The Top 25 of 2015, No. 1: “The Donald Trump Show”

Note You39ll find my complete list of the Top 25 Shows of 2015 at the end of this column plus ten bonus shows worth notingWhen Trump appeared on ABCamp8217s amp8220Jimmy Kimmel Liveamp8221 earlier this month the host said it best amp8220There came a point in our first guestamp8217s life when he had to make a decision as to whether to buy the United States or just become our presidentamp8221Since his first official television appearance as a candidate when he announced that he was running and slammedamp160illegal immigrants from Mexico in the process Trump has consistently managed to offend almost everyone at one point or another From Mexicans to Muslims from Rachel Maddow to Megyn Kelly from John McCain to Hillary Clinton to Jeb Bush he has pummeled anyone and everyone with whom he has ever disagreed about anything And as each new offense has been deconstructed ad nauseum by every news person and TV talk show host in the country his approval ratings have climbed higheramp8220I donamp8217t care if people like it or not I do the right thing I say the right thingamp8221 Trump modestly asserted during his conversation with Kimmel amp8220I think maybe thatamp8217s why we resonateamp8221 After the perpetual hardships and exasperations Washington has subjected us to during the last two presidenciesamp160is it at all surprising that tens of millions of Americans agree with so much of what he says not to mention the way in which he says itRegardless whenamp160strung togetheramp160Trump39s many television appearances amp8211 including his uneven second shot as host of amp8220Saturday Night Liveamp8221 amp8211 add up to the TV spectacle of the year And it isnamp8217t over yet Heamp8217s going to appear on Fox News Channelamp8217s live coverage of the New Yearamp8217s Eve festivities in Times SquareTrump has singlehandedly ignited interest in the Republican debates long considered some of the dullest and dustiest programming on television amp8220The Republican debates have become like the Super Bowlamp8221 heamp160told Kimmel amp8220In the last cycle if you had one two million people watching they would have considered it a big event Frankly nobody wanted them the networks didnamp8217t want the debatesquotAnd then something happened this cycle and I wonamp8217t tell you what it isquot he said with a smileamp8220Fox had 24 million people amp8230 the biggest audience in the history of cableamp8221 he continued amp8220And then CNN had the biggest audience in the history of CNN 23 million peopleamp8221Reminded by Kimmel that he had suggested CNN pay him to participate in its debate Trump said amp8220They should pay me a lot Theyamp8217re making a fortune They went from 4000 for a 30 second spot to 250000 for a 30 second spotamp8221 Trump added that whatever money he might have been paid should have been given to our wounded warriorsIs it possible that Americansamp160will elect as their leader the former host and executive producer of a sillyamp160reality series NBCamp8217s amp8220The Celebrity Apprenticeamp8221 Why not Thirtyfive years ago they elected the star of the silly 1951 movieamp160amp8220Bedtime for Bonzoamp8221 as the 40th President of the United States Thirtyfive years later Ronald Reagan is widely regarded as one of the best presidents in modern American historyCertainly the passing of time has been generous to memories of the Reagan Era but still amp8230 this would appear to be the time of Donald Trump at least as the most fascinating television personality of the yearamp8220The Donald Trump Showamp8221 completes my list of the Top 25 Shows of 2015 Below is a review of the other 24 followed by ten shows that would have been included had I compiled a Top 35 listThe Top 25 Shows of 2015 areThe Donald Trump Show many networksFargoamp160FXEmpireamp160FoxThe Big Bang Theoryamp160CBSMr Robot and UnREALamp160USA Network and LifetimeThe Walking Dead plus Talking Dead and Fear the Walking Deadamp160AMCSouth Parkamp160Comedy CentralHomelandamp160ShowtimeThe Wiz Live and Coat of Many Colorsamp160NBCPenny Dreadfulamp160ShowtimeABCamp8217s Family Focused Comediesamp160ABCDownton Abbey plus Poldarkamp160PBSThe Man in the High Castleamp160AmazonMad Menamp160AMCThe Good Wifeamp160CBSOutlander and Game of Thrones Starz and HBOHouse Huntersamp160HGTVThe Bold and the Beautifulamp160CBSThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonamp160NBCDoctor Whoamp160BBC AmericaDancing with the Starsamp160ABCTosh0amp160Comedy CentralThe 52nd Anniversary Episode of General Hospitalamp160ABCThe Rocky Horror Picture Showamp160BBC AmericaProject Runway and Face Offamp160Lifetime and SyfyThe ten shows I would have liked to find space for in no particular order areSense8 Netflix TVamp8217s most challenging series ever Visually striking from start to finishJustified FX amp8211 A brilliant final season with a stunningamp160final scene between Timothy Olyphant and Walton GogginsYouamp8217re the Worst FXX amp8211 TVamp8217s most raucous comedy has become its most profoundThe Grinder Fox amp8211 Major meta fun and the best new broadcast comedy since CBSamp8217 amp8220Momamp8221Mom CBS amp8211 Funny topical touching a Norman Lear comedy for this millenniumInside Amy Schumer Comedy Central amp8211 A showcase foramp160Schumer as she hit the comedy stratosphereLouie FX amp8211 Not as great as in previous seasons but still a show to treasureThe Americans FX amp8211 If it were as transformativeamp160as most critics say it is surely somebody outside of the TCA and the BTJA would be watching No matter it remains something very specialSilicon Valley HBO amp8211 Premium cable does nerds rightTransparent Amazon amp8211 For the sublime performances of Jeffrey Tambor and Judith Light two of the richestamp160in TV historyImage at top courtesy of Corbis The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageMyersBizNet management or associated bloggers

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The Top 25 of 2015, No. 1: “The Donald Trump Show”

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Ed Martin

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The Top 25 of 2015, No. 1: “The Donald Trump Show”

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