As a group, we here at CliqueClack celebrated our one year anniversary a few months back. That marked the birthday of our site, as well as a full year of service for those on our staff lucky enough to be here at the beginning. For others of us, however, our introduction to you wonderful readers came some time later. Me? I got my start here one year ago today.
In honor of my first full year sharing my television ramblings with you, I wanted to take a look back at some of the topics and shows that we’ve discussed and debated these last 365 days. It hasn’t always been pretty, but it’s always been fun.
My first post was entitled “Seth MacFarlane has us in a Quagmire.” Cheesy, I know, but some people like a good pun, right? Right? Our first debate revolved around how Izzy on Grey’s Anatomy needed to die during her Denny hallucinations. I caught up on this season last month, and nothing has changed — she needs to die a quick death and spare us all.
I tried drumming up enthusiasm for Worst Week, apparently to no avail. I’m midway through re-watching the series on DVD right now, and the second time around is just as funny as the first. I freed myself from Damages before the start of last season, and I stand by that decision even as I read good things about the series. I just couldn’t. We talked about greatest TV presidents as a new one was sworn in for real — after watching this season of 24, I wish there’d been a lower spot than worst to rank Allison Taylor.
We said a sad goodbye to Eli Stone, a show I continue to miss. I really hope Jonny Lee Miller gets a successful series one day soon. The Celebrity Apprentice was the first series I covered on a weekly basis … something about “celebrities” fighting for more brand recognition than the next loser made this series redux shine.
We argued big box dominance between Buy More and The Work Bench on Chuck and Reaper — I’m not sure anyone won, but I know I enjoyed it. And I miss you Reaper! The short-lived Kings raised a lot of questions for me about the idea of a modern-day monarchy, and how it can exist in a capitalist economy. And we’ve covered two chapters of Greek, one that didn’t quite live up to its beginnings, and a second that turned things around, even as the seniors moved closer to graduation.
Even a fan like me got lost somewhere in the past season of The Tudors. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a giant, and his Henry VIII is an inspired creation, but the luster of the show started to wear as it hit its third season. Our second unsuccessful show campaign was for Eleventh Hour, a great series that got lost in the procedural machine that CBS has become. On any other channel it would have been a hit.
In Plain Sight returned for a second season, leaving me a bit disappointed. Mary Shannon needs to find her season one bluster again. The creators of The Office introduced their new series at the same time as Michael Scott became an entrepreneur — I still say that the Michael Scott Paper Company should have been the spin-off.
As How I Met Your Mother lost its way (a path it’s finding even harder to find this season), I took a look at how it fared against the oft-overlooked, but extremely funny Rules of Engagement. Verdict? Lily’s worse than Jennifer. We made a last-ditch effort to drum up enthusiasm for My Name is Earl … so long, Karma! Also leaving us too soon? The Unusuals, a great series that was the exact opposite of every stale procedural that everyone always complains about. So what the hell?
We said hello to a bunch of new shows over the summer — Nurse Jackie, HawthoRNe, Make It or Break It, Dark Blue, and The Philanthropist. I cut out on Jackie in a hail of pill particles, passed on HawthoRNe in prose, and enjoyed The Philanthropist, even as I’m left with the distinct impression that we will never see it again. Make It or Break It returned for the second half of its first season last night, with, I like to think, a little help from us. And Dark Blue … well, I like to look at Dark Blue as our first successful campaign for the life of a show. When it will return I’m not sure, but we definitely won ourselves a second season. Now all we need to do is keep the noise level set to high.
Army Wives aired its third season to little praise from us, mostly because it had suddenly stumbled into soap opera territory. Weeds dug Nancy deeper into the Mexican drug trade, and we’re all waiting to see what the fallout from Shane killing Pilar is going to be. And as much as many people disagree, I thought this last season of Entourage was nothing short of excellent. While I may not wish for the boys to become independent, I love the different areas that the show has begun to explore as the years have passed.
Curb Your Enthusiasm gave us two new episodes of Seinfeld — the penultimate episode and this season’s finale. Thanks! The Office has tanked so far … is it because Jim and Pam got married, or is that just a symptom of how far off the path the show is?
NCIS is the biggest hit of the year, and Ziva nonsense aside, it continues to bring it week after week. Criminal Minds’ BAU chief swap was intriguing, and I can’t believe that after everything with the Reaper, Hotch is right back where he started. And Californication did a tremendous job with its third season, ending things on such a cold note that I’ll be worried for Hank all hiatus.
We’ve gotten some new stars this season, too. The Middle is the funniest new show on television, Atticus Shaffer proving himself a force to be reckoned with. White Collar’s Matthew Bomer and Tim DeKay are today’s version of a buddy-cop team. Julianna Margulies’ Good Wife gives a startling peek behind the curtain of every political scandal that has rocked our country. And Men of a Certain Age’s dream team may revolutionize the way men are portrayed on TV forever.
We’ve also done some flashing back to series of old. We waxed nostalgic about comedy giants Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld, Will & Grace, Friends, Frasier, and Malcolm in the Middle, and HBO drama giant The Sopranos. We spun a West Wing flashback into a week of remembrance, and lamented the loss of Dead Like Me. Recently we looked back at Boston Legal, a legal dramedy that, even after five seasons, left us too soon. Lucky for us we’re still only halfway through our virgin diary of The Practice.
The final thing we’ve done this first year is “Clack the Dream,” an attempt to assemble the greatest week of television out of the offerings the networks have given us these last 28 years. We’re only part of the way through, but already I’m eagerly awaiting the enjoyment we’re bound to create, if only on paper.
So that’s been year one. What will the coming year bring? Hopefully as many good memories as the first. And that’s all thanks to you. Keep on reading and commenting!
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jan 05, 2010 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
Calling you “disappointed” in In Plain Sight this season might be the understatement of the year :)
*POST AUTHOR*
I was keeping it light and rosy. :) I also left out the hub-bub over 30 Rock winning all those Golden Globes mistake from last year, among others. Light and rosy!
Sunshine and puppy dogs! I’d forgotten we both liked The Unusuals and miss it now. And I agree with Scott H below—I read the site on a mobile browser half the time and use the RSS feed instead of the main page for speed. I assume the author’s name is listed at the bottom because it’s grouped with their avatar and the post tags. I would suggest keeping the bottom the same, but adding the name a second time at the top between the post title and the pictures for additional clarity.
Congratulations on your anniversary!
*POST AUTHOR*
Thanks. :)
Please take this suggestion as it’s intended, from a regular reader who really likes this site.
A post like this really underlines why it would be SO much better if the author of a post were listed at the TOP rather than at the BOTTOM. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to scroll down to the bottom and hunt down the author’s name on a post. Especially when the posts are personal, like this, the only way to fully appreciate what someone’s written is to know who wrote it. The same applies for episode reviews, when it may not be the same person every time. People have different styles and approach things differently, and they should be credited BEFORE their writing instead of all the way at the bottom.
I totally agree. As a reader, I used to hunt for the author’s name and feel a bit frustrated – it really gets lost, doesn’t it?
*POST AUTHOR*
I see your point, but I also think it depends on where you’re coming in from, because if you go to the homepage and read most posts by clicking “Read the rest of this entry,” the byline is under the title. Not sure why it shifts when looking at the full post, though.
I haven’t gone to the homepage in ages. I monitor your RSS feed, and go directly to posts from there. I don’t know how typical that is, though.
*POST AUTHOR*
Don’t know. All I can do is flip the question up the ladder. Thanks for the feedback, though. :)
Scott: I’m assuming you read the site based off of an RSS feed? If not, and you’re using the main page (cliqueclack.com/tv) then the author’s name is listed directly below the title of the post.
I use it to avoid of Aryeh posts :)
Congrats, and thanks for a year of writing! Please keep the posts coming!
No contests for this special time? ;)
*POST AUTHOR*
If you’re financing it, then yes, seasons 3-5 of Weeds on DVD (interested???). Otherwise, just basking in the glow and getting hit by the confetti. :-)