BLOGS

TWoP 10: TV Things We're Thankful For This Season

by Angel Cohn November 23, 2011 6:42 AM
TWoP 10: TV Things We're Thankful For This Season

We're supposed to take time this week to reflect on the things in life that we're truly grateful for, and for us, not surprisingly, that includes plenty related to television. Here's what's made us the happiest this season:

10. Extreme Couponing
This show has exposed us to a whole subculture of (mostly) women who take clipping coupons to the next level. Never did we imagine that it would be so captivating, but watching them get hundreds of dollars of toiletries and disgusting foods for next to nothing is infinitely fascinating. Plus, it's taught us how to apply those money-saving techniques to our own lives... once we have eight hours free to spend at the grocery store. And the show just keeps on giving, as they've found a way to make it competitive for next year.

9. The Sucklord
He may be off of Work of Art, but the wondrous little geek who specializes in creating subversive Star Wars toys (among other things) completely charmed us. This holiday, we're grateful for the time that we did get to spend with him and hope he shows up again on TV really soon.

8. Margo Martindale
After her brilliant (and Emmy-winning) character reached an untimely end on Justified, we were so pleased to see her quickly find new work on A Gifted Man. At first the show didn't give her much to do, but recently she's had some substantial material to work with, and we're glad that the producers finally acknowledged the talent they had on their cast.

7. Less Diner Time on 2 Broke Girls
We enjoy watching this sitcom, but frankly, we could do without the stereotypical characters that work at the diner. We're grateful that the show has focused more on the two titular girls and their apartment life, though we'd love to see the skeevy chef and the ridiculous owner phased out completely in the new year.

6. The Sudden Resurgence of Model UNs
Both Community and Parks & Recreation spotlighted civic-minded role play, and we applaud their use of something so quaint and educational for comedic purposes. Perhaps Modern Family's Alex can participate in one next?

5. The Walking Dead's Daryl
He's been the only bright spot in an otherwise terrible season of the show, whether he's searching for a missing girl, hunting squirrels, believing in the Chupacabra or saving T-Dog's life. And we love him even more for hallucinating about his brother Merle, our other favorite character on the series. We're sure glad that Andrea's aim was off with that shotgun.

4. Chuck Ending Soon
It is nice that it was given half a season to wind down its storylines, but the series is a shadow of its former self... and that's being generous. The first few episodes this fall were almost unwatchable, so we're glad that the end is in sight, giving us the chance to possibly salvage our fond memories of the Buy More.

3. Hawaii Five-0
This series is mostly procedural, but we don't mind. It's got a great cast, keeps working in some fun supporting stars (Terry O'Quinn and Masi Oka) and epitomizes a satisfying guilty pleasure. And every once and a while, it hits a really gut-wrenching emotional level, like it did with the recent North Korea episode.

2. Suburgatory and Awkward Getting Teens Right
Most sitcoms about teens come across as stilted and unrealistic, but Awkward really captures the outsider mentality and the desperate desire to be popular, while Suburgatory shows how impossible it is for a fish out of water to adapt to a weird new world. Both shows come across as genuine and are genuinely funny to boot.

1. Revenge
We've loved this freshman series from the minute we saw the pilot, but we were worried that audiences wouldn't find it and that ABC would cancel it prematurely. So we're beyond thrilled that this addictive murder mystery has actually become a hit for the network, which means we'll get to see Emily/Amanda wreaking havoc on the lives of deserving Hamptonites for a full season at least.

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28 Comments

November 23, 2011 7:36 AM
Katie
Reply

Thank you so much for #5 and #1. I couldn't agree more.

November 23, 2011 10:42 AM
kricka
Reply

I don't understand the Chuck hate. It has always been a fun little show. I am enjoying the hell out of it this season.

November 23, 2011 11:13 AM
dizzylucy
Reply

Thanks for #1 and #3! Love both shows, pure entertainment.
Sadly agree about Chuck though, if this weren't the last season I would have bailed, but I might as well watch to the end.

November 23, 2011 11:45 AM
Seamus1602
Reply

And so continues the inexplicable Chuck hate from TWoP...

November 23, 2011 1:54 PM
minirth
Reply

Thank you so much for listing Hawaii Five-0. The show has the most ethnically diverse cast on any major network, which is a fantastic change of pace, the cast is FANTASTIC, and I enjoy seeing the different areas of Hawaii every week.

November 23, 2011 2:44 PM
Grace
Reply

Love #s 1 and 3! They're exactly what escapist TV should be--pure fun with characters that are a pleasure to be with. While I love #5, I think TWD has been great this season... love this show so much!

November 23, 2011 5:12 PM
jen
Reply

Love the Hawaii Five-0 shout out - it's a great show with an awesome balance of seriousness and fun. Sad to say I agree on Chuck. Am not sure how something so good became something so weak.

November 23, 2011 5:13 PM
zoe
Reply

Agree with #1 & #3. Fun shows with some dramatic bite. Revenge is especially climbing up my list of favourite shows.

Really not understanding the Chuck hate. It's been a little off-tune with the whole Morgan thing but nowhere near the levels of badness you're claiming it is. It's had much worse times and it's a shame you're ending its last season on such unnecessarily sour note.

November 23, 2011 6:55 PM
Craig
Reply

They're saying Chuck isn't as good as it used to be. MY GOD, SUCH UNRELENTING NEGATIVITY! SHOULD WE STONE THEM? I SAY WE STONE THEM.

November 23, 2011 7:41 PM
Jonath
Reply
replied to comment from Craig

It's not being negative when it's true, ever since season 1 the ratings have been dropping like crazy, dont believe me? look it up on wikipedia :D

November 23, 2011 7:50 PM
ja
Reply

I completely agree on Chuck. Loved it up until last season. This season, I found it at the very bottom of TV shows I wanted to watch every week. I was wavering on watching the last episode, but hulu.com solved that problem for me by not offering it any more. Never thought I'd find Chuck in the same pile with Glee -- TV shows I've jumped off of the bandwagon on.

Love love love Revenge. It's too implausible that her machinations work out the way they do, but it's a show I gladly suspend belief for.

November 23, 2011 8:02 PM
John
Reply

Revenge is so overrated. I find myself bored for most of the episodes. Really, this is the number one thing you're thankful for? Okay then.

November 23, 2011 8:08 PM
Erin
Reply

I love Revenge but I don't like the casting, liked EVC in Everwood but in B&S and this... she does okay but that's it. Okay. I think I'd find the show and her that much more awesome if it was portayed by someone else with a bit more, charsima? And I dont get the Nolan thing considering he looks the same age as Amanda/Emily but the dad invested in him back when she was what, 7 (I doubt he was able to do so when in prison)?

Sad about the demise of Chuck though I don't think it deserves this spot on the list, even with the Mogran/intersect (ugh).

And glad that H50 is getting a bit of love regardless of it's guest-stars. It continues to kick ass.

November 23, 2011 8:55 PM
Jim
Reply

Rifle, not shotgun.

November 24, 2011 5:29 AM
muntutv.com
Reply

Thank you very much for the fantastic show #1 & #3 I really enjoyed.

November 24, 2011 11:58 AM
BaskingsharkGTX
Reply
replied to comment from Erin

The Revenge timelines are a little, er, manipulated, but Nolan is actually about 15 years older than Emily/Amanda - Gabriel Mann is 39, Emily/Amanda is about 24-26ish

November 24, 2011 4:46 PM
Jason/Lantern7
Reply

I'll never understand the massive mad-on the TWoP writers has towards Chuck. Maybe I don't think that hard about the show, but I've liked it on a regular basis. Also, without Chuck, think of all the C-list-and-below sci-fi/action actors that wouldn't have found work. I'm thinking Chevy Chase wouldn't have landed on Community if he didn't play the big bad at the end of the second season.

How's about a season of Survivor without Rob or Russell? Granted, the mental workings of Coach and Ozzy aren't much fun to explore, but at least it's a bit difference. Also, there's no black person that's a complete embarrassment (hello, Naonka and Special Agent Philip!!)

November 25, 2011 3:39 PM
Tabby
Reply

Apparently Chuck is TWoP's new Lost. You have to admire the dedication to shoehorning a whine about it into every possible article regardless of how tenuous the connection is.

November 25, 2011 4:34 PM
Rodney
Reply

Chuck is garbage now. I bailed in the middle of last season. Tried to give the last season a chance jumped ship again. it's not good. it's okay for people to have different opinions. Doesn't make them wrong or undeserved.

November 26, 2011 9:25 AM
Danny
Reply
replied to comment from John

you are an idiot! Revenge is the best new show of the season and I have never been bored watching an episode. You must have ADD.

November 26, 2011 9:25 AM
Danny
Reply
replied to comment from John

you are an idiot! Revenge is the best new show of the season and I have never been bored watching an episode. You must have ADD.

November 26, 2011 11:50 AM
Rizwan
Reply
replied to comment from Seamus1602

I bet with myself that CHUCK will be on this list (not as a positive, but ofcourse as a negative remark), and I totally am not surprised. Chuck is the new Lost, doesn't matter that it was great for most times and is only now having a few missteps at the end, come on, Jump all aboard the Chuck Hate train!!

November 27, 2011 7:56 PM
Jezzer
Reply

With the evidence at hand, one could also make the case that Chuck fans are quick to fly off the handle at any perceived slight to their beloved show. Gosh, sweeping generalizations and assumptions are fun!

November 27, 2011 11:39 PM
Taigan
Reply

I was a huge fan of Chuck's first season. The second season was still pretty fun, but the show has suffered a pretty sharp decline since midway through season 3. Why???? Now instead of smart, subtle, nerdy humor (to go with the more overt humor that always felt like a huge, friendly wink), we get stupid, super obvious, over-the-top plots that don't work if you think about them for more than 35 seconds.

Chuck the character was the heart of Chuck the show, and now I feel as if Schwartz and co lost sight of what made this show so fun to watch. I'm happy that this is the last season of Chuck, because I feel like the characters that I used to love are now being pout out of their misery, but in my head (and my DVD collection), it all ended in season 3.

November 28, 2011 4:19 AM
Erin
Reply
replied to comment from BaskingsharkGTX

Seriously? Wow I never would have guesed. Well that's clearly another casting issue then as that baby-faced dude looks a mere few years older than Emily, Daniel and co at best. Still I do adore Nolan.

December 11, 2011 6:57 AM
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December 21, 2011 1:13 PM
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December 30, 2011 1:29 PM
God
Reply

Iraq is a shattered country, due to two major wars. Also, terrorits bombings, civil unrest and foreigh occupation has destructed the country in more than twenty years.

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