As we enter December and what passes for the 2009 television season draws to a close I’m struck by how awesome some shows have been this year. I’m struck by a number of other things, as well, but that’s another show…
My top picks of 2009, in no particular order…
Sons of Anarchy (FX)
SoA started off strong and only got better right up until the reaper graphic faded in to close out the season with this week’s 90-minute episode. Dramatic, well-acted, well-scripted and superbly well-written. It reminded me of the early episodes of the Shield – but better. The cast was simply electric week in and week out. Henry Rollins and Adam Arkin were great in their recurring guest roles – the play between them and the core cast seemed effortless. The true mark of a top-notch production team and gifted writers. If you haven’t given this show a chance assuming that “some crap about motorcycles” wouldn’t be great TV a) stop being stupid and b) OnDemand/NetFlix/whatever the first season. You won’t be disappointed.
Californication (SHO)
Great writing, great dialog, great guest stars/cameos (that don’t feel contrived and idiotic ala Entourage) and tits. I just don’t know what to do with someone who doesn’t think that would be worth their time.
Dexter (SHO)
A staple of Showtime’s series line-up many said that it would be unwatchable once they passed the available source material. I’ve not read Lindsay’s novels, but I have to say that while a true adaptation might have been good, this season has proven to me that the show-runners DO have a solid vision and can make some quality TV without it being pre-fabbed 100% of the way. Julie Benz and Jennifer Carpenter both really stood out this season along with the phantabulous John Lithgow as the Trinity killer. He has a way about him when playing this character that was subtle, yet sinister, and frigthening to see. If he’s not in the running for a supporting/guest statue of some kind next year it will be an absolute crime.
Leverage (TNT)
Ocean’s Eleven (not the less good 12 and 13) as a TV series. Yes please? Tim Hutton, Gina Bellman (Coupling/BBC), Christian Kane and the rest of the crew fit together like some insane jigsaw puzzle. The weekly capers are fairly light in subject matter with an eye on excellent storytelling, sharp wit and fun taking the focus rather than suspense, titilation or melodrama.
Psych (USA)
Think The Mentalist, but funny. James Roday and Dulé Hill are hysterical. Even if the show was JUST them, it’d still be a must-watch. Add Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson and Corbin Bernsen to the mix and you may have to pause the DVR to avoid going wee-wee in your pants. Filled to the brim with pop culture references and a writing staff that appears unafraid to go off on a crazy tangent on even the slightest possibility that it will be funny you find yourself, week after week, with comedy gold. Much like Californication I can’t stop myself from smiling the entire length of any given episode. It’s just plain good fun.
Like 5 or 6 (maybe) other people on Earth I’ve been watching Kings on NBC for the last month. I won’t go into a lot of blah blah blah about the show except to say that it’s good. It’s well penned, well acted and wonderfully shot. In the next week or two it’ll be moving from a horrible Sunday slot to a “half-step away from cancellation” Saturday time. I just don’t understand people. Sure, the TV execs are partially to blame here, but god damn people! What does it take to get you interested? Is it just me? I don’t give a rat’s ass about who can/can’t sing/dance/be fat.
I want REAL television, not reality television.
Dollhouse started iffy, but really started to come on strong in the last couple episodes. I’ve grown quite fond of the show at this point, so when it’s cancelled my nerdrage will know no bounds.
The Sarah Conner Chronicles ended on a great note. I was pretty into the last three episodes. I’m hoping that the synergy with Bale’s new movie this summer will keep it afloat for another season.
Supernatural has always been the stronger of the two, but Smallville is just plain nuts these days. The Unit has been weak, it’s apparently on the bubble this season and will not likely be renewed.
Chuck has been fine, not as good as it’s early stuff, but tolerable. The season finale looks good, there’s been some decent build-up with Quantum Leaper and Chevy.We’ll see what we see. It has the air of “re-tooling” about it though, which never bodes well.
Heroes has been horrid, I’m not sure I even want it back at this point. Don’t argue. You know it’s been riding the failcopter.
Numb3rs, Reaper and Flashpoint are all average at best this go-round. Another unfortunate victim of “OMFG RATINGS!” and the inability for network people to understand that their entire paradigm is changing. Are you counting Hulu views? DVRs? OnDemands? There are shows that by their very nature play really well everywhere but a Neilson home.
Eli Stone and Pushing Daises are already done, they’ve each got 2 or 3 episodes left to air, but after that it’s over. Both good shows with interesting characters and good writing and we certainly can’t have that on network TV. What’s really odd is that ABCs upfronts are chock full of MORE quirky shows that will likely be fun and well-written and never find an audience. Do we give them points for trying? Dunno.
I’ve become a bit of a fan of The Mentalist. When I saw the initial promos I panned it as a “dramatic” rip-off of Psych, a truly awesome show, and gave it the big pooity-poo. Mea culpa? I suppose so…
Fringe is horrid… but the cast is great. As long as they keep that going I guess I can ignore the rest. How can you not love John Noble as an insane mad scientist?
Teh Tudors just started up, I think there’s been two or three episodes now. Still a wonderful show, but I miss Natalie Dormer. Upside is Mary’s back at court this season, and she’s absolutely enchanting. I’m a sucker for pretty much any era of English histo-drama.
The best for last? Maybe. Lie to Me is great. Tim Roth is great. Kelli Williams is great. The title sequence is GREAT. What happened to titles anyway? Whatever marketing dickbag out there decided that it was “more cinematic” for shows to not have title sequences needs to just give it the fuck up. You, sir, are an idiot. Shows are that much more memorable with an opening number, just do it already! Short, visually interesting yet simple, no “clips” and a catchy musical track (Brand New Day by Ryan Star) behind it all. Perfection. Also, while I’m at it – fuck you no-embedding youtube gestapo!
So I’m sitting here waiting for this server to finish converting into a new handy-dandy VM and figured it’d be a good time to purge out the ol’ DVR. I haven’t moved to uVerse quite yet so I’m stuck with the anemic HD in Charter’s Moxi. Where was I again? Oh yes, Mythbusters was on from this week – it’s the “Alaska Special 2″ for reference. The kids were testing some myth about a car being clove in twain by one of those big plows. Blah blah blah, we’re going to Wisconsin. Well then, I should look at the screen for 30 seconds or something. More blah blah and some scenes of snow and crap and all of the suddon I see this small white plow with the words “Burke” scrawled across it… “That looks familiar,” I say to no one in particular.
So yeah, I was apparently in a coma while my beloved Kari was 2 miles down the road testing a snowplow myth. I’m assuming they filmed that this winter, which was incredibly mild by all accounts, yet all three of them were bundled up like they were adrift off the coast of the Antarctica.
The 2008 summer Olympics are finally here! Are you stoked? I’m stoked! Get stoked motherfuckers!
This year you can watch just about anything online, so my work-day productivity will likely be something approaching zero. It looks like Charter added at
least 1 if not 3 new channels for Olympic feeds as well so the DVR will get a workout.
Don S. Davis(IMDB) passed away on Sunday from a “massive” heart-attack. Don was best known for his role as Major General George Hammond on Stargate SG-1, but his career is nothing if not prolific. Lots of info is coming in from various fansites right now and I am shocked that I never saw his art before now. Oh, and he had a PhD in theater. What can ya say? Some people just put in 110% all damn day.
Generally speaking the domestic seasons for the television have all finished their runs, much to the chagrin of my DVR. But hark, what light through yonder big-screen breaks? It is the east…ish. BBC America to my rescue.
First off let me say that I LOVE watching parliamentary proceedings on the CSPAN. If our officials had half the emotional involvement in their daily proceedings it’d be an incalculable improvement for everyone involved. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still politicians and I’m sure they get 3 things wrong for every one thing they get right, but by god they’re animated! I watched a good run where the two warring factions were rallying alternatively behind Blair and the opposition leader and it was crazy! The crowd literally roared at more than one point and was constantly cheering, jeering and heckling. “Awesome” doesn’t seem to be adequate…
The Thick of It is like the UK version of Spin City or somesuch. No… that can’t be right, because this is actually funny. Hilariously funny, actually. I’m still trying to pick up the whole scope of the story, but it seems to follow the adventures of Hugh Abbot, the beleaguered low-ranking Minister for something something. I’m not sure he even knows, really. My vote is for funny. Watch!
Hex is like Buffy meets Dark Shadows meets … crikey, I have no idea. I’ve seen 3 episodes now and I still don’t have the first clue as to what the fuck is happening. After checking the website things are slightly clearer. Slightly. … No. No they’re not. Not at all. I don’t care, it’s interesting enough to watch until SG-1 starts again. Which, I might add, is in 3 weeks.
Spaced starts this week. I think you’ll recognize the male lead. The previews look funny. I expect funny. It better be funny.
The IT Crowd is funny, in a mammy blackface aunt Jemimah stereotypical way. It doesn’t bother me much, it’s not as if geekdom is really THAT far off from what people think, but their HAHAHA TECH SUPPORT IS ANTISOCIAL CLOWN SHOES HAHA crap is a few shades shy of good. If you’ll permit me to be an elitist prick for a moment I will say that in my experience the people who actually believe that’s what “all” IT people are like are the ones that are patently computarded and can’t stand the fact that other people aren’t. I’ve never understood that type of moron, honestly. I’m not an accountant, I don’t take personal offense to someone who knows how to use an actuarial table. I might take offense TO an acturial table, but that’s a completely different psychosis.
All that aside I do laugh occasionally, which is unfortunate as I’ve only been able to catch the torrents from the BBC mothership. They are apparently selective as to what hits the Yankee station. God knows why Are You Being Served is taking up precious airtime… Upside is that at least 2 newer episodes are available online now so I can catch those. Score for countries where the digital inquisition hasn’t taken complete hold.
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