By Paul Honda
paul@hondareport.com
Thursday, Mar. 22, 2007

The work schedule has me sitting at home these nights.

In between a ton of phone calls, I've come to realize that there are some pretty decent TV shows.

My favorites?

1. Rescue Me (FX). Still audacious. Still quirky. Still brutally honest. The ins and outs of this FDNY firehouse through the eyes of Dennis Leary, who is the star and executive producer of this series. Easily one of the best written shows on the air, and it makes no apologies for this, either.

2. The Office (NBC). Starting to lose its creativity, thus the influx of new characters. DVR? Of course.

3. Brotherhood (Showtime). It took many weeks before I gave this show a chance last year. I was hooked immediately. It's somewhat unfair to compare a cable series to a network series, but I'm going strictly on what's the best out there, period, and this show is right up there. I know because I'm hungry for more and the wait is getting on my nerves.

4. Lost (ABC). Even with the dropoff in fluidity — how long can the writers string us on with unanswered questions — and a remarkably long break that cost the show 8 million viewers, I like it. Still like it a lot. The episode about John Locke last night was worthy of Season 1 or 2. That fall out of the building, courtesy of his loving ol' father, was great writing, great timing. Takes a lot to shock me, and even though I could see it coming, it was a stunner.

5. Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations (Travel). Yes, the Travel Channel. This show has been inconsistent in terms of episodes, but given the fact that they send Bourdain, a cranky, slightly-over-edge chef/writer to the farthest corners of Earth, I am tolerant. I define his job as the greatest in the universe. Travel to hot spots, unknown spots, eat their food, learn their ways, deal with mosquitoes, foreign languages and politics. He's got the life. I hope this show continues for years to come, but it's been at least a month since the last string of episodes, and there were only three or four. This is one program that I'd get the DVD for.

6. The Dog Whisperer (National Geographic). No other show ever like it, and probably won't be another as good for a long time. Cesar Millan is both teacher and realist, and watching him "train" dog owners is more entertaining than the crazy dogs. Another one I'd get the DVD of.

7. House (FOX). Hugh Laurie makes this drama great, arguably the premier action on the American small screen for the past few years. His effect as Dr. Gregory House is no less than Dennis Franz as Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue. Both were slightly cluttered, intricately complex characters who never let go of their ideals, and managed to pursue their righteous compulsions without compromise. Take Laurie away from this standout series, and it's over. The writing works to his strengths, and that's how you build a winner.

8. Pardon the Interruption (ESPN). I knew the show had hit a wall when the intensity level dropped off, and then returned when guest (fill-in) hosts appeared, like Dan Lebitard, a controversial Miami radio show guy. Nothing wrong with Kornheiser and Wilbon. They're still informative and entertaining. I just don't feel the need to watch this every single day like I used to. The only other "buddy" talk show that was as good was At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.

9. 60 Minutes (CBS). Still classic, still solid. Just not great anymore on a consistent basis.

10. Soko Ga Shiritai (KIKU). I don't care if some of these episodes are from the 1990s. Any show that gets into the inner circle of these families that start the process from the roots up (literally) and bring the final product to your table is worth my time. This is the kind of show that steers my wish list. It makes me wanna travel to Japan on a ramen tour. Hokkaido anyone?

On the cusp

Independent Lens (PBS). Has disappointed of late with some rather mediocre fare, but when it's at its best, nothing is quite the same. IL is about airing documentaries by independents. With the plethora of wanna-be directors flooding YouTube, I think IL has a chance to go further in the next few years as these young talents mature.

The Black Donellys (NBC). This is just an attempt to replicate, in some ways, The Brotherhood. Irish family. Underground crime elements. TBD is engaging, but lacks depth because the main characters are all so young. It can't touch The Brotherhood, which has politics and a smaller community, i.e. more influence and personality, and TBD just lacks the sense of intimacy and humor. Doesn't help that all the hype on the network play it up to be so dark and foreboding. Screw the demographics. A little humor can go a long way, NBC.

Raines (NBC). Though this is a blatant ripoff of Rescue Me (lead character "sees" dead victims), Jeff Goldblum is quirky and funny enough to make this work. Entirely different from Leary. Only one episode in and I'm hooked. The look is very Chinatown, very retro at times. Writing is also off the hook. Expectations are high now. Can the writers maintain?

Mad Money (CNBC). Jim Cramer is a lunatic in disguise. This should be mandatory viewing for all finance and economics students. He is truly mad in his delivery, but listen between the "BOOYAAAH" and the sound effects, and you get a very sane, very grounded master of the new economy. Under the enthusiasm and volume, wisdom.

Fast Money (CNBC). This show goes where lone-star Cramer won't. With five, six, even seven different pundits raking each other over the coals for a full hour, these guys are fun to watch. They have their own takes on the market, and they stand up without hesitation for their convictions. Better than SportsCenter (which is bloated and has way too many hockey highlights and commercials).

Friday Night Lights (NBC). Not a huge fan, but the writing and acting are usually good to great. I'm so glad that football is a backdrop rather than the primary tool.

Heroes (NBC). If not for the oversized menu of characters, this show would actually have a chance to blossom and mature. It is, though, a story that is about progression, destruction and heroism, and that normally leaves no room for normal conversations and humor. That's where this series falls decisively flat. Still worth watching, though.

Andy Barker, P.I. (NBC). If this reads like the entire NBC lineup, I don't blame you. This show is simplistic, corny, campy and even offensive. And I love it. Andy Richter has put in two episodes and he isn't much different than he ever was as Conan O'Brien's sidekick on Late Night. The writing on this show is quick, and Richter keeps pace in classic style, an accountant who stumbles into a P.I. career. It's the side characters who keep things fresh, though. With Conan as executive producer, this has the potential to last.

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