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Ben's Top 40 Albums of 2014 (Albums 11-01)
Member Since: 5/9/2009
Posts: 6,397
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God, some great commentary from you that I can't read them all. Those are some exciting movies coming out next year that features prominent people from the movie, music, and apparently wrestling world. From Furious 7 to Jupiter Ascending to Spy to Star Wars, Jurassic World, and The Avengers movies? Damn, 2015 could be something to look forward to in the big screen. Good stuff. Ready for more if you can.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 5/9/2003
Posts: 3,779
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Oh, I thought Django was a longer process. I remember he said the first cut of it was four and a half hours, so I just imagined it took a really really really long time to edit. I expect Hateful Eight to be a similarly long editing process lol.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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Before I begin, I want to list some honourable mentions, which couldn’t make it onto this list for reasons I will state:
Person of Interest (CBS) – The reason why POI didn’t chart is because I am not entirely caught up. Since the summer, i’ve been watching the series from the beginning at a deliberate pace and I am very much enjoying it. I will definitely be caught up for next year’s list, though, so expect it to make a showing. It is one of the most underrated shows on TV, and i’m glad it finally got some well-deserved press this year, from the likes of The New Yorker (billed as “The TV Show That Predicted Edward Snowden”), Vox, Buzzfeed (Journalistic Buzzfeed, not Listicle/GIF Buzzfeed) and The New York Times. I hate the term “the best show you’re not watching,” but I think it’s fair to use in this instance (though it ranked as the #4 most watched drama in prime-time with combined viewers for the 13-14 season), as it’s a show that deserves the same kind of passionate audience that shows like Lost and The X-Files got.
Transparent (Amazon) I watched the pilot when it first premiered and really loved it, as i’ve been a fan of Jill Soloway’s for a while now, but I haven’t caught up with the full series. Mostly because there isn’t an easy legal way to view the show in Canada, as our Amazon Prime doesn’t include television. The pilot was available free to all countries, but yet the series itself has not been easy to view, with the country restrictions really coming out in full-force. One day I hope to view it, as it really is a show up my alley tonally, so hopefully Amazon Canada figures something out in 2015.
Sonic Highways (HBO) Really debated charting this on my list, as it was one of the highlights of my TV year. But I decided against it, as I figured I could get into most of the stuff I want to talk about when I talk about the Sonic Highways album on my Top 40 Albums list (spoiler!). The series really is outstanding and is an essential component to getting more out of the album, so if you haven’t watched it yet, do yourselves a favour and check it out. I guarantee you will gain a deeper appreciation of each song as you go through the series.
The Awesomes (Hulu) Not left off for a specific cut-off reason, but I still want to highlight it. Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker really do a wonderful job of giving the show a tone that isn’t overly crude/Seth MacFarlane-y (rare for new animated comedies), but still allows it to have really funny moments using its all-star comedy cast. The series is a really loving tribute to superhero comics of all stripes, with the various characters being take-offs on heroes from various generations. Each season also has a great serialized story that gradually builds throughout the season and gets paid off in fun ways. Plus, it’s the only show where you will hear Colin Quinn voice a villainous talking ape, which has to count for something.
Eagleheart: Paradise Rising (adult swim) Only a couple episodes aired in 2014, but Eagleheart’s third season, dubbed Paradise Rising, is still one of the great highlights of my TV year. The 30-minute finale in particular really wraps up Chris Monsanto’s story in a very bold and unexpected way, with a stunning finale sequence. In a related note, All That Jazz was released by Criterion on blu-ray this year, which I choose to believe only happened because of Paradise Rising. Now we just need Criterion to put out the complete Paradise Rising on DVD/blu! It’s a work of art that deserves that kind of royal treatment!
The Spoils of Babylon (IFC) Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele’s super-specific ‘70s/80s mini-series riff was a comedic work of great commitment. If you loved Piedmont/Steel’s Casa de mi Padre as much as I did, this will really appeal to you. Maybe my favourite Emmy nomination from this past year was Kristen Wiig getting in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie category, for a performance so unhinged and (to use a British phrase) takes the piss out of basically everything else in the category. It was the closest thing to if John C. Reilly was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for Walk Hard. Bring on the sequel, The Spoils Before Dying, which is set to premiere summer 2015.
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey (Fox) The best thing Seth MacFarlane has put his name on since American Dad. A great balance between being educational and entertaining. Episode 7 (titled “The Clean Room”), about the life of Clair Patterson, is one of the most chilling (the propaganda that the oil industry spread about lead) and inspiring (Patterson’s fight forced government-mandated restrictions on the use of lead) episodes of TV you will ever watch. I hope they make another season one day.
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40. The League
Network: FXX
Season 6 of The League was very up-and-down. Taco is my least favourite character and the season spent a lot of time with him, which I didn’t love. For the most part though, this was another funny season of The League, with yet another terrific Rafi & Dirty Randy adventure, and a really great finale (i’m not even a football fan and I still thought the whole bit with the NFL ref coming in and reviewing what The League has done was really funny). Next season will be its last, which is fine with me, as i’d rather the show go out (relatively) on top and not become an obligation to watch. Since The League has such a deep mythology, I can’t wait to see which characters/situations from the past return for the final season.
39. Workaholics
Network: Comedy Central
As I wrote about last year, I just started watching Workaholics in 2013, as I had previously avoided it. Since the Mail Order Comedy guys were people I had never heard of I falsely assumed this was a very bro-y show in the Daniel Tosh vein. Once I started watching it, though, I realized that Blake, Ders and Adam were very talented and funny guys, and that their characters were making fun of these kinds of people rather than celebrating them. The other thing that I didn’t realize about the show, and I think it’s another huge point to the show’s success, is that the female characters (Maribeth Monroe’s Alice and Jillian Bell’s Jillian Belk) are just as funny as the men (and in Jillian Bell’s case, arguably the funniest character on the show). The show in general is just a really hilarious time, with each episode sort of acting as a new 21-minute comedy movie. Broad City’s Ilana Glazer tweeted a great comment about the show: “.@WorkaholicsCC is like tommy boy all day ay day” It really does remind you of those kinds of goofy comedies of the ‘90s also with the stoner hang-out vibe of the comedies of the 00’s. Season 5 is set to premiere in a couple weeks and i’m really looking forward to it. MIATA LIFE. “Looking like a boss tho in head-to-toe Costco.”
38. The Bridge
Network: FX
Season 2 of The Bridge was an improvement over season 1, as the show became a The Wire-like story about Juarez and less the pulpy murder stuff from season 1. It’s a shame that the show had to be cancelled, but with the amount of great shows FX has on the air, I guess they had to cancel one of them. Diane Kruger, Demian Bichir were strong throughout, and the show’s excellent supporting cast, including Ted Levine, Emily Rios, Matthew Lillard, Franka Potente, Lyle Lovett, Brian Van Holt, among others, was one of the deepest of 2014. While season 2 didn’t have a definitive end to the story, I think there’s still enough good stuff there that the experience of watching it all will be worthwhile if you haven't yet.
37. Key & Peele
Network: Comedy Central
Season 4 has been decidedly my least favourite season of the show to date, which I would attribute to Comedy Central expanding its episode order to 22 episodes, which is a stupid number of episodes for a sketch show like this. Most episodes have at least one dud sketch and I don't like the new True Detective-inspired wraparounds. All that negatively aside, the sketches that I have enjoyed have been stellar and some of K&P's best ever (i'm thinking of "Keep Dancing," Family Matters, Strike Force Eagle 3: The Reckoning, Text Message Meltdown). One thing I must point out, as a positive, that even when I don't like a sketch, the work by director Peter Atencio is incredible and there's not a better director working in TV comedy right now. He elevates every sketch, and I can't imagine how much I would dislike some of these sketches without Atencio's remarkable work. I would also pin-point some of the problems of this season to K&P's increasing outside commitments, which include Keanu (the movie Jordan Peele wrote for K&P to star in, which Atencio is directing this spring), the K&P-produced Police Academy reboot, as well as the K&P written/star vehicle that Judd Apatow is producing. There's a lot of likely-amazing work ahead of us on the horizon, and for all the negative things I have to say about season 4, I still greatly believe that K&P are very talented and deserve every bit of success they can get. As long as we still get a "Keep Dancing" every couple episodes, I won't complain that much.
36. Hannibal
Network: NBC
I consider myself a fan of a lot of network stuff, so don't take this next statement as a put-down but it's a thought that comes up often as you are watching it: I can't believe this is on network TV! Tonally, the show belongs on AMC, and if the show debuted there unaltered, no one would bat an eye. The show goes to such deep and dark places, with such a distinct tone, that I feel like even if you aren't a fan of the show you have to be happy for its success. It's not cutesy or jokey like past Bryan Fuller shows, but it can be quite funny at times, darkly funny. The performances are strong across the board, and I don't think I have ever witnessed an image quite like what Michael Pitt's Mason Verger character does after he..... I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't watched it, but MAN. That happened! On NBC! ****ing unreal.
35. Portlandia
Network: IFC
Season 4 of Portlandia didn't continue the slightly serialized strucure of season 3, but it was still a really funny season of TV. Highlights include the episode Celery, which features Steve Buscemi as a celery salesman and almost works as a kind of amazing short film, the episode in which Feminist Bookstore owners Toni and Candace take over the Portlanda Trail Blazers dance team (pictured above), and the great New Beaverton finale, which has an unexpected KD Lang cameo. There's not much else to say about Portlandia at this point, either you think what Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and director Jonathan Krisel do is hilarious or you don't. Though the show did get some very big praise this year, as David Letterman during his Late Show interview with Jerry Seinfeld called Portlandia "the funniest thing on TV," and Seinfeld in another interview called it "one of the best comedies of all-time." Now, are you going to disagree with David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld? Do you think you know more about comedy than they do? I didn't think so!
34. Game of Thrones
Network: HBO
In 2014, I began to realize something I long suspected: I will never love Game of Thrones as much as everyone else does. Which is fine! There will always be those shows with people, depending on your personal taste. Now, granted, I still like Game of Thrones a lot, but there has always been this barrier to me, where it doesn't personally reach the heights of the greatest dramas on TV. I think it is a gorgeous show to watch, the performance are all great, it is a very involving show to watch (the death of a majorly hated character was a great moment of television), but I don't have that same sort of Gotta See What Happens Next feeling that 99% of other people have. This is a show that piles up for me, and I finished season 4 in August. I hope the GOT fans reading this don't read any of this as a slam, as I could not respect what Benioff & Weiss have accomplished more, in adapting this dense novel series in an accessible manner. It just isn't this Must Watch/One Of The Possible Best Shows of All-Time for me that it is a for a lot of people. Still, on the topic of season 4, I enjoyed it very much and am excited to watch season 5 this year. I just doubt i'll be watching it in time with everybody else haha.
33. Getting On
Network: HBO
HBO's Getting On is one of the best kept secrets in TV right now, a show that manages to find great humour in an extended care unit of a run-down hospital. That's not to say that there isn't also some great dramatic moments as well, as you could expect from this setting, but the amount of humour found in it is the biggest surprise. Laurie Metcalf... goodness she is tremendous in this. I would put her on the shortlist of my own personal Emmy ballot for Lead Actress, as her character Dr. Jenna James is so unlikable, but she is such a fully realized character. The monologues she delivers on "ERRANT VULVAS," and all forms of female incontinence are so ****ing funny. Also great are her co-stars Alex Borstein (never better) and Niecy Nash (the closest thing to a likable character on this show). The season 2 finale is genuinely one of the best finales to a show I saw this year, as it was incredibly funny while also being very moving. I expect we'll see a season three later this year, probably paired with the upcoming Jody Hill/Danny McBride show Vice Principals, which should make for an excellent hour-long block of comedy.
32. Justified
Network: FX
If this list was of the shows I watched the most in 2014, Justified would be near the top (right beside King of the Hill and The Simpsons). I rewatched earlier seasons as season 5 aired, and now as sixth and final season of Justified is about to start up in about a month, I am watching them all again from the beginning. It is such a rewatchable show, as you get more out of the Elmore Leonard-y plots, you get to hear all the hilariously quotable lines again and they are just fun characters to hang with. It is just such a fun show to watch, which you can't say for a lot of current cable dramas, even the ones I love! Season 5 was probably the weakest season, due to a lot of convoluted storytelling, but it was still such a breeze to watch anyway. Where else are you going to see Dave Foley and Will Sasso as two Canadian gangsters making Tim Hortons jokes? Where else are you going to see Eric Roberts get a legit badass role again in 2014? I am very, very excited for the upcoming final season, as the focus is now returning to the two people pictured above: Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens and Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder. That has always been the heart of the show, as there's so much history between them, so I can't wait to see how Graham Yost, Fred Golan and company decide to wrap up their stories. Because, here's something i'm putting in print right now: if season 6 lives up to my high expectations, this is guaranteed a slot on my top 10 (or even top 5) list next year. There's so much potential here, and I have a lot of faith in them to deliver. And seriously, if you haven't watched Justified yet. What the **** are you doing with your time?? This show is the greatest.
31. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Network: Fox
In its second season, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has settled into a very confident ensemble comedy groove and it is always a pleasure to watch. The season-long Giggle Pig investigation is a great way to give the department something to do in the form of cop work, but it never detracts from the hilarious antics of each episode. Though all this said, I love everyone in the cast, but my girl Chelsea Peretti is One of the Greats, and I kind of wish she was on her own show that she wrote herself, as that would be my new favourite show. I have been a fan of hers for so long, and I would love to see her get her own vehicle one day soon. Now, I love Peretti as Gina, and she does get to inject a lot of her comedic sensibility into the role, but I just want the full CVP experience and feel bummed when episodes go by and she doesn't get a lot to do. All that aside, BNN is such an easy and fun show to watch every week and I always have a smile on my face as I am watching it.
30. Mom
Network: CBS
I listed Mom in my Just Missed section last year, as I saw some promise in it, though I wasn't sure if it would meet it. One year later, it has more than reached that promise and it has become the great network multi-cam sitcom hope. Now, there are some good multi-cams out there (I love Cristela), and I don't condescend to them like a lot of young people do*, but Mom is such an exciting show, hearkening back to the Norman Lear shows, with some Roseanne thrown in there. There's one thing that a multi-cam show can do better than any other comedy and it's the emotional moment. On most network single camera shows, if an emotional moment happens, the overbearing score continues to play, it's scored to some ****** Starbucks Rock song. On a multi-cam, there is nothing but the actors talking. It is as raw as TV can get, I bring this up in relation to Mom, as they have done this multiple times over the past year, most powerfully it happened during the most recent episode, in which Christy admits during group therapy that her ex physically assaulted her. She says it, there's silence, and it cuts to commercial. It's done in such a matter of fact way and it feels way more honest and real than if a single camera comedy tackled the same issue. The show is built around an AA group, so addiction hangs over the series, and there was also a major storyline last season involving teenage pregnancy. And these stories are all about characters who are broke, so broke that they have to leave their home as Christy gambled away the rent money. Class, addiction, spousal abuse, gender issues, Mom is tackling issues that most shows don't even think of going near in 2014/2015. In a network comedy climate mostly filled with shows about 20/30somethings dating, it is refreshing to have a show like this on the air that is about Real People going through Real Ish.
All this said, can I just say that the show also happens to be really funny? Because it is! Anna Faris and Allison Janney look to be having a ball out there, just savouring every punchline, every physical comedy beat, two professionals just having the time of their lives. This is why the multi-cam format will always be around, as there's a real immediacy to it at its best. In praising Faris and Janney, I also want to point out 17-year old actress Sadie Calvano, who plays Violet, Christy's daughter. She has proven to be Faris and Janney's equal, with very little experience, and definitely holds her own. Those three are the core of the show and why it works. Though you also have Matt "Badger from Breaking Bad" Jones' doing excellent Dumb Guy humour, Kevin Pollak as Janney's ex, Mimi Kennedy as Faris and Janney's friend from AA who is diagnosed with breast cancer, it's a stacked cast. Janney won the Best Supporting Actress Emmy last year, and it couldn't have been more deserved. While the show's ratings aren't excellent, CBS seems to have a lot of faith in it, giving it a plum post-Big Bang Theory timeslot for many weeks, where it is holding onto more of the BBT audience than (the now cancelled) Millers did. I have hope it'll stick around, and hope you give it a shot. Not every joke hits (the restaurant stuff is not my favourite), but the characters are so fully realized, the emotional beats are played real, and the main cast is really strong.
*though the hilarious thing is tons of young people have been raised on multi-cam sitcoms like the Disney/Nick shows, so it's really just the 20/30something crowd that acts ****** towards them.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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29. Inside Amy Schumer
Network: Comedy Central
Season 2 was another strong year for Inside Amy Schumer. The sketches were even better this season (some of my favourites include A Couple Chooses a Movie, A Chick Who Can Hang, Hello M'Lady, A Very Realistic Military Game, Elevator Conversation, among many others), as the show continues to do the best gender-related sketches on television. I am very excited for Schumer's movie Trainwreck coming in July ( read my write-up), and am excited to see her do stand-up live at a casino in late March. I said a lot of what I loved about IAS last year, so go read last year's write-up for more thoughts on it.
28. Maron
Network: IFC
I am a big fan of Marc Maron and was excited for his IFC TV show Maron to debut last year. The first season was only OK, not bad, but season 2 was a big improvement. Marc has openly admitted that season 1 was a work in progress, as this was the first time he has ever made a TV show like this before (which he runs with King of the Hill vets Sivert Glarum and Michael Jamin). In season two the characters really deepened, the jokes were funnier, and it finally became the great show we all wanted it to be. Tonally, at times it feels like West Coast Louie, with numerous cameos from stand-ups and great episodes getting into the minutiae of being a stand-up comedian (one of my favourites being an episode that is centred around a road gig in Lubbock, Texas, which shows him staying at a ****** hotel, doing morning radio, awkwardly interacting with people, etc). I also really loved the Radio Cowboy episode, which is his tribute to old school professional radio DJ's, with the main guest star role (of the veteran DJ who is about to be fired, as he asks Marc about how podcasting works) is played by radio legend Phil Hendrie. It's a moving episode that really gives these radio guys their due. Season 3 is set to debut in spring 2015, and I would recommend you check the show out if you can. Season 2 recently went up on Netflix, so if you live in the U.S., you have no excuse!
27. The Simpsons
Network: Fox
One of the big TV events of the year was the Every Simpsons Ever marathon on FXX. While I didn't experience it (and from what I understand, it was all in the wrong aspect ratio anyway cutting off visual jokes, so i'm glad I did and will stick to my DVD's), it brought a lot of new energy and attention to The Simpsons for the first time in a few years. With that marathon going on, it led to the constant refrain from people that The Simpsons stopped being good post-season 11 (or whichever season you want to pick for your cutoff, but I tend to see that one, or season 10). I always hated that sentiment, and I hate it even more this year, as The Simpsons is having a bit of a creative resurgence right now. It all started this year with the amazing "Steal This Episode" (which is where the screencap comes from), a hilarious ep about Homer and Bart illegally stealing movies and showing them in their backyard, which leads to Hollywood finding out and arresting Homer. It's a hilarious episode that involves very knowing cameos from Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Rob Halford, and others, playing self-important blowhard versions of themselves. Other great episodes from this year followed including the much publicized "Brick like Me," and really all of season 26 thus far has been tremendous, I feel. "The Wreck of the Relationship" is a strong Homer and Bart story with Nick Offerman playing a sea captain, Treehouse of Horror XXV was the best TOH in many years, "Opposites-a-Frack," is the funniest thing you will see that's about fracking, The Simpsons/Futurama crossover was excellent, "Blazed and Confused" featured Willem Dafoe as Bart's new 4th grade teacher, "Covercraft" is the funniest episode of The Simpsons this year (with Will Forte as King Toot!), and finally "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" is a great melancholy Christmas episode, the first solo writing credit from Al Jean in over a decade
With Matt Selman showrunning more and more episodes, taking the load off from Al Jean, it is really leading to this current creative resurgence, where episodes are not just "late era Simpsons funny" but now "Funniest Episode of TV I Saw This Week." The resurgence will continue into the new year, as the first episode back is a huge one: "The Man Who Came to be Dinner," an episode written by Al Jean and David Mirkin (!!), directed by David Silverman (!!), which takes us for the very first time to Kang and Kodos' home planet. And following that episode is the Judd Apatow-penned "Bart's New Friend," which he freelance wrote back in 1991, and an episode about Mr. Burns trying to kill Elon Musk, written by Comedy Bang Bang favourite Neil Campbell. The point of this Simpsons write-up is just to spread knowledge around that The Simpsons is the funniest it's been in a while, not that it was ever bad, and some weeks it's delivering episodes that are funnier than anything else on TV. To quote the song: "They'll never stop The Simpsons! Have no fears, we'll have stories for years!" And that song is from a Season 13 episode! Take that, conventional wisdom!
26. Parks and Recreation
Network: NBC
With the final season of Parks and Recreation coming up, I am more sad to see the death of the original NBC 2HOP line-up more than I am for Parks and Rec itself. Now don't get me wrong, I love Parks, but it has had enough episodes and seasons where I feel like extending it any longer would risk overkill. But in terms of 2HOP, this was a comedy line-up started up in 2006 that meant a lot to me and other members of ATRL (they know who they are!). I think its very fitting that Parks and Recreation will be airing its final season on Tuesdays, which was ground zero for the original 1HOP ten years ago, when the first season of The Office was paired with Scrubs. The 2HOP ending where it originally began ten years later. Full circle.
25. Bob’s Burgers
Network: Fox
I have written a lot about Bob's Burgers over the years and feel like I have nothing new to say about it. It's a funny show, great characters, some of my favourite episodes this year were the Emmy-winning "Mazel-Tina," "The Equestranauts," and the two-part "How Bob Saves/Destroys the Town" episode. It's just a funny show. The end.
24. Community
Network: NBC
The return of Dan Harmon saw Community return to its former greatness. I love that Harmon delivered both grounded season 1-style episodes and the crazy genre pastiches in equal measure, as too much of either wouldn't work. My favourite two episodes fall on both sides of that spectrum: "Cooperative Polygraphy," which had the great Walton Goggins as Pierce Hawthrone's executor delivering a will-mandated polygraph test to the group. My other favourite was "G.I. Jeff," the incredible G.I. Joe riff by Dino Stamatopoulous and Rob Schrab (comedy heroes, both!), which was not only a really funny episode but also had a good emotional core to it, which recalled season 2 highlight "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." Both episodes are what I look for in Community, and i'm excited to see the upcoming Yahoo season to see where the show goes next in its (likely) final season.
23. The Mindy Project
Network: Fox
2014 was the year, after two years of either out-right disliking it/sort of enjoying it, where I finally became a big fan of The Mindy Project. At first, I was resenting it as I felt Ben & Kate (remember Ben & Kate?? What a great show!) was being passed over for Mindy despite both shows having nearly equal ratings, and I also just didn't like the early episodes very much. But now, the show has really found its groove, and it has become the true heir to the 30 Rock One-Liner crown. There's at least one joke in every episode now, where I have to pause it to let out a big laugh. The 30 Rock comparison fits as the show hired three writers from 30 Rock once the show ended (Jack Burditt, Tracey Whigfeld, Lang Fisher) and that's when the creative swing started to happen. Burditt in particular, is such a strong writer, and I feel he brought a lot to the Danny Castellano character, filling in his Regular Staten Island Guy traits, which contrasted with Mindy's character, never stops being a funny comedic conceit. i also love how Mindy Kaling's character has no bones of being likable, easily being the biggest asshole of the cast, which is so badass. I know that Kaling is a huge Danny McBride/Eastbound & Down fan, and I can see how she took some notes from the Kenny Powers character for Mindy Lahiri (as much as she can on network TV, anyway). Ike Barinholtz's Morgan is always funny, and Adam Pally was an excellent addition (sad that he's leaving the show!). The show's ratinga aren't great, but with the recent order of additional episodes, I sort of feel like Mindy is becoming Fox's Community. They could cancel it, but it is very unlikely that the comedy they replace it with will end up being as beloved online/get the stable audience that it gets. It's all about stability in these End Times of network television haha! Whether this season is indeed the last or not, i'm glad I was finally able to love the show. It has become a highlight of my week, as I know it will always deliver.
22. Comedy Bang Bang
Network: IFC
I am so happy that this show continues to exist. There has yet to be a bad episode of it, with even 20 episode seasons, and I thought all of the 2014 episodes were strong. Stars as varied as Alison Brie, Kevin Smith, Tony Hawk, Steven Yeun, Wayne Coyne, Fred Armisen, Josh Groban, The Lonely Island, and many others, were the main guests on the show this year and each managed to fit into the tone of the show. This upcoming season (which premieres January 9th) will be 40 episodes (!!) long, running year-round, and the guests for that look to be even more varied with names such as rapper Schoolboy Q, Kid Cudi, Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, Mark Duplass and Maya Rudolph. The show is really getting popular now! Sadly, Reggie Watts will be leaving the show mid-season to become the bandleader for The Late Late Show with James Corden, which is a great opportunity for Reggie, though i'm bummed for Aukerman and CBB. Apparently they are set to announce Reggie's replacement very soon, and I wonder who they will pick? Jenny Lewis is probably too busy, but she did such a good job as the replacement bandleader in an earlier CBB episode. She was really funny in it, so that's my dream pick.
21. Girls
Network: HBO
I continue to really enjoy Girls a lot. This season the show added genius comedy writer Paul Simms (creator of Newsradio, EP on Larry Sanders Show) as an Executive Producer, and I noticed that the show became funnier than it was in the past. My two favourite episodes from the season are "Beach House," which was a great hang-out episode that dealt with a lot of issues with the group in a very entertaining way, and "Flo," about how Hannah's grandmother (played by the great June Squibb!) was in the hospital with pneumonia and the relationship she has with her extended family. Both episodes were funny, and had great dramatic beats. From what I understand, the plan is for the show to go until season 6, so we only have a couple more seasons left of the show, sadly. I am really looking forward to this upcoming season, which sees Hannah traveling to Iowa to join the U of Iowa's Writers Workshop program. The idea of someone like Hannah in Iowa is such a wonderful comedy premise, and there should be a lot of material to mine from that situation.
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Sorry for the delay! TV shows 20-11 will be up sometime this weekend and the top ten will be up a couple days after that. I have been working hard on all these lists, so I want to take the proper time to get them right. Thanks for all the comments!!
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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Cool! I need some new shows to watch, let me try some of these out. I took pretty much all of 2014 off of TV and need to get back into it. I even fell behind on Parks & Recreation which is an all time favorite.
I have to ask though, is your user name pronounced Dr. Spaceman like a man in space, or like Spa-Che-Men? Because if it's the latter...
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 9/26/2001
Posts: 22,475
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^ It's the latter.
I missed way too much TV this year, but YES, THE SIMPSONS ARE BACK! (EVEN THOUGH THEY NEVER LEFT!)
Quote:
"They'll never stop The Simpsons! Have no fears, we'll have stories for years!"
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Like...Marge becomes a robot! Maybe Moe gets a cell phone. Has Bart ever owned a bear? Or...how about a crazy wedding? Where something happens and DO DO DO DO DOOOOO.
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Member Since: 1/26/2006
Posts: 17,384
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At least Hannibal appears on the list! That show kept me really excited this year. Can't wait for next season!
I also enjoyed watching some episodes of Mom and The Simpsons. Definitely I need to watch Girls, too.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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Benny, that tribute to Letterman was immense. I love him, and I will miss him.
I love you, and I miss you.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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Also hopefully The Good Wife is in your top ten or else nothing makes sense.
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Member Since: 10/31/2011
Posts: 16,937
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You're a Chelsea Peretti stan too? Your taste keeps getting better and better. Call Chelsea Peretti is my fave podcast.
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Member Since: 12/11/2008
Posts: 9,543
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Such a good shows here. Can't believe POI didn't make it, though
Mom is my favorite from the list. I like The Simpsons, Community and the iconic Girls too.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 5/9/2003
Posts: 3,779
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1. I'm glad you're still hanging in with Thrones. I know you've never loved it like I do, but appreciate the big moments and all the character building that goes into them.
2. Everything on here that I've seen is great. Including K&P and NDT who I forgot about on my list.
3. I'm sure everything on here that I haven't seen is great too.
4. I'm predicting Boardwalk Empire to be #1.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 5/9/2003
Posts: 3,779
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Oh and 5. You've officially sold me on The Mindy Project
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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Sorry for the delay! My timetable was way-off (which is further proof why I should never set one), but i'll get the rest of the TV list up by Sunday!
Thanks for all the comments, and I hope to comment on everyone's! I have done a poor job of doing so, so if I haven't commented on yours in a while, i'll be doing that throughout the week.
To Bloomers: yes, the latter! I claimed this screen name during season 1 of the show! Love the Liz Lemon gif, as well!
To Red: I thought of filling those lyrics in, but then I knew a big Simpsons superfan such as yourself (and really, I was mostly thinking of you haha) would fill it in for me. So great.
To Ace "Bart" Reject: man, I am so sorry I haven't commented on yours! That is a huge error on my part. Thanks for the kind words, and i'll get to that very soon. As for The Good Wife, i'm behind a season on it! It's funny, I charted The Good Wife on my list back in 2011, when no one gave a **** about it/it still had the ****** CBS = Old People connotation (which I despise in general). But NOW, as it's becoming such a huge critical hit, it's now finally becoming cool and hip haha. I will def catch up for next year, though, so look out for it on next year's list!
To Great Username: You mean you also have COFFEE CRANKING THROUGH YOUR SYS?? **** yeah!! Glad there's another one of us on ATRL! Her episodes about the black mold situation and her fight with the Silverfish are legendary! "Thank you for your love....."
To O: love your comment, and I hope you do catch up on Mindy. As for Boardwalk at #1? I can't say obvi, but it's a strong prediction!
Thanks again for all the comments!
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Member Since: 3/27/2008
Posts: 8,259
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Spaceman
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey (Fox) The best thing Seth MacFarlane has put his name on since American Dad. A great balance between being educational and entertaining. Episode 7 (titled “The Clean Room”), about the life of Clair Patterson, is one of the most chilling (the propaganda that the oil industry spread about lead) and inspiring (Patterson’s fight forced government-mandated restrictions on the use of lead) episodes of TV you will ever watch. I hope they make another season one day.
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gran programa, uno de mis favoritos de este año, me vi casi todos los capitulos de la temporada
The Simpsons & Mom
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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20. Broad City
Network: Comedy Central
Of the many things I love and respect about what Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer have done with Broad City, the thing that I love the most is that they made a full-on comedy. Not a dramedy, not a comedy with a serious musical montage at the end of it, an all caps COMEDY. I am someone who is always fighting against the notion that comedies are “less than” other forms of storytelling, or the only types of comedies that get any sort of attention are the ones that have dramatic weight to them, so thank ****ing goodness for Abbi and Ilana for pushing against that notion. Broad City is a great stoner comedy, with an absurdist view on being a 20something living in New York, while also being very relatable to broke 20somethings who live in any part of North America. It’s a great show about friendship, with the image above being the great climax to the season 1 finale “The Last Supper.” That image tells you all you need to know about the show. They’ve got each other’s backs, always. And again, it’s just a really, really funny show with many wonderful recurring parts for comedy greats. Like how about Amy Sedaris as Pam, the neck-brace wearing realtor! Or what about Hannibal Buress’ great recurring role as Lincoln! So good. The show’s second season begins this week (paired up with Workaholics, which is such a superb pairing. The shows are a good tonal fit) and I cannot wait for it.
19. Silicon Valley
Network: HBO
While I just wrote a long piece on why David Letterman will always be my #1 comedy hero, in terms of a creator who has produced multiple projects over decades, Mike Judge might be my all-time favourite. Beavis & Butt-Head has always been a staple in my life, going back to as a kid in the mid '90s to right now. Whenever I am feeling sad about something, i'll just go on YouTube and watch B&B commenting on The Clash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" video, where Butt-Head is convinced Mick Jones is Jerry Seinfeld. Instant mood enhancer. And King of the Hill, which he co-created with the amazing Greg Daniels, is quite possibly the most underrated show of the last 20 years. In 2014, I started a project rewatching every single KOTH episode from the beginning, and i'm convinced now it might be my second favourite show of all-time (behind Larry Sanders). It makes you laugh hard, it has deep serialized storytelling for the first five seasons which was rare for the late '90s/early 00s, and you genuinely care about all the characters, from the grounded Hank and Bobby to the more outlandish Dale and Cotton. And of course Judge's film work is exceptional: everyone loves Office Space, and Idiocracy grows its cult more with each passing year as the world begins to reflect that reality, and also the very underrated Extract, which is in my opinion Jason Bateman's best leading role.
Now that you know my history with Judge, you might be confused why Judge's Silicon Valley is ranking as low as it is. I thought the first season of the show was tremendously funny, with a great ensemble of comic actors/comedians who have long deserved this type of breakout finally getting it. However, as Judge and EP Alec Berg will tell you, the first season was a bit of a struggle, after the shocking death of Christopher Evan Welch, who played Peter Gregory. Gregory was the first season's most defined comic creation, every time he appeared on screen you knew it was going to be something special. So when he died in the middle of filming, Judge and Berg had to quickly rewrite the last few episodes under a wave of grief after losing this new friend of theirs. So I feel it isn't fair to criticize the first season of the show, as it was made under very difficult circumstances. Though, with that knowledge, it is remarkable how funny those last few episodes ended up becoming, especially the finale with its Most Complicated Dick Joke in comedy history. So good. I am certain season two will be better than the first season, as I also ranked Armando Iannucci's Veep at a low 20-15 position for its first season, for not entirely living up to my lofty expectations, before the show zoomed up to the top ten for the rest of its run (including *spoiler* this year). I am anxiously awaiting to see season 2 of Silicon Valley, as even without those circumstances, comedies always tend to get better in their second year anyway, so I feel like we are in for something truly great this year.
18. Kroll Show
Network: Comedy Central
Read last year's write-up, as I feel like I wrote so much about what made Kroll Show so distinctly special then. Season 2 was even better I thought, and I think it's a really savvy move of Kroll's to end the show after its upcoming third season. A part of me thinks the show also ended due to director/co-creator Jonathan Krisel's extending workload (he directs/writes every Portlandia, directs/writes on the upcoming FXX series Man Seeking Woman, and is also the director/showrunner of the upcoming FX comedy Baskets, created by Zach Galifianakis and Louis CK, and starring Zach), but I really do believe Kroll when he says that it was mostly a creative decision. The serialized nature of this show lends itself to ending on its own terms, and I can't wait to see where all these beloved characters will end up in the end. All I ask for is more Oh, Hello stuff! If I was a Megan Ellison-like movie mogul, I would throw millions at Kroll and John Mulaney to make a Oh, Hello movie, because that is my dream.
17. Black Jesus
Network: adult swim
When you hear that former The Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder's next show is called Black Jesus, you can easily picture what that show would look like. Scathing satire, great animation. To really get a clear picture on what Black Jesus ultimately is, however, you need to look at the other co-creator of the show: Mike Clattenburg. Clattenburg is the brilliant Nova Scotian writer/director behind Trailer Park Boys, one of the most lasting and important Canadian comedy creations in history. He directed every episode, created the show, co-wrote episodes, he is the master of the show's laid-back stoner/lots of heart tone that TPB became beloved for*. McGruder is a big Trailer Park Boys fan, and felt like nothing on American television replicated that tone, the closest thing he could think of is the first Friday movie. So this pairing of McGruder and Clattenburg was very interesting to me going in, wondering how they would balance each other out. And in watching the series, I think Clattenburg (who directed and co-wrote every episode) is the person whose sensibilities are felt the most in Black Jesus.
Black Jesus stars Gerald "Slink" Johnson as Jesus, giving what I feel might be the most instant-star making lead performances in a comedy since Danny McBride's Kenny Powers. It is a tremendous performance of a similar order, where you begin to replicate his style of speech after you watch an episode ("Bruh! Pops!"). It is such a great take on Jesus, as he is a really open-hearted, sincere guy who preaches love and kindness, but also happens to have a Community Garden with THC-laced tomatoes. That’s where I feel Black Jesus is an important show: this isn't going for lazy religious satire that you might expect going in, it's more of a stoner hang-out comedy that just also happens to teach Jesus' principles. As producer Robert Wise put it they've made "Jesus cool. I don't feel judged by this Jesus. I actually want to hang with this Jesus. And I don't have to rush to church and throw on a suit and pray for forgiveness for running late." Slink Johnson himself is a Christian, so this isn't coming from a mocking place, which is what makes this such a easy show to embrace. Everyone is great on this show: comedian Corey Holcomb finally has a vehicle for his talents, Vine superstar King Bach is great in a very Cory in TPB-like role, Charlie Murphy is a fantastic antagonist for the series, John Witherspoon is always funny. I have read that some people were disappointed with this, probably expecting more plotty Boondocks-style satire, but i'm glad we didn't get that version. Black Jesus feels unique to me in this current landscape, a shaggy-dog stoner take on Jesus that is all about friendship, love and kindness. The show was a massive hit for adult swim, so I expect we'll be seeing this show on the air for a while to come.
*It is worth noting that Trailer Park Boys returned in 2014 for a new season on Netflix, but without Clattenburg's involvement. And you can tell, as while they still have some funny moments, it's nowhere near the level of quality of the other seasons/movies. There's no heart.
16. Rectify
Network: SundanceTV
The second season of Rectify was even better than the first, as it continued to follow Daniel Holden's life after getting released from death row. Despite the heavy subject matter, what I like about the series is that it is a very small-scale story about a family in Paulie, Georgia. Plots of the season take place in mom & pop convenience stores, tire stores, antiques shops. And with actual location filming in Georgia, all of it feels very authentic. I liked how Teddy Jr's character developed during the season, who was originally one dimensional but has grown as the series has gone along. Creator Ray McKinnon has mastered such a great tone for this series that makes everything feel authentic, not soapy. I look forward to season 3 debuting later this year, and if feel like there aren't small-scale dramas any more and you aren't watching this.... You know what to do! Do I need to write you a road map?
15. Rick and Morty
Network: adult swim
Executives at adult swim have said that Rick and Morty is their first stab at creating a Simpsons-like series, that can be more widely embraced than some of their most absurdist post-midnight offerings. And I think the show has a great balance between having that distinct adult swim/cable sensibility, while also not feeling out of place if it were on Fox's Sunday line-up. You care about the characters, as the insane jokes/situation pile up, which is important. Dan Harmon has gotten a lot of credit for the show, but I want to make something clear, which is something Harmon would be the first one to point out: this is Justin Roiland's vision/show. He voices both Rick and Morty (a remarkable feat in its own right), he created the original concept, and the sensibility of the show is similar to a lot of Roiland's Channel 101 work (like the great House of Cosbys). Harmon brings his network TV experience, his love of the Joseph Campbell-structure (the story circles!), and probably helped the show hit the ground running as it did, but this is Roiland's show, at the end of the day.
I loved every episode of the show, but my favourite was probably Rixty Minutes, the episode that felt most reminiscent of the Channel 101 days. My favourite alternative reality program was Ants in My Eyes Johnson, which is self-explanatory. This is such a great show in so many ways, and if you love comedy/sci-fi, then you should do yourself a favour and check it out. Season 2 is set to premiere in the summer sometime, so you have that long of a period to understand why you need to look at Mr. Meeseeks.
14. The Knick
Network: Cinemax
While a lot of (deserved) attention went to Cary Fukunaga’s work directing every episode of True Detective, what Steven Soderbergh did directing every episode of The Knick was even more impressive I feel. While the premise of The Knick is original, there's no way this show would have been as enjoyable without Soderbergh's involvement. To begin to understand what Soderbergh did that was so unique and different with this material, listen to this selection from Cliff Martinez's score. That is not what you would expect to be the score of a 1900 period hospital drama. It's electronic, no strings (Soderbergh stressed this, as he didn't want it to become Masterpiece Theatre) and very immediate. "Immediate" is a great word to use in regards to Soderbergh's direction, as he makes all of it feel real and not a museum piece, which period stuff can sometimes fall into that trap. And also just the overall job Soderbergh does throughout the series, especially on episode 7, which involves a race riot, which Soderbergh does an incredible job of throwing you into. The only reason the show isn't higher has more to do with the early episodes laying the groundwork (typical of a Soderbergh movie as well), and then it becoming unmissable near the end. I am really looking forward to season two to witness whichever new ways Soderbergh finds to wow us.
13. Fargo
Network: FX
Fargo was filmed where I live!! And no it isn't as cold as the series portrays all the time haha. When actors made the press rounds for the series, and they kept stressing how cold Calgary was, I wish I could have jumped out and said "IT WAS OUR COLDEST WINTER IN RECENT MEMORY! IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT COLD!" They definitely lucked out then, as watching that footage back, a chill goes down by spine recalling those horribly cold days and nights. Season 2 begins filming here again in just a few weeks, so if it suddenly becomes incredibly cold again, i'll just blame the Fargo crews for jinxing us haha.
Anyway! The show itself! Great! I always had high hopes, as I like Noah Hawley, The Coens are my all-time favs, and the cast was superb, but I know a lot of people had trepidations over it. But it really delivered, with a great beginning-middle-and end story with indelible performances from Billy Bob Thorton, Martin Freeman and great newcomer Alison Tolman. Over the year, I was bummed to see the "Fargo vs. True Detective" wars start between people, as I hate when we turn art into sports. From this placement, you can tell which show I liked better, but believe me, it's not by a wide margin! Both were really fantastic and in their own distinct ways, and I love that both of these anthology series exist. Though I guess i'm sort of partial to Fargo (if not creatively), as I want them to continue filming here every season!
12. Playing House
Network: USA
Playing House was another series in the 2014 mini-trend of friendship, which sounds simplistic but is kind of radical when you think of how many shows are just people insulting each other (and I do love a lot of those shows, don't get me wrong). Playing House comes from Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, one of my favourite comedy teams, who prior to this made the great short-lived NBC series Best Friends Forever. The pilot for the series is very plot-y, but the basic gist of the series is that Emma (St. Clair) returns back to her hometown of Pinebrook, a small-town, to help Maggie (Parham), her best friend since childhood, raise her newborn baby. The series also features Keegan Michael-Key as the cop of the town/childhood friend of Maggie and Emma, Zach Woods as Maggie's brother, Brad Morris as Maggie's ex-husband, Jane Kaczmarek as Emma's mother, as well as Lindsay Sloane, Ian Roberts, Gerry Bednob, and many others. This is a very difficult show to describe, as you just need to watch it to understand what makes it so special. St. Clair and Parham write scripts out by improvising all of it (with St.Clair as the woman parts and Parham the man parts), and it leads to all the lines feeling real, and not overly writerly. It's a show with its own set of catchphrases, which would happen with a group of childhood friends, so watching the series you will learn why they call Lindsay Sloane's character "Bird Bones." My favourite episode (pictured above) was "Bosephus and the Catfish," which has Parham's Maggie showcasing her alter-ego Bosephus, which is such a wonderfully stupid thing.
One of the great things about TV fandom in 2014/2015 is what transpired with Playing House. It aired on USA, which was attempting a big rebrand as a home for comedy due to their recent acquisition of Modern Family reruns. In 2014, however, they pulled back from that promise, likely due to the Modern Family reruns underperforming in the ratings, so it left Playing House in jeopardy for many months after its finale episode aired. But then suddenly, on December 8th, USA announced that an 8-episode second season was ordered!! The reason why they ordered it, so late after its June finale, was because of the constant fan support of the show, which Parham and St. Clair encouraged. The show really built a strong fan following, and i'm glad USA is giving the show another shot. Before season 2 premieres, if you haven't watched the first season yet, you must! It is genuinely a laugh-out-loud hilarious show with tons of heart, and it always made me feel warm after watching it. St. Clair and Parham are comedy greats, and i'm glad Playing House was their first step into mainstream recognition. They have long deserved it, and I hope Playing House lasts for many years. WOMP IT UP.
11. The Leftovers
Network: HBO
Damon Lindelof's The Leftovers was one of the most divisive shows of the year, some finding its depressing subject matter unrelenting. I however became a huge fan of it, and I think episode 6, titled "Guest" is one of the five best episodes of TV I saw in 2014. Some may find The Guilty Remnant stuff to be silly (I don't), but if you look past that, you will find some of the most insightful, relatable and raw TV I have ever watched about the grieving process, loss, and depression. Which is something we all go through, and I think Lindelof does an excellent job of making the show exciting when it needs to be and thoughtful when it should. I understand when people sit down to watch a TV show they might not want to watch a show with this sort of subject matter, and that's fine! There are more options now than ever! But I think anyone outright dismissing what Lindelof has accomplished here is being unfair, as post-LOST he could have made the safest, most bland genre show imaginable. But instead, he made a show, with a slightly supernatural premise (though not that much, really), that is all about the human experience. He made a full-blown arthouse show that is very cerebral and off-kilter! That is something that should be celebrated.
As alluded to above, with the "Guest" episode, Carrie Coon's Nora Durst was the breakout of the show. Coon had a big year, as she was also terrific in Gone Girl as Margo (Go!). I also thought Christopher Eccleston did fantastic work as reverend Matt Jaminson, and his showcase episode "Two Boats and a Helicopter" was another series highlight. Amy Brenneman did amazing work, mostly silent. And while he got teased for his eyeliner, Justin Theroux is a good anchor to the show. I think a lot of people expected this to be a big genre show like a Game of Thrones, so that might have played a part in it disappointing a segment of the audience, but I think if you are open minded to this subject matter, I can't see how it could disappoint you. I always admire shows with ambition that are trying something different, so I really have to applaud what Lindelof did with The Leftovers. Word has it that season two will be a little bit different, with a cast reduction, which is kind of a bummer. I hope Lindelof keeps the same tone for season two, as while there is a vocal crowd who doesn't like it, I feel like there are a lot of us out there who really love and admire it.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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10. Mad Men
Network: AMC
Mad Men has charted in the top ten of my TV list every single year, with this #10 position being its lowest to date. Don't think that's because my love for the show has in any way tapered down; quite the opposite. A better way to think of it is that for a show that has been on the air for seven seasons, it's a great achievement that it has remained in the top ten, as even previous perennial stand-bys like Parks and Recreation and Community have fallen way out of the top ten. If there was any sort of downside to this season, it was the ill-advised move by AMC to split the season up in half. I am fine with split seasons in general, but I wish it was a split season with more episodes, like The Sopranos (12 and 9) and Breaking Bad (8 and 8) got. Seven episode seasons feel so limited! But those seven episodes we got this year featured some of the best moments in the history of the series, and it only gets me more excited for the final seven to air in April.
I have incredibly high hopes for Matthew Weiner to nail these final seven episodes, as Weiner kneels at the altar of David Chase, and I feel like Mad Men is the only modern drama that has a chance to equal what The Sopranos did in its final nine episodes. To me, the final nine episodes of The Sopranos remain the high-water mark of a modern final season of a drama. Each episode was a masterpiece in its own, unique way. And while I know recent public opinion holds up the final eight episodes of Breaking Bad highly, and I loved them as well, but IMO I feel like the people who say that BB's final season is the best ever have either, 1) never watched The Sopranos, 2) have a short memory, which is common in this internet age where we rush to proclaim the latest show/movie/album as The Greatest Ever. That tangent aside, I think Weiner models Mad Men a lot on what he accomplished with Chase and (future Boardwalk Empire creator) Terence Winter on The Sopranos, going for those very human/out of worldly transcendent moments. I have a strong feeling he won’t disappoint in giving us a lasting image that sums up the series in an exemplary way.
09. BoJack Horseman
Network: Netflix
Biggest surprise of the year, without question. When I first heard about BoJack Horseman's premise (Will Arnett voices washed-up '90s sitcom star BoJack Horseman, who vows to return to celebrity prominence with a tell-all biography that he dictates to a ghostwriter), it sounded very familiar to me. I love showbiz satire, but it didn't sound all that original. And in watching the first few episodes, I laughed but I wasn't entirely convinced that it would be more than just some funny lines. Once I saw episode 4 though, I realized this was something deeper and more moving than I originally thought. This was a soul-searching tale about being an asshole, pushing away the people that you care about, and what cost that pays on your life. The flashbacks to his days working on the sitcom Horsin' Around are initially funny in a surface way, but they become heartbreaking when you see the relationship he has with creator Herb Kazzaz (voiced by Stanley Tucci!), who he started out with on the stand-up circuit before eventually having a falling out. This is a show that isn't afraid to just go darkly dramatic, and you realize halfway through into the series that you are so emotionally affected by a series that is centred on Will Arnett as a boorish talking horse. Arnett deserves a lot of credit here, as while it's not surprising that he can nail the hilarious asshole-ish comedy lines, I have never heard him go this dramatic before, and his vocal performance makes BoJack a living, breathing creation that you care about. When all is said and done, this might end up being Arnett's finest acting performance.
BoJack Horseman is in my opinion the best Netflix original series to date and creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg really plays to the medium's strengths, as it is a heavily serialized show, with both running jokes and deep character development. In watching back those early episodes, you can see those initial seeds planted for future moments in the series, which is really impressive. You also realize that the early episodes thematically fit in perfectly with the darker later episodes, which makes every moment add up to a larger whole. The entire cast is terrific, like Amy Sedaris as BoJack's agent/on-and-off girlfriend Princess Caroline, Alison Brie as BoJack's ghostwriter Diane, Aaron Paul as Todd who is BoJack's unemployed roommate, and the great Paul F. Tompkins as Mr. Peanutbutter, a dog who is a former sitcom rival to BoJack and is dating Diane. The entire cast does an amazing job with the comedy beats and also completely deliver when there's dramatic stuff to play (an end of episode moment with Princess Caroline is heartbreaking).
This is seriously such a fantastic show that I urge all of you check out. Season 2 will premiere sometime this summer, and I want this show to grow a bigger audience prior to then. I repeat: This show is not what it looks like. Yes, it is incredibly funny (Vincent Adultman is one of my favourite comedy characters of 2014), but the depths that this show gets into, for an animated comedy filled with anamorphic talking animals, it's unbelievable. The last three episodes in particular are as existential and harrowing as anything I have watched recently. Please give it a shot.
08. True Detective
Network: HBO
The first quarter of 2014 was all about True Detective, by far the most talked about and loved show of that period. After it ended, however, it seems like the rest of the year has been “Let’s Take True Detective Down a Peg.” This is mostly due to what many feel was an underwhelming finale (not I!), some dopey comments made in interviews by creator Nic Pizzolatto, and the premiere of Fargo, which was seen as an underdog, and as a lot of people praised Fargo they had to take down True Detective in the process. Which is so dumb, they are two entirely different shows! Isn’t it a great thing to have two superb crime anthology series on the air, with different perspectives? But then I forgot that TV is the new sports, and we all have to be either #TeamTrueDetective or #TeamFargo now. My team is the more nuanced #TeamILoveBothShowsALotButILikeTrueDetectiveMore position. That won’t fit on a t-shirt!
As for the show itself, I thought season 1 of True Detective was a thoroughly entertaining and rewarding experience. Yeah, if your hook into the show was all about CARCOSA and all the LOST-like hidden messages, you might have been disappointed in it (just like you were with LOST!). But as a story about two guys, Rust Cohle and Marty Hart, it told a very complete story, and the final moments of episode 8 was the perfect way to leave their characters. Enough has been written about McConaughey and Harrelson’s performances, but they really were phenomenal. Also phenomenal was Cary Fukunaga’s direction throughout the entire series, really making it feel like an eight hour movie. A lot of attention has been paid to his incredible camera work in episode 4, but I thought episode 5 was even better, which featured the iconic “Time is a Flat Circle” speech. Whether the show went into full-on action or went into more contemplative territory, it all felt of a piece with the story, which is also a major credit to Pizzolatto’s writing.
Season 2 is filming right now, with Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Tim Riggins, and I am interested to see what kind of direction they take this True Detective concept. Hiring Justin Lin to direct a couple of episodes was an odd choice to me, as his style is very far removed from Fukunaga, but if that means season 2 will be different, then i’m fine with it. I’m in particular excited to see Vaughn in a role like this, someone who I have always thought was a great actor who hasn’t been given enough opportunities recently. That is set to premiere in the summer, and I am excited to watch it, though this time I will ignore all the outside noise this time, for my sanity.
07. Louie
Network: FX
Louie made its grand return in 2014, after a one year sabbatical, and LCK really used that time off to craft the most serialized and well-plotted season of the series to date. The problem is that the reason I loved Louie in the first place was because it wasn’t serialized and well-plotted (though the three-part Late Show arc is still probably my favourite of the show). Not to say I didn’t love the Elevator six parter, and eventual Pamela arc (nobody is better than Pamela Adlon. Nobody!), but the things that I think back on when I think of season 4 are the tremendous Todd Barry sequence, Sarah Baker’s “So Did The Fat Lady” speech, Louie and “Fat Bob Kelly” doing the Bang Bang, the Model episodes, everything involving Charles Grodin, not so much the long-arc romantic stuff. My favourite episode of the season was the feature-length “In The Woods,” which if it qualified would be one of the three best movies I saw in 2014. It was beautiful.
The upcoming fifth season is set to premiere in the spring, and will only have seven episodes, which is a promising sign. As long as it isn’t one long story again, i’ll be fine with it. Though, with the events of the season 4 finale, if season 5 suddenly turns into a Lucky Louie revival, i would be THRILLED. Seriously, Lucky Louie is the greatest show, and if you haven’t watched it, you are missing out.
06. Nathan for You
Network: Comedy Central
Season one of Canadian comedian Nathan Fielder’s Nathan for You was one of the great surprises of 2013. I was only sort of aware of him, through some of his work on CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes and his stint on the wonderful one season wonder that was Jon Benjamin Has a Van (JBHV!), but I mostly came into the first season of the show as someone who knew Tim and Eric’s Abso-Lutely Productions was involved and that was it was co-created by brilliant Eagleheart creator Michael Koman. The show really built a huge cult following as the first season went along, and I don’t think Comedy Central understood what they had when they first premiered it. And then prior to season 2, the whole Dumb Starbucks thing just exploded, grafting a whole new level of attention to Fielder and the show. What makes the show work, I feel, is that it isn’t mean spirited, as I typically despise pranks. Fielder’s awkward Canadian-ness (and I say this as another awkward Canadian) makes it feel very good-natured, as his character genuinely wants these businesses to succeed with his ridiculous plans. He also shares laughs, like in the classic season 1 moment when the convenience store employee reveals that he drinks his son’s urine, which forces Fielder to break (and this was an entirely unscripted moment, by the way). Another show would use that moment as “let’s laugh at the dope who drinks his son’s urine,” but instead it becomes a weirdly human moment, with the two of them bonding over it. It never feels like the show is laughing at the expense of people, which is important.
Season 2 was more ambitious than the first, and the thought that went into these plans was sort of breathtaking. Comedy writing at its highest level. Fielder writes the series with Koman, Dan Mintz (Tina from Bob’s Burgers!), as well as consulting writers such as great Canadian comic Katie Crown, former Colbert Report EP Allison Silverman, and Kid Jersey himself Tom Scharpling. It’s an esteemed group, so it’s no wonder that ideas for this past season included that mindblowing Souvenir Shop episode, the Pink’s hot dogs episode (where Fielder ends up chasing a guy who is a line-cutter), and of course Dumb Starbucks, which ended up exceeding the hype. Nathan For You is an ultimate example of not knowing where a comedic premise is going to go and it often leaving you gasping for air. I mean, SIMON SEES??? And that film festival, which had a group of film critics watching a YouTube of a person farting, to make Fielder’s ridiculous movie win? Unbelievable. I am very excited for season 3, especially since these sorts of shows have a shelf life after a while. Da Ali G Show only lasted four seasons (two UK, two US)! I think Fielder, Koman and his team have at least one or two more seasons left to surprise people, so i’m treating every new episode we get as a gift.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/9/2002
Posts: 6,789
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05. Boardwalk Empire
Network: HBO
In the modern cable drama racket, Boardwalk Empire was the Rodney Dangerfield: No respect! No respect at all! The show premiered with a lot of attention, but was quickly overshadowed by Game of Thrones, which premiered about six months afterwards. And I get it, GOT is a more accessible show, and when it moved slowly, you had book readers telling you “just wait! Winter is coming!” Boardwalk Empire didn’t have that luxury, outside of rough historical comparisons (some of which the series followed, some not), so when it moved slowly at the beginning, people just tuned out for good, sadly. And awards wise, GOT also overshadowed Boardwalk, though it did pick up some very well deserved technical awards along the way (also Bobby Cannavale’s Supporting Actor Emmy win!).
For those who did stick with the series, they were incredibly rewarded, as Terence Winter, Howard Korder and company are the modern masters of construction of a drama season. Vince Gilligan gets a lot of (deserved) accolades for his construction of Breaking Bad, but in my opinion, he comes in at #2 behind what Winter and Korder did on Boardwalk Empire. Everything had a purpose. It became a running motto in the early episodes of a Boardwalk Empire season, that while initially you maybe didn’t see the point of a storyline, or a new character, but by the end of that season it always paid off and ended up making sense. Always. They excelled in something I heard described as character-based cause and effect, which is why I can’t think of a recent show that had better character deaths/conclusions. Winter and Korder took every single character seriously, even the minor ones, and they rewarded your attention to even the slightest characters. As more characters began to die off over the course of the series, what were once minor characters rose up the ranks, and it made for very satisfying viewing over the years. If the show has a lasting legacy to future shows, I feel it is construction, above all else. Aspiring TV writers would be encouraged to study Boardwalk Empire and how they put together seasons perfectly, and its purpose of character-based cause and effect.
The final season was shortened, and while a part of me wishes there were more episodes (or an additional season, filling in the gaps missed between seasons, which were pretty major but unavoidable), it really was a great season of television. Especially for the Nucky Thompson character, as the season had many flashbacks to Nucky as a kid/teenager, that some people initially criticized for not seeing the point of it, but in true Boardwalk Empire fashion, it paid off in a massive way in the final episode, providing an emotional wallop. Steve Buscemi’s work throughout the series was subtle, and not as flashy as his contemporaries, but it was every bit the excellent performance. The whole cast was really terrific throughout the years, and there’s too many people to name, but i’ll just list Michael K. Williams as Chalky White, Stephen Graham as Al Capone, Shea Whigham as Eli Thompson, Kelly MacDonald as Margaret Thompson, and Michael Shannon as Van Alden/Mueller, as some of my favourites. I also must greatly praise the incredible work of director Timothy Van Patten throughout the entire series. Following Martin Scorsese’s pilot, it would be hard for anyone to keep that visual style intact, but Van Patten more than was up for the challenge, and did some of the best TV work of the past decade. Michelle McLaren gets a lot of attention and love (for good reason!) for her work on Breaking Bad, but people also need to talk about Van Patten’s work, as it is every bit as great and as auteurial of a voice to the show.
Terence Winter and Martin Scorsese already have their next HBO show lined up, the untitled HBO ‘70s Rock ‘n Roll drama starring Bobby Cannavale, Ray Romano, Olivia Wilde, many others, with Scorsese directing the pilot again, which I suspect will premiere in January 2016. Going into Boardwalk, I was already a huge fan of Winter’s because of his amazing work on The Sopranos, where he was the #2 guy on the show, and now after having watched Boardwalk (in addition to writing the screenplay of The Wolf of Wall Street), i’m a fan for life. I hope Winter finds a place for Howard Korder (his #2 guy on Boardwalk) and the great Tim Van Patten on this new show, and the reception is a bit better this time around. If you haven’t watched Boardwalk yet for whatever reason, I greatly encourage you to check it out. Because if this new HBO show turns out to be great and a big critical hit, and you see dumb pieces online saying “wow! How great is Terence Winter! What a genius director Tim Van Patten is! Where have they been?” you can say “NO ****. THEY WERE GREAT ON BOARDWALK AS WELL BUT YOU DIDN’T CARE!” With maybe a little less anger haha.
04. The Birthday Boys
Network: IFC
I wrote a six-paragraph love letter to The Birthday Boys last year, when its first season placed at #10 on my TV list, so read that first if you don’t know who they are. Season two was even better and funnier than the first, which is an impressive feat. With Bob Odenkirk’s time being very limited this year, as he acted in Fargo and was about to star in his own show Better Call Saul, Odenkirk encouraged the Birthday Boys to fill the show with guest-casting to make up for his absence (though he did appear in one episode, which included the sketch from the picture above). And filled it up they did, the first episode of the season featured comedy great Dana Carvey with the B-Boys, which must have been a surreal moment for them. Also featured throughout season 2 were Chris Elliott, Tom Lennon, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, Fred Willard, Jack Black, Casey Wilson, June Diane Raphael, Lennon Parham, Ellie Kemper, Jennette McCurdy, and many others.
My favourite episode of the season was episode 3, titled “Women Are Funny,” which was an episode that entirely had woman as guest stars, and centred on Mike Mitchell’s character getting beat up for saying that women weren’t that funny. To just describe it like that is very dry, so you just need to watch the episode. It is so brilliant and such a great celebration of funny women. I also loved the sketches based around Freshy’s Twitter PR, and the entire episode about the health care system was so funny.
The reason why this show, a silly/absurdist sketch show pretty much, is ranked so highly, above shows with complex plots/deep character studies, is because no show made me happier or laugh harder than The Birthday Boys did in 2014. It was just pure, unfiltered funny. I think it’s abso-lutely the best sketch show on television today, and there are a lot of great sketch shows on the air right now, as they tackle such universal and great premises in such unexpected ways. I don’t know how likely a third season is, but I really hope it happens. If you didn’t get a chance to watch season 2 of this show yet, you really need to. The first season is currently on U.S. Netflix, and season 2 should be going up within the next couple of months. Please support this show, as all of these guys are so talented and funny and we need a season 3, YA BASTARDS!!!!! /referencefromtheshow /notcallingyoulovelypeoplebastards
03. Veep
Network: HBO
Armando Iannucci’s Veep continues to greatly improve with each passing year, as the stakes for Selina Meyer and her staff rise more and more. Season 1 was good, though there were noticeable growing pains, as this was UK comedy titan Iannucci's first time working in U.S. TV. The stakes felt oddly small for a show about the VP’s office, like a more profane, insult-y Parks and Recreation. In season 2, however, is when Iannucci started firing at all cylinders, and the superb ensemble cast grew more comfortable with each other. And in season 3 the show got even better, as the focus of the season centred on Selina’s presidential aspirations. It was such a well-crafted season of TV, where each new ep that aired felt like the best episode yet, until it was one week later topped again.
In particular my favourite episodes of season 3 were Clovis, the Silicon Valley-set episode*, “Detroit,” where Selina tries to appeal to the NRA/gun crowd by going to a Detroit gun show after anti-gun rumours about her spread, the sensational “Special Relationship,” the UK-set episode (maybe the funniest beginning-to-end ep of the season), and the final three episodes, which ends the series in a very new and exciting way. In particular, the scene in “Crate,” where Selina is in the bathroom with Gary.... Holy ****ing ****. When Julia-Louis Dreyfus continues to win awards, people might complain as they want the wealth to be spread around, which is reasonable. However, when you watch a scene like that... can you think of a better comedic performance by an actress in 2014? Doubtful. And i’m only saying actress due to the category segregating, as her performance is the one or two funniest, period, of the year (the other person is the star of my #1 show. Also the lead of my #2 show deserves to be in there which makes it a rock solid three). But really, the whole ensemble is so damn good. You could make a case for any of the main cast to be awarded things (even minor characters like Sufe Bradshaw’s Sue, who doesn’t get as much to do as the rest of the cast, but always kills it in every scene), and I wouldn’t argue with you.
Season 4 premieres April 12th, and I cannot wait. What the final season 3 episodes set-up (which i’m keeping mysterious, in case you haven’t watched them yet, though the statute of limitations is almost over!) is such an exciting new engine for the show. And the addition of ****ing Hugh Laurie to the cast, in a major recurring role.... they really might find a way to top themselves again.
*interesting fact about this episode: Armando Iannucci, in 2012, expressed interest in making his own Silicon Valley-set comedy for HBO, about the rise in power of twentysomething tech millionaires in charge of Apple/Google/Facebook-style companies. Clearly, that series won’t be happening on HBO now for obvious reasons, but i’m certain Iannucci threw in a lot of his research/ideas into the “Clovis” episode.
02. The Comeback
Network: HBO
I did not watch The Comeback when it originally aired in June 2005. Part of the reason might have been that I didn’t watch as much TV as I do today, but I also think I wasn’t interested in it because I was never a fan of Friends. I unfairly tarnished Lisa Kudrow with that Friends brush, even though this show could have not been more different. After years of hearing of hearing how good the show was, I noticed, around the summer of 2009 at an Idaho Big Lots, a copy of The Comeback on DVD, for $1!!! I blind-bought it instantly (as well as Lucky Louie, also for $1!), and once I watched it I could not believe what a fool I was for missing out on it at the time. The overall message of the show was as relevant in 2009 as it was in 2005, and I was laughing super hard throughout. Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie Cherish is an all-time great comedic TV performance, and it made me a big fan of hers.
Now fast forward to 2014, and The Comeback has been revived, by Kudrow and Michael Patrick King, and it was very exciting, though a big trepidations. We are in this current state of television fandom where it feels like no show will ever stay dead. In some instances that is exciting (I liked the Arrested Development Netflix season more than most), but in others, it brings up the phrase “Be Careful What You Wish For.” Are we bringing back the series for creative reasons or just because the cast and crew enjoy each other’s company? And I find it funny how the same people who say such negative things about The Simpsons still being on the air (which I vehemently disagree with, but I already talked about the Simpsons a couple posts ago) are the same people kickstarting the Veronica Mars movie and are hoping Community lasts for as long as humanly possible. Anyway, to the topic of The Comeback, I was a bit worried going in, but I am so excited to say that this new limited run season was a complete and utter triumph, honouring the original series while also deepening the characters greatly.
I read a prominent and beloved TV critic say that he didn’t like The Comeback, because he couldn’t understand where the jokes were, which I found to be ludicrous. Valerie Cherish is such a hilarious character, every “You know” every “So” makes me laugh harder than any sort of overly written sitcom punchline (written by the Paulie G’s of the world) ever would. But yet, you aren’t laughing AT her (though certain things she says are of course hilarious in a very oblivious way), you are rooting for her every step of the way. Even when she goes through personal hardships with her husband Marky Mark, with the parking lot scene in “Valerie Faces the Critics” as good of a dramatic scene as I saw in any drama this year. And the relationship between Valerie and her personal hairstylist Mickey made me genuinely teary eyed at various moments in this season. Robert Michael Morris’ portrayal of Mickey is so outstanding, as he can be the funniest character on the show (“The pot I knew about. I had no idea about the horse.”), while also bringing so much dramatic weight when needed. In a sense, the almost ten year gap between seasons made all of the relationships on the show even more vivid and real, the Before Sunrise/Sunset effect.
Also I must praise Lance Barber for playing such a despicable creep, Paulie G, goodness do I hate him! The moment when Seth Rogen sticks up for Valerie in episode 3 (“I got you, ginger snaps”), what a scene. And the finale was so superb. I have read a couple people say that it was too saccharine and didn’t fit with the tone of the show, but they can go **** themselves. After what Valerie, Mickey, Marky Mark went through, it was nice to see them have a victory. And when Paulie G shamelessly walks up to the stage? You couldn’t ask for a better send-off to that creep. It’s up in the air whether a third season will happen, the last thing I read said it’s up to Kudrow and King if they have any more ideas of what to do. I would welcome any additional episodes, but if this is all we get, i’m more than happy. This was a great send-off for these characters, and while i’m sad I didn’t watch season 1 as it originally aired, i’m glad I got to be a part of the revival season, which is one of the best seasons of a comedy of the past five years. *Prayer Hands*
01. Review
Network: Comedy Central
In the fall of 2008, I ordered an album online through AST Records titled Nine Sweaters by a comedian named Andy Daly. I was aware of him a little bit, as being the funniest part of Semi-Pro and his role as Principal Cutler in the leaked Eastbound and Down pilot (the series itself debuted in February 2009, but I saw the pilot three times over the summer of 2008), but nothing beyond that. The album blew me away, as each of the nine tracks has Daly performing as a different character, and his commitment to each character, whether as octogenarian stand-up comic Ben Alterman, Limerick contest winner Patty O'Herlihy, or sing-along cowboy Skip McCabe, each character is well-defined and is horribly (hilariously) tragic. I became an instant fan after listening to Nine Sweaters and kept waiting for Daly to get his big breakout.
Created by and starring Andy Daly (adapting an Australian series), Review is that breakout, and it could not be a better vehicle for his talents. What makes Daly so compelling are the depths that he goes through, how an innocuous premise (like his character Forrest McNeil, a person who reviews life experiences for a television show) can swerve so suddenly into tragedy, there might be no one better at that today. The early episodes are very funny, in a sketch comedy kind of way, but as these ridiculous assignments he is forced to review by his viewers pile up, it affects his marriage (his wife is played by comedy superhero Jessica St. Clair, every bit Daly’s equal in scenes), his well-being and life. The episode “Pancakes; Divorce; Pancakes” is such a dramatic and hysterical half-hour of television. The difference between Forrest eating the stack of pancakes in the first review and the third (if you haven’t watched the episode, note the word between them) is hilariously/tragically different. The episode is so good that I think it could be shown individually to people, with no knowledge of the backstory of the previous episodes/characters, as it could work as a really amazing 21 minute short film. I also really loved the “There All Is Aching” segment, which has a punchline so good that I don’t dare spoil it. The show is such a seamless blend between being as funny as anything out there and as sad/dramatic, as well. You really root for Forrest as you get through the eight episode first season, and the finale ends on a pretty amazing note, which should set up a very interesting season two.
As yes, this show is getting a season two, set to air sometime this spring, and I could not be more excited for it. Review is show that pushes the narrative boundaries of comedies, and has such an evolving and incredible performance by Daly. To say he should have been nominated/won an Emmy for it almost seems too small. He should have won a Nobel Peace Prize for it! I am so happy for the show’s success, and if you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, you really ought to. WATCHING THE FIRST SEASON OF REVIEW: FIVE STARS.
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Whew! TV List is now done! Now all I have left is the main event, the title of this thread, The Top 40 Albums! Can’t promise a date, as after working hard on these write-ups, I wouldn’t expect them instantly, but i’ll post my Top 40 Albums history at the very least within the next few days. Thanks again for all the comments! If I haven’t commented on your countdown, give me time! Now that I finished these write-ups I will have more time, so I will try to get to everyone’s within the next couple days.
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ATRL Administrator
Member Since: 5/2/2000
Posts: 2,844
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Hey, look, I've arrived. Where do I even begin?! As I told you outside ATRL, your Letterman list was a brilliant idea and brilliantly done. I just read all your TV show reviews and how fitting that Review comes in at #1! What an incredible show. Definitely one of my favorites of 2014 as well. It exceeded my already high expectations. I'll have more comments to come on your TV list, but for now... BRING ON THEM ALBUMS.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 5/9/2003
Posts: 3,779
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Fantastic #1, nobody can argue with that one.
Wow so I was completely unaware of your love for The Comeback, but you've sold me on it! I'll give it a shot. Just being surrounded by Review, Veep, BBoys, Boardwalk and the rest is the best endorsement I've ever seen for it. The only thing I ever had against was the same thing you mentioned, the mehness of Friends.
I'm not too surprised that you still loved the new season of Louie, but I'm also not surprised to see that its the show you wrote the least about in the top ten. :-p
Second biggest surprise for me is Playing House. I've never seen it, just the awful way USA marketed it by referencing bit parts the actors played instead of their names. So, judging from your review of it, that is to blame for the low ratings. I'll check it out!
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