Checking In–The State of GeekTonic

Long-time followers of GeekTonic might have noticed that I’ve taken a few steps back from the media gadget pulse over these past few months.  Especially since Google purchased SageTV I’ve been a little…. okay a lot quiet.  Here’s the deal:

In the past two years the blog had to take a back seat to my day job which has quite honestly consumed me.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing for me – keeping busy in this economy is a good thing and I enjoy what I do.  But I hate that I’ve not been able to spend at least a little time each week on GeekTonic which had picked up quite a solid following.  As many of you know HTPC’s were a favorite topic of mine and SageTV was on its way to something really special in my opinion.  That something special needed help from the FCC aka AllVid but there was a chance this tiny little company called SageTV could be a real force in the competitive TV world.  Then Google swallowed up SageTV and in essence froze the SageTV ecosystem from growing.

I was already in over my head in terms of finding time to blog.  But this development of SageTV finally pushed me over the edge.  I gave up even trying to keep up with things – I took my attention away from the HTPC and media gadget world, stopped writing about it and put all of my remaining extra time and energy into my work and reading.  Google Plus and to a smaller degree Twitter was where I’ve shared mostly.  I fell into that trap that I said I would never go, but I did it to save myself from myself.

I’m not past that time of intense demand on my time, but I am still here.  GeekTonic will live on albeit in a smaller, less frequently updated way.  Thanks for hanging in there with me, I do have a lot more to say.  It will just come in irregular chunks of content.

PS:  I’m still keeping up the New TV content stuff for now.  Amazingly I get a LOT of eyeballs reading those weekly posts.

TV This Week-Premieres & Finales 10/1/2011

October is here and we’re in the thick of the Fall TV season.  Be sure and check out the GeekTonic 2011 Fall TV Season premieres guide which highlights all the new shows and provides a detailed listing of all TV premieres for the Fall and early-winter TV season.  Read on for the GeekTonic weekly TV update highlighting all the new premieres, finales and specials coming up this week.

                          Dexter returns on Showtime this Sunday

 

NOTE: All Times are Listed for EST – TV schedules subject to change

Saturday, October 1

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series (8pm on HUB) Season premiere

Doctor Who (9pm on BBC America) Season 6 finale

Bedlam (10pm on BBC America) New paranormal/drama series

Austin City Limits (11pm on PBS) Season 37 premiere begins with Mumford and Sons, Flogging Molly

 

Sunday, October 2

America’s Funniest Home Videos (7pm on ABC) Season premiere

Prohibition (8pm on PBS) A new 3-part Ken Burns Documentary/History Series about Prohibition.  Looks like another winner from Burns

How Hard Can It Be? (8pm on National Geographic) New series

Making Monsters (8pm on Travel) A new reality series that focuses on Distortions Unlimited animatronics company in Greeley, Colorado as they create creatures for haunted houses and other attractions.

Tough Love: Miami (8pm on VH1) Season 3 premiere

Dexter (9pm on Showtime) Season 6 premiere

Chasing Classic Cars (9pm on HD Theater) Season premiere

Halloween Wars (9pm on Food) A short reality/contest series focused on Halloween

Homeland (10pm on Showtime) New suspense/drama series where a U.S. soldier who was thought to have been killed in Iraq over 10 years ago is now being questioned as to whether he is a member of a sleeper cell sent to cause a terrorist attack.  Claire Danes and Damian Lewis star.  I watched several clips and the first episode and this is a definite winner.  If you have Showtime do not miss this series.  Watch the full, first episode of Homeland on YouTube.

Hung (10pm on HBO) Season 3 premiere

Around the World in 80 Ways (10pm on History) New travel series with Dennis Anderson and Rob Mariano (Boston Rob for reality fans)  use 80 different modes of transportation to travel around the globe in 80 days.  The rules restrict them from repeating the same mode of transportation twice and they sometimes must build their own transportation.

How to Make it in America (10:30pm on HBO) Season 2 premiere

 

Monday, October 3

A Night at the Movies (5pm & 8:30pm on TCM) Special with Stephen King talking about his favorite scary movies.

Warehouse 13 (9pm on SyFy) Season 3 finale

House (9pm on Fox) Season 8 premiere

Mega Dens (10pm on DIY) Season premiere

 

Tuesday, October 4

Made in America (8pm on Travel) New series about things created in America

Mysteries at the Museum (9pm on Travel) Season premiere

Viking Wilderness (9pm on Animal Planet) New series

Off Limits (10pm on Travel) Season 10 premiere

Chopped (10pm on Food) Season 9 premiere

Onion News Network (10pm on IFC) Season premiere

Mad Fashion (10pm on Bravo) New reality series

Fashion Hunters (10:30m on Bravo) New reality series

 

Wednesday, October 5

Outback Wrangler (9pm on National Geographic Wild) New series

Brad Meltzer’s Decoded (10pm on History) Season 2 premiere

Penn & Teller Tell a Lie (10pm on Discovery) New game show with…. Penn & Teller hosting

American Horror Story (10pm on FX) New horror series on FX.  They’ve been promoting this one with some pretty strange previews, but I’ve heard promising reports about it so it’s on my “check it out” list.  The creators of Nip/Tuck and Glee bring us this one starring Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, and Jessica Lange.

Mad Scientists (10pm on National Geographic) New How-to/Reality Series

Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time (10:30pm on Comedy) Season premiere

 

Thursday, October 6

The This Old House Hour (9pm on PBS) Season 10 premiere

Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution (10pm on Comedy) New series

The League (10:30pm on FX) Season 3 premiere

 

Friday, October 7

Say Yes to the Dress (9pm on TLC) Season 7 premiere

Top Secret Recipe (9pm on CMT) New cooking series that takes famous recipes and recreates them to improve.  We’re talking Kentucky Fried Chicken and Cinnabon kinds of recipes.

Sanctuary (10pm on SyFy) Season 4 premiere

Trick My What? (10pm on CMT) New reality series hosted by John Schneider

 

Sunday, October 9

Breaking Bad (10pm on AMC) Season 4 finale

The Real Housewives of New Jersey (10pm on  Bravo) Season 3 finale

 

Monday, October 10

Most Eligible Dallas (10pm on Bravo) Season 1 finale

Bath Crashers (9pm on DIY) Season premiere

Bored to Death (9pm on HBO) Season 3 premiere

Enlightened (9:30pm on HBO) New comedy drama starring Laura Dern, Luke Wilson and Diane Ladd.  A corporate employee begins a new life after having a meltdown and receiving therapy.

American Guns (10pm on Discovery) New reality series

 

Tuesday, October 11

Last Man Standing (8pm on ABC) New sitcom series starring Tim Allen and Nancy Travis.

Women, War & Peace (10pm on PBS) New historical/documentary narrated by Matt Damon.

I Used to Be Fat (10pm on MTV) Season 2 premiere

I Hate My Kitchen (10pm on DIY) Season premiere

Reed Between the Lines (10pm on BET) New drama/romance series

Chelsea Settles (11pm on MTV)

 

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