Top 10 Television Shows (Part 1)

We all know that we would be totally lost without television. What would we do to pass the time? Actually talk to each other? Naw. That's too hard and too much work. There is no need to argue about this since we all learned what we can do without television during the blackout several years back...and no one went crazy! Interesting...but I digress.

We all love TV and because of that we all have our favorite TV shows. It varies with each of us...whether you love pure drama (like Law & Order) or comedy (The Office) or any other wide variety of genres for TV shows, you have your favorite TV shows that you will never miss. The following is the beginning of my list of Top 10 TV shows. You may disagree with my analysis and I know my fellow bloggers on this site will disagree with at least two of the shows but these shows are the ones you will likely find flashing on the scene in my house.

Honorable Mention:

Brothers & Sisters (Sundays @ 10pm on ABC) :

This show, which will enter it's second season in the fall, was a surprise hit for ABC's Sunday night line up. Following Desperate Housewives, which begins at 9pm, Brothers & Sisters is a drama series based on the lives of the Walker family. The show focuses on the daily trials and tribulations of mother Nora Walker (Sally Field), who was widowed following the first episode where her husband, William Walker, has a heart attack, and her kin: Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) who is married with two children and, after her father's death, now runs the family business Ojai (O-hi) Foods, Political Theorist Kitty (Calista Flockhart) who now works for a US Senator (Rob Lowe) who is running for President, Oldest son Tommy, openly gay lawyer Kevin, youngest son and Afghanistan war veteran Justin, and the bastard child of the deceased William Walker: Rebecca. The show involves quite a bit of drama as well as comedy and mixes extremely well. The cast flows well together and Sally Field is a wonderful addition to the cast. I never really like Calista Flockhart (mostly because I cannot stand to look at her) but she does a wonderful job in this series in which her political affiliation (Republican) clashes with that of her mother (Democrat) and the two constantly are arguing over who is right and who is wrong. Every family can relate to something that this family goes through, whether it is death, arguments, disagreements, or family dinners and this is what makes the show so interesting to watch.

10. Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Weekdays @ 10pm on ABC Family - syndication) :

"Whose Line" is a half hour improvisational comedy show that consists of a cast of 4 members who create characters, scenes, and songs right off the top of their heads. The show originated in England and was broadcast on the BBC. In 1998 the show moved to the US and was hosted by Drew Carey with several of the cast members returning from the English version. Those cast members include Ryan Stiles (co-star on the Drew Carey Show), Colin Mochrie (a comedian who hails from Canada), and Wayne Brady. Those three became the show regulars and have a 4th person added each show such as Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood, and Kathy Greenwood. The show revolves around the host giving the performers scenes to act out in the form of many games (here is a list). The games provide many different styles of comedy and all the performers make fun of themselves or each other. The show also played host to several celebrities that would fill that 4th participant spot, such as Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, and Stephen Colbert. The game takes the form of an almost fake game show in which the participants are rewarded points (which simply don't matter) and at the end a winner is selected at random and does a game with host Drew Carey. There have been so many classic moments during the run of the show in the United States and none more memorable than Richard Simmons guest appearance to play one game with the participants...I cannot do this clip justice (just see for yourself and you'll know just why this is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen).

9. Robot Chicken (Saturday-Wednesday @ 11:30pm on Adult Swim) :

From the mind of Seth Green, Robot Chicken is an animated sketch show that makes fun of pop culture using dolls and action figures. It has been renewed for a 20 episode season beginning August 12th. The shows are short, only 11 minutes a piece but have no commercial interruptions throughout. Also to move from one sketch to the next a screen appears made of static to act as though you are changing the channel to view something new. Recently the show aired a tribute to Star Wars that was a 30 minute episode and featured clips from previous Robot Chicken episodes, as well as new material created for the special. Prominent voices on the show are Seth Green, Breckin Meyer, and Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) and loads of celebrity voices including the cast of "That 70's Show." Not every show is filled with nonstop laughs, but what show is? Robot Chicken hits on so many issues in pop culture and totally turns them around to simply make them funny (i.e. Optimus Prime having prostate cancer).

8. Lost (Wednesdays @ 10pm on ABC) :

This is a topic of debate for some viewers. Some people love the Lost mysteries and philosophical topics while others simply have become confused and frustrated with the same issues. Lost is a drama about a group of plane crash survivors who were traveling on Oceanic Flight 815 from Sydney, Australia back to the US. The series is going to enter it's fourth season in February with 16 nonstop episodes. It was also announced by the creators and producers that the show would conclude after season 6 "on their own terms." There are so many thematic and mythological tones to the show that it would take an entire day to catch you up on them. My favorite part of the show, and the great mystery besides who else is on the island, is learning who each survivor was before the crash. We've seen surgeons, con artists, murderers, and insurance salesman as well as other professions that define who these people are. We see lives and significant events that shaped how the survivors got to where they are, including how and why they were on Oceanic Flight 815. Lost did come under some scrutiny for not giving enough answers to the many asked questions of the show and have fast-tracked some answers to accommodate the viewers, including the shocking season finale of Season 3 in which Jack confronts Kate (two of the main characters) years later from now saying "We have to go back! We shouldn't have left them!" If you want to get into the series and have not seen an episode so far...you may need to catch up with the previous seasons as this is not a show that you can simply turn on and catch onto the plot and characters quickly.

7. The Shield (Tuesdays @ 10pm on FX) :

This police drama set in Los Angeles focuses on Detective Vic Mackey and his "Strike Team" as they clean up the gang-infested streets of LA while also dealing with their own personal demons. The show is entering their 7th and final season in early 2008. The show has been criticized for it's portrayal of corrupt officers (especially Mackey's group) for stealing money, striking deals with gangs for immunity in return for information, and the use of brutality on citizens. The show has featured guest appearances by Forest Whitaker and Glen Close, respectively as an Internal Affairs officer and Captain of the LAPD and Mackey's Strike Team. There are many subplots that have carried over the years but Mackey and his team have remained a driving force of the show as they deal with the gangs of LA as well as Mackey's divorce, his children with Autism, his partner's death via murder from another member of the team, and his IA investigation by Whitaker. The Shield is not your typical cop show, and that is why it has lasted so long.

6. South Park (Wednesdays @ 10pm on Comedy Central) :

What more needs to be said about those loveable kids from South Park? Probably not much, if you have seen but just one episode of this hilarious animated comedy from the minds of Matt Stone and Trey Parker then you will know exactly what I speak of. Stan, Cartman, Kyle, and Kenny give us insight into politics, pop culture, religion, and anything else you can think of. They are fouled mouthed, they are intuitive, and they are fucking hilarious to a fault. The part that makes the show entirely whole is the fact it is not just these four kids that make the show. Their parents and the townsfolk make the show just as interesting and intriging to watch every week. You can turn on an episode and always count on these boys to give you a new way of thinking about a situation, whether it be Scientology, the show "Family Guy," Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, saving the rainforests, or Paris Hilton. South Park, and it's creators, are extremely talented on finding new and exciting ways to handle references to those sometimes "politically correct" topics.

Well that is Part 1 of my Top 10 TV Shows. Part 2 will be coming soon with even better shows, ones that all meet the criteria for such an honor. However I will say this...none of the shows listed on this Top 10 are on CBS because CBS is for old people and never in my life have I watched anything on CBS besides the "Price is Right." Nothing good comes out of CBS and I'm just not sure why. It claims to be America's most watched network but I've never really seen a show worth watching on that network. That is all.