Want To Know When Doctor Who Gets Good? How To Binge 6 Shows

Well, maybe it's a case of the side characters being more entertaining than the leads? Nope again. They're a mishmash of character traits, and not a single one stands out amongst the others. Hell, Jerry "I dislocated my shoulder reaching for a dropped burrito" Gergich isn't even Jerry "Fart Attack" Gergich yet, and a Jerry Gergich that's not Jerry "I know you're laughing at me, but aw, shucks, you're just too nice" Gergich is not a Jerry Gergich that I want to see.

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Where You Should Start: Season 2, Episode 23

Luckily, things pick up at the beginning of Season 2, when Ron Swanson goes from being a lame uncle to a cool uncle, Andy goes from being a deadbeat boyfriend to being a comedic battering ram, and the rest of the cast manages to find their place. And with the introduction of Adam Scott's nerdy, bewildered Ben and Rob Lowe's ultra-positive, health machine Chris, Parks And Rec transitions from having a collection of funny characters in it to having an actual cast. Somehow, the addition of Ben and Chris manages to not only provide two new additions, but round out the personalities of everyone else.

At Season 2, Episode 23, Parks And Rec goes from being a good sitcom to a damn good sitcom, because it makes that leap that all sitcoms have to make before they become something worth getting excited over. You can have as many funny people in a room as you want, but if they're not a cohesive unit yet, it's just jokes being thrown around. And jokes are usually great, but they're so much better when they come from people you care about.

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As Frank, DeVito is a mix of old-school wrestling promoter, The Penguin, and roadkill-eating lunatic, and this portrayal has allowed Charlie to find his niche. With the weight of having to be the go-to guy for every "Insert crazy joke moment here" slightly taken off his shoulders, he's free to strengthen his own character. Plus, it gives Charlie an equal to play off of. The other characters look down on him, but now Charlie has Frank to rival his insanity. And with that pair established, Always Sunny became a show that I hope outlasts all other shows. A hundred seasons would be too few.

Where You Should Start: Season 1, Episode 7

However, this turns around entirely with "Tracy Does Conan." Why? Because, for the first time, all of the characters feel like they have a purpose in the lives of the other characters. By the time this column ends, you're going to hear me talk a lot about the importance of contributing to the lives of others, and I swear to god, it won't end with a call for all of us to hug. But a great sitcom, like I mentioned with Parks And Rec, rounds out its cast by ensuring that everyone kind of has a piece of everyone else. And 30 Rock was at its best when the failings or successes of one character affected the failings or successes of everyone else, emotionally or otherwise.

The phrase "They're a family" is overused to the point of absurdity nowadays. Even Olive Garden, for years, had the catchphrase "When you're here, you're family," even though we all knew that really meant "When you're here, the waiters won't insult you for getting your fourth round of Endless Soup And Salad." But "Tracy Does Conan" finally allows us to know the roles that everyone has in the 30 Rock family. No matter what she does, Liz will always have to put out fires, Jack will be the staunch jackass, Tracy will be the petulant child, Jenna will never not need affirmation, and Kenneth will be the odd cousin destined for who-knows-what. In "Tracy Does Conan," audiences were given something that they could latch onto, rather than the simple parody premise of "Hey! Aren't these jobs sooooo wacky?"

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And then he died, and was replaced by Douglas, his lazy, horny, egotistical son who embodied the worst aspects of every possible personality trait, and the show could breathe a little bit. Richard Ayoade has nailed any role within his reach, but it took a little while for Chris O'Dowd and Katherine Parkinson to kind of find their footing as the rest of the lead trio. This wasn't all due to the change in boss, but it certainly helped to vary up the work plotlines, now that they all didn't have to be "Man, that guy's a jerk. And if you've seen any episode of television since 1954, you probably know what's coming next."

Starting from the very, very beginning is insane, and I don't think any person who has a sense of self preservation would. But even if you're like one of the seven trillion people who jumped into the reboot, I still don't think you have to start at the beginning of even that.

Where You Should Start: Series 2 (Reboot), Episode 1

That's why you need to begin with David Tennant's first appearance. Season two of the reboot is the best gift that you can give someone that says "It's a skinny dude with a pen and some bad special effects. Why is this so popular?" Tennant is delightful, the plots contain just the right amount of sincerity and self-awareness, and you can watch it all the way through because David Tennant could tell me that my grandmother died, and I'd be like, "Awwww, thanks David Tennant. I love you."

BBC

Now I understand that a lot of fans are going to be pissed off that I skipped over the first series (England people call it "series" because England people are weird ... also, I call them "England people"). I understand that. The first series of the reboot was pretty damn good. It's what kick-started the resurgence of that show's popularity, and it deserves all the praise in the world. But the reason I didn't say to start there is because it didn't really nail down who the Doctor is (and yes, I intended that pun all to fuck). The first Doctor in the reboot was more of a thug -- grittier and punchier -- which isn't exactly what makes Doctor Who the Whoest doctor in Whoville. Series two is reckless, goofy, stupid, fun, and serious in all the right places. Series one is a brilliant scifi punchfest ... Series two is Doctor Goddamn Fucking Who.

Where You Should Start: Season 1, Episode 5

And then the fifth episode "Rookies" comes up, and you want to apologize for every Jar Jar Binks joke you've ever made.

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No, Jar Jar is not in it, because Jar Jar is, quite literally, Gungan cancer, but "Rookies" is the best Star Wars thing since Empire Strikes Back. A small group of Clone troopers find themselves outnumbered and hunted on a lonely moon. There are no Jedi, no important moments from pop-culture-friendly characters, and no extended moments of brevity to ensure you that your child isn't watching Apocalypse Now In Space. It's a simple story about unprepared soldiers facing near impossible odds, and it makes up for the whole decade where Star Wars was labeled under "Something that was good a long time ago in a galaxy that is sad and right here."

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Think Nana and Pop-Pop's loving 60-year monogamous relationship is quaint and old-fashioned? First off, sorry for that disturbing image, but we've got some news for you: the monogamous sexual relationship is actually brand new relative to how long humans have been around. Secondly, it's about to get worse from here: monkey sex.

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