THE BOOB TUBE BLUES

TV is a very weird deal.  It's sort of looked at as the "little brother" to cinema, and in many ways, rightfully so.  Most series are easy to dismiss.  They are either cookie cutter copies of what came before or schlock designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator in an effort to get ratings to sell ads.

I'm not a huge fan of TV.  I find it hard to get truly involved.  Unless the writing is great, the acting stellar and the chemistry palpable, I'd rather not bother.  And if you have a laugh track, I'm a hard sell.  What bums me out about most TV is the audience.  I tend to like shows the public doesn't dig or care about.  So, I get invested in shows that lose ratings and are gone before their time (Arrested Development, FireFly).


So, when I do get hooked, and the show comes to an end, I'm often in a state of lament, feeling like something is truly missing.  I had three shows I liked - loved, end this year.  I liked each for different reasons:

ENTOURAGE
I admit, that the show started to wear thing.  Folks complained about the plot lines, ect.  Um, am I the  only one who didn't tune in for heavy handed writing?  I loved the guys.  Wish I had my own entourage and who wouldn't want to live vicariously through 4 dudes who had each other's back and be damn everyone else.  Yes, the finale episode very much wrapped things up in a little bow, but I ask folks this:  We all live in the real world.  Who doesn't want a little nice and neatness to their endings.  (Same reason I don't read Marvel!)  Count me in for the movie.

RESCUE ME
This show hooked me from day 1, though I did find it wearing thin with the almost comical turn it took dealing with Tommy's self destructive lifestyle.  But, for the most part, it got so much right.  From the way it depicted the lifestyle of guys who trust each other with their lives to the way the women in their lives often didn't understand it, it was truly compelling.  The finale was heart wrenching.  Lou was my favorite character on the show and again, it showed how complicated the relationship can be between two men in "macho" jobs that truly love each other.  The finale was a fitting end to the show.  Also, another plus...a kick ass title song.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
I save the best (of this list) for last.  When the show came out, I was skeptical.  As a Texan, as a fan of the original movie and a (not very good) former Texas High School football player, the last thing I wanted was something mocking my state for the benefit of the "other 49."  What we got, instead, was a beautifully written and acted drama with a REALISTIC look at small town family life.  And why, for better and for ill, football is so important.  Outside of season 2, there wasn't a story line I didn't like.  And the characters were as fleshed out as they can be on an hour long drama.  So much so that friends of mine from out of state who know nothing of football gravitated to the show.  The Taylors...who wouldn't want that marriage?  Sadly, this show went the way of many of the better television shows:  not accessible to an easy audience and thus, always on the chopping block.  Thankfully, DirecTV helped keep it going.  As for the finale.  It was as good an episode as there was of the entire season.  It wasn't necessarily happy endings all around.  But you knew that the characters had a chance to be happy, if they worked hard and were themselves.  I hear that there is a movie coming as well.  I'm hear, waiting, with clear eyes and a full heart...

Kyle Chandler's Emmy Win