I reviewed Women's Murder Club the other day, and I wanted to further describe the horrendousness of this TV show. My opinions after watching the first two episodes and reading a bit about the third:

1. The title: In theory, there is nothing wrong with the title. But the fact that the title ties the show to the book series by James Patterson is infuriating because they aren't alike. Somebody out there liked his idea of women solving crime, so they negotiated with Mr. Patterson (using $$$$) to use the idea, the character names, and a few other details from his book, and turned it into their television show. They did this for themselves, not for love of the book series. TPTB just wanted to fool the fans of the books to watch the show, so the show wouldn't have to prove itself in order to get its own fan base. The creators of the show just decided it would be easier to use Mr. Patterson's name and fame to get fans, not quality TV. (This is not verified, JP acts like it isn't true, but I don't doubt this is the truth anyway. Remember... $$$$$)

I would probably feel better about the show being associated with the books if it resembled them more. A few things they could do to make it better: Lindsay's ex isn't her boss, Jill is married to an abusive husband, and Claire is happy with her husband who isn't an ass. And they all should whine and wangst less. Oh, and Jill dies to make way for another lawyer to enter the group.

2. There is nothing original about it: The Kiss-Me-Not Killer elludes Lindsay Boxer... Oh, hey, a cop with a crime that haunts them, what a novel idea!! Been there, saw that, let's try something else. A character that is a commitaphobe? Wow, where have I seen that before? Everywhere. In the first episode she cheats on the boyfriend that just asked her to move in with him, then she moves in with him! What a way to get me to like a character. Wait, it gets better, she was in foster care, so she seems to have problems with authority! Two clichés in one character, and this isn't even a small cast! I could go on. Certain storywriters need to get their own ideas.

3. It really is women instead of men: As a female, I really liked the idea of a show dominated by career female characters. But that isn't what this is. It's female actresses portraying cross-dressing male characters. Seriously though, there is nothing uniquely female about the four leads, they seem more male than female. Change the names and the main relationships and the characters could be portrayed by men as well or better. How lame is that?

These characters don't seem to react to situations as only a woman would. And there is nothing unique or at least interesting about their personalities. I think those two things are my main issue with the show.

4. It needs more crime and less whine: When was the last time you watched a show about cops and wondered what the case was? A cop, an ADA, an ME, and a crime reporter leave an autopsy and walk into a bar and for their conversation they wangst about their romantic relationships. Tada! I just wrote the summary of all your future episodes, Women's Murder Club writers!

How about having the characters actually discuss a crime?! In both episodes I watched I had to actively think about the "happenings" to remember what Lindsay's case was. Excuse me, but you shouldn't have to do that with a show about women solving crimes!!!! When the show is so bogged down with relationship drama and whining that you can't remember the actual crime that they were investigating, you need to rethink things.

5. Give me more (crime) drama please: I never ask for this, but I am here. I hate wangsty drama. I don't hate crime drama. I want crime drama. I want to wonder if they'll get their guy. I wanna be on the edge of my seat while someone negotiates a gun out of their face, or tricks a confession out of a perp. I wanna watch the characters scramble for evidence, hunt for a witness, struggle with an in-court testimony.

I don't want to watch someone whine because their ex-husband is their boss. I hate it when a "good" character does something stupid just to do it and whines about it later. I HATE WANGST. I don't want to see people cry about having been abandoned and adopted, whine because they were stood up by a blind date. I don't want whiney wangsty woe-is-me time. I want "edge of my seat" drama, not "I hate my life" drama.

6. It's completely miscasted: Obviously this is worse because I've read the books and have my own image of the characters, but the casting still sucks. Angie Harmon may look nice, but she has only one way of acting: Abby Carmichael. Lindsay Boxer is whiney Abby Carmichael with a gun. Aubrey Dollar can't seem to pull off the eager, in-your-face reporter that they want Cindy to be. The same goes for Laura Harris. Jill just isn't an ADA. I don't see it because she can't portray it properly. I hope my problem with Claire isn't the actress's fault, but I'm not sure. She isn't like the book Claire, her personality isn't as big as it should be; she isn't as mothering and dominate, or as friendly. They just didn't cast people who can act.

Wrapping up. Honestly, even if the show wasn't associated with the books I'd still not like it, but I freely admit that I hate it more because it is. It butchers a great book series while still being nothing like it. That takes talent.

Compared to this show, I adored the TV movie that was based on the first book, First To Die. It had its issues, but I would believe you if you said that TPTB who were in charge of it actually read the book and tried to be faithful. I'd laugh in your face and call you a liar if you said that about the TV show's PTB. Laugh out loud.

That is all.

Yes, I watch a good amount of TV, but only a few of my shows are actually must-see.

Supernatural
Shark
Avatar: The Last Airbender
My Boys
Burn Notice
Criminal Minds

I watch them, I record and keep every episode, and I can't get enough of them.

That is all.

I give new television shows 2-3 episodes before I decide how I feel about them. I've done so with the new fall season shows, so I'm posting this update. You'll also notice some new additions that aren't new this season. I'll never get this list to shrink.

SUN
10pm: Shark (CBS)
MON
8pm: Prison Break (Fox)
9:30pm: Samanth Who? (ABC)
TUE
8:30pm: Carpoolers (ABC)
9pm: Cashmere Mafia (ABC) (Mid-season)
9pm: House (Fox)
10pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
WED
9pm: Private Practice (ABC)
9pm: Criminal Minds (CBS)
THU
8pm: My Name Is Earl (NBC)
9pm: Supernatural (CW)
10pm: Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA)
FRI
8:30pm: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Nick)

Cable shows I watch but don't know when they will be back:
Burn Notice, The Riches, State Of Mind, Monk, Psych, My Boys, The Closer, My Boys, Saving Grace, Dirt

Quit watching:
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: I'm sick and tired of the ridiculous relationship between Sara and Grissom. ::BARFS:: And since there will be no more Sara soon, and there isn't Sofia anymore as of already, I'M DONE.

Second chance:
I Un-quit watching Law & Order: SVU because I can't be without my Casey fix. It seems to have improved a bit, hopefully that'll stick.

Prison Break got a second chance too. I like my Linc eye-candy too much to give up. I'm pissed that Sara died, but I'll get over it. I totally knew it was her head in the box.

Started watching this season but quit:
Cavemen: It sucks. It isn't funny. That is all.

Women's Murder Club: I'll save that rant for another post. To sum it up, It's really nothing like the books, and I hate that. And it sucks, anyway, even if you ignore that fact. This show sucks. I hope it gets canceled.

Guilty Pleasures: Law & Order: SVU, Private Practice, Saving Grace, The Riches, State Of Mind, and Dirt. Just wanted to say that.

Well, the new fall lineups have been out for a while, and I've decided to post my TV watching schedule for the fall.

SUN
10pm: Shark (CBS)
MON
8pm: Prison Break* (Fox)
TUE
8pm: Cavemen (ABC)
8:30pm: Carpoolers (ABC)
9pm: Cashmere Mafia (ABC) (Mid-season)
THU
8pm: My Name Is Earl (NBC)
9pm: Supernatural (CW)
9pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (CBS)
10pm: Law & Order: Criminal Intent
FRI
8:30pm: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Nick)
9pm: Women's Murder Club (ABC)

Cable shows I watch won't be on in the fall (I don't think):
Dirt, The Riches, Monk, Psych, My Boys, The Closer

Quit watching:
I quit watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit because it turned to crap. It changed completely, stopped being about finding justice and started being about unbelievable situations and winning Emmys. They strayed from the original formula of the show and turned into your standard police drama. So it sucks and I stopped wasting my time on it. I miss watching my Casey Novak, but I couldn't stand another moment of Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler.

I also quit watching Without A Trace because it changed too. When they focus too much on the characters personal lives is when I go. That's just not what I'm looking for in shows like these.

If Veronica Mars hadn't been cancelled I would have quit watching anyway. This past season was bad. The second season paled in comparison to the first, but the third paled in comparison to the second. In effort to save the show and get ratings they ruined it. It's a shame, but people are too stupid to watch VM. I hated the FBI agent future idea, and I would prefer for the show to have ended where it was than continue and just get suckier and suckier. The CW put a dying animal out of its misery by cancelling it.

Crossing Jordan turned to crap last season, so I really quit watching back then, but I tried to watch it this season too. It's a shame, because CJ started out fabulous.

I tried to watch Criminal Minds, but it just didn't take.

*Shows I may still quit watching:
If they kill off Sara Sidle on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation then I will quit watching. I hate the whole Sara/Grissom relationship anyway, and that almost drove me off. Sara's death really will.

Prison Break is pissing me off. They're stringing the viewers along, stretching the storyline along at every possible point, making so ridiculous. If the season premiere isn't spectactular, I'm gone.

New shows I'm gonna give a try:
I'm really not expecting any of the new shows to be any good, but I want to try them anyway. Cavemen and Carpoolers because I need more comedy in my TV diet, and Women's Murder Club because I love the books and I hope they do it justice. But it just seems so freakin' miscast that I don't know if I'll be able to stand it. Don't me wrong, I loved Angie Harmon as Abby Carmichael in the original Law & Order, she was my most favorite of the ADAs on that show, but I just can't see her as Lindsey Boxer, a cop. Plus I don't think they're going to follow the books, which would be harder for me to get over than miscasting.

Well, Cashmere Mafia looks interesting, and I really liked Miranda Otto in Lord of the Rings, so I'm looking forward to seeing CM when it starts sometime midseason.

That seems to be all for now.