Fall Television Review

It's that time of year again: it's time to take a look at all the best shows on television. During the summer I ranked the shows and last year I just wrote my feelings on each one. This year? We go with superlatives like we're in our Senior year of High School. I have to admit: I don't watch every show on TV and I'm not a big fan of reality television. But here's what I got:

Claire Daines' Homeland is the Best New Show on TV (Showtime)

Best Show: Breaking Bad

This wasn't Breaking's best season (Season 3 certainly was), and there were some flaws to this season, but there is still no doubt this is the best show on television. Things with Walter White started out pretty poor when the season started and the show wasn't at its best for much of the season, but the leadup to the finale and then the finale itself were edge-of-your-seat awesomeness. I don't think I breathed for about 5 weeks as I watched the three-way showdown between Gus, Walter, and Jesse unfold. Mr. White and Mr. Pink (what else should I call Mr. Pink-man?) started out facing the blade of a boxcutter, but ended the season with their faces still in tact--which is much more than we can say for some characters (most brilliantly gif'ed here). Fabulous show that I miss already and cannot wait to see how they end it. Bonus Thought: It took me a week to be convinced that Walter White was responsible for a kid being poisoned. I don't know why, but it took me forever to feel like that was actually his doing despite the end of the episode. And I, like everyone else, should have realized what was going to happen in the episode as LOST's Damon Lindelof wrote on Twitter: "@DamonLindelof: The true brilliance of what happened last night is that we should have been spoiled by the TITLE OF THE SHOW ITSELF... and yet? Shocker."

Best New Show: Homeland

If 24 has to be off the air, at least I now have Homeland. It's gripping, engaging and all-too-real. And I have to agree with the critics who love this show. And we're three freaking episodes in! If I told you Claire Daines was going to star in a hit a thriller of a television show, you would have probably thought I was as bat-shit crazy as she seems to be on the show (and while she is great, she's nowhere near the top actor as Damian Lewis has stolen the show so far). But the writing is fantastic, the background stories have been engaging and, in true 24 fashion, I have no clue whatsoever where this show is going. I have my theories, of course, and I've read theories on line, but like Season 1 of 24, I don't feel like I can trust anyone (damn you, Nina Myers--you've ruined my TV innocence). I've really enjoyed it so far and, for bonus points, the people behind the show really love boobs. Bonus Thought: Saul=Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride. Thank you IMDB for helping me make that connection!

Funniest Show: It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
 

It was a close one here, but I'm giving the award to Sunny. The best shows, in my opinion, find the line and cross it just enough to get the joke. The Office and Family Guy have made a habit of crossing it and just staying on the other side until everyone is uncomfortable and South Park has actually found it both episodes this season making it a close second here (after a terrible last season). Sunny isn't always on and the jokes aren't always as big of a hit as they seem like they should be, but I still think it's the one that makes me hurt from laughing the most. Bonus Thought: I felt like Mac's character was getting old but Big Mac has been amazing this season, from the opening episode when he was diagnosed with "dia-bettis".

Best Comedy: Parks and Recreation

I know it's a subtle difference, but I truly feel that Parks and Rec is a better all-around show than Sunny or anything else out there. Amy Poehler shines and Ron f'ing Swanson f'ing rocks. Parks and Rec is what The Office was when it was good (which just took tough-to-watch scenes involving Michael and put Andy in that role--literally and figuratively). If you were to draft characters from both Office and Parks and Rec into one fantasy show team, your top three picks would have be Ron Swanson, Tom Haverford and Leslie Knope, right? Bonus Thought: I wasn't a big fan of bringing Adam Scott and Rob Lowe onto the show at first but if "Pawnee Rangers" didn't cement their place on the show ("treat yo-self!"), then I don't know what did.

Most Disappointing Show: Dexter

And I say this only because I love the show and my expectations are so high but once John Lithgow was killed off, the show went downhill. It still has its moments and this is no fault of Michael C. Hall, who is fantastic, but the show just doesn't have that same feeling anymore to the point where I'm almost bored with it. Sad as that is to say. Colin Hanks and "Mos" (as Mos Def is calling himself now, it seems) have a chance to bring this show back a bit, but when you're relying on those two, it feels somewhat desperate. Bonus Thought: I think the second place award here goes to Boardwalk Empire which has been pretty underwhelming so far this season. Then again, it didn't get good until about 4 episodes in last year so maybe this is about the time...

Worst Show I'm Still Watching: Weeds

Last summer I went into the ocean with my glasses on and lost them in the ocean...and I think my decision to continue watching Weeds this season because I thought New York would be a nice change of scenery may have been the most mind-numbingly dumb decision I've made in two summers. Just awful. I'm still upset with myself. Bonus Thought: Jersey Shore was a [distant] second here. Like a give a shit about Ronnie and Sammy. I'm not sure who I was more excited might be out for a season because of a concussion: The Situation or Michael Vick. Still disappointed the answer was neither.

Show I Miss the Most: Mad Men

It should go a long way to a show's ego when a network releases two shows PanAm and Playboy Club (or whatever it was called) to try to copy your success and they crash and burn so miserably. Come back Don Draper, the world needs more of you. Bonus Thought: if they ever made a made-for-TV movie about Mitt Romney, I think Jon Hamm would play him well. He has the look. And Don Draper has the lying ability. It's perfect.

Best Cartoon: Archer

South Park has been great for two episodes, Family Guy has had a pretty nice bounceback season, and The Simpsons is still on TV (it's a compliment), but very few cartoons get as deliciously funny as Archer does. It's Arrested Development as a cartoon. How can you not watch? Bonus Thought: Speaking of "shows I miss the most", I cannot wait for Arrested to come back. Finally!

Drama I Need to Be Watching: The Walking Dead

There is a PIT test for watching new television shows. PIT stands for People I Trust. It's made up of TV critics (Alan Sepinwall of Hitfix and James Poniewozik of TIME among them), a very select group of friends and my dad. My dad would probably never watch this show, but enough other PITs have told me I need to start watching Walking Dead, that I feel like I need to quickly go back and watch all of Season 1 so I can be caught up. Bonus Thought: Most shows I become the PIT for my dad nowadays but he was the one who suggested I watch 24, and for that, he will always be a PIT.

Comedy I Need to be Watching: Modern Family

Enough PITs have told me that I need to start watching already. I've actually had the backlash here where everyone goes "I can't believe you don't watch Modern Family" like everyone tells me "I can't believe you don't watch Curb Your Enthusiasm". Screw you, people, I'll watch what I want. Bonus Thought: While I've watched a few episodes of Curb and disliked it, the episodes of Modern Family that I've seen have been funny. So there's the difference in my mind.

What shows am I missing on here or which shoes would you have left out? Let me know in the comments below. I know I left out shows like SVU (missing Stabler) and Entourage (Miss ya...but not really) and The Daily Show (funny as ever) and How I Met Your Mother (Show I Most Wish Would Get To the Ending) and anything with the Kardashians (Show I most wish my fiancee didn't watch in my presence--tied with Glee). The floor is yours to speak your mind.