Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Honorable Mentions

It's that time again. The Quiet Pool Perspective's Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are back, and a lot has happened since early September here at the Pool. The Weekly Comedy Rankings have been working so well at helping gauge what shows are doing well on a week by week basis, that I might try to start doing the same thing with the other categories. For now, here are the November Power Rankings. Remember these take into account past and present performances, and the Honorable Mentions are not necessarily numbers 21 through 30 on my list. Enjoy.

Show (Last) red=moving down, green=moving up

American Horror Story (-) Wednesdays on FX
This is easily the strangest show on television, which is why I keep coming back for more. In no way is there anything redeeming from American Horror Story, but the shear disgusting, ridiculous, and weird events have me intrigued week after week. I honestly want to find out more about this haunted house.

Big Brother (16) Summers on CBS
This summer series falls out of the Top 20 and loses the top spot among reality shows for the first time in a long time. This season's cast was terrible, which didn't help, but after starting this season's Survivor immediately after Big Brother ended, it was clear which one is currently more entertaining to watch.

Bored to Death (-) Mondays on HBO
It's still nothing to go crazy over, but the third season of Bored to Death has been off to a good start. Jason Schwartzman is great if you can take his, and creator Jonathan Ames', style of humor. The other two leads are what make this show worth coming back to week in and week out. Ted Danson is fantastic, and Zach Galifianakis has done his best work outside of that Jimmy Fallon interview on this show.

Hart of Dixie (-) Mondays on The CW
From the creator of The O.C., Chuck, and Gossip Girl, Hart of Dixie is once again killing it for Josh Schwartz. It is just so easy and enjoyable to watch. Add to that, the fact that it has one of best casts on television, and you have a winner. Summer Roberts, DeShawn Hardell, a new and improved Jason Street, and Roy Martin combine for some very fun tv.

The League (12) Thursdays on FX
T-time has some very interesting ideas as why The League hasn't gotten off to a good start this third season, the one I like best being that they just hit a groove in season two. Aside from the third episode of the fall, which was good by all standards, they seem to have fallen into a habit of being lazy and relying on being dirty just for the sake of being dirty. Don't get me wrong, being dirty can work great, as The League proved last year, and Always Sunny proves time and time again, but you can't just be dirty and think it's automatically going to be funny.

New Girl (-) Tuesdays on FOX
It was a short sample there in the early going, but I loved what I saw out of Zooey Deschanel on the New Girl. Maybe my opinion will be different after the long hiatus due to baseball playoffs, but her Jess is one of the funniest females on television, and I don't see that changing any time soon. The jury is still out on some of the dudes on this show. I enjoy Schmidt so far, but Nick is heading down the wrong path as a character, and the new guy has yet to show anything.

Once Upon a Time (-) Sundays on ABC
Only two episodes in, but it is definitely the better of the two fairy tale shows this fall (Grimm was pretty, pretty boring on Friday). Sure, the acting doesn't seem all that great, and I'm not sure how the flashbacks are going to continue to be interesting as the series moves forward, but I am a sucker for anything dealing with Snow White, Jiminy Crickett, and Malificent (even if they so overtly made us know who that character was by saying her name in dialogue).

Parks and Recreation (20) Thursdays on NBC
I was early on the Parks bandwagon of being a much improved show at the beginning of season two, but I was ready to jump off as soon as Alan Sepinwall and every critic known to man started calling it the best comedy on television. For a while there it was definitely the most overrated comedy on tv, but it was still in my top 20 overall. To start this season, it just hasn't been good at all, and it falls out of the rankings. Rob Lowe saved that show at the end of season two, and most of season three, but his character has dropped off a cliff this season.

Revenge (-) Wednesdays on ABC
Like Hart of Dixie, Revenge is just so fun. I've always been a huge Emily VanCamp fan, but this character of hers takes the cake. It has been fantastic to watch the first half of this season, and I only see it getting better as the second half of this first order continues. The show seems to be becoming more serial as we move forward, which is what did wonders for Justified during its run.

Suburgatory (-) Wednesdays on ABC
Hard to tell what this show is trying to be, but it's enjoyable. Even when it's not funny, it's still a good watch. You can't say that about a lot of comedies, but Tessa and especially George are so easy to like, which is a good sign for the future. Once they get their footing on what they want to do comically, Suburgatory could go places.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

Whoah buddy! The fall tv season is upon us, and so are the September Power Rankings here at the Quiet Pool Perspective. Here is your look at what you should be watching, or catching up on if you have missed the boat.

Rank. Show (Last Week) red=moving down, green=moving up

20. Parks and Recreation (19) Thursdays on NBC
The more and more I hear people talk about how great Parks and Rec is, the more I want to hate it, but the fact of the matter is that it's still a good show. It's not a top five comedy, and certainly not the best on tv like most critics claim, but it's still in my top 20.

Parenthood crew

19. Parenthood (20) Tuesdays on NBC
It's hard to forget how fantastically emotional this past season of Parenthood was. With Friday Night Lights gone from our screens, I wouldn't be surprised if this Jason Katims series starts to grab some Emmy noms vacated by Chandler, Britton and the show.

18. The Vampire Diaries (-) Thursdays on The CW
Some people laugh when they see this series on the schedule, but that is exactly the problem when you take shows at face value. Yes, it's about vampires, and yes, it's on The CW, but this is a good show and I can't wait to marathon through season two.

17. Survivor (17) Wednesdays on CBS
Bringing Coach Wade back for this fall is a brilliant idea in my book. Is it going to be able to compete with this past spring's glorious run? Doubtful, but I like the attempt. The Dragonslayer will slay this fall on CBS.

16. Big Brother (14) Summers on CBS
This has been a pretty brutal season of Big Brother, and I feel bad for those I have told to watch this show. Between the idiot newbies they brought in this season, and Jeff and Jordan falling off their respective rockers, it's been difficult to enjoy at times.

15. Modern Family (16) Wednesdays on ABC
Soon to be back to back Emmy Champion, Modern Family had a sophomore slump in 2011. Will it prove to be just a hiccup? Or was this series simply a one year wonder? I'm hoping for a third year return to glory for this family sitcom.

The Gang...and Dee

14. Boardwalk Empire (13) Sundays on HBO
I feel like I'm not as excited as I should be for this to return. A lot of stuff went down at the end of the first season, and if it picks up from there, things should heat up quickly in season two of Boardwalk.

13. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (15) Thursdays on FX
The Always Sunny gang jumps up two spots for their unbelievably good preview commercials. Will Fat Mac prove to be as funny of a gag as everyone assumes it will be? I hope so. He did put on 50 pounds for crying out loud.

12. The League (12) Thursdays on FX
Football is back, and so is The League. I'm predicting that Kevin finally takes home the championship this year, and that this season is as funny as the second was.

11. The Walking Dead (10) Sundays on AMC
The zombie thriller continues to slide down the rankings simply because it's only working with six episodes to date. Once it returns this October, things may change. The question is, will the loss of Frank Darabont as showrunner hurt the series?

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

It is a sad day when the Poolie Awards are all over, but look at the bright side, there are always the Bi-Monthly Power Rankings to look forward to! The July edition is here to tell you what shows currently on the air you should be tuning in to see. Take a look and then turn on your tv.

Place. Show (Last Time) red = moving down, green = moving up

20. Parenthood (17) Tuesdays on NBC
With a lot of yelling and a lot of crying, Parenthood worked its way into my heart last season. Will it continue to do so? And remain in the top 20 next fall?

19. Parks and Recreation (19) Thursdays on NBC
The favorite among many critics, and many of their blind followers, Parks and Rec is simply a solid comedy at this point. As good as he is as a straight man, it continues to be a sad state of affairs that Adam Scott is being wasted in this role. Have you seen Step Brothers?

18. 30 Rock (18) Thursdays on NBC
Hopefully Tracy Morgan doesn't have any more health issues, because his absence in the middle of last season was tough to take. If his prejudiced remarks don't have an effect on the show, it should remain where it is as another staple in the NBC lineup.

Boston Rob of Survivor

17. Survivor (20) Wednesdays on CBS
Coming off one of its best seasons, I'm excited to see how Survivor backs it up this fall. I haven't heard any rumors about who the returning contestants will be, but if they know what's good for them, Coach or Agent Phil will be involved.

16. Modern Family (15) Wednesdays on ABC
I'm trying not to be swayed by the wonders of the season one dvd I'm currently watching, because season two just didn't stack up. There's no doubt that the Emmy voters will disagree with me, but Mod Fam needs to find the magic it once had to stay this high next fall.

15. It's Always Sunny (14) Thursdays on FX
What some called a great season of Always Sunny, I thought was sub par. The gang can do better, and I have confidence they will next fall. I predict they make their way near or into the top ten at some point next season.

14. Big Brother (11) Summers on CBS
As Survivor creeps further and further up the list, Big Brother has to drop, because there really wasn't much difference between last summer's Big Bro, and this most recent Survivor. Once the houseguests take over this summer, it could be a completely different story though.

Buscemi doing his thing on Boardwalk

13. Boardwalk Empire (12) Sundays on HBO
I've seen the trailer for season two, but for some reason I'm more excited about the first season of HBO's luck than Nucky Thompson and friends to come back.

12. The League (13) Thursdays on FX
These public service announcements from our boys got me all kinds of excited for the fall. It will be a sad day if there is no NFL season, but Andre, Pete and the guys will help me through.

11. Chuck (8) Fridays on NBC
It is a shame that Chuck has fallen this far. Heading into last fall's season Chuck was number one in the rankings, and now they've fallen out of the top 10. I still enjoy Chuck for what it is, but the enjoyable romp through Burbank has had too many holes lately to keep it at the top of my list.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

If you haven't noticed already, I have been extremely busy in the months of April and May. With the end of the baseball season, the end of the spring semester, and a couple of week-long pop-ins at my place, I have been beyond slow on the blog at times. That is no excuse to not put out a Bi-Monthly Power Rankings, though, so without further ado, here are the Quiet Pool Perspective Television Power Rankings for the month of May.

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

20. Survivor- (HM) Wednesdays on CBS
The excellence of Agent Phil and Boston Rob shoot Survivor back into the Top 20, taking the place of reality cousin, Top Chef.

19. Parks and Recreation- (17) Thursdays on NBC
Despite what critics, and their loyal puppy dog followers, will tell you, Parks and Rec is not the best show on television. In fact I think it has taken a bit of a step backwards since the end of last season.

18. 30 Rock- (20) Thursdays on NBC
And 30 Rock has improved greatly since last year. While last night's finale was disappointing, "Everything Sunny All the Time Always" was among the funniest episode of any show this year.

17. Parenthood- (HM) Tuesdays on NBC
This family drama makes its first appearance in the Top 20 after spitting out gem after gem of heartbreaking yet funny episodes.

16. Treme- (15) Sundays on HBO
Only a couple episodes into its season, Treme remains a bit of a mystery to me. I'm not sure what the point of the show is, but I know I enjoy it.

15. Modern Family- (16) Wednesdays on ABC
It sure has worked itself into a sophomore slump, but it still brings in hard on occasion, like this week with a surprisingly great performance from Mitchell.

14. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia- (13) Thursdays on FX
Even hockey fans enjoy Alway Sunny, as shown by the fans wearing the Green Man suits at some recent playoff games.

13. The League- (14) Thursdays on FX
I might like The League better the fantasy football itself at this point. Thoughts?

12. Boardwalk Empire- (12) Sundays on HBO
Nothing has changed.

11. Big Brother- (9) Summers on CBS
Big auditions today in downtown Nashville...who's in?

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

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.

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

20. 30 Rock- (HM) Thursdays on NBC
Even without Tracy Morgan around, 30 Rock has continued its solid bounce back season.

19. Top Chef- (18) Wednesdays on Bravo
This All-Stars season has been fantastic. Most of the time it's difficult to find people to root for on this show, but between Mike, Richard, Dale, Angelo, Marcel, etc. I've been cheering for most of them along the way.

18. Lights Out- (-) Tuesdays on FX
Like its FX cousin Terriers, Lights Out is unlikely to see a second season. And like Terriers, it will be a shame. The boxing drama has been really good so far, with interesting stories and a leading man that is easy to cheer for.

17. Parks and Recreation- (19) Thursdays on NBC
Rob Lowe has continued his comedic genius throughout the start of the third season, but it has been Adam Scott coming into his own that has moved Parks and Rec up in the rankings. Although some were raving about him early on, he was being wasted as just a straight man. Scott playing the anxious, awkward former teen mayor has improved the show this season. The only down side of bringing in Lowe and Scott, is that Chris Pratt has had to take a bit of a back seat. Oh well.

16. Modern Family- (12) Wednesdays on ABC
Modern Fam's fall from grace continues as it falls from 12 to 16 this time around. I really think it is the case that many of these characters were extremely funny to begin with, but now we're so used to them, that it has kind of worn off. If you're relying on characters, and can't write funny story lines, you will run into trouble. Without Luke Dunphy this show would probably be out of the Top 20 right now.

15. Treme- (15) Sundays on HBO
It feels like forever since Treme has been on the air, but it returns with the premiere of Game of Thrones in April. It will be quite the two hour block of television on HBO.

14. The League- (17) Thursdays on FX
I really have no idea how both this and Always Sunny moved up so much in the past two months while off the air, but they did. Plenty of League alumni have been on tv recently, including Shiva, Rafi, and even Ruxin on Parks and Rec a couple weeks ago.

13. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia- (16) Thursdays on FX
Until Always Sunny comes back on the air, try out the D.E.N.N.I.S. system the next time you go out on the town.

12. Boardwalk Empire- (14) Sundays on HBO
After winning many awards at the Golden Globes, SAG, and such, I have no doubt that Boardwalk Empire will also clean up at this summer's Emmy Awards. It was a very good first season, but I need more out of this show next season for it to crack the top ten.

11. Dexter- (11) Sundays on Showtime
It was a tough task to follow up the John Lithgow season, and although it wasn't quite as good, season five didn't disappoint. Julia Stiles had a great guest spot and Michael C. Hall was fantastic as always.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

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

20. Californication- (19) Sundays on Showtime
It has been a long time since Hank Moody has graced us with his presence. In no way do I think the first few eps of this next season can live up to the great finale of season three, but the addition of some Rob Lowe will make it enjoyable enough to remain in the top twenty. Californication returns on Sunday, January 9 at 10:00 PM.

19. Parks and Recreation- (18) Thursdays on NBC

Andy and April on Parks and Rec

Has anything been more highly touted by critics lately than Parks and Rec? Well yes, Terriers has been, but the NBC comedy is a close second. After being shipped to the basement to put the terrible Outsourced on this fall, Parks and Rec comes back to a revamped NBC Thursday lineup this spring. Now in the fantastic time slot after The Office, Parks has no more excuses. Parks and Recreation returns on Thursday, January 20 at 9:30 PM.

18. Top Chef- (-) Wednesdays on Bravo
Just as the Just Desserts variety pulled Top Chef out of the Top 20, this season's All-Stars edition has propelled it back in. Even though I had previously seen only one season of the regular Top Chef (also Just Desserts and Masters in my repertoire), I can tell that most of these chefs have been some of the best of the past. Not only are they fantastic chefs, but the producers seemed to do a fantastic job picking some of the best personalities for All-Stars. Top Chef continues Wednesday, January 5 at 10:00 PM.

17. The League- (HM) Thursdays on FX
We have now gotten to the point where Jackie Boy and T-time can both breathe a sigh of relief, and get really angry. As the biggest The League fans I know, they will be happy it has finally made the Top 20, but also mad that it is not number one. Although the finale wasn't one of the show's finest half hours, Kevin's blow up after losing in the semifinals during the penultimate ep of the season was reason enough to bump it into the Top 20. The League will most likely return in the fall of 2011.

16. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia- (14) Thursdays on FX
While I didn't enjoy it as much as its FX Thursday counterpart this season, It's Always Sunny stays ahead of The League based on previous excellence. There were definitely highlights from this sixth season, my favorite in Frank's acceptance of being gay, but for the most part it was hit or miss all the way through. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia will most likely return in the fall of 2011.

15. Treme- (15) Sundays on HBO

Sonny in Houston on Treme

The New Orleans based drama by The Wire creator David Simon is set to return almost exactly a year from when it first premiered. Although the death of John Goodman's character makes me sad, I'm sure plenty of other dudes will step up in his absence. After recently checking out the first season of The Wire, I can say that these two series are both better-different. Treme returns in April of 2011.

14. Boardwalk Empire- (17) Sundays on HBO
The new series by Sopranos alum Terence Winter has been a favorite of critics all over the interwebs. In a show rich of story telling, the only thing that left me wanting more after the first season ended was in the characters. There was no one in the cast that I said, "I want to see more of this guy/gal." Buscemi is fine and Pitt is doing a great job as Jimmy Darmody, but there's no Raylan Givens type that begs you to come back for more. Boardwalk Empire will most likely return in the fall of 2011.

13. Justified- (13) Wednesdays on FX
Speaking of Raylan Givens...Timothy Olyphant's character on Justified is one of the best. He's a shoot-from-the-hip Kentucky cowboy that gets the job done. A show that really came into its own midway through its first season, I don't see Justified losing any momentum as we enter season two. With Walt Goggins getting promoted to series regular, there is no stopping it on its way to the top of the Power Rankings. Justified returns on Wednesday, February 9 at 10:00 PM.

12. Modern Family- (8) Wednesdays on ABC

Mitchell is molested by Cam's mom on Mod Fam

Early on in the second season of Modern Family, I was extremely worried it was in danger of not being funny at all in the near future. I'm glad I was wrong, because it has had some very good eps as of late. All in all though, this second season has not lived up to the fantastic first year run, and thus it falls again in the rankings. Modern Family returns on Wednesday, January 5 at 9:00 PM.

11. Dexter- (11) Sundays on Showtime
Dexter had a great fifth season. Critics can complain all they want about it being the same thing year after year, but I have two problems with that. One, it isn't exactly the same every time. Specifically, this season Dex had a great partner in crime in Julia Stiles. Two, I enjoy what that formula is. Just as many people enjoy the procedural formula of a Law and Order. I enjoy the season long formula that has become Dexter. Dexter will most likely return in the fall of 2011.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

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.

Jason Ritter as Sean Walker on The Event

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

20. The Event- (-) Mondays on NBC
Critics can hate on it all they want, but what do they know? They only get paid to know what tv is good. I'm enjoying The Event and I know must of the other Poolies are as well. It's action packed. There are plenty of twists. And there are some crazy sci-fi elements in it. A promising start to the first season. I mean it's a great possibility that everything blows up in its face, but for now I'm enjoying the ride. Jackie Boy just mentioned to me that if Michael Giacchino was scoring this series it would jump to the top. He makes a solid point, why wouldn't Giacchino score every show on television?

19. Californication- (17) Sundays on Showtime
It will be about a year and a half since we last saw Hank when Californication comes back in 2011. The series has held steady in this late teen range over the last couple of rankings, but will it stick when the show comes back? Can they live up to the greatness of that season three finale? We shall see. It never hurts to have Rob Lowe joining your cast for some episodes.

18. Parks and Recreation- (16) Thursdays on NBC
Insert generic rant and rave about Parks and Rec not being on NBC's Thursday night lineup here. As much as I enjoyed its second season, in the long run I might be happier if it never comes back at all. If only to shut up Sepinwall, McNutt and the rest of the critics who so ridiculously claimed that it was the best comedy of the season last year. Having said that, never seeing Rob Lowe in Pawnee again would be a travesty.

Adam Scott, Nick Offerman and Rob Lowe on Parks and Rec

17. Boardwalk Empire- (-) Sundays on HBO
The biggest complaint I have heard about Boardwalk Empire by the common folk is that it is too slow and confusing, and there are too many characters. Hmmm, I think they have described the starts of The Wire and Mad Men exactly. These are two of the top three praised dramas of the past 15 years. If I were to compare the three, I'd say Boardwalk Empire is much less boring than the start of Mad Men, and much less confusing with less complicated plots than The Wire. So if you're having trouble jumping in with both feet in this one, I don't understand how you can claim to have loved The Wire or Mad Men.

16. Terriers- (-) Wednesdays on FX
Finally one where I am absolutely buying the critical hype. Terriers is loved by the pros, but is hurting in terms of ratings. It definitely is in trouble of not getting renewed for a second season and that would be a darn shame. Donal Logue and Michael Raymond James as private detectives in San Diego is a great show to watch. It has some nice long running story lines and plenty of great stand alone plots on a week to week basis. The dynamic between Logue and Raymond James, who are best friends in real life, is a pleasure to watch on the screen. If you're not watching this, you should be.

15. Treme- (19) Sundays on HBO
After watching the first season of The Wire for the first time this summer, I've somehow moved Treme way up in my Power Rankings. I have high hopes for the second season come this spring. If Treme didn't have as unbelievable a story arc as The Wire's first season, it might have had better characters. Between Davis, Creighton, Big Chief and Antoine there were four studs right there that were hard to compete with. Spoiler alert, Creighton won't be back next season, but I'm sure a few newbies will be on the scene to pick up the slack.

14. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia- (10) Thursdays on FX

Sunny takes a bit of a drop as the opening to the season hasn't been that strong. It certainly didn't help by the fact that I knew Dee was pregnant and I could help but stare at her fat belly the entire time. They were trying to hide it behind outfits and obstacles, but it didn't work. I was distracted, but Frank's "Two dudes getting married, that doesn't seem very gay" gives you a lot of room to work with before you can drop off too far.

13. Justified- (14) Tuesdays on FX

Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens

So last week T-time tweeted this: "Is it wrong that the commercial for Justified is the best thing I've seen on tv all fall?" And I have no problem with his statement. I got as excited by that commercial than by any episode of Sons or Chuck this season. Sure, trailers have an easier time of building excitement, but Raylan Givens? Plus that haunting tune by Lissie? I already downloaded her album to hear more of that song. The only thing that has me a tad worried is that they killed off MC Gainey's Bo Crowder at the end of the first season. Walton Goggins getting bumped to series regular? Best move you could've made.

12. 30 Rock- (-) Thursdays on NBC
After falling out of the rankings last season, 30 Rock jumps way back up after a great start to the year. I feel like they've really just gotten back to what works. A lot of laughs from Tracy, no Jack relationship drama, Jenna not being as crazy, and Dr. Spaceman every once in a while.

11. Dexter- (9) Sundays on Showtime
A solid start to the fifth season, but nothing has me that excited so far. I continue to hate on LaGuerta and Batista, but the rest of the crew is fine. The switch in showrunners hasn't been very noticeable to me. Everything seems like business as usual, except there doesn't seem to be a single big bad thus far. I realize that season three didn't quite have that either, but Jimmy Smits's Miguel Prado was kind of Dexter's main adversary. Could that be Quinn and his investigation into Dexter? We'll see.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

Rick Moonen guest judges on Top Chef

Here we go with some of my favorite series currently on television. Here we have numbers 20 through 11 on the Quiet Pool Perspective's September Power Rankings. We have one new edition and a couple of big slippers. Enjoy.

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

20. Top Chef- (HM) Wednesday on Bravo
This is just quality reality television. The contestants don't get as in depth a look as some of the other greats, so I haven't loved or hated any of them as much as Big Bro or Survivor peeps, but the challenges are great. Each week it's something new. Through two seasons of watching, I have never gotten mad at this show, which is the main reason it took American Idol's spot in the top 20.

19. Treme- (18) Sundays on HBO
Treme came out with a good first ten episodes last spring. I wasn't left that excited, but I enjoyed every hour that I watched. I'm looking forward to seeing if they introduce anyone new after the major character that we lost at the end of the first season.

18. Sonny With a Chance- (19) Sundays on Disney Channel
Without a doubt my current favorite on Disney. Demi Lovato has shot up the charts for best leading ladies on television. Her comedic moments are so much better this season. Add that to Sterling Knight and the improvement of fat Grady and you got yourself a ridiculously fun sitcom.

Hank Moody doin' work

17. Californication- (17) Sundays on Showtime
A pretty long hiatus for the David Duchovny dramedy. I'm looking forward to the appearance of Rob Lowe next season. There's no way he'll be as funny as in Parks and Rec, but he could just be in a groove right now.

16. Parks and Recreation- (16) Thursdays on NBC
Speaking of the NBC comedy...Parks won't be back until mid-season because they needed to leave room for the God awful looking Outsourced. The addition of Adam Scott and Rob Lowe have me extremely excited for its return.

15. Survivor- (14) Wednesdays on CBS
A couple of great seasons last year keep Survivor near the top. Can they continue this run? Will some people tune in just to see ex-Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson? I know I'm looking forward to seeing the hair get messed up in Nicaragua.

14. Justified- (15) Tuesdays on FX
Justified had a great first season, with the second half picking up steam to what was a fantastic finale. Timothy Olyphant, as Raylan Givens, has created one of my favorite characters on tv.

Russell with a beautiful vase

13. True Blood- (8) Sundays on HBO
And so we get to the biggest faller of the September Power Rankings. As Larry said to me a week or so ago, "they think that good tv is just the craziest sh*t you can think of." I mean I'm a fan of crazy, but to a certain point. When that's basically all you're giving me, I get fed up with it. My biggest problem with this season of True Blood is that every episode just runs together. I can't pick out a single episode by name, number or even event. Russell has been on and off for me, and in no way a decent replacement for Maryann as the big bad of the season.

12. The Office- (9) Thursdays on NBC
Another big dropped even though it hasn't been on since the last rankings. I'm having some residual bad feelings towards the last season of The Office. Maybe I didn't like it as much as I thought, or maybe it's because Alan Sepinwall and company repeatedly tell me that it was an awful year for the NBC comedy. Either way, this next season should be interesting as we watch to see who will take Steve Carell's place as the main man.

11. Mad Men- (13) Sundays on AMC
Mad Men is a show that can be extremely boring for some. As it was for me when I first started watching. Now whether it's because I'm writing about every episode, or it has just gotten significantly better, Mad Men is now so very interesting to me. There's something about writing about every little detail of a show that will cause you to either love it or hate it. In this case it is the former. The other thing is that after three and a half seasons, it's much easier to get involved in the goings on of these characters.

The Lily Finnerty Award- Worst Character Comedy

Named For: Lily Finnerty played by Linsey Bartilson in Grounded For Life
Awarded To: The character you love to hate in a comedy series from
June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
Last Year's Winner: Toby Flenderson- The Office

Place. Character (Show) Points (My Vote)

10. Timmy (Rules of Engagement) 4 points

9. Glen Quagmire (Family Guy) 6 points

8. Curtis (Gary Unmarried) 8 points

7. Jim Halpert (The Office) 9 points (5th)

6. Nico Harris (Sonny With a Chance) 9 points (3rd)

5. Toby Flenderson (The Office) 12 points

4. Richard Lewis (Curb Your Enthusiasm) 15 points (4th)

3. Britta Perry (Community) 18 points

Runner-Up
2. Mark Brendanawicz (Parks and Recreation) 25 points (1st)

and the Poolie goes to...
1. Susie Greene (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
30 points (2nd)

Here with his thoughts on Susie Greene is Poolie voter, Jaydon...

The essence of Curb Your Enthusiasm boils down to Larry David dispatching doses of his special brand of misanthropy to everyone he meets. The show has a consummate cast of regulars that can be dichotomized as either sounding board support systems of Larry’s machinations or antagonistic victims of Larry’s ornery enmity. In the former camp are characters like Larry’s best friend and manager Jeff Green and the hilarious homesteader, Leon Black. The latter camp includes virtually everyone else on the show but most prominently Larry’s fastidious frenemy Richard Lewis; frequent victim Marty Funkhouser; and his arch nemesis, Jeff’s wife, Susie Green. Each character responds to Larry’s eccentricities in different ways. Richard is prone to neurotic befuddlement, Funkhouser is often argumentative but subdued and Susie can best be described as a raging, shrill, foul-spoken harpy.

As fans of the show, we live for the moments where Larry selfishly violates the social order to suit his zany worldview. We love to hate Susie because she’s that one person who can jolt Larry back in line. It’s fun to see Larry fearfully beholding Susie’s bilious rants with a shell-shocked look on his face. The Larry vs Susie face offs frequently end with her demanding that Larry depart from the Green household. Before she gets to that, Susie is known for catchphrases like “You four-eyed f*ck” and “F you Larry”. That second rejoinder is especially popular with most Poolie voters as a part of our disdain for Connecticut gingers.

In this past season, Susie was less involved due to the Seinfeld reunion arc. The rivals managed to butt heads several times anyway. There was the kerfuffle about Larry’s abhorrence of Susie’s pre-teen daughter’s warbling singing voice. LD requested that Sammie cease singing at a cocktail party which set Susie off a tad. It wasn’t until the next morning when Larry groggily woke up to Sammie’s singing and bellowed an emphatic STFU that Susie really got serious and delivered an equally potent GTFO to Larry. Larry’s treatment of Sammie came up again when he delayed in rescuing her from drowning by attending to the infinitely more important safety of his blackberry and its phone numbers. Susie was quick to hurl the phone into the sea, causing some sublimely awkward shenanigans for Larry with two wheelchair bound ladies at a subsequent party. Apparently you can’t replace a wheelchair Denise with a Wheelchair Wendy, even if you lose Denise’s number.

There were two other minor but memorable moments. Larry horrified Susie by exposing that he wore panties in an elaborate cover for Jeff’s adultery. He also accused her of not respecting wood.
We don’t love Susie Green, in fact, she’s the worst, but we love what she brings out in Larry.

Check out this Larry vs Susie best of video. Clashes include the aforementioned wood respect business and other issues involving Sammie’s sobriety, a decapitated doll’s head, stolen dogs, answering the phone at dinner, the refusal of house tours, a lack of gratitude over a Lyme disease diagnosis and taste in garish t-shirts.

by Jonathan Stuart

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

The Quiet Pool Power Rankings continue with my 11th through 20th favorite shows. A few new series made the cut this time around thanks to the end runs of a couple long timers.

20 Through 11

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

20. American Idol- (15) Tuesdays on FOX
A lackluster season combined with the loss of Simon Cowell doesn't give anyone high hopes for 2011 Idol.

19. Sonny With a Chance- (-) Sundays on Disney Channel
A fantastic recent two part episode, 'Falling For the Falls' sky rocketed Sonny to the top of my Disney standings. Demi Lovato is cracking me up left in right in this comedy.

18. Treme- (HM) Sundays on HBO
I'm really starting to really warm up to many of the characters in the Treme, and unlike most of the stuff I wrote about the season one finale, the show itself is growing on me.

17. Californication- (-) Sundays on Showtime
Hank Moody comes back to the air soon and apparently they'll be shooting a movie for Hank's new book. Sounds good.

16. Parks and Recreation- (17) Thursdays on NBC
Yeah they snagged Adam Scott from Party Down, but what really gave this show a jump up near the end was the addition of Rob Lowe. Let's get him signed to full-time status already.

15. Justified- (20) Tuesdays on FX
Fantastically explosive finally for Raylan and his merry crew. Positive outlook for next season is that Walton Goggins is now a regular castmember. Negative outlook? MC Gainey's Bo Crowder got shot to death.

14. Survivor- (14) Wednesdays on CBS
Every time it's a different game. It continues to shift itself over the years. When it comes back in the fall with a regular group of contestants, my tune might change.

13. Mad Men- (13) Sundays on AMC
It has been quite a long layoff. The fourth season starts up soon and here's hoping that it's as good as the end of season three.

12. Big Brother- (11) Summers on CBS
My favorite reality series is returning soon for the summer. The cast can't be as terrible as it was last season with the likes of Natalie, Chima and Ronnie.

11. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia- (-) Thursdays on FX
After shooting through seasons one through three, and then skipping four to catch up five before the Poolies, the Gruesome Twosome, the Dynamic Duo and Sweet Dee have me wanting more.

NBC Upfronts- Gut Reactions

Oh NBC, how you are the current laughing stock of John Q. Public. Because of the Jay Leno Show disaster that was the 2009-10 season, the Peacock has a ton of new shows set for next year. Let's take a look at how it all shapes up.

Canceled: Heroes, after a terrific first season, has failed to churn out anything of quality since and has finally gotten the axe. Thank God, because I was too invested to stop watching, and it was killing me to watch such garbage. The original Law and Order is finally off the air, while Mercy and Trauma didn't make it past one season.

Returning: Despite all the trash talk, NBC has a lot of quality programming returning to its lineup. All four Thursday comedies are back for the first time in a while, but Parks and Rec has been sent off to mid-season to leave room for a terrible-looking new sitcom. Chuck is back for what I bet is its last season, while Parenthood will get a second year and Friday Night Lights' final season will get run off some time in the spring.

New Shows

With the multitude of newbies on NBC's plate, there are four that I will give a shot at early on. The Event seems to be the only one that they are showcasing at this point that could be good. It stars Simon Elder from Dirty Sexy Money as the President and is pretty confusing as to what it is actually about. There's an assassination plot, a kidnapping and a CIA cover-up in the trailer so it seems pretty exciting.

I also really like the looks of The Cape. Anything that eerily resembles Batman Begins is worth a look in my book. The main character is framed for murder, fakes his own death and then trains to fight crime as a vigilante in a crime-filled city. Awesome.

And on the comedy side of things, The Paul Reiser Show looks good. I never watched Mad About You, but this Curb Your Enthusiasm-type show shows promise with its trailer. I will also give Perfect Couples a try.  The only notable is Janice from Flash Forward, but the character that likes to leave rooms with his own depressing music seems golden.

Then there are a couple that are in limbo for me. Outlaw is airing on Fridays, but it stars Jimmy Smits as a retired supreme court justice turned renegade so it could be decent. Friends with Benefits seems to be a sort of sitcom starring Kyle from Party Down and Daneel Harris so it could be decent, but the trailer doesn't make it seem that funny.  The Undercovers is a spy show from JJ Abrams.  It is about a married couple a la Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

And then there are a bunch of new shows that don't look good. Love Bites seems to be a mess of a romance show at this point. Another Law and Order, this time in LA. The Chase and Harry's Law are standard cop and law shows, respectively. And then there is Outsourced, which is taking Parks and Rec's spot in the fall and looks absolutely terrible.

Thursday Comedy- Guest Starry Night

Because there's never that much to talk about when it comes to comedies, I like the idea of reviewing all of NBC's Thursday night shows in one post. Last night was finale time for comedy night done right, and who came up big? The wily old veterans that's who. In a season in which The Office and 30 Rock are getting trashed (somewhat by me, but mostly be critics other than Tim Goodman), both stepped up to the plate and out did the up-and-comers known as Community and Parks and Rec.

Community
Two things held it back this week for me. The abundance of recurring characters that returned for the finale kind of took away from the stars that we should have following more closely as the season came to a close. I really don't need to see Vaughn, the British professor, or John Michael Higgins seizing the day, if it means that I get much less of Abed and Pierce. Which is exactly what happened.

The other thing was how much sappy romantic stuff there was. As Alan Sepinwall loves to complain about, the Jeff/Britta thing was terrible for this show and it definitely hurt it again tonight. The whole scene at the Tranny Dance when Jeff was caught between Slater and a Buzzkill was terrible. That is until the entire crowd started getting in on it. Now that is the type of stuff we watch Community for. The crowd yelling out, "Team Britta!" or "Bring Conan back!" was hilarious.

Parks and Recreation
I definitely haven't turned to the dark side yet, but Ron Swanson is definitely getting better in the last few episodes. He's being much less like Ron Swanson, that's what's better about him. If his character can continue this turn around into someone who hates on city government openly and giddily, instead of quietly and boringly, I'll enjoy him much more.

Through two episodes with guest stars Adam Scott and Rob Lowe and the latter is stealing the show. Again, Scott is being completely under-utilized as a dull straight man, considering the hilarious comedy chops he showed in Step Brothers. Lowe's character reminds me of his Benjamin from Wayne's World on cocaine. Between his "goal to run to the moon," pointing at Ann Perkins every time he sees her, and telling Ron to "focus up buddy" when he stopped massaging for two seconds, Lowe's Chris should definitely stick around in Pawnee.

The Office
Michael Scott absolutely held this season together. Last night that didn't change, he continued to shine the brightest, but everybody else seemed to step their games up as well. The cold open was again good with a great moment of Michael hating that the baby otter video was being watched over his, and then obviously gave into the cuteness and couldn't turn away from the screen while watching it. I also loved that his plan for punishment was make them work...and pay them...and give them their Christmas bonuses.

There was good Kevin stuff, we finally got an awesome Creed moment and Ryan was on point with his Woof bit. I love that he had a "woof on line one." And to boot, Jim didn't make me want to punch him in the face. He wasn't funny, a la the early seasons when he ragged on Dwight constantly, but at least he wasn't detestable like he's been the rest of this season.

30 Rock
Now maybe because it's because he is a two-time Oscar nominated actor, but boy did Matt Damon make his straight man guest starring role on 30 Rock look Oscar-worthy in comparison to Adam Scott on Parks and Recreation. Then again, maybe it was the writing by this once fantastic group at 30 Rock. It's hard to make lines like "Does that sound like more fun than me eating alone at the LaGuardia Chilis?" not hilarious. But then again Matt Damon did have a way of making it funny that he wished he had a terrorist on his plane, so I don't know.

The scene in which the loud music was playing and you couldn't hear Jack's voice was classic 30 Rock silliness without the complete weirdness they've had lately. The only man sitting there with a stereo? Great gag. That being said, I hope the whole Jack deciding between women thing is over because that got old half a season ago. We need new stories for Jacky D and quick.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

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 May 2010 version looks like.

20 Through 11

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

20. Justified- (-) Tuesdays on FX
I haven't gotten a chance to post about an episode of Justified since the premiere (because Idol and Lost take up my time on Tuesday and Wednesday), but it has been very solid early on. None have been as good as the first ep. The semi-procedural nature of the show is a nice change-up for me. Just like The Mentalist and House, Justified works as a great procedural because of how good the main character is.

19. Jonas- (HM) Sundays on Disney Channel
The Jo Bros finished up their first season of television in March with a fantastic finale chock full of musical performances. All three guys bring a certain Zack Morrisian charm to the show, right down to the words and glances to the camera. People can rant and rave about Glee all they want, but Jonas is the best musical comedy on television.

18. 24- (13) Mondays on FOX
Oh how the mighty have fallen. I'm not one of these guys who's gonna write a show off just because it does the same thing over and over (like many critics out there). I can appreciate the repetitiveness of a 24 when it's doing it well. Last season they did it well. Whether it was the reintroduction of Tony or the fact they were working with the FBI and not CTU, it was a great season. This year they've taken a nose dive and it's sad that they'll be going out on a bad note.

17. Parks and Recreation- (20) Thursdays on NBC
I can't imagine what the addition of Adam Scott to this rising comedy is gonna do. I know I might be a bit biased, because I absolutely loved his character Derek Huff on Step Brothers, but I think the show would be better suited if he played closer to that character than his Party Down character. His dry, down-on-his-luck Henry Pollard works for Party Down because everyone around him is so outrageous, but on Parks you already have April and Ron that fill the quiet comedy assassin roles. We need somebody to come in and tell all of these people how dumb they are. Cue Derek Huff.

16. The Mentalist- (18) Thursdays on CBS
Patrick Jane's sarcasm goes a long way, but it's been the extra effort of Kimball Cho that keeps The Mentalist in the rankings. Yes it's a straight procedural, but every once in a while you need one of those to keep things light. The supporting cast has been great this season, especially Cho, who got an entire ep dedicated to him and his gang related past earlier in the year.

15. American Idol- (12) Tuesdays on FOX
Did American Idol just drop down to my third favorite reality series? It's a sad state of affairs, but how can you blame me? The competition this season has been lacking, the judges continue to get on my nerves, and even Seacrest hasn't been on his game this year. The early eliminations of Lilly Scott and Did Benami didn't help the cause. Maybe it is a product of the majorly boring episode we endured this week, but I'm glad X-Factor will be around soon to spice things up.

14. Survivor- (17) Thursdays on CBS
In my opinion, you should have to watch the Life at Ponderosa webisodes on CBS.com if you watch Survivor. It really gives you the full effect of the season. The bittersweetness that exudes from each contestant that gets voted off is breathtaking to watch. They get to stuff their face with great food, shower away the disgust, and sleep in an actual bed. But then again they lost, so they are deeply saddened at the same time. Great stuff. Oh and by the way this has been a great season of back stabs.

13. Mad Men- (15) Sundays on AMC
I think Mad Men moves up just based on folk lore. When I watch the show it moves down the rankings, and when it's not on it Mad Men moves up. Credit all of the tv blogs and podcasts that continue to claim that it is one of the best shows on television. I still don't see it that way, but if it's not always super entertaining, the superb quality of the series needs to get credit.

12. 30 Rock- (14) Thursdays on NBC
James Poniewozik said that "sometimes it's just worth taking note of what an effortlessly weird show this has become." And I agree completely. I thought at first that 30 Rock had gotten really bad this season, but I might have mistaken bad for weird. Don't get me wrong, it's still not where it used to be, but it's just oh so weird now. Everything is completely over the top, and my memory may be failing me but I don't remember it like that in the beginning.

11. Big Brother- (11) Summers on CBS
The more I watch Idol and Survivor, the more I realize how great the Big Brother season is. There's something so refreshing about relaxing in the summertime heat and watching people fight with each other three times a week. We had a terrible cast of awful human beings this season and it was fantastic. Imagine if they get some dudes I would enjoy watching!

Laugh, Laugh, Revolution

April Ludgate- "Life is a picnic...with you."

Andy Dwyer- "That could be about a girl...or Peyton Manning."

Amongst my wide range of friends and aquaintances, The Office has been renowned as the comedy to watch over the past five years. Since Curb Your Enthusiasm is on HBO, and therefore unavailable to some people, you had to watch The Office to be in on all the best jokes in current pop culture.

When 30 Rock began three years ago, there was then two comedies that were cool to watch. The really interesting thing about this 2009-10 season is that there have been three new sitcoms that have outdone both the rising star (30 Rock) and the current king of comedy (The Office). Modern Family, Community and Parks and Recreation have all been fantastic this year. The Office and especially 30 Rock have been less than stellar. Now that may be because they are just getting stale. 30 Rock's only in season three, but we've known these Office characters for six years now and it could be the lack of freshness that is holding them back this year.

Two years ago, I think ABC's only sitcom was Cavemen. Now Modern Family leads a group of three that are doing very well (The Middle and Cougar Town). This week's episode went back to its best attribute, which is getting unusual pairings of this large family together. The Dunphy clan stayed in tact, while Jay and Cam switched partners for the ep (Jay, Manny and Mitch go star gazing as Cam and Gloria eat spicy foods).

The kids carried this ep for me. Although it was no surprise that Manny was one of the two best performers of the night, I am pleasantly surprised at how hilarious Luke is getting. Between him not knowing how 'sound reducing headphones' work, "Everyone is stupid...except me!" and turning his heartfelt voiceover into a PSA about aliens attacking the earth, "Wake up people, we're next!" he was 100% on his game this week.

Modern Family is easily the frontrunner for best new comedy, but it's crazy that we've had two first year shows that have done this well publicly and critically. Community has been my favorite show on NBC's comedy block week in and week out. Is that because these characters are fresh, and I'm getting to see a different style of comedy? Maybe.

Although he is the star of the show, Joel McHale as Jeff Winger is somewhat of a straight man here. He creates his own comedy at times, but is mostly there to help Abed, Pierce and more and more, Troy get the job done. I've long praised the work of Chevy Chase and Danny Pudi in their respective roles, but recently Troy is really growing on me.

Others (especially Rizzo) have loved him since day one, but this week's ep was a definite highlight for the former football player. Can we all take a minute and realize how hilarious his no-snake in the can prank was? "Lookin' for something?" Between that and him comparing Britta to a vampire, he was on his game early. "You're more of a fun vampire. 'Cause you don't suck blood, you just suck."

Which brings me to another reason why Community has been great. I haven't gone back and watched any of the first episodes, but I feel like they were trying to make Britta out to be cool. Recently the characters have been emulating me, by bagging on Britta any chance they get. Whether it is making fun of her for how she said Bagle a few weeks ago, or telling her she's a complete buzz kill last night, we've all realized how fun it is to hate on her.

Now it's not brand new, but Parks and Rec's first season was not good at all, so I lump it in with the first timers. Unlike Sepinwall, I don't think it's been close to the level of Modern Fam or Community, but I'd put it ahead of 30 Rock and slightly ahead of Office or right on par with it this season. A vast improvement from its first year.

The major reason for its improvement, the larger roles of Andy and April. Not only one of the best quasi-couples on television, but are both fantastic individually. Chris Pratt was being ridiculously underused early on as he just sat in Ann's house with a broken leg. Getting him involved in the city government issues was a great move. And then there is April who has taken on the Jim Halpert role of camera looks, only her eye rolling is miles better than Jim's smirk face ever was. She also adds gems like this from last night, "Can you photoshop your life with better decisions Jerry?"

T-time sees one of the problems with the show being that the auxilary characters just aren't funny or interesting. Unlike Kevin or Creed on the Office, Jerry and Donna just bring nothing to the table. The thing is that I'd be fine with that if a couple of the main characters were better. Ron and Tom are basically the male leads, and as much as my man Sepinwall loves Ron Swanson, I can't say that he's made me laugh out loud once this season.

Tom, on the other hand, is completely hit or miss. Within last night's episode, he completely bombed with the racoon bit in the beginning, but then killed it at the end with his massive criticism of Ann at the photoshoot. Adam Scott, if given a big enough role next season, could push this show over the top to compete for the top spot amongst the comedies.

It should be interesting to see who wins the Seinfeld Award at this year's Poolie Awards. The favorite has to be Curb, but with all the new competition anything as possible (not in the Kevin Garnett voice).

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

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.

20 Through 11

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

20. Parks and Recreation- (HM) Thursdays on NBC
The Office copycat makes the top 20 for the first time due to the continued strength of Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer, the emergence of April Ludgate as a great female character, and a couple of great guest spots in Fred Armisen and Will Arnett.

19. Flash Forward- (17) Tuesdays on ABC
Most of the Poolie voters seem to like this catastrophic drama more than I or anyone else I read does, but it ideology and potential keep in in the top 20. After a long hiatus let's see if the switching of showrunners (twice?) points it in the right direction.

18. The Mentalist- (19) Thursdays on CBS
Still my favorite procedural out there. Patrick Jane all but matches Greg House step for step, but it is the quality of the minor characters and storylines that put it over the top.

17. Survivor- (15) Thursdays on CBS
It was hard to move up after the ending of last season, so Survivor drops a few spots. I'm more than sure that the original reality series will slide back up the rankings as Heroes vs. Villains continues.

16. 90210- (14) Tuesdays on The CW
They continue to shuffle in and out horrific actors and plots that aren't much better, but it is the nod to the original 90210 that keeps me hanging on. If anything, Annalynne McCord as Naomi Clark is worth checking it out all by herself.

15. Mad Men- (11) Sundays on AMC
The third of five straight shows that moved back in the rankings. Mad Men's move has more to do with the addition of Sons and Breaking than its own merits. The 1960s drama doesn't compare to all the critical praise it receives, but it's still a very good show.

14. 30 Rock- (7) Thursdays on NBC
Tina Fey and crew are really making me wonder if 30 Rock ever was as good as I thought it was. I guess it will have to wait until I check out a few eps from seasons past before I can make that judgment. I do know that this season has been lackluster at best.

13. 24- (6) Mondays on FOX
I huge fall for the real time action series. As was talked about in the second episode of the Quiet Poolcast, this season just isn't doing it for me. Yeah I know many people have tired of 24's ways, but I have enjoyed it throughout. Maybe it's just Dana that is ruining it for me.

12. American Idol- (12) Tuesdays on FOX
There might be only a couple of shows that I get as excited for as American Idol. It doesn't move up the rankings though, because it also has the tendency to let me down. The first week of live shows was a complete disaster.

11. Big Brother- (9) Summers on CBS
I wish that Big Bro got the two seasons per 12 months treatment that Survivor and Amazing Race get from CBS, but then again three episodes per week in the summer is also a pleasant way to spend July and August.

Comedy Night Done (Almost) Right

You have not had one of your best seasons to date, you leave off the fall slate of episodes with a sub-par Christmas ep, you come back from a one month, 11 day layoff and you throw up over all your viewers show a clips episode? What is wrong with the people at The Office? Last night's two hours of comedy on NBC was great in my opinion except for the glaring whole from 9:00-9:30 when they decided to show mediocre what they thought were some great clips of Office past. What it did was simply get me angry at them and have a worse impression of how this season has gone so far. Is it now an inaccurate view of the sixth season? Maybe, but that's not gonna stop me from taking it out on the Scranton people come Poolies season.

Elsewhere on what is supposed to be Comedy Night Done Right, we had great showings from all three (a bit of a first). Between Pierce's fantastically timed gay jokes at Troy's dancing on Community, Andy Dwyer single-handedly making Parks and Rec a must-watch, and 30 Rock borrowing the fictitious curse word, "vondruke" from an old Will Ferrell SNL sketch it could have been a comedic night for the ages. But no. The people at The Office had to ruin it with the most fillerific of episodes I have seen in a good while.

As I re-watched Community trying to remember all of Pierce's fantastic quotes, I realized that this episode may have been Chevy Chase's best performance since Vegas Vacation. Truly fantastic. Did he say anything last night that wasn't hilarious? I don't think so.

Pierce Quotes

• "You know when I was 30 people used to wish that I was dead to my face! That's called respect."
• "That's ridiculous. Obviously it's a guy."
• "Jerry Rice?? Ahh, I liked him."
• "Tea for two? There are five people."
• "Ohhh, plot twist."
• "Culturally, it's unacceptable, but it's theatrical dynamite!"
• "And such a creative way to tell the world you're gay."

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Honorable Mentions

As the winter hiatus is upon us, four months of the television season has passed us by. A lot has happened since The Perspective's November Power Rankings, so let's see where everyone stacks up at the beginning of 2010. These Bi-Monthly Power Rankings take into account both current and past performance. For example, although I have enjoyed Modern Family much more than 30 Rock this season, the NBC comedy stays on top of the ABC laugher because of its historical performance. Without further ado here are the Quiet Pool Perspective's January TV Power Rankings.

Honorable Mentions

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

Bored to Death- (HM) Sundays on HBO
Jonathan Ames and friends finished their short first season run a while ago and won't be back until late this year. It's hard to get a grasp on how good it really is, but what I've seen I've really enjoyed.

Californication- (20) Sundays on Showtime
Hank Moody and his girls recently finished their third season in fantastic fashion. Although Moody is a great character, the show itself isn't one that I can't wait to see week in and week out.

Eastbound and Down- (-) Sundays on HBO
Nobody knows when Kenny Power and crew will return to our television sets. Like Bored to Death, Eastbound only aired half a season to start its series run. Completely hilarious, but I'll hold back giving it higher praise until I can see them do it again.

Glee- (HM) Wednesdays on FOX
The singers come back on the air in April and will finish the season with nine more episodes. Although I hesitated at first, the dramedy/musical has won me over in a sense and I always look forward to the musical performances.

Gossip Girl- (19) Mondays on The CW
The boys and girls of the Upper East Side took a step forward this season when they highlighted Nate, Dan and newcomer Olivia, but kind of sputtered through the end of the fall season when Serena became the focus of the series.

Hannah Montana- (18) Sundays on Disney Channel
A fourth and final season will begin in 2010. Hannah has gotten better and better as Miley gets older and older. Her comic timing continues to improve, and Billy Ray has been a comic genius considering his absolute lack of acting chops.

House, MD- (14) Mondays on FOX
The story telling on House has fallen off the map for me. The season started on a high note with House in the mental hospital, telling more of a serialized story. Recently I have not looked forward to the same old procedural plots each and every week. Losing Kutner was brutal to the show and now without Cameron I don't see a return to the top any time soon.

Jonas- (-) Sundays on Disney Channel
The Jo Bros continue to rise up on my list of awesome dudes. I absolutely had my doubts going into my first viewing of Jonas, but the three brothers didn't disappoint when I watched most of the first season in marathon style one Sunday afternoon. Sure it is corny, but with my love of Danny McCoy and Las Vegas, you already knew I enjoy corny.

Parks and Recreation- (-) Thursdays on NBC
The Office-esque comedy came into its own in this, its second season. Amy Poehler has her moments, but it was the writers' ability to get Chris Pratt's Andy Dwyer into the Parks and Rec building after his broken leg healed. Now able to interact with all of the characters, Andy has proven to be a must see all on his own.

Sons of Anarchy- (-) Tuesdays on FX
The motorcycle gang action series just finished its second season on FX in December. Sure I've only experience half of the first season, but it shows so much promise that I'm giving it an honorable mention spot already. I only see Sons moving up as I continue to catch up.