The #WWACTV chat is where the casual TV viewer and the self-professed (or in denial) addict discuss the newest shows and old favourites.
Since we cancelled the July 27th chat, we had four weeks (July 13th-August 10th) worth of premieres and finales to look at as well as some great TV moments. During the chat, I asked what people were watching, what they thought about comedy shows, why they did or didn’t watch reality television, and what they planned on watching in the following two weeks.
Season Finales
I didn’t get the chance to catch up with Power so this is more of an honourable mention than anything else. That being said, the first half of the season that I did see provides the diverse point of view we need more in television. So check it out if you have the time and I can’t wait to catch up on the rest of the season.
Season Premieres
Project Runway has suddenly become a obsession of mine after trying out the premiere episode of season 13. Why? Well, I was intrigued by designer Sandhya who is of Indian descent with a weird fashion aesthetic that impresses the judges yet causes her fellow designers to underestimate her. It’s because of that underestimation that I’ve been invested in this lovely woman — who doesn’t love a great underdog story especially when the underdog has already won two challenges? The moment she’s out, I’m out, but in the meantime, I’ll be excited by the amount of women of colour in this line up of designers :).
Series Premieres
Outlander had it’s premiere this past week and, as someone who hasn’t read the books, I’m really liking it so far. To be fair, it’s only the pilot so far but I love that it took the time to establish our heroine and once I invested in the slow pacing, I enjoyed it a lot. It’s definitely not a show that should be compared to Game of Thrones since they don’t share anything outside of swords and accents.
I love horror and to have a horror show on weekly is great. Created by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, The Strain is a vampire story that takes the fanged creature back to its frightful roots. It’s a slow burn as it sets up its various characters for when things hit the fan but its well worth it so far. I’m a little hesitant in regards to its diverse characters (or lack thereof) but I’m holding out until the seasons end before stating my verdict.
I’m very picky with my comedy but when I heard that Martin Lawrence was coming back to TV and teaming up with Kelsey Grammer, I just had to watch. Sadly, Partners was everything I didn’t want in a comedy, and worse, it wasn’t funny. It didn’t help that it had an obviously pre-recorded laugh track that played over the parts that the producers thought were funny but weren’t. It’s a traditional sitcom that has no business in a television universe where the traditional no longer thrives, one with great comedic shows like The Mindy Project and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I’m going to put this show in the dump pile.
What I watch in terms of reality shows is very select and the science of what grabs me is unknown to even myself. Drama doesn’t sustain me, so shows like Real Housewives [insert city] often fall to the wayside but I found that authenticity and useful information that I can use in my own life is what keeps me watching a reality show. Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls was great for that reason as it showed viewers how to survive in the wild. Sadly, it got cancelled and replaced with essentially the same show but with celebrities instead of regular people and focused on an individual star each episode rather than a group with members slowly getting eliminated for not being able to survive as well as the others. Running Wild with Bear Grylls didn’t grab me sadly and I’m sure the new format plays a part in that. You may like it but I think I’m going to have to bow out.
I’ve decided to give up on Lifetime’s The Lottery. It wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be in terms of the direction and focus of the storytelling but as one writer explained, it’s a weird show to have a network like Lifetime, causing a confusing tone for the show. I’ve given it three episodes and even as someone who watches a lot of television, it’s not a show I want to invest my time in.
Specials
The Honourable Woman is a 8 episode miniseries that has already aired six of its episodes in the UK and two in the USA. It’s a timely show that looks at the complex politics involved in the Palestinian/Israel conflict with great well rounded female characters and a mystery/thriller component to it. The way this show is shot is so stunning and the writing is phenomenal. This isn’t something you’d see on network television since one of its best qualities is avoiding simplistic black/white explanations. I definitely recommend it to everyone and will be very surprised if it doesn’t get an Emmy or Golden Globe nod for best miniseries and Best Lead Actress nod/win for Maggie Gyllenhaal’s amazing performance. I’m excited to see how this all ends.
The next #WWACTV chat will be August 24th at 7PM EST and I want to know what you’ll be watching in the next two weeks. Excited for any returns? How about a new series? Maybe a finale or two? An old show you haven’t seen before? Sound off in the comments below.
