A little delayed in getting these done as I conked out during 30 the opening moments of 30 Rock and had to wait to catch up this weekend. Biggest mover this week is Darryl Philbin of The Office, who creeps up 4 spots into the Top 20. It’s partially at the expense though of old friend Stanley Hudson, who we all love but just isn’t cutting it this year. Liz Lemon was another big mover, up 3 slots, thanks to a memorable moon howling with Buzz Aldrin. The countdown starts up with a new addition to the Top 25:
BIGGEST RISER: Darryl Philbin +4
BIGGEST FALLER: Kevin Malone -3
SAY GOODBYE: Stanley Hudson
HELLO AGAIN: Senior Chang
25. Senior Chang (COM). Stellar Scarface Paintball conclusion. [Previously Unranked]
24. Shirley Bennett (COM ) Lackluster week. [22]
23. Britta Perry (COM). Relieved some necessary tension and made us wish it was HBO. [25]
22. Erin Hannon (OFF). Nothing to the table this week [21]
21. Oscar Martinez (OFF). Ditto [20]
20. Darryl Philbin (OFF). Executing revenge on Andy, finally the camera time I’ve been waiting for. [24]
19. April Ludgate (P&R). Small highlight when she lured a stalker to the telethon. [18]
18. Creed Bratton (OFF). Automatically moved up a notch by referring to Darryl as “Darnell”, as well as “I’ve done a lot worse for a lot less” [19]
17. Jim Halpert (OFF). Had it going on at the opening sequence, along with Pam and the MORSE Code. Then they both evaporated. [17]
16. Troy Barnes (COM). Nothing gained, nothing lost [16]
15. Kevin Malone (OFF). Was “Cookie Monster” his high water mark of the season? [12]
14. Kenneth Parcell (ROCK) Or should we say “Carl”. Time well spent as Jack’s mother’s bitch. [15]
13. Jeff Winger (COM). Relieved the tension and won priority registration. And a non-blue ray DVD player. Good week. [14]
12. Leslie Knope (P&R) Stuck to the routine. Hysterical early on, annoying as hell as 9:00 approached. [11]
11. Pierce Hawthorn (COM). The victim of such a Jeff/Brita-centric episode [10]
10. Liz Lemon (ROCK). Solid interaction with the moms and the aforementioned scene with Buzz Alderin, really a pisser [13]
9. Andy Dwyer (P&R). Steady as she goes. [9]
8. Andy Bernard (OFF). Played the paranoid sucker well [8]
7. Abed Nadir (COM). Out of the Top 5, but still top 10 [5]
6. Tracy Jordan (ROCK). Climbs up a spot with a hysterical search for a mom [7]
5. Dwight Schrute (OFF) “All cases are solved with logic. The only logical way to find out if Donna is a cheater is to seduce her, bring her to orgasm, then call Michael and tell him the sad news”. [6]
4. Tom Haverford (P&R) Drops a spot on the principle of not being able to handle 2 light beers with Detelf Schrempf. [3]
3. Jack Donaghy (ROCK) Four Words: Cream of Mushroom Soup. [4]
2. Michael Scott (OFF). It’s getting closer at the top. As stomach churning as it was, I lost my shit over Mayonnaise and Black Olives. “I’m The Mistress?” [2]
1. Ron Swanson (P&R). Everybody’s favorite sleep fighter fends off the Regional Manger for one more week. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Don't teach a man to fish, and you feed yourself. He's a grown man. Fishing’s not that hard”. [1]
Showing posts with label 30 Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 30 Rock. Show all posts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday Night NBC Power Rankings
Ratings may not reflect it, but Thursday on NBC is quite possibly the greatest night for SitComs since, shit, I don't know when. I know the glory days of The Cosby Show, Friends, Frasier, Seinfeld, etc. were all solid nights, but one through four, I'm totally buying into Community, Parks & Rec, The Office, and 30 Rock.
Not only are they dynamite when it comes to foolish one liners and hysterical plots, but all four are intensely character driven. So while hopped up on some cold meds, unable to comfortably speak and finding myself having staring contests with a coffee cup, it seems like a perfect time to bang out an NCAA style power rankings of the Thursday night characters.
Rankings are based on each character's performance for the entire season.
25. Britta Perry (COM) More ups than downs this year.
24. Darryl Philbin (OFF) Thought his move upstairs would have provided more humor, it hasn't.
23. Stanley Hudson (OFF) Sentimental pick. We need more Stanley. Lots more.
22. Shirley Bennett (COM) Skyrocketed into Top 25 with major performance last night.
21. Erin Hannon (OFF) Rising Star on the flagship show. Her lunch with Michael might have been the season's highlight.
20. Oscar Martinez (OFF) Voice of reason getting more exposure this year. That's a good thing.
19. Creed Bratton (OFF) Could use a little more Creed, but he's best at the awkward one liner, and fits that role perfectly.
18. April Ludgate (P&R) Unlikely youngster becoming indispensible to the show.
17. Jim Halpert (OFF) Slow and steady decline from a one-time stud. Jim the father, Jim the husband, Jim the supervisor (however short lived) just don't compare to original Jim.
16. Troy Barnes (COM) Greatly outplaying expectations.
15. Kenneth Parcell (ROCK) Maybe it's just me, but aside from the one liner, The Page may have run his course. He still brings a lot to the table. He just may have peaked.
14. Jeff Winger (COM) The shtick is a little contrived at times but Community's point guard has shown he can hang with the big dogs.
13. Liz Lemon (ROCK) Season's been a little too Lemon-centric and her standing suffers for it.
12. Kevin Malone (OFF) After lurking in the shadows for a few seasons, Kevin's hitting the prime time. Pregnancy Lunches, Baby noises at Pam's breasts and most recently, the cookie monsters are just a few of the reason's he's knocking on the door of the Top Ten.
11. Leslie Knope (P&R) Every episode, it goes too far. Leslie has you in stitches by 8:35 and by 8:50 you're screaming "Enough"
10. Pierce Hawthorn (COM) Archie Bunker meets Homer Simpson. Nobodies loses in that equation.
9. Andy Dwyer (P&R) Another hidden gem in Parks has been vital to a most successful sophomore campaign.
8. Andy Bernard (OFF) I despised his character in the Stamford office and loathed the decision to bring him to Scranton. But it's been all uphill since he broke off the engagement with Angela. The Nard Dog is for real!
7. Tracy Jordan (ROCK) I suspect if I were doing Thursday Night Power Rankings all along, he'd be a former number one. Recently he's been creeping back into the discussion, I expect the trend to continue, he's got MVP potential.
6. Dwight Schrute (OFF) Many parallels to Jordan, along with the suspicion that a Schrute Rennaisance is coming. He hasn't been at his best this year, but he's regaining his old form.
5. Abed Nadir (COM). Community's gem. Every subplot he's involved him turns to gold. Every main plot is must-see-TV. I have a hunch it will eventually get old, but let's enjoy it while it's fresh.
4. Jack Donaghy (ROCK). Another contender for MVP, there's no such thing as too much Jack.
3. Tom Haverford (P&R). At first, you find him annoying. Then you get used to him. Then you never stop laughing.
2. Michael Scott (OFF). Never gets old, and he's rounding into tip top shape. You can feel a run coming on. "Date Mike". Lunch with Erin. His testicle-and-breast post it notes designating gender in an attempt to learn Spanish. And possibly the funniest moment of the year, when he informed his homosexual employee Oscar that he was scheduled to have a colonoscopy, and was there anything he could do to make the experience more pleasurable for the doctor. We may take him for granted at times but in the end, he nails it every time. That's what she said.
1. Ron Swanson (P&R) Put it bluntly: This has been the year of the Swanson. Highlights too numerous to recount. Turf and Turf. The Breakfast bar at the strip club. Bacon Trail Mix. "I need more Ron Swansons". "Boolay Boolay Boolay". And that moustache. He began the year as just another Thursday night character on a show that may, or may not make it. He finds himself in the homestretch as the MVP.
Not only are they dynamite when it comes to foolish one liners and hysterical plots, but all four are intensely character driven. So while hopped up on some cold meds, unable to comfortably speak and finding myself having staring contests with a coffee cup, it seems like a perfect time to bang out an NCAA style power rankings of the Thursday night characters.
Rankings are based on each character's performance for the entire season.
25. Britta Perry (COM) More ups than downs this year.
24. Darryl Philbin (OFF) Thought his move upstairs would have provided more humor, it hasn't.
23. Stanley Hudson (OFF) Sentimental pick. We need more Stanley. Lots more.
22. Shirley Bennett (COM) Skyrocketed into Top 25 with major performance last night.
21. Erin Hannon (OFF) Rising Star on the flagship show. Her lunch with Michael might have been the season's highlight.
20. Oscar Martinez (OFF) Voice of reason getting more exposure this year. That's a good thing.
19. Creed Bratton (OFF) Could use a little more Creed, but he's best at the awkward one liner, and fits that role perfectly.
18. April Ludgate (P&R) Unlikely youngster becoming indispensible to the show.
17. Jim Halpert (OFF) Slow and steady decline from a one-time stud. Jim the father, Jim the husband, Jim the supervisor (however short lived) just don't compare to original Jim.
16. Troy Barnes (COM) Greatly outplaying expectations.
15. Kenneth Parcell (ROCK) Maybe it's just me, but aside from the one liner, The Page may have run his course. He still brings a lot to the table. He just may have peaked.
14. Jeff Winger (COM) The shtick is a little contrived at times but Community's point guard has shown he can hang with the big dogs.
13. Liz Lemon (ROCK) Season's been a little too Lemon-centric and her standing suffers for it.
12. Kevin Malone (OFF) After lurking in the shadows for a few seasons, Kevin's hitting the prime time. Pregnancy Lunches, Baby noises at Pam's breasts and most recently, the cookie monsters are just a few of the reason's he's knocking on the door of the Top Ten.
11. Leslie Knope (P&R) Every episode, it goes too far. Leslie has you in stitches by 8:35 and by 8:50 you're screaming "Enough"
10. Pierce Hawthorn (COM) Archie Bunker meets Homer Simpson. Nobodies loses in that equation.
9. Andy Dwyer (P&R) Another hidden gem in Parks has been vital to a most successful sophomore campaign.
8. Andy Bernard (OFF) I despised his character in the Stamford office and loathed the decision to bring him to Scranton. But it's been all uphill since he broke off the engagement with Angela. The Nard Dog is for real!
7. Tracy Jordan (ROCK) I suspect if I were doing Thursday Night Power Rankings all along, he'd be a former number one. Recently he's been creeping back into the discussion, I expect the trend to continue, he's got MVP potential.
6. Dwight Schrute (OFF) Many parallels to Jordan, along with the suspicion that a Schrute Rennaisance is coming. He hasn't been at his best this year, but he's regaining his old form.
5. Abed Nadir (COM). Community's gem. Every subplot he's involved him turns to gold. Every main plot is must-see-TV. I have a hunch it will eventually get old, but let's enjoy it while it's fresh.
4. Jack Donaghy (ROCK). Another contender for MVP, there's no such thing as too much Jack.
3. Tom Haverford (P&R). At first, you find him annoying. Then you get used to him. Then you never stop laughing.
2. Michael Scott (OFF). Never gets old, and he's rounding into tip top shape. You can feel a run coming on. "Date Mike". Lunch with Erin. His testicle-and-breast post it notes designating gender in an attempt to learn Spanish. And possibly the funniest moment of the year, when he informed his homosexual employee Oscar that he was scheduled to have a colonoscopy, and was there anything he could do to make the experience more pleasurable for the doctor. We may take him for granted at times but in the end, he nails it every time. That's what she said.
1. Ron Swanson (P&R) Put it bluntly: This has been the year of the Swanson. Highlights too numerous to recount. Turf and Turf. The Breakfast bar at the strip club. Bacon Trail Mix. "I need more Ron Swansons". "Boolay Boolay Boolay". And that moustache. He began the year as just another Thursday night character on a show that may, or may not make it. He finds himself in the homestretch as the MVP.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Top 20 TV Shows of the Decade: #10 - #6
The top 5 are extremely close, but these five were the hardest of all to seperate for me. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of these shows, and still do for the ones that we're lucky enough to still get new material from...
#10. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. If you want to sum up the state of the American Intellect with one fact, it’s that American Idol became a runaway ratings bonanza while Arrested Development could only muster up about 37 people a week to tune in. Luckily for me, I think I know about 23 of those 37 people. While many shows have followed suit, AD was the one of the first to abandon the laugh track and go documentary/single camera POV style. And if you go back now and watch a show with a laugh track it seems so contrived and forced, a stunning development coming just as the sitcom was saying goodbye to Friends, Frazier, Seinfeld and everything else that used to make NBC not a laughing stock.
#9. LOST. Nobody hates Lost more than the people who love it. But no show in television history has ever inspired so much chatter and speculation as this island mystery. Not it’s ancestors “Twin Peaks” or “The X-Files”. Not it’s rip-offs like “Fringe”. From the minute we saw the polar bear or heard the island monster, every scene, every character, every detail has been overanalyzed and broken down to whatever conclusion you’d prefer to assign to it. I think the defining moment of the show came off-camera. After Season 3 the network and staff decided to give the show a finite end date (Spring 2010 season) which in retrospect was absolutely brilliant. Free from concern over ratings or dangling just enough info to keep people tuning in each week or each season, the writers charted a time specific course to bring the show to it’s long awaited conclusion. Some people have been disappointed with the direction the show has taken – yet they still tune in on a weekly basis. Which means Lost is still doing its job.
#8. 30 ROCK. I’ll say it right now: Liz Lemon is the best lead female character in television history. Now that that’s out of the way, if you’re not watching 30 Rock every week, you’re living a deprived life. Every character is so integral and perfectly cast that you’re really not going to be left disappointed on a weekly basis. The satirical commentary on Fortune 100 Executive life, portrayed through Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghee is one of the greater signs of the times this decade. Tracy Morgan’s Tracy Jordan (do I have that right?) is possibly the funniest character on TV. Just last night he let us know that reason Catholics can’t eat meat on Friday is because the Pope owns Long John Silver. And that might not even be one of his 20 funniest moments in 4 seasons or so.
#7. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. The television graveyard has its share of shows that attempted to tap into the American obsession with sports. Most are forgettable, few make it past mid-season (“Coach” is the only show I can recall with some success). But FNL finally got it right. The reality of the show is, football is just a very small part of the action. However, it serves as the launching pad for everything else on the program, and in a more macro sense, in life. My first reaction to the program was great, it’s going to be 90210 with jocks and cheerleaders, thanks but I’ll pass I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m eternally grateful that I watched beyond the first episode - where the star QB heading to Notre Dame becomes paralyzed, seemingly right out of the Official Cliché Playbook.
And while some storylines seem a tad bit over-the-top, at its absolute core, the show is a genuine tale of the American livelihood. Sure, it’s Texas-centric but remove the cowboy hats and television coverage of high school athletics and the struggles and relationships can be found in any old American town. The ultimate irony is, a show which my first impressions pointed me towards believing it was a run-of-the-mill typical high school “drama” turned out to be completely incomparable to anything else on television. And a big shout-out to Buddy Garrity – one of the more uniquely entertaining characters on screen.
#6. THE OFFICE. I have to admit how close this batch of shows from #10 down to #6 really was. Some are similar, some are unique, but I love them all. The deciding factor for me was to take a breath, step back, and ask myself “How much do I look forward to seeing X”. And in the narrowest of decisions, The Office wins. While it’s hard to call an adaptation of a foreign program “Original”, The Office hit a homerun in conveying the last frontier of American Life on television: mundane cubicle white collar work. We’ve covered the changing family dynamic from “Leave it to Beaver” to “Modern Family”. We’ve done the Blue Collar thing over and over again, be it “Taxi” or “Roseanne”. We’ve been to the inner city, suburbs and tax brackets we can only dream of. But a large segment of the population works in a boring, repetitive office and “The Office” exploits the ridiculous nature of the humdrum work day in a manner that millions of Americans can relate to.
Not every boss is Michael Scott per say, with his questionable decision making and apparent intellectual defect. But most people probably think that they, like the cast, are eminently more qualified for the leadership position than their boss is. One could spend hours recapping the funniest moments of the series on an episode-by-episode basis, but that’s not what makes “The Office” great. No, what makes it great is its ability to hit home for millions of Americans across all lines: gender, orientation, race, ethnicity, education and values. If you haven’t tuned in it’s your loss.
You HAVE to see this.
Thats what she said.
#10. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. If you want to sum up the state of the American Intellect with one fact, it’s that American Idol became a runaway ratings bonanza while Arrested Development could only muster up about 37 people a week to tune in. Luckily for me, I think I know about 23 of those 37 people. While many shows have followed suit, AD was the one of the first to abandon the laugh track and go documentary/single camera POV style. And if you go back now and watch a show with a laugh track it seems so contrived and forced, a stunning development coming just as the sitcom was saying goodbye to Friends, Frazier, Seinfeld and everything else that used to make NBC not a laughing stock.
#9. LOST. Nobody hates Lost more than the people who love it. But no show in television history has ever inspired so much chatter and speculation as this island mystery. Not it’s ancestors “Twin Peaks” or “The X-Files”. Not it’s rip-offs like “Fringe”. From the minute we saw the polar bear or heard the island monster, every scene, every character, every detail has been overanalyzed and broken down to whatever conclusion you’d prefer to assign to it. I think the defining moment of the show came off-camera. After Season 3 the network and staff decided to give the show a finite end date (Spring 2010 season) which in retrospect was absolutely brilliant. Free from concern over ratings or dangling just enough info to keep people tuning in each week or each season, the writers charted a time specific course to bring the show to it’s long awaited conclusion. Some people have been disappointed with the direction the show has taken – yet they still tune in on a weekly basis. Which means Lost is still doing its job.
#8. 30 ROCK. I’ll say it right now: Liz Lemon is the best lead female character in television history. Now that that’s out of the way, if you’re not watching 30 Rock every week, you’re living a deprived life. Every character is so integral and perfectly cast that you’re really not going to be left disappointed on a weekly basis. The satirical commentary on Fortune 100 Executive life, portrayed through Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghee is one of the greater signs of the times this decade. Tracy Morgan’s Tracy Jordan (do I have that right?) is possibly the funniest character on TV. Just last night he let us know that reason Catholics can’t eat meat on Friday is because the Pope owns Long John Silver. And that might not even be one of his 20 funniest moments in 4 seasons or so.
#7. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. The television graveyard has its share of shows that attempted to tap into the American obsession with sports. Most are forgettable, few make it past mid-season (“Coach” is the only show I can recall with some success). But FNL finally got it right. The reality of the show is, football is just a very small part of the action. However, it serves as the launching pad for everything else on the program, and in a more macro sense, in life. My first reaction to the program was great, it’s going to be 90210 with jocks and cheerleaders, thanks but I’ll pass I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m eternally grateful that I watched beyond the first episode - where the star QB heading to Notre Dame becomes paralyzed, seemingly right out of the Official Cliché Playbook.
And while some storylines seem a tad bit over-the-top, at its absolute core, the show is a genuine tale of the American livelihood. Sure, it’s Texas-centric but remove the cowboy hats and television coverage of high school athletics and the struggles and relationships can be found in any old American town. The ultimate irony is, a show which my first impressions pointed me towards believing it was a run-of-the-mill typical high school “drama” turned out to be completely incomparable to anything else on television. And a big shout-out to Buddy Garrity – one of the more uniquely entertaining characters on screen.
#6. THE OFFICE. I have to admit how close this batch of shows from #10 down to #6 really was. Some are similar, some are unique, but I love them all. The deciding factor for me was to take a breath, step back, and ask myself “How much do I look forward to seeing X”. And in the narrowest of decisions, The Office wins. While it’s hard to call an adaptation of a foreign program “Original”, The Office hit a homerun in conveying the last frontier of American Life on television: mundane cubicle white collar work. We’ve covered the changing family dynamic from “Leave it to Beaver” to “Modern Family”. We’ve done the Blue Collar thing over and over again, be it “Taxi” or “Roseanne”. We’ve been to the inner city, suburbs and tax brackets we can only dream of. But a large segment of the population works in a boring, repetitive office and “The Office” exploits the ridiculous nature of the humdrum work day in a manner that millions of Americans can relate to.
Not every boss is Michael Scott per say, with his questionable decision making and apparent intellectual defect. But most people probably think that they, like the cast, are eminently more qualified for the leadership position than their boss is. One could spend hours recapping the funniest moments of the series on an episode-by-episode basis, but that’s not what makes “The Office” great. No, what makes it great is its ability to hit home for millions of Americans across all lines: gender, orientation, race, ethnicity, education and values. If you haven’t tuned in it’s your loss.
You HAVE to see this.
Thats what she said.
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