I had a great time last night sitting in for Hugh. Let me extend a special thanks to all our guests, and a very special thanks to all our listeners who braved my accent. (True story: After interviewing Andrew Sullivan, we spoke for a second off the air, and he said good-naturedly, “Honestly Dean, I’m really quite shocked by your accent!”)
In some ways, it was an odd night. Who would have guessed at the start of things that Andrew and I would leave the festivities as fast friends while Mort Kondracke and I would feud? As they say, youneverknow.
For those of you who couldn’t listen, first let me say, did you really make every possible effort? As a guest host, I can really use the ratings you know. In spite of your apparent indifference, due to popular demand I will post my list of the top ten dramatic television series ever.
Before heading into the list, let me lay out the criteria. The biggest issue is obviously quality, but I tried to take into account both the show’s quality at its creative peak and its overall quality. For some shows, this combo presented a real issue. For instance, at its best L.A. Law was a terrific show. But for most of its time on the air, it stunk.
I also awarded bonus points for three things: A great theme song and opening, a strong series finale, and the influence a show had on the medium. That’s one of the reasons my top two pick occupy the slots they do. They both revolutionized the medium and had legions of imitators follow in their footsteps.
Without further delay, here are the Top 10 Dramatic TV Series Evah:
- The Sopranos
- Hill Street Blues
- The Wire
- Rome
- Picket Fences
- Crime Story
- Deadwood
- The Twilight Zone
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Wiseguy
Also rans include: The Rockford Files, St. Elsewhere, L.A, Law, The original Star Trek, NYPD Blue, Miami Vice, and 24. Please feel free to let me know exactly how much I nailed it in the comments.
Compliments? Complaints? Contact me at Soxblog@aol.com
|