bloggedy blog: the personal weblog of a music lover and aging punk wannabe

:: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 ::

2003 in review, part 4 (take 2): television
Before you read any further, you should know that I'm not a fan of "The Simpsons" and I don't get HBO. Ergo, I know that many of you think that disqualifies me from offering intelligent comment on quality TV programming. Perhaps so, but since when did intelligence matter in the blogosphere?

Furthermore, I don't watch a lot of TV these days, other than televised college sports. And unless my Missouri Tigers basketball team can turn around this dismal early season, I'll probably be watching a lot less sports on TV in the coming months.

So, with those disclaimers up front, I humbly offer you my year-end picks for the top five TV programs of 2003:

5. "South Park". If you can stomach the raunchy language and potty humor, you can mine some of the best social commentary on TV these days from the antics of Kyle, Stan, Kenny, Cartman and company. I do wish they'd cut down on the unnecessary oaths, however.

4. "Nip/Tuck". Liposuction in living color! Alternately sexy and stomach-turning, this series about two Miami plastic surgeons is entertaining drama. FX strikes again with an original series that makes cable so much better than network TV.

3. "Monk". As detective Adrian Monk, an OCD-afflicted neatnik who makes Felix Unger look like a slob, Tony Shalhoub (whom you may remember as immigrant cabbie Antonio Scarpacci from "Wings") is hilarious. But his Sharona, the personal nurse played by Bitty Schram, adds a lot to the personality of this series. But Monk is the Columbo of our time. Fun stuff from USA Network, which has been lacking any original stuff since the days of "Silk Stalkings"

2. "Two and a Half Men". I loved Charlie Sheen in ABC's "Spin City" and love him even more in this CBS sitcom. But the other cast members -- especially the kid, the kid's dad/Charlie's anal-retentive brother (played by Jon Cryer), and stalker-neighbor/ex-hookup Rose -- make the show. And the writing ain't bad, either.

1. "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart". Network news? We don't need no stinkin' network news! Jon Stewart and his band of screwball correspondents are more relevant than most newscasts these days, anyway. I love the way Stewart and company skewer the self-important TV journalists. This show was the subject of a recent Newsweek cover story. Finally, the mainstream media is recognizing this great program.

:: Andrew 15:49 + ::
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