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| 1. Louie |
For me, to name a better show than Louie right now would be near impossible if it weren't for a little Vince Gilligan show about science teachers. Not only that, but Louis C.K., for the third year in a row, has managed to revolutionize comedy, take it to new places, and also tackle the corners of TV that are often uncomfortable, dark, and challenging. Louie may be inconsistent in structure, but the unpredictability of each week's episode mixed with an overlapping theme just proves that Louis C.K. is miles ahead of everyone else. This year, he managed to top what felt like an iconic second season with a romance with the amazing Parker Posey that lasted for majority of the season as well as turn David Lynch into the funniest man on TV with a three parter about late night talk shows. The show continues to challenge itself and while it may seem rude and scrappy at times, it all serves the purpose of making reality a part of entertainment. While I used to call Louie a cynical Annie Hall (or Woody Allen films in general), it has evolved to be so much more, and while he will be absent in 2013 to retool the show, we will always have these great episodes to a series that also won an Emmy in 2012. Bravo, Louis C.K..
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| 2. Breaking Bad |
What exactly do you call this year's season of Breaking Bad? Is it half a season? A truncated season? How about just brilliant? The series may have only produced eight episodes this year, but as the series reaches its inevitable end in 2013, we got to see the show take some of the darkest corners on its way to the finish line. There were shocking deaths, financial revelations, mobile meth labs, and a great train robbery. It seems like Breaking Bad can do it all, and so far with a cast that is lead by the dynamic Bryan Cranston, they have. With the final cards in place, fans can only help but speculate if the worst post-teaching job in the world pays off, or if the glory days of buying your son brand new cars is over.
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| 3. Bob’s Burgers |
It is fascinating to note that this show managed to have two seasons in 2012. Of course, it is also fascinating to see that in a time when Fox's Animation Domination is looking for a new version of the Simpsons by dumping animated garbage (Allen Gregory, Napoleon Dynamite) in the line-up, that they would actually get one in the least conventional way. Bob's Burgers is one of the greatest animated comedies on TV right now. With a dysfunctional family dynamic, they explore great new themes and find a way to turn parodies of Jaws and King of Kong into highly original tales. While this show may never quite reach the impact of the Simpsons, I believe that it already is in line to be the perfect sibling. It has plenty of heart and crude humor that may be a little rough, but as the show proves, it can only get better from here.
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| 4. Girls |
There is so much that I love about Judd Apatow's latest show. For starters, the man who worked on Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared is back on television with a series that looks at 20-somethings in an entertaining, scant, and fresh way. It isn't afraid to be taboo and look at sex in a post-Sex and the City way without itself being a clone. Lena Dunham is a revelation and probably one of the greatest newcomers to TV. Each character is well constructed and forces you to make moral decisions on your relationship to them. Alex Karpovsky is the real breakout star for me as Ray, the cynical wise man who sees through the nonsense. It is also great to hear that the show is only a month away from returning with more scandalous, realistic, and fun story lines. The only shame is that HBO seasons only last 10 episodes, but those were some of the best episodes that I've seen this year.
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| 5. Key and Peele |
Let's face it, there isn't too many great sketch shows on TV anymore. We have Saturday Night Live, but depending on your view, it isn't the best (though I argue this season is pretty good so far). Another two season in 2012 story, Key and Peele is Comedy Central's latest and best attempt to capture the hilarity that was last seen in Chappelle's Show. While not nearly as heavy on racial commentary, comedians Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key explore the world of cinema, gangster culture, and even a great recurring character known as Luther, President Obama's Anger Translator, who turns Obama's every word into comedy gold. This show continues to push borders in clever and entertaining ways, and also has the distinct honor of being the only show in which the Artist star Uggie appeared as a racist dog. That happened, and it was all great. If you haven't seen this show and need something that is hilarious in exploring the modern culture, please watch this show however you can.
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| 6. An Idiot Abroad |
I love Karl Pilkington. There, I said it. I also feel like sending him around the world to do bizarre things may be creator Ricky Gervais' masterpiece. The show is very simple, and this year we saw him visit midget colonies and travel to the frozen planes of the north. It teaches you a few things, but mostly gives you a chance to hear Pilkington complain about how dumb everything is. He always has a better way of doing things, and it just makes him a more endearing personality. Including a brief chat with Warwick Davis that I feel ranks as one of the series' best moments, I am excited for series three to air in which Davis and Pilkington ride together and just chat about things. This show may have the thinnest premise, but it is all worth it just to listen to a man who doesn't want to be there.
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| 7. Parks and Recreation |
This quote goes back to the early days of the show, but Aziz Ansari once posted that rapper RZA once called the cast of Parks and Recreation to be the Wu Tang Clan of comedy. It continues to be more than a fact, but probably the greatest analysis ever written on the show. With multiple plots going on about a staff of Pawnee Parks and Rec employees, it rarely has a dull moment and is very heavy on great character moments. What started off as one of the mediocre job office documentary shows has quickly evolved to feature romance, politics, a great arc with Paul Rudd, and the realization that Ben's
(Adam Scott) dad is played by Jonathan Banks! This show continues to be amazing and manages to be more relevant to the political landscape than the embarrassing final season of 30 Rock (which wasted half of its final season talking about the 2012 election). It's sweet, it's funny, and when Jean Ralphio (Ben Schwartz) stops by, you know that you're in for a party. At very least, it provides one of the best quotes-to-episode ratio of any show this year.
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| 8. Community |
It may have not aired an episode since June, but you have to kind of sympathize with Community right now. In the time between its last episode and now, it lost creator Dan Harmon to two guys from Happy Endings, its upcoming season got moved around multiple times only to be moved to next year, and most recently Chevy Chase left to work on more shameless advertisements that continue to ruin the legacy of National Lampoon's Vacation. At very least, this show's fans have proven themselves dedicated for having to walk through all of this. However, the episodes were also really good, if not some of the weirdest, most profound in the show's three seasons, including an episode that had both a story told through 8-bit and Giancarlo Esposito. The show is clearly not short on ideas, though however high you set your level of weird will determine your interest. Still, nobody could have predicted where this little gem would have ended up by 2013 when the year began. In that regards, this show gets twice as much love as I already give it.
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| 9. Luck |
Beautiful horse racing sequences. Need I say more? While this show was doomed with multiple animal deaths that essentially killed any future seasons, it was a breathtaking piece of TV. Every week, the story of a bunch of different people at a racetrack played out in the most compelling way possible. Most of all, it made me believe in so much, including that animals can emote, Nick Nolte could act like a sober man, and that a simple race around a track could turn into the most amazing sight on TV this year. I love the way that this was shot and it is a shame to see it last for such a brief period. However, if one series could turn you into a lover of equestrian racing, Luck is your best bet.
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| 10. Comedy Bang Bang |
Give it up for Scott Aukerman, who managed to make both my best podcasts list and my favorite TV shows list with the same product. With the brilliant maestro Reggie Watts, the show's 10 episodes was a faux public access show that featured interviews that fell apart, people in character, and skits that came out of nowhere. This may have not been the strongest series on TV, but very shows have that many comedians per episode and strive to be this weird. At very least, this continues IFC's quest to make a name for their comedy shows and with Marc Maron premiering a show in 2013, there is only a sense that we're on the cusp of how weird IFC is willing to let their shows get. This is a must see for anyone who loves the alternative comedy scene or just wants to have solid, sporadic laughs.
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| 11. Eastbound and Down |
I apologize for so many HBO shows, but it was a good year for the channel. With Eastbound and Down, the show saw Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) finally accept maturity, albeit through perverse manners. Most of all, it saw everything wind down into the perfect series finale that almost embodied everything that could happen to Powers with one profound gesture. It is heartbreaking, but essentially a genius move. Even the fact that his mother is played by the amazing Lily Tomlin just proves how great the show's casting will be. The truth is, that this is a great way to wrap up the series as creator Jodi Hill originally planned. Sadly, it got picked up for another season, which I worry will tarnish the deep love I have for the profound ending of this ribald comedy's third and most heartfelt season.
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| 12. Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell |
I will admit that I have trouble finding good political shows to watch. I feel like the Daily Show is... too daily. I need it weekly. Then FX decided to get in on the late night talk show phase and introduced Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, a comedian who skewers political commentary weekly and points out how ridiculous our culture is. With plenty of inspired word on the streets segments, this show may be a little rough, but it always manages to entertain and bring something insightful out of the laughs. As 2012 wraps up, I believe that the show was beginning to find itself and I can only hope that it continues to improve in 2013. It appears to have a great cast and a youthful appeal that I feel is missing from a lot of shows of this nature on television. At very least, it is the funniest way for me to get the weekly news from a black perspective.
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| 13. New Girl |
While it may seem bizarre to say, New Girl revolutionized Fox's comedy line-up. It proved that women could lead a comedy show and still pull in good numbers. This resulted in of course the appearance of the Mindy Project, which is slowly finding its voice. However, the show itself is quickly scratching through every sitcom trope to find some great characters at the core. What essentially started as a Zooey Deschannel vehicle last year has come to feature great guest stars like Rob Reiner and Olivia Munn. The show is still the scrappy newcomer, but it is one of the light hearted, most fun laughs that you can have on a weekly basis. It may be too traditional, but at this point, it is the dynamic between the four leads that will sell you on the show.
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| 14. Portlandia |
Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein's take on hipster culture in a made up Portland, Oregon pushed things further into the bizarre this year. With animated sequences involving mice, and a Battlestar Galactica marathon, it reached for the stars and pulled back some of the most absurd modern comedy. It may have been weaker than the brilliant first season, but there is a reason that IFC believes in it so much. The two leads keep finding new ways to push comedy and while some of it doesn't work, it always comes across as an endearing experiment that feels more like character pieces.
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| 15. NTSF: SD: SUV:: |
This CSI parody returned to Adult Swim this year and somehow managed to beat both Eagleheart and Children's Hospital for best 15 minutes on TV. The stories didn't always make sense, but with a time travelling slide and an inspired take on found footage, NTSF: SD: SUV:: came across as the new king of Adult Swim's "anything goes" approach to humor. Lead by the great Paul Scheer and a cast of great comedians, it doesn't matter what they parody (including season opener 21 Jump Street knock-off). The one liners are terrible, the procedures are bizarre, but for those that love investigative shows will get a kick out of this. At very least, this Children's Hospital spin-off (if you can believe that) has given a great dose of false new shows that can be constructed from the show's closing credits every week.
Check out more of my work at http://nerdseyeviewpodcast.blogspot.com/ where I have a podcast called Nerd's Eye View.
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