Television Top Ten

Since I’m all snowed in this evening, I thought I’d switch gears for a moment. Normally, I’m a bit of a curmudgeon, sad but true. I rant and rave and find fault with movies, television, books, games… pretty much anything and everything. But I figure that nows a good time to shed a bit of light on some of the television shows that I do enjoy. Heck, seeing as it is the season of top 10 lists, I’ll even thrown my own into the seasonal slew. So here they are… Counting down from 10 to the number 1 television show of the fall (at least as far as my house is concerned).

10: Numb3rs (CBS)

While I don’t particularly like where the show is heading at the moment, the individual episodes are really well done. I expect this to fall off significantly once shows like Burn Notice, Monk, and Psych are back in the mix. I particularly like the relationship between the brothers, and up until recently it was a great source for tension. Now, however, it seems like each of the primary characters have very self-focused storylines and it has lost much of the appeal it had early on.

9: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Fox)

Barely holding on to its top 10 status. This is a rare case for me where I find the over-arching storyline far more interesting than individual episodes, and for that reason alone I am hanging on. The question is, will the increasingly evident contradictions make me let go before they reach the end of the arc?

8: Leverage (TNT)

Just a couple shows old, but has a great deal of promise. Kind of a reprisal of the old A-Team theory of television. It isn’t really anything new, but man is the dialogue well written. That alone will keep me tuning in for now. Hopefully it won’t become too formulaic in it’s execution.

7: Eleventh Hour (CBS)

I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I do, although I really want Jacob Hood to look at a bad guy and say “In what world did you think you could ever beat me?” I think the writing is smart and the humor terrifically dry, but I wonder how long that appeal will last. Thankfully, they are starting to let Hood explore a little more and I like the direction they are taking his characterization.

6: Sons of Anarchy (FX)

This  is the surprise of the season for me. Being an avid motorcycler, I was more than ready to not like this at all, but I found myself looking forward to each episode. I think they went a little overboard towards the end of the season, but for the most part everything about this was strong. The acting, in particular, was outstanding, and really I should not have been suprised with as strong a cast as they have (Katay Sagal, Ron Perlman, Jay Karnes, Kim Coates, etc.) Here’s hoping they keep the fires buring!

5: Fringe (Fox)

I am happy to report that I was oh-so-very-wrong about this show. All the same, I watch Fringe for one reason and one reason only… John Noble. His characterization of Dr. Walter Bishop is fantastic, and overcomes the other shortcomings. Honestly, conspiracy based shows are starting to wear me out but the episodes are of Fringe are really strong on their own. Add in the good Doctor and the relationship he struggles to build/maintain with other characters (and even himself), and I’ll keep tuning in  to see where those characters take me.

4: Life (NBC)

I have been a fan of Damian Lewis since I first saw him in Band of Brothers. There is something quirky and puzzling and fun about the character he created for this show, and he is supported by some wonderful writing. It doesn’t just stop there, though, as the relationships that surround him are just a joy to watch. There has been a bit of a tendancy for Damians character to be a bit myopic when it comes to the over-arching storyline, and while I think it is justified, I also think it has, at points, detracted from certain episodes. For the most part, however, the arc is more of a backdrop for the episodes, tying them together, but keeping the focus squarly on the episodic. Really nice working being done all around.

3: The Shield (FX)

I need to come clean and state that I have yet to watch the final two epidodes, and have heard through the grapevine that I am going to be severely disappointed. Ahhh well. That still doesn’t take away that this has been one of the strongest shows on television for, what, 5 years now? Something like that. I love the anti-hero aspect of it, and wish we would see more seriously flawed protagonists regardless of genre (something it shares with the other FX offering, Sons of Anarchy). It’s the final season of the show, and I’ll be sad to see it go. I just hope I wont be too sad after watching the last 2 episodes (please don’t outright spoil them for me )

2: NCIS (CBS)

Something has to be said for a show that has lasted as long as this one. I can’t think of another television show that has had such consistency. USA network, much to my enjoyment, has been running 3 episodes (reruns of course) in a row right over my dinner schedule, and I gladly will watch an old NCIS than any new episode of numbers 3 through 10. The writing is smart and funny, and the relationships that have been built up over the years simply cannot be touched by anything else on television, including the #1 show.

And finally…

1: Pushing Daisies (ABC)

I cannot begin to say how disappointing it is that ABC is pulling the plug on this wonderful show. Everything about PD is top notch. It has an absolute brilliant blend of comedy, drama, and fantasy that is well maintained from episode to episode at all levels of the production. The one thing that sets it apart from everything else, however, is how well the players work with and off each other. Their dialogue and timing are absolutely impeccable. PD is truly an ensemble cast that has become so much more than any one of the individual actors. In many ways it’s a throw back to how the 30 minute sit-coms used to be, with the focus not on on a single actor, but on the show itself. Everything from the art direction, set construction, acting, writing… everything is focused on the world of The Pie Hole, and it just flat out works in more ways I can hope to count.

Notable Omissions

Here are some notable omissions… some surprised me, some didn’t. Some I saw coming last year.

Eli Stone (ABC): Dropped like a rock this season. Turned its back on what made it unique and became just another lawyer show.
The Cleaner (A&E): I kind of expected this to be higher. It’s a solid show, but it started to feel really repetitive.
House (Fox): Saw this coming… started to bore me last season… there’s only so many miraculous last-minute saves I can handle.
CSI:Whatever (CBS): I think there is a CSI on every night of the week now, yes?

Any others I miss?