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Hello RTV people, Time once again to take a look back at our TV year for this site - though I must say, it hasn't really been a great year for television fans. Last year at this time, I had a couple of paragraphs dedicated to the incredible series finale of "This Is Us". Also a mention of the fantastic series premiere of "So Help Me Todd" (which is finally scheduled to return for a second season soon). But in 2023, I truly cannot think of anything memorable in the area of scripted TV. Nothing new premiered; well, nothing to get excited about, anyway. We did have one milestone, though. Long running "NCIS LA" reached its conclusion after fourteen seasons, and while I have not been able to catch up with the series in time to be affected by it, we do have the world's biggest fan of series star Hetty on our site - who was deeply excited to hear her voice a couple of times in the final series episodes. Her enthusiasm really makes me want to watch the series from the start - but you know what? This is one show that seems impossible to find for binge-streaming. It runs on many channels in syndication; but it's hard to find it from episode one! Hopefully someday. In the meantime, a bit of Australian TV has reached our shores in the form of yet another NCIS spinoff, "NCIS Sydney". I have seen every episode so far and while the first couple were just okay, the last were fantastic. One had a bunch of DOGS in it, WM (Were they taking a bite out of Australian crime?)! I plan to continue to see where it goes. Some British TV has also come our way in the form of the UK version of "Ghosts". While I had seen the episodes before, how much more fun are they to watch with a chat. The "caveman" is funny (and obviously my favorite since I keep saying that!) Moonah! But now we will move on to the reason this site exists: reality TV. And in particular "Survivor". Since New Year's Eve 2023, we've had a USA season 44, a USA season 45 and an Australian season: "Heroes Vs. Villains". There is also a new UK Survivor that I haven't yet watched. Let's begin with season 44 of "US Survivor". What do I remember about season 44 - other than that it wasn't my favorite. (or even anywhere close). Hmmm...looking at this cast, Caroline stands out the most. Such a bizarre, all-over-the-place personality. And no one took her seriously. In the end no, she didn't win. But she played a game that could have. Perhaps WM will remember details better. I do recall the winner was Yam Yam Arocho. Not the person I would have picked episode one but I suppose he deserved it as much as anyone. My enthusiasm runneth over. WM. Help. (It confirmed for everyone what we had seen since "new era Survivor" began: your social game is what wins seasons. Strategic and physical games might GET you to the final three, but only a good social game can WIN it for you. Yes, some winners - MaryAnne, last month's Dee - were strong in all three games. But other victors - Erica, Gabler, Yam Yam - had us scratching our heads at their victory because television cameras couldn't fully capture the impact their personalities had on the people who select the Sole Survivor: the jury. Will this trend continue for all future seasons? We can only watch and find out.) But look at all those CATS on his shirt! The other thing to take note of is that on the first episode, we lost a player due to a challenge accident who went on to play in season 45.... with a much better result! I'm speaking, of course, of Bruce Perreault. Season 45 Survivor.... geez I miss those cheesy theme names. A far better season than 44 with a far better cast, in my opinion; I'm sure others would disagree. But seriously, overall a good group. There were a couple of people that were ... difficult (Kendra). But inexplicably, they completely missed the act of "splitting votes". This long running strategy was designed to protect against idols being played for a unanimously chosen target. Had this group never seen that played before - or did they just not didn't see value in it? But I did love some of the cast members: Kaleb, for example. Voted out far too early but still a member of the jury. Emily: my goodness, she rubbed everyone the wrong way (other players and audience alike) on the first episode - and then went on to win us all over by the time she was voted out in seventh place. Jake: awkward and goofy with that Boston accent, but in the end, a respectable third place finisher. And Austin..... ... the one I was rooting for who got blinded by a crush on eventual winner Dee - and lost his focus. Austin... put his love for Dee ahead of making good game choices - such as keeping vital information to himself. By contrast, Dee understood that, relationship with Austin or not, she was there to win a game. She kept him in the dark when that was the smart play. And it paid off. "Australian Survivor" had yet another fantastic season. Seriously, I will go on the record and say I enjoy these Aussies more than the US these days. And they have not yet given up on the cheesy themes. January 2023 brought us a "Fans versus Favourites" season which they chose to name "Australian Survivor: Heroes Vs. Villains" Inexplicably, this was a half returnee / half newbie season. Having never seen their behaviour before, how does one know if newbie player should be a "hero" or a "villain"...one might ask. And we did. And never got an answer. But despite that, it turned out to be a great season anyway. You can tell from the promo pic who they expected to rule the season: returning players Hayley and George (from two seasons previous, "Brains vs. Brawn") Hayley had won that year with some excellent game play that proved her ability to think her way out of any situation, no matter how bad it looked. Then there was George, the self-appointed "King of Survivor". Such a big ego. So condescending. And yet... his game play was simultaneously fascinating and exasperating. So easy to hate - but in the end, a game to respect. Still, coming in as returning players who finished first and second only two seasons before, you would imagine they would have had a HUGE targets. Yet somehow they managed their threat levels and both survived very deep in the game: Hayley left in seventh place, and George in fourth. "Australian Survivor" is what you want to watch if you miss old school Survivor and don't like it "watered down" as the US version feels to me sometimes (don't hate me for saying that). Australia features a 49-day game. Interesting and difficult challenges. A twist just about every episode (not always a fan of that, but...) And also, several episodes a week, so the edit includes a lot more at-camp strategy. This season also had in its cast Nina Twine, Sandra's daughter in her second attempt at the game (unfortunately, injuries removed her the first time). She once again proved she is a player to respect. The eventual Sole Survivor, Liz, very much so deserved her win. Again, a player whose victory you never would have called on episode one. But in the end, she was a worthy winner. Just a single season of "The Amazing Race" in 2023 but it was a great one. Oh, sidenote: 2023 was the year CBS finally broke down and gave it's fans their long-time wish: a full ninety minutes for both "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race". Of course, this had more to do with the writer's strike than anything else. But the longer episodes will continue this spring! Now back to "The Amazing Race 35"! A great cast. Not a single team to dislike. Some great challenges. Overall, a very enjoyable season. My favorite team was the deaf dad and son, Rob and Corey. So great to see a father/son team handle the race with so much respect and joy. They were such fun to watch. So glad to see them in the final three, along with Garrett and Joel (the "stache" team) and brothers Greg and John (the eventual winners of the race). I approached that finale sure that Rob and Corey would win the day. Was sad they didn't - but honestly, all three of these teams were very deserving. It would be a win for me no matter who won. The new show "Traitors" started in the UK and now seems to be traveling the globe. We've seen two seasons in Australia, and one in the US and New Zealand. Even Canada has gotten into the fun. The sad thing is, the US has become my least favorite version. Why NBC thinks we want to see repeat RTV hogs in every cast is beyond me. I just don't get it. But thankfully, the other versions are fantastic. I was introduced to this show by EJetson, who discovered the UK version. However, I watched the US first. Then was fascinated watching the other versions the last year. Australia is the only country that has shown two seasons so far - and sadly, their first was fantastic (a favorite for me) but the second was a disappointment. Not because of the cast. No, I enjoyed the season right up till the finale. It ended in such a way that it angered all the fans. I hear they are not doing another season in 2024. I think that is a mistake. It shouldn't be cancelled forever. But they need to know: NOBODY wants to watch a show that ends on such a sour note. If you've seen this season, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, then sorry for the spoiler. New Zealand jumped into the "Traitors" game this year and I actually think that season was my favorite of them all. Truly loved the host, and the entire season was just fun. I should have started with the UK - since they were the first - but must say that first season is high on my favorite list too. Claudia is a fantastic hostess and I am truly looking forward to what they do next. As for Canada, I did enjoy the season very much. It's probably not topping my favorite list, but it was a pretty good version. However, the hostess needs a new stylist. Almost every episode was a running joke about how bad her clothing choices were. The game was a fun watch though. Looking forward to more seasons, though I'm struggling over whether or not I want to watch the second US season. The cast list truly annoyed me. The writer's strike really did affect the fall TV season as far as scripted shows go. Nothing of real interest in new TV. However, it was the fall where we saw the CW turn into a network with some content of interest to me (it's been a while). The first three seasons of "The Chosen" aired in autumn on the CW, finishing just in time for a Christmas special to air and before the new season begins in 2024. Always a pleasure to watch this fine show. They also pulled in some Canadian TV, and my favorite was "Sullivan's Crossing". A little sad. A lot of drama. But overall, a good show. I actually spent quite a bit of time on the Great American Family channel during seasonal movie times. They are quickly becoming my favorite network and with their merge with Pureflix, I expect great things in the future. This might be the best I can do. I know I didn't cover everything. Some things that happen on this site, I don't participate in so please... feel free to comment on your favorite things about tv in 2023. And if WM would like to add whatever he wants up here.... he is welcome to do so. I'm not even going to bother giving much info on the competition shows. Except to say: Niall Horan was the winning coach on "The Voice": back-to-back victories on his only two seasons as a coach. Who needs Blake Shelton, hee hee. Perhaps Niall will get his chair after all. Happy New Year everyone! Here's hoping for a better 2024 TV season!
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It is time once again to take a look back at some of our favorite TV moments of 2022. Now, keep in mind.... I don't watch everything; well, who has the time? And there are quite a few things on this site that I have no part of, so I will leave any mention of THOSE things to WM or anyone else who cares to play along in the comments. First of all.... Wishing you all the best in the coming year! Despite the fact that this is an "RTV" site, we DO chat quite a few scripted shows. So my first mention of 2022 Memorable TV Moments is actually.... "This Is Us: The Series Finale" I remember quite clearly the season one premiere of this wonderful show. I watched it alone and was so moved, I wrote a "review" of it the next day. Sadly it was done on the old free Disqus channel, so was lost when they shut us down #Aww. I loved everything about that first show and my review of it was so passionate that it caused Windbag Mark (who may not have ever watched an episode without my review #YoureWelcomeWM), to join me in the watch (The amazing first "twist" was the mixed timelines, a complete novelty at the time. We didn't know then that this would become commonplace on "This Is Us". There was much discussion all over the media about it the next day). Quite a few more joined in and as a result, "This Is Us" became the first scripted show included in our weekly live chats. The series finale last spring was every bit as beautifully done as that premiere episode six seasons before. In addition to giving us a satisfying conclusion to each story line of the "Big Three" (my favorite was the Kevin reconciliation and proposal to his childhood sweetheart and ex-wife Sophie), we also watched all season long the slow, difficult descent of Rebecca into Alzheimer's. Yes, it's a difficult topic but was handled so respectfully and beautifully here. The shock of seeing her beloved second husband Miguel sit lovingly by her side, caring for her day in and day out (even when her confused mind thought Miguel was her first husband, Jack), then passing away before her - so heartbreaking. I really cannot recall a series finish being more beautifully made (of any show I've ever watched) as "This Is Us" did. We've missed you this year, Kevin, Kate and Randall. But we loved being able to watch your stories unfold for six wonderful seasons. The writers of this show had such an amazing way of storytelling, weaving two or three different, seemingly disconnected pieces of the story into one episode. And in the end, it would be revealed how everything fits together like a perfect puzzle. It's all connected. And speaking of "It's all connected...." "Manifest" (Season four currently streaming on Netflix) "Manifest"... such a bizarre little show. Fun - but really bizarre. While I can't say they have it all right Biblically, and while some of the content troubles me a little (reading tarot cards for answers?) this is strange, well-written science fiction with an intriguing plot and a likable cast. Heck, some of villains are likable and even a bit funny - but yes, still bad people (Egan). Season four episodes were released a while back and I have made it through all ten available (the rest will be released later). It picks up two years after the horrifying end of the third season. You'll recall Grace Stone was murdered and her baby, Eden, kidnapped by Angelina (the young girl from the 828 plane tragedy, who had become obsessed with the idea that little Eden was her guardian angel). Disturbing, yes. She is one misguided soul, this Angelina (but a great negotiator. And don't give her your leather jacket if she begs for it, even if you will never be using it again #SurvivorDavidVersusGoliathHumour). Also, young Cal coming home after his strange disappearance, only not as the twelve-year-old we knew.... but as the 17-year-old that he SHOULD be. WTH? Yes, season four has an adult (isn't that a teenage, not adult?) Cal. I must commend the casting department here, picking an older Cal who I think very easily passes as the adult version of the young actor we knew before (he is also very convincing as Olive's twin). Amazing job, casting director. Without giving anything away, I must say it IS kind of fun seeing Cal and Olive interacting with each other as same age twins, not five years apart (as was the case in the first three seasons). Don't want to give anything away for those who watch but haven't yet seen it - except that I enjoyed it (despite a few things in the story that I didn't much care for). Overall, it's a suspenseful, great piece of storytelling. But, for the record, Josh Dallas should NEVER again sport a beard. Never! Five o'clock shadow works well. Full beard? Never again, Josh. I am so far behind on my streaming shows. Haven't caught up on current season of so many things that I'm sure some might want to mention. "Stranger Things". "Cobra Kai" (just to name a couple). One day. Please feel free WM to add your thoughts here. I know you DID dive into the "Stranger Things" world (which wasn't "your cup of tea") I would mention "The Chosen" - but since New Year's Eve mention, we haven't had a new full season (we are just a couple of episodes into one). I maintain "The Chosen" is still the BEST show out there. This is actual Biblical truth, not some science fiction version. Heh. Available everywhere these days, even Netflix (well, just season one). And there are still free streaming opportunities all over the place. No reason to pay to watch. Moving on to "SURVIVOR", beginning with.... "Australian Survivor: Blood Vs. Water" It featured an iconic US Survivor player and her progeny: Sandra Diaz-Twine and daughter Nina. I must say, the US should NEVER have let the Australian version get first crack at Nina (she applied one season and was not chosen one season. WHAAT?? Dumb move, Probst). She is an awesome young woman, a fantastic player of the game. Shame US audiences who don't do internationals missed her. We will never all agree about mama Sandra. She has rabid fans; others consider her highly over-rated. But there is no denying that she has been on several seasons and became the first to win the game twice; for this alone she deserves respect (I can hear the audible MadamP "Pfffttttt!" now #HeeHeeHee). I was struck at the respect she was given by the Australian players - complete admiration, mixed with the knowledge that it would be foolish to keep her in the game for long. Contrast that to the appearance of Russell Hantz on Australian Survivor season five. His oversized ego was front and center the moment he stepped on the beach. The tribe wanted no part of Hantz in Australia; this time, his identical Samoa strategy backfired completely and turned him into the ceremonious first boot. But Sandra - she was greeted with applause as she came on their beach for the first time. And daughter Nina really proved herself in this game. She had built a pretty undeniable alliance and was set to go far. If I'm not mistaken - correct me if I'm wrong WM - she found herself in a position of needing to write Mom's name on the parchment (Sandra emphasized that going against the votes was the worst strategic move you could make. When it became obvious at tribal that Sandra was about to get voted out, Nina heeded mom's words and voted for her. It made Sandra very proud that daughter listened to her advice). Sadly, Nina's game came to an early end: she suffered an ankle injury during a challenge. Heartbreaking for all of us to see. But thankfully, this story doesn't end there. Nina will be a cast member on the upcoming "Australian Survivor: Heroes Vs Villains" season as a "Hero". Take that, Hantz! While Mark Wales was the eventual winner of the season (dominating with wife Samantha - it's all coming back now!) - it was Nina who stole all of our hearts. Even MadamP must love the fact that Nina - Sandra's DAUGHTER! - voted mom out. And a Diaz-Twine is returning to the game - as a "Hero"! But Australia didn't have all the 2022 fun this year: the US had TWO "Survivor" seasons this year. Survivor 42 - where we've shortened the game to 26 days (as said on the Australian page, if JLP and the Aussies can manage a 49 (down from 55) game day in the post Covid world, how is it Probst can only manage a 26-day (down from 39) game?) The US version is getting "wimpy", heh. (Are you aware that no matter how many days a season lasts, all series are televised in thirteen to fifteen weeks. Changing the amount of days does would not switch that. And "wimpy"? Exact opposite. 26-day cast members have to cram the same amount of challenges and tribals into much less time. 39-day players had more spare time to accomplish the same amount of work. The new shortened time line forces them to work much harder). I can't say I recall much about this season... except that Maryanne won and no one expected her to. In fact, most of us thought she would be the first boot of her tribe. Her over- the-top emotions, her non-stop chatter... just a couple of the reasons why most thought this. I remember I was rooting pretty hard for Jonathan. But sadly, he lost in the final four fire-making challenge to Mike Turner after somehow losing the final challenge to Romeo. How did this happen after dominating the games challenges most of the season (We all suspect the previous night's "open bar" shenanigans gave him a hangover the next day, and that "catch the spinning balls" challenge must have been MUCH more difficult for him in that condition)? And rightly so, Romeo was not just going to hand Johnathan the win by taking him to the end. He took Maryanne, forcing Johnathan to win his spot in a fire making challenge. No one can begrudge Romeo this choice; it was the right one. Would Johnathan have won the game if he had been at the end? I'm really not sure. How did Maryanne manage to get the win? I really don't recall; I'll let WM fill in this part. An unexpectedly brilliant FTC performance, explaining her game and the reasons she should win SO much better than the other two. Whipping out the immunity idol she had kept secret all game was the shocking "cherry on top" that stunned the jury. Survivor 43 This season is most fresh in my mind and, I must say, was the most enjoyable one we've had in a while. Overall, a likable cast; I can't recall anyone that I overtly disliked at all. And after a wonderful season with some great challenges and game play, we got an unlikely hero as the winner... ... Mike Gabler, a fifty-one year old veteran. Like Maryanne on season 42, I think most of us dismissed Gabler early on. Nice enough guy, but it seemed like he wasn't really there to PLAY. We didn't see a lot of big moves or big strategy from him. An offbeat personality and likable enough, sure. but come on. Who thought he'd still be there anywhere close to the end? But that was the beauty of it all - no one, not even his castmates - saw him as a threat. They were all so busy taking down THEIR perceived enemies, they didn't really pay attention to the game that Gabler was quietly playing. He articulately described that at final tribal council, so eloquently that he literally won the entire jury over (except for one person). Then after winning the game, he made a hero's announcement: his winnings would ALL be donated to veteran charities, helping those who have fought to protect and serve our country. A selfless act - and an amazing outcome to a pretty darn great season of "Survivor". I'm sure WM will have more to say on this. (Kudos for never mentioning this at all DURING the game; it might have called many to question his motivation. The fact that he made this announcement after the game is what made it a truly heroic moment: his inspiration was simply to aid a cause he believed in) I was rooting hard for Owen or Jesse, but I have no complaint about this outcome. We also had two seasons of "The Amazing Race" this year.... ... season 32, which I can't recall much about except that it was won by Kim and Penn, a pair that not everyone liked much. But I remember that I did. Then season 33, which had one of the most memorable teams we have seen in a while: Emily and Molly placed second in the game, but first in our hearts. The team that hit the mat fastest was Big Brother alums Derek and Claire, a deserving win for sure. But Emily and Molly (who I often referred to as long-lost sisters) captured our hearts with their story. Twins separated at birth and raised without ever knowing about the other, they reunited as adults and used the race to make up for so much lost time. Completely likable and great competitors who you just had to cheer for. Their second-place finish was even more remarkable due an injury to Molly's knee that she had to fight throughout the race, getting progressively worse just as the challenges increased in difficulty. I will remember season 33's Emily and Molly long after I've forgotten the names of #TeamBigBrother. I'm sure there are other things I should mention. I'll leave Big Brother and The Bachelor and Big Sky, and so on... for WM. Someone who actually watches those shows. "Big Brother" had the most inspirational season in its franchise history; the most heartwarming triumph-of-the-underdog story in - dare I say it? - reality TV history. A beautiful young woman becomes the victim of intense bullying (racism and petty female jealousy being the cause) yet powers through by strength of character despite early attempts to evict her EVERY single week. Forming an alliance with the fellow house outliers later in the game, she used her leadership to defeat the blatant racism in the house with great maturity (something not usually seen in the Big Brother house). Ultimately, she dazzled the jury at the final Q&A (as so many RTV winners did in 2022) with what many called the greatest final speech in BB history. She won 8-1, the first Black woman (in a non-celebrity season) to do so, and also the first winner to also be named America's Favourite Player. Taylor Hale will be end up on the Big Brother Mount Rushmore. But I'm out of time..... OH! I will mention MY favorite new show of the season.... (I assume "Ghosts" is a close second?) ... "So Help Me Todd" (which may or may not get a second season but has sure been an enjoyable show). What zany fun this turned out to be! Even though Todd (Skyler Austin, pictured here) will forever be Max from "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" for me (stupid NBC for cancelling that fabulous show), This little "dramedy" has been a fun replacement. Okay, officially out of time. Please feel free to add your favorites in the comments. Happy New Year! Here is hoping for a better 2023 in the world of TV. Hello RTV people, Welcome to our annual New Year's Eve look back at the TV year! Full disclosure: I'm not sure I can find much to be enthusiastic about. I must admit, I am having less-than-enthusiastic feelings about TV in general these days. Finally growing up a little, maybe? Heh. Feeling like there are better things I could be doing with the majority of my free time, perhaps? Or maybe just a desire to be choosier about what types of TV shows I give my time to? So on that note, I will begin my look at 2021 by gushing over the one discovery I made that no one on this site has shown any interest in - but that I have designated the best TV I've ever seen. Of course, you all know what I'm talking about: "The Chosen" Developed by Dallas Jenkins, son of acclaimed writer Jerry B Jenkins (half of the partnership responsible for the "Left Behind" series), after the success of a Christmas Eve project he did for his church called "The Shepherd" (which focused on the shepherds keeping their midnight watch when Christ was born). It was developed outside of the Hollywood system, completely crowd-source funded. It made this wonderful show have its full run, because you cannot cancel a show that is made available for free though an app developed by its director (and yes, it's available other places as well). Peacock has it on their free tier. I think it's also on the DOVE channel (for those who have access). If you have a subscription to "Pureflix" (the home of faith-based and family-friendly TV), it is there as well. But they have an app that you can access the entire series, then cast it through your TV. Season three will be coming up soon. I cannot wait! The following is a clip from season one; the moment when Jesus heals the paralytic: This is not your typical "Hollywood" look at the life of Jesus. It's a refreshing perspective of the entire Gospel story, told through the eyes of those who knew him best: his disciples. The cast is fantastic. The production quality is fantastic. The soundtrack - yes, I always notice the music - is fantastic. "The Chosen" is life-changing in so many ways. And as with all God-inspired project, there are the pharisees of today that would like to cast it out as being blasphemous. But trust me... it is not. It is one of the most beautiful looks at the life of Jesus I have ever had the privilege to watch. EVERYONE should have this privilege. So with this in mind, I have considering creating a "sister channel" to this one (under the same Weebly account) which would have a "Chosen" blog of its own, for the purpose of finding people to engage in discussion with this show. We will see if I follow through with this as 2022 unfolds. "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" Season two got off to a sobering start for me: the aftermath of the death of Zoey's beloved father. This was followed by the loss of Joan (played by Lauren Graham) who had to abruptly leave the show (due to a covid outbreak on the set of her other show for the Disney Plus channel, "Mighty Ducks Gamechangers". An unexpected change not just for the audience but for the cast as well. Things felt a bit off in the first few episodes - even the second time through. But it picked up again after its winter break and ended on a surprising note, leaving the season on a cliffhanger. And then - in the infinite wisdom (idiocy) of NBC - "Zoey" got cancelled. Enter the Roku Channel! Much love and appreciation to Roku for stepping in and saving Zoey's audience from never knowing just how this series would end. The Christmas movie wrap-up was fantastic and COULD lead to more Zoey in the future. Everyone please: find a way to support the Roku channel. I am forever grateful to them for saving Zoey for me. I would have hated never knowing why Max suddenly had her "gift". And now I know. And I am grateful. I read that this movie has topped the Roku channel's "Most-watched original" to date. Which is fantastic news for them. Dare we hope for more Zoey in 2022? Australian Survivor: Brains vs. Brawn We may not have had a spring American Survivor season - but what we DID have this summer was a fantastic season of "Australian Survivor". Thanks to Paramount Plus, it is now easily available in the US (well, at least season four to six of its current run). I hate to say too much about the actual season since some have probably not watched yet. But I will say, this season out-did the US in so many ways. Including (sorry Probst!) its host, Johnathan LaPaglia (JLP to those who love the show). Hosting "Survivor" may not have been his dream job when he become an actor - but he sure has grown into a fantastic one. I say, if Probst ever retires, JLP could breathe new life into the US version for us. Yes, this season had its frustrations: mostly too many twists which felt like producer manipulation. But it ended the best way it could have, leaving its audience completely satisfied. Cannot wait till summer. I hear (but have not confirmed) there might be a couple of US players in the mix. Hmm. Last time that happened, it left a certain US player with egg on his over-confident face and hurt his humongous ego. We will see what happens this time around. And speaking of "Survivor"... Survivor 41 In contrast to the Aussies, this season ended on a sour note for me. Nothing against its winner; none at all. But for me, it just felt wrong in all sorts of ways. In fact, the entire season, honestly. No, I didn't hate it at all. Certainly I liked a lot of the cast members. Shan, with her silly "evil" music and over-the-top game made a huge impact on the audience. No denying, she was interesting. Her friendship/alliance with Ricard also intriguing. Xander and his awkward but fantastic game play. That "silly sentences" idol. So much fun. Can't imagine them trying to repeat this a second time, but... so much fun this time. There were things to really enjoy about this season. Here is a clip of one of my favorite moments of the season - and one of the reasons I feel like Xander deserved the big win of the three finalists. If the producers wanted me to support an Erica win, she should have gotten an edit that showed strategy and outside-the-box thinking like we saw from Xander (and to give credit where credit is due, from Evvie too). There was a LOT of edit for Xander trying hard to bring great strategy to the table - and no, not always successfully, I admit. Sometimes awkwardly. But he worked hard from day one with so much against him: playing from the bottom the entire time, and with an advantage that was more a disadvantage until merge (losing his vote at TC the entire time forced him to find a way to help his team avoid TC - or his game was over). Holding an idol in his pocket from DAY ONE that he never actually had to use to make it to the final episode - despite being constantly in danger. And please don't yell "No social game!" at me. I saw social game from him. Pre-merge, he had a pretty good relationship with Evvie. Post merge; he had a pretty good relationship with Ricard. Two examples. We saw no edit from Erica that would explain her win. We saw her take advantage of a horrible twist handed to her by production, but we saw no actual strategy edit for her that would explain why she deserved the win. We can argue this forever; but I truly don't want to. I'm ready to move on. This is just my feelings on the subject. Go WM; I'm sure you have something to say.... (You're right to emphaszie that Erica's little-seen game was the fault of the editors, not Erica herself: if your whole tribe is willing to THROW a challenge just because they find you such a threat you must be disposed of... well producers, what are you not showing us? It's a shame they did Erica so badly. And the fact is, post-game, most players said they didn't force Xander to play his idol because they didn't think he'd have much shot at victory; nobody minded sitting bside him at FTC) But great moment from Xander; can we all admit this? (That quote is destined to become a legendary Survivor one: I've already seen a re-imagining of the infamous Napalm Natalie eviction on David-versus-Goliath: Angelina stands up and begs "Natalie, is there any way I can have your jacket? Natalie....Natalie..." and she turns around and deadpans "No, but you can have this fake one.") Season 41 will never be a favorite season for me just because I feel the jury did not reward the player who should have won. In fact, it dropped to second last for me. My bottom season will forever be "Edge of Extinction" won by Chris Underwood. Nothing against Chris; but he simply should not have won. Chris was playing "Edge of Extinction" Survivor while the others were playing regular Survivor. The advantages he had there were impossible for anyone else to surmount. We can all agree on that, I think. I might have felt differently with a different S42 final three. If Ricard had been in that mix against Xander, I would have felt good about a win for him. Ricard played a great strategy game; maybe better than anyone, including Xander. I'll leave it at that. Moving off network TV, let's talk 2021 streaming. My favorite this year, that I gushed nonstop over but no one really reacted to (part two): "Turner and Hooch" on Disney Plus This was truly fun and entertaining in every way. And as is the usual case with family-friendly shows I love, it didn't get the credit it deserved from the critics. Now seeing some conflicting news: one site says no season two for sure; another says Disney hasn't decided one way or another. I'm left with an I-hope-for-season-two-but-I-don't-expect-to-get-one kind of feeling It's a shame. This deserves to have its story continue. It's such fun and entertaining. Fantastic cast. Adorable dogs. Clean and family-friendly in every way. I want more "Turner and Hooch". Instead, streaming audiences were flocking to Netflix for the gore fest that was... "Squid Games". A lot of viewers on this channel. Even my own kids. I made it through one episode and couldn't stomach any more. Will let WM talk about this one. I have nothing more to say... I certainly understand your distaste for this show, Catlover: it is undeniably graphic and explicitly violent. But at it's core, it's a story of how far a person will go to help their family; where will they draw the line. It's a quandary all the characters must face for themselves. And we saw the background that got them to this point. For people with strong stomachs, it was the moral issues that kept us coming back. "Cobra Kai" on Netflix 2021 was also the year I discovered that this series (which follows Daniel LaRuso and Johnny Lawrence from the eighties film "The Karate Kid" now all grown up) was actually... pretty good! Not family-friendly in the least, but it kept the characters' stories continuing. Love that the original actors were able to reprise these roles. I'm not sure it would work otherwise. Disney Plus Marvel Series. If you are a Marvel fan and love some of the characters developed in the Marvel Universe, this was the year to have a Disney Plus subscription. From Wandavision, Loki, Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the most recent Hawkeye (which aired during Christmas 2021), there was much Marvel fun to be had. My favorite of these was "Hawkeye", for sure. Wandavision started off fun, but I wasn't a fan of the ending. Loki: weird (fittingly - so is the character) and a little hard to follow - but enjoyable. Falcon and the Winter Soldier: I mean...Bucky. I enjoyed this one too. But Hawkeye was my favorite of the bunch. I mean, "Rogers the Musical". Still chuckling over that one. I think I will end my 2021 musings here. Please feel free to add whatever you like in the comments. And a very... ...to all of you! Hello RTV people, So many choice adjectives can be used to describe the year 2020. The person of faith in me chooses to hope for better days ahead. And I know with the coming of the new year, quite a few TV shows will be starting up again. So maybe our pages will be far less quiet? We'll see. But anyway, as far as 2020 went, OUR focus, of course, was all about things television. Sadly, I'm not sure if I can come up with much of a list. Okay, there were a few shining moments: From the winter TV season, my favorite NEW show would have to be: "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist", NBC I knew from the first moment I heard about this upcoming show that I would enjoy it very much. Zoey (Jane Levy) leads a fantastic cast (some of whom you can identify in this picture) in an unconventional story about a young woman who finds herself in the very odd position of being able to hear people's deepest emotions through song and dance - unbeknownst to THEM. How did she come about this strange superpower, you might wonder? Well, I could explain about how a series of bad headaches prompted her to go to the doctor for an MRI; while in the machine, her fear of being enclosed in such a tiny space prompted her to ask for some soothing music to calm her fears; how the attendant flipped on not SOOTHING music but a playlist of some of the greatest music, from all genres, of all time (Zoey is a science geek and has paid NO attention to the music world - so most Top 40 songs were lost on her. Her friend Mo: "This power is wasted on you! "Oh Jesus Take the Wheel"!): about the mild earthquake, which somehow - no one knows how - caused that playlist of songs to download into her psyche, where she was experiencing some pretty deep emotions; which ultimately caused her to acquire this very unusual superpower. "I'm like 'The X-Men' meets 'The Voice'!" she declares to friend Max at one point when she is trying to explain it to him. I COULD describe all that to you, especially now that I've done a recent run-through of the series in anticipation of season two beginning shortly. But it might be more fun if you watch it for yourself. A lot of humor. A lot of heart. A lot of classic music being performed by some exceptional artists (who are all actors first but are ALL doing their own singing, showing this emotional side to perfection). Who knew these people could sing? I know I didn't. But my favorite part of season one was every time Zoey had an interaction with her sick dad and her amazing mom. Hmmm., we can do this..... The five minute clip above will give you a clear picture of this beautiful show. It's set to the song "American Pie". Yes, funny choice for a funeral. But for some reason it makes perfect sense, and is so beautifully performed and choreographed for this final scene of the series that it's hard not to love it. Someone was obviously as moved by this story as I was. They took the last scene of the season one finale and then added splashes of scenes from other episodes. Through the "heart" songs (her term) Zoey hears, WE get to know each and every one of the characters in her life, seeing the deepest emotions in their souls. It can be her mother (played by the wonderful Mary Steenburgen), her best friend/potential soulmate number one Max (played by Skyler Astin), her neighbor Mo (played by Alex Newell), her boss (played by long time TV veteran of Lauren Graham [The Gilmore Girls, Parenthood], as strong and tough and confident as a high tech company CEO must be, yet can always make me smile), or Zoey's co-worker (and potential soulmate number two) Simon (played by John Clarence Stewart). And of course, her dad (played by Peter Gallagher) who, much to the heartbreak of Zoey and her family, is suffering from a disease that has robbed him of his ability to speak and move. But he's still able to express his heart to Zoey through this amazing gift she has: the ability to see and hear the deepest emotions of those around her in song. Sounds crazy? Sure. But it's a lovely, lovely show in every way. Yes, sad - but with enough humor and heart to alleviate the sadness. So looking forward to season two, which starts January 5th (I think). Team Max or Team Simon? I'm #TeamMax all the way. Survivor Season 40: Winners At War... the BIG one! It was here. What all true Survivor fans had been waiting for - long-rumoured, now finally accomplished. And boy did it not disappoint! Not at all. Such a fun season. So great to see some of the old school players have a chance to prove themselves against the best of the recent players. So funny: we veteran Survivor watchers couldn't help but deeply root for the old school players to rule the island. But it didn't exactly turn out that way.... Boston Rob - one of the game's most infamous and controversial (some love him, some hate him... I personally love him) got himself schooled. Michelle, a winner who many didn't think deserved her victory at all, proved to all that she had some real game and deserves credit for her original win (yes, strange sentiment coming from ME... ha!). I'll leave some room for WM to add his thoughts but let me just say... A fantastic season. A fantastic winner in... Tony. Even the despised inclusion of Survivor tenet-destroying "Isle of Extinction" (the winner must obtain jury votes from players they had a hand directly or indirectly voting out, not players they had spent some of the season bonding with) didn't dampen the enthusiasm a lot. Producers tried as best they could to make IofE an important part of the season with new tweaks requiring strength and strategy. But since the ultimate winner DID survive on the island (not on IofE) for fourty days, we were satisfied it was a TRUE victory. I loved the way Tony played: keeping a low profile at the beginning, not coming out "big" in any way. Then one moment clicked and it was GAME ON! He played a perfect game and deserved this win, hands down. (And the general consensus is that the internet will no longer be filled with endless debate about who the greatest Survivor player EVER is. Only extreme contrarians will deny the title to Mr. Vlachos. Discourse will now be limited to deciding exactly how far from the top is Sandra Diaz-Twine's second place status) Just typing this is making me sad that we have had no Survivor since that exceptional season ended. :( Re-watch, please. ASAP! Spring 2020 was also the season of Australian Survivor All Stars... If you are a Survivor fan and have never made the leap to "International" ... I highly recommend it. But don't start with this season. Start with at least numbers one and two. Get to know a few of these people before you dive into the fantastic All-Star season. The Aussies have put their own spin on this game, increasing it to 55 days (yikes!). Insanity. All Stars was a fantastic watch. I'm having difficulty giving too many details, in case anyone is inspired to check it out on their own. Go ahead! Dive into Australian Survivor! You won't regret it. "Tough As Nails". Created and hosted by Phil Koeghan. It took a guy from New Zealand to come up with a show to celebrate Blue Collar America. I admit - I only checked it out for Phil. But in the end, I really enjoyed the show. Was it the best RTV I've ever seen? No, can't say it was. But it was enjoyable. And... Phil. After such a long absence, it was fun to see his return to TV as a host of anything! Looking forward to season two. Back to a favorite scripted show: we cannot forget... "This Is Us" One of the few scripted shows we can get a good chat going for. This started when I saw the season one premiere and was so moved that I wrote up a big page explaining all the things I loved (And that twist! Some caught it early, some didn't see it all and were shocked at the end. Had the internet ablaze the entire next day!) That write up is long gone: lost with the much-mourned free channel of Disqus. But the overall sentiment is the same. The storytelling in this show is exceptional. This past season we were taken through the harsh reality of the Pearson family realizing their beloved mom, Rebecca, is be sinking into the devastating disease of Alzheimer's. Now when I think of this season, I first see Rebecca. Older Rebecca.... having some troubling memory issues. Troubling enough to make Randall spring into action to solve the problem (that's what Randall does). Also a huge arc for Kevin, as he struggles to overcome his addictions and to understand more about his father. In season three, that desire took Kevin all the way to Vietnam in search of his father's brother Nicky, who the family had always believed died in Viet Nam. But mostly, it's Kevin's inpending fatherhood that drove him this season. Will he always judge himself against his own dad? I can't recall all details... please feel free to add your thoughts, WM. But still, as far as I'm concerned, THIS IS US remains one of the best scripted shows of all time (well, unless you're an EW message board contributor, which gives you a chance to trash the show in a new way week after week!) The Amazing Race The best way to describe "The Amazing Race" season thirty-two is... memorable. That doesn't imply good OR bad; just that you can't forget it. Unfortunately, this time it's not for good reasons. It wasn't the best season...and that was a shame. Phil, we still love you though. We will give the show a mention. Only for you, Phil. :-}} After how many missed seasons (three, maybe four dozen?) So many, I don't even know. At last we were FINALLY given a new season of The Amazing Race to enjoy! What a blessing this would be! Good TV had been so scarce lately! And then.... it turned out to be a stinker of a season. At least we could enjoy the cultural experiences that TAR brings, seeing other countries and their lifestyles, etc. Here's hoping for a better future for this show - if indeed there ARE upcoming seasons. Not sure if there will be, but if they are: cast people who have never seen Survivor or Big Brother so have no idea about "alliance building". No, alliances are not against the rules of the show. But most long-time fans I know found that domination of a five team "Mine Five" alliance was a show killer as far as the enjoyment of the season goes. Made it hard to root for any of the five teams when it came down to it, honestly. And that is a terrible thing to happen to a season. There are lots of opinions and I know not everyone hated this season. But I admit, I wasn't a fan of this one. Still hoping for more, better TAR. I have seen no word on it's future. The Invasion of the Masked Shows! What fun guessing games these shows have turned out to be - and made more enjoyable by our live chats. And now, not only do our masked players sing - they also dance! Follow the clues as best as you can and see if you can correctly identify who is beneath that mask. Okay, I'm running out of steam. It's late and I have to work in the morning. So I will leave it up to WM to dress up this page as well as he'd like to, adding any detail he wants. I'm sure there are plenty of memorable moment that I didn't include. Please share with us all what your favorite TV moments of the year were. Prayers for a brighter future ahead. Happy New Year from RTV Fanatics Unite Hello RTV people, If only I could remember much! 2019 was the year that Disqus shook everything up in our world by ending its free channel service, causing us to re-establish a new site on Weebly. I DO like Weebly - but this did cause us to lose all of our history of the year! Now I'm having a lot of trouble remember last spring. Hmmm..... The MOST memorable for Survivor fans was season 38 giving us a universally hated twist: the "Edge of Extinction". It produced a winner who only actually played the game for about three days. He was voted out and spent the rest of the season hanging out at Edge of Extinction; resting up and even worse, making close personal connections with every jury member! It violated a fundamental rule of Survivor: that the winner must obtain the most votes from people they directly or indirectly had a hand in voting out. For most Survivor Fans, this was completely unacceptable. The winner did NOT vote any juror members out. All he did was socialize with them for many days at a shared location. Yes, some of us DID like winner Chris Underwood. But we did not like this blatant violation of a basic Survivor core. On "The Voice" last spring, we saw the end of an era when Adam Levine (one of the original coaches of the show) decided to end his long run as a coach, and also his bromantic, long-running bantering fun with Blake Shelton. Some were glad to see him go; others like me were sad. I missed him this fall. For fans of "Dancing With The Stars", this year marked the first time in the show's long history that it aired only one season in the calendar year. This new trend will continue in 2020 as there will be no new season this spring. I assume this is to make room for ABC's inclusion of "American Idol" into their spring season. I can't even recall who WON American Idol last season! So memorable it was... OH YEAH... It was Laine Hardy. The one who came to help a friend's audition and ended up being asked to audition himself. "The Masked Singer" on Fox also made a huge splash on US TV in 2019. The first season was so successful, not only did we get a fall 2019 season two - but we are getting ready for a spring 2020 season three. I admit... this is fast becoming one of my favorite competition shows. The guessing game is just so fun. Kbella kicks all our butts. The winners for the first two season were.... T-Pain for season one and... Wayne Brady for season two. Well deserved, but can I just mention how much I truly loved the characters of the second season? Here is a reminder.... These are a few of them... can YOU recall who the stars underneath the masks were? Cannot wait for season three. A quick mention of "Survivor 39", which became a season of social justice issues in a way that was very frustrating to most of us. A great cast overall, tarnished by the bad behavior of a few. Still, overall a pretty good season with some fun and memorable GOOD characters. And the winner was some ginger.... Also, Survivor Australia's summer season was a fantastic ride of a show. I'm mentioning it because it was SO successful, Australia is getting TWO seasons for the first time in 2020. This season was truly Survivor at it's best. If anyone would be interested in checking out some of the Survivor fun in Australia, let me know. I can help you with easy links to the episodes if you are willing to email me. I am running out of time, so I am turning the review back over to you! What were YOUR favorite TV or music or entertainment moments of 2019?
This page can also be used as a chat page for evening fun if anyone is around. I should be home. We will probably have the Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest "New Year's Rockin' Eve" show on for a bit of the time (we are really boring at our house). But.. if you are also dull like me, at home and want a place to chat, I should be around. Looking forward to see what you all consider to be the TV Highlights of 2019. HAPPY NEW YEAR! |
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