarried
9pm          ABC          Modern Family
9pm          FOX          Glee (spring) (Human Target in January)
9pm          NBC          Law & Order: SVU
9pm          CBS           Criminal Minds
9pm          CW            The Beautiful Life
9:30pm   ABC          Cougar Town
10pm       ABC          Eastwick
10pm       CBS           CSI: NY

THURSDAY

8pm          ABC         Flash Forward
8pm          FOX         Bones
8pm          NBC         SNL Weekend Update Thursday
8pm          CBS          Survivor
8pm          CW           Vampire Diaries
8:30pm   NBC         Parks & Recreation
9pm          ABC         Grey’s Anatomy
9pm          FOX         Fringe
9pm          NBC        The Office
9pm          CBS          CSI
9pm          CW           Supernatural
9:30pm   NBC        Community (30 Rock at midseason)
10pm       ABC         Private Practice
10pm       CBS          The Mentalist

FRIDAY

8pm          ABC         Supernanny
8pm          FOX         Brothers
8pm          NBC         Law & Order
8pm          CBS          Ghost Whisperer
8pm          CW           Smallville
8:30pm   FOX         ‘Til Death
9pm          ABC         Ugly Betty
9pm          FOX          Dollhouse
9pm          NBC          Southland
9pm          CBS           Medium (yup, it moved to CBS)
9pm          CW            America’s Next Top Model Repeat
10pm       ABC          20/20
10pm       CBS           Numb3rs

SATURDAY

8pm          ABC         Saturday Night College Football
8pm          FOX         COPS
8pm          NBC         Dateline NBC
8pm          CBS          Crime Drama Repeat
9pm          FOX        America’s Most Wanted
9pm          NBC        Trauma rerun
9pm          CBS         Crime Drama Repeat
10pm       NBC         Law & Order: SVU rerun
10pm       CBS          48 Hours

SUNDAY

8pm          ABC         Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
8pm          FOX         The Simpsons
8pm          CBS          The Amazing Race
8:20pm   NBC         NBC Sunday Night Football
8:30pm   FOX         The Cleveland Show
9pm          ABC         Desperate Housewives
9pm          FOX         Family Guy
9pm          CBS          Three Rivers
9:30pm   FOX        American Dad
10pm       ABC         Brothers & Sisters
10pm       CBS          Cold Case

Wow. Until midseason when new shows like “V” and old favorites like “Lost” show up, that’s not much for sci-fi/genre/fantasy television on the major networks this year. If I discount the sitcoms, that gives us 9 shows in the Fall.

Perhaps cable will deliver some good stuff? AMC, TNT, SyFy, BBCA, Showtime, Adult Swim, HBO? What do they have for us? Fingers crossed!

photo credit: BlackHawkTraffic
photo credit: idovermani

Got any insights on what happened on Lost? What do you hope for from Fringe next year? Any shows we neglect that you’re really enjoying? Chime in here. If there’s anything particularly clever, we may mention it on the podcast and would of course give you full credit for whatever you write.

photo credit: Jezlyn26
photo credit: watchwithkristin

Monday, April 27
Chuck (NBC), 8 p.m.
Heroes (NBC), 9 p.m.

Friday, May 8
Dollhouse (Fox), 9:01 p.m.

Tuesday,  May 12
Fringe (Fox), 9 p.m.
Cupid (ABC), 10 p.m.

Wednesday,  May 13
Lost (ABC), 9 p.m.

Thursday, May 14
Smallville (CW), 8 p.m.
Parks and Recreation (NBC), 8:30 p.m.
The Office (NBC), 9 p.m.
Supernatural (CW), 9 p.m.
30 Rock (NBC), 9:30 p.m.

Friday,  May 15
Ghost Whisperer (CBS), 8 p.m.
Prison Break (Fox), 9 p.m.

Sunday, May 17
The Simpsons (Fox), 8 p.m.
Family Guy (Fox), 9 p.m.

Monday,  May 18
24 (Fox), 8 p.m.
How I Met Your Mother (CBS), 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 26
Reaper (CW), 8 p.m.

Monday, June 1
Medium (NBC), 10 p.m.

Thursday, July 2
Harper’s Island (CBS), 10 p.m.

Time to start looking ahead at what there is this summer!

SORTED BY DATE:
1. Prison Break (Fox) Sept. 1
2. 90210 (CW) Sept. 2
3. Bones (Fox) Sept. 3
4. Ghost Hunters (SciFi) Sept. 3
5. Entourage (HBO) Sept. 7
6. True Blood (HBO) Sept. 7
7. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox) Sept. 8
8. Fringe (Fox) Sept. 9
9. Smallville (CW) Sept. 18
10. Supernatural (CW) Sept. 18
11. Primeval (BBCA) Sept. 20
12. Big Bang Theory (CBS) Sept. 22
13. Heroes (NBC) Sept. 22
14. How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Sept. 22
15. The Mentalist (CBS) Sept. 23
16. Knight Rider (NBC) Sept. 24
17. The Office (NBC) Sept. 25
18. Dexter (Showtime) Sept. 28
19. Simpsons (Fox) Sept. 28
20. Chuck (NBC) Sept. 29
21. Pushing Daisies (ABC) Oct. 1
22. WWE Smackdown (MyNetwork) Oct. 3
23. Eleventh Hour (CBS) Oct. 9
24. Life On Mars (ABC) Oct. 9
25. SNL Weekend Update Thursday (NBC) Oct. 9
26. My Own Worst Enemy (NBC) Oct. 13
27. Crusoe (NBC) Oct. 17
28. 30 Rock (NBC) Oct. 30

Thursday, July 24

10 –11am: Kings

11:45am –12:45pm: Knight Rider

5:45–6:45pm: Dexter

Friday, July 25

10:15 – 11:15am: The Big Bang Theory

12:15 – 1:15pm: Stargate Atlantis

3 – 4pm: Ghost Hunters

Times to be announced: 24, Prison Break

Saturday, July 26

10:45 – 11:45am: Heroes

11:30 – 12:30pm: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

“Noonish”: Lost

12:45 – 1:45pm: The Office writers with Rainn Wilson

2:15 – 3:15pm: Battlestar Galactica

3:15 – 4:15pm: Pushing Daisies

3:30 – 4:30pm : Chuck

4:45 – 5:45pm: Fringe

4:45 – 5:45pm: Eureka

6 – 7pm: Jason Smilovic of My Own Worst Enemy and Ronald D. Moore of Virtuality, TV Guide panel

7:15 – 8:15pm: MythBusters

Time to be announced: Dollhouse

Sunday, July 27

10 – 11am: Smallville

10:30 – 11:30am: It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia

11:15am – 12:15pm: Supernatural

1:45 – 2:45pm: Ghost Whisperer

• A single, slacker guy has no direction in life
• He can’t have the girl he wants
• He lives with family members
• He has a friend who is funnier and more directionless then he is
• An entity is making him do things that he has ethical problems with, but as he does them he learns valuable life lessons.

Of course, that describes both shows, but here’s the big difference: Reaper loves that it is a sci-fi show and Chuck is denying its true genera.

In Reaper, the guy’s parents sold his soul to Satan and now he has to battle the Hell- escapee of the week with a Dust Devil. Funny? Yup. Sci-fi? Duh.

Chuck had the entire CIA/NSA database accidentally downloaded into his brain and now secret government agents follow him around making hot dogs. Funny? Mostly. Sci-fi/cyberpunk? Ah…

By shamelessly embracing its genera, Reaper is, from the get-go, funny, smart, and settled into its identity. It knows what kind of show it is and it delivers. Chuck, while it is a fine show, is taking itself too seriously. Having the “top agents” in the CIA and NSA indefinitely undercover watching a computer nerd is not funny, it’s just unbelievable. If they were assigned to him because they were screw-ups, boom: funny. But one of them is played as a serious assassin. Not funny, just unbelievable.

Thus far both shows are worth watching if you like this kind of thing. Supporting actors Ray Wise (Reaper) and Adam Baldwin (Chuck) are good enough to carry each show themselves, but where as Chuck feels like its finding its identity, Reaper is out of the closet and yelling “look at me.”