Introduction
Well, we’re back, and this week we’ll be discussing television. It’s been a hell of a decade for television, that’s for sure. This decade, cable became not a luxury but a necessity; with network TV just not living up to it’s past glory. Let’s be real, are you watching NBC’s Outsourced or AMC’s Mad Men? Sure, in 2004, NBC had a small victory, pulling in 52.5 million viewers for the finale of Friends, but have they had any real successes since? (I love NBC, personally. But as much as I love it, and await Lorne Michaels’ call, they didn’t do too well this decade, and I won’t spare them the lash.)
In the 90’s, director David Lynch created a little show called Twin Peaks. His groundbreaking idea? To have one unsolved mystery stretch throughout the entire series, and continuously adding more and more dashes of the surreal in. The network’s response? Tell him “no” and cancel his show after one season. It was too confusing, people said. There was too much mythology, and there was no way to keep up if you missed an episode. Ah, if only the internet had been as powerful a force then as it was this decade. With the internet quickly becoming a source not just to catch up on missed episodes, but to debate your theories with people equally as devoted to the show. It was time for Twin Peaks to rise again, except this time it was called Lost, and it was on an island. Sure, better dramas may have been on TV this decade (*cough cough* The Wire), but Lost showed what could be done on a major broadcast network, and not a soul has been able to repeat it (on behalf of those of us who hated hearing everyone’s theories on what the island is, I’m glad no one has).
Of course, not all TV was necessarily scripted, nor necessarily good. In 2000, the big island show had nothing to do with a plane crash. Instead, we got the first finale of Survivor. The sheer draw of that finale was what kick-started 2001 with an overhaul of television. Goodbye scripts, hello people willing to get on TV for looking like idiots. In other words, American Idol. Yes, the American dream is to come from nothing and achieve greatness, and the American mindset is to achieve the American Dream with as little effort as possible. After ten years on air, people still lined up outside the Izod Center in droves one cold August 3 a.m., banging guitars and howling out Van Morrison tunes while others tried to sleep, hoping that they were standing in line with (or perhaps that they themselves were) the next American Idol, so that they may have huge exposure, a hit single, and then fade into obscurity. Look, nobody said the American Dream was perfect.
But American Idol was. It was the perfect cash-cow for Fox, when even their best scripted shows (24, House) pulled in less than half of the ratings riled up by the uptight Brit in the tight black shirt. Love it or hate it, American Idol launched the “reality competition” show, bringing the good (Project Runway, Top Chef) with the bad (Bridalplasty, More to Love).
Of course, what American Idol did for launching careers, The Osbournes did for reviving them. Yes, once upon a time, Ozzy was a British rocker who bit the head of a dove. Now he’s a brittle codger who can’t get the lid off a pill bottle, and MTV was there to capture it all. The Osbournes launched a new idea: Need a career boost? Just act out the contrived, scripted moments the producers set up for you, let people believe they’re better than you, let them laugh and look down their noses at you and your outlandish behavior, and bam, you’re a star again. Since then, people from the talented (Britney Spears, Hugh Hefner) to the talent-less (Real Housewives, Jersey Shore) have bared “themselves” on camera for a taste of the sweet, sweet easy dollar, and the more reprehensible the behavior, the more we applaud and pay. Total opinion here (which I’m entitled to have, and doesn’t make me an asshole. Save your anger), but if you wonder why people like Rep. Joe Wilson, Venus Williams, and St. Kanye act out like they do, destroying civil discourse? Well, look at how we treat the girls on Pretty Wild.
Now, with all the vulgarity and repulsive sexuality on reality TV, you wonder what the moral majority are watching. Where is good, wholesome family programming, right? Well, let’s take a look at the big ratings earners this decade. CSI, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Law & Order: SVU. Wait, what the fuck? The thousands of complaint letters MTV gets from the Parents’ Television Council and the “moral majority” about the consensual sex in the Jersey Shore’s hot tub, or gay characters on Glee, and y’all are watching guys in gloves poke at rape victims’ eviscerated bodies? To clarify, it’s not ok to mention sexual fluids, unless you find them in a fictional corpse, huh? MTV’s Skins is a problem, but someone actually getting skinned by a serial killer in New York while some cops solve the murder, that’s ok? My initial point was that police procedurals were a big hit this decade. Now I just find myself with my face in my palm.
Though I’m not the only one with my face in my palm. No, no, I’m surely joined by the executives at NBC. I could mention that even with the critical success of 30 Rock, NBC has continually failed to get a show in the Top 20, ratings wise. I could mention the utter failure that was any drama they tried to produce, with the exception of the debut of Heroes. I could also mention everything after the debut season of Heroes. I could mention the myriad of reality shows that make Jack Donaghy of 30 Rock’s “Milf Island” show seem classy. But let’s be real. 5 words can sum up the catastrophe that was NBC this decade: The 10 p.m. Jay Leno Show.
Yet, they’re still my favorite network, and I stand by the peacock. Despite the fact the NBC Universal just announced that they’re getting rid of the peacock…and still keeping Leno.
Of course, this decade saw the loss of television titans. The king of late night (Johnny Carson) and his sidekick (Ed McMahon) both signed off a final time. From the men who brought us the news (Peter Jennings, Walter Cronkite, Tim Russert), to those who mocked it (Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bernie Mac); from the women who made us laugh (Beatrice Arthur, Estelle Getty), to the woman who made us hungry (Julia Child) to the woman who most made us…come on guys, you know (Farrah Fawcett); we lost the those who taught us what to buy (Dave Thomas, Billy Mays), how to laugh (Merv Griffin, Peter Boyle, Don Knotts, Don Adams, John Ritter), how to live to the extreme (Steve Irwin, Evel Knievel), and most importantly (as sappy as it sounds) how to love (Fred Rogers). It is on this note that we at Loomings salute those who made TV great, and those who continue to. We hope you enjoy the issue, and feel free to send your comments to loomingscwp@gmail.com.
In the 90’s, director David Lynch created a little show called Twin Peaks. His groundbreaking idea? To have one unsolved mystery stretch throughout the entire series, and continuously adding more and more dashes of the surreal in. The network’s response? Tell him “no” and cancel his show after one season. It was too confusing, people said. There was too much mythology, and there was no way to keep up if you missed an episode. Ah, if only the internet had been as powerful a force then as it was this decade. With the internet quickly becoming a source not just to catch up on missed episodes, but to debate your theories with people equally as devoted to the show. It was time for Twin Peaks to rise again, except this time it was called Lost, and it was on an island. Sure, better dramas may have been on TV this decade (*cough cough* The Wire), but Lost showed what could be done on a major broadcast network, and not a soul has been able to repeat it (on behalf of those of us who hated hearing everyone’s theories on what the island is, I’m glad no one has).
Of course, not all TV was necessarily scripted, nor necessarily good. In 2000, the big island show had nothing to do with a plane crash. Instead, we got the first finale of Survivor. The sheer draw of that finale was what kick-started 2001 with an overhaul of television. Goodbye scripts, hello people willing to get on TV for looking like idiots. In other words, American Idol. Yes, the American dream is to come from nothing and achieve greatness, and the American mindset is to achieve the American Dream with as little effort as possible. After ten years on air, people still lined up outside the Izod Center in droves one cold August 3 a.m., banging guitars and howling out Van Morrison tunes while others tried to sleep, hoping that they were standing in line with (or perhaps that they themselves were) the next American Idol, so that they may have huge exposure, a hit single, and then fade into obscurity. Look, nobody said the American Dream was perfect.
But American Idol was. It was the perfect cash-cow for Fox, when even their best scripted shows (24, House) pulled in less than half of the ratings riled up by the uptight Brit in the tight black shirt. Love it or hate it, American Idol launched the “reality competition” show, bringing the good (Project Runway, Top Chef) with the bad (Bridalplasty, More to Love).
Of course, what American Idol did for launching careers, The Osbournes did for reviving them. Yes, once upon a time, Ozzy was a British rocker who bit the head of a dove. Now he’s a brittle codger who can’t get the lid off a pill bottle, and MTV was there to capture it all. The Osbournes launched a new idea: Need a career boost? Just act out the contrived, scripted moments the producers set up for you, let people believe they’re better than you, let them laugh and look down their noses at you and your outlandish behavior, and bam, you’re a star again. Since then, people from the talented (Britney Spears, Hugh Hefner) to the talent-less (Real Housewives, Jersey Shore) have bared “themselves” on camera for a taste of the sweet, sweet easy dollar, and the more reprehensible the behavior, the more we applaud and pay. Total opinion here (which I’m entitled to have, and doesn’t make me an asshole. Save your anger), but if you wonder why people like Rep. Joe Wilson, Venus Williams, and St. Kanye act out like they do, destroying civil discourse? Well, look at how we treat the girls on Pretty Wild.
Now, with all the vulgarity and repulsive sexuality on reality TV, you wonder what the moral majority are watching. Where is good, wholesome family programming, right? Well, let’s take a look at the big ratings earners this decade. CSI, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Law & Order: SVU. Wait, what the fuck? The thousands of complaint letters MTV gets from the Parents’ Television Council and the “moral majority” about the consensual sex in the Jersey Shore’s hot tub, or gay characters on Glee, and y’all are watching guys in gloves poke at rape victims’ eviscerated bodies? To clarify, it’s not ok to mention sexual fluids, unless you find them in a fictional corpse, huh? MTV’s Skins is a problem, but someone actually getting skinned by a serial killer in New York while some cops solve the murder, that’s ok? My initial point was that police procedurals were a big hit this decade. Now I just find myself with my face in my palm.
Though I’m not the only one with my face in my palm. No, no, I’m surely joined by the executives at NBC. I could mention that even with the critical success of 30 Rock, NBC has continually failed to get a show in the Top 20, ratings wise. I could mention the utter failure that was any drama they tried to produce, with the exception of the debut of Heroes. I could also mention everything after the debut season of Heroes. I could mention the myriad of reality shows that make Jack Donaghy of 30 Rock’s “Milf Island” show seem classy. But let’s be real. 5 words can sum up the catastrophe that was NBC this decade: The 10 p.m. Jay Leno Show.
Yet, they’re still my favorite network, and I stand by the peacock. Despite the fact the NBC Universal just announced that they’re getting rid of the peacock…and still keeping Leno.
Of course, this decade saw the loss of television titans. The king of late night (Johnny Carson) and his sidekick (Ed McMahon) both signed off a final time. From the men who brought us the news (Peter Jennings, Walter Cronkite, Tim Russert), to those who mocked it (Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bernie Mac); from the women who made us laugh (Beatrice Arthur, Estelle Getty), to the woman who made us hungry (Julia Child) to the woman who most made us…come on guys, you know (Farrah Fawcett); we lost the those who taught us what to buy (Dave Thomas, Billy Mays), how to laugh (Merv Griffin, Peter Boyle, Don Knotts, Don Adams, John Ritter), how to live to the extreme (Steve Irwin, Evel Knievel), and most importantly (as sappy as it sounds) how to love (Fred Rogers). It is on this note that we at Loomings salute those who made TV great, and those who continue to. We hope you enjoy the issue, and feel free to send your comments to loomingscwp@gmail.com.
The Best TV Shows of the Decade (2001-2010)
1) HBO Shows (2001-2010)
So maybe you’ll see it as a cop-out that we took the slogan “It’s not TV, it’s HBO” literally and grouped them all together, but hell, we couldn’t afford to put them individually on this list. Let’s side the inter-staff war over which is superior, The Wire or The Sopranos, just take a moment and think of how many HBO shows would be on this list, and high up. Deadwood, The Sopranos, The Wire, Sex & The City, In Treatment, Entourage, Six Feet Under, True Blood, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Big Love, Flight of the Conchords, Rome, Extras, Angels in America, Band of Brothers, Carnivale. I mean, hell, can you imagine if they’d picked up Mad Men when it was pitched to them? If we split these shows up, they’d be the whole list. The impact of HBO is undeniable. It changed what television could be, even attracting big name movie players to the field, and proving that TV can be art.
2) The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (1996- )
When Jon Stewart inherited Craig Kilborn’s half hour Comedy Central satire show, he could have kept the same style of banal jokery. Instead, Stewart overhauled the show, making it the most biting political satire of the 00’s, and himself the most trusted man in news, simply for wearing his bias on his sleeve and calling out all the media elite for their failings. From his powerful rally in D.C. to his recent handling of the Tucson shooting, Stewart earns his place as the voice of our generation.
3) Arrested Development (2003-2006)
4) Battlestar Gallactica (2003-2009)
5) Lost (2004-2010)
6) American Idol (2002- )
Sure, be too cool for the show, but this changed the face of reality television, and encapsulated America at it’s heart. Was the choice between simple, Middle America Kris Allen and flamboyant Adam Lambert really just a choice between two singers, or a chance for the country to subtly say what they would and wouldn’t deal with? Plus, Simon Cowell is a household name, and judges panels everywhere suddenly needed a sassy Brit. That ain’t coincidence.
7) South Park (1997- )
8) The Shield (2002-2008)
9) 24 (2001-2010)
10) Mad Men (2007- )
11) The Office (U.K.) (2001-2003)
12) The West Wing (1999-2006)
It would surprise no one that TV wasn’t ready for Aaron Sorkin’s snappy dialogue when the brilliant Sports Night failed in 1998. It subsequently surprised everyone when his political drama The West Wing managed to become one of the most engaging, engrossing, and…popular shows in recent memory. Hell, audiences cared more about the policies of Josiah Bartlet, the show’s fictional president, than those of the actual president.
13) Chappelle's Show (2003-2006)
Who didn’t howl “I’m Rick James, b***h!” down the halls of middle school? Dave Chappelle created a show that could have been a collection of offensive and outlandish racial humor, but instead became one of the most clever and original sketch comedy shows in television history. Yes, one could talk about the significance it had racially, but Chappelle’s Show transcended race, and proved to be simply the best sketch comedy in recent memory.
14) 30 Rock (2006- )
15) Breaking Bad (2008- )
16) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005- )
17) Dexter (2007- )
18) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
19) Family Guy (1995-2002, 2005- )
20) Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
A show so engaging, it could draw in people who cared nothing for football, and only watched the Super Bowl, and even then, just for the commercials and halftime show (i.e. me). Adapted from the film of the same title, this tragically overlooked show examines life in Dillon, Texas, a town which basically revolves around its high school football. The daily trials of Panther’s coach Eric Taylor, as with those of his family and team, hit home even if your hands have never graced a pigskin.
And the rest...
21.) Rescue Me (2004- )
22.) Doctor Who (2005- )
23.) Sons of Anarchy (2008- )
24.) Supernatural (2005- )
25.) Weeds (2005- )
26.) Firefly (2002-2002)
27.) The Colbert Report (2005- )
28.) Big Bang Theory (2007- )
29.) Project Runway (2004- )
30.) Survivor (2000- )
31.) Veronica Mars (2004-2007)
32.) Undeclared (2001-2002)
33.) Robot Chicken (2005- )
34.) Justified (2010- )
35.) The Office (US) (2005- )
36.) Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005- )
37.) CSI(s) (2000- )
38.) How I Met Your Mother (2005- )
39.) Slings and Arrows (2003-2006)
40.) The Walking Dead (2010- )
41.) Scrubs (2001-2010)
42.) Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)
43.) The Amazing Race (2001- )
44.) The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005- )
45.) Futurama (1999-2003, 2008- )
46.) Community (2009- )
47.) Nip/Tuck (2003-2010)
48.) Smallville (2001- )
49.) The Boondocks (2005- )
50.) Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
22.) Doctor Who (2005- )
23.) Sons of Anarchy (2008- )
24.) Supernatural (2005- )
25.) Weeds (2005- )
26.) Firefly (2002-2002)
27.) The Colbert Report (2005- )
28.) Big Bang Theory (2007- )
29.) Project Runway (2004- )
30.) Survivor (2000- )
31.) Veronica Mars (2004-2007)
32.) Undeclared (2001-2002)
33.) Robot Chicken (2005- )
34.) Justified (2010- )
35.) The Office (US) (2005- )
36.) Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005- )
37.) CSI(s) (2000- )
38.) How I Met Your Mother (2005- )
39.) Slings and Arrows (2003-2006)
40.) The Walking Dead (2010- )
41.) Scrubs (2001-2010)
42.) Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)
43.) The Amazing Race (2001- )
44.) The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005- )
45.) Futurama (1999-2003, 2008- )
46.) Community (2009- )
47.) Nip/Tuck (2003-2010)
48.) Smallville (2001- )
49.) The Boondocks (2005- )
50.) Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
No comments:
Post a Comment