Wednesday, December 30, 2009

My Picks for the Top Shows of the Decade

Since every other TV site is doing their list of the top TV shows of the decade. I figured I would weigh in with my choices. Here are my choices in no particular order...

Survivor - Survivor premiered in May of 2000 for a summer run and quickly became a television phenomenon. The concept of being stranded on a deserted island for 39 days, having to fend for yourself, competing to survive in the game, all while building relationships and a mini-society. Personalities such as Richard, Rudy, Susan, and host Jeff Probst helped make the show the success that it was. The finale, which aired on August 23, 2000, drew 51.7 million viewers. It remains only second to the 'Friends' finale in total viewership for the entire decade. The series, now in its 19th edition, continue to draw strong ratings. It changed the landscape of TV, and has become the gold standard in reality TV. The show by which all other reality shows are measured.

24 - This show, about a counter terrorist unit of the US goverment, premiered less than 2 months after the 9/11 attacks, and it defined the state of our nations national security for the decade. Pulse pounding storylines and the perfectly cast Keifer Sutherland as CTU Agent Jack Bauer along with it's real time concept propelled this show to the top of the TV's Best lists in the year it premiered. The concept of a show playing out in real time over a single day, with each episode representing an hour was and still is very unique to TV. It was also the first show to intentionally wait until midseason to premiere, in order to allow the season to run uninterrupted without reruns. Many shows have since followed suit. It has continued to provide top notch storylines and superb acting year after year.

House - In a time when medical dramas and mysteries were all the rage, this show combined the two. The show premiered November 16, 2004, and stars Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House, a drug addicted, medical genius with many problems of his own. The character of House was modeled after Sherlock Holmes, both are forensic geniuses, musicians, drug users, and largely friendless. House and his diagnostic team tackle medical mysteries week after week. Laurie's performance is what solidifies this show. His character of House, along with 24's Jack Bauer are two of the iconic TV characters of the decade.

The Shield - Series creator Shawn Ryan shattered the mold for your conventional police drama with this show. Premiering on March 12, 2002, 'The Shield' was unlike any cop show before it and has been unlike any show since. Michael Chiklis played Vic Mackey, a sympathetic but corrupt Los Angeles cop who made up his own rules. From the moment Vic killed a fellow cop who was investigating him in the pilot episode and then framed a drug dealer for the crime, we were hooked. That incident would haunt Mackey and his "Strike Team" for the duration of the series. The show put FX on the map and changed the way cable dramas were perceived. 'The Shield' presented stories that were dark, hard to watch, but at the same time absolutely riveting and gave us 7 seasons of incredible television.

Curb Your Enthusiasm - Larry David, creator of 'Seinfeld,' brought this hilarious comedy series to us on October 15, 2000. This unscripted and largely improvised show follows Larry as a caricature of himself. The humor on this show can be so uncomfortable at times that you almost feel guilty laughing. Larry always says the politically incorrect things that everyone is thinking but afraid to say. Celebrity guest appearances have always been a staple of this show, and have generated some of the series funniest episodes. Whether you feel uncomfortable or not, you cannot get through an episode of 'Curb' without laughing.

The Sopranos - This series followed the life of Tony Soprano, played masterfully by James Gandolfini, a charismatic gangster who uses psychotherapy to help him balance his relationships with his wife and children, and to deal with the stress of his position as a powerful figure in the New Jersey mafia. From the moment it debuted on January 10, 1999, no other show generated more water cooler conversations. Beginning with Tony's musings about the ducks in his swimming pool in the series opening scene, and ending with a much talked about final scene, the 6 season of 'The Sopranos' unfolded brilliantly. Family members became traitors and series regulars were whacked without warning. Creator David Chase brilliantly melded the dark, violent world of an organized crime boss with life in middle class suburbia. One of the best casts ever to grace a TV screen.

The Wire - The Wire, which premiered on HBO on June 2nd, 2002. unfolded like a great novel. This series expert depiction of the Baltimore drug trade and the team of cops battling it required patience from the viewers and rewarded that patience like no other. Creator David Simon, who created another of the great cop shows of all time 'Homicide: Life on the Street,' worked for the Baltimore Sun for 12 years and knows the city like the back of his hand. He and his team of writers, which include crime novelists Dennis Lehane, and George Pelecanos, revealed how the corrupt acts of the people in power preyed on the city’s most defenseless residents.

The West Wing - TV's quintessential political drama began in September 1999 during the Clinton administration, and continued on through Bush and 9/11. The shows appeal was not only it's great cast but its behind the scenes look at a President and his staff and the daily struggles and crises of running a country. 'The West Wing' showed us not how the government was, but as it could be— a White House run by tireless, big-hearted public servants who believed in being decent and moral. Martin Sheen's President Josiah Bartlet would give any of his real-life counterparts a run for their money. John Spencer and Bradley Whitford have the roles of a lifetime. Whether you are conservative or liberal, if you enjoy politics, you will love this series. If you have not yet seen this series, do yourself a favor and buy or rent the DVD's, sit back and enjoy.

Damages - This legal drama, which premiered on July 24, 2007, stars Glenn Close as brilliant, but ruthless attorney Patty Hewes. A superb cast, brings to life some of the most intriguing and surprising plots ever conceived for TV. Who's a villain and who's a hero here? You never really know for sure. 'Damages,' like any good page turner, keeps you guessing until the very end of each storyline.

30 Rock - Created by and starring Tina Fey, this show about the behind the scenes of a late night sketch comedy show premiered on October 11, 2006. It was an immediate hit with critics, however fans came slowly and this show struggled in the ratings early on. 38 Emmy nominations and 10 wins including 3 consecutive wins for Best Comedy Series have catapulted this show to success. Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy and Tina Fey as Liz Lemon are fantastic and have also been awarded with multiple awards.
From its hilarious approach to product placement to its grab-bag of crazy-good performances '30 Rock' is TV's best comedy hands down.

Entourage -
'Entourage' has boasted, in my opinion, the best comedic performance of the decade with Jeremy Piven's ruthless agent Ari Gold. The show debuted on July 18, 2004 to critical acclaim and over the years has been nominated for 24 Emmy awards, winning 4. 3 of the 4 wins were for Piven's amazing performance. The show chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase from a struggling actor to an A-list star, and his childhood friends who have come along for the ride. To the people who knock this show, just enjoy it, it's a fun show that is also very funny.

Rescue Me -
Denis Leary's amazing series about NYC Firefighters dealing with a post 9/11 world, debuted on July 21, 2004. It was an immediate hit with fans and critics alike. Leary is riveting as the highly flawed Tommy Gavin, an alcoholic firefighter that comes from a family of alcoholics. Tommy is frequently visited by dead relatives and the spirits of the victims of past fires. The show mixes humor with very dark storylines such as
depression, alcoholism, homophobia, and the aftermath of 9/11. A terrific supporting cast rounds out the show nicely. The series hit a rough patch but rebounded very nicely with it's best season last year.

Arrested Development
- It only lasted 3 seasons, but what a great 3 seasons it was. Premiering on November 2, 2003, this show from executive producer Ron Howard follows the dysfunctional Bluth family. The Bluths lose the family fortune in a banking scandal and hilarity ensues. Every time you watch an episode you find something new to laugh at. The show suffered from an ever changing time slot and never really caught on with viewers. It has obtained cult status over the years and loyal fans can take heart... a big screen continuation of the series is in the works.

The Office -
Defying expectations that it would pale in comparison to it's British counterpart, NBC's 'The Office' has become its own show. It's no longer fair to compare it to its predecessor. Much like 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' this show delivers cringe worthy humor that you don't know whether to laugh at or not. But you just can't help laughing. Steve Carrell's Michael Scott is so politically incorrect, that it produces some of TV's funniest moments week after week.

Scrubs -
Probably the most underrated comedy on this list. Premiering in October 2001, this hospital based comedy was the funniest comedy on TV in its first few seasons. It filled the Seinfeld void very nicely for NBC. That isn't to say that it was as funny as Seinfeld. But that is an unfair comparison for any show. This show stands on its own and it's cast of characters are as good as any show on TV, then or now.

Six Feet Under
- This show, premiering HBO on June 3rd, 2001, centered on the Fisher family, owners of the Fisher and Sons Funeral Home. The show was very unique in so many ways, each episode beginning with the death of the person who would be waked at Fisher and Sons, and then following the lives of the people that worked there. Peter Krause and Michael C. Hall's performances as brothers Nate and David Fisher carried this series week after week.
In its last few episodes Nate dies of a brain hemorrhage and the Fishers themselves became the mourners, celebrating Nate's imperfect life and moving on. The show never failed to deliver touching stories and amazing performances, and ended with one of the greatest series finales ever.

Alias - Before 'Lost,' JJ Abrams gave us 'Alias.' 'Alias,' which premiered on September 30, 2001, followed sexy female spy Sidney Bristow played by Jennifer Garner. Week after week, the show delivered nail biting suspense and thrilling action scenes. While it was sometimes bogged down in its own mythology, the show always entertained and boasted great performances by Victor Garber as Jack, Sidney's spy-daddy, and Ron Rifkin as Arvin Sloane, Sidney's arch nemesis.

Lost - My personal pick for the best TV series of the decade. 'Lost' exploded onto the scene on September 22, 2004 and quickly became appointment viewing. JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Jeffery Lieber created the series which follows the lives of a group of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island. Much like 'The Wire,' 'Lost' has counted on viewers being patient as the show’s creators have withheld information, killed characters, divided the cast and, in the ultimate potential deal-breaker, toyed with time travel. All of it has paid off beautifully for fans. 'Lost' unique and fascinating brand of storytelling, which uses flashbacks and flash-forwards routinely to fill in the stories of these amazing characters, is perfectly complimented by an incredible cast. 'Lost' is not for the casual TV viewer. Viewers of 'Lost' need to be invested in this show and appreciate the time that it takes to tell this story, savoring each episode. The best acting currently on television can be found on this show week after week. 'Lost' will come to an end in 2010 and TV will never be the same.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

'Lost' Final Season Preview!

'Lost' returns to ABC on February 2nd for it's final season.

ABC has released a nice little trailer previewing whats to come.

Have a look.


Monday, December 21, 2009

Survivor : Worst Jury Vote EVER!

Let's make one thing perfectly clear. Like him or not, Russell Hantz played the best Survivor game in the history of the show.

He was in control of the game from the very beginning. Week after week, he manipulated the votes to go his way. He found hidden immunity idols with no clues whatsoever. He won the final and most important immunity challenge. He started out as one of the most hated players ever and soon became one that people rooted for because he was playing such an amazing game.

Natalie on the other hand did absolutely nothing. She didn't do a single thing to keep herself in the game. The only reason she continued to survive week after week was because the other players CHOSE not to vote her out.

You may not like Russell, but he ruled this game. I have nothing against Natalie at all. She won the million dollars, good luck to her. It's the 9 jury members who should be ashamed of themselves. They lost sight of what the game was about. You're not supposed to vote for who you like the most. This isn't high school. You are supposed to vote for who played the best game. You are supposed to set aside your personal feelings when you vote. Not a single member of that jury can make a valid argument that Natalie played a better game than Russell.

Jeff Probst did the best he could to tell the jury they screwed up with out actually coming out and saying it. He asked Natalie what her best move in the game was and when she couldn't answer he mentioned that maybe it was voting Erik out. Then when Russell won the fan vote for the Player of the Year, he basically asked the jury "What does that tell you?" They really had no answer for him.

I don't want to hear that he lied, backstabbed, and had no regard for other peoples feelings. That is how you play the game. There has never been a single player who has played Survivor that hasn't lied or backstabbed in this game. It's part of the game. Period. It's how you win.

There have been some other bad votes in Survivor history. Tina Wesson beating Colby Donaldson in Australia after Colby won immunity challenge after immunity challenge, and Amber Brkich beating out Rob Mariano in All-Stars, after Rob basically controlled the game from the beginning much like Russell did this time.

Whether Russell is one of the best to ever play or not is open to debate, but what is not open to debate is that Russell dominated this season and deserved to be crowned the winner. Anyone who thinks that the right person won has no clue how the game is supposed to be played.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Brittany Murphy dies at 32

Actress Brittany Murphy died today after going into full cardiac arrest and could not be revived. The cause of death is unknown at this time. She was 32 years old.

According to TMZ, a 911 call was made at 8 am from a home in Los Angeles that is listed as belonging to her husband, Simon Monjack. She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at 10:04 am.

A source tells TMZ that Murphy's mother discovered her unconscious in the shower. When paramedics arrived, they determined that the actress was in full cardiac arrest, and they began to administer CPR. They continued their CPR attempts during the ambulance trip to the hospital, but Murphy was unresponsive.

Murphy starred in such films as "Clueless," "Just Married," "Sin City," "Happy Feet," "8 Mile," and "Don't Say a Word."

Murphy's family has released the following statement to US Magazine: "In this time of sadness, the family thanks you for your love and support. It is their wish that you respect their privacy."

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Golden Globe Nominations announced

The nominations for the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning. Below are the TV nominations. A few surprises, a few snubs, as usual.

Best TV drama series: "Big Love," HBO; "Dexter," Showtime; "House," Fox; "Mad Men," AMC; "True Blood," HBO.

Best TV comedy or musical series: "30 Rock," NBC; "Entourage," HBO; "Glee," Fox; "Modern Family," ABC; "The Office," NBC.

Best actor in a TV drama: Simon Baker, "The Mentalist," CBS; Jon Hamm, "Mad Men," AMC; Michael C. Hall, "Dexter," Showtime; Hugh Laurie, "House," Fox; Bill Paxton, "Big Love," HBO.

Best actress in a TV drama: Glenn Close, "Damages," FX; January Jones, "Mad Men," AMC; Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife," CBS; Anna Paquin, "True Blood," HBO; Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer," TNT.

Best actress in a TV comedy: Tina Fey, "30 Rock," Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie," Toni Collette, "The United States of Tara," Lea Michele, "Glee"; Courteney Cox, "Cougar Town."

Best actor in a TV comedy: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" Steve Carell, "The Office" David Duchovny, "Californication," Matthew Morrison, "Glee," Thomas Jane, "Hung."

Best actor in a supporting role: Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"; Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"; William Hurt, "Damages"; John Lithgow, "Dexter"; Michael Emerson, "Lost."

Best actress in a supporting role: Jane Lynch, "Glee"; Rose Byrne, "Damages"; Janet McTeer, "Into the Storm"; Jane Adams, "Hung"; Chloe Sevigny, "Big Love."

Best TV movie or miniseries: "George O'Keeffe," Lifetime; "Grey Gardens" HBO; "Into the Storm," HBO; "Little Dorrit," PBS; "Taking Chance," HBO.

Best actor in a miniseries or TV movie: Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance," HBO; Kenneth Branagh, "Wallender," PBS; Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Endgame," PBS; Brendan Gleeson, "Into the Storm," HBO; Jeremy Irons, "Georgia O'Keeffe," Lifetime.

Best actress in a miniseries or made-for-TV movie: Joan Allen, "Georgia O'Keefe"; Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens"; Jessica Lange, "Grey Gardens"; Anna Paquin, "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler"; Sigourney Weaver, "Prayers for Bobby."

Let me just say that Jim Parsons being ignored for 'Big Bang Theory' is ridiculous. Him and Neil Patrick Harris are the two best comedic actors on network TV today and Parsons should have been recognized. In fact, the absence of any nods for 'Big Bang Theory' is a real head scratcher.

In the Drama categories, I'm real bummed that 'Rescue Me' didn't receive any nominations either. The FX drama had its best season this year and Denis Leary turned in an incredible performance.

On the other hand, real happy to see nominations for Jane Lynch for 'Glee,' and Michael Emerson for 'Lost.' Also a well deserved nomination for 'Modern Family' in the best comedy category, although some of the actors could have been recognized as well, namely Ed O'Neill.

So what do you think? Who got snubbed? Which nominations surprised you?

Monday, December 14, 2009

NBC announces mid-season lineup

NBC has announced it's midseason lineup today, including the premiere date for the long awaited 'Parenthood.'

Here are the highlights:

'Chuck' premieres on Sunday, January 10th, with 2 back-to-back episodes, then settles into it's normal timeslot of Mondays at 8pm beginning January 11th.

'Parenthood' premieres on March 1st after being delayed by Maura Tierney's illness. Tierney was replaced with Lauren Graham.

'The Biggest Loser' premieres January 5th.

'The Marriage Ref' from producer Jerry Seinfeld premieres on March 14th.

'The Celebrity Apprentice' premieres March 14th.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

TNT Renews 'Dark Blue', has strong debut from 'Men'

TNT has renewed 'Dark Blue' for a 2nd season.

The network has ordered 10 more episodes of the Jerry Bruckheimer produced drama starring Dylan McDermott. 'Blue' joins the another TNT drama 'Hawthorne' with Jada Pinkett Smith, among the recently renewed shows for the network.

Both shows have performed respectably but have not become out-of-the gate hits like 'The Closer.'

'Dark Blue,' which will return next year, will be joined by another gritty cop drama, 'Southland,' which will make its debut on TNT in January after being cancelled by NBC.

This news comes on the heels of more good news for TNT. The debut of Ray Romano's dramedy 'Men of a Certain Age' drew 5.4 million viewers for it's premiere episode on Monday night. This made the show the highest rated series premiere on cable for 2009. Coupled with favorable reviews, the ratings suggest TNT might have a long-running, high-quality hit drama in the making.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

'Big Bang Theory' continues to draw huge ratings

CBS 'Big Bang Theory' continues to bring in big ratings week after week. The show hits a series high in ratings on Monday night, drawing 14.7 million viewers and a 5.7 preliminary rating among adults 18-49. This was a 10% increase from its last new episode.

The "Big Bang" boost comes without Katee Sackhoff in a bathtub this time to bump the numbers. A Baltimore CBS affiliate that carried an NFL game might be distorting these early figures, but CBS expects the series-high record to hold up in the nationals.

There has been some speculation that CBS could award the coveted post-Super Bowl spot to 'Big Bang' and these ratings won't hurt its chances.

CBS Cancels 'As The World Turns'

CBS has cancelled 'As The World Turns' after 54 years.

The network announced that the show will not return for the 2010/2011 season and will end its run in September 2010.

"Throughout our history, 'As The World Turns' has remained dedicated to sharing compelling stories that have entertained fans for more than five decades," said Executive Producer Chris Goutman. "We are disappointed and saddened by the news that the show is not being renewed. It will certainly be a loss for all of us, and for the show's loyal audience."

'As The World Turns' has been a cornerstone of our business and a tremendous asset to the company," said Brian T. Cahill, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, TeleNext Media, Inc. "We are proactively seeking a new outlet to carry the show, and are open to exploring innovative formats and relationships that will enable the future success of ATWT."

Monday, December 7, 2009

'Monk' series finale sets ratings record

'Monk,' USA Network's hit series about an OCD afflicted detective starring Tony Shalhoub, ended it's 8 season run last Friday. It was the highest rated episode of a cable drama in TV history.

The finale drew 9.4 million viewers for the USA network. It is the largest audience and demo turnout to date, not only for the show and for a USA scripted series but also for a drama series on basic cable, eclipsing the 9.2 million mark for TNT's 'The Closer.'

The show was also the highest rated program on all of TV on Friday night.

Following 'Monk' the fall finale of USA's freshman series 'White Collar' also hit series highs, averaging 5.55 million viewers, the cable network's best performance at 10 p.m. Friday in more than three years, since the series premiere of 'Psych.'

"What a perfect way for 'Monk', our first tentpole success, to finish its run -- going out even stronger than it came in, and helping to launch another great show, 'White Collar'," said USA's president of original programming Jeff Wachtel.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Seagal has record breaking debut for A&E

Wednesday's premiere of 'Steven Seagal: Lawman' brought in an average of 3.5 million viewers for the 2 episodes that aired at 10 pm.

This makes the show the show the biggest debut ever for the A&E network. The series also broke A&E records across demos such as the adults 18-49, in which the show averaged 2 million viewers.

The show's strong opening comes two days after another A&E series, 'Hoarders' briefly won the title of best-ever series launch for the cable outlet among adults 18-49 and 25-54.

'Steven Seagal Lawman' follows the martial artist and action-movie star on his patrols as a deputy for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana (where he's moonlighted for the past 20 years).

Thursday, December 3, 2009

'Sons of Anarchy' gets a 3rd Season

No big surprise here. FX has renewed 'Sons of Anarchy' for a 3rd season.

Fans left hanging after Tuesday's climatic Season 2 finale will have to wait a while however. FX's huge hit, about a California outlaw motorcycle gang, is not scheduled to return until September 2010 for a 13-episode run.

"The success of Sons of Anarchy is very gratifying and the show has become a bona-fide hit," said FX President and General Manager John Landgraf.

The renewal comes after the second season finale brought in the series' best ratings. The 90-minute episode was cable's No. 1 program Tuesday, nabbing 4.33 million viewers total and 2.99 million adults ages 18-to-49. The finale ranked No. 1 on television in the 10 p.m. hour with both men 18-to-34 and 18-to-49.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

TNT Cancels 'Raising The Bar'

TNT has canceled the Steven Bochco legal drama "Raising the Bar," starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gloria Reuben and Jane Kaczmarek.

The legal drama began strong, but the ratings in its second season were only half of what they were in the first. It premiered to 7.7 million viewers last fall, but the second-season premiere was down to 3.6 million, which was less than half the viewership of lead-in 'The Closer.'

A rep for the network says, "Everyone at TNT had a great experience working on 'Raising The Bar' with Steven Bochco and the rest of the show's terrific cast and crew. We're proud of the series and appreciate the efforts of all of the creative people who were involved. Unfortunately, ratings for 'Raising The Bar' second season did not reach the levels required for TNT to renew the series."

According to E! there are three unaired episodes of the series that TNT will air possibly in March 2010.

This marks another failed series for producer Steven Bochco who has not had a hit since 'NYPD Blue' went off the air in 2005.

This is a disappointment to me. I was a fan of the show and thought that it really hit its stride in season 2. I was hoping that TNT would give it another season.

Anyone else feel the same way I do? Or did you think this was the right move?