Boob Tube

It's a new year, and so it's time to update that weird and wonderful list of television shows that I've watched over the years. The rules remain the same: To the best of my recollection, here are all the shows I've seen at least five episodes of, and derived some enjoyment out of (even if said enjoyment was hate-watching, or if watching was just a flimsy excuse to gather with friends and suck down a bottle of wine). There are still no game shows (except one), nor talk shows, nor non-competitive reality (your House Hunters and such) listed. Just good ol' fashioned scripted shows, documentaries, and competitive reality shows. Enjoy!

13 Reasons Why
100 Humans
227
3-2-1 Contact
30 Rock
A to Z
Abbott Elementary

Absolutely Fabulous

Adolescence (four-episode season)
Adventure Time
Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, The
Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, The

Afterparty, The

Agatha All Along
Agatha Christie's "The ABC Murders"
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

ALF
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alias
All in the Family
Alphas
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Always a Witch
Amazing Race, The
Amen
America's Next Top Model
American Crime Story (The People v. OJ Simpson)
American Horror Story (Coven)
American Vandal

And Just Like That
And Then There Were None

Andor
Angel
Angie Tribeca

Animal Control

Animaniacs!
Apprentice, The

Arcane
Archer

Archive 81
Around the World in 80 Plates
Arrested Development
Arthur
Astronomy Club

Aunty Donna's Big 'Ol House of Fun
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Awake
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Beakman's World

Bear, The

Beef

Beetlejuice
Being Human (US)
Benson
Beverly Hills, 90210
Bewitched
Big Bang Theory, The
Big Comfy Couch, The

Big Door Prize, The
Big Love
Big Mouth
Bill Nye, the Science Guy
Black-ish
Black Books
Black Lady Sketch Show, A
Black Mirror
Bleak House
Blossom

Bluey
Bob's Burgers

Bodies
BoJack Horseman
Book Club, The

Boyfriend, The
Brain Games
Breaking Bad

Bridgerton
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Burning Love
Call the Midwife
Carmen Sandiego (2019)
Castle
Castlevania
Celebrity Deathmatch

Central Park

Changeling, The
Charles in Charge
Cheers
Chef's Table
Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers
Chopped
Chuck
Clarissa Explains It All
Clatterford
Clone High

Close Enough
Comeback, The
Community
Cosby Show, The
Cosmos (2014)
Cougar Town
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Creature Comforts (US)
Critic, The
CSI

Cunk on Earth

Cuphead Show, The
Cyberchase
DangerMouse
Daria

Dark

Dark Matter

Dead Boy Detectives
Dead Like Me
Dead Zone, The

Death and Other Details

Delicious in Dungeon
Dennis the Menace
Derry Girls
Designing Women
Desperate Housewives

Devil's Plan, The
Dexter's Laboratory
Diff'rent Strokes
Dirty Jobs
Dirty Sexy Money
Disenchantment
Dollface
Dollhouse

Donna Reed Show, The
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
Doogie Howser, M.D.
Doug
Downton Abbey
Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist
Dragon Prince, The
Drawn Together
Drew Carey Show, The
Drunk History
DuckTales (1987)

DuckTales (2017)
Electric Company, The
Erased (The Town Without Me)
Eureka

Explained

Exploding Kittens

Extraordinary
Facts of Life, The

Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The
Family Guy

Family Matters
Family Ties

Fantasmas
Fillmore!

Fired on Mars
Fleabag
Flintstones, The
Food Wars

Four Seasons, The
Fraggle Rock

Franchise, The
Frasier
Freaks and Geeks
French Chef, The
Fresh Off the Boat
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The
Friends

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Fright Krewe
Full House
Futurama
Galavant

Ghosts (US)
Ghostwriter
Gimme A Break

Girls5eva
Girls on Top
Glee
GLOW

Goes Wrong Show, The
Good Omens
Good Place, The
Good Wife, The
Golden Girls, The

Golden Palace, The
Grace and Frankie
Gravity Falls
Great American Baking Show, The
Great British Baking Show, The
Great Food Truck Race, The
Great News
Grey's Anatomy
Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, The

Grimm
Grinder, The
Growing Pains

Hacks
Happy Endings

Harley Quinn
Harper's Island

Harriet the Spy
Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law

Haunted Hotel

Haunting of Bly Manor, The
Haunting of Hill House, The

Hawkeye
Head of the Class

Heated Rivalry
Hell's Kitchen
Herman's Head
Heroes
Hilda

History of Swear Words
Hoarders
Home Movies
Hot in Cleveland
House of Cards (US)
How I Met Your Mother
How the States Got Their Shapes

How to Get to Heaven From Belfast
Hunter X Hunter
I, Claudius

Insecure
Inside Amy Schumer
Inspector Gadget

Irregulars, The
Iron Chef
Iron Chef America

IT Crowd, The

iZombie
Jane the Virgin
Jeeves and Wooster
Jeffersons, The
Jessica Jones
Jetsons, The
Joe Millionaire

Joey

Julia

Jury Duty
Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman

Kaos
Keeping Up Appearances

Kevin Can Fuck Himself
Kids in the Hall, The (1989)

Kids in the Hall, The (2022)

Kids Incorporated
Kim Possible

King of Queens, The

King of the Hill
Kitchen Confidential
LA Law
Lady Dynamite
Lambchop's Play Along
Last Man on Earth, The
Law and Order
League, The

Legend of Korra, The
Letter People, The
Leverage
Living Single
Locke & Key

Lodge 49

Loki

Long Story Short
Looking
Los Espookys
Louie

Love Life
Lovesick
Mad Men
Magic School Bus, The
Making a Murderer
Mama's Family

Man on the Inside, A
Man Seeking Woman
Manhunt: The Search for America's Most Gorgeous Male Model
Maniac
Marry Me

Marvel Rising
Master of None

Masters of the Universe: Revelation
Maude
Melrose Place

Mid-Century Modern

Midnight Club, The
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories

Midnight Mass
Mind of a Chef, The
Mindy Project, The

Minx
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Miss Guided
Mission Hill
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Mob Psycho 100
Models, Inc.

Modern Family
Monk
Monkees, The

Moon Knight
Moonlighting
Most Extreme Elimination Challenge
Mother Love

Mr. Belvedere
Mr. Wizard

Ms. Marvel
Muppet Babies

Muppet Show, The

Muppets Now
Murder, She Wrote

Murderville
Murphy Brown
My Boys
Mystery!
Mystery Science Theater 3000

Mythic Quest
Nailed It!
Nanny, The
Never Have I Ever
New Adventures of Old Christine, The
New Girl
NewsRadio
Next Iron Chef, The
Night Court

Nobody Wants This
Numb3rs
Oblongs, The
Office, The (US)
Once Upon a Time
One Day at a Time (2017)

One-Punch Man

Only Murders in the Building
Orange is the New Black
Ordeal By Innocence

Other Two, The
Out of Control

Out of This World

Overcompensating

Over the Garden Wall

Owl House, The
Parks and Recreation
Party Down

Patty Duke Show, The

Peanuts
Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Peep Show
Penn & Teller: Bullshit!
Pinwheel
Planet Earth

Pluribus
Poirot

Pokemon: Indigo League

Poker Face
Portlandia
Powerpuff Girls, The
Private Life of a Masterpiece, The
Project Runway
Project Runway Canada
Psych
Punky Brewster
Pushing Daisies

Q-Force
Quantum Leap
Queer As Folk (US)
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Quest, The
Raising Hope
Reading Rainbow
Reaper

Reboot
Recess
Regular Show

Residence, The
Rick and Steve
Robot Chicken

Rocky & Bullwinkle Show, The
Roots
Roseanne
Rosemary & Thyme
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In

Running Point
RuPaul's Drag Race
Russian Doll

Sandman
Salt Fat Acid Heat

Saturday Morning All Star Hits!
Saturday Night Live
Saved by the Bell

Schmigadoon!
Schoolhouse Rock
Science Court
Scooby-Doo

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Scrubs
Search Party
Sealab 2021

Secret Level
Seinfeld
Sense8
Series of Unfortunate Events, A
Sesame Street
Seven Deadly Sins

Severance
Sex and the City

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Shear Genius
Sherlock
Silicon Valley
Silver Spoons
Simpsons, The
Sister Wendy
Six Feet Under

Small Wonder
Smurfs, The
Soap

Somebody, Somewhere
Sopranos, The
South Park
Space Ghost, Coast to Coast

Spider-Noir
Square One TV

St. Denis Medical

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Stephen Fry in America
Steven Universe

Steven Universe: Future

Strange Planet
Stranger Things
Strangers With Candy

Strip Law

Studio, The

Sunny

Survival of the Thickest
Superstore
Tales of the City
Tales from the Crypt

Ted Lasso
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Terriers
That 70s Show
That's So Raven

Third Rock From the Sun

Three Busy Debras
Three's Company
Timeless
Tiny Toon Adventures
Toast of London
Today's Special
Tom and Jerry
Top Chef

Top Chef: Just Desserts
Trading Spaces
Trial & Error
Trophy Wife
True Detective
Tuca & Bertie
Twilight Zone, The
Twin Peaks
Two Fat Ladies
Ugly Betty
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Undone

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal

Up Here
Up Series, The
Veep
Venture Brothers, The
Veronica Mars
Voltron (2016)

WandaVision

We the People
Webster

Wedding Season

Weeds
Welcome to Sweden
West Wing, The
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp

What If...?
What We Do in the Shadows
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? (cartoon)
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (game show)
White Collar
Who's The Boss?
Whodunnit?
Will and Grace

Win or Lose
Wings
Wire, The
Wishbone

Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, The
Women's Murder Club

Wonder Man
Wonderfalls
Wonder Years, The
X-Men (1990s)

X-Men '97
Xena: Warrior Princess
You Can't Do That On Television

The State of the Art: Television 2025

It can be difficult to identify what area of pop culture was the "best" in my tastes in a given year. Often, there's a year where, for example, there was one standout book that captured my heart above everything else, but movies as whole were better than my reading year. On the other hand, there can absolutely be years where one media type dominates. In 2022, the year's video games were so outstanding that I don't know if it'll ever be matched again. Well, it looks like we're in another of those years where one kind of entertainment dominates. 

This has been a wonderful year for television. I was able to watch a lot of shows this year, and that usually means a pretty standard bell curve of quality. In 2025, though, an unprecedented ten shows earned a grade in the A-range, the most of any year since I've been measuring. So, great year for TV. That must mean that picking an overall favorite must have been agonizing, right? Nope. Choosing the best show of the year was simplicity itself, because how could anything even come close to matching Long Story Short?

This show was incredible. I shouldn't be surprised, since it comes from the minds that wrote and animated terrific shows like Bojack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie, but at the same time, those shows had a lot of fantastical elements. This show is just about a family and their interpersonal relationships, telling their stories while jumping back and forth in time. And it's amazing. It's laugh out loud funny, but can be heartfelt at the same time. It tackles issues as small as what to write in a congratulatory speech to ones as massive as how to handle the religious upbringing of your child. It's the most Jewish show I've ever seen, and that's saying something - at times it felt like it was spying on my own family's conversations. It's so good that editing this list of favorites has me wanting to watch the whole season for the third time.

But, like I said, while it was easily my favorite of the year, the year itself was no slouch. Let's get to the full list! 

Long Story Short (Season 1) (2025) (A)
Pee-Wee as Himself (documentary) (2025) (A)
Overcompensating (Season 1) (2025) (A)
The Studio (Season 1) (2025) (A-)
The Residence (Season 1) (2025) (A-)
Pluribus (Season 1) (2025) (A-)
Adolescence (Season 1) (2025) (A-)
Win or Lose (Season 1) (2025) (A-)
A Man on the Inside (Season 1) (2024) (A-)
Ghosts (America) (Season 1-2) (2021, 2022) (A-) 

Somebody Somewhere (Season 2) (2023) (B+)
The Devil's Plan (Seasons 1-2) (2023, 2025) (B+)
Black Mirror (Season 7) (2025) (B+)
Dark Matter (Season 1) (2024) (B+)
A Man on the Inside (Season 2) (2025) (B+)

Survival of the Thickest (Season 2) (2025) (B) 
Poker Face (Season 2) (2025) (B)
Great British Baking Show (Season 16) (B)
King of the Hill (Season 14) (2025) (B)
Bob's Burgers (Season 15-16) (2024, 2025) (B)
Fright Krewe (Season 2) (2024) (B)
Nobody Wants This (Season 1) (2024) (B) 
Grimm (Season 1-2) (2011, 2013) (B)
Haunted Hotel (Season 1) (2025) (B)
St. Denis Medical (Season 1-2) (2024, 2025) (B)
Harley Quinn (Season 5) (2025) (B)

Mythic Quest (Season 1) (2020) (B-)
Joey (Season 1) (2004) (B-)

Only Murders in the Building (Season 5) (2025) (C+)
Mid-Century Modern (Season 1) (2025) (C+)
The Four Seasons (Season 1) (2025) (C+)
Running Point (Season 1) (2025) (C)
Secret Level (Season 1) (2024) (C)

The State of the Art: Television 2024

Playing catch-up with TV has never been more complex. Attempting to keep pace with currently-airing shows, while simultaneously trying to find time for shows from the past that I haven't been able to get to yet would be challenging enough, but then you also have to consider that there are shows I watch by myself, shows I watch with my husband, and shows I watch with my friends, which all have to be watched at particular times. I've officially given up on trying to get to everything, and sadly, there are tons of critically-acclaimed or friend-approved shows that'll just never get a slot on the packed schedule.

Fortunately, several of the shows I did make time for this year were terrific. In fact, everything that got a grade in the A range is a 2024 show. Also, a lot of the shows I watched flipped the script in interesting ways. A sitcom that's actually a tense drama. A murder mystery that's actually a comedy. A cartoon with extremely adult themes. A story about the frustrations with bureaucracy that's absurd and surreal. And sitting atop the pile, a show that managed to be heartfelt, funny, cute, serious, had unsurpassed world-building, and also...made me hungry.  

I don't watch a lot of anime, so Delicious in Dungeon came out of nowhere. Ostensibly, it's about a very RPG-ish party that explores a local dungeon in the usual hopes of treasure. Their motives change when one of their members gets taken by a dragon, and the rest have to (literally) dig deeper to get her back. Along the way, they meet a new member who introduces the concept of staving off hunger by eating the monsters they defeat. Half D&D, half Julia Child, it's really surprising that a show that can often be so silly is also really great at telling stories and building characters. 

Let's get to the year's full list!

Delicious in Dungeon (Season 1) (2024) (A)

X-Men '97 (Season 1) (2024) (A-) 

Agatha All Along (Season 1) (2024) (A-)

Fantasmas (Season 1) (2024) (A-)

The Afterparty (Season 2) (2023) (B+)
Kevin Can F**k Himself (Seasons 1-2) (2021-2022) (B+)
What We Do in the Shadows (Seasons 5-6) (2023) (B+) 
Minx (Season 2) (2023) (B+)
Dead Boy Detectives (Season 1) (2024) (B+)

Girls5Eva (Season 3) (2024) (B)

Harriet the Spy (Season 2) (2023) (B)

Severance (Season 1) (2022) (B)

The Franchise (Season 1) (2024) (B)

Abbott Elementary (Season 3) (2024) (B)
Only Murders in the Building (Season 4) (2024) (B)

The Great British Baking Show (Season 15) (2024) (B)
The Big Door Prize (Season 2) (2024) (B)

The Boyfriend (Season 1) (2024) (B)

Extraordinary (Season 2) (2024) (B)

Party Down (Season 3) (2023) (B)

Bob's Burgers (Season 14) (2023) (B)
Exploding Kittens (Season 1) (2024) (B)

Modern Family (Season 1) (2009) (B)

The Bear (Season 2) (2023) (B)

Ted Lasso (Season 2) (2021) (B-)

One Punch Man (Season 1) (2015) (B-)

Mob Psycho 100 (Season 1) (2016) (B-)

Modern Family (Season 2) (2010) (B-)

Sunny (Season 1) (2024) (C) 

Death and Other Details (Season 1) (2024) (C)

The State of the Art: Television 2023

It seems that television and books have swapped places this year. In 2022, there were several books that I loved, but on the whole, TV was entertaining, but not terribly exciting. This year, it was tough to find a book that grabbed my attention (though fortunately it happened), but TV was terrific. If there's an overarching theme to my experiences with television this year, it's that there's just no way to stay current, and I'll always be playing catch-up, even with shows I love. I'll absolutely get to the current seasons of Minx, The Bear, Julia, What We Do in the Shadows, Severance, Somebody Somewhere, etc. But there was absolutely no way to squeeze it all in.

Picking a favorite show is actually pretty agonizing this year. I could make an argument for any of a handful of shows taking the top spot, but ultimately I had to pick one. If you're looking for recommendations, though, there are plenty to choose from here. When picking a favorite, I took a few aspects into account: Obviously, it had to be a show that I loved, but there was only one show that I couldn't stop myself from bingeing. It stars actors I love in other properties. It has a sense of mystery and wonder without jumping up its own ass. I also like highlighting a show that didn't get a lot of attention, so my favorite television show of 2023 has to be:

The Big Door Prize. Never heard of it? You're not alone. I think I first heard this mentioned as a throwaway "here's what I've been watching" kind of comment on one of the podcasts I listen to, and it sounded intriguing enough to check out. Thank goodness I did, because this show is utterly fascinating.

If you've ever read the Machine of Death books (which are great, by the way), you're familiar with the concept of a mysterious machine that shows up without explanation and dispenses information that fundamentally changes people. Instead of informing the townsfolk of how they're going to die, though, the machine in The Big Door Prize gives them a word or phrase that promises to encapsulate their true potential. That sounds less dramatic than mode of death, but upon reading what the universe has decided you can be if you applied yourself, what sort of changes would you make in your life? What if the card is confusing? What if it's upsetting? What if it indicates you'll never be anything more than what you are right now, despite your ambitions? What if embracing your potential means you'll be forced to give up something that you love in the present?

I love a good dose of magical realism when it's done well, and this show does it beautifully. It's acted impeccably, it packs an emotional wallop while still being funny, weaves together a terrific overall story told from multiple points of view, and it spurs a lot of self-reflection about the kinds of people we are and who we want to be. I'm thrilled that it's been renewed for a Season 2.

While we wait for that, though, let's get to the year's full list!

The Big Door Prize (Season 1) (2023) (A)
Schmigadoon! (Season 2) (2023) (A)
Only Murders in the Building (Season 3) (2023) (A)
Poker Face (Season 1) (2023) (A)

The Other Two (Season 3) (2023) (A-)

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Season 1) (2023) (A-)

A Black Lady Sketch Show (Season 4) (2023) (A-) 

Never Have I Ever (Season 3) (2022) (A-)

The Afterparty (Season 1) (2022) (A-)

Harley Quinn (Season 4) (2023) (B+)

Never Have I Ever (Season 4) (2023) (B+)
Survival of the Thickest (Season 1) (2023) (B+)

Bodies (Season 1) (2023) (B+)

Extraordinary (Season 1) (2023) (B+)

Abbott Elementary (Season 2) (2023) (B+)
Schmigadoon! (Season 1) (2021) (B+)
Fright Krewe (Season 1) (2023) (B+)

Julia (Season 1) (2022) (B+)

Insecure (Season 1) (2016) (B+)

Somebody Somewhere (Season 1) (2022) (B+) 
Girls5Eva (Seasons 1-2) (2021-2022) (B+)

Jury Duty (Season 1) (2023) (B+)

Ted Lasso (Season 1) (2020) (B)

Harriet the Spy (Season 1) (2021) (B)

Cunk on Earth (Season 1) (2023) (B)
Bob's Burgers (Season 14) (2023) (B) [still airing]

Bob's Burgers (Season 13) (2023) (B)

Black Mirror (Season 6) (2023) (B)

Beef (Season 1) (2023) (B)

Central Park (Season 1) (2020) (B) 
The Great British Baking Show (Season 14) (B)
Unicorn: Eternal Warriors (Season 1) (2023) (B)

Futurama (Season 11) (2023) (B-)

Clone High (Season 2) (2023) (B-)
Indian Matchmaking (Season 3) (2023) (B-)

Fired on Mars (Season 1) (2023) (B-)

The Changeling (Season 1) (2023) (C+)

And Just Like That (Season 1) (2021) (C+)

Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators (Season 1) (2023) (C+)

Up Here (Season 1) (2023) (C)

The State of the Art: Television 2022

What a strange year this has been. Normally, the post about television would be one of the last ones posted, either because it's battling it out with the movies post as the Grand Finale, because there are additional shows I'm desperate to wrap up before the list gets finalized, or both. But in looking at the list of shows I watched in 2022, not many of them, even among the ones that have higher grades, elicited much of a reaction. There are standouts, of course, but in general, my opinion about most television this year could be summed up as "Yeah, that was fairly good."

Whatever the reason is, even if I'm not doing cartwheels over the majority of television I watched in 2022, it was a good, solid year, with more to like than dislike. And for those shows that did distinguish themselves as outstanding, one stands above the rest.

Sadly, even as I went about putting together my list for the year, the news of HBO Max's continued implosion spelled (hopefully temporary) doom for Minx, which had an absolutely incredible first season. Minx is about Joyce Prigger, a journalist in 1970s Los Angeles, who cannot get any traction with her strident articles about women's liberation, but finds a way to get her message out by teaming up with an open-minded smut peddler, and inserting her pieces into the first magazine with naked men.

Some of the other shows at the top of my list highlighted a singular point of view consistently well. Minx, however, somehow found a way to strike a balance in exploring the depths of feminism, race, sexual orientation, censorship, misogyny, capitalism, and other Big Topics while still being charming and hilarious. Plus, naked dudes. What's not to like?

There were other excellent shows this year as well. Tuca & Bertie went from absurd and breezy to absurd and deeply emotional. The razor-sharp dialogue in Harley Quinn made it the biggest surprise of the year; I never expected an ultra-violent cartoon to become my favorite entry into the lackluster DC universe, but it's amazing. And of course, watching Quinta Brunson's rise from mild internet fame, up through a terrific stint in A Black Lady Sketch Show, and into the limelight with Abbott Elementary has done my heart a world of good.

Let's get to the full list! Unlike in years past, I'll just put everything into one list instead of separating out the 2022 shows. That way, we can see what truly rises to the top.

Minx (Season 1) (2022) (A)
Tuca & Bertie (Season 2) (2021) (A)
Harley Quinn (Season 1-3) (2020, 2022) (A)
Abbott Elementary (Season 1) (2022) (A)
Love Life (Season 2) (2021) (A-)
Derry Girls (Season 3) (2022) (A-)
Bridgerton (Season 2) (2022) (A-)

Only Murders in the Building (Season 2) (2022) (B+)

Bob's Burgers (Season 13) (2022) (B+) [still airing]

Tuca & Bertie (Season 3) (2022) (B+)

The Bear (Season 1) (2022) (B+)

Love Life (Season 1) (2020) (B+)

Our Flag Means Death (Season 1) (2022) (B+)
Over the Garden Wall (Season 1) (2014) (B+)

Reboot (Season 1) (2022) (B+)

The Kids in the Hall (2022) (B+)

Ms. Marvel (Season 1) (2022) (B+)

Steven Universe: Future (2019) (B+)

Murderville (Season 1) (2022) (B+)

What We Do in the Shadows (Season 4) (2022) (B)

Seinfeld (Season 6-9) (1994-1997) (B)

DuckTales (Season 3) (2020) (B)

Archive 81 (Season 1) (2022) (B)

A Black Lady Sketch Show (Season 3) (2022) (B)

Q-Force (Season 1) (2021) (B)
Russian Doll (Season 2) (2022) (B)

The Midnight Club (Season 1) (2022) (B)

Dollface (Season 2) (2022) (B)

The Great British Baking Show (Season 13) (2022) (B)

Three Busy Debras (Season 1-2) (2020, 2022) (B)

Indian Matchmaking (Season 2) (2022) (B)
Wedding Season (Season 1) (2022) (B-)

The Movies that Made Us (Season 1) (2019) (B-)

She-Hulk (Season 1) (2022) (C+)

The Golden Palace (Season 1) (1992) (C)

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (Season 1) (2022) (C-)

Moon Knight (Season 1) (2022) (C-)

The State of the Art: Television 2021

I often like to look for a theme in the entertainment I enjoyed over the course of a year; I can sometimes summarize the year's mood by the books, games, movies, and shows that attracted me. When it comes to 2021 television, though, I'm all over the damn map. Wacky comedies, horrific explorations of modern religion, supernatural drama, documentaries about every topic under the sun, period romance... You name it, I watched it. But even if I'm not able to find a unifying theme for the year, picking a favorite show is easy.

The Other Two is genius. I started Season 1 (2019) based on some random internet recommendation, and though I usually don't binge shows, I couldn't stop myself from plowing through, and then immediately went running for Season 2 (2021). The stories of siblings Brooke and Cary trying to make lives of their own while the other members of their family become instantly famous is at turns completely absurd, absurdly realistic, and even emotionally moving at times. No matter the storyline, though, it's always freaking hilarious. It also demonstrates that although representation is getting better overall, it can be crystal clear when a gay character is being written by a gay writer, and this show is much better for that. I don't know what effect the pandemic will have on the show's future, but I'm pinning all my hopes on a Season 3.

There were other excellent shows this year, too, from a strong sophomore season of A Black Lady Sketch Show to the stylish and engrossing Only Murders in the Building to the horrific Midnight Mass, which has a lot to say about how people can twist religion to suit their own needs. Some of the Marvel shows would have gotten higher grades, if they hadn't completely fumbled their final episodes. And of course, the old standby shows are still providing plenty of fun. Let's get to the list!

The Other Two (Season 2) (A)

Only Murders in the Building (Season 1) (A-)

A Black Lady Sketch Show (Season 2) (A-) 

Midnight Mass (A-)
Explained (Season 3) (A-)

Carmen Sandiego (Season 4) (B+)

Never Have I Ever (Season 2) (B+)
Close Enough (Season 2) (B+)

What If...? (Season 1) (B+)
WandaVision (Season 1) (B+)

What We Do in the Shadows  (Season 3) (B+)

The Irregulars (Season 1) (B+)

Great British Baking Show (GBBO Season 12, GBBS Season 9) (B)

Bob's Burgers (Season 11) (B)

Hawkeye (Season 1) (B+)

Superstore (Season 6) (B) 

History of Swear Words (B)

Loki (Season 1) (2021) (B-)

Saturday Morning All Star Hits! (Season 1) (C+)

The Falcon and the Winter Solider (Season 1) (C)

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Season 1) (C)

I also had time to catch up on plenty of pre-2021 TV, and am using it to catch up on popular shows that I never got to when they were actually airing. Some have withstood the test of time, while others... Well, let's get to the list:

The Other Two (Season 1) (2019) (A)

Man Seeking Woman (Seasons 1-3) (2015-2017) (A-)

Explained (Seasons 1-2) (2018-2019) (A-)
DuckTales (Seasons 1-2) (2017-2019) (B+)

Bridgerton (Season 1) (2020) (B+)
Close Enough (Season 1) (2020) (B+)

The Muppet Show (Seasons 1-3) (1976-1979) (B+)

The Owl House (Season 1) (2020) (B+)

Seinfeld (Seasons 1-4) (1980-1993) (B)

The Legend of Korra (Seasons 1-4) (2012-2014) (B-)

Castlevania (Season 3) (2020) (C+)

The State of the Art: Television 2020

When it came to games and books this year, I willingly sank into deep, introspective, and outright sad material. But when the TV went on, it was time for some happy escape. The television shows I went for this year were funny or comforting or both. Well, except for BoJack Horseman. Nobody could accuse that of being cheery. The other good news is that I didn't watch anything that didn't turn out to be fairly satisfying; nothing would score below a B- on the 2020 TV list. Even in an overall good year of television, though, there's got to be a standout, and picking my favorite was simplicity itself.

I haven't yet watched the original What We Do in the Shadows movie, but started on the TV show, and immediately fell in love. Season 1 was terrific, and far from a sophomore slump, this year's Season 2 was outstanding. Individual episodes dealing with the vampire family's encounters with witches and ghosts and small town girls' volleyball budget crises were hilarious, and if that weren't enough, they managed to weave in a seasonal arc about Guillermo's slayer calling and the Council of Vampires that wants the crew dead. If I said more, it'd just be me sitting here recounting full scenes. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long for more vampiric adventures.

There were a handful of other outstanding shows as well. Both Los Espookys (Season 1) and A Black Lady Sketch Show (Season 1) would have had real shots at being favorite of the year, had they not come out in 2019. Curse me for getting to them late. As to 2020 shows of the year, Never Have I Ever (Season 1) had a very strong inaugural season, and likely would have gotten more attention were it not for, well, *gestures at the entire world*. There were some emotional and powerful ending seasons, too, as BoJack Horseman (Season 6) and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Season 5) nailed their final bows.

The rest of 2020 shows was a mix of farcical comedy, a couple of spooky mysteries, and as ever, the warmth and familiarity of everyone's favorite baking show. The ranked list:

Brooklyn Nine Nine (Season 7)
The Good Place (Season 4)
The Great British Baking Show (Season 8 (US), Season 11 (UK)
Superstore (Season 5)
The Haunting of Bly Manor (Season 1)
The Goes Wrong Show (Season 1)
The Great American Baking Show (Season 5)
Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun (Season 1)
Locke & Key (Season 1)
Indian Matchmaking (Season 1)
100 Humans (Season 1)

And then there were the catch-up shows, from 2019 and before that I finally had the time to get to. Here's the ranking:

What We Do in the Shadows (Season 1) (2019)
Dollface (Season 1) (2019)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Season 4) (2019)
iZombie (Season 1) (2015)
Always a Witch (Siempre Bruja) (Season 1) (2019)
Marvel Rising (standalones) (2018-2019)
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (Season 2) (2019)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Season 1-3) (2005-2008)
Toast of London (Seasons 1-3) (2012-2015)
Nailed It! Holiday! (Season 2) (2019)

The State of the Art: Television 2019

Articles, reviews, and conversations with friends have begun to take on a common theme when it comes to the subject of television: How should this show we're talking about be curated? Is it a "You have to see this NOW NOW NOW" show? Is it a "Yeah, it's on my list, and I'll catch up on it at some point" show? There is so much content right now that if a show doesn't fall into one of those categories (and frankly, even some of them that do), it will completely fall through the cracks. As of this post, I've seen 13 movies (you know, those things that are few hours maximum) that were released in 2019, and...23 full seasons of 2019 television. Insane.

With all that television to choose from, though, chances are always good that some of those shows will triumph as the best pop culture of the year across the entire spectrum, and some of those 23 shows blew me away. Others, not so much. Let's focus on the positive for now, though. One of the inherent dangers of year-end lists is that I'll overvalue things I loved that I just saw recently over things I loved that I saw several months ago. It can be tough to take a step back and really do a fair comparison. There was no such problem this year, because my top show essentially kicked off 2019.

Russian Doll is fantastic. It's weird and smart and mysterious and sad and funny and cool and addictive. I certainly wasn't the only one to think so, because while I can't imagine what a Season 2 will even look like, the show was so popular that it's getting picked up. Even if it turns out to be terrible, we'll always have this season, which follows Nadia (Natasha Lyonne), trying to figure out what's happening to her as she keeps inescapably dying and waking up at her birthday party. I'm already looking forward to rewatching it. In the meantime, though, let's go to the full 2019 ranking! All of the shows in this first chunk would earn a full A or A- on the grading scale:

Russian Doll (Season 1)
Undone (Season 1)
Fleabag (Season 2)
Derry Girls (Season 2)
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 3)

Of the other shows (some of which straddle from 2018), there were plenty that were pretty damned entertaining, or at least decent, ranking from a B+ to a B on the scale:

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Seasons 2 & 3)
Brooklyn Nine Nine (Season 6)
Black Mirror (Season 5)
Carmen Sandiego (Seasons 1 & 2)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season 4)
Bob's Burgers (Season 9)
GLOW (Season 3)
The Great British Baking Show (Season 7)
Superstore (Season 4)
The Dragon Prince (Season 2)
Tuca & Bertie (Season 1)
Good Omens (miniseries)
Nailed It! (Season 3)
Astronomy Club (Season 1)

And the ones that couldn't stick the landing:

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Season 4)
Agatha Christie's "The ABC Murders" (miniseries)

Lest we forget, there are also the shows from previous years that I managed to catch up on:

Fleabag (Season 1) (2016)
Derry Girls (Season 1) (2018)
Maniac (Season 1) (2018)
Castlevania (Season 2) (2018)
Salt Fat Acid Heat (Season 1) (2018)
Search Party (Season 1) (2016)

Picking a favorite show of the decade is a nearly impossible task. The Great British Baking Show has brought me immeasurable happiness, but can I really call a competitive reality show my favorite of the past ten years, no matter how gentle it is? Probably not. If this was a "Best Of" list, something critically-acclaimed like Mad Men might be in the discussion, but this is about favorite, not best. Shows that live as a gem of the past, like Community, Futurama, or Parks & Recreation are definitely worthy of consideration. When it all comes down to it, though, I have to pick a show that not only topped my list in the past, but is still going strong, and that doesn't only work as a TV show, but as a musical soundtrack, a t-shirt that I love, and a cookbook I'm anxious to explore:

The Simpsons definitely dominated in past eras, and if there's any show that can be said it's passed the torch to, it's got to be Bob's Burgers. Delightful visual gags, terrific writing, incomparable voiceover work, and fun new songs on a weekly basis have kept me laughing, quoting, and singing to myself for years now.

The State of the Art: Television 2018

As streaming services take on more and more content, television has taken on a bigger and bigger chunk of my pop culture pie chart. As much as entertainment outlets were touting the "peak TV years" of prestige basic cable dramas, I feel like we're in a much more interesting time now. Shows have gotten increasingly diverse, which allows people to find things that are even more tailored to their tastes. I'm no exception, and the TV I enjoyed this year was all over the map. Here's the official ranking!

The Haunting of Hill House (Season 1)
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories (Season 1)
The Good Place (Season 2)
Lovesick (Season 3)
Nailed It! (Season 1)
American Vandal (Season 2)

All of the shows above would get at least an A- on my grading scale, and were all in contention for my favorite show of the year. The Haunting of Hill House took top honors, but I also want to make special mention of Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, which was more about atmosphere than plot. The simple stories of the patrons of a late night Japanese diner were neither happy nor sad, but a fascinating series of slice-of-life tales.

There were also plenty of other highly entertaining shows that would nab at least a B+ on the scale:

The Great British Baking Show (Seasons 5, 6, and Holiday)
Bojack Horseman (Season 5)
MST3K: The Gauntlet (Season 2)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season 3)
Black Mirror (Season 4 and "Bandersnatch")
The Dragon Prince (Season 1)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Season 1)
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 2)
Superstore (Season 4)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Season 5)
Ordeal By Innocence (Miniseries)

Then there are the shows that were pleasant enough to watch, but couldn't edge their way into the top echelons:

Bob's Burgers (Season 9)
Black-ish (Season 5)
Angie Tribeca (Season 3)
Nailed It! (Season 2 and Holiday)
Hilda (Season 1)

And the shows that ranged from simply okay down to waste of time:

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Season 4)
Big Mouth (Seasons 1 & 2)
One Day at a Time (Season 2)
13 Reasons Why (Season 1)
Making a Murderer (Season 2)

The State of the Art: Television 2017

I can't believe it, but eight shows battled for the top spot in my heart this year. When the dust settled, I chose the resurgence of Mystery Science Theater 3000, which was just fantastic. Here are the eight shows, any of which could have been #1 if they had caught me on the right day:

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Season 1)
The Good Place (Season 1)
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season 1)
Bojack Horseman (Season 4)
Master of None (Season 2)
American Vandal (Season 1)
GLOW (Season 1)
The Great British Bake Off (Season 4)

I also watched other stuff, of course, most of which was very good. My "block" of usual shows (black-ish, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bob's Burgers, Superstore) all had strong seasons, and many of the songs of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season 2) got stuck in my head. Cartoons and anime were well represented with Steven Universe, Voltron, and Erased, with the latter being the most remarkable I've seen in a long time. Sitcoms are always a good distraction from the misery of the political landscape, so I indulged in Angie Tribeca, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Trial and Error, and Powerless, all of which had their bright spots, though not enough to make the top of my list.

There was also the hard-to-categorize side shows. There's the food porn of Chef's Table, and the strange, but compelling very-special-episode feel of One Day at a Time. I also really enjoyed Lovesick.

So yeah, an excellent year of TV, and with Black Mirror premiering its new season tomorrow, it looks like another one is on the horizon.

The Lion Kings

As I mentioned in my post about Season 1 of Voltron: Legendary Defender, I never watched the original '80s show that the reboot is based on. Turns out that's a good thing, because as a special treat to go with Season 2, they re-released some of the old episodes. I watched one, and wow. That original show was...not good. What the hell was Pidge's voice actor trying to accomplish?

Happily, the new Voltron showrunners have a more thoughtful approach, and Season 2 built on Season 1 in really interesting ways. It would be easy to just have our heroes thwart the evil Zarkon's scheme-of-the-week, then retreat to safety, but this sophomore season does something a lot more daring: The paladins take the fight directly to the Galra. Each episode fits into a larger arc that explores the greater plan for a long-lasting solution to keeping the universe safe, while reserving plenty of time to be goofy.

The interpersonal relationships are more developed this season, too, as Allura must face some uncomfortable truths about the people she's allied with, and Keith strives to learn more about his mysterious past. Shiro fights to stay connected with his lion, Pidge makes some progress in tracking down her missing family members, and even Hunk gets a chance to shine with some newly-discovered lion powers, as well as impressing a demanding chef in the season's best episode, "Space Mall".

Honestly, I never thought I'd wind up enjoying Voltron, since I have no nostalgia about the original to tie it to. I just agreed to watch it with some friends as a lark. It's been such a nice surprise to not only find that I like the show quite a bit, but that it's clearly improving as it goes along.

Voltron: Legendary Defender - Season 2: B+

Tri Tri Again

Back when I was talking about the first season of Angie Tribeca, I mentioned that as a cord-cutter, I'd have to bide my time before being able to watch the second one. Well, guess what just dropped on Hulu? Some television shows demand to be watched slowly, the better to really soak up the themes and nuances of each episode. Angie Tribeca is emphatically not one of those shows, and I binged the whole season in the course of a few evenings.

There really isn't much to "review" in shows like these. If you liked the complete zaniness and absurdity of season one, then you're all set. The puns, the visual gags, and the ridiculous situations are all back in full force, and each episode is good for a least a giggle or two, if not a full-throated belly laugh.

One new aspect is the inclusion of an actual seasonal arc, which you wouldn't expect in a show that basically functions as a simple joke delivery system. In season 2, Angie awakens from a coma to discover that Geils is now in a relationship with Dr. Scholls, and complications ensue, especially when her previously-thought-dead partner resurfaces as the head of a shadowy organization.

It all sounds very Alias, until something like a full-sized office desk built out of sand or Tanner in geisha regalia shows up. Season 2 didn't grab me by the funny bone as much as the inaugural season did, but this show's embrace of complete silliness works in its favor, and though it's no doubt a long way off, I'm already looking forward to being able to stream season three.

Angie Tribeca - Season 2: B

BLAM!

When the first season of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend came along, it was such a delightful surprise. It didn't get great ratings, but it was such a critical darling that the CW made the wise and easy decision to renew it. Rachel Bloom mentioned that with every new season, the underlying theme would be different, and this idea has been brilliantly supported by writing an entirely new theme song. The title of this post is how every episode of season 2 kicks off, and it made me giggle every damn time.

If season one was about denial, then season two has been about pure, unadulterated obsession. Now that Josh knows about Rebecca's deep, all-consuming crush on him, she'll do anything in her power to get him into her clutches. Or will she? Because every time he pulls away, she starts thinking that maybe she'd be better off with Greg, after all. As with season one, Rebecca may be the protagonist of the story, but it would be a stretch to call her the heroine. She has good intentions, but her egocentrism and excessive enthusiasm about whatever her current scheme is always threatens to destroy any relationship she's built.

Season 2 wasn't as innovative and genius as season 1, but it definitely had a lot of bright spots. Rebecca has always been pretty selfish in her friendship with Paula, and a fight between them was due. Digging a bit into Rebecca's past to unravel why she is the way she is was an interesting plotline to explore. And the show even found a way to re-incorporate Valencia in a pretty cool way. Aside from that, though, the story beats of season 2 were kind of a disappointment.

And what about the music? The songs of Season 1 were infectious bits of wonder; I still find myself singing "I Have Friends" in the shower to myself. While the songs of season 2 were all pretty good, only a couple reach the heights that the inaugural season did. I really enjoy "The Math of Love Triangles", but the absolute pinnacle was Rebecca's view of how East Coast Jews view life: "Remember That We Suffered".

I have relatives exactly like this, and this song is a perfect encapsulation of their attitudes. So while Season 2 has a bit of a sophomore slump, this show is still really engaging, and is unlike anything else on the air right now. They've already been renewed for season 3, which looks like it's going to have an even darker tone, and I am all in for it. Because if all this wackiness is what ensues when Rebecca has a sunny disposition, imaging what she's going to wreak when she's out for blood.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Season 2: B

The Rewatch: Friends - Season 6

Certain shows, like The Golden Girls, are timeless. Sure, there are some dated references, but for the most part, the jokes and situations are just as relevant today as they were when the show was airing. One thing I've been noticing about this Rewatch, though, is as time goes on, and television gets better and better, Friends is beginning to fossilize. You wouldn't think a simple sitcom about a group of people hanging out would age rapidly, but the tone, writing, and plotlines of Friends are looking more archaic with every passing season.

That's not to say that it's a bad show now; it's just very of-the-moment in a way that I didn't expect. The '90s technology, the continued reliance on gay panic jokes, Bruce Willis with hair... All of these make the show look older than it really is. Season 6 did have a few welcome changes, though. I mentioned in the Season 5 post that Friends is weakest when it focuses too heavily on the romances within the group. While there is still certainly plenty of that going on, this season definitely has a better balance of non-romance episodes, in which they get back to the silly friend interactions that made the show so successful in the first place.

However, as shows goes on, characters tend to calcify into extreme versions of their biggest personality traits, and that is definitely beginning to occur here. For the most part, everyone still acts like actual human beings, but Season 6 is when you can start charting things like Monica turning from organized neat-freak into compulsive, anal-retentive shrew, or Ross from clumsy-at-relationships to full-on psychotic liar. When the comedic situations turn from things like "This lady is messy!" to "I'm going to keep my marriage a secret from the bride herself!" you know things are getting too wacky, too fast.

The first and last batch of episodes of the season focuses on the shifting romantic relationships between Ross/Rachel (attempted annulment, eventual divorce) and Monica/Chandler (moving in together, marriage proposal), but in the middle, there are some real gems. As I said in Season 5, Friends really shines in their Thanksgiving episodes, and Season 6 is no exception. There's also a fun two-parter in an alternate universe in which Monica is still fat, Joey is still a soap star, Ross is still married to Carol, and so on.

This is also the season in which Ross is a professor, and has an affair with one of his students (Elizabeth). That may have worked as a one-off episode, but Elizabeth sticks around for several episodes, and is far too boring a character to justify the time spent on her. Ditto for Joey's temporary roommate Janine. Guest stars apparently work best on this show when their appearances are brief. The episodes that really work best are the ones that stick to the core cast, and just let their personalities bounce off of each other.

Notable Guest Stars: As mentioned above, there's Alexandra Holden as Elizabeth and Elle Macpherson as Janine, neither of whom should have gotten as much screen time as they did, the former because her character doesn't have enough personality, and the latter because... let's just say her range is limited. Bruce Willis also shows up as Elizabeth's father, and is similarly over-used. There are some good flashing guest appearances, though, from Reese Witherspoon as Rachel's sister Jill to the always-wonderful Missi Pyle as one of Ross' ill-fated dates. The usual recurring folks (Elliot Gould, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, Maggie Wheeler, etc.) are also back, and they're always a welcome presence.

What's Keeping Ross and Rachel And Their Apparently Greatest Love in the History of the Earth Apart This Time: After the drunken wedding in Vegas, there are several episodes devoted to its dissolution. Ross trying to keep their marriage going in secret is one of the dumbest things ever written for this show, but I can't deny that there are also some genuinely funny aspects to this most recent split. After the divorce is final, they're able to get back to a state of platonic friendship, which is nice to see, though I'm aware that it won't last.

Best Episode: This one's easy. "TOW Ross Got High" is the season's Thanksgiving episode, and it is just wonderful. Between Rachel's disastrous trifle and the Ross/Monica exchange where they hysterically expose each other's secrets to their parents, this episode fires on all cylinders from beginning to end.

Worst Episode: A trio of the Elizabeth/Paul episodes ("TOW Ross Dates a Student", "TOW Ross Meets Elizabeth's Dad", and "TOW Paul's the Man") could certainly vie for this dubious honor on account of how dull they are, but the worst episode of the season shouldn't just be the absence of good. There should be something actively bad involved. That's why, despite the involvement of Missie Pyle and Joanna Gleason, I have to go with "TOW Ross' Teeth", which may as well be called "TOW Dudes Should Loudly Proclaim Their Heterosexuality at Every Opportunity". Joey is mad because the woman who pays him rent is making their apartment too girly. Ross is ridiculed for putting on makeup. For fuck's sake, '50s educational shorts didn't have this much pressure to hide your personality quirks in order to conform.

In looking at the season as a whole, I'm conflicted. There are definite bright spots, but the show also appears to be taking a turn. It's tough to identify, but we may be approaching the point of the proverbial shark jump. The big arcs of the show are moving forward, but as it progresses, it's becoming more about the characters' love lives than any joy in spending time together. In short, Friends isn't about friends anymore. Will Season 7 continue this trend? There's only one way to find out. Onward!

The Sun'll Come Out, Tomorrow

Orphans! They're just like us! Well, except for the fact that they're completely different. The psychological scars of the typical nuclear family are wholly different than the ones inflicted on the parent-less, which means that orphans sure do make for good storytelling. So much so that by happenstance, I just watched two wildly different titles that revolve around orphans and how they begin to rebuild a sense of family.

The first was the inaugural season of the Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. I really liked all the books, but the original movie was not particularly great. It was inoffensive enough, but the only thing that really stood out were the end credits. That didn't prevent me from getting my hopes up when this new version rolled around, for a few reasons:

Neil Patrick Harris was attached as Count Olaf, which is terrific casting. Daniel Handler (that is, Lemony Snicket himself) was in charge of the writing. Barry Sonnenfeld, who gave us such gorgeous visuals in Pushing Daisies was giving this show a similar look. That, plus the fact that putting this property on TV gave it move time and space to breathe than a single movie, had me anticipating this show more than any other.

Was it worth the attention? Affirmative, a word which here means "of course it was". All of the points I just mentioned paid off in spades, and there were so many more. The show really captures the tone of the books, and the producers are obviously having grand fun with casting the guest stars, from Joan Cusack as Justice Strauss to Alfre Woodard as Aunt Josephine. Neil Patrick Harris is able to walk the fine line between making Olaf a farcical figure of fun and an actual menace. His troupe of ne'er-do-well henchmen are just on the right side of goofy. Patrick Warburton is perfect as the melancholy, stone-faced narrator. And the Baudelaire orphans themselves? They're fine, if not that noteworthy. The children may be determined, but they're fairly reactive characters, so I don't blame the actors if they're somewhat placid; they're the sad calm in the midst of a hurricane of wacky adults.

Each book gets two episodes, so it's basically one movie per book, with the season covering the first four. Despite the horrors the Baudelaires are forced to endure, it was a joyous viewing experience, and I'm already looking forward to the next installment.

Up next was an orphan of a different stripe. It's that moody caped crusader, Batman himself. And although he's as grim and dour as ever, his surroundings are pretty bright and cheery. That's right, it's The LEGO Batman Movie. And speaking of casts that are stacked with talent, just check out this one. Everyone loaned their voice to this movie!

It's incredible how many different rights the producers of the LEGO movies have to lock down, but they somehow manage. Though Batman (Will Arnett) is the nominal star, there are appearances from characters from all sorts of other realms, from Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter. Batman is used to working alone, but between the Joker's new evil plan, a forceful Barbara Gorden as police commissioner, and an eager sidekick trying to get adopted, he has to learn to rely on others.

The story arc is fairly straightforward, but given that this is a LEGO movie, it's really more about the rapid-fire jokes and references. They all landed well, giving me a lot of good chuckles. The movie isn't as clever or inventive as the original one, but it was still a lot of fun, and kids will love it.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - Season 1: A-
The LEGO Batman Movie: B

Oooh, Heaven is a Place on Earth

After such triumphs as Parks & Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, you can bet that when I hear the name Michael Schur, my ears perk up. So when they announced he'd be making a show about a foul-mouthed jerk played by Kristen Bell accidentally getting into heaven, I was on board before I knew any of the other details. That trust has now paid off in spades, because the first season of The Good Place has just wrapped up, and it was fantastic.

Indeed, the first focus of the show was on Eleanor Shellstrop (Bell), and how out of place she is in an environment full of people who spent their time on Earth being good-hearted and philanthropic. Everyone is supposed to be assigned a soulmate in the Good Place, and her interactions with ethics professor Chidi (William Jackson Harper) put him in jeopardy as well as her if her presence is ever discovered. There's also next-door neighbors Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and her silent Buddhist monk soulmate Jianyu (Manny Jacinto), both of whom throw wrenches into Eleanor's plans for different reasons. The entire enterprise is administrated by the architect, Michael (Ted Danson), who's fascinated by human behavior, and an anthropomorphized computer program, Janet (D'Arcy Carden), who is there to make the residents' afterlives more convenient, but who has entertaining glitches of her own.

As the season progresses, Eleanor faces her regrets about how she behaved while she was alive, and tries to change her ways, while also rubbing off on the would-be saints she now hangs out with. This is a comedy, though, so the biggest factor should be whether the show is funny or not. Well, good news. It's hilarious.

That said, The Good Place also manages to do something a lot of sitcoms don't even bother to attempt; it builds a sustainable story arc with engaging twists and turns. Other shows are content to reset after each episode, which is perfectly fine, but this one strives for more. It actually creates a threatening situation for its protagonist, and spends the entire season exploring her efforts to overcome those obstacles. To be able to do that while still making me guffaw out loud several times per episode? That's pretty forking cool.

The Good Place - Season 1: A

Anglaise-Philes

Ever since The Great British Baking Show started airing on American television, it has consistently been one of my favorite shows. It's the perfect blend of competition and cooking show, and nothing has ever come close to matching it.

That doesn't mean people won't try, though, and TV executives weren't about to let all of us fervent American fans of the show slip through their fingers. They attempted to capture the same lightning by producing The Great American Baking Show, which premiered last year. Rather than a generalized baking experience, it aired around the holidays, which naturally drove all the challenge inspirations as well. That was probably a wise decision, even if I soon tired of Christmas-themed bakes. Mary Berry agreed to tie the show to its foreign counterpart by acting as judge, along with Johnny Iuzzini, who has already acted as a reality show judge, with limited success. In place of Mel and Sue, the show is hosted by Nia Vardolos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and her husband, Ian Gomez (Cougar Town).

Here's the thing about capturing the spirit of a runaway hit show: It's really, really, really difficult to do. And the first season of The Great American Baking Show was so unsuccessful, it struggled to even rise to the level of pale imitation. On the most basic level, it just didn't have any of the chemistry that makes the original program so enchanting. The judges didn't gel, the hosts were visibly trying and failing to capture the giddy enthusiasm of Mel and Sue, and the contestants... Well, that was the worst part. I'm sure they're all lovely people, and I know this is a show for amateurs, but as with inaugural seasons of a lot of competitive reality shows, they suuuuuuuuuuucked. All of their bakes looked terrible. It got to the point where I was literally embarrassed for us as a country.

I chalked the show up as a failed experiment and moved on with my life. Until about a month ago, when I noticed Hulu recommending the second season to me. Against my better judgement, my curiosity was piqued. Were any lessons learned? Could the show improve, or was it just destined to languish in the shadow of its older cousin? Well, I have some good news!

Season 2 was much, much better. Nia and Ian are still a bit over-hammy, but they've settled down to an acceptable level. The judges (Johnny specifically) are still a bit awkward, but their explanations are better articulated now, and they seem to be in better moods. That may be because the contestants are worlds better this time around. It's night and day. Sure, there was some obvious chaff, but the wheat was soon separated out, and I found myself really invested in their success. Finally, some American bakers our nation can be proud of.

The second season was again holiday-themed, which limited what it could do, but I was so giddy over the show's rise in quality that I hardly minded. Does The Great American Baking Show stack up to the Great British Baking Show? Hell, no. Not in any way whatsoever. But it certainly takes home the engraved cake plate award for Most Improved.

The Great American Baking Show - Season 1: C
The Great American Baking Show - Season 2: B

Pants on Fire

Making modern romantic comedy is tricky. The formula that worked so well in the '80s and '90s is now officially stale, and audiences are looking for different ways to engage with stories about the arc of a relationship. I'm a guy that always enjoys a well-executed gimmick, so when Scrotal Recall (ugh, that title) came along and played with the convention by leaping around chronologically and viewing its characters through the lens of the past girlfriends/hookups that Dylan may have given chlamydia to, I was delighted.

The delight continues, not only because Netflix has released another season, and not only because the producers have taken the original story idea and have begun building on it in really interesting ways, but because they changed the damned title. The show is now called Lovesick, which is exponentially better. In its sophomore season, Lovesick eases up on the past girlfriend model a bit, and begins to concentrate more on Dylan, Evie, and Luke in the present. Things have gotten complicated. Evie is about to get married, but lingering feelings for Dylan have her doubting her every move, while he attempts to ignore his reciprocal feelings to focus on his burgeoning relationship with Abigail, who's just terrific. (I really like Abigail, you guys.) Clearly, this is all going to blow up at some point, and the writers are doing a good job so far of keeping things tense without stretching them out to an annoying degree.

Meanwhile, Luke has been questioning his sluttish ways since the Phoebe episode, and a flashback to his relationship with Jo gives us context for why he is the way he is, and how he's changing over time. Even Angus gets some time in the spotlight, as he cheerfully follows his id wherever it leads him. The second season also brings back some familiar faces from the past, for both good and ill. It's always nice to see Jane ruining everything.

The Dylan/Evie roller coaster isn't my favorite aspect of the show, and since the second season focuses on it quite a bit, this second season doesn't quite stack up to the first one in my mind. That said, this is possibly the most ignored, underrated show on the air right now, and I desperately hope that they make a third season.

Lovesick - Season 2: A-

The State of the Art: Television 2016

I think it's official now. Television has overtaken movies. Back in the day, movie stars wouldn't be caught dead appearing on TV, which they considered "the enemy". Then, when it was clear television was here to stay, film actors started to deign to appear on the small screen, but there was never any worry that cinema's little brother would ever catch up in terms of quality or prestige. And yet, here we are. Though there are plenty of good movies out there, TV is just exponentially better right now. I don't know how long this trend will last, but for now, it seems clear that if you want top-notch entertainment, you don't even have to get off your couch.

All that said, I have limited time and access to the wealth of variety TV is offering right now, so as always, my top five will look nothing like the critics'. There are certain channels I don't get, and there just aren't enough hours in the day to watch everything I'd like to be. These are the kinds of problems you want to have, though. There was still plenty to delight me over the course of 2016. So why don't we get to the best of the best?

#1: Black Mirror - Season 3

One way I can tell if a show belongs at the top of my list is that I can't stop talking about it with other people. As gloomy and pessimistic as Black Mirror tends to be, I couldn't stop myself from enthusing about Season 3 to anyone who would listen. While all six of the episodes are good, four of them are straight-up excellent, and one of them has the distinction of having absolutely no competition for my single favorite episode of television this year. When people usually talk about horror, what they're referring to are slashers. A group of dumb, horny teens goes to a remote cabin and gets butchered by an axe-wielding maniac. When I talk about horror, I mean watching what we're capable of when the baser aspects of human nature have access to advanced technology. Black Mirror paints a terrifying portrait of where society could be headed if restrictions on our impulses were lifted by convenient techno-gadgets, and what makes it so thrillingly scary is how realistic it is. Even amongst the dire warnings and chilling scenarios, Season 3 found some time for levity, for hope, and dare I say it, for a single happy ending.

#2: American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson

Another way to determine the great shows of the year is by noticing something that shouldn't work at all, yet manages to overcome all obstacles and actually be terrific. There was so much stacked against a miniseries dramatization of OJ Simpson's arrest and trial. There's an inherent danger in it just coming off as tabloid trash, like a pretentious Lifetime original movie. It was helmed by Ryan Murphy, who may be great at starting projects, but has a poor track record when it comes to sticking the landing. People could've had little interest in revisiting the topic; though it fascinated the world at the time, was this story really worth ten episodes? But when I actually sat down to watch this, I shut my fat mouth in a hurry, because it was enthralling. All of those Emmy wins were well-deserved.

#3: The Great British Baking Show - Season 3

What else makes a television show worthy of making the top five? Much like baking, you need consistent quality. Once the novelty of something wears off, it is still entertaining? The Great British Baking Show answers that with a jolly wink and probably an awful food pun or five. Everything I originally loved about this show is still on-point. Terrific bakers, terrific challenges, terrific hosting, terrific judging, terrific food photography... You name it. Unfortunately, nothing this wonderful ever lasts long enough, and once Season 3 had aired, all sorts of news about the impending massive cast upheavals started rolling out. So before too long, we'll likely have to say good-bye to this gem of a show that filled me with happiness and warmth, provided an opportunity to have guests over to enthuse over the people and the bakes with me, and even got me into the kitchen to try some experimental recipes.

#4: Lady Dynamite - Season 1

Consistency is great, but there are also shows that come out of nowhere, and are completely unlike anything else on the air. It took me a few episodes to fully embrace Maria Bamford's absurdist, semi-autobiographical show about clawing her way back to a life in entertainment after a mental breakdown. Haha! What a laugh riot! Thing is, it was! Before a few modern shows came along (see below), most comedy/sitcom characters always had such easily-solvable problems. Whether it was a misunderstanding at work or accidentally giving your date food she's allergic to, there was nothing that couldn't be dealt with in a half hour. These days, though, comedy is stretching its muscles to talk about issues that aren't so tidy. It must be incredibly difficult to walk that fine line between being funny and having something real to say about bipolar disorder, and this show pulled it off perfectly.

#5: BoJack Horseman - Season 3

Though Bamford's story is factual, fictional depression can also amazingly be adapted into comedy, if you're smart enough to do it well. And BoJack Horseman does it very, very well. Like The Great British Baking Show, this is not the show's first appearance on the end-of-year favorites list. Unlike GBBS, though, which maintained its superiority by sticking with a formula that works, BoJack Horseman expanded its universe even further than last season. There are scenes that made me laugh out loud, and scenes that made me cry. There's an underwater episode that's almost entirely wordless, which was a close second to Black Mirror's "San Junipero" in Favorite Episode of the Year. The other four shows on my favorites list almost sell themselves, but this one is weird enough that it tends to drive some people away. Don't be frightened. Jump in!

Honorable Mentions

They may not have made the top five, and some of them aren't terribly current, but I can't ignore the other shows I saw this year that got at least an A- on the grading scale. These are all definitely worth your time, so settle into your couch and treat yourself to some quality entertainment.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Season 1: A really fantastic show with really fantastic music, but even I can't justify having three shows about mental illness on my top five. That, and the CW makes this show impossible to conveniently stream, so I tend to catch up a long time after it airs. Still, I often can't keep myself from singing those (often-inappropriate) ditties to myself out loud.

Man Seeking Woman - Season 1: Ineligible, since it aired in 2015. This is another one that doesn't stream until well after it airs, so it'll constantly be playing catch-up. The magical realism technique for cracking wise about the maddening complications of the dating world works incredibly well in this show, and its absurdities are zany without ever becoming obnoxious.

Making a Murderer - Season 1: Ineligible, since it aired in 2015 (and probably wouldn't have quite cracked the top of the list, anyway). It's tough for documentary television to grab my attention, since I usually use television as an escape from the grim realities of life, not to delve even deeper into them. But the story of Steven Avery's trial and conviction are so compelling that I couldn't tear myself away. As agitprop decrying the corruption of the judicial system, it may have been a little one-sided, but I can't argue with the production value one bit. I'm not a true crime fanatic, but am firmly on board for more episodes of this.

Superstore - Season 1: Hey, did you know NBC is capable of making good sitcoms again? I know, I was shocked, too! After a few place-setting episodes, this one snapped into a really terrific ensemble comedy. It's very jokey, but still finds sly ways to comment on the culture of big box stores, whether it's their anti-union policies or the token nods to minority employees. The interstitial shots of customers being all customer-y, and the fact that it's set in my hometown doesn't hurt, either. It may not be the most groundbreaking show on television, but it makes me laugh, and that's all I want out of it.

Shorties #21

Since it's getting to the time of year to write out our best-of lists, I need to wrap up the mentions of what culture I've been consuming in 2016. By happenstance, this last Shorties entry of the year is a wealth of diversity, containing one title from each of the entertainment categories: Movies, TV, Books, Games, and Music.

#1: Bad Moms: I am emphatically not in the target audience of this 2016 movie about a trio of suburban moms who get fed up with the constant demand of perfection from their kids and the other moms around town, and who decide to let themselves enjoy life for once. That said, it's always a pleasant surprise when a movie that isn't trying to impress me does so anyway. Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell are very good as the moms who are cracking under their familial pressure, while Kathryn Hahn just about steals the entire movie as the foul-mouthed rebel mom who doesn't give a good goddamn what anyone thinks. Toss in Christina Applegate as an ice queen, and you've got yourself a pretty fun flick. (Grade: B+)

#2: Food Wars (Season 2): I've already described how I found myself drawn to the first season of this anime, and so I happily jumped into the second, released onto Hulu in 2016. Soma is still facing down his classmates in dramatic food competitions, and the food animation is still as droolworthy as ever. However something that sparked in the first season is missing now, and those are the sections where nobody's challenging someone else. I miss the interactions between Soma and his house-mates, as they build friendships that give them the confidence to be stronger cooks. This season is all about the battles. It also unnecessarily introduces a ton of new characters, at the expense of the ones we were still getting to know. Oh! They also changed the theme music, and I much preferred the original. It's still a fascinating show, and though the last episode felt awfully final, if they ever make another season, I'm on board. (Grade: B)

#3: The Witches - Salem, 1692: I do wish the morals and lessons America should have learned from the tragedy and horrors of Salem, Massachusetts didn't keep making themselves terrifyingly relevant in modern times. Yet, here we are. However, even though we all know the basics (people executed because a bunch of teenage girls accused them of witchcraft), I wanted to get a deeper understanding of just what in the hell happened in 1692. Stacy Schiff's 2015 book explores not only the people who found themselves at the end of a hangman's noose for the crime of being unpopular, but the society that allowed such hysteria to take root. A lot of non-fiction is taken to task for writing styles that are too dry, but I actually have the opposite request. Sometimes, Schiff's language is a little too flowery, and I just wanted her to get to the point and tell me what was happening. That said, it was an overall entertaining read from which I learned a lot, and that's all I ask when it comes to reading about history. (Grade: B)

#4: Jackbox Party Pack 3: We play all sorts of tabletop games at my friend's weekly game night, but this is the first time we've incorporated an interactive technological one. Sure, we all play video games too, but that tends to be a more solitary activity. This one involves the whole gang. 2016's Jackbox Party Pack 3 is made by the same folks who gave us You Don't Know Jack, which I used to enjoy (and dominate at!) quite a bit. They've upped their game, so to speak, by making this a video game that people play together from their phones. There are five games available, from "Quiplash 2", which is somewhat like Cards Against Humanity, as your friends vote for who had the best/funniest answer, to "Trivia Murder Party", in which you'd better answer questions correctly, or the homicidal host will tear your little stuffed doll avatar to shreds. We've been having a lot of fun with this game pack for several weeks now, so I can definitely recommend it for your next party. That said, bring a charger. Your phone's battery will be taking some punishment. (Grade: B+)

#5: "White Knuckles" - Boh Doran: It's going to be tough to narrow down a favorite song of 2016, but I do want to feature one of the runners-up, which is this 2015 jam that should give you a good idea of where my musical tastes lie this year. Here, have a listen. I could talk about how I relate to the lyrics, which allude to holding on to something (or someone) too tightly, as if you're afraid it's going to slip through your fingers at any moment. But if I'm being honest, I just really like the tune. (Grade: B+)