My Fall TV Schedule – Mondays

I’m a fan of television.  So you’d think that I’d be a fan of the Fall television season.  I’ve gotta say; I’m kinda not a fan of it. 

There are a ton of shows that made their debuts and you don’t know a) which ones are good and b) which ones are going to survive.  It’s a gamble, a crapshoot. 

Still, I participate.  Here’s what I’m watching on Mondays. 

Monday Munchies – Pepperidge Farm Limited Edition Blueberry Cobbler

I’ve been spoiled.  For the past seven years I’ve basically had a steady stream of homemade cookies.  Whether it’s family, friends or coworkers I’ve been supplied with fresh cookies baked with love. 

In fact I sort of unofficially swore off of store bought cookies. 

Still, there are few words that prompt me to buy something like “Limited Edition.”  And that’s how I came to pick up Pepperidge Farm’s limited edition Blueberry Cobbler. 

Sunday Morning Quarterback – Chris Pratt & Ariana Grande

Saturday Night Live is back!  Over the summer there were additions (Michael Che, Pete Davidson) subtractions (John Milhiser, Noel Wells, Brooks Wheelan, Nasim Pedrad) and even some lateral moves (Mike O'Brien, Cecily Strong).  Time will tell how well those moves pay off.  

Hosting the season premiere is Chris Pratt, who is coming off a huge summer.  He's known for comedy, so this should be a breeze.  Welcome back SNL!

Monday Munchies – Little Caesar’s Soft Pretzel Crust Pizza

It’s rare that I try a gimmicky pizza.  It’s not that I’m a pizza purist, I’m just not all that interested crusts stuffed with things or that detach to become breadsticks.  I don’t see the need for it and it doesn’t engage my curiosity.

I do like a good white pizza, but that’s as close as I get to tinkering with the format. 

But, as I’m sure you know if you’ve read a Monday Munchies before, if there’s one that I’m a fan of it’s salty.  So the idea of a pizza with a pretzel crust proved tantalizing.  And thus I went to Little Caesar’s. 

Amazon Prime – Really

It will be interesting to see what direction Amazon takes as an entertainment creator.   Alpha House was a show that thought it was more clever than it actually was and Betas was cancelled before I even checked out an episode. 

But will Amazon set it’s sights on becoming the next “next HBO” or will it be content to the next CBS?  I can’t call it. 

Closing out our week long look at Amazon Prime’s latest group of pilots is Really.  

Amazon Prime - Hand of God

Everyone loves an anti-hero.  It’s why The Sporanos was a hit show and why people rooted for Vic Mackey on The Shield.  Breaking Bad which just cleaned up at the Emmys because it was a great television show that happened to focus on a meth cook.  You can’t get much more antihero than that. 

With the previous batch of pilots, Amazon presented Bosch, which may have antihero elements, but seems firmly cemented in “cop show” clichés.  This time around Amazon went full antihero with Hand of God.

Amazon Prime – The Cosmopolitans

I almost feel like Amazon pulled the trigger on it’s latest pilot season a tad early.  Like perhaps it’s trying to counter the bad press Amazon’s been getting lately in regards to strong-arming companies and it’s treatment of employees. 

Not that the shows feel rushed, but they kind of dropped out of thin air as if Amazon wanted to change the conversation abruptly. 

Anyway, today’s focus is on The Cosmopolitans. 

Amazon Prime - Hysteria

So Amazon has pushed out five brand new pilots, three comedies and two dramas.  Last time around the "genre" show was The After, an intriguing offering from Chris Carter that shared much of it's DNA with Lost.

This time around Hysteria fills that slot. 

Amazon Prime - Red Oaks

Amazon’s third pilot season has arrived.  The last pilot season saw four of the five pilots picked up to series, with only The Rebels failing to make the cut.  Yet before any of them have begun to air (or stream) Amazon is already pushing ahead with a new batch of pilots. 

Perhaps it’s a good idea that Amazon put out the new pilots before the season group was fed to the wolves.  That way, these pilots can fail or succeed on their own merits without (potentially) having to carry the weight of Amazon’s streaming service on their shoulders. 

First up is Red Oaks.