It’s time to get this countdown started in fine fashion: college slacker fashion from the guy that brought us The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up.

Undeclared
(Fox: September 25, 2001-March 12, 2002; 17 episodes)
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Carla Gallo, Charlie Hunnam, Monica Keena, Seth Rogen, Timm Sharp, Loudon Wainwright

At seventeen episodes, I’m fairly certain this is the shortest tenured show of the forty-five I’m putting on the list. Undeclared seems to be the classic cult TV show story: strong premise, with a unique show runner and a young cast that the network has no idea what to do with. In the end, Fox decided that enough was enough and canceled the series after fifteen episodes aired (the final two produced being available on the Complete Series box set).

Undeclared was Judd Apatow’s follow to Freaks and Geeks, which also only lasted a year back during the 1999-2000 season. It centers around a group of college freshmen living in a dorm and trying to find themselves in perhaps the final four years of true freedom and youth. Steven Karp (Baruchel) is an undeclared major, hoping to shed his high school geeky image. He immediately takes strides towards this by losing his virginity with floor mate Lizzie (Gallo), who is on the outs with older boyfriend Eric (Jason Segel). Steven tries to make a relationship with Lizzie but she wants nothing to do with him romantically. Steven’s other big plot was the constant presence of his father Hal (Wainwright), who was going through a mid-life crisis after his divorce.

The rest of the narrative follows the other floor mates as they navigate classes, social gatherings and personal relationships. Steven’s British roommate Lloyd (Hunnam) is a heart throb but his advice is chaotic at best. Lizzie’s roommate Rachel (Keena) initially feels homesick but quickly embraces the partying lifestyle and becomes a cohort in all of the schemes. Ron (Rogen) and Marshall (Sharpp) provide one liners and observations to the rest of the group.

To me, Undeclared serves as a great reminder of how carefree the first year of college can be. I miss those days, and though Apatow romanticizes the lifestyle (at least in the dorms) a little bit, he obviously wrote from personal experience. He painted characters that you knew right away. You were one of these characters or knew one very well.

It’s a shame that Fox didn’t really know what to do with this series because it had plenty of legs in it. Maybe Apatow would have better luck these days after his film success. Or maybe audiences would’ve embraced the series better on a cable network. We’ll never truly know what the future could’ve held for Undeclared, which has turned into a cult classic along the lines of Freaks and Geeks. What is certain that perhaps no other TV sitcom has been that real about spending your first year away from home (I mean, Saved by the Bell: The College Years had Bob Golic as an RA).

Now that we’ve taken a look at ten shows that didn’t quite make the cut, the next step is to examine the shows which are RIGHT there but fall short of the Top 25 countdown.

Honorable Mention (#35-26) — These are the shows that made major contributions to the medium over the past ten years, no matter of the genre. They range from a sketch show to a show about a sketch show (warning, there are more of one of these in this countdown).

- Chappelle’s Show
(Comedy Central: January 22, 2003-July 23, 2006; 33 episodes)
Dave Chappelle was given his own sketch comedy and ran wild with it. Providing a unique humor with offbeat characters including Tyrone Biggums and Lil’ John, Chappelle would inspire a pop culture phenomenon with the phrase “I’m Rick James, bitch!” However, the show was cut short when Chappelle cited burn out and shut down production during the third season.

- Desperate Housewives
(ABC: October 3, 2004-present; 121 episodes)
They said that the primetime soap opera was dead with the cancellation of series like Dallas. However, Marc Cherry decided to take a new approach: female driven and full of dark comedy. The ladies of Wisteria Lane have long been a ratings hit, finishing no season outside of the Top 10 (this season, the series is ranked 11th). It’s also made a star out of Eva Longoria and finally brought long awaited success for Dana Delany.

- Grey’s Anatomy
(ABC: March 5, 2005-present; 112 episodes)
Sure, it isn’t ER, but it’s not trying to be either. Grey’s Anatomy capitalized on the steaminess of medical personal relationships, breeding the McDreamy/McSteamy craze. But it also showed a panache for writing medical disaster very well, with the primary case being the 2006 post-Super Bowl episode. It’s also already spawned one spinoff.

- House
(Fox: November 16, 2004-present; 120 episodes)
Continuing our medical drama string, House represents somewhat of a polar difference from Grey’s Anatomy. It centers on Hugh Laurie’s Gregory House, an unorthodox, cocky but brilliant doctor. Often called upon to diagnose medical mysteries, House does it his way. Featuring writing with a bite, House is the answer to when a doctor knows his patients says “You should see my doctor: he’s the best”.

- How I Met Your Mother
(CBS: September 19, 2005-present; 98 episodes)
So we all know that the formula is over done: boy meets girl of his dreams, falls in love after overcoming obstacles, and they start a life together. Boring, right? Well what about the journey to start that story? How about a show based on that? HIMYM is told in mostly a flashback format, and has provided plenty of pop culture references including “slap bet”. It also gave Neil Patrick Harris a stage after making a comeback in the 2004 stoner comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. Straight up, HIMYM is probably my favorite written sitcom of the 2000s.

- Malcolm in the Middle
(Fox: January 9, 2000-May 14, 2006; 151 episodes)
Malcolm in the Middle set about to tell the story of an intelligent kid trying to fit in the cruel world of middle school. Frankie Muniz played the sarcastic and observant Malcolm, trying to juggle his chaotic home life with his gifted intellect. At one point, it was watched by 20 million people, but sagging ratings affected its final few years on the air. But in the end, Malcolm will be infamous for being a show about trying to fit in, no matter how hard it may seem.

- One Tree Hill
(The WB/The CW: September 23, 2003-present; 142 episodes)
One Tree Hill premiered around the same time as its much more publicized rival, Fox’s The OC. But while the latter was shelved after four years, One Tree Hill has re-invented itself as more than a teen drama. Its ensemble cast has plenty of heart stopping drama for nearly seven full seasons. It has become a rock on the fledgling CW network, even though some didn’t feel it should’ve survived the WB/UPN merger. This is like…the smart but doesn’t try to be version of Dawson’s Creek.

- Scrubs
(NBC/ABC: October 2, 2001-present; 171 episodes)
Yes, there is another medical series on the countdown (the backdrop makes it a little easier to write about). However, this isn’t ER. It plays for the laughs, most of the time and tugs at your heart the rest. Following the lives of doctors John “JD” Dorian, Christopher Turk and Elliot Reid from their first day at Sacred Heart. Scrubs definitely has an interesting offscreen story to tell, having been canceled by NBC and then brought back by ABC for an eighth season. And then ABC renewed it for a ninth season, though that was never in the original plans. Perhaps it’s lasted too long. But the journey of coming to that conclusion has been an entertaining one.

- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
(NBC: September 18, 2006-June 28, 2007; 22 episodes)
I believe that Studio 60 has among the least amount of episodes of the 45 I’m profiling. However, those twenty-two were a finally crafted television series. Telling the behind the scenes stories that comprise a sketch comedy similar to Saturday Night Live, Aaron Sorkin penned a blend of drama and dark comedy, of not only performers but network brass. Some cited the immediate popularity of similarly themed 30 Rock as the death knell for Studio 60. If that’s true, at least we got a proper ending.

- That 70’s Show
(Fox: August 23, 1998-May 18, 2006; 200 episodes)
A teen comedy set in the late 70s world of Wisconsin, That 70’s Show blended funny writing with a red hot cast that became that way because of the show. The series created Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace and Mila Kunis as breakthrough stars. It brought success to character actors like Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp. Even though its spinoff, That 80’s Show, was an utter failure, the original has shown it will live forever in syndication.

With just a month away from the end of this decade, it’s time to get nostalgic. In some ways, television seemingly hit its peak and downfall in the past ten years. Broadcast shows have been tossed aside more and more for basic cable. Premium cable networks such as HBO and Showtime have started to flex their muscles. It’s a confusing time for producers, actors, network execs, advertising execs and viewers. But in the past ten years, there have been several shows that showed, during however long they were airing, they shouldn’t be forgotten.

With that in mind, I will spend the next few weeks counting down my picks for the Top 25 television series of 2000-2009. There needs to be a preface at this point. I am not saying that my opinion is the end all, be all. Lest you look at the first list and see that I haven’t seen quite a few well regarded series of this past decade, and you’ll realize that. I tried to be as objective as I could with this list. I didn’t just rank my favorite shows of the decade. I tried to keep in mind, the shows that took the nation by storm and left an imprint on pop culture. I also realize that as with a lot of lists like this, the nuts and bolts of the rankings could change depending on mood. This list was trying to best gauge the average spot I would choose the series in relation to the rest.

So all that aside, here we go…

Stuff that might have made my list, but I haven’t watched it: Angel, The Big Bang Theory, Boston Legal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Burn Notice, The Closer, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Damages, Deadwood, Dexter, Firefly, Flight of the Conchords, Heroes, In Treatment, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Monk, My Name is Earl, The Office (UK), Oz, The Practice, Pushing Daisies, Rescue Me, The Riches, The Shield, Six Feet Under, True Blood, Will & Grace

Honorable Honorable Mention (#45-36) — These are the shows that I’ll watch from time to time, and were memorable for various reasons this past decade, but don’t stick out as much as others (in alphabetical order).

- Cheap Seats (without Ron Parker)
(ESPN Classic: February 4, 2004-November 19, 2006; 77 episodes)
The Sklar brothers bring their own variaton of the MST3K format to forgotten or over the top sporting related events, including the National Spelling Bee and 1970s professional wrestling.

- Corner Gas
(CTV: January 22, 2004-April 13, 2009; 107 episodes)
“There’s not a lot going on” in Dog River, Saskatchewan but the quirky residents made this show a critical and fan favorite in the Great White North.

- Entourage
(HBO: July 18, 2004-present; 78 episodes)
A show all about Young Hollywood, Entourage taught us that there is plenty to love about show business. It also brought us Jeremy Piven on a consistent basis.

- Everybody Loves Raymond
(CBS: September 13, 1996-May 16, 2005; 210 episodes)
Although some have pointed out its repeated episode format, the series was a ratings hit as it finished no lower than twelfth from season three onward. It also won 2 Emmy’s for Best Comedy.

- Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit
(NBC: September 20, 1999-present; 233 episodes)
The second in the popular L&O franchise, the series focuses primarily on sexual crimes and cases. In recent years, it has passed its predecessor in ratings.

- Nip/Tuck
(FX: July 22, 2003-present; 89 episodes)
Capitalizing on the craze of plastic surgery, FX found a huge basic cable hit. As with many similar series, the heart and soul of the show is relying on strong guest performances.

- NYPD Blue
(ABC: September 21, 1993-March 1, 2005; 261 episodes)
Although the show had to overcome the loss of enormously popular Jimmy Smits during the 1998-99 season. However, they reloaded with Rick Schroder and later Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Dennis Franz, from the first day, remained at the center of the series until the end. I guarantee this show would be a top 10 pick for the Best of the 90s list.

- The OC
(Fox: August 5, 2003-February 22, 2007; 92 episodes)
More than any other show, The OC can be pointed to as the renaissance of the teen drama series. Although the series never regained its first season popularity, its place in popular culture should not be ignored.

- Prison Break
(Fox: August 29, 2005-May 15, 2009; 81 episodes)
Sometimes, shows can become too complex for their own good. Sometimes, they become tedious. There were times when Prison Break was both of these things. But at its best, it was an extremely well crafted serialized drama series with an all-star cast.

- Smallville
(The WB/The CW: October 16, 2001-present; 183 episodes)
Batman may be the contemporary DC Comics superhero of choice, but Superman remains a popular force. Smallville focuses on a variation of Superman’s origin story and has to best represent the DC Comics label on television, featuring other popular characters.

Ten years ago, Aaron Sorkin (the man that told us we couldn’t handle the truth) created a new series for NBC about the inner workings of the staff of The White House. Originally, Sorkin’s vision was to focus on the President’s staff with the Commander in Chief as a secondary character. However, after casting Martin Sheen in the role of President Josiah Bartlett, it became near impossible to follow through with the initial game plan.

The West Wing, which ran from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006, became a critical favorite. It won the Emmy award for Best Drama Series during its first four seasons and collected a slew of accolades over the course of its seven seasons. Starring Sheen, Brad Whitford, Alison Janney, Rob Lowe, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Dule Hill, Joshua Malina, Janel Moloney, Stockard Channing, Jimmy Smits (for the final two seasons), and Alan Alda (for the final two seasons), The West Wing was everything you want from a highly intellectual drama series.

Let’s be clear about one thing: The West Wing is not for everyone. It just isn’t. It’s hard to digest and understand at times. It’s about politics, and political agendas. It has rapid fire dialogue and dozens of characters moving in and out of the narrative. I don’t try to suggest that everyone is meant to enjoy this show. But I do feel most people should give it a chance. The West Wing examines the painstaking effort in creating and controlling legislation. It examines the highest profile job in the world and how to protect that job at all costs.

I didn’t watch The West Wing during its initial run, although I do remember the last two seasons being based around the fictional 2006 campaign between Smits’ Matt Santos and Alda’s Arnold Vinick. It wasn’t until I had seen a lot of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Sorkin’s follow up, in 2006-07, that I took the time to go back and watch The West Wing. I was impressed with the quickness of the episodes’ pace, and juggling small plots into one big story.

The guest star list reads like a Who’s Who of great actors: John Goodman, Karl Marden, Edward James Olmos, Mary Kay Place, Lily Tomlin, Felicity Huffman, Timothy Busfield, Mark Harmon, Matthew Perry, John Larroquette, Oliver Pratt, Ted McGinley (and the series wasn’t cancelled!), Emily Procter, Marlee Matlin, Emilio Estevez, Adam Arkin, Jorja Fox, Danica McKellar, Gary Cole and Tim Matheson…just to name a few.

But more than episodes about the process of getting a Supreme Court Justice or enacting the 25th Amendment (spoiler alert: both events occur in The West Wing), the series is about the passion of the President and his senior staff. This building is their home for four years, perhaps eight, and it controls their thoughts, beliefs, ideas and relationships. The core cast that were in nearly every episode (Sheen, Janney, Spencer, Whitford, Moloney and Hill) become a close knit family with specific roles and relationships etched between each other.

You know that Sheen’s President Jed Bartlett will weave long winded intellectual yarns. Janney, as Press Secretary (and later Chief of Staff) C.J. Cregg, brings sarcasm and also grace as the leading lady of the series. In contrast to that is articulate but paranoid Communications Director, who more than once stands up for what he believes should be the administration’s top priorities. Whitfield plays Josh Lyman, the smooth talking but sometimes overeager Deputy Chief of Staff. In particular, much of the early humor of the series results from Josh’s interactions with his assistant Donna Moss, played by Moloney. Donna’s small town folksy charm represents the American public, often asking Josh to explain policy and bills in simple terms. Spencer’s turn as original Chief of Staff Leo McGarry becomes the quiet backbone, juggling everyone else’s strengths and weaknesses, much in the same way that Charlie Young, Hill’s character, the President’s assistant does on a smaller scale.

It’s been said that the series dipped in quality when Sorkin and partner Thomas Schlamme left after the fourth season. That indeed can be agreed upon. However, that doesn’t mean the series was “bad” during its final three seasons. It’s also been said before that “The West Wing sans Sorkin was still the best thing on TV”. Agree. Disagree. That choice is up to you. But the truth lies in the fact that the series became a safe haven for intellectual dialogue, high stakes plotlines and richly developed characters played by wonderful actors.

Ten years ago, I have the feeling that Sorkin expected nothing less.

- Russ and RoJo traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, on Tuesday, after months of planning, to attend a San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds MLB game. Now, why would going to one of 162 regular season games require months of planning? Because… IT WAS TIM LINCECUM DAY~!

(I won’t be giving Tim Lincecum background. If you don’t know who he is, go to Tim Lincecum’s Wikipedia Page.)

Trying to figure out pitching probables more than a few weeks in advance takes no skill, because you can never do it and be 100% accurate. You just have to hope a certain pitcher takes the hill that day. Rain delays, injuries, callups, and other factors all come into play that could cause a change in the pitching rotation in future games. However, more than a month before Tuesday night, RnR had calculated that Tim Lincecum was probable for this game on the 18th. It never changed, as luck would have it. I’ll tell you, when MLB.com and ESPN.com both confirmed Tim Lincecum’s probable start on Tuesday, I was a very happy man.

I saw Tim Lincecum pitch last season, during his magical Cy Young award winning campaign, and let’s just say he did much better last season. Last year, he dominated the Cubs in Wrigley. This year, however, he got bitch slapped by the weak Cincinnati Reds. It was not the dominating performance RnR had hoped to see. However, the night was in no way lost. Joseph Votto, the first baseman for the Reds, continued his courtship of Russ & RoJo as he hit a line drive home run in the game. It was his fourth home run in the two Reds games we have attended. Last year, a Cubs vs Reds contest, Joey hit three home runs in a Reds blowout.

This was Tim’s line on the day, whis saw his WHIP take an absolute beating…
Lincecum (ND) 6.0 IP 6 H 5 R 5 ER 1 HR 3 BB 2 K


- Brandon Phillips signing autographs before the game.


- Tim Lincecum walking to his dugout prior to Tuesday’s game.

So I’ve now entered my third week as an employee of Wal-Mart and so far, it remains a decent job, with no real downside nor real upside. The good thing is that I’ve gotten to the point where the other people are starting to know who I am, and me the same with them. So I’m able to talk and relate to them a little better than from the beginning. Almost everyone that works there is pretty nice, or cordial. There are exceptions. There is one girl, who is my supervisor, and probably my age. She’s cute but kind of a cold person to me. And that kind of makes her hot. But not hot enough to overlook it. Anyway I have to wonder if some people are pretty distant because so many people come and go in that job. The ones that start to last become easier to get along with since they’ve been around to work up a relationship. If any of that makes sense.

Finally got around to watching last week’s The Office and I thought it was a superb episode. It was a lot funnier than “Business Ethics” and I have a feeling it’ll be one of the ones I watch on DVD several times. Dinkin’ flicker.

I’m hoping to expand my Criterion Collection soon. I didn’t realize some of the quality films that the CC has put out. If they weren’t so expensive, I’d be all about it. But alas, I have to pick and choose.

In my final thought for this installment, I want to recommend a book for you to read if you haven’t. It’s Malcolm X’s autobiography, written by Alex Haley through interviews with Malcolm X. I had to read it for Religious Studies and as someone that didn’t know a lot about X before, this is a compelling book. It’s been one of the top selling books of the last 40 years for good reason.