After the kid goes to sleep (which is anywhere between 7:00 - 9:00 pm), my wife and I are usually spent from a day of work and parenting and like to relax with some good old fashioned American television.
As a connoisseur of quality programming, I have taken it upon myself to recommend to you, dear reader, several shows from 3 main genre's that I enjoy. Let's get it started (in here!). Sorry for that.
Genre 1: Genre Television
Seems a little redundant. Genre Television is the moniker applied by those pesky main-streamers to television programs that feature science-fiction or fantasy elements. It's rare to find hard sci-fi or fantasy anywhere these days, but there are a lot of shows that are wonderful hybrids. This happens to be my preferred genre, and here are my favorites (in order):
- Fringe: At first glance this looks like an FBI procedural in which unexplained phenomena are investigated by a sort of skeptic and a sort of believer (X-Files, anyone?). Upon further examination you will find a huge, over-arcing story about multiple universes, family, morality, science and the consequences of scientific hubris. It's had some up's and down's (and most of the down's happened recently), but now midway through season 4, Fringe is firing on all cylinders.
- Game of Thrones: Adapted from George R.R. Martin's fantasy epic A Song of Fire and Ice, this is the closest we have come to hard fantasy on TV. Magic (implied), murder, mystery, intrigue, and sexy-time fill the screen with each episode. Dude, there are even dragons...maybe. Despite the premise, I think my wife would really like this show, and I ordered the 1st season to test that theory. The point here is that while it's a fantasy, it's also a very enthralling drama that will appeal to just about anyone.
- The Walking Dead: I probably don't need to say much about this show. It's one of the most popular shows on TV and the most watched show on basic cable by a long shot. I will say that even though it can get a little slow and sometimes the characters seem to act a certain way to force the story (hate that!), it's never boring. Also, it has some of the most intense moments of any show ever, along with more gore than should be allowed.
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Yes, it had that not-so-great movie that came out before the series aired. Yes, the character models are a cross between hyper-realistic anime and wooden marionettes. Yes, it's target demo is boys between 6-15 years old. Yes, there are a couple of episodes that star the infamous Jar-Jar. Besides these negative (and by the way, the animation is wonderful, especially in the later seasons) this is a show made by Star Wars fans for Star Wars fans. Look, just follow the link for the show and check out an episode.
Genre 2: Drama
This is kind of an all-encompassing category for a lot of different types of shows. From the list I'm about to make, you will see a cop show, a crime drama, a family drama and a period drama. These shows are the best of the best, and just about anyone can enjoy them. In order:
- Downton Abbey: I have heard about this show for a few months, but only started watching it a little over one week ago. It didn't take me long to realize that this is the best show on TV right now. A period drama that takes place in the early 1900's and focuses on a well-to-do family in the English country and their staff, Downton Abbey has production values that rival big-budget movies. The story, the acting, the costumes, the music...all of it is top notch. You forget that it's only a show when you are watching it, it's that engrossing. Season 1 is streaming on Netflix, and since I missed it while it aired, I ordered season 2 from Amazon because I simply could not wait for more.
- Breaking Bad: This show was my number one until Downton Abbey took the title. It follows the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who slowly turns into a bad guy (or breaks bad, if you will) after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Rather than accept his fate and live out his days, he teams up with one of his flunky, former students Jesse Pinkman. Jesse is a drug dealer, Walter is a chemist. Together they start to cook Crystal Meth and over the course of the series, get swept into a larger world of drugs, crime and murder. It's a very compelling show, and very interesting to have a main character that starts as a good guy and will likely end as a full blown bad guy. Only one season to go!
- Parenthood: Based loosely on the movie from '89, Parenthood tells the story of the Braverman family which is a LARGE family that includes 3 generations of parents, sons and daughters. There are 15 main cast members, and they all have an interesting story to tell. It can be sappy at times, but it's hard to deny good storytelling and acting when you see it. This is a show that my wife and I look forward to every week.
- Southland: A good cop show is hard to find. Other that The Wire and The Shield, most cop shows are too silly or too boring to entertain me. I like my cop shows gritty and realistic. Southland was almost a goner after a short, 6 episode run on NBC before getting cancelled. TNT picked it up and now it's going strong and better than ever. Season 4 just started and it's probably been my favorite season yet. It's so good that my wife has asked me to wait to watch it with her, which is a welcome change after going through the first 3 seasons all by my lonesome.
Genre 3: Comedy
There are a lot of great comedies to choose from these days, but right now there are 5 that I can't get enough of. There are 3 or 4 others that are on my DVR schedule that I enjoy, but would be okay without. Let's forget about those and talk about the best of the best. In order:
- Parks and Recreation: Just like The Office (U.S.) before it, Parks starts off kind of slow, gets good in the second season and then has one of the best comedy seasons on TV by the third. Ron Swanson is my favorite character on TV. Period. Almost every line or action he performs is solid gold. Season 3 added some new characters that really brought something to the show, especially Party Down's Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt. Give this one a chance. It's on Netflix. Start with the last few episodes of season 2, fall in love with it midway through season 3, then go back and watch the rest through the lens of love.
- Louie: I like to call this show "Dirty Seinfeld". Loosely based on the real life of comedian, writer, director and star Louis C.K., Louie is a sitcom that is not a sitcom. It's hilarious at times, sad at others and always entertaining. You should probably be a fan of Louis C.K.'s standup or at least his particular blend of intelligent yet blue comedy. The second season > the first season, so give it some time if you don't connect with it right away.
- New Girl: I have never been a huge Zooey Deschanel fan, but I have always found her to be likable in whatever role she plays. New Girl feels more like a movie than a series, which is not a bad thing. Not every episode works, probably because the writers and actors are still getting a feel for the characters, but every episode has made me laugh out loud. I hope this one sticks around for a while, because by its third season it will probably be the funniest show on TV.
- 30 Rock: It feels like it's starting to lose some steam, but considering we are at the beginning of Season 6, it's impressive that it took this long to get to that point. Something about this show just makes me happy. It can be seriously dorky and/or preachy at times, but the comedy is delivered in layers that make multiple viewings a must. Whenever I can't sleep, I fire up Netflix on the iPad and let 30 Rock soothe my soul.
- Community: There was almost a tie between this and Modern Family, and while I like both I have to give Community the edge. This is a comedy for fans of comedy...almost like a meta-comedy or something. Community follows a group of students both young and old that form a study group in community college. Wacky hijinks ensue. It's a strange premise for a show, but trust me when I say it works. It's too quirky to last, so savor it while it's here.
Okay, that about sums it up. 13 shows that are currently airing or on a break between seasons, all of which have a lot to offer. Check one out today and let me know what you think.
Bonus: In case you value my opinion and want to pick a show to watch regardless of genre, here are all 13 in order of my favorite to least favorite:
- Downton Abbey
- Fringe
- Game of Thrones
- Parks and Recreation
- Breaking Bad
- Parenthood
- Southland
- Louie
- New Girl
- 30 Rock
- Community
- The Walking Dead
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
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