My 10 Favorite Shows... EVER! Part 1

I said in my first post that I was going to do Top 10 lists later in the week. That was based on the idea that every show I Tivo on Mondays (House, How I Met Your Mother) wasn't inexplicably off the air. I'll do some reviews tomorrow, but for now this is part 1 of my favorite shows of all time, the best character from the show, and if i can find one, a Youtube clip.

10. M*A*S*H 

      The most viewed hour of television ever? The MASH finale. It was really silly and funny for the first three or four seasons, then it was serious and funny for the remaining seven. It was a real shame for Alan Alda to be stuck in a perpetual Korean War hell for 11 years, but that's what you get when you sign onto a tv show based on a war that is as good as this show was. Funny parts aside, the best parts were the serious surgery parts. The crying about family at home parts I could have done without, but they're necessary for war shows and movie. The fact MASH is about 25 years older than any show on this list is a testament to how good it really was. From Hawkeye's pranks, to Frank Burns ineptitude and Klinger cross-dressing, there was no unwatchable episode of this show, but it was pretty formulaic, like most shows from this era.

Best Character: Bejamanin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce (Alan Alda)
Best Season: 1 or 2

9. Friends

      Say what you want about the sappy moments of this show, like when any two characters decide to have sex or go into a relationship or break up, this show was damn funny. The funny parts of this show had a better chance of making me cry than the sappy parts. There are a few moments that you can't not laugh at, like when they have the trivia game to determine who gets the good apartment, or when Ross decides to wear leather pants, takes them off at a dates house and can't get them back on, and when Joey is on $25,000 Pyramid are a few. The worst part of the show? That fucking theme song.

Here are a few clips, not necessarily my favorite but here they are all the same: Friends Clips

Best Character: Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry)
Best Season: Season 9



8. The West Wing

      This show fulfilled the history major dork side of my television experience, as it was about the President and his top advisers. That said, it was one of the best written shows on television... ever. This is pretty much the ultimate liberal show, as President Bartlett (Martin Sheen) is the uber rich political elite with a heart of gold. Such plot lines include an assassination attempt, a government shutdown when they can't reach a budget, a peace negotiation with Israel and Palestine and the effects of President Barlett having Multiple Sclerosis and not telling the voters (even if he won re-election when he told them.) The show is more based on Josh Lyman, the #3 in command, but everyone gets pretty equal air time.

Clip: this is in the second season's last episode after the Presidents longtime friend/secretary is killed in a car crash and the President is deciding whether to run for reelection after his MS gets leaked (spoiler, this show lasted 7 seasons... he runs again) President Bartlett vs. God

Best Character: Sam Seabourn (Rob Lowe), or Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford)
Best Season: Season 4 (Re-Election) or Season 6 (the Primary elections)



7. The Office (Both British and American)

      There is no going wrong with either version of The Office. The British version uses far more cringe humor. The British boss, David Brent (played by Ricky Gervais) is an unfunny asshole that thinks everyone finds him hilarious and nice. One episode has David Brent playing a "song he wrote for his band" at a diversity seminar, the song was called "Free Love Freeway" and it was every bit as bad as it sounds. For my money I think the British version was better than the American version, if for no other reason besides they knew when to call it quits.

      The American version of The Office has lasted 5 seasons longer than the UK version. It started with a near identical pilot but has since developed into its own show. The American version utilizes the rest of cast in the office more than the British version. The American version tends to have a lot of ridiculous meetings, and group discussions, but really the best thing about this show is the 7 seasons worth of pranks that Jim plays on Dwight, and Creed Bratton. Most people who watches this show knows that Creed gets very little airtime, but is definitely THE FUNNIEST CHARACTER for his one liners, petty theft, and guitar solos. This show really lost some steam when Jim and Pam got engaged (season 5 sucked), but they seem to be getting their mojo back now in season 7.

Best Character: UK- David Brent (Ricky Gervais)
American: Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) or Creed Bratton (playing himself)

Best Season: UK: Cycle 2
                      US: Season 3 when the Stamford branch combines with Scranton

6. Survivor

      This is my only reality tv crutch (besides Jersey Shore). There is just something about these people making friends, betraying them, starving themselves, getting exiled, and most of all plotting mini coups every week to overthrow the strongest members of the tribe, and then having those voted out members vote on who wins $1 million. That, and when I grow up I want to be Jeff Probst, think about it, he gets to sit on a desert island for a month while telling these people who fight tooth and nail for brownies and hot dogs that they aren't trying hard enough. Couple that with me watching this show since I was about ten years old and that puts it in the number 6 slot of this list. Any show that is on its 22nd season is doing something right in my opinion.

Best Survivors Ever?: Rupert (the pirate man), Johnny Fairplay (lied about his grandma's death for a meal), Parvati Shallow (dominated 3 times), Russell Hantz (most malicious liar ever, got to the finals twice in a row and never got a single vote to win)

Best Season: Season 20 Heroes vs. Villain



Numbers 5-1 after I'm done work and finished this paper