Favorite TV Shows for 2008
Posted on Jan. 12, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Exclusive. I'm not putting this on The War Journal. This is for y'all. Like the old days. Oh, it's going on Vox but hell, most of y'all are there anyway...lol...
The Wire - The mother of all endings. Yeah, the season was too short but the promise made that all loose ends would be tied up came true. No fade to black Sopranos ending here. And say what you want, those last three episodes were golden. Why this show was never recognized by any of the mainstream elite in terms of nominations is beyond me. Critics adored it, fans lived for it. Alan Moore recently called The Wire the best television show ever. One of the most talented casts ever assembled. Don't believe me - do an IMDB search of The Wire and then click on some cast names and see how busy these people are now. I still think one of the reasons HBO ended the show was because trying to keep that cast together was just too difficult.
LOST - One of the few shows who benefitted from the strike. By holding back episodes, LOST premiered after the strike and had the audacity to be the absolute best season ever. The Oceanic Six, flash forwards, game changers every freakin' episode. Once, maybe twice, three times if you're lucky a truly great show will have an authentic "Holy Shit!" moment. LOST had one every week. Talk about must see TV. LOST is a beast.
Burn Notice - USA finally has a show that I can truly get behind. Burned spy, Michael Weston is trying to find out why his organization has tossed a "burn notice" into his file and basically left him a man without a job or country. Stuck in Miami with his former lover, an ex burned out friend and his mother, Michael has found himself the commodity in what looks to be the consipiracy of the decade. Black Ops was never so much fun and so action packed at the same time.
Numb3rs - Probably the smartest show on television, Numb3rs entertains while making you think and teaching you a thing or two all at the same time. Rob Morrow has found his calling (again), combined with the ever awesome Judd Hirsch and a stellar cast, Numb3rs might be the best cop show on television that you're not watching.
Dirty Sexy Money - Recession my ass. Whoever decided to cancel this show needs his or hers head examined and also needs to be promptly fired. Television hasn't been this decadent since Dynasty. And this cast actually plays the outlandish nature of their lives for laughs and drama all at the same time. An all star cast, insane situations and balls to walls sex, power, greed, corruption and sometimes sheer lunacy made DSM a must see. The ratings weren't good enough? I'm not buying it...
Terminator - Sarah Connor Chronicles - Better than the last two Terminator movies combined, this show will scare the hell outta you and feed your sci-fi geek addiction all at the same time. Plus Summer Glau and Lena Headley. What more can you ask for?
Weeds - Another game changer. Take Nancy Botwin and her brood from their comfort zone and drop her into the middle of the biggest operation she ever had to deal with. Nancy finally embraced her drug dealing nature while rapidly becoming the worst mother of all time. With a season ender to end all season enders, right when you think Nancy is finally going to pay (one way or another) for all her crimes, she finds the ultimate loophole.
Bones - It's just a cool ass show with a cool cast. Sometimes that's all you need.
Ugly Betty - See "Bones".
Las Vegas - Before DSM, came Las Vegas. One of the most potent network casts in recent memory, again check them and see how in-demand they are. Another show that got shafted time and again by NBC. And they wonder why people are turning to cable in record number...
Some shows didn't make the fave list because either the strike actually saved them from a truly horrific season (Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, oh the list goes on and on) or they were part of the fall 2008 new shows and I'll save them when they complete a season. Then there were some shows that I just, as a fan, couldn't get with - CSI and the destruction of Warrick Brown leads the pack. Last, I can't watch everything and I'm just not committing myself - House, Battlestar Galactica, etc. And forget Mad Men - you can keep that old time shit. The first time I watch it and some black person is doing their best "yassir boss" routine, I'm done.
Then there was 24. Huge disappointment.
And now we have 2009. Grey's looks to be trying to right the ship even though this whole Izzie is being sexed by a dead man is way too much for me. Private Practice got their shit together fast. The Unit is a personal fave but still has more holes than I'm comfortable with. Desperate Housewives had one of the absolute best game changers and season enders ever which has led to one of it's most entertaining seasons thus far. 24 already looks damn good while Heroes came in sucking and left sucking. I'm hoping they can fix that train and soon.
Well, put in your faves and let me know what you agree with and disagree with.
The Wire - The mother of all endings. Yeah, the season was too short but the promise made that all loose ends would be tied up came true. No fade to black Sopranos ending here. And say what you want, those last three episodes were golden. Why this show was never recognized by any of the mainstream elite in terms of nominations is beyond me. Critics adored it, fans lived for it. Alan Moore recently called The Wire the best television show ever. One of the most talented casts ever assembled. Don't believe me - do an IMDB search of The Wire and then click on some cast names and see how busy these people are now. I still think one of the reasons HBO ended the show was because trying to keep that cast together was just too difficult.
LOST - One of the few shows who benefitted from the strike. By holding back episodes, LOST premiered after the strike and had the audacity to be the absolute best season ever. The Oceanic Six, flash forwards, game changers every freakin' episode. Once, maybe twice, three times if you're lucky a truly great show will have an authentic "Holy Shit!" moment. LOST had one every week. Talk about must see TV. LOST is a beast.
Burn Notice - USA finally has a show that I can truly get behind. Burned spy, Michael Weston is trying to find out why his organization has tossed a "burn notice" into his file and basically left him a man without a job or country. Stuck in Miami with his former lover, an ex burned out friend and his mother, Michael has found himself the commodity in what looks to be the consipiracy of the decade. Black Ops was never so much fun and so action packed at the same time.
Numb3rs - Probably the smartest show on television, Numb3rs entertains while making you think and teaching you a thing or two all at the same time. Rob Morrow has found his calling (again), combined with the ever awesome Judd Hirsch and a stellar cast, Numb3rs might be the best cop show on television that you're not watching.
Dirty Sexy Money - Recession my ass. Whoever decided to cancel this show needs his or hers head examined and also needs to be promptly fired. Television hasn't been this decadent since Dynasty. And this cast actually plays the outlandish nature of their lives for laughs and drama all at the same time. An all star cast, insane situations and balls to walls sex, power, greed, corruption and sometimes sheer lunacy made DSM a must see. The ratings weren't good enough? I'm not buying it...
Terminator - Sarah Connor Chronicles - Better than the last two Terminator movies combined, this show will scare the hell outta you and feed your sci-fi geek addiction all at the same time. Plus Summer Glau and Lena Headley. What more can you ask for?
Weeds - Another game changer. Take Nancy Botwin and her brood from their comfort zone and drop her into the middle of the biggest operation she ever had to deal with. Nancy finally embraced her drug dealing nature while rapidly becoming the worst mother of all time. With a season ender to end all season enders, right when you think Nancy is finally going to pay (one way or another) for all her crimes, she finds the ultimate loophole.
Bones - It's just a cool ass show with a cool cast. Sometimes that's all you need.
Ugly Betty - See "Bones".
Las Vegas - Before DSM, came Las Vegas. One of the most potent network casts in recent memory, again check them and see how in-demand they are. Another show that got shafted time and again by NBC. And they wonder why people are turning to cable in record number...
Some shows didn't make the fave list because either the strike actually saved them from a truly horrific season (Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, oh the list goes on and on) or they were part of the fall 2008 new shows and I'll save them when they complete a season. Then there were some shows that I just, as a fan, couldn't get with - CSI and the destruction of Warrick Brown leads the pack. Last, I can't watch everything and I'm just not committing myself - House, Battlestar Galactica, etc. And forget Mad Men - you can keep that old time shit. The first time I watch it and some black person is doing their best "yassir boss" routine, I'm done.
Then there was 24. Huge disappointment.
And now we have 2009. Grey's looks to be trying to right the ship even though this whole Izzie is being sexed by a dead man is way too much for me. Private Practice got their shit together fast. The Unit is a personal fave but still has more holes than I'm comfortable with. Desperate Housewives had one of the absolute best game changers and season enders ever which has led to one of it's most entertaining seasons thus far. 24 already looks damn good while Heroes came in sucking and left sucking. I'm hoping they can fix that train and soon.
Well, put in your faves and let me know what you agree with and disagree with.
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