Underrated TV-Music "Moment"

I had my iPod on shuffle this morning when the 1987 hit "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & The Beaters started playing. When anyone of a certain age (30-40ish) hears this song, they are almost certain to be reminded of the hit show "Family Ties." It got me to thinking about how this song was a part of the mid-80's revolution of shows and the use of music.

Now, music had been integral on TV pretty much since the beginning. But it was usually in its own setting- a variety show, a theme song, "American Bandstand," a Casey Kasem countdown. And there were shows about music (WKRP, for example) in which hearing 4 or 5 songs in an episode was not unusual. But as the '80's got rolling, dramas and comedies started using songs to move story lines and create moments. "Miami Vice" & "Moonlighting" were big with this new technique. Probably the most resonating was "At This Moment." "Family Ties" was one of the biggest shows on TV at the time, and the only music you would usually hear was the very catchy theme song ("What would we do, baby...sha-la-la-la.."). But in '87, they had decided to do an episode with central character Alex (Michael J Fox) breaking up with his first serious girlfriend. The episode ends with Alex putting a quarter in the jukebox and listening to their song- "At This Moment." The song became an immediate smash hit. For a good 6 months, you couldn't get away from the emotional love song.

It's hard to imagine now, as seemingly every show overdoes the music-TV connection. But there was a time when the right use of a song could create an unforgettable moment.

BK's Top 20 TV Shows of the Oughts

Despite all the garbage on TV (reality shows/horrible game shows), I believe that this decade has seen a resurgence in solid and innovative TV. I could count on 2 hands (with some fingers left) the shows from the '90s that I would rewatch today. I don't think I will have that same problem with these '00s shows in the future. A key to my list, especially when distinguishing my top 5, was rewatchability and shark-jumping (as in, did the show stay around way too long?). I also tried to factor in the "what-if" factor, as there are alot of shows here that disappeared quickly, and would they have stayed as good if they had made it to their 5th (or in some cases 2nd) season. So here is my favorite 20 shows from the last decade:

20. Entourage (04-present)- Vinnie Chase and his crew started so well, but the last 2 years have just been okay.
19. Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (06-07)- Alot of potential for Sorkin's West Wing follow-up, but people just didn't care about rich actor's behind-the-scenes problems.
18. Undeclared (01-02)- This show about college freshmen was not given a proper chance by Fox. Very smart and fairly accurate depiction of starting college life. Created by Judd Apatow before he was Judd Apaptow. Also look for Jason Seigel and Seth Rogen before they were stars.
17. Mad Men (07-present)- Life in a 1960's ad firm, just as women's rights (and everything, really) were changing. One of the better ensembles of the decade.
16. Aqua Teen Hunger Force (01-present)- Cartoon about a milkshake, fries and wad of meat who solve crimes in New jersey. Yup, it's exactly what it sounds like. But funny as hell and helped launch Adult Swim.
15. Saturday Night Live (75- present)- Some so-so years in the mix this decade, but Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, et al continued to make mostly-great comedy 35 years after the show debuted.
14. Andy Richter Controls The Universe (02-03)- This show was also treated poorly by Fox, as it bounced to a million time slots. But "Andy" was a pre-cursor to shows like The Office or 30 Rock, by swaying away from "normal" sitcoms with wild sequences and awkward moments. Great cast as well.
13. The Sopranos (99-07)- When this decade started, it looked like this could be the best show ever. Then they started taking 2 year breaks between seasons. And uneven writing and weird plots. And having strange dream sequences. And the controversial finale (which I loved by the way). Still one of the best dramas I've ever watched.
12. Chapelle's Show (03-05)- For 2 season, this became the "SNL" of its time. Water-cooler material, quotes galore, and some of the funniest sketches you'll ever see. Then Dave lost his mind. Oh, what could have been.
11. How I Met Your Mother (06-present)- I didn't start watching till the 3rd season, but so glad I finally did. The plot: a father in 2030 explaining to his kids how he and their mom had met. The catch: 100 episodes in and we still don't know. But the stories leading up to that fateful day have been great. The "Friends" of the Oughts.
10. Rescue Me (04-present)- A dark dramedy about an NYC firehouse and the multitude of problems they go through. I started watching for Denis Leary and stayed because of the great writing and acting.
9. Scrubs (01-present)- I was very late to this party, catching up just as the 7th season was beginning. Just like Seinfeld the decade before, once I watched, I couldn't believe it took me so long to start. JD and his inner monologue, Dr Cox (one of my favorite characters ever) and his rants, and so much more.
8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (00-present)- The true master of awkward comedy (on Mt Rushmore with Ricky Gervais and Steve Carrell), Larry David's look behind the curtain is still funny ten years later. Every situation that Larry puts himself into is painful but hilarious. and the Seinfeld "reunion" this season drove it to new levels.
7. 30 Rock (06-present)- Tina Fey is the funniest woman on the planet. and she gets to show it in this SNL-like behind-the-scenes show. And Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan are hilarious as well.
6. The West Wing (99-06)- The incredibly well-written show about a president and his administration. While they had a small creative slump in the middle seasons, it surged while covering the campaigns of the presidential wannabes.
5. Arrested Development (03-06)- The smartest comedy ever. Which is why it barely lasted 3 seasons in a world where "According to Jim" and "Til Death" get renewed multiple times. It had jokes that you actually had to think about and pay attention to. Rumors abound that a movie is in the works. Let's hope so- bring back the Bluths!
4. 24 (01-present)- I'm proud to say that I was one of the few watching this when it debuted, and that I brought alot of people on board as the show gained popularity. Set in "real time," Jack Bauer saves the world season after season from every catastrophe possible. It's had a great run, but I'm actually hoping this upcoming season is the last- before it goes off the deep end.
3. Family Guy (99-present)- One of the greatest success stories of the decade, Family Guy is a cartoon that goes off on crazy tangents, pop-culture references, and unbelieveable story lines, but almost always finds the funny. This show was killed by Fox (a recurring theme- maybe Fox should stop being a network). But 3 years later, thanks to tremendous DVD sales and repeats on Cartoon Network, the show was revived and is now a staple on Sunday nights.
2. The Office (05-present)- Did I watch in the beginning hoping to see them bash my hometown of Scranton (the show's setting)? Yes. But while waiting for that, I discovered the funniest show on TV. It took some time to find its footing (but so did Cheers and MASH). And kudos to NBC for allowing it to do so in an era that good but underachieving shows are quickly canceled. One of the best comedy ensembles ever.
1. Lost (04-present)- How many shows do you actually miss when they are not on? Lost is one of those shows to me. But it's so much more- the questions that it raises about destiny, faith vs. science, and how much of our life do we control. The twists and turns the plot has taken have pushed some people away- fine by me. To those, I say go watch "Gilligan's Island." The finale next year should be fantastic, and the ride through 6 seasons has been worth it.

New TV Season So Far

We're about a month into the new TV season, and so far, it's one of the best the networks have had in a very long time. Here's my take on the new shows I have been watching.

The good:
Modern Family (above)- Best new show, period. Ed O'Neill heads a great ensemble which puts many twists on the "traditional" family.
Community- Joel McHale & Chevy Chase. Great to see Chevy being Chevy again.
The Middle- Nice comedy about a family in Indiana.

The so-so:
Cougar Town- Courtney Cox makes this show, but the jokes are hit and miss, mostly miss. Only giving it a another week or so.

The downright ugly:
Hank- High hopes for Kelsey Grammar. Sad-sack show which we turned off 15 minutes in.
The Cleveland Show- Just awful. Taking the most boring character from a great show and spinning them off is a bad idea to begin with (see: AfterMASH), but this show has no point. Watched an episode and a half and laughed zero times.

Catching Up- Week 1

The first week after my season ended has been a relaxing one. A full weekend of football and baseball was wonderful, plus six months worth of DVDs and books that need to be dusted off and caught up on. I have spent alot of my DVD time watching "The State," a sketch comedy show that ran in the mid-90's on MTV. This was, hands-down, the funniest sketch show on TV during that time- SNL was in a severe down cycle (pre-Will Ferrell), The Daily Show (and Comedy Central, for that matter) was not on the radar, and the Internet was just getting started. And this 11-person group was hilarious, and most of it still holds up today. The State tended to avoid topical humor, not wanting to seem dated just a few years later. And how right they were! As funny as Dana Carvey doing George Bush on SNL was, it seems like a million years ago now.

Younger fans would recognize some of the group from "Reno 911" (of which I am not a fan). "Michael & Michael Have Issues" is a funny show currently airing on Comedy Central featuring two of The State. But do yourself a favor- put this The State on your Netflix list and get ready to laugh your ass off. Here's one sketch to get you started:

Family Guy Countdown Is Coming...Giggity!

A big project is brewing here in the P-Nats ticket office..with all the quotes and references to "Family Guy" made on a daily basis, Paul and I have decided to make a Top 50 FG Episode List. This will be a cross-blog effort with Bigtinypig, a first of its kind for BK's Big Baseball Page. The countdown will begin shortly, and will based on many different criteria, as you can read about here. Stay tuned!

Emmy Nominations- Finally Getting It Right!

The Emmys have finally moved into this century with picks for shows that aren't just "safe." Quirky shows like "The Office," "30 Rock," and "Weeds" have gotten alot of nominations, including Best Comedy. And the best of all (to me, at least) is "Family Guy" being nominated for Best Comedy, becoming the 1st animated show since 1961 to have such an honor. It's amazing for a show that was canceled- twice!- and started from very humble beginnings (see above- Lois with blonde hair!) to be bestowed such an honor. I will actually have plenty of shows to root for this September.

BK's 3rd Annual TV Season Review

Another solid season of TV came to a close for me on Monday, which means time for the season review of my favorite shows.

Lost- B+ Many weren't fans of the time-tripping Season 5, but I liked the direction the story is headed into its final season. And the finale was riveting, as we crossed back over to destiny vs. free will debate. Season 6 should be a great ending, though waiting till January will be rough.

24- B- Jack was back for the first time in 18 months, and after a horrible 6th season and the strike almost destroyed this show, "24" rose from the ashes to be good (if not great) again. No silly side-stories, though there was plenty of the "are they good or bad?" lines. And Kim came back, and wasn't chased by a cougar. Season 8 might be the end, so enjoy it while you can.

My Name Is Earl- C+ Marked improvement from last year's jail/coma storylines, but starting to feel a little worn out. And it may not matter, as NBC has canceled the show. Fox may pick it up, but the show has almost run its course.

The Office- A- Another very good season from Steve Carrell and the gang. From the Holly storyline to Michael starting his own company, "The Office" rarely had a mediocre show this year. And Cafe Disco was one of the best episodes ever. It ended on a good note with Holly's return.

30 Rock- A- Competing with The Office as the funniest show on TV, Tina, Alec and Tracy are the best trio in comedy right now. Hilarious help from the supporting cast as well, and great (if too many) special guest stars.

Scrubs- B+ A great rebound for the supposed final season (since has been renewed), Scrubs got the ending it deserved but could never get from NBC. I'm a little torn on a 9th season, as the original cast will be sparse. Either way, ABC did the show right.

Family Guy- C- Very, very uneven season. First there was the 4 months of no new episodes in the middle of the season. Then came the horrendous OJ and Steven King episodes. There were some really good ones (The Bird is the Word), but Seth should worry about his bread-winner instead of making spin-offs.

Some hope for the future:
Better Off Ted- B-
Parks and Recreation- C
Gary Unmarried- B+

Oh, September can't get here soon enough!

TV Season Comes To A Close

With the season finale of Lost last night, the TV season has come to a close, and my 2nd annual ratings of my favorite shows will commence. Note that every show gets an F for effort due to writers' strike that made ridiculously short seasons.

Back To You- C+ the only new show that I stuck with gets cancelled. Not the greatest show in the world, but smart and funny; and is bringing this show back for a 2nd season really worse than an 8th season (not making that up, folks) of According to Jim???

Til Death- B- the addition of the hilarious JB Smoove(Curb Your Enthusiasm) late this year may save this show in its upcoming 3rd season. A funny enough show with some really good episodes this year.

24- MIA because of writers' strike. Lets hope an extra year's worth of time saves this once-great show after a crappy 6th season last year.

My Name is Earl- D+ Absolutely went wrong this year, sending the main character into an inordinate amount of episodes in prison and a coma. Let's hope it gets back to what made this show great just a year ago.

The Office- A- No complaints here, the Jim and Pam thing was better than could have been expected, Michael got back to being cringe-inducing with a heart of gold; background characters were better fleshed out.

30 Rock- B Started strong but finished a bit weak. Tina Fey is still the funniest woman on TV, and the ensemble of this show could turn this into a "Cheers"-type show, if only people would watch!

Scrubs- C+ I'm biased a little only because I enjoyed all 6 previous season over last summer and was a bit dissapointed in how lackluster this one felt. Thankfully ABC has picked up this show for a final season after being treated horribly by NBC at the end. Let's hope for a high note.

SNL- B Funniest season in awhile, and the political years always help. Amy Poehler needs to do one more year just to keep giving us Update and Hillary.

Family Guy- B The episodes that actually aired were funny as always. All 12 of them, by far the fewest of all the shows.

Lost- A+ Saved the best for last. This season was phoenominal. 14 episodes that didn't leave a moment for filler, chock full of meaty storylines, some answers, and more questions. This has the promise to become the smartest-written show ever. We'll know for sure in 2 years, when we come to the end.