“Mom,” “Game of Thrones,” “Louie” and More: The Top 20 Programs of 2014 (Part 4) – Ed Martin

Here they are in no particular order The final five programs on my list of last yearamp8217s best which has so far included amp8220The Good Wifeamp8221 and amp8220The Rooseveltsamp8221 amp8220The Walking Deadamp8221 and amp8220Fargoamp8221 and amp8220South Parkamp8221 and amp8220The Big Bang Theoryamp8221 amp8220Momamp8221 CBS amp8211 Itamp8217s nice to see this show finally getting some attention the result no doubt of Allison Janneyamp8217s much deserved Emmy win for her portrayal of a ferociously flawed but deeply passionate substance abuser in recovery with an adult daughter who shares the same challenges More than any other comedy on broadcast television amp8220Momamp8221 fearlessly takes on relevant and often painful social issues without holding back on its sense of humor which admittedly is often quite rude The creative team behind this show continues to explore themes other comedy writers wouldnamp8217t know what to do with including financial desperation homelessness alcoholism and drug addiction teen pregnancy cancer and spousal abuse No other show on television today dashes back and forth between sidesplitting humor and painful reality checks while respectfully reflecting life as it is lived by millions of people I often find myself thinking about the great Norman Lear sitcoms of the Seventies while watching this show Itamp8217s not difficult to understand why that happensamp8220Game of Thronesamp8221 HBO amp8211 HBOamp8217s fantastically violent fantasy drama delivered another outstanding season even if it didnamp8217t contain a seismic shock that could compare to the previous yearamp8217s instantly legendary Red Wedding We still got to enjoy watching loathsome King Joffrey suffer an excruciating death at his nuptials and we were caught off guard by the skull crushing brain squeezing excitement of the climactic battle between The Mountain and The Red Viper Also Peter Dinklage as diminutive Tyrion Lannister had his best season yet surpassing even his Emmy winning work from the showamp8217s first year Iamp8217ll repeat what I say every year at this time I enjoy amp8220Game of Thronesamp8221 and intend to stay with it until its ending whenever that may come but if anything terrible happens to Daenerys or her dragons all such promises are offamp8220Hannibalamp8221 NBC amp8211 People who assert that they have never had nightmares after watching televisionamp8217s darkest and most disturbing drama are either habitual liars or have ice water in their veins Regardless NBCamp8217s uniquely twisted and unrelentingly graphic quotHannibalquot pictured below which must send executives in the networkamp8217s standards and practices department into perpetual spasms is a showcase of firstclass production values expert storytelling and extraordinary performances particularly by leads Hugh Dancy Mads Mikkelsen and when sheamp8217s on it Gillian Anderson How do executive producer Bryan Fuller and his writers continue to come up with such profoundly disturbing imagery and endlessly terrifying scenarios In one episode a man sliced up and consumed his own face Iamp8217m not sure I want to knowamp8220The Normal Heartamp8221 HBO amp8211 Ryan Murphyamp8217s bold and uncompromising movie adaptation of Larry Krameramp8217s blistering stage play about the fear ignorance and intolerance that characterized the beginnings of the AIDS crisis was the most important television production of the year if only because it may have reinforced the importance of safe sex for young people who werenamp8217t around in the Eighties Frankly I think it should have been a miniseries if only to allow its outstanding cast amp8211 including Mark Ruffalo Julia Roberts Matt Bomer Jim Parsons Joe Mantello Alfred Molina and Taylor Kitsch amp8211 time to further develop their unforgettable charactersamp8220Louieamp8221 FX amp8211 I canamp8217t help but think that if some of the greatest American filmmakers from the Seventies when American filmmaking was at its greatest were making halfhour dramatic comedies today many of them would play exactly like amp8220Louieamp8221 a show more into the moment than most and one not afraid to put its characters into very unflattering perspectives while challenging the audienceamp8217s affection for them This is especially true of Louis CKamp8217s perfectly imperfect title character who was stripped bare psychologically emotionally and physically this season for all to see What we saw in the seasonamp8217s most controversial sequence was a man we have grown to care about and root for attempt to force himself sexually on a woman who repeatedly told him not to do so Later in scenes that were equally troubling we saw her accept him all over again despite his atrocious behavior There was a great deal more to the season than this deeply disturbing storyline amp8211 much of it uplifting and enlightening but Louie as sexual aggressor was the thing that got everyone talking and sent Twitter into a tizzy How are we to view this character in future seasons I welcome the challenge and the heated conversations that will undoubtedly followThatamp8217s it for the Top 20 of 2014 I have to admit that it hurts to exclude The CWamp8217s amp8220Jane the Virginamp8221 HBOamp8217s amp8220Veepamp8221 and amp8220True Detectiveamp8221 Netflixamp8217s amp8220House of Cardsamp8221 and amp8220Orange is the New Blackamp8221 NBCamp8217s amp8220The Blacklistamp8221 ABCamp8217s amp8220How to Get Away with Murderamp8221 CBSamp8217 amp8220Person of Interestamp8221 Showtimeamp8217s amp8220Masters of Sexamp8221 and amp8220Penny Dreadfulamp8221 BBC Americaamp8217s amp8220Orphan Blackamp8221 DirecTVamp8217s amp8220Kingdomamp8221 Pivotamp8217s amp8220Please Like Meamp8221 TV Landamp8217s amp8220Hot in Clevelandamp8221 and Sundanceamp8217s amp8220Rectifyamp8221 What can I say TV rocksEd Martin is the Editor of Planet Ed and MediaBizBloggers and the television and video critic for MyersBizNet Follow him on Twitter at PlanetEdCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates at MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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“Mom,” “Game of Thrones,” “Louie” and More: The Top 20 Programs of 2014 (Part 4) – Ed Martin

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