In sports they hand out multiple awards: Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, steroid abuser of the year, and man-whore of the year. That last one may not be who you think it is for 2009. It’s actually Tiger Woods. What’s that? Oh, you thought that’s who it was? Well in that case, it is exactly who you thought it was for 2009. Anyway, I don’t think sports should get to hog all of those coveted awards, so I’m going to hand out Rookie of the Year awards to a couple of deserving shows from this season’s fall lineup. Why two? Because it’s like baseball. MLB gives out one for the NL and one for the AL so I get to give out two also, one for an hour-long show and one for a 30 min comedy. Dig that.

Hour-long Rookie of the Year:

Glee - Fox, Wednesdays at 9:00

So, it’s true - I watch Glee. In fact, not only do I watch it, but I think it’s awesome. It all came together for me on a rainy afternoon in Brooklyn when I took in a mini-marathon with friend of PCC2C, Branson. The originality of the show is what hooked me right away, as I don’t watch a lot of shows that feature chorus-style renditions of pop songs. I think there’s a good blend of musical performances and actual plot devices so that the show isn’t reliant solely on the novelty of high-school kids breaking into song at school - because that’s not a novelty at all if you’re familiar with Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. No, the show is fortunate to have genuine quality to drive its storylines. Quality in all aspects. There is sharp, funny writing, interesting and diverse characters, legitimate musical talent, and well-planned plot points to bring everyone together. The actors deliver across the board, especially Jane Lynch as the caustic cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, who gets the majority of the A+ lines, but proves every time that she deserves them. The show has a nice blend of campy and serious overtones and manages to touch on real-life issues, like teen pregnancy, sexual identity, tolerance, and trying to fit in without destroying the whimsical nature of the show. One clarifying point for Glee is that the songs are real songs you’ve probably already heard of, performed on the show during actual glee club practice or rehearsal. The songs are never in the middle of class where someone is suddenly struck with the need to make up a song about what they’re feeling at that exact moment. You know, like a musical number about how calculus sucks, or a dance routine centered around someone’s parents getting divorced. Thankfully they strayed from that structure and stuck to covering original songs. As anyone who remembers Cop Rock can tell you - that was probably a solid decision. If you’re looking for some quality humor and entertainment in a different package than you’re used to seeing on network television, this is the show for you.

30-minute comedy Rookie of the Year

Community - NBC, Thursdays at 8:00

I really like this show. I think it’s one of the best ensemble casts around - even better in its entirety than both Parks & Rec and the top-heavy (in terms of characters) 30 Rock (not sure it can rival The Office cast just yet, but we’ll see). I think every single person on Community is important and it would be noticably worse if one were gone, whereas most people wouldn’t care of Judah Friedlander left 30 Rock as long as Fey, Baldwin and Morgan were still there. Nothing against 30 Rock - I’ve actually started watching it this season and am enjoying it - but I think Community is better, and it’s due to the sum of all of the character’s parts. Each character has a very specific role and brings an important comedy element to the table that works in conjunction with everyone else. McHale, as Jeff, is sarcastic and witty, Chevy Chase is a bumbling, unaware buffoon, and Brie and Brown play neurotic and nosy, respectively, with hilarious accuracy. Not to mention, Aved and Troy (Pudi and Glover) are emmerging as a real comedy team to be reckoned with. Letting them close the majority of the show’s episodes by themselves has proven to be a great reward for those smart enough to set their DVRs to record one minute past original stopping time. I think the writing is just clever enough when it needs to be, just ridiculous enough at the right times, and just savvy enough to wrap up a running plotline in a refreshing and unique way. The producers have also been careful not to try and overcapitalize on Ken Jeong’s presence, keeping him as a residual character that actually adds comedic value rather than trying to exploit his new-found fame from The Hangover. There are laugh-out-loud moments, memorable one liners, an impressive collection of indie rock featured in the background - and if that’s not enough, Community may boast two of the best kept secrets in hot television actresses in Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs. Especially Brie (also of Mad Men fame). Can’t quite put my finger on it, but she just does it for me. So - if you’re not watching, you should be. If nothing else, you owe it to Chevy Chase to check it out. Think of all he’s given you over the years. At least pre-1990.

-John

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 5:29 am and is filed under Television. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.