Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Top 5 TV Shows of the 2000's

Kicking off my Top 5 lists for the Aughts or the 2000's. Funny that it took all the way until the end of 2009 for this decade to even have some sort of a name. And yet this decade is not really marked for any significance. Although technologically we have made leaps in all facets of our life, I think this decade did more to rehash everything good and bad we did in every other decade of the 20th Century. In other words the first decade of the 21st Century was definitely one of transition. With that in mind I tell you that you could easily argue with any and all of my picks for Top 5 TV, Video Games, Movies, and Albums, but I would also tell you to leave a comment and share or start your own blog. This is my list for the Top 5 television shows of the 2000's. These are the shows that I watch with a passion. I cannot wait to see the latest episode of these series and this is why they are my Top 5. And these are not ordered per se, they are just numbered so you know I have 5.

#5 Justice League Unlimited - for the first time on television I not only got to enjoy my favorite DC characters, but they were done in the Dinistyle, with lots of action, great characterization and an over arching story that tied the entire series together. Once you saw the entire plot laid out it was fun to go back and rewatch episodes to see the clues that were laid out along the way. The show was a continuation of the Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, and Justice League shows that had helped define and shape the modern DC universe since the early 90's. Also the show had to expand in this expanded direction because of corporate concerns over Batman, Teen Titans, Aquaman, and other characters being used in other Warner Bros properties at the time. I'm just glad I got to see Superman and Shazam throw down.

#4 CSI Las Vegas - The originator of the CSI shows. Obviously procedural crime drama had been done before with shows like Law & Order but this one was done by movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The show revolved around crime solvers that use the evidence alone to solve the crimes. From the camera inserting into the body to empathize the action, to the low cut tops and hot chicks, this show helped rewrite the standard for crime dramas that you can still see spoofed to this day. The show also takes place in Las Vegas and the city itself becomes a character in this long running show. I cannot believe I have been watching this show for almost 10 years now.

#3 The Office - whether you are a fan of the British original for this show or not, The Office and the employees of Dunder Mifflin have become staples in my life for the last 6 years. From Jim's pranks on Dwight, Micheal's vapid insistence to be liked, Creed's constant stealing, and Dwight's over the top antics this show has never ceased to make me laugh and sometimes squirm. To think the first season of The Office I just could not find funny. Everyone told me it was funny, but it really took me awhile to warm up to this show.

#2 LOST - Another show that I was slow to warm up to. My buddy Haze used to call me on Wednesday nights and tell me how much I reminded him of this character Hurley. An overweight character on LOST. I resented that highly. And I had missed the first few weeks of episodes. But before Season 2 came out my roommate Tyler and I sat down and watched Season 1 on DVD for an entire week in September. I have been hooked ever since, and Hurley has become one of my favorite characters on television. Also no other show has brought me such amazing hours of television with episodes like Through the Looking Glass, or the fake commercials during the broadcast that hid secret messages and an out of television game that you could play by following clues on websites. Really cool.

#1 The Venture Bros - Wow did I ever come late to this show. Originally airing in 2004 on Adult Swim, I just discovered this awesome show in 2009 and now own the first three seasons. And with 5 years of life the show is just now half way through it's 4th season. This show spoofs 60's culture and mocks everything from Johnny Quest, Scooby Doo, 70's rock bands, Star Wars, Firefly, Superman and Batman, and everything in between. Characters like The Monarch, Sgt. Hatred, Brock Sampson, Dr. Venture, Dr. Mrs The Monarch, Twenty One, Twenty Four and more are really not even the two title characters. In which we have Dean and Hank Venture, children of former boy adventurer Dr. Venture. Venture is really an allegory for shows like Johnny Quest with action, adventure, super spies, and intrigue. And yet the best shows of the series are those featuring heavy dialogue and comedy zingers then the one's with adventure. Almost like a Kevin Smith movie, just with more interesting characters. And I love Smith. Go figure.

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