J: TV of 2011

So the Golden Globe nominations were announced about a week ago and I came to the possibly sad realization that despite the fact that I have a TV blog and my DVR spent most of the year over 80% full, I watch precious few of the nominated shows (only Modern Family and New Girl in the Comedy/musical category, and none of the dramas). I guess I can put most of it on the fact that I don't have premium cable...and the rest on the fact that the Golden Globes are just dumb! Here's the TV that I thought was worth watching this year!

1. Downton Abbey - SO addictive. On the surface it seems like just your run-of-the-mill British costume drama but actually it's on steroids. I'm so frickin excited for season 2 to start on PBS in January!
2. Friday Night Lights - Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose! I was so excited that the show was finally recognized by the Emmys also!
3. The Vampire Diaries - The craziness continues. I don't know how the writers manage to keep pumping out story at the pace that they do. I was initially worried about how big a role they were giving Klaus this season but I shouldn't have been -- the way they've tied Stefan and even Tyler in the storyline has been surprising and as always, a whole lot of fun.
4. Parks and Recreation - There's just so much here -- Ron Swanson of course, Andy and April's wedding, Leslie and Ben finally getting together and then breaking up and getting back together, Entertainment 720, Lil Sebastian...it's smart and funny and maybe most importantly, really cheery and optimistic. Leslie Knope for America!
5. Community - Maybe one of the most daring and creative shows on TV because of the way it plays with structure. It doesn't always work -- sometimes it falls of the edge into complete wackadoo (I did not find Pierce's father to be funny in the least) -- but when it does, it's brilliant. They're still finding new and interesting dynamics among the characters (like the recently discovered shared past of Jeff and Shirley) and have found a good balance between all the weirdness and the sentimental stuff lying beneath the surface.
6. Justified - I still find it hard to explain why in the world I love this show about a US Marshal in Kentucky who wears a Stetson hat. But man was the show good this season. Mags Bennett was one of the freshest TV villains in years.
7.  Doctor Who - I finally caught up to the Eleventh Doctor this year and he might actually be my favorite. And I totally want to be Amy Pond!
8. Cougar Town - It hasn't returned this season yet but in the spring it was one of my favorites. It's so silly but with a good dose of heart.
9. Love in the Wild - Every once in awhile a reality show just totally hooks me. Thanks Mira! And the top two couples, Samantha & Mike and Heather & Miles are still together! Take that, The Bachelor/ette!
10. Greek - I'm so happy that the show got to have a proper ending. Most people probably saw the show as pretty inconsequential but I was always really impressed with its continuity and attention to detail and just all the really fun characters it produced like Cappie and Rebecca and Katherine and Dale...I wish my own college experience had been that fun!

Justified: Is it the hat?

There's really no reason why I should like Justified on FX. I'm not familiar with the source material (an Elmore Leonard character, have never read anything by him), I know nothing about and haven't really had any interest in Kentucky or the US Marshals Service, and well, this is definitely a "manly" show, with lots of guns and fights and criminals. But yet I found myself watching episode after episode and honestly, it's pretty fantastic.

A big part of it is Timothy Olyphant as the main character, Raylan Givens. He's definitely a big snub from the Emmy nominations. There aren't too many shows out there that demand a single actor to pretty much carry the entire show, but this is one of them. The supporting cast is great but I think they'd probably be better described as recurring. Generally Raylan's off on his own, which actually is completely fitting with his character.

Let's back up. First of all, the US Marshals Service, for those of you who don't know exactly what they are (I didn't), is a federal law enforcement agency responsible for such things as apprehending fugitives, transporting prisoners, and protecting court officials and witnesses. At the beginning of the series, Raylan Givens is a Deputy US Marshal working out of Miami. In a meeting with a fugitive, Raylan draws first and shoots and kills the man point blank in a move that he called "justified" (hence the name of the series). This lands him in hot water and gets him involuntarily transferred back to his home state of Kentucky.

There, he immediately gets himself into some trouble involving some people from his past, including a childhood friend turned white supremacist/terrorist turned bible thumping preacher, Boyd Crowder, played by the terrific Walton Goggins (which reminds me that someday I should really watch The Shield, another "manly" show). From there the show kind of goes back and forth between continuing that storyline and with more standalone type episodes.

So Raylan is definitely a unique guy. He's kind of the embodiment of "speak softly and carry a big stick." He's got the polite Southern manners but doesn't hesitate to administer justice however he sees fit. And he wears a cowboy hat and boots. Now Timothy Olyphant is definitely a good-looking guy to start with, but when he puts on that hat? I don't know what it is, I've never had a thing for men in cowboy hats, but Raylan Givens is HOT.

Unfortunately this is kind of a late review...the season finished up back in June but I'm still catching up, and not all the episodes are not available online. But it has been renewed for a second season so I definitely encourage everyone to put this on their list of shows to check out!