As a loyal reader of my blog (wait, no one reads my blog), you know that lists are prominently featured in my style of writing. For example, it is not enough for me to just enjoy a TV show – I must compare that show to every other good show of all-time to establish its cultural and historical significance. In order to determine the best TV shows, I laid down several ground rules to consider: 1) no reality shows, 2) no cartoons/animated series, 3) no talk shows, 4) no ESPN series, 5) the show must be on permanent hiatus (keeps Curb Your Enthusiasm, Lost, and 24 off the list), and 6) the show must have aired during my lifetime (keeps Leave It to Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show, and All in the Family off the list). That being said, the following is a list of the 10 best TV shows of my lifetime:
10 (tie). Saved by the
10 (tie). Full House (ABC, 1987-1995): I know it’s a cop-out to make a top 10 list with 11 shows, but how can a reasonable person choose between Saved by the Bell and Full House? That’s like asking parents which one of their kids they like best. Like Saved by the Bell, one cannot watch the reruns today and discount the impact Full House had on kids growing up in the late 80s and early 90s. Sure, three men living in
9. Six Feet Under (HBO, 2001-2005): Generally, a show that is set in a funeral home is going to be depressing. Six Feet Under was no exception. It was not a particularly uplifting show, but, like most HBO series, it was well-written, well-acted, and entertaining. It did not have elaborate, exaggerated, or complicated storylines – it was just a flat-out good show. It gets bonus points for casting at least five actors from the classic 1998 teen comedy Can’t Hardly Wait. The show also boosted the career of Dwight from The Office.
8. The O.C. (FOX, 2003-2007): Oh, what could have been? The O.C. makes the list because of quality rather than quantity. It did not have the longevity of most of the shows on this list, but it did have first-rate drama – at least in the first two seasons. Season 1 of The O.C. was as good as any single season of television drama ever. I could devote an entire column to where the show went wrong (I already did), but for purposes of this list let’s focus on what the show did well. The show had four strong main characters, the original storyline (delinquent Ryan moves in with the Cohens) was compelling, the parents’ lives were connected to the overall plot of the series, the setting of the show was an appealing location, and almost every character was highly attractive. There was no shortage of drama or bagels in the Cohen residence. The show’s comic relief came via the trio of Seth’s witty one-liners,
7. The Cosby Show (NBC, 1984-1992): No one is better at interacting with kids than Bill Cosby. On the other hand, no one is more anxious for his kids to move out of the house than Cliff Huxtable. The Cosby Show was a sitcom – and it was funny – but it was also an educational and culturally relevant show. The series dealt with many normal family issues, often in a humorous manner, but there was usually a moral lesson to be learned from the experience. The show broke new ground in that it focused on an upper-class African-American family consisting of a father who was a doctor, a mother who was a lawyer, and five intelligent children – yet the show appealed to a wide variety of demographics. Wikipedia informed me that The Cosby Show is one of only two American shows (along with All in the Family) that have been #1 in the Nielson ratings for 5 consecutive seasons (1985-1990). It is safe to say that The Cosby Show was integral to the success of subsequent African-American sitcoms like Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and A Different World (its spin-off). I considered accepting a track scholarship to Cliff Huxtable’s alma mater – Hillman University – but they didn’t offer (you may recall Cliff ran track there). It is worth noting that The Cosby Show had one of the best sitcom sidekicks in Theo’s friend Cockroach.
6. The Sopranos (HBO, 1999-2007): This show changed the way I view HBO original programming. Before 1999, HBO had The Larry Sanders Show, Arliss, and Not Necessarily the News – all decent shows – but the network was not known for drama. The Sopranos had film-quality acting, production, writing, and mob hits. We watched Tony eat hundreds of pounds of pasta, drops thousands of f-bombs, and whack dozens of wiseguys. On the surface, the series was about mobsters, but it explored many complex themes. It respected the intelligence of its audience and often forced viewers to draw their own conclusions about what happened – most notably in the series finale (which I liked). I genuinely hope A.J. is not as much of a douche in real life as his character was on the show.
5. The Wonder Years (ABC, 1988-1993): Writer Chuck Klosterman (in his book IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas) said it best, “The Wonder Years was the only TV program that allowed me to be nostalgic at the age of seventeen.” To take Klosterman’s observation a step further, I think The Wonder Years made me nostalgic at age 10. It made me reminisce about my first kiss before I had ever had one. It made me debate whether I “liked” or “like liked” certain girls in my class, even though in 4th grade I’m pretty sure I did not outwardly like girls at all yet. The program effectively blended humor with drama, family issues with teenage issues, and social concerns with historical events. Ironically, I get nostalgic about season 1 of The Wonder Years whenever I see Fred Savage because he looks the same now as he did in 1988. ASIDE: I would guess that big brother Wayne called little brother Kevin “butthead” or “scrot” at least a baker’s dozen times per episode. Kudos to the writers for teaching me that “scrot” was short for scrotum!
4. Arrested Development (FOX, 2003-2006): This was the shortest-running show on the list so my ranking demonstrates my high opinion of those three seasons. The geniuses at FOX decided to cancel Arrested Development the same year they renewed The War at Home. Really? Seriously? They canceled a show that is tied (with The Wire) for the highest user-rating (9.7/10) of any TV show of all-time (yes, rated higher that The Sopranos and Seinfeld) on IMDB.com? They canceled the show that won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in its first season (and was nominated its next two seasons)? And this is the same network that canceled Family Guy (brought in back because of DVD sales), The O.C. (probably justified at that point), and The Bernie Mac Show (ok, this one was definitely justified)? But anyway, Arrested Development was just a rare and brilliant comedy. Unlike most sitcoms, it did not have a live audience – which made it even funnier because we did not have to be reminded when to laugh. Every single character was funny to me. I believe Jason Bateman was born to play Michael Bluth – some would argue he was born to play Todd Howard in Teen Wolf Too but that prized role really just gave him a full athletic scholarship to Hamilton University (no, I did not apply there) and some acting experience. Supposedly, there is an Arrested Development movie in the works – let’s just hope FOX has nothing to do with it.
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2. The Wire (HBO, 2003-2008): I am posting this list on the same day that the last episode of The Wire will air. It is a sad day indeed. If you have never seen the show, I have not included any spoilers so read on and then rent the series as soon as possible. The Wire is easily the most underrated and most unacknowledged series in the history of television. How has this show not won (or even been nominated) for any major awards? Most critics appreciate the show, but it has not attracted a mass audience or a plethora of awards recognition. Its only Emmy nomination was a 2005 nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (single episode). The acting was absolutely outstanding, especially considering that few (if any) of the actors were well-known before the series and some of the actors were former criminals with no acting experience. Method Man was probably the most famous actor in the series, and he was famous for his affiliation with the Wu-Tang Clan rather than his acting (if you have seen How High you understand why). The show has not even been recognized by the masses for its diverse cast – there were dozens of black actors in the series and I cannot pinpoint one that was unconvincing. Everyone played his or her role to near perfection. The creators – one a former detective and the other a former editor for the Baltimore Sun – generated an authenticity that is rare in a crime drama (or any TV show for that matter). Sometimes The Hills seems more scripted than The Wire. One of the best aspects of The Wire was the different perspectives from which the storylines unfold. Most police dramas only follow the police’s perspective and most legal dramas only explore the lawyers’ point of view. The Wire, on the other hand, allowed viewers to follow the lives of law enforcement agents, attorneys, drug dealers, politicians, port workers, teachers, homeless people, and journalists. Like The Sopranos, and perhaps even more so, The Wire requires undivided attention from its viewers. I watch every episode twice to ensure that I understand the most subtle complexities of the show. Maybe some viewers stopped watching because it is a demanding show to follow. More likely, though, many people have just never seen it. Omar Little (pictured ABOVE LEFT) was one of the best characters in TV history – he was a trench-coat wearing, shotgun-toting free agent, unaffiliated with any drug clan, who robbed drug dealers of their money and their stash. He could be as cold-blooded as anyone on the show, but he stayed true to a strict moral code. Omar Little was
1. Seinfeld (NBC, 1990-1998): A show about nothing evolved into the best series of all-time through great characters, great chemistry, great writing, great acting, simple storylines, realistic situations, and superficial banter. Jerry was funny even when his acting skills were mediocre during the first few seasons, but his acting ability improved throughout the series and that took the show to another level. The other 3 main characters – George, Elaine, and Kramer – were outstanding from the first episode. The recurring supporting actors – Newman, Uncle Leo, David Puddy, Frank Costanza, Kenny Bania, J. Peterman, Steinbrenner, Jackie Chiles, and others – all stole several scenes over the years. Seinfeld was responsible for more pop culture phrases than any show I can think of – soup nazi, make-up sex, shrinkage, double dip, big salad, re-gifting, man hands, Festivus, close talker, serenity now, the Human Fund, bizarro world, etc. I compare everyday life situations to episodes of Seinfeld on a daily basis. George likes his chicken spicy. Chop likes his Seinfeld every day on TBS.
Honorable Mention: Salute Your Shorts, Dawson’s Creek, Boy Meets World, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Freaks and Geeks.
1 comment:
Chop, I very much enjoyed your Top 10 list. I haven't read your list in awhile, so today I was able to relive it one more time. Your writing style is fresh, humorous and entertaining.
JM
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