Ah, 2009… you gave me a lot of television, and a lot of it was really good. But some of it was not.
Below, I present my recap of the year in television. I’ll rank my ten favorite shows of the year and give a few dubious prizes to the ones I hated.
After you’ve read my list, let me know what you thought of the year in tube-age!
p.s. — Every link in this piece will take you to an earlier post on The Critical Condition that discusses a television show on my list. Holy depth of discsussion, Batman!
A Show I Hated
* The Fashion Show — God help me. And I’ve heard the show Pimp My Line or Sell My Clothes or whatever is even worse.
Show I Gave Up On
* Ugly Betty — Sorry, diva. The writing’s a mess, the performances are getting broader than a barn door, and the product placement is artless. I was in for a few years, but now I’m out.
Shows I Don’t Like But Will Probably Keep Watching
* American Idol — Ugh. This show. Yes, Adam Lambert was fascinating, and I just kept writing about him, but overall, this series gets more crass by the minute. Produced with a shocking degree of ineptitude, increasingly deaf to its own hysterical volume, and apparently incapable of dignity, it just exhausts me. Yet there are all these great musical numbers, so I keep watching…
* Glee — … which is why I keep watching Glee. The musical numbers are generally cool. Just like Jane Lynch.
But you guys? The writing on this show sucks. It sucks like a Hoover vacuum that’s sucking suck-juice through a thousand straws. I tried to deny this fact, but I just can’t anymore. Characters completely change from episode to episode, the damn pregnancy plotlines insult my intelligence more than fourteen copies of Going Rogue, and Jessalyn Gilsig’s performance gives me hives.
Also? The scene where the deaf kid was singing “Imagine,” and then all the hearing kids got up and started singing with him? And everyone cried and hugged and shit? That scene made me cook a huge meal, just so I could eat it and throw it up. That’s how much I hated it.
My Favorite Television of the Year
(Honorable Mention) — Law & Order — Original flavor is well past its prime, but Lt. Van Buren’s cancer subplot and McCoy’s ongoing political trouble have added some emotional heft, and several of this season’s episodes, including a bracing segment about the morality of abortion, have reached the provocative highs of the Golden Age (a.k.a. seasons 6-14)
(Honorable Mention) — Community — This show almost makes my top ten, and if it improves at the rate it’s been improving, it’ll definitely make the list next year.
(10) Jeopardy! — Roommate Joe, Andrew, and I have gotten seriously hooked on America’s favorite quiz show. I love watching not only because I like to play along at home, but also because I like creating backstories about the contestants.
(9) True Blood — Look, large portions of this season annoyed the shit out of me. Tara got completely mishandled, and so did Godric and Quen Sophie, who were a lame-ass pair of vampire overlords. Yet week after week, the show delivered trashy fun tinged with social consciousness. It also gave me a chance to write my weekly Sucker Punch recaps, which introduced me to a delightful group of the show’s rabid fans.
(8) Harper’s Island — In a way, I’m glad this show got canceled after one season. How could they have topped what they did? The Agatha Christie-style mystery (one member of a wedding party gets killed every week) began as utter camp, but it evolved into a psychologically rich, occasionally frightening thriller. There was even a death scene that made me feel moved. I won’t say which death it was, however, because I really think you should get the DVDs and hunker down for a delicious weekend.
(7) (tie) 30 Rock and The Office — From the travails of the Scott Paper Company to the ongoing hilarity of the Dealbreakers subplot, both of these comedy stalwarts have continued the very good things they’ve got going. I’m happy to tune in every week.
(6) Lost — Aieeeee! I’m so excited for the last season! I know some people have jumped off the island, but I’m still loving every second. I mean, the season ender? Come on! In case you missed it, here’s my essay on why that episode rocked.
(5) Nurse Jackie — I will confess that I resisted this dark comedy, which stars Edie Falco as a nurse trying to juggle her family, her work, and her affair. I wasn’t opposed to it: I just wasn’t sure I had the energy to bring another series into my life. But after randomly seeing the pilot episode, I was hooked. Everyone on the show is just so cool, even when they’re screwing things up. (Which is all the time.) A slick, intelligent exploration of the danger of trying to be everything to everyone, the show is even more fascinating because it never lets us know how Jackie got so screwed up. By making her a little mysteryious, the series lets us admire and wonder about her as much as everyone else.
(4) The Amazing Race, Season 15 — This season of Emmy’s favorite reality show was one of its best. There were great challenges (KAFKA!), classic meltdowns (“I’m afraid of the slide!”), and after the first five weeks or so, absolutely no assholes left in the race.
Plus, there were Brian & Ericka and Megan & Cheyne. Both teams demonstrated that The Amazing Race is a reality show that thrives on teamwork, trust, and mutual respect. It’s not just a game show: It’s a reminder that generosity can serve you well. (Well, okay, it’s also a show that lets me savor mocking dumbasses like Sam and Dan. But mostly, it’s about generosity.)
(3) RuPaul’s Drag Race — A year ago, who could’ve predicted that a reality competition about drag queens would be one of the freshest, wittiest, and most unmannered reality shows on television? RuPaul’s ability to deliver a serious sermon while wearing a giant wig still boggles my mind. And that reunion episode? Where people stopped being polite and started getting real? Look out, child.
Oh, and the word “shade” is now part of my daily vocabulary.
(2) Modern Family — The things I initially loved about this show have only deepened throughout its first season. The characters are goofballs, yes, and the writing is too giddily anarchic to be “realistic,” but beneath every hyper-sized character quirk and plot twist, there’s a core of relatable emotion. Maybe you and I have never dressed like a clown and threatened to beat the crap out of the guy harassing our boyfriend at the gas station, but we’ve certainly felt the urge to stick up for a loved one. Maybe we’ve never honored a Colombian Christmas tradition by scaring our stepfather with an eerily altered copy of Miracle on 34th Street, but we’ve all wanted someone we care about to care about the things that matter to us.
And more than just “relatable,” the writing on Modern Family is kind. Instead of cynicism and irony, the guiding forces of so much contemporary television comedy, the show is defined by an ethos of love. Every episode resolves with a sincere reminder that the members of the show’s extended family get crazy because they care about each other. Sometimes that reminder is goofy, sometimes it’s sweet, but it is always effective.
A thousand bonus points go to the ensemble cast, who fully commit to oversized situations… yet also play small, believable moments. And hell… an extra thousand bonus points to Eric Stonestreet, who has made Cameron an endearing, complex, and utterly lovable man. Seriously, Cam is one of my favorite television characters of the last ten years.
(1) Big Love — Remember Wife Watch, my weekly update of the most powerful wives on HBO’s series about underground polygamists in modern-day Utah? Well, it’s coming back next month, when the series launches its fourth season, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Whether it’s handling massive issues like the loss and renunciation of faith or everyday matters like trying to get your mom off your damn back for a minute, the series delivers soapy, meaty entertainment. Plus, Chloë Sevigny and Amanda Seyfried rock my face with their acting. Sevigny’s Nikki joins Cameron on my list of the decade’s favorite characters.
20 responses so far ↓
1 Jon Herzog // Dec 17, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I like your list. There are two great shows this year that are missing, both of them from Showtime: Dexter and United States of Tara. I thought that everything on Tara clicked pretty well, plus the added bonus of having the most honestly-handled gay character I’ve seen done on TV. Dexter this season was the best the show has been and better than most shows on TV. The introduction of John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer and the return of Keith Carradine as Lundy got the season off to a brilliant start. And once the final six episodes hit, it was on at near-Lost speed and the writing was sooooo good. The subplot with Battista and LaGuerta was annoying, but I can overlook it for the serious crisis of conscience that Dexter dealt with for most of the season and that ending. Sweet Jesus, that ending. Still debating whether that ending or the season finale of Lost was better.
Also, I wonder at what point you stopped watching Betty. I agree that last season the show was really starting to try my patience, but I think that this season, the show seriously improved.
2 Cap'n Ganch // Dec 17, 2009 at 11:06 pm
This is neither here or there, but did you know that when you access this site from a phone you have to scroll through about 70 lines of Viagra ads?
As for the TV picks: completely agree. Question, though. Were there any memorable TV specials you enjoyed? The HBO Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concert was goosebump inducing at times (though I did take an extended bathroom break during Bono’s stint).
3 Michael // Dec 17, 2009 at 11:24 pm
I’m sad because on reflection I recognize that I couldn’t name ten shows I love on television outside of MSNBC news programs, Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, and, at its best, Bill Maher’s show; I seem to be a political wonk strictly by default. Beyond that, I watch House pretty much out of habit, a few Bravo reality competitions without ever really getting caught up, True Blood so I can mentally quarrel with Alan Ball about the unbelievable unevenness of the thing; probably my most consistent pleasure was with In Treatment, conceding too-neat season conclusions but my hat reverently doffed to some of the best, most delicate acting on television. Golden age of TV, eh? Hmmmmm.
4 MattPatt // Dec 17, 2009 at 11:46 pm
You know, it’s interesting to me that you call out Jessalyn Gilsig as part of the annoyance of Glee, because to my eye, it seems like she’s doing her level best to try to bring some humanity to the wackaloon character she’s been saddled with. (It still baffles me that nobody — not one single character on screen — ever noticed that her fake due date and Quinn Fabray’s real one were going to be months apart. I mean, there’s “not being on the ball,” and then there’s “not being a resident of Planet Earth.”) But I actually really like the way she’s played the character. It seems like there’s some real emotion motivating the insane plots.
Word to the deaf kids, though. I don’t know if I was supposed to laugh at them in the very next episode, but you can bet I took great pleasure in doing it.
5 Ron // Dec 18, 2009 at 12:25 am
I usually dont watch a lot of TV, but this year I think I watched more than ever:
1). I really wanted to like GLEE. But I found it bland and lifeless. At least the 1st two episodes. (Or maybe only 1 and 1/2.) No edge at all — in fact, a very midwestern sensibility. I think I would have loved it when i was 12 in Ohio. But I am glad that people like it. At least it employs a lot of people I like. And I would rather people watch it than things like The Hills or John & Kate or shows where people eat bugs.
2) UGLY BETTY has improved vastly over last season, but I fear that it, like DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, has “Jumped The Shark” and lost its audience.
3) I didnt realize that HARPER’S ISLAND was supposed to continue. That would have been lame. With the exception of a few rotten performances, HI was fantastic. I hope they do something else like it. One great season is enough.
4) RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE is fun. But it could be so much better. Why dont they have the drag queens actually perform — to show their talent? Anyone can put on an outfit and lipsynch. And sewing and photoshoots are good, but you dont have to excel in these things to be a star. It is so clear that none of the contestants could ever truly be a drag star.
4) I like both V and FLASH FORWARD. But what is this hiatus business that the networks are doing now? It is incredibly dumb. I was just getting in to these shows, but am in no way hooked. And I will have moved on to the next new thing by March when they return.
5) Why was PROJECT RUNWAY so lackluster? Bad contestants? The move to LA? A year of over-hype?
6) I found both FRINGE and DOLLHOUSE to be rotten. So poorly written, I was shocked. As a person with a vested interest in having anything called FRINGE succeed, I gave it 4 full episodes to win me over. It didnt.
7) I really LOVE Joel McHale on THE SOUP. I would pay to see him do standup. But he can’t act. At all. It makes COMMUNITY unwatchable. Perhaps I will give it another shot. I mean Roseanne couldnt act either, but she improved vastly over the years. (Of course, Roseanne also surrounded herself with top notch talent and had great writing. I find the rest of the Community cast to be merely serviceable. And the writers try too hard to be quirky and funny. I hate that — a common problem I find in lots of TV and movies now.).
6 ferretrick // Dec 18, 2009 at 7:46 am
I’d suggest you come back to Dollhouse and Fringe. Both had VERY rough starts, but Dollhouse is firing on all cylinders now with plot twists you never see coming and non-stop action. I think since he knows its a lost cause, Joss Whedon is pulling out all the stops on Dollhouse. Fringe has gone from a run of the mill Monster of the Week show to developing its own rich universe and mythology. It reminds me of Angel’s start and look where it finished.
I LOVED Harper’s Island and I know which death scene you are talking about. And I may have screamed “NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” when I saw it I was so upset.
Mark, did you stick with Ugly Betty long enough to see the episode with Justin’s prom? I’d be very curious to hear your opinion on that. Out of nowhere at the end of the episode, after all this time when its been tacitly understood that Justin was gay, out of nowhere he yelled at Hilda that “I’m not gay!” and ran out of the room. And Mark looks at Hilda and says, “And he’s not.” And end scene, and it hasn’t been addressed since. WTF?
I’d add Brothers and Sisters to this list. Its winning me back. There’s still plenty to complain about-the romantic pairing of Justin and Rebecca continues to turn both characters into whiny, annoying bitches-but Kitty’s cancer storyline is as good as anything in Season One. And Calista Flockhart is delivering the performance of her career.
Is it too late to put Eli Stone and Pushing Dasies on this list? Both shows were delightful, and screw ABC for cancelling them. What’s more, I agree with Ron about the long breaks for V and Flash Forward. Its going to kill both shows, just like Life on Mars last year.
7 Collin H // Dec 18, 2009 at 9:20 am
I’ve noticed a disturbing lack of discussion of Dexter from you. Is it something you’re not interested in watching? Did you see it and not like it?
Also, I regret not watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. That show sounded like it was awesome but I just never got around to watching it.
8 Lisa // Dec 18, 2009 at 9:42 am
I love these equally- so I will not number them.
-House
-Fringe (nobody else seems to like this one!)
-True Blood
-Community (took a few episodes, now a must watch
-The Office
-Nip/Tuck (guilty pleasure)
-V
-We also really liked Southland- but it was cancelled then picked up by another network. We will see what happens with that!
-We were through with Americal Idol, but now that Ellen is going to be on there, I think it will be worth watching.
9 Mark Blankenship // Dec 18, 2009 at 12:00 pm
You guys! This is why I love The Critical Condition. You don’t just leave comments… you leave thoughtful, interesting comments that require a response. Viva conversation!
So let’s see…
Collin H. and Jon Herzog… I’ve never watched “Dexter.” It’s not from lack of love, but from feeling like it’s too late to jump aboard. Of course, I didn’t watch Six Feet Under until after it was over, and then I watched the whole series in six weeks… so you never know.
Lisa… I have mixed feeling about Ellen’s arrival on “Idol.” I feel like it could go either way. She’ll probably be funny, but what does she know about music? What if she’s just dead weight? We’ll see.
Ferretrick… I dropped “Betty” after the end of last season, when the billionaire boyfriend became her boss. What happens in the episode with Justin’s prom? (I’ll admit that even when I was hating on the show in a major away, I always liked his storylines.)
Also, since “Pushing Daisies” did technically air its last three episodes in 2009, it still counts for this year. I wish I’d thought of that! I loved that show so much (as you may recall.)
And I don’t think I can ever go back to “Brothers & Sisters.” My thing is, once I break up with a show, I almost never go back, since it would mean setting aside even more time in my day for staring at a screen (which I do too much of already.)
MattPatt… I respect your Jessalyn Gilsig defense, but for me, she is just too shrill. I liked her well enough on “Heroes,” but here… yikes. And you make a really good point about the imbalanced due dates. C’mon people! As Andrew (my boyf) was saying yesterday, he doesn’t care about the show because none of the people on it seem the slightest bit real. They just do whatever stupid thing the writers need them to do this week. He added Rachel’s sudden, sould-deep crush on Will as another ludicrous development.
Cap’n Ganch… That’s disturbing about the spam ads. We’re looking into that.
I missed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Special, but in terms of specials, I really enjoyed “I’ma Be Me,” the latest HBO stand-up special from Wanda Sykes. That shit made me laugh really hard.
10 N // Dec 18, 2009 at 12:29 pm
One show that’s grown on me this year is “Parks and Recreation.” I was decidedly not a fan of its first season; it felt like too much of a “The Office” knock-off with the same stock characters and awkward jokes. But something funny must’ve happened on the way to the second season because P&R has really stepped it up. It is one of the few shows on the air right now that actually makes me laugh out loud on a consistent basis (which is saying a lot because I am not usually a laugh-out-louder). Dare I say it’s funnier than “The Office” even?
I agree generally with other people’s assessments of “Glee.” The show makes me a little sad because it definitely has the potential to be great and is instead settling for being mildly entertaining.
Echo the “Pushing Daisies” love.
Another omission from your list is the fabulous “Friday Night Lights.” God, that show just kills me every time. I’ve even forgiven its ridiculous second-season plotlines.
11 Lora // Dec 18, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I’m thrilled that others see the inherent sweetness of Modern Family. It’s not just the hilarity that has me anticipating every new episode, it’s the humanity in the show.
I’m hoping some of the problems with Glee’s writing will straighten up come April, and I’m geeking out over the fact that Idina Menzel is guesting.
The new show Men of a Certain Age is looking good…give it a try if you haven’t already.
12 Jessica K // Dec 18, 2009 at 1:15 pm
I have cried during Modern Family. Happy and sad tears. I admit it. Especially the epidsode when the limo rolls up to the curb and Ed O’neil says “Your Dad sent this so WE can take you to Disneyland instead”…. tugged at my heartstrings. Damn good show.
13 MattPatt // Dec 18, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Oh, I’ll grant you shrill. There isn’t any other way to deliver lines like “Listen, you little psycho: this is Will’s wife and if I don’t get enough sleep, my antidepressants won’t work and then I’ll go crazy and I’ll kill you!” When 90% of your time on screen is faking pregnancies and breaking into people’s cars… yeah. It’s funny in isolation, but I can easily see it getting to be too much. I just haven’t gotten to that point yet. Plus, singing.
14 ferretrick // Dec 18, 2009 at 2:43 pm
@Jessica – Oh, that moment got me too! When Jay didn’t even take credit for what he did so Manny’s image of his bio dad wouldn’t be shattered-awwwwwww…………
@Mark – what happened on Ugly Betty-Justin has started middle school and was starting to have problems with bullies. He turned to Mark for help (and here they got it SO right. Mark told him to befriend the cheerleaders for protection, because they can control the jocks. I LOVED that Mark actually gave practical advice, instead of the just-be-yourself and try harder platitudes unpopular kids are usually handed on TV).
Anyway, so prom rolls around, and there was this whole sub plot with Hilda resents Ignacio because he wouldn’t let her go to her own prom because she was pregnant with Justin at the time. So, the bullies all conspired to get Justin voted Queen, in a sort of Carrie moment. But Justin turned it around on them, by giving the crown to Hilda and giving this really moving speech about how she was so special. And it was a really great episode.
THEN, they all come home after this whole episode has been so great, and out of nowhere Justin tells Hilda he’s NOT gay and then Mark confirms it. And that was it-no explanation since. The scene landed with a huge thud, was bewildering and possibly offensive, and now I and everyone I’ve talked to have no idea if Justin is gay, or we are now supposed to accept that he isn’t after all this time. Its bizarre.
15 Stephie // Dec 18, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Dollhouse is worth watching this season for Enver Gjokaj’s acting alone.
The third season of Big Love and Dexter were both astonishing.
16 Destiny // Dec 18, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Hey Mark,
I always appreciate your year end lists. I too love RuPaul’s Drag Race, True Blood, and Lost, of course. I share your feelings about Glee. I watch it every week, but the drama is so manufactured and over the top that sometimes I just fast forward to get to the musical numbers. I disagree with you about Modern Family and Community; I just don’t find them remotely funny and I gave up after a few episodes. I applaud your recognition of two classic favorites: L&O and Jeopardy. I DVR Jeopardy every day, and I have seen every single episode of the original L&O and the show is enjoying a renaissance this year (even though that abortion episode was shockingly right wing) I’m curious about your thoughts on two of my new favorites of 2009: Bored to Death and White Collar. Both are filmed in New York (which is great for our economy) and they are very clever and entertaining.
17 mlp // Dec 19, 2009 at 12:13 am
@ferretrick – it’s funny, I interpreted that subplot to mean that Justin was just not ready to accept himself and I took Mark’s statement to mean that since Justin couldn’t accept it yet, there was no point in anyone else insisting. I *may* have overthought it……..
18 InfoMofo // Dec 21, 2009 at 3:36 pm
How was the word “shade” not already part of your everyday vocabulary?
I throw shade when I get my coffee in the morning. I throw shade in my 9am conference call with London.
19 Amanda // Dec 21, 2009 at 11:01 pm
For some reason, I have grown to care about the show “Better Off Ted.” I think that reason might be better known as Portia de Rossi. She just cracks me up in that show, even though it seems cheaply produced and kind of like the MBA-version of “Scrubs.” Maybe I’ve just been missing “Arrested Development” too much.
20 Jon Herzog // Dec 22, 2009 at 11:06 am
@Mark. If you have NetFlix, you can catch up on Dexter really quickly. You won’t be able to watch this season (legally) yet unless you have Showtime on Demand, but they’ve been good about making all the episodes available to watch online once the DVDs go to NetFlix. The third season is not its best, but it definitely is worth getting through as it set up this year’s awesome fourth season. Plus Jimmy Smits’ performance was pretty spectacular at parts. It’s rare you ever get to see him chew scenery, but they gave him a few scenes to do so last year.
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