Articles by Ryan Berenz

About Ryan Berenz

Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.

“The Big Bang Theory” Season 8 begins with two new episodes Monday

September 22, 2014 Ryan Berenz

After some heated contract negotiations with the cast, The Big Bang Theory returns for Season 8 as scheduled with back-to-back new episodes — and with very hefty pay raises for stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. The series airs on Mondays beginning Sept. 22 while CBS broadcasts Thursday Night Football, and then returns to its regular Thursday night slot on Oct. 30. ALSO SEE: Fall TV shows 2014: New comedy series premiere dates, times and previews First up, in “The Locomotion Interruption” (8pm ET/PT) Leonard and Amy take an unexpected road trip to Arizona to pick up Sheldon. […]

What would it take for you to stop watching the NFL?

September 19, 2014 Ryan Berenz

In Face Of Adversity, Heroic NFL Fans Continue Watching Football http://t.co/Yvq8Sgve3W pic.twitter.com/sIaoeGDQXo — The Onion (@TheOnion) September 16, 2014 This is what happens when you’re king. Sure, people kowtow to you. But heavy is the head that wears the crown, and the NFL has a great deal weighing on it. Coming into the season, it looked like the NFL’s ongoing refusal to deal with the nickname of the National Football League Franchise from Washington, D.C., and the bathing habits of Michael Sam, the NFL’s (would-be) first outwardly gay player, were the hot-button issues. Now, a mere two weeks into the […]

TV #TBT: “Joey” and the horrible new fall comedies of 2004!

September 18, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Wow. Has it really been 10 years since Joey? While we’re in full-on 2014 fall TV preview mode around here, we’re taking a Throwback Thursday look at some of our reviews of shows from past seasons. ALSO SEE: Fall TV shows 2014: New comedy series premiere dates, times and previews While 2004 was an exceptional year for new drama series (among them are Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, CSI: NY, Desperate Housewives and Boston Legal), the new crop of comedies from 2004 were generally ill-conceived and poorly executed. The highest hopes were for Friends spinoff Joey, which did get a second-season renewal […]

UEFA Champions League 2014 kickoff TV schedule on FOX Sports and ESPN

September 16, 2014 Ryan Berenz

UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League group stage action kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 16, on ESPN and FOX Sports networks. Coverage begins at 2pm ET on FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FS regional networks and FOX Soccer Plus with the UEFA Champions League Pregame show. Three matches air on FOX Sports at 2:30pm ET with Borussia Dortmund vs. Arsenal (FS1), Liverpool vs. Ludogorets (FS2) and Real Madrid vs. FC Basel 1893 (FS regional networks). ESPN’s coverage begins at 2:30pm ET on ESPN Deportes with Spanish-language coverage of Real Madrid vs. FC Basel 1893. Additional matches air on ESPN […]

“The Mindy Project” Season 3: The misadventures of Mindy and Danny

September 15, 2014 Ryan Berenz

Season 3 of FOX’s romantic comedy series The Mindy Project will focus on Mindy (Mindy Kaling) and Danny (Chris Messina) and their misadventures as a couple. After a short-lived run in a sitcom with her former Cheers costar, Rhea Perlman joins the cast playing Danny’s mom, who will likely have some confrontations with Mindy. Season 3 of The Mindy Project premieres Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 9:30pm ET/PT. ALSO SEE: New Fall TV shows 2014: Comedies The Mindy Project Season Finale Preview: “Danny and Mindy” Fall TV Preview 2014: Returning series premiere dates and times New season, new guest stars for […]

New season, new guest stars for FOX’s “New Girl”

September 15, 2014 Ryan Berenz

With Jess (Zoey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson) back to being just friends, they’ll both be readjusting to single life in the new season. In Season 4, Jessica Biel will guest-star as a rival competing with Jess for the affection of Ted (Reid Scott), Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) will play an old high-school nemesis who is engaged to Jess’ father (Rob Reiner), and Damon Wayans Jr. returns full time as a series regular. New Girl Season 4 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 9pm ET/PT on FOX. ALSO SEE: New Fall TV shows 2014: Comedies Zooey Deschanel on […]

NASCAR Chase 2014 TV schedule on ESPN and ABC

September 12, 2014 Ryan Berenz

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series “playoffs” begin Sunday, Sept. 14, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., in the MyAFibStory.com 400, the first race of the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. ESPN will air nine of the Chase races, with the Oct. 11 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway airing in primetime on ABC. It’s the final year of ESPN/ABC covering NASCAR, as that portion of TV rights will go to NBC Sports Group beginning in 2015. NASCAR is introducing an elimination format to the Chase this season, as a Chase Grid of 16 drivers gets reduced […]

Fall TV shows 2014: ABC’s “black-ish” is kinda funny-ish

September 11, 2014 Ryan Berenz

ABC’s new comedy black-ish is about a wealthy black family in Los Angeles dealing with cultural and racial identities in America. Dre (Anthony Anderson) is an ad executive who gets a surprise when he’s promoted at the office. Meanwhile, Dre has a crisis when his 13-year-old son Andre Jr. (Marcus Scribner) wants a bar mitzvah. Tracee Ellis Ross and Laurence Fishburne also star. ALSO SEE: New fall 2014 TV shows by genre black-ish ABC Premieres: Sept. 24 Airs: Wednesdays at 9:30pm ET/PT Who’s In It? Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner, Laurence Fishburne What’s It All About? […]

Holy origin story, Batman!: FOX’s “Gotham” tops 2014 TV dramas

September 11, 2014 Ryan Berenz

FOX’s stylish crime series Gotham is more than just a Batman origin saga — it’s the story of rookie detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and his struggle against the tide of crime and corruption that threatens to consume Gotham City. It’s also the story of how The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), The Riddler (Cory Michael Smith), Catwoman (Camren Bicondova) and others emerged as criminal masterminds. Donal Logue and Jada Pinkett Smith also star. ALSO SEE: Fall TV Preview 2014 new shows by genre Gotham FOX Premieres: Sept. 22 Airs: Mondays at 8pm ET/PT Who’s In It? Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, […]

PHOTOS: The women of FOX’s Utopia

September 10, 2014 Ryan Berenz

FOX’s reality TV social experiment Utopia is underway, and as with any other show of this kind (especially those on FOX), it takes a certain combination of personality and sex appeal in the cast to keep viewers checking back. The women of Utopia have plenty of both. Check out their pics and vital stats from FOX: ALSO SEE: FOX execs discuss Utopia How to get cast on FOX’s Utopia HEX VANISLES Don’t call her Katniss. Sure, hunter Hex Vanisles is “six feet of twisted steel and sex appeal,” but her primary game is to bring lessons from Utopia back to […]