Top 10 TV Shows You NEED to Watch... That You Probably Haven't

Hey guys,

I'm trying to get some more top ten lists out while I feel like it because I feel that I will reach a time where I won't want to do any or won't have time. So consider the frequency of my posts as a blessing (or a curse). Today's list will stur up a few people as I tackle the Top 10 shows that you need to watch, immediately. By this I mean you need to put the first season (if available) on your Netflix queue, or go to your local Blockbuster (quick before they go under!) and grab it up.

Now, I totally understand that you guys might not completely agree with the ORDER of this list. To those who don't...well... tough cookies it's my blog. But I do understand if the order is different for other people. Here we go:






10) Wonderfalls (2004)





Now, I do have to give credit to one Josh Holden, my fellow co-worker at Bluefish, for tipping me off on about half of these shows. This is one of them. It is about a girl who works at Niagara Falls at one of the souvenir shops who all the sudden is able to see inanimate objects talk to her. They always speak in one sentence riddles that generally pushes the episode forward. It also stars Lee Pace, a great actor who plays Ned the Piemaker in Pushing Daises, as well as the dreamily trippy movie, The Fall. I strongly suggest that you RENT this series first, then if you like it enough, you can buy it. It was also cancelled by Fox for poor ratings, only airing 4 episodes. But on the DVD there are 9 more episodes, rounding out the series to a small 13 episodes.







9) Undeclared (2001)




This is one of two Judd Apatow produced shows on this list. It starts Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder's Jay Baruchel as Steven Karp, a freshman at UNEC (get it, eunuch?). This was also cancelled prematurely, after only 15 episodes (the DVD contains 17). It also co-stars Seth Rogen. And Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man) is a prominent recurring character, playing the ex-boyfriend of Lizzie, played by Carla Gallo (who is also featured in another series on this list). This series is a great look at the college life (not really like Baylor though) through the eyes of a college freshman. It is sweet, funny, and features great appearances by Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, and Kevin O. Rankin (who plays a paraplegic on Friday Night Lights). It features many other familiar faces in the Apatow-verse as well. I would highly recommend renting this series.






8) True Blood (2008-present)





True Blood is about a world that vampires have "come out of the coffin" in society after the Japanese come up with a blood synthetic that would replace the need for vampires to feed on humans. I wasn't too sure about True Blood when I first watched it. It was a little raunchy and the characters were rather irritating. Anna Paquin's accent bugged me and the vampire lead just felt flat. But as I continued to watch, it became one of my favorite shows of 2008. The sex practically vanished after 5 episodes (well, not completely, but it was cut down massively), Anna Paquin grew on me, and the story arc all of the sudden got awesome. It's the classic who's-the-killer plotline, but I didn't know who the killer was until they cleverly revealed it. I probably guessed it would have been this character some time, but I never settled on it. The horror genre always fascinates me and I thought that this series put a nice Cajun twist on the vampire mythos. Great cliffhangers too!






7) Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-present)






Larry David is a genius. The creator of Seinfeld didn't have to work again for the rest of his life after selling his syndication rights of Seinfeld for 200 million dollars! 200 Million! But instead of just sitting around counting his money, he decides to create another TV show that might even be better than Seinfeld. Yeah, I said it. A lot of that might be because Seinfeld was tailor made for a studio audience (which often times waters down the more adult humor) and Curb had no limit on where it could go. But I think I laugh more during Curb than I do during Seinfeld, probably because I don't have an audience laughing with me. I can decide when to laugh or not. And I LOVE making my own decisions. Pretty much, Curb is pseudo-real-life about Larry David's career and life after Seinfeld. Most of the actors in it play themselves, except for Larry's wife (the AWESOME Cheryl Hines, just want until she gets caught in a car wash, priceless) and Larry's agent. Ted Danson and Mary Steenbergen (sp?) are recurring and I hear that the entire cast of Seinfeld will be on it next season! I can't wait. Must watch, it's pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.




6) Friday Night Lights (2006-present)






I feel like this show would be higher on my list if I was caught up on it. I've only seen the first 2 seasons of it, and it is freaking fantastic. It is one of those critically acclaimed, ratings-challenged shows that was destined to be cancelled and rediscovered on DVD. But, somehow, the powers that be moved it to DirecTV, allowing it to survive through 3 seasons, and it's likely 4th and final. It's based on the movie, which was based on the book, but it's pretty much different in everyway. Except for the fact that Connie Britton plays the wife in the movie and the TV show. But that's besides the point.

Kyle Chandler owns as Coach Taylor, the toughest coach you would LOVE to play for. If my coaches of old acted the way that Coach Taylor does, I would have won 3 state championships in every sport ever. And you wouldn't think that coming from the actor who was the lead in the sappy show Early Edition. But Kyle Chandler deserves some serious props. As does the rest of the cast. I actually know the guy who plays Glenn, one of the school's counselors, and he always says how awesome every body is in person as well. The guy who plays Riggins is Gambit in Wolverine, and Landry (aka retarded red-headed Matt Damon) rapidly became my favorite character in Season 2. And he can't go wrong having 24's Aaron Pierce as a father. I can't say enough about this show, other than I need to catch up fast!




5) The Wire (2002-2008)






I feel like this will also creep up the list because I just started season 3. But, based on the fact that I'm barely through 2 seasons of it and its already number 5, means that this show is awesome. And it's a different type of awesome. It took me most of season 1 for me to really appreciate it because it's so different than anything I've ever seen. The amount of time this show spends on character development is insane. It's about the ongoing drug war between the Baltimore police and its drugpushers (but then again, I hear season 4 is all about Baltimore schooling, and McNulty is barely in it?? That's crazy talk!). But as the show progresses, I start loving every character in it. From McNulty to Ziggy to Herc to Omar. Omar is quite frankly, the baddest dude on the planet. Think the ghetto's Robin Hood. That's pretty much sums him up (and yes, he's gay, too) But this is a show that defies what we consider good TV. When I thought of good TV before The Wire, I thought of shows like Lost. A great story with a bombshell of a cliffhanger at every commercial break with that crazy intense music (ie Manufactored drama). Don't get me wrong, I still love Lost, but The Wire doesn't waste its time trying to grab you at the end of each episode. It has a story to tell, and by the end of the first season, you realized that you just got got. Can't wait to finish it.






4) Carnivale (2003-2005)






I consider this my favorite drama of all time. It delves into the supernatural, the spiritual and is a fresh take of Good vs. Evil. It only lasts 2 seasons, and ends on a cliffhanger that makes me want closure. Give me something, another season, a movie, i dont care. But at the same time, that ending preserves all that came before. It's all about brilliant storytelling. It doesn't have dialogue of exposition. It shows you things. It doesn't spell it all out for you. It lets you put the pieces together. It's about a traveling carnival during the Great Depression. Every generation, there is a creature of darkness and a creature of light. But it all takes place in a very real world. It's just so brilliantly realized. I would recommend a blind buy of both seasons. If you don't like it... give it to me I don't own it yet.






3) Dexter (2006-present)






This is my favorite show on air right now. Yes, it is considered a drama, but it's too much fun to be a drama. Michael C. Hall is the best actor on television right now. He took that over when The Wire ended his run (Omar.Is.The.Man). It's about a man named Dexter who happens to be a serial killer. He is a blood spatter expert for the Miami PD. But he also kills people. But only those who have escaped the judicial system due to a loophole or misplaced evidence (does Dexter sometimes destroy or tamper with evidence so he can kill people? Yes. Yes he does). He was raised by a cop that knew what he was and he taught Dexter a code to live by. So, on the outside, he is a well liked, well respected forensics expert, but on the inside (thanks to Michael C. Hall's killer deadpan voiceover), he is an emotionless addict looking for his next "fix." So the contrast between who he pretends to be and who he really is creates a dark comedic tone that makes this show irresistible. Whatever season the show is on, I think that it's the best season. Then I watch some of the earlier seasons, and I change my mind. Either way, it's fantastic. The best show on television.







2) Freaks and Geeks (1999)






This show is about high school. In 1980-81. Freaks. And Geeks. That's all you need to know.


This is the show with the biggest heart. Fox didn't know what it had. It only ran for 12 episodes, but it already completed 18. So it was cut down before its prime. This is where Judd Apatow really made his mark. So many of the cast is huge now: Linda Cardellini (Wendy) is a lead on ER, Seth Rogen and James Franco need no introduction, and Martin Starr (Adventureland, Knocked Up). It also featured a slew of before-they-were-famous cameos:
Shia LaBeouf
Ben Foster
Jason Schwartzman
Rashida Jones

And. It has Biff from Back to the Future. A lot. I love this show so much. It has so much heart and its so funny. It's really hard to disect it. You just need to watch it. NOW (but please finish the list).

I feel like I haven't said enough about this show. This is the best TV show Josh Holden has ever let me borrow. I cannot stress enough how sweet-hearted this show is. You fall in love with all the characters and every actor gets a chance to shine. It's no wonder Apatow is the king of comedy right now. Franco is great here, too. Glad he finally went back to comedies. Here's to a reunion show!





1) Arrested Development (2003-2006)







In my mind, the single funniest show of all time. Screw Seinfeld, Family Guy, The Office, 30 Rock (for the record, still love those shows). This is the best written, best acted, best edited comedy of all time. The cast is perfect. Redefines the dysfunctional family stereotype (did it need redefining? Doesn't matter) . Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffery Tambor, HENRY WINKLER, and awesome voiceover by Ron freakin' Howard. It's about a family struggling to stay together when the father gets thrown into jail for fudging the books at their real estate firm (firm? Is it a firm? Let's play it safe with company). You have to start at the beginning and give it at least FOUR episodes. Then tell me you don't like it. And if you do, ah, what am I saying? That would be impossible...

Everything about this show is funny. Every episode I change my mind on who my favorite character is. Not to mention all of the awesome, AWESOME guest appearances: Carl Weathers, Scott Baio, Justine Bateman, Zach Braff, John Laraquette, Judge Reinhold, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Judy Greer, John Michael Higgins, Ben Stiller, Charlize Theron,Amy Poehler, and Liza Manelli. Phew. And there are so many, many more that I am forgetting.

Man, I wish I could tell you some of the jokes/running gags but it's too hard to describe. Trust me. It's the funniest show of all time. And it was canceled by Fox. So. I'm beginning to see a pattern with Fox.



Thanks for reading. Fly Southwest. You are now free to move about the country.

(Trying to get some sponsorship. You would too)





-SOAB


(I just realized that by signing it SOFAB is kind of like SO FABULOUS!!! So I'll dial it down a bit)