My Current TV Show Rankings
Constantly updating. Some favorites that are off the air: Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Entourage, The Night Of, Vice Principals
Better Call Saul
The hit rate of successful sequels felt like zero before Better Call Saul graced our small screens in 2015, two years after its parent show, Breaking Bad, bowed out in spectacular fashion. Saul, which was originally theorized as a half-hour comedy by creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, has evolved into a fascinating show about ethics and how far a man can be dragged into the dirt before he becomes the dirt (horrible line, but stay with me). Jimmy McGill, played exquisitely by Bob Odenkirk, is a man constantly struggling to balance his inner moral compass, and usually failing to straddle the line between lawful and corrupt. His constantly evolving relationship with badass lawyer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) has out-shadowed the gang-infested aspect of the show, which is very compelling in its own right. As Jesse Pinkman once succinctly put it, Saul isn't a criminal lawyer, he's a criminal lawyer.
Mr. Robot
Mr. Robot is a very weird show. It airs on the virtually anonymous USA Network, doesn't average many viewers and its latest episode aired in late 2017. Nevertheless, it's absolutely compelling television. Rami Malek, who has blown up after his stud performance in Bohemian Rhapsody, plays antisocial and bipolar hacker Elliot Alderson who is trying to fight off the dark army from taking over the digital world and corrupting the US government as we know it. Amid all his issues, he has a mysterious alter ego, Mr. Robot, played by veteran actor Christian Slater, who is always throwing a wrench into things. The series is quirky, dark and masterfully shot. There was even an episode shot in only one take. As it prepares for its fourth and final season, Mr. Robot has and always will be an absolutely thrilling, creepy and eerie drama.
Succession
This show is awesome. The surprise of summer 2018, the HBO dramedy was an unexpected success. Sporting no real big-name actors, Succession masterfully told the story of possibly the most dysfunctional family this side of the Sopranos, the Roy Family, which owns a host of media networks. There's constant back-stabbing, power plays and general tomfoolery. I cannot wait for season 2.
Euphoria
The most realistic, raw, dramatic, superbly acted and written show centered on high school right now. In similar shows, characters either look too old or the plot becomes too ridiculous to take seriously. Euphoria is certainly slightly sensationalized, but all of its material stems from real problems that high school students unfortunately face. The cinematography I s groundbreaking for teen dramas, and Zendaya does a phenomenal job anchoring the show. It's definitely not for everybody, and there are some difficult scenes to watch, but if you have the stomach, there's nothing quite like Euphoria.
Narcos
Narcos, based on true events from the narcotics wars in Colombia and Mexico over the years, is compelling TV. In its first two seasons, Wagner Moura did one of the best impressions of a character I've ever seen, masterfully playing Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug lord. It was a conflicting viewing experience finding yourself almost rooting for Escobar since we see what a family man he is, but it's impossible to ever like him considering all the horrific acts he committed. There is plenty of drugs, blood and violence, but Narcos also explores how deep-rooted political corruption disables detectives Pena (the awesome Pedro Pascal) and Murphy (Body Holbrook) from doing their jobs. It's very difficult to watch men get tortured and see women and children have guns pointed to their heads, but on top of all that, we get a glimpse of how the cartel has virtually everyone on their payroll except the good-guy DEA agents. Narcos is not for the faint-of-heart, but the chase and action scenes, coupled with detective work, make it one of the best dramas on TV.
Stranger Things
A well-done dramedy about kids is always going to be a blast, and that's what Stranger Things is at its core: fun. Sure, there are scary and tragic moments, but it's one of the few shows that adults and children seem to like. That's hard to pull off.
Westworld
I'm a huge Westworld fan and I still never really understand what is going on. But here's what I do know: the cinematography is gorgeous, the acting is superb and the writing (Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy) is layered and complex. Westworld brings up a frightening yet philosophical prospect: if robots are programmed to have real human emotion and compassion, what makes them any different from humans? As season 3 begins preproduction, Breaking Bad-star Aaron Paul has reportedly been brought on. He should make the show that much better.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
I'm a Jewish kid who lives in LA; not liking Curb would be sacrilege. Larry David is a comedic genius, constantly getting into pickles due to a combination of his prickly personality and rotten luck. His agent and best friend Jeff may be my favorite character on the show, and who doesn't love when his wife Susie goes on one of her epic, profanity-laced rants? The show perfectly embodies LA culture, and it's always fun seeing filming locations that are places I go to a lot. Curb feels like home, and I can't wait for its 10th season this summer.
Ballers
Ballers, starring the Rock, is objectively a terrible show. It's a show with no consequences, only pure fun with some sports business sprinkled in. It may not be realistic, but I love it because it's a wonderful change-up from all the other shows on TV. Not every show can be a depressing drama or laughably bad comedy. At some point, keeping up with all the twists and turns of more serious shows can feel more like work than entertainment, and this is the entertainment industry for a reason. Ballers entertains, so maybe people should re-evaluate how they judge TV. In Ballers, we get behind the curtain of agents and athletes during the offseason as well as beautiful locations including Miami Beach, Beverly Hills and countless dope houses. Ballers rarely bothers to get its characters into serious trouble, and when they do, there's always an easy out. But it's also the show that spawned John David Washington's career. Washington, who plays star received Ricky Jarrett, just played a big role in Black KKKlansman and is set to star in Chris Nolan's mysterious 2020 summer blockbuster. If you're looking to get an emotional reaction out of a twisting show with rich characters, Ballers is not for you. If you like sports and relaxing, dive right in.
13 Reasons Why
13 Reasons Why is definitely the most depressing and serious teen drama out there. It deals with a girl slitting her wrists to commit suicide, multiple students getting raped, school-shootings and drug issues. It's definitely a heavy-handed show, and I'm not sure someone contemplating suicide should watch it, but it's very well done and the main character Clay, played wonderfully by Dylan Minnette, is a compassionate boy who really wants to be there for his friends. It's not just a teen drama; it's a legit drama that can be difficult to watch at times. But I like dark shows, so let me be.
All American
When I first dove into this, I thought since it was a CW show it would be bad, and while there are bad aspects, I respect how it tackles difficult subjects such as police brutality against black men, gang-affiliated violence and unaccepting parents who push their kid out because she is lesbian. It's based off the true story of Spencer Paysinger, a former NFL player who transferred from Crenshaw to Beverly Hills to play football. And as a Beverly High alum, I can say school is nothing like how it's depicted on the show (which they do not even film at Beverly). But it's a good teen drama mixed with genuinely well-shot football games. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my former school inaccurately portrayed, but it's still a fun watch, especially for sports fans.
The Bodyguard
It was only six short episodes, but boy did those episodes burst with tension and mystery. Secret service agent David Budd (played by Richard Madden) takes a a liking to his secretary he is supposed to protect, and...that's really all I can say without spoiling anything. If you like to feel your heart race and like a good, winding plot, watch this critically-acclaimed show. It's only six episodes after all.
Better Call Saul
The hit rate of successful sequels felt like zero before Better Call Saul graced our small screens in 2015, two years after its parent show, Breaking Bad, bowed out in spectacular fashion. Saul, which was originally theorized as a half-hour comedy by creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, has evolved into a fascinating show about ethics and how far a man can be dragged into the dirt before he becomes the dirt (horrible line, but stay with me). Jimmy McGill, played exquisitely by Bob Odenkirk, is a man constantly struggling to balance his inner moral compass, and usually failing to straddle the line between lawful and corrupt. His constantly evolving relationship with badass lawyer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) has out-shadowed the gang-infested aspect of the show, which is very compelling in its own right. As Jesse Pinkman once succinctly put it, Saul isn't a criminal lawyer, he's a criminal lawyer.
Mr. Robot
Mr. Robot is a very weird show. It airs on the virtually anonymous USA Network, doesn't average many viewers and its latest episode aired in late 2017. Nevertheless, it's absolutely compelling television. Rami Malek, who has blown up after his stud performance in Bohemian Rhapsody, plays antisocial and bipolar hacker Elliot Alderson who is trying to fight off the dark army from taking over the digital world and corrupting the US government as we know it. Amid all his issues, he has a mysterious alter ego, Mr. Robot, played by veteran actor Christian Slater, who is always throwing a wrench into things. The series is quirky, dark and masterfully shot. There was even an episode shot in only one take. As it prepares for its fourth and final season, Mr. Robot has and always will be an absolutely thrilling, creepy and eerie drama.
Succession
This show is awesome. The surprise of summer 2018, the HBO dramedy was an unexpected success. Sporting no real big-name actors, Succession masterfully told the story of possibly the most dysfunctional family this side of the Sopranos, the Roy Family, which owns a host of media networks. There's constant back-stabbing, power plays and general tomfoolery. I cannot wait for season 2.
Euphoria
The most realistic, raw, dramatic, superbly acted and written show centered on high school right now. In similar shows, characters either look too old or the plot becomes too ridiculous to take seriously. Euphoria is certainly slightly sensationalized, but all of its material stems from real problems that high school students unfortunately face. The cinematography I s groundbreaking for teen dramas, and Zendaya does a phenomenal job anchoring the show. It's definitely not for everybody, and there are some difficult scenes to watch, but if you have the stomach, there's nothing quite like Euphoria.
Narcos
Narcos, based on true events from the narcotics wars in Colombia and Mexico over the years, is compelling TV. In its first two seasons, Wagner Moura did one of the best impressions of a character I've ever seen, masterfully playing Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug lord. It was a conflicting viewing experience finding yourself almost rooting for Escobar since we see what a family man he is, but it's impossible to ever like him considering all the horrific acts he committed. There is plenty of drugs, blood and violence, but Narcos also explores how deep-rooted political corruption disables detectives Pena (the awesome Pedro Pascal) and Murphy (Body Holbrook) from doing their jobs. It's very difficult to watch men get tortured and see women and children have guns pointed to their heads, but on top of all that, we get a glimpse of how the cartel has virtually everyone on their payroll except the good-guy DEA agents. Narcos is not for the faint-of-heart, but the chase and action scenes, coupled with detective work, make it one of the best dramas on TV.
Stranger Things
A well-done dramedy about kids is always going to be a blast, and that's what Stranger Things is at its core: fun. Sure, there are scary and tragic moments, but it's one of the few shows that adults and children seem to like. That's hard to pull off.
Westworld
I'm a huge Westworld fan and I still never really understand what is going on. But here's what I do know: the cinematography is gorgeous, the acting is superb and the writing (Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy) is layered and complex. Westworld brings up a frightening yet philosophical prospect: if robots are programmed to have real human emotion and compassion, what makes them any different from humans? As season 3 begins preproduction, Breaking Bad-star Aaron Paul has reportedly been brought on. He should make the show that much better.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
I'm a Jewish kid who lives in LA; not liking Curb would be sacrilege. Larry David is a comedic genius, constantly getting into pickles due to a combination of his prickly personality and rotten luck. His agent and best friend Jeff may be my favorite character on the show, and who doesn't love when his wife Susie goes on one of her epic, profanity-laced rants? The show perfectly embodies LA culture, and it's always fun seeing filming locations that are places I go to a lot. Curb feels like home, and I can't wait for its 10th season this summer.
Ballers
Ballers, starring the Rock, is objectively a terrible show. It's a show with no consequences, only pure fun with some sports business sprinkled in. It may not be realistic, but I love it because it's a wonderful change-up from all the other shows on TV. Not every show can be a depressing drama or laughably bad comedy. At some point, keeping up with all the twists and turns of more serious shows can feel more like work than entertainment, and this is the entertainment industry for a reason. Ballers entertains, so maybe people should re-evaluate how they judge TV. In Ballers, we get behind the curtain of agents and athletes during the offseason as well as beautiful locations including Miami Beach, Beverly Hills and countless dope houses. Ballers rarely bothers to get its characters into serious trouble, and when they do, there's always an easy out. But it's also the show that spawned John David Washington's career. Washington, who plays star received Ricky Jarrett, just played a big role in Black KKKlansman and is set to star in Chris Nolan's mysterious 2020 summer blockbuster. If you're looking to get an emotional reaction out of a twisting show with rich characters, Ballers is not for you. If you like sports and relaxing, dive right in.
13 Reasons Why
13 Reasons Why is definitely the most depressing and serious teen drama out there. It deals with a girl slitting her wrists to commit suicide, multiple students getting raped, school-shootings and drug issues. It's definitely a heavy-handed show, and I'm not sure someone contemplating suicide should watch it, but it's very well done and the main character Clay, played wonderfully by Dylan Minnette, is a compassionate boy who really wants to be there for his friends. It's not just a teen drama; it's a legit drama that can be difficult to watch at times. But I like dark shows, so let me be.
All American
When I first dove into this, I thought since it was a CW show it would be bad, and while there are bad aspects, I respect how it tackles difficult subjects such as police brutality against black men, gang-affiliated violence and unaccepting parents who push their kid out because she is lesbian. It's based off the true story of Spencer Paysinger, a former NFL player who transferred from Crenshaw to Beverly Hills to play football. And as a Beverly High alum, I can say school is nothing like how it's depicted on the show (which they do not even film at Beverly). But it's a good teen drama mixed with genuinely well-shot football games. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my former school inaccurately portrayed, but it's still a fun watch, especially for sports fans.
The Bodyguard
It was only six short episodes, but boy did those episodes burst with tension and mystery. Secret service agent David Budd (played by Richard Madden) takes a a liking to his secretary he is supposed to protect, and...that's really all I can say without spoiling anything. If you like to feel your heart race and like a good, winding plot, watch this critically-acclaimed show. It's only six episodes after all.
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