My Favorite TV Shows
Some ground rules, and some shows that missed the cut
Last week I felt compelled to write about The Good Place, as I was finishing up a re-watch of it and just needed to preach the good word. (Side note: I’ve since finished it, and just like the first time I watched the series, I cried at the finale. Go ahead, poke fun. I stand by this.)
As you can see, I placed an “(18)” after the title - which means it’s my 18th favorite show of all time. This is an ever evolving list, but that’s where it is now.
And yes, because I’m that guy, I have rules here. One, the show needs to have at least two seasons (I loved Freaks and Geeks, Terriers, Firefly and other shows that deserved second seasons, but one year just isn’t enough.) Two, and this is truly a point that tips many scales - all the episodes and seasons count. Even if the showrunner or a lead actor leaves, etc., the new shows COUNT. And finally, this is my ranking now (as of this post, that’s spring 2022.) New shows will bump old shows off, and old shows will sometimes age poorly.
So, having said that … which shows missed the cut?
Obviously, the actual answer is that MOST shows missed the cut - but which shows might one expect to show up here, but haven’t?
The biggest one, so let’s get this out of the way right now, is The Simpsons. It’s the longest running show in history, and there’s a period of many years where it was not only must-see-TV (I used to frequent a local bar where folks would watch it together on Sunday evenings), but groundbreaking and hilarious. I will say with ease that Marge vs The Monorail is one of the greatest episodes of television ever, full stop.
But it’s success is also the reason it misses the list. It’s currently in its 34th season. I played golf last weekend with several people who have never been alive when The Simpsons wasn’t making new episodes. There’s simply too much - and I honestly stopped watching it 15-20 years ago. I can’t, in good faith, pretend I really know what this show is and has become in the literal decades of episodes I’ve never seen.
When I first made my list, I included The Simpsons, but since it’s fallen off for the above reasons. Similarly, I had Arrested Development on the list - and at that time, the show was still creating new episodes. I think that the first two seasons of Arrested Development are close to perfection. And the third season is … not QUITE as bad I as remembered it. The fourth season is literally unwatchable and I’m aware a fifth season exists and I can’t even muster the desire to watch it. I mean - that’s a pretty solid reason it can’t be on this list.
I looked over my last list and at one time, I had The Daily Show (way, way too many episodes I’ve never seen, and a different show than it was with Jon Stewart) and Sons of Anarchy, which has waned in my memory over the years. They’re out.
And then, there are shows that are either currently airing or just finished but seem to lie just outside of where they need to be for me to put them this high. Shows like Fleabag are brilliant - truly - but there aren’t enough episodes for me to get the same overall experience as I do with longer shows.
Another show that guts me to not put on here is Party Down. This two season show was incredibly creative, funny and far too many people missed it. In particular, the Steve Guttenberg's Birthday episode and the Sin Say Shun Awards Afterparty party episode absolutely slay me. (Lizzy Caplan falling down as she stumbles onto Ken Marino showing his penis to adult film directors is one of the funniest bits of physical comedy I’ve ever seen. There doesn’t seem to be a GIF of it, perhaps understandably, but go watch it.) There’s a really good chance you’re reading this and have never heard of the show, let alone seen it. Change that. (Also, a new season is in production, like ten years later after half the cast got much more famous. I’m … nervous about it, but I will absolutely watch.)
Do I think that shows like Ozark, Ted Lasso, Bosch, My Brilliant Friend or The Mandalorian will make my list? I don’t. This is not to say that they are bad shows!
I’m quite sure I will publish this and realize how many shows are neither in my top-25 nor referenced above, and that’s okay. We’ll start ticking off shows that ARE on the list, in whatever order that tickles my fancy, shortly.