Dann Michalski

Rip-roaringly fun, Futurama delivers non-stop laughs in Season 4. The writing is incredibly good with lots of clever satire and parodies, resulting in ridiculously hilarious episodes like "Roswell That Ends Well," "A Tale of Two Santas," and "Godfellas." But the capstone has to be the Star Trek reunion episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before," which features the entire original cast (minus DeForest Kelley and James Doohan). However, the guest stars don't stop there; Sigourney Weaver, Lucy Liu, and Hank Aaron make appearances throughout the season. But the episodes aren't all wild hijinks and craziness, as there's some nice character building with Leela finding her parents and Bender facing an existential crisis after meeting "god." Extraordinarily entertaining, Season 4 of Futurama is one of the best seasons of the series.

Matt Groening and David X. Cohen deliver more laughs as Futurama launches into a second season. Full of hilarious adventures, this season Bender joins the Robot Mafia, Zoidberg returns to his home planet to mate, Fry enrolls in Mars University, and Lela finds another cyclops. There are also some brilliant parody episodes of Titanic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Animal House. And along the way several new recurring characters are introduced, including Lrrr, Cubert, the Donbot, and Santa Claus. Additionally, a host of guest stars make appearances: John Goodman, Bob Barker, Vice President Al Gore, Claudia Schiffer, and Stephen Hawking. Season 2 of Futurama continues the smart, outrageous comedy styling that makes the show so ridiculously funny.

The facts are these...Pushing Daisies is a delightful fantasy series from Bryan Fuller. The show follows Ned the Pie Maker who has the ability to bring dead things back to life temporarily, and use his power to moonlight as an assistant to his PI friend Emerson Cod; but everything changes when Ned comes across his childhood sweetheart and decides to bring her back to life permanently. The visual style of the show is quite unique and uses bright colors and CGI backdrops to create a fantasy-esque aesthetic. Additionally, the series is given a storybook quality by including voice over narration. And the writing is exceptionally well-done; especially the dialog, which is quite clever and witty. A quirky and imaginative television series, Pushing Daisies delivers a brilliant first season.

The Jeri Ryan revival of Star Trek: Voyager continues into Season 5 with new and exciting adventures. Featuring such thrilling episodes as “Dark Victory,” “Relativity,” and “Equinox,” the show really ups the action. Yet the character episodes, such as “Once Upon A Time,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” and “Course: Oblivion,” are equally as powerful. Additionally, a couple of interesting guest stars beam aboard; including Lori Petty, Jason Alexander, and John Savage. Plus, TNG cast member LeVar Burton makes a cameo. Full of thrills, the rising tide created by Jeri Ryan proves to have staying power into Season 5 of Star Trek: Voyager.

One of the most creative and groundbreaking shows ever created, Fox’s 24 broke all conventions of network television. In Season 1 federal agent Jack Bauer leads an investigation to uncover an assassination plot to kill presidential candidate David Palmer, but things get complicated when Bauer’s family is held hostage by a group of terrorist involved in the conspiracy. There are also additional subplots that pad out the season; however, most of them feel like filler and detract from the main story arc. Using real-time and split-screen, the directing style adds a great deal of suspense and tension to the show. And while the cast changes a bit, there are strong performances from Xander Berkeley, Sarah Clarke, Mia Kirshner, and Michael Massee. But it’s Kiefer Sutherland’s performance as Jack Bauer that defines the series. Season 1 has a few kinks, yet overall 24 is a brilliant and exciting season of television.

The Muppet Show continues the laughs into a second season of variety entertainment. Some of the featured guest stars include Bob Hope, Judy Collins, Steve Martin, Julie Andrews, Elton John, John Cleese, and George Burns. A couple of the skits from Season 1 are dropped, such as Vendaface and Wayne and Wanda, but most of the skits are back: Pigs in Space, Veterinarian Hospital, Muppet Labs, Ballroom dancing, Muppet News, etc. Yet, the show finds ways to stay fresh by changing up the format occasionally; such as having the Steve Martin episode be an audition, and having Bob Hope constantly leave his episode to do charities and come back. And for the most part, the acts are well tailored to the guests, and the episodes do a good job at balancing the guest spots with the backstage gags and Muppet only sketches. Delivering a great second season, The Muppet Show in one of the best family variety shows on television.

Season 5 of Dexter was referred to as a “re-imaging of the series,” and it succeeds brilliantly at this. A character drama at heart, this season does an incredible job at developing the main characters and giving them compelling story arcs. In the wake of Season 4’s shocking finale Dexter finds himself broken and lost, and attempts to find redemption in helping a traumatized rape victim track down and exact revenge against the rape gang that abducted and brutalized her; meanwhile Det. Quinn starts to suspect that Dexter is dirty and hires a P.I. to investigate him. The serial storytelling is especially well-done, as the stories move fluidly from episode to episode; staying remarkably coherent and organic. And the guest stars this season, Julia Stiles, Peter Weller, and Jonny Lee Miller, deliver extraordinary performances. Dexter has come a long way, and this new re-imaging in Season 5 makes for an exciting time for the series.

“You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into …The Twilight Zone.” Having proven itself, The Twilight Zone delivers even more incredible sci-fi and fantasy stories in its second season. Featuring such classic episodes as “The Howling Man,” “Nick of Time,” “Eye of the Beholder,” “The Odyssey of Flight 33,” and “The Obsolete Man,” Season 2 is especially strong, with a clear focus on the themes of the series. Additionally, there are some format changes; including Rod Serling coming out in front of the camera for his introductions, and an experiment with shooting on video as a cost cutting measure. Yet the show still maintains an impressive list of guest stars, such as William Shatner, Art Carney, Burgess Meredith, and Cliff Robertson. Taking the series deeper into the realms of the fantastical, The Twilight Zone: Season 2 is extraordinarily thought-provoking and compelling.

Resistance is futile as Jeri Ryan sexes up Star Trek: Voyager in its fourth season. The Borg take center stage as Voyage finally enters Borg space and gains a Borg crewmember, Seven of Nine. Seven proves to be the missing ingredient that the show needed to take off, as the character exponentially improves the quality of the storytelling. She fills the Spock/Data role of the outsider commenting on humanity. And, Seven’s interactions with Capt. Janeway and the Doctor make for some of the strongest character dynamics of the show. Additionally, the series finally finds a compelling villain in the form of the Hirogen; who are reminiscent of the Klingons. This new energy is also reflected in some incredibly ambitious episodes, such as “Year of Hell,” “The Killing Game,” “Living Witness,” and “One.” Plus, the season is able to gather some impressive guest stars; including Kurtwood Smith, Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen, and Ray Wise. Season 4 of Star Trek: Voyager re-launches the series and finally makes it worth watching.

And now the story of a brilliant television series that was cancelled, and the one network that resurrected it and turned it into festering garbage. The atrociousness of Arrested Development’s fourth season may not be Netflix’s fault entirely, but the carte blanche that they gave the show’s producers allowed them to run it off the rails. The premise of the show is changed, and it’s turned into more of an anthology series; focusing on a different Bluth family member each episode. The characters have also been changed and rewritten to fit the new tone of the series; causing them to lose a lot of their charm. Still, Season 4 does do a good job at bringing back and using the supporting characters from past seasons. And, the comedy stays true to the clever, unique style of the series. Yet while there are some bright spots, this deformed version of Arrested Development is hard to watch. Season 4 was a huge mistake.

In an attempt to bring new life to the series Scream gets a reboot in Season 3 (or Resurrection), and it doesn’t work. The story follows 5 high school students who are stalked by a mysterious killer at Halloween. The cast is weak and give rather poor performances playing blatant stereotypes; the jock, the brain, the activist, etc. Also, the writing isn’t very good; especially when it tries to do the meta, post-modern deconstruction riffs that the films did so well. And, aside from the Ghostface mask, there are no connections to the films, or to the previous seasons of the television series for that matter. Incredibly disappointing, Season 3 of Scream killed the franchise rather than revive it (being dumped by both MTV and The Weinstein Company).

Stephen King’s epic apocalyptic thriller The Stand is brought to television as a four part miniseries. When a plague wipes out 99% of the population a number of survivors begin to receive mysterious dreams calling them to Boulder, Colorado, to begin anew, but a rival community rises up in Las Vegas lead by the demonic Randall Flagg. Featuring Gary Sinise, Laura San Giacomo, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Shawnee Smith, Matt Frewer, and Ed Harris, the cast is quite impressive. Yet the performances aren’t very good, and neither are the production values. The storytelling’s also rather weak, failing to capture the dyer tone of this apocalyptic tale. The Stand clearly has an ambitious vision, but it’s unable to deliver on it.

Star Trek: The Next Generation carries on without creator Gene Roddenberry in its sixth season. Season 6 also marks the launch of Trek’s first spin-off series, Deep Space Nine, and its first cross-over episode “Birthright.” Yet this branching off comes with the loss of Colm Meaney from the recurring cast, along with several others from TNG’s creative team. Still, the writers deliver a number of impressive episodes, including “True Q,” “Chain Of Command,” “Ship in a Bottle,” and “Rightful Heir.” And, such guest stars as Olivia d’Abo, Ronny Cox, and original series cast member James Doohan beam aboard. Season 6 of Star Trek: The Next Generation continues to deliver entertaining adventures, but somehow it seems a little less ambitious than previous seasons; sticking to what has worked in the past rather than boldly going where no one has gone before.

From visionary Gene Roddenberry comes the classic science fiction series Star Trek. Season 1 follow the starship Enterprise as it boldly goes where no man has gone before – exploring the galaxy, meeting new alien races, and battling the imperialistic Klingons. Featuring such episodes as “The Enemy Within,” “Dagger of the Mind,” “Balance of Terror,” “Space Seed,” and “The City on the Edge of Forever,” the series really hits the ground running; tackling powerful and provocative social and political issues while also delivering plenty of action and adventure. Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley, the show has a great cast that has extraordinarily good chemistry together. Also, the costumes, sets designs, and makeup effects hold up remarkable well (for the most part), having a retro ‘60s sci-fi aesthetic; which the remastered editions do an impressive job of sticking to. Season 1 of Star Trek is incredibly strong and lays the foundation for what would become one of the most influential and beloved science fiction franchises.

Remarkably compelling, The Chosen is a groundbreaking, crowd funded biblical drama. Season 1 follows the disciples as they’re called by Jesus to follow him and be part of his ministry. The series features a strong cast that delivers some good performances. And, the writers do an impressive job at developing the characters and making them feel real and relatable. Additionally, the costumes and sets are especially well-done; feeling authentic to the time period. However, it takes a couple of episodes to build momentum, and switching between the various character stories can be a little jarring at times. Yet while Season 1 of The Chosen has a few rough edges, it presents a powerful vision of the Gospel.

Season 4 of 24 derails the series a bit, but it eventually gets back on track. In a pseudo reboot, the series brings in a nearly all new cast and re-writes the Chloe O’Brian character to be a sympathetic lead. But it doesn’t work, and by mid-season most of the show’s familiar characters return. Still, this season marks the introduction of several major characters of the series, including Audrey Raines, Curtis Manning, Bill Buchanan, and Charles Logan. The terrorist threat faced this season is also problematic; it’s all over the place, beginning with a political kidnapping and ending with a rogue nuclear missile (with several other plots in-between). However, the action is still intense and well-shot. And, there are some interesting guest appearances by Lana Parrilla, Leighton Meester, and T.J. Thyne. In its effort to go bigger than ever before 24 tries some incredibly daring and inventive things for its fourth season, but it ends up being kind of a mess (though a fun one).

From Jim Henson comes the fantasy anthology series The Storytelling. John Hurt stars as the Storyteller, recounting accent folk tales about kings and magic and mythical creatures. Some interesting guest stars appear, including Jonathan Pryce, Joely Richardson, and Sean Bean, and the show uses a unique aesthetic that combines live-action, puppetry, and shadow play. Also, the writers use a variety of different kinds of lore that keeps the show from getting repetitive. Still there are some tonal problems balancing the comedy and the more frightening parts, and some the transitions between filming styles can be a bit jarring. The make-up effects and costumes can be problematic as well. Jim Henson’s The Storyteller is an incredibly ambitious series that unfortunately wasn’t quite able to realize the vision that Henson had for it.

The Muppet Show delivers a third season of hilarity with the help of an incredible list of guest stars. Some of the featured performers include Gilda Radner, Raquel Welch, Liberace, Alice Cooper, Harry Belafonte, and Sylvester Stallone. This season also sees the introduction of a couple of new Muppet characters, such as stagehand Beauregard, boomerang fish-thrower Lew Zealand, cafeteria lady Gladys, and sports commentator Louis Kazagger. The show also tries out several new comedy sketches: a sports show parody called “Muppet Sports,” a Fozzie cop skit called “Bear on Patrol,” and an Uncle Deadly Melodrama serial. Jim Henson and his Muppeteers do an amazing job this season, and deliver remarkably elaborate sets and costumes that surpass anything that has been done before. The Muppet Show: Season 3 continues the wholesome, charismatic style of entertainment that made the Muppets a cultural phenomenon.

From creative visionaries Jim Henson and Frank Oz comes The Muppet Show, a family variety show that delivers a ton a laughs. Using a mixture of puppets and costumed performers, Season 1 features a number of fresh, hilarious sketch comedy segments; including Muppet Labs, Veterinarian’s Hospital, Talk Spot, Vendaface, and Talking Houses. Plus, there are two or three open spots each episode that showcase a special guest star. This season’s list of guest stars is quite impressive, with such celebrities as Sandy Duncan, Harvey Korman, Paul Williams, Connie Stevens, and Vincent Price. And while they look a little rough and the voices aren’t quite right, most of the core Muppet characters are here: Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie, Rowlf, Sam the Eagle, and Statler & Waldorf (to name a few). Though clearly a work in progress, Season 1 of The Muppet Show is extraordinarily entertaining and fun for all ages.

Seinfeld finally breaks out as NBC’s premier comedy in its fourth season, delivering some of the show’s best and most iconic episodes (not there’s anything wrong with that). In a rather daring move, the show attempts a parody of its own real-life creation by having a season long arc following Jerry and George as they pitch and develop a sitcom pilot for NBC. Featuring such classic episodes as “The Trip,” “The Bubble Boy,” “The Contest,” “The Outing,” and “The Pilot,” the writers make a concerted effort to get creative and take the show to new places. There are also a number of guest stars featured, including Corbin Bernsen, George Wendt, Clint Howard, Brian Doyle-Murray, Denise Richards, Teri Hatcher, and Jeremy Piven. Incredibly funny, Season 4 of Seinfeld moves the series into the more surreal, yet the laughs “are real and they’re spectacular.”

“There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.” From Rod Serling comes the iconic sci-fi/fantasy anthology series The Twilight Zone. Dealing with themes of time travel, identity, and the nature of reality, Season 1 includes such classic episodes as “Time Enough at Last,” “The Hitch-Hiker,” “Third From the Sun,” “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” and “A Stop at Willoughby.” Additionally, some impressive guest stars are featured, including Ed Wynn, Martin Landau, Burgess Meredith, and Roddy McDowall. Also, prolific sci-fi writers Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont contribute a number scripts (though the majority of episodes are written or adapted by Serling). There are some duds in the 36 episode first season of The Twilight Zone, but overall it’s extraordinarily powerful and captures the imagination.

Star Trek: Voyager enters into a third season of Delta Quadrant adventures as the crew continues their voyage home. This season starts to hint at the coming Borg threat, which will change the direction of the show for the rest of the series. Additionally, a budding romance between Paris and Torres begins as the romance between Neelix and Kes comes to an end. Some of the major episodes of the season include “Future’s End,” “Real Life,” “Scorpion,” and the Star Trek 30th Anniversary special “Flashback” (featuring George Takei). However, the writing is inconsistent, and the character development is rather weak. Star Trek: Voyager continues to improve, but it still pales in comparison to the other Trek series.

Arrested Development finishes its television run with a hilarious 13 episode third season. But even with a shortened season, the show delivers in spades. Picking up where Season 2 ended, Michael tracks down his father and arranges for him to be placed on house arrest while he attempts to track down a British syndicate that set up the Bluth Company; meanwhile Gob discovers that he has a long lost son. The character plots align especially well this season, and the overall story arc is tightly woven throughout the episodes. Also, several interesting guest stars make appearances, including Charlize Theron, Dave Thomas, Judge Reinhold, and Justine Bateman. The comedy is ripe with pop culture and political satire, and the show even takes a few shots at itself. Season 3 contains some of the best that the show has to offer and sends the series out on a high note. Stars that shine twice as bright only last half as long, and Arrested Development streaked the heavens with a brilliance that’s rarely ever seen.

A bold new type of sitcom, Arrested Development: Season 1 is an ingenious comedy with a unique brand of humor. Using an interesting meta narrative format, the show follows real estate developer Michael Bluth as he struggles to keep his family together and save the family business after his father is imprisoned for embezzling funds. The cast is especially strong, particularly Jason Bateman and Will Arnett; who both bring a lot of charisma to their roles. There are also a number of impressive guest stars featured, including Heather Graham, Carl Weathers, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Additionally, the comedy is extraordinarily sharp, and remarkably consistent; as a number of jokes reoccur and are carried on throughout multiple episodes. A groundbreaking television show, Season 1 of Arrested Development is outrageously hilarious and incredibly fun.

Fargo completely shits the bed in its third season. While the show puts together an impressive cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, David Thewlis, and Carrie Coon, the characters are some of the most repugnant and despicable of the series, and no fun to watch. The story follows a parking lot mogul named Emmit Stussy who gets into a deadly feud with his twin brother over a stolen inheritance; meanwhile a mysterious businessman named V.M. Varga quietly orchestrates a hostile takeover of Stussy’s company and manipulates Stussy into betraying those closest to him. There’s no one to really root for, and there aren’t too many laughs either. The tone is quite macabre, more so than in past seasons, with a very pessimistic outlook. Still, there are some exciting and intense scenes and twists as the criminal plots and investigations unfold. Series creator Noah Hawley has said that Season 3 of Fargo may be the last, and hopefully it is because it’s slidden so far downhill that it’s just not enjoyable to watch any more.

Jennifer Garner forces her real-life pregnancy into the fifth season of Alias, dooming the series to certain cancellation. When a new terrorist group called Prophet Five emerges APO must discover who its members are and prevent them from uncovering the secrets of Rambaldi. Turning Sydney into a pregnant super-spy is ridiculous and makes the character appear reckless. And the cast turn over (Michael Vartan, Greg Grunberg, and Mia Maestro all leave, special guest appearances not withstanding) is a mortal wound that the show just couldn’t recover from. However, the addition of Amy Acker as a new villain is a highlight of the season, and Rachel Nichols brings a new energy to the show playing the Season 1 Sydney role of a black ops CIA agent who learns that she has actually been working for a rogue faction. Luckily ABC gave the show advanced notice of their cancellation so that it could have several episodes to wrap-up the series; which it does impressively well, delivering an action-packed, emotional finale and finally reveals the Rambaldi endgame. Cancellation ended up being a mercy killing for Alias, as Season 5 really struggled to find a direction and ways to continue the series.

Gilmore Girls delivers more laughs and family drama as the show moves into its second season. When Luke’s wayward nephew Jess comes to live with him, Jess soon gets a reputation as a troublemaker and causes a rift between Rory and Dean; meanwhile Lorelai explores the possibility of owning her own inn and helps her father transition from the corporate world to running his own business. Milo Ventimiglia is a good addition to the cast and has great chemistry with Alexis Bledel. Also, a number of the secondary/supporting cast members get explored more. And several interesting guest stars are featured, including Madchen Amick and Seth MacFarlane. Entertaining and fun, Season 2 of Gilmore Girls continues to grow and develop the series.

Second seasons are notorious for surpassing their predecessor, and Dead Like Me is no exception. After an excellent first season, Dead Like Me takes it up a notch. With a solid foundation set, Dead Like Me extends itself by pushed the limits, and finding the endless possibilities of the show. Season two moved the series away from being about a girl named George who adjusts to life after death as a grim reaper, and instead becomes an ensemble show; following the struggles of all of the members of the grim reaper group that George belongs to, and explores the various stages of their afterlives. But even in the mist of all these heavy dramatic themes, the comedy remains as clever, witty, and hilarious as ever. Dead Like Me has an extraordinary quality and an ability to connect with people, giving them new perspectives on life, death, and the afterlife; and Season 2 sends the series out on a high note.

One of the most ambitious seasons of the series, Season 5 of Star Trek: The Next Generation launches the franchise to new heights. This season original cast member Denise Crosby returns to the show as a recurring character, Leonard Nimoy guest stars in a two part movie tie-in for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Michelle Forbes joins the show as the fan favorite character Ensign Ro. Additionally, the writers attempt some daring and unconventional episodes, including “Darmok,” “Cause and Effect,” “I, Borg,” and “The Inner Light.” However, some of the episodes get a little preachy, such as “The Masterpiece Society” and “The Outcast.” Still, the season’s strong focus on high-minded sci-fi concepts and contemporary sociopolitical issues provide plenty of opportunities for creative and compelling storytelling. The last season under the helm of creator Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 5 does an extraordinary job of realizing his vision.