2012 Primies: Best shows

By on Jan 28, 2013 in The Primies |

As always, there’s too much good TV to watch, let alone wedge into a top-ten list. So for this, the revered yearly pantheon of television shows selected by America’s most cherished TV critic — ha! — I’m also noting a few honorable mentions, as well as recognizing the shows that might have elbowed their way onto this ranking had I actually had time to watch them in 2012. I can only imagine the heart-wrenching cuts I’ll have to make for the 2013 Primies if I manage to watch them all this year — and who knows what awesome series are just around the corner. Good luck, future Dan! American Horror Story (2011: #1) Breaking Bad Damages Homeland Dexter (2011: #1) Community (2011: #7) The Good Wife (2011: #2) Parks and Recreation (2011: #8) Mad Men Modern Family (2011: #3) Honorable mentions: The New Normal, Girls, Nashville Possible contenders (had I seen...

Cancellations, Renewals, and Resurrections

By on May 22, 2012 in In Production |

Along with all the hoopla about the broadcast networks’ new shows, upfront season is also the day of reckoning for their existing lineups.  And this month’s renewal and cancellation news has been nothing if not surprising.  Here are my thoughts. The vultures were already circling when Cougar Town returned to ABC in February to even worse ratings than before, but then—huzzah!—TBS announced that it would be rescuing the show.  First Conan, now Cougar?  Dammit, TBS, I could kiss you all over the face right now. And speaking of criminally-underappreciated comedies, FOX’s Raising Hope and NBC’s Community were granted renewals.  And I’m not worried at all that Community is moving to Friday nights—its small, diehard fanbase will move right along with it. Though I only saw one episode of Once Upon a Time once upon a time, I’m so pleased that a non-procedural...

Shit My Boyfriend Says

By on Feb 1, 2012 in Inanities |

or, A Television-Related Word Association Experiment With the Love of My Life Here’s a list of every current show I watch, and my boyfriend’s instant reaction to each. 30 Rock “Oh, Tina Fey…” (smiles) American Horror Story “Thrills me.” Boardwalk Empire “Costumes…” Breaking Bad “Oh, I don’t know.  I don’t know.  Come back to me with that one.” Burn Notice “Never saw it… oh, but that guy is hot.” Californication “Gah… can’t get into it… but I want to.” Community “Growing on me.” Cougar Town “Stupid.” Covert Affairs “Oh, Piper Peek-a-boo.  That’s what my dad calls her… looks pretty stupid, though.  It looks like a dumbed-down Alias, if Alias could be any dumber.” Curb Your Enthusiasm “I hate...

2011 Primies: Best Shows

By on Jan 30, 2012 in The Primies |

My year-end accolades (or year-beginning ones, as the case may be) always come with a disclaimer: I haven’t watched all the awesome TV out there. There’s no Boardwalk Empire on this list, no Homeland, no Game of Thrones… and I can’t even award Breaking Bad because I’ve only seen three episodes of this year’s season! But, c’mon, every TV critic must be missing out on something worthwhile… at least, those TV critics with social lives. (And I should know—I used to not have one to speak of!) Anyway, enough navel-gazing. Of the shows I’ve followed consistently, here are my favorites. American Horror Story The Good Wife (2010: #8) Modern Family (2010: #4) Justified (2010: #10) Dexter Parenthood Community (2010: #5) Parks and Recreation (2010: #7) Fringe (2010: #6) True...

2011 Primies: Best Moments

By on Jan 27, 2012 in The Primies |

We all watch television in eager anticipation of those watercooler moments—those moments so shocking, so emotional, so incredibly awesome that we have to a) rewind to watch them about twenty times and b) rehash them to death with all of our fellow watchers. And I honor my picks for those moments here, along with video clips of each moment from YouTube and Hulu (which will hopefully still work in six months). Bear in mind that I did not (and surely could not) see every worthwhile show on television in 2011, and I might be behind on the ones I do watch, so I will most certainly snub deserving moments. Also, I chose not to go Googling to remember these events; if they didn’t come immediately to mind, they must not be momentous enough to merit a place on this list. WARNING: MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD! You may just want to look at the show names in the parentheses before looking at the...