TV Shows Watched: Etoile: S1E8 (Amazon) with audio description, Bet: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, The Pitt: S1E6 (MAX) with audio description,The Secrets We Keep: S1E5 (Netflix) with audio description, Government Cheese: S1E9 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Berlin ER: S1E6 (Apple Plus) with audio description, Ginny and Georgia: S1E1 (Netflix) with audio description, America Ninja Warrior: S16E1 (Peacock) with audio description, the Daily Show: Monday (Paramount Plus) with audio description

New Shows (Kind of) Alert!: first time for Ginny and Georgia and American Ninja Warrior, right? Well, actually I did watch Ginny and Georgia Season 1, but not 2. Season 3 is coming up, so I figured like with The Buccaneers, I’d try and give it another shot.I also realize I haven’t heard a track from 8Trax in a while, so i wonder if they are still the company doing narration. They did Season 1. I also have watched American Ninja warrior before, but before my vision loss, so I have an understanding of what this is supposed to translate. the show has grown a lot in 16 seasons, with people returning multiple times, and being almost professional ninja warriors. While I appreciate the attempt at audio description, because it does give some context, it really didn’t do much to describe the actual challenges, and it has a hard time talking on top of the color commentary to offer meaningful description of the challengers doing the runs. it does try, and it even tramples the commentators at times, but that’s because they never shut up. it is a really hard show to translate having to work around the commentators.I also realized while watching, that despite Peacock having it as their featured title, this is last season. I’m not even going to pretend I’m coming back for more. The episodes are long, and while I did watch a few episodes before my vision loss, I was not a devoted fan, and I didn’t stop watching because of that. It just isn’t my thing, and i was curious how the audio description is handled. I think a focus group of ninja Warrior fans need to decide if they want more description, and to not worry about the color commentators, or if this is enough for them. As a non-fan, it seems like not enough.

Best Episode: Etoile- Love. i have nothing but love for this. I was introduced to a cast of characters I fell in love with all season long, and I’m excited it will be back for a second season. it isn’t like anything else on TV right now. The finale answered lingering questions regarding Nicholas, and and had Cheyenne deal with her own personal identity crisis. How will Jack fix things in season 2? I can’t wait to find out. Also, in France, the troupe ended up doing live choreography instead of a ballet, in a creatively strong choice I’m sure would never happen in real life.

Runner Up: Bet- while The Pitt is continuing to grow on me, Bet grabbed me instantly, and the capture the flag episode was a lot of fun.

Best Audio Description: Etoile- there was a fair amount of dancing to describe as well as French being translated to English. I’ve liked this track all season long, and the finale didn’t disappoint.

Runner Up: Bet- The silliness of this episode was well highlighted, with plans being executed so our lovely lead continues to bamboozle the student council.

Best Performance: Charlotte Gainesborg (Etoile)- Much like yesterday, where I recognized Nathan Lee graham on the last episode of Midcentury Modern, I had to make sure Gainesborg got the same level as love as a few of her co-stars who have topped this section. she actually did have a focus on her character, pushing both bewilderment and betrayal, at watching what was happening on stage, and the drama with Cheyenne, that makes this make sense even with the context of just this episode. she has been excellent all season.

runner Up: Noah Wyle (the Pitt)- he does a nice job of shepherding a supporting ensemble of doctors, campaigning to keep corporate money out of the ER, trying to stretch where he can, and deliver tough news. he’s really good at being a fake doctor. Wyle should just go to med school in real life and see what happens.

Best Moment Of Audio Description: An Original Piece (Etoile)- After the madness of watching it be choreographed, the audience is finally treated to (admittedly) a short ballet. But the audio description was really trying to give us that perfect balance of layman description, and also technical description, so it wasn’t totally dumbed down but also anyone who didn’t know dance wasn’t bombarded by a dozen words they didn’t know.

Runner Up: This Isn’t A John Hughes Movie (Ginny and Georgia)- The neighbor boy climbs in the window like he grew up watching Clarissa Explains It All, and what happens next is anything but kid friendly. Well described. I liked the “digitally penetrated”, because at first, it made me think… virtually? but, also, your fingers are your digits. So, that was a fun choice.

Worst Of: Only one show didn’t have audio description. I don’t want to say Ninja Warrior loses, as that is just my opinion as an outsider. I think it can do more, but admittedly, we’d need to talk over the hosts. That is a choice loyal fans need to make. Secrets We Keep uses TTS, but the text is well written, and that is my favorite TTS voice so far… those could all be the answer. I did jump back in on Berlin ER the same day as The Pitt, which was a mistake, because it became the thing I liked the least due to the comparison. Worst of? Maybe Peacock shouldn’t feature Ninja Warrior until they have a new episode. Maybe.