1973 was a phenomenal year for California reds. That was the year
that Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars produced the California Cabernet Sauvignon
that would go on to win the legendary 1976 “Judgment of Paris,” a blind
tasting that pitted the best American vintages against the legendary
vineyards of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Montrose, and Chatea
Haut-Brion (three of the four original “first growth” vineyards
established under the direction of Napoleon III in 1855). The victory by
Stag’s Leap was astonishing. The vineyard had only been producing wine
for two seasons, and the French vineyards they defeated had been,
collectively, producing wine for a millennium. A lot goes into a growing
year like that. The conditions need to be just so: just so much rain,
just so much sun, just so much nitrogen in the soil. But when those
things come together in the proper way, magic can happen.
2013-2014 was one of those years for television. At no time in the history of the medium has there been so much to choose from, and so much obvious quality. When Greta asked me to write a year-in-review piece she requested my top five shows from the year. But being asked to pick five shows from this astonishing class would be like being told you could save five books from the Library of Alexandria as it was burning to the ground. You couldn’t do it. You’d have to cheat. So I made a top ten list instead (though I’ll only talk in detail about the requested five). It still feels impossibly narrow, but one has to make do.
With that in mind, I have made three arbitrary rules to govern my selections:
Hannibal (NBC)—For my full thoughts on Hannibal please check-out my earlier post on this site, or the season recap I will be posting next week. This show is, quite simply, kills it.
The Americans (FX)—This show is one long lit fuse. It follows the exploits of a husband and wife working as Soviet spies in 1980s America. What really sets this show apart from the pack, however, is its ability to reside in the moments of intense stillness that accompany a dangerous life. When violence breaks out, it is horrific. But this show lingers on the anticipation of violence, and when the blow falls, it falls heavier because of the show’s impressive character development. The Americans thrives on the knowledge that we will cringe when people we have grown close to are forced into brutality, and we will share their fear of the day when that violence comes home to roost. Taut, thrilling, and emotionally wrenching—this is superb television.
Parks and Recreation (NBC)—If you could brew an elixir out of sunshine, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the feeling of someone you love holding your hand it still wouldn’t make you feel as this show does. More than anything else on the air, the humor of Parks is born out of camaraderie. Not since King of the Hill has a television program so deftly created such a discrete sense of place and personality. It is easy, on a week to week basis, to immerse yourself in Pawnee, Indiana, and because of that immersion, and because we are so familiar (and friendly) with the people who occupy that imaginary space, Parks can spin its humor out of gentler stuff than its more brash contemporaries. Friendship is the principle currency of this series, and the exchange rate is excellent.
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)—If Parks and Recreation represents the apex of humor through developed characters, Bob’s Burgers is the epitome of humor through precise language. This show is better than any other on television at crafting a line built around the perfect word. If it seems precarious, that it because it is. Even the slightest mistakes would doom the humor, and the margins are razor thin. With that in mind it is astonishing how consistently this show delivers. Unlike its equally funny, but far crasser, FX counterpoint Archer it never crosses the line into vulgarity (I don’t just mean Archer’s tendency for dirty humor, but a larger attitude of cynicism that occasionally pushes that show into kitsch).
The Goldbergs (ABC)—In the last several years ABC’s comedy development has been abhorrently bad. Whether it is the crude misogyny of Mixology, or the failure to see the potential in the charming Trophy Wife, ABC just can’t seem to get one right. Fortunately, the ratings on The Goldbergs were high enough this year that even ABC couldn’t mess the situation up. A wonderful mish-mash of The Wonder Years and Malcolm in the Middle (though already much funnier that Malcolm ever managed to be), The Goldbergs combines 80s nostalgia (rubix cubes, The Empire Strikes Back, Bon Jovi!) with family humor that never strays far from the central idea that there is something inherently absurd about the very idea of a family. If ABC had any idea of how to handle its business, they would pair this show with Modern Family to create the kind of comedy block that NBC used to dominate the 90s.
The Next Five:
Veep (HBO)
Louie (FX)
Justified (FX)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Mad Men (AMC)
Most Promising: Fargo (FX)
Biggest Comeback: Community (NBC)
Biggest Disappointment: Maron (IFC)
Saddest Farewell: The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) / Psych (USA)
Well…there you have it. A year in TV
This content appeared originally at Pop, Shop, and Troll
2013-2014 was one of those years for television. At no time in the history of the medium has there been so much to choose from, and so much obvious quality. When Greta asked me to write a year-in-review piece she requested my top five shows from the year. But being asked to pick five shows from this astonishing class would be like being told you could save five books from the Library of Alexandria as it was burning to the ground. You couldn’t do it. You’d have to cheat. So I made a top ten list instead (though I’ll only talk in detail about the requested five). It still feels impossibly narrow, but one has to make do.
With that in mind, I have made three arbitrary rules to govern my selections:
- No shows that have ended, i.e. no Breaking Bad. I am taking the view that this list should serve as a guide for future watching. There is no more Breaking Bad, it is over. So it doesn’t make the list even though I personally believe that it is in the pole position as the greatest television show ever made. Honorable mention also goes to the dearly departed Community.
- No anthology shows. My original list included True Detective and my most recent list included FX’s excellent Fargo, but when these shows return it will be with new casts, new stories, etc. As a result they function more like long films that free standing television shows.
- American TV only. This one makes me sad. There is no Sherlock, Broadchurch, Orphan Black, or Black Mirror on this list, despite these three shows being among the best on television (technically Black Mirror would also be excluded by the no anthology shows rule as well.
Hannibal (NBC)—For my full thoughts on Hannibal please check-out my earlier post on this site, or the season recap I will be posting next week. This show is, quite simply, kills it.
The Americans (FX)—This show is one long lit fuse. It follows the exploits of a husband and wife working as Soviet spies in 1980s America. What really sets this show apart from the pack, however, is its ability to reside in the moments of intense stillness that accompany a dangerous life. When violence breaks out, it is horrific. But this show lingers on the anticipation of violence, and when the blow falls, it falls heavier because of the show’s impressive character development. The Americans thrives on the knowledge that we will cringe when people we have grown close to are forced into brutality, and we will share their fear of the day when that violence comes home to roost. Taut, thrilling, and emotionally wrenching—this is superb television.
Parks and Recreation (NBC)—If you could brew an elixir out of sunshine, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the feeling of someone you love holding your hand it still wouldn’t make you feel as this show does. More than anything else on the air, the humor of Parks is born out of camaraderie. Not since King of the Hill has a television program so deftly created such a discrete sense of place and personality. It is easy, on a week to week basis, to immerse yourself in Pawnee, Indiana, and because of that immersion, and because we are so familiar (and friendly) with the people who occupy that imaginary space, Parks can spin its humor out of gentler stuff than its more brash contemporaries. Friendship is the principle currency of this series, and the exchange rate is excellent.
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)—If Parks and Recreation represents the apex of humor through developed characters, Bob’s Burgers is the epitome of humor through precise language. This show is better than any other on television at crafting a line built around the perfect word. If it seems precarious, that it because it is. Even the slightest mistakes would doom the humor, and the margins are razor thin. With that in mind it is astonishing how consistently this show delivers. Unlike its equally funny, but far crasser, FX counterpoint Archer it never crosses the line into vulgarity (I don’t just mean Archer’s tendency for dirty humor, but a larger attitude of cynicism that occasionally pushes that show into kitsch).
The Goldbergs (ABC)—In the last several years ABC’s comedy development has been abhorrently bad. Whether it is the crude misogyny of Mixology, or the failure to see the potential in the charming Trophy Wife, ABC just can’t seem to get one right. Fortunately, the ratings on The Goldbergs were high enough this year that even ABC couldn’t mess the situation up. A wonderful mish-mash of The Wonder Years and Malcolm in the Middle (though already much funnier that Malcolm ever managed to be), The Goldbergs combines 80s nostalgia (rubix cubes, The Empire Strikes Back, Bon Jovi!) with family humor that never strays far from the central idea that there is something inherently absurd about the very idea of a family. If ABC had any idea of how to handle its business, they would pair this show with Modern Family to create the kind of comedy block that NBC used to dominate the 90s.
The Next Five:
Veep (HBO)
Louie (FX)
Justified (FX)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Mad Men (AMC)
Most Promising: Fargo (FX)
Biggest Comeback: Community (NBC)
Biggest Disappointment: Maron (IFC)
Saddest Farewell: The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) / Psych (USA)
Well…there you have it. A year in TV
This content appeared originally at Pop, Shop, and Troll
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