Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

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englishozzy
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by englishozzy »

Hayley's No.13

Heroes (2006-2010)

An American science-fiction drama about a group of people who inherit extraordinary abilities and their fight to save the Earth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS3dEFX1 ... re=related
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BanksIsDaFuture
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by BanksIsDaFuture »

W wrote:I'm going to mention one that would've made my list in the 20's somewhere but I forgot about it. It's the World Series of Pop Culture which, I believe, is the only decent show to be on VH1 since Pop Up Video and some of the Behind the Musics in the '90's. It ran two years in 2006 and 2007 and consisted of teams of 3 where each team would have a member play after they heard the category. There were six questions on the subject then a tiebreaker in each round. If you lost the round, that player is out. It was pretty much the ultimate bar trivia and all the teams were named after pop culture.
I hope everyday that somebody will bring this show back. I loved it.
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Leestu
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by Leestu »

15. M*A*S*H (1972-1983)

One of the few shows I watched while growing up that I still like today. This show was a Sunday night staple for me for many years. It delicately balances some not so delicate humour with a message in an unlikely setting for a comedy - the Korean War. For a comedy it had some incredibly moving episodes too. I will never forget the last episodes of a few of the main characters. It was some of the most moving TV I have ever seen in any show, let alone a comedy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHg8-3wr ... ure=fvwrel

14. Fawlty Towers (1975 &1979)

A classic British comedy.




13. Firefly (2002)

Why did this show only get one season? Everything was quality, the humour within the drama and action, great acting and chemistry, and truly likeable characters. There may ony be fourteen episodes but they are fourteen brilliant episodes that can be enjoyed many times over, and believe me I have.


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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by Buscemi »

Day 16: Seinfeld (1989-1998, NBC)

They called it a show about nothing but there were plenty of laughs and great characters. Kramer was probably the best of the characters but they were all excellent. The final episode was very weak though compared to most of the episodes.

Everything on this post is strictly the opinion and only the opinion of Buscemi.

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NSpan
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by NSpan »

Show #14
NSpan

30 Rock (2006 - 2011, NBC)



This show might've actually ranked higher on my list if it weren't for the lackluster season five. That might be unfair, as all good shows come to an end... but it definitely left a bad taste in my mouth that hasn't had time to dissipate. Nonetheless:

30 Rock makes for an interesting case-study in what qualifies as "intellectual" humor. The show has been praised by many as one of the smartest comedies on TV today. While I agree with the critical consensus that 30 Rock IS a "smart" show--unlike, for example, Family Guy which is constantly lambasted for its lazy writing (as evidenced by a heavy reliance on cutaway gags and flashback humor). But if you actually pay attention to how 30 Rock dishes out humor, you might notice a few similarities between it and its humor-for-the-masses rivals. 30 Rock utilizes the cutaway constantly, entire episodes have revolved around a single gimmick, and there is no shortage of silly, shallow, or even scatological jokes. Tangentially, earlier in the countdown, I referred to The Sarah Silverman Program as brilliant. And that's one of the most juvenile shows I've ever seen. So what's the difference between low-brow and high-brow TV comedy? What makes 30 Rock stand out? I think the line is a bit blurrier than most critics would have you believe. That said, we can probably agree on a few basic guidelines.

(1) Pop-culture references aren't inherently funny. You can make an extremely effective joke out of a pop-culture reference, but the humor doesn't stem from the reference alone. The Scary Movie franchise, for example, uses over-the-top characters to poorly recreate scenes from popular movies. No actual joke is added; no commentary is made. That isn't satire--it isn't anything. But people love nostalgia, and we all enjoy "getting" a reference. That sole phenomenon is what allowed Scary Movie to spawn several sequels.

(2) Random doesn't always equal funny. Doing something unexpected takes very little creativity. But managing to catch the audience off-guard elicits a response. Horrible videos on YouTube have millions of hits, some of Adult Swim's lesser programming sees good ratings, and internet-humor in general successfully caters to the lowest common denominator. The thrill of the unexpected is effective--as evidenced by those examples. But random-for-the-sake-of-random falls flat after your first viewing. Comedy shouldn't come in single-servings. The best comedy stands the test of time and can be revisited over and over.

(3) Dragging a joke out so long that it ceases to be funny, only to drag it out further, does not guarantee that the joke will come full-circle back to being funny again. Awkward humor can be great. Making light of uncomfortable situations can produce great laughs. But it should never be assumed that every joke can be given new life through awkward pauses or bland repetition. And an over-reliance on that style of humor can be indicative of a writer who is running out of ideas (See: Gentlemen Broncos... or, rather, don't).


"Smart comedy" (if there is such a thing) is self-aware. It says something, even when what its saying is self-referential. It may employ silly and simplistic humor, but it does so in a greater context. References are used as satire, parody, or to illustrate commentary. Both random and awkward styles of comedy are used sparingly or simply when appropriate. A man being hit in the groin with a football isn't smart humor, but when a short film depicting that very scene wins the Springfield Film Festival in an episode of the Simpsons, the humor develops a new layer and actually says something about the current state of comedy.

Classifying television shows as "intellectual" or not is almost certainly a fool's errand. Nonetheless, I think 30 Rock is a fantastic show and worthy of being categorized as smart comedy. That said, there is no deeper meaning behind Tracy Morgan running down a busy freeway in his underwear while yielding a light-sabre and shouting, "I am a Jedi!" It's just funny.
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by NSpan »

Buscemi wrote:Day 16: Seinfeld (1989-1998, NBC)

The final episode was very weak though compared to most of the episodes.
I think that (on paper at least) the concept was perfect. The show spent nine seasons depending on protagonists who were amoral, selfish, and lazy. This was addressed here and there, but most of the humor relied on those unwavering character traits. How perfectly fitting that nine years of ethical ambivalence would land these characters sequestered from society. And, best of all, it's revealed that how they spend their time in prison is identical to how they spent their time in the outside world. It's supposedly a "show about nothing," but it's also a show about doing nothing.

And don't get me wrong: the conclusion was not some form of Larry David defending, explaining, or apologizing for his creations. The karmic retribution presented in the finale was extremely unrepentant and executed in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Larry David is no Alan Alda... thank God.
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by Buscemi »

But after all that build-up, that was the best they could come up with? Now Larry David is a fantastic writer, but 1998 was not a good year for the man (this was also the year he gave us the awful Sour Grapes).
Everything on this post is strictly the opinion and only the opinion of Buscemi.

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undeadmonkey
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by undeadmonkey »

Show #12




undeadmonkey

The Mentalist (2008-Present, CBS)

premise: The Mentalist follows Simon Baker as Patrick Jane, an independent consultant for a fictionalised version of the California Bureau of Investigation.

Patrick Jane formerly had a lucrative career as a con man, successfully posing as a psychic medium and enjoying near-celebrity status. He appeared on television to claim that his paranormal abilities helped the police profile a serial killer named Red John. Red John, angered by the perceived slight, murdered Jane's wife and young daughter in revenge. Jane subsequently abandoned his job as a psychic and teamed up with the CBI, using his skills to help them solve various crimes. His main focus is on the cases involving Red John or Red John copycats. He admits to faking the supernatural aspects of his skills, often asserting that "there's no such thing as psychics", yet he has finely honed skills in cold reading, hypnotism, and pickpocketing, as well as powerful observational skill and a deep insight into the human psyche and behavior.

Although not an officer of the law of any sort, he uses skills to help a team of CBI agents solve various crimes, with the hope of one day bringing Red John, the murderer of his wife and daughter to justice.


This is the youngest show on my list. I know it might be a bit premature, but as of this moment, i love this show. Yes, it is another cop procedural, but i think it is different from anything on tv right now. i don't watch any other cop procedurals because i don't like them, hopefully that's enough to show that there is something different about it. The best comparison would be a mix between Psych and Sherlock Holmes. The writing is clever and always well executed, if you pay attention you can figure out who the killer is. 95% percent of the episodes are standalone episodes. the only overarching story lines are Patrick Jane's search to find his wife and daughter's murderer and a few love story arcs.

The main cast is great and has very good chemistry. Amanda Reghitti is a personal favorite actress of mine. there is also a very good cast of supporting characters. The episodes never get overbearing, there are enough light moments so that you can just enjoy an hour of tv entertainment and forget about your long day of work and worries. Here are a few short scenes to kind of get the tone of the series.










numbersix

Brass Eye (1997 and 2001, Channel 4)



The Day Today was an excellent spoof news show, but co-creator Chris Morris upped the ante with this Channel 4 show. Again, it’s a news spoof that parodies itself on every level, form the graphics to the way of presentation, and especially its subject matter. The hysteria of newspapers and especially TV networks like Fox and Sky News were obliterated by the straight-faced gags.

The 2001 special on paedophiles was absolute genius, getting known British celebrities to say the stupidest things about the topic, as they thought it was some valuable information. Needless to say, it received a ridiculous amount of complaints, not to mention tabloid backlash which only proved the point of the show. Trust me, watch this clip, it’s amazing.

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NSpan
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by NSpan »

Monkey, can we do a recap of #25 through #16 divided by contributor?

From there, we could do #15 through #6 recaps... and, finally, a #5 to #1 countdown AND recap.

Whatd'ya think? I'd love to comment more on people's lists, but--as you know--the state of the current thread is a bit chaotic.

I don't think you'll ever get complete lists from all of the participants. So I think the solution is an easy-to-read breakdown of each ReedSociety member's list. From there, we can easily find an aggregate system of ranking the "all-time best" of the BBS formerly known as "The Fantaverse" and even more formerly known as "Movie Moguls."
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undeadmonkey
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by undeadmonkey »

yea, that was my plan, only difference is i was going to do a 25-11 and then a top 10 countdown and recap, but your way works too.


and i agree, the way it is now with everyone posting at different times, it's near impossible to comment on everything.

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numbersix
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by numbersix »

30 Rock: It's funny, but I think that show commits two of the comedy crimes you listed (cultural reference not being inherently funny, random isn't always funny), and I've been underwhelmed by it. The only part that's good is whatever comes out of Alec Baldwin's mouth. The rest ranges from predictable to boring. Tracey is the typical Kramer character, and I think Fey is too much in love with her own character to really blow me away. It's likea mix between Arrested Development and Scrubs, and only one part of that is worth watching.
Last edited by numbersix on July 20th, 2011, 4:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by numbersix »

Growing Pains: Never liked it
Twilight Zone, Fawlty Towers and Police Squad: Classics
Star Trek: Not my thing, but Will Shatner does amuse me
Night Court: Never heard of it
Scrubs: Ugh. What do you mean it deals with serious subjects? It trivialises them intomaudlin moments and usually follows up with a soft punchline. It's a comedy that also thinks it's a deep drama and it falls flat on both counts. Kinda like that terrible movie Garden State
Mr Show: Need to check this out
Anamaniacs: A clever cartoon, very postmodern. I remember they once subtely satirised Friends for being so racially homogenous.
The Office (US, I should add): Had some moments, but is now awful. Not a patch on the original
How i Met Your Mother: Seens bits and it never drew me in
Noel's House Party: The Gotchas were the only fun part
Will and Grace: It was OK. I respected them for doing a few live episodes
Heroes: One decent season doesn't justify another 3 awful ones
M*A*S*H: Never had the pleasure to watch it properly
Firefly: Saw one or two episodes, but I have to say I wasn't engaged, and I'm a Buffy fan! The movies was ok, though
Seinfeld: Excellent show. I loved the last episode, and totally agree with what NSpan said. I think there are some poor episodes in Seasons 8 and 9.
The Mentalist: Saw a few episodes, and I hate these kind of detective mystery shows. Their episodic nature often makes it rambling and pointless, and I found the protagonist's powers of deduction to be ridiculous.

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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by Chienfantome »

Pffff... I can't believe I didn't join this countdown. I couldn't find time to come up with mine, it's been too quick.
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numbersix
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by numbersix »

For your viewing pleasure, my recap is:

25. Countdown (1982-present, Channel 4 UK)
24. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003, WB/UPN)
23. South Park (1997 – present, Comedy Central)
22. The Fast Show (1994-1997, BBC1)
21. Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job (2007-2010, Adult Swim)
20. Alternative Nation (mid 90’s - 1997, MTV UK)
19. I’m Alan Partridge / Knowing Me, Knowing You (1994, 1997, 2002, BBC 2)
18. Quantum Leap (1989 – 1993, NBC)
17. Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974, BBC)
16. Breaking Bad (2008 – present, AMC)

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Chienfantome
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Re: Top 25 Favorite TV Shows

Post by Chienfantome »

I guess I'll try and at least make a list of mine next month when I'll have time to do so.
Out of yours, South Park and Quantum Leap are among my favourite shows as well. I 've seen a few Buffy episodes but never got hooked by it, and the others, I've never seen, or some or even heard of.
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