Welcome to another edition of TV or Not TV where I think I really am Better Off Ted.

Last season, when Better Off Ted had it’s original 13 episode run, I didn’t give the show very much of a chance beyond the first two episodes. This really isn’t a commentary about the quality of the show itself mind you. I have a lot of television to watch both recreationally and professionally so you I’m sure what you are getting at here. There is a lesson to be learned here becuase, as with any show, you really have to get past the first six episodes before you decide whether you are going to stick with it or not because any show needs this time to flesh out their characters.

Thanks once again to the amazing world of online viewing and last week’s premiere I went back and gave the show a second viewing and was very pleased that I did.

Clearly after the first two episodes the show emerged as a very crips comedy that is well written and well timed. Jay Harrington plays the titles Ted who narrates and guides us through the mechinations of conglomerate Veridian Dynamics. It is almost scary to see how well Portia de Rossi plays the incredibly frigid boss Vivian and the rest of the ensemble cast comes together incredibly well. The comedy is good, the writing and pace are tight, and they’ve even kept things topical with elements like pention cut-backs top make the show a little more relatable.

Even though the show is very entertaining it seems to be suffering from one little problem: a lack of viewers.  It’s second season premiere episode garnered only approximately 3.8 million total viewers which unfortunately put it in 4th place for the time slot it’s in. This is not exactly great news for a sophmore season starter.

I don’t really know what ABC is thinking, especially when you look at their schedule. They seem to mix comedies and dramas left and right and for most of December it would appear that the comedies of Tuesday night all have Christmas Special lead-ins for most of the month. Right now Better Off Ted is following the returning/re-imagined Scrubs in this holiday special clean-up hour. In it’s final season, after moving from NBC to ABC, Scrubs didn’t exactly do gangbuster numbers. The fact that it is an ABC produced show is probably what weighed in on the decision to bring it back in this new form, even if it does come across as a barely visible shadow of its former greatness. I don’t think it helps Better Off Ted that its lead in is this new version of Scrubs and I partially wish the schedule were the other way around. I definitely think that Better Off Ted would be better off as the lead in and may help raise the numbers for the nine o’clock time slot as well as provide a better lead in for zombie Scrubs.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that Scrubs is tollerable and if you can make your way through it you’d do yourself a favor sticking around after for Better Off Ted.

Now that I’ve done my arm-chair programming let’s take a look at the other shows that are available for you to view even if you don’t want to view them.

MONDAY

ABC – 8:00 PM: So let me get this straight: if you don’t win a big reality show you can win an Oscar and get your own holiday special like Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Somewhere Fantasia Barrino is seriously pissed.

NBC – 8:00 PM: Nick Lachey hosts the first Glee inspired reality train wreck called The Sing-Off. I’m sure a cappella never sounded so good… on paper. Strap in folks because this is an all week event.

THE CW – 8:00 PM: If you’ve never watched The Vampire Diaries (like me) than you can watch all this week to get caught up (which I probably won’t). Yup, nothing says the holidays like the blood-sucking undead.

E! – 10:0o PM: The Dragon’s Den concept gets coupled with the vapid of the entertainment industry and their desire to wash away their sins by doing good in the world in Bank of Hollywood.

TUESDAY

ABC – 8:00 PM: Holiday special purists may be happy to know that the selective editing may be left out in this airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

FOX – 9:00 PM: Get step-by-step instructions on how to prepare a three course meal with Gordon Ramsey: Cookalong Live. Real handy being able to do this at nine o’clock at night.

SYFY – 8:00 PM: If you never caught The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and you have SyFy than this might be your chance.

ABC – 9:30 PM: Layoffs on Better Off Ted? In this economy?

WEDNESDAY

 ABC FAMILY – 8:00 PM:  Having a six-year-old daughter I’ve seen Happy Feet at least 20 times. I’m still not sure how I feel about the mixed message that a developmentally challenged penguin saving the environment. I know, right?

NBC – 8:00 PM: Well if you haven’t yet taken in The Sing-Off than I’m sure that the finalists being forced to perform medleys from popular artists. Yeah, me either.

CARTOON NETWORK – 8:00 PM: See how Christmas isn’t something bought in a store with How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

THURSDAY

NBC – 8:00 PM: It’s been 2002 since we’ve seen a holiday special from SNL so wrap your d!@k in a box real nice and check out Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas. Sorry.

CBS – 8:00 PM: It’s the last episode before the big finale. Will the evil Russell actually make it to the finale intact or will he be in the jury where everyone hates him?

FRIDAY

DISNEY – 7:00 PM: Once again you can relive the magic of The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2 back-to-back.

FOX – 8:00 PM: Fans of Dollhouse will definitely want to watch the second hour of tonight’s show that is titled The Attic so we’ll finally get to see where no one wants to go.

CBS – 8:00 PM: They just don’t come cooler than Frosty the Snowman. I remember loving this special as a kid and being shocked at the animation as an adult.

SATURDAY

NBC – 8:00 PM: A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa may not be the best special out there but it is certainly better than…

NBC – 9:00 PM: WWE Tribute to the Troops. If you’ve ever wanted to see how desperate a network was to have a holiday special (or to fill time) than look no further.

BBC AMERICA – 9:00 PM: It’s a shame that David Tennant’s tenure as the good doctor is nearing its end so be sure to catch Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars.

NBC – 11:30 PM: Hopefully guest host James Franco will let us in on the reason he’s been doing that soap opera tonight on Saturday Night Live.

SUNDAY

CBS – 8:00 PM: It’s the two hour finale of Survivor: Samoa and at press time I’m hoping that Russell is a finalist just to hear the jury rip him a new one.

TNT – 8:00 PM: Another celebrity packed holiday special with Christmas in Washington is hosted by George Lopez and features Usher, Justin Bieber, Sugarland, Rob Thomas, Mary J. Blige and the legendary Neil Diamond.

ABC – 8:00 PM: Oh look, The Santa Clause 3 is on an ABC channel… again.

– Will Wilkins had yellow eyes! So, help me, God! Yellow eyes! 

 

Comments: 1 Comment

One Response to “TV Or Not TV: 12/14 – 12/20” Eddie C Says: December 15th, 2009 at 12:18 am I fear for the future of “Better Off Ted,” to me the best comedy to come along since ADD went off the air. Can’t say I watch too many comedies. Rally around “Ted.” Leave a Reply Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website Δ