Hiatus No More

I could be wrong, but I believe the word “hiatus” is derived from the Greek for “excruciating period of time between episodes of a beloved television show.”

What’s that? I am wrong? It must be from Latin, then.

There’s something about the bond between man and show that cannot be replaced or substituted for. My friends are not nearly as witty as the students at Greendale. My professors, as smart as they are, cannot hold a candle to the batty genius that is Walter Bishop. None of my family members were Madison Ave advertising executives during the 1960’s.

Television transports the viewer to a different dimension, one eerily similar to our own but full of attractive people - mostly doctors and lawyers - who can solve all their problems in the span of an hour, while we sit at home on the couch and try to open a jar of salsa for 20 minutes. So when the pathways to the promised land of the 16:9 dimension are blocked due to hiatus, it’s understandable for fans to get more than a bit cranky.

Especially when the hiatus is unexpected. Take Community, for example. The modestly-rated NBC meta-comedy was yanked from the airwaves after the Christmas episode in order to make way for such quality programming such as Whitney and Are You There, Chelsea? (I don’t know one at-home viewer who wondered whether Chelsea was there or not, and the show’s pitiful ratings have demonstrated that).

Fans went into an uproar. Petitions were created, hashtags were tweeted and the show gained more exposure - including the coveted cover of TV Guide’s Fan Favorite magazine. NBC took notice and Community returned to airwaves after four long months away, right back in its old timeslot.

Now back in full force, Community is here to remind us why we missed it so much in the first place. I don’t think I’m being biased when I say it is television at its finest. The show is unique and original, yet derivative of the shows, movies and pop culture moments it references. It represents the evolution of television into a more intelligent, meta age, while still taking the time to reflect on the tropes and plotlines tried and true by the great sitcoms of old. Never before have I seen a show that respects television as much as its fans do. Creator Dan Harmon may not be the epitome of Hollywood elite, but the dedication he pours into each and every episode is tangible to the people watching at home. That, my friends, is “Cool Cool Cool.”

While four months seemed like ages, 15 months of contract disputes separated the fifth season premiere of Mad Men (AMC) from its last finale. Fortunately, Mad Men fans are some of the most patient viewers out there. The show never rushes to tell any stories and sets its own pace; one that has set the bar for other AMC shows such as The Killing, Rubicon and the first half of every Breaking Bad or Walking Dead season. I’ve often likened the experience of watching Mad Men to that of admiring a beautiful painting; you just stare at it for hours, taking in all the hard work and talent needed to craft such a beautiful piece, and in the end, you feel something. You get it.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the show revolutionized the current landscape of television. Before it, AMC was just another cable channel and not an Emmy powerhouse. Before it, Elizabeth Moss was just the annoying lady from those Excedrin commercials. Before it, few shows could be held in such high regard as the finest of film, play and literature.

As Mad Men proceeds into its fifth season, there is no sign of it slowing. Having tied the record for Best Drama Series wins at the Emmy’s with four (a sweep thus far), Mad Men is coming off of its highest rated season with both critics and audiences. Little is known about the fifth season, as the show’s brilliant yet tyrannical creator Matthew Weiner has put the kibosh on early reviews from leaking out to avoid spoilers. No matter what happens to the adulterous, boozy, and secretive yet above all lovable employees of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, I’m sold.

Game of Thrones fans may also be all-to familiar with long hiatuses. The HBO epic is based off of the book series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin, which had a nearly six-year wait between the fourth and newly-printed fifth books in the series. Fortunately for those who haven’t read the books, like myself, the show is considered a faithful adaptation in all accounts.

The upcoming second season portrays the events of the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings, and demonstrates the great faith HBO has taken in the fantasy drama, which features all the scope and complicated names of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with none of the effeminate elves. To worried fans, HBO has said they will continue to produce the show as long as Martin continues to write books.

Fans shouldn’t be too worried, though. The show was nominated for Best Drama Series at the Emmy’s and even scored a Supporting Actor win for Peter Dinklage, the incomparable actor who brings the short-in-stature yet massive-in-ego Tyrion Lannister to life. Other breakout stars such as Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) and Kit Harington (Jon Snow) contribute to one of the best-cast, best-acted, best-written and best-directed shows on all of television. Other dramas better watch their backs: Game of Thrones has its eyes on the crown.

Community airs Thursdays at 8:00 on NBC. Mad Men airs Sundays at 10:00 on AMC. Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9:00 on HBO.