glenquagmire
01-03-2008, 05:18 PM
This is a response email I wrote regarding a review in my local paper. What are your best and worst shows of the year?
The Best:
Dexter. Showtime. Great season, really picking up steam. The finale gave nice closure on all of the season arcs. It goes to show that suspense is not a dead genre. Sunday nights now truly belong to Showtime with this complementing the always good L Word. Nice little set up for next season with La Guerta going half mad.
Entourage. HBO. Still going strong with a minor nod to the "Vince and his new agent dating" arc that really didn't do much for me. Nice to see Drama get some respect for once, and Turtle even showed he has aspirations of some sort. I feel that this is some of the best writing on tv for male viewers 21-35.
30 Rock. NBC. This is still an overlooked gem. It has definitely replaced Scrubs as my favorite Network Sitcom (actually probably in a tie for How I Met Your Mother, but HIMYM had a bit of a weak season this year.) Tina Fey is a perfect straightwoman for all of the Lunatics on the show. My favorite line (albeit from last season) Liz: "Why are you wearing a tuxedo?" Jack: "Lemon, its after six. What am I, a farmer?"
The Amazing Race. CBS. When is CBS going to take this off Sunday nights so I don't have to worry that its not going to record due to some football game running long. I think they should swap Survivor and TAR. I like them both, but I am only truly angry when I miss TAR. I know Survivor had a resurgence this season, and I like them both, but I think TAR could really give Thursday nights hell.
NCIS. CBS. I think this show gets overlooked a lot, since it is sort of a JAG-ified CSI. At least, that seems to be the popular opinion. But I like the writing on the show, I think that the characters have become more developed in the last 2 seasons, and it has one of my guilty pleasures, the goth uber-geek Abby, played with lusty nerdiness by the beautiful Pauley Perrette.
Honorable mention to Saturday Night Live. NBC. It is still hit and miss, but the Bon Jovi episode had some of the most memorable sketches of the last 10 years, easily. That and the Justin Timberlake Xmas ep from last season were downright funny, and changed my opinion of both guest hosts considerably.
The Worst:
Scrubs. NBC. Let me say this: I love JD, Carla, Turk, Elliot, Cox, and the Todd like they were my siblings. BUT…..Man has this show let me down in the last 2 seasons. Everyone is really starting to look like they have had a lot of plastic surgery, the writing has gone from fun, witty, and a little zany to preachy, boring, and redundant. The worst part is that they have turned JD from a geeky, smart, wacky guy into a guy who is irresponsible, frustrating, and depressing. I mean am I really supposed to believe that all of these gorgeous women want him every season, now he has a baby with one, and he still can't settle on someone? Elliot again? Come on, you've got to be kidding me! And where is the Janitor's hatred? I agree with Brian and Stewie in the Emmy intro song: (Scrubs) "proves that a sitcom doesn't have to make you laugh!"
ER. NBC. Again, a show that has overstayed its welcome by a good 2-3 seasons. Like Scrubs, I would love to see a nice, happy ending for this show. Or at least an ending. Happy may be too much to ask I know. Abby is on the sauce again? Surprise! A baby is in danger of dying? Shocker! The ER explodes for the 18th time? Really? Are you kidding? I would have closed that hospital years ago, it is obviously built on a haunted Native American burial ground. This show jumped the shark when Mark Green died. They should have ended it right then, with that nice Hawaiian "Over the Rainbow" montage. And by the way, is Sam's kid ever coming home? Not that I liked him, but wow, talk about your loose ends.
CSI. CBS. Gil should have left with her. If they were in love, he should have gone. Its just that simple. Las Vegas would make it without him. And can we go a season without one of the CSI guys having a breakdown? Warrick and Sara this year, the kid with the messy hair last year, Nick the year before. Take a vacation, guys. And what was that ep with the lab rats? Come on, either write me an episode or show me a rerun, but stop phoning it in.
John From Cincinatti. HBO. Ugh, I tivo'ed like 5 episodes of this and it was cancelled before I could start watching them. When I finally got bored one day and watched a couple, I figured out why. When a cable outlet cancels a show they have wrapped, you know it’s a stinker.
Californication. HBO. Dave, Dave, Dave, why Dave? Was it the money? The sex scenes? The pointless banter? I think this show stinks on ice. I can't figure out why I watched that third episode, but I was done then.
My own double-secret probation category:
Shows that disappointed me by not coming even close to the hype:
Heroes and Heroes: Origins. NBC. Wow, way to drop the ball guys.
Life. NBC. I Didn't think this one could miss with Damian Lewis as the star, but I was wrong. I don't hate it, but it’s a bit boring.
Chuck. NBC. Again, a great premise, and poor execution. It just seems a little too tame compared to the show I think it could be. And could they have acquired a stiffer Baldwin brother? Was Tito not available?
I guess what I am saying is, please J. J. Abrams, save me!
Good luck and Good TV!
The Best:
Dexter. Showtime. Great season, really picking up steam. The finale gave nice closure on all of the season arcs. It goes to show that suspense is not a dead genre. Sunday nights now truly belong to Showtime with this complementing the always good L Word. Nice little set up for next season with La Guerta going half mad.
Entourage. HBO. Still going strong with a minor nod to the "Vince and his new agent dating" arc that really didn't do much for me. Nice to see Drama get some respect for once, and Turtle even showed he has aspirations of some sort. I feel that this is some of the best writing on tv for male viewers 21-35.
30 Rock. NBC. This is still an overlooked gem. It has definitely replaced Scrubs as my favorite Network Sitcom (actually probably in a tie for How I Met Your Mother, but HIMYM had a bit of a weak season this year.) Tina Fey is a perfect straightwoman for all of the Lunatics on the show. My favorite line (albeit from last season) Liz: "Why are you wearing a tuxedo?" Jack: "Lemon, its after six. What am I, a farmer?"
The Amazing Race. CBS. When is CBS going to take this off Sunday nights so I don't have to worry that its not going to record due to some football game running long. I think they should swap Survivor and TAR. I like them both, but I am only truly angry when I miss TAR. I know Survivor had a resurgence this season, and I like them both, but I think TAR could really give Thursday nights hell.
NCIS. CBS. I think this show gets overlooked a lot, since it is sort of a JAG-ified CSI. At least, that seems to be the popular opinion. But I like the writing on the show, I think that the characters have become more developed in the last 2 seasons, and it has one of my guilty pleasures, the goth uber-geek Abby, played with lusty nerdiness by the beautiful Pauley Perrette.
Honorable mention to Saturday Night Live. NBC. It is still hit and miss, but the Bon Jovi episode had some of the most memorable sketches of the last 10 years, easily. That and the Justin Timberlake Xmas ep from last season were downright funny, and changed my opinion of both guest hosts considerably.
The Worst:
Scrubs. NBC. Let me say this: I love JD, Carla, Turk, Elliot, Cox, and the Todd like they were my siblings. BUT…..Man has this show let me down in the last 2 seasons. Everyone is really starting to look like they have had a lot of plastic surgery, the writing has gone from fun, witty, and a little zany to preachy, boring, and redundant. The worst part is that they have turned JD from a geeky, smart, wacky guy into a guy who is irresponsible, frustrating, and depressing. I mean am I really supposed to believe that all of these gorgeous women want him every season, now he has a baby with one, and he still can't settle on someone? Elliot again? Come on, you've got to be kidding me! And where is the Janitor's hatred? I agree with Brian and Stewie in the Emmy intro song: (Scrubs) "proves that a sitcom doesn't have to make you laugh!"
ER. NBC. Again, a show that has overstayed its welcome by a good 2-3 seasons. Like Scrubs, I would love to see a nice, happy ending for this show. Or at least an ending. Happy may be too much to ask I know. Abby is on the sauce again? Surprise! A baby is in danger of dying? Shocker! The ER explodes for the 18th time? Really? Are you kidding? I would have closed that hospital years ago, it is obviously built on a haunted Native American burial ground. This show jumped the shark when Mark Green died. They should have ended it right then, with that nice Hawaiian "Over the Rainbow" montage. And by the way, is Sam's kid ever coming home? Not that I liked him, but wow, talk about your loose ends.
CSI. CBS. Gil should have left with her. If they were in love, he should have gone. Its just that simple. Las Vegas would make it without him. And can we go a season without one of the CSI guys having a breakdown? Warrick and Sara this year, the kid with the messy hair last year, Nick the year before. Take a vacation, guys. And what was that ep with the lab rats? Come on, either write me an episode or show me a rerun, but stop phoning it in.
John From Cincinatti. HBO. Ugh, I tivo'ed like 5 episodes of this and it was cancelled before I could start watching them. When I finally got bored one day and watched a couple, I figured out why. When a cable outlet cancels a show they have wrapped, you know it’s a stinker.
Californication. HBO. Dave, Dave, Dave, why Dave? Was it the money? The sex scenes? The pointless banter? I think this show stinks on ice. I can't figure out why I watched that third episode, but I was done then.
My own double-secret probation category:
Shows that disappointed me by not coming even close to the hype:
Heroes and Heroes: Origins. NBC. Wow, way to drop the ball guys.
Life. NBC. I Didn't think this one could miss with Damian Lewis as the star, but I was wrong. I don't hate it, but it’s a bit boring.
Chuck. NBC. Again, a great premise, and poor execution. It just seems a little too tame compared to the show I think it could be. And could they have acquired a stiffer Baldwin brother? Was Tito not available?
I guess what I am saying is, please J. J. Abrams, save me!
Good luck and Good TV!