Now that we’re knee-deep in yet another fresh television season—& even mid-season finales, in some cases—what do y’all think of some of the new shows that are on?

I have to admit, I haven’t given too many new ones a shot.  I don’t have the time, energy, or space on my DVR.  But I have checked out a few. :smiley73

Stalker (CBS) — Oh, I’m liking this one so far.  I was very much on the fence about it & almost didn’t even give it a shot.  But at the last minute, I added it to the DVR line-up, & I’m very glad I did.  Dylan McDermott is sexy, as always, & Maggie Q—admittedly, not one of my faves—isn’t nearly as annoying as I expected.  I almost even like her character. :smiley64   The other thing I like about this show is its intensity.  I am all about intensity & unique storylines when it comes to new crime dramas, & so far this one is holding my attention.  It’s also got a couple of subplots going on that I find equally intriguing.

Forever (ABC) — Another one I DVRed at the very last minute.  Literally.  I think I set the timer about ten minutes before the pilot was set to air.  But, man, am I glad I did!  This is a good one. :smiley33   It puts me a bit in mind of CBS’s Elementary because of the way the main character solves crimes by “seeing” things no one else sees.  And, okay, probably also because of his strong British accent. :smiley62  But then it goes a step further with the addition of the protagonist’s unexplained immortality & a lot of history in his background.

NCIS: New Orleans (CBS) — We got a hint of this one at the end of NCIS last season, & I think the general consensus was that it had potential…but Scott Bakula’s Southern/N’awlins accent was atrocious.  Well, good news:  either they told him to take it down a notch or they got him a voice coach, because the accent isn’t nearly as annoying as it was in that first spin-off episode.  Okay, maybe a little at the beginning of the pilot episode, but then it tapered off & hasn’t been as noticeable since.  Accent aside, NCIS: NOLA is another decent NCIS spin-off…& am I allowed to say that Lucas Black is as adorable as ever?  His accent could melt butter in Antarctica.  Hubba-hubba. :smiley72

Gracepoint (Fox) — You know, I wanted to like this one—& I still might.  It isn’t awful, just…slow.  I expected it to be so much better & more intense, but instead it seems to be following in the slow-as-molasses footsteps of AMC’s The Killing.  We’re supposed to think anybody could be the killer, so everybody‘s set up as a suspect, but not for strong enough reasons to suit me.  And can I ask why everybody’s so head-over-heels for David Tennant?  I can’t remember seeing him in anything before, so I was expecting to be blown away by his acting or even his good looks.  But he did nothing for me, I’m sorry to say.  And worse, I sort of didn’t like him very much. :smiley63  I still want to know who killed the kid, so I’ll probably stick with it just to find out…but I’ll be watching with half an eye, so to speak; in the background & just enough to eventually learn whodunnit.

Transporter: The Series (TNT) — Even without Jason Statham in the lead (& I really wanted him to be), I had high hopes for this one.  I wanted to love it.  Sadly, I did not.  I only made it through the first four episodes before (with a long-suffering sigh) giving up.  And I only watched those four because they were two weeks’ worth of back-to-back episodes that had already been recorded on my DVR.  Yeah, the driver is attractive, & this show tries to capture the action of the Transporter movies, but otherwise it falls extremely flat.  None of the suave mystery & sexy attitude that surrounds Frank Martin in the films is in this series.  In fact, this Frank Martin is practically an open book & way too happy-go-lucky for my tastes.  So sorry, TNT, but I’ll stick with being transported by my Darling Jason. :smiley69

Have you been watching any of these?  And if so, what do—or did?—you think?

I love talking about TV almost as much as I love talking about books & animals, so feel free to share your thoughts & opinions of these shows, or any others you’ve been watching this season! :smiley81

Since The Dungeon was under siege by hackers the last time our December Drink of the Month posted, Mistress Heidi—in her infinite wisdom :smiley73 —has decided to post it again & give everyone a second chance to enjoy this yummy Christmas cocktail. :smiley33

Candy Cane
Christmas Cocktail

1 ½ ounces of Vanilla Vodka
1 ½ ounces of White Chocolate Liqueur
¾ ounce of Peppermint Schnapps
Grenadine

With a chilled cocktail glass, dip the rim of your glass into a shallow dish of grenadine.

In a cocktail shaker, combine your vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur, and peppermint schnapps with 1/3 cup of shaved ice.

Shake vigorously for at least twenty seconds.

Strain the cocktail into your glass and garnish.

Enjoy! :smiley54