1) the x-files :: hands down, my favorite show of all time. not only are the performances outstanding (highlighted by leads david duchovny and gillian anderson), but each episode is brilliantly written and crafted. the episodes feel more like mini-movies than anything else. the series explores the possibility of a government conspiracy to hide the existence of extra-terrestrial beings and one mans quest to find the truth. WATCH IT NOW.
2) battlestar galactica :: a quick rise to my #2 spot, battlestar galactica, as its creator ron moore states, is a drama first-and-foremost that just happens to be set in space. the acting, writing, and stylistic cinematography of this show put it in a league all its own. the show explores deep religious and spiritual issues as well as provides both riveting relational drama and nail-biting action sequences. you DON'T have to be a sci-fi fan to fall in love with this show. just watch the miniseries and you'll be hooked!
3) the office :: based off of the british show of the same name, the americanized "office" drowns in awkward comedy. steve carrell shines as uber bossman michael scott. he's both endearing and uncomfortable all at that same time. he means well but his inability to be pc or to filter his thoughts often gets him into some trouble. the "fringe" characters are just a delicious. this show is truly an "ensemble show" in every sense of the word. dunder-mifflen can sell me paper any day of the week...and i'm buyin!
4) lost :: you can check out my LOST blog below, but just a bit here, too. i never actually watched this show when it started. (college was hell). i finally got the first two seasons on DVD and blazed threw them. they were like a drug. jj abrahams and damon lindeloff are truly creating something special on television. gillians island meets the twilight zone meets awesome. if you're a skeptic of this show, just watch the "special features" on the first season. even the way this show came together saw somehow a divine process. exploring questions of identity and faith, you'll certainly end up trapped on this deserted island...and won't want to leave.
5) veronica mars :: sadly off the air, this was one of the best "high school" shows i've ever seen. creater rob thomas wrote one of the most interesting (and smart, witty, sassy, and mature) female teens ever on television. the show revolves around veronica mars, a teen sleuth whose father (the former sheriff) is a private detective. in between football games and finals, veronica finds time to do a little detective work herself. it's sad that this show only lasted 3 seasons but the first two seasons are definitely better than the last. in season 3, veronica goes to college and the "feel" of the show isn't quite the same. the other great thing about this show are the other cast members. all interesting and great actors.
6) sex and the city :: ah yes, 6 seasons of extreme estrogen. in addition to the brilliant writing, i think the thing that makes this show show relatable are the distant women. each one of the 4 friends (carrie, charlotte, samantha, and miranda) is so unique and goes on their own separate journeys, making it easy for women everywhere to choose which girl they are! and despite their differences, you really buy that they are all close friends. the laugh, the cry, they talk about sex. another thing that i think fans find refreshing is that they are over 30. it's really nice to see women searching for love and still learning who they are outside of their 20s.
7) seinfeld :: the show about nothing and, thus, the show about EVERYTHING. this show is legendary. the brilliance of this show lies in finding comedy in awkward situations and everyday things. just watch it. please.
8) so you think you can dance :: WAY better than American Idol, SYTYCD is the best "talent" search show on TV. unlike AI (who puts people like Sanjaya and that rocker chick from the 2008 season through to the top 12) SYTYCD has FAR more talented people in their top tier. not only that, but the judges are smart, give constructive criticism, and really give the show a feel of legitimacy. i feel like the judges on AI are just there to be part of the "entertainment." from randy's "dog" catch phrase to paula's looney tunes outbursts, sometimes the AI judges undermine their own "expertise" by just being cra-cra. the dancers on SYTYCD are uber talented and their performances will really make you FEEL the emotion.
9) arrested development :: HEY BROTHER...after only 3 seasons, this critically acclaimed show went off the air but not out of our hearts and minds. from tobias' secert life as a "never nude" to the frozen banana stand, to GOB's magic shows, AD is pure comedy gold. the show centers around an eccentric family whose patriarc is arrested for shady business in real estate development. the family must come together in the "time of crisis" and figure out how to get POP-POP out of the slammer. the brilliance behind this show revolves around the ensemble cast of seeming charicatures that morph into characters thanks to glimpses of heart and humanity, and the docu-style shooting of the show. this show is the ultimate QUIRK fest but it serves up more one-liners than a Sonic server on roller skates.
10) charlie's angels (original series from the 70s) :: this is just good ole fashioned tv. charlie's angels was aaron spelling's creation that literally put the phrase "boob tube" on the map. it's got the girl power of the 90s spice girls mixed with a sprinkle of macgyver's toothpick bomb device and a hint of hillstreet blues meets sex and the city. each episode has the angels off on a new crime, sometimes in exotic locale, always following the deep voice of the unseen charlie. one of more of the angels is always put in harms way but the girls always have each other's backs. there are also nice personal storylines weaved in throughout the series that give each girl an arc of her own.
11) i love lucy :: does this really need any explanation? two words: lucielle ball. she was a PIONEER in comedy, especially for women. her broad phyiscal comedy antics, coupled with her timing made her unresistable to watch. the supporting cast also offers up tons of laughs on this show. but what made this show WORK was having LUCY be the one to put herself in the middle of impossible situations. much like larry david does in the more recent "curb your enthusiasm." we root for her, but laugh the whole time.
12) beverly hills 90210 :: my pre-pubescent years in a box set! brandon's hair that never changed, donna's hair that ALWAYS changed, steve's shirts that buttoned all the way to the top, kelly's romances with the leading men, andrea's 40-year-old high schooler style, dylan's bad boy sex appeal...the list goes on and on. you know a show has affected your life when you cry at the last episode. i remember vividly the day 90210 went off the air for good. i felt like a little part of me died. but, thanks to DVDs, all my peeps are back! i learned so much from this show: how to shoot heroine, what to do if i'm ever raped, how to hide bruises from a boyfriend who pushes me down the stairs, oh the life skills! this show will always hold a special place in my heart. i just hope this new 90210 show doesn't blow. come on CW!
13) the ellen degeneres show :: of all the "talk shows" and "late night shows" around, ellen is hands down my favorite tv host. she's hilarious, has a huge heart, killer dance moves, and really talks WITH the guests. the vibe of her show is fun, fresh, and funky. i hope she keeps on keepin on.
14) saved by the bell :: i can honestly say that i've probably seen every episodes at least twice. and that includes saved by the bell: the college years and excludes the new class (that version sucked). the thing that blows my mind about this show is that it is STILL being played on television today, introducing new generations to the original "friends" cast: zack, kelly, slater, jessie, screech, and lisa turtle. it's fun to see most of these actors still working in the biz, including each time i see dennis haskins (aka mr. belding) waxing his pipes @ dimple's karaoke in burbank every weekend. talk about a show that i equate to my childhood. i watched this show every single day. i wanted to be kelly and i wanted to makeout with zack. when they said there's "no hope with dope," i was there. when jessie took caffiene pills and was "so...so...scared," i was there. when lisa broke her ankle and created the dance craze "the sprain," i was there. i was there for all of that and more. thanks for the memories, old friends!
15) the cosby show :: where's claire huxtable? where's rudy? vanessa? theo? that other sister? (denise?) i LOVED this show. and now, looking back on it, i love it even more for the way it portrayed an affluent african american family at a time when that had never been done on television. bill cosby was the ultimate DAD (an an awesome doctor!). i yearned to be a part of their family. the love was so real, the way the spoke to one another was so honest, and the way the laughed together was so infectious. what i also loved was that the show revolved around the WHOLE family (cousins, parents, grandparents, siblings). it's funny - when i close my eyes i can see the entire layout of that house. the couch right in the center of the room, chairs on each side, the staircase cascading down behind it. the swinging "kitchen door" off to the left, the doc's office in the back right. i just talked myself into buying this show on DVD if it's out. DONE.
**the leftovers: damages, rome, the sopranos, fresh prince of bel air, iconoclasts, man vs wild/survivorman, nip/tuck, weeds
**the leftovers: damages, rome, the sopranos, fresh prince of bel air, iconoclasts, man vs wild/survivorman, nip/tuck, weeds
