Jane's Top Ten TV List 2010

With just a couple of days left before 2011, it's a great time to think about our favorite television gems from the past year. There were a TON of phenomenal programs this year in fact, this could have been a top 20 list. Good TV has become so prolific, watching it all could easily become a full time job. I'm sure I've missed something...but these are the shows that kept me glued to the couch in 2010!

Mad Men (AMC): The Madison Ave men and women grace so many top ten lists, it's almost redundant to add them to mine. But it would be criminal to not include this amazing period piece which is more mini-feature film than any TV drama I can recall. From the intricacies and in-fighting of the ad biz (which I adore) to the character study of smoking hot Don Draper and 60's career woman Peggy...it's the one show that never got recorded in my house. I had to watch it in real time.

Louie (fX): We wrote about it many times on the Nose, in fact it became somewhat of an obsession. Hilarious, profane, heartbreaking, insane and sometimes so creepy it was almost unwatchable. This show within a show about stand up comedian Louie CK, his divorce, his adorable daughters and his NY friends was the most original effort on television this year. I am soooo getting the boxed set when it comes out, because each episode is infinitely re-watchable.

Breaking Bad (AMC): The bleak, cold high plateau of New Mexico...the double life of Walter White and his Meth cooking lab....the evolution of Jessie from drug addict loser to moral compass. Woven between it all the relentless terrorism, and mesmerizing violence of the Mexican drug cartels. Which happens to be more relevant this year than ever before. Where will this series go now that Walter has lost his brain cancer motivation for crime? Who cares, I'm coming along with them.

Nurse Jackie (Showtime): You haven't lived until you belatedly get Showtime and then dive into an entire season of Nurse Jackie over a period of 3 days. Thank you, On Demand. Yes, I had a total immersion NJ marathon and I LOVED it. Edie Falco rules the roost as Jackie, but the entire cast is absolute gold. I'm particularly fond of Zoey, the youngster who brings comic relief to the grim hospital setting. Also love Jackie's BFF Dr. O'Hara, who had an interesting twist with a lesbian turn this season. Nurse Jackie, along with Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Dexter, has character duplicity as a core plot device. Who are these people? Why are they doing such terrible things? And why does nobody notice except for us?

Modern Family (ABC): As an ABC alumni worker, I can't say how much I adore seeing the alphabet network with a top comedy hit. Every character in this series is hilarious, even the teenage girls. And teenage girls usually suck the laughs out of every scene they're in. My personal favorites are Mitchell and Cameron, the gay couple raising Lilly, the world's most stoic adopted baby. Catch Mitchell's song about "not biting" on the ABC website, it will give you an ear worm.

Dexter (Showtime): Sweaty Miami, Cuban Mojitos, swamps with dead bodies in barrels....and amidst it all, our Dexter of the enigmatic smile. He found true love this season with Lumen (Julie Stiles) but lost it in real life with Jennifer Carpenter, who plays his sister Deb on the series. Yes, it is fraught with peril to date your co-workers and even more hazardous to marry them. Let's hope all the dust settles before the next season so we can root for America's favorite serial killer once again.

Glee (Fox): Now that American Idol has jumped the shark, Fox should thank its lucky stars for "Glee". AI is toast. Would I watch it without Simon Cowell? Not in this lifetime. There is no musical show on TV as strong as Glee. We love the characters (especially breakout girl Britney, who is the funniest dumb blond on TV), and the music is fantastic. Some episodes don't quite make the mark (Rocky Horror was a horror), but most are award winning. If "Grilled Cheesus" doesn't get an Emmy I will be shocked.

Great Migrations (National Geographic): Even though I have not been able to watch the entire series because Comcast prices Nat Geo out of my reach (hateful!), I've seen enough episodes On Demand to know that this is one of the most beautifully filmed nature programs to ever grace the small screen. To watch the Monarch Butterfly migration (followed because they were able to attach a tiny, almost microscopic camera to a butterfly wing) was beyond amazing. On an HDTV it was sublime. Truly the most beautiful documentary series ever. It's the Rose Parade of wild life programs. I'm afraid I'm going to have to pony up for the DVD when it comes out.

Entourage (HBO): I never tire of the escapades of the "boys" as they zoom around So. Cal. in their inappropriate sport utility vehicles adding more smog to Hollywood-land. When is Vinnie going to get a Tesla? He could afford it. Although when last seen, our star was exploding like a supernova, with his porn g.f. dumping him and a bad coke habit wrecking his career. We love Hollywood, and we love cliff hangers. Can't wait until next season to see Ari, Drama, Lloyd and all the young Turks as they pull it out of the fire.

30 Rock (NBC): Liz Lemon, you are our Queen. You are the girl we always wanted to be...a Mary Tyler Moore for the 21st Century. Your glasses...your ham obsession...your fearless and proud braininess. You deserve happiness with a cute pilot or astronaut. But you will probably end up (some season faaaarrrr in the future) with our beloved favorite TV mogul Jack Donaghy. Kenneth can be the best man and Jenna the Maid of Honor. Oh please, at least let it happen as a dream sequence! Actually, the dream is that NBC has managed to create a comedy about television that works on a million levels. Bravo to the Peacock!

And before we close...a special word for our sponsors. I have to give mention to two favorite commercial characters; Isaiah Mustafa, the "I'm on a horse" hottie who made Old Spice cool again and Stephanie Courtney who plays "Flo" on the Progressive insurance ad. Both are originals and immensely appealing.

Happy New Year everybody!

A Few Good Shows that are NOT on Sunday Night!

While we all agree that Sunday night is a cornucopia of fabulous television programming, the rest of the week is not quite the viewing desert one might think. Last week, a number of established series had season premiers and there are a few that are off to a very good start.

HOUSE (Monday nights at 8pm on FOX), took the plunge by giving the brilliant, drug addled doctor a reason to stick to the rehab program for good. He and bosomy hospital Director Cuddy are finally an item. They kissed...they had naked sex...they're planning a European vacation together. It's all fraught with peril, of course, given that Dr. House is borderline Asperger's syndrome and almost completely incapable of a normal human relationship. Towards the end of the episode he actually said the "L" word to Cuddy, which I found touching. My more cynical sister Leslie said, "That's it then, we're looking at the last season for House!".

Moving over to Tuesday nights at 8pm on Fox, the Emmy award winning GLEE turned in a champion season opener. Starting with a full cast cover of Jay Z and Alicia Keys rap/song masterpiece "Empire State of Mind" and introducing a few fascinating new characters. Cheerios coach Sue Sylvester has a new nemesis with the towering and formidable football coach Beiste (The Panther). They clashed from the start, it was like watching butch gladiators fight it out in the halls of a public high school. New singers are being introduced as well, with the Filipina exchange student giving a goose-bump inducing audition.

Modern Family is the one to watch on Wednesdays (ABC at 9pm). Winner of the Best Comedy Emmy for their first season, Modern Family is living proof that broadcast television can still come up with a series that is fresh, innovative and absolutely hilarious. The season two open had Mitchell and Cameron building a huge pink Princess Castle for Lilly, while Phil and Claire try to get rid of the ancient family station wagon. The irrepressible 12 year old quipster Manny goes on a date, making his mom moan that "the leading cause of death among Colombian women is when their sons get married".

Saving the best for last, Thursday night features 30 ROCK (NBC at 8:30pm). Long a Flaming Nose favorite, 30 Rock dispels the myth that it's not possible to make a successful TV program about a TV program. Wait...that myth has never been true...what about The Dick Van Dyke Show? All the greats are back with Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) trying to merge with a new pilot boyfriend (Matt Damon!), and Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) head over heels for his uber-competitive TV newswoman doppelganger. There's trouble in paradise, however, as Kenneth the Page is missing. Has he gone over to CBS? Absolutely love the constant references to GE and NBC being sold to "Cabletown", a dig at the pending real life take over by Comcast.

There you have it, something to love for every night of the week! And oddly enough, not one of these programs is on cable. What's the world coming to? ;)

Signs of Life in Jurassic Park

If you hear some noise coming from Jurassic Park (Broadcast Television) these days, the sound is probably raucous laughter. We are living in a wonderful modern age of comedy and Modern Family on ABC (Wednesday nights at 9pm) is the latest example of excellence. It must be added to the pantheon of great, smart, hilarious comedy that NBC has revived on Thursday nights with Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office and 30 Rock.

I thought I'd be the last one on the planet to admit it, but lately comedy on Broadcast TV is every bit as good as what I've been touting on HBO. Better, actually, because right now there are no comedies playing on the "It's Not TV" network.

Modern Family is about the many colorful flavors American families come in, circa 2010. There is the traditional family: Dad is Phil, played by fetching Ty Burrell, Mom (Claire) played by Julie Bowen, is quite possibly the only genuinely funny pretty blond on TV. They have three kids that manage to do quirky without being annoying. There is also a lovely gay couple (Cameron) Eric Stonestreet and (Mitchel) Jesse Ferguson. They're raising an adopted baby girl. Finally there is the multi-ethnic, multi-generational family with Ed O'Neill as the middle aged Jay, who is married to hot stuff Charo-like Gloria (Sofia Vergara). Gloria's son, the chubby, adorable, genius kid (Manny) is wonderfully portrayed by Rico Rodriguez. He is the most appealing character on a show chock full of great characters and infused with some of the wittiest writing on television today. Visit the Modern Family website and click on "Bios" to get some of the best lines from recent episodes. Manny says things like, "Her name is Whitney. I met her in the online book club. We both like vampire fiction and the romance of eternal life."

This week's episode featured a guest appearance by the always funny Fred Willard, who played Phil's visiting Dad. Never in the history of TV, have a father and son duo looked and acted more as if they might actually be related to each other. The B-story had Cameron sitting in as the drummer for a teenage Emo band (funniest segments of the night for my money) and the C-story had my darling Manny scared to death by a slasher movie that the clueless Jay brought him to after a dental appointment.

I must give full credit to my sister Leslie for turning me on to this gem. Sometimes word of mouth advertising really is the most effective! Now listen to this blogger and go check out Modern Family. Here's a little taste in the video below.

AFI Names Its Top Ten TV Shows for 2009 -- and We Like Them!

We're always up for a well-informed Top Ten list around here, and today's announcement from the AFI of their Top Ten Movies and TV Shows from 2009 fits the bill. Because we're mostly about television here at the Nose we won't talk about the cinema choices, but we like what we see on the TV side. Their list, in alphabetical order, consists of many Flaming Nose favorites and others that's we've watched and liked, and one that we've never covered and can't imagine why not! So, the AFI Awards 2009, AFI TV Programs of the Year, Official Selections are:


The Big Bang Theory -- you know how much we like this CBS Monday night comedy, a geeky delight featuring a talented and hilarious cast and clever writing (which I must say with some dismay has started to rely a little too much on sexual innuendo -- actually way more than innuendo -- making some scenes play like creator Chuck Lorre's other hitcom Two and Half Men, which isn't necessarily a good thing.) But we still love it and we're happy to see it on this list!

Big Love -- star and producer Bill Paxton keeps this HBO saga about a polygamist Mormon family man on the right path, just absurd enough to be extremely entertaining but with a serious vein that never goes in for easy ridicule or cheap melodrama. With a gaggle of female co-stars who are some of the best actresses around -- Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Grace Zabriskie among them -- Big Love is compelling and doesn't always get the credit it deserves. So good to see it on the AFI list!

Friday Night Lights -- I know this is a great NBC show, but I've never watched an entire episode. It's the high school football millieu that has turned me off -- wrongly, of course -- and I vow to make this acclaimed show part of my viewing retinue. Good on AFI for calling out this terrific show that has managed to survive for three seasons so far and has earned the loyalty of many devoted viewers.


Glee -- Fox's new hit comedy/drama/musical is a favorite of Flaming Nose correspondent Jane, and we salute her foresight in calling this one a success right out of the box. This is one dare we say "quirky" show that has managed to wriggle its way into mainstream coverage, and its choice by the AFI is proof of its far-reaching appeal and unique qualities.


Mad Men -- Of course AMC's Mad Men has to be on any list like this. The TV show that's more a piece of art than a simple television series, MM entices the viewer to travel back to a time when men and women were still learning many things about each other, at home and in the workplace, and work itself -- especially in a cushy Madison Avenue ad agency -- was both a privileged and a cutthroat endeavour. Would have loved to see AMC's other excellent drama Breaking Bad on this list also, but maybe another time.

Modern Family -- ABC's new situation comedy about a collection of unconventional families who personify some of the diverse family groups out in the world today is a critical and audience favorite already. Though the people in the show may be nothing like you or your particular family, the universality of their problems and ultimate devotion to each other are certainly something everyone can understand and enjoy. Good choice for the list.


The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency -- HBO's charming Botswana, Africa-set light mystery series, is a wonderful addition to the list. Our Jane also called this one, loving its attitude and its seductive charismatic performances. More gentle than most of the breakout cable dramas getting so much publicity these days, this is a darling series with much to delight us all.

Nurse Jackie -- Showtime's brittle, brutal, heartbreaking, sexy dramedy starring the exquisite Edie Falco definitely belongs here. Is it more a comedy than a drama? Probably if you count the minutes, but Falco's performance is pure dramatic gold. Unusual, delving into the skilled Jackie's convoluted personal and professional life, Nurse Jackie is a show where good people don't always get the chance to do all the good things they'd like, but also get the chance to do the bad things that sometimes need to be done, too. Terrific choice by the AFI.

Party Down -- Where oh where was The Flaming Nose when this little gem ran on Starz? We were obviously asleep at the wheel, because we completely missed this one. (I never even saw ONE episode of this and have to confess I didn't recognize the title when I read it on AFI's list. My bad.) Party Down is a comedy about moonlighting aspiring actors, with a wonderful cast and the kind of comic sensibility that would have made it a hit if it had run on HBO, let's say, or even NBC. Don't miss this one if Starz repeats it, or seek it out online. Good for AFI to find this series and bestow some deserved limelight on this hidden delight.

TrueBlood -- HBO's vampilicious melodrama boasts not only one of the most attractive casts in recent memory, but they're giving some genuinely outstanding performances and bringing alive the kind of outlandish exploits that could sink a less skilled troupe. No worries here, though; TrueBlood is sexy and savage enough to make anyone a believer in the children of the night. It's one of the most fun shows out there, too, combining thrills and whimsy in a delicious Louisianna gumbo of gorey greatness. We love TrueBlood, can you tell?

Congrats to all the honorees!