Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Scorpio's Favorite TV Shows

20. Frasier (1993-2004)
An above average sitcom with the lovable Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce.  Though I haven't heard particularly good things about the later seasons.

20. The Simpsons (1990-8)
This show went from being the best show on television to being the worst* show on television.  It's been so bad for so long that it's actually easy to forget how good it used to be.

19. The Wire (2002-8)
I like this show, even though I normally don't like crime dramas.  Amazingly gritty, realistic look at our broken governmental system and how that effects crime.  Scores of great characters and excellent depth.

18. Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM) (1993-4)
I never really got into this show until I was about 20 (no nostalgia goggles), but I still love it.  In addition to good animation, strong female characters (Sally, Bunnie), dark atmosphere and great voice acting (especially from Jim Cummings as Robotnik), it had some things you don't see in most Saturday Morning Cartoons, such as poignancy, well-developed romance (Sonic and Sally), and a truly vile villain.  I also love how it combined classic toon style with serious premise; we need to see more of that.  I just wish it had a better finale.

17. Seinfeld (1989-1998)
Revolutionary comedy about the social misadventures of a few misanthropic misfits.  The best character was George.

16. Trailer Park Boys (2001-8)
The hilarious antics of a group of Canadian trailer park residents as they try (and fail) to sell drugs and thwart their alcoholic supervisor.

15. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-)
Pretty much the best parts of Seinfeld condensed into one great show by making George Larry David the main character, and without any pesky laugh track, either.  Sometimes you feel sorry for him, sometimes he brings it on himself, but it's always funny.

14. The Office (UK) (2001-3)
Hilarious comedy about a manager who tries to be everybody's friend but only offends his employees.  Ricky Gervais does a great job making a character who is unpleasant, but ultimately sympathetic.

13. Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003-5)
Genndy Tartakovsky's excellent interpretation of the Clone Wars has distinctive animation, great action and none of what was annoying about the prequels.

12. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (2010-)
Yes, I put this on here, but I may just be going through the phase for now.  Still, this is a  witty show whose animation is refreshing after a decade of bad animation.  You have to give props for this cartoon for showing that a young girl's cartoon can be good fun for all people.

11. Pinky and the Brain (1995-8)
Arguably the best part of Animaniacs got its own show.

10. Freakazoid!  (1995-7)
The apex of Steven Spielberg produced 90's Cartoons.  Great experimental humor, even if some jokes fall flat.  It combines the adult-targeted absurdism of an 00's cartoon with good artwork and animation (a trait of 90's cartoons I sorely miss).

9. Breaking Bad (2008-)
This may just be up here because I'm still watching it, but it's a great show and I'm hooked.

8. Invader ZIM (2001-2002, 2006)
Great, dark style and dark humor at its best.  It's funny how ZIM's mission to take over the world and Dib's efforts to stop him manifest in acts of ridiculous pettiness.

7. Talespin (1990-1994)
I actually like this the best out of all the 90's Disney shows, in fact I like it more than the Jungle Book.  Actually had well-developed characters and some good stories, but my favorites were Shere Khan and the Thembrians.

6. Looney Tunes (1930-1969)
To me, this show is to cartoons what Star Wars means to me as a movie.  It's overall good, but it's the Chuck Jones era where it hit its apex.  This is the cartoon that Warner Bros. always tries to revive with mixed success, and its one of the seminal works for any fan of animation.

5. Game of Thrones (2011-)
I'm hooked.  Combines fantasy with complex storytelling.  The character designs aren't as compelling as described in the books, but the dialogue seems a bit snappier.

4. Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999)
I'm not much of an anime fan, but I love this show.  The artwork is gorgeous, the characters are fun, and the action is some of the best I've seen.  The voice cast is good, and the dialogue is surprisingly good, with a touch of humor.  Also has the best finale I've seen for a show.

3. Avatar: the Last Airbender (2005-2008)
People write this show off because of the semi-anime style, but the animation is good, the story is well developed and the characters are complex.  Proof that there was more to naughts cartoons than mediocre Butch Hartman shows and the like.

2. Batman: the Animated Series (1992-1995)
Dark and stylish, with complex characters.  This was (and still is) the ultimate Batman for me.  This was an excellent show, but the revived 1997 version was merely OKAY.

1. Arrested Development (2003-2006, 2013-)
My favorite comedy of all time.  Dry wit, zany situations and memorable quirky characters played by an excellent cast.  Apparently, though, America does not have a sense of humor, so it couldn't make it through 3 whole seasons.  Although I just heard it has been renewed for a fourth season on Neflix Instant Play.





*Actually, that's an exaggeration.  The worst show on television is either Glee, MadCN or My Gym Partner is a Monkey.

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