Unfortunately, there are those TV shows that make us cringe, ignite yawns of boredom and teach terrible values. Those shows may have topped the charts back in the day, but we have come to the time where we sadly have to pull the plug, seal the coffin and pile on the dirt. Here are the top five TV shows whose glory days are over and now simply need to die.

American Idol

The once popular singing competition has surely had better days. The early seasons dominated the charts. It had tremendously talented contestants, vibrant judges and helped give winners unprecedented success. Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson were American Idol’s darlings and epitomized the power of the show. The current show bears no resemblance to that exciting past. With competition shows America’s Got Talent, X Factor and The Voice stealing prime time spots, American Idol’s contestants have no extraordinary talent. The auditions are simply no longer funny. Even worse, the defection of stars Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul has left the show dull. The finale often disappoints as the clearly more talented singer loses the prize due to the immature, unintelligent voting of the show’s preteen fan base. The winners enter the field with a poor, unsuccessful album and join the rank of other Idol failures. The show has been stretched on far too long and should end now if it wants to end on a high note.

America’s Next Top Model

Tyra Bank’s Top Model seemed to be an original show when it first aired, but now, each season seems a copy of the previous, with no exciting new changes. Even worse, Top Model is a terrible influence on society’s younger generation. The show judges on beauty, figure, appearance in photographs and how well girls can pull off skimpy clothing. Each season the amount of clothing on models exponentially decreases. Drama on the show is tacky and consists of ridiculous cat fights on superficial ideas. Tyra’s influence can be put to better use, and encouraging women to take useless photographs for model careers that never actually happen is definitely not one of them.

Jersey Shore

Entertainment value aside, Jersey Shore is an obscene, tactless show that revels in crude Italian American stereotypes. The show has too much sexual content with cast members constantly talking about sex and hooking up with each other. When they aren’t fooling around, they are drinking and engaging in bar brawls and altercations. The show displays America in a terrible light and brainwashes the youth. When all the other negative factors about the show are removed, the show is racist and the characters celebrate their heritage with terrible behavior. In September of 2011, New Jersey’s Economic Department Authority approved a $420,000 tax credit toward show. Needless to say, in this struggling economy, when millions of Americans don’t have jobs, Jersey Shore is not what the country should be spending its money on. MTV once was a shining beacon of hope for the music industry. Jersey Shore reflects the trashiness of the network as does its fellow shows Sixteen and Pregnant and My Big Fat Sweet Sixteen.

Survivor

Survivor used to be my favorite show. Friends and I would play for hours, recreating the show and pretending to be in challenges fighting for immunity. Children these days often don’t even know the show exists. With so many seasons, Survivor no longer has exciting exotic places to shoot; each insignificant island looks the same, with the same beaches and shores. The characters are often repeats from previous seasons, and the drama is not only boring and unoriginal but stretched out to the point that no one even cares anymore. Where to hide the immunity statue is now a stupid question that ignites no excitement. The show is also one of the few reality shows to not feature audience voting; this would dramatically increase audience excitement about the show. Survivor has already tanked. The show just needs to leave; it’s doing nothing for the network or the audience.

Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy is coming into its 7th season, and it really is two seasons too many. The show originally topped charts and scored millions of viewers because of the interesting, mischievous relationship between Meredith and Derek. The group of interns were close ,and America fell in love with the characters. Over time, however, some of the most beloved doctors have been killed off. Without any drama occurring, the viewers are practically watching the doctors live ordinary lives. The writers are running out of incredible medical mysteries to enthrall the audience, and instead, are focusing on the million rumored pregnancies floating about. Even when Grey’s tries to spice things up with music specials, the end product is awkward and poorly executed. Basically, the show has just been going on far too long. They have lost things to talk about ,and the plot line has been remaining stagnant for the last few seasons. Grey’s Anatomy’s time of death? Hopefully, soon.

These shows, like a few others, have had better days. Even though they may have been chart toppers in the past, it is now time to quit filming and shooting. Let new creative ideas and actors have a chance to shine and entertain society in a new, more rewarding way.

The Voice: What years were you a stewardess for?

MC: I was a stewardess from 1967-1970, so about three years.

The Voice: What was a typical day like as a Pan Am stewardess?

MC: Well, this was forty years ago, so it’s somewhat hard to remember. I was based in San Francisco. You would get your route for the month and then you would arrive at the airport to go on your first flight. You would get your duties for the flight, and then go on the plane. You would be either in the galley or the cabin. Then you would either prepare the food or serve it. When the flight was over, you would get transported to your hotel. When I was flying, we would have a two-day layover at our destination.

The Voice: Why did you decide to become a stewardess?

MC: I was always attracted to being a stewardess. I wanted to come to the United States, and I had been trying to get a visa for a couple of years. I saw that PAN AM was looking for stewardesses in Amsterdam, so I went to the interview. When I got there, I saw three hundred other people. I though, “Oh my gosh, I’ll never make it!” I almost left, but then decided to stay. It ended up working out.

The Voice: What were the requirements for being a stewardess?

MC: You had to be fluent in English and two other languages. Also, they looked at your appearance. You had to be intelligent, and the interview was very involved. PAN AM would go to Europe twice a year for interviews because the girls there knew different languages.

The Voice: Is the show anything like the real PAN AM?

MC: Well, it’s embellished quite a bit. Involvement with the passengers was quite limited in real life. You basically just answered their questions and did your job. The connections with the passengers were never very deep like on the show. I do think they are overdoing some of it with all of the girls having affairs. It never happened to me. With long, international flights, you were pretty worn out when you got to your destination. The PAN AM uniform on the show is actually different. They were not as tailored, the hat was different, and their hair is far too long. Also, all of the glamorous stuff about spies is overdone. What is similar is the duties required on the flight: serving meals, giving blankets, etc.

The Voice: Which character from the show would you say you are most like?

MC: Colette, because she’s not that flirtatious and seems to have a head on her shoulders.

The Voice: Do you have any interesting stories about being a stewardess?

MC: When you fly with crews, sometimes you may remember them and sometimes you may not. When I moved to Napa, we had to buy equipment for our winery. The owner of the tractor company came to drop off our tractor, and I thought he looked very familiar. It turned out that he was the pilot on my crew with PAN AM!

The Voice: What was your favorite part about being a stewardess? What do you miss most?

MC: The best part was getting to travel to foreign countries. One of the most interesting places I traveled to was Vietnam. We flew in the soldiers when they were going to the war. When we flew over Vietnam, you could actually see the battles and fires. It was kind of scary, but we never were attacked. I also enjoyed Japan because of the different, gentler culture, the art and the history. I also liked Rio de Janiero because of the culture and the beaches. The traveling is what I missed most about being a stewardess, but I married someone who loves to travel. We still get to travel, but I don’t have to work. I am the one getting served!

Thanks to the CW and Fox, we can once again follow the scandalous lives of Upper-East Siders, residents of Beverly Hills and New Directions members. What’s next for these seasons to come?

Gossip Girl

We last left the characters of Gossip Girl going into a summer bound to have plenty of surprises. Season Four brought an end to Chuck Bass (Ed Westick) and Blair Waldorf’s (Leighton Meester)’s back-and-forth relationship. Blair finally chose to let go of Chuck, her first love, who decided it was best to let Blair go if he wanted her to truly be happy.

Blair was engaged to Prince Louie (Hugo Becker), trying to fulfill her goal of having a happily ever after story. But before the scene ended, we saw a positive pregnancy test in her trash bin. Can this mean that Blair’s fairytale might be on the road to serious damage? And if she is pregnant, who is the real father? This coming season will bring the answers.

Meanwhile, Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively) headed across the country to LA to take on a summer job of assisting an A-List Hollywood director. Our gorgeous guys, Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford) and Chuck Bass, headed off for a wild trip around the globe.

Back in New York, Daniel Humphrey (Penn Badgley) had enough of Vanessa Abrams (Jessica Szohr) and ended his friendship with his childhood friend, not knowing her plan of publishing a very private story he had written about his life and the lives of his socialite friends.

Season Five will bring a surprise visit to Serena in LA from Chuck and Nate, complications in planning a royal wedding and the consequences of a private story being released. You can also be sure that Serena’s cousin Charlie (Kaylee Defer) will be back to cause more problems in the lives of the Van Der Woodsen family. Starting Monday, September 26 at 8 pm, Gossip Girl returns to bring your favorite kind of drama back into your life.

90210

Season 3 of 90210 ended with the graduation of the close circle of friends from Beverly Hills High. Another celebration took place as Ivy (Gillian Zinser) and Raj Kher (Man

ish Dayal) decided to make the most of Raj’s time left to live (he has Leukemia) and got married. Their cultural wedding was thrown by Naomi Clark (AnnaLynne McCord), who found herself in quite the predicament when her boyfriend Max Miller (Manish Dayal) broke up with her, which caused her to have to break the news to him that she was pregnant. Whether you wished to believe this news or not, you’ll have to wait and see what this new season brings for Naomi and her future.

Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes) and Liam Court (Matt Lanter) parted ways, as Liam took a fishing job rather than going off to college like Annie. Adrianna Tate-Duncan (Jessica Lowndes) found herself in an almost suicidal state after being rejected by her group of friends for pulling an unforgivable scheme to break up Silver (Jessica Stroup) and Navid Shirazi (Michael Steger)’s relationship.

Season 4 will kick off with the lives of these characters and their post-high school plans. Whether it’s heading off to college or starting their careers early, they will struggle to keep their friendships within the circle strong, as relationships will b

tested, and scandals are bound to arise. Don’t miss the season premiere, Tuesday, September 13 at 8 p.m.

Glee

The last time we left our favorite high school glee club, New Directions had taken a trip to New York to participate in Nationals. As they sang through Times Square, and faced the drama of coming up with new songs to sing at the competition, their teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) faced the big decision of leaving his glee club to start a career on Broadway, or to continue teaching at McKinley High School and running New Directions.

Finn (Cory Monteith) took a chance and asked Rachel (Lea Michele) out again, but Rachel turned him down, realizing that she needed to put her dreams of a singing career first before the complications of a relationship with Finn. However, they did end up kissing in the middle of the final song they perform at Nationals.

Sadly, New Directions did not end up making the Final Top Ten at Nationals. Discouraged but happy for the friendships and relationships they made through Glee club, New Directions planned on trying at Nationals again next year.

New relationships formed, but will they last? Besides Finn and Rachel, there was a new secret romance stirring between Mercedes (Amber Riley) and Sam (Chord Overstreet). Will Brittany (Heather Morris) and Santana (Naya Rivera) ever get together? And now that Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) have said the “L word,”what’s next for them? Watch the season premiere on Wednesday, September 21 at 8 pm.

The Glee Project is a show that has been looking for new characters to bring on to the show for the season to come. The winners include Damian McGinty, Samuel Larsen, Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell, so be sure to look for them in their recurring roles as the season begins again.

So, yes, school has started, but don’t worry because soon your favorite shows will be right there recorded on your TV and waiting for you to finish that dreaded essay, hop on your comfy couch and let your mind slip away from all the stress of your own crazy lives to someone else’s.

In all honesty, the first few episodes of Drew Carey’s new show failed to impress. Too many song games were played, some of the key Whose Line cast members were absent, and Charlie Sheen even came on the second episode to completely derail one of their games. Some of the new performers also fell flat, and in general, Improv-a-Ganza couldn’t hold a candle to Whose Line is it Anyway?

But as the season progressed, the comedy grew. The shows where Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood were present, as well as those with Wayne Brady, received a much-needed boost from these veteran improv comics. They also started incorporating games such as “Sentences” (formerly the titular “Whose Line”) and “Question This” (a game renamed to keep the show out of legal Jeopardy!), which add an element of randomness from the audience suggestions that helps create hilarity.

New games such as “Playbook” and “Two-Headed Expert” also contribute to the fun. In “Playbook,” one cast member is given a randomly-selected play to read from, while the other must improvise his or her lines in the scene—leading to numerous misunderstandings. In “Two-Headed Expert,” two people play the role of the expert and must talk in unison, while two others play the role of the other person and must alternate words. This leads to wacky scenes such as a Spanish tour guide named Jorge tricking a tourist at the Eiffel Tower.

However, there’s still something missing. The beloved “Scenes from a Hat,” a staple from the original show, has yet to make an appearance on Improv-a-Ganza. As the game consisted of audience-suggested scenes being acted out in a variety-style format by the performers, it had the potential to amuse people from all different areas and backgrounds. Seeing as how they’ve had the audience write lines for “Sentences,” it seems possible to have them write suggestions for scenes as well, so hopefully this game will show up in later episodes.

Also, in his few appearances, fan-favorite Mochrie had very little interaction with Ryan Stiles. As any Whose Line is it Anyway? fan knows, the partnership shared by the two is rife with comedic potential. Their lack of games together, especially compared with the sheer number they shared on the original show, is baffling. Even during games of “Greatest Hits,” where they are chosen to be TV pitchmen for a compilation album, they are only given a short amount of time for banter because only one song is played.

Improv-a-Ganza is a promising show. It fails to live up to the legacy of its predecessor, but it has merit as an amusing improv comedy show. So if you’re looking for something to watch on a weeknight, tune in to GSN at 8 p.m. or 11 p.m. for a laugh.

As a kid of the 90s, these lyrics probably bring back some childhood memories of Ash Ketchum and his Pokémon adventures.  From battling gym leaders to thwarting Team Rocket, Ash has led a life full of near-death experiences and precarious situations, and when you keep in mind the fact that he’s only ten years old, he’s actually quite impressive.

Wait.  Rewind.  He’s only ten?  And his mother lets him leave the house all by himself to hang out with dangerous and wild Pokémon, just like that?  Sounds pretty strange when you think about it.  And a few other things – does he ever even age?  Why do all the Officer Jenny’s and Nurse Joy’s all look identical?

As you can see, these questions point out some major flaws in Pokémon, but are they really flaws or are they works of Pokemon creator Satoshi Tajiri’s genius?  Though the issues of Ash’s age, among other things, may seem like a fault, a theory dubbed as “The Comatose Theory” defends these flaws and describes them as all part of a dream.

During the very first Pokemon episode, Ask Ketchum is hit by lightning while riding a bike and soon after is checked into a hospital.  And here is where the theory begins.  According to the Comatose Theory, Ash Ketchum never woke up from his accident and has since remained in a coma.  Everything that occurred during the show is all a dream and all of his adventures never actually happened.

This is why Ash Ketchum never truly becomes a Pokemon master because if he had become a master, he would have nothing left to dream for.  Instead, this ambition served as his mental escape while he lay comatose in a hospital bed.  This theory also explains why Ash never really grows up, and because it is a dream world, the Pokémon society operates in a way that is very much like a utopic, socialistic world.

This is why the government operates in a smooth fashion and why he never has to pay the nurses to heal his Pokemon. In his ideal world, everyone works together and helps each other, and Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, both of whom look completely identical no matter where he travels, are always there to get him out of trouble.  Throughout the show, they act as his anchor and help to make him feel safe.

Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, however, are not the only characters that represent Ash’s mental and emotional needs as each of the show’s characters symbolize a different part of his psyche.  Jesse and James of Team Rocket signify Ash’s “bad side,” a side that he is not too proud of and a side he has not fully accepted.  But, because Ash is still young and rather naive, Team Rocket can be a bit silly at times.  Ash’s youth also explains why Team Rocket wears white, as opposed to black like the Rockets, because white symbolizes purity and innocence.

If you’ve ever wondered why Meowth is the only one of his kind with the ability of speech, this is because Meowth is meant to guide Ash into accepting his sadistic side, embodied by Team Rocket,  as an inevitable part of himself.

Ash’s friend Brock represents Ash’s sexuality, which becomes more and more prevalent as Ash matures.  Because Ash fell into a coma as a child, he later goes into puberty.  With this puberty and maturity come growing sexual frustrations, so girl-crazy Brock’s attempts at finding love are never ever successful.  This is where Misty, who represents Ash’s image of a girl, comes in.

Aside from humans, the Pokémon of Ash’s world also represent aspects of Ash’s mind, as well as aspects of their trainers.  Ash’s sidekick and best friend Pikachu is Ash’s humanity, which is why they are so attached to each other.  This also explains why Team Rocket is always so eager to steal Pikachu.  As his more negative side, they wish to take away his humanity and corrupt him completely.

Aside from Pikachu, other Pokemon such as Bulbasaur, Butterfree and more embody Ash’s emotions.  Bulbasaur, for example, is Ash’s unwillingness to change as he gets older as demonstrated by Bulbasaur’s initial refusal to evolve during the show.  Because Ash is becoming lonely in his dream state, Butterfree’s sadness about being by himself with no mate is Ash’s own solitude.

Again, the Comatose Theory is really just a theory and no one truly knows whether or not this was the creator’s intent or not.  Whether or not you choose to believe it is entirely up to you, but once you take a closer look at the show, you can’t help but say, “Comatose theory, I choose (to believe) you!”

US Skins takes from the UK the characters of  Chris, Tony, and Michelle. Though the pilot episode of MTV Skins was incredibly similar in storyline to the pilot episode of the UK Skins, a few name changes as well as additions are seen in characters Stanley, Tea, Abbud, Daisy, Cadie, and Eura.

As they embark upon the tribulations that come with all relationships and friendships with the accompaniment of illegal substances and cheating boyfriends, the characters are relateable to teenagers in their various story lines and personal issues. Yet, unlike most popular teen shows, the actors and actresses are actually teens ranging from ages 15 to 19, compared to the twenty-something year-olds of shows such as Gossip Girl.
A recent episode of Skins focuses on Chris, a fun loving and mischievous character as his mother leaves him an envelope filled with cash and a note explaining she’d be back in a few days. Tony convinces Chris to throw a party which consequently trashes the house and leaves him with no money. Not only does this episode exhibit drug usage as well as Chris’s inappropriate crush on his high school teacher, it also reveals a deeper issue of abandonment.

Due to the youthful cast and audience, various companies have pulled their ads from the MTV show including; Wrigley, H&R Block, General Motors, and Taco Bell to avoid association with the risqué episodes that have occasionally been accused of child pornography.

While MTV’s Skins has been given an overall negative reputation, Junior Madeleine Bernstein says, “The one thing that sets Skins apart from most predictable teen shows these days is its bluntness and real feeling. Nothing is a fairy tale in Skins and nothing is fake or sugar coated. Everything is simply over exaggerated to emphasize the troubles and drama of today’s teenage generation.”

Sophomore Sarah Borrelli, points out that although teenagers do partake in the various activities portrayed in Skins such as drugs, alcohol consumption, partying, and sexual experimentation, they don’t do these things every day and not nearly as consistently as on the show. Furthermore, Borrelli states, “Shows need to start advertising good teenagers because it’s making our generation look like a wreck.”

Other Presentation students express their disgust for MTV’s Skins solely due to the lack of originality and charm that cannot measure up to the UK Skins. Senior Alexandra Zussman said, “The MTV version of Skins doesn’t even compare to the original UK version. There are no attractive British accents and the acting is horrible. I give the MTV version a big thumbs down.”
Whether you love it, hate it, watch it purely for a good laugh or for its definite shock value, Skins is– for now— here to stay. Much of the subject matter is exaggerated to an extreme yet reveals an unwanted glimpse into the lives of our youth.

This has been the definition of the word “own” for as long as it has been in the dictionary. However, beginning on Jan. 1, 2011, the definition of “own” changed. Now OWN is defined as the Oprah Winfrey Network.

For the last 25 years, Oprah has entered the hearts and homes of millions of viewers each day through The Oprah Show. She has also spoken to fans through O Magazine. But after this silver season of the Oprah show has finished, she will be taking the reins of the already-running Oprah Winfrey Network.

In an interview done with Susan Casey, the editor in chief of O Magazine, Oprah explains that she wrote about the idea of OWN in her journal back in 1992. She comments that in television today, “there’s no mindfulness there anymore. You used to be able to watch shows and come away with something.” This is the goal of OWN, to host meaningful shows about “living your best life.”

OWN took the place of the Discovery Health channel and features many new shows as well as a few original Discovery Health shows. Shows originally aired on Discovery Health include Mystery Diagnosis and Deliver Me. Promising original shows include Your OWN Show, Oprah’s All Stars, The Gayle King Show, Enough Already! with Peter Walsh and others. Lists and explanations of all the new shows can be found on the OWN website.

According to Entertainment Weekly, OWN premiered on Saturday with 1 million prime-time viewers. However, Sunday ratings dropped to 822,000 and an even lower 340,000 on Monday. Nevertheless, it’s relatively normal for ratings to drop after viewers’ initial curiosity is fulfilled. With these ratings, OWN is still competitive with other networks, such as Lifetime, who are targeting the same audience.

However, it may be the case that viewers only want Oprah herself, not necessarily Oprah’s network. After watching The Oprah Show every day for 25 years, loyal fans may feel unsettled by not seeing Oprah’s face in their living rooms anymore. This brings up the question of whether or not the network will succeed. Without Oprah herself consistently on screen, like during her show, many people may become disinterested.

Ms. Rosenthal, a science teacher at Pres, has been an Oprah fan for the last 20 years. She told The Voice, “I remember watching Oprah with my mom when I was a kid.  I am sad that her show is ending. I felt like her show was good TV and usually found myself intrigued or smiling about something on the show.”

Regarding OWN, she told us that she is enjoying Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes, which takes viewers backstage to understand how Oprah’s fascinating show is produced. With OWN only in its early stages on air, Ms. Rosenthal says, “I feel like right now the network is limited in the number of shows that it has, so whenever I turn it on, it seems like there are re-runs.”

Our “OWN” Ms. Livingston, sophomore class moderator,  told The Voice, “I think that all good things must come to an  end, so it is only inevitable that she end her show.  At times she had great topics and really introduced new ideas to the world, but then there were times she was a little gimmicky and over the top.”

Although it seems unreal, countless sad viewers are attempting to enjoy the last season of The Oprah Show. While fans may not be seeing her on a daily basis, they will still be able to experience her message of living life to the fullest through OWN.

But this fall’s crop of shows has not delivered. Among the MANY new shows appearing on popular channels like NBC and ABC, three are already being cancelled. What about them makes them so unappealing?

My Generation

“My Generation” is an ABC mockumentary about a group of graduating high school students from Greenbelt High School in Austin, Texas in 2010. This group includes a variety of stereotypical high school students: the overachiever, the brain, the jock, the punk, the beauty queen, the rich kid, the nerd, the rock star and the wallflower.

After many significant events in the United States, like the Enron scandal and the September 11 attacks, they all grow up to be completely different. For example, the former overachiever is now a bartender, and the nerd is a fourth-grade teacher. The show stars not-so-well-known actors like Michael Stahl-David (“The Black Donnellys”), and Kelli Garner (“Lars and the Real Girl”) and is created and written by Noah Hawley (“The Unusuals,” “Bones”). Despite its potential to be interesting, this show has been cancelled after only two episodes as a result of its poor ratings. Why doesn’t this show appeal to us Presentation girls? After all, we, like all other high school students, have aspirations and dreams that may or may not be fulfilled in the future due to unforeseen circumstances. It could be because this show is on an inconvenient day of the week, Thursday, on the same day as many other popular shows such as “Big Bang Theory,” “Vampire Diaries,” and “The Office.” Procrastinated A-Day homework clearly has more of a priority than “My Generation.”

Lone Star

Fox’s “Lone Star” is about Robert Allen (played by James Wolk), a man leading two separate lives. He lives as Bob in Houston, Texas with his wife Cat and as a worker for his father-in-law. In Midland, he is Robert, a man living with his girlfriend Lindsey. Robert/Bob is a conman, pressured by his father to take over a multimillion dollar corporation, using everyone in his life as pawns. He tries to prevent the woman in one life from finding out about the other and simultaneously tries to decide which one he loves more.

Adrianne Palicki (“Friday Night Lights”) plays Cat and Eloise Mumford portrays Lindsey. Although predicted to be a huge hit, the show drew a minimal number of viewers and was consequently cancelled after its second episode. This show may not appeal to Pres girls because it isn’t really relatable. The main character is a guy who basically exploits the women in his life for his own material and emotional pursuits. That doesn’t exactly scream feminist Catholic school, does it?

Outlaw

In THIS NBC show, Jimmy Smits plays a Supreme Court Justice, Cyrus Garza, who leaves his job to form his own law firm. He’s a playboy and a compulsive gambler, but a strong conservative and an adherent follower of the Constitution. Garza comes to realize that the government that he had such unwavering faith in has many blemishes that he had previously not seen. Using his inside knowledge of the justice system, he solves prominent legal cases while making many powerful enemies.

Critics gave the show a low 36/100 and it is considered to be for “fans of melodramatic legal shows only.” As if we don’t have enough of those already. Pres girls are already committed to watching crime and legal shows such as “Bones” and “Law and Order.” The sophisticated courtroom lingo makes it seem like we’re attending an extra Civics class. “Outlaw” will probably not be missed after its cancellation.

No worries; most of the shows we all have grown to love are not going anywhere. Popular new shows like “Hellcats” and “Nikita” are here to stay for a while. Read the accompanying article about the new winter shows as well, like “The Conan Show” and “Glory Daze.” They sound more promising, anyways.

Returning Shows

Psych:

The original fake-psychic-detective show, Psych is noted for its fast-paced and clever humor. The show stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, the head psychic consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department. Along with his best friend Gus (The West Wing’s Dulé Hill), Shawn solves crimes, causes trouble, and just generally goofs off, irritating Head Detective Carlton “Lassie” Lassiter (Tim Omundson). What truly makes Psych unique is the witty banter Roday and Hill generate episode after episode, as well as the plethora of references to the ‘80s that the writers manage to sneak in each season.

When we last left off at the summer mid-season finale, the eternal “will-they-won’t-they” couple (à la Booth and Bones of Bones fame), Shawn and Detective Juliet O’Hara (played by Roday’s real-life girlfriend, Maggie Lawson), had shared a passionate kiss—right before Juliet left on a trip with her boyfriend, the rich Declan Rand. Now that Shawn has broken up with his girlfriend, who stood in the way of the Shawn-Juliet relationship the last two seasons, it looks like they might finally get together…but who knows? Plus, the writers have promised to close the arc from the past two season finales and reveal the identity of the dangerous Mr. Yang, so stay tuned to see what happens next!

The second half of season five will commence with “Extradition II: The Actual Extradition Part” on Nov. 10 at 10 p.m.

Burn Notice:

“When you’re burned, you’ve got nothing. No cash, no credit, no job history. You’re stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in.”

So says Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), the star of USA network’s Burn Notice. Michael is an ex-spy who was “burned,” or terminated, because someone accused him of being unreliable. Stuck in Miami, Florida, with no money or means out, he is forced to take on a series of odd jobs as a private investigator in order to live and find the person who ruined his life. The wily Michael is not alone; he often receives help from his pal Sam, his ex-girlfriend Fiona and his mother, Madeline. One of the hallmarks of the show is that, throughout the series, Michael narrates events and even gives out tips to fellow spies.

Last time we saw Michael, he was lying on the ground, bleeding. After putting aside his animosity towards an attorney in order to rescue his daughter, Michael was involved in a shootout between his team and Barrett’s, a man who desired a Bible in Michael’s possession in order to take down a secret organization within the government. Jesse Porter (Coby Bell), the former spy whom Michael had accidentally burned, shot Michael in the shoulder in order to save him by hitting Michael’s captor with the same bullet. Bleeding but alive, Michael was driven off by Barrett and found himself with no choice but to crash their car. Although Michael will likely live through his most recent scrapes, the question still remains: what happened to the precious Bible?

Season four of Burn Notice will return with “Eyes Open” on Nov. 11 at 10 p.m.

Human Target:

Human Target, the show based off of a popular comic book by DC Comics, chronicles the story of personal security expert Christopher Chance (Mark Valley). Chance is hired to protect clients by putting his own life on the line—he acts as the titular “human target” in order to save others, in order to make up for his past as an assassin under the command of “The Old Man,” a ruthless and antagonistic man who heads an organization of mercenaries. Chance completes his missions with the help of his partner, Winston (Chi McBride), and their worker and underworld contact, Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley).

Last season’s finale found Chance, Winston and Guerrero recounting how the Katherine Walters case brought the three of them together. The clients who wanted her dead have found the three of them in the present day, searching for a valuable item that had been lost. Chance is able to overpower his guards and escape, but is nearly caught until an unlikely ally saves him—and the two must team up in order to rescue the kidnapped Winston and locate the missing item.

Season two will premiere with “Ilsa Pucci”on Nov. 17 at 8 p.m.

New Shows

Conan:

After conflicts with NBC caused the early demise of The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, Conan returns to TV with a new talk show on TBS. Because his agreement with NBC stipulated that he could not return to television until September, Conan bided his time with The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny Tour. However, now that his agreement with NBC is complete, he is free to return to late-night TV. Simply titled Conan, the show has been vigorously drumming up support for Team Coco—the Tom-Hanks-inspired nickname used to refer to Conan’s loyal fanbase—with numerous advertisements, a viral Twitter and Facebook campaign and even a blimp.

Conan will be joined in his new show by sidekick Andy Richter and the newly-dubbed Jimmy Vivino And The Basic Cable Band, as well as by many of his writers from his previous programs. Guests planned for the first episode to include longtime Conan fan Tom Hanks as well as Julie Bowen, Jon Hamm, Seth Rogen and The White Stripes’ Jack White.

Conan will premiere on Nov. 8 at 11 p.m.

Glory Daze:

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and enjoy the ‘80s? TBS’s new comedy, Glory Daze, offers the chance to do just that.

Glory Daze focuses on the high jinks of a group of college freshmen pledging a fraternity in the ‘80s. Starring Tim Meadows (Saturday Night Live) and Michael LeSieur, the show promises to take a fun, fresh look at college life in the 1980s. The four main characters, played by Drew Seeley, Matt Bush, Hartley Sawyer and Kelly Blatz, are freshmen finding their way at Hayes University in Indiana. They must adjust to being on their own for the first time as well as be prepared for what lies ahead.

Glory Daze premiers on Nov. 16 at 10 p.m.

Hosted by Chelsea Handler of E!’s “Chelsea Lately” at the Nokia Theater, the awards show featured performances by Deadmau5, Eminem, Rihanna, Travie McCoy, Justin Bieber, B.O.B, Bruno Mars, Paramore, Drake, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Florence + the Machine, Linkin Park and more. Over 11.4 million viewers tuned in, the largest audience for a VMA show since 2002.

Taylor Swift and Kanye West were the anticipated performances of the night, as people expected to hear their response to Kanye’s offensive interruption of Swift’s acceptance speech last year.

Swift’s song, “Innocent” was about forgiveness, saying, “32 and still growing up/Who you are is not what you did/You’re still innocent… Everyone of us has messed up too/Lives change like the weather/ I hope you remember.”

West’s “Runaway,” despite what people had expected, was not directed to Taylor. Instead it was a call out in general to his failed relationships with women, advising them to “runaway as fast as you can.” Response to the song from the public has been generally positive.

Additional guests included the Jackass crew, promoting their new movie Jackass 3D, as well as the cast of the Jersey Shore. Lady Gaga made headlines with her guests of honor, men and women of the armed services, who had been discharged from service due to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. She requested viewers to join her in support to repeal the amendment.

Lady Gaga took home eight out of the thirteen awards she was nominated for (a VMA record), and announced the title of her forthcoming album “Born this Way”, as she accepted her Video of the Year award at the end of the night.

The winners were as follows:

Video of the Year: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Best New Artist: Justin Bieber

Best Hip-Hop Video: Eminem, “Not Afraid”

Best Pop Video: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Best Male Video: Eminem, “Not Afraid”

Best Rock Video: 30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”

Best Female Video: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Best Collaboration: Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, “Telephone”

Best Dance Music Video: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”

Best Art Direction: Florence + The Machine, “Dog Days are Over” Art Direction by Louise Corcoran and Aldene Johnson

Best Choreography: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”, Choreographed by Laurieann Gibson

Best Cinematography: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”, Cinematography by John Perez

Best Direction: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance, Directed by Francis Lawrence

Best Editing: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance, Edited by Jarrett Fijal

Best Special Effects: Muse, “Uprising”, Special Effects by Humble

Best Breakthrough Video: The Black Keys, “Tighten Up”