The Top 11 of 2011

Given that many of our readers have only recently joined the party, they may not be familiar with the heady days where it was just one man, one blog, and one dream.  Therefore, I thought this Friday would be a good time to reflect on the top read posts of 2011.  Since I have become known gotten a few extra readers because of my fairly snarky view of TV, I thought it would be fun to turn the tables on myself.  Links will be provided to the older posts with some commentary on each one.  Allow me this final bit of narcissism before I jump back into things like the Power Rankings, Challenge running diaries, and the other day-to-day operations at the TV Czar offices.  We will work in descending order of pageviews.

1. The Top 5 TV Characters of All-Time

Do you remember when Keith K. breezed in and out of our lives?  Probably not because he hasn’t been back since.  Still, it’s good to reflect on Keith’s moment in the sun.  I’ll forever remain grateful that Keith stopped by and brought all of his alternate personas friends and family to the blog.  Where have you gone Keith?  There’s nothing quite like working hard on your blog and slowly building an audience.  Unless of course some guy roles in, tosses out 500+ words, and has your highest viewed post of the year.  Dammit.  In any event, he did a nice job, and it makes for a provocative read.

2. Getting to Know The TV Czar

The original is always the best… or the second best (KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEITH!!).  Anyway, my very first post is a fun reread mainly because I was adamant that I wasn’t going to do reviews, react immediately to television happenings, or talk about Game of Thrones.  Nothing like sticking to your guns.  Though I didn’t adhere to the stuff I won’t do section, I think I have done a nice job of doing the things I said I was going to do, particularly the self-indulgent part.

 

3. The Challenge Week 3 Running Diary

My first ever running diary of The Challenge.  It’s been gone so long that it’s tough to remember that those things were my bread and butter in the early going.  They were responsible for landing me various guest spots and my job at Daemon’s TV.  I’m jacked up to get back to them.  The running diary is my second favorite thing to write after the Mailbag.  In this particular installment, the material was so rich that the article practically wrote itself.  A quick tease: If you like cannibalistic threats and discussion of choking during coitus, you’ll enjoy this post.

Thank you Challenge for making my job so easy.

4. The Walking Dead Rehash

This post just keeps bringing people to the blog.  It debuted very modestly, but has routinely dragged in several pageviews a week since its debut.  It’s a fun email exchange featuring myself, Scott, and Matt as we attempt to make sense of the first half of The Walking Dead’s season.  As with anytime he shares interweb space with me, Scott comes off funnier than me.  Also, Matt does a nice job of showing that he is smarter than me.  It’s a good thing neither of these guys has their own blog, or I would be in trouble. 

5. 5 Underrated Shows

Here is one of my opinion pieces that inexplicably caught fire on my blog.  I picked some high-profile shows, but I am not sure why it drew as many views as it did.  In any event, I’ll take it.  Fledgling interweb writers need all the help they can get.  It is one of my better columns for Daemon’s.  Because of the format of the posts, I generally struggle to come up with good ideas that I can write in an interesting fashion on that website.  Some of them don’t turn out anywhere near my liking, but it’s a nice place to expand the audience.  This article actually is half decent, despite the fact that I put Franklin & Bash in there.

6. TV Power Rankings: Week 6

Ah, the good old days when the Power Rankings were going strong.  For some reason, the Power Rankings have not generated the same amount of love recently as they did in the beginning.  You could blame me for not being as good, but I choose to blame Al Gore.  How else could a burgeoning interweb sensation turn into something that was treated with the internet version of “meh?”  I’ve got my eye on you, Al Gore.  Just because you invented the internet doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want with it.  Bring my Power Rankings’ readers back, and I’ll let it slide.

7. Opening up the Mailbag

My first Mailbag.  It may have only been friends and family, but it was a ton of fun.  We had a nice mix of questions and good humor.  It’s not best Mailbag ever (see #9), but it was a strong start to the series.  The Mailbag columns are my favorite columns to write.  It’s a little disappointing I can’t get more folks to jump in the mix.  We’ve had some internet strangers from time to time, but I’m not exactly flooded with emails.  Eventually, when this thing takes off gets big is read by more than 7 people, the Mailbag will be filled with quality TV questions for me to address on my weekly E! show “Talking TV with the TV Czar.”  Look, it’s where we all know I am headed.   Don’t worry, the first few of you will always hold a special place in my heart.

8. TV Power Rankings: Week 5

I’m telling you, the Power Rankings were big business there for a few weeks.

It appears that Walking Dead
content = pageviews.

9. The TV Czar Mailbag: Zombie Catharsis

My favorite Mailbag of the four.  I took a lot of grief for wasting so many words on The Walking Dead, but given the fourth rank post, the acknowledgement of Norman Reedus, and being quoted on AMC’s Walking Dead blog, I would say it turned out to be worth it.  On a related note, I will still waiting on my hypothetical internet dollars to come rolling in.  Any day now.

10. TV Power Rankings: Week 7

I’m guessing this one snuck in because of the X-Factor and The Walking Dead.  Amazing how we are at number ten and we will still haven’t seen any of the VORA columns.  Obviously, given the amount of time and effort that went into that project, you would think that the people would respond to it.  Sigh.

11. 2011 Fall TV Props

Now this column was fun.  If you missed it, Scott and I made up various TV prop wagers.  This article had two of the elements that you have come to expect from The TV Czar Says… First, I used an esoteric concept that most of my readers would have no clue about.  Then, I made sure to bring in Scott to show everyone I am not the funniest writer in the family.  The important thing to remember is that neither Scott nor I endorse gambling.  That being said, what a man or woman does with a group of people who operate their business out of a Caribbean island is their business.  Frankly, one could argue that these people are the modern day privateers fighting against oppressive imperialism.  I will raise my glass to them.

I hope you enjoyed this look back at 2011 here at tvczar.com.  I sincerely appreciate everyone who read, commented, contributed, and spread the word about this blog.  I know I have had a blast providing you with TV based content now 5 times a week.  I promise to try to be better in 2012.  I’ll see you Monday for the return of the Power Rankings.

The TV Czar