The Top Ten Shows of 2008

So, yeah, readers, I left that previous top ten hanging. Because I’m lazy. So, in order to combat the chance of that happening again, the entire top 10 is going to be in one, neat handy-dandy post. Huzzah! You’ll notice differences from that original one too. So yeah, here’s the top 10.

10. So You Think You Can Dance- FOX

The best of the reality talent shows, with the best host on all of television. Sure, this past season was not their best one, nor even their second best. Sure, there were phenomenal contestants this year (Mark and Will, please move to the front of the class), but this season kind of fell a little flat. I could do with less of Nigel and Mary and more of guest judges like Lil’ C. But even with all of these problems, SYTYCD still manages to clock in at number 10 on my list.

9. Chuck- NBC

Chuck can be frustratingly formulaic at times. If there is one big, gaping flaw with the show, it is that every episode seems like the one before it, but with different guest stars. But the rigidity of the formula allows more room for the lead characters (as well as those zany background credited players) to shine. Zachary Levi is an incredibly likeable lead, Adam Baldwin is always great, and Yvonne Strahovski is proving to be more than just an attractive blonde to look at. Plus, how can you not love a show with a character named “Captain Awesome?”

8. The Office- NBC

The Office has had an up and down year. There has been some absolute brilliance in this year, but there’s also been a whole lot of unpleasantness. (How uncomfortable was the most recent Christmas special?) However, The Office still proves itself to be one of the most solidly funny shows on TV, always delivering in at least some capacity. Jim and Pam are still one of the absolute best couples on TV, with real real chemistry, and the Andy-Angela-Dwight love triangle has been great. It wasn’t The Office’s best year, but it’s still been a pretty darn good one.

7. Flight of the Conchords- HBO

All it takes is a few lines to explain Conchords’ place here “Just because we’ve been playing Tonsil Hockey doesn’t mean you get to score the goal that’s in my Jockeys”, “Bret you got it goin on. Not in a gay way, just in a ‘hey mate, I wanted to say that you’re looking okay’ way”, “My rhymes are so potent that in this small segment I made all of the ladies in the area pregnant.” “So you thin maybe you’ll be a prostitute, just to pay for your lessons, your learning the flute. Ladies wouldn’t pay your very much for this, looks like you’ll never be a concert flautist.” I rest my case.

6. Doctor Who- BBC

So, I’m kind of a Film/TV Sci-Fi nerd. Well, a really big one. And there is no better sci-fi on TV than Doctor Who (Ok, well, I’m far behind on Battlestar Galactica, so that may be better, but I’m not in a place to judge). My ultimate wildest dream is being a companion to the doctor, getting to travel through time and space. This season boasted a really good companion in Donna (a previously very irritating Catherine Tate), and a run of absolutely amazing episodes leading up to a mostly satisfying finale. The Silence in the Library two-parter will be something I will re-watch for years to come, as will the Midnight episode, which is absolutely A+ suspense. And I can’t wait until Steven Moffat takes over the shows reins in 2010.

5. I Love Money- VH1

A very unconventional pick, yes, but anyone who has read the blog for a while knows my absolute love for all things VH1 Celebreality. And I don’t think VH1 will ever produce a better show than the first season of I Love Money. It was a show full of really compelling characters (and I call these people characters because no human beings actually behave in this way), which was crafted in a brilliant way so as to reward manipulation and smarts over brawn. It produced a bona-fide VH1 star in Megan, who was kind of nothing before this and now is, like her (which I mostly do) or hate her (as most others do), a powerhouse VH1 character. There was no better mindless entertainment this year than I Love Money.

4. Lost- ABC

I cannot remember a creative resurgence like the one Lost has this past season, well, ever. So, soo, sooooo good was Lost’s fourth season that I once again have complete and utter faith in this show and will blindly follow it to its end. Season 3 had a whole slew of problems (Nikki and Paulo, we thankful hardly knew ye), but season 4, with the change in the formula, the mystery of who the Oceanic 6 would be, and the knowledge that it was building to castaways leaving the island gave the show so much strength and steam this past season that even Lost haters were jumping back towards the bandwagon. Just a ridiculously impressive season these guys turned out.

3. The Middleman- ABC Family

I cannot think of a better freshman season than the one The Middleman had. Nearly (I say nearly, because the Cursed Tuba one was kind of weak) every episode was nothing but fantastic, boasting some of the most interesting characters who I genuinely would love to spend time with. The Middleman was so witty, clever, geeky, cool, fun, and a bunch of other adjectives that are good things. Natalie Morales and Matt Keeslar had absolutely fantastic chemistry, and I truly hope that we get to see more Middleman-Dub Dub banter. Unfortunately, we most likely never will since neither ABC (we’ll get to that in a quick sec), nor ABC Family seems to recognize true genius when they have it, opting not to renew in order to give us more episodes of, say, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” or “According to Jim.” Sorry, I’m bitter.

2 & 1. It’s A Tie!

30 Rock- NBC

Oh, Tina Fey, why do you make me love you so? Between your dead-on Palin and 30 Rock, I fell even more for you this year. The thing that I love about 30 Rock is that every single character is funny, and yet it doesn’t seem like anyone is trying to out-funny their peers. Fey’s Liz Lemon seems to be an equal amount of buffoon as the rest of the show’s characters, and accomplishing a successful comedy without a straight man deserves props. I can only hope it continues to get even better.

Pushing Daisies- ABC

Why, ABC? Why? Why must you rob me of the sweetest, cutest, most heart-warming show on all of TV? Daisies achieved the perfect balance of sweet and tart, with adorable, surreal, fairy-tale awesomeness, undercut by biting humor and wit. There is not a single, single thing I would change about Pushing Daisies if I could, which is a feat no other show, including those on this list, can claim. The entire cast is absolutely fantastic and will hopefully continue to do amazing this. So I say again, Why ABC? And I swear, if you don’t air the remaining three episodes (as it seems like you may be planning on doing), there’s a decent chance I’ll never tune into ABC again.

So there you have it folks. My top 10 of 2008. As a disclaimer, there are a bunch of really acclaimed shows that I never finished, or got caught up on, so things like Mad Men, Damages, and The Shield, just to name a few, never stood a shot of making it onto the list. But of the TV I watch, which is, trust me, a LOT, these were the 10 shows that I dubbed the best. But enough about me, what do you folks think?

Top 10 Of The Year: #6- Survivor Micronesia: Fans Vs. Favorites

Previously:
The Honorable Mentions
#10- Gossip Girl
#9- South Park
#8- Chuck
#7- How I Met Your Mother

Yup, folks, it's a Top 10 double feature, because I've currently got nothing to do at work!
Listen, I’m as surprised as anyone that Survivor made my top 10. The reality mainstay stopped being good after like season 2. I kept watching, though, since I require incredible amounts of television in my bloodstream at all times. And I’m very glad I did. And I’m glad I did because Survivor Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites was the best season they’ve ever had. Don’t get me wrong, I love season one, but, despite the insanity of parts, it was relatively tame. It was just so shocking and great because no one knew the formula, it was brand new. Whereas, with Micronesia, everyone knew what Survivor was, and it still managed to knock people’s socks off.

The credit for this season really rests in the hands of the players. The fans vs. favorites dynamic was interesting, but this season didn’t pick up until after the merge. Which is when all the fun started. See, there were five (Count ‘em FIVE) amazing tribal councils in a row. First, Eliza played the fake immunity idol. Then they blindsided Ozzy. Then they blindsided Jason in the exact same way they blindsided Ozzy. Then Amanda successfully used a hidden immunity idol,

And then, the piece de resistance, they convinced Erik, having just seen the past FOUR tribal council game twists, to GIVE UP his individual immunity. The poor, dumb kid.

But, as if FIVE straight weeks of Tribal Council awesomeness weren’t good enough, you also had TWO medical evacuations and player voluntarily quitting the game. This season was just so good.

Now, I know that this was only half of the primetime season for Survivor. But I don’t care. I’m making the rules, I can break ‘em. This season of Survivor was so good, it absolutely earned it’s spot here. So congrats, Survivor, for the awesome come back. You earned your #6.

Top 10 Of The Year: #7- How I Met Your Mother

Previously:
The Honorable Mentions
#10- Gossip Girl
#9- South Park
#8- Chuck

So, it’s been a while, I know. Other things, like my laziness, came up. But I vow to continue and complete this top 10 list before the end of the month, in case anyone cares. But, back to the matter at hand.


How I Met Your Mother has a laugh track. Stay with me here folks. How I Met Your Mother has a laugh track and it completely doesn’t need one. Because it’s seriously, seriously funny. I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t one of the rules of television the fact that a laugh track means less funny. Well, that’s what I thought. But How I Met Your Mother breaks that rule.

I will admit, this season was not as good as last season was. There were a bunch of filler episodes. But the show still managed to make my top 10. That’s saying something. But, even if this season had filler episodes, it also had a bunch of amazing ones. “Sandcastles In The Sand” stands out to me, since I love the Robin Sparkles storyline (One of the main characters was a teenage one hit wonder in Canada under the name Robin Sparkles. For more information, go HERE). The episode where Barney puts all the women he’s wronged into a NCAA bracket is amazing. Slapsgiving, the continuation of the Slap Bet joke, was also filled to the brim with funny. Also, the two minute date that the main character engineers (From the Britney Spears episode), is an amazing bit of writing.

I don’t really know how to say it in another way: The show is just really, really funny.

I tried introducing a co-worker to it earlier this summer, and he wasn’t blown away. Maybe it’s a show that you have to follow to love. But, knowing the characters (every single one of whom is funny, a rare feat for a sitcom), I always laugh a few times an episode. Maybe it’s not for everyone, but, between the awesome running jokes, my ever-growing man-crush on Neil Patrick Harris, and the loads of funny that the show has, I feel confident placing How I Met Your Mother in the seven spot on the countdown.

SYTYCD Pre-Finale Extravaganza Part 3

So, here’s the last part of the extravaganza. Originally it was gonna be a top 10, but I made a preliminary list, and I couldn’t pick just 10. I had the solid top 9, but there were 3 dances that were all basically equal for that ten spot. I did manage to rank them, but they were all so good that they deserved to be listed. So here’s the top 12 routines (and some honorable mentions) of the season so far.

The Honorable Mentions: Chelsea and Thayne’s Top 20 Cha Cha, Courtney and Gev’s Top 18 Contemporary, Katee and Joshua’s Top 16 Samba, Chelsie and Mark’s Top 14 Foxtrot, Chelsie and Mark’s Top 12 Salsa, Comfort and Mark’s Top 8 Hip-Hop

12. Katee and Joshua’s Top 14 Contemporary
Choreographed by Mia Michaels

I still stand by my initial wowzers reaction to this dance. It’s ridiculously beautiful.

11. Courtney and Gev’s Top 14 Hip-Hop
Choreographed by Cecily and Olisa

I love the footwork in this. This reminded me what real hip-hop on the show can be like.

10. Kherington and Twitch’s Top 18 Viennese Waltz
Choreographed by Jean Marc Genereaux and France

This is just all sorts of beautiful. And the poignancy behind it only makes it better.

9. Comfort and Twitch’s Top 10 Hip-Hop
Choreographed by Dave Scott

Everyone expected it to be amazing. It was. This was Comfort’s ticket to the top 8.

8. Katee and Joshua’s Top 20 Hip-Hop
Choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha

Not my usual type of hip-hop, but still amazing. Joshua’s rising back up is just ridiculous.

7. Chelsie and Gev’s Top 10 Contemporary
Choreographed by Sonja Tayeh

Amazing song. Amazing emotions. Just beautiful.

6. Chelsie and Mark’s Top 16 Hip-Hop
Choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha

I wasn’t sold by this routine the first time. Rewatching it, I am. Chelsie was also ridiculously impressive in this, I’ve noticed.

5. Jessica and Will’s Top 10 Contemporary
Choreographed by Tyce Diorio

This is just really beautiful. I really didn’t know Tyce had this in him.

4. Courtney and Mark’s Top 6 Jazz
Choreographed by Sonja Tayeh

Sonja and Mark are the most perfect pairing ever. This is just banoodles.

3. Katee and Twitch’s Top 8 Contemporary
Choreographed by Mia Michaels

Mia having fun is a great, great thing. Katee swinging out on the door is a perfect moment.

2. Courtney and Gev’s Top 12 Jazz
Choreographed by Mandy Moore

This just beat out number 3. It’s tons of fun, the music is perfect, and they have great chemistry.

1. Katee and Will’s Top 10 Pas De Deux
Choreographed by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden

Honestly, I don’t think there’s been anything this amazing on stage all four seasons. There have been massively impressive numbers in the past, but this is just so awesomely, beautifully, amazingly banoodles-tastic that there’s no routine that even comes close to it this season. Thank god Richardson and Rhoden decided to slum on SYTYCD one week. We’re all the better for it.

So, what do you folks think?

Top 10 of the Year- #8- Chuck

So, you know how in the post for Gossip Girl (#10), I said that it took Reaper’s spot on the list? Well, that’s not entirely true. While Gossip Girl did edge out Reaper for the 10 spot, that wasn’t the only reason Reaper didn’t make the cut. The other big reason was that Chuck had already made the list. In many ways, I consider Chuck and Reaper to be birds of a feather. They both chronicle young men in dead end jobs who suddenly possess a great power. They both have potentially aggravating sidekicks, love interests, and whatnot. But Chuck is the greater show, and that is why it makes the list.

Chuck’s success lies mainly in its actors, particularly Zachary Levi as the titular (hehe, titular. Sorry, I’ve got the maturity level of an eight year old) Chuck. His charisma and likeability sustain the show through the sometimes repetitive plots and the stretches of time that Morgan (dear God, is there a more annoying side kick on TV?) is on screen. Levi’s chemistry with Yvonne Strahovski (as one of his handlers and his love interest) is also pretty good and his chemistry with Adam Baldwin (as his other, grumpier handler) is even better. While, yes, Morgan is the most grating sidekick I’ve seen in a long time, the lead trio (as well as various other characters- Shout out to Ryan McPartlin as brother-in-law to be Captain Awesome) make the show feel light and enjoyable.

Which, to be honest, is refreshing nowadays. Current dramas are mostly dark and grim, and even the comedies don’t seen to be light and refreshing in the way that Chuck is. Chuck is just enjoyable to watch. It’s not trying to be high end art, it’s just there to entertain. Which I think actually may be why it nudged out Reaper. Because, as much as I love Reaper for finally developing a serial plot, it started to lost the fun charm. Chuck, even though it can get pretty darn repetitive, keeps it light, and even when it doesn’t keep it light, the charms of the actors shine through and lighten the mood. So congrats Chuck, welcome to the top 10. Be proud, you managed to make it here on only a half season. I look forward to seeing you next season.

Top 10 Of The Year- #9- South Park

Ok, so I’m breaking the rules with this one a little bit. This is a top 10 list for the 2007-2008 TV season. South Park tends to air in short 8 episode blocks. During the 2007-2008 season, South Park showed the tail half of season 11 and the first half of season 12. I’m gonna clump these together.

With a show that has gone on into it’s 12th season, you’re always gonna be able to say “Eh, it’s been better.” And, in all honesty, South Park has had better seasons. But, for the sheer brilliance of 4 episodes (Not to mention a bunch of normally good episodes), South Park makes this list. Those four episodes? This spring’s “Canada on Strike” and this past fall’s absolutely genius “Imaginationland” trilogy.

“Canada on Strike”, a clear parody of the writer’s strike, was hilarious on so many levels. The simple idea of Canada going on strike from the rest of the world because they don’t get enough respect, and the rest of the world not really caring were both great. But the episode evolved past the basic laughs from the concept and had excellent writing and an absolutely amazing ending. I would probably rank it as one of the best they’ve ever done. I may have just found it funnier because of how overly obsessed I am with TV and was with the strike, but it hit every note perfectly.

Even without “Canada on Strike”, though, South Park would have made this list, for the utter genius of the “Imaginationland” trilogy. Not only were the episodes absolutely hilarious (Although the first one was clearly the strongest), but the ideas raised by the episode were equally as genius. Terrorists taking control of our imaginations and then our imaginations running wild. Seriously, those guys are brilliant. Plus, who doesn’t love an appearance by ManBearPig?

But on top of those four brilliant episodes, you also had amazing moments like Cartman hiding cats from the DEA and Kyle trying to point out the similarities, Bono being revealed to be a giant turd, “How do I reeeeech the keeeeds”, Mr(s). Garrison’s penis running wild, and Britney Spears missing a head. That’s not to say that there haven’t been misfires (I’m looking at you, completely unfunny and actually quite disgusting episode with Cartman and Kyle getting AIDS), but overall this has been a really good year for South Park. Not the best they’ve ever had, but a damn good one. And so, even 12 seasons in, South Park still makes my top 10.

Top 10 Of The Year: #10- Gossip Girl

You know, I’m more than a little surprised that this made my top 10 list of the year. But at the same time, I’m not. It was very close between this and fellow CW show Reaper for the number 10 slot, but Gossip Girl just edged it out. In my original review of the pilot, I acknowledged that Gossip Girl had some very good and some very bad things in it. Now, the reason that Gossip Girl is not only a solidly good show in my book, but also one that makes my top 10 is because it has corrected almost every one of those problems.

The first few episodes of the show, it seemed very cartoonish in a certain way. Everyone, even someone like Dan, seemed like a caricature. It was all outlandish and kind of fun but also, at least to me, not particularly engrossing or even faintly realistic. But, while there’s still a certain level of non-reality, the rest of the show, in the characters, their interactions, and the relationships, has made some really big strides in becoming grounded in reality. Dan is less of a know-it-all tool, Blair is no longer just a bitch, Jenny gained personality, and Serena has become miles more genuine.

And those were the ones I regarded as good in my pilot review. Chace Crawford is easily one of, if not THE most improved actor on primetime television. He was so, so bad in the pilot. Like, a disgrace to my first name (Yeah Nate!) bad. But, and I don’t know where this came from, he suddenly got good. Not decent, not acceptable, but actually good. He had charisma, he didn’t make me want to hit myself in the head, and he seemed realistic. Kudos, Mr. Crawford. Similarly, Ed Westwick took the absolute caricature of Chuck, and, while Chuck Bass is and will probably always be a caricature (Not that that’s a bad thing, in this case), Westwick has made Chuck probably the most entertaining character on the show. Similarly, I tore into the portrayal of the parents in the pilot, and they have significantly improved. They’re not quite as good as the parents were on The OC, but there are definitely signs of improvement.

While the show has improved miles since the pilot, it has still retained the really pleasurable elements of watching the show too, which is to say, the campiness and bitchiness is still intact. The war and escalation between Jenny and Blair was incredibly fun to watch, and characters like Chuck, even in his most outlandish brightly colored pant and ascot combination, is still fun to watch when he’s being devious.

Also, and quite possibly the biggest reason this show made the list, is that is has displayed an enormous amount of unexpected maturity for a show that focuses on teenagers, and spoiled teenagers to boot. In the recent post-strike episodes, the show has candidly focused on drug issues, relationship drama like cheating, coming out, and dealing with Michelle Trachtenberg in a much better and more insightful manner than I ever expected to see on a show like this. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.

So congrats Gossip Girl, you’ve made my top 10. Lets keep the good work up (and don’t lose the campiness).

Top 10 Of The Season: The Honorable Mentions

And thus begins my countdown of the top 10 shows that aired during the 2007-2008 TV season. Over the next, oh, lets say two weeks, I’m gonna roll out my list of the 10 best shows that aired during the 2007-2008 TV season. My family always makes fun of me because I love to make lists. So a) Suck it family, this is a proper forum for lists, and b) expect many more to come. As a precursor/note: I am very behind on Battlestar Galactica, am starting to catch up on the first few seasons of The Wire, and am not as great a TV fan as I should be, because there’s a large number of shows I just wasn’t interested in/couldn’t muster the strength to follow. So that being said, here are the five shows that just barely missed the countdown. In no particular order:


Dirty Sexy Money- If this show had had a full season, and had continued the steady progress it was making quality-wise, it very well may have made the list. But, with the writer’s strike, we only got around 10 episodes of this. I know ABC is planning a big relaunch in the fall, so at least that’s good. The show’s got a solid cast, good writing, and a few interesting enough plotlines to make it a favored viewing.


Psych- I love this show. It never fails to make me laugh. Shawn and Gus together are amazing. That being said, it’s not the highest quality show, which is why it did not make the top ten. I still love it though.


The Amazing Race- I’d probably rank Amazing Race among my 5 favorite shows on television. However, as much as I wish it wasn’t the case, this season just wasn’t up to snuff with some of the others. But I am very eagerly looking forward to the next one.


Reaper- Darn season finales and such. This show, while always having been funny and entertaining, has really been thriving creatively in recent weeks. The writing is, for the most part, sharp, and the actors all have great chemistry with one another. If the creative uptick had started a little earlier in the season, I have no questions that this would have made the top ten. But, I’m just happy it did, and that it’s coming back next season.


Brothers and Sisters- The Walker family is my favorite dysfunctional family on TV (and god knows there are lots of ‘em). Something about their dynamic, even though no family could ever exist like that and not end in one sibling killing everyone, seems real. Too bad this show hit a major sophomore slump this year. I love Rebecca, but this whole end-of-season storyline involving her paternity was useless. And really, really aggravating.

So those were the ones that just missed the list. If you, my (I’m guessing) one loyal reader, want to make predictions as to what actually made the list, feel free. I will tell you that there are two representatives from cable, NBC has the most spots with 3, and there’s only one network in the big 5 that didn’t make the list.

PS: I'd like to make a special mention of Doctor Who, which is a British sci-fi show about a time-traveling alien. If I was allowing foreign TV onto the list, this would have cruised to the top half of the list easy. But my list is solely American TV, so Doctor Who, even though you air on Sci-Fi in the US, I'm sorry.