The next in my belated best of 2012 Top 5 lists is Top 5 New
Television Shows. This was a tough year
for new shows. There really wasn’t much
quality in any of the year’s new shows. I feel like I really had to reach to get five
quality shows worth writing about and a couple honorable mentions. I included any show that debuted in the 2012 calendar
year, not just shows that started this fall season. Doing it that way feels more in step with how
shows come out in this day and age and gave me more shows to pick from, because
in all honesty, this fall season was pretty horrid as far as new shows
goes. Here’s my Top 5 New Television
Shows Of 2012…
5) Go On
I love
Matthew Perry and this show delivers Perry at his snarky best. A more mainstream version of Community, Go On
is far from a great show but it’s consistent in its mediocrity and that’s a
compliment with this year’s crop. The
characters are well written and acted, there are plenty of funny and touching
moments; it’s not a show I am going to stop everything to watch, but it’s an
entertaining half hour every week. And
did I mention Matthew Perry is in it?
4) Arrow
I’m a comic
book nerd and, right after Batman, my all time favorite comic book character is
Green Arrow. I have a thing for the
self-made super hero, someone who doesn’t have a super power crutch to lean
on. Needless to say, that being the case,
even if this was a horrible show, I would still be watching. Lucky for me it’s actually pretty well
done. It is on the CW, so it’s not
ground breaking or life changing, but it is a quality super hero drama. They do a good job handling the Oliver Queen
mythos (although making his kid sister’s nickname Speedy is a little bothersome)
and have thrown some nice bones to us comic geeks while still keeping the
stories their own. Again, I’m not
blocking an hour of my week to watch it, but when I do get around to watching
it I’ve been highly entertained.
3) The Mindy Project
Mindy is a funny girl and this
quirky off-beat comedy seems to capture her energy perfectly. It’s a great paring with New Girl and is
easily the best new comedy of the year.
Its jokes might not be as rapid fire as 30 Rock, but its silliness
reminds me of the Tina Fey classic. There
seems to be some discussion that the show isn’t doing great with ratings and
may not stay around. That would be a
travesty because the show seems to still be building momentum. The Christmas episode was hilarious and a
great sign of what the show can be when it fires on all cylinders. Here’s to hoping we get a few more seasons of
funny from Mindy and friends.
2) Aquabats Supershow!
I’ve waited
almost twenty years for this show and it did disappoint in the least. From the moment I saw my first live Aquabats
show I wondered how they didn’t have a television show and thanks in part to
the success of Yo Gabba Gabba, that thought has become a reality. Their off the wall zaniness and tongue in cheek
humor make this show one of the funniest on TV.
Like a modern day Monkees crossed with The Avengers, the Aquabats go
around playing music and fighting bad guys all for the kids. Yes, it helps that I love their music, but
really what makes the show so good is the sense of humor.
1) Bunheads
In all honesty, I wasn’t going to
write this list, it just didn’t seem worth it with such bad shows this year,
but then I remembered that Aquabats and Bunheads started in 2012 and I had to
write about them. Yes, I’m a guy and,
yes, I loved Gilmore Girls. It was an
amazingly written show and it introduced me to Lauren Graham. I’m not ashamed about the fact I loved it in
the least. Bunheads is from the same
writer and producer and everything that was great about Gilmore Girls seeps
through every pore of Bunheads. Rapid
fire dialogue, quirky pop culture references, side splitting funny moments,
great small town characters, poignant dramatic moments, it’s all here in this wonderful
family drama. Some may say it’s too much
like Gilmore Girls, but there are enough differences in story and character to
make it feel like a different show with the same style. I don’t know that it’s going to last, so
please tune in now, you’re missing a great show.
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