TELEVISION! TV! DVRing! (Yes, that’s a word!) Fall TV! I know I’m a writer, but I love TV shows just as much as I love books. The best TV shows are those with great characters and great writing. Sadly, I think this is why all my favorite TV shows get cancelled or never last. I’m not big on (non)reality TV or big explosions. I want depth! I want great writing! I want all the things that I guess the average American viewer doesn’t. Ha.
So here it goes…my return to Top Ten Tuesday by The Broke and the Bookish!
TOP FIVE MOST MISSED TV SHOWS
(I know…it’s a top ten list. I’m not good at math.)
5. Southland
“Southland has redefined the police drama genre with its raw, authentic look at the lives and work of Los Angeles detectives and beat cops. Shot on location in the streets and neighborhoods of Los Angeles, the series captures a realistic, natural environment where similar situations can and often do occur in real life.” – TV.com
Even if I did only start to watch it because I missed Ryan Atwood from The O.C., this show grabbed me from the start with the interesting characters and fantastic real-life situations. It was no glossy police drama. And I miss it.
4. Ed
“Ed Stevens is a contracts lawyer at a high-profile New York City firm. Around the same time he splits with his wife (who slept with a mailman), he makes a single error in punctuation when going over a contract. Because of the resulting financial loss to the firm, he’s fired. Despondent, he heads back to his (small) hometown of Stuckeyville — ‘Anytown’, USA. There he realizes he’s been missed by a lot of friends whom he’s missed and he sees Carol, the girl he’d adored in high school. Swept up in roiling emotions, Ed buys the local bowling alley on a whim, moves to Stuckeyville, and determines to win Carol’s heart. His horizons broaden as he settles once more in Stuckeyville, and the series itself settles into a charming, funny, often serious slice-of-life series focused not solely on Ed but on the lovable ensemble cast of people who live and work with him in Stuckeyville.” -TV.com
I loved Ed. A lot of this was probably due to the fact that I love small-town America. But this was yet another show with fantastic characters and great writing.
Here is a great article just from this year about the show. It’s back on TV in reruns!
3. Love Monkey
“Record label executive Tom Farrell has an eye for talent. Akas, his boss, doubts his killer-instinct so much that Tom gets fired. So he and a few friends start a minor music label, specializing in a few unknown potential pop/rock-stars, but if they pick right that also means larger labels can offer better deals. Meanwhile, Tom’s sister and confident links him to over-sensitive surgeon Mike Freed and a bunch of basketball mates, including closet-guy TV reporter Jake Dunne.” –IMBD.com
Maybe I just love Tom Cavanagh. Ha. But this was another great show that never got a chance. It loved it because it was about the music business. That seemed like a fresh idea to me. If I had Showtime, I’d love to see if I’d like the show Roadies as well. Anyone got a review for me?
2. Trust Me
“They’ll sell everything but their friendship. Mason McGuire (McCormack) and Conner (Cavanagh) are two very different but equally close leaders of the pack in their cutting edge Chicago advertising agency. When Mason is promoted over Conner, the two must learn to navigate their new paths while their personal and professional relationships are tested. “- TV.com
This show lasted one season on TNT. It was an ad agency drama. Eric McCormack, Monica Potter, and yes…Tom Cavanagh. Until this post, I had no idea of my apparent love for Tom Cavanagh. I really enjoyed this one, too. This is about the time that I started NOT watching new dramas because I didn’t want to fall in love with yet another one and then see it cancelled. Now I wait a few episodes to see if it’s going to stick around. I can’t have my heart broken yet again.Go
1. Friday Night Lights
Best. Show. Ever. If I could marry a TV show, I would marry FNL. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
A great article here from Grantland right before the final episode.
What are some current or previous shows I should be watching? I’m always ready to take on more TV!