crossplain pilgrim

Okay, did a search to see if this topic was already around and came up empty. So (I hope) it's safe to get your input on your favorite shows. There are scores of "best tv shows of 2012" lists already floating around the net. Here is one from Netflix:

1. Breaking Bad 2. Homeland 3. Mad Men 4. Louie 5. Game of Thrones 6. Girls 7. Walking Dead 8. Parks and Recreation

9. Downton Abby 10. Sherlock 11. Justified 12. The Good Wife 13. Modern Family 14. Nashville 15. 30 Rock 16. Parenthood

17. Happy Endings 19. Sons of Anarchy 20. Treme

I'm down for 6 of those shows. Gave up on Mad Men. Watching rich New York ad men up to their cravats in sexy women agonize over the emptiness of their lives lost a certain appeal for me after the first season. Ditto The Good Wife. Swap lawyers for ad men. I found Louie slow and crass, but that's just one man's opinion. Parks and Recreation is that show everyone tells me to watch even though they're are sure I won't appreciate the subtlety of the humor. They're probably right and I haven't watched it yet. Nor have I ever watched Girls, Modern Family, Nashville, Parenthood (I lived it), Happy Endings (I'm uncomfortable with sex on TV). Don't watch 30 Rock or Treme due to a long tradition of avoiding politics in my entertainment. I am convinced Walking Dead is everything everyone says it is, but I'm just not into Zombies (although as a public school teacher, I see my share).

I don't have 20 favorites, so I'll stop at 14. So here's my list in the true order that I enjoy them rather than rate them:
1. Justified (Marshall Raylan Givens rocks), 2. Breaking Bad (probably the best show on TV, but Justified suits my pistol a little more),
3. Game of Thrones (shows how well the nets could do heroic fantasy if they wanted to, superb show), 4. Homeland (probably ranks even with Breaking Bad), 5. Boardwalk Empire (can get tedious but did anyone catch the finale bloodbath? Best period look on TV), 6. Spartacus (Why lie? Crass, gory, over the top on the sex and violence, and dependably entertaining), 7. Strike Back (see notes for Spartacus) 8. Hell on Wheels (the best western on TV. Okay, the only western on TV), 9. The Borgias (magnificent sets and costumes, Jeremy Irons is a riot as a somewhat conflicted Pope), 10. Downton Abby (didn't see that one coming, did you? Just an impeccably made, hugely entertaining soap that almost makes you want to see the British class system make a comeback), and 11. Sons of Anarchy (gives me insights into deuce and amster's formative years. Okay, seriously, violence, sexy mamas, and clever, interlocking plots that work). 12. Dexter (Solomon Kane for the the 21st Century, though I think the show did itself a disservice this year in allowing Dexter to break his father's code, just to name one thing). 13. Person of Interest (great premise and leads, but I wish they'd back off the tired and overused "evil CIA" angle), 14. NCIS (Getting a iittle long in the tooth but still manages an engaging show every 4th episode or so). I should mention that I occasionally force myself to watch "Dancing With The Stars" in order to spend some quality time with my wife and preserve my marriage, but it's not easy. I think of it as my penance for "Spartacus." No way is it going on the list.

Okay, I would actually be very interested in my fellow forum members rankings. Feel free.

Here's a link to this year's Emmy nominees.  Used to be, I didn't pay too much attention to the Emmys.  Well, any award shows.  There was always something cringeworthy about watching a bunch of pampered millionaires pat themselves on the back.  At least, for me.  However, I thought this year's nominees for best actor in a dramatic series was just absolutely dead on.  Not a weak link in the whole chain of tinsel.  I recently read in the Daily Mail that the average age of a film goer was 15 to 18.  Any wonder why Hollywood would rather make "Transformers" than "Lawrence of Arabia" these days.  In an odd way, TV which used to be a weak sister to theatrical films, is now putting out a much better product for adults than the Hollywood film studios.  

Emmy.com



The Best Actor nominees are

Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson
Boardwalk Empire
Nominee InformationPhoto GalleryVideo Gallery

Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan
Dexter


Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor
Friday Night Lights


Jon Hamm as Don Draper
Mad Men


Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House
House


Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens
Justified

It's tough choosing between these superb actors, but my favorite has to be Olypahnt.  I'm a big "Justified" fan.  It's as close as we can get to "Gunsmoke" or "Have Gun Will Travel" nowadays, and Olyphant manages to play a traditional hero with enough personal demons to suit modern audiences.

Anyway, if you have any favorites among actor or shows feel free to pitch in.

I am not a regular comics reader, so I stumbled on this piece of news by accident.  I know we do have quite a few knowledgable comics connoisseurs on these boards, so they may find this of interest.  Bantam Books is starting a "Game of Thrones comic.

"The series will be illustrated by Tommy Patterson and adapted and scripted by Daniel Abraham, the award-winning and bestselling author of The Long Price Quartet.  The first issue of the monthly comic-which will be published by Dynamite Entertainment-is planned to release in September 2011, with compilations of the comics in graphic novel form to follow under the Bantam imprint."

Here's the link to the entir post.

comicmix

HBO is producing another fantasy series based on Neil Gaiman's Hugo Award winning novel "American Gods" and its sequels.  The story is based on the idea that the old gods of mythology existed because people believed in them.  Immigrants to American brought their ancient gods with them, but now these deities are losing their powers because Americans have turned their devotion to material things like technology and the net.  An ex-con recently released from prison goes on a quest across America as a bodyguard to his employer who may be a certain Norse god.  Complications ensue.   I haven't read the novels but it sounds as if fantasy will play a much bigger role in this series than "Thrones."

tvovermind

The great Peter Falk has died at age 83.  Of course, he will always be remembered as the trench coat wearing police detective on the TV series "Columbo," but he had an outstanding resume of fine film performances as well.  Man, it hurts to see the great actors of my youth leaving the scene.  He'll be missed.  Too bad there wasn't "just one more thing..."

Here's the link to the LA times article.

LATimes