The Wire

[heavycola]

Is this the best TV ever made?

As far as i can see, the only contenders are Twin Peaks and The Sopranos - and right now, deep into series 3 of The Wire, I can only think the former two have at last been bettered.

I would like to argue about this now please. Thoughts?

[Anarkistsdream]

No, it's not the best, but it ranks in the top ten...

[heavycola]

No, it's not the best, but it ranks in the top ten...

c'mon then nark, name 'em!

[Anarkistsdream]

No, it's not the best, but it ranks in the top ten...

c'mon then nark, name 'em!

Top Ten Best TV shows of all time?


TV Guide says:

1. Seinfeld
2. I Love Lucy
3. The Honeymooners
4. All in the Family
5. The Sopranos
6. 60 Minutes
7. The Late Show with David Letterman
8. The Simpsons
9. The Andy Griffith Show
10. Saturday Night Live

I don't like the fact that they added talk shows.
I also will assume we are only talking about situation comedies and/or TV dramas.

Personally, I believe they are:

1. Family Guy
2. Lost
3. Six Feet Under
4. Twin Peaks
5. The Shield
6. The Sopranos
7. Scrubs
8. The Wire
9. Star Trek
10. Seinfeld

If we are not sticking to just situation comedies and/or TV dramas, the following also deserve tribute:

Inside the Actors Studio
David Letterman
Tonight Show w/Carson
Micky Mouse Club
Howdy Dudie
Donahue
Monty Python
Saturday Night Live
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Pee-Wees Playhouse

Finally, here's a great article about which is better: Sopranos or Wire
http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/feature/200 ... best_show/

[Anarkistsdream]

Heavy, read and post, damn you!

[static_ice]

Carson Daly? Are you kidding?

[ParadiceCity9]

Hm. I've never heard of The Wire. Please enlighten me.

But I feel South Park is the greatest show ever.

[ParadiceCity9]

Carson Daly? Are you kidding?

Ya I gotta agree...Carson sucks. Conan's way better.

[firth4eva]

Here was I thinking this might be about the real wire.

[static_ice]

Carson Daly? Are you kidding?

Ya I gotta agree...Carson sucks. Conan's way better.

I myself prefer Ferguson but anyone's better than Carson.

[suggs]

The West Wing is prob the best of all time.
But all Nark's choices are up there, esp Six Feet Under.
never heard of the wire

[0ojakeo0]

I like the wire but got nothing on seinfeld

[Neoteny]

Carson Daly? Are you kidding?

Ya I gotta agree...Carson sucks. Conan's way better.

I myself prefer Ferguson but anyone's better than Carson.

Philistines! Johnny Carson! Kids these days!

[jonesthecurl]

Some of you may be assuming that your common cultural heritage spreads outside the US.

I don't know The Wire, Johnny Carson, Carson Daly,or Ferguson. The only Conan I know is the big-muscled barbarian.

[static_ice]

Philistines! Johnny Carson! Kids these days!

Ah...ehh...oh...

[Anarkistsdream]

Carson Daly? Are you kidding?

Who brought up Carson Daly?

[jay_a2j]

But I feel South Park is the greatest show ever.

You would.



Add to the list:

Little House on the Prairie

Three's Company

All in the Family

[Anarkistsdream]

But I feel South Park is the greatest show ever.

You would.



Add to the list:

Little House on the Prairie

Three's Company

All in the Family

All in the Family did bring something new to television with its depiction of overly obvious racial slurs and tendencies, along with stereotypes that are to this day still assumed to be true, but how in the hell do you think the other two have ANY social impact on television? Both polygamy and homosexuality had already been tested on TV, and Little House is just a shitty ripoff of a wonderful series of books, but it didn't bring anything new to the television genre.

[suggs]

I guess for the Brits "Blackadder" influenced a whole generation's sense of humour.
And indeed language.

[Anarkistsdream]

I guess for the Brits "Blackadder" influenced a whole generation's sense of humour.
And indeed language.

True, I am only able to properly judge and rate the impact of American shows, as British television has really only been considered 'mainstream' for about a decade... Not including Monty Python, of course.

[suggs]

It's up there with Seinfeld.

[jay_a2j]

but how in the hell do you think the other two have ANY social impact on television? Both polygamy and homosexuality had already been tested on TV, and Little House is just a shitty ripoff of a wonderful series of books, but it didn't bring anything new to the television genre.

Just reliving my childhood.


Carry on.....

[static_ice]

Carson Daly? Are you kidding?

Who brought up Carson Daly?

I thought that's what you meant from the Tonight Show in your list.

[heavycola]

I like the wire but got nothing on seinfeld

Nark my apols. But here goes, finally...

Look, I love Seinfeld. LOVE it. It's in my top five comedies. But there is no comparison here.

The Wire has nothing on Seinfeld? That's insane. You either haven't watched the Wire or you watched one episode from series 3 and didn't have a clue what was going on. It doesn't bother wasting time with exposition - if you don't know what's going on - and there's always about 12 storylines twisting and weaving around each other at once - then too bad. Cops and drug dealers - in Law and Order, say, the good guys get the bad. it's simple. In the Wire nothing is that simple, which makes it all the more human. The writing is unparalleled, the characterisation is in a class of its own, and the story.... The thing is you need to watch it from the beginning.

Seinfeld is played for laughs. As sitcoms go, it;s up there with CYE and fawlty towers, for example. But drama is a greater art form than comedy. Shakespeare wrote both, but it his tragedies that are placed above his comedies. A piece of work like The Wire can pack more emotional power, conflict and thoughtfulness into an hour than arrested development - another brilliant show - managed in two and a half series.

Basically: The Wire, the Sopranos and Twin peaks are the top tier.
Then below that are shows like 6 feet under, mad men and prime suspect.
Then on the next shelf are the good shows with cheesiness that you forgive in the name of entertainment: Heroes, Lost.

Sitcoms are a different thread.

[Neoteny]

And we all know the greatest sitcom is Perfect Strangers anyhow. This is a discussion about The Wire.