Bloody Good Snacks

Every week, my Balmer Bestie and I get together to watch flicks and good TV, knock back a few adult beverages and nosh on some munchies. Sometimes, we try to "theme" the food and drink to the evening's programming, such as canapes and extra dry martinis for a showing of The Thin Man, or white russians for yet another visit with The Big Lebowski. (We also grilled steaks for a Buffy marathon - does that count? Get it? Stakes?)

This week, we'll be watching Supernatural, Boardwalk Empire, and most importantly, the season premiere of one of our mutual favorite shows, Dexter. I got an email today, suggesting this as a possible snack to accompany the return of our beloved serial killer and blood spatter expert:

They're lollipops! Isn't that awesome? (as long as they don't taste of Lithgow). The recipe and details can be found here.

What about y'all? Any good suggestions for themed food/booze/entertainment combos?

I'll take potpourri for $6,400, Alex

Top 10 Reasons why Trek is suddenly cool. (And none of those have anything to do with "Spock's Brain.")

Frak my life. Just read it and giggle.

Rating Woody Allen's films, from 1 - 40. Nice rankings, though personally, I'd put Annie Hall at #1. And probably have Bullets Over Broadway and Vicky Christina Barcelona higher. And Stardust Memories lower. Related: 10 Woody Allen proxies. Yeah, Celebrity was not up to snuff, but damn if Branagh didn't perfectly channel the Woodman.

I clipped this story about John Ensign and his hypocrisy on the whole ridiculous "defense of marriage" bullshit last week. And that was before another married with kids bible thumping nutjob jetted off Argentina to schtup his mistress. Yes, Sanford rejected the "stimulus package" because he was already getting his package stimulated. Haaaay-yooo.

Star Trek cakes. How cool are those? Here's an expanded look.

Are these the best sci-fi cliffhangers?

Hysterical! Michael Bay's keyboard.

Novel idea for sneaking booze into a ballgame.

The Madden ratings for the Atlanta Falcons.

Another TNRLM twitter suggestion shows up in the wild.

Interview with the delightful Julie Benz. I didn't realize she originally also read for "Deb" on Dexter.

Fantastic gallery of spaceships on io9.

Count down the Top 70 Marvel Comics covers ever. Definitely worth a look if you're a comic geek.

I know he was from Florida, and went to college at Tennessee, but somewhere along the way, didn't Travis Henry ever learn about condoms? Hell, the "pull out" method would seem to be more successful.

Highlights from the recent Bear McCreary BSG concert. Awesome.

Pop Quiz, Hotshot: famous TV homes. (I got 80%, BTW).


Great article on how the "standard" MLB camera angle is so misleading. Yes, the "off center" approach composes a better picture, especially in the widescreen era, but dead center certainly gives you a better idea about the pitches.

Did anyone else know there was a "University of Andy" web supplement to Weeds? Here Andy explains how to hold your liquor.

Are these the 10 most polarizing films of the last decade? Certainly a solid list, and think I wind up on the "pro" side of most of these.

Interview with Hope Davis, who was so mesmerizing on In Treatment this year.

IFC put together a list of the 50 greatest movie trailers of all time (with clips). Also, while I couldn't find a link to the actual list with clips, preeminent movie magazine Empire also assembled a similar list a while back.

Did Ayn Rand want Farrah to play Dagny Taggert? (Still waiting on an Atlas Shrugged flick, and I think Angelina or Rachel Weisz would make a great Dagny).

The dangers of quitting smoking.

Supernatural casts their Lucifer. Great choice, but I wonder what this means for Lost?

Doctor Who returns tonight! Alan Sepinwall talks to Russell Davies, and Mo Ryan chats with David Tennant.

Emmy Shortlist: Drama Lead Actors

TNRLM Shortlist: Lead Actor/Drama

Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment: It’s a shame this show doesn’t attract more viewers, because those who aren’t watching are missing a master class in acting from all involved. It takes special talent to make watching two people sitting on a single set talking for 30 minutes riveting television, but that’s what In Treatment is. Byrne, given more to play with this year than last, was spectacular, and made “listening” into an art form.

Jeffrey Donovan, Burn Notice: Several shows featured charismatic leads anchoring enjoyable procedurals (including Nathan Fillion on Castle and Simon Baker on The Mentalist), but Burn Notice really upped its game in the second season, and went from popcorn munching summer fun to must watch, thanks mainly to Donovan’s portrayal of outcast spy Michael Weston (good scripts and a fabulous supporting cast also helped). Donovan was also great in USA’s little seen and underappreciated remake of Touching Evil several years ago, so how about a little overdue recognition?

Michael C. Hall, Dexter: Hall has created one of TV’s most enjoyable and fascinating characters, a sympathetic serial killer. Though he can propel the show all on his own, it was great watching him in a cat and mouse game with Jimmy Smits in season three.



Jon Hamm, Mad Men: Season two of Mad Men gave us lots of Don Draper to appreciate. From his professional machinations with the Sterling Cooper crowd and obnoxious comic Jimmy Barrett (and his wife) to his existential time on the west coast, Hamm gave subtle shadings to a character who shows little on the outside, but has everything going on on the inside.

Josh Holloway, Lost: With his nicknames and bad boy behavior, Sawyer has long been one of the best things about Lost. Last season, however, Holloway got to play another side of everyone’s favorite conman, as “Jim LaFleur” attempted to build a new life for himself back in the 1970s era Dharma Initiative. His doomed relationship with the equally Emmy-worthy Elizabeth Mitchell was a highlight of a terrific season five.

Hugh Laurie, House: Yeah, the overall show has slipped a bit, but Laurie continues to bring the brilliance week after week, and it’s inconceivable that he hasn’t taken home a gold statue yet.


Denis Leary, Rescue Me: No show benefited from a break more than Rescue Me, which had fallen into a serious ditch, quality wise. But this year, it’s come roaring back with better scripts and inspired casting (including Michael J. Fox as Janet’s antagonistic new boyfriend), and fantastic lead performance from Leary. He handles the laugh out loud comedy and trips to the dramatic dark side with equal aplomb, and should be recognized for helping rescue Rescue Me.

TNRLM Shortlist: Lead Actress/Drama

Ginnifer Goodwin, Big Love: Big Love enjoyed its best season yet, and much of the credit has to go to the actresses who played the Henrickson wives, all of whom I’ve put on this list. Goodwin’s Margene dealt with the death of her mother, and the youngest sister-wife began to blossom as she started her own home shopping network career. Denial and ambition made an adorable package this year for Margene.

January Jones, Mad Men: Betty Draper took an interesting voyage on the second season of Mad Men, as she experimented with the power of her own allure and independence. Jones was up to the challenge, giving the audience a compelling view of a woman trapped in a difficult situation in a very different era.


Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica: How is it even possible that McDonnell has never been nominated for one of the most iconic female roles in all of science fiction? Oh yeah, it’s “science fiction.” Despite the disturbing lack of attention given to extraordinary performances in “genre” programming, McDonnell deserves kudos for breathing life into a complicated character, and I could watch her “I’m coming for all of you!” scene over and over.

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men: It was tough to be an ambitious career gal in the Mad Men era, as Moss’s nuanced and intelligent performance constantly reminds us. While she was great all year long, Moss should be on the Emmy list if only for her scene with Pete in the season finale. Great stuff.


Chloe Sevigny, Big Love: All the sister wives got compelling storylines this past year, and Sevigny was no exception. Nicki lived a double life, spied for her treacherous father, got caught taking birth control pills, reconciled with her slimy brother Alby and had to deal with the return of her abusive first husband and little seen daughter. Amazingly enough, Sevigny created sympathy for a character that on the surface would seem to engender little.

Jeanne Tripplehorn, Big Love: Concluding the Big Love troika is Tripplehorn, who masterfully took Barb Henrickson through a monumental crisis of faith and questionable commitment to “living the principle” in her plural marriage. Her performance was delicate, true and heartbreaking.

Incest ahoy in Miami!

Holy uncomfortable sibling fondling -- Dexter Morgan has married his sister!

Okay, the characters Dexter and Debra Morgan haven't tied the knot. But the actors that play them, Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter, have.

I think I heard a while back that they were dating on the down low. And it didn't creep me out watching them interact as siblings on the the show. But now that they're out in the open about it (obvs, being married), will it change how you look at Dex and Deb? Of course, that's assuming you weren't already creeped out by Deb's neverending and colorful stream of expletives, and Dex's, you know, serial killing. (Both of which I found utterly charming, BTW). Speaking of creeped out, I recently rewatched The Exorcism of Emily Rose, where Carpenter played a girl possessed by the devil, and she was totally freaky and disturbing in that (in a good performance way). Perhaps Tim Tebow should have laid hands on her and cast out the demons.

Anyhoo, congrats to the newlyweds. We're all looking forward to the fourth season, provided they don't dwell on the potential new addition to the Morgan family, as so artfully described by Deb: "A baby? A motherfucking roly-poly chubby-cheek shit-machine; Are you kidding me?"

TV Quickies

Random thoughts on the Fall TV Season:

Newly minted Emmy Winning Best Drama Mad Men returned Sunday night with a fantastic episode. I started writing a long treatise on the sad, urine-stained career arc of Freddy Rumson, the meaning of a “name,” Roger Sterling’s end of the episode surprise and Betty Draper’s desperate housewife days, but realized that a couple of professional critics had already done the job quite well. Check out some thoughtful examinations of “Six Month Leave” here and here.

It’s sad that the ratings for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are cratering. I think this season has been even better than the last, and Monday’s eppy with a look at Cameron’s story was fascinating, and very well acted by Summer Glau. Rumors addressed here.

Dexter returned Sunday night, and Jimmy Smits will be a welcome addition to the cast. All the elements that make this show a must-watch are there, though I hope the writers don’t feel compelled to make Dex’s latest victim a total scumbag in order to give our serial killer an easy, moral “out.” If the Sopranos and Mad Men and Deadwood have shown us anything, it’s that intelligent audiences will stick with a compelling character that operates outside the boundaries of traditional morality. One major complaint, though. The end of episode reveal introduced something that is typically a “show killer” for me. Why? Can’t even a show about a serial killer stay away from this? Gah.

Heroes season 3 is still an incomprehensible mess, plot-wise. (Examples: if future Peter can travel in time, why shoot Nathan? Why not just tell him what happens if he makes his reveal last year? Or transport him someplace else, away from the media? And if you have mastery over time, why let any of this happen in the first place? Same with Hiro. Why not go back BEFORE he let “the formula” get out of the safe?). Still, for the time being I’ll keep watching, if only because I find some of the characters and performances (HRG, Daphne, Sylar, Hiro, Nathan, Elle, Angela, Claire’s mom) entertaining. At least they’ve picked up the pace of the stupidity this year. Oh, and check out Jack Coleman’s (HRG) blog on TWOP. Much better than the show.

And here’s a funny take on how to grade Heroes episodes on a curve.

Anyone else digging Fringe? I really like it, and think the interplay between the three leads is amusing. And any chance for John Noble's character to talk about cocaine, LSD, root beer floats and cows is fine with me.

Still on board with the quirky detective on House.

I'll take potpourri for $3,000, Alex

We didn't see it because of the unbearable bloat caused by the reality show host trainwreck, but Buffy won the voting for TV's most memorable moment.

Speaking of the Emmys, other than some of the awards themselves (yay Mad Men!) and Ricky Gervais and Don Rickles, that show was disastrously free of highlights. Josh Groban (!) did a polarizing medley of TV theme songs that people loved or hated. Personally, I thought it was great (he does Cartman, y'all!), but check it out for yourself.

A sequel to Unbreakable? Hmmm, a recent Shaymalan movie I might watch.

Hard to punch it into the end zone against 12 men. Pac 10 refs. Sheeesh.

Great bulletin board material for the Dawgs. Maybe not a funeral, but I'm gonna drink like it's an Irish wake. And here's a hysterical "reality show" reaction to those comments. And former NBA coach Eric Musselman talks black jerseys here.

I stopped watching Grey's long ago, but I might have to check this out. I know a lot of Alias fans hated her, but I think she's scorching hot (and she was great on In Treatment, too). Perhaps I just have a thing for foreign chicks with great lips and overbites (see Piper, Billie).

If Josh Groban's song medley and Melissa George are polarizing, the new detective on House was as well. House's seasonal "foils" can be that way (I hated Vogler, loved Stacy, hated Tritter, loved the "survivor" competition and Cutthroat Bitch) and Lucas follows in that tradition. Personally, I found him funny, quirky (in a good way) and entertaining. If indeed he gets "spun off" into his own show, I'd check it out.

How could anyone actually live like this? Hell, I know someone who actually tried to "raise" four kids in an environment like that. On a related note, in Columbus, this might have been called "the kiddie pool."

Damn, Joanie heated up the Emmys, no?

Beaver Fever! Damn. I watched some of that while I was falling asleep after a long day. Then I woke up after a bizarre dream (Sam and I were in a football stadium being attacked by alien spaceships) to find that the closing 3 minutes of the game were airing on ESPN. Life lesson: even Trojans aren't safe from an angry beaver. Given this stunning upset, could the Dawgs jump back to #1 with a win Saturday night?

Don't forget, Dexter returns Sunday night!

I'll take potpourri for $2,900, Alex

A fascinating look at the history of internet memes.

Michael Emerson (Lost's Benjamin Linus) talks Lost and Emmys.

5 reasons to be content with carrying a few extra pounds.

This sounds like an interesting mini-series from HBO, with a top-shelf crew of producers.

Another reason to love Maura Tierney.

You have got to be fucking kidding me. Seems like I remember something about tea. And a harbor. If that's "patriotic," then call me a goddamned enemy of the state.

Good roundtable interview with Emmy candidates Michael C. Hall, John Slattery, Rainn Wilson, Mary Louise Parker and Rachel Griffiths. Tomorrow I'll have my "will win/should win" take on the Emmys.

An interesting look at the history of the Cylons.

Speaking of BSG, "Kendra Shaw" will be popping up on Sarah Connor soon. Cool.

Sigh. Seems like I left a friendly place.

Well, I know which one I would choose.

Summary of quotable TV.

13 things you should know about this season of Heroes.

Skiffy greenlights a new X-Files-ish show from Jane Espenson and the creator of Farscape. I'll watch.

As long as they are anti-tax, there are good choices for a candidate here.

Haven't seen the new Coen brothers movie yet, but evidently, this makes an appearance. Oddly, this made me wonder what my movers thought last year.

An apt picture to headline TWOP's list of most egregious Emmy snubs.

An early look at S3 of Dexter.

I'm not a killer...

...or maybe I just hide it well.

I took the Dexter "psycho therapy" ink blot test, and my results:

Your killer instinct is 38%.

Your responses indicate that you are either very normal, or that you are very good at hiding your deadly instincts. Keep up the good work.

The stellar (and Emmy nominated!) second season of Dexter arrives on DVD today, and the third season starts on Showtime September 28th.

Speaking of Dexter, Julie Benz is the subject of Pop Candy's latest podcast. Check here or the iTunes store for more details.

Comic-Con done broke Google Reader

Of the 60+ RSS feeds I get into Google Reader, many of them are focused on geeky entertainment. And with Comic-Con going this week, the damned feed has almost exploded. Fortunately, I have no life and I've managed to make my way through them all and find my cup of nerd knowledge overflowing. Some highlights:

What to wear at Comic-Con. I particularly like the Captain Hammer shirt, and the "all the robots that matter" one.

Jack Bauer screams "Dammit!" at a fan (all in good fun). And there's a reference to a 24 drinking game (I seem to recall getting plastered playing my own version of this one).

Highlights from the Watchmen panel. First, Carla Gugino is smoking hot. (She was also on a panel for a "re-imagining" of childhood fave Escape to Witch Mountain). Also, good insight from the actors on getting into their characters. Speaking of the flawless Gugino, here's a look at a Vargas-style pinup of her character, Sally Jupiter. Another recap of the panel is here.

Kinda cool: a look a concept art for the lightcycles in TRON. Awesomely Fucking Cool: Out of the blue and unannounced, Disney previewed a teaser (or "proof of concept") for a TRON sequel, called TR2N, featuring The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges. Here's a grainy, camera phone view of the footage.

Dexter made an appearance at the Con. Here's a write up on the panel. And check out the season 3 preview!

Thoughts on The Middleman panel. And they are cutting back from 13 eps to 12? Sigh. I, too, was worried that the smart, funny show might be too "niche-y" to find a mainstream audience (especially on ABC Family) despite all the glowing reviews. I certainly hope it comes back for a second season, but if you're not watching it, you should be, while you can. There's really nothing like it on TV, and it's the laugh out loud funniest take on "superheroes" since The Tick.

Farscape is coming back with comics and webisodes.

I knew a Wolverine movie was coming out, but I didn't realize there would be an appearance from everyone's favorite lingerie-wearing, psychotic, psionic uber-bitch, Emma Frost. Awesome. I wonder who will be playing her? How about Christina Cole? Or Emily Blunt with blonde hair?

Video from the panel with the Lost guys. Plus more on Chuck, Sarah Connor and Lost.

I'll take potpourri for $1,500, Alex

I enjoyed last night's Doctor Who, though like most Who, it's probably best not to think too hard about the plot mechanics. The fish faced "Hath" were cute, and a decent alien design, weren't they? And what's with all the shots this season of the Doctor's "extra" hand? Surely this is leading somewhere, along with the split second glimpses of Rose we get from time to time. Reminds me of the "Bad Wolf" clues dropped a couple of seasons ago. Here's something to think about: the adorable actress who winningly played the Doctor's "daughter" in the ep last night is the real-life daughter of Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor. And also in real life, she's dating the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant. Maybe the Tardis needs a visit to Cleveland, Georgia and a consultation with McNamara/Troy to help them sort all this out.

The Onion AV Club is going through Buffy, starting at season 1.

Pajiba declares the 15 best TV seasons of the past 20 years. Hello, Firefly! Howdy, Buffy Season 2! Greetings, Farscape Season 3! Nice to see ya, Six Feet Under Season 1! There's four I wholeheartedly agree with. There's got to be some room there, however, for Dexter, The Sopranos and Mad Men, no?

I just finished up with Dexter Season 2, and holy shit, what a ride. I watched it all over the course of a week or so, and it was positively electric. The voice overs were dark, deadpan hilarious, and the acting and writing were superb. I've hated few characters on my TV like Lila, though she was a perfect catalyst for the story this season. And though she needs to eat a sandwich, I think I love Debra Morgan, all emotional confusion and shockingly foul mouth. I thought the show would have a hard time topping S1, but this may have done it. Outstanding.

Speaking of Dexter, Jimmy Smits will be joining the cast for the next season.

Always nice to see Julianne Moore talking about fellatio.

Nice roundtable discussion from the showrunners of Lost, Pushing Daisies, HIMYM, House and Mad Men.

More good stuff about How I Met Your Mother here.

Cool sketches of the ships on BSG.

Weird. Torchwood is coming back in 2009, but for only 5 hours. What's up with that?

Buster Bluth coming to Chuck? Yeah, that works.

This poll sums up how I feel about Narnia.

Could Tim Burton direct Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins in a big screen Dark Shadows? Awesome.

Sweet serial killer goodness

When I moved up here, we were right at the start of Dexter's second season, and I didn't get Showtime as part of the motherfucking cable package. When I finally got into another apartment and reconnected with my beloved DirecTV and TiVo, the season was already over and they weren't repeating it. But thanks to the miracle of TiVo, I just noticed that Showtime 2 was repeating all of the season over the next couple of weeks. That sweet, beautiful set top box was looking out for me, and recording it, starting with the "season premiere" last night. Believe it or not, I stayed relatively spoiler free, and all I know through general pop culture osmosis is that Keith Carradine (so good in Deadwood as Wild Bill) shows up as an FBI agent and that somehow, Dexter winds up in fake rehab. With Lost coming to an end for almost a year, this is indeed a treat.

Let's go chop up some denizens of Miami!

The 50 Greatest Television Shows of All Time

Empire, the UK's preeminent entertainment magazine (and really, one of the best out there period) just published a list of the 50 Greatest Television Shows of All Time. While it has a certain British sensibility, and includes several shows many of us in The Colonies haven't seen, it is a solid list and one that deserves comment. So open up another tab in your browser, and follow along with me as I count (most of) them down.

Nice to see some love for Quantum Leap

Would not put Prison Break in the Top 50. Or Top 250.

Veronica's best episode is NOT the S2 finale. And I might put it higher on the list.

DS9's best ep would be "Far Beyond the Stars," Trials and Tribbilations" or "In the Pale Moonlight."

Nice to see Farscape love, too. I would put it higher than 45. I would have never believed I could take seriously a show that featured muppets as aliens, but damned if it didn't work, thanks to inventive scripting and downright sizzling performances by Ben Browder and Claudia Black.

Star Trek at 43? Kidding, right? Dammit, Jim, that's too low!

Band of Brothers. Cool. I hate the way I finally got around to watching this one, though.

For Star Trek: TNG, they rightly named "Best of Both Worlds (Parts I and II)" as the best ep, though I would put "Yesterday's Enterprise" just a notch below that one.

Alias that high? Above 3 Treks and Farscape? I liked Alias, but not that much.

Deadwood at 31. Ahhh, dearly departed Deadwood. I realize there was more to Deadwood's demise than the creation of the trippy, challenging and ultimately frustrating John From Cincinnati, but I would have easily forgone that for one more season with Al Swearingen. And an average of 1,000 "fucks" per 12 episode season? That's 83 "fucks" per episode. That's fucking awesome, fuckers.

Love that Dexter made the list.

Bender on Futurama is named after Judd Nelson's character in the Breakfast Club? Cool.

Nice choice with Angel at 21. Numfar does the dance of joy. And of course, I would have it higher.

Scrubs at 19? Wha? Huh? I mean, I liked Scrubs for a while, until it became all about kids, but 19?

Best. Sitcom. Ever. Arrested Development at 18. Sweet, but it should be even higher.

South Park is still as funny today as it was when it premiered.

Heroes at 15? Has anyone watched season 2? Although I will agree with them about "Five Years Gone." I still have that ep saved on the TiVo, even after all this time.

Firefly at 14! Shiny! How do you pick a "best" episode here? "Out of Gas" is a very solid and obvious choice, though I'm also partial to the more existential "Objects in Space" (Jubal Early is a fantastic creation) and "Shindig" never fails to crack me up. And that's not even mentioning "Our Mrs. Reynolds" with the duplicitous and adorable YoSaffBridge.

Frak Yeah. BSG at 13. Too Low? So Say We All. And for my take on the best episode (and hell, ALL the episodes), check out this Very Special Edition of TNRLM's "The Canon"

Hard to argue with Seinfeld at 11, but I still put Arrested Development as the best sitcom ever, a c-hair ahead of this show and Cheers.

Now we're in the Top 10, with the X-Files at 9. Despite some hits and misses (mostly the unsatisfying wrap up and faltering under its own weight mythology), this still ranks as one of the best shows of all time. Best episode? They cite "Jose Chung," which might be worthy, but there are so many to consider, like "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "Bad Blood" and many others, including "Home" (check out the Did You Know blurb at the bottom for the surprising origin of that story).

Never watched The Wire. Dunno. Just no interest.

24 at 6? I love watching Jack Bauer whoop some terrorist (or bystander) ass with the best of 'em, but as Gob Bluth would say...."Come On!"

Lost checks in at 5. Given my obsession with the show (I just received 2 "Dharma" and one "Oceanic Air" t-shirts I ordered last weekend), I can't argue with that one. Another show that's tough to pick a best episode. What about "Walkabout?" Or last season's finale, "Through The Looking Glass?" Or this season's "The Constant?"

You woke up this morning. Got yourself a gun. Mama always said you'd be the chosen one. Or at #3. "Long Term Parking" is indeed a fine episode, but "Pine Barrens" is a fucking masterpiece.

I'm fond of The Simpsons, and it certainly has had a significant cultural impact and impressive staying power. That's their choice for number 1. However, speaking of "The Chosen One," my choice for number 1 would be Empire's choice for number 2. The answer, of course, is the television masterpiece Buffy The Vampire Slayer. If you are still scared by the silly title, you're really missing out (much like I assume some folks are by Battlestar Galactica) and owe it to yourself to go buy all seven seasons on DVD right now. Trust me, you won't regret it. Or, if you like, you can do a little sampling at hulu.com. And then you'll go buy all seven seasons on DVD. I'll even get you started right now:

As for the "best" episode of Buffy? You can check out this other Very Special Edition of TNRLM's "The Canon" right here.

As you can tell, I don't have that many quibbles with the list overall, despite the omission of some "classic" series (Twilight Zone, Magnum PI, Cheers, M*A*S*H, etc.). The only "new" series I would think merits inclusion is the compelling Mad Men.

What's missing? Agree or disagree? What are the best episodes? Whatcha think, TNRLM readers?

The Canon: Best Modern Credit Sequences

Television opening credit sequences have come a long way since the days of our youth. "Back in the day" (excuse me while I check on the earlybird dinner special and line up my bingo and shuffleboard games) credits almost always followed the same formula: catchy jingle, expository lyrics and images, list of players.

Sitcoms were particularly adept at this. Think about it. Who couldn't still break off a barroom rendition of The Beverly Hillbillies? Or Green Acres? The Brady Bunch? The Jeffersons? Gilligan's Island? Everything we needed to set up the story was right there in the first minute. While not adhering as strictly to formula, dramas also used the opening moments to give you what you needed. Who didn't know exactly what to expect after getting revved up by the opening of Hawaii Five O? Or Magnum PI? Or Classic Star Trek? Or even a more obscure show, like The Wild, Wild West?

Nowadays, the playing field has changed somewhat. There are more commercials and less time for 1-2 minutes of catchy theme music to play each week. There's the pressure to "hook" potential channel flippers, so the "cold open" has gathered steam as a marketing tool and storytelling device to capture your attention right off the bat. Full credits aren't actually contained within the "theme song" and many shows just show them on a crawl during the first act.

So before we get to the actual list, a few caveats.

1. I'm only including current shows. So we won't be seeing the iconic images of Tony Soprano and the fabulous strains of "Woke up this morning, got yourself a gun." Or the first season of dearly departed Veronica Mars. Or Firefly. Or the late (lamented?) John From Cincinnati. Or the pitch perfect Buffy the Vampire Slayer opening.
2. I'm only considering shows I watch with some regularity (i.e. "good" shows. That use a script). So I don't care if Beethoven and Prince collaborated on the opening credits of America's Next Top Model with Orson Welles and Martin Scorcese, you won't be seeing that here.
3. The list also includes shows with actual "credit sequences." So while I love Lost's moody spinning logo and strange music, and The Closer's blues line interspersed with the opening of act one, those are not necessarily a credit sequence.

Got it?

Okay, here we go.

1. Battlestar Galactica


It's all right there. The set up. The premise. Gorgeous imagery. Emotion, drama, conflict -- all perfectly set to the music. Plus, the unusual tactic of split second images from the episode to follow.

2. Dexter


Beautiful. Disturbing images of seemingly innocuous everyday activities, highlighted by frequent splashes of blood and underscored by a whimsical to the point of creepy theme. What better way to kick off a show about a "good guy" moonlighting as a serial killer?

3. Monk


Randy Newman's sprightly ditty is one for the ages, perfectly capturing the essence of Adrian Monk.

4. Mad Men


The score here is terrific and the imagery even better. Evocative of the classic work by Saul Bass, the falling adman sets up the personal, professional and existential conflict of primary character Don Draper.

5. Rescue Me


Set to a driving uptempo rave by the Von Bondies, Rescue Me's credits also give you everything you need to know aurally and visually right away. The "smoking" player credits are a great touch.

6. Bones


This is from season 2, which improved on season 1 by synchronizing the actor names with their appearance onscreen. The music, by The Crystal Method, rhythmically suggests the creepy nature of the cases while the jittery visuals remind viewers of Se7en and set the tone of the show while never losing the focus on the two primary characters.

7. CSI


It's been around a while, and been "exported" thematically to sister shows New York and Miami, but the original is still the best. Combining the high energy music of The Who and lyrically on point in the search for the criminal, CSI is a great blend of song and image that sets up the "scientific" nature of the crime lab without sacrificing any of the drama.

8. Psych


Another perfect marriage of lyrical storytelling that suggests the premise while conveying the fun and farcical nature of the show, all in 20 seconds.