Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

Although it has been three months since the last installment of The Quiet Pool Perspective Power Rankings, they will keep the Bi-Monthly moniker, because I am simply shifting everything back one month.  August, October, December, February, April, and June works better anyway.  There's that, and there's the fact that I was way too busy moving and starting a new job to post anything at the start of July.  I still don't have time to say a lot, but I do have some new rankings for y'all so take a look...

Rank. Show (Last Time, Highest Ranking) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Fringe (10, 10) Fridays on FOX
They get one final season to wrap things up in a pretty little bow.  I have no doubt that half the viewers will love the ending, and half will hate it.

9. Sons of Anarchy (9, 3) Tuesdays on FX
Last season was an improvement on season three's hiccup, but not a huge one.  It seems they may never return to the greatness of season two.

8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (5, 1) Sundays on HBO
The former number one takes a big dip after the most recent lackluster season had some time to settle in.  With no new season in the near future, it should stay here for a while.

7. Game of Thrones (4, 2) Sundays on HBO
There was just a lot of clunky story telling in season two.  They need to cut characters and storylines, or add episodes.  There was much too much glancing over arcs.

6. Happy Endings (8, 6) Tuesdays on ABC
The best comedy you aren't watching.  The male actors are hilarious but that's to be expected.  It's the fact that there are three funny ladies in the main cast that sets it apart from the rest.

5. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (7, 5) Thursdays on FX
It's going to be tough to compete with its most recent season, but I have a feeling these guys are just in a bit of a zone.  How will they make Mac being skinny again funny?

4. Breaking Bad (6, 2) Sundays on AMC
The start to this season has probably been the best ever.  With a ton of Walt/Jesse action, we have been lucky.  Hopefully they can continue the excitement throughout the eight eps.

3. Homeland (3, 3) Sundays on Showtime
I have the season two premiered queued up on my computer, and I couldn't be more excited about it.  Bring on the suspense!

2. Community (2, 2) Thursdays on NBC
It's probably going to go downhill fast without Dan Harmon at the helm, but with the cast that they have, I have no doubt it will still be funny.

1. Justified (1, 1) Tuesdays on FX
It's been a while now since Justified hasn't been the best show on television.  Somewhere in the middle of season two Justified became the gold standard.

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

It is that time again, and with the Fourth Annual Poolies only a month away, the most recent installment of the Quiet Pool Bi-Monthly Television Power Rankings could not be any more relevant.  As always, these rankings take into account current success or failure, as well as those achievements or defeats that occurred far in the past.  We now move onto those ranked 10 through 1.

Rank. Show (Last Time, Highest Ranking) green=moving up, red=moving down

10. Fringe (12, 10) Fridays on FOX
The show may have lost a bit of steam with the story starting season four, but things have more than picked up as of late, including a fantastic guest performance by Henry Ian Cusick a couple weeks ago.  The fact that Fringe got picked up for a fifth and final season next year makes me very excited that they are going to be able to end things the way they want to.

9. Sons of Anarchy (8, 3) Tuesdays on FX
The gang won't return until this fall, but the news that Jimmy Smits is going to be on as a guest star only has me more excited than usual for Sons of Anarchy to come back.  Smits was fantastic in his run on Dexter, so I have no doubt he will bring some major entertainment to this FX staple.

8. Happy Endings (9, 8) Wednesdays on ABC
Now that the gang has finished up their second season, I can't stress enough the fact that you need to catch up on Happy Endings.  It seriously has something for everyone, and for me, every single one of those somethings is gold.

Come get some with Jane, Max, and Brad on Happy Endings

7. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (7, 7) Thursdays on FX
The more I think back on this past season of It's Always Sunny, the more I realize how great it was.  All three of the main dudes had fantastic years, and even Dee, who I normally don't enjoy all that much, had some great moments in her.  The finale alone kept this show in the top ten.

6. Breaking Bad (6, 2) Sundays on AMC
How much longer can this series go on?  It has to be coming to an end sooner rather than later, and I can't wait to see how they decide to carve out the finality of this epic tale.  Will there be a new big bad in the mix, or will the Walt/Hank showdown finally come to the forefront?

5. Curb Your Enthusiasm (5, 1) Sundays on HBO
A sub-par season overall, with a number of fantastic individual efforts, Curb stays put based on its great legacy in the comedy world.  When will LD decide to make another season?  And will it compare to the best that this series has had to offer?

4. Game of Thrones (2, 2) Sundays on HBO
Thrones takes a slight dip, because unlike what I heard about the beginning of season two, this is starting slower than season one did.  I honestly think that this show would greatly benefit from a 14-17 episode season.  Sometimes it feels like they are just glancing over moments instead of digging deep.  Why not take advantage of the source material, and make each book two seasons of 10 episodes even?

3. Homeland (3, 3) Sundays on Showtime
September 30, that is when Homeland returns, and we can't wait.  The trailer is out, and it has me all excited.  How will Carrie get things done after all that happened at the end of the first season?  What about Brody?  Nazir?  The mole?  There are a lot of questions to be answered.

2. Community (4, 2) Thursdays on NBC
The NBC comedy jumps up to its highest ranking ever at the Quiet Pool.  A number of great episodes in a row will do that for a series, and between the war ep, the Blade ep, the Law & Order ep, and more, Community has had that in spades.

1. Justified (1, 1) Tuesdays on FX
The champ remains.  Justified has been number one for a long time now, and a season that backed up its stellar sophomore campaign should keep it here for a good while longer.  The question now becomes, "can they do it again?"  And "will they ever run out of steam?"

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

For my 81st post of the day, here are shows 20 through 11 of the March Power Rankings.

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

20. Dexter (17) Sundays on Showtime
I'm still holding out hope that this awful season, and the anticlimactic reveal at the end of it, haven't ruined the series completely.

19. Big Brother (-) Summers on CBS
I've missed this summer series so much that it makes its way back into the top 20.  As annoyed as I get by its contestants, it's still more interesting than most of the competitions on tv.

18. Shameless (-) Sundays on Showtime
The increased role for Steve Howey as Kevin has me thoroughly enjoying season two.

17. 30 Rock (-) Thursdays on NBC
It's been a long time since this laugher has made the power rankings, but a back-to-form sixth season will do that for you.  Jenna Maroney has been on point this year.

16. Wilfred (16) Thursdays on FX
The second season premiere date of June 28 already has me excited to watch my favorite man in a dog suit this summer.

15. Parenthood (13) Tuesdays on NBC
It hasn't gotten me as emotional as of late, but I always enjoy sitting down to watch the Bravermans.  I nice guest appearance by Kadeem Hardison a couple weeks ago didn't hurt either.

14. Survivor (15) Wednesdays on CBS
This season looks to be as good as ever, with a bunch of dudes taking out the chicks one-by-one...well except for the women winning this week.

13. Boardwalk Empire (14) Sundays on HBO
It won't return for a while, and with that finale, it's going to be tough to wait.

12. Fringe (HM) Fridays on FOX
I am still angry that I gave up on this show after seven episodes in season one.  I'm glad that I made my way back though.  It's been a fun ride, and I really hope it doesn't get cancelled this year.

11. The Vampire Diaries (12) Thursdays on The CW
The only bad thing about this underrated show is the fact that it takes such long breaks sometimes.  I wish all shows would use the cable formula of running straight through a season with no breaks.

Quiet Poolcast- The River and Luck

This weekend T-Time and I discussed the series premiere of ABC's The River and the second episode of HBO's Luck, before turning to some Over/Unders in this podcast.

Here's the timeline:

The River: 0:00 - 9:58
Luck: 10:04 - 16:33
It's Always Sunny: 16:56 - 20:52
Happy Endings: 20:58 - 22:53
The League: 22:59 - 26:02
Fringe: 26:07 - 27:46
Awake: 27:52 - 29:57

Listen Here

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Quiet Poolcast- Fringe and Justified

In hopes of turning this into a weekly thing over at TV Fanatic, I got together with T-Time to practice a podcast this weekend. We discussed the recent happenings on Fringe and Justified, before delving into a few other shows with The Name Game and The Power Rankings.

Here's a timeline of the podcast so that you can skip by shows you don't watch.

Fringe: 0:00 - 12:00
Justified: 12:10 - 20:30
The Name Game
Chuck: 21:20 - 22:50
Suburgatory: 22:50 - 24:30
Once Upon a Time: 24:35 - 25:45
Treme: 25:45 - 27:10
The Office: 27:15 - 28:00
The Power Rankings
Game of Thrones: 29:20 - 31:05

Listen Here

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Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Honorable Mentions

I recently finished listing all of my favorite shows of the year, but what about now? What shows that are still on the air are the series you all should be watching? Well that's what the Quiet Pool Bi-Monthly Power Rankings are for. In the first rankings of 2012, we will recognize the shows that have been succeeding as of late, and some that will be returning to our screens for the first time in a while this winter. First up are the honorable mentions, which are not necessarily ranked 21-30 on my list.

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

American Horror Story (HM) Wednesdays on FX
I wasn't the biggest fan of the first season of American Horror Story, but it was definitely interesting, and I can't complain about what they decided to do in the future. I said throughout the first season that there was really nowhere this story could go following the events that were occurring. Making it an anthology, almost a la The Twilight Zone, gives it enough legs to stay on the air for a number of seasons. It was surprising, though, that they didn't try to keep stars McDermott and Britton on for the entire ride.

Boss (-) Fridays on Starz
Kelsey Grammer was fantastic in the leading role of Boss. The series was extremely well made, but lacked a bit in holding my interest overall. It did help that there were only eight episodes in the first season. Also, I will watch anything with Kathleen Robertson.

Fringe (-) Fridays on FOX
I don't even want to say much here, because I am speeding through this series so quickly at this point. Starting with the pilot about 11 days ago, I am now midway through the second season. If given time, I hope to write an entire post about how much I am loving Fringe. I highly recommend catching up on this sci-fi series if you have yet to watch it.

The Good Wife (-) Sundays on CBS
After watching five episodes of the last season before the Emmys, I was impressed by The Good Wife. Now that I've seen the first half of this season, I'm much less impressed. At times I have been bored out of my mind, and there haven't been nearly enough highs to make up for those lows.

Hell on Wheels (-) Sundays on AMC
This AMC series hasn't yet turned the corner of must watch television, but Hell on Wheels has definitely been one of the better new shows of the fall. Cullen Bohannon is a fun lead character, and Common has been a surprisingly strong number two as Elam the slave.

The League (HM) Thursdays on FX
It's had its moments this season, but there is no arguing that The League was a major step down from season two this fall. It came on strong down the stretch, mostly thanks to Kevin going insane over his need to win a championship, but most of the time it missed on a lot of jokes. Sometimes it just became to crude for its own good.

Modern Family (19) Wednesdays on ABC
This is the first time Modern Family has been out of the Top 20 since November of 2009. It has been on a long and slow journey downhill since bursting onto the scene. This year has just been extremely lackluster, and I can't help but not laugh while watching it these days. Phil continues to be the highlight, but other than him and the one sentence Luke gets each week, Modern Family just isn't all that funny.

New Girl (HM) Tuesdays on FOX
Zooey Deschanel has been terrific as Jess on the New Girl, and the show is worth it just to watch her light up the screen, but the rest of the cast is really dragging it down. Schmidt is off and on, Winston has given nothing, and Nick is just the absolute worst. Just make it all Jess all the time.

Once Upon a Time (HM) Sundays on ABC
If you can look past the absolutely awful special effects, Once Upon a Time has a great start to its first season. The story telling is fun. The characters are likable. Most importantly, I can't wait to figure out the inner workings of this universe. That's something that can make a show work so well.

Next Iron Chef (-) Sundays on Food Network
If you enjoy Top Chef, you really should start watching this cooking competition. On this most recent season, the contestants were all ridiculously talented and famous. You don't get all of the terrible food that some of the awful cooks on Top Chef put on the plate, but instead, you get fantastic food by fantastic chefs that you know. And as a bonus, the winner becomes an Iron Chef and joins the pantheon of greats in America.

Poolies Watch- Sopranos Award

For this week's Poolies Watch we have the action series' that will attempt to win this year's Sopranos Award. Last year it was a three show race and in a surprise to me, Chuck took home the inaugural trophy. This year I have the same three series' at the top of the heap; Lost, Chuck and 24 (in that order), but have added True Blood following a terrific sophomore season. None of the first three have started their seasons yet and True Blood has already finished so there is currently anything going on at the top of the category.

Top of the Heap
24
Chuck
Lost
True Blood

Now in the middle of the current nominees we have a transfer, a sophomore procedural and a new budding star. Last year House was the runner-up for the Dynasty Award and now in what is a tougher category should struggle to remain at the top. The Mentalist is the only procedural cop show that I can watch every week and there is a good reason for that...the characters are fantastic. Early on in its second season, Jane, Cho and the rest have yet to disappoint and The Mentalist looks like a lock for a nomination. Flash Forward is only three eps in, but the fact that it has grabbed me and many others so quickly is a good sign. I've been reading plenty reviews with complaints about the show, but those complaints are buzz and I think any show that can create as much buzz as Flash has been, it's a good sign.

Middle of the Pack
Flash Forward
House
The Mentalist

The final three shows currently holding nominations are pretty funny. First we have the Michael Clayton (Bucs wide receiver) of television barely sticking around in Heroes. Like Heroes, Clayton wowed audiences with a fantastic first season in Tampa Bay. He got everyone's hopes up, including mine which led to me drafting him in round five of my 2005 fantasy draft, and then let everyone down with a disappointing sophomore season. Oh he's still a starter for the Bucs, but there's nothing you can do with him now, just like the super hero series that is Heroes. It's still there, and it gets the job done, but more often then not it disappoints the audience. I have high hopes for ABC's new series V and Starz's Spartacus, but if something else deserves the spot, one of these three will probably get cut.

Hanging On
Heroes
Spartacus
V

Next I'll give a nod to a few shows that may or may not be knocking on the door. Criminal Minds and CSI: Miami are the only other procedural cop shows that I can watch every once in a while. Fringe I liked somewhat, but had to give up half way through last year's first season. I know Mags and Rizzo enjoy it so it gets some love here. Dexter and The Tudors are two Showtime shows that I feel I would enjoy if I ever got a chance to watch, but sadly I haven't.

Knocking on the Door
Criminal Minds
CSI: Miami
Dexter
Fringe
The Tudors

New Fox Shows

Fringe is the fourth show created by JJ Abrams (Felicity, Alias, Lost). Like all of Abrams' shows, Fringe will have an overarching mythology. The plot centers around a research scientist, his son and a female FBI agent. Abrams said his inspiration came from a range of sources including X-Files and the Twilight Zone. Notable cast involved are Joshua Jackson and the bald black dude from The Wire and Lost (Lance Reddick).




Do Not Disturb is a new sitcom dealing with a hotel in New York City that used to be popular...sounds strangely like 'Welcome to the Captain.' Jerry O'Connell will take his second stab in two years at starring in a sitcom. His Carpoolers of ABC tanked last season, but it did not have the bonus feature of co-starring #2, aka Robert Wagner.



Hole In the Wall is an adaptation on the Japanese game Brain Wall. Basically the contestants have to arrange themselves in different ways in order to fit themselves into a hole in the wall. It sounds interesting for two episodes and then will be done.