#MagnumPI ends tonight - at least for now?

NBC fumbled Magnum P.I. BIG TIME

Two episodes air tonight (Wednesday, January 3). 

Sadly, these are the final episodes, though with the ratings, it's frustrating why NBC couldn’t #SaveMagnumPI again and give the show a Season 6.

“Ashes to Ashes” airs at 9PM ET and “The Big Squeeze” airs at 10PM ET.

“Ashes to Ashes” (9PM) – Magnum and Higgins re-examine a fatal arson investigation at the request of TC and Mahina, leading to a sinister discovery. Kumu volunteers with Rick at a veterans’ crisis call center.

“The Big Squeeze” (10PM) – Magnum and Higgins take a major step forward in their relationship. At the same time, the past comes back to haunt them when a previous suspect becomes their client. TC aims to scale up Island Hoppers. Rick gets a new business partner.

Image credit: NBC

I watch more than I've ever covered on this blog and "Magnum PI" is one of me and the mister's favorites - both this version and the original with Tom Selleck (His grandmother even uses Tom's face as a reference in her paintings.) - so NBC's idiocy with scheduling season 5 on Sunday nights with NO good and proper lead-in was baffling and frustrating!

Do we wish the live ratings had been the same as on CBS Fridays? Of course! But Season 5 has still been very good for NBC, especially with a strike taking many months. Why they didn't put it on Fridays in the first place is a mystery, as all NBC runs there are reruns and Dateline!

Anyway, it seems we just have to be grateful for these 20 NBC episodes. The La Mariana set has already been dismantled and repurposed for another show. "Magnum" actor contracts expired months ago. The writers room would love to keep making it, the cast loved their time on it, but no else is fighting like the fandom is. (Kudos for the billboards etc! No one's spent what you guys have.)

How well would "Magnum" do on streaming? The show is easily binge-able.

So...lift a glass to our ohana and wish them well.

Thanks for being excellent comfort food television.

Theorizing the next CW season now TVD and Reign are ended/ending.

What I would pair on The CW for 2017 - 2018

Let me theorize....

The 100 is the ninth CW series to score a renewal for the 2017-18 season, joining Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supernatural, Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Riverdale. iZombie and The Originals have new seasons on the way.

With TVD and Reign ended, new spots open up. I'm going to pair things by tone:

Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend should be on the same night. They don't match anything else. I don't watch The 100, iZombie, or Riverdale.

Since I want The Originals to survive at least as long as TVD, I'd pair it with Supernatural. They're the only monster/fantasy genre shows left on the network, and they both center around family, and there's a similar tone and adult level.

I'm not sure what to do with the DC shows. Legends is okay behind Flash, but did better at 8PM on Thursdays. Next season could be Arrow's last. The plan was for 6, so....  What would you think of Supergirl and Flash on the same night?

I'm not taking into account the whole ratings thing of what shows on what nights make the most money for the network, or competition from other channels. I'm just thinking about what makes sense together.

What do you think?

Happy 9 Months!

😊 Kittens

Lowen and Tortie are 36 weeks old today.

I took this photo a few minutes ago. Not easy to get them still AND looking at the camera at the same time!

These are the same kittens I rescued from a shoebox on the sidewalk at only 4 weeks old. Their sister Ninja lives with family of ours (they're smitten).

NBC 2016-2017 Schedule Revealed #TV

The 2016-2017 NBC schedule looks like this; new shows are in CAPS.

MONDAY
8 pm The Voice
10 pm TIMELESS (TAKEN takes over at midseason)

TUESDAY
8 pm The Voice
9 pm THIS IS US
10 pm Chicago Fire

WEDNESDAY
8 pm Blindspot (new time slot)
9 pm Law & Order: SVU
10 pm Chicago P.D.

THURSDAY
8 pm Superstore (new time slot)
8:30 THE GOOD PLACE
9 pm Chicago Med (new time slot)
10 pm The Blacklist (new time slot)

FRIDAY
8 pm Caught on Camera With Nick Canon
9 pm Grimm
10 pm Dateline

SATURDAY
8 pm Dateline Mysteries
10 pm Saturday Night Live (encores)

SUNDAY
7 pm Football Night in America
8:20 pm NBC Sunday Night Football

NOT RETURNING NEXT SEASON: Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris, Crowded, Game of Silence, Heartbeat, Heroes: Reborn, Mr. Robinson, The Mysteries of Laura, The Player, Telenovela, Truth Be Told, and Undateable.

#AgentCarter Spoilers!

Spoilers for "Agent Carter" episode 5

“The Iron Ceiling,” written by Jose Molina and directed by Peter Leto:

Coming Soon - NBC's #Allegiance

Allegiance

You're going to see a lot of comparisons between Allegiance and The Americans. Both are about Russian spies living in America and trying to avoid being caught by the FBI. FX’s The Americans came out first. So should viewers think NBC’s Allegiance is ripping off the cable drama?

Not at all, producers say.

Allegiance centers around a young, idealistic CIA analyst who is unaware that his parents as well as his sister are part of a dormant Russian sleeper cell that has just been reactivated.

“Watch one or two episodes and I think it’s pretty clear that we’re going in a different direction,” EP George Nolfi said Friday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. “This is, fundamentally a family drama about people who really do not want to be spies. They’re forced into this situation. That’s just an extremely different setup and then where we take it is really different, as well.”

Scott Cohen also noted that Allegiance is “dealing with an imminent danger” and “a post-9/11 generation” in its central character of Alex, “which is a bit different than what The Americans is.”

Added star Gavin Stenhouse, “A lot of shows, I feel, have superficially similar premises. They’re based on similar things, but they’re a different emotional journey for the viewer. It’s born out of a completely different equation of actors and writers.”

Allegiance is based on an Israeli format, The Gordin Cell, which came out in 2012—one year before The Americans.

See previews at http://www.nbc.com/allegiance

This high-octane thriller revolves around the O'Connor family and their son, Alex (Gavin Stenhouse), a young idealistic CIA analyst specializing in Russian affairs. Unbeknownst to him, both of his parents and his sister are part of a dormant Russian sleeper cell that has just been reactivated.

Years ago, Russian-born Katya (Hope Davis) was tasked by the KGB to recruit American businessman Mark O'Connor (Scott Cohen) as a spy, and the two fell in love. A deal was struck: as long as Katya remained an asset for Russia, she would be allowed to marry Mark and move to America. After years in America building a happy life and without word from Moscow, they thought they had escaped. Now it seems the new Mother Russia has one more mission - turning Alex into a spy. The SVR (Russian Intelligence) has re-enlisted the entire family into service as they plan a terrorist operation inside U.S. borders that will bring America to its knees. For these anguished parents, the choice is clear: betray their country... or risk their family. 

The series also stars Margarita Levieva (Natalie O'Connor), Morgan Spector (Victor Dobrynin), Kenneth Choi (Sam Luttrell) and Alex Peters (Sarah O'Connor).

Based on an Israeli format, "Allegiance" is a production of Universal Television, Keshet Media and Yes! and comes from Executive Producer, Showrunner and Producing Director George Nolfi ("The Adjustment Bureau") and Executive Producers Avi Nir, John Glenn, Rashad Raisani, Ron Leshem, Amit Cohen, Giyora Yahalom, and Yona Wisenthal.

CW Massive Renewal Spree! #Arrow #Supernatural #TVD #TheFlash and More!

CW Renewals for 2015-2016!

It's The CW day at the TCA's winter press tour, and eight dramas have received renewals.

Eight!

The series being ordered for the 2015-16 TV season include:

Arrow (which will enter Season 4),
Jane the Virgin (Season 2),
Reign (Season 3),
Supernatural (Season 11),
The 100 (Season 3),
The Flash (Season 2),
The Originals (Season 3),
and The Vampire Diaries (Season 7).


In other news, Supernatural will return to Wednesdays starting March 18, where it will follow Arrow. The 100 will have wrapped Season 2 the week prior.

iZombie premieres Tuesday, March 17 at 9/8c and the apocalyptic drama The Messengers is due to debut Friday, April 10 at 9 pm.

CW boss Mark Pedowitz says Beauty and the Beast Season 3 is aiming for a “late May/June” premiere date.

Please welcome my friend Vivian Lane!

Introducing Vivian Lane

Vivian is the new caretaker of my characters.

Since I'm not writing anymore I've handed my characters - published before or not - to my friend Vivian Lane. Phantom Ridge has agreed to take her on, and I'll be her editor.

Show her some love, 'kay? You can find her books on Amazon.

Thanks!

K.C.

#TVD "The Originals" reactions and reviews

UPDATE: http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/04/26/cw-orders-vampire-diaries-spinoff-renews-two-dramas/
The Vampire Diaries spinoff dubbed The Originals was ordered to series by the CW.

On Thursday, the Diaries’ spinoff averaged 2.2 million viewers and a 0.9 among adults 18-49 — down 31 percent from The Vampire Diaries‘ average this season. But the CW gives equal attention to a show’s impact in social media and online streaming, which is why CW topper Mark Pedowitz released this statement: “As soon as we saw last night’s episode of The Vampire Diaries, we knew we wanted more of The Originals. Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson have done a fantastic job with The Vampire Diaries, which is as fast-paced and well-written as ever, and Julie has created an equally compelling world for The Originals.”



You can find a recap here or here or here.

Hollywood Life was fully on board with this potential spin-off. "If The CW doesn’t pick up this spin-off, it would be a crime against television."

TV.com was impressed with "The Originals" as well, saying, "As an individual episode, ‘The Originals’ managed to introduce a new world and a handful of new characters, while recontextualizing our relationship with a villain-turned-lead. That's not easy to pull off."

Fans can expect a decision next month on whether or not The CW will move forward with "The Originals" as a series. Meanwhile, "The Vampire Diaries" continues on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.

The Vampire Diaries 4×20 Guest stars:

Joseph Morgan as Klaus;
Claire Holt as Rebekah;
Daniel Gillies as Elijah;
Charles Michael Davis as Marcel;
Daniella Pineda as Sophie;
Phoebe Tonkin as Hayley.

Joseph, Daniel, and Charles Michael Davis were the stand-outs - not only having the biggest share of screen time, but the juiciest words to act with. It's not easy to match Klaus onscreen, but Marcel was perfect. Excellent casting. He has the charisma to easily pull off being King of New Orleans, a feat quite impressive in a vampire only 100 years old.

Am I looking forward to an Originals series? Yup! Fans should especially tune in for Daniel Gillies as Elijah. He's exceptional, and not just on TVD, but I love him playing a very different character on the Canadian medical drama Saving Hope, too. (The English accent also helps.) And how loved is Joseph Morgan/Klaus? The April 22-May 5, 2013 issue of TV Guide has the Fan Favorites. Klaus won for Favorite Villain.

If The Originals goes to air, it'll include Danielle Campbell as Davina and Leah Pipes as Camille. TVD films in Georgia, so cost-wise, it'd be smartest for Originals to also be there and visit NO when they need to. Also easier for crossovers.

It's too early in the day for ratings to come out, so I'll update with those later.

What say you, TVD fans? Did you like ep. 20?

"The Originals" Pilot

Tonight is The Vampire Diaries episode that serves as the back-door pilot for "The Originals", a spin-off series about the Original Vampires on the show.

Behind the scenes video.

Episode summary:

"The Originals"
KLAUS RETURNS TO HIS PAST IN NEW ORLEANS — Acting on a mysterious tip that a plot is brewing against him in New Orleans, Klaus makes a trip to the town he and his family helped build. Klaus’ questions lead him to a reunion with his former protégé, Marcel (guest star Charles Michael Davis), a charismatic vampire who has total control over the human and supernatural inhabitants of New Orleans. Determined to help his brother find redemption, Elijah follows Klaus and soon learns that Hayley (guest star Phoebe Tonkin) has also come to the French Quarter searching for clues to her family history, and has fallen into the hands of a powerful witch named Sophie (guest star Daniella Pineda). Meanwhile, in Mystic Falls, Damon and Stefan continue with their plan for Elena, while Katherine reveals a surprising vulnerability to Rebekah and asks her to deliver a message. Chris Grismer directed the episode written by Julie Plec.

If this does well, a series for The Originals could be part of The CW line-up this fall. I'll be back with a second post tomorrow with reviews and ratings.

Happy Easter

Have a lovely Sunday.

Where To Find Me

Links:

http://www.goodreads.com/KC_Taylor

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KCTaylorAuthor

Amazon author page

https://www.facebook.com/KCTaylorAuthor

http://kctaylorauthor.blogspot.com/