Gräsday, Matamín 6th, 7703 (Thursday, 02-10-2011) Personal Post #9: my TV Favorites

Well, i got home tonight to find out that my computer has died – it says “hard drive failure.”  So, another thing to get fixed if i ever get any money.  That’s both my laptop and my home computer now, so i’m down to just my work computer.

The previous three blog posts this week took a lot out of me, so i’m going to keep tonight’s post fairly short & sweet.  i think i’m going to mainly just discuss TV shows, since this was a good week for them.

First, the series premiere of The Chicago Code debuted, and it was as great as i hoped it would be.  Shawn Ryan is one of my favorite Hollywood writers.  His writing on The Shield was just incredible.  That was, by far, the most intense television program i have ever watched.  It made The Sopranos or any of the other best shows in television history look like Howdy Doody.  Seriously, i had to quit watching it, and i don’t regret that decision at all.  However, it left me with a craving for TV that is of that caliber, and there are precious few shows like it that can give me satisfaction now — especially fiction.

The Chicago Code is about an alderman who is exceedingly corrupt and attempting to expand his grip on Chicago.  He appoints a new police commissioner, the city’s first woman to the position, who turns out to be a watchdog instead of the puppet for which he had hoped.  She turns to her former partner, a rebel with a cause, to bring down the alderman, and there is the conflictual premise underlying the show.  You can read a review of it from Mark Peikert of the New York Press here.  The first episode was great, but i can promise You that Ryan is just getting started and hasn’t had enough time to paint the canvas for us to see what the eventual picture might reveal.  All i know is that it will get better and better the longer it goes on….

Then, there was the best decision ever made by a television executive who had my best interests at heart: the season premiere of the second season of Justified.  You can read a review of it by David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle here, but i’m telling You and You should listen to me: Justified is the best show on television currently.  It’s like the best of all worlds: the plot-complexity writing of The Shield, the gritty, humanity of The Sopranos, the twists & turns of Law & Order, the quick-witted banter of The West Wing, the Western-like heroism of Bonanza, the well-done production of CSI, the goodness of Hill Street Blues…it’s just fabulous.  Hands down my favorite fictional drama series on TV.

Of course, tomorrow will bring the third episode of the season of Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena.  It is already a staple in my viewing after last season’s first run to glory, but this second season has been nothing short of spectacular already.  It is the prequel to last season’s first year plot due to the main actor acquiring cancer after the first season.  So, it is great to find out answers to all the questions last year caused about how these characters ended up where they were when we met them last year.  The sex and violence are an issue, but it’s Roman society — it was sexual and violent.

So, there it is: my personal TV viewing habits laid bare for all to see: political shows like Morning Joe, Meet The Press, or Charlie Rose that don’t settle for a debate that devolves into screaming or shouting and that don’t allow politicians to squirm out of the questions and also fictional dramas that just freakin’ rock.  So much better than game shows, soap operas, or stupid Reality TV.  O, and i did catch the Celtics / Lakers game last night — the NBA is definitely heating up for the playoff run.  Go Celtics!!!