It’s sad when someone who should be an expert on something reveals just how little they know about the genre on which they’re pontificating. Take, for example, Time magazine’s Richard Corliss, who on Sunday decided to declare that BIG LOVE had jumped the shark several weeks earlier. Unfortunately, he gets off to something of a rocky start by wrongly stating that everything from a wedding to a birth is an indication that a show has jumped the shark (as opposed to those being examples of, um, actual plot developments). But he then goes on to claim that the January 24th episode of the polygamy-in-suburbia drama jumped the shark by having Sarah take in an Indian woman and her child, Margene kiss stepson Ben, Alby begin an illicit affair and Nicki pull a gun.

Did a lot happen in the episode? You betcha. Was it a “jump-the-shark” moment? Not by a longshot.

What Corliss fails to get is that BIG LOVE is, at heart, a soap opera. As with any good sudser, there are the haves (Bill and his wives) and the have nots (the Juniper Creek crowd). There is a star-crossed romance (Margene and Ben), the slightly-unbalanced love-to-hate-her vixen (Nicki), a villain you hate to love (Alby, although he’s getting a run for the money in Zeljko Ivanek’s JJ) and a clan so intertwined that the family tree appears to suffer a bad case of root rot.

But most importantly, like any good soap, BIG LOVE is a show that knows a thing or two about plotting and pacing. To hear Corliss tell it, one might assume the events he mentioned came out of the blue when, in reality, most had been building for months and, in some cases, from the very beginning of the series. The budding attraction between Ben and Margene has been brewing since early last season, and Alby’s sexuality has been a timebomb waiting to explode since his first charged encounter with a hustler during the show’s first season.

A good writer figures out ways to have plots ripple across their canvas each week. A great writers knows how to accomplish that while at the same time laying the groundwork for episodes which bring several plots together for an episode which shakes every character on the canvas up and tilts the entire show in a new direction. That was what Roberto Aquirre-Sacassa, writer of the episode in question (titled, appropriately enough, “Strange Bedfellows”) did brilliantly, all the while introducing several new characters who would become key players in the weeks to come (including Sissy Spacek’s colorful turn as lobbyist Marilyn Densham).

Perhaps Corliss — who is a longtime movie critic for the magazine — should stick to the beat he knows best, as it appears he doesn’t understand the difference between the pace of big and small screen offerings. Then again, as the man who declared that Avatar presented an “impossible but completely plausible” world — as if those two words weren’t completely incongruous — it might just be that the plot-light, effects-heavy spectacle ruined him for, you know, actual scripted entertainment.

Three quick observations with regards to last night’s phenomenal instalment of BIG LOVE. 1) In addition to her ‘For Your Consideration’ Emmy clip, last night’s heartbreaking and tearful confession by Margene as to what really went down between herself and Ben just cemented Ginnifer Goodwin’s status as television’s most underrated actress. 2) Almost as shocking as the three whole seconds it took Bill to expell his own son from his house was his treatment of loyal second-in-command Don. Seriously, somebody needs to smack this man upside the head for his continual self righteous and destructive behaviour. And finally, 3) Just how did it take us so long to reach our latest separated at birth comparison: BIG LOVE’s Alby Grant and LOST’s Benjamin Linus. Discuss.

DOLLHOUSE
Pretty girls are literally and figuratively transformed into playthings and sent out into the world to pleasure wealthy men. Sure, there’s Victor, but even he was used by the writers as a way to threaten the position of woman-in-power Adelle!

BAD GIRLS CLUB
Let’s face it, people tune into this mess for one reason and one reason only: To see girls with low self-esteem behave in the worst ways possible.

GENERAL HOSPITAL
A show ostensibly aimed at a female audience which might easily be renamed THE WOMEN IN JEOPARDY HOUR. The end of its much-ballyhooed Franco story saw not one, not two, but three different women (Carly, Lulu and Sam) being held hostage by the madman.

FAMILY GUY
While the animated laugher is an equal-opportunity offender, poor Meg may be the most tread-upon character in the history of television. As Peter once said after his daughter left the room, “Who was that guy?”

BIG LOVE
As polygamy is, in essence, institutionalized misogny, it’s impossible not to put this compelling show on the list despite the fact that it’s female characters are some of the strongest to grace the small screen.

Between three wives, two businesses and umpteen offspring, keeping track of Bill Henrickson’s many problems is easier said than done. Which is probably why HBO has just released — just in time for BIG LOVE’s fourth season premiere on January 10th, 2010 — this clever little refresher highlighting some of the biggest moments from the show’s first three seasons. Big thanks HBO, seriously.

10. DOLLHOUSE
At this point, I’ve given up on Joss Whedon ever getting free reign over his creative works. Yes, lead Eliza Dushku is the show’s weakest link (she has very limited range), but, ah, what a fantastically flawed work of art. DOLLHOUSE may not always work, but when it does, its pure Whedon: deep down, there’s a beautifully complex and dark story of identity.  

9. BRICK CITY
You make your jokes about New Jersey, but this unflinching documentary set in Newark will change your tune. Starring an impassioned Mayor Cory Booker as he works to restructure the police force to combat rising crime, it’s the closest series to get to THE WIRE in terms of tragedy, family, and gloomy hope.  

8. PARKS and RECREATION
Or the comeback kid. At first Amy Poehler’s OFFICE-wannabe about local government was good, but didn’t have much of an identity of its own. But its second season closed up the giant pit and figured out how it use its star and its cast to hilarious comedic levels. Cohesion achieved.  

7. IN TREATMENT
If you think there couldn’t be anything more boring than watching people sit around and talk, then you’re dead wrong. Season two of the therapy drama starring the impeccable Gabriel Byrne as a shrink who’s been shrunk packed more raw, emotional humanity into words than every forensics-leaden CBS procedural currently airing.  

6. TORCHWOOD: CHILDREN OF EARTH
Who would think that a kooky spin-off of the long-running DOCTOR WHO  series about a time traveler and his paranormal crime solving team could tell a story as riveting as this? This was an alien invasion that maturely posed the question of whether the needs of the few outweighed the needs of many, and what tragedy can do to the most honorable of people.  

5. GLEE  
If COP ROCK and VIVA LAUGHLIN have proven anything, it’s that musical dramedies could only go down as gloriously failures. And then GLEE happened, mined for every ounce of chintz, kitsch, and spectacle creator Ryan Murphy could find, it works because it is both ridiculous and a marvelous display of craft. It is the most perplexing show on television, and I love it.  

 
4. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Never have I cried, laughed, and cheered alongside a television show. After a wider-audience pandering sophomore effort, this hearty, kicky drama about a high school football team (and the coach and his wife, played by TV’s greatest couple, Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton) in small-town Dillon, Texas turned out a fantastic third season that let us say goodbye to old favorites (Street! Smash! Lyla!) and wait breathlessly for new ones.  

3. BREAKING BAD  
What started out as a dark, desperate attempt to leave his family a nest egg after his cancer claims him, season two brought on a tricky roundabout: remission. So now chemistry teacher-turned meth dealer Walter White (the incomparable Bryan Cranston) continues in the drug trade with less obvious ambitions. This season was arresting, exploring mortality and morality, and everything in between.

2. BIG LOVE  ?Bless, what a season. Shortened by the strike, this polygamist drama packed a tense, hilarious, tragic, and often poignant third season into 10 episodes of familial bliss. This is a case where more does makes merrier – be it a new wife, new prophet, or illegitimate lovechild, this impeccable ensemble piece makes the grade.   

1. MAD MEN
In Matthew Weiner’s period drama set in the 1960s – so purposefully paced, so delicately curated by its art directors – there isn’t episode that isn’t delicious to consume and almost impossible to explain. Season three, set in 1963, tore everything apart: families, careers, and in one instance, a man’s foot. More importantly, it deftly succeeded in not only showing us the past, but making us feel it too.  

Honorable Mentions: 30 ROCK, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, BORED TO DEATH, THE GOOD WIFE, LOST, MODERN FAMILY, THE OFFICE, SONS OF ANARCHY, TRUE BLOOD, UNITED STATES OF TARA.

Related:
• Our Top 10 TV Shows of 2009
• Our 2009 TV Year in Review (Part IV)
• Our 2009 TV Year in Review (Part III)
• Our 2009 TV Year in Review (Part II)
• Our 2009 TV Year in Review (Part I)

10. BIG LOVE
Once thought of as “that show about the guy who has sex with three women”, BIG LOVE has moved so beyond its initial constraints as to feel like a completely different series. Despite it’s odd (and, to some, off-putting) pacing, the tale of the Henrickson family has become as complex as the religion at its center, thanks in large part to the unforgettable performance of Chloe Sevigny as Nicki, the immature second wife who is torn between her fundamentalist Mormon values and her childish impulses.  

9. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
It’s odd to realize that there is a huge segment of the population of who have seen this HBO series and probably never even heard of it until the much-buzzed about SEINFELD reunion. Those people will probably squirm uncomfortably upon hearing that this season saw Larry David inadvertently pee on a portrait of Jesus, very intentionally grasp a secretary’s love handles in a bid to save his own life, or wound up in a fist fight with Rosie O’Donnell. Those of us who witnessed his antics also squirmed uncomfortably… while simultaneously howling with laughter. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

8. NBC’S THURSDAY NIGHT LINE-UP
They may not be perfect, but COMMUNITY, PARKS & RECREATION, THE OFFICE and 30 ROCK have come together — flaws and all — to create the best two-hour comedy block since the heyday of Must-See TV. Better, these are not your typical set-up-followed-by-punch-line sitcoms, but rather what we like to think of as comedies for the thinking man in which the unguarded moments “caught” by the camera are every bit as important as the dialogue being spoken. Sometimes even more so. 

7. THE DAILY SHOW/ COLBERT REPORT
Who would have imagined that some of the best social commentary — not to mention concise media criticism and analysis — would be coming from the “World News Headquarters” of Comedy Central? What’s truly amazing about these shows is that they manage to combine politicians, pundits and celebrities into a breathtakingly funny cocktail five nights a week… a feat SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE can’t manage to do once a week.

The TV Addict with a few of Bon Temps’ finest at the 2009 Entertainment Weekly Comic Con Party

6. TRUE BLOOD
Yes, yes, we were a little late to the party. But thanks to HBO on Demand, we’re ready to sing the praises of Bon Temps, the little town where not only can anything happen, but when it does, it’s often in the nude. (Thank you, Cable!) While daughters everywhere were deciding whether to be on Team Edward or Team Jacob, TRUE BLOOD fans knew the real battle is between those who want to bare their necks for Bill and those who’d rather sink their teeth into Eric. That’s what we call a win/win.

5. DEXTER
Let’s have a show of hands: How many of you were reluctant to even start this season, bored at the notion of America’s favorite serial killer being saddled with a wife, two precocious kids and a new baby? Shame on us for having doubted the writers, who turned our notions of family upside down by giving Dexter a new nemesis who, like him, was both a family man and a serial killer. Unlike last season’s somewhat meandering and, in the end, almost pointless Prado plot, season four’s arc was every bit as twisted as the mind of John Lithgow’s Trinity. Better still (Spoiler Alert!) the shocking finale set the stage for the show to re-invent itself yet again, this time with Dexter as a single dad. It’s a tried-and-true storyline that on any show might quickly become trite, yet thanks to the fact that this year’s conventional set-up yielded what may well have been the best season yet, we can hardly wait.

The TV Addict parties with some of your favorite Gleeks at FOX’s Fall 2009 Launch

4. GLEE
After years of COP ROCK punchlines, it looks as if television critics everywhere will need to look for a new scapegoat, because the musical dramedy is officially alive and well thanks to the students and faculty of McKinley High. Like most shows on this list, GLEE is not perfect. But it proves the power (and profit) of thinking outside the box and brings in the kind of demographics that cause happy-shivers to run up and down the spines of network execs.

3. MODERN FAMILY
We come not to bury the sitcom, but to praise it. What many expected to be a typical sitcom quickly proved itself anything but as America met and fell for the extended Dunphey/Pritchett family. What makes this show shine — aside from the wildly talented cast or the exceptionally sharp writing — is the family itself. Gay, straight, young, old, fat and thin, they are, in essence, us. It would be atypical for viewers to relate to any one member of a television family. For us to somehow relate to them all is what makes this FAMILY so dang perfect.

2. LOST
Not willing to rest on their laurels, executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse continued to step up their game with the show’s penultimate season. So much so that we’ll forgive them for raising more questions than answers (as usual), killing off major and much beloved characters (Juliet! Sob!)  and introducing the head-scratching notion of time-travel (Please don’t make us do math) because we know deep down inside that like those pesky Cylons before them, they have a plan. Or, um, they damned well better. Just sayin’.

1. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Just how remarkable was FRIDAY LIGHTS this past year? Put it this way: This TV Addict is so desperate to discover if Coach Taylor can turn around the lacklustre East Dillon Panthers that we may have [or for legal reasons, may not have] turned to a life of crime downloading. Fingers crossed the judge is a fan. After all, if anyone will be able to sympathize as we revel in the small screen’s most endearing marriage (that of Eric and Tami Taylor) and the tearful farewell arcs for veteran cast members Zach Gilford and Taylor Kitsch, it’s a fellow Panther. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!

Seriously. Just when we thought we couldn’t get anymore excited for the January 10th return of BIG LOVE comes a surprise appearance by one of our all-time favorite EVERWOOD alums. See for yourself in this just released fourth season trailer.

As promised, Friday’s sixth episode of DOLLHOUSE didn’t disappoint. Please tell me it wasn’t an aberration. — DrunkonDushku
The TV Addict: Rest assured, it wasn’t. With Whedon’s winning streak continuing this Friday when he reveals more of Echo’s backstory by sending her on a mission back to the very College campus that we’ve become accustomed to catching glimpses of in the mysterious ‘Caroline’ video. Fans will also learn how Sierra ended up in the Dollhouse, when she confronts the man responsible for putting her there (and trust me, it ain’t pretty.) Oh, and as for the big reveal that there are twenty or so Dollhouses strategically located around the world, Whedon joked on a recent conference call that it’s built-in franchising. In other-words, get ready for DOLLHOUSE: MIAMI!

What’s the word on tonight’s GOSSIP GIRL? — GossipGuy
The TV Addict: Does “ZZZZZZzzzzzz” count as a word? Because unfortunately, that is my reaction to tonight’s snooze-inducing Nate-centric story-line. Seriously. If the Dollhouse ever needs another pretty-boy to walk around with a vapid and emotionless expression on his face, Chace Crawford is their man. So much so that not even an inebriated and highly entertaining secret-spilling Blair could save tonight’s train-wreck of an episode.

Loved Friday’s episode of TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR chronicles, how about you? — LenaLikey
The TV Addict: You mean the one where John Connor finally grew a pair. No exaggeration, scenes like John’s confrontation with Jesse are why PVR’s were invented (Well, that and because it allowed me to attend my BSG Frakkin’ Finale Party worry-free.) John’s transformation from petulant emo-boy was long overdue and I for one loved getting to see a glimpse of the young man who has finally started to demonstrate that he has what it takes to fight for humanity’s future. A fight, which by the way, just got a whole lot more interesting with Friday’s future-reveal that not all robots are on the same side.

Any scoop on Rob Thomas’ CUPID re-boot? I loved the original and am cautiously optimistic about this new version. — Neptune4Eva
The TV Addict: Having completely missed the boat on the original CUPID starring Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall I unfortunately can’t speak to how the two versions compare. What I can say, having just watched the pilot (premiering Tuesday March 31 on ABC) is that the new Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson version is flirty, fun and the perfect fit on ABC, which outside of LOST is quickly becoming the CW for the older-skewing female set.

Since I’m far too lazy to read through your lengthy recap of Friday’s BATTLESTAR GALACTICA series finale, nutshell it for me: Loved it or loathed it? —HolyFrakitsOver
The TV Addict: Honestly, I’m torn. Because as much as I’m a complete sucker for a happy ending, I can’t help but feel that the one we got was an absolute betrayal of everything creator Ronald D. Moore had spent four years meticulously crafting. In one fowl swoop, the dark tone and mantra that life isn’t fair, there are no easy choices and sh*t happens was wiped away, as he took the easy way out and ended off the show with virtually every series regular alive. Joss Whedon he ain’t (and yes, we’re still reeling from [SERENITY SPOILER ALERT] Wash’s death.)

Is [you know who] really dead on BIG LOVE? — LoveAddict
The TV Addict: If this were your average run-of-the-mill television series, I would say that there is no way BIG LOVE would kill off their show’s Arvin Sloane equivalent. After-all, in television, a good guy like Bill Henrickson is only as entertaining as the villain in which he’s forced to bring down. That said, as the saying goes: it’s not TV, it’s HBO. So if I must put my money where my mouth is. Roman is 100% unequivocally dead (although I’m not about to rule out the return of Harry Dean Stanton in ghost form!)

Any word on NBC’s new Amy Poehler series PARKS & RECREATION? April 9th can’t come soon enough. — DunderMifflinDenizen
The TV Addict: Actually, it can. At least according to Nikki Finke who is reporting that a recent test screening of the pilot did not go well. With audiences characterizing the series premiere as “slow,” “tedious” and a “predictable carbon copy” of THE OFFICE. Which brings us to my completely uninformed take having not had the chance to watch the pilot: If NBC didn’t currently find itself teetering in fourth place among the major networks, PARKS & RECREATION would not have been rushed to make a spring premiere.

Obsessed Amy Acker fan here. What have you got for me? — AckerFanGirl21
The TV Addict: I’ve got good news for you because you are not alone. Turns out, Joss Whedon shares your love of both Acker and the character she plays on DOLLHOUSE. Revealing on a recent conference call that, “I love that character, not just because it’s Amy Acker, but because she wears misery and torture on her face literally. We will definitely learn how she came to this fabulous career and in the last few episodes, we get to turn the Acker up pretty hot and it’s very exciting.”

I don’t have a question, but just wanted to say how much I agree with your recent tweet that said, “Just finished watching Friday’s FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. How this isn’t the most popular show on television I’ll never understand!” — Cleareyesfullhearts
The TV Addict: I know right? Between the Taylor’s dealing with Matt and Julie’s off-the-field extra-curriculers, Tyra finally giving something back to Landry, Momma McCoy allowing J.D. to escape from under the tyrannical grasp of his overbearing father and Garitty-Gate ‘09, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is truly firing on all cylinders. Begging the question, why aren’t you watching?

Well that about wraps it up folks for this edition of “Ask the Addict.” if you’ve got a question for the TV Addict, you can email me directly at ask@thetvaddict.com or follow me on twitter at twitter.com/thetvaddict.

KINGS (8PM NBC, CityTV in Canada)
Remember friends, if this show gets cancelled and replaced with a third hour of CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, you only have yourself to blame. We’re just sayin’

BIG LOVE (9PM HBO)
In what is sure to be a BIG season finale, expect BIG surprises (courtesy of an unexpected visitor for Nicki), BIG potential cast changes (when Sarah reveals her future plans *cough*cough*movie career*cough) and a BIG cliffhanger (which may-or-may-not have to do with Bill’s plot to vanquish Roman and the Greenes once and for all.)

AMERICAN DAD (9:30PM FOX, GlobalTV in Canada)
Steve and his friends sabotage a stuck-up kid’s bar mitzvah (as this TV Addict’s inner-thirteen-year-old Jewboy cheers!)

BROTHERS & SISTERS (10PM ABC, GlobalTV in Canada)
Justin is suspicious of Ryan’s interest in Rebecca. Ditto.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING:
CRAIG FERGUSON: A WEE BIT O’ REVOLUTION (10PM Comedy Central)
Comic and LATE LATE SHOW host Craig Ferguson performs in Boston at the Wilbur Theater. Topics include rehab, hanging out with junkies and Bond… James Bond.

BORN WITHOUT A FACE (10PM Discovery Health)
Admit it, you’re kind of curious, aren’t you?

THE SIMPSONS (8PM FOX, GlobalTV in Canada)
After twenty seasons have THE SIMPSONS finally run out of ideas? Tune into tonight’s episode spoofing The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure and Ratatouille and decide for yourself.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (9PM ABC, CTV in Canada)
Desperate housewives take a back seat to desperate writers with tonight’s shameless sweeps stunt episode involving a teacher (Swoosie Kurtz) getting the wrong idea when Susan tried to impress her.

BROTHERS & SISTERS (10PM ABC, GlobalTV in Canada)
Forgetting that they have access to copious amounts of alcohol, Kevin and Justin decide to take Tommy on a much needed vacation to clear his head about his monumental legal problems. Again, isn’t that what alcohol is for? We’re just sayin’

BIG LOVE (9PM HBO, 10PM HBO Canada)
As if we’re not going to tune into the Endowment Ceremony that has the Mormon’s up in arms!.

NEW & NOTABLE:
AU PAIR 3: ADVENTURE IN PARADISE (8PM ABC Family)
In what gets our award for the most likely movie title to be misconstrued for a very different kind of movie, ABC Family presents the third installment based on the hit 1999 movie that we never heard of until this morning.

KING OF THE HILL (8:30PM FOX, GlobalTV in Canada)
Special guest voice Kate Walsh drops by to teach Peggy how to be cool. Suggestion #1: Change your name from Peggy, arguably the most dated name since Bertha.

ICE PRINCESS (9PM Disney)
See the failed formulaic Disney movie that had Kim Cattrall jumping back on board the SEX AND THE CITY bandwagon faster than you can say Jimmy Choo.