June 28, 2023
jmunney
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television
Alan Tudyk, Alexandra Daddario, Beavis and Butt-Head, Beavis and Butt-Head do the Universe, Better Call Saul, Bob Odenkirk, Brandon Scott Jones, Emmys, Ghosts, Grand Crew, Keke Palmer, Mayfair Witches, Nicole Byer, Nyambi Nyambi, Password, Resident Alien, Rhea Seehorn, Sherman's Showcase, Single Drunk Female, Sofia Black D'Elia, The Good Fight, The Muppets Mayhem
CREDIT: Screenshots
I’ve been making an Emmy wishlist for most of my adult TV-viewing life. Every year, the task keeps getting more and more Herculean with the proliferation of an endless supply of new shows. I could easily name about a hundred people who deserve an Emmy in 2023, but instead, I’ve decided to do the opposite this year by just picking One Wish Per Category.
These aren’t necessarily my top choices in each category, but they are ones who could use the boost, as none of them appears to be the most likely to win, or even necessarily be nominated. (A few of them weren’t even included on the official Emmy ballot!) But they’re all worthy of viewers’ attention, so before the official nominations are announced on July 12, consider giving these a chance if you happen to ever enjoy that increasingly elusive phenomenon of “free time.”
More
January 20, 2023
jmunney
Best of 2022, Best of TV 2022, Television
Abbott Elementary, American Dad!, Atlanta, Beavis and Butt-Head, Best of 2022, Better Call Saul, Bob's Burgers, Ghosts, MST3K, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Norm MacDonald: Nothing Special, Pickled, Rick and Morty, The Orville, The Simpsons, TV, Ziwe
I’m a Chocoholic (CREDIT: FX/Screenshot)
When so many modern TV shows feel like amorphous blobs, I cherish those programs that know how to craft well-oiled episodes more than ever. Here’s a mighty fine selection that I might just want to keep watching over and over.
More
January 18, 2023
jmunney
Best of 2022, Best of TV 2022, Television
Abbott Elementary, American Dad!, Atlanta, Beavis and Butt-Head, Best of 2022, Better Call Saul, Bob's Burgers, Chucky, Dicktown, Doctor Who, Girls5eva, High School, Jeopardy!, Mr. Mayor, Ms. Marvel, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Never Have I Ever, Not Top 10, Rick and Morty, RuPaul's Drag Race, Severance, Sherman's Showcase, Single Drunk Female, South Park, SportsCenter, The Orville, The Rehearsal, The Sex Lives of College Girls, TV, Undone, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Young Sheldon, Ziwe
CREDIT (Clockwise from Top Left): AMC/Screenshot; ABC/Screenshot; Paramount+/Screenshot; Hulu/Screenshot)
To demonstrate how great TV can be found pretty much everywhere these days, I’ve decided to pick the best show on each network and streaming service on which I regularly watched at least one show that aired in 2022. However you’re getting your fill of TV nowadays, you’re bound to find something enjoyable. If you and your remote ever find yourself hopelessly adrift, I can vouch that the following are all great places to find your way back to safety.
More
September 4, 2022
jmunney
Better Call Saul, Evil, Television
Better Call Saul, Endings, Evil
In the past few weeks, Paramount+’s Evil concluded its third season, and Better Call Saul aired its series finale. So that makes this the perfect time for me to talk about how these are my favorite current shows when it comes to episode endings. They always leave you wanting more. Their cuts to the Executive Producer credit shots are generally silent, but they feel deafening.
With Evil, it feels like a thick book has pretty much plopped down on the table right in front of me. Whereas with Saul, it’s like someone has just walked out of the room and closed the door with absolute certainty. I want to know what happens next, but I also know I’ve just gotten exactly how much I was supposed to get.
This musing originally appeared in the Official Jeffrey Malone Newsletter. Subscribe here!
August 12, 2022
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Sports, Television
A League of Their Own, Better Call Saul, Emily the Criminal, Fall, Little League World Series, Mack & Rita, Never Have I Ever, No Rules Sandy, RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, South Park, Sylvan Esso, The Legacy: The True Story of the L.A. Lakers
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law being green (CREDIT: Marvel Studios)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Emily the Criminal (Theaters)
–Fall (Theaters)
–Mack & Rita (Theaters) – Starring Diane Keaton.
TV
–A League of Their Own (August 12 on Amazon Prime Video) – Co-created by Abbi Jacobson.
–Never Have I Ever Season 3 (August 12 on Netflix)
–RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race Season 2 Premiere (August 12 on VH1) – Apparently this season has taken inspiration from The Masked Singer.
–South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert (August 13 on Comedy Central)
–Better Call Saul Series Finale (August 15 on AMC)
–The Legacy: The True Story of the L.A. Lakers Docuseries Premiere (August 15 on Hulu)
–She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Series Premiere (August 18 on Disney+) – The “she” being Tatiana Maslany.
Music
-Sylvan Esso, No Rules Sandy
Sports
-2022 Little League World Series (August 17-28 on ESPN)
July 6, 2022
jmunney
Awards Shows, Emmys, Television
Better Call Saul, Evil, RIverdale, Severance, Succession, The Good Fight, Undone, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
CREDIT: Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television
Fun (or Frightening?) Fact: this year’s Emmy ballot includes nearly 3000 performers. We’ve all known for several years now just how overwhelming television has become, but somehow it still had room to launch into another level. So for my personal wish list, I decided not to think about it too hard. I’ll just include however many or however few selections per category I’d like to. I’ve probably forgotten some worthy contenders, but I won’t stress about it too much. We’ll find out what the TV Academy thinks when the nominations are announced on July 12!
Severance and Winning Time are the big-time rookies in my book, but Better Call Saul still needs plenty of love! Especially Patrick Fabian in his unforgettably [SPOILER] outing as Howard Hamlin. Speaking of shows with Bob Odenkirk, Undone is in the Animation field on the ballot, but it belongs in Drama. “No more Drama”? More like plenty of Drama!
KEY:
Bold=My winner
*=I have placed this nominee in a different category than the Emmy ballot.
**=Not on the Emmy ballot
Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Evil
The Good Fight
Riverdale
Severance
Succession
Undone*
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
More
April 15, 2022
jmunney
Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Sports, Television
Better Call Saul, Father Stu, NBA, NBA Playoffs, Roar, Russian Doll
Roar (CREDIT: Apple TV+)
Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Father Stu (Theaters)
TV
–Roar Season 1 (April 15 on Apple TV+) – A new anthology series. I’m definitely going to watch the episode with Alison Brie.
–Better Call Saul Season 6 Premiere (April 18 on AMC) – Final Season Alert!
–Russian Doll Season 2 (April 20 on Netflix)
Sports
-NBA Playoffs (April 16-Mid-June on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV)
January 6, 2021
jmunney
Best of 2020, Best of TV 2020, Television
A.P. Bio, American Dad!, Animaniacs, Beef House, Best of 2020, Better Call Saul, Big Mouth, Dispatches From Elsewhere, How to with John Wilson, Joe Pera Talks with You, Killing Eve, Middleditch & Schwartz, Never Have I Ever, PEN15, Rick and Morty, Search Party, The Baby-Sitters Club, The Mandalorian, What We Do in the Shadows, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
(CREDIT: FX/YouTube Screenshot)
When making Best Episode lists, some TV critics limit themselves to one entry per show, but I never operate by that self-imposition, as certain shows are just masterful when crafting a single hour or half-hour (or whatever runtime they feel like using), and that ought to be reflected in the ledger. So you’ll find that several shows have wound up more than once in this list, and those tended to be the ones that also fared the best on my Best Shows of 2020 list. You’ll also find at least one program that didn’t make my Best Shows list, as it’s possible to have one excellent outing within an otherwise disappointing season. So forthwith, if someone who missed all TV in 2020 asked me for a refresher, here is where I would direct them:
More
January 4, 2021
jmunney
Best of 2020, Best of TV 2020, Television
A.P. Bio, American Dad!, American Housewife, Animaniacs, Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun, B Positive, Beef House, Best of 2020, Better Call Saul, Better Things, Big Mouth, black-ish, Bob's Burgers, Bojack Horseman, Devs, Dicktown, Dispatches From Elsewhere, Earth to Ned, Fargo, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, grown-ish, His Dark Materials, Holey Moley, How to with John Wilson, Jeopardy!, Joe Pera Talks with You, Last Week Tonight, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Match Game, McMillion$, Mike Tyson Mysteries, mixed-ish, Mrs. America, Muppets Now, Nancy Drew, Never Have I Ever, Normal People, PEN15, Rick and Morty, RIverdale, RuPaul's Drag Race, Saved by the Bell, Search Party, Sex Education, Solar Opposites, Stargirl, Superstore, The Conners, The Eric Andre Show, The Goldbergs, The Good Fight, The Good Lord Bird, The Last Dance, The Last O.G., The Mandalorian, The Masked Singer, The New Pope, The Plot Against America, The Twilight Zone, The Unicorn, Three Busy Debras, Unorthodox, What We Do in the Shadows, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Wilmore, Young Sheldon, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
Clockwise from Top Left: What We Do in the Shadows, Never Have I Ever, Better Call Saul, How To with John Wilson (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshots)
Last year, I decided to rank as many TV shows as I felt like recognizing in my year-end list, and that worked out so well that I decided to do it again for 2020. So welcome to my ranking of the 67 Best TV Shows of 2020! Not every show is accompanied by a blurb, just the ones that I felt like I really needed to say something about.
I worked with a self-imposed rule that I had to have watched at least 50% of a show’s 2020 output for it to be eligible, but there were some shows that I’ve only just begun to watch that I wanted to recognize as well, so they’ve got their own Honorable Mention section. And there were also some shows that aired relatively few episodes in 2020 to the point that I didn’t think they should be eligible either, so they’ve also got an Honorable Mention section. And then there’s one more show that’s managed to establish its very own Honorable Mention section, and that’s where we start.
More
Older Entries
Jmunney's Blog 