Benjamonster's TV

Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am counting down my Top 10 TV Shows of the Year to finish off my Year in Review and also taking a look back at Hawaii Five-0 . The blog will be on a break until January 12 so I will see you then! YEAR IN REVIEW TOP 10 TV SHOWS OF THE YEAR Honorable Mentions: The Diplomat, Only Murders in the Building, Adolescence, The Studio, The Four Seasons 10. ABBOTT ELEMENTARY (ABC) It can always be hard to decide how to rank a broadcast show that makes so many more episodes than streaming or premium channel shows. So if Abbott Elementary had a few clunkers among over 20 episodes, is that a reason to ding it? Because it has had a few clunkers this fall. But it made my list because of a very strong end to the fourth season back in the spring. There were a couple really compelling arcs going on and Janelle James in particular had a great season that gave her a lot more dimension. Abbott is becoming a comedy elder statesman now but any show that can still ...

Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am continuing my Year in Review with my Top 11 Episodes of the Year. Plus, I am looking at the latest episode of Pluribus and taking a look back at Outsourced ! YEAR IN REVIEW TOP 11 EPISODES OF THE YEAR Normally this would be a Top 10 Episodes of the Year but I just couldn't take one of them off this list so I decided to make it a Top 11! 11 . Paradise "The Day" (Hulu, February 25) I really wasn't a fan of the first season of Paradise  but this was a case where one episode was so far and above everything else that came before and after. The penultimate episode, titled "The Day," took us back to the apocalyptic event that led to the premise of the show. I didn't really care about how it fit into the show's mythology, because I don't like the show, but I thought it was a fascinating and eerie look at what could happen if the people in power find out the world is ending before the general public. It was...

Welcome to my Monday newsletter! This week, I am kicking off my Year in Review with my Top 10 Performances of the Year. Plus a check in on Pluribus , my #1 show of my Top 25 Shows Since 2000 and a look back at No Ordinary Family ! YEAR IN REVIEW TOP 10 PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR I'm kicking off a three week Year in Review with the Top 10 Performances of the Year. Next week will be my Top 10 Episodes followed by my last post for 2025 - my Top 10 Shows of 2025. Enjoy! 10. The Guest Stars of  The Studio I wasn't as high on The Studio as many because I found it inconsistent but I struggle to think of a show that had as high a batting average of guest stars. Even the "killer of the week" shows like Poker Face and Elsbeth rise and fall a bit based on their guest. But pretty much everyone, including many known more for being behind the camera, rocked it on The Studio . Who was my favorite? Probably Zoe Kravitz, with a completely unhinged performance. But I also have a lot of l...

Here's a look at my Top 10 Episodes of 2022! Following this post, my blog will take a holiday break and return on January 3! Close Calls A League of Their O wn "Stealing Home" (8/12/22) Yellowjackets "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" (1/16/22) The Patient "The Cantor's Husband" (10/25/22) 10. FOR ALL MANKIND "Stranger in a Strange Land" (August 12, 2022, Apple TV+) I have been banging the drum for For All Mankind for a couple seasons now. I wish it was more in the conversation among best dramas on TV because it definitely belongs there. Just like the second season finale (which ranked #5 last year on my list), the season-long tension boiled over with an explosive and very intense season finale. Some of the stories that were frustrating during the season paid off in a big way. The show once again boldly killed off some prominent characters and it also once again gave a very intriguing flash forward in the final moments. Bring on Season 4! 9. THIS...

Before the blog heads on a break next week, my Top 10 this week is Top 10 Episodes of 2021! Close Calls This is Us "One Small Step" (3/23/21) Modern Love "On A Serpentine Road, with the Top Down" (8/13/21) Brooklyn Nine-Nine "The Last Day" (9/16/21) 10. WandaVision "Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience" (1/15/21) As I've probably stated before on the blog, I am not a Marvel fan. But I was willing to cast that aside for WandaVision because of its homage to classic TV. And while I was mostly uninterested in the mythology, I absolutely loved each classic sitcom that it paid tribute to. Perhaps the most impressive visually though was the first episode, a clear tribute to The Dick Van Dyke Show and actually filmed (pre-pandemic) in front of a live studio audience as the title of the episode says. It wasn't even a parody, the episode was played straight as a 60s sitcom save for a couple odd moments and its commitment to the form was pretty impr...

Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down some topic of the TV realm. This week it is Top 10 Episodes of 2020! Close Calls MRS. AMERICA "Houston" THIS IS US "Strangers: Part Two" ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST "Zoey's Extraordinary Dad" 10. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT "Funeralia" (November 26, 2020, HBO Max) I binged quickly through The Flight Attendant this last month. This show is best when operating as a dark comedy/thriller and it was in full force in this episode which has Cassie (Kaley Cuoco) crashing the funeral of the man whose murder she is trying to figure out. 9. SHRILL "Wedding" (January 24, 2020, Hulu) Some of these episodes from the beginning of the year feel like they aired five years ago. This episode was a little bit of a standalone as it focused on Fran (Lolly Adefope) attending a traditional Nigerian wedding. The unique customs and the traditional values being at odd with Fran's life was a great exploration ...

Here is my annual year-end countdown of the best episodes of 2018! I will include the caveat I always do that I am behind on some shows and haven't even started some streaming shows that might have an episode that belongs on this list, but of what I have seen - here is my list! Past countdowns:  2017     2016     2015     2014     2013     2012     2011 20. Mom #111 "Pre-Washed Lettuce and a Mime" (CBS/September 27) Mom has continued to be a very underrated sitcom (even if Kristen Johnson's presence has annoyed me this season). The season premiere dealt with Christy's attempted return to college and it was interesting to see how this difficult leap for Christy can relate to being sober as Mom has continued to explore new journeys. There was also a great comedic scene with Christy and Bonnie trying to retrieve her purse from Christy's work and setting off alarms. 19. 9-1-1 #20 "Merry Ex-Mas" (FOX/November 26) Le...

Here is my annual year-end countdown of the best episodes of the year! Past countdowns:  2016    2015    2014    2013    2012    2011 20. Fresh Off the Boat #57 "The Masters" (ABC/April 18) In an episode that was a funny take on the "Tiger Mom" stereotype, Jessica learns that Tiger Woods is half Asian and decides to start pushing her kids even more. She runs into resistance from Louis so they use two of their children to test their different parenting styles while teaching golf. The contrast between Louis' fun loving approach and Jessica's intensity led to a funny plot throughout the episode. As with all the best Fresh Off the Boat episodes, it was another great showcase for Constance Wu, easily the best part of the show. 19. Young Sheldon #6 "A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac" (CBS/November 30) I am not a fan of The Big Bang Theory , but I am very much enjoying Young Sheldon because it seems like it belongs more with...