Rank: 10
Genre: Comedy/Political
Cast:
Julia
Louis-Dreyfus, Matt
Walsh, Anna
Chlumsky, Tony
Hale, Reid
Scott, Timothy
Simons, and Sufe
Bradshaw
Channel: HBO
Current Season: Fourth
Season Premiere Date: April
2015
Plot
Summary: Selina Meyer is an ambitious politician who is stuck as Vice
President of the United States of America. It is a completely unfulfilling role,
as Selina has no real power and has to constantly play nice, but it also puts
her in a good position to run for President in the future, as she is one of her
party’s most recognizable figures. So, she has to bide her time as the Veep,
putting up with all the nonsense hurled at her door until it is her time to
shine – a time she so dearly wants.
Why
It’s Worth Watching: Veep is hilarious. Creator Armando Iannucci
is a master of political satire that also poignantly touches on real issues as
well (like the scary incompetence of many people in our government and the
overall corruption of the whole system). His feature In
the Loop is also a very worthwhile viewing for fans of this series. The
cast is also wonderful, led by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, doing what is probably her
best work. There is not a better political show on television.
Rank: 9
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Cast:
Lena Dunham,
Allison Williams,
Jemima Kirke, Adam Driver, Zosia Mamet, Alex Karpovsky,
and Andrew Rannells
Channel: HBO
Current Season: Fourth
Season Premiere Date: January
2015
Plot
Summary: Hannah Horvath makes her way in New York as a young writer,
trying to find her place and voice, while also struggling with everything else
life throws at her (including things that she seems to bring upon herself).
But, Hannah has an odd yet supportive boyfriend and three good girlfriends
(although, they do seem to be drifting apart).
Why
It’s Worth Watching: I have said this before – Girls feels like a time
capsule for today’s urban culture; and, Lena Dunham is a prominent voice of/for
that culture. I think Dunham’s writing is superb and her characters are very
compelling and complex. Girls is in some ways a sitcom, but Dunham defies just
as many genre clichés and troupes as she embraces. The show feels more vital
and alive than almost anything else on television speaking to a young audience
(15-40, something like that is what I mean by young). Also, I am very excited
to see Gillian
Jacobs join the cast for season four (how big of a role and how many
episodes – I do not know).
Rank: 8
Genre: Period
Drama/Gangster
Cast:
Steve
Buscemi, Stephen
Graham, Vincent
Piazza, Kelly
Macdonald, Michael
Shannon, Shea
Whigham, Michael
Stuhlbarg, Michael
K. Williams, Anthony
Laciura, Paul
Sparks, Gretchen
Mol, and Jack
Huston
Channel: HBO
Current Season: Fifth and
final
Season Premiere Date: September
2014
Plot
Summary: Nucky Thompson is the ruler of Atlantic City during America’s
Prohibition Era (1920s to early 1930s). He makes his money selling alcohol and
turns to a life as a gangster to protect his interests; however, he has many
rivals who constantly try to knock him from his throne.
Why
It’s Worth Watching: Boardwalk Empire is one of HBO’s best dramas, and
yet it just never seems to quite attain the status of event television like Game of Thrones , True Blood or True Detective. It
is probably because the series is much more of a character drama than a series
built around big and shocking moments. It has one of television’s best dramatic
casts and a wonderful style and look. Season five promises to be very good and
dramatically ambitious as the series comes to an end.
Rank: 7
Genre: Drama/Political
Cast:
Jeff Daniels,
Emily Mortimer,
John Gallagher Jr.,
Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, Chris Chalk, Adina Porter, and
Sam Waterston
Channel: HBO
Current Season: Third and
final
Season Premiere Date: Fall
2014
Plot
Summary: Will McAvoy was happy to just coast by doing a commercialized version
of the news as cable’s number one anchor. That is until his former girlfriend
and producer MacKenzie McHale comes back into his life and challenges him to
really do the news. The question is – can Will forgive her for cheating on him,
which ended their relationship initially, and let himself become the man he
always hoped he would be?
Why
It’s Worth Watching: The Newsroom is Aaron Sorkin’s way
of showcasing what is wrong with the way stations do the news in today’s world.
They are subservient to outside interests and thus do not deliver programs that
inform, rather they are designed to entertain (and some are quite bias as well;
when the news should have no bias). Sorkin also wants to highlight some of
potentially terrifying political trends that are happening in America (like the
rise of the Tea Party in American politics), which causes many to label the
show as having a liberal agenda (but I would say, having Tea Party candidates
in office is bad for everyone, regardless of political affiliation, in the long
run). The series is incredibly funny and has television’s best back-and-forth
dialog, thanks to Sorkin’s sharp and witty writing. It also features a stellar
cast. Season three will be its last, and I highly recommend watching and
catching up if you have not seen the first two seasons. It is informative and
entertaining.
Rank: 6
Genre: Western/Action/Drama
Channel: FX
Current Season: Sixth and
final
Season Premiere Date: January
2015
Plot
Summary: U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is old-school, carrying himself a
bit like a gunfighter in the Old West. As much as he would like to distance himself
from his rural coal-mining hometown in Eastern Kentucky, he keeps getting
dragged back.
Why
It’s Worth Watching: Justified is not really a western, but it is
similar in many ways and is about as good as it gets for fans of westerns on TV
right now. Star Timothy Olyphant is brilliant as Raylan Givens, a performance
that is almost completely overlooked every year, as is the series as a whole,
which continues to be one of the best action/crime dramas. Walton Goggins is
also excellent. Season six will be its last, which means that the action and
drama should come to a very satisfying and compelling crescendo.
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