Okay, just watched the finale of “Jane the Virgin” and cried my little eyes out. Said goodbye to so many terrific shows this year. Inspired me to create a list. I like to call it “Best TV Shows Ever”. It seriously bugs me that awards shows focus on dramas. Comedies, Sci-fi shows, etc., are often left out. Half-hour shows? Fuggedaboutit. Network representation is also uneven. First, it was all the big three, now it is all premium cable like HBO. Open cable networks like FX may get nods, but rarely win. So, here’s my take to balance the scale.
In my humble opinion, what makes the cut?
Shows which broke the mold in some way.
Shows which were consistently good, even smart, from top to bottom --
writing, casting, directing, acting, production values. Also, no paid
premium cable ‘cuz that’s for elitists.
If you have to pay a bunch of money to watch it then it ain’t real TV (I
know, this will tick folks off, but that’s my take). Lastly, no so-called
reality shows, so no “Survivor” etc.
Because of these “rules” a lot of great shows
don’t make the cut. “This Is Us”?
Great show but basically “Parenthood” with a multi-racial,
multi-timeline twist. “Colombo”?
Love, love, love the character but the show was hugely formulaic and
typical of the era -- no new ground. The 1960s “Batman”? Fun, different, but not really a pinnacle of
quality. So, no. Every Star Trek. Okay, some of my favorite shows, ever, but
no, they don’t make the list as quality was fairly uneven. The first
series was sold as “Wagon Train” in space and Gene Roddenberry basically used
that to sell his leftist politics hidden under Sci-Fi tropes. They made a point but didn’t change the
medium (IMHO). (That being said, “Star Trek: Discovery” may break the
mold. First season was outstanding from
beginning to end).
And that’s the bottom line -- this is my
list. It’s highly subjective and you may not agree. In which case, make your own list. ;--}
“All in the Family” As a recent attempt to recreate the show proved, the actors
really made it what it was but the writing also holds up. A comedy about
a bigot? It worked. It worked because of Caroll O’Connor, Jean
Stapleton, Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, along with a host of other notable
cast members who humanized characters who could have been
two-dimensional. It worked because of Norman Lear, who somehow kept it on
the fine wire between being shallow or being obnoxious. Norman Lear did something no one had ever
seen before and then replicated it.
Archie Bunker spewed hate but was delightfully challenged in episode
after episode. We kept coming back, either because we hated him or loved
him. It may have been the first time in
history that a half-hour show had people around the country arguing over the
dinner table, and it gave birth to a host of successful spin-offs which
continued to challenge our idea of blacks, hispanics and women. We need a
show like this today, but no one seems able to find the alchemy which made it
work the first time round.
“M*A*S*H*”
Never before had a show blended comedy and drama in such an integrated
way. That, and they did it in half an hour. Without this, there would be no “Scrubs”, no
“Mom”. The show wasn’t perfect.
Initial attempts to replicate the irreverent tone of the film gave way
to a show which had us laughing and then crying, the turns of emotion made in
an instant. A commentary on humanity and war it is still infinitely
watchable today, if for nothing other than the stellar, award-winning
performances.
“Barney Miller” Early episodes tried to blend the family with the
office. That was quickly discarded and it became a single set show about
cops which could only be described as “quirky”. There was little action
and while it was listed as a comedy it clearly had dramatic elements. Subtle yet current in its assessment of the
politics around it the show had an authenticity reflected by a host of
characters who felt palpably real. The show said that our world is not
full of skinny pretty people and resolutions are often more grey than black and
white. It didn’t feel ground-breaking
but watching it evoked a sense of connection to our daily lives. In many ways, this show made “Night Court”
possible.
“Soap” Preceded by “Mary
Hartman, Mary Hartman” this parody of soap operas confronted the modern age
with a kind of honesty which was downright uncomfortable at times. It
clothed the revelations in the ridiculous storylines but the incredible cast
was able to ground the silly into painful reality.
“In Living Color” A sketch show which far excelled “Saturday Night Live” in
consistent quality. The Wayans brothers broke a lot of boundaries in
creating this show and made us think as well as laugh. It said, clearly,
that a person’s color had little to do with who they are.
“Golden Girls”
Yes, older women exist. And have lives.
Even sexual lives. Portrayed by some of the best ladies of film
this show never failed to delight, and challenge. “Sex in the City”
wouldn’t have existed if not for this forthright tale of women friends who
bared it all.
“Twin Peaks” Weird.
Bizarre. At times unintelligible. And absolutely, positively
nothing else like it on television, before or since. You simply had to
come back each week and sit in front of the TV to say “Whaaaaat???” The
“Psych” parody was delightful and “Stranger Things”, in a way, owes a bit of a
nod to this really odd show.
“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” It wasn’t particularly unique. It was basically a
soapy romance set in the 1800s, but it stood out. First of all, the lead
was a woman, and she wasn’t always likeable.
Second, it was a packed through-line. A single episode clocked in
under an hour but sometimes told three or four stories. Lighting, costuming, every element of the show
was very well-done. Besides which, this show built on the success of “La
Femme Nikita”, paving the way for “Xena”, “Star Trek Voyager”, “Dark Angel”,
“Charmed” and “Veronica Mars”. The message of the 90s was simple -- women
really can carry a show.
“Buffy, the Vampire Slayer”, “Firefly” Joss Whedon may have his picadillos but he is simply one of
the best storytellers of the modern age. He infuses familiar themes with
rich dialog and a complex balance of styles.
Some would say he is a modern Shakespeare. The tales were old but
the presentation unique and fresh. Put
simply these far-out tales somehow speak to us in a very personal way.
“West Wing”
Okay, it’s basically a liberal wet dream but the writing is smart, really
smart, and the cast was stupendous. (The direction and cinematography
weren’t bad, either). Watch it over and
over (and over) and you will see something new every time. Ending a good
while back it is hauntingly resonant in today’s political times.
“Battlestar Galactica” (remake) The original show was so bad it was good. The
remake, coming shortly after 9/11, discarded the camp, made Starbuck a woman,
and reflected the new world in stark detail. The bad guys had stronger
faith than the good guys and there were real questions about whether our leads
deserved to survive. It wasn’t easy to
watch but it was hard to turn off. Oh, and that drum score made your
heart beat faster through every episode.
This was one of many shows in the early 2000s which had a dramatically
different tone after America suffered through a war which came home. It
painfully reflected a new vulnerability for the most powerful nation on earth
and was one of the first to show anti-heroes as protagonists, a theme which
continued with “The Sopranos”, “Dexter”, “Breaking Bad” and more.
“The Big Bang Theory” A silly little comedy which was watched by millions.
Why? A fabulous cast, smart writing, a
lot of heart and yes, that impossible-to-copy alchemy. That being said,
it was the cornerstone of a Chuck Lorre empire.
“Gotham” Beginning
with “Superman” in the 1950s television has never lacked for superhero content,
but this prequel brought things to a new level. The vision of how to
portray origin stories for hugely familiar characters was strong and very much
fulfilled by the creative team, who created a world as rich as anyone could
imagine. Acting was top-shelf from every villain to the young man who
would become Batman. Even good guys like
Jim Gordon had an edge and nothing was clear-cut in this world of moral
morass. It set a bar which few other DC
or Marvel shows have managed to reach.
“Jane the Virgin” Try taking the most beloved format of television from
another country and translating it into an American show which managed to
balance the cheesy factor with real emotions and still honor its Hispanic
roots. They did it with incredible skill and created a show, and
characters, you couldn’t help but love.
It was hugely enjoyable and profoundly important without being preachy. Yes, it was built on what “Ugly Betty” tried
to do but did it just a bit better.
“Life in Pieces” Drawing inspiration from “Love, American Style” this smart
comedy managed, week in and week out, to tell four stories in 30 minutes
(actually in 22 minutes). A stellar cast who managed to bat the
one-liners around more than the balls at Wimbledon. Fast-paced and clever. Part of the trend of smart sitcoms but this
one rose above the rest.
“Mr. Robot” I
had to bail after season two due to the extreme intensity but not because it
isn’t great. It is fricking brilliant.
With the quality of film and shot in ways which honor the most
innovative filmmakers of the 1960s this ground-breaker manages to address the
modern age and seriously mess with your head. The “unreliable narrator”
is hot in this day and age, but no one does it better than in this show. Acting?
Rami Malek. ‘Nuff said.
“Better Things” Like “Seinfeld”, this show is about nothing. But
unlike “Seinfeld” this show is really about everything. It is
slice-of-life stuff. Sometimes funny,
sometimes sad, it mostly just “is” and Pamela Adlon’s deadpan in dealing with
the latest life obstacle while putting one foot in front of the other is hugely
relatable. Low-key yet powerful, it is worth the half-hour to jump in and
get real.
“Pose” Never mind the
highest LGBT casting, ever, for television OR film, the acting is simply
superior and the willingness to look deep into the challenging lives of this
community is not only honest, it’s brave.
Runner-Ups
“Miami Vice” and MTV. Neither progressed with the strength they started
with but both, debuting in the early 80s, completely changed television.
TV became a more visceral, bold, in-your-face medium. Editing speeds ramped up. Good and bad became less clear. Musical scoring began to drive narratives,
creating indelible stories.
Honorable mentions:
- FX for pushing the envelope, and for “The Americans”.
- The BBC for putting the ~entire~ Shakespeare canon on video in the 70s and 80s, bringing his works to the attention of millions. And for “Monty Python”, “Absolutely Fabulous”, “Doctor Who”, “Robin Hood”, “Merlin”, "Orphan Black" and everything else delightfully British. Even the stuff shot in Canada.
- Canada for raising the bar and creating a lot of entertaining shows with real heart.
- USA for making some of the best bro shows ever.
- The CW for making Marvel shows which work (sorry, SyFy).
- Streaming services for “Orange is the New Black”, “Stranger Things”, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Handmaid’s Tale” and changing the face of what television "is" -- for good or bad.
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