top 5, or so, tv

My posting a top 5 movies list caused a little bit of wonderment about my top 5 all time tv shows… The thought of picking 5 was a little daunting, but Entertainment Weekly recently did a special episode on “The New Classics” which listed some modern faves in all the mediums so it got me thinking about this again. And then I stopped because I just couldn’t do it.  

Once I realized I just couldn’t do it, I did it, but instead of top 5 what I’ve done is cheated just a little:

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer – This show brought together both the fun cheesiness of a teen show with real intelligence and drama all wrapped up with monsters, delightful verbal quips, a strong lead, and an excellent supporting cast, but creator Joss Whedon kept things up in making spinoff show Angel a great show unto itself, and in short lived Firefly he gave us great characters in a space western creating yet another intriguing version of reality, these three might each be in a real top 5.
• Gilmore Girls/Veronica Mars – If Joss and Buffy get number one then I’ll share this second spot with my other favorite sassy gals, these two shows differ in tone but bring me more of the gals with humor and heart, the Gilmores add a crazy quirky supporting cast to its family drama whilst Veronica gets herself into crazy criminal messes while helping out PI dad or working on her own.
• Beverly Hills, 90210 – Now I was a little torn on including any shows that I didn’t dig the whole of them but 90210 tops the category of the soapy shows that are delightful until they’ve done it all, and then they just can’t help but keep going, anything after Brenda left for me is a disappointment but when this show was paired with Melrose Place it was the best night on tv, and along those lines I also dug The OC when it mixed super fast unfolding of crazy drama with its self aware humor.
• Sopranos – This show gets the nod for the cable invasion of quality dramas followed closely by Six Feet Under, having support to push things from content to characters to the way the stories unfolded it drew people in, though I’m really just still catching up on those that others tout including things like The Wire and Battlestar Gallactica.
• MacGyver – If you’re still with me this is where I might lose you but this is the tops in what I’m considering the nostalgic category, I just love macgyver and his ability to get out any situation, other shows that I remember with a grin are Wild Wild West, Kung Fu, and the original Star Trek. 

And because great television is not in the hour format alone I’ve done another group of half hour shows for that extra comedic value:

• Friends/Seinfeld – Not sure these need much explanation and they’re never not on in syndication, Seinfeld made you laugh whether original or stupid or unlikable in the show about nothing, whilst the friends grew into characters that made you wonder from week to week who you liked the most, you don’t need a really good premise to have good funny just good writing and good characters and they made the perfect comedy block.
• MASH – I catch this in reruns now and again and am still impressed by their ability to create such different moods and tell such different stories that still ring true today, whether dramatic or silly it was great even with all the versions of the cast.
• Mary Tyler Moore – I have to admit I saw an Oprah reunion of this recently and just remember how much we all loved Mary, if not because of, despite what a great gal she was, also in the nostalgic category I’d throw Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, and Soap.
• Sex and the City – I really don’t know that it was the no holds barred sex talk on this show that made it what it was, this was a side of chicks and dating and of course new york that was as unrealistic as it was realistic but these potentially cookie cutter stereotypes became real people and still made us laugh as they dealt with issue after romantic issue with a heavy dose of fashion.
• And in my later nostalgic category I’ll add the family gems, different sensibilities but funny nonetheless: Cosby, Roseanne, and Family Ties.

I’m sure I’m forgetting something that was dear to me throughout the years, besides Sesame Street which just didn’t seem appropriate on this list, and I might make this list a little differently each time I did it. Since I’m not including any current television I may have to update this in a few years anyhow. Other good lists include Time’s 100 Best TV Shows and Pop Matters The Best of TV on DVD.

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