My Top Ten in Television for 2022 - Part One

Television history is often divided into the following periods

• Pre War Broadcasting (1920 to 1946)

• Fewer than 1 million US households have a television.

• The Golden Age (1947 through 1960s)

• By 1960, 88% of US households have a television.

• Soap Operas, Sitcoms, Family Entertainment & Game Shows flourish.

• The Network Era (1960s through 1980s)

• ABC, NBC, CBS provide most of the content. (CBC in Canada)

• Multi-Channel Era (1980s through 1990s)

• Cable channels boom.

•  24-hour networks for news, sports & music arrive.

• New Golden Age (Prestige Era) (1999 through 2010s)

• Starting with The Sopranos, the era of prestige drama arrived, reinventing the television viewing experience. 

• Established film actors, writers, directors and production teams begin to make rich, layered, lengthy dramatic series with complex but captivating characters, including anti-heros Tony Soprano, Don Draper (Mad Men) or Walter White (Breaking Bad).

• The Streaming Era (Niche Television) (2010s to the present)

• Streaming subscriptions boom from 1% of the US population to 86% in ten years. 

• Netflix, HBO/Crave, Prime Video, Disney+ and others control the entertainment landscape.

For some, the Streaming Era is a third Golden Age as online network services aggressively compete for consumer attention. For others, this is the era of niche television, a time when the content is so plentiful that every viewer can find programs specific to their tastes.

Perhaps you have noticed this shift when in casual conversations, perhaps with co-workers or friends at a dinner party. There was a time when nearly every adult was tuning into the same television programs and water cooler conversations naturally gravitated to next day comparisons about the latest episode of M*A*S*H or “Who shot JR?” on Dallas, or the brilliance of John Ritter’s physical comedy as Jack on Three’s Company.

Even as a kid I felt this “water cooler camaraderie” when my classmates would imitate Horshack from Welcome Back Kotter, debate who the hottest Charlie’s Angel was, or…discuss the brilliance of John Ritter’s physical comedy on Three’s Company.

Nowadays, if you ask someone what they are watching, it is likely you have never seen the show and, in some cases, never even heard of it. Consequently, the inevitable follow-up question is:

“What is that on?” 

With that being said, I invite you to my 2022 assessment of niche television. In no particular order, I offer up my favourite 10 television shows from the past year and list the streaming service that has each program for Canadian viewers. I also include a link to a trailer. Here goes:

The Bear (First Season - Disney Channel)

A young chef from the world of fine dining returns to Chicago to take over the family sandwich shop after his brother’s suicide. As he struggles to keep the failing business afloat, he is forced to come to terms with the fractures in both his life and his family’s.

Episode seven is a frenetic firestorm of restaurant chaos. Miscommunication, backlogged orders and an accidental stabbing are filmed in a single. 18-minute take. To add to the relentless tension, Spiders (Kidsmoke), by alternative rockers Wilco, serves as the disquieting soundtrack. As a former restaurant worker, it brought back the electrifying yet thrilling anxiety/energy that comes with a chaotic shift when the team is “in the weeds”. (Series Trailer)

Better Call Saul (Final Season - AMC)

When a prequel to Breaking Bad featuring sleazy lawyer Saul Goodman, was first announced in 2014 I was cautiously optimistic. Could creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould find lightning in a bottle twice – in the same fictional universe? Moreover, could a television series built around a greasy, loathsome and seemingly one-dimensional character like Saul Goodman sustain my interest for several seasons?

My trust was rewarded and, for seven years, the “GilliGould” production team has delivered engaging writing with interesting cinematography that are punctuated by award-worthy performances from a top-tier cast. They also managed to “stick the landing” with a surprising, but satisfying ending.

The only question that remains is: “Will Rhea Seehorn, who played Saul’s love interest Kim Wexler, finally receive the Emmy she has deserved repeatedly since season two? (Series Six Trailer)

Peacemaker (First Season - HBO/Crave)

In 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) kicked off with Iron Man featuring Robert Downey Jr. in the role of billionaire, playboy/industrialist Tony Stark and his superhero counterpart, Iron Man. The film was a massive success because it seemed to find the perfect blend of action, drama and comedy to attract a diverse audience.

In 2013, Marvel’s rival, DC comics, began their foray into this lucrative cinematic world with the release of Man Of Steel, a reboot of the Superman franchise. The film received a lukewarm response from audiences. Many critics pointed out that it was “brooding and heavy” and lacked the “sense of lightness” or “pop joy” that MCU movies provided.

The rivalry between the two companies has continued for nearly a decade. The MCU has flourished while the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) has struggled to find an audience. However, in 2020, the executives made the clever decision to hire James Gunn to direct the film The Suicide Squad. Gunn, who had already experienced success at MCU with the Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise, delivered a film that was pulpy, outrageous and ridiculously fun.

The follow-up from Gunn and the DCEU was Peacemaker, a riotous eight- part series which debuted last January. Picking up five months after the events in The Suicide Squad movie, the viewers are re-introduced to Christopher Smith/Peacemaker, recovering in hospital. The opening scene, including the hysterical credit sequence, re-establishes the plot for new viewers. This is exactly what the DCEU needed – a goofy and action-packed rollercoaster ride of over-the-top characters, explosions, off-colour humour, slapstick violence…and Peacemaker’s bird sidekick, “Eagley”. Pure popcorn pleasure, with a hair-metal soundtrack to boot! (Opening Credits)

White Lotus (Season 2 - HBO Crave)

The first season of The White Lotus premiered in the summer of 2021. Had I written a top ten blog last year I would have put that series near the top of the list – likely #1. The White Lotus is a fictional chain of high-end, resort hotels located throughout the world. The series focuses on both the diligent, but jaded, staff and the uber-wealthy guests who travel to exotic locations to escape the “hurly-burly” of their privileged lives.

Season Two finds us in Taormina, Sicily, on the picturesque, rocky shores of the Ionian Sea. The effortlessly-hysterical Jennifer Coolidge reprises her role from Season One as the entitled and unnecessarily beleaguered, multi-millionaire, Tanya McQuoid-Hunt. Her newish-relationship with Greg (also from season one) is strained and this Sicilian getaway is intended to rekindle their jaded flame. However, Tanya has, obtusely, brought her genuinely beleaguered, personal assistant Portia along for support.

The next twelve episodes focus on a week in the lives of these paradise-seeking, filthy rich elites as their lives and indiscretions mingle with the hotel staff and locals. The dark comedy provides, in mixed measure, mystery, intrigue, social commentary, sex and farce set to stunning cinematography, and a hypnotic score composed and curated by Canadian/Chilean composer Juan Cristobal Tapia de Veer. (Season Two Trailer)

Hacks (Season 2 - HBO/Crave) 

The idea that art inspires life fascinates me. Such is the case with Season 2 of HBO’s Hacks, a series that focuses on aging, stand-up comedian Debroah Vance whose legendary Las Vegas residency is coming to an end to make way for “new acts”, intended to attract a younger audience.

Vance’s management team decides to pair her with a younger comedy writer, Ava Daniels, from their stable of talent. Daniels, who has already been pigeon-holed in the industry as arrogant and difficult, is desperate for employment after posting an insensitive joke on Twitter. The unlikely pair bond slowly through season one. Daniels helps Vance take more risks with her comedic material and Vance returns the favour by helping Daniels with her personal issues.


Season one of Hacks received critical acclaim and a second season was greenlit for 2022. Actor Jean Smart, who plays Vance, was also a big star in the 80s and 90s, with a starring role on television’s Designing Women. Like many female actors over the age of 40, leading roles began to disappear. Despite the career setback, she continued to work – as a voice actor, on stage in summer theatres, as a guest-performer in television sitcoms, and in Hallmark romantic-comedies geared toward a 50+ audience. Then, much like her character in Hacks, her career has been revitalized with a leading role that allows her to flex her sizable comedic and dramatic talents. So, is that art imitating life or life imitating art? Who cares really…and yes, Hacks has been greenlit for a third season. (Season Two Trailer)

Thanks for Reading…What are you watching?

Part Two Next Week.

The 500 - #285- Music Of My Mind - Stevie Wonder

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #285

Album Title: Music Of My Mind

Artist: Stevie Wonder

Genre: Progressive Soul

Recorded: Three Studios in New York and Los Angeles

Released: March, 1972

My age at release: 6

How familiar was I with it before this week: A little

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at 350, dropping 65 places since 2012

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Evil

Given the unique name Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, the future music legend who became known to the world as Stevie Wonder arrived six weeks premature on May 13, 1950. The oxygen-rich atmosphere of the incubator saved his life, but also resulted in retinopathy that robbed him of his vision.

The Judkins family moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1954 and Stevie took an early interest in music, singing at his church and playing piano, harmonica and drums. In 1961, aged 11, Stevie sang his first composition, a song called Lonely Boy, to Ronnie White of the group The Miracles. White was so impressed, he took the young warbler to meet Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records. Stevland Hardaway Judkins was re-branded "Little Stevie Wonder" and, before he was a teenager, he released three records, including the hit single Fingertips -- making him the youngest person to have a #1 song on the Billboard charts.

Little Stevie Wonder The 12 year old genius album cover

Music of My Mind was his 14th release, a remarkable achievement because he was only 21. Typically, aspiring musicians of that age are crafting their first record, not their 14th. However, more importantly, the record marked a new phase in the multi-instrumentalist's career. He had recently signed a new contract with Motown Records to give him complete artistic control over his music. Modern music critics consider this the start of  Wonder's classic period, which ran from 1972 until 1979. His output included three other records on The 500 list, all in the top 100 –Talking Book (#90), Songs In The Key Of Life (#57) and Inversions (#24).

Music of My Mind also marked the start of Wonder's foray into the  world of electronic music for which he recruited two pioneers in the genre, Malcom Cecil and Robert Margouleff, to make use of their TONTO synthesizer set-up. TONTO, an acronym for The Original New Timbrel Orchestra was. at the time, the largest and most sophisticated analog synthesizer in the world. Compared with today’s miniaturized technology, the  electronic network was housed in six-metre-long curving wood cabinets nearly two metres high.

The TONTO analog synthesizer system

I've been a fan of Wonder's music since age 11 when I first heard the infectious catchy horn section that opens the song Sir Duke from the aforementioned Song In The Key Of Life. In the ‘80s Wonder seemed omnipresent in the world of popular music, enjoying tremendous commercial success as both a solo artist and collaborator. His music became a little too "adult contemporary" for me in the ‘80s and my interest in him faded somewhat.

However, in 2021 I came across some of his earlier music, triggered by the appearance of Wonder songs on the soundtracks of two television programs.

The first program was an eight-part series titled 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything. This documentary juxtaposed the music of the period against the cultural and political upheaval of a particularly tumultuous year in contemporary history. It was, after all, the time of Vietnam War protests, the rise of Black Power movement, the rise of Feminism and the release of the Pentagon Papers.

In the fifth episode, Wonder's song, If You Really Loved Me, from the album Where I'm Coming From, galvanized my attention. Immediately, I thought, "I should be listening to more early Stevie Wonder.'' The next day, my headphones and Spotify account got a workout as much as I did physically doing yard chores.

I delved into Wonder’s early classic period. It so happened that a few nights later Wonder's music was on my television again – that of  Atlanta, the brilliant, comedy/drama/social satire series by multi-talented Donald Glover.

Episode six of season two of Atlanta, entitled Teddy Perkins, took another unexpected turn, veering into the world of psychological horror. In the episode, things turn strange as the easy-going Darius attempted to pick up a piano from the home of an eccentric and reclusive man, Teddy Perkins.

The episode is book-ended brilliantly by two tracks from Wonder's Music From My Mind. As the opening credits play, the episode begins with Sweet Little Girl, a harmonica-driven song that seems, at first, like a playful, innocent love song. However, darker and more sinister overtones emerge.

The episode ends with the track Evil, a melancholy number that makes full use of the new keyboard technology Wonder was testing. The song posed a series of questions directed at an unseen, and seemingly uncaring, artifice of evil.

Atlanta's Music supervisor, Jen Malone, told Variety that Stevie Wonder had to be convinced by the show’s creator, Donald Glover, to allow Evil to be included in the episode due to the troubling nature of the content.

"Donald had to get on the phone with Stevie and we were all very intrigued about what went on on that phone call. But we ended up getting the song and it was just such a perfect musical moment."

If you haven't had the chance to explore Atlanta or Stevie Wonder's earlier catalogue, I recommend it highly.  In the words of Teddy Perkins, they are both "Flames".

The 500 - #286 - I'm Still In Love With You - Al Green

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #286

Album Title: I'm Still In Love With You

Artist: Al Green

Genre: Soul

Recorded: Royal Recording Studios, Memphis, Tennessee

Released: October, 1972

My age at release: 7

How familiar was I with it before this week: A couple songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, dropping to #320 (33 places) since 2012

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Love And Happiness

In childhood, it seems that time moves slowly. Some experts suggest this is not merely an illusion. Dr. Clifford Lazarus, in an article in Psychology Today, posits that "children recall more visual data" than their elders" and, as a consequence, generate more "mental frames" or "mental images" that capture significant moments in time.

Consider the cover art to this week's record, I'm Still In Love With You (pictured above). Taken in 1972, it depicts the singer Al Green, seated and dressed almost entirely in white on lacquered rattan furniture, set against a white backdrop. As soon as I saw it, I was transported back to my childhood. More specifically, the early 1970s when I was about seven to nine years old.

My wife and I have talked about how we perceived the "adult world" when we were pre-pubescent. She came of age during the era of   Saturday Night Fever and was convinced she would become a 20-something disco dancer in strappy heels, decked out in a flowing dress while being wooed by a white-suited Tony Manero-type.

My vision of the "adult world" was more like this album cover. A sprawling tropical mansion, accented with the "finest" rattan and bamboo furniture and covered with lush tropical greenery. There may have even been a parrot involved. Perhaps my adolescent fascination with the television program Fantasy Island played into that mental image. Regardless, it doesn't make a lot of sense that a kid growing up in Ontario, Canada, would imagine a future with palm plants and exotic wildlife. However, I do like the fact that I thought my future would be rosy enough to include a mansion -- gaudy wicker furniture aside.

Which brings me back to I'm Still In Love With You, the fifth studio record by soul/R&B/gospel legend Green. I wrote about his history just a few weeks ago when discussing his sixth record, Call Me. Both records are considered part of Green's soul phase, which culminated with his Greatest Hits record in 1975 (#52 on The 500). By then, Green had entered the gospel era of his career, which stemmed from a life-changing event that occurred on October 14, 1974.

Sometimes referenced as the "Grits Incident", Green's ex-girlfriend, Mary Woodson, burst into the bathroom of his Memphis home and poured a pot of scalding hot grits (a Southern food item comprising corn, cheese and cream) on the back of the bathing singer. Woodson then went into a nearby bedroom, found Green's handgun, and took her own life.

Mary Woodson (1970s)

Green required skin grafts and spent months in recovery. He also reported that he spent his convalescence in deep reflection on his life. Raised in an evangelical household he had straddled the line between the devout faith in which he was raised and his philandering lifestyle as a popular soul singer.

Earlier in 1974 he had released Take Me To The River, a song about baptism. At the same time, information about the “Grits Incident” was revealed by investigating officers. They said Woodson, unbeknownst to Green, was married with four children and had a history of mental health issues. She had left two suicide notes, including one proclaiming her love for Green.

Green was cleared of any wrongdoing and began a path to redemption, determined to live a wholesome life and spread the word of God. He became a born-again Christian and, in 1976, was ordained a minister. A theme of the Reverend Al Green’s 1977 release, The Belle Album, espouses devotion to God. Then, in 1980, his first purpose-made gospel record, The Lord Will Make A Way, ushered in a transformational phase in his music career.

The story of Green’s metamorphosis got me thinking about the changes we embrace throughout our lives. I have two good friends who have recently made important lifestyle adjustments to improve their health and, hopefully, longevity. Their “altered lifestyle” has not been lost on me as they are worthy lessons to emulate.

It's times like these when I reflect on a beautiful bit of poetry by Guy Garvey, of the band Elbow, from the song Lunette:

"What can be said of the whiskey and wine.
Random abandon or ballast for joy
That was scuppered with trust, little more than a boy.
And besides I'm in excellent company.

I'm reaching the age when decisions are made
On life and liver and I'm sure, last ditch,
That I'll ask for more time
But mother, forgive me,
I still want a bottle of good Irish whiskey
And a bundle of smokes in my grave."

I’ll have to take good care of myself, I still have a white mansion, tropical plants with plenty of rattan furniture to purchase...and a parrot.

The 500 - #287 - Los Angeles - X

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #287

Album Title: Los Angeles

Artist: X

Genre: Punk

Recorded: Golden Sound Studios, Los Angeles, California

Released: April, 1980

My age at release: 14

How familiar was I with it before this week: Not at all

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, dropping to #320 (33 places) since 2012

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Soul Kitchen

In January, 2022 I wrote about the second release by X, Wild Gift. It was the first time I had heard the music of this innovative and influential punk band from California. Los Angeles is the debut record from the four-piece ensemble comprising Exene (vocals), John Doe (vocals and bass), Billy Zoom (guitars) and DJ Bonebrake (drums).

X (l-r) Zoom, Bonebrake, Exene, Doe (1980)

Los Angeles is often overlooked as a significant center of punk rock music. The genre emerged from the garage scene in England and the United States, with London and New York being considered "ground zero" for the movement. However, Los Angeles has a rich history of punk rock and has produced many influential bands and musicians in the genre.

Punk rock originated in the 1970s as a reaction against mainstream music and culture, and Los Angeles was home to many of the early pioneers of the genre. Some of the most famous punk rock bands to come out of Los Angeles include Black Flag, The Germs and X. These bands were known for their raw, energetic sound and their rebellious attitude, which resonated with many young people at the time. The 1980s were a time of great change in Los Angeles, and the punk scene reflected the city's growing discontent with mainstream culture.

X on a rooftop above Los Angeles (early 80s)

The previous two paragraphs have intentionally been presented in a different font and colour because I did not write them. Instead, I leveraged the skills of an artificial intelligence program called Chat-GPT which was developed and released free to the public by Open AI (a non-profit, research organization in Silicon Valley). I simply provided a few prompts to a computer program and the writing was generated for me. I'll explain.

As I was mentally preparing to write this post, a friend (Rob Hodson who has guest blogged twice for me here) sent me an article from The Atlantic with the ominous title: The End Of High School English. In the article, veteran high school English teacher Daniel Herman posits that:

The arrival of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a program that generates sophisticated text in response to any prompt you can imagine, may signal the end of writing assignments altogether—and maybe even the end of writing as a gatekeeper, a metric for intelligence, a teachable skill.

He goes on to provide examples, including: 

A playful, but sophisticated and emotional 600-word, college-admissions essay on how his "experience" volunteering at the local animal shelter prepared him for the academic rigour of Stanford.

The following is part of the AI’s response:

"In addition to cleaning, I also had the opportunity to interact with the animals. I was amazed at the transformation I saw in some of the pets who had been neglected or abused. With patience and care, they blossomed into playful and affectionate companions who were eager to give and receive love. I was also able to witness firsthand the process of selecting the right pet for the right family. Although it was bittersweet to see some animals leave the shelter, I knew that they were going to a loving home, and that was the best thing for them…"

The artificial intelligence "chat-bot" was able to provide, almost instantaneously, a convincing, grammatically-sound response to his query.

While I am still on the fence about this new technology supplanting the need for high school English classes, I was fascinated by the availability of this technology and thought I would put it to the test with my blog. The limitations were soon revealed.

Initially, I posed the question: "Why is Los Angeles, by the band X, a great record?" The bot responded with an apology:

I'm sorry, but I am not able to browse the internet or listen to music, so I am unable to answer that question. I am a large language model trained by OpenAI and my knowledge is limited to the text that I have been trained on, which ends in 2021. I do not have any information about the band X or their record "Los Angeles". Is there something else I can help you with?

After a few more prompts, I settled on: "Why is the Los Angeles punk scene in the 1980s important?" and "Tell me more about the Los Angeles punk scene". Both responses required a little editing on my part to make them fit smoothly into this blog and both are rather vanilla in scope and style. However, I can see the utility of this technology for a high-school student.

A picture I created using AI with the prompt of
 "show me a high school student writing an essay".

When I provided some common, Grade 12 prompts, such as, "explain the impact of Macbeth's vaulting ambition", or "discuss the themes in A Handmaid's Tale", Chat GPT quickly offered good quality, quotable content that would fit nicely into a sneaky teenager's essay.

Regarding my genuine experiences with Los Angeles, the debut album by X, I loved it. It was a terrific record to get me going in the morning when I played it between 8 and 9 a.m., before my students' arrival. It was also a powerful motivator later on as I burned calories on the elliptical.

It wasn't until I heard this week's episode of The 500 podcast, featuring comedian and writer Dana Gould, that I began to dig a little deeper into the lyrical content. Gould, best known for his writing on The Simpsons, called X a band with "the energy of the Ramones and the poetry of Bob Dylan".

One thing I learned while looking into the story of X is how the band, despite limited commercial success, is considered by critics as "one of the most influential bands of their era". X’s "raw energetic sound" is undeniable and their dark, biting lyrics seem to capture "the growing discontent" present in Los Angeles of 1980.

So, I'll concede. Chat GPT makes a good case, but not strong enough to supplant me as the writer of these weekly blogs...for now.