A Pick Per Night 2013

Welcome to the 2013 edition of A Pick Per Night!

It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging about television every single Tuesday for the past three plus years… but I have.  And today I’m going back to one of my very first blog posts and selecting one show per night that I absolutely can’t miss.

A Pick Per Night is perfect for those who have time for just one television program each evening.   Back in 2011, I selected: Hawaii Five-0 for Mondays, NCIS: LA for Tuesdays, Criminal Minds for Wednesdays; Archer for Thursdays; and Blue Bloods for Fridays.  And last year, I named: Pretty Little Liars for Mondays, Justified for Tuesdays; Revenge for Wednesdays; The Vampire Diaries for Thursdays; and Supernatural for Fridays.  Considering the networks move their series around every single year, not to mention add tons of new programs to the schedule, let’s see if any of these previously picked shows survive and land on the 2013 list.

Sunday – Revenge

I honestly thought this season started a little slow, but now that it’s almost over, Emily is back at it and she’s not letting anyone stand in her way of seeking revenge against the Grayson family.  Nothing is off limits.  When the show returns from its odd hiatus, I can’t wait to see what plans “angry” Jack has in the works for Conrad… not to mention what Emily has in store for Victoria.  I’d say more, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers!

Monday – The Following

Since we’re being honest here, I cannot believe The Following is on Fox… its dark, gruesome, and twisted.  I could see it on FX, but I’m blown away that it’s on basic cable.  That said, Kevin Bacon is fantastic as Ryan Hardy… his character reminds me a lot of 24‘s Jack Bauer—he doesn’t get to sleep and he doesn’t play by the FBI’s rules.  And James Purefoy is freaky good as the villain, Joe Carroll.  Heck, I even like Joe’s right-hand-man, Roderick.  I hope he doesn’t die… but I’m beginning to think NO ONE is safe from death on this show.

It was quite difficult for me to not select TNT’s Dallas for the Monday night slot… the writers and the creators have resurrected the legacy of the original series, not to mention the cast’s performances this season have been some of the best on TV.  I don’t normally want to applaud the television after an episode airs, but I sure did last night with the two-hour season finale.  Bravo, Dallas!  Bravo.

Tuesday – New Girl.

I think I’ve pretty much decided that Pretty Little Liars is my favorite show on television right now, any night of the week, but for the sake of choosing something that is actually airing new episodes right now for Tuesday nights, I’m picking Fox’s New Girl.  My guy and I both laugh hysterically when we watch this sitcom; so much so, that we have to remember to not watch while we’re eating dinner—we might choke on our food from laughing as much as we do.

Wednesday – Criminal Minds

There are tons of police procedural programs on TV today, but none like Criminal Minds.  This television drama follows a team of highly trained FBI agents who profile criminal behavior for the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU).   They study unsubs, or “unknown subjects” of the investigation, instead of the crime itself.   As a mystery writer, Criminal Minds is a great tool for understanding the minds of the criminally inclined… not to mention, the character development for each one of the stars has me invested in every single one of them.

Thursday – Scandal

I don’t want to give too much away about Scandal’s scandalous plot, but I do want to say that each and every episode draws me in, holds me in tight so that I don’t miss a word, and leaves me with my mouth gaping open in awe at the end.  The series is classified as a procedural in that each week Olivia and her team take on a new client and help “make their problems go away.”  But, Scandal can also be classified as a serial drama, or a nighttime soap opera, with an ongoing story that keeps getting better and even more scandalous with each passing week.  This series has drama; it has politics; it has love; and it has A LOT of scandalous twists and turns…

Friday – Grimm

Now well into its second season, Grimm has aired more episodes and tackled fairy tales such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Pied Piper, Rapunzel, The Queen Bee, and the Three Little Pigs.  The special effects and storylines are enticing… and I particularly love the use of Monroe in each episode to help Nick solve the case at hand—it is a bit heartwarming to see the two work together and develop a friendship between creature and Grimm, not to mention Monroe almost always has something witty and funny to say.

Plus, the actual police procedural aspect of the story ranks up there with the other crime dramas on television today.  There’s a bit more of a serial storyline this year, and I like that… quite a bit, actually.  This story arc has helped us invest more in watching on Friday nights, instead of letting the episodes stockpile on the DVR.  We’ve even found ourselves saying the NBC slogan on occasion: “Thank Grimm it’s Friday.”

Do you watch any of these shows?  If you had to pick only one television series per night, what would you choose and why?  I’d love to hear from you!

And before we go, I wanted to send a warm message to all those affected  by the horrendous acts in Boston yesterday.  My thoughts are with all of you.