Best & Worst of 2009: TV

Best:

5) The Unusuals

Every year, it seems like there's a really fun, brilliant show that completely slips under America's radar, and unfairly gets canceled. This year, this was that show. In general, I hate cop shows because it seems like there are only two types these days: procedural, and dark and melodramatic. So you'd think there'd be room for a quirky dramedy with an all-star cast including that guy from The Hurt Locker, Joan of Arcadia, and Michael from Lost (okay, maybe not "all-star," but still really good), but apparently not.

4) The Big Bang Theory

CBS may as well rename this The Sheldon Show, because the moment Jim Parsons leaves or gets hit by a bus or something, that's pretty much it for the series. But until then, Parsons is giving the best comedic performance on TV, and I'm constantly tempted to buy stuff from this website so I can be more like Sheldon, before I remember that's actually not something one should aspire to.

3) 30 Rock

Kind of an uneven year, but still a great show. They seem to have cut back on the stunt casting, which is nice (Jon Hamm was good, Salma Hayek was not), but the show has settled into a groove that's starting to feel repetitive. Still, it's probably the funniest show on TV, and it'll be interesting to see how the Comcast takeover affects the Sheinhardt Wig Company.

2) Battlestar Galactica

People bitched about the finale. Unfairly, I think, but whatever. But let's not forget everything that led up to it in the final season: Dee's suicide, Gaeta's mutiny, Cylon-on-Cylon violence, and lots of shit blowing up. And hey, the finale was good!

1) Chuck

I'm not going to lie. I feel weird about this. It's like, you know how great a Sausage McGriddle is? But at the same time, you'd be reluctant to stand up and declare that it's better than the food at Blue Duck Tavern, even if you secretly think it is? I know there are better written, better acted shows on TV, but much like the McGriddle, no other show filled me with as much giddy anticipation beforehand, and as much satisfaction afterward. I literally wept with joy when it got its unexpected renewal. Well, not really. But I'm sure that someone somewhere did.

Worst:

5) V

I don't get the geek love for this show. It's uninteresting, it's lazily written (why the hell would the aliens refer to themselves as "Vs"?), and so far, it doesn't hold a candle to the original. Supposedly, it's getting overhauled, but unless that means killing off most of the characters and bringing Jane Badler back to remind everyone what an evil alien is supposed to be like, I don't see the point.

4) Defying Gravity

Several reviews described this as "Grey's Anatomy in space." And I'm sure when the producers were pitching it, they used that exact same description. And yet, they were still given money to make this dull, boring show. Go figure.

3) The Jay Leno Show

Ron Bennington has said that before he took over The Tonight Show, Jay Leno was an incredibly funny stand-up comedian. I'll believe pretty much anything Ron says about comedy, but you don't see much evidence of it here. I feel bad for Leno because he got a raw deal (why ditch a guy when he's still getting good ratings?), but that doesn't mean he should be on TV five nights a week, taking valuable time away from other potential shows.

2) Heroes

I said I wasn't going to watch this anymore, but I gave it another shot. But the two episodes I watched were awful, and since I've sort of stayed current with what's going on, between being bombarded with commercials (could the NBC promo department have been any more excited about Claire making out with a chick?) and reading online synopses, it doesn't seem as though it's gotten good again. If the rumors about this being its last year are true, it's about time NBC put it out of its misery.

1) Cupid

In 1998, the original Cupid was the fun, brilliant show that unfairly got canceled. A remake seemed like a terrible idea, but I went into it with an open mind. And what was my reward? A horribly miscast Bobby Cannavale, and absolutely none of the wit and charm of the original. Just release the original series on DVD, and we can all try and forget this one ever existed.