Rookie watch: the best new TV shows of 2011
A few great newbies at the top, then a lot with obvious pluses and minuses
Kit Harington as Jon Snow in "Game of Thrones."
Credit: HBO
Welcome to the conclusion of my look back at the best shows of 2011. On Tuesday, I gave my list of the best 11 overall shows. On Wednesday, I did the best 10 returning shows.
Today was supposed to be a similar top 10 list of the best new shows of the year, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that there was a very large gap between the two that were already on the overall list - "Homeland" and "Game of Thrones" - and everything else. Of the other shows, some I liked parts of but not the whole, some I liked uniformly but didn't love, and all of them felt like they should be fighting it out for spots 7-10 on a list in a much deeper year.
(Last year, for instance, half of my overall list was made up of new shows, several of which then carried over to the returning and overall lists this year.)
So rather than try to figure out which 8 I should try to slot in after "Game" and "Homeland," and in what order, I'm going to do the following: write a bit about why the big 2 are the big 2, talk about a couple of others I enjoyed but want to put in their own tier, then run down the pros and cons of a bunch of the other candidates.
The Big 2
1. "Homeland" (Showtime)
I know, I know. On the overall list, "Homeland" ranked one spot below "GoT." But I also acknowledged that at the time I recorded that, I hadn't seen the last 3 episodes of the first season, and was being cautious in case they screwed up the finish. Well, I've now seen everything through this Sunday's finale, and while I will not so much as hint at what happens, I will say that I was happy enough with it that, combined with everything that came before, it now nudges "Game of Thrones" out of the top newbie spot.
What I love about "Homeland" is that no matter which way you try to slice it, it's delicious. If you want to look at it just as a character study about an unstable woman becoming obsessed with an equally-damaged man, then you've got two incredible lead performances by Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. If you want to treat it as a thriller, the show kept the tension going wonderfully all season, with only one feint (Brody professes his innocence to Carrie one week, is revealed to be working with Nazir the next) seeming even a bit iffy to me, and one which I've accepted in hindsight. (My fear was more that they would keep doing that, and they played straight with us ever since.) If you want to look at it as an examination of the moral repercussions of the War on Terror, it wound up being very nuanced, and a reminder that the hyperbolic nature of "24" was more about the needs of that show rather than a mark on the limitations of Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa. Hell, "Homeland" even works on some level as an incredibly dysfunctional love story.
Great performances, great tension, great first season. Having seen the whole thing, rookie of the year.
2. "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
As you know, I deliberately did not read the books. I wanted to see if "GoT" would work as a TV show without me having prior knowledge of House Stark, the Dothraki, dragons, etc. And aside from a few expository (and in some cases, sexpository) bumps in the early going, it absolutely did. Benioff and Weiss brought the world and its characters to life, told me as much as I needed to know to get the story moving, and then smacked me around for a while as the fight for the Iron Throne got pretty damned crazy. Fantastic production values, indelible performances (Peter Dinklage rightfully won the Emmy, while Emilia Clarke was the great discovery and the one I look forward to seeing again the most) and a totally satisfying debut season overall.
The Next 2
3. "Bob's Burgers" (FOX)
Like a lot of the shows listed below, "Bob's Burgers" took a couple of episodes to grow on me, but I think that was less the show's evolution than me needing to get used to its weird, deadpan rhythms, and its deft blend of absurdity and warmth. I'm glad Loren Bouchard and his eclectic, funny cast of voice actors (including H. Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal and Dan Mintz) will back for more strange family stories in 2012.
4. "Wilfred" (FX)
Another bizarre - and very dark - comedy, and one that eschewed big laughs as the season went along and it became more of a portrait of a mentally unstable man and his (possibly) imaginary, destructive best friend. Elijah Wood and Jason Ganz (reprising the role from the Australian original) had great chemistry, and Wilfred tended to do a few hilarious things per episode (even the more sober later ones).
Everything Else (in alphabetical order)
"Boss" (Starz)
Pros: Kelsey Grammer leaving the memory of Frasier Crane dead and buried on the outskirts of O'Hare in a magnetic, career-redefining performance. Good supporting work, particularly by Kathleen Robertson and Martin Donovan as two of Grammer's top aides, some memorable speeches and confrontations, and a sense of vicious melodrama that I enjoyed more once I stopped expecting gritty realism.
Cons: Even taken as a kind of Shakespeare in modern drag, the sheer number of speeches and heated plot twists began to dilute their impact after a while. Most of the sex scenes felt silly and shoehorned in because this is the home of "Spartacus."
"The Chicago Code" (FOX)
Pros: Terrific villain performance by Delroy Lindo as a corrupt alderman. Great use of Chicago locations. The last few episodes suggested a show figuring itself out as a kind of 21st century "Wiseguy," with a series of story arcs about the cops going after various crooks and crooked officials.
Cons: Until those last few episodes, the show really struggled to balance the Lindo arc with standalone cases that weren't remotely as interesting. Lead cops Jason Clarke and Matt Lauria had either inconsistent (for Clarke) or underdeveloped (for Lauria) characterization.
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
Pros: Beautiful production, fine performances, great sense of place (an English manor house on the eve of World War I), and material about the servants of that house that I found endlessly fascinating.
Cons: I. Did. Not. Care. about anything having to do with the lords and ladies of Downton Abbey. That's much more my failing than anything Julian Fellowes and company did to tell their stories, but when 50% of the series makes me want to hit the fast forward button, I can't give it an unreserved hooray.
"Happy Endings" (ABC)
Pros: Once the writers moved away from the story of the pilot (runaway bride Elisha Cuthbert and jilted groom Zachary Knighton struggle to hang out while sharing the same circle of friends) and just let a group of funny actors and characters be funny together - in other words, once they learned the lesson of "Cougar Town" - it became one of TV's more enjoyable comedies. Just put, say, Adam Pally and Damon Wayans Jr. together, or Casey Wilson and Eliza Coupe, or any combination, and let them run, and chances are something very amusing will happen.
Cons: It took the show quite a while to get to that point. And by aiming solely for a joke-joke-joke structure without anything deeper underneath it, it means that the episodes where the humor doesn't work (which still happens from time to time) don't have much else to offer.
"The Hour" (BBC America)
Pros: Great trio of leading performances by Dominic West, Ben Whishaw and, especially, Romola Garai. Strong evocation of mid-'50s period, and interesting discussion of politics and journalistic ethics of the period.
Cons: A spy story that always felt awkwardly grafted onto an attempt to transplant "Broadcast News" to England around the time of the Suez crisis.
"Lights Out" (FX)
Pros: Strong, simple, effective lead performance by Holt McCallany as a punch drunk ex-champ trying to get back into the ring due to dire financial circumstances. Great supporting characters like Reg E. Cathey as Barry Word and Bill Irwin as Hal Brennan, and a good grasp of the culture around a dying sport. Like "Terriers" before it, had a finale that wound up working better as a series ender than anyone had planned.
Cons: Shaky integration of Lights' family into the rest of the show. The two actual fights had iffy choreography (though one may have been by design, neither looked great).
"New Girl" (FOX)
Pros: A great, charming, funny lead performance by Zooey Deschanel (assuming, perhaps, that you liked her to begin with). A promising supporting cast, particular Max Greenfield as repentant douchebag Schmidt. When it's on, the funniest new comedy of the fall.
Cons: The writers are still trying to properly calibrate both Jess and Schmidt, as their characterizations can veer wildly from week to week, and some versions of them are much funnier than others. Aside from one or two episodes, they also haven't known what to do with Lamorne Morris' character since he came in to replace Wayans Jr. after the pilot.
"Prime Suspect" (NBC)
Pros: A few episodes into its too-brief life, this cop drama recognized that its strength was less in recreating the woman-against-the-world dynamic of the British original than in showing the social dynamics of an NYPD detective squad populated by misfits of all shapes and sizes. From that point on, it became a very good cop drama with a fine lead performance by Maria Bello, and one of the more interesting procedurals overall in quite a while.
Cons: The cartoonish sexism of the first few episodes was really hard to take, and the good stretch unfortunately didn't last long before NBC pulled the plug due to low ratings. (Also, for some of you, Bello's hat may be the biggest con on this list.)
"Shameless" (SHO)
Pros: Remarkable performances from Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan and several of the other actors playing the old-before-their-years Gallagher kids, struggling to raise themselves because their runaway mom and alcoholic dad are no help. When "Shameless" treated itself as a drama, it was very, very good.
Cons: The show also fancied itself a comedy, and ran into two big problems there: 1)Most of the jokes were centered around William H. Macy as the dad, and he never seemed to fit the role (and wasn't the lovable rogue he was intended to be), and 2)A lot of the more overtly comic stories seemed tonally at odds with the serious stuff.
UPDATE: I left one show off the list, as I feared I would. In theory, it would go in that second tier with "Wilfred" and "Bob's Burgers," but it's down here for a reason I'll get to in a moment.
"Strike Back" (Cinemax)
Pros: For a cheesey action show laden with gratuitous sex scenes, it was far, far better than it had any right to be. Strong straight-ahead action, two convincing leads in Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton, globe-trotting atmosphere and a sense throughout of exactly what it was trying to be no more, no less.
Cons: I have yet to watch the last two episodes. For all I know, it falls apart horribly at the end, though the handful of people I know who watched all the way through tell me otherwise. Still, without having seen the complete season, I leave it here.
Alan Sepinwall may be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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About This Blog
All through his childhood, Alan Sepinwall's relatives told his parents, "All that boy does is watch television! How's he going to make a living doing that?" His career as a TV critic has been 15 years and counting of his attempt to answer their concerns. "What's Alan Watching" is a blog whose title is self-explanatory: Alan watches TV shows, then writes about what he watched. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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Next 94 CommentsChris
December 16, 2011 at 10:20AM EST Reply to CommentSexpository, Alan? Really?
sepinwall Don't blame me. Blame Myles McNutt, who at the moment gets credited with popularizing the term "sexposition" to describe all the GoT scenes where men deliver monologue to busty, naked prostitutes.
December 16, 2011 at 10:22AM ESTChris I'll just blame the busty, naked prostitutes.
December 16, 2011 at 10:26AM ESTjoel Everyone would be better off if you just didn't use the term. People are way too hung up on that.
December 16, 2011 at 12:42PM ESTr1pvanw1nkl3 I don't think people are too hung up on it. It's a legitimate criticism. Those scenes make me feel like I'm watching something trashy. If there's going to be nudity, I'd prefer it to be tasteful and not over the top, like The Wire or Homeland or Deadwood.
December 16, 2011 at 5:16PM ESTtonya I agree it's a legitimate criticism, and I'm disappointed in the male writers who seem to think GoT's nerd credibility makes it immune from the same complaints leveled at Spartacus.
December 16, 2011 at 5:35PM ESTDavidW I'm with Alan, Rip and Tonya, Game of Thrones would be so much better off without those trashy pornographic parts.
December 17, 2011 at 11:33AM ESTJake Busty naked prostitutes are always the victims...
December 29, 2011 at 10:41AM ESTLynda
December 16, 2011 at 10:24AM EST Reply to CommentBoss better than Suburgatory ?, especially after reading your last review of it?
sepinwall I don't want to get too deep into the "how could you leave off so-and-so?" questions, because then I'll be here all day. That said, I felt that both Suburgatory and Up All Night had growing pains like New Girl, but that New Girl was successful more frequently, so it wound up on the list and the other rookies didn't. And I had a lot of problems with Boss, but Kelsey Grammer was pretty fantastic.
December 16, 2011 at 11:56AM ESTchuchundra I guess this is a de gustibus thing, but seriously? I've tried a bunch of times to watch New Girl and every time found it pretty much unwatchable.
December 17, 2011 at 5:43PM ESTUp All Night has its flaws and the humor is generally more smile-inducing than laugh-out-loud, but it's such a better show.
Really, making Will Arnett a SAH dad but not a doofus, moron or loser gives the show a lot of value, if nothing else. And no mentions, as far as I know, of Mr. Mom for double extra bonus points.
Blackcoffee
December 16, 2011 at 10:26AM EST Reply to CommentLove most of your highlighted shows...but
I can't believe you haven't mentioned the cheesey goodness that is "Revenge".
oliver I already know Alan's answer:
December 16, 2011 at 11:18AM EST"I know a lot of people really love it (and use the old "so cheesy, it's good" line as an excuse) But I'm sorry, this show is just terrible."
Great TOP4, same as mine ;)
Honorable mentions list is also fine. I really can't stand "Boss", though. You get the feeling they wanted to make a serious show, but got scared at the last minute. Didn't trust their audience and produced another over-the-top extravaganza (aka Starz drama series)
amg
December 16, 2011 at 10:34AM EST Reply to CommentWas hoping Up all night would get at least a "third tier" spot or honorable mention. I think it has great promise, if with flaws it still needs to work out (like New Girl, though I enjoy Up all night a little more). Overall though, I just don't know most of these other shows, not having any paid-cable channels, or being a crime/law drama person. Interesting how few comedies there are in general on this list...might have to go see how that compares to previous years.
amg I am wrong that this was a particularly bad year for comedy (at least in terms of cracking top ten lists)...last years new shows list has only one comedy, though returning had 4. Still, as if Alan doesn't have enough to do, would be fun to see a ranking of comedy in particular. I'm guessing that field would be pretty sad once you got past 3-4 at most, this year vs. others.
December 16, 2011 at 10:45AM ESTbelinda
December 16, 2011 at 10:39AM EST Reply to Commentclever twist.
stanleyjub
December 16, 2011 at 10:39AM EST Reply to CommentGame of Thrones should be alone in this list, its so far from these other shows. Homeland is good but i cant believe you didnt mention Person of Interest :( Most of the shows you list are pretty bad but it's your opinion .-. (Once Upon a Time,Up All Night,Person of Interest,Grimm?)
arrabin56 Oh my, this is an actual combo of like 3 of Linda Holmes' "End of Year List Commenters." Well done.
December 16, 2011 at 10:51AM EST
December 16, 2011 at 11:09AM ESTAnd I admit that I've only seen a few episodes of Game of Thrones, but Homeland blows it away in my humble opinion. I also admit that I'm not big on the fantasy genre so that certainly hurts GoT's rankings, but it's just so 'in your face,' and I generally prefer a little subtlety.
Andy Not really. Homeland is a better show than Game of Thrones, and this is coming from someone that was a big fan of the first season.
December 16, 2011 at 2:58PM ESTmarc
December 16, 2011 at 10:55AM EST Reply to Commentso I guess they do not sh*t the bed in the final Homeland episode? So looking forward to these 90 minutes!
sedeyus
December 16, 2011 at 11:04AM EST Reply to CommentIt's your list Alan, but I can't help but what wonder if Homeland has advantage over Game of Thrones by premiering in October, while GoT ended in June.
Still I really enjoy Homeland and I'm glad if the finale doesn't go horribly wrong with some stupid twist.
Fakey McFake
December 16, 2011 at 11:11AM EST Reply to Comment"As you know, I deliberately not read the books."
It shows! Did you get paid for writing this?
Cinephilactic Settle down. You've never written something with a missing word or grammar error?
December 16, 2011 at 1:59PM ESTLoretta_
December 16, 2011 at 11:11AM EST Reply to CommentHmmm, I'm a little surprised. I thought, based on your reviews at the time, that you enjoyed "The Hour" more than, say, "Wilfred." Not to say that I disagree--IMO "Wilfred" was clearly the better show--but I have hazy memories of you quite liking "The Hour." Perhgaps it'll be much improved without the spy plots. I could see it being very enjoyable in a second year.
William
December 16, 2011 at 11:18AM EST Reply to CommentAlan, Where's Person of Interest? Last nights episode was the best midseason finanle of all the new network shows. I know you and other critics are obsessed with cable and pay-cable drama shows but COME ON MAN!(As Chris Carter would say). I would suggest you start watching from episode 8 - If that's not too much to ask for.
P.S. I am a long time fan of yours so I hope you'll make this one exception. It is the holiday season after all.
sepinwall I've watched a handful of episodes since the premiere (most recently "Get Carter"). Not for me.
December 16, 2011 at 11:43AM ESTChampSkins
December 16, 2011 at 11:50AM EST Reply to CommentAlan... I am super jealous you have already seen Homeland finale. Also, the fact that it ensured you to put it at number 1 is so encouraging. Sunday night is going to be incredible!!
ChampSkins Also... I am surprised to see Happy Endings didn't end up in your rankings. Yes, it took quite a while to get where it is, but personally, I think its right behind Community and Parks and Rec in terms of primetime comedies.
December 16, 2011 at 11:54AM ESTCinephilactic It's in there. Under the pros/cons list - you might have missed it.
December 16, 2011 at 2:02PM ESTchuchundra Yes, I'm very happy to hear that Homeland doesn't sh-t the bed in the finale. The show has been solid top to bottom all season with maybe a couple false notes but It's hard for me to see how they end it well.
December 16, 2011 at 4:07PM ESTMario
December 16, 2011 at 12:12PM EST Reply to Comment*ahem* American Horror Story
eddieisannoy Don't bother. Alan and Dan are so petty over the Ryan Murphy "dissing" of their critic buddies that they smear him and their show at any opportunity. They won't watch it out of spite now. Very professional.
December 16, 2011 at 12:18PM ESTeddieisannoy Here's a more fair look at AHS. It's not glowing, but captures the sentiment. I believe Alan has praised Tim Minear in the past but of course wouldn't dare watch the show now.
December 16, 2011 at 12:27PM ESThttp://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2011/12/american_horror_story_birth_re.html
mrbilliam Or they just don't like it. That is also possible.
December 16, 2011 at 12:46PM ESTLJA Spoiler alert! Not everyone loves American Horror Story. *GASP*
December 16, 2011 at 12:57PM ESTjoel Wow eddieisannoy, I think your tin foil hat is on just a little bit too tight these days. Claiming there's some sort of conspiracy against Murphy is like saying all film critics have been secretly conspiring against Michael Bay.
December 16, 2011 at 1:08PM ESTMaybe Alan legitimately doesn't enjoy Glee or AHS, and maybe he has a right to an opinion, being a, ya know, critic.
riffraff This is a Best Of list, not a Worst Of.
December 16, 2011 at 1:50PM ESTeddieisannoy your right, critics don't have agendas. I don't see Alan and Dan throwing in other random zings at showrunners like they do with Murphy/Falchuk. ("if this was a Ryan Murphy show, they'd shown the incest sex scene 3 times".
December 16, 2011 at 2:41PM ESTeddieisannoy you're
December 16, 2011 at 2:41PM ESTSandra I'm sorry are you saying NO ONE can hate AHS without having an "agenda"?? There are plenty of non-critics who hate it, so what's your conspiracy about them?
December 16, 2011 at 3:15PM ESTAlso, if you dislike Alan so much why are you reading him?
Hatfield Because he is annoy, darn it!
December 16, 2011 at 3:49PM ESTNic From reading Alan's opinions on Nip/Tuck, Glee and AHS over the years, I think he simply dislikes Ryan Murphy's pension for broad, absurd, sensationalistic, obnoxious and/or hokey storytelling--as opposed to disliking Murphy himself. It appears to be a content issue, not a personal one. I've enjoyed some episodes from these shows over the years, but I still see them for what they are--over-the-top schlock. Some people enjoy reading tabloid mags or hokey romance novels from time to time, some do not. Alan just seems like the latter. His opinion appears to be a taste issue. Agenda--and conspiracy--free.
December 16, 2011 at 10:29PM ESTmac35
December 16, 2011 at 12:21PM EST Reply to CommentWrite a commeIt may not be your type of show Alan, but I thought Awkward. had a pretty great first season. Once I got past the fact that it airs on MTV I really enjoyed (to the point where if I were making this list I'd probably have it neck and neck with Wilfred around #3 or 4). nt...
tag8833
December 16, 2011 at 12:27PM EST Reply to CommentBetter Performance: Kelsey Grammer in Boss or Holt McCallany in Lights Out?
I'd probably side with McCallany, but part of that may be due to his show being more relatable to me.
conrad
December 16, 2011 at 12:34PM EST Reply to Comment"I've now seen everything through this Sunday's [Homeland] finale"
i'm so fucking jealous right now...
Jason
December 16, 2011 at 12:51PM EST Reply to CommentWasn't Terriers this year? I know you were a big fan, and I don't see why it's not on the list, unless I'm mistaken and it was last year.
LJA It was last year, Jason. It was all over Alan's 2010 lists.
December 16, 2011 at 12:58PM ESTJason That's right. I forgot how long ago it was on.
December 16, 2011 at 1:44PM ESTHaynie
December 16, 2011 at 12:51PM EST Reply to CommentHey Alan, just curious if you'd read the first GoT book yet after watching the series? I, like you, did not want to spoil my viewing experience by having read the book. I watched the series as it aired and then read the book over the last few months. It was very enjoyable; adding substance to several characters and particularly the backstory of the world itself.
I intend to follow this same pattern going forward; watch each season and then read the corresponding book during the months between. I know this may spoil a few things if each book doesn't correspond exactly to a TV season, but it shouldn't be a huge problem.
Have you read? Do you intend to? My personal recommendation is that you absolutely should!
sepinwall If I get around to reading the books, it'll be after the TV series is done, most likely.
December 16, 2011 at 12:55PM ESTlztouchthedream I tried to follow this model, read the first book after the first season, and got completely sucked in. I'm now about halfway through A Dance with Dragons, and getting bummed that I won't have the next book for at least a year or two.
December 16, 2011 at 1:35PM ESTOLDNAN @LZTOUCHTHEDREAM I just had to LOL at that. Oh, you sweet summer child. A year or two for the next book? Look up how long the last two took to come out!
December 16, 2011 at 2:20PM ESTHatfield I think the best argument for Alan waiting to read the books is his need to do anything else. I had that same plan of each book after its corresponding season, but that died a quick death when I realized how long I'd be waiting. Such a great series.
December 16, 2011 at 2:27PM ESTHatfield I forgot the line about diminished productivity
December 16, 2011 at 2:28PM ESTjaredk
December 16, 2011 at 12:56PM EST Reply to CommentYour critique of Downton Abbey seems uncharacteristically small minded. You don't provide any example of why the execution of stories involving the lords and gentry fail in some ways that those of the servants do not. You seem to have a populist bias, which serves to invalidate your take on a show like this. It's like if you stated that The Wire is OK, but you're really not interested in stories about drug dealers, so half the show just isn't relatable.
One reason I like Downton is that it refuses to define all members of a particular class as saints or sinners. Some of the noblemen are actually noble. Some of the underclass are underhanded. At its best, it provides a compelling depiction of the way class is often a matter of social inertia that traps those on all sides. On the other hand, my problem with Downton is that individual characters tend to be either saints or sinners, rather than three dimensional human beings who sometimes make flawed decisions that can be interpreted variously depending on one's point of view.
sepinwall Jared, I said they didn't do anything wrong. I just have no interest in those stories, and no level of execution likely would have changed my mind on it. That's on me, not on the show.
December 16, 2011 at 12:58PM ESTchuchundra The problem is that there's just no way it could ever be as good as Cougarton Abbey.
December 16, 2011 at 4:10PM ESTK Rovinsky Alan is a champion to the blue collar and service-class!
December 16, 2011 at 5:11PM ESTCrunchyFrog I don't think DA's execution was all that great either. Yes, it's pretty and glossy, but the characters are too close to stereotypes and much of the storytelling is cloying and superficial. I just don't feel much depth here.
December 17, 2011 at 1:00PM EST
December 17, 2011 at 6:08PM ESTJim
December 16, 2011 at 1:32PM EST Reply to CommentPrime Suspect led with its chin by 1) using that title 2) trying to force a 25 YO version of sexism into the show. I suspect a couple of days interviewing actual female detectives could have given them a more realistic grasp of how sexism still affects women in those ranks in 2011. And the hat. Still, it turned into a good show and I'm sorry to see it cancelled to make room for more cheap reality/game shows
Trilby BUT- when they stopped leaning on that theme so much, the show got very, very good.
December 16, 2011 at 2:01PM ESTChris Excellent analysis. Too bad they didn't wait until mid-year and start the show with the better episodes. It turned out to be a great show.
December 19, 2011 at 3:20PM ESTjamestabe
December 16, 2011 at 1:37PM EST Reply to CommentThey like this
Jared K
December 16, 2011 at 1:56PM EST Reply to CommentOverall, I would say that 2011 was a top heavy year for new shows - it did not give us nearly as many good new shows as 2010 did, but I definitely would put Game of Thrones and Homeland up on fair ground against Boardwalk Empire, Louie, and Treme (which started out well, but improved in their second seasons) and yes, even against Terriers and The Pacific (which did not get second seasons, either by choice or the unfortunate fact of almost no one watching). Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed other debuts like Happy Endings and The Chicago Code, but Alan probably made a smart decision in not going a with traditional list here. The top two shows were in an elite class, well above the rest of the field.
(Just for the record, I'm a different Jared K than the one a few comments above - note the space in the signature.)
(Just for the record, I'm a different Jared K than the one a few comments above - note the space in the signature.)
December 16, 2011 at 1:59PM ESTTrilby
December 16, 2011 at 1:59PM EST Reply to CommentYou know what doesn't actually stink? Whitney. I know, I know, Lucy, old-school sitcom, but here's the thing. I didn't like it either, and then I happened to watch one hour of her stand-up and then I got her and it made the show funny. Same with Louis Ck-- when his first show was on HBO, I didn't know him and didn't "get" him. After I'd seen his stand-up, I got him and he's great.
Anyway, the Whitney show's been making me LOL out loud recently. Just sayin'.
Yatesy
December 16, 2011 at 2:02PM EST Reply to CommentThanks for recognizing Bob's Burgers! The ep where he works as a cabbie to pay for his daughter's birthday party is classic!
December 16, 2011 at 2:04PM EST Reply to CommentThanks for mentioning Bob's Burgers! The ep where he works as a cabbie to pay for his kid's party is HILARIOUS!
Cinephilactic
December 16, 2011 at 2:04PM EST Reply to CommentWas Terriers last year? I thought it was on in the Winter...
Teklanika
December 16, 2011 at 2:06PM EST Reply to CommentHomeland, Game of Thrones, and for me, Lights out are the only 3 deserving to be on my best new show list for 2011.
I'm most surprised by New Girl's success. That was one of the dumbest shows I've ever seen. I couldn't even make it through the first episode it was so bad.
Lamps8
December 16, 2011 at 3:20PM EST Reply to CommentDownton Abbey is awesome. Second season is even better than the first. Just the theme song alone makes me so happy.
And Alan, please give Angry Boys a chance (unrelated but from the podcast). Its definitely not perfect, but there are so many incredible moments, and Lily kills every role (even though some are weaker than others aka Smouse)
sepinwall But if I'm not predisposed to liking Lilley (as I said on the podcast, I didn't much enjoy Summer Heights High), am I going to get anything out of it?
December 16, 2011 at 3:34PM ESTLamps8 I feel like you might enjoy many parts of the show, but he plays so many more characters here that there are bound to be a few you dont love or even like. Im just impressed with how different all the characters are and how well he plays each of them, I cant imagine anyone else coming close to achieving something like this.
December 16, 2011 at 3:59PM ESTI think if you watch the first 3 or 4 eps (which is necessary since u dont get all the characters in each episode) ull be able to determine if its worth continuing.
I loved Summer Heights tho so it didnt take much for him to win me over here.
CKCK
December 16, 2011 at 6:10PM EST Reply to CommentAww. No mention for Strikeback? Thought it would have been worth a spot
sepinwall Well, dammit. I KNEW I was going to forget something.
December 16, 2011 at 6:20PM ESTTo be perfectly honest, I still have to watch the last couple of episodes, but unless they spectacularly screw things up, that's a show I'd comfortably put in that second tier of shows I liked with minimal reservations, but that were clearly not on a level with Homeland or Game of Thrones.
Hatfield Without going into details, the last two are good. I preferred them by a lot to the 7/8 mini-arc.
December 17, 2011 at 2:06PM ESTScott McCay We SB fans are waiting anxiously for you and Myles McNutt to lead the charge on getting Strike Back on the nation's radar map. Watch 9 & 10 ASAYC and let us know if it creeps above Bob's Burgers and Wilfred on your Rookie List... and perhaps beyond...
December 18, 2011 at 2:00AM ESTtroopermsu
December 16, 2011 at 6:33PM EST Reply to CommentI like the way Alan approached this. I don't think there were very many excellent new shows this year. I've enjoyed some, but mostly find them lacking in long-term greatness. So, I think Alan's approach is very apt.
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