Cheers & Jeers

by Damian Holbrook TV Guide Magazine

Jeers to A&E
for ditching scripted TV. The cable net announced that it’s shifting back to an all-reality lineup, meaning our chances of getting another great show like Bates Motel (with Freddie Highmore, pictured) have been, well, killed.

Cheers to American Gods
for taking one helluva risk. Could Neil Gaiman’s out-there opus of battling deities work as a TV show? As soon as we saw the eye-popping visuals and the sparks between stars Ian McShane and Ricky Whittle (right, with McShane), we knew our prayers had been answered.

Cheers to Great News
for not burying the leads. Andrea Martin and Briga Heelan as mom-daughter colleagues may be the top story at NBC’s cable-news comedy, but the crew around them—especially Nicole Richie and John Michael Higgins as vapid newsies—is just as News-worthy.

Jeers to ABC
for rebooting American Idol so soon. Come on folks, the show’s been gone like a minute and a half. Give us a chance to miss it—and remember who even won that final season—before bringing it back.