12 Best Fall TV Shows - Part 2

Twelve Shows of Christmas This Fall

Part 2 of 2...otherwise known as the top half. Before we continue: Number 6 is a tie. Ok, so some may think a tie in a top 10 list (or 12, whatever) is cheating, but when coming up with the shows I wanted to include, I could only trim it down to 13...and since it's my blog I say ties are allowed.

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6a. House

House features perhaps the most sarcastic character in the history of television, rivaled by only the likes of Archie Bunker. This season there's a slew of new characters in the form of candidates to fill the now-empty House assistant positions (Kumar!). The writers were smart to find ways to keep Omar Epps et. al. in the show while still introducing some much needed new blood into the mix. The most interesting part is that these new characters are systematically being "rejected" as the season moves on...sort of like a reality show.

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6b. Survivor:China

Speaking of reality shows, no one does it better than the original: Survivor. This year they're in China, and so far it's a great season, full of controversy, drama, innovative challenges, new twists, and plenty of both characters we love and characters we love to hate. James looks unstoppable, albeit unintelligible, so much so that at times the producers give us subtitles. One weird name is gone (Chicken) and the other is becoming a favorite (Frosti). Peih-Gee and Courtney need to go home soon. Denise, the "school lunch lady" from Revere who happens to have a black belt in karate and loves throwing axes and knives, is my current favorite to win.

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5. 30 Rock

Any show that is crazy enough to include Tracy Morgan signing "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah", in HD no less, seems sketchy (sorry for the pun), but throw in some witty situations, a ton of one-liners, big name guest stars, Kenneth the Page, and Alec Baldwin (in perhaps his best role ever), and you have a quality show worth catching every week. Only downside for me: 30 Rock is just 30 min. long.

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4. Ugly Betty

This one is 90% about the characters and 10% about the storylines, but that's fine when you have characters like Henry, Justin, Amanda, Marc, and of course the show's namesake, Betty. Oh, and as TLM may excitedly point out, Posh Spice is guest starring next episode. All of the people you see on the show epitomize some specific aspect of people's personalities in an extreme way, yet we find ourselves able to relate to them all at one point or another - something I think to be maybe the strongest part of the show. On a side note, I'm glad they finally ended Hilda's mourning over the loss of Justin's father (some pretty sad moments in there).

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3. How I Met Your Mother

This show is funny, funny, funny, and gets my vote for "most underrated show on television". Every once in a while I'll throw out something I heard Barney or Ted say on a recent episode and three different people within earshot will turn around and smirk knowingly. Every episode makes me laugh and I don't even care anymore who Ted eventually has kids with (ala the show's title).

So suit up and watch this show, because the viewing experience is.....wait for it.....legendary.

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2. Heroes

The only reason this isn't tops on my list is because it got beaten out by a show everyone I know watches, and that's it. I've been hooked on Heroes since episode 1, and I can't think of any show ever that has a storyline as amorphous almost to the point of being too convoluted yet compelling enough to not lose its viewers. I watch this one as close to broadcast time as I can.

[DISCLAIMER: GEEK ALERT] I subscribe to a podcast about it.

This season Hiro is off fixing history in feudal Japan (he just got back), there is a mysterious villain killing off what is turning out to be a previous generation of heroes (Takezo Kensei / Adam, anyone?), and once again an ominous future is spelled out via a trip to the future by Peter - I think the stat was 93% of the world's population dies. Of course, we were introduced to several new characters, and as of yet no one has been killed off. If you've never seen an episode, it's worth starting at the beginning...of season 1.

And now...the best fall TV show is:

[drumroll please]

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1. The Office

This may not be a surprise for many, as it's one of the most popular shows around. As I mentioned in the Heroes blurb, everyone I know watches this, and if you work in an office environment I'm sure you're used to the water-cooler Michael Scott impersonations. This show has become so popular there was even a convention" this year in Scranton, PA (yup, the town agreed to it).

[DISCLAIMER: GEEK ALERT #2] I thought for a moment of tricking TLM into a "vacation" to Pennsylvania around the same time. Then I remembered about the real world.

This year we've seen, among other things, the irrigation room at Schrute Farm, Ryan's promotion and launch of a new website for the company, and Andy's problem with nipple chafing when running (byugh). Will Pam and Jim continue to be an item or will Roy come back? Will Dwight and Angela get back together? Can Darryl reign in Kelly? Can Kelly not annoy the hell out of anyone she's dating? Will Toby (the HR guy) ever find love at all?

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In review:

1. The Office
2. Heroes
3. How I Met Your Mother
4. Ugly Betty
5. 30 Rock
6. House / Survivor
7. Chuck
8. Gossip Girl
9. Journeyman
10. My Name Is Earl
11. The Sarah Silverman Program
12. Bionic Woman

So there you have it. NBC takes the cake broadcasting 7 out of the 13 shows mentioned, followed by CBS (2), ABC (1), FOX (1), the CW (1) and Comedy Central (1).

Which shows do you think got snubbed? America's Next Top Model? CSI? Bridezillas? Biggest Loser? The Hills, perhaps? Comment away...