Apologies for the delay on this one. This is my final list for a while, and I am not writing much for these films. However, I hope that the choices speak for themselves and encourage anyone reading to leave a comment. This will hopefully lead to more discussion…
Punch It!
Alright I really need to start speeding through these lists because I’ve been delayed for so long now. I took my time with the first three, and now the lists will begin to overlap. That being said, if a show was covered on a previous list I’ll only briefly mention some points about it. Compiling a list for 2009 was a challenge because I could not split up hour longs and half-hour longs. It cannot be done. There are (sadly) not ten shows in either length that could make separate best-of 2009 lists. Thus, the way this list will work is the first six shows are in the hour long category and are ranked accordingly. The last four are the comedies and they too are ranked accordingly. If you feel so inclined, think of it as a Top Six of 2009 in Drama (1 being the best and 6 being, well 6th) and a Top Four of 2009 in Comedy (7 being the best and 10 being, well 10th). Oh, and the shows that had a season that started in 2008 and ended in 2009 I am considering as just 2009. You’ll see the corresponding season next to the show.
Lets kick this pig.
I should never have promised so many lists. These things are tedious. At any rate, I’m continuing on, this time with the half-hour shows of the decade that I loved. Before I begin the list it should be noted that I divided hour long and half-hour long because I felt that all of my original “best of” list omitted too many comedies. I have always been more of an hour long episodic drama type of guy, but I still do love me some comedy. With this list I did have trouble finding 10 shows that I truly enjoyed (again, drama is my THANG) so there is one cheat on the list, as I have not yet been able to see the show but am sure that I would love it. The criteria matches the list for hour long’s of the decade, except on this list there are only two cancelled shows (at least as of now).
Here. We. Go.
People in relationships should express their love everyday. But, for those who forget, mandated love day is coming up. This means that many of you will be watching romantic movies at some point. The problem is that there are very few of these movies that don’t completely suck. Now, I like Sleepless in Seattle as much as the next guy, providing the next guy is a women, but I am outside of the norm. So, as a public service I have created a list of 10 movies that have a romantic element without beating you over the head with it. This list is in no particular order.
I think that coming up with a top ten list of TV shows has been much harder than I originally thought. Movies seem to be easier because they do not have the longevity or life-span that TV shows do. My early “cut” of the list featured only one half hour show on it and it felt out of place. It also managed to exclude many great half hour shows that I thought were deserving of being on the list so, as I announced via Twitter, I will also be posting a top ten half hour long TV shows of the decade because I believe that hour long and half hour long deserve their own separate categories.
The moment everyone has been waiting for…
I’m of course going to be starting from number 10 and counting down but before anyone reads on let me mention that anything anyone writes is simply their opinion. This may seem obvious, but many people tend to attack critics and others like myself for their “best of” lists. I imagine my list will cause some anger among people but my hope is that what I have to say will create and promote a discussion of these films, rather than an attack on me. I should also mention that while there have been many great films since 2000, I have not seen every single one. Thus my list may differ from that of the critics and other film buffs out there.
5. Lizzy Caplan – I know that “Party Down”, the Star’s comedy about a catering service, may not be the most watched show. However, it is absolutely hilarious. One of the main draws for me is Lizzy Caplan’s portrayal of comedian Casey Klein. She infuses the character with a dry whit and biting humor that provide an excellent counter point to some of the crazy moments on the show.
P.S. I know that Jane Lynch is also on this show and she is, of course, hilarious. But, everyone knows that Jane Lynch is one of the best comedians around, so I didn’t think I needed to mention it.
4. Kristen Schaal – Kristen Schaal’s portrayal of Mel on HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords” has got to be one of the weirdest things on television. There is this almost madness that Schaal infuses into Mel but it is tempered by Mel’s own shyness. She wants to go all out and be a sex crazed groupie, but she has to hold herself back. The effect is of someone wonderfully neurotic and earnest, but also fairly creepy.
3. Portia de Rossi – If you’ve ever seen “Arrested Development”, or “Better off Ted”, then you know how incredibly funny Portia de Rossi can be. She has an amazing ability to land a joke with only a tiny bit of voice inflection or even just a small glance. By the way, if you aren’t watching “Better off Ted” then you’re a fool plain and simple.
2. Kaitlin Olson – What I love about Kaitlin Olson is her willingness to commit to the joke. I know that actors are supposed to commit, but it seems as though they often get so caught up in their own image that their performances suffers. Kaitlin Olson seems to be completely the opposite. She is willing to act in any way possible to make the joke work. Check out her pathetic girl diary to see what I mean. Her portrayal of Deiandra on “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” makes her seem kind of like an undiagnosed manic depressive which, for the character, really makes sense.
1. Tina Fey – OK you probably already know why Tina Fey tops the list here, but for those who don’t I’ll explain. Not only is Tina Fey an excellent comedic actress, but she is also a very talented comedy writer. These duel skills are what shot her to the top. In addition, like Kaitlin Olson, she also has a high level of commitment to the joke or premise.