New year's television resolutions

Although the new year occurs in the middle of the television season, there are still opportunities for change to occur. Here are some of my hopes for 2012 television:

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not seen the season six finale of "Dexter" that aired Dec. 18 or "Parks and Recreation" as of Dec. 1.

* The last time "Dexter" ended a season with a major narrative shift, Rita died at the end of the mind-blowing fourth season. It was a gusty move that would surely impact the future of the show and after that stellar season, it seemed like the show knew what it was doing. However, they wasted that opportunity by creating an awkward and inappropriate rebound romance for Dexter in season five, and this year's season wasn't much of an improvement, minus the shocking last-second moment where Dexter's sister, Deb catches her brother killing Travis Marshall, the Doomsday Killer. The writers have once again created a game-changing scenario on the show. My hope is that they use this change to better the show, instead of using Deb's knowledge as another plot point that continues the show's downward spiral.

* Here's hoping that "Parks and Recreation" follows the lead of "Up All Night" when it comes to the roles of men in relationships. On "Up All Night," Will Arnett's Chris quits his job as a lawyer to be a stay-at-home dad with little argument. Minus the occasional moments where he misses his job, he is happy with his daughter and that his wife, Reagan is working to support the family without guilt-tripping her. On "Parks and Rec," Ben gave up his job in the Pawnee government to save Leslie's job and political aspirations. While nothing is keeping Ben from getting another job, it would be a shame to have Ben develop remorse toward Leslie for making him leave his previous one. It was hinted at in the Dec. 8 episode, where he kept saying he "resigned in disgrace." Hopefully that was just an immediate, knee-jerk reaction and won't turn into lasting problems for the wonderful couple.

* I'm looking for a "30 Rock" revival. Jack became nearly isolated from 30 Rock and Liz Lemon's band of merry misfits, which is a shame, as the show-within-a-show gave "30 Rock" its charm. Last season, things got too muddled with romance (both Matt Damon and Elizabeth Banks' characters added little) and downright malaise from the writers and actors. "30 Rock" should not be a downer show; let's hope that its sixth season (beginning Jan. 12) will bring it back to the early seasons' glory.

* Although I'm not watching the show, I hope that "American Horror Story" won't disappoint its audience as Ryan Murphy shows did in the past. I'm still bitter about the major decline in quality on "Nip/Tuck" and "Glee." Murphy's a known show-killer, and for the sake of AHS fans, I don't want to see them burned.

* Finally, at least for the time being: The world cannot end in 2012. "Arrested Development" isn't set to return until 2013.

Inexplicably, shows not named Parks and Recreation win at 2011 Emmys

Above: Emmy loser Stephen Colbert (likely drunkenly) tweets about the similarly snubbed "Parks and Recreation." I wonder what those after parties are like ...


To put it simply, the 2011 Emmy Awards paled in comparison to the strong 2010 broadcast. Host Jane Lynch was likable enough, but the stereotypical jokes fell flat (A woman hates men so much, specifically, the "Entourage" cast, that she became a lesbian!) and the opening number wasn't funny or engaging. it was like the writers were actively trying make us dislike the very likable "Glee" star.

Once again, "Modern Family" took home many of the top prizes during the night, including their second consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series prize, during a season many fans and critics considered to be a step down from their freshman season (like "Glee," which, appropriately, didn't win any of the broadcast awards. Oddly, Fox, the show's broadcaster, couldn't claim any awards Sunday.). The Outstanding Comedy Series trophy belonged to "Parks and Recreation," which many critics agree found a perfect groove this year.

Supporting Actress Julie Bowen (who had the best line of the night, "I don't know what I'm going to talk about in therapy now. I won something!") and Supporting Actor Ty Burrell deserved their wins (if Nick Offerman would have been nominated for "Parks and Recreation," that would have been another story), but it was disheartening seeing "Louie" lose to "Family" in the Outstanding Writing category.

And then there was the Outstanding Actor and Actress. I knew these categories would be complete messes, and they were (granted, I expected the voters to pick Laura Linney for a show featuring characters with awful personalities that was considered edgy only due to its morose subject matter and placement on pay cable). As "Office" star Rainn Wilson said (maybe a little unprofessionally, albeit accurately):



"Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons once again won an award for playing himself over Steve Carell's final "Office" season, while Melissa McCarthy beat Amy Poehler, the heart of the genius that is "Parks and Recreation."

This night taught me one thing: Chuck Lorre must bribe Emmy voters. Lorre's shows are often derided by critics (and television snobs) for playing to the lowest common denominator and yet the Emmys award the actors from the shows. Stop giving Lorre's ego fuel with these awards and award good actors from good shows. It seems like Emmy voters forgot they weren't voting for the very likable McCarthy's performance in "Bridesmaids," but for yet another formulaic Lorre show ("Mike and Molly"). The same goes for Lorre's "the Big Bang Theory" and Parsons. You don't deserve an award for playing yourself, which is why, even though Louis C.K. is wonderful, I don't know if would have he deserved the award for acting (Writing? Yes. He was robbed.). Just as Jon Cryer inexplicably won for "Two and a Half Men" in 2009, Chuck Lorre gets praise, and good comedy suffers.

At least the presentation for Outstanding Actress was amusing and sweet, thanks to Poehler (also see 2009's Outstanding Supporting Actress nominees), who organized a pageant-style presentation to McCarthy. Even though these women (McCarthy, Poehler, Linney, Tina Fey and Martha Plimpton), all talented (even if the quality of their shows differ), were competing against each other, they still came together in a good-humored fashion. The classiness of these ladies as McCarthy won helps offset my anger:



Oh, and the Emmys continued their almost complete snub of "the Colbert Report." Lord knows I love "the Daily Show," but lately, Stephen Colbert has just taken with his show and ran; the show's single win in 2008 is not enough.

On a lighter note: the Lonely Island delivered with a medley of their songs, including Maya Rudolph doing a dead-on impression of Lady Gaga's role in "3 Way (The Golden Rule)." Also, I commend the person(s) who came up with the "Office" segment featuring so many stars (among them, Cee-Lo Green and his spinning "Voice" chair). I was nearly doubled over laughing at this wonderful cameo:



As for the miniseries categories, "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)" was the big winner (writer Julian Fellowes, director Brian Percival), while "Mildred Pierce"'s Guy Pearce and Kate Winslet (now possessing the EGO portion of the EGOT) took home acting awards (along with "the Kennedys"' Barry Pepper). Also, it's a shame Dame Maggie Smith wasn't at the show, for I'm sure she would have appreciated accepting her Outstanding Supporting Actress award from the cast of the incredibly classy "Entourage."

While the comedy portion of the evening was largely devoted to "Modern Family," the drama and miniseries categories showed a little more variety. Amazingly, "Friday Night Lights," the critically-adored, previously shunned show, won two awards, Outstanding Writing (Jason Katims) and Outstanding Lead Actor (a very shocked Kyle Chandler). The ecstatic atmosphere at the Nokia Theatre could be felt at home. Chandler's costar, Connie Britton, was absolutely adorable, giddy over Katims and Chandler's wins, as was presenter Minka Kelly, who presented the award to her former costar.

Otherwise, it was a single-award night for "the Good Wife" (Lead Actress Julianna Margulies), "Boardwalk Empire" (Director Martin Scorsese), "Game of Thrones" (Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage), "Justified" (Supporting Actress Margo Martindale) and "Mad Men" (Outstanding Drama). It seemed AMC purposefully delayed "Breaking Bad" this year (it aired too late this year to be eligible), so that Jon Hamm could beat Bryan Cranston for once, but it wasn't to be. Hamm and fellow also-ran Hugh Laurie probably shouldn't hold their breaths on ever receiving a swan song Emmy, either, as Carell saw this evening.

As ThinkProgress' Alyssa Rosenberg wrote during the broadcast, "Much of this [opening montage, featuring many shunned shows] makes me sad, because, oh hey, look at all those awesome shows that didn't get the recognition they deserved and that I could be having a much better time watching on DVD instead of something as POINTLESS AND FRIGHTENING AS THE EMMYTONES!" She's right about those awkward Emmytones singers - Joel McHale looked like he was losing more of his soul as each second passed. The show lacked the comedic touches of years past, with only a few bright moments. A couple surprises here and there couldn't hide the mess the broadcast became.

What are your thoughts on the Emmys? Who was shunned, wrongly awarded? Who deserved their awards? Was the show funnier than I'm making it out to be? Are you an angry Chuck Lorre fan out for my blood? Leave a comment!

A complete list of winners can be found on Emmys.com.

2011 Emmy nominations announced

The nominations for the 63rd Primetime Emmys were released Thursday morning, so crazy television fans got up early (or stayed up late) to see them unfold.

A few stray observations:

*There were a couple underdogs that made their way in: Louis C.K., Johnny Galecki and Matt LeBlanc were nominated in the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category. Kathy Bates was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Idris Elba scored two nominations (as did Tina Fey), outstanding actor in a miniseries ("Luther") and outstanding guest actor in a comedy series ("The Big C") ... yet he was never nominated for playing Stringer Bell. "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" got nominations for Outstanding Variety Series and Writing for a Variety Series (God, I cannot wait for Stephen Colbert's reaction, since the BFFs for six months will be competing against each other). Oh, and Lady Gaga was nominated (for Variety Music Special).

*"Glee" lost its bids for lead actor and actress nominations, as did Toni Collette, and Neil Patrick Harris. "Big Love" was completely shunned in its final season. Also, I just want to remind everyone that Steve Carell has never won an Emmy. Although "the Office" is pretty lackluster now, I think it would be fitting to honor Carell for his seven years of work. Besides, the Emmys are notorious for not honoring people in the year that they should be (as Carell deserved the Emmy in 2006).

*I blame Rob Lowe submitting himself for Outstanding Lead Actor for splitting the votes between him and the truly deserving nominee, Nick Offerman. Lowe's role on the show is not that of a lead actor and his character is nowhere near as funny as Offerman's Ron Swanson, although Lowe's massive ego likely tells him otherwise. I strongly believe that if he hadn't submitted his name, any nominee voters that wanted "Parks and Recreation" to get a lead actor nomination would have had no choice but to vote for Offerman and not Lowe simply because he's a bigger name, and Offerman could have gotten a nod. Plus, no love for Chris Pratt, or any of the high-caliber writers? It's a disgrace.

*While "Community" has been a mixed bag (when it's good, it's astounding, but when it's not up to form, it's painful), Danny Pudi deserved a nomination for his equally hilarious and heartbreaking Abed. I will admit to a certain amount of bias, as Abed does remind me of a more socially awkward version of myself (although not much more awkward). The fact that the show didn't even garner one nomination is sad.

*The nomination for Laura Linney don't surprise me, but they frustrate me. A comedy doesn't always have to be laugh-out-loud to be outstanding, which is an argument that a lot of people make in support of shows like "the Big C." However, is a show really outstanding when the tone is incredibly insulting? Most of the characters, including Laura Linney's Cathy, are very unlikeable, and not in an endearing way (see "Arrested Development").

*I enjoy the way that the great pilot for "the Killing" was nominated, since, clearly, voters were not biased by seeing the rest of the show, which turned into a complete train wreck that even Outstanding Drama Actress Mireille Enos could save. This spot should have gone to "The Walking Dead."

*The good news? Even if the show is weak (as it was the last time it was on Fox, with Ryan Seacrest hosting), the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy or Variety Series category, featuring the often-hilarious videos introducing the nominees, should be back this year.

*What's up with the Emmys picking nominated females to present the awards (Melissa McCarthy was nominated), but the males are awkwardly shunned? Joshua Jackson this year, Joel McHale last year.

I could go on and on, but I've already rambled enough, my apologies ... to quote Kenneth Parcell, I just love television so much.

The full list of nominees and categories can be found here.

What do you think are the major upsets and surprises this year? Any outrageous inclusions or exclusions?

Do yourself a favor, stay 'streets ahead' and watch Community

Back during season premiere time, I wrote about how Community started the season off on a high note. While this season has been far from perfect, I still find myself enjoying the show, and Thursday's Christmas episode was genius.

As shown above, the entire episode was filmed as stop-motion animation, which could have been a cheap gag, but instead, established a high point for the show. Now, for the most part, I kind of hate Christmas. I'm not saying that in an attempt to be an ironic grinch, I just find other times of the year more enjoyable, and in recent years, I've become jaded by it. So, I was awfully surprised by how moved I was by this episode.

Abed, everyone's favorite television obsessed oddball, wakes up one day with his entire world in stop motion, and the study group tries to get him out of his funk. What follows is an episode that both satirizes and embodies holiday television traditions in a funny and sweet way. I'm not entirely sure how much of the episode's dialogue and events were real, or figments of Abed's imagination and worldview, but it was a fun ride that also put me into the Christmas spirit, which is a pretty remarkable feat. Plus, I have to love any show that manages to work the phrase "wash your dupa" into the plot (as a Polish person who hears her grandma, excuse me, Busia, say the word "dupa" all too often, I was cracking up).

Please, do yourself a favor and watch "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." Community is one of those shows where it's fairly episodic, and you can watch any episode and understand what's going on. I'd like to also recommend 4 other episodes that showcase the show at its finest:

Modern Warfare (season one): As the title suggests, this episode involves war. A paintball game, more specifically, a campus-wide game for early class registration. It turns into an all-out blood bath straight out of a video game, complete with jabs at Glee.

Contemporary American Poultry (season one): The Godfather (and other mob movies), revolving around chicken nuggets. Need I say more?

Anthropology 101 (season two): Here's how good this episode is: Betty White is the weakest link.

Basic Rocket Science (season two): This was another episode that was so outrageous it was funny. I think what sold me on the episode was the KFC product placement. I can't help but laugh and smile at a great Colonel Sanders joke/reference:

The 2010 Emmys deliver, thanks to Jimmy Fallon and company

I love Emmy night. Most people I come into contact with on a regular basis don't understand the fierce passion I have when it comes to Emmy nominations, wins and the broadcast itself. After last year's show was fairly terrible, I was concerned about whether I'd be impressed again, and I certainly was (yes, NBC did something right).

This year's epic opener kind of proves why I love the Emmys so.



Jon Hamm and Betty White shimmying. Perfect song choice. Joel McHale being Joel McHale (side note: I loved that the Emmys used Joel liberally throughout the show, yet never nominated Community for anything). Jimmy and Tina Fey bringing back their adorable chemistry from their Weekend Update days (but, Tina, don't try to sing, please). Lea Michele not making me gag. If that alone doesn't make the Emmys worth watching, I don't understand how you can call yourself a television fan. For God's sake, they made you laugh at Kate Gosselin without hating her. That's quite the feat.

This year really provided a lot of fantastic moments. My second favorite?



Jimmy's dead-on impression of Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, during his tribute to LOST. While I love TV, I'm also a very devoted Green Day fan, so I nearly fell out of my chair in a combination of laughter and giddiness. Just ask anyone at the BG News, who put up with my reactions to the awards all evening long.

I know a lot of people hate Jimmy, but I think he delivered tonight. He played to his strengths but he didn't dominate the show.

Now, to the actual winners.

I was impressed with the comedy wins. I love 30 Rock, but I can handle them losing, especially to a show like Modern Family. I've expressed my feelings about Glee here before, and I just think that they won the awards they deserved, mainly Jane Lynch. I expected vote-splitting for the three Modern Family nominees in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category, but I'm happy Eric Stonestreet took it (actually, I would have been happy with anyone but Jon Cryer). I strongly believe that in terms of consistency, cast excellence and comedic value, Modern Family is a far superior show to Glee. I have no complaints about it winning, even if it isn't 30 Rock. It's time for some new blood. As for one Modern Family complaint? I wasn't wowed by the pilot episode, which earned Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan an Emmy tonight. 30 Rock's Anna Howard Shaw day, written by Matt Hubbard, was a better episode.

Edie Falco won for her wonderful performance on Nurse Jackie, making her the first woman to win for both comedy and drama acting categories. I would have liked to have seen Amy Poehler (who looked amazing so soon after having her baby) win, so it would help the woefully under-viewed Parks and Recreation, but there's no denying that Edie is great. Due to my inherent bias against CBS comedies, I haven't seen the Big Bang Theory, so I don't know about how deserving Jim Parsons win was. Like with the suppporting actor category, I was just happy it wasn't Larry David, Tony Shalhoub or Matthew Morrison.

As for guest actors, I was impressed. As much as I love and adore Will Arnett, Neil Patrick Harris was great on Glee, and Betty White's win for SNL was also well-deserved. John Lithgow for Dexter was a no-brainer, too.

Now, for drama. Mad Men won once again, over Dexter's amazing season four. As I've said before, Mad Men may be a show that's well executed, but it would have been nice to see Dexter rewarded for its stellar season. Likewise, I'm frustrated Michael C. Hall lost for Outstanding Actor. Yet, since he lost to Bryan Cranston, who put forth a great body of work this year on Breaking Bad (even if the season was a little inconsistent), who has deserved his three consecutive awards.

The award that brought me the most joy, though, was seeing Aaron Paul win for Outstanding Supporting Actor for Breaking Bad. He was just astounding to watch this season. I loved hearing the insane amount of applause for him and his speech was so heartfelt. I'd say it's a three-way tie between him, Edie Falco and Eric Stonestreet for favorite speeches tonight.

(I'm ashamed to say that I'm very unfamiliar with the nominees for the dramatic actresses. However, just because I do root for the underdogs, it would have been nice to see Connie Britton take home the award. I have seen a scant few Friday Night Lights episodes, and her work impressed me.)

Lord knows I love the Daily Show and Jon Stewart, but I wish Conan O'Brien or Stephen Colbert and their respective shows could have won instead, if only so we could have actually received an acceptance speech for them. Conan's nomination intro was pretty humorous too, and it was wonderful seeing him in the audience, strike/unemployment beard still in tact.

Another highlight? Ricky Gervais, as always. It was silly for NBC to book him to host this year's Golden Globes, a show where the host does little work. This isn't meant as a dig at Jimmy, because I think he did great, but the Emmys are what Ricky is made to host. A low light, however, was seeing Jason Sudeikis bring January Jones as his date. I don't care too much about celebrities' private lives, but I just find January to be boring and basic (put on display during her awful SNL episode), especially compared to his ex-wife, the hilarious and gorgeous Kay Cannon (who was nominated tonight for 30 Rock). It's just one of those couples that baffles me.

Alright, I've rambled on long enough about the Emmys, but I just love them so. What did everyone else think were highlights and low points? Any red carpet mishaps I missed? Seriously, if there were any awful/hilarious/amazing red carpet moments, please let me know. I had to work, so I was only able to watch the show on a stream online, and it was hard enough to pay attention to them, I didn't have time to watch red carpet shows, either.

For a list of winners, click here.

Jane Lynch to host Oct. 9 SNL, but who will host the season premiere?

I was excited to learn yesterday that Glee star Jane Lynch will host the Oct. 9 episode of Saturday Night Live. It's always a treat when SNL gets hosts who are competent in the world of physical comedy, and I have a feeling that the seemingly fearless Jane will fit in quite well. She's more than proven her worth with films such as the 40 Year-Old-Virgin and Role Models, and so it'll be great to see her be someone other than Sue Sylvester for the evening.

However, even with this announcement, it still leaves the spot open for who will host the season 36 premiere episode. It's rarely the highest-rated episode of SNL, but it's still a pretty big deal, since the season premiere can often set the pace for the tone of the rest of the season. It's quite the honor to host any time, but on such a noteworthy time as the season premiere, that's something.

Unfortunately, lately, SNL has gone for a host of this episode for their notoriety rather than comedic ability. Steve Carell hosted the season 31 premiere in 2005, and he was a perfect fit. Not only was he a high-profile star at the time (the 40-Year-Old Virgin was released a month prior), but he was actually funny on the show. After that, things went downhill.

In 2006, Dane Cook hosted the season 32 premiere. I personally cannot stand Dane, but I think even fans would be hard pressed to disagree that his stand up storytelling just did not translate well onto the SNL stage. It was an awful fit, and his extreme smugness was too much to bear. I am a huge fan of the musical guest that evening, the Killers, so sitting through that show to watch them? It was painful.

Seasons 33 and 34, SNL made the same mistake of tapping sports superstars to host, with Cleveland's Public Enemy #1 in 2007, and Michael Phelps in 2008. LeBron James wasn't too terrible (the image of him from the Solid Gold sketch still makes me laugh), but he wasn't great, either. As for Michael? He was far too awkward and worthless. These episodes proved that you can't just assume people who are charismatic in one field would do well at Studio 8H.

In 2009, Transformers star Megan Fox hosted. I will give her the benefit of the doubt because the writing for the episode was lackluster. However, she did not bring anything to the table, which, as a host like Jon Hamm proves, is very possible.

SNL ends up leaving a negative impression in peoples' minds right from the season's start, and it doesn't have to be that way.

Can I put in a couple of suggestions to Lorne Michaels? Will Arnett, the husband of one of SNL's finest, Amy Poehler, will begin a new show on Fox, Running Wilde, this fall. It's a rival network, sure, but I think he could deliver. (Side note, congratulations to Will and Amy on the birth of their second child, Abel James!) I'd recommend his co-star on the show, Keri Russell, but I don't know how strong she'd be on a format like SNL (we don't want a repeat of the January Jones fiasco). Joel McHale is a network in-house talent as well, and a hosting gig would be great publicity for the ratings-challenged Community. It's always baffled me that Stephen Colbert and John Krasinski haven't hosted, so I would love if Lorne considered them.

One suggestion I find amusing is the one on Facebook, which is to have Conan O'Brien host. This will NEVER happen, but wow, it would be fantastic if it did. To be honest, it would be genius. The ad revenue for that show would be through the roof, so NBC could still profit off of him even after all of the drama. Per his contract with NBC, he could legally host a show as of Sept. 1, and SNL does not premiere until Sept. 25, so it's possible, but not probable. He was funny when he hosted in 2001, and I'm sure the writing staff would work extra hard to make his show great.

Who are some other potential knockout hosts for SNL? Looking to defend any recent hosts? Leave a comment!

Emmy nominations, LeBron James' tackiness and Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert's brilliance

It was quite the day for television Thursday, and there's a lot to discuss.

First up - the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Award nominations were announced bright and early yesterday morning. The nominations feature a fair share of stalwarts, snubs and surprises, as always.

Plus, LeBron James inflates his ego by punching Northeast Ohio in the face on national television.

As if that weren't enough, Steve Carell made his first appearance on the Colbert Report, and the word "epic" doesn't even begin to cover it.

Great Glee moments: top 5 performances this season

(Just because I feel like a Sue Sylvester gif is absolutely necessary in one's daily life.)

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not yet watched the season finale of Glee, do not read any farther.

I've mentioned many times that I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Glee. When the pilot of the show aired in May 2009, I loved it, because it was hilarious and, even though they were cheesy, I enjoyed the song covers.

Then, by the middle of the season, I became incredibly annoyed by the inconsistent plot lines. One example is Quinn's pregnancy and the resolution to that plot line last night, in which Idina Menzel's Shelby Corcoran, who is also Rachel's mother, adopted Quinn's daughter, Beth. As Ken Tucker points out, it's kind of rude for Shelby to shun her own biological daughter just for a 'newer' model, if you will. If the writers were trying to make Shelby an unlikable character, they succeeded in that respect, but if they were simply attempting to get rid of Beth in a quick manner, then I think that was a little misguided.

However, for once, I'm not here to bash the show. Since the regular shows I watch have ended, I decided to watch these last few episodes of Glee this season, and, cheesiness, plot inconsistencies and weak character development aside, I still found myself enjoying the show, due to what makes the show: the performances.

I rather enjoyed the Madonna songs, especially Jane Lynch's ridiculously outrageous version of "Vogue." And, as a big Lady Gaga fan (while I don't want this summer to go by quickly, I am also eagerly anticipating Sept. 4, when I see Gaga live), I thought those performances were well done, and the costumes were really great.

Last night, I found myself with a huge smile on my face throughout the show. The performances were fantastic, and even someone who hates the show and the karaoke aspects of the show would probably find it difficult to deny that the performances were catchy. They reminded me why I enjoyed the show in the first place.

With that said, here are my picks for the top five performances on Glee this year.

5. Like A Prayer - The choir-style background of the rest of the cast is strong and sing-along-worthy, much like the original Madonna song. It's difficult to listen to this song without clapping along. Guest star Jonathan Groff makes for a strong duet with Lea Michele (both of whom starred together on Broadway in Spring Awakening).

4. Dream On - There are moments on the show, usually involving Matthew Morrison, which make me cringe (see: "I Wanna Sex You Up," "Gold Digger"). However, this showcases his voice quite well. Guest star Neil Patrick Harris' voices complements Matt's in such a way that it creates an insanely powerful performance. Even though their characters were competing against one another, their competition yielded this great song. Next to Josh Groban, he's the guest star that I'd love to see return the most next year. Also, Danny Gokey: THIS is how you perform that falsetto.

3. To Sir, With Love - This was probably my favorite performance from last night. While it's certainly a love song, and probably not the most appropriate song for students to sing to their teacher (much like Lea and Idina's "Poker Face" duet, which I also enjoyed), it still seamlessly fit in with last night's show. The "with love" was not sung with a romantic connotation, but rather it perfectly expresses the admiration the club has for its leader. It's sickly saccharine, but that's why it works.

2. Bad Romance - I rather enjoyed this performance because it allowed for a lot of voices to be heard. It sounded so much like the original, yet, it didn't feel like some sort of K-Tel version of the song, either. It wasn't as weird as Gaga's version, rather, it worked to showcase the catchy nature of the song.

1. Don't Stop Believin' - The original song that made America fall in love with the show. I despise Journey with a burning passion, and this song makes me cringe 99% of the time. However, there is something about this version, with its epic buildup and powerful performance from Lea, it's rather irresistible. Anything that makes me put aside said Journey hatred much be good. I enjoyed last night's version with more of the club getting solo moments, which I loved, but I still have to say that the original is the best.

(Also, for the record, "Poker Face," "Somebody To Love" and "Alone" were all tough to cut out of my top 5).

Agree or disagree? As I said, I've missed a number of episodes, and while I've made efforts to listen to songs from said episodes, I may have missed some other good performances. So, I'd love to hear others' picks for their favorites this season.

Dead in the water: shows that jumped the shark

It’s a common crisis for all writers: the creative slump. It’s the moment in which you have to reach for the extreme in order to fulfill your writing obligations, and the results are often unbearable. In television, this creative failure is known as “Jumping the Shark” (originating from the “Happy Days” episode in which Fonzie, literally, jumps over a shark, thus beginning the show’s demise). It’s happened to many shows in the past, and it will surely happen to many in the future. These are some of the shows that suffered some of the biggest creative slumps in recent years.

“Big Love:” This was a unique look at a polygamist family living in secrecy, trying to balance public life and complicated family lives (Bill Paxton and Chloe Sevigny’s characters lived on a polygamist compound for some time, and that compound is a major plot point). Now it’s a show that crams too many pointless and unnecessary plotlines into short seasons. The relationship between sister wives Sevigny, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Ginnifer Goodwin are is only remaining strength of the show.

“Glee:” I was attracted to “Glee” because I used to be a big fan of creator Ryan Murphy’s other show, “Nip/Tuck” (we’ll get to them in a moment) and it was set in nearby Lima, Ohio (I expected more Ohio-related jokes than the show has delivered). I’m not a musical fan, but I watched the pilot that aired in May, and loved it. I was eagerly anticipating the show’s fall 2009 premiere, but it did not live up to its hype. Jane Lynch is fantastic, but for me, even her character isn’t enough to keep me sitting through ridiculous plot lines that often go nowhere. I know it’s supposed to be a cheesy, fun show, but some of the musical numbers (“Gold Digger,” mainly) are just cringe-worthy.

“Weeds:” The show started off quite well, with hilarious characters and engrossing plot lines. You rooted for Mary-Louise Parker’s pot-dealing widow to succeed, and her relationships with her suppliers and fellow suburbanites were fun to watch. After a while, the shtick got old, characters came and went, and it became difficult to root for Parker’s character after a while, since she always manages to get away from danger every single time (usually by using sex to get herself out of these situations), and acts completely selfishly.

“Two and a Half Men:” It is the epitome of everything that is wrong with television today (bland, repetitive humor that uses an excessive amount of crudeness and insults the intelligence of the viewer. I’m not a prude, but if you’re going to be “raunchy,” be funny as well.), and it angers me to see that it is the number one comedy on television. Plus, it stars Charlie Sheen, whom I despise, and Jon Cryer stole Jack McBrayer’s Emmy last year. I’ve hated it since the beginning of its run, but I think I have a reason to say that it “became” stupid. The other day, I was having a conversation with my grandmother, who is in the prime audience demographic for this show, and she said she could no longer stomach the show’s repetitive and crude humor. She made a wise decision and quit watching, and I hope more people emulate her.

“Entourage:” Like “Weeds,” this show’s plots are incredibly repetitive, and go nowhere. Vince is in a new movie. This means his clingy friends will score with women way out of their league for the umpteenth time this season, fantastic. Wow, there’s another party at a rich guest star’s mansion, I haven’t seen that yet, at least I haven’t seen it in this episode! All of the show’s seasons began to run together in my mind, and while Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold is an amusing character, there can be too much of a good thing, and even he became unbearable.

“Nip/Tuck:” Like the month we are in, this show came in like a lion, and out like a lamb. Controversial, ridiculous and sexually graphic, “Nip/Tuck” managed to turn the unrealistic trials and tribulations of two Miami (later Los Angeles-based) plastic surgeons in the bedroom and operating room into addictive television. Once the show introduced the ridiculous “Carver” arc of season three, this show crossed the line from being enjoyably trashy and campy into an eye-roll inducing wreck. The show just ended Wednesday night, and I have no desire to see how it ended. For my money, I’ll stick with Ryan Murphy’s “Popular” instead of this or “Glee.”

“Veronica Mars:” This is one of my favorite shows. The first season of the show, which focuses on Kristen Bell’s titular heroine looking to solve the murder of her best friend, was one of the best televisions seasons of the last decade. Season two wasn’t as strong as season one, but it’s the show’s final season that lost me. “Dawson’s Creek” lost a lot of creative gusto when it moved the characters to college, and “Veronica Mars” made the same mistake in season three. The “mysteries of the week” Veronica solved weren’t as captivating, and the half-season long arcs weren’t compelling either. Granted, I will place blame on the CW network, which clearly made creator Rob Thomas change the show to fit a broader, newer audience when the CW formed (it aired on UPN until the UPN-WB merger). However, it’s still a creative mess, no matter who gets the blame.

“South Park:” I miss episodes like the one I am currently watching, “the Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka.” Referencing Mark Twain, having Jesus Christ battle redneck hunters in the quest for television show ratings? That’s the randomness of the show that I love. I feel the show has become nearly unbearable with the incessant need to be completely topical. The earlier seasons, with the cruder humor, are much more enjoyable and effectively balance silliness and satire.

“The Osbournes:” I’m not a big reality television fan, but the first season of this show yielded some fantastically hilarious moments. Who can forget Ozzy Osbourne throwing the ham into their loud neighbors’ yard? It was outrageous, yet it felt absolutely real. However, once the show became a hit and returned for subsequent seasons, the bar had t be raised. In later seasons, the family was clearly acted in staged or scripted situations, and minus Jack Osbourne’s ecstatic “Ooh, McRib is back!” proclamation, anything past season one is terrible.

“The Office:” It breaks my heart to say this. One of my favorite television shows of all time, I have been obsessed with the show for years. It managed to carve out an identity separate from its British predecessor, and seasons two and three were brilliant. However, in subsequent seasons, it became clear that both the writers were trying to dumb down the show to appeal to a broader audience, and they were hitting creative slumps. These days, Dwight Schrute has gone from ridiculous but realistic to just being ridiculous, unrealistic and just outright annoying. Good for Pam for finding love and gaining confidence, but did she have to become so self-righteous in the process? I see why Ricky Gervais ended the British version so early, it’s better to go out on top than to break the hearts of fans week after week.

Do you agree with my choices, or do you want to defend the show’s I’ve mentioned? Have any other shows that I omitted (I watch a lot of television, but I don’t watch every show, so I may have missed some shows.) that you wish to vent about? Leave a comment!