Wednesday, December 29, 2010

My Best & Worst of 2010

Every blogger is pretty much obligated to do this.  So here are my Best & Worst in all the important categories. 

BEST ENGAGEMENT – Tie: Shania Twain, who is marrying the ex-husband of the woman who cheated with her husband. And Hugh Hefner (84) & Crystal Harris (24). So Christie Hefner will be 34 years older than her new mother. Personally, I think Hef is just settling, but that’s just me.

BEST MOVIE – SOCIAL NETWORK (and not just because Aaron Sorkin wrote a piece for this blog). I hear THE KING’S SPEECH is great but haven’t seen it. So I may change my mind.  That happened once before.  2004.  MYSTIC RIVER was my ultimate favorite but originally I had said FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY. 

BEST COMEDY MOVIE


BEST MOVIE I WILL NEVER SEE – 127 HOURS. I don’t care how good it is, I’m not going to watch a movie where a guy cuts off his own arm. I didn’t like it when it was suggested for an episode of FRASIER, and I don’t like it now.

WORST MOVIE I WILL NEVER SEE – LITTLE FOCKERS. I’d rather cut off my own arm.

BEST MOVIE THAT’S STILL A CONFUSING MESS – INCEPTION.  Wow but huh?



BEST TV DRAMA – THE GOOD WIFE. Sorry MAD MEN but THE GOOD WIFE has evolved into a spectacular show. Each episode is so layered, so engrossing, and yet seems so effortless. Other than Christine Baranski, I care about every single character. What’s so amazing is that this is a show on a broadcast network. Please let there not be a spinoff like THE GOOD WIFE: MIAMI.


BEST SINGLE EPISODE OF TV – Okay, this one I give to MAD MEN. The show where Peggy and Don spend a long night together, written by Matthew Weiner, is worthy of Chayefsky.

BEST TV COMEDY – MODERN FAMILY.  One of the few sitcoms these days that is funny but won't sacrifice character or story for a laugh. 

BEST 3-D MOVIE – LA BETE, starring David Hyde Pierce. The actors seemed so lifelike I actually thought I was in the same room with them. Oh wait, LA BETE is a play. I was in the same room with them. Okay. I can’t see 3-D. So I have no idea.


BEST BEVERLY HILLS HOUSEWIFE – Camille


WORST BEVERLY HILLS HOUSEWIFE – Camille


BEST FINALE – LOST. They wrapped up most everything and brought Elizabeth Mitchell back. 


WORST FINALE – Larry King.  As with LOST, it spent the last year in the afterlife.


BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE – Annette Bening. I don’t care what Meryl Streep was in this year.


BEST ACTRESS WHO PLAYS AN IDIOT – Rebecca Hall in THE TOWN.

BEST CANCELED SHOW -- TERRIERS

BEST FIRING – Kara DioGuardi off AMERICAN IDOL.  Why it took two years and not two minutes I'll never know. 


BEST FIRING ALTHOUGH SHE SAYS SHE QUIT BUT WHO WE KIDDING? – Ellen DeGeneres off AMERICAN IDOL


BEST WRITING STAFF THAT WAS FIRED – WALKING DEAD


BEST TALK SHOW SIDEKICK – the robot on Craig Fergeson.


BEST COMEBACK – Betty White.  I've loved her on all seven TV shows she's been on and all twelve movies. 



WORST COMEBACK – David Hasselhoff. He’s won this category eight years running.


BEST CABLE SHOW YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN HEARD OF – JUSTIFIED on FX. Tim Olyphant is a great lead, the characters are all very rich, and ignorant anti-Semite red neck assholes get shot every week.  I hope Mel Gibson guests next season.

BEST NEW BOOK – Mark Twain’s Autobiography. Shania’s ex tells-all!


BEST DOCUMENTARY – WHO IS HARRY NILSSON? If you have to ask that question yourself you should really see it.

BEST AWARD SHOW HOST – Jimmy Fallon, the EMMYS

WORST AWARD SHOW HOST – Chelsea Handler, the VMA’s


BEST AWARDS SHOW – Southern California Sportscasters Association awards lunch. Hey, gimme a break. I was one of the winners.

WORST CROSSOVER PORN STAR – Sasha Grey on ENTOURAGE. It’s tough when you have to use your mouth to talk.

WORST STATUE UNVEILED – Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig at Miller Park, Milwaukee.

BEST STATUE UNVEILED – Tom Selleck in BLUE BLOODS.

BEST NEW VIDEO GAME – Anything created by the other Ken Levine. I keep hoping I get his royalties by mistake.

30 comments :

Mark B. Spiegel said...

I actually thought Sasha Grey was pretty good on "Entourage" (albeit, perhaps because she was just playing herself). Besides, think of how jealous Charlie Sheen must have been, seeing Vinnie get a porn star without having to pay for it!

Vermonter17032 said...

Totally agree with you on The Good Wife, Ken. We just finished watching the first season on DVD via Netflix, and I can't stand the idea we have to wait another year to find out what happens next!

Eduardo Jencarelli said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eduardo Jencarelli said...

Good choices for best and worst of 2010, for the most part.

But I do disagree with 127 Hours. I can't wait to see that film. The trailer looked promising, even if didn't give much of the plot away. With Danny Boyle and James Franco, it can't really go wrong.

And I wouldn't give best drama to Good Wife. Breaking Bad still gets my undivided attention.

And as for the best finale, LOST would be a close second place to me. I still think 24 had one of the best and most ambitious endings in years.

And way to go with the Sasha Grey award! Although I do think she actually helped that show gain a little extra relevance this year, despite we as an audience having to endure her speaking scenes.

Mike Barer said...

My problem with this list is I agree with almost all of your picks. Nothing here to debate!
Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

"BEST STATUE UNVEILED – Tom Selleck in BLUE BLOODS."

There's a rumor that it's not actually Tom in the series, just a cardboard cutout of him. But how could you tell?

Anonymous said...

I think the Mad Men episode underperformed. They were hinting at a good suitcase ad inspiration, and instead delivered a dud.

Is that what he said he had written down?

Charles H. Bryan said...

The great thing about Modern Family is that while it doesn't sacrifice character or story for a laugh, it delivers plenty of laughs anyway. In nearly every episode almost every character gets a good line or moment.

And it has Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara, so I can always have a couple of TV crushes going.

VP81955 said...

Betty White is a comedic treasure, and "Hot In Cleveland" the sitcom for people who love sitcoms; am eagerly awaiting season two in January. (BTW, it blew my mind to learn that Wendie Malick turned 60 this past month. We should all age so gracefully!)

Ian said...

Heard among audience members leaving a matinee screening of "127 Hours" recently: "Okay, who wants soup?"

amyp3 said...

Re: Good Wife: I'd started losing interest this year. Something about the dynamic/ overall arc has changed. Simplest way to put it: It was more interesting when Chris Noth was still in jail.

My best cancelled sitcom is Better Off Ted. And Parks&Rec my Best Comedy pick.

bevo said...

"BEST ENGAGEMENT – Tie: Shania Twain, who is marrying the ex-husband of the woman who cheated with her husband."

I think Twain's engagement gets the nod over the engagement of LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian because those two simply cheated with each other.

I think Twain's marriage ceremony actually happens while, a month before the nuptials, Rimes and Cibiran realize they are both untrustworthy people.

Best TV Drama is still Friday Night Lights. Too bad NBC could not figure out where to put it on the schedule. In an alternate universe, Friday Night Lights follows Terriers on Wednesdays.

"WORST CROSSOVER PORN STAR – Sasha Grey" Sorry, those whores on Fox news have this award won every year.

wv- bicier: an unpredictable situation involving a bi-curious individual

justcorbly said...

Completely agree on The Good Wife. Great story, great writing, great acting. Best of all, serious avoidance of cliches.

Re: Sasha Grey -- Is what's different the fact that a porn star got a role on a mainstream show or that no one bothered to hide the fact that Miss Sasha is a porn star? In days gone by, did porn stars cross over under cover, so to speak?

Geoff Peterson said...

Hey, Ken, back atcha! Love your blog. Bony High-5 from @GeoffTheRobot.

John Royal said...

Hey, Ken, as Geoff Peterson would say, "In your pants." And while I'm glad you recognized the brilliance of Geoff, I wish you could have found some way to recoginize Craig Ferguson for putting on an incredible of hour of programming every night.

I'll give Sasha Grey this, she made the guy who plays Vinnie look like a good actor. But to her credit, she did look her most natural when she had her clothes off.

Anonymous said...

Ha, I wondered if you anything about the other Ken Levine.

Barry in Portland said...

Absolutely agree about the Harry Nilsson documentary. It's on NetFlix for Instant Play.

Anonymous said...

If Tom Selleck is a statue, Dick Cheney look-alike Chevy Chase (only LESS funny) must be a rotting heap of compost!

Mark said...

Interview with Sasha Grey about her band, aTelecine and musical influences. She cute! http://bit.ly/dKbFyp

Lauren said...

Great list Ken. Just love your blog.
Hey don't know if THE GOOD GUYS was ever on your radar. That's my pick for BEST cancelled show.
I think it's an inspired comedy. To borrow from commenter Charles H Bryan it has opportunity for two TV crushes going. Colin Hanks and Bradley Whitford's 'stache!!

I'm hoping it gets picked up by USA.

James said...

The Good Wife beat Breaking Bad? That ain't right.

You're right about Justified though. It had hope. Although I didn't really see where it was going. It's story arc was lacking.

Cheryl said...

Just discovered your blog Ken. Love it! Not only are you witty and fun but the folks who leave comments are equally savvy.

I must say I haven't watched the majority of shows you chose so I have no opinion one way or the other about the best and worst of them with the exception of The Good Wife. I really like that show.

I loved your blog about the USA formula shows, especially because someone close to me is a recurring character on Burn Notice!

Olivia B said...

The robot's name is Geoff Petersen. Also, it's spelled Craig Ferguson, not Fergesen. Nice try, though.

miles_underground said...

Terriers was a great show. Now I know at least one other person was watching it.

Matt Patton said...

Mr. Levine is correct that Mr. Hefner is just settling by marrying a woman of some 24 summers, but it should be remembered that every high school within a radius of 20 miles has taken a restraining order out on him, so his dating possibilities are somewhat limited . . .

Matt Patton said...

Justcorbly:

In the days before hard-core pornography, the folks who shot "adults-only" movies, particularly in New York, would often hire struggling stage and television actors to appear in their films. Frederic Forrest, an estimable actor, got his first exposure on film, so to speak, in a movie called The Filthy Five,, directed by one of the true maniacs of grindhouse cinema named Andy Milligan.

danrydell said...

So, you didn't like any comedy movies this year? I thought "Get Him to the Greek" and "The Other Guys" were both fun.

Sheryl said...

I completely agree with you on the Good Wife, Craig Ferguson's sidekick, and Tom Selleck. Thanks for the laughs!

PatGLex said...

OMG -- is there really a statue of Selig at Miller Park? [must ask MKE friend to confirm.....]

And JUSTIFIED is, more or less, a true representation of life in Kentucky. I can say that, because I live in Kentucky. :-) If you watch the local news any night, it's full of people killing other people over arguments and property lines and perceived slights. The writers really nailed the culture -- and got the street names right!

Happy 2011, Ken, and I hope to make it to Cinci to watch

Nicsho said...

I was wondering when you'd mention Bioshock Creator Ken Levine.