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It’s that time of year again…when we are forced to say goodbye to shows that have been part of our lives for years. They were characters and stories we could count on to teach us, shock us, entertain us, and so much more. The following shows are ones that I have watched from the beginning and would recommend if you are looking to start watching a great show.
Boardwalk Empire is all about corruption and bootlegging in 1920’s Atlantic City. The makers of this show took real events, a real place, and even real historical figures and wrote their own version of history. There are some accurate historical accounts in the show, but the writers took many liberties. Some characters stayed true their real life counterparts such as in the case of Al Capone. During the decade of time covered by the show we see Al Capone get his start as a lackey for Johnny Torrio, rise to fame and power, then his inevitable arrest in 1931. The real star of the show is Enoch “Nucky” Thomson played by Steve Buscemi. This is one of the real life figures that the writers completely changed in order to create the story line for this show. Boardwalk promises a lot of action, drama, and history. This is a great show for anyone interested in the 1920’s and the original gangsters. I personally liked the drama that the first few seasons offered. I continued to watch the show in the last couple seasons, but shows would often pile up on my DVR as my enthusiasm had waned. Nevertheless, this was a great show. This show is rated TV-MA.
If you watched Boardwalk Empire and would like to learn more about the real life figures, check out Time Magazine.
Total Seasons: 5
Glee is one big giant ray of sunshine. I have always had such a strange relationship with Glee. I think the difficulty I had was the time slot. There were other shows happening at that time that won out on my DVR, but I always found a way to catch up on this good natured show. When I finally did watch the show, I would be completely uplifted and wonder why the heck I’d put off watching it for so long.
Anyway, lets state the obvious. Yes this is a show about teenagers singing…but it is fantastic! The actors have amazing vocal range and ability and the choreography is top notch. What I found to be most enthralling were the arrangements of the music they sang. Some songs were written decades ago and others were new, but all of them had the Glee take on it. This group can sing anything! One of my favorite performances was a mix of the classic Singing in the Rain and Rhianna’s Umbrella. For the YouTube video, click here. Other awesome things about this show include guest appearances by loads of actors and singers, the hilarious commentary of Sue Sylvester played by Jane Lynch, and watching teens make mistakes but learning to do what is right and why you do the right thing. You can’t go wrong with this show.
Total Seasons: 6
The Newsroom is very different than any show I have ever watched. I am quite sad that this show was only three seasons. Despite having a short life span, Aaron Sorkin (writer) wrapped up the show very well. No surprise that the set of this show is a fictional newsroom for a nightly news program in New York City. Early on it becomes the goal of this news show to start telling the news as it is, no matter the consequence. The twist is that although season 1 airs in 2012, the story line begins in April 2010. This allows the news station to cover events that have already happened for the viewers. We get inside information on the news stories we kind of heard about in real life. There are many ‘ah ha’ and ‘you don’t say’ moments as Sorkin picks and chooses what information he wants to recreate on his news show.
This show is very smart. It can be difficult to keep up at times and I often had to rewind to catch this or that. The intelligent banter is a refreshing change from what you usually see on TV.
Total Seasons: 3
Mad Men is another period TV drama, but very different from Boardwalk Empire. The show begins in the 1960’s at a New York ad agency. There is an interweaving of history with fiction as a cast of made up characters live in a world that is bound by real fashions, products, and events that leave little room for error. The products they are trying to sell are the real products of that time. This show is the story of how a group of ad agency workers stop at nothing to be the best at what they do. Each person has their own story and as the years go by we see the ups and downs, but they never give up.
You never know quite what you are going to get with each episode. Sometimes episodes will be very straightforward and serious, but other times a song and dance will make its way into a scene. What you can count on with this show is guts. The characters take risks and often put it all on the line.
Total Seasons: 7
If you would like to see a complete list of canceled shows visit tvseriesfinale.com.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman is a twisted fantasy tale of gods come to life in modern-day America. There is a battle soon to rage between the ancient gods and the gods of today. The historic gods of European tales were brought to North America and other countries around the world in the minds of the people who believed in them. They grew stronger in those new places every time someone talked about them or thought of them. The old gods are coming up against a struggle now. The new gods (gods of media, television, Internet, etc) feel like the old gods have reached their limit. The old gods feel like they’re being usurped by gods that will vanish from the public’s minds in a few years, an idea that infuriates them. Spiritual warfare runs rampant through this book as readers discover that gods walk among us, hidden as humans or animals. These ancient divinities may struggle against the new trends and fads, but their struggle for survival is necessary in this new supernatural climate.