Top Five: TV Shows of the Decade

I like television, so here are my favourite shows of the decade. In order to make the list the shows must have started broadcast in this decade, rather than a continuation from previous decades, meaning The West Wing misses out by just over three months.

1. Band of Brothers

This 2001 mini-series marked the first HBO-BBC co-production, and was both the most expensive mini-series ever made and most expensive TV show per episode ever at $12 million for each of the ten parts. The expense did not go to waste, by focussing on just one group of soldiers (E “Easy” Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Division) the show is stunningly accurate (trust me, I’m an historian). American reviewers have often slated it for apparently having no stand out characters, but that was really the point, you’re looking at a group of men as a whole, not the sum of its individuals. So, yeah, I like it a lot.

Top Five: Albums of the Decade

The best selling album of the decade is James Blunt’s Back to Bedlam, which is frankly shit, so on that basis here are my five favourite albums of the past ten years.

1. Funeral – Arcade Fire

This was a frankly stunning debut from the Canadian ensemble, which flows from track to track as if it were one. The title references the deaths of relations of the band’s members in the run-up to its release in the autumn of 2004. This album provides a soundtrack that you simply can’t ignore, it’s easy to just find yourself immersed in it.

Top Five: Films of 2009

Here we are at the end of the year, and the decade, so a list of my favourite films of the year. I might do one for the decade later, it’ll require more thinking.

1. Moon

The feature directorial debut of Duncan Jones, aka Zowie Bowie. Visually stunning with the use of models over CGI (I have love for models), and using a spartan cast of ten actors, Jones creates a film with a nod to some sci-fi classics, such as, Solaris (original Soviet version), 2001, and Alien. Sam Rockwell is excellent (always is) as Sam, a man who has essentially lived alone on the moon for three years and whose mind is slowly turning in on itself.

Top Five: Dictators

Now this list may sound slightly perverse, but absolutely everything can be quantified in a list, so here are my – want for a better word – favourite dictators.

1. Josip Broz Tito

From car mechanic to President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, it’s like a Cinderella story. He helped reestablish a state after its destruction by leading a partisan campaign, he then defied Stalin and lived to tell the tale, helped establish the non-aligned movement during the Cold War. In summation, he was a bit of a dude. Shame the country collapsed after he died.

Top Five: Things About Christmas I Actually Like

I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas, in fact I hate it. Yeah I know, bah humbug. Anyway, I can think of five things (just) that I actually like about the damned day.

1. Eating a Stupid Amount of Food is Encouraged

Like most people, I find eating to be one of life’s little pleasures, and during this time of year you’re encouraged to eat much more than usual, and I’m fine with that. Roast dinners, cheese, snacks aplenty, overly indulgent desserts, roast dinner leftovers, love it!

Top Five: Christmas Films

The return of the lists! We start off with a simple suggestion from Michelle.

1. Die Hard

John McClane was just trying to spend time with his estranged family at Christmas. He succeeded… by blowing a lot of shit up. Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, guns, terrorists, a skyscraper, Germans, Twinkies, a twatty journalist, and a giant teddy-bear, what could be more festive than that?! Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful!