CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
The CW
TV News: The CW Renews ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ ‘Supernatural,’ ‘90210’
Submitted by BrianTT on May 3, 2012 - 2:41pmCHICAGO – In advance of their full Fall schedule, The CW has announced that they have renewed three of their only hits — “The Vampire Diaries,” “Supernatural,” and “90210.” The net’s biggest show, “Vampire,” will return for its fourth season while solid hit “Supernatural” will mark its eighth. “90210,” believe it or not, will air a fifth season from 2012-13. The network is in desperate need of a new hit but these three veterans do perform well enough to justify the early renewal.
TV Review: ‘The L.A. Complex’ Gets Lost on Familiar Journey
Submitted by BrianTT on April 24, 2012 - 10:54amCHICAGO – The CW continues to waste the goodwill generated by pop culture hits like “Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries,” and “Supernatural” with yet another misfire in the worst year in the fledgling network’s history. “The L.A. Complex” makes the trip tonight via Canada and this generic, cliched snooze isn’t bad enough to be entertaining in a B-movie kind of way. It’s just the worst thing TV can be — boring.
TV News: The CW Announces ‘The L.A. Complex’ Premiere, Several Finale Dates
Submitted by TimBMartens on February 29, 2012 - 3:13pmCHICAGO- The CW officially announced its schedule of finale episodes today, as well as the premiere date of a new series. The new series “The L.A. Complex” is set to premiere on Tuesday, April 24, while several shows, including the series finale of “One Tree Hill,” have their finale date set.
TV Review: The CW Redefines Wasting Time With Awful ‘Remodeled’
Submitted by BrianTT on January 17, 2012 - 12:30pmCHICAGO – Who cares? Seriously, we have reached the bottom of the reality TV barrel with The CW’s “Remodeled,” a show that takes people who weren’t meant for TV, pumps up their more extreme behavior, and calls it television. We’ve all seen people with questionable degrees of talent who reach for the reality TV grail with dozens of basic cable programs but rarely has this degree of silliness made it to the broadcast networks.
TV News: ‘Rob!’ Opens Strong, ‘The Finder’ Goes Missing
Submitted by BrianTT on January 13, 2012 - 10:58amCHICAGO – Thursday nights looked radically different last night with changes on three major networks, including a new line-up on NBC and premieres on CBS and FOX. How’d they do? Well, CBS may have finally found a hit in the post-“The Big Bang Theory” slot, but NBC and FOX are going to have to go back to the drawing board.
TV News: CW Orders Full Seasons of ‘Hart of Dixie,’ ‘Ringer,’ ‘The Secret Circle’
Submitted by BrianTT on October 13, 2011 - 12:05pmCHICAGO – None are doing well by traditional ratings scales but The CW doesn’t have the same expectations as other networks and so they not-too-surprisingly gave full-season orders to new shows “Hart of Dixie,” “Ringer,” and “The Secret Circle” this week, ending speculation that one might be canceled. Given the low ratings for all of them, especially “Secret,” one can safely assume that they had nothing interesting waiting in the wings to replace them.
TV Review: Rachel Bilson Takes Trip to ‘Hart of Dixie’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 26, 2011 - 3:16pmCHICAGO – There is a certain undefinable screen presence that makes some actresses look more comfortable on TV than others. Sarah Michelle Gellar has it. Juliana Margulies has it. Edie Falco definitely has it.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Supernatural: The Complete Sixth Season’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 23, 2011 - 10:57amCHICAGO – “Supernatural” was supposed to end after five seasons. There were rumors of that fact long before it began in 2009 and it kind of felt like that acknowledged end point added a weight and gravity to the show. So, what are we doing here reviewing the recently-released sixth season Blu-ray on the eve of the premiere of the seventh season on The CW? You tell me. It’s still an entertaining show but it has the air of a sequel, kind of a copy of the original more than an inspired drama.
TV Review: The CW’s ‘The Secret Circle’ Fails to Cast a Spell
Submitted by BrianTT on September 15, 2011 - 10:43amCHICAGO – Audiences are too smart for “The Secret Circle.” Sure, they bought in when The CW presented “The Vampire Diaries” on the heels of the “Twilight” phenomenon but that is a fast-paced, sexy, and sometimes-clever show. You can hook them by piggybacking on a trend, but then you better have some meat on the hook. There’s no meat in “The Secret Circle,” the struggling network’s least-likely shot at a new hit.
TV Review: The CW’s ‘Ringer’ With Sarah Michelle Gellar Almost Works
Submitted by BrianTT on September 13, 2011 - 9:29amCHICAGO – The highly-buzzed “Ringer” essentially kicks off the Fall 2011 season tonight by bringing back one of the most beloved TV stars of the last twenty years in Sarah Michelle Gellar.