Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Top Five TV Shows Of All Time


So my question of the day on Twitter yesterday was "What are your top 5 TV shows of all time?" and I got some very interesting answers. Since I'd like to post both the winners and all the shows that got just one vote, I'm deciding to write it up in a post.

First of all, the shout outs. These shows all only got one vote, but it was such a variety I had to post them all. And get this - no one said Friends. I wouldn't put Friends in my top 10, but it was still interesting to me that none of the people who responded hold Friends in any particular high regard. And only one MASH! And one Star Trek! Anyway, here we go,

Shout-Outs: I Love Lucy, Xena, Angel, Star Trek: TNG, Star Trek: TOS, Carnivale, Californication, Pushing Daisies, Justice League, Night Court, Attack of the Show, Monday Night Raw, MASH, Due South, BJ & the Bear, Misfits Of Science, SWAT, Lone Ranger, Buck Rogers, Twin Peaks, Texaco Star Theater, The Twilight Zone, Meet the Press, Sports Night, Big Bang Theory, My Secret Identity, M.A.N.T.I.S, Kamen Rider Time Trax, Extras, Dick Van Dyke, Veronica Mars, Mad Men, Million Dollar Man, Salvage One, Land of the Lost, Smallville, 24, Daria, Ugly Betty, MST3K, The Simpsons, Law and Order, The Prisoner, Rome, Ed, Cowboy Bebop, Mary Tyler Moore, South park, Chuck, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Original Battlestar Galactica

Anything you're surprised to see on that list? Surprised that anyone said it at all or surprised that it only got one vote? If david had voted, I know Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks & Cowboy Bebop would have been bumped up one place higher. But moving on to the actual list,

Honorable Mentions: Homicide: Life on the Street, Deadwood, X:Men, the Animated Series, Batman: The Animated Series, The Office, Freaks & Geeks, The West Wing, Spaced

One person specified The Office UK, the others didn't pick one way or the other, so I'm just throwing it up there as one whole thing. Pretty eclectic group here, with TWO animated shows about superheroes. Shows that I adore and are happy to see getting some love :). Also one of my personal favorites makes the honorable mention list - Spaced, starring Simon Pegg & Nick Frost and directed by Edgar Wright, all of Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz fame. The show is MADE for geeks. I've seen every episode three times. Once all the way through with the homage-o-meter on, which explains every single reference. It's badass.

5th Place: Quantum Leap/The Wire/Seinfeld/Dr. Who/Slings & Arrows/Price is Right

Probably the only time we'll see The Wire & The Price is Right on a list together. For that matter, I don't know when else we'd see Quantum Leap & Seinfeld on a list together or Dr. Who and the Canadian show about a Shakespearean theater troupe, Slings & Arrows. Odd. But awesome.

4th Place: Six Feet Under/Firefly

Lots of love for these two shows, much more than I was expecting! Six Feet Under I watched on and off throughout its run and I've seen every episode of Firefly... on DVD, I'm sad to say. Sorry, Joss. I'll never betray you again. Can anyone figure out where this list is going yet?

3rd Place: Arrested Development/Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Now THAT'S a twosome I can get behind. One of the funniest, most original comedies ever produced and the show that molded my fragile young middle to high school mind. Glad the Twitterverse agrees with me there.

2nd Place: Lost

A show that hasn't even been completed yet makes the 2nd place spot! I mean, it's definitely one of my all time favorite shows and I have faith that they will manage not to fuck it up in the season and a half we have left. I hope. Please. Please don't fuck it up.

Which leaves only first place, and I think the pick is fairly obvious considering the events of last week...

1st Place: Battlestar Galatica (2003)

Who knows if we will all still have this show on our list a year from now (I mean...I will...it's Battlestar...there's a Starbuck art print on my wall and mini mate Lee is sitting next to my computer...with my mini mate Six and my Starbuck dog tag...okay I may have a problem) but it racked up the most points, just barely edging out Lost for the win. In celebration of BSG's victory, I'm going to take a shower and go to work. Thanks for participating!

6 comments:

david said...

okay okay, here we go. a little late, but better than never? maybe not. i dunno, tv has always been a casual thing for me.


honorable mentions: strangers with candy, neon genesis evangelion, serial experiments: lain, gungrave, kino's journey, twin peaks, space ghost coast 2 coast, west wing, conan (does this count?), the prisoner, bewitched, R.O.D. the TV, the critic, a million other shows i can't think of right now...

and the winners...

twilight zone, futurama / simpsons, cowboy bebop, lost, gilmore girls.

LoquaciousMuse said...

TV has NEVER been a casual thing for me, haha.

but you realize this post was about the results of my question of the day, not my personal list, right? cause that's way too much tv for one person. even me.

david said...

yeah, i was not confused. but i super left MST3K out, oops!

EruditeChick said...

Oh, dude, SO MUCH LOVE for Due South! Yaaaay!

Brendan M. Leonard said...

I completely, COMPLETELY forgot about Homicide. That would have made my top four.

Castling said...

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

I don't twitter so I had to speak up here. Most of my other faves were mentioned which is sweet. And I'm so glad someone said Carnivale!