TV

ah…the final days of 2006 are upon us. inevitably, this means it is the time of the year to look back and reflect on the days passed. it also (apparently means) it is time for top 10 lists.

everywhere i look it seems like people are using these final days of the year (except letterman - he’s consistent with his top 10 lists all year round) to assemble top 10 lists for everything imaginable.

in theory, i like the idea of a top ten list as it often allows me to see if perhaps i might have missed something worth checking out. however, inherently, top 10 lists are flawed because they are subjective, and therefore are subject to including things that i think suck (or at the least just not as good as things that were left off said lists).

so, in the spirit of the times i will be compiling my top ten lists over the next 3 days to share with you my thoughts on the past year’s best in tv, music, and film. and as i said these being subjective lists feel free to disagree with my views.

anyways…first off will be television, mostly because this one is the (in my opinion) easiest to think of. but, before i reveal my picks i must preface them with a disclaimer. this is the fact that while i do watch a shitload of television, i do not watch every show and so obviously my picks are limited to shows that i watch, which admittedly is probably more than most and probably includes most of the one’s worth watching.

that said my list will be absent of two shows that i suspect might have been on there under different circumstances — that being The Wire and Battlestar Galactica. said circumstances are due to the fact that these are two shows that i have only recently begun watching (on dvd - during this rerun down period that the holidays provide). so while I can speak to the first season and miniseries respectively of the these two aformentioned shows (both unbelievably good), i cannot comment on there most recent/current seasons that have aired during 2006 — therefore they cannot be included.

okay. one last note about selection, since this list represents the best of 2006, meaning calender year, it is open to any show that aired during the months between last january and now. which will technically include shows from last season of television. however, i am not going to include shows that are a) from last season and no longer on the air - like Invasion which was one of the finest shows on television last fall/spring or b) only ran for a limited number of episodes in 2006 - like Thief the fx show/miniseries which was outstanding, or Arrested Development - one of the greatest shows ever which had it’s final episodes aired last february (though i suppose that arrested also falls under category a).

anyways.

so, now, without further ado…

The Top 10 Shows On TV

10. Lost - between the conclusion of last season and the start of this season the show has been uneven, frustrating, and poorly spaced out, hampering it’s ability to sustain any sort of narrative continuity or pacing. that said, when it’s on it remains one of the most intriguing and well-made hours of television ever. the fact that i (along with many others) can get so annoyed with the show when it’s not delivering like it’s capable only speaks to the promise and potential it has displayed in the past 2+ seasons, and it still remains one of the shows that i am most looking forward to returning in the new year.

9. Rescue Me - denis leary and peter tolan’s fx series is one of the hardest shows on television to classify. while i suppose technically considered a drama, it is also one of the funniest shows on television - albeit, only for those who appreciate dark comedy, which i do. morbidly funny would certainly be an appropriate term for a show whose subject matter often includes topics not found anywhere else on television (including but not limited to: death, alcoholism, infidelity, rape, homosexuality, and life as a firefighter in nyc post 9/11). but, regardless of the subject matter the show is always well-written and denis leary’s performance for the last 3 seasons has been consistently one of the best on television.

8. Dexter - this brilliant new showtime series was one of the most enjoyable hours on television this fall. at first i was hesistant to add another show into the rotation, but thankfully i gave the show a chance, and it certainly was a good thing that i did. similar in many respects to Rescue Me as far as the darkly humorous tone is concerned, this drama about a forensic police officer serial killer who kills serial killers has a ton of potential as the series progresses, and i am anxiously awaiting the second season.

7. The Office - the first comedy on the list, technically/traditionally speaking, though nothing about this show’s comedy is traditional. relying on the unspoken to provide much of the show’s best moments, the ensemble cast is by far the best collection of comedic talent on television (as also evidenced by how many cast members work as writers on the show as well). yet, like other shows on the list, though a comedy and oftentimes hysterical, the show is also about more than being funny, it’s about interacting with others a task that is often difficult if not painful, but due to the grace and talent of the cast and writers never false or cartoonish.

6. Heroes - conceptually speaking this is hands down my favorite show on television. the first half of the show’s first season has been breathtaking and thrilling, and it has set up a second half that if it remains true to form might provide the most enjoyable television watching this spring. the only things holding it back right now in my opinion are the delicate balancing act between the members of the large ensemble cast, some of who’s storylines are weaker than others, that occasionally leads to uneven episodes (or perhaps more accurately - uneven parts of episodes). also, there marketing campaigns are really annoying — but, i suppose the show itself isn’t to blame.

5. Friday Night Lights - along with Heroes this show is my favorite new show on television. the show which has the basic premise of what life is like playing high school football in the state of texas, is in actuality about much more than just football. it is a show about life, love, friendship, growing up, making mistakes, and about overcoming the obstacles that are put in front of us by no choice of our own. and all of these things are portrayed in a gritty, realistic way that never minimalizes the everyday problems that the characters face, while also tackling (no pun intended) the major ones that come their way.

4. 24 - last season’s 24 was quite possibly the finest season yet for the show. most of the cringe-inducing plot points (kim bauer, cougar, heroin addictions, etc) were all disposed off and the show was left with a lean intensity that never seemed to slow down when it came to action, thrills, and twists. and though at times the show borders on being propoganda for the bush administration’s policy on torture and when it’s necessary (pretty much always in the world of jack bauer), the show nevertheless never really tries to be deliberately political or philosophical as this would mean time that would have to be spent taking away from the action.

3. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia - without a doubt the funniest fucking show on television. perhaps the funniest show since seinfeld, and at times, yes, funnier. the show’s second season (with the inclusion of danny devito) really hit its stride, as the writing got stronger and the scenes truly turned into well-crafted episodes as opposed to moments of hilarity as was occasionally the case in the first season. in contrast to say Rescue Me’s use of taboo topics for darkly comedic moments, It’s Always Sunny is built entirely on the premise of using the same topics as the basis for entire episodes. racism, patriotism, homosexuality, abortion, the middle east, incest, pedophilia, and the handicapped to name a few, provide the basis for plotlines that leave me at times crying from laughter.

2. The Shield - in reality, The Shield is probably 1a, as the truth of the matter is that no show on television is as gripping, well-written, well-acted, and well-directed as The Shield is from episode to episode. the show takes place in a world of grey where morality, ethics, and the line between right and wrong are things that exist but in an ever shifting state to accomodate and serve whatever the current situation dictates. the show asks viewers to essentially identify with a cop (and his crew) who is at best corrupt and at worst no better than the criminals he is trying to put away.

1. Deadwood - david milch’s tension soaked western/drama will go down in my opinion as one of the greatest shows ever to air on television. the show’s premise of life in the frontier town for which the show is named in the dakota territories circa the 1870s doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface as to what the show is/was about. the show, while touching on topics ranging from violence, death, profanity, sex, growth, expansion, technology, alliances, race, corruption, to so much more, was often less about the occurence of these things then it was more so about their very possibility. all portrayed in a lyrical style with some of the most impressive dialogue ever uttered and captured by film. the decision not to continue with another season of the show was one of the greatest disappointments for me this past year (as least so far as television is concerned), and though some small measure of comfort can be taken in knowing that two two-hour tv movies are in the works, it will be extremely difficult to fill the sense of satisfaction and awestruck admiration that an hour of Deadwood left me with.