The - tada! - Return of Random Question Friday
Alrighty, readers, thanks to Dirk I've been pondering what, exactly, I should ask about for the glorious return of Random Question Friday.* Then today during my afternoon nap - which lasted approximately as long as it takes light to travel halfway across an atom - inspiration struck. Television! Of course!
Now, for all my intellectual pretensions about T.V. and our complicity in the consumerist gulag, I've loved me some T.V. shows over the course of my life. I was a West Wing devotee and am currently hooked on Lost. Two and a Half Men cracks me up, too, but I don't organize my life around it.
And thinking back, there were others: E.R. used to be a Thursday night staple until it jumped the shark many car wrecks ago, and before that I was hooked on Northern Exposure, which not only gave us one of the best lines ever ("Detroit? I hear it's like Cleveland but without the glitter"), but also gave us Maggie. Ah, Maggie.
My pubescent television experience went pretty much by the numbers, with Airwolf and Miami Vice ruling the roost. And then we get closer to those shows which truly shaped not just my nightly schedule, but even my playtimes as well; shows so compelling they became archetypical in my pre-pubescent fantasies. At bedtime I'd doze off thinking about playing Magnum P.I.'s sidekick, or would concoct vague paths to guest appearances on Simon and Simon.
But even before then, way back in the mists of the early '80s, my mom and I used to watch The Greatest American Hero together. I remember the theme song clearly, but literally nothing from the show other than the cheesy special effects when the dude went flying through the air. And somehow I think that is still my favorite T.V. show - not because of the show itself, mind you, which was probably intolerably stupid by anyone's standards today - but because I have great memories of the act of watching the show, just hanging out with my mom in our rec room.
The question then, readers, is this: what is your all-time favorite T.V. show, and why?
--------
*Yes, I know I'm writing on a Thursday night, but I'm a busy guy and Fridays are full-blown nuts. Deal.
posted by Trout @ 7:19 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
The X-Files. I'll admit I started watching because I had an uber crush on David Duchovny, but I became a loyal fan because the characters were well developed, the dialogue was smart and witty, and who didn't love the sexual tension between Mulder and Scully? Government conspiracies, family issues, a little romance mixed in with sci-fi elements. As a geeky teenager, I couldn't have asked for anything more in a TV show.
The last two seasons were nearly as good compared to previous years, and the show really did fade into obscurity. But if the prices ever drop a little, I'm sure I'll buy them on DVD.
Being a certified television nut, this one is tough. I guess I have two.
1) FRIENDS. Yeah, the first year was pretty lame, but once those guys settled into those roles and the writing jelled, man there was some funny shit there. I've watched the dvds so many times I know most of the episodes by heart. And let no one, NO ONE, ever question the comedic genius of one Ms. Jennifer Aniston.
2) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Smart, funny, poignant, this one ran the gamut. From scary beasties to hilarious sight gags to brilliant dialogue, this one had something for everyone. And it starred Sarah Michelle Gellar. What's not to like there? Yeah, the last season -- and the final episode in particular -- left me a little cold, but so much goodness came before that it far outweighed that whole "slayer sorority house" nonsense of the last year.
as a kid: dukes of freakin' hazzard. i coveted general lee, and daisy duke on the pages of penthouse was my first experience with nudie mags of any kind.
as an adult: northern exposure (i was also crushed on maggie big time); x-files (as frustrating as the mythology became, scully was soooo peaches n' cream hot); lost (i guess i just love never knowing what the hell's going on); and...
gray's anatomy. i know, i know - i'm a girl. but dang that's a good show.
I loved AirWolf. Had such a crush on Jan Michael Vincent. He turned bmovie porn star. And sucked
Reruns of Star Trek (yes, the original one!) every day after school through junior high and high school.
Currently, Project Runway. I'm so geeky about it, I even go to bravotv.com and watch the snippets of video that were not included on the show.
The Lawrence Welk Show in the early 1960's. It isn't so much that I liked the program but that it created an "event" every Saturday night at our house. My dad would go to the local meat company in the afternoon and pick up t-bone steaks and he would grill them up to perfection. This was the only time we were allowed to eat off TV trays and watch TV at the same time. Mom and Dad would dance around the family room while Mr. Welk directed his fabulous band. I was especially captivated by the Lennon Sisters who sang so effortlessly and looked so genuinely perfect. I wonder what they are doing today?
Today I prefer not to get hooked on any one particular show. Instead I watch HGTV for interior designs and landscaping ideas. Isn't that exciting?
Grey's Anatomy
I'm ridiculously obsessed with this show. I have to give a huge thanks to Dan for introducing me (which I’m sure at times he regrets). I love its quirky humor, PC-ness, drama, suspense, and the fact that it's about medicine gives me, if it's possible, a hard-on. In the words of Dan (while deep in sleep), "Abbey you are the Nazi! You can tell anyone anything you want!" Here's to my career in medicine!
Post a Comment
<< Home