The Ryan Journal Top 10 Greatest TV Shows of All-Time

It’s time take a break from the heavy stuff.  I had been thinking about doing a Top 10 list for quite some time now  and this is as good a time as any.  Even though I rarely watch TV anymore, I figure it’s time to make a list of my favorite shows… most of them from the ‘80s.  You are entitled to disagree with me.  I certainly don’t have problems with those who disagree, even if they’re wrong:)

When I first considered what shows to include, such ’80s staples as Knight Rider, The Dukes of Hazard, Night Court, G.I. Joe  and The Transformers came to mind.  Ultimately though, I decided that those shows (while they were iconic) were not the kind of shows that I would choose to watch on a regular basis nowadays.  My top five were fairly easy to come up with, but the bottom five took a little bit longer to contemplate.  So then, after much deliberation, I give you the official Ryan Journal Top 10 TV Shows of All-Time.

10.) MTV Oddities (1994-1995) – Time to  to kick-off the top 10 list with something most people have never heard of.  Aside from Twin Peaks, the early to mid ‘90s did not have much to offer in the way of surreal sub-cultural favorites.  However MTV’s Oddities cartoon series was  was a good place to start.  The early ‘90s introduced the rise of some popular independant comic book artists, such as Todd McFarlane of Image Studios.  His short-lived Spawn cartoon series had a very unusual and cinematic quality to it… almost like a storyline from a popular Playstation or XBox RPG would be only 15 years later.  Another short-lived cartoon series called The Maxx was also drawn and written in a very unique way… somewhat disturbing but yet very interesting to look at.  Lastly, the science fiction movie Aeon Flux, starring Charlize Theron was based on the short cartoon of the same name that was originally a part of MTV Oddities.  Overall, this is a very good collection of cinematic cartoons with adult themes.  Strangely enough, it’s also the only cable TV show that I decided to include on the list.

9.) The Jeffersons (1975-1986) – This is by far my favorite sitcom of the 1980’s.  No other comedy came close.  This series launched the careers of both Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson) and Marla Gibbs (Florence Johnston).  In this spin-off of another highly popular sitcom from the ‘70s (All in the Family), a nouveau riche, African-American couple move into a luxury apartment building and develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants.  Though this show was deemed to be offensive by some, I found it to be extremely entertaining and witty as each episode was filled with both overt and covert social commentary.  The comedic timing was superb as the one-liners kept coming out… one after another.  Throughout the long 11-year run of The Jeffersons, the show was nominated for 8 Golden Globe awards and it was no doubt deserving of every one of them.

8.)  The McLaughlin Group (1982 – present) -  Being somewhat politically-minded by nature, I felt like The McLaughlin Group  should be the next up on this list.  This long-running PBS news/talk-show presents several journalists involved in spirited discussions of topics in current events. The group is led in round-table discussions by former Nixon and Ford speech writer John McLaughlin.  Some of the more notable  returning guest debaters are such popular and polarizing political figures as Pat Buchanan, Eleanor Clift and Monica Crowley.  This show is so laid-back and entertaining, that I used to  watch it long before I had any major interest or clue about the political process.  Also, the fact that this show has lasted over 27 years just goes to show that they’re doing something right.  This is definitely the best show on PBS… bar none.

7.) Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) – You know that a science fiction show has had a successful run when the average soccer mom can name at least two characters on the show.  In fact, at one point People Magazine named Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) as the sexiest man alive.  Not that it means anything to me.  I was a fairly big fan of both Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi) and Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar).  Aaanyway, back to the show.  Even though I don’t consider myself to be quite  knowledgeable enough to be considered either a Trekkie or a Trekker (thank goodness), I would have to say that this is by far the best science fiction show in television history.  The mid to late ‘80s saw a colossal void in regard to quality science fiction shows… and yet Star Trek: TNG came along and filled that void perfectly.  Seven wonderful seasons were immediately followed up with four major motion pictures from 1994 to 2002.  Even the most die-hard “old-school” Star Trek fan would have a hard time arguing against that kind of success. 

6.) Monday Night Football (1970-present) – In America, football is definitely the most popular televised spectator sport around… and rightfully so.  No other show on television actually had people looking forward to the beginning of the work-week like Monday Night Football did.  I started watching MNF way back in the late 1980’s.  Remember, that was back when the Cleveland Browns were actually good at football (sigh).  Anyway, even though I have been a much bigger college football fan over the last decade or so, there is still something special about Monday Night Football.  For both fantasy football league players and office pool players, this game usually tends to be the premiere game of the week for the NFL.  Thus the league usually tries to get a fairly even match-up and as a result… the game often ends up being competitive and entertaining from the opening kick-off until the final play.  Unfortunately, with the advent of new entertainment options and digital video recorders like TiVo, the average viewer has lost interest in live football and the game has lost a bit of luster as a result of this.  Just a few years ago, MNF was moved away from it’s long-time home on ABC over to it’s sister cable station (ESPN).  As a result of this, even fewer people are watching the games than ever before.  It’s kind of sad (in a sports sort of way), but as we all know… nothing in life lasts forever.

5.) Late Night with Conan O’ Brien (1993-2009) – I was as skeptical as anyone when late night newcomer Conan O’Brien took over the spot that had been previously vacated by David Letterman in NBC’s dominant after hours slot.  Those were some major shoes to fill.  However, it didn’t take long to recognize the tremendous wit and comedic timing of this former Simpsons writer and Harvard Lampoon alumnus.  I think that part of the appeal of Conan was not just that he was a goofy guy who knew how to read the queue cards and act funny on stage, but he also knew how to interact with his guests in a way that was both serious and hilarious at the same time.  Initially, all the talk was about the “King of Late Night” title belonging to either David Letterman or Jay Leno.  However, after only a few short years, Conan was considered to be equal with (if not greater than) both of them.  In my opinion, it’s not even close.  Letterman was hilarious at one time, but the writing seemed to go downhill fast after he moved over to CBS.  Jay Leno is a comedian that I have a lot of respect for, but even his exceptional energy and overall comedic talent was just no match for Conan.  Just a few weeks ago, Jay Leno stepped down from NBC’s popular Tonight Show after an extremely successful 17-year run and passed his mantle along to the new “King of Late Night.”  Comedy is certainly an art form and as such, I consider  Conan to be the Norman Rockwell of the genre.

4.) Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005) – Continuing on, when it comes to great comedy… I never thought that CBS had much to offer.  Three words always came to mind when thinking about comedy on CBS; Kate and Allie.  Yech!  Well, Ray Romano and his quirky family managed to change all of that.  For those who may not be aware of it, the show obviously revolves around sports writer Ray Barone (Romano) and his seemingly perfect family who just happen to live across the street from his obnoxious parents and openly jealous older brother.  Now admittedly, I got into the show a little late in the game.  My parents were colossal fans of ELR for years and that made me fairly skeptical to say the least.  Then one night, I happened to watch an episode and I pretty much wound up hooked after that.  During the highly successful 9-year run of ELR, the show was nominated for over 129 awards.  The writing and casting was simply superb.  More than anything else, the one thing that amazed me about this show was that 90% of any one given episode took place in one of two places; the kitchen or the living room.  It’s very difficult to write and perform an entertaining sitcom about real life issues (with very few scenery changes) that keeps you interested… let alone rolling on the floor in laughter for 30 minutes straight.  When that rare brand of show comes along… it’s a keeper.  If you haven’t seen an episode, then you don’t know what you’re missing.

3.) Miami Vice (1984-1989) – No TV show epitomized my favorite decade (the ‘80s) better than Miami Vice.  From the popularity of the five-o-clock shadow to the white sport coats with neon shirts and boat shoes… it all started with Miami Vice.  This show launched the careers of Don Johnson and Edward James Olmos.  Originally created by acclaimed film-maker Michael Mann, the show bolted out of the gates on NBC’s Friday night lineup.  For the first year, it was in an all-out ratings war with another extremely popular NBC franchise called The Cosby Show.  Part of the appeal was the dramatic way in which every scene of every episode was carefully choreographed and shot.  Michael Mann would later explain that it was his intent for the show to have a uniquely cinematic appeal to it.  For anyone who spent time watching the show, this fact would become very apparent.  Even the popular synthesizer induced sound-track was both uniquely ‘80s and theatrical in nature.  In fact, the Jan Hammer theme song for the show went straight to #1 and stayed there for 12 weeks, making it the most successful TV soundtrack of all time.  Now I’ve never been a big fan of police dramas, but this is one of those rare shows that you could just sit and watch if for no other reason than to appreciate the artistic beauty of the cinematography.  Admittedly, the show itself does look a bit dated, but then again, just about every show that’s 15 years old or more will look a bit out of place.  So what?  That’s part of the beauty of it.  Miami Vice is distinctly ‘80s and it always will be.

2.) The Simpsons (1989-present) – One of the longest running and most successful shows of all-time is… a cartoon?  No ‘bout a doubt it.  The show began as a simple sketch on the Fox network’s Tracy Ulman Show.  Shortly thereafter, it received it’s own prime-time slot on Sunday nights and it has been there ever since.  Many people have moral objections to the show for various reasons.  Most of these reasons have to do with questionable subject matter or crude and offensive behavior.  While I can understand the objections and even agree with some of them, I would have to say that as a whole, the show is more of a sarcastic and highly amplified reflection of society as a whole (sort of like the goofy distorted mirrors that you see at a carnival).  The show takes normal mundane events and turns them into something out of a Dr. Suess book.  If you really think it through, you will find that the show is almost surreal in nature.  You have the unqualified dad who loves donuts and runs a nuclear power plant, the wife with the extended blue ‘70s beehive hair, the middle-school age daughter who is ready to join Mensa and save the universe… and the son whose list of pranks is rivaled only by Harry Houdini.  Now if that’s supposed to be what real-life is like, then I guess I need to get out a little more.  Instead, I think the show can be appreciated for what it is… a cartoon…. nothing more and nothing less.  If you pay attention, even the show tends to make fun of itself on a regular basis.  In 2007, the Simpsons movie came out.  While I was not overly impressed, I did find it to be fairly entertaining and once again filled with social commentary.   Part of the beauty of The Simpsons is simply that you can either try to read into it and pick out the various bits of cultural humor that are interspersed throughout every episode… or you can just sit back and enjoy.

1.) Seinfeld (1990-1998) – If you’ve never heard of Seinfeld, then I only have one question; “What planet are you from?”  This show is so unbelievably well-written and funny that I don’t even know where to begin.  In the late ‘90s, TV Guide came out with their list of the Top 50 TV Shows of All Time.  While I agree with some of the shows on their list (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Melrose Place), I certainly didn’t agree with all of them (Mash, ER, Friends).  Even so, the one thing that I did agree on was that Seinfeld belonged high atop the list at numero uno.  Larry David, the creator of the Seinfeld franchise, pointed out that this was a somewhat dark comedy about the kind of friends that you wouldn’t necessarily want to have.  You know, the kind of friends that may mean well (every now and then), but ultimately they mess everything up in a funny way with their own bad decisions.  The one thing  that always struck me about this show was the amazing way in which three or four different storylines could be going on during a half-hour episode, and all of them end up crossing paths while reaching a final resolution (or most likely disaster) by the end of the show.  The writing was simply brilliant and hilarious at the same time. I don’t know if there has ever been a single show in the history of mankind that has created more cultural cliches and iconic sayings than Seinfeld ( man-hands, soup nazi, serenity now, double-dipping, bubble-boy, low-talker, festivus, yada yada yada,…).  The same could be said about the actors and the characters that they portrayed (Jerry, Elaine, George, Newman, Mr. Peterman, Uncle Leo, and of course Cosmo Kramer just to name a few).    When the final episode came out, I remember that everyone in the office was planning on watching it.  Some were even going to tape it.  It was a colossal event.  While the final episode was good… it was not quite as good as many of us thought it would be.  Perhaps the problem was that our expectations were too high.  Regardless, the show went out with a bang and it can still be seen in reruns on most local TV stations on a regular basis.  One of the tell-tale signs of an epic show is how long it stays in syndication after the original series was taken off the air.  So far, it’s still going strong.