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My Current Favorite Television Shows

I was putting a lot of effort into writing a top five list over on Peter's website, and decided to post it here, too.

I guess if I am going to talk about my list, I need to first talk about my criteria. I think for a TV Show to be great it needs to meet as many of the following criteria as possible.

  • Rewatchable — in order for a television show to be one of the greatest of all time, it needs to be rewatchable. If it is only entertaining the first time around then it just can't be that great.
  • A continuing plot — Seinfeld is the one exception to this. But I need to feel like we are getting somewhere. Law & Order is great but it was just kind of always the same.
  • Likable long standing characters — It seems like the cast of E.R. changed every week. How can I possibly get into this?

You'll notice I didn't say anything about good writing or flow or character development or meaning any of that nonsense. TV Shows are meant for entertainment, so the above are my requirements for being a good entertaining TV Show.

And without further ado, my My Top Five Favorite TV Shows of all time:

  1. Sex and the City — I have never really understood why this show gets such a bad rap (rep? wrap?). This show is amazing. It has comedy. It has drama. It has sex. It has heart break. Some one once told me they thought it had bad writing, but I think that is one of its best parts. It has very well developed plots and characters. I think the puns put some people off. I haven't seen it in a while though, so I don't know how it actually compares to these next ones.
  2. Freaks and Geeks — Now this show really has it all, except for, you know episodes. It unfortunately was only on air for one season. It always takes a little while for a TV Show to find its thing, so the first few episodes of this aren't as good as the later ones. The later ones, though... Man! They are making a run for the #1 spot!

  3. Arrested Development — I had a hard time getting into this show. I thought that it was mean and I thought that it was too goofy. But the more Peter watched it in the apartment last year, the more I began to enjoy it. And let me tell you, he watched it a lot. The characters all just grow on you. The real break-through happened when I realized how much the writers actually loved the Bluth family. And how much I did.

    This show has a lot going for it, but two things in particular.

    1. It might be the most rewatchable show mentioned in this post. Every time you see it you pick up on something else new. And it rewards you for having seen it more. It has lots of inside jokes.
    2. Because it always explains everything you can jump into any part of any season and still understand what is going on. So you don't have to have seen any of it before to enjoy it.

    This show is also pushing for that top spot.

  4. Felicity — Talk about drama! This show has it. And I can't decide who I like better, Ben or Noel! Though, I haven't finished the forth season yet. It is making it hard for me. I don't like any of the characters now! So for this list I am giving it the benefit of the doubt that it pulls through in the last 15 episodes. Because the other three seasons are very good.
  5. Dawson's Creek — This show has practically no likable characters (Pacey rules!) and a plot that doesn't really move and is not rewatchable at all. But it reminds me of a different time and all the will they won't they drama.
Runners up:

  • Friends — Two words: Ross and Rachel. The first four seasons of this were amazing, but as the show went on, the characters all became sketches of themselves and it lost what was once great about it. It definitely jumped the shark.
  • Buffy The Vampire Slayer — This show was great, but it is hard to pick a genre for it. It isn't really action and it isn't really drama, though it had lots of both. Ultimately, I would describe it as a comedy. The only reason that it isn't higher is that it suffered from not having this real focus. Which really wasn't to its detriment at all. I haven't seen the first three seasons either.
  • I Love Lucy — I watched a lot of this when I was younger. I really can't remember what it was like though. and I can't really imagine sitting down to watch some of it.
  • The Wonder Years — I watched this show when it was on when I was younger, but I think it really is truly aimed at older people. It is all about the nostalgia.
  • Happy Days — Another show I watched a lot when I was younger. Now, I can't really see Fonzie as the cool guy I thought he was back then.

The funny thing is, I can't really remember all that many TV shows that I was a big fan of. Others that didn't make the list:

  • Seinfeld — This one loses on the rewatchability factor. One episode here and there is amazing, but there is nothing really getting you to stay up later watching more.
  • House — This show was GREAT, but then it sort of turned into a one-trick pony as well. Yes, we understand that House is an ass. But we need something to go on.
  • The Office — This show had an opportunity to be truly great, but then turned into an unfunny one-trick pony. Yes we understand that Michael is a bad boss. But we don't really care about him! Show us more about the other characters!
  • Home Improvement — This one just didn't really have any continuing plot lines, so I can't really see myself getting into it.
  • Undressed — I remember the marathons they used to have on MTV. Boy it was great! Especially for a freshman in high school. It was exactly what I needed. Gratuitous sex, but not graphic or weird. It had lessons, too but didn't hit you over the head with them. Plus it was just so bad– in that sort of way where the writers were trying to be like that. So it was good-bad.
  • Sports Night — This show had a lot of trouble finding its feel. And Dan Rydell rules! But he was really all I liked about the show.
  • The Simpsons — The Simpsons has most definitely had its affect on pop culture, but I guess just not on me. I haven't really watched much of it since I was really young. All the episodes were kind of the same.

I know lots of you might have your lists on Peter's website, but maybe try pasting them here, too, just for kicks.

1 November 2007 01:36am UTC • 604 views • 3 comments

Tagged with topfive, tvshows, felicity, sexandthecity, freaksandgeeks, arresteddevelopment, dawsonscreek, friends, buffy, wonderyears, happydays, seinfeld, housemd, theoffice, homeimprovement, undressed, sportsnight, simpsons

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3 comments

  1. Dread Pirate Benjamin 1

    1 November 2007 07:18am UTC

    It's a strange thing about lists. As soon as I make one I want to change it.

  2. Steve the Interloper 83

    1 November 2007 10:32pm UTC

    Oh Freaks and Geeks. I love that show. "Go for superstud, Sam!"

    *sigh*

  3. Sailing Master Keri 40

    2 November 2007 01:55am UTC

    Here is my top five list (note: these are my Favorite tv shows, some of which I've chosen purely for sentimental reasons, and aren't necessarily what I consider to be the Best tv shows):

    1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    2. Felicity
    3. Sex and the City
    4. Freaks and Geeks
    5. Arrested Development

    Honorable Mentions: Seinfeld, the first season of Dawson's Creek (anyone who would include the entire, painful series of Dawson's Creek on their top 5 list is crazy), and the first season of The Office

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