Rhapsody of the Small Screen
TOP 10
Here is a list of my 10 favourite series!
The following is basically my television equivalent of comfort food. Tasty!
(Note: I've only included shows that are no longer on the air. At some point I'll do another Top 10 with currently airing series. Stay tuned!)
01
The West Wing
Aaron Sorkin is my all-time favourite screenwriter, and The West Wing is my very favourite of his creations, though Sports Night is a close second. What I wouldn't give to be as witty and brilliant as one of his characters. (I also love the much-maligned Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. And his screenplays for The Social Network and Steve Jobs are fantastic.)
02
Gilmore Girls
Stars Hollow and its inhabitants will always hold a special place in my heart. (I started high school the same year Rory started Chilton, so I kind of feel like we went to school together.) I also adore Amy Sherman-Palladino's tragically short-lived ballet dramedy Bunheads. And I can't wait for her new Amazon project, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! ASP is a master of quippy, rapid-fire dialogue.
03
Parks and Recreation
Though I only recently discovered the sheer joy that is the Pawnee Parks Department (thanks to my amazing baby sister), I fell fast and hard for this group of beautiful, goofy, inspiring civil servants. And I feel like I have finally found my spirit animal in Leslie Knope. "We need to remember what's important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn't matter, but work is third."
04
Pushing Daisies
If I could live inside any fictional world, it would be the one inhabited by the Pie Maker and his friends. It's a storybook come to life in vibrant colours and bold patterns, and its charms and quirks are endless. (Also not to be missed: Bryan Fuller's short-lived Wonderfalls. Dead Like Me and Hannibal are also fantastic - Hannibal in particular is a visual marvel - but Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls have my heart. Coincidentally, so does Lee Pace.)
05
Firefly
I am a fan of all of Joss Whedon's shows - Buffy, Angel, and the underrated Dollhouse - but, for me, nothing beats Firefly. "The Ballad of Serenity" gives me the warm and fuzzies every time I hear it.
06
Friends
What can I say? It's a classic.
07
Freaks and Geeks
Ninety-nine percent of the teens on TV seem to be rich, beautiful, and popular. And there's nothing wrong with that - their melodramas make for some excellent escapism. But for those of us who felt out of place in high school, who were bullied or just ignored by the popular kids, there is something so wonderful and honest (and, occasionally, painful) about spending time with the characters on Freaks and Geeks. They're awkward and weird and nerdy and sweet. They are real. (The clip below is my favourite moment of the entire series. It is pure joy and total heartbreak.)
08
Dawson's Creek
#TeamPacey.
09
Community / Cougar Town
While some might raise an eyebrow at the inclusion of Community - after all, everyone knows it never fully recovered from the “gas-leak year” (aka season 4) - I stand by my choice. At its peak, namely seasons 2 and 3, it was the weirdest, most inventive comedy out there, and I love it. I'm also adding a bonus shout out to Cougar Town because while it may suffer from stupid-name syndrome it is sweet, and warm, and legitimately hilarious. (Anyone who has seen Community will know why I included it here.)
10
Roseanne
Everyone has a favourite "classic" sitcom. One of my sisters is obsessed with Golden Girls, while the other loves Frasier. And my grandparents still record episodes of M.A.S.H. Other greats obviously include Happy Days, Cheers, Three's Company, Wings, Who's the Boss?, Taxi, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. But my all-time is Roseanne. The Conners are just so damn relatable, it's hard not to love them.
