10 Great Shows Lacking Viewership

Hello Something About TVers (that really rolls off the tongue). I was taking a look at some television ratings lately and, as usual, I was completely disappointed in the shows that get boatloads of viewers compared to much higher quality shows. So, here’s my list of some of the best shows currently on the air that struggle for viewership while Two and a Half Men is still running rampant:

1. Justified (FX)

I can’t recommend Justified nearly enough and for anyone looking to replace their Breaking Bad fix, this is the show you want. Currently on its fifth season, it’s the story of Raylan Givens (played by Timothy Olyphant), a U.S. Marshall who is as much sarcastic as he is a badass. The story begins when he gets relocated back to his home town of Harlan County where most of the citizens have grown accustomed to minimal interference with lawmakers. It’s also home to Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) who is the constant foil to Raylan and is known for using every word in the dictionary. Boyd really separates Justified from other dramas because we get to follow the side story of him building his crime empire with stories that are interspersed with Raylan.

2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

Nine-Nine has really excelled in its first season and has avoided any really bad episodes. Led by Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, and Andre Bruagher, the show has a fantastic cast with a lots of actors who know their way around a joke. Taking place in a police station sets up for some hilarious storylines as they are constantly taking serious police stories and telling them from a more comedic angle. The ratings have been rough but critical praise should get it a second season at this point. There’s going to be a new episode following the Super Bowl and post-Bowl episodes of shows tend to have an easy to follow storyline for new viewers if you want to hop on the train.

3. Parenthood (NBC)

I can’t praise Parenthood enough for showing so simple things that families go through. It follows the story of the Bravermans (Bravermen?), 4 adult siblings that all have families of their own with different types of dynamics. It’s loosely based off the Steve Martin film by the same name and was adapted for television by Jason Katims, the same guy who did Friday Night Lights. Currently in its fifth season, it’s become a staple that you’re in for a good cry at least once per episode.

4. Parks and Recreation/Community (NBC)

At first glance you may be wondering why I included these two, especially considering all the memes that circulate on imgur from the shows, but year after year these shows are on the bubble of being cancelled. In fact, both shows combined don’t even equate to half the number of viewers Big Bang Theory gets. Both shows are getting up there in age but unlike many sitcoms they can still churn out fresh stories and bring big laughs when done right. Not to mention that the return of Dan Harmon has really invigorated Community in its current season.

5. The Americans (FX)

If you’re looking for a good spy thriller this is the show for you. The only thing is you find yourself rooting for KGB during the Cold War. It follows the lives Elizabeth (Kerri Russell) and Phillip (Matthew Rhys) who appear to be your average American family with two kids, but are instead cold hard Russian killers who have infiltrated the US to get information on what America is planning. As an added obstacle, their new neighbor coincidentally is an FBI agent (Noah Emmerich) who gives perspective on the other side of the story. The show really struggled for viewers in its first season but was able to scratch out a second season which premieres Feb 26.

6. Girls (HBO)

Created by and starring Lena Dunham, this is probably the most controversial show on the list as it really polarizes people who watch it. While I can’t argue with people who don’t like it, I do find it a very interesting watch. It essentially follows the lives of four 20-something girls who try to make it in New York. The problem is that for the most part they’re pretty terrible people who are in no way aware of their pretentiousness. All I can say here is give it a chance for a few episodes but if it isn’t for you then it isn’t for you.

7. Orange is the New Black (Netflix)

I’m actually not sure if this show doesn’t get many viewers because Netflix doesn’t release that information. However, most of the buzz around Netflix originals circles around House of Cards and season 4 of Arrested Development and OITNB is even better than those two. It’s dark, depressing, heart-warming, and at times hilarious as it gives us a look inside a women’s prison. It’s done an absolutely fantastic job of building strong characters and making us feel connected in some way to all of them.

8. Game of Thrones (HBO)

What!? Everyone watches this show! Yeah everyone does watch it but that’s because it’s the most pirated show on television. It still gets high ratings but that’s not nearly as representative as what it could get. I don’t want to get up too high on a soap box but this show is ridiculously expensive to produce, between a huge cast and greatly detailed wardrobes and environments. I know it’s hard to justify doling the money out but if you enjoy something of high quality, and want it to stay that way, then it may be something to consider.

9. Cougar Town (TBS)

Everyone wrote this show off based off the title (in fact that’s becoming a running meta joke on the show) but don’t let that sway you away from watching it. Created by Bill Lawrence and starring Courtney Cox, there are constantly guest stars showing up from Scrubs and Friends. ABC actually cancelled the show but TBS decided to save it (unfortunately they couldn’t do the same for Happy Endings, RIP) and its’ maintained the same level of laughs since switching networks. If you start from the beginning, the show doesn’t find itself until halfway through the first season but it doesn’t look back after that. Also, Penny Can!

10. Mad Men (AMC)

Ah, the best for last. Now that Breaking Bad is off the air I consider Mad Men to be the best drama on television, heck before Bad’s final eight episodes I could argue they rivaled for that spot. With one season remaining (Broken into two parts like the last season of Breaking Bad) it still remains the best written show on television and Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is still the man you love to hate. For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows the advertisement world in the 1960’s and the lives of the men and women who work within that world. Between Draper, Pete Campbell, Peggy Olsen, and Roger Sterling it may have the most well developed cast of characters on television.

Honorable mentions to Hannibal, Trophy Wife, and Portlandia which could have easily made the list. Any shows I left off? Let me know in that comment section below.

Parks and Recreation: ‘Pawnee Commons’

‘Pawnee Commons’ saw the welcome return of several great things of Parks past: the Pawnee/Eagleton rivalry, Wamapoke County Public Radio, Bert Macklin, and of course DJ Roomba. It’s pretty amazing that this show has established its settings and characters so well that they can have an episode where essentially not much happens and old moments are rehashed but despite that it was still another near masterpiece of joy.

Leslie will thankfully always be skeptical of the neighboring of Eagleton and because of it we got so many great moments from her and Ben’s trip across the border. I especially enjoyed the bit about how Eagleton was somehow able to miraculously have palm trees despite being in the middle of Indiana which was an excellence use of the fact that the show is filmed in California. I will say that I’ve never been a fan of the sitcom character not being to get words out of their mouths to admit they were wrong or to apologize, but I did appreciate Amy Poehler’s effort to try and make it work.

We also got the final mission for special FBI agent Bert Macklin who comes to the tough realization that after 40 years on the force, and being undercover without being able to see his family during this time either, it’s time to hang up the shades. It’s always fun to see April and Andy goofing around and getting to play the ridiculous characters they create, and it never hurts if the payoff results in one or both of get to learn a life lesson along the way.

The rest of the Parks Department was off helping Tommy Fresh spruce up the store property he just bought for his new business “Rent-a-Swag.” This was probably a bit of a sub-par plot, I think I either would have like to see less time devoted to this or much more as a couple characters, Ron and Chris in particular, didn’t get much to do here. But the store seems to be up and running and it will undoubtedly provide some interesting stories going forward.

Other favorite moments:

• ‘Jazz + Jazz = Jazz’ is pure radio gold.
• Now Entering Pawnee: Good Luck With That.
• “We asked for help and they claimed they weren’t home. An entire town claimed they weren’t home.”
• “They call their boogers Pawnee caviar.”

What did everyone else think? Comments are always welcome.

Parks and Recreation: ‘Halloween Surprise’

That was really spectacular. It’s episodes like that which show why Parks and Rec is going to go down as one the best sitcoms of all time.  Personally, I’m an unabashed fan of Halloween installments of sitcoms as it is, so then I get something as sweet and unexpected as Ben proposing to Leslie on top of costumed silliness? Then sign me up.

Parks has proven time and time again that they aren’t afraid of changing the status quo in fear of losing the humor we’ve become accustomed to. For instance, we got the great spontaneity of Andy and April’s wedding in season three. Or having characters make career choices that change their environment, such as Andy leaving the shoeshine, Leslie winning for City Council, and Ben going off on location to work a campaign in DC. That type of change is rare to see in your typical workplace comedy show and that’s why when these changes occur the payoff is huge and we get emotionally invested because we start to care about these characters lives.

So Ben very romantically proposes to Leslie in their soon to be first apartment together, but then we get a couple of fun side stories thrown into this one as well. Ron and Andy team up again to take the two little girls trick or treating, and it never gets old watching Andy act as a little kid and Ron being at a completely loss words when it comes to dealing with children. It’s been nice watching Ron pursue a real romantic relationship and hopefully we’ll get a few more fun moments as we watch him try to transition into a family man.

And let us not forget our Jerry. Poor, poor Jerry. After being surprised by Ann and Leslie, Jerry starts to have a heart attack and loses complete control over his, erm, flatulence. And only Jerry would apologize while having a heart attack for making the room smell for those around him. This led to Jerry giving Leslie some sage advice in his hospital room about how important it is to surround yourself with loved ones, making the moment when Ben proposes to Leslie that much sweeter.

Really fun, emotional Halloween episode. Here a few of my other favorite moments:

• “I hope no one minds if I live-tweet this bitch.” –Donna.
• “Tree. Leaves. Night. Sky. Hand. Andy’s hand.” – Andy observing.
• “Neither of us is costume.” – Man who Andy mistakes for a costumed nerd along with his witch wife.
• In ‘Death Canoe 5’ the canoe actually becomes the hero.
• Having a wrist is a pre-existing condition Leslie.
• “If the kids were to come over to my place, I’d have to take an entire week off work just to turn off all the alarms and trip wires.” – Ron explain how kids don’t currently fit in his life.
• “Rent-a-swag.” – Tom’s first good idea? I hope Jean Ralphio isn’t far behind….

What did everyone else think? Comments are always welcome.

Parks and Recreation: “Sex Education”

I think Parks and Rec has officially beat every other show to the game of “what happens when we take the electronics away from funny characters in today’s society?” And they successfully were able to set the bar high here as Tom Haverford without technology and social media is pure gold. Whether it was his desperate attempts to keep his sanity by creating a real-life Pinterest Board and notepad iPhone, or his complete inability to find anywhere, including his home, without his trusty GPS. Plus, it allowed for the always spectacular pairing of Ron and Tom as Ron played sponsor to Tom’s difficult withdrawal. Also, I can’t imagine anything Ron would want to less than “Nacho Average Podcast.”

On the Leslie side of things we see another circumstance of her grappling with standing up for what she believes to be right and the never ending hurdles of red tape and outspoken nut-jobs standing in her way. Any excuse for the Parks gang to be involved in a town hall style forum is always welcome seeing as how clueless everyone in the town of Pawnee is about pretty much everything, so Leslie trying to teach sex education to the elderly was fantastic. The town complaints led to Marcia and Marshall Langman (*) calling out Leslie on “Ya’ Herd with Perd” and we learned that Perd Hapley devotees are affectionately referred to as “Perd-verts.” These kinds of stories seem to be what we can expect from Leslie going forward so hopefully they can keep producing at this high of level.

(*) Marshall must be Pawnee’s Tobias Funke.

The “C story” revolved around Ben and April meeting a robotic, clueless politician. I’m sorry that was redundant. The “C story” revolved around Ben and April meeting a politician. As much as I’m still enjoying the give and take with Ben and April in their little side adventures, I’ll be even more excited when we get the whole gang back together in Pawnee.

A few other quotes and thoughts:

• “I am April Blart, mall cop.” – April introducing herself.
• “God Jerry you don’t deserve the internet.” – Tom getting mad at Jerry when he goes to Alta Vista and searches for “Please go to Yahoo.com.”
• Chris would be completely oblivious to Marshall’s flirtation with him.
• “Sometimes I like to throw in LinkedIn for the professional shortiiees.” –Tom.
• “Why would a robot need to eat organic matter?” – Ben’s instinctive need to nerd-correct April.

Comments are certainly welcome.