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2 • December 20 - 26, 2015 • Brainerd Dispatch By Cassie Dresch TV Media W here has 2015 gone? It seems like only yesterday we were ringing in the new year with Ryan Seacrest in Times Square, watching the ball drop and belting out "Auld Lang Syne." Now, it's time to do it all over again, but not before taking a trip down memory lane to recap some of this year's best and worst TV moments. In a year that has seen some se- rious highs and lows, it's tough to pick a place to begin — from new shows such as "Empire" and "Bet- ter Call Saul" making good first impressions, to series such as "Parks and Recreation" and "Mad Men" saying goodbye, quite a lot has happened on television since Jan. 1. Perhaps, then, it's fitting to start at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, which aired in September — the one night a year when television's best gath- er to celebrate the cream of their own crop. It was then that Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated ac- tress Viola Davis took home an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Ac- tress in a Drama Series for her role in ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder," becoming the first black woman in the ceremony's history to win the prestigious award. That same night, actor and co- median Tracy Morgan ("30 Rock") surprised everyone with his first public appearance since a tragic car accident in June 2014 put him in an eight-day coma and left him with traumatic brain injuries. The 2015 Emmys also served as the icing on the cake for triple- threat writer-comedian-actress Amy Schumer. This year alone, she premiered her first film, "Train- wreck"; released a new comedy special, "Amy Schumer Live at the Apollo," on HBO; was named one of Time magazine's 100 most in- fluential people; and took home an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series for her Comedy Cen- tral show "Inside Amy Schumer." Two other comedians who were making waves in 2015 were long- time "Late Show" host David Letterman and 16-year "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. Both stepped away from their desks for good (the former in May and the latter in August), leaving behind some enormous shoes for their successors to fill. It marked an end of an era for the two comedians who were pillars of their respec- tive genres — Letterman revolu- tionized modern late-night talk shows, and Stewart turned satiri- cal news into a com- edy staple. It wasn't all "out with the old" in 2015, though. We were also introduced to a ton of new programming as networks and cablers continued to vie for viewership. It's no surprise that CBS did well this year, having capitalized on its beloved NCIS franchise with a New Orleans-based spinoff star- ring Scott Bakula ("Quantum Leap"). What did surprise us this year was Fox's "Empire." The se- ries debuted in January with Taraji P. Henson ("Person of Interest") and Terrence Howard ("Hustle & Flow," 2005) headlining, and it took only 10 days for the net- work to order a sec- ond season, which premiered back in September. AMC also (unsurprisingly) hit it out of the park in 2015 with its "Breaking Bad" spinoff, "Better Call Saul," starring Bob Odenkirk ("Nebraska," 2013). The series notched four Emmy nods and took home both of the Critics' Choice Television Awards for which it was nominated, with critics praising Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks ("Airplane," 1980) for their por- trayals of the eponymous Saul (a.k.a. Jimmy McGill) and Mike Eh- rmantraut, respectively. (Season 2 premieres Monday, Feb. 15, on AMC.) Of course, for every great series there are two or three downright disappointing ones, and there's no better example of this princi- ple than season 2 of "True De- tective." Next to a widely ac- claimed first season that picked up four Golden Globe nominations, five Emmy wins, another six Emmy nominations and countless other nods and wins, the second installment of the an- thology series paled in compari- son. It still received some positive reviews, but came nowhere close to matching the previous success of the show. NBC had to deal with a surpris- ing dud as well, after its A list-lad- en miniseries "The Slap" — based on the Australian show and novel of the same name — did not go over well with viewers or critics. Despite a roster than included Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill: Vol. 1," 2004), Zachary Quinto ("Star Trek," 2009), Thandie Newton ("The Pursuit of Happyness," 2006) and Peter Sarsgaard ("Green Lantern," 2011), the dra- ma flopped and was quickly for- gotten. We also bade farewell to some great shows in 2015. Though it pe- tered out towards the end of its run, "Two and a Half Men" said good- bye after 12 years on the air. Also bidding us adieu this year were Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning Amy Poehler sitcom "Parks and Recreation," long-running police procedural "CSI: Crime Scene Inves- tigation," critically acclaimed neo- Western "Justified," critical darling and cable juggernaut "Mad Men" and Tyra Banks-hosted reality series "America's Next Top Model." A look back Recapping the best and worst of TV in 2015 Cover Story this week Tracy Morgan as seen in "Saturday Night Live" 001344702r1 Like us on Facebook to receive info and specials at Baxter Country Kitchen www.BAXTERcountrykitchen.com 7788 Fairview Rd, Baxter 218-829-1739 www. www. 7788 Fairview Rd, Baxter 7788 Fairview Rd, Baxter REAL Cappaccino, Latte & Hot Cocoa Guest Check on guest checks totaling $18.00 or more (Before Tax) Coupon Exp. 1-03-16 Not valid with any other offers or discounts. One coupon per table, per person, per visit. No cash value. Customer pays all applicable sales tax. Valid at Baxter location only. 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