TV Spotlight – The 25 Best Series on TV 2014 – Part 1: 25-21

Special Miniseries Acknowledgement:

Fargo

Genre: Crime Drama

Cast: Billy Bob Thorton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Martin Freeman, Bob Odenkirk, Joey King, Keith Carradine, and Adam Goldberg

Channel: FX

Plot Summary: When a drifter named Lorne Malvo arrives in a small Minnesota town, he begins to rile things up with his malice and violence. Downtrodden insurance salesman Lester Nygaard is one of the first to fall under his spell of mischievous dissonance.

Why It’s Worth Watching: The miniseries inspired by the Coen Brothers’ brilliant film Fargo is one of the best things on TV right now (and would have made the top ten if it were an ongoing series). It is a glowing example of what FX does best: dramas that focus on gruff and rough, societally fringe characters who cannot seem to get out of their own way. The cast is wonderful and the writing is sharp. The Coen Brothers serve as executive producers while Noah Hawley handles the writing duties (some might remember his short-lived but fun series The Unusuals).

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Arrow

Rank: 25

Genre: Action/Adventure

Cast: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Willa Holland, Paul Blackthorne, Susanna Thompson, and Emily Bett Rickards

Channel: The CW

Current Season: Third

Season Premiere Date: October 2014

Plot Summary: Oliver Queen was once a spoiled billionaire playboy; but after a tragic yacht accident at sea claiming the life of his father and girlfriend, Queen reemerges, spending five years stranded on an island, as a changed man set on cleaning up the city he believes his father failed and let fall into the hands of bad men. He becomes the vigilante Green Arrow.

Why It’s Worth Watching: Arrow is about as close as it comes to a modern TV version of Batman (well until Gotham kicks off on Fox in the Fall – although, that does focus on James Gordon). It feels like a Batman narrative (I am completely unfamiliar with the comic book version on Green Arrow) and derives some of its initial charm due to this similarity (as we all love Batman). Arrow at first gets by as a better than average adventure of the week with big over-arching stories, but as the show develops it becomes something special, harkening back to the great shows from The CW’s (and its prior incantations The WB/UPN) past (particularly Angel). It is the best superhero-esque series on TV right now.

Sons of Anarchy

Rank: 24

Genre: Action/Drama

Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Segal, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Kim Coates, Maggie Siff, and Theo Rossi

Channel: FX

Current Season: Seventh and final

Season Premiere Date: September 2014

Plot Summary: Jax Teller has the dilemma of whether or not he wants to lead his motorcycle club (gang) or not. His wife Tara keeps trying to pull him out so that they can raise his two sons and his deceased fathers wrote letters to Jax detailing how he wanted more for his son, but the politics of the club and the draw of violence constantly pull Jax back in.

Why It’s Worth Watching: Sons of Anarchy has always found a great balance between drama and action, featuring strong engaging moments of excitement but with even more compelling characters – something creator Kurt Sutter learned writing and working on The Shield. The show is able to feel dark and gritty even with the restraints of being on basic cable, which is a credit to Sutter, the writing staff, and the actors. It is among the most interesting dramas on TV and will be missed when it ends.

Rectify

Rank: 23

Genre: Drama/Mystery

Cast: Aden Young, J. Smith-Cameron, Clayne Crawford, Luke Kirby, Jake Austin Walker, Abigail Spencer, and Adelaide Clemens

Channel: Sundance Channel

Current Season: Second

Season Premiere Date: June 19

Plot Summary: Daniel Holden spent nineteen years on Georgia’s Death Row, convicted of killing his girlfriend, before he is set free as new DNA evidence has come to light calling his conviction into question. He now tries to put his life back together.

Why It’s Worth Watching: The brilliance of Ray McKinnon’s Rectify is also why some will not like it – it has a fantastic slow burn to it, ever building and mounting tension, slowly revealing bits of information and character detail. Daniel Holden is also one of TV’s most interesting characters. He is oddly charming, though he very well might be the murderer many think he is and Aden Young’s performance is second to none.

True Blood

Rank: 22

Genre: Supernatural/Horror/Drama

Cast: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Carrie Preston, Deborah Ann Woll, Alexander Skarsgard, and Kristin Bauer van Straten

Channel: HBO

Current Season: Seventh and final

Season Premiere Date: June 22

Plot Summary: Sookie Stackhouse and her friends may face their most daunting challenge yet: how to survive in a world overrun by infected hungry vampires unleashing a plague that could end mankind?

Why It’s Worth Watching: True Blood is an absolute riot. It is great fun to watch with its eccentric characters and its ambitious storylines, not to mention all the gore. The series has not really pulled its punches in the past, but this being the final season means that really anything can happen and anyone can die (and for once, the season will not end of a horrific cliffhanger – which generally gets viewers yelling at their televisions). Personally, I am most interested to see what happened to Eric Northman as the show left in in a rather precarious situation when season six ended.

The Americans

Rank: 21

Genre: Action/Period Spy Drama

Cast: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Holly Taylor, Keidrich Sellati, Noah Emmerich, Annet Mahendru, and Margo Martindale

Channel: FX

Current Season: Third

Season Premiere Date: February 2015

Plot Summary: The Jennings seem like the typical American family, but they have one big secret: unbeknownst to their children, Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings are really Russian spies.

Why It’s Worth Watching: The Americans has a fun 1980s nostalgic feel while also delivering a strong spy narrative wrapped in an ongoing family drama. The show succeeds to a high level thanks to its great leading performances (especially Keri Russell who is fantastic). The series also features a great soundtrack of classic 1980s tunes. It is the best spy series in TV right now.

TV Preview 2013/2014 – 25 Must-Watch Series, Part 2: 20-16

Part 1: 25-21

True Blood

Rank: 20

Genre: Horror/Fantasy Drama

Creator(s): Alan Ball

Cast: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Alexander Skarsgard, Deborah Ann Woll, and Joe Mangeaniello

Channel: HBO

Current Season: Sixth

Season Premiere Date: June 16, 2013

Plot Summary: Sookie Sackhouse, a telepathic waitress in a small backwater Louisiana town, finds her life in constant peril when she starts a relationship with a vampire Bill Compton.

Why It’s Worth Watching: True Blood is a highly entertaining series to watch (with its often insane storylines). Creator Alan Ball’s writing is very interesting as he makes comparisons to the issues of our times using vampires, werewolves, witches, and all other manner of supernatural creature. However, season six will be the first without Ball in charge, as he has left to run his new series Banshee. Brian Buckner has taken over as the series showrunner. He has been a writer on the series since season one (working before on Friends and Spin City). Can the show continue to be as crazy, fun, and engaging without Ball?

Archer

Rank: 19

Genre: Action Comedy

Creator(s): Adam Reed

Cast: H. Jon Benjamin, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Chris Parnell, Aisha Tyler, and Jessica Walter

Channel: FX

Current Season: Fifth

Season Premiere Date: January 2014

Plot Summary: Archer is an international spy working for ISIS who often gets himself into trouble thanks to his extreme ego and pettiness.

Why It’s Worth Watching: Archer is hilariously genius. The cast of crazy characters all trying to undermine each other, bickering like spoiled siblings, is wonderfully brought to life by phenomenally funny voice-actors (especially H. Jon Benjamin as Archer). The shenanigans and inside jokes that build with each season are what make this comedy such a pleasure. While often over-the-top and ridiculous in its comedic endeavors, its characters are still rich enough for the series to also engage from a narrative standpoint. There is no finer animated series on television right now.

Parks and Recreation

Rank: 18

Genre: Comedy

Creator(s): Greg Daniels and Michael Schur

Cast: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Platt, Jim O’Heir, Retta, Adam Scott, and Rob Lowe

Channel: NBC

Current Season: Sixth

Season Premiere Date: Fall 2013

Plot Summary: Leslie Knope is an ambitious public official in Pawnee, a small Indiana town. This is a documentary-style show about her life and political career.

Why It’s Worth Watching: Parks and Recreation, like Community, has again overcome low ratings (despite critical acclaim and adoring fans) to again be renewed. It is one of the funniest sitcoms on TV, with a fantastic comedic cast. The characters are also well developed – the viewers care just as much about the characters as the jokes (probably more). With The Office coming to an end (and really not being nearly as good since Michael Scott left), Parks and Recreation has taken over as NBC’s best comedy (that is not as weird as Community), and is a must-see for fans of The Office that have not yet discovered it.

Louie

Rank: 17

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Creator(s): Louis C.K.

Cast: Louis C.K.

Channel: FX

Current Season: Fourth

Season Premiere Date: Summer 2014

Plot Summary: The everyday life of Louis C.K. – a standup comedian living in New York City.

Why It’s Worth Watching: Louie has been off the air since 2012, and Louis C.K. took a hiatus to pursue other creative projects. However, it is finally set to return in 2014 (I assume in June). While Louie is very funny (especially his standup routines) with wonderful awkward humor and situations, it works wonderfully as a character drama as well. Louis C.K. struggles with relationships and taking care of his two young daughters, presenting his daily grind in a very relatable way. It is one of the best-written shows on television.

Girls

Rank: 16

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Creator(s): Lena Dunham

Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, and Alex Karpovsky

Channel: HBO

Current Season: Third

Season Premiere Date: January 2014

Plot Summary: Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, and Shoshanna are four girls in their early twenties who live in New York City – Sex and the City, but set in Brooklyn and for a different generation.

Why It’s Worth Watching: Lena Dunham has such a fresh and unique voice. She is fearless in her writing. All of which seems to make Girls a very polarizing series. Some hate it, while other (myself included) think it is brilliant. The show also has a fantastic rawness to it – a vitality that makes it so compelling. For some it may just be a guilty pleasure, but for me it is a wonderfully written look into the pains of growing up and finding your place in the world.

Part 3: 15-11

TV Preview 2012/2013 – 25 Must-See Series, Part 2: 20-16

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Downton Abbey

Rank: 20

Genre: Period Drama

Creator(s): Julian Fellowes

Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Rob James-Collier, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Maggie Smith, Dan Stevens, Brendan Coyle, Siobhan Finneran, Penelope Wilton, and Jessica Brown Findlay

Current Season: Third

Channel: Masterpiece Theatre on PBS

Return Date: September 2012

Plot Summary: In the years leading up to WWI, the series centers on the Crawley family and their servants, and the day-to-day workings of their lives.

Why It Made the List: Downton Abbey has sort of taken America by storm, becoming one of the must-see programs of the last year. Writer Julian Fellowes is the perfect person to be leading the series with the fantastic period pieces he has done – things like Gosford Park and The Young Victoria. For fans of period dramas, this is the must-see series on television right now. It has a terrific cast playing a wonderful set of characters.

The League

Rank: 19

Genre: Comedy

Creator(s): Jeff Schaffer and Jackie Marcus Schaffer

Cast: Mark Duplass, Nick Kroll, Jonathan Lajoie, Stephen Rannazzisi, Paul Sheer, and Katie Aselton

Current Season: Fourth

Channel: FX

Return Date: October 2012

Plot Summary: Six friends play fantasy football.

Why It Made the List: The League takes full advantage of its writers (Jeff Schaffer wrote on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld) and cast (made up of mostly stand-up comedians). The show is hilarious, as most of the dialog is improvised with only the scenarios scripted. Even if you are not a sports fan and do not play fantasy football (though, admittedly the show is almost entirely centered on fantasy football), the characters and funny situations are enough to make this a great comedy and well worth checking out. That said, being a sports fan and playing fantasy football does add to the overall enjoyment.

True Blood

Rank: 18

Genre: Horror/Drama

Creator(s): Alan Ball

Cast: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Jim Parrack, Carrie Preston, Alexander Skarsgard, Todd Lowe, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristin Bauer van Straten, William Sanderson, and Joe Mangeaniello

Current Season: Fifth

Channel: HBO

Return Date: June 10, 2012

Plot Summary: Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, falls in love with a vampire Bill Compton, and her whole world is thrust into a constant struggle between all manners of monsters.

Why It Made the List: True Blood is an up-and-down show, as some storylines work much better than others. But, it is always highly entertaining and engrossing, with excellently drawn characters. Going forward however, the series faces a big challenge losing its creator Alan Ball as the series showrunner (after season five is complete). Vampires have oversaturated the TV and film market since the show premiered in 2008, but True Blood (along with The Vampire Diaries) remains one of the best vamp incarnations still.

Parks and Recreation

Rank: 17

Genre: Comedy

Creator(s): Greg Daniels and Michael Schur

Cast: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Platt, Jim O’Heir, Retta, Adam Scott, and Rob Lowe

Current Season: Fourth

Channel: NBC

Return Date: September 22, 2012

Plot Summary: A mockumentary-style series looks at the public officials in the parks department of a small town in Indiana, centering on their day-to-day lives and capturing their antics.

Why It Made the List: Essentially, Parks and Recreation is exactly the same show as The Office, at least on the outside. However, once you dive in and get to know the characters, the two shows start to separate and the characters are different. After a very mediocre first season, the show has really found its way and is now among the elite comedies on TV. This is mostly due to it having possibly the best comedic cast (though, I would probably argue for Community having a better one) right now. Poehler, Ansari, Offerman, Plaza, and Pratt are brilliantly funny. If you like The Office, you will like this show (though I would say that the character relationships are not quite as good as The Office’s during its prime).

The Walking Dead

Rank: 16

Genre: Horror/Drama

Creator(s): Frank Darabont

Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Norman Reedus, IronE Singleton, Melissa McBride, and Lauren Cohan

Current Season: Third

Channel: AMC

Return Date: October 14, 2012

Plot Summary: People in and around Atlanta, GA, try to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Why It Made the List: Season one of The Walking Dead was not very good. Yes, it had some great moments (the pilot was fairly strong), but overall it was disappointing (to say the least). Then, AMC fired the creator and showrunner Frank Darabont, replacing him with Glen Mazzara. Without Darabont, many fans worried the show would be worse off. But, season two was fantastic and a lot better overall than the first. Finally, the series is living up to the extremely high expectations and hype. Horror fans will probably not do any better than this show on TV right now.

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TV Preview 2011/2012 – 25 Must See Series, Part 1: 25-21

Has television programming ever been better than it is right now? Not in terms of great individual shows, but in terms of lots of really great shows (many of which did not make this list, and I had some tough decisions) on the air right now. This is a list of the best twenty five series in the upcoming 2011/2012 season.

25-21/20-16/15-11/10-6/5-1/Anticipated New Shows

True Blood

Rank: 25

Genre: Fantasy Horror/Romance

Network: HBO

Creator(s): Alan Ball

Cast:  Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, and Alexander Skarsgard

Premier Date: June 26, 2011

Current Season: Fourth

Plot Summary: The series is about Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress working in rural Louisiana who discovers a new world of creatures, falling in love with a vampire named Bill Compton.

Why It Made the List: While True Blood is a bit on the over-dramatic side (like a supernatural soap opera), there is no denying that it is a great series featuring wonderful imagery and characters (typical of most HBO dramas). This is a show I always look forward to each season, regardless of how crazy it gets. Paquin, Moyer and especially Skarsgard have really made this show great, as well as the other actors. Deborah Ann Woll is also brilliant. While not all the stories and narrative arcs have been strong, Ball’s best stuff is outstanding (I love all the material with the characters Sophie-Anne Leclerq and Godric). This is a must for fans of romance and/or supernatural genre shows.

The Big Bang Theory

Rank: 24

Genre: Comedy

Network: CBS

Creator(s): Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady

Cast: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nyyar

Premier Date: September 22, 2011

Current Season: Fifth

Plot Summary: The series is about a young woman who moves across the hall from two physicists, who are brilliant but socially awkward. While hesitant at first, she befriends them becoming part of their group of friends.

Why It Made the List: The Big Bang Theory at its best is very funny, sweet and even dramatically engaging. But, many of the episodes are repetitive to an extent. Also, (and maybe this is just me) the character of Leonard is not nearly likable enough to be the main protagonist. Parsons’s Sheldon Cooper and Cuoco’s Penny are both great characters and carry the show, and make it worth watching and very enjoyable despite the joke-scheme becoming a little tired. This is a must for fans of sitcom comedies, especially if you identify with these characters.

Modern Family

Rank: 23

Genre: Comedy

Network: ABC

Creator(s): Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd

Cast: Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet, and Ty Burrell

Premier Date: September 21, 2011

Current Season: Third

Plot Summary: The series is about three families (all related to one-and-other) and trials and tribulations they go through each day.

Why It Made the List: Modern Family started out very funny in season one only to get better in season two. The dynamic between the three families is great – how they interact both with each other and within their own family unit. The mundane normalcy of life is done in a hysterical fashion of slapstick and awkward comedy. This is one of the best sitcom comedies on TV, and while it plays better for 25 year-olds and older viewers who can relate with the characters it is still worth checking out for younger viewers as well.

How I Met Your Mother

Rank: 22

Genre: Comedy

Network: CBS

Creator(s): Carter Bays and Craig Thomas

Cast: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alyson Hannigan

Premier Date: September 19, 2011

Current Season: Seventh

Plot Summary: The series is the story of how Ted Mosby met his wife, as told to his kids through a series of antidotal stories.

Why It Made the List: How I Met Your Mother is great because it has a wonderful cast. NPH steals many an episode. The show took a little dip in quality in season five, as creators Bays and Thomas were developing a new show in addition to running HIMYM. But, season six was much better and a return to form (though, still not as great as the first three seasons). The seasons are uneven in terms of episode to episode quality, but season six had some really good stuff. The show has sort of a limited timeline in its future as Ted is well past thirty now and needs to meet his wife. Season seven has been rumored to be the show’s last – but a change in format once Ted meets his wife could prolong it. HIMYM also has had a fantastic group of guest actors (both for single episodes and season arcs), and I look forward to see who will show up in season seven. This is a must for fans of shows like Friends, as this is essentially this generation’s Friends.

Treme

Rank: 21

Genre: Drama

Network: HBO

Creator(s): Eric Overmyer and David Simon

Cast: Kim Dickens, Melissa Leo, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, and Steve Zahn

Premier Date: Spring 2012

Current Season: Third

Plot Summary: The series is about the city of New Orleans – recovering, reinventing and rejuvenating its identity after Hurricane Katrina.

Why It Made the List: First thing you need to know about Treme is that it is by David Simon who also created The Wire and Generation Kill – both of which are excellent. Next, the cast is fabulous (featuring a number of The Wire alumni). Third, it is an HBO drama, which means it has marvelous character work and is not afraid to go down any narrative road. And fourth, the show incorporates the music of New Orleans – its heart and soul. Fans of HBO dramas life Six Feet Under should check Treme out.

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