The Best of Television - Early 2007

So, Laura wrote on the blog a few days ago about her favorite television shows. In doing so, she forced my hand. Apparently, I had to also write a list or be kicked out of bed for a night. Not wanting to face the prospect of a restless night on a hard floor without the very comfortable duvet cover was not something that I welcomed.

Thus, it's time to talk some TV.

As some readers might know, Laura and I pretty much do everything together, which includes watching entirely too much television. While we watched virtually everything together, we sure don’t agree on what’s actually worth watching and what’s not.

In fact, my top show is one that Laura only watched for an hour and gave up on. “I don’t do sci-fi” says Laura. Well, Laura, you’re missing out on the best show on television right now.

Here’s the list -

1.) Battlestar Galactica - While I enjoy the odd sci-fi show, I’m not what you would call a sci-fi junkie. I can’t tell you what the different races are in Star Wars, I can’t tell you all the different characters in Star Trek. I watch some sci-fi but I’m not a junkie. That said, Battlestar Galactica is the most wonderful hour of television you’ll watch every week. Sure, it’s one of those show’s where you really do need to see everything from the beginning but what television show isn’t like that these days? Starring Edward James Olmos as Commander Adama, Battlestar Galactica is the last remaining battleship in the human fleet of the 12 colonies. Computers (A.I.) called the Cylons, created by man, have wiped out all but 49,000 of the humans. Now, fleeing from the 12 planets of the colony, the humans are in search of a mythical place called Earth. It’s a damn good premise that relies on politics that mirror modern day struggles, great action scenes and wonderfully constructed characters. This is the best show on television.

2.) Lost – Say what you will about the second season and the first six episodes of the third season but Lost still has it. I never partake in dissing the show, even if there is a weaker episode because I truly believe that the creators have a plan for this show and they are going to kill it when the storyline has played out. The last episode that I saw, in which Desmond goes back in time and discovers that the universe always corrects itself, was pure time traveling brilliance. If you don’t see how time traveling can fit into the show, you might not understand the sly brilliance of this sublime show.

3.) Survivor – It’s the ultimate social experiment and that’s the reason the show has endured for over 11 seasons. It’s the first true reality program and it deserves to be around for another 11 years as long as they can keep the show fresh. Yes, the outline is always the same but it’s the small things that change. These changes always keep the show cutting edge, even if it is not being talked about in the press anymore. Awesome production values and the legendary host Jeff Probst means that Survivor will have a solid place on my list until it gets cancelled. When will that be? Not for a long time.

4.) Heroes – It’s the new show on the block so there’s no proof that show will actually be good next year. But, based on this year's storytelling, this is one of the best shows on television. There are multiple, intriguing storylines that all seem to be connecting as the first season comes to a close. Sure, sometimes you want to hit some of the characters, what, with their refusal to admit they have powers etc. but the show is usually quite solid. To be fair, most of my enjoyment of the show stems from the character of Hiro, who can bend time. He's the best character on television right now and it's criminal to think that he wasn't a character on the show until just before they shot the pilot. Now, if only they killed off Ali Larter's character. That would be awesome.

5.) Smallville - I almost didn't put Smallville on the list. It's a show that is built for a certain type of audience. Either young women and men or comic book nerds. There's not a lot of crossover appeal into the older demographics and frankly, the show can take some wacky liberties at times. Case in point, the whole Lana/Lex marriage thing that is about to go down (and for those of you that watch, if you don't think that Lana is going to have a miscarriage, you're crazy. Extremely crazy). But, I'm putting this on the list because Smallville is going through a real renaissance right now. The 6th season has been extremely entertaining, with the introduction of DC Comics characters like the Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow. Lana is about to discover Clark's secret (somehow, after 6 years, she's finally decided to use some brain power) and Clark is well on his way to becoming Superman. Oh yeah, and there also building to a season finale that is going to kill off staple Smallville character Chloe. That's going to be a heart breaker for Clark and the audience.

So, that's the list as it stands right now. Give any one of these shows a shot (you have to watch from the first episode, though) and you should find some enjoyment.

See you on the other side of the boob tube!