The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)

It's the end of an era. The Big Bang Theory represented the last of the great sitcoms by Chuck Lorre. More than that, the end of the long-running reliable network sitcom. The best comedy is now on cable, premium or otherwise. The kind of good-natured, family friendly humor is now in short supply. Modern comedies take more risks that pay off handsomely. But Big Bang Theory was consistently good enough. And it translated quite well in international markets. Jim Parson's Sheldon has achieved icon status in our culture. That is quite the achievement. The finale gave our seven protagonists a fitting end. Way better than the Game of Thrones finale.

The Good Wife (2009-16)

The Good Wife has consistently been one of the best shows on TV. In the era of cable television, The Good Wife has been the lone standout on the networks, delivering 23 episodes of high quality drama per season. It was procedural without ever feeling procedural. It was definitely the best legal drama, showing audiences different types of courts, a cast of quirky judges and lawyers, and interesting and innovative interpretations of the law. It glorifies the legal profession and, as an aspiring lawyer, inspires. Apart from the law, the politics was always engaging, especially behind the scenes of the campaign. The show always did a good job reflecting reality, bringing in stories from the current newspapers, like the brilliant NSA arc. Plus the writing was funny. It was overall an enjoyable show to watch--a show I would actually look forward to watching every week.

I didn't really like the finale.  It's one thing to leave us with uncertainty, but doesn't Alicia deserve some finality? Don't we deserve to know that she can be happy? I will always remember Josh Charles's last episode, a shocking moment coming out of left field in the middle of an episode in the middle of one of the best seasons, so we were given plenty of time to process what we'd just seen.

Not only was the main cast excellent, including Emmy winners Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi and my favorite Alan Cumming, but the recurring guest cast was phenomenal and memorable as well. Michael J. Fox and Carrie Preston are particular standouts. But each season had several new names worthy of praise. It was a show full of strong female characters played by strong female actors. Julianna Margulies will forever be known for playing The Good Wife. The show's title is a bit of a misnomer. The show quickly became so much more than a show about a woman who stood by her man. She was defined by her own accomplishments and prowess, never merely by her role as a wife.

Survivor: Cambodia--Second Chance (2015)

Season 31, can you believe that?  After 15 years of Survivor, how does the show manage not to go stale?  Something incredible happened this season--the game evolved after 30 iterations.  Season 31 brought back returning players who came prepared to play at the highest level.  For 15 years this game has been about loyalty and alliances, but this season introduced the idea of voting blocs, partnerships of convenience that changed tribal to tribal.  It always kept us guessing and it kept everyone on their toes.  The tide could turn on you at any moment.  I can't wait to see if next season's castaways follow suit or play the traditional alliance strategy.

And of course this season had some very memorable moments. I think hiding immunity idols at challenges was a brilliant idea.  Who could forget Joe literally trying so hard that he passed out during the challenge.  Kelley said it best when she identified that Joe had to go because "I can't compete with that."  And then in the most historic tribal council ever, two immunity idols canceled out all of the votes, sending the players to a second vote. This vote resulted in another tie, leaving poor Keith to decide whether to change his vote and eliminate his ally, or to sacrifice himself in a one-man rock drawing tiebreaker.  Fantastic season!

The Mentalist (2008-15)

I stuck with The Mentalist for seven years, but there were several times I thought about giving up on the show.  But whenever that thought entered my mind, I would watch a really good episode that would convince me to stay.  Perhaps that is just the procedural format.  When there are such long seasons, there are bound to be less interesting filler episodes.

Simon Baker's Patrick Jane single-handedly made this show worth sticking around for. Jane uses his powers of observation and sleight of hand as a "psychic" to consult for the California Bureau of Investigation.  What ensues is a brilliantly devised plan to catch the baddie.  This is what distinguished the show from typical crime procedurals.  Baker is calm under pressure, speaking softly, and operating at the beat of his own drum.  Baker is an excellent actor who has really emerged into his own with this show. Baker received an Emmy nomination for the first season.

The story revolves around Baker's pursuit of serial killer Red John, introduced in the pilot.  What I will remember most is being afraid of Red John's creepy blood-drawn smiley face. The chase lasts six seasons, and the series should have ended there.  It was a satisfying end to a long battle, but CBS kept going.  Don't get me wrong; the rest of the series was not bad, the quality was kept up to the same standard.  However, for the sake of closure and storytelling, it should have ended there.  In the final season and a half, we went through a cast change and venue change that could have otherwise been avoided.

On another note, coincidentally the series ended with one of my favorite songs: "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire.