End-Of-Year: Favorite 2013 TV Shows, Part 2

Sensing a pattern here as I posted Part 1 of my TV rankings more than two weeks ago, which I posted more than two weeks after I picked my acting winners. And it's already the middle of February, so without further a due...

My Top Fifteen TV Shows of 2013

15. Trophy Wife - Like Cougar Town, the title of this little-seen sitcom hides the gem within. Malin Akerman plays Kate, the titular wife to Bradley Whitford's Pete, his third wife to be exact. His relationship with his previous two ex-wives (with kids) are friendly enough that he still keeps in constant contact with them and it's this hilarious and awkward family unit that is on full display. The cast is uniformly wonderful from little show-stealing Albert Tsai to the deadpan genius of Marcia Gay Harden.

14. Doctor Who - I'm probably ranking this show a bit higher than I really think it deserves as a whole mostly because I was quite impressed by the 50th Anniversary episode, which really was the moment the show has been working towards for the past couple of years. The rest of the episodes, including the Christmas finale, ranged from meh to good to no fault of the departing Matt Smith who was game for so many things in his last few episodes.

13. Shameless - The last season aired more than a year ago and I still can't get certain scenes out of my head such as Fiona fighting to get legal guardianship of her siblings in court or Kevin having sex with Veronica's mother in an attempt to get a baby or Mickey's dad finding his son making out with Ian and the violence that follows. But it less about these unforgettable moments, which the show has in spades, and more about this talented ensemble of mostly young actors led by an exquisite Emmy Rossum that I find most worthy of praise.

12. Broadchurch - This is a perfect example of a show that was a slow and steady burn with a tight script, wonderful cast, and breathtaking production values. The whodunnit aspect  may have been the hook for the show, but it's the deft way the show handled the complexity of its grisly plot (a young boy's murder in a tight-knit small community) that impressed me. The emotionally gratifying resolution was simultaneously shocking and organic, a rare combination. It's no wonder a US remake is on the way.

11. Masters of Sex - Who knew adapting the real life work and personal lives of famed sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson would make for some compelling TV? It certainly helps that Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan are both so good as leads with the latter doing some career-best work. But as great as they both are, the show's supporting characters really does elevate the show from the heartbreaking story arcs of the elder Scullys to the more lighthearted situations with Teddy or Jane.

10. Orphan Black - Tatiana Maslany was the breakout TV star of last year for me and she is the main reason why this BBC America sci-fi show became a crossover hit. The obvious hook was seeing one actress playing multiple characters, which Maslany deftly handles, but the show also goes deeper forcing viewers to examine their notions and preconceptions of identity, family, privacy, individuality, free will, and spirituality. Oh, plus lots of bonus ass kicking.

9. In the Flesh - This three-episode British miniseries about a post-zombie apocalypse world is definitely one of the smartest and most affecting show of its kind that I've seen. Newcomer Luke Newberry is brilliant as Kieren Walker, one of the millions of former "undead" who've been rehabilitated and allowed to resume their "normal" lives. Seeing the world, in this case Kieren's family as well as everyone in his small village, react to his return was something to behold. Plus I truly loved all of the various emotional twists and turns the story took leading up to a engrossing finale I couldn't have even imagined.

8. Parks and Recreation - If the entire year just consisted of Leslie and Ben getting married, it probably would've still been in my top 10, but thankfully the show is still doling out great episodes after another featuring one of the least celebrated ensembles on TV. I've quite enjoyed seeing Leslie go through the wringer this year--fighting with her fellow representatives, going through a recall vote, working with Eagletonians, accepting the fact that Ann is leaving--as well as seeing all of the other characters grow and evolve.

7. The Americans - I thought the pilot was quite good and it just got better and better as we got more entrenched in the lives of these two KGB agents, played magnificently by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, living in secret as a married couple with kids in the height of the Cold War. There's much to love about the show such as its superb cast, its subtle period stylings, and its rocking musical score. But it's its ability to balance the cool spy stuff with its fake wigs, assassination attempts, and crazy gadgets, with the family/personal lives of the characters that really elevate the show for me.

6. Veep - My pick for my favorite new show of last year moves up the ranking delivering a sophomore season that was just as funny and crazy, if not funnier and crazier, as its first brilliant outing. This time around I wasn't as shocked at the insane things the show would have the cast, especially a game Julia-Louis Dreyfus, do but I still couldn't help but laugh. I'm just really looking forward to seeing what off-the-wall stuff they try to do next season.

5. Game of Thrones - With its sophomore season, I feared the show was already spreading itself too thin. Thankfully, the show came roaring back with its strongest season yet last year doing a much better job of juggling and mixing its myriad characters, locales, and stories. It wasn't perfect (Theon's unending torture), but a season that brought us the infamous Red Wedding with its jaw-dropping development is something to be celebrated. And that's just one of a dozen or so plot developments the show unveiled this past season that made me so excited to know what's to come that I *almost* considered starting to read the books!

4. Brooklyn Nine-Nine - A sitcom about cops on FOX starring Andy Samberg? What in the hell? Thankfully, I listened to the critics on this one and gave it a shot, because if I didn't I would've definitely missed out on such a hilarious show. Samberg plays a cocky detective who butts up against the new gay captain with a penchant of deadpans reactions played by Andre Braugher. They work SO well together, but the genius of this show is how every character and every relationship/interaction seem fully realized and most importantly for a sitcom, funny.

3. Orange is the New Black - *BEST COMEDY* *BEST NEW SHOW* I went back and forth on this and Brooklyn Nine-Nine for my top new show/comedy, but I had to give this show the edge both for breaking new ground (along side House of Cards) with its Netflix debut and for its predominantly large female ensemble. And what an ensemble it is (my favorite of the year) consisting of mostly unknowns or newcomers brimming with talent and charm. The actors and the writers together make it nearly impossible to pick a favorite character, which is a sign that you're doing something good.

2. The Good Wife - Everything I love about the show is still present--the interesting court cases, the superb ensemble, the envious roster of guest stars, the interplay between work and home--but their decision to pit Alicia and Cary against Will and Diane catapulted the show to whole new levels of awesome shifting everyone's relationships and allegiances and giving new energy to many of the characters and thus the show. The episode when Will found out about Alicia leaving the firm is one of the best, and most tense, hours of TV all of last year.

1. Breaking Bad - *BEST DRAMA* This was almost too easy. How could I not give one of my favorite shows the top spot especially after it delivered an almost pitch perfect final season? From the get go with Walter threatening Hank, you knew the last eight episodes would take no prisoners and thankfully it all lived up to the deafening hype and buzz. I watched the final season finding myself holding my breath or on the edge of my seat as Walter's and everyone else's situations got worse and worse. And yet the ending was pretty much what it should have been and I still can't believe the cast and crew of the show pulled it all off in the end. TV will have big shoes to fill.

Final Note: Netflix has 3 shows in my top 35 including one in my top 3 while other new networks on my list include FX, History, MTV, and Pivot. The network with my most shows is CBS with 5, but it only has one show in my top 15 while BBC America is second with 4 shows, all of them in my top 15, but in terms of British shows there are a whopping 6 in my list. The big winner, however, are freshman shows with a tally of 15 overall and 8 in my top 15. The future looks good!

End-Of-Year: 2013 TV Winners

Took a bit longer than expected, but here are my TV acting winners from 2013. I'll be posting my ranked list of my favorite shows in a few days. But the winners here pretty much give away my favorites shows of the past year, don't they?

Best Ensemble: Orange is the New Black
Runner-Up: The Good Wife
Other Nominees: Breaking Bad, Broadchurch, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Masters of Sex, Parks and Recreation, Veep

Looking at the shows I didn't end up picking, you just realized how many great ensemble shows there are on TV right now. This year I had to go with the largely female and kick-ass ensemble of Orange is the New Black, because it's nearly impossible to pick a favorite character from that show and they all work so well together. And The Good Wife has the best drama ensemble on network TV. No question about that. BTW last year's winner Shameless only fell because of all the new shows.

Best Actor, Drama: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Runner-Up: Luke Newberry, In the Flesh
Other Nominees: Hugh Dancy, Matthew Rhys, Kevin Spacey, David Tennant

While the other men nominated here are really quite good, especially Dancy and Rhys who pleasantly shocked me by playing against type, this award belonged to Cranston for absolutely nailing the already iconic role of Walter White in his show's final episodes. We will remember his name. Newberry is a young British actor in the little-seen, but fantastic zombie miniseries In the Flesh. I love to honor younger actors especially in genre shows and he really deserves it for what he was asked to do with the tough role.

Best Actress, Drama: Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Runner-Up: Keri Russell, The Americans
Other Nominees: Lizzy Caplan, Julianna Margulies, Elisabeth Moss, Emmy Rossum

Speaking of younger actors in genre shows, Maslany pretty much showed everyone how acting is done by expertly playing multiple clones with differing personalities. She really is the breakthrough TV star of 2013 for me and so happy for all the attention and success she's getting. Of course, there's Russell who, like her co-star, played against type and surpassed even my high expectations. Finally, the four other nominees are too fabulous for words. Margulies and Caplan debatedly gave career-best performances this past year.

Best Actor, Comedy: Matt Smith, Doctor Who
Runner-Up: Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Other Nominees: Jake Johnson, Jim Parsons, Adam Scott, Josh Thomas

This was one of the more difficult categories, because this year I didn't really FULL OUT LOVE any one of these performances. I still really, really liked all of them and definitely love certain episodes, but in general, there wasn't a name that rose to the top. In the end, I picked Smith to pay tribute to his tenure as the Doctor and Samberg as runner-up to stick up for him a bit. Many people seem to love Brooklyn Nine-Nine as I do, but still mixed on Samberg.

Best Actress, Comedy: Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Runner-Up: Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black
Other Nominees: Malin Akerman, Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sarah Michelle Gellar

This would be the third time I'm picking Poehler in just the five years I've been handing out awards on this blog and while I can totally understand people scratching their heads on my pick this year, I just needed to follow my gut. Her character Leslie went through so many ups and downs this season and Poehler navigated through it all wonderfully. Schilling was the obvious runner-up just for managing to maintain the audience's focus while being surrounded by flashier (better?) performances.

Best Supporting Actor, Drama: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Runner-Up: Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Other Nominees: Josh Charles, Jordan Gavaris, Mads Mikkelsen, Corey Stoll

Bad guys with redemptive arcs is a well-worn TV trope certainly, but it doesn't mean it's uneffective with the right actor and part and my top two proves that. Playing the humbled King Slayer, Coster-Waldau showed he's more than just a pretty face full of snark. And while Paul's Jesse had long since dropped his bad guy designation, these final episodes showing him going through hell, so helplessly trapped by his previous bad decisions, have been heartbreaking in the best way.

Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Olivia Colman, Broadchurch
Runner-Up: Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Other Nominees: Christine Baranski, Gwendoline Christie, Lena Headey, Annet Mahendru

It's actually pretty funny that Colman and Gunn are my top two picks since Gunn is actually going to be playing Colman's character in the American version of Broadchurch so you might just see Gunn here next year if she affectively delivers the same way Colman did. Of course, Gunn herself was amazing to watch this year with her character trying her best to survive amidst the chaos. The other nominees are just as amazing and wonderful, especially Mahendru who I knew nothing about before this show.

Best Supporting Actor, Comedy: Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Runner-Up: Albert Tsai, Trophy Wife
Other Nominees: Adam Driver, Nick Offerman, Jim Rash, James Wolk

I was really sad when Last Resort was cancelled last year mostly because Braugher would be off my TV, but thankfully he came back as a gay NYC captain with a penchant for the rules in Brooklyn Nine-Nine in a role that was so unexpected AND perfect at the same time. His chemistry with Samberg elevates the latter and is a key highlight for the show. Tsai in the meantime is ridiculously hilarious and watchable and not even just for his young age. Just an aside... James Wolk is super pretty. More on that below.

Best Supporting Actress, Comedy: Danielle Brooks, Orange is the New Black
Runner-Up: Kate Mulgrew, Orange is the New Black
Other Nominees: Stephanie Beatriz, Mayim Bialik, Jenna Fischer, Jane Krakowski

So I said above that it was nearly impossible to pick a favorite character in Orange is the New Black, but my top two picks here would definitely be near the top. All of the characters in that show are bigger than life, but there's something about Brooks and Mulgrew's portrayals just stick with you. Plus one of them is Captain Janeway! Finally, just a tip of the hat to Fischer and Krakowski whose shows ended this year. Wished these two superbly talented ladies were awarded more.

Best Limited Role, Actor: James Wolk, Mad Men
Runner-Up: Eddie Izzard, Hannibal
Other Nominees: Arthur Darvill, Nathan Lane, Andrew Rannells, Mark Sheppard

Wolk, who is unnaturally handsome, was the epitome of a scene stealer in this past season of Mad Men. Seemed like everyone was analyzing every word his character Bob Benson said and every outfit he wore. When we finally found out what he was up to, it was all anyone could talk about. Then there's Izzard who managed to rise to the top of sick serial killers in a show full of sick serial killers. That's a talent right there.

Best Limited Role, Actress: Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
Runner-Up: Natalie Dormer, Elementary/Game of Thrones
Other Nominees: Uzo Aduba, Cristin Milioti, Carrie Preston, Alison Wright

Finally, this is the one category where I wished I could award a 6-way tie. I'm serious. Aduba plays probably my favorite character in her show (I really love its cast if you couldn't tell) while Milioti has been such a breath of fresh air in every conceivable way. Preston is ALWAYS good be it playing the best goddamn lawyer in The Good Wife or the sassiest waitress in True Blood while Wright is such a revelation in a role that just breaks your heart. The latter you could also say for Janney who was the best part of Masters of Sex. You literally felt all of the emotions she felt and my God were there a lot of emotions. Dormer in the meantime proved in her two roles as Margaery Tyrell and Moriarty that she's pretty damn kick-ass.

As I said up top, my ranked list of TV shows will be posted in a few days. Click here to refresh your memory on my picks for Best Drama, Best Comedy, and Best New Show.

Matt Smith's Final Doctor Who Episodes

Must have been a mixed blessing for Matt Smith that the end of his tenure as the Doctor was filled with so many milestones for the series--the 50th anniversary, the 800th episode, the onset of a new cycle of regenerations. Because as awesome as it is to be the actor present for these big moments, it also means giving up some of the spotlight at a time when everyone should be celebrating you. Fortunately, the show was lucky that their lead actor has been nothing but humble as well as superbly talented enough to handle everything thrown at him. And boy did the show throw him a lot...

Starting at the end first, the Christmas special "The Time of the Doctor" was literally a buffet of all the hanging plot-lines that Steven Moffat created during his tenure as the show-runner. Now that "his" Doctor is leaving, he may have felt he needed to address them all, but even with the extended running time the explanations to the Silence, "Silence Will Fall," Trenzalore, crack in the fabric of spacetime, "Doctor Who?," etc., just felt simultaneously rushed and convoluted dragging most of the episode down. Not that I didn't appreciate them trying to explain literally everything, but a little mystery would've worked. The one plot point decision I was fine with was the regeneration cycle reset even though I still felt the execution of it was badly handled mostly due to the muddled and confusing motivations of the Time Lords.

With all of that said, Smith, even hampered by hilariously bad old-man make up for the latter half, was fantastic. He hit all of the emotional beats just right, echoing David Tennant's ability to cut through all of the bullshit in his last episode as well. The hundreds-year long siege of Trenzalore seemed as half-baked an idea as a lot of Moffat's ideas the past few years and yet there was something quite affecting seeing the Doctor stay in one place for so long (too bad we only get a montage and a time jump). Eleven's scenes with Handles (seemingly a more realized companion than Clara at this point) and his touching monologues reflecting the end are highlights as was the surprise cameo of Karen Gillan in the form of Eleven's first companion Amy Pond. A solid final episode in terms of acting from Matt, but everything else left much to be desired.

Fortunately the 50th Anniversary "The Day of the Doctor" was much more successful even with a plot that was seemingly as convoluted. It all revolved around the Time War, a universally devastating war between Daleks and Time Lords, that forced the Doctor who kill his own people for the sake of saving the universe. This war launched "New Who" and had only been revisited a few times indirectly until this episode. John Hurt played the War Doctor, a regeneration that came after Eight and before Nine. In his quest to end the war, he encountered his future selves played by Tennant and Smith. Smith was masterful here never relinquishing the lead, but always giving the others the spotlight as needed. Plus his chemistry with Tennant, as expected, was crazy good. Clara was again slightly a bit incidental to the whole thing (hoping more for her as Peter Capaldi's companion), but their decision to make Billie Piper not play Rose was inspired. Though my dream scenario would've been for The Moment to have been played by different companions, no matter how logistically impossible it would have been in real life.

The episode was chock full of homage to Classic Who complete with a surprise cameo of Tom Baker and it all seemed to work organically. Even the big polarizing reveal that the Doctor didn't really kill his own people trapping them only in an alternate universe was fine by me since I don't think that really took away to the emotional journeys taken by Nine and Ten and opened lot of possibilities moving forward (then again how they were used in the Christmas episode gave me pause). The only thing I didn't like about the episode was how lame the Time War looked. As my friend brought up, it looked Star Wars-lite. And why did it seem like the war was only being fought between the Daleks and the Time Lords on Gallifrey? What made the Time War so devastating was how wide-ranging its impact was to the entire universe. In all, I still found it quite good especially with the lower expectations I've had for Moffat.

But to end this long-winded post, I want to bring it back to Matt Smith who was the youngest actor to ever play the Doctor. His physicality, his penchant for hats, his impossible hair, his cool bow ties, and his ability to exude age old wisdom will all be missed. Geronimo!

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary

The first episode of Doctor Who aired on BBC November 23rd 1963, or 50 years ago today. It starred William Hartnell as the first of several actors to play the Doctor, a Time Lord who travels through space in time, currently being played by Matt Smith. The show is a national institution and a cultural phenomenon in its native Britain. It's the longest running science fiction television show in the world with 33 total seasons and nearly 800 episodes aired. The show ran from 1963-1989 with a TV film airing in 1996. The current incarnation of the show, which debut in 2005 and informally dubbed as "New Who," brought the Doctor and his adventures to a whole new generation.

For myself, I have only seen New Who with the Doctor being played by Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt Smith. John Hurt will be playing a "version" of the Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Special titled "The Day of the Doctor" which will air live worldwide in a couple of hour while Peter Capaldi will take over the role next season making him 12 or 13 depending on what transpires in today's episode.

Is it a perfect show? Hardly. But its longevity and cultural reach really is something to be admired. The stars is its limits. Below is "The Night of the Doctor," the prequel mini episode to the Anniversary Special starring the Doctor, though not the one anyone expected:

Weekend TV News Shockers: Community and Doctor Who

It was an unusually busy TV news day yesterday as a couple of announcement dominated my twitter timeline. First was the news that Dan Harmon was coming back to helm the next season of Community after being dismissed a year prior. Second was the announcement that Matt Smith is stepping down as the Doctor at the end of this year.

With regards to Harmon's return, it's certainly unheard of for a show-runner to come back after he was essentially fired, but perhaps this was the only logical choice that NBC and Sony had after unexpectedly giving the show a renewal for a 13-episode fifth season. After all, they tried to tinker the show after Harmon left to try to make it less niche to fit in with all of their other new "broader" comedies of the season and yet it was Community (and Parks and Recreation) who made it through the season. There was also a growing contingent of fans and critics who have been disappointed by the show's latest season, calling it a pale comparison to the "Harmon era." I liked the season more than many, but still recognize that something was off, different. Was it lacking Harmon's vision, voice? NBC is hedging their bets by thinking this way and so Harmon is back to right the ship (or at least to go down with it to the very end).

Matt Smith's departure is less shocking, but probably the news more people are talking about this weekend. After all in nerd world, this is pretty much akin to hearing a Pope announce his retirement. In a statement he gave to BBC, Smith expressed his immense gratitude in playing the iconic role:

Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.  [...] It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt.

Smith is the 11th actor to portray the Doctor and will subsequently appear in the 50th Anniversary special with the 10th Doctor David Tennant later this year. Smith's final episode will be the Christmas episode when audiences worldwide will also witness a new actor taking up the mantle as the Doctor. It is highly convenient for a show to easily change its lead actor, but doing so also creates advance buzz. Already there has been endless articles, conversations and debates on who the next Doctor will be with many hoping that perhaps this time around they cast someone who isn't white or even male. My favorite suggestion at the moment is Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, Submarine). But that's thinking ahead when I really want to stop and praise what Smith did with the role. Following Tennant's Doctor must have been daunting as Tennant had grown quite beloved even outside of Doctor Who fandom. And being the youngest actor to portray the role had its own pressures. Yet in time, Smith was able to make his unique mark on the character highlighted by his stunning ability to somehow convey age-old wisdom and weariness through his youthful demeanor. This is even funnier to me since it was his relative youth that many fans, including myself, latched onto as a cause for concern when he was first cast.

Even Dan Harmon commented on this weekend's Doctor Who news:

Curse you, Matt Smith.I haven't been this unfairly upstaged in the news since my Fall 2001 Atkins Announcement.
— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) June 2, 2013

Birthday Girl: Carey Mulligan

Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan turns 28 today and it's shaping up to being a pretty good year for her film-wise. She currently stars as Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, which has easily become Luhrmann's highest grossing film. Her second film of the year, Inside Llewyn Davis, just won the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival and is on many pundits shortlist for the Academy Awards as is her supporting role in the film.

If Mulligan does get nominated, it would already be her second time after getting a Best Actress nomination just four years ago in 2009 for An Education where audiences this side of the pond started noticing her. Since then, she's kept busy with her most daring work coming just a couple years ago with the trio of Never Let Me Go, Drive, and Shame for which I was shocked she didn't pick up more award notices. Instead, they just solidified her status as one of the more talented and sought after actress of her generation.

To me however, she'll always be Sally Sparrow. Yes, before she became all Hollywood famous, she was in one episode of Doctor Who and what an episode it was. The episode was "Blink" and it's the first time we meet the Weeping Angels. Among fans, it has become a modern classic and I myself have used the largely stand-alone episode to lure in non-fans to the show. I sometimes wish Mulligan didn't get super famous soon after that since her return to the show would have been a wish come true. I guess it's on to bigger and better for her! Happy Birthday Carey!

Doctor Who's Arthur Darvill in Broadway's Once

Apparently Broadway is on my mind as evidenced by my first post of the month as well as this post coming up. As I said yesterday, I wish I got to see more shows than I actually do. One of those shows I still have yet to see is last year's Tony winner for Best Musical Once.

Never mind that I absolutely fell head over heels in love with the film starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová and listened to the Oscar-winning song "Falling Slowly" for a million times, but from everything I've heard from other people who have seen the stage production, it's apparently quite an experience. How could it not with a stage that houses an actual working bar used for intermission and the soulful music by Hansard and Irglová? I really, really wanted to see it with the original stars Cristin Milioti and Tony winner Steve Kazee in the lead roles, but they both left the show just a couple months ago.

The silver lining, however, is that one of my absolute favorite actors in recent years, Arthur Darvill of Doctor Who fame, has been recently cast as the male lead with Joanna Christie. Apparently they were hired as some sort of British exchange program of some sort, which at least puts them geographically closer to the Irish roots of the story. I heard the news while traveling on a train with some friends and they could tell you how insane my reaction was. There might have been screaming involved. I really, really like Darvill and it looks like he's going to be New York bound for the next 9 months playing Guy in Once. You know what I'll be doing!

Hugo Awards Nominations

Just in time for the 2013 premiere of Doctor Who, which begins in about 90 minutes, the Hugo Awards have released their nominations. To refresh your memory, the Hugo Awards are given out every year since 1953 honoring "excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy." The complete list of nominations is long with categories ranging from novels, editors, graphic novels, etc. Let's take a look at their TV and film nominations this year!

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

• Doctor Who, “The Angels Take Manhattan”
• Doctor Who, “Asylum of the Daleks”
• Doctor Who, “The Snowmen”
• Fringe, “Letters of Transit”
• Game of Thrones, “Blackwater”

This is the fourth year in a row that Doctor Who has grabbed three of the five slots in this category. That's just insane. Now, I love the show and the episodes they usually nominate are damn worthy, but I wished this group was able to recognize other shows as much as they do this one. Of course, you would think this might cause some sort of vote splitting. You would be wrong. In fact, since the show's reboot in 2005, it has won every single year except one (Joss Whedon's Doctor Horrible won in 2009). So while one of those episodes will probably win, I'm rooting for the other two episodes nominated as they both feature exquisite turning points for two respected series.

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

• The Avengers
• The Cabin in the Woods
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• The Hunger Games
• Looper

I'm a tad disappointed not to see Chronicle or even Life of Pi (was that eligible?), but how can I really complain about a short list that contains 3 of my top 10 favorite films of last year? Top geek of the year, Joss Whedon, expectantly double-dipped while Peter Jackson continues his Middle Earth streak with the Hugo Awards by being nominated here after picking up the win for all three of the Lord of the Rings films a few years ago. I'm slightly rooting for The Cabin in the Woods, which surprises even myself, but there you go.

End-Of-Year: Favorite 2012 TV Shows, Part 1

I watch a lot of TV. A lot. I can't even tell you the number of shows I regularly watch, because you will probably think I need to see a specialist. All of this is just to say that coming up with a top 30 list of my favorite shows is not at all easy. Ranking them is even more impossible to the point that most of the rankings are quite truly arbitrary. This year, I've decided not to include any reality TV shows so I can make room for scripted shows. My top 10 post will come tomorrow, but for now without further a due...

30. Suburgatory - This should've been included in last year's list, but I guess I didn't realize how much I would like the show until the end of its first season making me super anxious for their sophomore season, which thankfully has kept up with the quality of its first.

29. Castle - Clearly I love the show since I'm still watching and it perhaps doesn't deserve a relatively low rank. But it's that kind of show that while I'm watching it I love it, but seem to forget when I'm not watching it. This is not a knock though on the actors as Fillion and Katic are great together, even more so now that they are officially a couple.

28. Political Animals - In some ways this show could've been much higher on my list or not at all. It was that kind of show that really felt like it was going in a bunch of directions. What truly set the show apart though was the glittering cast and while plotlines could get too insane, I just kept wanting to see what happened next.

27. How I Met Your Mother - I began this latest season with much apprehension and unfortunately nothing they've really done have allayed my fears save for Barney's proposal. But I will always be an apologist for this show, because I still truly love these characters and will stick with them through thick and thin.

26. Girls - The voice of a generation? Well, I don't know about that, but Lena Dunham did create a show with a unique voice that slowly, but surely sucked me right in. These girls' lives are a mess and I can't help but watch it all unfold.

25. 30 Rock - For me the show lost some of its freshness a couple of seasons back, but it has truly found itself again the past year especially as the show does its victory lap towards the end of the series. This show, like Jenna's whole life, is thunder.

24. Last Resort - This show had my second favorite pilot this year offering a real adrenaline rush so rare for TV that I immediately knew they would never be able to sustain it and also it would be cancelled after this season. Fortunately, they were able to sustain some of it mostly due to the cast, but unfortunately they still got cancelled.

23. Ben and Kate - I was a little lukewarm to the pilot (though I still liked it), but the more episodes I watched, the more I realized I'm going to really miss the fun sincerity these characters brought. I'm a sucker for sibling relationships also, so this hit all the spots. Plus, best theme song ever or best theme song ever?

22. The Walking Dead - Last season, spent mostly in Hershel's farm, wasn't great, but the latter half of that season ramped up the drama and stakes and kept it going through the first half of the third season that has given us a rawer, visceral experience to this zombie-filled world. Leading man Lincoln has never been better.

21. Dexter - Talk about a much improved show! Who knew all they had to do was pull the wool over Deb's eyes? The way they handled her arc this season was pretty great with Carpenter selling every "fuck" that came out of her mouth. Couple that with Dexter forcing to do some real soul-searching about his dark passenger, LaGuerta's chilling quest, and a three-dimensional villain made for a damn good season.

20. Once Upon a Time - Last year, this show barely made my Top 30, but the end of the first season focused on more interesting characters (Ruby, Mad Hatter) then orchestrated a magnificent reboot of sorts to start the second season giving more meat to previously one-dimensional characters and a much-needed urgency to the plot.

19. Revenge - This show's relative high placement is mostly due to the extreme goodwill the show built up in its freshman season with its addictive soapy drama and excellent use of Stowe and Mann. This second season has been more perplexing and just a bit underwhelming at parts even if I still enjoy the heck of it.

18. Cougar Town - How thankful am I that last season wasn't its last? I wasn't at all prepared to say goodbye to those lovable idiots most especially during the beach wedding finale that make me laugh and cry simultaneously. I just can't help but love these crazy drunks.

17. Happy Endings - I'm just going to repeat what I said last year. This show is "a piñata filled with candy and crack" and while some of the material and relationships seem a little less fresh this time around, it's all still damn addictive. Plus Hip Hop Santa end tag was too awesome for words.

16. Mad Men - Don't ask me why this isn't ranked higher, because unlike what some people seem to think, this wasn't a "weak" season of the show. It wasn't perfect, of course, but off the top of my head I could name so many great moments, episodes, character development that happened. Hendricks and Moss continue to be the series' MVPs.

15. New Girl - Not sure when it happened, but I suddenly fell head over heels in love with this show. It's weird since for most of its freshman season, I felt like I was watching it more from obligation than desire. But then the show became much more of an ensemble and the writers suddenly figured out how to write each characters better. And voila!

14. Awake - Even though this just missed out being my favorite new show of the season, it does get the honor of being my favorite pilot of the year. I was immediately hooked on its brilliant concept of a man experiencing two realities, one in which either his wife or son lived after a car accident, and each subsequent episodes let me fall into the rabbit hole of obsession.

13. Game of Thrones - My favorite new show last year fell a bit in the rankings this year mostly because while I still love the show's world building, you can already feel things spreading too thin. It's still a gorgeous show though with some powerhouse performances from such actors like Dinklage, Headey, and Williams.

12. Veep - *BEST NEW SHOW* As a huge fan of creator Armando Iannucci's film In the Loop, I knew this show, which borrows a lot of its tone and sentiments from the film, would quickly be one of my favorites. A great lead turn from Dreyfus and a hilarious ensemble make it all work and I can't help but laugh uncomfortably at every other scene.

11. Doctor Who - There were only 6 episodes this year, including the super enjoyable Christmas special. The other 5 episodes saw the last adventures of the Doctor with beloved companions Rory and Amy and like many things this show does, they were all sufficiently epic and even heartbreaking especially Rory and Amy's final episode. Smith, Darvill, and Gillan had real chemistry I will sorely miss. But from the looks of things, Coleman will be just fine.

So there they are! As for my top 10, as I said before, they'll be posted tomorrow sometime, but looking at my nominations and using a process of elimination will make it easy to figure it all out. But the key question is... which show will be #1? Any guesses?

Thoughts on Doctor Who & Downton Abbey Christmas Specials

Looks like the world didn't end last week, which was good news I suppose since it at least gave us a 4-day weekend to celebrate Christmas. I spent it with family for the most part so I actually didn't get to see or catch up on as many TV shows and movies that I had wanted to watch. And yet I still got to see the Christmas specials for Doctor Who and Downton Abbey. The first acts as a premiere of sorts while the latter acts as a proper finale for the show's third season. Below are my brief thoughts, but since Downton Abbey S3 hasn't aired in the states, only my Doctor Who thoughts are spoilery.

Doctor Who

The show's ability to reinvent and reboot itself every few years is why this show has lasted as long as it has and this particular Christmas episode speaks to that ability. Last we met up with the Doctor, he has yet again lost his friends and his world is full of doom and gloom. Matt Smith is great when he plays charismatic and quirky, but he's just brilliant with the darker, moodier stuff (probably better than David Tennant actually). But we can't have a show where the main character is wallowing in his melancholy and living literally up in the clouds. Enter the Doctor's friends in the form of Madame Vastra, her wife Jenny, and the hilarious Strax as well as "new" companion Clara played with a breath of fresh air by Jenna Louise-Coleman whose performance here only confirmed my love for her during her surprise appearance in the season's premiere. If there's one thing this show gets absolutely right, it's casting the Doctor's companions. All four slowly, but surely gets the Doctor back to his old ways with the help of an intriguing case of sentient snow and a frozen Pond. Speaking of the latter, the one-word test between Vastra and Clara was just a spectacular scene giving you more info on Clara as well as giving fans of Amy and Rory an unexpected gut check. All of this is to say this was probably my favorite Matt Smith Doctor Who Christmas episode considering they also needed to do a lot in the episode (re-introduce Coleman's character, touch on Amy/Rory's departure, re-invigorate the Doctor, get us to love Vastra/Jenny/Strax more than we already do, and finally tell a good, solid story). I am slightly mixed with the ending with regards to Clara's "impossibleness." Obviously there's something off about her as we first met her as a Dalek and now here she is again as an 18th century barmaid/governess. I'm certainly intrigued by the Doctor's investigation of this, but is Moffat stretching himself too thin again by being just a little too clever? And I really was looking forward for a non-modern person traveling with the Doctor, but the previews says it isn't so. In any case... new companion, new opening, new TARDIS interior... there's enough new here for me to get excited about for next year. A-

Downton Abbey

This past season was better than last season, which doesn't mean it was flawless. The Bates-in-prison storyline still dragged for far too long and a few other characters made questionable choices that seemed more to create drama for the show than something actually organically coming from the character. There was also a big chunk of the season where every episode something heartbreaking happened and while it provided great emotional moments, it was also difficult to "enjoy" in a sense. But it wouldn't be so emotionally harrowing if I didn't care about the characters so they're doing something all right. With that said, I was glad that most of the Christmas special was quite uneventful. Not to say that nothing happened, but for the most part, it felt like watching these characters spend a fairly routine few days in their lives, which I actually found pleasant in its normalcy. The episode itself felt a bit scattered as the main bulk of the family spent it off in the Highlands, away from Downton (a nice change of pace actually), while the servants and a couple other characters were left to their own devices back at home. Of course, the real drama happens towards the end capping off a season that felt more emotionally brutal than the previous one which mostly took place during the war. Can any of these characters get a break? I mean seriously. B+

And now back to real life... ugh, do I have to?

Doctor Who Gets TV Guide Fan Favorite

The folks over at BBC America must be thrilled that Doctor Who won this year TV Guide Fan Favorite cover. That would make it the second US magazine to put the long-running British sci-fi show on its cover this year with Entertainment Weekly doing so this past summer. Seems like BBC America's mission to make the time-traveling two-hearted Doctor more accessible and popular over the pond (by hosting screenings in New York and making the cast available at various cons around the country, etc.) is coming to fruition. The show itself has more recently shot in location such as New York City's Central Park and Utah's Monument Valley for a handful of episodes.

Doctor Who is actually on the cusp of celebrating its 50th Anniversary next year and the media and fans alike are already buzzing at all of the possibilities of how the show will mark the impressive milestone. I wouldn't be surprised if current Doctor and magazine cover boy, Matt Smith, will share some screen-time with past Doctors such as David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston. For things a little bit closer to look forward to, Doctor Who's Christmas special, which will re-introduce viewers to the new companion played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, will be airing in a few weeks on BBC America on Christmas Day.

And just for reference, the show beat out other fan favorite shows this year such as Fringe, Parks & Recreation, The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, Happy Endings, and Vampire Diaries. Former winners include Community and Supernatural.

Birthday Girl: Karen Gillan

Quick birthday shoutout to Karen Gillan who played Doctor Who companion Amy Pond. She turns 25 today which just highlights just how freaking young she is especially in light of her former co-stars, Arthur Darvill and Matt Smith, both turning 30 last year. Then again, not really a big surprise since everyone had already commented on how young she was when she was cast in the role all those years ago. Along with Darvill, Gillan was the longest running Who companion of the modern series. Their last appearance on the show was just a couple months ago.

While it was sad to see her go, it's heartening to see her involved with more than a few projects. She starred in a couple of TV movies which aired in Britain earlier this year, We'll Take Manhattan and In Love with Coward. She will then be appearing in the following two films with release dates still to be determined: Not Another Happy Ending and Oculus. The latter film is slated for 2014 release and also stars Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff.

Doctor Who: Goodbye to the Ponds & S7 Thoughts

It's perhaps TV's worst kept secret at the moment, but the departure of Amy Pond and Rory Williams will still be a heartbreaking moment when it happens in tonight's Doctor Who fall finale episode "The Angels Take Manhattan." They are, of course, the longest running Who companion of the modern era so no matter how it's done it will be a big change for the show, which luckily is not afraid of changes. In fact, the audience has already met the new companion, played by Jenna Louise Coleman, in shocking fashion during the season premiere and will officially replace the Ponds during the Christmas episode.

As for the Ponds, played exquisitely by the bubbly Karen Gillan and the adorkable Arthur Darvill, it will be tough not seeing them go on adventures with Matt Smith weekly, but it is the nature of the show. I just wish that Steven Moffat and company have penned the best way for their exit. I fear, however, that death will be part of it and I'm already feeling sick to my stomach. It was why I was of two minds when I heard last year they would be back this season for a few episodes. On one hand, it would be fun to see them again, but on the other, their happily ever after ending last season would be inevitably threatened and from what we've seen these past last few episodes, it's just not looking good. For one, the other worst kept secret is that their final episode also happens to have the terrifying Weeping Angels, which has also been foreshadowed a few ways this season (the progressively darkening of the opening and the various light bulb problems).

In my mind, I've made peace with the fact that it will be a heartbreaking, emotional, and potentially tragic goodbye to the Girl and Boy Who Waited. I may not have love every single beat of their story arcs (not being able to raise Melody, almost getting a divorce), but it's certainly been an incredible journey. From our first glimpse of her as a small child entranced by the mad man with the blue box to his first "death" in a dream world where he turns into dust. Rory the Roman would "die" a few more times throughout his tenure with the Eleventh Doctor, but could that really be his ultimate fate in the end. Likewise, Amy's time hasn't been all teas and scones either. She gets stuck in the Pandorica for 2000 years, is kidnapped while being pregnant, and gets left behind for two decades fighting for her life. All through it all though they've had each other, even with the few bumps about which one of them loved the other more. In the end, I just want them to be together, dead or alive. Is that asking too much?

With all of that said, just a few quick words on the season so far. I've liked it so far generally. The production values have never been better and I've been intrigued by many of the recurring themes of the flickering lights (aka the Weeping Angels are coming), Christmas, and eggs. What those latter two means, I've no earthly idea, but it's keeping fandom very busy with theories. As I mentioned in my pre-review of the premiere, I was in love with the episode with the exception of one thing, the half-baked idea of Rory serving Amy divorce papers. The Daleks forgetting about the Doctor and us meeting the new companion as a Dalek was all brilliant. The second episode, "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship," was super fun (um, dinosaurs ON A SPACESHIP) with just the right amount of darkness (Silurian genocide, Doctor killing the bad guy) and gave us an introduction to Rory's dad played by Arthur freaking Weasley! The western-themed third episode "A Town Called Mercy" had potential, but I wasn't a huge fan. Though the knowledge that the third episode actually happened within the fourth episode, "The Power of Three," was a great discovery. That episode in fact was my favorite episode of the season giving us a wonderful glimpse of the home life of the Ponds and what it would be like if the Doctor settled down a bit.

The episode also showed us both the Doctor and the Ponds slowly realizing that this grand adventure with the three of them traveling around on the TARDIS cannot go on and yet none of them fully committing to stop. The entire season has more or less been about this very realization so it really will be quite interesting to see how it all wraps up. All in all, a solid season so far that I'm thinking will end of a very high note. I can't wait. Though I'll have tissues handy just in case.

Doctor Who and Daleks Invade New York City

The season 7 premiere of Doctor Who is not until next week, but I was one of the few people lucky enough see an advance screening of the episode yesterday at the famed Ziegfeld Theater in New York City. The whole affair was swankier than last year's ordeal when I had to line up 11 hours before the screening only to end up in one of the overflow rooms that didn't have the cast in person. This time around, we were all in the same gorgeous 1100+ person capacity theater able to see the episode in the huge screen as well as the cast when they took time to do a Q+A afterwards.

Supposedly they didn't open the line until 1pm, but when my friend and I got there around 1:20pm, the line looked like it was already 250+ people strong. Just for perspective, this was for a 6pm screening. The doors were finally opened around 4pm and my friend and I were able to get great seats. It was only my second time at the Ziegfeld and I had forgotten how massive and beautiful it was inside. They were pumping British music on the sound system, giving the whole place a rock concert kind of feel, while BBC America projected ads for their shows and various Doctor Who factoids on loop. While we were all waiting, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, host Chris Hardwick, and producer Caro Skinner arrived at the theater in Deloreans. Talk about a time crash of fandoms! After a brief introduction by those four, they finally showed us the season premiere which is entitled "The Asylum of the Daleks."

What follows now are my NON-SPOILERY thoughts of the premiere, which in general I loved and thought was a great way to start a season.

Now, the title (and most of the promos leading up to the season) pretty much gives away that we will be seeing lots and lots of Daleks. I guess since we didn't see them at all last season, they needed to make up for that. With that said, I'm not the biggest fan of the Daleks even though they are the main Big Bad of Who. I appreciate the history, but the execution of their interaction with the Doctor usually leaves much to be desired. This premiere though gives us fresh insights and revelations about these legendary foes that I was actually impressed. By episode's end, I couldn't really look at them the same way again.

We also get an update on what the Ponds are up to and it's both expected and unexpected. Saying more would be spoilery so I will simply say both actors, who are the longest-running companions of new Who, are completely at home with their characters. And they just look hot. Then of course there's Matt Smith as the Doctor and he is just excellent as usual. Probably even more so in this episode where his character gets completely blindsided on more than one front and we get to see how he handles all of that. Like other premieres, the episode is sufficiently epic and movie-like to the point that I will not be disappointed to re-watch this on my smaller screen at home.

I have way more I want to comment on about the episode, but that will have to wait until after the premiere airs next week. Instead just a couple more general and hopefully ambiguous notes... There was one element of the episode that I was sorely disappointed in especially since a tweak here and there could've made it work. But then again there was one particularly BRILLIANT surprise in the episode that I still can't believe Moffat and company pulled off. So I guess it all evens out.

After the screening, Hardwick hosted a brief Q+A with Smith, Gillan, and Skinner. Supposedly this will be made available online after the premiere airs next week, but most of it was in reaction to the episode we had just watched. There were the usual questions about whether or not Gillan liked kissing Darvill (yes but it's like incest), who Smith thought should be the Doctor (Sellers, Cranston, NOT Cumberbatch), and how emotional it was to say goodbye to the Ponds in the fifth episode of this upcoming season (very, very, very). Someone else pimped their Doctor Who musical project while a small boy adorably asked Gillan why Amy gets into trouble all the time. All in all it was a fab time so big kudos to BBC America for putting it all together. Every year this event seems to get bigger and bigger. Maybe next year they should just rent out Madison Square Garden?