Shivoncarla

TEEN WOLF - SEASON ONE

Not only is it really well thought out, but the good-looking kids in the show can actually act.

THE X-FACTOR - SEASON ONE

And so it goes. The same mix of sob stories, as anxious relatives looking on from the wings. And if there's not quite a Susan Boyle or Paul Potts moment (though one in particular comes reasonably close), the tears flow freely, and one or two genuinely stirring performances emerge.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - SEASON FIVE

It is not enough to say that Desperate Housewives is the best series in a long time. In a season of forgettable sitcoms, in a largely predictable lineup, it is a shrewd mystery with involving twists. In a medium that often shortchanges women, it is a grand showcase for accomplished actresses.

CLUELESS - SEASON THREE

Clueless pulls off the balancing act of being bright and sophisticated while remaining almost squeaky-clean.

DOCTOR WHO - SEASON SEVEN

The so-called "Finale" to the simply dreadful debut season of the 12th Doctor certainly does nothing to break the mould. The misery just keeps on coming. I can really identify with dead Danny in the Cyberman suit. I am sure my face must look at least a bit like his while slogging through these concluding episodes. I cannot even bear to go over the details, as it simply brings on a sensation not unlike post-traumatic stress disorder. Suffice it to say that all the potentially meaningful relationships that might have developed over the course of the season (but never really did) have been brutally slagged off and binned. Like the dear departed Danny, I too am dying to get away from the show. If the Mistress (once known as the Master) is lucky, she really has been popped off permanently. As gruesome a character as she was, at least she offered a smidgen of passing entertainment -- but not nearly enough to wish for her regeneration. If I were Clara, I would be thrilled to cut my ties with this Doctor. Peter Capaldi deserves to be left utterly abandoned and alone. Just try living with that awful Scottish accent and attitude all by yourself! The only advantage will be that there will be no one around to whom he can brazenly and pointlessly lie through his teeth about virtually anything of importance. I do not envy Saint Nick figuring out what this very bad boy deserves for Christmas. If the holiday special turns out to be anything beyond a lump of coal, it will be a Christmas miracle indeed.

This marks the low point of Doctor Who since its revival in 2005. In fact, I don't think things have been quite this bad since the miserable, mean-spirited but mercifully brief 3-season tenure of the 6th Doctor (Colin Baker) in the mid-1980s. At times Mr Capaldi seems to be channeling Mr Baker's negativity, not to mention his penchant for finger-pointing. At least Mr Baker's garb was more colourful; Mr Capaldi's outfit seems perfectly suited to the very up-tight Presbyterian minister role he has settled into.

Will the 12th Doctor be quickly jettisoned like the 6th? Given the damage currently being done to the franchise, I'm actually rooting against Mr Capaldi & Co. going beyond a single season. Time for another hiatus, perhaps? Let a whole new team emerge in a few years' time to take up the cause once inspiration rather than mere repetition guides the development of Who-ville.

THE WALKING DEAD - SEASON THREE

The Walking Dead still has a strong grip on our imagination as it continues to aim at all three levels--brain, heart and stomach--with deadly accuracy.

However, I can't help but wonder; how long will this go on for?

ZERO DAY - LIMITED SERIES

Some audiences might enjoy the domestic drama aspect of this portion, but in context with the “Zero Day” conceit, it proves to be a distraction bordering on soap opera level storytelling even if it relates to what’s behind the attack.

COMMUNITY: SEASON 1 - 4

Wacky, weird and often wonderful, NBC's comedy about a diverse group of friends at a community college defies genre and label in its first few excellent seasons to create engrossing television.

FIRST KILL - SEASON ONE

This sapphic soap about vampiric love is earnest enough to put a stake through the hearts of the genre faithful, but its clumsy execution leaves an aftertaste that's more garlicky than sweet.