So, every year I usually write my review of the best television shows of the year. This has been difficult the past several years, with the decline of many good shows, and the inability for networks to find decent replacements for the great ones that have left us (FOX, I'm looking at you). However, this year things seem a little different. Shows that were admittedly getting a little tired, like "Lost," have found new life. I find myself looking forward to Wednesday nights, especially, for the "L Shows" - "Lost," "Life," and "Life on Mars." "Lie to Me" also airs that night, and while I'm a huge fan of Tim Roth, how many shows can you really make about detecting micro-patterns in someone's eye wiggle? Come on.
Anyway.. I usually write this in the beginning of the season, mentioning the promising looking shows and the return of my loved ones, but this year I wanted to wait until at least mid-season, so I'd have a better idea of where some of these shows were going. And while I still probably don't know where "Lost" is going to end up - I've enjoyed the ride so far.
The n00bs:
"Life on Mars" - I have this tendency to judge shows before I see them, then once I've missed the first couple of episodes I never watch it at all, since I will have no clue what's going on. With every network show on the internet now, that problem is solved, so if someone tells me I'm missing out, I can see what all the fuss is about. I missed the first episode of "Life on Mars" originally, but I'm glad I caught up. I've heard complaints about ABC airing two "time-travel" shows back to back: "Lost" and "Life..." but I have to admit it's pretty daring. With some of the.. junk on television these days, daring is missing from almost everything, and I'm glad the execs at ABC have stayed with it. They also brought "Scrubs" back from the dead, so they certainly earn my "Network of the Year" award. To try to explain this show is a little like trying to explain "Lost," I can try but odds are I'll be wrong.
The show is about detective Sam Tyler, a typical 2008 New York Cop with a typical cop life, until he gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1973. Or in a coma. Or in hell... you get the point. He takes it pretty well, and ends up solving cases, trying to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home... wait a minute. Wrong show. Different time-traveling Sam. (+1 to whoever gets that reference). The show is definitely entertaining, and the soundtrack is perfect. The cast, with Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, and Gretchen Mol is also the perfect trail mix of crazy and wonderful.
"True Blood" - definitely my favorite new show of the season. Anna Paquin has had some amazing roles in her life, followed by some incredibly boring and meaningless ones, so I'm glad to see she finally is getting the recognition she deserves. Plus, a show with vampires and shape-shifters and god-knows-what-season-2-holds? Brilliant. Since it's on HBO, and only ran 13 episodes, it's been over for a few weeks now, but if you can catch re-runs of it be sure and try!
"Dollhouse" - yeah, I know, I watch a lot of science fiction. But this show rocks, Joss Whedon rocks, and I swear if FOX doesn't give this show more than one season I'm just not going to watch them anymore. I can do without American Idol, and... crap. I can't do without 24.
"24" - Jack is back, and incredibly skinny, and has entered what is, so far, the worst day of his arguably pretty shitty eight days. He is wanted by the US Government for, well, torturing people to save the country, I guess. His life of dedicated service to his country, his close personal relationships with numerous presidents, and his ability to bring down terrorists, rogue agents, and corrupt politicians apparently isn't enough to earn this guy a FULL PRESIDENTIAL PARDON. My money is that he finally gets his pardon this season, and can finally stop running. And as much as I dislike her, maybe he could even settle down with that freckly FBI chick. Okay.. probably won't happen. She isn't all that bright and will probably get killed off, as Bill Buchanan just was tonight. RIP Bill, you rocked on that show, now it's just Jack, Tony, Chloe, and Aaron Pierce to carry on the CTU-era legacy.
"Entourage" - for some reason, whenever I'm in a bad mood, putting this show on seems to cheer me up. That alone should say how great this show is, along with the 30 Emmies for Jeremy Piven, but if you haven't seen this show yet, go get the DVDs. Don't rent them, buy them. I have seen every single show of this series, and I'm re-watching them all now on HBO-On-Demand, just to remember how great the first few seasons were. This season the guys have finally hit rock-bottom, with Vince not getting lead roles, his movie being shut down due to a crazy director, and the usual shennanigans these guys get into. The last episode of the season is fantastic, with Vince and the boys, nothing left, heading back home to New York. However, we haven't seen the last of "Entourage" and we certainly haven't seen the last of Vincent Chase, as the last scene of the season finale shows. Why HBO can't give great shows like this more than a 13 episode season I will never understand, but I'll take what I can get.
And with that, I'm pretty much done. I've had "Heroes" on DVR, on pause, for the last 30 minutes while I've been writing this, and while this show is starting to get a little tired, it's better than 95% of the other crap on television. I didn't get to write much about some other shows I really dig: like "Life," "House," and "The Office." But hopefully I shouldn't need to. Right? Right.
