Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
I haven't had a post in a while, so I thought I'd return to a format I haven't down in a while to clear out the angry blood. I came across the following article listing the top 10 television shows of the year, part of the annual year-end tradition of web sites putting out clickbait "best of" lists, which happens to work well with my occasional desire to put out lists of things with overly complicated rules-
www.theringer.com
For those who don't click through, here's the list in order, along with my personal notes on each entry.
10. Warrior
-Haven't watched yet, on my "to-do" list.
9. Beef
-Good choice.
8. Scavengers Reign
-Haven't watched yet, on my "to-do" list.
7. Jury Duty
-Loved it, but not sure it's top 10.
6. Poker Face
-Loved it, loved Natasha Lyonne (of course!), and appreciated the return of episodic TV. Still ... not quite sure it's top 10.
5. A Murder at the End of the World
-Haven't watched yet, on my "to-do" list.
4. Silo
-Loved it. Is it top 10? Not sure.
3. The Bear
-This show absolutely crushed it. The only question is how far up it deserves to go. Top 5? Top 3? Top 1?
2. Reservation Dogs
-Great choice. Tragically underwatched.
1. Succession
-Hard to argue with this one.
With that out of the way, I am going to put in my Obviously Superior List of Top 10 Shows as Chosen By Snarf. Of course, I will have to put in my own rules for this list-
A. I have to have watched it. Pretty simple, if I haven't seen it, it's not good. Um, I mean I don't know if it's good. Same thing, right?
B. It has to be a fiction. No reality TV (no matter how ... scripted). No documentaries. No sketch comedy. Which rules out Jury Duty and I Think You Should Leave and Cunk on Earth. Also, unfortunately, How to With John Wilson, which is one of the truly great shows I have ever seen.
C. It has to be in English. I watch a large amount of foreign television, but the amount I watch is limited compared to how much is out there. Just because I love Lupin doesn't make me an expert on French television.
D. No movies. And any mini-series has to have more than four (4) episode (aka, a LONG movie).
E. No animation. I have Blue Eye Samurai on my list to watch shortly; I expect it to be good.
With that out of the way, here's my list in no particular order.
1. The Bear.
2. Succession.
3. Reservation Dogs.
4. Beef.
5. Dead Ringers.
6. The Curse. (Assumedly. It's still airing. But wow.)
7. ST: Strange New Worlds.
8. The Great. (sadly cancelled)
9. Slow Horses.
10. Poker Face.
I would say that it is incredibly hard to make these kinds of lists right now. What We Do In Shadows might be one of the funniest things I watch, but it can't crack the list. Mrs. Davis is often brilliant, but I'm not sure where to put it. Foundation had a great second season that I loved, and yet I can't seem to fit it in. Barry completed the transformation from dark comedy to dark in a brilliant final season.
Anyway, throwing it out to see if anyone else would like to chime in on either the original list, my list, or their own thoughts as the year winds down.
The Best TV Shows of 2023
In a year defined by industry upheaval, television still managed to thrill and delight
www.theringer.com
For those who don't click through, here's the list in order, along with my personal notes on each entry.
10. Warrior
-Haven't watched yet, on my "to-do" list.
9. Beef
-Good choice.
8. Scavengers Reign
-Haven't watched yet, on my "to-do" list.
7. Jury Duty
-Loved it, but not sure it's top 10.
6. Poker Face
-Loved it, loved Natasha Lyonne (of course!), and appreciated the return of episodic TV. Still ... not quite sure it's top 10.
5. A Murder at the End of the World
-Haven't watched yet, on my "to-do" list.
4. Silo
-Loved it. Is it top 10? Not sure.
3. The Bear
-This show absolutely crushed it. The only question is how far up it deserves to go. Top 5? Top 3? Top 1?
2. Reservation Dogs
-Great choice. Tragically underwatched.
1. Succession
-Hard to argue with this one.
With that out of the way, I am going to put in my Obviously Superior List of Top 10 Shows as Chosen By Snarf. Of course, I will have to put in my own rules for this list-
A. I have to have watched it. Pretty simple, if I haven't seen it, it's not good. Um, I mean I don't know if it's good. Same thing, right?
B. It has to be a fiction. No reality TV (no matter how ... scripted). No documentaries. No sketch comedy. Which rules out Jury Duty and I Think You Should Leave and Cunk on Earth. Also, unfortunately, How to With John Wilson, which is one of the truly great shows I have ever seen.
C. It has to be in English. I watch a large amount of foreign television, but the amount I watch is limited compared to how much is out there. Just because I love Lupin doesn't make me an expert on French television.
D. No movies. And any mini-series has to have more than four (4) episode (aka, a LONG movie).
E. No animation. I have Blue Eye Samurai on my list to watch shortly; I expect it to be good.
With that out of the way, here's my list in no particular order.
1. The Bear.
2. Succession.
3. Reservation Dogs.
4. Beef.
5. Dead Ringers.
6. The Curse. (Assumedly. It's still airing. But wow.)
7. ST: Strange New Worlds.
8. The Great. (sadly cancelled)
9. Slow Horses.
10. Poker Face.
I would say that it is incredibly hard to make these kinds of lists right now. What We Do In Shadows might be one of the funniest things I watch, but it can't crack the list. Mrs. Davis is often brilliant, but I'm not sure where to put it. Foundation had a great second season that I loved, and yet I can't seem to fit it in. Barry completed the transformation from dark comedy to dark in a brilliant final season.
Anyway, throwing it out to see if anyone else would like to chime in on either the original list, my list, or their own thoughts as the year winds down.
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