As a former film critic, I’m often asked to name my favorite movies. Recently, I was also asked to provide a Top 10 TV list for a book about the greatest shows of all time.
My list is in chronological order, starting with the most recent, based on when the show premiered. It doesn’t reflect my preference for one program over another.
- “Breaking Bad’’ – The baddest chemistry teacher ever.
- “The Wire’’ – The ghetto, for real.
- “The Sopranos’’ – The mobster as suburban dad.
- “American Experience’’ – U.S. history, warts and all.
- “SCTV’’ – A hundred times funnier than “Saturday Night Live.’’
- “Monty Python’s Flying Circus’’ – Zany Brit humor invades U.S.
- “ABC’s Wide World of Sports’’ – Before ESPN, pure sports.
- “Rocky & Bullwinkle’’ – The first subversive cartoon.
- “The Twilight Zone’’ – If Poe wrote for TV, it would look like this.
- “The Honeymooners’’ – Here’s to you, Ralphie boy!
Like all favorite lists, mine is highly personal and quirky. There have been long stretches in my life when I barely watched TV, so shows from those periods had no shot. I also have an aversion to modern sitcoms, reality shows, action series and anything starring David Caruso.
