Vanessa Richmond at AlterNet.org drums up a list of "The 10 TV Shows You Have to Watch to Understand the World," and it's an interesting idea for an exercise. But Richmond's description of the shows she included ("the 10 sexiest most stylish shows that also happen to have cultural significance") is a less thoughtful than the article's title implies.
At the top of the list: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," a series I long-endorsed.
"M*A*S*H," "Dallas," "Melrose Place," "Star Trek" and "Twin Peaks" are also among the shows that make the cut.
But as I read through the article, I had to wonder, if you've got "Dallas" on such a list, do you really need "Melrose Place"? If you include "Twin Peaks," what's the point of also having "The X-Files" in the lineup?
I was intrigued by some of the suggestions of what should have been included in comments left by other readers, including "All in the Family," "The Simpsons" and "The Wire." I'd add to that list my all-time favorite series, "Homefront" (ABC, 1991-93), and "60 Minutes."
It's probably too early to add "Modern Family," but week-after-week I find myself identifying with different characters and situations presented on this new ABC comedy.
What TV shows would you put on such a list? Sign in (or register to sign in) and post a response below.
Posted
Oct 27 2009, 12:17 AM
by
Rob Owen