The Challenge
TV Show
The Challenge debuted a long, long time ago. It started back on MTV and was originally meant to bring back personalities from Road Rules and Real World to compete in a series of competitions where the players would earn money and a winner (or winners) would be crowned at the end.
I've never seen a single episode of Road Rules or the Real World, so this show never really interested me. It wasn't until I started running out of reality shows to watch that I finally decided to give The Challenge a shot. I knew that there was a season on Paramount Plus (The Challenge USA) that was composed entirely of Big Brother and Survivor players (with some Amazing Race and Love Island contestants thrown in as well). Since I didn't know jack about the Real World or Road Rules, I decided this was a good place to start.
Man, I really enjoyed that first season. Great players, interesting personalities, and a series of over the top challenges that just look so, so fun to play. I immediately jumped into season two. And wouldn't you have it: season two, while mainly comprised again of Survivor and Big Brother players, brought back Challenge legends from previous seasons. This was a great way to introduce me to some past Challenge players like Wes and Johnny Bananas. I absolutely loved the season, and immediately went back and started watching previous Challenge seasons. I recently wrapped up Champs vs Stars season 3, which was a ton of fun.
I had initially planned to go allllll the way back to the beginning and start from season one, but some of the earlier seasons are nearly impossible to find online. So I'm just listening to podcasts and YouTube recaps of those seasons until I get to some that I can actually watch. I am super, super curious to see how this show began, and how it has led us to this point in the series' evolution.
For a series I had absolutely no faith in when I first started watching it, it has brought me a ton of joy so far this year. And I can't wait to watch more.
Good Mythical Morning
YouTube series
My wife and I have been watching Good Mythical Morning for a very long time. Probably somewhere around six or seven years now. This is a show that absolutely never fails to entertain. Rhett and Link are childhood friends who grew up together, went to college together, and have been in the entertainment industry together since graduating back in 2000/2001.
It's hard to describe what this show is, to someone who has never seen it before. It's like Wayne's World where the two hosts sit at a desk and usually compete in some kind of game against each other. Many of these games involve food. My wife and I love food shows, so this of course is one of our favorites. Examples of games: they have a taste test of an exotic food item and then throw darts at a map in an attempt to hit where they think the food dish is from. Another game: they play shuffleboard where they try to land on a decade they think a food item is from. Another game involves tasting foods ranging from grocery store frozen foods to fancy restaurant foods in order to determine their perfect meal. Where this show got me hooked originally is the "Will It?" episodes where they make bizarre food creations. An example includes "Will It Taco?" where they experiment with different ingredients to see if it would work as a taco. There are also taste test episodes where they taste all the different flavors of a certain food item - for example Monster Energy flavors, Ben and Jerry flavors, etc.
There are a number of gross food eating episodes as well. It is always funny when they pull out their little buckets and start puking. Anyone can jump in and watch this show. Every single episode is different. And not everything is food related. I like the ones where they watch things getting destroyed in reverse order, and then they have to guess what the item is before the other one can buzz in. The cornhole game is fun, too. Sometimes there are guest hosts who participate. Kobe Bryant and Post Malone have been on this show.
One of the best things about Good Mythical Morning is the relationship between Rhett and Link. They are about as close of friends as you can possibly get, and they play off of each other comedically quite well. The cast and crew are involved in many of the episodes. You get the feeling that there must be a sense of great camaraderie between all of them. Stevie, Chase, Jordan, Emily, David Hill, etc. They are all so funny and likeable and they seem to be having such a good time. I imagine this show must be quite fun to be a part of.
This is a show that my wife and I watch almost every night before bed. It's quick, it's funny, and it is always a reliable source of entertainment, as you never know what these guys are going to do. Even the episodes that I don't think I'll be interested in are still entertaining. If I had made a list like this last year, and the year before, and the year before - this show would have been on it all those years. Thank you Rhett and Link for being such a reliable source of entertainment for such a prolonged period of time.
Days Gone
PlayStation 4
I have always known about the existence of this game, which came out in 2019. But I've never bothered to actually play it due to middling/poor critical reviews. That was a mistake. In fact, those reviews were a mistake. How could you not like this game? I thought it was so damn cool.
The basic premise is that it takes place two years after a zombie apocalypse. Humanity has gathered into small little cluster towns. Outlaws are running wild, and big zombie herds are swarming around, posing a constant threat to the survivors. It's a premise we've seen before, dozens of times. But the way the storyline is executed is just so darn good. It is everything The Walking Dead hoped it could be, and more
You play as Deacon St John - a former member of a motorcycle gang. He and his good friend Boozer operate as a drifters, people who go around from town to town, doing odd jobs for money. Clearing out zombies, gathering supplies, rescuing lost people, bringing back food, etc.
The survivor camps are terrorized by a group of psychos known as Rippers. Boozer is maimed by a Ripper, leaving Deacon to operate solo.
The gameplay is infused with flashbacks to before the fall of humanity, where Deacon was married to a woman named Sarah, who is believed to have died during the attacks. In between odd jobs and Ripper encounters, Deacon tracks down leads on his wife, who may actually be alive after all.
I'm not going to dive into the entire plot of the game, but I found the whole thing to be very engaging. I love the characters. I love the sense of dread (some of those Ripper blowtorch attacks had me cringing). Everything just feels so high-stakes. The gameplay is a ton of fun as well. Nothing more challenging (but in a good way) than when you have to go into battle against the hordes. And the story really got me involved in a way that many other games have consistently been failing to do so.
This was one of the best games I've played in a long time. It took me a few hours to really get invested, but once I did, I really fell in love with the game. I couldn't stop playing it or thinking about it for weeks straight. I even took the time to get the game's platinum trophy! To this day I still don't understand why this game was so critically panned. I loved it. It brought me a ton of joy in 2023.
If you are interested in my full review of the game, you can read it here.
Staff Picks
Podcast
I listen to a lot of podcasts, and there are two of them on this list. Staff Picks is the first. I've been listening to this podcast for a little over a year now. In fact, it ranked as the favorite podcast in my rotation back when I ranked them in March.
It is a podcast about movies that don't get enough love or attention. It is hosted by Mario Lanza, who also hosts the Survivor Historians, which is a podcast that I love. Each episode he brings on a new cohost to talk about that week's movie. I've discovered a lot of fun, unique movies through this podcast which I had never even heard about. Some examples: Brigsby Bear, Unfriended, Fortress, The Bad News Bears, My Bodyguard, and The Quick and the Dead. Many episodes cover movies which I have already seen, like The Rock, Spaceballs, and A Knight's Tale. Each and every episode makes me appreciate these movies even more.
I have been listening to all these episodes in order. If I've seen the movies, if I haven't seen them, even if they didn't sound like something I'd like. Every episode is worth listening to. The cohosts are normally pretty great, too. If you are a Survivor fan, you may recognize Coach, Kass, and Dan Fields (Thunder D) as they help host a few episodes.
Staff Picks is a podcast that is like a delicious comfort food. I can put on any episode and know that it is going to be a great episode. It is my go-to podcast for when I am not really feeling in the mood to listen to anything else. It is definitely one of my faster watched podcasts out there. I'd recommend this to anyone who is into a good movie podcast. It's brought me lots of joy this year, and I'm sure it will continue to bring me much joy into 2024 and beyond.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks forward
I've been a long-suffering Bucks fan my entire life, and I would be crazy not to be in complete awe of this man and the way he's transformed the team from laughingstock to perennial contender. Looking back at the Mo Williams/Toni Kukoc/Charlie Villanueva/Joe Alexander/Charlie Bell years I never thought I'd see the Bucks even come close to winning an NBA title. For almost 20 years they couldn't even win a single playoff series. And now here we are: champions. And someone who is in the hunt year in and year out.
Every time he steps on the court, you know you're going to get a show from this man. The dunks, the big-time defensive plays, the way he just dominates players physically on the court. He does it all. As a human being, he seems like a great guy. He comes from humble beginnings and he always makes sure to handle himself well. He is funny, and has a great and unique sense of humor. The 50 wings after scoring 50 and winning the title is freaking legendary.
Giannis is a national treasure, and as long as he's a Buck he is probably going to keep making it onto this list until I get tired of putting him here. He's single handedly made Bucks basketball watchable again, and I am going to enjoy him every single second he's here.
Squid Game: The Challenge
Netflix Series
Not a single thing I watched this year surprised me more than this show. I watched the original Squid Game Netflix series back in 2020 or whenever it was that it first came out. I had heard in passing that they were doing a "real life" version of the Squid Game, but it was never something I had much of an interest in. In fact, I didn't even know this show was coming out until I started seeing posts about it on social media. I thought: "oh, I should probably check that out." And I did. I put on one episode, thinking I'd watch it for a little bit to see if it caught my attention. And boy, did it catch my attention. I watched the entire thing all the way through in basically two days. I know at the time it was only nine episodes of television, but I work a full-time job and raise a three year old. I don't have much time to watch things. So the fact that I watched it so quickly really shows you how I devoted pretty much every free second of my time to it.
It may be the most addicting show I've ever seen in my life. The giant cast, all the people with their interviews and stories. The games. Watching people "get shot" and fall down dramatically. I fell in love with this immediately. Some of the interviews and conversations seemed a little scripted, but I understand that it is edited to feel like the actual Squid Game TV show.
I became completely invested in this show. The games. The "tests." The interpersonal dynamics between the players. Getting attached to one character in one moment only to lose them the next. You never really know whose story this show is telling. The mother and son duo? The guy with the mullet? The other guy with a mullet? The Owen Wilson-looking guy? The bleached blonde? The basketball player? The cocky guy? The old guy? Is it the story of the ganbuu gang?
Every elimination is so intense. Every decision and every standoff is so intense. The guy who answers the phone and self-eliminates? That is incredible TV. The bridge game? Amazing. Marbles? Wow. The standoff when picking which shapes to cut in the cookie game? Riveting stuff.
This might not sound very interesting if you've never seen the show before. And I understand if this type of show might not be for you. But to me, this may have brought me the most joy in all of 2023. I was riveted to this show like nothing I'd ever seen or experienced before.
Dynasty Fantasy Football
I've been playing fantasy football for several years now. I've never been too good at it, but I've never been too bad at it either. I've won twice in about five or six years of playing. Not a good winning percentage, but hey it is something.
I joined my first dynasty league a few years ago. In early 2023, we were in the offseason (between the end of the 2022 season and the 2023 NFL draft). It was about to be the third year in this dynasty league. I remember randomly thinking one day: hmmm, I wonder which rookies are predicted to be good? I wanted to do a little research so I could get a leg up on everyone. I read all about Zach Charbonnet and Quentin Johnston, and Anthony Richardson, and Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyrr Gibbs, and Dalton Kincaid, and all the incoming rookie tight ends.
Soon my phone started to blow up with notifications from Yahoo whenever they'd post a dynasty related article or a preview of the incoming rookie draft. Soon I began to get Reddit dynasty notifications, too. I had fallen down the rabbit hole.
I became so invested in planning who I was going to draft, that I began thinking about starting my very own dynasty league full of family and friends. So I did it. I started the Rad Dynasty. And we are in year one of this league, and it is doing great. My team is not doing too well. I think I read too many scouting reports and drafted too young. But the future should be bright for my team!
Just the thought of building a team from the ground up and adding to it over the years and trying to mold it into a contender is something that just really appeals to me. I think about my dynasty team and who I am going to drop and add on a daily basis. I am already thinking about next year's draft. I have been listening to dynasty podcasts now too.
Suffice it to say, it is something that has brought me a lot of joy in 2023. My team might not be good right now, but planning and building is all part of the process, and it is all fun. Win or lose: I love it. I want my league to go on forever.
Star Trek: Picard
Season 3
As a giant Next Generation fan, I was highly disappointed in Picard seasons 1 and 2, which I thought were absolute gutter trash. Since I didn't enjoy them very much, I had low expectations for season 3 when it first started. I decided to give it a chance, hoping the show makers had learned from their mistakes. I thought the first episode was quite mediocre.
I'm someone who sticks through with things to the end though. Even though the first episode wasn't that great, it brought up a lot of questions that I wanted to see the answers to. Plus, it had brought back Beverly Crusher and Worf. And I'd heard that nearly every major character from TNG was set to return in some form or another. So I kept with it.
Boy, am I glad I did. It must have been the 2nd or 3rd episode when the show clicked, and I started to become heavily invested in it. That whole arc with Vadic relentlessly pursuing the ship, and the cat and mouse game, and everyone thinking they were going to die, etc. was freaking brilliant. I was riveted and on the absolute edge of my seat for every second of it. The show finally felt like there were some real stakes involved.
The questions and mysteries kept coming too. Who was Vadic? Who was her overlord? Was it the Dominion? Species 8472? I'd even heard speculation it was Armus from season one of The Next Generation. Who was Jack Crusher really? Why did he have special powers? Was he a sleeper agent of some kind? A clone? I was having a heck of a fun time looking at all the fan theories online. People were picking apart the closing credits sequence for clues. As a big Lost fan, I was loving every second of it. Speaking of the closing credits, the mashup of the First Contact theme and the Next Generation theme was absolutely beautiful, and I'd listen to it on repeat for hours at a time while doing chores around the house.
Although the twists and turns ended up leading somewhere predictable (spoiler alert: it was yet another Borg scheme) the journey was still super fun. I loved seeing all the cast members again. I loved the space museum. I loved seeing the Enterprise back in action. I loved the cameos, like Tuvok, Shelby, and Ensign Ro. Call it blatant fan service if you want, but to me it was light years better than the first two seasons.
Each week I'd anxiously wait for midnight, preparing for the new episode to drop. That is something I almost never do anymore. This show was as close to event television as I'd seen in quite some time. As a Star Trek fan, the magic had been starting to wear off. And this show invigorated it for me. I couldn't ask for a better send off to Jean Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise.
Six Feet Under
HBO series
It's hard to believe it was still 2023 when I finished this show, it feels like I watched it so long ago. I had to double check. Yup, I started it in 2022. Finished the final season in 2023. So it counts!
Six Feet Under makes the list because it is one of those shows that will stick with me forever. I'm going to spoil the final season, so be prepared. Ready? If not, I'd advise just moving onto the next entry on this list.
The main character, Nate Fisher, dies with just a few episodes left in the show. The whole entire series, you've known he has this brain condition, but you don't really know the extent of it. It seems like he's gotten better and has moved on with his life, but an unexpected seizure lands him in the hospital.
This show is full of morally ambiguous characters, and Nate is one of them. He's not a good guy, but he's not a bad one either. He's irrational, impulsive, selfish, and is a habitual cheater. But he works in a funeral home and shows tremendous compassion for the people who come into the business on a daily basis. The way he treats people as they are going through pretty much the roughest time of their life is touching, really.
So that is what makes it so difficult to judge him when he does something bad. His pregnant wife is at home when he has his seizure, while he is off cheating on her. This is all exposed in the last few episodes. Nate's condition ends up killing him, leaving all kinds of destruction behind. You see how the family deals with his passing. His wife. His friends. The woman he was having an affair with. It's not often you see a main character in a show die, and the absolute gut-punch that is the final season of this show is something I'll never forget. I'm not someone who cries a lot, but MAN did this show really get to me. But in a good way. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent ending and final episode. If you're looking for a show that is well acted, has a great story, great characters, and is super impactful, look no further than Six Feet Under.
I haven't yet ranked my favorite TV shows of all time, but if I did, I can guarantee you it would be high on that list.
The Retrograde
Podcast
Being a dad who spends lots of time going on walks and watching his three year old, I have a lot of "boring" time on my hands. There's only so much you can do while babysitting, so back in 2020 I started listening to podcasts to pass the time. Some podcasts have come and gone, but the Retrograde has been a mainstay in my rotation for a long time. There are SO many episodes. I consider it the "old reliable" of all the podcasts in my rotation. If I am looking through a list of things to listen to, I know I can always put on the Retrograde and have a good time. Just like Staff Picks, which I mentioned earlier.
The two hosts, Andrew and Mikey, are so dang funny and entertaining. I may not always agree with their opinions on some of the retro games they play, but I am never not entertained when I listen to an episode. Some podcasts I have to be in the mood for. Not this one. I can put it on anytime or anyplace and still enjoy it.
Thank you, the Retrograde, for being such a reliable source of entertainment throughout both 2023 and the last few years in general. You've helped me through some challenging times. This podcast definitely brought me so much joy in 2023. In fact, I just listened to their "Ten things I loved about 2020" episode, and it served as direct inspiration for this blog post. Thank you for that!
Survivor
TV show
If you know me, you know Survivor was going to find a way to make this list. I've been a loyal viewer since the show first aired in the year 2000. This is a comfort show for me. I'm not someone who watches things over and over again, but this is an exception. I've rewatched from the beginning multiple times now. It never gets old or tiring. I just love it so much. I notice something new, or change my opinion on a player every single time. I've even expanded into international territory with the show. I've been watching Australian Survivor - and it is so freaking good. Just Heroes vs Villains alone would have made this list as an entry, if the franchise as a whole didn't take that spot instead. King George and his gameplay are freaking legendary. That season has perhaps one of the single best tribal councils I have ever scene.
Not only do I love the show, but Survivor has had an even bigger impact on me than most. I have a ton of friends from the online Survivor community, many of which I've known since about 2006 or 2007. These friendships have outlasted many real life friendships. I listen to Survivor podcasts. I talk about Survivor at family gatherings. "Come on in guys!" has become something we say at almost every family gathering now. Survivor is a mainstay in my life, and I don't think it is going anywhere anytime soon. If I had made a list like this for the past 20 years, it would have made an appearance each and every single year. That's how much it means to me.
The Haunting of Hill House
Netflix series
Admittedly, I am shocked that this show made the list. I watched it back when it first came out in 2018, and I was very unimpressed. I'm not sure why I decided to come back and give it a second chance, but wow am I glad I did. I loved it this time around.
(Actually, I think the RetroGrade inspired me to watch it again when they talked about it on one of their episodes.)
The whole thing is good from beginning to end. It wasn't slow and boring like I had originally thought. It's slow, sure, but far from boring. It's tense, scary, well-acted, and contains just enough "puzzles" and mysteries to keep you watching, wanting to find out what exactly is going on with the family and the house - and what the dad is trying to hide. I wholeheartedly suggest this to anyone who hasn't seen it yet. And if you have seen it and you didn't like it - I'd suggest giving it another shot to see if it'll change your mind. It sure did change mine.
Only Murders in the Building
Hulu series
My wife and I have very, very differing tastes when it comes to TV. She wouldn't be caught dead watching Survivor or the Challenge or half the things I watch. So it is always a real treat when we can find a show that we both enjoy - and Only Murders in the Building is one of these shows.
We'd seen season 1 a few years ago when we had Hulu. But we had to cancel our plan to save money. Well, this year we had a weekend where his grandparents watched the baby - so we had two whole days to ourselves. This was the perfect opportunity to try to binge watch seasons 2 and 3 of this show, something we never get to do anymore.
Right away, we were sucked right into this show. Its humor, its characters, its legitimately good mysteries. All of it is just so, so binge worthy. We only were able to finish season 2 on that baby-less weekend, but we came back and finished season 3 in the ensuing weeks, watching an episode each night after he'd go to bed. We can't wait for season 4!
The crossover episode
Strange New Worlds/Lower Decks
Lower Decks is fabulous, and is another one of those shows that both me and my wife enjoy. It could have easily had its own entry on this list,. Instead, I am sneakily using this entry to also include Strange New Worlds.
I've always known they planned to do a live action crossover, but I had no idea it would work as well as it did. The whole introduction is done in the Lower Decks style. Things start off as a cartoon, but then quickly transition to the live action style of SNW. Seeing the characters from this cartoon show brought into the real world was such a treat. None of the comedy is lost in the transition, which I was worried about.
This was the most unique, compelling, and enjoyable episodes of TV I watched this year. In fact, it ranks right up there as one of the single best episodes of Trek I've ever seen. It is everything you ever could have wanted in a crossover, and more!
Consider this entry an honorary spot for both Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds. These are both terrific shows. Lower Decks is consistently terrific, and SNW really branched out this year with this episode, the musical episode, and a few other standout episodes. Two great shows that you need to check out if you have not already.
Big Brother
TV series
I don't think I've ever been as invested in Big Brother as I was this year. I've always enjoyed the show, but compared to Survivor, it has never been something I'm fanatical about. In fact, I had completely stopped watching the show entirely around 2017- and had to binge all the seasons I'd missed at the end of 2022 and the start of 2023.
Bingeing these seasons got me back into the show in a big way. After finishing them, I then watched 9 seasons of Big Brother Canada, and I loved them all. I listened to a few Big Brother podcasts. I even went back and watched seasons two through six of the Big Brother US - which I had zero intention of doing. These old seasons are so enjoyable, and watching them is a blast from the past. So many old contestants I had either forgotten about or didn't appreciate when I was a kid. Watching BB 3, 4, and 5 was like seeing them for the first time. And they are awesome.
Big Brother easily gets a spot in my top 15. So many great players and great moments I watched this year. Marcellus not using the veto, Bunky and Kent's relationship, Dr. Will's overall game in Big Brother 2, the X-Factor, Alison's actions in Big Brother 4, Dana having the sex appeal of a buzzard's crotch, Nakomis and Cowboy finding out they were brother and sister, the entirety of Big Brother 6 - which is one of my single favorite reality show seasons of all time. There are too many great moments to list just from that season alone. Janelle, Kaysar, and Hurricane Howie were so fun to root for, even though the Friendship ended up winning.
The first episode of Big Brother Reindeer Games actually premiered earlier today, but I haven't watched it yet. Looks like the show is going to continue to bring me joy into 2024 and beyond.
Honorable mentions:
- The White Lotus. Just didn't have enough room for it. Maybe season 2 will make the cut for 2024 when I watch it next year.
- Cartridge Club. It's a game of the month podcast where the panel picks a game each month and then convenes for a podcast about it at the end of the month. I love the community surrounding the Cartridge Club as it is very warm and inviting, and the posters like to uplift each other. I'd like to get more involved with them in 2024 and beyond. Just hard to do when you have a three year old.
- Immortals: Fenyx Rising. A really fun, colorful game that had me hooked for weeks on end.
- Collateral Gaming/Collateral Cinema. I'm absolutely crushed I just didn't have room for these two podcasts. They are just outside of Staff Picks and Retrograde when it comes to being a "go-to" podcast in my rotation.
- The 7th Rule. This is a Star Trek podcast I'm just starting to get into.
- Legend of Legaia. An RPG for the PlayStation 1 that I recently finished playing. Sunk about 42 hours into it, and now I'm kind of missing playing it, haha.
- Prisoners. The Denis Villeneuve movie. It was gripping from beginning to end. Really wanted to make room for it on this list.
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