So, this will be two lists in one: returning shows I’m most excited about and new shows that look promising. Of course there is no way of knowing how good something is going to be until it starts (See Studio 60 and the 2007 Arkansas Razorbacks)

Returning Shows (Note: These are network shows which explains the omission of Michael C. Hall’s textured portrayal of Dexter.)

5. Heroes–With all apologies to Phil, the season finale last year was not good. It almost wrecked the entire season. So, I was a little meh about its return and last night’s premiere did not fully assuage my concerns. My confidence that it would avoid the Lost-syndrome of needless wandering is a little bowed right now. I mean, seriously, if both Petrelli boys and Sylar are still alive what was the point of the season finale? However, if there is any show that will overcome this minor misstep it is this one.

4. Beauty and the Geek–This is the only reality show on my radar screen except for the one we won’t mention. What separates this from all of the entries in this genre is its heart. The contestants generally emerge as better people. What could deviate into spectacle rarely does and instead works to foster relationships. And its fun.

3. House–Best character on TV finds himself alone at the beginning of this year. How does the loss of his diagnostic team acerbate his irritability? I’ll be tuned in tonight to find out.

2. How I Met Your Mother–This show grows stronger and stronger with each episode. Neil Patrick Harris is the best supporting character out there at the moment. Last year gave us one of the funniest episodes in sit-com history with “Slap-Bet.” And now, that Ted and Robin are officially broken up we can finally set our sites on meeting the aforementioned mother.

1. 30 Rock/The Office–I combine these two because they come on together, are excellent comedies and I run the risk of friends not talking to me if Heroes is not on this list. With that said these two shows are vying for the funniest show on TV. As last season ended 30 Rock had solidified into a timeless comedy. I’m looking at an ability to avoid a sophomore slump. My only hesitation with The Office is the temptation to milk the Jim/Pam will they, won’t they angle.

New Shows

5. Caveman–You bet I want to see it. Like I want to see helicopters crashing into bridges. This is one of those shows that you can tell your kids later actually made it to TV without a Studio Head waking up and coming to his senses. See: Manimal and any Dabney Coleman sitcom.

4. Back To You–I enjoyed the first episode but did not love it. However, I will give this a full season to grow into excellence. With Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton and Fred Willard leading a top-notch cast you have to give room for the show to grow.

3. Pushing Daisies–The pilot, which doesn’t officially air until October 3rd, was great. This is one of those quirky dramedies that you have to invest in from the beginning.

2. Chuck–If last year we saw an influx of 24-inspired narrative shows, this year is the year of the geek. Chuck is a pitch-perfect example of your local geek-squad member.

1. Reaper–By far the show I am most excited about. The hilarious pilot was directed by Kevin Smith and premieres tonight. Do not miss it. George Hamilton playing Satan. Typecasting? We shall see.

What shows are you looking forward to?

–Wednesday morning Cassie finally has her appointment with the Pediatric Rheumatologists in Dallas. Hopefully we will know something then.

–We fly out to the great state of California on Thursday. I hate to fly. I mean I really hate to fly. If God had intended us to soar through the air he would have given us wings not a big metal tube.

–We are hopeful that soon we will begin to know more about our future. It is stressful not knowing where you will be in the near future but to know that you won’t be where you are.

–Of the new pilots for the fall season that I have seen “Pushing Daisies” and “Chuck” both look to be promising.

–I have so much on my shelf to read but I’m committed to finishing my C.S. Lewis project. I’m already thinking of the author I want to tackle next.

–It is long past time to update my links. I’m thinking if you haven’t posted in the past 2 months then you will be moved exclusively to my Google Reader. Anybody want to be added? And can anybody explain why they still use Bloglines over Google?

–Looking for a good movie to rent? This is definitely worth checking out.

–Harlan Coben is hands down the best suspense writer out there today.

–And in case you didn’t know Josh Ritter and Rilo Kiley both release albums tomorrow. The Rilo Kiley album is streaming on myspace here. That is greatness.

1. Sting’s prayer that the Russians love their children too.
2. The inane doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction.

No, it was obvious to my adolescent mind that we were gonna get blowed up. Hopefully, we would have the opportunity to escape their clutches and reassemble in the mountains to make our all out assault on the Russian forces with the lone cry “Wolverines.”

In the midst of that scare came a movie that was so intense and so real that as a slightly skittish 15 year old I refused to watch. The Day After premiered on a Sunday night in November 1983. I was in 10th grade and the movie promised to be a realistic look at the aftermath of a nuclear attack on the United States.

Because it premiered on Sunday night I did not get home in time to watch it in its entirety. Nor did I want to. I remember the anxiety level in the media leading up to its premiere. There was a tremendous amount of controversy about showing something so provocative, something so close to our greatest fears. There would be hot-lines to call after the movie for those freaked out to call. The movie would run uninterrupted after the bombs hit to heighten the anxiety and fear. Vigils were held throughout the country. A debate, moderated by Ted Koppel between Carl Sagan and William F. Buckley aired afterwards. During that debate Sagan said that the arms race was “two sworn enemies standing waist-deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.”

100 million Americans watched that movie. I was not one of them.

I finally saw the movie this past Saturday night, almost 24 years later. The reality of that sort of event is now the subject of one of my favorite TV shows. So much of the plot and ideas conveyed seemed archaic. The acting was not professional in many cases, nor was it intended to be.

However, despite the passage of time the impact of the film is still compelling. We no longer fear an attack from those behind the Iron Curtain. But still so much of us are gripped by fear. We are more likely to meet our deaths in this nation through natural causes or accidents than we are through a bomb or a bullet. But it is that fear of the “other” that captures our attention, stirs our imagination and quickens the pulse.

24 years later I was seized by the hatred and baseness of man that could elevate the threat of annihilation as a distinct possibility. Man’s inhumanity to man is still one of our greatest sins.

At the conclusion of the film, the producers ran this closing statement:

The catastrophic events you have just witnessed are, in all likelihood, less severe than the destruction that would actually occur in the event of a full nuclear strike against the United States.

It is hoped that the images of this film will inspire the nations of this earth, their peoples and leaders, to find the means to avert the fateful day.

We still must hope that our leaders will find the means to avert war and destruction.

Do you remember seeing The Day After? What were your thoughts when it was shown? To refresh your memory here is the video of the attack:

Although I still feel that season two was largely a waste and I was close to giving up on it during the fall portion that was completely underwhelming, I now have this to say:

Last night’s season finale was one of the best episodes of television I have ever seen.

Did that really happen? What’s next?

(Warning: Spoilers May Appear In the Comments)

I always look forward to upfronts week where the networks reveal there fall schedules. It’s when you find out, with certainty, if your favorite shows will survive to live another year.

It had been announced a couple of weeks ago that any hopes of Gilmore Girls coming back for an abbreviated 8th and final season were not going to come true. So, I knew that last night was not just the end of the season but the general end as well.

However, in addition to the loss of Gilmore Girls, three more of the shows that I enjoyed got the axe yesterday: What About Brian, The Class, and Jericho. On top of that there is still no Rock Star on the horizon. It seems all but dead at this point.

My thoughts on the demise of each of these shows:

Gilmore Girls: As far as series-enders go this was a fitting conclusion, ending the same way it began 7 years ago with Lorelai and Rory enjoying breakfast at Luke’s. As bummed as I am that it won’t be back I can’t imagine a better way for it to fade out. If it had came back it would have dragged out story lines that met a fitting conclusion last night.
For all of my complaining about the shape that the Palladino’s left the show in at the conclusion of last year, Dan Rosenthal did an admirable job in righting the ship and bringing the show to a rightful end. He never could get the rapid dialogue and the obscure pop culture references that are Amy Sherman-Palladino’s trademark. But who could?
From the greatness that is Richard and Emily Gilmore to the baffling pervasity of Kirk’s jobs, from Taylor’s legalistic manipulation of town codes to Paris’ manic aggressiveness Gilmore was a show that was truly one of a kind.
It was a show that I got hoping that Tracy and I could find a mutual TV interest. I wasn’t holding out high hopes that it would be of interest to me but I was quickly proven wrong. Any assumption that this was a chick show was quickly put to rest. Instead of a weepie, maudlin hour of twee programming it was, instead, almost a-emotional. The characters talked around issues by talking fast and funny. It was sharp, witty and rambunctious.
Although it was set in a world hermetically sealed from all that occurred outside of the confines of Stars Hollow it was a great case study in relationships, of mothers and daughters, and hope.
Lauren Graham is one of the best actresses on TV and has never been nominated for an Emmy. Let’s hope that she is finally recognized for giving us one of the most enduring characters in TV history.
Good night Stars Hollow, you will be missed.

What About Brian: I really can’t fault ABC for this. They did bring it back for a second season when there was no major reason to do so. It was a mid-season show that never gained an audience. But it did get a second season and I always considered it to be the best show on television that nobody was watching. Intriguing story lines and likable characters made for an entertaining hour. And it introduced me to my favorite song of 2006, Gabe Dixon’s “All Will Be Well”

The Class: This show was much hyped going into the season but never could gain any traction in the ratings. The sad part of this story is that as the season progressed they continually made tweaks and modifications that indicated this was going to become a strong show. If a little bit of patience had been exhibited it might have taken off in season 2. But we will never know.

Jericho: This is the most bothersome one for me. It’s a case study in a studio killing a show: Introduce a serialized freshman show, get people hooked into it, yank it off the air for a three month winter hiatus, then put it back on the air opposite American Idol. Brilliant. We will never know what happened between New Bern and Jericho. And that’s unfortunate.

I’ll be looking tomorrow at the new shows coming up this fall. Any thoughts on the shows hitting the road?

So, I have to trim some shows from my weekly rotation. I only watch TV shows from the beginning. I won’t start watching in season 2 or 3. It has to be from the pilot or I’m not interested. As a result, I get attached to a show or at least I get too comfortable to just hit the delete button. And since we got the dual-tuner DVR it’s even more of a problem.

So, I need to trim a few shows. I’ve knocked off a few in recent weeks: Monk, Psych, Desperate Housewives (after finally admitting that the show is horrendous), Studio 60, and Brothers and Sisters.

There are some shows that are untouchable, that I am going to keep watching: NBC’s Thursday Night Comedies, Gilmore Girls, Heroes, What About Brian, Jericho, How I Met Your Mother and House.

Here are the ones that are potentially on the chopping block:

24–I hate the torture. It goes against everything I believe. But I’ve watched from the beginning and I like the nuance of Jack’s character this year and the realization that torture is not the answer. But I have a moral dilemma.

Prison Break–It’s extremely repetitive and Wentworth Miller whispers too much.

Lost–My issues with this show are many. First and foremost is the fact that they have no clue what they are doing. And the fact that I don’t really like any of the characters except Hurley.

ER–This is a hard one. A couple of summers ago I watched the first 10 seasons to catch up and fell in love with the show. It’s not the show it once was, however and I find myself plodding along a lot of the time. The one thing keeping me going is the realization that last year will probably be the last and I hate to bale so close to the end.

Yeah, I’m a dork. You don’t have to tell me that.

What you can tell me is which show(s) should I scrap? Which one(s) should I keep on with?

Control my remote.

Beginning today I will take the next few Tuesdays to dole out my superlatives for this year: books, music, movies, etc. Today I will be recounting my top TV shows of the year.

I will be working on the calendar year rather than a typical TV season. Therefore, all of these shows are not playing currently. However, all of these shows have run in 2006.

10. 30 Rock–Going into this TV season this was not the SNL-inspired show that I was most looking forward to. However, as this season progresses Tina Fey is turning out a more consistent script than the much vaunted Aaron Sorkin. I’m hoping Studio 60 continues to improve to the point that it makes my list next year. But at this point 30 Rock is the superior show. It gets funnier each week. And it is obvious that Alec Baldwin is a comedic genius.

9. House–Hugh Laurie is stellar in his portrayal of the “curmudgeonly acerbic” title character. Sure, the show is formulaic with the case being solved just in time for the closing credits but Laurie delivers the most compelling character on network television. You root for him at the same time you know you would hate him if you ever met him.

8. Prison Break–This show is pure escapist fare which, by the look of this list, I am a huge fan of. That this show is still gripping is testament to the twists and turns that are delivered each and every week. It’s so improbably that its highly laughable at times. But if I liked popcorn I’d be eating each week while tuning in to this show.

7. What About Brian–I typically don’t go in for a show like this. Yet Brian, with the exception of Roseanna Arquette who looks about 30 years older than the rest of the cast, had great story lines and likable actors. I find myself coming back each week because I care about the characters. This is a hidden gem.

6. Heroes–This show takes the slot that belonged to Lost the last two years. But where Lost gets mired in its own mythology, Heroes gives answers and advances the storyline along. Whether or not that remains the case as the series progresses remains to be seen. If it maintains this momentum it will continue to move up my list. Save the Cheerleader, Save the World.

5. How I Met Your Mother–This show is hitting its stride in its second season. The “Slap Bet” episode was one of the funniest episodes I’ve seen in a while. And Neil Patrick Harris is top-notch as “Swarley.” This is the second best sit-com on TV today.

4. Jericho–Yep, I love it. It faces the same problem that the glut of serials today face: how to continue to stretch the story-line into multiple seasons. But so far, I’m engrossed with a small town striving to maintain normalcy in the midst of nuclear uncertainty. Who to trust. What exactly happened. How to continue life without knowing what’s going on. Those are entertaining themes to explore. Is it great TV? Probably not. But I enjoy it just the same.

3. Rock Star: Supernova–This is the only reality show that I can stand. American Idol and Dancing With The Washed-Up Football Players gets more ratings, but this is the one show that truly rocks. I couldn’t wait each week to see the performances of songs that Idol could never hope to get clearances for. Supernova is a horrible band, their album that just released is downright dreadful and they made the wrong choice of a front man. But the show was pure entertainment, none the less.

2. The Office–Not only is this the best sitcom today but I’m willing to go out on a limb and make a bold prediction: if Steve Carrell stays committed and doesn’t go off in search of box office stardom this will end up the greatest sitcom of all time. It’s that good. Every character is a master comedian and every episode leaves you cringing as Michael Scott walks the tightrope between boorishness and downright offensive. I love this show so much I made the theme song my ring tone.

1. 24–Two Words: Jack Bauer. The baddest man on the air. Enough said. January can’t get here soon enough. They reinvented the serial and every show that has followed in its footsteps can’t come close to matching the tension and adrenaline that this show churns out.

What are your thoughts?

–TV shows that aired after 1968. I thought about broadening it further (which would have opened up such fare as Andy Griffith, Burns & Allen, and I Married Joan) but decided to limit the scope a bit.
–It had to be consistently good throughout the run of the show (Therefore, you will not see Friends on this list. Sorry, but if you think the last few years of that show was good television, then you need to put the glue down.)
–I omitted current shows. Therefore shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Scrubs and The Office are not on this list.

Here we go:

10. Night Court: Harry and company hold court producing countless shenanigans. Top notch cast with Anderson and Larroquette and requisite hotness with Markie Post.

9. Newsradio–Phil Hartman was one of the funniest men who ever lived. Ever single character on this show blended together to produce a dysfunctional radio family. As often happens with great sitcoms it never fully caught on ratings-wise. The inconsistent whims of NBC didn’t help.

8. Mary Tyler Moore–This show rates in the top 10 for it’s groundbreaking status as much as anything else. The producers stopped short of making Moore a divorce woman, but her status as the first single woman driven show. This show was consistently good with indelible characters such as Lou Grant (who had a pretty decent spin-off) and Ted Baxter.

7. Everybody Loves Raymond–Yes, they do. Yes, they do.

6. Cheers–Remember when Kirstie Alley was funny? And hot? This show was the epitome of consistency and produced scads of memorable lines and characters.

5. Arrested Development–It is one of the greatest crimes of mankind that this show never caught on. It is the most intelligent comedy to come down the pike in years. The recurring themes, jokes introduced in one show that paid off 10 episodes later, and spot-on narration by Ron Howard combined to create the greatest comedy of this millennium.

4. Good Neighbors–Never heard of this one? Then run to Netflix or whatever you use NOW and rent it. This is the story of a man who decides to be completely self-sufficient while living in an upper-middle class British neighborhood. It ran for 4 seasons on the BBC in the mid 70s with 30 total episodes. It was titled The Good Life in Britain and retitled for America. GET THIS SITCOM.

3. All In the Family–Greatest.Social.Commentary.TV.Show.Ever. Nothing comes close.

2. Seinfeld–It takes a lot to make me want to watch a show about nothing. Comedic genius at its finest.

1. Sports Night–I still feel robbed and harbor a great amount of animosity that ABC only gave us two years of this show. It redefined the sitcom and brought it to an entirely new level of intelligence, freshness and dialogue. This is Sorkin at his best. I still feel that West Wing was a dumbed down version of Sports Night. If you have never seen this, do yourself the favor and pick it up.

Thoughts?

Fox has already unveiled most of their new shows. Most of them reek with two exceptions: Justice, starring Victor Garber as a Defense Attorney counterpart to House. This show is worth watching for Garber’s performance alone.
‘Til Death starring Raymond‘s Brad Garrett is a hilarious look at marriage.

In addition to my staples on the TV landscape (Gilmore Girls, Lost, The Office, etc) come a bevy of new shows. Looking at each night, there will be much to choose from. Here are the new shows I am most looking forward to, in order:

Studio 60 on The Sunset Strip–Aaron Sorkin is a genius. And what better show possibility than a mashup of Sports Night (Greatest.Sitcom.Ever) and The West Wing? This show is a must-see. An interesting tidbit: there is only one show on TV that rivals Sorkin’s dialogue. The Gilmore Girls. In a bit of casting genius Lauren Graham will appear in a two episode arc in November.

Jericho–Premiering Wednesday night, this nuclear holocaust drama is risky. But a strong cast and an intriguing pilot means I’ll be coming back for repeated viewing. The ultimate question is how they will be able to sustain this over the length of a series. How many cities have been attacked? How will the fall-out affect them in this tiny Kansas town?

The Nine (Oct. 4)–Nine different people are held hostage during a bank robbery. 52 hours later they emerge, changed and scarred. This show deals with the aftermath of the ordeal as these characters find themselves forever bound to one another. As they strive to piece together their lives and make sense of what took place inside the bank, more of what happened will be revealed. This show could be a break-out hit. It’s tight and compelling and it follows a little show called Lost.

30 Rock (Oct. 11)–I love Tina Fey.

Friday Night Lights (Oct. 3)–I didn’t love the pilot as much as many critics do but I still intend to give it a shot when it bows in a couple of weeks. The game scenes were realistic but I have the feeling that will be secondary to the off-screen dramas. If they focus on that it could be a hit. Otherwise, the female demographic will tune out in droves.

Heroes–(Sept. 25)–Don’t we need a good super-hero show? No, not really. But I’m intrigued none-the-less.

What shows are you looking forward to?

If you are looking for a good TV blog this is the best one.

And if you missed “The Lost Experience” then you need to watch this. It explains Hurley’s numbers and what the Dharma initiative is all about.

Lukas Rossi–Lithium: If mumbling, incoherent cocky front-men are what you are searching for (and I’m getting the impression that is the case) then Lukas is your man.  For the life of me, I cannot see the appeal.  Dilana did this in week one and blew the doors off of the place. But then again, she can actually sing.  Can anybody help me see why the band likes this guy so much?  They talk about range.  What range?  If he is there guy they will have an even more limited shelf-life than they already have.

Magni–I Alone: Now, here’s a guy who can actually sing.  Magni was tremendous bringing energy and vitality to one of my favorite tunes of the ’90′s.  I don’t think he has a chance of winning unless they want to go in a more serious direction.  He’d be a great choice but Tommy has more pull than Jason, I’m afraid.

Ryan Star–Clocks: This guy has moved into my top 3.  He’s my favorite male performer left and last night proved that he has what it takes to be a serious contender.  His performance was astounding, hitting the high notes with precision and commanding the stage.  I bought his album last week on iTunes and he is skilled at piano rawk, ala Ben Folds or Keane.  I’m not sure if Supernova would bring out his strengths, however.

Storm Large–Bring Me to Life: Sigh, I love Storm but I’m afraid she is in danger of going home.  She has dropped back in the pack over the last couple of weeks and last night’s song choice did not help her chances.  I thought she was incredible but it’s obvious that the band has lost enthusiasm for her. I hope she gets another week but it’s obvious that her days are numbered.

Toby Rand–Rebel Yell: Was it just me or was he channeling Lukas last night?  Performance style, swagger and mumbling were hallmarks of this performance.  I wasn’t impressed but I still like him.  And I’m really beginning to like his chances.  He’s likeable, he’d help Tommy score chicks (pulling all the girls on-stage was a shrewd move) and he can perform anything.  If they decide that they need a good male vocalist to front their band then he is their best choice.

Dilana–Mother, Mother: Putting the missteps of the last week behind her Dilana showed why she has been the front-runner all year long.  She is far and away the best performer and if this band is serious about staying together longer than an album and a six-month tour, then she is the one.  Her performance was inspired and one of the best overall of the season.

Here’s how it shakes out to me:

Repeat Performance: Dilana (or Lukas)

Bottom Three: Lukas, Storm and Magni

Going Home: Magni (It could be Storm if they decide to overlook Magni’s repeated return to the Bottom 3)

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In other TV news, did anyone watch Fox’s Celebrity Duets last night? Was that brutal or what?  Somebody needs to stop Simon Cowell from creating shows.  Stick to American Idol, buddy.  That’s what you do best.