TV Heartbeat! Farewell Downton Abbey! Bates Motel Is Back! Health Check For Agent Carter! Of Kings and Prophets!

While we still have a few more weeks until spring, TV seems to be transitioning this week with quite a few premieres and finales (some forever)!

The day PBS has dreaded has arrived – it’s the final episode of Downton Abbey. The show hasn’t been as strong as the first couple of season, but this one was worth it (even through all the annoying shrill Daisy moments) just to hear Lady Edith call Mary a bitch to her face. Bravo! Let’s see how they wrap up the series as several cast members return for the final farewell.

After 14 seasons, the Mythbusters are packing up shop with their series finale! Meanwhile, Suits and American Crime finish off their seasons. No word yet on plans for American Crime which are more about the prestige value than ratings.

House of Cards is back to provide a prime example of megalomaniac presidential leadership gone wrong.

ABC is returning to its regularly scheduled program with the return of Once Upon A Time and Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. There will be some shuffling on Tuesday when The Real O’Neals joins the line up.

Bates Motel, I am Cait, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Man Seeking Women are all back for a new season.

ABC is debuting its new drama, The Family on Thursday before it heads to its normal timeslot on Sundays. Mayor Claire Warren (Joan Allen) is considering a run for governor when she learns her son wasn’t kidnapped and murdered 10 years ago. This revelation cracks the veneer on their seemingly-perfect family life and her political career. The cast includes Rupert Graves (Sherlock) as her husband, Andrew McCarthy as the wrongfully convicted murderer and Alison Pill as her daughter/political advisor.

ABC’s Of Kings and Prophets is pitched as a biblical Game of Thrones. (What isn’t being pitched as Game of Thrones these days?) ABC is swinging hard with this big budget adaption of Saul’s efforts to unite the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Look for Ray Winstone as King Saul, Olly Rix as David and Mohammad Bakri as Samuel.

On the opposite side, A&E has a new series based on the movie The Omen. Produced by Carlton Cuse (Lost, Colony) and developed by Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead), Damien (Merlin’s Bradley James) is now a 30 year-old who’s forgotten about his Satanic past. But not for long. The cast includes Barbara Hershey, Megalyn Echikunwoke and Scott Wilson.

Tonight: The Real O’Neals preview (ABC), Suits season finale (USA), Gaycation debut (Viceland)
Thursday: The Family preview (ABC)
Friday: House of Cards season premiere (Netflix)
Saturday: Mythbusters series finale (Discovery)
Sunday: Downton Abbey series finale (PBS), Once Upon A Time returns (ABC), The Family debuts in timeslot (ABC), Quantico returns (ABC), I Am Cait season premiere (E!)
Monday: Bates Motel season premiere (A&E), Damien debut (A&E)
Tuesday: Fresh Off the Boat changes times (ABC), The Real O’Neals time slot premiere (ABC), Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD returns (ABC), Of Kings & Prophets debuts (ABC), Little Big Shot preview (NBC)
Wednesday: American Crime season finale (ABC), Underground premiere (WGN America), It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia season premiere (FXX), Man Seeking Woman season premiere (FXX)

Health Check

The Muppets and Agent Carter wrapped up their seasons last night without word on whether they are coming back again. The Muppets started big, but audiences dropped quickly after discovering the humor was off-brand. They tried to re-tool the show, but audiences didn’t seem to care.

Agent Carter’s ratings weren’t too far off the first season so there’s a chance the show may come back, but probably not a huge chance. ABC is looking at a pilot for Marvel’s Most Wanted which would a better match with Agents of SHIELD. Also Hayley Carter is attached to another TV series. Both are not good signs. Still, fans are rallying to try to save the show so visit www.agentcarter.net for suggestions on what you can do to add your voice.

We will likely get a final verdict on these shows in May when networks announce the schedule for next season.
Stay tuned!

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