2013's Worst Television Series and Episodes

The Worst 

I rarely put the shows that are obviously bad on this list, I would rather put the shows who have fallen from grace, jumped the shark or shows in their first year who tried too hard to be "great" rather than just finding quality writing.  In fact every major network got a lump of coal in their stocking, including one pay cable show.  I honestly hate doing a "worst" list, but some shows, are just begging for it!

1-Dexter (Showtime)

This list has the opposite of the best list.  The best show of the year (Breaking Bad) had one of the best closing seasons of all time, while Dexter had one of the worst, and an atrocious series finale that did not redeem things from the season.  The plot with the beginnings of the code was cool enough, but divide between Dexter and Deb was oddly handled.  While some shows can have a season that has a ho-hum business as usual season this show always was best when it pushed the envelope, like with Trinity.  This was one of the most uneven shows I have ever watched, even last season had rebounded, but this season fell flat, and (SPOILER) Dexter throwing his sister in the sea with all his other victims proved the writers just went along with the motions and the constant changing creative minds can ruin a show. End rant.

2-Family Guy and The Simpsons (tie-FOX)

Brian Griffin died, and he's apparently coming back to life.  Well the creative team behind this show needed people to start talking about this show again in some capacity, and it got the twitter buzz it wanted, but people moved on, something FOX should do, let go.  This show just is not funny any more.

Speaking of shows that need to be put out of their misery, The Simpson's is another animated series, which needs to be put out of its misery.  I watched this years Halloween episode, the intro directed by Guillermo del Torro was awesome, but the rest of the episode felt like it was made 20 years ago without the laughs.  Terrible, time to end! 

4-The Millers (CBS)

A show with so much talent, Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, Beau Bridges, and Jayma Mays wasted.  This material for this show is terrible, CBS's number one comedy is number one because of its placement on Thursday nights, why change the channel, oh that's right because this show like their other crap Thursday show Two and a Half Men is dumb.  This is honestly the best I can do to describe this show, this write up is as simplistic as this show.

5-1600 Penn (NBC) 

Putting Bill Pullman back in the White House seems like a slam dunk, right?  I mean he helped stopped those aliens in the film Independence Day so he should be able to help save an NBC comedy.  Wrong!  This was NBC's worst new comedy last year, but the talent was there.  Josh Gad was directed poorly, and while Jenna Elfman had her funny moments she could not help save this show.  Comedy and politics has worked a lot recently, but this show was a big fat 00.

The Worst Episodes

1-Dads-"Pilot"

Beyond the racism, of the Asian assistant this pilot set in motion a show that almost made the worst list, it would be number 6 above.  The episode itself tries too hard, and guess what characters in real life can't be made like able the way they are set up in Family Guy.  This was just the biggest piece of garbage.

2-Dexter -"Remember the Monsters?"

One of the worst series finales of all time, and that includes my anger towards the fade to black in The Sopranos.  A massive hurricane is coming and Dexter kills someone, goes back and forth driving, toward this storm and ends up a mountain man alone without his son, leaving him with a crazy murderer he really doesn't know?  That's the plan you had from the beginning?  Awful.

3-Glee-"Shooting Star"

When this show gets heavy handed, it gets heavy handed, and this school shooting episode was just out of place.  I get why they wanted to try this, and help people cope, but this was a clunker, and just proves this show needs to be put out of its misery.  (World be number 7 on the list above).

4-Community-"History 101"

The build up from the stars of this show, talking about Community with Dan Harmon was their undoing.  This was an overstuffed episode that tried too hard, and did not get Community.  I hope Dan Harmon makes season four a dream.

5-Mad Men- "The Crash"

I know some people will yell at me for this (my friend Keith), but I hated this episode.  Don and the office on amphetamines? This reminded me of when The Sopranos attempted their trippy stuff, this worked better because of the era, but this episode felt odd, and out of place.  The exposition on Don's past was all that was need, not a trip gone wrong, to make the episode feel just off.

Travels with Kevin Part 14: The City of Brotherly Love (from SCOTUS to Canceled Television Shows)

These past few weeks, I have been outside of the world of popular culture traveling to visit friends, and going to a work conference.  I have not had as much time to go to the movies, and had to catch up on any of my summer shows through my TiVo.

A a few weekends ago I went to visit my friend Dominic in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.  The slogan of the city resonated even more because it was Pride.  Philly was a blast, and Dominic is a great friend.  I watched his softball team play, we drank a lot, ate a lot, everything a vacation should be and more.  Visiting Philly helped continue my tradition of going to a different city for Pride every year. My first Pride was in New York City, then Columbus, then Boston and St. Louis, and finally Philly this year.  My goal is either DC or Chicago next year. As I look back at the fun times in Philadelphia, and Pride itself it has made me me think about what is going on in the country at the moment, and a bit of popular culture.

Any day now the Supreme Court will be ruling on two major cases for LGBT folks, one pertaining to a challenge of Proposition 8 in California, and one pertaining to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  Both of these rulings will have an impact on marriage equality, but in an era when more and more states are passing legislation allowing gay marriage, could striking down either of these challenges be seen as antiquated?  I think so, but no matter which way the court rules I have faith that this country has come along way, and I believe more than ever that my nation is willing to step up to bat to protect me.  Look at Russia and the way they are treating their citizens, and many other countries in Africa, which are proposing laws called "Kill the Gays."  LGBT folks are more vocal and visible than ever before, and the United States is moving in the right direction.

In an ironic twist of fate many shows with lesbian and gay characters were cancelled this May.  This list of shows shows include the following: The New Normal, Go On, Smash, The Office, 1600 Penn, Happy Endings, Don’t Trust the B___ in Apartment 23, 90210, Emily Owens, M.D., The L.A. Complex, Partners, and Southland. 

These shows on many levels tackled issues and stories, which highlighted a diverse array of characterizations. Happy Endings did a great story in one episode where Max (Adam Pally) searched for identity within the gay community showing how fitting, or having someone to connect with matters on all levels.  The New Normal tackled gay fatherhood well, and the struggles parents face.  Go On tackled the subject of loss of a partner, and how important this can be to anyone.

With all of these shows off the air, the battle for representation continues, does LGBT representation matter?  It sure does, especially on network television where the majority of folks can access this material.  In a day when people still need role models, popular culture is an important medium to help spread the word.  I hope television can challenge themselves to work harder to keep quality programming.  I am alright with them canceling 1600 Penn and Partners (they were terrible).