Top Ten shows of 2009

The problem with ranking the best television shows of 2009 stems from the fact that the season of a show extends over two years. So do you judge a show based on when it started, when it finished, or how it performed during the year?
I am judging shows based on when they finished. This affects shows like Glee and Parks and Recreation, which will make the cut in 2010, but not this year. It’s the only fair way to judge a show’s complete arc, and not what it did during a brief period.
Hopefully this list will be inclusive enough for people, sine I watch almost everything. So here it is, in reverse order.
RIP: King of the Hill
• So this show isn’t making the Top Ten, but it does need to be recognized since it went off the air in 2009. HILL was maybe one of the best family sitcoms of all time. Following the life of the Hill family, this show had warmth and laughs.
Since it was a cartoon it was generally overlooked in terms of the quality of the writing and it was also ignored as a rip off of The Simpsons. These two realities will forever bother me.
HILL was never short on creative storylines, as the show did the best job finding the real humor in life. It didn’t rely solely on screwball characters or wacky plots, but was grounded in a reality we could all relate to. I tell you what, I will miss this show. Yup.
10. Chuck
• Odds are you’ve never seen or heard of Chuck, the little action/comedy that narrowly avoided execution after last year’s stellar season. The show revolves around an employee at a big box store called the BUY MORE, who has highly classified data stored in his head. This character, as portrayed by Zachary Levi, is one of the more endearing heroes on television. He is endearing because he is the everyman hero, and this allows us to be swept away on his adventures.

It helps that he has a wicked hot lady friend (Yvonne Strahovski) and a gruff protector (Adam Baldwin), who add laughs, sex appeal and a surprisingly high level of action scenes for a television show.
What ultimately ends up distinguishing this show from its competitors (I guess BURN NOTICE), is the supporting cast of characters that work at the BUY MORE. These guys and girls make the show a legit comedy, so when the action isn’t really working, the laughs are still coming.
Highlight: The penultimate episode includes a wedding in which everything goes wrong, but is just so right for the viewer.
9. Top Chef
• By any standard, this season of TOP CHEF was captivating television. Not much more to say about the show in the wake of my running diaries, which encapsulate the way I feel about this show.
This season had the right balance of talent, personalities and challenges that I doubt they’ll be able to recreate this winning recipe ever again.
8. Psych
• If you ever just feel like having fun, but don’t want to leave your couch, then I’d recommend an episode of PSYCH. Although, in order to appreciate the show you need to have a fondness for obscure pop culture references and must not take your television too seriously.
The duo of Sean and Gus (James Roday and Dule Hill) do not represent anything truly unique on television. They owe Scrubs, Sherlock Holmes, House and Miami Vice (they’d want me to include that) for where they are today. That being said, these two buddies are the kind of guys you want to hang out with, and once a week you get to do that for an hour.
I think you’re able to have fun watching this show because of how much fun the cast is having making the show, as illustrated by the encore performances during the end credits, which usually include group songs.
Sure the mysteries are lacking and the action doesn’t compare to BURN NOTICE, but this is a comedy first and foremost. If you’re looking for anything else you’re just going to get psyched out. If you want to laugh, then get psyched for Psych
7. 30 Rock
• Not really sure what happened in season 3 of 30 Rock. I do know I laughed. That balance is why this show isn’t higher up on my charts. This was the funniest show on television, but without direction. I’m not saying that’s bad, I’m just saying that’s a deal breaker for a higher ranking.
Anyway, if you’ve never seen 30 Rock you’re doing yourself a disservice. It’s got a little bit of everything in terms of comedic styling. There is gross out humor of the lowest degree. There are high brow jokes (which people cite as the reason for not watching). Obscure references. Strange twists. And just jokes. All of this is jam packed into a 22-minute show so tightly that you’re amazed your television didn’t catch on fire when you’re done.
If you’re looking for funny, just head to 30 Rockefeller Plaza or catch it Thursday on NBC.
6. True Blood
• If loving True Blood is wrong, then I don’t want to be right. The second season of True Blood would qualify as one of the craziest things ever on television. Its craziness was not off putting at all though, and instead drew me deeper and deeper into this make believe world.
Missing from this season was any semblance of reality, but it didn’t detract from the show.
The appeal of the show is it beauty and creativity. The world we see is presented to us in such a fashion that you struggle to take it all in. I’d say it is reminiscent of Deadwood or Mad Men in terms of the settings acting as additional players in a scene.
As far as the creativity, True Blood keeps you on your toes while sending you on a wild roller coaster ride. It’s scary. It’s fun. It’s got twists and turns. There are ups and downs. It is a ride.
Highlight: Jason and Andy taking matters into their own hands, as they prove that dumb is not just funny, but downright hilarious.
5. Battlestar Galactica
• The final installment of an amazing television series offered a worthy payout last spring. Much like True Blood, Battlestar was a wild ride. But more than True Blood, Battlestar offered deeper meanings.
By itself this season isn’t any more remarkable than earlier ones, in fact it might be comparatively weak. As the capstone to an amazing story it deserves to be recognized. In terms of a compelling narrative this is it. This story is delivered with an understated bang.
What is most memorable from this season is the shifting of allegiances, with the line between good and evil blurring to the point where the bad guys from the beginning of the series are revered as good guys.
4. Mad Men
• What’s so impressive about Mad Men is how close it comes to being unwatchable. The show is always in danger of putting me to sleep, and it would if it wasn’t executed so perfectly. Frankly, I’m not smart enough to adequately assess this show. I can only talk about it in terms of its entertainment value and the few concepts I was able to glean from it.
Many people wrote off the finale as an all too convenient ending, but I found it to be a perfect transition into the tumultuous part of the 60s.
As for entertainment, this season offered some heartbreaking moments (the firing of Sal), touching moments (the mood in the aftermath of JFK’s assassination) and light moments (Roger Sterling).
Season three began with a slow crescendo that was so faint and took so long to build that the ultimate payoff was out of this world. The patience of the show’s writers is admirable in this regard, even more so considering how there are no wasted moments building to the big payoff.
3. The Office
• Season 5 of The Office was the total package. It was endearing. It was funny. It was real. The show took from the best of its earlier seasons and brought it all together for the best season since its second. The fall off in season 6 has been even more evident in wake of such a good season.
In this season every character is used to perfection, with a place for everyone and everyone in their place. Andy hits his stride. The Jim and Pam dynamic is cemented. Even Michael, who has been a relatively fluid character, becomes a formed and constant role.
The deciding factor for me, is the story arc of Holly in this season. As played by Amy Ryan, there is an injection of heart into the show that I think is necessary for The Office to be great.
2. The Colbert Report
• Jon Stewart brought the Daily Show to prominence in 2000 during the recount in Florida following the presidential election. By 2004 the show was really hitting its stride and operated on all cylinders of funny. The 2008 election and the coverage of 2009 belonged to Stephen Colbert. Colbert offered a fresh perspective from the Daily Show, and with a few years under his belt, surpassed its creator in terms of funny during 2009.
Stephen Colbert’s year included a trip to Iraq, sponsoring a winter Olympic team and got a NASA treadmill named after him. It was all so ridiculous, but strikingly poignant in its coverage of the news. This last aspect is what sets the REPORT apart from the Daily Show, in that it doesn’t need to preach to make a point. Plus, it doesn’t sacrifice funny to preach.
1. Lost
• Lost will always win me over with the show’s mythology. Each episode could be a festering turd and I would still revere them, if they gave me a few answers each week. But Lost has never rested on its mythology, and has always given us our week to week bang. That combination puts it in my top ten automatically.
What differentiates this season from previous seasons is the scope of what they tried to pull off, and the fact that the show basically accomplishes it all with a homerun. What am I talking about? I’m talking about a storyline that crosses space and time. A story that requires on a giant ensemble cast. I’m talking about mythical creatures, ghost monsters and an island that moves. All of this is put together in a package that remains at its core, a human drama. A drama that inspired tears (spoiler alert: Juliet’s demise) and laughs (Hugo with anyone).
Season 5 had to wrap up most of the questions from seasons one through four while also poise us for the big finale in season 6. It does it. The story moves with a sense of urgency, but you never feel rushed. Even in the shortened load of episodes every story, ever character, every line of dialogue is given enough time to be appreciated.
Lost has constantly reinvented itself during its tenure, yet in season five we see a culmination of the different faces. This is our payoff before LOST reveals its true form in its final season.
The highlights are too numerous to limit, so I’ll just ramble them off: a domesticated Sawyer, Ben’s comedic styling, (spoiler alert) Daniel’s tragic end and the denied reunion between Sun and Jin.

So that’s my list of shows for 2009. I hope there’s something to talk about in there.

Psych Out

One of the things I like about Psych is that it never takes itself too seriously, even going so far as to make fun of its own level of insanity. At the same time, though, I’ve really enjoyed some of the darker fare, specifically the episode “Tuesday the 17th , which star James Roday directed. This episode was a change of pace in that it put our stars in credible danger and offer grisly violence.
Since then PSYCH has gone back to its normal routine, until this season’s finale. The finale began with the revelation that Sean (Roday) had been shot and was missing.
My initial reaction was one of excitement. I really believed this could be done well and offer some genuine excitement. It gave the cops a chance to finally do their job, offered unique pairings and presumably would require Sean to stifle the inane pop culture references for a second. Ok, I was actually hoping the last one wouldn’t come true. But basically it offered a new direction that could be very striking in contrast to the normal direction of the show.
Unfortunately the episode merely fizzled out and never really sparked my interest. It began with a compelling tie in to Sean’s youth, as the lessons he learned from his neurotic father become very relevant while on the run. This storyline dies off too soon, much like the rest of the episode, which is too condensed and isn’t given time to properly unfold. This finale deserved two hours, just so we could watch the underrated Juliet (Maggie Lawson) explore her feelings for Sean, the pairing of Lassie and Spencer Senior, and maybe let Police Chief Vick get some face time. Is she even on the show anymore?
The lack of Juliet/Sean/Abigail intrigue was dismaying, and the little taste was unsatisfying. It didn’t get enough time to stew and I would have liked a bigger portion.
All in all the episode was a miss. It was too simple. Broke too quickly.
Essentially the episode got trapped in that limbo between drama and comedy, in which it fails to do either well. This is a problem for other USA shows like Burn Notice or Royal Pain, and I’m worried that Psych is going that way. Ok, not really worried, but disappointed that they fell in that hole. They obviously felt they could take from both worlds and were wrong.
This episode is not indicative of this season or the show in its entirety. PSYCH is my favorite show that USA has spawned. From its constant mocking of copycat THE MENTALIST to every expression Gus (Dule Hill) wears, this show is always on. It tries to be funny, and with the exception of the finale, always is. It takes a certain amount of self-awareness to watch this show and appreciate it, which explains its limited appeal and why it wouldn’t work on a network, but I think that’s why I like it. It’s not for everyone, just (if I do say so) the enlightened few who appreciate a running dialogue of 1980s pop culture and “I’ve heard it both ways” jokes.
I honestly can’t sing this show’s praises loud enough. James Roday deserved an emmy nomination for best actor in a comedy and Dule Hill should go over to Jon Cryer’s house and just take this year’s best supporting actor award. Honestly, he is amazing.
Dule Hill is especially interesting, based on the fact he is one of the few black actors who has been given a major role in a television comedy. This is more of an observation of the fact that there are few funny parts written for black actors. J.B. Smooth on CURB is one of the few actors I can think of off the top of my head. Obviously there’s Stanley on THE OFFICE, but I saved him because like Gus, his characters isn’t written as a “black” guy. They’re just guys. That’s an important distinction to make, as minority actors are still written into narrow clichés and I find that disappointing. End of rant.
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, PSYCH. Watch it. Love it.

Throwback Central on Psych

I'm about twenty minutes into the most recent episode of Psych, and so far I've spotted Alex Mack and the bad guy from Back to the Future.
Impressed? Oh yeah, Will Bailey is also in this episode. Who is Will Bailey? Joshua Malina's character from West Wing, which Gus was also on.
But how to market these skills....

Psyched for PSYCH!

It's back! It's back!! PSYCH IS BACK!!
I've been wasting my time with Royal Pains on USA, and didn't even realize Psych had returned. I'm a little embarrassed, but mostly happy the show is back. I'm about two minutes into the premiere and I'm very happy.
I'll have more when I'm done watching it, so for now I'll just say it's like watching a weird version of my best friend and me set to a cool soundtrack.
Oh! And they take a shot at the Mentalist. It's amazing!

Must See Strike TV!

Unless you’re a reality television junky the prospects of scripted entertainment not returning to television until next fall has you freaked out. Besides reading books or throwing down serious cash at the movie theatre, where will we find our entertainment? Sure, you could browse the internet to find amusing videos like this youtube clip, but with my suggestions you won’t have to spend hours watching bad clips for that one big payoff.

Maybe I’ll be just reiterating stuff you’ve heard before and ignored, but look at the strike as a chance to expand your horizons. Everything I recommend won’t be gold, but hopefully you’ll find a nugget or two that will help weather the storm.

The first thing you need to do in order to make it through this television drought is to hit your movie rental stores. You’re going to need to stock up for this dry season, so be prepared to shell out two to three dollars per DVD.

The first show I’d recommend is Extras. The entire series just became available on DVD, and it’s definitely worth renting. I went through all the twelve half hour episodes that make up the series in about four days, and capped it off with the ninety minute extra special series finale on the fifth day. The show chronicles the career of acting extra Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais), as he goes from a nobody to a sitcom star. The other main characters are Millman’s agent, Darren Lamb (Stephen Merchant), who is absolutely hilarious, and Millman’s best friend and fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), who keeps the show grounded The show is riddled with cameos that are absolutely hilarious, such as when Daniel Radcliffe announces that he’s, “done it, intercourse wise.” If you’ve ever seen any version of The Office and hated it, than Extras probably isn’t for you. If, on the other hand, you’re a devoted follower of The Office, than Extras is the perfect fit to fill the void.

If you need something to fill the void left by Heroes, and want something to compliment Lost, than its time to try Battlestar Galactica. Don’t let the fact that Battlestar is a Sci-Fi channel original scare you away or lead you to underestimate the show. This show is a legitimate drama, and is entertaining with numerous twists and turns, while not becoming overly complicated like Lost. But it’s not just the writing, because Battlestar has a respectable cast, which is headlined by Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell. Your viewing experience starts with a three hour Battlestar movie that kicks off the series, and from there the first 33 episodes are available on DVD.

. If you’re a fan of Law and Order: SVU or Without a Trace, than now is the time to start renting The Wire. The show is depressingly real, but it’s also really entertaining. The first four seasons are available on DVD, with the fifth and final season currently airing, but start from the beginning to achieve optimal enjoyment.

If you don’t want to tryout DVDs than your options are limited, but there is still hope. Psych and Monk both returned to USA on the 11^th, and new episodes air every Friday. Psych is a cute comedy about a fake psychic detective, and Monk is an equally cute comedy about a detective with OCD. Breaking Bad debuts the 20^th on AMC, and has been met with promising reviews. Breaking stars veteran television actor Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle), as a terminally ill chemistry teacher that decides to try his hand in the crystal-meth game. Lost returns at the end of the month, with eight episodes scheduled for release. A few other shows like 30 Rock and My Name is Earl have released new episodes in 2008, but don’t expect many more and just enjoy what the networks have to offer.

There are countless other shows available on DVD that I could recommend, but I’ll just rattle of a quick list with my rationales...

· All three seasons of the emmy winning comedy Arrested Development. Arrested is one of the five funniest shows I’ve ever seen, with writing and acting unmatched by anything on television today.

· The first three seasons of Gilmore Girls. With Rory still living at home the show still had pop, and had yet to become a caricature of itself.

· The first three seasons of Scrubs. The current version of Scrubs is not funny, and an embarrassment to those first three years that were hilarious and moving.

· The first four seasons of West Wing. The show without Sorkin was boring, but with Sorkin it was tight, funny, and made me cry from time to time.

· Sesaons three through ten of The Simpsons. Sure, new episodes are still available, but they pale in comparison to these eight seasons that are really strong.