Best of 2009- Television.

1. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon- NBC, Weeknights 12:35am



Most people think that Jimmy Fallon does not have the best monologue, or that Jimmy Fallon is not the best interviewer- so why does Fallon have the best show of 2009. The answer is simple, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is the funnest show on TV. On March 2nd Late Night kicked off it's premiere episode- with shaky results. But even then, I saw potential. Besides my stint on staff at LBC, I'm pretty sure I've seen every episode of Late Night so far- and it has been incredible to watch the progress in just this short time. There are so many things to like about the show- first off- Jimmy loves his guests, he seems more excited than anyone else to be able to interview them, he also seems to really appreciate the audience members who come to the show. Secondly- The House band, The legendary Roots crew; The Roots are simply amazing- easily the best house band on TV. Third: Higgbones- Steve Higgins, is the shows announcer- Higgins is also a writer for the show, as well a writer for SNL, and is absolutely hilarious. Fourthly- Jimmy's spot on impressions (one example seen above), Fallon is a really talented entertainer and performer. One other thing that I find very captivating about the show, is how much fun they have with the randomosity of the bits- Dance Your Hat and Gloves Off, Slow Jam The News, Wheel of Carpet Samples, Hot Dog in a Hole, Rush Limbaugh Karaoke, Robert is Bothered, Beer Pong, Real Housewives of Late Night, The Rejoining of the Saved by the Bell Cast, Friday Thank You Cards, and of course.. Lick It For 10! So many great and fun things- when you watch the show, you can really tell the studio audience is having a great time. LNJF has so much incredible potential, I'm glad that I can be along for the ride. Check out Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, weeknights 12:35am on NBC. Also check out the LNJF blog.


2. Fringe- FOX, 9:00pm Thursdays



Oh boy do I love Fringe. This show has really grown to be one of the best series on TV. Fringe is a science fiction show that tells the tale of a part of the FBI called the "Fringe Division" which uses fringe science to investigate and solve a pattern of unexplained, extremely bizarre crimes all over the world. I love the mystery and craziness of this show- It's a sci-fi, and they aren't afraid of going out on the limb. The cast lead by Anna Torv, Josh Jackson, and John Noble create a dynamic, gripping- and hilarious mood which really carries the show. It also doesn't hurt that one of the shows creators is JJ Abrams (Alias, LOST, and the recent Star Trek film). Fringe has a ton of hidden story lines and mysteries that really make it worth watching each and every week. Check out Fringe on Thursdays at 9:00. Also check out Season 1. (is it me- or was that terribly written?- I think it was.)

3. LOST- ABC, The 5th Season


My favorite numbers are: 4 8 15 16 23 42. The 5th season of LOST once again delivered in the continuing saga of a group of plane crash survivors on a very peculiar island. A constant battle of answering questions while creating new, even bigger mysteries; it leaves you hanging and excited for each new episode. Once again, I'm not going to highlight any details on the season for those who have not seen it yet. If you're not caught up on LOST, the 5th season is now available. The highly anticipated 6th and final season of the series starts on February 2nd, 2010.

4. 30 Rock- NBC, 9:30pm Thursdays



30 Rock is simply the best comedy on TV today. Great writing- check, hilarious cast- check. As well as a solid story line, outstanding acting, and an all around good time; this critically acclaimed comedy is a weekly must see- even if it's a repeat. "Critically Acclaimed" is a phrase tossed around like a beach ball these days- but 30 Rock lives up to the claim- Including three Emmy Awards- for all three seasons it has been on the air. This past year we saw the end of season 3 and the beginning of season 4- and they have yet to disappoint. I usually try to watch each episode two times, just so I can catch all the great things 30 Rock has to offer. I'm just curious how the Corporate mix-up will end up with GE, NBC, Comcast and the Sheinhardt Wig Company. Catch 30 Rock, Thursday nights at 9:30 on NBC.
(PS: The Office is lame)

5. SportsNation- ESPN 2, 1pm Weekdays.



So ESPN get's a lot of bad rap for... well, being ESPN. And I usually have to agree with the criticism (east coast bias, over-saturation of football, Chris Berman...). The thing is, ESPN is really the best all-sports network there is, so it's what I usually watch. In the Summer, while I was up at LBC- ESPN launched a show called SportsNation. The premise of the show- Daily Sports news is talked about for an hour... with a twist. About 60% of the content is generated by the viewers. Using online polls, twitter, online videos, and other various media outlets; SportsNation provides a daily dose of sports and pop-culture. The hosts are probably my favorite part of the show- The hilarious cynic- Colin Cowherd and the beautiful and charming- Michelle Beadle. The two are hilarious together, and really keep the mood of the show up, and thus, the show is fun and entertaining to watch. Unfortunately, shows like this- usually don't seem to last long- I hope this one bucks the trend. Check out SportsNation- Every weekday at 1pm on ESPN2.