Xim's Best of TV (Part 1)
I recently found this article I started a while back when we were debating whether this blog should include TV shows as well as films. I am posting it and will write part 2 if I find that anyone likes it and a debate is started on these and other great television series. The article, as written over a year ago, starts now:
Here is a list of what I -personally- think are the best television shows I've seen. Please keep in mind that these choices are my own favorites, not necessarily the classic shows that changed TV forever... just the ones I still can enjoy watching again and again. I have included a few brief comments about each show, too, either a personal anecdote or reason why the show has been held in such high esteem in my mind. So without further ado, here is the list, although in no particular order... I am not clever enough to make the list a countdown to number one!
TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE - A great little anthology series brought to you with help from Zombie Godfather George A. Romero of Dawn of the Dead fame (one of the few horror films I can and have watched many times.) The number of great writers who contributed to this show is only exceeded by The Twilight Zone (also included on this list) and although like most TV shows it was about a 50/50 hit or miss on the quality of the stories being told, it is amazing how good a show it was even though it was produced on a tiny budget. The show includes one of my very favorite opening title sequences... once the beautiful images, creepy music and great narration appeared on my screen late at night, there was no way I could change the channel!
ALL IN THE FAMILY - A classic show for a reason. This boundary pushing series is much more than a 'situation comedy'. Surprising characters and razor-sharp writing presented at a time in American history when good ideas and new awareness collided with the status quo. This is one of the first times many Americans heard stories on TV about prejudice, sex, politics, and class warfare. Many people were drawn into debates with their own families and friends, while being entertained with some of the funniest acting and writing ever in a prime-time series. Still a great and often thought-provoking show even today, 40 years later!
THE PRISONER - Wow. What can I say about this incredible tv show? Well, first, it has become more than just a show: it's a phenomenon that still resonates today, and every time I see it I think it is a miracle that it was ever created. It probably helps that the show was born in the U.K., and that it came out during the build up of the cold war and that stories about spies and espionage had become extremely popular in film, tv, and books (like what comes to mind when you see the numerals 007?) This show is still wildly watchable... just watch the first episode 'Arrival' and then tell yourself that you wont watch the rest of the 17 episodes... impossible I say! It also is still the best location that a TV program was ever filmed in, and it has its footprints all over modern television mysteries such as 'Lost'. A must-see for the uninitiated!
SESAME STREET - This is the definition of a TV show that has helped to change the world. If you are a person who, like me, thinks that popular entertainments can make the world a better place (Beatles anyone?) then Sesame Street is tops. Jim Henson's muppet characters are known world-wide, and the show's themes of friendship, equality, and a love of learning have had a positive impact on the world like no other. Also, the visits by celebrity guests, pop culture parodies, and kaleidoscopic animations on the alphabet and on counting numbers can be as entertaining for the parents as for the children the show is made for... and I find it amazing that this show is still shown five times a week, is an hour long, and has been on the air for over 40 seasons. That is thousands of hours of high-quality, commercial-free programming unmatched anywhere by anyone at anytime. Absolutely amazing. (And I still feel that I have a pal in my furry fuzzy friend Grover!)
TWIN PEAKS - Fans of Twin Peaks love it for the obvious reasons: quirky characters, twisted humor, great locations and mysterious storyline. What many people don't remember is how groundbreaking the show was when it began airing in 1990, and the impact it had on just about every television show that came after. David Lynch brought his unique writing and directing style to the masses and things have never been the same since. Add to this formula some of the most beautiful women ever to grace the small screen and you have one of the most watchable dramas in history. It is unfortunate that the show didn't get a third season to resolve what was supposed to be a cliff-hanging end to the second season, because fans were left with a confusing finale and honestly, the fate of the show deserved better.
MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS - The biggest difference between most American comedies and those of our British cousins is that in England they love to poke fun at themselves. When six young British geniuses and one American one got together to make a sketch comedy show, no one could predict what an impact on the future of funny business it would have. But ask just about anyone in comedy today and the classic Monty Python TV show and the films that followed are beloved like none other. The fact that the series and movies can be endlessly repackaged over and over and over again to old and new fans alike is a testament to the longevity of the beloved Python troupe.
End of Part 1 -Article by XIM