Tag Archives: season premieres

Once Upon a Time Season 2 Wish List

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Nerdy Girl Contributor Leah shares with us her hopes for the upcoming season of Once Upon a Time (premiering September 30 at 8 p.m. on ABC).

As we’re getting closer to the Season 2 premiere of ABC’s Once Upon a Time, I’ve become more and more excited for what the cast and crew have in store for us this year. While there are many things I’d love to see in Season 2 (more magical creatures, more of the dwarves, more of the female friendships), here are a few of the big things that I’m wishing on a star to see in this sure-to-be magical second season.

Number One: A Charming Family Reunion
One of my favorite things about Once Upon a Time is the importance it places upon families and parent-child relationships. We’ve seen throughout Season One that being abandoned by her parents has had a profound effect on Emma, and her tearful confession in the pilot to Henry that “[…] at least she [Regina] wants you” makes us hurt with her from the start. Between that scene and the sequence (also from the pilot) that depicts Snow White and Prince Charming making the gut-wrenching decision to give the newborn Emma “her best chance” by sending her to safety through the wardrobe, I can’t help but yearn for a tearful, happy reunion for my favorite fairytale family. I know that the scene may not come right away, as Emma undoubtedly still has hurt and anger over being abandoned for all these years, but I trust that, with these writers, the payoff will be more than worth it.

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Starting on a Good Note: My Favorite TV Pilots

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It’s TV pilot season—the time when we are introduced to the shows that stick with us forever and also the time when we can see which shows won’t make it past midseason.

Let’s be honest; most pilots are not as good as the shows they end up becoming. There’s a lot that writers, directors, and actors have to get across to the audience in a pilot, and oftentimes the story suffers as a result of so much exposition. The actors haven’t had the time to really understand their characters and develop memorable chemistry with their costars. And the look of the show is often less polished than it becomes with later episodes.

However, every season there are at least a couple of pilots that stand out from the pack. Some even transcend the stereotype and become beloved episodes for fans of the show, and an even smaller group can be considered some of the best episodes of television as a whole.

As we get closer to the time when we discover which of this year’s pilots are winners or losers, I’ve been thinking about my personal favorite pilots. Some introduced shows I have always considered must-see TV; some introduced shows I stopped watching somewhere along the way. But they all have a few things in common: They seamlessly blend exposition and entertainment; they introduce the characters in a way that made me care about them right from the start; and they reflect the best of what the show ultimately ended up becoming.

NGN’s Top 10 TV Pilots

10.) Grey’s Anatomy (“A Hard Day’s Night,” 2005): This pilot did a great job of introducing a large cast of characters and making us feel invested in their lives before the first hour was over. Meredith Grey is a deeply flawed but relatable (and intelligent) female protagonist, which is a rare viewpoint through which to tell a successful pilot. The chemistry between Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey burns from the very first scene of the episode, drawing viewers to the relationship between Meredith and Derek even before much is known about them. This pilot also manages to elicit strong emotions after such a short time with these characters. I dare you to watch (or re-watch) the final scene with Meredith and her mother without getting a little choked up.

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What Are You Watching?: Fall 2012 Edition

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September is right around the corner. For some people, that means the taste of apples, the sight of fall leaves, and going back to school. For me, September means the taste of pumpkin spice lattes, the sight of fashionable fall coats, and going back to my regular schedule of television shows.

With promos for new and returning shows all over the networks and the latest seasons of my favorite TV shows finally coming to DVD, my excitement for all of the upcoming series and season premieres is starting to rise exponentially.

In order to channel this excitement in a productive way (aka instead of watching the newest Castle promo for the 50th time), I’m sharing with you my TV viewing schedule for the start of the Fall 2012 season. Any new shows on my list are noted with pink text.

MONDAYS:
Dancing with the Stars (8 p.m., ABC): While I don’t agree with some of the “All Stars” that were cast for this season (Bristol Palin and Pamela Anderson? Really?), I am excited to see some of my favorites return to the dance floor. I’ve been watching this show since the end of its first season, so I’m eager to see the high quality of dancing that I know the majority of these celebrities are capable of achieving.  – Season Premiere 9/24

Castle (10 p.m., ABC): My favorite television show is known for its witty banter, deft mixing of comedy and drama, and blinding chemistry between its leads. Now, it’s looking to build on a strong, game-changing season finale, in which Castle and Beckett finally answered the “Will they or won’t they?” question. The next step for this show is to prove that getting the characters together was just another way to keep its trademark spark alive. If any cast and writing team can pull it off, it’s the ones behind the most entertaining procedural on television.  – Season Premiere 9/24

Revolution (10 p.m., NBC): J.J. Abrams and a dystopian American setting? Count me in!  As a longtime fan of Abrams from his work on Alias, I will always try a show that has his name attached, especially a show with a premise this original and interesting. However, the fact that it’s on at the same time as Castle means that it’s most definitely a DVR show for me. – Series Premiere 9/17

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