It's hard to believe that in just a few short days we'll be in the year twenty-ten (2010), I can't think of a year which sounds more futuristic until we hit twenty-twenty (2020). Of course, many things aren't that different from previous years, hardly surprising as most major inventions we rely on in modern society are generally things which were in truth thought of long before - those Greeks seem to have come up with a lot of it and we still haven't escaped their shadow.

But one thing which is clear, the past decade has been just astronomical with regards to television. It's come on in leaps and bounds when you compare it to the decades before it. That's something I'll take a look at later this week, but today the focus is on the last year - which for myself was the first year without any major shows I adored. Without The Wire and The Shield on our screens I've been a little anchorless to say the least, nothing yet has come to fill the void - but some shows have come close.


This is probably the hottest category for myself, as I encountered a lot of new sitcoms over this year. Some of which, like Cougar Town, I dabbled in before deciding I couldn't be bothered watching them each week. I might pick them up later in the sales. I briefly entertained giving this one to Parks & Recreation, but the first season is pretty weak and the show has only just started to gain it's legs.

Better Off Ted was the front runner for a long while; the combination of cynical observations, amusing future tech, sharp writing and great acting made it hard to beat. This is the show that gave us racist motion sensors for cripes sake! Unfortunately it looks like BOT might be getting the chop, which makes it difficult for me to be completely enthusiastic about it anymore, I've fallen for too many shows that have been cancelled before their time - as such I'm cautious about giving my heart to any show which looks like it's having a rocky future.

So what managed to usurp Ted from the top slot? It's a sitcom which was brought to my attention by fellow (and better) blogger Rob Buckley, who tweeted about it and piqued my interest. It is of course NBC's Community - a show which I've compared to comedy giants Arrested Development and Seinfeld, a show which has gone from strength to strength and I predict will become huge within two years (or get cancelled because I like it - I seem to be the curse of death for shows).


As I also spend a fair amount of time looking backwards at great old shows from the past I also encountered a lot of sitcoms from years gone by. King of Queens was a strong contender for this slot for a long time, while it is most certainly a formulaic sitcom born right out of the previous decade it's got a lot of heart and remains consistently funny. Big Bang has hovered on the radar as well, but as I've only seen the first season at this point I'm holding back judgement.

The winner is a show I reviewed a while back; a brash, rude and hilarious show which really needs more recognition for it's genius. That show is "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Go watch it, seriously.


What to say here? Most of the drama I've enjoyed this year has either been from previous years, in film format or as a mini-series. I haven't seen much in the way of brilliant new drama. But a large part of this comes from the hole left by 2008 - a year which saw the end of two of my favourite shows. Nothing that came out this year has come close to filling it, actually in truth I can't think of a new drama I started watching this year which was released in 2009. So I'm going to have to give this to Dollhouse, which I haven't even managed to watch a single full episode of yet - but I know it deserves the props.


On the other hand, this category is bursting to the seams with amazing television, a lot of which started in 2008. This includes shows like Legend of the Seeker, Fringe and more besides. Still there are two shows which have stood up ahead of the pack and it's been difficult picking between them to decide. Both had a solid - but not jaw dropping - first season in 2008, then lifted the bar up and punted into the stratosphere for their second season.

I am, of course, writing about Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad - two shows which have the potential to become my favourite shows over the coming years, it depends how they settle down in the future. As such, right now they're sharing the props.


Mad Men - next!


On the whole the DVD sets I've purchased this year have been solid but not inspiring when you're dealing with the production values. I personally feel it's important for a DVD set to not just contain great television, but it also needs to look good and take up as little space on the shelf as possible.

Some candidates are easily scratched off the list - every single DVD from the King of Queens series for example has the most horrible photo shopping on the covers of the boxes (a subject return to as I get annoyed with poor production values quite often).

The 4400's complete set came close to winning this, as did Deadwood and The Shield's respective complete sets. The Shield lost out because the packaging is stylish, but completely impractical for conventional storage. The other two shows lost out because they don't contain complete stories, both The 4400 and Deadwood ended up being cancelled as incomplete.

The newly released Complete Arrested Development was also a major contender, but it was pipped at the post by the re-designed complete box set for The Sopranos. It's an amazing show in a boxed set which is as small as it possibly can be, I don't think it's possible for it to take up less room without a completely new format for storage being created. It's nothing short of amazing.


So who stole my heart this year on the small screen? Well Katey Sagal is always a solid choice in this category, certainly her performances in Futurama and Sons of Anarchy have cemented her as my top older woman. Likewise perennial favourites Jenna Fisher and Tina Fey have been wonderful in their respective sitcoms.

Other favourites like Tara Summers (Boston Legal) haven't really been present on my screens since their shows ended, so unfortunately they've not been eligible. But one lovely lass has been, Alison Brie (Community, Mad Men) and as such she's getting the prize.

Well, I think that's enough for one year. Later this week I'll take a proper look at the decade as a whole, an amazing decade filled with the best television we've ever had on our screens (and the worst also).
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Christmas (and generally any "holiday") specials are something I have mixed feelings on, while there are some excellent moments out there; Halloween in particular seems to raise the bar for American sitcoms each year, there is a generally sickly, hollow, crass and commercial feel to Christmas on television. It could be my increasing cynicism about society in general and my historically terrible experiences at the Christmas period (I generally suffer tragedies or exceptionally hard times around this season - this year is no exception). But it could also be the vapid consumerism of it all.

Then again, when I'm back home with the family for a few days things are indeed good - spats, arguments, presents, Christmas dinner - it's all great, even last year's argument (which resulted in my not talking to my brother for months) was good fun. So I do like the togetherness Christmas brings, even if the present giving is a pain in the arse.

So baring that somewhat schizophrenic spirit in mind here are some of my favourite Christmas episodes:

Arrested Development - In God We Trust

I was tempted to go with 'Afternoon Delight' for my Arrested Development Christmas special, but I do feel that it's just pipped by In God We Trust. It's the pageant scenes which do it for me - recreations of famous works of art. Including George Michael wandering around in a muscular body suit to impress Maeby, at least until he sees the 'fronts piece' he'll have to wear.

The full development of Tobias's "nevernude" disorder is prompted by this entire escapade (it was mostly hinted at until this point) and the final scenes of George Sr, dressed as God and fleeing, before being wrestled to the ground just cap it all for me. It's a real dysfunctional Christmas.

Seinfeld - The Strike

Possibly the least festive of all the episodes listed here, The Strike is one of those phenomena which has actually managed to influence reality. On the 23rd of December each year, some people break out their aluminium pole, sit down for the airing of grievances and then partake in the feats of strength. All of which are parts of Festivius - an anti-celebration of Christmas in protest of all the commercialism and tacky nature of many parts in modern Christmas.

The Strike itself primarily focuses on Kramer's return to employment after an exceptionally long strike, but it's the events surrounding the Costanzas which make this such a memorable experience. If Festivus wasn't so clearly traumatic for children I'd celebrate it myself.

Blackadder - Blackadder's Christmas Carol

Many countless shows and franchises go for a retelling of the classic Christmas story 'Christmas Carol', but none of them pull it off with as much aplomb and style as the Blackadder version. Dripping with satire, sharp observations, wit and cracking performances from all the cast it's one of the finest Christmas moments on television pretty much ever.

Add in the fantastic spin on the moral of the story at the end, and we're left with something I can watch year after year and still laugh at.

Doctor Who - The Christmas Invasion

The Doctor Who Christmas specials tend to be somewhat uneven, this is mostly due to Russell T. Davies's crude use of blunt tropes and devices when dealing with science fiction. To give Rusty his props, he can write emotion with the best of them - but he's awful at science fiction. Tending to rely on the old trusty "magic button" to get his characters out of the situations he's stuck them in, making everything feel less earnt.

Voyage of the Damned is the pinnacle of this, it's an utter travesty which is almost completely wasted. The only really bright spots being Tennant himself, Clive Rowe (who is rather badly bumped off on the bridge, a shame because he's a fantastic actor) and Bernard Cribbins's cameo which would grow into one of the most amazing supporting moments in the show at the end of the Donna years. Likewise The Runaway Bride, as much as I adore Catherine Tate as Donna, is not great either.

But The Christmas Invasion is fortunately not one of the lame duck specials - it's an exciting tour de force which introduces us to Tennant's Tenth Doctor. One filled with witty lines, tense moments and even a little foreshadowing. I don't know exactly what it is which makes The Christmas Invasion stand out when compared to the others - but I do hope The End of Time this year manages it as well - even if it will be a bleak story.

Homicide: Life on the Street - All Through the House

"Ho-Ho-Homicide!"

Another Christmas episode with a relatively dark tone to it, Homicide's iconic third season Christmas episode follows the murder of Father Christmas. A winding journey walked by the cynical Munch which eventually leads to a bleak moment where he has to tell a young boy that his father is dead. Only to relieve the moment, by having the boy's father come home. Happy ending! At least until you remember that someone dressed as Santa was still murdered.

No-one can accuse Homicide of pandering to the season, that's for sure.

Supernatural - A Very Supernatural Christmas

Victims are apparently being pulled up the chimney by some form of Anti-Claus. Eventually Sam and Dean get on the trail and discover that they might be hunting after Holdenacar, the god of the winter solstice. It's an episode which harks back to the pagan traditions of Christmas, revelling in the darker aspect of the entire holiday. It also sheds a little light on the Winchester boys past and manages to bring a little of the Christmas spirit in at the end.


Actually, looking at most of those episodes it's quite possible that I am a real grinch. Very few of them seem to have positive things to say about Christmas. Perhaps Wednesday's list of my favourite Christmas Movies will be more upbeat!
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As it's Halloween and I have spent my time enjoying several Halloween specials today I thought I'd take a respective and look at some of my favourite ones. Without any further build up, here they are.



A complete newcomer to this list (relatively speaking). But, having just watched it for the first time before starting this list it's already become a firm favourite. In part because I adore the show and it's witty, intelligent form of comedy. But it's mostly because of one particular character in this episode. Abed's (Danny Pudi) fantastic performance as the Batman, which was close to pitch perfect vocally (Christian Bale Batman) and crackingly authentic in his movements as well. He pretty much lurked around for most of the episode on the sidelines, but the final three scenes were nothing short of hilarious.

The rest of the episode as is just superb both before the costume party and during it. Pierce arriving as 'The Beastmaster' and later freaking out on a trip had some fantastic moments and the main story surrounding Jeff was a great example of just how far his character has come in just a few episodes. He's still cynical, selfish and prone to discarding people when there's something he wants in his sights. But he's also now coming to care about the people who depend on him and is willing to bend for them, even to his own cost.

Still, it's "Batman's" closing monologue which propelled the episode from good into amazing.

This episode is the reason why I started watching How I Met Your Mother in the first place, I just caught it by happenstance when flicking through the channels a few years back and decided to start watching. It's from very early on in the shows run and it was one of the first times where the "is she the mother" angle was played up for great effect (outside of the pilot psych out).

Every year on Halloween there's a party on the apartment roof and Ted heads up there to try and meet the 'slutty pumpkin' again. A woman who was present one year wearing a pumpkin outfit with inappropriately placed holes. He got her number and then promptly lost it, so each year he heads back up there wearing the same (now completely out of context) costume in the hopes of finding her.

It's a great episode, showing a rather pathetic and romantic side to Ted. But it also plays well with Barney, his constant attempts to lift Ted away from this needy act and instead get him to head to a decent party become more and more entertaining. As do his costumes, especially the Top Gun one and of course the Penguin.


Because of the Wonder Woman twirl. Oh yes. I really have nothing more to say here except that it was a really unexpected episode for the show to pull, and it worked.



Say what you like about the various Treehouse of Horror episodes, I enjoy them a lot. But my personal favourite is the triple bill from the third season with the cursed Krusty doll, King Kong homage and Dial Z for Zombies - which is just about my favourite Simpsons moment of all time. Homer running down the corridor with a shotgun shooting various famous zombies who have no reason for reanimating in Springfield at all is just delicious.

I still do prefer Futurama's Anthologies of Interest on the whole, but Treehouse III will always remain my favourite animated Halloween episode - sorry Charlie Brown!



This episode wasn't exactly the Halloween episode for Supernatural, but it was released in October and is one of several episodes which shows just how special Supernatural really is. They often mix things up and homage the genre the show is built upon with great love and respect. Episodes like Ghostfacers, the Groundhog Episode "Mystery Spot" and the Evil Dead homage "Hollywood Babylon" simultaneously lampoon and affectionately pay tribute to the mediums of film and horror.

But it's Monster Movie which tops the shop, filmed entirely in black and white with a huge range of references to the old classic black and white horror b-movies it's an episode which is both Supernatural down to the core and something entirely different as well. The Winchester lads arrive in a small town which is being menaced by not just one, not two but three classic movie villains. It's ripping fun.



It's almost obligatory that this one makes it onto the list, but I'm not putting it on here because of that. It's a genuine and classic episode of a show which pretty much ran like a Halloween special every week. "Fear Itself" is another contender often mentioned in these kind of lists but I personally give Halloween the nod, in part because of the fantastic fun we have when each character takes on a new persona thanks to the outfits they're wearing. But it's mostly because this is the episode where we get to first see the steel and iron which hides behind the tweedish impertinence which makes up our initial perception of Giles. When his mask slips and we get to see the Ripper it's a great moment for his character and a great moment for the show.


This episode came in just the second season of the show, but it proved that The Office's American counterpart was capable of some stunning and subtle comedic insights of it's own. From the shrewd nod at the laziness women display when they turn up dressed as a cat, through Jim's rather amusing costume and all the way to Michael's second head berating Dwight and the attempted mind tricks - it's nothing short of classic Halloween and classic "Office". It's just a shame that this year's episode doesn't follow in that tradition.

Oh and Dwight's costume is one of the best, only beaten by last year's Joker look.


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While shows normally centre around heroes, individuals who go out there and do what must be done, it's often the villains who propel the story and provide the most memorable moments. Who can forget Alan Rickman's amazing performance in Die Hard (or Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Gary Oldman in Leon, Kevin Spacey in the Usual Suspects, Darth Vader and so on. Villains are just as important (if not more so) as the heroes in stories. Without someone to stand up against and constrast with our favourite heroes would be a shadow of their former self.

Lets face it, everyone loves a good bad guy, it gives you someone to either root for or rail against, and television is no exception to this. There have been some exceptional villains on screen over the years and here is a selection of my favourites.

Number One/John Cavil
From Battlestar Galactica. Portrayed by Dean Stockwell.

More than any other cylon in the show it's Cavil who stands out as the primary antagonist and most dangerous threat to humanity. A Machiavellian individual who not only threatens the humans, but also stands opposed to any cylons who attempted to get in his way. Lacking any kind of mercy he was responsible for the fates of the final five cylons, tormented Ellen Tigh terribly on New Caprica and constantly called for the culling of humans wherever possible.

He provided a face, voice and name for the threat the Cylons posed, while also turning out to be mostly responsible for the conflict between humanity and the Cylons as well.

Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh
From The Shield. Portrayed by Forest Whitaker.

Strictly speaking Kavanaugh is not a villain as such, but because of the unusual perspective of The Shield he is cast as one. Sent to investigate allegations of corruption amongst Farmington's Strike Team he is diametrically opposed to the series' anti-hero/protagonist Vic Mackey and his team. Kavanaugh is powerfully portrayed by Forest and charts a fall from grace as he becomes increasingly more and more desperate to find evidence that Vic Mackey is corrupt. His tactics become more agressive and gradually he is drawn into breaking the law in order to try and do what he feels is right.

It's this 'the ends justify the means' attitude combined with the powerful and intense performance from Forest which makes Kavanaugh a gripping villain and a worthy foil for Vic Mackey.

Maurice Levy
From The Wire. Portrayed by Michael Kostroff

Maurice Levy originally surfaces in The Wire as the lawyer responsible for D'Angelo Barksdale's case, it's his defense (combined with intimidation from the Barksdale organisation) which results in D'Angelo being released. But this rather innocuous initial appearance conceals someone who is far deeper into the world of crime than anyone would or even could suspect. As time passes it becomes clear that he's a major source of advice to the criminal world, assisting Avon Barksdale, Stringer Bell and even Marlo Stanfeld as time passes.

It's this corrupt and unscrupulous attitude combined with his 'light touch' which makes Maurice such an interesting villain, he's like the proverbial slippery eel. It's clear he's involved in crime, but because he has such a complete grasp of the law he's very difficult to pin down. He's dirty and almost untouchable...

Avatar
From Millennium ("The Mikado"). Portrayed by unknown.

Avatar is unusual when compared to the vast majority of villains in this list as he only made a single appearance in the second season of Millennium. Modelled around the Zodiac Killer, Avatar also communicated with the police using cryptic messages and was a dormant serial killer who had just resurfaced with a new modus operandi - killing his victims according to the number of hits his webcam site received. People who were visiting the site to see what was happening were quite literally facilitating the death of the victim on camera. Eventually the series of clues Avatar left for Frank lead into two traps, one of which took the life of a police officer and the other which nearly resulted in Frank shooting an innocent woman.

Little more is known about Avatar as he was not caught by Frank and the police force (like the Zodiac Killer) and as the show never revisited him he remains at large. Which is a big part of what makes him so interesting, he's still out there, on the loose, waiting to strike again.

The Greek & Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
From The Wire. Portrayed by Bill Raymond and Paul Ben-Victor

The second villain(s) from The Wire on this list, The Greek and Vondas first make their appearance in The Wire's second season as the men behind the smuggling which Frank Sobotka was facilitating through his docks. Vondas is initially revealed as the head of the organisation through meetings which occur in a small diner. But a little while later on it becomes clear that the innocuous old man who is seen dining there all the time is in the true head of the organisation - The Greek.

The pair are the personification of prudent and cautious criminals, for them it's about "Business, always business." They are willing to deal with whomever has the cash to purchase the product and they are efficient in their role as drug wholesalers, human traffickers and large scale thieves. In fact there are few pies they don't have their hands in.

Of the two it's Vondas who is the softer, he forms quite an attachment with Frank and especially Nicky Sobotka. But if there is any killing to take place it is Vondas who will do the deed. The Greek on the other hand tends to keep his hands away from anything dirty, but is ruthless when it comes to taking care of business. If The Greek feels you've become a threat to himself and his operation then you won't last much longer.

Davros and the Daleks.
From Doctor Who. Portrayed by Various.

Quintessential Doctor Who villains the Daleks and their creator just have to be present on any list mentioning top villains. The murderous salt and pepper pots have menaced the Doctor (and countless children positioned behind the sofa) for longer than any other villain on this list.

There's something just so iconic and incredible about them, considering that they are little more than slow moving condiments with a plunger, a whisk and bunny ear lights on their heads. Their attitude and catchphrase of "Exterminate" moves them away from the comical and into the frightening. Daleks represent the purest form of racism, so far gone that they seek to destroy everything which is different to themselves. They are the equivalent of a man sized virus or plague; so virulent that not even the Doctor's repeated attempts to stop them has ever had any long term effect. They keep coming back and they will continue to do so as long as the series runs.

Nina Meyers
From 24. Portrayed by Sarah Clarke

You can draw a direct link between the quality of 24 and the presence of Nina Meyers. The first season was just fantastic and the gradual realisation that Nina was a double agent is a huge part of that, her shooting of Jack's wife is amongst the best ends to a season ever. But then in season three Jack encounters her again and shoots her dead - while it's an understandable action it also signals the start of the reduction in quality the show has. I didn't even manage to watch all of the rest of season three and every attempt I made to watch each season following resulted in failure.

The lack of Nina probably isn't responsible for the downward plummet 24 has taken, but the show would have been a lot more interesting if she was still around in some fashion. It feels like the pay off of Jack killing Nina would have made for an excellent show finale. But it was not to be like that, which in some ways is realistic, but in others clearly bad for the show's performance.

Old Yellow Eyes/The Yellow Eyed Demon
From Supernatural. Portrayed by Fredric Lehne

As the primary antagonist for the first two seasons of Supernatural the Yellow Eyed Demon (Azazeal) was responsible for the vast majority of the sorrow and torment the Winchester family suffered over the years. Both the boys mother and Sam's girlfriend were slain by Yellow Eyes. Almost unkillable, vicious, evil and ancient beyond measure he was a terrible opponent for the Winchesters. Even after the Winchesters defeated him his presence and plans continue to make themselves known and felt. While he didn't count on being slain, as demons are supposed to be immortal, dying hasn't stopped the wheels he set in motion.

He also had a dark and amusing sense of humour about everything, often taunting the Winchesters and even willing to banter and converse with them. Fredric Lehne brought a lot of presence and 'cool' to the character and made him much, much more than just "the enemy".

Honorable mentions:
Shane Vandrell (The Shield) who didn't make the cut because a) he's not a villain the entire time he appears in the series and b) I'd already picked one character from The Shield.

Antwon Mitchell was cut from the list for a similar reason.

Ben Linus from Lost also has a similar bent in that he's not strictly speaking a villain, as time passes he becomes more of a protagonist with his own agenda.

The Master from Doctor Who, again excluded because the Daleks had already taken a spot.

Sylar didn't make the top list because it feels like Heroes has done it's uttermost best to reduce the impact of this character by sucking hard. Zachary Quinto's performance as Sylar is one of the two best parts of the show, but he is stuck on a sinking ship now.

Captain Hammer from Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog also didn't make the cut. Strictly speaking he's a hero. But he is the villain of the piece, regardless I do hope he makes a return appearance in the next Doctor Horrible.

Spike from Buffy and Angel. Who lost out because he becomes somewhat redeemed and shifts into the position of anti-hero as time passed on. His wiry observations remain amongst some of the most entertaining in the shows.

So that's my list, but I'm sure there are many, many more who could and should have made these lists. Who are your favourite television villains and why?

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After Dan mentioned Spaced in yesterday's post about The Big Bang Theory I spent most of today thinking about just how many excellent scenes the series has, for something which ran a meager fourteen episodes

Now I'm afraid this post has been a little neutered by Channel 4's refusal to allow embedding of their YouTube videos, it's understandable but it's still a crotch move. So I'm going to have to link direct to the videos of the various scenes rather than being able to have them here. But one makes do with what one has and C4 are absolutely right to protect their property as they feel is appropriate - I guess we should be grateful they have videos of it online at all.

So without further adieu here are my favourite Spaced scenes in no particular order at all.

1. Unspoken Telepathy/Slow Motion Commotion - From "Gone"

Tapping into the playground days of 'war' where children would run about with boundless joy 'shooting' each other with pretend guns, these twined scenes are nothing short of hilarious. Unfortunately, things like this don't happen in real life, but you can't help but think the world would be a better place if they did.

2. Dawn of the Dead - From "Art"

The scene which directly inspired Shaun of the Dead is another absolute classic, mixing the experience of playing Resident Evil along with general tiredness to create a semi-day dream, semi-hallucination filled with zombies.

3. Paint Balls - From "Battles"

When Tim and Mike head out paintballing they run into Duane, the man who stole Tim's ex-girlfriend from him a confrontation occurs. The war movie spoof at the end followed by the immediate cut to Mike and Tim leaving caps the scenes wonderfully. Unfortunately that moment is missing from the C4 video, so you'll have to catch it on DVD (or 4oD).

4. Pop Fiction - From "Back"

I just love Pulp Fiction, and the scene which this one parodies is a piece of magical cinematography. There's not much more to say really, except I do wonder what would happen if Daisy had pulled the trigger when the tarts popped. It's hard to say when you're talking about Mike's guns.

5. What's the Plan - From "Gone"

Two very different plans about a night out, both hysterical - but Tim's is the real gem. Absolutely munted!

6. Ringing in the Ears - From "Epiphanies"

I was almost afraid this one wasn't available in the C4 selection, it's actually my first experience with Spaced. This is the scene I saw when I first switched the channel over to 4 and I just loved it. It's made even more amusing by the second season call back which occurs in "Help"

7. An Office and a Violent Man - From "Ends"

Iconic Mike - a great spoof of the Rorschach test and I love the ending to this one as well.

8. Team Briefing - From "Chaos"

The team line up to discuss the plan with regards to saving Colin the dog from a vivisectionist. From the names all the way to Mike's inability to understand anything other than the 24 hours clock, this one just doesn't stop being funny.

Of course, Spaced being the amazing show it is there are so many more iconic and brilliant moments apart from these ones. I'm especially fond of Mike in the club dancing (also from Epiphanies).

Spaced is available to watch on 4oD or in all good DVD stores everywhere.
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A while back I put up a three parter about my favourite opening sequences (the first part of which can be found here and it will link to parts two and three). Today - inspired by a day spend playing TV Themes on guitar for no reason other than it was raining I'm going to write about my favourite TV Show themes, while there might be some crossover between the two lists it's more about the music rather than the entire combined credits this time.

They're in alphabetical order by show names rather than order of preference:


Oh come on, seriously - are you even surprised? It's fun, it's iconic, and it even gets people going nuts when it's played in a club. And while you can't dance to the original version you certainly can dance to the Guy Pratt remix as featured on Spaced - there's a full length version of it here, annoyingly Channel 4 haven't released the excellent video of Mike dancing - which is what I originally wanted to put up here. Gits.


Surprise! At least I hope this inclusion is a little bit of a surprise - I love the closing theme to Blackadder II, the entire series has great music but it's the closing ditty for each episode in the second series which seals the deal.


The full version of the song from the most excellent (and difficult to find) Crystal Method is here it's a kind of crappy video but the music quality is good.


It's a great little tune which almost sounds purpose made for the series with it's funky spy like guitar riff but in truth it's a boiled down version of Cake's Short Skirt/Long Jacket. This is the theme which inspired the list and it's an excellent choice for the show, fitting pretty much perfectly into place.

The full music video can be seen here. I think I actually prefer the stripped down Chuck Theme.


Another one which I'm sure won't the least bit surprising to see on here. It was pretty much the TV show theme for a while. But I don't think The Rembrants produced a single other song of consequence apart from this one, pretty much the definition of a one hit wonder.


Filled with energy and punch the theme seems to echo the life and experiences of Tommy Gavin, it's one I find myself huming for a while during and after watching an episode of the show.

You can catch a live rendition on Letterman here.


Using the banjo to great effect the full song is a melancholy tribute to the difficulties of life, the shortened version works well as the opener to Scrubs and served it well for eight seasons. It's the extended version used in the video here - they decided to scale back to the short orignal version after a few episodes. Keep it punchy, more time for gags that way.


The shortened version of this song is so well edited that it almost feels like a complete entity by itself, I know I often find myself surprised with the length of the original version when playing it on RockBand or listening to it on CD.


Say what you like about That 70s Show, the opening theme is pretty awesome.

There's a lowish quality version of the full song/70s show video here.


There are five renditions of the song "Way Down in the Hole" used in The Wire, one for each season. But it is the version from the fifth season performed by Steve Earle (who appears as Waylon in the series) which does it for me. Here's the man performing it live.

Where's Wallace? Where's Wallace? (There he is at 0:55 in the video!)

Honorable mentions go to the themes from Monty Python's Flying Circus, Boston Legal, House (Teardrop - Massive Attack), Top Gear (Jessica - The Allman Brothers) and The 4400 (Amanda Abizaid - A Place in Time) .

Might I just write before I go, these posts might look rather 'filler' but the honest truth is they take longer than written ones. Sigh.
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Inspired by yesterdays somewhat debatable list of the top 100 episodes from TV Guide, I spent yesterday figuring out what were the top twenty episodes I've watched. The criteria for the episodes is fairly simple, each episode has to be memorable enough to have left a mark one way or another, additionally there can only be one entry per show - to stop personal favourites with many amazing episodes dominating the list.

The first ten will just be shows, episode titles and a single sentence comment, but the top ten have a little more in depth discussion into the "Why".

20. That 70s show - "It's a Wonderful Life"
A fun little episode which tributes Scrooge and will always hold a warm place in my DVD collection, I'm sure others will disagree with this one being here.

19. The West Wing - "Two Catherdrals"
Have to agree with TV Guide here, it's stupendous.

18. Damages - "Because I Know Patty"
The first season comes to a head with an amazing set of revelations.

17. Seinfeld - "The Chicken Roaster"
Yes "The Contest" is the absolute classic Seinfeld, but Jerry and Kramer switching personalities in "The Chicken Roaster" does it for me.

16. Boston Legal - "Guantanamo by the Bay"
A wonderful return introduction for my favourite character and just one of the greatest fourth wall breaking moments of the show.

15. The Office - "Weight Loss"
Just when it looks like the show is going to be predictable and split Jim and Pam part, Jim proposes and she accepts.

14. Battlestar Galactica - "Crossroads - Part 1 and 2."
Makes up for the terrible episodes which occured in season three with an epic game changing two parter.

13. Doctor Who - "Blink"
Just about the best Doctor Who episode of all time, and it hardly features him at all.

12. Futurama - "The Devils Hands are Idle Playthings"
A moving and poignent close to the show's run (at the time), all the stops are pulled out and the last moments are emotionally charged.

11. Arrested Development - Mr. F
One of my favourite musical stings appears in this episode, an episode which mixes it's own comedy with a spy spoof perfectly

Now for the top ten.

10. The 4400 - "The Marked"

Many of the entries on this list are either season finales, first episodes of the season or pilot episodes. This is because many shows save their big moments or their game changing elements for the start or end of a season. But The 4400 provided it's biggest moment partway through the fourth season, revealing huge game changing facts which rocked the show and cast a new light on where things were going.

The terrible future which The 4400 were abducted and then returned to stop apparently has it's own champions, a group of people known only as 'The Marked' who are identified by a single mark behind their left ear. As Tom and Diana investigate into this supposed conspiracy things begin to unfold. Huge things which stand to change everything.

The only unfortunate thing about this episode is the cancellation of The 4400, which meant that things couldn't be brought to full closure, but it's still an amazing episode and holds up well.

9. Lost - "Pilot"

I may have lost (ha ha!) interest in the show until it ends and it's out on DVD, but Lost's first episode remains one of the most enticing and interesting moments on television. Filled with jaw dropping moments, mystery, interesting characters (Jack is not one of those by the way) and a genuine "did that just happen?" moment where a survivor is sucked through the engine of the crashed plane; the two part Pilot delivered many intense questions and mysteries - I just don't agree with the way the show carried on after the first season.

8. How I Met Your Mother - "Game Night"

When the arrival of a tape from one of Barney's ex-girlfriends peaks interest and curiosity Barney refuses to share the story with them until each of the gang shares their most embarrassing moment first. Their stories are all hilarious and entertaining, but the truth behind Barney's tape is one of the definitive "Barney Moments" and is delivered with great aplomb by the ever wonderful Neil Patrick Harris.

7. Supernatural - "Mystery Spot"

There were quite a few episodes fighting it out where Supernatural was concerned; the black and white "Monster Movie" is just awesome quality and a stylistic tribute to the b-movie genre of old, "Ghostfacers" puts a great spin on the whole show and returns the quite brilliant ghostfacers to the screen with a documentary filmed from their point of view, "A Very Supernatural Christmas" gives us the 'anti-Santa' and "Hollywood Babylon" gives a great light-hearted tribute to Hollywood and the Evil Dead in a wonderfully self aware episode.

But it's "Mystery Spot" with it's spin on 'Groundhog Day' which takes the prize. Sam ends up living the same day over and over; a day where no matter what he tries to do, Dean gets killed. Jared and Jensen clearly had a great deal of fun filming this episode and the tribute to and affection for the Bill Murray classic is palpable here. But Supernatural often delivers amazing stand alone episodes.

6. Firefly - "Objects in Space"

"Objects in Space" was very nearly the closing moments for Firefly and would have remained so if Serenity had not been released. Even on the re-watch it's a poignant and heartfelt investigation into the relationship the crew have with young River Tam. It's also got one of the most memorable villains of the show present in it - the disturbed bounty hunter Early; who's mix of wit, danger and sheer insanity make for a great show.

"Out of Gas" is another episode which very nearly took the prize; it's a potent and emotional look at how the ship and crew came together, while Mal and Serenity are slowly dying. But "Objects in Space" takes the prize for the mystery, joy and poignancy of the episode.

5. Homicide - "Three Men and Adena"

TV Guide had the admirable and excellent "Subway" as their Homicide episode of choice, but for me it's the first season episode "Three Men and Adena" which just pips it for that prize. Even though it's only the fifth episode of the show, Three Men and Adena paints a dark, complicated and at times difficult to watch picture. The desperation and determination of Pembleton and Bayliss as they push hard to find out who killed Adena Watkins and get a confession is a powerful mix. Many of the best episodes in Homicide are the more bleak ones and honorable mentions here go to "Subway", "Fallen Heroes", "Sniper" and "Forgive Us Our Trespasses"; but in Three Men takes the prize here for me.

4. The Dead Zone - "Precipitate"

I'm not usually a huge fan of stand alone episodes, and The Dead Zone's format of "Apocalypse episodes at the beginning and end of each season, stand alone in between" at times did make me want to skip over some of the episodes. But the second season episode Precipitate completely bucked this trend, providing one of the most memorable and amazing episodes of the show.

Johnny is given a life saving transfusion of blood, blood from six different donors. As Johnny's psychic gift is triggered by touch he's continuously given glimpses from the lives of these people, but (much like Quantum Leap) he's seeing their lives with he (Johnny) in the position they are in. Eventually he realises that one of the six is going to die and he travels to try and save whomever it is from their fate.

It's an episode which brings out the essence of The Dead Zone; Johnny is a man who seems to come into people's lives, save them from a fate only he can see, and then leave them always better off for his presence. Precipitate nails that concept completely and delivers an amazing final moment. If The Dead Zone had managed to deliver more episodes at this level it would have probably had a chance to close out its storyline with a seventh and final season.

3. The Wire - "Final Grades"

An episode also picked by TV Guide, Final Grades closes out the best season of The Wire with some powerful moments. The Wire's fourth season performs an exceptionally clever and difficult achievement, as it manages to introduce and base a large section of the season around four brand new characters and also keep it interesting. Final Grades brings all the stories and events of the season, along with many stories from earlier seasons, and brings them to a head.

It's definitely a better episode than the series finale -30-: which is an admirable creation , but suffers because of a few weaker points and inaccessible settings introduced in the final season. Final Grades has none of this baggage and remains the stronger entity as a consequence. Season three's finale "Mission Accomplished" was also a contender for this spot.

2. The Shield - "Pilot", "Of Mice and Lem", "Possible Kill Screen" & "Family Meeting"

I know I'm cheating here, but I just couldn't figure out which one of these episodes should be the one making it onto the list. Pilot is an amazing episode which trots out a show which appears to be one thing before taking a dramatic turn in the closing moments and revealing a whole new show. In hindsight this impact would have been greater if the events of the pilot episode had happened about six episodes in, but it's still a real jaw dropper. Of Mice and Lem is the single most devastating episode of the show, bringing to a head the events of the entire fifth season with just heartbreaking frankness. While Possible Kill Screen (the ante penultimate episode) and Family Meeting (The final episode) are filled with Earth shattering moments which bring seven seasons to a head and reveal who pays the price and for what.

1. Six Feet Under - "Everyone's Waiting"

Another episode I agree with TV Guide about, but I rate it much higher than they did. At times I found the final season of Six Feet Under a little hard to watch, I realised once the show lost the character I most identified with that I was drifting a little when watching. But the final episode brought everything back together with a crash and then the most bittersweet ending any show has ever managed to achieve. It's a finale that remains entirely true to the concept and visuals of the show, and has so much emotional impact you'd have to be made out of cheese to not be at least a little moved by it.


Agree? Disagree? Got a list of your own? I'd love to hear it.
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TV Guide completed their list of the Top 100 Episodes (According to them at least) and here it is:

I've marked in bold all the ones I've seen. There's a little discussion afterwards as well.

• 1. Seinfeld: "The Contest"
• 2. The Sopranos: "College"
• 3. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
• 4. I Love Lucy: "Lucy Does a TV Commercial"
• 5. Lost: "Pilot"
• 6. ER: "Love's Labor Lost"
• 7. The Honeymooners: "Better Living Through TV"
• 8. Mad Men: "Nixon vs. Kennedy"
• 9. All in the Family: "Cousin Maude's Visit"
• 10. 24: "Season 1: 11PM-12AM"
• 11. The Twilight Zone: "Time Enough at Last"
• 12. SNL from 4/22/78
• 13. The Dick Van Dyke Show: "It May Look Like a Walnut"
• 14. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Once More With Feeling"
• 15. The Cosby Show: "Goodbye Mr. Fish"
• 16. The Fugitive: "Judgment"
• 17. South Park: "Trapped in the Closet"
• 18. The Andy Griffith Show: "Opie the Birdman"
• 19. The Office: "Diversity Day"
• 20. MASH: "Abyssinia, Henry"
• 21. Friends: "The One with the Embryos"
• 22. Six Feet Under: "Everyone's Waiting"
• 23. St. Elsewhere: "Time Heals"
• 24. The Simpsons: "Krusty Gets Kancelled"
• 25. Homicide:Life on the Street: "Subway"
• 26. The Wire: "Final Grades"
• 27. Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Special Section"
• 28. 30 Rock: "Black Tie"
• 29. Cheers: "Show Down"
• 30. NYPD Blue: "Hearts and Souls"
• 31. Frasier: "The Ski Lodge"
• 32. Arrested Development: "Development Arrested"
• 33. Roseanne: "A Stash From the Past"
• 34. Thirtysomething: "A Second Look"
• 35. The X-Files: "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"
• 36. Star Trek:TNG: "Best of Both Worlds Part 1"
• 37. The Bob Newhart Show: "Over the River and Through the Woods"
• 38. The Shield: "Possible Kill Screen"
• 39. The Wonder Years: "Pilot"
• 40. The West Wing: "Two Cathedrals"
• 41. Freaks and Geeks: "Carded and Discarded"
• 42. Everybody Loves Raymond: "Marie's Sculpture"
• 43. Battlestar Gallactica: "Blood on the Scales"
• 44. My So-Called Life: "Self-Esteem"
• 45. General Hospital: "Luke and Laura's Wedding"
• 46. Ellen: "The Puppy Episode"
• 47. CSI: "Grave Danger"
• 48. Moonlighting: "Atomic Shakespeare"
• 49. Dexter: "The British Invasion"
• 50. The Larry Sanders Show: "Flip"
• 51. Taxi: "Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey"
• 52. Damages: "Because I Know Patty"
• 53. The Carol Burnett Show: "Went With the Wind"
• 54. Twin Peaks: "Pilot"
• 55. Desperate Housewives: "One Wonderful Day"
• 56. How I Met Your Mother: "Slap Bet"
• 57. Hill Street Blues: "Freedom's Last Stand"
• 58. The Odd Couple: "Password"
• 59. Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "Lamb to the Slaughter"
• 60. The Big Bang Theory: "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis"
• 61. L.A. Law: "Good to the Last Drop"
• 62. Law and Order: "Life Choice"
• 63. Grey's Anatomy: "Losing My Religion"
• 64. Murphy Brown: "You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato"
• 65. WKRP in Cincinnati: "Turkeys Away"
• 66. House: "Three Stories"
• 67. Dynasty: "The Threat"
• 68. Heroes: "Company Man"
• 69. Dallas: "A House Divided"
• 70. Sex and the City: "Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little"
• 71. Little House on the Prairie: "I'll Be Waving as You Drive Away"
• 72. Batman: "Better Luck Next Time"
• 73. The Outer Limits: "Demon With a Glass Hand"
• 74. Will & Grace: "Home for the Holidays"
• 75. Gilmore Girls: "Raincoats and Recipes"
• 76. Family Ties: "The Real Thing (Part 2)"
• 77. The Waltons: "The Easter Story"
• 78. Angel: "I Will Remember You"
• 79. Charlie's Angels: "Angels in Chains"
• 80. Star Trek: "City on the Edge of Forever"
• 81. Smallville: "Rosetta"
• 82. Farscape: "Revenging Angel"
• 83. Good Times: "Black Jesus"
• 84. Alias: "The Telling"
• 85. Melrose Place: "The Bitch is Back"
• 86. Scrubs: "My Musical"
• 87. Happy Days: "Fonzie Loves Pinky"
• 88. Magnum, P.I.: "Did You See the Sunrise"
• 89. Beauty and the Beast: "Orphans"
• 90. Malcolm in the Middle: "Bowling"
• 91. Beverly Hills 90210: "Spring Dance"
• 92. Party of Five: "Intervention"
• 93. Big Love: "Come, Ye Saints"
• 94. Ally McBeal: "Cro-Magnon"
• 95. Supernatural: "No Rest for the Wicked"
• 96. Rescue Me: "Baptism"
• 97. Mary Hartman: "Chicken Soup"
• 98. Breaking Bad: "Peek a Boo"
• 99. Family Guy: "Blue Harvest"
• 100. The Brady Bunch: "The Subject Was Noses"

Big Love is in italics because I'll be watching it later this week.

101 Was the Pilot Episode for Friday Night Lights (which I've seen and loved).

First of all I absolutely agree with Six Feet Under's entry; the finale "Everyone's Waiting" is one of two episodes which battles it out whenever I try to decide which was the best finale I've ever seen. (The second one doesn't make an appearance on this list). Likewise the entries for The Shield, Supernatural, Arrested Development, Rescue Me, Family Guy, The West Wing, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Buffy, Freaks and Geeks, My So Called Life, How I Met Your Mother and Twin Peaks are all greatly deserving. I'd even give a nod to House's "Three Stories" (but only after I went away and reminded myself what it was about).

The Homicide episode "Subway" was a real pleasure to see on the list, Homicide: Life on the Streets is a show which just needs more exposure in my opinion and Subway is a seriously powerful episode amongst a whole battalion of amazing stories.

Call me a cynic, but I'm not surprised TV Guide went with Seinfeld as a winner; The Contest is a great episode, possibly the best Seinfeld episode (not my favourite mind you) but there are better episodes on this list.

Dexter, Heroes, Lost and Damages all have their entries marred somewhat by what followed after them, both episodes are superb when you look at them in the context of what came before, but let down by what followed afterwards. In every case it's the season after the one which the episode appeared in which sucked somewhat.

I'm rather surprised to see My Musical in there for Scrubs, that was an episode which really didn't impress me and felt like a bit of an attempt to cash in on "Once More With Feeling". Scrubs has provided a lot of more moving and funnier episodes.

"Bowling" from Malcolm in the Middle was a surprise entry, I'm not sure it really deserves to be in there, but it's split story showing the difference between each parent supervising the boys bowling (like Sliding Doors) was certainly memorable. I don't think Malcolm in the Middle would have made it onto

There are a few noticable abscences; there seems to be no non-American shows at all, and there's a glaring abscense where Firefly should be present (which episode, is a different matter for debate) and there are a few other shows with episodes I can't help but feel should have made it on there; The Dead Zone "Precipitate", Futurama's "The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings", Doctor Who's "Blink" or "Family of Blood" and I'm sure shows like Boston Legal, Justice League Unlimited, Nip/Tuck (Season One or Two) and Deadwood have at least one episode strong enough to make an appearance.

Still, agree or no. This has inspired me enough to consider sitting down and writing up the ten or twenty best episodes I've ever seen. That will turn up later this week. With possibly a top five finales list as well because I've been mulling that one over for some time.

Edit: Probably a little late to add this in, but a warm hello to those of you visiting my little site from Brazil and South America!
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Originally inspired by Stephen Fry's twittering while stuck in a lift/elevator Anna Pickard of The Guardian wrote up her list of the top 10 celebrities she'd like to be trapped in a lift with. Rob at The Medium is not Enough picked this up and wrote his own. Then Dan at DMD followed with this one, as did Rullsenbug over here.

So following in the trend I present my own list on the following topic:

"Which ten TV celebrities (real or fictional) would you like to be stuck in a lift with?"

Presented in reverse order of preference:

10. Bryan Fuller - Creator (Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, Pushing Daises)

Bryan comes up with such wonderful and creative shows, there's always something beautiful and original about his shows. If nothing else I'm sure he could keep us all entertained with stories of toasters that come alive and half-zombie bees. But also he's so creative that I wouldn't be surprised if he happened to know a way to make the lift work.

I could also tell him just how saddened I am that all his shows seem to end before their time and beg him to keep away from Heroes.


9. Bruce Campbell - Actor (Burn Notice, Evil Dead)
I've never watched a single show or film where I haven't enjoyed Bruce's performances, in all the interviews he's given I've always been struck by how pleasant, down to earth and genuine he is. Bruce is the number one reason I started watching (and still keep watching) Burn Notice. He's just a great actor so I'd take the opportunity to shake his hand and thank him for countless hours of entertainment.

I'm also sure he'd know of a way to get out of a stuck lift.


8. John McClane - Character (Die Hard)

Because the man would know exactly how to get out of a broken lift and get help. He'd also be able to deal with any problems along the way and he could do it all without shoes. For the record I'd prefer the John McClane of the original trilogy over the superhuman Atlas who stalked across Die Hard 4.0. The first one was human and flawed, the latter would probably just get me killed and then avenge my death, which is no help to me at all because I was only stuck in a lift.


7. Lucy Porter - Actress, Comedienne



6. Richard Sommer - Actor (Mad Men)
Having listened to his interview over at GeekSpeak I'm convinced I would be able to pass plenty of time talking with Richard as we have similar interests in common. I could probably pass the entire time without even mentioning Mad Men, despite my grand enjoyment of the show.


5. Tara Summers - Actress (Boston Legal)

I absolutely loved Tara Summers's performance in Boston Legal as Katie Lloyd and I'd relish the chance to chat with her a little about her experience in the show. Especially what it was like working with Schatner, Spader and Christian Clemenson . Of course I also think she's an exceptionally lovely looking woman, so I'd probably just end up standing around looking awkward before rushing out of the lift as soon as it was fixed.




4. Jenna Fisher - Actress (The Office)
Jenna is another actress I'm rather fond of and much like Richard Sommer I know I have a few things in common where interests are involved. Unlike Tara I could probably manage a decent and non-freaky conversation with her while we waited.

Though the conversation might start with...
"IheardonRichSommer'sinterviewthatyouplayboardgames!" *gasp* "Andyou'regreatonTheOfficeand!" *gasp* "nowI'mjustgushingandI'msorryI'llshutupnow!"

So maybe I couldn't manage it, but at least I'd be able to say I got stuck in a lift with her.


3. Clark Johnson - Actor (Homicide: Life on the Street, The Shield, The Wire), Director (The Wire, The Shield)
Not only did Clark Johnson act in three of my favourite shows of all time and was my favourite character on Homicide (Meldrick Lewis), but he also directed the first and last episodes of both The Wire and The Shield. He was present for the beginning and end of two shows that are easily the greatest ever aired on our screens.

But it was his commentary on the opening episode of The Wire which convinced me to put him in the number three position, I rarely like to listen to commentaries from a single person, I prefer the interplay which comes from two or more people watching. I especially prefer to hear from the people who acted the episode, but Clark's commentary was an exception to this. It was always interesting and informative, as such I think Clark would have plenty of interesting things to talk about if he was trapped and he also seems practical enough not to panic.


2. Michael Chiklis - Actor (The Commish and The Shield)
I have always been amazed by the transformation Michael managed to pull off when he went from The Commish to The Shield, he changed from this man:













Not only was the physical transformation pretty staggering but the persona change was incredible as well. Michael is well known as being a nice, likable and hardworking guy, but his portrayal of Vic Mackey was chilling at times.

Because his performance as Mackey is a big reason why I watch and appreciate TV so much, and because I've heard nothing but good things about him in his personal life I'd happily spend some time trapped in a lift with him. I could talk to him about his time on The Shield and what his plans for the future are.

Also I'm sure if anyone could get the rescue team to hurry up and get us out it would be Michael.


1. David Simon -- Creator/Writer of Generation Kill, The Corner, The Wire and Writer of Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets plus Homicide: Life on the Street.

Now I do apologise for having a predictable top three (for me anyway) but David Simon is easily one of the greatest minds of our generation, the man can create quality show after quality show and is a fantastic writer to boot. I own everything David has created, both on book and DVD and of course I love every single bit og it. He's someone I'd love to meet and if it meant being stuck in a lift for a few hours, I'd take that.

Then I'd sit back and enjoy the mini-series 'Trapped' based on his experiences in that lift. No idea who'd play me in it though.

I'd also like to give an honourable mention to Stephen Fry, I'd actually love to spend some time with him but I didn't put him on the list because it felt too obvious (even now I wince at that excuse). My apologies to Stephen for this, you're still a national treasure!

As for the number one person I wouldn't want to get stuck in a lift with:

Larry David/George Costanza - I love the man's work (and the fictional version of him on Seinfeld) but I'm sure with his awkward nature he'd make the time in the lift incredibly unpleasant without meaning to. As for his fictional counterpart George, I know he would.
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