Top 5 Television Series Of 2013
...despite my obvious lateness, I still have three lists remaining for my 2013 wrap up. Being a world class sloth, I devote what may likely be too much time to various television shows. They have been calling this past decade the new golden age of television and even bereft of any medals of awards for viewership, I tend to agree. This stated, here is my top 5 shows, being those I enjoyed the most, in 2013.
* The Americans (FX)
Something tells me that if I were to go back now and marathon this series, it would have been higher on my list. Many of the current shows on FX are of the utmost quality, but The Americans digs deeper into plot, rewarding the viewer willing to allow a slightly slower development to pay off big later on. Even without this in mind, the concept of what some might feel is the devil in one's own backyard was instantly intriguing. Fanning out, the writing and acting is as superb as one could hope and I see this series getting better with age.
5. The Pete Holmes Show (TBS)
I will watch the occasional late night talk show, but none with great regularity. The competition is deep and let's be honest...Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are the undisputed kings of after hours. Already having become a fast fan of Pete Holmes as a goofy stand up comic with razor sharp wit, I was sold on Mr. Holmes getting his own series. For the most part, his half hour after Conan delivers huge laughs. The Ex-Men and Badman skits from FunnyOrDie.com often kick of the show and his monologues are essentially small sampling of his excellent stage material. Round this out with his guest list of rising stars of stand up and this show is tailor made for comedy fans.
4. Justified (FX)
One year ago, Justified was likely my #1 choice. The 3rd season of the always phenomenal contemporary crime Western was one of the finest ever in dramatic television history. Neal McDonough of Desperate Housewives fame was announced as the season's antagonist, much to my initial dismay. To my utter shock, he demolished the role and pushed an already fantastic series into a entirely new stratosphere. No matter what, season three was going to be impossible to top in such short order. Still, never doubt Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins. The fourth season began as one still needing to regroup after the way season three had ended. Once it found it's own footing, Justified was as satisfactory as expected.
3. Parks & Recreation (NBC)
Golden Age of television though it may be, there is currently a very obvious dearth of top quality sitcoms. All this really does is give a classic-in-the-making like Parks & Recreation stampede the competition. I have no doubt that the show will maintain it's high level of quirky and thought-provoking humor as it stands. However, when the incredible Jon Glaser of Delocated infamy is added as a full-time annoyance known as Councilman Jeremy Jamm, some of the finest comedy of this era is bound to blossom. The man is a walking, talking beast of hilarity and the inclusion of the dentist-turned-politician-as-utter-annoyance-to-all is one of the most sound decisions on television.
2. New Girl (FOX)
Did I just state that Parks & Recreation is without competition? Well, I was completely wrong. In a somewhat reverse Three's Company dynamic, New Girl is one of the most surprisingly funny shows I have seen in a long time. To the best of my knowledge, no one in the cast of New Girl comes from a core comedic background. Yet, the writing and storytelling here is both silly and high brow, never insulting the audience and allowing the viewer to find the funny. The characters are all fully realized in a short period of time and still, you consistently feel them being fleshed out with each new adventure. New Girl is one of the rare shows that offers something for a broad based audience while still being very smart and mature.
1. House Of Cards (Netflix)
It has felt like ages where a series pulled me in so deeply that I would be watching an episode at 5:30 a.m. because the need to know was too strong for me to relax. Any series about politics from most angles is likely to polarize or even intimidate. Or it is possible to cause a person to feel as though they might end up bored from the outset. House Of Cards pairs the viewer with Frank Underwood for the majority of the series. With Frank Underwood as your guide, you get a bird's eye view of the system from someone embedded deep within. The narrative itself is already intriguing on it's own as you follow disparate strands of one person aiming at this office and one scandal threatening to derail another. You have budding journalists working overtime to break a story, sometimes by any means necessary. Naturally, all of these elements prove to be as seedy and nasty as one might expect. However, with Frank Underwood as your tour guide, you get the extra layer of the broken fourth wall. Throughout the series, the viewer gets to see Frank Underwood's behavior in private and public, followed instantly by him revealing all of this dirty secrets directly to the audience. As Frank Underwood, Kevin Spacey as possibly at his best ever. His penchant for being diabolical and underhanded is as palpable as it is disturbing. His performance feels like the devil himself pulling you by those, only you absorb every moment of it.
Something tells me that if I were to go back now and marathon this series, it would have been higher on my list. Many of the current shows on FX are of the utmost quality, but The Americans digs deeper into plot, rewarding the viewer willing to allow a slightly slower development to pay off big later on. Even without this in mind, the concept of what some might feel is the devil in one's own backyard was instantly intriguing. Fanning out, the writing and acting is as superb as one could hope and I see this series getting better with age.
I will watch the occasional late night talk show, but none with great regularity. The competition is deep and let's be honest...Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are the undisputed kings of after hours. Already having become a fast fan of Pete Holmes as a goofy stand up comic with razor sharp wit, I was sold on Mr. Holmes getting his own series. For the most part, his half hour after Conan delivers huge laughs. The Ex-Men and Badman skits from FunnyOrDie.com often kick of the show and his monologues are essentially small sampling of his excellent stage material. Round this out with his guest list of rising stars of stand up and this show is tailor made for comedy fans.
One year ago, Justified was likely my #1 choice. The 3rd season of the always phenomenal contemporary crime Western was one of the finest ever in dramatic television history. Neal McDonough of Desperate Housewives fame was announced as the season's antagonist, much to my initial dismay. To my utter shock, he demolished the role and pushed an already fantastic series into a entirely new stratosphere. No matter what, season three was going to be impossible to top in such short order. Still, never doubt Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins. The fourth season began as one still needing to regroup after the way season three had ended. Once it found it's own footing, Justified was as satisfactory as expected.
Golden Age of television though it may be, there is currently a very obvious dearth of top quality sitcoms. All this really does is give a classic-in-the-making like Parks & Recreation stampede the competition. I have no doubt that the show will maintain it's high level of quirky and thought-provoking humor as it stands. However, when the incredible Jon Glaser of Delocated infamy is added as a full-time annoyance known as Councilman Jeremy Jamm, some of the finest comedy of this era is bound to blossom. The man is a walking, talking beast of hilarity and the inclusion of the dentist-turned-politician-as-utter-annoyance-to-all is one of the most sound decisions on television.
Did I just state that Parks & Recreation is without competition? Well, I was completely wrong. In a somewhat reverse Three's Company dynamic, New Girl is one of the most surprisingly funny shows I have seen in a long time. To the best of my knowledge, no one in the cast of New Girl comes from a core comedic background. Yet, the writing and storytelling here is both silly and high brow, never insulting the audience and allowing the viewer to find the funny. The characters are all fully realized in a short period of time and still, you consistently feel them being fleshed out with each new adventure. New Girl is one of the rare shows that offers something for a broad based audience while still being very smart and mature.
It has felt like ages where a series pulled me in so deeply that I would be watching an episode at 5:30 a.m. because the need to know was too strong for me to relax. Any series about politics from most angles is likely to polarize or even intimidate. Or it is possible to cause a person to feel as though they might end up bored from the outset. House Of Cards pairs the viewer with Frank Underwood for the majority of the series. With Frank Underwood as your guide, you get a bird's eye view of the system from someone embedded deep within. The narrative itself is already intriguing on it's own as you follow disparate strands of one person aiming at this office and one scandal threatening to derail another. You have budding journalists working overtime to break a story, sometimes by any means necessary. Naturally, all of these elements prove to be as seedy and nasty as one might expect. However, with Frank Underwood as your tour guide, you get the extra layer of the broken fourth wall. Throughout the series, the viewer gets to see Frank Underwood's behavior in private and public, followed instantly by him revealing all of this dirty secrets directly to the audience. As Frank Underwood, Kevin Spacey as possibly at his best ever. His penchant for being diabolical and underhanded is as palpable as it is disturbing. His performance feels like the devil himself pulling you by those, only you absorb every moment of it.
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