I Love Michael Ausiello

Why?

Because he knows things.

More specifically, he knows up-to-the-minute cancellation/renewal details.

Even better, he keeps this handy-dandy scorecard on EW.com, which saves me from surfing around to three million different websites in search of information about the future.

NBC, ABC, CBS, and the CW have all made their big decisions. Not everything is written in stone quite yet (because networks are like that with the finagling and the changing their minds) BUT, here’s a list of the outcomes I care about:

NBC

Chuck: renewed!!
Heroes: cancelled
Trauma: cancelled

I’ve written a whole post about my feelings on the Heroes cancellation (tragic acceptance) and went into my fears/expectations for Chuck about a week ago. The only thing I have left to say is, Trauma: everyone saw that coming.

ABC

Castle: renewed!!
FlashForward: cancelled
The Forgotten: cancelled!
Lost: ending
Scrubs: (FINALLY) cancelled
V: renewed

Scrubs is blessedly giving up on any new episodes and it is about damn time. FlashForward‘s loss is no shocker, nor is Castle‘s survival. But V…weird. Maybe because I haven’t been watching, but this one def surprises me. It must be better than I thought…or at least more popular…or something. And, THE FORGOTTEN FINALLY GOT CANCELLED! I have been awaiting this day for months.

CBS

CSI: NY: no official word yet
NCIS: no official word yet
NCIS: Los Angeles: renewed!!

NCIS: Los Angeles is maybe my favorite new show this season besides Glee, so it’s fantastic that it’s been renewed. I’m not worried about the other two…I mean really. It’s NCIS and a CSI iteration. They’ll never die. Yet.

FOX

24: cancelled
Bones: renewed
Fringe: renewed
Glee: renewed
House: renewed
Human Target: renewed!!!
Lie to Me: renewed

It was time for 24 to go, so that’s just fine. The big news here is that Fringe will be sticking around! I worry about how it’ll do next year with another J.J. Abrams series on air to compete with, but it’s definitely deserving of renewal. And Human Target! So excited!

the CW

The Vampire Diaries: renewed

That’s really the only CW show I care about right now. But I will add, Supernatural and Smallville were both also renewed. I could have sworn this past season was supposed to be Supernatural‘s last…not complaining, though, aside from the fact that I’ll have even MORE to catch up with. But Smallville? It just needs to die. That show has been on air for too long and the actors are too old to be running around as their same characters anymore. Please die?

These are just the shows that I’m at all concerned about. If you’re looking for news of something I haven’t listed, I definitely suggest you head over to the Renewal Scorecard at the Ausiello Files (linked above).

This Week 4/26 to 5/1

Tonight:
8pm – Chuck on NBC
8pm – House on FOX
9pm – Trauma (season finale!) on NBC
9pm – 24 on FOX
10pm – Castle on ABC

Chuck returns after a two-week hiatus. And after that last episode? It’s make-it or break-it time.

TUESDAY:
8pm – NCIS on CBS
9pm – NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS
9pm – Glee on FOX
10pm – V on ABC
10pm – Justified on FX

NO NEW LOST THIS WEEK. ARGHHH.

WEDNESDAY:
10pm – Happy Town (series pilot!) on ABC

For those who are  not aware, Happy Town is a new series from the minds behind October Road and Life on Mars. It’s being marketed as a small-town murder mystery with a Twin Peaks sort of concept…only a lot less indie. (A LOT less indie.) Familiar faces in the cast include Amy Acker, Sam Neill, and M.C. Gainey. How does it look? Hard to say. I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt. We’ll see on Wednesday – here’s a promo, for now.

THURSDAY:
8pm – FlashForward on ABC
8pm – The Vampire Diaries on CW
8pm – Bones on FOX
9pm – Fringe on FOX

FRIDAY:
10pm – Miami Medical on CBS

Also of interest: FOX is re-airing this season’s phenomenal two-hour premiere of House, “Broken,” starting at 8pm.

SATURDAY:
Nothing new is airing tonight?
The info on SNL this week is vague.

Anyway, the moral of the story of last week is I Really Need To Get Back On The Horse. I mean seriously. This is just getting ridiculous.

Enjoy your week.

This Week 4/19 to 4/25

This week on Melted Brain: there will be a special post. Because tomorrow is April the Twentieth and that has all sorts of potential for hilarity. (Hint: post will have NOTHING to do with Weeds because I don’t give a rat’s ass about that show.)

Tonight:
8pm – House on FOX
9pm – 24 on FOX
9pm – Trauma on NBC
10pm – Castle on ABC

BSG’s Michael Trucco guest-starring on Castle tonight as a Beckett romantic interest. Sexiest thing ever? Quite possibly.

TUESDAY:
9pm – Glee on FOX
9pm – Lost on ABC
10pm – V on ABC
10pm – Justified on FX

It’s the Madonna episode on Glee – which, btw, is now firmly placed in its Tuesday-at-nine timeslot. This is such a bitch for my growing adoration of Lost‘s final season.

WEDNESDAY:
Nothing new is airing tonight. Wednesday is lame.

THURSDAY:
8pm – The Vampire Diaries on CW
8pm – Bones on FOX
9pm – Fringe on FOX
10pm – Project Runway (season finale!) on Lifetime

…this is maybe an opportune moment to mention that I actually haven’t seen any of this season of Project Runway.

FRIDAY:
10pm – Miami Medical on CBS

I also haven’t seen any of Miami Medical yet. I should get on that. Y’know, before it gets cancelled.

SATURDAY:
11:30pm – Saturday Night Live (Gabourey Sidibe & MGMT) on NBC

Why is she hosting now?

Anyway. I do actually have posts about last week’s Bones AND last week’s Lost about halfway done, I just keep being too lazy to finish them. Which is too bad, because I do actually have things to say.

I should get on that. Anyhoo.

Oh, also: HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY, SIDEREEL.

For those of you not using SideReel, GET ON THAT. It is magic. And they’ve been putting together some really cool new stuff lately. So, check ittt.

This Week 4/12 to 4/17

There are fun times ahead. Chuck is taking a well-deserved break, but that’s okay because House and, more importantly, Glee are back with new episodes!

MONDAY:
8pm – House on FOX
9pm – 24 on FOX
9pm – Trauma on NBC
10pm – Castle on ABC

TUESDAY:
9pm – Lost on ABC
9:30pm – Glee on FOX
10pm – V on ABC
10pm – Justified on FX

To reiterate, Glee is airing at NINE-THIRTY, after the end of American Idol.

WEDNESDAY:
8pm – Human Target (season finale!) on FOX
10pm – CSI: NY on CBS

THURSDAY:
8pm – FlashForward on ABC
8pm – The Vampire Diaries on CW
8pm – Bones on FOX
9pm – Fringe on FOX
10pm – Project Runway on Lifetime

FRIDAY:
10pm – Miami Medical on CBS

SATURDAY:
11:30pm – Saturday Night Live (Ryan Philippe and Ke$ha) on NBC

For those of you (anyone?) keeping track of these things, you will see that I kept my word on The Vampire Diaries and did manage to roll out a review of the Bones 100 this week. But, I did not post Hindsight: BSG as promised. I did put a lot of work in and it is almost done, but I’ve lost some of my notes and will need to track those down before it’s ready to go. ASAP, really.

Enjoy your week.

This Week 4/5 to 4/10

So I really slacked off last week. That is a bad thing. The good thing that counteracts it is, I realized that the reason I’m not as dedicated to posting as once was the case is because I’m bored of doing the same thing every week. SO, I came up with a couple new ideas for posts that are more in the spirit of the late great Pineapple post (read: not especially relevant, but entertaining for me to compile/write).

Look for my up-to-speed perspective on The Vampire Diaries later this week, as well as Hindsight: BSG (no, really!). And other delightful things in weeks to come. In addition to the usual reviews.

Tonight:
8pm – Chuck on NBC
8pm – 24 on FOX (two-hour event!)
9pm – Trauma on NBC
10pm – Castle on ABC

So excited for Chuck and Castle this week! The first one because events from last week ought to make it super intriguing. The second because it’s Castle-does-Indiana-Jones and that is sure to be awesome.

TUESDAY:
8pm – NCIS on CBS
9pm – NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS
9pm – Lost on ABC
10pm – V on ABC
10pm – Southland on TNT
10pm – Justified on FX

TNT is actually airing all the new (as in, never aired on NBC) episodes of Southland consecutively this afternoon/evening if you’ve got some hours to spare and interest in/need of catching up.

WEDNESDAY:
8pm – Human Target on FOX
10pm – CSI: NY on CBS

THURSDAY:
8pm – FlashForward on ABC
8pm – The Vampire Diaries on CW
8pm – Bones on FOX
9pm – Fringe on FOX
10pm – Project Runway on Lifetime

It’s the 100th episode of Bones!!! It flashes back to the very first Booth-and-Brennan team-up. Very exciting to see how that all happened. Plus, bonus: it (hopefully) means the return of Zach…and maybe Dr. Goodman too!

FRIDAY:
10pm – Miami Medical on CBS

…I really ought to go watch the pilot of this show.

SATURDAY:
11:30pm – Saturday Night Live (Tina Fey and Justin Bieber) on NBC

Tina Fey is most likely going to be INCREDIBLY AWESOME. So why someone thought that musical guest would be a good match I have no idea. But I would like to find that person and ask them. Forcefully.

Good stuff this week, but better next week because…GLEE IS FINALLY GOING TO BE BACK WITH NEW EPISODES! AAAAAAAAH! (So. Excited.)

Enjoy your week!

This Week 3/29 to 4/3

Tonight:
8pm – Chuck on NBC
9pm – Trauma on NBC
9pm – 24 on FOX
10pm – Castle on ABC

Exciting stuff tonight. Like the second part of last week’s super-intense cliff-hangering Castle (I’m betting on a kidnap scenario), or the first installment of Chuck-Is-Actually-A-Badge-Toting-Spy-Now on Chuck (sadly, I’m betting there’s gonna be more of the show’s signature hem-and-haw-shying-away-from-real-progress – $20 says Chuck is never going to Rome).

Btw, today SyFy is airing V The Original Series all day.

TUESDAY:
9pm – Lost on ABC
10pm – V on ABC
10pm – Southland on TNT
10pm – Justified on FX

And more V-prime on SyFy, including “V: The Final Battle” which is airing at 4, 6, and 8pm.

WEDNESDAY:
8pm – Human Target on FOX

THURSDAY:
8pm – FlashForward on ABC
8pm – The Vampire Diaries on CW
8pm – Bones on FOX
9pm – Fringe on FOX

Yes! FOX Thursday is back this week! (I guess that means I should try to catch up on Fringe…)

FRIDAY:
10pm – Miami Medical (series pilot!) on CBS

It’s Jerry Bruckheimer’s foray into the world of medical dramas – because, yes, ladies and gentlemen, the television world is still short one ER replacement. Will this be it? Good cast, but it’s getting slotted in at 10pm Friday. Don’t hold your breath.

SATURDAY:
Nothing new is airing tonight.

This Week 3/22 to 3/27

Hey, there’s stuff on the television this week!

Tonight
8pm – Chuck on NBC
9pm – Trauma on NBC
9pm – 24 on FOX
10pm – Castle on ABC

Tonight’s new episode of Castle is being advertised by ABC as a “Television Event”…one that follows ABC’s other “Television Event” for tonight, the 2-hour season premiere of Dancing With the Stars. Does this seem something like hyperbolic overkill? Yes. But, does tonight’s new episode look REALLY exciting? Also a yes.

TUESDAY
9pm – Lost on ABC
10pm – V on ABC
10pm – Southland on TNT
10pm – Justified on FX

Man, I do not know when ABC became my most frequently viewed network. (Lie. It was when ABC started to air three billion sci-fi shows.) Also interesting: 10pm on Tuesday is suddenly a semi-competitive timeslot. Huh?

WEDNESDAY
Nothing new is airing tonight.

Dear Wednesday, suck less.

THURSDAY
8pm – FlashForward on ABC
8pm – The Vampire Diaries on CW
10pm – Project Runway on Lifetime

Craaaap I thought I had more time to finish catching up on The Vampire Diaries. Alas.

FRIDAY
9pm – Caprica on SyFy

Other things I really ought to catch up on one of these days: Caprica

SATURDAY
Nothing new is airing tonight.

Y’know, about ten minutes ago (read: when I started this post) I was feeling really good about last week. Now I’m realizing exactly how not up-to-date I am and it’s pretty humbling. At least it means I’ve been spending time doing real things in the real world? (Lie. Blame it on Buffy Season Six DVDs.)

OH WELL. MISSION: CATCH UP (I will find time!)

This Week 3/15 to 3/20

Last week is much more how I like things to go for TV and Melted Brain – let’s see if this can become a pattern!

MONDAY
8pm – Chuck on NBC
8pm – House on FOX
9pm – Trauma on NBC
9pm – 24 on FOX

No new Castle this week. ABC is being a bitchwhore and alternating new and old. Further unfortunate news: this week’s repeat is “A Rose for Everafter.”

TUESDAY
8pm – NCIS on CBS
9pm – NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS
9pm – Lost on ABC
10pm – FlashForward (recap of the season) on ABC
10pm – Southland on TNT
1opm – Justified (pilot!) on FX

Justified is a new series starring Timothy Olyphant as a US Marshal with a dark past. Strong Western-genre themes and badassery are a promise.

WEDNESDAY
8pm – Human Target on FOX

THURSDAY
8pm – FlashForward (2-hour mid-season premiere!) on ABC
10pm – Project Runway on Lifetime

Crap! I need to catch up on FlashForward NOW! Crap!

FRIDAY
9pm – Caprica on SyFy

SATURDAY
Nothing new is airing.

So before I started this and actually looked at what’s coming up this week I was going to say that my next project is catching up on Caprica. WRONG. SO wrong. FlashForward has now taken priority. I don’t remember how many episodes behind I am but I will be READY for Thursday.

I think a  Justified review is going to be the other major goal this week. Also, Lost review, because apparently that is the only thing people are almost as interested in as Glee.

This Week 3/8 to 3/13

Hey, so, the Oscars happened last night. (I didn’t watch them…) The world is more or less as it should be, because James Cameron got his ass handed to him. By the way, Avatar is not the top box office moneymaker of all time if you include inflation. Don’t believe me? Check ittt.

In other news that actually relates to Melted Brain, STUFF IS BACK! Shows are finally returning and it is pretty awesome.

Tonight:
8pm – Chuck on NBC
8pm – House on FOX
9pm – Trauma on NBC
9pm – 24 on FOX
10pm – Castle on ABC

Wow. Been awhile since I’ve had to choose what to watch. (Except really I don’t because I’m not caught up at all on Trauma or House so the “choice” is actually more of a given.)

TUESDAY:
8pm – NCIS on CBS
9pm – NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS
9pm – Lost on ABC
10pm – White Collar on USA
10pm – Southland on TNT

Remember, these are new, never-before-aired episodes of Southland. Mostly I’m just super excited for this week’s Lost because it is about BEN.

WEDNESDAY:
8pm – Human Target on FOX
10pm – CSI: NY on CBS

Wednesdays still sort of really suck.

THURSDAY:
10pm – Project Runway on Lifetime

…and Thursdays DO really suck (not even “sort of”). If you want anything to watch Thursday, SyFy is airing The Prestige starting at 9pm.

FRIDAY:
9pm – Caprica on SyFy

I will get caught up! I will! It’s just that I discovered yet another new show over the weekend…

SATURDAY:
11:30pm – Saturday Night Live (Jude Law and Pearl Jam) on NBC

Really do not care about Pearl Jam, but my one-sided love affair with Jude Law is still in full swing.

I guess the big news right now is that I have started watching a new show. It is…….The Vampire Diaries. Yeah, I know. I’m still sort of embarrassed about it. But seriously, it’s actually pretty good stuff. More on that as soon as I’m all caught up.

Also, this week will definitely include some more genuine reviewing because a) I realized that only one review per week is lame, and b) I miss it!

Enjoy your week.

This Week 11/23 to 11/28

This post was supposed to happen yesterday. Whooooooooops.

Tonight:
8pm – Heroes on NBC
8pm – House on FOX
9pm – Trauma on NBC
9pm – Lie to Me on FOX
10pm – Castle on ABC

TUESDAY:
8pm – V on ABC
8pm – So You Think You Can Dance (Top 12) on FOX
8pm – NCIS on CBS
9pm – NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS

WEDNESDAY:
8pm – So You Think You Can Dance (Results) on FOX
9pm – Glee on FOX
10pm – CSI: NY on CBS

THURSDAY:
8pm – FlashForward on ABC
8pm – Bones on FOX
9pm – Fringe on FOX

FRIDAY:
10pm – White Collar on USA

SATURDAY:
11:30pm – Saturday Night Live on NBC

Nothing particularly exciting this week.

Melted Brain To-Do:

• Last week’s FlashForward/Instant Replay
• Finish catching up on NCIS: LA
• Catch up on Fringe
• Catch up on V
• Hindsight: BSG
• Catch up on White Collar?
• Last week’s SNL?

The end.