AFT #135: ‘New Girl’, ‘Louie’, ‘Maron’, ‘Mindy Project’, ‘Simpsons’, Cancellations and Pickups, and More

This week, Jason and Joel are all over the map because of all the news ahead of the upfronts. But they also take time to talk about the season finales of New Girl and The Mindy Project and the returns of 24, Maron and Louie.

FOX
http://antennafree.tv/podcasts/Antenna_Free_TV_Podcast_135.mp3

We’re all over the place this week because of all the news before the network upfronts. So buckle your seatbelts and join us on the ride:

We start by talking about FOX’s cancellations, including Enlisted, and why we think the network didn’t give the show another shot. Then we explain once again why the network is trying to kill off pilot season (00:00 – 20:30),
Then we talk about some renewals, like Salem, and the order for more Sleepy Hollow episodes. We also talk about the renewal of Orange is the New Black and wonder how shows negotiate for new seasons if Netflix won’t reveal ratings. Speaking of ratings, we discuss how 2014-15 will be the season when non-traditional ratings metrics will really be relied on (20:30 – 27:05),
Then we discuss Damon Wayans Jr. being made a permanent cast member of New Girl, The Comeback‘s comeback and how HBO can market the first season from nine years ago, and if Showtime’s Penny Dreadful will become that network’s breakout hit or just a niche show (27:05 – 35:35),
Mad Men‘s not getting much breathless critical attention anymore, is it? We try to figure out why. We then talk about Jimmy Kimmel’s extension and how they’re getting the most A-list guests in late night (35:35 – 42:00)
We then talk about the Simpsons LEGO episode and whether the low ratings this year are signaling that we’re near the end. Then we talk about the Muppets coming back to TV now that their most recent movie tanked (42:00 – 53:30),
More grab bag: we talk about Terry Crews getting yet another job, this time as the new host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, quick talk about the finales of Resurrection (just renewed for a second season) and Bates Motel, and the renewals of American Idol and Law & Order: SVU (53:00 – 1:00:50),
More upfronts news: a quick talk on the TBS and TNT pickups, and the new series greenlit by FOX and NBC, including Gotham (1:00:50 – 1:08:20),
Then we talk about the return of 24, what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and why Chloe is so bad-ass (1:08:20 – 1:12:45),
Then we talk about both the premieres of Louie and Maron, and the inevitable comparisons people will make between the two (1:12:45 – 1:27:50),
Finally, we discuss the season finales of New Girl and The Mindy Project, how it seems that New Girl is trying to reset from a down season, why Mindy had a better finale but is still trying to figure itself out, and what we might see from both shows next year (1:27:50 – 1:57:54).

You can listen to the podcast above (if you don’t hear anything, fiddle with the volume slider), download it via this link, subscribe to our RSS feed, or subscribe via iTunes. You can also find us on the Stitcher radio app for smartphones and iPads. By the way, the bumper music is “Trevor Trailer Trash” from the late, great band Cropduster.