Lancemc
Blue Crack Addict
So I'm chillin' in the lounge the other day when my buddy Habib comes in and asks me what I think the best TV show ever was.
I say, "Hell, that's a tough question. I'd have to think about that."
He says, "Well, I was talking to my friend about the Simpsons movie, and I said I think it will probably suck. So my friend starts saying 'No way dude, the Simpsons is the best show ever!!!11!lol blah blah blah'. Then we get into a big argument about what the best show ever is."
So I say, "Yeah, that's quite the agument. I don't know though, I'd have to think about this a while."
So I have thought about it a while, and I've come up with an answer.
A lot of the shows I thought of happened to be comedies, because comedies tend to lend themselves best to the episodic structure of the standard television show. But at the same time I thought that some really well done dramas would have to be in contention, because of how difficult it is to maintain a cohesive story-line over several seasons.
I also took into account the standards like direction, acting, writing (extremely important for a TV show), consistancy, production value, and left out things like cultural impact and lasting appeal, becuase I don't think those factors have anything to do with the actually quality of the show, just peoples perception of the show.
So here's a big list of shows I came up with:
Seinfeld - First one I thought of. Best sitcom ever? Possibly.
The X-Files - First consistent-story drama I thought of. One of the finest TV productions of all time. Got a little frakey near the end, but is saved by a stellar finale that tied things up nicely.
South Park - The most intelligent, yet crudest, most offensive, daring, and possibly innovative comedies of all time. Not much else needs to be said about it.
LOST - Can't say right now, but if the next couple seasons wrap this massive storyline up as well as I hope they will, Lost will go down as one of the finest television endeavors of all time. For now, I'm afraid not, but once we have the full picture we shall see.
Firefly - Only lasted one season, but created one of the most loyal following in history. It did so for a reason.
But the NUMBER ONE, all time finest television show I could think of (I haven't seen many of the HBO series unfortunatly, so I might be missing something)...
*drumroll*
....
Yes, I believe Arrested Development to be the finest television show I have ever seen. There's so much to say about it that I can't even say much right here. Where would I start? It has the most lovable, quirky, psychologically disturbed, and amazing ensemble cast I've ever had the pleasure of watching. It combines mind-numbingly hilarious comedy with a consistent story-line in a way I've never seen before. The acting, direction, production...all time notch. The writing is this show's shinest achievement though. Mindblowing really. And it's spawned some of the funniest, quirkiest catch-phrases in history.
My favorite: "There's always money in the Banana Stand"
Overall, this is just an amazing show. I've been discovering it on DVD though, and I regret missing it's original airing. Dropping this was FOX's biggest mistake ever. I haven't finished season 3 yet though. I'm very close. But please, no spoilers.
I say, "Hell, that's a tough question. I'd have to think about that."
He says, "Well, I was talking to my friend about the Simpsons movie, and I said I think it will probably suck. So my friend starts saying 'No way dude, the Simpsons is the best show ever!!!11!lol blah blah blah'. Then we get into a big argument about what the best show ever is."
So I say, "Yeah, that's quite the agument. I don't know though, I'd have to think about this a while."
So I have thought about it a while, and I've come up with an answer.
A lot of the shows I thought of happened to be comedies, because comedies tend to lend themselves best to the episodic structure of the standard television show. But at the same time I thought that some really well done dramas would have to be in contention, because of how difficult it is to maintain a cohesive story-line over several seasons.
I also took into account the standards like direction, acting, writing (extremely important for a TV show), consistancy, production value, and left out things like cultural impact and lasting appeal, becuase I don't think those factors have anything to do with the actually quality of the show, just peoples perception of the show.
So here's a big list of shows I came up with:
Seinfeld - First one I thought of. Best sitcom ever? Possibly.
The X-Files - First consistent-story drama I thought of. One of the finest TV productions of all time. Got a little frakey near the end, but is saved by a stellar finale that tied things up nicely.
South Park - The most intelligent, yet crudest, most offensive, daring, and possibly innovative comedies of all time. Not much else needs to be said about it.
LOST - Can't say right now, but if the next couple seasons wrap this massive storyline up as well as I hope they will, Lost will go down as one of the finest television endeavors of all time. For now, I'm afraid not, but once we have the full picture we shall see.
Firefly - Only lasted one season, but created one of the most loyal following in history. It did so for a reason.
But the NUMBER ONE, all time finest television show I could think of (I haven't seen many of the HBO series unfortunatly, so I might be missing something)...
*drumroll*
....
Yes, I believe Arrested Development to be the finest television show I have ever seen. There's so much to say about it that I can't even say much right here. Where would I start? It has the most lovable, quirky, psychologically disturbed, and amazing ensemble cast I've ever had the pleasure of watching. It combines mind-numbingly hilarious comedy with a consistent story-line in a way I've never seen before. The acting, direction, production...all time notch. The writing is this show's shinest achievement though. Mindblowing really. And it's spawned some of the funniest, quirkiest catch-phrases in history.
My favorite: "There's always money in the Banana Stand"
Overall, this is just an amazing show. I've been discovering it on DVD though, and I regret missing it's original airing. Dropping this was FOX's biggest mistake ever. I haven't finished season 3 yet though. I'm very close. But please, no spoilers.
that show... The episode with the Funeral with Job and Buster doing the magic act had me crying so hard with laughter I had to pause the DVD because I couldn't see my TV...
)...
