Week 2 (9/28-10/4) TV Power Rankings

Here are the top 10 shows of the week broken down by their S.C.O.R.E. The components that make up each show's rating are its Story, Characters, Originality, Realism, and Excitement. With the said, here we go...

#1 House
Week Wins: 1
S.C.O.R.E.= 9.0
Story: B+
Characters: A
Originality: A-
Realism: B+
Excitement: A-

#2 Flashforward
Week Wins: 0
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.75
Story: B
Characters: B
Originality: A-
Realism: B+
Excitement: A-

#3 The Office
Week Wins: 0
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.7
Story: A-
Characters: A-
Originality: B+
Realism: B+
Excitement: B-

#4 Fringe
Week Wins: 0
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.7
Story: B
Characters: B+
Originality: B+
Realism: B+
Excitement: B+

#5 NCIS
Week Wins: 1
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.65
Story: B
Characters: A-
Originality: B
Realism: B
Excitement: B+

#6 NCIS: LA
Week Wins: 0
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.5
Story: B+
Characters: B+
Originality: B
Realism: B-
Excitement: B

#7 Dollhouse
Week Wins: 0
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.5
Story: B
Characters: B-
Originality: B
Realism: A-
Excitement: B

#8 Criminal Minds
Week Wins: 0
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.4
Story: B-
Characters: B+
Originality: B+
Realism: B
Excitement: B-

#9 Defying Gravity
Week Wins: 0
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.35
Story: B
Characters:B+
Originality: B-
Realism: B
Excitement: B-

#10 Family Guy
Week Wins: 0
S.C.O.R.E.= 8.2
Story: B
Characters: B+
Originality: C
Realism: B
Excitement: C+

Power Rankings Overall (Average)
1. NCIS (8.73)
2. House (8.70)
3. FlashForward (8.68)
4. Psych (8.67)
5. Fringe (8.63)
6. Defying Gravity (8.59)
7. The Office (8.55)
8. Dollhouse (8.55)
9. Family Guy (8.43)
10. Criminal Minds (8.40)
11. NCIS: LA (8.25)

Week 1 (9/21-9/27) Power Rankings

Here are the top 10 shows of the week broken down by their S.C.O.R.E. The components that make up each show's rating are its Story, Characters, Originality, Realism, and Excitement. With the said, here we go...

#1 NCIS (Week Wins: 1)
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.8
Story: A-
Characters: A-
Originality: B+
Realism: B
Excitement: B+

#2 Psych
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.7
Story: B
Characters: A-
Originality: B
Realism: B+
Excitement: B+

#3 Family Guy
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.65
Story: B+
Characters: A-
Originality: B-
Realism: B+
Excitement: B+

#4 FlashForward
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.6
Story: B+
Characters: B-
Originality: B
Realism: A-
Excitement: B+

#5 Dollhouse
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.6
Story: B
Characters: B+
Originality: B
Realism: B
Excitement: B+

#6 Fringe
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.5
Story: B
Characters: A-
Originality: B-
Realism: B
Excitement: B

#7 The Office
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.45
Story: B
Characters: B+
Originality: B
Realism: B
Excitement: B-

#8 House
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.4
Story: B
Characters: B+
Originality: C+
Realism: A-
Excitement: B-

#9 Criminal Minds
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.4
Story: B
Characters: B+
Originality: B+
Realism: B-
Excitement: B-

#10 NCIS: LA
S.C.O.R.E. = 8.0
Story: B-
Characters: B+
Originality: C+
Realism: B-
Excitement: C

Power Rankings Year-to-Date (Average)
1. NCIS (8.80)
2. Eureka (8.73)
3. Psych (8.67)
4. Family Guy (8.65)
5. Defying Gravity (8.61)
6. Fringe (8.60)
7. Flashforward (8.60)
8. Dollhouse (8.60)
9. Warehouse 13 (8.49)
10. The Office (8.48)
11. House (8.40)
12. Criminal Minds (8.40)
13. NCIS: LA (8.00)

PREMIERE WEEK IS HERE! September 20th-26th

Finally, television hell is over. All the major players are back at it as premiere week has finally arrived. Over the course of this week, 10 shows are kicking off their seasons that I believe are worth watching.

Monday-
"House M.D."
Hugh Laurie's character Gregory House is institutionalized and it will be interesting to see what happens. House is always a must-watch show and I see no reason this season won't be spectacular.

Tuesday-
"NCIS"
With Ziva in Isreal, Dinozzo, McGee and Gibbs are out looking for a replacement, I can't imagine this being easy.

"NCIS: LA"
The spin-off airs immediately following its parent. With a cast that was reasonably likeable in last years "Legend" two-parter, this show will probably have a solid (although not-mind blowing) freshman year.

"Warehouse 13"
Syfy's smash hit comes to a first season end this Tuesday. What has become one of the niche networks biggest ratings titans of all time will most certainly have a mind boggling, humorous, and exciting finale

Wednesday-
"Criminal Minds"
Hotchner got shot. Nuff said. This show is a must-watch always.

Thursday-
"Fringe"
Sophomore Slump or another fiery season? J.J. Abrams's brainchild has already brought wonders in its premiere last Thursday, this season will make this show a must-watch.

"The Office"
Funny barely describes this. Steve Carrell is a comedic genius and the rest of this cast in unforgettable. The show premiered with a solid episode and I look for more wacky humor as the approach to Pam and Jim's wedding appears on the horizon.

"Flashforward"
The fall companion series to "Lost". Flashforward stars two Lost veterans in Sonya Wagner who plays Desmonds wife Penny, and fan-favorite Dominic Monaghan, who played Charlie for the first three season. This show could be good....but it could also fall flat on its face.

Friday-
"Dollhouse"
After what was obviously a terribly disappointing first season, Dollhouse showed promise in its unaired thirteenth season one episode "Epitaph One". This show was a ratings black hole, but something tells me it will have a brighter second season. This is my underdog show of the fall.

"Psych"
Already at its mid-way point, Psych is hilariously funny and entertaining. This was my favorite summer find on the USA network. DVR this puppy.

#021- Warehouse 13- Ep. 7- Implosion

Airdate: August 11th, 2009
Episode Title: "Implosion
Episode #: 107
Starring: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly

When an ancient sword with marvelous power is unearth and prepared to be given to the U.S. President as a gift from Japan, Bering and Lattimere must swap out the artifact and replace it with a new one before the swords immense power is released. Unfortunately, it doesn't go according to plan when a demon from Artie's past resurfaces and competes for possession of the sword. A good episode that continues the recent trend of having Artie more involved with the team and the development of the episode. On the other hand, I'd love to know where Claudia was through this entire episode, and she needs to get more screen time over the completely forgettable bed and breakfast owner who only seems to appear to say something loony and then tamper off again. If she has no other use for the show, she needs to get killed off ASAP. Also, Mrs. Fredrick resurfaces to deliver some more cryptic information about the past of the warehouse and Artie. This episode was solid and routine, nothing great, nothing disappointing. With the finale within reach, and an obvious story arc being seeded in this episode, I'm excited to see how this season ends.

Score: 8.5
Story: B+
Characters: B
Originality: B
Impact: B

#020- Defying Gravity- Ep. 4- H2IK

Airdate: August 16th, 2009
Episode Title: H2IK
Episode #: 104 (Season 1, Episode 4)
Starring: Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Malik Yoba, Christina Cox, Peter Howitt

Defying Gravity seems to be getting better with each week, but I can't shake this sinking feeling that it won't make it past August. It seemed strange to begin with the start a new series in the dog days of Summer, especially because how can you measure the success of a show when its airing in a dead time slot (Sunday nights) in the most horrid month of TV watching? Anyway, I like the mystery and intrigue surrounding the Antares crew, and whatever this enigma of "Beta" is, I hope the show survives long enough to reveal it. The characters, whom I was originally disappointed with, have grown on me a little, but they still have a long way to go before I consider them an A-class cast. This episode revolved around a malfunction which shut down most of the spaceships function and almost blew the entire mission wide open. While the crew tried to fix it above, mission control was forced to bring AJ back into the pit to help solve the problem, which he figured was an H2IK sequence. H2IK, for those of you who don't know means "Hell If I know". With time running out, Donne, Zoe and the rest of the Antares crew have to figure it out before the missions is grounded. All in all, very watchable, but will it survive? Hell If I know.

Score: 8.7
Story: B+
Characters: B
Originality: B+
Impact: B+

#019- Psych- Ep. 2- He Dead

Airdate: August 14th, 2009
Episode Title: He Dead
Episode #: 402 (Season 4, Episode 2)
Starring: James Roday, Dule Hill

Figuring I needed to add a comedy to my troupe, I started watching Psych in its second episode of season 4. While the show is quirkier and a little off key at times, it is still a pretty entertaining show, especially for the USA network. The show follows psychic private detective Shawn Spencer (Roday) and his sidekick Gus (Hill) as they use their skills to unearth mysteries and solve crimes. This particularly episode focused on Shawn finding out the murder of a rich investor, through a pretty routine Who-dun-it style episode. It was funny at times, and corny at others, but all in all at least a B-level comedy television series. I'd recommend it for those looking for a more light-hearted crime-drama.

Score (out of 10) 8.3
Story: B-
Characters: B+
Originality: B
Impact: B-

#018- Eureka- Ep. 6- Ship Happens

Airdate: August 14th, 2009
Episode Title: Ship Happens
Episode #: 314 (Season 3, Episode 14)
Starring: Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Jordan Hinson, Erica Cerra, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

With the arrival of the mysterious spacecraft baring the United States flag, it is soon revealed the project originated in Eureka. When something shocking happens shortly after the cock pit opens, Jack, Deacon, Jo, Allison and Tess are thrust into an interesting case. The episode focuses mainly on Deacon and something that suddenly starts haunting him from his past aboard the spaceship. Meanwhile, there is an outbreak of a virus that could kill everyone in Eureka unless Jack and the gang can find a way to stop it. This episode lacked the usual lightheartedness and humor of a typical Eureka episode, and instead went for a deep, impacting episode, but it just didn't have the legs to get there. While still a good episode, its nothing to write home about and a bit of a disappointment after such a thrilling adventure last Friday. Nevertheless, Eureka remains my top show of the summer!

Score (out of 10) 8.4
Story: B
Characters: B+
Originality: B-
Impact: B

#017- Warehouse 13- Ep. 6- Burnout

Airdate: August 11th, 2009
Episode Title: "Burnout"
Episode #: 106
Starring: Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly

The story followed a mysterious string of electrifying murders, including one of a lost Warehouse Agent that had been missing for fifty years. Lattimere and Bering are red-hot on the tale of an artifact created as a warrior-maker that literally fries its enemies, whilst draining the host like a battery. Interesting story and an interesting episode and so far my favorite Warehouse 13 episode to date. The show has grown a little, especially with the addition of Claudia Donovan to the main cast, and allowing Artie to be more a part of the episode than he was in the first few. Agent Lattimere is still my favorite character, and in this episode we really got to see more into him. Overall, this was an impactful episode that packed a bit more of a bunch than the previous five and hopefully Warehouse 13 will continue to build towards a good finale in the final four episodes of the first season.

Score (out of 10) 8.7
Story: B+
Characters: B+
Originality: B
Impact: B+

#016- Eureka- Ep. 5- "If You Build It..."

Airdate: August 7th, 2009
Episode Title: If You Build It...
Episode #: 313 (Season 3, Episode 13)
Starring: Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Jordan Hinson, Erica Cerra, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

I even like the theme song. Eureka is really a great show and this episode takes the cake as the best on the summer season right now. Revolving around a mysterious and potentially threatening device being built overnight, Jack, Jo and his gang try and find the source and the intentions of the device. Meanwhile, Fargo has a "love triangle" issue when his old car "Tabby" won't stop stalking him when he buys a newer model. This episode had everything, humor, excitement, mystery and the impact of a riveting episode that kept you guessing up until the very end when it slam the door shut and smashed to black. Jack Carter (Ferguson) is easily one of my favorite characters on television, right up there with House, Denny Crane, and John Locke. He's funny, charming, and his audience-level intelligence in a town full of geniuses helps to get the viewer to understand the techno babble the other characters are running off. It's become a frequent joke of the show to have Carter stop and use phrases like "in English" and "small words" as the scientists of Global Dynamic rant about what is destroying Eureka this Friday. But this episode when beyond episodic pseudo-crisis's that happen every episode, this one gave you the feeling that something big was happening, and it didn't disappoint and kept me engage throughout the 60 minute display. I'm very excited for next week, the trailer look phenomenal and the geniuses of Eureka are MORE than brilliant. Eureka continues to be a must-watch summer series for those looking for comedy, mystery, and sci-fi.

Episode Score (out of 10) 9.3
Story: A-
Characters: A
Originality: B+
Impact: A