RANDOM THOUGHTS:
The temperature where I'm at in Chicago is reportedly around the mid-to-high 90s, with the Sun just absolutely smoldering. It's in this summer conditions that I can think of no better time to spend writing this week's brand new installment of the RTs. The following were on my mind between Monday, June 11th and Monday, June 18th:
-With the TV season over and with only a few cable shows to look forward to, summer is the time where I like to catch up on shows that I either have missed during its original airing or shows that I want to see before the newest season premieres. One of the shows that I've decided to catch up on these last few weeks has been the Adult Swim animated series "The Venture Brothers," and having finished three seasons with one more season left, I can say that I'm really glad to have made this decision.
After feeling generally mixed about the first three episodes, I found myself loving almost the entire rest of the first season, and since then I think that the show has continued to be excellent to the point where it may have just surpassed "Archer" as my favorite still-airing animated show on TV. It just pushes all of the right buttons for me: action, hilarious jokes, sharp writing, consistent quality episode in and episode out, a great cast of supporting characters, main characters that have become more developed throughout the series, farcical plots, great callbacks and backstories, a universe that becomes increasingly expanded and multi-layered, and so much more. The only bad thing about almost catching up on this series is the realization that I am now part of the cult fanbase that has to wait 2+ years every time for each new season to arrive. All I can say is that 2013 can't come soon enough for me!
-Speaking of TV, with the newest seasons of shows like "Mad Men" and "Game of Thrones" at an end in addition to the broadcast TV shows that wrapped up last month, I'd figure that this is about the right time to bring back the TV Top Ten. Without further ado, here is how I would rank all of the TV series that I watched between the time that the last list was produced (March) and today:
10 (tie). "30 Rock" (down from #5, position previously held by "Downton Abbey" and "Fringe")
10 (tie). "The Legend of Korra"
10 (tie). "Sherlock"
9. "Bob's Burger" (position previously held by "Chuck")
8. "Veep" (position previously held by "Luck")
7. "Fringe" (up from #10, position previously held by "Key and Peele")
6. "Parks and Recreations" (down from #4, position previously held by "Happy Endings")
5. "Game of Thrones" (position previously held by "30 Rock")
4. "Justified" (down from #2, position previously held by "Parks and Recreations")
3. "Community" (position previously held by "Archer")
2. "The Daily Show"/"The Colbert Report" (down from #1, position previously held by "Justified")
1. "Mad Men" (position previously held by "The Daily Show"/"The Colbert Report")
Up from Last List (March 2012): "Bob's Burger," "Sherlock," "The Legend of Korra," "Veep," "Fringe," "Game of Thrones," "Community," "Mad Men."
Down from Last List (March 2012): "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Colbert Report," "Archer," "Justified," "Parks and Recreations," "Happy Endings," "Key and Peele," "Luck," "Chuck," "Downton Abbey."
New from Last List (March 2012): "Mad Men," "Community," "Game of Thrones," "Veep," "The Legend of Korra," "Bob's Burger," "Sherlock"
Just Barely Missed List: "American Dad," "South Park," "Happy Endings," "Girls," "Suburgatory," "Archer."
A few more things:
a. I was ready to put "Archer" on the list, just because the two episodes that aired after March 8th (the terrific two-part finale "Space Race"), but the past three months has just been so packed with great shows to the point that I can't reward a show for an entire seasons worth if it only aired one episode. The high placement of it on my last list should be good enough.
b. Welcome back, "Mad Men!" First time back on the TV Top Ten in 20 months, and your excellent fifth season was good enough to earn your first top ranking (the fourth season only managed two #2 slots when it aired). Enjoy it while you can, before fellow AMC series "Breaking Bad" probably reclaims that top spot on the next list.
c. In addition, a hearty congrats to the many newcomers who joined this list, either because I caught up on them just in time to watch their newest seasons in the spring ("Sherlock"), because I thought they were good enough to finally become a part of it ("Bob's Burger") or because they had just premiered ("The Legend of Korra," "Veep").
d. Not an easy choice at all deciding between "Justified" and "Game of Thrones" as the better series in the past three months. In the end, the wonderful finish to "Justified's" third season was enough to give it the edge for me over "Game of Thrones," whose second season I thought was not as good as its first.
e. Some shows that are expected to be on the list when it returns later on in the summer: "Breaking Bad," "Louie," "Futurama," "Falling Skies."
- Now that it's been revealed that the dingo did indeed eat that baby, I wonder if Australians are hoping that this is at last the end of dumb foreigners saying this to them in their bad British accents.
- I can't think of another rock song in the past three years that have been played to death by advertisers as much as The Anvil's "How You Like Me Now?" has been.
-Sure, this past season of "Mad Men" has been kind of depressing, but these critics have also been forgetting how damn hilarious it was as well.
- I think I'm correct in assuming that the upcoming Steve Carell film set during the End of the World won't actually have the world ending.
More to come next week. Make sure to not die of heat exhaustion until then.
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
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