17. Men of a Certain Age – Men was one of the year’s nicest surprises. I usually think of TNT as being the home of shows about sassy lades who solve crimes. It’s the station my mom watches. But this new series, co-created by Ray Romano, is unlike anything else on TV. Three guys, all pushing 50, deal with getting older in their own ways. There’s divorced Joe (Romano) trying to connect with his kids and suffering from a crippling gambling addiction. Ex-actor Terry (Scott Bakula) is still dealing with the whole Peter Pan thing. And Owen (the fantastic Andre Braugher) has a great wife and kids, but he has to live with his father constantly emasculating him at work. It’s consistently excellent and funny, with a real edge. (See Joe hanging out socially with his bookie.) What really makes it special is the way the relationship between the three guys – it’s that great friendship between men where they can just be crazy mean to each other without hurting anybody. This is a show that I love more with each episode.
