This video is hilarious; a great recap of the top show, according to this list:
The E! network is celebrating their 20th year on television, and Kristin Dos Santos, E! Online's resident television correspondent, compiled a list of the 20 greatest TV shows of the last 20 years. The list goes as follows:
1. Lost
2. Friends
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. Alias
5. Felicity
6. Dexter
7. Arrested Development
8. Veronica Mars
9. Seinfeld
10. The Office
11. Modern Family
12. The Daily Show
13. Sex and the City
14. 24
15. Six Feet Under
16. True Blood
17. Friday Night Lights
18. The Sopranos
19. Grey's Anatomy
20. Survivor
Now, whenever anyone makes fairly subjective lists such as this, there's bound to be plenty of debate and discussion about the choices, and this list is no exception.
For me, the absolute biggest and most glaring omission is that of the Wire. Now, I know E! is a "Hollywood" network, in the sense that the network and its website are devoted to covering major stars, which is something that the Wire lacked, so it didn't get much (if any) coverage by the network during its run. However, just because it wasn't the most-buzzworthy show doesn't mean that it should have been brushed aside by Dos Santos and any E! representative who would agree with her list. Personally, no show has left me as emotionally attached to its characters and engaged in the complicated (but extraordinary) plots as David Simon's series. (Similarly, I'm a bit angry that Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years list only included Omar Little from the show, leaving out other spectacularly admirable and flawed characters such as Jimmy McNulty and Bubbles.)
Also, where is 30 Rock? I love(d) the Office, but I think that every season of "30 Rock" has been superior in quality to the Office minus that show's second season, which, rightfully, won the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy in 2006. While I agree with "the Daily Show" being included, I would have also included the Colbert Report, due to Stephen Colbert's amazing blowhard character, and the writing staff's ability to come up with brilliant segments such as the Wørd. I've never watched the show, but I'm very surprised that the Shield isn't on this list either, it was so critically acclaimed during its run.
What should be bumped to make room for these shows? I'm really surprised by her inclusion of Alias and Felicity in the top 5. While Alias was beloved by fans, it seemed to have lost a lot of steam towards the end of the series. And, while I was only in elementary school when Felicity aired, I really do not remember it getting the critical raves or massive popularity to warrant such a high spot on this list. I can't help but feel like any show who lost so much popularity when its star cut her hair wasn't really that beloved to begin with. Well, judging by 3 JJ Abrams shows being in the top 5, maybe it was rigged!
I'm a big Veronica Mars fan, but even I wonder about its inclusion. Its first season combined a fantastic, Twin Peaks-style season-long mystery with the mysteries of the week a la X Files (hey, where is that on this list?), and its second season was entertaining enough. However, most die-hard VM fans refuse to acknowledge the existence of its third and final season, after the CW network meddled with it. This wasn't just a "weak" season, it was truly bad and boring. I haven't watched it in 2 years, but I continually rewatch the first two seasons.
Is Modern Family too new to be included (people keep yelling at me to watch this; I saw the first two episodes and wasn't a fan, I think I'm going to catch up over the summer)? Also, am I the only person who remembered how many people thought True Blood was really stupid in its first season? I remember people being either neutral about it or downright annoyed with it in 2008. Then, all of a sudden, last year, it was the greatest thing since a bloody piece of raw steak. I don't watch it, but was the second season really that good that it warranted a spot on this list? Again, I don't watch. I'd love to hear what fans of the show think.
I wonder about Grey's Anatomy as well. I think it does its "very special episodes" well (the post-Super Bowl 2006 bomb in the hospital episodes were quite engrossing, and this season's finale was as well), but I had to stop watching because week after week, it just seemed too mundane. It's not a bad show overall, I just don't know if it's one of the best (especially when ER and House were excluded, although both had weak points as well).
Am I completely off-base, is Kristin? Are we both right or wrong? I love hearing why pepople like and dislike shows, so please comment with your thoughts!
There's a lot of the list I don't agree with at all (Like, uh, WHERE IS BOY MEETS WORLD?) but I have to disagree with you the most. Grey's TOTALLY deserves to be on there--I just wish in a higher spot. You're right, they are amazing at the super episodes, but the 'mundane' episodes in between really make you connect with the characters. I feel just as close to Mer and Christina as I do some of my best friends. There can't always be bombs or gunmen in the hospital. If there were you would say it's unrealistic :-p
ReplyDeleteAllie, your comment made me realize I may have worded what I meant to say incorrectly. Maybe mundane isn't the word I meant, because I think you're right. It's just that to me, said character development seemed REPETITIVE, I think that's what bothered me. It seemed like everything just cycled back and forth (Mer-Der, Izzie and Alex/George), and each of these couples' conflicts seemed to be the same, the same ups and down after a while. Or, any new couplings felt the same way to me.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, I enjoyed seasons 1 and 2. I think (and this isn't just Greys, it's kind of the problem Jim and Pam had) things that were likable early in the show just got stale. Hope that makes more sense, thanks for commenting!