[Unranked. Subject to change at any time.]
Criteria: I have to be able to watch it over and over again.
1. Punky Brewster
2. Friends
3. The O.C.
4. My So-Called Life
5. Terriers
6. WKRP in Cincinnati
7. Wonderfalls*
8. Homefront
9. Laverne & Shirley
10. Growing Pains
* A great, but short-lived show. During my free cable trial, I am currently enjoying reruns of Full House immensely. So much so, that I might have to squeeze them into my top ten, possibly replacing Wonderfalls.
The newest addition to this list is the FX show Terriers. I can almost guarantee you have never heard of it. Because I hadn’t either until a few months ago.
Neal Cassady on ABC’s Once Upon A Time
When Once Upon A Time introduced a character named Neal Cassady (played by Michael Raymond-James), I was curious why the actor looked so familiar. A quick check of IMDb.com told me that I knew him from True Blood. This reminded me that I REALLY liked his character on that show. That is, until it was revealed he was the killer in the Season 1 finale. (In fact, I quit watching the show after Season 1–coincidence? Maybe not. I was still eager to know how Sookie was special–I mean, look at all the other supernatural elements she was attracting. But Entertainment Weekly eventually supplied me with the answer: Sookie is a fairy).
MIchael Raymond-James as Britt on FX’s Terriers
Michael Raymond-James doesn’t have your typical actor’s polished looks. With unruly hair and five o’clock shadow, he usually looks like he has just rolled out from under a rock. And it totally suits him! It is part of his charm, along with his gravely voice that sounds like he has been gargling nails. He is like a Shar Pei puppy you want to adopt (and take home). There is just something about him that I want to eat up! And I found out he is from Michigan–my home state! I like Raymond-James so much that I used his physical description as a basis for a character in a story I wrote (or two). He could have a part playing Satan, and I would still love him. Actually, that would be an AWESOME part for him!
So then I looked to see what other shows I could watch the wonderful Michael Raymond-James in. That is when I went looking for Terriers on my streaming Netflix and found it (It must have been providential, because Netflix NEVER has what I am looking for!).
Raymond-James on Terriers (See how sunny it is?!)
Terriers was sooo good I ended up watching all 13 episodes in a week. It is a hard show to describe, but let me try. It reminds me of the old show The Rockford Files in tone and premise. Terriers is about two guys who act as unlicensed private investigators and solve cases, usually for average Joes. There is also an over-arching plot in the first (and only) season involving a millionaire and his nefarious plans for the whole community of Ocean Beach. It all sounds dark and seedy and it would be, except it takes place in sunny California. Michael Raymond-James plays Britt, sidekick to the charming Donal Logue, who you probably know from humorous roles on shows like Grounded for Life. Donal Logue is humorous at times on Terriers, but he also does dramatic very well as the disgraced police officer/recovering alcoholic Hank.
I am not big on police/procedural type shows, but this one sucked me in. It has heart. It makes you care about all the characters. They are so real they jump out of the television screen and stick with you long after you have turned the TV off. You care about Hank’s issues with his ex-wife and sister who suffers from depression. You worry that at first Britt the rehabilitated criminal may not be good enough for his girlfriend, who is studying to be a vet. But by season’s end, the situation has flipped, and you see that in fact she is really not worthy of him. And there is a scene by Donal Logue that happens at a bank (he confesses an affair with the wife of the loan officer he is trying to get a loan from) that is so shocking, I do not believe I have fully recovered.
The way we view TV these days has pros and cons. I am so sad that this show was cancelled by FX in 2011 after only one season. If I had known its brilliance then, I could have campaigned to try to save it. I am positive I am not the only one who will discover how brilliant this show is without ever knowing it existed during its normal run.
The pros are that I have not had cable in my house for over eight years. If not for streaming Netflix, I would never have been able to find and enjoy Terriers at all. I wouldn’t have been able to add it to my Top Ten list. The theme “Gunfight Epiphany” wouldn’t have become one of my favorite songs.
Now that WOULD have been a shame.
Raymond-James as Neal on Once Upon A Time
Photo: hdwp.net
When I was in elementary school, the only thing that I halfway liked to play in gym class was scooter hockey. We sat on these little square scooters with wheels (no handles) and played hockey. It didn’t have a million confusing rules to remember like stupid softball or kickball. (Three strikes you are out, but you get four balls? Consistency PEOPLE!) You just had to stay in bounds and remember to shoot at the goalie who wasn’t wearing the same color as you. But, of course, I never actually took a shot anyway. But it was fun.
Toledo Storm Promo (Note: My asbestos friend isn’t in this pic. She probably had something really important to do–like Algebra Class)
I never thought about hockey again until high school. My asbestos friend was taking modeling classes and became the spokesmodel for the Toledo Storm ECHL hockey team. Ya, I’m not quite sure how that happened. The title of spokesmodel meant that she got to go on the ice between periods and wear a leotard/tuxedo thing (showing off her gams), and assist with the fan games. I was pretty impressed by this. Especially the three times I got to go with her and watch the game for free. No one else at our high school was impressed by this. They probably didn’t believe her. Or were just jealous. F’em.
My asbestos friend as the Toledo Storm Spokemodel, 1993-1994 Season
Hence, a big crush on hockey players ensued. I started listening to the Storm on the radio (hockey on the radio is a little boring *yawn*). I also started watching the Detroit Red Wings play. I got a Steve Yzerman poster for my room, because he was the cutest.
While I live in Michigan and the Red Wings are one of the best teams and it is logical for me to be their fan, it wasn’t always practical. Many times the Red Wings would play on a cable channel that we did not get. Or my mom would not want to watch hockey. She apparently is still traumatized from having to listen to it when her dad watched Molson Hockey Night in Canada in 1959. Ask her. Actually, you don’t have to. She will tell the story anytime I mention liking hockey.
View from the Penalty Box: Henrik Zetterberg
Now, I don’t like to watch hockey, just for the sake of watching it. I like to have a team to root for and to know a few of the players’ names, at least. I discovered that almost every Saturday night on CBC (a station out of Windsor, Canada), that they would show a Vancouver Canucks game. They are in the Pacific Time zone, so the games would have a later start time. This was perfect! By then, my mother was already asleep on the couch.
I learned a few players’ names. I have tried to catch a few games every year, so that I stayed knowledgeable. I learned that the green guys in full-body morphsuits are crazy.
View from the Penalty Box: Osgood takes the ice
My only problem comes when Vancouver and Detroit play each other. I don’t know who to root for. I would love to go see them play each other sometime at Joe Louis Arena. I would love to own a Canucks jersey. Actually, I would love to have a Red Wings one as well.
You know what is the best thing about hockey? The fights:)
Photo: shop.nhl.com
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