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2013 in Review: The Worst New Shows of 2013

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2013 was not exactly what we’d call a banner year for the broadcast networks. While buzz continued to center around cable and the ascension of Netflix to a legitimate player in the TV industry, the big four and CW tried desperately to find some comfort food in the form of tepid comedies and stories about serial killers. The end result was a miserable year for the new sitcom and a lot of shows that felt like exact clones of each other showing up. On that note, here’s the worst new shows of 2013.

 

Dishonorable Mention: LA Shrinks (Bravo), Blood and Oil (Discovery), Scrubbing In (MTV)

 

I tried to avoid lumping reality into this list, but these shows each left horrendous tastes in my mouth for different reasons. For Shrinks and Scrubbing In it was the reduction of legitimate medical professionals to glorified sex objects, while for Blood and Oil the combination of ridiculous plotlines and a purely unlikeable central figure in what was intended to be a David and Goliath story completely turned me off. Still, I grade reality on a different curve and to compare this to the dreck in scripted programming is apples and oranges, hence merely a dishonorable mention.

 

5 – Welcome to the Family (NBC)

 

This could have easily been any number of other lousy generic family comedies that NBC was praying would beam into more houses than their critically acclaimed shows, but the tie goes to the one that lasted a meager three episodes before getting yanked for whatever NBC decides to put in the 8:30 slot in a given week to patch the rest of the fall. While the initial concept wasn’t too awful (teen gets knocked up and the two families are forced to come closer together), the combination of unfortunate implications and generally uninspired execution killed this show deader than Welcome to the Family killed my ability to laugh for a half hour.

 

4 – Do No Harm (NBC)

 

Get used to seeing the peacock’s name on this list because we’re not done with Bob Greenblatt’s numerous missteps this year. Do No Harm was an incredibly weak mid-season offering that tried to bring the Jekyll and Hyde drama into a modern setting. However, since Hyde wasn’t that well differentiated from our Jekyll half (or Grey’s Anatomy for that matter) the end result was a boring product that got sent to the Saturday night death slot after two episodes. Even the series ending twist that the more villainous side was our central character’s true nature felt forced and it’s for the best this show saw a quick mercy killing.

 

3 – Cult (CW)

 

Cult gets away with being slightly lower on the list than our next two entries on the basis that it almost enters “so bad it’s good” territory. The weakest of our serial killer crop, Cult relied on wooden acting, a ludicrous script, and an obsession with overly dark camera work that kept the viewer from seeing everything. Sadly, the truly worst conceit the show tried to pull was the notion that a CW show would generate the sort of the viewership and fan obsession that would make directioners look sane, measured, and understated by comparison.

 

2 – Dads (FOX)

How is this show still on the air? Moreover, how on earth did Fox give it a back-order? This show is dreck on every conceivable level. The writing is sloppy and borders on every-ist in the book. This is made even worse by the sloppy execution of the script and the soulless mugging (reminiscent of a bad Jim Carrey impression) of Giovanni Ribisi and Seth Green. What truly makes Dads getting a full 22 inexplicable, however, is the fact that it’s literally dragging down the rest of the FOX comedy block (which is actually pretty good, and in terms of quality might be the strongest of the big four– rivaled only by ABC) in the ratings, meaning that whatever leverage Seth McFarlane has over FOX executives could easily sink Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Mindy Project as well.

 

1 – Ready For Love (NBC)

 

At the top of this article I mentioned that I tried to lay off the reality genre as much as possible for this article (based on the amount of reality I watched I could easily have made an all reality all-worst). However, Ready For Love tried so desperately to cross three or four different genres of shows, so I’m breaking my own rule for the purposes of this list.

As bad as NBC has been developing comedies this year (they were 0 for 7 last year, and I anticipate another 0 for 3 in the fall), they’ve been equally awful in developing event shows. Million Dollar Quiz, as much as the game show junkie in me enjoyed, slowly devolved into a fiasco, with power outages, bad weather, and bad math (they had to juice the pot by about $300,000 in order to come through on their advertising). However, MDQ had nothing on Ready For Love, which wanted so desperately to mash-up The Bachelor and The Voice. Ready For Love was boring, cliched, a slog (there was definitely not two hours of material for that premiere) and worst of all, for a show about love, it showed precisely zero heart. An unmitigated disaster all around, and not even in a way that you could redeem the show as being cheeky about it’s lousiness, Ready For Love was really the worst new show of 2013.

Next Time: Next Monday we look at the best new shows of the year, as networks scramble to reclaim former glory and cable tries to hold the fort against massive losses in the upcoming year.

Masters of Sex – Season 1 Review

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Gallery

A little less than three months ago I saw the pilot of Masters of Sex, and I almost instantly started referring to it as “a more melodramatic Mad Men“. It was in all honesty a rather uneducated claim to make on my part, as I had only seen the pilot, and it was a bit coarse to compare the two shows just because they are period pieces. I can now say after digesting the whole first season of Masters of Sex…my thoughts haven’t really changed. The show really could be referred to as the other side of the same coin as Mad Men, only it’s not as dramatically efficient or as proficiently provocative as AMC’s venerable drama. Still though, that’s no reason for you not to tune in, as Masters of Sex actually proves to be one of the most surprisingly satisfying new shows of the year, and it was a real treat to watch the show get progressively better each episode.

While making a televised serial off of a biography on Washington University’s sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson certainly seems a little odd at first, it also didn’t take long at all for the show to demonstrate that it had plenty of story to tell over it’s 12-episode run. One of the season’s strongest cards was how we really got to see William Masters project develop, from his initial work with prostitutes, to the more fascinating discoveries he unearths when he starts to use normal people as test subjects. In spite of it’s period setting, the sexual matters the show brings up are very clear for today’s public as well, but the 50s backdrop only accentuate things. Masters of Sex explores the paranoia and irrational concerns of the time period, and not just in regards to sex. The show also brings up cold war fear, as well as concerns on the accuracy of established norms in psychology and science.

Masters of Sex’s first season is also commendable for the numerous risks it took that could of been it’s undoing. For instance, the show has plenty of sub-plots to it that could of made the show feel cluttered or inauthentic, but they don’t feel like filler, unlike some other shows (*cough* American Horror Story *cough*). The stories, which range from a wife dealing with discovering her husband is actually gay, to two of the subjects falling in love through the experiments, they all feel natural and intrinsic to the show in a thematic sense. Also, while at first I had felt unhappy with the show’s decision to film through digital cameras, I’ve actually found myself grown to the approach now. The show is trying to be accessible to modern audiences, and it actually may have come off as edit overkill had the filmmakers taking a less modern approach to film-making. The show still feels and looks very much a part of it’s era, but it’s just important to realize that we are watching it at our contemporary time.

The show has sex on the brain, but not like most others. It’s not like Nip/Tuck in which Ryan Murphy overtly sexualized it to cover the melodrama, and it’s not comparable to Louie or Girls which uses sex to explore those awkard little moments that make people more sincere and modest than they realize. Instead, Masters of Sex is a show that explores why people are so mystified by sex, while deconstructing the myth that love and sex are synonymous. It’s a universal topic for sure, and the show handles it tastefully.  Sure, there’s plenty of steamy sex scenes, as well as frank moments such as a sub-plot that involves Masters and Virginia attempting to film inside a vagina, but it never comes of as racy or crass as something you might see on Girls or Game of Thones.  At first it made me  wonder that had Masters of Sex premiered before some of those shows, if it would it have gotten more attention from audiences and critics, but then I began to realize that it still probably wouldn’t. Unlike HBO, it appears that Showtime is still cautious about showing genitals in their programs, and Masters of Sex contains no full-frontal nudity, or even any sex that comes off as too explicit. Hell, there’s even a part of me that wants to call the show modest.

Still, we can be grateful that the cast of this show is committed enough to do such acts on camera. Before viewing the show, I questioned whether the renowned theater actor Michael Sheen would have successful chemistry with Lizzie Caplan, an actress better known for her work in comedies. Fortunately, both of them shined this season, and they both delivered some really weighty scenes with sure aplomb (Just watch the episode Fallout and listen to Caplan say “I quit”. It’s resonance is still stuck in my head). The rest of the cast all gave splendid work too, especially from small-screen favorite Allison Janney. The former West Wing star is highly sympathetic and believable in her portrayal of a woman who is looking to find love after a long and potentially fruitless marriage. I’m hoping that her starring role on the sitcom Mom doesn’t keep her away from making at least a few more appearances on the show next season.

So all-in-all, Masters of Sex had a really strong debut season that arguably found it’s voice at a rather young age. The only question, however, is how the show will proceed, as seeing that this is a show based on facts, we already know where it’s headed. It’s just the writers will have to decide what works best for telling their take on this story, and also deciding on what lee-way they should take if reality becomes too boring for TV. I for one have to admit, that I’m a little worried, as the past has demonstrated to me that Showtime shows often follow a pattern where they deliver a winning first season, only to have latter seasons be more of a mixed bag. Homeland had a rather brilliant first season, only to have a rather jarring change in it’s feel for the sophomore year, and don’t get me started on Dexter (yes, I do feel that it’s horrendous series finale pretty much destroyed the credibility of the entire series). Still, seeing how delicately the parties at hand were with this freshman year for Masters of Sex, I’m optimistic that they will only continue to move forward at the highly effective pace that this season had. One of the top ten seasons for 2013 (here).

Jeff Timmons Brings The Heat with Men Of The Strip

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Manhattan, Manhattan Digest, Men Of The Strip, Jeff Timmons
Credit to: Luck Media & Marketing

Looks like NYC Is Gonna get A Lot Hotter Thanks To Jeff Timmons

Jeff Timmons is known for many things.  Outside of having a great singing voice and being in one of the biggest boy bands of all time, 98 Degrees, he is also a scorchingly handsome guy who has kept the ladies (and some dudes, keep it real) screaming for almost twenty years.  Now he has taken a formula of singing and good looks and put it to the test with “Men Of The Strip”, a musical male revue show are embarking on a North American promotional tour through early 2014 and filming a docu-series before making a home on the Las Vegas Strip next year.

The show is coming to New York City tomorrow night at The Gramercy Theater, where you will get the chance to see these guys up close and personal.  The show features songs by Jeff and choreography by Emmy-nominated Glenn Douglas Packard (did shows for  Pink, Usher, Ricky Martin, Whitney Houston, etc) which will be performed by Men of the Strip cast members.  I got to sit down with Jeff this past weekend to talk about his professional endeavors with this company and what he is ultimately hopeful for with Men Of The Strip.  Take a look.

What made you want to get involved with a project like this?

Well, a couple of years back when 98 Degrees was on hiatus, I was asked to emcee a Chippendales show in Las Vegas.  My initial response was, “Hell No”, but my wife said that it is a real show with real production value and you should check it out.  When I saw it, I was in the back of the theater hoping no one saw me in here.  However, after I saw the show and saw how crazy the women went, I did a complete 180 and thought how I wanted everyone to see me in there.  It is an older brand that has a stigma to it, so what I wanted to do was something that had a younger and fresher element to it with the proper help.  I teamed up with Glen Douglas Packard, who has choreographed for the likes of Michael Jackson and Ricky Martin, and tried to develop a concept of a sexier and cooler male revue.

What kind of vibe does it have, is it more on the lines of “Magic Mike” and “Chippendales” or is it something different?

Well for one, the choreography in “Magic Mike” is vastly different from the choreography in “Chippendales”.  The ones in “Magic Mike” are all really good dancers, and not to take anything away from the “Chippendale” dudes but theirs is very basic.  Just your a-type bodybuilders moving around on a stage.  The cats that we picked can dance and sing.  They aren’t just good looking guys but very charismatic as well.  We really were very particular on who we picked for the brand, not just for the stage show but for the TV series we are doing as well.   We need those types of personalities that would translate into the television world. 

How did you incorporate this being a musical into something like a male revue?  Was it challenging?

The show is about obviously tantalizing women’s fantasies, and not just stripping.  Coming from someone who was in a boy band, even though we didn’t consider ourselves one, we know what it is like to be sexy singers on stage and what it does to girls and their reactions and whatnot.  We had to make sure that these guys knew how to sing, albeit acapaella , as a group, whatever.  We got some talented guys that not just looked the part but can sing and really entertain the audience on a much larger scale.

How excited are you about the show in NYC on Tuesday? Do you have anything special planned for the NYC folks?

We have a couple of special guests coming.  A couple of celebrities we’ve invited.  We’ve been doing a station wide tour, and it has been somewhat of a “Grass Root” type thing similar to what we did with 98 Degrees with traveling in a Winnebago to some cool places and some not so much.  Before these guys get on TV and have that kind of a life, I wanted them to experience the road life.  We’ve gone to small places where we have had 20 people and we have gone places where its been sold out with 1600 people, so it really runs the gamut.   

As for the New York show, I find that New York is truly where 98 Degrees made it big, even though we are from Cleveland.  So I am really excited for the New York show and we have a bunch of people and press coming.  Just really looking forward to seeing what happens. 

You are filming a docu-series on this.  What will it profile in particular? 

It is going to start with a 90 minute movie instead of a pilot and will probably going to come out in May or June to coincide with our launch in Vegas.  It will be something behind the scenes as opposed to what you would normally see in front of the scenes.  Of course the show is going to be amazing and will have great production value, but we are focused on the guys.  From how they get along with each other to the everyday struggles with girlfriends and wives and going to school and some of them being playboys, that is all a catalyst for craziness.  That is what was so fascinating to me when I hosted the “Chippendales” is that they are all great guys and have these outside lives which will be the central of this television show. 

What has been the craziest thing you have seen so far since you started this whole thing?

Well I would tell you, but you can’t print that kind of stuff.  I mean we have had women and men chasing us, traveling from city to city.  They already have their groupies in hand, so that is pretty great for something that is starting off so fast. 

Manhattan, Manhattan Digest, Jeff Timmons, 98 Degrees, Men of The Strip
Credit to: Luck Media & Marketing

 

What are you ultimate hopes for “Men Of The Strip”, and ultimately your career in the future?

I think this could be a really mainstream brand.  Of course I love my music and I will go back on tour with 98 Degrees soon, but I think this is really cool with how “Magic Mike” is so popular now.  It used to be something that was so taboo for women that is now becoming more successful, so I would love to see this become huge worldwide and the same type of thing for the guys as well.  Just want to see this be a huge accomplishment, that’s all.

One final thing- most people around my age group of course grew up with 98 Degrees and saw your group make a rousing return this summer with “The Package Tour”, but it is tough for boy bands to have longevity.  What advice would you give to the up and coming ones right now?

I think the important thing that we didn’t know because we were working so hard was to have fun with it.  Hard work is necessary of course, but always surround yourself with good people and the experience will be that much better.

Sounds like it is going to be a good time had by all.  Check out their main website for more information and if you would like to come to what seems to be the hottest show in New York City then stop by the Gramercy Theater tomorrow night for some fun and debauchery.

2013 In Review: Shows that Dominated the Pop Culture Landscape

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With no new premieres between now and the end of the year, I’m taking this opportunity to look back on 2013. 2013 in many ways felt like a transitional year on television with old standbys leaving the air (30 Rock, Breaking Bad, How I Met Your Mother), surprise returns (Arrested Development)and new shows looking to fill those spots in the public consciousness (The Bridge, The Americans).

Speaking of that public consciousness, it always seems like a handful of shows have a tendency to get the most ink spilled about them, the most mentions on people’s twitters and Facebook walls, and the most water cooler talk. Needless to say, the shows below are the ones I think tended to come up in conversations the most this year.

 

Honorable Mentions: The Walking Dead (AMC), Dexter (Showtime), Under the Dome (CBS)

 

The Walking Dead and Dexter seem to always generate a lot of chatter, but it seems like both really lacked the visceral punch that episodes of many of the shows above it seemed to possess. Under the Dome conversely, was the most hyped new summer premiere for the major networks, but seemed to lose a lot of it’s steam over the course of the season for reasons both internally and externally.

 

5 – Game of Thrones (HBO)

 

Game of Thrones is the sort of show that I feel typically gets lumped in with the honorable mention category with the other genre shows I mentioned above. The key difference is, while it was an overall slow season for GoT, the Red Wedding episode generated an unbelievable amount of buzz. Toss in the usual string of Emmy buzz, and you have a genre show that managed to garner a lot of attention over the course of the year.

 

4 – The Following (Fox)

 

The Following makes the list this year solely on the hype it received prior to it’s January debut. During the 2012-13 Winter lull, there were a surprisingly high amount of people who were excited because Kevin. Bacon. Is Doing. TV. While the show itself ended up tapering off over time due to ludicrous plot twists and the fact that the show’s main allure came from it’s star, the initial hype was staggering during what was a relatively quiet winter season.

 

3 – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC)

 

While Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has taken a fairly sizable hit in the ratings since it’s debut, it also happens to be the single most hyped show of the fall. This is in part because it hit all of the hype check marks: fits with the movie universe (check), super showrunner Joss Whedon had a heavy hand in it (check), and ABC burned it’s entire Tuesday to the ground to rebuild around it (check). While the show itself is dangerously close to flopping, I can think of a decent number of my close friends who had this date circled on their calendar since may.

 

2 – Arrested Development (Netflix)

 

2013 was a truly brutal year for the sitcom, and one of the few bright spots on the year was the return of Arrested Development. While House of Cards may have been Netflix’s first show, it was pretty clear from minute one that the streaming giant’s future (and credibility) was built around betting big on something the show’s cult following has demanded for years: new Arrested Development. The show itself delivered fairly well even if it’s new structure felt uneven at times and Netflix ended up receiving a lot of new subscribers.

 

1 – Cult (CW)

 

No series had it’s fans going as far to protect it in the ratings as Cult. The CW had a massive hit on their …just kidding.

 

 

The show that dominated pop culture the most in 2013 was very clearly:

1 – Breaking Bad (AMC)

 

This was truly Breaking Bad’s year. Vince Gilligan and crew managed to do a difficult task that numerous other pantheon shows failed to do: stick the landing. This season was so well executed and so strongly hyped that Facebook would essentially go dark on Sunday nights and spoilers would often draw the ire of most (if not all) of your friends, neighbors, and family. The execution and hype were so strong that it single-handedly killed Dexter’s mojo (numerous articles were posted about how Dexter so thoroughly blew it’s last season compared to Breaking Bad) and the comparison even leeched out to broadcast TV, where the only peep heard about Under the Dome after it’s mid season run was the fact that Dean Norris had two characters die within a week. It won Best Drama at the Emmys, it drew the most attention online (three months later and Peter Foy’s reviews here still trickle into our top posts), and it generated the most buzz at the viewer level. The pop culture landscape has a huge hole to fill in 2014 without it.

Next Time: Later this week we look at the new shows this year that made my stomach turn the most as we look back at the worst of 2013.

Album Review: Burial – Rival Dealer

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Burial: Rival Dealer
Similar Artists: oh stop it already
Genre: YES!
Label: Hyperdub

This past week I’ve found myself to be sucked into the holiday spirit of things; the shopping for gifts, the classic movies, the caroling. It’s a mood that, for one reason or another, I haven’t really been in for the last several holiday seasons, and I was beginning to think I had become incapable of finding it again. Part of why I have been able to rekindle this feeling this year is because it has been snowing, and another part may be because the school I work at had a heartwarming pot-latch ceremony, but mostly, it’s because the new Burial EP is out, and boy oh boy does it make my heart glow.

Despite the use of bells, glowing synth textures, and happy melodies that conjure images of figure skaters and snow cones, it does feel a bit off the mark to call Rival Dealer “Christmas-y” — especially because the opening track, with its drilling baselines and rough, shuffling edges, is one of the most dissonant works to the artist’s name. Instead, Rival Dealer’s main theme is one of hope — it’s an experience about finding out who you are and being true to that person no matter how hard you may be struggling. William Bevan himself has even said (through a text) that this EP is intended for anti-bullying purposes. This may sound super corny, and maybe it is, maybe this release isn’t as “cool”, or as “dark” as what Burial has become known for, but it’s undeniably more human, and it’s arguably more relevant to the evolving music scene. It’s funny, because with each release, Burial has moved away from the success of his breakthrough, Untrue, to build something that, well, feels more true.

This newfound honestness that affords us listeners an inkling of information towards the personality of the man behind the music is huge, because William Bevan is an artist we formally still know so little about; even if he is becoming increasingly adept at drawing us into his heart solely through the use of his music. So many theories have came up about who Burial is that it has become a bit of a joke. This release is sure to stir up even more questions regarding his personal life, as it feels like a sort of coming out statement for the artist. In terms of overall sound, this isn’t quite what one would call a reinvention though. He’s still sampling vinyl crackle, ending tracks abruptly, and harnessing emotive, pitch-shifted vocal samples with nuance and delicacy. The difference is that now, it seems as if these elements are all trying to tell us something; as if these three tracks provide the liner notes to a grand story of overcoming in the face of adversity. While this broader influence is a direction that Bevan has been toying with ever since he started putting out 10+ minute tracks with his 2012 Kindred EP, here it is done in a more efficient and provocative way. The untreated vocal sample that closes the EP — taken from Lana Wachowski’s coming-out speech during last year’s Human Right’s Campaign — is the most striking example of this (as well as one of the best moments for music in 2013), but there are many others as well. In other words, this is the closest Burial has gotten to making an actual concept album.

So Rival Dealer isn’t just a continuation of the high water mark period that Burial has been in ever since 2012’s Kindred — it’s a rebirth of his ideals into the most meaningful statement he’s yet summoned. And it’s easy to see why Bevan would be propelled to push his work this far off the grid. After all, he already changed the face of electronic music (as well as many other fields of music) with 2008’s magnificent Untrue — an album that’s importance is impossible to overestimate — so now it seems he has his goals set on changing the way we hear music itself, and how it can be used as a tool to open portals to new worlds. Both “Rival Dealer” and “Come Down To Us” exceed the 10 minute mark, and they feel like flowing streams of consciousness, unobstructed by hate and fueled by deep, passionate love and understanding. They exist as a sort of guardian angel, each measure providing consolation to the world’s most downtrodden and confused victims. Through these lengthy track times Burial is able to guide us through his realm of fairy tale magic as he gifts us with constant surprises and a state of complete immersion. The music all flows through you like a dream: holding onto you with full force until evaporating into the air and leaving you with its imprint on your memory. The 13 minute “Come Down To Us” is arguably the main highlight. We are first introduced to the track’s noir setting with a lonely voice saying “Excuse me, I’m lost”, and through the track other voices arrive to comfort this lost soul, helping her realize who she is and what her purpose is. An elegiac sitar melody plays in the background as this story is told, gently unfolding into multiple phases. I don’t know about you, but a supposed “dubstep” producer just made me cry. This is what I call capability.

Track Listing:
1.) Rival Dealer*
2.) Hiders
3.) Come Down To Us*

Album Highlight – *

Z100’s Jingle Ball 2013- Great and Not So Great

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Mlley Twerked? Shocker z100, shocker.

As a lifelong New Yorker, I have consistently found myself zooming through each radio station to find the perfect song to jam out in the car with.  Just like an American classic like Peanut Butter and Jelly, I always know that no matter what, Z100 radio station will always find the right song for me to shake my groove thing to.  Yes my groove thing.  If you want to make fun of me or judge me, do it.  I’m awesome.  As long as I have listened to z100 I have also wanted to partake in their biggest event of the year, Jingle Ball.  This station always pulls in some of the biggest names in the industry jam packed with a ton of celebrities introducing them and this year was no exception.  Now partnered with the “iHeartRadio” with this event and more, the festivities took place last night at none other than the legendary Madison Square Garden.  The place itself was of course sold out, and as a 27 year old grown ass man I felt like I could’ve been some of these kids teen fathers, but nevertheless I had an awesome time and the whole show had a really nice vibe throughout the night.  There were some definite highlights and lowlights though, so lets take a look at who did best, and who mmmmmmmmmmmm not so much.

Lowlights-

Random, random, random celebrities.  Most of the acts got really awesome people to introduce them, such as my homegirl Jordin Sparks and the star of my new favorite movie “Pitch Perfect”, Anna Kendrick.  Then… there were others.  First the z100 crew were great, and I am a huge Elvis Duran fan as I have been since I was about 10 or 11.  But… Katie Holmes?  Really, girl?  The snarky side of me was hoping she was going to introduce a Tom Cruise lookalike and beat him up or something, but that would’ve been too much fun for even me to handle.  They introduced Travie McCoy who was somewhere in the crowd but it became more like “Where’s Waldo” in which I couldn’t find him.  Not that he was that important anyways.  Finally, and this was both a highlight and a lowlight- R. Kelly.  I don’t get what he is trying to do lately, honestly.  Is he trying to find a younger audience with doing shows like this, where most people don’t even know what his last hit record is because they weren’t born yet?  At the same time, I did find it pretty amazing that a decent portion of the crowd was jamming along to his 2000 hit “Ignition”, so that is where the odd lowlight became a highlight.  I still didn’t understand why he was there though.  Oh, and let’s not forget to mention Lindsay Lohan, who is back in trouble with the court for ordering a hit on Paris Hilton’s douchey brother.  One word- GIRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.

Fifth Harmony & Austin Mahone.  Note that I didn’t include all the big teen acts in here, as the other ones were pretty much incredible.  These two, not so much.  Fifth Harmony is the girl equivalent to One Direction, in that Simon Cowell himself chose five random girls and placed them in a group.  These five made it to the final 3 on “X Factor”, a show that is crumbling in the ratings and that pretty much no one really watched last season (only for the Britney factor of course).  I felt kind of bad for them as they were legitimately on for 3 minutes.  They did their hit “Miss Moving On” and then some random song and it legit felt like they were doing “Night at the Apollo” and being rushed off the stage due to being booed.  Terrible.  Girl groups are way hard to market, and that formula really hasn’t worked in ages since the days of Destiny’s Child and Spice Girls.  Fifth Harmony really just looks like five random girls plopped together in a group and sing.  That’s pretty much it.

As for Austin Mahone, he’s got a great voice but my hope for him is that he is kind of like the Lorde to Miley, in that he’s the anti Bieber.  HE LOOKED AND SOUNDED AND DANCED EXACTLY LIKE HIM.  Great singer and all, but I think his marketing team should try to distance himself from the Bieber image so that there aren’t that many comparisons. Just saying.

Jason DeRulo- Nothing about his performance was a lowlight, Jason has a great look and voice to him.  He didn’t deserve to have the first opening slot, which in my opinion is the forgettable one.  He has been around for a long time now, and I was truly confused over who got to perform later than earlier.  Fifth Harmony should’ve been first, maybe even Enrique.  But not Jason.  z100 for the loss here, great performance.

Miley (Kind Of).  I have a love/hate type thing with Miley.  I get it, but there are times where oversaturation can come into play, and last night she continued to do so.  More twerking, more of the same.  You have a great voice, you don’t need to pull all these ridiculous shenanigans to get people to pay attention.  Just sing.  Take tips from Gaga on that.  She needs it.  Other than that, great job :).

Highlights-

Selena Gomez & Arianna Grande- These are two girls that are on their way to true superstardom, and are doing it in a way that isn’t forced and just the great reliability of their voices and looks (cough cough Miley).  Selena looked amazing in this form fitting red dress, and she performed a medley of her hits including “Love You Like A Long Song” and “Come and Get It”.  On top of that, she did some bomb ass choreography which really made her set a very flourished show.  As for Arianna, she just has that voice that really resonates of a younger Mariah Carey.  She did her own version of the popular WHAM song “Last Christmas”, and of course closed her set with her top 10 hit “The Way”.  Mac Miller sadly wasn’t there, but she made up for it by putting a simple performance and making it really great.  Good job girls!

Fall Out Boy & Paramore- Proving that alternative still has a place on top 40, these two in my opinion were the stand out bunches of the night.  Fall Out Boy, who should’ve never dismembered in the first place, put on a rousing rendition of several of their hits, my personal favorite being the closing one with “My Song Knows What You Did In the Dark”.  Really a superb performance.  I’m a big Hayley fan, and her and Paramore really did a great job with their set as well.

Pitbull- Pitbull proved last night why he is “Mr. International” because he put on the most electrifying performance of the night.  Fueled by his current chart topper “Timber” with Ke dollar sign Ha, he really got the crowd’s energy going.  Smart move by z100 by placing him somewhat in the middle of this because he really kept the crowd going for what was coming next.  His closing out song, “Give Me Everything”, was truly a spectacle to watch.  I give this dude credit for making it this long in the industry.  Well done.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis- This was their year, and this was their night.  I love these guys so much, and it was great to finally see them perform live.  My favorite is of course “Same Love” which is such a great message to many people that goes beyond homophobia.  Best of the night in my opinion.

Overall, I would give the concert at 7 out of 10.  Apparently One Direction was there last year, which makes me happy I didn’t go as I would probably need a hearing aid at this point from all the screaming that occurred.  The show was good, but nothing really spectacular that I felt left me hanging for more and more.  Some of the acts should’ve gotten more stage time, and some shouldn’t have.  What did you think?  Sound off here and check out more articles like this on Manhattan Digest!

 

 

 

 

The Best of Theater 2013

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Photo credit-www.KenDavenport.com
Photo credit-www.KenDavenport.com

 

While the World famous, jolly, full-framed man in the big red suit composes his list of who has been naughty and nice, this incredibly obscure, mildly jolly, big-boned critic clad in wrinkled khakis, a hoodie and hobo shoes, has decided to compile his own list of the year’s best theater offerings. In 2013, Creative teams from both Broadway and off-Broadway   presented us with vastly different scenarios and characters: a sexually obsessed doctor (Becoming Dr. Ruth) children defying authority (Matilda), power hungry leaders abusing privilege (Here Lies Love), closeted homosexuals (The Nance), decadent drag queens (Kinky Boots), and well-intended dreamers weaving tales of empty promises (Big Fish).   At second glance, this reads like the guest list for a Paul Ryan fundraiser.  Moving on….

It should be noted that I began writing for Manhattan Digest in July, so obviously I have not seen everything inspired by the masked men of tragedy and comedy over these last 12 months.  But I have seen a lot. Some offerings have refreshed and restored my faith in live theatrical performance.  Others refreshed and restored my faith in the ability to quietly, calmly, and repeatedly recite the serenity prayer to myself before I was tempted to whittle the armrest of my chair into a small spearhead to thrust myself upon (Not to name names, but First Date and Let It Be, I’m referring to you).While these are in no particular order, I will save my favorite pick for last.

 

Photo courtesy of Lanny Nagler
Photo courtesy of Lanny Nagler

10. Becoming Dr. Ruth (Play)

For a piece about such a small statured dynamo, this one woman off Broadway story about the notable Dr. Ruth Westheimer stands tall.  Debra Jo Rupp’s (That 70s Show) moving performance exudes humanity and humor, which will leave you smiling one moment and dabbing your eyes the next.  Author Mark St. Germaine’s   well-conceived show about a life well lived is worth a trip to the Westside Theater, where it is still enjoying an open ended run.

PHOTO CREDIT - Richard Termine
PHOTO CREDIT – Richard Termine

9. I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers  (Play)

Bette Midler chewed the scenery and served up some dishy tales about the Hollywood elite in playwright John Logan’s delicious show about Mengers, one of the most feared and revered casting agents of the seventies and eighties.  How could you possibly resist a gossipy heavy-hitter who could simultaneously hold a Marlboro in one hand and a marijuana joint in the other; all while spilling the dirt on Gene Hackman, Faye Dunaway, and Barbara Streisand? Maybe not the type you’d want to bring home to mama, but definitely the kind you’d want to cozy up to for a few hours. The Divine Miss M’s show closed on Broadway in June, but is currently running at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles through December 22nd

Photo courtesty of Vanity Fair
Photo courtesty of Vanity Fair

8. Hands on a Hardbody (Musical)

Contestants stood in the heat of the Texas Sun, each vying to win a Nissan truck  by keeping at least one hand on it. I know what you’re thinking: They turned that into a musical?!!?  You’re not alone.  No one stood in line at the box office either and this surprisingly engaging show folded in April after a mere 28 performances.  Since then,  Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green’s musical has achieved a cult following.  Doug Wright’s book portrayed genuine characters in a current, financially strapped America   whose people cling fiercefully to optimism and hope.  The heartfelt performances in this poignant show left the few fortunate audiences who saw it leaping to their feet.  Even being raised as a good ‘ole country boy,  It took a Broadway musical for me to get excited over a pick-up truck.  Of course, if you add singing and dancing to nearly any topic, my curiosity can be piqued.

Photo courtesy of Royal Shakespeare Company
Photo courtesy of Royal Shakespeare Company

7. Matilda (Musical)

Aside from my adorable six and eight year old nephews, I am not a huge fan of children. Matilda has children–A lot of children. But from start to finish, I loved it!  So much so that I saw it twice. This import from across the Atlantic is chockablock with fun performances, dazzling spectacle, inventive choreography, pure Broadway magic, and the most talented and winning cast of children you could ever ask for. While Tony voters lauded praise and awards over the mediocre and underwhelming Kinky Boots, Matilda continues packing houses with an irresistible story that will make you feel as young as the leading lady herself.

Photo courtesy of www.Vulture.com
Photo courtesy of www.Vulture.com

6. Here Lies Love (Musical)

David Byrne and D.J. Fat boy  Slim’s musical “experience” about Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos’ rise to power in the Philippines was not just one of the best shows of 2013, but among my all-time favorite shows in New York City Theater.  With an insanely catchy score and hypnotic club-like staging at the Public Theater, this off Broadway gem sparkled like no other.  Here Lies Love, after being extending numerous times, finally closed in July.   Rumor has it a second life will emerge in another venue, but no official announcement has been made.   Perhaps my plea to St. Nicholas will help:

                                                     Dear Santa,

                                                     If you’re reading this, I have but one Christmas wish:  Please find a home for Here Lies Love in 2014.  I realize that I am a critic of theater and therefore, by default, a repugnant and odious man, but I                                                        firmly believe that this will help spread joy, knowledge, and cheer to the masses. So if you won’t do it for me, do it for the rest of New York City.   I mean–really, Santa. That ghastly revival of Jekyll                                                           and Hyde found a home.  I rest my case.

Photo courtesy of Larry Downing, Reuters
Photo courtesy of Larry Downing, Reuters

5. Ann (Play)

In 2013, fascinating female figures stormed our stages and Texas Governor Ann Richards was one of the best “pickings’”.  Holland Taylor brought this strong willed, larger than life politician to life in a memorable performance at Lincoln Center which ran through June.   Taylor, who also wrote the show, painted a fine portrait of a political powerhouse who repeatedly defied the odds. Defeating alcoholism, cancer, and chauvinism, Richards’ smart, tart tongue catapulted her to the national scene. Taylor earned a Tony nomination for her role and left us with some sage bits of wisdom from Gov. Richards including: “I have very strong feelings about how you lead your life. You always look ahead. You never look back.” Mostly true -unless of course, we are reflecting on the year in the theater– In that case, please take another bow, Ms. Taylor.

Credit to: Ticketmaster
Credit to: Ticketmaster

4. Big Fish (Musical)

Director Susan Stroman helmed this splashy musical, based on the movie of the same name, but it failed to woo the majority of critics. This one found it to be endearing story about family and sacrifice.  Leading man Norbert Leo Butz is sure to earn a Tony nomination for his triple-threat portrayal of a man facing his own mortality with quixotic dreams and simple truths.  Big Fish runs through December 29th at Broadway’s Neil Simon Theater.

 

Photo courtesy of Sara Krulwich, NY Times
Photo courtesy of Sara Krulwich, NY Times

3.  The Trip To Bountiful (Play)

Aside from the fact that the legendary and elegant Cicely Tyson’s Tony awards dress looked more like something draped on the Purple People Eater, she was more than deserving of the win for leading actress in a play. Horton Foote’s 1953 revival offered a pleasantly stark contrast to the razzle dazzle of Broadway with its straightforward and quiet nature.  Tyson’s stirring performance as Ms. Carrie Watts, a woman longing to return to her childhood home, made this an indelible trip to remember.  Ticket buyers took note and the play was extended twice before closing in October.  If you missed it, you’ll have another chance to visit this tiny Texas town on the small screen. Lifetime television is currently filming a version including original cast members Ms. Tyson, Vanessa Williams, and newcomer Blair Underwood (Cuba Gooding, Jr. starred in the Broadway revival).  It is slated to air in 2014.

 

Photo courtesy of www. ew,com
Photo courtesy of www. ew,com

2. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Play)

This outrageously unpredictable and hilarious show from the zany mind of playwright Christopher Durang managed to be showered in love with Tony Nominations. It walked away winning best play. With  winks to both Chekhov and Snow White (huh?), its’ message of prophesy was timely : “Beware of hootie-pie!” Not really, but collectively, this black comedy was freakin’ hilarious.

Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus, NY Times
Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus, NY Times

1. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Musical)

Hands down the most brilliant show of the year!  One cunning, charming, handsome, yet poor single man, Monty Navarro (Bryce Pinkham), discovers that he is eighth heir apparent to the wealthy D’Ysquith clan. One by one he sets out to dispose of the lineage in eager anticipation of claiming his status and riches.  Eight of the D’Ysquiths are played with miraculous transition by an abundantly talented Jefferson Mays.   The creative team of Darko Tresnjak (Director), Robert L. Freedman (Book/Lyrics), and Steven Lutvak have given us a murderously, jolly good time of fun and frenzy set in Victorian era London. Lucky for us, we only have to travel to Broadway’s Walter Kerr theatre where eight times a week, the D’Ysquiths continue to drop like flies.

 

Some Final Thoughts:

I hope that you’ve enjoyed my critiques since joining this publication mid-year. I am truly grateful to Ryan Shea at Manhattan Digest for allowing me to contribute about a medium which I find increasingly vital in our breakneck digital era. There is something both exciting and sacred about observing fascinating performances and stories which give us the chance to reflect and learn more about ourselves and our fellows. Without the distraction from email, voicemail, text messaging, social media and other stimuli, we can sit in beautiful, old theaters and be whisked away to days gone by, present day, or days yet to be seen.  Whatever the setting, I simply inhale deeply and  hope  for the following:  that what I’m about to see won’t suck, that  the lady behind me  who giggled at the announcement about unwrapping candy  at the start of the show won’t be the same one who, twenty minutes into the show decides she needs a Werther’s original–and will take twenty more minutes  to annoyingly  unwrap the confection,  that no child will confuse the back of my seat for a soccer ball, that the couple  in front of me won’t delude themselves into believing that no one can hear their conversation,  and that people who think that texting is appropriate will be met by ushers and taken into the alley where they  will meet the same fate as some of the characters who were “wiped ” from the script of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. I’m serious here. Sit back. Relax. Turn off your phone and shut your pie-holes. We’ll have much to discuss in 2014–after the curtain closes. Your crotchety critic, Mr. Snooty Crankypants, thanks you for your consideration.

Seven Must-See Barbara Stanwyck Films at Film Forum

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Credit to: HD Wallpapers
Credit to: HD Wallpapers

 

Film Forum is one week into their exhaustive retrospective of Hollywood legend Barbara Stanwyck, one of the most versatile and beloved stars of the studio era. The month-long tribute to my personal favorite actress has already screened many of her all-time best performances, including a healthy dose of her early 1930s pre-Code work as tough sexual heroines. You’d do yourself a giant favor by checking out Stanwyck’s work in Night Nurse (1931), The Miracle Woman (1931), Ladies of Leisure (1930), The Purchase Price (1932), and perhaps the most delightfully deviant pre-Code film of all, Baby Face (1933).

Stanwyck has for whatever reason largely avoided becoming a gay icon on the level of a Davis or a Crawford, though she has done her fair share of camp classics and bitchy butch roles. Perhaps it’s because her performances have aged so much better than many of her peers. You will probably never see a drag queen take on a Stanwyck impersonation (read that as a challenge if you wish). There is something contemporary about her comic timing, her melodramatic tears, her sultry evil, her compelling warmth. If you transplanted Stanwyck from 1942 into 2013, she would have to make few adjustments to fit right in with today’s crop of actresses. Be sure to make your way down to Film Forum (209 W. Houston St.) to celebrate Stanwyck, most winning in these seven classics, some rightly embraced over the years, others in sore need of audience attention today. Frankly you can never go wrong with a Stanwyck film, but these are among the cream of the crop.

  1. Ball of Fire (1941): Stanwyck’s second Oscar nomination was for Howard Hawks’ jazzy comic updating of “Snow White”, starring our Stany as Sugarpuss O’Shea, a nightclub singer on the run from a subpoena demanding she testify against gangster Dana Andrews (rarely sexier). Along comes Gary Cooper, one of seven professors living in a giant mansion writing an encyclopedia, who is trying to get his head around 1940s street lingo. Sugarpuss finds refuge with the professors and naturally love blossoms between researcher and subject. With Hawks behind the camera, the dialogue flies fast and furious, and Stanwyck develops delicious chemistry with Cooper. One of the great screwball comedies of the 1940s. (Screens Saturday Dec. 14, check www.filmforum.org for times.
  2. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946): The film noir edge will always go to Double Indemnity in Stanwyck’s filmography, but this is a marvelous surprise of the genre. Played as a young girl by Janis Wilson (the ugly duckling daughter in Now, Voyager), Martha Ivers finds herself involved in a murder that she keeps secret for seventeen years, going so far as to marry the only witness to the crime (Kirk Douglas in his first role) to ensure his silence. Stanwyck is bad to the core here, seducing Van Heflin away from legendary lezzie Lizabeth Scott and degrading her alcoholic hubbie every chance she gets. (Screening Sunday December 15; check www.filmforum.org for times)
  3. The Furies (1950): Four years before Johnny Guitar, Anthony Mann cast Stanwyck in a similar ball-busting butch western role. Fans of Crawford’s pants-wearing camp will delight in Stany’s performance as Vance (yes, Vance), a cutthroat cattle ranch heiress in an unusual relationship with her gun-toting father. If anyone could sell incest with elderly daddy Walter Huston, it’s Stanwyck. Even dashing Wendell Corey and Gilbert Roland can’t completely distract her from wild-eyed jealousy when dad’s fiancée Judith Anderson (lesbian icon ‘Mrs. Danvers’ in Rebecca) shows up with designs on taking everything away from our hardened heroine. Deliciously evil and directed with edgy panache by the always great Mann, this is one of the best westerns you’ve probably never seen. (Screening Wednesday December 18; check www.filmforum.org for times)
  4. Stella Dallas (1937): One of the great three-hanky “women’s pictures” of classic Hollywood, Stanwyck was nominated for her first Oscar in the title role, losing to Luise Rainer in The Great Ziegfeld. Compare the two performances and you will agree Barb was robbed. As a blowsy lower-class mother whose gaudy fashion sense and tacky vocabulary threaten to shun her daughter from the social register, Stanwyck is funny, charming, and ultimately heartbreaking in her final moments of self-sacrifice. (Screening Sunday December 22, check www.filmforum.org for times)
  5. The Mad Miss Manton (1938): It’s most unusual to see Stanwyck in a screwball comedy where she isn’t headstrong and crafty, but she pulls off the flighty socialite role here beautifully in a long unseen highlight of her career. Melsa Manton and her group of lady mystery buffs find themselves entangled in a real life murder in the high society set, but in their excitable desire to solve the crime, they get in the way of investigative reporter Henry Fonda. It’s great fun to see Stanwyck and Fonda together in what many could consider a test run for the next film on the list. (Screening Monday December 23; check www.filmforum.org for times)
  6. The Lady Eve (1941): Some fans would argue that rather than being nominated for Ball of Fire the same year, Stanwyck should have received her Oscar nod for this Preston Sturges classic. I’m one of those fans. Similar to Sugarpass O’Shea, Stanwyck’s world-wise heroine here is Jean Harrington, a seductive card shark who sets her sights on befuddled Henry Fonda, a brewery heir whose real interest is in studying reptiles and amphibians. She doesn’t count on falling in love with him, but after she calls the scam off, he discovers her identity and tosses her aside. Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman, leading to an even wilder scheme to get her hands on his millions. They simply don’t make films like this anymore, no matter how hard they try. (Screening Tuesday December 24; check www.filmforum.org for times)
  7. Remember the Night (1940): The perfect Christmas couples film, on par with The Shop Around the Corner from the same year but so rarely seen. Barbara plays a shoplifter caught during the Christmas shopping rush and prosecuted by Fred MacMurray (always sexy in gay director Mitchell Leisen’s films, like this one). When MacMurray learns she will spend the holidays in jail awaiting trial, he decides to bail her out and take her out west for his family Christmas celebration. Naturally the two find love along the way, so how can he go back to the big city and send her to prison? Written by the great Preston Sturges before he struck out on his own in the director’s chair, this film is almost effortlessly charming. The best way to finish up the holiday season. (Screening Wednesday December 25 through Tuesday December 31; check www.filmforum.org for times)

Guild Wars 2 – It’s Wintersday!

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Guild Wars 2 is bringing you a White Christmas!

 

Avid MMO gamers will be pleased to know that Guild Wars 2‘s Wintersday events have returned to Tyria! Players can venture to the now snow-covered Lion’s Arch and participate in all kinds of fun activities! Snowball fights, escorting caravans with gifts, battling malfunctioning toys, a bell choir mini-game that is reminiscent of Guitar Hero, and Toypocalypse, where you must protect gifts from angry toys, are all part of this content update. Alongside this content is a boatload of new achievements, along with titles, gift boxes, loot bags, and a whole lot more to satisfy your Christmas spirit. In my estimation, this is the best update to the Guild Wars 2 Living Story since Halloween’s Mad King Returns event.

As someone who missed out on Wintersday last year due to being burnt out from the game (followed by losing my account password), this content is all new to me. While running around Tyria, I’ve instantly felt deprived for missing out on all the fun from a year ago. Unwrapping huge gift boxes in the open world, only to have them explode and release hostile armies of angry toys was certainly a fun surprise, though in the higher level zones this becomes more of a hassle to deal with than it’s really worth; one can simply bypass the boxes, however, so the choice is up to the player. The player vs. player Snowball Mayhem activity features two teams duking it out in a winter wonderland. Players are awarded points for defeating opponents as well as carrying a gift back to their base. Another piece of content that I found entertaining was the new dungeon, where you help Toymaker Tixx keep his workshop under control and operating smoothly. There is much to do this Wintersday, and so ArenaNet has stated that these events will persist for a month, until January 10th. After all the flops that the Living Story has produced since Halloween (namely the entire Tower of Nightmares arc), this is one update that I’m going to miss once it’s gone.

One more update to the game is the release of ascended armor. With ascended weapons and trinkets already in the game, armor will allow players to complete their gear sets and maximize their effectiveness. Naturally, it’s a huge grind to gain all the materials needed to make the armor, and taking a shortcut by buying completed components on the trading post is going to leave a huge hole in your virtual wallet. Unfortunately, not all characters are on an even playing field when it comes to crafting these goodies. While heavy and medium classes have had opportunities to craft items that can also be used on armor in the weaponsmith and huntsman professions, light classes have had no previous method of acquiring the cloth needed to make their armor. My two level-capped characters are both light classes, so it’s an inconvenience for me. However, removing all biases this is something that should have been addressed prior to the release of the update. I’m still going to make at least one set of ascended, it’s just going to take me longer than some of my friends who play warriors and thieves.

As always, this Guild Wars 2 content update is free to download and will do so automatically once you start up the game. Happy hunting!

For more information about Wintersday, click here

2013: Top 10 TV Shows for the Year

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December is pretty much the most satisfying month of the year for me, but not for the usual holiday cheer or what have you. As a cultural critic, I get incredibly giddy and anxious about composing a best of the year list, and will often spend so much of December’s 31 days going over and over in my head about what titles deserve what place in my self-coveted spot. Some friends of mine will verify that last year I blew off a post-Christmas party so that I could catch a screening of D’Jango Unchained so that I could write my 2012’s best films list ASAP (Please help if you think I might have a problem. D’Jango Unchained did not even make my top 10 for that year.).

So it comes with great pleasure that I was able to formulate a top 10 list for television shows relatively early in the month. I was a bit hesitant about writing is just now, but as my fellow Manhattan Digest contributor Michael Tyminski just elaborated on (here), we’re currently in a stand-still for weekly quality television at the moment, and we should consider that the best of the year has already happened. Therefore, I feel now is the perfect time to unleash my take on what were my favorite shows of the past year, right before unleashing my gargantuan best-films list at the month’s end(I’m currently aiming for it to be a top-25). Keep in mind I haven’t seen everything that aired this past year, with The Americans, The Bridge, Justified, American Horror Story, and Hannibal being a few of the critically acclaimed shows I missed. You could say I’m unqualified to write this list, but believe it or not, I do have a social life.

10. Masters of Sex

Gallery

Those that read my review for the Masters of Sex pilot know that I basically saw it as Mad Men-lite, so I’m both glad and surprised to say how strongly the quality of the show shifted during the rest of the season. It really is an intelligent break down on sexual relations of all shapes and forms, without being overtly raunchy or obvious. It certainly isn’t without melodrama (like Nip/Tuck, it’s essentially a sexed-up soap opera), but the acting often surpasses the occasionally hokey writing, with all the cast fully understanding how to find quality tv drama here, and who would have thought Michael Sheen and Liz Caplan would have such chemistry? I even take back what I said about how I felt the film making seemed anachronistic, as the production values do allow the show to look both modern, and a part of the time period it’s depicting. Here’s hoping it doesn’t follow the same pattern of other Showtime series like Dexter and Homeland, which followed up their strong debut seasons with subsequent ones that were more a mixed bag.

9. Parks and Recreation

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It’s just so re-assuring to see that this show has remained so strong into it’s 6th year. Maybe it’s the consistently witty writing, or the unique subject matter to fit the now tired faux-documentary format, but I think that it’s more or less because of the cast. They really did pick a dream-team of comics for this show, and I’m hoping my holy trinity (Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, and Nick Offerman) will be getting a very special collaborative episode in the near future. My pick for the best show on network television right now…at least until we see Dan Harmon’s return as showrunner for Community next year.

8. House of Cards

house of cards

2013 will probably go down as the year web-based-television really took off, and what’s a better show to ring it in than House of Cards. An intimidating political thriller featuring an all-star cast of film actors, the show really demonstrates that Netflix is interested in garnering some of the prestige that HBO has hogged up since The Sopranos. Executive producers David Fincher and Eric Roth, and show runner Beau Willimon clearly wanted to do more than just adapt the British mini-series, and they’ve created a very modern take on Shakespearean drama, in a very seedy and all too present backdrop. Stylish and chilly (albeit a little soulless at times), I for one am really hoping the show doesn’t suffer a sophomore slump next season…but I don’t think that will be a problem.

7. Enlightened

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It seems like every year there’s a great show that’s taking off the air way too early, and this year’s was definitely Enlightened. After a rough but entertaining first season, the show really found it’s voice in these final eight episodes, which saw main character Amy try and take down the corporate world that had employed her. Carefully plotted from start to end, the season was thoughtful, angry, cautious, and sweet in a way that’s hardly seen on television, even on HBO. It’s a shame that it didn’t find it’s audience in time to avoid a cancellation, but it can rest peacefully with the likes of Terriers and Party Down with this mantra lain upon it: “We just needed a little bit of time to be brilliant”.

6. Mad Men

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I’ll admit the show had a bit of a rough start this season. Seeing Don reading Dante’s Inferno, or hearing Betty make bizarre comments about rape made me think that Matthew Weiner and his writers had finally lost a grip on subtlety. Fortunately though, the show got back to it’s usually excellent standards quickly enough, with episodes that ranged from thematically rich like A Tale of Two Cities, to the deliciously surreal The Crash. A really unexpected ending too, and also one that makes one think that the real face of Don Draper has yet too be uncovered.

5. Orange is the New Black

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Jenji Kohan’s fictionalized take on Piper Kerman’s memoir is the best new show of the year by a long shot. While Kohan’s past experience as the creator of Weeds is visible in the show’s sense of humor and strong female characters, it will surprise many how this one season of Orange is the New Black is already so much more complex and subversive than Weeds was throughout its entire eight season run. It’s an examination on ethnicity and gender, as well as a suspenseful serial with no aversion to using cliffhangers, as well as a cheer inducing drama about the power of the human spirit. There’s been much talk over the past few months about how a lot of signature television series are ending soon, but we should rest assured that if Orange is the New Black is the designated torch holder for the likes of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, then there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. This is the reason you got a Netflix account!

4. Game of Thrones

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I have to admit that I haven’t been as in love with Game of Thrones as some of you other people. Sure, it’s a show that possibly has the most impressive production values in TV history, and the nerd in me is just so elated to see a beloved series of fantasy novels turned into an exceedingly popular and adult television serial for a premium station. Still though, I have to say that I had found the previous two seasons too removed from reality for me to care too much about the characters. This season, however, changed everything and I did find myself completely immersed in George R.R. Martin’s characters, and the horrible ordeals he puts them through. There were just so many great scenes this season, from Jaime and Brehn’s tear-soaked bath, to Jon Snow’s coupling with Ygritte, and of course there was that little scene in the penultimate episode that made us go straight to our twitter feeds and express how incredible this fucking show is! No need to exaggerate here, Game of Thrones is the best high fantasy epic ever put to screen.

3. Girls

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Did Lena Dunham silence the haters for the sophomore season of her rather divisive HBO dramedy…hell no! What we can be thankful for, however, is that Ms. Dunham did indeed step up her game as a writer and director this season, making it even more raw and dirty than the first year, but with far greater pay-off. We witnessed the characters explore issues of sexuality and over-privilege, while also dropping great hints about how unhappy they are underneath their seeming self-regard. People will continue to think Girls is a shallow and niche take on contemporary 20-something life from a jaded and shallow 20-something, but these people seriously needs to see the episode One’s Man Trash, as I feel it’s the most indepth and intrinsic work that Dunham has done to date.  Feel free to continue calling the show a pretentious piece of shit, but just don’t call it the new Sex and the City, as it’s a lot closer to being the new Sopranos.

2. Eastbound and Down

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I was wary at first about Eastbound and Down returning for another season, as the creators had previous stated that season 3 would be their last. Fortunately though, it didn’t take long into this season to realize there was still more story to be told about Kenny Powers, and in the end this season proved to be an even better ending for this series. Seeing the character regress from a family man back into a debaucherous dick-head just seemed so genuine for the show, but it was also surprising to see the merits this character would achieve as the season went on. It all led up to a finale that was even more grandiose and satisfying than the conclusion for that other brilliant show that ended this year (see below), and really makes me hopeful that Eastbound and Down will be looked at as an influential American comedy in future years, and find a larger audience. It’s a sit-com that re-invented itself each year, told a fluid and progressive story, and managed to be consistently funny, yet a sad and weighty tale as well. If you haven’t already, now’s the time to watch all 29 episodes of the best comedy that HBO has ever aired (with all respect to Curb Your Enthusiasm).

1. Breaking Bad

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No surprise, right? Those of you that read my Breaking Bad: The Legend Ends column already know my thought concerning this show’s final batch of episodes, but I would like to make one final comment: The episode Ozymandias, is what I feel really made this series shine. It was just such a devastating and no holds barred episode that used the serialized and organic nature of the show’s entire run to bring it to an all time dramatic high. It really was the episode we had been waiting for since we witnessed Walt make that unfortunate decision to become a meth cook back in the pilot, and the result was the show’s true transgression from brilliant pulp into great tragedy. It was one of the very best episodes a TV show has ever had…and the next two weren’t too shabby either. There, that’s all that remained to be said.