Winter 2018-2019 network TV schedule

Vintage brown television.

The fall network TV season is coming to an end. Shows are taking their mid-season breaks while families enjoy the holidays. For me, I’ve been more in a reading mood lately anyway, so it’s a nice to have a break from my regular shows.

For the most part, I’ve enjoyed my original fall 2018 lineup. I’ve let a couple of shows go. Some are edge case at the moment, depending on how things progress.

Schedule

The following is a look at my planned schedule. Shows with a * next to them are new additions. Dates listed are premieres or when a show changes spots in the schedule. Wednesdays and Fridays are getting pretty thin.

Sunday

  • 7:00-8:00 - God Friended Me (CBS) - 2/17
  • 7:00-8:00 - Supergirl (CW)
  • 8:00-9:00 - Charmed (CW)

The Orville will premiere on December 30 following an NFL doubleheader.

Monday

  • 7:00-8:00 - Arrow (CW)
  • 8:00-9:00 - Black Lightning (CW) - 1/21

Tuesday

  • 7:00-8:00 - The Gifted (Fox)
  • 7:00-8:00 - The Flash (CW)
  • 8:00-9:00 - Roswell, New Mexico * (CW) - 1/15
  • 9:00-10:00 - The Rookie (ABC)

Wednesday

  • 7:00-8:00 - Riverdale (CW)

Thursday

  • 7:00-7:30 - The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
  • 7:30-8:00 - Young Sheldon (CBS)
  • 7:00-8:00 - Supernatural (CW)
  • 8:00-9:00 - Legacies (CW)
  • 8:00-9:00 - The Orville (Fox) - 1/3

Friday

  • 7:00-8:00 - Blindspot (NBC)

Thoughts on the season thus far

Here’s a rundown on some of the shows I’ve been watching. I’m not covering them all, particularly if I don’t have any strong feelings one way or another.

Charmed

I almost gave this reboot the boot after the first couple of episodes. Some of the dialogue neared feminazi territory. I love shows with strong, kick-ass heroines, but show me rather than tell me (see: original Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Plus, the first bad guy was a cheap knock-off of the white walkers from Game of Thrones. The show started finding its balance and is one I look forward to each week.

God Friended Me

Atheist gets friend suggestions from a mysterious God account on social media? Sounds like the silliest show idea I can think of. Must watch. Really, I’ve been enjoying this show. There’s a little substance there. It’s been a feel-good ride where the protagonist helps people in need.

Supergirl

I was already a fan. This season has been about tackling xenophobia, racism, and sexism. At times, the issues have been a bit too in-your-face and not presented in a balanced manner (aside from one episode where Sam Witwer was superb in portraying his character’s backstory). It’s been mediocre at times this season; I just hope the writers can dig just a bit deeper.

Arrow

I had begun growing tired of the series. It was starting to show its age. Oliver Queen’s backstory was done. I wasn’t sure about the prison storyline at first, but I liked seeing Oliver becoming a broken man and having to overcome that. I’m excited about how he grows in the latter half of the season. Felicity has been my least-favorite character this round.

Legends of Tomorrow

It’s a fun show with a ragtag group of heroes (if we can call theme that) in a time-traveling machine. What’s not to love? The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, which makes it a fun ride. Constantine has added some balance. And, it’s nice to see Maisie Richardson-Sellers return as a regular.

Manifest

The idea seemed pretty cool. Airplane disappears for several years. No one on the plane knew they were gone when they return home. Some may have special powers. Maybe a bit like The 4400, which I loved. But, it took far too many episodes for anything worthwhile to actually happen. Maybe it’s found its stride by now. I wouldn’t know. I gave up.

Black Lightning

I wanted to love this show. I stuck through the first season. I’ve stuck through half of the second season. I’m a Cress Williams fan. But, I never fell in love with it like I did the other DC shows. I’ve been tuning in, mostly using it as background noise while I do other things around the house.

The Rookie

This is my favorite new show this season. It follows a middle-aged man who decides to become a cop. The premise is a built-in joke factory, but the show tackles social issues without going over the top. Plus, I’ll pretty much watch any series with Nathan Fillion.

Riverdale

I fell in love with season 1 of this show. But, my faith in has been dwindling. Mostly, I’m bored with it. It has some murder-mystery story arch based off D&D going on this season. It’s just sad at this point. But, Wednesday night is pretty dead, so I carry on.

All American

I was hoping for something with the quality of Friday Night Lights. This show did not fill that void. Too much about rich high school kids. Not enough about football. I’ve skipped the last two episodes and don’t plan on revisiting it.

Legacies

I like this continuation of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. I grew tired of the first two. The show still has a lot of growing up to do. Or, maybe I’m just getting older and care less about the overly dramatic aspects of high school.

Blindspot

It was a cool concept in season 1. I enjoyed the second season. Now that we’re in season 4, I’m just watching for the sake of watching. Mostly, the show feels a bit played out.

Midnight, Texas

A supernatural show that’s not as good as the offerings on The CW. It has its moments. Mostly just filler for Friday nights with nothing to do. The Rev storyline this season had the best moments.