Top Ten of 2009 - Best in Show

#1 - Lost – The mythology that this series has created, and it’s fascinating (and very complex) universe have kept me enthralled since the first episode, and as things are getting ready to wrap up this final season, I am literally on pins and needles wondering how all this is going to work out. With all of the different storylines going on and the insidious knots between all of them, this show makes your head spin but it is a great ride. This is the best written thing on TV, the most complex and enthralling story that I have seen since Twin Peaks, and it will be a sad day once it is finished. Thankfully, I have my Dharma Orientation Kit to help clear up some of the basic points but I am dying to know more about the mysterious statue on the Island and how it all ties into Richard and Jacob and Locke. Has time been changed by the group in the past or has it already happened for the present day events to be taking place? All these paradoxes will not be answered until February. One of the Best Shows ever!

#2 - Glee – It is probably no surprise that this show is way up at near the top of the list, it has an amazingly talented cast, great songs and writing and every episode has made me smile. I have been literally blown away by the quality of the performances and a special nod to Rachel (Lia Michele) and the over the top Sue (Jane Lynch) who surprise me each episode. I love that the leading guy is Canadian, and it is so cool to have a character like Kurt (played by the fabulous Chris Colfer) that is a positive gay role model for teens. This is way beyond the sanitary High School Musical, and is a more realistic representation of a modern High School and the real problems that real teens have to face. It has been a long time since there has been a musical series on the air, and the ratings seem to be holding well so I am crossing my fingers and hoping for a full season or three.

#3 - Supernatural - The Apocalypse storyline has been fantastic, and our brothers are learning that they need to rely on each other as it all goes to Hell. The duality of the Winchesters and their fight against the big bad Evil is all gripping stuff and has even been heart wrenching as those around them pay a heavy price for this ultimate good vs. evil battle, but there is still hope on the horizon. The great thing is that even with the end of the world, the guys have still managed to skate a fine line with some very funny stuff tempering all of the bad, and they are both so damn funny and sexy it is a worthwhile diversion each week. I have jumped out of my skin several times this past season as there has been some great horror writing, but I think the parody stuff that they do (The TV episode was hilarious with Dr.Sexy) and all of the geek stuff like the Fan Conventions and all the tongue in cheek self references like the book series is what makes the series so much fun. I hope this is not the final season and we can see more adventures with the Winchesters.

#4 - Doctor Who - This past season was extremely short due to the limited availability of David Tennant, but they did manage to wrap up a few storylines and end the series on an emotional note. This current series was my first experience with the Doctor, and I have loved all the different trips that we have been on over the past 5 years. I will miss that sassy humour ( I am still chuckling over the “ Worst rescue ever” line from the finale) and the quick wit that comes with a well written story, and this series has forever changed my view of sci fi. I must admit that I have been spoilt with this well crafted series, and I have some trepidation to check out the new adventures when they start, but have to say that I have been smitten by a masterful series and hope to see more of these Who Universe Characters. I don’t know if Russell T. Davies will be involved with any of the other characters, but I am hoping for better resolution with our friends from Torchwood. It feels strange to mourn for a character that is gone but not really dead, just completely changed in to some one new.

#5 - Bones- The story lines this year were back on track as Brennan and Booth continue their awkward mating dance. I know they like to keep the sexual tension going (it seems to be the thing in this genre of show), but it would be nice to see them actually hook up, and not just in dream land. The rotating interns have been a hilarious addition to the cast this year, and this show seems to get better with each season as the ensemble gels more and more. Not only does this show have some of the most creative episode names ( The Dwarf in the Dirt), but the interaction between all of the cast is so hilarious that the comedic side really helps temper all of the death that permeates this series. I still want to see Hodgins and Angela get back together, but all the various distractions with Angela along the road have been hilarious. Cam has rounded things out nicely as the mostly no nonsense kind of boss (with mixed results) and I will say it again, I am still convinced that Sweets is not all that he appears and may turn out to be the new Gormogon who has been curiously absent this past season… so far.. anyways… the series is highly underrated and David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel are not given enough credit, they are damn funny and sexy together.

#6 – The Big Bang Theory – This has to be the King of the Geek shows, and I love the intellectual/scientific and geek humour and the great way they are developing each of the characters as the show grows. I am really happy to see the balance between Penny and Leonard, and even happier that they have not ignored the comedic genius of Johnny Galeki (Leonard) who is a tad more subtle than Sheldon but can really deliver some killer lines. The balance of his relationship with Penny (who has really learned how to hold her ground and kick some geek butt) and Sheldon is priceless and over the top most of the time. The comedic timing is killer on this series, and I love how they have been rounding out the Raj and Howard characters and making a better synergy amongst our herd of geeks and the hot chick. The recent appearance of Christine Baranski as Leonard’s mother was hilarious and I am hoping to see more of her. I would kill to have half of the geek stuff that litters their apartment (not to mention have their cash for all that loot) and Sheldon has go to have one of the best tee shirt collections, ever.

#7 - Smallville – I am not the only one that noticed that this show is so much better sans Lana and all the emotional tripe that came with that character. Erica Durance’s portrayal of Lois is dead on and she has created the right balance with our hero in the making. I wish that they would go more towards his costume instead of the black crap, and they really need to let the guy fly (it’s ridiculous that he is not yet at this point) but they are writing some good stories, and I have been loving the guest appearances by other heroes (well, the Smallville versions) from the DC Universe. This year’s storyline is interesting, they do seem to be trying to find a balance with all the characters but I still find that they are a tad harsh on Chloe. I am digging the whole Watch Tower idea and having a central point to coordinate everything, but they seem to be having a problem fleshing her character out more into the Oracle inspired one that they are working with. I do like seeing Chloe getting a bit more cutthroat about things (her rehab of Ollie was priceless), but get tired of the keeping secrets crap with her and Clark. There is a ton of emotional baggage on this show that makes things a tad too teenage-drama, but things are maturing slowly but surely.None the less, this season is really surprising me and I can hardly wait to see the upcoming event with the Justice Society! Is it too much to ask for more Clark in tights?

#8 – Better off Ted – The pacing of this show and the hysterical cast of characters at Veridian Dynamics have made this show a real chuckle fest each time is has played. I loved the first episodes and the introduction of Ted, Linda, Lem, Phil and Veronica and the strange corporate entity that they work for. Ted is the “straight man” of the group, playing the glue that tries to hold it all together, but it is Veronica (Portia De Rossi) who steals the show as the tough as nails/cold hearted bitch that runs everything. Everyone fears her, and she is priceless as she quips things like “God, you people are paranoid. No wonder the company has to secretly manipulate you.” The series has no qualms about being politically correct, and has confronted different issues about the workplace from office romances to genetically manipulating the employees. I really hope this series is around for a few more seasons, it’s has been a hilarious ride so far, and I love the fake commercials from Veridian that pepper the series. Making your world better. Whether you want us to or not.

#9 – Modern Family – It is a big change for the Top Ten list this year as there are several comedies that made the list, and this show has been hilarious since it’s premieire episode. I initially checked it out as I wanted to see how the gay couple was going to be portrayed, and was so pleasantly surprised with Cameron & Mitchell and the baby adoption storyline (which must be making some Fundamentalist heads spin) which has been very well protrayed. The characters are hilarious and Cam saying “ Yes, I've gained a few extra pounds while we were expecting the baby... but that's science. You can't fight it.” had me rolling on the floor and I was instantly addicted to this show. The combination of all of the extended family (including Shelly Long as the ex wife) has had me laughing my ass off, and hats off to the daughter Alex, who steals many an episode with her dead pan delivery of intellectual zingers that mystify her less brainy brother and sister.Good writing always makes for a funny show and the writers are fantastic, and the cast very, very funny.

#10 -DollHouse– I have to say that I worship at the altar of Joss Whedon, and even though the series is being cancelled, and the premise a little sensitive (and a tad unsettling at times), I have loved the development of characters and the weird and wonderful universe that Joss has created and will miss yet another show once it is finished burning off the last episodes. Eliza Dushku is stunning as Echo, and I have really enjoyed seeing Tahmoh Penikett since his appearances in Battlestar Galactica, but the real revelation has been Olivia Williams as Adelle DeWitt. She is an extreme force to watch out for and has really turned into a fascinating character. As expected, the series was not well received by the general public, and it’s a shame as it is well written and fascinating to watch. I love getting spoiled and seeing other actors from some of the other series that Joss has done who have appeared on the show, and hope to see Joss writing another TV series soon. There is a void on the air that can only be filled by him.

Almost made the List: Sarah Jane Adventures, Burn Notice, Chuck, Eureka

Brilliant yet cancelled: Pushing Daisies, Samantha Who?, MadTV, Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles, Battlestar Galactica (all things must end unfortunately)

Fallen from Grace: Torchwood, Heroes

Biggest Disappointment: DollHouse (yup it made the list but stumbled terribly and was too hit and miss... a shame..., Stargate Universe, V, Flash Forward

Best Promo Photo:

Weekend Rant - Holiday Time

Having already past Canadian Thanksgiving (last month) we are now at Turkey Time in the USA and the holidays are just around the corner. Things are starting to wrap up for the Fall season, and some of the shows won't be back until February.

I am still not completely sold on the remake of V, but curious enough to want to see more and how things will develop. I still think they missed out on creating more buzz, and they should have shown more of the aliens and their dastardly plans for the Earth to keep everyone hooked, but there was some plot development and I like some of the actors so I am hoping to see more.
Dancing with the Stars surprised me with Donny Osmond winning the big prize (that Osmond Family is huge after all and the whole bunch of them must have voted) instead of Mya. It was a fun season full of surprises and lots of fun to watch, so I am looking forward to the next round.

Heroes is still crawling along (this storyline is taking wayyyyyyyyy too long to get anywhere) and with the ratings in the gutter it is pretty sure that this is the last season. Too bad for that... the show had potential but is just flushing it down the toilet. I am looking forward to when Chuck is back.

Survivor is still churning out one of the best editions yet, with one of the best villains, Russell, who seems to be able to find Immunity Idols like no one's business. I have never seen another player be so sneaky and literally run circles around the other competitors. If the rest of them don't wake up soon, and get him out, he risks to be the big winner. Dave seems to be pretty slow for a genius and the game is going to start getting really nasty over the next few weeks.

Glee is still one of the best things ever on TV and I love the combination of geek and music. More of the club has been showing their singing chops over the past few episodes, and I have been more than surprised by some of the mash ups that have been put together. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and pray for a pick up and another season.

So you think you can Dance? has finishing culling the herd and we are now in Top Ten territory. I am not happy with their final cuts (I would have rather seen Victor and Karen stay and see Nathan and Mollee hit the road), but they are all talented dancers. I have high hopes for Jakob, but this show is not noted for letting gay dancers win the title. Some of the numbers have been quite surprising and I am starting to warm up to some of the new choreographers.

Modern Family is still one of the funniest things on TV, and it's nice to have some hilarious, complex and well written gay characters. Cameron has been stealing the show, and I am completely in love with the snarky Alex. I am still surprised that we haven't touched on a gay issue in Big Bang Theory, but that will more than likely be around the corner, Sheldon seems pretty uptight about a lot of things and I wonder how Mr. Asexual would react to a guy coming on to him.

I am looking forward to the return of Scrubs and catching up on a few series that have been put aside for the holiday season, and will be working on my Top Ten choices for this year. I can't believe how quickly this year has zipped by!

Weekend Rant – Fall & other Thoughts

This Fall has been much busier than I imagined, and between an intensive new job and the quantity of shows that I am following I haven’t had much time to Rant. Not that this is a bad thing either, as a large majority of it would be pretty negative about the writing in some of the shows that launched this Fall. The winners are clearly outnumbered by the failures, but shining brilliantly above the rest of the drabble is Glee. I don’t think that there is anything else on the Watch List that makes everything else stop and is such a highlight of the week. Glee makes me so happy that I can almost forget about some of the crap that I have been watching. The new Stargate Universe series is really not impressing me and I miss having something cosmic on the schedule.Most of my time has been consumed with dance related shows like So you think you can Dance (both the American and Canuck versions) and I am really hoping to see Jayme Rae win the competition here. She has that something special that you can’t really name, and it would be fun to see one of the girls win the second year. Our American friends are getting to the point of picking their Top 20, so as things tie up here they will start picking up steam down south. I just heard that Mia Michaels is leaving the show and find that a shame, she always brought astounding and profound creations to the stage and was a great, positive influence for the dancers that she touched. I hope that she will be back (the show can use her talent) and I hope it had nothing to do with the fact that Adam Shankman was made a permanent judge. If anything, I hope to see her work elsewhere.

Things have been heating up on Dancing with the Stars and I have a couple of favourites already. I am loving Donny Osmond and Mya and hope to see both of them go far. Mya has the hottest chemistry with her partner Dmitry and you can only imagine how much fun their training must be together. They look great together and this may be the year that Dmitry steps up and takes up the alpha male spot. The guys are really stepping it up this year and you can’t say that they are not good looking. I am pretty impressed with the level and quality of dance, and thankfully, so far, they have been cutting the deadwood and letting those with potential go further. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next few weeks as the Stars seem to be injury prone at this stage of the competition.

The new comedies have been catching my attention and Cougar Town and Modern Family are always good for a chuckle and have been pretty witty so far. Smallville is not that bad and although it has been given a death slot I am hoping to get some decent story. Lois and Clark is way more interesting than Clark and Lana, they just need to stop dumping on Chloe every 2 minutes.

Most of my regulars are true and dependable, like Bones and Supernatural, but I am getting pretty bored with Heroes and starting to lose interest with Flash Forward. At least South Park has come back for another series of episodes and has been as scathing as ever. I still have a few series to catch up with over the next few weeks.

Weekend Rant – Weekly Highlights & Sci Fi Fridays

This season is off and running, and with the quantity of programs I am currently following I have realized that there is barely enough time in the week to keep up with all of it, let alone rant about it all. It’s a very crazy and hectic and busy time of the year.

A few things stood out this week besides my regular addictions Dancing with the Stars (no surprise Kathy Ireland got the boot, and Tom Delay needs to be next) and the auditions of So you think you can Dance that were a huge treat from New Orleans. The Canuck version of SYTYCD has cut Austin (finally, I think Cody should be the next to go) and Amy (one blonde too many). I would really like to see Jayme win, but will say that the number done by Everett & Kim was the best thing done so far this season and may push both of them farther in the competition.

Glee continues to be my biggest highlight of the week and the guest appearance of Kristin Chenoweth this week was hysterically brilliant and makes me wish that she could be a permanent cast member. I love the integration of her character, the incredible vocals and

Other things that made the grade this week: The Amazing Race is always a winner, Desperate Housewives came back with all the claws out and some great story developments. The series always seems better when Marc Cherry is writing, even if the stories are not that plausible they make for great viewing. Big Bang Theory is still one of the funniest things on the tube but I am really loving Modern Family and all the hilarity. Cougar Town still has my attention but they better make sure it is not a one trick pony as it will lose my interest.

Survivor continues to shine with our villain Russell and his nasty games. His control seems to be slipping and I am glued trying to figure out if any of the other contestants are going to wake up and see how much of a manipulator he is. Rick Mercer came back this week with a decent season premiere, but the gang at 22 Minutes was so scathing that they made the week a whole lot funnier. It was nice to finally see some well thought out political satire concerning our current minority government and their terrible use of propaganda to try to convince the general public that they are doing a good job. It’s all smoke and mirrors and all they have done is spent more public money trying to convince the public that they deserve a majority government. It’s all very distasteful and about time that some one called them on their nasty games.

Friday has turned into one big Sci Fi/ Scy Fy night and while I love the idea of having a whack of genre shows one night, it has turned into a danger zone for shows that are on the bubble and in danger of being cancelled. Dollhouse may not be around much longer as the ratings are plummeting, and the stories seem quite disjointed this year. Smallville has had some interesting moments (I loved the inside Terminator joke concerning Brian Austin Green playing Metallo) so far this year and is starting to get into hotter Lois and Clark territory… I just hope they give it a chance considering the crappy time slot they dumped the series in.

Stargate Universe premiered and I am a tad unimpressed with the pilot. To me if feels like some of the best ideas of Voyager and Battlestar Galactica  were mesh-mashed together without making it work. I almost wonder if we are to discover that there are any Cylons on board or some other nefarious plot, and sorry to say but none of the ideas really feel fresh. I will give it a few episodes to see how it develops and pray that it isn’t another fiasco like Stargate Atlantis that lost it’s focus after the first couple of seasons and crashed and burned. I wonder if the networks take DVR viewing and recording into the equation as they look at the ratings, I have the feeling a lot of people record the Friday shows and watch them over the weekend.

I am looking forward to checking out the CBC’s Battle of the Blades, that teams up figure skaters with hockey players. It might make for some interesting combinations and I hope none of the hockey players forget that they aren’t in a game and take a shot at another skater… but then again it could be hilarious viewing. It’s a very Canadian thing.

Weekend Rant – New Season Sensory Overload

The New TV season (and some killer work commitments) have kept the Couch Potato very, very busy over the past couple of weeks, but the new season is now in full swing and it’s been a huge juggling act trying to watch all of it. I am still catching up on a few new things and trying to re connect with some series of last year, it seems like they all started the same day this season!

If you sneak a peek at the Watch List, you might notice that some days have up to 9 different shows listed, which means that I have to record a ton of shows and catch up on them at different times. There are a few shows that I have been watching “live” for that thrill of seeing it happen the same time as everyone else, but the majority of shows are watched off the grid, and I save time by jumping the commercials. Technology has it’s advantages.

I can’t really complain, there is a ton of Dance related stuff airing at the moment, and I am like a kid in candy story watching the incredible Crews on America’s Best Dance Crew. I am really pulling for We are Heroes to win the big prize and be the first female Crew to do it. They have impressed the heck out of me over the past few weeks and I am looking forward to seeing the big Finale this week and see if they beat Afroborike. It’s cool that the finalists are from different genres this year and it won’t be a BBoy group winning. The numbers have been incredible and the show is such fun to watch.

Dancing with the Stars came back with a vengeance and a huge list of “Stars” that were challenged with 2 dances ( one latin and the other ballroom). It was no surprise that the very bland Ashly Hamilton was bumped (they should have taken Dean McDermott instead of this idiot, he would have gone farther), but I was surprised that it was Macy Gray that got the boot instead of Kathy Ireland. Macy had a cool presence and innocence that was way more interesting than our bland supermodel. The competition looks great and I am pulling for Lacey & Mark and absolutely love Mya & Dmitry. Some of the Stars have incredible potential, such as Donny Osmond and Joanna. Others like Debi (who I love) are finding it a bit harder and may fall to the side before catching their feet. Things have just started, and even if our Judges seem a tad cranky, I am pumped for another season.

So you think you can Dance Canada has finished up with sorting our dancers out and we are now in Top Ten territory. The final cuts of Daniel and Corryne were the hardest of them all, and I would have preferred to have seen Cody get cut instead of Daniel, but I voted and that is all that I could do.The Judges realized how popular Cody is with all the tweeners. The quality of dance is still incredible, and the show is really coming into it’s own with introducing a few styles that not appeared on other SYTYCD stages as well as being a tad more adult than the American version. Our censors seem more open to content such as crotch grabs and that can make all the difference in the world for some the numbers (mild sarcasm) but setting the choreographers creativity free turns out some astounding numbers and it’s is incredible to see how most of the dancers are thriving and expanding their vocabulary. It’s turning into a much better season than the first, and I am even finding it a tad more balanced with our hyperactive head Judge Jean-Marc. I do hate that he keeps wanting to put the dancers on his V.I.D List (very important dancer) but it just comes out wrong and you think that they all have some sort of sexually transmitted disease. I know that Jean-Marc means well but his translations don’t always come out as he would like them to, and they really need to have some one tell him that his whole V.I.D idea is stoopid. It was great that Mya was by again to help out with the Judging, and I am hoping to see her choreograph something for the show.

Our American friends are continuing with auditions for this season of So you think you can Dance? and there has been some phenomenal talent so far, but I am looking forward to getting into the Top 20.

Not that all the TV has been dance, but there has also been my new favourite show Glee, that pulled out a great Beyonce inspired – Kurt Centric episode that dared to do the unthinkable and pull our fabulous boy out of the closet and onto the football field. Not only did we get a ton of Put a Ring on it, but some great pregnancy storylines, more of über-Sue and dissension in the ranks and Rachel leaving. With a guest appearance by Kristin Chenoweth (last seen as Olive from Pushing Daisies) just around the corner this show is only getting better. At least it has already been picked up for a whole season so we will get a chance to see how the story will develop. If you haven’t checked this show out I highly recommend it.

Survivor has chosen an huge bunch of Type A personalities for this round in Samoa, and I have been laughing my ass watching the antics of our biggest villain (so far) Russell has been torturing his tribe and making life difficult for as many of them as possible. I am not quite sure that I follow his strategy as his team has been losing like crazy, but it makes for good TV and I have been rolling my eyes as he plays his game. I was in hysterics when Yasmin visited their camp and got everyone riled up, this show is great for showing a cross section of society and things are pretty scary so far. No idea who will win, but it will probably be one of the dirtiest rounds we have seen so far.

The Amazing Race kicked things off with a doozy of a 2 hour opener and the first elimination at the starting gate. I liked the new twist, and was not surprised that it was our 2 very cocky teams that were hung up before our radical Yoga teachers got Philiminated. They certainly didn’t have that Zen vibe that you look for in Yoga teams, and our Poker Players might have their bluff already exposed after only one episode. The gay brothers are just too adorable for words and I hope they do well. The locales and challenges are as fascinating as ever and I love the world view feel of this show, it’s no surprise that it keeps winning the Emmy for best Reality show year after year.

Supernatural is still kicking butt but getting a tad repetitive with our boys falling in and out of sync with each other. It now appears that Dean is the vessel for Michael the Archangel, and poor Sam looks to be the target of Lucifer, which means another big good vs. evil show off between our brothers. I am not sure if they are trying to pull some Cain and Abel references in to the show but the story is great and not missing a beat.

Smallville came back with Clark being all dark and brooding and the rest of the gang reeling from Jimmy’s death. It will be interesting to see who they develop this season, but I am already loving Lois (as usual) and hope to see more of our heroes back and in action. I still don’t get why they insist on calling it Smallville when most of the action is in Metropolis, and am praying the ratings pick up or it may be a short final season.

I love the first episodes of Cougartown and Modern Family, and hope to see them around for a while as well, I love a well constructed comedy and both have some great elements and characters. I love seeing a modern gay couple with their adopted baby and all the strife with their surrounding family.

The new season is off and running and I am trying to keep up!