The Dynasty Award- Drama Series

Named For: Dynasty (ABC) 1981-89
Awarded To: The best drama series on television
2009 Winner: Friday Night Lights (The 101/NBC)
2010 Winner: Friday Night Lights (The 101/NBC)

Place. Series (Network) Points (My Vote)

10. Greek (ABC Fam) 2 points

9. 90210 (The CW) 5 points

8. Treme (HBO) 5 points (5th)

7. Lights Out (FX) 7 points

6. Parenthood (NBC) 7 points (4th)

5. Entourage (HBO) 11 points

4. Jonas (Disney) 11 points (3rd)

3. Mad Men (AMC) 12 points (1st)

2. House, MD (FOX) 14 points

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Friday Night Lights (The 101/NBC) 34 points (2nd)

This is Friday Night Lights' third Poolie nomination, and third straight win for best drama series.  The show won by three points in 2009 and eight points in 2010, making this 20 point victory something to talk about.

We here at the Quiet Pool Perspective are proud to welcome Poolie voter Lar, who has some nice things to say about the final season of Friday Night Lights.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Friday Night Lights is, by my measure, one of the top five TV shows of all time. Season five, the last in this great series, had everything one could want from a closure stand point. In fact, there were so many characters it’s kind of amazing they were able to wrap up everyone’s storyline without interrupting the continuity of the show. It deserved the nod this year and will surely be missed in the TV landscape going forward.

On a separate note, FNL is the headliner of the fake TV network that should pop up in two years. FNL was essentially pushed out by NBC, who everyone knows is stocked with good TV. This fake TV network takes all the good shows cancelled/forced out and gives them the correct amount of air time. FNL and Chicago Code are two of this year’s shows that would get additional seasons. Not even close to being picked up by this network: The Cape.

~ Written by Larry Avitabile

The Noah Hunter Award- Supporting in Drama

Named For: Noah Hunter (Beverly Hills, 90210)
Awarded To: The best supporting character in a drama series
2009 Winner: Ari Gold (Entourage)
2010 Winner: Ari Gold (Entourage)

Place. Nominee (Series) Points (My Vote)

10. Noah Puckerman (Glee) 1 point

9. Dale Kettlewell (Greek) 3 points

8. Max Braverman (Parenthood) 3 points

7. Albert Lambreaux (Treme) 5 points

6. Chase Adams (One Tree Hill) 7 points (2nd)

5. Roger Sterling (Mad Men) 8 points (3rd)

4. Robert Chase (House, MD) 11 points

3. Scott Lavin (Entourage) 13 points (4th)

2. Buddy Garrity (Friday Night Lights) 20 points (5th)

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Ornette Howard (Friday Night Lights) 23 points (1st)

This is Ornette Howard's first Poolie nomination, and first ever win for best supporting character in a drama series.

We here at the Quiet Pool Perspective are proud to welcome Poolie voter T-Time, who has some nice things to say about Ornette Howard, Cress Williams, and the people of Friday Night Lights.

                                                                                                                                                                  

The role of Ornette Howard was not massive. Cress Williams made every minute count, establishing himself as the dynamic ex-con father of East Dillon’s QB1. Sure, there were problems with the final season of Friday Night Lights, but Ornette was never one of them. His troubled relationship with his son was one of the most realistic and well-done plot lines of the entire run. How realistic? Ornette’s efforts to shake some money out of recruiters eerily paralleled the real life antics of Cecil Newton, occurring far too simultaneously to be written from the headlines. For once, an FNL plotline that was just awesome, as opposed to silly and awesome. In a season that saw guidance counselors become deans by making speeches about letting more dumb kids into college, and featured an attempt to convince us that Riggins and Tyra had once had a meaningful relationship, Williams’s gritty character was refreshing. 

~ Written by Tim Forcella

The Dr. Doug Ross Award- Lead in Drama

Named For: Dr. Doug Ross (ER)
Awarded To: The best lead character in a drama series
2009 Winner: Tim Riggins (Friday Night Lights)
2010 Winner: Greg House (House, MD)

Place. Nominee (Series) Points (My Vote)

10. Adam Braverman (Parenthood) 4 points (5th)

9. Davis McAlary (Treme) 5 points (4th)

8. Patrick Leary (Lights Out) 7 points

7. Hank Moody (Californication) 8 points

6. Ari Gold (Entourage) 9 points

5. Don Draper (Mad Men) 10 points (2nd)

4. Greg House (House, MD) 12 points

3. Cappie Jones (Greek) 13 points (1st)

2. Joe Lucas (Jonas) 14 points (3rd)

and the Poolie goes to...

1. Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights) 27 points

This is Eric Taylor's third straight Poolie nomination, and first ever win for the best lead character in a drama series.

We here at the Quiet Pool Perspective are proud to welcome Poolie voter Lar, who has some nice things to say about Coach Eric Taylor, Kyle Chandler, and the people of Friday Night Lights.

                                                                                                                                                                  

What do great American heroes like George Washington, Ben Franklin, and the Seal Six have in common? They all wish they could be more like Coach Taylor. In the same company as David Palmer, who we all wished was on the real presidential ticket back in 2004, Coach crossed the real life barrier and made us think about what it would be like to play for him. Once a character makes this leap into reality, he/she is destined to come home with hardware. This is a great way to send off one of the very best characters on one of the best television shows ever.

~ Written by Larry Avitabile

The "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award- Drama Episode

Named For: "One Wedding and a Funeral" (Beverly Hills 90210, 610)
Awarded To: The best episode in a drama series
2010 Winner: "Broken" (House MD, 601-602)

Place. Nominee (Series) Points (My Vote)

5. "Band of Brothers" (Jonas, 213) 4 points (3rd)

4. "The Suitcase" (Mad Men, 407) 4 points (2nd)

3. "All On a Mardis Gras Day" (Treme, 108) 5 points

2. "War" (Lights Out, 113) 6 points

and the Poolie goes to...

1. "Always" (Friday Night Lights, 513) 18 points (1st)

This is Friday Night Light's second Poolie episode nomination, and first ever win for the "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award.  The series has also won two straight Dynasty Awards and is nominated for a third straight year in 2011.

If  you spent the last five years watching Friday Night Lights, or even the last five months catching up on Friday Night Lights, you were pleased with the way the series ended.  Maybe not THAT the series ended, but the way that it did.  Things wrapped up very nicely, with a bit of a bum note in the way they left the Riggins/Tyra story, but everything else was darn near perfect.  Between Coach giving in to Tami and moving away and East Dillon winning the championship, things were pretty sweet in "Always."

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Honorable Mentions

There has been a lot of tv going on as of late, and since I am as busy as ever, I am extremely far behind on plenty of shows. To be specific, as I write this intro on Saturday, I am 48 episodes behind on shows that I am currently watching. I have also quit on more than a couple shows in the past month, which if you know me, you realize is a difficult task in itself. At the beginning of February, I skipped the regularly scheduled Poolies Watch, but nothing was going to stop me from putting the Bi-Monthly Power Rankings into the Pool for the 10th straight edition. As always, the Quiet Pool Perspective Power Rankings take into account both current and past performance. The honorable mentions are not necessarily my next ten favorite shows, but rather those that deserve mentioning at this time. So without further ado, here are the March Bi-Monthly Power Rankings. Enjoy.

Show- (last time)...red=moving down, green=moving up

The Amazing Race- (HM) Sundays on CBS
This All-Star season has brought back plenty of my favorite teams from the past three years or so, including the Globetrotters, the Cowboys, and Dr. Ned Shneebly-ba-deebly and his dad. But it also has brought back the 2009 winners of the Crazy James Zinkand Award for worst reality contestants, Margie and Luke. No one wanted to see them back on the show! What on Earth were you thinking?

American Idol- (-) Wednesdays and Thursdays on FOX
The first live show of Idol begins tonight and surprisingly I'm still as into it as ever. I will no doubt be disappointed as the weeks go on, but I am thus far impressed with the judging team. I am pretty ambivalent towards JLo, but I really like Steven Tyler. Switching those two for a Simon that had gotten extremely bored, a ridiculous Ellen, and Kara - who I hated with all my being - seems like a pretty fair trade. If Simon from the first five seasons was in the mix, then I'd be really upset, but he lost his mojo a bit towards the end.

Californication- (20) Sundays on Showtime
I have yet to watch this week's episode, but I have been a little disappointed in the season thus far. Maybe I was overrating because last year's finale finished in just spectacular fashion, because other than Hank's usual charm, nothing has been exciting in season four.

Cougar Town- (-) Wednesdays on ABC
Nothing has made me realize more that Cougar Town was actually a good show than watching Mr. Sunshine after Modern Family. A show that similarly started out awful, Cougar Town did grow into itself and was really great this second season.

Episodes- (-) Sundays on Showtime
The Mat Lablanc comedy finished its seven episode run last week and it was rather mediocre. There were a few decent bits here and there, but the main problem was that neither of the main characters were remotely interesting or likable. You can be awful and likable - see: Larry David - but this woman Beverly was nothing of the sort. I honestly wanted to slap her through the television screen every scene she was in. It was not a good year for Friends comebacks.

Parenthood- (-) Tuesdays on NBC
I had a difficult time keeping this show out of my top twenty. There have been a bunch of great episodes in a row, thanks in part to Michael B. Jordan's appearance as a much more enjoyable character than his Vince on Friday Night Lights.

Perfect Couples & Traffic Light- (-) Thursdays on NBC & Wednesdays on FOX
These two get one spot because they are basically the same show; three couples at different points in their respective relationships. I'm really enjoying both shows. Roy from The Office is killing it on Traffic Light, but I'm not two big on the other two guys in that one. The reason I was excited for Perfect Couples, Kyle Bornheimer, is one of the worst parts about it at this point. There's really nothing special about either of these, but they're nice enough shows to spend 21 minutes per week on.

Shameless- (-) Sundays on Showtime
I am currently a couple eps behind on this Showtime drama, but I've been enjoying it thus far. Down on their luck family scraping by isn't exactly a revolutionary story, but their spin on it has been interesting enough. I really enjoy Fiona as the quasi-matriarch of the family, and it is always kind of ridiculous to see William H. Macy as a stumbling drunk.

Survivor- (-) Wednesdays on CBS
Like I stated in my last post about the show, I have high hopes for this cast of characters. Agent Phil is getting weekly spots with Joel McHale on The Soup, so that is a good sign.

Wizards of Waverly Place- (-) Fridays on Disney Channel
As the current gold age of Disney Channel gets closer and closer to an end - with Jonas and Hannah Montana now off the air, and Wizards and Sonny With a Chance to follow shortly - David Henrie, Selena Gomez and crew are really making it difficult on me. Justin Russo is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters on television and this recent gimmick with the angels has been a joy. They're dealt with vampires, zombies, werewolves, and now angels. What mythical creatures will be next to take on the Russos?

Fallen out of the Top 20...Friday Night Lights (6, finished its run)
Now that it has finished its run on DirecTV, I decided to take Friday Night Lights out of the rankings. I never got a chance to write about the finale, so I'll take a quick moment here to mention how awesome it was. T-time tweeted something following the last episode that really resonated with me. "FNL finale has to be one of the most satisfying conclusions in memory." I completely agree. It wasn't the best finale I've seen...I mean wasn't even close to the Lost finale (begin shouting argument now), but it was definitely the most satisfying. You cannot argue with the way they ended the show. Just fantastic decisions all around. Deciding where to leave each characters story was perfect. Great stuff by the people at Friday Night Lights. I will definitely miss this show.

Friday Night Lights 510- He's Our Coach

Spoiler Alert...Below are some random thoughts on last night's Friday Night Lights. So before reading any further, watch the ep, chase some oranges, then read what I have to say.

Buddy Garrity- "A man can't leave if you erect a statue of him in his honor."

And so for the time being, Coach Eric Taylor remains in Dillon. Buddy and the rest of the boosters did not erect a statue of the stoic Coach, but the fans and the players certainly did enough to keep Coach around for a while. As we close in on the end of what has been such a fantastic series, last night's episode not only did a fantastic job of recognizing what Eric Taylor has meant to this town, but what Kyle Chandler has meant to this show. As each member of the Lions got up on stage to say how much Coach meant to them, I felt like it could have been every fan of the show getting on stage to thank Chandler for bringing the heat week in and week out. With the end in sight, is the questioning over for what happens to Coach in the end? I can't imagine so. Will the series end with him undoubtedly staying around to coach the Lions for all of eternity? Will he change his mind in the final episode and take his talents to South Beach...err where ever that Florida college is located? Or will he start to question it again, and then leave us all in the dark? Personally, I'd like to see him move on.

Speaking of Buddy's quote at the top, how on point was he this week? At the end of the day I'd argue that, like Hurley of Lost, Buddy Garrity is really what Friday Night Lights is all about. His love of this town and this community gets to the heart of this viewer, if not all of them. Between him desperately fighting to get Coach to stay in Dillon, and him pouring his heart out in order to help Tim Riggins get out of jail, Buddy was killing it in every way he could this week.

And yes Tim Riggins is out of jail and has returned to Dillon. Although he was never a peppy man, prison has definitely put Timmy Riggins in a somber mood. What the ending to his character arc will be is one of the most intriguing questions to the end of the series. Does he take another run at Becky? Will he head back to college? Will he forgive Billy and stick around to live out his life with his brother? Riggins has always been my favorite character on the show, and I'm just happy to have him back with us for the final few eps.

Finally, like Alan Sepinwall, I am "skeptical that he (Luke) hasn't gotten any interest from colleges." This another case where Friday Night Lights changes characteristics or attributes of a character without ever showing those changes in progress. Luke was the best new player West Dillon had seen in a while when East Dillon stole him away. He was as talented as Luke on offense last season, and has become the best defender on a team challenging for the state championship. How he won't be playing football in college is beyond me. Sure he won't be an NFL prospect, and hence should find other interests, but football is definitely in his future and should still help him get an education.

*Alan Sepinwall's review of last night's episode over at HitFix.com

I'm still waiting on the returns of some of our other favorite characters of the past (Landry, Tyra), but for the time being, let's look forward to seeing if the improbable run to a state title can happen to this team of recent misfits. Seriously last year they were a laughing stock of high school football, and now they're one of the best team's in the state. Coach Taylor should be jumping straight to the NFL.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Even though most prime time television has been on hold for the holidays, and I've been watching The Santa Clause 2 for most of December, that doesn't mean things don't change in the Quiet Pool Perspective's Bi-Monthly Power Rankings. My first ever post on this blog was the Pre-Season TV Power Rankings in September of 2007. Three series from the top ten on that list are currently in the top ten as we begin 2011. As always, the January edition of the Pool's Power Rankings take into account both past and current performance. I am not a prisoner of the moment, but I do take the current state of a series into account. Enjoy and feel free to disagree with me, as I know most of you do.

Rank. Show- (last time)...red=moving down, green=moving up

10. Big Brother- (9) Summers on CBS
Nothing to see here. Big Brother remains the best stop for stupid arguments, exciting challenges, and strategic voting.  Big Brother returns in the Summer of 2011.

9. The Walking Dead- (-) Sundays on AMC

Getting crazy on Walking Dead

This zombie thriller was easily in my top two or three from the fall season, but with only six episodes to its name, I couldn't put it higher than its nine spot.  I'm really curious to see how they will move forward and if any of the characters become all that likable.  The scientist from the Truman Show was the only dude I was digging and he was only in one episode.  The Walking Dead most likely returns in the fall of 2011.

8. The Office- (10) Thursdays on NBC
We're getting down to the final stretch of Steve Carrell on The Office. You don't want to miss out on this, even if the critics claim it isn't funny anymore.  Well I got news for you people, it is still as hilarious as ever.  And if Amy Ryan is in any more episodes this year, that will be a fantastic bonus.  The Office returns on Thursday, January 20 at 9:00 PM.

7. Sons of Anarchy- (3) Tuesdays on FX
I could not keep it at the top after trashing on this past season so much.  And just like Myles McNutt, I didn't jump on any bandwagon of disliking season three.  It just wasn't good.  Critics and regular viewers alike were unsatisfied with the run and there's nothing Kurt Sutter can do about it to change that now.  Sons of Anarchy returns in the fall of 2011.

6. Friday Night Lights- (5) Wednesdays on DirecTV

Luke Cafferty of FNL

Although I can't stand Julie Taylor's Brenda Walsh-esque story line at college, this season of Friday Night Lights has continued its previous excellence.  Sure there are moments when I'm scratching my head at the storytelling, but the characters more than make up for it.  Do I wish Riggins, Landry and Saracen were back in Dillon? Of course, but I'm learning to love Becky, Vince and even maybe Luke (no, not Jess).  Friday Night Lights continues on Wednesday, January 5 at 9:00 PM.

5. Community- (6) Thursdays on NBC
I don't know how Community moved up in the rankings.  I haven't been all that impressed with the most recent eps of the show.  The thing about Community is that even in the episodes that don't come together completely, there are still a boat load of hilarious moments.  With characters like Troy and Pierce on your show, you're guaranteed a good amount of laughs on a week to week basis.  Community returns on Thursday, January 20 at 8:00 PM.

4. Chuck- (2) Mondays on NBC
Chuck takes a bit of a dip for the first time in a while.  The start to this season just hasn't been compelling.  There have been some really good episodes here and there, but nothing really to sink your teeth into.  Morgan has been on his game, but there really hasn't been enough Jeff and Lester, and Awesome is really a shell of what he used to be.  I miss the Awesome that was just a complete caricature of himself.  Chuck returns on Monday, January 17 at 8:00 PM.

3. Mad Men- (7) Sundays on AMC

Donny Draper gets engaged

How does this happen?  With everything else pretty much stinking up the joint, the quality of Mad Men is that much more noticeable.  This past season may have been the show's best yet, even though it finally got me to not like Betty Draper.  Mad Men will most likely return in the late summer or early fall of 2011.

2. Breaking Bad- (4) Sundays on AMC
Was I romanticizing some of my other favorite shows?  Or were season two of Sons and season three of Chuck just that much better than the stuff they are currently airing?  Because I would have said you were crazy if you told me I'd have Breaking Bad as my top drama at the start of 2011.  And maybe my short memory has me forgetting the lackluster episodes that BB put out this past spring, but with gut wrenching moments like those in One Minute, I See You, Half Measures, and Full Measure, I can't imagine it not being here at the top.

1. Curb Your Enthusiasm- (1) Sundays on HBO
It's a sad state of affairs when my current number one is a show that hasn't been on the air since November of 2009!  Don't get me wrong, I love Larry David like a father, but it is still a very strange prospect.  With the return of Curb unknown at this point, I'm certain it will stay on top for at least a few more power rankings.  Curb Your Enthusiasm will most likely return in the spring or summer of 2011.

Friday Night Lights 507- Gone Missing

Spoiler alert...Below are a few thoughts on this week's episode of Friday Night Lights, "Perfect Record". So watch the ep, protect your high school's football field from intruders for a while, then read what I have to say.

My least favorite thing about writing for TV Fanatic is that I hardly have time to blog about many of the other shows that I watch. With Sons over, and Chuck, One Tree Hill and the NBC comedies on winter break, I am free to get back to what I used to love doing on this blog...finding a couple random things from a given episode that got me fired up, and explaining what I loved or hated about them.

As good as Friday Night Lights is at dramatic moments and character stories, the series is almost as bad at continuity problems and holes out of left field. My gripe for this week is the situation with the good old Dillon Panthers. Now is it possible that J.D. McCoy could have been injured or transferred to another school? Sure. I do not think that was the story they were going for, but I'll buy it. The fact that they jumped right into this game with the Panthers and all of a sudden they have an African-American quarterback threw me through a loop. If J.D. is hurt or left, this should have been a bigger part of the plot. This kid was a huge antagonist in the past, and you just breeze past it. I know that you want to get as much Ormond Howard in every episode as possible - a point I'll get to next - but the Panther/Lion rivalry has to be more important than this episode portrayed. Hmmmm, where was Wade? You know the coach that the town of Dillon was up in arms over getting him in as the coach? Oh he's just not the coach anymore. Gone with J.D. And our old buddy Mac is the coach now?!?! How does this coaching change get glanced over? Who is watching this show and just says, "oh Mac is the coach now. Wade's gone. J.D. isn't playing. This isn't a big deal at all."?

Now back to the part of this week's FNL that wasn't making my brain all kooky. Cress Williams has just been killing it as Vince's dad, Ormond. This week was no different as he has quickly taken on the role of Cam Newton's father. I love it when television imitates life. That's how the saying goes right? He's definitely up to his old tricks, as he has Mrs. Howard falling for him again, Vince actually liking him, and putting Coach Taylor in his place. This is his boy! He'll do things the way he wants! And if he takes gifts from coaches and then tells Vince he has to go to Auburn, so be it! I'm sure this will only end badly for my man Ormond, but it's currently a fabulous ride. Coach Eric Taylor will probably get the last laugh, but if Cress Williams tells him how thing is going to go down one more time, I might lose it from how studly he is.

Friday Night Lights is off for a while and will return to finish its fifth and final season January 5 on DirecTV's 101 Network.

Friday Night Lights 502- Problem of Guidance

Spoiler alert...Below are a few thoughts on last night's episode of Friday Night Lights, "On the Outside Looking In". So watch the ep, put your panties in a locker, then read what I have to say.

Although we are only two episodes into the fifth and last season of Friday Night Lights, I find it necessary to write about how we might be in for a troublesome season.

The first and most obvious reason, is that we've lost almost all of the characters we learned to love from the beginning of the series. Even last season we were still holding strong with Riggins, Saracen and Landry (my three favorites throughout). Now you expect me to care as much about Vince, Luke and Jess? Because I don't. Sure Becky is a nice addition, but Riggins and dynamic duo were absolute classics. It seems too difficult to replace these guys.

Secondly, because many of our youngsters are gone, Tami has taken on a bigger role. Or maybe it just seems that way because she is so horrific, but she has been obnoxiously visible these first two episodes. Every single time she comes on screen, with one of her terrible guidance counselor stories, I want to change the channel (I'm watching on my computer so that is impossible). I mean this week with Epic? I wanted to put her 243 cigarettes out in my eye.

As I segue from mother to daughter, Julie at this college is going to be brutal. As she proved last season, she brings nothing on her own. Julie was great in seasons two and three when she was either with the great Matty Saracen or arguing with everything her mom did. Julie as the anti-Tami was great because of my true hatred for Mrs. Coach. As she pulls her best Brenda Walsh impression, going away to school only to come back home, Julie's story line is going to be brutal for at least half this season.

And finally, I have a problem with the East Dillon Lions. This team was absolutely awful last year. You see, an underdog sports movie works because you get to see them putting in the effort (see the Mighty Ducks with the eggs and such). Yeah I get that the beat the Panthers, but I chalked that up to emotion and luck. Between seasons, are we supposed to assume that these kids got that much better that they are now worthy of being ranked? I didn't see it happen, so it just makes the fact that they're complaining about not being ranked that much more annoying.

So that is why I am skeptical of this season being as good as any of the others, until many of our favorite stars return for two or three episodes near the end of the series. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Yes, it is that time again. It's time for the Quiet Pool Perspective's take on power rankings. Every two months, here at The Pool, we like to let you know what you should be watching on the small screen. Just like in sports, an opinionated take on what is the best of the best is great for television. It's too bad that Tim Goodman is the only other one out there that I know of that puts out Power Rankings. His come out weekly, or any week that he remembers to do it, and that's a bit much. Every couple of months, the television landscape changes here at The Pool, and therefore we now come out with our November Power Rankings. So go grab a couple of boat drinks, turn on some reggae, and take a look at what you should be watching.

Place. Show- (last time)...red=moving down, green=moving up

10. The Office- (12) Thursdays on NBC
I've written more about The Office than I could ever dream of, but of course I'm going to say a few things here. If anything, I'd say it has the highest floor of any comedy but Curb at this point. I'm never going to feel like an ep falls as flat on its face as say a Community or Mod Fam ep could. I know there are plenty of haters out there, but for me, Michael Scott is worth the price of admission every week.

9. Big Brother- (8) Summers on CBS
This season's disastrous season of Survivor should help prove that Big Brother is the superior reality series. It doesn't matter who the contestants are, the Big Bro environment creates much more excitement than randoms camping out in the woods. Give me three days a week during the summer and I'll give you a number nine ranking.

8. Modern Family- (4) Wednesdays on ABC
I wasn't expecting this big of a drop when I went into this month's rankings, but here you have it. The Dunphy clan has been better the past two weeks, but it wasn't a good start to the sophomore season at Modern Family. We actually got to the point where Jackie Boy said "next year Modern Family won't be funny at all." I think we jumped the gun a bit during that conversation, but we might be looking at a case where the first season was just something new and different. This season has been good, not great.

Nolan Gould as Luke Dunphy on Modern Family

7. Mad Men- (11) Sundays on AMC
I'm giving into the critical love. Mad Men does nothing but move up these charts. I can't think of a given moment when I have thought to myself that Mad Men is so good it needs to be ranked higher, but every time I get around to doing it, the show moves up. It's quality is undeniable even if it's entertainment has been questionable at times. This is definitely the type of show in which the longer it's on, the better it gets. To say that the first season of Mad Men was the best, is blasphemy. It is so subtle and in depth that we've needed the three seasons before this year to make this last one so much more enjoyable.

6. Community- (6) Thursdays on NBC
Although it's been a bit hit or miss in its second season, I feel good about calling it the second best comedy on tv right now. Community tries a bit too hard at times, taking the Zombie or Space episodes for example, but at its core it is great. It has great characters, great one liners, and a good amount of the time it's risks pay off. Last year's mafia and paint ball episodes are great examples of that. Troy Barnes is really coming into his own as one of my favorite characters on tv, which helps keep Community high in the power rankings.

5. Friday Night Lights- (5) Wednesdays on DirecTV
We still had some Riggins and Landry for the first episode of the season, but what's going to happen once they don't appear on a weekly basis? Am I supposed to put all my energy into caring about these new characters? A tough feat to achieve. And here is where I will lament about how awful Hasting Ruckle's shooting form was. This was quite possibly the worst form I have ever seen. This kid was supposed to be an all-star basketball player? How about you make him shoot it like a normal human being and don't worry if it goes in or not? He literally made Lucas Scott look like an All-American with how bad this was. I threw up every time I saw him for the rest of the episode.

Hastings Ruckle gladly joins the team on Friday Night Lights

4. Breaking Bad- (7) Sundays on AMC
When other claimed Breaking Bad was the best show on television back in the spring, I doubted them. With how sub-par most stuff has been this summer and fall, I'm seriously considering that to be a true statement. But then again, maybe it's just a case of absence making the heart grow fonder. I dream of the days when Walter White and Jesse Pinkman were hiding from Hank in an RV. It is extremely sad to think that it won't be until July before these guys are back in our lives.

3. Sons of Anarchy- (3) Tuesdays on FX
I wanted to move Sons down because I've been a bit disappointed with the season, and it's almost over, but then I realized that I don't look forward to any other show more than Sons. It has been a bit of a let down from season two, but it's hard to move it down this list given how good it can be.

2. Chuck- (1) Mondays on NBC
Chuck loses the title as my top show for the first time since taking the spot following the Lost retirement. It just hasn't been good enough to call it my favorite show at this point. I'm writing this on Monday afternoon, so if tonight's ep is as good as Dan Fienberg and Josh Schwartz both have claimed, I might be kicking myself.

1. Curb Your Enthusiasm- (2) Sundays on HBO
And the new champ is here. It has not been on in a while, but it remains the best comedy on tv. The winner of so many Poolie Awards last year, Curb is coming back in January and will surely knock it out of the park again. Let's face it, when have we been disappointed with anything Larry David has done?

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

The Gang from Sunny on Tricycles

And on to the top ten. This time last year we had a couple of shows that now go unranked in here (30 Rock and American Idol). We've got a couple of newcomers, but the top few all stay the same since none of them have aired since the last rankings. Once again, these are the shows you should be watching people.

Place. Show- (last time)...red=moving down, green=moving up

10. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia- (11) Thursdays on FX
It's Always Sunny should make the list for 'Dennis and Mac Break Up' alone. Just re-watched it and it gets better every time. You really can't beat the gruesome twosome of Charlie and Frank.

9. Dexter- (10) Sundays on Showtime
Lithgow has already won the guest actor emmy, and as I write this on Saturday, I fully anticipate Michael C. Hall to win the lead actor emmy on Sunday. It was a great fourth season and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go next.

8. Big Brother- (12) Summers on CBS
I've been writing about this season all summer and I have yet to have little to talk about. Every season brings me so much love, yet so much hatred. With only five contestants left, I only hate one of them, so the final weeks might not be as interesting. It's more fun to root against people than to root for others.

7. Breaking Bad- (7) Sundays on AMC
To paraphrase Alan Sepinwall, Breaking Bad looks really sweet on screen. Each episode has it's own lulls, but they continued to end the hour with a bang, and that will get you every time. It's sad that they're taking an entire year off before the next season.

Any excuse to post this picture

6. Community- (6) Thursdays on NBC
There's something nice about knowing that a cast of a show really likes each other. Sure they might say it in interviews and whatnot, but by following the actors on Twitter, you notice how much fun the Community people have with each other. That's pretty sweet.

5. Friday Night Lights- (5) Wednesdays on DirecTV
One season to go. I'm hearing faint rumors about a great finale. A lot of our old favorites are returning for the big going away part. I'm both excited and sad.

4. Modern Family- (4) Wednesdays on ABC
Again, writing on Saturday, here's hoping that Mod Fam took down some Emmys on Sunday night. If Glee tops them in all categories, like so many are conjecturing, it will be a real shame.

3. Sons of Anarchy- (3) Tuesdays on FX
Pumped to be writing about Sons this fall for TVFanatic.com. Ireland here I come.

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm- (2) Sundays on HBO
Aside from Parks and Recreation and Community, this was my favorite comedy of the season. Wait What? No I'm not Alan Sepinwall. This WAS the best comedy of the season as proven by the 2010 Poolie Awards. It's no surprise that it is the top ranked comedy in the Power Rankings.

1. Chuck- (1) Mondays on NBC
It's still the king of the triple threat, and now that Lost is off the air, Chuck holds on to the number one ranking until somebody makes a push for the title.

The Dynasty Award- Best Drama Series

Named For: Dynasty (ABC) 1981-89
Awarded To: Best drama series from June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
Last Year's Winner: Friday Night Lights (The 101/NBC)

Place. Show (Network) Points (My Vote)

10. Men of a Certain Age (TNT) 3 points

9. 90210 (The CW) 3 points

8. Greek (ABC Fam) 5 points

7. Parenthood (NBC) 5 points (5th)

6. Californication (Showtime) 9 points (2nd)

5. Glee (FOX) 10 points

4. Treme (HBO) 18 points (4th)

3. House, MD (FOX) 21 points

Runner-Up
2. Mad Men (AMC) 21 points (3rd)

and the Poolie goes to...
1. Friday Night Lights (The 101/NBC)
29 points (1st)

Here with his thoughts on Friday Night Lights is Poolie voter Mags...

I’ve got a pretty big secret and I’m gonna spill it here.

This freaking show is really sweet. To prove my point I’m going to name a bunch of sick joints from FNL (in no particular order):

1. Football
2. Partying with your boys
3. Loads of cute shorties
4. Tackling
5. Tim Riggins
6. Lyla Garrity
7. The nerd ginger kid who’s kinda funny

Now you probably thought to yourself: ”That’s no secret, anyone who has seen the show knows all that stuff.” Here’s what you don’t know: I voted this show the winner for the 2010 Dynasty Award and I only saw the first 6 episodes of the season. So in order to congratulate the show and round out this post, I am going to predict what happened on the 2nd half of the season (in no particular order):

1. Football
2. Partying
3. Cute shawties
4. Tim friggin’ Riggins aka The GOAT
5. Lyla Garrity
6. State Championship
7. Lyla gets preggers
8. Nerd ginge tells a couple jokes

There’s no way to tell exactly what happened, but if I had to guess I’d say I’m pretty damn close. Congrats to FNL and Tim Riggins.

by Kyle Magnus

The Noah Hunter Award- Supporting Character Drama

Named For: Noah Hunter played by Vincent Young in Beverly Hills, 90210
Awarded To: Best supporting character in a drama series from
June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
Last Year's Winner: Ari Gold- Entourage

Place. Character (Show) Points (My Vote)

10. Mark Sloan (Grey's Anatomy) 0 points

9. Crosby Braverman (Parenthood) 2 points

8. Creighton Bernett (Treme) 6 points

7. Dale Kettlewell (Greek) 9 points (3rd)

6. Davis McAlary (Treme) 11 points (5th)

5. Buddy Garrity (Friday Night Lights) 15 points

4. Roger Sterling (Mad Men) 20 points (1st)

3. James Wilson (House, MD) 21 points

Runner-Up
2. Landry Clarke (Friday Night Lights) 21 points (2nd)

and the Poolie goes to...
1. Ari Gold (Entourage)
31 points (4th)

Here with his thoughts on Ari Gold is Poolie voter, Tyson...

Before we get started I just want to warn the throngs of Pool readers that the following post will contain profanity, sexism, homophobia, and possibly a little anti-Semitism. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s congratulate Ari Gold for winning the 2010 Noah Hunter Award. If Jeremy Piven were here, I’m sure he would be psyched to win an award named after the actor who played Raoul in the 2004 film, Knuckle Sandwich.

Ari Gold does so many things well it’s hard to know where to begin. He is wonderful when he yells at gays, amazing when he yells at women, and awesome when he yells at everyone else. The beauty of Ari is that he vocalizes the things many of us would never dare to say. For example, Take this exchange between Lloyd and Ari:

Lloyd: Are you hiding something from me Ari?
Ari: Only my c*ck and my a**hole Lloyd..

…simply magical. Quotes like that really make me wish I had some openly gay friends.

The most amazing thing about Ari’s character is that he is universally liked by viewers yet loathed by most of the other characters. I think the point the writers want to convey here is that a small, angry, Jewish man is much more enjoyable from a distance and much less enjoyable close-up, when he is yelling at your mid-section.

If there is a point to the nonsensical preceding paragraphs, I guess it would be that the beauty of Ari is not the complexity of his character but the extent of his quotability. With that in mind, I will leave you with one of my favorites from this past season:

(Ari walks into yet another assistant)
Jake: Hi Mr. Gold. I’m Jake Steinberg, HR sent me up to replace your last assistant.
Ari: I don’t care. Get me Eddy Kapowski on the phone.
Jake: Uhm, any relation to Kelly Kapowski? You know, Saved by the Bell?
Ari: You’re finished. Go. You’re f*cking fired.

by Tyson Brazell

The 'One Wedding and a Funeral' Award- Best Drama Episode

Named For: 'One Wedding and a Funeral' Episode 610 of Beverly Hills, 90210
Awarded To: The best episode in a drama series from June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
Last Year's Winner: no award

Place. Character (Show) Points (My Vote)

5. 'Do You Know What It Means' (Treme) 4 points

4. 'Mia Culpa' (Californication) 5 points (2nd)

3. 'The Son' (Friday Night Lights) 10 points (3rd)

Runner-Up
2. 'Shut the Door. Have a Seat' (Mad Men) 12 points (1st)

and the Poolie goes to...
1. 'Broken' (House, MD) 15 points

Here with his thoughts on 'Broken' is Poolie voter, Jaydon...

The season finale of the fifth season of House was a doozy. House experienced a drug induced break from reality and constructed a fantasy where he and Cuddy finally consummated their relationship. Reality was much bleaker, the good doctor had reached the lowest of lows, and was committed to Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital for treatment.

This could have been a game changer, but House is the kind of show that discourages drifts from its formulaic procedural core. Instead, the "House goes crazy" storyline was resolved fairly quickly and thrust into the background for most of season six. Where it was dealt with most effectively was in the season six premiere, Broken - a double episode that played like a movie.

Broken, which owed a tremendous debt to One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, saw House in a novel and intriguing context. Instead of a villainous Nurse Ratched antagonist, House squared off against Dr Nolan, a decent doctor that was looking out for his best interests. House didn’t take kindly to Dr Nolan’s authority and tried to undermine him at every step. He recruited his motor-mouthed roommate Alvie and love interest Lydia, as co-conspirators. Things changed after House was responsible for the injury of Stevie, a patient who was emboldened by a wind tunnel carnival ride to leap into flight but instead leapt into concrete.

Feeling guilty, House decided to give treatment a chance. He bonded with his peers, had a fling with the married Lydia and was there for Dr Nolan during his dying father’s final days. House seemed to not only have made progress with his recovery but also seemed to have made strides as a person. Nolan granted House leave and medical board recommendation following his heartbreak over Lydia’s choice to stay with her husband. In his heartbreak, he had shown Nolan that he was able to connect with people. House left the hospital on the bus with a rare smile of peace and contentment on his face.

The episode had its good and bad beats. On the good side, the Lydia/House relationship was believable and bolstered by good chemistry. Lydia’s choice came off as authentically difficult and House’s reaction of pain rang equally true. It was also a worthy respite from the Huddy relationship, which seems less and less realistic or interesting as time goes on. The characters of Dr Nolan and Alvie were also strong, providing pathos and humor, respectively. On the weaker end was the deus ex machina of the music box. A patient was catapulted out of her catatonia by a random artifact. It was overly sentimental and stupid. It was also a little abrupt for House to be cleared for duty so soon after his breakdown. Nonetheless, this was a standout entry in an over the hill (132 episodes and no end in sight) procedural that has seen better days.

by Jonathan Stuart

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Today the Quiet Pool Power Rankings conclude with the July 2010 version of the top ten tv series. There has to be a new number one, as the long-time champion Lost has ended forever (single tear). Not much movement other than that as not much has happened since May.

Top Ten

Show- (last time)...red=moving down, green=moving up

10. Dexter (-) Sundays on Showtime
And 48 episodes later, I've seen all of Dexter. The reason I started the series, John Lithgow, ended up being well worth the wait as the fourth season was terrific.

9. The Office (9) Thursdays on NBC
Certainly a weak season in terms of The Office, but I'm not one too jump off the bandwagon too soon. Too late? Maybe.

8. True Blood (10) Sundays on HBO
The first season has started strong this summer. Let's hope the addition of were wolves doesn't send it into a turn for the worst.

7. Breaking Bad (6) Sundays on AMC
This is the best show on television. Blah, blah, blah. You can't just say it. You have to prove it by entertaining. Still great, but not my favorite.

6. Community (8) Thursdays on NBC
Just re-watched paintball ep, 'Modern Warfare' and my God is this show unbelievable at times. Some of the early season stuff wasn't great but we're definitely on the right track.

5. Friday Night Lights (7) Wednesdays on 101 Network
One final season of the football drama set to go and lucky for us many of the characters we've lost or are going to lose will be back for the final four episodes or so. Sounds like a great ending is in store.

4. Modern Family (5) Wednesdays on ABC
Unlike Community, Mod Fam started out with a bang, and finished with one as well. There were a few duds here and there but it's the best comedy to hit network tv since The Office.

3. Sons of Anarchy (4) Tuesdays on FX
Have yet to watch my third favorite series live, so I'm nervous about it holding up the same way as when I was able to watch four eps in a row. Starts up again this fall so get pumped.

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm (3) Sundays on HBO
LD usually takes longer than this to guarantee another season. Curb will be back again and the only thing we know is that Ricky Gervais will guest star.

1. Chuck (2) Mondays on NBC
We didn't have to worry as long as last year to get a renewal for Chuck. Having said that, I assume and hope that next fall will be the final season of the spy comedy. End it well and don't let it drag on Schwartz.

The Veronica Mars Award- Female Character Drama

Named For: Veronica Mars played by Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars
Awarded To: Best female character in a drama series from
June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
Last Year's Winner: Julie Taylor- Friday Night Lights

Place. Character (Show) Points (My Vote)

10. Ella Simms (Melrose Place) 0 points

9. Adrianna Tate-Duncan (90210) 4 points

8. Karen van der Beek (Californication) 10 points (4th)

7. Rebecca Logan (Greek) 11 points (3rd)

6. Rachel Berry (Glee) 12 points

5. Naomi Clark (90210) 13 points (2nd)

4. Betty Draper (Mad Men) 14 points

3. Sue Sylvester (Glee) 16 points (1st)

Runner-Up
2. Becky Sproles (Friday Night Lights) 17 points (5th)

and the Poolie goes to...
1. Julie Taylor
(Friday Night Lights) 18 points

This is truly a sad story. Julie Taylor has repeated as the winner of the Veronica Mars Award. Not a single person voted for her first and I didn't even vote for her at all. Don't get me wrong, last year she was very deserving. I recently re-watched a bunch of the third season on dvd and she showed quite the transformation from her terrible season two self. But she brought hardly anything to the table in 2009-10. A female on her own show, newcomer Becky Sproles, outdid her in every sense of the category in my opinion. Sproles was funny. She pined over Tim Riggins. She deserved this more than Julie this year.

And then there is the travesty that Sue Sylvester finished two points behind Julie. Only receiving points from four voters, Sue was picked first by me and Larry and second by Tyson and Jaydon. I understand that many people think that Glee is terrible, and I don't whole-heartedly disagree, but Sue carries it at times and is more deserving of this award.

Having said that, Jules earned back to back honors and deserves a nice pat on the back for her accomplishment. Here's hoping that she gets more to work with in the final season of Friday Night Lights and can win her third straight with dignity.

Glee- Mr. Finn, What Grade Are You In?

Glee has been a huge pop hit in its first season on FOX. Whereas some recent musical shows have failed miserably (see Viva Laughlin) because of the singing, Glee seems to be succeeding because of it. The acting isn't very good, the writing is nothing special and the overall feel of the show has been inconsistent as it gets. But the musical numbers have been sweet for the most part, hence I've stuck around even though I'd like to slap almost every character on the show.

Last night's season one finale was good. It had a lot of good performances, my favorite being Vocal Adrenaline's Bohemian Rhapsody, and it featured the right people. Whenever Sue Sylvester gets to showcase both her unadulterated cruelty towards Mr. Shue as well as her sincerity towards the kids of Glee, it's a win-win. Mercedes, Kurt, Tina and Artie took a back seat, while Rachel, Finn, Puck and especially Quinn were the students of focus in this finale. We should keep it that way from this point forward. No more eps featuring Artie or Kurt please.

Speaking of Jesse's Bohemian Rhapsody, every Lost fan should have loved it that much more because of how much it resembled the final scene of the series with the screen flashing between Jack in the church and on the Island. In this case we were seeing sideways flashes of Quinn getting rushed to the hospital and then having her baby.

So where do they go from here? The students have the summer off so this is obviously the end of a school year. What grade are most of these kids in? If they're going to do a year per season they will quickly run into the problem Friday Night Lights did where they had to start changing characters grades ridiculously. You know how Tim Riggins was best friends with Jason Street and was obviously in the same grade as him in season one? Well he was still in high school come season three, so that means he was a sophomore during the first season? The same grade as Matt Saracen, who was an outcast because he was a young gun? Lot of plot holes in the continuity of that show.

Haven't they already been given a third season? Are they going to say that all these kids are sophomores? How likely is that? Will they get rid of some of these actors to make room for new students? I doubt it. It should be interesting to say the least.

As long as Sue Sylvester is the coach of the Cheerios I'm on board for another season, even though I get angry at the screen any time Mr. Shue, Artie, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Emma or even Finn says anything. How bout focusing more on Santana? She seems pretty awesome.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Well it's that time again. Along with hearing myself talk, here at the Quiet Pool Perspective we like to let you know what tv you should be watching. Every two months I give you a few quick thoughts on the best television out there for viewing in what we call here at The Pool, the Bi-Monthly Power Rankings. As always I will rank the top 20 series on tv and here's what the best of the best in May 2010 looks like.

Top Ten

Show- (last time)...red=moving down, green=moving up

10. True Blood- (10) Sundays on HBO
It's been a long time since True Blood was on the air, but its third season is just around the corner. Now that Lost will be off our television screens for good come next month, True Blood is going to have to fill my science fiction/fantasy void. I hate looking at spoilers, so I have no idea what the next installment is going to focus on. All I know is that there is a wolfman.

9. The Office- (8) Thursdays on NBC
Steve Carell says he's leaving The Office after his contract runs out next season. Can this show go on without him? Alan Sepinwall seems to think it might benefit from giving Michael a limited role, but I disagree. He and the new addition of Erin are the only things keeping this show alive for me. Michael's antics will get me every time, and their inability to showcase some of the minor characters' talents has proven tiresome. Where are the great Creed moments?

8. Community- (9) Thursdays on NBC
Two weeks ago Community did a full on parody of Goodfellas using chicken fingers as a metaphor for drugs. Absolutely put this show over the top for best Thursday night comedy. Every single character on the show, except for Britta, is hilarious. And Britta works because she is used like a punching bag by me and the other characters.

7. Friday Night Lights- (6) Wednesdays on DirecTV
FNL's fourth season is about to start on NBC. Of course I've already watched it via DirecTV this fall and winter. Was it a great season? Yes. Could it have been better? Of course, that's why it's only number seven. The question still remains is next year's final season going to be enough to give us some good closure on the Taylor family and the state of high school football in Dillon?

6. Breaking Bad- (7) Sundays on AMC
Last week's ep was fantastic, and supposedly tonight's is even better (and crazier). Before last week I didn't think this season was stacking up to season two's standard, but if things keep progressing at the current rate, Breaking Bad could rise higher up the charts. I've said it before and I'll say it again, sprinters make the best bobsledders Walt and Jesse need to come together as partners again to make this show return to its greatness.

5. Modern Family- (5) Wednesdays on ABC
I'm definitely on the Poniewozik side, rather than the Sepinwall side, of the Phil's dad argument. I thought last week's episode was fantastic and it had much to do with the inclusion of Fred Willard as the father figure. The two of them were exactly alike and it worked perfectly. Phil is exactly the kind of guy who would emulate his father because he thought he was the best man in the world. Even when he's trying to be serious with dear old dad, he can't help but compliment him on a great joke. Classic Phil.

4. Sons of Anarchy- (4) Tuesdays on FX
Another one with a long layoff, and I'm getting sick of reading creator Kurt Sutter's tweets about which episodes he's finished writing, but Sons of Anarchy proved to be worth the wait after a fantastic second season last fall. With the third season ready to kick off in September, I'm excited to watch Jax, Clay and the rest of Sam Crow in real time this fall.

3. Curb Your Enthusiasm- (2) Sundays on HBO
And Larry David decided that he will take time out of his busy Marriage Ref Jury Duty to create another season of Curb. Yes! Rumors were flying around that Ricky Gervais will be guest starring on this season of the comedy hit. Not quite sure if that is happening, but LD is gonna need to come up with something golden to top the Seinfeld Reunion. But then again, he had to top him moving in with the Blacks, so he's fully capable.

2. Chuck- (3) Mondays on NBC
Chuck gets the bump past Curb due to the utter brilliance of the final two episodes of season 3.0. The first episode of 3.1 was also great, but come on! Chuck vs. the American Hero and Chuck vs. the Other Guy were instant classics. The hilarity of the Morgan, Casey, Awesome trio in the penultimate episode combined with the chills and thrills of the final one were tough to be matched by anyone.

1. Lost- (1) Tuesdays on ABC
Sometimes I take a step back and think that my loyalty to this show goes unwarranted. Then I watch the next Tuesday's edition and am completely enthralled by what's on the screen. The action, the drama, the questions, and the nostalgia. You can poo poo the blatant nods to season one all you want, but a lot of true fans of the show really like that. Damon and Carlton have come out and said that there will be questions left unanswered when the show ends. Of course! Why would answer everything?!? Your show would never live on. By leaving some (or many) things left with no answer, it allows people to talk about it long after it's gone. The arguments that will ensue about what really was going on in certain circumstances will benefit the show far greater than if everything is summed up cleanly in episode 618.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Now that the Olympics are over many of our favorite shows are set to return. Plenty of new shows are also on the horizon. Let's see where The Perspective's Power Rankings stacks everyone up. January and February brought back plenty of series in the Top 20, including perennial number one LOST. I've also caught myself all the way up on a couple of cable gems (Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad) so things might look a bit different near the top this time around. A few shows that have missed the cut (Bored to Death, V, Eastbound) not because of failure to entertain, but for lack of episodes and too much time off. Without further ado here are the shows you should be watching, The Quiet Pool Perspective's March Power Rankings.

Top Ten

Show- (last time)...red=moving down, green=moving up

10. True Blood- (10) Sundays on HBO
The Vampire drama stays put after not being on the air for a while. The third season will premier this summer. Here's hoping that Sookie finally leaves Bill and makes us all happy. I hate Sookie and I hate Bill, but the two of them together is that much worse.

9. Community- (13) Thursdays on NBC
Another big jump, passing out its Comedy Night Done Right brother, 30 Rock. Chevy Chase has been showing us that he's still got it and everyone else seems to be stepping their proverbial game up.

8. The Office- (5) Thursdays on NBC
Barely hanging on to the lead as top dog of Thursday Night comedies. And that is only because of its history of hilarity. I again think that the fact that this show is just running old. There are only so many times that certain shticks can work.

7. Breaking Bad- (-) Sundays on AMC
After catching up on Breaking, it jumps all the way up to seven. Andrew Page you can no longer call me an anti-denti. Look at how high up the Power Rankings I put Dr. Tim Watley!

6. Friday Night Lights- (4) Wednesdays on 101 Network
A small dip after a less than stellar fourth season. Although I've written about my problems with this season, it doesn't mean that it still isn't a joy to watch. The mood, tone and scenery could put FNL in the top ten by themselves.

5. Modern Family- (8) Wednesdays on ABC
Another big jumper. Modern Fam and Community are the best two comedies on the air right now. Again it might have the edge over The Office because everything about it seems new. But then again, there's no one in Scranton calling for Moon Landings.

4. Sons of Anarchy- (HM) Tuesdays on FX
Boom! Sam Crow killed it during the first two seasons and has me on the edge of my seat as I wait for season three to start in September. Will they be in Ireland? What's gonna happen with Gemma? Great things on the horizon.

3. Chuck- (3) Mondays on NBC
The great storytelling of Chuck is basically just icing on the cake for me, because between the comedy, the action and the music, Chuck is already a smash hit in my mind. And wait, Scott Bakula is returning as Mr. Bartowksi? Yes.

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm- (2) Sundays on HBO
This is the number one comedy currently not on the air. Here's hoping the LD decides that he needs to make another go of it. I'd like to see Jerry come in for a while in the next season. The other three Seinfeld guys I could do without.

1. LOST- (1) Tuesdays on ABC
And yes it continues to hold the top spot. The complaint I hear about LOST that makes me the most angry (especially when it's Bill Simmons) is that it's too confusing. They don't want to have to think about their tv show. Don't you see? That's the joy of a show like this. You get to use your mind without having to read. It's perfect!

The Quiet Poolcast: Episode 3- Son of a Panther

So T-time finally finished catching up on the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy. He joined me for the third episode of The Quiet Poolcast yesterday. T-time, who correctly guessed HRG's first name after the first few episodes of Heroes, is back in all of his analytical glory as we discuss the ins and outs of the first two seasons of my second favorite drama on television right now, Sons of Anarchy. We also start to conjecture what's going to happen in season three, premiering next fall.

Just as The B.S. Report brings in Adam Corolla to come up with new movie ideas, T-time has stepped up to the plate and come up with a new series idea. It's a double spin-off for Sons of Anarchy and Friday Night Lights. Here's my one sentence pitch...Tim Riggins starts the West Texas chapter of Sons of Anarchy after getting a hold of John Teller's SAMCRO manuscript while in prison. Who's picking it up?

Check out Episode 3 of The Quiet Poolcast here.