BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) THE NEWSROOM
I’m a big Aaron Sorkin fan. I love hearing the rhythm of his writing come from good actors. We’ve had that with pretty much all his shows and movies. The “rookie show” The Newsroom is no exception. It’s behind the scenes of a cables news show. The same way “The West Wing” was behind the scenes of the White House. The same way “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” was behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show that’s not SNL. The same way “Sports Night” was behind the scenes of a sports news show that’s not Sportscenter. If you’ve seen those shows, you know what you’re in for. Awesomeness!
(THREE) MAD MEN
If you don’t watch Mad Men then you might as well not even aspire. The “American dream” is alive and fine on this show. Sadly, it’s a period piece and as simple and interesting those times appear to be there is plenty to cringe at. That’s what’s cool about Mad Men. It feels like an honest look at the times. Sure it does glamourize it as well, but it’s not sugar coated. The time setting is only a small part of the show. The acting, the stories, the perspectives, the sets, and the overall optimism of the show is comforting yet still stimulating. The story of “Don Draper” is one of the coolest and most interesting stories of all time. The closest thing to it is “Seymour Skinner” from “The Simpsons”.
(TWO) SONS OF ANARCHY
There is no reason Sons isn’t to on the nomination list every year come award season. You have to assume there is some kind of underhandedness or something behind the curtain that’s working based on an agenda. This show is better written, better acted, better directed, more enthralling, and more entertaining than 99% of the shows on television including some of the “award darlings”. Katy Sagal got her just dues once, but she should be a frontrunner every year along with Ron Pearlman, Charlie Hunnam, and even a Kim Coates or Ryan Hurst. It’s not afraid to go over the top because even when things get a little cheeky, it’s still built in this awesome and much invested world. In Kurt Sutter we trust.
(ONE) BREAKING BAD
This is the best show on television. I am a big fan of a lot of shows right now. We’re in a “golden age” for television and this show is the standard it should all be measured on. Vince Gilligan has given us one of the coolest and best shows of all time. Its one man’s evolution once faced with mortality. It’s much more than that, but it all stems from that main and simple place. The twists and turns the story takes the ever-learning characters is nothing short of amazing. At this point we’re all invested into these lives. We know who’s good and who’s bad, but the reasoning and point of views have greyed. We love the character “Walter White”, but he is a horrible person. It wasn’t always that way, but that’s how he has evolved. The conflict actually crosses the screen. That’s how intense and captivating this show is.
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