For What it's Worth

1. 30 Rock - Why isn't Saturday Night Live this funny? Not enough Tina Fey.
2. Scrubs  -  the most overlooked comedy ever
3. The Shield - a great finish to a terrific series
4. Law and Order - Jeremy Sisto and Anthony Anderson keep the franchise rolling.
5. Entourage - the boys continue to be a lot of fun.
   
6. Law and Order, CI - Jeff Goldblum ably replaces Chris Noth.
   
7. Frontline - even when I have to make myself watch, it's worth the trouble.
8. Weeds - Thanks to the internet, I finally got to see this sublime effort by Mary-Louise Parker. 
9. Friday Night Lights  -  great performances all-around.
   
10. Damages - not quite as compelling now that we know the back story. But Close is still great.
    
11. The Simpsons - 20 years and counting.
12. Boston Legal  - wouldn't be more fun if political debates were more like BL's courtroom scenes?
    
13. Rescue Me - still worth watching
    
14. Pushing Up Daisies -  lived up to the critical hype, but a premature death.
    
15. Law and Order, SVU -  the Mike Farrell episode demonstrated its occasional brilliance..
16. 60 Minutes - Stahl and Croft aren't Wallace and Reasoner, but it's still worth watching.

New, with potential:

• Life on Mars - looks corny, but it ambitiously captures '70s gestalt while making existential commentary.
  

Not returning, due to a premature death:

• people can be forgiven for overlooking "Swingtown", but the era shouldn't be forgotten
• Ebert & Roeper & the movies*  Of course, we miss Roger, but what were they thinking??

• The Sports Reporters - Best panel: Bob Ryan (Boston), Mitch Albom (Detroit). Most annoying: Mike Lupica  Still missed: Dick Shapp.
• This Week (ABC) - George Will and Cokie Roberts provide some of our best political commentary.
• Sunday Morning* (CBS)

1. Law and Order - Jeremy Sisto (Kidnapped) replaced Farina nicely; McCoy's promotion grew on me.
2. Scrubs  - the most overlooked comedy ever
3. Damages - Glenn Close is brilliant.
   
4. 30 Rock - Why isn't Saturday Night Live this funny? 
   
5. Entourage - the boys are a lot of fun.
   
6. Law and Order, CI - developed a nice rhythm; I'm pleasantly surprised about it's return.
   
7. Frontline - even when I have to make myself watch, it's worth the trouble.
8. Weeds - Thanks to the internet, I finally got to see this sublime effort by Mary-Louise Parker. 
9. Friday Night Lights  - captures the place and time, sort of like American Dreams.
   
10. Pushing Up Daisies -  pretty much lived up to the critical hype
11. Law and Order, SVU - gets darker every year, but the Robin Williams' episode was outstanding.
12. The Simpsons - slumped last year, but revived. The movie was great.
13. Rescue Me -  has lost some of its edge.
14. 60 Minutes - still a national treasure, but beginning to fade?
15. Boston Legal  - I have great affection for  Shatner and Bergman, but Spader's the reason to watch; a strong finish.
    
16. Tell Me You Love Me (HBO) - began as the rare smart show about relationships, but sagged towards the end.
    
17. Heroes  - not up to last year's standard.
18. Everybody Hates Chris - produced and narrated by Chris Rock, it ought to be funnier.
     

Not returning, due to a premature death:

• Last year, all the losses came early (Kidnapped, The Nine, Studio 60)
  

Not back this year because they had run their course:

• The Sopranos
• The Gilmore Girls - it was a little sad to see it end without Amy Palladino
  

I should mention that since I tape everything (except sports, usually) to watch later, I tend to run a little behind schedule. (I wonder how the Sopronas ended?)

1. The Shield - it doesn't get better than this.
2. Law and Order - surprisingly hard to replace Farina, but it's still terrific tv.
3. Scrubs  - the most overlooked comedy ever
4. Damages - Glenn Close made this close to a sure thing.
5. 30 Rock * - Why isn't Saturday Night Live this funny? 
   
6. Studio 60 * - Matthew Perry was terrific, but it wasn't to last. (Still, give NBC credit for burning off the unaired episodes.)
   
7. The Sopranos  - just to see how it ended
8. Kidnapped*  - It makes the list, even with the early boot.
9. Entourage - what can you say about Jeremy Piven that hasn't already been said ?
10. Law and Order, CI - revived by the return of Chris Noth.
11. Frontline - even if I have to make myself watch, it's worth the trouble.
12. Rescue Me - a sublime effort from Dennis O'Leary
13. 60 Minutes - remains a national treasure, even with the loss of Ed Bradley.
    
14. Friday Night Lights * - With all the potential to be cliched, it was actually quite well done.
15. Heroes * - Intriguing for most of the season, but faded towards the end.
16. Law and Order, SVU - sometimes as good as the original, but I always wish there was more of Richard Belzer
17. The Nine - missed it?  Too bad for you.
    
18. Gilmore Girls - it was no longer true that if you didn't tape it, you'd miss half the dialogue, but I stayed to the end
19. The Simpsons - It slumped last year, but revived. The movie was great.
20. Everybody Hates Chris - a cross between the Huxtables and the PJ's. Jason Alexander was a nice addition.
    
21. Boston Legal  - I still like William Shatner and Candice Bergman, but it got a little stale.

Not given a fair chance:

• Kidnapped  - They gave up on it too soon, but it was given new life on the web.
• Smith  Ditto; although CBS did a better job of making it accessable.
• The Nine    Is it coming back? Sadly, probably not. (correction: see Studio 60, above)
  

Not returning, due to a premature death:

• Over There - the best look at war since Tour of Duty, but mostly overlooked
• Arrested Development - Ron Howard is clearly a genius. The cancellation of AD is another of life's great mysteries.
• Deadwood - not quite the same without Wild Bill Keith Carradine, but brought back to life by William Hearst.
• Conviction - too much Dick Wolfe, I suppose. Finding it was like playing 3 card Monte.

Not back this year because they had run their course:

• West Wing - Finished with class. I can live with Jimmy Smitts as President.
• Malcolm in the Middle - got no respect from Fox, but worth watching right to the end.
• Thief - the return of Andre Braugher was highly anticipated, but Homicide has not been replicated.

Not back this year because they had run their course:

• The Simpsons - finally ran out of gas?
• Desperate Housewives - Although I like Felicity Huffman, one year was enough.

1. The Shield** - Glenn Close was terrific
2. West Wing - I can live with Jimmy Smitts as President.
3. Law and Order** - it's always survived the loss of characters. Somehow, Dennis Farina successfully replaced Jerry Orbach.
4. Law and Order, SVU* - almost as good as the original, but I wish there was more of Richard Belzer
5. Arrested Development - Ron Howard is clearly a genius.
6. Carnivale* - how does HBO do this so reliably?
7. American Dreams - I'm always amazed at how well this show is done without being corny.
8. Deadwood* - how does HBO do this so reliably?
9. Scrubs ** - the most overlooked comedy ever
10. Gilmore Girls* - if you don't tape it, you miss half the dialogue.
11. Frontline - even if I have to make myself watch, it's worth the trouble.
12. Boston Legal - You've got to love William Shatner.
13. 60 Minutes* - still a national treasure
14. Six Feet Under* - still has its great moments
15. Joan of Arcadia - Speaking for God is tricky stuff, but when it's good, it's great.
16. Malcolm in the Middle** - got no respect from Fox, but still worth watching
17. Two and a Half Men - Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen are two of the most talented men in comedy.
18. Desparate Housewives - year one was kind of fun

Not given a fair chance:

• Law and Order, Trial by Jury - too much Dick Wolfe, I suppose, but Bebe Neuwirth was terrific.
• life as we know it - in my heart, I knew it didn't have a chance

• Ed - finished with class
• Sex and the City also ended on a high note
• Grounded for Life* - it earned the right to finish out with honor, but they cut Logue's hair, and added a laughtrack. Tragic.

• Law and Order Criminal Intent ** - finally, too much Law and Order
• Simpsons** - finally ran out of gas
• Judging Amy - the writing was on the wall when they killed off Gillian.

1. The Shield*** just superb
2. West Wing - had a good start with John Goodman and a good finish with Jimmy Smitts.
3. Law and Order** - just keeps rolling along. Fred Thompson fits in perfectly.
4. Law and Order, SVU** - almost as good as the original, but I wish there was more of Richard Belzer
5. Arrested Development** - Ron Howard is clearly a genius.
6. American Dreams** - I'm always amazed at how well this show is done without being corny.
7. Scrubs ** - the most overlooked comedy ever
8. The Sopranos - Again, I thought it had begun to fade, but it finished well.
9. Gilmore Girls - maybe the best dialogue on tv.
10. Sex and the City - a great finish; probably their best season.
11. Joan of Arcadia - so this is what happened to Barbara Hall! Speaking for God is tricky stuff, but they've got it right.
12. 60 Minutes* - still a national treasure. - just becuase its 35 years old doesn't mean its not still excellent. How come no one else can do this?
13. Frontline - even if I have to make myself watch, it's worth the trouble.
14. Ed** - got better with age, and finished well.
15. Six Feet Under** - started well, but seemed to lose its way.
16. Simpsons** - The chalkboard scene is the funniest 5 seconds on television, but for the first time in 14 years, it lacked spark.
17. Malcolm in the Middle** - seemed to lose its edge, but it recovered towards the end.
18. Grounded for Life* - deserves more respect than it gets; I'm glad it found a new home.
19. Las Vegas* - with James Caan, this was often a lot of fun. But it got predictable.
20. Law and Order Criminal Intent ** - becoming a little too pleased with itself.

• Boomtown** - (X) sadly, the best show on network tv is no longer on network tv.

• Judging Amy - killing off Gillian was the last straw.

Final Standings:  2002-2003 season

1. Boomtown (X)** - this was really well done; really a shame more people weren't watching.
2. West Wing - I had hoped they would find a way to keep Rob Lowe, but another Sportsnight veteran gets a job.
3. The Shield** - deserves all the accolades.
4. Law and Order** - Fred Thompson fits in perfectly.
5. Six Feet Under* - yet another masterpiece from HBO.
6. Scrubs ** - hard to believe it wasn't nominated for an Emmy
7. Law and Order, SVU* - worth watching just for Richard Belzer
8. The Sopranos** - I thought it was beginning to fade, but it finished well.
9. Simpsons** - the reason the VCR was invented. The chalkboard scene is the funniest 5 seconds on television.
10. 60 Minutes* - who else would get that interview with Jerry Falwell?
11. Malcolm in the Middle** - with Frances back, it's made a comeback.
12. Judging Amy - Tyne Daley is still terrific.
13. Gilmore Girls* - you have to pay attention to the dialogue.
14. Law and Order Criminal Intent ** - this is a very smart show.
15. Frontline - even if I have to make myself watch, it's worth the trouble.
16. Ed** - is getting better with age.
17. Grounded for Life* - deserves more respect than it gets
18. American Dreams - even though you know what's coming, it's still worth watching.
19. Friends** - my biggest beef with the Emmys was that Matt LeBlanc didn't win. But they appear to be running out the clock.
20. Sex and the City - wasn't quite as good as last season

Not given a fair chance:

• Push, Nevada** - the hype was justified. Too bad more people weren't watching.
• Queens Supreme- Oliver Platt is a lot of fun. They pulled the plug way too soon.
• Mister Sterling- not nearly as corny as it could have been

• Once and Again  - another excellent effort from Herskovitz and Zwick; even Sela Ward became interesting.
• Undeclared ** - had great pedigree (Freaks and Geeks). Smart and funny. Why the short season?
• That's Life  - how could you not like Paul Sorvino and Ellen Burstyn?
• Ally McBeal* - not as good without Robert Downey, Jr., and actually better without Calista Flockart, but it still had the best music on TV.
• Dharma & Greg*- the vanity card was reason enough to tape the show: my personal favorite
• Education of Max Bickford - if you like Richard Dreyfuss, which I do.

Final Standings, 2001-2002 (X) -sadly, won't be back next year

1. Law and Order* - for the past six years, consistently the best drama on TV .
2. West Wing - possibly television's most intelligent program.
3. 60 Minutes* - more than 30 years old, but still by far the best TV news magazine.
4. Once and Again (X) - another excellent effort from Herskovitz and Zwick; this year, even Sela Ward became interesting.
5. Simpsons** - the reason the VCR was invented; the opening chalkboard scene is the funniest 5 seconds on television.
6. Scrubs ** - you've got to like John C. McGinley
7. Undeclared ** (X) - had great pedigree (Freaks and Geeks). Smart and funny. Why the short season?
8. Six Feet Under* - yet another reason to subscribe to HBO. At least someone from Sportsnight got a job.
9. The Sheild** - this is good stuff; I hope they can keep it up.
10. Law and Order, SVU* - not quite as good as the original, but good enough. Ice-T has grown on me.
11. Judging Amy - Tyne Daley is just terrific.
12. Frontline - I sometimes have to make myself watch, but it's almost always worth it.
13. Law and Order Criminal Intent * - any L&O is close to a sure thing.
14. Gilmore Girls** - on the WB; you have to pay attention to catch all the dialogue.
15. Sex and the City - Probably their best season.
16. Malcolm in the Middle** - it's first year deserved 5 Emmys, but they shouldn't have moved Francis to Alaska.
17. That's Life (X) - how could you not like Paul Sorvino and Ellen Burstyn?
18. Ally McBeal* (X) - not as good without Robert Downey, Jr., and actually better without Calista Flockart, but still had the best music on TV.
19. Dharma & Greg* (X)- the vanity card was reason enough to tape the show: my personal favorite
20. Education of Max Bickford (X)- if you like Richard Dreyfuss, which I do.
21. Friends** - after eight years, I finally started watching the reruns. It's about time Matt Leblanc got some recognition.
    
22. The Job* - Dennis O'Leary is hilarious
23. Grounded for Life* - I'm a recent convert
24. Oz - finally started to run out of steam.
25. Ed ** - quirky, but sometimes annoying
26. Boston Public** - sometimes over the top, but David Kelly generally does good stuff

• The Job
• Undeclared - this was a travesty
• Citizen Baines - too bad; James Cromwell ("Babe") is first class. And whatever happened to the idea of giving a show a chance to find an audience?

1. Law and Order - for the past five years, consistently the best drama on TV .
2. West Wing - first class.
3. Malcolm in the Middle** - deserves at least 5 Emmys, including Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz and Bryan Cranston.
4. 60 Minutes* - more than 30 years old, but still by far the best TV news magazine.
5. Law and Order, SVU - not quite as good as the original, but good enough. But I'm still not sure about Ice-T.
6. Judging Amy - Tyne Daley is just terrific.
7. Once and Again - another excellent effort from Herskovitz and Zwick; even the 2 central characters were less boring.
8. Simpsons** - the reason the VCR was invented; the opening chalkboard scene is the funniest 5 seconds on television.
9. The Sopranos* - year 3 wasn't quite as good, but HBO rarely misses.
10. Ally McBeal* - almost back to its original standard, and the best music on TV.
11. Frontline - I sometimes have to make myself watch, but it's almost always worth it.
12. That's Life - how can you not like Paul Sorvino?
13. Dharma & Greg - the vanity card is reason enough to tape the show: my personal favorite
14. Friends** - after 10 years, I finally started watching the reruns.
15. Gilmore Girls* - on the WB
16. Gideon's Crossing - Andre Braugher, who ought to have 5 Emmys by now, was the star, but Ravi Kapoor was the best character.
17. 60 Minutes II - see #5, above.
    
18. Ed

1. Law and Order
2. The Sopranos
3. Simpsons
4. Malcolm in the Middle
5. Sportsnight - it was the cleverest program on TV.
6. 60 Minutes
7. Oz
8. Law and Order, SVU
9. Judging Amy
10. Once and Again
11. Frontline
12. Dharma & Greg
13. Just Shoot Me
14. Daria (MTV)
15. Arliss
16. Ally McBeal
17. West Wing
18. Roswell - began to loose steam towards the end.

Sorry to see them go

• It's Like, You Know.. (maybe you had to be from New York)
• Freaks and Geeks ** - this show was too real for most tastes
• Sportsnight