Pick the best TV series ever (but please defend your answer)

This is an invitation:

Please name what you think is the best series in the history of television until today.

But please play by one rule: You must provide some kind of defense of your choice.

Sociopolitical as well as artistic reasons for your answer are acceptable.

Anti-TV rants are also fair game.

I'll take my turn in the replies.

Just because it was so original and weird.

Some really weird stuff in that flick, and some really beautiful scenes too.

the revving of the car at the stop light....but yes, as usual, David Lynch puts all sorts of emotions in.

Did you see Inland Empire? Now that is one incredibly horrifying flick!

I'll add it to my nexflix que.

I'm trying to find an affordable copy of the Twin Peaks gold box (complete series). It includes the never-before-available in region 1 pilot episode.

n/t

Sorry.

There are a handful of things that seem very early 90's... everything else is 80's, 70's, 60's, 50's, or 40's.

Might as well just ask the mods to delete this now that we have the final and correct answer!

Thank you for your support.

And I support your OP, that's why I answered AND rec'd.

Still good after all these years.

The predecessor of an entire genre of tv, not to mention longevity or anti-Fox rhetoric.

What amazes me about that show is that it's been on as long as it has, and it still remains funny. I guess it's because they often go to current events for their humor.

Just 'cuz.

and moral issues than any series. They also addressed interpersonal and even management issues.

1) The original series was probably the most popular series in the history of television: After running a mere 3 seasons it spawned a culture of Trekkies, 6 movies, (or 7, depending on whether you count Generations as a TOS movie) and 4 spin off series (albeit beginning 20 years later)

2) Touched on many relevant socio-political issues.

3) Ever notice that when someone tells you he loves Star Wars but hates Star Trek, you usually learn he's a Republican? You know you're onto something when the conservatives hate it.

Remarkable acting, creative use of music, plot twists and turns, lots of heart, quirky, episodes raced by.....and a superb final episode that wrapped it all up beautifully! We miss it, still.

Close second - The Sopranos.

I love Six Feet Under

... it got wierd with the brain tumor and the semi-incestous siblings, and for some reason unknown to me I cannot stand Rachel Griffiths, but without a doubt, the first 2 seasons were awesome.

We waited until it got to Netflix and watched it all Marathon style. Just gripping! And again, I can't understate their great use of music (any series that fits Radiohead into an episode wins with me!)

I've wasted a lot of hours before the television and can say with some certainty that Six Feet Under is the best show I've had the privilege of watching. If you haven't seen it, put it on your netflix list, or better yet, pick it up from your local library. Watch the first two episodes and you will be hooked for the duration of the series.

I borrowed the first DVD from the local library.

I was already a fan of Dexter (Michael C. Hall), but I had never seen Six Feet Under. In Dexter, there are a couple of great actors, some good actors, and some mediocre actors. But the acting is all great in Six Feet Under.

Plus, I appreciate that just in the first 3 episodes I've seen, 3 of the main characters are very attractive men in their 30s (Nate, Dave, and his boyfriend). That keeps me glued to the set.

All of the above, plus for me this show ran through a defining time in my life, so I love it even more. Although it does bring back some painful memories when I watch it now...

My wife would say 90210 cause second cousin stars on the show..... I watch it, but not crazy about it. Oh, and will add that I really liked "All in the Family" when it was running.

WTF? Please tell me that's not so.

Gritty,funny,fantastic cast.

The one with Lily Tomlin was as good as it gets.

Andre Brauger is one of the best actors ... ever.
Great writing too.

over and over again. Great stories, great characters, great actors, great dialog, just a fantastic show all round.

im happy a few of us DU'ers remember this great show.

For all the reasons you state.

Socially it was way ahead of its time.

More recently, Burn Notice. Smart, technically adept and entertaining as hell.

Replace "Nixon" with "Bush" and it would still be relevant despite the hairstyles, etc.

I can think of any number of classic comedies that could be considered as "the best": I Love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke Show, Phil Silvers Show, The Honeymooners, Leave It to Beaver, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and even that politically incorrect, mostly unseen show, Amos 'n' Andy.

Unbelievable writing, ahead of its time (agree), great cast (love the 1st Lionel & Carroll O'Connor was awesome).

The genius of Norman Lear. And look how influential it was, how many other shows it spun off.

(My 2nd fave is The Larry Sanders show - more great writing.)

mostly because it was SO FUCKING COOL.

http://members.fortunecity.com/srwood/oca.html

El gran juego de la oca is an action-packed tournament held weekly in Madrid, Spain. Four very brave contestants compete each week, trying to accomplish dangerous stunts and challenges hoping to win money and impress the gorgeous girls (and there are LOTS OF THEM!) or muscular men that hang out around the arena. Each week's winners advance to the semifinals which take place during the show's final month, then those winners move on to the finals to determine the supreme champion of the original 128 competitors. No one is voted off, and no one can help or hinder another's progress. A contestant's success or lack thereof is determined by his ability to conquer the elements of the game itself, smart betting, and ultimately the luck of the dice. From explosives to dangerous animals to underwater perils, this show is not for the faint-hearted.

It takes three people to host a show of El gran juego de la oca's caliber, and occasionally celebrities from Spain appear as guest hosts and/or participants. Also, stuntmen, magicians, and Guinness world record holders (which this show has turned contestants into!) from both Spanish and English-speaking countries perform on the show. Click here to read more about the show's various personalities. There were three seasons of El gran juego de la oca, each with their own hosts and characteristics; this website will focus on the first two seasons.

GENERAL PROCEDURE: El gran juego de la oca is based on Juego de la oca, a traditional board game played in many Spanish-speaking countries. The set is a giant 63-space human board game that covers the entire perimeter of a large arena. A swimming pool is located in the center, along with various shortcuts, obstacles, and perils.


A map showing the board layout during the show's first season. The spaces the contestants are currently on are highlighted.

Each player points his remote control at the camera to "roll" the two dice. For every space he walks, he receives 10,000 pesetas (the pre-Euro Spanish currency; 10,000 pesetas were equivalent to about 80 American dollars at the time of the show's recording.)


A contestant rolls the dice. "¡Tira los dados!"

After landing on the space designated by the roll, one of the three hosts will explain to him (or her) a prueba (mission) that he must complete, either in a certain time limit or percentagewise. The contestant bids, in increments of 10,000 pesetas, on how he thinks he will do. If he successfully completes the prueba, he receives that much money, but if he fails, he loses the money. The stunts used on this show are particularly bizarre, from souped-up Double Dare-type stunts to somewhat risque challenges (ex. unchaining a scantily-clad model from an exploding bed) to very complex challenges of Fear Factor nature.

Click here to see what kind of spaces a contestant can land on, and here to take a look at some of the favorite challenges from the show.

If time grows short, the game goes into Tirada Rápida (fast roll) mode. From the point Danny the Judge announces the Tirada Rápida until the end of the game, the contestants roll the dice and do not compete in any pruebas. This always takes place after the final commercial and usually takes about three minutes.

WINNING: Just as in the board game, the first person to get to space #63 by exact count (or by landing on #54 - the final Oca) wins. If he rolls a number that exceeds the remaining number of spaces, he must go backwards the remaining number of spaces. After the contestant reaches #63, however, the game is not over yet! Not by a longshot! After a contestant has won the upfront game, he is given a special mission, the Reoca, that he must complete to win a car (a Volvo.) He has one week, and the whole thing is taped and viewed in a ten-minute segment at the beginning of the next show. Usually he is sent to complete a task at some sporting event, but sometimes he is sent to to other cities (or Portugal, or the U.S.!) to do his job. If he succeeds, he wins the car. If he fails, he wins nothing. There was only one instance during the initial season where a contestant did not win his car...

I loves me some thought-provoking science.

Because of the one episode when Blythe Danner (her character) appeared and caused Hawkeye to become totally flustered and loose his normally suave, seductive way with women.

M.A.S.H. was brilliant, and I still quote things from that wonderful series.

It wasn't what I chose for this thread, but there is no arguing that it was a brilliant series, and did much good for this society.

And, that episode that you mentioned was GREAT!

One of the few series that got better with age. One thing I love is the way they kept replacing exiting characters with more interesting, complex characters.
Plus, they weren't afraid to try new things, such as:

An episode where only one character has any dialog
Shooting an entire episode from the first-person perspective of a patient
A black and white "documentary" about the unit
The first use of "Son-of-a-bitch" on network T.V.
An episode taking place in real time, as the characters race to save a patient's life
The first feature-length series finale

Not to mention balancing humor and drama so well, and presenting the horrors of war in a way that was not traumatic to the audience.

From beginning to end, I found it riveting. The characters were good, the actors were good and the writing was impeccable.

...for the 8 years of the Bush Administration I watched West Wing & pretended Bartlet was my President... (wish I could say I was kidding)

For exactly those reasons. Plus the characters were idealistic, for the most part, but human and therefore flawed.
Edit: Boston Legal, second choice.

What I really appreciated, in addition to the excellent writing, was that it didn't dumb down the script. It gave you a behind the scenes look into the White House and didn't talk down to you. The actors were incredible in their ability to bring that script to life. They had to be because sometimes the dialog was extremely fast and exacting, like a dance or acrobatic performance where it is imperative that everyone hit their mark with perfection. One of the best casts ever assembled. They and the writers pulled off so beautifully one of the most intelligent series ever.



ETA: Except for PBS, I've stopped watching TV since. Everything else is geared to numbing the minds of the masses.

It always leaves me feeling better about myself, my country, and the world..and if it was an episode that ended on a dark note; you always feel as if you could be involved in doing something about it. Deep and well written; it blows anything on tv today out of the water..for me,at least.

I was pretty happy with Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip too...but of course, I would be.

There are a couple of episodes the real Whitehouse would do well to watch.

(I think the show suffered when Sorkin left)

From the front.

Also, it spawned the era of fantastic hour long cable dramas we now enjoy.

FANTASTIC acting and writing ... and of course, Chris Meloni nekkid!

I loved it as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Man


meaningful

My favorite episode was when Bronowski showed how the Pythagorean Theorem was derived.

My favorite episode is "Knowledge or Certainty" which ends with Bronowski's walking into the crematoria effluent pool at Auschwitz and reminding us by dipping his hand in and showing us the muck that "we have to touch people". What other written TV moment has been so powerful?

The answer is the Sopranos!

is Northern Exposure. Why? It made me laugh.

Watched it in reruns for a long time. Would like to find a used boxed-set.

It was a fun show.....quirky is a good description.

Because it was the best, that's why.

"he sits so tall in the saddle!"

I have never been more glued to the tube and anxious for each new installment - I would make special treats and snacks to watch it with......



We recorded and burned all the episodes.

I plan on watching the whole thing again this summer.

See below.

I'm getting the blu-ray soon. Can't wait to watch.

It reminded me of a "retrospective episode" including "deleted scenes"... But, it's worth watching, and the blu-ray version should be fun... I read there is an easter egg that will drive fans of the old series "ape shit." I bought the iTunes version... So, no easter egg for me.

I posted at the wrong level.. My bad.

I'll probably order it soon so I can watch it next weekend.


I miss Battlestar on Friday nights!

1) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (should be a tween show, but was SO much more than that if you can get past the first season)

2) Battlestar Galactica (I don't understand why some people hated the finale.. I loved it)

3) Lost (this could move up depending on the final season, but even if the final season sucks, it's earned its place in my top 3)



-also love "Six Feet Under", which has been mentioned quite a bit in this thread, but it's just in my top 10 (it IS my favorite season finale of all time).

They discussed social and political topics on that show that no other mainstream show was discussing at this time. The show on suicide bombing was particullarly eerie because it was the characters you love doing the bombing.

Right now I pick "The Twilight Zone" for that honor. It was a groundbreaking series in that it tackled serious issues in a fantasy/sci-fi format.

Rod Serling was arguably television's greatest screenwriter.

It was the beginning of a whole new TV form....and was the starting point for many, many actors.

Every single episode is a classic.

The other day I was discussing it with a friend..We tried to name the 10 best episodes...but when we had gotten thru about 20, we stopped and realized they were ALL excellent.

I just love that show; I have loved it ever since it first ran and I was a little kid.

Everyone in town was there because they wanted to be there, was accepted by the town, and nobody wanted to change anyone - they were happy with the ways thing are and with the way people are. They all had their quirks, but hey, who doesn't?

to think about.

And "The Last Supper Club" episode still cracks me up! That, and Ruth Ann dancing on her own grave!

"Everyone in town was there because they wanted to be there..."

Well, almost everyone.

and just didn't know it.

There were layers of wonderfulness in NoEx.

was touted as a great tool for education. Programs such as this one made a nice stab at it, but everything went down the tubes, so to speak, with sitcoms such as Gilligan and Three's Company.

Now, my house is teevee free, and we watch old stuff - just finished Exodus that Miz O picked up from the library today.

It use to stop me in my tracks on Saturday mornings - that voice - YOU ARE THERE, and wonder is it really happening again right now
But, really, when teevee first started??? We're not that old.

could take out, take them to the drug store, use their tube tester, and buy a new tube right there.

Or buy a sorta green tinted piece of plastic to put on the front to pretend you had a color picture.

And Howdy Doody with Princess Summer-Fall-WInter-Spring.

You really have to be OLD to remember the Walter Cronkite program "The Twentieth Century" which I remember seeing around 1956. Then me moved up north, where there was no TV. When I came back to "civilization" The Twentieth Century was no longer on Canadian television anyway.

but I DO remember The Twentieth Century and the sequel of sorts, The 21st Century.

They showed us that in school on real film in lively black and white in the 60s.