Veep, currently in its third season has garnered three Emmys: two for the show’s lead Julia Louis-Dreyfus – and the comedy’s renewal comes at no surprise.  Freshman series Silicon Valley has also premiered to strong critical review earlier this month.

While there is no guarantee that these three programs will stick together next season, however fans of the shows can now rest assured that they will all be back at some point.

Veep‘s current season will wrap on June 8th, while Silicon Valley concludes on June 1st.

The post HBO Renews Veep and Silicon Valley appeared first on TVHackr.

Season three of Veep will focus on the presidential campaign of Vice President Selina Meyer, who was inspired to go after her political dreams and end the seemingly endless marginalization she faced while working under POTUS at the end of season two. However, Selina and her team will have to clean up the series of gaffes that haunted them the past few years if she has any hope at catching a spark out on the campaign trail and becoming a buzzed about candidate with a legitimate shot at the White House.

Created by Mike Judge (King of the Hill, Beavis & Butt-Head), Silicon Valley tells the story of Richard (Thomas Middleditch), an introverted computer programmer living in a Hacker Hostel start-up incubator. The show is said to look at the modern-day epicenter of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. In addition to Middleditch, the show will star the likes of Kumail Nanjiani (Burning Love), T.J. Miller (The Goodwin Games), and Zach Woods (The Office).

The fourth season of Game of Thrones is set to premiere Sunday, April 6th at 9:00 on HBO, with the third season of Veep following at 10:00 and the series premiere of Silicon Valley closing out the night at 10:30.

Which shows in the HBO spring lineup will you be watching? Are you excited about seeing the rest of A Storm of Swords being played out? Do you think Silicon Valley will fit in well with Game of Thrones and Veep?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5iS3tULXMQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0lGJFQHp1c

The post HBO: Watch Previews for Game of Thrones, Veep, and Silicon Valley appeared first on TVHackr.

While the fourth season of Game of Thrones, whose first trailer will debut this Sunday, is set to adapt the second half of A Storm of Swords, the third novel in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, the third season of Veep will follow Vice President Selina Meyer on the campaign trail as she looks to stir up the beginnings of a presidential run. From creator Mike Judge, Silicon Valley is said to take a look at the modern-day epicenter for the tech gold rush – the South Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area. The cast will include the likes of Thomas Middleditch, TJ Miller, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Josh Brener, Christopher Evan Welch, and Amanda Crew.

This is the third straight lineup change for HBO’s spring lineup, which saw consisted of Thrones, Girls, and Veep in 2012 and Thrones, Veep, and Family Tree in 2013. Though no formal decision about the fate of Christopher Guest comedy Family Tree has been announced by HBO, cast member Nina Conti has mentioned in interviews that the show won’t be returning.

Elsewhere on HBO, acclaimed newsmagazine Vice will be returning for its second season on Friday, March 14th at 11:00. Stories covered during the first season, which concluded this past summer, included political assassinations in the Philippines, the economic crisis in Europe, and treating heroin with hallucinogens in Mexico.

HBO’s winter 2014 lineup is set to premiere Sunday, January 12th, with True Detective at 9:00 and Girls at 10:00. Gay-themed dramedy Looking will premiere the following week at 10:30.

Will you be watching Game of Thrones, Veep, and/or Silicon Valley? Do you think the night sounds like it has a decent flow to it? What do you hope to see happen during the fourth season of Game of Thrones?

The post Game of Thrones, Veep, and Silicon Valley to Premiere Sunday, April 6th on HBO appeared first on TVHackr.

Netflix scored two slots on the list with House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, while other new entries included FX spy drama The Americans, Showtime period drama Masters of Sex, ABC political soap Scandal, and HBO political comedy Veep, the latter of which is coming off Emmy wins for Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale. The rest of the AFI Top 10 of 2013 list was made up of the most recent seasons of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Good Wife, and Game of Thrones.

It’s been a particularly award-heavy time for the TV industry, as the Writers Guild, Producers Guild, and International Press Academy have all announced nominations for their respective awards in recent weeks. Freshman series that have made noise include Masters of Sex and Orange is the New Black, both of which stand a reasonable chance of breaking into Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy races later in the season.

Do you think that AFI made good selections for its list this year? Are you surprised that Homeland and Modern Family aren’t represented this year? If you could remove one program and replace it with another, what would it be?

AFI Top 10 Programs of 2013
The Americans
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
House of Cards
Mad Men
Masters of Sex
Orange is the New Black
Scandal
Veep

The post Scandal, Veep, Game of Thrones Among AFI Top 10 of 2013 appeared first on TVHackr.

This week on TVHackr, we talked about the cancellation of Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous, best case scenario Emmy possibilities, and Starz”s upcoming adaptation of Outlander, while the internet touched on baby names ruined by television, the impact of binge watching, and blistering insults on a beloved HBO comedy.

Magic City Season 2 Recap: Bury Them Up to Their Necks
While Ike begins putting his plans for Cuba and the Miramar into motion, Ben receives a visit from Chicago mob boss Sy Berman and Stevie gets involved in an altercation with Bel while out with Lily.

Family Tree 1.06 Preview: Tom Goes to a Civil War Reenactment
Still out in California, Tom is exposed to the world of reenacting when he accompanies Rick to a Civil War battle in Redondo Beach, where he finds out more information about Charles and Virginia Chadwick.

2013 Emmy Dream Ballot
Who should be nominated for Emmys this year? We put together a ballot of personal choices that has some surprises and some familiar faces.

Devious Maids Series Premiere Recap: I Think You Should Get a New Dream
Four Beverly Hills maids are shocked when another maid they know is murdered during a high society event at her client”s home. But who is the one that did her in?

Devious Maids Spoilers: Marisol Tries to Spend More Time at the Powell Home
Coming up on Devious Maids, Marisol tries to spend more time with Adrian and Evelyn, while Carmen takes advantage of an opportunity with Odessa gone and Zoila reveals a secret about her past to Valentina in hopes of persuading her not to pursue Remi.

The Fosters 1.04 Sneak Peeks: Mariana Celebrates Her Quinceanera
It”s Mariana”s 15th birthday, but the real action is off the dance floor, where secrets are exposed and relationships are tested.

Twisted 1.03 Sneak Peeks: Chief Masterson Goes After Evidence Against Danny
While Kyle is willing to do whatever he has to in order to find the photo of Tara, Jo comes out of her shell, to the chagrin of Rico, and Danny attempts to make peace with Archie.

MTV Announces Comic-Con Lineup, Including Teen Wolf Panel
Teen Wolf returns to Comic-Con for a sure-to-be raucous panel and MTV plans to have a weekend-long live stream, a party in the park, and a booth to celebrate the first publication from MTV Comics.

The CW Announces Fall 2013 Premiere Dates
When will the latest seasons of The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, and Arrow premiere this fall? Find out here.

The Fosters Recap: I Know That I’m Beautiful
Lena has a confrontation with her mother thanks to Mariana”s party bringing up certain issues, while Brandon breaks up with Talya and Jesus is bound and determined not to let Lexi go.

Starz Orders Outlander Adaptation to Series
The series, which will have a first season of 16 episodes set to premiere in 2014, is based on Diane Gabaldon”s seven-novel series of the same name.

NBC: Watch the Series Premiere of Siberia Here
NBC has put the first episode of upcoming drama Siberia, about a reality show taping gone wrong, up on its website ahead of the show”s July 1st premiere.

Ryan Bingham Releases Theme Song to FX’s The Bridge
Get a listen to the theme song from FX”s upcoming crime thriller The Bridge, written and performed by Oscar winner Ryan Bingham.

Twisted Spoilers: What’s the Significance of the Necklace?
Coming up on Twisted, the necklace comes more into play and Danny and Archie can”t seem to coexist on the soccer team.

Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous Canceled by MTV
MTV has pulled the plug on the Bo Burnham comedy, which debuted in May and documented a recent high school graduate looking to become an instant celebrity thanks to his own reality series.

FOX Announces Fall 2013 Premiere Dates
When will the next seasons of Glee, New Girl, and Bones premiere this fall? Find out here.

The CW to Encore Fall Launches on Fridays
For two Fridays in October, The CW will air encores of its new fall series in hopes of attracting extra eyes and exposing them to a new audience.

Comic-Con 2013: Syfy, Adult Swim, CBS Studios Announce Lineups
Among the series coming to Comic-Con are Defiance, Being Human, Adventure Time, Under the Dome, and Bates Motel.

See Veep“s Most Vicious Jonah Putdowns (Vulture)
Vulture gathered the most scathing of insults that were lobbed at White House staffer Jonah this season on Veep.

The New Yorker Celebrates Gay Marriage with Bert & Ernie (Hitfix)
In celebration of the fall of DOMA and Prop 8, The New Yorker put Bert & Ernie from Sesame Street on its cover, to predictably sweet results.

(The Huffington Post)
Need help in figuring out what to watch on Netflix? Turn to Netflix Max, a new way of finding material best suited for your taste.

Indian TV reporter fired after filing flood report from the shoulders of a local victim (The Washington Post)
You have to see this to believe it.

TV binge-watching is a mostly harmless addiction (Today)
Worried that you binge too much television? According to a recent study, it doesn”t have the negative impact that you might think it does.

Watching TV may not be bad for kids after all (MSN)
Worried about letting your children watch television? According to a recent study, television can actually help children in multiple ways.

Eight Baby Names Ruined by TV Characters (Rolling Stone)
Thinking of naming your baby Enoch or Gustavo? Considering the reputation those names have garnered through infamous television characters, you may want to think again.

The Night Tony Soprano Disappeared (GQ)
After the passing of James Gandolfini, GQ looks back at a pivotal event in The Sopranos development and the impact that the show had on HBO.

Why Television Is Better Now Than Ever Before (Complex)
Complex Magazine has decided that television is at its peak right now. But why do they feel that way? And do you agree?

The Trajectory of Television—How the Internet dust-up will settle (ARS Technica)
Just where is television heading? ARS Technica looks at the advancements, improvements, and disappointments that could be in store.

The post The Week in Television Wrap June 22-28 appeared first on TVHackr.

Meanwhile, on the drama side, Breaking Bad scored two wins, including one for Bryan Cranston, and Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany earned Best Actress in a Drama Series, defeating the likes of Claire Danes, Vera Farmiga, and Keri Russell en route. Parenthood‘s Monica Potter and Southland‘s Michael Cudlitz took home their respective supporting categories, while Jane Fonda was singled out for her performance on The Newsroom, which returns for a second season in July.

American Horror Story may have lost the award for Best Movie or Miniseries to HBO’s Behind the Candelabra, but they made up for it by sweeping the supporting categories thanks to performances by Sarah Paulson and Zachary Quinto. Michael Douglas and Elisabeth Moss won the leading categories for their performances in Candelabra and Sundance’s Top of the Lake, respectively. Finally, the reality/talk categories split their affections, as Duck Dynasty, Dancing with the Stars, Push Girls, The Voice, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart all were recognized.

What do you think about the Critics’ Choice Award winners? Which do you think was the best win? Were there any noticeable snubs?

BEST COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory ***WINNER***
Louie
The Middle
New Girl
Parks and Recreation
Veep

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Don Cheadle (House of Lies)
Louis C.K. (Louie) ***WINNER***
Jake Johnson (New Girl)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation)
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Laura Dern (Enlightened)
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl)
Lena Dunham (Girls)
Sutton Foster (Bunheads)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) ***WINNER***
Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Max Greenfield (New Girl)
Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) ***WINNER***
Alex Karpovsky (Girls)
Adam Pally (Happy Endings)
Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation)
Danny Pudi (Community)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Carly Chaikin (Suburgatory)
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) ***WINNER*** (tie)
Sarah Hyland (Modern Family)
Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory)
Eden Sher (The Middle) ***WINNER*** (tie)
Casey Wilson (Happy Endings)

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES
Melissa Leo (Louie)
David Lynch (Louie)
Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory)
Patton Oswalt (Parks and Recreation) ***WINNER***
Molly Shannon (Enlightened)
Patrick Wilson (Girls)

BEST DRAMA SERIES
The Americans
Breaking Bad ***WINNER*** (tie)
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones ***WINNER*** (tie)
The Good Wife
Homeland

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) ***WINNER***
Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead)
Timothy Olyphant (Justified)
Matthew Rhys (The Americans)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Claire Danes (Homeland)
Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel)
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) ***WINNER***
Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
Keri Russell (The Americans)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones)
Michael Cudlitz (Southland) ***WINNER***
Noah Emmerich (The Americans)
Walton Goggins (Justified)
Corey Stoll (House of Cards)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter)
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)
Regina King (Southland)
Monica Potter (Parenthood) ***WINNER***
Abigail Spencer (Rectify)

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jim Beaver (Justified)
Jane Fonda (The Newsroom) ***WINNER***
Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife)
Carrie Preston (The Good Wife)
Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones)
Jimmy Smits (Sons of Anarchy)

BEST MOVIE OR MINISERIES
American Horror Story: Asylum
Behind the Candelabra ***WINNER***
The Crimson Petal and the White
The Hour
Political Animals
Top of the Lake

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Benedict Cumberbatch (Parade’s End)
Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra)
Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra) ***WINNER***
Toby Jones (The Girl)
Al Pacino (Phil Spector)
Dominic West (The Hour)

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Angela Bassett (Betty & Coretta)
Romola Garai (The Hour)
Rebecca Hall (Parade’s End)
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum)
Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake) ***WINNER***
Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINISERIES
James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum)
Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake)
Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story: Asylum) ***WINNER***
Sebastian Stan (Political Animals)
David Wenham (Top of the Lake)
Thomas M. Wright (Top of the Lake)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Ellen Burstyn (Political Animals)
Sienna Miller (The Girl)
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Asylum) ***WINNER***
Lily Rabe (American Horror Story: Asylum)
Imelda Staunton (The Girl)
Alfre Woodard (Steel Magnolias)

BEST REALITY SERIES
Duck Dynasty ***WINNER*** (tie)
The Moment
Pawn Stars
Push Girls ***WINNER*** (tie)
Small Town Security
Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan

BEST REALITY SERIES – COMPETITION
Chopped
Face Off
Shark Tank
So You Think You Can Dance
Survivor
The Voice ***WINNER***

BEST REALITY HOST
Tom Bergeron (Dancing With the Stars) ***WINNER***
Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance)
Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen/Masterchef)
RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race)
Ryan Seacrest (American Idol)
Kurt Warner (The Moment)

BEST TALK SHOW
Conan
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart ***WINNER***
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Marie

BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Adventure Time
Archer ***WINNER***
Phineas and Ferb
Regular Show
The Simpsons
Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The post 2013 Critics’ Choice Television Award Winners Announced appeared first on TVHackr.

Meanwhile, on the comedy side, Louie, Parks and Recreation, New Girl, and Veep all snagged double nominations, with each having a star nominated (Louis C.K., Amy Poehler, Jake Johnson, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as well as constituting 4/5 of the Outstanding Achievement in Comedy category.

Other notable nominees include Game of Thrones, being honored in Outstanding Achievement in Drama and Program of the Year; Homeland, who only snagged one nomination and found none of its cast honored; Vera Farmiga, adding to her Critics’ Choice nomination with recognition from TCA; and Sundance Channel, which found both Top of the Lake and Rectify earning nods.

What do you think about the TCA nominations? Where would you cast your vote in each category? Which surprise nomination is your favorite?

Individual Achievement in Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Monica Potter, Parenthood
Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Individual Achivement in Comedy
Louis C.K., Louie
Lena Dunham, Girls
Jake Johnson, New Girl
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Outstanding Achievement in Drama
The Americans, FX
Breaking Bad, AMC
Game of Thrones, HBO
Homeland, Showtime
Mad Men, AMC

Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
The Big Bang Theory, CBS
Louie, FX
New Girl, FOX
Parks and Recreation, NBC
Veep, HBO

Outstanding Movie, Miniseries or Special
American Horror Story: Asylum, FX
Behind the Candelabra, HBO
Downton Abbey, PBS
Rectify, Sundance Channel
Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel

News and Information
Anderson Cooper 360, CNN
Central Park Five, PBS
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Comedy Central
Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC
60 Minutes, CBS

Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming
The Amazing Race, CBS
The Glee Project, Oxygen
Shark Tank, ABC
Survivor, CBS
The Voice, NBC

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming
Adventure Time, Cartoon Network
Bunheads, ABC Family
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, PBS
Sesame Street, PBS
Switched at Birth, ABC Family

New Program
The Americans, FX
Elementary, CBS
House of Cards, Netflix
The Mindy Project, FOX
Orphan Black, BBC America

Career Achievement Award
James L. Brooks
James Burrows
Jay Leno
William Shatner
Barbara Walters

The Heritage Award
All in the Family
Lost
Saturday Night Live
Star Trek
Twin Peaks

Program of the Year
The Americans, FX
Breaking Bad, AMC
Game of Thrones, HBO
House of Cards, Netflix
The Walking Dead, AMC

The post 2013 TCA Nominations Announced appeared first on TVHackr.

In creating my list of the top TV episodes of the calendar year, I decided to institute a one-episode-per-show cap. Doing so would allow for a better variety of programs to be given recognition and frankly, it’s boring seeing the same small group of shows mixed and matched on a list like this.

10. Archer S03E08 “Lo Scandalo” (FX)
Air Date: February 16th
Episode Description: Malory turns to Archer and Lana for help when she finds herself in a compromising situation with the Italian prime minister.
Why?: Archer has managed to successfully lampoon and pay tribute to the spy genre for three seasons, but it was a dip into the world of the closed-room murder mystery that was even more impressive. Taking a cue from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, “Lo Scandalo” finds Malory alone in her apartment with the body of the Italian Prime Minister, who had been shot to death. The only thing is that there were no signs of a break-in and Malory had the only gun in the place, a gun that she said she fired at three intruders before getting hit herself. Although piecing together what happened provided great framework for the episode, it more importantly got every character together in one location and allowed them to bounce their crazy off of one another, climaxing in a wonderfully Archer-ian dinner party and a shrug of an ending is all the funnier for its apathy.

9. Treme S03E10 “Tipitina” (HBO)
Air Date: November 25th
Episode Description: In the Season 3 finale, Janette clashes with Tim over an unauthorized benefit for a local institution. Meanwhile, Davis orchestrates his exit from the music business, but not before one more gig with an old friend; Delmond reconsiders his participation in the jazz center’s plans; Terry vents his frustration over his colleagues’ ostracism; Toni sees a chance for justice in an important case; and Annie’s album gets released.
Why?: The third season finale of Treme could have made for a moving, enormously satisfying series finale. Many of the characters had their stories tied off through departures (Sofia going to college), new beginnings (Sonny getting married), or answers that they had been chasing all season long (Toni and the murder case), and there was enough emotional closure to things like LaDonna’s trial to where it felt like The End. However, on a show like Treme, there’s never really an end; nothing gets wrapped up neatly and tidily, nor will there be any fairy tale conclusions to speak of. Rather, Treme is a story about picking up the pieces following a disaster and surviving, something that will continue no matter how far in the rearview mirror Katrina appears to be.

8. Suburgatory S02E05 “The Wishbone” (ABC)
Air Date: November 14th
Episode Description: Tessa wants to spend Thanksgiving in New York City with her mother, who’s en route from Berlin, and her grandmother, though the holiday doesn’t turn out like she planned. Meanwhile, Dallas recruits George to prepare a feast, but he’s going to need help from a professional.
Why?: Suburgatory has problems deciding if it wants to be a day-glo cartoon satire of the suburban experience or a fairly mellow look at what it means to be an outsider. Its tonal inconsistency can be equally frustrating and exciting, in that you don’t know what shade of the show you’re going to get that week, particularly as it has all the bones to be truly great. The fifth episode of the season was the closest the show’s gotten to greatness and to do so, it had to strip away some of the sheen and amp up the earnestness. While not the funniest episode of the show to date, “The Wishbone” thoughtfully, carefully, and lovingly showcased the first meeting between Tessa and her birth mother, paying mind to the reaction of her father and all the conflicting emotions running in her head. It was sweet, it allowed the supporting cast to feel as real as they’ve ever been (particularly Dallas, whose heart is as big as her closet), and it used the “family holiday” to explore what it means for a family to change shape unexpectedly.

7. Awake S01E01 “Pilot” (NBC)
Air Date: March 1st
Episode Description: In the premiere of this drama, a detective awakens after his family’s car accident to discover he’s living in two parallel worlds. In one, his wife survived the crash and his son perished. In the other, his son continues to live but his wife was killed. While trying to regain footing in his complex double lives, he continues his efforts to crack cases in both worlds.
Why?: The pilot for Awake managed to make a complex premise and the use of two different realities digestible, immediately compelling, and devastatingly beautiful. Through the use of subtle stylistic choices (notably color, but also editing and wardrobe), the episode made both realities distinct places for Detective Michael Britten to try and navigate. The dual therapists, the crossover of tidbits from one world into the next, the grief that Britten has to overcome in order to figure out what’s real – it all should have been convoluted and overly melancholy, but it works outstandingly well in the Awake pilot and made it one of the more exciting shows to debut in 2012. The series as a whole leaned too hard on the cop-drama elements at times, though the cinematic, meditative first episode was as good of a start as they could have hoped for.

6. Californication S05E06 “Love Song” (Showtime)
Air Date: February 12th
Episode Description: Samurai comes down with a case of songwriter’s block and seeks Hank’s help in getting unblocked. So Hank teams with Kali to compose a tune, which harkens back to his first sojourn to Los Angeles with Karen and other happier times with Charlie and Marcy.
Why?: Californication is known for being rude, crude, and unapologetically lewd, a comedy dripping in machismo and reeking of beer and lost opportunity. It can be equal parts offensive and awesome, powerful and pungent, but no episode from the entire run matches “Love Song,” a romantic flashback-heavy installment that actually fleshed out the Karen/Hank dynamic while letting Hank be creative. We’re told that he’s this brilliant writer and that multiple industries (music, film, book) all want to work with the mad scientist, though “Love Song” is one of the few times where the hype and the results have matched one another. Hank is someone who is always capital-O On and doesn’t let down his guard that easily, making the choice to frame a songwriting session bent on producing a love song with the happier times of his marriage all the more poignant.

5. Veep S01E08 “Tears” (HBO)
Air Date: June 10th
Episode Description: In the Season 1 finale, a Ohio gubernatorial candidate balks at Selina’s endorsement due to her current unpopularity, but Mike and Amy try to make the best of the vice president’s emotions during their meeting. Meanwhile, Dan can’t shake the clean-jobs bill debacle, especially when it could be the subject of a Congressional hearing.
Why?: Throughout the cynical first season of Veep, VP Selina Meyer dealt with an onslaught of bad press and poor professional breaks that led her to become frustrated with the position. It’s a wonder that, after going so long without an unqualified win and seeing any political clout she had in this country vanish, she didn’t cry sooner, really. “Tears”, darkly acidic and cleverly plotted, finds the Veep on the campaign trail once again and attempting to turn a bad event into something she can use to her advantage, which shockingly works – for a while, at least. If there’s one lesson to learn from Veep, it’s that nothing ever changes in politics; all people like Selina, Dan, and Amy are faceless cogs in the machine that serve their purpose before being replaced by a newer, fresher model. If Selina can’t halt the inquiry into the Macauley amendment next season, her replacement will be coming sooner rather than later.

4. Justified S03E10 “Guy Walks into a Bar” (FX)
Air Date: March 20th
Episode Description: Raylan struggles to keep Dickie Bennett in prison while also contending with the increasingly violent and unpredictable Quarles. Meanwhile, Boyd’s election in Harlan is approaching.
Why?: No other Justified villain will ever match up to the presence of Mags Bennett, but Robert Quarles was a damn good replacement nonetheless. His friendly persona among the Harlan residents masked a troubled man inside, a man who continued to struggle in moving on from childhood trauma and a man who would stop at nothing to fill the hole within himself with power, land, and money. In addition to a chillingly acted, impressively directed altercation between Quarles and Raylan at a local bar, the episode featured an unpacking of the man Robert Quarles is and the type of demons he had to fight to get this far. It made the man sympathetic for the first time by revealing how disturbed he was, which also raised the stakes for the rest of the season; once you knew what Quarles was capable of, he became more of a threat to Raylan and someone who needed to be put down before he got anyone else hurt.

3. Boardwalk Empire S03E11 “Two Impostors” (HBO)
Air Date: November 25th
Episode Description: Nucky and Eddie hide out with Chalky when Gyp descends on Atlantic City, where his band of thugs takes over the Artemis Club, forcing Gillian to reconsider her business model. Meanwhile, Luciano makes a risky move; and Richard suffers a setback.
Why?: For the past two seasons, Boardwalk Empire has managed to take its dangling plot threads and weave them together seamlessly during the final episodes, bringing enemies crashing against one another and paying off long-standing tension. Like the sublime “Under God’s Power She Flourishes”, “Two Impostors” was a highlight of its respective season, managing to make enthralling action (Nucky escaping his residence with Mr. Kessler after having to gun down three of Masseria’s men), political chess (Eli striking a deal with Capone and Torrio, Chalky backing Nucky rather than defecting to Gyp), and an impending sense of dread (Gillian being boxed in by Gyp, Owen’s ill-fated trip to the baths) coalesce into the sprawling, deeply satisfying hour of television.

2. Homeland S02E04 “Q&A” (Showtime)
Air Date: October 28th
Episode Description: Brody finds himself imprisoned again, only this time it’s in the United States. Meanwhile, Carrie’s rash judgment call at the hotel results in Estes trying to keep Jessica off their trail; and Dana’s relationship with Finn heats up as their date night takes an unexpected turn.
Why?: Once Carrie pulled the trigger on bringing Brody in for interrogation, I figured that Homeland would take a breath and feel out the next move it would make; the show had already executed several major plot twists in a row by this point and, in the interest of not burning through too much story, it seemed likely that they would slow down before revving up again. Not so. While the car accident was jarring and felt out-of-place at the time, it eventually tied in thematically with the rest of the season, casting Walden as a victim and pulling Dana farther from her father, and the nearly 15-minute uninterrupted interrogation of Brody by Carrie might’ve contained the best acting you’ll see in any episode of television from 2012.

1. Spartacus: Vengeance S03E05 “Libertus” (Starz)
Air Date: February 24th
Episode Description: Spartacus undertakes a mission to rescue Crixus from the Romans, but a famous gladiator from the House of Atiatus interferes with the plan; Ilithyia’s scheming begins to affect her marriage to Glaber.
Why?: The arena was the centerpiece of the Spartacus world, the culmination of the gladiators’ training and a source of entertainment to the bored Capuan masses. So much of the drama either took place in the arena or was focused on the different Houses jockeying for position that it seemed likely that it would be a part of the show’s DNA until the series finale, but in one breathtaking sequence Spartacus and his men destroyed the place they once felt most at home in. It was the final symbol of the season-long rebellion, it stirred the pot with Glaber, and it was only the fifth episode of the season.

The Next 10:
11. Childrens Hospital S04E07 “British Hospital”
12. Scandal S01E06 “The Trail”
13. Nashville S01E01 “Pilot”
14. Damages S05E10 “But You Don’t Do That Anymore”
15. The Borgias S02E09 “World of Wonders”
16. The League S04E02 “The Hoodie”
17. Cougar Town S03E05 “A One Story Town”
18. Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 S01E02 “Daddy’s Girl”
19. Parks and Recreation S04E22 “Win, Lose, or Draw”
20. Bob’s Burgers S02E02 “Bob Day Afternoon”

The post Top 10 TV Episodes of 2012 appeared first on TVHackr.

Which makes compiling a Top 10 list that much harder. With so many shows being thrown against the wall to see what sticks, you’re bound to not be able (either physically or emotionally) unable to watch every Hot New Thing that comes onto the scene, so creating a Best Of can feel a little incomplete. However, I decided to approach it less as a definitive declaration and more of a sampling/appreciation of what the year in TV has been like; the 10 shows that I selected cover a fair amount of bases of 2012 TV, from the best network show you’re not watching to the freshman political comedy that debuted in an election year to several premium cable dramas that either made the leap to greatness or stayed steady after doing so last season. There are impressive creative rebounds, controversial seasons that will have people talking for quite a while, and, most of all, plenty of great episodes just begging to be rewatched.

10. Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
One of the main complaints I hear about the state of television today is that there aren’t any good family shows out anymore, that so much programming anymore is dedicated to people being mean to one another. Anyone who subscribes to that point-of-view should be watching Bob’s Burgers, my pick for best family comedy on TV and a delightfully weird take on a typical sitcom set-up. Proprietors of a struggling burger restaurant, the Belchers are a tight family unit who, while unconventional in everything they do, are obviously crazy about one another and support the other’s ambitions wholeheartedly. While the show derives some of its humor from the family trying to earn the money to pay the rent and keep their restaurant, Bob’s Burgers really shines when it puts the focus on one of the children’s latest issues (i.e. Gene’s first girlfriend, Tina falling in with a bad crowd) and/or when it allows itself to be more than a little absurd (i.e. a homeless window decorator claiming to be a mannequin, a fruit/vegetable skin diet). Never is there comedy in putting one another down – rather, this is a family full of nice, goofy, weird people who feed into one another’s weirdness, even pulling the “long suffering” parent into the madness fairly frequently.
Three Essential Episodes: So2E02 “Bob Day Afternoon”; So2E04 “Burgerboss”; So3E06 “The Deepening”

9. Justified (FX)
The third season of Justified expanded the world of Harlan County upon the death of former mastermind Mags Bennett. With no central figure controlling things anymore, there was a lot up for the taking, including a mysterious fortune, land, crops, and most importantly, power. It might not have had the focus of the previous season, but season three made up for that by stuffing itself with important figures in the battle for Harlan and pushing Marshall Raylan Givens to his personal breaking point. While Boyd was busy trying to buy an election and curry favor with the new sheriff, Raylan’s dealing with problems at home with Winona (and Arlo) and Dickie Bennett has escaped prison only to fall into a snake pit, with every major player in Harlan after the money his mother left behind. The show managed to corral all the smaller stories and minor characters into a bloody, high stakes entanglement that found no big bad coming forth from the mess; was all the pain, all the death, all the destruction worth it in the end? Or did it end up leaving each character so much weaker than they were in the beginning that no one had the resources or the back-up to become the new don of Harlan? But lest you think Justified is a pulpy body farm merely meant to appeal to only our basest urges, the finale ended on a heartbreaking moment for Raylan who realized that to the one man he wanted to mean everything to, he means nothing at all.
Three Essential Episodes: So3E05 “Thick as Mud”; So3E10 “Guy Walks into a Bar”; So1E13 “Slaughterhouse”

8. Veep (HBO)
HBO’s latest political comedy debuted in an election year and perfectly encapsulated what lies behind the political curtain. Vice President Selina Meyer was once excited about being in politics and ready to make the change she wanted to see in the country happen, but following years of embarrassing public gaffes, a President who doesn’t want to associate himself with her, and a political climate that’s grown more sour, she’s been beaten down by the machine. However, she still has three years to go in her first term, three years in which to pull something out of her hat to garner good press and keep herself in the President’s good graces and as much as she hates her job, it’s better to be the Veep than to not be the Veep. Taking a cue from The Thick of It, Armando Iannucci’s recently completed British political comedy, Veep is a deeply cynical look at a world very few get to see, as verbally dexterous as it is tightly plotted and penetratingly real, with the benefit of a raw lead performance and a litany of important supporting characters. Though much of her time is spent trying to clot the latest PR crisis, Selina Meyer is trying to alter the course of a career that has been on rockier ground, but in the world of politics (and Veep itself), nothing really ever changes. And that’s the point.
Three Essential Episodes: So1E03 “Catherine”; So1E04 “Chung”; So1E08 “Tears”

7. Archer (FX)
Structurally, the third season of Archer was the most interesting yet, with two major arcs that bookended multiple standalone episodes and guest appearances from the likes of George Takei and Burt Reynolds. The show managed to keep its plotting very intricate (dead prime ministers! Canadian drug lords! ocelots!) while giving each member of its cast a moment or episode in the sun and continuing to craft distinct, intelligent dialogue with no word wasted. (You could argue that Archer, for all the adventure it depicts, has the deepest knowledge of pop culture/media, including an ability to wrap the most obscure of references in an Archer yell or Malory snark for safe keeping.) It mixed pop culture parodies/homages with spy capers, living dead girls, and drifting race cars, along with trips to Canada, space, and West Virginia. Archer was everything that it can be in the third season, to the point where you have to wonder if the upcoming fourth season can match the creative highs and consistency; of course, the show has been so good since the beginning that it can that it can afford a minor step back and would still be a tremendously fun half hour. But mostly, it remained, in my eyes, the most consistently funny show on television, combining globe-hopping stories with well-worn character beats to produce a great season.
Three Essential Episodes: So3E06 “The Limited”; S03E08 “Lo Scandalo”; S03E10 “Crossing Over”

6. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Upon pulling the trigger on Jimmy, Nucky Thompson became a gangster. He had been involved in criminal activity for quite a while, but he always made an effort not to get his hands dirty, so in fully embracing the lifestyle, the third season of Boardwalk Empire saw a change in its hero. He needed every ounce of his newfound lack of guilt and ability to operate a weapon since arguably his toughest rival, ill-tempered Gyp Rosetti, decided to set his sights on taking Atlantic City from its kingpin once and for all. While early parts of the season were slower and more methodical, depicting everything from Van Alden’s attempts to become another person in Chicago to Margaret’s pet project women’s health clinic, the tension, action, and political intrigue only increased during the back half, with the death of Owen providing the catalyst for Nucky to take the Rosetti threat seriously. The show’s pacing can be unusual, in that its deep supporting cast is sprinkled across the episodes rather than appear for chunks at a time, but when it all comes together in the end, it makes the case that a novelistic approach to storytelling is not dead. In fact, it can make for quite the pay-off to the patient viewer and strengthen everything that came before it, as season three of Boardwalk Empire did.
Three Essential Episodes: S03E07 “Sunday Best”‘ S03E10 “A Man, A Plan…”; S03E11 “Two Impostors”

5. The Borgias (Showtime)
One of the shows to take the leap from good/pretty good to great this year was The Borgias, Showtime’s costume drama about the Borgia family, an Italian dynasty led by Pope Alexander VI, and their desire to stay in power. During the first season, the show seemed to have a good idea of what it wanted to be and how it wanted to tell the story of this rich, controversial family, seen as the bane of the Catholic Church in the eyes of many, but it didn’t quite execute it in the best way. While the acting was top-notch and the cinematography/costuming gorgeous, the pacing was a tad off and it had moments of being content to just sit there rather than move forward. However, the second season improved quite a bit – the story propelled itself more (there was no dead space to speak of and things became delightfully entangled), the action inserted made sense and was never overbearing, and the stakes for the family got much higher. While Rodrigo has been dealing with people trying to take him out of the papacy from the day he assumed the title of Pope, season two of The Borgias ratcheted up the threat level with crazed Friar Savonarola, revenge-seeking Cardinal Della Rovere, and the proud Sforza family all posing threats to his position. In addition, the Borgia children were all dealing with issues of identity that manifested themselves quite differently and profoundly in the family dynamic; while Cesare yearned to be the favored son, Juan self-destructed due to worsening health and Lucrezia struggled with the idea of getting married without losing herself in the process.
Three Essential Episodes: S02E05 “The Choice”; S02E07 “The Siege at Forli”; S02E09 “World of Wonders”

4. Treme (HBO)
Treme is a show whose rhythms you either get or you don’t. It took at least one full season for me to get accustomed to the sprawling cast and (seemingly) small plot stakes, but since then, I’ve been in tune with everything that David Simon and company were putting out. The third season of the New Orleans-set drama focused heavily on the intersection between art and commerce, with several of the characters having to decide how, when, or if they could commodify their talent, to rather mixed results. While Annie’s career skyrocketed, culminating in the release of her album at the end of the season, Davis was burned one too many times from being in the music industry and got to give a profane send-off to his greatest love on a special hidden track; while Janette found that working in a larger restaurant wasn’t her thing, Antoine soul-searched regarding the type of music he chose to play, ultimately becoming okay with the path he took in becoming a musician. It was a moving season of heartbreak and pain (Albert’s lymphoma, LaDonna’s trial), of love and connection (Toni and Terry, Sonny getting married), of the highs and lows that the city of New Orleans has faced since Hurricane Katrina, a season which built to a finale that could have served as a pretty tremendous series ender. Though several character arcs have been more or less wrapped up, Treme has a five-episode coda to play out the final coda in the post-disaster journey of a former cultural haven, which will undoubtedly be the sweetest music of 2013.
Three Essential Episodes: S03E04 “The Greatest Love”; S03E08 “Don’t You Leave Me Here”; S03E10 “Tipitina”

3. Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
The greatest creative rebound of the year had to be Nurse Jackie‘s rebirth in its fourth season. While the show has always been watchable due to a strong supporting cast, interesting central premise, and the lead performance from Edie Falco, it had slipped into a rut where there were no consequences, no danger to anything Jackie was doing. You knew that she’d never get caught nor would she ever have to atone for the things she had done – until this season. During the fourth season, Jackie became the underdog in a sense, battling both her opiate addiction (including a brief stint in rehab where she made one pivotal connection) and a new boss at the hospital who seemed to have her number. Much of the repetitious second and third seasons didn’t give her a feasible challenge to have to overcome, but the fourth season really stacked the deck against Jackie and had her try to wriggle out of trouble as best she could, becoming all the more powerful in the process. After fighting change for so long, she finally wanted to become a better mother, a better nurse, a better friend, and you had to respect the fight that she put into it and the emotional depths it took her (and the show) to. The fourth season of Nurse Jackie, in addition to making better use out of Akalitus and giving Jackie a formidable foe in Mike, showed that while change can be difficult, scary, and intimidating, it can bring a lot of good with it.
Three Essential Episodes: S04E02 “Disneyland Sucks”; S04E05 “One-Armed Jacks”; S04E09 “Are Those Feathers?”

2. Spartacus: Vengeance (Starz)
There was a lot of pressure going into Vengeance, the third season of Spartacus and first without series star Andy Whitfield. The show had managed to craft a very good prequel without the actor, who later succumbed to cancer, but Vengeance would see the debut of Liam McIntyre in the role of the slave-turned-warrior. What worries there were going into things were quickly squelched by McIntyre’s more contemplative performance (juxtaposed against the absolutely delicious return of Lucy Lawless’ Lucretia), a universe that continued to expand away from the confines of the arenas of Capua, and action scenes that ran the gamut from highly emotional to deeply troubling. Spartacus found the rebel army on the run from the Romans, having to dig deep to fight off the increasingly confident Glaber, and stay alive long enough for the other slaves in the area to hear of their quest for freedom and join in; the incredibly bloody finale may have knocked out a good chunk of the supporting cast (in the operatic way that only Spartacus can do), but in doing so, it severed ties between the show and Capua once and for all, leaving the army on their own and waiting on their next opponent.
Three Essential Episodes: S03E05 “Libertus”;  S03E09 “Monsters”;  S03E10 “Wrath of the Gods”

1. Homeland (Showtime)
Very few shows inspired as much chatter in 2012 as Homeland, whether it be for the breakneck pacing that saw game changing plot points pop up as early as the third episode or for the increasingly bigger plausibility issues that became pervasive later in the season. For me, the second season of the critically acclaimed CIA drama was much more hit than miss, thanks to its superb character work and palpably tense atmosphere. The fact that you truly never knew what you’d see every Sunday on Showtime was simultaneously disorienting and thrilling, a way to make sure you paid attention to everything that happened because you never know what could be important at a later date. (Exhibit A: Brody’s suicide tape.) With the finale hinting that the third season will be smaller in scope and focus on the relationship between Carrie and Saul, the second season of Homeland looks like it will be the manic chapter in the show’s saga, an interesting contrast to Carrie’s improved control over her disorder after spiraling in season one. Whether we were watching Carrie screaming into the wind about her latest hunch, Saul exercising fatherly concern for his protege’s increasingly erratic choices, Quinn stretching his moral ambiguity for much of the season, or Brody struggling to figure out who the hell he was and what he stood for, Homeland had a compelling, ambitious season that proved it knows its character better than any show on television.
Three Essential Episodes: S02E03 “State of Independence”;  So2E04 “Q&A”;  S02E12 “The Choice”

The Next 10:
11. Cougar Town (ABC)
12. Shameless (Showtime)
13. Web Therapy (Showtime)
14. Wilfred (FX)
15. Damages (The Audience Network)
16. Parks and Recreation (NBC)
17. Awake (NBC)
18. NTSF: SD: SUV:: (Adult Swim)
19. Childrens Hospital (Adult Swim)
20. Battleground (Hulu)

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