My Top 10 of 2010

With the end of the year upon us, retrospectives and top [insert random number here] lists have been cropping up all over the place. I don't usually do a top whatever list, but I've seen some pretty crazy-ass entries on some lists lately and felt the need to make my own preferences clear. Seriously, Huge? You're kidding me, right?

Here are my picks... (They're numbered, but there really isn't any particular order. I just picked ten and plopped them in there wherever.)

MY SCRIPTED TOP 10 (ish)

1) The Good Wife
I'm sure you're all sick to death of hearing about my love for The Good Wife, but what can I say? It really is the best show on network TV and can hold its own against cable. It does a better job balancing its elements than just about any other show on air, taking what could have been a standard legal procedural and turning it into a captivating drama that borders on a serial. When the show was first pitched, they aimed for 60% courtroom A-plots, 40% serial B-plots. I heard in an interview though that those values were ultimately reversed, and I think that's the key to its excellence (and probably a bit of why its ratings aren't where they should be). Your average middle-American apparently doesn't like to have to remember anything about anything week-to-week, which is why straight-up procedurals do so well here. Well, I hate procedurals, as you'll probably notice from their scarcity on this list. Give me a good serial any day, thanks. The Good Wife has it all and delivers every single week. Kudos, CBS, for doing something right for once.

2) Terriers
Yet another show you're probably sick of hearing about, but its warranted. I'm bummed beyond belief that this true gem won't be back for a second season, but I commend FX for airing the entire season in spite of dismal ratings (the show would have been pulled from network TV after 1 episode) and for manning up and telling us it was canceled right after the finale, rather than casually pretending the show had a chance until the last minute. Funny, dramtic, touching, intriguing, and addictive, Terriers will go down in TV history as one of the very best shows to be cut down in its prime. Assuming it makes it to DVD, I suspect this is a show that people will discover all too late. Here's hoping Donal Logue finds another project that showcases his true acting chops the way this one did.

3) CW Thursdays (The Vampire Diaries and Nikita)
Who'd have ever guessed that the CW, the little network that usually can't, would be the place for must-see TV on Thursdays (one of the biggest nights for programming)? These two series could easily have garnered individual spots on this list, but there's just something about having them back to back that makes the experience of each even richer. TVD hasn't experienced a sophomore slump at all (amazingly, given how fast they burn through story), and Nikita has been the surprise winner of the fall pilot season. Indeed, I think it's about the only network show I kept this year (what with Lone Star getting canceled and all). Hats off to the CW, where little shows with little followings can actually succeed.

4) Justified
Man alive, I'm so excited for this one to come back (February 9th)! Season 1 seems like ages ago. This show isn't quite like anything else on the air right now and somehow managed to make the western cool. It's a great serial with a stellar cast that has a very different flavor that most other programming. It's a breath of fresh Kentucky air (yeah, yeah, I know it isn't actually filmed there) that helps add something different to my slate of shows. From what I'm hearing, season 2 looks to be just as engaging and awesome as the first, so if you haven't checked this show out yet, you have about six weeks to get crackin'.

5) Community
I wanted to make sure to include at least one comedy on this list, and while Modern Family is incredibly well done, its second season hasn't been as hilarious as its first, whereas Community has reached new levels of awesome in its sophomore year. Henceforth, Community makes the cut. It really is the best comedy on air right now and is deserving of much better ratings than it gets. Seriously, people, it blows The Big Bang Theory out of the water and is a much better (and funnier) way to spend an evening.

6) Boardwalk Empire
A lot of people were ultimately underwhelmed by the narrative (even if they were blown away by the visuals), but I really got sucked into this one. I'm a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this one given my general lack of caring about gangsters. It's pacing was slower than most people would have preferred, but I found the slow burn captivating. There were elements that were underwhelming, I grant that, but overall, it's one of the most accomplished and expertly executed shows out there. Also, the fact that it airs on HBO and isn't in any danger of cancellation certainly helps get me invested in a show. I'm more willing to give a show time if I know it'll actually be around next week.

7) Nurse Jackie
Yet another show that feels like it's been gone for ages, Nurse Jackie has been on my favorites list since I saw the first 10 minutes of the pilot. Showtime has built an empire around quirky leading ladies, but Edie Falco tops them all. Sharp, funny, dark as hell, and incredibly dramatic, somehow Nurse Jackie manages to weave everything together in a seamless way, and in only 26 minutes. Here's hoping season 3 keeps the excellence ball rolling. What can I say? I've missed Jackie's style of justice lately and I can't wait to see how her intervention from the finale is going to play out in the coming season. Life really is full of little pricks, and Jackie is just the person to deal with them.

8) Doctor Who
I love British television. It was hard to pin down which of their stellar shows to include on this list, but my first venture into the wonderful world of Doctor Who takes the cake. Being Human got a little soapy and uneven in its second season, otherwise it also would have made the cut. I had only had a smattering of experience with the Doctor Who franchise until now, but I truly got sucked into this one. Matt Smith is charming and delightful as the Doctor and his chemistry with his companion Amy Pond was cheeky and exciting from beginning to end. Every episode had something special to offer, even in their less successful outings (which were still better than a lot of shows' best episodes). Adding international fare to your line-up is a great way to add something new and fresh and Doctor Who succeeds in spades. It's a hell of a lot of fun, but has some serious drama to boot. Cheers!

9) Castle
I really enjoy this show, but I had to really think about putting it on this list or not. It's a fun slice of escapism, but at its core, it's a procedural... and we all know how I feel about procedurals. Granted, this one is a lot better than most, but it still doesn't have the appeal of a good serial for me. I ultimately put it on this list because I genuinely look forward to it each week, even if it has a fair bit of fluff. The show doesn't take itself too seriously and knows how to have fun, which, after looking at some of the heavier options on this list, I really need from time to time. Plus, anything with Nathan Fillion has to get a mention somewhere (well, maybe not Drive, but who's splitting hairs?).

10) USA Network Programming
(Well, most of it anyway. Specifically: Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, White Collar, and Covert Affairs)
It's at this point that you should be crying foul because I clearly have more than 10 on my top 10, but I don't care. USA has a formula for success, and all of these shows follow that format to a certain degree, ergo, they get the same spot on this list. Burn Notice is clearly USA's most accomplished and aberrant program, deviating from the lighter than air elements of its cohorts with some serious drama. The season finale was off the hook fabulous and if I had to choose one show to put on this list, Burn Notice would easily take the cake. I really do enjoy the other shows listed as well, however, and wanted to give them some props. As a network, USA has created a brand that appeals to the masses without being completely devoid of quality and they deserve some recognition for that.

*Honorable Mentions*

Modern Family
"Don't bite my head off, Mitchell. I'm not a pack of batteries!"

Lone Star
I hardly knew ye... It's hard to know where this show would have ended up if I had seen more than two episodes, but after only those two, I was invested hook, line, and sinker. Here's hoping we get to see the rest of the taped episodes someday...

Southland
I'm actually pretty excited for this one to come back. Who'd have guessed?

Glee
This show is hit or miss, but when it's hit, it's one of my favorites.

Dexter
Not their best season, but it's still a hell of a show.


MY REALITY/COMPETITION TOP 5
1) Top Chef
2) So You Think You Can Dance
3) Work of Art: The Search for the Next Great Artist
4) The Next Food Network Star
5) Top Chef: Masters

And no, Project Runway did NOT make the list. I don't like to reward bad behavior, and crowning what's-her-face (Gretchen) the winner of anything is simply inexcusable.


MY REALITY/OTHER TOP 5
1) I Shouldn't Be Alive
2) Hoarders
3) Mystery Diagnosis
4) Intervention
5) Locked Up Abroad


There are a lot of other categories out there that should probably be explored, but when I started compiling a list, it became pretty daunting. There is one more honor that has to be bestowed, however, and it's something that I like to think had a hand in garnering a top ten finish for the show...

MOST IMPROVED HAIR

Kate Beckett (Castle)
If I never see that mullet of hers again, I'll be a happy, happy viewer. Way to grow out the "business in the front", Kate. It was that or lose the "party in the back"... Either way, something had to be done.

Flask from the Past

Another stellar episode of Terriers down, one step closer to the inevitable. As much as I hope and pray that Terriers gets another season, it's looking pretty doubtful. In spite of near universal critical acclaim, the ratings are still brutally low. It's truly a shame because this show just keeps getting better and better.

Wednesday's outing was yet another exciting, engaging, emotional, funny, raw episode of the best show no one is watching. Over the past several episodes, I've really grown to love these characters, especially Hank (played by, as it turns out, the utterly brilliant Donal Logue). Logue has been on my radar since the days of ER (he played Dr. Lewis' paramedic boyfriend, as I recall), and I've always enjoyed him. Even though he was woefully miscast in Life, which made his character a bit difficult to endure, he still made the best of it on yet another great show that was cut short. He has long been known as a comedic actor, and he certainly has the comic chops to keep me smiling throughout even the darkest of times, but what has really grabbed me with his role on Terriers is his dramatic talents. This last episode delved into the darkest recesses of his past and the hardest time of his life and put it all on full display. In short, wow.

Hank is the kind of character that you like immediately. While it was never a secret that he used to be an alcoholic, and that his drinking led to his divorce and his dismissal from the police force, it was always a little difficult to picture Hank as a total lush. He's rough around the edges, to be sure, but he had a deeply-rooted sense of morality that I could hardly imagine being overcome by booze. Well, leave it to Logue to show how a warm, funny, morally irreproachable guy can start out as an out-of-control trainwreck who affects others in the worst possible ways. Logue did a lovely job balancing the different levels of Hank's personality and transmuting them with alcohol abuse. You could still see the lovable rogue inside him, but it was buried deeper. He moral compass was still steadfast, but his level of control over how to handle his moral outrage was essentially non-existent. At his core, he's a good guy who looks out for others and tries to help people, but when alcohol was thrown in, it finally became clear how such a wonderful guy let his life fall apart. Most other shows would have had Hank being a reprehensible lush that everyone hated, but with Terriers, they truly understand the gray areas of life. In fact, they luxuriate in them. It's where the show is at its best. Life isn't black and white, and the characters on this show embody the grayness in an incredibly grounded way.

The flashbacks in this episode were masterfully integrated and managed to illuminate the reasons for Hank's problems with Gretchen, the case that got him booted from the force, and in a very nice surprise, how he met Britt. When I read the description of the episode, I expected a lot of things, but that truly caught me off guard and in the best possible way. Holding true to the characters themselves, the Britt of three years ago has the same basic core as the Britt of today, but is at a different stage of his life. Britt was still a thief and factored into Hank's investigation into a series of rapes in a coherent and consistent way. I have no doubt that Britt was about to rob the house of the would-be rape victim, but I would expect nothing less than for him to startle the rapist and call 911 for help, even if it meant he got nicked in the process. Britt lives in the gray area with the rest of them. The writers have a hell of a task on their hands in handling characters who are so variable in realistic and consistent ways, but they do so with surprising aplomb. Every character's actions are true to that character and even when they do unexpected things, in the context of who they are, it always makes some sense.

Case in point, Britt beating the shit out of Katie's supposed one-night-stand. I love Britt, and Britt loves Katie more than anything, so even after watching him cleaning his stuff out of the apartment and curtly leaving, I could still absolutely see him reacting to this guy with violence. Again, the moral compasses on this show are rooted in a certain place, but the character's actions are no where near as cut and dry. I knew Britt was going to confront the guy and probably have some sort of altercation, but I was shocked and a little repulsed by the fight. I honestly thought Britt might have killed the guy for a second. A lot of shows would have posited this situation as badass--a guy getting even with the man who slept with his fiance, but Terriers is more authentic than that. Beating a guy unconscious is not badass. It's brutal. And it carries some devastating consequences for those involved. I was dismayed by Britt's actions, but at the same time, I just wanted to give him a hug. He would never lay a hand on Katie, so he essentially took all his rage and pain and loss out of this guy's face. The only thing more devastating was seeing Britt's reaction to the truth. I wasn't sure Hank would tell him the truth, but when he did, it was hard to watch. Not only was Britt in deep shit for his actions, but he didn't even beat up the right guy. To boot, Hank has known about the affair since day one and he's the one who convinced Katie not to say anything. Ouch. Poor Britt. He really only has a couple of people in his life and now they've both betrayed him. At least he still has the dog? (Speaking of which, was anyone not crying when Katie said goodbye to the dog? Just heartbreaking.)

This show has so much going for it in terms of character that the A-plots should hardly matter, but with Terriers, even aspect of an episode is so well-integrated that every plotline affects every other plotline in some way. They all tie together seamlessly and it makes for a much more dramatic effect. The A-plot this week, with the rape case from three years ago was gut-wrenching and surprising. I watch a lot of TV and it has become harder and harder for shows to really fool me, but I have to admit, I didn't even kind of see it coming that one of Hank's fellow detectives was the rapist. God, that scene where the rape victim listened to the line-up of men read a sentence her masked attacker had said in hopes of making an ID was incredibly well-crafted. Having the victim ID the detective who filled in the line-up had the exact desired effect on me. I was heartbroken that the victim was unable to make a positive ID. I honestly thought the guy Hank had pinpointed was the perp, so when she asked for the detective to read the line again because, "It might be him... I'm can't be sure," I assumed she was just too shaken to remember. "You did very well" says Hank's partner, obviously thinking along the same lines as the audience. She simply can't remember. Or the guy simply isn't in the line-up. Never did I guess that he actually was. When it was revealed that in fact she was absolutely right, that guy #2 was the right guy, that a man who was supposed to protect and serve had raped countless women, I was truly surprised. What a great reveal. It's just so devastating to know that Hank's life fell apart over this and that he really had been set-up to take the fall. The A-plot here informs on the characters beautifully and it makes it perfectly clear how a guy we love so much came to be where he is.

I could gush on and on about this show, but I'm guessing no one who reads this blog watches this show, so it's largely moot. I think this show is superb, but it has a lot working against it in terms of generating viewers. The title alone is quirky, and if you already watch the show, it suits it perfectly, but if you don't already watch it, it sounds like a show about dogs (as Flavia excitedly asked me the first time I mentioned it). Also, this show is so layered and has so many wonderful qualities that it must have been hell on earth for FX to figured out a marketing strategy. They presented it as a buddy detective show, but that's really not it at all. This show is not Psych, plain and simple. It's way better, in fact. There are only a few episodes left of this season, and while I'm hoping for a miracle, I'm realistic. This show has been getting far more buzz lately than it's network cohort Sons of Anarchy, but sadly, it has far less viewers. I'm not going to lie, this wouldn't be the easiest show to jump into this late in the game, but in terms of quality, it's well-worth the effort to track it down. It's far and away one of the very few gems this fall in what is otherwise a complete waste was time.

And if all that's not enough, the theme song is catchy as hell... even if I can't quite understand most of the lyrics.

I'm lovin' it...

No, not McDonald's.

Dear god, NO.

Not McDonald's.

[shudder]

Now that the fall premiere season is finally over and all the new shows have had a couple of weeks to dazzle me (or as was so often the case, completely underwhelm and disappoint me), it's high time I made official proclamations of the hits and misses (mostly misses).

This was a particularly odd fall slate this year. Fall 2010 offered up probably the most new pilots I've ever seen for one development cycle, and yet, had probably the least number of winners I've come across in ages. Long gone are the years where I simply had too many spectacular new shows to choose from, it seems. What's worse, of the few great new shows to premiere this fall, my favorite among them has already been canceled. So long, Lone Star. The dreary confines of network programming and the lowest common denominator of mass appeal had you pegged before you even started. Boo.

A few new shows did manage to rise above the dreck and the threat of cancellation (at least for now) and join the my returning favorites in my exalted first tier.

Here are the shows I'm loving the most at the moment, both new and old (note the truly sad brevity of the list):

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
Never has a show that started off so poorly become so very awesome. The first several episodes of the first season are a bit of a slog, to put it mildly. Each one was better than the last, but it honestly took till about episode 8 before I felt invested in this show and till episode 11 before I started saving them on my DVR for repeat viewings. After the halfway point, it just kept getting better and better. It has the most insane pacing of any show on TV. They cover more ground in one episode than most shows so in a dozen. I keep thinking they're going to run out of room to roam, but I'm continually amazed at just how many different paths they can take. I was going to write about the season 2 premiere because is was insane, but there was just simply too much to talk about. Everyone was afraid that they couldn't keep up with season 1, but they absolutely have. This show hasn't gone soft, it doesn't pull any punches, and it still manages to throw in enough twists and surprises that I'm constantly on my toes. I believe it was right around the time the Damon snapped Jeremy's neck in the premiere that I knew we were in for one hell of a season. Poor Damon. Oh my god, the premiere was just heartbreaking. I understand why Elena is mad at Damon on an intellectual level, but on a more visceral level, snapping Jeremy's neck just seemed... like a good idea to me... right? Hats off to Nina Dobrev though for pulling double duty in the Damon-heartbreak department and knocking both roles out of the park. I think I like her best as Katherine, where she changes up her mannerisms and tone to rise to the appropriate level of sadism. The bigger the hair, the closer to evil, as it were. Even the werewolf angle has been way better than I thought it was going to be. The show tends to align itself more closely with classic definitions of the supernatural and that really appeals to me. Sure there's a lot of magic going around that undoes some of the restrictions, but the basis is true to past form. And, with the latest revelation that Katherine and Mason are in cahoots (!), things look to be getting even crazier from here (as you can see, I started this post a few weeks ago and only just now finished it... pretend it three weeks ago... annnnd, go!). Seriously, this last episode? The brothers Salvatore were almost tortured to death after being outed to the sheriff, Caroline was revealed to her mother as a vamp, the truth about how one becomes a werewolf was revealed, two police officers were murdered, and Katherine's manipulation of Mason was exposed, among other things. For any other show, that would be the season finale or at least the winter finale. For Vampire Diaries? That was just your standard Thursday. Episode five, I think. Awesome. It also doesn't hurt that the entire cast looks like they do... (please see visual aid above).

NIKITA
Who'd have ever guessed that the CW would be the network that would bring me the best night of television on the air these days? Thursdays have suddenly become my favorite night on television again (a feat not accomplished since the Friends/ER era in the late 90s--you know, back when NBC actually had programming... and viewers). This show is kind of a conundrum, but somehow it works. There are more than a few ridiculous elements of this show, but I'm loving it all the same. Seriously, some of Division's standard operating procedures are just absurd, but I find that I'm enjoying the ride enough that I'm willing to let a lot slide. Case in point? Boy, Alex sure spends a lot of time in that computer lab communicating with Division's enemy number one and no one seems to notice... Really? This group, which touts itself as being the be all and end all of espionage, with a tech wizard who, for all intents and purposes, may as well be an actual wizard, doesn't keep track of what the kids are doing online? Seriously? Fortunately, that's really beside the point. It's ridiculous, but the show has a lot that makes up for its shortcomings. It's strange. The conceit totally shouldn't work, but somehow it does. This show has set itself up in such a way that our lead has almost no direct contact with anyone else on the show. Now, don't get me wrong, this has tied the writers hands in some ways, but they always seem to find a way around this particular obstacle. I find myself genuinely concerned for what's going on and eager to see how it plays out. The show kind of sneaks up on me. I don't realize just how invested I am until I notice that I'm on the edge of my seat. It's not a perfect show by any means, but it has proven to be a solid spy thriller. I have heard that in an attempt to improve their key demo numbers the show will undergo some "tweaking," which has me a little nervous, but I'm hopeful that they'll use this as an opportunity to fix some of the key problems with the show. I have a sinking feeling they might turn it into a maudlin love story, but from what I've seen so far, they can make even the most implausible storylines manageable and exciting.

THE GOOD WIFE
Oh my god, this show just keeps getting better and better. I'd say it's probably the best drama on air. Certainly the best drama on network programming and I'm not the only one who thinks so. It does well enough in the ratings department, but for CBS's standards, it could be better. I honestly don't know why it isn't more of a smash runaway hit. I have to assume that people have the gross misconception that this is a show for middle-aged housewives and that it simply isn't their kind of show. Well, I have news for you, this show is NOT a sappy Lifetime: Television for Women soap opera. At first blush, I thought that might be a pitfall it would get sucked into, but fortunately, I couldn't have been more wrong. Above all, this show is smart. I never feel like I'm being talked down to or spoonfed. This show doesn't reduce itself to the obvious, the simple, or the convenient. Even the most seemingly irrelevant of details had a juicy, twisty angle to it. Everyone has motives (whether they're political, professional, sexual, or as it so often the case, all three) and they manipulate their surroundings in a bid for control. The entire cast is superb and manages to juggle the tangled web that's all around them. Julianna Marguiles is second to none, but with a cast this amazing, it's a close race. The love triangle among Alicia, Peter, and Will just keeps getting better and better, but in a very different way than others shows would have it play out. It's all very adult, and I mean that in the best possible way. This show spares viewers from having to watch people whine about their emotions or act like junior high school students when it comes to adult relationships (Dear Parenthood, you could learn a thing or 17 from this show.) It's cool and usually restrained, and somehow, that makes the tension even greater and the payoffs even more satisfying. Oh my god, was anyone not screaming at their TVs when Eli Gold deleted Will's voicemail from Alicia's phone?! Ahhh! Awesome. Oh man, and that scene in the parking garage between Kalinda and Blake?! Sexy, violent, and spectacular. This show is cerebral and sinister and exciting and any viewer from any demographic would do him/herself a favor by giving it a shot. This is not a chick show, although I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see superb female characters that aren't just stereotypes for male characters to play off of. This show is just a great drama. Plain and simple.

TERRIERS
I already sang this show's praises in my last post, so I'll keep this short. This really is the best little show that no one seems to be watching and I really think it's because people don't know that it exists. What other explanation could there be? This show has a hell of a lot to offer and is deserving of a huge audience. It's funny and dark and extremely well-written. I doubt it'll be back for a second season, but I'm going to enjoy every minute while I can (minutes that truly seem to fly by). It has sucked me in in a way I never would have expected and I hope to hell FX realizes their own idiocy in scheduling and finds a way to give this show its due. Highly recommended.

CASTLE
Episode for episode, this is the most carefree, fun-filled romp on air. This show is incredibly easy to watch, but it isn't without real substance. It definitely errs on the side of light, but certainly has it's harder elements as well. I'm not usually one for crime procedurals, but the writers for Castle (as well as the characters/actors) just seem to be having so much fun doing their jobs that I can't help but to have fun too. Even the A-plots are engaging. In a way, they kind of remind me of Life. They're off-beat and quirky and always manage to suck me in. The show understands that at its core, its a show about fiction, and that's where it really shines. It's like taking someone to a place you love, but somewhere they've never been before. You have fun watching them experience that place for the first time. Watching our good friend Nathan Fillion geek out over crazy cases is just a pure delight. If the A-plots weren't good enough, the ongoing storylines and character dynamics are surprisingly warm and satisfying. Even the will-they-or-won't-they relationship between Castle and Beckett has retained its crackle and doesn't feel overdone. The writers did a brilliant job of shifting gears between the pair and it has managed to keep the interplay fresh and fun. The show could have gone ages with one member of the pairing (usually the man) pining for the other, but Castle turned things around last season in a surprising way. When it all boiled down, Castle moved past his crush and Beckett acknowledged her own. It made for a nice twist that is still having repercussions for the two of them. There's a genuine affection between the pair and I'm in no hurry to see them hook up. The show has fostered a dynamic between the two that is so warm and playful that you love seeing the two together, but you're not dying for them to be lovers. It's a difficult line to walk, but they're doing it very well. This is far and away one of the most effortless shows to watch, and when stacked up against my heavy-hitters, it makes for a lovely palate cleanser. The one-liners alone are enough to keep me coming back for more. Oh, and the incredibly rare, yet delightful characterization of Castle's daughter. What's that you say? Not all teenage girls are horrendous bitches? Why no, no they're not.

BOARDWALK EMPIRE
This show is kind of hard to sum up. The pilot was beautiful and impressive and solidly done, but I honestly didn't know if the whole gangster thing would be enough to keep me coming back for more. In general, the mob and kingpins and whatnot aren't really topics that grab me. Along with that, this show has similarly sobering (heh) tangential storylines which make for a fairly heavy drama to follow. As it turns out, I'm loving it all. It's pretty dark, but it's not without it moments of levity. The show is incredibly well-crafted and the world of 1920s Atlantic City feels completely authentic. At first, it did more to impress than immerse, but now, it just feels thoroughly organic to the story and you don't even really notice the little details--which as far as I'm concerned, is a testament to how well done it is. You wouldn't notice a lamp or a rug on any other show, so while I appreciate how beautiful each scene is, I'm more enthralled by the story than the set design. I think the fact that HBO doesn't have commercials has a lot to do with my enjoyment of this show. I never watch commercials, but even simply fast-forwarding through them tends to break up a narrative. Indeed, most shows have to organize their pacing around half a dozen breaks. With Boardwalk Empire, it just flows smoothly and I get swept up in it. For being such a serious drama, it moves along at a surprising clip and never feels labored. I don't know if you remember a show called Kings, but that was a show that got crushed under its own seriousness. Boardwalk Empire does not. There's enough ribaldry and insanity going on to underscore the often grave tone. I'm always a little surprised and even a little sad when an episode ends. It really has a lot more going on than just gangster stuff and that helps put everything into focus for me. The gangster elements provide a context, but it's the characters who make the story. The beyond peculiar courtship between Nucky and Margaret developed in the context of prohibition and corruption, not in spite of it. Speaking of which, the manipulations and mindgames between them have been unduly engaging. You don't generally think of Steve Buscemi (sp?) as a romantic lead, but in this particular setting and with this particular character, he makes for a hell of a rake. This show is dark and twisty and I'm totally loving it. Best of all, it's on HBO, so even though it has a niche audience, there's no threat of it being canceled. Indeed, after only the pilot, HBO greenlit a second season. [insert all-too-rare sigh of relief]

Honorable Mention:

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
I'm as shocked as you are. No, seriously. After an entire season of complete and total letdown, this show seems to have regained a lot of its former luster. I never knew how much I missed you! The episodes of this new season have been fun and light and most of all, in line with who these characters really are. I spent all of last season being unbelievably annoyed with everyone on the show because no one was doing anything that even kind of made sense for their characters. Robin was a controlling, pathetic bitch, Barney was a cartoon character, Ted was... even more annoying than usual, and Lily and Marshall just needed to stop. Everything. This season? I'm remembering why I love this show and these people. Breaking up Robin and Barney was probably the best thing that ever happened to the show. I'm actually enjoying seeing them onscreen together again. They play off one another so well when they're not a couple. Ted's annoyance level has diminished considerably, and Lily and Marshall, in spite of an unfortunate desire for children, are charming again. Now all we need is to meet the effing mother already (or geez, even a potential mother would be a step up) and I think this show might just have redeemed itself. Here's hoping the sparkling Jennifer Morrison either is the mother, or at the very least, leads us to her. Her talents and charm were so wasted on House for so long that it's very nice to see her back in a role that isn't a total disaster. Welcome back, Jennifer. And welcome back, Show. You were missed.

So there you have it. The sadly short list of shows I'm really loving right now. Don't get me wrong, there are many other shows that I enjoy, but more and more, shows like Chuck and Glee just don't have me chomping at the bit like they used to... more on in a future post.

Terriers: The Best Show No One is Watching

Whenever I get my questions to TV pundits published on their blogs, I tend to geek out a bit. Even though I totally realize that no one cares about such things but me, poor Annie still has to listen me to giddily account how I wrote an email... an then sent it! It's scintillating stuff, let me tell you. I was going to restrain myself from nerdily posting the fruits of my total lack of labor here, but it actually gives me a chance to talk about a show that I accidentally fell in love with: Terriers. My darling Matt Roush posted my concerns about the show's ratings in his column today. If you don't already follow him, I'd highly recommend it. Here is a link to his latest "Ask Matt" column and he's also available on twitter. We have had differences of opinion on occasion in the past, but by and large, he's one of the names I trust most. He has turned me on to several excellent shows in the past. Anyway...

• Question: In a near-accidental turn of events, I started watching FX's new series Terriers amid the glut of fall premieres, and much to my surprise, the show grabbed me almost instantly. The pilot was sharp and witty and smoothly plays against all the TV clichés I've grown to hate over the years. I watch a lot of TV, so when I come across a show that surprises me, I sit up and take notice. I expected a typical crime procedural, but instead was met with a solid, engaging and hilarious serialized character piece. Not since I just happened to catch Nurse Jackie and stumbled onto Justified have I been so delighted by an accidental find. The suspense and mystery are brilliantly underlined by a dark humor that really appeals to me.
  
  That said, I'm concerned for the future of Terriers. I've recently seen Terriers listed alongside various shows with anemic ratings (mostly of the "Vote to Save a Show" variety) and have become concerned. How has Terriers been doing? Do you think it will survive? I'm also curious as to what you think of "Save a Show" style polls. Do they ever have any real effect? I seriously doubt it, but I find myself voting regardless. In a fall pilot season that left me largely unimpressed, I'd hate to see Terriers go the way of Lone Star (the best broadcast pilot of the year and sadly the first to get the axe). I'm sure that Terriers has a better chance given its network, but even FX must have a ratings threshold to maintain.
  — Lacy
  
  Matt Roush: I don't know the exact numbers, but I do know they're below what FX would like them to be, and it's disappointing to the network and the studio. The show is so offbeat in tone and texture, and is done no favor by its too-quirky title, that it probably would have been a slow build even if it hadn't been scheduled against the fall network onslaught. But the reviews have mostly been rapturous, and the show has just gotten better as it goes. I love the fact that no two episodes are quite alike, and the blend of mystery and comedy and palpable emotion is unlike anything else currently on TV. But as we've seen (and as you noted with the Lone Star debacle), being too different and resistant to pigeonholing can work against a show's commercial prospects. I hope FX sticks with this, but you're probably right to be concerned. As for save-the-show polls, it can't hurt to participate and make your voice heard. But such efforts rarely budge the numbers the programmers are looking at to determine a show's future.

Ahhh! That's me! That's me!!!

Annnnd, I'm back. Sorry about that. As you can see from my query above, I basically stumbled onto this little gem by accident. That's why I never wrote a review of the pilot. I never had any intention of actually watching the show, so I figured it would be one of the calculated omissions from my fall reviews. Yeah, that was stupid. In a fall pilot slate that ultimately had very little to offer, Terriers stands out as one of the best new shows on TV. Aside from the already-canceled Lone Star, HBO's Boardwalk Empire, and awesomely ridiculous Nikita, I dare say it's the only other new show to warrant a spot in my top tier, nay, a spot on any tier at all. (Seriously people, this fall was sad.)

Well, it's high-time I atoned for past televisual sins and gave Terriers its due--even if it is likely to be canceled. I'm more than a little bewildered at FX's programming strategy with this one. To debut a new show on cable alongside the swell of network crap in September seems completely illogical to me. To boot, it isn't really paired with a more established show nor did it receive much fanfare. Sigh.

Terriers is the kind of show that doesn't sound very good on paper, but that comes together beautifully. At first glance, I suspected it would be your typical procedural, but with a dash of quirky thrown in for good measure. This show is so very much more than that. The pilot was everything you'd ever want in a show and somehow things just keep getting better episode to episode.

The show follows two best friends who, after a few errant left turns in life, ended up working as freelance detectives. It sounds completely hokey on paper, but believe me, it works. Donal Logue (ER, Life) stars as ex-cop/reformed alcoholic Hank Dolworth and his best friend Britt Pollack, a former thief, played by Michael Raymond-James (best known for playing psycho serial killer Rene on True Blood). After playing a character so spectacularly creep-tastic as Rene, it's nice to see him in a role that's incredibly likable. Hank and Britt are the center of the show and play off each other in a very natural, believable way. They have great onscreen chemistry and make for a convincing pair of best friends/screw-ups/rough-and-tumble detectives.

Based on the concept alone, I assumed this would be your standard genre show with a slight Psych bent to it, but that's really not how it operates. There are certain elements that smack of a procedural, but rather than this being a show about detectives who happen to be people, it's actually a show about people who happen to be detectives. In this sense, it reminds me of Nurse Jackie. Sure, she works in a hospital, but Nurse Jackie certainly isn't a medical show. It's a dark comedy about actual characters, not just the job they do. The same goes for Terriers, a similarly brilliant show that blends harsh reality with a hell of a lot of charm and humor. Donal Logue's comedic timing is perfect and he makes every scene something more interesting and surprising than you'd expect. The comedy in this show can be subtle at times, so you have to pay attention, but for those in the audience who are, this show has a number of hilarious moments. The show doesn't feel the need to force the laugh, so it all comes off as genuine and funny.

At its core, Terriers is really a character piece. Even when the show has case-of-the-week type elements, they always relate to the characters themselves in a meaningful way. This could be painfully ham-fisted in the wrong hands, but here it works naturally. It's impressive and strange how the writers pull it off every week, but some seriously crazy things happen in a very grounded manner. This show seems more authentic than most out there, but at the same time has A-plots that are outlandish and peculiar. The fact that the A-plots are unique and that they relate to the characters in substantive ways makes me actually invest in them, which for me in quite rare. I find myself genuinely interested in the happenings of their detective work and never casually fast-forward through the A-plot. Indeed, this is the kind of show where the ending sneaks up on you. Seriously, I get so immersed in what's going on that when the end credits start, I'm always like, "Wait, it's over already?"

I think my favorite part of the show is the interpersonal dynamics between characters. Hank and Britt are solid bases for the show, but the supporting cast is what brings it all together. Hank's ex-wife Gretchen and their lawyer Maggie are completely delightful, even if their roles thus far have been fairly limited on the show. The real shining star of the supporting cast is Laura Allen, who plays Britt's girlfriend Katie. The interplay between Britt and Katie is funny and charming and, unlike so many relationships on TV, it doesn't annoy the hell out of me. So often the girlfriend in this kind of relationship is a whiny, bitchy, nagging drain on a show, but here? It's completely the opposite. Not only does this relationship have a firm grasp on reality, but the interplay between the pair is smart and endearing. Upon finding out that Britt asked her out after he had seen a picture of her on her refrigerator (he had broken into her house during his thief days, you see), I fully expected Katie to explode and some major melodrama to unfold. Instead, in a wealth of twists and surprises offered by the show, Katie instead tells Britt to go outside, wait five minutes, and then break into the bedroom through the window. Where lesser shows would use this as a platform for a bunch of screaming, Terriers sees it as a total turn-on. Heh. Awesome. The refreshingly intelligent characterizations of women doesn't stop with Katie. As mentioned, Gretchen and Maggie have slightly smaller roles on the show, but they're equally engaging and multi-dimensional. Hank and Gretchen are ex-spouses, but there's still a lot of love and respect between them. The show takes the road less traveled and avoids the omnipresent "evil ex" cliches and even makes the possibility of the pair reuniting more complicated than expected. Gretchen's new beau is actually quite a good guy who tells a white lie to Gretchen in order to protect Hank. Most recent addition to the cast (as a recurring character rather than regular), is Karina Logue (Donal's real life sister) who plays, conveniently enough, his quirky, dark, slightly mentally ill sister on the show. She's brilliant and broken and in the world of Terriers, the fact that she secretly lives in her brother's attic just makes good sense. She isn't a series regular, but I do hope she'll stick around for a good long while.

All in all, I'm rooting for these characters in a way I simply don't for most other characters on air at the moment. The fact that this show is actually a serial masquerading as a pseudo-procedural is a big part of that. When I truly care about the people in a show, I care about what happens to them, even if it's a one-off A-plot. Even better, the A-plots are meaningful, but not in a heavy-handed after-school special kind of way that Grey's Anatomy does. We just see how these characters would react to the given situation in an authentic way. Nice. With this kind of set up, though, the writers have to try a lot harder to craft characters that really work. Fortunately, Terriers succeeds in spades. This show makes for an odd mix of mystery, drama, comedy, and dollops of just about everything else. You'd think it would be all over the place, but it's surprisingly balanced and never feels sloppy or uneven. I didn't realize just how invested I was in these characters until a truly heartbreaking scene between Katie and Hank where she confesses to screwing up and being afraid to tell Britt. I truly felt for her and found myself hoping Hank would succeed in convincing her to never tell Britt what happened. Hank couldn't bear the thought of devastating Britt, and quite frankly, neither could I. That's when I consciously realized just how much I've been enjoying this show and began to fear for its future.

As mentioned, the ratings are not good. Terrible, in fact. But the show has received nothing but praise from critics (as far as I know) and has been getting more and more buzz online lately. I'm cautiously optimistic that FX will see the potential here and give Terriers some time to build an audience. They really should have premiered this show in the summer or during one of the off-seasons when it would have had less competition and more of a chance to attract some viewers.

I don't know if Terriers will be around for more than a season, but it's definitely worth even a precarious investment.

Show Grade: A