TVSquad

Thanksgiving is coming and for many of us it's time to eat, drink and watch football. It's also a time to reflect on the things you're grateful for and since TV Squad is all about television, here's what I'm grateful for this holiday season, with regard to the tube.

Mad Men season finale
There was really nothing as satisfying in the entire year for me. Matt Weiner promised a game-changing episode and he delivered it with a whopper of a wrap up. Actually, nothing was really wrapped; it was more like the cards have been dealt and we're still waiting to see how the hands are played.

Will Betty really divorce Don and marry Henry? Is the new Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Lane ad agency going to take off in 1964? Are we even coming back in 1964 or will Mad Men jump ahead to 1965 or 1966? I cannot wait for this show to return, but I'm very thankful that it was such a delicious season.

ABC's The Middle
Yes, I'm surprised to be including this in my list, but I've come to look forward to this little Patricia Heaton sitcom. It doesn't have the hype of other shows, but there's something very loving and endearing about this dysfunctional, middle American tableau. It's kind of wholesome, kind of normal, kind of old fashioned. I kind of love it.

YouTube
As much as I love my DVR, I'm very grateful that so much stuff is up on YouTube. I still have VHS tapes filled with clips and TV shows from the 1980s and 1990s, but slowly and surely, everything is winding up on YouTube making it so much easier to watch at my convenience.

Split seasons
USA and TNT are doing me a favor by splitting The Closer and Burn Notice into equal doses for the summer and the winter. Just when I need it, Brenda and Michael are back for a second season. The big three could learn a thing or two from the cable nets.

Blogging
Okay, even though some of you are a little extra-critical (you called me a moron), I've very grateful to have a place like TV Squad to express my feelings about television. This is something I've wanted to do since my first job as a soap opera editor, and now I get to do it daily. Thank you for reading and commenting.

Glee
This show is mostly a joy. The music is fun, the characters are dynamic, and the story is usually pretty good. It's not perfect, but it's entertainment week in and week out.

Kathy Griffin
She's not everyone's cup of tea, but her reality show remains the best celeb incarnation and her stand-up specials are consistently funny and topical. You know, I never liked her on Suddenly Susan, but Kathy's really evolved and I'm grateful for the laughs,

Breaking Bad
As brilliant as Mad Men's finale was, the last two Breaking Bad episodes were equally stunning. Vince Gilligan's writing was amazing. The performances across the board were brilliant, especially the two leads, Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston.