If you had told me a year ago that the top three shows on my "Best of" list would be on NBC, I would have said you were crazy. Then I would have asked you how you knew this. Are you psychic? Can you see into the future? You're the devil I say, the devil!
But that's what happened. Below is my list for the 5 best shows of the year and the 5 worst, along with various odd and ends. Yeah, let me have it in the comments about what I got wrong.
Update: After a few days of thinking about it, I've changed one of my "worst" picks. I'm sure you'll see why.
Best:
1. Heroes (NBC): I liked the pilot when I saw it earlier this year, but I thought the show would collapse quickly and be either ridiculous or boring. Wow, was I wrong. This isn't just the most exciting show of the year, it's also one of the smartest. They're doing a comic book show the way it should be done. And they're doing it in a way where you say "this is how TV should be done!"
2. The Office (NBC): Everyone says the British version of this show is better than this American remake. They're wrong. Maybe it's because I'm American (or, more likely, people just like to seem smarter and more international than they are so they say that the British version must be better), but this show does every single thing right. This is the best comedy on TV right now, on the networks or cable.
3. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC): Sorry folks, if you really think this is a bad show, you don't deserve to own a television.
4. Ugly Betty (ABC): Flat out one of the most entertaining hours of the season. America Ferrara is one of the breakouts of the year, and the rest of the cast is great too. I don't know if I thought I'd get into a soap about the fashion industry, but it's very funny and smart.
5. Jericho (CBS): I thought this show would be gone in 5 weeks. A serial sci-fi about a town cut off from the world after a nuclear war (if that is indeed what's happening)? I didn't think it would last. But it had me hooked after the second episode, and it's a lot better than anyone thought it would be.
Honorable mention: The Nine, Day Break, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock, Bob Schieffer, Deadwood, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Little People, Big World, Keith Olbermann, Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondent's Dinner.
Worst:
1. The Insider/Entertainment Tonight/Access Hollywood (syndicated): I made a resolution a few months ago never to watch these shows again, and I'm happy to report I'm sticking to it. Every single thing about these shows is vile, dumb, and exploitive. Including the hosts.
2. Jerry Springer (syndicated): This will be on the list every year until Springer either quits or goes to hell.
3. Nancy Grace (CNN Headline News): One of the most vile human beings on television. If I can even use the term "human being."
4. Deal Or No Deal/1 vs. 100/Identity (NBC): Three of the stupidest game shows in history, and all have basically the same premise/lighting/direction/editing/host. Oh, and painfully annoying contestants.
5. The Rosie/Donald Trump feud: Two morons sniping each other. It was boring, embarrassing, and made it almost impossible to root for either of them.
Dishonorable mention: Rachael Ray, The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, Paula Zahn, Emeril Live, Twenty Good Years, American Inventor, all the CSI shows and around 98% of all reality shows. And the series finale of Will & Grace.
Most Disappointing: Lost
Worst Casting Decision: 30 Rock, for kicking Rachel Dratch to the side and getting Jane Krakowski to take her place.
Show That Went Downhill The Fastest: Smith
Five other TV shows where Sarah Palin should appear
Brought To You By ... - VIDEOS
Giveaway Monday: How I Met Your Mother season three DVD
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
12-30-2006 @ 2:57PM
David004 said...
Are other people going to do a list like this too? because no offense but I can't agree at all with anything you ever say besides the fact you hate CNN, Fox News, and Will and Grace finale.
Easily the "Worst Casting Decision" of the year goes to the blonde haired bitch on Studio 60, that's just too obvious.
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12-30-2006 @ 3:05PM
Erin said...
I love your top 3 picks. Thanks for liking Studio 60...I was starting to fear that my boyfriend and I were the only ones!
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12-30-2006 @ 3:07PM
Bob Sassone said...
We're all doing a list of our Best and Worst. And for the record, I never said anywhere that I hated CNN.
As for Will and Grace, loved the show, but the finale was lame.
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12-30-2006 @ 3:11PM
Ryan said...
I agree with some. Disagree with others. Whatever. Just want to say I also made the same resolution to stop watching Insider/ET/Access and I have stuck to it all year. I feel SO MUCH better for it.
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12-30-2006 @ 3:22PM
Jake said...
I just decided to watch Ugly Betty on ABC.com and I couldn't agree more! I would replace Studio 60 with Battlestar Galactica, and Drop Jericho as well.
My top 5:
1. Heroes
2. 24 season 5
3. The Office
4. Ugly Betty
5. Battlestar Galactica
5.a Grey's Anatomy (minus the stupid Denny storyline).
5.b. How I Met Your Mother (suit up!)
Honorable Mention:
Jericho, Lost (mainly for 2nd part of second season), Deadwood (rip), Friday Night Lights, Prison Break (kudos to the writers for completely remaking the show and keeping it interesting).
Studio 60 is okay, but I wouldn't put it above any of these other shows.
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12-30-2006 @ 3:38PM
Carl Winslow said...
I like the inclusion of The Office, but any list that doesn't include The Wire or Battlestar Galactica seems wrong to me.
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12-30-2006 @ 3:41PM
Dana Graves said...
I agree with most of your choices, but how did you miss including MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on your Best List? Olbermann is the BEST news person on TV these days. He's enormously FUN too.
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12-30-2006 @ 3:45PM
Bob Sassone said...
That's weird, I actually did include Olbermann but forgot to type it in. I'll fix that, thanks.
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12-30-2006 @ 3:54PM
Alicia said...
I enjoied your Top Picks except for Jericho. I watch it because there is nothing else on Wend. at 8 pm. And I certainly agree with Studio 60. But THANK YOU for mentioning it.
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12-30-2006 @ 4:08PM
Jeffsmith said...
Im so shocked...Bob loves Studio 60 and hates Bill O'Reilly. Also, how can Jericho be one of your favorite shows if you look back at the synopsis' you wrote for this site you miss so much every week it makes us wonder if you even watched the show? The Wire is obviously missing but The Nine and Daybreak receive an honorable mention?? Someone get Bob a TV Guide.
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12-30-2006 @ 4:24PM
Marty said...
Do you really need to be rating shows on CNN and Fox News? You aren't critiquing how the shows are put together, you just put the shows whose politics you agree with on the good list and the ones you don't on the bad list. Is that what this site is about?
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12-30-2006 @ 4:39PM
Brad said...
Anyone who saw this year's season of "The Wire" knows it belongs on the top of any list. Not just the list for this year, but any year...EVER.
1. The Wire
2. Dexter
3. The Shield
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Weeds
6. Deadwood
7. Rescue Me
8. Brotherhood
9. Heroes
10.The Office
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12-30-2006 @ 4:41PM
SJ said...
The Office is the only show in that list which is among my favorite shows. Here's some others you may have missed (no particular order):
1) The Wire. Painfully obvious that you haven't seen this show...watch one season, you won't regret it.
2) Battlestar Galactica.
3) Dexter.
4) The Shield.
5) Rescue Me.
6) Weeds.
7) Scrubs.
8) It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
Heroes is such a mediocre show. The only character worth watching is Hiro, who really is so fun to watch. Without him the show is a huge mess...the writing is crappy most of the time, and the actors are mostly misses with a few hits.
As for Studio 60, I really liked the pilot. But since then the show has sort of gone downhill. It's not bad, and I intend to watch the 1st full season at least, but the heavy-handed drama is not that appealing. And Sorkin needs to stop being so elitist.
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12-30-2006 @ 4:42PM
hadToSayIt said...
I vote the Girls Next Door for my number one pick because they have proven the central core of my master thesis: silicone does rot brain cells
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12-30-2006 @ 4:51PM
DAVE said...
3. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC): Sorry folks, if you really think this is a bad show, you don't deserve to own a television.
Nothing so true was ever said of this show.
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12-30-2006 @ 5:04PM
Brian said...
Jericho is on your top 5? Friday Night Lights doesn't get an honorable mention but Day Break and The Nine do? And, I mean, I do like Heroes, but there is no way that Heroes is the #1 show of 2006.
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12-30-2006 @ 6:01PM
Patty said...
Friday Night Lights AT LEAST deserved to be in your Honorable Mentions list.
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12-30-2006 @ 6:04PM
Josh said...
I completely agree with your top two. Heroes and The Office are both frakkin' awesome shows. I'm also very glad you said that about the UK vs. US debate. It seems like so many people say that just to seem like they have "great taste" in shows, or because the UK version is the one they saw first.
Ugly Betty and Jericho are very good, though they aren't in my Top 5.
Though I disagree with #s 3-5 on your worst list. I enjoy occasionally watching the NBC shows, I like Rosie O'Donnell, and I like Rachael Ray.
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12-30-2006 @ 6:23PM
Joebediah said...
You know, Veronica Mars doesn't need to be just a cult hit forever!!
You can all start enjoying it whenever you want!!
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12-30-2006 @ 6:58PM
Karen said...
Seriously? Battlestar Galactica, hands down the best-written show on television, the only one to deal maturely with issues like religion, leadership, and the consequences of political decisions, doesn't even make your honorable mention list?
Talk about people who don't deserve to own a television!
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