FAVES OF 2003: The Shows

While the movies of the last year may have collectively stunk, 2003 was a banner year for television. Basic cable finally started putting out some quality shows, several network dramas came into their own and reality TV made the leap from fad to firmly entrenched TV genre. But what I really thought was interesting about TV this year was the sheer number of programs. There are so many channels with original programs and many of them have "seasons" that only last 10-13 episodes. So there was bound to be good stuff out there:

20. The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (The WB)
19. Doggy-fizzle Tele-vizzle (MTV)
18. Super-Secret TV Formulas (Vh1)
17. Playmakers (ESPN)
16. Prime Time Glick (Comedy Central)
15. The first three weeks of American Idol (Fox)
14. Reno 911 (Comedy Central)
13. Kingpin (NBC)
12. Arrested Development (Fox)
11. Platinum (UPN)
10. 24 (Fox)
9. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo)
8. Without a Trace (CBS)
7. Making the Band II (MTV)
6. The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

5. The O.C. (Fox)

Alright, I know I slammed this show on this blog after the first episode. I thought the plot wasn't compelling enough and that Ryan wasn't emotive enough to be the lead character. But then a funny thing happened on the way to Felicity-ville: the show funnier, twistier and more clever than anyone realized was possible. The seamless weaving of storylines, the balance between the parents' lives and the teens' lives, the snappy jokes at the show's own expense... it all adds up to a very entertaining show that got better as it went along. This is a guilty pleasure that I really don't feel guilty about.

4. Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central)

I really hope that this show vaults Dave Chappelle to the heights Chris Rock reached in 1997 during his emergence as the nation's premier black comic. Chappelle's Show has it all- unflinching political commentary, celebrity-skewering, race jokes, impressions and above-all consistency. When's the last time a sketch comedy show has actually been renewed for a second season?

3. Pardon the Interruption (ESPN)

I've praised this show effusively on this blog, even naming it the best show of the '02-'03 television season. Kornheiser and Wilbon tackle the sports issues of the day in an informative, entertaining matter, offering their insights with a fun spirit you don't get from other sports outlets. I have to subtract some points however, since lately they've been including too much non-sports related content on the show. Do we really need a 90-second debate on last night's episode of Average Joe?

2. Scrubs (NBC)

I really hadn't paid much attention to this comedy, now in its third season, until last summer when I started watching some reruns. After just a few episodes I was completely sold-- how could I have ignored the smartest, most hilarious sitcom on TV? Terrific acting, witty scripts off-the-wall jokes have me laughing every week. So why does NBC periodically shaft this show whenever it's doing one of its inane "Super-size nights" of Friends and Will & Grace? Scrubs is unquestionably the best thing they have going.

1. Six Feet Under (HBO)

The Fisher family story has the power, depth and humanity to make the viewer not only watch to see what happens next, but to think about why the characters make the decisions they do. With characters so well-drawn you can't help but see Nate, David, Claire and everyone else as real people that you root for and care about. Just six short months until season four...