"All Booked Up" Episode 3

   A new week means another all new episode of "All Booked Up" everyone! This week me and Michelle give our review of "Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri" and we suggest some Christmas movies that are awesome if not entirely Christmasy! Check it out below or go to Soundcloud and search us on your computer or phone! Dont forget to comment and let us know what you think.

https://soundcloud.com/allbookedup/episode-3-december-18th-2017

"All Booked Up" Episode 2

  The second episode of "All Booked Up" is out and ready for your enjoyment everyone! Click the link below or look it up on Soundcloud on your computer or phone. Dont forget to subscribe and let us know what you think!

   This week we cover the Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olson film "Wind River", give our thoughts on some good Native American books to read and also give our thoughts on "Lady Bird" and why its one of the best movies of the year.

https://soundcloud.com/allbookedup/all-booked-up-episode-2

New Podcast!!

  Ok so obviously i haven't been on here lately but hey i'm a busy guy and get distracted easily. Personal flaw i know but thats for another post. Anyway i'm popping back up, and hopefully regularly again, to announce my new podcast i'm co-hosting for the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library! Its called "All Booked Up" and we cover a wide range of pop culture topics from movies, tv and of course books as well! Our second episode just released today and a new one will debut every single Monday. Check it out by the link below or search us on Soundcloud either on your computer or through the app on your phone. Dont forget to subscribe and let us know what you think!

https://soundcloud.com/user-551711051/all-booked-up-episode-2

My Top 10 TV Shows of 2016

   OK its that time of the year.....the end. So in honor of that I've put together a few lists of the best and worst in movies and television that I've seen this year. Now before you go sending messages about omissions and such let me clarify. This is a listing of movies and TV I've actually seen this year. While there may be better movies or shows out there since i didn't see them yet they're ineligible for this list. Anyway now that's we cleared that up here's my list of top 10 TV shows of 2016 starting with a few that almost made the list.

Honorable Mention: Ash vs Evil Dead, Black Mirror, Vice Principals, Silicon Valley

10. Daredevil

   Now that's how you up the ante in a season 2! "Daredevil" exploded in its second season expanding the world, the action scenes and the series mythology leaps and bounds. This show absolutely went for broke introducing new and exciting elements like Elektra (Elodie Yung), The Hand and of course Frank "The Punisher" Castle (Jon Bernthal). Charlie Cox is once again pitch perfect as Matt Murdock and is wonderful portraying a man who is trying to do good things but can't stop them from spiraling out of control. The story of Elektra and the Hand also is a nice toe dip into the more fantastical elements of the comics as well as a subtle set-up for the upcoming "Iron Fist" series. Anytime you introduce magicish things it has the chance to throw the series out of whack but that doesn't happen at all here and leaves me excited for whats next. The action as well has been ramped up as not only did the series go in a more R-rated area in terms of blood and such the addition of a literal Ninja army opened up a huge opportunity for larger scale fights that the crew takes full advantage of! Its probally the best fight choreography on television. Of course the star of the season (and soon his own show) is Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, what a perfect choice he ended up being. He's the perfect mix of physicality and suffering. Bernthal is able to mix the seething anger he has over the death of his family with the guilt he feels over possibly being the cause that you completely believe him as a man who can snap at any moment. Its hard to make a man who's basically a mass murderer sympathetic but you do here and can understand his reasoning, which leads to some great philosophical discussions with him and Murdock about the morality of killing. Just great stuff all around and can't wait for season 3!

9. The Exorcist

   Talk about a show that i had zero expectations for and proved me wrong in basically every way. I figured this was going to be a TV adaptation of the movie and boy was i wrong and never more happy to be so. As a "Hannibal" fan i should have known horror shows have a place on Friday nights and this one was another example. This is a sequel to the movies as they make mention (and more?) of the events in the original movie. It centers around a Chicago family led by Geena Davis and Alan Ruck. Their daughter begins to act strangely and through a series of creepy and unsettling events we come to see she's been possessed. This being "The Exorcist" we also once again have a duo of priests to help the girl. A grizzled full-time exorcist whose been trained since childhood to deal with these demons, you can imagine his mental state over that, and his partner who is more devout but also questioning if he wishes to remain a priest due to being in love with a married lady friend. The set-up sounds exactly like the movie but its here that the show takes its most interesting twist that i wont spoil here suffice it to say it kicks the show to another level! That's to say nothing of the conspiracy storyline and freaky organ stealing subplot that's also unsettling. The demon Puzuzu is also personified in this show by Robert Emmet Luney giving the show an actual villain we get to see torturing both mentally and physically our poor possessed lead. Speaking of possession this is not a show that skimps on the scares as there are multiple very well done scenes you'd expect to see from this franchise. Amazingly this is a TV show that actually adds layers into an existing and well established franchise very well and fully deserves a place among the top 10. Don't miss this show.

8. South Park

   In its 20th season under super stressful and unpredictable times "South Park" continued to amaze with its incredible new season. The election really screwed allot of people up and "South Park" was an example of a show that had to make huge changes on the fly. Lately the show has been going a more serialized route and doing season long story arcs. This allows them to do more in depth stories but also can open them up to unforeseen issues gumming up their plans. That happened this year in that if you look back on the early part of the season pre-election you can see that the story lines they seemed to be setting up to be the main plot and villains, JJ Abrams and the 'Memberberries, get swapped for Mr. Garrison and the Denmark Trolling as the main focus after Trumps election. The idea that Trey Parker and Matt Stone were able to rework their entire planned story on the fly and produce a new chapter in it every single week and still remain funny and relevant is incredible. Also amazing since the episodes are all quite funny as well. At no point was the humor lost in the stinging satire that was being lobbed, most notably at Trump and his supporters. Even the story lines that took awhile to develop like Cartman and his girlfriend had excellent payoffs by season end. Also anytime Butters just loses it and goes rogue as he did with his wieners out movement you know we're in for gold. These guys haven't lost a step and can't wait to see what they have in store next season.

7. Narcos

   How do you build tension on a show where everyone watching it knows how the story ends? Well just watch "Narcos" to find out how. The ongoing story of Pablo Escobars reign atop the drug food chain is the same intense and absorbing drama in its second year. This is one of the best acted shows on TV, let alone on Netflix, as every cast member is pitch perfect in their roles. Wagner Moura is scarily believable as Pablo Escobar. He not only looks the part but is able to be both charming and terrifying at the same time, much like the man himself was. The way he uses his entire body and voice to convey every emotion is reason enough to watch. As if the acting wasn't enough reason this show is an example of why sometimes real life is better then anything a writer can make up. If you don't know the story of Pablo and the Medellin Cartel then you are in for a treat. Some of the real-life twists and turns, getting to build your own personal resort prison for instance, are almost too far out to be believed but happen they did. Don't be confused and think this is a boring and formulaic docu-drama either. There is a ton of good and violent action to be seen scattered throughout for all adrenaline junkies out there. Also being filmed on location in Colombia adds a layer of authenticity and beauty that is itself enough to recommend it. Nothing feels staged or plotted as the environment itself in a way becomes its own character. If you're looking for a good crime drama look no further then "Narcos"

6. The Strain

   Vampire shows are really hard to do uniquely and well but that's exactly what Guillermo Del Toro has done with his FX show "The Strain". The "Strigoi" as they're called are unlike any vampires you've seen in movies up til now. They use 6-foot long tongues to feed and infect victims and that infection isn't through some supernatural possession but instead is a worm that infects the host. The plot revolves around an ancient Strigoi named "The Master" (yeah a bit goofy i know) who has decided now is the time to make his play at world domination. Standing in his way is a ragtag group of heroes including a CDC Virologist (Corey Stoll), a NYC exterminator (Kevin Durand) and an old vampire hunter with a grudge (David Bradley) who intend to kill the Master and stop the threat once and for all. Make no mistake this is not "Mad Men" in its plot but for what its trying to be, a pulpy, dark and violent horror show, it succeeds wonderfully. The premise is intriguing and only gets better as the story unfolds and as season 3 just ended things are fully in high and unexpected gear! The cast is outstanding top to bottom and really helps the show from devolving into campiness in its lesser moments. If you're on the hunt for a horror show with a great mythology/premise, excellent casting and a A+ pedigree of creators the don't miss "The Strain".

5. Better Call Saul

   Its hard for a prequel to really stand on its own, especially when said prequel still contains multiple characters from the original show. "Better Call Saul" however has managed to do just that and escape the long shadow of "Breaking Bad" by doing something that's both familiar and original. One of the main reasons it stands is because of its excellent cast starting with Bob Odenkirk. He takes the role of Jimmy (Sauls real name BTW) and is pitch perfect. We know that this man morphs into the "Criminal Lawyer" Saul Goodman but for now he's just Jimmy McGill, a low level personal injury lawyer trying very hard to gain his brothers approval that will never come. His ability to add comedy to what is ultimately a tragic story considering we know what will happen to him is one of the more impressive acting jobs on television this year. Jonathan Banks also returns as Mike Ehrmantraut, future Gus Fring Fixer and former Philadelphia cop, and also gets to add depth to his character through the tragedy of how his life has turned out. These performances also help to flesh out their roles in "Breaking Bad" as well and add a new layer to already complex characters and events there. The co-stars are all stellar as well. Michael McKean steals every scene he's in as Jimmy's mentally unstable but brilliant lawyer brother Charles. Rhea Seehorn also shines as Jimmy's love interest Kim, and extra tragic element because we're left wondering what happens to her that she's not around in the future? What many people assumed would just be another drug and crime show, which there is allot of don't get me wrong, is actually more interesting when it delves into the lives and interactions of its stars. When its more a character study then crime show. The added bonus of it standing on its own, you don't need to have seen "Breaking Bad" to enjoy it, is just the icing on the cake as to why this is one of my highest rated shows of the year.

4. Penny Dreadful

   Gothic horror is a really hard genre to get right but Sam Mendes got it perfect with his Showtime series "Penny Dreadful". Taking full advantage of his industrial revolution age London setting the entire show has a poetic and dark feel to it that is perfectly suited to the themes and characters. If you don't know what the show is about it revolves around a group of individuals all based on old literary monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman) and revolves around their life in turn of the century England. This third season specifically involves the group taking on Dracula and his minions. This show isn't the usual monster vs monster hunters trope however as along the way we learn of each characters dark and tragic past through interactions with each and some of the best monologues on television. Every member of the cast is a perfect choice for their respective role. Eva Green would be considered the star as she's the one whom all the evil creatures are drawn too and trying to control. Along the way she is joined by Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton and Rory Kinnear, each who has "demons" of their own they are facing but unite against the ultimate evil. This show gets everything from the casting, tone and music exactly right. You can feel the dirt and grim of this time period and it really helps to suck you into this world. If you're looking for one of the best acted shows, and possibly the best horror show ever, look no further then "Penny Dreadful".

3. Stranger Things

   The 80's nostalgia trip is in full force nowadays but the best use of it comes in the form of Netlfix's new series "Stranger Things". This show feels like Stephen King and Stephen Spielberg decided to collaborate and all the awesomeness you'd expect shows up on screen. The plot revolves a group of pre-teen boys who are trying to find their missing friend and in the process find a mute girl with telekinetic powers and a monster from another dimension hunting them. The beating heart of this show is the performances starting with the kids. Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Finn Wolfhard and Caleb Mclaughlin all exceed every expectation in their roles. They each have different roles in their group and pull each one off seamlessly. Most importantly though this group comes off as being real friends. Nothing seems forced here between them and since this is a show that lives and dies by their relationship this is extremely important. Not to be outshone however is 80's star Winona Ryder in a career revitalizing role. What could have been looked at as stunt casting turns out to be brilliant as not only is she in top form as the missing boy's unraveling mother but her movie career up until now bleeds into the show as a whole and helps give it even more authenticity. This show is a love letter to the cinema of the 80's and Ryder helps cement that in her performance and her presence. Rounding out the cast is David Harbour as the town Sheriff. Harbour is another familiar face who takes his first real opportunity as a lead and runs with it. He gives us the male lead with the tragic past. An obviously capable Sheriff who is haunted by memories of his past. Cliche sure but done wonderfully here, never going into melodrama and allot of the feelings kept right below the surface. That's to say nothing of all the supernatural goodness this show has to offer, you'll never look at "Dungeons and Dragons" or Christmas lights the same after watching this show that's for sure. Don't miss out!

2. Game of Thrones

   Getting to the top here and no surprise really that HBO holds the top two slots. First off is the mega-hit "Game of Thrones". I don't have to spend any time really selling you on why you should be watching this series, unless you've been living under a rock you should be well aware of how good it is and its impact on pop culture. What makes this year different and noteworthy however is this is the first year the show runners didn't have a book to base the story on. George RR Martin is having a quite public bit of writers block and is still fumbling away at "Winds of Winter". This meant Benioff and Weiss had the unenviable task of almost predicting where the story would go but also bringing the show into its home stretch with only 13 episodes left after this year. There was no time to waste and the "Double D's" delivered masterfully. Revelations and reveals happened almost every week. The series at times has been known to drag its feet at times in story lines but this year everything kept its forward momentum. Once again it was shown no one is safe as many important characters met their demise but none felt cheap or for shock value. Everything made sense on what has been built before and we were even given our first idea as to what the ultimate endgame might be. Not to mention this season giving us some of the best action of the series to date, most notably the penultimate episode "The Battle of the Bastards" which had not one but two of the biggest battles in television history! Its not too late folks to get into the zeitgeist but with only two seasons to go time is running out. If season 7 is any clue about whats to come jump in now because you're not going to want to miss it! Let me just hold the door for you.......

1. Westworld

   "These violent delights have violent ends..." Its with that Shakespeare quote (quite prophetic when you realize where its from) that HBO found its new hit show with "Westworld", a reboot of the 1973 movie written by Michael Crichton. The idea of a theme park going awry is not a new concept in sci-fi at all, neither is the idea of is Artificial Intelligence capable of being alive (and what does that mean anyway?) but the way its done here is one of the ways this show stands alone. Make no mistake anyone why enters, this is a deep show. There are layers to it that won't reveal themselves on the first viewing. Small details that slip by you the first time will hit you upside the head on any re watch. The beautiful way its plotted and executed really sucks you in from the first moment you see it. This is a show that rewards you for paying attention and asking questions. The more you think about it the better it becomes, an impressive feet for sure. HBO went all in on "Westworld" with $100 million budget and even allowed a delay for a shutdown while some kinks were worked out. That investment paid off as what they produced is one of the best pieces of television, and cinema in general, to come along in years! For starters its absolutely gorgeous. The setting and vistas look more at home on the big screen but we're treated to them here. The contrast between the wide open expanses of the park and the cramped/cold setting behind the scenes are stark and really help set the two worlds apart. This is aided by an amazing soundtrack by Ramin Djawadi. Using modern songs in player pianos for instance both gives authenticity to the world of the hosts but is also something i could imagine a theme park doing to keep guests entertained. Once you get over how beautiful the show is too look at then you start digging into the lore, themes and the mystery and that's where this show really shines. Right from the first episode we're not only given pieces to the puzzle but simultaneously receiving answers to ones we haven't asked yet. Ideas of what being alive really means, can AI and robots ever truly have free will? What would your average human do or become if the constraints and laws of modern society were taken away? I don't want to reveal too much about the mystery and the more philosophical questions the show poses but you'll be on the edge of your seat with you thinking cap on trying to figure it out. This far into my recommendation and i haven't even gotten to the best part of the show with the acting. This is truly a star studded affair with Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winners front to back lead by Sir Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins gives his best performance in years as Dr. Ford, the man who invented "Westworld". His ability to threaten and intimidate both mentally and physically with just a word and a raised eyebrow makes him one of the best characters on TV today. You never know exactly what he's really up to and you get the feeling he's always one step ahead, masterful stuff. Ed Harris is equally as intriguing as "The Man in Black", i mean how cool is that name? He's set up as villain early on but is there something else going on perhaps? Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood are also excellent as two of the female hosts who may or may not be "evolving" and gaining free will for the first time, both give tortured performances at times that really make of think what kind of horror show this park would be from the Hosts perspective. Folks everything about this show is A+ and any more description and I'm risking revealing too much. Just rest assured this is by far in my opinion the best TV show of 2016 and one you cannot miss!

My Worst 5 TV Shows of 2016

   OK its that time of the year.....the end. So in honor of that I've put together a few lists of the best and worst in movies and television that I've seen this year. Now before you go sending messages about omissions and such let me clarify. This is a listing of movies and TV I've actually seen this year. While there may be better movies or shows out there since i didn't see them yet they're ineligible for this list. Anyway now that's we cleared that up here's my list of top 5 worst TV shows of 2016!

5. Fear the Walking Dead

   It may seem like kicking a wounded animal at this point but is there a more pointless, unnecessary and unwanted show on TV right now then "Fear the Walking Dead"? This spin-off started just as the fandom on "Walking Dead" was dying down and had an interesting premise, what was it like when the outbreak began? Sounds like an can't miss idea right? Nope sorry turns out you can when you focus on family drama, heroin addiction and do the whole thing on a small budget so you can't show anything large scale. Instead of a zombie show we get a family drama with zombies in it full of unlikable characters and ludicrous decisions. Wanna know another good idea? I feel like the writing room had to sound something like "How about a time jump halfway through the season to skip over all the good stuff people want to see? Then we'll put them all on a boat with no zombies at all for half of the next season, sounds awesome right?". No guys it wasn't awesome at all. Apparently it got slightly better in the second half of the season but I'd long since checked out by then. Just stay away

4. Vinyl

   Martin Scorcese, Mick Jagger, Terrence Winter and Bobby Cannavale all combining for a show set right in the middle of the 70's rock explosion, sounds like a can't miss prospect right? Well it did miss, it missed big time. Despite all the money, all the marketing and the fact HBO really wanted this show to work audiences couldn't have cared less and frankly who could blame them. After teasing a hyper kinetic, energy filled show through all the previews we got a slow and deliberate pacing, considering Winter's involvement something we should have expected, which pretty much killed it right off the bat. Its the ultimate case of promising one thing and delivering another. The show couldn't find its footing or any momentum in that first episode and that was pretty much that. Viewership continued to drop and poof it was done. The show is well acted there's no doubt there but it almost seems like the show leans to heavily into its setting instead of building the world out from there. True its a work of "faction" so you can't stray too far from the source but guys give us something to work with here. By the time the show got mildly interesting and it seemed to decide a direction it was going in it was already the end of the season, too far in for decisions that should have been made from the start. Its a wonderfully produced and acted show but the plot and what this show actually is leaves way too much to be desired and the show deserved to be the failure it was. 

3. Flaked

   Some actors just aren't lead material, "Flaked" is a show that demonstrates that Will Arnett is one of those actors. Don't get me wrong, Arnett can be hilarious in smaller or supporting roles. The style of humor he excels at is undoubtedly funny but really doesn't work in the long run as his characters tend to grate on you the longer you're around them and that's one of the central problems with this show. Arnett plays another version of his man child routine but since he's the star he can't play it up too much as he has to be a straight man of sorts. Basically what that means is you get a selfish, self absorbed slacker jerk as your main character who floats from one self inflicted issue to another with little regard for his actions effect on other people or himself. Frankly he's just an unlikable jerk that one wonders why the creators thought he'd be  compelling protagonist. Another problem with "Flaked" is that its a dramedy, a genre which itself is always a questionable choice. This means that anytime something kind of funny or amusing happens we get smacked with some melodrama that throws cold water on any excitement we may have gained watching. The whole concept of this show is just begging to go fully in either the comedy or drama direction where maybe a better show can emerge. Being stuck in the middle basically means it can't excel at either one. Between the unlikable characters, middling plot and mixed tone i can't see any legit reason at all to watch this show. 

2. The Ranch

   Remember when Ashton Kutcher was the next big thing in Hollywood and Danny Masterson seemed headed for big things as well? Well let me tell you those two now are begging for the production value of "That '70's Show" now that they're stuck on this god awful piece of Netflix trash. How Sam Elliot and Debra Winger got sucked into this show is simply amazing as its way below either of their talents. This entire show is the epitome of laziness. From the premise to the way its shot to to the lighting is just so generic its mind numbing. You know exactly what this show is before you even watch a frame, think a low budget version of "Two and a Half Men". Not surprising considering not only Kutcher but all the Executive Producers came from either that show or "Mike and Molly". Basically this is a show that was deemed to boring for CBS.....think about that. Solidly acted but if I'm gonna watch half-hour comedies on Netflix I'd rather go with "Frasier" re-runs, seems more original.

1. Bordertown

    A Seth MacFarlane animated show on FOX that was so bad it was cancelled in less then one season.....just think about that for a second. How awful does a show need to be that even the man behind "Family Guy" can't get a full season order. Whatever you imagined just now i assure you its still a better show then "Bordertown". MacFarlane's other shows, despite their over reliance at times on crass humor and shock laughs, at least developed unique and multi layered characters to deliver those jokes. In "Bordertown" they don't even bother and pretty much think of every offensive stereotype you can think of, turn the volume to 10 and call it a character. I imagine the writing process for this show boils down to taking a "topic of the day", imagining what a poorly educated high schooler would find humorous about it and then forming a narrative around that. Its humor at its most desperate. Even the way the show is animated is just ugly to look at and screams of the least possible effort being put into it. "Bordertown" is easily the worst show of 2016, just stay away everyone......stay far far away

TV Renewals and Cancellations (As of 3/4/2016)

TV Renewals and Cancellations (As of 3/4/2016)

   Well it's that time of year again, when Networks start making decisions for the Fall on what shows to bring back and which ones to give the axe too. While most of the time it has to do with ratings sometimes outside forces can hurt or help a show as well. Anyway below you'll find a list of the fate of all the shows so look for your favorite and may the odds be ever in your favor.

#

2 Broke Girls (CBS): Renewed through Season 5

12 Monkeys (Syfy): Renewed through Season 2

The 100 (CW): Renewed through Season 3

A

Adventure Time (Cartoon Network): Renewed through Season 8

The Affair (Showtime): Renewed through Season 3

Agent Carter (ABC): Renewed through Season 2

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC): Renewed through Season 4

Agent X (TNT): Cancelled

Almost Royal (BBC America): Renewed through Season 2

American Crime (ABC): Renewed through Season 2

American Dad! (TBS): Renewed through Seasons 11 & 12

American Horror Story (FX): Renewed through Season 6

The Americans (FX): Renewed through Season 4

Aquarius (NBC): Renewed through Season 2

Archer (FX): Renewed through Season 7

Arrow (CW): Renewed through Season 4

Ash vs. Evil Dead: Renewed through Season 2

Atlantis (BBC America): Cancelled; Season 2 episodes will air in 2015

The Awesomes (Hulu): Cancelled

Awkward (MTV): Renewed through 5th/final season

B

Ballers (HBO): Renewed through Season 2

Being Mary Jane (BET): Renewed through Season 4

Banshee (Cinemax): Renewed through Season 4/final season

Baskets (FX): Renewed for Season 2

The Bastard Executioner (FX): Cancelled

Bates Motel (A&E): Renewed through Seasons 4 & 5

Beauty and the Beast (CW): Renewed through Season 4 ahead of Season 3’s May 21st premiere

Being Mary Jane (BET): Renewed through Season 3

Better Call Saul (AMC): Renewed through Season 2

The Big Bang Theory (CBS): Renewed through Seasons 9 and 10

Billions (Showtime): Renewed through Season 2

Billy on the Street: Renewed through Season 5

black-ish (ABC): Renewed through Season 3

The Blacklist (NBC): Renewed through Season 4

Black Sails (Starz): Renewed through Season 4

Blindspot (NBC): Renewed through Season 2

Blood and Oil (ABC): Reduced to 10 episodes

Bloodline (Netflix): Renewed through Season 2

Blue Bloods (CBS): Renewed through Season 6

Bob’s Burgers (Fox): Renewed through Season 7 and 8

Bojack Horseman (Netflix): Renewed through Season 3

Bones (Fox): Renewed for Season 12 (final season)

The Brink (HBO): Cancelled

Broad City (Comedy Central): Renewed through Season 5

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox): Renewed through Season 3

C

Call The Midwife (PBS): Renewed through Season 5

The Carmichael Show(NBC): Renewed through Season 2

Castle (ABC): Renewed through Season 8

Casual (Hulu): Renewed through Season 2

Chicago Fire (NBC): Renewed through Season 5

Chicago PD (NBC): Renewed through Season 4

Colony (USA): Renewed through Season 2

The Comedians (FX): Cancelled

Continuum (Syfy): Renewed through 4th/finale season

Copper (BBC America): Cancelled

Criminal Minds (CBS): Renewed through Season 11

CSI: Cyber (CBS): Renewed through Season 2

D

Daredevil (Netflix): Renewed through Season 2

Dark Matter (Syfy): Renewed through Season 2

Da Vinci’s Demons(Starz): Cancelled

Defiance (Syfy): Cancelled

Devious Maids (Lifetime): Renewed through Season 3

Difficult People (Hulu): Renewed through Season 2

Doctor Who (BBC America): Season 9 premieres in 2015

Documentary Now! (IFC): Renewed through Season 2 and 3

Dominion (Syfy): Cancelled

Downton Abbey (PBS): Renewed through 6th/final season

Drunk History (Comedy Central): Renewed through Season 3

E

Elementary (CBS): Renewed through Season 4

Empire (Fox): Renewed for Season 3

Episodes (Showtime): Renewed through Season 5

The Expanse (Syfy): Renewed through Season 2

F

Falling Skies (TNT): Renewed through 5th/finale season

Fargo (FX): Renewed through Season 3

The Flash (CW): Renewed through Season 2

The Following (FOX): Cancelled

Forever (ABC): Cancelled

Fortitude (Pivot): Renewed through Season 2

The Fosters (Freethroughm): Renewed through Season 4

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC): Renewed through Season 3

From Dusk Till Dawn (EL REY): Renewed through Season 3

Fuller House: Renewed through Season 2

G

Galavant (ABC): Renewed through Season 2

The Game (BET): Renewed through 9th/final season

Game of Thrones (HBO): Renewed through Season 6

Garfunkle and Oates (IFC): Cancelled

Getting On (HBO): Renewed through 3rd/final season

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce (Bravo): Renewed through Season 2

Girls (HBO): Renewed through Season 6

The Good Wife (CBS): Cancelled (after finishing Season 7)

The Goldbergs (ABC): Renewed through Season 4

Gotham (Fox): Renewed through Season 2

Graceland (USA): Renewed through Season 3

Grantchester (PBS): Renewed through Season 2

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC): Renewed through Season 13

The Grinder (Fox): Given a full season order

Grimm (NBC): Renewed through Season 5

H

Halt and Catch Fire (AMC): Renewed through Season 3

Hand of God (Amazon): Renewed through Season 2

Hannibal (NBC): Cancelled

Happyish (Showtime): Cancelled

Hawaii Five-0 (CBS): Renewed through Season 6

Hell on Wheels (AMC): Renewed through 5th/final season

Hemlock Grove (Netflix): Renewed through 3rd/final season

Hindsight (VH-1): Cancelled

Homeland (Showtime): Renewed through Season 6

Hot in Cleveland (TV Land): Cancelled past Season 6

House of Cards (Netflix): Renewed through Season 5

House of Lies (Showtime): Renewed through Season 5

How to Get Away with Murder (ABC): Renewed through Season 3

Humans (AMC): Renewed through Season 2

I

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (IFC): Season 3 premieres in 2015

Inside Amy Schumer(Comedy Central): Renewed through Season 5

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX): Renewed through Seasons 11 and 12

iZombie (CW): Renewed through Season 2

J

Jane the Virgin (CW): Renewed through Season 2

K

Killjoys (Syfy): Renewed through Season 2

The Knick (Cinemax): Renewed through Season 2

L

The Last Ship (TNT): Renewed through Season 3

Last Man Standing (ABC): Renewed through Season 5

Law & Order SVU (NBC): Renewed Season 17

The League (FXX): Renewed through 7th/final season

The Leftovers (HBO): Renewed through Season 3 (final season)

Legends (TNT): Cancelled

The Librarians (TNT): Renewed through Season 3

Life in Pieces: Given full season order

Limitless (CBS): Given full season order

Longmire (A&E): Renewed by Netflix through Season 4

Looking (HBO): Cancelled, but will air a finale special

Luther (BBC America): Season 4 premieres late 2015

M

Madam Secretary (CBS): Renewed through Season 2

Mad Dogs (Amazon): Cancelled

The Magicians (Syfy): Renewed through Season 2

Major Crimes (TNT): Renewed through Season 5

Manhattan (WGN America): Cancelled

The Man in the High Castle(Amazon): Renewed through Season 2

Man Seeking Woman (FXX): Renewed through Season 2

Maron (IFC): Renewed through Season 4

Married (FX): Cancelled

Masters of Sex (Showtime): Renewed through Season 4

The McCarthys (CBS): Cancelled

The Messengers (CW): Cancelled

The Middle (ABC): Renewed through Season 8

Mike and Molly (CBS): Cancelled after Season 6

The Mindy Project (Fox): Moved to Hulu

Minority Report (Fox): Reduced to 10 episodes

The Missing (Starz): Renewed through Season 2

Modern Family (ABC): Renewed through Season 8

Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon Prime): Renewed through Season 3

Mr. Robot (USA): Renewed through Season 2

Murder in the First (TNT): Renewed through Season 2

The Mysteries of Laura(NBC): Renewed through Season 2

N

Narcos (Netflix): Renewed through Season 2

Nashville (ABC): Renewed through Season 4

Nathan through You (Comedy Central): Renewed through Season 4

New Girl (Fox): Renewed through Season 5

NCIS (CBS): Renewed through Season 15

NCIS: LA (CBS): Renewed through Season 7

The Night Shift (NBC): Renewed through Season 3

O

The Odd Couple (CBS): Renewed through Season 2

Once Upon a Time (ABC): Renewed through Season 6

One Big Happy (NBC): Cancelled

Orange is the New Black (Netflix): Renewed through Season 7

The Originals (CW): Renewed through Season 3

Orphan Black (BBC America): Renewed through Season 4

Outlander (Starz): Renewed through Season 2

P

Penny Dreadful (Showtime): Renewed through Season 3

Person of Interest (CBS): Renewed through Season 5

The Player (NBC): Cut to 9 episodes

Playing House (USA): Renewed through Season 3

Portlandia (IFC): Renewed through Seasons 6 and 7

Power (Starz): Renewed through Season 3

Public Morals (TNT): Cancelled

Q

Quantico (ABC): Renewed through Season 2

R

Ray Donovan (Showtime): Renewed through Season 4

Rectify (Sundance): Will conclude with Season 4

Red Oaks (Amazon): Renewed through Season 2

Regular Show (Cartoon Network): Renewed through Season 8

Reign (CW): Renewed through Season 3

Resurrection (ABC): Cancelled

The Returned (Sundance): Renewed through Season 2

The Returned (A&E): Cancelled

Review: Renewed for Abbreviated Final Season

Rick and Morty (Adult Swim): Renewed through Season 3

Rizzoli & Isles (TNT): Renewed through Season 7 (13 episodes)

Rookie Blue (ABC): Cancelled

Royal Pains (USA): Renewed through Seasons 7 and 8

The Royals (E!): Renewed through Season 3

S

Salem (WGN America): Renewed through Season 3

Schitt’s Creek (Pop): Renewed through Season 3

Scandal (ABC): Renewed through Season 6

Scorpion (CBS): Renewed through Season 2

Scream (MTV): Renewed through Season 2

Scream Queens (Fox): Renewed through Season 2

Secrets & Lies (ABC): Renewed through Season 2

Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll (FX): Renewed through Season 2

Shades of Blue (NBC): Renewed through Season 2

Shameless (Showtime): Renewed through Season 7

Sherlock (PBS): Renewed through Season 4, preceded by a special in late 2015

Silicon Valley (HBO): Renewed through Season 3

The Simpsons (Fox): Renewed through Seasons 27 and 28

Sirens (USA): Cancelled

Sleepy Hollow (Fox): Renewed through Season 3

South Park (Comedy Central): Renewed through 2019

Star Wars: Rebels: Renewed through Season 3

The Strain (FX): Renewed through Season 3

Supergirl (CBS): Given full-season pickup

Supernatural (CW): Renewed through Season 11

Superstore (NBC): Renewed for Season 2

Survivor’s Remorse (Starz): Renewed through Season 2

T

Teen Wolf (MTV): Renewed through Season 6

Togetherness (HBO): Renewed through Season 2

Top of the Lake (Sundance): Renewed through Season 2 by the BBC

Transparent (Amazon Prime): Renewed through Season 3

True Detective (HBO): Season 2 premieres in June of 2015

Turn: Washington’s Spies (AMC): Renewed through Season 3

Truth Be Told (NBC): Reduced to 10 episodes

Tyrant (FX): Renewed through Season 3

U

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix): Renewed through Season 3

Undateable (NBC): Renewed through Season 3

Under the Dome (CBS): Cancelled; Season 3 Will Be Last Season

Unforgettable (A&E): Cancelled

UnReal (Lifetime): Renewed through Season 2

V

The Vampire Diaries (CW): Renewed through Season 7

Veep (HBO): Renewed through Season 5

Vikings (History): Renewed through Season 4

Vinyl (HBO): Renewed through Season 2

W

The Walking Dead (AMC): Renewed through Season 7

Wayward Pines: Renewed through Season 2

Welcome to Sweden (NBC): Cancelled

The Whispers (ABC): Cancelled

Wicked City (ABC): Cancelled

Witches of East End (Lifetime): Cancelled

Y

Younger (TV Land): Renewed through Season 3

Young & Hungry (ABC Family): Renewed through Season 2

You’re the Worst (FXX): Renewed through Season 3

Z

Z Nation (Syfy): Renewed through Season 2

Zoo (CBS): Renewed through Season 2

2016 Royal Rumble results and reaction

2016 Royal Rumble

   Another year another Rumble in the books and guess what? We got a pretty good one this year! Sure the way it all ended with Triple H walking away as Champion was very disappointing since this was their chance to crown a new top guy but it could have been worse.....it could have been Roman Reigns. What we did get though was a card, for the first time in a long time, that didn't have a "filler" bathroom match in it and delivered from top to bottom. We got an awesome last man standing match between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens, New Day showing why they're basically everything in the Tag Team division right now and did i forget to mention the WWE debut of AJ STYLES!!!!! So lets get to the rundown shall we....

Damien Sandow/Darren Young vs. Dudley Boyz vs. The Ascension vs. Mark Henry/Jack Swagger

   The pre-show featured a 4 team tag match to determine which guys gained entrance into the Royal Rumble. Really tells you what the company thinks of you when you have to compete in a match to gain entrance into the Rumble but whatever. Its good to see Damien Sandow back to using his old gimmick again though and he was the one member of this match to get any kind of buzz on them. Match itself was OK, aside from the freeze frame botch the Ascension had about timing to break up a pin, with Mark Henry and Jack Swagger walking away as the winners. Sad state of affairs for these two former world champions that this is what they're reduced to but it is what it is and they move on.

Winner(s): Mark Henry and Jack Swagger

Intercontinental Championship Last Man Standing: Dean Ambrose(C) vs. Kevin Owens

   Next up is the Intercontinental Championship Last Man Standing match between Ambrose and Owens. What a match! Everything we hoped it could be and more. Its rare to get a burst of Indy and hardcore awesomeness nowadays with the PG era and all but these two showed you can still bring down the house. Kendo sticks, multiple stacked tables and chairs galore made this the match of the night, even more so then the Rumble itself. Want to see a top rope fisherman buster through a table? How about a running cannonball through the outside barricade? This match had it all and then some and really got the crowd into the show right away and they stayed hot all night. Anyway in the end Ambrose picks up the win by pushing Owens off the top rope through two stacked tables at ringside, yep that happened to. My only request is maybe don't mic up ringside so much because whoever the idiot was who was taunting Owens when setting up those tables was super annoying but other then that 5-Star match and a great look at the future of the company. Now lets take a look at some highlights shall we....

Winner and Still Champion: Dean Ambrose

Tag Team Championship:  New Day(C) vs. The Usos

   Next up we get the Tag Team Championship, a division now entirely about the awesomeness that is The New Day! I mean really they are everything for the tag team ranks right now. Sure the Lucha Dragons and Usos are talented teams but the entertainment level New Day brings steals the show every week. These guys took a terrible gimmick and have now made it all that is good in wrestling. Good job boys..

   Anyway the match itself was solid as was expected. Both the Uso's and New Day are great ring workers and showed why they're in the position they're in right now. It is sad though that the Uso's lost the momentum they had before Jey's shoulder injury and now kinda seem like also-rans. The New Day picking up the ball and running with it as they did didn't help but its also very obvious who the top dogs are now. In the end New Day picked up the win and all was right in the world.

Winner and Still Champion(s): The New Day

United States Championship: Alberto Del Rio (C) vs. Kalisto

   Next up is the US championship with a feud that kinda came out of nowhere. Well not nowhere exactly as it was born out of Sin Cara separating his shoulder and them needing something for Kalisto to do while he recovers. I must admit i was surprised though that Kalisto picked up the win here.  had this pegged as him putting up a valiant effort but ultimately falling short in the end and disappearing back down the card, his win here seems to show that management has some kind of faith in him to give him the win at the second biggest show of the year. The match itself was OK, nothing special but OK. Kalisto got jumped before the match by the rest of the League of Nations and then got dominated for the majority but was still able to pull it off. Good for him and i hope it continues, lets hope the Sin Cara botch gene isn't rubbing off though as Kalisto did blow a spot pretty obviously late but other then that a solid effort by both. It did include this move however which i hope ADR adds to his move set because its pretty brutal.

Winner and New Champion: Kalisto

Divas Championship: Charlotte (C) vs. Becky Lynch

  Next up we have the Divas Championship match. On paper, and going off the matches these two had in NXT, this should have been a candidate for match of the night but didn't end up that way. Don't get me wrong there was nothing particularly

Add your Frank Drebin quotes here 

   So after the interference Charlotte was able to turn it around and pick up the win, good for Charlotte but I'm afraid what this could mean for Becky since right after she lost this happened...

The Boss is back!!

   Yep Sasha Banks returned, put the boots to Becky Lynch and then took her spot against Charlotte for Fastlane. Sure its great to see Sasha back but i just don't want to see Lynch get buried. The downside of having so many great women wrestlers now is there's nowhere near enough room for them all. Anyway Charlotte picks up the win and its MAIN EVENT TIME!!!!

Winner and Still Divas Champion: Charlotte

2016 Royal Rumble

   Royal Rumble time it is!! OK before we get too far into it lets just get this out of the way now...

   AJ STYLES IS IN THE WWE!!! He made his debut last night and put on a pretty good showing too, not to mention getting the biggest pop of the night. Sure Styles wasn't able to hit the Styles Clash on anyone, that be Michelle McCools finisher for all you non-TNA people, but he still lasted about 30 minutes and got set-up with a ready made feud with Kevin Owens as Owens eliminated him. All together a great debut for AJ and lets hope WWE was listening to the way the crowd reacted to him as well.

I'm getting in one signature move dammit!!

   So lets get into the Rumble itself, what a great damn match it was!! Whether you like the idea of HHH winning and becoming champion again, which i did not, the match itself had allot going for it. I was a bit surprised their were no surprise "Legends" or surprise entrants this year as that's usually a good pop getter every year but they didn't need it. The Rumble itself actually felt almost like it was broken into sections. There were mini-story lines all over the place that made the match interesting, or frustrating as the Reigns "injury" portion was, and gave WWE not only an out to eliminate some favorites but also allowed them to set up Wrestlemania by kicking off a few feuds as well. 

   We had the Wyatt's dominating for a bit, particularly Braun throwing out Kane easily and then choking out Big Show before dumping him over the top rope, before everyone except Bray being eliminated by Brock Lesnar. This however led to the Wyatt's just jumping in the ring, beating Lesnar down, and throwing him over the top rope. This is obviously the start to a Bray Wyatt/Brock Lesnar feud for Wrestlemania and that sounds perfect! I was personally hoping for Bray to walk away with the gold but a main event slot at Wrestlemania will do.

Whoops wrong match

   Yeah this happened to R-Truth as well, but honestly it was a highlight so whatever. Added some much needed levity and didn't bury him at all, which is more then i can say for Swagger and Henry who both earned their spot in the Rumble only to both get eliminated immediately. We also got to see Kevin Owens reignite an old feud with a returning Sami Zayn who came back and then eliminated Owens. Here's hoping an AJ-Owens-Zayn match is in our 'Mania future, unless its all 3 in the Money in the Bank match in which case I'm also listening.

Lets do it!!

   Couple random thoughts before the main parts, Jericho had a surprisingly good showing as well. He stayed in almost an hour and made it to the final 5. Lets hope this is setting him up for some substantial coming up and not just a "Good job guy" booking. Only one member of the "Social Outcasts" were entered in but all 4 came down to the ring? Seems they should have done more with that and not just use them as punching bags. Same thing with the League of Nations although Barrett was the only one not to get in here. How did Titus O'Neill get entered but Darren Young had to earn his slot? Can we officially say Big Show and Kane are no longer threats to win despite what the announcers say?  OK so time for the main thrust.

 

   Yep they did they injury angle for Roman Reigns to get him out of the Rumble for awhile. I always hate when this gimmick gets used as its a dead giveaway whats on their mind. "Lets get Roman out so we can keep Brock away from destroying him before he wins". Sure Roman didn't win but it still was distracting they did it. Anyway he did eventually return and start clearing house for a bit but then the impossible happened...

   Yep got caught looking the wrong way and dumped. This also got the second biggest pop of the night which tells you where the WWE Universe is with Reigns. The final 2 were HHH and Dean Ambrose and I'll admit i was super excited. Even though it was pretty obvious which way they were gonna go a part of me liked the idea of Ambrose pulling off the upset, not to mention the cache he would gain by holding the Intercontinental and Heavyweight titles at the same time. It would have been a huge boost to Ambrose's character and made all 3 former Shield members legit World Champions. It wasn't to be however as HHH reversed Ambrose on the ropes and back body dropped him over the top to the absolute thundering silence that was the Amway Center in Orlando. Yep dead silence from a crowd who had been hot all night. Sure its the smart move business wise to put the belt on a known quantity heading into an injury depleted Wrestlemania but they still blew a huge opportunity to crown a new star without having to diminish an existing one. HHH winning is basically just spinning their wheels and playing it safe. This is corporate WWE however so playing it safe is what the do now fans be damned. We'll see if it helps ratings at all

Take this Smarks!!

Winner of 2016 Royal Rumble and New Heavyweight Champion: Triple H

   

   Overall the 2016 Royal Rumble was a very good show, the Owens/Ambrose match was amazing and the Royal Rumble itself was also fantastic. If they can keep this booking up maybe Wrestlemania won't be the disaster it looks like it might be. Anyway lets see where Monday Night Raw leads us heading into Fastlane, super excited to see.