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This is tough because there are 2021 (and earlier) shows that I haven't gotten around to watching.....but need to.....:'Station Eleven', 'Foundation', 'For All Mankind', 'Invasion', 'Squid Game', 'Servent', 'Loki', 'What We Do In The Shadows' and several more. Hopefully my casual writing style here doesn't make anyone want to destroy their computer. That said....here's my list of top ten shows of 2021 (honorable mention for 'Only Murders in the Building'....Steve Martin and Martin Short both flexed their comedic chops here. The actual murder mystery ended being far less interesting than simply watching these two play off one another): 12. Succession One of the best dramas in the past few years. Really interesting to watch the (fictionalized) politics surrounding big conglomerates like the one depicted here. I have it a bit lower on my list than some as I find basically every character to be despicable and grating. There's really no character in the entire show that I find myself rooting for. Also.....Kieran Culkin's character.....Roman.....kind of gets on my nerves at times. Can have some funny lines....but the snide/snarky remarks can be a little too over the top. Doesn't take away from the fact that the show is very entertaining. 11. Yellowjackets Very intriguing premise. A mystery/thriller with heavy shades of horror/drama/comedy. Sharp writing that is able to jump between 1996 and 2021 without issue. Helps that both the current and the backstory are both equally interesting and compelling. Despite the large number of characters....the writers have managed to make them all mostly matter. After about three or four episodes....I thought I was going to have to alter my top ten....but I feel like the show lost some of the steam towards the end of the season. Could have been a GREAT limited run series of one or two seasons. But I can't really blame Showtime. They are kind of in desperate need of a show that gets plenty of attention and this is that. Not sure I've seen them advertise a show as much as this one since Shameless was in the middle seasons. They knew that this was really good...and very unlike anything currently on television. Best comparison I could make would be to Channel Zero....which I liked a whole lot. Top Ten: 10. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Consistently funny.....every single year. The premier, '2020: A Year in Review', caught us up with the gang and wove their participation into some of the biggest (political) stories of the past year in hilarious fashion. There were a couple of below average (which is still better than most sitcoms) episodes early on in the season....but when they shifted gears to Ireland in the second half.....the laughs came at fast pace. Introducing Charlie's father was a nice touch that made for a really good storyline. 9. Ten Year Old Tom I am a HUGE fan of 'The Life and Times of Tim'......and I truly think it may be the funniest show ever created.....so it was a major surprise and an early Christmas gift when I logged onto HBOMax and saw that they had finally added 'Tim'. I quickly realized that it was ACTUALLY a brand new show that I was starting at. While I don't think it hit the heights of its predecessor....'Ten Year Old Tom' is 'Tim' in a different setting. Everything from art style, to humor style, to tone remain completely unmolested. And the creator, Steve Dildarian (creator of the Budweiser lizards), does not even bother to change his voice despite being a 52-year old man, voice acting as a ten year old. Makes me smile just typing that out. Anyways....I laughed throughout the ten episode run and pray that we'll see more of this show. My one complaint.....no "The Boss".....who might be the best character in television history. 8. White Lotus Really well written and acted. I'm a huge fan of these mini-series type shows as they can tell compelling and interesting stories in a concise manner. 'The White Lotus' checks all the boxes here. I zipped through it in little time. Would like to see Steve Zahn in more things. 7. Ted Lasso Light hearted and fun. Writers managed to add some layers to Sudeikis's eternally sunny character which I think helped elevate the second season over the first. There's very little to criticize with this show. 6. Doom Patrol I have little to no interest in superhero stuff. I believe the last Marvel movie I've seen may have been the first Avengers. Doom Patrol is a DC universe show based on a comic that is so unlike anything that I've ever seen. And not just because the content is more mature than your typical comic book show, but because the main characters are so heavily flawed that it's hard to determine whether they are the good or the bad guys in many cases. Writing is extremely strong with single episodes seeming like self-contained movies at times. Most shows couldn't get away with taking big shots like that....but it works here. The writers manage to scrape the deep roster of DC characters in order to introduce new characters, concepts, and storylines and have them wrapped up all in one single episode if they so choose. You'd think that would make things sloppy....but again....it just works. 5. Mythic Quest Really fun workplace sitcom. There have been moments in which the characters get a little TOO exaggerated, which can lead to lazy jokes, but for the most part, they reel it back in before letting it get out of control. The show is at its best when they explore the backgrounds of characters and lean into more serious/dramatic territory. They took an ancillary character (C.W.) and turned him into a three dimensional character over the course of a few episodes. Looks like after two years, the showrunners are not going to be content with letting the show fall into a boring routine. While I know that the quarantine episode was 2020....it's a great example of how creative the writing is for this show. Most shows that tried pulling off a distancing episode like that mostly faceplanted. 'Mythic Quest' managed to put together one of the best standalone episodes of 2020. 4. Curb Your Enthusiasm Another great season of Curb. There were a few moments that I had to rewind and rewatch because I hadn't laughed out loud like that in quite a while....specifically in episode five where LD decided to continue eating through a medical emergency at the golf club. Losing Bob Einstein a few years back was obviously a blow to the show....as Super Dave absolutely STOLE every scene he was in.....but big ups to Larry David and crew for helping to fill the void with the addition of Vince Vaughn as Funkhouser's brother. His regular role this past season...along with the mannerisms that VV is known for are a perfect fit. Then of course.....the hilarious Tracey Ullman playing the extremely offputting council women (Irma Kostroski) that Larry needed to get close to in order to sway a law in his favor was one of the best storylines in recent CYE years. Unfortunately....like last year with the spite store storyline....the finale was probably the worst episode of the season. Trying to tie the loose ends and wrap up the stories from the season tend to get overly outrageous and sloppy. No different this year. That in no way means that the episode was bad. Just everything leading up to it was better, imo. 3. Mare of Easttown Hooked me early on and I ended up binging the entire show in one night. Was planning to stop after episode 5 and finish up the next morning and couldn't. Kate Winslet is great in just about everything. As you can tell by the rest of my list....mysteries and the like aren't really my go to....but I couldn't turn it off. Super compelling throughout and the conclusion was very satisfying. 2. Station Eleven Incredible show. Perfect example of why television has taken over film. Attempting to condense a story this sprawling into a couple hours would seriously compromise the quality. While the acting is great....the visuals are top notch. Of course....neither would matter without a wonderful story. Jumping back and forth between present day and twenty years past when the outbreak occurred gives enough depth to the backstory of the characters without being too jarring. It also keeps the show from digging too deep into either despair or hope which creates a nice balance. It's fascinating to see how all the stories come together in the end. Touching stuff. Loved it. 1. The Other Two Awesome cast and awesome writing. Drew Tarver is one of my favorite podcasters. Excellent improvisor and super funny. I'm trying to think of anything that I don't like Ken Marino in.....and I'm coming up blank. He's just a really likable actor and makes it seem easy. Molly Shannon is a really versatile actress if given the right script. Has had some really good roles on HBO shows....like the aforementioned 'White Lotus' and the criminally underrated 'Enlightened'. She's great here. Didn't know who Helene Yorke or Case Walker were prior to this show, but both are excellent as well. Then of course....there's John Segarra as Lance. Another actor that I did not know prior.....but get this guy more screen time. One of the best characters currently on TV. Interesting concept behind the show. A couple late 20's/early 30's fraternal twins chasing celebrity status....while their much younger little brother gained superstar status on the back of a viral music video. As I said....the writing is some of the best currently on TV. While technically a sitcom....it's far deeper than most. Despite the two main characters (Tarver and Yorke) showing some less than admirable behavior at times....there's still something that makes them relatable and easy to cheer for. Really is a testament to the writing here. The jokes are strong and don't rely on cheap laughs. But again....what really sets this show apart from other typical sitcoms is that it is easy to get invested in the characters, and even when the show dips into some darker territory.....the overall tone of the show remains good natured and mostly light hearted. Can't recommend this show enough. Lots to look forward to into 2022. 'Better Call Saul' coming back for its last season (?). 'Search Party' just dropped its final season on HBOMax. Thought the last season was the weakest of the bunch. The newest one looks absolutely zany....in a good way. 'The Righteous Gemstones' is returning for season two (premier tonight!) after a brilliant debut. 'Ozark' will be wrapping up with season four. New seasons of 'The Boys' and 'Atlanta'. New series premiering which include: 'The Lord of the Rings', 'House of the Dragon', and 'Halo'. Going to be a good 2022 for television. Overtook feature length films as the best format several years ago and never looked back. RestingB1tchFace fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Jan 21, 2022 |
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Jan 9, 2022 16:39
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Looten Plunder posted:Be sure to update your post with some commentary/reasoning. Yes, I am going to be filling it in.
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Jan 9, 2022 17:32
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Escobarbarian posted:This except 13th!!!! It’s extremely bingeable, and although it’s had up and down seasons it’s never had any major drop in quality and some of the later seasons have been among the best. The 13th season was definitely one of the weakest ones. But 'Mac Finds His Pride' was a great finale. And 'Time's Up For The Gang' is a top ten....possibly top five episode of the entire run.
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Jan 9, 2022 21:25
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RestingB1tchFace posted:This is tough because there are 2021 (and earlier) shows that I haven't gotten around to watching.....but need to.....:'Station Eleven', 'Foundation', 'For All Mankind', 'Invasion', 'Squid Game', 'Servent', 'Loki', 'What We Do In The Shadows' and several more. Hopefully my casual writing style here doesn't make anyone want to destroy their computer. That said....here's my list of top ten shows of 2021 (honorable mention for 'Only Murders in the Building'....Steve Martin and Martin Short both flexed their comedic chops here. The actual murder mystery ended being far less interesting than simply watching these two play off one another): Had to make an edit to include 'Station Eleven' after watching it this past week.
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Jan 17, 2022 21:48
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Escobarbarian posted:Hey, Looten: after a lot of umming and ahhing I decided to move Station Eleven from #5 to #2, which means Ted Lasso, The White Lotus, and For All Mankind all moved down a spot. It was fantastic. The first episode nearly bored me to tears...so the second episode I didn't pay great attention. Glad I stuck with it. And I noticed that my list has SEVEN HBO/MAX shows! Really incredible how much competition has emerged in the past five to ten years....just for HBO to launch Max and go back to dominating. Along with the WB premiers.....HBO is hands down the best premium streaming service. Just my opinion. Apple TV+ got two on my list. Starting to get better content out there. With the cash they have....I expect them to continue closing the gap. I have multiple shows there that I need to watch still. FX because Always Sunny is one of the funniest shows of all time.....got one spot on the list. Along with AMC....these two consistently produce high quality shows that compete with the premium services and mostly shame the rest of the cable networks. Netflix/Hulu/Amazon/Starz/Showtime need to step it up.
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Jan 18, 2022 22:59
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Didn't plan on watching anything else that was eligible for the Top 10 of 2021 after 'Station Eleven' but I caved and watched the first episode of Yellowjackets and ended up blazing through it. Thought I might be changing my top ten after a few episodes....but some of the steam was lost towards the end of the season. Still....it was right on the outside. A very intriguing premise. A mystery/thriller with heavy shades of horror/drama/comedy. Sharp writing that is able to jump between 1996 and 2021 without issue. Helps that both the current and the backstory are both equally interesting and compelling. Despite the large number of characters....the writers have managed to make them all mostly matter. It could have been a GREAT limited run series of one or two seasons. But I can't really blame Showtime. They are kind of in desperate need of a show that gets plenty of attention and this is that. Not sure I've seen them advertise a show as much as this one since Shameless was in the middle seasons. They knew that this was really good...and very unlike anything currently on television. Best comparison I could make would be to Channel Zero....which I liked a whole lot.
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Jan 21, 2022 04:49
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Pillowpants posted:9. Superstore. The cast was great, the chemistry was great. It is the best comedy since Community. Why did it get taken from us? I had completely forgotten that Superstore ended this year. At this point....I don't feel like I should go back and redo my list (again)....but it's up there with Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, 30 Rock, and Brooklyn Nine Nine. All NBC shows. All classic sitcoms. And I don't really feel like it was "taken" from us. Six really good seasons....that I never felt had a dip in quality that some of those other experienced at times. Not to mention that they ended it on a high note. Prefer to see a show do that....rather than overstay its welcome and be mediocre.
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Jan 28, 2022 00:16
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Pillowpants posted:Honestly i say taken from me, because I watched the last episode thinking "wow, this season finale seems like a series finale" and then I found out it was cancelled. Broke my heart. Guess I didn't really realized that it as "cancelled". Six seasons is a good run though. And sounds like they had forewarning so that they were able to write the season with a conclusion. Really nailed the finale.
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Jan 28, 2022 06:18
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Another honorable mention to 'Joe Pera Talks With You'. Wonderful show.
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Feb 6, 2022 17:51
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 04:16 |
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Whoa! Nice work on this. Really cool. Also....now that I've watched 'For All Mankind'.....this would have definitely been VERY high on my list. My god is this show good. And while I too like Ted Lasso.....'For All Mankind' is the best show on Apple TV+. Edit.....I think I probably would have had it number one on my list. Should have gotten around to watching it earlier. Tough to do these lists when there is so much that I haven't seen. RestingB1tchFace fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Mar 5, 2022 |
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Mar 1, 2022 04:29
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