Now that the 2005-2006 TV season has come to a close, the summer
doldrums begin. For the most part, summer is used by many to catch
up on what they missed through on-demand video and DVD rentals and
purchases.
So on that note, I would like to go the David Greenwald route
and look back at the season that was, offering my picks for the 10
best television shows of the 2005-2006 season.
10. “Eye for an Eye” (Syndicated) ““ “Eye
for an Eye” is one of countless courtroom shows, but with
numerous twists. First, the court is presided over by
“Extreme Akim,” who regulates not with a gavel, but
with a “bat of justice.” Second, Akim repeatedly asks
for advice from his bailiff, “Big Sugar Ray.” And
third, Akim’s judgments involve assigning
“punishments,” like ruling that two women accused of
stealing a chicken recipe have a cook-off, of which Sugar Ray was
the judge, with the loser being tarred and feathered. Beyond
compelling.
9. “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC) ““ It may be
less cerebral than “Criminal Intent,” but
“SVU” has succeeded by simply being exciting and
addictive. This year delivered one of the best episodes, with
Goddess of Justice Mariska Hargitay trying to find a missing girl
through a 911 call that kept changing position throughout
Manhattan. Equally thrilling and disturbing.
8. “The Office” (NBC) ““ The American
“Office” is a worthy companion to its British
counterpart, with Steve Carell’s Michael Scott offering a
similar blowhard boss to the original’s David Brent, but with
just enough of Carell’s own creative edge. Plus, the show has
already gone on longer than its British counterpart and has had Jim
confess his love for Pam. Uncharted territory, yes, but if that
means more episodes like “Booze Cruise,” I’m
sold.
7. “South Park” (Comedy Central) ““ Its fall
run included the classic “Trapped in the Closet,” which
has altered the show’s position in pop culture and even its
regular cast. Add to this the satirical smackdown of “Family
Guy,” the death of Chef and another bizarre Towelie episode,
and you have one of “South Park’s” best seasons
yet. Then again, they’re all great.
6. “House” (Fox) ““ Dr. House is my favorite
curmudgeon. Forget Sawyer on “Lost;” House is the most
likeable a-hole on TV. During a season in which Foreman (Omar Epps)
nearly died of a mysterious illness and House himself got shot,
star Hugh Laurie continued to develop as one of television’s
most fascinating personalities. Plus, any show that manages to tie
a brain disease into almost every ailment (“He’s got
brain cancer of the uh … toe”) deserves props.
5. “Lost” (ABC) ““ Last season’s breakout
hit stumbled this year. Constant reruns frustrated fans, but not as
much as the show’s meandering plotlines and excessive
character development. The show hit rock bottom in the middle of
the season with the Charlie-centric episode “Fire +
Water,” but righted itself with its Henry Gale storyline and
a truly satisfying finale. I’ll still watch, but I’m
not sure I can take another season as frustrating as this one.
4. “Arrested Development” (Fox) ““ I’ve
written enough about this show for everyone to know how dismayed I
am at its cancellation. Yet in some ways, while I wish it had found
an audience, I feel it just wouldn’t have been the same if
everyone loved it. But that doesn’t mean I’m not doing
Gob’s chicken dance in Fox’s direction for squandering
yet another gem. “COCKA-COO, COCKA-COO!”
3. “Veronica Mars” (UPN) ““ Calling this
UPN’s best show since “Star Trek: Voyager”
insults it; “Veronica” is one of the most well-written
shows since “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Few other shows
are as consistent ““ the development of characters such as
Logan Echolls is masterful, and Veronica’s interactions with
friends Wallace and Mac ““ as well as her dad ““ feel
legitimately organic. Plus, this show truly knows how to layer
multiple mysteries, offering gradual clues and solutions before
tying almost everything up but leaving just enough for next year.
“Lost” could learn a thing or two from these guys.
2. “24” (Fox) ““ Jack Bauer is the ultimate
badass. Whether it’s cutting a key witness’s head off
with a hacksaw or shooting a criminal’s innocent wife in the
leg, Jack Bauer doesn’t take nothing from nobody. This season
was “24’s” best since season two, with truly
shocking deaths, twists, villains and a mind-blowing setup for next
year. Gregory Itzin deserves at least an Emmy nomination for his
portrayal of the vile President Logan. Why isn’t it No. 1?
Because it did recycle plotlines from past “24” seasons
… and because the No. 1 show was just that good.
1. “Battlestar Galactica” (Sci-Fi) ““ Yeah, I
said it! You say it’s sci-fi, geeky and a low-budget space
opera melodrama? Wrong, mostly wrong and most certainly wrong.
“Battlestar Galactica” is television’s smartest,
most provocative and well-written hour, and it just happens to be
set in space. Sure, it’s a re-imagining of a cheesy
’70s show that ripped off “Star Wars.” But in its
two seasons, “Galactica” has surpassed its source
material in every conceivable way. There are no goofy aliens, women
with six breasts or gladiator fights on hostile planets. Crew
members don’t sit around stone-faced debating the prime
directive. They fight, they die, they love, they feel and they
question with genuine pathos. Exploring topics such as terrorism,
abortion, torture, religious zealotry and political sabotage,
“Galactica” is a better comment on modern society than
even a show like “The West Wing,” which actually takes
place in the White House.
So that’s that. I now retreat to a summer of watching
awful MTV reality shows and my even more horrific fantasy baseball
team.
Humphrey seems a lot less cool now that he’s writing
about sci-fi geek shows instead of rock music. E-mail him at
mhumphrey@media.ucla.edu.