Since December is the last month of the first decade of the 21st century it’s time for a bunch of Top 5s to revisit this decade. For this one… a little bleed over is OK. For example, The Sopranos started in 1999 and ended in 2007. Please NOT television movies or miniseries so I’ll call Band of Brothers as awesome — yet not part of the list. Also please don’t exhaust your knowledge and include every friggin’ series you’ve seen and suck all the oxygen out of the thread. We get it — you’ve watched a lot of TV — congratulations.
Mine… in no particular order…
The Sopranos… some of the best TV ever and a very insightful look into the mind of a group of sociopaths trying like Hell to look legit, but in no ways interested in actually being legit.
Lost… yeah it flagged in the middle, but it’s still got some of the greatest symbolism and I give it a lot of points for striving and often succeeding in transcending the medium. Lord I hope they don’t screw up the ending this final season.
So You Think You Can Dance… I’m straight, but dammit I like to watch talented people dance — and not in a Dancing With the Stars way. This show hearkens back to the days of Astaire and Rogers and Gene Kelly et al — even if inconsistently. The producers force the young uns on the show to confront these styles and educate them on the dancers of old. Even the hip hop dancers strive to overcome mere street dancing and lift up the genre. It is in many ways a conservative show — despite all the claptrap of “tolerance” that often accompanies youth-oriented TV today.
NFL Gameday “Final” on NFL Network with Rich Eisen, Deion Sanders, and Steve “Mooch” Mariucci. F*&k ESPN and Chris Berman. These guys are witty, insightful, and have great rapport. A thoroughly enjoyable 90 minutes of TV and the main reason Deion Sanders has been rehabbed in my eyes. (maybe a wobbler on “series” vs. “show”)
24… if for no other reason than being a breath of un-PC fresh air. A ground breaking format, confronting issues in the war on terror — even if it has gotten a bit squidgy in the middle.
*** I will also say that there are a few acclaimed series from this decade I have yet to see — in my queue or on my iPod awaiting time.
Rome
NCIS
The Tudors
thats all I can think of.
I’m straight, but dammit I like to watch talented people dance…
Every time I try to stop and not wear out a joke, Floyd proceeds with the rhetorical equivalent of walking into a room in assless chaps and a dog collar and saying “it’s not what you think.” Shows Floyd loves that didn’t make it onto this list? Fire Island pay-per-view specials?
Some really good shows that fall under the radar:
Medium
Pushing Daisies
Avatar: The last Airbender
Life on Mars (UK version)
Top Gear
David… again in your pursuit of easy gets you display some sort of intimate knowledge of gay subculture. I’m afraid to Google fire island pay per view specials.
Somebody will mention ‘The wire’ so it may as well be me.
Scrubs — even if it looks like it’s finally about to capsize come Tuesday’s latest season premiere, any show that includes the genius of John C. McGinley AND Neil Flynn is a winner in my book.
Arrested Development — though the day Jason Bateman gets the series he’s deserved to have last may never happen now that he’s running with the big cinematic comedy boys club of Stiller, Vaughn and company, the 2.5 years this lasted hit every episode well out of the yard.
Friday Night Lights — so glad this show found its Season 1 greatness last year. Despite some kids inexplicably remaining seniors one or two years too long — and practically all of Season 2 aside — real characters, some damn fine curveball storylines (crippling the star QB in the pilot????), and respect for God, community and parents. Texas (and America), F yeah!!!
30 Rock — dammit if Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey, King and Queen Smug Liberals off-camera, don’t make me forgive and forget and bring me back every week … even the Oprah episode. Throwing Tim Conway a bone earned lots of bonus points, too.
Modern Family — sure, only a few episodes to judge, but batting a thousand so far. Plus Ed O’Neill back in Al Bundy-prime fighting form? Fuhgedaboudit!!!!
The Office- I know some people won’t watch the American “rip-off” but to me it’s as funny as anything I’ve seen lately.
Burn Notice- The first three seasons of this show have been excellent.
Shoot forgot Burn Notice…thanks for the reminder Outlaw!
I’ll add House to the list.
Battlestar Galactica, which I’ve talked about before. yeah the politics that inserted Democrat talking points into some episodes are annoying as hell — as are are some clearly goofy plot/ character things, it basically remained a very well done show…but I’m a sci-fi nerd.
I like watching Alton Brown’s food shows as well.
no Amazing Race?
Mad Men is supposed to be pretty good, too, but I haven’t seen it.
Eric, YES! on Arrested Development and Friday Night Lights. Far and away my favorite comedy and drama series of the last ten years.
After that, it gets murkier. Maybe Mad Men, Doctor Who and How I Met Your Mother?
MONK: Ending this weekend, this show was one of the best comedy/dramas.
a group of sociopaths trying like Hell to look legit, but in no ways interested in actually being legit
I think you’ve just described the leadership of both the House and the Senate.
Firefly
Six Feet Under
Titus
Lost
Wonderfalls
Titus! Almost forgot how awesome Stacey Keach was on that one, plus great early use of the confessional style seems everyone’s using these days (yes, even Modern Family).
+JMJ+
Dirty Jobs — Who doesn’t love Mike Rowe?
Heroes — I’m still mourning the train wreck that was Season 2.
Prison Break — Another one with a riveting first season and subsequent seasons that made me lose all interest.
I’ll try to think of two more . . .
Gah! How could I forget Dirty Jobs on my list? Curse your wise decision-making and good taste, Enbrethiliel!
Sometimes I wish US television would follow the British model. Have self-contained series that go for a year or two, then move on. Not for all shows, but Prison Break seems like the model of the “What do we do now?” problem.
MONK: I said it above, great show.
NCIS: Mark Harmon is Amazing!
PSYCH: Funny, funny show,
SCRUBS: Someone above said it, Flynn and McGinly are awesome. Janitor has me on the floor.
BURN NOTICE: Good guys hurt bad guys.
I enjoy House and miss Pushing Daisies. I suppose I could take some pride in the fact that I’ve never even seen a lot of the shows you list (don’t have cable), but I waste a lot of time watching TV anyway. The CSI franchise leaped the elasmobranchius long since, but I still watch it, mainly because of the women (though I just swore off the Miami show. They’ve become Law and Order without the class).
You want diversity? We got diversity here at Threedonia. Of all the shows on Eric’s and Floyd’s lists, I’ve seen exactly none of them. However, I have seen both of the shows on Outlaw’s list, and – if I’m going to have to pick sides some day – I’d rather be on the side of the guy with access to a 30mm chain gun and Hellfire missiles.
Kit’s list would be my list (which frightens me not a little), except for Scrubs – since I have not seen that. Also: Dead Like Me.
It’s funny Rich… I haven’t seen Battlestar Galactica, Deadwood, 6 Ft. Under or even much of The Office — and I’m sure I’d like all those shows. And we are diverse… Mike is slightly less white than the rest of us — whatever that means.
I’m the white guy now? I’m not even Italian!
My response makes no sense. Stet.
Burn Notice: Breezy, fast-paced goofy fun.
Battlestar Galactica, up until it became Battlestar Iraqtica, overwrought shock-and-awe storytelling and the geekiness began to choke the life from it.
South Park: If started in 1997, but hit its stride in the middle of this decade. Maybe the funniest show on culture ever made.
Monk: Started an entire network style at USA, going for the breezy and being as unpretentious as possible. A stark contrast to detective drama and such on the major nets.
Other than the occasional episode of “Psych,” the only TV I watched this decade outside anything with R. Lee Ermey, TNN and Spike TV’s Powerblock and Overhaulin’.
And I forgot South Park….
Glad to know there are fellow Monk fans!
What do you think of the series coming to an end?
I like him too!
Nanoo, nanoo, Kit!
The Office
Lost
The Wire
Burn Notice
The Closer
What do I have on DVR?
The Soup- it’s the only way I can tolerate entertainment tv and know what’s happening outside the house.
The Office
Burn Notice
The Closer
And I thought Pushing Daisies was terrific.
love The Soup… it is the only way most reality tv is palatable.
I don’t get the channel The Soup is on, but I like watching it when I can. I hate most reality/talk shows*, but I love “train-wreck TV,” so it’s the perfect show for me.
*Except the Steve Wilkos show, but that might be because Steve has hung out at the bar where I play darts, and seems like a good guy.
You seem a little grumpy Floyd, you got a reindeer up your butt?
How am I grumpy? I never liked it at Dirty Harry’s Place when he had a top 5 and some cinephile geek would name like 20 movies… top 5 — make a decision!
I might have been grumpy last night when I posted it.
My boys watch Mythbusters, Special Ops, and Time Warp. They don’t annoy me.
5. Lost — It’s #5 even if it ended today, for the sheer inventiveness it’s shown. It could end up #1. Not just a series of plot twists as its critics would have it, it explores complex ideas of morality and philosophy—and treats them as if they were important or something.
4. Scrubs — Combines surreal humor with genuine emotion. I may be wrong, but a lot of the actual “hospital” stuff seems more realistic than what you see on medical dramas. I’ve admitted I don’t know what the word means, but could Scrubs be a post-modernist version of “Barney Miller” set in a hospital? Discuss.
3. The Office — I didn’t start watching this until it hit syndication this fall. I had loved the British version and thought this was an unnecessary remake. While the UK’s show is better as a character study, this one’s funnier and more charming. The original had a higher cringe-to-laugh ratio.
2. Malcolm in the Middle — The actor who played the father was completely fearless in the lengths he would go to for a laugh. Any episode featuring Craig was must-see. Piyama should have been in every episode, though, so it’s only #2.
1. Arrested Development — The funniest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. The only prime-time network comedy I’ve ever looked forward to seeing every week. I cannot pick a favorite character, and I cannot pick a favorite line. About as perfect as a show can get.
Mike, regarding your comment about Scrubs’ medical scenes seeming more realistic: Zach Braff’s character is based on a real-life doctor, who is a friend of the exec producer and a medical consultant for the show. Many of the “in hospital” scenes are based on real-life events from his career. Despite all the surrealism and slapstick, it’s probably the most accurate medical show on TV so far.
Mike,
Agree on Scrubs’ accuracy. It does seem more accurate. (Coming from someone who knows very little about medicine).
It also had great, fun characters: Janitor, Ted, Cox, Elliot, J.D., Doug, etc.
Honorable mention: Everybody Loves Raymond (if it’s not a 90s show). Not many tremendous episodes, but always entertaining.
Shows that look really good but I’ve only seen a handful of episodes:
Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory.
I don’t watch a lot of primetime network television, because every time I find a show I like, it gets cancelled. I saw excactly one episode of Pushing Daisies (and I tuned in fifteen minutes into it.) I didn’t love it, but it intrigued me enough to go on the internet and find out something about it. I found out it had just been cancelled.
The only reason I watch Lost is because I don’t think the rest of the country will refrain from telling me the ending until I’ve caught up on DVD. They’re real bastards that way. (But I didn’t start watching Lost until last fall, when I was pretty certain it wouldn’t be cancelled prematurely.)
Shows I’ve heard good things about but have never seen an episode of:
Friday Night Lights, 24, Sopranos, 30 Rock, Dexter, Monk.
I saw one episode of Battlestar Galactica (the pilot, or whatever you call it) and gave up on it when I saw that Starbuck was a woman. PC dreck! (No idea if that’s true.)
(Is this comment in violation of the “Only 5″ rule?)
Monk is good, rent the first season and start from there.
The title character is brilliantly brought to screen by Tony Shalhoub.
Just added Season 1, Disc 1 to my Netflix queue, Kit. I’m holding you responsible.
“Firefly” and “Rome” were just grand. Sure, they didn´t last long but I would have fond memories of “Battlestar Galactica” if it had been cancelled after the first or second season before it turned into defeatist crap.
“Lost” is going nowhere. Mark my words.
The Wire
Project Runway
Malcolm in the Middle
Burn Notice
Imagination Movers – it’s a kids’ show, but you didn’t stipulate only adult shows, and it’s one of the few I can tolerate
Re. Imagination Movers: Mmmmmm, Nina…….
My redneck wedding.
I’ve only seen about three of the shows listed here, and one of them is “Dirty Jobs.” I do not watch any fiction. Unfortunately I don’t even read any fiction any more.
Here are my 5:
5. The McLaughlin Group: It’s huge bleed over, but it has been on for the entire decade. For about a three year period it was the only television show I watched, period. It was the “Ice Station Zebra” to my Howard Hughes.
4. Mail Call: The most fun my sons and I have had watching television.
3. Clean House: One of the few home/decorating shows my wife watches that I can tolerate. I think I like it for the schadenfreude that there are people that ridiculous living on the same planet as the one I live on.
2. OLN/VS Tour de France Coverage: I’m pretty sure this started in this decade. Wonderful coverage of an amazing race. Everyday is more beautiful scenery in France and a new soap opera. VS does an awesome job with this. Even if you don’t like cycling check this out next June. It’s poetry in motion.
1. Extreme Elimination Challenge: If you ever need proof that America has 10 lawyers for every 1 Engineer and Japan has the opposite ratio just watch this show. The announcers are hilarious. Best concept for a TV show since the “A Team.”
MXC and it’s more serious cousin, Ninja Warrior (which can be seen on G4)…awesome in their weirdness, make that Japanese weirdness.
I’ve seen the last five minutes of Ninja Warrior twice, but I miss the MXC announcers. I also miss the big carp heads and tricycles.
Deadliest catch