The Influential 15: TV

I can finally get back on track and return to doing what I do best: writing about old television shows. Tonight we will begin the analysis of the 15 most influential television shows of my life. I say begin because for ease from a reading and writing perspective I am going to do this in two parts. Again, the idea behind the influential list is that these may not be the best shows of all times or my favorites. They are all shows that influenced the way I interpreted culture.

The Simpsons: Absolutely no doubt that this is where I would have to start. As someone who was called Bart throughout high school (a nickname that predated the show) I was a fan from the very first episode. No question that this completely changed the way animation was viewed in that it was no longer relegated to Saturday mornings or loose plots disguised as advertisements for action figures. It changed the idea of comedy as it worked on so many levels. Some people saw it as the crazy antics of Bart, others caught the subtle political humor while others focused on the incredible literary references. And while the show has gone downhill in recent years they can still knock me over with laughter as they did this weekend with Once jokes. Will you stop sending pianos?

You Can’t Do That on Television: The absolute best after school television show ever. Who knew that Canadians could be so funny? This was Saturday Night Live for the pre-teen crowd but with even more inventive comedy. The fourth wall was broken from the moment the show started and they created enough running gags to fill a pop culture guide book. Green slime, locker jokes, Barth’s Burgers, buckets of water, the firing squad, I could go on and on. Heck, Christine was referred to as Moose the entire show and no one ever thought that it might be really bad from a body image perspective to do that. This show helped form the foundation of my sense of humor.

The Monkees: I have argued that The Monkees should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I will also argue that they should be in the TV Hall of Fame, the Baseball Hall of Fame, and every other Hall of Fame in existence. In essence, this show was as groundbreaking as a show could be. From the opening credits, featuring scenes from episodes that didn’t exist and featured the cast members being jumbled around, to the constant asides to the audience to the quick cuts and sight gags this show set the standard for off the wall comedy. Think about Family Guy’s cutaway gags. The Monkees did it first. MTV videos back when they actually showed videos? Monkees did it first. And don’t forget that the music was a great launching point for country rock and people still love the songs. This is the DVD set I want more than anything.

Sports Night: Back when I kind of lost hope that television was going to turn out to be much of anything this show came along and really made me realize just how wonderful a well written and well acted show could be. The concept was simple, the backstage goings on at an ESPN type network, and most people were confused by thinking that it was a sitcom and about sports except that it was neither. Sports exists in the same way that medicine exists on ER, as something to help out the plot. And while it was a comedy there were no punchlines or wacky neighbors. Just well rounded characters with flaws being witty and urbane. And I would kill to be Jeremy in real life.

Quantum Leap: A science fiction show that did not scare people away by the fact that it was science fiction. That is a rather difficult challenge. When you write a show that features time travel and a wise cracking hologram you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead you had Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell putting on the best two character show as they were able to subtly build their relationship within weekly plots that could vary from the humorous to the romantic to the dramatic. Also, while a bit overhanded, it was a wonderful show in terms of presenting America in the second half of the twentieth century. As someone who never had a history class get past the civil war a show about the Cuban missle crisis was very enlightening.

Night Court: There are people who will be upest that I do not list Cheers or Seinfeld here. TO be honest, I was never that big of a Seinfeld fan and while I watched Cheers I’m not sure if I can recall that many punch lines. But Night Court I can remember episode after episode. Maybe the best cast of characters ever for a sitcom. Judge Harry, Bull, Dan Fielding, Markie Post (I assume her character had a name), the occasional Mel Torme sighting, the list goes on and on. It was wacky humor in a courtroom, which is something you almost never see. There are a ton of law dramas, some of which try to bring in occasional comedy, but you seldom see it as a setting for comedy. But Night Court worked and was the funniest show out there for a long time.

Real People: The start of reality television. Ok, maybe not (I could probably give that award to Candid Camera) but am I the only one who remembers just how huge of a show this was in the early 80’s? It launched the careers of Sarah Purcell and Skip Stephenson! It consisted almost entirely of badly shot tapes of eccentric people and places across the US followed up by really bad comedy. And Peter Billingsly was also on the show. Never really explained why he was, they just happened to always keep him around the set. Maybe this show was my first indication that if you promote to the lowest common denominator you will never go out of business. The show was stupid and sophomoric and was constantly at the top of the ratings.