Website Contact: Finding the Good Stuff on TV

July 18, 2007 | by Sam G | 1 Comment

contributed to Crooked Street Press by Sam Goldsmith

There are a few people who consider television the low tide of our
culture. I read recently that Jamie Lee Curtis proudly declared that
she’d never seen an episode of Friends or Cheers or any of the other
shared television experiences now considered classics. It was only by
accident that she caught a few minutes of Bravo’s Top Chef show.The
sound was off but she got the message that it had something to do
with the elimination of a chef turned her stomach and prompted her to
speak out on how television is eating our collective souls.

I disagree. I won’t say that a great deal of what’s on
television isn’t deplorable, because it is. I know that a pig can
find the brownie in the swill and so I rooted around and came up with
a short list of what I consider quality television. I’m sure there
are many more that I’ve not listed here, so I do welcome your
comments and suggestions.

Here are my top 5 examples of television quality

(In no particular order)

1) No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. This is a Travel
Channel show on Monday evenings. It’s gonzo NY super chef who’s lived
a little and now has taken travel and food and meshed them
beautifully. The man is honest and biting in his humor and appetite.
He drinks, he swears and he dishes out personal wisdom while drinking
most of the day. Hands down my favorite travel show.

2) Myth Busters. The show takes widely held myths to their
literal end and shows what’s truly possible when you’re in the room
with very smart people who don’t mind blowing things up if it will
put a question to rest. This show brings out the geek in a lot of
people. This is a science show that teenagers will watch with rapt
attention. I’m confident that a lot of people watch Mythbusters and
just won’t admit it.

3)The Daily Show with John Stewart. No big revelation here. This
is already something of a television institution and gradually
accepting the awkward reality that many people accrue the majority of
their news from this Comedy Central show. Stewart provides a look of
disbelief that seems more sincere than if offered by MSNBC’s
Olbermann.

4) Rescue Me on FX. This is Dennis Leary’s emotional rollercoaster
about an alcholic fireman in NYCity. This is a soap opera thick with
testetorone and people who move more baggage than the handlers at
SFO. This is a tragicomedy and though it’s been on now for three
years, it’s establishing a place for itself as a place for creativity
and edge. A lot of people like The Sheild for many of the same reasons
that I touted Rescue Me. As far as I’m concerned the difference is
significant. Leary is one of those guys who will keep you watching
long after the train goes off the tracks.

5) 30 Rock on NBC. This is a prime time network half-hour comedy
that’s
on summer hiatus. This is a very popular elevision show and one of
my best examples for how even that an entertainment division of GE
can provide top shelf comedy without strip mining our intelligence.
The network has already done everything it needed to do to bring the
show back for another season. The show makes good use of Alec Baldwin
who was making a career of hosting Saturday Night Live and of Tina Fey
(who wanted a career outside of Saturday Night Live). This is one of
those shows that will make you laugh out loud and also feels like it
will suffer from it’s own success. Watch it while you can.

Again, if you know of some personal favorites that you think are
worthy of our time…let us know.

As for Jamie Lee, I watched all 17 episodes of “Anything But Love”
which she did with Richard Lewis , which is probably 17 more episodes
than she watched herself. I also know she did a Love Boat episode so
it’s probably best she not look down on those of us who are drawn to
a Top Chef or Amazing Race.