List-Mania XXM Pt. 2: The Reckoning

So last night I talked about my five favorite TV dramas of the year. Looking back on it, I kind of wished I didn’t include The Walking Dead because it was good for 2 episodes then sucked. So, with that in mind I’m going to throw it out and go with six comedies.

Ultimate Caveat Part 2: I did not watch Parks & Recreation, sorry Swifter.

6. Archer: For anyone who’s familiar with Adult Swim, Archer isn’t anything groundbreaking, nor is satire of James Bond something new to the comedy scene. But the banter between the voice actors and retro 60s feel gives Archer a unique twist. Creator Adam Reed has given the show a similar style of humor and animation comparable to his other works Frisky Dingo and Sealab 2021. The voice talent is impressive, headed by H. Jon Benjamin and other heavy hitters like Jessica Walter, who essentially reprises her role as Lucille Bluth. The show has a very hyper-aggressive wit to it, with the titular character attempting to get the last line on everything despite being a clueless idiot. Throwaway lines like “That girl was like the Pele of anal” and “This place smells like Indira Gandhi’s thong” are what set this show apart from other animated fare and the fact that it’s on FX allows it to be as raunchy and offensive as needed.

5. 30 Rock: No, it can’t hold the claim as the smartest or

funniest show on television, but there aren’t many shows that try to cram as many jokes into 22 minutes of action like 30 Rock. Alec Baldwin has spent the last 4 years reminding anyone who may have missed his 40 appearances on Saturday Night Live that he has better comedic timing than you. Tina Fey at times seems to revel in making Liz Lemon the butt of jokes as a frumpy, socially awkward being when in reality most people would sacrifice a goat to sleep with her. But the show still works thanks to the great relationship between Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy. The supporting actors can be hit or miss but the show has succeeded in confusing everyone as to whether Tracy Morgan is actually crazy or just acting.

4. The League:

When I first heard the premise of this show I made considerable wanking motions at the screen.

A show about 6 dudes in a fantasy football league that spend the majority of time insulting each other and talking about sex? Color me unimpressed. But after actually watching the short first season last year I was hooked. The show returned with a much better feel for its characters (hint: They are all assholes) and the actors appeared to be much more comfortable riffing off one another. The style of the show is similar to Curb Your Enthusiasm with a story outline instead of a script and relies heavily on improvisation. If you like the Curb version of Larry David or have a fondness for “that guy” comic actors like Nick Kroll and Paul Scheer you will probably enjoy The League.

3. Modern Family: On the surface, there isn’t much reason for TV critics and audiences to lavish this show with so much praise. It’s a typical sitcom about the antics of a zany family, complete with sexy trophy wife, annoyingly wise child, bumbling husband and gay couple. But for one reason or another Modern Family just feels right, whereas Two and a Half Men feels like an ectopic pregnancy. Thankfully the writers dumped the schmaltzy ending “This is the moral of the story” segments and have let the the show ease into a nice rhythm, allowing us to feel like the Dunphy-Pritchett family could actually exist. The comedy is broad and nonsensical, what makes it work is the feeling that these characters love each other and actually enjoy being in the presence of one another.

2. Community:

Too many TV/movie parodies. Too much meta-commentary. Too many gimmick episodes. Too much fucking awesome is what I say. A story about a disbarred lawyer who goes back to community college and becomes part of a quirky study group has somehow turned into one of the most inventive television shows in recent memory. In two seasons, Community has taken a group of broad stereotypes and fleshed out some great characters. Off the top of my head, we’ve seen parodies of zombie films, Goodfellas, Charlie Kauffman, John Woo, Lethal Weapon, space movies, Mean Girls and The Breakfast Club. Yet none of it feels truly forced and the actors do such a good job there is a heartwarming feel as each episode brings the band of misfits closer together. Bonus points for the hotness that is Allison Brie and Gillian Jacobs.

1. Party Down: The final two shows on this list have a similar theme of how to react when the life you had comes

crashing to a halt. Whereas Community takes a decidedly sunnier view of things (You may not be a rich and successful lawyer but at least you understand the meaning of friendship!), Party Down spent two seasons showing us just what happens to a man who decides to give up on the American Dream, and it’s decidedly unpleasant. An incredible cast and some ridiculous guest spots (Kristen Bell, Steve Guttenberg, JK Simmons) had you either laughing or cringing, usually both at the same time. More bad things happened to Ron Donald (played by Ken Marino) over the course of a season then what happens to child molesters in prison. The season “not series” finale but ultimately last episode deliberately left things open-ended but it still felt like a satisfying conclusion. The last shot of Henry (Adam Scott) nervously waiting for an audition, tired of leading a shit life but terrified of failing again, summed the series up quite nicely.