According to The Bastard Machine Tim Goodman

Considered as one of the most popular TV critics, I actually value this guy’s opinion when it comes to television shows. And even if his taste is a bit more discerning and he’s had the opportunity to watch the shows I could only try to catch up to, his list is still a good measure of what’s good and what’s not. Although my heart breaks that he didn’t include Friday Night Lights in there (it just barely made the cut), he still lists some of my favorites and some I-vow-to-watch-them-in-the-near-future shows.

His Top 10 will come out on January 1st; but for now, here’s 25-11:
25. “South Park,” Comedy Central.
24. “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” FX.
23. “The Office,” NBC.
22. “Dexter,” Showtime.
21. “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” HBO.
20. “Extras,” HBO.
19. “King of the Hill,” Fox.
18. “Sex and the City,” HBO.
17. “30 Rock,” NBC.
16. “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,” WB/UPN.
15. “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.
14. “Six Feet Under,” HBO.
13. “Freaks and Geeks,” NBC.
12. “Battlestar Galactica,” Syfy.
11. “Lost,” ABC.

For his full thoughts on each show, go here.

And if you’re after something less serious and more fun as far as looking back on the past decade is concerned, check out these entries from The TV Addict, from TV Quotes of the Decade to Things that Transformed Television this Decade.

Top TV Obsessions for 2009
(in no particular order)

Friday Night Lights
Now on its fourth season, Friday Night Lights continues to be amazing. Despite moving on from old characters such as Lyla and Tyra, Smash and Street, the show proves that it could reinvent itself by splitting Dillon into two sides — East and West. Viewers now find themselves rooting for a whole new color, a whole new team… the East Dillon Lions.
This particular shift in the story gave us new and interesting characters as well as a lot more drama caused by the rift that the re-districting created. So far, not a single disappointing episode has come out… with Zach Gilford’s performance in “The Son” as a definite highlight.
With half a season left, I couldn’t wait to see what else the show has in store next year.

Chuck
When the show promised a game-changer by the end of season two, they definitely delivered everything they’ve got. The old Intersect is gone in Chuck’s brain; but Intersect 2.0 proves to be much more interesting than the first one… with Chuck doing kung-fu at the drop of a hat.
A long hiatus is not helping things, however. When the season ended in April, it was set to return March 2010. Thankfully, the season premiere has moved up to January 2010; but it is still a long wait from the awesome second season finale. Hopefully, 2009 brings more good things for Chuck, with guestings from Kristin Kreuk to Brandon Routh in the horizon.

Modern Family
This show is just so much fun to watch. I decided to check this out after its glowing review on Entertainment Weekly’s Fall TV Preview (my annual bible for what’s new that’s worth watching); and I wasn’t disappointed. Episode after episode, the family just keeps on giving the laughs. From Phil Dunphy to Manny Delgado, everyone has something funny to offer each and every episode. It’s definitely one of the best shows to come out this year.

Dexter
Though the Jimmy Prado storyline didn’t provide as much sparks for the show last year, Dexter bounced back quickly with the Trinity Killer in tow during the recently concluded season. John Lithgow’s amazing performance brought on the suspense we always expect from the show; and Michael C. Hall continues to pull his own weight as the Dexter who wants to have it all.
We have yet another long wait to see what happens next; but the finale offered up yet another game-changer that will surely make the next season interesting.

The Big Bang Theory
This show is honestly kicking How I Met Your Mother’s butt recently. I still love HIMYM; but TBBT is much higher on my comedy favorites now. I find myself constantly laughing at joke after joke.
Sheldon, as usual, is the revelation that keeps this show entertaining. Still, credit has to be given to the other characters because they pull their own weight when it comes to comedy… with Howard’s Jewish mom and Leonard’s mom (I loved the Christine Baranski episodes), even Penny and Raj provide enough laughs that are sustained throughout each and every episode.

True Blood
The show definitely officially became a hit this year, with ratings catching up to records set by The Sopranos by the end of the second season. Despite a disappointing finale, True Blood’s sophomore effort is still one that I got completely obsessed with. Sookie’s trip to Dallas, Eric’s obsession with Sookie, Jason’s new friends in the Fellowship of the Sun, and Lafayette’s personal journey since being held captive in Fangtasia kept things interesting. Forget about the Maenad and Tyra… those were forgivable given the other, more fun stuff the show offered.

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It’s the end of another decade; and what a decade it has been. Between 2000 and 2009, so many shows have come and gone. And when I think about it, most of my TV obsessions sprung within the past 10 years. From Smallville (which I used to love but now do not watch completely) to Veronica Mars (which I miss to this very day) to Friday Night Lights (the BEST drama right now) plus a bunch of new and amazing comedies (The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family) that replaced some classic favorites (Friends, Sex and the City), watching television pretty much ruled a part of my life the past decade.

Anyway, before moving on, you might want to read my year-end TV recaps since 2006 when I started blogging about TV. It might give some insight into how my TV watching has changed (or not) over the past 4 years:
TV in 2006
TV in 2007
TV in 2008

And now…. As a salute to the decade that was, here are some notable TV highlights between 2000 and 2009 (some personal, some general observations). The shows mentioned may not all be award-winning critical favorites; but I loved ‘em (maybe even left ‘em recently):

Smallville (2001-present)

From the time I heard about it being produced, I’ve been excited to check out Smallville, which is basically “Superman as a teenager.” The first season was everything I loved in a series: drama, action, comedy and a lot of teen angst. It became the first show I was truly obsessed with (at least in this decade). I visited websites, read spoilers, collected its music, even started a fansite of my own for the show.

The first few seasons kept me hooked, with the cliffhangers as events I always looked forward to. I kept on watching until half of the sixth season, when the stories just became less and less interesting. Plus, when I heard that the show was losing Michael Rosenbaum, quite possibly the best actor on Smallville; that was it for me. Now, the original executive producers have gone and the show still goes on… It’s now on its ninth season; and I have absolutely no idea what’s happening.

I still have the first three seasons in my DVD collection; and despite the show losing its quality in recent years, Smallville still remains in the back of my mind as a show that started my TV show obsession.

Meteor Garden (2001)

The first Asianovela I watched (and still a favorite). With only 19 hour-long episodes, the story ended quickly; but the mania that came along with it lasted quite a while. Four guys that made up the supergroup F4 became a sensation; and the Philippines never looked back. Asianovelas, until now, are a staple in television programming. Though imports still keep coming in, none of them could recreate the stir that Meteor Garden started.

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10 Outstanding Motion Pictures and TV Programs of the Year

“The Hurt Locker” has done it again. The drama about soldiers in Iraq who diffuse bombs landed on the American Film Institute’s Top 10 movies of the year the same day that it was named the top film of 2009 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Among the other dramas that made the cut were “The Messenger,” “Precious,” “A Serious Man,” “A Single Man” and “Sugar.” There was still love for comedies like “Up in the Air” and “The Hangover,” as well as family films like “Up” and “Coraline.”

The AFI awards gives nods to the “most outstanding achievements in film and television” and honors the creative ensembles in front of and behind the cameras. A luncheon to present the honors will take place on Jan. 15 in Los Angeles.

It was a good year for new television, according to the American Film Institute. The AFI’s TV Top 10 of 2009, announced on Sunday (Dec. 13) afternoon, features five programs that premiered this year, including the surprising inclusion of the Starz comedy “Party Down.”

Also making the AFI TV Top 10 were “The Big Bang Theory,” “Big Love,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Glee,” “Mad Men,” “Modern Family,” “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,” “Nurse Jackie,” and “True Blood.”

The only show carried over from last year’s AFI TV Top 10 was “Mad Men,” meaning that “Breaking Bad,” “In Treatment,” “The Office” and “Life” must have done something to disappoint the AFI’s voting panel.

While the AFI honored a pair of TV movies/miniseries last year, with “John Adams” and “Recount,” this year’s list only saw value in series television.

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Yay for the shows in BOLD… 7 out of 10… not bad. And though I’ve only watched the first season of Big Love, I wouldn’t argue that it’s a really good show. I’ve been reading up and everyone’s saying it only gets better and better. Anyway, I’m happy that organizations such as The American Film Institute recognize the greatness that Friday Night Lights brings to the table. I still don’t get why the Emmys don’t just get a freakin’ clue and nominate this show for some major awards.

As for the movies, I already have The Hurt Locker and Precious saved for viewing (can’t wait!).

RANDOM THOUGHTS
Ugly Betty 4×08 “The Bahamas Triangle”
In the steamy Bahamas, the love triangle between Betty, Matt and Amanda explodes, and romantic pairings abound. Things should be dreamy at the Atlantis resort, where even Shakira is staying, but Betty has a nightmarish photo shoot after Willie learns her nemesis, Penelope Graybridge, snagged a coveted job, and, even more importantly, discovers Connor is very much alive.

I am SHOCKED.

I was really looking forward to seeing Marc and Daniel play off of each other in this episode. What I didn’t expect was him becoming Daniel’s assistant! The look on Wilhelmina’s face upon hearing Marc’s decision… priceless. I guess I underestimated Marc’s power to decide for himself, leave Willie and move on. It’s going to be so hard to see Marc working for Daniel and Wilhelmina looking for a new assistant; but this turn of events is going to make things SO interesting.

TV RECAP
Friday Night Lights 4×05 “The Son”
The Taylors and other familiar faces rally around Matt as he deals with the untimely death of his father.

When trailers promised that this is going to be a powerful episode, I had no doubt. Right on the heels of the announcement of Henry Saracen’s death is, of course, the episode where Matt, the son, deals with his father’s death and everything that comes with it.

For this season (so far), this is the most I’ve cried in a single episode. A lot of moments in this episode warranted emotional tears, even sobbing on my end; and it won every single time.

The previous episode ended with Julie telling Matt about the news that his father was killed in the line of duty. We saw Matt’s face, expressionless upon hearing the news.

In “The Son”, Matt Saracen, played to near perfection by Zach Gilford, takes everything in and in the process, gets to let it all out in many, many key moments that are subtle yet immensely powerful:
- Watching his dad’s video message from a few Christmases before
- The funeral where he sat “emotionless” and even had the opportunity to slam the door in JD and Joe McCoy’s face (hilarious!)
- His conversation with the soldier who said his dad was a “funny guy”
- The funeral arrangements with Tami and wanting to see his father
- The conversation with Julie on the steps, where he made me imagine a world without Eric and Tami Taylor (I felt the fear Julie had)
- Matt with Landry and the Riggins on the field where he shared the eulogy off the top of his head
- Seeing his dad’s casket opened. His reaction in this scene is the BEST.
- Dinner with the Taylors where he let it all out. His performance here is amazing as well.
- The funeral where he delivered his eulogy
- Burying his father (Did you see his bloody hands?)

Amazing. Simply amazing. If any other characters were to lose their loved ones in the future, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to watch those episodes. Friday Night Lights did it again. It made the simplest moments become memorable ones and the actors, oh my God the acting chops these people have! I can’t praise them enough.

Other notable stories:
- Luke standing up to JD McCoy (That kid’s become such a jerk)
- Tim turning down Becky’s advances; and Becky running into Luke at the store
- Vince getting recognized for the play he did for East Dillon’s last game… while at the same time dealing with problems at home
- hearing about Smash doing well in college football
- Lyla’s back! (not for good but that brief eye-to-eye between her and Tim just sent shivers down my spine)

Thank heavens there’s a new FNL next week.

TV RECAP
Glee 1×12 “Mattress”
Rachel’s struggle not to be ignored spreads to the rest of the Glee club when their yearbook photo is threatened by budget cuts. Elsewhere, Terri faces more problems in her relationship with Will.

I very much enjoyed this episode. I’m really going to miss this show once mid-season officially ends next week and Glee won’t return until April 2010 (ack!!!). First of all, everyone’s in it… from Sue to Emma to Ken Tanaka to Will’s crazy wife. Second of all, a lot of things happened… and I mean, A LOT.

I enjoyed it because:
ONE: Will finally finds out about Terri’s deception (finally! finally! finally!) I honestly got scared of Will when he was confronting Terri. Good performance by Matthew Morrison.
TWO: We see the ruthless side of Quinn Fabray when she beats Sue Sylvester at her own game through blackmail. The glee club is further solidified as a group and Quinn becomes one of its strongest defenders. It’s Quinn versus Sue all the way!
THREE: Singing and jumping on mattresses! Yipee!!!

Overall, this is a good set up for the upcoming episode entitled “Sectionals”, which, obviously, would feature the much awaited competition where they’ll go against a group of girls and a group of deaf kids. They’re off to a rough start with the commercial they shot for a mattress store therefore threatening their “amateur” status. Plus, don’t forget Sue feeding their song list to the rival schools. I’m just hoping Mr. Shuester didn’t give her the real set list.

Whatever the case may be, and whatever happens, I’m pretty sure “Sectionals” is going to be an interesting and enjoyable episode.

I don’t think I’m ready for Glee going off the air for four months!

Sorry, but seeing two Friends characters together on television after the series ended just makes me happy. Here’s a promo picture from an upcoming episode of Cougar Town.

Lisa Kudrow will guest star as, according to Bill Lawrence, “… a dermatologist who is a horrible, horrible person, but [Cox] goes to her because she’s the best.”

I can’t wait to watch this episode!

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Here are some notable highlights from the recent Ask Ausiello column:

Question: Is it true that Daniel Eric Gold who plays Matt on Ugly Betty will only be appearing in four more episodes after the Bahamas episodes and then he’s gone? —Hannah
Ausiello: I can confirm that Matt will be making a departure in early 2010. Beyond that, my lips are sealed.
MARS SAYS: Matt won’t be that huge a loss. He’s been mostly a jerk to Betty in the early part of the season. I would like to see Amanda and Matt get together, though. Amanda deserves a love story arc.

Question: You’ve been really slacking on the Gossip Girl scoop, any exciting news? – JLa
Ausiello: Also in next Monday’s episode, someone finds out they’re pregnant. That’s considered “exciting news,” right?
MARS SAYS: Maybe Lily?

Question: I need Gossip Girl info. —Jude
Ausiello: Hey, Jude, here’s what I got: You know the letter from Serena’s dad that Lily has been hiding? It’s going to fall into the wrong hands. (Hint: Said wrong hands belong to *a****n.)
MARS SAYS: Not really interested in what happens next… really.

Question: Thanks for all of the great news about Chuck and Lost. All of this plus you appreciate Santa Barbara, Smurfs, and constantly give incredible scoop. Thanks so much for being you. Any chance you have White Collar scoop? —Jennifer
Ausiello: After all that ass-kissing you just did? You bet I do. In the upcoming Dec. 4 midseason finale, our partners in crime-solving are called onto the case of a missing diamond, only to find Neal at the top of the list of suspects. The winsome swindler tries to clear his name and, in a shocking reveal, finds out he’s not the only one that’s been good at lying. Now tell me what else you like about me.
MARS SAYS: I’m liking White Collar. It’s got some light comedy, a little mystery and a lot of Matt Bomer (Bryce Larkin from Chuck). It’s not really a can’t-miss-a-single-episode type of show; but I like it and the characters enough to tune in week after week.

Question: I need Glee scoops! I’m hungry for some info on upcoming couples! —Connor
Ausiello: Brace yourself, ’cause Mark Salling (a.k.a. Puck) says he’s heard “talk” of some surprising romantic pairings. “I have read posts and stories about all kinds of pairings fans are hoping will happen on the show,” he says. “For instance, people have been asking for a Mercedes-Puck hookup. I hear people want Puck and Artie because they want to Partie. And Finn and Puck. I think that one is pretty popular in certain neighborhoods. I can’t say never, but Puck is such a dude that I am not sure how that one would ever come to pass. Maybe a dream sequence of Kurt’s?” Of those options, I think I’m kind of loving the idea of a Partie. Anyone want to join me?
MARS SAYS: I’m on the fence between Quinn/Puck and Rachel/Puck. We didn’t get much of the latter when it was explored. Tina/Artie is okay; but it ended before it even started. Other than that, Mr. Schu should just get rid of his wife and get it on with Emma.

Question: Now that it’s returning in January, Chuck me, spoiler God! —Scott
Ausiello: Chuck co-creator Chris Fedak confirms that Anna Wu will be MIA during season 3’s first 13 episodes, but there’s a chance she could pop up in the last six. “We’re still [writing the last] six episodes, so I don’t have anything first on that,” he says. “But I would love for Anna to come back.” Fedak adds that Julia’s absence at Buy More will be referenced early in the season.

Question: There’s a $5 tuna foot-long with you and Mister Scooch’s names on it if you can give me any Chuck updates. —Jen
Ausiello: Can you make my half a veggie? If so, you’ve got a deal. Chris Fedak says the six additional episodes that NBC recently tacked on to Chuck’s season 3 total created an interesting storytelling challenge. “[We were faced with] the problem of either expanding the story we’re telling or taking the story and telling it more slowly. And what we essentially decided to do was tell more story. So we’re looking at the six episodes that have been added on as Chuck season 3.2.”
MARS SAYS: I’m just so excited to watch an all-new Chuck. Based on the previews, there will be a 2-hour premiere on January 10; and another episode on January 11. That’s 3 episodes in 2 days! I just hope the show is promoted enough so people will tune in. This is a great show and season 3 is looking more awesome than ever.

Question: Darling, you’re viciously ignoring a fabulous show — Dexter! Care to redeem your fabulous self and dish? —Tina
Ausiello: Are you channeling Miss Piggy or Alexis Carrington? Either way, I like it! Re: Dexter, I hear there’s a big breakup coming.
MARS SAYS: People are saying Rita/Dexter or Batista/LaGuerta. Honestly can’t say.

Question: Count me among those fans not happy about the Barney-Robin split on How I Met Your Mother. Is Barney just going to return to his old womanizing ways? —Gerald
Ausiello: Exec producer Carter Bays insists Barney is a changed man as a result of his short-lived romance with Robin — just don’t expect to notice any of those changes right away. “Barney’s a lot like the economy,” he says. “You can pass a stimulus package, but it will take a while to take effect. But he’s definitely affected by it. It’s definitely changed him.” Any hints as to what those changes will look like? “I probably shouldn’t say,” he hedges. “But in the second half of the season, there will be some events coming up that sort of bring that to light.”
MARS SAYS: I wasn’t that happy with the short-lived relationship Barney and Robin had. So far, it looks like Barney is back to his old ways; but I’ll wait and see where they’re taking this before making any kind of judgment.