10 Greatest Shows Ever

Jeff Jarvis is asking his readers to list the 10 Greatest - but not obvious - TV Shows ever. He wants everyone to link back here.

Here's mine, in no particular order

1. Freeks and Geeks - The most down to earth, honest, and witty show I've ever seen. I came out the same year as The 70s Show and what CBS did to it (changing its time slot every week, failure to promote it, putting it up against bigger shows) is outrageous. I've got it on tape, and want to get the DVD, and would put any of the 13 episodes up against any other TV show any day of the week.

2. Wonder Years - Another tremendous show about the joys and perils and parental relations that everyone who grew up during an age before computers experienced. Both my father and myself could relate to each and every episode, and our family was closer as a result.

3. Married With Children - Together with The Simpsons set the stage for Fox to be a major player. In its day, this show was on a whole 'nother level and did for Television what Howard Stern did for Radio.

4. The Greatest American Hero - Come on now, how can you not like it - from the theme song to the silly outfit. Just what we needed in the dark days of the cold war. I still walk to work huming the theme song.

5. Cheers - Coach and Carla and Sam and Norm and Diane and Cliff and Rebecca and Woody and Frasier. Has there been a better ensemble comedy?

6. Frasier - A powerful, compelling, insightful comedy that raised the art of comedic sitcom to that of serious theater.

7. TIE - Marlin Perkins and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and Jacques-Yves Cousteau's The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau and The Cousteau Odyssey - These two shows brought the quality of National Geographic to a large Television viewing audience, helped advance world wide respect for wildlife and their habitats, and laid the groundwork for the success of cable television powerhouses like Discover, Animal Planet and others. Steve Irwin and Jack Hanna would never exist - and don't even begin to compare - without these masters.

9. Space 1999 - I just loved this show as a kid.

10. Magnum, PI - Engaging, action packed, and every boy's dream. When I pass reruns while channel surfing, I still manage to stop and stay. Its only fault is the all too occaisonal flashbacks to Vietnam.