What I'm Currently Watching

 While television has always been a part of my life since I was little, what I watch on television shifts rather frequently, usually keeping in-line my overall enjoyment of family-friendly shows that share a connection with the audience.

In terms of linear television, each weekday evening starts off with Jeopardy!, a relatively new daily tradition within my household. As of writing, the 2022 Tournament of Champions is airing, featuring some of the most accomplished contestants in the show's history, leaving a legacy for future years to follow. Currently hosted by Ken Jennings, with Dr. Mayim Bialik also serving as a host, the daily viewings never get old.

On Mondays, my lineup starts on CBS with their sitcom The Neighborhood starring Cedrick the Entertainer. While I wasn't all too fond of the show when it initially aired, it's grown on me, and I enjoy the interactions between the Entertainer's character, Calvin, and his neighbor Dave (Max Greenfield).

While more of a passive viewer, I did watch the first several episodes of Dancing with the Stars, now on its new home of Disney+, having left sister network ABC earlier this fall. While I will admit that this season has been enjoyable, it not being on a linear network makes the show rather forgettable, especially considering how busy my Monday schedule seems to be.

One of my favorite shows to come on NBC in the past couple years, Quantum Leap has become a go-to show for me to watch every week. Unfortunately, I did fall behind a handful of episodes in part thanks to Verizon's carriage disagreements with local affiliate owner Nexstar, but I recently caught up on Peacock this week prior to the show going on break until January. A continuation of the original show with a new cast, the concept of it intrigued me, but the on-screen chemistry between the actors is truly genuine, with the plot now thickening over the past couple episodes.

Tuesdays have always been my favorite night on television thanks to the usual plethora of sitcoms found on ABC during their timeslots. Sadly, those nights have since moved to Friday, and now their new home of Wednesdays. That being the case, The Rookie: Feds is now my show to watch on Tuesday evenings. A spin-off of the popular show The Rookie, which I also have watched throughout its five seasons, it follows Niecy Nash-Betts in her pursuit to become an FBI agent, as the oldest academy recruit. Due to some restructuring of their schedule, ABC will be putting both shows on Tuesday nights going forward, potentially setting the stage for a new drama-filled lineup.

Heading to Wednesday, ABC has a night of comedy with The Conners, Abbott Elementary, and Home Economics. While the channel also features The Goldbergs in the midst of it, I simply could not get into that show and instead use that time away from the television. The Conners is an interesting case, being a spin-off continuation of the revival series Roseanne, which itself is a soft reboot of the original show. However, through the storytelling of a working-class family within 2022, this sitcom a different story than most shows in what my favorite season of the series thus far.

As for the Emmy-winning series Abbott Elementary, created by and starring Quinta Brunson, it showcases the working life of teacher Janine Teagues (Brunson) as she navigates her second year of teacher at the titular school. While I was honestly excited for the show to release, I am not necessarily too interested in the going-ons for the series, though ABC did right to put it on Wednesdays, adding it to the list of shows I watch.

The show I am most excited about every week on Wednesday nights is the junior comedy Home Economics, featuring three households of siblings with different economic classes within a very meta-atmosphere. The show oftentimes pokes fun at itself alongside the real-world yet provides true heartfelt moments at times. It's highly unfortunate the show was announced to be leaving the Wednesday lineup in early 2023, but I hope it is renewed for a fourth season by the network.

On Thursday nights, I head over to the Fox TV network where I watch the series Call Me Kat starring Bialik, mentioned earlier within this post. This sitcom, in my opinion, breaks the norm by constantly breaking the fourth wall to invite us into their world. Unfortunately, it was heartbreaking to hear the loss of cast member Leslie Jordan, who played the baker Phil within the series. It is unknown how they will write off his character, but I will remain a loyal viewer of this third season show.

Only one episode in thus far, freshman NBC series Lopez vs Lopez features comedian George Lopez alongside Mayan Lopez, his real-life daughter, as they deal with living together as adults in their now multigenerational household.

On Sunday afternoons, I end out the linear schedule with Celebrity Jeopardy!, hosted, once again, by Dr. Bialik. A new spin-off of the original syndicated show, it has celebrities facing each other for charity money as they test their trivia knowledge. While I much prefer the original game to the new spin-off, it has its hilarious moments at times and proves to be worthy in its own right on the Alex Trebek Stage.

In the current streaming age, Big Shot and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers are my go-to shows every week. While I don't necessarily have a consistent schedule of viewing either of them, they are both fun shows and always an enjoyable watch. While both deal with sports, they have their own unique plots and feel like they could easily be shown on linear television. While I am not too fond of many streaming shows, these Disney+ series keep family-friendly content alongside being appealing for adults alike by going through real issues within the fictious scenarios.

As someone who loves older sitcoms, such as those placed within the 1970s to 1990s, primarily the decade in the middle of those, I go through cycles of which shows I watch or rewatch, partially due to their limited availability to watch. Right now, I am going through the Embassy Television series The Facts of Life, a show featuring a former housemother Mrs. Garrett (the late Charlotte Rae) and four girls she takes care of. While the series went through enormous changes throughout its nine-year run, I have been rewatching many of the later episodes to see how it holds up in comparison to its more-popular middle seasons.

Before closing this out, I will briefly note that I am about to start the second season of the streaming series The Mysterious Benedict Society, a show I enjoyed binging with my family after its releasing run last year.

As you can tell, there are a lot of shows that I watch on a semi-regular basis, and I will do my best to highlight many of them on this media blog as time allows. With many shows about to head to hiatus as we approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season, I will be diving in more with my favorite older sitcoms as I look back at them and review them for what they are and how they hold up in present-day.

Happy Watching!

- Brandon.