shows i watch.

Synopsis: Arrow focuses on Oliver Queen, a man who was stranded on an obscure Chinese island for five years following a shipwreck. When he's recovered and brought home, he's grown from an immature playboy to a lethal killing machine. Before his father's death at sea, his father told him to clean up the city they came from, because it had become extremely corrupt. So Oliver sets out to do that as "The Hood," using martial arts and archery as his weapons of justice. Overall, the story is a total Batman knockoff. Billionaire playboy goes to a remote Asian location and returns a master martial artist determined to clean up a corrupt city, complete with a technical genius in his father's company and hired help turned sidekick. But if you ignore all that, it's a pretty good show.
Favorite character: My favorite is probably Oliver just because he's incredibly hot -- not even going to try and hide it.
Lease favorite character: I find Helena to be pretty irritating. The shit she pulled where she threw a tantrum over Oliver supposedly still having feelings for someone else, and getting mad at him for 'making' her have dinner with the other girl even though it'd been her idea, really irked me.

Synopsis: This show is a little different than your average one. Each season focuses on a new location and new story, though some actors repeat (as different characters). As the title suggests, the show is about a horror story, some kind of haunting.
Favorite character: For season one, my favorite character was probably Tate, with Hayden as a close second. Tate was just very complex, and though he'd done a lot of horrible things, you couldn't help sympathizing with him. And Hayden, despite being a crazy-ass bitch, was a very fun kind of evil once she was dead.
Lease favorite character: There was nobody in season one that I really hated. If I had to choose, I'd probably say Larry, though I have no great reason why.

Synopsis: Set in the prohibition era, Boardwalk focuses mainly on Atlantic City, with a few scenes in other major cities. It follows the lives of a few major bootleggers and everyone around them.
Favorite character: Owen Slater. He's hot, mysterious, skilled, and a total badass.
Lease favorite character: Nelson Van Alden. Barely had to think about it. He was just so frustratingly... blah. He's the kind of person I'd like to punch. And so far, his character seems to be pointless in season three.

Synopsis: Elementary is a modern take on a classic tale. Jonny Lee Miller is a fantastic new Sherlock Holmes, and Lucy Liu is his trusty, and interestingly female, sidekick Watson. Together they solve crimes in New York, assisting the police in their high profile investigations.
Favorite character: Sherlock. No doubt about it. He's very well played and I love his quirks and personality.
Lease favorite character: None so far.

Synopsis: Focuses on the wacky adventures of the Griffin family in their little Rhode Island town. It's a cartoon, but not for kids. The humor is crude but hilarious. It's not the kind of series where you need to see all the previous episodes in order to understand the one you're watching.
Favorite character: Stewie! Especially when he's with Brian. Those two are friggin' hilarious. Though Stewie was more fun when he was more diabolical.
Lease favorite character: I don't think I have one, actually.

Synopsis: Seven families compete over the throne of a mythical land. Lots of deceit, sex, and blood. It's truly an amazing show.
Favorite character: Daenerys. Gotta love self-made women that can kick ass. She's determined, a good leader, and she has DRAGONS. Awesome.
Lease favorite character: Joffrey. I'm pretty sure most watchers would agree. He's cruel, immature, sadistic to the extreme, and there's no way in hell he should be on that throne.

Synopsis: This show follows Nick Burkhardt, who is a Grimm -- meaning he can see the creatures that normal people can't. He can see creatures, who always appear human to most, when they get emotional and show their true form. He's a cop, and often has to find ways to make it work with his Grimm status.
Favorite character: Monroe, because his sense of humor is awesome. Plus he's more or less a werewolf which is pretty cool, too.
Lease favorite character: I don't think I have a least favorite, interestingly.

Synopsis: This show is about Jess, who moves into an apartment with three guys, and craziness ensues.
Favorite character: Schmidt. He's spazzy and OCD and hilarious. I also really like Nick, because I think he and Jess work really well together.
Lease favorite character: There's really nobody hate-able in this show, so nobody.

Synopsis: Once upon a time, there was a completely different world, filled with all the fairytale folks we love and know. And then Snow White's evil ho of a stepmother decided to get all selfish and send the entire world to OUR world, where there is no magic. Time didn't pass in the 20+ years that the curse was in place, meaning that nobody aged or remembered how much time passed, and nobody was aware of who'd they had been in the magical world. Then came Emma, the daughter of Snow White and her prince, who had been sent to our world before the curse was fully in place, to one day save the fairytale world. The series starts with Emma arriving in town.
Favorite character: The Mad Hatter! He's one of the few that were aware of the curse while it was in place. Though Rumpelstiltskin is a close second, because he's crafty and complex, with the sadly deceased Sheriff Graham in third.
Lease favorite character: Regina aka the Evil Queen, for aforementioned reasons.

Synopsis: The first documentary show to make it onto the list! This is an animal planet show that follows angler Jeremy Wade as he travels around the world in search of 'river monsters,' which are giant fish and other fresh-water beasts that haunt various lakes and rivers. He meets up with locals, researches legends and incidents involving injuries and deaths, and then sets out to find the culprits behind the tales. This show is my version of a horror movie -- I watch it when I want to feel a little bit of feel. I have a pretty strong fear of deep water, so watching a show about the creepy things lurking in various bodies of water is a sure way to set me on edge. But it's also pretty fascinating to watch. Not always the most action packed show despite the theme, but it's still fun.

Synopsis: Set in ancient Rome, and follows the rise of Spartacus, a Thracian turned slave turned gladiator turned fugitive. He leads an army of rebellious gladiators and former slaves against all of Rome. A lot of people probably know about how the original actor for Spartacus passed away from cancer before he could complete the series, and he was replaced, as was Naevia, the lover of Crixus. With all the replacements, I personally found the newer seasons less enjoyable. But it's still all kinds of sexual, gory fun for the most part, and the last season is going to air this coming January.
Favorite character: I think I'll go with Gannicus, because he's skilled and awesome and really effing hot. I also like Crixus for the same reasons, but Mira and Lucretia are tied for a close third, because they were both powerful, if also a bit batshit crazy.
Lease favorite character: I think I'll say Ashur for this one, since he's was a sniveling, self-serving jackass. He deserved what he got.

Synopsis: This is one of the newer shows I've picked up, and it's one of the shows I watch during summer, along with Teen Wolf and True Blood. It's about Mike, a guy with photographic memory who uses his skills to pretend to be a lawyer. Only a few people know, and most people don't suspect because Mike is pretty good at what he does. The show follows him and the firm he works at, Pearson & Hardman.
Favorite character: Donna and Harvey have a tie for this, especially since they work so amazingly together. Donna has the most hilarious sense of dry humor, and Harvey is all swag and sleek style.
Lease favorite character: Another tie, between Trevor the self-serving ex-BFF of Mike and the notorious Daniel Hardman who is the "villain" of season two.

Synopsis: Another new show for me, and another summer show. I used to be under the impression that ALL of MTV's shows were obnoxious trash, but I think I found one of the few gems. Teen Wolf is -- you guessed it -- about teenagers and werewolves. Specifically, a werewolf named Scott, and the ups and downs he faces in his new wolfhood.
Favorite character: A tie between Stiles, who is Scott's crazy funny best friend, and Peter, the suave and talented villain of season one. Peter is effortlessly funny, and I think he's over being the villain, or at least seemed to be in season two.
Lease favorite character: Gerard was the villain of season two, and was a total jackass. His daughter Kate was also quite loath-able. They belong to the Argent family, a family of werewolf hunters, and they also happen to be the family Scott's love is from. How Romeo & Juliet of them.

Synopsis: Four science geeks + one random hot girl = lots of fun. This is the most hilarious show on this list. Constant laughs. Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard all work together, and Penny lives across from Leonoard and Sheldon. Amy and Bernadette are also fun additions to the show.
Favorite character: Sheldon is above and beyond amazing, though I also love Leonard because... well, because he's lovable. I always find myself pitying him when things don't work out in his love life, especially since I'd totally date him (not ashamed to admit it).
Lease favorite character: None.

Synopsis: In the pilot episode, a convicted serial killer escapes to finish some projects he didn't get the chance to. After being recaptured, he reveals the game is not over that easily. Before his time in prison, and during it thanks to a guard-turned-accomplice, he built a cult of followers who worship the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Now, even though he's back behind bars, the serial killer is causing havoc as his games continue to play out. And up against him is the man responsible for putting him in prison both times -- Kevin Bacon's character, Ryan Hardy. He's the reluctant hero to Joe Carroll's twisted villain.
Favorite character: It's too soon to say. But so far, the show is really well casted.
Lease favorite character: Too soon to say.

Synopsis: This is the newest show I've begun to watch. It begins about two years in the past and works it's way forward, as we watch a news station work around and relay the information of some key events we all recognize from recent past. We get to know the staff behind the scenes and see them handle major stories as well as drama amongst each other. Warning: it's heavy on American politics.
Favorite character: I really like a lot of the characters in the show, and I'm not sure I'm as passionate about my favorite here as I am with some of the other shows I listed. But I'm going to go with Jim as my favorite because he's funny, though also very talented and sometimes awkward.
Lease favorite character: Nina Howard. You don't see her much, but she's obnoxious as hell. She's a gossip columnist, and writes about trash.

Synopsis: Apocalypse is the new 'in' theme right now, with December 2012 practically on our doorstep. I find satisfaction in knowing that if we DO have an apocalypse of some sort in the future, that we've all been thoroughly prepared by TV, movies, and books to handle any situation the world tosses at us. Bring it on, zombies. The Walking Dead is set in the near future, after most of the world's population has become the (gross and rotting) undead.
Favorite character: Daryl. No competition for him -- he's way ahead as my favorite. I can't even put into words why I like him so much, but I'm always rooting for him. Maybe because his crossbow is so badass.
Lease favorite character: Andrea. She's a selfish, whiny bitch. It's sad that she lost her sister -- but in their world, EVERYONE has lost someone that mattered to them. So there's no excuse for her behavior. Shane might be a tie, or at least a close second. He's gone now though, so that might bump Andrea to first officially. He was just... beyond words. But let's stick with 'loathsome' for now.

Synopsis: True Blood is set in the near future, after vampires have "come out of the coffin." In other words, now the whole world knows they exist. A synthetic blood ("TruBlood") is being manufactured that vampires can live of, and the vampire's place in the world is very political, with them fighting to "mainstream," or basically blend in with humans. Vampires aren't the only supernatural species out there, as the main character, Sookie, comes to find out. They're just the only ones who are known to humans. Sookie is a not-so-average southern girl who deals with daily (or nightly, if you will) drama with vampires and various other creatures.
Favorite character: ERIC ERIC ERIC. He's about a thousand years old and is above and beyond sexy. He's also very complex, and watching him evolve through the show is fascinating. And am I the only one thinking of how fabulous he must be in bed after a millennium of practice?
Lease favorite character: I think Tara is my least favorite for now. She's a major whiner. No doubt she's been through a lot, but she's hardly the only one. And the attitude she pulled with Sookie at the beginning of this most recent season was ridiculous. Sookie's solution to saving Tara might not have been totally ideal, but it was the only option -- and it's still effing SAVING her.

Synopsis: Glee focuses on a high school in Lima, Ohio, and more specifically on a glee club in that school. The club is a competitive choir, and the students go to various competitions in hopes of making it to nationals each year. Glee has a habit on focusing on very controversial and serious issues such as sexuality, bullying, and teen pregnancy.
Favorite character: I don't know if I have just one favorite character in Glee. I like Rachel despite her being obnoxious at times, and I also like Puck and Quinn. And of course there's always the awesome Sue Sylvester.
Lease favorite character: I'm going to have to go with Finn. There's a lot of things he did that were super selfish and frustrating. He's totally a hypocrite, too.

Synopsis: Set 15 years in the future, after the world experienced a blackout. Technology is useless in this dystopian world, and it's ruled by various generals and their militia. I've only watched one episode so far at the time of writing this, so I haven't been able to decide who I like or dislike for characters.
Favorite character (so far): So far I like Miles best. He's a very skilled fighter and he seems to have an interesting, mysterious past. I'm also really glad Mark Pellegrino is in it, because he's a fantastic actor; his character isn't named on Listal or IMDb, but I already really like him.
Least character (so far): Actually... so far Charlie is my least favorite. Which is unfortunate since she's the main protagonist. She's just very whiny and obnoxiously stubborn, and her ability to ignore orders and get everyone into trouble is frustrating.

Synopsis: Riley Parks is a now single mother who is forced to get desperate in her job search, and ends up getting employment at a massage spa a few towns over. The catch? The spa has a secret list of clients who get a little something 'extra' during their massages. The show isn't nearly as steamy as it sounds; despite the premise, and with the exception of a few shots of Jennifer in hot lingerie, there's nothing really explicit about the show. Don't watch if you're looking for super steamy sex scenes.
Favorite character: I'd say Georgia is my favorite. Gotta love a female pimp who's also caring and generous and doesn't take shit from anyone.
Lease favorite character: Selina, just because she has a horrible attitude and is unnecessarily rude.