The Best Commercials of 2014

January 20, 2015

jmunney Best of 2014, Best of TV 2014, Commercials, Television Leave a comment

1. AXE – “Make Love, Not War” – With this Super Bowl spot, the deodorant brand made a simple, but brilliant, pacifist statement, with a tribute to passion that avoided schmaltz by having an edge.

2. Totino’s – “Pizza Freaks Unite” – Ever since directing a series of spots for Old Spice, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have had a significant effect on the commercial landscape. So whenever they are involved in a new ad, it is an event, as in this punk rock song featuring pizza freaks, pizza sax, vocal distortion, and a total lack of corporate b.s.

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The Best TV Episodes of 2014

January 11, 2015

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TooManyCooks

Yesterday, I posted my choices for the 30 best television series of 2014. Now, here are my selections for the 30 best episodes of the year. Seeing as 30 spots was not nearly enough to mention every great show of the year, obviously it is even more insufficient for covering all the great individual episodes. But if you binge through this list, you will get a good sense of the televisual excellence of 2014.

1. “Too Many Cooks”
2. Review – “Pancakes; Divorce; Pancakes”
3. Rick and Morty – “Rixty Minutes”
4. Rick and Morty – “Meeseeks and Destroy”
5. Nathan for You – “Souvenir Shop/E.L.A.I.F.F.”
6. Nathan for You – “Dumb Starbucks”
7. Hannibal – “Mizumono”
8. The Chris Gethard Show – “I’m Nervous All the Time”
9. South Park – “The Cissy”
10. Nathan for You – “Daddy’s Watching/Party Planner”
11. You’re the Worst – “Drink Your Milk”
12. Comedy Bang! Bang! – “Josh Groban Wears a Suit & Striped Socks”
13. Jeopardy! – 2014 Tournament of Champions Final, Day 1
14. Comedy Bang! Bang! – “Wayne Coyne Wears a Halloween Costume”
15. New Girl – “Background Check”
16. Community – “Basic Sandwich”
17. Fargo – “A Fox, a Rabbit, and a Cabbage”
18. True Detective – “The Secret Fate of All Life”
19. Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories – “Baby”
20. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Episode 20 (2022 Winter Olympics, civil forfeiture)
21. American Dad! – “Dreaming of a White Porsche Christmas”
22. Silicon Valley – “Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency”
23. Mad Men – “Waterloo”
24. Bojack Horseman – “Downer Ending”
25. Louie – “In the Woods”
26. The Good Wife – “The Trial”
27. Community – “Geothermal Escapism”
28. Hannibal – “Takiawase”
29. Girls – “Beach House”
30. Fargo – “Buridan’s Ass”

The Best Television Series of 2014

January 10, 2015

jmunney Best of 2014, Best of TV 2014, Television 1 Comment

hannibal_wine

It feels like I have been declaring all of the past few years the best year of television ever. Well, here I am saying it again, more convinced than ever that it is the truth. I could make a legitimate case for almost every selection in this top 30 as the best show of the year. Several shows fell down from where I had them ranked last year, but not, for the most part, because of any dip in quality on their part, but instead because of so many great new shows and improved performances by some returning shows. This was such a notable year for rookie shows that I thought about doing a Best New Shows of the year feature, but it seemed redundant, considering that all the shows that would have formed that feature made it onto this list. On to the excellence:

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