Well, what\u2019s good and what\u2019s shitty on television these days?<\/p>\n
AMC -There\u2019s a new season of Breaking Bad<\/em> coming soon.\u00a0 This is a show that started out merely ok, but has improved with every episode.\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t seen it, a chemist\/high school chemistry teacher begins cooking meth to support his family after he is diagnosed with cancer.\u00a0 However, the intellectual challenge of criminal behavior becomes highly addictive and he keeps going after his cancer is (in effect) cured.\u00a0 The most recent season (3) ended with a cliffhanger of epic proportions and it seems like each episode is better than the one before it.\u00a0 They\u2019ve also got a 2nd<\/sup> season of The Killing<\/em> coming.\u00a0 The Killing<\/em> is a quasi-remake of the Danish series of the same name.\u00a0 The American version is actually superior in terms of pace (however the original version [which is not a bad show] has a dedicated fan base of utter snobs) and acting.\u00a0 Really the only thing the 2 series have in common is their basic premise, which is the brutal murder of a young girl in circumstances that affect their city\u2019s core political structure.\u00a0 Mireille Enos (Big Love<\/em>) is quietly awesome as the lead detective and her douche partner (Joel Kinnamen) actually won me over as a character.\u00a0 Now this is a police show in a post-Wire<\/em> world so I\u2019d be inclined to dismiss it; but the slow burn story telling style is addictive.\u00a0 A bunch of critics bitched about the ending to season 1, but after watching the first season I\u2019ve concluded that they\u2019re all whiney cocksuckers.\u00a0 This is a show to watch.\u00a0 There\u2019s also a western in AMC\u2019s pipeline that\u2019s somehow centered around the construction of the trans-continental railroad (Hell on Wheels<\/em>) which sounds interesting.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve got more Walking Dead<\/em> to look forward to.\u00a0 Mad Men<\/em> is coming but it\u2019ll be awhile.\u00a0 AMC is really HBO\u2019s only competition as far as serious TV goes.\u00a0 Right now you\u2019ve got 2 quality crime\/cop shows, a quality horror pastiche, and Mad Men<\/em> which doesn\u2019t really have a genre unless you go really broad and term it ensemble drama.<\/p>\n FX \u2013 I don\u2019t recommend much on FX as need to see, but they now have 2 shows that qualify.\u00a0 Justified<\/em> (once again a post-wire<\/em> cop show but not without its charm) follows the adventures of an Elmore Leonard character and Federal Marshall Raylan Givens.\u00a0 Margo Martindale plays one of the better TV antagonists ever in the 2nd<\/sup> season.\u00a0 And Archer<\/em>.\u00a0 I\u2019m not even going to explain Archer<\/em>, just see it.\u00a0 It\u2019s required.\u00a0 Always Sunny in Philadelphia<\/em> gets an honorable mention.<\/p>\n The rest of basic cable \u2013 mostly reality TV crap that ought to be avoided.\u00a0 I\u2019ll post an update if I find out different.<\/p>\n Broadcast Networks \u2013 I really only watch The Office, Parks and Rec<\/em> and sports on these channels.\u00a0 I hear James Spader will be joining the regular cast of The Office<\/em> as manager for part of the season, but not the whole thing.\u00a0 So the manager search will probably rear its head again; which is good, I really enjoyed it.\u00a0 And Parks and Rec<\/em> is brilliant.\u00a0 I wonder if the trend of Lesley Knope\u2019s boyfriends getting canned from the show will continue.\u00a0 Time will tell.\u00a0 But don\u2019t subject yourself to the rest of the programming on these networks.\u00a0 Seriously.<\/p>\n HBO \u2013 Thank Brigham Young that Big Love<\/em> is finally over.\u00a0 Good Lord, that show was stupid.\u00a0 But not as stupid as I was for watching the whole thing.\u00a0 I kept thinking, there\u2019s going to be a point to all this eventually.\u00a0 But nope.\u00a0 Game of Thrones<\/em> just finished its first season, and that\u2019s definitely a must watch.\u00a0 It\u2019s like Gordon Gekko Tolkein.\u00a0 And it works.\u00a0 Also, its just begun shooting its second season.\u00a0 True Blood<\/em> just started up again.\u00a0 I thought the 3rd<\/sup> season was pretty crappy and I only tuned in for the 4th<\/sup> for Oscar winner nudity, but the 4th<\/sup> season has me ensnared again.\u00a0 I\u2019d never rank this show higher than guilty pleasure but it has me for the time being.\u00a0 The excellent Boardwalk Empire<\/em> has a new season on the way.\u00a0 I\u2019m a huge fan of this mob show.\u00a0 Treme<\/em> is one of the better shows on TV right now, and in true Dave Simon tradition, there\u2019s never been anything else like it.\u00a0 Michael Mann (Heat, Last of the Mohicans<\/em>) and David Millich (Deadwood<\/em>) have a horse racing series in development which ought to be worth checking out, Luck<\/em>.\u00a0 Entourage<\/em> will finally die (though I\u2019ve enjoyed the show on a guilty pleasure level) but the last season should be fun.\u00a0 Curb Your Enthusiasm<\/em> will also get at least one more season.\u00a0 The show is sometimes too painful to watch but it\u2019s undeniably quality.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also heard they\u2019re developing a mini-series based on Neil Gaiman\u2019s American Gods<\/em>.\u00a0 Ought to be strange.\u00a0 This network is 50\/50 on comedy but as far as drama any new show deserves a look.\u00a0 The only issue I have with them is canceling shows before their time: Carnivale, Deadwood, John from Cincinatti<\/em>.<\/p>\n Cartoon Network \u2013 A couple things here: first they cancled their best new non adult swim show in years with Sym-bionic Titan<\/em>.\u00a0 After one season.\u00a0 Without any story resolution.\u00a0 Assholes.\u00a0 And after 2 very solid seasons and opening their 3rd season with a bang, Clone Wars has somehow managed to become really really stupid.\u00a0 But the amazing Venture Bros<\/em> is returning and the rest of adult swim is pretty solid.<\/p>\n Showtime \u2013 Don\u2019t bother.\u00a0 And yes I\u2019ve seen Dexter<\/em> and Weeds<\/em>.\u00a0 Still don\u2019t bother.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s my incomplete and biased summary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Well, what\u2019s good and what\u2019s shitty on television these days? AMC -There\u2019s a new season of Breaking Bad coming soon.\u00a0 This is a show that started out merely ok, but has improved with every episode.\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t seen it, … Continue reading