There has been a little bit of a hiatus but I'm back and here's the number ten show.

Homicide: Life on the Street

Homicide is an critically acclaimed, award winning show set in the Baltimore, Maryland homicide division. It's based on the experiences of David Simon as written about in his book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets and is uncompromising in it's dark and gritty look at crime in America.

Homicide does show its age in the quality of film and setting; for example mobile phones are non-existant and the film grain is low definition. But in the story and character department the show is fresher than many of it's contemporary brethren and in fact fresher than a lot of modern crime drama. It's a show driven by characters and has some fantastic ones in the cast. The most famous of which would be John Munch who has appeared in no less than eleven shows including The Wire, Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Law and Order and the X-Files. But many of the others are fantastic, especially Meldrick, Bayliss and Pembleton.

Now this is where things get a little tricky, as I've only seen the first four seasons of the show so far. I'm stuck waiting for the rest to be released on DVD. So I don't know what happens later on and it's very difficult to read the various online articles without having other events spoilered. So I can't say much more except that the first four seasons have been enough to make me put this show in the number ten slot.

It's an underappreciated diamond in the rough.

IMDB: 9.1
tv.com: 9.1
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Sitting pretty at the ninth position it's the highest placed Brit-com, Spaced.

Spaced (1999 - 2001)

"Skip to the end."

Even with only two seasons, this British sitcom is nothing but quality programming from one episode to the next. Written by (and starring) Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson the show follows the traditional sitcom format of 20 to 30 somethings lost in modern life. A pair of people who meet up, move in together and their experiences with their friends and the people who live in the same building as them.

But the presentation of this, the scripting, the dialog, everything in fact is just not typical. Pegg and Stevenson manage to spin perfectly normal experiences into something just a little fantastical. The situations experienced are almost all mundane at their core, going paintballing, going out clubbing, lose a dog, losing your job etc. But the way the characters experience these situations, the way they act in them is what turns it all around and makes it a remarkable viewing experience. A short segment in this show spawned Shaun of the Dead, another segment echos the future experience of Hot Fuzz. This show is directly responsable for so much in modern pop culture. Which in some ways is ironic because the show is also a homage to pop culture itself.

The cast is phenomenal, in addition to Jessica and Simon there is also Nick Frost (Shaun, Fuzz, Hyperdrive), Mark Heap (Green Wing), Michael Smiley in a memorable guest starring role as Tyres (Bleak House) and Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun, Run Fat Boy Run). Spaced is like Seinfeld, in that it is in essence a show about nothing.

Spaced is a geeky celebration of television and modern life at it's best. It's passionate about film, television, comics, games and all those little things that make up the chemistry of modern geek-life. It takes honest and fresh looks at subjects like relationships, modern theatre, war movies, escape movies, zombies and more. Even now; nearly ten years after it was first released, the show remains a classic. As fresh now as it ever was.

I am a little concerned about the American remake of this show. If it turns out like Seinfeld or The Office then it'll be an instant classic, but it could just end up sucking hard. Also it seems it has been put out without any consent or input from Pegg or Stevenson. Not a good sign...

Still, let's not end on a downer shall we? Spaced is an absolute classic, a show that should be watched by all who love comedy. While it's a shame it's so short, this is also an advantage in that it can be watched with ease. It's the best that British Comedy has produced to date.

imdb: 9.5
tv.com: 9.1
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Seinfeld (1990 - 1998)

"Not that there's anything wrong with that!" - Jerry

Seinfeld is one of those comedy shows that has had a massive impact on the face of modern comedy. Seinfeld was created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David (see Curb Your Enthusiasm) and arrived in 1990 with a pilot episode that was very nearly 'it'. In this day and age it's unlikely that the show would have gotten any further than the pilot. It certainly wouldn't have managed to scrape through it's first three seasons, where it struggled to become 'known'. But in the fourth season the show was moved to a better slot, just behind "Cheers" on a Thursday night and the rest is pretty much history.

Seinfeld was unique at the time as it broke the traditional sitcom mold by providing "a show about nothing" (despite being packed with content) and characters who were pretty unpleasant. Both to strangers and each other they were frankly a horrible bunch of people. Jerry took great pleasure in other people's misery, George was a miserly, neurotic cheat, Elaine a self serving egotist and Kramer who lived in his own little world. It also bucked other trends by avoiding any hugging and teaching the principle cast absolutely no life lessons. Throughout the entire series no-one grows, no-one learns anything to make them a better person and the status quo remains constant.

Seinfeld is simply a seminal show (as are all of the shows in the top 10, of course) and it's an American comedy show that hasn't been rivaled until fairly recently. It spawned dozens of catchphrases and a lot of its dialog has sunk into modern culture.

It's hard to say exactly which season of Seinfeld is the best, it's difficult to even decide which episode is the best. But if pushed I'd settle on possibly either "The Contest" or "The Soup Nazi". The Contest in particular is notable due to it's subject matter, the contest in question being about which of the four friends can go longest without polishing the bishop or being "King of their Castle" as Jerry puts it at one point. The episode is so well written that if you're ignorant of what the subject matter actually is, you have a good chance of not actually understanding what they're having a contest about.

The show is filled with so many excellent storylines, top notch jokes, gags, word plays, pratt falls and more that it's in essence the comedy show that every other sitcom wants to be when it grows up. It's a show that has resulted in some Americans actually celebrating Festivus, it's a show that has more quotable lines per episode than just about any other show out there, it's a show that changed television history and it's a show that almost never made it.

Seinfeld stands as an example of what television can be if the executives are willing to give it a chance.

imdb: 9.4
tv.com: 9.2
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I'd be suprised if anyone didn't expect to see this show on my list. It's one that appears in a lot of top tens and I feel it certainly deserves to be here. It's a show that combined fast, witty dialog, strong characters, point perfect plotting and placed it into a western. In space.

Yes, you must have guessed it by now.

7. Firefly

Firefly is Joss Whedon's finest hour and a cult classic. While it's only fourteen episodes (and a movie) long every single one of them is as close to sci-fi perfection as we've gotten so far. Firefly is set in the far future inside a somewhat dystopian setting where technology has both advanced and regressed at the same time. Essentially it's cowboys in space, but it's much more than that, telling the stories and adventures of a maverick Captain, his ship and his crew.

Firefly is iconic in every sense of the word, it's simultaniously bold, touching and funny. Able to flip from a deeply comedic moment into one that's shocking without feeling artificial. Of particular note is the decision to keep space scenes realistic by eliminating all non-radio sound in those scenes. A decision I wholeheartedly applaude as Hollywood's constant space sound nonsense just grates. The space scenes in Firefly do not lose any impact from a lack of SFX, in fact I'd go as far as to say they're stronger and more realistic as a consequence.

Leaving that point aside, Firefly stands as the greatest Sci-Fi show to date. It has everything that you'd want from a show and more. It will forever be a shame that FOX cancelled it, but at this stage that's no suprise to anyone. I'll always hold a small candle up in the hope that it will return, but I doubt it ever will. At least it's run was so short it didn't have a chance to jump the shark.

It is a must watch show for anyone, forget that it is Sci-fi and just enjoy superb storytelling with strong characters.

IMDB: 9.5
tv.com: 9.3

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The Office (USA)

I should start with a nod and acceptance of the original UK version of The Office. It is superb British comedy, but the honest truth is it's not as good as the American version. Sorry Office fans, it's not. The USA version started off closely based on the UK one, the UK characters still have their USA counterparts even to this day. The original season heavily borrowed from the UK series due to time and scripting constraints as it was green lighted to come in as a replacement show partway through the year. But it's so much more than the UK one ever managed to be, it's managed to put a wonderful spin on the setting (which is Dundler-Mifflen's Scranton branch) and expanded it's own universe to incorporate more characters, plot and situations.

When you watch the first season, it is very easy to sneer and say "It's a rip-off of the UK one, they've just used the same plots!" and that's true, for the first season. But once you get outside that and into the second season (and onwards) the show becomes a very different and original beast. Steve Carrell as Michael Scott (USA's David Brent) is a very different character when compared to Ricky Gervis. While David is a pathetic weasel of a man, slimey and completely unlikable; Michael Scott is a far more complete character. He's still cringe worthy, pathetic, idiotic and well, the office clown. But there is a more vulnerable side to him, it feels like he's really trying to get it right. That he does actually care about his staff and he does want to be liked. But he just doesn't quite understand how to get it right. Steve has managed to bring a vulnerability and softness to the character that makes all the wrong things he does more understandable. He's added additional dimensions to the character that have allowed the writers to develop Michael Scott and show him not as a jerk but as a man who just doesn't understand people and society correctly.

The rest of the cast is also fantastic, but it's the other three "main" characters that make it, Rainn Wilson is superb as the part hick, wannabe action man Dwight Schrute, bringing a wonderfully pathetic level of macho to the show. He's got the attitude of a farmer, the skills of a survivor but the personality of a much weaker man. John Krasinski as Jim Halper is also fantastic, providing a wonderful "everyman" for the viewer to identify with and along with Pam he provides both many comedic and romantic moments. The way that John looks at directly at the cameras during the more outlandish moments sells them wonderfully. Last of all is of course Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly; who I've talked about before in this blog. The relationship she has with Michael, Jim, Dwight and pretty much the entire office is fantastic. Just about every man in the show (apart from Dwight) seems to find her attractive and enjoy propositioning her inappropriately.

This is not to take away anything from the supporting cast, they're all fantastic in their roles. Each of them willing to sit back when the plot doesn't really need them and enjoy what's going on. Angela, Kevin, Creed, Kelly, Ryan, Meredith, Phyllis, Andy, Oscar, Toby and the brilliant Stanley are all fantastic characters in their own right.

The Office is a must watch show in so many ways, it follows the tradition of 'cringe comedy' from Fawlty Towers by being hilariously painful to watch and tributes the style of the original UK version without being a direct rip-off. It's the best comedy show being aired on American TV right now.

IMDB: 9.4
tv.com: 9.2

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Here's the start of the big ones. These are shows I will list without hesitation as my favourite shows.

First up is the highest placed cartoon and the best show done by that guy who created "The Simpsons".

5: Futurama (1999 - ? )




Futurama follows the adventures of a pizza delivery boy named Fry who falls into a cryogenic chamber and is frozen until the year 3,000. Upon exiting the tube he finds that he's escaped his dead end life and is now living in the future.

Fry is very much the everyman of the show, he's the one who experiences new events the same time as the viewer. But Fry is also dumb, he's possibly the dumbest character on television. He's certainly dumber than Homer and possibly dumber than Peter Griffin. The other characters in the show are a one-eyed woman named Leela, a foul-mouthed, kleptomaniac, beer chugging robot called Bender, a senile amoral crackpot professor (who is distantly related to Fry), a lobster like doctor, a rastafarian accountant, an wealthy intern from mars and a janitor.

Futurama is the best kind of sci-fi, it doesn't take itself too seriously but it does use very complicated science as the basis for a lot of its stories and jokes. It's a show that can be alternately hilarious and then touching. A few of the episodes are well known for actually making viewers cry. It's a show that parodies modern life by providing a vision of how mundane life in the future could be. There's a lot of fantastic stuff there, but people just take it for granted.

Futurama spans four seasons plus a movie and only really has one episode that I consider to be a bit duff ("That's Lobstertainment"). It has some of the most memorable side characters in any cartoon, especially Mom, Morbo, Zapp Braniggan and Richard Nixon. And it also follows solid continuity, so solid infact that certain events that occur in the third & fourth season are foreshadowed in the first episode and there are other points where later stories are foreshadowed. It's refreshing to see a show that's willing to set up long story arcs with hints and resolve them in a leisurely fashion.

Futurama is the best cartoon on the planet. For me there is no cartoon I'd consider higher.
imdb: 9.3
tv.com: 9.2
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4. Arrested Development (2003 - 2006)

Starring:
Will Arnett as George "G.O.B." Bluth II
Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth
Michael Cera as George Michael Bluth
David Cross as Tobias Funke
Tony Hale as Byron "Buster" Bluth
Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth-Funke
Alia Shawkat as Maybe Funke
Jeffrey Tambor as George Bluth Sr
Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth
and Ron Howard as the Narrator

Arrested Development is the single greatest modern sitcom since, well I don't know. It's a mockumentry about a dysfunctional upper-middle class family called the Bluths. The series starts with a party celebrating George Bluth Sr's retirement from his development company and the promotion of his middle (and dependable) son Michael to the position of COE. But things go awry and the family ends up in significant trouble. Michael is forced to try and keep things going for the family, but as the members of his family are unpleasant, self-absorbed snobs who often cause problems with their own ignorance his job is far from easy.

Arrested Development has been called "the best sitcom you've never seen" and aired on Fox between 2003 and 2006. Where it was treated with the same criminally bad handling that also crushed Firefly and Futurama (amongst other shows). The show is critically acclaimed and won an Emmy amongst its many awards. But the American public just didn't want to watch the show and as Fox is ratings before content the second and third season were shortened and the series was axed.

Arrested Development is a very rare kind of comedy show, it makes extensive use of fantastic foreshadowing and callbacks to a degree that's never been seen before (more so than even Seinfeld managed). Providing a wonderful plot that feels natural. Of particular note are the events that happen to Buster Bluth in the second season, rewatching those is a great pleasure as you can see a whole level of jokes that you couldn't appreciate before.
That's one of the other spectacular things about this show, not only do they provide jokes that are funny the first time you watch the show. But there are jokes you can only get the second or third time you see it. The show is so deep in it's comedy that it becomes better with additional rewatching.

While the show was canned prematurely by Fox (a theme that occurs in much quality programming) there is light at the end of the tunnel for fans. I'm thrilled to announce that the show will be returning for a feature film in 2009. I'm hoping that it brings a whole new generation of fans to discover Arrested Development and maybe relaunches the series. But even if it doesn't I will be content to see the Bluths out for one last spin.

If you haven't seen this show, you should.

imdb: 9.7
tv.com: 9.2

That's a phenomenal score from IMDB, I don't think I've ever seen a higher one, but there is one other show that's tied with it and that's coming up...
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First of "The Big Three" it's everyone's favourite serial killer!

3. Dexter (2006 - ?)

"Takes life. Seriously."

24 Episodes, renewed for a third season.

Starring:
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan
Julie Benz as Rita Bennett
Jennifer Carpenter as Debra Morgan
Erik King as Sgt. James Doakes
Lauren Vélez as Lt. Maria Laguerta
David Zayas as Angel Batista
James Remar as Harry Morgan
C.S. Lee as Vince Matuska

Dexter works for the Miami PD as a forensic blood splatter analysist geek by trade. But Dexter has another side to him, a dark secret. He's a sociopath who hunts down and kills other sociopaths. On the outside he is perfectly charming (if a little odd), living a seemingly normal life complete with a steady job and girlfriend. But it's all a mask to conceal his true nature.

Dexter is a show that challenges the perceptions of the viewer, it asks you "Is a monster who preys exclusively on his own kind acceptable?" In some ways it's almost old testament biblical as Dexter really does personify 'an eye for an eye'. Saving the lives of innocents by taking the guilty. Dexter (as portrayed by Michael C. Hall) is a charming and likable lead character he interacts in a pleasant, but often ironic way with his co-workers and his narration shows a great sense of humor about his situation.

Michael C. Hall is just outstanding as Dexter, but the performances from his co-stars (and I do mean all of them listed here) are also stupendous. The entire cast just seems to love their roles in this show and all of them play their parts to perfection. From the foul mouthed girl with a heart (Debra) through the dirty minded technician (Matuska) to the supicious ex-army sergeant (Doakes) the entire cast feels organic and alive. Even the characters without too much depth to them still fit and don't feel out of place.

It's not a show for everyone, it's graphic, violent and challenging. The average joe might find it rather uncomfortable to watch, but if you can get over the dark subject matter there is a real gem of a show here.

imdb: 9.1
tv.com: 9.2
(It was 9.4 for a while, but tv.com suffers from "show score envy" where fans of other shows attack a show to reduce it's score below their own prize pony.)

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I had a really hard time working out the top two shows, I decided very quickly which ones they actually were. But I've struggled to decide which order they should be in. It's incredibly close between these two shows. I'll explain the thoughts behind my final decision tomorrow.

Here's the second best show I've ever watched.

2. The Wire (2002 - 2008)

Complete at 5 Seasons with 60 Episodes.

Starring:
Dominic West as Jimmy McNulty
Wendell Pierce as 'Bunk' Moreland
Lance Reddick as Cedric Daniels
Deirdre Lovejoy as Rhonda Pearlman
Sonja Sohn as 'Kima' Greggs
Domenick Lombardozzi as 'Herc'
Seth Gilliam as Ellis Carver
Clarke Peters as Lester Freamon
Andre Royo as Bubbles
Michael K. Williams as Omar Little
Jim True-Frost as Roland 'Prez' Pryzblewski
J.D. Williams as 'Bodie' Williams
Wood Harris as Avon Barksdale
Idris Elba as Russel 'Stringer' Bell
Robert Wisdom as Howard 'Bunny' Colvin

"It's all in the game."

The Wire comes from the mind of David Simon, a name previously mentioned as the inspiration behind and one of the writers for 'Homicide: Life on the Street'. It has some things in similar, both shows are set in Baltimore, Maryland and are crime dramas. But The Wire takes a rather unique approach to the show, showing the lives of not just the cops but also the pushers, masterminds and users. This is a rather unique take on storytelling as it provides the view points of the protagonists and antagonists at the same time. The criminals the cops are chasing after become more than just 'the bad guys'. Some of them you come to appreciate and like, others you root for, some you just can't wait to see them get caught. It gives a great deal of depth to both sides of the law, giving you an insight into the why as well as the who.

The Wire is storytelling at it's finest, watching the show is like reading a classical novel, in fact Dickensian is often used to describe the show. Which is high praise indeed. The story opens when Detective Jimmy McNulty - an Irish cop with a stick up his ass and a hard on for the brass - gets irate about a major player named Avon Barksdale's acquittal from trial after the star witness retracts her testimony due to coercion. He proceeds to go behind his superior's backs and gets a judge to order up a detail to deal with this. McNulty doesn't play well with authority you see. McNulty turns out to be the rock that starts the avalance and the show rolls from there. But, it has plenty of twists, turns and suprises along the way.

The Wire is mainly about social issues in Baltimore, each season is driven by a driving topic that sets the theme. But it's the characters, dialog and their actions that really make the show so enjoyable. Every character is a fully developed being, reacting like a real person the way you'd expect them to. No other show has come so close to portaying real life, no other show has hit realism this perfectly, no other show rivals The Wire in these areas.

But, The Wire is a show that demands from it's audience. You can't sit down and watch the show without engaging in it. If you attempt to watch it passively you'll get confused, lost or possibly even angry with it. Many people fail to get past the first few episodes, which is the problem that stopped The Wire from hitting the number one spot. It's not a show that can be classed as 'light watching'. The average viewer of the show tends to be very different from the average television viewer. They can appreciate and enjoy the slower pace, they're able to understand that the show isn't going to explain everything to them and hold their hand through the plot. Instead they're going to have to understand what's going on and why themselves.

This isn't what everyone wants from a television show, but for those viewers who are willing to sit down and work at it they'll have that wonderfull moment where everything clicks, where they see the beauty and brilliance in the show, where they sit back and just suddenly go "Wow, why isn't more television like this?"

The Wire is an acquired taste for sure; but for those who get used to it, it's one of the best. Do yourself a huge favour and watch the entire first season. Don't judge the show before you've seen all of the first season, too many people do and as such they just don't get it.

It's well worth "getting".

tv.com : 9.1
imdb: 9.7

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Here it is, it's the big enchilada. The show that I feel is the best out of all the ones I've seen.

1. The Shield (2002 - 2008)

"Remember, the Team comes First" - Vic

6 Seasons aired, one final 7th seaon to come in the Autumn.

Starring:
Michael Chiklis as Detective Vic Mackey
Walton Goggins as Detective Shane Vandrell
Kenny Johnson as Detective Curtis "Lemonhead" Lemansky
Benito Martinez as Captain David Aceveda
CCH Pounder as Detective Claudette Wyms
Catherine Dent as Officer Danielle "Danny" Sofer
Jay Karnes as Detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach
Michael Jace as Officer Julien Lowe
and David Rees Snell as Detective Ronnie Gardocki

Guest starring:
Glenn Close as Captain Monica Rawlings
Forest Whitaker as Lt. John Kavanaugh

The Shield first exploded onto our screens in 2002, inspired by The Rampart Scandal (a great read by itself) the show portrays the actions of a small group of corrupt policemen who work in a special detail named "The Strike Team". Through it's six seasons The Shield is a rollercoaster ride of gritty action, hard cops, dubious morals, politics, gang warfare and cop killings. This is a show which has taken the gloves off and covered it's fists in broken glass. The Shield pulls absolutely no punches and Michael Chiklis is simply phenomenal as Vic Mackey, he's easily the biggest badass on modern television.

But The Shield is not just about drugs, guns and machoism. It's also about other crimes and even family life. Detectives Claudette and Dutch are the main characters involved in the more 'normal' detective work (al la Homicide, CSI, etc) and Dutch in particular is a very sympathetic character as he's the bottom rung nerd in a station that is essentially a giant boys club. But while he's insecure in his personal life he's simpley phemomenal at detective work. Jay/Dutch's perfomance in the first season episode "Dragonchasers" is simply outstanding and worth watching even as a stand alone episode.
Vic himself has a softer side in his family life, he supports his wife and three children with a lot of caring and devotion. Also we get to follow the lives of Captain Aceveda, Officers Lowe and Sofer and many other aspects of the police station.

But there should be no mistakes made, this show is as macho as it gets. It's fast, smart, hard hitting and brilliant. Of particular note is the excellence of plotting, while it is possible to see the logical chain of events and sometimes notice upcoming plots the show is a master at twisting and turning in unexpected directions. There is an amazing amount of subtley in the show considering how brutish it appears to be at first glance.

The reason The Shield pipped The Wire to the top slot is it's accessability. While The Wire is in many aspects a superior show, The Shield is far more accessable. It's possible to dip into The Shield at any point and enjoy it without knowing what's gone on before hand. The Shield is a more traditional show with an unusual spin on the subject of police drama.

With the final season airing in October, now is the time to get into the show as even the slowest of watchers would be able to get through all 6 seasons in time for the final season. And considering how season six ended I can't wait to see what happens.

imdb: 8.2
tv.com: 9.1

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Before I start the list I'm going to quickly run through a few more honorable mentions/could haves and briefly explain why they didn't make it.

Skins
I've not watched the second season yet, so I don't know where the show goes after an excellent first season. But I've heard Sid is leaving, so I've lost interest somewhat.

The Dead Zone
A fantastic show that struggles in its six season, becomes brilliant again and then gets cancelled without finishing its story. Lack of resolution is all that kept this show out of the Top 50.

The 4400
The predecessor to Heroes 4400 failed to reach mainstream audiences despite it's brilliance. It was a little too sci-fi. Also it was cancelled at the same time as The Dead Zone and as such also failed to resolve it's story.

X-Files
Honestly, it lost its way later on in the series. It became a victim of it's own successes. But I will watch the new movie as I'm fond of the show.

Flight of the Conchords
Funny, quirky and wierd with fantastic songs. I enjoy watching it but I don't think it's a classic... Yet.

Carnivale
2 Fantastic pseudo-fantasy seasons. It's let down by it's early cancellation which leaves it unresolved.

King of the Hill
I enjoy this, it's good fun. But I find it instantly forgettable after seeing it. Like the Simpsons really.

The Sopranos
I've not watched enough of it to be able to personally list it.

Supernatural
Heard good things, have the first season on my shelf. Haven't gotten round to watching it yet.

Criminal Minds
Excellent show, let down by the best cast member leaving (Mandy Patinkin)

Bones
Too much "crime of the week" not enough ongoing story/plot/metaplot. But it is very slick and fun.

Weeds
Enjoyed it, need to get back into it.

South Park
I used to find it funny. But I no longer do. The World of Warcraft episode was brilliant, but then again I hate WOW so that helped.

Moonlight
Note to self: Watch this.

Men in Trees, Dirty, Sexy Money, Chuck & Mad Men
Heard good things about all of these. Need to watch.

Stargate & CSI
Both of these Franchises I just cba with.

Veronica Mars
Got canned too early, like 4400/Carnivale/Dead Zone

Buffy & Angel
Liked them, then got bored with them as they failed to evolve.

Rome
Just cannot be bothered with watching this. Not sure why.

Pushing Daisies
I really tried to like this, but I couldn't manage it. I don't know why this is, I should like it. I blame the narrator.

Justice League Unlimited
It's brilliant and would be in the top 100. But I couldn't fit it into the top 50.

TMNT 2K3
I'm just fond of this show as it's a better version of the cartoon I loved when growing up.

Psych
It's fun, it's witty, it's clever. But I'm not convinced it's top 50 material.

The West Wing
On my must watch list after seeing Studio 60

Invader ZIM
This one very nearly made it on. But lack of resolution and not wanting too many cartoons in the list kept it out

Twin Peaks
I love this, but I've never managed to sit down and watch it all in order so I still don't really understand it. :D

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[Edgies continue when I can think of more random categories to use. I'm open to suggestions!]

Inspired by Empire's top 50 shows ever (brought to my attention by LJ user Jaxvor) I've decided to list the Top 50 Shows I've ever watched. My current top 50 so to speak, as it's possible others may creep in one day.

To start with I'm going to list Honorable mentions. Shows that didn't make the cut and why. Here's the first 5 honorable mentions. There is a possibility of mild spoilers.

Prison Break:
Prison Break's first season was phenomenal, I literally watched the first 9 episodes back to back and was blown away by how incredible the show was. Even after the show returned from it's break and finished the first season it was amazing. But the end of the first season struggled a little, then the second season arrived and things slid downhill. By the end of the second season Michael was locked back up inside and I tried to watch the third season but gave up early on as it was just retreding old ground and becoming a major sausage-fest. Historically Prison Break is the most misogynistic show in current TV, more so than even 24 - but season three was too much. As it's a show I turned away from it can't make the top 50, as for me - it jumped the shark.

24:
That brings us nicely along to the second culprit of shark jumping. 24 had a phenomenal first and second season. I still love George Mason and his redemption in season 2, but by the time I got to season three things were already falling into a tired old rut. I got so fed up with things that I actually stopped watching about 4 episodes away from the end of the season and decided to read what happens from now on via wikipedia. It's less painful that way.
Additionally, I dislike Jack Bauer and find him unsympathetic. As he's the only non-disposable character in the show it's very hard to get attached to anyone or anything because 24 might just rip it away from you... Tony!

Jaxvor summed it up well "Probably one of the stupidest shows ever. It also contains some of the most awesome moments ever." Sadly I can't be bothered waiting for the awesome moments to happen.

Lost:
Here's another show that jumped the shark, I adored the first season. Then immeditately hated the second season. I'm going to watch it once I know how it finishes... A bit odd I know, but I want to know if it has a good ending that makes sense before I slug my way through it again. I could go into it in more detail but basically it has the same problems the two above shows have.

Doctor Who (2005+):
I love Doctor Who, but it's not actually a good show as such. I think the main reason I can't put it in my top shows is the consistency. Doctor Who has some incredible acting talent in it, David Tennant is pushing hard to become my favourite Doctor and all of the companions so far have been most excellent. But the writing really lacks, a lot of the time it's just empty and feels like the writers had a great idea, but lost it along the way. I went through the list of episodes so far and here are the ones I enjoyed.

Darlek
Fathers Day
The Empty Child
The Doctor Dances
School Reunion
The Girl in the Fireplace
Human Nature
Family of Blood
Blink

Most of these Episodes are written by Paul Cornell and Steven Moffat, if more of Doctor Who was written by these two the series would rise up and become one of the greatest, but it isn't. Too much of it is written by Russell T. "LOL DOCTOR R GOD" Davies. And the man is just not a sci-fi writer. He's a hack...

ftr, Blink is one of the best episodes of any show I've seen ever. More Mofatt please BBC, put him in charge of the show.

A-Team
I freaking love the A-Team. I grew up on this stuff, it was the climax of Saturday evenings around my Grandparents house and the thing I always looked forward to watching. I have many fond memories of the entire family sat around the TV as jeeps got blown up, machine guns were fired into the air, windows, buildings and floor while men miraculously survived explosions with nothing more than dirty trousers.

But, the thing is. I know it's not a good show by critical terms. It used the same formula every week and you could almost predict the plot by drawing a set of pre-written cards out of a hat.
Still, that said. It's still immensely fun to watch!

Tune in soon for the remaining honorable mentions, maybe a DVD review of The Shield S4, some Edgies and of course... the Top 50 itself.
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I was very happy to find out that in a rare double thumbs up the TV industry has both greenlighted a spin off from The Office and more importantly, saved Friday Night Lights from being canned.

I guess American TV isn't totally run by idiots.
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Season Three is the longest of all The Shield's seasons at 15 Episodes. But, unlike many shows that have an increased episode count for a season it doesn't drop a single ball. Every episode remains as brutal, brilliant and ballsy as you'd expect from this seminal show. The action continues from the massive events of the previous season and continuity is observed closely, the long running plots of the season include dealing with the strike team's success in the previous season, a rapist who targets old women, Vic's continued domestic problems, Aceveda's political ambitions and more. Of the main characters it feels like Julien's stories takes something of a backseat in a lot of this season, but he's still present and accounted for.
There are also some incredible scenes in this season, it's one of the hardest to watch at times because of what's happening to the characters in it.



Despite being released (in the UK) several years after the first two seasons were, the packaging is a perfect match for the previous two seasons, it has it's own unique artwork and style, but overall it looks great on the shelf with the others. Consistency in style and small size are two things I value highly in DVD packaging. It looks great and matches up without being oversized, everything I could have asked for.



With Season three of The Shield, the extras have been a little better placed than the previous seasons, the deleted scenes are now located with the relevant episode. So you can watch the episode and then immediately watch the deleted scenes. Thumbs up for that change. Some of the commentaries are better than others, as always. But the single best extra is the "Making of" which is utterly brilliant and pushes it ahead of the previous two seasons.


Season three is now available for a very respectable £15, with it's additional episodes increasing the amount of action and viewing you're getting without sacrificing the quality this is nothing but good times. It works out as 572 minutes at 2.6p per minute. That's a superb deal for a superb show.


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I was going to go with sexiest woman, but it's not really the case. Instead of strictly the hottest women on TV it's the women I thought were most desirable, personally. Not to say these women aren't hot. They are, but it's not just the hotness of them that's made my decision. Maybe this is more of a reveal about my taste in women, but heck. Who cares?

OK, enough poor excuses. Here we go!

1. Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesley in The Office



2. Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock

Tina is a fantastic writer/comedienne/actress and her character in 30 Rock, Liz Lemon is just superb. Liz is attractive and smart but intensely geeky and insecure. She's a fantastic character in so many ways, despite being in a position of relative power (running her own show) she's still completely helpless and unable to get her personal life in proper order. Sound familiar? That's one of the things that makes her so attractive to me, she's not only beautiful and funny but she's also very human. With her own problems and insecurities.

I can't help but like someone like that.


3. Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky in How I Met Your Mother





4. Tara Summers as Katie Lloyd in Boston Legal



5. Jacqueline McKenzie as Diana Skouris in The 4400

It's varied from season to season how attractive I've found Jacqueline, very dependant on her haircut. (Don't ask!) But Diana has consistently remained a strong, powerful woman who's able to keep focused in a situation that's frankly a bit out of control.

I'm running out of time so I'll expand on this when I have time...







There may be more later, but right now you'll have to be content with these 5 lovely ladies as I have to dash!
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The out and out funniest moments I recall seeing on TV this year. Excluding repeats.

1. Barney Stinson - "How I met your mother"
Neil Patrick Harris is the reason I enjoy watching HIMYM. He's so brilliant in the show it's well... Just watch this and see.



Legendary, this is so going in my blog!

2. Denny Crane - "Boston Legal"
While William Shatner's role on Boston Legal has felt a little diminished so far this season he's still comedy gold when needed. The lines, the delivery, the look, the entire package is just brilliant. Denny Crane is Shatner's finest hour and the interactions between him and the rest of the cast are always enjoyable and funny. The man has no shame.

3. Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Jim (John K) and Dwight (Rainn W) - "The Office (USA)"
I've put these three together to save space and words. Much of the of comedy in The Office involves at least two of these three interacting with each other. Ranging from Michael and Dwight planning and Jim's aside looks to the camera when Michael explains his bright idea to
the antagonistic pranks that Jim pulls on Dwight. These three are the heart of the comedy in the show, they're also the source of many of the more touching moments in the show as well.

4. Larry David - "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Season 6 of Curb was absolute masterpiece, but the honest truth is - what else could you expect it to be? Larry just understands what funny is, he's also brilliant at delivering cringeworthy performances as well, something so few people can do. Make you cringe, laugh and still like a character all at once. His performance this year was as on form as ever, the man just cranks out gold.

5. Jerry Seinfeld - "30 Rock" (Episode Seinvision)
It was only a single episode, but it was one of the best performances in comedy I've seen. Jerry was absolutely fantastic in the episode, including all the faux shots of him digitally added into the various shows. The scene between him and Alec Baldwin was particually good, both of them really put their all into it. It says a lot that Jerry's made it onto this list from a single episode guest star.

6. Darnell "Crabman" Turner - "My Name is Earl"
Eddie Steeples performance as Crabman is understated brilliance, while MNIS has sort of lost its way a little this season Steeples has not. He's remained consistently funny as the laidback, browbeaten, turtle loving, man with a past and hasn't lost his edge yet.

What category will I randomly decide to write about tomorrow?
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In this category I'm going to nominate the worst events to occur this year in the land of televisual entertainment. I will be excluding reality/voting TV shows from being nominated as if I did they'd just win. Instead I'm going to focus on crafted fiction.

1. The Writers Guild Strike
The criminal part of this is not the Writers striking, but the fact that they had to strike in the first place. It shortened so many shows, killed off others and delayed more. The viewers had to pay for the executives idiocy. It was an all round suck fest that should never have had to happen.

2. USA Characters Welcome (aka NBC) cancelling The 4400 and The Dead Zone.
While it sucked that two excellent shows got cancelled, the timing was the thing that really stank like fetid rats droppings. Both shows got canned after their season had finished, both shows had set up some really exciting cliff hanger events. Both shows could have wrapped up their story if they'd had another season. Instead they get dropped after filming has wrapped and leave the viewers left hanging from another John Doe... I straight up hate NBC for this. So much so that I'm not going to be supporting them by purchasing Burn Notice on DVD when it's released.

3. Heroes Season 2
Yeah, that's right. I'm putting it up here as one of the worst crimes against TV this year. What were they thinking? Even Tim Kring stepped up and apologised for being involved in such a pile of stink. Don't get me wrong, it had its good points (Kirsten Bell, Sylar, Adam) but it was a real let down after

4. Mandy Patkin walking out on Criminal Minds
Damn it Mandy, you really try my patience. What is it about successfull shows that make you walk out on them? 'Dead Like Me' Mandy, If you don't get your ass back into that show somehow I'm never going to forgive you for walking out on Criminal Minds and making it lame.

5. Jericho
It got canned again. This sucks, just when I'm planning to get into the series again it gets nailed. I would write more, but I don't want to go watching Jericho knowing that it doesn't end properly.

6. Fox Network
Fox, you just suck. Enough said.
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Now there's an unusual critera for best new show. It's not the best new show that's been released over the 2007/08 period but it's actually the best show that I watched for the first time during that period. This includes shows that may have been around for a time but I've never gotten around to watching.

1. Homicide: Life on the Street
Watching The Wire lead to a decision to watch Homicide. I'd previously seen Detective Munch on Law & Order, Arrested Development and most recently The Wire itself (great cameo). As I'd enjoyed his appearances and David Simon was involved in Homicide I decided to give it a try. Currently I'm at the end of season 4, waiting for season 5 to drop to a reasonable price before I push on. But I'm enjoying it no end, initially the show seemed to flounder a little and the second season seemed very short (was it hit by the previous writer strike?). But once I got used to the style it's been incredibly enjoyable. There's plenty to like in it if you already enjoyed The Wire and vice versa.

2. Invader Zim
I decided to watch this one because it made its way into the top 100 shows on tv.com and it had a very short run. This mades it very light to watch and simple to 'get through'. Not that it was a chore to watch, in fact it was a delight. One of the better kids programs I've seen, I'd hold it up alongside TMNT 2K3 and Justice League: Unlimited easily.

Plus Gir is the most ridiculously cute thing I've ever seen on TV ever. I'm not sure what it says about me that I find a retarded robot cute. But I do... how can you say no to that little cutie?


3. How I Met Your Mother
I can't recall what made me decide to watch How I Met Your Mother, I'm not that fussed on Buffy (Alyson Hannigan), Doogie Houser (Neil Patrick Harris) or Josh Raydor (Apparently he was in Six Feet Under, but I don't recall him). So I can't say why I started watching at all, it's not like anyone even recommended it to me... But I did start watching it and I really enjoy it. It's not genius comedy, but it is in a similar vein to Friends. But better imo. Neil Patrick Harris in particular is utterly fantastic as Barney Stillson...

4. Burn Notice
Burn Notice has a second mention here. It's also gotten a nomination in the badass category for Michael Western. But the show has so much more going for it than him. It has a wonderful setting (Miami) combined with a great concept, fun facts about various spy techniques and the worlds greatest actor. Bruce Campbell. I'm really looking forward to the summer, while I'll miss The 4400 and The Dead Zone (who got canned without finishing) Burn Notice will fill a small part of the void.

5. Life
This is Life's second nomination as well. It's just a fantastic and slick show, it looks good. It's great to watch and it's managed a good combination of the format 'crime of the week' along with 'metaplot'. Damien Lewis is immensely watchable as Charlie Crews and the supporting cast is also fantastic. I'm really looking foward to seeing where this goes, I just hope that the writers don't end up stringing out the 'mystery' too long as that's where Lost fell apart.
Regardless, right now it's looking strong and enjoyable.

Honorable mentions go to Bones and Jeeves & Wooster. While I enjoyed both shows, they're not as good as the ones above.
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We continue in my DVD reviews with the second season of The Shield. The first season is reviewed here and as such this one will be in comparison to the first season.

The second season picks up immediately after the end of the first season, jumping straight back into the grim world of Farmington L.A. without even giving the viewer a chance to breathe. Continuity continues to be observed exceptionally well, both in the metaplot, cases and individual personal lives. The threads of the show continue to look at Julien's personal life, Dutch's development, Vic's personal/home life alongside the continued cases, strike team actions, bureaucracy, politics and much more. The second season of The Shield continues the high standard of the first one, keeping in touch with minor characters and guest stars by returning them. All of this keeps a high level of consistency and helps keep the world they live in feeling real. Only one show "The Wire" has a higher degree of realism in it's story telling.

The only quibble I have is that the second season isn't as explosive as the first one, while it's still amazing it just feels a smidge weaker than the first. Of course this means it's still better than 99% of the things on television anyway.


The box is almost identical to the previous season, it has changed art but that's it. This means it keeps consistency of style, font and the like when put on the shelf. The only complaint I'd have is one that holds up over most DVDs. The age certificate label always seems to move up and down from one season to the next. Maybe I'm just a little obsessive about this, but it annoys me. See the season one review for more details



Season 2 contains commentary on every episode from a variety of people involved in the show, from the writers to the actors. This means that it can vary somewhat in quality depending on the people involved. Personally I prefer commentary that comes mainly from the actors. I find most writers are rather... dry when they do commentary. Anyway, this means the commentary remains fresh, but varies in quality.

The other extras included are deleted scenes, featurettes on editing, sound and the like. I skimmed through them a bit but the only one that grabbed me was about the choices made in the construction of the Barn set. I'd say the extras are about average, maybe a little worse than season one's.

The second season can be had for £17 atm, not as cheap as the first season sadly. Some shops occasionally have it for £15. Still it's a bargain at 613 minutes, which is 2.8p per minute. Very respectable as it's under the 3p per minute mark.


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Because the Emmys and Golden Globes are frankly bull I've decided that every year on the 26th of March I will nominate my own 'bests' of TV (one per day) and then name the winners seperately. I would go with nominations from others, but I have no readership. Woo! So it's just me.

Here's the first category and nominations:

Biggest badass on screen

1. Michael C. Hall as Dexter ( Dexter - Season 2)
Dexter has just gone from strength to strength as a character. He's not afraid to kill and he's not even afraid of being caught. In fact he looks on his capture as inevitable, but that doesn't bother him. He keeps doing his thang.

2. Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey (The Shield - Season 6)
Michael Chiklis just has being a bad ass right down. Vic Mackey was out of control in season 6, and for good reason. Vic on full tilt is something that has to be seen to believe

3. Jamie Hector as Marlo Stanfield (The Wire - Season 5)
Marlo is a cold customer, he has no problem ordering people to get dropped. And while he doesn't pull the trigger himself, it's clear that he would if he thought it was needed. Also, Marlo in a rage is biblical - like DeNiro's Capone with a baseball bat.

4. Jeffery Donovan as Michael Western (Burn Notice - Season 1)
Michael Western is a spy, he's not afraid to get the job done and has the know how to do it. While Burn Notice doesn't have much of a body count as it's a lighter show overall, he's still got 'it' when he needs it. In spades.

5. David Tennant as The Tenth Doctor (Doctor Who - 2007 series)
For the most part the tenth Doctor is a pretty bubbly and friendly chap. But Human Nature and Family of Blood showed us just how hard and badass he could be. As the show is essentially a kids show it tends to be light and keep the Doctor as a friendly character, but the scenes as he turned towards 'The Family' and the individual, eternal punishments that he inflicted on each member showed just how deep his wrath can go. It's so effective because most of the time he's willing to forgive, but once you cross the line his anger knows no bounds.

6. Edward James Olmos as Commander Adama (BSG - Season 3)
Season three of BSG was a very spotty one, it had moments of sheer brilliance followed by episodes that were just all kinds of suck. Consistent throughout all of it was the power and edge that Commander Adama held. He's the uncompromising knife point at the front of the fleet, willing to do what it takes for humanity to survive, even if he loses his own in the first place.

7. Damien Lewis as Charlies Crews (Life - Season 1)
Crews has spent a long time in prison, he was a cop before he went into prison as well. It's well known that cops in prison have a rough time of it. Crews did what he needed to survive, he came out of it in a very peculiar manner. He's clearly a very hard individual, driven and determined. But he's tempered himself by following zen buddist principles, or at least trying to do so. But when push comes to shove he will set those aside and do what must. Life is a fantastic show to watch and Damien Lewis's performance is the reason for this.

Seven nominations and while I thought I knew who'd win going into this I'm not so sure now I've written about each of them. I will need time to think about this.
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