2B - Thursday, January 7, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com0 2B - Thursday, January 7, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com* The best TV shows of 2009 0 Five reasons our couches never felt neglected this year. "Glee" First season Can a story about high school misfits singing and dancing their way through conflict-- sprinkled with themes of togeth- erness and friendship - ever be taken seri- ously? "Glee" proves it can. The smash hit's first season created a perfect blend of hap- py-go-lucky song-and-dance numbers and dark subject matter from teen pregnancy to failed marriages, makingsure it does not become your little sister's "High School Musical." The result is a cult phenomenon, a formidable army of fans ("gleeks") and consistently high iTunes downloads. But even without the hype, "Glee" shines as a brilliant show with a bright future. -CAROLYN KLARECKI "Lost" Fifth season After four seasons as one of TV's most popular, exciting dramas, the "Lost" cre- ators took their desert-island saga in a risky narrative direction: time travel. In the process, "Lost" may have alienated most casual viewers, but its millions of obsessed fans were rewarded with a sea- son that presented an in-depth look at the history of the mysterious island's warring inhabitants. By embracing its science fic- tion side, "Lost" delivered the most sur- prising and compelling season since its early days and laid the ground for what should be an epic end to the series when it returns in February. -ROBERTSOAVE "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Seventh season In its seventh go-around, "Curb" almost went over the edge with increasingly absurd scenarios in which LarryDavid got entangled and agimmicky story arch - a show-within- a-show "Seinfeld" reunion - to boot. But thel iconic "Seinfeld" four carried themselves with the perfect flare of subtle self-parody, while the regular characters, especially the vicious Susie and conscientious Marty Funkhouser, brought their shtick in spades. Half sympathetic, half stubborn, only Larry David could murder a black swan, juggle two wheelchair-confined dates and sport wom- en's underwear, only to emerge relatively unscathed. He did it, and he kept "Curb" as surprising and indispensable as ever. -DAVID WATNICK COURTESY OF AMC "Mad Men" Third season The third season of this period drama is defined by change. Set in 1963, the season built up to JFK's assassination with blood- tinged plot twists, unexpected character developments and plenty of hard drinking along the way. With philandering ad man Don Draper's (unsuccessful) attempts to be a better family man, his icy wife Betty's own forays into extramarital affairs-of- the-heart and up-and-coming copywriter Peggy Olson's struggle to reconcile her femininity with her career ambitions, the insane third season offered view- ers an engaging glimpse into the decade's less glamorous realities. -SASHA RESENDE COURTESY OF FX "It's Always Sunny in Philadephia" Third season Finally, after years of flying under the radar, the deranged lunacy of "Sunny" has reached mainstream popularity - notice all the Green Man costumes these days? In their fifth season, the compatriots of Paddy's Pub continued their repugnant / lifestyles of unadulterated egocentricity and rampant substance abuse with shenan- igans ranging from the practical (drinking wine from a can) to the topical (flipping foreclosed homes for profit) to the horrific (poisoning their opponents to win a flip- cup tournament). The Gang may shock you with depravity, but you're guaranteed to consistently laugh your ass off. -KAVI SHEKHAR PANDEY I Managers' M Tuesday, Janua 6:00 PM IM Sports Build Winter Semester Wednesday, Jai 6:00 PM or 8:00 Cliff Keen Aren; Basketball Instant Scheduling Entries Due Monday, January 11 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM IM Sports Building Aeetings Exquisite performan New York Philharmonic March 7 Hill Auditorium Something extraordinary happens when a col- lection of woodwind, brass, string and percussion instruments gather together, and it transcends explanation. The New York Philharmonic is among the best at putting together an ensemble of instru- ments and leaving an audience overwhelmed and breathless. Fortunately, after a flawless showcasing of Mendelssohn's "Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream," Bruch's "Violin Concerto No. 1" and Mus- sorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," the audience at Hill Auditorium found a way to muster up a more than sufficient reaction to merit a two-song encore and gave America's oldest orchestra the appreciation it truly deserved. -DAVID RIVA "Richard II" Oct. 23-24 Duderstadt Video Center In the Rude Mechanicals' polished adaptation of Shakespeare's classic, director James Manganello, an LSA senior, updated the history play to a period closer to the industrial Revolution than the end of the 14th cen- tury. Bowler hats and trench coats were combined with video projections of Russian montage films to create a new setting for the English political figures. Incredibly well-acted, "Richard II" was an ensemble piece featur- ing moving performances by even the actors with the fewest lines. But of course the play ultimately belongs to the title character, and LSA senior Alexandra Clement- Jones tackled the meaty role to sympathetically portray the king's transition from throne to prison cell. -MOLLYMCGUIRE "Me and My Dick" Oct. 30-31 Walgreen Drama Center The Old Snatch, Miss Cooter and Dick - these were just a few of the characters in Basement Arts's newest original musical comedy. No, "Me and My Dick" was not your conventional stage performance, but that's what made it stand out so much. The play could have succeeded on its innovative concept and side-splitting script alone..But its genuine treatment of a delicate subject by a dynamic cast allowed for a unique perspective on the emotional and physical pains of growing up. Ann Arbor ces of 2009 0 "Macbeth" Dec. 10-13 Power Center 0 "HAIR" 4 Nov. 20-22 Power Center From the sultry "Aquarius" to the hopeful and heartbreaking finale, the cast of MUSKET's "HAIR" brought a controlled, sharp intensity and earnestness to the psychedelic tale of sexual freedom, political activism and drug experimentation. Everything about this performance was in tune with the core themes of "HAIR" - the costumes, the choreography and stag- ing, the cast, the set and the music all demanded con- stant attention. All these tech specs melded together to say "We're here and we're going to talk to you about life, so sit back and absorb the spectacle." -LEAHBURGIN Darkness and chaos reigned in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance's production of "Macbeth" this December. Standouts included charismatic Music, Theatre & Dance junior Joey Richter as Banquo and Music, Theatre & Dance junior Anna Robinson, whose Lady Macbeth slipped gradually into insanity. But the real star was the setting, with the characters' World War I military costumes serving as the only sem- blance of order in a world of crumbling walls, moaning hospital patients and lots of machine-brewed fog. The' witches' scenes were particularly effective thanks to a Halloween Auto-Tune device that lent an inhuman quality to the actors' voices. -SHARON JACOBS 0 0 -DAVID RIVA "Macbeth" was updated for a World War I setting