The List: Top 10 ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Episodes

This anniversary may be hard to believe, but Schitt’s Creek premiered 10 years ago this week. This Canadian production aired in the U.S. on the mostly ignored cable channel Pop (which you may remember as the TV Guide Network). Slowly but surely word-of-mouth – and huge exposure when past seasons aired on Netflix – turned it into one of TV’s warmest and funniest shows.

Initially playing on the wealthy Rose family’s poor fit in the titular working-class town, the show really took off in Season 3 when its selfish characters learned to view their new home as a place to adore, not a pit stop on the way back to the big time. It also delivered two of the best romances the small screen has had in the last decade. So here are my 10 favorite episodes. With the exception of one, all of these are bound to put a big smile on your face.

Annie Murphy with uncredited co-stars in Schitt's Creek

10. “Grad Night” (Season 3, Episode 13)
Few sitcoms did better season finales than this show, which will be pretty obvious by the high number of them on this list. While Alexis getting her GED wasn’t my favorite arc, her pride at doing something for herself pushed her to transform from a selfish socialite to a mature, confident CEO. But this episode also contains the first beautiful moment in one of the best romances on television of the past decade: a lovely first kiss between Patrick (Noah Reid) and David.

Dan Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Annie Murphy, and Eugene Levy in Schitt's Creek

9. “Happy Anniversary” (Season 2, Episode 13) 
The moment the show went from good to great. During a rare dinner at somewhere other than Café Tropical, the Roses run into some of their old, snobby friends. What starts as a nice reunion quickly devolves when the asshole couple starts ragging on their new town. Rather than refuse to make waves, Johnny stands up for his adopted home and its inhabitants. It all ends with a joyous dance as the whole family realizes this is now home.

Annie Murphy, Sarah Levy, Emily Hampshire, Noah Reid, Dan Levy, and Catherine O'Hara with uncredited actors in Schitt's Creek

8. “Meet the Parents” (Season 5, Episode 11)
One of the show’s smartest decisions was not to have its LGBTQ+ characters deal with small-town homophobia. This freed them – mostly Patrick and David – to experience all the other (sometimes cliché) issues couples face. In this episode, Patrick’s parents visit for the first time. The awkwardness comes from Johnny and Roland’s innate ability to make things uncomfortable, not from outdated attitudes. When Patrick finally comes out, on his own terms, it’s extremely moving.

Dan Levy and Catherine O'Hara in Schitt's Creek

7. “Open Mic” (Season 4, Episode 6)
Few things have a lower floor than a white guy with a guitar, especially one playing a cover song by a woman. It’s one step above “Anyways, here’s ‘Wonderwall.'” But in this glorious episode – which includes perhaps Moira’s most famous mispronunciation – Patrick closes out Rose Apothecary’s first open mic night with an absolutely heart-melting rendition of Tina Turner’s “The Best.” It truly was.

Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy in Schitt's Creek

6. “The Presidential Suite” (Season 6, Episode 8)
While Johnny and Roland’s dueling Kennedy impressions and Patrick’s unintentional Trump cosplay never fail to make me laugh, what makes this episode so great is Annie Murphy and Dustin Milligan. After their weekend-long reunion is cut to a few short hours, Alexis and Ted make the heart-wrenching decision – over way too much dairy – to go their separate ways. It’s a huge step of maturity for a woman who once sang “I’m a little bit tipsy/When I drive my car.”

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The Best Songs of 2024

Below are my top 50 songs of the year. Check out the Spotify playlist here.

James Bay – “Easy Distraction”

Beyoncé – “16 CARRIAGES”

Bullion feat. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Rare”

Cage the Elephant – “Out Loud”

Ethel Cain – “Punish”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please”

Charli xcx – “360”

Cloud Nothings – “Common Mistake”

The Decemberists – “All I Want Is You”

Deep Red – “Blue Eyes”

Disclosure – “She’s Gone, Dance On”

Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather” 

Father John Misty – “Screamland”

FIT – “liars, cops, and thieves.”

Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding – “Free”

High Vis – “Mind’s a Lie”

Brittany Howard – “Prove It to You”

Iron & Wine feat. Fiona Apple – “All in Good Time”

Jordana – “Like a Dog”

Justice and Tame Impala – “Neverender”

Kaela – “The Herbalist”

Emily Keating feat. David Ramirez – “What If I Don’t”

Khruangbin – “A Love International”

Lenny Kravitz – “Human”

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – “Die with a Smile”

Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”

Miranda Lambert – “Alimony”

Lecrae – “Die for the Party”

Lego Indiana Jones – “When U Sleep”

Magdalena Bay – “Death & Romance”

MGMT feat. Christine and the Queens – “Dancing in Babylon”

Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”

Pet Shop Boys – “Beauty has laid siege to the city”

Caroline Polachek feat. Weyes Blood – “Butterfly Net”

Jessica Pratt – “Life Is”

Addison Rae – “Diet Pepsi”

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – “Match Point”

Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”

Olivia Rodrigo – “scared of my guitar”

St. Vincent – “Flea”

Still House Plants – “M M M”

Sun Kil Moon – “All the Artists Live in L.A.”

Taylor Swift – “Clara Bow”

TV Girl and George Clanton – “Summer 2000 Baby” / “Take a Trip”

Kamasi Washington feat. André 3000 – “Dream State”

Waxahatchee feat. MJ Lenderman – “Right Back to It”

The Weather Station – “Neon Signs”

WILLOW feat. St. Vincent – “pain for fun”

Jamie xx feat. Robyn – “Life”

“Weird Al” Yankovic – “Polkamania!”

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The Anniversary Albums Project: Best of 2024

New music has lost a lot of hold on me over the last few years. And six years ago I decided that instead of trying to keep up with it all, I’d look back at music history and listen to the albums celebrating milestones. Some of these I’d heard before, but many I had not. This made it much more enjoyable to discover and rediscover classics instead of just whatever was being dumped onto Spotify every Friday.

So below are my top 10s from each year I covered, along with some honorable mentions.

1974

Radio City's Big Star
  1. Big Star – Radio City
  2. Van Morrison – It’s Too Late to Stop Now
  3. Randy Newman – Good Old Boys 
  4. Joni Mitchell – Court and Spark
  5. Sparks – Kimono My House 
  6. Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 
  7. Tangerine Dream – Phaedra 
  8. Kraftwerk – Autobahn 
  9. Roxy Music – Country Life
  10. Brian Eno – Here Come the Warm Jets | Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • Jorge Ben – A Tábua de Esmerelda
  • Cluster – Zuckerzeit 
  • Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco – Celia & Johnny 
  • Al Green – Al Green Explores Your Mind 
  • Gil-Scott Heron & Brian Jackson – Winter in America 
  • Bob Marley and the Wailers – Natty Dread 
  • The Meters – Rejuvenation 
  • Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic
  • Richard & Linda Thompson – I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight 
  • Tom Waits – The Heart of Saturday Night 
  • Barry White – Can’t Get Enough 
  • Stevie Wonder – Fulfillingness’ First Finale 
  • Various Artists – Phantom of the Paradise (Original Soundtrack Recording) 

1984

Prince and the Revolution's Purple Rain
  1. Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain 
  2. The Replacements – Let It Be 
  3. U2 – The Unforgettable Fire 
  4. R.E.M. – Reckoning 
  5. Metallica – Ride the Lightning
  6. Madonna – Like a Virgin 
  7. Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade 
  8. Harold Budd & Brian Eno – The Pearl 
  9. Manuel Göttsching – E2-E4
  10. The Smiths – The Smiths  

HONORABLE MENTIONS

  • Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields – Amadeus (Original Soundtrack Recording)
  • The Blue Nile – A Walk Across the Rooftops
  • Bruce Cockburn – Stealing Fire 
  • Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the Pleasuredome 
  • Bob Marley and the Wailers – Legend
  • Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime 
  • Pretenders – Learning to Crawl
  • Run-D.M.C. – Run-D.M.C. 
  • Sade – Diamond Life 
  • Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A.
  • The Time – Ice Cream Castle
  • Vienna Art Orchestra – The Minimalism of Erik Satie
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The List: Top 10 ‘Modern Family’ Episodes

Modern Family premiered 15 years ago, launched as part of ABC’s risky attempt to throw on four all-new comedies on the same night. The biggest of the quartet (Hank, starring Kelsey Grammer), didn’t even make it to the winter, while the others (including The Middle and Cougar Town) filmed more than 200 and 100 episodes, respectively. But none of them got the attention and acclaim of this show, which won five consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series. It definitely lost its fastball as it continued, but regularly produced plenty of laughs, right up until the end. Here are the best episodes, with apologies to “Message Received” and the final minutes of “Fulgencio.”

10. “Connection Lost” (Season 6, Episode 16)
While single-camera comedies weren’t yet the default when the show premiered in 2009, Modern Family didn’t really do anything revolutionary with its technique. But in this form-breaking episode, told entirely on Claire’s laptop screen, the show found a brilliant way to keep the cast separate while delivering a layered story complete with great visual gags.

9. “Crazy Train” (Season 7, Episode 21)
Because this was one of the last sitcoms to do full 22-episode seasons for more than a decade, any chance to move beyond the three family homes was a welcome one. On a train ride from L.A. to Portland, the family has brief encounters with numerous passengers. This might be the single most densely plotted episode the show ever did, with a subplot for every single character (though Cam and Phil are paired, as are Mitch and Claire). This could often be the show’s Achilles heel – trying to cram far too much story into 22 minutes – but every story has just enough time to speed by with some great jokes, including a Titanic parody.

8. “Goodnight Gracie” (Season 4, Episode 24)
Death, sadly, is a part of life. And while nearly every grandparent (or great-grandparent) got an emotional farewell episode, none of them hit quite as hard as this season finale. Everyone flies to Florida for the funeral of Phil’s mother. Jay reconnects with an old flame. Cam fits right into the retirement community as the mahjong circuit’s newest gossip queen. And Mitch finds renewed passion for criminal defense. But Phil and Alex have a much harder time. Their final words from the dearly departed confuse and frustrate them, until a powerful finale that made it impossible not to tear up.

7. “Baby on Board” (Season 3, Episode 24)
Extended parodies are hard to pull off, especially if the show doesn’t try them regularly. But this miniature telenovela had just the right amount of shocking reveals and melodrama. Cam and Mitch bring Gloria along to translate with the family of a woman who has agreed to let the couple adopt her new baby. But things aren’t so straightforward at this joyous occasion, with exciting highs and devastating lows for the trio.

6. “Strangers on a Treadmill” (Season 2, Episode 4)
A genius set-up with a perfect payoff. Instead of agreeing to a murder, Mitch and Claire agree to save each other’s spouses from embarrassment without hurting Cam and Phil’s feelings. Much like the Hitchcock movie that inspired its title, things go from bad to worse when one party doesn’t keep up their end of the bargain. This was the sort of sharply scripted and brilliantly acted highlight the show regularly turned out in its early years, and won Julie Bowen her first Emmy.

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Emmy Re-Do: 2014

Apologies for the delays. Between scheduling conflicts and technical difficulties with the site, it took a little longer to get this one out there.

COMEDY SERIES
The Big Bang Theory (CBS) – Season 7
Louie (FX) – Season 4
Modern Family (ABC) – Season 5
Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) – Season 1
Silicon Valley (HBO) – Season 1
Veep (HBO) – Season 3

Should have won: Veep
Not even nominated: Community (NBC)

Another ruthless and outstanding from Veep was easily the best of this bunch, as Selina’s began her ignominious presidency. The other nominees were certainly solid, but not nearly as sharp.

And while the fifth season of Community was hardly its best, a rebound from a misbegotten fourth season is much better than whatever Sheldon Cooper and friends were up to.

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Louis C.K., Louie (“Model”)
Don Cheadle, House of Lies (“Wreckage”)
Ricky Gervais, Derek (“Episode 6”)
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes (“Episode Six”)
William H. Macy, Shameless (“Lazarus”)
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (“The Relationship Diremption”)

Should have won: William H. Macy
Not even nominated: Stephen Merchant, Hello Ladies

In a category filled with shows I didn’t watch, this one’s a little tricky. While I never fell in love with Shameless – which still has a large fanbase – there’s no denying William H. Macy’s astonishing performance as the slovenly, alcoholic patriarch of the Gallaghers. He deserved to win at least once.

I was probably the only person to watch Stephen Merchant’s melancholy rom-com Hello Ladies, but he deserved a nomination over any of these gentlemen.

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Lena Dunham, Girls (“Beach House”)
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie (“Super Greens”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (“Crate”)
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly (“Mind over Molly”)
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation (“Recall Vote”)
Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black (“The Chickening”)

Should have won: Taylor Schilling
Not even nominated: Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project

Was Orange Is the New Black really a comedy? Honestly, it depends on the season and the episode. In its first season at least, it definitely was. And while JLD deserved every single one of her awards, they should have spread the love. Schilling was the audience surrogate to a world many didn’t know, and she perfectly captured the horror and joy of her new experiences.

This category had a lot of stagnation in this era, one that easily could have been broken up by Mindy Kaling, whose show hit its stride in the second season.

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Emmy Predictions 2024: Drama

FX’s decision to move Shōgun to Drama Series is looking to be a fruitful one, as it’s already racked up the most wins for a show in a single year, and that’s just from the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. I sadly haven’t seen it yet, so while I’m sure it is the crowning achievement everyone has said it is, I’m picking some longtime favorites in the “Should Win” blocks. But of course I wouldn’t have to be doing that if the Academy had nominated The Curse for anything.

DRAMA SERIES
3 Body Problem (Netflix)
The Crown (Netflix)
Fallout (Prime Video)
The Gilded Age (HBO)
The Morning Show (AppleTV+)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)
Shōgun (FX)
Slow Horses (AppleTV+)

Will and probably should win: Shōgun
Could win: The Crown
Should have been nominated: The Curse (Showtime)

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Idris Elba, Hijack
Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Walton Goggins, Fallout
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun
Dominic West, The Crown

Will win: Hiroyuki Sanada
Could win: Gary Oldman
Should win: Dominic West
Should have been nominated: Nathan Fielder, The Curse

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Anna Sawai, Shōgun
Imelda Staunton, The Crown
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Will and should win: Imelda Staunton
Could win: Anna Sawai
Should have been nominated: Emma Stone, The Curse

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Emmy Predictions 2024: Comedy and Variety

The Bear is sweeping everything, even though I (and many others) think it’s much more of a drama with some humorous moments, not the other way around. And while Season 2 was my No. 1 show of 2023, there’s so much great stuff here that shouldn’t go unrewarded. The Academy did finally nominate Reservation Dogs in two categories, but it should have been represented in every single one.

COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
The Bear (Hulu)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Hacks (Max)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Palm Royale (AppleTV+)
Reservation Dogs (Hulu)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Will win: The Bear
Could win: Abbott Elementary
Should win: Reservation Dogs
Should have been nominated: Girls5eva (Netflix)

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Matt Berry, What We Do in the Shadows
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Reservation Dogs

Will win: Jeremy Allen White
Could win: Larry David
Should win: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
Should have been nominated: John Goodman, The Righteous Gemstones

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building
Maya Rudolph, Loot
Jean Smart, Hacks
Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale

Will win: Ayo Edebiri
Could win: Jean Smart
Should win: Quinta Brunson
Should have been nominated: Devery Jacobs, Reservation Dogs

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Emmy Predictions 2024: Limited/Anthology Series and Movies

Baby Reindeer was the year’s biggest phenomenon, yet I don’t know a single person who’s actually seen it. But it’s poised to win quite a few awards Sunday, alongside Ripley. Netflix may be getting shut out in the Comedy and Drama categories, but they should clean up here.

LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Fargo (FX)
Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+)
Ripley (Netflix)
True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

Will win: Baby Reindeer
Could and should win: True Detective: Night Country
Should have been nominated: Fellow Travelers (Showtime)

ACTOR IN A LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers
Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer
Jon Hamm, Fargo
Tom Hollander, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans
Andrew Scott, Ripley

Will win: Andrew Scott
Could win: Richard Gadd
Should win: Matt Bomer
Should have been nominated: Clive Owen, Monsieur Spade

ACTRESS IN A LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country
Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry
Juno Temple, Fargo
Sofía Vergara, Griselda
Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans

Will and should win: Jodie Foster
Could win: Brie Larson
Should have been nominated: Kaitlyn Dever, No One Will Save You

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2024 Emmy Picks: Drama

DRAMA SERIES
3 Body Problem (Netflix)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Curse (Showtime)
Fallout (Prime Video)
The Gilded Age (HBO)
The Morning Show (AppleTV+)
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)
Shōgun (FX)

Potential surprises:
Ahsoka (Disney+) – new show
For All Mankind (AppleTV+) – never nominated
Loki (Disney+) – never nominated
Slow Horses (AppleTV+) – never nominated

Ineligible: Andor, Better Call Saul, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Succession, The White Lotus, Yellowjackets

In my dreams: Justified: City Primeval (FX)

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Donald Glover, Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Cosmo Jarvis, Shōgun
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun
Morgan Spector, The Gilded Age
Dominic West, The Crown

Potential surprises:
Nathan Fielder, The Curse – new show
Walton Goggins, Fallout – new show
Tom Hiddleston, Loki – never nominated
Timothy Olyphant, Justified: City Primeval – 1 nomination in previous incarnation of show

Ineligible: Jeff Bridges, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Strong

In my dreams: Zahn McClarnon, Dark Winds

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Anna Sawai, Shōgun
Imelda Staunton, The Crown
Emma Stone, The Curse
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Potential surprises:
Maya Erskine, Mr. and Mrs. Smith – new show
Carrie Preston, Elsbeth – new show; previously won Guest Actress in a Drama Series for this role on The Good Wife
Ella Purnell, Fallout – new show

Ineligible: Sharon Horgan, Melanie Lynskey, Elisabeth Moss, Bella Ramsey, Keri Russell, Sarah Snook

In my dreams: Ruth Wilson, The Woman in the Wall

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2024 Emmy Picks: Comedy

COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
The Bear (Hulu)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Girls5eva (Netflix)
Hacks (Max)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
The Righteous Gemstones (HBO)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Potential surprises:
Frasier (Paramount+) – new show; previous incarnation won this category 5 times
Gen V (Prime Video) – new show
The Gentlemen (Netflix) – new show
Ghosts (CBS) – never nominated

Ineligible: Barry, Jury Duty, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ted Lasso, Wednesday

In my dreams: Reservation Dogs (Hulu)

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Kelsey Grammer, Frasier
Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Potential surprises:
John Goodman, The Righteous Gemstones – never nominated for this show
Theo James, The Gentlemen – new show
Jharrel Jerome, I’m a Virgo – new show

Ineligible: Bill Hader, Jason Segel, Jason Sudeikis

In my dreams: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Reservation Dogs

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building
Maya Rudolph, Loot
Jean Smart, Hacks

Potential surprises:
Kaley Cuoco, Based on a True Story – new show
Sarah Lancashire, Julia – never nominated
Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale – new show

Ineligible: Christina Applegate, Rachel Brosnahan, Natasha Lyonne, Jenna Ortega

In my dreams: Devery Jacobs, Reservation Dogs

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